Students Of Success

I know it has happened to you at least once. It happened to me twice. Once when I backed up in the middle of the street and the second time when I had an expired registration sticker on my car. Yes, yours truly has been pulled over. And I’m positive that I am not the only one that has been.

Maybe you have been pulled over because of speeding, running a yellow light or stop sign. But are you aware of your rights when you get pulled over?

When the sirens wail
You’re flying on the highway, wind blowing on your face and don’t realize that you may have went above the speed limit. While you are basking in the sun, to your surprise, a state trooper car emerges from its hiding place. You:

a.) gun it. You’re sure you can out run him. They do it all the time on that television show Cops.
b.) slow down to a stop and then speed off when the officer is walking toward your car.
c.) pull over calmly as soon as you safely can, using your turn signals to pull all the way over to the right side of the road.

I really hope you chose the answer C. By stopping as soon as you can and calmly, you will probably be on the better side of an otherwise irritate cop.

Pulled over
Now you’re on the side of the road and waiting for the officer to come to your window. “When being stopped, remain calm, keep your hands on the steering wheel in plain view. Only move when told to do so,” advises Connecticut State Police Sgt. J. Paul Vance. Many officers have been hurt or killed during a routine traffic stop so don’t do anything to make them nervous by going into your glove compartment, even though you may know the drill already and are reaching for your insurance card and registration. The officer may think that you are reaching for a weapon.

If you’re ever pulled over by an unmarked vehicle and the “officer” is not in uniform, “you may request a uniformed officer to respond to the scene. Keep your windows up and your doors locked until you are satisfied that the officer is in fact a police officer,” says Sgt. Vance. You can also call 911 in this case as well.

Speaking with the officer
Don’t give the officer any back talk. In fact, it is recommended that you don’t speak at all. Let the officer speak first instead of asking the officer what you did or what’s their problem. Don’t insist they tell you what you did first before you hand over your liscense and vehicle registration either.
When asked questions like: “Do you know why I stopped you?” It is better to give a definitive answer. If they tell you what they think you did, don’t argue. Instead, shut up! You have that right and you don’t run the risk of saying something that will be used against you if you fight the ticket or get arrested.

Here’s something you may not have known: traffic cops are taught to decide before they leave their car whether they are going to give you a ticket or give you a warning. They are just acting like they care about your plight when they have already decided to ticket your butt. What they are really doing, while they seem interested in what excuse you are giving, is trying to see if they can get you to admit guilt. Sgt. Vance says the only reason an officer would change their mind is if you were speeding for a medical emergency or a woman was in labor.

Just say no! (well, only if you are positive)
If you are stopped and the officer asks to search your car, you have the right to say no. The officer has to have a reasonable suspicion you’ve done something wrong or are a danger to the public. So don’t give them a reason by bending down, or looking like you are hiding something when they are approaching your car.

They can only search your car without your permission:
• if they suspect you are hiding something.
• you or any occupants in the car have been arrested.
• if you have something illegal in plain view, such as open wine or beer bottles or drugs, or weapons of any kind.

If you are sure that you have nothing in the car then by all means allow the search. But if you share your car with someone then you may want to decline because who knows what they may be doing with the car without your knowledge.

ChaChanna Simpson is the editor and publisher of Twentity.com, a free advice ezine for twentysomethings.

Anyone can claim to be a copywriter. As I have learned after many trails and tribulations. Whether it’s in the brick and mortar business or whether your business is online. Anyone with the knowledge of the language and who think that they are creative become copywriters. But let me tell you. It’s not that easy.

There is much money and business to be lost, if you place your ad campaign in the hands of immature, those who claim to be copywriters, but are really a little more than fly by night operators.

That was then, now I have learned that there are several factors to write a good ad campaign. This must be additionally stressed. However if you do choose to sub contact your ad campaigns there are certain questions that you must ask your copywriter.

Believe me it will save you from a lot of head ache, resources and money that is rightfully yours. Plus you get good ad campaign that would generate revenue for you.

You must get satisfactory answers to the questions that you pose to the copywriter, whom you intend to employ.

In case the person fails to answer the questions, is not willing to answer or the answers are not up to the mark, then well you should not employ the person.

