The old man and the v w jonathan munk

An 86-year-old graphic designer recently filed a lawsuit against Volkswagon saying he is the designer of the original, nearly 60-year-old VW logo. Nikolai Borg doesn’t want financial compensation. He is suing Volkswagon for not recognizing his hand in the design. “I am not after money,” Borg said in an article on FreelanceUK. “I just want to live to see my work acknowledged. I will not settle for anything less than historical acceptance.” Borg claims a senior Nazi commissioned him to design the now world famous logo just before WW II. After being told the project was “on hold,” he was surprised to see his very own design appear on military vehicles a few years later. He has been trying to get recognition ever since. Credit-taking in the graphic design world is full of grey territory. A company might hire a designer to come up with a logo, and then hire a different company to update their logo a few years later. The changes in design might be small, and may even go unnoticed by most people. But who has the credit for coming up with the design? Which designers have the right to list them as the originator of a particular look? Certainly the original designer deserves credit for coming up with a solid design, but doesn’t a subsequent designer deserve credit for improving a design, especially if the logo the company uses is a result of the work of a second or even third designer? For all we know, Mr. Borg submitted a great design, which was then tweaked, perhaps even several times, and then brought into use. And what about companies that hire a designer to come up with logo concepts, then take those concepts and have an in-house designer work with them until they have the logo they were looking for all along? This is not illegal, since the company in essence buys the ideas from the designer. The company can do whatever they want with them once that transaction is complete. But getting credit where it is deserved can be a tricky, sometimes frustrating game, as I’m sure Nikolai Borg can attest.

How to apply for a job online

In an increasingly online marketplace, applying for jobs often means sending your resume and cover letter electronically. Some companies have online application forms right on their Websites. Here, you can choose the job you wish to apply for, plug your work experience, skills, and education into online fields, then submit this information with a single click of a button. Online application forms differ from another and will require different information. For example, some companies ask that you "copy-and-paste" your resume and cover letter into two fields. Others ask that applicants fill in multiple fields such as "work experience," "education," etc. Still others ask that you do both-submit your resume and cover letter, and fill in fields that require the same employment-related information. Whatever type of online application form a company might have, be sure that all your information is posted in one field or another. Don't be afraid to repeat information, especially if the form requests a resume and a separate breakdown of your work history. Your information will be automatically uploaded into an online database, where hiring managers will likely scout for keywords. The more times your keywords come up, the better. While some companies-especially large ones have online application forms, many others simply ask candidates to e-mail their application materials to the appropriate person or to a general employment address like "hiringmanager@anycompany. " Here, caution is warranted. Be sure to send your resume and cover letter exactly as the hiring manager requests. Some employers prefer that the resume and cover letter be attached as separate documents (usually in a Text Only format or as Microsoft Word documents). Other employers want the cover letter to be in the body of an e-mail, but the resume to be attached separately. Still others prefer that both the resume and the cover letter be pasted into the body of an e-mail. For the latter, be sure that your documents are easy to read. Resumes, which have a rather complicated format, often look messy when they are transplanted into the body of an e-mail. Says recruiter Beth Camp: "If you e-mail a resume, it has to look as good as a written resume. I would advise sending a resume both as an attachment and in the body of your e-mail." This is a good way to sidestep a possible formatting fiasco. Another way is to send your resume and cover letter electronically, then to send hard copies as well. Some jobseekers opt to purchase domain names and to create their own Websites for the purpose of putting their resumes (and other application materials) online. The advantage of formatting your resume using HTML and making it a static Web page is that anyone can see your resume in its proper format simply by visiting your Website. Thus, instead of mailing or e-mailing your resume every time you want someone to see it, you can simply give the interested parties the right web address and they can find it for themselves. An added bonus of having your resume on a Web page is that you may attract the interest of recruiters and employers whom you hadn't even considered. To make downloading your resume easier, you may want to include on your Website copies of your resume in PDF (portable document format) and Microsoft Word files. Unfortunately, there are downsides to putting your resume on a Website. One downside is that your information becomes accessible to everyone, even unwanted visitors. For this reason, you should never disclose your home address, social security number, or any other personal information. Another downside is that not all hiring managers will go out of their way to visit your Website. Even if your resume is only a click away, many hiring managers would nevertheless prefer that you mail or e-mail it. In terms of how you send your application materials, it would be unwise to go against the explicit wishes of an employer. For example, don't send an attachment when copy-and-pasting is requested. Some companies shun attachments because they fear getting a virus, or because they don't have compatible software, or because they simply don't want to be bothered with the extra step of opening a document. When assembling your application materials and putting them into an e-mail, don't fill in the "to" field until you are finished. It's all too easy to accidentally send a half-finished e-mail to a company, thus eliminating your chances of making a decent first impression, and most likely, of getting an interview. If you were asked to copy-and-paste your resume and cover letter, be sure to scan the final outcome at least once for formatting problems, then to use a spell checker a final time. If you are attaching your documents, be absolutely sure you are attaching the right versions (i. e., the company-tailored and updated versions) to the employer. Also, be sure that they are labeled in a professional way. One jobseeker laments his decision to save different versions of his resume under headings like "Resume for Strategic Sourcing Jobs." Says the jobseeker: "I was applying for three different types of positions. But I didn't want every prospective employer to know that. By labeling my outgoing resumes the way I did, I pretty much broadcasted the fact that I didn't have a clear career direction." Probably the best strategy for saving your resume is to do so under your name only (example: Simone Piette resume) or under your name and the name of the company (example: Greenfield resume from Simone Piette). Be sure to say in your e-mail what you have attached, and also, what software you've used. For example, you might say in the body of your e-mail: "Please see my attached resume in Microsoft Word version 2002." Before a hiring manager even opens your e-mail, she should know exactly who you are and which job you are applying for. In the "Subject" line, write your name, the position name (and job number, if listed), and the contents of your application (example, "Simone Piette resume and cover letter for Executive Assistant Position"). If you've been referred to a position by another person, be sure to "cc" (carbon copy) or "bcc" (blind carbon copy) your reference when you apply. That is, add that person's e-mail to the "cc" or "bcc" field, which will enable that person to receive an exact copy of the e-mail you're sending to the hiring manager. The reason you want to "cc" or "bcc" your referrer is because you want to keep him in the loop. After all, if someone has offered to help you, he should know what stage you're at in the application process. (Note: Some e-mail programs don't offer "cc" or "bcc" fields, in which case you'll want to e-mail your reference separately.) Finally, be sure to save a copy of your outgoing e-mail in your "Sent Mail" folder, just in case the e-mail doesn't go through and you need to send it again.

