Business articles and news

ERIC

2008-09-03T10:51:00.001Z

With the ever increasing cost of energy, plus the affect of global warming make it essential for companies to reduce energy consumption. With this in mind Ritec have developed a unique, easy to install and use Energy, Recording and Information Centre known as ERIC

ERIC is based on a touch screen HMI.The system measure and records energy usage in up to 24 different locations at one time. ERIC is available for either fixed or portable applications. The system is modular and you can start with just one Energy or Process measurement and then simplya add more units to suit your needs.
Visit www.eric-energy.co.uk.

Marketing & Advertising Solutions

2008-09-03T10:40:00.000Z

Are you confused with all the different online marketing strategies? If so you are not alone. Marketing & Advertising Solutions website gives you access to the most effective strategies in the world to grow your business and increase your profits.

Everyone has different goals for their marketing plans and so is their approach to helping you achieve them. Keeping your bottom-line objectives clearly top of mind, they can give you a flexible multi-platform marketing strategy that includes targeted, response-oriented Web advertising campaigns, search engine optimization, turn-key promotions and email campaign planning and implementation. Whatever your objectives for taking your message to the Web, they can help make it happen easier than you thought possible.

Those that want to keep uptodate with all the latest marketing strategies should join their Marketing & Advertising Solutions’ VIP newsletter. Once registered you will receive hundreds of leading edge tips on Marketing, Advertising, PR, Internet Marketing, Sales - everything you need to grow your business and substantially increase your profits - whatever the size and type of your business.

For more information contact www.marketingadsolutions.co.uk

Affiliate Networks: making the profit

2008-09-03T10:19:00.000Z

In my article today on an affiliate network, I shall discuss the profits of joining an affiliate network. Nowadays many online marketers are contemplating affiliate programs as a way of making money without actually owning the product. There is a lot of money to be made in another sort of affiliate marketing known as network marketing. With the regular affiliate marketing you basically joining a program for free and have the ability to sell a product that is not your own and make a nice commission out of it. Many of today's affiliate programs pay you on sales only. So essentially, if your sales are down or slow, you are not making a lot of money.

Network marketing affiliate programs work similar to affiliate programs but usually have more compensation for their affiliates. If you join affiliate programs, you will only be paid for your lead or sales directly.

With an affiliate network your income your income will be more residual because you have a long line of affiliates under you that have the potential to make you money month after month for their work and sales.

Most affiliate programs limit you to only a few products, but with some affiliate networks you have a wide variety of products and services to choose from to make residual income. Many people who join these programs will go on to be customers for years and buy from you and thus you will make money every time they purchase a product. Most affiliate programs are for niche products with a short life and if you don’t get in early you won’t make real money. A good affiliate network will have lots of high demand products that people will prefer to buy year after year know matter what.

If you are considering affiliate marketing then an affiliate network might be something you want to consider to expand your different directions of income. In the long run you will make more money and it will be residual. It is much better to do it once and get paid forever than to just get paid once and have to repeat the steps. Many successful network marketers are enjoying extreme wealth of simply building huge affiliate teams that generate massive residual income day by day.

Author: M Wali is an expert author of Rupiz Affiliates, a leading affiliate network that caters to global audience. Which is into affiliate network, search engine optimization, online advertising, affiliate network.

This article is copyright

Source: www.articlealley.com/article_616049_15.html

Affiliate marketing is all about making money

2008-09-03T10:16:00.002Z

Affiliate marketing is all about making money for selling products from merchants, and these items you did not create or own and collect profits for their sale. Other people have spent the time creating and going through all of the trouble developing software programs, services, or digital content products. They have done all the work, and then you collect the money!

Affiliate marketing is a revenue sharing arrangement between the product developer, known as the affiliate merchant, and the affiliate marketer who is anyone that is willing to promote the sale of product by advertising the product using any type of legal means available.

The relationship allows the affiliate merchant to grow their revenue by paying only for the advertising that results in a sale.

The affiliate marketer will profit by making a percentage on a sale that he does not have to manage after the sale.

Getting paid for your effort all depends on how the affiliate program is set up, and many merchants run their own affiliate programs.

Merchants have designed special software suited to their product that assigns each affiliate marketer with an unique link that is used in promoting their products. This software tracks the sales of every marketer and the merchant will pay the commission on a periodic basis using either PayPal or another method of payment.

Selecting products or services, Your income is directly tied to how well your selected product or service sells, and the size of the commission you earn, which makes it very important that you choose carefully when it comes to choosing the affiliate merchant you will be partnering with.

Choose affiliate programs and products that you like yourself, so while promoting these programs you will feel comfortable recommending to your family and friends if they were to ask you about these items.

You will do much better if you promote products that you fully understand and are already familiar with. This way, you will be able to write better ads without having to strain yourself coming up with the right things to say.

You should only promote products and services for companies who have gone through the trouble to provide you with training programs and sales material such as banners and other marketing materials that you can either use directly or model the one you own after.

Find good affiliate programs with commission rates no less than 50%, because of the Hugh number of programs on the internet. Select the affiliate programs that pay commissions on multiple levels, and that way you will earn.
About the Author :-

For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website: -

www.affiliate-directories-online.com

www.affiliate.reprintarticlesite.com

This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, best for Free Web Content.

Types of Business Finance – Grant Finance

2008-08-06T15:00:00.000Z

Whether your business is small and new or large and established you will need adequate finance for the majority of projects, purchases and expansions you’re your business makes.

