UltraPing Blog

When developing or updating a marketing plan, knowing where to start is often a challenge. To better develop effective marketing strategies, begin by gathering information about both your business and the larger business environment (competition, trends, statistics, etc.).

Internally, the amount of information you gather about your own business will depend on your company size. Information can include business strategies and plans; company marketing plans; pricing; and income statements. Employee knowledge is also a valuable resource. As you gather information, if you at first turn to internal sources then expand your understanding through external resources you will do fine.

External information about the business environment often takes the form of existing research, articles, competitive information, and industry news. While these are often available in both print and digital formats, the focus here is finding information online.

Gathering Information Online - Getting Started

The numerous news sources and billion or so Web pages available on the Internet make finding information much easier than in pre-Internet days. Before the Internet, gathering information meant trips to the library, purchasing expensive publications and reports, and commissioning your own primary research. Now, it is a matter of knowing where to search.

You can start searching the Internet by looking in each of the general areas below. Organize useful material as you find it. Purchase, bookmark, or file each resource so you can draw upon it during marketing plan development.

These external resources, together with your internal company information, will be your initial knowledge base as you develop your Marketing Plan. As you progress along the planning process and the specific information you need become clearer, these initial resources are likely to be jumping-off points for gathering more specific information.

Information Sources

Annual Reports and other SEC Filings. These documents are required by publicly held U.S. companies and often include statistics and other industry information.

Books. Books can often provide detailed insight and analysis you cannot find elsewhere.

The Government. At last count 100 U.S. Federal agencies had statistical programs, many with data available on the Web. You can find the complete list at http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies/index.html .

Message Boards and Newsgroups. You can pick up on trends, hot topics in the industry, and competitor information by following discussions.

News Articles. These often give clues to the business environment and can lead you to additional information sources.

Newsletters. By reading and subscribing to competitor and industry newsletters you can get insight into current promotional tactics and other activities.

Research Sites. Archives, press releases, newsletters, and executive summaries on these sites can provide relevant research findings and statistics.

Search Engines and Directories. Search by keyword or drill down into directory sub-categories to find information.

Subject Sites. There are some general sites - www.suite101.com, www.about.com, and www.business.com to name three - with numerous topic-specific pages. Check for pages relating to your industry or product.

Trade Associations and Publications. You will often find industry information, statistics, and membership lists online.

White Papers and other Company Publications. Companies will sometimes publish free white papers that summarize the industry trends or other information.

Planning Resource

- For more on developing a marketing plan, read this how-to guide: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/book_information.htm

Bobette Kyle has more than a decade of experience in Corporate Marketing; Brand and Product Marketing; Field Marketing and Sales; and Management.

She is author of the Marketing Plan Guide “How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Web Site Marketing”, named one of the top 15 books of 2002 by NonFictionReviews.com. Read more about the guide here: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/book_information.htm

When you put your house on the market you want it sold as soon as possible so that you can get on with your plans. If you are unable to sell your house it can be a financial drain, postpone plans and come to feel like a weight on your shoulders.

You need to ask yourself what is going on here? What is the problem? You may need to attack the problem from different angles. Have you had any viewings? If yes, ask the agent for feedback from the clients. Try to get as much information as possible. If you have not had many viewings then why not? Has the agent advertised the property sufficiently, where has it been advertised, how often? Assuming it has been advertised sufficiently what is putting buyers off? The photos makes a big difference - first impressions count. Ideally you want to take a picture of the property on a sunny day with no parked cars or other eyesores. If the original photo looks unappealing take your own and send them to the agent. Perhaps you can get a better angle from your neighbour’s garden which the agent couldn’t access. After the photos are at their best does the property look as good as it can from
the outside: Often before booking a viewing buyers will pass by a property they are interested in to get a feel of it. It needs to look good all the time, not just look good for photos and viewings. Compare the price of your house with similar properties in your area. Is your house priced too high? Is the price putting people off?

If you have had viewings but no offers then there’s something putting people off on the inside. Take a fresh look at how you are presenting your property. What is the first impression when you enter? Is the hallway inviting or welcoming or do too many coats on the coat rail and too many bags, shoes and general clutter grab the viewer’s attention? It needs to look tidy, well cared for and loved. After all if you show you don’t love your home why should anyone else? If you have pets does it smell of pets? The atmosphere and smell needs to be fresh and again, the key, it needs to be inviting. After all, you are inviting someone to spend thousands of pounds on this property. You want them to want to stay, not be out of the house as soon as possible. If you have a lot of general “stuff” which you want to keep consider storing it in a friend’s garage or in a paid-for storehouse. Of course you need to live in the house so don’t want to declutter completely but if you are serious about selling your house you need to give it your best shot, or potentially lose thousands of pounds just to get rid of it.

Go through each room and look at it from every entrance angle. What do you notice - what’s good, what’s bad. Put in the effort to make it look it’s best. Then, ask your friends, family, and agent for their opinion. What do they like and what don’t they like? Then act on their feedback and ask them again. When it’s in tip-top shape consider relaunching your property with your agent and make sure that all their staff know what a great house it is.