When employing the copywriter

Look for the truthfulness and the honesty in the answers. If the person is not telling the truth, they will slip somewhere.
Look for their experience and ask for their credential
Do a background check and talk to the referrals that they have talked about.

Copywriters are good at making believe in what they say, after all that is what they are getting paid for. That’s why I have built up a set of 12 questions, which can tell you whether you want to hire the person or not.

1. What are your recently written ad campaigns - sales letter / web pages / TV & radio ad jingles for the target consumers -

The answer to the question will tell you whether they are suited for the job or not. Copywriters are an experienced lot and some deal in niche markets. Therefore choose the one who has already written for the niche market that you are aiming at.

2. Please show at least 3 examples of your successful work

When the copywriter posts you the work, you would definitely know whether they have worked professionally or they are just starting out. If they have answered yes to the first question, ten they would have no problems in answering and showing you their work.

Incase their answer is a negative, then you know that they are amateurs who are just starting out and want to make a ad campaign learning on the job. They might make mistakes for which you might have to pay.

3. Please provide your reference (should not include family, relatives and those who work under and with you)

This question is designed to provide background information and check for their work. When they provide references, the current employed can check whether what they have stated is truth or they are speaking plain lies. It’s very easy to find out. Therefore copywriters give their references very carefully. They give of those whom they trust will give a good feedback to their current employer

4. Is this a full time job for you?

By answering this question, the copywriter will let you know, what they do for a living. If they work full time job somewhere else, how will they be able to dedicate the time, for your campaign. When you can find that there is a copywriter, who’s full time occupation is that of copywriting, you have met your match.

5. What is your experience?

The experience that the copywriter gives you should be chronologically written. If they have ever worked for an ad agency as a copywriter, then that’s an advantage for your campaigns. In case they have never worked as a copywriter before, then hiring this person can land you in great trouble.

6. Have you written copy for web site, do you have your own web site?

In case you are looking for web copy, then this person should be for you. If they have a website, the next question should be whether they have written their own copy for the website or they have relied on external help. This is essential in case you are looking for a copy that’s web related. Review the work and the website of the copywriter to know whether that’s the kind of output you want from the copywriter or not.

7. What is the expected time of completion for the project?

A successful and a good copywriter can’t churn out work overnight. This question tests the caliber and the work schedule of the copywriter. Whether they have enough work and how busy they are. While asking this you can see if they can stick to their delivery schedules.

8. Would you sub contract the work or would you do it yourself?

The answer to this question will tell you, who is actually going to do the work for you. Since you are going to be paying for the job, you have a right to know. If they are sub contacting the work, it might be to a person who has lesser skills and experience and they are out to earn a quick buck.

9. In what form will the work be delivered to me?

Usually I like the work to be delivered in full that is formatted with two - three option, which should be available. Since I don’t want to spend more money on formatting, editing etc. this saves me time and money and I get a product, which is ready to be delivered.

10. How much would you charge from me?

Essentially, since you would be paying, you should know how much they charge, what would be the payment schedule. Will they bill per hour or per day etc. pay when you are fully satisfied about the job that you have given them.

11. If the copy that you write doesn’t work? , what would be likely reasons for it.

Usually a good copywriter would know the markets, consumers, products and services well. This is the reason why they would also give you suggestions to make the copy worthwhile. They will let you know the advantages and the limitations of the copy. Therefore the answer to this question is extremely crucial for you.

12. Are you prepared to be paid on commission basis?

In most cases the answer will be a “NO”. However if most salesman work on a commission basis, then why not a copywriter, if they have faith in there ability then they should go ahead with the commission policy. After all they are also in the business of selling, the selling of good campaigns which in return is going to get the revenues and the profits for you.

Initially it can be a downtime payment. Once you build a relationship with the sales people, the payment can be made on the basis of commission.

Get the answers before you hire them

It’s important that you get the right and the correct answers before you go about hiring the copywriter that you want.

It can mean a difference between a campaign and a great campaign

The campaign in which will get you the revenue or will make your business, or shut your shop.

So best of luck and happy copywriting

This article was written by Craig Dawber of smarket-associates.com
Need advice and guidance with your online
business check out the resources found in this website.

