Jobs in Alternative Energy Fields Many people who take jobs in the alternative energies research and development sector have to, at least in the beginning, take relatively low pay. Taking a job in this industry is thus not about—or, not predominantly about—making money, although that is needless to say important, as one who is not well-fed soon becomes one who is not productive at work, especially when we are considering the brain-work involved in the work of researching and developing technologies in the alternative energies sector. There are those who take a job just because they find it is a fulfilling task that they have undertaken—something that is going to help mankind, or their society, or the Earth herself. But in truth, what most people dream of in terms of work is a position that they at once enjoy immensely while they also are receiving good money for their time and energy. Positions in the alternative energy research and development industry often offer just such an opportunity. The alternative energy field is in need of a vast array of different positions. Many people who get into this are the kind who would keep the power plants up and running (these include plant operators or mechanics), others are the developers of new alternative energies (engineers, scientists), and others make it all happen to start with by investing in alternative energy. So--not only do these people have the blessing of an exciting and fulfilling career, but these same people are making the world a better place. The business of alternative energy is rapidly growing due to the fact that many governments are now supporting it. Investors have become excited about putting their financial backing into the alternative energy industry because they can see that it's the wave of the future, out of both need and the fact of government support. Rising oil prices make alternative energies' tantalization rise in the minds of investors. As investors become more interested, there is more money available for companies to start up or expand, and that leads (of course) to more job opportunities. The US government is unquestionably involved in promoting the idea of new jobs as being readily available in the alternative energy sector. According to the President, in order to achieve greater use of “homegrown”, renewable fuels in the United States, advanced technologies need to be researched and developed so as to be able to make ethanol from plant fibers' biomass, which at the present time is merely discarded as waste material. The President's 2007 Federal Budget includes $150 million (a $59 million increase over the Federal Budget for 2006) to help with the development of biofuels derived from agricultural waste products such as wood chips, corn stalks, and switch grass. Researchers tell us that furthering the cause of research into cellulose-based ethanol could make the technology cost-competitive by 2012, while potentially displacing up to 30% of the nation's current fuel consumption. The President's plan would additionally drive on next-generation research and development of battery technology for hybrid vehicles in addition to “plug-in hybrid” vehicles. A “plug-in” hybrid runs on either gasoline or electricity, depending upon an on-board computer calculation. Driving in a city setting consumes almost no gasoline over as much as a week's time with these vehicles.

There are so many credit cards being offered to college students these days that it may be difficult to choose the right college student credit card. It is important to choose carefully to make sure that you have the best deal and rates available. The interest rate that a college credit card charges is extremely important to take into account. The fact is that when you make a purchase on a college credit card you are, in effect, borrowing money from the credit card issuer. You must pay a monthly interest rate on this loan unless you pay your balance off in full every month. So, you want to have a college credit card with the lowest annual percentage rate and the longest 0% interest introductory period. The majority of college credit cards will be very similar in these two regards so the next point to consider is the rewards that you receive for using the credit card. For most students, their college credit cards are the first ‘proper’ credit cards that they will have had and they will not be familiar with the types of rewards that are the best. The three main reward types that are most useful for students are: * Frequent flyer miles * Cash back * Free gas Frequent flyer miles are the best rewards to have with a college credit card for students who are attending a college a long distance from home. As you use your college credit card you accumulate frequent flyer miles that you can exchange for flights back home – or wherever you want to go. Unlike airline reward schemes, frequent flyer miles can be used on any participating airline, worldwide. Cash back on a college credit card is actually a points system. As you spend money these points accumulate against your college credit card and they can be exchanged for cash, gift certificates or special discounts at popular outlets and stores. The amount of cash back that a college credit card awards may seem small but every little helps and you will soon be racking it up. Free gas when you use your college credit card is the best option for students who have their own car. Gas prices are getting higher and some college credit cards offer rewards to help with the rising cost of motoring with rebates against gas station purchases. These free gas college credit cards also offer discounts and points towards other motoring related items so it is worth comparing the different schemes available.

