A Business Interruption Doesn't Have to Be a Disaster

Year in and year out, businesses in hurricane or stormy regions face the same risks of property damage and loss. This type of threat marks a good time to update a company's business continuity plan and business insurance. After all, one would like to have their business go uninterrupted if at all possible.

Here are just a few things to consider during those times of year when business interruption might take place.

Update Critical Business Functions

Implement a program that includes forms that can help to prioritize which business functions are most critical for continuing operations during an emergency situation.

Critical business functions can change from year to year. Review any existing disaster plan to account for any changes (such as the addition of new business systems, products and employees).

Verify Employee Contact Information

One of the most important components of any business is accurate contact information. This is even more critical in an emergency situation. Knowing how to reach employees, as well as vendors, is a vital part of helping the business to quickly recover from a disaster.

On an annual basis, send a memo asking employees to update their contact information. This will help to check on their current status and aid in the next steps for resuming normal business operations.

Updating supplier and vendor contact information, as well as other important contacts such as bank or insurance carriers will also aid in a speedy recovery. Make sure that business insurance is adequate and also meets current needs in the face of such disaster.

Disaster Preparedness Checklist

Three important things to consider during a crisis:

How much downtime can this business endure without a significant financial impact? Which functions are necessary in order to fulfill both legal and regulatory obligations? What business functions are essential for maintaining market share and reputation?

Ways in which to deal with these issues:

Be sure to prioritize each function (high, medium or low) and determine who among the staff is most capable to perform the necessary tasks. Record detailed notes outlining the steps that should be taken in common disaster scenarios, such as: Power outages Damage to equipment Natural disasters Work with employees so that they fully understand the procedures for recovering the critical business functions. Name an alternate employee to take charge should the primary employee be unavailable to perform the function.

Advance planning will help everyone to recognize his or her responsibilities.

Prepare A Recovery Location

If plans include the use of a recovery location (which is an alternative site for business operations), take time to review employee and business needs to be certain the location is quite adequate.

Be sure the location is equipped with any special supplies or equipment that will be necessary to continue business operations. It is also a good idea to contact the recovery location provider before the season starts to review plans and ensure that requirements are current and specific.

Having a good plan, and also the business insurance needed to get things "back on track" is essential to any solid business plan.

Chlorine Gas Tanks at Sewer Plants Need Upgrades to Protect From International Terrorism

Many sewer treatment plants have huge chlorine Tanks on their properties. These tanks contain large amounts of Chlorine Gas. These tanks should have barriers around them to prevent a truck from driving into them, as series of ditches and berms as part of the landscape is a good start. But also double walled tanks like on Oil Tanker ships.

Should we add protective coatings, which contain chemical membranes which can attach the escaping gas between the walls. So an explosive device would cause the membrane to heat up and other gases could combine with the Chlorine Gas to prevent problems. Many POTWs do not use much Chlorine Gas which means that such huge tanks are not on the property. A huge Earthquake or attack could cause the escaping gas to flow with the relative winds into populated areas. We need these upgrades. As we know that International Terrorists like to use the infrastructure against us.

Normally the inlets and valves have automatic shut offs and warnings alarm to protect workers to get out of the way, but trying to get a whole city to evacuate quickly may not be possible.

We should continue to improve our infrastructures to be mother nature proof and nearly impossible to be used against us in the event of an International Attack.

A lot has been done to make these things fool proof, perhaps we might raise the bar a couple of more levels. The wonderful work of our engineers and the upgrades made to these facilities has propelled the United States to have some of the cleanest water ways in the world. We have prevented diseases, helped wildlife and are so cutting edge, we ought to be proud. Now there is an elevated threat, so we need to pay attention and continue to innovate. Perhaps the Chlorine Gas can be replaced with other means as we upgrade the facilities as needed. We need to pay attention to new technologies in the Publically Owned Treatment Works Industry.

The Industry has done so much and many facilities are International Terrorist proof thus eliminating them from contention, but not all are. We might wish to expedite these upgrades as needed.

Things You Should Know About Pop Art Paintings History

Pop art was an artistic movement that represented a strong shift from the influence of the abstract expressionism. Pop art paintings brought an original form of making art by introducing techniques of commercial art and everyday life illustrations.