By “nobility” I refer to that class in society which once had hereditary political, financial and social privileges guaranteed by law. By “original nobility” I follow the German (and now internationally accepted) definition and refer to those families who were ennobled (or generally recognised as nobles) before the year 1400. With “patricians” I refer to those families who from time immemorial were recorded as local and regional leaders, and usually as a base for their power had vast landed properties. With “knight” I refer to the warrior class that emerged and developed during 900 - 1300 AD.

The original nobility was comprised of those two categories, the patricians and the knights. The patricians soon developed into the higher nobility, and were often granted land and titles by the king or ruler. To administer the vast and scattered estates they needed local commanders, who in their turn needed well armed warriors to defend the properties. During the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries the duties and privileges (e.g. to maintain an armed force and enjoy tax exemption) became formalised and hereditary.

Among the knights one could originally distinguish two classes: the nobiles (who belonged to the hereditary and wealthy higher nobility, usually derived from the patricians), and the milites (the lower nobility which served as officers in the castles of the higher nobility).

During the 12th and 13th centuries these two groups, the nobiles and the milites, were merged, as the milites gained priveleges, built their own castles and married the daughters of the nobiles.

Slowly a chivalric ideal developed, and chivalric virtues such as bravery and gallantry were praised.

As the military importance of the knights decreased during the 14th and 15th centuries, the chivalric system became more of a cultural institution. The knights became more closely attached to the royal and princely courts, and more importance was given to heraldry and various ceremonies. It became increasingly more common for the king or prince to create new nobles by means of letters patent, and soon this newly created titular nobility had by far outnumbered the original nobility. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries the creation of new nobles in many countries became so extensive they were soon regarded as the “only” and the “real” nobility. The original nobility had by then in many cases lost their original landed properties, due to ward and seizures, and along with them the recognition they once enjoyed.

So it was that the exception became the rule (patent nobility) and substance was replaced by shadow (landed properties with honorific titles). But until this day it remains true that “Laws may be changed, privileges may expire. But the duties to the Fatherland remain. And once those duties are fulfilled, little does it worry the true nobility where its position in society is put” (Count Gustaf Lagerbjelke, 1866).

If you found this article about the original nobility interesting, you may wish to have a look at my book “Find Your Noble Ancestors!”, where I develop the subjects outlined above.

Jan-Olov von Wowern lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and is
the head of the Swedish branch of the von Wowern family,
dating back to its founder who was born around 1090 and
made a Marquis in 1141. He is active in European charitable
and nobiliary work. Visit his page at
http://www.findyournobleancestors.com
and download a FREE chapter from his book.

I remember when as a child of not having enough to eat, sharing
with seven brothers and sisters. Wanting more to eat at supper
time but the food was gone. I remember of the hunger in my belly
while trying to sleep at night remembering the taste of rabbits
and hens that my father raised, the vegetables in the not big
enough garden he planted. The berries we picked and ate during
the day to help the hunger.

I remember when the shoes on my feet were too small and hurt my
feet or to big they wouldn’t stay on–shoes that another child
had worn out already. The clothes that people had given me,
outdated and falling apart. Taking what cloths were left after
my sister picked through the hand-me-downs and having only a
thin worn out coat in the freezing winter to wear.

I remember going to school and being laughed at because we were
poor–walking home from school in tears–having no friends
except the immediate neighbor kids to play with. Wishing that I
had dolls to play with like the other girls. In the winter,
sliding on hills on tire tubes and cardboard–having no sleds.

I remember being cold in bed at night with only one wool blanket
to keep me and my sister warm–the ice that hung from the nails
coming through the roof. My hands and feet numb from the cold.
Getting up in the morning hurrying to get to the wood stove to
get warm in hopes there would be room for me with all the others.

I remember of picking berries in the summer to sell and
shoveling snow in the winter for neighbors to buy Christmas
gifts–a candy bar for each one. I remember at Christmas when
the few toys I received had already been played with. I remember
of eating turkey for supper on Christmas that social services
had brought the family.

I remember the water being carried from the well and heated on
the wood stove to bathe in. Being able to bathe only once a week
in the steel tub–sharing the same water with my brothers and
sisters. Wishing I could bathe in a real tub with running
water–using as much hot water as I wanted.

