What Are Presale Tickets

Don't wait in line to buy tickets for your next event. Take part in a presale ahead of time.

You've probably purchased tickets for some kind of athletic or entertainment event before, but you've probably never taken part in exclusive access to select tickets before the rest of the public: a presale. Learn about a presale, get in on one and some important things to remember when taking part in one.

Basics

Ticket vendors often set aside a number of tickets for an Internet presale of a concert, sporting event or other major event at a large venue. In a presale, certain groups of people with a common characteristic -- members of a club, for example -- are given exclusive access to purchase this allocation of tickets before the rest of the general public. Presale tickets can be obtained by the same methods as the vendor usually offers, whether online, in person or via telephone. Occasionally presales are conducted exclusively online.

Access to Presale Tickets

A password is frequently needed to purchase presale tickets. These are provided by the various organizations and individuals sponsoring the presale. In order to make yourself a candidate for presales, it is recommended that you join the fan clubs of your favorite musicians and athletic teams and sign up for local radio station mailing lists, as these are frequent sponsors of presales and membership will gain you access to the necessary codes. You can also purchase individual presale codes online, giving you access to one particular event presale without requiring you to sign up for any clubs or lists.

Misconceptions

If you can't get your hands on a presale code, don't worry that an event will sell out in the presale before you and the rest of the general public will have your chance to purchase. Presale tickets are limited; some of the seats in the venue are reserved for the public onsale, when the presale ends. Not being a member of clubs or mailing lists doesn't prevent you from taking part in presales, though. Sometimes vendors host their own presales, and exclusive presales are often offered to carriers of a specific credit card. Keep your eyes peeled so you don't miss an opportunity open to you.

Things to Consider

There is no guarantee to secure better seats in a presale, and better seats can often be obtained in the public onsale. The prices of presale tickets are the same as those on sale for the public, but securing your tickets for high-demand events in the presale can be crucial. With fewer people vying for tickets, your chances of obtaining yours at list price is higher than during the public release, eliminating the need to purchase from a ticket broker at a higher price. Presales are not offered for all concerts or sporting events; don't rely on privileged access for your next outing.

Tags: before rest, before rest general, better seats, exclusive access, general public, mailing lists

Promote A Book Store Without Going Broke

Promote a Book Store Without Going Broke

Any good business owner knows the value of effective marketing. In fact, promoting your business is probably the most important aspect of managing your company. To promote a bookstore you need to be creative and unique in order to compete with the big chains.

Instructions

1. Hold a window decorating contest for local school children and promote it by handing out flyers at local schools. Each class that signs up gets a section of your front window to paint according to whatever theme you decide. Leave it up for a couple of weeks and ask local public figures to judge the contest. Reward the winners with age-appropriate books for their classroom. The window decorations will attract a lot of attention and draw lots of parents into your store.

2. Contact your local blood bank and find out when blood drives will be held in your community. Then offer a free item to anyone who shops your store on that day and presents their donor card. Be sure to have them fill out their name and address on a list to prevent the card from being used again and add them to your mailing list. Promote the event with posters at hospitals, physician's offices and high traffic retail locations. Send a press release to the media as well.

3. Place a spelling error in the copy of your weekly newspaper ad and insert a heading inviting people to find the error. Say something like, "We'll pay you $5 if you can spot the spelling error in this ad." Bury the error deep in the ad to ensure people read the whole message and make it clear the money is good toward a purchase at your store.

4. Surprise customers by giving something away for free when you don't have to. It could be a unique bookmark or a copy of a book in the same genre as their purchase. It will delight your customers, and they will tell all their friends and coworkers about it, which is great advertising.

5. Create a beautiful and attractive book display in your store with flowers. Find a local florist and offer to display a sign for their business in exchange for a discount on the flowers. Flowers will give a fresh look to your store and create an inviting ambiance that will keep customers coming back.

Tags: your store, Book Store, Book Store Without, Going Broke, Promote Book

Promote A New Chain Of Restaurants

Promote a New Chain of Restaurants

Promoting a chain of new restaurants requires extensive marketing, an appropriate budget and proper planning. A consistent effort is required to promote the restaurants and build a customer base. Use the following techniques for maximize results.

Instructions

1. Create a website for your restaurant chain. Include online games to win coupons for a free meal and an option to sign up for the restaurant's newsletter. Send regular emails to encourage people to visit your restaurants. Offer reward programs to make maintain customer loyalty.

2. Advertise in newspapers to publicize your chain of restaurants. Include coupons and special promotions. Mail special offers to homes in the nearby communities to generate interest in your restaurants.

3. Use billboards with catchy phrases to attract attention. Join several local community groups to become a member of the neighborhood.

4. Promote your new restaurant chain by creating television commercials with the help of a professional marketing team. This method is by far among the most effective means to reach people, but it is also the most expensive.

5. Keep your menu distinctive with a reasonable and affordable price range for your target market. Offer specials every day to keep things fresh and interesting.

6. Create kid friendly incentives such as menu items and give-aways if families are part of your target market. This promotional step will earn good reviews from customers who will recommend your restaurant to other families.

Tags: your restaurant, your target market, chain restaurants, Promote Chain, Promote Chain Restaurants, restaurant chain

Things To Replace Smoking

Smoking cigarettes restricts air flow to the lungs.

Smoking cigarettes often results in a hard-to-break habit due to the addictive chemicals--such as nicotine--involved in their design, according to Quit-Smoking-Stop. Smoking can cause heart disease, bronchitis and various types of cancer. Finding a replacement for smoking is a wise way to end addictive behavior and prolong your life. Consult a physician with questions or concerns.

Physical Replacements

The hand-to-mouth repetition used by a smoker can be a hard physical habit to break. The simple act of holding a cigarette between the fingers can become a common feeling, according to Life Tips. You can replicate the feel of a cigarette by holding a thin carrot stick, a pen or a pencil in between your fingers. Holding an object with similar physical characteristics can be a helpful way to reduce your smoking habit.

Choose to Exercise

Exercising often increases air and blood flow, strengthens muscles and prolongs your life. Choosing to exercise can successfully replace smoking by giving your body a healthy form of "addiction," according to All That Women Want. Because exercise stimulates the chemicals in your body in healthy ways, a work-out routine promises many psychological benefits. Additionally, putting money you have spent on cigarettes into a gym membership or exercise equipment can makes for a better financial investment.

Find Peer Support

Joining a support group is another way to replace smoking. You can often attend a support group--such as counseling, formal classes and informal gatherings--or form your own group. Even one-on-one support can help. Peer support offers encouragement and hope by surrounding yourself with people experiencing similar circumstances. Formal groups may even offer step-by-step programs to help you replace smoking with an overall healthy lifestyle.

Tags: body healthy, replace smoking, Smoking cigarettes, your body, your body healthy, your life

The Truth Campaign Volunteer Work

The Truth Campaign focuses on decreasing youth's use of tobacco.

The Truth Campaign is a large youth-focused, anti-tobacco education program designed to teach teens about marketing techniques used to promote tobacco and to inform them of the dangers of tobacco use. According to protectthetruth.org, the campaign has been highly effective. The websites reports that indicates 24 million youth had seen Truth campaign ads during the campaign's first two years and evaluated the ads highly for providing reasons not to smoke. Spreading the word of the Truth campaign is possible in several ways.

Join The Tour

The Truth Campaign hits the road in the summertime with its big orange trucks, taking its message to youth across the country. This is an adventurous way to help the cause and help spread the word. Opportunities are limited, but the application process gives anyone who is sincerely interested enough a chance to join the tour. The application form is available at the campaigns website, thetruth.com.

Distribute Education Materials

The Truth Campaign is always looking for those willing to help spread the word. At the truth.com, you can find downloadable tools like screensavers, wallpapers and a fact clipboard -- information that can be shared with friends. The Campaign also encourages people to join on social networking sites such as Facebook, SocialVibe and Twitter.

Wear Truth Campaign Apparel

The Truth Campaign has produced a variety of well-designed T-shirts and other merchandise with anti-tobacco messages. One T-shirt features artwork of large moths and points out that naphthalene, an ingredient in mothballs, is also found in cigarettes. Another T-shirt simply has the number 353 and in a much smaller font "per day" ---this is the number of people in the U.S. who die from lung cancer as a result of smoking. A consistent feature of the designs is that they provide information in a provocative way designed to promote questions and discussion.

