:The Flash Advancer

Stop and think before you attempt to construct plans for your business. Take stock to consider the full range of external and internal factors that will impact on your success. This will enable you to be far more effective by concentrating on the correct elements that will drive your business forward at greater speed. A comprehensive SWOT analysis will help you to achieve this aim.

So what is a SWOT?

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is a review of micro and macro factors affecting your business. None of us operate in a vacuum and we all need to take account of several influencing elements with all our marketing activities.

How to produce your SWOT

Start by considering the external environment that will produce opportunities and threats. This includes factors such as political, economy, social, technology, environmental and legal. For example, the UK political environment is stable at present. There are terrorist threats, however, that remain particularly while the Iraq crisis continues. Some of these factors may have an impact on your business.

The UK economy and interest rates are stable. Inflation remains below 2%. These factors could influence your borrowing requirements, funding plans and dividend policy.

Social factors are continuing to be influenced by increasing corporate and personal social responsibility. People are more aware of health related issues in the home and within the workplace.

There may be technology, environmental and legal issues that also have an impact on your business.

Next, consider your internal environment that will indicate your strengths and weaknesses. These elements include customer, supplier, intermediaries, competitors and other stakeholders, for example, shareholders. Customer satisfaction levels are important to you gaining more ongoing business and them passing on referrals. When is the last time you conducted a customer survey? If some time ago, the chances are that the climate of customer satisfaction may have changed. Here are some key measures:

• Price competitiveness
• Quality of service
• Range of services
• Strength of relationship
• Delivering results
• Reliability

Consider the links you have with suppliers. What scope is there for negotiating volume deals or gaining more marketing support from them? You may be able to work with other business intermediaries who offer kindred products and services to yours. I have witnessed spectacular growth from businesses that work together in an alliance partnership.

What intelligence do you have of your key competitors? Do you know their relative strengths and weaknesses? This information is vital for you to differentiate yourself effectively. For example, one competitor may have wider expertise but much higher overhead costs. You could probably compete directly on price with your core services.

All of the above information will enable you to complete an analysis grid showing your key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. You can then use this to develop an informed marketing plan that will produce more sustainable revenues and profits.

You can register for our free resource area by visiting http://www.brianjamesgroup.com/DownloadAssistant/default.asp

Brian James is published author of the breakthrough book “Don’t Work for Your Business - Make Your Business Work for You” with an Amazon.co.uk 5-star rating and credited by the Chamber of Commerce.

Brian is creator of the breakthrough Triple M marketing methodology and founder of the Sales & Marketing Academy, an expanding membership programme for ambitious business owners providing ongoing advice, coaching and mentoring support.

Brian has worked with blue-chip and small to medium sized companies across many sectors. Some of the larger organisations he has worked with include the Prudential Group and British Telecom.
He currently operates as Chairman of the Brian James Group a business advisory Group for owner managed businesses

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Credit Counselling

Interested in become a credit counsellor and helping free the captives to the salvery of debt - you know - having to go to work to pay the ever increasing spirialing debt. Here is some wisdom to share with your friends: -

Debt Management

A world run on credit is what we are witnessing. The US government took a couple of hundred years to accumulate the first trillion dollars of debt. Now it is only a matter of a few years and another trillion is added to the national debt.

This is a serious issue. It is due to the ‘open circle’ mentality that pervades modern day society. We don’t like limits, restrictions and boundaries. Most people live to the limits not of their income but the limits of their multiple credit cards, their large credit lines on their houses, store cards, car leases, personal loans etc etc…

Being a psychologist I witness this over extension of the limits not only with our money but with our time as well. Generally we are a society where we break our budgets for both time and money which has a devastating effect on our social lives, our family lives and our spiritual and emotional well being.

There is an interesting scripture in Matthew 5 (a chapter in the Bible) and it states that ‘The meek shall inherit the earth’. What does meek mean? It basically means to live within the limits. To schedule what your time with some margin left. To budget with some margin. This means you have some resources not only for your own peace of mind but so you have the time and money to help others.

