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One of the ways to get money to buy foreclosures is from private investors. This article discusses why private investors are so important to your foreclosure investing business.

A traditional way to get money for your foreclosure investments is through a hard-money lender. The hard-money lender will generally charge a percentage of the amount borrowed, or what is known as points. Three points would be three percent of the transaction. For example, if you borrowed $100,000, at 3 points, that would be $3000.

Many hard-money lenders charge interest-only on their loans, meaning they get their principal back in full and the way they make their money is on the interest. In a short term proposition this is not a bad scenario because at the beginning of any amortization schedule, the majority of the money paid out of the monthly payment goes to the lending institution. However, I have seen hard money lenders charge as much as 15 points on smaller deals to be able to fund the deal.

As I continued on with my business, and I started doing more and more deals, it become apparent that my number one need was going to be private money but without the points. So I had to put myself in the place of somebody loaning money.

Put yourself in their place. If you wanted to loan money what would you want to know about the person you’re loaning money to? Obviously, the number one criteria for someone loaning money is, how sure am I going to be that I am going to get my money back, or even a portion of my money back?

One of the most common problems with young investors is that they have no money to invest or their credit is too shaky to finance things themselves. Most banks seem to want more documentation than any person on earth can provide. The challenge in creative real estate is deals need to be done fast. Banks are notorious for not doing things at a speedy pace, but a molasses pace.

One of the exciting things about being a creative investor is that you can take ideas the average person would never have and build them into great dynasties of real estate wealth. Yes, I said great dynasties. It is potentially possible, if you have the ability to network your way through the private investment community, to add a tremendous amount of zeros to your bank account balance.

One of the true challenges for a young real estate investor is going out and finding a good deal but then not having the particular money in place at the time to pull the trigger. The power of private money can be the answer to your creative real estate financing problems and can help take you to the next level.

_________________________________________________

Paul Wells has been investing in foreclosures full-time for more than 5 years. To ask Paul a question, go to his Foreclosure Investing blog here: http://www.AskPaulWells.com

Since Starbucks first went International in the early 1990s, espresso has been the number-one item on the minds of those who need a quick pick-me-up to get their day started. It started out as a fad, but with the onslaught of Friends on NBC in 1994 and Starbucks reproducing like rabbits throughout the last decade of the 20th Century, it has morphed into a worldwide phenomenon.

But what is espresso exactly. To put it in the simplest terms, espresso is coffee’s more aggressive and strong willed little brother. Espresso is caffeine’s answer to a shot of whisky. Just as addictive in some cases, but will not get you thrown in jail.

Espresso is made by filtering 1.5 to 2 ounces of water through tightly ground, espresso coffee, roughly the caffeine equivalent of four cups of coffee. If everything goes according to plan, what you get is 2 ounces of compressed caffeine with a small layer of foam on the top. The resulting concoction looks like a dark German beer with a head…only a lot smaller.

But how do you make espresso? Is it as easy as Starbucks would have you believe? In a word…yes. So where do you start? Again, the answer is simple…right here. There are five basic types of espresso machines. Let’s take a quick look:

<li>Stovetop espresso makers are popular with hikers and tourists because they do not require electricity. But since the stovetop espresso maker is usually the “one-cup” variety, you won’t get the creamy foam layer top. What you will get though is a very concentrated shot of espresso.

<li>Steam powered espresso makers work a lot like the stovetop variety but is fashioned more like the standard pump driven espresso makers. Still convenient for tourists and hikers, the steam powered espresso maker is not as popular with this crowd because of its bulky size.

<li>The piston driven espresso maker is the grandfather of all espresso makers and the reason most espresso comes with a foamy top. Invented in 1938 by Achille Gaggia, the piston driven maker is still a good way to make espresso, though not often used. This kind of of espresso maker is sold as an antique as often as it is the caffeine junkie’s primary maker.

<li>Pump driven espresso makers are the offshoot of the piston driven variety and the most popular maker in commercial settings. Usually hooked up directly to the building’s plumbing, pump driven makers heat the water as it is filtered through the coffee and uses a built in shot timer to help insure every shot of espresso is exactly the same.

