As an Excercise Scientist I get a bunch of emails on this topic so I thought I’d save myself some letter-writing time and discuss publicly how we can best maintain our focus and commitment to our exercise program, as it seems to be a challenge for many of us.
We all talk about regular, consistent exercise (I’m not talking about incidental activity, I’m talking about actual structured, regular workouts).
We all intend to do it, and while some of us do, most of us don’t.

Research and simple observation tells us that the vast majority of us spend a great deal of our adult lives starting and stopping exercise or activity programs. Very few people start and maintain structured exercise programs for the long term.
We perpetually talk about it, but we don’t do it (for a range of reasons).

We join gyms, we don’t go.
We start running programs, we last a week.
We buy a treadmill, we hang washing on it.
We get ourselves a mountain bike, we ride it twice.
We buy cross-trainers, we don’t even know what cross-training is.
You know the drill; your story may be slightly different, but you know exactly what I’m talking about.

So after watching thousands of people struggle with their exercise goals over way too many years, I have a few ideas on the matter and a few suggestions for you if your goal is to create a better body forever.
If you’re someone who has a history of ‘almost’ getting in shape and you’ve started and stopped more programs than you care to remember, then you’ll probably find the following interesting and helpful.

1. Start (and progress) realistically.
As obvious and simple as this sounds, many people don’t do it. Some people, often blokes with massive egos (so I’ve heard) will attempt to go from lounge lizard to Olympic athlete in four days. Spare your hamstrings my silly, deluded brethren, save yourself some embarrassment and humiliation and spend at least four to eight weeks creating a reasonable strength and fitness base before you get too Olympian on us.
Slow and steady Tiger… it’s not about the next four weeks; it’s about the next four decades.

2. Collect some base-line data and set some goals.
It’s always great to take some ‘before’ measurements to give us some perspective on our progress over time (it’s very hard for you to be objective when it comes to… you). Set yourself some physiological goals (girth measurements, weight, blood pressure), some fitness goals (aerobic capacity, strength, flexibility), some behavioural goals (”I will walk to work daily”), possibly a sporting goal or two (”I will run a half marathon this year”), maybe some competitive goals (”I will beat my brother at tennis by July”) and possibly some personal achievement goals (”I will climb Mount Everest in the next three years”).
You get the idea.
Goals help us create momentum and keep doing what we need to do.

3. Take some photos every four weeks.
Don’t we love semi-nude pictures of our pudgy, out-of-shape bodies?
Not.
The one sure-fire consequence of a few front, side and rear photos of yourself in the ‘almost-buff’… is a reality check.
Yes, we hate it, no we don’t wanna see it, but sometimes it’s enough to jolt us into action.
Sometimes a little in-yer-face reality is what we need.
The regular photo is a great way to get absolute perspective of your progress.
Wear the same clothes at the same time of day in the same room for each photo (if possible).

4. Variety.
When it comes to your training, variety is crucial if you (1) want to keep your body adapting (remember; different creates different) and (2) don’t want to die of boredom by week six.
Your body needs it and your head needs it; so mix it up.
Variety increases the enjoyment factor, program adherence, the speed and quality of results and decreases the likelihood of injury.
Unless, of course, one of those training options is bull fighting.

5.Make it fun.
The more we enjoy the process, the more likely we are to stay on track and get the job done. Sometimes we just need to get a little hard-core and simply tough it out .. but whenever it’s possible we should choose an exercise, activity or sport that will get us where we want to go (with our body) and also let us enjoy (most of) the process.
If, for example, you find jogging mind-numbingly boring and unenjoyable but you love tennis… then go and find your racquet… running for a reason!

6. Get involved in social sport, become a member of a team.
Not for everyone this suggestion but for many, it’s a winner.
Hanging out and playing sport with some of your friends means the double benefit; improved fitness along with some fun and socialising.. which in turn means you’re more likely to do it for longer. Unless of course it all gets a little serious on the volleyball court and you end up screaming at your buddies over a ‘fun’ game.

7. Work in four week blocks.
Sometimes the concept of ‘forever’ change (that is, changing exercise behaviours for the next fifty years) can be a little daunting.
Understandably.
So it’s great to have short, medium and long term goals and thinking when it comes to changing your exercise habits.
Four weeks is short enough to get your head around (and keep it there) but also long enough to create some genuine change. Incorporate some of your goal setting around these four week blocks (”I will drop 8 pounds in the next 28 days and I will walk for one hour every morning”).

