Internet Based Home Business and Contingency Plans

Internet Based Home Business and Contingency Plans You have built a successful Internet based home business and your revenues are rolling in, so why should you worry about contingency plans? After all the Internet is ubiquitous and available virtually all over the world. We will examine some of the single points of failure, which could seriously damage your revenue stream in this article about contingency plans.

There are literally thousands if not millions of Internet businesses today and we cannot anticipate every possible scenario. Instead this article will discuss some of the general areas that anyone who depends on the Internet for their revenue should consider. Single points of failure are really the central focus of any contingency planning. Any time you have a failure of one of these elements, you can seriously risk your revenue stream and service to your customers. The Internet itself is widely available with many interconnecting routes for managing traffic and as a result is one of the most robust networks available on the planet. So what is the problem? Well everyone must access the Internet from some point regardless of whether you do it from your home or office. In addition the services you use to provide your service to your customers must also access the Internet as well. These access points and applications, which run on these servers are often the trouble spots for many people. Lets assume that you have a high speed line coming into your home with several computers and employees working on them and using this high speed line. What happens if you have computer failures, your hard disk fails or your high speed line goes down for a day. Do you have back up plans in place to replace your computers, to work from another location or recover your lost data. Depending on the risk of these events occurring and the impact on your revenue, you may want to implement recovery programs that minimize the impact of these sorts of failures. At the other end of the network you are most likely making use of some ones server farm and applications that are running on these servers. This area is even more important since if your revenue stream is dependent on these applications running you will want to make sure that they can survive any number of catastrophes. Questions you can ask include: is the data backed up every day; do they have back up servers that your applications can be migrated to if there is a failure; do they have back up power to deal with power failures; do they have several access points to the internet in case one line goes down; are their databases secure from hackers; etc. These are just a few of the areas that should be considered as part of your contingency planning activity. Of course you must balance cost vs. revenue loss with the risk of failures to decide on how much should be spent to deal with a potential disruption to your Internet based home business. Copyright 2006 http://www.eliasg.com Internet Based Home Business and Contingency Plans

Customer Service is Like Having Spontaneous Sex in An Alley Way

Customer Service is Like Having Spontaneous Sex in An Alley Way Think about it. If you work in a customer service environment, like in a help desk or customer care position, your position's success or failure from the perspective of an existing or potential client depends on three things. These three factors can be compared to having spontaneous sex in an alley way. Whether this interaction be experienced with a known partner (existing customer) or a complete stranger (potential customer), the entire process should be fresh, exciting, and jointly stimulating to both parties involved.

From the moment the action starts until the last good-bye, both partners should be buzzing with anticipation for the end result. Long, boring interrogative encounters are not something anyone looks forward to. Just the fact that this event is happening with someone new or in a new situation should encourage you to be excited. In other words, make the most of it! Use this opportunity to introduce a new side of your personality, or expose an otherwise hidden talent that might interest the other person. Be personable and fresh. Darting into an alleyway to have sex not only raises the level of excitement, but an equally high level of trust must be met. Both partners will be subjected to a mutual dependence that each participant trust the other for a given length of time and not risk exposing certain activities of the event to the outside world. Every one-on-one encounter creates an exclusivity that only exists for those two people at that given time at that unique location. If honesty and trust are not felt by both partners, the interaction will be riddled with stress and fear, ultimately resulting in a bad experience. Confidentiality should be understood, not requested. And, finally, the incident must result in a win-win situation for both participants, mutual satisfaction, which includes equal reward and forfeiture of desired outcomes. Any other ending will produce a lingering dissatisfaction and eventually an erosion of the closeness required for a successful partnership to thrive. As the interaction is taking place, this reciprocated fulfillment must be constantly kept at the forefront by both contributors. And if the person interacting with you doesn't appear to be achieving satisfaction, it's your responsibility to contribute more until that level of equality is attained. Thinking long term, a satisfied customer will willingly return and even insist upon your personal presence for a repeat encounter. Customer Service is Like Having Spontaneous Sex in An Alley Way

Learn How Much Legroom You'll Get on the Major Airlines

Learn How Much Legroom You'll Get on the Major Airlines Most travelers will tell you that the seat room on a flight can often be a tight squeeze. The lack of legroom, a kid kicking the back of your seat, and the uncomfortable struggle for the armrest, can make for a very frustrating flight experience. However, many people are surprised to learn that airlines do not all have the same seating measurements. On an airplane, the space of seating is measured by width and seat pitch. That is, the amount of space between one seat and the seat directly in front of or behind it. For example, if a plane has a seat pitch of 85 cm in economy, this means that there is a distance of 85cm between the front of one seat and the front of the seat behind it. Seat pitch and additional specifications can differ from one plane to another.

When choosing a seat for comfort, it is important to be aware that not all 'bulkhead' rows are the same. The 'bulkhead seats' are the seats that are located right behind such obstructions as walls or curtains. Sitting in a bulkhead row means you will not have another person sitting in front of you leaning their seat back. This often gives you more legroom. It is important to be aware that not all 'bulkhead rows' are the same. For instance, the first 'bulkhead' row can sometimes be more confining with less room to move around. Also, if you are tall, check the seat pitch. More legroom is associated with a higher number. As well, exit row seats usually offer a bit more legroom. If you are looking to book a comfortable seat on a flight, you should book flight tickets as soon as possible because the number of more desirable seats reduces as the flight date nears. Check online to purchase your seats early. You can also purchase a better seat. For an additional fee, some airlines offer seats in economy with more legroom. For instance, JetBlue now offers 'Even More Legroom' seating on its planes. As well, United now offers 'Economy Plus Access' to travelers who pay the annual fee of 5 as well as to consistent frequent fliers. This provides passengers with an extra five inches of seat pitch. The following is a list of how much legroom you will get on a few of the major airlines: SEAT PITCH AIR CANADA: B777-300 81cm B777-200 81cm A330-300 79-84cm B767-300 79-81cm A321-200 81-89cm Embraer 190 84cm Air Transat 84cm ALASKA AIRLINES: B737-900 81cm B737-800 81cm B737-700 81cm B737-400 81cm. US Airways 76-84cm WESTJET: B737-600 73-101cm B737-700 73-101cm B737-800 73-101cm AMERICAN AIRLINES A300 79cm B737 79 -81cm B757 79cm B767 81-86cm B777 84-89cm BRITISH AIRWAYS B747-400 79cm B777-200 79cm B767-300 79cm Continental 79-81cm DELTA AIRWAYS AT7 79cm B737 76-81cm B767 76-84cm B777 79-84cm SEAT WIDTH AIR CANADA: B777-300 47cm. B777-200 47cm. A330-300 45cm. B767-300 45cm. A321-200 45cm. Embraer 190 45cm. ALASKA AIRLINES: B737-900 43cm. B737-800 43cm. B737-700 43cm. B737-400 43cm. US Airways 43-46cm. WESTJET: B737-600 47cm. B737-700 47cm. B737-800 47cm. AMERICAN AIRLINES A300 46cm. B737 43cm. B757 44cm. B767 44cm. B777 46cm. BRITISH AIRWAYS B747-400 44cm. B777-200 44cm. B767-300 44cm. Continental 43cm. DELTA AIRWAYS AT7 43cm. B737 43cm. B767 43-46cm. B777 43cm. If you are person who minds cramped and uncomfortable seating, you should learn about the size of the seating space before you book your flight. A comfortable seat will make the trip much more relaxing and enjoyable. Learn How Much Legroom You'll Get on the Major Airlines

Requirements Vs Delighters

Requirements Vs Delighters Marketing plans are, for the most part, focused on customer perceptions about what is required out of a product or service and what is desired. What is desired can be considered a delighter and can differentiate you from your competition.

