Family-Friendly Vacation Condos on Hilton Head Island

Many vacationers on Hilton Head Island have discovered a simple fact -- a family vacation is much simpler and more economical in a condo. A condominium offers more space than a hotel room. The living room, dining room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom areas are separated, thus allowing privacy for each family member, and also giving the sense of a home away from home. Families with small children can cook simple meals and maintain nap and bedtime schedules, while allowing adults and older children to enjoy a change of pace. But no one is confined to the kitchen; there are many options to enjoy a variety of cuisine on the island.

Condos come complete with fully stocked kitchens and also often have individual laundry facilities. Units are available in a variety of sizes, usually from one to three bedrooms, with multiple bathrooms, and with linen and maid service. Many offer private porches or balconies, and televisions, as well as free bikes and internet access. As part of a complex, they may share use of a pool with other condo renters. Rental condos can sleep up to eight people, and can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,600 and up a week, depending on the location, size, and season.

Condo rentals are located all over the island, so a vacationer to Hilton Head may choose to stay in an area close to the family's preferred activities. Condos are part of many of the golf and tennis packages offered by the many golf courses and resorts on the island. Tourists choosing to focus on ocean fishing, parasailing, or turtle-watching activities may wish to have a beach view. Others, who want a relaxing time at a slower pace, may choose a condo in the interior of the island, near beautiful, tree shaded hiking trails, shops and great dining. Hilton Head condo rentals offer the perfect place for each visitor to this beautiful island.

Hilton Head Rentals Info provides detailed information on Hilton Head vacation rentals, condo rentals, rental homes, villa rentals, and oceanfront rentals. Hilton Head Rentals Info is the sister site of Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Web.

Traveling Out Of Body

I can see the cops coming! They're a good thousand feet away. I can clearly make out their uniforms and swinging nightsticks. How can I be seeing this?

I didn't dare mention it to my fellow underage drinking mates lounging with me on the grassy knoll in the park. Am I making this up? Projecting it somehow into my vision? Forcefully, I shook my head back and forth in an effort to free my mind of its strange perception.

But the view of the two police officers remained in my sight, as they sauntered closer and closer to our drinking den. In fact, to my further astonishment, I saw a much wider perspective as I swiveled my gaze within the picture before me. I can see myself!

Frantically blinking my eyes open and shut trying to erase this impossibility, I still found myself staring at my own physical body on the ground next to my beer buddies. The place from which I was viewing was about forty feet in the air! As I shifted my attention to look at the looker, I saw an airborne body in the form of a luminous shimmer, much like a ghost is portrayed in a movie. Then, with the ease of a mere thought, I discovered I could shift my point of view from my physical body on the ground back to my ethereal light body in the air. Using my eyes in my subtle body, I surveyed the scene again from my perch in the air.

Am I making all this up? Do I want to impress my pals so much, I'm concocting an extrasensory perception to allow me to warn them of an oncoming bust? My frenetic self-questioning came to an abrupt halt as I heard one of the officers whisper to his colleague, "Do you hear that noise? There are some kids in the park."

Whether I was conjuring my supernormal sight and hearing to court favor with my friends or not, I needed to act-and quickly. "Hey, guys, don't ask me how I know, but there are some cops right up the street and they're on to us. Let's split." My three inebriated friends and I quietly sneaked down the hill and out of the park under the helpful cloak of darkness. By a nanosecond, we successfully evaded detection as we heard the policemen slashing at the bushes with their billyclubs right behind us A close call!

"Hey, how'd ya know the fuzz was there?" my buddy pressed me as we arrived safely back at our car.

"Uh, I just knew somehow. A guess, I guess," I muttered, covering for myself as best I could under the circumstances.

"Well, a pretty good one, man. We'd be up the creek if they caught us. Thanks. You're all right. We should have you around every time we go drinking."

Ah, music to my ears. And so my young career as a drinking guard began!

My friends, at sixteen, were older than I but still under the legal drinking age of eighteen in New York State. I was fifteen and considered myself really lucky to be included in this older gang at a time of life when acceptance and belonging was paramount. And to have access to liquor through their connections was heaven for me.

