In all business turnaround situations there are certain steps that are commonly taken to change the fortunes of a failing business.

The owner of a less than successful business may require professional expert help to arrest the business demise and to create value for the organization. The task of managing the required change may be beyond the owner’s skill set or too much emotional sentiment may exist that may preclude the owner from taking the tough ‘business saving decisions’.

Is there a standard process to be adopted in business turnarounds?

All business situations are different and, therefore, merit different approaches and emphasis on different aspects of the work. However, there are some steps that are generally considered in many successful business turnaround situations and ten of the most relevant are given below:

1. Review and Assess the Present Situation
In a business turnaround it is important to understand fully the starting position. It will be important to gather objective and anecdotal data in order to review the situation and to determine the causes, as well as to comprehend the immediate effects, of the issues impacting the business.

Management accounts, the sales order book, financial arrangements, internal controls, customer service levels, quality and leadership skills are typical areas that will require evaluation and a view taken on.

2. Develop Plans and Business Strategy
After assessing what is required to be changed for the business turnaround to be successful, it will be necessary to develop robust plans and strategy that will achieve success.

Without doubt it will be necessary to comprehensively document the actions to be taken, the timings, the financial impact of those actions and to obtain ‘buy-in’ from the business owner.

The benefits of writing the business plan include that of a reference against which actual results can be measured and an indication to third parties that the proposed business turnaround plan has been carefully evaluated and is a viable proposition that should be supported. This will be an important and relevant form of communication to investors, staff and others who may need to know what the businesses future plans are.

3. Communicate With Key Employees
For the business turnaround to gain momentum it will be necessary to meet with managers and key personnel. The current business affairs should be explained and the consequences of not taking corrective action should be made known. An outline of the proposed actions to be taken should also be communicated and a request for comments should be sought.

Whilst it may not be possible to answer detailed questions it will be important to elicit the concerns of this group and address them as positively as possible.

Members of this group will critical to the success of the business turnaround. They will be charged with taking the planned actions and delivering the results; consequently it will be imperative that the group act as a team and are committed to the future plans.

4. Communicate With Other Employees
It will be necessary at the earliest opportunity to meet with all employees or their union representatives, particularly if job losses are planned.

A prolonged period of uncertainty, fuelled by rumour and counter rumour, will not be beneficial to the business and whilst bad news may not be easy to deliver, the communication of it in a timely sensitive manner is desirable.

The meeting will also be the opportunity to provide an insight into the future business plans and the part the remaining employees will play.

5. Meet the Bank
The bank and other parties with a financial investment in the business should be advised of the business turnaround plans. If possible meetings should be arranged to discuss the plans and to seek assurances of continued, and maybe, more support for the business.

6. Meet Customers
Dependent upon the severity of the situation within the business it may be necessary to reassure key customers of the business turnaround plans and the benefits that will accrue for them.

This action should be considered mandatory if the cause of the business demise has been poor customer service, poor quality product or any other matter not meeting the expected/agreed customer satisfaction levels.

Begging for a second, third or even fourth chance to ‘get things right’ may be embarrassing but remember: no customers - no business. Learn from past mistakes, do not promise what cannot be delivered and ensure internal systems, processes and communication channels are raised to a standard that will seamlessly allow business to be conducted in a timely and efficient manner.

7. Meet Suppliers
If the business has failed to settle payable accounts on time, even the murmur of business turnaround activity taking place may result in suppliers imposing draconian payment terms that may jeopardize the business turnaround recovery plan.

If support for the turnaround plan has been gained from the financial institutions and investors, it will be advisable to actively seek meetings with vendors to outline the plans and to seek their continued support.

Re-establishing trust will be critical. Negotiating new or even the continuation of existing, payment terms from a weak position will be difficult, however, all promises made should be honoured or if failure is imminent inform the vendor in advance of how any debt will be discharged.

8. Conserve Cash
Review and improve if necessary the credit management procedures. If possible negotiate extended payment terms to suppliers; examine thoroughly all unused assets of the business and liquidate if necessary.

Options that may be available include selling unused buildings, renting out spare office space, selling unused plant and office equipment, disposing of excess or redundant stocks, factor sales debt and if unavoidable make excess employees redundant.

In addition the elimination of all unnecessary overhead cost should also be actioned.

9. Implement New/Update Systems and Procedures
A thorough review of existing systems and procedures will be required to meet the goals of the business turnaround plan. Implement change if necessary; it will be noteworthy to recall that a continuation of old practices will almost certainly result in the same old results.

Positive and profitable change may be required and this should be communicated to employees, so that they understand their roles in the new business environment.

10. Monitor, Measure and Take Action
Throughout the business turnaround process, results should be regularly measured against plan and corrective actions taken if required. Key performance indicators (KPI) should be determined that will give a snapshot of the business performance and be available on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

The KPIs should include financial and non-financial measures and reflect the important aspects of the business that will determine success or failure.