I remember the man that tried to molest me as a child. I
remember the loneliness and heart-ache of the separation of my
family–not knowing where my brothers and sisters were. Moved
from home to home–having to share space, food, and a bed with
other foster children. Being physically abused by a foster boy
in one of the homes–running away to find help.

I remember the abuse I endured as a young adult–emotionally
drained and feeling useless–wanting to end the pain. Leaving
everything behind with no place to go–no money or
food–sleeping in a car–feeling alone. Having to find a new job
and making new friends in a strange place.

I remember the beatings in a new relationship and couldn’t find
a way out. The nightmares I still had from the past
relationship. The guilt I felt with mixed emotions when I
watched him die. Wanting to find someone to share my life and
love with–wanting not to waste the rest of my life.

I remember all those bad times–it made me the person I am
today. The thing that is most important is God gave me life–a
beautiful gift.

Phyllis Benton, Living Nightmares of Abuse. Autobiography. An
inspirational and emotional story of abuse. Survivor of
emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Book will be available
when released through publishamerica and other on line book
stores. ISBN # 1-4137-9156-5. http://www.pdbenton.org
http://www.freewebs.com/dianesfantasy/

poverty, hunger, emotional and physical abuse, loneliness,
survival, separation, molestation, foster homes, gift of life

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Photographs invoke emotion and conjure up memories. One of my favorite quotes is by Sy Parish; “And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it’s this: I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.”

Most of us have boxes, drawers, and albums filled with photographs we have taken over the years. Photographs symbolize a moment in time that has been forever frozen.

My Aunt was diagnoses with Alzheimer’s many years ago. As the years go by her memory of past events fades. Her daughters have made pocket sized photo albums with pictures and detailed descriptions; for example, “This is Sally. She is five years old; her mother is Jane, your youngest daughter.” My Aunt looks at these little books every day. Sometimes she remembers who Jane is; other days she has to ask.

While visiting my Aunt I noticed that she loves to watch television. It was then that I realized creating a DVD of her life with voice-overs describing each event might help her remember her past. When I returned home I contacted her daughters and asked them to email me photographs and descriptions of each photo asking them; “where it took place, when it took place and who is in the photo?” I then met with my Aunt’s sisters, asking them to go through their photographs and gather the one’s that might help my Aunt remember.

Once I had received all of the photographs I scanned them and placed them in a slideshow program. Each frame of the DVD describes the time, event and people in the photograph. It is important to include background music that is specific to the their era, in my Aunt’s case it was; Glen Miller, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra.

My mother and her sisters have been wonderful in writing down memories of their childhood. Silly events that happened when they were young girls, events that we hope will spark memories in my Aunt. Using a voice-over, the “memory” is told then the photograph appears for 30-40 seconds, giving ample time for individual to reminisce about the photograph and event.

Alzheimer DVD’s are a family affair. It is important to receive input from as many people as possible that are close to the person with Alzheimer’s.

If someone is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s it is wonderful to interview them, asking them their favorite childhood memories, school memories, their marriage, children and grandchildren. What are their hobbies? Where did they like to vacation? What are they most passionate about? What are their favorite songs?

There are so many good times in life; sharing them on a DVD is a way to preserve the memories.

Betsy Wegner
http://www.dvdsbybetsy.com
Preserving the memory of your loved ones with DVD Slideshows.

If you are in a sexless marriage and are unhappy because of it, don’t worry, it isn’t unrecoverable but it is serious cause for concern. You may even be thinking that you need a divorce because of your sexless marriage, that’s only natural. But, in order to really decide what to do, some thinking needs to be done so you feel good about your decision, regardless if you stay married or not.

Being stuck in a sexless marriage can have you feeling a wide range of feelings from loneliness, listlessness, confusion, unconfident, etc. These feelings come about for a variety of reasons and they can be overcome if you just figure out why you’re in a sexless marriage. You need to get to the root of the problem and uncover the real reasons that you and your spouse are no longer sexually active assuming of course, you once were!

