Archive for July, 2008

Candy Wrappers- a Home Business Success

success management



Tired of commuting daily to office and back? The lack of time you have to spend with your children? Thinking of starting your own home venture? Here is a great home business suggestion – Candy Wrapping!

Candy wrapping involves covering candy bars with designed over wraps created by you. You would be creating these over wraps to celebrate specific occasions and events such as weddings, birthdays, sports events or even graduation ceremonies. These over wraps would be personalized accordingly to the occasion.

For example let us assume that a couple is celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. They would contact you to obtain personalized candy bars for their guests, in order to make this occasion more memorable. You would design a special over wrap for this occasion with a personalized message which might read out as “50 Years of Togetherness” and include the name of the couple and their anniversary date.

To start your own home based candy wrapping venture, no special talent or skills are required. If you have a good artistic sense, basic understanding of ordinary software programs such as Microsoft Word and organization skills, you can fit right into this business. Brushing up on your customer servicing skills and marketing skills would ensure that you obtain a good clientele.

When considering the equipment required, a computer and a color printer are the essentials. In addition to this a scanner and a digital camera would be useful when incorporating pictures sent by your clients or your own pictures to your designs. To design the layouts of your templates you can either use a basic program such as Microsoft Word or other advance programs such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, etc.

In this profession the quality of the paper which you use to print the over wraps play a very important role. There are many types of paper available and you should consider the weight of the paper when purchasing, as the more heavier it gets the more difficult it is to wrap. A paper cutter would be a very useful tool when cutting the designed wrappers to the appropriate size. A glue stick or double sided tape is the last piece of utensil required to place your wrapper in place. Always remember that in this profession you never remove the candy bars original label as this is an important requirement for food products. You only place your wrapper over it.

You can decide whether you would limit your service up to the designing stage of the over wrap or go all the way up to the wrapping of the candy bar. If your services also include the wrapping stage, you should purchase the candy bars for your clients. Buying them in bulk would reduce your costs but you should purchase it only when you receive an order, since it is not an item which you can keep in storage. When shipping the order, always ensure that the candy bars are wrapped with bubble wrap for protection and it is stored at the correct temperature in order to avoid melting or damage.

Creation of a business plan is very important no matter how small your venture maybe. It would enable you to keep your business on track and also manage your company growth. Marketing your services is another vital step. The best marketing tool would be your own product. In addition to this you can utilize business cards, flyers or ads.

The Candy Wrapper Home Business is a fun and quite rewarding business. In addition to making money doing something you enjoy, you can have the satisfaction of creating precious keepsakes for your clients.



Are You Looking For A Realistic $250K First Year Income Potential?

Posted by admin on July 31st, 2008 No Comments

Rejuvenation of Mangroves for Disaster Management

success management



Rejuvenation of mangroves on Balasore Coast as a step towards Disaster Management.

Dr. Ashok K. Panigrahi1, Mrs. Mishra2, Sri H.S. Behera3 ,Sri Bhanu Giri4 & Sri P.K.Giri5

Concept Paper: Immediately after the Orissa Super Cyclone of 1999,internationally reputed environmentalist Dr Vandana Shiva and the late Banka Bihari Das invited national and international environmentalists and thinkers in to a meeting held at Bhubaneswar on 26 January 2000 to assess the situation and develop a comprehensive and effective model which can prevent future large scale destructions of lives and properties of the coastal communities from sea borne disasters arising from the turbulent Bay of Bengal identified as the second most dangerous sea of the world after the Gulf of Mexico. The author1 being an invitee to that meeting presented a concept for the coastal district Balasore, which was subsequently published by the RFSTE, New Delhi, in a book, “Perspectives of Environment, an Analytical Study.”



Years after that Dr.Vandana Shiva arranged funds for the authors to implement the concept on the Balasore Coast. The authors, however, finding the conceptual site at the Balaramgadi Estuary lost to the Tsunami of 2004 decided to implement the same at the Sartha Estuary, also on Balasore Coast. Today there exist a substantial concentration of true mangrove diversity comprising of a total of about 2 lakh plants of 22 species in an area about 50 hectares of coastal mud flats at the Sartha Estuary on Balasore Coast. The site also creates the perspectives of a future research, education and ecotourism site. Besides, the plants do have known commercial and medicinal usages and that way it will benefit the local community in more ways.

HYPOTHESIS

A coastal evergreen diversity based mangrove forest consisting of trees on an area of 50 hectares of estuarine mud flats any where may be perused as a substantial concentration which in time and space and human care is sure to gain in size so as to effectively protect the local communities from sea borne disasters like tropical cyclone locally and counter the impacts global warming universally. Mangroves being ever green and large leaved, soak up large amount of carbon dioxide, the principal green house gas.

A tropical cyclone is characterized by creation of a low pressure on the sea surface that produces strong winds and flooding rain. It feeds on heat released by the condensing moist air. The latent heat gets converted into kinetic energy which, in term, results in the production of strong winds from the warm centre. These storms occurring in the northern hemisphere have counter clock wise rotations and the southern hemisphere, clock wise rotations, since they are form over the warm seas, they lose their strength once they move on to the land. Although they are devastating in their basic nature they, however, help in the glob al circulation of air mechanism. They carry heat and energy from the tropics to the poles. Some of these acquire a greater dimension resulting in massive devastations depending on the area of their formation on the warm sea surface. This is so when storms are aided by natural factors as tide levels and human factors as mangrove destructions. Mangroves are known to blunt and slow down the ferocity of the sea storm surges and reduce the wave actions that accompany these storms.

