Fundraiser Decorating Ideas

Eye-catching decorations can help make any fundraiser a success.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of charity organizations, and without the money from these events their doors would close. That's why it's vitally important to do each and every fundraiser right, and decorations are a major part of making events a success.

Function

Attract attention with big decorations.

The purpose of decorations depends on the type of fundraiser. If it's a tabling event, and donations depend on attracting people to the table, big decorations like groups of balloons can grab the attention of passers-by. For events like walks, runs and bicycling tours, people have already signed up and plan on attending, so decorations can be a little more low-key.

Significance

A picture speaks a thousand words and can tell people just what they're donating for.

For a truly moving display, integrate the charity's work with the decorations. For an animal rescue group, use large, glossy photos and posters of animals in their forever homes and caption them with the success stories. For a domestic violence charity, have some of the women who have been helped decorate shirts with their stories and hang them on a clothesline.

Potential

Make the decorations part of the fundraiser. A charity that is collecting books or clothes for children in need might ask a kindergarten class to paint some rain barrels that can be set up for people to place donations in. Those organizing a Halloween event might ask a class of art students to paint some pumpkins for centerpieces and then raffle them off.

Considerations

Every donated component means more money for the charity's cause.

A fundraiser isn't a success if most of the money is spent on throwing it, so look for ways to get decorations donated. Ask local stores for donations of supplies and make sure to give them plenty of time to respond. Offer to include their logo, name and slogan in any programs or posters; free advertising is a good incentive for businesses to donate.

Tags: fundraiser success, paint some, with decorations

The History Of Advertising & Its Effects

Advertising in some form has existed since man started living in urban environments. A simple sign with a name or title or even just a painted symbol on a door represents an herbalist or a blacksmith or a religious institution inside and is, in effect, an advertisement. However, advertising as we know it today did not really develop until late in the industrial revolution when products began to proliferate and producers needed a way to make consumers aware of and differentiate their products.

The Early History of Advertising

The first modern advertising agency was established in 1842 by Volney B. Palmer. There had been others who sold ad space in newspapers and magazines to companies to announce their new products, but Palmer was the first to approach the idea of advertising systematically and offer a suite of services to companies (from copywriting to finding the best place to run the ads). He was also among the earliest to advocate advertising as a new marketing technique.

Development of Advertising in the Early 20th Century

Palmer's business was successful, but the concept and practice of advertising took a number of decades to develop into what we know today. The first two decades of the 20th century mark the real development of modern advertising and an explosive growth in the industry. The idea of using celebrities and movie stars to promote products burst onto the scene, as did the idea of selling products by sex appeal (that is, having sexy men and women extol the virtues of products).

Advertising and Capitalism

Volney Palmer was among the first to realize and specifically discuss advertising as new tool for businesses and an integral part of the capitalist business model of the modern industrial world. By the 1920s, this view was becoming commonly held by business and the public as well as those in the advertising industry.

Modern Advertising

Modern advertising has grown to become an integral part of today's consumer-oriented economic system. Advertising is everywhere, it has become a part of the fabric of our society, so much, in fact, that we cannot possibly consciously register all of the advertising inputs. In effect, advertising bombards modern consumers for almost all of their waking hours, so they filter out a good bit of it on the conscious level. According to the Kelsey Group, the total global advertising market topped $600 billion in 2007.

Tags: History Advertising, integral part, know today, modern advertising, their products, Volney Palmer

Make A Decision Using A Quantitative Scoring System

Make a Decision Using a Quantitative Scoring System

Decision making, especially for questions that can drastically affect your life, can be an excruciating task. If you want to do more than just flip a coin to make a decision, a quantitative scoring system is one possible option. There are a range of different quantitative methods that you can design, but a few basic steps can help guide you in the decision-making process.

Instructions

1. Decide beforehand if you're going to commit yourself to the outcome of the quantitative analysis or not. It's easy to reach a quantitative result and then dismiss it as being against your intuition. If you want to make a decision, commit yourself to choosing based on the results of the system; otherwise, just decide to use the system as additional input.

2. Determine what your requirements, desires, preferences and other criteria are for the decision you want to make. The more comprehensive your list, the more helpful the analysis will be.

3. Prioritize the criteria that you come up with in Step 2. Make a list with the most important criteria at the top. Make note of any criteria that are of equal importance to you.

4. Assign a number of points to each criteria, with those that are more important getting a greater number of points. You may want to start with 100 points and divide them among the criteria, for example. Whatever your method, make the distribution of points correspond as much as possible to how you view the relative importance of each criterion.

5. Rate each decision option for each criterion that you list in Step 3. Assign each option some number of points less than or equal to the number you choose in Step 4 for each criterion.

6. Add the total points for each decision option and compare the scores of each option. The option with the greatest number of points should be the one that best fits your criteria for the decision-making process.

7. Stick with your commitment from Step 1, if you made one. Try to avoid wallowing in indecision by making a choice and sticking to it whenever possible.

Tags: number points, each criterion, commit yourself, criteria that, decision option, Decision Using, Decision Using Quantitative

Get A Job In Motorsports

A job in motorsports can be very rewarding.

Motorsports are sports or competitions that involve the use of motorized vehicles such as motorcycles, boats or cars. Each motorsport has many different types of specialized professionals working together to complete an overall mission or task. Working in motorsports can be a very rewarding career, however it requires a tremendous amount of commitment.

Instructions

1. Determine which type of a motorsport job you would like to pursue, such as a racing-dedicated position, a business-related position, or an engineering position.

2. Learn as much as you can in your area of interest by taking some high school or college courses and gain hands-on experience by volunteering at a small track in your local area.

3. Create a strong one page resume documenting your education and experience in a brief but complete way.

4. Decide which type of motorsports you would like to work in, such as NASCAR, and contact the person who does the hiring in your area of expertise.

5. Submit your resume to the department head and follow up with a thank you note.

Tags: motorsports very, motorsports very rewarding, very rewarding, which type, would like, your area

Responsibilities Of An Events Coordinator

Event coordinators are skilled multitaskers who possess strong people skills.

An events coordinator works in the field of publicity, promotions or public relations. Events coordinators may be employed by organizations, corporations or charities, or they may head their own companies or work as independent contractors on an event by event basis. While they may have a degree in public relations, communications or related field, they all must possess strong people skills and be adept at multitasking.

Planning

Events coordinators are responsible for planning every aspect of an event, including securing a venue and setting up all necessary employees from waiters, to valets, to security. They oversee menus and decorations, making certain adequate amounts of food and drink are available, and that flowers, table settings and seating are sufficient for the anticipated crowd.

The coordinator sets up all sound system people, security staff and custodians prior to the event as well. The events coordinator makes sure the event has all required clearance from local government, works with any union requirements of the facility and oversees any required permits. The events coordinator must be a skilled negotiator and communicator, getting the best deals and employees to have a successful event.

Publicity

A key responsibility for an events coordinator is handling the publicity for the event. Advertising must be placed in appropriate places, whether in TV or radio spots, or ads in the local magazine or papers or those which cater to the industry or cause involved.

An events coordinator is responsible for writing or seeing to the writing of press releases, and coordinates their release at different stages of the event planning. The coordinator should have good contacts in the media for maximum publicity. A good database of contacts to send announcements of the event is also invaluable. The events coordinator will know draw media attention to the event by including the right people or coming up with an interesting angle. The coordinator also understands the value of getting certain people involved who will be able to recruit even more people to the event.

Organization

An events coordinator needs to ensure every aspect of the event, from advertising to janitorial duties, stays on budget. This requires staying on top of bids for jobs, keeping a constant check on bills and estimates and having a solid idea of the number of people attending the event so money won't be wasted on food or alcohol that won't be consumed.

The events coordinator sees that all bills are paid promptly and maintains positive relationships with vendors, both to continue to have plenty of excellent resources for future events and to maintain the image of the organizations behind the events.

Tags: events coordinator, aspect event, event including, Events coordinators, every aspect, every aspect event

Win At Fnm (Friday Night Magic)

FNM is a weekly tournament held at gaming stores for the trading card game, Magic: The Gathering. Every week, exclusive alternate art foil cards are given away as prizes to the top players and sometimes additional prizes at the stores discretion. These promo cards are highly sought after. Competition is often fierce and challenging, but there are steps you can take to have the leading edge.

Instructions

1. Research the rules further. Read up on the comprehensive rules to know every nuance. One integral rule that most beginners have a hard time understanding is the "stack."

2. Master the stack. The basic premise of the stack is that the last spell played at a single time is the first one to resolve. In other words if your opponent plays a spell and then you play a spell and in response your opponent plays a spell, there will be three spells on the stack. The most recent spell the opponent just played will be the first to resolve, followed by your spell, and then finally the very first spell that your opponent played.