Obtaining the necessary cash to get your business off the ground can be a challenge and few new companies are able to finance themselves on cashflow alone and therefore need to consider gaining finance from other external sources. There are many of these external sources who will be willing to provide you with this start up finance, a few examples of these are stated below:

• Bank loans
• Business angels
• Venture capitalists
• Overdrafts
• Credit cards
• Friends and family

These are just a few examples of some of the places that business start-up finance is available from; however there is another source of business finance available that many people often seem to forget, this is grant finance. Business Grants can however take several months to process so you should always add extra time to your planning so that you get a decision on your grant application before the project is due to start.

A lot of start up companies and small businesses are often put off the idea of applying for a business grant to help them with their finances and because of this many of these businesses are missing out on a great opportunity to gain extra cash for there business; cash that doesn’t need to be paid back.

Few, if any new companies can finance themselves on cashflow alone and therefore need to consider raising finance from other external sources. If your business needs extra cashflow for a specific project or purpose then a business grant could be exactly what you need. This is because business grants are only awarded for specific aspects. So what exactly is a business grant? A business grant is when an organisation or authority gives a sum of money to your business to help you succeed in a particular project these business grants are mainly awarded by the Government at both a local and national level as well as by smaller bodies such as The Princes Trust or The Arts Council.

When you are applying for a business grant there are certain things that you should keep in mind such as a detailed description of the project, an explanation of the potential benefits of the project, a detailed work plan, details of your own experience and if possible a business plan. All of these will help you with your application process and help you to get closer to that business grant that you want.

If you are successful in your grant application the money that you receive is none repayable and you won’t have to pay any interest for it either; however you will need to carry out a significant amount of hard work if you want to stand a chance of obtaining a grant. These grants are also limited so the competition that you will face for them is intense.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, experts in all aspects of Business Finance and Business Grants.

What does your Business Plan need to include?

2008-08-06T14:59:00.001Z

Your business plan is a document that needs to be accurate and realistic. Your plan will detail everything that your business does, where is stands now, what you hope to achieve with your business, your target market, your unique selling point and all of your financial forecasts for your business. These are just a few of the aspects that you should cover within your business plan so that whoever is reading it can gain a clear understanding of everything that your business is and everything that your business focuses on.

A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about your organisation.

Business plans are decision-making tools. There is no fixed content for a business plan. Rather the content and format of the business plan is determined by the goals and audience. A business plan should contain whatever information is needed to decide whether or not to pursue a business goal.

You also need to ensure that your business plan is up-dated on a regular basis as it is a living document, you need to make sure that when something changes within your business that it is documented within your business plan. This will allow you to keep track of your businesses development and will ensure that you know what is happening in your business from start to finish.

Preparing a business plan draws on a wide range of knowledge from many different business disciplines: finance, human resource management, intellectual property management, supply chain management, operations management, and marketing, among others. It can be helpful to view the business plan as a collection of sub-plans, one for each of the main business disciplines.

Within your business plan you should define your business position and your market. You need to outline your competitors and include any market research that you have conducted. You should be fully aware of your marketplace and understand the trends that happen within it. It is also a good idea to know what your competitor’s advantages and disadvantages are and then compare these to your own.

You need to think wisely about how to go about writing your business plan and ensure that you have covered all of the topics that you need to address within your plan. As well as this you should also consider the presentation of your business plan. You need to make sure that your plan is legible and wrote in an email friendly format so that if you do have to email your plan you can do. A cover and content page is also a good idea for your plan, which should include page numbers and section numbers. Once you have wrote your plan you should get at least two people to read through it to make sure that they understand it whilst checking the grammar and spelling.

Your business plan may seem like a complicated task but when you think about it, it is mainly common sense, just take your time with writing it and you will be fine.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, specialists in all aspects of writing and preparing Business Plans.

How to write a Business Plan

2008-08-06T14:58:00.000Z

A business plan is essential to your business and must be realistic. It is a written statement of intent that describes your business, its objectives, strategies, market and financial forecasts.

Many people only see a business plan as a way of securing external finance for their business when in fact it should be used for so much more. There are so many benefits that a business plan can bring to your business, such as securing external finance but also for more personal business reasons such as helping you to spot potential pitfalls before they happen within your business, structuring the financial side of your business efficiently and focusing your development efforts as well as working as a measure of success within your business.

As well as helping you in many areas of your business your business plan is also wrote for a variety of potential audiences. There are many people that may want to look at your business plan; banks, investors, grant providers, anyone interested in buying your business and potential partners make up just a few of the people who may wish to see your business plan. It is because of this that you need to ensure that you outline everything about your business in a clear and simple manner. Remember the person who is reading your plan may not understand your business and the products, services or processes that your business is offering, due to this fact it is important to try and avoid using jargon and it is also a good idea to get someone who isn’t involved in your business, for example a friend or family member to read through sections of your business plan to make sure that they understand what your business is about and what it hopes to achieve.

Within your business plan you need to set out your vision for your new business, this includes who you are, what you do, what you have to offer and the market you want to address. You also need to include an overview of your business as well as describing your products or services. Some of the key areas of your business that you need to include are:

Your market, which includes its size, historical data about its development and key current issues
Your target customer base such as who they are and how you know they will be interested in your products or services
Your competitors including who they are, how they work and the share of the market they hold
The future, including anticipated changes in the market and how you expect your business and your competitors to react to them

Although your business plan needs to be used for more than financial forecasts, it is this area that remains the biggest within your business plan. In this section you need to translate what you’ve said about your business into numbers.