Requirements are those service or product characteristics that the customer requires in order to satisfy their needs. When the business fails to meet these requirements, the customer will not be satisfied. The result is a lost business opportunity. The analysis of these requirements will eventually lead us to customer critical to quality (CTQ) issues. On the other hand, delighters are those aspects of a product or service that delight the customer when present, but are not required. For example, hotel customers did not expect a free continental breakfast in the past. By providing customers with this service, some hotel chains were able to gain a competitive advantage. This practice leads to customer expectation. Once exposed to a delighter, the customer can, and usually does, come to require these delighters. In other words, the delighter becomes a requirement. In addition, as is typical with customer satisfaction issues, requirements tend to escalate. For example, where customers were once delighted with a free continental breakfast selection of donuts, juice and coffee, some are now expecting prepared foods. Finally, customer requirements tend to increase in number and complexity. Once a requirement gets set in a customer's mind, they do not typically to go away. For this reason, businesses need to plan the roll out of delighters and measure their impact. There is no rest for the business that wishes to gain and keep market share. Requirements Vs Delighters

Flights To Beaver Creek, CO - Read About Flying Into Vail Eagle

Flights To Beaver Creek, CO - Read About Flying Into Vail Eagle Beaver Creek, Colorado is nestled in the Vail Valley of the Colorado Rockies. With superb access from Vail / Eagle Airport and Denver International Airport, flights to Beaver Creek are affordable and convenient. Read about tips for flying into Colorado for you winter or summer vacation.

Flights to Vail / Eagle Airport Flying into the Vail Valley is a popular option for those wanting direct access to the slopes of Beaver Creek and Vail Ski Resorts. The airport is an easy 20 to 30 minute drive on Interstate 70. Flying To Beaver Creek In The Winter In the winter, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, United Express, and US Airways provide non-stop jet service between EGE and thirteen major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, and Philadelphia. Flights To Beaver Creek In The Summer Summer options include daily non-stop B-757 flights between Vail / Eagle and Dallas / Ft. Worth (DFW), on American Airlines, and Chicago (ORD) and Denver (DEN), on United. Competitively priced American and United services link up Eagle County Airport with their DFW and Denver hubs, and hundreds of domestic and international cities. The Vail / Eagle County Airport has grown with the opening of their award-winning passenger terminal in 1996. In 2004, they served their millionth passenger and set a new record for commercial passengers. New at the Vail / Eagle Airport is the addition of customs services for private aircraft and free wireless internet service in the terminal. Just bring your laptop! Airfare to Denver International Airport With it's spectacular resemblance to the Colorado Rockies, the Denver International Airport is almost worthy of flying into just for a glimpse at this state-of-the-art airport. A pleasant drive from Denver to Beaver Creek will have you relaxing in the comfort of your own Beaver Creek condo rental. Transportation to and from Beaver Creek comes in two forms. You can either choose to rent your own Beaver Creek Car Rental or book a shuttle from Denver to Beaver Creek. Car Rentals in Beaver Creek Whether you fly into the Vail / Eagle Airport or Denver International Airport, you will have many options for Beaver Creek private transportation. Both airports offer economy car rentals, 4wheel drive SUVs and even 12 passenger vans. Having your own car rental allows you the flexibility to explore nearby communities such as Avon, Eagle, Vail and Minturn. Shuttles and Transportation A unique attribute of the villages of Beaver Creek, Colorado is their guest transportation. Simply hop on the intown shuttles and let the FREE transportation system carry you and your ski gear between the three villages. The free transportation system allows visitors who book shuttles from Denver to Beaver Creek freedom to not need their own car rental. No matter where you fly in, Beaver Creek will cater to your every need. Coming for the winter, spring, summer and fall, you are sure to have great memories of your vacation to Colorado. Flights To Beaver Creek, CO - Read About Flying Into Vail Eagle

Hotels in Baroda

Hotels in Baroda Baroda is known to be the cultural capital of Gujarat. It is a home of many museums and art galleries. It is also home of pharmaceuticals, engineering and petrochemical industries. Baroda has its fair share of beautiful attractions. Sayaji Bagh is one of its famous and biggest parks. The museum it houses holds a good collection of artifacts, sculptures and manuscripts that dates back from the ancient days of Egypt. It is a good showcasing of Hindi culture and history.

Also inside the park is a planetarium and zoo. Parents would love to bring along their children here for an educational and exciting trip at the same time. There are a lot of other attractions to see, like places with magnificent structures and other natural wonders. Tourists are bound to have a grand time in their visit. Accommodation is not a problem in Baroda. They are known to have good choices of hotels rated from three stars to five stars. Hotel Surya This is a three star hotel that many travelers prefer to stay when visiting Baroda. It is ideally located near many business and shopping centers. The hotel dates back 1981 and still continues to give quality accommodation services to this day. All the rooms of Hotel Surya are classified into Deluxe Room, Club Room and Corporate Room. These rooms have the amenities like centrally air conditioned, 24 hours room service, smooth internet connectivity, telephone and a TV. You have three dining options inside. First is Vega, a multi cuisine restaurant that boasts of delicious food and elegant ambiance. They have regal decorations and mouth watering delicacies. It can satisfy even the most jaded palate. Buffet Lunch is another on site restaurant. It is lavish and offers a sumptuous buffet everyday. They have delectable delicacies that will keep you coming back for more. Myra Restaurant is your third option. Foods served are equally delectable and worth trying out. The Hotel Surya also has business facilities for all business travelers. These include conference rooms and banquet halls for seminar and personal gatherings. They give their rooms names. The first is Atithithya, a place that can accommodate up to 600 persons. The second is the Orion, an air conditioned place that can accommodate up to 250 persons. Third room is the Meghdhan, a smaller and cozier space that can only accommodate 45 persons. Room 507 is only fill up to 15 persons. This is a power packed intimate business meetings. Last, the Aakash is also called the Terrace Garden. A good 100 pax can be accommodated here. Welcome Hotel Vadodara This is a five star hotel in Alakapuri Vadodara. This hotel offers grand accommodation with their 134 rooms. They have the modern amenities and facilities to all their tourists' visitors. Their rooms are well decorated with beautiful decorations that make their room look spacious and lit. Well ventilated rooms are what they have. They also have club accommodations. Their complete room facilities include a bathroom with hot and cold water for shower, colored satellite TV connections, 24 hours room service, music channel, and air conditioned rooms. Their dining establishments all serve good and multi cuisine food. Cascade Restaurant specializes in Chinese and Continental dishes. Ruchika Restaurant cooks the best Mughlai cuisine while diners are treated to a warm and rustic ambience. The coffee shop is open for 24 hours and serves all quality liquors. The Welcome Hotel Vadodara also has business facilities that business travelers will find handy. They have three conference rooms with state of the art equipments. They are complete from audio-visuals and online facilities. Their two conference rooms can accommodate up to 70 persons each. The largest and main conference hall can accommodate up to 300 persons. Their recreational activities include jogging stretch, home theater, shopping arcade, games room, swimming pool and health club. The hotel also has catering services that might be needed. Hotels in Baroda

A Career As An Insurance Agent

A Career As An Insurance Agent What Is Insurance?

Insurance is the assurance to cover, in monetary terms, the damages caused by accident or natural phenomena. It is the assurance given by an insurance company to pay a certain amount as compensation for the loss of the insured. Nowadays, insurance policies are available for just about anything. People have become much more cautious these days and prefer to insure their expensive possessions for a small premium. Types Of Insurance Insurance policies are classified into insurance for life, health, property, automobiles and appliances. Health Insurance mainly covers monetary assistance for the treatment of different health problems, whereas a life insurance policy is the assurance to pay a certain amount in the case of death of the insured. There are people who also consider life insurance for retirement benefits. Property insurance covers compensation for damages caused to the insured property, in case of theft or natural disasters. Likewise, auto insurance primarily covers monetary assistance in case of damage to the insured vehicle, due to theft or accident. Appliance protection takes care of repairs and replacement of appliances. Why An Insurance Agent? Insurance agents are equipped to convince people into investing in insurance policies. Today, insurance agents not only sell insurance but also offer assistance when it comes to renewing a policy or purchasing other investments. The insurance agent sells different types of insurance policies, depending on the specified requirements of the investor. The same customer can be contacted for different types of policies at different times. The commission earned by the agent is proportionate to the effort and skill applied when selling insurance. There are insurance companies that offer their agents a basic salary, yet the commission received is much more in the case of independent agents. The higher the number of policies sold, higher are the returns for the agent. The trick of the trade mainly lies in the convincing power of the agent that turns a potential client into a valued customer. The insurance agent helps customers to understand the different policies available and choose the right options, according to their specific requirements. A number of insurance agents also offer other financial protection options available in the market to their customers. These options vary from retirement benefit plans to pension plans. There are other plans that secure property investments and the future of children. These options help an insurance agent expand his earning capacity and the profit of the insurance company he is employed with. The personalized services that agent offer are welcomed by the customers and are appreciated too. Selling insurance is becoming very popular today. Technology has also played an important role in the expansion of this industry. Insurance agents can update their knowledge on the different policies available in the market, online. Likewise, they can also maintain a detailed record of the insurances sold by them, their current customers and future targets. This helps them to retain their customers and serve them better with the help of a database. A Career As An Insurance Agent

Discount Airline Tickets Are In High Supply

Discount Airline Tickets Are In High Supply Most people in the United States prefer air travel as compared to any other forms of transportation. Many people need to travel regularly for business trips and therefore are constantly on the lookout for cheap airfares. There is a multitude of air carriers that offer discounted airfares to passengers to generate more business.

