Applications to Country Programs Against Corruption

A campaign against corruption must go beyond words, indeed beyond new laws. Institutional adjustment is needed to limit the scope of corruption (and more generally, to enhance efficiency).

A rough formula holds: we will tend to have corruption when there is monopoly plus discretion minus accountability. Therefore, by "structural reforms" we mean actions that:

• Limit monopoly: promote competition in the public and private sectors, avoid monopoly-granting regulations when possible (especially exchange controls and quantitative restrictions on imports), open the economy to international competition, and so forth.

• Clarify official discretion: simplify rules and regulations via "bright lines," help citizens learn the way the system is supposed to work (through brochures and manuals, help desks, laws and rules in ordinary language, publicity campaigns, the use of citizen service-providers, etc.), improve oversight of officials' actions, and so forth.

• Enhance accountability and transparency: private-sector involvement in many ways, including citizen oversight boards, hot lines, ombudsmen, inquiry commissions, etc.; the systematic generation and dissemination of information about public service effectiveness; external audits; self-policing by the private sector; clear standards of conduct and rules of the game; greater competition and openness in bidding, grant-giving, and aid projects.

Institutional adjustment builds on the insight that systems are corrupt, not just people. Corruption is a label covering many different phenomena, and within each category of corrupt activities are many questions of degree. The beginning of wisdom in an anti-corruption effort is to disaggregate.

It is impossible to avoid ethical questions when one speaks of corruption. And yet, this is what successful reforms must try to do. They must focus on corruption as a crime of economic calculation. They must analyze systems rather than condemn individuals, understanding the formula corruption = monopoly + discretion - accountability.

Not all kinds of corruption are equally harmful or equally easy to prevent. It is important to combine economic analysis with political assessment and ask, "What kinds of corruption hurt the most, and whom? What ways of fighting corruption are most effective, and what are the direct and indirect costs?"

In the case of one African country, there is evidence of corruption in several sectors: tax and customs bureaus, the state peanut, the development bank, and perhaps in social services like education. Several donors have made much of the foregone revenues due to inefficiency and probably bribery in customs and taxes. But before we equate foregone revenue to social costs, we must ask who gets the money that is now foregone and how they are spending it. The foregone revenue does not disappear from the face of the earth, nor perhaps even from the country in question. There are redistribution effects, most likely undesirable ones. But as old "revisionist" writers on corruption used to say, perhaps the most dynamic economic elements of the society are those who benefit from this kind of corruption, leading to more economic dynamism.

We must also investigate the extent to which various kinds of corruption "block" economic activity, or in contrast the extent to which there a "market price" with low transactions costs and low uncertainty. Sometimes a corrupt equilibrium has long delays, sometimes what looks like bureaucratic efficiency.

We should focus on the external support and incentives generated by corrupt activities of various kinds, not the amounts of money that changes hands. As they used to say of government officials in Mexico, "They waste a million to save a thousand." Of particular importance is corruption that undercuts financial and banking systems or systems of justice. The external support can be huge here. A corruption activity leads to policy distortions.

For political reasons, it is good to begin an anti-corruption campaign where citizens perceive it to be most evident and most annoying, or where the political leadership has given a field particular salience, or one believes that corruption is undercutting economic reform.

Anti-Corruption Strategies

Anti-corruption strategies must go beyond blanket condemnations. Privately, at least, one must be very shrewd about where to begin and how. One must involve local people in the analysis of the costs and benefits of various kinds of corruption in international business transactions in the country in question. When deciding what to do first, one must keep in mind the need to begin with a quick success, and then attack areas with highest benefit-cost ratios.

An anti-corruption effort should not try to do too many things at once, but to launch a campaign that tries to break the culture of corruption. (1 will discuss the principle of the big fish in a moment.)

In short, then, a generic model for a country program would include:

• Participatory diagnoses by local people of the problems, their extent, and their causes (more on how to do this below);

• A combination of a system of structural reforms carefully sequenced with a politically powerful message and some early successes to gain credibility;

• Which areas first: where the public perceives the problem (e.g., extortion in Philippines; licensing bureau in Venezuela; police and courts in many countries); where the economic costs the greatest (actions that distort policies as opposed to who gets a specific contract); where easiest to make a difference in the benefit-cost sense;

• Getting big fish (many ways to get). Illicit wealth as criteria. People know who is corrupt, yet most charges are false in public hot lines etc. Has to be within the ruling party or not credible;

• Reforms of incentives (first the easy ones revenue-raising areas), then systematic reforms beginning with objectives, on to measures, and finally to pay-performance links; and

• Greater transparency.

Denouncing and prosecuting a few big-time perpetrators of bribery, extortion, smuggling, tax evasion, and other illicit activities. But to learn this lesson from recent international experience, people must also learn one more: successful campaigns against corruption do not stop with denunciations. They go beyond the prosecution of individuals to the systematic reform of information and incentives in both the public and private sectors.

First some examples : Hong Kong used to be awash in corruption. Then in 1973 a new Independent Commission against Corruption was formed. It had new teeth, and new eyes. It possessed powers to investigate suspected offenders and had new means for obtaining information about the wealth of public servants. But despite its powers, at first no one believed that the ICAC would succeed any more than previous efforts to rewrite laws and create investigatory bodies. Credibility came when the ex-police chief of Hong Kong, Peter Godber, was extradited from retirement in England and punished in Hong Kong. The ICAC also nailed the ex-number two and scores of other high-ranking police officials.

To a cynical public and a hardened civil service, frying these big fish sent a credible signal: "The rules of the game really have changed."

Mexico is famously corrupt, but most observers believe that things have improved markedly under President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. He, too, created new capabilities of investigation and enforcement. But his efforts too were originally greeted with disbelief. Had not his predecessor Miguel de la Madrid called for a "renovation " but failed to stem corruption? Salinas did not gain credibility until his enforcers pounced on the notorious head of the Pemex syndicate, on a leading narcotics trafficker, and on three high-powered business people who had fiddled with the Mexican stock exchange. One of the latter was the head of Salinas own campaign in one state. The message: If these big fish can be caught and fried, political impunity is a thing of the past.

Italy recent and unprecedented success in attacking corruption has attracted worldwide attention. The crucial first step was frying a top Mafia official, many top business executives, and several major politicians from the ruling party. This told the public that if they came forward and denounced crime and corruption, they could make a difference.

There are more recent examples of big fish being fried, such as Venezuela, Brazil, Japan. Around the world we are witnessing a transformation as important as the democratic reforms of the 1980s. There is an emerging consensus that democracy without good government is a charade, just as privatization without competition is a charade. The 1990s are becoming the decade of institutional adjustment, meaning the improvement of the institutions through which states and markets function. And the first step in this transformation turns out to require dramatic action against high-level abusers of existing institutions.

Section 8 and My Rental Agreement

When Congress approved the Housing Act of 1937, put into the legalities was a program created to fund subsidized living arrangements for financially-challenged individuals. Legally recognized as the Housing Choice Voucher program, yet more regularly called Section 8 housing for the reason that this is the section of the Housing Act that made it happen, the program gives government help through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but it is in reality doled out through local housing authorities. This will be confirmed on your rental agreement.

Section 8 gives rental monies on behalf of the renter to the building manager. Apartment managers may register for Section 8 by communicating with the local HUD office and informing the agency that they desire to become a receiving building manager. There is not an application needed for the building manager. But, a renter who wants to qualify ought to formally submit an application and reveal that their income is below fifty percent of the average income of the geographic region in which they hope to live.

There are many significant advantages for apartment managers who partake in Section 8:

1. It ensures a consistent onslaught of occupants, which in turn means lower vacancy rates.
2. It gives guaranteed revenue.
3. The monthly rental monies are regular.
4. The building manager is assisting with housing placements within the area.

While the remuneration are obvious, the dangers aren't so clear. The program is the system through which the building manager is getting his money. The dangers to the building manager who take part in Section 8 are equal to renting to any other renter. It is still critically imperative to screen occupants.

The amount of money each month a building manager gets from the housing authority differs from region to region. Every agency will give what it deems to be fair market value based around an evaluation of the location of the apartment building, its size, the types of facilities offered, and the occupant's income. When that evaluation is made, any difference involving that amount and the amount the building manager charges each month is the liability of the renter. Most HUD offices pay between the 1st and seventh of every month. The building manager must collect the Section 8 occupant's share of the rent in the same method as for any other renter.

Any apartment that will be used for the program must be suitably inspected to make sure it is in proper condition to be rented. Once again, the kind of inspection necessary differs based on the local HUD office. In selected situations, the office depends on the area's local code inspection or Certificate of Tenancy inspection, whichever is more suitable. In other circumstances, HUD will send out its own assessor to confirm for things like working electricity and heating/cooling systems, no bad or rotting paint, no leaks in the roofs, no broken windows or doors, and making sure there are fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and CO2 sensors.

An crucial point to mention is that existing buildings do not need to to be in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). But, any brand new housing being constructed ought to conform to the laws outlined by the ADA if it is to qualify to be approved Section 8 occupants.

Once the apartment has been rented, the building manager can usually use a regular rental agreement. But there are some HUD offices that make it a requirement for the building manager to use their rental agreement,by and large the same as in any other rental agreement, but with one significant difference.

