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Monday, March 31, 2008

Tips to Help Balance Career and Family

Whether you are male or female, a mom or a dad, balancing career and family can be really difficult. When you're a woman, though, the choices you have to make seem especially difficult and the responsibilities all the more great. For some reason, women are guilt-ridden with their career decisions and the choices they make about working while trying to raise their children, providing nutritious meals for their family, keeping a respectable house and keeping their husbands happy. Last on the list, of course, is finding some time for themselves. So how does a woman find time to actually feel happy with her daily activities while keeping up with all of the responsibility?

First, take time to smell the roses! Literally, you can take time to smell the roses but you can actually do this with no flowers in sight. Every day, try to look around and appreciate what you have, taking in the sounds of your child's laughter, the wag of your dog's tail, the special glance of your husband as you tell a funny joke. Sometimes, the knowledge of what you have on your plate for the day will feel overwhelming, but a little perspective goes a long way. It may be a cliché and a very tired phrase, but it truly does work. People tend to get lost in the mundane, day-to-day "functioning" instead of really living their lives. For example, next time you are worried about fitting in your exercise with your child's play date at Little Gym, forego the Little Gym and head out with your son or daughter for a run. Strap the little one in the jog stroller or if he or she is old enough, ask them to put on the running shoes with Mommy and head outside! Once outside, you can literally stop to smell the roses. Just a few minutes of gratitude a day will work wonders for your soul and automatically make your life feel more balanced.

Along these same lines, try and give yourself some "me" time once a week. Once a week may not seem like much, but if you really allow yourself to soak it in and enjoy the time spent, it will make the stress of all of the rest of the hectic days melt away. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday - 2 hours, maybe - and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. For this special time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping at your favorites stores, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a matinee with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even book a girls' night out once in a while and truly let loose! Even if your budget doesn't allow for these activities once a week, you can lock yourself in the bathroom with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and feel good about your time alone - you deserve some!

Probably the most obvious way to balance career and family is to incorporate your family into what would otherwise be "work time". If you have a short commute to work, for example, perhaps you can drive your kids to school each morning instead of having them take the bus. In the alternative, you could have your morning cup of coffee at the bus stop with them and spend a few minutes chatting about their day and what they plan to learn in school as you sip your cup of Joe and breathe in the morning air to mentally prepare for your own day ahead. If you normally exercise in the morning and leave the house very early, switch your workout time to lunch and leave the office to go to the gym, eating at your desk when you get back. You will have more time with your family each day and get a healthy break from your pile of papers to boot.

You may need to get a little creative with your schedule, but there are definitely ways to help balance career and family. Sometimes an extra few minutes each day or a once-weekly good block of time can go a long way in helping restore your peace of mind and help you feel less harried.



About The Author
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about women's health and career topics, similar to what consumers read in http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?mid=7765 Women's Health

Friday, March 28, 2008

Tips to Help Balance Career and Family

by: Megan Hazel

Whether you are male or female, a mom or a dad, balancing career and family can be really difficult. When you're a woman, though, the choices you have to make seem especially difficult and the responsibilities all the more great. For some reason, women are guilt-ridden with their career decisions and the choices they make about working while trying to raise their children, providing nutritious meals for their family, keeping a respectable house and keeping their husbands happy. Last on the list, of course, is finding some time for themselves. So how does a woman find time to actually feel happy with her daily activities while keeping up with all of the responsibility?

First, take time to smell the roses! Literally, you can take time to smell the roses but you can actually do this with no flowers in sight. Every day, try to look around and appreciate what you have, taking in the sounds of your child's laughter, the wag of your dog's tail, the special glance of your husband as you tell a funny joke. Sometimes, the knowledge of what you have on your plate for the day will feel overwhelming, but a little perspective goes a long way. It may be a cliché and a very tired phrase, but it truly does work. People tend to get lost in the mundane, day-to-day "functioning" instead of really living their lives. For example, next time you are worried about fitting in your exercise with your child's play date at Little Gym, forego the Little Gym and head out with your son or daughter for a run. Strap the little one in the jog stroller or if he or she is old enough, ask them to put on the running shoes with Mommy and head outside! Once outside, you can literally stop to smell the roses. Just a few minutes of gratitude a day will work wonders for your soul and automatically make your life feel more balanced.

Along these same lines, try and give yourself some "me" time once a week. Once a week may not seem like much, but if you really allow yourself to soak it in and enjoy the time spent, it will make the stress of all of the rest of the hectic days melt away. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday - 2 hours, maybe - and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. For this special time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping at your favorites stores, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a matinee with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even book a girls' night out once in a while and truly let loose! Even if your budget doesn't allow for these activities once a week, you can lock yourself in the bathroom with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and feel good about your time alone - you deserve some!

Probably the most obvious way to balance career and family is to incorporate your family into what would otherwise be "work time". If you have a short commute to work, for example, perhaps you can drive your kids to school each morning instead of having them take the bus. In the alternative, you could have your morning cup of coffee at the bus stop with them and spend a few minutes chatting about their day and what they plan to learn in school as you sip your cup of Joe and breathe in the morning air to mentally prepare for your own day ahead. If you normally exercise in the morning and leave the house very early, switch your workout time to lunch and leave the office to go to the gym, eating at your desk when you get back. You will have more time with your family each day and get a healthy break from your pile of papers to boot.