8. Have regular re-assessments.
Like the photos, the regular re-assessments are a great way to gauge your progress and the value of the program you’re following… and also good for a reality check. If you’re doing everything ‘right’, then you should see some significant change with each re-assessment.
These testing sessions can be wrapped nicely around your four week blocks.
A typical re-assessment may involve both fitness testing (strength, aerobic capacity, etc.) and / or physical measurements.
This regular type of testing will also help you determine whether or not your exercise program needs to be modified or adapted in some way.

9. Have a practical plan and approach and de-emotionalise the process.
When it comes to our body and exercise in general, too many of us are irrational, emotional and inconsistent. Many of us exercise with no real strategy, plan or logic; we just go nuts for three weeks (with exercise), tear our calf muscle and then do nothing for six months.

The hit and miss training philosophy doesn’t work… but many of us employ it.

We don’t want to be obsessed, but we do want to be organised, structured and logical about our exercise if we are serious about creating forever results.

10. Keep an exercise diary.
Keeping a record of our exercise serves a few purposes:

1) It helps us stay disciplined and in touch with reality.
2) It increases our awareness and understanding of how our body responds to exercise.
3) It helps keep us motivated and interested in our training.
4) It gives us perspective on the whole process; being able to read over the last three months of work (for eg.) gives us a sense of achievement and a realistic (un-emotional) insight into our progress.
5) It helps us stay accountable… and doing what we need to do.

11. Get yourself a training partner.
Having a training partner is (for many) an effective staying-on-track strategy.
Going through the process with someone who’s in a similar place to you makes sense and generally means greater exercise adherence (what we want).
The fun factor increases, you’ll enjoy the process more and before you know it, exercise will be a habit.

12. Use a Personal Trainer . . . even for a while.
For some people this is a sensible and practical (but not necessarily cheap) option.
A quality Trainer will motivate you, educate you, kick you in the pants and keep you honest.
If you can do it without a Trainer, even better.
Even though I own a Personal Training business, I don’t always believe that using a Trainer is the best option… but for some people having an appointment with a fitness professional is what works.

13. Create some non-negotiable exercise rules.
While most of us start with a rush, the truth is that many of us lose motivation, focus and momentum within as little as a week, that’s why we need non-negotiable, I-will-do-this-no-matter-what rules. We know that motivation comes and goes, so we need something which is set in stone: “I will exercise five days per week, no matter what.”… “I will jog three mornings per week… even when I don’t feel like it.”

14. Stop moving the goal posts.
Once you get there (reach your goal) allow yourself to enjoy what you’ve achieved.
So many people lose the weight, gain the muscle, drop the fat and then get themselves into this ’state’ of never being fit enough, skinny enough or buffed enough.
They create another problem.
Sometimes it’s okay to enjoy your body and simply ‘maintain’.

Well, there you have it; exercise adherence 101.

If you have a history of getting on and off the fitness merry-go-round then perhaps today might be the day you re-write history.

If you choose to.

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.

He can be heard weekly on Australian Radio SEN 1116 and GOLD FM and appears on Australian television on Network Ten’s 9AM.

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

In this short article you will learn:

In my opinion, used cars are the single best value in transportation options. But for some people there is always that nagging in the back of their minds, wondering if the car will break down. There is one way you can alleviate that fear. A used car warranty.

The problem is most of you aren’t used car warranty specialists. Most of you haven’t purchased a used car warranty before. If you have purchased a used car warranty, it was probably from the dealer who told you it covered “everything” and flashed a quick salesman smile before he changed the subject.

So, on to the first question. Is a used car warranty really worth the investment? As with most things in life the answer could be yes or no depending on what you buy.

If the used car warranty you end up purchasing has extremely limited coverage, then chances are that if something breaks it will not be covered. In this case, the warranty was a complete waste of money.

This brings me to my first point.

Just as with a home or a computer or anything else, you should always purchase the best used car warranty you can possibly afford.

Yes, a used car warranty is worth the investment…..IF you buy the right amount of coverage from the right company. What is the right amount of coverage? Re-read the paragraph above…..you should purchase the best used car warranty you can afford!

Now let’s look at the second question: What should I consider when looking for a used car warranty?

