Archive for December, 2008
December 31, 2008 at 8:40 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Whilst reading an article recently on the role of the church secretary or administrator, I noted that:-
The Church Secretary must:
1) have a caring attitude & excellent people skills
2) operate with integrity and have a positive attitude
3) be articulate & computer literate;
4) have effective verbal and word-processing skills
5) live a Christ-centered life.
Whether you’re a paid member of staff or a volunteer – the role of secretary is a pretty demanding one!
One thing’s for sure, whether you’ve got plenty of experience in the role or are brand new, there’s nowhere quite like a church office to work!
“A good secretary is important in a church setting because he/she is on the frontlines and is the first person the public sees or talks to”. Yes, this is a key role in welcoming people in the church and making them feel a part of the body of Christ.
Your role is to make the job of the church leaders easier by providing administrative and organisational support, whilst at the same time undertaking a hundred and one different tasks to ensure the smooth running of the church.
The job description of a church secretary will vary considerably from church to church – but many of the key tasks are similar – and it’s certainly more than just answering the phone and printing off the weekly newsletter or bulletin.
An effective secretary will be able to multi-task, deal with dozens of interruptions, meet impossible deadlines and all whilst continuing to smile on through!
There is, however, one key thing for you to know before you undertake the role of secretary or administrator, and that is whether it is God’s calling for you. In a recent publication for new church staff, I found the following quote:- “above all it is essential to know that your work is part of God’s work and forwarding His work in the Church and in the locality”.
Without knowing that this is God’s calling for you, you might consider approaching this as an ordinary “job”, which will make you far less effective and more prone to spiritual burn out.
However, if you are confident that God is asking you to work for Him in this way, then you can be assured that “when God calls, God supplies”. When God supplies, He supplies fully; not just half-way or sparingly. That applies just as much to the people and office skills we need, as to the finance that we may often consider when we talk of God’s calling and supply.
To summarise, the work of a Church Secretary is vital, serving the church and helping to enable its worldwide mission.
For further information and reviews on all the free trials & church management software providers, visit Church Office Software
This article was submitted by Jennifer Carter of Church Management Software, where you can find a useful report on finding Free Christian Stuff.
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December 31, 2008 at 1:06 am · Filed under Uncategorized
It’s time for the oil giant to wave goodbye to Peter Sutherland , its Irish chairman, but what next will prove a big enough lure to a person who has already been in charge of the world trade organization?
Peter Sutherland was not in a great mood on Monday morning: the day preceeding his native country’s loss to Argentina in the Rugby World Cup, he could scarcely withhold his obvious frustration. He’d been present at the game at Parc des Princes with his children and words such as “suicidal” and “bejesus” poured from his lips.
Yesterday, he was on the Eurostar, travelling back to Paris, for a meeting that was part politics and part business. Such are the overlapping worlds of Sutherland: Dubliner, father of three, rugby fanatic, chairman of BP, chairman of Goldman Sachs International, new chairman of the London School of Economics, diplomatic fixer and afterdinner speaker supreme.
If we’re given a choice when we finally get to the Pearly Gates I’d wish to come back as a smart Irishman. Previously, I might have said an English aristocrat but it’s the Irish who are in charge these days. They seem to be in charge of everything. None more so than, a key figure in two business powerhouses as well as an extremely wealthy individual, thanks to his partnership at Goldman. But he’s served 10 years at BP and has begun the search for a successor. Suddenly, the oil giant needs to accept the reality of life without him .
It’s very easy to establish through talking to anyone at BP, these past few years to realise what a force behind the scenes Sutherland has been. While the company has had a variety of issues in America, they have been operational. On personnel matters, notably the attempt by Lord Browne and his friends to get the chief executive’s term extended, and then Browne’s departure following his lying under oath, Sutherland has played a pivotal role. His contribution in bringing BP forward is something which few can dispute.
December 30, 2008 at 12:03 am · Filed under Uncategorized
You’re Invited… Visualize your article going out like a party invitation
The implied message: “If you like this, come on back to my website to see what else I’ve got to show you.”