Your business plan needs to cover the next three years of your business but the first 12 months should contain the most detail.

If you are hoping to start up your own business it is essential that you start work on your business plan straight away to give yourself the best possible start.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, experts in all aspects of Business Plans.

Business Finance – Gaining a Business Grant

2008-08-06T14:57:00.001Z

Every new business needs finance when they are first starting up. You will need to buy equipment and your workplace will need to be set up as well as all of your marketing costs being sorted out but it doesn’t just stop here; when you are officially set up and your business starts making money you will need to cover all of your businesses bills and your staffs wages.

When it comes to finance needed to establish your business there are a number of options available to you. One of these options is grant finance. So what exactly is this grant finance? Grant finance is some of the money that is given to individuals or businesses for a specific project or purpose.

Grant finance however only covers part of the cost involved in your business project but the money that is given to you doesn’t need to be paid back. Grants are given to businesses to help with specific aspects of business development and they are available from a wide range of sources such as the Government, European Union and regional development agencies. These business grants are only given to businesses for a specific reason and there are a number of factors that may affect whether you are able to gain a grant such as your business activity or your specific business industry sector, some are also linked to certain geographical areas, which are in need of economic regeneration.

Business grants are notoriously hard to gain and there are only a certain amount that are available to businesses every year so the competition for these business grants is strong, which is why if you are hoping to gain one you need to clearly outline what the grant will be used for and how it will benefit your business as well as how it will benefit your local community. You will also need to clearly show that the specific project you want the money for hasn’t already started to take place and that you are able to put the rest of the money needed for your specific project to the grant money because, as mentioned earlier, a business grant only covers part of the money needed for a specific project.

A business grant will cover between 15% to 50% of the total costs involved in your business project so you will need to get hold of the rest of the money. If you gain a business grant when you don’t have the other half of the money available or you have already started the business project then you will be made to pay the grant back in full as you are breaking the terms of your business grant.

If you are hoping to make an application for a business grant then you need to make sure that you check what grants are available. Also there are a few factors that could affect you gaining a business grant such as the size of your business. Some grant providers will only give you access to a grant if your business is a small to medium business, ideally with less than 250 employees. As well as the size of your business you also have to think about your industry sector. This is because funding can often be limited and subject to restrictions in certain sectors, which are defined by the European Commission. Other restrictions include the location of your business and the purpose of your grant.

If you are going to apply for a business grant it is advised that you make your application well in advance of when your grant is needed as the applications can often take a while to process.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, experts in all aspects of Grant Finance.

What is Asset Management and how will it benefit your business?

2008-07-30T15:35:00.000Z

Asset management is the professional management of various securities such as shares and bonds etc as well as assets like real estate; its purpose is to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of the investors. These investors may be institutions, for example insurance companies, pension funds or large corporations to name just a few. They may also be private investors.

The term asset management is often used to refer to the investment management of collective investments, whilst the more generic fund management may refer to all forms of institutional investment as well as investment management for private investors. Investment managers who specialise in advisory or discretionary management on behalf of (normally wealthy) private investors may often refer to their services as wealth management or portfolio management often within the context of "private banking".

Asset management refers to the management of physical assets, including their selection, maintenance, inspection and renewal. Asset management, however, often gets confused with financial asset management. In business terms asset management involves maintaining details of a companies assets; so what exactly are these assets? They are anything within the business, for example PC’s, machine tools and desks and chairs are all classed as a businesses assets. The job of asset management is to keep a track of these assets.

The idea of asset management is one that has actually been around a while but it is only in more recent years that the idea has really took off and actually got anywhere. It is only in the past few years that asset management has been recognised as being important in business.

Asset management is important to businesses as it plays a key role in determining the operational performance and profitability of industries that operate assets as part of their core business. Asset Management is the art and science of making the right decisions and optimising these processes.

Asset management makes it easier and more efficient to manage the assets owned by the company or the individual and looks into ways of investing these assets for added returns. Collective investment schemes, pension funds, private banking and wealth management are some of the ways which handle assets that make asset management more efficient and increase your assets.

I highly recommend that asset management is looked into more and that you adapt the concept to fit your own business as it will benefit you. Still not convinced? Just look at all the information available surrounding asset management and you will soon change your mind!

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, specialists in all aspects of Asset Management.

The advantage to good Cash Flow Management

2008-07-25T15:10:00.000Z

Cash is what enables a business to survive and grow and it is what indicates that a business is healthy. Without cash your business won’t go anywhere. Your business would survive without sales for a while but if it doesn’t have cash behind it you can safely say it is doomed from the start.

In order to keep your business from failing you need to have good cash flow management. You need to keep track of all your business incomings and outgoings and one way of doing this is to choose a good accountant. By doing this it will save you and your business time and money. When you are choosing an accountant you should keep considerations such as the following in mind:

• Whether you feel comfortable and at ease talking to the accountant about the business and any problems you may have
• Getting advice on the best accounting and payroll systems to use
• Are you comfortable with keeping your accountant informed of any changes to your business to ensure you get the best, most up-to-date advice?
• Regularly compare costs to ensure you are getting value for money

Another way of achieving good cash flow management is through the process of monitoring, analysing and adjusting your businesses cash flow. In order to do this you need to perform a cash flow analysis on a regular basis in order to stop cash flow problems from happening.

