The Truth Behind Valentine's Day - Past and Present

It is not true that Valentine's day is a holiday invented by greedy greeting card companies eager to sell more stock or by candy companies to sell more chocolate, or general retailers to create more business once Christmas is over. It is easy to imagine that Valentine's Day was created by them because as soon as the stores put away their Christmas merchandise, out comes the Valentine's Day items - even though Valentine's is still more than six weeks away.

In a blink Rudolph and Santa are replaced with red ribbon and pink hearts and mass produced Valentine's Day cards in thousands of designs and sizes - large, small, serious, silly, inexpensive, expensive, musical (my least favourite because they sound so tinny) and traditional ones. Valentine's Day is the biggest single twenty hour period for florists, a huge event for greeting card companies and a boon for candy
makers.

Valentine's Day began more than 1,500 years ago. According to legend, Valentine was a priest who performed marriages in continued defiance of the orders of the Roman emperor Claudius. The emperor had realized that no young men wanted to join his army and then leave their wives and sweethearts. When it was discovered that Valentine was still performing marriages in secret, he was cruelly sentenced to death.

Valentine allegedly cured the jailer's daughter of blindness and on the night before his execution, he sent a note to her signed "from your Valentine". Reportedly he died on February. 14, 269 A.D.

More than 200 years later in 496 A.D., February 14 was named by Pope Gelasius to honor St. Valentine. Today more than 1,700 years have passed since the real Valentine died, and people are still celebrating Valentine's Day in a big way. A staggering 180 million Valentine's cards were sold last year.

It may never have occurred to you that Valentine's Day is a major crisis day for anyone who is having an affair. After all, Valentine's Day is the one holiday when everyone is expected to do something romantic for their spouse or lover -- and if someone has both, it's a serious problem and a logistic nightmare.

Not surprisingly then one of the most busiest groups of professionals on Valentine's Day is the private detective when their workload can quadruple. Most people figure if anything suspicious is going on it will show itself around Valentine's Day. Apparently it is a huge mistake for a cheating husband to book a business trip over Valentine's Day. It rates really highly on the scale of suspicious activity.

The competition element of what your spouse did for you on Valentine's Day is another highly disconcerting fact. Some people believe the main event is the day after when some women get together and the comparisons begin.

The competition factor can be particularly acute on the night as well if you go out for a meal on Valentine's Day - what you basically have is a collection of couples spending the whole night discretely observing each other in a restaurant, trying to reassure themselves that their relationship is less dysfunctional than the others.

Last year at a flash restaurant in London on Valentine's Day night a couple started arguing and the wife stood up, slapped the husband across the face and then stormed off in a huff. The husband composed himself, took a few more sips of his red wine and then proceeded to loudly call his mistress on his mobile. Within 15 minutes the immaculately dressed younger mistress turned up at the restaurant and sat down delighted that her lover had arranged the restaurant meal especially on Valentine's Day.

The first course arrived and then you would not believe it but guess who should walk back into the restaurant but the wife. Heated words flew, culminating in the wife pouring the rest of the bottle of red wine all over the husband's head and then the wife and mistress leaving together joined arm in arm in their thorough disgust with the sod of a man in their lives.

All this occurred whilst the other diners where sitting there quietly totally bewildered but secretly impressed with how fabulously functional their own relationship was.

The interesting twist that all came out in the newspapers the week after is that the colourful threesome were actors hired by the restaurant specifically to entertain the diners and make them feel grateful about the state of their own relationships.

This year you can avoid the actors and private detectives by stealing away somewhere quiet with your special someone. Do not whatever you do go away on a business trip over Valentine's Day, or for that matter go on a conference on the preceding or following weekend since Valentine's Day falls on a Wednesday this year.

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How to Receive a Lousy Gift Graciously

Unless you are an Oscar-worthy actor it is really quite difficult not to show at least some disappointment when presented with a putrescent gift.

Here are some tactics you might want to use in this situation.

1. Go for the Oscar anyway and say it's just what you always wanted. This has the advantage of minimizing any embarrassing moments but it's probably obvious that you don't mean it. And keep it short, Forrest Whittaker you ain't.

2. Pretend that they have actually given you a million dollars. This might be slightly embarrassing after you have danced around the room whooping, hugged everyone in sight and planted a big kiss on his or her mouth.

3. Start to say thank you and then pretend someone has just come into the room that you really need to see. This could be a problem if there are just the two of you but should work in large crowds.

4. Clutch your chest, start wheezing and shout "I think I'm having a heart attack!". This only really works if you can belch on demand and claim it was gas before anyone calls 911. It's also worth pre-warning any loved ones so they don't get too worried. Although this could mean they won't do anything if you really do have a heart attack!

5. Talk really slowly, or repeat yourself, to give yourself time to come up with a response. "Well, well, well. Will you look at that. Wow. Well I never. Never got one of these before" should give you time to work on a diplomatic response.

6. Change the subject rapidly. Start talking about the gift and then branch off onto how you saw one on vacation once, and what a great vacation it was and have they ever been there? Vacation stories always drive people away!

7. Resolve to get them an equally bad gift next time that should put a smile on your face!

Above all remind yourself that they have tried their best and have taken the time to get you something. And remember - there's always eBay!

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4 ways to plan a surprise for boyfriend or husband

Are you looking for a way to plan a surprise for boyfriend or husband? You have picked up a great Dating Buzz. Wondering what men like or how a man would love to be surprised? Women love to plan a surprise for boyfriend or husband but are often out of ideas of how they could do it. Especially when your they are difficult to get surprised easily. Then check out this 4 ways for women to plan a surprise for boyfriend or husband. I'm sure this tips will make your them guessing but without risking to uncover your actual surprise.

Hidden Tickets to a Concert or Favorite Sports Game

You could get them tickets to a sports game or a concert if they are hardcore fan of a band or a sports team and usually that is what men like. The refrigerator, his wallet or in a pocket of his favorite shirt would be a great place to hide the tickets where your boyfriend or your husband will find them on their own. You can't imagine how surprised they will be when they find the ticket and even more when they see what tickets are they for. A great surprise for boyfriend or husband. Bet you haven't thought about this Dating Buzz.

Night on the Town surprise!

Plan a night out in town if you consider to have a special and romantic surprise with your partner. Before the actual day of the surprise, plan out all the stops you want to visit in town. But to keep this to a great surprise, you will need to insist him that you should drive for the night to ensure he has no idea as to where the next destination will be. Take him to some of his favorite places. It will be great to be driven around especially when driven to a new and interesting places. What men like is not to be the driver all the time too.

Have a Surprise Party

It is not as difficult as you think to have a surprise party. What you need to do to keep the surprise going is to just tell your boyfriend or husband that you are planning a special night for his birthday just the two of you. This will keep him in oblivion and eventually catch him off guard at the party by not expecting a crowd of family and friends. This is the most common Dating Buzz.

Scavenger Hunt

This can easily be the best surprise for boyfriend or husband. Depending on your preferences and your motivation you can vary the size of the hunt. A simple scavenger hunt would be by just putting clues around your house. However it could be much more interesting to make a larger scavenger hunt by placing all the clues in a well-hidden public areas. What men like would be to include his favorite places into the scavenger hunt.

There is another method for a scavenger hunt. You can do this by telling your boyfriend or husband to look for a specific item. For this, you are required to list some of your favorite things (things both of you like), and tell them to look for the items and take a picture of it.