People who read articles online scan for information of interest. Articles with a fun or warm person-to-person approach have an edge that a purely mental message can’t match. Novelty, humor, and wit are hard resist. Intangibles (novel point of view, personality, depth of knowledge) are more appealing than the information itself.
Readers who follow your link are willing to give your website a chance. They wonder if they’ll find lots more of whatever they liked about your article. Success with article marketing depends on how consistently your personality shows through.
Anyone who’s spent time online knows there are a zillion places to buy any product or service. An enterprise stands out by being unique and relevant. When the website navigation and copy are carefully designed, the article reader could become a repeat visitor or buyer.
Article marketing is a five-step process to get your message out
1. What can you say that’s interesting, original, and uniquely yours?
2. Who wants to know that? Know your buyer.
3. What ezines and websites do they follow?
4. Can you distill your message into a useful article? (Self-serving sales letters won’t fly)
5. How many relevant places can you find to post it?
There’s way too much recycled content online. Anyone who sends out fresh, in-depth articles on a topic will be noticed – and appreciated. Unsure if you can? Find anything you need to make your articles succeed http://www.promotewitharticles.com
THE FAME PART
1. People assume you’re an expert on subjects you write about
Shoot for consistent messages and delivery, so you become a trusted voice.
2. You share samples of your wisdom
Articles are long enough to reveal your perspective and savvy. That sets you apart from competitors in the public mind.
3. Reach targeted audiences with precision
The Internet excels at reaching small groups through specialized ezines and websites. Narrow niches are passionately interested in on-topic expertise. Articles appearing there reveal you’re an “insider.”
4. Continuous article output builds name recognition and anticipation
People start watching for your next article.
5. Your reputation can grow quickly
Within a few days of posting, your message appears all over the Net.
6. Build relationships with editors and webmasters
As you send consistently high-quality material, they’re more eager to present it to their readers.
7. People seek you out with requests and opportunities
When they need services/products related to your savvy, who will they think of?
8. Search engine listings make you easy to find
Before writing articles, Google showed 100+ references to my name. Now it’s more than 1200 and growing – just from articles.
9. Readers trust you because you’ve helped them
Sharing your knowledge without hype or manipulation builds credibility – the prerequisite for any transaction.
10. You needn’t be a great writer, just a well-informed one
Offer specific tips, top-10 lists, how-I-solved-it stories.
THE FORTUNE PART
11. Marketing is about standing out, and article authors stand out
Sharpen your competitive advantage as a recognized known quantity in a very large pond.
12. Every article posted mentions your website in the signature box at the end
These result in greater Page Rank (Google’s measure of site popularity), links, and higher search engine ratings. Let search engines send business your way.
13. “Own” the search terms and keywords where you shine
Write repeated articles around a specific theme.
14. Search engines love content – and reward it
Articles provide keyword-rich content for your website and other related sites.
15. Articles increase your website traffic
16. Enhanced credibility lets you sell more products/services
17. Become sought as a Joint Venture insider
Your articles appear among well-known authorities, so you’re invited to participate in additional profit-making activities.
18. Develop a massive list of places that accept and publish your articles
The momentum and benefits build over time.
19. Articles remain posted online a long, and keep on working
Unlike ads, there’s no cost to post articles. And people trust them more.
20. You keep getting better and better
Your writing, promotional know-how, and professional skills grow, the longer you use them. That enhances your respect in your field.
Reap Rewards for the Long Term
Articles boost your professional identity – online and off. Think beyond a single article to a series that reinforces all your marketing efforts http://www.promotewitharticles.com/strategy100.html
Don’t you deserve the fame and fortune that posted articles can bring your way? Start writing. Keep posting them far and wide. And stay alert for fame and fortune.