Contribute Ideas for the Ad Campaign

The Truth Campaign has produced a number of clever video ads, and the campaign is willing to consider ideas submitted for future productions. However, its "terms of use" specify that submission of any ideas grants the campaign the right to use them without compensation. That means you'll have the satisfaction of contributing, but don't expect to be paid for your ideas.

Tags: Truth Campaign, Campaign produced, help spread, help spread word, spread word, Truth Campaign

Become A Contractor For Directv

DIRECTV has gained the reputation as a trendsetter in the entertainment sector. DIRECTV offers over 285 channels of digital programming to consumers in the United States along with comprehensive exclusive programming options. Employing over 16,000 people, the company receives annual recognition for outstanding customer satisfaction as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index and has collected numerous awards, including eight Emmy awards for technological innovations designed to enhance the viewer’s experience. DIRECTV offers independent contractor opportunities for various jobs such as installation and customer service. Becoming a contractor involves making some phone calls and learning qualify.

Instructions

1. Review the DIRECTV website to gain an understanding of the company and its offerings to consumers. Independent contractors will need to learn everything there is to know about DIRECTV products, services and the equipment used to install and run the DIRECTV service. Familiarity with the company's products and services will allow independent contractors to speak with a measure of confidence when interviewing for an independent contractor position.

2. Visit the system installer page and read the information relating to the independent contractors.

3. Learn who your regional Master System Operator (MSO) is. A prospective independent contractor must call 1-800-380-4388 and speak with a representative to inquire as to which regional MSO she needs to contact.

4. Speak with the required regional MSO to learn more about the application process and training requirements to become an independent contractor for DIRECTV. A MSO will provide all relevant training and assist prospective independent contractors in meeting all relevant requirements. Such training will include "rights of entry," marketing and sales functions, and all relevant technical training.

Tags: independent contractor, independent contractors, DIRECTV offers, products services, prospective independent

What Are The Tools For Internet Communication

Internet communication is a form of computer mediated communication (CMC). Computer mediated communication is any communication done through computers. Communication tools for Internet communication range from computer hardware and software to having good communication skills. (See Reference 2.)

Computer Hardware

A LAN (local area network) connection is needed for Internet communication. This hardware enables your computer to interact with other computers. The majority of computers come with a built in LAN connection. (See Reference 1.)

Computer Software

Computer software is what allows you to access Internet communication tools such as email, instant messaging and social networking websites. Without computer software and computer hardware you would be unable to communicate through the Internet. (See Reference 2.)

Email and Instant Messaging

Email is a popular Internet communication tool. Many educational institutions and businesses rely on email to communicate information to a large number of people. (See Reference 3.)

Instant messaging programs are downloadable programs that allow you to communicate with others who have the same instant messaging program. For privacy reasons each user creates a screen name which acts as the person's instant messaging identity.

Social Networking and Dating Websites

Dating websites are match making websites which use compatibility to determine the best matches for you. Social networking websites allow you to create your own network of people by becoming "friends" with other users. Both website types integrate many different communication tools. Perhaps the most important communication tool in relation to these websites is your profile. The information on your profile is an essential factor when another user is deciding whether or not to interact with you. (See Reference 2.)

Other Internet Communication

Other kinds of internet communication are blogs and voice over IP. Blogs are like public online diaries. Readers are able to share feedback by commenting on posts (blog entries). Some networking websites include a type of blogging called micro-blogging. Micro-blogging lets a person share what is on her mind in only a sentence or two. (See Reference 2.)

Voice over IP is like having a telephone conversation except instead of a phone line the conversation is supported by an internet connection. Businesses are among organizations which use voice over IP for communication.

Personal Communication Skills

At the core of computer mediated communication is the same communication skills needed when communicating with others in person or on the phone. If you do not possess good communication skills, you will struggle with communicating with others on the Internet. Good communication skills include knowing appropriate topics of conversation, listening to others and the ability to compromise in order to settle disagreements. (See Reference 2.)

Tags: communication skills, Internet communication, mediated communication, networking websites, with others, communicating with, communicating with others

What Is Needed To Start A Promotion Company

Without promotions the public wouldn't know about a company's offerings -- at least not on a wide scale. If you plan to start your own promotion company ensure that you have everything in order. When hiring a promotions company, clients like to see that the operation is well established and equipped for releasing full-scale promotional campaigns.

What is a Promotions Company

A promotion company is an operation that helps get the word out about its client's products or services -- new releases in particular. This type of company helps companies develop advertising campaigns, design ads and organize promotional events, as well as create promotional products. It is similar to a public relations firm and sometimes also does PR work for the client. A busy company that does not have an in-house marketing department can benefit from outsourcing this work.

Training and Experience

A company will likely want to see proof of your training and experience on the subject of promotions before hiring you to take on a campaign. So you should have a background in marketing, advertising or sales -- preferably all three. That may include a formal degree or a significant number of years of experience working in promotions.

Design Team

You also need a full-scale design team to run a promotions company. Everything from online promotions to flier promotions on the street require professional, well-designed imagery. At a minimum, you should have a web designer and a print layout artist on board at the company. These professionals must have training and experience in developing client concepts.

Connections

To properly promote other businesses you must also have connections to promotional and advertising outlets who will distribute the message for your clients. That includes advertising agencies who can help you on a contract basis with developing client campaigns, magazines, newspapers and other forms of media. You should also have experience working with online advertising outlets and printing companies who you may have to use frequently. It helps to have an established list of providers who can help you accomplish your promotional goals.

Tags: advertising outlets, also have, developing client, experience working, should have, training experience

Internet Marketing Job Description

Internet marketing coordinators promote products via websites.

An Internet marketing coordinator is someone who develops a company's advertising on platforms such as websites, email or wireless media, such as cell phones. Internet marketing coordinators must be skilled in both promotions and technology, with a thorough understanding how the two can tied together to bring a business income. Internet marketing coordinators work in a wide array of industries and perform a variety of tasks.

Basics

Internet marketing coordinators aim to get the word out about their company and its products and services, via the World Wide Web. They oversee the creation of websites, email newsletters and text alerts, putting a positive spin on what their company has to offer. They keep an eye on trends and the competition, developing logos and company mottos through the use of graphics and HTML-generated designs. Internet marketing coordinators must know their demographic and on which sites to place banner advertising, as well as have a thorough understanding of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Skills

Internet marketing coordinators must be expert communicators, since effectively relaying information is their job. They must have a fair amount of computer and graphics skills, and possess an ability to draw interest in products through promotion. On top of those things, Internet marketing coordinators should be organized, analytical, energetic, highly creative and capable of finding solutions to problems. They also need to take charge of projects and see them through to completion.

Background

Most companies favor candidates with a bachelor's degree in marketing when hiring an Internet marketing coordinator. Areas of study typically include web design, writing, media marketing, communications and multimedia. Sometimes, Internet marketing coordinators work in various forms of marketing or advertising (or sales) before moving into the technological aspects of their industry. Along with a college education, Internet marketing coordinators often need experience working in a team environment and have displayed an ability to lead.

Prospects

Opportunities for marketing managers are expected to be plentiful during the next decade, particularly for those who work in the Internet and computer industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for marketing managers are expected to increase by 12 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is about as fast as average for all occupations.

Earnings

Salaries for Internet marketing coordinators tend to vary by experience and responsibilities. According to PayScale.com, they earned anywhere from nearly $32,000 to more than $45,000 per year in March 2010. Some are capable of making significantly more than that with success marketing a companies products and services.

Tags: Internet marketing, Internet marketing coordinators, marketing coordinators, coordinators must, marketing coordinators must

Plan A College Graduation Ceremony

College graduation ceremonies mark a new chapter in a graduate's life.

College graduation is an exciting event for students, their families and friends. It represents a transitional period that marks a milestone in the life of a student. At college ceremonies, the school's president, head administrators and department of education give students recognition for their academic achievements. Because a graduation is such a special event, planning the ceremony should begin as soon as the graduation date is set.

Instructions

1. Choose a location. Use a school auditorium for small to mid-sized classes. For larger classes, rent a concert hall or theater. Consider the number of family members and guests who might attend when scouting for a location.

2. Create and deliver tickets as well as supplemental information like parking instructions. Allow students to pick up their tickets or get them via mail. Depending on the size of the class and the venue being used, you may have to limit the number of tickets allocated to each graduate.

3. Prepare a list of speakers and entertainers. Arrange student, faculty and guest speeches. Have the students and audience sing a commemorative song, such as the Star Spangled Banner. Arrange a performance by the school band and choral department.