I would do almost anything to please these guys and stay tight with them. I mused to myself, My newfound super-vision is coming in real handy. If we got busted for underage drinking, we'd all get grounded by our parents, not to mention getting in trouble with the law. I've got to keep this good thing going!

On that fateful night, my need for approval prompted me to keep expanding this burgeoning, new skill that I stumbled across in the line of necessity and opportunity.

As I played with my prowess as a night watchman for the gang, I realized I was doing more than clairvoyance, "clear seeing." Each time I playfully sent myself out to scan the scene for police, I was having a bona fide out-of-body experience. I didn't have a name for it then, but I sure knew I was doing it! I was right on the mark every time I called a cop alert. My skill was valued by the friends I valued. Literally, I was flying high!

Since my teenage discovery, I've continued to explore out-of-body adventures. And I always laugh in admiration when I look back on how God tricked me into developing my first natural spiritual ability.

(c) 2004, Keith Varnum. All rights in all media reserved.

About The Author

Drawing from the wisdom of native and ancient spiritual traditions, Keith Varnum shares his 30 years of practical success as an author, personal coach, acupuncturist, filmmaker, radio host, restaurateur, vision quest guide and international seminar leader with "The Dream Workshops." Keith helps people get the love, money and health they want with his free Prosperity Ezine, free Empowerment Tape and free Coaching at www.TheDream.com.

Keith@TheDream.com

Sell More: How to Get Motivated Buyers To Call You First

How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who seemed to have the inside track? It's likely your prospect purchased from their emotional favorite.

Selling goes beyond communicating the value of your products and services. Selling is about communicating the value of doing business with you. It is about connecting with your customer and becoming their 'Emotional Favorite'. Success in sales requires three things:

1) A viable product that addresses a need

2) Credibility

3) Timing.

Some in sales claim in sales timing is everything; experienced sales professionals know timing is the ONLY thing.

There are a plethora of credible businesses with viable products. To be truly successful at selling you need timing - to be the first or second person your customer talks to when they need something. There are three simple ways to get timing:

1) Sheer numbers ? if you contact enough prospects, you'll eventually find opportunities

2) Referrals ? someone tells you the customer has a need for your product or service

3) Become your customer's 'Emotional Favorite' - the customer calls you first

Value Of Being First Being one of the first suppliers in front of your customers at the time they need what you sell is key to getting the business. Once the customer begins to shape a solution around a vendor's product or service, they become emotionally tied to that solution. People tend to make decisions and move on to the next problem.

What Is The Emotional Favorite? Think about the last time you purchased a product or service. When you picked up the phone, did you call the person who helped you in the past? The person who adds value to your business or your career every time you ask for their assistance? Chances are you did. The fact of the matter is most people do.

It used to be that people bought from those they know, like, and trust. To be successful in sales today, you need to go one step further and connect with your customers to become the person your customers know, like, trust?and want to see succeed.

The emotional favorite is the person your customers call first, regardless of what they need.

Becoming The Emotional Favorite So, if being the emotional favorite means you helping your customers fulfill their needs, how do you create this relationship where your customers think of you as their one-stop resource?

Start by asking questions about your customer when you meet for the very first time and at the end of EVERY sales call.

Think about the last time you encountered a 'stereotypical' sales person, the one who immediately launches into a sales pitch. How did you react? After a minute or two, did your eyes glaze over? As the sales person drones on, you stop listening waiting for an opportunity to end the conversation. Ultimately, that sales person falls to the bottom of the list of people you call when you need something. Not where you want to be if you're looking to become the Emotional Favorite.

Asking The Right Questions Obviously, you're not going to start with 'Hi, I'm Craig. What's your greatest challenge?'

Start with open-ended questions: Ask about how the latest government policy changes, or shifts in technology has impacted their business. Relate their business to your other industry contacts and share some of your own insights. Then you can ask about their greatest challenges and you will likely get the answers you are looking for.

Frame your questions outside your existing sales professional to prospect relationship because by default, your customer will answer in terms of your products or services. Start with "Let's forget about what I do for ABC Company for a minute" and ask:

? What is the biggest issue you have that you just can't get to? or,

? What is the one thing you are looking for but can't seem to find? or,

? What issue have you tried to solve but can't find a satisfactory solution to?