These different surprise for boyfriend and husband will work at different occasion. For a great dating buzz you will need to think of the method that is best to work with the surprise you already planned. Also think about best way to keep your surprise a secret. And best of all, have fun!

Get the secrets into man's heart and what men like. They will then, give you the world. Click here.
Women Men Adore
Find out more on the great dating buzz.

Macdlena Jonathan

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Article Author Biography Mesmerizing Attractions to Visit on Switzerland Tour

by BRIJESH PAL
Switzerland is the daydream destination in Europe. The holiday makers and the honeymooners from every nook and corner of the world floods to this abundant natural beautiful place lovingly called as the heaven on Earth. This beautiful country is bordered by the Austria, Italy, Germany and France and is heralded as the land of Alps. This country is the most sought after tourist destinations in Europe which is beautifully endowed by the natural beauty and considered as one of the richest and happiest country in the world. Visitors are very enthusiast and truly they dream of to enjoy their vacation on in this paradise on earth or simply they go crazy for Swiss Vacations.
It is the most tempting tourist destination and the most beautiful place on the Earth. The visitors comes to this beautiful country in thousands, hundred and in several and throughout the year. Truly it is an ideal place for the visitors and for the honeymooners to make their honeymoon holidays the most romantic and in most memorable way. Any Switzerland packages will offer you some astounding attractions which will make you fall in love and hook to visit this place again and again.

Zermatt Zermatt is one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland and is blessed with astounding tourist attractions and sight seeing attractions. This is truly never fails impressing the heart of the visitors with it’s out of these world natural surroundings, the alpine villages and its clean and green surrounding. The attractions which will truly leave you spell bound on your visit to this beautiful city are Mountain Railroads, Market Square, Matterhorn, Alpine Museum, Findeln Glacier and Bahnhofstrasse Street. This city is dotted with beautiful stalls on the street side, restaurants and many shops which are very idle for shopping.

The Chillon Castle The Chillon Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world which consists of hundred independent buildings. It is located on the bank of picturesque Lake of Geneva. This castle has four magnificent halls and three courtyards which offers scintillating views of the beyond lake. Its splendid location is truly a wonder and magnificent which attracts tourists from the entire world on their Switzerland Tour.

 

Bern This is one of the most famous and diverse cities in Switzerland and is also the capital city of this wonderful country in Europe. This is an ancient city and is very worth to visit with any Switzerland Tour Packages bought from a leading tour operator. The medieval buildings, fountains, flora, museums, enrolling green mountains lush gardens are truly magnificent and very worth to visit. This city is granted as a World Heritage Status. This ancient city offers entertainment and delights the visitor’s lot so never miss the opportunity to visit as it seems your visit to Switzerland is incomplete without visiting the ancient city of Bern.

Apart from these there are many more attractions and destinations which are worth to visit in this beautiful Switzerland. So, if you want to enjoy memorable vacations in the lap of Mother Nature visit Switzerland the heaven on Earth.

WOMEN'S WEIGHT LOSS ARE THERE BENEFITS TO HAVING A WEIGHT LOSS COACH

KEVIN BRANDT
Whenever women start their weight loss program they want to do their best to achieve their weight loss goals, feel great and also look great. Another goal women want is a life changing experience to feel like they never have before. Many women look for fast and effective results and have the best intentions of finding the program that will give it to them. As many women start their program they might start losing weight and then all of a sudden they reach a plateau and can’t figure out why the weight isn’t coming off and they might try changing their program around and switching things in their diet the only problem with that is if you don’t know what you are doing or you don’t know what the problem is in the first place you could be making the wrong changes and not even know it. Then after a while nothing is working right in your weight loss program or it may be getting even worse and you might not be seeing any results at all. The first thing you have to understand without the proper guidance or someone to help you alter or fine tune your weight loss program you could be doing more harm than good. Now I’m sure everyone has a basic knowledge of what they need to do to lose weight but what a lot of women don’t realize is as you start losing weight the first thing to go will be excess water weight that your system is caring. After that it is very possible you will hit a plateau at some point were women’s weight isn’t coming off at all or very slowly, or you just might be staying at the same weight for long periods of time. This is where you need the guidance and leadership of someone who can analyze the situation. For example once the water goes, you may need to add more proteins and nutrients to your program and what that will do is build muscle mass and burn fat tissue. Now you may need to focus on increasing your metabolism and also speeding up your digestive system to help you process you meals faster, now these are just a couple very important situations that will make a difference in your weight loss program. From watching and analyzing many of women in the several different weight loss programs I find in my personal studies that there is a much higher percentage of success in a women’s weight loss program when she is guided by a Weight loss Coach to guide her through her program and be able to analyze any problems and provide effective solutions to resolve issues as they happen to make a women’s program very effective with great, fast and effective results. Now a Weight Loss Coach has many responsibilities which are to provide you with guidance and answers to any and all question you may have. Remember ladies as you begin to lose weight your body starts to change and evolve and when that happens that’s when you’re Coach will step in because they are ready for these changes. A weight loss coach knows that weight loss happens in different stages and levels so when you reach a plateau for example you contact your weight loss coach and at that point your Weight Loss Coach will analyze the situation and make your program more defined to help you focus in on certain areas or to help you overcome things you may be struggling with. Now let’s say for example you are losing weight and all of a sudden you hit a plateau and you are feeling drained or tired and out of energy. The very next thing you should do is get on the phone and explain the situation to your Weight Loss Coach and the advice your Coach will give you is to eat 4 to 5 small meals a day, this will increase your digestive system and in turn will also increase your metabolism and this will provide the energy you are looking for. When you just eat one big meal it will slow all your systems down. Your Coach will also let you know that by doing that this is what will happen the 4 to 5 meals that have eaten is the right thing to do. Now to all you women out there that are trying to lose weight it is absolutely vital that you find a Coach, there are several benefits to doing so. First off you won’t spend countless hours trying something that might not even work. Another thing to think about is when you hit different plateaus in your weight loss program your Weight Loss Coach will be standing by to analyze the situation and alter your program to keep you heading in the right direction, remember ladies you always want to be heading forward at all times and when you’re not something needs to be redefined or you need to focus on a specific area. So it is very beneficial to have a Weight Loss coach to guide you, also trouble shoot and also analyze your productivity and help you alter your program to handle any problems that might occur. So all you women out there don’t try to figure things out or make changes you could be waiting countless hours focusing on the wrong situation that’s why it is crustal to having the guidance of a Coach.

Want to Live Debt Free? These Tips Will Help

Do you dream about being debt free some day? This can be a reality if you follow some basic rules and do what it takes. To start down the road to financial freedom you need to do a few things first. Are you ready? Let's go.

Tip #1. You need to admit there is a problem.

Is there not enough cash coming in or is it spent too quickly, or both? Is the money being spent on non-essentials? Is the income being spent unwisely on luxury items that you cannot really afford? Do you know how much you really have to spend? Do you know how much you owe and to whom?

You need to honestly answer these questions and be prepared to take some action.

Tip #2. You need a make a plan and stick to it.

First of all, you need to know your financial situation. Take out all your credit cards' statements and add up the outstanding balances. Make a plan to reduce the debt to a certain level within a fixed period of time. Once this is done there are tools you can use from the Internet to track your spending and your debt reduction.

Imagine what you will be able to do with the money you currently use to pay off debt.

