Archive for March, 2008

3 Ways Your Compelling Story Gets You Clients

Monday, March 31st, 2008

By Fabienne Fredrickson Many of us entrepreneurs are drawn to our particular profession by a specific defining moment or series of events that changed everything in our lives. Because of that moment, some of us dropped everything and decided to dedicate the rest of our professional lives to doing what we now do. My compelling story is my before-and-after scenario: how I went from not enough clients and struggling to pay the bills, to learning everything I could about marketing, networking and business management. As a result of creating my own ‘Client Attraction System’, I turned my practice from a mediocre one to one bursting at the seams just 8 months later, thereby eliminating my 3-A.M.-I-dont-have-enough-clients-sweats. My own compelling story is something I tell to establish instant credibility with new prospects, in front of an audience or at the beginning of my ‘Client Attraction Home Study System’. Clients and people in my seminars have repeatedly told me that hearing it was one of the first reasons they then hired me. It spoke to them because Id been in their shoes too, at one point, and now Im on the other side of the Client Attraction challenge. They tell me they too have tossed and turned at night with the 3 A.M. sweats, and that to see someone having survived it and now thriving, they feel they can too. You may also have a compelling story that no one else has. Your compelling story may be that you overcame a serious challenge in business, in your health or in life that caused you to change your course and do what you do now to help others with the same struggles. You can use your compelling story several ways to attract clients: First and foremost, it helps the prospect bond with you. If youre in a business like mine, its the know-like-and-trust factor that you need to really establish with your target audience. People arent buying a business. Theyre buying a solution first and a relationship second. It can be the beginning of your signature talk or your teleclasses, helping you to earn the right to be up there speaking to an audience that doesnt know you yet. If you dont have a lot of credentials, it can give you instant credibility. Youve been through what theyve been through too, youve experienced success, and now youre back to tell them how to solve their problems. Client example: A travel agent who once attended one of my Full Day Client Attraction events had a breakthrough in figuring out what makes his seemingly non-descript travel business different from the competition and it was his compelling story. To paraphrase it, his travel business focused on cruises. During a group coaching moment in the workshop, I asked him what brought him to focus on cruises, and he painted a scenario for us that no one in the room will forget. You see, a few years ago, he was diagnosed with a very serious health concern and he intuitively knew that his current corporate job was literally making him sick. One day, because he couldnt take the toxic environment, this unhappy employee signed himself up for a cruise. He came back having experienced what felt like heaven to him and he continued to vacation on cruises regularly and was shocked to see his health condition was getting rapidly better. According to him, he has now healed himself of his health concern, and it all started by taking care of himself and his soul by going on a cruise regularly. He decided to quit his job and dedicate the rest of his professional life to helping people break free of toxic lifestyles by experiencing the wonders of the cruise lifestyle. I tell you, there was not a dry eye in the room. THIS was a compelling story and everyone there was truly compelled to take a cruise after hearing him, even if theyd never considered taking a cruise before. Best of all, they wanted to work with HIM to book the details of the cruise, not their regular travel agent. Had we not gone through this exercise in person, he says he would never have considered this story something that would attract clients and give him an advantage over other travel agents. But it does. Your Assignment: What is YOUR compelling story around your business? What brought you to do what youre doing today with such passion? What is your before-and-after story and how did you overcome your situation? Sprinkle this in your marketing materials or in conversation. Creating your compelling story to share with others can be a catalyst and one of the most powerful ways for you to attract clients through the know-like-and-trust factor. 2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved. Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Expert, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program to help you attract more clients, in record time and consistently. To learn more about Fabienne’s Client Attraction Home Study System, sign up for her FREE client attraction tips and no-charge teleclasses on attracting more clients, visit http://www.ClientAttraction.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fabienne_Fredrickson http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Ways-Your-Compelling-Story-Gets-You-Clients&id=339078 how to overdose from ambien ambien cr alternatives zolpidem for coma patients discount zolpidem ambien fedex delivery