Now shut up and listen! When your customer stops talking, wait 6 seconds and listen to what they tell you next. First they'll tell you about the problem. If you don't interrupt them, they will tell you how the problem impacts them and the rest of their organization.

Now you have the enough information to connect your customer with a solution and if it's not available through you perhaps you know a colleague who can solve the problem.

What Are The Benefits Of Asking The Right Questions?

? You gain a better understanding of your customers and their organization.

? You will improve your customer relationships during a time when your customers do not need what you sell.

? You will get more time with your customers.

? You may learn of opportunities to sell.

Most customers don't tell you of needs they think are unrelated to what you sell. When you ask the above questions, you will learn of additional needs that may provide you with new opportunities to differentiate yourself and sell your products or services.

Craig Elias, a 15-year sales veteran and noted speaker on selling and networking, launched the first cross industry lead exchange company, InnerSell. Since then, InnerSell has won Tim Draper's "Billion Dollar Idea" pitch contest, received seed funding from the same silicon valley venture capital firm that funded Hotmail - Draper Fisher Jurvetson - and was recently chosen as one of the 40 hottest companies in Silicon Valley. InnerSell can be found at http://www.InnerSell.com

Managerial Survival Key

For business, non-profit or association managers like yourself, survival pretty much depends on whether you achieve, or fail to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

Which strongly suggests that, if you haven't already done so, you may wish to employ a set of tools that will help you persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success.

The tools comprise the fundamental premise of public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

And the promise those tools hold for managers are behaviors like new prospects and more existing buyers, repeat purchasors, highly qualified job seekers, new capital contributions, increased membership referrals or more proposals for strategic alliances.

But there is work to do. You need information about those key external audiences. What do they know about your unit and its operations? How familiar are they, if at all, with your services or products? Have they ever worked with any of your people? Was the experience positive?

Tell the public relations folks assigned to your department, division or subsidiary that you want answers to those questions. And for the simple reason that how those important outside audiences perceive your operation usually leads to behaviors that can help or hinder you in achieving your objectives.

Work with them on a list of your key external audiences whose actions most affect your operations. Put those groups in priority order and let's have a go at #1.

Remember that the success of your new public relations effort depends heavily on how well you gather these key audience perceptions.

Here, you have a choice. You and your PR staff can interact with members of that target audience, which seems appropriate since your PR folks are already in the perception and behavior business. Or, if a substantial budget is available to you, you can hire professional survey counsel to do the work for you.

Either way, asking members of your key target audience questions such as those outlined above along with the responses you receive, provide the foundation data that underpins your entire public relations effort.

But, as you monitor audience member responses to your questions, stay alert for hesitant or evasive observations about your organization. Do you note statements that are untrue or misconceived? How about inaccuracies, rumors or false assumptions? You'll need to remedy them because we know that negative perceptions inevitably lead to negative behaviors that must be fixed to protect your operation.

As mentioned, the data your interactive monitoring produces is the raw material with which you create your public relations goal. And that might well be clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing an untruth with the truth.

Reaching that goal is another matter. You need the right strategy to show you how to get there. As luck would have it, they're but three strategic choices in perception/opinion matters like this. Create perception/opinion where you have none, change that perception, or reinforce it.

Good writing doesn't come easy, but that's your next challenge. Here, you must put together the message you will use to transmit your corrective facts and figures to those members of your target audience.

Now, all at the same time ? in a single message ? you must be clear about why the false assumption, the misconception or the inaccuracy should be clarified, or even corrected. Your message must present truthful supporting facts, and must be believable and, if at all possible, compelling.

Your public relations team will provide that talent. Also discuss with them blending the message into a variety of public presentations so as not to damage its credibility with a high-profile announcement.

Keep in mind that the timetable can always be accelerated by adding new communications tactics and by increasing their frequencies. Also a good idea to continue refining and updating the message itself.

Happily, what you will have done is use a set of tools that helped you persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to managerial success and, some might say, survival.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

THE NEW SCHOOL VISIT: 5 Things to Look For

Today the little red school house is not what it use to be, and along with changes in how our schools are funded, how they are governed, how teachers teach and how children learn, it's no surprise that many large urban school districts and smaller rural ones are undergoing major modifications. Parents are bombarded with advice from every media venue telling them to look at private education, consider a religious environment, and reminding them that "choice" or charter schools are the way to go. The only real way to know what educational institution is best for your child is to become a School Scene Investigator (SSI), because today education is serious business.

