I know a lot of things came to mind when you read the title. You’ll probably say that they’re all rich, famous, influential, and adored by millions of people around the world. Then you’ll say what connects them is that they own clothing lines, restaurants, TV shows, and magazines. And you’d be right! But that’s not what I’m talking about today.

What if I told you that what they have in common is INCONSISTENCY, PROCRASTINATION, CARELESSNESS, LAZINESS, LACK OF FOCUS, and NOT PLAYING TO THEIR STRENGTHS? Would you believe that?

No, I don’t buy that either.

Those words are the qualities of people who don’t achieve the level of greatness that they want. They describe people who never really live a purposeful life. They describe people who end up living mediocre lives – at best. They sound like people who are frustrated, discouraged, and who give up on themselves.

So ask yourself if any of those words represent you. Be honest. Ask yourself what it is that you really want. What do you think you are capable of? What will it take to get there?

Do those words in bold caps a few paragraphs up come to mind when you think of the people you admire? No way. No how. Not even close.

In a minute I’m going to get down to the essence of what makes Oprah and company who they are. I’m going to talk about a disorder that affected me. If you’re a person with a lot of ideas, it has probably affected you, too.

The word that I want to talk about is SCATTEREDNESS. Do you have a lot of ideas? Do you find that everyday, week, or month you want to do something new? If so, you suffer from a disease called scatterbrainiousness.

But, wait! There is a cure for it called focusyourenergyononethingous. It can cure you of scatterbrainiousness because it makes you choose one thing that you’re going to be great at. Then it takes your energy and galvanizes that one thing.

Before Oprah had a magazine, restaurant, and a school she focused her energy on creating the best morning talk-show of all-time. Before Russell Simmons had a clothing line, marketing company, and became an activist he focused his energy on making Def Jam Records the most powerful hip-hop music label in the world.

Do you see the process? They became the standards in their respective industries then created spin-off businesses that were just natural extensions of themselves and their brands.

There’s nothing wrong with having a lot of ideas. Just don’t pursue them all at once. Keep a journal and write them down.

Then, after you’ve established yourself, take a look at your list. You might find that you have some viable ideas that may work.

Or you might look at the list and say, “Man, what the heck was I thinking with that idea!”

If you try every single idea you have at once or if you don’t give your “one thing” an opportunity to flourish you’re only going to be average – at best.

At worst you’re attempts will falter, you’ll lose a lot of money, and you’ll be unhappy. Is that what you want?

For the past few years Derek Felton has engaged audiences all over with his philosophies on Purpose, Passion, and Attitude. Affectionately known as “Mr. Positive”, Derek has an uncanny ability to relate to a wide range of people – from skeptical teenagers to worldly adults. He is available for workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses.

He can be reached at http://www.derekfelton.com/blog and at derek@derekfelton.com

Six Sigma implementations aim at achieving near perfect production wherein the number of defects is substantially reduced. However, Six Sigma implementations are definitely not easy because they often require a major overhaul of existing business processes, which in turn requires extensive analysis and documentation.

Understanding The Six Sigma Pyramid

Six Sigma quality levels can be described with the help of a pyramid, wherein the base of the pyramid represents the current quality levels of a business. The aim is to move up the pyramid to make gradual improvements in the quality level such as sigma 1 to sigma 2, sigma 2 to sigma 3, and so on until the top quality level, Six Sigma, is not achieved. Every stage or quality level requires the use specialized statistical tools, about which the Six Sigma implementation teams should have in-depth knowledge and expertise.

Some Basic Tools

Businesses aiming for achieving sigma 3 or sigma 4 quality levels need to utilize Six Sigma measurement, analysis, and documentation tools. These tools will help in measuring the current percentage of material wastage, which is usually in the range of 50 to 60 percent if the company’s existing quality level is sigma 1. At sigma 2 levels, the wastage is around 33 percent, which means that there is still plenty of scope for improvement. Once the level of wastage is identified with the help of these tools, the Six Sigma implementation team can then start making the necessary changes in processes to achieve the next quality level.

