Archive for November, 2007

How to Use Personas to Connect with Your Target Audiences

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

By Nancy E. Schwartz Before your organization embarks on any communications planning or implementing a campaign, it’s vital to understand the needs and goals of your audiences, and their behavioral patterns. That’s the only way to connect your nonprofit’s goals (e.g., engaging advocates to contact their state senators on a green space protection issue or motivating registration for a new parenting training) with what’s important to your audiences. Personas can help. Traditionally, personas have been used for design of computer hardware and software, particularly web site usability. They are starting to be used for marketing and communications planning and I think they have a huge value in the nonprofit marketing arena: How Can Personas Help My Organization Connect with Our Target Audiences? Personas are hypothetical “stand ins” for your nonprofit’s actual audiences. They enable communications and development teams (and that includes planners, writers, designers and others) to stand in their audiences’ shoes. They focus the communications initiatives on supporting audience needs and interests. And you’ll find far greater success designing a communications plan or a program’s marketing message that meets the goals of a specific person, rather than trying to plan or write for the hazily-defined needs of many. Is Persona Just Another Word for Market Segment? No, but that’s a common objection you may here from the marketing traditionalists within your organization. Market segmentation is a great tool for identifying the groups of people you are trying to reach, and why. But market segmentation can’t shape your marketing messages or choice of strategies. Assume you know that 33% of women aged 25-40 are interested in supporting breast cancer research, and that messages and graphic design are key elements affecting their giving decisions. Well, that’s a good start. But personas add a great deal of richness. A persona might show that Miriam, aged 36, wants to give to breast cancer today but is concerned that she doesn’t know enough about how her money will be used if she gives to your nonprofit. She wants to be assured by information showing how contributions are used. How Do We Create Personas that Work? Although personas are fictional, they must be defined with rigor and exactness. Ideally they are based on some understanding of real audiences. It’s easiest to create accurate personas if your organization has some idea of demographics and, even better, data on habits and interests. When you base personas on audience research, you’ll ensure that the personas truly represent your audiences. Interviews of current and potential audiences are one of the best ways to gather qualitative information. Here’s a link to a recent case study on another approach to audience research:http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_feedback.html But remember that personas can’t stand-alone. Your organizational goals must guide the communications planning process. And frequently, it’s important to test messages or multiple versions of letters with your audiences. What Does a Persona Look Like? Here’s a sample persona checklist. The precise details you’ll want to include depend on your organization’s marketing and communications goals. Are you aiming to increase use of a new health care clinic, motivating volunteers for your mentoring program or build the number of visitors to your nature preserve? No matter your goals, here’s what you’ll want to include in your personas: A one to two page narrative profile, for each persona. A few fictional details about the persona’s life –an interest or a habit–that makes each person unique and memorable. When you start here, the hypothetical constructs spring to life. Brief outline of a daily work day or day at home (depends on who you are trying to reach), including specific details, likes and dislikes. Name, age, photo and personal information. Work environments if you’re trying to reach professionals, rather than individuals, including length of time in the job, professional development habits (if marketing services such as training for social workers on public benefits), information- seeking habits and favorite resources, personal and professional goals, colleagues with whom the persona works most closely, etc. Personal and professional goals. Sample Persona Nonprofit Communications Campaign on Community Fitness Context: A nonprofit is launching a new community fitness program and needs to promote it to community activists, politicians, and citizens, and to motivate their involvement. The staff needs to know what’s important to these audiences segments, so it can shape its messages, website (a centerpiece of the campaign), brochures and events accordingly. Challenge: This is the first time the organization is proactively communicating to motivate creation of fit communities. It will launch a new website as the centerpiece of this campaign, but doesn’t know how to design the site to most effectively educate its diverse audiences and motivate them to act. The communications team doesn’t really know where to start. Persona (short version): Introducing Frank Cummings, age 64 Frank, 64, owns his own home in a moderately-priced area of an industrial-based community in Ohio. He is married, and has two children who now live in neighboring states. Frank took an early-retirement option from the electrical contracting firm where he worked for 19 years. Now he spends a lot of his free time working on his home and yard, and walking in the neighborhood. One problem Frank has noticed as he walks is that the traffic speeds along his street (a connector between two arterial streets) are often well in excess of the 25MPH posted speed limit. Frank has made comments about the high speeds to his city council representative, who is, with Frank, a member of the local Lions Club. But the council-person, while sympathetic, hasn’t done anything other than to suggest that Frank should lodge a complaint with someone at the city, or the police. Meanwhile, the speeding cars continue, and Frank feels unsafe as he walks. Web use: Like many in his age group, Frank is a late-comer to computers and the Internet. He needed to learn to use a computer-based service mounted in his truck the last few years he was working, and struggled to keep up with the technology that seemed to come much easier to younger people in the firm. Frank purchased a computer primarily to use e-mail with his children, but he also has used several programs such as QuickBooks and tax-prep software. His connection to the Internet is through dial-up on the home’s single phone line. It’s slow, so Frank doesn’t do much Web surfing. Goals: - Slow down the traffic outside his house to increase walker and biker safety. - Make his neighborhood a more enjoyable place to live Application: Once the nonprofit got to know Frank, and his persona peers, they were able to shape messages and communications to connect with these individuals’ interests, habits and goals. As a result, they knew they were doing their best to maximize audience response. Readers, try crafting a set of personas today to shape or re-shape your nonprofit’s marketing and communications plan, service or product, or specific communications campaign. I think you’ll find it’s invaluable to get to know these folks. Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. Subscribe to her free e-newsletter “Getting Attention,” at http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_E._Schwartz http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Use-Personas-to-Connect-with-Your-Target-Audiences&id=301370 online pharmacy xanax ambien xanax order pharmacy xanax usa online prescription xanax no prescription needed