How to use white papers to promote sell your industrial products on off the internet

By Conrad Bailey For quite some time now White Papers have been sort of the in-thing in the world of industrial and technical marketing - and for good reason. Thousands of businesses use them around the world to educate their customers and prospects about their products. Which is why businesses in just about every industry can get great results with a properly written white paper. Think about it. What other promotional item or marketing tool cost so little? For just pennies each, you can produce simple documents right from your computer - instantly. Documents that can increase your sales and revenues in a matter of days. That's the power of a white paper. Client-Centered White Papers Generally speaking, white papers are suppose to be technical documents, at least originally. But today, smart marketers utilize them as an effective 'medium' to promote their products by integrating the 'technical' aspect of what they're selling with a client-centered approach. The key of writing an effective white paper is focusing on how the content benefits your customer. In other words, it must provide information your customer or prospect can actually put to use, preferably right away. For example: · Technical information the prospect can put into action and benefit from; · Information that makes the prospect understand the value of your products and reliability of your company; · Information that gets the prospect to pick up the phone and call to request a quote - or at least to learn more about the advantages of doing business with you. Writing Effective White Papers Anybody that is skilled in a certain industry can write a white paper. Sure, you can hire someone to write the white paper for you. But in most cases, you are much better off writing the it yourself. That's because you probably know more about the benefits and features of your products than most people. So obviously you can provide much more valuable information. If you're not much of the writing type, you can always hire a copywriter or editor to go over your drafted work. What's most important is providing him or her with the information that you know would benefit potential buyers of your products. Your existing customers can also be an excellent source to gather a lot of information that you can use in your white paper. Ask them what they liked most about your products? What improvements would they like to see, if any? How do they compare your products to similar goods in your industry? Answers to questions like these will provide you with some valuable information for your white paper. What Does A White Paper Look Like? A white paper does not have to be colorful and fancy. It can be a simple, black-and-white, single page document that's printed right from your laser printer. That way you can make instant changes as needed. There is no need to produce white papers in multiple colors or high gloss paper. Remember, the key is the information your white paper delivers because it does nothing for you to have an expensive looking white paper if it doesn't generate business. I'm not suggesting your white paper should be cheap looking. By all means, you want it to be produced on nice white paper, typeset correctly and printed with laser sharpness. A good example would be a government or legal letter. Ever noticed how such documents are always in the standard black on white design, free of graphics, and has that traditional look of coming from a typewriter. Lawyers and officials want their documents to show the importance of the content, not its design, so they always use the standard format to ensure the reader takes notice right away. The same approach works very well with white papers. You can also Google or Yahoo the term 'White Papers' to find all kinds of samples. Or better yet, why not look for white papers your competitors are using. With a little searching you'll find a number of white papers you can use as examples to design your own template. But again, make sure to keep it simple, you'll be glad you did when you want to edit the paper's content. Distributing Your White Paper Getting your White Paper into the hands of your prospects is the easy part. You can offer the papers on your website, or via fax-on-demand, autoresponder, or even through traditional direct mail. You can also bring your white papers to trade shows and pass them out as a brochure. I even know of several companies that offer free copies of their white paper through pay-per-click advertising. They found it a very effective means of generating sales leads. When you write a really good white paper, you'll notice the distribution will spread on its own. That's because people who receive your white paper will often pass them out to their friends and colleagues they feel will benefit from the information. This chain effect can result in significant business opportunities that no other marketing document can even come close of doing. Brochures and catalogs unquestionably lack the informational value of a client-centered white paper so they rarely get passed around as often, if at all. About The Author : Conrad Bailey is co-founder and vice president of IndustrialLeaders, and author of the popular Co-Op Industrial Advertising Blog at: IndustrialLeaders/blog/

