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Many experts, students of marketing and even business people believe that it is impossible build a brand name out of non-popular industry and that to try is simply a total waste of money. I completely disagree and can site numerous examples of brand names being build out of industry sub-sectors which had little if any competition, but were complete dogs until someone built a brand name in the industry and changed the whole paradigm of the sector.
Lets consider Rent-A-Wreck for a moment. Who would want to rent a piece of junk and drive it around? Well, it appears quite a few people and the brand name marketing the company did paid off big time. For years used car lots have rented out cars and never had much clientele doing so.
Occasionally they would find someone who would rent to own or decide they liked the car and then buy it however that was not so often really. Rent-A-Wreck on the other hand made something so simple a brand name, some might joke about it, but that is the point it brings up their name and you remember it; excellent marketing indeed.
In fact the brand name was built so well that anytime someone was driving a piece of junk someone might say; “Where did you get that Rent-A-Wreck?” and thus Rent-A-Wreck became a household name, so advise the experts and business students to be very careful in attempting to define what is and what is not a good brand name. Consider this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
If you haven’t noticed already, blogs are the new big thing on the Internet. In case you don’t know what a blog is, I’ll let you in on the not-so-secret secret. A blog is a website that is in journal or diary form. Essentially, it’s a place online where you can write about your life and your interests and share yourself with the rest of the world. Journals used to be secret books you hid under the bed, so this is a huge change in paradigm for this medium. Now, it’s about telling other people in the world what you think and do. The blogging community is already massive; there are millions of human beings with these new, simplistic websites, everywhere from Timbuktu to Kalamazoo.
For a little research into the blog craze I went to one of the biggest blogging sites, http://www.blogger.com which is now owned by Google. This site is pretty cool, and within a very short time you can have your own free template-based blog set up complete with your specified name. Your URL or web address usually has the name ‘blogspot’ after it, which can look a little unprofessional but I’ve heard that there is some way of getting around this obstacle. Otherwise, you can always go to a web-hosting company and set up a blog which will be more original in its design, as well as having any address you like. Meanwhile, I checked out three blogs at Blogger to see how and why people are making their online journals.
At http://funnycute.blogspot.com/ I found a really interesting social diary made by a cartoonist. One thing that made the journal entries so attractive to read were of course, the cartoons. She really is a great artist. The images-as they are self-drawn, add much-needed life to the text, as well as producing an individual authenticity which gives visitors instantaneous deep insight into the personality of the artist. Her blog site is obviously very popular as each entry has around 50 comments made by others attached to it. This is one of the main reasons why people write blogs: to connect with others of like-mind. This blog is well constructed as it has a good biography of the human being who it belongs to, lots of links to other blogs that relate to its general topic (in this case ‘cartoons’), and it has a link to the artist’s personal website. See, that’s the real phenomenon, to have both a blog and a general website. With the blog we get to see the workings of the mind behind the artist, whereas at her personal website, in this case: (http://www.katienice.homestead.com/), we get the opportunity to have a look at her professional portfolio.
The second blog site I checked out was at http://www.birdchick.com/blog.html. This site interested me because of photos of birds and other animals that accompany each day’s journal writing (again that essence of true life and not just text on a page makes it interesting). Here is a person whose site definitely focuses on the one central theme, in this case bird-watching. A standout on her blog’s home page is the long list of blog links, both to other personal bird-watching blogs, as well as to general media-owned bird-watching sites. One cool section of the list is dedicated to bird webcams. These are actual websites that have 24-hour-long camera shots of certain areas where specific types of birds are known to frequent (E.G. Great Horned Owls). What’ll people think of next? Again there is a link to the blog owner’s own personal website, http://www.birdchick.com/, which I assume is supported by a web-hosting company. Check it out, it has a cool photo of the blogger holding a huge hawk (I think it’s a hawk, I’m not very knowledgeable about the world of Ornithology!) on her arm. She’s even gone to the trouble (unless someone else out there did it) to put her website up in French as well.