©Lynella Grant, 2005
–Dr. Lynella Grant Consultant and Author Promote yourself, business, website, or book with articles posted online. Extensive Free Resources at Article Marketing Academy http://www.promotewitharticles.com (719) 395-9450 Off the Page Press
December 28, 2008 at 11:06 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
As an employer, it is understandable that you want to know as much as possible about a prospective employee. A combination of employment application, personal references and background investigations can give you a sense of peace when entrusting an individual with responsibilities within your company.
It is also important that employers not rely solely upon the employment application alone. It is estimated that up to 30% of all applications contain some type of falsifications or fabrications. Many methods exist to inquire about the background of a candidate.
One of the most utilized types of background checks is the criminal background investigation. All businesses handle some type of sensitive information of some degree. Retail businesses want to be sure prospective employees are clean from theft charges to reduce the instance of employee theft. Businesses or non-profits dealing with children and/or seniors are legally obligated to know the backgrounds of their employees. We have all heard the horror stories of an abusive childcare worker with a criminal background in which the employer was unaware. It is vital for the safety and security of both the business and those served that employers perform a thorough investigation of each employee.
Employers should be careful to limit the information that they need based on the responsibilities of the specific job function. For example, when hiring an employee that will handle cash transactions, employers will need to know if the candidate has had any prior convictions regarding theft. It is also mandatory that the types of background investigations to be performed are clearly outlined in any pre-employment literature. With the increasing concern about privacy, it is in the employer’s best interest to be upfront and honest about any inquiry of this nature.
The implementation of criminal background checks can greatly reduce the financial loss of a company by weeding out those who have criminal convictions. Another instance where criminal background checks can be useful is when an employee will be dealing with the public sector. In order to limit the likelihood of negligence lawsuits, employers should consider criminal background checks as a standard pre-employment screening tool.
When calling upon a private investigation firm, an employer might not be sure of what information they really need. However, some of the most common concerns are about criminal conviction. In regards to criminal background checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibits employers from rejecting employment to those who have been charged but not convicted of a crime. When interviewing a private investigation firm, it is important to find out what information they gather and from what sources. Employers can be held liable of violating Federal law if they reject employment based on this type of information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Background Checks provides detailed information about criminal, employment, online, executive, and personal background checks. For more information go to Background Checks and/or visit our affiliate site at Original Content Web.
December 28, 2008 at 9:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Stephen E. Carson joined Visibility Corporation in 2000 bringing more than 20 years of executive management experience spanning multiple, successful start-up and early stage companies to larger, established leaders in diverse markets including software tools, enterprise applications, database management systems and middle ware products in the software industry.
Steve held the position of President and CEO until September 2004. Prior to joining Visibility, Steve held senior management positions in operations, sales and marketing with several corporations including Oracle, Powersoft, Pansophic, Infinium and Pivotpoint. He began his career in sales and sales management at Unisys/Burroughs.
Steve studied marketing and business holding a BS in Business Administration from Bryant University. He is a member and has been certified (CPIM) by the APICS Society and is a member of The New England Technology Sales, Marketing, & Business Development Executives Association.
Visibility Corporation (www.visibility.com) is a leading developer and supplier of business software solutions designed for the unique needs of project-based, engineer-to-order and to-order manufacturers. Visibility’s Enterprise Application solutions help midsize manufacturers of complex products operate their businesses effectively.
VISIBILITY.net is an integrated ERP solution and more. Offering unparalleled functionality and integrated workflow, this browser-based solution cost effectively delivers the power of .NET-based Web services for use with either a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle® database. Conducting business any place, any time, any where is a reality, deployable with unprecedented flexibility.
Visibility Jaclyn Aldrich 978-694-8000
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December 26, 2008 at 11:05 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Cable TV and satellite TV – which is the better system? There’s a battle going on between Cable TV and Satellite TV. Today, consumers have a choice between conventional cable TV, digital cable TV, and all-digital satellite TV. Do you want to know which of the TV system is best for you? Lets compare cable TV and satellite TV head-to-head here.