The Bee Pollen Cholesterol Effect

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

By John Gibb The bee pollen cholesterol effect is one in which among the other medical healing and antibiotic properties that bee pollen offers, is also suspected in the aiding of maintaining healthy bee pollen cholesterol levels. The most likely cause for bee pollen cholesterol is that the nutrients contained within bee pollen contain every essential ingredient known to sustain human survival. Bee pollen is made up of approximately twenty five percent complete protein containing at least eighteen amino acids and the entire array of vitamins. These are contributing ingredients to the bee pollen cholesterol effect. Bee pollen contains beta-carotene as well as twenty-eight minerals, more than eleven essential enzymes and fourteen beneficial fatty acids. Another contributing factor to the bee pollen cholesterol effect is that there is only eleven carbohydrates and is completely rich in minerals. Along with the full spectrum of vitamins also come hormones and its low in calories. Bee pollen contains natural sugars. The bee pollen cholesterol contributing factor is how healthful bee pollen is for the human body in general. It provides the body with the nutrients in requires in maintaining excellent health. It is imperative that you the consumer research the background of the supplier of your bee pollen products to ensure that they are being harvested properly because if they are not harvested from a clean source, they can contain contaminants and other toxins that are harmful to the human system. Bee pollen should be collected more than two times a week from the pollen traps located at the entrance of the hives and frozen immediately to preserve hive freshness. If it is not frozen, it can lose most of its nutrients. A lot of low grade companies still choose to buy this kind of product and fashion it with fillers and chemical agents to gain the desired weight and distribute it. Always read labels, ask questions and educate yourself before diving in to bee pollen therapy. It is of the utmost importance that you check with your doctor or medical professional before beginning any supplemental program. As well, if you have ever suffered from a bee venom allergy, do not take this product or any product containing bee ingredients from the hive. Doing so could cause life threatening side effects like anaphylactic shock or other uncomfortable symptoms. The product we personally use, located in the pristine source of New Zealand, is the most natural bee pollen source we have come across - http://www.bee-health-product.com We have been using this supplement for over 3 years with excellent health results. We have achieved a general sense of well being and new improved energy levels. We highly recommend you check out our bee pollen supplement of choice for further information. John Gibb runs a series of health websites. Check out our Bee supplement guide, for more information on bee pollen. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gibb http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Bee-Pollen-Cholesterol-Effect&id=457410 bitter taste ambien dosage ambien 20mg sonata zolpidem sleeping pills buy ambien ambien dosage lethal

Grant of Franchise Terms in Franchise Agreements

Friday, March 28th, 2008

By Lance Winslow When a franchisee company expands its brand name through franchising it must draw all the franchise agreement. The franchisor will need to list the terms and conditions in which they will grant of franchise to the franchisee. Generally most franchisors have a specific business model and stipulations, which must be followed, as per the confidential operations manual. One of the first sections in the franchise agreement will be the grant and rights of the franchise. That is to say, exactly what the franchisor is offering to the potential franchise buyer of a franchise outlet. In the disclosure documents this must be clearly outlined and done in plain English as to be easily understood to prevent litigation down the road. Below is an example of the section of the franchise agreements called grant of the franchise that I used in my franchise company and perhaps this might help you with ideas; 1. FRANCHISE AND TERM 1.1 Grant of Franchise Franchisor grants to Franchisee, and Franchisee accepts, the right to use the Marks and the Car Wash Guys System of Franchisor in the operation of a business (the Franchised Business) at a location (as defined below) in the city and country (the Marketing Area”) on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Franchisee may not use the Marks in any other business or offer any products or services, which are not included within the Franchised Business without the prior written consent of Franchisor. Franchisee must provide: (1) mobile car washing and waxing services (the Core Services). At Franchisees election (which election may be made at the date hereof or at any time during the term of the Agreement), Franchisee may provide automobile and light vehicle fleet washing (Optional Services). Franchisor reserves the right to introduce or eliminate any Core Services and Optional Services during the term of this Agreement as part of the Car Wash Guys System, provided any such additions must relate solely to cleaning, washing and waxing of automobiles and fleets of light vehicles. Franchisee shall be required to provide all such services that Franchisor designates as Core Services. In the event that, subsequent to the date hereof, Franchisee elects to provide any Optional Services offered as part of The Car Wash Guys System other than those listed herein, they must receive written permission. To the extent that Franchisee elects to provide any Optional Services during the term of this Agreement, including any renewal hereof, Franchisee shall at all times thereafter continue to provide such Optional Services unless and until Franchisor eliminates such service from The Car Wash Guys System. The Core services and any Optional Services, which Franchisor elects to provide during the term of this Agreement are collectively referred to as the Services. ———- ———— ———- After a franchisor comes up with a good description of their offer to be listed in the franchise agreements, then they must take it to a franchise attorney to make sure that fits the criteria to protect the company from future litigation. It is advised to seek professional council on this matter at the earliest possible point. Please consider this in 2006. “Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow http://EzineArticles.com/?Grant-of-Franchise-Terms-in-Franchise-Agreements&id=160736 ambien use ambien problem xanax ativan buy ambien without a prescription