You may need to get a little creative with your schedule, but there are definitely ways to help balance career and family. Sometimes an extra few minutes each day or a once-weekly good block of time can go a long way in helping restore your peace of mind and help you feel less harried.

About The Author

Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about women's health and career topics, similar to what consumers read in http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?mid=7765 Women's Health.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

7 Tips For Increasing Your Sales With A Guarantee


by: Robert Greenshields

People are more likely to buy your product or service if you make their decision as easy as possible

Based on the techniques of hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic Programming, you want them to picture in their mind what it will be like in the future after they have bought it.

It may be difficult for them to do that if there is too much risk involved so your marketing task is to remov the risk.

The way you do that is through some sort of guarantee.

Most potential buyers will be a bit skeptical of buying whatever you sell and a guarantee removes a significant part of their risk.

People want to know that you will "put your money where your mouth is." If you have confidence in your own product or service, this will help your customers feel at ease, leading to more sales.

For this reason, the concept of "risk reversal" is crucial.

If you can't stand behind your offer with a guarantee of some sort, people are likely to purchase from someone who does. So make sure you don't help the competition by missing out this part of your offer.

Some people are too scared to offer a guarantee as they worry that people will take them up on it.

The reality is that some will but, provided you deliver good quality and don't make unjustified claims, you will win more business by having the guarantee than you will lose in this way.

Here are 7 ways you can get the best results from your guarantee.

1. Promote the value of your guarantee: Specify the details as though it is another product that adds value to your offer. Spell it out in plain, simple English. Make sure it is "no questions asked" to help put your customers at ease.

2. Make it personal, if possible: It's useful to help people see that there is a person behind the guarantee. So consider making it a "personal pledge" or a "personal promise" written to the buyer.

3. Longer is better: The longer the guarantee period, the more comfortable the buyer will feel - and longer guarantees typically lead to fewer refunds. In the extreme version, people only pay after they have tried it out to their satisfaction.

4. More is better: A guarantee that offers 'more than your money back' is very appealing. Let your customers keep something even if they decide to return the product. This helps them see the purchase from you as totally risk-free - because you're the one with all the risk.

5. Be creative: Think about what the customer really wants and consider offering guaranteed results rather than offering money-back. For example, a computer repair shop that will fix your machine even if it takes 5 trips back to the shop will really stand out from the crowd. No "or your money back" needed!

6. Make it prompt: When a customer asks for a refund, make sure it is prompt and courteous. Consider them a priority as it's better to refund the money than to have an unsatisfied customer.

7. Work on reducing refunds: Whatever you do, there are always likely to be some people who will ask for refunds. It is a simple fact that customers change their minds or were just looking for something else. Take the chance to get some feedback and see if you need to make changes.

A good guarantee can provide a high level of comfort to your prospective customer that will make it easier for them to see the potential of working with you. So it's well worth making it part of your marketing package.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

PETAI

ADVICE FROM UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR

Little did you know ...... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute wor kout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.


Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.


PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.


Anaemi a:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.


Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.


Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.


Constipatio n:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.


Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.


Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.


Morning Sickness :
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.


Mosquito b ites :
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.


Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.


Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report c oncluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.


Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.


Temperature control :
Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In hoiland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.


Seasonal Affecti ve Disorder (SAD) :
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.


Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.


Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.


Strokes:
According to research in "The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine, " eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".


Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A Petai a day keeps the doctor away".

Monday, March 17, 2008

Tips for Cover Letters to Get More Interviews


Here’s a tip for cover letters to get more interviews. Use a bulleted format cover letter rather than a standard letter in paragraphs. The bulleted format is more eye catching, and is more likely to be glanced at by the hiring manager or other person assigned to sort through resumes. This format will help you get your resume seen by more people and as a result get more interviews and more job offers.

If you follow this advice and decide to use the bulleted format, make sure that each bullet point specifies a reason for the hiring manager to talk with you. This reason can be your number of years experience, your education, a personality trait that you have, or an accomplishment.

Examples of bulleted points would be:

• Over 20 years experience in Human Resource Management.

Or…

• Outstanding work ethic. Lead by example.

Or…

• Master of Science in Education. Currently enrolled in Doctorate program.

Or…

• Saved last employer $30,000 in revenue through modernization of accounting system.

Or…

• Increased sales by 25% last quarter.

This bulleted format allows you to toot your own horn, but in a way that does not seem egotistical because it is obviously part of a resume package.

Another tip that will increase the readability of your cover letter is to use bold faced fonts on occasion to emphasize points you want read. Bold face catches the eye, and is a common device used by graphic designers in advertising copy. Your resume and cover letter are marketing tools for you, just as a print media advertising piece is a marketing tool for a business. Consider using bold face as tip from the Fortune 500 ad agencies that you can use without charge.

