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When selecting a gym you should take the time to weigh in on your options. Don’t rush the discussion as this might end up causing you to throw away your money. Instead ask questions, research, and ask others what they think about the gym. It is best to ask others who have used the gym before otherwise you might not get a straight answer. For instance, if you plan on doing yoga at the gym you’ll want to make sure that there is a certified yoga teacher at the gym. It would be nice to find a place with several yoga classes and several certified yoga teachers.

Before rushing into making a decision you should determine the cost of gym fees. Is it possible to fit the monthly or yearly membership fees into your current budget? Be sure to shop around and compare prices from one gym to another just as you would while making any other significant purchase. Some exclusive health clubs might offer spa like services including a sauna or hair dresser however it is a good idea to remember you will have to pay indirectly for those services as a part of the higher membership fees. Abs Fitness and abs exercise in gyms is something almost regular. Sometimes those extras just are not the worth the cost but that is up to you to determine.

Everyone has labored and dreaded to find an unusual present for a special person. Many times, we’ve ended up buying something too expensive for us to buy- or, worse, something we’re not even sure our intended cares for- out of total desperation. At a time where holiday celebrations means so much,
the effort to find the right presents can bring on a lot of stress.

Presents that are unusualsometimes are rare, uncommon, or even unfamiliar. By now you are already thinking about many eccentric and exotic unusual presents. Though remember at some point you need to come down to earth and make unusual present purchases. But brainstorming is a great introduction

Everything conforms in modern time, sometimes it’s fun to do something completely different. On occasion, giving unusual presents at the perfect moment can be cool to boot. It takes a quick consideration to outdistance yourself on the matching thing time and time again. For that reason offering unusual presents might break the pattern and make for new, easier, and imaginative presents. Awarding unique presents can not only be fun, it might be the departure from all the other presents the natives receive.

After comprehension, in all probably you already have some further ideas for unusual presents that could possibly advance on these. Find Unusual Christmas Presents for him and click here.

“The reason to set and seek specific goals is to improve the
quality of your life and those around you through the experience
you will gain on the journey towards your goal.”

There are many misplaced values in modern day society and one
of them is where success is good but failure is for idiots and
losers. We all know what winners and people that are successful
in their endeavors get in our society. The attention, the fame,
the kudos, and the potential of being a role model in their
community.

However, to those who had the courage, took the calculated
risk, tried to do something positive and failed, there seems to
be a stigma. That stigma is one of failure where business
associates distance themselves, loved ones may say “I told you
so”, and a pool full of friends seem to dry up into a desert
with barely a friendly oasis. Too much emphasis is placed on
winning. This is especially true when we see in mainstream media
the concept of “failure is not an option” and it is important to
“win at all costs” being preached everywhere we look.

In my life, I have failed many times but I have also won many
times as well. The number of actual wins and failures doesn’t
really matter. What does matter is how we as individuals deal
with winning but more importantly how we deal with failure. It
is a sad postscript on our so-called civilized society when most
people can readily accept winning but not as many can accept
failure. Having mustered the courage to work towards a goal is
only two-thirds of what you will need when you succeed, and is
only one-quarter of the courage you will need when you fail.

You can only win or fail, if you set your sights on a specific
goal. Knowing exactly what you want or where you want to be, so
that you can set a specific goal is no easy task in itself.
However, it is a necessary process if you want to evolve and
move on to the next level in this life. Practically every
motivational, self-improvement, and even sales book will tell
you that you have to set goals for yourself. They may even tell
you how to do this, but on the specific practical reason for
setting a goal, they get a little fuzzy. You set goals to reach
them, right? Wrong!

The reason to set and seek specific goals is to improve the
quality of your life and those around you through the experience
you will gain on the journey towards your goal, not the actual
attainment of the goal itself. Now go back and read the last
sentence again, slowly until you really understand it.