So, You Want To Be A Consultant! 4 Steps To Take On The Pathway To Success

Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

By Bob Selden During my career as a manager and since I myself became a consultant in 1987, I have had many colleagues and acquaintances move into the consultancy profession. Sometimes this move was by choice as a genuine career move. In the late 90s however, the proliferation of consultants was exacerbated by the downsizing of organisations and so, people who had been cut and who were unable to find a similar role in another organisation tried the consulting path often with little success and a great deal of pain. The following suggestions on becoming a consultant have been developed as a result of my own experience, my advice sessions with colleagues starting out on their consultancy career journey and the lessons I have learned from watching people either succeed or fail to make the grade as a consultant. My belief is that there are at least four things that one must do to develop a successful career as a consultant: Firstly, decide on an area of expertise and “research it to death!”. Become a real “expert” in your chosen field. Organisations are looking for people as consultants to fill a gap in their skill base, knowledge, expertise etc and that’s why they go to a consultant (otherwise they would find the expertise internally). When starting out as a consultant, it’s tempting to be able to say “Yep, I can do that” when a prospective client asks for help, even though you may not have a great deal of expertise in that area. Sometimes the need to keep an income coming in can be a very tempting reason to take these type of jobs. I have a colleague who eventually became quite successful, but in her early consultancy career took these type of assignments because There must be a book published on that Ill read up on it. My observations were that she was in fact already an expert in a particular field, but at the time was not aware of it. Her area of expertise? Process management, and so, reading up on a book merely gave her the context for her area of expertise. However, over the long term for most of us it does no good to take on assignments where we are not the true expert as the client will most likely not be entirely happy with the outcome (even though you may learn a lot in the process). In the consultancy business, you are only as good as your last job. Some suggestions for developing your area of expertise? Write articles on your area of expertise, speak at conferences, seminars etc, and join professional organisations that focus on your area of expertise. If you are that way inclined, join the committees of these organisations. You can always start your own website or blog on your area of expertise as well. My own area of expertise is management training, and in particular “hands on tools for new managers”, so you can see the results at Tips for New Managers (www.nationallearninginstitute.com/index_files/Leadersandmanagestipsforsuccess.htm) Secondly, find a mentor who can assist with your development over the longer term. These people are not so easy to find, so be patient. They must be experts in your chosen field of expertise and be willing to pass on their knowledge and experience freely to you. You also need to develop a good personal relationship with them. I’ve been lucky enough to work for one many years ago (Dennis Pratt author of “Aspiring to Greatness Above and Beyond TQM”, Business & Professional Publishing, Sydney, 1994) who became my mentor and who has remained a mentor for me ever since. Thirdly, find a coach. This type of person is quite different to your mentor. Your coach is someone who will be able to help you in developing your skills as a consultant (as opposed to developing your area of expertise). These people you must find very early on in your career as a consultant, because they are very good “process” managers (as opposed to “content” managers, content being your area of expertise). They can often be bosses you work for (so choose wisely) or business partners with more consultancy expertise than yourself. Sometimes your mentor and coach can be one and the same person, but this is rare. One of the differences for spotting a coach from a mentor is that your coach will have a commercial interest in your success (boss, partner, business associate), so he or she is committed to you for the short term. Your mentor on the other hand, will not necessarily have the same commercial and vested interest and will become your mentor because of his or her willingness to share their knowledge and the extent to which you build the relationship with them, and so will be committed to you for the long term. Finally, gain experience. This generally only comes with time. When I say experience, I am not so much referring to your experience as a consultant (although this will come), but your experience IN your chosen area of expertise. For example, let’s say in my case it’s “hands on tools for new managers” - I really do need to be a new manager before I can offer other people advice on their own development. This will be particularly important to your client prospects. Sometimes experience is hard to get and as I said before, takes time. But you can speed the process for example, by taking part time jobs (or full time if you have the opportunity) or by volunteering to work in your chosen field, or working with another consultant who is considered an expert in your chosen field. Keep in mind, your client will be employing you for your expertise and will want to see evidence of that expertise. In writing this article for aspiring consultants, my hope is that the four steps I have outlined will help lead you to a very successful and rewarding career as a consultant. Enjoy! Copyright 2006 The National Learning Institute Bob Selden has been a consultant since 1987. In 1989 with two partners, he started an HRD & Communications consultancy that over a 12 year period grew into one of the most successful consultancies of its type in Australia. In 1995, The National Learning Institute grew out of this consultancy to concentrate on leadership and management development for corporate clients and today focus on providing training and development support to other consultancies. You may contact Bob via http://www.nationallearning.com.au/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Selden http://EzineArticles.com/?So,-You-Want-To-Be-A-Consultant!–4-Steps-To-Take-On-The-Pathway-To-Success&id=170593 buy ambien suicide and ambien buy ativan prescription no info ambien