<li>Automatic espresso makers are becoming increasingly popular because the machine does almost everything for you. Automatic machines consistently produce the same espresso shot every time and require less fine-tuning than commercial makers. In addition, this expensive but consistent alternative to your daily trek to the corner coffe house does everything from grinding the beans to disposing of the spent grounds. The only thing the user has to do is turn on the machine.

Now that you know how to make espresso, how do you decide what your favorite concoction is? After all Starbucks has more varieties of espresso than Baskin Robbins does ice cream. You do not want to make a fool of yourself when you when you are late for work and don’t have time to make your morning wake-me-up at home. Yo need to feel confident and proud when you walk up to the conter and ask for:

<li>ESPRESSO - For those who prefer the simple things in life, a single shot of espresso, no foam, is probably best.

<li>ESRESSO DOPIO - Or a double espresso is for those days when you just cannot wake up.

<li>If you are feeling a need for some balance in your life, try an ESPRESSO MACCHIATO (a single or double shot of espresso with a whipped cream top).

<li>For those sweet and sour days, try an ESPRESSO ROMANO, a single shot of espresso topped with a sliced lemon peel.

<li>For amateur espresso drinkers who prefer a foamier, creamier, more chocolaty taste than a straight shot of espresso, CAPPUCCINO, CAF LATTE and MOCHA CAPPUCCINO is probably the safest bet.

So now that you know everything there is to know about espresso and why there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner of every city in every state in every country in the world, you can decide whether you want to join in on this worldwide phenomenon. But beware…if you decide not to join the crowd on this one, you will likely be left behind. A caffeine-powered work force is what made the world what it is today.

About the Author

Allen Shaw is a successful author who provides information on espresso makers for A1 Coffee Makers.

Almost everyone has been fired from a job, and just about everyone has a story to go along with it. Annabelle Gurwitch, the actor and screen writer, decided to capitalize on this fact by compiling and editing a collection of humorous “down-sizing” stories in her book Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed. After being fired by the media icon (and consequently her idol) Woody Allen, Annabelle decided to take her story to the publishers- along with several other tales from well known actors and media personal, including Bill Maher, Tim Allen, Tate Donovan (actor and director in The O.C.), Harry Shearer (actor in This is Spinal Tap), Dana Gould (writer for The Simpsons), Bob Saget and more.

The book is divided into five chapters: The Job So Terrible You Can Only Hope to Be Fired, The Firing You Didn’t See Coming, The Time You Deserved to be Fired, The Time Getting Fired Leads You to Something Better, and The Time You Had to Fire Yourself. Each chapter is as witty as the last, and will keep you reading and laughing through till the next. And with over a dozen “tales of the canned” in each chapter, you will have plenty of laughing to enjoy.

Many of the true stories found in this book are so funny, they will have you laughing out loud. The story of Paul Feig (director of Arrested Development and The Office) losing his Ronald McDonald gig because of a magical comparison between a rubber chicken and Chicken McNuggets he made to a group of school kids while wearing the clown suit will probably remain with me for the rest of my life. In another favorite story, Jeff Garlin (actor in Curb Your Enthusiasm) explains how he was fired for throwing a bowl of Fruity-Pebbles at a hotel wall… and all just because they stuck. Larry Charles (writer for Senifeld) reminds us that Taxi companies should never offer employment to a teen-age kid who has just acquired his license that very day; wrecking his cab before he even got it out of the parking lot. Stories like these are worth the price of this book alone.

To round each story off, the book also includes “Fired Facts”: brief and amusing factoids about being fired, and the workplace in general. For example: “Increased risk of heart attack faced by employer firing an employee in the week after wielding the ax: 100%”. What a great way to end your career - with your former boss in the hospital!

While Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed is entertaining (being fired with the line “Take that hanger off your head, you idiot!” may be the best thing that has ever happened to me), it completely fails to connect with the reader. Each story falls into one of two major camps: meaningless high school jobs that no one regrets losing, and glamorous Hollywood jobs that, while interesting, are entirely foreign to the average reader.

In the introduction to this book, Annabelle Gurwitch concludes “So you were fired. Welcome to the club. We’ve been waiting for you.” However, this book fails to present any “club” you or I are ever likely to be a member of. While almost anyone can related with being fired from a job, the stories in this book are quite different from any workplace axing I have experienced. And unless you have felt the horror of losing a job because your character was shot in the last episode, you will probably be unable to relate as well.