3. Research the top decks for ideas. On magicthegathering.com, you can find deck lists for major tournaments such as the World Championships and Pro Tours. If you see a deck you like, you can buy cards online or trade for them from other players. As of 2010, some cards used in top decks can go for $20 or more. Many of these cards are essential to own because of their power level.

4. Play test against other players. Tweak the deck to fit your playing style. This might mean trading for or buying other cards. Ultimately, you want your deck to win on as consistent of a basis as possible. The more you play and understand how your deck works, the better. Practice makes perfect.

5. Hold spells back until after you attack unless you have good reason for doing so. Many beginner players play spells and then attack, but by holding back the opponent may think that you have a surprise in store for them. This will cause them to be more cautious with their blocks.

6. Study the top players and winning decks at your local FNM tournaments. Pay attention to what cards the winning players use and notice how the play the game.

7. Play non-sanctioned games against the top FNM players in your area. See what strategic tips you can learn from them. Pay attention to the content of their decks and the strategies they us.

8. Ask the top players questions relating to Magic strategy. Some good questions may be how did you get so good at the game, how can you tell if a card is good, what is some advice you may have to get better at the game.

9. Modify your deck so that for the next FNM you are prepared for the top players strategies and playing styles.

Tags: your deck, your opponent, first resolve, opponent plays, opponent plays spell, other players

Make Money In The Mail Order Business

Mail order businesses have been around for years. You can sell anything you choose, from collectible items to costume jewelry. One of the main benefits of starting a mail order business is that it's relatively inexpensive to get up and running. You can start a mail order business in your spare time, right from home. Here's make money with your mail order business.

Instructions

Making Money in the Mail Order Business

1. Decide what you're going to sell. The products that you decide to sell should fulfill a customer need or desire. Choose products that you can sell at a good price and still exceed your marketing and advertisement costs. Try to choose items that allow you a 5:1 ratio between your sales price and the cost of goods sold. Sell high-quality products that give your customers sufficient value for their money. You should choose products that are easy to package and ship to your customers.

2. Create a sales letter and advertisement package. Your advertisement package may include additional information in the form of a flyer or brochure. Include an order sheet in your advertisement that's simple and easy to follow. You want the customer to easily be able to order your product. Disorganized or cluttered order forms may lead to missed sales opportunities. Make sure your sales letter uses language that appeals to your customer's core desires. In other words, describe how your product will make your customer happier, richer, sexier, or smarter. However, never give your customer an inaccurate description or overexaggerate a product. This will damage your credibility and reputation.

3. Find a good printer to print your sales material. Shop around. Compare pricing and quality of service before you employ a printer. Contact a minimum of three vendors. Request quotes from each vendor based on your job requirements. Set clear expectations with your printer regarding quality. Make sure all materials have been proofread for grammar and spelling errors, prior to taking it to your printer.

4. Buy a mailing list. Shop with various list brokers or list managers. Find out which brokers are known for selling lists of customers who fit your target market. For example, if you're selling vitamins, you need to find a broker who sells lists for health-conscious consumers who have bought vitamins or supplements through the mail. The better your list, the more information it will contain about your prospective customer. You'll pay a little bit more for lists with more detailed information.

5. Decide if you want to ship packages yourself or use a fulfillment house.

If you decide that shipping packages yourself is too much trouble, locate a fulfillment house to help you handle your orders. A fulfillment house is responsible for keeping track of all your customers' orders and for collecting your money. Your fulfillment house makes sure that all your orders are packaged and mailed off in time. All of your refunds and replacements for damaged goods will be handled by your fulfillment house.

6. Crunch your numbers. You must keep accurate numbers if you want to track your finances in the mail order business. You can have your fulfillment house take care of this step for you or you can purchase accounting software, like QuickBooks or Quicken, to handle accounting tasks. Determine your break-even point by dividing your income by total costs. Anything over 1% is your profit.

Tags: fulfillment house, mail order business, products that, your customer, your customers

Real Estate Promotional Ideas

Marketing and promotion is crucial to being successful as a real estate professional. Ideas for promotion can come in all shapes and sizes, but some are more successful than others.

Answer Questions

One of the best free promotional tools is to respond to questions on public message boards in regard to real estate. Be sure to include your full contact information and a link to your website for the best exposure.

Events

Sponsoring events having to do with real estate or real estate finance is a great way to promote your business. The best venue is to join a local Chamber of Commerce and social network.

Media

Another way to promote real estate is by the use of news releases or articles written by you submitted to local publications. This not only helps to solidify your professional presence, but it helps you maintain a profile of proficiency while gaining free press.

Advertise

Take out eye-catching advertisements that promote you as a professional. Taking out ads next to things people associate with success such as large homes and fancy cars are the most successful techniques.

Time Frame

Promotion takes time. Budget at least two weeks to promote any new idea, function or news release to capitalize on its success.

Expert Insight

Spend time writing ad copy and ideas that are different than the other ad copy written by other real estate professionals in your sphere. Being different is part of being eye-catching and attracting new business.

Tags: real estate

The Advantages Of A Advertising Agency

For small businesses to thrive, especially in a tight economy, it is beneficial to be recognized in the marketplace and to differentiate themselves from the competition. One way to accomplish this is through the use of advertising. An advertising agency can work with a business to develop a campaign that can help create name and brand recognition to potential customers.

Developing Campaigns

An advertising agency will work with the business to develop a campaign. This can involve everything from coming up with a promotional theme, determining the proper media to use, creating the ads, and even negotiating the prices for purchasing the advertising with the various media. This can be extremely beneficial to the business owner who has little or no advertising knowledge or has only used one type of media.

Creative Expertise

While business owners may be experts in their particular field, they may possess little or no knowledge of what makes an effective, attention-grabbing advertisement. Advertising agencies are staffed with people whose sole job is to come up with innovative ideas that can be completely original, or based on themes that have worked in the past. This can also help the business owner who is not inclined to think creatively.

Market Research

Business owners may not be strong in the area of market research. The advertising agency can perform much of the legwork in this area by helping to identify the business's target market as well as their key demographics. Thus, the advertising agency may be better suited to determine what type of advertising would be most effective, as well as to whom the ads should be aimed.

Save Time and Money

With many small business owners being pressed for time, it is often not feasible for them to carve the necessary time out of their busy day to create a full-blown advertising campaign, even if they possess the expertise to do so. Also, if they don't know what they are doing, they can end up spending a lot of money on advertising that proves to be ineffective. While hiring an agency can result in an additional expense, this can be offset by the return on the investment resulting from a well-planned and executed campaign.

Branding

An advertising agency can be instrumental in helping a business develop a recognized brand. Agency artists can develop logos and other design features that can become of a part of the business's advertising. It can also help with tailoring the brand so the business can meet the unique challenges of marketing the brand on the Internet.

Tags: advertising agency, business develop, advertising agency, also help, business develop campaign, business owner, develop campaign

Effective Advertising On The Web

Advertising is a high-stakes game with huge price tags for major advertising exposure. Internet advertising performance standards are still evolving but the debate over the effectiveness of different web advertising options will only increase as the Internet grows.

Free Search Engine Listings

The Internet offers a number of ways for businesses to advertise. Because they are free, their effectiveness is relative. Free listings are available on the major search engines such as Google, Microsoft’s Bing, Yahoo and thousands of other search engines and Web directories.

Paid Placements Effectiveness

Recent research by the Online Publishers Association indicated that advertising was more effective for branding when on "content sites" as compared with search listings and Web portals. The research revealed that content websites such as Martha StewartLiving.com, Oprah.com are better online media outlets relative to purchase intent.

The study was done among the OPA’s 50-member group and thus its findings show some bias. However, the take away from the study might be that marketers need to assess their own Web advertising program's effectiveness.

Millions of webmasters have monetized the space on their special interest website or joined other websites to form ad networks such as TargetedMediaOnline.com. It’s possible to have an inexpensive display ad on target-specific websites that reach a highly defined target audience.

Advertising Pricing

The Internet offers marketers an attractive breadth of options for paid advertising online. It also provides performance measurements that track the effectiveness of individual campaigns and media properties. Web tracking combined with improved sales data would seem a good indicator of the effectiveness of the advertising program.

Pricing models on the Internet include pay-per-click, cost per thousand and cost per click. Bid-system pricing by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft provide performance data to aid in a decision about media plan effectiveness.

Data Deluge

One of the beauties of the online space is the abundance of performance data generated. Cost effectiveness evaluations are possible but many smaller webmasters don’t use the data available to their advantage.

Professional web marketers are paid to analyze the data and make informed decisions to continue with the existing media plan of websites, ad networks and portals or make changes in the media mix in a several ways to improve performance.