Unfair credit agreement claims refers to the process under which an aggrieved customer seeks out to reclaim the amount paid for a loan if the agreement executed is unfair. In a stricter sense, it means that if a person is a victim of an unfair loan agreement for which he has been making payments, he / she can make claims to seek the return of the money. This is common practice in most countries. Unfair credit agreement claims refers to the process under which an aggrieved customer seeks out to reclaim the amount paid for a loan if the agreement executed is unfair. In a stricter sense, it means that if a person is a victim of an unfair loan agreement for which he has been making payments, he / she can make claims to seek the return of the money. This is common practice in most countries. The claim can be sought on various financial products resulting in mortgage claims, credit agreement claims, secured loan claims and personal finance claims. There are agencies which specialise in helping victims of unfair credit agreements seek a refund. Some agencies help customers who have completely repaid the loan to the lender. However, these agencies charge a fee to carry out the process. The claim process will not be completed overnight since it involves a lengthy process of negotiations. However, at every step, the customer is updated on the developments. The fee ranges differ and depend on the loan amount. For instance, there are agencies which charge Ј49 for claims over Ј5,000. It is up to the customer to choose the agency which can help in securing the claims. There are various agencies all over the country that specialise in this particular line of work. You can employ the services of such agencies in case you have legitimate claim in view of an unfair credit agreement. These agencies can be tracked through the internet or through local yellow pages. There is also a chance for the potential customer to evaluate their process by looking into past deals. The reviews of the agency's performance are available for perusal. Once you contact an agency, make your case very clear. Never try to hide or destroy facts. The agency will decide whether you have a genuine case by looking into all the relevant paper work. In case you are not in possession of the documents concerned due to loss or theft, the agency will help you. The agency will contact the lender concerned and obtain the relevant documents through the official process. However, this requires the payment of an extra fee by the customer. If the agency finds that your case is genuine, it will take it up; however, if the agency dismisses your application on merit, you have the liberty to visit another agency. The best advice is to make sure that you have a genuine case by cross checking the credit agreement details with the banking and credit regulations. In an effort to make sure that the credit agreement has been executed with your full knowledge, the agency will carry out a study. In the case where you are fighting a losing battle, the agency will not be in your favour. So be it any kind of loan or credit agreement, the aggrieved customer has to be very clear about the issue. Otherwise, it will result in an unnecessary payment of a non-refundable fee.

Recently, I spoke with a client who wanted me to do a workshop at an upcoming conference. I offer a number of different talks, so I asked her what the focus of the meeting was in order to be able to suggest a relevant topic. She said that although the committee members had already picked several programs, they had not yet identified a focus for the conference. My first thought in response to this was, If you don’t know what you want, then how are you going to get it? However, I am savvy enough not to insult people, so we spoke a little longer and we came up with a program that she wanted me to present. It never ceases to amaze me that people do not identify outcomes they wish to achieve. While the above example is related to a conference, it is by no means limited to that area. Many people engage in activities in their careers and businesses, but they haven’t defined what they want to attain. They are completing tasks, but they aren’t focused on accomplishing clear-cut results. When I was a human resources executive, I often worked with people to determine the appropriate jobs that were needed in their groups. Many department heads would complete job descriptions for key jobs, which described all of the tasks that the employees would be required to do. It took a great deal of effort for me to get these individuals to realize that employees in key positions are not paid to perform tasks, they are paid to produce results. Through much coaching on my part, we were able to identify the outcomes that the individuals were expected to achieve in the various positions. Why is it so critical to determine outcomes for a job, a meeting, a department, or any other situation? Because if you don’t know what your outcome is, the odds are that you will spend a lot of unnecessary time and money trying to reach a fuzzy target. And there is a very strong chance that the target will not even be reached. Outcomes let you know where you are going. They give you important information about how to use your resources, time, money, and employees. When you know your outcome, you can continually make important decisions is this going to help me reach my goal or will this take me further away from my objective? Clearly defined outcomes can also be very motivating. I worked with a coaching client who had an idea about a new business that she wanted to start. When she first got the idea, she was very excited about it, however, she never took action to get the business moving. She continually came up with excuses about why she wasn’t doing anything to make the business a reality. I finally got her to sit down and write a detailed description of what the outcome was that she wanted to achieve with the business. That was the missing key. As soon as she wrote down the detailed outcome, she began to do the things that were necessary to get the business started. For her, defining the outcome spurred the action that is required in any business. Five years later, she has a very successful business that she absolutely loves. Some people have a great deal of difficulty in trying to determine outcomes. It is because they are looking into a future that isn’t certain and they can’t identify what it is they want. An easy way to get around this is to imagine that the outcome has already been achieved and then to describe what it looks like. Going back to the situation with the meeting planner, the question that I asked her was, Let’s assume it is six months after the conference and you know that it was a huge success. What would have happened to let you know that it was successful? People are much more able to describe the past then they are to identify an unknown future. By asking the question this way, I was able to find out that according to the planner, the criterion for a successful meeting was that the attendees would have the tools they needed to be able to more easily and effectively handle the many changes that were going on in their industry. When I discovered this outcome, I was able to suggest a program that would help the organization achieve this desired result. Before you take action (small or large), you need to identify what your outcome is what do you want to achieve? When you do that, you will cut down your time, streamline your efforts, accelerate your progress, and reach your desired goal. When you know where you are going, there is a good chance that you will end up getting there.