The final blog I visited was called ‘Paradise Found’ which was located at http://tomquinn.blogspot.com/. An interesting point about the blogger at this site is that they reside (in the blogger’s own words) on a small speck of rock in the middle of the Atlantic (Bermuda). This just shows that even in a place so remote that people have even believed it to be supernatural (’The Bermuda Triangle is where planes and ships are often reported to go missing never to be seen again), the Internet is alive and well and individuals are sharing their experiences, hobbies, beliefs, and interests with the rest of the now-interconnected planet. The blogger here calls his blog a ‘Photo blog’. Every diary entry contains at least one photograph personally taken by the photographer himself. There is also a link to his site at http://flickr.com/photos/tquinn/ where he has an archive of over 400 pictures that he’s taken. Again this pattern of blog for thoughts and personal points of view matched up and linked to a general website showing actual work, a portfolio, or general life interest, seems to be the way most people are now communicating with each other over the Web.
Today we are gaining so much more insight into what life is like for other people in the world. It seems that having both a blog and a website has been a natural progression undertaken by people who truly want to share themselves and their ideas with the rest of the human community.
By Jesse S. Somer
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer can now see how having both a blog and a website can mean sharing a greater depth of one’s individual personality with the rest of humanity.
Jesse S. Somer is a creative writer working at M6.Net: ‘The web-hosting company for humans.’ M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Blogging, the hottest trend in online publishing right now,
is currently spreading like wildfire across the Internet.
A cross between an online journal and a bulletin board,
everyone from rock starts, politicians, business leaders
and your average “Joe” or “Jane” can instantly become a
center of influence online using blogs.
But, as with any social interaction, certain rules apply
(my grandma calls them manners) in order to be viewed as
behaving “properly.”
One of the things that gives blogging such strong appeal as
an online publishing method revolves around “comments.”
Blogs that allow “comments” enable readers to respond and
elaborate on the information posted by the blog owner.
These comments and the free exchange of information,
opinions, links, and new ideas creates the dynamic and
growing content that makes blogging such a popular online
activity for both publishers and readers.
However, rules and unwritten customs about the proper use
of “comments” on a specific blog are also where most of the
problems and controversy will arise.
Since a successful blog eventually becomes a community of
people (albeit in cyberspace), proper social behavior is
critical to be an effective and accepted member of the
community.
Keep these basic rules in mind when approaching a new blog
that allows commenting by readers so you won’t find
yourself on the wrong end of a scolding by people who
operate with a different set of rules than you.
As with any social circle, violating the group’s rules and
customs will instantly cause a negative backlash.
** Keep It Relevant **
Stay on topic with the post you’re commenting about in a
blog.
Nothing will earn you the wrath and disdain of your
fellow posters and the blog owner faster than posting an
off-topic comment.
** Watch What Others Do **
Different blogs operate under different rules. What rates
acceptable in one blog would earn you a verbal thrashing in
another.
Before posting (especially if you have not posted to a
specific blog before), look to see the types and quality of
posts others make regularly.
Are they long or short?
Do they contain a link to the person’s website?
Is there a “signature” under their name?
** Be Polite **
It’s fine to disagree with people when making a comment,
whether it’s the blog’s author or a comment made by another
reader.
It is not, however, acceptable to launch a personal attack
on anyone or make nasty comments in someone else’s blog.
If you feel the need to do so, do it in your own blog.
It’s the same principle of you can say whatever you want in
your own house, but when you’re in someone else’s house,
you act right (and better than you do at home).
** You Can’t Respond To Everyone **
If you operate a blog and someone asks a question, try to
respond, but both sides should understand that you can’t
respond 100% of the time.
We all get busy and a blog, unless it maintains a paid
membership, is often supported as a labor of love.
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/blog/
About the Author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links…
Simple “Traffic Machine” brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months… without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Many gamblers may have come upon the term “offshore sports betting”, though a few may not be completely convinced of what it indicates. An overseas betting internet site basically runs extrinsically to the control of any distinct country or alternatively it can mean a PC accessible sports betting internet site that bases their master computer within the boundaries of a land in which on-line wagering isn’t illegitimate. Succinctly then, it can be represented as a sports betting business functioning extraneous to the nation of the consumer. Online gaming websites are now modulated through the agency of 3 organisations. These are OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association (the FTGA).