Tags: advertising program, Internet offers, media plan, performance data, search engines

Extract Audio From A Dvrms

DVR-MS, also known as Microsoft Video Recording, is a video format that stores recorded television content. The Media Center Edition of Windows XP introduced the DVR-MS file with PVR (Personal Video Recorder) capabilities, such as pausing live television programs, time-shifting, and simultaneous recording and playback. Users can play a DVR-MS on Windows XP SP1 (Service Pack 1) or later editions. If you want to extract audio from a DVR-MS, you can download "Free Video to MP3 Converter" to listen to the audio of the DVR-MS on your media player or other devices.

Instructions

1. Download and install Free Video to MP3 Converter.

2. Run Free Video to MP3 Converter.

3. Press "Add Files" by the "Input Files" field to find your DVR-MS and then click "Open."

4. Press "Browse" below the "Output folder" field to create a folder the saves the converted file.

5. Press the drop-down list in the "Quality" field to select the audio file to convert the DVR-MS file.

6. Press "Convert" to extract audio from a DVR-MS.

Tags: Free Video, Free Video Converter, Video Converter, audio from, audio from DVR-MS, DVR-MS file

Individual Promotional Items For Children

Several factors must be considered when producing promotional products for children.

Promotional items such as logo-adorned pens, T-shirts and coffee mugs are commonly used to popularize a wide variety of products. When marketers gear these promotional items specifically toward children, not only is there a vast array of promotional items from which to choose, there are several factors that must be taken into consideration.

Definition of Children's Products

Contained within the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 is a ruling on the definition of children's products, stating that these are products "designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger." The vagueness of this definition lends itself to interpretation, opening the door for all manner of marketing to children via promotional items.

Age-Appropriateness

An item that is appropriate for a pre-teen may not be appropriate for a toddler, yet the CPSC definition would define both age groups under the blanket heading of "children." As a result, it's left up to the manufacturer and the marketer to determine whether or not a particular promotional item would be of interest to a child of a specific age. This is generally a common-sense exercise, although there can be grey areas.

Safety

Ensuring a promotional item is appropriate for a child of a particular age is even more important when you factor in safety concerns. Items geared toward this age group must conform to all legislation relating to safety regulations for items to be used by preschool children. Younger children will always run the risk of swallowing small toys and promotional items, so marketers need to familiarize themselves with what products pose choking hazards or contain dangerous chemicals.

Popular Promotional Items for Children

Vibrant colors are generally attractive to children, so promotional products geared toward them should be bright and colorful. Among the more popular promotional items for children are schoolbags, water bottles and wristbands. All three of these items will often be used by a child each day at school, exposing the marketer's logo to dozens of impressionable young future consumers, ensuring the message is spread to as wide an audience as possible.

Tags: promotional items, Consumer Product, Consumer Product Safety, geared toward, Product Safety

Unusual Promotional Ideas

Unusual promotional ideas can be modified to fit the needs of your business.

Unusual promotional ideas can help a variety of businesses build brand recognition among their target markets. Take advantage of creative opportunities that increase revenue when developing your marketing strategy. Unusual promotion ideas include some of the most effective ways to highlight products or services without exceeding your spending budget.

Public Pranks

Controversial jokes are unusual promotional ideas that can get media attention and force customers to talk about your business among their social network. Distribute press releases that announce your company's purchase of historic landmarks or major highways. Introduce a new name for the landmark that reflects your company in some manner. An automobile manufacturer can rename a historic landmark after one of its luxury vehicles during this type of public prank. You can also schedule these unusual promotional ideas to coincide with a relevant holiday such as April Fool's Day.

Cross Promotion Deals

Partner with a media company that will advertise your business to its audience members free of charge or at a low rate in exchange for reciprocal benefits. This cross promotional partnership will likely require you to fuse the media company with your products or services in some manner. Restaurants can create new menu items named after television shows that air on a specific channel in exchange for premium exposure during commercial breaks. Shoe manufacturers who name their products after main television show characters may also be able to set up a deal where the characters wear these items during key scenes in the script.

Ticket Holder Stamps

Purchase custom hand stamps that feature your company logo to use during an unusual promotional campaign. Some companies that sell promotional items or office supplies provide customized hand stamps. Form a deal with popular venues that will use your hand stamps for granting readmission to ticket holders during special events such as concerts and sports games. Popular venues include university auditoriums, casino showrooms, movie theaters and multi-purpose stadiums.

Tags: hand stamps, promotional ideas, unusual promotional, your business, your company, among their, media company

Plan A Big Event

Planning a big event requires time and strong organizational skills.

Once you have decided to host a big event, there is much to consider. Planning a big event requires time and money plus careful organizational skill and marketing strategies. Examples of big events are hosting a speaker, workshops, public debates and promotional marketing.

Instructions

1. Define the vision, purpose and goals. This will be used throughout your event preparations to keep you and your team on track.

2. Build a team. Make sure that each member has strong organizational and communication skills and is available to meet regularly for progress updates.

3. Create a checklist. This checklist should include all tasks that must be completed in order for the big event to be successful such as vendors, supplies and marketing initiatives.

4. Set the budget. Be realistic and leave room for unexpected expenses.

5. Decide on a location and date. Make sure the location is accessible to guests. Determine that the date does not conflict with any other event or holiday that could compete for your guests' attention.

6. Reserve the facility for the date chosen. Do this as soon as possible before another group reserves the same day.

7. Hire vendors and suppliers. Make sure that everyone who is needed for this event is scheduled for the date and location.

8. Promote the event. This includes using social-networking sites, sending press releases and any other marketing strategy that your team has developed.

Tags: Make sure, event requires, event requires time, Make sure that, Planning event, Planning event requires, requires time

Personal Business Income Tax Deductions

You can report advertising and supplies for personal business tax deductions.

All small business owners, even those working their businesses part-time, must report personal business income. Additionally, small business owners can report 100 percent of most business expenses, as long as the expenses are necessary for operating the business. You will report your personal business income on "Schedule C," which is published by the Internal Revenue Service. Subsequently, calculate the profit or loss for your business, then transfer that total onto your 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ income tax form.

Advertising

You can deduct all advertising expenses for your business. Examples of advertising include newspaper classified or display ads, Internet promotions, coupon magazine ads, radio and television commercials and billboard advertising. Keep track of all your advertising expenses during the year and save all receipts. You can purchase ledger software that will separate various types of business expenses for you. That way, you will always have a running total of your advertising expenditures. And when taxes are due, you will not have to pore over lists of expenses to cipher out your advertising expenses.

Supplies

All supplies for your small business are tax deductible. Supplies can include reference books, legal pads, pens, pencils, staplers, accounting ledgers, scissors, manila folders, calculators or anything necessary for you to conduct business. Additionally, if you run a cleaning business or work as a contractor, you can report cleaners, squeegees, buckets, hammers, screwdrivers or other tools and supplies necessary for your business.

Shipping Expenses

You can deduct 100 percent of any shipping or postage expenses that are necessary for your business. Shipping expenses are usually report under "Other Expenses" on Schedule C. Keep all receipts for any mailings or couriers you use throughout the year. Also, keep track of any meter mailings expenses you incur if you do a lot of direct mailings for your business.

Home Office Deduction

You can deduct your home office for business if you use it regularly and exclusively, according to the IRS. Home office deductions are usually calculated by dividing the square footage of your office by the square footage of your home. Hence, the percentage of your home used as an office can then be deducted from your monthly mortgage payments. For example, hypothetically assume your mortgage payment is $1,000 per month. If you have a 100-square-foot office and a 2,000-square-foot home, you may be able to take a 5 percent home office deduction from your mortgage: $50 times 12 months equals $600. However, check the latest IRS rules on home office deductions before taking the home office deduction.

Tags: your business, advertising expenses, personal business, small business, your advertising, your home, business expenses

The Salary Of Web Site Designers

Web designers promote a business through multimedia.

Web designers promote businesses through visual advertising and use electronic media, photography and animation to get their messages across. This professional can either work in a traditional corporate environment, or be self-employed, working with many different clients. His median salary will fluctuate depending on the business he works for, the type of work he does and the state he lives in.

Education

To work in this profession you need either an associates or a bachelor's degree in graphic design, but you also need artistic creativity, business communication skills and the ability to solve the issues with visual elements using digital imaging software. Even after completing their degrees, professionals in this field must continue to hone their skills by taking workshops, learning new software skills and continuing their education throughout their career.

Salary

The median annual wage for a Web designer is approximately $42,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this professional's salary is also dependent on whether he is self-employed, the industry he works in and the state he works in.

