India is the home to Mahatma Gandhi and famous women such as Indira Gandhi was born there. From my point of view, I believe that Indira Gandhi was one of the most important ladies in modern Indian and Third World history. Daughter of political leader Jawaharlal Nehru (Prime Minister 1947-1964). She was born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad.Indira governed for 15 years. In the 1970s, she had an autocratic government: human rights violation and corruption…

Once in power, she established good relations with Soviet Bloc. Mrs. Gandhi participated in numerous international conferences on population, health and women.Under her direction, the India annexed Sikkim, a Buddhist country. Her best friends were: Julyus Nyerere (former dictator of Tanzania), Forbes Burnham (former dictator of Guyana), Fidel Castro (currently dictator of Cuba) and Michael Manley (ex-President of Jamaica).

In 1984 she was assassinated by two men of her own guard. However, Many people loved her and hated her. Certainly, for many years, the politics of India have been dominated by the Gandhi family and their party. Without doubt, she is famous as Margaret Thatcher(former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) and Eva Duarte de Peron (ex- First Lady of Argentina). Since 1966 more 50 countries have had women presidents, Vice-Presidents and Prime Ministers, including Central African Republic, Taiwan, Ecuador, Jamaica, Uganda, South Korea, Vietnam and the ex German Democratic Republic (GDR).

She had a great passion and was a prominent advocate for animals rights. In the 20th Century many endangered mammals were killed in India for use in traditional Chinese medicines. Millions of endangered species of mammals were illegally exported to Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Macau and Japan. Certainly, Indian Jungle is the habitat of numerous wild animals like elephants, rhinoceros and tigers. Between 1910 and 1958, more than 57,000 tigers were killed by hunters.In the 1970s, there were 2,000 tigers in Nationals Parks.

With doubt, Indira Gandhi was an ardent Third World spokeswomen for the animals rights. She once said: “I would like to see my children have the opportunity to see tigers in their natural habitats…” In 1973, After the founded the “Project Tiger”, Indira Gandhi had strictly forbidden the hunting of tigers and trade of tigers bones. Like the gorilla in Rwanda (African country)… Lion in Kenya… Panda in the People`s Republic of China and… African elephant in Botswana, the tiger is the national symbol of India. In the 1980s, there were 4,000 tigers in many National Parks.

As Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi became the second woman Prime Minister in the British Commonwealth of Nations. For many years her personal ruled imposed a unity on India.The country has more than 800 ethnic groups and more 200 different spoken languages. Furthermore, India has one of the World’s most oldest civilizations and is one of the largest countries around the world.

REFERENCES:

-Universal Encyclopedia Illustrated European-American Annual Supplement 1960-1987, Espasa-Calpe, Barcelona

-Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of Year 1977, 1981, 1984, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago

-Guevara Onofre. Woman and Power, Cecosami, File, 2001

-Grimberg, Carl. Universal history: Century XX (volume 12), Editions Daimon Barcelona, 1969

-Report of the World-wide Conference of the Year of Woman DF (Mexico) of June-2 of New York, United Nation, 19, Mexico, the International July 1975, 1976

-Notice For Speakers th Advancement of Women, New York, 1995

-Rothstein, Robert. “Democracy, Conflict and Development in the Third World”, Magazine of Political Science, Bogota, 1991

-Uglow, Jennifer. The MacMillan Dictionary of Women´s Biography, The MacMillan, London, 1982

Alejandro Guevara Onofre:

I am a writer about Third World issues (human rights, biographies, culture, history, olympic sport, democracy, women’s rights).
I have many books (Mundototal, Power and Woman, and History of Women in the United States) and essays (”Dictatorship and Woman:The First Lady of the Cuban Revolution”, “Taiwan:Democracy and Human Development”, “Culture and Dictatorships”, “Fidel Castro and Sport”, “Pol Pot”, “Robert Mugabe and Dictatorship”, “Indira Gandhi and the Tigers” and “Alberto Fujimori:The Last Dictatorship”. I have studied Journalism, Political Science and International Relations.

