Archive for March, 2008

Your Ideal Customers: Do You Know Who They Are?

Monday, March 31st, 2008

By Andrea J. Stenberg A few weeks ago my seven-year old son and his friend participated in a common summer-time rite of passage: the lemonade stand. They decorated their stand, made signs and posted them throughout the neighbourhood, drew chalk arrows on the sidewalk and got started. At the end of the day they had made $14, a pretty good total for a neighbourhood with little foot traffic. The boys decided they were so successful they wanted to repeat the event. I informed them that this time they would have to pay for the lemonade themselves. They began worrying that the cost would eat into their profits too much. I casually suggested Kool-Aid would be cheaper. Their reply was not so casual. If we use Kool-Aid, we wont get the grown-ups, my son insisted. Theyre where the money is. At first I laughed, but after thinking about his response, I became very impressed. This seven-year old kid knew instinctively who his ideal customer was: adults who buy a drink and tell him to keep the change. He also knew that if he sold Kool-Aid, the adults would be less likely to buy. It wasnt that he didnt want to sell to the kids on the street, he just knew hed make more money selling to the adults. That got me thinking. How many grown-ups with full time businesses are as focused on their ideal client? Do you have a good picture of your ideal client or is that picture a little fuzzy around the edges? Do you know who they are and what they buy? When you add a new product or service, do you think about how your ideal client will react to this new offering? Even though there were more kids on the street and they would be willing to buy lemonade or Kool-Aid, my son knew he needed to get the adults in order to make more money. So if you havent done so in a while, go over your customer list. Figure out who the most profitable customers are. Find out what motivates them to buy from you. If youre not sure, ask. Make a list and write it down. Once you know who your lemonade customers are and what motivates them, you can start using this information to create marketing materials that specifically target them. Its not that you necessarily want to get rid of your Kool-Aid customers, you just want to start attracting more lemonade customers. Andrea J. Stenberg is a freelance commercial writer. Her experience includes writing for the corporate sector, small businesses and non-profits as well as for publication. She can be reached at http://www.stenbergwrites.com. (c) 2006, Andrea J. Stenberg. Reprints welcome providing the article and byline are published intact with all links made live. This article may not be sold individually or as a part of a database. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_J._Stenberg http://EzineArticles.com/?Your-Ideal-Customers:-Do-You-Know-Who-They-Are?&id=245237 buy ambien online no rx overnight shipping zolpidem tartrale us pharmacy no prescription ativan zolpidem and its cousins

How Your Metabolism Influences Weight Control

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

By Yuri Elkaim First off, Let’s start with some basic terms: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): the minimum number of calories your body’s vital organs need just to survive at rest. This accounts for 60-75% of your daily caloric expenditure. RMR varies from person to person and is influenced by such variables as lean body mass, height, weight, sex, age, diet, and stress. Activity: Whether it be at work, walking to and from the store, or engaging in physical activity this type of work accounts for 20-30% of your daily caloric expenditure. Digestion: Ironically, each time you eat food you actually burn calories. This type of expenditure accounts for 5-10% of your daily calorie output. Step 1: Exercise raises your metabolism and therefore helps control your weight Considering that your RMR accounts for up to 75% of your daily caloric expenditure wouldn’t it make sense to do things that will increase your RMR? Aerobic activity and strength training increase the energy demand on your body. This release of energy is referred to as “burning calories”. Strength training builds lean muscle that in turn burns up to 50x more calories than fat. This is the key to long lasting weight control! Therefore, the more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your RMR becomes which in turn burns more calories, even while sitting on the couch. I like to refer to this as “passive energy expenditure” meaning that you don’t need to do anything and yet you’re still burning calories. Wouldn’t that be great? Simply put in a bit of hard work up front and then reap the benefit in the long run! Step 2: Eating more often in smaller amounts helps increase your metabolism As previously mentioned, every time you eat your body expends energy to digest and absorb what it has just ingested. This is known as the “thermogenic effect of food”. Therefore, wouldn’t make sense to eat more often knowing that each time you ate you would actually be burning calories. Typically, it is recommended to eat anywhere from 4-6 small meals throughout the day or 3 larger meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with small snacks in between. However, please remember that we’re talking about smaller meals that are healthy, well-balanced, and lower on the glycemic index. Not a burger and fries! So, here are 2 simple steps you can take immediately to help control your weight. We’re not talking magic pill but if you’re consistent with daily activity and eating frequent small meals you’ll see dramatic results in a just few weeks! Yuri Elkaim is the owner and founder of Total Wellness Consulting, a leading health, fitness, and wellness company offering health-conscious individuals the most innovative information, programs, and technologies to help reach their goals of physical and mental well being. He is a Certified Kinesiologist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former Professional Soccer Player, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the University of Toronto mens soccer program, and regarded by many as Canadas leading fitness expert. You can join his wellness community at http://www.totalwellnessconsulting.ca and receive 2 FREE MP3 guided workouts, a 44 page Willing Your Way to Wellness e-report, and a subscription to the highly acclaimed Liv Well and Weekly Wellness e-newsletters All for FREE. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yuri_Elkaim http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Your-Metabolism-Influences-Weight-Control&id=553202 liver disease ambien ambien 2bpill buy ambien online without prescription zolpidem and nicotine