A Credit counselling debt solution:

Make a list of all debts and list them smallest to largest. Apply 5-10% of household income and then adding that amount to the lowest debt.

Once the debt is paid then take this extra amount as well as the previous minimum payment and apply that to the next debt on the list.

Continue to apply this strategy to every debt on the list.Within 5-9 years you will be able to eliminate every debt including your house mortgage.

The other possibility to is to refinance your smaller debts with the equity from your house or your investment property.

However if you choose to do this then you need to ensure that you take the minimum payment you used to pay on the debt you consolidated and pay that off your mortgage.

You will also need accountability partners so here are a few pages off my site http://www.creditcounselling247.com where you may be able to find someone

So I hope you will join me and become debt free. I want to be totally debt free within the next few years. Why? Well imagine the good we can do if we apply those interest payments that were lining the coffers of the banks and give them to charity (http://www.mannarelief.org - is my faviourite - watch this space for what they are doing with the aids orphans in Uganda!! Or simply check their site out!!)

I have a very successful home business. For people who have found themselves in debt Network Marketing is one of the easiet, most cost effective ways to get involved in business. This is also another way in which you can accelerate your debt reduction is simply to earn more income above your normal current income and apply that not to your lifestyle but to your debt reduction. Check out my new site www.networkmarketingconsultant.com to learn more about this business. Or subscribe to my ezine at http://www.homebasedwellnessbusiness.com/nexttrillion.html to learn about the 5 principles you need to find in a business in order to be successful.

© Wellness Corp Pty Ltd - If you wish to reproduce this article on your site you can do so as long as you include my link to http://www.networkmarketingconsultant.com

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What are you going to do if you live next door to someone who works in a Chicken Procession Plant? What if the neighbor across the street owns a chicken farm? What if your kid’s soccer coach is an FDA inspector of poultry? What if your Avon Lady’s husband is a veterinarian who occasionally works with parrots, exotic birds or volunteers at the wildlife reserve and works there with birds? What are you going to do if the Bird Flu breaks out and you are often in contact or your family is in contact with such folks?

Are you already considering on moving? What about a vaccine, what if there are not enough to go around? Are you going to tell your kids to quit the soccer team? Will you stop taking to your Avon Lady? Will you and your neighbors be strictly on an “email” or “test messaging” basis? Do you live by someone who works in a Chicken Processing Plant? Okay so you don’t, well that is a good isn’t it? Now, then does someone in their church work in a Chicken Processing Plant or Chicken Farm? No? How do you know?

You see the problem with a human strain of Bird Flu? Is your family safe from harm, do you have a plan, will your plan keep them safe? Have you ever considered any of that yet? Think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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Business negotiation in China can be very a frustrating exercise for western business executives. The Chinese business culture and deliberate style of negotiation is vastly different from the more direct western approach.It is easy to lose perspective and patience and ultimately fail in reaching the desired agreement.

European and American business men and women are accustomed to a straight-forward style of negotiation. Both parties generally agree on the objectives and attempt to take a direct path to reach those goals in the shortest time possible.

Business negotiations in China require a much more patient approach. The Chinese culture makes the people suspicious of strangers, both Chinese and foreign, but especially foreign business men and women. The initial meetings in any negotiating session in China may seem to be going nowhere, but this time is required for establishing relationships and, ultimately, the trust of the Chinese participants. Personal relationships are the key to business success in China.

The final decision maker in a Chinese company is the man at the top. He will get involved in issues at a level lower than most western CEO’s would ever consider. Unless dealing with a small company in China, with an owner/manager, the decision maker usually will not participate in any negotiating sessions. Final positions of the Chinese side on any proposal will be reached at private meetings and then returned to the negotiating table later. Hence, the term “we”ll consider it” will be heard frequently and means “we must talk to the boss.”

There are several cardinal rules in negotiating in China:

* Don’t say or do anything to embarass the Chinese participants and cause them to lose “face.”

* Don’t point your finger or any sharp object such as a pen or pencil at anyone.

* Don’t lose your temper and raise your voice.