5 Small Business Marketing Tips

Monday, March 24th, 2008

By Barry Byers Small business marketing tips are everywhere these days and if you pay attention, even in the most unexpected places. My partner, Greg and I attended a search engine optimization symposium presented by Search Engine Workshops in Raleigh, North Carolina. Greg lives in Montreal and I live in Toronto, so it was a great opportunity to meet and catch up on a few small projects while learning the latest SEO techniques we will employ in marketing our business. Robin Nobles inspired us to develop creativity in our content development; Andy Beale gave us an in-depth overview of blog marketing for businesses, Dave Barry discussed dynamically delivered web pages and Michael Marshall..well, if you want to know what Michael is up to, you will have to attend the next symposium. John Alexander renewed our enthusiasm about keyword research with Wordtracker and gave added a few small surprises, as John always does. However, one of the most important business lessons during the two day session wasnt taught in the classroom and it wasnt delivered by the usual suspects. The first night in town, we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. A waiter approached our table and introduced himself; Good evening everyone, my name is Omar and I am your waiter this evening. Omar was taking our dinner order when we noticed that he wasnt taking notes which caused some concern in our group. Omar told us not to worry and that after he had taken our 5 orders that he would repeat the order.of the table of 6 behind him and then he would repeat our orders, which he did, flawlessly. The food was terrific and the service was great so the next night we decided to go back to the same restaurant. Of course, we asked to be seated in Omars section. Once again, Omar delivered. When the kitchen took too long to cook a meal for one of our associates, Omar provided a free cocktail, brought over some finger food and boxed the dinner for later..no charge. Now we were hooked. Our last night in town, we walked over to the restaurant and asked for Omar. We were disappointed to hear that there was a 60 minute wait to get into Omars section but if we would sit elsewhere it would only take 30 minutes. It had been a long day so we decided to forgo Omars section and went to the bar to drown our sorrows in a cold beer. We asked the bartender for a food menu and ordered our drinks. I was paying for the first round, as I usually do when I am with Greg, so I asked the bartender for the bill. Your bill has been taken care of, the bartender told me and pointed to a young man, carrying a tray of food, heading towards a table at the back of the restaurant. Greg and I stared at each other in disbelief and immediately went back to the headwaiter and demanded to be seated in Omars section. It gets better. Our table was ready but my partner was finishing off a beer so I walked over alone to secure our booth. Before I had time to sit down, Omar arrived with a beverage in hand. Diet coke, Mr. Byers Omar knowingly stated. I was floored but the best was still to come. Omar took our dinner order in his customary respectful fashion. He returned with our meals and placed a glass of red wine in front of me. I thought you might enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir with your steak, Mr. Byers, Omar stated matter of factly. OK, all of the business marketing services offered by Omar can be explained: - The memory thing; a learned technique. - Remembering the diet coke, well, I had a diet coke all 3 nights. - Addressing me by name, I paid with my credit card, as I usually do when I am with Greg. - The Pinot Noir, I had a glass of Pinot Noir on the very first visit to the restaurant two days earlier. - Buying a round for the boys; priceless! 5 Small Business Marketing Tips We Can Learn from Omar 1. Differentiate Yourself Weve all seen waiters take orders by memory but how many engage the table a challenge? 2. Get Personal Fast In 5 minutes, Omar addressed every person in our booth individually by name. 3. Know Your Client - take the time and effort it had to take Omar to understand and deliver uch personalized service to your customers. Learning the small details about your clients business can make all the difference. 4. React Quickly To Control Damage Instead of complaining about how our colleagues meal was late, we found ourselves once again marveling over Omars handling of the situation. 5. It Aint Over Till its Over Omar saw us with food menus in hand, ready to order dinner at the bar when he paid for our drinks.Never stop selling. Ok, I mentioned at the beginning of this article that John Alexander always has a small surprise or two in store for us at every search engine workshop. So now I am wondering about two things; did John plant Omar in the restaurant to give us a valuable lesson in small business marketing? And when will Greg send my credit card back to me? Barry Byers and Greg Mate have a significant body of experience as Professional Search Engine Optimizers and Internet Marketers and they have owned and operated successful National Yellow Pages Advertising Agencies for the past 15 years. Together they have helped a number of businesses achieve top search engine rankings and increased web site traffic in both Canada and the U.S. Together, they have designed and programmed effective websites as well as consulted on SEO and marketing on existing sites. Offices located in Montreal and Toronto. Web addresses: http://www.searchengineacademy.ca and http://www.adperformancedirect.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Byers http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Small-Business-Marketing-Tips&id=302004 re ambien worsening anxiety depression central more about zolpidem how much ativan constitutes an overdose ambien cod delivery