Be careful - if you make your house so beautiful and appealing you might just want to stay there!

To find your new home go to http://www.WheresMyProperty.com, the UK Property Search Engine listing around 900,000 properties from 1000s of estate agents.

Few people realize the wealth of activities await visitors to Barbados beyond the sandy beaches and calm seas. Sunbathing, sailing, and deep-sea fishing offer hours of enjoyment for tourists, but this beautiful island in the heart of the Caribbean offers much to do further inland, namely golf.

Golf is a relaxing, popular way to pass the time in Barbados, among residents and visitors. The island is home to The Barbados Golf Club which offers a magnificent par 72 golf course, approved and sanctioned by the PGA European tour. Depending on the season, visitors can reserve a tee time at a nominal fee and enjoying breathtakingly blue skies year-round as they walk and play a challenging course suited for all levels of play.

The popularity of golf in Barbados has grown so much, that it’s no surprise the island will host the 2006 World Golf Championships - known as Barbados World Cup– from December 4th to 10th, 2006. This will be the first time a World Golf Championships event and the historic World Cup has been played in Barbados. The Country Club course at the world renowned Sandy Lane Hotel will be the host venue for this week long event.

The world’s top ranked golf professionals will be competing for the first ever Barbados World Cup. Along with this field of Golf’s elite, expect a gallery of celebrities and business leaders to be on hand to add to the excitement of the dramatic setting at the Sandy Lane course, where Tiger Woods was married two year’s ago.

If you are interested in a game of golf while vacationing on Barbados, or perhaps able to spend some time watching the pros work the course during the big event, BarbadosBarbados.com can help will all your travel arrangments. As for your backswing, well, you’re on your own.

Billy O’Dell, with his Carolyn, owns and operates BarbadosBarbados.com, an online concierge to Barbados.

We are so pleased to interview Lee Fodi from Vancouver, Canada. We are equally pleased that our 11 year old reviewer Haylee Lawler, who read “Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers,” is going to interview Mr. Fodi first. Welcome to Reader Views!

Haylee: Why did you think this story was a mystery, adventure, or for a person to figure out on their own?

Mr. Fodi: Why I think this story is both a mystery and adventure. I think readers don’t want authors to tell them everything. I think readers enjoy trying to figure out some of the things that are going on in the story.

Haylee: Do you think it would be best for other kids who are under age, like at age 8,7,9,6,and so on?

Mr. Fodi: When I write a story, I don’t try to think who it would be best for, boys or girls, or young kids or older kids. I really just try to write a good tale and hope that it finds an audience. I hope my stories appeal to a lot of kids, despite their ages. I often tell people that Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers has a reading level of about 9-12, but that younger children will really enjoy the story as a read aloud. There are lots of illustrations in the books, and of course, if the teacher or parent reading the story can speak in great monster voices (like I like to do), then the book will be even more fun!

Haylee: Why do you think it is the best idea for older kids to read this book instead of smaller kids to read this book?

Mr Fodi: I think all kids will enjoy the adventure in this book, but I think older kids will like some of the messages in this book. I think older kids will really like how Kendra is doing what she thinks is right and how she confronts her fear.

Haylee: Did you think it is a good book too when you wrote this book? What do you think about this book?

Mr. Fodi: I enjoyed this book when I was writing it. I think if I can get wrapped up in the adventure of the story while I’m writing it, then that’s a good sign that my readers will also like it.

Haylee: I liked the part where Kendra Kandlestar beats the red thief. What part do you like in the book?

Mr. Fodi: My favorite scene is when Kendra helps Trooogul the Unger. After she’s saved his life they are sitting at the edge of the cliff facing each other and she’s not sure what he’s going to do. He’s glaring at her and it’s as if he’s deciding if he should be grateful for her help, or if he should harm her in some way because Kendra is supposed to be his enemy. I think Trooogul is as confused as Kendra and there’s this moment of silence that passes between them as they try to sort out what has just happened. Of course, Kendra decides she won’t tell anyone that she helped Trooogul. She makes it a secret. So my other favorite scene is when she is the lair of the red thief and she has to own up to this secret. She has to confront her fear of her secret. I like this scene because she makes a hard decision.

Haylee: Now for my last question. In the story, at the last part, why did her grandfather what to help her look for her family? He was always mean to her. After she was about to get expelled from Ene, only two people voted for her to go so she stayed in Ene. But when she said that she was going to look for her parents when her grandfather asked if he could help look for her parents, why did he? Was he being nice or is he worried about her parents?

Mr. Fodi: Well, Uncle Griffinskitch is a grump, but I don’t think he ever meant to be really that mean. Long ago, when Kendra was just a baby, he had fought with Kendra’s mother just before she disappeared. So Uncle Griffinskitch was left to take care of Kendra and every time he looks at Kendra, I think he feels some guilt about that fight. And, according to the Elders, Kendra seems to be a lot like her mother, so that only reminds old Uncle Griffinskitch even more about his painful memories. But Uncle Griffinskitch loves Kendra deep down inside and I think he’s just as worried about her parents as she is. You see, Kendra isn’t the only one to learn a lesson or two in this story. Uncle Griffinskitch learns that he could have been a better brother to Kendra’s mother and now he can be a better Uncle to Kendra herself.