The OSGA is in fact a nonpartisan authority which keeps tabs on the modern overseas gaming industry in an attempt to deliver sports gambling afficionados an avenue to easily find reliable web based businesses to play games with. The Offshore Gaming Association seeks to preserve client’s rights, also they don’t impose any joining or annual dues. The OSGA are a competent not to mention unbiased third party affiliation that reveals equitable viewpoints, established on customer feedback, unprejudiced examination, chats, inside information also supplies inside communication.
The Interactive Gaming Council is a non-profit-making administration. The organization has been established to provide a platform for curious participants to address problems and also to further relevant matters in the worldwide online gaming profession, to establish conscientious and also level-headed business protocols and practises which raise customer trust in internet betting merchandise and utilities, and to serve as the trade’s generic procedure adviser and the IGC also supplies an information clearinghouse.
The IGC has made a distinction for upholding honesty, ethical behavior and also sincerity by virtue of the high criteria it exhibits, and its allure for honest business enterprises. The IGC regularises offshore sports gaming by means of advocating a characteristic 10 step acceptable policy regulations and also bills gambling web sites a fee to feature their logo. Disillusioned gamblers may moreover mention their arguments to the Interactive Gaming Council.
The FTGA has been established in a venture to construct a benchmark to upgrade the procedures of on-line sports gambling trading operations. The agency suggest that by conducting trade entirely with respected businesses, they can hammer out an alliance of the most trustworthy and most proficient offshore gaming companies multinationally.
So, in brief there are agencies who manage the conduct practised by live gambling and which should in time aid to allay most of the trepidation due to the apprehension experienced by detractors. World wide web based betting sites are nowadays altogether dependable, since individual details shouldn’t be a necessity and the returns and the odds are usually usually as equal and fair as a common Vegas-style sportsbet. They cut travel costs, but maintain the spirit of a familiar Vegas-style betting site, but these days you may game at your own pace.
The items covered here are:
1) Don’t Wait before Blogging.
2) Using Blogs to get your site found quickly.
3) What have Blogs and PR got to do with Indexing.
4) How to get your large sites pages found quickly.
5) If you’re using Adsense on those Pages - learn from this.
6) If you’re selling Clickbank products - you need this.
1) Don’t Wait before Blogging.
If you’ve been looking at creating a blog but don’t know how or why to do it, stay tuned for a new product announcement that’ll help you out.
Just to show you how quick and easy it can be, I’ve created several new blogs and fed them all through ‘feedburner’ to add tracking facilities and I’ll be conducting some tests and giving you the results when I’m done.
I now use Blogger for 30 different blogs. It’s easy to use, you can include Adsense within their interface easily, you can have it ftp the files to be hosted automatically on your own website etc. etc.
If you want tracking, whether you host the blog your self or not, you can go to Feedburner and ‘burn’ the feed. This will not only giving you tracking stats but also let you tweek it to be more compatible (Bloggers default output format is .atom) and also add other revenue streams to it.
I’ve blogged an introduction to RSS which I believe is currently the best free information around Here , and the ‘burnt’ version is: Blogging
Video tutorials for setting up a blog, configuring the blog, pinging, ‘burning feeds’ etc. are available here:
http://pheedcentral.com/blogandping_offer.html
2) Using Blogs to get your site found quickly.
If you’re struggling to get new websites found by the Yahoo Search Engine, here’s a little tip you might like.
Set up a Blog with whichever service you prefer (I like Blogger.com)Go over to Yahoo.com and setup a ‘MyYahoo’ account. It’s free.
Then on your MyYahoo homepage and goto the section that says ‘choose content’ and then tick the box that says RSS Headlines (BETA).
Add your feed url(s) to this, so that they are shown on your MyYahoo page.
Yahoo will be around with 48 hours. I’ve created videos of this that I’ll release very soon.
3) What have Blogs and PR got to do with Indexing.