5 Instant Ways to Develop Superior Confidence Around Women

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

By Scott Patterson Let me ask you a question… Are you one of those guys with absolute confidence in yourself and can attract women just through your presence? If you’re not, then pay close attention to this article… Have ever noticed how certain guys seem to attract women despite their looks, money or social economic status. What all these men have in common is their superior confidence in themselves and their ability to project this attitude. But what if you have no confidence when it comes to meeting and attracting women? Well, you’re in luck! Confidence is actually something that can be developed, regardless of your dating background. So how do you do this? It’s simple! Just follow the 5 steps I’ll outline in this article and you’ll be on road towards developing superior confidence around women. Step 1- Develop the right mindset If you want to become an incredibly confident person, you need to develop the attitude that you’ll NEVER fail. Now while you WILL fail from time to time, you have to create the mindset that failure is not a bad thing Even when you fail, look at it as a learning experience and an opportunity to learn what went wrong. In essence, you’re embracing any setback as a chance to learn from your mistakes. Step 2- Practice confidence every moment of the day In order to become confident you must practice this attitude all the time. It’s not something you can turn on and off during specific periods of the day. That means you can’t act like a confident person one time and then like a wuss during other periods. If you want to become a confident male, you must ACT like a confident male- all the time! Step 3- Fake it till you make it There will be times when you don’t feel particularly confident. But if you don’t have this attitude you have to pretend like you do. The old adage is true- you must fake it till you make it. By acting like you’re confident, you’ll at least give off the appearance of someone who is comfortable with himself. The funny thing is over time faking confidence will actually lead towards to developing this kind of attitude. Step 4- Talk to everyone around you Now the key to becoming confident ALL the time is to engage everyone you meet in conversations. As you probably know, a lack of confidence is caused by an inability to become comfortable around the people we encounter in our lives. The only way to overcome this is consistently start talking to people you meet. Ultimately the more you do this the quicker you’ll develop superior confidence around women. Step 5- Give off positive energy Your final step to becoming a superiorly confident male is to give off positive energy everywhere you go. By being an energetic and fun person, you’ll become somebody who women WANT to be around. Just remember that energy and enthusiasm is something which should be shared with everyone near you. It’s kind of like karma- the more positive things you do, the more it’ll be returned back to you. Superior confidence doesn’t come naturally for many men. However if you learn how to develop and control it, you’ll become the kind of guy who ALL women want to be around. All you have to do is follow the five steps I’ve outlined in this article and you’ll be on the road towards developing an incredible level of confidence. Want to know the secrets to attracting, dating and seducing women? If so, take a look at Scott Patterson’s Free eBook where you’ll learn a guaranteed step-by-step system for approaching, attracting and seducing ANY woman. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Patterson http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Instant-Ways-to-Develop-Superior-Confidence-Around-Women&id=487730 ambien numbers how can i overdose on lorazepam ambien qoclick shop sexual side effects of ambien

