Rebekah Brooks quits over hacking scandal

Rebekah Brooks, a loyal lieutenant of Rupert Murdoch, resigned on Friday as chief executive of his embattled British newspapers, becoming the biggest casualty so far in the phone hacking scandal at a now-defunct Sunday tabloid.

Murdoch had defended Brooks in the face of demands from politicians that she step down, and had previously refused to accept her resignation. He made an abrupt switch, however, as his News Corp company struggled to contain a UK crisis that is threatening his entire global media empire.

Brooks was editor of News of the World between 2000 and 2003, including the time when the paper's employees allegedly hacked into the telephone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler when police were searching for her.

That allegation last week provoked outrage far beyond previous revelations of snooping on celebrities, politicians and top athletes, knocking billions off the value of News Corp. In quick succession, Murdoch closed News of the World tabloid, abandoned his attempt to take full control of the lucrative British Sky Broadcasting and Prime Minister David Cameron appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the media.

Brooks said the debate over her position was now too much of a distraction for her company.

"I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate," Brooks said in an email Friday to colleagues that was released by News International. "This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past."

Tom Mockridge, currently chief executive of News Corp's Sky Italia television unit but who happened to be in London Friday, was appointed to succeed Brooks immediately. Mockridge began his career at a paper in New Zealand and then served as a spokesman for the Australian government before joining News Corp in 1991, the company said.

News Corp also announced on Friday it would run advertisements in all of Britain's national papers this week to "apologise to the nation for what has happened".

"We will follow this up in the future with communications about the actions we have taken to address the wrongdoing that occurred," said James Murdoch, who heads the international operations of the New York-based News Corp and has been considered to be his father's heir apparent.

He said News Corp had set up an independent Management & Standards Committee to establish and enforce clear standards of operation.

That was an abrupt shift in tone from Rupert Murdoch's comments to The Wall Street Journal - one of his own papers - on Thursday saying that News Corp management had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible" with just a few "minor mistakes".

Brooks has been in charge of News International's four British newspapers since 2007, following a four-year stint as editor of the market-leading daily tabloid, The Sun. Just a week ago, she faced 200 angry employees of News of the World who had lost their jobs when Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old paper amid the scandal.

The news of her resignation was greeted with relief.

"It is right that Rebekah Brooks has finally taken responsibility for the terrible events that happened on her watch, like the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone," said opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, who had been demanding that she quit. "No-one in this country should exercise power without responsibility."

Brooks agreed on Thursday to answer questions next week from a UK parliamentary committee. Rupert and James Murdoch initially resisted, but also agreed to appear after the committee raised the stakes by issuing formal summonses.

Murdoch flew into London last weekend to take charge of the response to the mushrooming phone scandal. Asked by reporters what his priority was, Murdoch gestured to Brooks and said, "This one."

In her statement, Brooks thanked the Murdochs for their support.

"Rupert's wisdom, kindness and incisive advice has guided me throughout my career and James is an inspirational leader who has shown me great loyalty and friendship," she said.

James Murdoch praised Brooks as "one of the outstanding editors of her generation and she can be proud of many accomplishments as an executive".

"We support her as she takes this step to clear her name," she said.

On Thursday, police arrested Neil Wallis, former deputy editor and then executive editor of News of the World, in the investigation of phone hacking. A parallel criminal investigating is probing charges that News of the World had bribed police officers.

In the United States, meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation of claims that News Corp journalists may have sought to hack into the phones of September 11 victims in its quest for sensational scoops.

Those developments deepened the crisis for News Corp, which has seen its stock price sink as investors ask whether the scandal could drag down the whole company.

While largely still on the defensive, another one of Murdoch's British papers, The Sun tabloid, scored one point on Friday against former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had accused the paper of obtaining confidential medical files on his younger son, who has cystic fibrosis.

The Sun had vigorously rebutted the claim, saying it got its information from another parent, so far unidentified, who was said to be motivated by a hope of raising awareness of the disease.

On Friday, The Guardian newspaper apologised for accepting Brown's version of events.

"Articles in the Guardian of Tuesday 12 July incorrectly reported that the Sun newspaper had obtained information on the medical condition of Gordon Brown's son from his medical records," the newspaper said in its corrections column. "In fact, the information came from a different source and the Guardian apologises for its error."

Liberal organization links Wisconsin bills to Koch-funded group

In the midst of trying to balance the state's multibillion-dollar budget, who had time to debate the state tax on moist tobacco products?

The American Legislative Exchange Council's allies in the Wisconsin Legislature did.

Late in the budget debate, six Republican lawmakers - including four currently facing recall elections - sponsored a proposal to lower the overall price of moist snuff like Copenhagen and Skoal. Specifically, the provision would have altered the tax on smokeless tobacco products from one based on the price of the tobacco to one based on weight.

That stance on this obscure subject matches a model resolution approved by ALEC, a conservative outfit that brings corporations and lawmakers together to draw up draft legislation.

Gov. Scott Walker eventually vetoed the item before signing the 2011-'13 budget.

Mary Bottari, spokeswoman for the left-wing Center for Media and Democracy, said the moist tobacco proposal illustrates the influence the relatively obscure conservative outfit has on the legislative process in Wisconsin and other states.

"These are very specific, ideological agenda items," said Bottari, whose group is making available online800-plus of ALEC's draft bills and resolutions that it obtained from a whistleblower. "It's deserving of some scrutiny."

Overall, her media research group has identified about 20 ALEC proposals that it says have been introduced or approved by Wisconsin lawmakers this year.

For instance, the center finds strong parallels between nine ALEC measures and the tort-reform law introduced by Walker and approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature in a special session in January.

But a Walker spokesman says the first-term Republican didn't rely on any draft legislation from ALEC when putting together the tort-reform law or any other bill he's introduced this year.

"Absolutely not," said Walker aide Cullen Werwie.

Walker listed himself as a member of the conservative group on his official biography when in the Legislature during the 1990s.

State Rep. Robin Vos, state chairman for ALEC, said he's unaware of any model ALEC bills or resolutions that have made it through the state Legislature so far this year, though he acknowledged that he could have missed one.

Vos said the group - which receives funding from the Koch brothers and the Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation - simply provides a way for state lawmakers to share ideas from other states.

Even if someone introduces a model ALEC bill, Vos said, it still must be vetted via the committee process.

"This is a made-up issue," Vos said.

Still, the similarities between some Wisconsin legislation and ALEC draft bills are striking.

On the moist tobacco proposal, an ALEC staffer even wrote to the governor to ask him not to veto the item after it was inserted in the budget bill.

"The amendment will create a fairer tax system that reduces market distortions and encourages fiscal stability," wrote Courtney O'Brien, director of the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development & Public Safety and Elections Task Forces at ALEC.

She did not return calls or emails. The measure was pushed by Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, which would have benefited from it because it manufactures smokeless tobacco products that are far lighter than those of other manufacturers.

Two of the four Republican senators targeted for recalls who sponsored the provision - Luther Olsen of Ripon and Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls - distanced themselves from the issue.

"We do not interact with them at all," Olsen aide Tara Baxter said of ALEC. She said her boss had never been a member of the organization and "never will be."

Sens. Alberta Darling of River Hills and Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac didn't return calls.