DISCUSSION

Before 2006 the said mud flat at the Sartha Estuary was just a pasture. The adjacent land was highly degraded and was being increasingly ravaged by the sea. The destruction was so big that a few cement –mortar- concrete buildings, housing an ice factory, a few shops and a doctor’s chamber were wholly or partially damaged causing their owners to abandon them and thereby incur huge financial losses. Even a fishing jetty under construction was also damaged and abandoned. The authors having visited the site interacted with the local community and decided to implement the project with their help essentially to evaluate whether plantation of mangroves really arrest the coastal degradations. There existed a few mangroves, here and there at the site, highly damaged, being browsed by thousands of domestic animals and plundered by the wood cutters. A total of about 20 trees belonging to the species Avicennia offcinalis 10 trees of Avicennia alba, one tree of Sonneratia alba one tree of Sonneratia apetala made up the total mangroves which existed in the Sartha Estuary at the time of implementation of the project.

MATERIAL-METHOD

After careful analysis it was decided to plant diversity based mangrove varieties having stilt root, buttress root, and pneumatophores belonging to the genera Avicennia, Sonneratia, Aegiceras, Rhizophora, Kandelia, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Xylocarpus, Phoenix, Excoecaria, Thespesia, Pongamia and Acanthus besides the already existing plant varieties and the weedy inconspicuous Porteresia.

Accordingly seeds/ propagules/ hypocotyles/rhizomes were collected from different sites far and near and the same were directly planted on the mud flat during and after the rains of 2006 & 2007..We were, however, advised to go for nursery for all the varieties and then transplant the same as per the following schedule.

1. May – June Ceriops, Kandelia, Thespesia and Aegiceras etc.

2. June – July Rhizophora, Bruguiera, Kandelia, Ceriops, Xylocarpus, Aegialitis and Excoecaria.

3. July – August Excoecaria, Sonneratia and Phoenix

4. September- October Avicennia, Thespesia, Pongamia and Sonneratia

OBSERVATION AND RESULT

Owing to paucity of time in the first year of the project we decided to plant the collected hypocotyls and seeds directly against the advice given to us. Fortunately, however, there was no casualty except for a beetle-pest attack which was managed by one spray of a pesticide The process was repeated the next year, when a new genus, Aegialities was included. The entire plantation area of about 50 hectares was put under fence, by specially woven nylon net of 5 feet width supported by hand made nylon rope and coal tar painted 7 feet high bamboo poles. Enough awareness in the locality was also created in favour of rejuvenation of the mangroves at the estuary. Nursery was undertaken only for Thespesia and Pongamia. We did not undertake nursery activities for Avicennia as advised rather preferred direct plantation of the seeds. Species wise plantation of seed/ propagules/hypocotyls at the site were as follows-



Sl No. Species Name Hypocotyle

Gen. Characters Native Name No of seeds/ propagules/

Hypocotyles/Rhizome

1. Kandelia candel 40 cm long hypocotyles Sinduka 39,100

2. Rhizophora stylosa Hypocotyls smooth not exceeding 30 cm Rai 20

3. Rhizophora apiculata Hypocotyls slender

50 cm long Rai 4,400

4. Rhizophora mucronata Hypocotyles slender

75 cm long Rai 750

5. Bruguiera gymnorhiza 18-25 cm long ridged Bandari 7,750

6. Bruguiera sexangula Hypocotyles stocky

10 cm long Bandari 1,150

7. Bruguiera cylindrica 16 cm long hypocotyles Kaliachua 12,850

8 Ceriops decandra Sharply ridged 12 cm long hypocotyles Garani 13,500

9. Aegiceras corniculatum 5-8 cm long hypocotyles Kharsi 10,300

10. Xylocarpus granatum 4 lobed fruits with dia. 25 cm Sisumar 4,050

11. Sonneratia alba Calyx six lobed, ribbed, petals white,tinged red, leaves are ovate. Orua 550

12. Sonneratia apetala Calyx 4 lobed, stigma mushroom shaped Kerua 150

13. Aegialitis rotundifolia Hypocotyles 7 cm long, saline tolerance high Banarua 42,000

14. Avicennia alba Seeds conical at top Kalabani 3,000

15. Avicennia officinalis Seeds almond shaped Dhalabani 11,000

16. Avicennia marina Seeds squarish to rounded Singhalabani 2,000

17. Excoecaria agallocha Exudes white latex on injury fruit 3 lobed schizocarp Guan 50

18. Thespesia populnea Leaves deeply chordate flower of 2 colors, fruits multi seeded Habali 8,000

19. Pongamia pinnata Leaves evergreen, ovate, fruits flattened Karanj 6,000

20. Phoenix paludosa Leaves like date palm but not thorny, fruits small, stem annular Hental 20* (did not survive)

21. Cynometra iripa Fruits bear a lateral beak Singada 30*(did not germinate)

22. Acanthus ilicifolius Gregarious shrub up to

2 m. tall, bluish white flower, leaves spiny margined Harkanch 4,000 (one thousand survived)

23 Porteresia coractata Grass like, leaves acicular, margin spinulose serrate Dhanidhan Millions have regenerated in the entire area.

Total no of seeds/propagule/hypocotyles/rhizomes survived to germinate and grow in the plantation area totals to 1, 67,620. In addition to this many seeds/hypocotyles of Avicennia and Rhizophora species which washed in to the plantation area rooted and survived. Similarly quite a few numbers of seedlings (not exceeding 5000) were washed out of the plantation area by four massive and successive floods accompanied by washed out floating weeds and other solid materials. Some hypocotyles especially those of Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Bruguiera sexangula collected as washed in materials on the coast far and near after the easterly winds were also planted, but a few of these (about a hundred or so) failed to germinate.