Business Type

A Web designer's salary will fluctuate depending on the business industry in which the graphic designer works. Professionals working for schools, corporations or nonprofits earn a median salary of about $35,000. Graphic designers who are self-employed may start at a lower average salary of approximately $28,000 but as they acquire experience and clients, can earned approximately $51,000. Those professionals working in large institutions like hospitals or local state and federal government average a median salary of approximately $40,000.

State Fluctuations

Fluctuations in salary for Web designers will occur depending not only on the industry they work in but also on the state they live in. Surprisingly, California has a higher starting salary of $37,000 than professionals living in New York start with a salary of approximately $35,000, as noted by PayScale. Southern states like Florida and Texas offer the lowest starting salaries in this profession.

Tags: median salary, salary approximately, depending business, designers promote, fluctuate depending

Create Pixelated Effects

A pixel effect can make an image appear pixelated as a whole or in parts.

Pixels are the small, square, colored dots that make up a digital image. Creating pixel effects can give an image an interesting stylistic design or "computerized" feel. Thanks to filters in many of today's common image editors, such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and Corel PaintShop Photo Pro, creating your own pixel effect is a fairly straightforward process that any image editor novice should be able to pull off quite well.

Instructions

1. Open your image editor and the file you want to work on.

2. Open the "Layers" palette located in the "Windows" menu. Click on the small triangle at the top right of the palette and select "Duplicate Layer."

3. Choose "Filter > Pixelate > Mosaic" to open a pixel effect dialog box. Ensure the "Preview" box is checked and move the "Cell size" slider left or right until the pixels are the size you want. Click "OK."

4. Create a "Layer Mask" from the Layers palette using the icon at the bottom. Click on the layer mask in the palette window. Select the color white, and using the "Paint Bucket" tool, fill the entire layer in white.

5. Choose black as your primary color and select a large feathered brush. Paint black wherever you want the image to appear normal, and allow the white to stay wherever you want the image to appear pixelated. When finished, save your work.

Tags: image appear, pixel effect, appear pixelated, image appear pixelated, image editor, Layers palette

Start A Meat Market Business

Great service and good meat equal loyal customers

Unless you're a vegetarian, the smell of a perfectly grilled steak is enough to send your taste buds into overdrive. If your passion for meat transcends the single serving and you've had some experience slaughtering and dressing beef, pork, lamb, chicken and other delicacies, there's probably a meat market business in your future. Learning butcher meat is a trade best learned at the side of a professional, but you'll probably need some help putting together the business side of your venture. Peruse tips in this article and you'll never again hear the question "Where's the beef?" It will be artfully arranged in refrigerated cases at the butcher shop with your name written above the door.

Instructions

1. Write a meaty business plan. Commit to paper your vision for opening, operating, running, funding and advertising your butcher shop. Figure out which competitors are close enough to be problems for you and your sales; include supermarkets, small grocery stores, other meat markets, delicatessens and big box stores. See how they operate, compare the prices each charge and keep these averages on the forefront of your brain as you move toward your goal.

2. Find suppliers. You may be in a position to buy directly from farmers if you live in an area that makes this type of direct purchasing the best and most cost-effective option. If you're located in an urban setting, researching and comparing costs and services of meat wholesalers and distributors are more logical options. Be forewarned: your margin will increase as a direct result of buying your meat from an intermediary, but on the other hand, distributors can get you cuts of meat that local farmers and ranchers might not be able to offer.

3. Follow through with the facet of your business plan for obtaining funding to start-up and maintain your meat market for at least a year until your business is established. If personal financing isn't an option, apply for a loan at a bank with which you do business, turn to a credit union for help or consider a second mortgage on your home if you've enough equity. A less-desirable funding source -- especially if you want to control every aspect of your meat market -- is to find a silent partner.

4. Determine your start-up expenses. If you're opening in a shop that previously served as a meat market, freezer and refrigeration cases should already be in place. Starting from the ground up? Shop and compare commercial suppliers to obtain these essentials. Additionally, buy as much insurance as your business broker recommends so you are fully prepared for any type of catastrophic, meat-related event.

5. Outfit your meat market and design the space so meat cutting and preparation areas are as spacious and well-appointed as space allows. You'll need cutting-block counters, racking units for commercial knives and cleavers, professional meat grinders and either a computer system or a cash register for ringing up sales. If your budget allows, opt for a computer and add software to tally and sort expenses to speed up accounting and bookkeeping tasks.

6. Connect with local health department and government agencies to ascertain the kinds of documentation required to open your meat market business. Apply for these permits and licenses and, if possible, invite a member of the local board of health's inspection staff to tour the premises before you are ready to open. As a newcomer to the business, you may have missed an essential task or piece of equipment that could halt or delay the grand opening of your butcher shop, so take this extra step as a precaution.

7. Oversee the delivery of your meat products, set up a dating system to keep tabs on when each delivery of meat arrives at your shop and begin preparing cuts of meat to stock your display cases. Have adequate sizes of bags, wraps and other supplies on hand to package meat for customers.

8. Purchase a back-up generator for peace of mind. Power outages are a fact of life and are, at the very least, inconvenient when you're worried about keeping lights on. If your pricey inventory of raw meat depends upon refrigeration 24/7, you probably won't want to take a chance on leaving this piece of equipment off your supply list.

9. Experiment with sales, incentives and marketing programs once you've opened your doors. Decades ago, when meat markets were the norm and supermarkets didn't exist, butchers knew customers' likes and dislikes as well as they knew their own. It wasn't unusual for a butcher to call a customer to inform him that a choice cut just arrived from the supplier and was earmarked just for him. This is exactly the kind of service that separates prime cuts from hamburger.

Tags: meat market, your meat, your meat market, butcher shop, your business, business plan, cuts meat

The Best Way To Prepare For A Cpa Exam

The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam, known as the CPA, is given twice a year, in May and November. The CPA is a 14-hour exam, which requires a score of 75 or higher on each section to pass. Anyone who wants to obtain a license as a certified public accountant must pass the exam.

Instructions

1. Know the exam structure. The CPA is divided into four parts: auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation, and business environments and concepts. The CPA consists of multiple choice questions, objective questions and essays.

2. Pick a review program that will fit your needs. Taking a review CPA course will help you stay focused and understand the material better, and you will receive the benefit of asking questions when clarification is needed. If you decide to study on your own, buy up-to-date review books.

3. Study the material needed to pass the auditing and attestation section. This section requires knowledge of auditing procedures, auditing standards and every standard related to attest engagements. Be prepared to answer multiple choice questions, objective questions and write essays in the auditing and attestation section.

4. Study the material needed to pass the financial accounting and reporting section. Study the accounting principles used in business enterprises, governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations. Practice answering multiple choice questions and objective questions using the accounting principles. No essays will be given in this section.

5. Study for the regulation section. This section tests your knowledge of federal taxation, ethics, business law and legal and professional responsibilities. The regulation section will use the three forms of questions.

6. Study for the business environments and concepts section. Prepare to answer all three types of questions, which also will cover the process of performing financial statement audits.

Tags: auditing attestation, choice questions, choice questions objective, multiple choice, multiple choice questions

Capture Images From A Security Dvr

Security systems are heavily computerized to enable easy recording.

Capturing images from a security DVR is necessary in situations including having to present pictures for insurance claims or as part of the discovery process of a criminal investigation. The DVR is essentially just an external hard drive with video inputs. By hooking your security DVR to your computer with a USB cable, your computer will be able to access the video files (after you input your password). Then, use a screen capture program to get the still images.

Instructions

1. Connect the security DVR to your computer (it can be a desktop or laptop) with a USB cable. The cable plugs into the back of the DVR just like in the back of an external hard drive. The USB cable plugs into a small trapezoidal slot on the DVR. The larger, rectangular plug end plugs into the USB port on the back, side or front of your computer (it does not matter which side you choose).

2. Double-click on the hard drive icon that automatically appears on your desktop. A password prompt appears. Enter your password (if any, though you are advised to always password-encrypt your security DVRs). Once the password is accepted, the hard drive opens and gives you the video file folders. Open the folder for the day's video that you wish to capture an image from.

3. Download VLC from the Video Lan website (see Resources). Install the program and follow the installation instructions as prompted. Open the video file that you want to capture from with the VLC program. The video will open and start playing on your desktop. Move the slide to the time that the image is to be captured from. You must be on the exact frame that you want to capture.

4. Click the "Video" button on the top menu. This brings up a drop-down menu. Click the "Snapshot" button. Move the video frame slide to all the other video frames that you wish to capture. Click the "Snapshot" button for each frame that you want to capture.

Tags: hard drive, your computer, plugs into, that want, that want capture

About Quantitative Methods

Crunching the numbers is the only way to generate meaningful quantitative outcomes.