Mommie Moments - Getting Your Partner to Help

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

By Meilena Hauslendale It is very easy for a Mom to take on a large part of the responsibilities of raising a child even when she has a loyal and dedicated partner. There are several things you manage, nursing, cleaning, laundry, cooking, and caring and playing with your little ones. Not to mention any other miscellaneous tasks that may come up. Between naps may be the only private time a mother receives during a busy day. Allowing your partner to assist and asking for their help can really help alleviate any exhaustion. A common misconception is assuming your partner knows that you need help. Often as long as the tasks and responsibilities are taken care of, your partner assumes that everything is under control. They may even assume that you are not experiencing any form of exhaustion at all. The key here is to communicate with your partner some of your daily tasks. This allows them to get a better idea of what your typical day is like. Allow your partner to be more involved with the caretaking of your little ones. While they are together try to minimize jumping in to fix the situation when challenges between the two arise. Allowing your partner to problem solve when situations occur only increases your partners confidence in handling matters. It also allows them to strengthen their already loving bond with their child. If you need help doing housework or any other chores, dont be afraid to ask your partner for help. Make your needs known to your partner so that there is no miscommunication. You just may discover that your partner will actually appreciate being asked to be more involved with daily activities. Being open about your needs prevents resentments from occurring and alleviates tension for both parties. Remember that your partner doesnt know your thoughts unless you express them. Inspirational Artist & Author Meilena Hauslendale’s work and articles are displayed internationally. She is the founder of Silence Speaks International Artist Association and the Editor of Intrigue Magazine. Published books include, Making Your Purpose Your Business and Recognizing Unhealthy Relationships. Email: articles@meilena.com http://www.meilena.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meilena_Hauslendale http://EzineArticles.com/?Mommie-Moments—Getting-Your-Partner-to-Help&id=26886 ambien monitor renal liver ambien prosecution dangers of lorazepam withdrawal buy ativan prescription no