Different Eco-climatic parameters as observed

i. Month wise Salinity (in ppt.) Parameters of water in the plantation area.

Zero to 5 during the rainy months of July-August and September (3 months),

6 to 20 during the post monsoon and winter months of October to January (4 months)

21 to 36 (maximum) during the late winter and summer months of February to June(5 months)

Tidal incursion (in inches) parameter as recorded in the center of the plantation site,

according to the lunar calendar (starting with day 8th following the full moon night).

Zero inch -> 1 foot->1’5”->2’->2’5”->2’8”->3’->3’5”(moon less night)->3’8”->4’->4’5”->4’5”->

4’->3’->2’8”->2’->1’->10 inches->1 foot->1’5”->1’8”->2’->2’8”(full moon night)->3’->3’5”->

3’5”->3’->2’5”-1 foot->10 inches->5 inches (8th. Day following the next full moon night).

There occur two types of tides, High or Spring tide on the day following the full moon or moonless

nights and Neap tide around the second half of the lunar cycles. Watches can be adjusted to the timing of

the high tide, that is at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. Following the high tide, the tidal incursions gradually get

delayed by one hour every following day until the neap tide and then accelerate at the same rate.

Experience gained from plantation

All mangroves seeds/ propagules/hypocotyles/rhizomes planted in area with mud thickness

exceeding 3 feet grew rapidly. Kandelia candel hypocotyles planted in such area grew to a

height of over four feet, developed stilt roots and started flowering exactly after one year of

plantation. Rhizophora sp. developed stilt root after one and half year of plantation of the

hypocotyles. Hypocotyles planted in areas where mud thickness was less than one foot had

stunted growth. Rhizomes of Phoenix did not survive and seeds of Cynometra did not germinate

may be because of high salinity(36 ppt) at the time of plantation. Plantations were mostly undertaken

during ebb tide which varied in time and duration in accordance with the lunar cycles and season.

Species wise plant growth (in m) as recorded in the plantation site in March, 2008

Maximum growth was achieved by Excoecaria agallocha (78”), followed by Kandelia candel and Sonneratia alba (both 55”), Avicennia officinalis, A. alba and Acanthus ilicifolius (all 40”), S. apetala,

Rhizophora mucronata and R. apiculata (all 32-33 inches), Xylocarpus granatum and Aegiceras corniculatum (both 22”), Derris indica and Thespesia populnea (18&17 inches respectively).Others such as Bruguiera sps.are all around 14/15 inches. The plants who have achieved the least growth include Ceriops decandra and Aegialitis rotundifolia, both having attained heights less than 6 inches even after one year of plantation. Of course, the thickness of mud at the site has been identified as a major factor influencing plant growth. From among the different species, Kandelia candel (at thick mud area) flowered exactly one year after, although no fruiting occurred through that flowering.

Note: Plantation at the site was initiated after the rains(September)in 2006 with mostly Kandelia candel and a few hundred Rhizophora apiculata. All others were planted in the next rains of 2007.

Economic importance of plants existing and planted in the estuary-

1. Tannin for coloring of fishing nets to enhance their lives- Bruguiera, Ceriops,

Sonneratia (apetala and alba) .

2. Tannin for leather industries- Rhizophora, Bruguiera and Ceriops.

3. Rope making and thatched house building- Phoenix.

4. House building and furniture making- Bruguiera, Avicennia, Xylocarpus

granatum.

5. Fencing- Phoenix, Excoecaria and Ceriops (wood and stems).

6. Fodder- Leaves of Avicennia and Porteresia coarctata.

7. Agricultureral equipments- Bruguiera, Avicennia and Ceriops wood.

8. Spread of population of Fish, Shrimp and Crab- Almost all mangrove specifically

plants like Rhizophora, Bruguiera,Avicennia are specific because of their

intricate root systems.

9. Honey and beeswax collection- Almost all mangroves but specifically Aegiceras

corniculatum; Bhittarakanika forest division produce about 50 quintals of pure

natural honey and an equal amount of beeswax annually.

10. Food- Rice collected from Porteresia is the staple food of most of the local tribal

and some non-tribal communities.

11. Sea born disasters – Generally the wood of mangrove plants are quite very

tough to break. In addition, the complex intricate and adaptive mangroves root system

prevent them from getting uprooted in the face of sea born disasters like cyclone and

hurricanes. Role of mangroves in saving coastal lives and property has been well

established during the last Orissa Super Cyclone at Bhitar Kanika and during Tsunami,

at Nagapattinam and Car Nicober.

PHYTO-THERAPEUTIC USAGES OF MANGROVES FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Through extensive studies on the therapeutic usages of mangroves it has identified that a total of 28

mangal species belonging to 19 families and 27 genera can be used effectively in the treatment 22

different human ailments and the same is being followed by the local inhabitants in and around the

Bhitarkanika National Park. Those of the mangroves of Sartha Estuary is given below.

Sl.

No. Species Name Local Name Plant Nature Mode of Administration

1. Kandelia candel Sinduka Tree 2 gm. bark paste+1 ml. zinger juice taken orally after dinner reduce blood pressure in 15 days .

2. Rhizophora mucronata Rai Tree 1.Freshly collected pneumatophore paste check bleeding immediately.

2. Bark boiled in water is used in jergling in case sore throat.

3. Bruguiera cylindrica Kaliachua Tree 1. Leaf decoction is administered 2 times daily after meals relieves constipation.