First, some general things about Cable TV and Satellite TV:
Cable TV & Digital Cable TV
It is obvious that the conventional cable TV are by far the least advanced. Compare to satellite TV, cable TV provides limited features to their customers. Hence, most cable companies now are pushing hard to get their customers on their digital systems in order to compete with satellite TV providers in the market. Digital cable television has many advantages over conventional cable. Through digital cable signals, consumers are able to get high-speed internet access and video on demand, as well as hundreds of cable channel choices.
Satellite TV
Most of the features offered by digital cable TV are offered by satellite TV. Example? Major dish networks offer their own version of high-speed internet through broadband. DirecTV has DirecWay , and DISH Network has partnered with EarthLink to bring high-speed internet to their customers. Besides, satellite TV providers also provide electronic program guides, parental controls, and automated timers.
Here are major comparisons of cable TV and satellite TV:
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: Popularity
Both Cable TV and Satellite TV are popular. Although cable still is more popular overall, satellite TV has made huge gains on cable TV. Equipment Cable TV systems require a cable to be installed from the network to your house. If your street has no cable you may need to wait a while before it is available in your area. Besides the cable you need a receiver. With digital services you need an additional box. Satellite TV requires a satellite dish, a receiver and a cable from the dish to your TV (no digging in your garden).
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: Reception Quality
Cable TV and satellite TV used totally different systems for signal transfering. Cable TV has analog channels and even though you can upgrade to digital services, analog channels will still be analog, meaning an often fuzzy picture. Satellite TV is completely digital, which gives you all the advantages of digital systems. Very heavy rain or snow can obstruct reception briefly, but generally this happens very rarely. Reception quality is much better with Satellite TV.
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: Programming
Cable TV and satellite TV both served high quality programming channels. Cable TV can handle up to 260 channels. Satellite TV can handle more channels. Also, Satellite TV is more advanced in HDTV (High Definition Television) services.
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: Pricing
Pricing for cable TV and satellite TV have huge differences. Satellite TV is less expensive than Cable TV due to many additional costs that are related to Cable TV: franchise fees, taxes, plus costs for any pay per view services, and equipment costs. Dish Network Programming Package starts at only $29.99 per month.
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: Interactive Services
In general Satellite TV has more interactive services than Cable TV. Digital services like Dish Network’s DVR (Digital Video Recorder) which gives the option to rewind while recording even in live broadcasts, EPG (Electronic Program Guide), Instant Weather, video on demand, etc. are all available on Satellite TV, but not all are available on Cable TV.
Cable TV vs Satellite TV: High Speed Internet
Cable has high speed broadband internet services. Satellite has this too, but is somewhat slower. DirecTV: offers Direcway High Speed Internet, which is ultra fast but somewhat expensive. Overall conclusion: Satellite TV is less expensive, has better picture quality (digital signal) and gives you more channels and programming options than cable TV.
I believe that currently satellite TV providers are giving a better services with a lower price. Satellite TV apparently is a must if you want excellent picture quality, fantastic value with excellent features and varieties in TV programming. There are lots more of satellite TV benefits to be talked about, in case you want to find it oput your self, I suggest this site to be viewed: http://wwww.satellitetvissue.com
December 25, 2008 at 4:30 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
QUESTION:
Should I build and maintain my business Web site myself or pay someone else to do the work for me? — Wesley L.
ANSWER:
When you say, pay someone else to do the work for you, Wesley, I am going to assume that you are talking about hiring a professional Web site designer to do the work and not your next-door neighbor’s teenage son. If my assumption is correct, then read on. If not, go ahead and flip over to the comics section. You will get no good out of the advice I’m about to give, so you might as well consult Dilbert for your hot business tips.
Should you build and maintain your business Web site yourself or pay someone to do it for you? Let me answer your question with a couple of my own. Number one: is building and maintaining Web sites the key focus of your business? Number two: could your time be better spent doing more important things like, oh I don’t know, say running your business? If your answers were no and yes, respectively, then you have no business building and maintain a Web site.