Quantitative methods are the tools that social scientists use to find measurable results of various phenomena, following the general sequence of the scientific method, from hypothesis to evaluation. Finding the right quantitative tool to measure something like the effect that the color of paint in a child's bedroom will have on her psyche can lead to considerable debate, but quantitative methods have come into common use in such social fields as political science, sociology, psychology and anthropology, and are accepted as the best way to test the truth of hypotheses in those fields.

Statistical Methods

Most quantitative research projects have a statistical component to them, particularly in the social sciences and economics. Researchers collect large samples of data and manipulate various factors based on the hypothesis at hand. For example, if you want to measure the effect that nutrition has on a student's ability to retain material, you would manipulate the amount and nutritional quality of breakfasts consumed across your research sample. Opinion surveys with five- or seven-point attitudinal scales are also common tools. Depending on the statistical method, various regression methods (linear or non-linear, for example) are applied to the data to see if there are significant links between factors and outcomes.

Item-Response Theory

How well do these surveys actually work as far as giving a meaningful result to the questions that researchers want to answer? This is where item-response theory (IRT) comes in. According to the assumptions of IRT, if you are looking at one particular trait, such as reading level or strength of feeling about the designated-hitter rule, and you keep your questions independent and you can render your respondents' answers in a mathematical way, then your assessment should render valid, meaningful results.

The Rasch Model

This model primarily works with measurement of personality characteristics, aptitudes and attitudes. You could use the Rasch model to figure out, for example, how a person feels about the right to bear arms using a questionnaire. While it is useful to find out one particular trait or attitude, it is not the ideal tool to use if you are trying to measure several factors at once.

Effective or Not?

Researchers who are skeptical about quantitative methods tend to point to the complexity of factors in any situation involving research in the social sciences. For example, if you're going to measure the importance of a healthy breakfast for student learning, how can you isolate the choice between Frosted Flakes and All-Bran from other factors that affect that learning, such as sleep patterns, emotional turbulence in the home, disciplinary differences and other elements? Those who argue for quantitative methods insist that the results can be valuable if the researcher ensures a minimal disturbance from outside factors.

Tags: effect that, particular trait, social sciences

Radiology Tech Gifts

When choosing a gift for a radiology technician, consider something related to their profession.

Radiology technicians operate X-ray and other imaging machines. When deciding what king of gift to purchase for a radiology technician, you might want to consider following an X-ray theme.

Skeleton Shirts

Give a radiology tech a shirt with an X-ray image of the upper body.

Look for shirts and sweatshirts with a life-size X-ray view of a skeleton. These have images of the arm bones on the arms of the shirt and the rib cage in the middle of the chest. Science museum gift shops and Internet specialty clothing stores sell these shirts and sweatshirts.

X-Ray Markers

Radiologists use X-ray markers to indicate the side of the body shown in the image by placing a marker with an "R" or "L" on it, indicating the right or left side of the body. Look online for customized X-ray markers, which come in a variety of shapes and can include the radiology technician's initials. For a veterinarian radiology technician, look for markers in the shapes of a dog bone or paw print. Football helmet-shaped markers can be ideal gifts for those specializing in sports medicine.

Books

Look for a book featuring X-ray images of everyday items other than people. Every day radiology techs look at images of bones, but rarely do they get a chance to see the inner workings of other things from an X-ray's perspective. Shop at specialty bookstores in the medical or arts sections or look on the Internet.

Professional Publications

Rather than giving a present one day out of the year, offer the radiology tech in your life a subscription to a professional publication that he will receive several times over the year. Look for radiology publications including Radiology Today and Radiographics, both of which can be subscribed to through their respective websites.

Tags: radiology technician, body Look, images bones, radiology tech, shirts sweatshirts, side body

Write A Letter To A Boss For Personal Requests

Employees write letters to their bosses for personal requests.

If you have a personal request for your boss, you may wish to write him a letter. Employees have many types of personal requests including asking for references, letters of recommendations, time off and sponsorships. When writing a letter to your boss, be respectful and professional and write it in a way that does not come across as a demand. Keep the letter short, no longer than one page.

Instructions

1. Plan your letter. Prior to writing the letter, prepare what you want to convey through the letter and determine its importance. View the issue from your boss's perspective and how you think he might respond to the request.

2. Address the letter. Begin by writing "Dear" followed by your boss's professional name and title. It is OK to use her first name if this is what you normally call her. Date the letter as well, at the top of the letter.

3. Introduce yourself. In the first paragraph of the letter, describe who you are. State your name, your job position and the length of time you have worked for the company. Include details about any major accomplishments or achievements you have received during the time you have worked there if they are pertinent to the request.

4. State the purpose of the letter clearly to avoid any misunderstandings. Describe the request that you have and the reason for your request. If it is something that you cannot describe in detail due to it being a sensitive issue, explain that at this point you cannot repeat all of the details. Let him know though, that it is extremely important to you.

5. Restate the request. After describing the request, ask respectfully and directly if he would be willing to agree to it. Again, use clear sentences requiring the boss to respond to the request.

6. Make him an offer. If you are requesting time off, suggest what you are willing to do to assist the company in this request. Offer to check your voice mail daily and respond to necessary phone calls.

7. Include your contact information. Use the last paragraph to state how she can contact you to discuss this matter and thank her for considering your request.

8. Sign the letter. Write "Sincerely" and sign your name.

Tags: your boss, have worked, respond request, time have, time have worked, writing letter

How Do Companies Use The Internet

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers that can send data over long distances in short periods of time. The goal of business is to make profits, which requires efficiency and productivity. Companies can use the Internet to boost efficiency in many ways. Some companies have business models that are completely reliant upon the Internet.

Communication

Communication is one of the primary uses of the Internet in business. Email allows workers to communicate quickly with one another, business partners and clients. Unlike phone conversations, emails can contain hundreds of pages of documents and figures relevant to business communication. Using email to communicate data can save on the costs of printing and sending physical papers. Businesses can also conduct meetings over the Internet using video conferencing software, which can potentially save on the cost of business travel.

Advertising

Advertising is another way businesses use the Internet. Web pages are essentially like billboards that are transmitted right into the homes of consumers. Companies pay websites for ad space where they can attempt to entice consumers to buy their products or visit their website. An advantage of web advertising over advertising in media like newspapers, magazines and television is that advertisements can contain web links that allow consumers to purchase goods within a minute or two of seeing the advertisement.

Sales

Many companies use the Internet to generate sales. Companies often have online sales systems that customers can use to browse products and place orders by entering credit card information. Online shopping is convenient for customers, since they can shop at any time from anywhere, without having to visit a specific retail location. Online shopping also allows customers to compare prices between different vendors quickly and easily.

Public Relations

Companies may also use the Internet to interact with customers. For instance, some companies have social media pages on sites like Facebook and Twitter, where they can post news and information to keep loyal customers informed about the company's activities. The Internet also allows companies to get feedback from customers via email submissions or web-based surveys. Companies can even use the Internet to recruit employees, either through an official website or by posting job openings on aggregate job sites such as Monster and CareerBuilder.

Tags: also allows, companies have, Companies Internet, Online shopping, where they

Jobs That Require Spanish

People who can speak Spanish in the United States are at a great advantage in getting a job. With the influx of Hispanics into America, jobs are increasingly requiring that employees have a background in Spanish. Government jobs such as Border Patrol agents and even teaching jobs require employees to be fluent in Spanish.

Border Patrol Agent

Border Patrol agents must be fluent in Spanish or be able to learn Spanish in order to be employed. Agents prevent people from crossing the border into the United States illegally. They also enforce border laws against people who have already come into the United States illegally. Agents often work the United States-Mexico border and deal with all nationalities, making Spanish a must in this profession.

Teachers

Obviously a secondary level Spanish teacher must be fluent in Spanish to teach. Most high school and middle school Spanish teachers carry an undergraduate degree in Spanish, and must also possess valid teaching credentials. However, in many areas of the United States, school districts might require teachers in subjects outside of Spanish to possess bilingual speaking skills.

Interpreters and Translators

Spanish interpreters and translators must speak at least Spanish as well as other languages they are translating. Government entities often employ translators, Interpreters often have to translate complex terms, so accuracy is critical. Translator careers are typically only for people with years of practice and extreme fluency in more than one language.

Careers in International Business

CEOs, sales people and account executives who deal in business in Spanish-speaking countries must be able to convey the language effectively to make business deals. Many corporations expanding into Latin America offer employees the opportunity to learn Spanish.

Medical Professionals

Doctors and other medical professionals who work in areas with a high Hispanic population might need Spanish skills in order to effectively diagnose a patient. While most hospitals don't require such skills, a doctor with background in Spanish will have an easier time communicating with those whose primary language is not English.

