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How to Care for Your Cat with Diabetes

By : Cristian Stan


Cat owners whose pets are diagnosed with diabetes are usually afraid of what may happen. But then again, it is possible for your cat to live long and happily, even with this disease. Your pet only needs dedication and care throughout the ordeal. Diabetes might still be an incurable disease these days. But it can certainly be managed easily. Read more...


Type Of Safety Take Bath Time of Baby

Bath time can and should be one of the most enjoyable times of the day for parents and children; a perfect opportunity to bond and relax with baby. But once baby has moved into the big tub, the big shiny faucet and warm streaming water can be too much to resist, despite mom and dads repeated warnings. So how can parents ensure that bath time is safe, enjoyable and relaxing for everyone? A few precautionary measures go a long way. Read more...

Credit Card Fraud and Your Business

By : Pamela Williams


Did you know that most credit card fraud occur even when offenders do not have the actual credit cards in their hands? In fact according to reports, only 23% of all credit card fraud cases are resulted from lost credit cards. Read more...

Printed Cotton Bags: Reusable and Eco Friendly

By : James Johnson
Reusable Bags, now there's an idea that won't catch on, might have been the thinking a few years ago or so. Read more...

All You Need is a Simple Background Check

By : Rosalyn Natal

We as consumers, take our expenses into a big consideration, we make sure that our money will be spent into something worth spending for or if not we make sure that our money is entrusted on someone worth trusting for, By investing in particular we make sure that our money will go into something good. Read more...


Greed: The Wild Card variable in Business Ethics

By : Dr. Duane Scott
In all of my Business Ethics classes my students are always reminded of Enron. The curious case of Enron Corporation is a case like no other. Read more...



How to Care for Your Cat with Diabetes

By : Cristian Stan


Cat owners whose pets are diagnosed with diabetes are usually afraid of what may happen. But then again, it is possible for your cat to live long and happily, even with this disease. Your pet only needs dedication and care throughout the ordeal. Diabetes might still be an incurable disease these days. But it can certainly be managed easily.

First and foremost, your cat needs consistent medical attention. Once you’re sure that your cat is suffering from this disease, regular visits to the vet become mandatory. The purpose of these checkups is to check the sugar level in your pet’s blood. It also ensures that your cat is getting the insulin that it needs. The vet would draw a blood sample from your pet and test it. Don’t feed your cat for 12 hours prior to the checkup. Bring your pet to the veterinarian every 3 months for disease monitoring.

Second, know that from here on, your cat will need the hormone insulin. Your cat would require insulin shots twice daily. The right dosage will be determined by the vet. This is the primary medication for your pet. Make it a habit to give the shots at a certain time of the day to make it a routine for your pet. Usually, insulin is given twelve hours after the first dosage of the day.

The vet would show you how to inject your cat with insulin so you don’t have to bring it there all the time. Insulin is usually administered between the shoulder blades of cats. Don’t worry. In due time, your cat would get used to the slight pain caused by the needle. If you do it right, your cat might even be the one to remind you that it needs its shot for the day. This is the reason why it is important to give your pet insulin during the same time every single day.

Third, it is your responsibility to have a stock of all of the things you need. Your cat needs its shot every day, no excuses. Therefore, you should always see to it that you have adequate alcohol, syringe, and of course, insulin inside the medicine drawer. Order supplies before they run out. Give allowances because the vet may also lose stocks of them. The same goes true for supplements that the vet prescribed for your pet. Make sure that your pet receives all the medicine it needs all the time. Keep important numbers handy in case of emergency cases.

While a lot of people think that diabetes is cats is the end of their pet’s world, it isn’t really. In fact, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to take care of your sick pet. Insulin costs around $85 per vial but that’s already equivalent to 2 months’ supply. Syringes in boxes of 100 are a mere $30 and those are something you can use for 50 days. Make sure that you use a fresh syringe for every shot. You may have to change your cat’s food and add some supplements to the list. But those won’t make too much of a dent to your budget either. Your diabetic cat needs all the love and patience it needs. If you ensure your pet of that, then it can stay with you happily for quite some time.

About the author:
Visit DiabetesInDogs.Net for more articles and information on dog diabetes and dog diabetes treatment. Read also the FAQ on Glipizide medication for dog diabetes.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Type Of Safety Take Bath Time of Baby

Bath time can and should be one of the most enjoyable times of the day for parents and children; a perfect opportunity to bond and relax with baby. But once baby has moved into the big tub, the big shiny faucet and warm streaming water can be too much to resist, despite mom and dads repeated warnings. So how can parents ensure that bath time is safe, enjoyable and relaxing for everyone? A few precautionary measures go a long way. Read more...

Credit Card Fraud and Your Business

By : Pamela Williams


Did you know that most credit card fraud occur even when offenders do not have the actual credit cards in their hands? In fact according to reports, only 23% of all credit card fraud cases are resulted from lost credit cards. Read more...