Cash flow management is essential to keep organisations in business and to help you maintain your cash flow management you should perform what is known as cash flow forecasting. By forecasting the cash flow of your business you are able to predict peaks and falls within your cash flow and it also comes as a help to you if you ever need to approach a bank concerning your finances. This is because many banks require forecasts before they will consider giving you a loan. When you are undertaking cash flow forecasting it is important that you have two cash flow forecasts; one that covers the next twelve months and another showing the actual figures for the past twelve months.

By maintaining the cash flow to your business it allows you to identify the sources and amount of cash that is coming into your business as well as where your money is going and the amount of money that is going to all the different places.

The purpose of good cash flow management is to provide a business owner with projected figures that were calculated to ensure the survival of a business and to achieve business targets.

So what are some of the most important aspects of cash flow management? For small businesses the most important aspect of cash flow management is avoiding extended cash shortages, which is often caused by having too much of a gap between cash flowing in and out of a business. You won't be able to stay in business if you can't pay your bills for any extended length of time.

Cash flow management is key to ensuing that your business succeeds where many other businesses have failed so get a grip on your finances today and get your cash flow management off the ground and in full swing.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, financial experts in all areas of business finance and Cash Flow Management.

How important is Business Process Reengineering?

2008-07-25T15:09:00.000Z

Business Process Reengineering is known as the secret to a successful business. It plays an important role in today’s business world but what exactly can Business Process Reengineering do for you?

Business Process Reengineering means understanding the processes which are involved in your company. Business process reengineering (BPR) is a management approach aimed at improving your business by means of elevating efficiency and effectiveness of the processes that exist within and across organizations. The key to BPR is for organisations to look at their business processes from a clean slate perspective and determine how they can best construct these processes to improve how they conduct business.

Business Process Reengineering can also be known as Business Process Redesign and Business Process Change Management. Business Process Reengineering has become a viable way of implementing lean structures.

Business Process Reengineering is important to businesses for a number of reasons such as it is the organisational process, which is required to align people, processes and technology with strategies in order to achieve business integration. Business Process Reengineering can also be thought of as taking a business in its current state and forming an organisational and operational blueprint in order to redirect skills policies, information or data, cultural values, organisational skills and processing as well as incentives towards making targeted improvements to the business.

Below are some quotes from the best and most experienced people surrounding Business Process Reengineering:

Hammer and Champy (1993) define Business Process Reengineering as
• "... the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed."

Thomas H. Davenport (1993) is another example of how well-known Business Process Reengineering theorist uses the term process innovation, which he says:
• ”encompasses the envisioning of new work strategies, the actual process design activity, and the implementation of the change in all its complex technological, human, and organizational dimensions”.

Additionally, Davenport (ibid.) points out the major difference between Business Process Reengineering and other approaches to organization development (OD), especially the continuous improvement or TQM movement, when he states:
• "Today firms must seek not fractional, but multiplicative levels of improvement – 10x rather than 10%."

Business Process Reengineering, if implemented properly, can give huge returns. BPR has helped giants like Procter and Gamble Corporation and General Motors Corporation succeed after financial drawbacks due to competition. It has also helped American Airlines to get back on track from the bad debt that was hanging over their business practice. Business Process Reengineering is about the proper method of implementation within businesses.

So where is the best place to approach in order to gain full benefits from Business Process Reengineering? I recommend that you talk to a finance business, such as an entrepreneur and investor business who will be able to help you with your Business Process Reengineering.

For more information about what Business Process Reengineering can do for your business get in touch with an investor today and start gaining the benefits of Business Process Reengineering as soon as possible.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, experts in all aspects of rocess Reengineering.

Get Business Finance through a Small Firms Loan Guarantee

2008-07-25T15:08:00.000Z

Ensuring that your business has an effective funding solution is key to your business success. Before you can do anything with your business you need the finance to be able to fulfil your business needs. So how do you go about gaining the business finance that you need?

There are many avenues that you can approach when it comes to gaining your start up business finance such as bank loans, investors and credit cards as well as overdrafts; however in order to gain any form of business finance you need a well thought out and structured business plan. On the other hand there are occasions when you may have a viable business plan but you are still struggling to get finance in order to expand or start up your business; this is where a Small Firms Loan Guarantee can help.

Small Firms Loan Guarantee is also known as SFLG and is a joint venture between the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) as well as a number of participating lenders. An SFLG was put in place for people who have tried and failed to get a conventional loan. They are available for most types of businesses and business purposes but it should be noted that there are still some restrictions and exclusions, which is why it is important that you check these against your business before making an application for a SFLG; this can be said for any form of finance. You should check that your business is able to apply before applying for any form of finance to save yourself time, money and effort.

A Small Firms Loan Guarantee is most suited for small to medium businesses that have trouble trying to gain a conventional loan. They are extremely helpful to small and medium businesses as you won’t have to offer assets as security. But before you apply for a SFLG you should take a good look at your business and carefully think about the needs of your business. When doing this you should keep questions such as the following in mind:

• What is the money needed for?
• How much money do you need for your business?
• Have you investigated all of the forms of finance that are available to you?