2. Bark paste is used to treat burns.

4. Ceriops decandra Garani Tree Bark decoction is externally applied to stop bleeding.



5. Xylocarpus granatum Sisumar Tree The seed oil extract is a very good mosquito repellant and is effective in a treating insect bites.

6. Aegialitis rotundifolia Banarua Tree 1. Its flower are an important source of honey.

2. The latex is used in case of toothache

3. The fruit paste taken orally before dinner increase appetite.

7. Avicennia alba Kalabani Tree The bark paste is applied externally to arrest bleeding and in treating fresh wounds.

8. Avicennia officinalis Dhalabani Tree 1. On ripe seed paste is used to suppress boils.

2. leaf paste is applied externally in the treatment of fresh joint pain.

3. 5 to 6 raw leaves chewed orally followed by intake of a cup of lukewarm water relieves indigestion and constipation.

9. Excoecaria agallocha Guan Tree 1. Root paste is applied externally on inflammations

2. Leaf pest is used in the treatment of

Injuries caused by marine animals.

3. The latex is applied externally in the treatment of scabies, eczema and ringworm

10. Thespesia populnea Habali Tree 1.Oil extract is applied externally in case of joint pain.

2. Bark decoction is rubbed 2-3 times daily on injuries caused by the leeches.

11. Cynometra iripa Singada Tree 1. Seeds are boiled and eaten to relieve stress conditions.

2. 2/3 freshly collected matured seed taken orally with little sugar 2 times a day foe three days cures amoebic dysentery.

12. Acanthus ilicifolius Harkanch Herb 1. warm leaf decoction is applied thrice daily for 15 days in case of acute joint pains

2. Root paste mixed with equally amounts of koloth dal and old jaggery is applied as a paste in case of b one fracture.

13. Porteresia coractata Dhanidhan Tree It is viewed as an ideal material for modern bio-tech research in paddy in developing resistant and medicinal varieties which can rejuvenate.

14. Ipomoea pescarpae Kansarilata Creeper Leaf pest is used in the treatment of inflammation caused by the jelly fish.

CONCLUSION:

Diversity based mangroves forests can be created at every estuary irrespective of the salinity of

water in the Bay of Bengal. However, the most important factor for the growth of the mangal

varieties of plants is the thickness of estuarine mud, minimum 2 feet and above is essential.

Selected references:

1. Five Steps to Successful Ecological Restoration of Mangroves, Mangrove Action project/

Yayasan Akar Rumput laut, April 2006- Yogyakarta, Indonesia

2. Mangroves of Orissa , 1992 PROJECT SWARAJYA, Cuttack.

3. Pictorial Guide to Mangrove Flora of Bhitarkanika, 2004, Mangrove Forest Division, Govt. of Orissa.

4. Restoration of Mangrove habitat, Lewis, R.R, ERDC TN-WRP-VN-RS-3.2, October 2000

5. Disused Shrimp Ponds and Mangrove Rehabilitation, Stevenson, N.J, R.R Lewis, and P.R. Burbridge, Wetlands International-Africa, Europe and Middle East, PO Box 7002, Droevendaalsesteeg, 3a, 6700

CA, Wageningen

6. , Nederland.

7. Principle of Successful Restoration of Shrimp Aquaculture Ponds Back to Mangrove Forests, Lewis, R.R and Marshall, M.J (1997), programa/resumes, Convenciones de la Habana, Cuba.126.

8. Ecological Engeering for Successful management and restoration of Mangrove Forests, Lewis R.R., Ecological Engineering 24 (2005) 403-418

*Authors, 1 to 5 Addresses : PPBSA, Ranipatna, BALASORE, Orissa, India,

Author 1- Telephone ( 916782 ) 264867, Mobile:919437295838;e-Mail ID: drakpanigrahi@yahoo.com, and he wishes to share his experience with others who are interested in raising mangroves any where.





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Posted by admin on July 28th, 2008 No Comments

Managing Bad Debts Thru Consolidation Debt Loans

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How will I ever save money for my retirement when I am paying so much for my credit card debt? How will I ever get back on my feet with so much debt to pay? How will I ever save money when all I earn is just enough for my mortgage, debt and food? With all this student and college loans hanging over my head, when will I ever save? With all this debt and loans hanging over my head, when will I ever get my life back and get back on my feet again? It Is Very stressful! Does It? But do not worry you are not alone! Heard of consolidation debt loans? .

We are not created equal with the ability to successfully manage our finances. But your debts and finances can get the professional help of a financial manager or counsellors.

What these managers and /or counsellors do is to lessen all your debt related financial burdens and concerns. Managing your debt is a process where you can consolidate, reduce, and eventually eliminate or eradicate all your outstanding debts.

This can be done and accomplished thru the help of a credit counsellor from a debt management department of a financial institution or a debt management agency. These professionals will guide you on all your debt management necessities.

Let us face it, you will not be reading this if you are managing your debt properly and efficiently.

These financial institutions that hand out these loans and credit cards do not really want you to get out of debt. And that is until you are a greyed old man! If you are drowning with unpaid bills and life is on a downhill. Get Help.

First: You have to honestly acknowledge that you have a debt problem and that you truly (in your heart and in your mind) believe that you are going to resolve and deal with your debt problem. And if you are serious about taking back your life, then it is high time to start the process.

Second: Make a calculation on how much is your total take home income (net income). Just make sure all monies that you received should be part of your calculation.