When you work towards your goals with this in mind, the
attainment of your goals will come a lot easier and should you
be side tracked by failure, you will be able to learn from your
failure, make the required adjustments and get back on track.
Which leads me back to our discussion of failure. You see, based
on the reason we set and seek goals, failure just like winning
is an important element in your life experience.

The concept or act of winning or failure is neither bad nor
good. The fact that you have the courage to set and seek a goal,
and then work towards it with all the triumphs and tribulations
is in itself, what makes you victorious in your life. The
attainment of the goal or the win is the end of the journey. But
it is not a sad ending but the completion of a lesson in your
life experience that will ultimately prepare you for the next
lesson or journey.

No matter who or where you are now, it is always important to
remember that you cannot change the world you live in, but when
you change your perception of it, only then will you not face
any limitations and be victorious.

Copyright © 2005-2006 Dr. Robert Ing, www.drroberting.com

Permission is granted to publish this article electronically or
in print, free of charge, as long as the article appears in its
entirety, full credit is given to the author and a link or
reference to the author’s webpage www.drroberting.com is
provided.

You’re at an event and a prospective client you have been
hoping to work with for a while introduces herself. You shake
her hand and no sooner does the handshake than - whoops! Her
name vanishes into thin air. You could not remember the name if
somebody paid you. Frustrating? Embarrassing? Costly? Yes, yes,
and yes. Let’s explore the reasons and resources to eliminate
this and other memory challenges. Dale Carnegie, in his all-time
bestseller How to Win Friends and Influence People, says, “the
sweetest sound in the world is the sound of a person’s own
name.” Even though most professionals recognize this, it is
undeniable that most people are plagued with forgetting names at
one time or another. How could something so simple be so tough?
The top reason for memory challenges is that most professionals
have never learned how to train their recall abilities. Everyone
has the ability to make huge improvements in his or her recall
ability. Rather, it is a “trained” and “untrained” memory. Your
recall is not a talent - it’s a skill that can be learned and
improved. If you want to improve your recall of important client
information, points to cover in presentations, answers to
objections, technical information, and other critical data, try
some of the simple strategies below to improve your memory
skills. Remembering Names

1. Slow down and listen. Names that you forget immediately you
never heard at all. The first 15 seconds of a relationship are
the most critical - so when meeting someone new, make sure to
stop, clear your mind, and invest a few seconds just paying
attention. It saves time and frustration. 2. Repeat the name
aloud…two or three times. Do not overdo it, but when someone
says her name is Mary, for example, introduce yourself by
saying: “Mary?” Then you will know you heard it correctly. “Nice
to meet you Mary.” Be conversational but conscientious about
your introductions. Using somebody’s name within the first few
seconds of you meeting locks the name into your mind - plus it
makes a great first impression. 3. Use images. Your memory
operates visually, so try turning an abstract name into a clear
picture. For example, the name “Jay” can be visualized as a blue
jay. “Jane” can become chain, and “Tom” can become a tomcat or
turkey. With just a little imagination, nearly any name can be
visualized clearly. Perfect Presentations 1. Do not try to
“memorize” a presentation word for word. Stress is the number
one killer of memory, and communicating information is stressful
enough for most of us without worrying about the occasional
misplaced “and” or “the.” 2. Do prepare properly. Decide upon a
few key points that are relevant, and then in an order that
makes sense. A rough outline in bite sized pieces is much easier
to commit to memory than tons of details. 3. Most important,
whatever your topic or preparation lever, do your best to relax,
be yourself, and have fun. 93% of communication is nonverbal, so
take the focus off “What do I say next?” and connect with your
audience. It makes your information much easier for you to
recall and much more interesting to your audience. Long-tern
Storage Any information that needs to be retained for longer
than a few minutes needs to be reviewed using spaced repetition.
Use the “one hour, one day, one week” system. This means that
when you learn something you want to lock in long tern, you must
review it within the first hour (while it is still fresh in your
mind), once again a day later (to refresh your memory), and then
again within about a week (to lock it in).

