The RazorKnow Organisation

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Simply put, it is word of mouth. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. It is the most honest form of marketing, building upon people’s innate desire to share their experiences with family, friends and co-workers.

Word of mouth for a brand is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do extraordinary things well. People notice that over time. While there are no shortcuts to generate word of mouth, you can use specific techniques to accelerate the process. Here are a few of them:

Look at the customer as a friend or a family member and not as part of some vague demographic group.

Develop entertaining and informative ads that can be easily forwarded.

Work actively with social networks.

Host discussions and message boards about your brand.

Identify people who are able to influence your target customers.

Inform these influencers about what your brand is all about and motivate them to spread the word.

Recruit new evangelists, teach them about the benefits of your brand and encourage them to create a buzz.

Set up online clubs for passionate users.

Track online conversations about your brand by both supporters and detractors.

Listen and respond to both positive and negative conversations.

Participate honestly on online blogs and discussions.

Sunil Shibad is Creative Director at The Flea, http://www.fleaglobal.com, a non-traditional communication agency. In his 14 years as a copywriter, he has worked on several blue-chip accounts. He constantly seeks ways to develop unconventional creative solutions for brands, across traditional media, new media and interactive forms of communication. He blogs at http://newnimproved.blogspot.com.

Resource Levelling is an often hotly debated topic!

To level or not to level?

Perhaps this story will throw up a helpful perspective.

“Review that!” Mac threw down a print of the project plan in front of John. It was a huge plan, that’s for sure. The thick pile of pages bulged with thousands of tasks. John looked at it in panic.

Mac was the veteran project manager on the system conversion project. He had slaved away at the plan for several days, finally coming up with his masterpiece. John, the new boy, recently qualified and at least twenty years younger than Mac, was providing project support.

At first glance, the plan looked incomprehensible. However, being methodical, John worked through some of the stages, comparing blocks of tasks. He soon discovered that many of the tasks apparently repeated themselves in different parts of the plan. This made it easier to read.

He also noticed that these repetitive tasks were all being done by the same people using the same effort. This was in addition to lots of other tasks they were doing. In fact, some of the team members, the more experienced ones, seemed to be doing an awful lot. Perhaps they were super heroes, John mused to himself.

“What’s that?” Mac had half overheard him.

“Nothing, I just wondered whether our resources are balanced,” mumbled John.

“You mean levelled? We don’t do resource levelling here! It’s dangerous.” Mac was emphatic.

“Well, I just thought we should at least check the workloads,” John hesitantly ventured.

“Look, I know what my people can do. Your job is to check for errors. I want that reviewed by this evening, if you don’t mind.”

Although John was new, he was no slouch when it came to intelligence, so he followed his intuition and hit the resource levelling button anyway, just to see what would happen……

…..and wow! The end date leapt forward by several months! John stared at the screen. He tapped in the name of one of the system designers, Debbie. Under the original plan for most weeks she was assigned for eighty hours.

“What on earth is going on?” Debbie squawked over John’s shoulder.

“Nothing,” John said for the second time. “I’m just reviewing the plans and did a resource levelling just to see. It’s probably okay because Mac did the plan. He must think you can do this stuff really well to give so much to you.”

“That’s ridiculous, nobody can work like that for six months. That’s how long this is supposed to take. What’s Pete doing? Virtually nothing, I see! If he shadowed me for a couple of weeks, he could quite easily do some of this design work. So could a few more of these juniors. I’m going to have a few words with Mister Mac!”

“Hey, I didn’t want to cause trouble, but while you’re at it, you can let Mac know that even redistributing the workload like that will still push out the end date by a month if we level the resources again,” said John after a few minutes of tweaking.

“Well, at least the project board will know and not be surprised near the end of the project. Here’s Mac now.”

Mac was quite taken aback by Debbie’s vehemence. “You should have discussed this the team,” she ranted. “How can you pull a plan out of the ether like that and expect us to buy into it?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll get John to pull a planning workshop together and we’ll come up with a plan everyone’s happy with.” Mac, trying to salvage some pride, threw a dark look at John and said, “Are you onto it, John?”