This movement first occurred in Great Britain in the late 1950s and it was meant to be a redefinition of the metaphysical gravity of the abstract expressionism. Pop art paintings were mainly characterized by the insertion of everyday life images of soup cans, comic strips, Coke bottles or even stuffed animals into the artistic expression. The expressed aim of the pop art paintings was to provide a meeting point for artists and public. Inserting commercial art symbols in their work, the artists intended to blur the boundaries between art and common people in order to make art ideas accessible for everyone.

The birth of this art movement during the 1950s-1960s wasn't a coincidence. Artists were getting tired of the inwardness and opacity of the abstract expressionism; the American society (and the British one, but on a less extent) was enjoying deep changes in terms of economic revival after the constraints of the Second World War. Therefore, the artist community mocked the shallowness and the materialism of the Americans, employing symbols of mass culture (Coke cans, magazines or comic strips) in their pop art paintings.

The artists who had embraced this art style used different symbols: American flags (Jasper Johns), comic strips (Roy Lichtenstein) and soup cans (Andy Warhol) or stuffed animals (Robert Rauschenberg).

Pop art paintings also represented icons of the artists' reaction against the dullness and complexity of the abstract expressionism. Abstract techniques were replaced with more accessible ones like humor or surface appearance. The central idea of this art movement was to express messages to the mass by transforming the ordinary things into art objects.

Although the pop art stream was very popular among the layman public, it was highly controversial among the art critics community. Some considered pop art paintings as cheap, tacky imitations of everyday life symbols; others regarded them as icons of the shallow American society at mid-century.

Nevertheless, this art movement represented a breath of vivid, fresh air in an art characterized until then by opacity and seriousness.

The Maremma: Alpine Sheep Herder

The Maremma Sheepdog is native to the Italian Alps. This is a breed that has an extraordinary capability of working in the higher altitudes. For many hundreds of years, the life of the sheep, the shepherds and the Maremma dog that guarded the flock was structured on the seasons. From June to October the flocks would be moved to the high country in the mountains of Abruzzi and from October to June they would go down to the plains and rolling pastures of Maremma. The job of the Maremma historically has been that of a livestock protector and herding dog, being of great value to the Italian peasants as they moved their flocks of mountain goats and sheep through the high alpine pastures, not only herding but also protecting the flock from predators. The Maremma has the capability of working independently as a flock protector and is noted for its high intelligence. A few of the dogs stayed behind as farm protectors and gradually the Maremma also became known as the large white dog who frequented the fine homes of Tuscany as a companion and watchdog.

The Maremma is a large white dog with profuse and abundant coat. One might confuse the dog with the Pyrenees or the Kuvasz, excerpt that the head of the Maremma is much larger in proportion to the body and in fact is very like that of the Polar bear, conical in shape and massive. In general, of the large white dogs that are the herding dogs of central Europe and the Alps, the Maremma is probably the breed that exhibits the most independent thinking and is one of the dogs considered to be a very protective dog, working in the dual role as flock guard and herder. The Maremma is a large breed, standing 24 inches at the withers, with a heavy coat that is all white with perhaps a shade of ivory or biscuit on the ears. The coat needs to be regularly groomed. The correct coat should be weather resistant, providing protection from the sun and the cold, this is a dog that should not be shaved.

The Maremma has always been around people, though its existence has been solitary it is a breed that will not do well without a human to protect or work alongside. This is a dog that strives to work for its master but also can be a difficult dog for simple obedience commands, since it is a "thinker" and will become bored with repetition. They are extremely loyal, considered to be a one person dog, devoted and protective yet proud and dignified. This is a dog that requires a knowledgeable owner, since it is not inclined to be subservient but is more likely to be somewhat stubborn and strong willed.

Review: Profit From The Author Inside You

I've reviewed a number of eBooks recently, and none of them excited me, but this one definitely did. If you've ever had the slightest desire to write a 'How To' book, I urge you to read 'Profit From The Author Inside You'.

It's worth pointing out right at the start that Roger Parker does know what he's talking about - he has written 24 books that have been translated into 37 languages and there are currently over 1.6 million copies of his books in print.

This book assumes that you offer some kind of professional service. Roger Parker argues that writing a 'How To' book is not an end in itself, but a means of positioning yourself as one of the leading experts in your field. As Roger Parker shows, books possess "magical" powers - writing a book opens the doors to speaking engagements, spinoff books, newsletters, columns, and hefty consulting fees.

I once knew a human resources expert in Australia and he was very good at what he did. But he used to complain bitterly that there were people with half his expertise earning 20 times the amount he was. Why? Because they had written a book!