Psychiatry identifies three different categories of phobia: Agoraphobia is a fear of open spaces. It is also a fear of having a panic attack in a public place, of losing control in an area from which escape may prove difficult or embarrassing. Social Phobia is an irrational anxiety brought forth by exposure to certain social situations, leading to avoidance behaviour. Specific Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in response to some specific stimulus, which commonly results in avoidance of/withdrawal from that stimulus. It could be triggered by an insect or animal (zoophobia), by a situation like being trapped in an enclosed space (claustrophobia) or it could be a fear of disease (pathophobia). Approximately 1 in 23 people suffer from phobias. That’s nearly 4.25% of the population. There are roughly 11.5 million sufferers in the US and 2.5 million in the UK. Approximately 19.1 million American adults aged between 18 and 54 (13.3% of people in this age group) in a given year have an anxiety disorder. 5.2 million Americans (aged 18 to 54) or 3.7% of people in this age group have social phobia. Approximately 3.2 million Americans have agoraphobia. Almost 6.2 million US citizens have some sort of specific phobia. All three types of phobia, social, agoraphobia and specific are likely to effect between 5 and 10 people in every 100. Females are more prone to irrational fears than males. Roughly twice as many women as men suffer from panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and specific phobia though about equal numbers of women and men have obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. In England in 2002-3, there were 310 hospital consultant episodes for phobic anxiety disorders. 94% required hospital admission. 40% were for men, 60% for women. Only about 20% of specific phobias disappear on their own for an adult.

Holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, are usually the most awaited events of the year. It is a time when families gather for a reunion with relatives and friends. While it is a time for gift-giving and merry-making, it can also be a source of stress and depression. During these times, when the whole world is in a spirit of celebration, there are some people who can only wish there were loved ones nearby to share the season with. Think about the senior citizens in welfare homes, those convicts in jail houses, the doctors and nurses who are on duty and cannot come home to be with their loved ones. There are those whose loved ones are long gone or have recently departed and coping with their loss can be unbearable during this season. Even the loss of job during this time can cause depression. Being hard-pressed to buy presents for loved ones can lead to stress and anxiety. Keeping humor up and having realistic expectations help a great deal in being in tune with the holiday spirit. The National Mental Health Association recommends that you take care of yourself first and foremost. Setting realistic goals for the holidays and keeping your expectations simple for yourself and everyone else is the key to avoid stress and anxiety brought about by the occasion. Do not make the mistake of spending more than you can afford to avoid facing a huge credit card debt after the holidays that can certainly lead you to more troubles and worries. Since the holidays last for more than one day, pace yourself and spread your activities throughout the season. Don't spend the holidays confronting relatives about past conflicts, but instead, extend grace and show kindness to forgive and forget. Holidays are not a good time to tell your parents your hurts for their neglect. If you want to resolve issues, wait till after the holidays to bring them up again. That doesn't mean you should bottle up all your feelings. Seeking out a sympathetic family member or friend can go a long way in keeping your sanity. While overindulging on sweets and carbohydrates may feel comforting at the time, the after effects can make you moody later. Same with drinking alcohol to excess. Try to continue your fitness regimen to burn off the calories from the holiday dinner. If you don't have time to go to the gym, take a long walk with a friend to alleviate some stress. For those who don't have close friends or relatives nearby with whom to share the holidays, reaching out to others may make you feel more in tune with the holiday spirit. Try to volunteer help to someone who can't get out to shop, serving food in a soup kitchen, or inviting over other friends who are far away from family may make you feel less lonely. Be wary of family members who are using more than normal amounts of alcohol, pain medications, or sleeping pills. Be vigilant when someone is acting confused, can't concentrate, seems lost in the midst of family affairs, or can't seem to stop crying. Feelings of despair or apathy that don't go away for two weeks or longer may lead to depression and needs professional help. The typical symptoms of depression include a sense of hopelessness, boredom with or lack of enjoyment in activities that were previously pleasurable, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, thoughts about suicide, and difficulty concentrating. The National Mental Health Association reminds us about life being full of changes. “Consider what is important in your life and the good about these times.” Experience will tell you that those who've had the holiday blues in the past that they usually subside once you jump back into a regular routine.