An effective memory will positively impact every area of your
work and your life. It’ s actually much easier than most people
think. The above tips are just the beginning - try them out and
see the immediate impact.

Briefly, impotence (or erectile dysfunction or ED) is the sexual dysfunction in men, which relates to the condition where the male organ fails to achieve and maintain sufficient erection to satisfy his partner.Briefly, impotence (or erectile dysfunction or ED) is the sexual dysfunction in men, which relates to the condition where the male organ fails to achieve and maintain sufficient erection to satisfy his partner.Viagra (sildenafil citrate) came as a welcome relief to the patients suffering from ED.

Before the introduction of Viagra, the impotent men had to undergo painful surgeries to overcome impotemce. Viagra is an FDA approved oral pill for the treatment of ED. Viagra prompted further research in this field and resultantly, two more drugs ? Cialis and Levitra ? got approval in 2003 as prescription drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction among men.The only inhibitive factor surrounding Viagra is its exorbitant price. Since the drug is under patent by Pfizer Inc., the bloated price of the drug is understandable. But the market forces have found a way out of this legal quandry.

They have unleashed generic version of Viagra promising equal efficacy at drastically reduced prices.Generic viagra contains sildenafil citrate as its active ingredient. It is available at almost 30% of what Pfizer charges for Viagra. The reduced price is attributable to the fact that not much R&D has been devoted to the development of the drug. Moreover, generic versions are not treated as patentable inventions. So, lesser costs translate into lesser price. The manufacturers also promise the same efficiency levels for the generic versions of the drug named as generic drugs.But there is a major rider to all these benefits. The US FDA has not approved generic Viagra for the treatment of ED for concerns that the strict quality standards have not been maintained in the manufacture of the drug. Therefore, it is not considered legal in the US to deal with generic Viagra.Many sites offer generic Viagra online so that the patients are lured by the convenience, price and privacy and buy generic Viagra. But the patients should always consult their family doctor before resorting to the cheap generic Viagra.
Click Here to Learn More!

The Truth Behind Press Kits, Bios, and Controlling Your Image

A lot of what you have been told about creating your image is
false. This article is meant to be a simple list of things that
might surprise you as a musician. Some of you have had
“managers” misguide you. You know the drill. Your guitar
player’s girlfriend has a connection at some local club so now
she thinks she is fit to orchestrate your entire career. Maybe
you have a know-it-all singer who spent 5 minutes glossing over
some music industry website and now he is writing your bio chalk
full of transparent lies and over-exagerated descriptions of
your rock fury. No matter what the case may be, I can guarantee
you that you have at least a few misconceptions about how to
properly present your image. This article will briefly outline
some of the major issues on writing better bios, press kits, and
press releases.

YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK

The most important thing I can tell you is you have more control
than you think. If you really get the hang of image presentation
and playing this game we call the music biz you can virtually
create any image you want of yourself or your band. First and
foremost I want to talk about the press.

Ever surf the net doing some research of some new band your
friend told you about? Ever notice how multiple music sites will
have the exact same description of the band? Of course, you
aren’t an idiot. You realize these sites simply rip what the
band wrote in their bio on the band homepage. But do you realize
the POWER of this? Basically, you have the power to syndicate
your image in a way. These websites simply don’t have the time,
nor intimate knowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio
for you. They rely on you, and what you have to say about
yourself. This is power. Use it wisely.

But you already knew that. What I’m about to tell you is
something you may not know, but could drastically affect your
bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THIS TOO. Yep, a
lot of those long write-ups you see in your favorite magazines
about your favorite band, have content ripped straight from the
bands’ bio. The trick is that this only applies to well written
bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be the most
powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.

THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPE

Ok. So let’s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can help
control your image on the net. And now you know you can even
control how the print media presents you. But how do you write
such a bio? First, let’s go over what NOT to do.

INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of your
band. Don’t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don’t
talk about what you can’t back up. This is the most common
mistake in bio writing. I call it “inflation”. This is pretty
much adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like “intense live show” or
“super sonic blast from the future”. This is stock. This is not
creative. If you aren’t the biggest drawing band in your own
market, don’t say “this band is taking the nation by storm”. The
press and online community have been reading bios with such
inflations since the beginning, they see past this very well.

QUOTE FANS: If you can’t get someone credible to say something
nice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment.
Ever…for any reason.

LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an “inflator” then
talking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last band
didn’t have a record deal or tour, don’t bother. If you have
some leverage with your “former member of…” status use it
tastefully and only in brief.

PERSONAL BIOS: Don’t waste time with writing a story for every
band member complete with height, wait, and astrological sign.

Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you are
probably thinking “jeeze, what else is there to write about”.
This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinking
cap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshing
angle. You have to find the one thing that can create an image
that will stick. You have to find THE STORY.

By this time I have lost some of you. You either don’t know what
I mean by “the story” or you have a bio that breaks every rule I
just outlined and you can’t admit it. The best bios read like a
good music rag write-up. If your bio is written correctly it
should make a staff writer’s job easy. It should be easy for him
to “rip” or “cop”. It’s no co-incidence that many pro bands use
these kinds of writers to pen their own bios!

Perhaps you have an interesting story about how you came
together. Perhaps you have some gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3
bearded lady bassists. But hopefully you have something that
connects your band to something going on in the world of music.
You need something that will get people’s attention. Maybe your
band is the only Death Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible
belt. You get the picture. I am going to list some things that
can make great stories (and double as press releases). - Being
produced by someone reputable - Being managed by someone
reputable - Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads -
Getting a supporting slot on a festival or tour - Having a
reputable person as a quoted fan

A PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWS

I want to get one thing out of the way: I’m not going to tell
you how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be your
biggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve this
problem. I can tell you this though: The camera will expose
every flaw you have in your style. With that said, let’s get on
with at least getting a quality photo.

I am not a professional photographer. I am not going to tell you
how to take a photo of yourself. I am going to tell you where to
get one. Your best bet is to find a local photographer that you
see at local shows. More often than not, they are either
legitimate press, legitimate artist, or a legitimate student.
Browse their catalog of band photography and if you think it
stands up, there ya go. This may all seem like common sense, but
I want to stress that this is abandoned and somehow your guitar
player’s girlfriend is your “photographer” because her mom has a
point and shoot camera. Do not let this happen to you. Find
people with pro gear. Get a professional or at least a digital
arts student. These are always your best bets.

If you are going for sheer impact with your 8 x 10 one good tip
is to at least look like you are in the same band. I’m not
saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I’m saying that even if
you think your personal look is “plain”, your band as a whole
can benefit from at least being on the same page.

LOGO

The miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of the
most breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to the
misfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logo
sucks it says many things about you. It shows you have high
tolerance for bad art. It shows you yourself might be a bad
artist and were not smart enough to hire a professional. It
shows you have a very distorted view about the genre of your
band. It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don’t
care about your image.

You might be surprised how many ways there are to find good
digital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion,
even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line,
the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.
DeviantArt.com Mylkhead.com AngryBlue.com PlayWithKnives.com
EyeSuckInk.com

PRESS KIT SECRETS

One very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your image
as “dynamic”. It has to be all things to all people. You might
have to add something extra to that envelope before you send it
off. If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at a
prospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates.
This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear for
cheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musician
friends playing crappy guitars… “I got an endorsement deal”.

A great add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways to
make a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things that
will expose your flaws. You don’t want to put your life story on
there. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke and
that cheesy “page turn effect” are not. Don’t make a wedding
video. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to book
gigs.

Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to make some
impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kit will
always have more impact if the person is expecting it (send it
promptly).

Make sure you are to the point when calling someone you’d like
to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe from The Doetones. You
are going to be in town around this time. You want to send a
press kit for a possible gig. If you are sending an email and
have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send the press kit in
first. Always try to get a response before sending the press
kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee put your upcoming
dates in the initial email.