Printed Cotton Bags: Reusable and Eco Friendly

By : James Johnson
Reusable Bags, now there's an idea that won't catch on, might have been the thinking a few years ago or so. Read more...

All You Need is a Simple Background Check

By : Rosalyn Natal

We as consumers, take our expenses into a big consideration, we make sure that our money will be spent into something worth spending for or if not we make sure that our money is entrusted on someone worth trusting for, By investing in particular we make sure that our money will go into something good. Read more...


Greed: The Wild Card variable in Business Ethics

By : Dr. Duane Scott
In all of my Business Ethics classes my students are always reminded of Enron. The curious case of Enron Corporation is a case like no other. Read more...



Type Of Safety Take Bath Time of Baby

Bath time can and should be one of the most enjoyable times of the day for parents and children; a perfect opportunity to bond and relax with baby. But once baby has moved into the big tub, the big shiny faucet and warm streaming water can be too much to resist, despite mom and dads repeated warnings. So how can parents ensure that bath time is safe, enjoyable and relaxing for everyone? A few precautionary measures go a long way.

Stay in Touch

The single most important action that a parent must take each time a bath is given is touch supervision or go to www.create-super-baby.com According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), touch supervision requires that an adult be within arms reach of baby at all times. If you cannot touch your baby at any time during the bath, then you are too far away.

Nationally, drowning is the third leading cause of injury-related deaths in children younger than one and the second leading cause of injury-related deaths in children ages one to four. In fact, young children can drown in less than two inches of water, according to AAPs Injury Prevention Program (TIPP). Drowning frequently occurs quickly and quietly, in the amount of time it would take a parent to take or make a phone call. Regardless of the intended time of absence, a parent must never leave baby unattended in the tub at any time for any reason. Very simply, touch supervision saves lives. No gizmo or gadget will prevent drowning or substitute for the adult supervision that can.

Keep Your Distance

the second most important action a parent must take is to protect baby from the faucet and fixtures. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, 5,000 children a year require emergency room treatment for tap water burns. The AAP warns that the bathtub is a source of severe scalding burns. In addition to burns; contact with the faucet can cause injuries resulting in stitches, bumps, bruises, scrapes and even chipped teeth. The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital found that 75 percent of kids under age five who were hurt in the tub were being supervised at the time.

When selecting safety products for the bath, avoid products that will attract a baby. Bright colors, shiny materials, and happy animals will all draw babies towards them, despite their intended safety purpose.

In addition to touch supervision and the right safety products, parents should also take the following precautions when bathing baby:

- Set water heater to 120 degrees or less.
- Check water temperature on the inside of your wrist before placing baby in the bath.
- Place a rubber mat or non-slip appliqués on the bottom of the tub.
- Have bathing supplies, clothes and towels already assembled prior to baby’s bath.
- Always bathe baby using as little water as necessary.
- Do not allow other children to substitute for adult supervision.

With the right preparation, precaution and products, bath time can be fewer struggles and more fun.





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Business Ethics Articles


Credit Card Fraud and Your Business

By : Pamela Williams


Did you know that most credit card fraud occur even when offenders do not have the actual credit cards in their hands? In fact according to reports, only 23% of all credit card fraud cases are resulted from lost credit cards. Read more...

Printed Cotton Bags: Reusable and Eco Friendly

By : James Johnson
Reusable Bags, now there's an idea that won't catch on, might have been the thinking a few years ago or so. Read more...

All You Need is a Simple Background Check

By : Rosalyn Natal

We as consumers, take our expenses into a big consideration, we make sure that our money will be spent into something worth spending for or if not we make sure that our money is entrusted on someone worth trusting for, By investing in particular we make sure that our money will go into something good. Read more...



Greed: The Wild Card variable in Business Ethics

By : Dr. Duane Scott
In all of my Business Ethics classes my students are always reminded of Enron. The curious case of Enron Corporation is a case like no other. Read more...

To Thine Own Self Be True - It's Better for Business - What Arthur Anderson Would Say to His Company

By : Shel Horowitz
As a child, you probably heard, "to thine own self be true." But what does that really mean? Read more...

10 New Year's Resolutions for a More Ethical, Ecological, Profitable, and Successful Business

By : Shel Horowitz

In this age of business scandals, it's crucial to remember that businesses based on ethics and quality actually work better. Read more...

Guide to Choosing the Perfect Ethical SEO

By : Moe Tamani

Search engine optimization is an important component when one is building a website for a certain audience. Read more...

The Link Sabotage Problem - Assassin Websites

By : Ron Sharer

So much has been written about linking strategies and how they effect the page ranking of a given website. Read more...

Overview of Electronic Sigantures in E-Commerce

By : Arnold Hernandez

Under California Uniform Electronic Transactions Act electronic records and electronic signatures relating to a transaction are covered. Read more...