Finally it will be desirable to pro-actively communicate the turnaround progress to all interested parties - employees, customers, suppliers as well as the financial institutions.

Provided sound business management principles are employed, results measured and positive trends reported, control of the business should be re-established. However, the business turnaround work should not be considered as a one-off. The experienced gained during the turnaround process should be adopted to avoid a repetition of the earlier mistakes made.

David Willetts is a qualified accountant (FCMA) and works through DAW Consulting providing specialist financial and management support to business owners. Part time finance director, mentor, business consultant, NED and financial management consultant are typical roles undertaken to help owners take control of and plan their business whether in start up, growth or exit phase. Learn more of how DAW Consulting can help your business.

Have you ever wanted to start your own home business, but are not sure how or what to do? Do you want to make a good income from home without having to work every moment of your life? I am about to give you a 5 step plan to show you how to start an Ebay business.

Step #1 – Sign up on Ebay as a seller and open a Paypal account

The first thing you have to do is pretty obvious. You have to open an Ebay account. You will need to make sure that this account is a seller’s account so that you can sell on Ebay. You will also need to open a Paypal account to be able to accept payments from your customers.

Step #2 – Find products to sell

You can find products all over the place. You can use Dropshippers, Wholesalers, other auctions, garage sales, flea markets, and a variety of other sources to find products. Where ever you get your products from you will want to make sure you have good solid research so that you know you can make money off of what you buy.

Step #3 – Learn how to list your products

You will have to learn how to design your listings, when to list them, what categories to put them in, and how long to list them for. This is very important because just a few little tips and tricks and you can double your bids on each item. You can find a lot of information out there on how to list your items on Ebay.

Step #4 – Set yourself up on a shipping schedule

If you decide to carry an inventory you will need to get on a weekly schedule with your shipping. I prefer to do all my shipping on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That way I can do all my packaging on Mondays and Wednesdays. This will take up about 4-6 hours of your time each week, but it is necessary that you ship on time to ensure your customers are happy with your service and product.

Step #5 – Stay focused and work hard

There is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme and it is only pure luck when people start making a huge income from something right away. You can make money on Ebay, but you are probably not going to make thousands your first week or two. Most business failures give up before they ever have a chance to build their business fully. Do not give up stay focused and work hard towards your goals.

Now you have an easy five step plan to opening an Ebay business. This article gives you the basics and there are a lot more tips and tricks that you can learn to become a pro on Ebay. Now get to work because nobody else is going to do it for you.

Claim your FREE Ebay training course here:

Free Ebay Training Course Here

Former vice-president, and self-proclaimed once the “next president of the United States”, Al Gore shows no signs of stopping his assault on the Jabberwocky of man-made global warming. And why should he? He did, after all, have had a hand in creating the internet. With a resume enhancement like that who can blame him?

His latest excursion took him to Capitol Hill in search of a platform to preach for new converts to his religion. Once there Mr. Environmentalist continued with his same mantra that he runs around the world spouting about how manmade global warming is going to doom us all to simultaneously both a fiery and a watery death, claiming a “consensus” on the issue that doesn’t exist and telling everyone that they need to conserve and alter their life style.

But weeks ago the inconvenient truth came out that he uses more energy in his own home in one month than most people use in a year and working power plants overtime to feed his insatiable need for energy. As one reader who emailed me said “How serious is he then?” Good question and one that I myself have asked several times. But we all know the answer.

I think we all know that for all the grand ideas do gooders like Al Gore have and their boat loads of opinions about how we should live our lives, when push comes to shove they often don’t follow their own advice.

Sure, he tries to mask this problem by buying “carbon offsets” which he claims counter his massive use of energy and make him “carbon neutral” by investing in renewable and “green” energy. But he’s still using the “dirty” energy and still polluting right?

It really doesn’t make sense on a basic level. And the vast majority of people scratch their heads wondering how Mr. Gore can use massive amounts of “non-green” energy and then claim that by throwing money into his own company and investing in carbon offsets anything is actually solved. Especially when even The Carbon Neutral Company, which sells offsets to Al Gore’s Company, states clearly that such purchases “will be unable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short term.”

I guess the real next question is to define short term. 10 years? 50 years? 1,000 years? “Short term” is pretty relative. It’s one of those dreaded weasel terms. So much for being “carbon neutral”.

So it doesn’t really sound like Al Gore is all that serious. Which leads to the next obvious question of why doesn’t Mr. Gore just use less energy that produces CO2 himself if he is so worried about the effects of the gas on the Earth’s climate? He claims to believe in the cause after all. So why not just cut his own emissions in a straight forward and transparent manner rather than throwing money through a series of hoops and black holes and merely “demonstrating commitment” to the cause, “educating the public” and only to “encourage the use of low-carbon technologies” as Carbon Neutral’s website claims is their only goals?

The answer to all these questions is simple. People like Al Gore are ideologues. But they are non-practicing ideologues. After all, actually practicing what you preach can be such a drag.