This is a very important question. Most of you will first think “price”. If you are one of the few who did not think price was the most important part of the used car warranty then you are ahead of the game already.

Remember, if you get the cheapo used car warranty and it doesn’t cover most of the expensive parts that break down then you have wasted your money.

First, you want to take a look at the used car warranty coverage. At a minimum you want your complete engine, transmission and axles covered.

If these aren’t covered completely, forget it. In addition, you should also have coverage on your suspension and cooling systems as these break frequently also.

Another thing to consider is the financial stability of the company. If they sell you a five year used car warranty and then go belly up after two years, I’d say you just threw away that money.

Warranty Gold stopped paying its claims in 2004 when its insurer based in the Cayman Islands closed up shop and there are still people floating around trying to sell their used car warranties!

Don’t buy from just anybody and make sure the company you are working with is stable and financially secure.

Third question: Is the used car warranty from the dealer the best deal I can get?

In short….no. Not even close. Most dealers will sell you a used car warranty that they have purchased from a third party that you can deal with yourself.

They then mark up that used car warranty as much as 100%.

Do yourself a huge favor and just buy the warranty on your used car directly from the company. The warranty company can usually finance the purchase and you will save a whole lot of money.

So, my three pieces of advice from this article are these:

In my free report, I have done all the research for you. If you want to know which used car warranty company I recommend you should download my free report from the link below.

Copyright 2007 www.buyused-car.com

http://www.buyused-car.com is a site featuring a free report giving insider tips and strategies for getting the best deal on a used car and a used car warranty. Go there now to download your free report instantly and save thousands of dollars on your used car.

The root word of repetition is “repeat”. When you repeat a certain size, or shape or color you add
strength to the overall image. Repetition is a basic concept in the world of art. If you want to make
a statement, you repeat certain elements again and again. If you repeat something once or twice it becomes more interesting. If you repeat something many times it becomes a pattern and takes on a
life of its own. Patterns give us order in an otherwise chaotic world. There’s something fundamentally pleasing about seeing order in such a way that we know what to expect. In most cases, repetition is
a tool used to calm the viewer, making them feel comfortable and at peace while enjoying the view.

A single, simple subject with a plain non-distracting background definitely has its strengths, but it is
NOT the only way to keep a viewers attention. Patterns are to photography, what Rhythm is to music. Without the limitation of just a single point of interest, repetition helps your eye dance from point to
point with pure delight. You are not asked to make a judgment of the subject, simply to explore it.
Like music, you are not expected to just listen to a single note, but to take in the high notes, low notes, the movements, and the beat. The goal here is not to just witness a good photograph, but to experience it. Thus, when repetition is used correctly . . . it can greatly increase the emotional impact of your images.

Patterns and repetition can be found all around us: a row of trees, a field of sunflowers, or a line of children waiting for a bus. When you get into the world of Close-Up Photography, you will start to discover a whole new world of patterns. Often things that you perceive as solid or even as a single texture are made up of much smaller patterns. Look at the surface of an orange for example. Each dimple, each bump, each hill or valley contributes to what most viewers consider one smooth surface. Of course not all repetition is 100% uniform. Think of a choir in concert, every individual may be wearing the same robe, or suite, or dress to represent their organization . . . but they are still all individuals.

Like most things on earth, too much of a good thing can become bad (or stale or boring). It’s like when you first start taking pictures using a star filter. Occasionally, it makes some really cool effects and you have some unique images. But if you used it ALL the time; what at first seems unique now becomes common place, or worse yet . . . out of place. A shot of a race car, doesn’t really need a star shinning off his front windshield, to be interesting. A horse leaning down for a cool drink in a stream doesn’t need little stars shining in the water. There is a time and place for everything, and repetition will not cure all boring shots. In fact . . . if you’re not selective about when you use it, it could make things worse.

The most common way to keep repetition from becoming boring is to deliberately “break” the pattern. Think of a fruit stand with an entire box of big red juicy apples. Now take one of those apples out and replace it with an orange. This technique is often referred to as creating a “Spot”. A spot is nothing more than the deliberate use of opposition to force the viewer to look again and again. It may seem overly simple, but changing a single element in your shot can often make the difference between boring and fascinating.