Regulations on Credit Card Advertisements are Needed to Help Eliminate Debt

By : Jim Vrana

We have all seen credit card advertisements on television, radio, magazines, etc. These ads always show ordinary people, living an extraordinary life. Just like we all want to do.
Read more...

Invention Company Scams And How To Avoid Them

By : Victor Martel

Guess what? The federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that over $100,000,000 is being scammed by fraudulent Invention Marketing and Invention Patent Companies on consumers annually. That's $100,000,000 of your money. Read more...

Invention Company Scams And How To Avoid Them

By : Victor Martel

Guess what? The federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that over $100,000,000 is being scammed by fraudulent Invention Marketing and Invention Patent Companies on consumers annually. That's $100,000,000 of your money.

The main reason there is such a problem is due to the fact that the general public is not aware of the problem until it is too late. By too late I mean they have already been suckered into the web of an invention company and spent their money.

I'm sorry to say that as much as the invention companies are at fault, so are consumers. Here is what I mean. A new first time inventor generally does not know how or where to begin. They go online to Google, Yahoo or whichever search engine they like to use. They type in keywords like 'invention idea' or 'patent an invention' (it can be any phrase you think of). Up pops both the Organic web-sites (those are the ones in the center of the page) as well as the paid ads by most of the fraudulent invention companies as the Sponsored Ads on the right side.

The inventor quickly browses the page and eventually clicks on the ad that for whatever reason appeals to them the most. Some people will click two or three ads as well. When clicked, it takes you to fancy looking Landing Page for that particular company. Now, these companies know exactly what to say in print to get the inventor to take action.

One gimmick used by these companies is called a "Free Inventor's Kit' or a 'Free Invention Package' or whatever they call it. The hook is the word 'Free.' The inventor thinks, 'Oh wow, it's free, let me check it out.' Big mistake!

Sure, to fill out the company 'Confidential Disclosure' is free, but what comes next is not. If you were inexperienced and you completed that so-called free disclosure form, you could also be foolish enough to get sucked into their invention scam game as well and end up paying hundreds and then thousands of dollars for absolutely nothing of value in return.

You see, the new inventor has three things going against them at that moment.

1. They nothing about the invention process.

2. They are emotionally involved with their invention.

3. GREED. Yes, greed. All new inventors think they are going to make millions of dollars with their new gizmo and gadget.

At the same time, these invention scam companies know this and are ready to pounce. They know you don't know anything about the invention industry. They know how much you believe that you have the next Hoola Hoop and they especially know that you think you are going to make millions of dollars. That is their game and that is their hook and you are their fish. In many cases you are their 'whale'.

What inventor's don't realize is that the scam artist on the other end of the phone is a commissioned salesperson. They only make money when spend it with them. The more you spend, the more they make. Some company's pay these scammers commissions that range between 20% to as high as 40% and in some cases more. They even pay monthly bonuses to high producers.

These salespeople will say whatever it takes to get you hooked. They care little to nothing about your invention and will go as far as to say you have a great idea or this is a sure winner or I've never seen anything like this before. The only thing these salespeople care about is your wallet and their wallet. How much can they take from yours to put into theirs'?

By now you may be thinking, how does Victor know all this? Was he one of these salespeople? No I was not. Was he scammed by one of these companies? YES I WAS! That is how I know what goes on. After I got scammed, I became irate. I went on a mission to find out as much as I could about these scam companies and start to warn the public about them.

I went online and played the role of the new inventor with as many companies that I could find. I will admit however that there are a few that are not scammers but honest companies. Unfortunately they are out numbered 10 to 1 by the scammers. I am not going to name names in my articles, just my knowledge and experiences.

You can actually learn quite a bit about the invention industry by speaking with these scammers but not spending any money with them.

So, don't waste your time or money with these scam companies. Do your homework and research the industry before you get started.

About the Author:
Victor Martel is a professional inventor. He is very concerned for new inventors to make sure they do not get scammed. His web-site http://www.inventionscamalerts.com is designed to help inventors. He offers an Invention Evaluation test. It tells inventors if they have an idea to pursue.

Regulations on Credit Card Advertisements are Needed to Help Eliminate Debt

By : Jim Vrana

We have all seen credit card advertisements on television, radio, magazines, etc. These ads always show ordinary people, living an extraordinary life. Just like we all want to do.

The message is clear, just use our powerful plastic card, and you can have it all, and have it now. Forget what you can really afford, just live the good life.

I saw a credit card commercial on television this past weekend that really started me thinking about the message they are broadcasting to America. The wrong message in my opinion. You have probably viewed the ad. A young couple's television finally dies out. The wife tells her husband that it is all right to go get that new TV set. The excited husband heads down to the electronics shop, credit card in hand. In the background, the music screams "I Want it All, and I Want it Now".

The premise for this ad is the new credit card feature where you can immediately get your available balance via an instant text message on your cell phone. So you can see just how much you can buy.