As it turns out, the proposal was ordered up by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, a Juneau Republican. He has received about $3,000 in reimbursements from ALEC to attend conferences in the past two years, according to his ethics statements.

Fitzgerald spokesman Andrew Welhouse said his boss pushed the moist tobacco proposal because it is the fair thing to do. Federal officials, he said, already tax snuff, chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco based on weight.

Welhouse said it's not surprising that GOP legislators and ALEC agree on a tax issue.

"Lately, it feels like the Democrats are trying to create this ALEC boogeyman, but we didn't make this change because it's an ALEC bill - we made it because it's a tax fairness issue," Welhouse said. "ALEC supports organ donation and drug-free schools, too. Sometimes good ideas are just good ideas."

That's not the only proposal with strong similarities to ALEC's draft legislation.

Vos fought to insert a provision in the state budget to bring for-profit bail bondsmen back to Wisconsin.

But the co-chairman of the powerful Joint Finance Committee said he couldn't have used the model ALEC bills on this issue because Wisconsin's statutes are so unusual on this issue.

Sen. Leah Vukmir - voted national "Legislator of the Year" at ALEC's 2009 annual meeting - has introduced a bill that would give scholarships to handicapped students so they could attend private schools enrolled in the state's choice program. The name of her bill, the Special Needs Scholarship Program Act, is verbatim as the model bill from ALEC.

That's also true of her Patient's Right to Know Act, a bill she sponsored in 2009 that would allow patients to ask health care providers and insurers about the cost and coverage for specific medical procedures.

Vukmir aide Jason Rostan said the scholarship bill actually came from a proposal in Florida. He said he thought the idea may have originally come from school choice proponents.

As for the health care legislation, he said, Vukmir took the proposal to ALEC after she introduced it here. Members of the conservative group then signed off on the plan, adopting it as a model bill.

"We actually gave it to ALEC," Rostan said.

Bottari, the critic of ALEC, said she's not buying the denials from the governor and top Wisconsin legislators that they're not using material from the national group when crafting their bills.

Her group maintains that ALEC allows corporations and conservative lawmakers to work in secret to draw up bills that benefit specific business interests. By pushing the model legislation and resolutions, the group is trying to bring greater scrutiny to ALEC's influence.

"When you consider the 20 ALEC bills we identified and the ideas that keep coming out of this (Walker) administration," Bottari said, "it just defies belief that there's no relationship between these bills and ALEC."

Ex-mental health leader Chianelli pitches ex-boss despite rule

One month after resigning in disgrace, John Chianelli pitched his old Milwaukee County boss with a proposal to privatize more mental health services so his new firm could oversee them.

Records show Chianelli and Peg DuBord of Transitional Living Services urged a top county official to let their private agency - which already has several county contracts - provide services to patients with developmental disabilities or mental health problems if the 72-bed Hilltop unit at the Mental Health Complex is downsized. The firm also wants to begin caring for children with serious emotional issues.

The pair met with Geri Lyday, interim administrator of the county's Department of Health and Human Services, on March 10. Chianelli had submitted his resignation to Lyday on Feb. 11.

County ethics rules say former staffers must wait at least a year before contacting anyone in their former agency on behalf of a private business or individual.

"That's very disconcerting," said County Supervisor Lynne De Bruin. "He's not allowed to lobby her on any contract, period."

In making its pitch for further privatization, the proposal from Chianelli's new firm cited the county's extensive troubles in treating mentally ill patients in recent years, problems documented by the Journal Sentinel.

"In 2010, there were a number of articles outlining issues related to individual (mental illness and developmental disorder) difficulties in receiving safe and effective treatment in the Adult Mental Health System," says a copy of the five-page proposal.

That doesn't sound so bad, right?

Well, here's what really went on at the Mental Health Complex under Chianelli's watch:

The newspaper's investigation showed hospital administrators and staff botched numerous cases by doing everything from ignoring medical orders to falsifying documents to hide their mistakes.

One patient, who was supposed to be on birth control, became pregnant after having sex with a fellow patient who had a history of violence and sexual assault. That man was allowed to roam freely through the ward - and at times leave it - even as the staff stated on documents he was being checked every 10 minutes. Once staff learned the woman was pregnant, they waited at least two weeks to notify her guardian, and she remained on medications potentially harmful to the fetus.

Last year, Chianelli was demoted from his post in charge of the Mental Health Complex, and he left county government earlier this year.

He did not return calls to his work or cell phone.

In an interview, Lyday downplayed the significance of the Hilltop proposal offered by the two officers of the nonprofit firm back in March.

She said she filed it away with all of the other proposals she has received from vendors. She noted that her agency has not solicited bids on the projects that Transitional Living is interested in working on.

"I didn't look at it real closely," Lyday said of Chianelli's proposal. "I have people calling me all the time with ideals, particularly as they've heard about the Behavioral Health Division, just coming to talk."

One reason nothing has been done with the pitch may be that the county has launched a wide-ranging effort to overhaul its mental health system. Several committees and task forces are examining community treatment alternatives, building a new and smaller Mental Health Complex and figuring out how to pay for the reforms.

County Board members will be voting this week on a proposal to give Transitional Living a $272,000 county grant to help with the cost of constructing Highland Commons, a 50-unit housing development in West Allis for mentally ill individuals.

De Bruin, chairwoman of the board's Economic and Community Development Committee, said she has been assured that Chianelli and DuBord did not discuss their request for these funds during their meeting with Lyday. A spokeswoman for Transitional Living offered the same assurances.

But that still doesn't address the possible problem with the county ethics rules.

The aim of the ethics rule is that ex-county workers shouldn't use their old connections to try to gain taxpayer-funded deals for a private interest.

But that's exactly what it looks like happened here.

"We really should not have been meeting," Lyday acknowledged late last week.

In a stunning admission, the department head said she really wasn't acquainted with the specifics of the county ethics policy. The penalty for violating the no-contact provision is a civil forfeiture of up to $1,000.

"I certainly didn't know there was a prohibition in terms of contact," Lyday said. "Had I really known the gravity of that, I certainly wouldn't have met with him."

But she's been boning up on it since No Quarter first inquired about the meeting. Lyday repeatedly emphasized that it would be Chianelli, not Lyday, who might be in trouble because of the meeting.

DuBord, chief executive officer of TLS, referred questions to a spokesman but first said she and Chianelli acted innocently.

"There was no intent to do that," she said of a possible violation of county ethics rules.

De Bruin said she has been generally impressed with Lyday's work but was surprised by her handling of this situation.

Not only do county department heads have to follow the ethics rules, De Bruin said, but they also are supposed to be enforcing them. It's hard to enforce rules that you don't know or understand.