The second half of 2007 was a significant time for those who make and follow policy developments for people with learning disabilities in England. Included in this raft of policy and guidance is the update of the Mansell Report, ‘Services for People with Learning Disabilities, Challenging Behavior or Mental Health Needs authored by Professor Jim Mansell. The Mansell Report Update was published in October 2007 and seeks to distil best practice for people with challenging behavior acting as revision of the original report from 1993. It makes a series of recommendations for all the agencies involved in supporting people with learning disabilities and challenging behavior. In reflecting on this latest report it is encouraging to note that everyone is agreed on the need for high quality services available as close to home as possible. There is a further trend to reduce the size of services and enhance the skills of members of staff. The development plans for many organizations operating in the sector have reflected these trends. Originally it was only possible for some people to access evidence based and effective services for people with challenging behavior by moving to other parts of the country. There are now services throughout the land and there have been many examples of people being offered the opportunity to move closer to home and still receive the quality of support they need. However some people have, like many others in modern Britain, been keen to move to a different area where they have made friends and put down roots. We continue to support that as a positive choice for people with learning disabilities in the same way as it is! for anyone else. A Clinical Model...That works. The SHARED Approach is a clinical system that is in turn based on Positive Behavior Support and which enables support staff to implement the key features of Positive Behavior Support in a person centred and consistent manner. Service providers who do not employ agency staff are most able to maintain the kind of consistency of relationship that under pins these clinical programs. As Mansell points out, there have been difficulties with evidence based practice for people with learning disabilities and we seem to be moving towards a resolution. Some organizations offering services in this sector are more optimistic than the report authors about the long term future of people with severe challenging behavior having seen the results of this work in the lives of many individuals over the past 20 years. A Clinical Model ... that can be seen to work Castlebeck, a well established service provider based in the north of England has now completed the development of a person centred system for measuring outcome. It is called Castlebeck Progress and it is based on the “social construction” of challenging behavior that Mansell seeks to promote. The Castlebeck team are hopeful that this will help everyone focus on the benefits of support to the individual. Keeping this in mind it is encouraging that we are also beginning to realize that there isn’t always a “quick fix”. Rather it is a question of carefully understanding the support that a person needs to reduce the impact of challenging behavior on both everyday life and important relationships. Castlebeck Progress involves an approach similar to that of person centred planning. An individual works with a circle of people to decide on the unique profile of outcomes that will suit that individual. This is based on a social model of challenging behavior where we look at the core problems a person has (e. g. poor self esteem or a history of abuse), the ways in which these problems effect the person's everyday life (e. g. aggression, destructive patterns of relationship), the kind of support a person needs to minimize the impact of the problems and begin to get back to community living. Once the circle has agreed a profile of outcomes for the individual, measures are taken of each part and the work begins to make things better. The circle then re-gathers after a year and sees how things are going. This type of approach welcomes the Mansell Update and we are looking forward to using this as encouragement to keep working for better lives for people with challenging behavior.

If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses” of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box. The ones who have been there and done it have quite some useful tips to help those who would want to venture into this field. Some of these tips have boosted quite a lot of earnings in the past and is continuously doing so. Here are some 5 proven ways on how best to improve your Adsense earnings. 1. Concentrating on one format of Adsense ad. The one format that worked well for the majority is the Large Rectangle (336X280). This same format have the tendency to result in higher CTR, or the click-through rates. Why choose this format out of the many you can use? Basically because the ads will look like normal web links, and people, being used to clicking on them, click these types of links. They may or may not know they are clicking on your Adsense but as long as there are clicks, then it will all be for your advantage. 2. Create a custom palette for your ads. Choose a color that will go well with the background of your site. If your site has a white background, try to use white as the color of your ad border and background. The idea to patterning the colors is to make the Adsense look like it is part of the web pages. Again, This will result to more clicks from people visiting your site. 3. Remove the Adsense from the bottom pages of your site and put them at the top. Do not try to hide your Adsense. Put them in the place where people can see them quickly. You will be amazed how the difference between Adsense locations can make when you see your earnings. 4. Maintain links to relevant websites. If you think some sites are better off than the others, put your ads there and try to maintaining and managing them. If there is already lots of Adsense put into that certain site, put yours on top of all of them. That way visitor will see your ads first upon browsing into that site. 5. Try to automate the insertion of your Adsense code into the webpages using SSI (or server side included). Ask your web administrator if your server supports SSI or not. How do you do it? Just save your Adsense code in a text file, save it as “adsense text”, and upload it to the root directory of the web server. Then using SSI, call the code on other pages. This tip is a time saver especially for those who are using automatic page generators to generate pages on their website. These are some of the tips that have worked well for some who want to generate hundreds and even thousands on their websites. It is important to know though that ads are displayed because it fits the interest of the people viewing them. So focusing on a specific topic should be your primary purpose because the displays will be especially targeted on a topic that persons will be viewing already. Note also that there are many other Adsense sharing the same topic as you. It is best to think of making a good ad that will be somewhat different and unique than the ones already done. Every clickthrough that visitors make is a point for you so make every click count by making your Adsense something that people will definitely click on. Tips given by those who have boosted their earnings are just guidelines they want to share with others. If they have somehow worked wonders to some, maybe it can work wonders for you too. Try them out into your ads and see the result it will bring. If others have done it, there is nothing wrong trying it out for yourself.

