RusticFurniture's Blog

Your consumers may know more about your competitors than you do! by Jeremy L. Knauff

It wasn't long ago that consumers had a limited selection of companies that they could choose to deal with. This was often dictated by geographical boundaries, how much or what type of advertising was used, and specific needs. That isn't the case anymore. Thanks to the internet and the declining cost to advertise through a growing number of mediums, companies are able to compete on a national and sometimes even global scale. Gone are the days of being the only video store or travel agent in town. Now all a consumer has to do is spend a few minutes signing up at Netflix or browsing Travelocity from the comfort of their home or office.

Some companies are making it easier for consumers to get what they want, how they want it, when they want it, adding a certain level of transparency to their respective industries. A consumer doing their research is probably going to know more about how you stack up against your competitors than you do most of the time. If you're concerned about this, it may be because you aren't doing everything you can to provide the best possible service or product to justify the price you're charging. It could also be because you don't know enough about your competitors and their business practices.

Rather than looking at this new playing field in a negative light, you can use it to your advantage. Consumers can quickly compare your product, service and price to most or all of your competitors - often in a matter of hours if not less, but you can do the exact same thing! By keeping tabs on what your competitors are doing you will be more competitive because you are proactive. You'll be keeping them reacting to what you are doing rather than the other way around.

Are you ready to start competing on a new level? Set aside some time and do your homework. Learn as much as you can about your three biggest competitors and then stay one step ahead of them. You'll be surprised how much your profits increase!

Jeremy L. Knauff is the founder & CEO of Wildfire Marketing Group, a full service Marketing Firm specializing in helping small companies compete with larger companies.

Article Source: Your consumers may know more about your competitors than you do!

http://www.7paradise.net
http://www.bestfreecode.com
http://www.googgoo.co.cc

How To Invest And Breathe Simultaneously by David Campbell

Well, you say you’re ready to being investing, on your own. No stockbrokers, no financial advisers, just you and the open market. What a thrilling prospect. Wait, are you seriously considering this proposition?

Please allow me to give some advice: Don’t do it. I speak with some experience, having lost my fair share in the “open market” as a do-it-yourself investor. The odds of success in this kind of investing are comparable to the odds of wining the lottery. It’s a crap shoot. Unless you are willing to take the time to investigate, investigate, and then do some investigation. Successful investing is not a privilege of the stock broker and the financial analyst, alone. It is an area open to voluntary participation from any walk to life. The catch here is that you must be knowledgeable, or you will lose.

Take the time to understand all the components of the investing arena, before you risk losing your nice little nest egg in ten minutes or less. What you have spent a lifetime saving can be gone in as little as ten minutes. Now, that should be a scary thought for any sane, rational, investor.

If you still intend to invest alone, here are a few tips and guidelines to help ensure your success. If you are going to invest, at least hire some form of investment professional to give you advice. It’s not necessary to let them do the investing, but use common sense, here. They know things you do not, and have not had time to learn.

Another piece of advice: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Hands down, dream investments do not exist. If you know someone who acted on a friend’s great tip, you can bet that someone worked hard for that information, and it probably isn’t going to produce the mega return promised.

You must be patient when investing. Investing is like saving, it takes time to accumulate real returns. Don’t panic, take the time to step back and look objectively at your investment and the market indicators. Panic will cost you money. Hand in hand with the patience, there must be some read education about the investing process on your part. If you’re going to invest, take the time to learn the process, learn how to read a prospectus, how to calculate and distinguish a healthy business from one that is about to fold. Your knowledge will be your ticket to successful investing with a show of real returns.

It can be done, it is done everyday, by people just like you and I. You just need to understand the enormity of the commitment necessary to become a successful investor.

David Campbell is a financial advisor who specializes in personal finance and investments. Vist his Successful Investing Strategies Blog at http://successful-investing-strategies.com for more investing information.

Article Source: How To Invest And Breathe Simultaneously

http://www.7paradise.net
http://www.bestfreecode.com
http://www.googgoo.co.cc

Show Me – Tell Me: The New Technical Checks of the Irish Driving Test. by Robin Piggott

The latest round of changes to the Irish Driving Test were implemented on, Feb.14th 2005, as part of a chain of E.U.Directives.

Test Candidates are now required to have a basic level of mechanical knowledge, which any good professional School of Motoring would have been teaching from day one in any event.


The car of today is a very different beast compared with its grandparents and any driver, young or old, should have a range of skills that enable them to identify problems and take the necessary remedial action.


The Driving Examiner will select three questions at random from a list of technical aspects which will include opening the bonnet. While it is not exactly space technology, the ability to identify this range of equipment and to describe how individual checks would be performed, does require some thought and a little practise. Some of the equipment will have accompanying warning lights on the instrument panel some does not, so some of the requirements will already be known (hopefully!)