If you are looking for a light, entertaining read to get you through the work week, I would recommend Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed. Though the book will probably not help you reminisce about jobs long past, that may be for the best. What better way to forget about your own “down-sizing” experiences that to hear the stories of a celebrity with their head on the chopping block.

Jeff Beck is an entrepreneur and founder of several notable companies, including the Book Price Comparison website CompareBook.com. As a student of the world around him, Jeff seeks understanding through history and reasoning.

Visit CompareBook.com to read reviews, find similar titles, and search for the lowest possible price for Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, & Dismissed and other great books.

The following four-article series was published in a newsletter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). It serves as an introduction to the recent analysis discipline known as the finite element method. The author is an engineering consultant and expert witness specializing in finite element analysis.

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS: Solution
by Steve Roensch, President, Roensch & Associates

Third in a four-part series

While the pre-processing and post-processing phases of the finite element method are interactive and time-consuming for the analyst, the solution is often a batch process, and is demanding of computer resource. The governing equations are assembled into matrix form and are solved numerically. The assembly process depends not only on the type of analysis (e.g. static or dynamic), but also on the model’s element types and properties, material properties and boundary conditions.

In the case of a linear static structural analysis, the assembled equation is of the form Kd = r, where K is the system stiffness matrix, d is the nodal degree of freedom (dof) displacement vector, and r is the applied nodal load vector. To appreciate this equation, one must begin with the underlying elasticity theory. The strain-displacement relation may be introduced into the stress-strain relation to express stress in terms of displacement. Under the assumption of compatibility, the differential equations of equilibrium in concert with the boundary conditions then determine a unique displacement field solution, which in turn determines the strain and stress fields. The chances of directly solving these equations are slim to none for anything but the most trivial geometries, hence the need for approximate numerical techniques presents itself.

A finite element mesh is actually a displacement-nodal displacement relation, which, through the element interpolation scheme, determines the displacement anywhere in an element given the values of its nodal dof. Introducing this relation into the strain-displacement relation, we may express strain in terms of the nodal displacement, element interpolation scheme and differential operator matrix. Recalling that the expression for the potential energy of an elastic body includes an integral for strain energy stored (dependent upon the strain field) and integrals for work done by external forces (dependent upon the displacement field), we can therefore express system potential energy in terms of nodal displacement.

Applying the principle of minimum potential energy, we may set the partial derivative of potential energy with respect to the nodal dof vector to zero, resulting in: a summation of element stiffness integrals, multiplied by the nodal displacement vector, equals a summation of load integrals. Each stiffness integral results in an element stiffness matrix, which sum to produce the system stiffness matrix, and the summation of load integrals yields the applied load vector, resulting in Kd = r. In practice, integration rules are applied to elements, loads appear in the r vector, and nodal dof boundary conditions may appear in the d vector or may be partitioned out of the equation.

Solution methods for finite element matrix equations are plentiful. In the case of the linear static Kd = r, inverting K is computationally expensive and numerically unstable. A better technique is Cholesky factorization, a form of Gauss elimination, and a minor variation on the “LDU” factorization theme. The K matrix may be efficiently factored into LDU, where L is lower triangular, D is diagonal, and U is upper triangular, resulting in LDUd = r. Since L and D are easily inverted, and U is upper triangular, d may be determined by back-substitution. Another popular approach is the wavefront method, which assembles and reduces the equations at the same time. Some of the best modern solution methods employ sparse matrix techniques. Because node-to-node stiffnesses are non-zero only for nearby node pairs, the stiffness matrix has a large number of zero entries. This can be exploited to reduce solution time and storage by a factor of 10 or more. Improved solution methods are continually being developed. The key point is that the analyst must understand the solution technique being applied.

Dynamic analysis for too many analysts means normal modes. Knowledge of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a design may be enough in the case of a single-frequency vibration of an existing product or prototype, with FEA being used to investigate the effects of mass, stiffness and damping modifications. When investigating a future product, or an existing design with multiple modes excited, forced response modeling should be used to apply the expected transient or frequency environment to estimate the displacement and even dynamic stress at each time step.