* The lead Chinese negotiator gains “face” from his boss if he wins the negotiation. Structure your negotiating position to help him do so.

For additional information, please visit http://www.doingbusinesschina.com/

Successful business negotiation in China requires patience and appreciation for the Chinese business and social cultures. The Chinese will not adapt to western ways soon and failure to
understand and adopt their practices can doom an otherwise successful venture.

This article is written by Walter Johnson, an Associate of PATWORKS, LLC., China consultants for sourcing, manufacturing, project management and China business practices. For further information about PATWORKS services, please visit http://www.patw-china-consultant.com/

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– Building Credibility Through Success Stories –

Successful solo entrepreneurs spend quite a bit of time building and expanding their networks. These networks can cover a broad spectrum - professional associations, community service, school or alumni networks, virtual communities, athletic groups, neighborhood associations. There are a variety of choices when creating our support system.

What they all have in common is this: we engage in the same activity - relationship building. We may meet face to face, over the telephone or online. We exchange pleasantries, information, referrals or resources and in doing so, strengthen the bonds with individuals and the whole organization. What is not quite as common in our exchanges is the use of a personal or business success story. A success story has a double message: it highlights a specific activity that we accomplished or service that we do AND it communicates a distinguishing level of achievement. Both messages serve to build credibility with the listener, which in turn builds trust.

Success stories need not be complicated or lengthy. Here are a few considerations when preparing your own.

Be Proud About It - A good success story translates as truly genuine when you feel proud to share it. “I am so thrilled that I was able to save my client $5,000.” -a Financial Services Representative

Be Prepared - Think through your list of recent business achievements, honors, awards or professional certifications that represents something you are proud of and demonstrates an achievement. Then select one or two to share with your contacts at an appropriate time.

Be Specific - Describe exactly what product or service that you delivered or the type of honor or certification that you received. “I recently completed the requirements for the Master Certified Coach designation.” - a Business and Personal Coach

Make It Current - Be careful to use situations or events that occurred within the past six months. This keeps it in the category of “news” that your listener may be interested to know.

Keep It Brief - A few good sentences about the award or business achievement is all it takes. No need to dominate an exchange.

The next time that you interact with a client, colleague, friend or family member, try blowing your own horn. Humorist Will Rogers said, “It ain’t bragging if you done it.”

Copyright 2003, Charlotte Farrior

Charlotte Farrior of Coaching Connection (http://www.corporatecoaching101.com) and Founder/Team Member of Solo-E (http://www.Solo-E.com) is a corporate and professional coach. She works with professionals, entrepreneurs, directors, and executives to define and achieve the personal and business goals they set for themselves. She coaches in the areas of goal setting, skill development, priority management and career transitions.

Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com, the lifestyle-inspired online learning and connection community. Visit now to receive a free copy of our special report, The Four Secrets of Solo Entrepreneur Success, plus a complimentary 30-day membership.

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I was tempted to start out by saying something like, ‘Gee Mozart was great, but think what he would have done with the help of the Internet to link him with all of the other composers, musicians, and instrument makers in the world?’ However, I’m not sure he would have massively benefited from being able to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. The same goes for Picasso, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, or any of the other grandmasters of various arts. William Shakespeare was a genius who created one thousand seven hundred new words, one in ten of all the words he used. Hard to imagine such a genius being helped much by being connected with the rest of the world’s writers.

However, I think the inverse is true. Think of what being connected with other writers of the world (including William Shakespeare) would have done to help writers of that era. Imagine a young woman, ten years younger than Shakespeare, living in a tiny village in Ireland. She had a true shining gift for plot and description which could have made her one of the great writers of her age. Sadly, she didn’t have an understanding of character motivation. So she lived, struggled with character motivation, died, and was forgotten. She would have benefited greatly from being able to go into a chat room and then talking to William Shakespeare about creating well-rounded characters. If they’d had the Internet, any number of failed sixteenth century writers might have learnt how to overcome their weaknesses and written excellent plays, enriching the world some fraction of the amount Shakespeare did. Even if they didn’t talk to William Shakespeare, they could have discussed writing with a broad range of other writers from all over Europe. Assuming they possessed some talent, they could have found someone who was strong in the areas that they were weak in, and have helped others who were weak in areas they were gifted in.