Interests and Hobbies:
My hobbies and interests are writing essays, going to the gym, browsing the Internet, Foreign Politics, learning about cultures, reading (my favourite writer is Juan Gasparini from Argentina), cooking Peruvian food, listening to American and British Music (my favourite singer is Barry White). My personal motto is “the future is for those people who believe in the beauty of their dreams” by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Plant Origin: Utah

Extraction Method: Steam distilled from berries, branches, and twigs.

Juniper therapeutic-grade essential oil is calming, clarifying and toning. A very useful and versatile oil that can do many good things for the person interested in natural healing. Bundles of juniper berries were hung over doorways to ward off witches during medieval times and it has also been used a diuretic for centuries.

Juniper oil can be made from the berries or the branches of the juniper tree. The oil may be used internally, topically or aromatically. It has antiseptic, digestive, purifying, detoxification, and nerve regeneration properties.

Self healing and general uses include:

• Juniper therapeutic-grade essential oil is known to invoke feelings of health, love, and peace and may elevate one’s spiritual awareness.

• Juniper oil has also been used successfully to reduce the level of discomfort associated with urinary problems, especially having to do with an inability to urinate.
• Therapeutic-grade essential juniper oil is thought to be especially helpful when one may dealing with an enlarged prostate or kidney stones that make it difficult to urinate.

• One of the most important uses for therapeutic-grade essential oil of juniper is to calm the nerves and reduce anxiety.

• It has been used to relieve nervous tension and has a calming effect on mind, body and spirit.
• It is also thought to be a tonic for the liver and to aid in normal menstruation.

• Therapeutic-grade juniper essential oil is also said to be helpful for relieving discomfort associated with gout and arthritis.

• It is also useful for self healing of acne, oily skin and dandruff, among other skin and hair conditions.

• Therapeutic-grade essential oil of juniper is also said to be helpful for curving the appetite of obesity and overindulgence in food.
• It can stimulate the nervous system and improve the mood through challenging situations.

• Juniper oil has a clean, mildly penetrating woody scent that is uplifting and clarifying.

• Skin sensitivity is a possibility with therapeutic-grade juniper essential oil, so it is recommended that it be diluted with your favorite vegetable oil before using topically, especially on areas of sensitive skin like the face.

• It should also be diluted when used internally. Add one drop of oil to a capsule or dilute it in four ounce of rice or soy milk before consuming.

• It is not recommended that women who are pregnant use juniper oil because of the potential for stimulation of the uterine muscles.
• It should be used with caution by people with kidney problems.

• Check with your doctor before using it if you have other health problems.

• It also should not be used on infants or very small children.

Avoid getting juniper oil, or any other therapeutic-grade essential oil into your eyes, and always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before and after working with essential oils. Keep all therapeutic-grade essential oil out of the reach of children.

–

This entire article is available for reprint electronically or in print, for free, as long as it is done in its entirety, and the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. E-mail to: ghgs@youngliving.org.

Emma Sanford is a Registered Professional Nurse, Founder and Wellness Consultant of Good Health - Good Scents, a distributoship of chemical free edible wellness products, located in Atlatna Ga.

Ms. Sanford writes and publishes a FREE weekly ezine ” Good Health -Good Scents Wellness Tools.” Safe subscribe for a FREE copy. Visit, http://www.goodhealth-goodscents.com and http://www.ultimatewellness.blogspot.com

When considering what is the traditional gift for a Chinese wedding there really are three different answers.

There is a formal Chinese giving of wedding gifts from the groom’s family to the bride’s family, which is referred to as the traditional Grand Gifts. There are also the Chinese gifts that the wedding guests present and give to the couple. Lastly, there are also the gifts, or wedding favors that the bride and groom give to their wedding guests.

The Grand Gifts are wedding gifts that the Chinese groom’s family give to the bride’s family after the terms of the marriage have been negotiated and a fortune teller has analyze the date and hour of the bride’s birth with the date and hour of the groom’s birth to determine if the bride’s date and hour of birth are compatible with those of the groom.

Traditional Grand Gifts include the following items: Li Shi Money; jewelries; dragon-phoenix cakes; dried seafood and mushroom and Fat Cai; poultries; fish; coconut; wine or liquor; a Tie Box with dried fruits; raw fruit; Bin Lang; and tea.