As airfares continue to dip on the domestic front, it has become crucial to avail of the best possible schemes offered by airlines. You need to research on the Internet for best deals and compare airfares offered by various carriers. Airlines such as American, United, Continental, U.S. Airways, TWA, Delta, Canadian, and Cathay Pacific offer incredibly low airfares during off-season and you can book tickets even at the last moment. There are various last minute travel deals that come very cheap, as airlines cant afford to lose revenue on empty seats. In order to get the best air travel deals, you need to be slightly flexible regarding your date of travel and the duration of stay. Ideally, you must choose to fly on weekdays, as mid week tickets are relatively cheaper than weekend fares. Airfares will also depend on the season and the time you choose to fly. Odd hour flights are pretty inexpensive. You can fly with JetBlue at relatively low costs to places such as Las Vegas, Nassau in the Bahamas, San Juan, West Palm Beach, and Puerto Rico. These places also happen to be some of the best holiday destinations and have tourists visiting every year from around the globe. Spirit Air offers amazing connectivity in the U.S. by flying between destinations like Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Jose, and San Francisco. Although Spirit Air mainly offers domestic flights, there are convenient and cheap flights available to Kingston, Cancun, and Jamaica. If you are planning to stick to one particular airline, you will find great deals anyways through the frequent flyer programs offered by various airlines. One way of saving money on your air journey is to book well in advance. This can be possible if you are planning to fly somewhere during Christmas or you want to reach some destination on a particular date for a friend's wedding. This gives you enough time to book well in advance and avail of fantastic discounts. You may make reservations through travel agents, as they are the ones who keep a track of all airlines. Airline sometimes tie up with reputed travel agencies to sell their seats to avoid the hassle of advertising offers in newspapers. Your agent may also help you plan your itinerary in case you are considering traveling abroad. Break journeys will cost you less than direct flights. Discounted domestic air tickets [http://travelchecklist.info/travel/travel-agency/discount-airline-ticket.htm]can also be purchased through auctions. You can bid on the Internet for lowest airfares and enjoy handsome discounts. Discount Airline Tickets Are In High Supply

Should You Invest in an Airline ETF?

Should You Invest in an Airline ETF? ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds, are essentially composed of stocks, bonds, or other investment options. They are similar to mutual funds, but have more open options because they trade like stocks. This means you can access your portfolio, as well as buy or sell it during normal trading hours, unlike mutual funds. More importantly, unlike mutual funds, there is no fund manager to handle your investment plans - you are in charge of buying or selling a stock whenever you like, and your funds are immediately credited or debited to your account. Because of this, ETFs cost less.

Airline ETFs have been gaining ground recently as a good investment option. There are several bases for this. First, the air traffic is steadily going up, both for passenger and cargo, increasing by up to 9.5% for passenger and 26.5% for cargo in February of 2009 alone. This means more profits for investors. And despite a 2.9% decrease in air traffic for US passengers, the total revenue has grown by 5% (2009), pointing to a recovery. This may be interpreted as a sign that more passengers are willing to spend in air travel even in times of recession. Mergers of different airlines also helped boost confidence in their value as well. However, between low-fare and higher-fare carriers, the low-fare carriers seem to be a better investment. This is due to several factors, such as fuller planes (more passengers), lower fuel prices, and more equity being raised, which encourages investors. In comparison, higher-fare carriers have experienced more overall traffic, or more trips (about 11.7%), but decreased capacity, or less passengers (about 7.7%). These points to a decreasing demand for major carriers over the past years. With regard to airline ETFs however, it is the inherent volatility of the airline market which promotes trading. For example, mergers between airlines such as United Airlines and Continental Airlines will produce a more stable, world-class airline, and will create a low-cost competition. However, some airlines have already raised billions of dollars worth of debt, and some investors fear potential bankruptcy filings. This opens up many speculations on whether some airlines can still show profits. Further adding to the market's uncertainty is fuel prices. Rising fuel costs can mean lower airline shares, but this relationship is not inversely proportional, because airlines have other costs such as labor, and use financial tools to hedge against rising oil prices. In consideration to all this, airline ETFs are a good investment for the short term, for the investor who likes to move in or out minute by minute or day by day. The volatility in this industry promotes quick participation, but this same uncertainty makes long-term investment in airline ETFs a little questionable, and is certainly not for the passive investor. Should You Invest in an Airline ETF?

The Grand Union Flag

The Grand Union Flag Custom flags have become a rage in advertising and marketing lately. You cannot miss these banners in trade shows. Flags have come a long way from its original use as identifying national symbols.

General Washington raised the first union flag "in compliment to the United Colonies" on that fateful day in Prospect Hill. The original flag is frequently referred to as the Grand Union or Cambridge flag, which had seven red stripes and six white stripes, with a canton (a rectangular division or section) of blue charged with the Red Cross outlined in white and a white saltier. It has been said by some writers that Betsy Ross from Philadelphia was a contributor to the design and the maker of the first flag of the United States. Official records which have been examined have not confirmed this contention but it was known that she was paid for making flags for the government. The first evidence of the description of the flag of the United States can be seen in the journals of the Continental Congress indicating that a resolution was passed on June 14, 1777, "that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." This description was not published in the newspapers until September of that year. In the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence the ships and galleys in the river were drawn up before the city dressed in the gayest manner with the colors of the US and streamers displayed. It is difficult to confirm many of the claims as to the flag's original designer, maker, or displayer, or to determine the design of the flag or flags which may have been flown on a particular occasion. In the John Trumbull painting of the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne at Saratoga, N. Y., which reposes the rotunda in The US Capitol at Washington, D.C., there, is shown the thirteen-star flag described above. The flag of the US, in the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, had not been created at the time of the actual crossing. The Third Maryland Infantry had a regimental flag which it used during the Revolutionary War period. It had thirteen alternating red and white stripes with a blue canton having a circle of twelve stars with one in the middle, all in white. This flag is often mistaken as a national flag. It is shown in the Trumbull painting of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. The Grand Union Flag

Hotel Occupancy Rates - What Matters?

Hotel Occupancy Rates - What Matters? Regardless of whether or not you work in the hospitality industry, you know that it's very competitive. If you have ever looked for a hotel room in a big city online or driven on an interstate through a small town, you've seen hotels offering a variety of rooms and amenities at a variety of prices. Some hotels offer continental breakfast, free wireless internet and paid cable as standard amenities, others include high quality toiletries, luxurious linens and room beautiful appointments among their amenities. No matter their budget, lifestyle or desired amenities, everybody wants to stay in the best hotel room they can afford and most hotels, and the people who run them, are well aware of this.