I suppose you are now wondering what exactly a Small Firms Loan Guarantee offers you, well the main features and criteria of a SFLG are as follows:

• A guarantee to the lender covering 75% of the loan amount, for which the borrower pays a 2% premium on the outstanding balance of the loan, payable to BERR
• The ability to guarantee loans of up to £250,000 and with terms of up to ten years
• Availability to qualifying UK businesses with an annual turnover of up to £5.6million
• Availability to businesses in most sectors and for most business purposes, although there are some restrictions

So if you are a small to medium business in need of finance then keep the idea of a Small Firms Loan Guarantee in mind, you never no it could be just what you are looking for.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, financial experts in all areas of business finance, contact them today for more information about a Small Firms Loan Guarantee.

Does your business need some extra cash? Have you thought about Grant Finance?

2008-07-25T15:07:00.000Z

Many people don’t seem to realise the difference between what a grant is and what a loan is. Well as a brief explanation the main difference between the two is that a loan must be paid back with interest whereas a grant doesn’t have to be paid back, sounds simple enough and too good to be true; so how do you go about obtaining a grant?

The biggest price that you have to pay when it comes to gaining a grant is a lot of research and a lot of paperwork. It should also be noted that grants are only available for very specific and targeted endeavours and because of this your business proposal needs to fit perfectly within theses. The reason that the restrictions are so high and important when it comes to gaining a business grant is because these grants are limited.

Grants are available from a different variety of sources such as the Government, European Union and local authorities. These are just a few examples of the places that you are able to apply for a grant. These grants are a sum of money that is to an individual or business for a specific project or purpose. The most common awarding body for grants is the Government. These Government grants are usually always linked to a specific purpose or business activity and you will only be considered for a Government grant if this proposed business idea hasn’t already started to take place. Also it is important to remember that Government grants are more likely to be awarded if your business idea benefits the community, creates more jobs and generally helps to improve the industry sector and geographical area.

Getting a grant however is hard work and there is a lot of competition for the limited grants that are available. There is also a lot of information that you should be aware of when it comes to getting a grant such as they will only cover a portion of the total costs involved in your specific business idea, meaning you will have to put the rest of the money forward that is needed to complete the project. If you don’t have this money when you are applying for your grant you will be turned down for your business grant.

Another restriction placed on the application of a business grant is the fact that in order to apply for one your business needs to be a small or medium company. This is measured either by the turnover that your business makes or by the amount of employees that your business has. A business with fewer than 250 employees is considered to be a small or medium sized company.

Before making an application for a business grant it is important that you read through all of the restrictions that surround these grants to be totally sure that your business is eligible for a grant. The reason that this is so important is because if you are awarded a business grant and it is then found out that, for example you can’t put your half of the money towards your project you will have to immediately repay the grant. If you break any of the restrictions or conditions of a business grant you will be made to repay the grant.

A business grant could be the difference between whether you are able to advance or start up your business so for anyone hoping to gain one my main piece of advice to you is do your research; make sure that you fit the restrictions of a business grant and go for it.

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, financial experts with the power to help you gain your Business Grant.

Health and Fitness, tackling Obesity

2008-07-24T10:12:00.000Z

Obesity has sadly become one of the most serious medical problems of the western world. It causes over 9,000 deaths in England alone each year and due to its highly rapid growth two thirds of all adults in the UK are now medically classed as being obese.

Obesity is a continually growing problem, which has been focused upon frequently in the media across recent times. It is more than gaining a ‘few extra pounds.’ It is a danger to your life that could leave you with life threatening illness.

The medical condition of obesity occurs when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and sex. A person will be considered obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 30. An average, healthy persons BMI lies in the region of 20 to 25. The way in which your BMI is calculated is your weight in kilograms is divided by your height in meters. Depending on factors such as your height, you will be able to find out for your local GP or district nurse whether your BMI is healthy.

In certain cases obesity can be caused by the medication that you are on but this is rare. The main cause of obesity surrounds your calorie intake. If you eat more calories than you burn off your body will store this excess energy as body fat. The amount of calories that you burn off depends primarily on how active you are and the rate of your metabolism. A labour worker will burn more calories than an office worker due to the fact a labour worker is constantly active. This means a labour worker might need 4,000 calories a day to keep their energy intake up where as an office worker may only need 1,500 to get through the day.

Obesity is not only affecting adults anymore, the condition has started to affect more and more children of all ages. We are seeing it everywhere we look, news reports about the affects of obesity on children; how lifestyles and unhealthy eating are affecting the next generation and more and more is being done to encourage and help parents change this fact as it has been said that 10% of six year olds are now suffering from obesity and 17% of 15 year olds are starting to fall into this medical nightmare. These figures have more than tripled in the last 120 years.

Obesity in itself might just appear to be an extra little bit of weight when in reality it is the cause of a list of health problems which include;

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Osteoarthritis
• High blood pressure
• Gallstones
• Infertility
• Depression
• Reduced life expectancy

Also when obesity is combined with a lack of exercise it can contribute to you suffering colon, breast, kidney and stomach cancers.

The only way to cure obesity is to control your calorie intake. The most effective way to go about doing this is by keeping a diet diary as a way of keeping track of your calorie intake. Your diet diary will list what you have ate each day so you can see when you have reached your calorie intake for the day.

Combined with your diet diary you should also start an exercise regime which enables you to do 30 minutes of exercise a day. You should choose exercises that you enjoy and that will help you in the best way.

The treatment of obesity is aimed at you losing weight to improve your general quality of life, both physically and psychologically.

Helen is the web master of Article Alley, home of all your Article Directory needs.