The reason that Blogs and PR are linked to getting indexed is this:-
A) When you setup a blog it’s not quite the same as having a new website because there’s one major difference - Even if they don’t have the facility built in, you can effectively ‘announce’ the presence of your blog (and any new content you add to it) by ‘pinging’ (sending an announcement to) several large blog directories. In effect, this is like doing the ‘add url’ on a search engine, except that blogs get visited Very quickly whereas it could take ages for your site to get indexed this way.
If you use Blogger then there’s a tickbox labelled “ping Weblogs” which if selected, will announce your new content to the Weblogs.com service whenever you post new material - this has the effect of getting the Googlebot (not mediabot) to visit your blog sometimes within minutes. Thus, if you’ve linked to some new pages on your site (some deep pages) - they usually also get a visit pretty quickly.
It’s like getting a link from somewhere you know gets spidered regularly - except you can cause it to be spidered. (which is nice).
If you want Yahoo to come and see you quickly too, whether you’re using Blogger or a different blogprogram, you can create a free MyYahoo account and add your feeds to it - that’ll have the effect of ‘announcing’ them to Yahoo.
Again, the reason for this isn’t to make your blog rank well - it’s to get the links to your actual websites new pages to get spidered quickly because you’re using the blog to call the bots for a visit and linking from the blog to your new pages.
B) The Page Rank comments - These are a reflection of the fact that in general, higher page rank sites get visited by the bots more frequently (since you can have a high PR from good internal linking and a few high PR incoming links from sites without much traffic - this is a generalisation and NOT a rule), so it’s more likely that if you’re not blogging and pinging that a few high PR links (from traffic heavy sites) will be a good alternative.
If you want even more, here’s something I wrote on another forum recently (and in my blogs) about getting a high page count site indexed quickly:
4) How to get your large sites pages found quickly.
No-one can guarantee that your site will be indexed in 24 hours since the only person with ultimate control is Google.
However, the key to getting a new site fully indexed is deep linking.
If you were to just leave the site and get links to the index page, you could end up waiting 9 months to get it all in.
Have you created a site map(s).
Depending on your site, it may pay you to create several site maps for different parts of your site.
The basic principle is this:
The Search Engine Bots will investigate pages that they find links to from pages that they’re already visiting (you know this since you mentioned blog and ping).
When they do this, the work on a portion of the pages they’ve found about about at a time, so the more pages and the deeper the links to those pages - the longer it will take and the more times the bot will need to come back to get more.
So, the most effective thing you can do is: Create several site maps which cover lots of pages that have fairly shallow linking the get to them all (normally 2 levels max).
So rather than having 1 huge site map that lists every page. Create 5 site maps of 1000 links, or even more.
Then - Get links to these separate site maps aswell as your main index page. From as many different, high quality, high traffic sources as you can.
Blogs, RSS, Forums, Directories are all good examples of these.
If you get desparate you can buy links from high PR sites, but there’s no need.
Any of the large, popular forums probably get visited by the bots every day (my own site does).
If you’re not sure where to find directories to submit to, I’ve put together a huge list here: http://www.moneyandmotivation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=162
If you want places to submit your blog/rss feed, I’ve put together a good list here: http://pheedcentral.com/weblinks/Submit_Your_Own_RSS_Feeds/
Jason Bradley has a product called IndexTracker that you can use to track indexed pages across all of your websites. I use it a lot.
Blog and Ping tutorial videos are available here:
http://pheedcentral.com/blogandping_offer.html
5) If you’re using Adsense on those Pages - learn from this.
Improving Adsense click through rates is something that any ppc advertiser should be interested in.
Well, I’ve spent some time now looking at all the various keyword research tools for selecting the most profitable keywords to target with Adsense.
To my delight, I also stumbled upon an ebook written by a guy called Jonathan Legar that covers it all. He also provides you with a huge list of profitable keywords (including some that are as much as $100 a click - yes you heard me right)
I just had to tell you about this amazing resource.
I know you’ll just love this resource.
http://hop.clickbank.net/?techtrader.astracker
When you see that Jonathan is also going to let you reprint over 11,000 article - this is a Must Have for any website owner or PPC advertiser.