While a building manager typically has the ability to rent to occupants either yearly or month-to-month, with Section 8 occupants, the building manager can only rent on a yearly basis.

When it comes to the question of security deposits, the building manager can unquestionably request a security deposit.

Raising the rent somewhat more tricky. It depends on a lot of different data, like the address of the property, the quantity of persons in the apartment, area wages, and the kinds of facilities offered. Even when the building manager builds the increase into the rental agreement, HUD may not approve it, making the renter accountable for paying it. Of course, if the apartment is subject to rent stabilization, then the the question of rent increases is subject to those laws.

Just like any rental condition, you are going to find occupants that are going to have to be to be evicted for non-payment of rent, or other lease violations. The eviction procedure is the same, the judge does not assign any different credence to the detail that it is a Section 8 renter that is being delivered an eviction notice.

On a last note, a building manager must make every effort to create a relationship with the local HUD office. If the agent recognizes your name, he will remember you when they have a high-quality renter searching for a rental. Keeping a friendly relationship with the HUD office is a great way of making sure you have a consistent flow of occupants.

Modest Wedding Gowns – 5 Top Tips!

Searching for modest wedding gowns can sometimes cause a Bride stress over what will be appropriate. There is no need to worry as these top 5 tips are guaranteed to put you on the right track of what is to be expected of a modest gown and also clarifies what is not acceptable. Of course much does come down to judgement, but trust your intuition. If there is even a slight question in your mind over whether a certain gowns will be appropriate or not you can be sure it probably is not and you wouldn’t want to give yourself extra worry for nothing. Go for something you feel certain about.

Modest wedding gowns look great on every Bride. There are styles that never go out of fashion and so it is with modest wedding gowns. A Bride does not need to be revealing at all to be perceived as beautiful and in fact every Bride who looks classy and elegant will be admired both by her fiancé and her guests alike.

Modesty in a Bride is especially admired because traditionally wearing white was an indication of a lady’s virginity. Gone are those days now, it seems, as many a Bride is already living with her partner before the wedding day and it is not for others to speculate what goes on behind closed doors anyway! However, the bride who chooses modest wedding gowns is lending her soon to be husband a certain amount of respect by her choice, because her ‘modesty’ signifies to him that she is not attempting to attract other men. That she has chosen him and only him. This is a very subtle indication to him and one that will certainly be acknowledged and respected inwardly if not stated outwardly.

Here are 5 tips to ensure that yours is in fact a modest wedding gown:

1. Stay away from strapless or spaghetti straps. Long sleeves, short sleeves, three quarter and also cap sleeves will be fine.

2. Plunging necklines are definitely out of the question, but if the dress you have your heart set on does happen to have a very low neckline it may be easily remedied by adding some gathered tulle or lace along the edging. Done well, this can in fact enhance the look of the dress immensely as there is really no need to show quite so much cleavage in the first place.

3. Naturally, the hemline should not be short as in mini, but if you do not like a floor length hemline you might wish to go for a tea length wedding dress.

4. Open backed dresses are still considered modest, however use your own judgement or get the opinion of a good friend.

5. It may or may not seem obvious to you, but the color of modest wedding gowns you select must also come within the guidelines of modesty. Nothing too dark, definitely not hot pink, Ferrari red or black! It is however not essential that you wear white and ivory and cream are lovely colors too. Depending of personal and family tradition you may also be able to get away with wearing modest wedding gowns in a wider range of colors

Networking Is A "Con" Game

Networking is nothing more than a "con" game. Have you ever been contacted by some swindler offering you money if you would help out a long, lost relative located in a remote country? We all know calls like these are scams. But, in sales, can we associate the necessary skill of networking with a "con"? I believe we can and should.

Now, I'm not suggesting that networking is a sleazy activity. Networking is a "con" game because the letters "con" are critical reminders of how to be successful in this endeavor. Instead of associating "con" with its negative connotation, I'd like to suggest that you link "con" with the words Continuity, Concern, and Confidence. I call them the "3 Cons of Networking." The need to display each of these is at the core of every networking opportunity whether we realize it or not.

To emphasize my point, stop for a moment and think about the people who you value knowing. Each one has communicated a sense of continuity, concern, and confidence towards you. In the same regard, people who have you in their network have come to see these same three "cons" in you. Many times, unfortunately, we don't realize this so we are unable to leverage the "3 Cons" to increase the value of our network.

Let's break down each of the "3 Cons of Networking" and examine some ways we can use them to our advantage:

The first "Con" is Continuity and it serves as the foundation of networking. Do not assume continuity requires you to have face to face meetings on a regular basis with the person you're associating with. Rather, continuity means that you have contact with the other person at a frequency that can be counted on. Although this implies regularity, it just means the contact that takes place has to occur at a rate that is natural to both parties. Besides getting together in person, it can be made by mail, e-mail, telephone, or even a fax. The rate of recurrence will control the speed and depth of the networking relationship. If you want to be better connected with someone, identify the type of contact which best suits that person and seek to get in touch with them on an appropriate schedule.

The second "Con" is Concern. Do you show concern for the other person? Are you willing to go out of your way to assist them? Many people desire to network with others for nothing more than building a list of names, as if they were collecting baseballs cards or old coins. In reality, networking is about making a difference in the lives of others. It's about being willing to put their needs in front of your own. You do this by showing interest in them, by asking them questions, by helping them achieve their goals, by congratulating them for things they've accomplished, and by being will to share their success with others. Although this "Con" is the most critical, it is also the most often neglected in society today.

The final "Con" is Confidence. Under no circumstance should this be associated with arrogance. It's not as much about your level of self-assurance as it is about the amount of confidence the other person has in you. Think about it. If you aren't confident in somebody, you won't confide in them, you won't support them, and you probably will not go out of your way for them. The person who others have confidence in is respected. How do gain the confidence of those in your network? Demonstrate Continuity and Concern. (You might say confidence is the end result of doing the other two well.) Be knowledgeable and professional with the other person. Be willing to put yourself into situations where they can see how you respond to things in both good and bad times. Commit to be yourself regardless of who you're with or who you desire to meet. Turning these actions into habits will help you gain the respect and confidence you desire from your counterparts.

Networking is a "con" game, nothing more and nothing less. When you are willing to invest time into carrying out the "3 Cons," you will find your network growing not just in size, but, more importantly, in the value and benefits you and those you network with receive from it. Successful networking relationships have "con" written all over them!

What it Takes to Start a Personal Training Business?

Personal fitness is fast gaining popularity among an increasing number of people. This is because they are becoming progressively aware of the hazards of leading an unhealthy and unfit life. If you are planning to start a personal training business, your timing could not have been better. Taking advantage of the growing health conscious attitude of the masses, personal training business is going great guns nowadays. Personal trainers are hot property now as more and more people are crowding to their training centers to get guidance on how to lead a fit and healthy life.

To start a personal training business you first need to train yourself for the same. The most important thing your prospective clients will look at is your certificates confirming your expertise in the field. They are about to trust you with their body fitness, so it is imperative that you are confident about your skill. Very often people are themselves quite aware of what they need to do but just need that extra guidance and instructions to keep them on the right track. It is true that fitness training under the supervision of a qualified personal trainer always yields better results than when it is done on one’s own. So, you need to be particular about your responsibility of keeping your clients interests in mind and work accordingly.

Since the demand for personal trainers has grown leaps and bounds in the recent times, it is a highly profitable business venture. If you start a personal training business you can easily amass a fortune for yourself. Normally professionals in this field charge around $50-$100 for one hour of consultation. So if you are sufficiently educated in personal training, before long you are sure to find your bank balance sky rocketing!

It is important that you are clear about the section of clients you want to provide your service to. This is due to the fact that fitness training can be of several types. For example, you may want to cater to the young population instead of the senior ones. So you need to design your services accordingly. When you are about to start a personal training business it is sensible to draw up a marketing strategy keeping your target audience in mind. This way you can reach out to a large number of people and make yourself and your business known.

So it is almost the best time to start a personal training business provided you have the skill and expertise to survive in this competitive field. It is best to keep yourself updated about the latest techniques that have been evolved in fitness training so that your service is one of the best in the business. Once you ensure that, it is not difficult to make a name for yourself in this industry along with pots of money!

Think of effective strategies to sell your business. It is only through proper marketing that you can reach out to your target customers and thus set up a thriving business.

So, if you are planning to start a personal training business of your own, remember these steps and very soon you will find a steady inflow of cash in your bank account!

Acoustic Piano or Digital Piano?