Candidates will be asked to explain how they would perform checks on three out of the following list:-
Engine Oil: Coolant: Steering: Brakes: Horn: Indicators: Lights: Tyres: Reflectors: Windscreen washer.



The under the Bonnet checks relate to:-Power Steering Fluid; Brake Fluid; Engine Oil; Engine Coolant; and Windscreen washer Fluid. In a newer car all of these pieces of equipment are easily identifiable by coloured tops to the various reservoirs, which have an easily recognisable icon painted or etched into them. The location of these five essential items does vary a little from model to model so if you have changed your car in the lead up to the Driving Test then spend a few minutes double checking.

In the event of very bad weather (rarely a feature of the Irish climate) it is unlikely that the Examiner will ask for the bonnet to be opened but since he or she has already spent time outside the car, checking brake lights and indicators and paperwork, it’s not impossible. If he or she is a fisherman or a boating enthusiast then a few drops of rain will be water off a duck’s back. Just keep an eye on the weather and ensure that your heater or demist controls are pre-set .Two persons in the car during rainy weather will mist up the windows extremely quickly and the candidate needs to be equally deft with the controls.

Questions on brakes will cover both the footbrake and handbrake, and on steering will deal with cars that both have power steering and those that don’t .Of course there are still a few older cars out there without P.A.S. It’s worth adding to the list , one more item of importance to the Driver—that of the Alternator and it’s drive belt .The fact that all the above need to be demonstrated on the Driving Test should not detract from the need to perform these checks on a regular weekly basis. It is precisely because of the importance of all these pieces of equipment and their monitoring, that it was deemed essential to include them in the scope of the Driving Test.

Show Me –Tell Me……..Below is an example of the question and answer technique to one of the Test Questions .The full questions and answers will be provided in another follow up article and on the Astral School of Motoring website shortly.


Checking the Oil Level.
“Show me the Oil filler cap and tell me how you would check for the correct level of Oil in the Engine”…Examiner
“Here is the oil filler cap and to check the oil level I would first withdraw the Oil Dip Stick, wipe it clean and then replace it momentarily. I would then withdraw the dip stick again and ensure that the level of oil showing was between the minimum and maximum marks on the base of the dip stick, preferably nearer the maximum mark. In the event of the oil level being lower than the half way mark I would top up to the maximum level”…Candidate



This latter sentence has been put in for good measure since it’s not much good knowing how you would check the oil if you didn’t then follow through on the result!


Since all equipment in your car needs to be in tip top shape and regularly inspected if we are to stay safe and avoid accidents, look on the acquisition of these technical skills as two sides of the same coin ….Safety and Economy .If you look after your equipment you will be both safe and economic. In a number of future articles we will explore the advantages of correct techniques and the impact they will have on your safety AND your bank balance.

Robin Piggott is the owner of Astral School of Motoring which is based in Limerick, Ireland .He has thirty five years of Driving Experience and has driven Professionally for most of this time, including teaching in – house, before setting up his own Driving School. The aim of the Astral Driving School is to provide the skills that will enable Young Drivers and Visitors to Ireland to stay safe, first and foremost, and in doing this, help them achieve a standard that they can build on for the future. Skills for Life is the mission and to this end the Astral Blog .......Arrive Alive , has been set up to aid and assist all new Drivers and those from Overseas. Visit the Web Site at http://www.astralmotoring.ie Visit the Astral Driving School Blog at http://astralmotoing.blogspot.com

Article Source: Show Me – Tell Me: The New Technical Checks of the Irish Driving Test.

http://www.7paradise.net
http://www.bestfreecode.com
http://www.googgoo.co.cc

Did Google Bomb New Directories Online? Look's That Way! by Martin Lemieux

A few weeks have gone by now and the results from Google’s new update are in. As we take a closer look we see a pattern emerging. It seems as though, older more established directories are being rewarded once again. Many newer directories / Resource Links seem to rank much lower. As we take a closer look at this, we start to notice some rhyme and reason behind all the chaos.

Is This Google’s Way of Getting Rid Of “I link to everything directories”?

What is meant by that is this: As more and more people practice and utilize linking strategies online to build their SE placements, the more and more things start to get out of hand. I mean, is reciprocal linking the next “Link Farm” to get wiped out from Google?

I can’t really see that happening but it’s starting to show signs of this. When you search online these days for listings, companies, resources, etc., we seem to be getting older, more popular “Yellow Directories” than anything showing up on top of specific “service based” searches. I mean let’s face it, yellow directories have been around since “Local Telephone Books” were first invented.

Is Google Implementing A Trust Factor?