Have fun with it.
6) If you’re selling Clickbank products - you need this.
If you sell Clickbank products, you’re probably aware of the fact that the Clickbank Marketplace is updated regularly, and as an affiliate it can be difficult to remember what products you’re advertising and whether there are any more in that same category of CB yet.
Well, now you can forget about the hassles of keeping up with the product in Clickbank, or buying tools to let you search Clickbank, and then working out how to advertise those products on your web pages. You know it sounds simple, but it can be a real pain to get setup and maintain.
If you take a look here: http://www.imvisionary.com/cmd.php?af=186978
You’ll find a new tool - It’s only just being released (not yet in the open) and you’ll see that it gives you an really easy, cheap and quick way to market ClickBank products.
It’ll synchronise with Clickbank Whenever you want and you can even search for products to promote.
I’m not going to give you a sales pitch here, just go and take a look at it.
If you’re not sure how it might work and you want more - I’ve even created a 6 minute video walkthrough of using it.
(It was 1am and I was tired, but you’re worth it)
If you followed everything I wrote above - you’re in for some happy days 
Your friend,
Andy Henry
Andrew Henry is an Internet Marketing consultant and online web business owner. Helping individuals and small businesses learn how to reach their goals on a daily basis.
Andrew is now educating people on the subject of RSS and Blogging via his site at http://www.pheedcentral.com which offers both free introductory advice on RSS and Blogging and supporting video tutorials.
Perhaps you still don’t realize or fully understand the power of RSS Feeds as a marketing tool.
After all, email works fine, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, the truth is:
1. It’s getting harder to send e-mails to the prospect’s inbox because of SPAM filters
2. People are getting numbed by the amount of e-mails they receive everyday
3. People are not reading their e-mails
4. It’s getting harder to get people to opt-in or subscribe to your newsletter or content.
With RSS feeds, this changes the playing field:
1. RSS feeds can bypasses email - Eat your hearts out! Rss feeds can be read by desktop software
and delivered right to your prospect everytime they turn on their PC
2. RSS feeds allow you to syndicate content rich news in your niche market and attract targeted
prospects
3. People who subscribe to newsfeeds are generally in the higher income bracket and educated.
They want to find news and information to solve their problems. Can that person be YOU?
4. E-mail doesn’t allow yourself to be branded all over the Net. With RSS feeds, your content gets
circulated/sydnicated and you can brand yourself as an expert.
5. RSS feeds can be submitted to RSS feeds directories, which will list your site within 24 hours
which measn more traffic for you
These are just some of the few examples of the use of RSS feeds you can use in your marketing.
What are you waiting for? My multimedia e-book cuts to the chase and shows you in VIDEO how to start a blog, create a feed, track it, list it in Yahoo, submit it and mORE..
Get a copy of “Marketing Rampage with Blogs and RSS” NOW!
www.marketing-rampage-with-blogs-and-rss.com
and learn the $299 Secret - How to get listed in Yahoo for FREE
Brandon Hong (Infopreneur, Author, Online Marketer)
brandon @ brandon-hong.com
http://www.Marketing-Rampage-With-Blogs-And-Rss.com
One of the simplest ways to build a strong brand is to make sure that every point of contact that prospects and customers have with your company reinforces the brand promise. Although relatively simple in theory, “touch-point alignment” often proves difficult in practice. Consistently reinforcing your brand requires discipline, focus and commitment.
When asked to identify a company’s brand touch points, most people point to the obvious, such as logos and advertisements. In fact, people often think of the logo as the brand and advertising as the primary way to build the brand. In reality, the concept of brand touch points encompasses far more than these basic visual cues. Every point of contact your prospects and customers have with your company and its products and services provides an opportunity to build your brand - or weaken it. How you manage those points of contact determines the relative strength or weakness of your brand.
Every company has an internal and external brand experience, and each plays an important role in developing your overall brand. Picture a massive iceberg floating in the Northern Atlantic. The visible portion poking its head above the ocean’s surface represents a small fraction of the iceberg’s full mass. Similarly, only a small portion of your company’s brand experience - the external part - is highly visible. Much more of your brand lies below the surface and is not as easily recognizable.