Many travelers recognize, having done the most rudimentary of research on hotel rooms and flights, the competitiveness within the travel industry. This is true even in a slow economy. This is one of the rare times when you can aim to please everybody you serve and succeed 95% of the time. Of course the goal is that everybody's happy with their meal, flight, experience or stay every time as this benefits everybody. Within the lodging industry, hotel owners, management and staff realize that increasing and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction depends on many factors desired amenities and fair rates among them. This helps hotels achieve their overall goal of full occupancy and ensures repeat business. Most hotels have a target audience, if you will. Some target the business traveler with amenities such as ergonomically correct desks and chairs, free data port access, conference rooms and well lit areas, among other things. Business-centric hotels emphasize the ways they make a business professional more efficient and comfortable; they typically put a low priority on things to do or area attractions, assuming, correctly so, that their typical guest is on a business trip and, therefore, not terribly interested in things to do. On the other hand, family-centric hotels offer great rates, with discounts for extended stays. They also put great emphasis on free breakfast, their pool and area activities, the hopes of increasing their occupancy rates. Another common practice for hotels is putting emphasis on different aspects of their establishment for different groups of travelers. In Boston, for example, most hotels emphasize the variety of attractions, the sports and their proximity to everything either via a short walk or the subway. In Myrtle Beach, they emphasize the restaurants, beaches and the multitude of world class golf courses. In Orlando, the emphasis is placed on proximity to all things Disney and Epcot and, more recently, the idea that roughly an hour to the left or the right you can be at an ocean with hundreds of more things to see, eat and do. The point is that hotels emphasize that which will stand out to a particular type of guest, prompt them to book a stay at a specific hotel and increase or sustain occupancy rates. Though the economy is not at its healthiest, people still travel. Whether because they want to or because they must is another question. Regardless of why each guest is staying at their hotel, most hotels make every effort to include as many amenities as possibly, striving to balance the cost benefit equation to the benefit of guests. The goal is full occupancy at all times with consistently happy guests to visit repeatedly and recommend others stay at that same hotel. Hotel Occupancy Rates - What Matters?

10 Tips for Hiring a Business Consultant

10 Tips for Hiring a Business Consultant In order to find good consultants and establish a trusting relationship, there are 10 steps that will help you hire the best consultants that you can afford:

First, break down each element of the consultant's services that you must accomplish. Consider them carefully to determine whether you can take care of any of them without the consultant's help. You do not need a consultant to handle items that you are capable of accomplishing on your own. Secondly, ask the consultant to give you the names of referrals from other businesses that have used his or her services. Contact the referrals and ask them some meaningful questions about the consultant's services. For example, was the consultant's advice useful? Was the consultant easy to reach and did the consultant respond quickly? Did the consultant treat the business like a top priority? Was the consultant knowledgeable in the areas that were important to you? Third, interview two or more consultants before you choose one. Even if the consultant has very good referrals, you still must feel that you can comfortably work with the person you hire. Ask each consultant about experience in the business areas that are important to you. Be sure that the consultant can give you full and prompt service which includes giving you full attention during your meeting. Ask each consultant to discuss the problems they foresee for your business and the ways they would address each problem. Fourth, be sure the consultant can explain things to your satisfaction. The consultant should be able to offer a continual source of new ideas for controlling costs, improving profits and helping you build a stronger more effective management team. A good consultant should help you meet your goals and objectives. The consultant must be able to clearly communicate all of these ideas to you and your employees. Fifth, discuss the consultant's fees. Does the consultant bill a flat fee or bill by the hour? Check the going rate for the same type of consultant in the industry. Do some research to be sure you are paying the right amount for the services you require. Also, find out which expenses you will be expected to pay. Discuss the payment of expenses in advance and reach an agreement about which expenses will be your responsibility. Sixth, be certain that the consultant has errors and omissions insurance. If the consultant makes a mistake that costs your business money, you need to be sure that the consultant's insurance will cover your loss. Seven, be sure you have a written agreement specifying the terms of the relationship, the agreed services to be performed, and the time within which the work will be completed. The agreement must be signed by both parties. Eighth, be sure that the consultant is available to perform your job within the time you require. You do not want to hire a consultand who is already too busy with other jobs. Ninth, contractors are free agents, and they may work for your competition after completing your project. Therefore, you must have a signed letter of confidentiality from the consultant. Tenth, introduce the consultant to your staff before they start asking who this person is and why they are asking for information or files or about your company's projects. The consultant should be introduced to your regular employees, especially those with whom he or she will be working. Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here! You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. Copies of any articles will be provided free of charge. For information about other important legal, tax, and business topics, free copies of articles, or EBooks, please visit our website at u>www.IndigoBusinessSolutions.net. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Indigo Business Solutions is a registered trade name. 10 Tips for Hiring a Business Consultant

History Of Fireplace Stoves

History Of Fireplace Stoves The origin of the modern heating stove is intertwined with the history of domestic heating and cooking. From the Iron Age onwards humans, sought to cook food and heat their homes with a fire source contained within their dwelling. For ten thousand years or more the designs slowly matured to the point in the 18th century where it became obvious that the differing requirements for cooking and heating would result in the creation of appliances designed specifically with each function in mind.

A number of factors had led to this desire for 'stand alone' heating devices. The middle class were becoming more affluent and demanded houses that separated kitchen, sitting room and dining room. Their upwardly mobile aspirations found cooking and eating in one room unacceptable. These same 'consumers' also began demanding heat sources, which did not waste 80 - 90% of fuel up the chimney - they did not have the limitless budgets of the landowners. Finally, the Industrial Revolution had generated a material ideal for the construction of heating stoves - cast iron. First perfected by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale in the early 1700s, cast iron was the Georgian's great construction material with all its attributes of easy manufacture, easy moulding and good thermal qualities. In the 17th century, country gentlemen had begun to experiment with stove like designs. In fact Prince Rupert, notably the nephew of Charles I, was probably responsible for the first convector fire. However, it took another 100 years or so before we saw the work of the two real pioneers of today's stove designs - American patriot, Benjamin Franklin and British aristocrat turned 'Yankee rebel' - Count Rumford. Franklin, whose scientific experiments included the dangerous habit of flying kites in thunderstorms, realised that a fuel burning unchecked in a grate imparted little heat to the room. His design employed a convection chamber, much like today's convector fires, to ring more efficiency out of the fire. Air for this chamber was often taken from the basement adding a degree of fresh air to the room. Rumford's contribution was less to stoves than to fires in general. He first suggested the chimney throat to control and increase flue pull. He also used a variable metal damper in the flue throat to add further control and stop down draughts when the flue was not operating. Whilst James Bodley patented the first stove design in 1802, his design was more of a cooking stove. In fact, during much of the nineteenth century, the love showed by the British for open fires limited the demand for stoves in the UK while their demand blossomed throughout colder Continental Europe and the USA. Many also saw stoves as responsible for the serious air pollution that London suffered for 150 years from the early 1800s onwards. The early stove designs did not burn their coal with any real efficiency. They produced foul smelling and irritating fumes, which caused, it was said, 'stove malaria' and 'iron cough'. Edinburgh's nickname of 'Auld Reekie' dates from this era and refers to the foul smell of smoke from its myriads of open and closed coal fires. Stoves were altogether more popular in the colder climes of Continental Europe and the newly freed American states. Scotland, with its harsh winters and readily available supplies of coal and iron proved an ideal spot for stove manufacture. The first third of the 19th century saw a number of innovators introduce stoves to the market. In 1830 Charles Portway designed and hand built his first Tortoise stove in Halstead, Essex. Charles ran an ironmongery store and when neighbouring shops saw how effective his stove was, they all wanted one. Mr Portway started a small foundry, which, by the start of the twentieth century, had produced over 100,000 stoves. Meanwhile in Norway Adelsten Onsum founded the forerunner to today's Jtul Company, Kverner Brug, in 1853. Onsum, an entrepreneur in true Victorian style started a number of industrial companies but it was not until after he had lost control of Kverner Brug in Norway's financial crisis of the 1880s that the name Jtul was adopted. As today the stoves were made in the newly popular cast iron and offered the previously shivering inhabitants of Norway, the chance to keep warm during the long winters at a reasonably acceptable cost. American designs tended to be less ornate and many believe that the 'West was won' on the back of the pot-bellied stove which heated the saloon bar and cowboy ranch alike. Many were portable and were moved west as new frontiers were opened up or from battle to battle as the Civil War took over the majority of the US land mass. In the Black Country The Cannon Hollowware Company, later to become Cannon Industries, produced a number of stoves heated by the now-popular towns gas. The most popular was probably the Grosvenor introduced in 1895, the Grosvenor was all the rage partly because, as the advertising blurb of the day informed potential purchasers, it "comes complete with internal chambers for utilising waste heat after it (leaves) the fire". This popular stove sold extensively in urban areas, came in two sizes and may be viewed as the forerunner of Cannon's one hundred year involvement in gas fire production. As the twentieth century dawned stoves were not a popular means of heating the nations living rooms. The 'working class' could not afford the coal to heat themselves properly, let alone 'expensive' stoves to improve the way the fuel burnt. The middle class within cities used gas fires while country dwellers did not like the aesthetics of these heavily decorated appliances that looked out of place in their demure houses. Among the landed gentry and new enriched, stoves were popular but not as a heating source for public rooms. Large kitchens, servant's halls or nurseries might boast a stove but the rooms seen by visitors would include an open fire which was fed and cleaned by servants who represented 10% of the UK population in pre World War I Britain. Throughout the first sixty years of the twentieth century stoves sold primarily to the commercial sector - to the growing numbers of offices, shops, railway waiting rooms and public buildings - together with a buoyant export trade to the Empire. Smith & Wellstood's 1912 catalogue boasted over 200 designs (cooking 'Kitcheners' as well as heating stoves) with names like the Indess, The Moariess and the Sultana. Prices ranged from around 10s (50p!) and demand kept Smith & Wellstood in business right through to the 1980s. Possibly the Company's greatest claim to fame was their cooking stoves. Captain Scott famously took some on his ill-fated trip to reach the South Pole. One was found by an American expedition in 1953. They cleaned out the ash relit it and found that it worked perfectly. One opening for stoves came with the discovery of large deposits of anthracite in South Wales and Scotland. Immediately after World War I mine owners approached Smith & Wellstood to make a stove, which could burn anthracite. The aftermath of the war, with over one million men dead, meant that better-off households had difficulty in finding servants, and anthracite with its all-night burning and clean products of combustion required far less work than traditional designs. Smith & Wellstood produced a whole range of designs like the Jeunesse, Artesse and Francesse, which were the forerunners of modern solid fuel room heaters. In recognition the mine owners called their fuel 'Stovesse' - the suffix...esse being the origin of Ouzledale foundry's well-known brand name. Clean air legislation in 1955/56 followed the month-long smoke-induced smogs of the early 50s and curtailed any market that had existed for the solid fuel stove. For fifteen years or so there was little UK market until the quadrupling of oil prices following the Six-day Arab Israeli War of 1973. Owners of large houses had installed oil boilers during the 1960s and now could not afford to heat their properties. Primarily country dwellers, they desperately looked around for another source of heating and realised that many of them had supplies of wood available on their land. Stoves became popular and have remained so to the present day. History Of Fireplace Stoves

