All posts by admin

Article Writing How To Use Your Chakra Energy To Write

By admin on

The seven Chakras are the hidden energy centres in your body through which you receive, process and transmit life energies. They act as “energy transformers” and influencers of change.

Your thoughts, emotions or actions can either block or activate these hidden energy centres. In this article, I address ways to activate each of the Chakras to improve your article writing.

1. Base Chakra the energy of existence

This energy source is associated with survival, self-preservation and security. The major blockages to activating the Base Chakra are “self-sabotage” or self-talk that is full of self-doubt. The real tragedy is that, unless you can manage these self-doubts, you cut yourself off from the other six sources of energy.

You can activate the Base Chakra by: * Confronting your doubts as self-sabotage and challenging them * Visualising your completed article and the sense of achievement you will experience with publication * Sharing your concerns with others who have been successful in article writing * Listening to your body and learning to release any tensions associated with article writing

2. Naval Chakra the energy of activity

This source of energy is experienced as “excitement” and is associated with doing, movement, creativity and achievement. The major blockage to this energy source is inactivity brought on by procrastination and self-doubt.

You can activate the Naval Chakra by: * Checking out online forums and article directories for potential topics of interest to readers * Making notes on an article topic * Aiming for a rough first draft (do not let your perfectionist streak intervene!) * Trying “speed writing” – write what comes to mind without concern for grammar, sentence structure or spelling (helps to thwart perfectionism) * Taping your ideas – try using an audio tape to get ideas down

3. Solar Plexus Chakra the energy of control

This energy is experienced as clarity and is associated with your sense of personal power and self control. The major blockage to this energy source is a lack of order through the absence of planning. You can tap into the energy of control by creating order, structure, form or guidance.

You can activate the Solar Plexus Chakra by: * Capturing potential article topics in a document or Excel file * Matching your task to your energy level if you are a morning person do your creative writing in the morning and your related routine tasks at night * Capturing ideas on how to write articles and creating your own set of guidelines * Setting up documents on your computer with article headings and doing occasional brain dumps * Building your own list of preferred article directories for submission of articles (include submission URL and key requirements, eg. word length, format) * Establishing output targets and a routine for article writing

4. The Heart Chakra the energy of community

This energy is experienced as connection – brought about by your relationships with others and by engaging them in collaborative activity. The major blockage to this energy source is isolation cutting yourself off from supportive relationships.

Why Using Umbrellas as a Marketing Tool Is a Good Idea

By admin on

Umbrellas are ubiquitous on rainy days. Instead of looking people in the eye, you look them in the umbrella. This is a great branding opportunity. People are walking around with all that open real estate for ads. What better way to strengthen your relationship with your customer base than helping them out on a rainy day?

If youve given out free items with your company logo on them, you will have increased good will for your enterprise and increased your companys public presence. Whenever people grab them, averting discomfort and a bad hair day, they will think of your company. Branded products that protect people from the rain are an especially good idea in rainy cities like Seattle and London.

Expressing Customer Appreciation with a Gift

Baseball teams know what a great idea that logo umbrellas are. This is why they give them away at the ballpark. They use the teams color schemes. This is a good strategy for your company to follow as well. If you have company colors, order your promotional items in those colors. The more integrated and seamless you can make the advertisement, the better.

It is through gestures like giving away useful products that companies can build the sort of loyalty associated with sports teams. Customers express their appreciation for your product by buying it. It is important that you express your appreciation for them as well. An ideal way to do this is through gestures like gifting them quality items. It is important, of course, that what you are giving away be of high quality. If it is not, then they will reflect poorly on your companymaking your services seem low quality as well.

Going for the Golf-Player Demographic

Golf players are a demographic that any business would be happy to have a good relationship with. It is no secret that the average golf player has a fair amount of disposable income. You can do this by giving away a promotional golf umbrella. These are normally larger than other ones (in order to keep the golf cart dry). Additionally, umbrellas that have a design that are more concerned with ergonomics (since a golfer with a sore hand is not a very good player) are de rigueur on the links. Golfers will be glad that you understand their particular needs, and they will provide you with a mobile advertisement in a coveted advertising market.

Giving away branded products is an excellent way to communicate that yours is a conscientious and committed company. It is a good way to communicate that your company is in it for the long haulthat you will spend a little money in order to build good relationships with your customers.

Innovation will Drive Sales

By admin on

Residential Lighting has until now been driven by housing sales. With the latest numbers about U.S. home sales, products will have to find new drivers and new incentives for consumers to step up. I think that driver will be Innovation.