A Case in Point
To illustrate our point, let’s look at an extreme example - IBM. For much of its history, IBM had one of the strongest brands in corporate America, arguably in the entire world. By the early 1990s, however, the company’s branding and advertising systems had fallen into a state of chaos. When Lou Gerstener took over as CEO in 1993, he quickly realized that reviving and clarifying the IBM brand was one of his highest priorities.
At the time of Gerstener’s arrival, IBM had more than 70 different ad agencies representing the firm. Each worked with a different product manager, with no central coordination or oversight. A single issue of an industry trade magazine could have up to 18 different IBM ads with 18 different designs, messages, and even logos. The company had hundreds of product brochures, each different enough that it was virtually impossible to tell that they came from the same company. Gerstener likened the situation to “70 little trumpets all tooting simultaneously for attention.”
To wrest control of IBM’s messaging from his country managers, Gerstener brought 35 of them to a conference center in Palisades, New York. He plastered the walls with IBM’s widely disparate advertising, packaging and marketing collateral, creating a veritable train wreck of brand and product positioning. At the end of his presentation, Gerstener posed one question: “Does anyone doubt we can do this better?” Unanimously, the team decided to consolidate IBM’s 70+ advertising relationships into a single global agency. From that point forward, all of IBM’s marketing reinforced one basic positioning message: IBM as global, world-class integrator. The rest is history.
A Question to Ponder and an Exercise
What if you conducted an exercise at your company similar to Gerstener’s branding exercise at IBM? What if you took every one of your company’s brand touch points and spread them across your conference room? Use the following list of touch points to start the process:
Internal Branding (Employees):
• Recruitment
• Advertising
• Website
• Employee Handbook
• Screening Process
• Goals and Objectives
• Review Process
• Compensation Structure
• Internal Communications
• Recognition Programs
• Training and Development
• Promotion Criteria
Retention Branding (Customers):
• Policies and Procedures
• Logo
• Identity
• Website
• Email Marketing
• On Hold
• Receptionist
• Brochures
• Datasheets
• Press Releases
• Advertisements
• Direct Mail
• Catalogs
• Packaging
• Pricing
• Strategic Alliances
• Correspondence
• Announcements
Acquisition Branding (Prospects):
• Customer Service
• Technical Support
• Logistics / Delivery
• Corporate
• Headquarters
• Branch Offices
• Tradeshow Booth
• Business Processes
Financial Branding (Financial Community):
• Press Releases
• Annual Report
• Quarterly Reports
• Analyst Briefings
• Investor Presentation
Every business is different, but chances are good that most, if not all, of these will apply to your business. As you review your various touch points, keep in mind that one of the simplest ways to build a strong brand is to make sure that every point of contact that prospects and customers have with your company reinforces your brand promise. Then ask the following questions:
• Is a singular message reinforced or are there a cacophony of messages?
• Is there a similar look and feel to the messages or do they look like they are from different companies?
• Is the visual imagery the same or is the graphic look (including the pictures) different?
It’s easy to conclude that a logo is a brand or that advertising is the primary strategy to build brand (even though it is extremely expensive, even for the largest companies). However, the reality is that a brand consists of a lot more than a logo, and there are many ways to build a brand. The key is to identify the touch points of your brand and make sure they are aligned with your brand promise. The more consistency you have across your various touch points, the stronger your brand will be.
Get your free whitepaper: The 10 Biggest Technology Marketing Mistakes… and How to Avoid Them
Rod Whitson serves Townsend as President and Chief Brand Strategist. Townsend is expert at helping organizations with innovative products and services develop differentiated, compelling value propositions. Townsend is the largest integrated marketing agency in Southern California. Rod has personally led recent branding engagements with Intel, BAE Systems, Merck, DowPharma, Marsh & McLennan, and the University of California system. He has also worked with a host of successful and not so successful early stage technology and life sciences companies. Since Townsend’s founding in 1993, it has helped clients create market valuation in excess of $80 billion.