Industry Specific Tools

A use of a particular Six Sigma tool depends on the type of industry. For example, in industries having high volume transactions, it would be impossible to measure and analyze each transaction. As such, only those tools are used that are designed to identify high value transactions based on predetermined logical parameters. These tools will allow a business to give priority to the improvement of most vital processes that deal with high value transactions.

Such tools are necessary for ensuring the success of Six Sigma implementation projects because higher quality levels cannot be achieved until and unless all the high value business processes are not utilized to their full potential. The full potential of a business process can only be realized when it reaches maximum optimization levels or achieves Six Sigma quality levels. All this can only be achieved by employing the right Six Sigma tools and techniques in the right business process.

For selecting the right tools, businesses need to opt for the expert advice of Six Sigma professionals. Although the tools are more or less the same used by engineers, supervisors, and other technicians, expert advice is still valued because it is only the Six Sigma professionals who know how to utilize the information generated through Six Sigma tools and techniques in a proper manner.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Stretch marks are one of the most common types of lesion of the skin. But, despite many myths, they are not only found on women who have had children, though it may sometimes seem like it. Also, women are not the only portion of the population who get this condition; men are not immune, either. The question on everybody’s mind is a simple one; is there anything you can do to avoid them or are they a fact of life?

Unfortunately, the answer is both, yes they are a fact of life and yes, there are some things you can do to lesson the chances of getting stretch marks. But to try to dodge the stretch mark bullet, you must first understand why are develop in the first place.

Stretch marks are a form of scaring that result when the skin has been stretched beyond its normal limits, and it looses its elasticity and cannot bounce back. They are the result of more than just that, however. It is also what happens when the skin looses some of the collagens and the skin tissue starts to breakdown. When stretch marks are first appearing, they may itch and be red or even purple in color before fading to a light skin tone.

One of the most common reasons for the occurrence of stretch marks is pregnancy. It is estimated that between 85 and 90 percent of women will develop the marks at some point in their pregnancy, usually later in the pregnancy. Because this is such a high percentage, most women will try to do something to reduce the chances, or lessen the appearance if they were unsuccessful in avoiding stretch marks all together.

You will get advice from seemingly everywhere on how to not get stretch marks. Some say that a certain lotion helped them, or they will even pass along old wives tails they swear has worked for them. But, generally speaking, you will either get them or you won’t, but skin that has been kept hydrated will have a better chance of staying stretch mark free.

But pregnant women are not the only group that is at risk of developing stretch marks. When sudden body changes and roller coaster hormones collide in adolescents, the skin is prone to becoming marked. In fact, about fifteen percent of boys and up to thirty percent of girls will develop stretch marks during puberty. It is important to make sure that affected children understand this is normal and not be ashamed.

Other reasons for developing stretch marks include Cushing’s Disease and body building exercise and weight lifting. Even the use of steroids, be it topical cream or taken in the oral form can be the cause for developing stretch marks. But, for the most part, skin care professionals believe stretch marks are just a matter of genetics and they are basically unavoidable.

Because so many people have the condition and it is considered unpleasant to the eye, there are many lotions and creams on the market that many consider helpful in preventing stretch marks, or fading them over time.

Most of these products are topical and contain vitamins like Vitamin E, along with proprietary blends of collagens and moisturizer, and some will have plant extracts as well. Be careful, however, when you are choosing one of the over the counter creams as some are not safe to use if you are pregnant or nursing and others may have not been totally tested for safety.
There are surgical options as well that may prove helpful as well if you have not been able to avoid the stretch marks. Techniques like micro-derm abrasion will leave the skin looking drastically better by visibly reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Some people also have been successful with Retin-A, crediting it with a reduction in appearance.

The good news is when it comes to stretch marks is that they are harmless, if unpleasing to the eye, and there are ways to try to avoid getting them, as well as ways to reduce them if they do develop despite your best efforts.