Surviving A Stroke - Is There a Vampire Bat in Your Future

Friday, March 28th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tim_Anderson] Tim Anderson The much-maligned upside-downer may be landing upright after all. The vampire bat, following centuries of scorn and ridicule, finds itself on the cutting edge of medical advances. Researchers have discovered that a derivative of the vampire bat’s saliva may be the most effective early intervention in cases of ischemic stroke - strokes due to a blockage of an artery in the brain. Stroke is serious business. The American Heart Association lists stroke as the third leading cause of death in America, following heart disease and cancer. About 700,000 people suffer strokes each year and there are currently over 5.5 million stroke survivors. Women suffer strokes more frequently than men, and they account for just over 60% of stroke deaths and roughly 55% of survivors. How does the vampire bat enter into the equation? Researchers find that desmoteplase, a derivative of the bat’s saliva, may be beneficial in treating stroke victims. The vampire bat’s saliva has a natural anticoagulant property that inhibits the blood of its victims from clotting. In human trials, the saliva derivative also acts aggressively to breakdown existing blood clots in the brain, without doing damage to surrounding tissue. This is a decided advantage over the current early intervention drug, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), and there may be additional advantages as well. Time, of course, is critical in the treatment of stroke victims. TPA, to be both effective and safe, must be administered within three hours of the stroke. However, only about 3 percent of stroke victims receive treatment at a hospital within the three-hour window. The vampire bats apparently dealt with this issue long ago, and the saliva drug derivative triples the time available for treatment to a full nine hours. This advance alone makes the new drug the frontrunner in early intervention. In addition, the bat saliva derivative has proven to be more effective against blood clots and administration is quicker. TPA must be delivered intravenously, over about a one hour period, while the new bat derivative is administered directly by injection, within just a minute or two. The bat saliva derivative is currently in Phase III clinical trials in eighty medical centers worldwide. Does this mean we’ll soon see images of vampire bats on hospital emergency room signs? Doubtful. But, don’t be surprised if you hear an overly eager neurology resident, caught up in the drama of treating her first stroke patient, shout, “Get the bat - stat!” Tim Anderson is a freelance writer who has a special interest in medical topics. Visit his blog at [http://medicalmigrant.blogspot.com/] medicalmigrant.blogspot.com Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tim_Anderson ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Anderson [http://ezinearticles.com/?Surviving-A-Stroke---Is-There-a-Vampire-Bat-in-Your-Future&id=335932 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?Surviving-A-Stroke—Is-There-a-Vampire-Bat-in-Your-Future&id=335932 ambien blog generic ambien zolpidem medication ambien maxium dosage in a day for ambien

What is a Probate Court?

Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

By Amit Mehta Probate court is the division of the court that usually deals with estates, wills, and the assets left behind when a person dies. Probate court records are extensive and full of interesting information not only about the people you deal with everyday, but also about people that lived before you were born. If you are interested in researching your family roots, a perusal of probate court records will prove to be invaluable. Probate court records can tell you all the things about your great grandparents that your own parents might not have known. You can often learn about marriages, divorces, and even lawsuits that they may have been involved in. Probate court records deal with your ancestors estates and that could help you in your research by giving you clues to properties that your family owned. Once you have the information about property that probate court records provide, you can start to search census reports that you would have never found. Probate court records can sometimes tell you if any of your family members were adopted or ever went under different names. Probate court records are more than just a way to research the past. The information contained in probate court records can be put to use in your everyday life. With a quick search through probate court records, you can learn exactly what your rich great aunt left to your parents, who the executor of her will was, and how much money she really had. You can even research if the will was contested and who it was contested by. Probate court records can help you to learn the truth about someone when you think that they are being less than forward with information. If you are suspicious about the claims of someone you just met, a search through probate court records could confirm your suspicions. A simple search of a few probate court documents could tell you everything you need to know about an inheritance that someone claims to have received. It can also give you information about the exact contents of an estate, or the exact dimensions of a property you are considering for purchase. You can even search through probate court records to find out if someone has ever gone by a different name or who their family members are. A will often names many members of a family as beneficiaries, so researching probate court records could give you clues to family members you didnt know a person had. Probate court keeps extensive records of information that is not only interesting, but could prove to be very valuable. When you are looking for background information on an individual, probate court records are a great place to begin your search. Dr. Amit Mehta is a writer for http://Find-Court-Records.org, a large online database that provides unrestricted instant access to probate court records. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amit_Mehta http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-a-Probate-Court?&id=215868 ambien bradycardia ambien for sale buy ambien without a prescription overnight delivery ambien and brain studies