The traditional wedding gifts are given over a period of several days and the purpose in the Chinese tradition is for these gifts to be used for ancestral worship.

The traditional Chinese wedding gifts that wedding guests give to the couple are not near as elaborate as the Grand Gifts. These gifts to the Chinese bride and groom customarily consist of gifts of cash, stuffed in red packets or envelopes.

The last type of gift in a traditional Chinese wedding is the wedding favors that the bride and groom give to the wedding guests.

These gifts are usually small items such as engraved silver fortune cookies, sake cups filled with lavender, porcelain tea cups, jasmine flowering tea in silk pouches, bridal coffee scoops, personalized plantable magic beans, candy bags, glass oil lamps, potpourri wedding bells bags, bridal candy flower pots, candy mint tins, and many more beautiful items that Chinese wedding guests can treasure.

Chrystal Holman recommends these Chinese wedding favors.

Millions of families are facing financial struggles and have come to a fork in the road where they are forced to choose a path, which will enable them to be rid of their debt once and for all. If you can relate, take comfort in knowing that you do have choices, and depending on your personal financial situation you may have decided that debt settlement is the right path for you, since this option can reduce your debt by 50% or more.

If you’ve made your decision and are confident that debt settlement is your best option, now is the time to get to work. You see, debt settlement can be somewhat complex to say the least, and it’s important to be well-informed when deciding if you should attempt negotiating with your creditors on your own, or if you prefer to hire a professional to represent you.

Below are a few things you may want to consider if you’re seriously contemplating the “do-it-yourself” method:

• You must not be easily intimidated - In order to qualify for settlements with your credit card companies, your accounts must be in a delinquent status. Obviously, if your accounts are delinquent, you can expect some form of communication from your creditors and/or collection agencies. Unfortunately, the communication you receive will undoubtedly contain threatening content, either in the form of phone calls or letters. I know it’s very difficult, but you need to be prepared for this type of dialogue, and you must not cave in to threats. Of course, this will be somewhat complicated because you won’t always be sure if the threats you’re receiving are legitimate, or simply an attempt to intimidate and scare you, but most often it is the latter.
• Caller ID is a must - Don’t kid yourself because your phone will be ringing off the hook due to creditor and collection agency calls. If you took the time to answer each call and attempt to speak with these bill collectors your day would be gone - wasted. So, if you don’t already have Caller ID, get it. If the display screen on your Caller ID reads “toll-free number,” “out of area,” “unknown caller” or “incoming call” you can be sure that you’re the lucky recipient of communication from a bill collector. In most cases it’s best to let these calls go straight to voicemail. The only instance you’ll want to speak with bill collectors is when your delinquency is at a stage which is optimal for a satisfactory settlement agreement.

If you believe you’d rather hire a professional debt settlement firm to assist you during this very tedious and complicated process, please be cognizant of the existence of some firms that are more interested in taking your money than in legitimately assisting you to become free from debt. Some signs you’ll want to be weary of include the following

• Pre-payment of fees - While I understand why most debt settlement companies require that their fees are paid up front, I don’t necessarily agree with this tactic. You see, prior to the finalization of a settlement with your creditor, much work and preparation has been already taking place behind the scenes, and companies want to ensure that they’ll be properly compensated for their time and expenses. That being said, I also believe that debt settlement firms should want to ensure that your creditors are paid as quickly as possible so that you - their client - can begin to feel a sense of relief sooner rather than later. This can rarely be achieved if all of your money is first going to the company that claims to have your best interest in mind. It may take many mouse-clicks and more than a few minutes of surfing the Internet, but you can locate a firm that won’t accept payment from you until a mutually agreeable settlement has been reached with your creditor(s).
• Unrealistic fees - Certainly the cheapest debt settlement company isn’t necessarily the best debt settlement company, but you can locate honest, ethical and reputable firms whose fees are reasonable, and won’t make the process of debt settlement too costly to consider. Fee structures vary from one debt settlement company to another; many firms charge their clients 15% of the total amount of debt to be settled, while others base their fees on the amount of money their clients actually save at the time of settlement. I’ve seen these fees range anywhere from 15%-25% of the amount of money saved.
• High pressure sales tactics - If you feel as though a firm’s employee is communicating more like a salesman than a debt consultation professional, run - don’t walk - as fast as you can. This is a difficult time for you and the last thing you need is a high-pressure salesperson taking advantage of your potentially vulnerable state just to “close the deal.” Rather, you’ll want to be certain that you’re dealing with an individual who is genuinely interested in your financial hardship, as well as taking the proper steps to help you achieve your goal by eliminating your money concerns