Female business leaders becoming the norm

: Anousheh Ansari, Abigail Johnson, Martha Stewart & Oprah. What does all these women have in common? They are successful entrepreneurs. Leading the group of successful female entrepreneurs is Anousheh Ansari, founder of Telecom Technologies Inc and Prodea Systems. Anousheh has sold multiple companies, her first being TTI Inc – she is now onto Sonus Network Inc. Anousheh Ansari is also an avid supporter of the sciences, not only having been to space herself but also setting up "the X Prize", a contest which helps finance companies looking to perform private space exploration. Many female entrepreneurs entered business through a husband or family member, but then rose to outshine their significant other. Abigail Johnson for example runs Fidelity investments, a company her father originally setup, but she grew to be worth over twelve Billion dollars. Similarly, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler has grown her husbands business in Germany to over six billion dollars. It is hard to discuss financial successful women without mentioning media icons like Oprah - the daytime talk show host whose media empire's worth has exceeded a billion dollars. There is also Martha Stewart who (when she's not in jail) also runs a home making tv show, magazine and book series which has a book value well over a billion dollars. Examples of smaller businesses founded by female entrepreneurs include henderson bas , and online marketing firm founded by Dawna Henderson. Dawna also recently led her company to be partially acquired by multinational conglomerate MDC partners – more information about the acquisition is available at the New York Times article: MDC Partners acquires stake in henderson bas. Many women still face discrimination in the workforce and business though. Women statistically earn less than men; this decreases their ability to walk away from a job to start their own company. Many people still maintain age old stereotypes that women are inferior to men in performing specific tasks, making it difficult for women to start businesses in male dominated fields. Nevertheless, there is no question female leadership in businesses is growing: Women are now 2x as likely to start a new business than men are. In other words, women are becoming the powerhouses of new economies, creating money and jobs all over the world.

Make the internet your personal home theatre

A few years back, a simple visit to the theatre would not cost you much. But then, prices started to escalate and then came the concept of DVD rentals. Though DVD rentals were initially popular, their prices too started going through the roof. Many a time, I find myself yearning to go to the cinemas to watch that latest action flick. But unfortunately, it seems to burn a hole in my wallet more often than not and I am sure that I am not the only person who has experienced this. As a result of these factors, people are now turning towards the next most feasible solution to watch their favorite movies online. The concept of online theatre has not yet materialized as a global phenomenon but is slowly catching up everywhere. People are realizing that watching movies online at the comfort of their homes is way better than paying a visit to the local theatre and is cheaper as well. Following this trend, many sites have sprung up what offer the latest episodes of all your favorite TV shows. This has tasted huge success as well. Apart from watching streaming movies online, another option is to use torrents. Using torrents enables you to download movies permanently on to your desktop. But there is downside to it. Torrents are often accompanied with spyware and other kinds of malware. Also, it eats up your disk space at a very fast rate and causes your computer to slow down enormously. So the next best option available at hand is to watch streaming movies online. Several sites have capitalized on this and have launched easy to use online services. You won’t have any trouble finding these sites as most of them are listed on Google. Though most of these sites are plagued by piracy problems, traffic is still at the peak. All your favorites and the latest releases, free, fast and at your fingertips. If you are impressed and want to join the millions who are already addicted to this service, then the question you must be asking yourself now is where to watch movies online. There are several sites to do this. Some of the sites where you can watch movies are: watch-movies-free. info sidereel watch-movies-online. net Many of these sites might require you to do some form of registration but most of it is fast and free. Here, you can find most movies categorized based on the genre, release date and based on keywords. They also offer in-depth reviews on the movies as well as information on the actors. Anyways, all crap aside. These sites have made several heads turn towards them and yours might just be the next one. So if you are interested, stop reading this article at once and go ahead and watch all of your favorite movies online!