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Poor Money Management - “Australians’ Personal Money Management in a Shambles”

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

By Julian Thornton Sure Australia is renowned for its athletic prowess and excellence across a wide range of fields, however when it comes to personal money management, Aussies arent doing that great. Unfortunately Australians are suffering from debt levels higher than most countries and our addiction to the plastic fantastic isnt doing us any favours either. Put simply, we have two main areas of weakness: we dont budget and we are becoming too addicted to credit cards. As dire as the situation may sound, there are things that we can all do to improve our financial lot, and Im going to share it all with you now! Fail to Budget, Fail to Live We Australians approach budgeting in the same way as we do dieting. Like bad credit, obesity is on the rise in Australia too, yet when it comes to the obesity cure and prevention (dieting and exercise), we simply procrastinate, lose motivation and give up! Its all too hard are common catchcries, and unfortunately the same can be said of budgeting. Most Australians dont stick to a household budget. Instead they will simply wait for pay day with eager (often hungry) anticipation and then as quickly as the money hits their bank accounts, it disappears. Where did all the money go? Most people dont even know, and this is because they dont budget! Failure to budget is really a failure to live. How many of us are suffering as a result of bad budgeting and poor financial management? Our lifestyle completely suffers, and we are miserable and limited due to a lack of money. If we budget, we can plan to live because well have money to live well. Budgeting is all about: Accounting for money in; Accounting for money out; Living within your means; Sticking to a savings plan; and Clearing debts. Most of the time, it is simply the discipline aspect we need help with, and it is at hand. Australians need to call bad credit mortgage experts like us if they feel budgeting is beyond them, because we will give them the expert advice and direction they need to ensure they develop a good budget and stick to it. Then they can secure a good home loan and enjoy the benefits of a financially stable future. Addicted to Credit Cards, Destined for Debt We live in a materialistic society, and daily we are bombarded with, Buy now, pay later messages. Our largest department stores are flogging interest-free schemes like they are going out of fashion, and those that can least afford the debt are accruing it by the thousands of dollars! In Australia, credit defaults are on the rise. In other words, people are skipping, missing or ignoring their credit card payments. Defaults in excess of $500 will appear on your Credit File, which can be all that stands between you and a loan. In addition, if you are determining how much you can afford to borrow on a home loan, for every $1000 of credit limit that you have, subtract $5000 from the possible amount you can borrow in a home loan. Take into consideration the fact that the average Australian now owes $2600 on their credit card (The Courier Mail, 4th January 2006), and that is a significant reduction in the amount you can borrow. Combine these facts with the reality that many people pay interest in excess of 12% on each credit card and only pay the minimum repayment, and its clear that unless there is real improvement in money management, Australians are just going to sink into a darker hole of debt. The key to managing your credit cards is to kill credit card debt. If you have multiple credit cards, get rid of the high interest one first, and then cancel it. Make sure you cancel it so you know the card really is dead and wont come back to life. Systematically pay your credit debts and once you do this, either cancel the card or reduce the limit to something manageable so you dont fall into the hole again. Finally, only use the card when you absolutely need to, for example if you have a direct debit that requires a credit card, or if you are making a hotel booking. Do not indulge in excessive, credit card spending. Chances are you dont need those items you are going to purchase anyway, so avoid it. Do Something Today! Your financial problems wont go away if you ignore them. Sticking your head in the sand will only sink you further into the dark hole of debt. Take affirmative action today and turn your debt situation into a positive one. Its the opportunity to pursue the financially successful future that awaits all who pursue it diligently. Julian Thornton is a Melbourne, Australia-based mortgage and debt analyst specialist. Julian specializes in the field of bad credit mortgages and personal money management coaching. Julian can help literally anybody into their own home and prepare them for financial success. If you need financial relief and desire control of you personal finances then Julian can help you. He is the author of How To Get A Mortgage When No-one Wants To Give You One! www.bad-credit-loan-expert.com Julian Thornton, Designer Mortgage Solutions Pty Ltd, 2006. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julian_Thornton http://EzineArticles.com/?Poor-Money-Management—Australians-Personal-Money-Management-in-a-Shambles&id=386192 overnight ambien delivery ambien primal defense brain injuries and ambien ambien to treat post stroke spasticity

When Should You Give Up on Chasing a Woman?

