Before you ever write a marketing script for the telephone, before you ever create an online marketing campaign, before you ever start marketing your business in general you must make sure that your campaign has the right prospects. Is your specific target audience being exposed to your product\’s message?

Who is your target audience?

The answer to this question varies a lot from the typical question of “who can benefit from your products and services?” in which case the most common response, for most network marketers, is “everyone.” The idea that everyone can benefit from the product or service that you are offering and that everyone is your target audience, may be somewhat true but if you spent 30 hours a week trying to tell “everyone” about what it is that you have to offer, you may still have no one interested at the end of the week.

But how can that happen?

“My product is supposed to sell itself”

One of the reasons is probably because you haven\’t mapped out exactly who your specific target audience is.

I am going to ask you some questions about your product or service and I want you to answer as specifically and as honestly as you can to make the most of this exercise. Oh by the way, I want you to focus completely on your product here and forget that you have an opportunity altogether.

What are some of your prospects fears?

Is your product something that your target audience has a want for? Or is it a
need?

What is your target audiences\’ age range? Meaning what is the age group of the
people who would most likely benefit from my product or service?

What are the Benefits of the product or service you are marketing in relationship to your target audience?

Often times we as network marketers get so caught up in trying to implement the newest and greatest marketing techniques, that we turn our backs on the basics. Think about it this way. If you are marketing dog collars, would it make sense to advertise in a magazine devoted to women\’s cosmetics and jewelry? Absolutely not! This is an extreme example but the truth is that even if you are off by a little bit in locating who your specific target audience really is, it can be very costly and ineffective.

Jonathan Hottle is an International Business Grow Specialist Who Counsels Network Marketers and Home Based Business Owners On Ways To Maximize Growth In Their Organizations, And How To Build Organizations From The Ground Up. He Is Always Available On His Home Phone Number At 814-279-3199. Jonathan Encourages You To Get Your MLM Tool Kit Now By Clicking On The Above Link.

Individual Retirement Accounts are an extremely popular means of investing. Millions of Americans have them. Unfortunately, far too many are unsatisfied with their accounts\’ returns. The fact is that most Americans\’ IRAs will not usher them into retirement in anything close to the style that they envision. Regardless of whether it\’s a Traditional- or Roth IRA, many people\’s retirement plans simply aren\’t building much of a retirement nestegg. And with the beating that Wall Street and the Dollar have been taking in recent months, it isn\’t any wonder.

But all is not lost. After all, land is still available. Yes, land! Raw, undeveloped, pristine land. And although you can\’t buy and hold real estate in your regular IRA, you can utilize a Self-Directed IRA to do the job. What\’s that, you ask? Put simply, it\’s just what its name implies. \’Self-directed\’ means that you have much more control over how the money in your account is invested (you can even have checkbook control over the funds without custodial slowdowns). As a matter of fact, self-directed IRA funds can be used for virtually any of the IRS-permitted investment types, including raw land - only life insurance and collectibles are excluded.

When you think about it, self-directed IRAs and real estate match up very well together. IRA funds are generally expected to be held for a number of years in order to grow. And real estate - especially undeveloped land - is considered to be a rather illiquid investment. So it makes perfect sense to use those funds that are earmarked for long-term growth for an inherently long-term investment. A well-chosen piece of land (one that\’s located in a known path of economic growth and progress) can return far more than an 8 to 12% Dow Jones investment. Good undeveloped land can absolutely skyrocket in value; and what\’s more, if purchased through a self directed Roth IRA, the distribution of any earnings and appreciated equity realized from the property\’s eventual sale is tax-free!

Of course, there are a number of rules to be aware of when setting up and operating a self-directed IRA, so it\’s wise to seek the advice of a good financial advisor. Even though there are numerous successful techniques to buying investment acreage for short term profit, don\’t forget to look ahead to the future. “It is better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret”.

