The Dbottino Weblog

Perhaps the greatest single problem that people have today is “time poverty.” Working people have too much to do and too little time. Most people feel overwhelmed with responsibilities and activities, and the harder they work, the further behind they fall. This sense of being on a never-ending treadmill can cause you to fall into the “reactive/responsive” mode of living. That is, instead of clearly deciding what you want to do, you continually react to what is happening around you. Pretty soon, you lose all sense of control. You feel that your life is running you, rather than that you are running your life.

On a regular basis, take stock of yourself and what you are doing. You have to stop the clock and do some serious thinking about who you are and where you are going. You have to evaluate your activities in the light of what is really important to you. You must master your time instead of becoming a slave to the constant flow of events and demands on your time. And you must organize your life to achieve balance, harmony, and inner peace.

Sociologist Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard University wrote a book titled The Unheavenly City, in which he described one of the most profound studies on success and priority setting ever conducted.

Banfield’s goal was to find out how and why some people became financially independent during the course of their working lifetime and others did not. He started off convinced that the answer to the question would be influential contacts or some other concrete factor. What he finally discovered was that the major reason for success in life was a particular attitude of mind.

Banfield called this attitude “long time perspective.” He said that men and women who were the most successful in life and the most likely to move up economically were those who took the future into consideration with every decision they made in the present. He found that the longer the period of time a person took into consideration while planning and acting, the more likely it was that he or she would achieve greatness during his or her career.

The key to success in setting priorities is having a long time perspective. You can tell how important something is today by measuring its potential future impact on your life.

Economists say the inability to delay gratification – that is, the natural tendency of individuals to spend everything they earn plus a little bit more, and the mindset of doing what is fun, easy, or enjoyable right now – is the primary cause of economic and personal failure in life. On the other hand, disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, selfesteem, and personal satisfaction.

So setting priorities begins with deciding what you want most in life and then organizing your time and activities so everything you do is the most valuable use of your time in achieving those objectives.

With your larger long-term priorities in order, you can much more easily decide upon your short-term priorities.

The process of setting short-term priorities begins with a pad of paper and a pen. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by too many things to do and too little time in which to do them, sit down, take a deep breath, and list all those tasks you need to accomplish. Although there is never enough time to do everything, there is always enough time to do the most important things, and to stay with them until they are done right.

Peter Drucker once said, “Efficiency is doing things right, but effectiveness is doing the right things.” And this requires thought.

Once you have listed your tasks, ask yourself this question: “If I were to be called out of town for a month, and I could finish only one thing on this list, which one thing would it be?” Think it through and circle that one item on your list. Then ask yourself: “If I could do only one more thing before I was called out of town for a month, what would it be?” This is the second thing you circle on your list.

Perform this exercise five or six times until you have sorted out the highest priorities on your list. Then number each priority according to its importance. With these priorities, you are now ready to begin working toward the achievement of your major goals.

Once you can clearly see the one or two things that you should be doing, above all others, just say no to all diversions and distractions and focus single-mindedly on accomplishing those priorities.

Much stress that people experience in their work lives comes from working on low-priority tasks. The amazing thing is that as soon as you start working on your highest-level activity, all your stress disappears. You begin to feel a continuous stream of energy and enthusiasm. As you work toward the completion of something that is really important, you feel an increased sense of personal value and inner satisfaction. You experience a sensation of self-mastery and self-control. You feel calm, confident, and capable.

Here are six ideas that you can use, every day, to help you set priorities and keep you working at your best:

1. Take the time to be clear about your goals or objectives so that the priorities you set are moving you in the direction of something of value to you. Remember that many people scramble frantically to climb the ladder of success, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong building.

2. Develop a long time perspective and work on those things in the present that can have the greatest positive impact on your future. Maintain your balance in life by setting priorities in the areas of your health, your personal relationships, and your financial goals.

3. Make the commitment to improve those aspects of your life that are most important to you. If you’re in sales, learn how to be an excellent salesperson. If you’re a parent, learn how to be an outstanding mother or father. The power is always on the side of the person with the best practical knowledge.

4. Be sure to take the time to do your work right the first time. The fewer mistakes you make, the less time you will waste going back and doing it over.

5. Remember, what counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall; rather it’s the amount of time that you spend working on high-priority tasks. You will always be paid for the results that you obtain, not merely the hours that you spend on the job.

6. Understand that the most important factor in setting priorities is your ability to make wise choices. You are always free to choose to engage in one activity or another, but once you have chosen, you must accept the consequences of your choice.

