Fresh Books

Pulling staff from their duties at any time is a tough call, much less in a challenging economy as we have today.However, many executives are finding it an important tool in employee management.  They are providing a brief intermission from the hectic day to day for their employees by providing speech presentations on a wide array of topics related and unrelated to their job.

Many speakers are available to provide presentations that will inspire and encourage your employees to think creatively and foster innovative business ideas.Don’t worry about finding someone directly related to your company’s field.It is not all important to find a speaker that focuses in your company’s discipline.Your staff will be challenged to think in new and creative ways which can often result in a positive increase to the bottom line. 

Here is a checklist of things to discuss with a potential speaker:

1.Up Front Details. 

Communicate the exact date, time, and location up front when talking with potential speakers.In addition remember to let them know how much time you have allotted for their presentation.While it may seem overkill to mention this, there have been plenty of instances where a manager has promoted an event only to discover a mix up with the speaker on the date or time needed for the presentation. 

  It will also help if you can give the speaker an estimate of attendees and details about the group they will be talking to.  This will help them to target their presentation to the audience and give them a better and more meaningful experience. 

2.Publicity Buzz.

Ask the speaker for a summary of their presentation in advance so that you can start building excitement among your employees.Flyers, enticing emails describing the event and other promotion all works well.Providing food is always a great way to make it fun for the employees. In any event, make sure your staff sees the event as a bonus for them rather than something they have to attend. 

3.         Compensation. 

If you have a budget available to pay a speaker you will be working with a larger selection.  Most speakers have a set rate for local and non-local venues.If out of their area, many may request travel compensation as well, and if you want an extra long presentation they may charge more. 

Don’t worry if cost is a factor.Speaking fees are all over the board, and if you can offer other forms of compensation a speaker is often willing to negotiate.For most, their ultimate objective lies in potential sales of the speaker’s services and products rather than to earn a speaking fee. 

Two typical forms of payment on a low budget are promoting the speaker’s products to the audience, or, even better, buying a copy of their book or product for each attendee. 

There are other ways to compensate a speaker on a low budget.You might consider inviting your customers or those in your office complex to create a larger group for the speaker.  Provide the speaker a list of all attendees with contact information and allow them to follow up individually.  Even offer a testimonial and referrals to similar organizations. 

It takes some effort and time to set up a speaker session your employees will enjoy and get value from, but it is a great way to build positive energy and increase commitment among your staff.  Always emphasize the value to your employees and your dedication to their personal development.The effect on the company’s profitability will be your reward.     

Marty Dickinson moved beyond his techno-fear of the Internet more than 14 years ago and has since launched more than 100 of his own websites while helping more than 300 clients to use the Internet to grow their businesses. Internet Marketing Speaker, business owner, and co-author of “Web Marketing All-in-One for Dummies” (Wiley 2009), he enjoys inspiring other techno-phobic business owners, authors and speakers to move beyond their fear of the Internet to embrace its full potential.

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Anchors, puffins, ships, and bicycles – such classic motifs lend just the right amount of nostalgic charm to any contemporary home in need of a little style and whimsy. Drawn from images contained in Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities, Chronicle’s Pictorial Webster’s wall card and stamps are wonderful resources for interior design, as well as to add style and flare to your modern-day correspondence, packages, and art and craft projects.

The wall cards include 26 cards, one for each letter of the alphabet, suitable for framing or propping up willy-nilly.

Mushrooms, sea horses, owls and pinecones are classic images of flora and fauna in the stamp set.

The Pictorial Webster’s line is sure to inspire and delight.

If you’d like to receive one of these beautiful Pictorial Webster’s posters, just send your address to webmaster@chroniclebooks.com – sorry North American addresses only.

Patti Quill
Marketing & Publicity Manager

Source: Patti Quill

Spring is just around the corner. Each day on my morning walk with the dogs I hear and see more and more birds in Golden Gate Park. Last week the big white egret was back in the pond next to the de Young Museum, and a new pair of ducks has taken up residence as well—I see them every evening.

Birding is a hobby and a passion enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts. Here are some of our favorite bird titles.