Ebooks as powerful marketing tools

=================================================== Ebooks are Promotional Powerhouses =================================================== Ebooks are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. Each day the number of people accessing the Internet grows, causing the exposure of your ebook to increase incrementally. It's obvious why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly. The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend to forever banish the printed word to the dustbin of history. Books in print have their own special qualities and merits, and the world would be diminished by their disappearance. Having said that, let's look at what makes ebooks so important and so unique. Ebooks have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess. For example, ebooks are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is inexpensive. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write it or to hire a writer, and the right software. Additionally, ebooks are easily and rapidly distributed online. They are also easily updated; they do not require a second print run. All you need is to go into your original creation and modify the text or graphics. Because of this flexibility, ebooks can change and grow as fast as you can type. Ebooks are also immediately obtainable. You don't have to go to a bookstore or search through endless titles at an online bookstore. All you have to do is download it from a website, and presto! It's on your computer, ready to be read. Ebooks are interactive. This is one of the most unique and specific qualities that ebooks offer. You can add surveys that need to be filled out, order forms for customers to purchase your products or goods, sound and video that draw your reader into the virtual world of your ebook, even direct links to relevant sites that will expand your ebook outward. The potential is virtually limitless. Ebooks have a particular kind of permanence that other mediums do not possess. Television shows and radio shows air once, and then may rerun a few times. Ebooks remain on your computer for as long as your choose, and they can be read and reread whenever you choose to. They can even be printed out and stored on the shelves of your traditional home library. Another wonderful quality is that ebooks have no barriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to go through the endless process of submitting your manuscript over and over again, and then once you land an agent, having the agent submit your manuscript over and over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousands of dollars for printing a self-published book. All ebooks require is a writer and appropriate software. Figure out your market, write your book, post it on your website, and with the right business savvy, your audience will come to you. Finally, you have creative control over your ebook. You don? t have to compromise with an editor or the publishing trends of the time. You don't have to haggle with a designer or wait for copyedited galleys to arrive by snail mail. You are in complete control of the design and the text. How to Use ebooks for Marketing and Promotion There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promote your business and drive quality traffic to your website. Once posted on your site, you can turn them into a daily course, which brings your customer back to read the next chapter. You can use them as a free gift for making a purchase or for filling out a survey. Put your ebook on a disc, and you will have an innovative brochure. Blow your competition away by inserting the disc into your sales packages. The most effective marketing products are those that are unique. Copyright your ebook, and immediately, you have a powerful tool that you, and you alone, can offer to the public. People will have to visit your site to acquire your ebook, which increases the flow of quality traffic and the potential of sales and affiliate contacts. Make sure that you keep your ebook current. Update it frequently as the market and trends change. Add new advice and techniques to show your prospects how your goods or services can enrich their lives. By constantly keeping abreast of new trends and techniques, you can continue to see profits from your ebook for years after your original creation. Another phenomenal advantage of ebooks is that you can test their marketing potential without putting out hardly any cash at all. You can even produce an ebook one copy at a time, each time you receive an order, eliminating the need for storage and inventory. By this method, you can gauge the saleablity of your ebook, and make adjustments as necessary until the orders start pouring in. Ebooks allow you to learn about your market and customer habits and motivation over a period of time, without risking your precious financial resources. They also provide you with an invaluable way to gather marketing information, which you can use in many different facets of your business. Use your ebook to discover what the specific goals and problems are in your specific industry. Then figure out how to solve these problems, and publish an ebook with this invaluable information. This will increase the value of your business, upgrade your reputation, and get you known as an expert in your field. You can extend the value of single ebook by breaking the book down into chapters for a serial course, into special reports available on your website, or into audio or visual tapes. Ebooks can be broken down into several different promotional materials by excepting some of the articles and using them to promote your product. You can include a catalog in your ebook to promote all the products or services you sell. You can include a thank-you note for reading your book and an invitation to download a trial version of your product. Or you can include a form for your audience to contact you for further information or with questions, thereby building your business relationships and your mailing list. Using ebooks in this manner helps to cut the cost of individually producing separate promotional materials. You can use a single ebook to entice new prospects and to sell new products to your current customers. No other medium has this kind of flexibility and ability for expansion. Think of your ebook like a spider spinning a beautiful and intricate web. Now go and create that web, and see how many customers and prospects you can catch!

Virtual offices have an office in 10 major international cities for less than 11k

Nowadays there is an alternative to having an office in every major country, or state costing $100K a year as a minimum. Instead, for $1000 a year you can have a virtual office costing in any country you choose. So, for the a tenth of the investment cost in any one country, you can have a virtual office in ten countries. You can have a virtual office in every one of your major markets for less than the price of a single automobile. Even within the USA the advantages to be gained by having a virtual office in every major city are enormous. A virtual office package can include phone answering, signing for mail, a prestigious local postal address (with mail forwarding), cell phone forwarding, fax to email services and more. The only way to have a presence in eg UK or Canada used to be to open expensive office premises in London, Ottawa or another major city. The premises required staff, whose wages needed to be paid. Rent, fuel and local taxes all added to the exorbitant cost of maintaining a presence in a country. Now a virtual office gives you all the advantages of having a local presence, at only a tiny fraction of the cost. These advantages include a better response to advertising campaigns, local knowledge, local accents answering the phone and avoiding misunderstandings through different English language use in different countries. You can also find a Virtual Assistant (VA) who is trained to respond to phone calls as though employed in your local office. This person can maintain your diary, answer emails and post, as though you were answering it yourself. This represents another massive saving on employing a Personal Assistant in every country. Your VA answers the phone in a local accent, and gives you a really credible local presence that will help you increase your local sales. Virtual Offices and Virtual Assistants make it possible for ANY business to maintain a presence in every single country or state they market to.

Cost saving trade show exhibits for the growing company

As an early stage startup company matures, the image that was right for the times four years ago as an “up & comer” is often no longer appropriate. This emerging business now needs a more mainstream image to convey its strong new corporate identity. The transition to a mainstream image necessitates not only a change in identity but also a change in trade show exhibit presence. Early on, portable pop up exhibits at trade shows worked. But with a company's mounting success it now needs an image that reflects its solid business stature as a true leader in its field. However, before being tempted to leap into a major investment in a custom build mega trade show exhibit, there is a practical intermediate step. In order to achieve a company’s new image while keeping a handle on its budget, a good interim step for a firm that wants major attention at a key trade show is a custom modular trade show display that has the "look and feel" of a high-end custom build but at a substantial cost saving. In terms of projecting awareness, the custom modular exhibit succeeds in reinforcing a company’s new prestigious image while reducing the operating costs associated with a custom build by 75%. The custom modular exhibit saves not only on the design and productions costs of a custom construction but also on such expenses as drayage, shipping, installation and dismantling. Additionally, the configuration of the exhibit is expandable into a variety of spaces -- including a 10x20, 20x20, 20x30 or larger to scale with a company’s growth, enabling them to service large and small trade shows alike. As the growing company moves into a stepped up trade show venture, it can benefit from an experienced trade show exhibit design and construction company. The company’s display team should be able to work seamlessly with a professional exhibit design firm to determine and meet key trade show deadlines and assembly demands. Keeping costs on target should be a top priority for the expanding company. Before venturing into a top-end custom build spectacular, there’s good logic in taking an appropriate next stage exhibit step. For comparison, here are seven cost savings benefits of a custom modular vs. custom exhibit: 1. Less shipping and drayage expense: The 75% lighter weight custom modular exhibit keeps shipping and drayage costs in line with a trade show exhibit designed with less weight and compact packing. 2. Reduction of trade show storage costs: 75% fewer crates reduces storage costs substantially. 3. Lower labor costs due to ease of setup: A smaller crew is needed so less time is required to install and dismantle exhibit. 4. Less Refurbishing required: Panels can be removed from the crate by hand reducing the amount of potential damage to the display. A forklift never touches a panel keeping trade show related repair costs at a minimum. 5. Flexibility: The versatile custom modular unit facilitates expanding or reducing trade show exhibit space without adding a variety of expensive components. 6. Quality of Trade Show Exhibit Consistency: Interchangeable panels and components built the same way every time to strict quality standards save costs and time. 7. Potential 10% reduction in cost of production and reduced design time: The majority of trade show design elements could be pre-engineered which reduces the time to build and money spent in production. Custom modular exhibits are increasing in popularity as the next stage exhibit option in the trade show industry because they offer designs that create tremendous impact, ease of use and cost savings. Smart companies are looking to succeed in trade show exposure while properly managing the balance between dramatic exposure and disciplined cost constraints. Dick Wheeler is President of Professional Exhibits & Graphics, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The firm is a full-service premiere trade show exhibit, graphics and management services company. For additional information, go to proexhibits. © Copyright 1996-2006, Professional Exhibits & Graphics. All Rights Reserved