Remember this: every minute you spend on tasks that are not related to the key focus of your business is time spent to the detriment of your business. In other words, every minute you spend focusing on tasks that do not contribute to the growth of your business and thereby increase your bottom line is time wasted.
If you want to be a web designer, be a web designer. However, if the key focus of your business is building widgets, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that your time would be better spent building widgets, not Web sites.
Case in point: I once had a very wealthy dentist ask if I could teach him how to maintain his Web site so he wouldn’t have to pay me to do it. Now my teeth had helped put this guy’s kids through college, but that didn’t seem to matter. At that moment he was more concerned about having to pay for changes to his Web site than my personal oral hygiene. Sure, I said, I’ll be glad to teach you how to update your Web site, just as soon as you teach me how to clean my own teeth so I don’t have to pay you to do it. He got the point. And he charged me enough for the cleaning to keep his site updated for months. Smart man.
Many business owners think they can’t afford a professionally designed Web site and that simply is not true. While the old adage, “you get what you pay for” is never more true than when applied to Web site design, having a professional web designer do the work for you is money well spent. A well-designed Web site can bring you a many-fold return on your investment. You can’t say that about too many other collaterals.
While it is best to leave Web site design and maintenance to the experts, it is up to you (or someone considered a subject matter expert within your company) to provide the designer with the content (text and photographs) that best conveys your company’s message to your customers. A Web site, no matter how well designed, is meaningless if it lacks the content required to interest customers in the products you sell or services you provide.
Here’s are a few questions that, once answered, will help ensure that your Web site’s message is as appealing as its design. Go over these points with the designer before the design process begins as the answers will help determine the direction your Web site’s design should take.
What Is The Purpose Of Your Web Site?
Most business Web sites have two purposes: (1) to educate the consumer and, (2) to sell them products or services. If you sell shoes, for example, the purpose of your Web site is to educate potential customers on the quality and durability of your shoes and as a result, to sell them shoes. If you paint houses the purpose of your Web site is to educate home owners on why your services are superior to other painters and sell them on hiring you to paint their house. By defining the purpose of your Web site you will give the designer the information required to create a Web site that best conveys that purpose to your target audience.
Who Is My Target Audience?
Your target audience consists of those folks you want to attract to your Web site: potential and current customers, future and current employees, possible investors, etc. Anyone who might be interested in your company and its products or services is a member of your target audience. Correctly identifying your target audience is vital since your Web site should be designed specifically to appeal to your target audience.
Put yourself in their shoes (or in front of their computers). Imagine your Web site through their eyes. If you were visiting a Web site such as yours what would you expect to find and what would you be disappointed not to find? Identify your target audience, then have your Web site designed to fulfill their needs and surpass their expectations.
What Content Should My Web Site Feature?
Your Web site content should be driven by the nature of your business. If you’re a real estate agent, your site should feature photographs of homes you have for sale and information on buying and selling a home. If you own an auto body shop, your site might feature before and after photographs of cars that you have repaired. Remember to determine the purpose of your site, then develop the content to serve that purpose.
What’s My Competition Doing?
The last question you should ask is one of the most important: What is your competition doing on the Web? Do a Google search for similar businesses and click around their Web sites. How are their Web sites designed? What message are they trying to convey? Are they doing a good job of conveying that message and as a result, selling products? What do you like about their Web sites? What don’t you like? Make note of the things you like and the things you hate, then share your findings with your site designer.
Remember, you’re not stealing trade secrets here.
You’re just borrowing ideas.
Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur
and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.
Tim’s latest books include “Small Business Success Secrets”
and “The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!”
Related Links:
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
December 25, 2008 at 12:56 am · Filed under Uncategorized
1) Articles will quickly position you as an expert in your field.
The written word is incredibly powerful. Writing articles sets you apart from your competition. You never have to say “Listen to me, I’m an expert!” Your articles do that for you, because articles increase your “expert-ability.”
2) Articles can become little 24/7 salespeople.