Bird
By Andrew Zuckerman

Birds
By Jeffrey Fisher

Bird Songs

Bird Watching

The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America

Birdscapes

Sightings: Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Birds

Patti Quill
Marketing & Publicity Manager

Source: Patti Quill

Chatting with snowed-in friends and family on the East Coast, I’m reminded of times I would cozy up inside, hearing the faint sound of tires driving over slush, and would completely rearrange my room. Winter begged me to take a closer look at my space, since I spent much more time holed up at home than in warmer seasons.

In search of some good room-beautifying projects, I was excited to come across this charming jewelry chandelier from the crafty decorating book, Dorm Décor. While I’ve tried many ways to organize my jewelry – including nailing a bamboo placemat on the wall – this chandelier takes the cake as a great way to use your accessories as a pretty and convenient display.

Jewelry Chandelier
Excerpted from Dorm Décor by Theresa Gonzalez and Nicole Smith
Photographs by Evan Sklar

For a place to put all that glitters, think outside the jewelry box (charming tunes, yes, but they can create a tangled mess) and visit your local hardware store. The honeycomb shape of this poultry wire alludes to something fanciful, yet utterly practical. To dress it up, a can of spray paint, ribbon, and colorful craft birds do the trick.

YOU’LL NEED:
Gardening gloves
22″ x 12″ poultry wire (for a 7″–diameter column); 32″ x 12″ (for a 9″-diameter column)
Wire cutters (go low-end; poultry wire is pretty thin)
1 can of spray paint in white
Newspaper or plastic bags
1 yard 1/2”-wide grosgrain ribbon in raspberry
Two Velcro squares
10 craft birds with wire hooks

Skill Level: 101

Cut the wire.
1. You may need to purchase the poultry wire in a package (not custom cut to size). Wearing gloves, make sure to cut along the seam line so stray wires are not exposed.

2. Join the 22″ ends of poultry wire together to form a cylinder. Interlace the wire ends through the loops on the other end to secure it closed.

Paint the wire.
3. In a ventilated area (preferably outside) and over newspaper or plastic, spray the cylinder with paint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Apply two coats for even coverage.

Embellish the chandelier.
4. Cut the ribbon in half and cut each Velcro square in half.

5. Loop one ribbon through the wire at one point at the top. Use half a Velcro square on the end of the ribbon to close the loop. Determine the length you want the chandelier to hang and snip any extra ribbon.  Directly across the top, loop the other end of the ribbon and use the other half of the Velcro square to close up the ribbon (this way you can hang it on a closet pole or remove the ribbon to set the chandelier on a dresser). Repeat for the other ribbon and Velcro square across the top.

6. Attach the craft birds with hooks on the chandelier as desired.

7. Hang the chandelier from a window hook, above your dresser, or in your closet. Hang your jewelry on it, any way you like.

Find this and many more crafty decorating projects in Dorm Décor by Theresa Gonzalez and Nicole Smith.

Lisa Tauber
Editorial Assistant

Source: Lisa Tauber

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So Dubai is struggling to repay its debts – who didn’t see that one coming? Gold plated this gold plated that – it is one thing to be flash but you need to be able to pay the money back at the end of the day. At the end of the day Dubai are not alone in finding things a little troublesome at the current time. Many of us are in need of a little help and this is where we need to start becoming a little more prudent with our finances.

I used to work for a very professional group of cost reduction experts; they would help businesses as well as individuals to save money on their monthly bills – from cleaning to obtaining cheap calls they knew about cost cutting.

One of the easiest forms of cost reductions these days has to be via how much people pay for making a telephone call. These charges vary greatly between companies and it is very much worth the effort to shop around in the quest to find an organisation that will grant you cheap calls.

Next up is our electricity and gas bills. Once again with a little bit of effort by way of sourcing the best deals could help to save us one heck of a lot of money.

What about our savings? What rate of interest are you receiving for your savings? Is it a competitive rate in comparison to other banks and building societies? There are a huge amount of people that are on rates as low as 0.1% and are not even aware of it.

I am not attempting to sell you anything from writing this article and I am by no means involved within any of these cost reduction sectors – I am purely relaying my experiences of such matters. I am now working in a career selling external doors and I also offer Mobile Phone Voucher Codes on a part time basis.

As you have seen from the above paragraphs there are many ways of saving money for those of us who are willing to spend a little bit of time sourcing the best deals.