No amount of research can replace the most reliable evaluation known to parent kind. Parents are going to have to take time and participate in a good old fashion school visit, and look at the school visit the same way you would the purchase a car. Do investigative work to see who will give you the most for your investment, and remember your most precious possession will benefit from your in-depth analysis.

A school visit is an invaluable way to learn about whether a particular school is the right place for your child. Below is a step-by-step guide to planning a very effective school visit.

1.Do your homework before visiting the school. Obtain all the vital statistics:

- Name of School

- Name of Principal and other Administrators, Assistant Principal, School Secretary, School Counselor/Social Worker

- Does the school have a website? Visit it and if you can, locate the last time it was updated

- Perform a drive-by; visit the school several times without going into the building. Visit during the morning and observe how the children line up and enter the building. Is there adult supervision outside or volunteers keeping things orderly? Visit at lunch time, at recess and at the end of the school day. Make a note of anything that raises an eyebrow.

- Drive through the neighborhood. Even if you live in a beautiful suburban area, drive the neighborhood. You want to know where there are tall fences, dogs, wooded areas etc., particularly if your child will be walking to and from school.

2. Schedule your school visit. Call the school and ask to speak with the secretary, this will give you a feeling of how welcoming and accommodating school staff is toward a potential customer. Remember with your child comes the several thousand dollars that pays for his or her schooling.

3. Ask lots of questions and pay attention to everything. This is one time when it is alright to bring a note pad with questions and don't be shy or intimidated. Is the Principal so busy he or she does not have time to answer questions and give you a tour? Does the Principal delegate the responsibility to someone else? Are you allowed to visit classrooms? Will the Principal allow you to purchase a lunch from the cafeteria? What was the most recent Health Department Food Inspection Score for the Cafeteria? Does the Principal introduce you to any teachers or other administrators at the school? Does the Principal invite you to come and visit again? What materials are provided at the end of your tour?

4. Does the school have a particular educational philosophy? Ask the Principal about the following items:

- Student Code of Conduct ? What currently governs student behavior?

- How often to students receive report cards and/or progress reports?

- What kind of resources are available to students i.e. computers, library, sports activities, academic games or competitions.

- Ask to see a copy of the School Improvement Plan (a document that shows how the school is working to meet state requirements)

The Principal should be able to tell you if the school is receiving additional funding from special grants or if it is receiving Title 1 funding for improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged. If your school is a Title 1 school you will want to know the following:

- Amount of funds allocated for Title 1 service Number of Teachers and other staff funded by Title 1 funds

- View the school Parent Involvement Policy required for all schools receiving Title 1 Funding and asks if parents took part in drafting the document (by law they are required to do so)

- Ask the Principal about how the minimum 1% of Parent Involvement Funds is being spent and what programs are available promoting parent education. Request a copy of the school compact

- Ask the Principal about parent education workshops and Title 1 conferences parent may attend using Title 1 funding and ask who is President or Chair of the Title 1 Parent Organization at the school

- If you would like to learn more about Title 1 No Child Left requirements visit: www.ncela.gwu.edu

5. Parents who have children with academic, social or emotional difficulties should ask the Principal about the types of services provided to address those issues. Does the school have a Psychologist/Social Work team on staff or available on a rotating basis? Who at the school is responsible for giving a child medication?

It is the responsibility of the parent to ask the tough questions now so you won't have to deal with problematic issues later. Every parent wants their child's educational experience to be a positive one and it is your job as the parent to make sure that occurs. We all lead busy stressful lives but when it comes to the education of our children we must make an effort to leave no stone unturned in seeking the best educational opportunity possible for their academic achievement.

D. Davis is a writer with over 20 years of experience, and has produced a series of e-Books that support parents in creating a good life for their family. Dee may be reached at detra_davis@supportingourchildren.com, or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 44782, Detroit, MI 48244-0782, Attention: D. Davis. To learn more visit: http://www.supportingourchildren.com

Free Cellular Phone

Free cellular phone offers.