4. Prepare a graduation program. In presentation order, list each speaker, entertainer, award recipient and graduate's name. Include motivational poems and reception information in the program.

5. Arrange designated seating. Seat faculty on the stage and have students occupy the rows in front. Use large signs, bows or ribbons to separate graduate seating from guest seating.

Assign graduates to seats based on their specific areas of study, i.e., college of engineering, arts & sciences, etc. as well as alphabetical order by last name. Guest seating can either be on a first come, first served basis or each person may have an assigned seat, depending on your preference and the venue.

6. Hire a photographer. Seat the photographer on stage and have him take pictures of graduates as they receive their diplomas. These can be used in college marketing materials as well as offered to students and their families either for free or for a slight fee.

7. Rehearse for the ceremony. Schedule a date for students to meet at the graduation location to review marching and seating procedures. You want to ensure the ceremony looks planned rather than random.

8. Plan a reception. Have a designated refreshment table and provide juice, cake and light snacks for students, guests and faculty.

Tags: College graduation, stage have, students their, students their families, their families

Start A Travel Agency For Free

Start a Travel Agency for Free

A travel agency is a business that can be run from your home with virtually no start-up costs, as long as you already have a computer and a phone line. You can build and promote your travel agency with no costs out of pocket. If you are persistent, you can soon have a viable business that earns a reliable income with little to no expense.

Instructions

1. Decide on a niche for your travel agency. When you are starting a travel agency for free, you will need to run it on the Internet so you don't have to pay for office space. According to the owner of Platinum Vacation Planners, the best way to attract customers on the Internet is to have a specialty, such as Disney World, cruises, adventure travel or some other niche.

2. Find out whether your town or county will require you to have a business license. Even if you are starting your travel agency for free and working from home, some areas still require you to obtain a license. Usually it's just a matter of filling out simple paperwork and paying a small fee.

3. Find a host agency with which you can work to make bookings. A reputable host agency will not charge you any fees, as they will make their money through taking part of your commission for each sale. The host agency will allow you to use its travel industry association numbers in order to make bookings with vendors. You cannot sell travel as a professional agent without these numbers. Some host agencies will also offer training, customer leads and other support.

4. Create a free website for your travel agency. Although you may want to purchase your own domain later, there are many free website providers. Choose one carefully, as some will populate your page with annoying pop-up ads or flashing banners. This will distract your clients, and it won't look professional.

5. Set up a free fax line through a provider such as K7. Although you can use your home phone for regular calls, you will need to be able to receive faxes in order to get confirmations from vendors. There are free online services that allow you to receive faxes through your email.

6. Promote your travel agency business. There are many ways to promote yourself for free, such as adding a link to your website at the bottom of your emails, getting free business cards through a service such as Vista Print, giving talks to local travel clubs and social groups and promoting yourself on forums and social networking sites.

Tags: your travel, your travel agency, host agency, travel agency, agency business

Calculate Ups Ground Charges

A typical package to be shipped via UPS.

Calculating UPS ground shipping charges can easily be done through their website. They let you input all the information about your package weight, shipping location and delivery options and then do the math for you. UPS even gives you the option of ordering a shipment online, which they will then pickup from your home office or place of business -- saving you the trip to the UPS store.

Instructions

1. Decide when you need your package delivered. The time frame for which you need the package delivered will have a significant impact on the ground shipping charges. If you need it delivered next day, ground shipping will most likely not be fast enough. Overnight air can get it delivered on time, but the cost will be substantially higher. Ground shipping usually takes between 2-6 days according to their service map (see the link in References below).

2. Weigh and measure the package. Weight is required in their shipping charge calculations, but if your package is unusually shaped the size will make a difference. For most typical boxes, the weight will be enough to calculate the ground shipping charges.

3. Figure out where you will be shipping the package. This will help you determine the cost and how long it will take to ship via UPS ground. A ZIP code is enough to figure out the charges.

4. Visit the UPS website (again, see the link in References below) and calculate the ground shipping charges. The website will ask you to input the package weight, delivery options, and the ZIP code where it will be delivered. You will also have to choose if you want to drop it off at their UPS store or have it picked up from your location.

5. Print out the labels if you are having it shipped from your home or business office. To do this, you will have to create a free UPS account. This is required so that they can scan the package upon pickup, and you can track it online in transit. If you are taking it to the store to be shipped, you will not need to print the labels.

Tags: ground shipping, ground shipping charges, shipping charges, from your, your package, calculate ground

Promote Your Band Free Online

Promote Your Band Free

Get your band out of the garage and increase your fan base with these ways to promote your band free online.

Instructions

1. Look for web sites where you can find free band promotion tools. Do an online search using phrases such as "free band promotion". Promote your band free by uploading your music, posting your band's profile and photos, advertising your concert dates and getting the opportunity to have your music heard by thousands of people across the globe.

2. Use web sites that let listeners rate and vote on your music, allowing you to move up in the ranks and gain new fans and more exposure. One example is OurStage.com, who even has monthly contests where your band could win $5,000.

3. Take advantage of other sites such as message boards, forums, social networking sites and blogging outlets where you can reach fans and associate with other music artists.

4. Look for other free outlets for your advertising needs. For example, you can use www.band-flyers.com to make flyers to promote your band free. Advertise your band's concerts, podcasts, new music CDs or events. You can create, print, post and email your band flyers.

See the resources section below for some examples of web sites that offer ways to promote your band free.

Tags: your band, your band free, your music, band free, band promotion, free band, free band promotion

Promotional Recycled Products

Think about the needs of your clients when finding a recycled promotional product to give away.

Whether promotional items are in the form of useful gifts for your clients or just stationery that you use to correspond with those clients, they can be a great way to get people to remember your name and to brand your business as eco-friendly. When it comes to choosing between promotional materials, think about the needs of your client and what they might use most often. At the same time, go for something a little different than the other guys.

Stationery and Correspondence

Your company has a way to promote its green ethos with every correspondence. Use recycled stationery and envelopes to correspond with clients and potential customers, and be sure that the paper and envelopes advertise their recycled content somewhere on them. Also use soy-based inks offered by many printing companies, and be sure to advertise that you're using them.

As an alternative, offer your clients their bills and correspondence completely online, and tell them that you are working to conserve paper by doing your business electronically. Also have promotional brochures printed on recycled paper.

Shopping Bags

If your business is at an event where it's appropriate to give away some "swag" to attendees, a shopping bag can be a great recycled promotional item. Purchase a set of reusable and recycled shopping bags with your logo on them, again making sure that their recycled content is adequately displayed. Before you give the bags away, place a promotional brochure for your company inside the bag.

Calendars

Calendars can be a big hit at promotional events as well, as long as they have a pretty picture on each page. Have a calendar printed on recycled paper, featuring tips or hints from your business, any applicable coupons, and "added value" information for your potential clients. Include your address, telephone number and website on each page, and be sure to clearly display the calendar's recycled content.

Desktop Plants

Desktop planter boxes are another way to think beyond the free pens and paper. Several companies offer a recycled planter pot set that can be printed with your company's logo. Unlike some of the other passive marketing materials, this one needs a bit of daily care, forcing its user to remember your name every time they look at the pot.

Tags: your business, recycled content, your clients, about needs, about needs your, correspond with

Bachelor'S Degree Careers For Spanish Bilinguals

Many people who have Spanish degrees go into teaching careers.

Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, and bilingual graduates with a degree in Spanish, particularly a dual degree in Spanish and another field, have their choice of several different career paths. This language is used in many industries and professions, and the need for Spanish speakers is rising. Depending on your other areas of study and interests, there are a wide variety of jobs available.

Teaching

With the number of Spanish-speaking students growing each year, there is a great need for Spanish-speaking teachers. People with a bachelor's degree in Spanish can teach Spanish language classes at the elementary, junior high, and high school level. They can also teach English as a Second Language (ESL) classes or teach conversational Spanish in continuing education programs.

Communications

Advertisers and corporations are increasing their outreach to Spanish-speaking customers, and people with Spanish degrees are attractive to advertising agencies and marketing companies with campaigns directed at Hispanic markets. There are also many writing and translating jobs available for bilingual writers and editors.

Travel

Airlines, travel agencies and tour companies often have a need for Spanish-speaking personnel. From the check-in agent to flight attendants, people with bilingual capabilities and backgrounds are in demand. Hotels around the world also have a need for management personnel and concierges that are educated and fluent in Spanish.