This discussion has assumed h-code elements, for which the order of the interpolation polynomials is fixed. Another technique, p-code, increases the order iteratively until convergence, with error estimates available after one analysis. Finally, the boundary element method places elements only along the geometrical boundary. These techniques have limitations, but expect to see more of them in the near future.

Next month’s article will discuss the post-processing phase of the finite element method.

copyright 2005 Roensch & Associates. All rights reserved.

Steve Roensch is a mechanical engineer with more than 20 years experience. He has served as an expert witness across many industries. Learn more about mechanical engineer expert witness services at www.FiniteElement.com.

It’s now February, have your resolutions already fallen by the
wayside. Research shows that most resolutions don’t last past
the second week of January. Why? That’s what this article is
going to concentrate on, and how you can keep your resolutions
on track.

The most popular resolutions are to lose weight, stop smoking,
eat better, get a better job, start my own business, spend more
time with my spouse/kids, you can fill in the blank with your
resolution.

One of the main reasons resolutions aren’t kept is that we make
too many of them at once.

So, the first step in keeping resolutions is to do them one at a
time. Especially for weight and smoking cessation, it is
important to take little steps before you get to the main goal.
For example, for those of you trying to quit smoking, studies
show that long term smokers (10 plus years) have a hard time
quitting cold turkey. So, what I did, was to keep a book and I
wrote down every time I had a cigarette. Then each day I tried
to cut one out. Did I slip sometimes, yes, but eventually I got
down to 5-6 a day, and then quit from there. The patches work
once you get down to 5-6 a day. Tip: Cut them in half or
quarters and they last longer.

The same principles work for diet changes. Eat the foods you
like but cut down on the portions and eventually put some
healthier foods in your diet. The big thing in weight loss is to
moderate what you eat. If you eat dessert every night, try
cutting out one night a week for a month, then two, and so on.
Eventually cut it down to a couple of times a week or eat low
fat desserts. Walking is a great exercise. Try it before you go
to work, or during lunch, or after dinner.

As for spending more time with the family. Try to make Sunday a
family day. Have a special family dinner night, movie night,
game night. Pick things that everyone likes or take turns coming
up with themes. You will all have to be flexible. Ladies, your
husbands don’t like going shopping, any more than you like their
sport watching. Everybody will have to compromise.

While people have all kinds of excuses for weight, smoking,
diet, and spending time resolutions, they even have more when it
comes to making a change in their profession.

When we talk to folks about starting their own business they
have all kinds of excuses why it won’t work for them - they
don’t have the time, it’s too much work, it doesn’t work, they
don’t have the money, they don’t think it will work for them.

Well, with all of those excuses, of course, it isn’t going to
work. If you go into something not believing you will be able to
succeed, guess what? You won’t. Let’s break down those excuses…

Excuse 1

They don’t have the time.

Sure they do. They watch Television, play on the computer for
hours each night, and for many hours over the weekend. Take a
half hour each night or a couple hours over the weekend and you
can start a business. Yes, in the beginning some of that time
will be spent organizing yourself to get started, but once that
is done you are ready to move forward.

Excuse 2 …It’s too much work

As stated earlier, once you set yourself up, 30 minutes of
calling a couple nights or days per week to get a deal and
possibly make $3500 to $5000 for under 10 hours, seems worth of
work. Let’s see that comes to $350 to $500 per hour. If you find
this too much work, then stay with your day job for $10-$15 per
hour.

Excuse 3… It doesn’t work

Yes, it does, we are living proof, and so are the many other
investors out there. Unfortunately we are too busy to try and
convince people that don’t have any motivation to do anything,
to do so. If you wish to work a paycheck to paycheck job the
rest of your life, so be it. However, those of us that have left
that world will never go back because we like the control we
have over our future, and yes, it does work, however, the secret
is, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO WORK AT IT. Business is not going
to come to you out of the blue. You have to look for it, and
people have to know that you are there.