The ACCOUNTABILITY Challenge for Today's Business Management

The ACCOUNTABILITY Challenge for Today's Business Management In today's 24/7 driven business word, accountability is becoming a more critical issue for every business owner, manager, executive and salesperson. The challenge is to realize that accountability is just not a single issue, but an issue with many supporting elements. To maintain and thrive as an accountable individual first requires overcoming the fear to embrace these elements and then a plan of Action to ensure that YOU are an accountable individual.

Action - What action or actions did you take or not take and why? Since many individuals have been conditioned not to take action or are stuck in "analysis/paralysis," accountability suffers because no specific action has been taken. Commitment - Are you truly committed to doing what it takes? As a good friend and mentor once shared that the U.S. has a multi-billion dollar diet food industry. However, he continued "If individuals would engage in walking 30 more minutes each day, drink 8 glasses of water, reduce their daily food intake and avoid known fatty foods, would they or would they not lose weight? The answer is yes there would be weight lost. So, why is there a multi-billion dollar diet industry? The answer for most simply lies within the level of commitment of those individuals. Choices - Are you making good choices such as prospecting, networking or professional development ? Growing your business is directly dependent upon the choices that you make. Are your choices growing your business or limiting your business? Opportunities - Are you creating new possibilities for success? With so many ways to build your business, what opportunities will generate for you greater success? Look at each networking event as an opportunity to enhance your business. Set goals for meeting new people. Analyze the outcomes from those events. Consider forming strategic alliances with others to improve your business results. Understanding - Do you understand yourself? Are you aware of your own strengths and feelings? Do you know how to leverage those strengths? How do you deal with your feelings? By better understanding what you what, what behaviors will help you achieve your goals, how you feel and what values are necessary to maintain your credibility, will bring additional benefits to your business as well as to yourself. Numbers - What are your weekly numbers? The old adage goes if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. Today's technology provides a variety of tools to help you manage your daily performance numbers. By developing your own baseline for success such as 100 dials equals 20 contacts creating 10 appointments delivering 2 sales, you establish some mental boosters to help you stay focused and motivated. Time - Are you making the most of your time? Time is a fixed commodity. By using down time, the time between appointments or phone calls, you can greatly enhance your results. For example, you can write 5 more emails, read 5 more pages or file 5 more pages. Alignment - Are your actions in alignment with your purpose? Do you know what your purpose is? Your purpose along with your vision, values and mission statements act as filters and help you to make better decisions. For if the pending issue is not in alignment with your purpose, why are you even considering this issue? Building Behaviors - Is your accountability a one time thing? Inconsistency derails many individuals and organizations. "Walking the talk" is critical to building a culture where you are respected for your demonstrated actions. Accountability then becomes your friend and not your foe. Internalization - Are you working from the inside out? To be truly accountable, means that your actions are coming from your inside convictions and not just from some recent external event. Internalization also helps to strengthen the consistency of your actions. Learning - Do you view failure positively or negatively? John Maxwell in his book Failing Forward explains how failure is an opportunity for success. If you permit failures to drive your behavior, you have lessened your own likelihood for success. Each day should present to you a new learning experience from which you can grow both personally and professionally. Integrity - Do you demonstrate your values at all times? For example, will you take action when you know a situation is wrong or will you ignore the situation because you don't want to lose a sale? Team - How can you help others be more accountable? Today, proactive teamwork is a greater part of American business. Teams help achieve greater success, but sometimes team members lack some of the necessary skills. We often hear of the 20% of the team doing 80% of the work. Are your behaviors helping others to be more accountable or are your behaviors allowing others to shoulder more of the workload? YOU - Bottom line, it is all about YOU, no buts, no excuses! The ACCOUNTABILITY Challenge for Today's Business Management

5 Great Scenery Add-Ons for Flight Simulator X

Scenery quality in Microsoft's Flight Simulator franchise has improved drastically over the years. Even so, the default textures seem to always leave room for improvement. Take your virtual flying experience to the next level with one of these exciting scenery expansion packs for FSX.

1. Photoreal America -- Sim Savvy Sim-Savvy's "Massive Scenery Collection" makes its debut with Photoreal America. And boy is it massive! The program includes photo-realistic scenery that spans the entire U.S. mainland -- a whopping 400 GB worth of scenery. Where does all this data come from? The USDA's National Agriculture Imagery Program NAIP, which takes 1 meter/pixel aerial photos every 2 years of continental U.S. Don't have a 400 GB hard drive? Fear not, your Photoreal America purchase includes a 1 TB external hard drive that comes preloaded with the software. The program runs from the external hard drive directly, so there is no need to copy files onto your computer. Considering the scope of this project, be prepared to pay a hefty price: 9 USD. But even with the price tag, Photoreal America is still a good investment in the long run; you are entitled to free updates as soon as they are available. 2. Ground Environment X USA & Canada -- Flight1 At .95, this add-on is an affordable alternative to Photoreal America. GEX replaces the default FSX scenery with crisp 1024x1024 pixel images that have a 1 meter/pixel resolution. One upside of GEX is that it includes night textures while Sim Savvy's product does not. Flight simmers say that the scenery enhancements you'll see with GEX are subtle but noticeable. Desolate white road lines are transformed into major expressways bustling with traffic. You will also see a more realistic "blending of seasons" compared to the default FSX scenery. Fall and spring textures mark a much more natural transition to winter and summer, respectively. Despite the enhanced details, simmers say that they still get great frame rates. 3. Megascenery Bundle: Hawaii, Las Vegas, Reno -- PC Aviator This bundle, gives you great scenery for three popular cities. Unlike Ground Environment X and Photoreal America, which do not include Hawaii, you will get photorealistic scenery for Ohau that is simply amazing. View some of the screen captures on the megascenery.com website and see for yourself. Ground textures look exactly like what you'd see in real life--distinct neighborhoods, enclaves of homes, and major expressways with traffic. The Las Vegas component includes 2,100+ square miles of textures. The only shortcoming with this program is that it doesn't enhance any of the 3D buildings on the Vegas Strip. The buildings on the Strip are the same ones from the default FSX scenery. 4. Megascenery X: Southern California -- PC Aviator I live in Los Angeles, so I'm always anxious to get my hands on the newest SoCal add-ons as soon as they are released. I was very impressed with Megascenery X. The level of detail is incredible. I was able to spot my high school, my neighborhood, and even my house! As with the Megascenery Bundle, this program does not add any 3D objects to the landscape, but there are several other features that make up for this. I actually saw better frame rates with the add-on than with the default scenery -- a very pleasant surprise. Another cool feature included with Megascenery X: night textures. Most scenery expansion packs do not include night textures, so you should take advantage of this opportunity while you can. 5. Manhattan X -- Aerosoft. Creating an elaborate virtual version of Manhattan is a daunting task. Even so, Aerosoft did a great job with this product. All of Manhattan is completely remastered in jaw-dropping detail. There's 3D automobile traffic with everything from limos to public buses, there's the Staten Island Ferry making regularly scheduled trips across the harbor, and there's even something else that you typically don't see in a flight sim--people! Another great feature is the "sightseeing mission." Starting at the Wall Street heliport, the mission involves flying a helicopter around the city with a co-pilot who doubles as a tour guide. With a thick Brooklyn accent, your tour-guide highlights areas of interest and gives interesting historical tidbits pertaining to the landmarks you encounter. For Manhattan X, expect frame rates between 15 and 35 FPS on an Intel Quad Core machine with 2 GB of RAM. In the user's manual, Aerosoft explains exactly how to tweak the FSX display settings to maximize performance.