Coaching Soccer Soccer is more than just an all American sport or something that some might play in their free time. It has become such a popular sport, that it is now considered to be one of the most popular games throughout the world. Almost every country in the world is found with a soccer team that helps them to get in the extra kicks towards victory. The game of soccer was known to be developed as early as the 1500s by the Chinese and Japanese dynasties. There are also reminiscent of the game that has been found in Rome. While each of these all has different names to them, they are all based around the same concept of kicking a ball across a field in order to get a goal. The game that is most known today has been revised from these rules with a set international standard that was developed in 1863. The standards that have been set have not only allowed the game to grow in popularity, but also to become an international sport where the greatest achievement is to win the world cup. Soccer begins with two teams of eleven players. They move onto a rectangular piece of grass where they will try to reach the objective of taking a soccer ball and moving it across the field and into a goal. The team that has made the most goals at the end wins the game. When a player gets to the goal line, they will be blocked by a goalie, as well as the soccer ball being taken from opponents on the other team in order to get the ball going in the other direction. In the official game of soccer, there are seventeen major rules that must be followed, known as the laws of the game. These will have flexibility according to the referees and who is playing the game. This allows the game to remain fair with both teams making the maneuvers that they need to in order to work towards the goal. Throughout the centuries, soccer has been an integral part of history. Through it's early inception, to the later rules that have been maintained, everyone around the world has learned to love the objectives of the game. All of these bring the players closer to knowing what it means to reach the goal.

Many forms of power come to youth when they play basketball with friends. Some of these powers will be carried around with a child for many years and help them later in life too because playing basketball develops muscles and teaches children to dig deep and find the power that they need to excel in playing the game of basketball. Playing basketball teaches children to rely on the power of their own bodies and to dig deep at times when they feel they have no strength left to shoot one last basket. Amazing things occur when children use all of their abilities to play basketball. Playing the game of basketball requires children to use their body and mind while on the court, and discover how to blend the two together to become an outstanding basketball player, even if they only play the game on weekends. Even children with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to play basketball. These individuals have already overcome great obstacles and can be quite fearless on the basketball courts. They are not looking for pity or any type of sympathy from others players. People that suffer from disabilities are on the court for a specific reason. The power of perceptions can be a powerful thing on a basketball court at times and youth basketball programs give them equal treatment. Youth basketball programs prepare the mental side of a child to handle the rigors of a basketball game. There are no quitters in basketball. There are simply children on the courts who enjoy the rush and exhilaration that comes from friends getting together to play a friendly game. Youth basketball programs bring many children together from diverse backgrounds and allow them to learn from one another. When children are involved in youth basketball programs, they are afforded the protection of an adult at all times. From the moment they enter a youth center they are under the care and guidance of many adults who specialize in rigorous games that children love. Basketball is but one game that will allow children to release pressures that they accumulate during the day while they are at school. Through the participation in youth programs that offer basketball, a child has the opportunity to earn some recognition for their hard work. There are many awards given out through various children's leagues and a child merely has to play the game to receive the coveted awards. The child will then be able to view the award at any time and reflect on what has been accomplished with a little hard work. When children are involved in a youth program and participate in a basketball game, they have a chance to build self-esteem and learn a sport that might end up being a career one day. Every child will feel better about themselves when they are able to see that they can handle hard shots and follow the rules and receive no penalties while on the basketball court. Basketball allows children to learn who they are and what they can expect to accomplish in life.