The underlying message here is "The heck with what you can actually afford. As long as you have some available credit balance, go ahead and use it."

The pharmaceutical companies can now advertise their products (i.e. drugs) to us, but they must clearly include the side effects. It is time we establish a similar regulation for the credit card industry. We must warn people of the side effects of using their card. This would not be new grounds for the financial industry. Commercials for investment companies have disclaimers regarding the risks of investing.

So what are the side effects of making that big purchase on a credit card? What does this commercial not tell us? They don't tell us that you still must be able to afford to pay for that big screen TV. They don't tell us that your big purchase will actually cost you more than the price on your receipt as you will be paying interest on that purchase. So your $1200 television will really cost you $2000 after you are done paying the interest.

They don't tell you that as your credit card balance jumps towards your credit limit, the bank will use that as an excuse to raise your card's interest rate, causing that big purchase to cost you even more.

This is the cycle for financial disaster that too many consumers have fallen into. This is exactly where the credit card companies want you; in the never ending cycle of debt.

Sure, we must take responsibility for our own actions. We must think before we pull out that plastic card. We must also however demand that the credit card advertisements stop sending a message of prosperity by simply using their cards. The bank should be required to give us full disclosure on the effects of using their credit cards.

When we use any other type of financing for any type of purchase, we are aware of exactly the terms and conditions of the purchase. With credit cards, we are clueless as to the actual cost of an item because the credit card companies change the rules and interest rates at their discretion. This needs to be disclosed in their advertisements. When people begin to realize that they really have no idea what that big purchase is really costing them, maybe then we will think twice before proceeding with that "I want it now" purchase.

About the Author:
Billed as The True Debt Advisor (Debt Elimination), Jim Vrana's mission is to educate and empower people to overcome their financial challenges. The time-tested legal procedures used to eliminate credit card debt have been used by thousands of people with tremendous success. Contact: Jim Vrana, (800) 637-1785 TrueDebtAdvisor



Overview of Electronic Sigantures in E-Commerce

By : Arnold Hernandez

Under California Uniform Electronic Transactions Act electronic records and electronic signatures relating to a transaction are covered. The act specifically exempts transactions subject to other laws. It lists the following exceptions:

(1) A law governing the creation and execution of wills, codicils,or testamentary trusts.

(2) Division 1 (commencing with Section 1101) of the Uniform Commercial Code, except Sections 1107 and 1206.

(3) Divisions 3 (commencing with Section 3101), 4 (commencing with Section 4101), 5 (commencing with Section 5101), 8 (commencing with Section 8101), 9 (commencing with Section 9101), and 11 (commencing
with Section 11101) of the Uniform Commercial Code.

The act also specifically lists a long laundry list of exemptions. This list of transactions is described in other parts of the Business and Professions Code, the Civil Code, and other sections. Among others it identifies transactions under Business and Professions Code Section 17511.5, which pertains to telemarketers. So telemarketers are exempt under this act, but they may be covered under another act.

The act also specifies that the transaction that is subject to the electronic transaction act is also subject to other applicable substantive law. The act clearly indicates that it is not the intent to expand or constrict existing law.

The act specifies that even though there is a long list of exceptions that it does not mean that the transaction is excluded in its entirety from regulations pertaining to electronic transactions or that the transaction cannot occur by electronic means. Its only intent is to prohibit the transaction through electronic means if it is not allowed by other statute. Essentially the transaction is allowed and regulated by other statutes addressing those specific transactions whether in traditional manner or by electronic means.

The Uniform Electronic Transaction Act only applies to transactions taking place on or after January 1, 2000. Electronic record or electronic signatures created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored before then would not fall under this act.

The Act also makes it clear that it is not intended to impose an affirmative duty to take action. It states that it is does not require a record or signature to be created, generated, sent, communicated, received, stored, or otherwise processed or used by electronic means or in electronic form.

This act only applies to a transaction between parties each of which has agreed to conduct the transaction by electronic means. Whether the parties agree to conduct a transaction by electronic means is determined from the context and surrounding circumstances, including the parties' conduct. Except for a separate and optional agreement the primary purpose of which is to authorize a transaction to be conducted by electronic means, an agreement to conduct a transaction by electronic means may not be contained in a standard form contract that is not an electronic record. An agreement in such a standard form contract may not be conditioned upon an agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means. An agreement to conduct a transaction by electronic means may not be inferred solely from the fact that a party has used electronic means to pay an account or register a purchase or warranty. These statutory requirements may not be varied by agreement.

A party that agrees to conduct a transaction by electronic means may refuse to conduct other transactions by electronic means. If a seller sells goods or services by both electronic and non-electronic means and a buyer purchases the goods or services by conducting the transaction by electronic means, the buyer may refuse to conduct further transactions regarding the goods or services by electronic means. These requirements likewise may not be varied by agreement.