Lesson Learned

Resource Levelling, rather than being a “loose cannon” in the planning toolbox, can highlight bad planning resulting from bad team management. The mantra is “engage, engage, engage”. Workshop the plan with the team and other stakeholders. That way, get a realistic view on availability and skill levels. Also, good ideas for distributing work and bringing less experienced team members up to speed can be thrown into the mix.

Even with a rigorous approach to planning, it still a good idea to level the resources as a check. This is often avoided because it often leads to more work required on the plan to get it right! But better to put in the work early than get a nasty surprise later!

For more project management stories see:

http://www.project-management-insights.com/latest-project-insights.html

Bouncy trampolines can be extremely amusing as well as being useful to keep your toddlers involved and entertained for some number of hours. Trampolines aren’t just ideal for teenagers, as many can additionally be bought by grown-ups as an aerobic training drill on top of a means for toning and building up numerous muscles all at once. Therefore, a trampoline has so much to provide during the summer for all the family and it’s of no amazement that trampolines are such a well-liked outdoor toy all through the sunny weeks.

The main thing bear in mind when browsing for a trampoline for the kids is to make certain it is correct for both the age & ability of all those who will be on it, be it the teenagers’ or the adults.

A supplementary thing to keep in mind is of course going to be the site of the bouncy trampoline. Many trampolines at present can call for up a significant amount of floor space considering you will want about three feet of space approximately around the outside of the trampoline in order for the children to descend in one piece if they unintentionally plunge off.

It is also critical to note that the majority of bouncy trampolines will require to be sited on horizontal land otherwise the strength and well-being of the trampoline can be easily affected. With this in mind, numerous holes will possibly need to be dug in order for the outdoor trampoline to stand-up consistently. If you’re planning to buy a trampoline this summer then compare prices at Toy-Shoppper.co.uk.

Over recent years, personal loans have become a popular solution for many consumers looking to raise finance for a variety of purposes. You can get personal loans for all sorts of things, from debt consolidation to holidays, cars and other purchases. It is far easier these days to get a great deal on finance, with cheap personal loans available from a variety of competitive lenders.

When looking into personal loans, you should consider a number of factors. Comparing the interest rates and terms on a selection of deals will ensure that you get access to cheap personal loans so you can enjoy lower monthly repayments. And if you go online to browse deals and apply personal loans lenders can offer instant quotes as well as really competitive rates of interest.

It is always advisable to compare a number of quotes and deals on personal loans, as you can then make an informed decision with regards to which finance package offers the best rates and terms for your needs and your budget. This will help to ensure that you enjoy cheap personal loans and low repayments, and you could even find additional benefits such as payment breaks.

The Internet has fast become the leading source of cheap personal loans. Many financial consumers that are looking for personal loans for a variety of reasons tend to go online to get a great deal. Not only can you check out the various deals on personal loans online, but you can also apply for personal loans online as well. This can help to speed up the process and can result in an instant decision in principle in many cases.

About The Author

Christos Margetis is the president of www.Clickgofind.com. Christos is available for interviews and public speaking. The tips in this article were extracted from Chris’s award- winning website http://www.clickgofind.com/personal_loan_reviews/personal_loans_reviews.htm. ClickGoFind offers best information and reviews for personal loans, loans and financial resources information. This article is copyright (c) 2004 by Chris Margetis, and may be reprinted in it’s entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement is included.

christos@margetis.com

Why wait? Top casino directory gambling online here.