Is there a topic that you have become particularly knowledgeable about? Have you had particular challenges in your life that you had to overcome? Do you have a hobby or a craft that you have a compelling interest in? Perhaps, you perfected a skill in a particularly technical area during your career. Did you ever think that you knew a better way to accomplish something, if only you had the chance? All of us have some area of our lives that we have focused on enough to develop a particular set of skills in or knowledge about. We have come to take our experience, knowledge and skills for granted as we approach or reach retirement age. What if there was a way that you could set up an “Information Stand” on your own street and have a stream of people arrive at your information stand each and every day. Heck, they each would even pay you a small fee to have their questions on your topic answered! Do you think that this might provide a little extra cash to supplement your retirement income? You bet it would. Remember your childhood. Did you ever have a Kool-Aid stand on your street on a hot Summer day? Yeah, it was great. Adults would pay 5 cents per cup (some would even pay more) and when you ran out of Kool-Aid, you would simply make up another batch. You could do this until all of the adults had their thirst quenched and then sales would drop off. Well, you can easily set up an “Information Stand” on the Internet at which to provide answers on the topic of your passion. There are some interesting characteristics of your “Information Stand” that make it better than a Kool-Aid stand: 1. Unlike Kool-Aid, you never run out of Information. In fact, you even gain more and better information as a result of the dialogue and the research that you do in building your Information Stand. 2. You become known as an expert. That’s right, the more activity that you have at your stand, the better you become known as a reliable source of information on your topic. In fact, when this occurs and the perception of your information becomes more valuable, people will be willing to pay more for your information. 3. Unlike the Kool-Aid stand, you can sell the information without you having to be there. You can even sell information while you are asleep or out playing with the other ‘kids’! 4. As word spreads like a virus about your information stand, the sheer number of people coming to your stand will increase exponentially. 5. Instead of being limited to just your street, you can have your Information Stand on the biggest Information superhighway of them all – the Internet! 6. Unlike the Kool-Aid stand, the line of people coming to your Information Stand never ends. In fact, as the word of your Information Stand gets out like a virus on the Internet, you will have an increasing number of people coming to you for answers to their questions. People from all over the world will be coming to your Information Stand all hours of the day and night! If you build it, they will come! The very best news is that the technology now exists for you to establish your Information Stand on the Internet for an investment of less than $30 and a bit of your time. The software necessary to do this can be downloaded free of charge and the remaining components can be purchased inexpensively(Domain name - $7, Autoresponder - $20). You can visit my website to view video tutorials that show you exactly how to set up your Information Stand. It could not be easier! Claim your place on the Internet today. Leverage your experience and knowledge into a stream of supplemental retirement income. You already have the knowledge needed, just carve out your niche and get going. It does not have to be perfect. In fact, it has been said that “Imperfect action is more productive than perfect inaction!” Take your first step today.

Standing as the fastest selling accounting software, with over 50 enhancements and a polished, professional new interface, Pegasus Opera II Business Accounting Software has gained a massive 20,000 users in the last two years. Pegasus is committed to excellence and has risen to become an industry expert with well over 20 years of experience. Pegasus is award wining in customer service and accredited by the Inland Revenue. So what can Pegasus do for you? It has been redeveloped as a 32-bit product, making it a powerful Microsoft Windows compatible product, delivering a 32-bit solution. It integrates fully with your other Microsoft Office products and provides clear data that is up-to-date, meaning tracking stock, searching for BACS payments and browsing purchase history is just a click away. The alerting and scheduling tools that you get with Pegasus Opera II Business Accounting Software allow you to improve the productivity of your business through tact and strategy when it comes to planning. Pegasus Opera II keeps you on pace with your competition and the market, allowing you to take advantage of the opportunities as they arise. Its advanced modular design means that you can add modules and expand functionality as your business needs grow. Pegasus Opera II offers your business more than just Accounting, it gives you; Financial and business management, eCommerce, Payroll and HR as well as Manufacturing. Pegasus helps you to run your business more effectively and also more profitably. While you are busy being productive, Pegasus will be keeping an eye on the everyday running of your business, with management information at your fingertips. Despite of the size of your company, it is possible to adapt Pegasus Opera II to fit the precise needs of your business. It gives you increased flexibility and wider access to management information as well as saving you time. Since Pegasus Opera II is internet and email enabled it means that reports, sales and purchase documents, etc can be emailed to customers and suppliers. Other features of Pegasus Opera II are; cash management facilities, sales history, VAT 100 reporting, price lists, discount matrix, stock traceability, purchase invoice register, budgeting, real time updates, Electronic Payments/BACS, advanced POP, management reports and nominal consolidation. Since 1982, Pegasus Software has been developing market leading financial management software, with Opera II being the focus of a significant amount of development. Building on its already strong foundations, it is clearly focused on the needs of businesses and delivers the market leading SME product. By adding Pegasus Opera II to your organisation it will give you the ability you need and match the requirements you have. It is the most flexible and adaptable accounting and business solutions you can buy. Pegasus Opera II is designed to grow with your business. It has an open architecture, allowing more information to be processed concurrently, creating a greater utilisation of hardware and operating systems. Its flexible reporting and analysis functions put you in control of your business. It ensures your organisation operates as efficiently as possible through being a financial and business management solution. Pegasus Opera II demonstrates a real competitive edge. It meets more business requirements than any other accounting system, helping customers manage their business to their full potential.