You can definitely find a free cellular phone by looking through the promotions offered by various phone companies. Usually you will have to sign a one or two year contract in order to receive the free cellular phone. But this contract may not be a bad thing if the cellular phone company provides good quality services and offers great plans. Look for other advantages like free night and weekend minutes or additional services like SMS text messaging, voice messages, call waiting, or others.

Selecting your free cellular phone.

After you have selected the company whose services you would like to use and selected a cellular service plan, you need to try to pick the best free cellular phone offered by your service provider. Look through all the free phones offered and research their qualities: size, design, weight, features, additions like a camera, etc.

Warranty for your free cellular phone.

After you have selected your free cellular phone, make sure that you sign up for the warranty plan for you cellular phone. Yes, you have probably signed up for a great offer and saved a lot of money, but many of these benefits would be lost if your phones brakes. That is where the benefit of the warranty plan comes in. You will get your free cellular phone replaced with the new one at no charge.

Hidden charges with your free cellular phone.

Be careful and watch for hidden charges when you are getting a free cellular phone. There are many great offers without hidden charges but some offers can have hidden charges associated with them. Look carefully through the contract and make sure everything is correct.

Visit http://www.camera-cell-phones-2u.com

Car Loans for People With Bad Credit

Car loans for people with bad credit are readily available online. After completing an online car loan application, you can expect an approval within a few minutes. By the next day, you can have check in hand to purchase your vehicle.

Car Loans With Bad Credit

If you have bad credit, then expect to pay higher interest rates for your car loan. Car loan interest rates are dependent on your credit score, not your entire credit history ? unlike mortgage loans.

To lower your payments, consider extending the length of your loan. But remember, the longer the loan repayment plan, the more you will pay in overall interest.

Finding Car Loan Lenders

Online car loan lenders work with several financing partners in order to offer car loans regardless of your credit history. You just have to apply once, and they will sort through offers to find the best one for you.

Some online lenders just work through one financing company, but they will also offer car loans to people with bad credit. With both types of car loan lenders, you can request quotes to determine who offers the best financing rates and then make your decision.

Applying Online

Applying online just takes a matter of minutes to complete. You will need your personal information, employment history, and loan amount desired. A smart idea is to applying for a slightly higher amount than you expect to over any licensing fees or other costs.

After you submit your information over a secure server, your application is reviewed. During business hours, you can expect a reply in a matter of a few minutes through email or over the phone. At this point, you can decide if you want to proceed with the loan or not.

Buying Your Car

With an approved application, you will commonly receive your car loan package the next day. Your package will include a check, instructions, and a promissory note. Basically, you are a pre-approved car buyer and can start shopping for your car that day.

You can purchase your car either through a dealership or an individual. When the purchase price is settled, you enter the amount and seller's name on the check. Once you have submitted the purchase information to your lender, you are done and can enjoy your new car.

To view our list of recommended auto loan companies online, visit this page: Recommended Auto Loan Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.

Charge Your Imagination (3)

As we progress into the year, it is necessary for professionals to really put their Imagination to work as they plot strategies for business excellence this year. To help them do a good job, IMAGINATION (as a person) started an inspirational message on Vision 2030. Here is the conclusion of the message.

Dear professionals, have you observed this? Every event that brings the world together commands global attention and promotes peace, joy, and harmony. Check out the soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games. Nations are clamoring to host them. In 2030, there will be no single host. Events and matches will hold in different parts of the world simultaneously. Technology will make that possible, and people will watch events in palm top electronic devices.

Technology will compress the world into your hands. FIFA is already moving in this direction with the dual hosting of Japan-Korea 2002 World Cup. In 2030, the World Cup will be played in a world of many nations, no longer in a nation of many cities. The Olympic Games will also transform. No longer Moscow 80, Barcelona 92, Atlanta 96, or Sydney 2000. It will be Global 2030. I am IMAGINATION. I inspire people.

By 2030, power will change hands, from governments to citizens, corporations to employees, professionals to customers, clergy to the laity, husbands to wives, and from man to technology. Business Schools will go global turning from B-Schools to G-Schools, producing global managers. These MBA's will work for global corporations. Labour and capital will gravitate towards best opportunities unhindered by One World and lubricated by a global currency.