They’re like the guy you know who says he is a Catholic but that has not been to church in ten years (except maybe on Easter and Christmas) and breaks each of the Ten Commandments every day and twice on Sundays for good measure.

You want another example? Ok, you’ve got it. My wife and I were driving around downtown Pittsburgh last weekend and we were behind a car that still proudly had a Kerry/Edwards sticker on the back along with another that proudly proclaimed that the driver couldn’t wait for Bush’s last day in office. There was also a third sticker that made sure to let everyone know that the driver was a “treehugger”.

The one problem for this would be Birkenstock wearing, 1960’s liberal was the “car” was not something “environmentally friendly” but rather as gas guzzling Toyota Land Cruiser. That’s right. This “treehugger” was driving a vehicle that (depending on the exact model year) chugs down somewhere between 12 and 17 miles per gallon and ranks among the poorest vehicles for annual greenhouse gas emissions.

See? Another “non-practicing” environmental ideologue and disciple of Al Gore.

I have no doubt that that the driver of the vehicle had no ability to understand how ironic their choice of vehicle is. But it is what you have to expect when dealing with people that have a world view but simply are not willing to actually live by that world view.

There are lots of non-practicing ideologues out there. And they are not just in the radical environmentalism sector either.

Why? Because Marxism and its promotion of a slow march from capitalism to the government nanny state of socialism and eventually to the “utopia” of communism really stinks. And the Marxists know it. That is why they invent magical ways of making themselves feel better and exclude not just them, but also their friends from the policies and ideas they create. For the rabid environmentalists whose ultimately goal is to control human activity on the most minute level, they call these inventions things like “carbon offsets” or other such smoke and mirrors scheme to allow themselves the ability to live outside of their own ideas.

Forget about actually buying a smaller, more fuel efficient car. Forget about simply not using “dirty” energy. Forget about not jetting around the world to attend conferences and meetings in jets. That’s too easy. It’s too transparent. It’s better to keep doing what their doing and shuffle money around and through their own companies and when all is said and done claim that they have helped the environment.

Ok, so I said that non-practicing ideologues were not limited to the environmentalist movement. And I’m ready to back that up.

John Edwards, for example, fits this bill. John Edwards gets upset at Ann Coulter taunting him with the use of the word “faggot”. Mind you, this was after he not only employed but also defended a pair of anti-Catholic, anti-Bush (heck anti-anything that wasn’t liberal for that matter) bloggers in Melissa McEwan and Amanda Marcotte who threw out expletives and taunts at other people not fit to print here. And Edwards gets upset about being called a name after that?

Of course he does. He is immune to the standard his ideology holds others to while he believes in it because he himself is “non-practicing”.

But don’t think that only the left has these non-practicing ideologues. Sure, they are more prevalent among that segment of the populace. But they exist all over the political spectrum. Some, like Al Gore and John Edwards use the fact that they are non-practicing ideologues to continue doing what they are doing outside of their ideology. But others claim to be non-practicing ideologues in order to excuse their past behaviors and garner favor.

Rudy Giuliani, for example, who despite his strong pro-abortion record and firm reliance on unconstitutional gun control laws while mayor of New York claims that if elected president he will appoint strict constructionists (i.e. judges who would have a strong chance of overturning Roe v. Wade and upholding the second amendment) to the bench despite being against what he believes in. He’s yet another non-practicing ideologue.

He believes that abortion and gun control are ok, but he isn’t actively practicing that ideology. Or so he claims. And that is the basis on which he hopes to get conservatives to vote for him.

Just understand that it’s just easier for all these people to act in this way. It is easier to claim to believe in something (or not believe in something). But when push comes to shove and it is time to walk the walk, all of these folks stop going to the alter at which they prayed for so long.

J.J. Jackson is the owner and Lead Editor of American Conservative Politics - The Land of the Free and American Infidel T-shirts. His weekly articles can be read at Liberty Reborn

There are a great number of reasons why Construction Association membership is an advantage to contractors and subcontractors. Not all associations offer the same benefits, but rest assured – construction associations all offer some huge advantages to the construction industry.

The benefits that we have identified below are in no particular order:

Membership Directory and Buyers Guide - Most associations publish a new membership directory for distribution each year.

Plan Room - Plan rooms are an integral part of the construction association for subtrade take-off.

Technical Services - Associations have highly qualified staff members prepared to meet members’ needs for faxing, printing and computers.

Contract Documents - Contract documents and information are available at construction associations at discounted prices.

Library - Construction related publications are available for viewing.

Lobbying - As a member you have representation on important issues at the local, provincial or state and national level.

Group Insurance Plan - You may be eligible for group insurance coverage.

Mediation and Arbitration - Many associations will arrange mediation or arbitration services upon your request.

Meeting Room and Educational Services - Most associations offer the use of their meeting rooms. They also run industry pertinent courses throughout the year.

Social Events - This opportunity to mingle and network can prove invaluable.