Government Careers

There are many jobs available for Spanish degree holders with the government, especially around the Mexican border. There are careers in immigration offices, consulates and national security agencies, as well as in court systems and police departments nationwide. People interested in high-level forensics work can find translator jobs with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Homeland Security.

Business

Many U.S. companies export labor or import raw materials from Latin American countries to save money. They typically look for bilingual salespeople and account managers to manage the international accounts. Other businesses that commonly employee people with Spanish degrees include import-export companies, international consulting companies and international banks.

Health Care and Social Services

There is a high-demand for doctors and nurses that are bilingual in Spanish for jobs in private practice, emergency rooms and hospitals. Other health care positions that need employees with Spanish degrees include dental office personnel, medical collections and billing managers, and health insurance agents. Many social service agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many nonprofit associations seek bilingual college graduates who can work with the growing Spanish-speaking demographic.

Tags: Spanish degrees, degree Spanish, jobs available, people with, with Spanish

Get Free Radio Advertising

Radio advertising is usually a fairly affordable option for a small business that wants to get the word out to a targeted area. However, radio advertising is more expensive in larger metropolitan areas due to the higher concentration of people. If you're on a very tight budget, it is sometimes possible to get free radio advertising for your company. You must create some type of value for the station's producers to convince them to talk about your product, service or company on the air at no cost.

Instructions

1. Review your listing of products and services. Choose one or more of your top offerings that you would want to feature on the radio.

2. Call the radio station producer to ask if you can provide the station with free products from your inventory or free services to give away on the air. Sometimes stations give these items away for contests or giveaways to callers. When listeners compete for these contests they stay tuned to the station --- the sweeter the prize "pot" the better.

3. Ask for a mention on one or more of the station's radio programs in exchange for the free items of value. If the disc jockey promotes the contest or giveaway he will usually say a few words about your product or service, which equals free radio advertising for your business.

4. Provide the station producer with show ideas that could help tie your product or service into the radio program. For instance, if you sell a computer software program for scheduling events and one of the radio programs discusses life matters, you can suggest a radio show idea for organizing your life.

5. Prepare a short blurb regarding the product or service including features, benefits and company contact information. Keep the blurb to about 15 to 20 seconds long. Present this blurb to the station producer when you send or drop off the free products to the station.

Tags: product service, your product service, station producer, your product, about your, about your product, advertising your

Promote Your Twitter Account

Twitter accounts can be checked from computers or mobile devices.

Twitter is used to promote businesses and websites with varying degrees of success. For promotion via Twitter to be successful, the Twitter account being used must have followers who are interested in the business or website being promoted. Promoting the Twitter account itself is the first step toward using Twitter as a promotional tool, as it helps your tweets to find those who are interested in them and exposes your account to individuals who might otherwise never encounter it.

Instructions

1. Choose a Twitter account name that is relevant and easy to find. If you intend to promote a business with the account, use the name of the business or a related account name. If you are promoting a website or yourself, use a name related to the website or yourself. This helps those who might be looking for an official Twitter account for your business or website to find the account.

2. Post links to your Twitter account in locations where people will find them. Link to the account from Facebook and other social media sites, and place a Twitter feed or button on your website. Link to the account from your blog or online journal as well.

3. Improve your Twitter account's search engine rankings. Check the account's RSS feed and click on individual tweets; you will be taken to a static page containing only that tweet. Post links to these static pages on blogs and social media sites to create additional links for search engines to follow to your Twitter account, improving your overall search rankings.

4. Follow other Twitter accounts. Choose accounts of people with similar interests or businesses in a similar field to follow, and follow some of the accounts that they follow as well. Following a number of different Twitter accounts can lead to many of the accounts you follow to follow your account in return.

5. Comment, interact and retweet. This will build your followers and keep them interested in following your account. Don't use the account only for posting promotional information; a large part of social networking is being social, so be active with your Twitter account and interact with other accounts so that others will want to interact with you as well.

6. Be careful with what you say, both when interacting with other accounts and presenting promotional information for your business or website. Choose your words carefully so that you don't offend others, make yourself or your company look incompetent, or press the promotional angle too strongly. You want to create an image of being friendly and personable, even when posting links for promotional purposes. Re-read all your tweets and responses before you post them to make sure that you're getting across the exact message you want.

Tags: Twitter account, account name, business website, Twitter accounts, your account, your Twitter

Make Your Own Pizza On A First Date

Prepare by washing and chopping all ingredients before your date arrives.

If you are a timid dater or a timid cook, the idea of making dinner at home for a first date might seem a little intimidating. However, with a little preparation and the right ingredients, you can turn your home into a romantic pizzeria, where you can impress with deceptively painless homemade custom pizza. Do most of the work ahead of time, so you can focus on your date. If making homemade crust is too advanced or you don't have time (16 hours) to let it rest, use pre-made pizza dough or pita bread. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

The Day Before the Date: Making the Crust

1. Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and stir lightly. Let the mixture stand for five minutes.

2. Stir in the measured salt and cold water. Add flour 1 cup at a time and stir it until all the flour is absorbed.

3. The dough should look solid and elastic, like the ball pictured.

Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface like a cutting board, bread cloth or very clean counter top. Bring all of the dough together in one ball and knead it with your hands until the dough is elastic and well blended.

4. Split the dough in half. Roll each half into a tight ball. Coat the balls with olive oil and put them in a large bowl, covered, in the fridge for at least 16 hours. Each ball will make one 12 to 14-inch pizza.

One Hour Before the Date: Preparation

5. Remove the dough from the fridge one hour prior to using. While you are waiting for it to come to room temperature, wash and chop your vegetables and cook any meat you will use. This will make you look organized as well as make the pizza making process go more smoothly. If possible, find out beforehand what your date's favorite toppings are.

6. A dirty kitchen makes a horrible first impression.

Wash any dishes you've used before your date arrives, so your kitchen looks clean.

7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit 15 minutes before you plan to bake.

The Date: Making Pizza Together

8. Coat your baking or pizza dish lightly with oil. If you have a baking stone, follow the manufacturer's directions for prepping it. Rolling out the dough and topping the pizza will be an opportunity to bond with your date. Keeping your hands busy will relieve some of the first date awkwardness and stimulate conversation.

9. Put one dough ball on the prepared baking dish. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough ball into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick crust in the shape of your pan. If you do not have a rolling pin, you can use an empty, clean wine bottle or stretch and push the dough into shape with your fingers. If the conversation comes to a lull, you can ask about your date's experience with baking or cooking.

10. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the entire surface of dough. Top with the desired amount of shredded mozzarella and toppings such as cooked meats, vegetables, and different cheeses for added flavor. If your date likes topping the pizza, you can let her put toppings on yours, too.

11. Roll the edges of the dough up like the pizza pictured.

Create the crust by folding the edges over 1/2 inch, in towards the center of the pizza. Pinch and push down the raised crust, making indents every other inch or so to seal it together.

12. Place the pizza in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden and the cheese is browning and bubbly. Set a timer so you can pay attention to your date and not the clock. Many people -- especially those who like to cook -- find kitchens to be casual and comfortable; if your date is more relaxed, chances are the evening will be more positive.

13. Let the pizza rest for 10 minutes before serving. While the pizza is cooling, you and your date can set the table together. This will make your date feel useful and give both of you a sense of closeness.

Tags: your date, will make, with your, Before Date, before your, before your date, date arrives

Marketing & Brand Strategy

Establishing a brand for your company is an important strategy for a comprehensive marketing plan. Your brand is your promise to the consumer, and it determines what the consumer will expect when buying your products and services. Other marketing strategies include printed materials, Internet marketing and direct mail.

Branding Strategy

Branding positions your company in relationship to your competition. Consistency is the key to branding. If you let your customers know that you deliver a high-quality product at a reasonable price, you must deliver products that meet this brand message so you don't disappoint the consumer. Branding can be created with elements such as tag lines, distinctive logos, proprietary typeface and colors, and interesting graphics. These elements should reflect the tone of the business. An elegant dress boutique may use calligraphy for a typeface with soft colors, while a children's store might use block letters and primary colors.

Traditional Marketing

Companies can use a combination of traditional marketing strategies along with innovative electronic techniques. Printed marketing materials such as flyers, brochures and advertisements along with direct mail items like postcards and coupons are effective in producing increased sales. Commercial printers can produce custom-printed pieces with high-quality graphics and special finishes like embossing and die cuts. Other print marketing tools include banners, newsletters and magazines. Radio and television advertising are also effective marketing strategies.