Tip #3. Never add to your debt. Cut up the credit cards and live within your means.

Work out ways to cut down on your expenses so that you can live within your means. Start to put some funds aside for emergencies. You can cut down your expenses easily if you just think creatively. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

a) Anything you need (not just want) can usually be bought at a sale. Commit to not buying at retail prices again. Look in newspapers, wait for sales and be patient.

b) Cook at home a lot more often. Freeze leftovers. Plan you food needs for the week. Make your lunch for work instead of buying it each day.

c) Read magazines, get DVDs and Videos for free from your local library.

d) Take up a hobby. Get busy - shop less. Maybe your hobby can create some income?

e) Give up the coffee bought while shopping or at work.

f) Maybe if you tried you could get away with only 1 car. Travel by bus or train if possible.

Tip #4. Don't compare yourself with others.

If you spend to keep up with others, think whether they may be in a similar position to you. Work out and understand how much you can spend and how much needs to be put aside for saving or emergencies.

Tip #5. Pay off one small debt completely.

This will give you a boost and help you keep on track more easily and you'll be more motivated to pay off all the debts.

Tip #6. Keep some fun money.

This process needs to be fun, not a misery. If it becomes a chore you will be tempted not to meet your goals. Keep some money aside that allows you the freedom to spend on things you want, occasionally. You'll feel so much better aboutspending on items that you can afford.

To truly solve your debt problems you need to keep yourself under control. There's no one else who can do this for you. Ask for God's help also. You'll be so glad you did, once the debt burden has been lifted and you can become your own person.

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6 Little Spending Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Financial Freedom

Can't seem to get ahead financially? Debts piling up? Maybe you're making some of these mistake unknowingly. These mistakes listed below will help you understand where you may be going wrong and how to get back on track quickly. You can be debt free.

Mistake 1. Living Beyond Your Means

This is the real cause of your worry and stress. If you are spending more than you are earning, whose money are you spending? It's the credit card provider's or the bank's. The cost of this money is interest.

The way out - Make a Commitment to yourself only to spend within your income limits. Maybe you could increase your income (or cash in) by applying for more skilled positions, selling some of your unused articles or assets. Is the second car really a necessity? What about working out ways to make your hobby pay for itself?

Why not find ways to reduce your spending? How much would you save each year if you decided not to have the daily coffee shop coffee? Why not make your work lunch each day rather than buying it? Commit to only buying the necessities.

Mistake 2. Paying Off Less Than the Full Credit Card Balance Each Month

Get this debt under control and your life will be much easier. If you are like many others and only pay the minimum balance each month, the interest on the interest makes those purchases oh so expensive.

The way out - Find ways to put aside more money to apply to the credit cards. It will take time to reach this goal. However, if you don't make a start now you may never pay them off. This situation did not occur overnight and neither will the solution. But, by diligence and commitment you'll get there.

Mistake 3. Not Really Knowing Your Financial Situation

Before you can set meaningful goals and develop savings strategies you need to know your financial situation now. The best, proven and tested method by far, is by developing your own personal budget. This is not hard to do. Please don't give up now. Just follow these simple steps:

The way out -
a)Find your latest credit card statements. Write down all the unpaid balances.
b)Are there any other unpaid debts (not home or car) then include these balances as well.
c)List out your (or family) monthly income. Only the amounts "brought home". Include all types of income.
d) Work out your monthly spending. List out where all the money goes. Don't leave anything out.
e) Minus the monthly spending total from the monthly income total and review the answer.
This will give you an initial idea as to whether you are living within your means or on borrowed money.

Mistake 4. Continually Adding to Your Debt

If debt has got you into this situation it is critically important not to add to the state of affairs and thus make it worse.

The way out - cut up the credit cards, keeping only 1 for emergencies. Don't buy on impulse. Ask yourself twice or three times before you buy anything "Do I really need this?" before you hand over your hard-earned money. Don't buy at the height of the fashion or fad. Commit to never paying full retail for anything. Get it on sale or negotiate a lower price.

Mistake 5. Spending All Your Income

It may sound OK to spend any money you earn but there are risks attached to this strategy. How are you going to pay for emergency items? What about major car repairs. What about major electrical appliance replacement? Are you going to pay for these on credit? Bad idea! How are you going to save for a substantial deposit on the next car?

The way out - Once you've prepared your budget you will clearly see what you need to do to put some income aside for other needs such are emergencies and repairs.

Mistake 6. Spending Without Caring About Your Future

Unless you are planning for your future and financial security, you cannot be really happy. There are always worries lurking in your mind about how you would survive in a financial emergency if you have no savings. It can be very rewarding to see how quickly your savings multiply over time with only a small investment each payday.

The way out - Take stock of your life and realize that tomorrow won't look after itself. It needs your attention. Keep some funds aside to put away for your retirement, children's college costs, emergencies, holidays and major purchases.

Avoid these 6 spending mistakes and you'll be well on your way to financial freedom. Guaranteed.

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ETF Advantages And Disadvantages

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a popular among investors nowadays. These investment vehicles are similar to index funds, except they are traded as stocks on the stock market. Here are advantages and disadvantages of investing in ETFs
 Advantages
1. Convenience: Investing in ETFs are as easy as investing in stocks. You just need to buy one as you would buy any regular stock.
2. Low fees. Like index fund, ETFs have low fees. You can expect the management fee to be about .1% for S&P 500 trackers like IVV and SPY. The management fees are higher for more exoticETFs like the Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWN) and Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (VWO).
3. Tax efficient. There are no unexpected capital gains/losses when you purchase an ETF. Sell when tax-wise it makes the most sense to you.
Disadvantages
1. Convenience. The ease of buying/selling an ETF means you might sell an ETF when you later believed you should have held on. Of course, solid investment discipline will avoid this disadvantage.
2. Market spread. If you are buying a rare ETF, the buy/ask spread might be somewhat significant. This can be avoided if you invest in the major ETFs.
3. Index fund disadvantages. Since you gain the advantages of an index fund (like low fees), you also receive most of the disadvantages as well. Because an ETF blindly follows an index, it means it holds shares of stocks you might not like that happen to be in that index.

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Spiritual Traveler is a Divine Gypsy

The Spiritual Traveler is a …Divine Gypsy!

Some may say, Carmen this is foolish; I have to have a home, I have to have a car, I have to have a job, I have to make a living, I have to...I have to… I say, YOU HAVE to HAVE an attitude adjustment that is what you HAVE to do:

I write to you in mere words…that often pails to the message I am compelled to convey. It is truly an experience for your mind, a practice of disconnecting your earthy thoughts, needs, and desires, your egotistical thoughts, and honing in on your intrinsic examination. Your spiritual nature, your authentic highest self, your truest persona, the deeper reasons to why you are planted in this earth, at his very moment.

Surely, you do not believe that you are here to take up space? Our divine call is much greater than that. In fact as a living breathing being, that is first a spirit being having a human being experience. Wrap your brain around that one, and see what possibilities it brings.

We often are too caught up in the dumb stuff…the meaningless drama that we find ourselves in that we loose touch on the more tangible real lesson our soul seeks. Simply, each situation you are faced with is to feed first your spiritual nature, and then what is left is for your mind to consume. Our mind takes the information, process it, and act on what it perceives. So, the important fact is to see each situation as good…and you will manifest positively using all input that comes your way…

Jesus the Christ demonstrated this principle daily as his walked on his earthly path. In each situation he faced, he choose to take away a loving, forgiving, excepting energy that continually propelled him to greater consciousness and awareness.