Jack Bosch began investing in real estate in 1999. Along the way he discovered a secret system of buying land for literally pennies on the dollar and reselling the property for thousands more. Since his first transaction he has personally bought and sold over 5000 properties using his fine tuned system. Jack to this day still invests and profits from real estate, however now he also offers his secret strategy of buying and selling real estate for huge profits to You! You can find his complete wealth building system at http://www.LandForPennies.com and at http://www.SecretLandProfits.com

Alan Gordon\’s novel Thirteenth Night is a speculative fiction based on the characters of William Shakespeare\’s Twelfth Night. In December of 1200, some fifteen years after the events in the Bard\’s play, Feste learns that Duke Orsino of Illyria has died, unexpectedly and under mysterious circumstances.

He returns to Illyria in the disguise of a German merchant to find out what happened to the former duke and what will happen to the dukedom since the new duke is too young and a regent will have to be named.

Another member of the Guild, to which Feste belongs, shows up to help him discover the truth. I found Gordon\’s depiction of the Guild to be most interesting. According to the author, it was a group of fools trained in the arts of entertaining such as juggling, singing, telling stories, but they also acted behind the scenes spying and manipulating events as they felt necessary much like Frank Herbert\’s Bene Gesserit in his Dune series.

Feste realizes that much has changed since he left Illyria a decade and a half ago, especially the people any of which could be his chief suspect and old foe, Malvolio.

I am not familiar with Shakespeare\’s Twelfth Night enough to make connections between the play and the book, and that seemed to be a slight detriment to my enjoying this novel more. But even if one is no so well-versed on the Bard, this is still a very entertaining mystery with twists, turns and an ending to satisfy all fans of whodunits.

Gordon does a meticulous and excellent job of describing medieval Italian customers, settings and the political climates of the times. He incorporates the international events and governmental environments during that era that give the reader a brief history lesson in very early fourteenth century Italy.

Thirteenth Night is a great read, and although slow starting, soon becomes an exciting page turner to the last.

We find ourselves in the midst of Olympic Games fever once again. Our top athletes are competing at the highest level and strive for top honours in their chosen fields.

Most of the older will remember the rubber-soled plimsolls that were traditionally worn in PE lessons throughout most schools in Europe. These were available in any colour you liked as long as it was black or white.

These have been replaced by air cushioned, gel filled capsules with superior technical performance. They come in a variety of colours, shapes and forms and are purchased as much for their appearance as their performance.

The ground-breaking manufacturing technique that allowed the development of the plimsoll was called vulcanisation, which is still used today. This process uses heat to meld rubber and cloth together. Sulphur is used during the process.

Plimsolls were revolutionary at the time as they provided comfort, were lightweight and allowed the user to move around silently. Plimsolls became known as sneakers and were sold on a mass scale in America as early as 1917.

In the four years since the last Olympics in Athens technology has moved on somewhat and has definitely moved on since the plimsoll days.

Trainers and clothing has evolved to be lighter and stronger. But what part has technology had to play in enhancing the performance of our Olympians?

Trainers and sport shoes have evolved, we have different shoes for each event and each pair of shoes is manufactured from a variety of number materials chosen because of their individual properties to put strength and flexibility where it is needed most. Materials such as Kevlar which is ten times stronger than leather, leather or canvas which is both thin, stable and of a low density, foam blown polyurethane which gives a shoe extra cushioning and thermoplastic polyurethane which make a shoe both strong and pliable
As technology has evolved scientists have developed new composite materials which work together to produce a better performance than that of the two or three separate materials.

Differing materials offer different properties such as stability; offering resistance to twisting and warping. When weight is applied to a material over a period of time it will creep (flatten out and spread).

Some materials are used for their elastic properties, the ability to flex and bend when force is applied and then retain its original shape when the force is removed. Finally, some materials are chosen for their density which can be explained as the amount of matter in an object has per measurement of space, these materials are generally used for shock absorption.