Congratulations for having the resolve to become free from debt. It’s not easy to face financial burdens, and you deserve to be commended for taking the time to proactively research and execute a plan.

Marie Megge is a consultant in the credit services industry. Over the past several years she has assisted many individuals in resolving their debt-related matters. For more information regarding credit and debt visit http://www.donaldsonwilliams.com

Why would you want to earn extra residual income online? Residual income allows you to leverage your time. The idea is that you put in an initial time and effort which will earn you extra residual income. You get paid multiple times for something which you do once.

1. One way to earn extra residual income is to join affiliate programs that pay you recurring commissions. For example, there are many membership sites online with residual income compensation structures. Website hosting companies usually have a referral program that pays you regularly. When you refer someone to this type of affiliate program, you will earn income as long as they stay active in that program. The key is that you have to advertise your affiliate program to a targeted audience.

2. Multiple tier affiliate programs can also help you create more residual income. To succeed with multiple tier affiliate programs, you have to recruit affiliates who are actively recruiting. These active affiliates will build your downline and enable you to earn extra income by leveraging the efforts of others. To find active affiliates, you can use an online system that acts like a funnel and initially sorts prospects for you.

3. Online investing is another way to earn more residual income. Of course, it is not a guaranteed way to make more money but it take advantage of the power of time. First you will have to join an online brokerage. These brokerages let you manage your own investments online and are cheaper than traditional brokerage firms. Before you start investing online, make sure you have some system in place to determine how you will buy and sell your investments. If you do not have a system, then emotion will likely take over. It will probably cause you to actually decrease your income instead of earning more.

4. Start your own membership site. Take a look at your hobbies and interests. Take an inventory of what you are passionate and knowledgeable about. If you think you do not have any knowledge or services to share, remember that everyone has knowledge that others would like. The good thing about a membership site is that if it provides value, people will continue to subscribe and earn you residual income. If you continue to improve your site all the time, your residual income will grow.

5. If you think that starting a membership site is too much work, then consider joining a proven residual income generating system. A big advantage with an income system is that it can be duplicated. Duplication can increase your residual income because your referrals will have the same income system you have. They will be able to figure out what to do to start earning income because they have a system like you do.

Discover how average Joes can make huge residual profits with a proven automated system! Visit http://incomewave.net To learn the secrets of how I succeed with this complete income generating system, check out http://makemoneyprofits.blogspot.com

Effects of Hyperemesis Gravidarum

A hyperemetic mother can vomit between four and twenty (or more) times a day for months. If, starting at six weeks, a particular woman vomits an average of fifteen times a day she will have endured several hundred emetic episodes by twenty weeks. Imagine the discomfort of vomiting that much in such a short span of time! The vomiting can be so frequent that the stomach acid erodes tooth enamel. The emesis itself is often bile-filled and blood tinged (the blood usually comes from small tears in the esophagus, stomach or duodenum), and the cycle is self-perpetuating and relentless. In addition to the excessive vomiting, a severely hyperemetic mother suffers from weight loss, dehydration and metabolic disturbances.

Weight Loss

The nausea and vomiting of HG make it nearly impossible for the mother to eat or drink much, if anything. Obviously, if you don’t eat you lose weight. Again, losing greater than 5% of your total body weight is one clinical indication supporting a diagnosis of severe HG.

Dehydration

Fluid, which makes up around two-thirds of a person’s body weight, is vital, because every single process in our bodies occurs in a fluid medium. Surprisingly, dehydration can cause nausea and vomiting, and that’s the last thing a hyperemetic wants more of. Some symptoms of dehydration are lowered blood pressure, headache, blurred vision and fever.