This is true even on the mount of Gethsemane where, he cried blood tears for his cup (the experience of the cross), to be taken away. He showed us that with mediation and prayer, he grew into acceptance, and took away a clean and free heart, his burden became light. He took the HIGH road through the most emotionally trying situation of his life. This Spiritual Traveler showed us the way to soaring above earthly trials.

The attitude of the spiritually aware individual is a sense of detachment to the earthly events that embeds lack, scarcity, separation, and fear; they are the negative influences that can keep you bound, and cause you to become off balance in your true practices. (The practice) Faith takes deliberate intention and focus on your souls' evolvement first. Embracing meditation, being learned in the ways of God, applying universal law in each of our experiences, cultivates confidence, walking in freedom, acceptance, loving and forgiving heart which allows us to navigate in any terrain.

Our only goal should be to walk by faith. It is the ultimate balancer for the spiritual traveler. In childlike wonder we explore the ancient teachings, devour the messages of our descendant masters; soak up the wisdom principles with thirst and enthusiasm. Then give from an abundant storehouse of knowledge and resources. We give from the overflow; from the abundance of our hearts, the treasures that were picked up on on our life's journeys.

Building the fire in your belly is required for lighting your path; allowing you to not only keep warm, light your path, nourish your mind, soul and body, but as an love offering to others in need. You will meet many along the road as you travel…some may have news/light to give to you, and others you will have news/light to give to them...we are to nourish each other, and that is what life energy does the best, provide!

To actively participate in the change we want to see in the world. Is to be the change! Taking the first step and in preparation for your journey, pack very lightly. Take only a day rations… Meaning, drop your old, tired, weathered, and warned baggage off before you start. I mean, old behaviors, old thought forms, old beliefs that have dragged you down in the past…get a complete attitude adjustment before you begin.

Develop the ultimate appreciation for the majestic beauty of your breath. Hold on to the promise, that all things are provided for you before you have knowledge that you are in need of them…Remember the "Manna," given to the children/travelers of the wilderness?

Now that you have awakened in a renewed state of being, join me on the road, as we … the spiritual traveler creates a world that works for everyone. We are here to pave the way for others…we soon become the teacher, the way shower for perhaps thousands to find their way.

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Pros And Cons of Different Types Of Investments

When deciding where to invest your money, you need to always take into account your investment goals and objectives. Different types of investments carry varying degrees of risks and potential return.

CD
A bank CD is a very safe investment. The CD is FDIC insured up to $100,000, so there truly is minimal risk. The only downside is that you cannot withdraw that money in the CD for a specific amount of time or else you'll receive a penalty. Bank CDs generally only pay up to 5% interest.
Bonds
A bond is essentially a loan you make to a company or a government. Bonds have varying degrees of risk, from essentially risk-free treasuries to junk bonds. The higher the risk of the bond, the higher thereturn will generally be.
Stocks
Stocks are investments in companies. Depending on the company, the risk of the investment can be high or low. Obviously, buying stock in Johnson and Johnson is a lot less risky than a new internet startup company. In general, the stock market returns on average about 10% a year, though the actual return of any given stock will vary significantly.
 Mutual Funds
A mutual fund typically invests in over 100 stocks, so it's an instant way to diversify your portfolio. However, the mutual fund generally charges a fee, which is about 1% of your assets per year. Because of this fee, most mutual funds do not outperform the market; a monkey blindly picking100 stocks but not charging you a fee could easily outperform most mutual funds.
Real Estate
Real estate is a popular investment. The most obvious real estate investment you'll make is when you purchase your home. Your home can go up or down in value when you sell it; it depends on the housing market in your area.

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Spiritual Traveler is a Divine Gypsy

The Spiritual Traveler is a …Divine Gypsy!

Some may say, Carmen this is foolish; I have to have a home, I have to have a car, I have to have a job, I have to make a living, I have to...I have to… I say, YOU HAVE to HAVE an attitude adjustment that is what you HAVE to do:

I write to you in mere words…that often pails to the message I am compelled to convey. It is truly an experience for your mind, a practice of disconnecting your earthy thoughts, needs, and desires, your egotistical thoughts, and honing in on your intrinsic examination. Your spiritual nature, your authentic highest self, your truest persona, the deeper reasons to why you are planted in this earth, at his very moment.

Surely, you do not believe that you are here to take up space? Our divine call is much greater than that. In fact as a living breathing being, that is first a spirit being having a human being experience. Wrap your brain around that one, and see what possibilities it brings.

We often are too caught up in the dumb stuff…the meaningless drama that we find ourselves in that we loose touch on the more tangible real lesson our soul seeks. Simply, each situation you are faced with is to feed first your spiritual nature, and then what is left is for your mind to consume. Our mind takes the information, process it, and act on what it perceives. So, the important fact is to see each situation as good…and you will manifest positively using all input that comes your way…

Jesus the Christ demonstrated this principle daily as his walked on his earthly path. In each situation he faced, he choose to take away a loving, forgiving, excepting energy that continually propelled him to greater consciousness and awareness.

This is true even on the mount of Gethsemane where, he cried blood tears for his cup (the experience of the cross), to be taken away. He showed us that with mediation and prayer, he grew into acceptance, and took away a clean and free heart, his burden became light. He took the HIGH road through the most emotionally trying situation of his life. This Spiritual Traveler showed us the way to soaring above earthly trials.

The attitude of the spiritually aware individual is a sense of detachment to the earthly events that embeds lack, scarcity, separation, and fear; they are the negative influences that can keep you bound, and cause you to become off balance in your true practices. (The practice) Faith takes deliberate intention and focus on your souls' evolvement first. Embracing meditation, being learned in the ways of God, applying universal law in each of our experiences, cultivates confidence, walking in freedom, acceptance, loving and forgiving heart which allows us to navigate in any terrain.

Our only goal should be to walk by faith. It is the ultimate balancer for the spiritual traveler. In childlike wonder we explore the ancient teachings, devour the messages of our descendant masters; soak up the wisdom principles with thirst and enthusiasm. Then give from an abundant storehouse of knowledge and resources. We give from the overflow; from the abundance of our hearts, the treasures that were picked up on on our life's journeys.

Building the fire in your belly is required for lighting your path; allowing you to not only keep warm, light your path, nourish your mind, soul and body, but as an love offering to others in need. You will meet many along the road as you travel…some may have news/light to give to you, and others you will have news/light to give to them...we are to nourish each other, and that is what life energy does the best, provide!

To actively participate in the change we want to see in the world. Is to be the change! Taking the first step and in preparation for your journey, pack very lightly. Take only a day rations… Meaning, drop your old, tired, weathered, and warned baggage off before you start. I mean, old behaviors, old thought forms, old beliefs that have dragged you down in the past…get a complete attitude adjustment before you begin.

Develop the ultimate appreciation for the majestic beauty of your breath. Hold on to the promise, that all things are provided for you before you have knowledge that you are in need of them…Remember the "Manna," given to the children/travelers of the wilderness?

Now that you have awakened in a renewed state of being, join me on the road, as we … the spiritual traveler creates a world that works for everyone. We are here to pave the way for others…we soon become the teacher, the way shower for perhaps thousands to find their way.