The invention of piano has already come a long way since around 500 years in the past. A great number of various piano styles have emerged out of imitating and enhancing the original piano version many times. Digital pianos are made with the latest technology and it is one of the most famous alternatives for piano. The question you’ll ask to yourself is which one suits you? Your piano playing styles and budget are the main criteria for searching a piano. For both side on the other hand the advantages and disadvantages.
Acoustic Piano
A complex built – That best describes the acoustic piano. The hammers are made to hit the string inside the piano when the keys are pressed on the outside. It then creates a vibration that is augmented by the coundboard of the piano. A quality, full and rich piano sound is created that is always being appreciated at recitals and grand performances. The only disadvantage it has is that it entails a lot of money, space and maintenance.
When looking for an Acoustic Piano, here are the things to take note:
• The acoustic piano requires habitual tuning most especially when the piano is moved to another place or when the climate changes.
• The sound created by the acoustic piano is very rich and full that nothing can match up to with it.
• Depending on the temperament of the pianist, it allows the creation of either loud or soft sound. Whatever the way the pianist wants to play, acoustic pianos can go along very well.
• A big space of a room is required when you decide to buy an acoustic piano. They weigh at the range of 450 – 1000 lbs.
• Usually, acoustic pianos that can be availed at a low price is not worth to buy since they have a lot of defects. Great acoustic pianos are always highly priced.
Digital Piano
A good copy of an acoustic piano is the digital piano. Recorded notes from the real pianos are being used by digital pianos to create sound instead of having the built in strings and mechanisms within. Individuals who play in the band can find digital pianos very handy for they can be easily carried anywhere though they have some flaws.
When looking for a digital piano, here are some things to take note:
• Digital pianos come at an economical price. They are more affordable than acoustic pianos.
• The real version of the piano piece can never be acquired since the digital keys are not very sensitive.
• Students who only have digital pianos are not accommodated by some piano teachers.
• Digital pianos come along with their own carry bags and they are portable and quite light to carry around.
• A broad range of features and styles are offered by a good quality digital piano. Other sounds of instruments like the drums are included in these features.
• You don’t need to get digital pianos tuned and they are good to use in areas that have humid climates and have drastic change in temperature.
The issues between both instruments have long existed since the creation of digital pianos. But it is still up to you, both instruments have their own strong points and it greatly depends on how you want to use it.

The Traditional Piano Lessons’ Downside

Do you like to take your time studying 4 years in a Music School just to learn the music or piece of other people? You are definitely right if you think that this is not a good idea. However, there are many music students who still do this everyday.
In front of the piano, they sit and stare at the sheet music of a composer who have longed passed away. They are always being advised to play it correctly. Did you happen to hear this rubbish? Picture this out – it is like a blooming writer being obligated to imitate the work of another author. Yes, that is just like what the classical piano students perform. They imitate.
It is not creativity that comes out in this manner, even though many people consider this act as one. It is a manner of re-creating. The point behind this is to provide the people who are advised how to listen to music an opportunity to listen to what they think is “great” music. Alongside with classical music is pomposity and it only stays alive because the minority desire to listen to it.
Believe it or not, I love classical music. However, I find it unwise to allocate my time to learn playing music that has already been created. What I want to happen when I take a hold of piano is to unite with my own foundation and unleash the music within me to come out naturally. My goal in life is to become a creative person. And I do believe that within us, there comes a great composer.
All we need to have is the aspiration to create and express one’s self through the music. But is it hard? Of course not! It is quite easy just let your fingers maneuver and do the work smoothly. You may think that this is unbelievable, but this is real. The music students were very much cheated in this way that their desire to create has been shattered. It is sad to know that most piano students nowadays are having this confusion.The greatest music has already been created so why should one worry? The response to this question is very vital to our own dignity as piano players. The thought of having to create another good music is simply make us feel great. That is the thing that we need in order to produce a music that is very pleasing to the ears.
Being the author of your own music or piece doesn’t only mean that you have to be very expert on the piano. It is more than that. That is the willingness to create your very own piece by heart without being afraid to have some errors along the way. Having all the mistakes and challenges makes the world of learning colorful and memorable. It reminds us that playing piano should not aim for perfection; it should be letting all the mistakes guide you to become the best piano player that you can be!

Managing Multiple Projects & Outsourcers in Less Than 10 Minutes a Day?

If you're a small business owner, like myself, you understand how important it is to have a reliable and trustworthy team to help you run your day-to-day operations. Unfortunately, even with the additional productivity that additional employees can provide for your business, there is an increasingly large amount of time that needs to be spent on the daily management of those resources.
If it fits your business model, Outsourcing is one great way to minimize your labor costs and to maximize your return-on-investment...both in real dollar terms and also in terms of your allocation of management time.
There are many inexpensive, web-based tools available today that can provide you with a real time application to systematize and document your business processes, which can then be used on an ongoing basis to answer many of the frequently asked questions that typically take up your time...
However, with today's current group of communication tools like web-based chat, email, phone, twitter, facebook, and others, you can quickly become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of interactions and employee questions that you have to respond to on a daily basis.
As you begin to outsource your projects, you'll have multiple projects going on, and multiple providers, and you may be choosing one, or more, provider for each project. You'll also have them working on a variety of tasks. So, you want to be as efficient and effective as you can be for interacting back and forth with them.
The number one time waster that you need to avoid is chat applications. It's a great way to interact back and forth with the providers on a daily basis, but, I highly recommend that you inform them by email when you are going to be available on chat, and not leave your chat open all day long. Because you'll find is, many times you have providers that you use for one project, and then you don't have any more work for them. Well, if they are on Gmail, they can see that you are online and every time they see you online they will follow up for more and more work each time.
You might not want that so, what I do is, go invisible on Gmail, and, if there is a provider who has a question, provide them my email and my chat but they are still not able to see when I am online. If there is a problem, they can email me and we can hook up on chat.
I interact with them and when they are finished I go back to invisible. It's just like leaving your email client open all day long. If you are trying to make any progress whatsoever you close your email client, and only check it a few times a day. It is a tremendous time sucker. So, chat applications, don't have them on all the time, be offline or invisible. But, do agree to interact through email or phone.
If you take the time to systematize and document your business processes, you can take full advantage of all the enormous benefits that outsourcing can provide...

Coupon Codes: A Blissful Online Bargaining System

Shopping is a part of our daily routine. Shopping for groceries and wardrobe items empties our wallets. Hence, it is important for us to save money on our day to day shopping. While shopping, if you are unable to save money through bargaining or if you are not able to take advantage of different discounts and sale schemes, you tend to remain unsatisfied. However, bargaining and sale are just one of the means of saving on shopping. Apart from these, there are many other ways to save money while shopping, of which coupon code is one of the means.
Benefits of coupon codes
Coupon codes are one of the several ways of shopping with suitable and affordable prices. These can be entered during the check out process and can be used to save either a percentage or a flat amount on the total purchase amount, like with paper coupons. Today, the retailers are using the coupon codes system widely, so that they can tie their customers forever with online sales processes. By using a coupon code, not only is a retailer benefited, but a customer can also save a certain amount of money on purchases. You can find several coupon code options by doing some online research.
Coupon codes should be used only after you have read all the rules and regulations, so that you can make the best of it i.e. you can utilise full savings available on the products that you are looking for. Coupon codes turn out to be a boon during your tougher times and help you to buy stuff. The luxuries codes are not only beneficial for heavy purchases but also for the overall monthly or weekly purchases. At times, the savings can amount to your entire shopping cart value. It can make your shopping more enjoyable as you can save on shopping for clothing items, household items and other basics that are needed daily.
It’s not easy to get coupon codes and this is the reason that people hate to take them. However, by investing just a few extra minutes into getting these coupons, you can become an excellent master in controlling your expenses up to a great limit. You can easily save up to $1000 a year by just using the coupons.
How to grab coupon codes?
It is not that hard or painful to save your own money. Only by spending a few minutes, you can find the coupon codes that you need to purchase from the online retailers. There are many retailers, who offer coupons for their marketing purposes. Alternatively, you can search for coupons in newspapers - the complete source for adopting coupons. Apart from this, there are many other establishments available which offer you coupons through mail. There are many websites available too, that offer you printable coupons. Thus, for getting coupon codes, you need to shop on you own, and that too frequently through the web and take the advantage of coupon codes.
Coupon codes really turn out to be a blessing because retailers are able to get easy traffic, manufacturers are able to move their product faster and the consumers are able to gather big saving.

How to Refill an HP Ink Cartridge

Refilling an HP ink cartridge is a great way to save money and help the environment. Before you begin refilling an ink cartridge, it is important to know what you are doing. Because Hewlett-Packard has so many different kinds of cartridges, the precise refilling method may vary.
The following is a general guide on refilling an HP Ink Cartridge:
1. It is important that you refill the cartridge over a surface that is safe in case you happen to spill ink on it. Line the surface with a layer of either an old cloth towel or paper towel. Remove the ink cartridge and put it on the table.
2. Tape over the bottom hole and the top center hole. Make sure that the top center hole seal is air tight. Use black electrical tape as it will provide an air tight seal.
3. Use a clean syringe to fill the fresh ink into the cartridge. A syringe will be included in an inkjet kit.
4. Find the filling hole which will be located on the top or bottom on the cartridge. It is usually sealed with a ball bearing and a plastic film covering. Remove the covering of the filling hole and push the ball bearing into the cartridge. Inject the ink into the top corner hole. When finished, remove the syringe. Use hot glue or hot wax to seal the top corner hole. Insert the correct color ink into the cartridge with the syringe. If you're refilling black ink, use about 20 milliliters. For color ink, use 10 milliliters per chamber.
5. Reseal the filling hole if it is on the bottom of the cartridge Make sure that it is airtight. Squeeze the cartridge sides and insert the plug that should have come with the refill kit. A small amount of ink should trickle from the print head. Seal the top corner hole air tight. Use a hot wax or hot glue. Black electrical tape will often work as well. Squeeze the cartridge just before sealing to set up the vacuum. Remove the tape. Set on a paper towel for an hour as a drip safeguard. There will be a few drips until the vacuum becomes stable.
6. Let the cartridge stand with the print head down for a couple of minutes before putting it back in the printer. This will pull out excessive ink and balance pressure in the cartridge.
It is important that you do not stick a large sharp object into the top center hole as the cartridge will continue to leak. If the seal that is applied to the fill hole is not air-tight, the cartridge will leak. If you have a leak around the bottom hole, you may be able to fix it with some glue. Many experts recommend purchasing a refill kit as it has the correct equipment and guide on how to refill each specific cartridge.
The above tips are designed to make the refilling process of your HP inkjet cartridge much easier and less messy. Refilling an HP inkjet cartridge is much cheaper than purchasing a new cartridge.