Resolve today to set clear priorities in every area of your life, and always choose the activities that will assure you the greatest health, happiness, and prosperity in the long term. The long term comes soon enough, and every sacrifice that you make today will be rewarded with compound interest in the great future that lies ahead for you.

In order to get your personal time under control, you must decide very clearly on your priorities, but at the same time you must also establish “posteriorities” as well. Just as priorities are things that you do more of sooner, “posteriorities” are the things that you do less of. It is just as important to know what to focus on as it is to know what not to focus on.

Some think that time management is only a business tool, like a calculator or cellular phone. It is something that you use so that you can get more done in a shorter period of time. In reality, it is not a peripheral activity or skill. It is a core skill upon which everything else in life depends.

The fact is, your calendar is full. You have no spare time. Every moment is extremely valuable. Therefore, to do anything new, you will have to stop doing something old. In order to get into something, you will have to get out of something else. In order to pick up something, you will have to put something down. Before you make any new commitment of your time, you must firmly decide what activities you are going to discontinue.

Time is your most precious resource. It is the most valuable thing you have. It is perishable, it is irreplaceable, and it cannot be saved. It can only be reallocated from activities of lower value to activities of higher value. The very act of taking a moment to think about your time before you spend it will begin to improve your personal time management immediately.

Personal time management and proper prioritization enables you to choose what to do first, what to do second, and what not to do at all. It enables you to organize every aspect of your life so that you can get the greatest joy, happiness, and satisfaction out of everything that you do.

Brian Tracy is one of the world’s leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness, and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area.

Brian Tracy’s audio programs are available at Nightingale Conant — title include: Psychology of Achievement, The Ultimate Goals Program, The Power of Clarity, The Psychology of Selling and other Other audio books available at Nightingale Conant include authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Zig Ziglar, Deepak Chopra and many, many more.

Definition of Premature Ejaculation:

Most men have experienced the problem of premature ejaculation at some time in their life. Premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual problems. Premature ejaculation is explained as a condition where in a person is unable to delay ejaculation to a point when it is mutually desirable for both the partners. That means ejaculation occurs before a man wants it to happen. Some men ejaculate during foreplay while some do so at the very entry itself.

But few men feel that 5 or 10 minutes time to have orgasm is not enough and they feel that this is also premature ejaculation. This suggests premature ejaculation is most likely psychological in origin than physiological. The exact cause of premature ejaculation is still unknown.

Ayurveda has said Kshiprumunchati Shukram……. this means the person will have Premature ejaculation when vata in his body aggravates and leads to a very quick ejaculation of shukra (semen).

The probable causes for premature ejaculation:

• Anxiety during the first experience of sex. Some men will develop
a longer-term anxiety toward sex, which can cause a prolonged experience
with premature ejaculation.

• A long period of abstinence from sex.

• Younger men tend to ejaculate more quickly than older men, as
experience seems to be associated with ejaculatory control.

• Depression or anxiety about poor sexual performance

• Anxiety due to anticipation of Rejection by partner.

• Anticipation of failure to satisfy his partner

• Anticipation of pain

• Adverse experiences with sex in childhood

• Religious beliefs

• Financial burdens

• Job stress

• Relationship problems

• Side effects of some prescription drugs

Apart from psychological causes some physiological causes like inflammation of prostate gland or spinal chord problems may cause premature ejaculation.

According to ayurveda when vayu gets vitiated it causes premature ejaculation. The following causes vitiates vata

• Consuming stale, spicy, cold and junk food (Men who are away from
home on business mostly consume this sort of food )

• staying up for long hours at night .

• long gap between meals

• Controlling natural urges (this happens during long corporate
meetings)

• Physical and mental exertion.

• Under nourishment due to worries and grief

• Sitting for long hours in uncomfortable chairs.

• Traveling at high speeds.

Prevention:

• Seek psychotherapy to maintain a healthy attitude towards sex.

• Do not blame yourself for premature ejaculation. Anybody can
experience premature ejaculation.

• Speak openly with your partners to avoid misunderstanding and
miscommunication.

• Use some relaxation techniques to reduce stress.

• Have full knowledge about sex

• Try to minimize the above said causative factors.

Simple Remedies

Many techniques are used to control premature ejaculation. “The squeeze technique” is popular and effective amongst all. Squeeze technique is a behavioral therapy. If a man senses that he is about to experience premature ejaculation, he interrupts sexual relations. Then the man or his partner squeezes the shaft of his penis between a thumb and two fingers applying gentle pressure just below the head of the penis for 20 seconds. And then sexual relations can be resumed. The technique can be repeated as often as necessary. When this technique is successful, it enables the man to learn to delay ejaculation with the squeeze, and eventually, to gain control over ejaculation without the squeeze.