Tags: United States, Border Patrol, fluent Spanish, background Spanish, Border Patrol agents, into United

Make Money With Magnetic Stickers For Vehicles

Selling advertising space on your car can help you earn some extra cash.

Getting rich by selling advertising space on your vehicle is highly improbable. However, you may be able to cover a portion of your fuel expenses by allowing a company to place a magnetic sticker on your car. There are many different transit advertising agencies that connect companies with consumers willing to sell ad space on their cars. Avoid settling on the first agency you find; read their terms and conditions, then compare it to other agencies.

Instructions

1. Select a transit advertising agency. You may be able to locate a local agency, or you may opt for an agency that does business nationwide. Peruse terms and contracts from several different agencies before deciding on the one that suits you. Some examples of agencies include MyCarMyCar.com, The Free Car, PayMeToDrive.com, PaidRide and Ad My Ride.

2. Sign up for an account with your selected advertising agency by informing them about your car and driving habits. For example, some agencies may not want to use your car if you have been convicted of a DWI. Agencies also consider the make, model and general condition of your car. Provide an estimate of how many miles you drive each month, as well as your usual routes. For example, some companies may prefer to advertise on a car that is parked on a busy street each day.

3. State your advertisement preferences. The company should offer you advertising options. For example, specify whether you prefer a small ad or a whole-car wrap. Some companies also allow you to screen by type of advertising. For example, you may specify that you will only allow family-friendly ads on your car, which should exclude ads for nightclubs and similar establishments.

4. Read the terms and conditions carefully before completing your application or signing a contract. Some agencies may require that you drive a certain route or a certain number of miles each week or month. Ensure that you can faithfully complete the terms of the contract before you finalize it.

5. Follow the agency's directions for placing the advertising on your car. If you selected a local agency, they will likely ask you to bring the car to them for ad placement. Non-local companies are more likely to mail you the advertisement, instruct you in its placement and ask you to take a photo to send to them. This proves that you have placed the ad correctly.

Tags: advertising agency, advertising space, advertising space your, example some, example specify, local agency

List Of All Tycoon Games

List of All Tycoon Games

First appearing in 1990, the "Tycoon" series of games have developed into a franchise of resource management titles that include real world locations, entertainment venues and fantasy themes. The series primarily appears on PCs and Macs, and features games that are budget-priced and aimed at a casual gaming audience. As of 2009, more than 125 titles were available.

The First Tycoon

The first game branded with the Tycoon moniker was Railroad Tycoon. Released in 1990, the game was developed by Sid Meier, the same man who would go on to develop the Civilization series of strategy games. Railroad Tycoon allowed players to act as businessmen, balancing construction and use of an expandable railroad empire to increase profits and end the game one century later as the successful owner of the company.

Future Tycoon games are played in a similar fashion to the original. Gamers take on a role associated with the theme of the game, such as the owner of a zoo, theme park or even prison. Players must keep their workers happy, their clients coming back and their resources properly functioning. Successful players are able to strike a balance between all aspects of the game.

List of Tycoon Games

The following is a list of all released Tycoon Games:

Airline Tycoon

Airline Tycoon

Airline Tycoon Evolution

Airline Tycoon: First Class

Airport Tycoon

Airport Tycoon 2

Airport Tycoon 3

Atlantis Underwater Tycoon

Bass Tournament Tycoon

Beer Tycoon

Big Biz Tycoon

Big Biz Tycoon 2

Boardwalk Tycoon

Business Tycoon

Car Tycoon

Carnival Cruise Line Tycoon 2005: Island Hopping

Carnival Cruise Lines Tycoon

Casino Tycoon

Caterpillar Construction Tycoon

Cinema Tycoon 2: Movie Mania

Cinema Tycoon Gold

Coffee Tycoon

Cruise Ship Tycoon

Dairy Queen Tycoon

Deep Sea Tycoon

Deep Sea Tycoon 2

Deep Sea Tycoon: Diver's Paradise

DinoPark Tycoon

Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon

Dungeon Tycoon

Eco Tycoon: Project Green

Efteling Tycoon

Fairy Godmother Tycoon

Fast Food Tycoon

Fast Food Tycoon 2

Fish Tycoon 1.0

Freight Tycoon Inc.

Game Tycoon

Geniu$: The Tech Tycoon Game

Golf Resort Tycoon

Golf Resort Tycoon II

Hard Truck Tycoon

Hell Tycoon

Holiday World Tycoon

Hospital Tycoon

Ice Cream Tycoon

Las Vegas Tycoon

Lemonade Tycoon

Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition

Luxury Liner Tycoon

Mall of America Tycoon

Mall Tycoon

Mall Tycoon 2

Mall Tycoon 2 Deluxe

Mall Tycoon 3

Monopoly Tycoon

Moon Tycoon

National Lampoon's University Tycoon

Oil Tycoon

Pet Luv Spa & Resort Tycoon

Pizza Tycoon

Plant Tycoon

Political Tycoon

Prison Tycoon

Prison Tycoon 2: Maximum Security

Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown

Prison Tycoon 4: SuperMax

Railroad Tycoon

Railroad Tycoon 3

Railroad Tycoon II

Railroad Tycoon II - The Second Century

Railroad Tycoon II Gold Edition

Railroad Tycoon II Platinum Edition

Railroad Tycoon II: Conquer 3 Continents

Ride! Carnival Tycoon

Rock Tour Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 Combo Pack

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Time Twister

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Wacky Worlds

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Gold

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked!

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Wild!

RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe

RollerCoaster Tycoon: Corkscrew Follies Expansion

RollerCoaster Tycoon: Gold Edition Data

RollerCoaster Tycoon: Loopy Landscapes

School Tycoon

SeaWorld Adventure Parks Tycoon

SeaWorld Adventure Parks Tycoon 2

Shrine: Circus Tycoon

Skate Park Tycoon

Skateboard Park Tycoon

Skateboard Park Tycoon 2004

Skateboard Park Tycoon: World Tour 2003

Ski Resort Tycoon

Ski Resort Tycoon II

Snowboard Park Tycoon

Starship Tycoon

Tabloid Tycoon

Traffic Tycoon

Trailer Park Tycoon

Trains and Trucks Tycoon

Transport Tycoon

Transport Tycoon Deluxe

Truckers Tycoon

Tycoon City: New York Data

Tycoon Collection

Tycoon Deluxe Edition

Ultimate Tycoon Collection

Vegas Tycoon

Venture Tycoon

Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa

World of RollerCoaster Tycoon

Zoo Tycoon

Zoo Tycoon 2

Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure

Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species

Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals

Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania

Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection

Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection

Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection

Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs

Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania

Tags: RollerCoaster Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon, Tycoon Tycoon, Park Tycoon, Resort Tycoon, Airline Tycoon, Collection Tycoon

Write Contract Evaluation Strengths And Weaknesses

With a little pre-planning, writing about your strengths and weaknesses can be easy.

Many employees dread contract evaluations finding them stressful impositions instead of advancement opportunities. Employee questions about performance can cause anxiety. One of the benefits of the written evaluation is having time to prepare thoughtful, articulate answers. The classic question, asking employees to identify strengths and weaknesses, is a tough question to answer spontaneously. The traditional answer about working too much seems clever at first, but in reality is glib. The good news is, when answered constructively, this question can be advantageous to your career.

Instructions

1. Consider your performance since the last evaluation. Go through log books, day planners and your email account to refresh your memory. Highlight notable achievements.

2. Dissect your accomplishments into positive qualities. For example, completing financial reports on time shows skill in time management, accountability, organization, attention to detail and the ability to process several different types of information successfully. Brainstorm, write down everything you can think of, be proud of yourself. Group similar attributes together. A picture of your strengths will emerge.

3. Pay attention to difficulties, problems and behaviors that have hindered your progress. Do not try to gloss over your weaknesses. Be honest during this step. Accepting responsibility for your conduct and your ability to evaluate your work-performance is valued. It is important to show how you handled your shortcomings. How did you resolve the issues? Were you able to overcome obstacles? Brainstorm measures you can take when these situations come up again. Write them down. (ref 1)

4. Choose three of your most impressive strengths. Use strong, specific words to illustrate your finest qualities. Use the information from your records to give examples of when you have utilized skills. If space allows, write an anecdote. By telling a brief story, you are showcasing what you bring to the company. Make each strength different. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your range. Include at least one hard skill, a teachable, measurable, observable action such as typing. Add contrast by including a soft skill, a personal trait such as the ability to lead a team. (ref 2)

5. Pick two weaknesses. It is best to choose weaknesses you have conquered or are working to overcome. This shows initiative, that you are taking responsibility for your own development. If space permits briefly describe the events surrounding your examples. Explain concrete measures you have taken to improve. If applicable relate examples of your progression. (ref 1 and 3)

6. Rewrite your strengths and weaknesses. Get out your thesaurus or use an online site to make sure the words you choose are strong and specific. Do not be afraid to speak highly of yourself. As Peggy Klaus, author of "The Hard Truth About Soft Skills" points out, self-promotion is essential for success. Spell check your work. Use a grammar check. Submit a professional answer to the strengths and weaknesses question.