Irene: I’m so thrilled that we were able to include Haylee in this interview. She asked some great questions. It sounds like you wrote an incredibly magical book “Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers.” Tell us the gist of your book.

Lee: Well, have you ever had a secret? Could you imagine if your secrets fell into the wrong hands? Well, that’s just what happens in this book. You see, for over a thousand years the Box of Whispers has guarded all the secrets in the Land of Eenbut when the Box is suddenly stolen, five would-be heroes are chosen to go and find the fabled chest. One of these is young Kendra Kandlestar, and she soon finds herself swept away on a magical adventure where doors speak in riddles, plants cast spells, and strange creatures lurk in every shadow.

Irene: What age group does this book attract?

Lee: The book has a reading level of 8-12, but it also draws in younger kids because of the illustrations and the story-telling style of the narrative. Too the youngest of kids, the story is about a girl who ends up fighting a dragon, but older readers will be able to identify some deeper meanings.

Irene: I would imagine they are mostly girls that relate to your main character.

Lee: I thought that would be the case myself, but boys seem to like the book just as much as girls. I think that is because kids in general are attracted to high adventureand this book has a lot of that.

Having said that, there is no doubt that there is a lot of girl power in this book. Kendra, the 11-year-old heroine, is the most courageous character in the story and is the one who ultimately triumphs over the villainous creature, Rumor the Red Dragon. Captain Jinx is the smallest character (a grasshopper), but she is physically the strongest. Winter Woodsong, the Eldest of the Elders, is an intellectual and wise leader of the Eens.

So, I definitely think girls tune in to this girl power, and I think the boys just love all the monsters and magical mayhem.

Irene: What inspired you to write this book?

Lee: Since, I’m an illustrator in addition to being a writer, I am often inspired by art. In fact, I often say that I draw my way through writer’s block, which means I just get out my sketch book and draw to help my imagination flow again. For this book, I was inspired by a painting I did back in 2002. I wasn’t setting out to write a story. I just wanted to paint an interesting picture of some small creatures tip-toeing past a giant creature. And that one painting inspired the entire book, Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. You can still see the spirit of that original painting on the cover of the book.

Irene: How did you come up with the personality of the main character, Kendra Kandlestar? Does she duplicate someone that you know?

Lee: To tell you the honest truth, I think most of my characters represent some aspect of me! I can be quite as grumpy as Uncle Griffinskitch, or timid like Oki, or even as obnoxious as Ratchet Ringtail. As for Kendra, well she’s really an oddball in this story. She doesn’t have any Een friends. All of her companions are animals, and this kind of makes her an outcast. She’s weird and different and she basically does things her own way. I was certainly like that as a kid (actually, I suppose I’m still like that). When I was in school, I was in a special class for “creative” kids, which was great in many ways, but of course it also alienated me from some of the other kids in the school. I guess Kendra has a lot of qualities that I admire. She has pluck, and does what she thinks is right and not what she is told is right. I hope I’m like her in that way, and I guess through the character of Kendra I’m trying to demonstrate the power of thinking for yourself.

Irene: Obviously to be a children’s book writer, you have to be a kid at heart. What do you believe is keeping you there?

Lee: Well, teaching creative writing kids certainly helps, as does going to visit schools to talk about writing and drawing. I’m exposed to kid energy on a weekly basis, and it helps me find that place. I am truly a big kid at heart. I love a lot of the stories kids love, and we’re always talking about the latest Star Wars movie or the latest fantasy book. When I go to the schools, I have this activity I call “Goblin Designing 101.” In this activity, I scribble out a creature with the kids telling me what to draw. At first, they think I’m a boring adult and will never do what they ask. But in this activity, they are the bosses, so if they want exploding pimples, then they get exploding pimples! I think it mortifies the teachers sometimes, but the kids love that twenty-minute block of freedom that they can spend with an adult who lets them do things they think they normally shouldn’t get away with.

Irene: I often wonder how writers come up with names for their characters. How did you come up with names like “Oki” or “Ratchet Ringtail.”

Lee: I actually put a lot of work into my names. I think they can help construct the personality of a character. In this book, all the names use alliteration, where the first and last name begin with the same sound. So we have Juniper Jinx, Honest Oki, Winter Woodsong, etc. I did that just to give the tiny Een people a bit of a sing-song quality to their names. Uncle Griffinskitch (whose first name is Gregor, by the way) was named because I liked the sound of it. I think it sounds like a grumpy name. Plus, I have to confess he was named after my cat, who goes by Griffin publicly, but has the nickname of Skitch. Just like Uncle Griffinskitch, my cat has long hair (even though when he was a kitten, it appeared that he would be very much a short-haired cat!). Kendra was probably the name I agonized over the most. I wanted to keep changing it, but a lot of my creative writing students were hooked into the story as I was writing it and they all really liked the name of Kendra. I guess it is a popular name right now.

Irene: As I read the reviews written by your young readers, I noted most of them said that they just couldn’t put the book down. This to me is a real compliment coming from a child’s perspective. How difficult is it to write a child’s book, keep it simple, and yet capture their attention to the point that they can’t wait to read the next chapter?