The Link Sabotage Problem - Assassin Websites

By : Ron Sharer

So much has been written about linking strategies and how they effect the page ranking of a given website. The common wisdom says that if you link to or are linked to from a bad neighborhood, you will be penalized by the search engine. Of course by the search engine, we mean the search engine, Google.

Google keeps their page rank algorithms a mystery. Perfectly legitimate web pages within perfectly legitimate websites often are gray barred. This is a frustrating situation, because it is hard to change anything when you know the content is original, because you wrote it. There is no black hat tricks being used, because you created the web page. This is a very sobering clue that the Google algorithm has a long way to go before it will be really fair.

Now that we know the system is unfair, cleaver, albeit devious web masters are using this to help raise their own page rank at the expense of their competition. Of course, when one web site rises above another, it is at the expense of that other. This is usually done as we are told, with fresh relevant content and well optimized pages. But that is a slow and uncertain process. A much easier and certain way of moving up is by moving the competition down.

You can not control who links to you. All you can do is write the bad website linking to you and request that they do not. Chances are they won't even answer. Can you see how unfair it is that this should be a ranking factor? Armed with this knowledge, your competition decides to sink your boat instead of making theirs better. They set up a website with adult and duplicate content, vulgar language as well as other big mistakes. This is usually a blog that garbage content can be posted to everyday. In fact, it can be set up to be friendly to spam-bots that will post to it. Usually we try hard to keep garbage spam posts off of our blogs. On these assassin sites, spam helps.

With an assassin website set up and the search engines quickly labeling it a bad neighborhood, your competition sets up links - right to your website. Your ranking heads downward and you don't know why. Your competition rises without any improvements and the search engines are clueless.

Search engines should amend their algorithms to not include, bad neighborhood links. Bad links should only be deemed worthless, not cause for penalty. It is unethical to implement an assassin website, but not illegal. A link is an endorsement, whether you want it or not. There is nothing you can do to protect yourself against one. As this becomes more widespread, it is almost a certainty that Google will alter its linking policies.

About the Author:
R. Sharer does business consulting for 1st time entrepreneurs. He urges anyone to perform due diligence before striking out on their own. For a warning on tax structuring visit tax relief help

Guide to Choosing the Perfect Ethical SEO

By : Moe Tamani

Search engine optimization is an important component when one is building a website for a certain audience. It is widely used mostly by online merchants, as they have to be able to come up with a site that can easily be found by users. Internet marketing relies on customers after all, and customers find sites through search engines.

Because of this demand, there are several companies and websites in the Internet that advertise themselves as SEO specialists that can help you gain the needed rank in search engine result pages. Given this fact, how can one choose the SEO that would be best in getting you the ranking that would help your business grow?

Can the SEO Gain a Name for Itself?

The first thing you should check is the SEO's ability to gain a rank for its own website. This is the ultimate testimonial to the firm capability to garner a rank for your site. If it couldn't bring enough of their own skill to gain a spot for itself, then the SEO's ability to help your site covet a rank is in question.

Exceptions for this, of course, are newly established SEO agencies. In this case, you should try to research carefully about the people involved in the incorporation of such firms. If they have individuals previously connected to good optimizers, then chances are these people can bring their expertise to the company for your benefit.

Do They Offer Realistic Promises?

Marketing and catch lines are lifelines for any business, SEOs included. With a lot of competition, these people are sure to give you exaggerated promises just to convince you to avail yourself of their services and help them gain money. Knowing how to recognize when such promises are realistic or purely marketing ploys will help you avoid such traps and losses due to expenses.

As a webmaster, it is important for you to have some basic knowledge on how search engines work. This is one way to distinguish the ham from the spam in checking out the promises that the different SEO engines boast of in their advertisements.

For example, Google and Yahoo! implement an age delay factor in calculating page ranks so anyone who tells you that they could get a new site to rank high in 2 months or less is likely lying about their capabilities. This is because in these two engines, new websites are not likely to hold a candle against the older ones because of the age delay factor.

What Does the SEO Have for Its Record?

When you are buying something from an Internet marketing site, we naturally check user comments along with the product's specifications before we commit ourselves to the purchase and spend money. This is because we are seeking confirmation that the product could deliver what it is boasting about, and that it is not merely spewing air.

The same scrutiny applies as well to choosing SEOs. After you've read and verified that they are indeed promising realistic results, you should then try to check if they could back their promises up, preferably with a portfolio. This portfolio would include examples of successful work, specifically a website or many websites that the firm has helped get a high rank in search engine result pages.

You could also check user feedbacks about the firm from forums and other sources so you could get a grasp as to what this company's reputation is. Some companies also have a testimonials page in their websites showing what people say about their services.

Beware of Black Hat Techniques

In the race to gain rank, it is however natural and expected that someone out there would decide to use illegal optimization techniques that are unfortunately effective in making a site's rank go up faster than normal. These techniques are called black hat terms in web design and optimization lingo.

