EDUCATION FOR ALL

Gluten Free Food That Tastes Good

2010-08-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Image Source : http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/how-to-make-gluten-free-flour-tortillas/

Gluten is contained in many of the foods eaten in the Western diet. It is necessary, though, for those with an intolerance to it, to remove it from the diet.The disadvantage of this removal, is that it becomes imperative to read the labels on products, to ensure that they do not contain gluten. This can be very confusing, and not all labels are accurate.

Whatever gluten is, it must be tasty! The taste of alternatives to wheat, oats, rye or barley is not always nice! Some leave an unpleasant after-taste!

Further, gluten may be hidden within innocent-looking foods, such as vitamin supplements or additives. Lipsticks and postage stamps can also be a hazard!

Manufacturers, though, are realizing the lucrative and expanding market that creating gluten-free foods represents. The range of available food stuffs has grown dramatically. This has been beneficial to consumers both with increased variety and with greater competition in pricing. Restaurants and take-away food establishments are also seeing the advantage of offering suitable options.

It is important for those with Coeliac Disease to ensure there are adequate levels of fibre, iron, B12, thiamine and Vitamin C in the diet, as these may be deficient.

The good news is that in reducing wheat from the diet, which is often a primary ingredient in such foods as cakes and biscuits, then the intake of fats and sugars may also be lowered. By increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, the positive side-effects may be experienced, of weight-loss and brighter skin!

Follow all of the developments on gluten and gluten free recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Clabassi

Best Tips on Buying Your First Car

2010-08-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Image source : http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Car%20BMW_32737

The very first car that you own is surely a symbol of who you are, and to most people it is a symbol with which they identify you as a cool dude or dudette. If you have been thinking about buying your first car then there are certain tips on buying your first car that you need to consider.

Owning the first car isn't going to guarantee a longer lasting paint job because there is a very high possibility that you could have it scratched every time you drive it. Hence, to protect your wallet from a very expensive paint job and as the first amongst the tips on buying your first car, it would be best for you to settle for a used car.

There are quite a lot of used car dealers in the city and they sure have some really cool models too. The best part with such dealers is that you sure can find a lot of vintage cars that are re-modified.

If you are unsure about how to go check a car's condition, the make and the model, and the power of the car in relation to the price being quoted, then it would be best if you can take a friend or a mechanic with you who you know well to get a second opinion. Else there is a huge possibility that you can be easily ripped of by the sales person. Unfortunately this experience is common to woman on the market so again if take someone with you that knows cars then that can potentially save hundreds of dollars.

Also make it a point to look at the papers and title for the car. A carfax report listing the detailed information on a cars history and make certain that everything is in order and the title documents are clear with no ambiguity. It would be best for you to settle for a car that was pre-owned by one no more than one person. The more number of people owning a car would depreciate the value of the car as well as its condition.

Following these tips should make it simple to purchase your first car. Don't jump on the first car you see unless it meets your criteria and it's a solid purchase. Sticking to these simple methods will not only ensure you get a good deal, but you'll get it on your terms. I write across several different niches if you have a son playing football then you will need the best in youth football equipment. It's important for your youngster to practice in youth football gear that will protect them from injuries.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffery_Burgand

Who Was Archimedes?

2010-08-18T03:30:00.000-07:00

Source Image : http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php?p=220424409

Archimedes was a great mathematician and scientist who lived more than two thousand years ago. He was born in 287 B.C., in the ancient city-state of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. At that time Sicily was a Greek island, but now it is part of Italy. Many stories are told about the way Archimedes made his great inventions and scientific discoveries. Perhaps it did not all happen exactly the way the stories say. Probably Archimedes, like every other great scientist, had to work long and hard to make his inventions and discoveries.

But that does not matter, because the stories are interesting. Here arcsome of them: Once the Romans tried to invade Syracuse from the sea. As their ships neared the coast, they suddenly burst into flame. Archimedes had set up mirrors on the coast of Syracuse to catch the sun's rays and reflect them against the Roman ships. The hot rays set the ships on fire. Archimedes was a friend of King Hiero of Syracuse, and often solved problems for the king. Once the king suspected that a new crown was not made with pure gold. He asked Archimedes to find out if the crown was pure gold. Archimedes thought and thought about how he could find the answer. One day as he was bathing in one of the public baths in Syracuse, he suddenly thought of the answer.

He jumped from the tub shouting, "Eureka, Eureka!" which means "I have found it, I have found it!" He was so excited he ran home without putting his clothes on. What Archimedes had found was a great scientific law. Among other things, it helped to answer the king's question, but scientists have used it ever since. An important invention of Archimedes was the water screw. This was used to pump water, or to raise it from one level to another. The water screw was really nothing but a large, long screw encased in a wooden pipe.

When the handle on top of the screw was turned, the water was forced up into the pipe, and finally flowed from the top of it. Archimedes was one of the first great mathematicians. Much of the work he did is important to us today. He learned how to measure circles, spheres, cylinders and other figures. When he was an old man, Archimedes asked that a cylinder and a sphere be carved on his tombstone after he died. The Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 B.C. During the battle Archimedes was sitting in the public square drawing mathematical figures in the dirt. The Roman general, Claudius Marcellus, had given orders that the soldiers were not to harm Archimedes. But a soldier seeing Archimedes did not know him, and killed him with his sword. The Roman general buried Archimedes with great honor and remembered the scientist's request for his tombstone. The sphere and the cylinder were carved on the tombstone of this great scientist.

David is the author of many articles including Best Friend Quotes and also the author of Best life quotes

other articles:

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Memory Researchers Explain Latest Findings on Improving the Mind, Stopping Memory Loss

2010-08-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Image Source : http://hubpages.com/hub/Brain-Memory

ScienceDaily— The ability to remember is not just to glimpse into the past; a sharp memory can help with creativity, productivity and even the ability to imagine the future, according to several psychologists.

Sleep, aging and brain chemistry research were all discussed during several presentations on memory at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

The benefits of sleep are well-documented, but researcher Sara C. Mednick, PhD, and her colleagues are finding that certain stages of sleep actually have distinct roles in people's memory capacity. The REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage -- where people's dreams are most vivid -- is also important for people's memory systems, Mednick found.

Mednick, who is a leading sleep researcher at the University of California, San Diego, presented findings from a recent study. Using a creativity task called a Remote Associates Test, study participants were shown multiple groups of three words (e.g., cookie, heart, sixteen) and asked to find another word that can be associated with all three words. In this case, the answer would have been "sweet." Participants were tested once in the morning and again in the afternoon, either after a nap with REM sleep, one without REM sleep or a quiet rest period.

Although the quiet rest and non-REM sleep groups received the same words prior to the association task, they displayed no improvement on the Remote Associates Test. However, the REM sleep group improved by almost 40 percent over their morning performances. The authors hypothesize that the formation of associative networks from previously unassociated information in the brain, leading to creative problem-solving, is facilitated by changes to neurotransmitter systems during REM sleep.

"REM sleep is important for pulling together all the information we process on a daily basis and turning it into memories we can use later," said Mednick. "This helps us to understand more about the benefits of sleep and to help people maximize their sleep schedules for optimal productivity and memory retrieval."

People's memories may also help them imagine their future, according to researcher Daniel L. Schacter, PhD, a psychology professor at Harvard University. Schacter and his colleagues have been conducting brain imaging research that suggests that the ability to remember past events may be crucially involved in people's ability to imagine events that have not happened yet and even simulate these "future" occurrences.

Studies show certain brain regions that have traditionally been associated with memory, such as the medial temporal lobe, appear to be similarly activated when people imagine future experiences in brain imaging studies, according to Schacter. "Memories of things that have already happened to us apparently support the formation in our minds of future events by taking and recombining stored information into an event we imagine will happen," Schacter said during a plenary address. "This can have far-reaching implications for how we think about memory and its function."

The medial temporal lobe, which includes the hippocampus, is the subject of further memory research by Michela Gallagher, PhD, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University who also presented. The primary risk for Alzheimer's disease is advancing age and is frequently preceded by a condition known as amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) in which people have greater memory deficits than would be expected as they grow older. "These people may offer the best opportunity for intervention to treat symptoms and stem the tide of the disease," said Gallagher. Her research on memory loss in aged rats is providing clues about the condition of aMCI.