Lee: In one way, I find it very difficult. I think I have this tendency to want to over-explain everything. I want to make sure everything adds up, so that there are no holes in the plot. Kids are very good at catching such things. But, at the end of the day, I am always writing for my eleven-year-old self…so I try to trust in that. You know, I wrote books throughout my childhoodand I call them books because I made sure they had covers, title pages, and even copyright pages. Well, as I was working on Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers, I was reading a book of mine that I had written when I was ten or eleven years old. There was this whole gag in the book where one character is thinking of onions and another character tells him not to because it will ruin the wish they are trying to make. It was so silly and lovely that I decided to modify this idea and include it in Kendra Kandlestar. So, I basically stole from my ten-year-old self, but it’s that type of humor and story telling style that speaks to kidsand I know this, because I wrote it as a young kid.

Irene: When you were that 10 or 12 years old writing stories, had you aspired at that time to have a career as a professional writer?

Lee: You know, I always joke that I decided to be a writer at a young age because of laziness. I grew up on a farm in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada and I made a very poor farm boy. At a very young age I wanted to be a farmer, just like my dad, but I was too much of a dreamer. My head was always in the clouds thinking of some story to write. And then when I was ten years old my dad tried to teach me how to drive the tractor and I accidentally ran over this old outhouse we had on our property. It was an old decrepit shack and it tumbled to the ground like a house of cards! Well, if there had been any lingering doubt at that point about what I should do for a career, it was now gone. I think it was pretty clear to me and my family that I was destined for something different than farming! You know, I think I always thought of myself as an author of books, even as a little kid, which is why I put covers and copyright pages on my books. I never wanted to be a movie script writer, or a comic book artist…really my heart always told me that I wanted to tell stories through books. And, you know, it wasn’t too long after the famous outhouse incident that I started sending out manuscripts to publishers, even though I was only 11 or 12. I had no idea what I was doing, but I think it was a good experience to start thinking about how to show my work to the world.

Irene: What do you believe captures the reader’s attention and makes a child’s book a “good book?”

Lee: Well, for me it always comes down to character. In the mail I get from children, they inevitably mention their favorite character. There are some works of children’s literature, such as the Wizard of Oz (a huge influence on me, by the way), in which the plot is up and down and doesn’t really ever reach one climax, at least not in the traditional way we are taught to think about plot structure. But no one remembers that. What we remember are the marvelous characters. Strong characters can really take a book far and I get a lot of kids asking me for more stories about Kendra. They want to know what happens next to her and her friends, which means they care about the characters.

Irene: Although fiction and fantasy, this book has a much deeper message. What is the message that you want to instill in your young reader?

Lee: In many ways, Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers is about fearor, more accurately said, about confronting fear. In the book, all the secrets that the characters hide inside the Box of Whispers come attached with a great deal of fear. As a result, this fear helps hatch a terrible monsterliterally, Rumor the Red Dragon. By the end of the story Kendra is able to find that “spark” inside of her, and gains strength by standing up to the dragon and facing her fears. I believe that, when we face our fears, we grow and become better people. Of course, I didn’t set out to write a book about fearmy intention was to write a fantasy adventure story about a girl who ends up in a dragon’s lair…but I find that messages and themes always develop through the writing process, and in this book, I would say confronting fear is definitely the main message.

Irene: In what way to do you believe the readers “get the message.”

Lee: I think all of us (including kids) get most messages intuitively. We may not always intellectually understand or consciously analyze what we see in a movie or read in a book, but at a gut level we “get it.” I think the scene that really sticks with kids in Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers is when she helps the creature, Trooogul the Unger. She is frightened of him, and she knows it is forbidden to help him, but she saves him anyway. I think most kids want to believe and understand that you should help those in trouble, regardless of who they are. So that’s the first important part of Kendra’s journeyhelping someone that “they” (the Elders of Een) say she shouldn’t. The second important part is that Kendra is eventually able to stand up and be proud for helping Trooogul, and she does this by facing the box of whispers, and it’s dark master, the red dragon.

You know, I always look to C.S. Lewis as the master of messages in children’s fantasy books. In my opinion, no children’s author was ever more skilled at telling a great story, while at the same time building in several levels of meaning. The youngest of children might not intellectually understand all his messages at firstbut the most important thing is that it doesn’t stop them from enjoying a fantastic story. And I hope it’s the same with Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers.

Irene: Do you have any children of your own? If so, what are their reactions to the books you write?

Lee: I don’t have children of my own, but I teach creative writing workshops to children aged 8-12, so I am constantly plied with questions about my stories. Also, I have a sister who is twelve years younger than I am, so when she was little, I was always inventing stories for her. In a way, she kept me intrigued with writing in the children’s fantasy genre because she was always so enthralled with my stories. And that’s the great thing about children. Their reactions are immediate and genuine. If they don’t like something, they are honest and tell you and, similarly, if they love something they’ll let you know that too. For me, there’s nothing better than hearing a kid laugh or gasp or cry “eek!” at something I’ve written.