Keep patterns and rhythm in mind when you line up a number of people for a group portrait. Here you will be dealing with similar shapes. Try to place them in a pleasing pattern. Start with three people and have them line up so that their heads form a triangle. As you add people form another triangle. You are adding to the pattern by creating a rhythm of triangles that dance together. A group of nine people on their own could form an ugly mob . . . or they could form a very pleasing family portrait if you use the concept of repetition. Remember what we said at the beginning. Repetition is a tool, what you build with it determines if people consider you a Master Photographer or “weekend warrior” who just takes snapshots.

This Article Written By: Tedric A. Garrison Cedar City, Utah

Tedric Garrison has done photography for over 30 years. In college he was an Art Major,
and firmly believes that “Creativity can be taught.” Today; as a writer and photographer
he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: http://www.betterphototips.com

Foods that burn fat include many kinds of fruits and vegetables. Listed below are some of the foods that help burn fat.

Fruits:
Apples, Berries, Melon, Cherries, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Peaches, Nectarines & Pumpkin. This includes all different types of berries and melon, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. Most of these fruits have a pleasant taste, and can be mixed together to smoothie form for a healthy drink. Of course there are many other ways to eat these fat burners.

Adding these fruits to your diet will boost your metabolic rate for many hours, imagine doing this everyday and you will see how fast you can stand to lose fat.

In order to keep losing fat though you will have to consume little fat. Depending on how your diet is at the present time, you may need to cut out butter, sugar, cookies, candy, oils and more of the empty calories. Empty calories often turn to fat, and slow down you metabolic rate.

Another group of fat burners are dairy products. Milk, cheese, and yogurt help you to break down fat cells, and therefore help you burn the fat faster. 24 ounces in 24 hours was a recent campaign for milk that taught you how you could lose weight just by adding more milk products to your diet.

Vegetables:
Most any kind of vegetable will help you burn fat. Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals just like fruit that help you get and keep a healthy body. Green vegetables are extremely healthy for you, such as different kinds of lettuce, except iceberg which adds no nutrition to your diet.

All of this information is one of the main reasons some many people add smoothies to their diets. Finding your favorite fruits and vegetables and adding some yogurt to them in a blender will help you get the vitamins you need and a fat burning drink you enjoy.

Now that you know how to burn fat with many different kinds of foods, you might be interested to learn what combination of these foods does the most for your fat burning goals. Along with exercise you will quickly be able to see results if you use the right program for fat loss. To read more about burning fat and choosing the right program to follow, visit Part 2 of this article at http://www.fatloss.withtips.com

You can also get a Free Special Report called 75 fun ways to exercise by coming to http:http://www.Fatloss.withtips.com

Implicitly and explicitly I hear every week people tell me what they are not responsible for and have no control over.

Bluntly, they are usually wrong.

The most common protestations of being a victim of circumstance are:

“I don’t have the time:”

Most people manage time badly. They do not value it and fritter it away on low value activities and procrastination. They worry about an activity in the future whilst they are completing a current activity with the resultant loss in productivity. They do not plan their time to complete the active important tasks in blocks of uninterrupted time.

They do not prioritise between important and unimportant, urgent and not urgent, active and reactive.

They do not plan in blocks of time to do the reactive tasks where they may not know exactly what they are going to do, just that there will be a lot of it e.g. emails, phone messages. Some jobs are almost completely reactive, e.g. barman, customer service operator and the time for active important tasks must be cut out of a routine reactive day.

They give reasons, excuses and justifications for not managing their time, but they rarely hold up to scrutiny. They allow people to interrupt there schedule taking up valuable time which could be used to complete an important task, rather than planning a time when people can see them and communicating that time to the people who might like to see them.

They complain about having insufficient resources, but do not put forward a cogent business case to get the resources, rather leaving it as an item on a shopping list of items that they would like. They do not monitor their time usage on occasions to see how time utilisation might be improved e.g. meetings they do not need to attend, activities that they can delegate.

Instead they complain, “I don’t have the time”.

“That is a good idea but we can’t because:”

When this refrain comes from a manager, the set of three lights I have in my head that represents a manager’s worth goes immediately from all green to one red and one amber and one green. It is the laziest form of thinking. The manager has gone to the trouble of thinking through an idea that has merit in terms of its possible outcome. They have thought about the risks for successful implementation. Then they stop!