Excuse 4… I don’t have the money

Yes, this can be an obstacle. However, there is a lot of
educational material out there that is not outrageously priced.
Rather than printed material, look into electronic format. It is
usually substantially less. Read up on the various strategies.
We have an enormous amount of material on our website in
articles and newsletters that provide a wealth of information.
Check out books in your library or buy used books.

Check out coaching programs. Yes, many are expensive. However,
we offer our Partnering For Your Success Program for a very
affordable initial fee, and then we partner in your success. If
you don’t succeed, neither do we. We put our money where are
mouths are.

Excuse 5 …It won’t work for me

With an attitude like this one, nothing will. You have to be
willing to work. Short of winning the lottery, nothing is just
going to drop into your lap. Even real estate takes work. Just
running ads and sending e-mails is not going to make you rich.
You have to have something to offer to people. You need
knowledge and know how in order for people to work with you.

So, if one of your resolutions this year is to start your own
successful business, take a look at our website and contact us.

Remember, take your resolutions one at a time, and eventually
you will succeed with them all.

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2002

I have been reading a lot about immediate annuities lately and I really have to address this question, are immediate annuities any good now a days? I will say this, they have their place. They are not what I would call the best vehicle for many people. These instruments have there place in a portfolio, but why would you want one in today’s world?

An immediate annuity is great for people who want income for a specified number of years or for the rest of their life. The problem with an immediate annuity is the income is fixed, forever. There is absolutely no chance to keep up with inflation. These types of investments may make sense for a potion of your portfolio, but not a big portion.

I read yesterday that some experts say 25 to 50% of your retirement savings should be invested in an immediate annuity. Are you crazy? Why in the world would you invest half of your nest egg in an investment that guarantees that you will not keep up with inflation? You wouldn’t and you shouldn’t. I would say no more than 10 to 15% should ever go into an immediate annuity.

Some immediate annuities have inflation riders on them were your income will go up by 3 to 5% a year. I used to think this was a great feature, and it is if you buy one, but when you add up the amount of premium it takes to make this option work it does not make sense. It takes a larger amount of money in an immediate annuity with the inflation rider on it to generate decent income in the first few years, as compared to a regular immediate annuity.

The other drawback is in today’s interest rate environment. You are buying a vehicle, which will never change, at very low interest rates. I will not get into speculation over where interest rates will go in the future, but it is safe to say that 30 year lows and an immediate annuities equals a problem in the future for you. The inflation rider is very interesting, but like I said it will take a lot more money to generate decent income in the first few years.

I compare this to a variable annuity with a For-Life benefit and the variable annuity looks far better. For starters the income will be pretty darn close to an immediate annuity, a For-Life benefit usually allows you to withdrawal up to 5% from your initial investment for the rest of your life. Fees are not a concern, or should not be a concern for you, mainly because if you are willing to hand over your investment for an immediate annuity then what does it matter?

With the For-Life benefit you have the ability to keep up with inflation. Usually the benefit has some kind of step-up in the benefit. This means that if you experience positive market growth then your benefit can increase with your investments. The typical step-up will range between 1 to 5 years, depending on the company. Your money can be invested into stocks, bonds or the fixed account (if offered) to address your risk tolerance concerns.

The investment will fluctuate with the market, but as long as your income is stable what is the difference? The whole point is this; if you are giving your money away to an insurance company to pay you out a little bit of interest and basically your money back then what are you worried about risk for? As long as it is meeting your income needs, the income never goes down, but has upside potential it will do the same thing as an immediate annuity will do for you.

With the variable annuity For-Life benefit you have many advantages. You have: upside potential, steady income, the potential to have that income increase, you do not lose control over your money and you may have a death benefit for your heirs. With an immediate annuity you have none of those features, when you die (unless you choose a period certain) typically your money is left to the insurance company.

I am not saying a variable annuity is right for everyone, but as long as your income is stable it should not matter. With the variable annuity For-Life benefit the income is guaranteed for your lifetime, just like most immediate annuities. Consult a qualified investment representative t find out if a variable annuity is right for you or not.

You can beat up on variable annuities all you want but I dare you to compare an immediate annuity to a For-Life variable annuity any day. The benefits to not losing control of your money, upside potential and life time income beats a fixed payment for as long as you live any day.