Irene: And your next book? What is it about and when will it be published?

Lee: I just started working on the sequel to “Kendra Kandlestar” and I hope to have it released in late 2007 or early 2008. Of course, it’s a lot of work to write a book, but I will be illustrating it as well, so these things just take time. The most important thing is that I’ve got a fantastic idea for the book. It will be called “Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger.”

Irene: I’m fascinated by your vivid imagination and the ability to put it on paper in a way that the readers are totally captured by the story. Is there anything else you would like your reading audience to know about you or your book?

Lee: Well, I always like to hear from my readers! I encourage them to visit my website at www.leefodi.com. It’s packed full with pictures and information about me and my work. Of course, you can also email me through my website, and if you send me a review of my book, I will send you some free e-books as a thank you! Most importantly, I just hope kids out there will keep reading because it is one of the best skills you can ever develop.

Irene Watson is Managing Editor of Reader Views
http://www.readerviews.com

Have you seen the ads everywhere for “1% Mortgage Loans” - offers that show how you can chop you monthly payment in half?

These are Option ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) loans. They usually offer a low start rate - 1%, 1.5%, 1.95%, 2%, etc.

This type of loan has become very popular recently, particularly in places with high and escalating real estate values where the loan can allow people to buy or keep expensive properties.

Basics

The Option ARM loan is a loan that has to be understood first because it can be good or bad, depending on your circumstances and goals.

The Option ARM mortgage rate is usually an introductory rate (the APR or annual percentage rate is usually much higher).

The initial interest rate may only be for the first month.

The appeal of this type of loan is that it typically allows you to make a choice each month about how much you want to pay for your mortgage. That’s what makes it different than a regular mortgage bill: you have an OPTION to choose which payment you want to make.

These choices each month are usually a minimum payment (usually less than the interest-only level), an interest-only level, a 15 year amortization level, or a 30 year amortization.

Example

A 1% minimum option loan at $400,000 with a 30 year loan term can have four different payment levels:

the minimum payment of $1,287

an interest-only payment of $1,649

a 30 year payment of $2,134

or a 15 year payment of $3,152.

When you get your bill, you can decide that month how much you pay.

The Catch

Here is the first catch: when you make the minimum payment, any amount short of the interest-only payment is added onto the principal of the loan. If the interest-only payment is $1,500 per month and you only pay $1,200 per month minimum payment, then you are increasing the size of your loan by $300 ($1,500 less $1,200). An increase in your loan size is known as “negative amortization”.

If you continue to make minimum payments over time, your loan balance will continue to increase.

The level of your minimum payment can also be reset, typically on an annual basis. The minimum payment is usually fixed for 12 month periods at a time. Once a year, the minimum payment goes up slightly. For example, the minimum payment each month for the first year may be $1,200, then the second year it may be $1,300, the third year it may rise to $1,400, etc. Because of this escalating feature, some people refinance again after around 3 years so they can go back to the lower minimum payments.

Minimum payment levels usually last for the first 5 years of a loan, after which the loan reverts back to a regular adjustable loan.

There can also be a reset of the loan if the loan size increases too much relative to the value of the property.

For some people a minimum payment may be the option they choose once in a while, such as around the holidays.

Interest Rate on Loan

What is the interest rate on this type of loan? Usually it adjusts on a monthly basis and is the sum of an interest rate index plus the “margin” which is the bank’s profits. The interest rate index can be based on different published indexes, such as the LIBOR, COSI, or CODI index.

For example, your interest rate may be:

3.2% interest rate value for your index

Plus 3% lender margin

=Total 6.2% for that month

Some of these indexes change value faster than others. These loans also usually come with a lifetime cap on the interest rate, so the upside interest rate risk is clearly defined.

The Risk

If your loan continues to increase, and the value of your property drops, then you can end up owing more on the property than the house is worth.

The Potential Uses

If you have lots of equity in your property and don’t mind your loan size going up, consider this loan. Often times, people have found that gains in property values are higher than the increase in their loan size. For example, a customer may start the year with a loan of $300,000 on a $400,000 property and may end the year with a $310,000 loan on a $450,000 property. The borrower’s equity in the home has still increased, despite the increase in loan amount. Of course, this is equity on paper.

The 1% loan often only goes up to the first 80% of the value of the property, after which if an additional loan is necessary it is usually an equity line at a higher rate. Borrowers will still use this loan because the combined expense is still lower than other options.

Qualifications

This type of loan can be done with both full documentation and stated documentation borrowers. This can depend on other factors, such as:

Credit

Level of equity in the property

Borrower loan history

Because of the potential for negative amortization (where the loan size increases rather than decreases), banks usually wanted to see some equity in the loan before making it. This was usually at least 10% equity in the loan (for example, a $450,000 loan on a $500,000 property has 10% equity). This 10% equity gave the lender some “cushion” if the loan value went up and the property declined in value.

There are now lenders that will do this with only 5% equity, and in some cases on equity. These loans can be structured in two parts: the first 80% as a minimum option payment loan, and the final 15% or 20% as a second loan with much higher rates.