Debbie Dee is a work at home mom who has 3 children and 2 dogs. She writes for Stretch Marks Gone .com and runs her own baby shop online. You can read more articles by here at Acne Skin Care Reviews.

As you begin the process of considering a home-based business you’re going to see a lot of opportunities that make you scratch your head, wondering if it’s all hype and do people really buy this stuff? I’ve put together this simple report to help you make sense of the many opportunities you have to consider.

1) Would I buy the product? When you consider the many products and services available to you, it’s important to ignore the opportunity side of things first and consider the product itself. would you buy this product? If you bought the product would you use the product? Is the product worth the retail price?

2) What excites you more, the product or the opportunity? If you don’t answer both it could be a sign for you to look elsewhere.

3) Are the products of personal interest to you? Most people do not do well with products that they can’t relate to.

4) Is the business one of those “We do all the work, you get paid” type of businesses? I know you’ve heard the old saying, “if it’s too good to be true…” the fact is, wouldn’t we all just sit at home and collect a check if it were really that simple?

5) What type of training and support is offered? Working directly with someone who is successful in the business you choose greatly enhances your success rate. Does the company do live events? Are there multiple opportunities for you to learn more about running the business?

6) Can you see yourself earning an income with the company? You’ve got a goal you want to achieve, no matter what it is money is a part of it and if you can’t see yourself earning an income with the company, move on.

7) Are there multiple ways to retail the products? the best products and services have several retailing segments that you can choose to market to.

Do you have time to set aside for the business? Every business is different, so it’s important that you confirm the time requirements needed to be successful with the business before you move forward.

9) Can you reach your income goal in the time frame you seek? Long term opportunities have more potential, but will require more time before turning a profit.

10) Is there a proven track record associated with the product/ service, business opportunity, and marketing methods? People buy franchises because of the proven track record. There’s a reason that a Monster burger tastes the same in Orlando as it does in Hong Kong.

11) What support tools are available to you? The costs associated with creating support tools can be very expensive, you don’t want to spend a lot of money getting ready to do business.

12) Can you do what they do? As you make calls and review websites, can you see yourself doing what they do?

13) Does it seem to be a bunch of hype? We all have a B.S. meter and we’ve all looked at an ad and said…B.S. Do their claims seem too good to be true?

14) How much do you get paid? This is one of the most important questions you can ask. How much profit do you make on each product? Is it enough? The higher the profit, the easier it will be for you to earn the money you require for your goals.

15) Is there technical support? This is an important question because there are a lot of ways to run the computer and if your a non-technical person like I am, you want ot know that there will be someone who’ll be available to help you for those technical questions.

16) Would you share the product with your friends? Before you poo-poo this question, read it again. I didn’t say “Bug your friends to buy your product”, I said “Share the product”. If you wouldn’t share the product with your friends, that could be a big sign.

17) Are there monthly product purchase requirements? You want to make sure that you’re not buying more product than you and your family can use each month.

17.5) Who controls how I run and market my business. This is the most critical question you should be asking. There’s a company out there who will not allow you to even use their company name in your marketing, you can’t even put their name on your business card. You’re not investing in a job, it’s your business and you want to be in a position to take total control of your business.

Jay NaPier is a multipe six figure income earner in the direct sales industry. NaPier has owned his own restaurant franchise, convience store, advertising agency, mlm soy candle company as well as over 13 years of success as a home business owner. NaPier is available for coaching and speaking engagements by calling 615-573-2536

If you are the type of person who takes a lot of pictures and stores tons of memorabilia from different events in your life, scrapbooking is for you. Many people have now come to realize the beauty and wonder of scrapbooking. Scrapbooks do not only allow you to store beautiful pictures and memorabilia of your loved one’s birthday party or a vacation abroad. Going into the hobby of scrapbooking also allows you to improve your artistic and creative abilities. If you are considering the idea of starting a new scrapbook, here are some good ideas that can help you get started:

Choose durable scrapbooking materials. Your scrapbook will serve as your memoir of unforgettable events that you want to be always remembered. You should therefore invest on quality scrapbooking materials so your scrapbook will last a lifetime. You have to select albums with acid free pages. You will be affecting the longevity and color of your pictures and memorabilia if you use papers with high levels of acid. The pens you should be using to input your captions and texts should also be acid free and are made of inks that do not easily bleed and fade.