Tags: strengths weaknesses, your strengths, responsibility your, strong specific, your strengths weaknesses

Register Company Names

When a business is started, its legal name is what appears on the documents that create the business. For sole proprietorships or partnerships, the legal name is the name of the owner(s). For corporations and LLCs (Limited Liability Corporations), the legal name is what appears on the Articles of Incorporation. In most states, a company must register the name as a "Doing Business As" name (sometimes called a Fictitious Business Name). A company may wish to use additional names. For example, a chain of specialty restaurants might want different names for each location. Companies usually are required by state law to register these names, as well.

Instructions

1. Find out the regulations in your state to register a company name. Each state sets its own requirements. In most states, you register a company name with the county clerk for each location where the company does business. A few states do this at the state government level, usually through the secretary of state's office. You can find a listing of each state's requirements at Business.gov. (see Resources)

2. Do a name search to verify the name you wish to use isn't already taken. Once a business name is registered, no one else can use it. You can do this at your county clerk's office. In most states, it's much easier to do an online name search using a database provided by the secretary of state's office to verify your proposed business name is available.

3. Obtain the filing forms from the secretary of state's office or county clerk, depending on the rules in your state. Fill out the form and have it notarized. To register a company name you need to provide a copy of the articles of incorporation along with the filing fee when you file the registration.

4. Deposit a copy of your company name registration with the county records office, if required. In some localities, you also must place a legal notice of the filing in a local newspaper for a specified period of time.

Tags: company name, county clerk, legal name, most states, register company name

Beer Party Ideas

Share a cold beer and good times with friends at a beer party.

Gathering together with friends to enjoy a refreshing drink is always an enjoyable way to spend an evening. If you want to engage in this much loved activity, but desire a party with a little more pizazz, consider organizing a well-planned, beer-themed party. Does this Spark an idea?

Beer Tasting Party

Wine lovers shouldn't get to have all of the alcohol-sampling fun. When planning your next party, consider throwing a beer tasting party. For this party, you need only a variety of beers, clear cups and a beer tasting score sheet (see Resources). After selecting your beers, create a beer menu on which your beers are organized from lightest to heaviest. As you move through the menu, pour 1/3 of a glass of each beer for each guest. Allow the guests to sample the beer, and note their opinion of the body, taste and drinkability on the score sheet. Designate one party guest as the score tabulator, and ask this guest to add up the scores given to each beer to determine which was the favorite of the guests.

Beer Pong Tournament

Beer pong is a popular game in which players practice their athletic skill while enjoying some tasty brew. To play beer pong, you need a standard ping pong table, or long folding table, two ping pong balls, beer and 22 plastic cups. Set ten cups in a triangular pattern on each end of the table, placing four in the back row, three in the second, two in the third and one centered in the final. Fill each cup 1/3 of the way full of beer. Fill the remaining two cups with water, and set them off to the side of the triangles. These cups will be used to wash balls that hit the ground during game play. To play, create two 2-member teams. To begin, one team gets both balls. They must attempt to shoot from their end of the table and sink the ball into one of the beer-filled cups on the other end. For every cup they successfully land a ball in, the opposing team must drink it The team that forces their opponents to empty all of their cups first, wins.

When playing beer pong at your party, turn it into an event by creating tournament brackets and allowing the winners to continually advance until the best two teams are ultimately pitted against one another in the ultimate battle for beer pong bragging rights.

Beer Bottle Dress Up

Allow your party guests to become acquainted with their beer bottles by creating theme costumes for their brewskis. Before your party, create a list of different dress themes. Your list should include distinctive fashion statements, like hula dancer, disco queen, flower child and '80s punk rock. Write each of the items on your list onto an index card, fold the cards and place them in a basket. Gather together construction paper, fabric, trim, tape and glue, and place these supplies in a decoration station in the kitchen or on a table in the yard. Wash out and save empty beer bottles in the weeks leading up to your event.

When guests arrive, allow them to draw cards from the basket, present them with empty bottles, and ask them to use the supplies to create a costume for their beer. Place all of the costumed bottles in a central location so that all guests can check them out. As guests circulate and drink beer from undressed bottles, allow them to vote on their favorite beer costume. Reward the winner with a special beer themed prize, like a crown crafted out of an empty cardboard beer case.

Tags: your party, allow them, beer bottles, beer pong, beer tasting

Types Of Strategic Management

Effective strategic management is key to the success of a product or service.

Developing a product or service requires the product manager to understand several business principles, including principles of strategic management. The three principles of strategic management are understanding penetrate an existing market, introduce the product to a new market, and improve existing products or develop a new product for sale in the target market.

Market Penetration

Market penetration, a part of strategic management, increases the market share for a product or service. Those implementing penetration plans do so through various marketing efforts. Project managers implement these efforts by increasing the numbers of salespeople, increasing funding for ad campaigns, increasing publicity or offering promotional items. Several market penetration guidelines include studying whether the current market is saturated with similar products or services and studying whether consumers will use more of the product or service.

Market Development

Market development occurs when a business offers its product or service in a market that it is currently not serving. In the context of global marketing, business leaders can implement market development strategies through joint ventures with other organizations, licensing the product or service for use by other entities, or by direct investment.

Product Development

Product development is focused on improving the product or service, leading to increased sales. In engaging in product development, project managers engage in research and work to implement research findings. For example, if a postal company finds that it can sell stamps online, funds the creation process and starts selling stamps online, the company has engaged in successful product development.

Tags: product service, strategic management, principles strategic, principles strategic management, product development

Popular Hairstyles In The Early 1900s

Hot rollers create a curls similar to early 20th century hairstyles.

While many of the customs and fashions of the early 1900s may seem old-fashioned, women of that period began to experiment more with new clothing and hairstyles. As the early years of the century unfolded, women began to change their view of their role in the world, and in some ways, these changes were reflected in their hairstyles. Popular styles from the early 1900s ranged from formal and romantic to short and sassy, so modern women may find inspiration in these early 20th century hairstyles. Does this Spark an idea?

Gibson Girl

The Gibson Girl was popular updo worn by women during the early 1900s. The style has a romantic feel, so it may be a modern option for special occasions or events. The Gibson Girl works for women with all hair types, but it usually looks best with curly or wavy hair. Those with straight hair may want to use a curling iron or hot rollers to create curls before styling the hair.

A traditional Gibson Girl updo has significant volume at the back of the head, so the hair must be long enough to create a topknot. In the 1900s, Gibson Girl hairstyles were often worn with large, dramatic hats that added to the height of the look. Begin by combing away any tangles and gathering the hair into a ponytail. Hold the ponytail at the crown of the head and twist the hair around your hand to create a loose knot. Pull the end of the ponytail through the knot and pin down the ends in the middle. Use a comb to loosen the hair surrounding the knot, so it has a soft, full look. Pulling some strands of hair loose to frame the face heightens the romantic look of the style.

Long Curls

During the early 1900s permanent hair curling was invented, so many women began to forgo updos for long, free-flowing curls. Women were influenced by movie stars of the day, such as Lilian Gish and Mary Pickford, who wore curled styles. Some women opted for looser waves, while others styled their hair in tight ringlets.

A popular style was parting hair down the middle and allowing the curls to frame the face. Accessories such as flowers, beaded hair bands or ribbons were often added to the hair for a more feminine, romantic look. The look can be easily recreated by using a curling iron or hot rollers to form curls throughout your hair. For looser curls, opt for a larger barreled curling iron or larger rollers. Ringlets require using a smaller curling iron and twisting your hair tightly around the barrel.

Bob

As the early 1900s progressed, many women became bored with traditional styles and sought a bolder look. Some also become more active outside the home and required a hairstyle that was easier to maintain than a dramatic updo or long, heavy curls.

The bob hairstyle became famous in the 1920s when young liberated women of the period, known as flappers, began to cut their hair short for the first time. A traditional bob is a blunt cut with the ends of the hair usually reaching the bottom of the ears. The style was worn both with and without bangs. There are many modern variations on the bob, such as the inverted bob, where the hair is cut longer in the front than in the back and tapers in at the nape of the neck. Contemporary bobs are also cut in a variety of lengths, so they suit a variety of face shapes. Bobs are a particularly good option for individuals with fine or thin hair because they make hair look fuller and thicker.