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

By Don Diebel This week I want to discuss chasing women, or rather I should say, when is the best time to give up on chasing a particular woman? When you keep chasing a woman that you’re crazy about and it’s all one-sided and she shows no interest in you, what should you do? Well, if a woman is not interested in you she will go out of her way to give you hints by the way she acts towards you. She will try to make it clear that she does not want to get involved with you. So, what can you do about it? Not much. Just accept the fact that she does not want anything to do with you and move on. The worst thing you can do is to pretend that there’s a chance that you will get together when there’s no way in hell that she will let that happen. Some guy’s just try harder to get a woman when there’s no chance for romance. This just backfires. This will only make her dislike you more. The more you try to win her over, the more you just make a fool of yourself. You are just wasting your time and that of the woman. So, a good lesson is to never hang around where you are not wanted. Just walk away with your pride intact. Respect her wishes of not wanting to get involved with you. Who knows, this might work in your favor somehow. She might have second thoughts someday. She may think, maybe you were a good guy for her after all. She may think, “He showed respect for me and just maybe I made a mistake by rejecting him.” This article written by Don Diebel (Americas #1 Singles Expert). If you would like more free dating tips on how to successfully meet, date, attract, and become intimate with women, please visit his website at: http://www.getgirls.com. This article is copyright (c) 2005 by Don Diebel and may be reprinted in it’s entirety as long as his website, byline, and copyright statement is included. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Diebel http://EzineArticles.com/?When-Should-You-Give-Up-on-Chasing-a-Woman?&id=58555 buy ativan generic ativan ataxia zolpidem zolpidem therapeutic range

Helpful Hints for Corporate Holiday Gift Giving

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

By Andre Nehme With the hot summer just barely behind us, experienced corporate gift buyers have already begun to search the internet looking for holiday gift ideas for their employers, employees and clients. Each year corporate gift givers look for gift ideas that are unique and meaningful. Below you will find a list of great gift ideas that will help you shop for the holidays.One way to show your clients and employees that you have taken the time to pick a gift exclusively for them is through personalization. Personalized gifts are meaningful to the recipient, warmly received and will be remembered for years. Here are some ideas to consider when personalizing gifts: 1. Personalize each gift by name. Include each recipients name, your holiday greeting and holiday design on the gift item. For example: Jennifer May the Holidays Make you Smile Acme Dental 2006. Individualized personalization may cost a little more, but the recipients will deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness. 2. Personalize the gifts by department. Season Greetings to ACME Mutual Accounting! This is less personal, but you can add something specific for a small group of people. 3. Include your company logo in the holiday design. Happy Holidays from ACME Homes, 2006 with snowflakes falling around the company logo. Employees are proud of their company and seeing the logo dressed up for the holidays will put a smile on their face. This is also a great way to keep your logo and company in front of your clients. 4. Include your clients logo and name on their gift. Happy Holidays to Jim Smith at ACMEs Gym (ACMEs Gym Logo) from your friends at ABC. Giving your client their logo with their name on it is always well received because people love to see their name and company logo together. 5. Engrave a meaningful symbol on the gift. For example a caduceus symbol for a doctor, scales of justice for a lawyer or just an item you know will be appreciated, such as sailboats, cars, or travel destinations. Include the recipients name and youll have a memorable gift. No matter which personalized gift you choose, it will be received with appreciation and has the potential to boost company morale and make your employees and clients feel appreciated. Andre Nehme is the owner of A.N.E. Designs, Personalized Engraved Gifts. ANE Designs has been engraving Wine Bottles, Crystal, Glassware and Awards for Companies and Individuals throughout the United States since 1999. A.N.E. has an excellent reputation for high quality engraving and is one of the few companies in the Eastern U.S. that specializes in Engraved and Hand painted Wine Bottles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andre_Nehme http://EzineArticles.com/?Helpful-Hints-for-Corporate-Holiday-Gift-Giving&id=370958 ambien ambien prescription online paxil ambien buy cheap ambien online ambien work