The Masters & Johnson method:

• The best way to combat premature ejaculation is by learning to
control the sensations prior to orgasm. This method takes time and
practice, but it is very effective.

• First you need to bring yourself close to orgasm (this can be
done via masturbation, without the involvement of your partner) and then
stop and relax before recommencing. Each time you need to bring yourself
closer to orgasm until finally you cannot control it. If you do this
often enough, you will learn where your point of climax is. This is
helpful when interacting with your partner.

• You will need to practice reaching your climax point with your
partner by engaging in non-penetrative sex so that when you feel it is
near, you signal them to stop and you allow your erection to subside.
This also needs to be repeated so that you and your partner are familiar
with the procedure.

• Once you feel you are ready for intercourse, it is best to start
by lying on your back so that you can guide your partner during
penetration. When you are near orgasm, give your partner a signal to stop
and you should relax and start again. Once you get the hang of it (it may
take several weeks or months), premature ejaculation shouldn’t be too
much of a problem.

• A variant of this method involves the partner squeezing the tip
of the penis just before orgasm (“squeeze technique”). This pushes blood
out of the penis and reduces the erection.

This article is copy righted. The author Dr.Krishna.R.S is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of

http://www.ayurveda-increaselibido.com

Dr. Krishna.R.S has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 19 yrs , after getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1986 from University of Mysore, India. He completed his post graduation diploma about allopathic medicine and surgery from University of Bangalore, Karnataka, India.His articles about ayurveda and life sciences have been published in many magzines.

Dr.Krishna. R.S is a star athlete and has represented state and universities when he was in high school, pre university and college.

Dr.Krishna . R.S lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. He gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore the silicon valley of India.

Ph:91-0821-2451405
Mob: 9448433911
Email : drkrishnars@ayurveda-increaselibido.com

http://www.ayurveda-increaselibido.com

A former colleague at a major stock brokerage firm always confused “fiscal” with “physical”. On June 30th, he would talk about the close of the “physical year”. Just a mental block for an intelligent man. Fiscal year-end differs for corporations with most ending June 30th while others use December 31st. Fiscal is fancy jargon for “show me the money”.

Measurements connotes appearances men notice. Year-end fiscal measurements get the attention of both genders. A friend reminds me, “You cannot track what you do not measure”. Many market watchers measure the stock markets performance by tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average. So, just what is the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average

When Charles Dow, a journalist, devised his index for securities, most investors were bond buyers. Bonds provided predictable ownership with specific interest payment (coupon) and a promised return of your money (principle) on a specific date (maturity). Only a few investors wanted stocks; for most, stocks were too risky.

Think you have trouble following stock prices? In 1884, investors read charts with prices up 1/4 point, down 1/8th point. All seemed rather perplexing (frankly, it is not much different today with newspapers printing decimal stock-closing prices.

On July 3 1884, Charles Dow published an average of leading American stocks to make it easier for investors. Railroad stocks and Western Union (for obvious reasons) were on the list. Railroads were the backbone of emerging economic forces tracked in the U.S. economy.

* Some recognized names: New York Central

* Union Pacific

* Chicago & North Western

As time progressed, the list changed, and still changes. Theoretically, the Dow Jones Industrial Average represents a wide range of industry in the United States. The Dow no longer includes railroads or utilities; they are separate averages. The Transportation and Utility Averages are proxies or “leading indicators” for the economy. One tells us about the movement of product; the other the energy used to produce it.

Today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is a list of 30 stocks. When an index has a few stocks, the price of a few impacts the average. This often skews index pricing. For example during 2005, General Motors stock (GM) stalled and sputtered.

* GM 2005 performance Stock price January 3, 2005: $40.30

* Stock price December 30, 2005: $19.42

* Stock price loss percentage: 48%

* Current Dividend: $2.00

* Year-end Yield: 10.30% (this is called a “yield rally”)

The Wilshire 5000 Average

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gets the recognition, but the Wilshire 5000 tells you more. For some reason, news stations will not give the Wilshire 5000 averages. It is reported here: http://ethosadvisory.com/articles/index.php?id=291

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts Ethos Advisory Services. He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for http://www.ethosadvisory.com Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at http://www.echievements.com Echievements.com. Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may call Ray (617-275-5565).

In theory you could create a retail web site with a limitless selection; an online store where every kind of merchandise known to man could be sold. Would people be interested in buying from such a huge enterprise?

Why do people buy online?

Location: You can shop online from almost anywhere as long as you have access to a power supply and a telephone connection. You can shop in the comfort of your own home or you can shop in your office. You can even shop while on the move, if you have a laptop connected to a mobile telephone.