Electrolyte Imbalance

Electrolytes are chemical compounds that break down into such elements as potassium and salt in the body fluid, and they play a vital role in stabilizing body systems. Severe vomiting can cause electrolyte imbalance, which may manifest as a tingling sensation in the hands and feet, general weakness, decreased reflexes or reaction times and other symptoms.

Carbohydrate Depletion and Ketonuria

Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fibers. They are the body’s main source of energy, and if carbohydrate levels are inadequate, a person’s body begins to break down fat for energy and may take energy from muscle and even organs. This can disrupt the nervous system.

The central nervous system refers to the brain and spinal cord and conscious motor activities like walking and talking. The peripheral nervous system involves automated functioning such as the heartbeat and digestion. Your body needs energy to function. Carbohydrate depletion causes weariness with a capital “W”, and it can make a three-step trip to the toilet feel like world travel.

Additionally, when the body must break down fat for energy, this creates substances called ketones, which can make the blood too acidic. If your urine is flooded with ketones it is a sign that you are in a period of starvation.

If you are living with the suffering of HG, don’t let your physicians tell you that you’re not sick but only having a baby. You are sick. HG is not a normal pregnancy experience. However, be encouraged; there is good news!

HG and Pregnancy Outcomes

With so much nausea and vomiting, adequate nutrition is obviously an issue. A good diet and vitamins during pregnancy have been so fanatically drilled into society that many of us incorrectly assume that a woman who eats negligible amounts and hyper-vomits for months is going to have a malformed, severely retarded baby if the little one even survives. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The body has a miraculous compensatory ability, and a severely hyperemetic woman with sufficient medical care has as much chance at a successful pregnancy outcome as anyone. In fact, some studies have shown that hyperemetic mothers have a reduced risk of miscarriage[12] and no increased rate of birth defects.[13-14] However, alternative nutrition is often considered in cases involving a total body weight loss of 10% or more, in order to prevent low birth weight and prematurity.[15]

[12] Gardner DK Hyperemesis gravidarum

Pharmacist (Aug 1997)p47-66

[13] Hallak, et al. Hyperemesis gravidarum: Effects on fetal outcomes

J Reprod Med (Nov 1996)v41n11p871-4

[14] Eliakim R, et al.

[15] van de Ven CJ Nasogastric enteral feeding in hyperemesis gravidarum

Lancet (Feb 1997)v349n9050p445(2)

If you would like to learn more about hyperemesis gravidarum, please visit beyondmorningsickness.com

Ashli Foshee McCall is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother who battled severe hyperemesis gravidarum four times.

I ended up working at home gradually, making the transition from working at our “real” office to working at the house bit-by-bit. I was forced to “bring the office home” the first year we published our Half Price Camping Guide because I needed to get rid of the interruptions at the office - just for a month.

After that month was over, I realized how much I like working at home, and decided to do it as often as I could. Although our campgrounds must be staffed 24/7, and my husband and I have to inspect the properties often, there really isn’t much of the bookkeeping that I can’t do from home.

I find that the serenity of my own home gives me a quiet state of mind. I’m able to be more creative, get more done with less interruption, and I like that the kids can spend their time doing what they want, rather than having to hang around the office, waiting for us to finish our day. They homeschool, so when their lessons are done, they are free to walk to the video store, visit with other homeschool friends in the neighborhood, watch a movie, or just hang out in their own rooms. We’re all more relaxed and productive!

But it didn’t take long to figure out that I was going to need to upgrade a few things in order to really “work at home.” My first problem was internet. This was back in the day when broadband was new. It was quite expensive, too, and while it was immediately added at the office… I was hesitant to spend the extra money at home.

Then again, if I got on the internet, I was tying up the phone line. I was waiting until night time to do any online work, working until 10pm, and keeping the phone line free during the day. Really, how productive was that? Wasn’t I just buying myself more hours, instead of making life easier? Depending on your financial situation - go ahead and get the services you need as soon as you can.