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Global Domains Review

Working from home is a tempting proposal. You’ve probably come across many opportunities to work from home with minimum investment and the chance to generate unbelievable sums of money; the problem here is we don’t know which opportunity’s legitimate.
Global Domains International is an MLM company that sells .ws domains. Is this opportunity as good as it claims to be? Let’s get behind the scenes and find out.

Intro To GDI

When .com domains monopolized the market, Michael Reed and Alan Ezeir came out with an idea to introduce .ws domains that would be identified with the term website, as well as provide an avenue to own a domain name chosen by customers that wouldn’t be otherwise available in the .com business. Global Domains International Inc (GDI) was started in the 2000 and .ws became established as a popular domains extension in just a few months.

GDI was started as a network marketing company where the business is promoted by customers.

The Income Factor

You will need to put in $10 per month for your domain which comes with a 10 page website, domain, a website builder, 10 email addresses and support.
Get someone to sponsor you to become a distributor with GDI; thereafter, earn $1 for each person you sponsor AND for each person they sponsor for up to five levels. You could generate really good income if you’re able to bring in at least 5 people every week.

Why Global Domains?

It’s easy to get drawn to this business opportunity when you read the testimonials and see videos of people who’ve made big money in this venture. Reps assert that they’re able to sell the product to customers by just displaying the marketing video. 

Should You Become A GDI Affiliate?

While the income figures may make your head spin, you also need to the cons involved in this business opportunity. How many people do you know who’d be willing to spend $120 a year to get their own website; that too when they could get a site at a cheaper rate or even for free.? To a regular working professional, this product wouldn’t be of much use if it weren’t for the income opportunity. But don’t be discouraged; there are millions of people who want a site with a domain of their choice. To those, GDI WS is indeed a good product.  

Marketing GDI

So to effectively get back your investment of $120 a year and to generate sizeable income from this opportunity, you need to do much more than to just refer people you know and hope they join the business after seeing the promotional video. You need to highlight the advantage of a .ws domain extension that offers clients a gateway to have their desired name for their website.

For an online product such as this, outdated marketing techniques such as cold calling or meeting customers will not work. Use the reach of the internet to your advantage and promote your product online. Even while marketing online, avoid flashy, exaggerated advertising that make your product seem like a scam. Instead, reach out to target audience in a way that would make them take notice and approach you with inquiries. This is the kind of business that would flourish when marketed well.

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Do you have anger management issues? Are you looking for potential ways to control your anger? In this article I will be providing free tips and advice for people who require help with their anger management problem.

Now at the outset I would like to make it clear that I am not an anger management counsellor and that I am not attempting to sell you anything here. I actually offer various forms of stuttering therapies, I also have an interest in offering web promotion tips and Marks and Spencer Voucher Codes.

So you have anger management issues and are in need of help. The time has arrived when you need to change; things are not good; in fact there is a danger that your life could spiral out of control. The time has come to re-take control of your life, you are determined to learn from the mistakes of the past. This is the beginning of your new life; a life free from aggression and bitterness.

However bad things may have become there is a future to think about. It may at this stage seem as if this future may not be that bright however things change, that is if you are willing to change.

The first question therefore has to be: Are you willing to change? Other questions quickly follow on:

Are you willing to learn from your past mistakes?
Would you be willing to attend a specialist anger management course?
Do you have the determination to kill your inner voices that are making you behave in this way?
Will you put in the required effort to make the necessary changes work?

I am hoping of course, more for your sake than mine that you have answered yes to all of these questions, as are the people closest to you such as your immediate family and friends.

It is a time to be honest with yourself. What has been the main cause of your anger issues? Do you have an overly stressful life? Would you say that you drink far too much alcohol?

It is prudent that at times like this that we seek the help of anger management experts. Reach out to these people as they can be of help to you.

Take time for yourself, treat yourself, possibly a massage, possibly reflexology, possibly a weekend away – anything that can help you to unwind. The body needs a treat from time to time and by that I do not mean alcohol which is well known to be the biggest cause of anger related issues.

Give it your best shot – I am sure that if you believe in yourself you will succeed.

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It is important that we set ourselves goals in life, these can be short term, over a longer period of one to five years and also lifetime goals. It should not be purely a case of making personal targets – we need to make sure we attain them.