Health Articles

Eighty One Media

2008-07-24T09:23:00.001Z

Eighty One Media provide shops and small businesses in the East London and Essex areas with high quality design and print at the lowest possible prices.

They pride themselves on the fact that they believe you will not find better value for money, if you think you can they would love to hear from you.

Not only do they offer printed and online products they also offer our help, if your just starting a business and are looking at putting together some flyers to advertise yourself, they can help, give you advice as to what looks good, give you some advice on how to word your marketing material, and give you an insight into where people have gone wrong and right in the past.

Or are you an established company which is looking for a new image? Something a bit more fashionable or funky? Then they want to help as well, our designers have over 10 years experience of dealing with the people of East London and Essex so they know what they like, what appeals to them, and what attracts them. They are more than happy to pass on our advice and knowledge to help give you a better service.

For more information visit www.eightyonemedia.com.

Fantasy Nights

2008-07-24T08:51:00.002Z

Fantasy Nights can offer you Hunky Male Strippers, Sexy Female Strippers, Drag Queens and Comedians for Stag Shows, Hen Shows, Ladies Nights and Gentlemen’s Evenings in the UK.

They pride themselves on being able to supply some of the best Male Strippers, Female Strippers, Drag Queens and Comedians in the business.

Fantasy Nights supply Stag and Hen shows which are both fun and entertaining and even daring. They want the audience to have a good and enjoyable night out.

Their shows are ideal for pubs and clubs and are a good way of making extra revenue for your business or club.

They look forward to helping you sort out that special hen show or stag show and are always on hand to answer any queries that might arise.

Contact them today by visitng their website http://www.fantasy-nights.co.uk

It’s all about how to create Blog

2008-07-24T08:48:00.001Z

If you have a blog, or are thinking about starting a blog, then you are definitely going to want to read this article. It’s all about how to line your pockets with money that’s just waiting to be made without working much harder than you already are.

No only are blogs the hottest thing on the ‘net right now, but they are custom-made for Google’s AdSense program. Why? It’s simple. Blogs represent constantly changing and fresh content to Google’s search engine spiders. Feeding fresh content to those little spiders is just like tossing raw meat to a tiger. They just gobble it up. The more pages of your blog that get indexed, the more traffic you get. And the more traffic you get, the more exposure your AdSense ads get. Are you beginning to see where I’m heading here?

It’s not just Google that loves new content, all of the major engines do. In fact, some web-savvy bloggers are testing Google ads on one page and Overture ads on the other. It doesn’t take too long to see which ads are doing the best when you have nearly side-by-side comparison statistics to look at. Just don’t make the mistake of putting Google and Overture ads on the same page together. While they won’t kill each other like a pair of Siamese fighting fish in the same bowel will, you will be violating both sites’ Terms of Service, and it isn’t worth killing the goose (geese) that laid the golden egg.

It’s a snap to set up Google AdSense ads on your blog. Everything you need to know is right inside of the Google control panel. What’s not so easy is figuring out what ads are going to appear on each page. Since Google targets your key words, and your blog articles could possible wander towards any subject, you never know what you’re going to get.

Well, “never” is a strong word because there actually IS a way to pre-test your blog’s ads before you post your newest edition. Here’s what you do:

• Write your blog article like you normally would
• Plug in your AdSense code and then post your newest page to a sub directory that’s not part of your blog.
• Click refresh a few times until Google wakes up and starts sending ads.
• If you don’t like what you see then fine-tune the article until you see the types of ads that you’re looking for.

With some ads paying as much as $5 per click or more, I’d certainly spend an extra 30 minutes or so tweaking my blog. That’s for sure.

If you’re working hard to get your blog in front of visiting eyeballs, then it doesn’t make any sense at NOT to be using Google AdSense to draw every penny out of your site that’s possible. OK, that’s the end of the article. Now get busy tweaking your blog and checking your ads. You’ve got money waiting to be made

For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website:-
www.reprintarticlesite.com
www.seo.reprintarticlesite.com

This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, best for Free Articles.

E.I.S. (Scotland) Ltd

2008-07-24T08:45:00.002Z

Have you ever had an electrical accident? Are you unsure electrical appliances in your workplace or home are safe to use? With today’s “Where there’s blame, there’s a claim” culture, it has become more important than ever to make sure that your workplace is as safe as possible for your staff and the public.

E.I.S. Ltd can provide a reliable, professional service at competitive prices to companies, hotels, educational institutions, landlords, letting agents and many other types of organisations.

Your Electrical PAT testing records will be archived for 6 years thus proving your compliance with The Electrical Safety at Work regulations.
These can be supplied either hard copy or on CD Rom in digital format.
They will also contact you annually a month before your PAT testing is due.

For more information visit www.eisscotland.co.uk.

Security in Spain

2008-07-24T08:42:00.001Z

Established in 1994, Security in Spain have been leading the field of installers of home and work access and security products on the Costa Blanca for over 10 years. Their work has gone from the design, manufacture and fit of simple rejas to multi gate and door systems with various access levels for security. They have an experienced team of fitters and no job or problem is too small. Their product range covers from hand built and crafted gates, conversion of existing gates or doors, video and audio security access and surveillance products, safes, security lights, grills, railings and rejas, to a simple change of locks for peace of mind (or change of tenant). They offer repair or replacement of existing systems and if required, a 24 hour emergency call out service. All of their metalwork is designed and manufactured to your own personal choice of style and colour. Their gates and grills can be made to match your existing installations if necessary.

For more info visit http://www.securityinspain.com.