Some global corporations have already caught Vision 2030. You can discern that from their promotions. Instinet, a Reuter's company says: "The bigger the crowd, the better the performance. A world of buyers and sellers ready to trade" And I add, without let or hindrance. So shall it be in 2030. Mega corporations will command global presence in 2030, if not more. They will be OMNI. They are already speaking the global language. The HSBC financial services group says, she is "your world of financial services. Wherever you are in life, HSBC will be there for you". Lufthansa, the German airline says, "we get you closer to the world". Which world? One World of course, which is the name of an alliance of airlines. The Allianz Group, Europe's leading insurer says, "Wherever you are, whatever you do, the Allianz Group is always by your side". That is the language of 2030 already in use today. I am IMAGINATION. I inspire people.

Global corporations will rule the markets in 2030. They are merging already- Daimler Chrysler, AOL-Time Warner, Glaxo-Smithkline, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Hoechst Rhone-Poulenc. These are corporations of today, reinventing for 2030. The race is on.TIME Magazine says, "Step out of your world". To that I add, Step into One World. The Economist says it is "the global cocktail, shaken and stirred". To that I add, begin to drink that cocktail for 2030. The International Herald Tribune has global eyes. Little wonder, it is the world's daily newspaper.

To tickle your Imagination of the world of business in 2030, see the advert the newspaper ran in TIME:"Global markets. Global communications, global technologies". The direction is globalization for One World in 2030 when man will operate commercial flights to the moon. The power of your Imagination, technology, and globalization will herald year 2030 for your business.

More changes will come in 2030. There will be no Third World, Developed or Developing countries. The world of business in 2030 will be powered by imaginative entrepreneurs, controlled by mega corporations, lubricated by a global currency, and serviced by global managers who are essentially a network of visionary managers working all over the world. Many professionals will be multilingual then, speaking many languages.

Milton Moskowitz captures this multilingual trend vividly in his book, The Global Marketplace, where he wrote this about the multinational oil company Shell: "Geritt A. Wagner, a Dutchman who spoke five languages fluently and who headed Shell from 1972 to 1977, once called the company one of the three most truly international institutions of the world. The other two he was thinking about were the Catholic Church and the United Nations. In 2030, there will be no United Nations as a body. The name will change to Nations United. There is a difference. The former is a congregation of nation's representatives in one body and place. The latter is a coalition into one global nation amidst diversity.

In concluding this message, my dear professionals, I want to draw your attention to this advert copy: "Beyond your imagination". This is the new promotional pay-off, of Omegabank, a universal bank in Nigeria. This is the new name for this bank that has caught Vision 2030. You can catch this Vision too, if you tap into my power. I am IMAGINATION. I inspire people. Dear professionals. This message is not to excite you. Far from it. It is to transform your business with my power so that you can position your good selves properly for Vision 2030. For this message to sink into your mind, I draw your attention to the words of God in Proverbs 4:20-22: "My son, give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life for those who find them and health to all their flesh".

Epilogue:

My final charge to you dear professionals is this: Discover yourself, catch Vision 2030, determine your mission, locate your market segment, transform yourself into a brand, have a trademark, nurse ideas, use your Imagination, be creative, work with wisdom, offer value and satisfaction, promote your endeavors and nurture enduring relationships with your customers. These are the biomarketing indices that will rule the world in 2030.

If you do so, you will succeed. I want you to succeed. If you succeed, then I have succeeded. That is why I am in your mind, to help you to succeed. This is my message for you this season. And this will be the most memorable message you will ever read. I thank you for flying with us. Shalom. Your partner for Vision 2030 Imagination

Eric Okeke is a motivational speaker, business writer, copywriter, and corporate storyteller with more than 20 years writing experience . He is one of Nigeria s most experienced financial journalists. His strengths are creative writing, humor, publicity, professional speaking, and storytelling. His E-mail: ericosamba@yahoo.com Eric lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria. He runs Infomedia, a media consulting, writing, and speaking outfit.

I recommend that you read this fantastic e- book, "How To Tell A Great Story" that is dedicated to teaching people just like you about the famed "R.P.I. principle". Go now to http://howtotellagreatstory.com

Do you Know How to Take the Perfect Picture of Your Fish?

Nothing is better than to snap a photo of your big fish that you just caught.