Rental Properties

For rental properties, a minimum payment may allow you to collect enough rent to make a monthly profit or be closer to it. The size of the Option ARM loan relative to the value of a rental property is usually lower than for a primary residence.

For some borrowers the minimum payment may be an attractive option because it allows them to put the minimum cash into a property while riding up its value (this is the concept of leverage).

A full golf swing is the desire of every golfer. You know that a full golf swing is needed to produce maximum clubhead speed and ultimately distance…but do you know how to accomplish it effectively?

You’ve probably heard your golf teaching pro say, “you’re not getting a full golf swing”, but has he told you how to get it? It’s easy to analyze, but much harder to come up with a solution…until now.

You see…a full golf swing is impossible to achieve if you do not have a higher level of golf-specific strength and flexibility. Let me say that one more time.

“A full golf swing is impossible to achieve if you do not have a higher level of golf specific strength and flexibility”.

Let’s look at these so-called “requirements”, for you to see I’m not just blowing smoke.

A full golf swing is considered a 90 degree shoulder turn, with a 45 degree hip turn. This is what we read in all the analysis’ of the golf swing.

Achieving the above physical components in your golf posture proves almost impossible for the senior golfer who has declining physical abilities.

Are you in this category?

Are you a 50-70 year old golfer who has lost a ton of yards off the tee and watched your scores get higher and higher?

If so, don’t you think if you did a simple, “in-home” golf performance program you’d see dramatic improvements in your body’s ability to make a bigger, even “full golf swing”?

To achieve this doesn’t mean hitting more balls at the range or taking more lessons. In fact, you can eliminate hitting balls altogether for a short time while you get your body back in tip-top shape.

When you do, the next time you go out to practice or play, you will be shocked!

That full golf swing you’ve dreamed about will happen without you even thinking about it. Your body will do it because it has been ‘trained’ properly.

A Quick Tip - you’ve got to focus on your rotational strength and flexibility to make a full golf swing! You can even do this sitting in your chair. Reach around the back of your chair and rotate your upper body, while leveraging your opposite arm against the chair. This is a simple, yet very effective rotational stretch you can do all day long.

You don’t need fancy, expensive equipment to improve your physical abilities, but a simple and effective program will do wonders for achieving your full golf swing.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is the featured expert for Golf Magazine’s GolfOnline.com site, one of the top golf performance experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance sites. Take a look at his just released golf performance dvds and manual at his golf swing tips site - Perform Better Golf.

Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been at her job 5 years. She came to me because she felt that the organization she was working for didn’t value her and was upset because others had been promoted but she had not.

By the time we began to work together she had already written her resignation letter and asked me to review it with her. Her letter was not an angry one. She even thanked the organization for the training she had received that had enabled her to have some notable achievements.

After I read it I asked her to think of one skill that she hoped she would get from her next position and weave it into the letter so they would know why she was leaving. She chose to highlight leadership skills and in the letter said she was leaving to find a position that would allow her to develop her leadership skills.

You can probably guess what happened? The organization offered her a job managing a team immediately. Her manager said he thought she didn’t want to be a manager. The immediate offer was because he didn’t want to lose her!

The third step of my Value Program © is Leverage and by leverage I mean a small shift or change that can produce big results. The small change Cassy made to her letter got a much bigger result than she had even dreamed about!

The word leverage comes from the word lever. I always picture a big rock with a big metal bar under it. If you push a little on the metal bar you can move the rock. Without the big metal bar (the lever), the rock is just too big for you to move.

Clients often come to me because their business isn’t building fast enough or their job or career search is bogged down. There is a lot to do when you are starting to build a business, practice or a career. Results may come slowly. Leverage is key. As you look at all the choices of steps to take you will want to ask yourself, “What small step can I take that will produce a big result?

Of course there are an infinite number of answers depending on you and your business. In my experience though the following three offer leverage to most people:

First a plan can be of enormous help as long as you write it, use it and update it as necessary. Whether you are writing a career plan, job search plan, territory plan, practice plan or business plan, look at it as something you are going to use. So many people shove the plan in the draw never to be seen again. A plan might take several hours to write but then you have a clear view of how to move the rock when you are done.

Another idea for leverage is to develop strategic partners. These are people who can point you in the right direction. They might introduce you to someone who is hiring or know people who need your product or service. They may be in a complimentary industry and be willing to recommend you or your service to their clients. Think of strategic partners as people who are holding the lever with you so you can move that rock farther and/or faster.

Use your accomplishments for leverage too. They give you credibility with customers or hiring managers. Cassy’s letter of resignation underlined what she had learned in her current job. She leveraged what she had for an opportunity to learn something new.

Take Action:

1. What small action can you take in your work or personal life that will result in a big move forward? Write down what you want to accomplish (the result) and brainstorm ideas to move forward quickly or dramatically. Try brainstorming alone, with a friend and/or with your coach.

2. Write or update your business or career plan for 2005. What will you be doing to move your business or career forward?

3. Check your address book and business card collection. Look for strategic partners who have helped you in the past or who you think can help you know. Make an appointment with them to discuss your idea for working with them.