The History of Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels are upscale, full service properties catering to business travel and leisure guests. They are a chain of over 500 hotels all over the world from Rome to Omaha. Hilton Hotels are enjoying a phenomenal growth in online sales. Hilton hotels are the place for you if you want a distinctive hotel. The original company was founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton.

Conrad Hilton was determined to maximize every square foot of hotel space and serve the hotel guest. Mr. Hilton bought his first hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979) was born in San Antonio. He was determined that his hotel to be the best in every city and coined the phrase, "take me to the Hilton". And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979). Hilton hotels are known for featuring world class accommodations in the countries hottest destinations. The hotels are adding MP3-friendly alarm clocks, allowing guests to awaken to their own music. They are internationally known for their Hilton Meetings Business Centres. Hilton Hotels are known for a high level of comfort and prestige. The Port of San Diego and Hilton are planning to develop a 1200-room hotel on the waterfront adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center. Mr. Hilton bought his first hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979) was born in San Antonio. He was determined that his hotel to be the best in every city and coined the phrase, "take me to the Hilton". HHonors program effectiveness has grown from 34% in 2002 to 40% now. The program is designed to thank meeting planners who schedule events at Hilton Hotels worldwide. The program Members can earn both HHonors points and airline miles for the same business rate stay - what we call Double Dipping. MilePoint sponsors, in addition to the Hilton HHonors program, are America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, TWA, US Airways and Hilton Hotels. The American Express Hilton Hhonors Program Credit card earns points for free stays at Hilton hotels. Hilton Hotels are internationally known for their Hilton Meetings Business Centers. Business travel has always been a top priority of the chain. Since 1919, Hilton Hotels has led the way with innovations for executives on the road. Maureen Mackey is Managing Director of Sales, Business Travel Sales for Hilton Hotels Corporation. Hilton hotels are upscale, full service properties catering to business and leisure guests. Hilton hotels are known for featuring world class accommodations in the countries hottest destinations. The prestigious Hilton Malta promises the best in accommodation and a high standard of service for which Hilton hotels are renowned. For business or pleasure the Homewood suites by Hilton hotels are designed with all the comforts of home in mind. The Hotels are the "Official Hotel Group of UK Athletics and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Athletics Team." Hilton Hotels are now building computer files on customer preferences using a system called OnQ, pronounced "on cue". The Hotels are known across the globe and offer a choice of 2700 quality hotels in the UK, Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Room 902 in the Amsterdam Hilton became famous when in 1969 Yoko Ono and John Lennon staged their first Bed-In for Peace. The Corporation is based in Beverly Hills. Hilton hotels are the most recognized name in the global lodging industry and have been in service for more than 80 years. The chain is focused on the needs of business and leisure travelers who desire a full array of quality services. Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved. This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Post-capitalist Free Market Economy, How Can US Be Rescued (PartIV) - Democracy As a System