You've spent the day out on the lake and then you feel a pull at the line. You finally pull that big one in and you decide to get a great snapshot of you holding the fish. Wait!

Make use of these valuable tips before you go. You want to make sure that the fish and you look exactly like those snaps in the magazines and on the Internet. How do you do it? It's simple by following a few basic techniques.

One of the most effective tips for good fish picture taking is the use of a wide-angle lens. By using a wide-angle lens, the photographer can get closer to the subject which will be you and your fish. This way, the fish will look bigger. As well, make sure that the sun is behind the photographer.

And lastly, the fish photos look the best when taken when the fish is just out of the water. The wet look of the fish gives the fish sheen and enhances the color. Great! The perfect picture of you and your fish.

Catherine Kenyeres is a successful author and publisher for http://www.best-4u-fishing-equipment.com. Catherine has written numerous articles for the fishing enthusiast.

Using Credit Cards Wisely

"I think money was stolen from my card" or "I might have blocked my card in the ATM" - these are frequent problems that bank customer-support officers usually hear from agitated clients. Incorrect use of credit cards or wrong interpretations of their functions are frequent even after tens of years of credit-card extensive use. Actually, there are 4 most frequent causes for problems; one is related to overspending, the second is about missing money; this is usually connected to the 3rd problem - unauthorized use and finally there is the issue of forgotten information. All these problems are interconnected and can lead to serious financial problems. However, there are a few simple things that you can do in order to avoid hassle.

First and foremost, remember that your credit card has a limit. When you open a credit line you will be given a certain credit limit that can vary from twice your monthly income to 3 or maybe 4 times that income, depending on past credit history. However, do not spend more than you can pay back. At the end of each month you will have to pay-back the borrowed money and there will be no exceptions from the rule. So lesson number one is "spend within limits".

The second thing you need to do is keep a record of your expenditures. Keep bank statements, receipts and carbons in a safe place and at the end of each month make a calculation of your deposits and withdrawals. If there is any discrepancy between the two, make sure to contact your issuer bank immediately and solve the situation. Most people find out that they have forgotten about a certain payment that was made with the card, yet you may find out more important information than this.

This brings us to the next issue - the unauthorized use of credit cards. This is a wide problem mainly due to theft. It is safe to keep your credit cards in a wallet, separately from any other papers so that you do not lose cards; it is also recommended that you make sure there is no one watching over your shoulder when you type you personal identification number and off course there is the rule of never giving out the PIN to anybody. Unauthorized use is not only related to theft. Young children should never be given the number and/or the PIN of a credit card. If they are still not aware of the value and importance of money you may find yourself paying for useless items or services. So rule no.2 is Never Give out Your PIN.

There are many things we need to remember and keep track of. One of these things is credit card information such as name of issuer, year and month of expiration, credit card number and PIN and the help-line phone number. If you feel there is too much data to memorize it is best to have everything written down and kept in a safe place like a deposit box or your telephone - there are telephones that offer a special notebook feature which can only be accessed by introducing a code and where you can store data safely. Therefore, another thing you need to do is Keep Records of Important Information.

Managing credit cards is not child's play. You will need to keep good track of your money if you do not want to overspend or lose track of expenditures. You also need to learn that your money is your business and thus attention needs to be paid when giving out credit card identification information. Last, but just as important, you need to keep in handy support-centre contact information in case you need to report irregularities or you have questions to ask. Attention and common sense is actually all you need in order to use a credit card wisely.

This article has been provided courtesy of Creditor Web. Creditor Web offers great credit card articles available for reprint and other tools to help you search and compare credit card offers.

Branding Advertising Agency

Branding used to be a fancy business word, but it is becoming more and more used in everyday business meetings. Finally! For decades, big corporations have used in-house, very well paid brand managers - someone in charge of managing everything that relates to the brand, including design, package and partnerships. You've heard enthusiastic talks about branding, but you are still not sure if you should get a brand management plan going for your business.

Do you need one? Any company with the intention and potential to become or to remain a top competitor in its field needs to develop a sound branding strategy. And that's where the brand agency comes in. If you have a small or medium size business, you may not be able to pay a high salary for a full-time brand manager. If that is your case, you can benefit from working with a brand agency, and gain access to brand management consultants, plus an entire creative team available to work in various projects - from graphic design to web design, Internet marketing, advertising, media planning. Instead of working with multiple vendors that are unaware of your branding needs, you work with one single partner dedicated to create a stronger, more valuable brand.