Qscience set to connect research with the world

"We use latest technologies in Qscience to collaborate with scientific researchers in other parts of the world," said Arend Kuster, Managing Director, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals.
"It is done as a part of connecting Qatar with the international research community," he said.
QScience.com's advanced technology makes research findings readily accessible and searchable. It is also the first scholarly research platform to make journal abstracts available in both English and Arabic.
The website will soon introduce new features to attract more researchers and readers.
In the coming months it will have video articles; make facilities for the readers to leave comments about the articles and work with stakeholders to make the site more interactive and make it a knowledge sharing platform.
"We want to have many more articles and be innovative. We want to have more video articles. One more upgrade  will enable people to leave comments on the articles," said Kuster.
"We need to attract researchers so we like to push the boundaries," he said.
Qscience, is also looking for future collaborations with Qatar University, Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar National Research Survey (QNRS). With QNRS, Qscience will seek permission to publish full text of studies done by Qatari academics.
"It's the most innovative thing we are doing here; we are marrying up an institutional repository with an existing journals programme. We are clearing the rights to have full text access to search done by Qatari researchers and funded by Qatar, which will be great repository of the growing rich tapestry of research for Qatar," said Kuster.

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals launched its own open access platform, QScience.com, in December 2010 to bring high quality scholarly communication and academic publishing to the Middle East. The online journal is  trying to address the challenges of the international research community and reflect those in the development of new scholarly journals and information routes.

?What is marketing

The very definition of marketing is the techniques you use to get people interested in what you are selling. With Internet marketing, your whole efforts should be focused on bringing down the cost of acquiring a new customers and getting the most out of your existing ones. Keeping the customers you have is just as critical as finding more. .

Before you launch your Internet marketing techniques, try to make sure you're only promoting high quality products. It makes no difference whether it's a product you created or if you're promoting an affiliate products, you need to make sure your customers are receiving value for money. Offering good quality products means you'll receive far less complaints and much fewer refunds. Another consideration is that promoting sub-standard quality products could develop a bad reputation for you, which could mean your visitors will head over to buy from your competition instead of you. In order to reap the rewards of a profitable marketing campaign, you'll need to begin by choosing great products. A successful Internet marketer knows the value of words. Choosing the right words could mean increased profits and higher sales conversions, but choosing the wrong words can give you the opposite effect. Your internet marketing efforts are heavily dependent on the words you select when you're crafting your sales copy. The better people understand the benefits of your products, the higher your profits will be. Essentially, it's all about ensuring you convey your meaning with clarity. A high converting copy can be your secret weapon against the competition, so make sure you focus on it before you begin your campaign.

Another idea is to start a forum or online community of your own, which you can then create exactly as you want. If you are involved in the weight loss niche, for example, you can create a forum on this topic and get people with this interest to join and participate. Remember that if you have your own forum, you will have a group of people who are interested in your niche, who you can target for your own offers. If your forum gets popular, you'll start to get a lot more traffic from word of mouth, and you as the owner will become the authority in your niche.

In general, it takes time and effort to succeed at internet marketing. If you don't stay focused, you won't make progress. Internet marketing also rewards those who are not afraid to try new and creative ideas. All of these tactics will help your business grow, so remember to network whenever you can, send out press releases and join (or start) various online forums. It's important to always approach internet marketing as a serious business. If you want to succeed, you have to be completely committed to this goal and also not be afraid to take a few risks.

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With the price of petrol beginning to slowly increase and the economy appearing to overcome the recession, we thought we were back in business. , we thought we were overcoming the recession and back in business. However, for many retailers, this has not been the case.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), ‘the number of people unemployed fell by 88,000 in three months to April taking it up to 2.43 million people – the largest drop since summer 2000.'
The ONS Labour market statistics continues to say that: ‘The number of employees and self-employed people working part-time because they could not find a full-time job increased by 80,000 on the quarter to reach 1.25 million, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1992.'
Retail is the largest private sector employer with a third of the workforce being under 25. This cut in retail jobs is going to have a long downturn effect on the younger public who already struggle for work.
Lloyds banking is one organisation implementing cuts. They plan to shed 15,000 jobs, equivalent to 14% of the workforce due to a strategic review that targets £1.5bn in annual savings by 2014. The new Chief Executive for Lloyds bank, Antonio Horta-Osorio says: "Our aim is to become the best bank for customers."
HMV,one of the leading music and games retailers, has recently struggled due to the growth in games and cd sales in supermarkets and online. They almost faced administration, but luckily escaped after securing a two year £220 million refinancing deal with its tenders taking a 5% stake in the firm. The pressure had been increasing on HMV to restructure after they had been issued three profit warnings and last month announced the sale of Waterstones bookshops to the Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut for £53m. There is however no evidence of job cuts as yet but with this new management, there may be a possibility of cuts being on the cards.
TJ Hughes, an organisation founded in Liverpool, announced that jobs were at risk and its large department store in Bradford is due to close down. The company intends to appoint an administrator soon, which may result in 4,000 jobs being put at risk throughout the country.
Thorntons, renowned for its high quality chocolate luxuries, have announced plan to close up to 180 stores across the country, which means 10,000 people could lose their jobs. Thorntons hope to focus on internet sales, as they feel this would be more beneficial and have a bigger scope for growth financially rather than through the stores.
Jane Norman, a woman's clothing fashion retailer suffering from the after effects of the recession, has recently shown signs of recovering from near bankruptcy by selling 33 of their stores, along with all their stock, to Edinburgh Woollen Mill. However consequently, Jane Norman has had to make 390 redundancies, with a further 740 employees at risk.
Not only is this change being implemented in the Retail sector, the Public sector are also suffering. The new Government changes in policies and the significant cuts throughout the year have meant job cuts. More than 50,000 jobs will or have already disappeared from the NHS. Up to 24,000 posts from hospitals; 10,000 from primary care trusts and 6,000 from mental health trusts, according to the survey by the union funded website – ‘false economy.'
Although Retailers are facing a difficult time, there is still hope for the sector and the British jobs market. The British Retail Consortium Online state that: ‘the number of retail outlets have grown by 5.3%...food retailers are the most confident about investing and creating jobs, especially Sainsbury's, the Co-op and Waitrose, who all plan for major expansions and store openings in 2011.'
John Lewis plans to open a number of new home stores later this year which will create ample job opportunities for the public. However, the British Retail Consortium online does state that the outlook for the rest of the year will remain tough for retailers.
The BRC statistics state that 63% of retailers are determined to keep their staffing levels the same in the next quarter; the remaining 24% of retailers plan to reduce their workforce due to financial cuts. Statistics show that, in that last year, only 8% of retailers expected to reduce their workforce. (brc online)
In a climate of high interest rests, increased inflation and endless government cuts, the future for the retail sector and its jobs is not promising.

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Yesterday reporters from faw group that China faw and China mobile signed the strategic cooperative agreement, will be to build a Chinese car networking products and service base, wireless digital urban products and services base. According to information, both sides in the cooperation, will combine to car networking services, and enterprise production base management information construction.

Yesterday, reporters from China telecom (the Po) company to realize, China telecom will on August 1, mobile phone call forwarding business starting the fees standard structure.

According to information, after the adjustment the standard structure in charges, mobile phone call forwarding business charges will no longer distinguish whether the user is in the ownership or roaming to (not including international and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions roaming), are no longer the classification of various types (unconditional turn out in turn out, etc) called busy turn, this means that, mobile phone call forwarding business items of a standard structure simplified. In the price structure adjustment, if after users will be transferred to the call number where, the basic occupied for $0.1 / minute; If the user will turn to the call number where, according to the basic combined (0.1 yuan/minutes) + ChangTuFei (highest 0.06 yuan / 6 seconds) charge.