Creating a Business Plan- A Blueprint for Success

2008-07-24T08:38:00.000Z

This article looks at how to go about creating a business plan that has direction and can lead to success. It lists the eight simple steps for creating a plan. These include a business name, a vision, a mission statement, objectives and goals, SWOT, a strategic action plan, a financial plan and lastly, measurements and evaluation.
A business without a business plan is doomed from the start. However, with a well thought out business plan, you will not waste money or time. A business plan is a road map or blueprint that can help you to focus on the necessary elements of growing a business.

The Elements of a Business Plan

A business plan helps to determine the direction you wish to go in and it identifies the market you are targeting. A business plan also lays out definitive goals and how you plan to achieve those goals. A business plan is also vital in terms of looking for financing for your business.
Source: Missouri Small Business Development Centers

A business plan needs to include the following:

-an executive summary
-the background and history of your business
-a description of your company (be as vivid and colorful as you can be)
-the value proposition of your business
-a marketing analysis (this must be a combination of a market development plan and a competitive analysis)
-a development plan
-a production and operations assessment
-a human resources and management assessment (and a solid plan for such)
-a financial assessment of the business, as well as a projected assessment
-an implementation plan
-a resources list and a proposed deal for would-be investors
-a strategy for survival (which takes into consideration mitigation strategies and risks that are a part of the business as a whole)
-a strategy for growth
-an exit strategy (if need be)
-a summary of the business
-appendices for the business

Primer for a Basic Business Plan

You can create a very basic business plan for your company in eight simple steps:

1. Business Name- Choose a name that is synonymous with your products and/or services and is easy to pronounce and spell. Always make it memorable and clients will remember it.
2. Vision- What is your hope for your company in five or 10 years time? Consider the ways in which you would like to expand.
3. Mission Statement- Do not forget to write one of these. A mission statement defines your business in a couple of sentences. It also delineates what your business is all about and how it is unique in the competitive marketplace.
4. Objectives and Goals- What are your objectives for your company? What do you hope to achieve? Set quantifiable goals with definitive time lines. Be as precise as possible.
5. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) - Are you prepared for the good and the bad? Take stock of the entire SWOT of your business in order to figure out how to not just survive, but thrive. This will help you to build on the good aspects of your business and cope better with the weaknesses.
6. Strategic Action Plan- This plan is crucial as it includes your strategies for marketing and sales of your products and services. (To learn what you need to know for this read “How to Create Your Web Site Marketing Plan” at http://www.isitebuild.com/ewebsitemarketingplan)

7. Financial Plan- Devising a budget will help you to focus, hone your skills and make your long and short term goals a reality. It will also enable you to have much better control of the money that is flowing into your business.

8. Measurements and Evaluation- Take a look at your goals and break them down into smaller parts that are easier to achieve step-by-step. Make sure your plan can be measured in terms that are quantifiable, such as by parts or on a weekly or monthly basis. Be as specific as you possibly can be.

Source: BPlans.com

This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, best for Free Articles.

Using Promotional Items to Increase Your Trade Show Traffic

2008-07-24T08:37:00.001Z

Trade shows and industry conferences can give your business enough quality information and contacts to carry it throughout the rest of the year. Hour after hour, you will find an incredible source of knowledge, competitive intelligence and ability to network with other important businesses and individuals in your target market. Now you need to find a way to ensure that your stand is one of the most popular and attractive throughout the trade show. You need to start using promotional items like promotional pens and promotional mugs to increase your trade show traffic.

Promotional marketing in general is an excellent way for your business to demonstrate how much better your products are than those of the competition. When you are at a trade show, surrounded by the competition, your success in promotional marketing becomes even more important. What will show your target market and business partners that your company is the best at what it does?

You can take two basic approaches while using promotional items to increase your trade show traffic. The first marketing strategy is to find practical, mass distribution items that will be used by all members of the trade show. Some of these promotional items might be canvas bags that conference participants can carry their materials or branded folders that hold all the industry trade show information. These items will be used by all the members of the trade show and be taken home with each participant after the show is long over. These promotional items will carry a long-term investment for your business since these items will be used over and over again with each use being yet another advertisement for your company.

The other basic marketing strategy you can take is the “wow” factor. Hold a prize draw for a big-ticket item. If you require people to stop by your stand to submit their name for an incredible promotional item that is trendy, expensive or highly valued by your target market, you will hear your business name on the lips of all the participants. You will see a heavy increase in trade show traffic as the conference attendees each stop by your stand to submit their information for the winning prize – giving you a superior opportunity to sell your products and services time after time.

Search the full selection of promotional products to increase the traffic to your trade show stand. Place your order in time for the next conference today.

This article is free for republishing
Source: Article alley, best for Free Articles for reprint.

C & S Renwick

2008-07-24T08:29:00.002Z

C & S Renwick are a corgi registered gas installation company specialising in central heating systems.

Their Senior Engineer has 30 years experience in not only domestic plumbing and heating but commercial and industrial pipework too. The first 5 years of which was served as an apprentice.

The majority of work undertaken by C & S Renwick is diagnostic faultfinding and servicing of domestic wet central heating appliances for Vokera Limited, Halstead Boilers Limited and the general public. Our Senior Engineer is qualified to carry out all types of repairs and servicing of both Natural Gas and Liquid Petroleum Gas fired appliances.