Convenience: You can visit a web site almost whenever you want, you can browse through it at your own pace and you can make a purchase at any time of day or night. The internet makes it possible to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Information: The internet makes limitless amounts of product information available to the online shopper. You can access product specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all manner of other information with just a few clicks. You no longer have to wait for a brochure or a catalogue to come to you.

How do people shop online?

What are the factors that determine the buying decision?

Just like in the real world where shops are built of bricks and mortar, the online store needs to welcome the shopper and make them feel comfortable and safe.

Once a shopper arrives at your web site they need a little time and space to familiarise themselves before being bombarded with information or choices. If you put too much information on your home page then the average shopper will miss a large proportion of your content. Likewise, if you present too many choices you will overwhelm the shopper and it is very likely that they will leave straight away.

The purpose of your home page should be to simply tell the shopper where they are and to ensure that the general layout of your online store is easy to understand. Your customers need to know if they are in a vast warehouse or a small boutique! They need to know where the entrances to each department or section are located; their question is often quite simple how do I find what I’m looking for?

Your web site should be attractively designed, with enough white space to make your content readable. You should choose a web friendly font in a size that is large enough to be read on an average monitor.

Navigation is critical. Your web site’s navigation should be obvious; it should be laid out in a simple and logical way. Your customer should be able to navigate within your web site by using the navigation buttons and links that you provide without having to use the browser back button. Shoppers should be able to navigate inside your web site without leaving.

Consider how you could make the online shopping experience fun and interesting. The technology is now available to provide live customer support; you can now guide and advice shoppers as they browse your online store. You can add sound to welcome people to your store or to add an audio description to your products. You can demonstrate your products in action using video technology.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many web sites simply don’t work. Broken links, missing images, badly installed scripts. Payment processing that is incorrectly configured; too many clicks to get from the product to the checkout; forms that require too much mandatory information. The list of problems is endless.

Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:

1. Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for with a minimum number of clicks.

2. Provide accurate and full product descriptions. Ensure that your images are of good quality and that they show your product in the best possible light.

3. Make sure that your products are competitively priced and that you clearly state the total cost of purchase including taxes and shipping costs where appropriate.

4. Make it easy for your customer to complete their order and to process their payment. Provide payment options where possible. Ensure that your payment process is secure.

5. Be responsive with your support. Shoppers are looking for a speedy answer. If you don’t provide it, then your competitors will. Provide online help or an Autoresponder. Keep your promises.

6. Deliver your product on time and meet, or exceed, your customer’s expectations. If you demonstrate a reliable and quality product delivery you will get repeat business.

7. Follow up. If there is going to be a delay, let your customer know. Don’t just make the sale and then ignore your customer, keep in touch with a polite follow up message or special offer.

There are a number of very important factors missing from the online shopping experience. People can’t smell the freshness or the perfume of your product. People can’t touch your product and they can’t feel the quality or the texture. You must compensate for these gaps by making the online shopping experience for your customers the best it can be.

It is vital that you test and track your visitors’ behaviour and try to improve the experience through careful analysis of your testing and tracking results. You have visitors arriving. Now is the time to take action!

Copyright 2004 John Taylor

About The Author

John Taylor is the author of Testing & Tracking an eBook that contains a wealth of information on professional testing and tracking techniques. To learn how testing and tracking can boost your profits click now: http://www.test-and-track.com

Finance sounds like a heavy term. It seems to be a thing only for big businessmen or imposing tycoons. This sounds to be not much of a bother to the ordinary person.

If this is the attitude, then it is time to change it. One must see finance in a different light and make things work in a different level.

What Is Finance?

Finance can be defined in many ways. Broadly, however, finance pertains to money and to the many ways it can be managed and controlled. This is the necessary money to support an endeavor or to further pursue a profitable venture.

Thus, taking on this definition, finance is a concern for everybody. It is not about big businesses only.

Why Is Finance Important?

Finance is crucial in any household and to any individual that has a future to look forward to. Here are the many ways by which finance will be significant:

•Security
Security is important. This will ensure that no matter what happens, there is some ground to depend on still.

Proper financing can make the household secure from any undesirable possibilities. Like when somebody loses a job, proper allocation of the money beforehand should ensure enough cash to get by while the times are rough.

•Growth
Finance also plays a big role in the advancement of any endeavor. For example, a small business can grow larger if the owner knows how to control the money that comes in for a bigger enterprise.

It is not enough to settle with just getting by in everyday. There must be some growth in the pool of wealth and resources that the household depends on. With this, success is a big possibility.