Should You Pre-pay for College?

Monday, November 26th, 2007

By Martin Lukac You can prepay for a college education, and save a little money too. The cost of education might seem high, but it is a necessary cost in today’s world. Those without college educations often face a hard time finding a job today. Jobs you would never think would require a college education, do. For example, there are many cowboy jobs — you know, riding a horse and doctoring cattle — that require you have an animal science or ag degree. Firefighters have four year degrees. At the least, many management positions, even in retail, require that you have an associate’s degree. College tuitions are just going up and up every year. Increases are necessary to keep the level of education and boarding up to standard. Education is not cheap and it costs a lot to produce it. You can choose to pay tomorrow’s college at today’s tuition, tax-free. Sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. With an Independent 529 plan, you aren’t simply working with a state-sponsored savings plan. Independent 529’s are offered by private colleges and universities. You simply deposit up to $165,000 into the plan. In return, you receive tuition vouchers good for use at any of the plan’s 255 participating schools and universities. You can use the vouchers between three and 30 years after purchase. The benefit is that the actual cost of tuition will probably be at least double what it is today when you redeem the vouchers. Think of it as locking-in today’s college tuition prices. Basically, you are pre-paying for an education. The drawback is that the vouchers must be used at participating schools. If your child or grandchild enrolls at a school not on the list, you can get a refund at the rate your money was invested. You can also roll the assets into a state-run 529 plan. State-sponsored 529 plans put your money into mutual funds or other investments that grow tax-free. You then can use the account to pay for any college tuition in the country. Tuitions vary by school, so you will have to rely on the plan to let you know how many classes you are owed by the plan. You are also limiting the growth of your money to the rate of tuition increases. While tuitions have reportedly risen by 6% a year, there is no guarantee that they will continue that rate. However, most people agree that college tuition rates will probably never go down. You are basically risk free from losing money here. Once you have saved for retirement, saving for your children’s college educations is important. Do this for them, and you give them a step onto the right path. Research both traditional and independent 529 plans. Decide which is right for your family and use it to your advantage. Start saving as early as you can. It is the perfect answer to “What does she need for her birthday?” After all, they are ready for college before you know it. Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Lukac http://EzineArticles.com/?Should-You-Pre-pay-for-College?&id=232342 order ultram online dream pharmaceutical online purchase tramadol tramadol with fedex and no prescription buy generic tramadol by mail