I was pinching pennies in the wrong places, losing efficiency, and not really honoring my own assertion that this was really “my office.” Take a look at what you need… and get it as soon as you can afford it. Inconvenience and wasted time will not help you be successful.

The next thing I faced was spending too much money on supplies. I needed lots of printer ink, printing paper, blank post cards - we went through a LOT of printing in those days… and because we are twenty miles from a larger town, I bought everything at Wal Mart, near my house.

I remembered that our office supply company could as easily deliver to my house as to my “real” office. I placed an order with Reliable, my favorite office supply company, and saved a ton by buying in volume. (Note: Reliable delivers anywhere within 1 day- PLUS, you get free cookies if you order $100 or more!) Need I say more? Act like a business, and save by buying in bulk whenever you can.

And the other factor that wasn’t working well was my desk. I was working on an antique roll-top desk, in my dining room. It was a nice feeling for a few days… then it became obvious that this desk wasn’t going to work. It wasn’t set up for computers, and even though the desk was huge, I had no elbow room after installing printers, a fax, a scanner, and so on. Plus - my dining room didn’t look so elegant any more…

Within a few months, I bought an inexpensive computer desk, stretched out in comfort in a rolling computer chair, and relocated it all to a back room in the house, which is now the kids’ classroom, my office, and the laundry room. It works out great, and my dining room is just for eating again.

And my last hurdle was my grown daughter. If you have grown children, you know that they never really grow up. She called me all day long - sometimes for a recipe, sometimes just to chat. I had to lay down the law… 9am to 5pm are office hours. “Don’t call me unless someone is bleeding.” Some things are no different at home than they are at a “real office.”

Those are just a few of the early adjustments I had to make to be able to work from home, but I’ve lived and learned, and you will, too. I hope this simple checklist will help you get through the first few steps of setting up your work-at-home lifestyle.

Your work-at-home Coach,

Anne Pierson

Anne Pierson is a work-at-home coach and host of a social community for those who work from home, or just want to! Her site offers a free course on making money online, a free member forum, articles, tips, resources, and a step-by-step guide for getting started with your own online business - with no investment. The site is absolutely, 100% free, all products and affiliate programs are member reviewed or endorsed by personal experience. The site offers a free monthly newsletter, and requires no commitment to any programs. It is a simple-to-use resource for those who want the freedom of a home business, and shows you how to get started - with or without a web site.

Become a member at no charge by visiting the web site. http://www.learn-to-work-at-home.com

Whether you work in an RV or not, this topic may be of interest as an alternative way to “work at home.” Can you imagine being able to travel, enjoy the sights you’ve never seen, and do it NOW, while you work at home or work online? There are thousands of people doing just that.

Resources for working on the road are stronger and more plentiful than ever. With satellite internet, wi-fi locations nationwide, and many cellular wi-fi cards now available, you’re just four wheels away from doing “work-at-home” in a different state every week. It’s not for everyone, but just maybe it’s right for you?

In this topic, we’ll be exploring resources for the “free spirits” of the open road, work-camping warriors who take the less traveled path. I’ll also be inviting select friends from our RVScrapbook.com a social network for RV campers. Many, many of my members there work for themselves, from the road.

But up until now, this has been considered very specialized employment. Most RVers who want to work in their RVs go to work at campgrounds or in National Parks. Recently, more and more of them are discovering work on the web, and finding ways to create unique and interesting web sites, which gives them an exciting venue for telling the world about their travels - plus making money!

Check in on this topic for things ANYONE can do, even with a very mobile lifestyle.

Your work-at-home, work-in-your-RV Coach

(The picture above is inside MY RVing office-on-the-road, where I work about four months a year!)

Anne Pierson is a work-at-home coach and host of a social community for those who work from home, or just want to! Her site offers a free course on making money online, a free member forum, articles, tips, resources, and a step-by-step guide for getting started with your own online business - with no investment. The site is absolutely, 100% free, all products and affiliate programs are member reviewed or endorsed by personal experience. The site offers a free monthly newsletter, and requires no commitment to any programs. It is a simple-to-use resource for those who want the freedom of a home business, and shows you how to get started - with or without a web site.