Baseball betting how to bet basics

: If you know nothing about sports and you still feel the urge to wager, baseball is the easiest sports to wager on. As opposed to football and basketball, where you are mixed up with the point spreads and other confusing calculations, in baseball betting you simply put your money on the outcome of the game. In addition, the baseball season lasts longer, which means more matches and bigger chances to go home with the winning money. Here is a step to step guide to baseball betting. The main difference between baseball betting and other team sports betting such as football and basketball is that while the latter ones use point spreads, the former uses the money line. What is a Point Spread? Point spread is the most common betting type offered in football and basketball betting. The sportsbook spreads the odd of a certain match by subtracting points from the favorite team, which is the team most likely to win and adding points to the underdog, which is the team that will raise a lot of eyebrows if wins. What is a Money Line? In baseball betting, the sportsbook sets the odds strictly on the outcome of the match. In order to even the action, bettors would have to risk more money on the favorite and risk less on the underdog. This is called the money line. For example, if the money line is minus 170 on the favorite and plus 150 on the underdog, then you would have to bet 170 dollars on the favorite in order to earn 100 dollars. On the other hand, if you bet 100 dollars on the underdog, you would win 150 dollars if they would eventually win the match. The difference between the minus 170 on the favorite and the plus 150 on the underdog is known as the twenty cent line. If the money line was minus on the favorite and plus 150 on the underdog, it is called the ten cent line or dime line. The fifteen cent line is also common in baseball betting. Sportsbooks also offer total bets and run lines in baseball betting. 1) Total Bets: These wagers are based on the sum of the runs scored by both of the teams. For example, if the sportsbook sets the over under total of a match as 7, the over wins if the sum of the runs scored by both teams exceeds 7 and the under wins if it sums up to less than 7. 2) The Run Line: This wager is the baseball variation of point spread. When you are betting on the run line, you are betting on whether one of the teams wins by more than one run, which is marked as minus 1.5 or stays within one run, marked as plus 1.5. Conclusion: Although the money line makes baseball betting simpler than football and basketball betting, it causes the payoffs calculation to be more complicated: 1) In order to calculate the payoff when wagering on the favorite you should add 1 to the favorite price and divide it with the favorite price. 2) In order to calculate the payoff when wagering on the underdog you should add 1 to the underdog price.

Change your career and change your life by starting your own business

Even if you're not a born entrepreneur, at some point in your life you've probably toyed with the idea of starting your own business. Perhaps you've even opted out of your mainstream career to strike out on your own. If you have, you're among the legions of men and women who have made the choice to start their own businesses. Unfortunately, many dreams of self-employment turn into nightmares, primarily because many of those who start businesses don't know how to critically assess business opportunities, how to create a business plan, how to read a financial report, or how to design and implement a marketing plan. Truly, the difference between those who succeed and those who fail most often boils down to whether or not the person has acquired the knowledge necessary to launch and operate a business. What most aspiring entrepreneurs don't realize is that the skill set necessary to start a business isn't out of reach. It's simply a matter of finding the right tools and using them to your best advantage. These tools can be found in books, through online college courses, through training, or through the mentorship of a successful businessperson. In a nutshell, these are the steps you need to take in order to change your career and change your life through starting your own business: 1. Identify and build on your strengths. If you are a creative person who thrives on the unexpected, starting a bookkeeping business that requires endless hours of number crunching is a recipe for disaster. You need to assess your talents and interests, and then discover how you can use them to create a niche and demand for your product or service. 2. Create a business plan. A business plan is both your vision for your business and your roadmap to achieve your goals. It must include defining your product or service, identifying your competitors and differentiating yourself from them, and pinpointing funding and financial opportunities. 3. Lay the groundwork. Businesses aren't built in a day, and you have to go through the mundane tasks of setting up bank accounts, securing business licenses, and jumping through the necessary regulatory hoops. 4. Create a marketing plan. Whether or not your business includes e-commerce, you can be sure that the Internet will play a major role in marketing your new business. But there are many other ways of garnering low cost or free advertising and marketing, and you need to make it your business to learn about them. You must also identify your target market and come up with a strategy to bring your product or service to that market. 5. Pay attention to the details. Many businesses fail because of a lack of attention to details - whether that means sloppy accounting practices, poor inventory control, or missing the deadline for a funding source. Launching a business is a balancing act, and you and your team must walk the high wire with aplomb. 6. Acknowledge and dismiss fear. Fear is what often holds us back from achieving our dreams. There's no doubt that leaving your career to start your own business is a downright frightening proposition. But with the right tools, you can acknowledge your fears for what they are, and then boldly move forward on your new career path of self-employment.