To get to the heart of the causes for a sexless marriage will take some time. On the surface, you may be thinking that the cause of your sexless marriage may include one or more of the following scenarios:

Sexless Marriage: “We both work too much!”:

You both work extremely hard and there just never seems to be enough time to get together, your schedules are skewed. This is true a lot nowadays with the ‘new’ economy, lots of couples are married but just live together like roommates if both parties have ‘time-consuming’ careers. If not managed properly, it is unfortunate but common for people in this type of lifestyle to end up in a sexless marriage.

Sexless Marriage: “You work, I stay home with the kids!”:

One of you works very hard with your career and one of you stays home to raise the children (child), which is equally as hard as any career! This situation can lead to a sexless marriage in many cases because of the seemingly disparate priority base of each party. The spouse with the career may need to work after hours, travel, or attend “post work” functions and the spouse who stays home raising the children (child) may not have any other outlet for relaxation away from the home front. This situation can easily lead to a sexless marriage because there may be underlying feelings from both sides that contribute to an already tough situation based on personal and work related schedules.

The spouse with the career may say at times, “Why do you think I work so hard? I do it for you, the kids, our family, etc.”. The spouse who stays home with the children (child) may say at times, “You have another release, you have social interaction daily with the outside world. I feel stuck here sometimes, I need to get out and have time for myself.”. If the spouse that stays home feels like the spouse with the career enjoys being out and working more than being home, that calls for a whole different and escalated level of concern! Chances are the sexless marriage was bound to be that way before the current situation even arose.

Sexless Marriage: “I don’t know why…there’s just no spark left, you don’t pay enough attention to me and our sex life and I guess I don’t either!”:
This is a common sexless marriage situation and it can be caused by a variety of things including emotional scars, bad experiences, boredom, laziness, etc. In this situation, there is deep cause for concern from both parties because both parties aren’t happy sexually but don’t really know why it ended up this way. Both parties have just “let things go” and didn’t place a high enough priority on their sex life with their spouse, which in and of itself is very concerning.

Why would either or both parties let things get this way when love making is so important?

Sometimes there’s a feeling of being taken for granted that can occur in this type of sexless marriage, and both parties should realize that sex is a basic human need and should take priority over other things at the right time. It takes work to get out of this type of sexless marriage, you need to sit down and figure out why your marital love life has dwindled. If you both really want to rekindle things, you can do so, but you both need to take equal responsibility for correcting the problem.

Whatever type of sexless marriage you are in (there’s certainly more types than listed here), remember that it is not unrecoverable. If you’re to the point of thinking about getting a divorce because of your sexless marriage, take the time to sit down and figure out how it got to be the way it is now.

If you’ve lost interest in your spouse from a sexual point of view, you need to define exactly why that occurred. If you don’t know right off hand, you need to think back to a time when you did ‘have the spark’ and recall what you both were doing, feeling, thinking, etc. From that point, identify what has changed, why it has changed, and what you can do about it. When you get that portion figured out, you may well on your way to taking the first step of recovering from your sexless marriage. Remember, if you really want to rekindle your relationship, you can.

Karl Augustine

“A Practical Guide To Deciding Whether Or Not To Get A Divorce”

An eBook recommended by marriage counselors and relationship coaches to their clients.

Get FREE Chapters!

Sexless Marriage

The following tips are meant as a guide for those of you who wish to enter into a coaching or mentoring relationship with a Guru, Coach or Mentor.

1. If you are not going to work with the individual you are paying, don’t do it. You need to work with the individual who’s charging you, so you can have accountability from him/her.

2. Take a very close look at the cost/benefit ratio of the relationship. Is similar information or help available at a lower cost or from other sources. Please understand that most of the information needed to succeed in Creative Real Estate or Home-Based Businesses is available for free if you have the time and ability to research it yourself.

3. Be very careful of those who claim to have secret or proprietary ways of doing business. The dictionary defines proprietary as made and sold by one with the sole right to do so; exclusively owned; private; benefiting an owner; owned by a private individual or corporation under a trademark or patent.

Now ask yourself, does anyone in the field of Creative Real Estate own an exclusive method of doing business. The answer is no. It is just marketing hype designed to entice someone into parting with his/her money.