As we noted earlier, these are just a few of the benefits to membership in your local construction association. Check out your local association and find out how membership can add credence to your professionalism.

For a more comprehensive version of this article, check out the link in our bio section.

http://www.PrefabMetalBuildingKits.com is a resource for all metal building and construction related topics. Visit Construction Associations for the more comprehensive version of this article.

Naming a child is one of the most important and stressful events a parent will face prior to their child’s arrival. There are family traditions, religious customs, as well as advice from family members and friends. These 101 Baby Naming tips may lead parents to the perfect name, or may simply eliminate some choices from contention. Either way, it will give future parents something to think about as they seek out that perfect baby name.

1. Listen to advice from family and friends - but ultimately make your own decision
2. Making others ‘think’ they are part of the process can make your life easier as you (and your partner) search for the perfect name
3. Arabic names tend to be religious, usually referring to worship and faithfulness
4. Research names from your favorite band, or choose the name of your favorite singer
5. Go to the library and look up some classic books or stories, as there are usually great names of classic characters
6. Choose the name of your favorite celebrity or movie star
7. Realize that celebrities may not have all of the answers - Is Apple a fruit, or a child’s name?
8. Pick a name of a character from your favorite television show
9. Soap operas are a great source for unique, popular names
10. Choose a character from your favorite movie - Rocky or Sonny for example
11. If the name doesn’t seem to fit the baby as they develop their personality, you can always change the name, but don’t wait too long
12. In China, a name contains one unique character while the others are shared by all family members in the child’s generation
13. Name the baby after your favorite town or city - Florence or Diego for example
14. Invite your friends to participate in a contest - ask them to choose the day your baby will be born, and the one who is closest gets to pick the name
15. Give a unique name - choose a top 100 name from a different country
16. Research other cultures or naming traditions
17. Babies do grow up - a cute name may not always be cute
18. Name the baby after the doctor (or nurse) that delivered the baby
19. Research your ethnic background to learn naming traditions as well as superstitions
20. Ask you older children to participate in naming your new child - it can be fun and lead to great bonding moments for your family
21. In a large family, be careful of using the same name a cousin or family member may already have - family events can become quite confusing
22. Consider using a last name as a middle name, or a first name
23. See if using the first letters of names from people in your family result in a potential name: Sarah, Alan, Michael - SAM
24. Look through your family tree and research the different names of your ancestors
25. Give a family member the honor of selecting a name for your child
26. A mother’s maiden name can become a unique, momentous first name
27. Select the name you always wanted to have for yourself had you been able to choose your own name
28. Name a child after your favorite attribute of someone you love, for example, Cassidy (girl with curly hair) or Ahisma (gentle)
29. Pick a name after a beautiful flower, like Lilly or Rose
30. The French have traditionally given names from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
31. Pick you favorite gem - Ruby or Pearl
32. Choose a popular name from other countries or cultures
33. Name your child after a grandparent from either the mother’s or father’s family
34. Greeks typically use the paternal grandfather’s name for the first-born male and the paternal grandmother’s name for the first daughter
35. Visit a local hospital and go to the maternity ward – check out what other parents are naming there kids
36. Five distinct requirements for a Hindu name 1) the name should be easy to say and have a pleasant sound, 2) the name would need to have a set number of syllables, as well as vowels, 3) the baby’s name would indicate his or her gender, 4) the name would represent the family’s status, specific to power, wealth, and fame, and 5) the caste of the family would be suggested with the chosen name
37. Hispanic names frequently have biblical histories or are named for Saints
38. Write down the initials from the baby’s full name - make sure it does not spell something bad - Dana Angela Madison (DAM)
39. Think of the child’s middle name as well – make sure the first and middle names sound good together
40. Irish children are often named after family members - First son named after father’s father, first daughter after mother’s daughter, second son after mother’s father, second daughter after father’s mother
41. There is a custom in Italy that 1) the first male is named after his paternal grandfather, 2) the second male is named after his maternal grandfather, 3) the first female is named after her paternal grandmother, and 4) the second female is named after her maternal grandmother
42. Japanese believe that a baby’s name will decide its future, which is why the Japanese look for names that bring good fortune to the child
43. Ashkenazic Jews have a strong tradition that a baby be named after a deceased relative
44. Sephardim Jews name their children after living grandparents, where the first son is named for the father’s father, the first daughter for the father’s mother; the next son is named after his mother’s father and the second girl for her maternal grandmother
45. Select a last name and use it as a first name - the last name can be in your family, or just a name you like for your child – McKenzie for example
46. Pick a name that has a special meaning to you or your significant other
47. Make sure the name you’ve chosen does not have a negative meaning
48. Pick some attributes you’d like your child to possess and use a baby name meaning tool to determine which names have the meaning you seek
49. Select a name that rekindles positive memories, from someone you once knew or a mentor that had a positive influence in your life