Yesterday, in the media about China telecom (the Po) will be before the end of the year into CDMA version of the iPhone reports, China telecom, said foreign to apple's negotiations was still underway, there is no specific timetable.

It is understood that this year may, China telecom chairman wang xiaochu foreign revealed, the company has made contact with apple, discuss the problem of CDMA version of the iPhone launch. And recent media quoted sources saying says, China telecom introduce CDMA version of the iPhone in the technical preparations have completed, and apple only exists between the contract on the details of difference, and this year in November, China telecom is likely to be successful into CDMA version of the iPhone. This statement, China telecom investor relations representative said, China telecom is working with apple in the Chinese market for mobile phone sales iPhone related consultation, but the negotiations are continuing, no specific timetable.

How to Submit Articles Is So Easy

Content articles are used as one of the principal approaches of performing marketing on the net. The internet has given wings to the marketing individuals and firms. Therefore, there are far more than couple of approaches of performing marketing on the net. Article marketing is one of the mains-stream marketing methods used on the net. In post marketing, you write articles based on selected keywords and then submit these postings to post directories. When individuals seek out details related to the keywords that you've got written on, they'll discover the articles that you submitted. Since these postings have back links for a internet site, the details seekers end up coming and visiting your internet site. This is the strategy behind post marketing.

To be able to do profitable post marketing, you have to know the best way to submit articles. Though post submission appears to be straightforward and, it is not. In case you are straightforward post marketing that you submit only a couple of articles for any month or a week, then it could possibly be looked as straightforward. But should you be severe about post marketing and submit countless post each weeks, your knowledge of the best way to submit articles couldn't be sufficient. In such cases you have to professionally find out the best way to submit articles to the post directories.

You can find two prominent approaches in terms of the best way to submit articles. First way is to apply certain manual effort and submit all the articles. In the event you buy your post written via outsourcing, you might be able to obtain the post submission done as being a part of the service engagement. Using this method, you receive two things done for any minimal cost. Often, the post writers do not know the best way to submit articles. In these case, you might need to hire one more party to know the best way to submit articles. Since this is extra work, this arrangement could possibly be a little high-priced within the long run. The 2nd alternative is to use automated software for submitting the post to post directories. Using this method, you do not need to discover people who know the best way to submit articles. Rather, you make one-time investment to buy suitable software and it is possible to simply find out the best way to submit articles utilizing the software tools. Typically this software is sold with how-to guides as well as video instructions. With out all of these aids, typically it is possible to discover on your path the best way to submit articles utilizing just typical sense. Therefore, if you would love to get your own things done at your end, it really is suggested to get post submission software tools.

5 Basic Rules For Online Success

Achieving online success with a profitable business will require a bit of 'soul searching' before taking the plunge! An internet based business offers you the 'opportunity' to gain your financial independence but make no mistake, it will be up to you to make it happen! Realize an 'opportunity' is merely a vehicle that you can use to gain the financial independence you seek, but you must drive it!

Here are 5 steadfast rules to follow when entering the internet environment with the intent of becoming a successful entrepreneur!

Follow Your Heart

As the idea goes having passion for your work means you will never work a day in your life! If possible always take a direction in which you have a personal interest! Developing a profitable business will take time and plenty of effort, but if you have a passionate interest in what you do it will be like child's play to you!

Get Organized

Routine almost always brings results therefore you will increase your chances of finding the financial independence you seek by getting organized! Do not expect to get much accomplished if you are always searching for files or trying to figure out what to do next! You must have a plan which will better coordinate your efforts making you more efficient and productive.

Effort is NOT a Four Letter Word

Instead of looking for ways to avoid investing the extra effort, dive in, get it done while likely learning something new while you are at it! Every time you learn something new you are investing in yourself which means you are also investing in the internet based business you are building! It is therefore very important to remember, your efforts will only bring accomplishments and new knowledge upon which you can build and grow!

Quit Chasing Cars

Stay focused and do not wander from your core business intent or you will never complete anything! One of the most common obstacles you can expect to encounter when working an internet based business are all the distractions this environment offers. It is way too easy to get 'lost' aimlessly surfing about or to be tempted by every damn 'opportunity' you come across, of which there will be many! Maintain your focus and stay the course since this is the ONLY way you can expect to see the results you are seeking!

Stick With It!

Perseverance is what will see you through to your ultimate goal since without some type of commitment you will give up at the first set back you experience. Notice I said the 'first' set back? That is because there will be many but this is normal and should be 'embraced' as part of the learning process! Financial independence is not something that falls out of a tree, you must earn it and learning is a large part of that process!

Achieving online success with a profitable business is something most anybody can accomplish provided they have the proper mindset! As discussed above working an internet based business that involves a personal interest is a huge asset but not necessarily required! On the other hand the focus and work habits also discussed above are something you will need if you are serious about gaining your financial independence! The 5 rules offered above serve as a guide to those with serious online aspirations and wake-up call to those casually considering what it takes to build a profitable business online!

SEO Service - Things to Understand

SEO service has been turning into a favorite term today, but the truth is nearly all people still don't seriously fully grasp its meaning. So, in this article, we'll talk about this specific term, beginning from the primary things. You may not be strange with the phrase "search engines". They will be Google, Bing or Yahoo, which can be used to find the proper web sites simply by typing in the key phrases. For illustration, in order to study the facts on the SEO issue, just type "SEO services information" in, and after that plenty of connected sites will appear. There are 2 functions which a search engine does while it goes through the key phrase you place in:

• It evaluates the key word and also makes the decision which internet sites may provide the most suitable as well as appropriate content to that keyword .

• It shows a directory of internet sites with various pages; such sites are arranged so that they appear in a certain order.

Obviously, Web users usually go through the sites that appear in the top of the web pages and they not often move the cursor to page 3 or 4. Subsequently, for companies, their own sites rated on the top page of Google, Yahoo or Bing means a lot to their business. It is because should the sites are on the top page of any search engine, many visitors can are inclined to check out it. In cases like this, we are saying that the web sites have got plenty of traffic. A lot of visitors indicates that the business can improve the sales and also the business are believed to be top quality as well as reliable.

Because of the fast spread of Internet all over the world, lately, there are far more and more people who are involved in web based business. Every one of them really wants to grow their sales, this is exactly why these people explore for reliable SEO services. Effective SEO services will assist them to to ensure that their own internet sites always stay on the top of any search engines. Especially, entrepreneurs are always busy people; they don't have plenty of time to keep up with the rank of their internet websites and so they will really need SEO services. Should you be the type of busy businessmen, then SEO services will be the solution you're looking for. The leading tasks of a SEO service are to boost the traffic to the websites and attract more and more visitors.

A few of the crucial services offered by these SEO services are:

• Setting a sitemap

• Marketing of exactly what the web sites are about

• Creating blogposts on numerous blogs

• Doing article writing and submission together with marketing of the tags

• Developing back-links

• Looking at again web sites plus the URL

• Getting ready report on the websites' rating and SEO progress

Those are some basic things that SEO services give you. There are a lot of various other methods which keep your websites will always stay on the top page of search engines. SEO services work well if you discover out the most reputable as well as reputable SEO service companies.
In case you hit a plateau while searching result efforts, bear in mind contacting a Dallas SEO business for assistance. Make sure you have a look at their personal references, along with the search results for their own web page. In reality, one of the very ideal way to locate a quality Dallas Seo company is to always basically Google "Dallas SEO."