Remember both these investments are very different and you should weigh risk, objectives and risk tolerance before you invest. Variable annuities are sold by prospectus only and you should read and understand the prospectus before you invest. For more information on variable annuities please go to www.annuityiq.com.

Scott DeMonte is a widely respected expert in variable annuities. Scott has worked as both a financial advisor and as an executive for 2 of the best selling variable annuity contracts sold in America.

With over 12 years experience in the financial services industry, Scott decide to start his own company, http://www.annuityiq.com Through his expertise he evaluates and rates variable annuity contracts.

By educating both brokers and consumers, Scott’s goal is clear: Get the right information, the first time.

The next time you open your credit card statement, take a closer look at the small insert titled “changes to your credit card agreement”. You know the one I’m speaking about. It’s that small, folded paper written in legalese that you promise to read some other time (but of course that time never comes) or you just discard it with the other “junk” inserts.

First and foremost you must understand that using your credit card after you’ve received this notification results in your automatic “agreement” to the new terms in the notice. To prevent these new terms from affecting your account you must stop using that credit card immediately or by the date given in the notification statement.

The most common modifications to credit card agreements include new APR’s (annual percentage rates), new fees and/or changes to existing fees, or a change to the grace period on your account. The grace period is the number of days during which any credit used for purchases may be repaid in full without incurring a finance charge.

Not knowing or not keeping track of the dollar amount limit on your card is another trap you should avoid. Credit card issuers will allow you to charge a small amount over the limit set on your account. However, don’t be surprised when you get hit with an “over limit fee”, usually around $35.00 or higher, on your next statement. Also, be prepared for your APR to be increased if you go over your credit limit.

You’ll also trigger an increase to your interest rate if you miss your payment due date. Some companies consider your payment late if not received by noon or 1 p.m. on the date due. Along with the higher rate, you’ll also pay a “late fee” of $29 on up. Be sure to use the company’s preprinted envelope when sending your payment. These envelopes allow the pre-printed bar code to be scanned by the post office so that it can be delivered more efficiently.

If you’ve counted on those few extra days from the time you mail your check and the time the check clears your bank, beware! Many credit card issuers have switched from the traditional method of processing checks to a new electronic process. This new system shaves off a day or more from the traditional method it normally takes for your check to clear by electronically debiting your account.

If you’re considering paying your credit card bills online, check to see if any additional fees will be charged for using this type of payment. I recently received an e-mail message from one of my credit card companies announcing how easy it would be to make my payments online. Included in fine print at the bottom of the e-mail was this note - “A fee of up to $14.95 may be charged for this service and will be deducted from your checking account”. Hmmm, spend 37 cents on postage and mail my payment five days before the due date or pay now and get charged an additional $14.95 fee? I’ll bet you can guess which choice I made.

Taking the time to carefully read and understand your credit card agreement now will help you save money by avoiding unnecessary fees or climbing interest rates later down the road.

© 2005, www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
Author: James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of “To Your Credit” a FREE weekly newsletter focusing on managing your personal finances and credit. Subscribe and get a FREE copy of your credit report when you visit: www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com

Living way up here in the extreme temperatures in Montana, we are fairly sheltered from the flea and tick infestations that more moderate areas suffer from. However, with the steady increase of pet ownership across the country, awareness of the dangers of external parasites and the necessary treatment methods is vital.

Pet owners need to understand the importance of controlling these pests, as can several diseases are associated with fleas and ticks: Bubonic Plague, Murine Typhus, Lyme Disease, and Francisella Tularensis, to name just a few. It is easy to see that the pet’s comfort is not the only issue here- safety and health risks are a factor as well.

For pet owners, it is a difficult and daunting task to choose an effective, yet safe method to control these parasites. The most effective method is of course prevention. Every day new treatments and preventative methods are being developed. My favorite is spot-on treatments dispensed by a veterinarian. These are topically absorbed insecticides, which require minimal applications for maximum protection for your pet. Also, oral insecticides are fairly new to the scene, and are getting rave reviews as well.

If it is too late for prevention, treatment is the next option to explore. The first choice is choosing chemical pesticide or botanical. There is an endless bevy of flea and tick products available on the market. It is vital that pet owners arm themselves with knowledge about these products, as many of them contain deadly chemicals that, if not used properly, can be fatal to animals and humans as well.