Lighting, like home furnishings and accessories, wont find business as usual a sustainable direction. Fewer home sales means fewer customers in the market to buy and price alone will not pry that credit card from customer wallets. Makers and sellers alike will be challenged to attract discretionary dollars with new products that offer new, better, more interesting and more –cant live with out- innovation to turn shoppers to buyers.

Wall Sconces Lighting companies have since WWII relied on huge product assortments to attract dealer interest and customer sales. Expanding the range of shapes, finish and styles worked for a long time as makers and retailers continued to expand assortments as the way to entice customers to spend. The world has changed and so has our reality and after a period of over half a century of growth housing sales the market is contracting and so will our model unless we drive demand with innovation. The simple truth is you can’t only take air in.

We are focused on sustainable growth, no small challenge given the state of China’s supply issues and our market condition. We are focused on relevance, innovation and value and not bloating our product offerings to drive the business. I believe that innovation will be the key factor in driving demand. You can expect to see us applying our knowledge, our insight and our design skills toward precise objectives in new ways as our strategy for growth manifests in products born from innovation.

-Relevant design through Innovation- is our mission.-

Footwear Trend- High Heel Shoes

By admin on

Footwear Industry is boomed with the demand among womens for the High Heel Shoes. This increase in the demand for high heels is all because of the fashion trends emerging randomly. Earlier the trend was for flat shoes but as time passes demand for it declines and increases for High heels. In this modern era, competition for looking more gorgeous and sexy is going on. So among the womens community too, even if the doctors denied them to wear the high heel shoes and take care of their foots, they don’t care about it and believe on their own style of wearing shoes.

High Heel shoes comes in different sizes varying from 2-5 inches, it depends upon the adaptability and the extend up to which it can be handled carefully. These shoes are of immense use for the womens of short height. High heel shoes make them look taller, actually it makes the legs to look long and foot small. The other benefit of wearing high heels is that it makes the carves to appear as it in the slim shape and thus bifurcate the difference in look before and after wearing high heels.

These High Heel shoes make the gait very steady yet it reduces the stride length. It completely changes the look of a woman and makes her to look more seductive and sexy. These shoes seem to be very highly appealing for sex and seduction. The women who wear them feel confident since confidence emerges from the physical appearance too.

There is no particular occasion for it to wear. It is often worn but it enhances the beauty especially in parties, ramps etc. Similarly there is no particular dress combination for it, but it fits well with mini-skirts and jeans. It really gives a seductive look to the women wearing it. These high heels appear to be a means to attract peoples and make them to act on their finger tip.

Now, when moving towards the shopping of high heel it seems to be very confusing or else the state of dilemma exists because there are many types of high heel shoes available like stiletto, court ,straps, peep toe, ankle strap, lace up leg, fetish etc which are very attractive and each is unique in its features. So, options are many but it depends upon the choice and budget.

Really the footwear trend has changed completely or we can say that it has reshaped from the beginning and appears to be very appealing section for womens. Especially the high heels have completely changed the look of women by creating a sense of illusion on the view of public. Whatever it may be but many varieties with innovative ideas are being introduced in the market and are highly adapted by the people and the High Heels are the one among them.

Franchising Vs. Licensing A Business

By admin on

FRANCHISE VS. LICENSE

What’s the difference between franchising vs. licensing a business? Is a license business model really different from a franchise business model? Whether you’re a franchise attorney or not, the starting point in any analysis is to consider the legal aspects, then the business aspects. This article focuses on the legal aspects. A franchise always includes a license of the brand and operating methods, along with assistance (training, an operations manual, etc.) or support (providing advice, quality control, inspections, etc.). A license that is supposedly “not a franchise” but contains these elements, is a disguised, illegal franchise with significant legal ramifications and risk.

REGULATORY BACKDROP

In considering the legal aspects, begin with the following premise that applies to both options:
If you put someone into business (or allow them to use your business brand/mark) this transaction will normally be a regulated activity, subject to substantial penalties for noncompliance. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck. This guiding legal principle (and common sense), coupled with the business aspects of selling a franchise vs. a license (discussed below) will answer most questions.

FRANCHISE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY LAWS

Why does regulation exist? Arising from the ashes of documented past abuses, where tens of thousands of individuals lost all of their worth by investing in nonexistent or worthless business endeavors, the government has devised two principal consumer protection mechanisms:

(1) franchise disclosure-registration laws; and
(2) business opportunity laws.