Third: Prepare an inventory of how much is the total owed. You need to make a list of every debt you have including the smallest because all your debts played a big role in determining how you will succeed in managing your debt. This list should include; the name of the financial institution, the amount, and interest they charge. Again, make sure to include all your debts.

Fourth: Make an inventory or list of all your expenses. This will take a lot of effort on your part but believe me it will be worth it. This part, you have to be accurate and precise so it will not be a thorn later. Make a list of all the stuff at home.

Including small items such as, soap, tooth paste, bathroom tissues, tooth brush, toilet papers, cleaning detergents, washing detergents, rugs, etc. Do not miss out on any expenses that you do incur every month.

Are you considering consolidation debt loans? Consolidation debt loan would be a good start.

Fifth: Now you are ready to get professional help. Take all the inventories and list of your debts, income and expenses and bring it to a debt management company or agency. You can also, check online for companies and agencies who offer these type of services.

And do not take the first one you come across. Try a lot of these agencies and compare their rates and fees so you will not get into another trap. Make sure to research the best that fits your ability to manage a consolidation debt loans.

Sixth: Once you have submitted your Debts, Income and Expenses to a debt management professional, you will be presented with a plan of action or a road map on how you are going to pay off your debts. Here, you should know exactly how much you are going to pay every single month. You will also know exactly how long you are going to pay off your debts.

For this plan to ultimately succeed, you have to consistently follow the Plan. To regain control of your life and finances, you have to continue to apply the principles you have learned. With your consistency, you will succeed and overcome your debt problems.



Serious Entrepreneurs ONLY Beyond This Point!

Posted by admin on July 27th, 2008 No Comments

Time Management: the Key to a Successful, Stress-free Life

success management



It’s one of those mornings when you hit snooze too many times and as a result wake up late. Since you’re running late, on a whim you decide to skip breakfast, grab a quick shower, hastily dress, and run out your door hungry, irritable, and somewhat ready for another day of work. On your drive to work, you realize that you left your cell phone at home along with your daily vitamin. In this frustration, you decide to reflect on last night when you sat in rush-hour traffic on your way home, finished your weekly proposals, cooked dinner, went to the gym, bought groceries, and took your daughter to her daily gymnastics class. All of these after-work activities stressed you out and produced an unwanted headache that kept you up for most of the night. You sigh and think, “If I only had more time.”

Does this sound familiar? If it does, don’t worry because you’re not alone. In the last 25 years, our leisure time has been reduced by 37 percent, while our work week has increased by a full day. Most of us lead busy lives that cause unwanted stress, which can produce long-term health consequences such as heart disease, stroke, and gastrointestinal problems.

Do you want to reduce stress and have more time for relaxation, family, and leisure activities? If so, time management is your answer. Time management is a set of skills, tools, and systems that work together to help you get more value out of your time while improving your quality of life. The following steps will help you manage your responsibilities and relieve you of unhealthy tension so that you can enjoy your day-to-day routine and lead a healthier life.

Organize Your Space

Before you do anything else, you’re going to have to organize your space. As a whole, Americans waste more than 9 million hours each day looking for misplaced and lost items. If you organize your home and office, think of how much time you’ll save looking for things. You’ll have fewer interruptions, experience less frustration, and will be able to locate important articles, documents, and files in a timely manner so that you can continue finishing what needs to be completed.

Plan and Schedule

It’s important to remember that calendars, appointment books, and to-do lists will serve as reminders and help you identify deadlines. Spending 15 minutes every morning to update these tools can save you up to 6 hours a week and you’ll be able to successfully make use of your schedule. Additionally, by having a thoughtfully planned out schedule you’ll be able to:

• Understand what is achievable with your time

• Make the best use of the available time

• Leave enough time for tasks that you must do

• Have time to handle the unexpected

• Avoid over-working yourself

Prioritize and Set Goals

It’s essential that you prioritize your activities on a daily basis and set attainable goals. Focusing on the results that are most important to you will help you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time available.

If you are confused by what your priorities are or have many different priorities, look over your to-do list and choose the most important things and do these first. By realizing goals, you’ll feel accomplished and be motivated to continue finishing lots of things on your to-do list. This will result in completing work and having more free time.

Beat Procrastination

Procrastination is one of time management’s biggest enemies. Procrastination is a destructive habit that impulses you to put off important tasks over and over again. You are procrastinating when you do something more enjoyable or comfortable than what you should be carrying out. Some people are so strongly affected by procrastination that it negatively impacts their careers and personal lives.

Here are tips that will help you overcome procrastination and allow you to successfully manage your life:

• Develop good organizational and personal effectiveness habits such as establishing the right priorities

• Make the most of the opportunities available

• Recognize that important things are likely to be the actions that help you achieve something of real significance and that urgent matters need to be taken care of efficiently so that you can stay on top of the important tasks of the day

• Even if you don’t feel like doing something, you can just start and once you’ve started you’ll likely begin to feel more motivated to continue doing it

• Plan a reward or celebration for yourself for completing tasks, such as a walking break or candy treat

•Make a list of activities that you enjoy that can be completed in 5 to 30 minutes and find creative ways to fit these into your immediate and long-term schedule

Beat Exhaustion

If you’re tired, it’s no use having priorities and a beautifully arranged schedule since you’re likely to not stay on task. You’ll be more vulnerable to interruptions during the work day, which can consume 10 to 20 minutes in getting back on track, not to mention the time spent conversing with the interrupter. Exhaustion happens to all of us and can have a negative impact on successful time management.