Democracy as a System

During the last two centuries, political democracy has been the center of attraction by its practitioners for the main purpose of establishing a legitimate system to maintain property rights and capitalism. The U.S. Constitution was framed with this main purpose in mind. Big government began with the " Founding Fathers, who deliberately set up a strong central government to protect the interests of the bondholders, the slave owners, the land speculators, the manufacturers. For the next two hundred years, the American government continued to serve the interests of the wealthy and powerful, offering millions of acres of free land to the railroads, setting high tariffs to protect manufacturers, giving tax breaks to oil corporations, and using its armed forces to suppress strikes and rebellions." [1] It was not until after the Second World War that attention was given to the reality of the situation. Since then monopoly capitalism, having its roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has established its firm grip on the American economy and through that, on the economy of many developing countries. Similar developments, though in a less dramatic manner, were followed by other industrialized countries of Western Europe and Japan. The 1960s and early 1970s uprisings in the United States was the first organized reaction against the monopoly capitalist group and the government which protected its interests. The movement brought significant transformation in the operation of the system such as passage of four civil rights acts, education, anti-poverty, medicaid and medicare legislation, but failed in achieving its main purpose of changing the system for two reasons. First, since it took a violent form, it legitimized forceful and brutal state action to suppress it. Second, more importantly, while the primary aim was to undo the existing "establishment," there was no other suitable alternative envisioned to replace it. Some had suggested socialism as a substitute, but it received no support. First, for lack of social education, socialism was not properly understood and because of capitalist propaganda it was considered as another evil system. Second, socialism as practiced by some Western European countries was not what the theory intended to be. It was just another form of capitalism, maybe not as bad. Consequently, the hold of monopoly capitalism on the economies of the United States and other industrialized countries continued to increase. However, the movement and this technological monopolistic capitalism have attracted the attention of different scientists and philosophers to the erosion of individual rights, liberties and widening class stratification. By 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King "had come to believe that our economic system was fundamentally unjust and needed radical transformation. He spoke of 'the evils of capitalism' and asked for 'a radical redistribution of economic and political power.'" [2] This illness comes from the fact that is nearly never talked about: that the United States is a class society, in which 1% of the population owns some 33% of the wealth, with an underclass of about 40 million people living in poverty. [3] Claim of the U.S. being a democratic society appears nonsense. The U.S. Constitution gives the citizens power to rule themselves, but the capitalist system does not offer opportunity for such power to be properly and effectively used. This essay attempt to introduce in brief a philosophy of the future society in which all power to rule are returned to the people. As all trends indicate, all advanced societies are moving to reach such end and sooner or later will attain it. This is a description of a complete democratic system never presented before. It has been labeled "technological democracy," and is looked upon as a system by itself, embracing not only the political components of society but also its economic and social parts as well, all put together as a system. The important aspect of this theory is that all its components are interdependent; If any of them is missing, democracy is defective to that extent and a true democracy is not present. In the United States, for example, as it has been presented in the previous essays, there is no economic democracy when it is controlled by a small economic elite, and social democracy is substantially missing when there is racism, sexism, lack of appropriate educational opportunities, lack of health care, housing, transportation, adequate old age benefits, etc. Thus, there is very little meaningful democracy in the United States, if any. The same applies maybe to a lesser degree to other industrialized nations which have a semi-socialist-capitalistic operation. The dominant fact is that no substantive or procedural democracy can materialize in any society without economic democracy. Technological Democracy and its components Technological society is distinguished from all previous societies by the very presence of high technology affecting every aspect of life from home, transportation, work, business, government to leisure and recreation. Technological democratic society is yet sharply distinguished from technological society by an essential and important component which is the principle of equality of opportunity. In simple description, there are three basic components forming the organic structure of technological democratic society: Individual, technology, and equality of opportunity. No one of these can provide for democracy without full employment of the other two. Definition of each component, for this purpose, is also different from the usual dictionary meaning of these terms. People is a collection of individuals. An individual is necessary to operate the system. But he is a special kind of individual. He is well aware of the other two components. He knows all about the essence of technology and its proper role in democratic society. He is also deeply committed to the principle of equality of opportunity and its application. This required span of knowledge makes him a high quality human being that the world has never before encountered in masses. He is self-conscious, eager to learn, well informed of social and technological norms and democratic principles. His knowledge is not limited to the normative aspects of life but he knows how to employ, apply, and operate all these norms in practical aspects of life. Without these qualifications, no person can fully and meaningfully participate in materializing technological democracy and fully, or at least substantially, enjoy its fruits. It is obvious that to achieve this goal the society needs a special and appropriate kind of educational system. Technology, as a second component of technological democracy, is mostly a self-operating system which facilitates and substantially helps in materializing the contribution of the other two components. One of the essential requirements for a democratic process is freedom of information. This can be only possible to a full extent through high-technology information-communication system, labeled here as the "Technodem" standing for "technological democracy." There is no need to mention the overwhelming importance and influence of electronic technology at the present time on the political electoral process and in operation of economy. The Technodem is a centralized yet highly dispersed self-operating information-communication system free of abuse or manipulation. Among its many functions to help people in their daily life, is the supervision of all business and governmental functions, particularly checking the employee wage system and competence, holding elections and helping communities in many ways in carrying out their daily functions. Compared to this system and its role in materializing democracy, the present electronic technology, despite its phenomenal advancements, appears primitive. There is no need for additional advancement in electronic technology to form the Technodem, it is a matter of putting proper pieces of the existing technology together and expand them. It is more a managerial and administrative matter. The system is totally neutral and impartial in rendering its services since no human hand is involved in its operation. Thus, in a technological democracy a true democracy without high-technology is unthinkable even impossible. It is for this reason that technology constitutes an indispensable component of technological democratic system. The third and the most important component of technological democratic society is the principle of equality of opportunity under which the society operates. The simple meaning of the term is that every individual must have equal opportunity of access to social, economic, and political means in society. But its application is not as simple as its definition. In fact, it is quite complex and requires particular attention to the meaning of the term in each occasion. In the following essays, as we try to illustrate its application in certain major areas of function, we will gain increasing knowledge of its nature, its meaning and a better understanding of it. The principle does not intend to provide for a society of equals in its absolute sense. It leads toward an equitable society where each person is equal to another with the same level of knowledge, capability, and experience. Its proper application eliminates social stratification and moves the society toward an equitable class structure. Equality of opportunity, as the highest and essential principle of technological democracy, is permanent and universally controls any human authority whatever. All other principles of societal life concerned with freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness and other human rights are derived from and the consequence of this principle's proper application. These ideas are to be obeyed only when they are consistent with principle of equality of opportunity to which they are always subordinate. Under its protection, each individual has a right to preserve his life, liberty and property during the full span of his life. It is not only the source of a broad spectrum of liberties for the individual, but a liberator of operation of communities and the society as a whole. It is the source of happiness for all. Its utility, in every direction of application, is always supportive of what is just, moral and good. Equality of opportunity is per se neither equality nor freedom but it provides grounds for both, equality based on knowledge and experience, freedom so broad that it cannot be fully expressed, but possible to enjoy. In a technological democratic society, the public functions are brought to their minimum. The structure and functions of the government are substantially reduced particularly at the national and state levels. A mass of these functions are discarded and a substantial amount of the rest is performed by the Technodem in a democratic, reliable, and unabused manner; a good part is transferred to local, state and national social organizations, and to the production institutions where individuals are employed. The old concept of "the best government is the least," takes place. For the first time also the government by the people, for the people and of the people is materialized. In the following essays, for the lack of space, we will illustrate only three important aspects of application of the principle of equality of opportunity in the areas of education, employment, ownership of property and the Technodem. This is a quite complex, but highly pragmatic, theory of democracy and cannot be easily understood. Its full understanding is necessary for proper evaluation and justification. Full description and explanation of the theory are found in the materials referred to below. [4] References: 1. Howard Zinn, The People's History of the United States, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999, p. 637 2. Ibid., p.631 3. Ibid., p. 612 4. Reza Rezazadeh, Technological Democracy: A Humanistic Philosophy of the Future Society,1990, pp.245+. ----------------, Technodemocratic Economic Theory: From Capitalism and Socialism to Democracy, 1992, pp.254+ . ----------------, Passage to a Just Society: Secrets of Democratic Life, Leisure and Happiness, 2002, pp.287, simplified presentation for general public. To access these materials visit http://www.democracywhere.com

Top Warm Weather Getaways in the United States

In the middle of winter, many of us dream about getting away to somewhere warmer and where the sun shines. Head south to enjoy the best warm weather in the nation. While the rest of the country deals with snow, cold temperatures and gray skies, these cities enjoy warm temperatures and sunny skies.

The entire state of Florida is a great destination during winter months. In fact, many people that retire chose to retire to Florida because of the warm climate. The further south you head in Florida, the higher the temperature will be. For that reason, Key West, Florida tops the list of the top warm weather getaways in the United States. Key West is the most Southern point in the continental United States. It's tropical feel and laid back atmosphere are also a bonus. Key West is pricey. Everything from food to lodging costs more because of the remote location. But, the scenery is second to known. The island is surrounded by crystal clear blue waters. The sun shines on almost every day. The sunsets in Key West are second to none. In fact, locals and tourists gather every night to watch the sun set in Mallory Square. The next top warm weather destination in the United States is on the other side of the country. San Diego, California is not only a sprawling urban city, but one of the most temperate places in the country. The area enjoys beautiful weather year round. A navy hub, San Diego is full of activities for all ages and interests. The San Diego zoo is known as one of the best in the nation. Moving off of the continental United States, Hawaii is beautiful year round. The Big Island of Hawaii in particular is a top tourist destination. Hawaii is a true paradise with beautiful beaches, forests and skies. Warm weather getaways are attractive to people living in cold-weather climates during the winter months.

Negative Effects of Global Warming

There are many predicted effects for the environment and for human life due to global warming. The main effect centres around an increase in the global average temperature. It's been confirmed by at least 20 scientific societies and academies of science, as well as all the national academies of science of the G8 states, that the Earth's global average air temperature near its surface rose by 0.56-0.92 C (0.98-1.62 F) degrees during the last 100 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that this increase is very likely due to the "observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations, which leads to the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the greenhouse effect."

For humans, these changes in climate are particularly dangerous to those who live near the ocean shore and who already suffer from drought, flooding, and poverty. The IPCC concludes from models that global temperatures will likely rise by 1.1 to 6.4 C (2.0 to 11.5 F) degrees between 1990 and 2100, with the range of temperatures due to the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions and varying degrees of climate sensitivity. Other effects of global warming include a rising sea level and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. In addition, there may be more frequent and intense weather events, such as more intense hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, thunderstorms, blizzards, etc., though it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Global warming is also causing changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions, and increases in the ranges of disease vectors. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities are the major reasons why global warming has been occurring and increasing over the last 50 years. Effects of global warming are expected to cause more changes as it becomes more pronounced; examples include the following projected climate changes (from Wikipedia): - "A significant slowing of the ocean circulation that transports warm water to the North Atlantic; - Large reductions in the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets; - Accelerated global warming due to carbon cycle feedbacks in the terrestrial biosphere, and - Releases of terrestrial carbon from permafrost regions and methane from hydrates in coastal sediments." It is uncertain whether for sure these events will occur or to what severity they will occur if they do, but most believe that the chances of at least one of the above events occurring are likely to increase the longer and more severe climate change becomes. Some scientific members argue whether there will be positive effects from global warming, but most agree that any positive effects will be greatly outnumbered by the number of negative effects. Projected climate changes due to global warming have the potential to greatly and irreversibly change our climate that will have lasting impacts on both the continental and global scales. One effect will be increased precipitation, due to the increasing temperature. As Earth's temperature continues to rise, a very recent report from the IPCC shows that there will be an increasing impact to natural systems and people, especially those who live in Earth's poorer nations. In 2002, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon endured their worst wildfire season ever. Also in 2002, drought created severe dust storms that caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in Texas, Montana, and North Dakota. Since the early 1950s, snow accumulation has decreased by 60%, which has led to some areas of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington to have shorter winter seasons. As you can see, effects of global warming are very negative on our planet already, from increased air temperatures to rises in the sea level to more severe storms. Currently, it is a challenge to predict how many effects global warming will have and how strong those effects will be, but most of the scientific community is predicting that global warming will have more negative effects on our planet and way of life the longer and more severe climate change becomes.