50. Make a list of names you know you don’t like and determine if each has a common trait or attribute to help find the perfect name
51. Pick a name that can be easily shortened or abbreviated, allowing your child to pick the one he/she likes best as he/she gets older - for example, Michael can become Mike, Mikey, Mickey, etc
52. If you have a lucky number, pick a name with the same amount of letters as your lucky number
53. Choose wisely - some studies suggest that people with more popular names are treated better than those with less popular names
54. Some names will likely become unpopular or too popular, but don’t spend too much time trying to determine if the name you’ve selected falls into one of these categories
55. When naming multiple kids with the same first letter, consider if it will strip some of your children from feeling unique or special
56. If you are having multiple babies, choose names that are unique - Dave and Dale are too similar, try Dave and Steve so each child feels a special affinity for their name. It will also make things less confusing when calling a child’s name
57. List your favorite names and see if a combination results in a great name - Michael and Jason = Mason
58. If you have multiple kids (or plan on it), some families pick a consistent letter for each child’s name: Steve, Sarah, Sonya, etc.
59. Nature is a good source to consider when trying to find beautiful names - trees (Willow), flowers (Rose), or plants (Fern)
60. Consider what nicknames can, and will, come from the name, and make sure you are not setting your child to be made fun of later in life
61. People shorten names - James will likely become Jim, or Nathaniel will likely become Nate
62. Norwegian tradition names the first-born son for the paternal grandfather, and the second-born son for the maternal grandfather. First and second born daughters were named after their grandmothers in similar fashion
63. Numerology helps many people find their perfect name - visit a site that explains uses numerology like www.babynamesusa.com
64. Name your child after a parent, John can become John Jr., this is one of the most commonly used traditions
65. Avoid naming the child after a past boyfriend or girlfriend of significance, it can only lead to friction
66. Visit the past to find a classic name by going to www.thetop100babynames.com and looking through history’s top names
67. Don’t select a name that had previously been held by your pet
68. Poems can contain special, meaningful names, and there are many to choose from in the local library
69. Polish people usually give one or two names and typically choose a traditional Biblical or saint’s name
70. In Poland, law mandates that a person’s given name must clearly indicate the baby’s sex
71. Name your child after a politician of significance, from the United State or abroad
72. Consider the first name and last name and make sure they sound good together - Jim Shoe or Trixie Pixy may lead to future teasing
73. Make sure you have a name selected for each sex, boy and girl, so you are ready when the big day gets there
74. The name you’ve selected may look beautiful on paper - but make sure people can easily read and pronounce the name too
75. The baby will become an adult so make sure you select a name he or she will be proud of sharing and using
76. Name your baby for a religious figure. There are many to select from and this is one of the most common sources of names
77. Certain religions honor the living by naming a child after a loved one - while other religions only honor the deceased, make sure you know your religious traditions
78. Read a religious book to find names of faith
79. It may not be wise to have the first and last name rhyme - Dwight White
80. Keep your favorite names secret - avoid someone else stealing your favorite name, it could lead to arguments
81. Listen to a favorite song - there may be a good name and you can tell the child exactly where there name came from, and listen to it together
82. Pick your favorite name and change some letters - Taylor or Tayler - make it unique for your child Alice or Alyce?
83. Add a letter to a name you like - from Linda to Blinda
84. Name your child after a sports hero from your favorite team
85. Take the baby names test at www.babynamesusa.com to find a perfect baby name
86. Don’t name ‘on a whim’ - give it time and thought to ensure you select the right name
87. Some families give the same first name to each of their children, passed down from generation to generation, but call them by their middle name
88. Names can be for a boy or a girl - Taylor, Dana or Jordan - make sure you are comfortable knowing a child from the opposite sex may have the same name as your child
89. Vietnamese people use different given names (first names are not traditionally passed down), and the name reflects a meaning Most Vietnamese names can be used for either sex
90. Choose the name of the best man or maid of honor in your wedding
91. Astrology, a method of self-exploration, may help you find some good ideas for the right name
92. French people traditionally have one or two (sometimes more) given names, with the first name being used in most social settings and the additional given names in honor of family members
93. Children’s movies or cartoons may contain some good names for your consideration
94. Ask your children for names of children in their class as school
95. Name your child after your best friend, or the best friend of your significant other
96. Grab the newspaper and see if there are some good names in the articles or stories of interest
97. It may sound gross, but the obituary section of a newspaper can be a good source of great names - as well as classic names from the past
98. Name your child after a prominent business person, a doctor, a lawyer, or a favorite teacher
99. American Idol is the hottest reality show on television right now - pick your favorite contestant and use that name for your child
100. If the child is a boy, name the child after a President of the United States of America or your country of origin
101. Name your child after a past winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

Scott Zak is the publisher of http://www.thetop100babynames.com and http://www.babynamesusa.com, and the author of several parent related articles.