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Staying in Business in a Slow Economy

In a recession, sales are collapsing anywhere you look. Business owners are all complaining how difficult it is to make a sale. Well, that is not something new or something surprising in today’s market condition. With almost all sales professionals trying to stay on top of the situation, it’s typical to see a business or two giving up in the middle of it all. So what could you do in an economy that is starting to hit the brakes? How can you get more sales despite the weak economy? 1. Market! Even if other businesses are slowing down in their marketing activities, you should just go with the flow and cut on your marketing campaign as well. Today more than ever is the best time to promote your business and tell people what they can benefit from your offerings. Offering something valuable to your customers, something they can’t get from other businesses. Get your business cards working. Attend networking events, conferences, trade shows, and other business gatherings. That is a big opportunity for you to showcase your business. 2. Stay away from insignificant activities. Many business owners would tell you that in times of economic downturn you need to increase your appointments and give more presentations. You need to also follow up on previous customers who didn’t buy anything from you yet. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but perhaps it would be more profitable is your focus your activities on those that produce results. Reevaluate your opportunities by answering these questions: • What compelling reasons have you provided your prospects to buy your product? • Why should your prospects buy from you? • Why should they purchase now? It’s actually about giving your customers a reason to buy from you. Focus on that and you can create profitable marketing activities that produce results. 3. Make every conversation count. It’s important to save all your energy in conversations that are sure to give you a positive outcome. With people getting picker these days, you need to be able to carry out meaningful conversations with your prospects. Don’t ask or tell them details and information they already know. And don’t try to start your conversation with your business card, unless they specifically asked for it. Keep in mind that you are trying to get their attention, and a recycled sales pitch or a poor looking card made from unattractive business card templates won’t do the job for you. If they see that you are just trying to sell them something, they would immediately turn a cold shoulder on you. So instead of talking about your business, your products, and your mission and vision, talk about your prospects. Communicate to them in their terms because unless they are engaged in the conversation they won’t bother listening to what you are talking about. Be sure that you are ready to strike a meaningful conversation before you pick up the phone or talk in person to your prospect. Remember that it’s hard to convince someone these days let alone get a second chance to impress them, so make sure every conversation counts. Remember that no matter how slow the economy is people still have to buy goods. The only difference now is they will be more cautious on where they spend their money. So, make sure that you are on top of their list when they are ready to buy. This writing provides guidelines to the readers about how to advance your business creatively by strong and appealing business cards. *)Martha Killian has been writing articles online for about 2 years now in a printing company. You can also check out this website for more information about winning business cards, and tips on how to make successful business card templates to effectively promote your business.

Starting A Home Based Business? - Avoid These 6 Costly Blunders

A lot of people would like to start an internet home based business. However, many people do not know where to start.

Starting a home based business can be overwhelming and confusing for the inexperienced. The fact that there are a lot of 'business opportunities' on the internet does not make it any easier.

You can easily succeed with your home based business if you just avoid some common mistakes which people make.

So what are some of the common mistakes that people who are starting a home based business usually make?

? No Plans & objectives. A lot of people start their business with no plans, and this is a very costly mistake. It is important to take the necessary time and effort to plan the business and clearly state the objectives you intend to achieve. Some people start their home based business like a hobby and treat it like one. Do not expect to make millions with your online home based business if you treat it like a hobby.

? Reinventing the wheel. Some people starting a home based business make their learning curves very hard and long. The internet is full of proven money making business models. You can succeed easily by identifying the business type that you would like to have your home based business focused on, try to find someone who has succeeded with that business and learn from them, and duplicate what they have done to succeed. It is also important to have the necessary support network, which can be a relevant forum where you can learn more about running your home based business successfully.

? Thinking that you can make money overnight. This is a common misconception which people have, which is also the reason why many people fail and give up easily. Your online home based business is like any other business - you will need to apply the necessary effort and dedication to make it work.

? Believing that your online home based business doesn't need any capital. This is another very common misconception. If you think you can start and develop a home based business without spending a dime, you are misleading yourself. Be prepared to spend some money to get all the resources you will need to develop your business. Although it varies with the type of the home based business you want to set up, you would need some initial resources that you have to invest in the business. This can be for setting up your website, just as an example. You may also need to buy some resources to make your online home based business fully set up.

? No market study before creating a product or starting the business. Yet another very common mistake. For your home based business to succeed, you will need to have a market for whatever you will be offering. Demand for your products is the most important factor that determines the success of your home based business. A market study on the current market size and future potential of the product or service is therefore very important.

? Lacking focus and commitment. Your online business will need a lot of effort for it to succeed, especially during the first two years. You must therefore be prepared to give your business your total commitment.

If you avoid the 6 mistakes outline above, you will succeed with your home based business.

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Business Credit Cards - Good or Bad?

Business credit cards are among the more popular kind of credit cards available. Being on the receiving end of credit is always a privilege and pleasure. Business credit cards are tailored to enhance this pleasure in ways that meet your business needs. Small business credit cards offer various intangible benefits to small businesses in addition to the regular perks.

The Perks of a Business Credit Card

1) Frequent Flier Programs - For business users who travel around the world, additional air miles are one of the exciting perks offered by business credit cards. When a business traveler travels by air and pays through the credit card, they earn bonus miles. These miles can be redeemed in terms of additional air tickets. Another benefit is the regulation and monitoring of business travel by employees by payment through credit cards.
2) Rebates - Some credit cards give rebates on business spending. It can be looked at as a huge saving to the company.
3) Reward Programs - Points are given on each dollar spent through your small business credit card. These points can then be exchanged for a range of exciting merchandise.

The Intangible Benefits of a Small Business Credit Card

One of the benefits of a small business credit card is bringing about a sense of organization. Apart from the separation of business expense from personal expense, the small business credit card also brings great convenience. You can use it to transact via the internet or even the phone.

Tracking business expenditures becomes easy with a small business credit card, giving you organized financial statements at the end of the year.

Individual employee spending can be monitored and regulated through the use of small business credit cards. An important but often overlooked benefit of small business credit cards is the building of business credit. Over time your credit card give you better credit, this is useful as emergency cash when your business grows.

Think Smart for Your Long Term Needs

1) Applying for a card at your bank makes it easier for your application to be accepted. Your existing relationship and their knowledge of your credit history simplify the process.
2) Remember, having too many credit cards not only makes managing them a chore, but also affects your credit rating negatively.
3) Use your small business credit cards effectively, for instance by paying online. Not only does your card offer you faster methods of payment, but also in many instances is a cash saver.
4) Using cash advance should be only for emergency purposes, since they incur interest. Make your payments in time, as not doing so incurs costs that eat into the benefits of owning your business credit card.

Small business credit cards are the new currency of a fast paced, time efficient world. The privilege of owning a business card is balanced with its responsibility. Choose the one that is right for you. Take your business needs into account, and also weigh each credit card against the perks they offer relevant to you. Use good financial sense and do not overextend credit.

Business credit cards are valuable tools that were invented in response to current business needs. Remember to choose wisely, and use wisely.

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How to Save Real Money When Running the Family Car

Your car will serve you well, and cost effectively, if you take the time to learn a few basic maintenance skills. Ready to start? Let's go.

There are many areas where you can save real money when running your car. Some of these are:
- Actual running expenses
- Minimizing serving costs
- Reducing the slide in value as it gets older

Let's look at each of these areas in turn.