Following up is crucial. Many of the people you will be dealing
with in this business are either busy or forgetful…mostly
both. You must initiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not
hound people, but make sure you give yourself a chance to make
some opportunities and pick up the phone yourself.

Remember, you are in essence, trying to self yourself to a
company or consumer. You have to be a salesman. Try to connect
to people and have them want to talk to you. If you can do this
they will always want to help you or get you involved in
something that will. Or best of all, spend money on you and your
product.

You’re a scientist, you’re very well educated, you’re intelligent, and so writing your own résumé should be easy, correct? I mean, how hard could it be? Especially if you have written your own thesis or dissertation in the past, you may feel that you can save the $300 bucks (or however much it costs, even if it is a tax deduction!) and simply do it yourself. The answer to this may surprise you…

Sometimes you can write your own résumé, and write it well. From my experience as an industry recruiter, where I saw hundreds of scientific résumés every day, there would be maybe 1 or 2 résumés that were REALLY well written. Then there was the tier of résumés that you had to suffer through in order to find out the actual skills that the individual possessed. I will confess, there are times when I threw out a résumé because it was simply too jumbled, and it was just frustrating to read.

Here are some tips:

Step 1: What are the secrets to writing a great résumé? First, you need to have a plan. Get an actual written example of the position to which you are applying. Your résumé has to be tailored to this position, or your résumé ends up looking too general. I know there are times when you are a bit lost, and you don’t know what kind of job you want. My advice? Find out. Unless you are a new graduate, a general résumé will only hurt more than help.

Step 2: Organize your abilities. Focus on skills, not research projects. I can’t say this enough. The title of your dissertation is really not as interesting as the fact that you conducted small molecule scale up in a Medicinal Chemistry Department and have experience with HPLC and NMR. Don’t be afraid to sell your most marketable skills!

Step 3: Know what a hiring manager wants to see and give it to them! This is where it becomes very hard, and it’s a bit like playing Russian Roulette unless you know the industry, the market forecast, and recent downsizing / shifts within the industry. This is one of the main reasons why people use a Certified Professional Résumé Writers that has biotech / pharmaceutical industry experience (there are only a handful around the nation). It is invaluable to get that key “hiring manager perspective”, simply because you may not know you are doing anything wrong in your résumé. Have you ever sent your résumé to a prospective employer, and it just seems like a black hole? There is zero feedback; it is almost as if you had never sent your résumé at all. The reason why this happens is that you may not be a match for the position, even if you feel like you are. It is amazing what red flags can go for a hiring manager just from your résumé, so you need to be very, very careful in how you word and structure your experience.

Step 4: You are ready to edit! And edit again, and edit again! Don’t you dare hit the “SEND” button on your email until you have had at least 3 friends review your résumé. And those friends need to be harsh about their feedback, not nice! Your friendship may suffer for a week or so (but I sincerely hope not!), yet your résumé will be all the better for it, and honestly, this is the only way your résumé will improve. This is perhaps the most humbling part, because it is human nature to be offended when someone critiques your work. I’m not just talking about grammar, either, although this is probably the most popular offense. Your friends have to really be able to THINK like a hiring manager, and your résumé needs to reflect your strengths, highlight your true skills, and lowlight all those things you want to hide.

Yes, it is certainly easier to simply contract a Certified Professional Résumé Writer to write your resume. It saves you the headache, saves at least 10 hours of your time, and gives you the confidence that you end up with a legal document with which you can be proud. The downside of course, is that it will cost you money. Your resume may be tax deductible, however, so make sure you check with your financial advisor to see if this applies to you.

But if you don’t have the money, make sure you have some good friends around, the kind that can withstand the rigors of editing!