If you've always thought of writing as a painful process that requires a huge creative effort, you may be in for a pleasant shock.

Roger Parker shows that most successful (i.e. top-selling) 'How To' books are based on a formula - they are written in a 'paint by numbers' fashion.

The most exciting part of this book for me is a technique that Roger Parker calls 'Painless Writing'.

He urges you to throw out of the window two very common (and unsuccessful) approaches to writing a book: Marathon Writing ("Getting away from it all" and dropping all other activities while you work on your book) and Linear Writing (trying to write your book from first to last chapter in an ordered sequence).

Instead, he offers three approaches that will change the way you write and make it much easier and much more fun:

(1) Molecular writing - this is a way of 'chunking down' to the level of bite-sized pieces of information: "harvesting individual ideas, or nuggets of information, which you carefully organize and prioritize before beginning writing".

(2) Measurable progress writing - "committing to write a little each day, building time into your daily schedule (as opposed to escaping to a cabin in the woods)".

(3) Non-sequential writing - "jumping into your project wherever you're comfortable, starting with the easiest ideas, and building your confidence point by point, idea by idea, wherever they appear in your book".

Another part of this book that is essential reading if you're thinking of writing a book is Chapter Four - '10 Characteristics of Successful Titles'. Did you know that at least half of your book's success will be determined by the title you choose?

Roger Parker shows you 10 key concepts that make the difference between a title that sells well and one that flops. (Here's a hint: the following titles all use these 10 key concepts: Chicken Soup For The Soul; Rich Dad, Poor Dad; The Millionaire Next Door; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Think and Grow Rich; How to Win Friends and Influence People).

The book also contains 4 work sheets (pages 99 to 120) that guide you through the writing of your book.

'Profit From The Author Inside You' set of explosions in my head on virtually every page. In fact, it fired me up so much that I'm now using Roger Parker's techniques to write a book that I've been trying to write for over 5 years. What more can I say?

You can get your copy of 'Profit From The Author Inside You' at: http://www.freezineweb.com/cgi-bin/pftaiy.cgi It has a 30 day money back guarantee, so you really can't go wrong.

Benefits of Workers Compensation in California

Workers Compensation in California is a division that has been designed to help employees and families when an illness, injury or even death occurs while on the job. If you are ever the victim of such an awful accident - such as slipping and hurting your back or health issues that sparked when you started a job due to various chemicals used on-site or loss of hearing due to loud noises on the job - then you may very well be eligible for benefits under the workers compensation program in California.

Basically, there are five primary benefits related to workers compensation in California, all of which are briefly outlined below:

1. Medical - This pertains to any medical care that is necessary in order for you to relieve yourself or cure yourself from the injury effects. Apart from medical expenses themselves, this also includes 50 cents for every mile that is travelled to and from the doctor. Please note: 50 cents is based on 2010 information. Rates are subject to change at any time.

2. Temporary Disability - If you are hospitalized or have to miss over three days of work then you should be eligible to receive temporary disability benefits. Temporary disability is determined by your current average weekly income and is two-thirds of your general paycheck. Checks are generally received bi-weekly and you will stop receiving the checks when you are released to go back to work. In 2010, the minimum benefit was $148.00 and the maximum payout was $986.69.

3. Permanent Disability - These benefits are more complex and are determined based on your injury date, disability rating, and previously earned wages. Usually, weekly payments range from $190 to $270 and are started after temporary benefits once you have been diagnosed with a permanent disability from your doctor.

4. Supplemental Job Displacement - Workers compensation in California allows for an individual injured on the job to attend training, or prep, school. The amount received for such depends on the intensity of disability with $10,000 being the maximum received, 10 percent of which may be used for the help of a counselor.

5. Death - If there is a job-related death, individuals that rely on the support of the income from the recently departed employee may be entitled to receive death benefits - benefits of which can be obtained even if the fatality occurred off-site as long as the cause of the death was indeed relevant to the job-related injury.

California is a state with more regulation than other states in the contiguous United States. Eligibility for worker's compensation is decided by a state commission. They assess the situation to determine if claims are legitimate, and how much compensation is necessary. Appeals can be made through the court system. You must seek adequate counsel and not rely on the contents of this article for your case; this is a disclaimer saying we do not guarantee this information to be accurate or timely to your situation.