Black hat techniques are dangerous to use. Even though indeed they could get your ranks up in no time, if a search engine finds out that your site is employing any of these techniques you could find yourself banned and removed from search engine result pages. So, in a sense, you'd find yourself losing the money that you invested in an optimizer that actually uses black hat techniques while the firm gets away with it.

Common black hat techniques include cloaking, which hides the site's true content from the search engine spider, as well as link farming. If the SEO hints at using such ways, then you better steer clear from their services because it's only you who loses something in the end.

About the Author:
Moe Tamani is a Marketing expert with the leading Dallas based Search Engine optimization company specializing in SEO Marketing Consulting.

10 New Year's Resolutions for a More Ethical, Ecological, Profitable, and Successful Business

By : Shel Horowitz

In this age of business scandals, it's crucial to remember that businesses based on ethics and quality actually work better. With that in mind, here are ten easy resolutions to inspire your business to achieve a very profitable 2009.

1) I will base every aspect of my business on honesty, integrity, and quality.

2) I will make sure every employee, from janitor to CEO, is trained to view every interaction with a customer as a key step in the marketing process, and to always give the customer respect and attention.

3) I will train and empower every employee to let the customer go away feeling good about the entire interaction.

4) I will stand behind my products and services. It is better to refund the money and create a positive buzz.

5) Understanding that it costs an average of five times more to bring in a new customer as to keep an existing one, I will see that the entire organization exceeds customer expectations.

6) Recognizing that my competitors can be my strongest allies, I will initiate at least one joint venture (after all, if FedEx and the Postal Service, Apple and IBM, and General Motors and Toyota can
cooperate, surely I can too).

7) If my company is not the best answer to prospect's needs, I will refer that prospect to the company that can best serve.

8) I will devote business resources to make the world a better place.

9) I will volunteer on a community project, and set up incentives for my employees to volunteer on the projects of their choice.

10) I will base decisions on the Abundance Principle that there is enough to go around, and not on market share.

11) I will reduce my firm's use of water and energy, and reduce my family's use at home, and inform others of the easy changes I've made. (See sidebar for suggestions)

12) I will grow by marketing the advantages of doing business with a socially and environmentally conscious, ethical company.

About the Author:
Marketing consultant/copywriter Shel Horowitz is founder of the international [http://www.business-ethics-pledge.org]Business Ethics Pledge campaign and author of seven books including the Apex Award winner [http://www.principledprofit.com]Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First.

To Thine Own Self Be True - It's Better for Business - What Arthur Anderson Would Say to His Company

By : Shel Horowitz

As a child, you probably heard, "to thine own self be true." But what does that really mean? When the newspapers are full of cheating and lying business owners, politicians, and academics, does it really make sense to maintain your integrity?

To me, the answer is a clear, unwaffling YES! Without your integrity, you really don't have a business or a career--just a waiting game until you world comes crashing down around you.

But fear of being caught isn't the reason to live your life with integrity. The real reasons are that it helps you get to where you really want to be, and lets you feel really good about yourself.

Sometimes, integrity involves taking risks. Here's an example from my own career:

A graphic artist and I were at a pitch meeting to produce some materials for our local Board of Realtors. The organization had registered a very obscure domain name that only had meaning for them.

The "safe" thing to do would have been to nod our heads and continue the conversation. But when we heard the domain name, the graphic artist and I exchanged looks, and we started telling the organization why the domain they'd picked would be a marketing disaster. I told the executive director to imagine giving out that name on the radio, and to look at a name that would reinforce the group's identity and message.

We went out on a limb; this was a free consultation during a meeting to pitch for business, and if someone was really attached to the name, we might never have gotten the job. But we all brainstormed a bunch of better domain names--and then a few months later I got a call from the president of the largest real estate firm in the service area. He had been impressed at that meeting and came to me to rewrite the firm's entire collection of a dozen or so brochures--a very juicy assignment. By advising the client that its course was strewn with obstacles, I had put myself in the position to receive a much, much larger assignment, one for which I was not competing against any other copywriters.

Over and over again in my life, I've achieved or drawn closer to my goals by turning down work I didn't feel good about, refusing to compromise with my core principles, treating others with respect, and expecting high standards of others. I've even had to educate a few clients about plagiarism as I refused their assignments.

Arthur Andersen, the founder of the accounting firm that was driven out of business by integrity failure, lost a major account after refusing the company's request to engage in exactly the sort of unethical accounting that later brought down his company--early in his career, when he wasn't sure he could meet his next payroll. He told the client that there was “not enough money in the city of Chicago” to change his mind. Too bad his successors didn't understand this!

About the Author:
Copywriter, marketing consultant, and speaker Shel Horowitz is the author of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First ( http://www.principledprofit.com), Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World (http://www.frugalmarketing.com), and other award-winning books.