•Protection
Good management of the monetary resources should also include the protection. This is a big necessity, especially for those who managed to propagate their resources.

•Stability
Good financing also helps in giving the individual or the household a stable future. This means that it a happy retirement can be expected.

There are no debts or obligations to worry over. There are no suits or liabilities to watch out for. The future promises just the plain enjoyment of the fruits of your labor.

Proper Financing

There are many ways to implement a successful financing scheme. It, however, depends on the circumstances of the person and of the situation.

Here is a list of some general guidelines to take care of the finances:

1. Live within the means of the household. Do not spend too much on the unnecessary. Bank on a future first before indulging.

2. Save money. Always keep a portion of the resources for savings purposes. In the long run, this will provide a bigger pool of wealth for the household.

3. Avoid loans or credit cards as much as possible. There are some schemes that promise good offers on loans. However, if not entirely needed, stay away from this. This may only turn into a liability later on.

4. Always think of improving the current situation. This is a must to move up the ladder to success.

5. Study carefully the options. You may have the right vision, but you have to take the right steps towards that. This is also a good way to avoid wasting money and effort on fruitless agenda.

Conclusion

Finance is a matter that concerns everybody. Take it seriously.

All rights reserved. Content may be reprinted if it remains unchanged and links remain intact.

Jay is the webmaster of a website with information on learning all about finance. And if your looking for a timeshare he can help with that too!.

The Phoenix Suns are playing tonight and that means I will be loading up with both hands when I bet on the Dallas Mavericks to extract some serious payback on the Steve Nash led Arizona boys. I’ve lost count on how much Phoenix has removed from my savings account as they mowed down first the Lakers, then the Clippers and now the Mavs in game 1!

If I was smart and we all know I’m not I would not have taken a peek at the morning line which shows Dallas as being a very heavy -7 favorite in tonight’s tilt at the America Airlines building.

Dallas was strolling along with a large lead in game one when Phoenix came storming back behind Nash who finished with 27 points and 16 assists against his former team, finding his shooting range after struggling from the perimeter against the Los Angeles Clippers in the semifinals. He went 11-of-18 from the field and hit a pair of 3-pointers during the pivotal fourth-quarter run.

Unfortunately the injury bug has hit the Suns as midway through the fourth quarter G Raja Bell went down with what later was diagnosed as a left calf strain. Bell started hobbling after releasing a jumper and was on the floor for a pair of possessions before the Suns called timeout. He had to be helped off the court by teammates. Shortly thereafter, F Shawn Marion came up limping with a sprained left ankle. He remained in the game but had to be carted to an X-ray room afterward. It is the same ankle he injured in the conference semifinals vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bell’s injury is now a torn calf muscle and he is gone for a while, but look for Marion to gut it out, while Dallas will lose talented Josh Howard with an ankle injury.

The Mavericks win tonight by 20!

Online Sports Betting

Bob Acton is an experienced sports writer and handicapper, who has written for the sports industry for over 10 years. His years of writing for Sports Scene, sports consulting on 33 Made for Television and Major Motion Pictures and his work as an instructor at Pro Teach Baseball Academy, have made Bob a trusted and respected source in the sports world.

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, “Oh, you do Mystery Shopping; I always wanted to do that!” I think most people do find the thought of posing as a customer and reporting back on how they were treated, rather intriguing. But there is a lot more to it that skulking around in a trench coat and spy glass!

I believe most companies have taken the plunge and decided that it really is important to conduct frequent “mystery or secret shops” of their businesses. The question remains, do they do anything constructive with the information or is it used as a disciplinary tool?

Before you start having people snoop around your company, consider the following clues that will help guarantee a successful program.

1. What’s the Value in a Mystery Shopper Program?

a. The most important reason for conducting a mystery shop, is to see your business through the eyes of your customer. Not only should you consider mystery shops, but using focus groups on a quarterly basis that are made up of some of your actual customers. Both sources will provide you with excellent feedback that you can start to focus on.

b. Second, a well-thought out mystery shopper program will allow you to evaluate the accuracy of your training program. If your employees are taught in their training program that they must greet the customer in a certain way, the “shop” will show the results. It is also a way to hold employees accountable for what they learned in training. If you train them you can test them!

c. Third, it helps a company to truly focus on the areas that need improving, based on the customer’s reactions. Too often management believes that there needs to be changes in one area and the customer feedback shows that the focus needs to be elsewhere in order to keep them as a loyal customer. Management may think that tightly merchandising their floor space is giving the customer the selection they want, and it turns out that the customer says it is too cramped to shop comfortably.