How to Ask If a Company is Hiring

It is a good idea to gather some relevant information about a particular's company's current hiring needs, whether it is from newspaper advertisement, online postings or a simple referral from an employee. However, not all companies post their hiring needs on these media of communication. In fact, medium-sized companies don't do it at all; so, you will need to ask. But how are going to ask if they have openings or not?

Make a choice of which company you want to be a part of. If there is a company you have been eying for quite sometime, do a research about its struggles as well as its potential for growth. Media coverage, online searches and industry-specific networking may reveal a lot about the strengths and needs of a particular company.

Gather the names of the Manager and the Important persons in the company. It may be an extra mile for your struggle to simply ask for an opening. However, knowing the names of people who are significant to the company would bring ease and confidence.

Find out the direct number of the person in charge or the Human Resource. This is one thing you should make sure of. Never let the chance pass by you just because you have not gotten the correct number. More often, if there is a posting advertisements, the number is given; copy that number and be sure to call that number.

Organize your calling plan. Organize your ideas to be concise and direct to the point. You don't have to let the in charge think you are just wasting his/her time by asking irrelevant questions.

Be professional when calling. When you call, you must open it with a greeting. A "Good day," "Good morning," or "Good afternoon" is enough. Introduce yourself on the onset of the call.

Have a pleasant and positive tone of voice. Do not be rude when you are on the phone and never leave an impression of you having an unlikely attitude; those things will certainly turn you down. Instead, be friendly and pleasant.

Here is an example how you will ask if the company is hiring: "I know from reading the article of New York Times that Mr. Jacobs is leading the expansion to the West Coast. While his hiring plans might not yet be firm, I wanted the opportunity to connect with him about a possible work since I have extensive experience and success in this area. When would be the most convenient time for me to speak with him? Or, would it be better for me to send an e-mail with the details of my interests and experience? I am sure he would be grateful and thank you for this lead."

The Most Famous Food From Sarawak

If you love hot and spicy food, then on your next trip to Sarawak, especially to the capital city of Kuching, you must not miss the famous Sarawak Laksa. what food is it actually?

Well, it is actually rice vermicelli mixed with prawn or shrimp paste, topped with fried eggs that are cut into thin slices, blanched bean sprouts, steamed soft chicken slices and juicy tender prawns. Once all the ingredients are mixed together with thick Laksa gravy poured over it and ready to be served, you may want to squeeze a little lime over it and garnished with coriander leaves. You may also want to add in some "belachan" (spicy shrimp paste) before you consume it. Belachan is a popular ingredient in South East Asia. It is commonly used in South East Asia and Southern Chinese cuisines as a shrimp paste or shrimp sauce. In Indonesia, belachan is known as terasi, ngapi in Burma, kapi in Thailand and mam tom in Vietnam. A bowl of Sarawak laksa depending on whether it is a large bowl or a small bowl costs around rm4 to rm6 . (rm3.6=usd1). This Laksa is so delicious that after eating it, it may even send you licking the bowl too. You may even order a second bowl thereafter. This dish will definitely warms up your stomach for the whole day. When you are in Kuching, you can easily find Laksa being sold in many coffee shops. However, the well known coffee shops that sent people waiting and queuing up for hours are the coffee shops at Tabuan Laru, another stall at Bormill third mile and in the city centre located beside Grand Continental hotel. My favourite Sarawak Laksa stall is at Foody Goody coffee shop at Tabuan Laru vicinity. I would patiently wait for at least half an hour on Sundays as there were just too many customers waiting for their bowl of Laksa. The Sarawak Laksa is available only on mornings as they would be sold out by lunch time. The best and most delicious Sarawak Laksa in the whole region of Sarawak is still in Kuching city. You should go check it out if you are in Kuching for work, business or leisure.

What is Overnight Shipping?

So your boss, who's over one thousand miles away, forgot something that he desperately needs for the regional managers meeting. His part of the presentation is scheduled for tomorrow at eleven A.M., and without this material a very important part of the presentation regarding the future of your particular branch will most certainly flop. The question is - can you get the material to him in enough time for him to seamlessly step in and give his part of the presentation?

The answer is yes, but only if you use a reliable form of overnight shipping. How they do it Many courier delivery companies and national shipping chains offer guaranteed overnight shipping all over the continental US and many offer it to the bulk of North America. These companies can make this promise with confidence and fulfill it with a very high success rate do the type of vehicles they have at their company's disposal. Virtually all national shipping chains and many courier delivery services and freight companies not only have fleets of trucks, trailers and cargo vans on the road, but many of them have their very own freight carrying planes that are all constantly on the move to ensure that parcels make it to their destination by the required time. If you ship a parcel via priority overnight shipping from one end of the country to the other or on a trans-continental journey it will likely take a ride on at least one, if not more planes and on any number of different road vehicles before it ultimately arrives at its destination. How they keep track of it With all of the equally important packages crossing paths at sorting centers and warehouses nation wide, it's a wonder that the courier services can accurately keep everything going where it's supposed to go and have it get there at the right time. Many courier services, especially the nationally recognized overnight shipping companies have the latest high tech gadgets and computer software to ensure timely delivery of all of the parcels that they are responsible for. Shipping labels are generated with one hundred percent unique barcodes for identification, contained within those barcodes is all of the information pertinent to the shipment - where the package originated from, what it's ultimate destination is, what time it's due at its destination and all of the information of the locations it's been in between the two points. Delivery drivers, warehouse sorters and parcel loaders all have scanners to read the barcodes on the parcels to ensure that the package makes it to the appropriate conveyor, then the appropriate vehicle and finally to the appropriate address of the recipient. Of course, there are more restrictions and limitations on overnight shipped packages than there are on standard shipped ones. The time and item is ready for pick up, its overall size, its weight and its exact destination may all have a bearing on whether or not your parcel can be shipped via overnight shipping. Some courier delivery services only offer overnight shipping in some very specific circumstances. Before choosing a carrier for shipping an item that needs to be at it's destination by the next day, you'll want to be certain of all of the company guarantees. If they can't offer you an iron clad guarantee that your item will be where it needs to be by the time that it needs to be there then you need to find a company that can. Overnight shipping will certainly cost you more than standard shipping, in some cases it will cost quite a bit more, but if your parcel absolutely, positively has to be at its destination by a certain time the next day - the guarantee of overnight shipping becomes worth every penny.

How Customer Service Can Convert Into Sales

Customer service can convert into sales in your business if you take advantage of the opportunities that cross your doorstep. Many companies miss out on great opportunities to not only make another sale, but get the referral machine working in their favor. By this I mean that if procedures and training are setup with your office and field customer service staff, then you will be able to turn negative situations into positive ones.

Understanding how customer service can make lemonade out of lemons could have a significant impact on your overall sales at the end of the year. One thing you can do if you operate a business that has inbound telephone traffic, when answering the phone and taking care of a service issue, keep an accurate log of information so there's never an excuse about who said what. It also pays to have a protocol that your staff can follow if you operate a service business and your technicians and/or personnel answer the phone while out in the field. Make sure that they know how to look for selling opportunities while working through a service situation. Technicians and 'field folk' often have times when they can sell an additional product or service, but also make the everlasting impression which your customer will remember for a long time. Here are three Simple Tips that you can implement to increase your chances of turning a service issue into a sale: 1. Get together with your staff and managers to determine the best way that everyone can participate in creating better customer service and selling opportunities. 2. Offer a free gift to the customer. Many times this can help with easing any tension or inconvenience that they have experienced. One doctor I know of uses a coffee company gift card to ease the pain of his clients when something happens in his scheduling department. Tip here: do not offer a discount on future products and services as this can irritate the customer if the situation has not gone well. 3. Use Soft Up-sells if the service call or appointment went well. This kind of approach will work if you have a guideline setup and the CSR (customer service rep) knows how to handle a situation. You might find that it pays to put together a procedure manual that outlines how your customer service staff should handle issues, challenges and problems. Once you have a manual put together then consider role playing or lead by example and show the staff how you want something done. Live action and your example will go along way, showing your staff that you mean business but are willing to step up and teach them how to take care of situations pertaining to customer service.