Some steps to combat exhaustion and fuel your energy:

• If you’re a morning person, plan your most important work for early in the day; if you’re a late-day person, do the opposite

• As much as possible, make sure to sleep at least 8 hours a night so that you can perform your best

• After a few hours of sitting at your desk or after a long meeting, get up from your chair and stretch

• Go outside for a 5 minute walk to get your limbs moving, breath some fresh air, and catch some sunshine

• Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and eat balanced meals to keep yourself energized

• Make time for quiet time by taking a few minutes to close your eyes and relax

As you can see, a little organization, prioritizing, and planning goes a long way. By implementing these tools, beating destructive habits like procrastination and exhaustion, you’ll allow yourself to have more free time. Time management will let you spend quality time on your hobbies and enjoy stress-free days. Time management will give you more time in the mornings to eat breakfast, calmly shower and dress, and not leave behind important items like your cell phone and vitamins. More importantly, by incorporating these time management steps into your daily living routine, you’ll be a more successful individual and have more time to finish your proposals, cook dinner, buy groceries, workout, and take your daughter to her gymnastics class.



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Posted by admin on July 24th, 2008 No Comments

Type 2 Diabetes Causes – How Symptoms Can be Managed

success management



Adult Onset Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is often referred to as adult onset diabetes for the simple reason that most Type 2 Diabetes diagnoses occur in the adult years. Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes is not an autoimmune disease. Rather than destroying the cells that produce insulin, in Type 2 Diabetes, the body shows a resistance to this insulin and the cells ignore the insulin that is produced.

Risk Factors

Like Type 1 Diabetes, there is no known cause for Type 2 Diabetes and there is no known cure. Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic condition, which means that it is a long-term disease that cannot be cured, but that can be managed. Once you are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, it is important that you begin a plan to successfully manage the symptoms of the disease as quickly as possible in order to avoid or delay other complications and illnesses that can derive from untreated diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes can in people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. However, there are some groups that are at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, such as African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos.

Obesity is one of the many factors that can contribute to the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. While obesity does not cause the disease, the presence of more fatty tissue can cause the cells to become more resistant to the insulin that your body naturally produces.

Inactivity can also make the risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes higher. Exercise and physical activity helps you to control your weight as well as uses up glucose as energy, which helps to make your cells more sensitive to insulin.

Family history and age can also play an important role in the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. The risk of Type 2 Diabetes increases if you have a parent or sibling who has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The risk also increases as you age, simply because people tend to get less exercise, lose muscle mass, and gain weight all of which contribute to the cells becoming more resistant to the insulin that your body produces.

Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Prevented?

There are many contributing factors to Type 2 Diabetes. Even if diabetes runs in your family, there are certain lifestyle choices that can help to reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes or to help reduce the risk of other complication and illnesses that can be a result of Type 2 Diabetes.

One of the most important prevention tools is a healthy diet. A healthy diet consists of foods that are low in fat and calories and includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Sweets do not have to be totally avoided, however should be consumed in small quantities and should be a part of a diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Regular exercise is also an important prevention tool. Since obesity is one of the most common risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes, a regular exercise routine combined with a healthy diet not only reduces your risk of obesity and the onset of Type 2 Diabetes symptoms, it also reduces your risk of other illnesses and diseases. Regular exercise also helps to maintain good muscle tone and good blood flow, both of which help your body to function properly and aid in the prevention and recovery of many illnesses and diseases.

While Type 2 Diabetes is a serious and long-term illness, and can result in life-threatening complications, a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. Proper education and management of the disease can increase your chance of living a long healthy life and it starts with maintaining a healthy lifestyle as early in life as possible. Type 2 Diabetes is a serious, yet manageable disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do in the prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes.



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Posted by admin on July 23rd, 2008 No Comments

Asset management companies’ guide

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Be it any area or any sphere of life management is the key to success. Management of simple things such as your day-to-day activities etc. might not require much consideration but lot of planning is to be done when it comes to managing assets.

Asset management basically refers to managing money for individuals through stocks, bonds and cash equivalents etc. The asset management system has sprung from maintenance management systems and its aim is to optimize asset use and manage all maintenance efforts involved in making the assets as confidential, accurate and efficient as possible. The principles of asset management apply equally to all physical assets such as infrastructure, property, heritage, plant and equipment.

The strategy of asset management depends on financial aspects of ownership such as calculating the entire cost of ownership, depreciation, licensing, maintenance and insurance. Asset management can be in different spheres. For instance asset management in the field of property is known as property asset management, asset management in IT, in finance or investment asset management and asset management in inventory and physical stock.

Varying with the kind of an asset management strategy a firm or an individual can add value to his business, improve investment performance, manage financial risk exposure and reduce costs to business.

Keeping the incredible significance of asset management in mind, various asset management companies have mushroomed these days. An asset management company is a firm that invests the pooled funds of retail investors in securities in line with the directed investment objectives. By offering more diversification, liquidity and professional management service, an asset management service holds a niche above the individual investors.

A leading name in asset management and investment management services is Lazard. Lazard is known for investment banking with offices in more than 16 countries across the world. Lazard provides multiple services such as advisory services that include mergers and acquisitions, asset management and restructuring to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals.

Similarly the Asset Intelligence unit of General Electric’s Equipment Services has earned commendable name in providing intelligence based asset management and logistics services for commercial and transportation equipments. Hardcat is a leading asset management solution provider in UK, Australia and USA.

The joint venture between UK’s top ranking insurance company Prudential Plc. and India’s recognized financial institution, the ICICI Bank Ltd. has resulted in the ICICI Asset Management Company to supplement the Indian investor mutual fund products with different growing needs of investment.