Top Reasons to Play Cornhole

There are many reasons to play cornhole. It is a fun game for people of all ages and abilities and can be used for entertainment at a party, a company event, picnic, or other outdoor event. Cornhole is also a great game to have on hand for the kids to play at home. It is a simple game; you toss small bags filled with corn onto the cornhole board and try to make them into the holes. One point is awarded for bags that land on the board and three points are awarded to bags that land in the hole.
Kids can be hard to keep busy and are always looking for something to do. You should consider getting them a game like cornhole because it is an activity that will get them out of the house and keep them active. All you need to play are two cornhole boards and cornhole bags in different colors. Cornhole is a fun game to get the kids outside in the fresh air and enjoy some fun. The game can be competitive as well of kids can play alone and have fun even if they do not have anyone to play with.
When you have a company event you need to find something fun for entertainment that everyone can take part in. No company picnic is complete without games and entertainment, and cornhole is a good choice because it is easy to play no matter what a person’s skill level. With cornhole many people can play together at the same time and have a lot of fun in the process. Your company event will be a success when you provide games such as cornhole to play and everyone will have a good time.
Another reason to play cornhole is if you are having a family picnic or outdoor party and you need entertainment for a diverse group of people. Cornhole is appropriate for people of all ages so it is great when you have both adults and children to entertain. Cornhole is entirely safe as well because the bags are soft and you don’t have to worry about someone being injured with them. Children and some adults sometimes have trouble throwing heavy game objects such as horseshoes, and children often lack the hand eye coordination for baseball, Frisbee, and other games. Cornhole is a game that everyone can enjoy no matter how skilled of an athlete they are or how old they are.
Cornhole is a game that anyone can play which is why it is so appealing as entertainment for so many events. There are many reasons you should consider using cornhole as the entertainment for your next gathering. If you are planning a party, picnic, or company event and you need to find a game to play outside that is safe and accommodate everyone at your function then you should plan a cornhole toss game. If you choose cornhole you only have to purchase the game equipment once and they can last for many events.

Wintertime Autombile Maintenance - Check Your Auto's Tire Pressures

You can be assured of several facts of life when it comes to driving your automobile during the cold winter time. Your car, truck or S.U.V. is destined to have trouble at one point during the long cold winter time. You will be then be waiting in the cold Canadian or Northern US winter time for that roadside assistance auto wrecker recovery vehicle tow truck all for no avail. One simple winter auto maintenance tip that few follow is to routinely check the air pressures of your vehicles tires during the winter time driving periods.
It’s always best to check your tire pressures on a routine and regular ongoing basis. The only way to properly do this is with a tire gauge. If you do not have a tire gauge handily in your glove box – then purchase one at an automotive big box store or your local auto parts store. Just judging the tires by sight is not good enough. Judging tire pressures by sight is deceiving. Tires pressures may not appear to be what they are just by looking at the tires themselves. Air may of leaked out of the rims of the tires over the winter time period. Aluminum rims are famous for that. Hence all of your tires may be uniformly low in tire pressures. It’s like comparing one bad apple to another. Next air volume and size decrease during colder temperatures. This is a known fact. Hence if nothing else your tires will be lower in pressure automatically during the winter than during the warmer summer or fall time.
Not only will you have lower gas miles per gallon reading you risk early wear on your tires, tire damage and even blow out at high speeds. Remember it may not be the one tire that you have your one spare tire in your trunk of your vehicle ready for. You may be damaging all of your 4 tires of your set of tire all at the same time.
What to do? Either measures the air pressure of your ties yourself. If not take the tire to a local garage or even best a tire shop who will be set up to quickly measure your air tire pressure and catch any problems that may of have occurred by now.
Have your tire air pressures checked when the tires are cold, when the pressures will be at their lowest not after a long drive, especially on a highway or toll pike, where the tires may have heated up from the friction of the drive and the air pressures artificially raised for the moment. Ditto this is your car has been stored in a heated garage. Let the cars and tires cool down to the lowest winter cold point – that will lead to an Ann curate reading of tires pressures at their lowest and coldest. It need not be the coldest day possible. Just a standard cold winter day or night.
In the end a little preparation and concern for the tires on your vehicle and simple winter time maintenance steps to check the air pressures of those rubber tires may pay great dividends for yourself, family or friends in terms of more reliable and safe transportation and may save you a lot of time and needless energy wasted in waiting for the tow truck or even the additional costs of repair, labor and replacement auto parts for your trusted vehicle.

Five Upbeaten Qualities For Affiliate Marketing

Thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs these days are turning to one of the most popular Internet businesses around... the business of affiliate marketing. In this trade, you are your own boss, no deadlines to meet, or piles of stuff that have to be finished by the end of the day. In order to succeed, you only need a good marketing system for your home based business and the correct mental qualities to succeed. Affiliate marketing in simple terms is when you sell someone else’s products, services or business using your home based business website and you get paid for the sale. It is that simple. Thank goodness there are many thousands of companies that are willing to pay you for selling their goods. The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states, "Affiliate marketing programs are where a company offers to pay you a set amount for either a click through from your website, or a set amount for visitors signing up, or even a percentage of a purchase made by visitors as a result of being referred from your website". There are really five basic things you must do if you want to make it in the business of affiliate marketing. Below, are the qualities you should strive to achieve. 1. You must have a desire to learn To begin the first quality you must have is the desire to learn, together with the willingness to be educated. Proceeding through the unfamiliar Internet terminology is tough indeed, especially if you have no knowledge about Internet marketing or home based businesses. You must have a combination of the right frame of mind and a strong work habit. When starting out, you will need to be ready to learn from others, read, learn more and do your research for th
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e best Internet system and affiliate marketer program that can help you make money. 2. Have determination You must be determined to meet the challenge to succeed. If you want to make it in the world of affiliate marketing, you must push yourself forward. The ability to push yourself to greater heights will ultimately determine your future. 3. You must discipline yourself Discipline requires you to make yourself do something regularly. If you teach yourself to work everyday with all of your heart and soul, you’ll be that much closer to accomplishing your goals and making your dreams happen. 4. Devote time and effort The fourth quality you absolutely must have is the willingness to invest time and effort in the growth of your home based business; even when you are not seeing results as fast as you would like. Even though weeks may pass without hearing good news, it’s very important for anyone who wants to get their foot in the business world of affiliate marketing to put forth time and effort. 5. Confidence The last quality you must have is confidence in yourself. Do not give up on yourself or others. Keep a good attitude. The attitude you have should always be positive, looking toward the future success of your Internet business. See yourself succeeding. It is like you are in control, steering your affiliate marketing business on the correct course to reach your ultimate goals and dreams. Put the above tips to practical use, you will go farther than you ever thought possible in the world of affiliate marketing. You will succeed in affiliate marketing and be on the cutting edge of a victorious career. Have fun, you earned it.

Sales Letter Always Work Quickly

You've lined up benefit after benefit...
But it won't make you a dime unless you can close the sale and make the reader of your sales letter hand over their cash. And a solid close on your sales letter will do just this.
Following, 5 essential parts for a "get your wallet out" sales letter close.
1) SHOW THEM THE PAIN
The reader of your sales letter needs to understand what your product/offer will do for them. But once they understand that, they need to know that things won't get better, problems won't be solved, and nothing in their situation will change if they don't take action.
"Passing today means nothing will change for you. You'll still work at a job you hate and pray that one day a sensible and real opportunity will fall into your lap. But I tell you, this IS your real opportunity, and now you just need to act."
Let them feel the pain. Or visit www.web-sales-letter-supreme.com Tell them the downside of not jumping on your offer. Ask them questions so they can personalize the loss by actually thinking about what they'll be missing.
2) SHOW THEM THE VALUE
Justify the value of your product or service by explaining the price you've chosen:
"$67 is s true bargain when you consider that this one-time investment will come back to you at least 10 times. By simply investing a small amount right now, you're guaranteed to get all the information you need to make 10 to 1000 times your investment back in under 30 days"!
3) SHOW THEM THERE'S NO RISK
Take away any doubts in your potential customer's mind. Assure them they're making the right decision, and risk nothing by taking you up on your offer:
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"You are guaranteed to learn step-by-step how I made a fortune in network marketing. But if you feel you can't follow my plan, or just don't want to, then simply return my package--keeping the $97 in FREE bonuses--and I'll give you a 100% no questions refund."
4) SHOW THEM TIME IS LIMITED
If the reader doesn't act right away chances are good they'll forget about your offer and never take action. Give them a reason they MUST take immediate action.
Tell them they might lose bonuses. Go to www.the-gurus-apprentice.comTell them that supplies of your product are limited. Give them a strong reason to act immediately:
"The $39.95 price is simply a test price. After 100 visitors to this website, I will access changing the price, and guarantee you it will be raising. So to guarantee you get everything you need to get started day trading for thousands for the test price of only $39.95 you must act immediately."
5) SHOW THEM YOUR OFFER AGAIN
After you've given them details for ordering place a P.S. that goes over your deal again and explains the benefits. A P.P.S. can be used to detail that there is no risk:
"P.S.: You get immediate access to my complete "Fat Burning without Exercise" system that will have you shedding 30 pounds in 30 days. Plus, when you act now, you also get $400 in FREE bonuses for helping you reach and maintain your desired weight. But to get everything, you must order now.