I could get almost anyone from the organisation in a room and come up with good ideas and the risks associated with implementing them. But they don’t have the skills and knowledge I would expect from a manager or the authority over budget to get appropriate resources to find solutions to reduce or eliminate the identified risks.

Even the language, “We can’t because” turns at least one green light amber. “We can do this at this cost and that consequence” is what I want to hear from managers. I want to hear a positive view rather than a flat negative view. At least then we are talking about options and the conscious decision to do something or to not do something rather than just an unconscious decision to do nothing.

“They are not listening:”

Well, hold the press. Human beings are generally poor at listening. This is a given, not a revelation.

Humans filter what they hear, based on their mood, their values, their upbringing and their thinking styles. The filtering can delete or reconstruct words leading to a different meaning.

They want to complete other people’s sentences, they think of a response whilst allegedly listening to what the other person says.

They skim read, their eyes generally wanting to dart from picture to picture and then read the first and second paragraph.

Their memory remembers first and last words, repeated words and words which are unusual. Their memory adds words which sound like they should fit in but which were not actually spoken.

Of course people are poor at listening. That is why it is our responsibility, the one doing the communicating, to help them hear what we have to say.

If it is a communication about change, we have to tell them early and tell them often, allowing opportunities for different parts of the communication to filter through at different times. We have to use different media and different styles to enable the people who prefer pictures to “get it”, as well as those who prefer text. We have to allow them to ask questions of clarification and we have to test for their understanding.

What we must not do with an important communication is send out the memo/e-mail or a presentation as a one shot and expect them to understand.

We make choices in our working life whether they are explicit or implicit. We do have the ability to exercise control over what we do. It is our choice, our responsibility.

Kevin Dwyer is the founder of Change Factory. Change Factory helps organisations who do do not like their business outcomes to get better outcomes by changing people’s behaviour. Businesses we help have greater clarity of purpose and ability to achieve their desired business outcomes. To learn more or see more articles visit http://www.changefactory.com.au or email kevin.dwyer@changefactory.com.au ©2007 Change Factory

A good quality vacuum cleaner is an excellent investment in your home and in your home cleaning equipment. You can often save money on vacuum cleaners by buying online. Researching the power, suction and edge cleaning abilities of a vacuum cleaner to make sure that it’ll perform at the level you need, is very important.

Many full-sized models come with more features buyers are looking for. A vacuum cleaner should expel or exhaust only fresh, clean air. Check out features vs. the weight to choose the right model for you.

A vacuum cleaner should essential up both from the carpet and hard-floors; many vacuums don’t pick up well on all surfaces. The vacuum industry is making great strides in making powerful vacuum cleaners that weigh much less. You can choose a lightweight or heavyweight machine.

Canister vacuum cleaners can come with a bag or be bagless. Consider where the vacuum cleaner will be stored to make sure it will fit the space. Do you want an upright or canister?

Do you really need a deluxe model? Find out how often belts, filters, and other items will need to be cleaned and/or replaced. Lower end uprights may have headlamps and/or bumper protection for your furniture.

Canister vacuums range in price anywhere from $150 to $1500. You can save a lot of money buying vacuum cleaners online if you do some thorough research first. Try assembling and taking apart the attachments before you buy.

Find the extra tools and features you need, and forget about the ones you don’t. Higher priced upright vacuum cleaners may range from $200 to $500, depending on the features. Many people find they don’t like to bend over to move the vacuum around so prefer an upright over a canister.

You can find vacuum cleaners listed in the yellow pages under the vacuum cleaner repair stores, classified ads in your local newspaper, on Craigslist online, eBay and other online auction sites and the manufacturer and dealer websites on the Internet. The highest priced upright models may carry every available feature; they may be true HEPA vacuums. Always check and see how long the warranty is good for; the longer the better of course.

Some vacuums will have a HEPA filter; this is always a good idea to keep your air free of the tiny particles that are stirred up when you vacuum. You might consider one of the lightweight models if you have physical issues. Make sure you get a good feel for the vacuum, its handle and accessories so you know if you can handle it if you have any disabilities or physical problems. To receive the true or absolute HEPA designation, filters must perform to a certain standard.

HEPA is an acronym for “high efficiency particulate air”. You want to get rid of as much dirt, dust, mold spores, fungus, bacteria, dust mites and allergens as possible. It’s best to get a vacuum with a good filtration system and protect your lungs and overall health.