Greed: The Wild Card variable in Business Ethics

By : Dr. Duane Scott

In all of my Business Ethics classes my students are always reminded of Enron. The curious case of Enron Corporation is a case like no other. If you were a historian this case would be like the statement “Remember the Alamo”. In business the Enron Case was a case in deregulation, greed, and a twisted relationship between the dirty underbelly of business and high minded politics. In hindsight the Enron debacle was an exercise in greed and not asking why there was so much money being handed out to Merrill Lynch, Arthur Andersen, Citibank and others. No one asked why until it was too late.

Now in 2008/2009 we are in a midst of another crisis so much larger than Enron encompassing so many of the same players. This time these players like Merrill Lynch and Citibank are not so lucky to get away unscathed. When the Reagan and Republican revolution took control in both the 80's and 90's deregulation and a smaller government stake was pushed, all of business applauded the idea and for the most part we prospered. Yet that wild card kept getting in the way of true prosperity. During the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and W. Bush era's greed did rear its ugly head in the form of the Savings and Loan crisis, The Enron crisis, and now the Sub-prime mortgage and mortgage backed securities crisis. Why is it that we still have not learned the lessons of the past that greed always destroys (in the end) that of which it built.

The problem is that we never know when this wild card variable (greed) will take root. We cannot account for it in all of our statistical analyses and because of this humanity gets burned by it time and time again. Business in its present form knows it exists but at times wants to pretend it is not there this pretense seems to always happen every ten years, curious! Nevertheless, we know that greed is the root of all evil but it is also one of the root causes of progress. The idea that we all want to come up with the next best and biggest idea is in a lot of ways rooted in greed. It is a part of who we are as a species so we tend to expect greed to surface in all of our lives and especially in business.

One of my favorite movies, “Wall Street” starring Michael Douglas has a fantastic line where he says, “greed for a lack of a better word is good”, I believe he utters those very words or something close to it but his words still ring true today. Yet, the character played by Michael Douglas misses the point or fails to understand something very basic and that is greed also consumes everything in its path look at the fragile planet we live on its resources are being strained and it is being polluted beyond recognition by the time our children's children will take custody. Will it be too late for my darling 2 year old daughter that I so cherish; I am not willing to find out that answer. What I am willing to do is believe in fairness in business, integrity in business, honesty in business, and justice in business. All of these watch words contribute to sustainability in business that can be shared by all; both business owners and consumers alike.

Greed to me is this: you work all day to try and keep up with your neighbor, your neighbor is trying to keep with your boss' neighbor and that neighbor is living well beyond his means in order to impress his latest girlfriend on the side. While you are doing this you are stressed out, you cannot pay your bills, and you are worried about losing your job or your business. While this is all happening your children are out of control because they are mimicking you in pursuit of something that will never give you happiness. Sure you think that million dollars or more you are in pursuit of is going to give you happiness but you better think again, ask that billionaire that just committed suicide because he lost all his billions. Greed has a funny way of doing things like that. My advice to you is to enjoy life and help others to do the same; money is not always the answer to that happiness. Family, friends, and your spiritual relationship with your God is what will make you happy. Money, which we tend to think will make us happy is only one of those tools that we use to facilitate our relationships with those who are important in our life, cherish them not money and I'll bet greed won't take root in your life. Happy living!

About the Author:
For more information or other topics by this author you can contact Dr. Duane C. Scott at www.christopherstudios.net.

All You Need is a Simple Background Check

By : Rosalyn Natal

We as consumers, take our expenses into a big consideration, we make sure that our money will be spent into something worth spending for or if not we make sure that our money is entrusted on someone worth trusting for, By investing in particular we make sure that our money will go into something good.

We have a lot of work into our homes, and because we may not know how to the job we hire someone to it for us, but that's not the point, what we must consider the fact that we do not know everyone around us and not everyone is worthy of our trust. To have the assurance and the confidence that we are dealing with the right person the best thing that we can do is to conduct a simple but dependable background check.

We hire people, we hire group, and sometimes we hire firms, but are we rest assured that they will effectively cater our needs as a client? How sure we are that we are giving the job to the right professional? Background check is the most effective way of checking the personal records, a company's profile and reputation and all the things concerning records.

There are a lot of free back ground checkers available on the web for use. For example you are aiming to have a new interior design for your home and you consider hiring an interior design firm as an option. What you can do is surf the web, look for the list of interior design firms, choose for the list and conduct a simple background check. You can check the company's website and check whether it has brought success on the projects that it had done. These background checkers are not only available for checking the reputation of a company; you can also use these tools in checking personal information.

From simple background check to employment screening, from identity theft to public records, from criminal records to people search, all of these is just one click away from the web.

About the Author:
Rosalyn Natal is one of the leading personalities in this field as interior design firm in Houston. She is very well known for her unique work and wonderful interior designs. She's truly good on it that's why her clients always admire her works.