The exertion of calling on a offline casino can be ample reason not to go unless you have to. All those traffic jams, the exertion, and tasks called for won’t seem worth the toil merely for that prospect of placing your bets at offline casino, however, if you’re the kind who lives and breathes casinos then going for virtual casinos exploiting the internet is probably the more obvious solution. It isn’t required to move outside to have a go at virtual gambling because everything will be conducted from your familiar home office provided you possess a computer and, obviously, access to the internet. Then again, don’t hold your breath too soon because there’s a fair number of suggestions that you’ll definitely want to train yourself in about virtual gambling, all the more if you happen to be a beginner. Alright, defuse your hormones and absorb the hints below. Here is our layout that explains how to ascertain a respectable virtual gambling Web site.

The first thing that I as a smooth virtual wagerer definitely should chase out is an virtual gambling website of the kind that is prepared to guarantee the best odds. Take care the virtual gambling website is tied up with a respectable auditing company to assess their quoted online wagers payout odds routinely. This can be very constructive to ascertain the gravy you are about to hazard in the course of your impending rampage will warrant the endeavor. Read on a group of supplementary hints about unearthing your virtual card playing website.

Beyond that, another advice is obviously to wager initially in trifling amounts in lieu of throw away big dollars immediately. First of all, check the functionality of this specific virtual card playing system before running any major injury- all the more financial ones! Finally, mind this essential pointer about virtual casino. It can only be always to bear in mind that online casino wagering should always be concerned with enjoyment and much less about big dollars. Casino gambling is definitely no livelihood, but a hobby that ought to make you cheerful and your life as a whole pleasant. So just having followed all these pointers, you can now give yourself up to the enticement of virtual card playing!

Keep these few crucial details in mind when writing and submitting your press release to increase your chances of news coverage:

1. If you are not the news: become the news. No matter what your release is about, you need to find a way to tie into the news. Make use of current trends and statistics.

2. Make sure your headline is catchy, compelling the reader to continue. Research your newspaper to see what works to help you write one.

3. Use “Who, what, where, when, why, how” but not in that order. Your first paragraph should state the problem your product/service/book is trying to solve. This is the “why”.

4. Your next few paragraphs should contain the “what” and “who” that is solving the problem. Your last paragraph is the “when and “where”.

5. Keep it short and sweet. Concise contact information should be included on the top and bottom of the release. Provide a link to your website.

6. Do not “advertise” - this is the news. Keep it fact-based.

7. Use short quotes that evoke an emotion about the product/service/book.

8. Type ### at the end of your release to indicate there are no more pages. A release of more than one page is not recommended.

9. Include a brief history section at the bottom of your release with details about your company or your bio.

10. Most importantly - research and send it to the correct editor using the method they prefer to receive it. Don’t just assume that fax is okay. If you are unsure, pick up the phone and find out.

Susan Valeri is a book and business publicist who gets clients in front of their audience. Her company, The Powerful Publicity Group, obtains maximum visibility for their clients through personalized and persistent contact with the media. Combined with her talented associates, they offer 15 years experience in the U.S. and Canadian publicity market. Visit http://www.powerfulpublicity.com, email info@powerfulpublicity.com or call 905-335-4081 for more information.

In Part 1 we discussed the fact that alternative medicine
(so called) was being used in ancient times long before
conventional medicine came on the scene. It is interesting
to note that there were not so many diseases plaguing mortals
in those days. What has caused this never-ending increase of
deadly diseases that wreak such havoc on the body today?

If conventional medicine was the answer to health problems,
why have diseases increased, and why are so many people dying
from these devasting illnesses? Why do so many persons seem
to be convinced that alternative medicine made by God do not
have healing virtues as the conventional medicine made by man?

There is also what is called complementary medicine, that is,
other treatment used along with conventional medicine to effect
a cure. However, not all substances categorised as complementary
medicine must be used with conventional medicine to be effective.

For example, aromatherapy is regarded as complementary since
it is used in many cases with conventional therapy. I have had
great results with the use of essential oils in the case of
swollen joints, arthritic pains, nasal and chest congestion,
‘flu and other ailments. No conventional medicine was used
in these cases.

Why is information about cures by alternative medicine often
suppressed even though conventional medicine very often
interferes with the natural process of healing?