Most of the methods for finding, acquiring, renting, selling, optioning property have been around for years. Can someone bring a slightly different twist to these methods, yes; but this is hardly proprietary.

Take Lease Options, people have been doing options for well over one half of a century. There is nothing new about sandwich leases, assignments, etc.

Wouldn’t you think that if someone had a proprietary method and he or she shared that method, that it would no longer be proprietary. Of course! Once shared, it is no longer exclusively owned, therefore not proprietary.

Which really leaves the part of the definition about benefiting the owner. As we have seen, there are truly no proprietary or secret methods; so who does this claim benefit? Why the one trying to separate you from your money with this hype.

4. Be careful about long term relationships. Be sure any contract you sign can be canceled if you are not satisfied with the service being provided to you. You should be the final arbitrator of whether or not a relationship is worth your money.

Do not pay for the entire period up front. Many Gurus, Coaches and Mentors have a non-refundable clause in their contracts. By paying the entire fee up front, you lose leverage in case of dissatisfaction with the services provided you.

5. Be sure any material supplied to you and any services to be provided during the course of the relationship are covered in detail. Get a listing of what will be covered and the order in which it will happen. Do not accept generalities or vague comments like “We’ll get to that”. Know exactly what you are paying for.

6. Don’t be led on by overly high prices. The most expensive is not always the best, especially for you. This is one area, where cost does not equal caring or commitment to your needs. Nor, does a high price indicate quality. Don’t be fooled by the “I’m worth it” line.

7. Speaking of quality and caring, don’t settle for lip service that someone cares about your future, make them demonstrate it. Speak to them a number of times. Do they give you the bum’s rush if you can’t afford their services right now, or do they take some time with you. Do you get the sense that they are more interested in selling you something? If you do, think very carefully before agreeing to enter any relationship with someone like this. What makes you think that their underlying attitude will change with the passing of money.

8. Do they seem to get more benefit from the relationship than you do? By this we mean, do they ask you to help promote their activities or products in your marketing material or promotional material. Do they ask you to do things for them, but are reluctant to do things to help promote your business? If they do, these are warning signs that this could well be a one sided relationship. Don’t fall for the line “Well, you’ll receive some back end benefit from this”. Remember, you’re in business to promote yourself, not someone else.

9. If your Guru, Coach or Mentor makes a promise to do something for you, get it in writing, particularly if it has a monetary consequence to you. By getting it in writing, you avoid any misunderstandings and you have recourse if he/she does not follow through.

10. When you speak with your Guru, Coach or Mentor, does he/she remember the details of your last conversation or do you need to start at the beginning each time. If you need to start over with each conversation, this may be a sign that he/she is too busy to keep track of all the people they are working with. Is this what you are paying for? The last thing you need, is to feel like a part on an assembly line. It’s common sense that anyone can only work with so many individuals before the quality starts to suffer. You may want to ask before you get started, how many others the person you are considering is currently working with.

11. If your Guru, Coach or Mentor provides material for you, be sure you understand where and how it can be used in your business. Get it in writing. Don’t depend upon verbal representations as to its use. You want to be sure that any material, particularly contracts, can be used in all facets of your business. If the material can’t be used in all facets, what are the restrictions? Can you live with them? How this material can be used, may well influence what you are willing to pay. If you can, try to arrange to examine the material included before you make a final decision. You want to avoid material that is more fluff than substance. Understand, most Gurus, Coaches or Mentors will not mail this material to you first. Unfortunately, there are too many individuals who would take and copy this material with no expectation of ever working with someone. If you don’t live in geographic proximity to the person you are considering, they should at least be able to provide you with a very detailed Table of Contents and Sub-Headings for their material. If they are not willing to do that, Pass.

12. Does your Guru, Coach or Mentor give you realistic suggestions to help you, or are they unfeasible given your situation. In other words, are the suggestions given within your financial means to carry out. Will they have an impact on your bottom line within a reasonable time frame? Do you have the technical expertise to carry out the suggestions? Or, do you get the feeling that everyone your Guru, Coach or Mentor works with receives the same suggestions. Remember, he/she is there to help support, guide and nurture you. Any suggestions given should have those principles in mind.