A quality vacuum cleaner can be an excellent investment if you do your homework online and offline. When you’ve found your dream vacuum, make sure you know what you need to do in terms of service and the warranty. Make sure you add on replacement bags to your initial investment if they’re required.

For more information on saving money on vacuum cleaners and best buy shopping for vacuum cleaners online and offline go to http://www.SaveMoneyOnVacuumCleaners.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in vacuum cleaner tips, advice and resources, including information on vacuum cleaner ratings and vacuum cleaner reviews

Incentives are given to employees for 2 common reasons: to motivate employees and to ensure the salesforce’s commitment to a new project of product. Either way, incentives work to increase the performance of employees and in turn, would increase the profit of the business.

Incentives, however, do not automatically equate to higher profit for the company. This is because there are factors that must be present in any incentive program to succeed. Here are those:

Type of incentive.

It is not enough to motivate your employees simply by offering them incentives if they achieve a quota or the requirement. The type of incentive that they will receive plays a major role whether or not the employees will respond. Incentives must speak for themselves. It should be the motivating factor for employees. Make sure that the type of incentive should be a thing to look forward to. It should be interesting. Some common types of incentives are cash bonus, travel package, and merchandise.

Incentive Structure

It is easy to give incentives to employees that outperform the rest but it is not always simple to motivate your employees to outperform one another. This is because incentive, to be accepted by the salesforce, must be well-structured. This does not mean that incentives should be technical, rather it must be simple yet comprehensive.

A well-structured incentive program should be clear to all employees. It may not be applicable to all (since employees have different motivating factors) but at least, it adapts to the majority. Structure of the incentive program should define everything that is needed to know by the employees. It should have a clear definition of how the awards are won. Most incentive programs fail because of the inability to define a clear structure on how to claim the reward on the part of the management.

Timetable.

The gap between winning and receiving is another factor that plays a major role whether the employees will strive to achieve the incentive or not. Too long and the employees will lack interest on the incentive. Too short and the employees will not have time to achieve it. The gap between winning and receiving should not be more than 2 months and not be less than 2 weeks. The ideal time between winning and receiving is between 4 to 6 weeks.

Promotion, communication, and coaching

When you attempt to motivate your employees, you attempt to change their behavior. And if you promote, communicate, and coach your employees, you are targeting their behavior that would result to a long term boost of performance. Rewards increase performance too but it is just for the short term. You need these 3 to sustain the boost.

Recognition

People love to be in the limelight. People also envy those who are in the limelight. Use this to boost the performance of your employees. Whoever performs in your salesforce well must be recognized in front of the employees. This gives him more energy to perform more in the future. And those who are not recognized will strive more so that they will be recognized as well. Give them what they want to receive- and oftentimes a simple “thank you” would do. Remember: there is no such a thing as too much recognition. If you know that someone deserves to be recognized for his achievement, do not hesitate to do so.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written many articles on various subjects. For more information on sales incentives or employee incentives checkout his websites.

Real estate can be quite a profitable investment, when handled correctly. One of the biggest keys is to buy low, and there are several ways to achieve this. Divorce, death and foreclosure are great ways to find real estate deals. Keep tabs on the newspaper classifieds for foreclosure announcements and estate sale ads.

With foreclosures, a low offer could be accepted, because the property will soon go to the property owner’s worst case scenario – the auction block. Estate sales generally occur after the property owner is deceased, so the sale coordinators may be planning to put the house on the market. A little detective work can make sure you are one of the first buyers in line.

Buying when the market is down is also a good way to nab property with relatively small investment. Not only does this mean less competition for you, but it also means you have the upper hand. A slow market is a buyer’s best friend.

So you bought a fixer-upper and you don’t know where to begin? Save on overhead costs and maximize profits by doing as much work yourself as possible. In certain cases, the seller would have been so eager to unload the property that they will have already done many improvements. However, structurally sound fixer-uppers are the best way to go for low-cost investments.

Whatever the appearance of the home, it is important to remember not to fall in love with the property. Do not become emotionally attached. Consider factors like cost, potential profit margin, location and any features that will help you sell the property.

This is where research and homework come in handy. It can help immensely in the negotiation phase to know a thing or two about the surrounding market – for instance, the direction the neighborhood is trending toward and whether there is currently a price ceiling. Real estate investment is all about numbers. Develop an investment plan and find several different houses to fit into that plan.