4. Make a list of other ways to leverage what you already have in your business, career or job. I’d love to make a list of ideas on using leveraging in business, career and life. If you are willing to share yours, please send them to me at asparker@asparker.com

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker’s Value Program© enables her client to make his/her career fun, fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are managers, business owners, sole practioners, attorneys and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

Beautiful makeup tips are useful to know what you should do to make the makeup work to its fullest capacity, for, makeup done unprofessionally and without any thought would not be able to give you the desired results. Before applying the makeup that you hope would create a magical aura around you, consider these following tips for beautiful makeup:

Beautiful Makeup Tip 1

It is better to use toner on your face first. Use of a good moisturizer is also a good option, as this helps in proper and better blending of foundation. This is where most of people do not put proper care and end up in a mess of things, as the foundation does not give desired results!

Beautiful Makeup Tip 2

Use your fingers for working the foundation on one area of your face. It is better if you are moving your fingers in circular motion, and after you have finished this finger-walk, you can use sponge for the final working of the foundation.

Beautiful Makeup Tip 3

It is advisable to use a translucent loose powder to set the makeup with the help of a soft brush. When you are using the brush, dust the makeup in downward motion.

Beautiful Makeup Tip 4

If you are using blusher for your makeup, care needs to be taken in its application, for, it is better to apply in circular motion with fingers along the bottom of cheekbones. Mind you, application of blusher over the line that would pass from the center of your eyes is always prohibited!

Beautiful Makeup Tip 5

If you want to provide more natural look, you can fend the brush after you have loaded it with the blusher to remove the extra blusher.

Beautiful Makeup Tip 6

It is better to opt for a colorless eye shadow as a base. Darker colors need to be applied on outer side of eye shapes, and if you have already used more than required, you can use translucent or colorless coating over the already made.

Beautiful Makeup Tip 7

Sometimes, people get carried away with the colors of their clothes and try to match the color of makeup with it. Mind you, this may not look beautiful, so, it is better to opt for colors that actually suit your complexion. Using mild colors can lend a rare beauty to your face.

Beautiful Makeup Tip 8

If you are using eyeliner to make your eyes attractive and talking, it should be applied close to base of eyelashes, so that it can make them look thicker.

If you follow these tips for your makeup, the possibility of finest outcome for your face is more and you will enjoy the place for which you have intended the makeup!

Tony Smith

For more Makeup Tips vist http://www.makeup-guide-plus.info

We work in a society that thrives on an endless jargon of terms for building financial security and success. We can transfer “deposits,”multiply “dividends,” manipulate “stock portfolios,” and calculate “capital gains”. We understand depreciation of assets and can analyze and refocus options. We push buttons and punch keys. We re-route traffic, mark paper trails, and can “buy high and sell low.” As marketplace ministers, however, we need to perfect our ability to “roll” our problems over to God.

We are spirit beings living in the natural world. We are “passing through,” fulfilling our individual God-given assignments. By choice, we are not our own master, but rather lean on the unchanging nature of our God. Our assignments include living the life of Christ, depending on God, and leading and teaching as He did during His “natural” walk on earth.

This life we lead requires that we handle our problems and challenges differently than we handle the stock market. By “rolling” our problems over to the author and finisher of our fate, we acknowledge the gift of grace (which is the unmerited favor of God) and power we have been given. We also open doors of success in our business and personal lives.

We must learn to enter the “rest” of God, comfortable that when the time is right what we need for our business and personal success will be in place. We must keep the “Word” before us, remembering that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age (Ephesians 6:12). Our power and victory over business or personal challenges, therefore, cannot be attained through earthly means neither through our earthly actions.

We must turn away from our natural responses and stop “taking charge” over making things happen. We must transform our thinking and roll issues and situations over to God. We must seek His wisdom, knowledge, and His perfect timing. “Not my will but thy will”(Luke22:42) must be our lifelong philosophy. In so doing, we demonstrate to all who observe the supernatural power we have within us to overcome and withstand the obstacles and succeed in our personal and business endeavors.

As children of the living God, our response to our business struggles have far reaching impact on those who observe us. We cannot afford the luxury of wallowing or whining and complaining, fearing and fretting, or being anxious and distressed. Our steps are observed and critiqued by those who may be weak in faith, or who do not believe at all in the power of prayer through submission.

We must remember we exist on this earth to be living examples that the God we serve will take care of us in time of trouble and struggle, stress or pain. Because of this fact, we cannot allow ourselves to be impatient or decide we will help God resolve our problems. We have a responsibility to remind ourselves and others that God’s timing is perfect, and He is working it out. “Unless God builds a house, those who labor will labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1) When we operate outside of God’s timing, we waste valuable energy and resources. We also begin to travel in circles accumulating fear, frustration, ill health and doubt in the futureall of which are darts of attack from the enemy.

Living the “roll over” life can reap enormous benefits which cannot be manifested without some actions on our part. We are required to have faith, be obedient and be committed. Faith in the power of God, obedience to the Word of God, and commitment to the Will of God are ingredients to the successful rolled over lifestyle we must seek in order to defeat the plots and plans of the enemy.

Faith is an action word. We must actively believe that God is in charge, with full oversight and control of our lives. In order to have faith in the power of God, you must recognize how to access that power.