If you are like most women I know, you have probably spent more time, energy, and money on anti-aging skin care products and cosmetics than you are willing to admit. You have a stash of partially used jars of a variety of concoctions that failed to live up to the manufacturers promises or your expectations. The shopping tips listed below will prevent you from making the same mistakes you have made in the past and help you to make wise skin care purchasing decisions.

The shopping process for skin care is no different than that which you use when making any other important buying decisions. You must:

1. Assess your needs: Ask yourself, “Which particular aging skin issues am I interested in correcting?”

2. Do your research: Find out which available ingredients are the most effective against your individual signs of aging. Review skin care products to see what others who have used them think of them.

3. Read the labels: Active ingredients need to be present in sufficient concentrations to work effectively. They should be displayed high on the list of ingredients shown on the container. If not, they are not present in sufficient quantities to benefit the skin and you are wasting your money.

4. Sample before you buy: You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive. Purchasing skin care is no different.

5. Check the return policy: This is especially important if product samples are not available. A product that works for one person may not necessarily work for another. If it’s not effective for you, return it, and get your hard earned money back.

6. Diversify: Don’t feel that all of your skin care products need to be from the same line to optimize benefits. They don’t. One cosmetic company may not meet all your needs.

7. Comparison shop: Which are the best anti-aging products for best price? Where is the most affordable place to buy them? Remember, most expensive is not necessarily most effective. Some of the best rated skin care products available are relatively inexpensive.

8. Find products that multi-task: Products that perform more than one function will save you time, space and money. The simpler the skin care regimen is, the more likely you are to stick with it.

Following this advice should save you the heartbreak of spending your hard earned money on products that might not necessarily work for you.

Article by aging-skin-resource.com. For more information on aging skin issues, please visit http://www.aging-skin-resource.com

Though I’m not a therapist, my experience in the subject of controlling, critical and aggressive people comes from thirty years of counseling, due to needing to deal with this issue from very early in life. I used to blame myself for others’ bad behavior, until I learned the truth of the matter. It was a freeing experience. Here is a summary of years of advice from professionals, who helped me to deal with the effects of abuse suffered in childhood at the hands of an angry and controlling family member. I harbor no ill will against that person, and now am quite sensitive at reading and reacting to difficult people as a result. It is possible to have peace, here are a few ways I use to achieve calm during a “storm”.

When people you know are really hard on you for no good reason, judging everything you say or do, please realize that it is not your fault that they behave this way. It is their problem, their upbringing and insecurities showing. They may have been mistreated as children, and as a result may harbor deep needs to control things. It’s their way of trying to make things “right” in their minds, after past problems they were unable to control. Sad, but true.

So, what do you do to deal with someone who targets you for harsh judgment, anger, or control? Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells when around a difficult person? It is a lousy feeling to feel trapped in the radar of someone who is hard to relate to. You say one thing, they say another. Or, you do it your way, and they tell you it’s all wrong and needs to be done their way. It can be a blow to your self-esteem to tolerate poor treatment like this on a long-term basis. If you are constantly being told everything you do is wrong, or blamed for things unjustly, how can you feel good about yourself? The best thing to do is to consider the source and don’t take anything said to you personally. Don’t let the troubled person define you, remember, you define yourself. Quietly know that you are the one in control. Don’t argue. The other person wants to affect you, but can’t unless you let him. Leave your emotions out of it, just look at the situation for what it is: you are emotionally stronger than the other person. You don’t force your will on others, or try to make them do things. You know better.

First of all, don’t dignify tirades of rudeness or temper tantrums with anger back. Let the offending person own their problems by not letting them engage you in a battle. You don’t have to play their game. If you react negatively, they’ve “won” and will feel even more powerful over you. To keep your power, the best thing to do is put up boundaries, or rules to what you will or won’t tolerate. This must be done calmly, and without emotion. To be effective, you must maintain this demeanor, no matter how hard the controller tries to evoke a reaction from you. If they try to make you do something you don’t want to do, tell them so and then walk away. Be a broken record, by continuing to repeat yourself calmly if they keep bugging you, if necessary. You owe nobody an explanation so whatever you do, don’t explain your reasoning. Just remove yourself from the situation, quietly. Your silence and calmness get the point across. If they follow you and want to continue the discussion, tell them you will talk to them later, and that you are to be left alone until then, then say nothing else. Just separate yourself from the situation and wait until they are more rational and calm if the discussion needs to be continued. Keep emotion out of the conversation by maintaining composure. Remember, you have a voice, and your opinion matters. When dealing with someone who is being aggressive and controlling, you are maintaining control of the situation by not fighting with the person.

Your coolness may unnerve and anger your aggressor. They want a reaction from you. Some aggressors will up the ante by threatening, insulting or getting physical. Don’t tolerate violence, if you feel like your life is being threatened then leave for awhile. It pays to think ahead during high-tension situations, for safety’s sake. Maintain peace by keeping your boundaries and not fighting. Eventually, the aggressor will tire of pushing the issue and back down or go find someone else to hassle.