Why Groupon is Not My Favorite

Most people find it hard to resist a deal, which is a huge reason why Groupon continues to gain in popularity. Its daily deals offerings can be extremely irresistible to consumers, with discounts ranging from 50 to 90 percent.
But for small business owners, is using Groupon really the best way to increase their marketing efforts? Though daily deal sites may be effective in getting new customers for your business, can the costs you incur in using Groupon offset the potential revenue you can incur from new customers?

Well, it really depends on a lot of factors. But let me tell you a couple of reasons why Groupon is not my favorite, and why I believe it's far better and more helpful to put up your own marketing programs and specials rather than use these daily deal sites.

1. No contact information for people who use Groupon

For business owners, growing their customer database may be one of the most important goals they want to achieve. The problem with using Groupon is the fact that you don't own the contact information of the people who obtain your deals there. So, even if you do get new customers from the deal you're offering, you don't really get to add to your email distribution list or your customer database.

1. The customers you get are not the customers you want

So you may think that the loss you incur for offering a 50% discount can be offset by the new customers who get inside your store. The problem is, are the customers you get from the deals you're offering really the type of customers you want?

Small business owners have noticed that these customers who use Groupon are basically just out for the deal, and they're not really the type of customers who will spend a lot in your establishment. These customers also tend to tip lower or not tip at all, and they're not the type of people who return unless offered another deal.

Also, if your regular customers choose to use Groupon in your store, then you actually end up losing a huge percentage of your revenue, since this customer is a regular one and is willing to spend the whole 100%. But since there was a deal being offered, he took it up, after all, who doesn't enjoy a discount?

1. Huge expenses for marketing efforts

Though you may consider using Groupon as part of your marketing strategy, do you really know how much revenue you lose for each deal? In addition to the 50% discount you're offering, Groupon actually keeps 50% of the sales generated for its clients. So in actuality, you will only get 25% of what you'd normally make in a regular sale. As a small business owner, that sounds extremely painful.

1. Your brand image may end up suffering

Offering 50 to 90 percent discounts can also end up backfiring on you, as people who used to perceive your brand as "high quality" may find their perception of your brand altered with continued discounts. Also, they may end up waiting until the next daily deal being offered before going back to your store.

1. You may not be prepared for a high influx of customers

Because there is no cap on the number of people who can buy a daily deal in Groupon, you may be shocked to suddenly find hundreds of customers in your storefront all carrying Groupon discounts, and as a small business owner, you may not have enough manpower on hand to deal with this huge influx.

Also, can your business handle a 75% cut in revenue for more than a hundred customers in one fell swoop? This is something you have to think about. Since you only get 25% of the sales generated, you may end up losing more money than you bargained for.

So Instead of Groupon…

So if you're not going to utilize Groupon in your marketing efforts, what other options do you have? Well, you actually have a lot of other alternatives.

You see, as a business owner, you not only want new customers, but you want repeat ones. You want them to keep coming back because they love your products, because they have a good experience in your store. And offering daily deals may not be the best way to do this.

It may be a lot more helpful for you to use your own marketing programs without having to go through Groupon or other daily deal sites. Nowadays, social media has become an accepted platform for marketing, and it's a great way to build up your list of loyal customers or fans who offer you a steady stream of repeat sales.

You can also push up your mobile campaign so you can build up your email and mobile lists. With mobile users on the rise, you really have to join the bandwagon and start focusing your marketing efforts on mobile users.

There are so many other ways you can market your small business where you don't have to end up losing so much more - the hidden costs are great. Groupon is not my favorite because I know, if you utilize your own marketing programs, use social media and mobile marketing for your business' marketing efforts, then you can retain a better control of your cashflow. And, for small business owners - cashflow is king.

Website design templates for designing

A website reflects the uniqueness of a particular business organization and serves as your representative in the Google search. So, if you are planning to design a website for your organization make sure you choose the accurate web design for your company's website. The best and the fastest way to design a website are done with the help of pre-designed web templates. There are many organizations which love to have their own websites. Often the process involved in designing a website is very complex.  An efficient website design template makes work easier for you. You must know what a website template is. A website design template is nothing but an already designed websites in which you can easily amend any changes related to the content, according to your requirement. Using ready made webpage templates for building website is gradually proving to be the best thing in market. It saves your precious time; otherwise you would be wasting a lot of months if you hire a designer for designing website.
Website design templates also offer you a wide array of features so that you get only quality result. It is a much cheaper way to promote your business. It cuts down your major expenses. Even a person who has least knowledge of the technical things can easily customize these templates. So this is a very user friendly method too.  The content includes eye-catching graphics which are placed purposefully to magnetize the attention of viewers whereas good content is written to complement the graphics to make website interactive.  Maintenance of a website template is so easy. Normal changes in the website can be done without any problem and without even changing layout of your website. The best place to find web templates is to search on the Internet. There are many sites to search templates and they frequently provide good supplementary details and technical support. You can regularly see a sample of the template you are taking into consideration.Supertron Infotech makes use of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Image Ready and Adobe Fireworks to create customized Web Designs, E-mail Template, Banner Design, Exclusive Wallpapers, Screensavers, Power Point Template Designs and other small applications for Web Media. Start thinking from today and see a new developed version of your site. It is your time to grow your business. The techniques by which you design your website conclude the kind of traffic you get for your website.

Impact of devaluation of Pak rupee on Pakistan real estate Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/impact-of-devaluation-of-pak-rupee-on-pakistan-real-estate-5019278.html#ixzz1S7bgUY1D Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Devaluation occurs when National currency of Pakistanbecomes cheaper in terms of either gold or other international currencies. Devaluation of currency is a major factor posing threat to Pakistan real estate. Starting from 1955 till today,Pakistan has experienced constant problem of currency devaluation. Its impact is evident on all other major sectors of economy as well. Devaluation is responsible for causing following impact onPakistan real estate.
 Foreign investment decreases:
 Foreign investment is an important indicator of booming real estate sector. We have seen that Pakistanfrequently gets foreign grant or aid but the voluntary investment in all the sectors of Pakistanby the foreigners is almost zero. So is the case with Pakistanreal estate. Though political instability, fear of war and other characteristics of a developing nation are also its reasons but devaluation of currency is a major factor responsible for it. Investors are reluctant to invest even in Lahore real estate, Islamabad real estate, Karachi real estate due to the fear of loosing their money. They are holding off their investments and are not willing to invest right now until stability occurs in its currency. In this way, Pakistan real estate sector is deprived of its share of foreign investment which can turn its fate into the most lucrative sector to invest in.
 Demand of real estate decreases:
 Devaluation is a major cause of inflation in Pakistan. Inflation is so high that it can be stated as hyper inflation. This Inflation is responsible for the increase in prices of Pakistanreal estate. On the other hand, employment level is also at the lowest end which is worsening the buying power of the people. In this situation, demand of the real estate has decreased as people cannot afford to buy Pakistan properties at such high rates in their low incomes. Especially the prices in posh areas of Pakistan's major cities like Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore are so high that a middle class person can only wish to invest in them. This lower demand has led to the distressed conditions of real estate businesses operating inPakistan. Real estate agents and owners of property are not finding any buyer in the market.
 Hence, the effects of devaluation currency can be seen clearly on Pakistan real estate. Government and State bank of Pakistan should regulate their policies to bring stability In Pakistani rupee. They should devise stringent plans and effective monitory policy to curb inflation and devaluation form Pakistan.