Printed Cotton Bags: Reusable and Eco Friendly

By : James Johnson

Reusable Bags, now there's an idea that won't catch on, might have been the thinking a few years ago or so. Yet now the world is in economic and environmental meltdown, most major stores are now offering some sort of reusable shopping bag to their customers.

As the environmental issues have gained momentum and the problem of huge waste resulting from millions ( UK consumers in the year 2000 used more than 17 million plastic carrier bags ) of plastic bags that are not biodegradable and harmful to the planet, being given away with almost every purchase and then simply discarded, the need for change was inevitable.

What are the benefits of having a reusable bag?

A printed cotton bag is right away going to be stronger and sturdier than the multitudes of flimsy plastic bags that are currently given out or sold with your shopping.

In an ideal world every business would love their advertising emblazoned all over high street billboards but this proves very costly to all except really large companies. One of the beauties of printed cotton bags is the advertising opportunities with logos and branding able to be placed all over the bags.

If then businesses either give their new printed cotton reusable bags away with purchases or charge a small fee for them, the benefits are obvious. Lots of happy shoppers walking up and down the town centre with your logo emblazoned all over their bags, reaching places billboards can never reach.

These evidences alone should be enough to convince retailers and consumers, especially those that are conscious of the environment and the world around them that the switch to reusable bags can be an eco friendly and profitable one.

A bill calling for a levy on plastic bags was introduced by the Scottish Parliament in July 2005. The environmental committee said, In practice, the Bill would require all retailers to charge customers 10p for every plastic bag they were supplied with.

The Bill aims to protect the environment by reducing the number of plastic bags in circulation, raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage consumers to use alternatives."

Costing less per bag than planned proposals for in store plastic bags, it seems the reusable bag has a long term future.

Common sense tells us that this can surely be the only way forward with regards to this issue and there are numerous websites that specialise in printing and producing these cotton reusable bags, many of them offering a huge selection of styles, colours and designs.

About the Author:
James Johnson, answers some of the questions about reusable bags. Posted by website seo

Credit Card Fraud and Your Business

By : Pamela Williams

Did you know that most credit card fraud occur even when offenders do not have the actual credit cards in their hands? In fact according to reports, only 23% of all credit card fraud cases are resulted from lost credit cards.

Today, the most common cases of credit card fraud actually happen without the credit card holder's knowledge. Yes, even if you have your credit card or your business credit card in your safety, you can still be victimized by credit card fraud. How do these criminals achieve such fraudulent acts?

There are a number of different strategies that these criminals use to achieve their purpose. Some use a special skimming device to obtain the credit card data and create dummy cards that use the same numbers. Others simply obtain credit card accounts through the use of deceptive e-mails and websites. These are known as phishing scams. Once a thief obtains your credit card information, he can use this to open new accounts in your name, charge expensive purchases to your account and commit other fraudulent activities. All these can be done without your awareness until your credit card company starts calling you about unpaid bills.

Most people who have been victims of credit card fraud were surprised to find out that their accounts have been plagued by illegal transactions only after a few months had passed. It can be an enormous inconvenience on your part if your credit history is damaged by such activities. Even if you report that you have been a victim of fraud, it can take some time before you can regain your reputation and fix your credit report.

Business Owners Watch Out!
If you're a business owner, you also need to be wary about phony credit cards used by these criminals. Your best defense against credit card fraud is precaution. Here are some ways you can do to protect yourself and your business:

• When a customer uses a credit card in purchasing a product, ask for proper identification. Ask to see their driver's license, passport or other valid Identification cards.

• Examine the signature carefully. Make sure that there are no erasures or blots in the signature. If there is, it may be possible that the credit card has been stolen and the signature has been changed.

• When examining identification cards, make sure that the signature in the IDs presented are identical to the one in the credit card and the credit card slip.

• Check the credit card's signature panel. Authentic credit cards should display a certain color design which can either be MasterCard or Visa, while fake credit cards are discolored, erased, painted, or covered with tape. Also, check that the hologram on the credit card is not tampered or damaged.

• Call the credit card company if you have any doubts. Make sure that when you make your call, you still have the customer's credit card with you.

• Do not keep carbon copies of the credit card receipts. Make sure that you shred these important papers before throwing them in trash. Other people can get relevant information from these papers.

• If you have sales staff, alert them about credit card fraud. Instruct them about the necessary steps in checking the credit card's authenticity.

Protecting your business from credit card fraud is possible if you stay alert about the signs. Be especially careful if your customer is:
o ordering a suspiciously large bulk

o ordering for a large bulk and asks for an overnight shipping

o using multiple credit cards with numbers arranged in sequence

o asks that the goods be delivered overseas

o using different credit cards to pay off a single purchase and asks to send it to a single address

About the Author:
Pamela Williams is a Loan Consultant, Internet Marketer, Writer and owner of BusinessCreditCardSite.com, a finance company in Las Vegas, Nevada that provides support for businesses all across the US particularly with obtaining business credit cards. Visit http://www.businesscreditcardsite.com

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