Be creative. There are ready made scrapbook templates that are available in the market but what beats a personalized album that reflects the idea and creativity of the owner? Instead of purchasing stickers and embellishments to design and decorate your scrapbook, use readily available materials from your home or store boxes. Instead of buying a postcard to highlight your vacation to Japan, for example, you may use plane tickets you used in your travel or passes to tourist destinations that you have visited in the country.

Get help and ideas from others. To help you make the most of your first experience doing a scrapbook, it would be helpful to ask help and get ideas from others. There are a lot of scrapbook enthusiast communities that you can join. Members of these communities can give you first hand information on scrapbooking tips and tricks. A lot of scrapbooking samples and ideas are also posted in the internet. You may visit websites that feature scrapbooking articles to get an idea at how some people make their scrapbooks. If you happen to know a friend or a relative who is already into the hobby of scrapbooking, you will find his help and assistance valuable.

Now that you have this basic know how on making the best out of your scrapbooking experience, it would be high time for you to start planning on the presentation and content of your album. Just remember though that scrapbooking is not merely about papers, pens and postcards. What really count are the memories and events that you want to be captured in the pages of your scrapbook.

Jeffery Dodd is an accomplished writer with extensive knowledge and interest in scrapbooks and crafts. For more scrapbooking ideas, just visit http://scrapbook.recreationutopia.com/

Six Sigma quality improvement concepts and methodologies were originally devised for use in the manufacturing sector but with the development of newer technologies, Six Sigma is now increasingly being implemented in the services sector as well.

The basic aim of Six Sigma implementation projects is to reduce wastage of scarce resources by reducing the number of defects to less than 3.4 per million opportunities that exist for such defects to occur. Six Sigma quality improvement techniques provide accurate results because they make use of statistical analysis tools. These tools are quite effective when it comes to reducing variations in a product or service.

Why Online Training

Six Sigma projects are normally implemented under the supervision of Six Sigma professionals such as Green Belts, Black Belts, and Master Black Belts. The services of these professionals are necessary for ensuring that the implementation is completed within the planned schedule and within allocated costs. The only problem is that these professionals often charge hefty amounts as fees, which may not sometimes be too costly for a company. The best option then is to train existing employees so that they can get the requisite certification and in-depth knowledge about Six Sigma concepts and methodologies.

However, enrolling employees for a regular course is not recommended because the costs can be quite high. Another thing is that in regular courses, employees will have to attend regular courses, which will result in wastage of precious productive time. The best option is to provide online training that offers the same level of certification such as Green Belts and Black Belts. Since Six Sigma is currently the highest quality standard, it is always better to opt for reputed online training courses. It would be better if the online training course is nationally recognized and is designed to cater to different types of professionals such as engineers, technical managers, and analysts. Skills developed through the training program will then help these professionals in reducing defects in manufacturing, developing and in providing services.

What To Look For In An Online Six Sigma Course

Six Sigma online courses are selected according to the level of training a company is aiming to provide to its employees. However, it is always better to opt for an all-inclusive online course that covers most of the operations related aspects of a business such as general management, design, production, services, and even customer satisfaction.

The course should also include an introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM), leadership issues in organizations, project handling skills, quality improvement processes, use of statistical tools such as diagrams and charts, and other related topics. Such a course will empower the employees with specialized knowledge and skills that will help them during Six Sigma project implementations.