All these proficient companies keep in mind the fact that investment is quite a challenging task that requires tremendous planning and risk. These companies function in a way to produce better risk-adjusted investment returns and present investment solutions to the clients.

Recently the prizes of traded asset management companies have touched the sky primarily due to two reasons- rising stock markets and industry consolidation. A paradigm instance here is that the Legg Mason shares increased by 76% due to the news that it was taking over Citigroup’s asset management business.

All in all asset management companies are ideal resources to drive costs out of your business operations, increase profitability and get access to vast information database for making a prudent choice



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Posted by admin on July 22nd, 2008 No Comments

How To Manage A Golf Course And Live Your Dream

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There are many golfers who dream of being able to manage a golf course. With the proper knowledge and training, this is something that is much more of a reality than many golfers know. With more schools and training programs popping up all over the place, gaining the knowledge that will allow you to manage a golf course is something that can be done with relatively little effort and a monetary commitment.

Ask any golf course owner or manager and they will likely reveal that owning one of these courses is a whole lot of work and it is not for the weak and weary. For starters, a general knowledge of the game of golf and the art of business is a must. Beyond that, there are some specifics that will enable you to successfully manage a golf course. A golf course is unlike a lot of businesses in that it is a living, growing, and breathing business entity. Not only must the course look great and remain in good condition, golf course managers must realize that their product is equally dependent on good management and skilled business practice. Every stone must be turned and each blade of grass must be taken into account with intense commitment to detail. The competition is stiff these days, with each golf course looking more lavish than the next.

If you want to manage a golf course, a basic knowledge of business practices is something that will go a long way. The best way to gain this knowledge is through actual experience, but general business management classes will certainly be a boon to your quest to successfully manage a golf course. There, one can learn the basics of motivating employees, handling business goals or visions, and keeping with regularly accepted business hiring practices. There are many topics which you will need to master before you can even consider the golf side of things. Businesses must deal with the everyday headaches of taxes, public relations, and day-to-day operations. Without these basic skills of business, your quest to manage a golf course will be lacking a crucial foundation.

Golf courses are not cheap and they are certainly not the easiest in the world to obtain. If you are serious about managing your own golf course, you must come up with a business plan in which you will outline the financing options necessary for acquiring the property. The original business plan should include all of the costs that you may incur when you first choose to manage a golf course. Included in these are the costs of course upkeep, the rent on the property, taxes, and other assorted costs. This part of the pre-planning portion of your project could possibly be described as the most important aspect. By having a clear and decisive plan of action in your financial realm, managers can provide prospective lenders with proof that they have the capability of managing a golf course. Without this, the golf course may never get off of the ground.

When the finances are taken care of, it is on to the management of the golf course itself. Many owners and managers choose to hire corporations that will assist with the golf course management, but that takes all of the fun out of it. If you feel you have enough knowledge and expertise to manage a golf course, then by all means, mold your possession to fit your liking. If the finances begin to head south in the early going, hiring an experienced professional consultant is never a bad idea.

Owning and managing your own golf course is really not as unrealistic as it may seem. With the proper preparation and planning, you can be on your way to managing a golf course. If operated correctly, this venture could turn into a personal paradise where money, leisure, and self-actualization meet.



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Posted by admin on July 22nd, 2008 No Comments

How to Run a Successful Link Exchange Campaign?

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The answer to this question lies how effectively you find reciprocal link partners for your website. Each and every link you place on your website owes its role in increasing your link popularity and it is the chief factor major search engines use to rank web sites. This makes link building an integral part of any effective search engine optimization strategy. For successful link building campaign you need to take care of the following factors:

Page Rank of the Linking page

Page Rank of the linking page determines how much valuable importance is passed on to your page. The higher the Page Rank of the page linking to you, the higher the value you get. Getting or placing link on a valuable page can boost up your website. A webpage with page rank more than 4 is ideal to get linked with.

Number of links on the linking page

Number of existing links on the linking page also matters. Getting a link from a PR4 page that has only 20 outgoing links is much better than getting a link from a PR4 page that has 40 outgoing links. The value your web page gets from a linking page is equal to the total Page Rank value of that page divided by the total number of outgoing links on that page.

Industry relevance

Search engines give higher importance to links pointing to your site from your own industry segment as opposed to those from unrelated industries. A website dealing in car accessories getting link from a food chain is of no use. Always try to get a link from a category that closely matches your own industry. For example, if you have a site related to hotels, then, on your partner site, a tickets site for example, try to identify a resource directory pertaining to hotels, resorts, reservations, vacation packages, travel, tourism, food and beverages, etc.

Anchor-Text

If a link is pointing towards your website the main keywords should appear in the anchor text. It keeps search engines informed what your linking page is about. You can use anchor text in external links, internal links, navigation maps as well as links on the main page.

Dynamic Link Pages

Getting links from dynamically generated pages is going to have a negative impact on search engine about your website. Some dynamic link pages are intentionally generated in such a way so as to prevent them from getting indexed.

JavaScript Link Pages

Avoid linking with websites using Flash or JavaScript, as Search Engines cannot read Flash pages nor can they read the links embedded within Flash. While such a site may claim to have placed a link to your Web page, in effect they are not giving you any benefit.

Try to stay away from the link farms

Link farms are irrelevant websites having only advertisements and no useful information on the websites. Such websites are panelized by the search engines, you in case of linking with them can also be penalized for it.

Redirected links

Redirected links are those which are first redirected to another page within your partner site before pointing to your website. Redirected links are not given any weightage by the search engines.