2. Should I do a Mystery Shop Without the Employees Knowing?

a. Pop Quiz! How many of us read those words and remember a grumpy teacher walking in the classroom to a group of rowdy kids, slamming her book on the desk and bellowing, “Ok, take out a sheet of paper we’re going to have a pop quiz.,” Panic just struck your soul! The same thing happens with employees. In addition you have just thrown any trust you have built with your employee’s right out the window. If you want to build a team, let the players know the game plan!

b. Explain to your employees why you are planning a mystery shop. Explain in a positive way that it is part of the “on going” training program of the company and that the best way to improve business is to find out what the customer really wants. Explain also, that it is a way to hold the employees responsible for the information they were provided in any and all of their training programs. Employees are far less likely to be upset with the results of what they were tested on if they had sufficient time to “study”!

c. Your employees are part of your team. Give them the tools to be successful everyday and they will jump through every hoop you provide. It reminds me of a time my son was on a soccer team. He was five years old and this was a perfect sport to expend that energy that all five year olds seem to have pent up inside. I remember one Saturday game the coach was trying to remind the boys about the drills they had learned at practice. Game time for this age group is what I call, “like herding cats”! The boys were so excited they couldn’t wait to get on that field and show the coach what they had learned. All of a sudden one of the little boys got the soccer ball and was moving the ball down field as fast as he could. The parents were screaming, the coach was jumping up and down and his teammates were following in hot pursuit! As the little boy kicked the goal everyone went crazy! The little boys face just beamed as he came to the sidelines!
But the coach didn’t have that same delight on his face! The coach said, “You kicked the ball into the other team’s goal!!!!” Agggh!!! But the little boy snapped back as any five year old would, “You never told me which way the goal was”!

How many times have we forgotten to tell our team which way the goal is!

3. Where Do I Start?

a. Slow down and think, is my answer. First, think about the information you really want to obtain from these reports and what are you going to do with it. The questions you want to ask are one of the most important parts of the program. The best place to obtain the questions is to go back to the training material. Remember what I said earlier, if you train them you can test them.

You probably have, what I call, non-negotiable questions that you can begin with. Those are the things you teach employees that must be done, no matter what. If you want to attach points to the questions, then you can give more points to the questions that you want your employees to be the best at. Let’s say answering the phone in a certain way is mandatory. If they know that, and they are held responsible for doing that, then you should have it on the questionnaire and you can feel confident about attaching a higher number of points to it.

In most companies, there are three or four areas that they like to have the shoppers give feedback on. The first area is usually the facility. Was the location easy to find? Was the entrance neat and clean? Did I feel safe parking after dark? Was the interior of the location attractive? Was it easy for me to find what I was looking for? The next area usually covered is the inventory or merchandising of the store. Was the signing helpful? Was the business in stock on what I needed? Was it easy for me to shop? The last one is usually the area of service. How was I greeted? Was the employee easy to find? Was the employee knowledgeable? Did the employee make me feel special? Again, these questions can be as many or as few as you think is important to get the feedback that you need.

b. The next step is to hire the shoppers. This can make or break your program. Too often companies think they are saving money by hiring friends and family. I suggest that you hire people you don’t know. You are looking for unbiased feedback and the best way is to hire the right people for it. I recommend going to the Mystery Shopper Provider Association website for the listing of good companies to use http://www.mysteryshop.org.

You can hire a company to coordinate your entire shopper program, or you may try doing it yourself if you have a small company and want to try it first on your own. If you are choosing to find shoppers on your own to use your own materials, then I suggest http://www.shadowshopper.com. They have a massive database and it can be accessed by zip code. I will suggest, however, that you use the same techniques you use when hiring any employee. Call the potential shopper and interview them extensively just as if you were hiring a person to work for your company on a full or part time basis. You will get a good feel over the phone about their communication and grammar skills that I feel is so important in providing a company the proper feedback.

c. Lastly, I am always asked, “How often should I do a “shop” and how much should I expect to pay?” I believe consistency is key. If you are looking at saving money you can always choose to do your shops, randomly. Pay is usually based on the length of time it takes the shopper to do the “shop” from the time they leave their house until they get back. Pay can range from $25 per shop on up.

So depending on budget and whether you choose to do them weekly, monthly or randomly, make them a pivotal part of an on-going training program and do not do it for less than one year. That may translate into 12 shops to 365 shops, but either way you must ask yourself how much information would you like to have and how important could this be to your day to day business. We all know what happens when we say we are going to lose weight or exercise more or get organized, it is failure in the making if we are not dedicated to being consistent.