Online Marketing

For a comprehensive marketing program, businesses combine traditional marketing strategies and branding with electronic marketing. Advertising on the Internet and using social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook have become common practices. The video website YouTube is another media option that gives the company the opportunity to demonstrate the product, its features and its benefits to the buying public. Nowadays, people expect to be able to log onto a company website to find out more about what it has to offer.

Tag Barcode Technology

Tag barcode technology is a recent innovation that connects a printed piece with the Internet. This marketing strategy works by printing a logo-like graphic on a printed piece like a business card or brochure. The consumer then passes his Smartphone application over the tag to "read" the graphic. Your website opens up instantly, giving the consumer on-the-spot access to a wealth of information about your products. The tag or graphic can be designed to reflect the qualities of your company.

Tags: marketing strategies, your company, along with, brand your, comprehensive marketing, direct mail

Enter Your Child In A Baby Photo Contest

Enter Your Child In a Baby Photo Contest

If you have a cute baby or child and want to show the world how cute your little one is and at the same time make some extra money... then you should definitely enter your child into a baby photo contest. To learn effectively enter your child into a baby photo contest, read and follow all the steps listed below.

Instructions

1. Find the cutest photos of your baby. If you don't have any, use a digital camera and take a few pictures yourself of your baby, as every photo contest will require some photos of your baby in order to enter. Pictures of your baby do not have to be professionally taken so don't worry. Just make sure the pictures you have of your child are cute and show your baby's happy personality.

2. After you have taken a few pictures, upload the photos to your computer, as many baby photo contests allow online photo submissions.

3. Find a baby photo contest to enter your child in. (Link to a baby modeling contest where the grand prize is $25,000 is listed below under Resources).

4. Visit the contest website and read all the contest rules and requirements and then register for the contest. Be sure to fill out all the registration information properly and in detail.

5. After you have signed up for the baby photo contest, upload your child's photo to the contest's website

6. Wait for the baby photo contest results to be announced.

Tags: photo contest, your baby, baby photo contest, your child, baby photo

Choose A Clickbank Product To Promote

Choose a ClickBank Product to Promote

If you are already a ClickBank affiliate or someone looking to find out more about make money online with ClickBank, you're in the right place. ClickBank marketplace is the most profitable way to make money by selling information on the internet. This is true if you're trying to sell ClickBank products as an affiliate or if you list your own digital products with ClickBank and become a merchant. However, there are many things that you should take into consideration when choosing a profitable product to make money online with. In the following steps below, I will give you a few practical ideas that you should strongly consider.

Earn an extra income online by taking advantage of the work from home opportunity listed in my Resources Box below this article.

Instructions

1. Choose a ClickBank product that has high demand -

Your first step would be to do your research and make sure that the ClickBank product you would be promoting is something that people would demand and be willing to purchase. This sounds pretty obvious, but unfortunately, many people promote products that don't sell well and therefore and fail to earn income online. An easy way to check if the product is selling way at the ClickBank marketplace is to check the products' gravity score. Products with a higher gravity score will have more affiliates making sales with this particular product.

In my Resources Box below this article, you will find an excellent way to start making money online by working from home.

2. Look for products that pay a high commission percentage -

The product that you should consider promoting is the one that would sell well and pay the highest rate of commission possible. With ClickBank, you would be able to earn anywhere from about 50 - 75 % commission on each product sale that you generate. It is always good practice when choosing between similar products to promote, to take into consideration earning commission with the one that has a high commission payout.

You can earn extra cash online by clicking on the link in my Resources Box below this article.

3. Choose products that have many marketing tools -

When choosing a product, it is good to choose one that has many marketing tools available for the affiliates. These pre-made marketing tools usually include banners, emails, affiliate website, splash pages, landing pages, text ads, etc. These marketing tools will make your promotions a lot easier as you would already have a lot of the work done for you by the company which will make marketing the product much easier.

In my Resources Box below, you'll find a profitable online business opportunity.

Tags: marketing tools, Resources below, below this, below this article, make money, money online, products that

How Do Companies Market To Their Target Market

Target marketing helps companies develop an effective marketing strategy.

It is difficult for companies to try to be all things to all people. In many cases, a better approach, especially for smaller businesses, is to attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors by carving out a niche in the marketplace. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is by developing a target market and focusing on finding ways to reach it effectively.

Identification

A target market is a group of consumers or other businesses to which a company directs its marketing efforts. Members of a target market exhibit certain similar characteristics, such as age, gender, geographic location or buying habits that make them more likely to buy a company's products or services. Companies often use some form of market research to identify their target market and determine the most effective methods of reaching it.

Advertising

One of the most common methods of reaching a target market is through the use of advertising that appeals to specific groups of people. Some types of advertising are more amenable to target marketing than others. For example, newspaper advertising may allow companies to reach a broad group of people in a community, but is not necessarily targeted to any one group. On the other hand, advertising on a radio station that offers a specific format allows companies to target a more focused group, such as those that may like Christian music or sports programming.

Direct Mail

Companies can purchase mailing lists that include names and addresses of people with similar characteristics, working in a particular occupation or having purchased similar products to those sold by the company. The company can then prepare advertorial devices such as sales letters or special offers and mail them to these prospects. This method eliminates the waste of money that can result from conducting a more general mass mailing.

Online Marketing

The rapid growth of the Internet also provides companies with more opportunities for target marketing. By placing ads on other websites that also appeal to their target market or using devices like Google Adsense to do much of the work for them, companies have the ability to reach prospects around the world at all hours of day or night. Prospects can then follow a link to the company's website for further information or to make a purchase.

Tags: target market, methods reaching, similar characteristics, target market, target marketing

Perfume Advertisement Strategies

In many ways it is strange that selling perfume requires a great deal of TV and print advertising since you cannot smell it in either case. But perfume is not just a scent, it is something that media has associated with lifestyle, love, sex and personality. This is completely strategic and every successful perfume campaign begets a successful fragrance. Does this Spark an idea?

The Name Alone

Why does Britney Spears have a fragrance? Because her name alone will sell one. Chanel No. 5 is still one of the best-selling scents in history and it's all based on the idea Chanel created of an independent and sexy woman. Sure it smells good, but it would never have sold as Formula No. 5, which is where the name comes from. So to begin to sell a fragrance, the strategy is to find a name that compels a woman to buy it. Whether they aspire to be that person or they want to wear their clothing and accessories.

The Marketing

Strategy here is to decide who your market is and where they can most easily buy the fragrance. You can buy Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds in a drugstore or Wal-Mart because it's been determined that the people who buy and wear it shop there. Not true for a Marc Jacobs fragrance. And the price reflects where you can buy it. A wonderful-smelling cologne with no celebrity support and no designer name can be found for under $50. But if you want your scent to sell for $100 or more, you need to be in select department stores.

The Advertising

But nothing sells like a great TV commercial. This 30-second image can sometimes rival in budget and casting a small budget film. Currently Chalize Theron walks through a hotel room removing clothes one piece at a time for Dior's J'adore. That costs a lot of money to make happen and even more money to make it run during an episode of Grey's Anatomy. But time and again, unless the product is a stinker (literally) the profits from this kind of lifestyle and aspirational advertising can be more staggering than the cost.

Tags: money make

Creative Marketing Strategies For The Fashion Industry

The fashion industry is a popular and competitive industry. With so much competition, it's imperative that clothing designers, jewelry designers, shoe designers and even boutique owners find creative ways to market their brands. In order to do this, fashion brands must keep the potential customer's prospective in mind from the product development stage to the product evaluation stage.

Goals

Regardless of your niche in the fashion industry, before you start brainstorming creative marketing strategies, it's important to analyze your market and come up with a couple of measurable goals you'd like to achieve with your marketing efforts. As a boutique owner, your goal may be to create a campaign that attracts more visitors to the store to bring in higher sales each month. As a fashion or jewelry designer, your goal may be to introduce your new fall line and receive at least ten initial orders.

Networking

One of the most time-tested and inexpensive ways to creatively market products in the fashion industry is through word-of-mouth. If you're not personally speaking to your customers, be sure that you have brand ambassadors who can communicate effectively with your customers about your products. These brand ambassadors should be people who actually wear your items and will share their positive experiences with your brand.