People are so coerced to use conventional medicine that they
refuse to even give alternative medicine a chance because
advertisements have such great influence when heard often
enough, that the public is convinced.

Have you ever noticed the way conventional medicine is
advertised? It would seem that every effort is made to down
play the possible negative effects.

The ads begin by distinctly emphasizing the benefits of the
medicines; then with hurried words they are changed to
something like this, “If you have gallbladder problems, or
ulcers, (or other ailment) you shouldn’t take this.”
Then in closing, someone affirms that the benefits have
been personally experienced!

Beware such deception and trickery; your health may be
seriously compromised. I often say to myself, “If this
conventional medicine is likely to affect my stomach, kidneys,
liver, whatever, why should I take it at all when I can use
some form of alternative medicine that is not toxic?”

Many people, so trained to distrust natural remedies and eager
to get well, jump at the announcement of some apparent new
super healing conventional medicine; and, without any
hesitation, embark upon a regimen with the belief that it is
the answer to their problem; Yet, they continue to be sick or
even get worse. In spite of that they keep on ingesting them.

I am of the opinion that if persons are encouraged to use
alternative medicine to treat disease before it develops into
a serious illness, they might very well have but little need
for the administration of conventional medicine such as
chemotherapy, synthetic drugs, and surgery. If the body is
kept in a healthy state, it is not likely that disease will
develop.

Day by day warning signs of an impending illness are being
ignored, then when that illness becomes overwhelming a quick
fix is sought through conventional medicine which,
unfortunately, seldomly delivers the required result.

I just cannot understand why most people will not try natural
remedies. My son, who was diagnosed with an exceedingly high
count of diabetes, was given the conventional treatment of
insulin and told that he would have to use it for the rest of
his life. He decided to try a herb called Gymnema Sylvestre
that is known in India as ’sugar destroyer’ and, instead of
using sugar, he used the extract of another herb called Stevia.

What a surprise when he tested the level of sugar to discover
that it had drastically dropped! After a few weeks, he
stopped using insulin altogether. This was well over a year
ago and to this day he has not resumed the insulin therapy.
His blood sugar is back to normal and he now uses the natural
treatment only for maintenance.

I am not saying this to suggest that you will have the same
results, or to suggest that you rush out and buy these items.
This is only to support my confidence in natural remedies. If
you have diabetes, you are well advised to consult your doctor.

Very often a simple massage is the answer to a problem. I
personally have not had a headache for many years. There
was a time when I was headache-prone, and got into the habit
of using synthetic medicines to ease the pain, but after I
decided to try natural treatments and medicines, I changed
my diet from eating ‘junk’ foods and tried to stop using those
synthetic headache remedies.

I started to massage my head and shoulders whenever a headache
came on. Then to my delight, I realised that headaches were few
and far apart. Now they are virtually no more a part of my life.

Whenever I sense the feeling that a headache is imminent (which
is exceedingly rare), I just give myself a quick head and
shoulder massage and I am OK again. No more headache remedies
for me, like the ‘Oh-so-famous’ ones that are so often advertised.

I have helped many, many persons to be rid of a headache by just
simply giving them a massage as mentioned above. Many had
headaches lingering for days, and after about 20 minutes of
massage, they miraculously stopped.

Every person should find the time to learn about the natural
treatments that could be taken to protect his/her own body
and prevent or cure diseases. I do, do you? I have studied
and read about hundreds of cures by natural means, and have
experienced some myself.

Think of the many thousands of persons who might have been
alive today if only they had known, and had been encouraged,
to use certain natural remedies to be healed.

It is not the intention of this article to condemn the use of
conventional medicine which plays a wonderful role in the case
of surgery and other traumatic conditions. There have been
countless such cases where, without the administration of
conventional medicine, many persons would not have survived.

However, it is my hope that conventional medicine in the field
of drugs will one day give way to alternative medicine, and
conventional medicine retain its place in the field of surgery
and other traumatic conditions where it cannot be ignored.