Another key aspect of real estate investing is to do your own homework on your own terms. Whether in the form of a class, an article or a “How-to” guide book, find the information that speaks to you. Real estate investing can be a bit baffling. It is crucial to find a source of information that breaks it down into understandable language.

Below are some of the most common mistakes new real estate investors make, and how you can avoid them:

• Pay too much – The importance of a budget and an investment plan cannot be overstated. You must determine your price range and stick to it. Don’t be afraid to walk away – there is plenty of opportunity on the auction block if nobody will agree to your terms.

• Failure to network – Picture everyone you could possibly need to know in the real estate industry. It is important to establish good working relationships with at least one trustworthy person in each industry. Networking is a large part of real estate investment. Membership in the local Chamber of Commerce or BNI can be a great way to establish those much-needed contacts.

• Move too quickly – Something the late-night “Get Rich Quick” infomercials won’t tell you is that real estate investing is a game of patience. If you wait to buy, a better deal may be right around the corner. At least sleeping on the deal overnight can help you avoid paying too much. Waiting to sell can also help maximize your profit margin. Timing is critical. If the market is down, rent the property until you are ready to sell.

• Invest far away – What is the best way to keep an eye on your property and the surrounding market? Not by living in another city. It will be most convenient for you – and you will be most motivated to maintain and fix up the property – if you invest relatively close to home. A good rule of thumb is within a 30-mile radius.

• Underinsuring – You would not underinsure your health, your car or your life. Why would you underinsure your home? Fire, natural disaster and flood insurance are key, as is accident insurance for unforeseen on-property incidents.

• Underestimate – Above all, do not underestimate the cost of investing in a piece of real estate. If anything, you should underestimate your cash flow. Overestimate the amount of time and money you will need to get the property ready for market. Most experts will tell you to double your time estimate and triple your cost estimate. This will keep your real estate investing machine afloat.

Eric Bramlett currently manages his Austin Real Estate Guide, his Austin Real Estate company’s website, & his Austin Condos Guide.

The truth about working online is basically that it has its bad points as well as the good points. It’s not as easy as it sounds or everyone would be “successfully” doing it. Consider this question, ”Is starting an online business for you?” Get the unpolished, bare facts now:

1. When you start your own online business, you get to make the ultimate decision about what you want to do. You can take a hobby and turn it into revenue or take a simple skill and use this foundation for creating your own genuine business online. Above all you get to choose something that you really enjoy and be your own boss.

Negative: There may not be enough interest in your products or services to allow your business to grow. You need to realize that to become successful in your online business there needs to be a demand for your products and services.

Help: To avoid the ultimate disaster of complete failure, do some online research before you proceed further, in order, to determine if there is a definite demand for your products or services. Also, make sure that you’re choosing a business option for the long haul and not some type of trend that will soon whither away.

2. Depending on your type of business, you usually get to choose your own hours. Flexible hours can be wonderful when you have children or other type of activities that you like to participate in at various times.

Negative: Starting your own home business often requires numerous hours when first starting out. Usually you’re working on your own and have the sole responsibility of completing projects and scheduled tasks. Outsourcing is very difficult as well since funds are low during your first couple of years of business.

Help: Reinvest a certain amount of profit each month back into your business to make a faster progress with your business growth. Create a financial budget and use low cost marketing methods to allow your business a greater monthly profit. Set specific hours for work as much as possible and set a definite time to plan activities with your family outside of your work hours.

3. Marketing your online business allows many free advertising options. Your business startup costs are usually very low, depending on the the type of business you’re starting.

Negative: Online marketing is not always as easy as it seems. In fact, getting sufficient traffic to your site can be quite discouraging.

Help: Educate yourself all you can about internet marketing. There are tons of free resources; however, you need to be careful about getting the “wrong” information. Find some successful internet marketers by keeping a lookout online. You’ll often hear positive feedback from other business owners when they’ve found helpful resources that have helped them succeed. Look for some online forums dealing with internet marketing.

4. It simply feels wonderful to be “the boss” and make your own decisions. You don’t have to worry about “calling in sick” when necessary or begging the boss for a day off.

Negative: An online business can often times be lonely. You usually have no assistants or staff with which to discuss ideas. You also do not have additional support from leaders since you’re usually the sole owner of your business. Sometimes you have to work when you’re sick if you cannot afford to hire an assistant.