Web Design For Small Businesses

The internet revolution opened up a whole new world of communication. Easy access to information and resources, and the ability to connect and network with people around the globe. But one field that has been almost completely restructured by the introduction of the Internet is of course, the business world.
Internet marketing has evolved into one of the most powerful and most-used business tools for companies ever since "Google" became a synonym for "search". The internet has proved to be a weapon of the best and worst kind for businesses. It offers the opportunity to expand a company’s client base from just its immediate geographical vicinty to networking connections and prospects worldwide. It’s nearly impossible to fathom that any business still not online will remain so much longer... because their competition is already there and is profiting in ways the brick-and-mortar-bound business cannot.
Creation and promotion of even a basic website can increase profitability and visibility, and with the proper invesment of creativity and money, can continue continued growth into the future. But the creation of any just any sort of website isn’t enough. In order generate interest and create return visitors leading to business transactions, it’s important to make sure your site is professional, easily navigable, and markets your product in a compelling way.
Professionalism is achieved through detailed descriptions of products and services, having multiple contact options for customer service and support (both online and offline), even making certain that things such as spelling and grammatical errors are nowhere to be found on the site. While that seems obvious, it's interesting to note that over 60% of websites contain significant spelling and grammatical errors. This is understandable on certain kinds of sites...but, for a business...this kind of issue can affect your credibility. A plethora of software tools are available for the sole purpose of making sure such mistakes don’t find their way onto your website—so utilize them.
Making sure your site is easily navigable is another critical issue. If your potential customers are having trouble locating the product or service that they need, chances are they’re not going to waste more than a minute on your site... after all, in most cases, there are tons of other sites offering the same thing. Utilize the basics of site organization with tabs, a search bar, and properly organized information, pictures, links, etc. Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than disorganization.
Finally product placement and marketing on the website is key. There are web designers, graphic designers and flash technicians who can take a simple website from decent to great. If a visitor is finds it a pleasant experience to visit your website, they'll stay longer... which increases the chances that they will purchase your product or service. A boring website reflects on the company and the product, and in the fast-evolving internet market a business has about 5 seconds to grab the interest of a potential customer, or lose them to the lure of another, more compelling site.

The Truth About Water Purification Technology

Water purification technology has advanced tremendously in the past few years, particularly in the area of home filtration systems. Here’s a brief look at some of the different methods of water purification available today.
Distillation is very old water purification technology, but it is still commonly used. It was first developed, not as one of the methods of water purification, but to create alcohol. In archaeological excavations from Pakistan to South Asia, alcohol distillers have been found. A simple explanation of the process follows.
Liquid is brought to a boil and it vaporizes. The vapor travels through a tube, where it enters another chamber, cools down and once again becomes a liquid. Anything that has a higher boiling point than the liquid or cannot be vaporized in the steam remains in the first pot.
This is one of the methods of water purification that leaves the minerals behind and causes an acid pH. It has been learned that for drinking purposes, de-mineralization and acid pH levels are not healthy.
Advancements in water purification technology have aimed at removing chemical and biological contaminants, without destroying the natural mineral content and pH level.
Reverse osmosis is often touted as the latest in water purification technology, when in fact it has been around for at least 50 years. It was developed for use in industries and large scale treatment facilities. In the 1970s, it became popularized as one of the healthiest methods of water purification for the home.
It was truly a boon to water purification technology, since it can be used to remove salt. In coastal areas and island communities, this is an important and desirable feature. Basically, it works by pressurizing and forcing liquids through a porous membrane. The size of the pores determines what is removed and what travels through.
RO is another of the methods of water purification that de-mineralizes, so not the healthiest for drinking. There are several other disadvantages to the system. It creates wastewater that cannot be used for drinking or other purposes. It operates slowly and requires electrical energy.
Chemical contaminants, such as we face today are not removed. And, additional steps are required to remove bacteria and bacterial cysts. For home purifiers, water purification technology has advanced beyond this method.
In most of our homes, the liquid that flows from our kitchen taps has been through a number of methods of water purification. Treatment facilities vary, but depending on where you live, the methods of water purification used by major facilities include RO, membrane and ultra-filtration, flocculation, UV radiation and, of course, chemical disinfection.
The use of chemicals to kill bacteria and disinfect was, at the turn of the century, a major leap forward in water purification technology.
Before its introduction, there were numerous outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and other diseases relating to bacterial contamination. It appears that what was good for our society in general was bad for the health of the individual.
One of the chemicals most commonly used for disinfection is chlorine. When it is used at the treatment facility, other chemical by-products (THMs) are released. Both, THMs and chlorine, as well as their gases and vapors, have been linked to cancer and a variety of other health problems.
New advancements in water purification technology for the home are aimed at removing those threats. One of the best methods of water purification for this purpose is carbon filtration.
Chemicals and other contaminants stick to the filter, making the output safer to drink. This method also removes odor and improves taste. Most of the newest home purifiers make use of this technology.
This was a brief overview of water purification technology. It would be impossible in an article of this length to cover the subject in its entirety, but hopefully, you are now a little more informed.

Choose a HTML Editor before you can begin designing your new website!

Form follows function before designing your website there are quite a few important factors to think. When designing your website, there is one vital point you need to keep in mind – your website serves as a platform to display your catalogue of products to your customers. For more details go to www.master-web-graphics.com similarly, thinking about the navigation, how the site will work, and why users are coming to your site will give you better insight to what you need to reach when designing a new website.Below are 10 tips and behavior that I have originate very practical that you can use even as designing your fast loading website. When designing your menu and website navigation, do create it simple and intuitive. This will also help you with creating and designing your T-Shirts and shop/website to suit your goal spectators. Keywords And Search terms your business keywords and search terms are also critical consideration when designing your website.Overlap layers – when designing your website, layers can be quite useful. Not only are you selling your product or service, you’re marketing it, doing the accounting, paying the bills, answering the phones, designing and updating your website and preparing and sending out mail. Below are 10 SEO friendly website designing tips where web designers should pay attention to during the early stage of their web designing process. “Well, driving high traffic to your site is important, but what's even more important, is designing a website that makes them stay.
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Layout: Layout is extremely important in designing your website. By avoiding this concern and designing your website with your user’s goals and needs in mind you will create a more positive user experience. The number one most important thing you should always be aware of when designing a website is to, and I can’t stress this enough, is to make a good first impression. Our services include top 10 SE rankings, Pay per Click (PPC) targeted traffic campaign, Paid Listing Management, Keyword Advertising, website development and designing.Choose a HTML Editor before you can begin designing your new website, you will need a piece of software called a HTML Editor or sometimes called Web Editor. One week, for example, you could be networking, another designing a leaflet, another distributing it, and another updating your website. For more details go to www.10-website-programming-tricks.com When designing your website, pay attention to the following: Since the online community is generally impatient, your homepage must be able to capture the visitors’ attention within the first few seconds, or they are likely to lose interest quickly and leave your website. So in a way it’s not designing the website that counts but how the website is designed. Even though there are certain things which you would love to see on your website, there are other things that you need to take into consideration when you go through Website designing. This detail applies even when you are designing a personal website.