Discover your online business potential and earn direct daily payments

With any home business, it takes hard work and perseverance to accomplish your goals and to receive direct daily payments or a residual income. What are direct daily payments? These are payments sent directly to your bank account or online processor account such as PayPal, StormPay, or another service. Direct payments are sent to you instead of another company, even if you are selling products or services through a turnkey website that you received from a company. If you feel you're ready to start getting daily money from an Internet home business, here are some tips to steer you in the right direction. Decide on a Home Business Make a list of Internet home business opportunities and decide which one will be right for you. Do you want to join with another company and sign on for a turnkey system to make money daily? Or, would you rather start from scratch offering your own products and services? With a turnkey business, you'll minimize your risks and start-up costs. So this might be the right avenue if you need to start receiving daily cash in a hurry. On the other hand, if you've always dreamed of owning your own company and selling your own products and services, you should pursue this type of business. Do what you feel you'll enjoy most for now and the future. Create a Home Business Plan Once you choose a business model, create a plan to work on your business. Decide the amount of hours and days it will take each week to start earning direct daily payments. Also, create an office or work area in your home that will suit all your needs. You might need only a desk, computer, and Internet connection, or you might need an area to keep inventory. This will depend on the type of business. Plan how you will operate the business, who will work with you (if anyone), and how you will promote it for long-term success. In your plan, be sure to set realistic goals for your business. Create goals for daily money you would like to earn and how you will earn it. Also, set other short-term and long-term goals for the weeks, months, and years ahead. Internet Home Business Promotion Tips A plan is great, but now it's time to implement it. With a turn key Internet home business, your promotion efforts will be focused mainly on getting targeted visitors to your website. You website presentation and selling team should be able to do the rest. You can use search engine marketing including pay-per-click advertising as well as e-zine ads, link trades, website ads, and content article marketing to get targeted visitors. These all can work together for amazing results and eventually daily payments if you work on promotion consistently. With other types of businesses, you can use these same methods, but you will likely have to do a lot of testing and tweaking on your website to get results. You can get paid daily, weekly, and monthly only after you create an effective Web presentation that converts your visitors to paying customers. Tweak your website's headlines, link arrangements, and sales pages until you start getting response. With either business model, take these promotional steps on a daily basis. Little by little, your traffic will increase as you become established online. Also, start an e-zine, or email newsletter, if possible to get repeat customers. When new visitors arrive, they may sign up for your newsletter using a subscription form. Then you can send them an email (legally) and provide links to specials or new content on your website. Repeat visitors are more likely to make a purchase than brand new visitors. Have Realistic Expectations Whether starting your own business or using turnkey business model, have realistic expectations for the first few months. Ignore the hype and don't expect to receive enormous direct daily payments overnight. Figure you'll have a few months to learn, grow, and promote so you can build a solid business that will endure any hardships that may come along... and all businesses do have hardships or slow times eventually. Keep working toward your goals and follow your plan steadfastly. You'll soon be able to make money daily working in an Internet home business you enjoy!

Offer free information products to skyrocket your web business

If you've worked on the Internet for any length of time, then you probably realize how important it is for websites to offer valuable information. Many companies offer free information products to grab a targeted audience. There's no doubt that Web surfers are seeking information, and the Internet is often called "The Information Highway." So, what's the key to success for your Web business? Offering valuable information about your niche market! Why Offering Free Information is So Important There are several reasons why offering free information is important to your online business. One, it gives your visitor a reason to fill out their name and email address and sign on for your mailing list. The more subscribers you gain, the more opportunity you will have to sell your products. Many consumers buy only after being contacted several times; it builds trust for your online visitors. Promise to give your new subscribers a free information product such as a free e-book download. Your profits will grow as your mailing list grows - and you'll improve cashflow for your business as well. Two, you can increase profits by adding content within the free information product. When you compile a free e-book for your visitors, you can include anything you want in the e-book. You can offer other products that pertain to your website. Your visitors are already interested or they wouldn't be reading the e-book! Three, you can establish a solid reputation with visitors. Offering free information products helps you build a good name on the Web. You can even allow other websites to offer your free e-book to their clients. This helps you build a name for yourself on the Web while eliminating the risk in the minds of your potential clients. Of course, there are many other benefits such as search engine optimization, multiple streams of income, etc. Types of E-books E-books can be about any subject - gardening, cooking, Web design, graphic design, writing, insurance, car buying, mortgages, finance, home business, office tips, computer tips, etc. Choose a topic that you enjoy so your business won't become a dreaded task. Find a niche in that field and offer free information about that niche product or service. How to Offer Free Information Products There are three prominent ways to offer free information products. One, write an e-book yourself. Two, hire someone to write it for you. Three, find public domain information that you can sell for profits or offer to your visitors free. Public domain information can be books, articles, brochures, government information, magazines, etc. that are available for anyone to use, sell, or offer for free. This means the copyright has expired or never existed. There are even public domain packages you can purchase that contain many public domain products. Anything that's "public domain" can be turned into a free e-book download for your clients. It's a business opportunity that many online business owners don't realize exists. There are endless books that are labeled public domain. Just be sure they are actually "public domain" before using them. With this little known secret, you can turn your free information products into profits in no time.