The next piece of advice to consider concerns the final paragraph of the letter, and will help you in your follow up efforts. When following up often times the hardest thing to do is to get past the gatekeeper. The secretary or administrative assistant that screens calls for his or her boss has an important job to do, but so do you, and reaching the decision maker will make you look good. The gatekeeper will try to stop you if the decision maker is busy—after all, he has better things to do with his time than speak with job seekers. So, in the final paragraph of your letter, before the “sincerely” and your name, simply state “I will call you next week to check on a convenient time to speak with you in person.” You’ve told the hiring manager you will be calling. Logically he should be expecting your call. For this reason you may tell the gatekeeper that ” Mr. HR Manager is expecting my call this week.” This will increase your chances of getting through, and of getting the interview. This tip is a variation on techniques that good business-to-business sales people use, and will work for you as well, bringing you more interviews and more job offers.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

10 Telemarketing Basics You Should Know Now

The way to drive business towards growth and profitability is marketing. Marketing needs careful planning and smart deployment of company resources. Marketing can take on several forms like direct marketing, advertising, and telemarketing.

Telemarketing must be end result oriented and include aspects like analysis of exercise and construction of goals, target audience, and more. From the focus to script every stage needs careful planning and execution.

According to marketing experts telemarketing is one of the best avenues and it generates appreciable returns on investment.

1. A telemarketing exercise can be handled in house or out sourced.

2. It must be planned to the last detail so that it demonstrates measurable results.

3. While most telemarketing companies offer either lead generation or appointment setting, the ideal is to get both done as part of the telemarketing exercise.

4. To be effective a telemarketing exercise must run for a minimum of twenty to thirty days.

5. As the plans made need fine tuning it is best to create a needs assessment study and run a pilot before launching the whole telemarketing exercise.

6. Avoid buying data from telemarketers.

7. To be successful and generate new business telemarketing exercise must be handled by a dedicated team that understands your business.

8. Any successful telemarketing effort is not a one time shot. It needs follow up exercises and continued action at least for 3-6 months.

9. Always work towards set goals and if you are using external telemarketing agencies develop a sustainable relationship with more than one outsourcing telemarketer. It will give not just increased volumes but healthy competition.

10. Always use a telemarketer who understands the auditing ropes and maintains records clearly.

Make the conversation scripts polite and convincing. Always check that your company strengths are being conveyed clearly. Ensure that calls are made to the appropriate audience and not to random data base lists. The focus and target audience must be clearly delineated.

The first 3 seconds are crucial so make the best of the moment and capture the would be customers attention and friendship. It is best to come across as friendly, concerned, and caring. Instill a sense of trust. Telemarketing is an effective method of increasing business volumes. In a world filled with advertisements, mailers, and commercials on radio and television the telemarketing effort must be special and effective to grab any attention. So plan well and get in experts if you need to. Telemarketing is not a simple task of phoning people.

Being polite is the key to good business. So use the time effectively and avoid ringing up customers during meal times or nap times. Show them they are important and that you care.

Create goodwill and the telemarketing effort will bear fruits.

10 Reasons Why Pet Insurance Is A Must

Pets today need insurance as the cost of medical treatments are very high and in breeding and other problems have made pets more susceptible to diseases and other problems. Pet insurance can cost anywhere between USD 2000-6000 over the life of a pet and the amount of premium to be paid would depend on many variables like breed, age, and more.

Pet insurance can be bought online or offline from leaders like: Pet care Insurance Companies; Veterinary Pet Insurance Company; Pets Best Insurance; and Vet Insurance. The best way to insure a pet is to ask your vet for advice. Pet insurance at affordable rates can be purchased online from websites devoted to pet insurance and pet care. The premium to be paid depends on age of pet, general health of pet, breed of pet, potential risks for susceptible diseases and so on.

Before investing in insurance you must do your homework and find out all you can about polices, how to keep premiums low, and how to buy the best pet insurance at the most affordable rate. The internet is a knowledge highway and has great information on pets, insurance options, and more. Make the effort to educate yourself.

Medical treatment can cost thousands of dollars. And treatments for hip diseases, cancers, kidney failure and more can cost between USD 1000- 5000. In case of disease or accidents pets can be treated and nursed back to health instead of “put down.”

Here are a few reasons why pet insurance is to be considered:

1. A pet is a family member and death due to accident or illness can upset children. Insurance coverage could save the life of the pet.

2. Pet insurance gives peace of mind and owners can stop worrying about unpaid bills or pets crossing roads.

3. Pet insurance ensures longer life spans of pets.

4. Insurance offers preventive health care, which means diseases can be detected in pets at early stages when treatments can offer cures.

5. Pet insurance covers expensive diagnostics and hospitalization expenses for pets.

6. Pet insurance can save the life of the pet as it covers treatments like radiation therapy and kidney replacements.

7. Pet insurance releases the burden of having to pay when the family is going through lean times such as being “laid off” or having a personal illness to deal with.

8. Pet insurance can help you get a deductible which is cost saving and the insurance will protect the pet.

9. Pet insurance offers regular health checks, shots, elective and non elective surgeries, and sometimes extended stays at a pet boarding house.

10. In general pet insurance can cost as little as USD 20-40 a month and this brings good health and cheer to the pet, very much a family member.

Pet insurance could save the life of a dear one without straining your wallet.