As the recommended agents for Vokera Limited and Halstead Boilers Limited the majority of parts are kept in stock so most call outs are repaired on the first visit. Their company also undertakes insured breakdown covered by Domestic & General Insurance Services for both Vokera and Halstead boilers.

Their engineers have been vetted by the Criminal Records Bureaux, just like teachers are, for our customers piece of mind and safety, all engineers have their CORGI identification card with them at all times.

C & S Renwick's aim is to have an engineer visit within 48 hours of your phone call or receipt of your email, and priority will be given to boilers, which have completely broken down.

For more information and contact details visit http://www.candsrenwick.co.uk.

Squidoo - Create your own lense.

2008-06-27T13:17:00.005Z

A lens is one person's view on a topic that matters to her. It's an easy-to-build, single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, your eBay auctions, CafePress designs, Amazon books or music, and oh so much more. That way, when someone is looking for recommended information, fast, your lens gets him started and sends him off in the right direction. Hooray for you!

Some good reasons why you should build a lense is to:

• Share the knowledge: When you know a lot about something, it feels good to share. Help other people discover what you found out the hard way.

• Increase your profile: A popular lens gives credibility to the Lensmaster. A popular lens reinforces your role as an "everyday expert." And a popular lens makes you the go-to authority for those looking for help.

• Increase your traffic: Your lens points (if you want it to) to your blog and to your website. Lenses have huge credibility with search engines, so your lens can help your other sites rise to the top of Google searches.

• Earn a royalty for you, your organization, or your favorite charity. Think of the royalty as a bonus--and don't quit your dayjob yet! A single lens might not earn a lot, but if you imagine hundreds of lenses working to your favor, or fundraising for a charity, it can really start to add up.

Some of my Lenses are below:

Storage in halifax - http://www.squidoo.com/keepsafeselfstorage
Domain Registration - http://www.squidoo.com/discountdomains
Home Relocation - http://www.squidoo.com/homerelocation
Entrepreneurs - http://www.squidoo.com/archentrepreneurs
Hair Extensions - http://www.squidoo.com/hairstraightening
Article Directory - http://www.squidoo.com/articlealley
UK Work Permit - http://www.squidoo.com/UK-work-permit
No win no fee - http://www.squidoo.com/nowinnofee
Startup funding - http://www.squidoo.com/startupfunding
Accident claims - http://www.squidoo.com/accidentclaims
Business Angels - http://www.squidoo.com/businessangels
Building Contractors - http://www.squidoo.com/buildlingcontractorsMidlands

Get building your own lense today!

Hair Mechanics

2008-06-23T15:16:00.003Z

Hair Mechanics know how to treat hair.

Your hair sets you appart from everyone else, its what make you unique in the world. Everones hair is different and here at Hair Mechanics we make it our business to give each of our clients that unique and personal attention they deserve.

We offer all our clients the following..

One to one consulation
Hair colour co ordiation
Toning
Styling
Conditioning
Hair planing (for those special occasions like weddings 21st)

Hair care is a growing business at Hair Mechanics and we know how to take very good care of what makes you you.

Remember:

If your hair is not becoming to you, you should becoming to us.

For more information visit http://hairmechanics.biz/

7 Signs That You Are a Workaholic

2008-06-23T15:14:00.003Z

While most of us have professional goals and ambitions, the way we go about achieving them differs greatly. For many, the drive to succeed leads them to work long hours, lose sleep, and generally neglect their personal life. Others achieve success by prioritizing, delegating and organization. So, which type of achiever are you? If you suffer from any combination of the following symptoms, you just might be the former, otherwise known as a "workaholic".

1. You work evenings and week-ends in addition to your regular work hours. Determine what impact these extra hours are having on your family life, and decide whether it is really worthwhile for you to be missing out on family and friends.

2. You seldom take vacation and when you do, you work. Everyone needs some time off to recuperate and refresh their mind. In fact most of us work better following a vacation because we feel less stressed and more focussed upon our return.

3. Your thoughts are consumed with work. You can't make it through a school play, or an evening out with friends without checking your email, voicemail or blackberry.

4. You are missing out on the lives of your family and friends. Do you know the name of your child's much-loved teddy-bear, or your spouse's favourite book or television show? When was the last time you had dinner with your best-friend?

5. You don't have any time to relax. When was the last time you took a bubble bath, read a book, or went to a movie? Without taking time for yourself on a regular basis, all you are sure to achieve is burn-out.

6. Relaxing stresses you out. When you do decide to read a book, or see a movie, you find you can't relax because you feel that you should be working.

7. You are having family troubles because of your persistent absences. If your spouse or children resent you because you aren't around, it is time to make some changes.

Workaholics are in reality not more likely to achieve success. They are in actuality much more likely to reach burn-out status before that happens. In fact, experts agree that the vast majority of successful individuals are not workaholics, but that they have learned how to prioritize and delegate. If you are a Workaholic, it's not too late to change. Letting go of some of your lower priority tasks does not mean the end of your work-related ambitions and in fact may just help you to attain the goals that you have been striving to realize.

------

Kelly Sims is a Virtual Assistant and Owner of Virtually There VA Services. To find out if you need to simplify your life, please take the "Simplify Your Life" quiz at =>http://www.virtuallythereva.com/quiz.html . While you are there, don't forget to register to receive her new free mini e-book, "How to Add 2 Hours to Your Day: Lessons in Efficiency". The Virtually There VA Services can be found on the web at =>http://www.virtuallythereva.com .

This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, best for Free web content