Polyurethane is a unique material that offers the elasticity of rubber combined with the toughness and durability of metal. The flexible type of polyurethane is used to make upholstery, mattresses, earplugs, chemical-resistant coatings, specialty adhesives and sealants, and packaging. It also comes to the rigid forms of insulation for buildings, water heaters, refrigerated transport, and commercial and residential refrigeration. It is used in the manufacture of sports shoes because of its lightweight shock absorption properties as well as being pliable as well as having great torsional and bending strength. Kevlar is one of the most important man-made organic fibres ever developed. The fibre possesses a remarkable combination of properties that has led to its use in a variety of commercial products since its invention in the 1970\’s. The fibres of Kevlar consist of long inter-connecting molecular chains produces from poly - paraphenylene terephthalamide. Kevlar offers high tensile strength with a low weight, structural rigidity, low electrical conductivity, high chemical resistance, low thermal shrinkage, excellent dimensional strength, high cut resistance, flame resistant and self extinguishing. Pretty versatile really!

Spiked running shoes have been around for over 100 years created by the British company Reebok in the 1890\’s. The spiked shoe was developed out of necessity. The founder of the company enjoyed running and wanted to develop a shoe that would increase his speed.

In 1925 a company called Adi Dassler now known as Adidas created a range of shoes with hand-forged spikes. They offered a range of shoes for different distances. The company used the strongest and lightest materials available at the time to make the running shoes. Adi Dassler\’s brother went on to found the Puma sports shoe company.

The involvement of science and technology in the 1970\’s sports shoe manufacturers employed experts to conduct research into how humans run. They also investigated the shock effect to the body caused by the collision between the feet and the ground. Their finding helped to develop new, improved sports shoes.
Their research found three types of running styles:

Neutral:

This is where the heel of the runner makes contact with the ground and the foot travels in a straight line as it moves forward.

Pronation:

This where the heel hits the ground but this time the foot moves to the side as it travels forward. It refers to the inward roll of the foot.

Supenation:

This is where the heel hits the ground and the foot rolls outward.

In modern times such materials as foam, silicon, air or gel have been added into trainers, these have been used to create cushioning systems in modern running shoes.

In the 1970\’s a plastic called \’ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)\’ was developed. This material revolutionised the construction of sports shoes. It was made up of tiny air bubbles that provide cushioning and absorbs shock. This material is injection moulded into shapes, which serve as heel supports.

Nike\’s Air technology, which used a gas-filled bag of air inserted in the sole of the shoe to cushion the impact of running, first appeared in 1979. The pair of sneakers was named; Tailwind and these technologically advanced air-soles had provided a good foundation for which further Nike advancements are based on. Since then, athletic shoes have become increasingly specialized and prices for various sneakers have grown in accordance to the advances in technology and its value-added features. Some shoes sold in the 1980\’s even included a pump valve so you could inflate or deflate the heel on your shoe as if they were bicycle tyres.

Following the introduction of Nike shoes, a technical breakthrough occurred in 1972 when Bill Bowerman, while studying the pattern on a waffle iron, came up with a great idea - waffle soles. Bowerman then cooked some rubber in his waffle iron and glued it to the bottom of a pair of shoes, which he later gave to athletes to test. The athletes came back with great reviews and the sneakers were well received in the market. The patented outsole revolutionized running by offering better traction in a lighter-weight, more durable shoe.

In 2003 American spent on average 50 dollars (£28) on a pair of sports shoes.
Companies sponsor most top athletes. This means that they are paid a fortune to wear the company\’s products during a sporting competition.

The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world attracting worldwide television viewers. This offers an ideal opportunity for sports companies to get their products seen. As well as being finely honed athletes and sports people, athletes are now fantastic marketing tools for the sport shoe companies.

Wouldn\’t it be interesting if all the athletes in this year\’s Olympics had to wear plimsolls, the only choice they could make would be the colour, black or white?

We\’d see the real Olympic champions then.

I try to pass on my musings on life and experiences in a way that people may find interesting to read.

www.nike-trainers.com

You may not always agree with my writings but I hope to inform.

Harwood E Woodpecker