Dark Autumn - Book Review

Now this could definitely be a movie! Dark Autumn is fantastic action-packed futuristic thriller that had me riveted for days. The energy was kept very high throughout the book.

Occasionally Clint Dunshee's characters performed seemingly super-human tasks, similar to James Bond or Dirk Pitt. However, the reader is also shown their flaws and the strength of intimate friendships - bonds that are so deep they are willing to risk their lives for them. The abilities of these characters are made more believable because of the incredibly difficult training scenarios the author leads the reader through.

The theme is set in the future when space travel and space science is a part of life. Earth is contacted from another planet when one of the science probes is picked up by alien humans. As it turns out Earth is only one of hundreds of planets with intelligent life, only some were human. Many planets in the universe helped bring Earth's technology up to par in exchange for the planet's rich agriculture and minerals. Most planets worked on a good trade relation in relative peace, but the trouble-making Marvonians were on the edge of acceptance. This planet took it upon themselves to steal from Earth and attack their ships within a few light years of Marvon.

The main characters of the book, Alan, Bill, Carrie, Julie and Angela are all highly intelligent youth that are singled out for highly trained positions. Despite their youth and inexperience, they were considered Earth's only chance to avoid a war with a technologically superior race. Bounty hunters and sabotage plays a part in a deadly scavenger hunt while plans are laid to rescue the hostages held by Marvonians. Earth has a chance to destroy their image of being a young planet and elevate into more sophisticated, honorable one that the other planets can respect and hold trade with more readily.

In order to do this, Earth must play the game carefully and honorably - at the same time the team must eliminate the dangerous problems with Marvon and free the Earthling prisoners before it is too late.

I believe this book deserves the highest ratings and I would recommend it to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Publisher: Publish America, Inc. ISBN#: 1413750923 Author: Clint Dunshee

Top Benefits of Travel Insurance

What is Travel Insurance?

There is no doubt that travelling can be a fun (and sometimes educational) experience. Aside from getting immersed in a different setting, you'll get to bask in another culture and mingle with a different set of people. But as much as we dislike saying it, there are several risks involved during traveling. Some of them include plane crashes, accidents, and other untoward incidents. That is why the importance of traveling safely cannot be overly emphasized.

But to make sure that you get covered for any loss incurred should any of these unfortunate incidents happen, it's a must that you get insurance. In a nutshell, travel insurance is your protection against future loss or damages incurred during the duration of your travel.

There are different types of travel insurance, and each one of them varies in terms of their coverage. Some of the most common types include the following: domestic (for family travel), international (for trips abroad), annual (for yearly trips), student insurance policy (for students wanting to study abroad), and leisure traveling insurance (for short-distance trips and vacations).

Aside from these types, there are others that can be customized depending on the needs of the client. But all of them are geared towards protecting the client against future loss.

Benefits of Travel Insurance

Many people know what car insurance is, but they take travel insurance for granted. If you're one of these people, you might want to change your mind and get an insurance broker. Here are the benefits that you can get from an insurance with a good coverage.

1. Compensation

Not everyone is flush with cash, so it's best to be prepared at all times. Medical bills and all other costs related to accidents can drain your savings account, but if you have insurance, you will have a backup monetary resource.

2. Financial protection

Travel insurance policies cover not only for future loss. But they also include protection against bankruptcy of airline companies and travel agencies. For instance, if you are a constant traveler with pre-booked flights and suddenly, the airline of your choice goes bankrupt, you can be issued a refund for all the flights you booked.

3. Compensation goes beyond traveling

The insurance industry is very competitive, so companies compete against each other to come up with the best benefits. Oftentimes, these benefits extend beyond traveling to include medical bills and legal expenses.

To get the best insurance policy, spend some time to go over recommendations, feedback, rating, and reviews to make sure that you pick the right insurance company.

Home Decorating With the Right Materials: Choosing the Best Railings

Home decorating is a tedious duty for many property owners. For optimal results, individuals should be forward-thinking and decisive with their choices. Railings construction is one of the areas that call for much consideration. Achieving the results envisioned in one's head is possible with cautious thinking and concrete decision-making.