The thrust of these laws is to require sellers to give potential buyers enough pre-sale information so informed investment decisions can be made before money changes hands, contracts are signed and sizable financial commitments are undertaken. It doesn’t matter what terms are used by the parties in contracts or other documents to describe their relationship. For example, the contract may call the relationship a license, a distributorship, a joint venture, a dealership, independent contractors, consulting, etc., or the parties may form a limited partnership or a corporation. This is entirely irrelevant in the eyes of governmental regulators,. Their focus is not on semantics, but whether a small number of defining elements are present or not. Today sellers are subject to a complex web of regulations that differ from the federal level to the state level and even differ widely from state to state. Murphy advises through Franchise my business.

DON’T FALL FOR TODAY’S SUCKER PLAY

The internet is filled with statements like “Compare high cost franchising to low cost licensing.” Firms or individuals that say calling it a “license” dispenses with legal regulations are delusional and wrong for at least three reasons:

(1) Common Sense – if it was really that easy, everyone would be doing it that way. The 3,000-plus companies that are franchising are not stupid. Many can afford the very best legal talent available. It’s not a coincidence they’re all franchising and not licensing;

(2) Even if the relationship can be structured so it doesn’t fall within the definition of a “franchise,” the backup regulatory protection mechanism – business opportunity laws (discussed below) – will certainly apply. And complying with these is a lot more expensive than going the franchise route; and

(3) Any analysis must include federal law (franchise and business opportunity) as well as applicable state laws covering the same dual prongs (franchise and business opportunity).

This all reminds me of some financial planners who still advise their U.S. clients that filing U.S. income tax returns is not required under their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. It just doesn’t work that way. Actually it does work, but only until the IRS catches up.

The “licensing avoids franchise regulations” spin (which, not surprisingly, is not accepted in the legal community) also only works until the company gets caught. The logic (not) goes something like this: licensing arises under contract law, not franchise law and therefore franchise law doesn’t apply. Sound’s just like the “you don’t have to file a tax return because tax laws don’t apply” argument.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLES

A license attorney prepared a dealer license agreement and ignored the FTC Franchise Rule disclosure requirements (“licensing arises under contract law, not franchise law”). The dealers became disgruntled and hired a litigation attorney who sued the company for, not surprisingly, selling disguised illegal franchises. It cost the company $750,000 to go to trial in federal court to answer the question “Is our license contract an illegal franchise?”

“Is our license really a disguised, illegal franchise?” is always a very expensive question to answer. Unless spending $750,000 is your idea of a good investment. Trying an end run around the franchise disclosure laws by calling it a “license” or a “dealership” may be a cheaper way to go initially. But it’s only a question of when (not if) you will be caught. Be prepared to spend mind-boggling amounts down the road when the disguised illegal franchise is challenged for what it really is.

In a 2008 case, Otto Dental Supply, Inc. v. Kerr Corp., 2008 WL 410630 (E.D. Ark. 2/13/08) another disguised franchise vs. a license was at issue. The company claimed it sold just a license, not a franchise and the franchise laws simply didn’t apply. It made a motion for summary judgment to have the case thrown out of court.

The federal Eastern District Court ruled against the company and ordered the case forward. It said whether or not the license was really a franchise was up to a jury to decide. Jurors are like most of us, and apply common sense to the simple defining elements of a franchise. They are not swayed by semantic arguments like “licensing arises under contract law, not franchise law and therefore franchise law doesn’t apply.” Another very expensive franchise vs. license learning lesson.

And here’s a final example. In Current Technology Concepts Inc. v. Irie Enterprises Inc. the Minnesota Supreme Court concluded a licensing arrangement was a franchise and held the franchise company liable for damages in the amount of $1.3 million for violating the Minnesota Franchise Law.

Hearing “after the fact” that the arrangement was an accidental, illegal franchise and you’re liable for $1.3 million was the last thing that company ever wanted to hear. Perhaps they got themselves into this mess by listening to statements found on the internet that franchising is expensive and licensing inexpensive. Again, if something sound’s too good to be true, it usually is and this should be a big flashing red light.

ROOTS OF LICENSING

It is important to remember the roots of licensing: artwork and character licensing – where the owner (licensor) grants permission to copy and distribute copyrighted works, such as allowing Mickey Mouse to appear on t-shirts and coffee mugs.

The most recent explosion in license law is the licensing of software on personal computers. Or, the owner of a trademark allows another a license to use its mark as a way of settling a trademark infringement suit. These are common and accepted forms of licensing. However, the attempt to use licensing as an end-run around the franchise laws is a corrupted use licensing was never intended for.

This is not to say licensing a business may be a viable option in foreign (out of U.S.) transactions where U.S. laws don’t apply – but these are a very small minority. Most transactions and contracts cover U.S. activities and residents, so the franchise vs. license question is usually an easy one to answer.