4. How Do I Give The Bad News?

a. The problem with mystery shopper programs is that they get a very bad rap from those employees who have been shopped because the results have been used as punishment.
I tell clients that this program is not a “stick”! It is not meant to create fear in the minds of your employees. If that is your goal, you better re-think your management style.

a. Praise first! Go through the report before you bring your employee in. Make sure you are well-versed in at least 3-5 things they are doing well. Praise them for those things and remind them to continue the good work.

b. Corrections second. Make note of no more than 3 areas they can improve in. Negative comments do not motivate as well as comments such as, “Well the mystery shopper found what I always have known, you sit behind the desk the whole time I’m gone”. Use the word “we” in your conversation with your employee, such as “We have seen through our reports that we all need to be working at making better eye contact with our customers. We need to make that a top priority this week. I know I can count on you and everyone else to focus on that.”

c. Don’t use the mystery shopper to do your human resources work! It is not the job of the mystery shopper to deliver the information that is necessary for you to let the employee go. In fact, it is probably not legal! Besides, it is a sign of a weak manager that can not deliver constructive criticism!

A mystery shopper program takes time to create a well run program that provides the feedback that can be used to further the performance of the company. It is not just about the actual “shopping” it is about the entire program and how the information is used.

By using this tool you will see that providing what your customers say is important to retaining their business shouldn’t be a “mystery”!

Anne M. Obarski is “The Customer Service Spy!” As a professional speaker and trainer, Anne will work with your company to provide you with the clues to keep your customers coming back. Anne presents keynotes, break-out sessions and customized training, nationwide, in the area of customer service. You’ll want her two new books, “Surprising Secrets of Mystery Shoppers” and “Real World Customer Service Strategies That Work”. For more info go to: http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com or email Anne at anne@merchandiseconcepts.com

For high resolution photo of Anne, please visit http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com/annephoto.html

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art, where placement of objects in a room depends on the movement of chi or natural energy of our environment. Based on the patterns of nature, a Feng shui master will tell us where to place every individual object in our home or workplace. A master will also provide advice on how a building should be positioned on a property. Feng Shui shows us how to support the flow of energy in our lives for better health and prosperity.

The best location for a bedroom, according to Feng Shui is in the rear of the home. This is where it is said that all “restful” energy lies. In order to preserve this energy the bedroom should have only one door connecting it to the rest of the house. It is best that the bedroom is not located over a garage. If it is, to preserve a restful sleep, one must use heavy solid objects on the floor or hang a mirror on the garage ceiling so that it will reflect the image of the car away from the bedroom. If a kitchen is located over the bedroom, place a mirror on the ceiling of the bedroom reflecting downward, sealing off the bustling activities occurring in the kitchen.

There should always be a door connecting the bedroom and the bathroom, and the door should always be kept closed. Feng Shui recommends not having a television in the bedroom as it causes less interactions between couples. If one is present, it should be covered when not in use. A work station in the bedroom is also discouraged as is exercise equipments because these release opposite energies than that of restful energy.

Mirrors in a bedroom can be a problem as they are said to reflect one’s negative energy when one is sleeping, thereby causing nightmares. This principle applies to any object that reflects like paintings, computer screens or metal surfaces.

Feng Shui recommends that a person sleep with legs facing away from the door because such a position is referred to as the “coffin” position. Colors in the bedroom should be subtle, as should the colors of bedroom furniture. Clean up clutter in the bedroom including closets for good energy.

Bedrooms are rooms to go to for peace and relaxation. To distract negative energy Feng Shui encourages a good circulation of natural energy and plenty of fresh air.

Bedrooms provides detailed information about bedrooms, bedroom furniture, bedroom sets, bedroom accessories, and more. Bedrooms is the sister site of Carpet Cleaning Machines.

You have your site into the search engines, but where are all the visitors? As a webmaster or site owner, you have probably received the email ads or seen advertisements of “guaranteed search engine rankings and more visitors” and so on. It sounds really good, until you see the price tag, and the rest of this article. Are there other forms of advertising and better ways to get traffic?

Good search engines can do a variety of things for a variety of people. They provide ease when the user is trying to find something online. Without search engines, the internet would not be the same. It would be much more complicated. Now, with all the hype about search engines and the visitors they can bring, “Is it possible?”

First off, any program offering a guaranteed ranking is a scam. Google’s search results are based upon PageRank and relevancy. It is an automated process. Google does not have the thousands of people needed to manually set a site’s ranking for each individual keyword. Let’s examine the term “ranking.” You site will have a many “rankings.” It will have a different ranking for every keyword in the site. For instance, if a user searches “dog tricks,” your site may come up at number seventeen. If you also offer webmaster tools and a user searches “adopting a puppy,” your site could show up as the four-hundredth site in Google’s list. How can an optimization company guarantee a certain ranking? They can not! They can guarantee a ranking (every site has a ranking), what that ranking is, no one can tell. Sure, rankings do affect how many visitors you will get through search engines, but the safest way to get those visitors is to offer something unique, have a variety of good content, and use search engine friendly URLs. Do not be fooled by those scams and fake promises. That leads us to the solution, how you can get visitors through search engines.