On a whole, it is imperative to prioritize one's wants and needs; when decorating the home.Too many times, individuals concentrate on the wrong priorities and degrade their home development plan. Since railings come in different sizes, shapes, designs, colors, etc.; it is essential to follow your plan accordingly.The popular materials developers recommend for railings construction include wood, glass, metal, etc.Other options exist, but the previous are the trendiest sets available. Whenever choosing railings, the preferred material should be of superior quality and suitable for the environment. For home owners with young children at their residence, it is wise to consider installing safe and secure elements. This is to limit the risk of accidents to these children by constructing well-designed, reinforced balustrades.

Where to buy your railings for the home is something to think about lengthily. Many popular traders of building solutions offer premium-quality supplies, but it is significant to decide what railing systems are suitable and affordable. Railings do not come cheap, especially when one's preference is for designs from prominent designers. Additionally, the material and style selected also determines the price.In any event where the homeowner doubts his or her ability to select the best railings to purchase, a professional interior decorations expert is the right guide for the job.

For the best choice, a shopper should educate him or herself about the types of railings, materials, installation components and other relevant attributes to make wiser decisions. A well-informed buyer should be assertive, when picking out the best railings after inspecting several options. He or she needs to take into account the quality, price, installation method, design, material, etc. to make a better selection. Developing an idea for your home railings construction is not the easiest responsibility, but with cautious decision-making and access to reviews from professionals online that specialize in interior decorating, success is achievable. The relevant aspect is to ascertain the railings chosen fits your prerequisites. Taking to heed that homes feature these arrangements for many years; getting something that is appealing, durable and suitable for long-term prospect is all-important. Remember that the location also influences one's choice as well, because the railings should complement the environment exclusively.

The Ghosts of The Tower of London Pt2

In this final instalment of The Ghosts of the Tower of London, you will learn about the fate of Catherine Howard and discover the treachery behind the death of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for only nine days.

The most grisly execution and thus haunting is that of the 70 year old Countess of Salisbury, the last of the Plantagenets. King Henry VIII had her executed for political reasons. The feisty Countess refused to put her head on the block like a common traitor. When her executioner came after her she ran, but was pursued by him, with his axe in hand hacking at her until he had hewn the Countess to death.

Her ghost has been seen reliving this truly gruesome act. Also the shadow of a great axe has been seen falling across the scene of her murder.

At one time the Tower of London was home to the Royal Menagerie. Lions, leopards, bears, birds, monkeys and an elephant, that was a gift from the King of France, were kept on exhibit. On the stroke of midnight in January of 1815 a sentry saw a bear from this menagerie emerge from a doorway. He lunged at it with his bayonet, it passed right through the apparition. The Sentry was later found unconscious, it is said he died of fright within two months of this encounter.

Something unseen and very frightening is in the Salt Tower. This is one of the most haunted areas of the Tower of London complex. This is a very old section, dogs will not enter this ancient building, and ever since one of the Yeoman Warders was nearly throttled by a force unseen, they will not go in the area after nightfall.

In 1864, a soldier whose post was to guard the Queen's House at the Tower of London, saw a apparition so real, that after ignoring the soldiers three challenges, he charged with all his might at the intruder with his bayonet, only to go straight through the figure.

He was found unconscious at his post and was court-martialled for neglecting his duty. Luckily there were two witnesses who corroborated his story. The soldier was eventually acquitted.

Lady Jane Grey is another tragic story of a young life cut short at the Tower, due to the actions of others the most despicable of who was her own father.

She was the granddaughter of Mary (Henry VIII younger sister) and Louis XII of France. The Duke of Northumberland would lose everything if Henry VIII's son was to die and Mary, who was Catholic, would become queen.

He and her father arranged her marriage to his son and persuaded her cousin Edward VI to name her his successor in case of his death instead of his two half-sisters. When Edward VI died she was crowned Queen of England, but the supporters of Mary overthrew her.

Her own father got scared and in hopes to save his own skin, left the Tower of London and went to Tower Hill to proclaim Mary I, as the Queen of England, Lady Jane never left the tower; she and her husband were immediately imprisoned and sentenced to death. Queen Mary carried out the execution of Lady Jane's father-in-law but set both Jane and her husband free.

Her father was involved in a rebellion against Mary I, Lady Jane and her husband were again placed in the tower. Lady Jane watched as her husband was taken to Tower Hill where he was beheaded. She saw his body being carried back to the chapel, after which she was taken to Tower Green where she was beheaded. She was only 17 years old.

Lady Jane Grey's ghost was last seen by two Guardsmen on February 12, 1957, the 403rd anniversary of her execution. She was described as a "white shape forming itself on the battlements". Her husband, Guildford Dudley, has been seen in Beauchamp Tower weeping.