Online courses for existing employees are increasingly being preferred because companies do not have to spend top dollar for the training. Another reason is that by training their employees, companies are now able to harness their existing talent pool and reduce their dependence on the services of Six Sigma professionals. All these factors indicate that the future certainly belongs to online Six Sigma training.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Eating more fish is definitely a heart-healthy benefit. You might be a little weary, however, of the risk of toxins, like mercury found in some kinds of fish. The safety of farm-raised fish, wild fish and fish you catch is also a concern for many people. Use this article as a resource to help you learn how you can eat fish safely.

Some of the health benefits associated with eating fish includes:

• Generally low in calories

• Generally low in saturated fat

• Generally low in cholesterol

• It is a good substitute for poultry and meat because it is generally low in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol

• Cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which appear to decrease risk of coronary artery disease, may protect against irregular heartbeats, and help to lower blood pressure.

There are potential drawbacks to eating fish even though it is good for your health. Some types of fish may contain contaminants like mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins or other chemical pollutants. Fish get these toxins from pollutants in lakes, rivers and oceans. Other disease-causing organisms, bacteria, viruses and parasites also infect fish just the same way that poultry and meat can be infected.

Although the Food and Drug Administration regulates seafood to reduce potential hazards, you still need to safely store, prepare, cook and serve fish to help reduce your risk of contracting food-borne illnesses.

One of the major contaminants found in fish is mercury. Large, predatory fish like tilefish, swordfish and king mackerel tend to have higher levels of mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency report that for most people the amount of mercury they consume by eating fish is not a health concern.

There are two locations from which our fish purchased in the grocery store come from. They are:

• Fish caught in the wild such as an ocean, river or freshwater lake

• Fish raised on a fish farm

Farm-raised fish may have more total fat, calories and higher levels of contaminants due to toxins present in the feed given to fish. Farm-raised fish is more readily available and often cost less. State or federal governments set harvest limits on commercially harvested fish that make them more expensive. The United States requires labels on consumer fish products that states either “farm-raised” or “wild.” Wild fish may also be harvested for personal consumption by sport anglers.

Fish caught by sport angling are not held to the same standards as fight caught commercially. The FDA regulates commercial fish to help ensure safety. Advisories in each state is responsible for protecting residents from the health risk of eating wild fish, for example, which types and much fish is safe to eat. If you are unable to find local advice, the FDA and EPA recommend you limit consumption of fish from local waters to about 6 ounces a week.

Most people do not eat enough fish and have no need to worry of eating too much to cause a health concern. The American Heart Association recommends at least two, 3-ounce servings of fish – preferably omega-3-rich fish – each week. For most consumers, especially those at risk for heart disease, the omega-3 benefits of eating fish regularly outweighs the potential risks.

For women who might become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children younger than age 5, the FDA and EPA recommend the following:

• Avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish due to the high levels of toxins

• Eat up to 12 ounces per week of fish and shellfish that contain low levels of mercury. Sources include: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, Pollock, catfish. Limit intake of albacore tuna to 6 ounces per week.

You don’t have to avoid seafood altogether if you are in any of the above groups. In fact, some studies suggest that not enough seafood during pregnancy may contribute to poor verbal skills, behavioral problems and other developmental issues during childhood.

In addition to the many governmental safety precautions in place, you still need to safely store, prepare, cook and serve fish. Review the following tips:

• Never consume raw seafood, particularly raw shellfish

• Wrap fresh fish in a plastic bag securely and store in your refrigerator

• Eat fresh fish within two days, most preferably the day of purchase

• Store frozen seafood no more than six months

• Do not refreeze fish.

• Defrost frozen seafood in the refrigerator just before cooking or for quicker thawing, place frozen fish in a sealed bag and immerse in cold water.

• Wash hands, cutting boards and utensils with soap and water after coming in contact with fish

• Allow 10 minutes cooking time for every inch of thickness for medium-cooked fish.

• Use a fork or the tip of a knife to cut into the fish to see if it is done. When done the fish should separate into flakes and appear opaque throughout.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2007)

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 3-2007.

Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visit http://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superior quality, safe and effective products inspired by nature, informed by science and created to improve the health of people, pets and the planet.