13. If suggestions are made, be sure to get specifics. Don’t accept generalities. If a suggestion is made to write a book, do a tape set, give a seminar, etc., be sure your Guru, Coach or Mentor gives you details as to how to do it, if you’ve never done something like this. He/she should be able to give you a step-by-step plan of action to implement these suggestions. If they can’t or won’t, this is red flag. After all, you are paying for their expertise, be sure you receive it.

14. Be careful about references. No one in business is going to give you the name and telephone number of someone who is dissatisfied with their service as a reference. So understand that any references you receive are going to be positive ones.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that not only will any references be positive, they’ll be glowing. Why, every business has some customers who believe the business can do no wrong. Therefore when you ask for references, any names you’re given will come from this pool.

Rather than references, look to see if the guru, coach or mentor offers the type of programs where you pay an amount up front (which is reasonable to cover the initial time with you and materials you receive) and the balance as you succeed. In other words, the guru, coach, or mentor covers some expenses up front, but gets paid the balance of his/her fee as you do transactions.

Or, does the guru, coach or mentor have a program where you pay an initial fee and the balance at the end of the time period, if and only if, you are satisfied with the help you received.

In both of these types of programs, the guru, coach or mentor is demonstrating his/her confidence in their ability to help you. In other words, they are putting their money where their mouths are.

In this type of program, the guru, coach, or mentor has a real vested interest in your success, not just lip service to your success. If you don’t succeed, he/she doesn’t get paid.

I would be much more confident in this type of program and guru, coach or mentor then in one who only offers suspect references.

15. Most Gurus, Coaches and Mentors will look to sign you up for one to two years, or longer. One thing most will not tell you, is that they expect that your calls will diminish over the first few months. Therefore, you may be paying for service that you will not need in the long run. Avoid long term contracts if at all possible. It may be better to pay as you go if you can. The extra money you save may be better spent on your business.

We hope these guidelines will help you in choosing someone to work with if you decide that is the best way for you to accomplish your goals. The bottom line, be very careful before committing yourself to a long term relationship. A good one can greatly accelerate your learning; a bad experience can set you back years, and possibly even kill your dreams.

We wish you the best.

Copyright 2004, DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach. Visit www.hbsdigest.com to start today.

Without a doubt, words are the tools of your trade. Watching anglers on riverbanks, I liken entering competitions to fishing. You throw in bait for the fish and sooner or later you’ll hook one. Just like entering prize draws.

Post enough and sooner or later your entry will get picked. It’s the luck of the draw!

After a day’s fishing you may come back laden with small and medium size fish, perhaps one “whopper”, unless it was the one that got away!

Similarly, you win small prizes or the big fish - the car or holiday.

As many compers, as people who enter competitions are affectionately known, only enter prize draws to win the `whoppers’, there’s not so many entries for “tiddlers”, so there’s more chance of you netting these prize fish.

The serious angler doesn’t leave his hobby to chance. He carefully selects his bait. He studies the fishing ground and all other factors likely to enhance his chances of `landing the whopper’.

Even after careful planning he’s not going to hook every fish he goes after, but he has increased his chances of success.

You as a comper can be like our mythical angler. You prepare your bait, i.e. words to use in your slogans. You select your best fishing grounds, i.e. finding your entry forms, especially those elusive ones which may be hidden on tops of shelves, tucked in between display cabinets. Just because the entry forms aren’t displayed in prominent view with eye catching WIN to attract you, doesn’t mean to say there aren’t any competitions in that store.

You’ll find yourself becoming a `Sherlock Holmes’, tracking down the best competitions to enter and the thrill of the chase.

When our angler takes up his rod and settles down to a day’s fishing, or our “Sherlock’”comper sets out on an entry form safari, attitude is everything.

With a negative “the waters too high, temperatures wrong, won’t catch no fish today” or “expect I shan’t find any forms today”, “not in the mood to write tiebreaker slogans”, “I never win anyway”, one thing is certain. You’re right, you won’t!

Armed with a positive “What a wonderful hobby, I’ve won a first prize in a tiebreaker competition and I can do it again”, or a “I WILL win a car’”, one thing is certain. You will win. For you will put enthusiasm into your entries, spending time writing and perfecting - and eventually the prizes will come.