I only mention this because since the boom of resource links comes the growth of doorway pages, unethical SEO practices, and especially key stuffed resource pages. There are certain resource directories out there that have stood the test of time and still continue to use sound practices and quality content for their readers.

Don’t Forget Our Loss Of Faith In “DMOZ”!

Lately people seem to be losing faith in DMOZ, the open project directory where human beings get to judge whether or not one company should get a listing above the rest. The problem with this seems to be with the “editors” discretion of not adding the competition to their section of DMOZ. Many individuals who are “editors” at DMOZ are your competitors.

Is Google Also Losing Faith In “DMOZ”?

You may get some interesting answers when you ask yourself the above question since more and more we are seeing a drop in DMOZ activity in searches within Google. It seems as though, Google might also see this negative side to DMOZ. It may not be extremely apparent just yet but I would watch for this and possible changes to the DMOZ operation and editing freedom.

Is Google Bombing Directories Online?

Due to the new shift in resource directories online and people who exchange links, search engine results continuously bring up large useless directories of websites claiming to be relevant to your search. The problem with this is some people use “spam” tactics to stuff their directories with relevant key words in order to get better rankings for their resources. In doing so, it delivers poor quality to visitors who are actually browsing through these resources online.

What Is Google Doing About This?

Like I mentioned above, it seems that Google is taking a profound interest in older, more established directories in order to weave out newer, more content rich directories built to drive more traffic. By doing this, Google can deliver better “local searches” for company listings instead of the growing directory websites popping up at a terminal near you.

How Can You Prosper From This Change?

Go back to your directory listings online. If you don’t have any, this would be a good time to implement a directory listing strategy. Take a good look at your listing and make sure that your listing not only appeals to your visitors but also has atleast your website link for search engines to crawl through and rank accordingly.

How Will This Help You?

As a norm, a good practice to follow is search for your “desired search engine searches” geared towards your business. Find any related directory that comes up in those searches and list your business. By listing your business in these directories, you will help your company get targeted visitors to your site that are actually looking for your product/service.

I hope this article helps you out!

Martin Lemieux Smartads - President Affordable Web Design & Web Site Marketing http://www.smartads.info & http://www.smartads.ca Martin's Weekly Marketing Tips: http://www.smartads.info/newsletter Daily Web Marketing Tips: http://web-marketing.smartads.info Entrepreneur Help Site: http://mindpower.smartads.info

Article Source: Did Google Bomb New Directories Online? Look's That Way!

http://www.7paradise.net
http://www.bestfreecode.com
http://www.googgoo.co.cc

Cisco Certification: Don't Depend On Practice Exams by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Ask a CCNA candidate how they’re preparing for exam day, and you’ll get different answers. Different books, different websites, different practice exams.



One trend I’ve noticed is that some candidates answer the question by reeling off the number and names of the practice exams they’ve purchased. Basically, the candidate is studying by taking a lot of practice exams. And in some cases, I mean a lot of them.



The intent of this article isn’t to slam practice exams. I do want to address this trend among Cisco certification candidates of purchasing as many practice exams as they can find, attempting to pass the CCNA exam by “brute forcing” it, as one Cisco employee recently said.



I have nothing against practice exams. I sell flash cards that serve as a practice exam, if that’s the way the candidate wants to use them. However, you can’t be dependent on them to pass your exams. As I tell students every day, “When you’re in front of a rack of routers, there is no A, B, C, and D choice. You’ve got to know what you’re doing.”



If practice exams are a candidate’s primary tool for exam preparation, though, they’ll most likely be disappointed on exam day. The current Cisco CCNA exams are designed to weed out those who have memorized a chart or two there is a premium not only on knowledge, but the ability to apply that knowledge. Just taking one practice exam after the other will not develop this skill.



Simulators are fine to a certain extent as well, but don’t become dependent on them. The simulators I’ve seen don’t really let you make mistakes in your configuration, and it’s when you have to fix your own mistakes that you truly learn what’s going on.



Keep the long-range view when preparing for your CCNA exams. You’re not just studying for exam day you’re laying the groundwork for a successful career. The study you do for your CCNA exam will be some of the most important study you ever do, since all the work you do for future certifications like the CCNP (and yes, the CCIE!) are based on the foundation you’re building today.



Make it a solid foundation. Stick to a well-rounded study plan, using books, practice exams, and routing equipment, and you’re on your way to success in the Cisco field.

Chris Bryant

CCIE #12933

chris@thebryantadvantage

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, and corporate training are also available. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, 'How To Pass The CCNA' or 'How To Pass The CCNP', send a request to chris@thebryantadvantage.com today !

Article Source: Cisco Certification: Don't Depend On Practice Exams

http://www.7paradise.net
http://www.bestfreecode.com
http://www.googgoo.co.cc

RusticFurniture

to RusticFurniture