Actual Running Expenses - save on day-to-day running costs

a) Go easy on the throttle and the brake pedals. If you anticipate the traffic and road conditions a little more, you can save fuel and brake pad wear. Don't be in such a hurry, go easy on the car controls.
b) Keep the tires at the correct pressure. If they look to be wearing unevenly, get them checked. Get a wheel alignment done at least once a year.
c) Shop around for the best fuel deal. Use coupons or dockets always.
d) When it's time for new tires, shop around. Don't be afraid to ask "What is your best price?" Compare prices and brands. Get to know the most suitable tire for your type of driving needs. Play off one retailer against another. The same goes for brake pads. Don't just accept any quote.

Minimizing Service Costs - keep these to a minimum

a) Learn to do your own oil change and greasing. This is not a very arduous job. I actually enjoy the time under the car. Changing the oil, oil filter and greasing only needs to take less than 1/2 an hour altogether, but can save you a substantial amount of money. Just be sure doing this does not void your warranty. You can also easily change the air filter saving you even more money.
b) Get to know the normal noises your car makes. If at any time these change, see if you can work where the noise is coming from. That way when you go to your mechanic you won't have to say "Just fix it", you will be able to offer some ideas as to the cause of the problem.
c) Keep an eye out for loss of any fluids. This is often a cause of large maintenance costs. Check regularly to ensure the radiator water level, engine oil level, brake fluid level, automatic gearbox oil level, power steering oil and/or clutch fluid levels are all close to, or at, the "full" mark.
d) Look at the garage floor. Has oil been dropped on it recently? Was it from the back or the front of the car? Don't let oil leaks go checked. Get them looked at right away.
e) If you choose to do your oil changes, shop around for the best price on good oil and filters.
f) If your car requires some specialized servicing or repair, shop around. Get competing quotes. Play off one repairer with another to get the best price.

Minimizing the Value Slide - get the most for your car when you sell

a) Keep the car clean inside and out.
b) Keep the car polished at least once a year. Twice a year is better. Use a good brand of polish
c) Use floor mats always. Keep them clean. Keep the carpets vacuumed regularly.
d) Keep a log book of all monies spent on the car and at what mileage/kilometers they were done. Keep the receipts. This will help you get the best price when you sell if prospective buyers can see you looked after the car well.
e) Use a good quality vinyl or leather protector on your dash, seats and door trims to save them from cracking and discoloration, as they get older.
f) Look for rust spots. These can occur around the windscreen, under the doors, in the door sills and other parts of the body. If you notice any, treat them immediately with a good brand rust killer. If you feel unqualified, get a specialist to fix it right away.
g) If you see stone chips, treat them right away. These can turn into rust spots if not cared for. You could either use a auto paint spray can of the same color or touch it up with a small paint brush and touch up paint.
h) The value of your car will be enhanced at sale time if you keep it as close to original condition as possible. Try to look after the car and keep it looking like it would have been when it was new.

These are just some ways you can minimize your car ownership costs and maximize the amount you receive when you go to sell the car.

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ETF Advantages And Disadvantages

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a popular among investors nowadays. These investment vehicles are similar to index funds, except they are traded as stocks on the stock market. Here are advantages and disadvantages of investing in ETFs
 Advantages
1. Convenience: Investing in ETFs are as easy as investing in stocks. You just need to buy one as you would buy any regular stock.
2. Low fees. Like index fund, ETFs have low fees. You can expect the management fee to be about .1% for S&P 500 trackers like IVV and SPY. The management fees are higher for more exotic ETFs like the Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWN) and Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (VWO).
3. Tax efficient. There are no unexpected capital gains/losses when you purchase an ETF. Sell when tax-wise it makes the most sense to you.
Disadvantages
1. Convenience. The ease of buying/selling an ETF means you might sell an ETF when you later believed you should have held on. Of course, solid investment discipline will avoid this disadvantage.
2. Market spread. If you are buying a rare ETF, the buy/ask spread might be somewhat significant. This can be avoided if you invest in the major ETFs.
3. Index fund disadvantages. Since you gain the advantages of an index fund (like low fees), you also receive most of the disadvantages as well. Because an ETF blindly follows an index, it means it holds shares of stocks you might not like that happen to be in that index.

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Tips For Choosing The Best Stockbroker

Choosing a stock broker can be an annoying task. While they all seem the same, there are differences in commission rates that you should be aware of. Depending on the type of investor you are, you may end up paying too many fees depending on the broker you choose. Here are some tips for choosing the best stock broker, depending on the type of investor you are.
 1. Casual investor. If you are casual investor with a moderate amount of capital ($200k or less), then chances are most of your money is in ETFs or index funds. In this case, a discount broker is fine. You will rarely make many trades and you do not need much advice since you are just investing in standard, safe investments. A brokerage like TD Ameritrade is good for you since they have $9.99 trades.
 2. Frequent trader. If you are a chartist, then finding a broker with low fees is a very high priority. Most discount brokers will give discounts to people who trade frequently. One example is E-trade. Another site like Interactive Brokers might be good for you too. Be careful with this sort of investment style, as fees may gobble up all of your profits!
3. High net worth investor. If you have $1 million+ in the stock market, then chances are you can get a discount on how much you pay per trade. This is especially the case with the established, big firms such as Fidelity. Fidelity offers $8 trades to those with $1 million+ in their Fidelity accounts.
 4. Short seller. If you plan on selling many stocks short, you need a broker that has access to these shares so that you can short them. Most of these brokerages will be able to short mid and large caps for you, but many do not have access to a large percentage of the small cap stocks. Interactive Brokers might be the best broker for short sellers.




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How to obtain finance for commercial property investments

Commercial property investment has long provided golden opportunities for large investors and corporations, but now small, savvy investors are in a strong position to snap up hot deals, thanks to the growth of online lending and previously inaccessible countries opening their doors for business!
However, potential investors need to take their time and not rush into buying property for all the wrong reasons – remember the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
The first step any investors should take may sound obvious, but ignore it at your peril! That step is: Develop a sound investment strategy before even looking at the market.
Commercial real estate investment is a slow path to creating lasting wealth which requires patience, planning and persistence.
When developing an investment strategy you need to:
* Ensure your personal affairs are in order – get rid of consumer debt and start building wealth. Check your credit rating to ensure it is clear. Remember though, commercial financing will be decided on the deal, not your credit rating.
* Create a selection criteria list for property type, size, location, the what skills required to manage the property and whether these fit your skills – work to your strengths rather than try and change to fit a property.
* Study the market, learn to spot opportunities which match your requirements, get to understand the financing process, then be prepared to act quickly, if all your plans are in place. If it really is a good opportunity, other investors will also recognize this and it is usually the best prepared who wins.
*You must have a genuine interest in commercial property investment as it takes continuing study to stay on top of the market. You need to be able to accurately value a property based on its condition, your return expectation, and your borrowing power.
*The bottom line consideration is not the price of the property, or any perceived value, but what the property is worth to you, given your investment strategy.
The second key element to successful property investing is to select a good advisory team, which should include an experienced real estate agent, lawyer, tax advisor, and loan officer.
With this expertise on hand, you can move quickly – knowing which properties to ignore and which are worth considering. A good property deal will be fast moving and you want to be on top of it!
Of course, you need finance to close a deal. The online commercial finance lending industry is booming and if you have a sound proposal, investors have money to lend!
Increasingly, investor pools are prepared to underwrite commercial property ventures – worth many hundreds of millions of dollars - with no credit checks, no complicated documentation, and no income verification.
Basically, they will lend money based on the overall merits of the project and the Loan-to-Value ratio.
With non-conforming loans, typically up to 90% of the value of the project can be borrowed, depending on the project type

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How To Finance Your Way Through College

Choosing which college to go to is not as hard as figuring out how much money you'll need and where you're going to get it from. Now if you come from rich family than you might have your college funds tucked away in a bank however if you're like the rest of us then you're going to worry about where you'll find your college funds from.