Many persons have begun to take charge of their health and have
wisely shifted their preference to alternative medicine with satisfactory results. It is likely that this trend will continue
and alternative medicine will one day regain the recognition it
so rightfully deserves, as greater emphasis will be put on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health by natural means.

A word of caution. If you have decided to try alternative
medicine, be sure to get in touch with a qualified practitioner.

This article is written for information only and is not
intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information
contained herein is based on my own experience and research I
have done and just want to share with interested persons.
Anyone suffering from a disease is advised to consult a
qualified recognized health care professional for advice.

Jem is author and webmaster of 1-personal-improvement website.
She is also a certified Natural Health Consultant and takes
pleasure in sharing what she has learned with others.

If you would like to read more you may do so at:

http://1-personal-improvement.com

The first five components of a business plan provide an overview of the business opportunity and market research to support it. The remaining five components of the plan focus mainly on strategy, primarily the marketing, operational, financial and management strategies that that firm will employ. This article details these elements.

Marketing Plan. The marketing plan details your strategy for penetrating the target markets. Key components include the following:

A description of the company’s desired strategic positioning;
Detailed descriptions of the company’s product and service offerings and potential product extensions;

Descriptions of the company’s desired image and branding strategy;
Descriptions of the company’s promotional strategies
An overview of the company’s pricing strategies
A description of current and potential strategic marketing partnerships/ alliances

Operations/Design and Development Plans. These sections detail the internal strategies for building the venture from concept to reality, and include answers to the following questions:

What functions will be required to run the business?
What milestones must be reached before the venture can be launched?
How will quality be controlled?

Management Team. The Management Team section demonstrates that the company has the required human resources to be successful. The business plan must answer questions including:

Who are the key management personnel and what are their backgrounds? What management additions will be required to make the business a success?
Who are the other investors and/or shareholders, if any?
Who comprises the Board of Directors and/or Board of Advisors?
Who are the professional advisors (e.g., lawyer, accounting firm)?

Financial Plan. The Financial Plan involves the development of the company’s revenue and profitability model. It includes detailed explanations of the key assumptions used in building the model, sensitivity analysis on key revenue and cost variables, and description of comparable valuations for existing companies with similar business models.

In addition, the financial plan assesses the amount of capital the firm needs, the proposed use of these funds, and the expected future earnings. It includes Projected Income Statements, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow Statements, broken out quarterly for the first two years, and annually for years 1-5. Importantly, all of the assumptions and projections in the financial plan must flow from and be supported by the descriptions and explanations offered in the other sections of the plan. The Financial Plan is where the entrepreneur communicates how he/she plans to “monetize” the overall vision for the new venture.

Appendix. The Appendix is used to support the rest of the business plan. Every business plan should have a full set of financial projections in the Appendix, with the summary of these financials in the Executive Summary and the Financial Plan. Other documentation that could appear in the Appendix includes technical drawings, partnership and/or customer letters, expanded competitor reviews and/or customer lists.

Expertly and comprehensively discussing these components in their business plan helps entrepreneurs to better understand their business opportunity and assists them in convincing investors that the opportunity may be right for them too.

Since its inception, Business Plans by Growthink has developed over 250 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. Growthink has become the firm of choice for venture capital firms, angel investors, corporations and entrepreneurs in the know. For more information please visit http://www.growthink.com or download our free Business Plan Guide.

Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.

Walk, don’t run, to your local fitness store and try on a pair of walking shoes.

For cardiovascular fitness, there isn’t an activity that’s more sensitive to the wear and tear of your body than a stroll through the park. Aside from being a tremendous tension releaser and a great metabolism booster, walking is a great exercise to strengthen your legs, abdomen, and heart.

But before we get into the crucial elements to this growing craze, first kick off the old shoes and slide in with the new.

Walking shoes, obviously, are the walker’s tools, much the way a baseball player relies on his bat and a golfer does his putter. So you can never be too choosy about what you slip your feet into.