Face Painting Patterns

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

By Pauline Keogh We all need a little help when starting out, some guidance and handy tips from those who have had experience. Face painting, although fun, can be very daunting. We find that its sometimes difficult to create a design on a face from scratch, looking blankly without inspiration; similar to an artist staring at a blank canvas not knowing what to paint what face painting patterns to use. All you need is to be able to paint on a face confidently, and sometimes we need help or a guide to start us off. The answer is simple, similar to using a pattern to sew a dress; you can use face painting patterns to help paint a design. Using these face painting patterns as an exact copy or just as a base that you can add your own flare or style too. If you are planning to face paint at a party or fete, its a good idea to have your face painting patterns or designs that you are confident with. These patterns can be displayed using a drawing or a photo of a face you have already painted on. Face painting patterns can also be created by you. Once you have used others you may find a desire to create your own face painting design. To make a simple face painting pattern you must start with a face outline: To create a face, you need to draw lines to dissect the oval. This will enable you to know where to place your nose, eyes and mouth. -Draw an oval. -Draw a faint vertical line down the center of the oval, then another line horizontally across the center. (An oval with a cross through the middle) -Now draw two faint lines equally spaced, one above the center line and then another below. (One vertical line and three horizontals lines) -Nostrils placed just below the center line, eyebrows in the top line and the middle of the lips on the lower line. Now you have you template you can photocopy this or use tracing paper over the top to create your own face painting patterns. Some people like to have the outlines of the design and then creating the color and shading on the actual face, others like to experiment with color and variety of color with the same design. Perfecting the idea on paper first rather than getting someone to sit for hours while you paint, wipe and re-apply. Using a pattern on paper is also cost effective, since you can fit over 6 designs on one piece of paper, and only having to worry about the cost of crayons, pencils, pens, or acrylic paints, instead of your fabulous face paints. The only objective that can be said about creating face painting patterns is to have fun. Enjoy trying to create your own style, ideas and designs. Any form of art can be frustrating, but it also can be very rewarding when that one face painting patterns turns out exactly the way you imagine it only better. Pauline is a professional face painter, and co-author of The Comprehensive Guide to Face Painting — Which has 50 fantastic step-by-step photo face painting patterns/designs and all the info you need to become a professional face painter. You can also subscribe to her free face painting lessons! Copyright 2007 Pauline Keogh. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Keogh http://EzineArticles.com/?Face-Painting-Patterns&id=473093 card credit debt elimination program reduce credit card debt credit-debt-elimination-and-clean-hands-doctrine 2723card credit debt elimination3923 federal banking code debt elimination

Competitive Ballroom Dancing

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

By Shannon Martin Competitive Ballroom Dancing is a highly competitive sport that is a lot of fun and great for your fitness. There are competitions happening all over Australia almost every weekend with people from almost ever age group involved. Ballroom Dancing Competitions are held throughout Australia in capital cities and regional centers throughout the year. They are great spectacles of the skill that is involved with Ballroom Dancing. Dancers compete in three styles, over 5 grades in 6 different age groups. This means that whoever you are, no matter experienced you are, there is a competition for you. There are three different styles that couples compete in during Ballroom Dancing competitions, these are Modern Ballroom, Latin American and New Vogue. Latin is the most popular of these forms, especially with the younger couples and is the most fiercely competitive, with many couples only competing in this style. In the different styles there are 5 grades. You begin at level 1 and work your way through to level 5 by winning at different competitions, there is also an Open level where dancers from different levels compete against each other. There are also 6 different age levels for dancers, Juvenile, Junior, Youth, Adult, Masters 1 and Masters 2. All of this means that you are only competing against people of your own age and skill level, in the styles that you want. If you arent sure if competition is your thing, you can start off with individual events where you dance with a more experienced dancer in only one or two dances. Competitive Ballroom Dancers compete in high quality events and because of this they need to be fit and prepared for competitions. Dancers train almost every day and for several hours per session perfecting their routines and techniques, they also have several private lessons with their coaches during the week. A lot of work also goes into their outfits with a lot of time and money being spent of dresses, shoes and outfits as every dancer wants to look their best. If you are interested in going along or getting involved with competitions go along to your local studio and ask for some information or check out the Dancesport Australia website. There are Ballroom Dancing Competitions held throughout Australia and they are great spectacles, especially events such as the Queensland Open, South pacific Championships, World Super Stars at Jupiters on the Gold Coast and the Australian Championships held every year in Melbourne, there will be a competition for you no matter who you are or where you are from. Go along and have a look, you are sure to enjoy competitive Ballroom Dancing. This article is copyrighted. Please feel free to use it in its entirety including copyright information. Copyright 2006 Shannon Martin, http://www.ballroomdancingcentral.info/. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannon_Martin http://EzineArticles.com/?Competitive-Ballroom-Dancing&id=152831 buy phentermine no prescription required buy phentermine in california canadian pharmacy site phentermine ltxt com buy phentermine com