Organophosphates, organochlorines, carbamates…these chemical groups all sound pretty ominous, and believe me, they are deadly. They can cause permanent side effects, extensive nerve damage, and even death in animals and the people applying them with just one improper use. And yet, they are readily available on any supermarket and discount store shelf for under $5. That is very scary.

These harmful chemicals are widely and openly dispensed, without necessary supervision or education, to the general public in many forms. Flea collars, sprays, powders, dusts, shampoos, room foggers, carpet treatments, the list goes on and on. Yes, these chemicals will in fact kill the parasites, but they just simply aren’t worth the risk.

That leaves us with the second, safer treatment option: botanical pesticides. These are natural products that are derived from various sources. Pyrethrin is a popular choice, derived from the chrysanthemum flower. It can be found in several safe parasite treatments. d-Limonene, a citrus byproduct that has a strong orange odor, is another option. It is extremely effective, and forms of it are used in several different household cleaners as well as pet products. Another newer product gaining popularity is neem seed extract, a powerful insect growth regulator, a feeding deterrent and repellent. Overall, all three of these natural products, when used properly, are non-toxic and biodegradable.

If you suspect that your pet is suffering from these parasites, please do not go out and buy a flea collar: they don’t work! They are usually a pet owner’s first choice because they are quick and easy. But the problem is that they only repel the fleas and ticks around the head area of the animal, instead of the entire body.

Instead of trying to choose a flea and tick treatment product on your own, contact your professional groomer or veterinarian for advice on how to proceed with the care and treatment of the animal. They can recommend the best, safest treatment options for your pet, as well as how to eliminate the pests in your home environment, etc. They can help you get your pet on an effective preventative plan to eliminate the dreaded flea and tick dilemma!

Shannon Lynnes Heggem is an international speaker with a strong background in the pet care industry.

In the 1990’s, she established an upscale boarding resort and grooming spa in Havre, Montana. She then founded the Fast Track Institute of Pet Careers, a vocational school focused on pet-related careers.

Shannon quickly became one of the top experts in the pet care industry, as an educator, business consultant, speaker, and contest judge. She was the first Certified Master Groomer in Montana, and went on to become a Certified Kennel Operator. Only four people in the world actually hold both of these certification titles!

In 1998, Shannon’s life was forever changed when she narrowly escaped death. She was viciously attacked in her kennel by a Rottweiler, and amazingly, survived.

Since then, Shannon has overcome incredible obstacles to continue her life’s journey. The trauma was a turning point for her; she has now dedicated her life to writing and speaking, to help motivate others to succeed beyond their own experiences.

If you saw dollar bills blowing in the parking lot, you’d run out after them.

But every day, business owners and managers let their hard earned money go right out the door and don’t even know it.

It leaves due to lack of attention, lack of focus and lack of long-term thinking. And here’s what you can do to make it stop!

Who are these people?
Whether you spend just hundreds of dollars or thousands on marketing your business, you should simply stop it all together if you don’t take the time to figure out who your customers are. How do you do that?

Why not ask?

As far as I’m concerned, an ad that brings a propect to your business is just as effective as an ad that brings a buying customer to your business. It’s all about foot traffic (or virtual traffic as the case with website commerce.)

However, most folks are so busy in their everyday affairs of running their business that don’t take the time to see it that way.

So tip number one is think of tomorrow and find a way to get contact information of everyone that walks in, calls or emails your business. Maybe its a guest book or a newsletter or simply through conversation, but get it and log it somewhere. We’ll talk about why in a second.

Why did they come in?
Find out what brought them to your business to begin with. More than likely this will involve you or someone from your staff interacting with the customer to find out.

In our office, when the phone rings with a potential customer looking for marketing advice or web site details, I immediately insert “so how did you hear about us?” into the conversation.

Why does it matter? Well because the second tip is to find out what kind of advertising (or “non-advertising”) actually brings folks to your company. What I mean by “non-advertising” is that quite often, folks come in due to a referral or walk-by traffic.

If you have some resources to allow this, try having a few different phone numbers and running them in your television or print ads. If the numbers are not published, then its a good tracking method for those phone calls.