The Right Way To Go About MLM

It wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if I said that MLM companies have earned a less-than perfect reputation. It’s more than simple to find all sorts of stories from people who have joined a company with the promises of making tons of money while working from home and getting to spend much more time with their family. – And those stories typically end with this: Their “business” crashed head first into the ground. They’ll shout to the heavens about the flawed system or the “scam” of MLM companies, saying all they’re full of is empty promises and false hope. They’ll tell you how they were shown all of these incredibly wealthy and successful people who made all sorts of money with their own business, and then speak of how their business couldn’t even get off the ground.
One question we must ask ourselves is this: Has network marketing and MLM fairly earned this reputation? Is it really the business of the scam artists, all who are eagerly waiting for anyone who will come in and join them, only to fail? No, and it’s irrational to think so. There is no argument in that the vast majority of people who start up their own home business quit at astoundingly common rates, but this doesn’t have to be the case. This statistic says nothing of the failures and downfalls of the MLM system, it merely reveals that almost everyone who starts up their own home business is not ready and capable to do so.
Why don’t we dig a little deeper, and apply some logic to the situation to see what is really going on? To do so, I’m first going to ask a question: If I took at random forty people who worked at average, normal day jobs and put them in charge of any kind of business that was their responsibility to run, do you think that business would immediately flourish? Of course not. The problem is they have what I like to call the “Follow the instructions” mindset, and most people have it. It has its own strengths – it creates very effective problem solvers, people who are able to, once given a direction or set end goal, find the most efficient way to achieve those ends. What it takes to start a business from the ground up, however, is an Entreprenuerial mindset, which is something completely different. In normal circumstance, people without an Entreprenuerial mindset don’t tend to actually start their own businesses – it requires far too much risk and capital to do so. What we see is the people who don’t immediately have what it takes are in a sense “weeded out,” whereas MLM is open to anyone at the cost of literally almost no capital whatsoever. We therefore see, in MLM, an increased amount of people trying to run a business who would not ordinarily have thought themselves capable.
What do you think happens to these people? Do you think they spontaneously experience a paradigm shift and know how to build a business from the ground up? No. MLM requires a completely different mindset altogether. A person has to be able to find direction when none is given, able to recognize achievement in all its forms. A “follow the instructions” mindset gives a person a path through a forest and enables them to widen it, smoothen it, make it look better, make it easier to travel, or make it more effective – an entrepreneurial mindset enables a person to actually cut the path. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen who were so willing to work on their new business, who wanted more than anything to do something, anything, to make it grow. The only problem is, no one was giving them directions, there is no one delegating work to anyone in MLM. The result? Hard workers eventually quit, not because they are lazy, but because they just can’t see what needs to be done, and if they do, they simply don’t stick with it long enough.
So far we’ve recognized the two mindsets and what each of them are needed for. Maybe, however, you want to get started in MLM, and you’ve worked a 9 to 5 all your life. You’ve never had to run or create a business before. Does this mean you’re not cut out for MLM? Certainly not. Notice I’ve been using the words “mindset” and “paradigm.” No person is born into this world knowing how to build a million dollar business – it’s something they learn to acquire, it’s a way of thinking that they are conditioned to. Anyone can change their mindset. It’s a process of learning to look at things differently, change your perspective. The trick is that you have to condition yourself. It’s something that goes against human nature – we like to look at things the way we are accustomed to, and we don’t like change very much. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance, but if you stick with it, not only will it make you a much more capable business person, but it will also broaden your view of the world.
Let’s talk about this mindset. I mentioned before persistence, and persistence is a key theme in the entrepreneurial mindset. It’s something that comes naturally to some people, and others struggle with it – but do you want to know the simplest way to build persistence? Faith. Belief. Let me give you an example: Picture yourself on one end of a football field, and covering that field are thousands of upside-down paper cups. It’s your job to overturn each cup, one by one, until you find the 2,000 dollars cash that’s under one of them. You go about your task, turning each cup over and looking under it. If the money was a long way away from you, you’d have a long way to go and a lot of cups to overturn. Now, what do each of those cups represent to you? When you turn one over to find it empty, do you consider it a failure? No. You consider it progress. Each empty cup is you overturn is one cup behind you and puts you one cup closer to the prize. When you’ve overturned 200 cups, you don’t spend your time lamenting over 200 wasted cups, 200 wasted opportunities – you’re building yourself up, because you are 200 cups closer than where you started. Why? Because you have faith that the money is out there – there’s not a question in your mind. You believe. This is a principle of entrepreneurialism I like to call it Progression. It’s the mindset of recognizing progress based on faith. When I got started marketing, it was my job to call hundreds of people at a time to market a product to them. As you can imagine, 99% of them turned me down. I may have gone fifty or a hundred calls without a sale. I was telling this to my grandmother, and she looked at me and said, “That’s disappointing, isn’t it?” I looked right back and said “Gosh no. I know that one person is out there, so this means I’m one hundred calls closer to them.” When you start your own business, things are going to happen slowly, and you’re going to have to be able to recognize the difference between failure and progression. Believe it or not, they appear to be very similar.
As I have already stated, the most important key to Progression is having faith. If you truly believe there is money underneath one of those cups, you will turn cups over until your face is blue. What would you do though if you didn’t believe? What if you really had no idea if there were any form of prize beneath one of those cups? With each and every empty cup you found, you’d grow more and more worried, less and less positive. So how do you have that kind of faith? It’s really quite a simple answer. You educate yourself. If you are well educated and informed upon what your current situation and opportunity is, and you know that what you have is a great situation to start a business in, you will have all the faith in the world in your own ability to create success. Get informed and enlightened on what to look for when you join a network marketing company. Finding the perfect opportunity not only will help your business grow rapidly, you will have endless confidence in it. Make sure to do your homework before starting a home business. Talk to different distributors from different companies, talk to customers of the products each company produces. Join a company that you have trust and faith in, and use rational, logical thought to analyze the very best opportunity.
One of the biggest things you need to make certain you avoid is what I call the “Vacuum of Normalcy.” Most people just call this the inability to think outside the box. This Vacuum of Normalcy is extraordinarily simple to get caught up in, and stems from limiting yourself to only one train of thought. Whenever something drastically new or ground-breaking emerges, I couldn’t even count how many people thumb their nose up at it, never considering just how incredible it might prove to be. The internet is a perfect example. When the internet really shot out into the homes of average citizens, most people working their 9 to 5s didn’t pay much heed to it. – The internet, they thought, was for computer geeks. They stayed “safe” in their vacuum, clinging to the familiar concepts of the work they’d always counted on. A select few didn’t, though. They looked into their options and quickly took advantage of the amazing thing the internet brought their way. Take Ebay, for example. The thought of online auctions is nothing new nowadays, but someone initially took that idea and ran with it. – And I think we all know exactly how Ebay is doing now. I refer to the Vacuum of Normalcy as a vacuum because of two reasons: 1, it sucks people in and is very hard to break out of. People feel safe with familiarity, and that’s a very hard habit to shake. And 2, it’s a place of stagnant nature where new and innovative ideas are stifled and snuffed out.
MLM is an incredible opportunity. It can offer you a lifestyle that most would kill to have. The problem is that most people don’t really understand how different it is from the standard 9 to 5, and they don’t realize that, even though it’s done cheaply and simply, it is still starting a business and requires the right kind of mindset. Network Marketing is no free ride. Like anything else worth having, it takes hard work and dedication, and you have to be willing to change the way you look at things. If you can stick with it, however, a truly amazing lifestyle is yours for the taking.

Most Important Rules of Money Management

The lack of money is often not our problem, it is the way we spend it. Wealthy people tend to spend money on things that increase in value or provide them with a return on their investment. People who are not wealthy spend the bulk of their money on items that perish, depreciate or have no return on their investment. Even the family home, which is often the most expensive item that most people purchase, usually provides no return on their large capital outlay. There is one main reason why people get themselves into financial difficulties. They simply spend more than they earn. The two ways of increasing wealth is to either increase our income, or decrease our expenditure. Unfortunately, through increased exposure to advertising and access to products, we are constantly enticed into having more and more material possessions. The easiest way to resist this temptation is to establish a plan where we always save a little of our income and learn to control our debt. If we do this consistently and regularly, we will eventually form a habit - a good, lasting habit that will overcome our financial difficulties and lead us to financial freedom. Money is there to provide security, satisfaction and joy in our lives, and we can have some of life’s little luxuries along the way. However, while we are learning to manage our finances, we need to control our spending and allocate our money according to our needs. Initially, this means we may have to eliminate wastage and extravagance, and identify the things we really need to lead happy, fulfilling lives. We need to remain conscious around our spending. We need to remind ourselves that every cent we spend - does count! Initially, this may mean we have to cut back a little, but it is only directed at wastage and extravagance. I believe that extravagance and over-spending is just the other side of the ’scarcity’ coin. It is often the belief that there is not enough that leads us into buying too much. It requires a mature, practical approach, which is within all of us, to become great financial managers. A little planning, a little discipline and often a bit of self-talk are all that is required. It just takes a moment to stop and remind ourselves to think long-term, not short-term. Th
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e trick to economising is actually quite simple. Before you part with your money, always ask, "Do I really need this? Will I end up wasting this? Is this an extravagance I can live without?" If you develop a little voice in your head every time you go shopping that asks you these three simple questions, and you listen to and obey the answers, you will automatically start to economise. Economising is not about living frugally. It is not about being miserly and not sharing your money. It is not about penny pinching and living without the things you really need. Economising is simply about not wasting your money, not being extravagant and not buying things you cannot afford. Here are a few ideas to help resist the urge to spurge: 1. Keep focusing on your long-term financial goals. 2. Prepare a monthly actual-to-budget variance analysis of where you spent your money. This may seem tedious but it always works wonders. Initially we may have good intentions but as time progresses, temptation can take over. If we see how we fared with our spending each month, it pulls us back a little. If we don’t see it, we tend to forget and the overspending can easily get away from us. 3. Carry a small card in your wallet detailing your budget for luxury items. When that is spent - stop, and wait until next month. 4. Only buy what you need. Remember, wastage and extravagances are just the other side of the scarcity coin. 5. Learn to nurture yourself in less expensive ways. A $30 massage may be better than that $200 new dress. 6. Set up a separate savings account to reward yourself with the occasional luxury fantasy, maybe a weekend at some fabulous retreat. By putting away small amounts of your budget, you can save up for those sensational rewards rather than fritter it away on useless $5 or $10 items each week. There is always the tendency to spend when we should be saving. The surplus money comes in and our automatic response is to go out and spurge. This is the very behaviour we need to address before we can become financial stable. We need to keep reminding ourselves of the one of the most important rules of money management: "Spend less than you earn", and then - and only then - can we surge ahead along the path to financial freedom.