Ohio Bankruptcy Lawyers

Thursday, November 22nd, 2007

By Alison Cole Bankruptcy proceedings are legal proceedings that debtors are entitled to under federal law when they are unable to pay back their creditors. Once a bankruptcy filing is made, creditors must wait for the court to decide how their money will be returned. The declaration of bankruptcy absolves the bankrupt entity or individual from the legal obligation to repay most or all debt. The law does not require a person declaring bankruptcy to have a lawyer. However, bankruptcy filings are complicated, and it may be difficult to understand the type of bankruptcy that is most appropriate in a given situation. Certain types of bankruptcy also make assets vulnerable. Lawyers can help an individual understand the bankruptcy process. A lawyer may also be able to advise a client on whether consumer credit counseling may be a better alternative than a declaration of bankruptcy. Of the five types of bankruptcy proceedings, the most commonly employed are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, outstanding personal debts are discharged or eliminated, essentially giving the debtor a fresh financial start. However, certain types of debts cannot be discharged, and property may not be exempt from being sold, with the proceeds distributed to creditors. Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings involve a repayment plan for outstanding debts over three to five years. Friends or family members may be able to recommend a good bankruptcy lawyer. Ohio state and local bar associations can also provide contact information for lawyers who specialize in bankruptcy law. It can be expensive to hire a bankruptcy lawyer, particularly at a time when an individual may be undergoing considerable financial hardship. The Ohio State Legal Services Association partners with private lawyers to provide reduced-fee bankruptcy assistance for eligible individuals. Several organizations, such as the Columbus Bar Associations Legal Aid Referral Project, provide pro bono legal assistance to low-income individuals who are unable to afford a lawyer. Ohio Lawyers provides detailed information on Ohio Lawyers, Ohio Accident Lawyers, Ohio Real Estate Lawyers, Ohio Bankruptcy Lawyers and more. Ohio Lawyers is affiliated with Pennsylvania DUI Law. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole http://EzineArticles.com/?Ohio-Bankruptcy-Lawyers&id=220974 buy finasteride without prescription best price for propecia online 5mg finasteride cheap propecia order online