Catherine Howard escaped from her room in the Tower of London. "She ran down the hallway screaming for help and mercy. She was caught and returned to her room." The next day she was beheaded. Her ghost has been seen sill running down the hallway screaming for help.

Other strange sightings at the Tower of London have been "Phantom funeral carriages" and "A lovely veiled lady that, upon closer look proves to have a black void where her face should be."

This concludes the brief insight to the Ghosts of The Tower of London. I hope this has fired your imagination enough so that you want to learn more about the Towers most GRUESOME PAST.

If you want to read about more haunting tales then visit my Haunted Castles page, where you can find out about the strange happenings at Windsor Castle or read about the Heroic tale of the two Pomeroy Brothers.

Best Wishes and Have a Great Day

Ten Tips to a Job-Winning Interview

These days, you have to work hard to get a serious job interview. After running just one want ad, recruiters will see thousands of resumes. So getting picked for an interview is a reason to celebrate.

But after celebrating The Call, plan for success. You'll have limited time to impress an interviewer. Even if you decide you don't want the job, I recommend using the opportunity to practice. An offer will build your confidence for the job you really want. And who knows? You may get invited to interview for a really desirable option

1. Do your homework: Investigate the company's culture, finances and markets.

Publications and media reports will help -- but you'll usually get a biased picture. Get on the phone and call anyone who might be able to give you information. See if you can find somebody who knows somebody who had first-hand contact with the organization.

But once you're in the meeting, resist the temptation to show off what you've researched ("I just read that you're about to embark on a new product line") unless you have a question directly related to your career. Interviewers can tell when you're going through the motions.

2. Look like you belong.

Learn the company's dress code and err on the side of conservatism. Some companies will expect you to show up in a classic suit even when all the incumbents are wearing shorts.

When you're seeking a senior position based on industry experience, you'll be expected to know the rules without being told.

3. Take charge of the interview!

The most successful interviews feel like friendly conversations. When your interviewer has an agenda (such as the infamous "stress interview") stay relaxed. Think of playing a game.

When your interviewer refuses to be deflected from a series of prepared questions, raise a red flag. You may be dealing with an HR person who will disapppear as soon as you're hired. That's okay.

But if your boss seems to be reading from a canned program, she may be inexperienced, naïve, rigid, overworked or lazy. Wait for the second interview before making a decision.

4. Assume everyone you meet will provide feedback to the decision-maker.

Some companies hand out comment forms to receptionists, security guards and potential peers who take you to lunch. You can bet your future boss will listen to the secretary who marches into his office to say, "If he gets hired, I quit."

5. Communicate interest and enthusiasm, even if you're not sure you're ready to commit.

You'll rarely have all the facts until you're looking at an offer. When you make a good impression, you may get redirected to a different job. Your interviewer may move to a new position and remember you. And it's always an ego-booster to say, "Thanks but no thanks."

6. Bring extra copies of your correspondence as well as your resume, references, writing samples, portfolio and current business cards.

Interviewers lose documents and conversations move in unexpected directions. A neatly organized folder will help you stand out from the pack.

7. Create a relaxed, positive attitude by devising a realistic game plan.

I encourage my own clients to have a "next step" ready to implement after the interview, before you hear the decision. When your career isn't riding on a single interview, you'll have fun and make a confident, relaxed impression.

8. Write a thank you letter within forty-eight hours.

Create a low-key sales letter, emphasizing how your qualifications match the company's needs. Present yourself as a resource, not a supplicant.

If you find yourself resisting this step, raise a red flag. Maybe on some level you don't want the job. That's okay: you can write a 2-line thank you note - even an email - just in case they've got another job waiting in the wings.

9. After sending the follow-up, forget about the interview.

Email or phone only if you've received a competing offer with a deadline. Silence does not necessarily mean rejection. One manager received an interview a full year after she applied for a job. By coincidence, she was just ready to make a move and her story had a happy ending.

Occasionally you may make points with follow-up mailings. A sports team public relations applicant sent puzzles, games and press releases -- and she got the job. Use your intuition.

10. Keep notes of what you learned from the process. What worked? What would you do differently?

Use your notes as you move through the process. Consider spending a single hour with a friend or unbiased career consultant to discuss the process.