Although Six Sigma was originally devised as a quality improvement technique for the manufacturing industry, it is now increasingly being adopted by the services industry as well. The basic Six Sigma concepts and methodologies are more or less the same in the services sector where they are applied to both operational and non-operational processes.

Defining Six Sigma

Motorola was the first company to develop and implement Six Sigma concepts in its business processes. The main aim of the company was to reduce manufacturing defects and to achieve near perfect production processes that would help in production maximization. Six Sigma implementation projects aim at bringing the number of defects to not more than 3.4 per million opportunities that exist for such defects to occur.

This standard is applicable for both manufacturing industries as well as the services sector. Six Sigma implementations start with the assessment of current quality levels, which are termed as 1 sigma, 2 sigma, and so on. The aim is continuous quality improvements until Six Sigma quality levels are achieved.

Six Sigma In Small Businesses

Six Sigma can be effectively employed in small businesses irrespective of whether the business is a manufacturing unit or is servicing a customer base. Even in small businesses, Six Sigma aims at perfecting existing business processes and assessing the real costs of the business such as COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality). At first glance, it may seem that Six Sigma is suitable only for large businesses because of multimillion-dollar savings and huge reduction in the number of defects. However, this not mean that Six Sigma will not be cost-effective in small businesses as standard concepts and methodologies can always be tweaked to suit small scale process requirements and for reducing implementation costs at the same time.

Most small businesses compete with large and well-established businesses and this is why they always need to be on their toes in order to reduce costs and offer quality products and services to customers. Six Sigma helps because it provides a level playing field to small businesses, allowing them to concentrate on increasing the customer base by offering better quality products and services. For ensuring the success of Six Sigma initiatives, small business owners can hire the services of professional Six Sigma professionals such as Black Belts and Master Black Belts. They also have the option of training their existing employees.

The conclusion is that Six Sigma concepts and methodologies can be tailored to suit any business that has a ready customer base. It is also applicable in an online business where it is all the more important to have satisfied customers because news travels faster on the internet, especially when it is something to do with bad quality products or services. By employing Six Sigma, small businesses can ensure the quality of their products or services, which in turn will allow them to garner positive publicity through customer feedbacks and reviews. Such businesses are most likely to witness rapid growth because satisfied customers are the real assets of any business, whether big or small.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

In this column I have changed the names and locations to protect the sneaky, underhanded and misguided. (It also really isn’t worth getting sued over).

This morning I received a press release from someone purporting to be a “reviewer” of Internet products, concepts and seminars. The sub-headline under his blog’s name directly implies that he tries everything before telling you whether of not you should buy it. But let’s get back to this press release. It tells us about a large seminar that will take place soon in a major south-eastern city. The press release lists the names and some information about each of the Internet “gurus”

In Internet Marketing “speak”, the word guru means those who so far have made a ton of money in this field. This seems to be the only criterion to bestow the title of guru (‘guru’ originally means ‘teacher’).

By the end of this press release, you are invited to learn more by reading this copy: “A critical review of the (name of the seminar) event and detailed ticket information is available at: (the online link to his blog). A final line of copy says: “He reviews products and events at: (name of his blog again).” The copy used here is quite intentional. It is designed to make the reader believe that this is an unbiased, journalistic “review” of this upcoming seminar (how can you review a seminar has hasn’t occurred yet, except to talk about those in the past?)

Note that I put the words unbiased, journalistic and review in italics to draw your attention to them. That’s because they are most important. This is about deliberately misleading the reader. The title on the blog’s landing page says: “Archive for the ‘Seminar Reviews’ category, implying that there are a lot of other reviews on other seminars, when, in fact, there is only one review on one seminar. (I found it interesting that while I was writing this article over a two hour period, this headline was taken down and replaced without a headline that implied this is part of its ‘archives’.) When you read through this blog, it’s obvious that it’s brand new; it only has one other posted article dealing with ‘health & fitness’. When you click on the ‘Archives’ section of the blog, you get these two articles only, so we know for sure that this blog was built since March 1st. This tells me I’m not the only one who noticed all this not-so-subtle underhandedness.