It is possible to co-exist with controlling people but from a distance if at all possible. Have your own opinions, live the life you want to live without apology. If you are picked on, keep cool and maintain your own individuality. It takes a lot of personal energy to defend oneself, so don’t. Keep that energy for yourself. Remember, it is your life, nobody else’s. Be at peace with yourself and others. I still have relationships with those who try to control me, but I limit my exposure to them. They have been “trained” by my lack of willingness to fight or argue, yet they still try on occaision to rile me up. It doesn’t matter to me because I choose not to engage in the conflict. I believe in myself and won’t surrender my personal power to anyone. Be positive and believe in yourself. Your opinions and thoughts are important and they do count, so don’t let the critics get you down.

Carolyn McFann is a scientific and nature illustrator, who owns Two Purring Cats Design Studio, which can be seen at: http://www.cafepress.com/twopurringcats. Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Carolyn is a seasoned, well-traveled artist, writer and photographer. She has lived and worked in Cancun, Mexico, among other interesting professional assignments in other countries. Clients include nature parks, museums, scientists, corporations and private owners. She has been the subject of tv interviews, articles for newspapers and other popular media venues.

Question: If we attract only that which we think about, then how can you explain negative manifestations in the lives of very happy and positive people. I’m talking about devastating events such as being diagnosed with cancer, car accidents and so on. Surely nobody actively thinks about these things, let alone attracts them. Even very positive dynamic people have suffered these unfortunate consequences. How does the ‘Law of Attraction’ and positive thinking explain away these occurrences?

My Answer: I think it is important to remember that the ‘Law of Attraction’ is not just a force that works on an individual one-to-one basis. It is at work with the entire universe. We are truly talking about a far reaching global force here. Just as gravity works to hold down your pencil to the table, it also works to hold down the mountains to the earth.

Now let’s have a look at the force of gravity in action for a moment. Imagine two objects, a large asteroid and a small pebble. Which is going to make the biggest impact upon the ocean, the pebble falling from the sky or the asteroid falling from the same height. Both are under the same force, only of course the asteroid is going to make a much bigger impact than the pebble. So it is not that the law of gravity is not working upon the pebble, it is… just that when it hits the ground it’s impact is going to be over-ridden by the impact of the asteroid. What I’m saying is that the impact of the asteroid will over-ride and negate the pebbles impact.

Here is how this applies to our lives. You could equate the force of the asteroid to the belief in society that ‘car crashes do happen at random’. I imagine if you conducted a survey of a few thousand people you would get the opinion that people do in fact believe that. So guess what is going to manifest in real life. Regardless of whether you as an individual have any particular belief about this subject, someone is inevitably going to be randomly involved in a car accident and therefore suffer the consequences of societies beliefs and point of attraction. Even if the individual person believed that they personally would not suffer this particular fate. Which force is going to have the largest attraction point, the asteroid of societies belief or the pebble of one person’s thoughts.

Following this unbreakable law it becomes apparent then that the over-riding beliefs of society will make an impact on some people’s lives. That is not to say you cannot enhance your own level of attraction, you most certainly can alter and change it to attract that which you wish, however there may be some occasions whereby this force is simply over-taken by societies beliefs and attraction levels. This maybe especially true in areas of your life where you may already have a low point of attraction and not applied much focus.

Another example of this in operation may be the observation of some countries. Of course there are many reasons why some countries are poorer than others but if you have a nation of people desperately hungry and living in poverty. Where do you think there most dominant thoughts are going to be focussed upon…more than likely on feelings of lack and of wanting. Of course then this is only going to attract more of the same and when entire nations are experiencing these thoughts and feelings, how on earth can they break-free from their poverty?

Whilst I don’t wish to be-little any country, person, place or thing it does appear that the world really is not helping itself a great deal. Ok, so if I’m so smart what is the answer then? Well, I guess if everyone could become aware and use this concept in their favour, shifting their beliefs to abundance and well-being then maybe the world might have a chance of eliminating fear, worry, poverty and so on. Now that’s a pretty big ask for sure, especially when you are one of the people suffering sat wondering where the next meal will come from!

The only way I could ever possibly see this happening is quite frankly through religion. How else could the entire world be united and taught these truths. I believe Jesus had it absolutely correct with his teachings of loving thy neighbour. He knew that by doing so this would inevitably attract the same feelings and manifestations of these back towards him. He assuredly knew that God/source energy/infinite power would match this vibrational thought pattern and return it to him. Two well known Bible messages backing this up on both the positive and negative side of this law include:

Seek ye first the kingdom of god and all these things shall be added unto you’
and:
‘Those whom fight by the sword shall die by the sword’.

I hope you too can see the power in these statements. I’m sure some people reading this will disagree and differ with some of my statements and that’s fine. Each of us is on our own journey of inner discovery and what is true for one persons experience clearly may not be for another. The important thing to remember is to keep growing, keep progressing, keep discovering and above all to enjoy the journey….for you are going to be on this journey all of your life! Why not make it a Positive Thinking one full of prosperity and abundance?