How does managed print services help the entertainment industry Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/how-does-managed-print-services-help-the-entertainment-industry-5026209.html#ixzz1S7b71cmD Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

The broad range of industries that can be helped by managed print services (MPS) is immense, from large corporate companies all the way through to entertainment industry companies such as event organisers, clubs, music venues and even circuses and live shows. As this industry relies on large audiences to thrive, the need for publicity such as posters, flyers, comps, tickets and paperwork is massive. For every event that is about to take place, a large number of printed items need to be produced. This makes managed print services an extremely valuable tool for companies wanting to optimise their workflow systems and reduces costs associated with printing and resources.
Some of the ways that MPS can help entertainment industries include the following:

• Music industries – from record album companies all the way through to live music shows and festivals, the music industry deals with a huge volume of printouts. Flyers and posters need to be distributed, and a large number of memos, invitation lists, checklists, floor plans, invoices and other documents are also produced en masse each day. Managed print services can streamline the process by reducing waste, keeping printers up and running and allowing managers to control all print devices more effectively.
• Night clubs – night clubs are another type of client who can benefit from MPS solutions. Most paperwork is done during the day, but a great deal is done at night. When printers and fax machines are not working properly it can be expensive and time-consuming to find after-hours specialists. With MPS solutions, night club owners can enjoy peace of mind from regularly serviced print devices, along with audits that indicate resource abuse from staff who may have access to print devices.
• Circuses – a recent partnership between Xerox and Circus du Soleil indicated the huge need for effective managed print services within circus and other live entertainment acts. As the sole provider of MPS solutions to the circus group, Xerox aims to provide a host of integrated solutions that will save the group money as well as help them learn how to effectively manage their print resources and needs.
• Event organisers – from charity dinners to large international events, event organisers are required to plan every last detail right down to the second. Floor plans, checklists and other documentation required to plan the event are therefore essential. As most event companies consist of different departments with a number of different employees doing a range of different tasks, it is essential to install effective processes that ensure a greater level of management, which is how MPS is able to assist event companies.
• Television and movies – a busy production studio also requires effective management solutions such as MPS to help them deal with the huge volume of paperwork each day. Printers and fax machines need to be kept maintained at all hours of the day, with contracts and other important documents being sent at any given time. Without effective workflow processes, disorder can cause many delays and problems, but with managed print services, all print requirements can easily be managed by an outsourced expert to allow for improved systems throughout the studio.

Ideas For Low-Cost Marketing Giveaways

Small businesses are constantly looking for new ways to promote their business creatively and cost effectively. They try to bring attention to their business and the products or services they offer in the easiest and most economical way. Because formal marketing is out of their financial reach, they often look for inexpensive ways to brand their business and get their contact details in front of their customers. These materials are usually used as giveaways, giving them the opportunity to easily promote to their customers on a daily basis.
Here are some of the lost cost marketing materials or giveaways you can use in your business:

1. Calendars. custom calendars are actually great giveaway. Unfortunately, a lot of business owners don't realize the marketing power of these materials. They assume that a simple and low cost material as this won't give them good promotion. But the opposite is actually true. Calendars designed well can stay with your customers for a whole time or even longer. People will see your business on a daily basis and when they need your contact details, they can easily have your numbers.
2. Pens. These are actually the most common giveaway most small businesses do. They are inexpensive to produce and can actually be used by your customers increasing the chance of people keeping them. Every time people use your pen, they will be reminded of you. Just make sure that your pens are made from high quality materials so they last long. You can consider buying your pens in bulk to get discounts. There are plenty of manufacturers out there today. You simply have to find the best one that will give you the best service at the most affordable price.
3. Magnets. This is the trend today. Although magnets are a bit costly than other materials, they are sure to stick with your customers. You can create magnetic business cards or calendars that your customers can stick in their fridge or metal cabinet. The news is you can easily create magnets on your own if you want to save money. You simply have to attach magnetic strips in your materials, and presto, you get yourself a magnetic marketing material.
4. Key chain. These are also cheap to produce. You simply have to make sure your business name and contact details are printed on the material. You can even create key chains shaped like your logo. When people consistently see the material, they will sure remember you. There are many styles you can use in your materials. Your creativity and imagination is the limit.
5. Note pads. A lot of businesses are creating note pads as their giveaways. You simply have to print your contact details and name on each page to ensure that people see them regularly.
6. Paper bags. These are also great and inexpensive. Create an interesting design in the bags and put your contact details and you get yourself a great packing material. Encourage your customers to reuse the bag so they see your name all the time.

Whatever material you create as giveaway, make sure they are well designed. Create impressive paper bag or calendar templates that will bring you in front of your customers for a long time.

How HR Consulting Can Help Your Bottom Line

Just as recruiters know what an employer is looking for, and make a career out of tailoring resumes to job descriptions so that even sophisticated resume screening software will pick their client, an expert in human relations is knowledgeable in those same areas. They can identify which candidates are likely to truly possess the skills you require for your business. This initial step reduces the pool of candidates without taking any of your precious time.



The interview process, much feared by the employee, is no picnic for the employer either. The same human emotions that affect the potential employee afflict the employer in these awkward interview events. A trained consultant will have the detached professional approach that releases the employer from this uncomfortable task, and probably makes the event less stressful to the candidate who may become an employee. Both sides gain from this approach to the employment process.



Employers are also not all created equal in the ability to interview a potential employee. It requires considerable time and energy to sit down and define what exactly it is one is looking for in a job candidate. A good consultant is an expert at job descriptions and capturing performance expectations. The human resources consultant also has a much greater perspective on how and where to advertise for job candidates.



The internet has rapidly become the marketplace for employment. Individual job candidates create websites or pages to publicize their capabilities and post portfolios and samples of their work in addition to their resumes, which allows employers a greater understanding of the individuals capabilities and potential. There are significant down sides to this, however.



The internet will allow anyone to post almost anything anonymously, so there is no quality control, no check to ensure truthfulness in what is posted. It is also a herculean task to spend the time and energy to find candidates on the web, even after they have responded to a carefully crafted job description, leaving the employer with no solid basis for evaluation and therefore requiring the same interview and evaluation process as before, only with a much greater pool of possible employees.



Using a consulting relieves one from all of this, as a trained professional is social network savvy and can handle the challenges of separating the wheat from the chaff. By targeting your job description listing to search engine optimized sites and serious job bulletin boards, combined with contacts in the employee pool sources like universities and technical college certification programs; they are much better equipped to search in the areas where your skill sets are fomented.



With a little effort on the employers part not to select the employee, but to find a reliable, well qualified HR Consulting firm, the process of identifying and then selecting employees becomes a much simpler task. In addition, the amount of time, energy and money expended in the search for a quality job candidate becomes a definable resource expense that allows for greater stability in the bottom line.