Be careful of unsolicited feedback. Clients always surprise me with career legends they've picked up from neighbors, in-laws, siblings and even total strangers they meet on a plane.

Finally: Don't stop until you have a written offer with a start date, salary and terms, signed by a company officer or HR department. No written offers? Keep looking until you show up the first day and find a desk with your name on it.

And as soon as you begin your new job, make a brand-new career plan. Create your next safety net before you need one.

6 Top Tips on How to Chose Great Domain Names

It's always a good idea to spend time thinking about the ideal domain names for your website. The time you spend at this early stage of building your online presence whether it be a business or a community blog will be well worth your while. As choosing the right domain names will have a direct impact upon your marketing efforts and will either help or hinder you, with getting found by the search engines and your potential customers.

Relevance: Ideally your domain name should be the same as your website name, that way when people are searching for your services, if they know your brand name they will know where to search for you. Many companies and community blogs intertwine their company name, website name and domain name together for maximum effect.

However, there is an alternative, you can choose a domain name that is industry specific, i.e. it relates to your products or services. The international DIY store B&Q are a good example of this strategy. Their domain name is the industry itself - DIY.com

Short and Memorable: By having a short and catchy domain name, you increase the chances of people remembering it, (great for word of mouth advertising) and it also helps to avoid spelling mistakes, which could direct your customers to your competitors websites!

Business Location: If your business or community blog is location specific, that is you are providing a service to your local area only, then put your location into your domain name. So, for example if you are a plumber in Southampton or a dentist in Salisbury put your location into your domain name. Here's an example: MediSpa Salisbury

Keep it Easy to Spell: You don't want to loose out on potential business because your customers are unable to spell your chosen domain name, so best advice here is to avoid words which are commonly misspelt.

Avoid Using Hyphens: The essence of an easy to spell and easy to remember catchy domain name is to get found by your potential customers. After spending the time coming up with your perfect domain name, don't go and hyphenate it! People won't remember to put the hyphens in and in the worst case scenario all you'll end up doing is directing your customers to your rivals website!

National or International Business: The country from which your target customers will be searching for your business is very important and should influence your decision on whether you select a domain name with a suffix of: .com, .co.uk, .eu, .ie etc for your website. Search engines will always try to return websites from within the country that the searcher is located. So if you are mainly targeting national traffic within the UK, it would make sense to have a co.uk suffix at the end of your domain name. For this reason, if your business is targeting ex-pats in Spain, then you would select a domain name with the suffix.es to maximise your marketing efforts.

However, if like thousands of other businesses, you find that your ideal domain name is no longer available, all is not lost. You then need to select a web hosting company based in the country of your target market. This makes it easier for search engines to return your website as your domain name is parked there.

Conclusions: This is by no means a definite article on to how to chose great domain names for your business but we hope it helps. So grab a coffee, pen and paper and jot down your ideas, use our domain name checker on the home page to check your options, the effort you put into this task today will make a difference in attracting customers to your website and the future success to your business!

Uses of Flash Website Designing and Its New Versions

Flash technology is primarily designed to generate animated designs on websites. After the introduction of advanced and sophisticated versions of flash, it is widely used to create interactive websites. With the help of flash, a user can exert greater control while designing a website. Flash web design is able to generate high impact on the mind of the viewers. Traditional web designing methods are highly replaced by the flash web designing. Though flash, one can add interactive movies and clippings to their website which in turn grab the attention of web browsers. Flash is used for creating websites for different purposes such as corporate, industries, education, retails and business.

Flash web designing has increasingly developed to a magnitude replacing the traditional methods of web designing. Flash is used to create animated websites with sound effects and interactive clippings defining the products or services rendered by the owner of that website. The interactive clippings and movies are used for the entertainment of websites and make an impact on the website browsers. Flash with a hint of "static" designing technique can lead to a spectacular development of the website and many sectors of businesses ranging from corporate, retails, industries and business offering services can execute the technique of flash designing and attain fruitful benefits from the same. Flash is used for corporate presentations and educational tutorials with having audio streamed in the interactive mode with user control options like fast forward, stop and selection of track. Flash enhances the look of your website and it is designed as per the viewers of their websites.