To get results with search engines, there are three things you must have. The first is good content. If a website is filled with a bunch of banner ads and links, it will not have a good ranking. A website needs “meat.” It needs content and a focus. Your website can cover a general topic like “Computers and Internet” (I wouldn’t recommend it) but do not try to cover everything on the planet like About.com. Second, your site needs incoming links. These links are not one’s you exchange with other companies. Exchanging links can even be harmful. Engine’s spiders can now detect those and they have next to no relevancy. If a visitor likes you site, they could add a link to you on their site or tell their friend. Another way to gain links is submitting content, which is explained later in the article. Third, make clear what your website is about. Use your keywords (words that tell a user what your site is about) throughout your page. Although some search engines are moving away from Meta tags, you will still want to use them. Choose a descriptive title and write a good description. The keywords aren’t so important provided you use them in the content of your site.

If your site can not seem to get a high search engine ranking and you want visitors then you have two options. First, a site owner can choose to pay for visitors through something such as a Pay-Per-Click program, like Google’s AdWords. This is the safest way to go because it is guaranteed visitors through a trusted company, but it will cost you. It will cost a couple cents a click which will add up in the long run. If you choose this type of campaign, make sure you have signed up with a quality and respected company which has many places to publish your ad, like Google or Yahoo. Pay-per-click campaigns are great if you have money, but if money is an issue settle for another form of advertising.

Despite popular speculation and what advertising companies want you to think, you do not have to pay to get visitors. However, not paying could take longer to gain visitors. I would call it “free advertising for a particular service.” Visitors can come through submissions to other sites. If you have a particular talent, like building websites or writing, you can get visitors. Let’s use a talent for website designing as an example. You can build website templates (a webpage that has a preset design, which a site owner just adds content too) and submit them to free template sites. These sites will display your product but along with it they will display your link. Many free template sites accept submissions and I have seen traffic jump dramatically in as little as two days. If you can write articles, you can submit them to E-zine (online magazines) directories where E-zine publishers look for articles to publish. There are hundreds of categories to write about and there is more than likely a category for everyone. The E-zine will publish the author info and your site’s URL which in itself is a free advertisement.

Follow these guidelines, and you are on your way to gaining high-quality visitors to the site you own.

About The Author- Jason Lutterloh is a web designer, author, webmaster, and graphic designer. You can visit his website at http://www.compjason.com.

Who would have thought that a small water garden could be anything but safe? However, a couple of measures of precaution can help ensure that your magical water garden stays safe for everyone, including your goldfish! Remember, that if your water garden is deep enough for goldfish or koi, then its more than deep enough to be dangerous for toddlers.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

Depth of Your Pond:

The ponds edges provide you an opportunity to increase safety around the water pond. Put a shelf or ledge around the sides of your pond that is at least 1 foot deep to provide an easier escape for a child that has fallen in. You may also want to consider placing boulders around the side, which will provide some added leverage for the child to pull themselves out.

Watch Your Children:

Just like you wouldnt let your children swim without a lifeguard or adult supervision, never leave young children unattended around your water garden pond. While the fish will provide enough curiosity, remember that same curiosity may tempt them to get too close to the edge to get a closer look, raising the risk of them falling in, hitting their heads on the edge of the pond, or even drown. A child can drown in less than 6inches of water.

Reduce The Slippage Factor

Just like your local pool takes preventative action (such as enforcing a no running rule), you can also take action to ensure pond safety. Consider using a slip resistant material to ensure that smooth edges around your water pond are not a hazzard. You may also want to look at creating railings along walk ways. Ask your local building authority on suggestions on how to lower the risk of someone slipping on the edge of your water garden.

Local Building Codes

During the planning stages of building your water pond, you should have contacted your municipal building authority to ensure that your plans abide by the local building codes. Do you have to build a fence around your water pond (ponds built with a certain depth require fences). How large of an area can your water garden pond be, and what other legal considerations should you make?

Safety is something that normally doesn’t immediately pop into your mind when building a water garden pond, however, it should. Its impossible to ensure that your water garden will be completely safe, however, will that be any consolation for your inaction if something were to happen? Plan ahead and you’ll ensure that your water garden is accessible and a joy for friends and family alike.

We can help you with your water garden ponds supply needs.