Quality Cleaners, Wipers, And Rags

Cleaning the glasses is one the most common tasks that posts problems to the cleaner. If you need help to accomplish this task, then you should have a sprayway glass cleaner. It is considered as the most versatile glass cleaner. It could clean glass, mirrors, windows, windshields, enamel surfaces, tile, porcelain, chrome, and other hard surfaces. It can dissolve dirt, grit, grease, and grime. It creates heavy duty foams the cling to vertical surfaces but it guarantees to leave no film. Another brand that could help you with task is the sprayway crazy clean. It is a multipurpose cleaner for auto detailers, mirror and glass handlers, industrial maintenance, sign or display tradesmen, and housekeeping personnel. Its clinging foam can clean and deodorize the material being cleaned. It guarantees to remove hand prints, crayon and scuff marks, soot stains, grease spots, and smoke films. It would produce sparkling results when applied on hard surfaces.


Another product that could help you with your cleaning tasks is the sprayway industrial plastic cleaner. It is formulated to be used on several surfaces such as acrylics, glass, pexiglass, chrome, polycarbonates, porcelain, formica, marble, and fiberglass. It would help reduce glare and repels finger smudges, dust, and dirt. It is anti-static, anti-fog, fast-drying, and non-streaking. It has no chemicals that can cause damage to the surface it cleans. You could also opt to purchase the silicone spray. It helps stop squealing, sticking, and binding of machineries. It does its job while drying rapidly and leaving no greasy or oily film. It helps retard corrosion which would make cleaning easier and faster. It is also designed to protect and preserve the equipment it cleans. You could also purchase an arts glass cleaner which is designed to prevent static formation. It is designed for the use of picture framers, artists, printers, screen printers, and sign makers.



For your wiper and rag needs, you could purchase the wypall X80 wipers which have been upgraded with supercharged technology. It would be the best choice for the toughest cleaning tasks. It is made of the highest quality and fastest absorbing material. It is even softer and more adsorbent than other wipers. It absorbs more water and oil, pound for pound, than any other towel or wiper. It is very ideal for heavy wiping, prepping surfaces with solvents, and cleaning rough surfaces and metal shavings. You could also try the different wypall wipers which offer different functionalities and services. You may choose one depending on your needs and desires.

Why Funeral Directors Should Offer DVD Tribute Videos Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/why-funeral-directors-should-offer-dvd-tribute-videos-5026387.html#ixzz1S7aUywuT Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Increasingly, visitors to funeral homes are viewing slideshows of photographs depicting the life of the deceased, usually accompanied by music. If you haven't considered offering video tributes to your clients, you might be missing an opportunity to provide another valuable service.
Tribute videos can be shown during visitation hours and funeral services, viewed on the internet and burned to DVD for the bereaved to view again and again.  As a death care provider you can easily offer client families the ability to create a tribute video for their loved one who has passed away.
Using a scanner, a desktop or laptop computer and a tribute video software program, you can edit photographs, arrange in a slideshow format, add captions, motion, and videos.  Once the images are scanned into the program, the menu driven tribute video software program guides you through the creation process to craft a audio visual display that will be meaningful for everyone who sees it.
When you meet with the client family member who is planning the funeral, ask him to gather photographs and choose 30 to 40 that best represent the life of the person who has just passed away. If any of the photos include other people in a group shot, ask him to make a note telling you which person is the deceased. When you compile the slideshow, you can use a simple editing feature to zoom in on the correct face.
Scan the pictures into your computer utilizing the tribute video software program. Choose the length of time for each photo to display. Depending on the number of photographs you're including, you might want to display each photo from 10 to 25 seconds. Be sure to allow enough time for the photo to be seen and appreciated. Use the fade in – fade out feature to create transitions between photos.
Add one or two songs chosen by your client. Your software program should automatically edit the songs to fit the slideshow's duration. If you are going to show the tribute video during visitation, you can play the slideshow in a continuous loop. If the video tribute will be played during a funeral service, it can be played just once.
As an added benefit, you can burn DVD tribute videos for the family to keep. Plus, the family can upload the tribute video to your funeral home's website, YouTube or the tribute video company server which is maintained expressly for funeral video tributes. You, in conjunction with the family, will be able to choose the length of time the video will remain online, allowing them to share this special memorial with whomever they choose, for as long as they like.

Naming Strategies for Consulting Companies

This is one of our favorite naming strategies. It involves the use of timeless "perennial" words to create new, positive sounding, brand names. OnStar is a great example of how GM used two positive words, "On," and "Star," to create a blended name that speaks to intelligent navigation. A wealth management company Parkworth, used the positive imagery of a park like setting, combined with the richness of the word "worth." Together they communicate a sense of natural financial growth. Also a mortgage advisor went with the name BrightPath. Again, it underscores a sense of guidance and direction, attributes important in the consulting field.

3. Choose a metaphor to develop a new company name

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then a metaphor brand name can convey a host of attributes with one mental snapshot. If, as a consultant, you are known for being at the leading edge, the point of the spear in your industry, you may use a metaphor such as a trident, javelin or arrow. You may need to add a word to these names to further customize them and obtain the matching domain name, such as ArrowPoint, or Trident First, etc.  A one logistics company that wanted to be known for their speed and agility, was named Bluefin, after one of the world's fastest fish. An investment banking firm went with the name FourBridges, since they "bridged the middle market" and connected companies with capital. It also helped that they had four partners and resided in Chattanooga, TN, a city with four rivers.

By utilizing key attribute, positive connotation and metaphor naming strategies for your consulting company, you can give yourself a head start when introducing yourself to potential clients. Instead of stumbling with an awkward acronym name, or spelling out a difficult last name, you can segue from your core strengths right into your product and service offerings. Tungsten, the wire in Edison's light bulb, often sparks a conversation about clarity, insight and brilliance. So plug in some of these company naming strategies and see what ideas they generate. And if need some extra "juice," just flip our switch and we'll provide some company brand names designed to make you and your company shine.

Janitorial Supplies Business Some Tips and Pointers

janitorial supplies businesses has turned this industry into a very competitive one. And even as many businesses are looking for suppliers of their cleaning products, as a savvy entrepreneur, you cannot just simply wait for customers to call. You will work as a wholesaler or middleperson in a business that sells janitorial supplies and dealing with several manufacturers of janitorial supplies will allow you to negotiate for a good price. This is important because any increase in price from the manufacturers will be passed on to your customers and any price increase you impose may turn off customers and thus decrease your own profits. The traditional profit margin for the janitorial supplies business is usually small about 10 to 40 percent so to realize more earnings you would have to rely on big volume purchases from your clients. While this may sound like a hard thing to do, you have to remember that most janitorial service providers actually prefer to buy in bulk because they can save a lot of money this way than if they made their purchase a little at a time.



One of the most effective and necessary tools to have at your disposal in your janitorial supplies business is the Internet. Having an online presence will ensure that customers can find you from anywhere in the country. Delivering your janitorial supplies to your customers is not a problem nowadays since many shipping companies will gladly open their business to you. Many janitorial service providers are also looking for suppliers online. They know that they can get their supply of heavy duty soaps, detergents, and cleaners are available online at anytime. It is in fact very convenient for them to buy online than going to a brick and mortar store. Having your own website for your janitorial supplies business will ensure a steady flow of customers. Your objective in maintaining an online presence is to give your customers the best options when it comes to ordering their janitorial supplies. To do this, you must offer a wide selection of top quality supplies that janitorial service providers use. You must be able to meet both small orders and large ones while giving them both the best prices and deals on your products such as antimicrobial soaps, glass cleaners, soap and paper dispensers and other items that keep your customers business going.