Free and unlimited web storage

Today, when everyone is working through the Internet, most businesses are also vying for net space to create their portals. When building a website, the first thing a person checks, is how much web storage they get and if that will be enough for them to upload all the information and images related to their business. This storage space is also used to put in video and audio files, but only a few companies offer free and unlimited web storage facility. With the help of unlimited storage, it becomes easier to do multiple uploads and that also through simultaneous file upload feature. The space available is quite large which means free download is easy for the users, and they can even upload or download mp3 and video files from there. There are many people who have the habit of uploading videos taken at home or in their personal space to share with others. This can be done using simple upload software and again using similar download software to take it down onto another computer. Being able to upload music means, one need not worry about occupying space on their computer. They can use the free music hosting facility on the company they are using and load up to 100mb of stuff on it. This gives them the flexibility of using the music or files whenever they wish. Free files hosting, free mp3, video, image and any types of file uploading are all features of sites where unlimited web storage is a given thing. Through the service provided, the user of the site can upload files or download files depending on their need. They can also make changes and re upload the files, and this applies to not only mp3 and video but also to any files. There might be certain software that they use for work, and if they are unable to carry it on CD or multiple people need to access, it is easier to software upload on the web space and give access to all those who might need the same. In most cases, the free web storage space is allowed for a trial period, post that the user will have to purchase the same. But there are few exceptions where unlimited space is allowed for indefinite periods of time. Make use of the bandwidth provided to free music hosting or upload files and share the link with all those you wish to share them with. Another possibility is to follow the steps involved in web hosting, get files, take backup and even put in flash files for free. It might sound like a far-fetched possibility, but these activities are very possible in sites that allow for uploading any file types and where it is fast uploading. The software used for this purpose could also be stored in the same space, so the others who access the site can avail the same to view certain uploaded video files. They can also then proceed with file exchange, which would allow for knowledge transfer and more learning.

Attendance recording system

Attendance Recording System: Attendance Recording System allows the companies to manage, monitor and produce reports of employee’s attendance. This system fits easily into the business structure and gives you greater control over your staff. It is mainly used by companies which have more than hundreds or thousands of employees. They are used in areas such as healthcare, financial services, transportation or distribution, retail management, government, manufacturing, and hospitality. Attendance recording system provides an accurate means of recording employee entries, exits breaks, absence and leaves. This can be compiled to produce the total hours worked and the amount that the employees should be paid. More advanced systems can automatically consolidate this information across multiple locations, track how hours are allocated across projects, and monitor overtime hours. Attendance recording system handles company’s time and attendance and access control needs. In attendance recording system, an employee has to press his or her thumb on the small machine fixed on a wall to record their attendance. The impression of the thumb matches with the one already stored in a computer, and this enters his or her attendance. Some employees use identifying cards to punch in and out. Time and attendance recording systems lets the employees enter their own information directly into the system, including flex-time hours, vacation time, and sick day information. By using attendance recording system you can make the attendance sheet into self-service attendance machine. Time and attendance recording machine has the following advantages : saves time and there is no need to manually take the attendance, provides authentication, eliminates errors, promotes employee self-service, manages and controls absenteeism, there is no way to check off someone else's name by mistake. You also have the additional benefit of not having to issue cards, or replace lost ones. They can also cut down on time theft, buddy punching, extended lunches, and other time tracking problems. The systems reduce potential mistakes automatically by transferring information between company systems. Time and attendance systems often have a Web version of the employee module, which allows workers to enter their time using a Web browser. Its flexible design runs on both PCs under Windows and UNIX workstations. Most systems are compatible with over 20 databases including Ingres, Sybase, and Oracle, and run on all major network environments, thus, providing instant access to all time and attendance functions. Time and attendance systems help companies to reduce and control costs by permitting employees to access non-critical information in a simple, secure, and safe manner. Most systems are Web-enabled and are integrated with current Internet technology Whether it involves the calculation of overtime, variable or flexible work hours, or exchanging data from and to other applications, like payroll - or human resource systems, time and attendance recording system offers a complete and flexible solution. Employee time and attendance machines range in cost from less to very high cost. The requirement depends upon the number of employees to monitor, the number of locations to track, and the information reporting requirements. There are several time attendance equipments available in the market and some are manufactured as per the requirements of the particular organization.

Affordable online degrees

: Accredited online degree costs arms and legs - that's the general notion of many people who think of acquiring the much talked about online degrees. But the reality is a bit different. It is definitely possible to get an affordable package of the same. Browse the internet, and you will come across a bunch of online degree programs that really costs you low. A person with high ambitions of achieving a better career always have the option of going for the online college degrees that come in an attractive yet affordable package. This degree can help you make better money, and possibly get that promotion that you have long sought after. One great thing about working towards an on-line degree is that you can work on it anytime you want. By focusing towards your degree, you could complete it in as little as two years depending on how many courses you need. A recent survey revealed that very often a number of working adults carry out extensive research work on an affordable college degree online. Now the question is what actually motivates that kind of a search? May be enhancement of knowledge related to a specific subject or the hope of reaping some additional benefits of these online courses or just to get that long sought promotion. Whatever may be the reasons there are a number of benefits of these Affordable Online Degrees listed as follows: 1. In case of working adults, the degree can be easily pursued without hampering their full time employment. 2. The affordable online degree makes you all the more competitive in the job market. 3. The degree acts as an additional resource that proves an individual's set of skills. Over the internet, you'll come across a number of online universities and institutes offering you an affordable online college degree. With study material being supplied to the students, these e-learning centers motivate the participant's efforts by claiming, "The world is your classroom." These non-profit, private universities established by the Western governors are focused to offer the U. S. citizens a "cost-effective, high-quality education". In many cases there is the Federal financial aid that is available for the prospective, eligible students.