High Quality Edible Wedding Favors Worth Your Celebration

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

By Jeanette Shinn There is little in life that is sweeter and more savory than a good marriage. You want something to reflect that edible wedding favors do. High quality edible wedding favors are a great way of announcing to your guests your appreciation that they chose to spend your wedding day with you while allowing them a symbolic taste of the sweetness and goodness of your budding relationship. Besides the rich taste that these delectable favors offer, edible wedding favors have the advantage of fitting into nearly any theme in one of three ways: First, they can fit into theme of your wedding simply because they are food. It’s true. Society doesn’t hold the same standard to food and especially treats that it does everything else. Where an ice cream scoop might look out of place at an elegant crystal wedding reception, well chosen edible favors such as a hand dipped biscotti or an imported Belgian chocolate would not. Edible Wedding Favors are Flexible to Match Your Wedding Theme Second, edible wedding favors like candle favors can be made in so many different ways that it is easy to find one that will match most any wedding theme or style. Planning an Asian themed wedding? Give your guests chocolate dipped fortune cookies. Having a beach wedding? Your guests will enjoy sea shell and starfish shaped chocolates or a specialty shaped designer cookie. Edible Wedding Favors Match Any Budget Likewise, edible wedding favors are an excellent choice because they offer a wide range of price options. For something extravagant one might choose an artisan’s chocolate covered strawberries to give your guests as a favor. On the other hand, one on a tight budget could opt for individually wrapped wedding theme chocolate squares which provide a tasteful treat that is appropriate to the occasion without the cost of a hand crafted item. Jeanette Shinn is the co-owner of Your Exciting Wedding Favors http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com a website dedicated to helping brides realize their wedding day dreams with tons of tips, ideas, and the latest wedding news stories from across the country, as well as offering wedding favors, and accessories to enhance the entire wedding experience. Jeanette is also the founder and edible design artist behind Layer By Layer, http://www.frostingonthecake.com, a special order bakery serving weddings and other special occasion needs of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Shinn http://EzineArticles.com/?High-Quality-Edible-Wedding-Favors-Worth-Your-Celebration&id=366547 ambien adverse side effects addiction ambien comprimido zolpidem buy ambien cod accepted

Distance Learning in the 21st Century - The Educational Playing Field is Leveled

Monday, March 17th, 2008

By Rose M I never try to teach my students anything, I only try to create an environment in which they can learn. — Albert Einstein The 21st century is going to change how people learn and earn their degrees of choice. Many of the worlds top universities are studying distance learnings many trends, so theyll be ready for an entirely new type of student emerging today distance learners. It is projected by both International Data Corporation and Gartner Group that the majority of students in colleges and universities throughout the world. Consider the factors that the top universities around the world are looking at, and be encouraged that the future of advanced education is coming to a personal computer near you. The educational playing field is getting leveled; and its making it much more affordable and available for anyone looking to improve themselves: Women have outnumbered men on college campuses since 1979, and are 60% of distance or online learning students who are over 25. For many women who are already committed to their families, communities and friends, interrupting their lives especially those who are mothers is very tough. Distance learning is going to give more women than ever before a chance to improve themselves, than has ever been possible in the past. Whats so exciting about this is the chance for women to achieve their potentials while caring for their family, friends and community. Foreign students no longer hindered by visas or green cards. For literally millions of students who want to attend universities in nations other than their native one, the hassles of getting even a visa to stay for a semester or year at a time are over. International Data Corporation predicts that 500,000+ foreign students, or 3.5% of total postsecondary enrollees, study online and spend over $13 billion over the time of their degrees. Gartner Group sees the potential of 1.6 million international distance-learning candidates by 2005. With the pervasive adoption of Internet access on virtually every continent, Gartner Group sees major growth globally for distance learning in highly developed and emerging nations as well. International Data Corporation predicts that by 2005 there will be 45 million users online in higher education alone. At the heart of why so many universities are focused on distance learning is that by 2005, the online education market will be $215B in revenue. Given the escalating costs of in-class courses and tuition fees, the worlds universities have no choice but to embrace distance learning and reach students where they are, with new programs that are affordable for those students on a global scale. Summary Its a very bright future for anyone interested in getting to their educational goals with online learning programs. The worlds universities continue to see their costs escalate up for their traditional programs; online and distance learning is a low-cost approach for them to reach double or even triple the students they teach today. The bottom line is that the playing field for anyone in the world looking to better themselves through distance learning is getting leveled daily a quality education is as close as a personal computer with an internet connection. Rose M. is the editor of http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com where you find answers, information and advice on distance learning colleges, accredited online degrees and online courses. See more related information on distance learning colleges and why college accreditation is important. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_M http://EzineArticles.com/?Distance-Learning-in-the-21st-Century—The-Educational-Playing-Field-is-Leveled&id=333157 new england journal of medicine and ambien what pharmaceutical company makes ambien ambien television commercial ad agency ambien line

Trigger Finger - Is it Really All That Common?