Marketing Methods that Annoy

Wednesday, November 21st, 2007

By Jan Smith Have you ever wondered whether your method of marketing may actually annoy your target market? When someone sends me something on an approval basis and will bill me at the end of that time if I havent returned the item beforehand, really gets my back up. Believe me, I tend to send off a very terse note of non-appreciation and will return the goods on principle. No matter how good they may be! This is so unfair. How dare someone say I have to lose time out of my schedule to actually go to a post office and send something back to someone that I didnt request in the first place? What a hide these marketers have! Using this method of marketing makes it easy to understand why sales people get tainted with a bad name. If I havent specifically asked for something, then how dare they infringe on my time and petrol to go to a post office and have to mail something back, and to do so, usually at my cost. What right do these types of marketers have to assume my time and money can be wasted? The principle behind this type of marketing is that people are basically lazy and wont return something before its time to charge them for the product. They must be either right or rich because they wouldnt be doing it otherwise. And the interesting thing about this marketing method is that it is usually the big names in an industry who market their goods this way. So it must work. But because something works and their sales increase, does that make it right? Ill leave the answer to the Philosophers and shareholders of these big-name companies to work out because Ill just keep getting annoyed and sending their goods back to them with a very terse note to be removed from all their lists. And the sad thing is Im actually a real type buyer so in the long-run, theyve done themselves no favours. http://www.books-that-talk.spokennetwork.comFrom Huckleberry Finn to Hanoi ~Audiobooks are here for you to Enjoy! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Smith http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Methods-that-Annoy&id=413352 online pharmacy soma sale florida internet pharmacies soma no prescription buy carisoprodol 350 buy 500 soma

Restaurants - Italian Food

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

By Michael Russell Eating Italian food is almost like romancing a woman. Italian food is more than just a meal, it’s an experience. That’s why when you go into an Italian restaurant, there is just nothing like it. The atmosphere is like no other place on the planet, from the music being piped in from old Italy, to the paintings on the walls. A good Italian restaurant feels like you’ve walked into 17th century Italy. The trouble is, these days, it’s very hard to find a good Italian restaurant. With everything being fast food today, most of your Italian places are either pizzerias, Pizza Huts, or fast food chains like Sbarros. Finding a classic Italian restaurant in the states, like they used to have back in the 60s and 70s is like looking for the missing link. But when you do find one, this is what you can expect to get there. For starters, a good Italian restaurant will have a wine list of just about every Italian wine you could possibly want. The list reads like a who’s who of Italian wineries. Don’t even think of asking the waiter for a mixed drink as he’s likely to deck you. Oh and by the way, the waiters are all Italians. The appetizers are absolutely to die for. You’ve got your usual fair which includes fried zucchini, roasted garlic, stuffed portabello, mushrooms stuffed with crab meat and fried provolone, just to name a few. The appetizers alone are enough to fill you up so you won’t even need the main course. And the salads. Italian restaurant salads can be a meal in themselves. You don’t just get a dish with a little lettuce and some carrots. You get a salad the size of Manhattan Island. And don’t ask for any kind of dressing other than Italian or oil and vinegar. Yeah, the waiter will deck you for that too. As for the main dishes, just about every Italian main dish has something to do with pasta, whether it be spaghetti, linguini, ziti or whatever. Most of the dish, as it is with Chinese food, is made up of the pasta. However, you do get quite a bit of meat with your meal too. Italians love to eat and they love to feed you. Without a doubt there is no type of restaurant that gives you more food than an Italian restaurant. It would take three Chinese restaurant meals to make up one Italian restaurant meal. Some of the more famous Italian dishes are chicken catchatori, veil parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs. However, there are literally over 100 Italian dishes you could choose from in a good Italian restaurant. Italian desserts are probably the most unusual, at least to Americans. They include things with names like spumoni and tortoni. If you don’t know what they are, find yourself a good Italian restaurant and experience them. I promise you that it will be an evening out that you will never forget. Just don’t forget to tip your waiter. Yeah, he’ll deck you if you don’t. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Restaurants Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell http://EzineArticles.com/?Restaurants—Italian-Food&id=251816 mexican diazepam without prescription valium online pharmacy usa cheap valium cheap low cost perscription xanax valium fast

Does Armageddon Have Anything To Do With Today?