Discover Monogram Card makes your life very convenient. You can choose a customized Discover® Student Monogram Card and enjoy a 0% APR as introductory offer on Purchases for six months. You need not pay any annual charge. You can be absolutely at ease regarding fraud management. The company is well equipped to protect you from any kind of fraud. The online account management options are also very easy. You are offered 5% Cash back Bonus in travel, home, restaurants, gas, movies and others. You can expect a 5% to 20% Cash back Bonus from top retailers. You have the privilege of redeeming the reward points from numerous partners. There is variety of gift choices and you will have a gala time choosing your gifts. Discover Monogram Card offers you cash rewards on all purchases. You can get 5% cash back bonus on purchases, all round the year, by contributing in the Get More programs. Additionally, you can earn 1% on all other purchases, once your annual purchases exceed the amount $3,000. You can earn 0.25% on your first $1,500 spent on other purchases and 0.50% on your second lot of $1,500. If you buy from selected clubs or discount stores, you are offered 25%. There is no expiration date that is linked to rewards. But, if you keep your card inactive for around thirty-six months, then some of the reward points might be forfeited. Discover Monogram Card is very easy to apply. You would need to simply call up the company. Your call will be attended by an efficient customer care personnel, who will guide you properly. The company values your time and thus, will not make you run from pillar to post looking for a credit card. They will guide you on all the formalities that need to be fulfilled and will try to deliver your card as soon as possible. You can use the card for anything you wish to. You will not only enjoy the benefit of using the Discover Monogram Card, but will also be rewarded for using it. But, just because you are the proud owner of a Discover Monogram Card, it does not mean that you go over the top spending on it. Try and maintain a budget. Use it only when you really need to use it. This way, you will be well within the budget. This will also help you maintain a clean credit history. You might also be tempted to use more than one credit card at once. Avoid the temptation. What happens is that the moment you see payments piling up on all your cards, you will have the urge to skip some of them, which will affect your credit history negatively. Even if you are using one card, see to it that the outstanding amount does not go over the top. If it happens, then it you will again fall into a vicious circle of not paying and as a result, ending up with more outstanding. This can lead to bankruptcy. With a little amount of discipline, you can really enjoy the benefits of your Discover Monogram Card.