Look Book

A look book is an essential piece to a creative marketing strategy for anyone in the fashion industry. A book filled with glossy photographs provides editors, potential buyers and even potential customers with an idea of what you can create. Work with a photographer who understands fashion photography and consider hiring a stylist for the shoot. Be sure that your look book includes information about you, how your brand got started, your direction and your contact information.

Fashion Blogs

People are frequently introduced to brands by friends and family, but they often venture online to do their research and look for reviews from other customers. A big part of the online community includes blogs and social networks. In many instances, bloggers are also tweeting about the topics they discuss on their blogs.

Because of this, it's beneficial to establish strong, mutually beneficial relationships with local and national fashion bloggers and websites as a part of your creative marketing strategy. Develop interesting angles, as they are inundated with requests from up-and-coming designers daily. Send a professional pitch and your look book. If you need help locating bloggers and websites or determining what to send, contact a public relations professional for assistance.

Fashion Showcase

Consider hosting a small gathering of 30 to 50 people to debut your line or boutique to key people in the fashion industry. Invite bloggers, editors, buyers and potential high-profile clients. This is a creative way to network and personally introduce your brand through your own vision. During the event, allow time for a small fashion show, and also display items throughout the room. You can use your look book as inspiration and tie elements of it into your event.

Tags: fashion industry, creative marketing, with your, your brand, your look, your look book, about your

Amazing Marketing Ideas

Marketing is defined by Merriam Webster as "the process or technique of promoting, selling and distributing a product or service." Traditional marketing mediums include print-based channels, such as magazine and newspaper ads, as well as television and radio marketing. The Internet offers many types of mediums, including email, mobile and social media marketing. Regardless of your preferred avenue, there are many types of amazing marketing ideas that you can implement for your company.

YouTube Channel

Sign up for an account with YouTube and post videos for free to market your products or services (see the Resources section). Companies may create a YouTube "channel," which is a branded page about your business that includes videos that are relevant to your customers and useful to your target audiences.

Video Contest

Rather than making videos yourself, you can develop a "user generated" video contest, where your customers create videos and upload them to your website in return for the opportunity to win a prize. For example, if you're marketing a food product, you can develop a contest that awards your customers for the best video that involves your food. It's a good way to create excitement and spread the word about your brand.

"Bulky" Direct Mail

Direct mail is a marketing letter or postcard that you send to your customers via the post office. To make a direct mail letter stand out, purchase a small "bulky" item that you can include in the envelope to entice your customers to open your letter. For example, if you're in the physical therapy business, you can send a letter to your customers with a special introductory offer. Your bulky item could be a sweatband to wear during a session.

Search Engine Ads

If you're marketing your product or service to a high-end customer who may give your company much business, purchase a search engine advertisement that includes your high-end customer's name and a targeted message about your company. If your target customer types his name into a search engine, your ad will appear. For example, in 2010, a recent college graduate bought ads on a major search engine that included the names of several creative directors he wanted to impress. When they typed their names into the search engine, the first result was an ad telling them why they should hire the graduate. He received interviews and, ultimately, a job.

Send Gifts

Customers remember companies that stay in touch with them, and one of the best ways to stay in touch, while simultaneously marketing your product or service, is to provide free gifts. Send your customers a card for their birthday or a small holiday gift each year. This can be a discount or special offer for your products or services. The result is to position your brand favorably and build loyal customers over time.

Tags: your customers, about your, product service, your company, bulky item, high-end customer

Sponsor Someone For A Visa

A passport being stamped

Sponsoring someone for a visa means that the sponsor acts as a "guarantor" for the foreign party's good behavior and financial sustainability in the country of destination. Whether staying temporarily or permanently, both the foreigner and sponsor must follow the guidelines and requirements implemented by the government, as well as pay the fees for the sponsorship application. In the United States, apart from proving viable income, the sponsor serves as the "link" to the foreign citizen being sponsored.

Instructions

Things to Do for the Sponsor

1. Determine the type of visa to be applied for: immigration visa for family, work or business, student visa or any other non-immigrant visa. Fill up an Affidavit of Support, Form I-864EZ. Since the sponsor generally needs to meet certain income requirements, depending on the type of visa for sponsorship and the number of individuals to be sponsored, a maximum of two joint sponsors per petition can be used. For joint sponsorships, a Form I-864 is used instead of the Form I-864EZ. Other cases must also use other I-864 series forms, which also include the Forms I-864A and I-864W.

2. Submit the Affidavit of Support along with the required supporting documents to the National Visa Center and pay the applicable fees. As the scope of each application varies in every case, it is best to check on the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services websites for more detailed information for each case.

3. Wait as the NVC reviews the forms for completeness and correctness. In cases that a form is incomplete or there are errors on how the sponsor filled it, the NVC will ask the sponsor to correct and complete the form according to the explanations provided by NVC. Once accepted, this will be sent to the immigrant visa petition department of the embassy or consulate where the applicant will apply for the visa.

4. Follow the instructions from the NVC, which will be mailed both to the sponsor and the visa applicant. The waiting period depends on the type of visa applied for.

Things to Do for the Visa Applicant

5. Complete all documents required for a visa application, according to the requirements of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country of origin. The individual applying for a visa must also get specific documents to prove personal and/or professional relationship with the sponsor.

For a non-immigrant visa applicant, a letter of invitation from the sponsor must be provided to the visa applicant. This document must be submitted along with the rest of the personal and income documents needed for a visa application. As these documents vary depending on the individual's circumstance, supporting documents may also be required by the consular officer during the visa interview.

6. Schedule a visa interview through the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country of origin. For an immigrant visa application, the sponsor is the one who will furnish the initial documents to be submitted. The process may take a few months or a few years, depending on the priority date for the type of visa applied for. Once approved, the visa applicant will receive a letter providing further instructions, including schedule a visa interview.

For a non-immigrant visa, fill the application form and schedule a visa interview online or by phone, depending on the available options from the U.S. embassy or consulate.

7. Pay the application fees. The amount depends on the type of visa applied for. Ideally, the cost of immigrant visas is significantly higher than non-immigrant visas.

8. Go to the visa interview with all the required and supporting documents. For a non-immigrant visa application, the general list of requirements for each case can be viewed online through the U.S. embassy or consulate website of the country of origin. For an immigrant visa application, the mailed packet for the applicant contains the specific requirements to be brought during the visa interview.

Tags: visa interview, embassy consulate, type visa, visa application, non-immigrant visa

How Long Does Ground Shipping Usually Take

How long does ground shipping take?

Ground Shipping Versus Air Transport

In most cases, transporting items by ground or freight will be your most cost-effective method. Ground shipping simply means the carrier transports your package by ground rather than air or sea. This usually means truck transportation, but it could include trains in some cases. Ground shipping tends to be more cost-effective for numerous large and heavy packages because such items take up a lot of room in airplane cargo holds or push planes to their weight limits. This limits carriers to how many such items they can transport on any given plane, and costs of each flight are then passed on to the customer. So although air transport is usually faster, ground shipping has the advantage of more often being cheaper.

The Main Ground Shipping Carriers

FedEx, United Parcel Service and the U.S. Postal Service are the three major ground shipping carriers.

FedEx

FedEx commits to delivering ground packages weighing up to 150 pounds within one to five business days inside the 48 contiguous United States. That "commitment" is not an iron-clad guarantee. FedEx acknowledges that ground shipping may take longer depending on the distance the package is shipped. In addition, FedEx Ground to and from Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Puerto Rico will take three to seven business days. FedEx offers weekend delivery in most cities. It cannot deliver to post office boxes and APO addresses.

United Parcel Service

UPS commits to deliver packages by its ground shipping service within one to seven days. As with FedEx, the precise amount of transit time depends on the distance the package is shipped. Packages to Hawaii and Alaska will take longer, and UPS will not deliver to post office boxes and APO addresses. UPS ground shipping is not available on Saturdays.

U.S. Postal Service

The third major player in this market is the Postal Service. The Postal Service's ground shipping services are Parcel Post, Parcel Select, Media Mail and Library Mail for packages weighing up to 70 pounds, as well as a service called Bound Printed Matter for certain packages weighing up to 15 pounds. The Postal Service promises delivery of Parcel Post and Library and Media Mail packages within two to eight days. Media Mail, Library Mail and Bound Printed Matter ground services are only available for packages carrying media material, such as books, newspapers, magazines, CDs, DVDs and other media. Specifically, Library Mail offers its service only to libraries and academic organizations. Bound Printed Matter is a service for bulk advertising and promotional materials, including phone books. The Postal Service delivers on Saturdays and to post office boxes and military addresses, as well as to Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Other Carriers

There are other smaller ground and freight shipping options available. An Internet search for "freight+ground+shipping" should successfully return several more companies. Most of these companies also guarantee delivery within one to 10 days, depending on the transit distance of the package. At least one company works to provide you with freight quotes for many different companies.