Accident claim with a specialist solicitor

Everyone has heard of an accident claim, but few people know how to deal with the traumatising experience when it comes. Life quickly becomes confusing and frustrating as you deal with physical pain and the bureaucratic red tape. While there is no shortage of accident solicitors that deal with injury or accident claims, there is definitely a shortage of actual efficient and reliable ones. Choosing the wrong legal advice team for your claim can cost you money as well as in the final result, zero compensation. Accident Injury Is Unpredictable! Accidents can happen anywhere, so feel protected at all times. Whether at work, out socially, on business or just having some fun, accidents can quickly turn your life upside down and turn everyday chores and pleasures into frustrating tasks. Thus possibly requiring the help and pity of others. Work becomes impossible, and you feel like a burden on everyone around you. You think back to life before the injury and wonder why it happened to you. Don't Blame Yourself The first thing many people feel after an accident is the embarrassment and somehow personally become responsible for their injury. Such a mind-frame can quickly lead to depression, which can affect all those around you. It can also help to slow down the recovery process, preventing the possibility of an injury claim. Don't feel that somehow you don't deserve compensation for your injury. If someone is responsible for your suffering then, you should seriously consider talking to a competent, experienced and reliable accident solicitor who has the power to earn you an impressive compensation settlement. People are injured everyday due to negligence of others; don't allow yourself to become just another statistic that's left to recover without the financial aid you deserve. Living With A Serious Injury For many, the pain and debilitation after an injury is almost too much to handle. Life takes an unexpected turn as you spend your days, bed-ridden, stuck at home, or in physiotherapy, trying to regain your lost mobility and freedom. You feel that you can no longer provide for your family, and simple things like playing in the back yard with your kids and going on vacation are no longer a viable options. An accident injury claim is not a mere slap in the face and, through the haze of suffering, frustration and confusion, you want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Ready For Some Action? The first step is to find a personal injury solicitor who can be relied upon to produce a successful victory for your compensation claim. There are all sorts of solicitors advertising their credentials and claiming to be the 'hard-hitters', but this is merely fiction. The most critical step in an injury claim is choosing a competent and reliable solicitor to manage your case. When coming to this decision, there are several questions that must be addressed. You must be sure that the solicitor is experienced and has produced 'good' results for their previous clients. You need to be comfortable with your accident solicitor and be able to speak freely and comfortably with them. With a comfortable, professional relationship established, a successful accident claim settlement will be within your reach. Balls In Your Court Always remember that there is a reason why you are reading this today to make an accident compensation claim for your accident injury. Don't allow your situation to get the better of you. Without proper consultation, an injured victim's life may never get back on track. Taking the crucial steps of filing an accident injury can be the first step in turning everything around and getting back behind the steering wheel of life. Don't let your injury get the better of you; make those responsible, responsible! If someone else's negligence is behind your pain, then take the necessary action and get what you deserve.

Help jet lag with common sense not sleeping pills

“Jet lag” can happen for a number of reasons. Basically, the body’s system gets out of whack. This can be due to air travel, hence the origin of the name, when a traveler passes into another time zone. The term has also come to be used for similar situations, like people working shift work who get out of their daily routine during shift changes. Some symptoms include loss of appetite, headaches, fatigue, disorientation, upset stomach, insomnia and irritability. Jet lag, no matter why you have it, is not a comfortable feeling. In a work setting, it can mean the difference in attitude in working with others and even in work related accidents. In travelers, jet lag can mean the difference between a good trip and a bad one. While sleep aids like blindfolds, ear plugs and small neck pillows are recommended for people who are traveling by air for great distances, sleeping pills are not. Taking sleeping pills often induces a deep sleep that becomes almost comatose. With little or no body movement during a long flight, the traveler might suffer from a blood clot. Plus, in a deep sleep state, a flight attendant or passerby might not notice if you are having a health problem because your body might not be able to react while you are knocked out. So, leave the sleeping pills behind for your next long trip. Instead, pack a few items to make you more comfortable and walk and stretch in the aisles when it is permitted. You should also drink more fluids – non-alcoholic fluids – while flying to prevent dehydration. The best way to deal with jet lag is to plan your travel to allow time for it. Generally speaking, jet lag will not linger more than 12 hours, the maximum time zone difference you can travel. Within that amount of time, you should start gaining your grounding again and having relief of symptoms. If you are planning air travel to attend a meeting or a conference, try to arrive early enough to have time to recuperate from anticipated jet lag. If you have tried that and still have horrible jet lag, address it before you board your next flight. If you suffer from serious nausea or headaches with your jet lag, talk to your doctor before your next trip. Explain your symptoms and he or she can make suggestions or appropriate prescriptions for your ailments.