Become a member at no charge by visiting the web site. http://www.learn-to-work-at-home.com

Peter Drucker, American educator and writer once said, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” As you put together your business plan, remember that as a planning document for your business, you will need to present your plan to several audiences in order to get those people to commit to taking action in accordance with your plan. In my career as a college professor of public speaking and in my private communication consulting and coaching practice, I have helped thousands of people learn to better present their messages in order to get the results they want. With that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to the three purposes of public speaking and where business plan presentations would fall, how to analyze your audience to determine the most appropriate details and organization for your presentation, and finally how to best organize and present your business plan.

Let’s get started! First, it’s important to know the three purposes of public speaking. They are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. Which purpose would presenting your business plan fall into? Clearly, presenting a business plan is not for pure enjoyment or entertainment purposes, so we can cross that off the list. You might be tempted to think that presenting a plan is informative, and therefore, the purpose is to inform. But that’s actually not correct. While you absolutely need to inform your audience of the details in your plan, your purpose for presenting those details will likely be to persuade your audience to act. After all, the reason you created a business plan is to guide the action of your business as you move forward.

When your purpose is to create action, your goal then, by definition is persuasive in nature. Next, now that you know your goal is to persuade your audience, you’ll need to take at look at who you will be persuading. With business plans, you may have multiple groups to present to. You may have to present to your employees, board of directors, stockholders, and other internal audiences. You may also want to present your plan to external audiences such as lending institutions or other potential investors. As a result, you will need to create multiple presentations for the same plan.

Why? Because each audience’s needs are different. Before putting together your presentation, you’ll need to determine who your audience is and what their goals are. You’ll need to analyze the demographics, values and attitudes of your audience. Demographic details such as age, sex, race, religious affiliation, political affiliation, education level, socioeconomic status, income, geographic location, marital status, and occupation, could all play a role to some extent in determining what information you’ll need to provide.

Next, think about what your audience values. Employees will have different values than potential investors, so be sure to emphasize the points relevant to each group. Finally, think about your audience’s attitude toward your topic. Often audiences will be favorable to your topic. But sometimes you will be dealing with a neutral, apathetic, or even unfavorable crowd. What you present and how you present it will be determined by your analysis of the audience. You should not ever use the same “canned” speech for every audience. While you may be able to present much of the same key information, you’ll need to adjust certain details based on who you are speaking to. Now that you know your purpose is to persuade and you’ve analyzed your various audiences, you can put your presentation together.

One powerful way to persuade an audience is to use an organization pattern known as motivated sequence. The motivated sequence pattern allows you to present details in a way that encourage your audience to take action now.

Here’s the pattern:

I. Attention Step

In this step you would complete an introduction to your topic. Begin with a brief story, some startling statistics, or several compelling rhetorical questions. Next relate your topic to your audience using the information you gathered from your audience analysis. Then you can preview your upcoming points and transition to the second step.

II. Need Step

This is where you outline a problem. Why did you create a new plan? What are some challenges facing your organization? Provide as many relevant details to your audience as possible.

III. Satisfaction Step

In this step, you explain your solutions to the problem and challenges you presented in the previous step. Again, use as many relevant details as possible.

IV. Visualization Step

In this step, you help your audience see how your solution and the ideas you present in your plan will work. One technique to achieve this visualization is asking your audience to “picture this…” Or, you can provide an example of what another successful organization in your industry has done that is similar to your plan and how the results have benefited that organization. If your audience can see themselves benefiting from your plan, they will be more likely to accept it.

V. Action Step

In this final step, you ask your audience to take action. Do you want your employees to begin implementing their part of the plan beginning next week? Are you asking investors for funds? Be specific about what action you want your audience to take and when. Your goal is to make whatever action you are seeking something the audience can do as soon after you present as possible.

If there is a small step they can complete immediately following your presentation you are more likely to get them to commit to longer-term actions. For example, start a contest for employees that day or draw up a letter of intent for investors to sign on the spot.

By understating the purpose of presenting your plan is to persuade your various audiences to act, by analyzing your audience to determine the relevant details, and finally organizing those details into a motivated sequence pattern, you ensure that your business plan presentation will be successful. In the end, not only will you have promises and hopes, you’ll have commitment to your plan.