Visit Rod’s blog, Branding the Complex
© 2006 Rod Whitson - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Everyone loves celebrity hair. It seems like most famous people never have a bad hair day. Okay, aside from Donald Trump. What’s their secret? Is it in their genes, or do they have secret weapons against bad hair days?
While some people may genuinely have smooth, lustrous hair naturally, the majority of people you see with envy-inducing hair are the product of excellent styling and hair products and tools, mixed with a good stylist and a great haircut. Oh yeah, and sprinkle in some dietary supplements and a good diet rich in hair-friendly nutrients. This equation results in fabulous, silky, vibrant hair that will be the envy of many.
So, what are the secrets to the healthy and beautiful locks of celebrities? As previously mentioned, the selection of hair products and hair styling tools is crucial, no matter what you’ve heard. Not only that, but tendency to use too little product in an effort toward conservation is a common mistake. If you are using a hair creme or gel designed to smooth the hair or make curls less frizzy and more uniform, do not skimp. Skimping on the products will reduce their effectiveness.
Another good tip used by hairstylists and recommended by several top beauticians is to periodically use a vinegar rinse on your hair. The acid in the vinegar helps to rinse away residue on the hair left by dirt and styling products, and leaves the hair shiny and smooth due to the acid content. It may not smell too pleasant, but it really works to clean the hair and remove the residue that causes dullness.
Want Straight, Shiny and Smooth Hair?
If you’re looking to get straight, manageable and shiny hair, there are some excellent styling tools that were previously only used by high profile celebrity stylists at a pretty penny that are now available for sale online and in salons. These hair straightening irons are made of material that does not damage the hair with hight heat, but actually helps seal the cuticle and make the hair appear shinier and healthier, while keeping it smooth for hours.
The hair dryer you use is also very important if you’re looking for a straight and smooth style. Be sure to pick one that says it uses Ionic technology, and also make sure the dryer has at least 1875 watts of power. Any less than that, and you will find that you are drying your hair longer, and it will look drier and more brittle because of the longer use.
As far as shampoos and conditioners go, I would not recommend choosing a shampoo that boasts “clarifying” or “formulated for oily hair”. These types of formulas usually produce a lot of lather and really feel like they’re cleaning your head and hair, but really they strip your hair of the natural oils they need to stay healthy and shiny and will make your hair more brittle.
Instead, opt for a shampoo that is formulated for normal to dry hair. Then, even if you have oily hair or an oily scalp, at least you are still getting the cleansing you need without the stripping and dryness.
The same theory should be followed for your conditioner. Conditioners that have moisturizing ingredients and are advertised as adding shine and manageability are your best options. These formulas are usually targeted to seal the individual strands of hair and protect them from humidity, frizz and split ends.
When preparing your hair for a blowing dry after cleansing and conditioning, be sure to use a wide tooth comb rather than a brush when it is wet. This avoids a lot of breakage. Also, when blowing out the hair, use a natural brush that is as large around as you can find. The larger the brush used in the blowout, the straighter and shinier your hair will be.
A good recommendation followed by some of today’s most famous women at the advice of their stylists is to sleep on a satin pillowcase. Doing this assures that you are not causing friction and split ends at night. Not only that, you will wake up with hair that is almost exactly as you left it at night, since the satin material allows your hair to glide smoothly without damage or drastic displacement as you move your head around in your sleep.
Another recommendation is to take a good dietary supplement, more specifically one geared toward nail and hair growth and health. These hair supplements can really give you a boost in the internal nutrients such as biotin and amino acids that your hair needs to stay glossy and lustrous.
Follow these guidelines, and I can assure you, it will give you the power to achieve the hair you’ve always wanted. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to have “good hair genes”.
By definition, barter is the when parties swap services or resources. But in business terms, it’s an exchange that ends usually with everyone a winner. All parties involved in bartering hold onto their cold hard cash and don’t lose a cent. There’s no worries about getting ripped off as a buyer or seller, so it’s an exchange that’s high on trust, low on tension. And finally, the government doesn’t get its hands on any of the proceeds. Bartering is such a great system, it’s no wonder it’s been around nearly forever.