Once you have an article published, especially on the internet, you now have a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 day a year international salesperson working specifically for you and your business.
3) Just one article can be used in many ways.
This is called leverage. Just one article can be used a a free report, a bonus, featured in a newsletter or ezine, become part of an online e-course, become part of a book, and many other ways.
4) Articles spread the word about your business and your services.
One article that I wrote 5 years ago was recently used in one of my internet newsletters. A newspaper reporter that is on my mailing list saw it and interviewed me for a story. When he pitched it to his editor, the editor liked it so much that they turned it into a feature article. They ran it on the front page of the paper, and it has been picked up and run across the country.
5) Marketing articles is simple, easy and inexpensive, especially when compared to other ways of marketing online.
It costs you nothing to write an article. It also costs you nothing to have it listed on article directories such as EzineArticles.com. Imagine what it would cost you to pay for that kind of exposure and publicity.
6) Articles can help you build a mailing list that you can market to over and over again.
Once you have a few articles out there, you will reach a certain critical mass where the prospects begin to flow in. Continue to grow past the critical mass, and you will grow to the point where you could not stop the traffic and prospects flowing in if you wanted to.
7) Articles allow you to stay in touch with customers/clients and sell more products.
We know that it can take from 5 to 8 contacts or more for new prospect to be ready to become a customer. Articles allow you to stay in touch with prospects and provide them with quality information.
Visit The Article Empire Coach for more leading edge tips and tools for writing articles that bring you prospects, publicity and profits. You can also subscirbe to our monthly Article Empire Tips Newsletter. You are also invited to visit my Express-Start Article Writing Program for more information on the next article writing tele-seminar.
December 24, 2008 at 10:09 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Oh god, here we go again. Christmas time is a real headache when it comes to decoration the house every year. Getting all the decorations out every year is not a fun job. Usually it requires getting up in the attic, or crawl space to get out all the dusty boxes. And you never can find all of the stuff that you stick in random boxes. The worst of all is the lights. These things are a mess every single year. This year was extremely frustrating for me. I have no big ladder so I really did not have any way to get all the lights up on the house. Luckily there is a bunch of construction going on next door and they let me borrow their big ladder. I was grateful that they let me use it, so I hurried and got the lights up as soon as I could. About halfway thought putting all the lights up, I thought that maybe I should plug them in to see if they even worked. Wouldn’t you know it… they didn’t work, so now I had to tear them all down and find out what happened? After messing with the lights for about an hour, I just said forget it, and tossed them all out in trash.
December 24, 2008 at 9:40 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Often, time is an enemy of writers. Sales seem slow and checks too small. How does one make the most of their effort? Here are some tips that will multiply your sales.
1. Companies accepting manuscripts from freelancers offer copies of their writing guidelines and sample copies. Assume there’s a reason for them. Study them. Study their web sites as well. What do they tell you about the publication’s readers? The Internet will save you much postage and time from when I started.
2. Think ahead. Lead times for publication are rarely short. Writers’ guidelines often teach Christmas is in July. Lead times can be shorter for the Internet. Learn what they are. Submit accordingly.
3. Take advantage of your research. Write more than one manuscript for the same effort. This adds to your productivity. Interviewing a camp director? Write a feature article on how to select a camp for more than one market. Write a filler article. Write an article on finding work at a camp.
4. Resell the same manuscript multiple times. My record for off-line for publication with one manuscript is seventeen reprints. It is easy to surpass this on the web.
5. Resell to editors. Once you sell to a company, send another query or manuscript to its editor. Some companies may buy from you for each issue, others will buy only once every so many months. Learn what they want before you submit. Learn this from studying their publication before you query. If they like what you do, keep them happy.
6. Use query letters whenever possible. When an editor has OK’d a query letter first you usually succeed at selling the manuscript . This saves valuable time! Kill fees are more often offered if article results from a query letter as well.
7. Take a look at your sales. What has worked for you? How can you multiply your sales?
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