Tags: Postal Service, ground shipping, Bound Printed, Bound Printed Matter, distance package, ground shipping, Library Mail

Key Success Factors In The Banking Industry

Successful banking involves effectively using other people's money for profit.

Banking is the ultimate expression of using other people's money to produce profitable transactions. Banks use depositor's checking and savings accounts to fund loans made at a negotiated interest rate. The depositor funds are paid a certain interest rate and the loans are charged a higher interest rate. The difference between the two is the bank's profit. Banks also charge fees for certain services and have other profit-generating efforts but in the end the bank does it all with money is does not own and holds in trust for the many people doing their daily banking with the institution.

Prudence

Loaning money responsibly and prudently is one of a bank's foremost endeavors. Successful loan money based on established criteria and will only waver when extraordinary circumstances warrant making an exception.As with every banking function, the bank is using other people's money and must be perform with prudence and skepticism whenever considering lending for whatever reason. Customers with established track records and long-standing relations with the bank may be able to circumvent lending processes to some degree but this only comes after years of successful banking transactions.Banks must also be prudent in regards to deposits. Paying dividends on savings or checking must be a carefully balanced business decision. Payments must be kept competitive to keep a depositor's business but extravagance can lead to diminished bank profits. Successful banks always find the right balance.

Marketing

Banking is a business and as such must always search for new customers and expand market share. A successful bank will market services, convenience and financial advantages. Banks resting on decades-old laurels will see an aging customer base not invigorated with new customers and more importantly new money.Bank marketing efforts is regulated by federal and state agencies and monitors just what a bank can and cannot say. A successful bank, however, will work within those regulations to see deposits, reputable lending and market share constantly increase.

Banking Practices

Banking practices are industry standards such as how the bank handles cash, deposits, withdrawals, payments and financial records. The successful bank will always have statements accurate to the penny and on schedule. Although no bank is perfect, the successful bank has a reputation for fewer mistakes and satisfied customers. Vigilant management, conscientious employees and always improving in areas of technology and customer service keeps successful banks in the lead.

Tags: successful bank, interest rate, other people, other people money, people money, using other, using other people

Public Relations Responsibility

A public relations team has the responsibility of representing an organization accurately, truthfully and ethically.

Companies depend on public relations professionals to engage and communicate with their internal and external audiences as well as defend their reputations from attack. A global economy, an increase in social media and a 24/7 news cycle have created increased demand for people who possess public relations expertise. The number of public relations specialists is expected to increase 24 percent by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representation to the Media

Representation of an organization to news media is one of the more well known responsibilities of a public relations department. Specific tasks include writing and distributing news releases, managing media contact information, measuring news coverage of a particular organization, tracking news trends impacting a company, and organizing news conferences. Building as well as maintaining relationships with reporters who cover a particular company or its industry is another task of a public relations team.

Representation Online

Building, shaping and monitoring a company's online presence is a growing public relations responsibility. Public relations professionals use tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to raise a company's name recognition, connect with company customers or stakeholders, and follow discussions impacting a company's goals or reputation. Public relations departments also share responsibility for website creation with other departments such as information technology or advertising.

Advocacy and Strategic Communication

Creating communication campaigns for a company's internal and external audiences is another responsibility that falls under the public relations umbrella. A communication campaign designed to influence public opinion or change policy might include speeches, newsletters, sample letters to Congress, videos, or additional web pages or social media sites. Senior members of a public relations team have the responsibility of working with company leaders to develop specific campaign goals and strategy.

Crisis Communication

Creating a crisis communication response plan and training employees on the plan's implementation is a critical responsibility of a public relations team. A crisis communication scenario can be defined as any threat to a company's reputation. Crafting a plan includes determining logistics for expected media, identifying a company spokesperson, and creating talking points and other background information for news media and impacted publics. While not every crisis can be predicted, iidentifying company actions or decisions that could turn into a potential crisis scenario is another responsibility of a public relations team.

Ethics

Public relations professionals also have a responsibility to conduct their work ethically. Standards for ethics in public relations include communicating accurate and truthful information, protecting private or confidential information, avoiding conflicts of interest, and working to strengthen the public's trust in the public relations industry, according to the Public Relations Society of America.

Tags: public relations team, relations team, public relations, public relations, public relations, relations professionals, another responsibility

Use Your Car To Advertise And Get Paid

With some groundwork, you can make money by turning your car into an ad.

Turning your car into a mobile billboard could really pay off for you -- in cash. Companies want to wrap your vehicle with their graphics and pay up to $500 a month. But, there are certain requirements -- and some research needs to be done to make sure you are not the one taken for a ride.

Instructions

1. Sign up with an advertiser -- or more than one. In addition to the companies that handle multiple clients, stick closer to home. If you see a wrapped car on the road or parked, get the driver's attention and ask him how he got involved with the company. Follow his suggestions. After you have completed all the proper groundwork, select the advertiser that best suits your situation. Contact the advertiser with any questions you have before signing any contract.

2. Calculate your driving habits. Add up the number of miles you drive during a month to see if you are within the number of miles a potential advertiser will require for you to get paid. Also, evaluate whether you able to park the vehicle where it is regularly seen when you are not driving it. This is another requirement of most advertisers.

3. Evaluate your automobile. Call a company that provides car wrap graphics to see what its criteria for wrapping may be. Check your vehicle to make sure the graphics can be applied to your car. Also, give your car the necessary tuneup or maintenance required to drive the required number of miles per month. Evaluate your car's fuel economy to determine whether the gas purchases necessary to drive the required number of miles per month eats up the income your potential advertiser is promising.

4. Get your car wrapped. Most legitimate companies will pay for the wrap or at the least give you a major allowance toward the cost. While there are a variety of companies that make the wraps, the company you choose may have a wrap company in mind.

5. Drive and earn. Once you are approved and your car is wrapped, all that is left to do is prove to the advertiser that you have reached all the the agreed upon requirements and performance benchmarks to receive payment. Legitimate companies may include a GPS to verify you are holding up your end of the bargain.

Tags: number miles, advertiser that, companies that, drive required, drive required number

What Can Be Put On Facebook Advertising

Advertising on Facebook can be an effective way to reach a specific target market who is interested in the products and services that you have to offer. When you choose to get involved with Facebook advertising, you must abide by the advertising guidelines set forth by Facebook. You have the option of including different types of information and using different ad types.

Specific URL

When you create a Facebook advertisement, you have the option of displaying a URL to your website. When you choose to display a URL, it must be the same URL that your visitor will be taken to when she clicks on your ad. You cannot display one URL and send your customers to another site.

Polls

When creating a Facebook ad, one option that you have is to include a poll. A poll can be an effective way to engage your prospects. With a poll, you ask a question that would interest a large number of people and provide several possible responses. After the individual participates in the poll, he is taken to a different URL or page on Facebook.

Videos

Another type of content that you can include with a Facebook ad is a video. By creating a video, you make it possible to convey a message to your visitors in an attractive manner. Videos can be used to simply engage your customers or to sell them a product.

Event Invitation

Some advertisers choose to use event engagement invitations as a way to attract customers. With this option, you create an event that would attract your customers. Then you allow customers to confirm that they will attend the event. Customers can also say that they will maybe attend the event or decline attending. If you have a sale or a promotion event for your business, this can be an effective way to generate interest in it.

Appropriate Content

When creating a Facebook ad, you have to include appropriate content. You must not include any vulgar or profane language in the ad. It cannot involve gambling, weapons, drugs or tobacco. Your ads cannot promote a "get rich quick" scam or anything else that does not provide truthful information.

Tags: your customers, attend event, creating Facebook, different types, engage your, Facebook have

Set Up A Coupon Website

Building a coupon website is a lot like building a topic-focused website. The website structure is similar, as is the selection of specific keywords to optimize your website for search engine listings. The only real difference is that in a coupon website, though you provide original content throughout your site, the value your visitors are looking for comes in the form of coupons.