Be aware of these common pitfalls when designing your site: • The home page does not quickly tell you what the Web site is all about. You should be able to visit the home page of any Web site and figure out what the site is about, what type of products it sells, or what it is advertising within five seconds. • The poor use of popup windows, splashy advertising, splash pages (pages with neat animations and sound but which you have to watch for five to ten seconds before you are taken to the real Web site), and other Web design features that draw interest away from your Web site, products, and/ or services. • Poor Web site navigation. This includes broken hyperlinks, hidden navigation, poor wording of navigational links, links that take you to pages with no links, links that take you to the same Web page, and pages with no links back to the home page (always include a link back to the home page so that regardless of where site visitors are, they can find their way back home!). • Believing that because you have a Web site, you have a marketing campaign or overall marketing and advertising strategy. You need to understand that your Web site is not your marketing strategy. Your Web site is just a part of your overall marketing strategy, depending on your business goals; for example, if you have a successful restaurant but want to advertise and promote your business on the Web. Creating a Web site is great, but if it is not promoted and advertised, no one will ever find it. By passing out business cards with your Web site URL embossed on them, you are using a traditional marketing campaign to promote your Web site. If you offer a downloadable/ printable coupon from your Web site, you are successfully using your Web site as part of your marketing strategy to meet your goal of increased restaurant sales. • Failure to attain Web site relevance and content updating. There is nothing more dissatisfying to a Web customer than visiting a Web site that is grossly out of date. Incorrect pricing, products no longer available, dated content, and ancient advertising all signify to the Web site visitor that your devotion to your Web site is suffering greatly. Cramming your pages with non-relevant material will detract the visitor from getting the point of your Web site (the five-second rule mentioned earlier). • Avoid too many text effects. Forget flashing text, reversing text, gymnastics text, or other eye-popping and dizzying effects, which do nothing more than annoy your site visitor. Don't create a "loud" Web site that contain so many blinking, flashing, twirling, and spinning icons, text, or graphics that visitors are overwhelmed by the effects and under-whelmed by the site content. • Limit the number of graphics on your Web site so that you don't overwhelm your site visitors with "graphics overload." Don't use animated GIF images on your Web site. These were cool ten years ago, but in today's professional environment, they are just another "loud," annoying distraction that site visitors don't want to see. • Don't use Microsoft's themes (built-in design templates) when creating a Web site with Microsoft FrontPage. While FrontPage is bashed on a regular basis, we stand by the fact that it can be used to design great Web sites. • Don't incorporate frames into Web site design. The use of frames within a Web site will drive customers away faster than anything! • DO incorporate the proper Web site design elements to ensure that your Web site is ready to be found by search engines.

No, ‘cheap’ is not necessarily a bad thing (well, not always), but when it comes to a services industry as competitive and with as thin margins as the web hosting industry, customers better watch out. Hosts offering ‘low-cost’ services tend to offer the world for Rs. 900 per year but, usually fail to deliver even the most basic of services. Surprised? I’m not. Let me explain some basics for the benefit of the vast majority who would still be unsure as to what I’m rambling about. A “web host” is a company (well, most like to think of themselves as such but that’s a whole new article) that is in the business of procuring bandwidth (internet connectivity) and servers (glorified computers) with the intent to re-sell the same, in smaller bits, to people who need storage space for their e-mails and websites. This is usually (read always) accomplished by renting out dedicated servers with a decent hard drive and bandwidth quota and then using a hosting automation suite (control panel) to divide the server resources up into smaller chunks called ‘hosting plans’. The goal is to price these plans in a way that they remain affordable for the client while helping the host maximize profit from the resources it has. Now comes the fun part… Since there are almost no barriers to entry in this particular industry, new web hosts keep popping up every day. This helps keep the price for hosting services sane and should also mean better service for the customers since there are many hosts competing for their business. What really happens is that one Johnny-come-lately decides that the only way he can grab some market-share is by offering the lowest prices. Once customers start quoting his price to the host struggling for their business, the host decides to match it. Before you know it, everyone has slashed their prices by half! This, in Pakistan, can be seen every 10 – 12 months. “Good”, you say? Read on… What does this mean for the web host? Suddenly, all their existing clients are paying them half of what they used to. This means that in the coming year, they would have to generate twice as much new business just to make the same amount as last year! Is this considered growth? I think not! Sadly, the number of clients does not magically increase with every price shave. So, the web hosts are left with little choice other than to cut costs just to make ends meet. Where there were 3 support people, they decide to make do with just one. Where there were 2 servers earlier, they decide that they can load all of the clients onto just one server resulting in lower operating costs. These measures, needless to say, do have a positive impact on the host’s bottom-line but deteriorate the services resulting in un-answered support queries and long periods of downtime (website/email inaccessibility) or extremely slow server response due to excessive loads on the server. Now, if the host were to put their existing clients first, they would price their service fairly so that every client not only feels good in his wallet, but can also rely on the service being offered. I guess, all it boils down to is; whether a web host is in this business to provide a top-notch service with a long-term business goal or is just there to make a quick while competing with all the fly-by-night hosts who happen to come along. Recently, I have come across at least three such hosting companies that are now in financial peril because they could not resist the urge to slash prices in order to try and capture some new business. Sadly enough, these are not people who are ‘new’ to the industry. Such an impact on the market is magnified 10 fold when an older host decides they would be better off by just slashing prices rather than improving on service. As a result, the younger companies follow suit and create a mess for themselves and more importantly their clients. The ultimate outcome is that frustrated clients decide to switch to foreign web hosts that provide a better service at a saner price. From experience, I have learnt that providing a good service is what really matters. The rest falls into place when clients realise that they can only run their online business if the service they get is of good quality. After all, you get what you pay for. What good is a cheap service when you will eventually stop getting any?