Wedding Photography -- Photographing The Groom And His Friends

The focal point of the ceremony has always been the bride. The guests’ anticipation of her walk down the aisle and her being giving away are wrapped in long-recognized tradition. Many wedding photographers cater to this expectation by devoting as much time as possible to her. The pictures they take strive to capture her emotion on what is arguably the most important day of her life. That said, the groom and his groomsmen can often provide a completely different type of emotion to wedding photography. Brides, Bridesmaids, And Tradition There is an unparalleled beauty to ladies who are preparing for the ceremony. The bride and her bridesmaids set aside an enormous amount of time in order to create the perfect image. Their hair, makeup, and dresses support a certain refinement in their mannerisms. To wedding photographers who have been tasked with capturing that beauty, the refinement can be both alluring and limiting. It conveys memorable emotion and beauty, but often lacks the intensity that the groom and his groomsmen bring to photographs. An Unexpected Treasure The hours leading up to a wedding ceremony are normally filled with emotions and nervous energy. Men and women express both in entirely different ways. It’s not uncommon for men to share their excitement and nervousness with each other by participating in a number of shenanigans. While women tend to remain relatively reserved before the event, the atmosphere surrounding men is more akin to a party. These moments provide unique photo opportunities for wedding photographers. Capturing the groom in his element with his groomsmen before the ceremony can create photojournalistic treasures that tell a completely different story than those featuring the bride and her bridesmaids. Both sides feel the same level of nervousness. But, the manner in which it manifests can offer extraordinary shots
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. Capturing Both Sides Men are often more willing to release their inhibitions than women. The juxtaposition between how their emotions manifest throughout the ceremony allows attentive wedding photographers to capture images that tell two sides of a story. The emotions of both the groom and bride are evident, but can present in contrasting ways. A smile of unsuppressed joy on one may be matched with tears of happiness on the other. Both sides are essential to the telling of a single tale. Unpredictable Photojournalistic Moments Having an innate understanding of men will allow professional wedding photographers to document fleeting moments of emotion and playfulness. When left to their own devices during the reception, the groom and his friends will often provide inimitable photo opportunities. Singing in unison to the bride, tossing the groom into the air, and other uniquely playful displays happen quickly and unpredictably. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever; if those moments can be documented, the pictures can tell the story for years. The Makings Of A Memorable Story The bond that is shared by a groom and his groomsmen is worlds apart from that shared by a bride and her bridesmaids. Wedding photographers who can identify the quirks and connections in that bond, and remain attentive for them, can uncover startling photojournalistic opportunities. What’s more, if they can establish their own rapport with the groom and his friends, they’ll have an additional level of access for capturing unique shots. The hours before, during, and after the ceremony lay the groundwork for documenting a captivating love story. Wedding photographers who take the time to look deeper beneath the surface of tradition can find moments of surprising emotion and joy among the men. The male bond can provide an unforgettable dynamic to the story.

Your Rights In A DUI

Driving while either intoxicated or drunk is dangerous and drivers with high blood alcohol content (BAC) are at increased risk of car accidents, highway injuries and vehicular deaths. Prevention measures evaluated include license suspension or revocation, impounding or confiscating vehicle plates, enforcing open container bans, increasing penalties such as fines or jail for drunk driving, mandating education for young people, and lowering legal BACs. Also discussed are safety seat belts, air bags, designated drivers, and effective practical ways to stay sober.Volunteer to be a designated driver. Never condone or approve of excessive alcohol consumption. Intoxicated behavior is potentially dangerous and never amusing. Don't ever let your friends drive drunk. Take their keys, have them stay the night, have them ride home with someone else, call a cab, or do whatever else is necessary - but don't let them drive! There are about 25,000 deaths a year, be careful with your friends and family in the car.
It is an unfortunate occurrence, however, in some cases, DUI rights are overlooked when you are arrested and charged for driving under the influence. Overlooking a person’s DUI rights is far too common and we are at a place in society where DUI rights are considered to be generally non-existent.
Regardless of why you are arrested or what you are charged with, you are innocent until proven guilty and your DUI rights should be continued, exercised and protected.
The most basic of your DUI rights is the right to representation (a lawyer or attorney). In many cases, the police will not acknowledge your right to representation, the protection of unlawful search and seizure, and more. The DUI rights have changed considerably, mostly due to public pressure, but they still exist. It is really important that if you are charged with a DUI that you insist on exercising your DUI rights. This will help increase your chance for a fair trial as well as prevent potentially embarrassing and catastrophic social and economic consequences.
If you are charged with driving under the influence, the best thing you can do is let the police know that you know what your DUI rights are.
You can refuse a handheld breathalyzer test and a field sobriety test. Your DUI rights also allow you to refuse to answer any questions including answering how many drinks you consumed.
However, DUI rights do not allow you to refuse your identity and they do not allow you to decline field testing at the jailhouse. When you are booked, ensure that you exercise your DUI rights and make a phone call to a friend, loved one who can find you a lawyer, or to the attorney themselves.
There are plenty of attorneys who specialize in DUI laws that are the best suited to represent you if you are charged with a DUI. Driving under the influence is a serious offense and can lead to many charges being laid against you, other than just DUI in some cases. A specialist lawyer in DUI law is the best person capable of representing you and ensuring that you get a fair trial.
Driving under the influence charges can be expensive and the consequences can be long lasting. Not only do you face criminal charges, you will also be fined, have to pay an attorney and maybe even lose your license. There are also long-term consequences to be charged with driving under the influence, and that can include severely raised insurance premiums or no insurance at all. While having an attorney is an additional expense, it is one you can ill-afford not to have – it could save you a great deal of time, money and heartache.
Your DUI rights are important – they are designed to prevent you from being charged falsely. In order to properly discuss your DUI rights, you should contact an attorney who specializes in DUI laws to help you.

Natural Way To Reduce Stress

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Common stress reactions include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat.
It's almost impossible to live without some stress. And most of us wouldn't want to, because it gives life some spice and excitement. But if stress gets out of control, it may harm your health, your relationships, and your enjoyment of life.
When you have about a week's worth of diary entries, study them. See which of them are caused by external events (for example, other people making you late) and which are mostly caused by your own way of thinking or feeling (for example, you are worried about something that may never happen).
In some cases, you may find that stress is caused by a combination of internal and external factors. For example, you might be worried about the cost of fixing the car, and make it worse by blaming yourself for not earning more money.
Experts say that stress is normal thing, and we can agree: daily life is sometimes filled by things you dislike. Stress is something natural. Though, we would feel better if we can deal with those sources of stress, so that we can make our days feel better. Moreover, we can handle our stressing situations without relying too much to pills. Coping with those sources, we have greater opportunity to deal with stress in natural ways, reduce usage of chemical substances; in short, live a healthy lifestyle (LOHAS, lifestyle of health and sustainability).
Get rid of the sources as many as possible. If your desk is messed with scattered papers, rearrange them. If something disheartens on the way to your daily workplace, try to take another way to the same place. Sort out disordered things in your home by selecting the useful ones and throwing away the things that bother you. Make your life simple by eliminating those complicated things.
Be a realistic one. It's a good idea what are your more-and-less habits. You don't have to make a too-high goals for yourself, you too are able to cut down the laziness or too-slow habit that eventually will make you feel guilty. Make a list and try to set a happy daily targets.
Predict some stressing situations, and evade them. If you are asked by friend to play chess and you feel it would be uneasy for you, decline the invitation. If you know that chess is something stressing for you, you have no reason to play it.
Rivalry with others, whether in achievement, look or wealth is often disturbing. Try to avoid provocation on such issues and build your own setting or condition where you are in power of yourself. You don't have to do things you actually don't need to, even do it driven by envy. So, stay secure with yourself.
Do one thing in one time. When you are having your breakfast, you don't have to watch television or reading your moorning newspaper. It really helpful if you feel good in doing one thing totally, in a full enjoyment.
If you feel that you are stressed until you are physically disturbed (headaches, stomachaches or feeling restless), see the physician or therapist. There are experts to help you accurately