Write down your goals

I have always wanted to be a success and to have a happy life, I am sure this is the same for most people. In the early part of my life I was unable to achieve both of these aims; this was partly because I had a stuttering problem. In my early to mid twenties I decided to attempt to learn about ways in which I could ensure that the future would be a lot better, than what the past had been. I soon began to read literature about these subjects in my quest to improve my life.

I soon realised the importance of setting goals and targets and was hopeful that this could help me to stop stuttering. I thought about what I wanted to be and which course I wanted my life to take. In the end I wrote out 3 different lists which of course including my future goals.

The first list included what I wanted to achieve within the next twelve months. The second list contained what I wanted to achieve within five years and the third list was my lifetime goals – one of which was to own my own company selling composite front doors.

Avoid negative people

There are people out there who try to bring me down. Nasty comments, dirty looks and gossiping were all things that these nasty people would do. They would treat me as if I was some sort of freak and as if I was one of life’s losers. These type of people have caused me many sleepless nights and have had a negative affect on my self-confidence.

I knew that I had to steer well clear from these bad influences; this can however be easier said than done.

I am pleased to report that I have now overcome the speech impediment – life is now far much happier for me.

I also own a business and also work on a part-time basis working along side a business cost reduction specialist.

As you can see life is now so much better for me and I am sure that it could be for you.

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Closed Circuit Television also known as CCTV is primarily used in security systems. It varies from broadcast in that the signal is not openly transmitted; there are usually point-to-point links. Video cameras, whether digital or analog, transmit a signal that can be turned into video for a live feed or recorded for reviewing later. The footage would provide the police with evidence that would help solve the crime.

In factories and manufacturing facilities, cameras ensure regulations are being followed. This produces evidence that regulations are being followed. And the events leading up to accidents that result in Workman’s Compensation claims or Personal Injury lawsuits are recorded protecting companies from fraud
CCTV cameras are most frequently used for surveillance in places like banks, airports, banks, stores, and even casinos. Hidden cameras are also utilized by homeowners in their security systems. CCTV makes it possible to monitor multiple locations from a central control room. Instead of several security guards being stationed in multiple locations, ideally one security guard could survey a bank of monitors receiving a feed from several hidden security cameras. When they noticed something gone wrong, they would take a look and then call the police.
In the case of a crime that has already occurred, footage from a CCTV camera would be reviewed. Cameras have frequently recorded kidnappings that weren’t even associated with the business that installed them, yet that video can still be used in the investigation. Most CCTV record to a file on a hard drive, but older, cheapers cameras still use VHS. Storage is a concern, and how long the footage should be kept before being erased is up to the owner of the system. Whether the security system records to video cassettes or directly to a hard drive, the footage is held for a predetermined length of time before being erased, ideally not without determining the camera didn’t record anything valuable.
As digital video recorders become more prevalent, hidden camera CCTV systems are stepping up to email alerts and motion detectors. There are currently many systems that can zoom and pan but are still relatively compact. With high-definition cameras hooked up to computers, it’s easy to track individuals or objects. Features like these are refereed to as VCA or Video Content Analysis.
The more prevalent CCTV becomes, the more the question of individual privacy rights versus the public interest are raised. In many metropolitan areas cameras are at such a high concentration that a person can’t walk an entire city block without being filmed.
It’s possible for hackers to exploit the weaknesses in some systems. Hackers can cross feeds or upload unrelated videos to replace your video. Moreover, cameras are susceptible to tampering. Attempts to protect the cameras from vandalism and being neutralized can make them less effective. There are reports of laser pointers being used to temporarily blind a camera. Broadcasting another wireless signal at the exact same frequency of the camera can jam it as well. However, all of these things are easily counteracted with careful placement, and many manufactures have features that they claim make the cameras less vulnerable to vandals. Small limitations like these don’t affect how valuable a hidden secuirty camera can be. Choosing the right camera can eliminate most of these concerns. Certain cameras are designed for outdoor use only while others are made only for indoor. They have a variety of ways of being mounted and have external appearances that make them recede in the surroundings and go unnoticed, and therefore not tampered with. A well-designed hidden security camera is difficult and time intensive to neutralize and is left alone and allowed to record the crime.
A security system that utilizes a hidden camera with CCTV is a valuable tool in protecting things as well as people.

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