Gallagher's research has shown that a specific population of neurons in the hippocampus is excessively active in the brains of older rats with memory loss. Those neurons normally play a key role in encoding new information but fail to perform this function in older rats with poor memory capacity. In other words, older brains tend to have a hard time distinguishing a current event from a past one, and this condition is also showing up in human brains.

Using high-resolution brain imaging in older adults with aMCI, excess activity is localized to the same region of the hippocampus where hyperactive neurons were found in aged rats. People with this feature in the brain performed poorly on tests of memory that tax the special function of those neurons. "The changes in this neural network that are seen both in older animals and humans may shed light on a permissive condition in the aging brain that confers risk for Alzheimer's disease and the special vulnerability of memory in this most common form of dementia," said Gallagher, "and it is giving us new ideas about how to treat progressive memory loss in older adults."

Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Psychological Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

6 Ways You Can Easily Save On Moving Costs

2010-08-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

Image Source : http://www.singlesto.com/

Are you going to be making a move to a new home soon and are searching for ways to save on moving costs? There are many ways that you can easily save money on moving if you just know how to do it.

The following ways are the most important ones for you to know and use if you are really serious about saving as much money as possible on the cost of moving.

One: Hire moving help - Most people don't believe it but if you are smart about it you can hire moving help and still save money by taking your time to choose the right company.

Two: Reduce your moving load - Only take the items with you that you will need and use. The more items you can get rid of the lighter your load will be and the more money you will save.

Three: Be realistic - You don't want to underestimate the load size that will be needed to help you move all of your items to your new home. The bigger the load size the more expensive it is going to get to move your items.

Always be as realistic as you can be about the load size you will have so that you can save as much money as possible by getting it all moved in the smallest load you can.

Four: Choose the right moving time - This is especially important if you are going to hire movers to help. The right moving time can save on the cost of hiring a moving company because every company has a peak time of the month and week where it will be more expensive.

If you avoid the peak times with the moving company you will be able to save money on the cost. If you are going to be moving yourself then you can save money on the fuel that will be used to get to your new location because during peak times of the year travelling will take longer due to heave traffic.

Five: Do some things yourself - You can easily save money if you hire a company to help with your move by doing some of the things yourself. Some of the tasks that you can do yourself that can save you quite a bit of money includes:

- Packing and unpacking

- Loading and unloading the truck

- Driving the truck yourself

Six: Shop wisely and compare - Hiring a moving company is a good idea but you want to be sure to get free quotes and compare them so you can make a wise decision.

Always be smart and use these ways to help you save the most money possible on moving costs. Moving is already more than most people can afford so saving money is always a good thing and if you are smart then you can easily save quite a bit of money that can be used once you get settled into your new home.

Source : Maureen Romensya (http://www.getmyarticles.com/)

5 Easy Steps to Marketing Your Website

2010-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Image Source : www.hurricanewebcopywriting.com

So, you have invested a lot of effort in the development of your website, both in terms of time and money, right? Well, now it's time to put as much effort in the marketing of your website. You might have developed a great website offering some great stuff. But, what if people are unable to find your site on the internet? You can promote your website on the internet without putting a lot of money in the online marketing campaign of your website.

Given below are 5 easy steps that offer you to market your website inexpensively and effectively.

Step #1. User-friendliness
The very first step towards marketing your website on the internet is to make it as much user-friendly as possible. Is your website easily navigable? Is it easily readable? Does it offer precise information to users? Is your website browser compatible? These are some of the most important questions that you need to answer when it comes to making your website user-friendly. Since you want visitors to take action (like purchasing products), you need to make the website user friendly to users.

Step #2. Search Engine Optimization
One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to market your website over the internet is to optimize it for major search engines. To start with, you will need to register your business website with all the major search engines including Google, Yahoo and Bing. While doing the SEO work for your site, you need to consider some important elements like the meta tags, title, description and the alt tag of your website. The content on your site must be optimized for important keywords, relevant to your niche market.

Getting your website in top search engine searches may take some time. However, if you put in the required effort to optimize the web pages of your site, the effort will really be worth it.

Step #3. Spreading the Word
Use every possible opportunity to spread the word about your website. For marketing your website, you can include your site URL on your letterheads, business cards, shopping bags etc. In this way, you will make your clients remember your website and visit it over and again. Article marketing is another useful way to market your business website.

Step #4. Interaction
Is your website interactive for users? This is the age of web 2.0 where you need to make your website as interactive as possible. Use innovative ways to engage readers on your website. Feedback forms, newsletters and voting are some essential tools that help engage users, helping you to market your website on the World Wide Web. Users always like interaction like asking questions, giving feedbacks and insightful reviews about products and services.

Step #5. Affiliate Marketing
One of the most cost-effective ways to market your website is through affiliate marketing. By participating in an efficient affiliate marketing program, you can not only earn good revenue but create awareness about your website on a massive scale. The point is to choose the right affiliate program that fits in with your website requirements. Always remember to match the affiliate ads with the content on your website. This will enrich and add value to your content making users to return your website again and again.

Social media websites offer great potential for website marketing. If you are small business owner, you should prepare yourself to make the most of Social Media Marketing for Small Business. Make a visit to Array of Sites now for more useful tips on SEO and internet marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Tomerson

Tips on Succeeding in the Wholesale Business

2010-08-08T20:18:00.001-07:00

Images Source : http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

One of the main reasons a wholesale business fails locally or worldwide is because of the lack of reliable and profitable specialized sources. Hundreds, if not thousands, of online mini malls fail primarily because they mistakenly trust in middleman intermediaries, rather than depending on their own due diligence for finding products at the lowest possible price from trusted authorities.

So what can you start doing right now for starting a wholesale business correctly? Simple, the number one aspect of starting a successful wholesale business is focus. Once you have the ideas and your business action plan set up, you need to focus on taking the necessary action toward building such wholesale business niches into profitable ventures.

You need to set yourself daily goals, this is what you are going to achieve for each day. A necessary evil if you ask me for sure, but a fun one indeed. Now, there is a huge difference between having something written and not having anything written down.

Research and experience show that once a retail entrepreneur focuses on achieving his required written daily goals for his business, the chances of getting the job done are increased exponentially. If you do not write down what you need to do, the chances are not completing your task and evidently most of the time, staying stuck for days or for weeks. Keeping in mind that building a wholesale business, like any other business, is a long-term process.

If you do not see profits right away, do not blame the business. Look at what you are doing or are not doing. If you lose focus and jump from thing to thing, you will not be successful. My merchandising business and all my eBay businesses got stuck this way. Learn from people mistakes, more like recognized tests.

So, you have to focus on what you need to do each and every day and do it. Second, if you are starting a wholesale business to evidently become a retailer or sell wholesale either locally or on the Internet, you should buy at the lowest possible prices. This should be obvious, but amazingly, more than 95% of retail stores are not buying merchandise at the lowest prices available.

It is sad to see many websites pull out crappy sites and they go online and fail because they never had a great wholesale distributor or the perfect wholesale list to start with because they failed to do the proper research. Yes you can make good money without the greatest wholesaler or distributor, but is it smart if you do not have a popular image like many online giants or are not fully recognized as a perceived authority? Buy low, sell high- formula has been proved profitable for decades now.

Finally, don not spread your business product line to thin. Instead of attempting to sell anything and everything, choose a main niche and then build multiple sub-niches around it, it is smart for acquiring excellence no matter what business that is profitable you go into. This requires finding fewer wholesalers and distributors, and therefore reduces your chances of failure when starting a wholesale business today.

by Otis Clemons (http://www.goarticles.com)

3 Essentials Of Marketing With Posters

2010-02-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

by: Lynne Saarte

What poster marketing is good at is it helps you reach out to a much larger audience in one of the most inexpensive ways, as well as in the shortest amount of time. Depending on the elements you integrate in your poster printing, your marketing campaign can very well be the most effective one for your business. As each element in your design in your posters, even if it is cheap poster printing, is significant, every one of them needs to have a part in ensuring that you get results the way you expect.

To further help you create a better poster marketing campaign; here are some of the tried-and-tested marketing strategies for your poster printing:

Do your research.

Never allow yourself to be caught unprepared and unqualified to share information not only about your product but more importantly, your target audience. This means knowing full well how to develop your cheap poster printing to focus on who your target clients are. What do they want? How do they feel about the products available in the market? Where do they go when they need solutions to their problems? What issues have not been met yet in the present market? What motivates them? What can you offer your target audience in the way of benefits? Where can you contact them? How can you reach out to them? You need to do your research in order for you to have the right answers to these questions. A well-planned and well-thought of poster design can have more positive impact to its audience.

Know what you want.

You have to be certain of what you expect from your target audience when you send your message their way. Tell them how they can get your benefits. What should they do to be able to get advantage of your offer? A marketing poster concentrated on the business aspect should always be able to convince and encourage its audience to make a purchase by its call-to-action: give you a call, visit a website, contact your sales representative, or visit your shop.

Consider a personal impact that strives for individuality.

As you think about your target clients, also consider that each of your prospect view your poster ad in a certain way. Bear in mind that the impact of your message also depends on the perspective of the person looking at it. Although there may be a group of people viewing it at one time, each individual in that group will have a personal opinion on what you have for your message.

There are still many more approaches you can apply to your own poster printing. But one thing is for sure; great poster marketing will always yield for you a strong return to your investments.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit:
http://www.printplace.com/printing/poster-printing.aspx, http://www.printplace.com/printing/cheap-poster-printing.aspx

Reference:
http://www.articlecity.com/

Men Need More Fruits and Vegetables a Day

2010-02-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Do you know that men need to eat more fruits and vegetables than women?

The National 5 A Day program is encouraging men, who have greater health risks than women for some diseases, to shoot for nine servings offruits and vegetables each day and women to aim for seven servings a day.

Fruits and vegetables contain many powerful and important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, and that helps reduce the risk of many cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Why do men need more than women?

The recommended servings are greater for men because more than two-thirds of men are overweight or obese, and men have a higher death rate for certain diseases than women.

Those diseases include:

* Cardiovascular disease (1 times greater)
* Lung cancer (About two times as high)
* Colorectal cancer (1 times greater)

Among Americans, at least 58 million have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, and 8.2 million Americans have a history of cancer.

How much equals one serving?

* cup fruit juice
* 1 medium banana
* 1 cup chopped or diced raw vegetables
* 1 medium apple
* cup cooked vegetables
* cup dried fruit
* cup cooked beans or peas

One serving of fruit or vegetables should fit in the palm of your hand. It's a lot smaller than most people think.

How can you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables?

* Have fresh fruit in the morning
* Snack on fresh fruit throughout the day
* Eat a big salad at lunch
* Snack on raw vegetables with a healthful dip
* Eat at least two vegetables with dinner
* Add beans and peas to salads

Taken from health news at Yahoo!
Reference : http://www.squidoo.com/

Home Business Resource - What You Will Need To Start A Successful Business

2009-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Starting a home business is a very important decision, and there are some typical home business resources you will need to have in order for you to succeed. Home business resources are assets, services and systems you will need to make your home business run smoothly; and also other steps you will need to take to make sure that you will succeed with your business.

So, to start a successful home business, what resources and steps do you need to take?

? A clearly laid out business plan. Without a business plan and goals to achieve, then you can not get anywhere. A business plan will map out what you need to succeed and how you will achieve your goals.

? Good research. Whatever your business will need, you will need to be well informed about it. So you will need to do me research so that you become an expert on the niche, product or service. Knowledge about the business is an important home business resource, so you must do the necessary research to be well-informed about the industry or product/service.

? A well set-up office. Your office is another important home business resource. You will need to be productive while working from home. You will therefore need an office that has all you will need to run a smooth business; a computer, printer, internet access, fax, telephone, business cards and a conducive work environment. A suitable desk and appropriate lighting in your office is also an important resource that is often underestimated in its importance. You will sometimes work for many hours in a day, and your work space needs to be comfortable. Allocate some money towards setting up a working environment you will enjoy working from everyday!

? Some money to cover capital outlay and running costs is an important home business resource which you will need. Any business requires some form of investment, and you will need to know how much you have, and how much investments and ongoing marketing your business will need for it to succeed. It is therefore recommended that you start your business while you are still employed, so that you have some income to live on while you are still building your business.

? Support system. This can be a mentor; someone who has succeeded with a similar business, or simply your family and friends. You need to have people close to you who will encourage you and give you any support you need. You can also join a forum of people with the same business like yours. A good support network is a very important home business resource.

? Business leads and clients are a crucial home business resource. Making and creating contacts and networking is very important - you need to start building your potential clients base before you launch your business. Start marketing your business by giving away some products and services. By creating a relationship with your potential customers, you build trust with them, and when you launch your business, it will be easy for them to buy from you.

? Be professional! The way you run your business and relate to your customers is very important. Be prepared to 'go the extra mile' with your customers. Care about your customers, and provide all the information they may need.

? Hire any professional help you may need. Treat your business professionally, and if you need the services of a lawyer or accountant, hire/outsource it. It is more productive and effective to get experts to do what you can not do, leaving you time to focus on your business. You will want to do the best for your business; so if there are any home business resources you do not have, outsource them.

If you have the home business resources outlined above, then your business will succeed. Although your home business may only be a small venture, treat it like a real business, and get all the home business resources any business will need in order to be successful.

REFERENCE :
http://www.articlecircle.com/
Author : Jeff Casmer is an award winning internet marketing consultant with career sales over $25,000,000. His "Top Ranked" Earn Money at Home Directory (http://www.24hourwealth.com/) gives you all the information you need to start and prosper with your very own Internet Home Based Business.

Tips to Keep Fruits and Vegetables Fresh

2009-09-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

There are few things worse than having to throw away food that has spoiled. This is not just a waste of resources; it is also a waste of time and money. In most houses, fruits and vegetables are in need of either quick consumption or quick storage. However, there are certain things you can do to mitigate the amount to food you throw away on garbage day. Here are some tips that can help you keep your fruits and vegetables fresher longer:

Tip #1: Keep your fruits dry.

When you get home from the grocery store, you might like to wash your fruits and vegetables to make sure they are clean and ready to be used. However, when you do this, make sure you put the pieces of fruit and vegetable into clean, dry bags. Moisture causes plant matter to rot faster and in just a few days, mold could be growing on your food. Take extra care about moisture. Some grocery stores spray their produce to keep it looking fresh, so it might be wet when you put it into your produce bag in the first place. Make sure it is dry for storage.

Tip #2: Keep your fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator.

Some fruits and vegetables do not need to be stored in the refrigerator. However, doing so can help them stay fresher for a longer period of time. The cold temperature of the refrigerator helps to slow the aging process and usually the air inside your produce drawer is dry even if your house is a bit humid. If it is recommended that the produce you have purchase not be kept in a refrigerator, keep it instead in a cool, dark location instead of out in the open air.

Tip #3: Don't purchase more than you need at once.

One of the best ways to avoid food spoiling in your refrigerator is to simply avoid buying more than you need at any given time. Many people like to do all of their shopping for the month during once trip. While that is great for most things, such as cleaning products or soda, it can be really bad for fruits and vegetables. These items rot quickly, so you are better off buying them in small quantities and picking up more on an as-needed basis. Even if you see a good deal with fruits and vegetables on sale, it is usually more cost effective to just by the smaller quantity and avoiding having to throw your rotting produce away at the end of the week.

Tip #4: Shop at farmer's markets.

While it is definitely more convenient to shop for your produce at a grocery store, if you shop at farmer's markets, you are going to get foods which are fresher. Farmers who take their produce to farmer's markets may have even picked the fruits and vegetables that very morning! When you shop at a grocery story, you have no way of knowing how old that produce already is. They might not have gotten it locally, which may indicate that, accounting for shipping time, the fruits and vegetables are already over a week old. When you shop at a farmer's market, you will almost always be getting produce that has been picked fresh from the tree, vine, or stalk within the last day or two. Plus you will be supporting the local community!

Tip #5: Don't pack your produce into containers.

Have you ever noticed that, most times, the produce at the bottom of the bin is moldy? This happens frequently due to the weight and the pressure of the produce on top of it. Loosely setting your oranges an apples on the table in a basket might not be a big deal, but if your produce drawer is stuffed full, that pressure on the fruits on the bottom of the pile is creating soft spots, and they will rot more quickly. Instead, make sure that your produce has lots of room and, if possible, is stored on a single layer. At the very least, make sure that heavier items are on the bottom!

While you can definitely invest in Green Bags and other products that can help keep your fruits and vegetables fresher for a longer amount of time, it is important to take other steps as well to avoid problems with spoiling. By changing just a few of your produce habits, you can make sure that you are not wasting time, money, and food as often as possible. Remember, doing your part to help the household save money on fruits and vegetables can really help decrease you overall food budget every month!

REFERENCE :
Brian Jenkins from http://www.articlesbase.com

10 Tips for Killer Website Design By Jan Peterson (c) 2005

2009-06-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Does website design make a difference in how long people will visit your website or if they'll stay and shop? You bet. You've seen the websites that scream "bad idea" and you know those folks are losing potential customers to their ineffective website design. Whether you are an internet newbie or an experienced marketer, you should understand that good website design is part of the success equation. So hëre are my 10 tips on how to create killer website design that will invite potential customers in instead of scare them away.

1. Easy Navigation- The Road To Success.
When people come to your website they are usually searching for something in particular. It might be recipes for a healthy low fat diet that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare or what is the best business to start online. Whatever they want, you need to have the answer. So ask yourself, why do people come to my website? When you know that then you know you should make it easy for them to find it. I have been on countless websites that make it difficult for me to do business with them. And you know what my first response is? "Next!" I am onto the next website to see if they can answer my question. People don't want to waste their time hunting for things that should be easy to find. So, if people come to your website to find widgets, have a button easy to see and locate that says "Widgets". People have been trained to look to the left of the website for the navigation bar.

2. Flashing Gizmos - The Exit Ramp To A Dead End Street
You've seen those sites where the elephants are dancing and the poker chips are running across the screen asking you to clïck on them; ญthe only thing they have ever done for me is give me a headache and to reach the "let me get out of hëre as fast as I can" button on my computer. If you are a running a professional site, please don't use flashing graphics. Guaranteed you are encouraging people to leave your site. People have come to you for information. Not to clïck on an ad or have their brain scrambled. Make your website a pleasant environment for the customer to be in. Just like a store. Think about when you go to the mall. You want to go in a store that is clean, well laid out, has good customer service and the products you are looking for. Your website should reflect this. If it is what you expect in your shopping experience, then isn't it reasonable that your customers are looking for this in your website. What about music? Well, it depends. On most business sites I would suggest not. But let's say you have a realtor by the ocean who rents out homes for summer vacations.They have music that sounds like the ocean is lapping at the foot of your desk. I think music is appropriate in this venue, but I would definitely have it "off" as people log onto your site and give them an option to turn it on. Don't forget many people are surfing in their office environment and don't want the boss to find out. If your music is loud or on as people log onto your site and can't find a quick way to turn it off, they will leave your site faster than a cat that just saw the jaws of a Doberman!

3. Color - Enhancing The Highway Scenery
Color is an individual preference, but studies show that colors have an affect on people's emotions. Look at the top sites like Amazon; their layout is simple and so is their color scheme. My recommendation would be to go with the flow. If you have a financial investmënt site, then conservative colors seem to follow. If you sell beach items, then lots of fun colors apply. If you have a bridal showër website, I would say soft pastels. Think about your audience and you will know the color scheme.

4. Page Links - I-95 To Your Destination
This is a no brainer but make sure all of your buttons are hyperlinked to a page and the right destination page. No one including Google likes broken link pages. It can be tedious but do it anyway. As you hover over the button and look down in the left-hand part of your screen, you will see the hyperlinked page. Just verify that yours are correct.

5. About Us - Is Your Map Reliable?
People usually want to know basic things before they do business with you. Who are you, how do I get a hold of you, what is your product or service guarantëe, will you resell my email address, what is your privacy policy, when will I get the product, etc. You need to answer these questïons to create trust between you and your potential customer.

6. Sitemap - How Do I Find My Way Around This Big City?
Let's say you have a lot of products or pages and resources. A sitemap helps people to find what they are looking for quickly without have to rummage through your whole site like a lost soul. They are not hard to create but are useful for large sites. It also helps the search engines to know what you are about very quickly.

7. Fast Loading Pages - All Lanes Are Go!
There is nothing worse than slow loading pages. You can optimize your graphics for your website. People hate to wait. You can chëck your page load time and page rank on Alexa.com. Slow pages equal death to an online business.

8. Shopping Cart - Need To Buy Some Souvenirs
If you are selling items or services, you need a reliable and well organized shopping cart. I have seen some websites that have a zillion products listed and to email them for orders. What a nightmare! Yes, the shopping carts will charge you a fee, but it is worth it for them to handle the transaction. There are many good shopping carts available and I would research them based on your business' needs.

9. Templates or Original Design- Chevrolet or Porsche
People often think that to have a website designed is going to cost thousands. So they opt for the templates and throw together sites. There is nothing wrong with this approach except I can tell the difference between what I call a "canned" site and one that was created from scratch. While I don't think a website that uses templates will turn off a customer, I just think it may not be as appealing. Have fun with your online business. You can go to any number of photography sites and download professional photos from cows to race cars. This will make your site look more customized. Again, I recommend that you shop for a good web designer. I paid around $400 for a basic site to go up. I know others would have charged me $1000 or more. That's why you need to shop and see examples of their work.

10. Customer Service - The Finish Line!
Okay so how is customer service a website design? Well, customer service should be written all over your site. From tips, to frëe reports, to guarantees, to fast and reliable shopping. People want to know you know what you are talking about and can deliver the goods they want. Give a little and I guarantëe you'll get in back tenfold.

Wawancara Kerja " Menjawab dengan cerdas, taktis dan optimis"

2009-05-28T02:40:00.000-07:00

Meski anda merasa pintar dan brilian, jangan keburu yakin bahwa semua
pintu perusahaan akan terbuka secara otomatis untuk anda. Sebab
kenyataannya, para tuan dan nyonya pintar ini seringkali gagal dalam
wawancara. Alasannya ? tidak smart dan taktis dalam menjawab
pertanyaan.

1. Ceritakan tentang diri anda

Erina Collins, seorang agen rekruitmen di Los Angeles menyatakan
seringkali ada perbedaan yang mengejutkan antara ketika kita
membaca lamaran seseorang dengan saat berhadapan dengan si pelamar.

"Pengalaman menunjukkan, surat lamaran yang optimis tidak selalu
menunjukkan bahwa pelamarnya juga sama optimisnya," kata Erina. Ketika
pewawancara menanyakan hal yang sederhana seperti "Di mata anda, siapa
anda?" atau "Ceritakan sesuatu tentang anda", banyak pelamar menatap
pewawancaranya dengan bingung dan lalu seketika menjadi tak percaya
diri.

"Saya merasa biasa-biasa saja" atau "tak banyak yang bisa saya
ceritakan tentang diri saya" seringkali menjadi jawaban yang dipilih
pelamar sebagai upaya merendahkan diri. Selama ini banyak artikel
karir konvensional yang menyarankan agar anda sebaiknya merendahkan
diri sebisa mungkin, sebagai upaya mencuri hati si pewawancara.

"Tapi ini jaman modern. Jawaban yang terlalu merendah dan banyak
basi-basi hanya menunjukkan bahwa anda sebenarnya tidak yakin dengan
diri anda. Dan perusahaan masa kini tidak butuh karyawan seperti
itu," tegas Erina.

Pengalaman Eliana Burthon, staf humas sebuah hotel berbintang di New
York mungkin menarik untuk disimak. Ketika pewawancara memberinya satu
menit untuk bercerita tentang dirinya, Eliana mengatakan "Saya Eliana
Burthon, anak pertama dari lima bersaudara. Sejak SMA, saya aktif di
koran sekolah. Disitu saya menulis, mewawancarai orang-orang di sekitar
saya dan berhubungan dengan mereka. Dari situ saya sadar alangkah
menariknya bisa bertemu dengan orang banyak, berdiskusi dan mengetahui
banyak hal dari mereka. Diluar itu, saya senang musik, membaca dan
traveling.Ketika kuliah, saya sering menulis pengalaman jalan-jalan
saya, atau sekedar memberi referensi kaset yang sedang laris untuk
koran kampus saya."

Meski tak memberikan jawaban yang berbunga-bunga, apa yang diungkapkan
Eliana tentang dirinya menunjukkan bahwa dirinya terbuka, ramah dan
punya rasa ingin tahu. "Jawaban itu cerdas dan efektif untuk
menggambarkan bagaimana dia menyatakan secara implisit bahwa dirinya
merasa layak ditempatkan di posisi yang diincarnya. Pewawancara butuh
jawaban seperti itu. Cukup singkat, tapi menunjukkan optimisme yang
alamiah," kata Erina Collins.

Kalau anda dipanggil untuk wawancara, sebisanya persiapkan diri dengan
baik. Rasa percaya diri dan menunjukkan bahwa anda menjadi diri sendiri
adalah yang terpenting. Pewawancara tidak butuh jawaban yang berbunga-
bunga, berapi-api apalagi munafik.

Pada kesempatan pertama, mereka biasanya ingin melihat bagaimana si
pelamar menghargai diri sendiri. Sebab itu, buatlah beberapa poin
tentang kemahiran anda, hal-hal yang anda sukai dan inginkan untuk
masa depan anda. Kalau telah menemukan poin -poin itu, berlatihlah
mengemukakan semua itu dalam sebuah jawaban singkat yang cerdas dan
optimis.

2. Hati-hati pertanyaan jebakan

Siapapun idealnya tak suka menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang
memojokkan. Tapi begitulah kenyataannya ketika anda diwawancara.
Seringkali banyak hal tak terduga yang dilontarkan si pewawancara
dan membuat anda seringkali kelepasan bicara.

Dalam hal ini, Erina memberi contoh pengalamannya ketika mewawancarai
seorang pelamar tentang mengapa ia memutuskan pindah kerja.

"Ketika itu saya tanya 'apa yang membuat anda memutuskan pindah kerja?
tadi anda bilang, lingkungan kerjanya cukup nyaman kan?' dan pelamar
itu menjawab 'saya tidak suka bos saya. Seringkali ia membuat saya
jengkel dengan pekerjaan-pekerjaan tambahan dan itupun tidak membuat
gaji saya naik.'Saya lalu berpikir, apa yang akan dia katakan jika
suatu saat keluar dari perusahaan saya tentulah tak beda buruknya
dengan apa yang dia ungkapkan pada saya tentang perusahaan lamanya,"
ungkap Erina.

Poinnya, taktislah dalam memberi jawaban. Jangan pernah memberi jawaban
yang menjelekkan tempat kerja anda yang lama atau apapun yang
konotasinya
negatif. Lebih baik kalau anda menjawab "saya menginginkan ritme kerja
yang teratur dan terjadwal.

Mengenai gaji, sebenarnya di tempat kerja yang lama tak ada masalah,
tapi tentu saya senang kalau ada peluang untuk peningkatan gaji." Atau
kalau anda ditanya tentang kelemahan anda, lebih baik tidak menjawab
"saya sering telat dan lupa waktu." Tetapi jawablah lebih taktis,
misalnya "kadang saya memang pelupa, tetapi beberapa waktu ini sudah
membaik karena saya selalu mencatat segalanya di buku agenda." atau
"saya sering kesal kalau kerja dengan rekan yang lamban, tetapi
sebisanya kami berdiskusi bagaimana caranya menyelesaikan kerja dengan
lebih cepat."

Dalam wawancara, si pewawancara selalu berupaya mengorek sedapat
mungkin tentang kepribadian pelamar. Kadang pertanyaan sepele seperti
"Sudah punya pacar? Ada niat menikah dalam waktu dekat?" sering
ditanggapi buru-buru oleh si pelamar dengan menjawab misalnya "Sudah,
rencananya kami akan menikah akhir tahun ini." Padahal, menurut Erina,
jawaban itu bisa jadi penutup peluang kerja anda. "Perusahaan selalu
ingin diyakinkan bahwa calon karyawannya hanya akan fokus pada
pekerjaan
mereka, terutama pada awal masa kerja.

Jawaban bahwa anda akan menikah dalam waktu dekat justru menunjukkan
bahwa perusahaan bukanlah fokus anda yang sebenarnya, tetapi hanya
seperti selingan," ujar Erina sambil menambahkan bahwa akan lebih baik
kalau anda menjawab "sudah, tapi sebenarnya saya ingin mempunyai
pengalaman kerja yang cukup sebelum memutuskan untuk menikah."

3. Semangat dan bahasa tubuh

Dalam wawancara kerja, penampilan memang bukan nomor satu tetapi
menjadi pendukung yang ikut menentukan. Karena itu selain berpakaian
rapi, tidak seronok, mencolok atau banyak pernik, tunjukkan bahasa
tubuh
yang baik. Jangan pernah melipat tangan di dada pada saat wawancara,
karena memberi kesan bahwa anda seorang yang kaku dan defensif.
Idealnya,
tangan dibiarkan bebas untuk mengekspresikan kata-kata anda, tentu saja
dengan tidak berlebihan.

Selama wawancara berlangsung, buatlah kontak mata yang intens. Pelamar
yang sering membuat kontak mata menunjukkan keinginan untuk dipercaya
serta kesungguhan memberikan jawaban. Rilekslah dan sesekali tersenyum
untuk menunjukkan bahwa anda pribadi yang hangat. Umumnya, perusahaan
menyukai pelamar yang menyenangkan. Kurangi kata-kata "saya merasa..."
atau "saya kurang..." dan sebaiknya gunakan "saya pikir...", "menurut
pendapat saya..", "saya yakin...", "saya optimis...". Kata-kata "saya
merasa ..." atau "saya kurang..." mengesankan anda lebih sering
menduga,
menggunakan perasaan, tidak terlalu percaya diri dan tidak menguasai
persoalan.

Cara berpakaian yang baik dalam wawancara

Berpakaian yang "baik" dalam wawancara memang tidak dapat
digeneralisasikan karena setiap perusahaan memiliki kebiasaan-
kebiasaan/budaya perusahaan yang berbeda. Namun, ada beberapa tips
yang dapat diingat, antara lain:

? Cari informasi terlebih dahulu tentang perusahaan dan Bapak/Ibu yang
akan mewawancarai anda. Beberapa perusahaan memiliki peraturan atau
"kebiasaan" berpakaian secara formal, tetapi ada juga yang semi
formal,
atau bahkan ada yang bebas. Hal ini penting, agar anda tidak
dilihat
sebagai "orang aneh', disesuaikan dengan posisi yang akan dilamar.
Bagi pelamar pria disarankan menggunakan kemeja lengan panjang dan
berdasi, tidak perlu menggunakan jas. Berpakaian rapih dan bersih,
tidak kusut. Hal ini memberi kesan bahwa anda menghargai wawancara
ini.

? Berpakaian dengan warna yang tidak terlalu menyolok (mis.,mengkilap,
ngejreng).
? Bagi pelamar wanita berpakaian yang tidak terlalu ketat (rokbawah,
kancing baju atasan).
? Berpakaian dengan disain yang simple (tidak telalu banyak
pernik-pernik, toch ini bukan acara pesta).
? Tidak berlebihan dalam menggunakan wangi-wangian dan perhiasan.

Berapa gaji yang anda minta ?

Bila dalam wawancara, Anda ditanya berapa gaji yang anda inginkan,
bagaimana cara menjawab pertanyaan itu dengan baik tanpa menimbulkan
kesan bahwa Anda pencari gaji tinggi atau memberi kesan berapapun
imbalan yang diberikan Anda mau.

Pada umumnya perusahaan sudah mempunyai rentang standar gaji untuk
jabatan-jabatan yang ditawarkan. Bagi pelamar untuk posisi yang lebih
tinggi dan langka biasanya memiliki kekuatan tawar menawar yang lebih
tinggi. Jadi dalam menjawab pertanyaan tersebut anda harus memperoleh
gambaran dulu imbalan total yang akan anda terima dalam setahun.

Imbalan total adalah gaji dan tunjangan lain yang diberikan termasuk
insentif dan bonus. Selain itu perlu ditanyakan
apakah imbalan yang ditawarkan itu termasuk PPH atau netto.

Dalam menjawab pertanyaan tersebut jawablah imbalan yang anda harapkan
setahun. Berdasarkan harga pasar yang sesuai untuk jabatan tersebut
serta nilai tambah yang anda miliki. Jawablah dengan diplomatis: " Saya
berpendapat perusahaan ini pasti sudah mempunyai standar imbalan bagi
jabatan ini.

Berdasarkan pengalaman yang saya miliki dan kontribusi yang dapat saya
berikan pada perusahaan ini, saya mengharapkan imbalan yang akan
diberikan adalah minimal Rp. .../tahun ditambah fasilitas-fasilitas
lain sesuai dengan peraturan perusahaan.

Negosiasi mengenai gaji pada saat ini tidak lagi dipandang tabu oleh
sebagian besar perusahaan, namun anda diharapkan mengumpulkan
informasi
dulu agar dapat bernegosiasi dengan baik.

Variasi pertanyaan dalam wawancara

Bagi pelamar terutama bagi pemula pencari kerja perlu mempersiapkan
diri dalam menghadapi pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang akan dihadapi.

Berikut ini kami berikan variasi-variasi pertanyaan yang kerap muncul
dalam wawancara:

Pertanyaan mengenai riwayat pendidikan :

? Mengapa anda memilih jurusan tersebut?
? Mata pelajaran apa yang anda paling suka, jelaskan alasannya.
? Mata pelajaran apa yang kurang anda sukai, jelaskan alasannya.
? Pada tingkat pendidikan mana anda merasa paling berprestasi, mengapa?
? Apakah hasil ujian menggambarkan potensi anda, jelaskan?
? Siapakah yang membiayai studi anda?
? Bagaimana teman-teman atau guru mengambarkan mengenai diri anda?
? Dalam lingkungan macam apakah anda merasa dapat bekerja paling baik?

Pertanyaan mengenai pengalaman kerja :

? Ceritakan mengenai pengalaman kerja anda
? Bagi yang belum pernah bekerja pada umumnya diminta untuk
menceritakan
mengenai aktivitas ekstra kurikuler selama studi.
? Pekerjaan manakah yang paling menantang bagi anda, mohon dijelaskan.
? Pekerjaan manakah yang paling menantang bagi anda dan bagaimana anda
menyelesaikan hal tersebut
? Dengan kolega macam apakah anda senang bekerja sama?
? Dengan boss macam apakah anda senang bekerja?
? Bagaimanakah anda memperlakuan anak buah anda?

Pertanyaan mengenai sasaran anda :
? Mengapa anda ingin bekerja dalam industri ini?
? Apakah yang mendorong anda melamar kepada perusahaan kami?
? Apakah yang anda inginkan dalam 5 tahun mendatang?
? Apakah yang anda inginkan dalam hidup anda?
? Apa yang anda lakukan untuk mencapai sasaran anda?

Pertanyaan mengenai organisasi yang ingin anda masuki :
? Apakah yang anda ketahui tentang organisasi yang akan anda masuki?
? Menurut anda faktor faktor sukses apa yang dibutuhkan seseorang untuk
bekerja disini?
? Apakah yang anda cari dalam bekerja?
? Bagaimana anda dapat berkontribusi dalam perusahaan ini?
? Menurut anda apa visi dan misi dari organisasi ini?

Nah, siap bersaing di dunia kerja? Yang penting, persiapkan diri anda
dengan baik dan jangan pernah meremehkan pertanyaan sekecil apapun
dalam
wawancara kerja. Selamat bersaing!

14 Kiat Memulai Usaha Sendiri

2009-05-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Konon 70 persen bisnis skala kecil (bisnis rumahan, bisnis perorangan, industri rumah tangga) gagal di tahun pertama operasinya. Sisanya yang 30 persen, terseok-seok di tahun kedua. Dari 30 persen tadi, hanya 10 persennya saja yang selamat memasuki tahun ketiga. Berikutnya hanya 5 persen yang beruntung bertahan hidup sampai tahun kelima. Nah, yang benar-benar berumur panjang dan sukses, konon tak sampai satu persen dari sisanya. Mengapa? Banyak sebab! Modal minim, kurang pengalaman, keuangan yang payah, kesalahan manajemen, sedikit relasi, sampai terimbas resesi. Pendek kata, bisnis "balita" (usia di bawah lima tahun) memang rawan. Perlu pengelolaan ekstra ketat tapi dinamis, cerdas, plus kreatif. Jika
Anda sedang merintis bisnis skala kecil, barangkali 14 strategi berikut ini bisa memberi inspirasi.

1. Rencana Bisnis
Ada guyonan, jika mau berwiraswasta jangan terlalu banyak membuat rencana. Bisa-bisa Anda hanya berhasil membuat rencana, tapi tak pernah berani menjalankannya. Ada benarnya juga. Tapi bisnis sekecil apapun perlu rencana. Jalankan saja sebuah bisnis, lalu sambil berjalan lakukan perencanaan-perencanaan matang. Jadikan rencana bisnis sebagai arahan, bukan sebagai penghalang.

2. Amankan Modal
Bisnis skala kecil biasanya modal sendiri dan itu pun terbatas jumlahnya.Bisa juga Anda didukung investor atau modal pinjaman. Jika demikian, hati-hatilah mengelolanya. Hindari perluasan biaya operasional di luar rencana bisnis semula. Cara terbaik mengamankan modal adalah dengan melakukan pengecekan posisi keuangan setiap hari. Amankan setiap pengeluaran, seolah-olah hidup Anda benar-benar tergantung dari cadangan modal tadi.

3. Potong Biaya
Penghematan adalah kata kunci pengamanan modal. Hindari semua biaya-biaya yang tidak
perlu. Hindari tambahan biaya operasional. Upayakan selalu dapat harga diskon dari supplier. Jika beli tunai mahal, beli secara kredit atau menyewa bisa jadi pilihan. Sesuaikan pilihan teknologi dengan kebutuhan. Jika hanya butuh komputer untuk mengetik dan software program keuangan sederhana, jangan terobsesi pada komputer super canggih yang mahal harganya.

4. Laba Tunai
Direkomendasikan supaya Anda benar-benar punya laba tunai, bukan sekedar laba dalam
pembukuan. Banyaknya piutang tidak mengindikasikan usaha Anda menguntungkan. Jadi jangan terjebak pada laba di atas kertas. Artinya, makin banyak transaksi tunai (cash and carry) makin bagus pula cashflow Anda. Salah satu sumber kebangkrutan bisnis balita adalah kegagalan mereka mencairkan laba di atas kertas menjadi laba tunai.

5. Kepuasan Pelanggan
Kelangsungan bisnis Anda ditentukan oleh kepuasan pelanggan. Maka jangan beri konsumen produk dan pelayanan bermutu rendah. Beri jaminan kepuasan pelanggan! Bila memungkinkan, galakkan after sales service (layanan purna jual). Jadikan hal ini sebagai kredo bisnis Anda. Setelah itu, konsistenlah memenuhi janji Anda. Jika produk cacat, gantilah! Jika ada komplain, tampunglah dan adakan perbaikan.

6. Pelanggan Produktif
Meskipun kepuasan pelanggan jadi komitmen utama, fokuslah pada pelanggan yang paling
banyak memberikan laba. Kepada merekalah kredo kepuasan pelanggan diberlakukan secara ketat. Ini demi efisiensi biaya pelayanan.Dari 100 pelanggan, mungkin hanya 20 persen yang memberikan laba terbanyak.Walau begitu perlakukan 80 persen sisanya dengan sangat bijaksana. Di antara mereka selalu terbuka kemungkinan bisa memberi lebih banyak laba.

7. Tuailah Referal
Dampak nyata kepuasan pelanggan adalah rekomendasi pada bisnis Anda. Setiap orang paling apes punya 50 teman dekat, relasi, atau, koneksi. Jika punya 10 pelanggan saja yang puas, maka asal hitung saja Anda punya 500 prospek baru.Kalau pelanggan puas, tak perlu ragu meminta rekomendasi mereka. Banyak referal (rujukan) bisa Anda dapat. Untuk bisnis tertentu (misalnya jasa konsultasi), surat-surat kepuasan pelanggan bisa jadi magnet bisnis yang efektif.

8. Iklan dan Promosi
Supaya publik tahu jasa dan produk Anda, beriklanlah. Untuk menekan anggaran, gunakan iklan baris atau iklan kolom yang murah. Pasang iklan dalam waktu yang cukup, dan anggap ini sebagai investasi. Tidak selamanya iklan dan promosi mahal. Brosur, katalog, kartu nama, stiker, adalah instrumen baku. Anda pun bisa ambil bagian dalam sponsorisasi aneka kegiatan olah raga atau amal untuk meningkatkan brand awareness.

9. Manfaatkan Koneksi
Koneksi dan relasi bisnis adalah mutlak. Kenalilah orang-orang di posisi kunci seperti bagian pembelian atau marketing. Manfaatkan semua lini di mana Anda terlibat, seperti lingkungan sekolah, kampus, sekitar rumah, lingkungan kerja, organisasi sosial-politik, klub-klub hobi, dll. Bukan saja berpotensi jadi customer, koneksi dan relasi bisa memberi Anda tambahan modal, proyek, referensi, koneksi baru, dsb.

10. Ikutlah Ekspo Bisnis
Ikutlah berbagai pameran untuk berpromosi. Di sini segala keunggulan dan keunikan produk bisa dilihat banyak orang. Inilah kesempatan untuk memperluas networking bisnis, bertemu pelanggan potensial, dan memperoleh
feedback langsung dari konsumen. Jika beruntung, Anda bisa menarik minat investor besar. Dengan penataan stan yang menawan, serta keramahan, Anda bakal menarik minat banyak pengunjung.

11. Jadilah PR
Yang paling diabaikan oleh usaha rumahan adalah soal public relations.Sekecil apapun bisnis Anda, jangan abaikan hal ini. Kerpibadian yang hangat dan menawan bisa jadi humas yang baik. Itu pun bisa mendongkrak citra produk (bisnis) Anda. Bila ada kesempatan, jalin hubungan sedekat-dekatnya dengan para jurnalis media cetak, televisi, maupun radio. Dari merekalah Anda dapat publikasi rendah biaya.

12. Bentuklah Sistem
Bisnis rumahan menjadikan Anda bos bagi diri Anda sendiri. Maka sukses tidaknya bisnis itu sangat tergantung pada upaya Anda sendiri. Anda pun akan jadi sebuah sistem. Namun jangan terus-menerus one-man show. Anda harus mulai membentuk sistem yang memungkinkan usaha itu bisa berjalan walau tanpa kehadiran fisik Anda. Ini penting jika suatu saat bisnis berkembang volumenya, dan membutuhkan lebih banyak sumber daya.

13. Volume Bisnis
Banyak bisnis rumahan mendadak dapat order berlipat ganda. Sayang jika tidak siap, order akan lewat begitu saja. Jika produk dan servis Anda nomor satu, siapkan sistem dan SDM yang bisa menampung pertambahan volume bisnis secara cepat. Di sinilah Anda perlu memaksimalkan networking bisnis untuk berbagi order tanpa kehilangan keuntungan.

14. Fleksibel
Anda bisa saja yakin dengan prospek sebuah bisnis dan cara-cara yang sekarang Anda pakai untuk menjalankannya. Namun jangan lupa, bersiaplah untuk melakukan banyak modifikasi rencana dan inovasi strategi. Tinggalkan cara-cara yang sudah terbukti tidak memberikan hasil, dan jangan memaksakan keyakinan Anda sendiri. Bisa mengevaluasi kinerja bisnis, peka dengan perubahan tren, pandai menangkap peluang, serta berani ambil risiko, adalah karakter para entrepreneur umumnya. (ed)

REFERENCE :
Andhi IN .2007.Ayo Berwira Usaha.e-Book Maker&Publisher. http://profitpos.blogspot.com

Tips For Scholarship Interview

2009-05-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

TIPS FOR SCHOLARSHIP INTERVIEW
By:Erny Murniasih

Scholarship Interview Tips

The following information has been prepared by the Research Office at RNSH to assist students with
preparing for upcoming scholarship interviews.

Preparing for the Interview
1. Know the exact place and time of the interview, the names of the interviewers, eg. full name and
correct pronunciation and their titles.

2. Learn pertinent facts about the scholarship.

3. Find out why the interviewer is interested in your qualifications and academic record.

4. Determine how the opportunity will impact your immediate and long-term career development.

5. An interview is a "two-way street." Know what questions to ask during the interview. Your questions allow the representative to evaluate your professional and personal needs. Insightful questions help both of you determine if your relationship will be mutually rewarding. Lastly, the
better you understand the opportunity, the more you will be able to communicate your interest in the scholarship.

6. Put your best foot forward. Always wear proper attire and greet your interviewer with a firm handshake and an enthusiastic smile.

7. Practice with fellow students/ your supervisor to improve your confidence in talking about your
research.

The Interview
1. For the interviewer, the "right match" means the scholarship providers have identified individuals
capable of performing the immediate challenges. More importantly, they hope the individuals have the potential to be future resources and assets to the institution offering the scholarship.

2. You are being interviewed by the interviewer to determine whether you have the qualifications necessary to undertake the scholarship and whether a mutually rewarding professional relationship can be formed.

3. Similarly, you must determine whether you can be successful in the scholarship and whether this
opportunity will enable growth and development.

Be prepared to answer such questions as:
• Tell me about yourself?

• Tell me about your background, accomplishments?

• What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

• What interests you about the scholarship?

• What outside activities are most significant to your personal development?

• PhD progress issues and achievements to date. Discussion of proposal and how past work will fit into work to be done now.

• Where does the candidate see the award fitting into their future goals?

• What interested the candidate in coming into this field?

• What other financial resources does the candidate have available?

Be prepared to ask questions, such as:
• What would I be expected to accomplish through this scholarship?

• What are the greatest challenges experienced by people undertaking the scholarship? Not letting these kinds of subjects catch you off-guard is a key factor in maintaining your composure during an interview. Rehearse these questions and answers in your mind or out loud
in the days before the interview.

Possible negative factors evaluated by an interviewer:
• Personal appearance which is less than professional.

• Overbearing, over-aggressive or egotistical behaviour.

• No positive purpose.

• Lack of interest and enthusiasm - passive and indifferent.

• Lack of confidence and poise; nervousness.

• Evasiveness; making excuses for unfavourable factors in academic history.

• Lack of tact, maturity and courtesy.

• Inability to maintain a conversation.

• Lack of commitment to fill the scholarship available.

• Failure to ask questions about the scholarship.

• Lack of preparation for interview -- failure to get information about the organisation, resulting in inability to ask intelligent questions.

Closing the Interview
1. If you are interested in the scholarship, let the interviewer know. If you feel the scholarship is
attractive and you want it, ask about the next step in the process. Be a good salesperson and say something like: "I'm very impressed with what I've heard. I am confident I could do an excellent job in the scholarship you have described to me." The interviewer is likely to be
impressed with your enthusiasm.

2. Don't be too discouraged if no immediate commitment is made. The interviewer will probably want to communicate with the other committee members or possibly interview more candidates before making a decision.

3. If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don't let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in you may seem to discourage you as a way of testing your reaction.

4. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and consideration. If you have answered the two
questions-- "Why are you interested in this position?" and "What can you offer?"-- you have done
all you can.

Some "DOs" and "DON'Ts
• Do plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Late arrival for an interview is never excusable.

• If presented with an application, fill it out neatly and completely. Don't rely on your application or resume to do the selling for you. Interviewers will want you to speak for yourself.

• Do greet the interviewer by last name if you are sure of the pronunciation. If not, ask the employer to repeat it. Give the appearance of energy as you walk. Smile! Shake hands firmly. Be genuinely glad to meet the interviewers.

• Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright, look alert and interested at all times. Be a good listener as well as a good communicator.

• Do look the interviewer in the eye while speaking.

• Do follow the interviewer's leads, but try to get the interviewer to describe the scholarship to you early in the interview so that you can apply your background, skills and accomplishments to the scholarship.

• Do make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner.

Stress achievements, eg. academic achievements.

• Do always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the scholarship you are discussing.
Never close the door on an opportunity.

• Do show enthusiasm. If you are interested in the opportunity, enthusiastic feedback can
enhance your chances of being furthered considered. If you are not interested, your
responsiveness will still demonstrate your professionalism.

• Don't forget to bring a copy of your resume! Keep several copies in your briefcase if you are
afraid you will forget.

• Don't answer with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain whenever possible. Describe those things
about yourself which relate to the situation.

• Don't lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and succinctly.

• Don't make unnecessary derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or
lecturers, students.

• Don't over-answer questions.

Summary

• Adapt - Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewers. Pay attention to those
details of dress, office furniture, and general decor that will afford helpful clues to assist you in
tailoring your presentation.

• Relate - Try to relate your answers to the interviewer and the organisation. Focus on
achievements relevant to the scholarship.

• Encourage - Encourage the interviewer to share information about the organisation to
demonstrate your interest.

REFERENCE: http://www.ncs.usyd.edu.au/

Dapatkah kita mengaktifkan program di Windows tanpa diketahui pemakainya ?

2009-05-23T03:27:00.000-07:00

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Tulisan ini ditulis dengan tujuan memberi pengetahuan kepada pemakai komputer, terutama yang menggunakan sistem operasi Windows, akan adanya fasilitas autostart yang pada satu sisi sangat bermanfaat untuk secara otomatis menjalankan aplikasi setiap mengaktifkan komputer. Tetapi fasilitas ini juga banyak digunakan oleh para hacker untuk mengaktifkan program remote yang telah dimasukkan ke komputer tanpa diketahui oleh korban.

Dewasa ini telah beredar berbagai program yang dapat berjalan secara background pada komputer, umumnya program ini digunakan untuk tugas-tugas tertentu yang tidak mengganggu perhatian pemakai, misalnya program Task Scheduler yang akan menjalankan program tertentu berdasarkan jadwal yang dibuat, program Messanger yang akan aktif ketika kita dipanggil oleh rekan melalui internet.

Tetapi banyak juga program background yang digunakan untuk tujuan yang tidak baik, seperti remote akses dimana aktifitas kita dapat dilihat melalui suatu remote software, bahkan dapat mengambil file dari media penyimpan tanpa kita ketahui melalui LAN maupun Internet, bahkan beberapa trojan berjalan di background dan secara mengambil user id dan password pemakai, dan mengirimkannya melalui internet.

Sebagai seorang yang bergerak dibidang IT, saya sering ditanya oleh orang-orang tertentu bagaimana mengetahui apa yang sedang dikerjakan bawahannya, apakah mereka benar-benar sedang mengerjakan pekerjaan kantor atau sedang bermain-main. Jawabnya tentu saja menginstalasi program remote administrator yang berjalan di background, sehingga pemakai tidak akan sadar bahwa aktifitas layarnya sedang diawasi.

Sebagai pemakai komputer yang awam, tentu saja kita perlu mengetahui adanya hal-hal tersebut, terutama dengan makin pentingnya komputer dalam perdagangan dan industri, misalnya Internet Banking, E-Commerce. Pengetahuan akan metode autostart ini akan menjadi nilai tambah bagi anda, terutama pemakai yang memiliki pengetahuan terbatas tentang komputer dan sistem operasi.

Salam,

Hendra & Susan Dewichan

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Beberapa metode autostart pada Windows
Banyak program Windows memiliki kemampuan untuk mengaktifkan dirinya setiap kali anda mengaktifkan komputer anda. Teknik ini juga digunakan oleh berbagai trojan untuk mengaktifkan dirinya. Adapun metode-metode ini adalah sebagai berikut :

Menjalankan Windows dari autoexec.bat secara win nama_program, dimana nama_program adalah program yang akan diaktifkan.

Mengikutsertakan dirinya dalam file winstart.bat

Menggunakan perintah LOAD= atau RUN= pada file win.ini

Menambah dirinya di shell=explorer.exe nama_program pada file system.ini, ini adalah salah satu metode yang digunakan oleh SubsSeven untuk mengaktifkan dirinya setiap anda start windows.

Menduplikasikan dirinya atau membuat shortcut pada direktori C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp, metode ini digunakan oleh microsoft office untuk mengaktifkan fasilitas findfast, dan office toolbar

Menjalankan dirinya dari salah satu registry key berikut ini :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

dengan key :

Run
RunOnce, dimana key harus dibentuk kembali setelah launch
RunOnceEx, dimana key harus dibentuk kembali setelah launch
RunService, dimana key harus dibentuk kembali setelah launch
RunServiceOnce, dimana key harus dibentuk kembali setelah launch
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command
[dari pada "%1" %* . Metode ini sangat sukar dimengerti dan licik]

Memeriksa program-program yang dijalankan pada StartUp komputer anda !!!

Anda dapat memeriksa kondisi berdasarkan point-point diatas dengan menggunakan utility yang tersedia pada windows seperti :

SysEdit.Exe, yang terdapat pada \Windows\System, yang dapat anda jalankan dari Start, Run, kemudian ketik SysEdit.Exe, kemudian klik OK, otomatis akan membuka file Config.sys, Autoexec.bat, System.ini, Win.ini dan Protocol.ini.

MsConfig.Exe, adalah tools visual yang lebih friendly, saya sarankan sebaiknya anda menggunakan tools ini, kemudian pilih tab StartUp, disana anda dapat memilih program-program yang akan dijalankan di pada saat StartUp, dan mana saja yang ingin dibuang.

Beberapa hal yang perlu anda ketahui untuk menjaga perfomance Windows anda !!!

Pada dasarnya, hanya item-item yang berguna yang akan berada pada SystemTray "SysTray.exe", dan driver-driver tambahan yang dibutuhkan agar perangkat keras khusus tertentu dapat bekerja dengan baik, seperti scanner, kamera digital, yang umumnya dijalankan dengan menggunakan HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

Jika anda menginstall TweakUI akan terdapat Tweak UI "RUNDLL32.EXE TWEAKUI.CPL,TweakMeUp" pada HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices.

Hal lain yang mungkin ada jika anda menginstalasi program antivirus (yang mana akan memperlambat sistem anda secara keseluruhan, tetapi benar-benar berguna, karena akan memeriksa keberadaan virus/trojan pada akses disk, maupun file, serta email attachment).

Jangan lupa lakukan pemeriksaan terhadap kemungkinan duplikat terhadap program-program tertentu, kadang-kadang suatu program perlu dijalankan lebih dari satu cara.

Sebenarnya RunOnce key dan sejenisnya digunakan untuk menyelesaikan proses instalasi software dimana perlu mengkonfigurasikan dirinya pada proses boot pertama kali setelah diinstalasi, terutama pada software yang setelah diinstalasi memberikan pesan "This installation requires to restart your system to be completed, you want to reboot now or later?"
Jika sistem anda dalam keadaan bersih, maka ketika anda mengaktifkan task monitor (CTRL+ALT+DEL) sesaat setelah Windows anda diboot, anda seharusnya hanya melihat Explorer, SysTray, dan driver-driver yang dibutuhkan untuk hardware-hardware spesial tertentu.

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Dibuat oleh hendra@indoprog.com
Medan - Sumatera Utara
Indonesia