If you're thinking of studying and getting a part time job to cover your college fees, you should really think again. How can you get top marks and stay up late at night working at restaurants or retail jobs?

Getting A College Loan.
You can always apply for a college loan to help you with your annual fees and expenses. However you'll need to consider a few things before you get yourself a college loan. Firstly you have course fees, books and equipments. Then you have living expenses, rent, food, social life, and it goes on. Once you've figured out how much you need look for the best college loan you can find.

Federal Loans For Students.
If you apply for a federal student loan you're entitled to apply for a subsidized or unsubsidized loan. Subsidized loans are really helpful because the government will pay for all the interest that you accumulate on your student loan. However to apply for a subsidized loan you need to prove to the government that you're in desperate need of a loan and you have no financial help. Last but not least unsubsidized loans are available for anyone.

Can I Get More Than One Loan?
Yes you can get as many college loans as you want but you'll have to pay them back. The trick is not to get too many loans however if you've already got more than one loan then you should know that you're repayments are very high at the moment.

For everyone who has more than one student loan, there is a way to save money on your repayments. It's called Consolidating your student loans. To consolidate your student loans you'll need to talk to a lender who specialises on the topic. How it works is really simple. When you consolidate your student loans, you're putting all your loans with different lenders and combining them with one lender.

Can Consolidating My College Loan Save Money?
If you're monthly repayments is around $250 at 5% interest, once you consolidate your loan you can save up to 50% of your repayments. So you're new repayments should be around $130 a month.

You can also take up to 20 years to pay of your newly consolidated college loan. Now you know the risk and rewards of consolidating your student loans, your financial future is up to you. Good luck with the rest of the year and I hope it's a profitable one soon.

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The Tips, Skills, and Tools you Need to Negotiate Effectively

Negotiating skills are a nonnegotiable requirement for success, but few people understand the structures, techniques and approaches available to them in an attempt to gain successful results. Effective negotiation means more than just getting what you want. It means arriving at a solution that satisfies all parties and creates future opportunities. Fine tune your communication style. Listening is a key part of effective communication. What is and is not said is key during negotiations and in building professional relationship. Establish an assertive approach, communicate in a clear fashion, remain professional, be patient, try to avoid aggressive behaviors. Neutralize objectives presented by the counterpart and negotiate with confidence.

Being aggressive means standing up for yourself in ways that violate the rights of others.
Aggressive behavior is typically punishing, hostile, blaming, and demanding. It can involve threats, name-calling, and even actual physical contact. It can also involve sarcasm, catty comments, gossip and "slips of the tongue." Negotiation training will give you the crucial negotiation skill, strategies, tools and techniques you must have to effectively handle negotiations ranging from sales, contract, labor and business negotiations, to international negotiations involving business and political conflict to all varieties of personal negotiations.

Negotiation Tips and Goals

1. Improve personal and professional profitability.
2. Achieve desired outcomes and create synergy while fostering relationships.
3. Maximize financial returns and value in negotiations.
4. Avoid being cheated.
5. Neutralize difficult negotiators and their tactics.
6. Enter into and conduct negotiations with confidence.
7. Know when and how to walk away from a negotiation.
8. Improve personal relationships with colleagues, clients and loved ones.
9. Build leadership and team building skills.
10. Turn cultural differences into assets rather than liabilities.
Strategic thinking and planning is pivotal to your success in this business climate.

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Pros And Cons of Different Types Of Investments

When deciding where to invest your money, you need to always take into account your investment goals and objectives. Different types of investments carry varying degrees of risks and potential return.

CD
A bank CD is a very safe investment. The CD is FDIC insured up to $100,000, so there truly is minimal risk. The only downside is that you cannot withdraw that money in the CD for a specific amount of time or else you'll receive a penalty. Bank CDs generally only pay up to 5% interest.
Bonds
A bond is essentially a loan you make to a company or a government. Bonds have varying degrees of risk, from essentially risk-free treasuries to junk bonds. The higher the risk of the bond, the higher the return will generally be.
Stocks
Stocks are investments in companies. Depending on the company, the risk of the investment can be high or low. Obviously, buying stock in Johnson and Johnson is a lot less risky than a new internet startup company. In general, the stock market returns on average about 10% a year, though the actual return of any given stock will vary significantly.
 Mutual Funds
A mutual fund typically invests in over 100 stocks, so it's an instant way to diversify your portfolio. However, the mutual fund generally charges a fee, which is about 1% of your assets per year. Because of this fee, most mutual funds do not outperform the market; a monkey blindly picking 100 stocks but not charging you a fee could easily outperform most mutual funds.
Real Estate
Real estate is a popular investment. The most obvious real estate investment you'll make is when you purchase your home. Your home can go up or down in value when you sell it; it depends on the housing market in your area.

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Tips For Choosing High-Performance Mutual Fund

Most people who invest in mutual funds don't know what they are doing. They take advice from someone at a bank or perhaps a friend and plunk down money into a fund. Sometimes this strategy works, but most of the time, it doesn't.
When you invest your money in a mutual fund, you are trusting someone to invest in the stock market for you. Because of this, you want to be sure this person knows what he or she is doing. Also, you want to make sure that this person is not charging you too much to manage your money for you. Mutual funds fees are "hidden," in the sense that they do not charge you an upfront fee but rather a percentage of the amount of money in your account. If this percentage is too high, you would do better just blindly picking stocks yourself.
 Here are five helpful tips for choosing the right mutual funds.

1. Keep the fees low. Generally, expense fees should not be much higher than 1% if it is just a basic domestic equity fund. You should never invest money in a fund that also charges a "load," which is an additional fee that is ridiculous to pay. Never invest in funds that charge loads; those funds are for suckers.
2. Check the asset base. Mutual fund managers only know of so many good investments. When they have too much money to manage, they begin investing in stocks they don't like much but need to invest in anyway or else they'll just have money laying around. There's little reason to invest in a fund with over $5 billion in assets. It's best if it's under $2 billion generally.
3. Consider an index fund. This is a fund that tracks a stock index, such as the S&P 500. For these funds, the manager just buys whatever stocks happen to be in the index. Since this is not much work, the fees are much lower. Even though this method is simple, it has proven to perform better than most mutual funds. Some high performance index funds include FSMKX (Fidelity S&P 500) and VIMSX (Vanguard S&P 400 Midcap.
4.  Evaluate the fund's strategy. If you have a long term outlook, look for a more aggressive fund that invests in small-cap stocks, international stocks, and riskier stocks in general. High risk tends to result in high performance in the long run. If you are more risk-averse, consider an S&P 500 index fund.
 5. Keep the fees low. Did I mention this already? Well, I'll mention it again. This is where most people mess up. Make sure you are not paying a load or paying too much in fees to the mutual fund.

Name Your Business Not to Dos

If your business is a work at home online Internet business, or staffs several hundred in a downtown skyscraper offline, you are going to be able to increase your low cost effective marketing, promotion and company image online to succeed.