Can I fire my marketing team? No! Some people think a brand agency would do away with marketing jobs. In fact, your brand agency would not replace your marketing department, but work with your marketing and sales people to provide them the tools they need to market your services more successfully, while advancing your business image.

How much does it cost? Working with a branding agency is surprisingly affordable. Think of this: how much it would cost, per year, to have an in-house creative department, plus a well-paid brand manager? That could easily cost your business $200K and more in payroll, equipment and lease expenses. With an experienced branding agency you only pay a small fraction of the costs of maintaining such a high-level team, but you still have full-time assistance. Besides, a branding agency can save you thousands of dollars a year in printing and production costs, through its suppliers and partners.

To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation. Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies. Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.

How Much Money Do I Need to Spend on Advertising?

Q: I've never really done much advertising for my business; I've always relied on networking and word-of-mouth. Now I'd like to launch a small campaign, but I'm frightened it will cost a lot of money. How can I figure out where to start?

A: The first thing you must do is calculate your minimum and maximum allowable ad budgets:

? Step 1: Take 10 percent and 12 percent of your projected annual, gross sales and multiply each by the markup made on your average transaction. In this first step, it's important to remember that we're talking about gross markup here, not margin. Markup is gross profit above cost, expressed as a percentage of cost. Margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of the selling price. Sell an item for $150 when it only costs you $100, and your markup is 50 percent. Your margin, however, is only 33.3 percent. This is because the same $50 gross profit represents 50 percent of your cost (markup,) but only 33.3 percent of the selling price (margin.) Most retail stores in America (carpet, jewelry and so on) operate on an average markup of approximately 100 percent, some operate on as little as 50 percent markup and others add as much as 200. More expensive items, such as cars, recreational vehicles and houses, typically carry a markup of only 10 to 15 percent.

? Step 2: Deduct your annual cost of occupancy (rent) from the adjusted 10 percent of sales number and the adjusted 12 percent number.

? Step 3: The remaining balances represent your minimum and maximum allowable ad budgets for the year. At this point in the calculation, you may learn that you've already spent your ad budget on expensive rent, or you might also learn that you should be doing a lot more advertising than you had previously suspected.

Now let's calculate an ad budget. Assume that my business is projected to do $1 million in sales this year, I have a profit margin of 48 percent, and my rent is $36,000 per year. The first thing to do is calculate 10 percent of sales and 12 percent of sales ($100,000 and $120,000, respectively).

Second, we must convert my 48 percent profit margin into markup, because markup is what we've got to have to make this formula work. Most business owners know their margin by heart, but never their markup. To make the conversion from margin to markup, simply divide gross profits by cost. Dividing $480,000 (gross profits) by $520,000 (hard cost) shows us that a 48 percent margin represents a markup of 92.3 percent. Bingo.

Now we multiply $100,000 times 92.3 percent to see that our adjusted low budget for total cost of exposure is $92,300. Likewise, we multiply $120,000 times 92.3 percent to get an adjusted high budget for total cost of exposure of $110,760. From each of these two budgets, we must now deduct our $36,000 rent. This leaves us with a correctly calculated ad budget that ranges from $56,300 on the low side to a maximum of $74,760 on the high side.

Most advertising salespeople will tell you that "5 to 7 percent of gross sales" is the correct amount to budget for advertising, but don't you believe it. It simply isn't possible to designate a percentage of gross sales for advertising without taking into consideration the markup on your average sale and your rent. Yes, expensive rent for a high-visibility location is often the best advertising your money can buy, since a business with a good sign in a high-visibility location will need to advertise significantly less than a similar business in an affordable location.

To prove this, just look at the example above and change the rent to $75,000 per year. In this case, the ad budget would range from $17,300 to $35,760, representing just 1.7 to 3.5 percent of sales. The formula I've given you is the only one that reconciles your ad budget with your rent as well as the profitability of your average sale. Good luck!

Steve Moundzouris, 423-653-2201 BigWater Media Group, Bigwater Media Group is a full service advertising and marketing agency.

http://www.bigwatermg.com