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

By Jeff Anliker Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most widely recognized form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), but Trigger Finger is catching up fast, becoming all too common among society and affecting the youth and elderly in ever-increasing numbers. If the rising numbers keep on track, Trigger Finger may be recognized along with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as having achieved epidemic proportions. Trigger Finger On The Rise Prior to the 1990’s, Trigger Finger seemed to affect a small number of the elderly that had experienced some form of direct trauma or excessive strain to one or possibly several fingers. Trigger Finger was more prevalent in those that were already suffering with Osteoarthritis in the affected hand, making many healthcare professionals to believe that Trigger Finger was a byproduct of Osteoarthritis. But within the past 5-years, the age of those suffering from Trigger Finger became much younger while the overall number of individuals with the disorder increased. The belief of a direct correlation between those suffering with Osteoarthritis and Trigger Finger seems to be reducing in popularity as many of those suffering with Trigger Finger do not have Osteoarthritis, but instead, are involved in high-risk tasks that are already associated as the causative factor in many types of Repetitive Strain Injuries. Injuries resulting from repeated motion (repetitive / cumulative trauma disorders — CTD’s) are growing. According to recent annual statistics from the U.S. Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, over 302,000 CTD’s account for nearly two-thirds all of workplace-related illnesses. Ergonomic disorders are the fastest growing category of work-related illness. According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they account for 56 percent of illnesses reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Trigger Finger Recognized as a Repetitive Strain Injury Now that Trigger Finger is rearing its head in the workplace with increased intensity, it has been added to the growing list of debilitating Repetitive strain Injuries. Trigger Finger now joins the ranks of Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Epicondylitis, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, DeQuervain’s and the many other debilitating workplace disorders affecting the upper extremity. So, what is Trigger Finger, how is it recognized and what are its symptoms? Trigger Finger Explained Trigger Finger is a form of overuse injury affecting any of the fingers (1-5) with symptoms ranging from a painless annoyance with occasional snapping/jerking of the finger(s), to severe dysfunction and pain with continuous locking of the finger(s) in a flexed downward / forward position into the palm of the hand. The occurrence of this injury usually results from overuse of the flexor muscles/tendons and the formation of an adhesion or fibrotic nodule on the tendon. If left untreated, the adhesion/nodule becomes larger, therefore creating a conflicting ratio between the size of the tendon and the size of the entrance of the tendon sheath. In most cases, if the adhesion/nodule is not treated, it can continue to increase in size (Depending on activity/use of the affected finger) to the point where it still has the ability to pass into and through the tendon sheath when flexing the finger, but becomes stuck and cannot move back through the tendon sheath when trying to extend/straighten the finger, thus causing the finger to lock in the flexed forward / downward position. The Trigger Finger Solution Because Trigger Finger consists of an adhesion, nodule, and scar tissue buildup on the tendon due to excess strain, overuse, or direct trauma to that specific location on the tendon, it should be treated with stretching and strengthening exercises in order to break down the adhesion on the affected tendon. By breaking down the adhesion on the affected tendon, it reduces in size and slides through the pulley system in a normal manner, no longer catching and locking into the downward flexed position. (There is also a thinning of the tendon, which helps reduce the overall size of the tendon and nodule, therefore allowing it to pass through the tendon sheath with greater ease.) Creating strength in the opposing finger extensor tendons is very important as it allows the finger to return to an extended position in a more appropriate manner. This is where muscle balancing comes into play. By creating equality of tendon length and strength on both sides of the finger joint, individuals can help prevent the onset of Trigger Finger and/or keep it from re-occurring in the future. Conservative therapy utilizing stretches and exercises has been highly effective, providing long-term and permanent relief. For those wanting to avoid surgery and for those where surgery was not effective in eliminating the condition, stretch and exercise therapy is the solution to both preventing and rehabilitating the devastating symptoms associated with Trigger finger. Jeff P. Anliker, LMT, is a Therapist and Inventor of Therapeutic Exercise Products that are utilized by Corporations, Consumers and Medical Facilities around the world for the prevention and rehabilitation of repetitive strain injuries. repetitive-strain.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Anliker http://EzineArticles.com/?Trigger-Finger—Is-it-Really-All-That-Common?&id=130657 lorazepam onset use high dose zolpidem ativan addiction therapeutic use overdose ambien breast feeding