Tags: early 1900s, Gibson Girl, curling iron, 20th century, 20th century hairstyles

Create A Viral Video Promotion

The Internet has created a multitude of unconventional marketing opportunities for those who are looking to promote a product, brand or service. Viral videos are one such opportunity. They are short video clips that promote a company under the radar. These videos often don't even market a specific product or brand. They simply provide weird or compelling content that gets people talking. Viral videos are uploaded to the Internet with little fanfare, and marketers rely on fans discovering them for themselves and talking about them. While viral marketing of this sort is uncertain at best, you can create a compelling viral video with the potential to generate significant buzz.

Instructions

1. Keep your video short. Many viral videos, according to "The Wall Street Journal," are three minutes in length or shorter.

2. Use compelling content in your video. There is a wide gamut of viral video content, from a man performing the dance moves popular at different periods in history to videos marketing fake television shows. While it's impossible to tell exactly what type of content will make a viral video famous, "The Wall Street Journal" says that many videos have "some elements of cognitive dissonance" or "deliberately bizarre juxtapositions." Any type of content that gets people talking amongst their friends, or even scratching their heads, can be used in a successful viral video.

3. Use YouTube to advertise your viral video and others you create. While YouTube is the default video sharing website for viral marketers, simply posting the video on the site isn't enough. Include information at the end of the video telling users where they can find more of your videos and how they can subscribe to notifications that alert them to other videos being posted.

4. Create a clear, straightforward title for your video. The video's title should tell exactly what the video is and what it contains for maximum exposure. Vague titles won't generate interest and catch on if users don't know what they are clicking on.

5. Use popular keyword tags to optimize your video for search engines. Research which keywords might apply to your video and in your industry. See which ones draw the most hits from Web users. Include as many relevant keywords as you can in your video's tags to maximize the potential for others to find it on search engines.

Tags: your video, viral video, compelling content, content that, content that gets, exactly what, gets people

Make Fliers For Student Council

Make Fliers for Student Council

Let the school know your hat's in the running for your next student council election or make sure your students are aware of the upcoming races by creating a flier. Fliers are single-page materials that students can hand out at assemblies, post in students' cubbies or put up on bulletin boards. Make your own fliers promoting the student council with just a couple of minutes' time on one of a few different computer programs. By taking advantage of some preset design templates, you can create student council fliers.

Instructions

Using Microsoft Word

1. Create a student council flier in Microsoft Word by opening the program, clicking "File" and selecting "New." When the "New Document" panel opens, type "flier" or "fliers" into the "Search online for" box, and click "Go." Click a link to view one of the preset design template results. Click the "Download" button, and within a few moments, the flier will appear in your Word workspace.

2. Highlight the placeholder headline on the flier, and type directly over it with your own, such as "Elections this Friday" or "Sign Up for Treasurer Here." Highlight the new text, and use the text toolbar at the top of the page to change the font, size and color of the words.

3. Type over the other placeholder information on the flier with text about the elections, register, vote or when the school will post the results.

4. Add your school's logo or mascot to the flier by clicking "Insert," selecting "Picture" and clicking "From File." Browse to the image on your computer and double-click the file; it appears on the flier. This step is optional.

Using Publisher

5. Take advantage of Publisher's preset flier designs to speed your process by opening the program and clicking "Publications for Print." Click the "Fliers" menu, and scroll through the submenu options such as "Event" and "Announcement." Double-click a flier, and it opens in the Publisher Workspace.

6. Click your cursor inside a text box on the flier and all of the words become highlighted. Begin typing the new flier information, such as your campaign promises or why your schoolmates should vote for you. Change text appearance using the text toolbar at the top of the page.

7. Add more text to the flier by clicking the "Text" tool, which looks like an index card with an "A" on it. Draw a rectangular text box near the top of the flier to add your headline. Begin typing and then highlight the words; use the text toolbar to change their appearance.

8. Pull down the "Insert" menu, click "Picture" and click "From File." Navigate to a location on your computer where you have a school logo; double-click the file and drag it into place with your cursor. This is an optional step.

Using Photoshop

9. Make a student council flier in Photoshop by opening the program, clicking "File" and selecting "New." Name the file "CouncilFlier," and set its dimensions to 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Pull down the "Mode" menu and select "CMYK Color." Click "White" under the "Contents" section, and click the "OK" button; a blank flier workspace opens.

10. Click the "Type" tool, which looks like a "T" on the "Tools" palette, and select a font, size and color from the toolbar at the top of the page. Position your cursor over the "CouncilFlier" box, and begin typing the flier information, such as "Vote for Max" or "Your New Treasurer is Frances Janofsky!" Change font, size and color as preferred.

11. Pull down the "File" menu, and click "Open." Browse to your school's logo on your computer and double-click the file name so it opens in Photoshop. Click the "Lasso" tool on the "Tools" palette, and draw an outline around just the logo. Press the "Ctrl" and "C" keys when you see the blinking lines to copy the logo.

12. Click back to the "CouncilFlier" box and press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste in the logo on the flier. If it pastes in too large, pull down the "Edit" menu, click "Transform," click "Scale," and shrink it into place.

Tags: double-click file, font size, font size color, menu click, opening program, opening program clicking

The Importance Of Brand Awareness

If you are starting a business or marketing your own product, creating brand awareness, or branding, is key. Various factors have an impact on the popularity, sales and success of a company, service or product. But to succeed in branding a product, you need to know how branding works and the ways to gain consumer attention.

What is Brand Awareness?

A "brand" can refer to a name or perhaps a symbol that is used to distinguish a service or product from another. Consumer options are limitless, and there are companies for every service and product. Brand awareness helps a business because, when a consumer hears a particular name or views a certain sign or symbol, he can immediately associate a product or service with a specific company name.

Increase Reputation

Creating a brand for your product or services builds your reputation as a company. The more people hear your name, and associate your company name with a specific product, the more likely consumers are to trust your company and use your product. Reputation is also useful if your company launches a new product. If consumers have used and had success with prior products or services, they are more likely to stick with a company and use additional products. This increases sales and develops a strong client base, which contributes to growth.

Building Awareness

The longevity of a brand also plays a major role in sales and the overall success of a company. Building brand awareness takes great effort, and companies must employ various branding techniques to build consumer awareness. These methods include marketing tactics such as advertising and utilizing social media tools. Developing an image or symbol for the brand, a catchy slogan and hosting events to bring attention to your company and product are key to branding success.

Warnings

Creating brand awareness isn't always economically feasible because of fluctuations in business finances. Businesses cannot develop a brand overnight, and bringing awareness to a brand is a slow process. Offering promotional products that feature your logo or slogan and taking advantage of other marketing options are essential components to proper branding. Thoroughly accomplishing this task requires adequate resources, and cash-flow issues can have a negative impact on brand awareness.

Tags: your company, service product, your product, brand awareness, company name, Creating brand

Flier Distribution Rules

Distributing flyers can raise public awareness, but should be conducted in an appropriate manner.

Fliers are a great way to spread information about an organization or event. However, they can be a nuisance to those who do not wish to receive fliers or for those whose job it is to clean up any trash created from fliers being thrown out on the streets. Flier rules and regulations vary from business to business and from state to state. To be sure you are in compliance with these rules, it is important to do your research.

Owner Permission

Distribute fliers in businesses only with the owner's approval. While many companies such as cafes, restaurants or retail establishments don't mind having fliers hanging in their store windows or on entrance tables, it is imperative that you ask permission first. Do not distribute fliers to homes or storefronts that indicate "no soliciting." This will often be seen in deed-restricted communities and office parks. Fliers such as door hangers or mail inserts cannot be distributed in areas where a "no soliciting" sign is hanging..

Local Laws

Legal rights associated with flier distribution can vary by location. Much information about flier distribution laws in your city may be found online or at your local library. Some cities might consider it trespassing if you place fliers on cars in parking lots on private property. Generally, distributing fliers is not illegal, but the location and manner you do so may be dependent on what the property owner approves. Littering laws may also affect how and where you may distribute fliers.

Keep it Friendly and Appropriate

Target your chosen demographic, and distribute fliers in public locations only to willing receivers. Do not force people to accept the fliers because they might be likely to throw them on the ground. Depending on litter laws in your location, this could result in a hefty fine for you. It is your constitutional right to print fliers and distribute them, as long as you are not on private property or being harmful in some other manner. Also, remember to keep the content contained on the fliers appropriate for all ages. This is especially important if the material will be seen in public locations by small children. The material can be a bit less age appropriate only if it is distributed in places where children will not be likely to observe them.

Tags: distribute fliers, information about, laws your, private property, public locations