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. has been an instructor of communication at colleges and universities around the Chicago area for the past 10 years. In early 2006 she decided to take the communication skills she was teaching in the classroom and offer the same vital skills to people everywhere. In her communication consulting and life & relationship coaching business, Felicia has the unique distinction of teaching communication skills to help others be happy and fulfilled both at work and at home. Visit her website at http://www.CommuncationTransformation.com to learn more today.

First, a word about my credentials. Besides a degree in art, and being an artist in my own right, I’ve been collecting artwork since 1974. So I have over three decades of experience. In the early years, I would go to galleries and auction houses. Some were even held on cruise ships. But I didn’t have the luxury of using online resources until the Internet came into common usage in the nineties. Now, places like EBay have become the dominant form of connecting the buyer with the seller on a global scale. For the novice, this may seem like a boon because of all the choices and options available. But there are as many obstacles and pitfalls as opportunities.

Assuming that one is buying art prints from limited editions with hand-signed signatures of the artist. That would be true for the majority of collectors and artwork that changes hands. These type of prints are far more common and affordable. Few of us can afford an original Picasso etching or even a Leroy Neiman painting. Therefore, prints have become the medium of choice. But prints, which can be lithographs, etchings, serigraphs, or giclees have also spawned a new generation of frauds and fakes. Almost anyone can use modern scanners to recreate a print on photo-quality paper and draw a signature that claims to be an original.

The second part of the deceit comes from the COA or “certificate of authenticity” which normally accompanies these prints. The document verifies the artwork, artist, edition number, medium, and other descriptors regarding where the print came from. The problem is the same as the forged signature. Anyone can say that a print is genuine and design a COA on a computer word or drawing program that looks quite official. They can use words such as “documented, official, certified, verified, and authenticated,” all they want. But this doesn’t prove a thing.

Sure, you see the art in a picture online. They tell you it’s a Dali. It looks like many others, but far cheaper. They tell you that they buy directly to cut out the middleman, just like many wholesalers. They will provide the COA’s to prove the signature is real. You send over $500 via PayPal and they ship the print. It arrives and you’re thrilled. The Dali was a tenth of the price of others. The signature looks great. You frame it up and place it on the wall. You will most likely never know it’s a reproduction with a fake signature and never have it authenticated. All your friends and family admire the print and assume it’s real, as do you. So, what does it really matter?

It depends. If you never plan to sell it, it doesn’t. You get to appreciate the piece on the wall and are blissfully ignorant of the falsehood perpetrated upon you. You’ve saved a small fortune and perhaps, secretly, don’t even want to know about the ploy. But what if you do have to sell it? Then the truth will be painful. This is becoming the norm for cheap prints by Dali, Miro, Picasso, Neiman, Chagall, and many others. But there is something you can do.

If you want a genuine article, do your homework and contact or look to the publishing house which releases the prints or a reputable gallery that has a physical location with the artwork on the walls. Research the art house and the artist. Expect to pay top dollar for top artists. Many of their signatures alone are worth a small fortune. Understand that a signed print my just mean the signature is on the print and not hand-signed by the artist after it was made. This is often called “plate-signed.” As for an EBay auction dealer, check their feedback and read their buyers’ comments. Check their return policy, which is also true for any Internet seller. Then buy what you like and do not buy strictly for investment purposes. No one can guarantee the future value of any piece, regardless of what they may claim.

Finally, if your budget is tight and you really want a certain piece for personal enjoyment, buy the knockoff. It’s like the $300 Coach handbag you saw in Mexico for twenty bucks. Who gets hurt if you make that purchase? Even though it helps propagate those producing the fakes, don’t take it personally. There will always be companies that make fakes and serve the masses that can’t afford originals. The only difference is that they operate like the art is for real. My suggestion to those businesses would be to come clean, tell the public they are knockoffs, and be done with it. I’ll bet that very few would stop buying them anyway, but at least we could separate the legitimate dealers from the frauds. And that would ultimately help all the buyers and sellers so they would know exactly where they stand.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years.
He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the
Phoenix.” His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.