Help: Find an online or local support group in your targeted field and take time to communicate and learn from their mistakes and successes. There are numerous networking groups online that are often happy to discuss business issues with other entrepreneurs. To prepare for sick days, manage your time extremely well. There’s nothing like being sick and suddenly realizing you have a list of 100 projects you have to get done at the last minute because you procrastinated. As soon as you can afford to do so, train a virtual assistant that can work “on call” whenever you’re sick. Having someone to answer email and take care of other tedious tasks can be a big relief.

5. Once your have your online business up and running, you often have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. You’re eager to work and build your business. Enthusiasm has you on top of the mountain. You’re now a full-fledged business owner.

Negative: Discouragement can quickly settle in with problems such as building your client base, web site hosting problems, work overload, customer complaints, overwhelming expenses, financial management, etc.

Help: Set goals that you can easily reach without getting overwhelmed. This will help you keep that sense of accomplishment. Make strategy plans for marketing and maintaining technical issues for your business. Seek expert advice in any area that you lack knowledge. Read useful information on business building issues. Hire a virtual (or local) assistant for bookkeeping if you lack financial managing abilities. You want to focus on your business needs rather than worrying over financial matters. Finally, get recommendations from online mentors regarding a good quality hosting company, email management, useful software that can ease the work load and other online matters that pertain to your type of business.

To summarize the matter, working online may have many negative points, but the positive can easily outweigh the negative when you educate yourself well in your online business adventure. You can avoid many pitfalls ahead of time by planning and preparing for problems before they arise. Owning an online business might not be for everyone, but considering the fact that it doesn’t take much expense to start your own website, it should definitely be something worth considering.

Grab your Two FREE Ecourses by Rhonda White:
Home Business Marketing Ecourse at http://Wahm-announce.com
Affiliate Marketing Ecourse at http://mommyaffiliates.com

Although cover letters should be different, personalized and uniquely creative, there are certain guidelines one must follow to ensure that the content of your cover letter guarantees you a high percentage of snagging the job that you want.

A cover letter format should be adhered to so you will be able to know what you will write down. This format will ensure an organized cover letter which will efficiently serve its purpose, which is, to highlight your capabilities and skills and show you as the best person for the job.

Essentially, your cover letter should give a great first impression to the person reading it or the hiring manager and convince him or her to read on further, then to peruse your resume and consider you for an interview. This may be too big a task for a measly letter, but if you follow the right format, this is very much possible.

Cover Letter Format

You signature block should be the first thing you write down in your cover letter. The signature block consists of your address, your telephone number and your email address.

Next is the date when you sent the cover letter.

Follow this in the next few lines with the name of the person where the letter will be sent. It is a big plus for you if you know the name of the person who is receiving the applications for the company. Add the title or position of the person, then the name of the organization, then its company address.

The salutation is next. Your salutation must be personal, avoid using “to whom it may concern” or “Dear sir or madam.”

Your opening paragraph should state the reason why you are writing, where you have learned about the vacant position and some basic information about yourself. Keep it short; they don’t want to hear about your life story. Try to make it very interesting so that you will be able to grab their attention and keep on reading.

You second paragraph should start off by stating why you want to work for their company, what interest you about them and in what they do. You can use what you have learned through research about their company, doing this will show that you are diligent, smart and serious about your application.

In the same paragraph, you will be able to showcase your qualifications and your abilities. You can tell about your work experiences and what you were able to learn in that experience. Keep it short; mention only those that can be applied to the job you are applying for. Mention that your resume will have a more detailed explanation of all your skills and responsibilities.

Try to use bullets to outline your skills and etcetera. This will make your points clearer and easier to understand.

On the third paragraph, mention any details about your schedule which would allow you to do interviews. Indicate that you are indeed very interested to come in and talk to them. Tell them that you will be more than happy to provide them with any information that they may need in regards to your employment with their company. Don’t forget to thank them for considering your application.

You can then write down your closing and affix your handwritten signature above your printed name. Don’t forget to mention that your résumé is enclosed if it is.

There you have it, the basic contents that a good cover letter should have.

Mario Churchill is the President of CareerJimmy and author of “Amazing Cover Letter Creator.” Visit him at: http://www.amazing-cover-letters.com for your “instant” cover letters today.