How To Make A Candy Bouquet

Monday, March 17th, 2008

By Peta Fletcher A bouquet is usually made just from flowers, but that doesn’t have to be the case. You can make your bouquet more interesting by adding other items, such as candy. Yeah, you read correctly, I said, Candy! Candy Bouquets are fun to make, look great, and they are a fantastic talking piece. I promise that everyone that sees your candy bouquet will feel compelled to comment on it. Young children in particular, will be absolutely delighted when they see your candy bouquet! To make a candy bouquet, you will need: 5 Silk Rose Buds1 Bunch of pearlies2 Thin Gauge wires1 Thick Gauge wire9 Lollipops. Silk LeavesStem tape (green or white)Ribbon Step 1: Trimming the lollipops Trim the lollipop sticks to about an inch or two in length, or just below the wrapper. Later, we will wire and tape the sticks just like normal flowers. We do this so that the lollipops can be moved around and positioned more easily. Step 2: Trimming the Rose Buds Trim the stems on the rose bud heads, and then wire and tape them. Step 3: Wire the lollipops To wire the lollipops you will have to put a twist in the wire around the stick of the lollipop. You will probably have to do this twice, to make sure that the wire is tight and wont come loose. The easiest way to do this is to use long-nosed plyers, and to squeeze the wire around the stick. Step 4: Wire and Tape the Pearlies Although you don’t need pearlies in your candy bouquet, they can work well to soften the bouquet, and make it appear more like an everyday floral bouquet. Wire and tape the pearlies. Place the wire alongside the white part of the pearly strand, and then stem tape in place. Step 5: Assemble the Candy Bouquet Now start to assemble the candy bouquet. Start the bouquet with the lollipops in a bunch, in one hand. Then slowly insert the leaves between the lollipops. Fan the lollipops into a circular shape, with the leaves facing out. Place the flowers in next, keeping two lollipops between each flower. Fill any gaps left over at the end, with leaves and pearlies. Step 6: Add Figure-of-Eight Bows Make eight figure-of-eight bows, for the last layer of the candy bouquet, and fan them around the base. You can use normal ribbons or curling ribon. Step 7: Prepare the handle The last step in making a candy bouquet is to trim and tape the handle. That’s it! Simple isn’t it? All you have to do now, is resist eating the bouquet long enough for some other people to see it! Peta Fletcher has been making bouquets for over 14 years. Her website http://www.visionsofsilk.com, has lots of free information on making your own bouquets, including more details (and pictures) on How to make a candy bouquet Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peta_Fletcher http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Make-A-Candy-Bouquet&id=149971 online ambien zolpidem ambien long term buy ambien ambien bun creatinine

7 Tips For Fat Loss

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

By Craig Ballantyne Cardio is not the best fat loss workout. To lose fat, you have to boost your metabolism and burn fat while you rest. Strength and interval workouts help you shed fat the best. Here are 7 fat loss tips, one for each day of the week. This will be a big week coming up for you, right? With these instructions, you’ll lose fat and gain a little more muscle if you want.Remember, take baby steps each day to healthier, lifelong habits and you’ll burn fat. Here’s your guideline to stick to those goals… Monday Do a strength and interval workout. Strength training and interval training boost your metabolism after exercise. Something that cardio doesn’t do very well at all. That’s why strength and interval workouts burn fat better. “I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do strength and intervals 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends,” says Billy Williams. Tuesday Do 30 minutes of activity. Do something fun. Walk the dog. Walk with your spouse. Do some yard work. Run some errands. Whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to do a cardio workout in the gym. Wednesday Do another strength and interval workout. You can do these at home with only a dumbbell, a bench, and an exercise ball. No fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships needed. Thursday Have fun with another 30 minutes of activity. After, review your liquid calorie intake. Take note of how much alcohol, juice, soda, and other sweetened beverages you drink each week. Then make plans to reduce your liquid calorie intake. Substitute no-calorie beverages such as Green Tea or filtered water. Friday Finish the week with another strength and interval workout. Try a new low-glycemic vegetable today such as squash, a yam, green beans, or spinach. The more vegetables you eat, the leaner you will get. Saturday Meet a friend for 30 minutes of activity. Then have a healthy lunch with your friend and swap stories and tips about how to stay on track each week. Give each other social support. Sunday Start your day nice and early with 30 minutes of activity followed by your planning, shopping and preparing. Pick up extra vegetables at the grocery store and commit to trying a new lean protein source. There you go. Seven fat loss tips for the week so you lose weight and burn fat all week long. Stay lean! You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info. Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Ballantyne http://EzineArticles.com/?7-Tips-For-Fat-Loss&id=528286 ambien cr zolpidem tartrate extendedrelease tablets ativan drug prescription ambien breast feeding buy zolpidem overnight