Laura Innis Yaldo http://www.apexresumes.com/

Ms. Yaldo earned her Masters of Arts in Biology from Smith College and continued on to finish one year of doctoral studies in Biochemistry. After completing lab work in Europe, she worked at the Center for Aids Research (CFAR) in La Jolla, California, as a bench scientist. Ms. Yaldo was later recruited into a prestigious scientific recruiting firm, where she wrote, edited, and critiqued thousands of resumes, provided career coaching, and interviewed top candidates from around the nation. Her combined talents at recruiting, resume writing, career coaching, life coaching, and interviewing skills were directly responsible for placing people in positions that ranged from $30,000 to $150,000. Ms. Yaldo is one of only a handful of people in the United States that can write scientific and federal resumes, and she has a strong track record in career coaching.

Since the days of inception of the internet people have used
the internet for good and for bad. Some people think that ethics
should not apply to the internet since our identities are, for
the most part hidden. However, if we really have good character
that should show through even if we aren’t identified on the
internet. We need what I call virtual character which is the
moral character to do what is right in the virtual world of the
internet. Virtual character is somewhat a novel idea for people.
I like to break virtual character into three main categories or
activities; internet design, internet marketing and internet
use.

design web pages should have the virtual character to know that
many people will find their pages and will view it. They should
strive to have good content that is both valuable and useful.
Things such as search engine spam and vulgar content are
immature and do not demonstrate good virtual character. When
designing a web page ask yourself “would you want to visit this
site?” You will get far more meaningful traffic if you design
this way.

Internet marketing is another way that virtual character should
be manifest. The term spam was created largely because of
internet marketing schemes. Internet marketing is not a bad
thing. Internet marketing does good things and when done
ethically it can be a win-win for both buyers and sellers. The
problem arises when marketers begin to trick users and make
promises that are not true. Those who show virtual character
with internet marketing cultivate relationships with clients
that are positive and the keep more clients longer.

Use of the internet has ballooned in the past couple of years
to the point that even my grandma is an avid web surfer. With
the explosion of internet use virtual character has never been
more important. Users should be careful when they blog, email,
and even just surf the internet. Bloggers should take care to
ask and answer questions in the right places to keep the
continuity of the conversation. Email should be used to
communicate, not to annoy. Forwards should be sent with care not
just to the whole list of contacts. Those with a strong virtual
character should stay out of places that are detrimental to
society. For example the more pornography and gambling sites are
visited the more they will propagate themselves across the
internet.

As the internet has grown in its use and capability, so has our
responsibility to have a good virtual character. Virtual
character shouldn’t be regulated by government but by our own
conscience. If we are a designer web should design sites that
will build and add value to the internet. If we are a marketer
we should find strategies that are helpful to our clients.
Finally if we are user we should find the good on the internet
and get rid of the bad. I call upon designers, marketers and
users everywhere to show good virtual character.

Hi! You may use this article. It is from the eBook > “Be a
Winner” By E.A. Allen & S.C. Ferguson > Copyright 2003 ISBN
#9609550-0-3 > and Published by H.K.R. Publishing Co, Oceanside
> California. http://www.hkr-publishing.com/ > 21,000 eBooks > >
Thanks, Sincerely, Hal Reid, H.K.R. Publishing > > > >
*****************************************************************
******* > > DECISION > > There can be no lasting success in life
without decision of > character. Even brains are secondary in
importance to will. > > The intellect is but half of the person;
the will is the > driving wheel, the spring of motivating power.
A vacillating > person, no matter what their abilities, is
invariably pushed > aside in the race of life by one of
determined will. It is > those who resolve to succeed, and at
every fresh rebuff begin > resolutely again, that reach their
goals. > > The shores of fortune are covered with the stranded >
wrecks of people of brilliant abilities who have lacked courage,
> faith, and decision, and have therefore perished, while less >
capable but more resolute adventurers have succeeded in > making
port. > > Hundreds of people go to their graves in obscurity
only because > they lacked the pluck to make the first effort,
and who, could > they only have resolved to begin, would have
astonished the > world with their achievements and successes. >
> There are occasions when action must be taken at once. > There
is no time for long and careful calculation of the chances. >
The occasion calls for immediate action. The call must be met >
or time goes swiftly by and our utmost exertions cannot bring >
it back. > > At such times is seen the triumph of those who have
carefully > trained all their faculties to a habit of prompt
decision. > They seize the occasion and make the thought turn
into instant > action; they at once plan and perform, resolve
and execute. > > To do anything in this world that is worth
doing one must not > stand shivering on the bank, thinking of
the cold and the > danger, but plunge in and scramble through as
best one can. > > The world was not made for slow, squeamish,
fastidious people, > but for those who act promptly and with
power. Everyone must > meet obstacles and perplexities, and must
either conquer them > or be conquered by them.
http://www.hkr-publishing.com > >
*****************************************************************
******* > > 50 Fr*ee Magazines, 500 at huge Discount >
http://www.hkr-publishing.com/