We often hear of people talk about “The Law of Averages”. Send in enough entries and sooner or later you win.

You may win one prize a month for a period, then not win anything for six months. Just when you wonder what you’re doing wrong, low and behold, three prizes arrive almost at once.

Following a lean spell, I won a five star health break, a holiday to Miami and a gleaming bright red car – all within ten days. On “average” the prizes even themselves out.

Interestingly then how many compers loose enthusiasm, feel defeated or just give up when they feel the postman has deserted them.

Take a tip. Enter every competition with enthusiasm. Give it your best shot. Post it. Forget about it. Move onto the next one and do the same. Do this and you increase your chances of success.

Must dash. Off to play the pools and reel in a few prizes!

Lynne Suzanne is a freelance writer and author of Win With Lynne Intaslogans, Pun-ch Lines! and Win Your Fortune in Prizes.
FREE Win With Lynne - How to Win guide.
http://www.win-with-lynne.co.uk

You’ve spent many years in college and worked hard all along the way. With graduation nearing, this is a perfect time to treat yourself and get your own college class ring. Class rings normally have your college and your degree. Even if you attend school through online means or you are home schooled, a jeweler has made a ring for you (or they can make one special just for you).

Along with specifying the metal and the stone and year, now you can also select a special effect for your stone. Stone options add a little more to the cost of the ring. Depending on the jeweler, here’s some of the stone effects you can pick from:

– Astralight stone effect

Astralight is a special option underneath the stone and it gives the stone the illusion of a rainbow beneath it. Astralight can be done on either smooth or faceted stones. It looks really good.

– Sundance stone effect

The Sundance effect also can be done on either smooth or faceted stones. It is a special effect under the stone that gives the illusion of rays beneath the stone.

– Encrusting effect

This is where an embedded yellow gold symbol or yellow gold letter is placed into the top of your stone. Encrustings look better on darker stones and are available on the smooth stones. With this effect, you would not want to combine this with either the Sundance or Astralight stone options.

– Protected emblem effect

This is a symbol or letter design located underneath the stone. This effect works better with the lighter colored stones and is available on smooth stones. You wouldn’t want to combine this with Sundance or Astralight either.

I wish you an awesome graduation. It’s a wonderful time in your life and your class ring is that something extra you can always carry with you. It serves as a reminder that you “made it.”

Copyright (c) 2006

Jessica Deets writes articles of interest to people on the internet. Best College Class Rings has more information about College Class Rings at http://www.BestCollegeClassRings.com

When buying or selling a property, it always helps to have a basic understanding of real estate terms. In this on going series of articles, we take a look at definitions starting with “home inspection.”

1) Home Inspection – an inspection of the condition of a home. They are done item by item, from roof to foundation, and include looking closely at things like plumbing, heating, air conditioning, sinks, tubs, and faucets, and any appliances which convey. The general concept is that the home inspector is trained to spot problems that typical Susie and Sammy Homebuyer are likely to miss. They are not usually intended to bring up discussion about items Susie and Sammy can easily see for themselves like the color of the wall paint or what the carpets look like.

2) Home Warranty Policy – an insurance policy which pays for repairs to the working systems (heat, air conditioning, plumbing, etc.) and appliance repairs during the first year of home ownership. Details vary. Usually there is a deductible amount. They can be bought by the buyer or by the seller for the buyer.

3) Limited Power of Attorney – a writing which gives another person the legal ability to act for and sign papers for the buyer or seller in connection with the purchase and sale of a specific real property. (An example of this happened last summer when a friend of my son’s gave his wife a limited power of attorney to enable her to finalize the sale of their home after he left for Iraq with members of his National Guard unit. A happy postscript is that the young man has now returned home.)

4) Personal Property – appliances which are not built-in, play equipment which is not attached, furniture, plants in containers.

As you can image, there are many real estate terms for which you have a general understanding. In our next article, we continue with the terms starting with “Pre-Approval Lender Letters.”

Raynor James is with www.fsboamerica.org - providing homes for sale by owner, “FSBO”, properties. Are you thinking, “Should I sell my home?” Visit www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home sale for free for one month.