Monday, November 19th, 2007

By Christine Bettridge Popular culture enjoys different scenarios of the Armageddon catastrophe and there are many movies, songs and books written on the subject. People just love to speculate about how the world will end. Throughout the ages and even today there are all kinds of theories as to when it will happen. The bible has been subjected to many different interpretations in this regard. More so than any other issue, the end of times greatly disputed even within the same denominations. In Matthew chapter 25 Christ says that no one knows the hour or the day but the Father. While most still keep predicting in light of this verse all attempts to pinpoint the exact time and place are futile. There are many theories of global holocaust and many interesting ones claiming that this Armageddon will originate in the Middle East. It’s worrying but the current political climate in the Middle East does look like it could escalate into something far worse in the future. But is there any evidence that the Bible has predicted this chain of events? The New Testament mentions Armageddon in Revelation 16:16. It is the final battle between the Antichrist and the King of Kings. The Armageddon is the symbol of the final victory of Christ. The word Armageddon is metaphorical. Its varying uses and interpretations give many fictional accounts of how this Armageddon might eventually happen. What about the much publicized fear of terrorist attacks in America? And how does the political climate in the Middle East If the political unrest continues as it is now things could very well escalate into this predicted Armageddon scenario but not the Armageddon as people have taken out of context. Is the Middle East the battleground where the end of times is going to play out? It’s entirely possible say some analysts. It’s a chilling thought to say the least but when you try to put an end times, twist from the Bible you have to refer back to the verse that says, no one knows of the time or hour. The Old Testament does speak to the issue of Armageddon too. In fact there is a wealth of information that can be gleaned from re-reading the Old Testament in light of these ideas. The word Armageddon comes from the word Harmageddon which refers to the hill of Megiddo. This hill is famous for the bloody conflicts that took place their. Many scholars have devoted time to the study of this hill and its history. The hill of Megiddo is where the Canaanites were defeated by Deborah and Barak as mentioned in Judges 5:19. There are many less positive images that are associated with the hill of Megiddo. The actual location of Megiddo is said to be in Palestine. This area has been the scene of many battles since these biblical confrontations. The hill of Megiddo for many symbolizes hope for Christians in the first century who were suffering persecution under the hands of the Roman Empire. Hope that God would handle the enemies and do it quickly. To place a 21st century emphasis would demean what the entire book meant to the first century Christians. Know one can say assuredly what every symbol in the book of Revelation means. However we do know who it was written to and for what purpose. We can be safe in that Armageddon has nothing to do with a physical battle in the 21st century. Christine Bettridge has loved writing since childhood. She has written Plays, poetry and many articles on several topics. She is the editor of the article directory Above All Content She is also the author of the highly popular End Times e-book which has caused a stir in the religious world. It can be found at End Time Secrets Visit her blog at: The Bible Sound Blog Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Bettridge http://EzineArticles.com/?Does-Armageddon-Have-Anything-To-Do-With-Today?&id=190938 cheap online purchase ultram no prescription buy ultram online online order ultram online pharmacy tramadol pharmacy prilosec