To not use online promotion and exposure, in this day and age, is almost a guarantee that your business will lose sales and important recognition and emotional credits from your customers for not having a hand on the pulse of your target market for profits.

You definitely need to come up with a good keyword type business name and a good keyword type domain name so people will know exactly what you do when they are searching in any source for your business. This is an online as well as an offline necessity.

If you show people how to work at and profit from online auctions you would not have much success with, Kathy loves flowers, as your business name, right? Something to the effect of, Online Auction Trainer School would tell people what you do when they seek help to learn about online auctions.

Take the ego out of your online and offline business names. Owner ego sells nothing. Please learn this important point first. No one wants your ego. Everyone wants your useful services. This is a mountain of difference in profit or loss.

Here are some things to avoid in naming your work at home online business prior to setting up your Internet or offline site. Please learn them well.

One of the first mistakes many new work at home online business owners, and unbelievably, experienced owners and business advisers make is to ask for too much input on Internet site and business name, from way too many people. They tend to ask family and friends what their new business name should be and what domain name it should have. The problem with this is that not all will really understand the business idea, needs or jargon involved in that business.

Friends, family and many business advisers do not know squat about naming a business, per above. Ask them how many businesses they have named that succeeded that they named and you will understand exactly what I mean real fast.

The second reason to avoid this egregious consultative process is that you can only choose one name. This means that the more people you ask the more people you are going to disappoint and even insult even though they do not know what they are doing anyway.

It is far better to begin the online and other aspects of your work at home Internet business by asking the opinion and business help of those few people who have been chosen to have an important management part of your venture. You might pull these folks together and have a brainstorming session where you all feed off the ideas of each other.

That way, when the end results in a name, each will feel like they have been a part of giving you that idea. They need to know that the name must tell what the business is quickly and as much as possible in very few words.

Another entrepreneurial business naming error is to attach an adjective together with a noun to come up with one word former with a middle of the word capital letter. Getting too complicated here. If, for example, your work at home Internet or offline business were to offer online sale of luggage at discount prices you think it correct to call it something like EconoPack. This is bad for two reasons.

No one can look at that name and know what it is you offer. Is it like a UPS store that offers shipping services? Luggage for Less would be a much clearer name. Do you see the very important difference to customers and leads?

If you think of the recent work at home Internet and offline business start ups that have grown online to become household names, you will see that they all took zingy, snappy, lively names that differentiated themselves from others and were not likely to be copied. They did not take hard to understand names that could be forgotten or worse yet, confused with other companies.

Yahoo is one example that you might be looking for. It could have been World Wide Search Engine instead. This probably would have been better for the first name identification done! Google is another. This name is appropriate.

Monster is a great example of a name that is not only memorable but suggestive of high volume, strength, durability and vast reach. Monster could have been Online Job Resource. What a blah name that would have been. Customers would of found it easier to find though when they are looking for a job. See the difference?

All these started out as work at home Internet business projects by unknown entrepreneurs. Their choice of business and Web site names played a large part in their ability to brand themselves and thus to succeed. Some would of started and grown faster with more appropriate names though.

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Starting a Home Business Using the Internet

Starting a home business I not an easy task and to make things harder there are so many myths attached to starting a home business that it can become quite confusing. Some people get an idea in their head and just take off. Starting a business for them is easy. The majority of people, however, end up having the desire to start a home business before the actual business idea comes to them. Once they begin thinking about actually starting a home based business they are overcome with many myths that make it seem next to impossible to succeed.

One of the biggest myths about starting a home business is associated with the internet. The internet has opened many doors to home business owners, but at the same time the complexity of the internet has caused many to give up and abandon hope that they can ever get a business to be successful. Many people believe that the internet is a vast marketplace that is too he to compete in. That is simply not true. There are many small home businesses that are doing great on the internet. It is all a matter of knowing how to run a business website. A person has to understand about marketing and setting up a website. Once they've established their online presence they can make great money.

Another internet related myth about starting a home business is that there is no help available for the business owner. Anyone who has went to a search engine and typed in business will now this is not true. There are online networks of websites that are all aimed at helping people succeed in internet business. These people offer free information and plenty of support. A person can find answers to almost any question they have and even talk to others who have started their own business. The internet business environment is one of helping others.

One myth that may hold some truth is that marketing online is impossible. While it is, obviously, not impossible it can be difficult for the beginner. Starting a home business online requires plenty of research into internet marketing. The marketing tools used online are very different from those used in the traditional environment. A person has to understand how to drive traffic to their website and how to catch the attention of their target market. As mentioned above, there are plenty of resources available to help a person get their marketing plan in order.

These myths about starting a business all make it look impossible to tap into the internet marketplace. These myths are quite untrue and should be ignored. It does take hard work and dedication to start any business, but using the internet just opens up a business to a huge marketplace and offers additional opportunities that a traditional, offline business does not have. It is worth it for every business owner to look into the internet when starting a home business.

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Home Business Resource - What You Will Need To Start A Successful Business

Starting a home business is a very important decision, and there are some typical home business resources you will need to have in order for you to succeed. Home business resources are assets, services and systems you will need to make your home business run smoothly; and also other steps you will need to take to make sure that you will succeed with your business.

So, to start a successful home business, what resources and steps do you need to take?

? A clearly laid out business plan. Without a business plan and goals to achieve, then you can not get anywhere. A business plan will map out what you need to succeed and how you will achieve your goals.

? Good research. Whatever your business will need, you will need to be well informed about it. So you will need to do me research so that you become an expert on the niche, product or service. Knowledge about the business is an important home business resource, so you must do the necessary research to be well-informed about the industry or product/service.

? A well set-up office. Your office is another important home business resource. You will need to be productive while working from home. You will therefore need an office that has all you will need to run a smooth business; a computer, printer, internet access, fax, telephone, business cards and a conducive work environment. A suitable desk and appropriate lighting in your office is also an important resource that is often underestimated in its importance. You will sometimes work for many hours in a day, and your work space needs to be comfortable. Allocate some money towards setting up a working environment you will enjoy working from everyday!

? Some money to cover capital outlay and running costs is an important home business resource which you will need. Any business requires some form of investment, and you will need to know how much you have, and how much investments and ongoing marketing your business will need for it to succeed. It is therefore recommended that you start your business while you are still employed, so that you have some income to live on while you are still building your business.

? Support system. This can be a mentor; someone who has succeeded with a similar business, or simply your family and friends. You need to have people close to you who will encourage you and give you any support you need. You can also join a forum of people with the same business like yours. A good support network is a very important home business resource.

? Business leads and clients are a crucial home business resource. Making and creating contacts and networking is very important - you need to start building your potential clients base before you launch your business. Start marketing your business by giving away some products and services. By creating a relationship with your potential customers, you build trust with them, and when you launch your business, it will be easy for them to buy from you.

? Be professional! The way you run your business and relate to your customers is very important. Be prepared to 'go the extra mile' with your customers. Care about your customers, and provide all the information they may need.

? Hire any professional help you may need. Treat your business professionally, and if you need the services of a lawyer or accountant, hire/outsource it. It is more productive and effective to get experts to do what you can not do, leaving you time to focus on your business. You will want to do the best for your business; so if there are any home business resources you do not have, outsource them.

If you have the home business resources outlined above, then your business will succeed. Although your home business may only be a small venture, treat it like a real business, and get all the home business resources any business will need in order to be successful.

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