Author Stephen Ryan provides FREE guidance and training on the power of positive thinking. By following this link you will receive over $60 worth of FREE positive thinking training and advice immediately, simply click: Positive Thinking or visit the Beyond Positive Thinking Blog now.

The steady, ongoing work produced from wedding photography generates the majority of new clients for most photography studios and freelance photographers. A wedding photographer will need to comfortable with the following activities & skills:

• Candid shots (photojournalistic) and posed shots
• Making slides, prints, and slideshows (digital or otherwise)
• Traditional albums
• Taking shots in the outdoors at a party, beach, or rustic locale
• Snapping shots indoors at a temple or church

In the late 1860’s in America, couples started hiring photographers and posing at the wedding. The art form of photography for the wedding was created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. However, the idea of live action shots and of capturing the event itself came up after the Second World War. Often, the photographers would just show up inconspicuously at a wedding, snap the photos, and venture to sell them later on to the family. This forced studios to start covering the events, lest they be booted out by freelance photographers.

After the wedding is over, a small time lapse is incurred, and, thereafter the photographer shows “proofs” to the couple. The proofs can be in the form of prints, thumbnail galleries, or all of the images on CD-ROM. They may also make separate galleries or slideshows, and they’re sometimes themed.

Photographers may sell additional prints to the couple through a web site with thumbnail galleries and an e-commerce back-end, often in conjunction with a vendor or broker website that charges a commission for each print purchase.

The common types of wedding photography include the photojournalistic realism and spontaneous photographer behavior of some, the classic or traditional posed method, and a hybrid of the two called fashion-based wedding photography.

In big cities, there are often studios devoted to wedding photography because photography for the wedding is such a mammoth market in metropolitan areas. People are always moving in and out and getting married. Take a look at a portfolio of the photographer’s former work for assurance.

The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and, especially, the Wedding Photojournalists Association (WPA) offer training, professional support, and tips to member photographers.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on weddings and photography and visit our associated site articles for free.

Computers have become ubiquitous in almost every facet of our lives. At work, desk jockeys spend hours in front of their desktops, while delivery people scan bar codes with handhelds and workers in the field stay in touch with the central office via their notebooks. At home, we rely on our desktops and notebooks to do our shopping, to entertain us, and to keep us abreast of world events. We may not see our email servers, but we count on them to deliver our email whenever and wherever we want it. Our PDAs keep track of our hectic schedules, our to-do lists, our contact lists, and even entertain us with games while we’re waiting for an appointment or to board a plane. Computer hardware weaves itself through the fabric of our lives.

Even though computer hardware is central to almost everything we do, it’s easy to lag behind in the advances made in both hardware and software. Desktops that are four or five years old, for example, become obsolete. You may be able to upgrade operating systems or buy computer add-ons to extend the life of your desktop, but at some point the software, applets, and plug-ins you need to get the most out of your computer simply won’t support your old machine.

If it’s time to get new computer hardware - whether desktops, notebooks, or PDAs - you’ll be amazed at the computing power and the crisp displays that are available, as well as the incredible low prices. Take some time to shop around, and you’ll soon discover that online computer hardware sources will save you money over traditional retail stores. When you think about it, it makes sense. According to logic, direct sales cut out the middleman and can pass along the savings to the consumer.

If you’re in the market for new desktops, notebooks, or PDAs, there are a myriad of choices. Here’s a rundown of some of the best systems available:

Desktops: First, you need to decide - as the advertising campaign so cleverly drives home - if you’re a Mac or if you’re a PC. If you’re a Mac, the iMac Desktop with a 20-inch display can be found for just under $1,500. That includes a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, and a SuperDrive.

If you’re a PC, the Hewlett-Packard Pavilion S7700N Slimline Desktop PC includes an AMD Athlon Processor 3800 Plus, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive, SuperMulti DVD Drive, and Vista Premium - the new Microsoft operating system. Price? You can find it for a little over $600.

Notebooks: If you love Macs, you’ll adore Apple’s PowerBook at just under $2,500. With a 15.2-inch screen at 1280 x 854 resolution and TFT widescreen display, the PowerBook gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It runs on a 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 and 512 MB RAM, and has an 80 GB hard drive and a SuperDrive.

In the PC universe, the Toshiba Satellite A135-S4427 is a perfect example of the computing power you can get at a very low price. The 15.4-inch widescreen notebook has an Intel Core Duo Processor T2250, 1 GB RAM, a 120 GB hard drive, a SuperMulti DVD drive, and Vista Premium - all for around $900.

When it comes to computer hardware, it pays to shop online. Desktops, handhelds, PDAs, notebooks, servers, and even software can be found at incredibly low prices - so low that you’ll want to upgrade all of your computer hardware to the fastest, clearest, best systems available.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Computer Hardware or Majon’s Computers directory.