Thankfully we have the Internet. Online chat rooms and writing forums allow would-be authors anywhere to talk to experienced writers and make friends with other aspiring writers. A young woman in the smallest village in Norway, hours away from the nearest person with any serious thought of being a writer, can talk to other writers everyday. Aspiring songwriters can talk to other composers, painters to other artists. Anyone can talk to the leading expert in their field (if she will give them a few minutes of her time) without long trips by coach or car, or arranging an appointment many weeks ahead of time.

Hopefully with this ease of connecting with anyone, anywhere, anytime, and the broad support gained through connecting, people who have the potential to be geniuses will be encouraged. They may grow into another Shakespeare, another Mozart, or another Michelangelo.

By Allan T. Price
http://www.m6.net
Allan T. Price is a creative writer with an unpublished novel. He is currently a few weeks into a two-year free novel writing course with Forward Movement Writers (http://www.FMWriter.com) Hopefully with the help of writers all around the world he will write a great novel and get it published.

Allan T. Price is a creative writer working at M6.Net: “The web-hosting company for humans.” M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

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1. NFL Quarterback - Peyton Manning, Colts




This is a no brainer. If this review was based solely on athletic ability, Manning wouldn?t be number one. But we are talking about all around quarterback and there is no one that compares to Manning. He is the smartest quarterback, one of the most precise quarterback, and easily one of the best quarterbacks to come around in a while. Look for Peyton to challenge his own TD record again this year.




2. NFL Quarterback - Tom Brady, Patriots




Again, not the most athletic quarterback in the league but one of the smartest. This guy knows how to win. He has three super bowl rings to prove it. May not always have the big numbers like other quarterbacks like Manning or Favre, but it’s hard to go against a guy who knows how to win. When you have a quarterback that?s a proven winner, the confidence of the entire team goes up. Brady, just like Manning, makes his team that much better.




3. NFL Quarterback - Daunte Culpepper, Vikings




The new age quarterback of the NFL: can beat you with his arm and legs. Had a great year last year and will only get better this year. A very accurate quarterback who is prone to make a few mistakes but with all the big plays he makes it up in a big way. Even with the loss of Moss, Culpepper?s numbers will increase from last year. Look for Culpepper to have another great year and help the Vikings be contenders.




4. NFL Quarterback - Donovan McNabb, Eagles




Finally, McNabb got the monkey off his back and got his team past the NFC championship to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Eagles were beat by Brady and the Patriots. Now, McNabb knows how to win and look for him to get better. With the addition of Owens last year, McNabb was able to open up the arsenal and throw deep. McNabb is another one of those new age quarterbacks who can beat you many different ways. The Eagles will contend again this year and look for McNabb to have another superb year.




5. NFL Quarterback - Brett Favre, Packers




Easily one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. This man has a cannon for an arm and makes some hard passes look easy. Of course, he is a risk taker and does make some mistakes but you can always count on him in the clutch. He is one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league right now and it?s hard to keep him off the list. Look for yet another solid year for Favre.




The Rest:




Michael Vick, Falcons




Still more of a running back than a quarterback. One more year playing and he?ll be a top 3 QB.




Byron Leftwich, Jaguars




Still learning the ropes of a NFL quarterback but may be one of the strongest quarterbacks in the league.




Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks




Needs to regain his confidence he had from 2 years ago. If he does, the Seahawks will contend




Drew Brees, Chargers




Needs to show that last year wasn?t a fluke. If he does, the Chargers will be for real again

Leo Mendelsohn

Richard Peraldo

Thehooks

http://www.thehooksfootballpicks.com

Guaranteed NFL and College football picks with the best price/guarantee combination in the business. Free
football picks every week from Thehooks Book Ezine, which is free to join. Thehooks is your one stop source for college football and NFL information.