So where am I going with this? Well, if you follow the bread crumbs, you are told that there are only going to be 399 attendees allowed and the writer hopes to see you there. No blatant sales pitch yet, but that is about to arrive too. The next line at the bottom of this blog is this copy: “Seminar skeptics click here.” When you click on that link, you are treated to a full-on hard sell page that poses a question about whether or not this seminar is really worth $1,997 to attend, by stating: “discover the surprising truth from someone who’s not afraid to tell you the facts…” Once again, we are left with the deliberate impression that this ‘crusading journalist or self-styled Internet Marketing expert is going to really tell it like it is.

Did I mention that the fellow putting on this large seminar will be paying this ‘journalist-marketing-copywriter-whatever’ a $1,000 commission for every person he convinces to buy through him? I don’t think he mentioned that. Do you?

This is the kind of misleading marketing that is giving other marketers and marketing in general, a very bad name. This guy only ‘reviews’ stuff that is going to make him some commission money. He has paid his two grand to attend; now he wants to fool you into going so he can get back his two thousand, perhaps lots more. He should come clean: tell the reader that he is ‘selling’ this seminar and that he will get paid a 50% commission if you buy from him… Don’t hide it under a sneaky veil of subterfuge and gobbledygook copywriting.

©Copyright, Roy MacNaughton, 2007

Roy MacNaughton is a niche marketing coach and business writer. He’s a seasoned marketer, with more than 30 years of international marketing and franchising experience, including nine years online. His soon-to-be-published e-book, (Marketing Yours), teaches solo practitioners, entrepreneurs and professionals how to market their most important product. Learn more at his blog: http://www.UmarketingU.com

So you fancy yourself as a Ronnie O’Sullivan. You have room for a snooker or pool table. Which one do you choose?

Remember a billiard, pool or snooker table is a piece of furniture. If you opt for a fold away table it doesn’t much matter, which you choose, as it folds away after use. In that case go for a functional table with as many features as you can afford, such as ball return etc. For a permanent table look for the same things you would look for in any piece of furniture as you are going to have to look at it all the time. Then consider the quality of playing the game on the table. Make sure it fits your idea of fine decor, as a good table will last for many years. Generally speaking for a good permanent table look for quality construction viz: a slate bed and responsive cushions. As usual you get what you pay for, so get the best you can afford.

The colour of the cloth, which is made of wool, is up to you, generally the cloth comes in red, green and blue. The only thing to worry about here is whether the balls show up against the colour. Green is the traditional and safest colour to choose. The cloth should be kept clean and you can get treatments to extend its life.

UK Pool tables come in various sizes; a full size English pool table is generally thought of as a 7 ft table, whereas a full size snooker table is a 12 ft beast for which you need a considerable amount of room. We have a room size guide on the site to enable you to gauge which size of table you can fit into your games room.

American pool tables are generally larger at 9 foot, also they have larger balls than snooker as well as larger pockets and require the larger tipped cues to play the game with. The American game is getting more popular in the UK.

How about an outdoor pool table or snooker table? These tables are pressure treated wood for weatherproofing, or fibre glass frames with specially treated waterproof cloth. The wooden tables are coloured to match your decking, either green or brown, and all outdoor pool tables come with a cover for the winter, so you could leave it outdoors in the winter. The wooden outdoor tables can be marked out for Snooker or Pool, and we have tables in various sizes from 6 foot to 8 ft. Just imagine, having a barbecue and pool tournament outside on your decking in the summer, sounds great to me
Did you know we supplied the pool table for Russell on Big Brothers Little Brother?

Contact Steve Porter for more insights into this topic. Direct line: (44) 1562-777000 Email: steve@snookerbilliardspool.co.uk Other helpful information regarding snooker and pool tables can be found at: http://www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk.

Contact Information:
Steve Porter

Phone : 01562 777000
Fax : 01562 777001
http://www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk