tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48570101886326206032024-03-05T08:58:42.825-08:00MBA Master AdministrationM.B.A. (Master of Business Administration)smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-32911782927797419272016-12-31T06:01:00.002-08:002016-12-31T06:01:38.326-08:00Vitamin D<div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<b>Vitamin D</b> refers to a group of fat-soluble <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">secosteroids</span> responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">calcium</span>, <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">iron</span>, <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">magnesium</span>, <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">phosphate</span>, and <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">zinc</span>. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D<sub style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1;">3</sub> (also known as <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">cholecalciferol</span>) and vitamin D<sub style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1;">2</sub> (<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">ergocalciferol</span>). <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Cholecalciferol</span> and <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">ergocalciferol</span> can be ingested from the diet and from supplements.Very few foods contain vitamin D; synthesis of vitamin D (specifically cholecalciferol) in the skin is the major natural source of the vitamin. Dermal synthesis of vitamin D from cholesterol is dependent on sun exposure (specifically <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">UVB radiation</span>).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe4X-rTxsTzTAr52qEqSNXPHle0n_O1x3u9Jms5-YFdzMWqs_NomZYX0Mu9S665F2rub14H86NahOYVjwYp0GPp3287ihVkPPXh4MYhjLy-Ekj_SlrTIPiWwbpJmbXRsgCOhPElijYUw/s320/e.jpg" width="320" /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
Vitamin D from the diet or dermal synthesis from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">sunlight</span> is biologically inactive; activation requires enzymatic conversion (<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">hydroxylation</span>) in the liver and kidney. Evidence indicates the synthesis of vitamin D from sun exposure is regulated by a negative feedback loop that prevents toxicity, but because of uncertainty about the cancer risk from sunlight, no recommendations are issued by the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Institute of Medicine</span> (US) for the amount of sun exposure required to reach vitamin D requirements. Accordingly, the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Dietary Reference Intake</span> for vitamin D assumes no synthesis occurs and all of a person's vitamin D is from food intake. As vitamin D is synthesized in adequate amounts by most mammals exposed to sunlight<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><span style="background: none; text-decoration: none;" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2015)">citation needed</span></i>]</sup>, it is not strictly a <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">vitamin</span>, and may be considered a <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">hormone</span> as its synthesis and activity occur in different locationsVitamin D has a significant role in calcium homeostasis and metabolism. Its discovery was due to effort to find the dietary substance lacking in <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">rickets</span> (the childhood form of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">osteomalacia</span>).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
Beyond its use to prevent osteomalacia or rickets, the evidence for other health effects of vitamin D supplementation in the general population is inconsistent. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on mortality is not clear, with one meta-analysis finding a decrease in mortality in elderly people, and another concluding no clear justification exists for recommending vitamin D.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<br /></div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-77879403526615290942016-11-04T07:58:00.002-07:002016-11-04T07:58:10.127-07:00Tea is the new cocktail trend. <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The stereotype of the famous brew being the drink of choice for cardigan-clad grannies is on the wane, thanks to the inventive way teas are now being used to create unusual new cocktails.<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetNv4gv6G4SScZouG0oyd68d2WNjEW3ooRJIXV-8ybWA5sEsA1FGFtDypTo-NFTcnGbLsCoBvXLYIfcrqslPog6iIVsDxzyipW8bBGPkyzgzgNaT7SupLmSBTxN_wP0ccu3wil3U4JtA/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="223" /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Tea-infused cocktails with intriguing sounding names like "The Brute Force", "Miss Salinger" and "Booty Collins" have been steadily making their way onto drink menus around the world. Crafty mixologists are infusing cocktails with everything from Earl Grey to chamomile and Darjeeling, with teas also now being offered like wine or cocktails in some establishments.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-85178521225305380602014-02-23T23:44:00.001-08:002014-02-23T23:44:08.548-08:00Marketing<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Marketing</b> is the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers, for selling that product or service.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHBPsmLbfcXMRvWokq-WU3b-tIrwkGZgejQ4MG88pAp_nkQROoa2o3XjQhrap1Pr_Lyax_YSkSoTXixLuf9MQhQk1zH_3UD3UKUdpAcP9LroHAZdHiPx6HC7VIojRp6XoHQih1Q9usuQ/s1600/images.jpg" /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">From a societal point of view, marketing is the link between a society’s material requirements and its economic patterns of response. Marketing satisfies these needs and wants through exchange processes and building long term relationships. Marketing can be looked at as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, delivering and communicating value to customers, and managing customer relationships in ways that also benefit the organization and its shareholders. Marketing is the science of choosing target marketsthrough market analysis and market segmentation, as well as understanding consumer buying behavior and providing superior customer value.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">There are five competing concepts under which organizations can choose to operate their business: the production concept, the product concept, the selling concept, the marketing concept, and the holistic marketing concept.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[</span>1]</sup> The four components of holistic marketing are relationship marketing, internal marketing, integrated marketing, and socially responsive marketing. The set of engagements necessary for successful marketing management includes capturing marketing insights, connecting with customers, building strong brands, shaping the market offerings, delivering and communicating value, creating long-term growth, and developing marketing strategies and plans</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">A firm in the market economy survives by producing goods that persons are willing and able to buy. Consequently, ascertaining consumer demand is vital for a firm's future viability and even existence as a going concern. Many companies today have a customer focus (or market orientation). This implies that the company focuses its activities and products on consumer demands. Generally, there are three ways of doing this: the customer-driven approach, the market change identification approach and the product innovation approach.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">In the consumer-driven approach, consumer wants are the drivers of all strategic marketing decisions. No strategy is pursued until it passes the test of consumer research. Every aspect of a market offering, including the nature of the product itself, is driven by the needs of potential consumers. The starting point is always the consumer. The rationale for this approach is that there is no reason to spend R&D (research and development) funds developing products that people will not buy. History attests to many products that were commercial failures in spite of being technological breakthroughs.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">A formal approach to this customer-focused marketing is known as <i><b>SIVA</b></i> (Solution, Information, Value, Access). This system is basically the four Ps renamed and reworded to provide a customer focus. The SIVA Model provides a demand/customer-centric alternative to the well-known 4Ps supply side model (product, price, placement, promotion) of marketing management.</span></div>
<table style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 1em auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><span style="background-color: white;">Product</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">→</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">Solution</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="background-color: white;">Promotion</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">→</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">Information</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="background-color: white;">Price</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">→</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">Value</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="background-color: white;">Place (Distribution)</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">→</span></td><td><span style="background-color: white;">Access</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">If any of the 4Ps were problematic or were not in the marketing factor of the business, the business could be in trouble and so other companies may appear in the surroundings of the company, so the consumer demand on its products will decrease. However, in recent years service marketing has widened the domains to be considered, contributing to the 7P's of marketing in total. The other 3P's of service marketing are: process, physical environment and people.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Some consider there to be a fifth "P": positioning. <i>See</i> Positioning (marketing).</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Some qualifications or caveats for customer focus exist. They do not invalidate or contradict the principle of customer focus; rather, they simply add extra dimensions of awareness and caution to it.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The work of Christensen and colleagues<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Christensen1997_9-0" style="background-image: none; line-height: 1em; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[</span>9]</sup> on disruptive technology has produced a theoretical framework that explains the failure of firms not because they were technologically inept (often quite the opposite), but because the value networks in which they profitably operated included customers who could not value a disruptive innovation at the time and capability state of its emergence and thus actively dissuaded the firms from developing it. The lessons drawn from this work include:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">Taking customer focus with a grain of salt, treating it as only a subset of one's corporate strategy rather than the sole driving factor. This means looking beyond current-state customer focus to predict what customers will be demanding some years in the future, even if they themselves discount the prediction.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">Pursuing new markets (thus new value networks) when they are still in a commercially inferior or unattractive state, simply because their potential to grow and intersect with established markets and value networks looks like a likely bet. This may involve buying stakes in the stock of smaller firms, acquiring them outright, or incubating small, financially distinct units within one's organization to compete against them.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Other caveats of customer focus are:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">The extent to which what customers <i>say</i> they want does not match their purchasing decisions. Thus surveys of customers might claim that 70% of a restaurant's customers want healthier choices on the menu, but only 10% of them actually buy the new items once they are offered. This might be acceptable except for the extent to which those items are money-losing propositions for the business, bleeding red ink. A lesson from this type of situation is to be smarter about the true test validity of instruments like surveys. A corollary argument is that "truly understanding customers sometimes means understanding them better than they understand themselves." Thus one could argue that the principle of customer focus, or being close to the customers, is not violated here—just expanded upon.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">The extent to which customers are currently ignorant of what one might argue they <i>should</i> want—which is dicey because whether it can be acted upon affordably depends on whether or how soon the customers will learn, or be convinced, otherwise. IT hardware and software capabilities and automobile features are examples. Customers who in 1997 said that they would not place any value on internet browsing capability on a mobile phone, or 6% better fuel efficiency in their vehicle, might say something different today, because the value proposition of those opportunities has changed.</span></li>
</ul>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-78956976245257558062013-12-03T07:28:00.002-08:002013-12-03T07:28:25.230-08:00This Thanksgiving, have your mashed potatoes and eat them too.<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
That advice, surprisingly, doesn’t come from you grandmother but from more dieticians and nutritionists who are actually helping people to maintain healthy weights. Yes, in addition to the usual roll-out of “How to Slim-down Your Thanksgiving” and tips on how to avoid packing on the pounds, some health experts are advising that we go a little easier on ourselves over the holidays. They’re certainly not recommending that you scarf up everything you see, but the key to keeping cravings and temptations in check may be to give in to some — in moderation.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkyJQ7gyfyNhlr4fMhuodxTSQDJw6-QCKx7MeJlHhwdH1Owyjr05fPpTu2JkPe6d8GzqOjR11Ue1cvEXabRp_Z_x_Yy0uPubmNRwJkofE-7aJwB83o1WjLMBZ5_VdGpaZ_qArjfHMzr4/s320/op.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
That advice is based on some solid research. Studies show, for example, that when you put certain foods on a do-not-eat list, people end up wanting, and eating them more, and actually gaining weight. A 2012 study by researchers at Tel Aviv University found that dieters who ate a pastry every day lost more weight than dieters who avoided them completely. While both groups of dieters were on a low-calorie diet, the pastry group ate a cookie, slice of cake, doughnut or piece of chocolate every morning. Although by the end of the 16 week study, both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs, the group who treated themselves to dessert every morning went on to lose another 15 lbs on average, and reported feeling less hunger and cravings during that time. And researchers from the University of British Columbia reported that when people are told certain foods or objects are forbidden, the brain concentrates on them more than usual.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Other studies in mice have found that when the animals were only enticed with the occasional bit of sugar, then deprived of it, they were more likely to overindulge in sugar once it was brought back into their diet.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
“Holiday asceticism makes no sense, because it ruins the holiday and is too little, too late anyway,” says Dr. David Katz, the director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and author of the new book <em>Disease Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well</em>. Watching everyone else dig into the feast is going to be tough if you insist on sitting it out. “The problem is when we deprive ourselves of foods that we love, it makes us want them more. Then, when we finally do have them, we overeat them. We lose the ability to control how much we eat of those foods,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian and author of <em>The Small Change Diet</em>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-79685077601659195682013-12-03T07:24:00.000-08:002013-12-03T07:24:06.925-08:00Top 5 Things to Consider When Purchasing Commercial Insurance<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Commercial insurance is a necessity for every business owner. The kind of coverage that a business chooses will depend on a number of factors such as the type of business activity that the business undertakes, the risks involved, the location of the business, the cost and scope of coverage, and the number of employees, among others. Below is a brief look at some of the commercial insurance options that business owners should have.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px;">
<strong style="background-color: white;">What kind of insurance should business owners purchase?</strong></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<li><strong style="background-color: white;">Property Insurance</strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Every business owner desires to safeguard all property that the business owns, against risks arising from fire, natural disasters, civil disobedience, vandalism, and many other risks. To do this, he/she should consider purchasing commercial. It is however, important to note that the term "property", in this case may be translated to mean many things, including buildings, furniture and fittings, business documentation, money, computers and equipment, lost revenue, or interruption of business activity.</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<li><strong style="background-color: white;">General Liability Insurance</strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">It is normal for a business to experience various legal hassles arising from injuries in the workplace, accidents, or claims of negligence on the part of the business. As such, the general liability insurance seeks to cover the business against such risks. The cover handles liability payments arising from medical expenses, the cost of lawsuits, compensation for bodily injuries, property damage, libel, slander, settlement of bonds, and many others.</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<li><strong style="background-color: white;">Professional liability Insurance</strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">This form of insurance coverage is commonly referred to as the "errors and omissions insurance". This is because the cover seeks to protect the business from liability arising from errors,, and negligence in the fulfillment of professional duties or provisions of required services to clients. This form of liability insurance is particularly useful for businesses providing technical and professional services, such as healthcare providers and legal practitioners.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e5e5; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px;">
<br /></div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-65809945280678267392013-10-16T07:33:00.002-07:002013-10-16T07:33:20.845-07:00Bank of America Quarterly Earnings Rise to $2.5 Billion<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
ank of America reported a sharp rise in third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, but its mortgage operations faltered, underscoring that home loans remain a challenging business for the nation’s banks.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Bank of America said its quarterly profit rose to $2.5 billion, or 20 cents a share, from $340 million in the period a year earlier, when the bank was hit by litigation expenses and other charges.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Excluding a type of financial charge that investors often ignore, third-quarter revenue f</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinzW6Ahhy5093W1Ff39IUZOtD2SKbMiXes8NEFgxlU82fu9FnQrnJIFAoCPr81yHcgnqqT0zc4tlSfkKW6ujbIaUZ4QrFO8Yl9JQJWBOuoGcc2zXZUNmwVxzf_KgZ8XZic1sGF18x-PE/s1600/images.jpg" /></span></div>
ell slightly, to $22.2 billion, from $22.5 billion in the period a year earlier. Other large banks have also reported a decline in their top lines, an indication that, five years after the financial crisis, they are still struggling to expand their businesses.<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Analysts expected the company to earn 19 cents a share in the latest quarter. Bruce Thompson, Bank of America’s chief financial officer, said on Wednesday that it was fair to compare the estimates to the 20 cents a share that the bank reported.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
“We made very good progress in an environment that did have its challenges,” Mr. Thompson said.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Bank of America’s wealth management operations, which contain Merrill Lynch, were a source of strength, posting $719 million of net income, a 26 percent jump from a year earlier.</div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-13672515783268470602013-10-16T07:30:00.002-07:002013-10-16T07:30:56.467-07:00BlackRock’s Profit Rose 14% in Third Quarter<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The giant money management firm BlackRock is now managing a record $4 trillion after customers put more money into its stock mutual funds and exchange traded funds.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The flow of new money helped push BlackRock’s third-quarter profit up 14 percent from the period a year earlier. The company said net income in quarter rose to $730 million, or $4.21 a share, from $642 million, or $3.66 cents a share, in the third quarter of 2012. The results were roughly in line with the expectations of analysts polled by Bloomberg News.But BlackRock’s results were less impressive when compared with the second quarter of the year, as net income and revenue fell slightly. But the company attracted new money from its customers to a number of its product lines.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The iShares exchange trade funds, among the company’s fastest growing parts, drew in $20 billion, and $8 billion came into its retail funds. That was offset by the nearly $11 billion that big institutions took out of active and indexed stock funds. Overall inflows were $25.2 billion.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The company’s chief executive, Laurence D. Fink, said in a statement that the growth came despite the hesitation investors have had in putting new money to work, given all the uncertainty out of Washington.</div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-15549146302360683282013-05-31T06:45:00.002-07:002013-05-31T06:45:35.861-07:00How Can MBAs Get a Higher Salary? Ask<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What advice do you have for MBAs who are negotiating their salary?</strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Many MBAs don’t think they can negotiate before they get an offer. But they can plant the seeds for negotiation during their internship. They can consider what tracks they can follow or what teams they can join in an organization that will help them get promoted faster and paid more.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Also, they can make the first move. They should think of the negotiation as just asking questions. Think of it as a nuanced conversation that is exploratory rather than a negotiation. You want to start a job feeling really good, as though you got a fair MBA salary.</div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-79012754724956802062013-05-31T06:44:00.000-07:002013-05-31T06:44:09.133-07:00China's Worker Shortage Is a Global Problem<div class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If there’s one thing China has plenty of, it’s people—right?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Well, not exactly. With China’s economy expanding at a solid and sustainable 7.8 percent last year, many Chinese companies are having trouble recruiting and retaining the workers they need.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">recently noted</span> in <em style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wall Street Journal,</em> “the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, a trade group for manufacturers in China, says about 80% of its members are having problems recruiting workers.” Keeping them after they get them is another problem. Wage increases alone are no longer enough. Companies are trying everything to win the hearts and minds of their increasingly mobile and independent-minded workers.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As the global economy recovers from its long malaise, the challenges will grow. If the U.S. Congress approves comprehensive immigration reform, somewhat of a long shot at this stage, the competition for talent will increase even more. We could see global bidding wars for the best, the brightest, and the hardest working; don’t bet against it.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
When we wrote “<em style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">GLOBALITY: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything</span></em>” some five years ago, we predicted, among other things, that the competition for skilled workers and management talent would increase significantly in the coming years. Little did we realize how quickly everyone would feel the pinch.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Much of the story, as we suggested then, has to do with demographics. According to China’s <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">National Bureau of Statistics</span>, the country’s working-age population—which includes all able-bodied individuals between 15 and 59—was 937.3 million in January 2013. That would seem more than enough. But pull the camera back and use a wider lens, and you see a different picture: The 937 million was nearly 3.5 million fewer than the year before.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
With China’s one-child policy, which some are rethinking, the trend is both unmistakable and ominous.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Make no mistake: The challenge is global. Despite Europe’s continuing economic woes, including extraordinarily high rates of unemployment, similar long-term trends can be seen there.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Consider Germany, the lynchpin of the EU economy.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A recent <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">study</span> from the Robert Bosch Foundation in Stuttgart, as reported in the <em style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Financial Times,</em> estimates that aging and population decreases could shrink the German workforce by as much as 12 percent by 2030. Already, according to the CIA <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">World Factbook,</em><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"> </span>the median age of Germany’s population is 45.7 years, more than eight years greater than the U.S. median age. Other current estimates include 40.6 in France, 44.2 in Italy, 41.3 in Spain, 42.4 in Sweden, and 40.3 in the U.K. Japan’s median age is even higher: 45.8.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
By comparison, China looks youthful at 36.3. But the population is aging rapidly, and the one-child policy offers no relief. So employee recruitment and retention become more important and more competitive every year.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Germany is fortunate right now. With the overall EU unemployment <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">rate</span> over 12 percent, they can import skilled workers from elsewhere. But this provides only temporary relief. When demand increases elsewhere, Germany will have the same problem as everyone else.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
While demographics isn’t everything, talent acquisition should be near the top of every executive’s long-term planning agenda: How many and what types of workers will we need in the future, and where are we going to find them?</div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-34775015254334879452013-05-31T06:42:00.003-07:002013-05-31T06:42:29.150-07:00Japan halts imports of U.S. wheat after USDA's shock finding of genetic pollution from GMOs <span style="background-color: white;">It has already begun: Japan has just cancelled a large contract to purchase U.S. wheat. "We will refrain from buying western white and feed wheat effective today," Toru Hisadome, a Japanese farm ministry official in charge of wheat trading, </span>told Reuters<span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">As many readers well know, I predicted precisely this scenario </span>just yesterday in a Natural News article<span style="background-color: white;"> warning about the consequences of genetic pollution. There, I wrote, "All wheat produced in the United States will now be heavily scrutinized -- and possibly even rejected -- by other nations that traditionally import U.S. wheat. This obviously has enormous economic implications for U.S. farmers and agriculture."</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Now we're already seeing the result: the ditching of U.S. wheat by world nations that want nothing to do with GMOs.</span><br /><br />
<h1 style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: lighter; line-height: 34px;">
Monsanto is a ticking time bomb for U.S. agriculture</h1>
<span style="background-color: white;">This proves, without any question, that Monsanto's genetic experiments which "escaped" into commercial wheat fields are now going to </span><b>devastate U.S. wheat farmers</b><span style="background-color: white;">. Expect the floor to drop out on wheat prices, and watch for a huge backlash against the USDA by U.S. farmers who stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars on this.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">As </span>the USDA has now admitted<span style="background-color: white;">, Monsanto's GMO experiments from 1998 - 2005 were held in open wheat fields. The genetically engineered wheat escaped and found its way into commercial wheat fields in Oregon (and possibly 15 other states), causing </span><b>self-replicating genetic pollution</b><span style="background-color: white;"> that now taints the entire U.S. wheat industry.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">"Asian consumers are keenly sensitive to gene-altered food, with few countries allowing imports of such cereals for human consumption," writes Reuters. It continues:</span><br /><br /><i>Asia imports more than 40 million tonnes of wheat annually, almost a third of the global trade of 140-150 million tonnes. The bulk of the region's supplies come from the United States, the world's biggest exporter, and Australia, the No. 2 supplier.</i><br /><br />
<h1 style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: lighter; line-height: 34px;">
Another incredible Monsanto achievement: the genetic contamination of the U.S. wheat supply</h1>
<span style="background-color: white;">Nice job, Monsanto. You've managed to spew your genetic pollution across the fields of innocent U.S. farmers who are now going to lose huge sums of money due to the reject of U.S. wheat by all the other world nations that refuse to feed their populations GMO.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">And a big thumbs up to the USDA, too, for screwing U.S. farmers by green-lighting open-field GMO experiments that we all warned were going to result in runaway genetic pollution. The USDA, of course, is the official cheerleading squad for Monsanto's criminal "science" that we all know is a total fraud. How do these scientists now suggest this self-replicating genetic pollution be put back into the black box from which it emerged?</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">It can't be done, of course. So now the entire future of the U.S. wheat supply is at risk thanks to </span>Monsanto<span style="background-color: white;"> and the USDA. Nice one, folks. Score another victory for the scumbag destroyers in Washington D.C. and the greed-driven executives at our favorite corporation, Monsanto.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">And remember: Genetically modified wheat is only the beginning. Monsanto has no doubt unleashed genetic pollution across many other crops as well. We're now living in an age where Monsanto is essentially ejaculating its patented seed across all the farms of America, then claiming to "own" the contaminated crops. What a wonderful image of corporate responsibility and service to humankind. I can't wait to see what other U.S. crops will be rejected by world nations due to Monsanto's genetic pollution.</span><br /><br />smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-42405359086549102562013-04-27T02:00:00.001-07:002013-04-27T02:00:05.530-07:00Going Low-Carb too Fast May Trigger Thyroid Troubles and Hormone Imbalance<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Don't be fooled
by the bread demons, you CAN be healthy on a low-carb diet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">If you’ve been
turned on to the low-carb Paleo diet craze, you may have noticed increased
energy, better digestion and happier mood, and a shrinking waist line. Good for
you. But some folks who’ve taken the Primal leap—particularly those who were
previously on a high-carb diet—have been faced with unexpected side effects
waving them back to the world of bread, sugary fruits and sweet potato
casserole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Interestingly,
these side effects include a wide range of symptoms that are nearly identical to
symptoms of severe thyroid hormone deficiency. More interestingly, lab tests
often show normal or near normal thyroid function. More interesting still is
that these symptoms seem to only be relieved by adding back carbs into the diet,
sometimes upward of 300 grams—a level I consider to be very likely to
harm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Why is this
happening? Is it that low-carb simply doesn’t work for everyone, or is something
else going on?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">In an effort to
get to the bottom of this, low-carb asking his cadre of low-carb literate practitioners to weigh in on the issue
with our opinions. This so happens to be an issue I’ve been pondering since
reading about the controversy over safe starches, and a couple pieces of the
puzzle recently fell into place that I think I add up to at least one
explanation for the debilitating symptoms some people develop on going low-carb,
and offer a method for anyone going low-carb to do so without
problems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s what I
discovered about those with thyroid problems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Abrupt Change
May Be too Much For the Thyroid</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">People who run
into trouble going low-carb seem to follow a pattern. They follow any number of
diets from SAD to vegan before making a relatively abrupt switch to a low carb
(often less than 50 gm) diet. At first they lose weight as hoped but then,
instead of feeling more energetic from their weight loss, they develop fatigue,
sometimes accompanied by symptoms of low thyroid function including cold
extremities, hair loss, and digestive problems. Only by consuming more carbs
again can they reduce these symptoms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Because their
fatigue and other symptoms are classic for thyroid malfunction, many will get
their levels tested, only to come away confused when the tests health
practitioners typically order (TSH and T4) come out normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Those who get
more extensive testing may get a test called reverse T3, or rT3 for short. These
are often abnormally high, leaving them to believe they have found the root of
the problem. Some are given a prescription for T3 in hopes of regaining energy
and the intervention seems to help, at least a little.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Reverse T3 is a
kind of chemical opposite of regular T3, a mirror image compound called an
<i>enantiomer</i>. Reverse T3 has opposite effects of T3, and has long been
associated with a set of symptoms aptly called <i>hibernation
syndrome</i>—fatigue, weight gain, and so on. If you have suffered from severe
hypothyroidism, you may have gone through times where you felt like you really
just want to crawl away to a quiet place and rest for a long, long while. Your
body was telling you to hibernate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" title="rt3 trigger"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><br />In addition to making our energy
go dormant, high rT3 is also associated with increased levels of LDL, often in
the 200s.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Interestingly,
those who have added carbs back into their diet and have gotten retested find
that their levels of rT3 have gone down without additional T3 supplementation.
What’s more, if their LDL was high, adding carbs back to the diet also solved
that problem as well, completely counter to the idea that carbs drive insulin
which increases LDL.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">I have to admit
that though I have cared for thousands of people following low carb diets to my
knowledge none ran into this problem so I paid very little attention to the
issue with rT3. Only when I started reading about people suffering from thyroid
side effects from following low carb did I started seriously thinking about that
pesky little molecule. I wondered what it was supposed to be good for: <i>Why
would nature program our biology to manufacture a compound that seems to do
little other than make people miserable and potentially clog our
arteries?</i></span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-84159462423398234632013-04-27T01:58:00.003-07:002013-04-27T01:58:25.837-07:00Two Proven Approaches to Lowering Cholesterol<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">There’s no
question that eating certain foods can help lower cholesterol—oats, nuts and
fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are particularly effective. And previous
research suggests that plant sterols—those plant compounds added to foods like
margarine, orange juice and yogurt drinks—can also help lower cholesterol
levels. Two new studies offer important information on how small changes to your
diet and eating habits can help significantly lower cholesterol
levels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><b>A Daily “Drip”
of Plant Sterols</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Many people have
turned to foods fortified with plant sterols in an effort to lower cholesterol.
It appears, however, that getting the most benefit from these foods isn’t as
simple as gulping a fortified glass of orange juice in the morning or slathering
your toast with margarine. Rather, a small study suggest that consuming plant
sterols throughout the day—what researchers term a daily “drip”—may help lower
cholesterol as much as 6 percent in as little as six days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Researchers at
Tufts University in Boston, Mass., recruited 29 volunteers to determine the
effects of consuming plant sterols throughout the day over a six-day period.
During the control phase, all participants consumed a weight-maintaining diet
free of plant sterols. For the second phase, participants were placed on the
same diet, but with the addition of 1.8 grams of plant sterols at breakfast.
During the third phase, the volunteers once again consumed the same diet, but
ate 1.8 grams of plant sterols divided equally between the three main meals each
day. For two weeks between each phase, participants consumed their normal
diets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Measurements of
LDL-cholesterol levels were taken at the beginning and end of each phase, with
the greatest reduction—6 percent—occurring following the third phase when plant
sterols were consumed throughout the day. The full results were published</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><b>An Apple a
Day…</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">It may be an old
adage, but the theory about eating an apple every day to keep the doctor away
received some scientific backing from researchers at the University of Florida.
They recruited 160 women, ages 45 to 65, to eat dried apples or prunes (about
240 calories worth) every day for a year. Researchers measured the subjects’
cholesterol levels at three-, six- and 12-month intervals. After six months, the
women who ate the dried apples showed a 23 percent drop in LDL-cholesterol
levels and a 4 percent increase in HDL levels. And, despite the added calories,
the women lost, on average, 3.3 pounds over the course of the study.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">“Reducing body
weight is an added benefit to daily apple intake,” said lead researcher Dr.
Bahram Arjmandi. Part of the reason for the weight loss, he explained, could be
the fruit’s pectin, which is known to have a satiety effect. The next step in
confirming the results of this study, which were presented at in April in Washington, D.C., is a
multi-investigator nationwide study.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">High cholesterol
is currently the most prevalent health condition in the United States, with an
estimated 101 million Americans having a total cholesterol level greater than
200 mg/dl. Though not considered a disease itself, high cholesterol is
associated with numerous diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes
and stroke.</span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-40331125692141036532013-04-27T01:56:00.001-07:002013-04-27T01:56:17.194-07:00Personal training (PT)
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 24pt;">P</span></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 24pt;"> </span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">ersonal
training (PT) is a special one-on-one lessons to exercise for safe and quick
results. You'll enjoy 60 minutes of highly-motivated learning of effective
exercise techniques and proper nutrition guidance particularly suitable for you
under close supervision by a coach using ACE most updated, effective and proven
exercising techniques.</span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">PT is most suitable for
those who has determination to reach their specific goals in a short
time.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Achievements are beyond
valuation because, </span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">besides reaching your
goals, better lifestyles would bring about more self-confidence, better health
as well as better postures.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Suitable for
those having the following problems:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Break through
plateaus/ New to exercise/ Improve technical skills/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Individualized
monitor/ Motivation Efficiency</span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-76298309309591155552013-03-16T23:59:00.001-07:002013-03-16T23:59:44.201-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO93Nv-JkjhyZ_3H8V2hFjrUrHQ6tp5zvtvFyoD_jfN_fBFCwlY9aR8iQQXeqXEDxt9uXtPfIAdvpYXX5BQec0yApBgbLwZrUOvfcQcL_2DU_VvI3F14mC0_VQBOsvDz5l6ejPySbSEw/s1600/hist_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO93Nv-JkjhyZ_3H8V2hFjrUrHQ6tp5zvtvFyoD_jfN_fBFCwlY9aR8iQQXeqXEDxt9uXtPfIAdvpYXX5BQec0yApBgbLwZrUOvfcQcL_2DU_VvI3F14mC0_VQBOsvDz5l6ejPySbSEw/s320/hist_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">To shop for
insurance is usually not the most enjoyment you are able to have,
although it does not have to be hard either. Regarding finding the
correct Alberta Motorcycle Insurance policy, there're some ways you are
able to go about it. Do your hunt for the correct policy for meeting
your requirements somewhat simpler on yourself by being focused on some
major factors & narrowing down your hunt to the insurance
corporations & agents who are able to make available you the most
excellent Motorcycle Insurance in Alberta. </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">Given that
Alberta contains a privatized insurance arrangement, you have much
diverse options for where you would like to purchase your policy.
Unlike a number of other provinces, you are able to select from every
one of the obtainable insurance companies (like Calgary Motorcycle
Insurance Company, company of Motorcycle Insurance in Edmonton etc.) and
put side by side the rates, coverage as well as services made available
by the corporation. Even though rates inside Alberta for motorbike
insurance happen to be regulated in the similar manner that automobile
insurance rates happen to be, by the Alberta auto Insurance Rate Board,
this makes available only a greatest that a cover corporation is able to
charge for any specific policy. Insurance corporations still contain
the right to establish their personal rates, provided that they don't go
beyond this limit. This implies you are able to shop about for the
most excellent rate on your policy & be assured you'll never
reimburse additional to the lawfully allowed greatest for your
motorbike, driving record & experience level.<br /><br />There're three major ways of shopping for Motorcycle Insurance in Alberta:</span><br />
<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"><br /></span>
<br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">Much similar to a
broker, an agent happens to be a middle man among you & the
insurance corporation, and is able to assist you decide on the correct
coverage. An agent, not like a broker, works with just one insurance
corporation. This has the advantage of making them a specialist on
their corporation's policies as well as services, but implies you are
just going to get a single quote from Single Corporation at a time.</span><br />
<br />
<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"> </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">In conclusion,
you are able to buy your policy in a straight line from the insurance
corporation, having the middle man left out entirely.Every one of such
options has a number of pros as well as cons. A broker allows you to
put side by side rates from many companies, but might not be as
well-informed about every one of the corporations in question. An agent
makes available the same professional advice, other than with
additionally detailed information of the single corporation in
question. In both cases, you have to go through your broker or agent to
purchase your policy. From time to time, this can stand for a superior
rate since there's a commission shelled out to the broker / agent, save
for this isn't at all times the case. A broker as well as an agent
makes available personalized service as well as individual advice.</span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-57312211536635806922013-03-16T23:54:00.002-07:002013-03-16T23:54:54.161-07:00Pros and Cons of School Uniforms<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">We have worked with schools across the United States, and
believe us, you are not the only person asking this question!
The answers that we have heard from our customers are as varied
as our customers are. The debate over school uniforms is
complicated, so we've included highlights from both sides for
you to consider:</span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"></span><br />
School uniforms are a bargain. They are becoming far less
expensive than many other clothes. Schools argue that school
uniforms are economical, especially compared to designer
clothing, and parents agree given school uniform durability.
They say school uniforms last longer because they are made for
repeated wash and wear. Many schools capitalize on this by
starting used school uniform stores or swap meets. Parents can
get used school uniforms at discount prices, or just use them as
hand-me-downs between siblings.<br />
School Spirit:<br />
Some feel wearing a school uniform helps build school spirit. It
instills a feeling of belonging. As the Beach Boys said, "Be
true to your school." Schools report an increase in school pride.<br />
Individuality:<br />
Supressing individuality is the most commonly cited objection to
school uniforms. Educators argue that an academic program
encouraging students to pursue individual thought is much more
important than what they wear. They inhibit creativity and
self-expression, forcing students to conform.<br />
Causes Discipline Problems:<br />
Some students reject any rules. Forcing them to wear school
uniforms only aggravates their rebelious spirit. They alter
their school uniform by tightening, widening, shortening, or
lengthening them, and teachers are given the impossible task of
policing the students on a daily basis.<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"></span><br />
Little or No Relationship to Academics:<br />
Opponents insist that their is no credible evidence that school
uniforms improve school discipline or promote higher academic
acheivement. The principal argument is that some great students
are terrible dressers. Dress does not necessarily improve
learning.<br />
<br />
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-66747048950268781042013-03-16T23:53:00.001-07:002013-03-16T23:53:27.236-07:00Wireless communications in interfaces and common devices<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"></span><br />
<strong>Computer Interfaces</strong><br />
A lot of computer interfaces are going <strong>wireless.</strong> To
give comfort at work, optical mouse`s and keyboard`s are being designed
to eliminate the wire. There are many gaming consoles which work without
being connected via wire. There are systems which capture real time
data and then send them for detailed analysis like the weather forecast
system. There the system is located in a remote area and hence no wired
connection is possible. After capturing the data`s the system transmits
them with the help of blue tooth technology to some remote server. The
remote server does all the calculations and then sent it to some other
remote servers to transmit the data.<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">The <strong>wireless</strong>
technologies are based on sensors. Think of the television or some
other remote. It is connected without wires but works fine from a
certain distance. The principle of working is a sensor is kept at both
the devices i.e. the television and the remote. When a signal is
generated and transmitted it is received by the sensor located in the
Television. On receipt of the signal, the corresponding interrupt is
triggered to change the present state as directed. The sensors need to
work fine and should be maintained in such a way so that they do not get
damaged quickly.</span><br />
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-10617150262069470622013-03-16T23:52:00.002-07:002013-03-16T23:52:40.910-07:00Make sure of safety with flexible sign posts<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">Sign posts on
roads and highways have to face a lot of wear and tear due to different
kinds of pressures and impacts. This is the reason that sturdy posts
like a steel delineator post are used to ensure the safety of traffic,
as they are able to sustain in all kinds of weather and withstand the
challenges presented by a busy road. Sign posts and delineator posts are
of two types – flexible ones and the ones that are not flexible. Here
we will discuss flexible sign posts and lane dividers.
</span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">These sign posts
and dividers are made of hard and durable polymers which can withstand
the impact if a vehicle runs into them. They also have hardware inbuilt
into them which enables the mounting of signs. There are a variety of
different sign posts and dividers with different options available in
the market like temporary signs and anti glare panels. These posts can
be customized according to their placement and the requirement.</span>smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-52683936352271398202013-03-16T23:51:00.001-07:002013-03-16T23:51:07.467-07:00Just what is a Safe Working Load For a Metal Wheel?Many
different factors affect how much weight a wheel can carry and every
application is different. The "capacity" of a wheel to carry weight, or a
wheel's ability to sustain a load will differ from application to
application, and will depend greatly on;<br />
<ul>
<li>the variety of stresses and strains placed on the wheel</li>
<li>in what direction loads are applied to the wheel</li>
<li>how often loads are applied to the wheel</li>
<li>how fast loads are applied to the wheel</li>
<li>the manner in which a load is set against the wheel</li>
<li>environmental rigours – temperatures, caustic mediums, etc.</li>
<li>the speed at which a wheel is made to travel</li>
<li>the number of wheels that will be used together to carry a load, and how they interact with one another</li>
</ul>
Users often ask "how much weight a wheel can hold"? The unique
demands of every application make it difficult to provide a clear-cut
answer, but rating systems have been developed to provide some insight.
To give some idea of a wheel's suitability for an application,
manufacturers and suppliers often discuss a "load rating" or "load
capacity." Both terms are general and provide a basic description of the
maximum amount of force that can safely be applied to a wheel in an
ideal situation. A more definite term is <strong>safe working load</strong> (SWL).<br />
<u>Safe working load</u>, sometimes referred to as normal working
load, is the maximum weight that a manufacturer suggests a wheel can
safely hold or transfer under ideal circumstances. It is calculated by
determining the wheel's breaking point <strong>under a static load</strong>,
and then dividing that number by an appropriate factor of safety. To
help ensure jobsite safety and to mitigate its customers'
risk, conservative factors are often applied when determining suggested
SWL limits; determining the SWL requirement for an application requires
an assessment by a competent person of the maximum load the wheel can
sustain in the environment in which it will be used.<br />
Not all applications are performed under ideal circumstances and
wheels are often made to perform in hostile environments that may
adversely affect a wheel's ability to bear weight. In these situations,
it may be necessary to consult a professional. Some additional adverse
factors that may indicate that a professional assessment is necessary
include:<br />
<ul>
<li>a moist or damp environment</li>
<li>abnormally hot or cold conditions</li>
<li>any customizations to the dimensions of the wheel</li>
<li>potential exposure to any chemicals</li>
<li>speeds that will exceed 3 mph (4.82 kph)</li>
<li>load that cannot be distributed evenly against the tread of the wheel</li>
<li>multiple load or stress conditions; that is an operating environment
where the wheel may be exposed to more than one type of load and/or
more than one load direction</li>
</ul>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-83140331307230750442013-02-23T06:52:00.002-08:002013-02-23T06:52:40.238-08:00Stocks rose on Friday<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">Stocks rose on Friday, as strong earnings from big companies lifted the Dow Jones industrial average, but the broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index posted its first weekly loss of the year. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">The Dow closed up 119.95 points, or 0.9 percent, at 14,000.57, its third-biggest daily gain this year. The S.& P. 500 rose 13.18 points, also 0.9 percent, to 1,515.60. The Nasdaq composite index rose 30.33, or 1 percent, to 3,161.82. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">The S.& P. 500 and Nasdaq closed slightly lower for the week, while the Dow edged higher. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">Bill Stone, chief investment strategist with PNC Wealth Management, said he expected stocks to hold up despite the volatility this week. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">“You’re going to get bumps and bruises along the way, but we do believe things are actually getting better, so I think there’s underlying demand” for stocks, Mr. Stone said. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">Investors sent stocks plunging Wednesday after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting revealed disagreement over how long the Fed should continue to buy bonds in an effort to support the economy. The slide continued Thursday. The Dow lost 155 points over those two days. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">Many analysts say the Fed’s bond-buying and resulting low interest rates have driven this year’s stock rally, which lifted indexes to their highest levels since before the 2008 financial crisis. The Dow is now just 164 points below its nominal record close of 14,164, reached in October 2007. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">United States stocks followed European stocks higher after a survey of German business optimism showed an increase in sentiment, adding to evidence that the country would avoid a recession. Germany’s economic vitality is crucial for the beleaguered region, offsetting economic contraction in surrounding countries. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">“Germany is really the bedrock,” Mr. Stone said. “If it gives way, then you have real problems.” </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">The CAC-40 in France rose 2.2 percent, and the Germany DAX gained 1 percent. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">The biggest gainer on Friday in both the Dow and S.& P. 500 was Hewlett-Packard, which beat all forecasts when it posted its first-quarter results late Thursday, a relief after months of bad news. H.P.’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange rose $2.10, or 12.3 percent, to $19.20. </span></div>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<span style="color: black;">Cabot Oil & Gas was the S.& P. 500’s second-best performer, a day after the company reported earnings above analysts’ expectations. Its stock rose $5.95, or 11.1 percent, to $59.81. </span></div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-7212271264194620972012-12-29T05:33:00.004-08:002012-12-29T05:33:34.391-08:00Arranging for Financial Security through Direct Stock Purchase Plans<div id="content">
<div class="post">
<div class="img-holder">
</div>
<!--INFOLINKS_ON-->Most people would not prefer their income to drop after retirement. In fact, necessities and luxuries don't change. You cannot get out from what you have been used to for so many years. These factors have made the baby boomer generation hover over the fact of how they should invest right to have an organized life after retirement. Thus, one has to plan for investment for this part of life. Direct stock purchase plans can work to make life safe and usher financial security. This is a sound way one can project his income and comfortably meet with living expenses.<br />
<strong>A Good Way to Make Future Stable</strong><br />
On the basis of direct stock purchase plans, one can make the most of the retirement benefits that he is to receive from his employer. Through such a form of purchasing, you can keep your finances intact even after retirement. Through direct stock purchasing, one can make the most of tax-deferred savings and pension based programs. Even if, you don't work under an organization, you can still make your future secured through <span class="IL_AD" iceid="3" id="IL_AD1"><u><span style="color: #009900;">SEP IRAs</span></u></span> and other profit-sharing policies. It's all about saving for your future and making it stable. Life after retirement becomes fiscally unsure. You have chances to fall back on your nearest family members financially. Thus, to escape such encumbrances, it is nice to be a part of a solid income plan like direct stock purchasing.<br />
<strong>The Method of Buying Stocks</strong><br />
In matters of direct stock purchase plans, one can make personal investments in <span class="IL_AD" iceid="5" id="IL_AD3"><u><span style="color: #009900;">buying shares</span></u></span>. You can make the purchase with discount, or you can even do the same at the current market rate. For buying stock market shares, you can receive employer's assistance in the form of below market loans or non-recourse <span class="IL_AD" iceid="4" id="IL_AD2"><u><span style="color: #009900;">financial solutions</span></u></span>. There are ways you can keep to the <span class="IL_AD" iceid="6" id="IL_AD4"><u><span style="color: #009900;">stock shares</span></u></span>. Moreover, an employer's investment in the same is definitely going to be a plus.<br />
<strong>Investing After Shares for a Better Future</strong><br />
There are organizations to boost you in matters of stock share purchasing through direct stock purchase plans. This is a great way the company makes an attempt to convert an investor to a potential customer. With the kind of plan, you are bound to become brand specific. In the manner, the investor offers with a chance to help a company make a profit through their stock investments. This is also a good way to make a good amount of money specifically for days after retirement. Stock purchases are available with a host of benefits. There are reasons why people are happy to invest after shares.<br />
<strong>The Several Benefits of the Plan</strong><br />
Direct stock purchase plans are not age specific. Even teenagers can participate in this financial program. With this facility, a person can start investing from an early age. Thus, the amount, which mounts up till the retirement period, is really huge. The amount of money you have to pay for direct stock purchasing is less than the amount required for paying a stock broker. You just need to make a onetime payment to put up with an initial account. Through <span><span>s</span>tock shares</span>, the baby boomer generation receives dividends after every three months. They can easily make a reinvestment with the dividend amount rather than settling for expenditure.</div>
</div>
smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-48758265351094256552012-12-29T05:31:00.004-08:002012-12-29T05:31:34.567-08:00Spinal Cord Injury Grant: Opportunity to Make Things Normal in Life<span class="IL_AD" iceid="3" id="IL_AD1"><u><span style="color: #009900;">Spinal cord injury</span></u></span> can be extremely dangerous. In fact, in some cases it even leads to death or makes the person bed ridden for the rest of his life. This is the reason why this type of injury should not be taken lightly. It is possible that the injury is mild and leads to slight discomfort which the person will get fixed by going through proper medical treatment. These treatments, that can help the affected person lead a completely new lifestyle, are extremely expensive and a large number of people find it unaffordable completely. This is where <span style="color: #228dc9;">spinal cord injury grant</span> money comes for help.<br />
<br />
<br />
The government is trying to help people in all types of financial problems and people facing different types of practical problems too. When you are looking for grants to help you pay for the treatment for your <span><span>s</span>pinal cord injury</span>, you need to search for the grant programs specially designed for this purpose. Since these grants are limited, you will have to spend some time and find out options available for you.<br />
It is quite possible that when you are looking for <span><span>s</span>pinal cord injury</span> <span style="color: #228dc9;">grant programs</span>, you find some related grant programs for which you qualify. Apply for all of them. After all if you will receive money through these, they will release at least a part of stress from your mind and shoulders. It is advisable not to underestimate any funding resource. Do not hesitate applying for funding through private resources unless there is some unacceptable clause. Just keep in mind that these grants are designed to help people in need and so, if you need the money, apply for it.<br />
Internet is a vast source from where you will be able to gather a lot of information. These details would be very helpful for you and help you apply for more and more grant programs successfully. The only thing is that you should seek genuine and firsthand information and save yourself from scams and frauds. Just take necessary precaution and keep your eyes and ears open when you are researching for free money.<br />
Once you get the list of <span><span>s</span>pinal cord injury</span> grant programs from internet, check the prerequisites of each <span style="color: #228dc9;">grant program</span>. If you meet the <span class="IL_AD" iceid="5" id="IL_AD3"><u><span style="color: #009900;">eligibility</span></u></span> criteria, read the guidelines for application and then complete the <span class="IL_AD" iceid="6" id="IL_AD4"><u><span style="color: #009900;">process</span></u></span> with caution and care. Apply for each grant program as if it is your only chance <span class="IL_AD" iceid="4" id="IL_AD2"><u><span style="color: #009900;">to get money</span></u></span>.smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-22205834705433175662012-09-24T07:52:00.000-07:002012-09-24T07:52:08.864-07:00Why doing the right thing is always the right thingIt is not always easy to do the right thing. At times it can be hard to know what the right thing even is.<br />
Bad personal experiences and stressful work environments make long-term thinking and personal morals a challenge to execute consistently. Or even at all.<br />
<strong>Life comes at you fast.</strong><br />
So fast that it’s natural to react to life experiences by making the choice that is least painful at the moment. By choosing to relieve temporary uncomfortableness with a decision to get you out of trouble for the moment.<br />
But most of the time, the fast decision is the wrong decision. The easy decision is the wrong decision. The decision that fixes “right now” is the wrong decision.<br />
The fact that you feel forced into the decision makes the odds of you making the right decision even harder.<br />
You’re not thinking straight.<br />
<strong>Your view of the world is screwed up</strong>.<br />
It’s biased in a big way. Your mind and body is screaming at you to do whatever it takes to relieve the pressure and pain that is squeezing down on you at the moment.<br />
So it’s important to remember how important making the right decision really is.<br />
<em>"The truth is that what your life becomes is a direct result of all the stressed-out, painful short-term decisions you make each and every day. Each decision contributes to the results that you will realize one day. You are creating your future."</em><br />
If you make the wrong decisions consistently — even small ones — you will end up with results that are embarrassing and expose you to be the fraud that you really were all along.<br />
If you consistently take the “easy way” and pursue shortcuts in the hope of “getting rich quick”, then you’ll find yourself in a future where you continue to be poor — mentally and financially.<br />
If you blame others for your mistakes and refuse to take correction or learn from bad decisions that you have made in the past, then the results of your life will only be misery and arrogance.smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-19970353530717478062012-09-24T07:49:00.003-07:002012-09-24T07:49:47.925-07:00Sales Training Is Not As Important As the Insights It BringsI was recently hired by a company that is growing, doing well and wants to develop and train their salespeople to create a repeatable process for their current and future salespeople.<br />
As often happens, the client is not willing or able to spend the amount of time and money up front to have us experience their environment as well as do our extensive research and analysis.<br />
We interviewed salespeople and managers, pre/post support people. We looked at win/loss reports and reviewed their current presentations and proposals. We talked with the people responsible for their CRM, and created a clientized program for them that addressed the most significant areas including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mirroring using a combination of DiSC and Meyers-Briggs</li>
<li>Prospecting to be less dependent on incoming leads,</li>
<li>Discovery, via our S.PRI.N.G. Dialogue to better qualify the sales process</li>
<li>Presenting and Objection Handling to present more value and navigate the sales process and close more business.</li>
</ul>
The training went well. People were participative, receptive and open to the new techniques we were practicing. The feedback was excellent. However, the most relevant, significant, important and impactful part of going through and experiencing the training were the insights that we had together.<br />
Here is my summary to my client regarding these insights:<br />
Thanks for the commitment to IPG and our program. I want to note your presence in the training which was significant. Here are my observations (those in <strong>bold</strong> are the insights):<br />
<ol>
<li>Salespeople need to use S.PRI.N.G. to keep <strong>better control</strong> of a sales process and not get lost as often as they do</li>
<li>Salespeople need to <strong>integrate and address the issues much earlier in the sales process</strong> that are most common, important and prevent sales from occurring. These include:
<ul>
<li><strong>Planting seeds</strong> that differentiate and demonstrate XYZ's value</li>
<li>During the S.PRI.N.G. Dialogue, <strong>asking qualifying questions</strong> (budget, process, competition, etc.) later in the process vs. too early to help get better answers</li>
<li><strong>Address the reasons people defer</strong></li>
<li>And <strong>understand where XYZ's solution fits in their priority scheme</strong>, ESPECIALLY if there is <strong>no definitive compelling event</strong></li>
<li>Develop a standard presentation and proposal format that captures the key elements of the S.PRI.N.G. Dialogue AND <strong>addresses the most common reasons people defer on going with XYZ</strong></li>
<li><strong>Practice the best ways</strong> to anticipate and handle the most common objections</li>
<li>Get <strong>more comfortable using analogies</strong> to present XYZ's process so that people don't get confused</li>
<li>Create their <strong>hit list of accounts</strong> they want to sell and use the prospecting techniques and why you why now to get more appointments</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The management team needs to:
<ul>
<li>Embrace and become experts at the key elements noted above especially around mirroring</li>
<li>Develop, mentor and reinforce a repeatable sales process</li>
<li>Integrate these into the sales fabric of XYZ including:</li>
<li>Commit to a weekly schedule of practicing and role playing</li>
<li>Using 1:1's and forecast sessions</li>
<li>Bring into discussions of deals that are crucial or in trouble</li>
<li>Integrate into NetSuite as a support mechanism</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong>Jonathan London</strong> - President of the Improved Performance Group, Jonathan has been in sales and management for 34 years. He has been the #1 performer worldwide, (and in many cases industry wide) for such companies as Olivetti Corporation, NBI Word Processing, IBM/Rolm, BusinessLand, Wyse Technologies and PictureTel. Jonathan founded IPG in 1994, has trained over 15,000 people in 23 countries using the same techniques that made his own selling career so successful. His book "<em>An Entrepreneurs Guide to Selling</em>" will be published Q2 2009. He has successfully sold through 3 recessions.smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-80371874125995673122012-08-18T07:31:00.001-07:002012-08-18T07:31:41.311-07:00Is Your Car Insurance As Cheap As It LooksAnswer the question, Is your car insurance as cheap as it looks, before you renew the same old policy you've had for years. Compare online insurance companies before you renew with your old one.<br /><br /><br /><br />Nobody looks forward to choosing their car insurance. Many people stay with the same company year on year to avoid endless phone calls or trawling quote comparison sites at renewal. Nowadays, however, many companies offer significant introductory and online discounts which only apply for the first year. What this means for the consumer is that shopping around makes good financial sense. But while it can be extremely tempting to go for a cheap policy, it's wise to know exactly what you're buying into.<br /><br /><br />What's Missing?<br /><br />Sometimes one company will offer Fully Comprehensive coverage for the same rates as another's Third Party insurance. This should ring alarm bells, it's possible it's cheaper for a reason.<br /><br />A car insurance policy booklet is divided into sections. The level of cover you have purchased will include some or all of these. Third Party Only is the legal minimum and included in all policies. Mandatory since 1930, it covers you for damage to another's person or property. Then Fire and Theft is added to that, followed by damage to your own car - Fully Comprehensive includes all three. <br /><br />There are things we automatically assume to be part of a Comprehensive policy - European coverage, windscreen coverage, a courtesy car, coverage for driving other cars - but not necessarily so. Policies may have been stripped to the bare bones in order to appear cheap. The missing features may then be offered as chargeable extras, so take care. <br /><br />If you are considering driving abroad, check what level of coverage you will actually have while out of the country. It might be lower than your normal level of coverage and you may only be allowed a limited time abroad. To increase the time or level of coverage would then be chargeable.<br /><br />Auto Insurance Excesses<br /><br />So you have a cheap policy that seems to give all the coveage you need. The next thing to check are the excesses. These are what you pay in the event of a claim, such as deductibles. Sometimes they can be high in order to keep the premiums down and there are compulsory excesses on top for categories of driver who the insurer perceives to be a higher risk. This may include young drivers, foreign drivers or those with points on their license - check which apply to you.<br /><br />Extra Charges<br /><br />Whether we want to believe it or not, it does cost an insurer to set up or cancel a policy, and to process your claims. As businesses, they will attempt to recoup the costs from the customer, probably in the form of cancellation fees or charges for amending your policy. If the premium is very low these charges may be higher to compensate. Some cancellation fees are even levied within the mandatory 14 day cooling off period, so be aware of what you're letting yourself in for.<br /><br />Sadly the process of renewing your insurance remains a long, drawn out process and even higher premiums may not include everything so it's worth devising a checklist to use when you shop. Go in armed with your own questions and reduce your chances of unpleasant surprises later in the year. <br />smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857010188632620603.post-23939483855589082612012-08-18T07:30:00.002-07:002012-08-18T07:31:14.323-07:00Tesco Car Insurance Find Internet Only Value PoliciesTesco car insurance has some special online Internet only "value" plans that might save you some money. So if you are looking for cheap car insurance check out Tesco and see what they can offer you.<br /><br /><br />Tesco: Love them or hate them there's no denying their reach across Britain. Their outlets have become a one stop shop for everything from a tin of beans to the latest smartphone. In recent years Tesco has even branched out into financial services, including car insurance.<br /><br />The one thing Tesco's plans does well is keep costs down, especially if you're a regular shopper at their stores. Like the rest of their products, you can get a discount on Tesco's insurance policies by having a Clubcard. Tesco also counts one point on the card for ever £2 on insurance premiums. <br /><br /><br />Tesco claims Clubcard vouchers can be used to "pay" premiums, but this is a bit of a misnomer. Premiums must be paid in full with cash but Clubcard points can be applied to the balance to be refunded after payment. For example, if you have a £200 premium you can send in £200 and 5,000 points. Once this payment has been received you will receive a £50 credit. Tesco also discounts policies based on total premium cost up to 15% for card holders. For some drivers these discounts make the insurance far cheaper than other options.<br /><br />Tesco Car Insurance Coverage<br /><br />Basic liability and van coverage are similar to what you'll find with other companies. They also have an Internet-only "value" comprehensive insurance that lowers premium costs by raising excess payments. Extras like a courtesy car can be added to any of these plans at an extra cost, letting buyers pick which features they think they'll need. Additional discounts can be had by covering specific drivers instead of anyone who might drive the car.<br /><br />Like Tesco Bank, Tesco insurance began as part of a partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Currently, policies are underwritten by UK Insurance Limited, a subsidiary of RBS. Overall policy owners report more problems with Tesco-branded coverage than RBS's own offerings. Call centres are based in Britain, but claim processing can be hit or miss. However, this may soon change.<br /> <br />smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305901259246223158noreply@blogger.com0