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Dear Website Owner,

If you have an existing website or domain name you no longer need and wish to sell it to an interested buyer for a one-time profit, or if you?re a speculator looking to build a steady source of revenue by buying and reselling valuable domain names, this helpful guide will explain the steps you need to take to ensure a quick,easy,profitable sale.

Step 1 - Establish a Reasonable Price for Your Site

How Much Can I Get?

Before you sell, it’s a good idea to know how much the domain is worth. Market prices for domain names can run from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for premium names. The domain name “Loans.com”, for example, sold for $3,000,000 just a few years ago.

The key to deciding whether or not to sell a domain name you own is to determine its worth to you if kept and, alternatively, how much a buyer is willing to pay. You may have heard -rags to riches- type stories of cheap domain names resold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the good old days of the Internet boom this was possible. However, things have slowed down considerably since then and there it is very rare to hear of a domain name sold for more than $10,000.

However, while big deal domain sales do occur less often in today?s domain market, selling domain names can still be very profitable. Short, catchy, top level domain names are selling for upwards of $5,000 on the domain aftermarket. Other longer, but still usable, names may be worth hundreds of dollars.

Pricing is relative. Relative to your desire to sell, the type and timeliness of bidder inquiries (individual or corporate) and how well the sale price is negotiated. Don’t try to fit your domain name into some ‘proprietary pricing model’. Every domain name is applicable to a different target market. Determine who your potential buyers are before determining your asking price so you don’t over or under estimate that price. Most names (~85%) sell for between 15%-40% of the asking price. Exceptions to this trend:

Fantastic names - Truly great names can command what a seller requests, unless that amount is unreasonable.

High asking prices - Names that have ridiculous or greedy asking prices rarely sell. Important!

Poor names - Names littered with hyphens, adult names, “4″s for the number “four”, “2″s for the number “two”, “U”s for the word “you”, etc. Don’t waste your time listing names like these. They rarely sell.

How Do I Determine My Site’s Worth?

Selling virtual real estate is a lot like selling physical real estate. Just like with the housing market, website ?homes? (also known as domain names) can be purchased for a low cost, remodeled and decorated to look very attractive to potential buyers, and sold for a considerable profit. To understand how this works, first consider that you were in fact selling an actual house built on land instead of an abstract entity on the web.

It would be impossible to price your home without doing extensive research to determine its worth. You’d need to take many factors into consideration, such as: size, landscape, curb appeal, the value of other properties in the area, the current buying market, and -perhaps the biggest factor- location, location, location! You’d never dream of arbitrarily assigning a sale price to your home without having some idea of its worth and what buyers might be willing to pay. If you underprice your home, you could be missing out on a substantial profit opportunity.

However, if you overprice your home, you might not be able to sell it at all. That’s why it’s so important to have all the facts before putting your home on the market - and the same holds true for selling your virtual home on the web.

When determining your site’s value, you may need to do some research online. It is often a good idea to compare different websites on the Internet and to see which sites catch your eye. You can make a mental note of the methods used on websites that were appealing to you; then you can use those ideas when creating or updating your own website. The design of a website is very important when you are trying to sell an existing site online.

The design should be bold and colorful, but should not be too busy. You may want to use colors that relate to the theme of the site as well. For instance, if you are selling bottled water, it would be logical to use shades of blue on your website. However, no matter how brilliant the website design is, the purpose of the site must also be useful for the website to sell. A good website will revolve around an interesting idea or useful type of business. To reflect the purpose of your website, you should include clear, informative content that is easy to understand. A website with a clear and interesting purpose is very likely to sell on the Internet.

What Makes a Site Valuable to Buyers?

These days most websites are valued by the number of visitors they attract. One common yard stick is your domain name is valued at $10 to $30 per hit per day. If 1,000 people land on your front page each day, your domain could be worth $10,000 to $30,000. Another optimistic way of looking at domain values is each unique visitor you get over the course of a month is worth $250. If the visitor clicks to a second page on your site, her presence is worth $500.

By this measure, a site getting only 10 hits per day could go for $15,000. This strategy is a lot like the way traditional businesses have always been sold. The more customers a store has, the more it is worth to a buyer. That is a pretty solid way to value domains. It is a model that is likely to be around for a long time to come.

Here are some of the main questions a typical buyer will ask him or herself when considering whether or not a website is worth purchasing ? and at what price:

Is the site making any money? Is there proof?

What is the potential for future profits?

Does the site have traffic? Is there proof?

Is the site attractive/well designed? Is it functional and user friendly?

When was the domain name registered?

How is the site ranked with the major search engines?

What does is take to maintain the site? i.e. hosting fees, content addition, promotion, etc.

Why does the owner want to sell the website?

If you?ve purchased a unique domain name with a great deal of potential value, it may not be necessary for you to have an existing website in order for you to sell your domain name for a profit. Typically, domain names will sell based on its performance in four key categories:

1. Commercial Development Potential - The ability of your domain name to be used as a brand, redirect, campaign address, etc.

2. Recognition - The relevance of your name to the market and how easy it is to remember.

3. Length - In most cases, shorter is better. However, a longer more obvious name can sometimes be more valuable than a short classified-ad contraction style domain.

4. Extension Value - This refers to the .COM part of your domain name. Currently .COM names still command the highest values followed by .NET, some national domains (such as .UK) and .ORG names.

How Can I Guarantee I’ve Priced My Site Correctly?

Unless you are a true domain name expert, we strongly recommend having your site professionally appraised. In fact, this is probably one of the most important steps you can take towards ensuring a successful sale of your site. Appraisers are professionals and experts in their field, and they have the means and methods to conclude what your domain name is worth. As we mentioned earlier, if you place an exaggerated price on your name, potential buyers will be scared away from making a reasonable offer. If you undervalue your name, you may end up kicking yourself when your newly sold name rakes in millions - for someone else. Furthermore, an appraisal is a very handy thing to have when buyers want -proof- that your name is as special as you claim. In the end, it is an exceptionally valuable asset, available for a very small price.

For information on UK Website for Sale’s professional appraisal services, visit: http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk/appraisal/. We offer a 20+ page Website Appraisal that can dramatically increase the value of your website. No one on the Internet offers a more complete or cost effective Website Appraisal, and certainly no one offers all the extras we do that are included for FREE!

Step 2 - Prepare your Business Information for the Sale

After you have decided to sell your business for whatever reason and chosen an asking price that you can support (hopefully with some advice from research or, even better, through a professional appraisal service), you are now ready to talk to some potential buyers. Or are you?

Much like the asking price, the art of preparing your business for sale is not that easy. So, what do you need to successfully prepare the business and information? The list and needs vary greatly over business types, revenue sizes, verticals, and so on. For any business, the basic requirements for what you will need are quite similar. At the very least, you should have the following items:

1. Business Summary — what it is and why you are selling

2. Business Plan/Marketing Plan — if you have them

3. Asset List — both tangible and intangible

4. Search Engine Rankings

5. Website Traffic Reports

6. Any Technical details

7. Financials (previous years and Current YTD financials)

8. Most recent completed year’s Profit & Loss or Income Statement report and Balance Sheet — if you have it

9. Sales Forecasts

10. Supporting documents for the Financials — Tax, Bank, and/or Merchant Statements

The previous items will give all potential buyers a good idea what is for sale and probably a good idea if they are interested in pursuing the sale or not. However, that is usually just the beginning, so be prepared for many, many, many more questions.

Also, please keep in mind that your materials, presentation, and responses will be graded as part of the business in a way. Why? Because, how can your business be successful if you are unorganized, not well presented, and not able to respond quickly and concisely? This is what the buyer will be thinking. And in my experience, this is pretty accurate.

Step 3 ? Market Your Website/Domain Name

There are various methods of putting your domain name up for sale. Decide whether you would like to sell your domain by owner or simplify the process and significantly increase your chances of receiving the best offer in the shortest amount of time by listing your domain name with a third party, such as http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk.

What if I Want to Market My Site On My Own?