My husband and I were enjoying our dinner meal one evening while discussing various plans and ideas. I was sharing that I wanted to submit articles and ads to a huge number of ezines to market my eProgram in a big way, and I wanted his help to make this happen. His response stopped me in my tracks, “Can your systems handle the increased demand?”

I know that my online systems and processes are capable of handling significant transaction volumes daily - but there are still a couple manual processes that are not as smooth as they could be and at times they may not create the very best experience. With the current demand, I can tolerate these manual processes and easily get by, but the additional demand that I expect from my marketing efforts will make these tolerations intolerable very quickly. If I had moved forward without changing and extending my systems first, I would have risked some very important things - my new customers’ loyalty and my sanity!

It seems like I am frequently in this push-pull situation. The need to establish the right system setup conflicts with going after the opportunities. With my strategic sense, I can see several steps ahead. I often get really excited about those steps and I’m eager jump ahead before it’s time.

I see this as a challenge for both large and small businesses alike. I believe the successful ones plan their operations and implement the correct systems to properly manage the increased demand loads. The key is to take strategic steady steps forward - you need to learn to walk before you run. All businesses need a solid foundation or platform of business operations so they are able to easily handle increased business needs and growth while serving the customers well. This is fundamental. Otherwise, the business owner may easily become overwhelmed.

The Top Ten Qualities that Allow Business Operations to Grow Easily:

1. Scalable - Operations are scalable, easily handling exponential, sudden demand.

2. Designed to create great customer experiences (while meeting business needs) - Operations provide a consistent, repeatable level of service that caters to the customer each and every time.

3. Flow through - Efficient operations allow all transactions to flow through the business effortlessly, with minimal manual effort or intervention where manual effort only occurring when it makes good strategic sense.

4. Professional looking - Operations help you present a professional face to the customer at all times.

5. Simple - The processes are simple and straightforward for both you and your customers. They are simple to use, simple to maintain and simple to execute. Everything is done quickly and efficiently.

6. Tested - Operational processes are tested and produce repeated successful results.

7. Backed up - Operational systems are always backed up and the back up is also backed up.

8. Documented - All processes are documented, including customers’ experiences as well as team members’ roles and objectives.

9. Understood - The whole team knows and understands the operating procedures and suggests ongoing improvements.

10. Improved Upon - Improvements are proactively discovered through the conscientious observation of the customer’s experiences as well as though direct customer feedback. Adjustments to improve the customer’s experience are incorporated quickly and with easily.

I believe that these ten qualities can be applied to any operation - at work or at home. Examples at home include, but are not limited to, meal preparation, house maintenance and bill paying.

Copyright 2004 Donna P. Lendzyk

Donna P. Lendzyk is a professional coach and creator of the Overcome Overwhelm System. She coaches businesswomen to “Overcome Overwhelm and Achieve Their Desired Results.” She is the author of the multi-media “Overcome Overwhelm eProgram.” To learn more about her eProgram and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her website at http://www.overcomeoverwhelm.com