Instructions

1. Set up an account at an affiliate network of your choice. The network you choose depends on the type of coupon site you want to set up, and the type of merchants for which you want to provide coupons. If you're not sure where to start for this, there are some suggested affiliate networks in the Tips section below. Browse the sites and the available merchants in addition to the terms of service and frequently asked questions.

2. Log in to your account and start looking for merchants with relevant coupons for you to use. Sign up for the merchants you find with quality coupons. Once the merchants approve you as an affiliate you can begin selecting the coupons that you will place on your website.

3. Prepare a blueprint of your website. Start with the categories you are going to use to organize it. Break those categories down into pages with specific coupons, coupons for specific merchants, or even coupons for specific products.

4. Add the keywords you want to use for each page to your blueprint. This will help with search engine optimization so that your website is found in the search engines.

5. Select and register a domain name, and purchase a hosting account. The most cost-effective way to do this is to find a company that provides both domain registration and hosting services, as well as quality customer service. This saves both time and frustration in the long run.

6. Add your coupon pages using a free HTML editor, a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, or the built-in website builder that comes with most hosting packages.

7. Build your website one page at a time, starting with your homepage. If your blueprint is detailed enough, this should only be a matter of following your own guidelines and putting it all together in the website builder.

8. Write a catchy heading that summarizes what the page is about and includes your keyword and coupon name.

9. Write an introduction or summary of the page that tells the visitor the benefit or value you are providing him. It should include your keyword and other closely related words and phrases, as well as lead your visitor to the coupons that he came looking for.

10. Enter a sub-heading that tells the visitor again what type of coupons she will find on this page. Use a keyword related to your coupons and the coupon name if possible.

11. Log in to your affiliate network account and click on "View links" for the merchants you signed up for and find your coupons.

12. Click on "get HTML" or "get code." The text varies across affiliate networks. Copy the HTML code for each coupon and paste it into your website builder page below the summary you just wrote. Save and upload the page. Repeat the process and build more pages.

Tags: your website, website builder, affiliate network, affiliate networks, coupon name, coupon website, coupons specific

Can An Employee Who Works For An Immediate Family Member Collect Unemployment

Working for an immediate family member can allow you to collaborate with someone who makes you feel comfortable. If the family member's business can't keep you employed in the long term, you may be interested in applying for unemployment benefits. Depending on the type of business you work for, you may be entitled to those unemployment benefits.

Family Still Eligible

When you work for family members, this does not necessarily eliminate you from consideration for unemployment benefits. If a non-family member would be eligible for unemployment benefits after losing the same job, the family member employee should be eligible for benefits. When determining whether you are eligible, the important thing to look at is why you left the job and not your relationship to the employer.

Reason for Leaving

In most cases, the individual who wants to claim unemployment benefits must be relieved of his duties. If you quit your job, you usually are not be entitled to unemployment benefits. Most states have exceptions to this rule. For example, if you quit your job to take care of a sick spouse or if your spouse is taking a job in another state and you have to move, you could be eligible for unemployment compensation.

Shortened Benefits

Many states have rules that limit the amount of time some family members can get unemployment benefits if they lose their jobs. For example, in the state of Michigan, you get unemployment benefits only for 7 1/2 weeks if you are a 50 percent owner in the family business from which you were just fired. If you are the child of a 50 percent owner in that business, you also get only 7 1/2 weeks of unemployment compensation. If you or your parents do not have any ownership in the company, you can get full benefits.

Considerations

The type of business also can play a role in determining whether unemployment insurance can be claimed. If the business does not pay into the unemployment fund, then its employees cannot get unemployment benefits. For example, if a husband runs a sole proprietorship and his wife and kids help him out with some basic tasks, the wife and kids would not be eligible for unemployment compensation if they stop working for the business. It has to be a traditional business that has formal employees before unemployment benefits are paid.

Tags: unemployment benefits, eligible unemployment, unemployment compensation, business also, determining whether, eligible unemployment compensation, family member

Army Signal Officer Duties

The United States Signal Corps is responsible for the Army's communications. Because effective communication is critical for all levels of military command, a signal officer must be efficient, intelligent and detail-oriented. Furthermore, he or she must hold a college degree in computer science. Here is a brief guide outlining the job duties of an Army signal officer.

General Responsibilities

Signal officers in the Army are responsible for planning and executing all aspects of communication on missions, whether during combat or in peacetime.

Information Systems

Signal officers are required to install, integrate and operate the Army's data and information systems.

General Correspondence

Officers in the signal service are also required to maintain records and disseminate information, such as letters and other communications.

Signal Equipment

Officers in the Signal Corps are responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of signal equipment, data communication equipment and networks.

Overseeing Engineering Units

Signal officers oversee and control the units responsible for the application of electrical, electronic and systems engineering principles.

Tags: Signal officers, Corps responsible, Signal Corps, Signal Corps responsible, signal officer

Definition Of A Bottom Line

It's a common phrase used in daily conversation: "what is the bottom line?" In everyday speech, it refers to the grit or core of what someone is saying. When it comes to business, the bottom line is something that business owners, investors and bankers need to understand. People want to know what the profit is, because of there is no profit, there is no reason to be in business. There are many factors that affect the bottom line.

Definition

In most simplistic terms, the bottom line is the profit of a company. This is the net revenue---the amount made after expenses and taxes are paid. Before expenses are paid, the company has gross revenues. So, gross revenues, less expenses, less taxes, is the bottom line. Taxes are paid on gross revenues, not net, which can have a large effect on the bottom line if a company has high expenses. The taxes on the gross revenue can put the company into a deficit; paying out more out than it is bringing in.

Financial Strength

The bottom line number is used to determine the ultimate financial strength of a company. If a company is in the red, it has a negative bottom line, meaning it is making a loss. If the cost of doing business is greater than the money the business is earning, it is making a loss. Either the company will go into bankruptcy or it will find an influx of capital to offset the debt while restructuring operations to reduce costs. Of course, companies hope to make a profit (be in the black).

Use for Bottom Line Money

Companies have the option to pay profits out to owners, pay dividends to stockholders or invest the money into growth. Management may also decided to keep the money as cash to save for unforeseeable expenses that may arise.

Investor Considerations

There are many reasons that a company seeks investment capital. Public companies want their stock prices to remain favorable and showing a strong bottom line is the ultimate in public cheer leading. Private companies may need money for expansion. They may use the bottom line or need to have additional capital beyond the bottom line value. In situations like this, investors have confidence in companies that show a strong profit. For companies that are making a loss, examining the revenues and expenses can help find problematic areas and help get the company back on track to being profitable.

Transparency

People who invest seem to use "getting to the bottom line" as a mantra for daily activity. Just as the bottom line financially shows whether a company is truly working or not, executives have embraced the term to reflect transparency in financial disclosure, negotiations and contractual agreements. When someone wants the bottom line, they don't want the fluff.

Tags: bottom line, bottom line, bottom line, gross revenues, making loss, companies that, expenses taxes

Get A Food Stall Space At Markets

Market shoppers appreciate foods that can be eaten on the go.

Opening a food stall space at an existing market gets your product out in front of a public audience. Food stalls allow the proprietor to interact with individual customers on a personal level. A food stall is a low overhead option to grow a small food business into a catering service or stand-alone restaurant. Samples and signage can help to attract prospective customers to a food stall. Start spreading the message of your food by opening a stall inside a market.

Instructions

1. Write out a a basic business plan for the food stall that includes every ingredient you will need to make the item or items you intend to serve, the employee structure and how you plan to operate the small food business in the stall.

See the link in Resources for a tips and guides on writing a business plan.

2. Approach the operators of any existing food stalls in the market and ask to speak to the owner or manager. Explain to this person that you are interested in leasing a space in the market to open a food stall.

3. Ask the owner or manager about their lease arrangement and who you should speak with about getting a space of your own.

4. Speak with the market manager that you were referred to and ask them about the availability of a stall and a breakdown of the rates. Often their are a limited number of food stall spaces and they may be in different sizes.

5. Answer any questions the market manager has about the food you plan to serve, the employees that will be staffing the stall and the cooking methods they will be using. Indoor market managers will want to make sure that you are not making the shopping areas smoky.

6. Walk to the possible spaces in the market with the manager and check thoroughly to make sure they will meet all the needs of the food stall.

7. Start paperwork right away to get a lease or get on the waiting list for one if you are satisfied with what the market manager has to offer.

Tags: food stall, market manager, business plan, food business, food stall