Water Lilies - A Touch Of Romance In The Garden

Water lilies are one of nature's marvels. All they need to thrive is water and sunlight. There are two types of water lily; hardy and tropical. When hardy water lilies bloom, the flower sits right on top of the water, while the flower of the tropical water lily is on a stem that rises above the water.
Hardy water lilies can withstand quite severe frosts if they are planted about 35 cm or more below the surface of the water. The number of blooms they have is directly related to the hours of sunshine the plant receives. They need at least half a day of sunshine to bloom successfully.
When planting water lilies, don't plant directly into the bottom of the pond, but into a wide, shallow dish. The benefits of doing this are that you will be able to give the rhizome the nutrients it needs without affecting the water quality of the pond. And you will also be able to lift and divide each one, without risking the loss of your favorite.
If they are all planted hodge-podge in the bottom of the pond the roots- which grow laterally - will become entangled. This makes it very difficult to remove the overgrown ones without the risk of losing some. It is also very messy.
With a pot, all you need to do is lift up the pot and work on it out of the water, and then replace it happy in the knowledge that you have not accidentally thrown out the roots of your favorite. Choose a pot that is about 12 cm high and 30 cm wide. Place three slow-release fertilizer tablets in the bottom of the pot and fill it three parts with a good loam that is not sandy.
Make a hole slightly off-center to plant the rhizome and make sure you pad the soil down quite hard over the top of it. Then fill the container to the top with washed sand. This will help to keep the nutrients from washing out and keep your pond water clear.
When adding water lilies to your pond, you need to allow at least half a square meter of water surface for each water lily. If you crowd them, they will not grow well and your fish will be unhealthy due to lack of sunlight. Water lilies will increase, so should be divided every two years.
Water lilies will flower from November to March in southern states; longer in the north. You can get white, pinks, apricot, lemon, yellow and even vivid red flowers in water lilies, so there should be something to suit every taste.
Its a matter of taste, but what I do like is to create a magical atmosphere by adding a little light. One or two solar powered lights that illuminate the leaves and flowers indirectly. Dawn on a late summer morning is especially beautiful, especially when the warm water forms a little haze over the water. A sense of intens wisdom floating over the waters

Accounting Software for Your Small Business!

If you’re anything like me then you dislike with a vengeance doing your accounts and taxes.
So how can you make this process easier, less painful and cut your accountancy fees?
Well buying an accounting software package is one way.
First of all you need to decide whether you are going to keep your accounting records manually, that is using pen and paper, or whether you are going to computerize the process.
If you decide that computerizing the process is the way to go then you need to decide whether to buy an accounting software package, for example Sage or Quicken, or whether a spreadsheet, for more details visit to www.viral-toolbar-builder.com such as Microsoft Excel will suit your needs better.
As a general rule if you are a cash business that just needs to record income and expenditure then you are better off using a spreadsheet.
So, should you choose an accounting software package? Yes if:
• You have customers to whom you extend credit and you buy goods in the same way
• You process in excess of 50 transactions per month
• Your business is an Incorporated Company (Limited Company in the UK)
And
• You are computer literate or are willing to learn!
Before choosing the accounting software, speak to your accountants – they will be familiar with the various accounting software packages on the market and will be able to advise you. Most accountants use software in their office
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to process the bookkeeping for their clients and will have a working knowledge of the accounting software package they use. It may be cheaper for you to use the same one they do, for more details visit to www.software-designers-pro.com because they can advise you how to get it up and running and will be on hand to answer questions, plus at your financial year end when your accounts need preparing it will be less expensive, believe me to have a compatible program.
I also recommend doing some research yourself, you may be able to obtain a demonstration disk or download of the most popular accounting software packages and this will give you an idea of how they work and if they are user-friendly.
The cost may also be an issue, so you need to decide on your budget. But consider how your business is likely to expand - you may outgrow that budget accounting software quickly and end up buying the more expensive one anyway.
Accounting software providers may also try and up-sell you a maintenance contract. Save your money! In my experience the established software providers will not have bugs in their systems. They will also try and upgrade you to the next version on a regular basis, but if the software is doing everything you need then there is no need to upgrade.
Of course, you could also pay someone to do your accounts for you, either your accountant or a bookkeeper

Living on a budget-shoestring in Phuket

A little bit about Phuket

The island of Phuket is known as the Pearl of the Andaman Sea because of it beautiful pearl like shape. It was originally famous for tin mining and rubber, Chinese coolies arrived at the island in the 17th and 18th Century to work on the mines and there is still a hint of Chinese influence here today which can be found in some of the old town’s architecture and Island’s food. The main beach areas include Patong beach and Karon Beach and as ever, these beautiful palm fringed beaches of squeaky white sands that stretch for miles serve as a wonderful reminder of the natural beauty that Phuket so rightly claims.


Discount Phuket Thailand? What about the hotels?

As for the shoestring guides, Phuket, Thailand is no exception to these, there are good guides for the nigh-on destitute traveler who wants to spend the least amount of money and still live relatively well in a reasonable hotel. Easily done, let’s first look at some of the rules to shoestring travelling in Phuket.
1. Choose the off-season, which would be around May; the start of the rainy season. And decide on a cheap airline to get you there. (This of course does not guarantee the usual airline safety, but it will get you there-eventually.)
2. Check out the internet for all budget and discount hotels in the Phuket area, you will be surprised by how many websites are available.
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3. When you arrive at Phuket airport, you’ll notice one of the great things that will surprise you about Thailand (compared with other countries) that is the availability of cheap budget transport to anywhere or any hotel you want to go. It is all well organized, from bicycle rickshaws, to discount limousine taxis although my personal favourite and thrill is the motorbike taxi. (They don’t ride that fast and you have the handles on the back to hold onto- no helmet necessary).
4. After you have found your budget hotel and booked in for a few nights as a trial run. You will find it easy to change hotels if you don’t like where you are. Next on the agenda of shoestring travelling is budget food.
5. You will find cheaper and better food if you keep away from the main hotel and tourist drag. Most touristy places offer lower service and mediocre food for a higher price. The ones off the main streets will be trying that much harder to get business, hence a better product. The ideal good restaurant would be one which is slightly secluded but not completely empty. The old rule of “if there are no customers, there’ll be no turnover”. Is one worth thinking about.
6. Souvenir buying: as with restaurants and food, you will get a better bargain if you choose somewhere off the main tourist centers. However, the less customers around anyway, the better the bargaining power. Don’t be afraid to offer what you think it’s worth, then walking off if they don’t accept. I usually use the old “flash the cash to seal the deal” trick-it works every time.

The rainy season in Phuket does happen to be the low season here, but don’t discount this. You will be pleasantly surprised by how good the weather gets-lots of sun and the occasional storm and rain shower which actually makes up for everything by creating beautiful scenic landscapes of the Phuket mountains and seas for wonderful camera fodder.
If you are tired of living on a shoestring there is always a night or two at the Horizon Karon Beach Resort and Spa hotel located at the southern end of the beach and just a two minute walk from the famed Kata beach. The resort hotel is surrounded by lush green vegetation and nature and is set on over 16,000 sqm. of green park land. Still relatively undeveloped, Karon Beach and the resort hotel is your own “private paradise”. This hotel offers discounts for the budget traveler and shops and restaurants are also within easy walking distance for all you need.

How You Choose Affiliate Marketing for Yourself?

Affiliate marketing has many descriptions, yet all have the same basic meaning. Affiliate marketing is a huge business on the Internet. For many years now, affiliate marketing has proved to be a cost-efficient method of delivering excellent results. It has become famous as an Internet business that those who are trying to make extra income can work with.Every day, more people get interested in affiliate marketing and want to make money with it. For more detail go to: www.master-affiliate-marketers.com. But in many cases, these new affiliates do not fully understand the affiliate world and make costly mistakes .Affiliate marketing has often been misunderstood. One of the common misconceptions about affiliate programs is that they will make you money with little or no effort on your part. Another is that affiliate marketing is not in any way linked with advertising. The importance of advertising in marketing is not to be underestimated. Advertising, like selling, is one of the many activities used in running a successful affiliate business.In affiliate marketing, an affiliate is compensated for every visitor, subscriber and/or customer provided through his efforts. Compensation is based on a certain value for each visit or sale made by the affiliate. The most attractive aspect of affiliate marketing from the merchant's viewpoint is that no payment is due an affiliate until the affiliate produces a sale.The merchant can be any website owner who wants to take advantage of performance based marketing. The benefits to the merchant are many. For more detail go t
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o: www.money-secret-exposed.com. First, the merchant maintains and operates the affiliate program. The merchant has access to markets and customers without spending valuable time acquiring them directly. It is also the merchant who decides how much he is willing to pay for each sale that results from a visitor sent from an affiliate.The affiliate or the affiliate marketer also sees a lot of benefits. The affiliate is a website owner who promotes one or more merchants and their affiliate programs. Affiliate marketing can generate a full-time income for the affiliate.But this is not an easy task to accomplish. The affiliate needs to have a full understanding with the merchant as far as what the commission will be, the expected payment method and the time involved in the contract. The affiliate also has the responsibility to advertise the merchandise that their customer base would be most interested in.For example, if the site has a customer base of mainly stay-at-home mothers, then online programs such as surveys could be a good match for them. This group would also appreciate direct links to children's products .Merchandisers often provide targeted, best-seller items and personal support to their affiliate. They often offer sales promotions that will benefit the merchandiser as well as the affiliate.Affiliate marketing is a great situation for both the merchandiser and the affiliate. If they work together, there can be advantages for both. Plus, it is an easy and inexpensive way to start, and you can be up and running within a few days