Most importantly, perhaps, is that the shoes fit. If you seem like you may be in between shoe sizes, always choose the larger size. It is imperative that you can wiggle your toes inside your walking shoes and that you can squeeze a finger between your heel and the inside of your shoes. After securing a proper fit, it’s time to hit the streets.

Stretching, of course, is the first order of business, so take a few minutes before each walk to stretch your legs properly, increasing flexibility while decreasing the risk of injury. You want to emphasize the stretch around your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles, allowing these muscles to warm up before you begin your walk.

Walking may seem like merely an integral part of your life. You walk every day, whether it’s to your car, to the mailbox, or through a shopping mall. But what many walking hopefuls don’t understand is that there is an actual technique involved.

Walking is a heel-to-toe type exercise in a sense that you should always land with your weight on your heel before rolling onto the balls of the feet. Then, push off with the ball of your foot before landing on the heel of your opposite foot.

Throughout the stride, your arms should be loose and swinging with each step. Your back is straight during this and your knees are bent a tad. As you walk, your eyes should be focused straight ahead, with your chin up, your shoulders straight, and you chest pushed forward.

Your stride should be at a comfortable distance, not too short and not too long. The right stride will conserve your energy and allow you to maintain proper balance, form, and speed.

The more moderate pace for a walk is somewhere around 3 mph while a more advanced competitive walker will chug along at a 5 mph pace. Many walkers prefer to perform with weights, whether held in the hands or strapped to the legs. Before attempting this, you may want to work up such an exercise. However, walking with weights can build up strength and endurance.

Usually after the first two weeks of taking on this method of fitness, the walker will feel an increase in stamina and perhaps a loss of fat. Roads with sidewalks are ideal for the walker. That way, the walker doesn’t face the danger of being struck by motor vehicles. Under circumstances where sidewalks are not present, be sure to walk on the left side of the road so you are facing the oncoming traffic.

Athletic tracks usually provide a smooth surface for the walker, but when doing so, be considerate to others. Be sure to walk on the outside lanes. The inside lanes are generally reserved for joggers and sprinters so the slower your pace, the further outside you should be.

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Refinancing both your first and second mortgage will lower your monthly
mortgage payment and qualify you for overall lower rates. It will also
save you money on closing costs and application fees. And while you are
looking at rates and terms, you can reevaluate your loan’s payment
schedule to better fit your budget needs.

Why One Mortgage Is Better Than Two

Lending companies prefer financing one total mortgage rather than two
separate loans. So second mortgage rates are at least a point higher
than first mortgage rates.

Refinancing your two mortgages into one will qualify your for a lower
rate mortgage. Since lenders charge flat application fees, you will save
money by going through the process only once. Closing costs can also be
cheaper.

Readjusting Terms

In all likelihood, your mortgages have different terms. Refinancing is
a good time to reevaluate those terms and decide what would best meet
your budget concerns.

If lower payments are your concern, then choose a longer term. While
this will increase your total interest costs, it will ease your immediate
budget concerns. Then when your financial situation improves, you can
make principal payments to offset the interest costs.

When concerned about interest costs, it’s best to opt for a shorter
term with its lower rate. You can also pay points to further lower your
rates. But this is only wise if you plan to keep the loan for several
years in order to recoup the costs.

Separate Is Sometimes Better

In some cases, it is better to keep two separate mortgages to save
money. In some instances, refinancing your mortgages individually will get
you better rates overall. This is especially true if your total
mortgage principal equals more than 80% of your home’s value.

If you plan to cash out part of your home’s equity while refinancing,
you may also want to finance a second mortgage separately. Cash out refi
loans automatically boost your loan’s rate.

In order to find your best option, request quotes for refinancing your
mortgages together and separately. Also look at several different
lenders to be sure you are getting the most competitive offer.

Carrie Reeder offers advice about
Refinance Mortgage Loans Online.

View our
Recommended Lowest Rate Mtg Refinance Lenders Online.