If you’re spending money on advertising - you need to know what works and what doesn’t. The smart way to market is to find out what works and get rid of everything else. Unless, of course, you enjoy losing money!

A list worth its weight in gold.
Now the good thing about creating your customer list and adding to it whenever possible (this is also called a database) is to use it to your advantage. If you have your list and don’t use it, again you’re wasting money and effort.

The third tip is to communicate on a regular basis with that list. Send an email or mail them a letter. Hire an intern to make phone calls and offer special savings for help with a customer survey. Learn from your list and use it to make sales and grow your business. These people konw who you are and what you do - so work that to your advantage!

Communication internally is just as important.
Its amazing how many business owners put so much effort into trying to bring customers to their business but neglect to plan for their arrival.

If you have staff, you want to make sure that any and all tips, specials, information, new products or special order opportunities are clearly communicated as often and clearly as possible. Don’t take that for granted!

If its just you, then make sure you have documentation (flyers, brochures or a website) that can answer questions or peak interest so you can be two places at once.

Do no take your knowledge for granted.
Just because you know things about your product and your business does not mean your staff or your customers do.

You can never share too much information with your staff or your customers when it comes to the benefit of your business.

Find a way to make a customer
The final point is to think of your customers needs before they do and take advantage of that knowledge or skill.

Your customer has options (unless you’re wicked fortunate to be in a non-compete industry!) It’s your job to convince them you are the best choice for their needs. The best part - most of the time they really don’t know their needs.

Its scary for someone to make a commitment or a decision without feeling completely comfortable. So make them comfortable. Offer to give them free advice or a free analysis of their project.

Give them some pointers based on your professional experience.

Perhaps some handouts or sit down meeting.

This can be a free or cheap service. Heck, you may lose money or break even at best. But what it does is give you an insight as to their real needs or, even better, insight as to other ways your business can help them!

Always be willing and prepared to help your customer know more, get more and see more about your business and you’ll stop sending money out your doors!

Cary Weston is President of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, a full service firm based in Bangor, ME.

Sutherland Weston can be found online at http://www.sutherlandweston.com

Are you living from paycheck to paycheck? Can’t seem to make ends meet? And are you tired of being harassed by abusive calls from creditors? Then, opting for debt consolidation may be the best option for you. It helps relieve you of such calls and give you freedom from mental stress.

The spending capacity has increased over the years. However our income has not risen in proportion to the expenses or has remained more a less the same. This allows debt to sneakily pile up. Many of us believe that we are managing our money well, until we realize that we are deep in debt. And then, find ourselves under immense pressure due to high debt and an inability to keep up with it.

If you have difficulty shelling out money for your bills, debt consolidation can be a benefit. It will help you get back on your feet. Debt consolidation takes out one loan to pay off a number of different loans. This means only one payment needs be made each month. Combining several bills into one and borrowing at a lower rate of interest can reduce your overall monthly payment.

Debt is a dangerous problem when you borrow money but are unable to repay the money on time. This results in a mounting interest along with the principal amount. This additional interest in the repayable amount becomes so high that it’s increasingly difficult to repay.

If you cannot manage high levels of debt and are unable to pay debt off, you must immediately seek help by a financial advisor. The use of debt consolidation finance will prevent you from paying steep interest rates, late payment fees and charges which will further complicate your already shaky financial status. Developing a debt management strategy early can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars. It can also prevent a bad credit history from impacting your ability to borrow in the future.

A debt consolidation plan consists of two ingredients: an intelligent plan of how to get out of debt and motivation to get out of debt. Debt consolidation provides the convenience of making one monthly payment, which in turn is managed and distributed to your creditors.

This monthly payment is significantly lower that the monthly payments made to the creditors individually. This ensures that more of your money is working to pay off the principal - the actual debt - instead of just interest on the debt. Hence, a debt consolidation plan can enable you to get you out of debt faster. Debt consolidation helps you minimize what the debt costs you, thus enabling you to catch up and move ahead.

There are many types of debt consolidation loans. Home equity loan is one such debt consolidation program where you can use your home to get a loan. This is a secured loan and the interest rates are low. If you choose to go for an unsecured loan, the interest rates would be much higher.