Framed sites

Search engines are not able to read text within frames thus try to avoid getting links from framed sites. A link placed on a framed site would not give your site any benefit, as Search Engines would not be able to recognize such links.



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Posted by admin on July 18th, 2008 No Comments

Is the Key to Successful Management Just Plain Old Management Training?

success management



However, they will not necessarily help you to improve your skills and be a successful manager. While a great deal can be learned from others, if you wish to be truly successful then it is equally important to focus on developing and correcting your own weaknesses.

For example, it is probably easier to understand how your own behaviour and approach can demotivate your team and to do something about it, rather than learning a totally new approach, which incidentally might not fit with your natural style. In extreme cases others may see you as ‘faking it’ as your behaviour is not true to yourself.

Frequently managers de-motivate their employees by failing to understand the basics of human motivation. The most common failings are:

* Acting without integrity, by failing to do the things that have been promised.

* Being too aggressive and task orientated, disregarding individuals needs and work-life balance.

* Over controlling peoples work and taking away their personal responsibility.

* Making unfair decisions about work routines, pay and reward.

* Failing to engage people creatively by asking them to do meaningless work.

* Being incomplete or inconsistent in communications.

* Failing to get the involvement of others when making decisions that affect them.

* Continually being in ‘tell’ mode and not listening to others.

The role of management training should be to help managers to understand how their behaviour can de-motivate others, rather than simply showing them new role models to mimic. Management training should provide facilities for constructive feedback, and make room for, informal discussions, and peer coaching to help participants to change their behaviour.



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Posted by admin on July 18th, 2008 No Comments

10 Secrets to Managing your Rental Property Without Losing your Shirt or your Cool

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I am a real estate agent currently living in St. George, Utah. I have successfully managed rental property in Denver, Phoenix and now St. George.

My tenants almost always pay their rent early. They are usually easy to deal with and often return the property to me in better condition than when they moved in.

I have achieved this success by following a system that I have created from the multitude of property management books I have read or from my experiences with tenants.

Try these rules when renting out your rental property next time. I think you will enjoy the success I have experienced.

1. Use your rental property showings as the first line of defense against bad renters. Save time by only showing your rentals three times per week.

Schedule all the potential renters to show up at the same time. Make the time you are at the property very short. For example tell them, “I will be at the property from 5:00 to 5:15 on Tuesday.” Some people will show up late. Eliminate them. If they can’t be at a simple appointment on time, how do you know they will pay their rent on time?

2. Have a list of the qualifications you are looking for in a renter.

Include job history qualifications, income needed, credit history etc. Make sure each potential renter receives a copy of this list when they fill out the rental application. By providing this list you can reduce the possibility of someone accusing you of discrimination.

3. The filled out rental application is the next step to separating the good renters from the bad. After the renters have filled out the application look it over. Is the writing legible? Are all blanks filled in? Did they include the application fee? If the answer is no to any of these questions, consider moving on to the next prospective renter.

4. Always do credit and eviction checks on your potential tenants. These checks are cheap and easy to do. You can use an online landlord credit check company. You can usually tell by the renter’s credit history, how difficult it is going to be to have them as tenants.

5. Your rental application should have a space for the last two landlords contact info. Contact both. The most important contact is the landlord before the current one. That landlord will tell you everything you need to know about the renter.

6. Give yourself plenty of time to collect rental applications. Aim to get at least 10 applications. This will give you enough potential renters to find one that you will be comfortable renting to. This will also eliminate the overly anxious renter who might be desperate to rent from you because they were just evicted from their last place.

7. Give your tenant an “on-time rent rebate”. I have consistently received my rents early due to this concept. If the renter pays on time I mail them a check for $50 to $100. This also puts the rent you can advertise lower than the similar units. Lower rents equals more potential renters to chose from.

More potential renters to choose from will give you a better chance of finding a good quality renter.

8. Most rental books suggest that you go to the renter’s current home to see what it looks like. Your rental will look like their current home after they move in. You may not need to go to that much trouble. If they have driven their own car, go out with the renter to their car to write down their vehicle information, I.E. make, model, license plate number and VIN number.

While doing this check the inside of the car. If it is fairly clean, great!

If it’s a pigsty, expect your rental property to look like the inside of their car after you have rented to them.

9. Do a “Dinner Date Check” on the potential renters. Would you feel comfortable going out to dinner with them? If not, you probably shouldn’t rent to them. I try to rent to people who have personalities similar to mine. Also, do a “Rent Collection” check on them. Would you be afraid of them if you had stand face to face with them and demand your rent? If so, don’t rent to them.

10. Suppose a deadbeat renter managed to slip by your radar and is now living in your property “rent-free”. Instead of evicting them, consider what the banks do to get rid of “unwanted guests” living in the foreclosed properties that they have gotten back. Get a handle on your pride and offer them “cash-for-keys.” “Cash-for-keys” is a concept where you offer the renter a lump sum payment of cash if they move out of the property quickly.

For example, I have offered $800 to $1500 for an occupant to move out within 10 days. If they accept, I get to inspect the property right. They have to return the property to me in the same condition as it is in currently. They also have to have all of their belongings and trash removed from the property before they get the check from me. I have the locksmith meet me at the property at the time I give the deadbeats their check. The locksmith changes the locks and secures the property while I meet with the tenant.

Using cash-for-keys vs. eviction will save you money in lost rent and damage to the property.

I have found that most new investors failed to take some simple steps to protect themselves from renting to poor quality tenants. Taking few simple steps before /www.homes-seekers.net“>renting your property will save you headaches, heartache and pocketbook ache.



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Posted by admin on July 16th, 2008 No Comments