What it Takes to Start Your Own Cleaning Service Business Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/what-it-takes-to-start-your-own-cleaning-service-business-5026525.html#ixzz1S7ZtYY00 Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

One of the things we assume when we start something is our interest in it. We would want to see that what we started would end up successful and that our ideas come to bear results through others who put them into practice. Our interest should carry our endeavor to completion so that others will also benefit from the fruits of our labor. The cleaning business is not a glamorous one; it involves going after the dirt and rubbish left by others. Who doesnt remember refusing to take out the garbage at night? And who could deny making excuses to their mothers so they can escape and avoid cleaning their own rooms? But this is because we didnt know any better. There is something to gain after all from cleaning dirt. A cleaning business may not really be glamorous but it certainly fill your pockets with beautiful cash.



But is this business really for you? Do you have what it takes to clean toilets and bathrooms for a living? You have to have the determination to succeed and willingness to make your customers happy by providing the best cleaning jobs they have ever seen.



Honesty is one personal quality you and your cleaning staff should possess. Your customers will have to trust you and they can only do that if you are honest. They will have to leave their homes open to you and if they are not comfortable with that idea, you will never get their business. But honesty is not something you just tell your customers you have. It is built through years of determined efforts to keep honest. Your customers will be your witness and their testimonies your proof.



Once you have made a firm decision to start a cleaning business, you will have to decide on the type of services you will offer. There are many cleaning services to offer and you dont have to include them all but it helps to make sure that you are ready to deliver whatever cleaning service your customers will be looking for. The usual services include mopping, dusting, emptying trash and cleaning bathrooms. (Sounds familiar, right? These were the same tasks you refused to do at home.)



Some cleaning services also offer window washing, carpet cleaning and waxing and polishing floors. You will also have to decide if you want to clean residential houses only or business facilities only. You could do both actually but you have to be sure you can deliver what you promise to your customers. Residential homes require less cleaning than commercial ones. Your supplies and equipment should be able to deal with the cleaning requirements of your clients. Commercial cleaning jobs need industrial strength supplies and equipment while household cleaning jobs could do with good quality household equipment such as a vacuum cleaner. You will realize that starting a commercial cleaning business needs more startup costs than a residential cleaning service only. Determining the rates you will charge your customers is a tricky part of the business. The rates you will charge will have to be competitive with the other cleaning services in your community.

Increasingly, visitors to funeral homes are viewing slideshows of photographs depicting the life of the deceased, usually accompanied by music. If you haven't considered offering video tributes to your clients, you might be missing an opportunity to provide another valuable service. Tribute videos can be shown during visitation hours and funeral services, viewed on the internet and burned to DVD for the bereaved to view again and again. As a death care provider you can easily offer client families the ability to create a tribute video for their loved one who has passed away. Using a scanner, a desktop or laptop computer and a tribute video software program, you can edit photographs, arrange in a slideshow format, add captions, motion, and videos. Once the images are scanned into the program, the menu driven tribute video software program guides you through the creation process to craft a audio visual display that will be meaningful for everyone who sees it. When you meet with the client family member who is planning the funeral, ask him to gather photographs and choose 30 to 40 that best represent the life of the person who has just passed away. If any of the photos include other people in a group shot, ask him to make a note telling you which person is the deceased. When you compile the slideshow, you can use a simple editing feature to zoom in on the correct face. Scan the pictures into your computer utilizing the tribute video software program. Choose the length of time for each photo to display. Depending on the number of photographs you're including, you might want to display each photo from 10 to 25 seconds. Be sure to allow enough time for the photo to be seen and appreciated. Use the fade in – fade out feature to create transitions between photos. Add one or two songs chosen by your client. Your software program should automatically edit the songs to fit the slideshow's duration. If you are going to show the tribute video during visitation, you can play the slideshow in a continuous loop. If the video tribute will be played during a funeral service, it can be played just once. As an added benefit, you can burn DVD tribute videos for the family to keep. Plus, the family can upload the tribute video to your funeral home's website, YouTube or the tribute video company server which is maintained expressly for funeral video tributes. You, in conjunction with the family, will be able to choose the length of time the video will remain online, allowing them to share this special memorial with whomever they choose, for as long as they like. Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/why-funeral-directors-should-offer-dvd-tribute-videos-5026387.html#ixzz1S7WFICPE Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

If you are looking for reliable and quality janitorial supplies, then maybe you need to purchase the following brands of cleaners, wipers, and rags. For cleaners, you may have to purchase any of these products: glass cleaner, crazy clean, industrial plastic cleaner, silicone spray, graphic arts glass cleaner, ultimate glass cleaning kit, stainless steel polish and cleaner. For wipers and rags, you could opt to have these products: heavy duty X80, industrial plus X70, industrial plus X60, wypall X5, industrial L40, economizer L30, light duty L20, and light duty L10.



Cleaning the glasses is one the most common tasks that posts problems to the cleaner. If you need help to accomplish this task, then you should have a sprayway glass cleaner. It is considered as the most versatile glass cleaner. It could clean glass, mirrors, windows, windshields, enamel surfaces, tile, porcelain, chrome, and other hard surfaces. It can dissolve dirt, grit, grease, and grime. It creates heavy duty foams the cling to vertical surfaces but it guarantees to leave no film. Another brand that could help you with task is the sprayway crazy clean. It is a multipurpose cleaner for auto detailers, mirror and glass handlers, industrial maintenance, sign or display tradesmen, and housekeeping personnel. Its clinging foam can clean and deodorize the material being cleaned. It guarantees to remove hand prints, crayon and scuff marks, soot stains, grease spots, and smoke films. It would produce sparkling results when applied on hard surfaces. 


Another product that could help you with your cleaning tasks is the sprayway industrial plastic cleaner. It is formulated to be used on several surfaces such as acrylics, glass, pexiglass, chrome, polycarbonates, porcelain, formica, marble, and fiberglass. It would help reduce glare and repels finger smudges, dust, and dirt. It is anti-static, anti-fog, fast-drying, and non-streaking. It has no chemicals that can cause damage to the surface it cleans. You could also opt to purchase the silicone spray. It helps stop squealing, sticking, and binding of machineries. It does its job while drying rapidly and leaving no greasy or oily film. It helps retard corrosion which would make cleaning easier and faster. It is also designed to protect and preserve the equipment it cleans. You could also purchase an arts glass cleaner which is designed to prevent static formation. It is designed for the use of picture framers, artists, printers, screen printers, and sign makers.



For your wiper and rag needs, you could purchase the wypall X80 wipers which have been upgraded with supercharged technology. It would be the best choice for the toughest cleaning tasks. It is made of the highest quality and fastest absorbing material. It is even softer and more adsorbent than other wipers. It absorbs more water and oil, pound for pound, than any other towel or wiper. It is very ideal for heavy wiping, prepping surfaces with solvents, and cleaning rough surfaces and metal shavings. You could also try the different wypall wipers which offer different functionalities and services. You may choose one depending on your needs and desires