We each have within us the key to accessing the power of God. Through praise and worship, we please God and invite Him to help us. God will not become involved in our lives without our invitation. “I will praise and Lord at all times. His praise will continually be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1). These statements are not merely friendly phrases. Their use can activate the fullness of God power. Praise and worship are our “rolling over” song and prayer that enable use to move out of the way so that God can help us fulfill His will for our lives. His will is “that you prosper as your soul prospers, (3 John 2).

Being obedient to the Word of God will require that you read the Word in order to know what the Word says for your lives. It means taking the time to hear, absorb, question, and learn by “studying to show thyself approved” (II Timothy 2:15). Once you read the Word of God, you are responsible for making it part of your daily life. In this way, not unlike Jesus, you can boldly go before God in prayer as his child asking for wisdom and power to change negative situations so that you can be fruitful and multiply in your business and personal life.

For business people, obedience and commitment to the Word and will of God is paramount to living successful and fruitful lives. Our “walk” must demonstrate ethical principals. There are no trade-offs or detours.

Each business decision must begin and end with Christ-like attitudes and responses. Professionalism, punctuality, follow up and follow through must be the focus. Profit motive, at all cost, must not be the standard of operating and profit planning must be tempered with supernatural wisdom and guidance through prayer. In this way, the business is built on a solid foundation, not sinking sand.

Non-conforming will be a daily battle, with worldly views and carnal thinking around every turn of operation. It becomes your mandate, therefore, to renew and transform your thinking toward God centered living. Psalm 37:4 advises that we delight ourselves in the Lord and he will give us the desires of our heart. God wants to give us what we desire, in conformance to His good and perfect will for our lives. We must be vigilant and cautious not to:
*Get in a hurry and decide to give God a hand in the process
*Go ahead of God
*Forget to ask God for His will for our lives
*Seek His face at all times in all decisions, with all challenges
*Wait on the Lord with patience and confidence (Faith) that He will see us through
*Believe that God knows the perfect timing of what we need and that…..
*He is working it out for us.

Living the “Rollover” life requires that we have an attitude of totally relinquishing power over our lives, in faith, to God. It is a call to separate ourselves from self controlling situations and allowing a power greater and more resourceful and creative to take charge.

Essential elements to this transition includes acceptance that there is a greater power than you, the importance of your willingness to submit and cooperate fully, and an openness to trying another way to connect your vision to personal and professional success. Remember, behind the scenes, God is working it out.

All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to electronically reprint the following article as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright information, and resource box. Minimal content editing is allowed; however, you may request changes to the content byline: e-mail VMA@meetingtheneeds.org with necessary changes. Off line printing is permitted. Please send a copy of the article on publication to: VMAssociates, Inc., PMB 47182, Windsor Mill, MD 21244.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theresa V. Wilson, M.Ed. is a freelance writer and owner of a home based business dedicated to providing products and resources for grieving families and caregivers facing stres and health recovery related issues. Her Grief and Health support sites are www.meetingtheneeds.org and www.renewingyourhealth.org

He who asks questions is attempting to be in control. That fact can be observed in any dialog. Asking questions directs the responses, and directs the dialog.

Questioning can take one of three forms:

1. Manipulative questioning

This is the riskiest of the three forms, somewhat resembling sleight-of-hand tactics. This is guiding responses in an orderly, progressive fashion that leads to a desired final result, but this method can backfire. The ‘victim” of this type of questioning can begin to feel backed into a corner, and ultimately resist any offer. These kinds of questions resemble this example: “You would have to admit that convenience is a major priority of yours, wouldn’t you?” I recommend that most of us resort to less confrontational methods of utilizing questions. This is for closers.

2. Informational questioning

This is the most risk-free type of questioning. With this form, the questions asked tend to demonstrate concern and sensitivity, and a desire to understand the customer and his/her business needs. This form does not necessarily lead to a foregone conclusion. A relative example would be, “What would be a high priority of yours?” You are allowing the respondent to seem in control, but you are drawing information out of them that you will need to effectively direct your sales approach.

3. Positioning questioning

This lies in the middle ground of the three methods, and definitely requires on-the-job testing to fine-tune. Positioning is both an art and a science. The better you become at questioning, the more control you will have in your business communications. The relative example is, “How do you envision this helping you?” This asks both an honest question and also encourages the client to visualize the benefits of your wonderful product or service. What you are doing is forcing them to think about the benefits, immediately, in order to respond verbally to the question. If the answer is positive, the underlying message is that the client would prefer to have the benefits that are represented by your offer.

This is a trial close, as close to a commitment as is reasonable to expect at this point. These kinds of questions can be incorporated into written or broadcast ads, as well as employed face-to face. The bottom line of any stimulus, once you have attractively and irresistibly presented your benefits, is to conclude with the honest (and manipulative…) question, “Can you see how this can be of benefit to you?” Once the conclusion is reached in favor of those benefits, and only after this conclusion has been reached, do you then ask the closing question, “Is there anything that would prevent you from going ahead with this right now?”

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of “Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses” and a Free copy of “Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business.”