Flash web design is a very powerful and a flexible medium to create impact on the viewer's mind. They have also developed a professional website in flash generally used for home page introduction, online demos and flash presentation of complicated technical matter. They also have developed dozens of such projects including flash logo designing and never considered them until the customer was entirely satisfied with the outcome. Adding flash features to the website will make it more attractive and unique. Style and quality are the professional website credo that ensures ongoing success and progress of the business. Flash Website Design Pro is the great Flash HTML tool to help web master design animated sites, intros, Flash banners, Flash ads. With this one can create their website within 5 minutes and without any skill.

Flash website developers enable one to create simple as well as complex Flash animations, where by one can also combine different fonts and effects within a single animation. Flash Website Designs are very user-friendly, wide range effect templates ready for use, and you don't need any Flash/HTML or programming skills to use it. Web Design Pro is a professional website design company. Web Design Pro utilizes all the best and most current design products and programming languages to deliver beautiful results. Flash website design pro is developed by go2share.net and is used by 9 users of software informer. The most popular version of this product among the users is 4.0.

Write Winning Proposals For Venture Capitalists

You need to secure money for your project. You visit venture capitalists to see if you can get that money. A venture capitalist views your project as a pure investment. A venture capitalist has no emotional attachment unlike you. You need to write a proposal that is structured around a venture capitalists needs, not yours. What may interest you may have no relevance to your potential funder. You need a business plan that is 'investor-focused'.

An investor focused business plan contains relevant information about your project. It addresses concerns, questions and should allay fears that any potential venture capitalist may have. It should meet their needs exactly. Venture capitalists exist to make substantial gains. They want to see a good return on investment. By compiling an investor focused business plan, it will be clear to Venture Capitalists that you are focused, prepared and competent.

There are four areas that need to be addressed:

Management Responsibility

Know Your Markets

Know Your Product

Know How Management, Markets and Product Make Money

Management Responsibility

The strength of management assigned to the project can make or break your proposal. Venture Capitalists need reassurance that you can manage their money. They will want to see a demonstrable track record in areas specific to the project you are pitching. The ability of management will be tested so be very prepared.

Know Your Markets

Venture Capitalists will need to see where your income will be coming from. Your company must demonstrate a strong understanding of your customer base and be able to fulfil their needs. Your plan also must address any potential new or growth markets. Illustrate any research you have conducted to emphasise this.

Know Your Product

Venture Capitalists will want to fully understand your product. They will want you to demonstrate how the product that they are funding will attract customers. The information in this section must be extensive and also feature any potential expansions or upgrades that your product will feature. This will show that you have thought about long-term growth.

Know How Management, Markets and Product Make Money

It must be demonstrated that management can create links and paths between customers and product. This element must be very strong as ambiguous information, or an assumed relationship will scare off any potential funder. Create a step-by-step guide of how their money will be processed and how the customers money will be received. This has to be clearly shown.

Tie in these points together and you are already in the top 3% of all venture capital submissions. Good Luck!

Business Architecture And Profit Centers

Business Architecture is about using architectural concepts in organizations. It is not only about design, but also about filling the organizational space with constructions; the various forms that you have chosen to implement a functional need in order to serve a certain purpose.

There are many functions in a company. A general function that is not specific to a certain purpose is the organizing activity itself. So besides having the function of Sales, Production, ICT and administration, there is also the function of organizing general activities. This could apply for any type of organizational unit within the company. Competition is a characteristic you could use to design an organization.

Before you design a new organizational structure (the construction to fit the characteristics) you also need to think about the main purpose. For (business) units the purpose is to serve a group of different clients. Profitability measures are needed to analyze the performance of each group. If the market circumstances change, the unit could shift its focus or increase incentives. Increase the competitiveness.

So far so good. The profit center issue is concentrated around other "units" like ICT, finance, Human Resources, etc. In literature you will find objections to convert these organizational parts to profit centers because the profits (more than the costs) can not easily be measured.

Another aspect why profit centers do not fit for these TYPE of (inter) organizations is often less attended. A profit center, like a business unit, requires a competitive organization. And supportive types of organizations like ICT, administration and Human resources are not competitive (that's why they are called supportive).

The rule for a competitive organization is that more resources should help to produce more output. For the same reason, incentives are possible for such kind of organization, where they are not driving the supportive organization.

To give an example: if you would ask four people to lift a car, and they manage, it is of no use to ask another four people to help them. The car is lifted (supporting) and that's it. More support is of no use.

Implementing a profit center requires a previous analysis. An Architectural view on your business might help solving bottlenecks. Be careful not to change organizational structures too soon.

© 2006 Hans Bool