Historians and archeologists reckon that bartering is a human business practice for the ages. It goes back as far as written history, and perhaps even further into mankind’s (and womankind’s) history of business practices.
Between humans, the actual business practice of money came long before money was invented. In written history, as far back as 9,000 BC, shepherds used cattle as a means of exchange–from sheep to cows, camels to goats. Then when farmers came along during the course of the next couple thousands of years, grains and plants became the hot commodity in the world of bartering.
Bartering may have dissipated over the years, but it by no means went away. That’s the amazing thing about bartering. It still is, to this day, the ideal method of business exchange for some business folk, including companies with millions in assets. But it’s especially helpful for small businesses looking to get a leg up on their competition.
Listen to people talking in today’s business world, and you’ll hear stories such as the programmer who helped to code an interactive Web page for a startup graphic-design company, in exchange for a logo design for his own startup surf-board design shop. Then there’s the story of the new Internet advertising firm rolling out an ad campaign for a restaurant. Later that year, the restaurant hosted a “free” party and dinner for that ad firm’s clients.
Examples in today’s business world abound for bartering. The reason is that bartering still has many advantages to it in this modern business world.
For instance, for companies that are just starting to build up their assets, bartering is an opportunity to save their hard-earned cash. Even established companies love the chance to keep their money in the bank. With bartering, a company can get what it needs, while providing a service that the other company needs.
And because there is no money passed between pockets, the taxman does not even need to know about it. That saves you, and your accountant, the trouble of figuring out one more piece of business income or expense.
Lastly, deals involving money may whip up the old Scrooge mentality–a combination of greed and mistrust. With money deals, you may always be left wondering if you got the short end of the stick. Not so with bartering. With bartering, you get exactly what you need. And in return, you give a fair share of goods or services.
There’s no need to be a Scrooge here. Instead, the whole transaction is one of trust and understanding. Generally speaking, bartering for goods and services feels more worthwhile than paying money, whether you’re bartering for a dinner party for your clients, Internet advertising space, or whatever it is that you and your bartering partner agree to. Perhaps it’s because you can actually feel the value of your own goods and services. Or it may be just because you don’t have to open your wallet.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE MAKING A CHANGE?
During the past year I felt strongly within my spirit a season of change coming into the earth. I would say to friends and family, “Gee, I really would like to go to France one more time before circumstances will no longer be conducive to a trip like that.” There were other places… places far away and exotic that I felt I needed to visit before it was too late. Almost as if someone were reading my mind, U.S .and French sentiments began to change. I began to understand that I might never see a small French village again, never go to the French Riviera,
. I knew change was coming, but I did not realize that something as unpredictable as a “bird flu” would be able to cripple travel to certain countries, so soon. Now, after December 31st of 2006, a passport will be needed to go to Mexico, Canada and to take cruises in the Caribbean. Disaster hits one area after another. If you planned a trip to the Delta coastal region, it was overtaken by floods, if you planned a trip to New Jersey, New York or New Hampshire, dark waters flowed across the Eastern seaboard. If you planned a trip to California, fires were burning ominously, or there were infamous car chases and shoot-outs.
There is talk of building “a great wall” similar to that of China centuries ago-in the name of safety and for identifying Islamic Terrorists. Racial profiling is becoming more inefficient as Northern African “martyrs” and Asian “martyrs” come to the forefront in this battle. What happens when the white faithful become “martyrs?” America cries, “keep us safe!” What will the cost be? Will we be asked to queue up and receive “the mark?” Even as the current viruses mutate making vaccines incapable of keeping up, will we one day be asked to report to a location to receive a chip? The technology is available for this right now. When will we be informed by the media that current systems of identification are no longer effective. Will we look like a gigantic line for free flu shots?
My friend, you do not want to take this mark. Now is the time to begin to pray that the Lord makes a way out of no way for you and your family to be safe. If purpose burns in your heart to make a difference, stop procrastinating. What more time do we have? If we depend on the media to tell tell us what season we are in, what happens when all of their prognostications fail? Walk with the great I Am at all times. .