Old Hiring Foxes vs. The Hedgehogs

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

By Lisa Nirell You are about to compete for the best people again. The recovery is happening. Labor statistics indicate over 280,000 new jobs were created in the U.S. last May. Is your company’s hiring process a competitive weapon-or a ball and chain? If you’re not sure, here are some places to look: 1. You abdicate hiring responsibility to an HR person or executive recruiter. That’s their job, right? Wrong. The job of HR is a support and advisory role. The role of a recruiter is to help you build a stronger pipeline of available candidates and advise you on key hires. For key positions, take a proactive role and implement a recruiting and interviewing process. One software client of mine once relied on HR to design their job descriptions. For years, they attracted people with the right education and skills for open positions. The bad news is that the job description did not help a hiring executive assess a person’s behaviors or cultural fit for that division. Two Directors who were hired under the old model were demoted after much customer uproar about missed deadlines on product launches. 2. You think lunch appointments and golf outings are great settings to conduct interviews. How much do you spend time wooing high-flying producers this way, yet cannot seem to get any decision from the interviewee? Listen for the much-dreaded response: “I’ll think about it (which is a polite, wimpy way of saying no).” 3. You become attached to specific candidate(s). Do you ever hear yourself saying things like, “she would really do well in our culturewe go to the same churchI have a good feeling about her” You lose commitment to hiring the best person, and get attached to a personality. 4. You confuse selling with interviewing. I recently heard the VP of a mortgage company tell me, “we want to build our candidate pipeline, get them in here for a meeting, and pitch them on our company.” If you have to waste 2 hours “pitching” somebody to come work for you, what kind of loyalty and credibility are you fostering? How likely will they see through that inauthentic gamesmanship? Pretty likely. 5. When someone asks, “what makes your company an exciting place to work? you draw a blank or start pitching. This may indicate that your company does not know its uniqueness-or, as Jim Collins calls it, your “hedgehog.” In Good To Great, he describes how enduring companies are extremely clear about three things: what they are deeply passionate about, what fuels their economic engine, and what they can be best in the world at. If your company is facing this situation, how can you expect your future employees to be intrigued by what you offer? Collins applauds GE’s “process hedgehog.” Their model is: build the greatest management development system (their passion), profit per unit of top executive talent (their economic engine), and developing the best general management talent (they are best in the world at it). Collins says “this basic hedgehog has driven their economic flywheel since 1910.” In my interviews and analysis of over 50 CEOs last year, I discovered that scattered, fox-like hiring behaviors truly separate the average companies from the superstars. I assert that in today’s global economy, our only remaining competitive differentiators are our people, our innovations, and our hedgehog. How will your company secure solid ground in at least one these areas? In our next ezine article, I’ll present some fundamental hiring tune-ups every company needs to consider. As the Greek parable says: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” Lisa Nirell is President of Nirell & Associates in Del Mar, CA. She helps culturally creative leaders who want to attract and retain employees in order to sustain profitable growth. Lisa recently completed a 10-month study of top performing services CEOs. For a free subscription to the monthly NirellNews ezine and a Special Report on this study, call 858-481-8787, visit http://www.nirell.com, or email marketing@nirell.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Nirell http://EzineArticles.com/?Old-Hiring-Foxes-vs.-The-Hedgehogs&id=10774 order phentermine without prescription phentermine waterview pharmacy cheap phentermine without a perscription buy adipex phentermine

Online Dating - The New Way To Date

Friday, November 16th, 2007

By Steven Cancel In the past couple of years, people have been meeting each other through this lovely place called the internet. It is called online dating, and chances are you or someone you know has met someone through an online dating service. In 2004, Americans spent over 469 million dollars on online dating services. These people didn’t like dating the old fashioned way and looked to the internet to help fulfill their romantic wants and needs. Online dating, in general, is pretty darned simple. All you would have to do is fill in your interests and match up with people that have similar interests that you do. You would then strike up conversation with each other over the web and decide if this person is worth meeting. There are many online dating websites that all do things a little different from the others. Some sites, like the one explained above, use a detailed matching system. Others give you the option of writing a small biography on yourself and allow other members to browse by locations and interests. Some more expressive online dating sites have webcam use and options to post pictures and write day to day blogs. Online dating is a way to meet people with out that awkward back and forth questioning that many of us would rather avoid. Seeing that you already know each others interests, making conversation with someone you met online is easy and less demanding. The massive business of online dating has even been the subject of mainstream movies like You’ve Got Mail, starring Hollywood heavyweights Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The two meet online and find love through their interests and conversation with out even knowing who each other are. Finding a mate online has made rejection almost a thing of the past. With all the people online looking for love, it is hard to not find someone to connect to. The thing about looking online for people and not choosing them doesn’t hurt you or the person because both of you will never know each other since you don’t match. In 2002, a Wired magazine article said that, “Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly.” This alone forecasts a strong future for the world of online dating services and since the community has grown at an incredible rate. With some patience and a good personality, anyone can find love on the internet because there is always someone for you. This article was written for our friends at Find Love 4 Free to inform people about how easy meeting someone online can be. Article written and distributed by Steve Cancel, IT Manager of Secure Link. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Cancel http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Dating—The-New-Way-To-Date&id=496008 phentermine and no prescription phentermine diet pills without prescription phentermine 37.5 mg without a prescription phenteramine diet pills