There are 101 different ways to promote your domain name. One way we don’t recommend is blanketing companies with unsolicited email. Writing mail to 200 banks asking if they want to buy -FasterInternetBanking.com- is not likely to win you many friends, nor make you any deals. Your time would be better employed using the methods listed below:

a) Update the domain name registration information

Many potential buyers will look at the information in the WHOIS database as a first step when investigating a name that they are considering buying. So make it perfectly clear that the name is for sale. Update the owner’s name to include (This name is for sale) after your own name. Make sure all your contact information is current and accurate. Contact your domain name registrar to update your WHOIS listing.

b) Put a promotional website up

The other obvious way for a potential buyer to find out if a domain name is for sale is to visit the website. Don’t disappoint them. If you don?t have an existing website, get some web space from a decent host provider and put a simple, one-page site up, showing that the name is for sale. Include a form or at least an email address so that interested parties can submit offers.

c) Get the Word Out

There are two different types of e-marketing strategies that may help increase your sales.

Direct Marketing: Identify and Address Your Audience. What types of businesses or individuals would be interested in your name? When you have identified your specific audience, you can take the next steps:

1. Visit newsgroups related to domain names and the nature of your name for sale. Post messages and begin discussions.

2. Subscribe to ezines related to the topic and find out where these people are on the web, and how you can contact them.

3. Once you have contacts, you can send out emails to potential customers.

Mass Marketing: Address Many. As opposed to direct marketing, mass marketing targets a large amount of people, hoping for a small response. Some ways to do this are:

4. Participate in domain forums, ask questions and seek out domain resellers or people who may be able to offer you more tips.

5. Use search engines. Although search engines differ in their methods of operation and website submission, you can often submit your site for no cost. To find out more information about different search engines and how they work, visit http://searchenginewatch.com/.

What are the Benefits to Registering My Site With a Third Party?

For a small fee, you can list your site with a reputable third party, such as http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk, and greatly enhance your site?s exposure to qualified buyers and ultimate profit potential. Among the many benefits you?ll receive by registering with ukwebsiteforsale are:

• High visibility ? Reach 1000s of qualified buyers every month

• FREE 3-Month Featured Listing with purchase of professional appraisal

• Professionally written ads

• FREE email newsletter

• A professional appraisal to accurately determine your sites worth and increase your chances of selling ? ready in three to five business days

• The security of working with a trusted, experienced and highly recommended company

• The opportunity to connect with a recommended site broker, who will further simplify the process by handling payment, escrow, and domain and registrar transfer.

Visit http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk/exchange/sell-a-website.htm to learn more.

Step #4 - Make The Deal

You could get lucky, and receive an offer just days after listing your name. Typically, though, names are listed for months before any offers arrive. The key here is to be patient. Think about it - a party needs to come along who believes that the name is right, even essential, for their new Web site. The only other offers you will get will be from domain resellers, who will typically offer you 20-25% of a name’s potential value. Unless you really need the money, turn down these offers, but note them anyway, as they are external confirmation that your name has resale value.

Once you have agreed a deal with the buyer, then you will have to complete the deal. They send you payment, and you transfer the name to them. It’s best to use an escrow service here. It protects both parties, but adds to the cost, so make sure you have agreed beforehand who will pay for it. Normally the buyer pays, but sometimes the cost is shared. Please note: to sell a domain name by owner, through a private transaction rather than a trusted third party, is risky business unless you completely trust the buyer.

There will be some wait time as money switches hands and the domain name ownership is transferred. Unless you are selling your domain to your mother or selling it for a very low price, we recommend using an escrow service to take care of the money transaction.

Copyright 2004

Good luck!

About The Author

Manny Avedissian is the owner of UKWebsiteForSale.co.uk. He has operated and maintained various internet businesses. Mr. Avedissian has a business degree and has over 20 years of professional business expereince.

manny@ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk

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Media interviews are an important part of an overall public relations campaign. Any size company from entrepreneur to Fortune 500 can benefit from media interviews. Always arrive for a media interview prepared and early. We’ve seen competent CEOs drown in uncharted media waters. Being unprepared guarantees you won’t get asked back. When you are contacted for any kind of media interview ask the following questions:

• What is the angle of the interview?

• Is the interview for Television, Radio, Print or the Internet?

• Will the reporter be interviewing anyone else for the same story?

• How much time will you have for the interview?

• What is the date the story will air?

Keep adding questions to your own checklist to help you prepare for your interviews. The following tips will help you:

Tip 1: Preview any show or publication before your interview.

Tip 2: Know what you want to talk about so you get your main messages across.

Tip 3: Prepare for the questions you expect to be asked.

Tip 4: Create 10-15 second sound bites that are memorable and get your point across.

Tip 5: Understand colors and styles that are effective for on camera interviews.

Tip 6. Create any graphs, photos, or video to enhance your story in advance of the interview.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about your impending interview will boost your confidence and help you get the most from your media experiences.

About The Author

Judy Jernudd is the CEO of STARtegic, a Media Consulting and Coaching firm in Beverly Hills, California. Companies that benefit from STARtegic Media and Presentation Coaching include IBM, Mobile Corporation, Dow, NASA and the United States Postal Service. Judy is the author of “Media Star Power ABCs to Successful TF, Radio, Print & Net Interviews.” More information can be found at: www.MediaStarPower.com.

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Sometimes we find it hard to gain all the weight we would like. Our love handles are not quite big enough. We have two or three chins but would like more. We love the way our arms jiggle and we can’t get enough of it.

It can be frustrating. You would probably like to be fatter and can’t seem to manage it. But by following these secrets you can start packing on the pounds. It’s not as hard as you might think.

1. Skip breakfast. This is a good one. Just don’t eat when you get up. This will let you get off to a sluggish day. With any luck you can just drag yourself around the whole day at half speed. This is good for 10 pounds at least.

2. Never drink any water. That way your body won’t work efficiently, and it will help so you don’t get good blood flow to your muscles. And you won’t get rid of any toxic wastes that might build up, so your metabolism will stay slow. And make sure that you have some sugar in anything you drink. Sodas are good, especially if they have caffeine, because the caffeine can help keep you a little dehydrated. Done right, this is worth 10 pounds or more.

3. Avoid the protein. This is a key point. Make sure you eat meals without protein. Doughnuts are good. Bagels and cream cheese are even better. That way you can turn your food directly into fat. Otherwise some of what you eat might become lean muscle, and lean muscle burns up too many calories. Another 10 pounds.

4. Skip meals. Then you can eat huge meals all at once. That way, even if you don’t eat too much for the whole day, you can take it in all at once and you can turn most of it into fat. After all, if you spread it out through the day you will just burn it up and you won’t be able to pack on any fat. Five pounds at least.

5. Never under any circumstance get any exercise. Make sure you don’t find any exercise you enjoy, and if you do make the mistake and exercise make sure you go overboard, totally exhaust yourself, and then collapse in a heap. That way you won’t keep on exercising. An easy 8-12 pounds.

6. Watch plenty of television. If you can take up enough of your time watching soap operas, situation comedies or sports on television, you will be able to reach your weight gain goals. You won’t have to worry that you might burn up some calories, you won’t have time for anything else, and with luck the inactivity will make you feel depressed, and that can really boost your binge eating. Good for a solid 10 pounds.

7. Make sure you don’t know what you are eating. Eat only prepackaged foods and drive through foods, and don’t read the labels. And pick only salty foods with hidden sugar and sugary snacks with hidden salt. That way you can have foods that are high in calories, low in nutritional value, and that never fill you up. This tip alone may get you to your weight gain goals. It’s good for at least 20 pounds.

Take heart. You can gain weight. Others have done it and so can you. These are the secrets to successfully putting on weight and keeping it on. You don’t have to do them all. Just pick one or two, and you will soon be on your way to gaining all the weight you ever wanted!

Dan Curtis, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida. He is the author of Dr. Dan’s Super Weight Loss Plan.
Sign up for his free newsletter: Dr. Dan’s Super Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Secrets. Click here– http://www.superweightlossplan.com/newsletter/

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