Web Conferencing Tool ? Reduce Your Communication Costs

For most people in business, meetings are a necessary evil. Stop for a moment and consider how much hosting or attending meetings cost your business and you may be in for a surprise; precious time spent traveling to and from the meeting location, travel expenses, and in some cases the hire of the meeting facility. Now imagine you could attend that meeting without having to leave your office or home. How much time and money would save over a week, a month or a year? It soon adds up.

The cost savings associated with web conferencing are well documented. Less time and money are spent on traveling, there is no need to hire meeting facilities and staff can focus on doing their jobs well instead of scheduling meetings.

Save On Traveling Expenses

Travel does not come cheap. Whether it's national or international or by air, land or sea there will always be a cost implication for your business; air tickets, parking tolls, hotel accommodation - all these costs will affect your bottom line.

Web conferencing reduces the need for travel. Face to face meetings can be conducted via the web, from multiple geographic locations. Airport delays, flight cancellations, traffic jams on the freeway - all these irritations are not only affecting your blood pressure but are costing your company money, too. All that time wasted while you wait for your flight to be called or the jam to clear is money down the drain. Web conferencing cuts out not just the frustrations but also the financial price of wasting time.

Saving Time Equals Saving Money

It's not just travel delays that waste time and costs money. Time is spent organizing meetings and getting busy colleagues together in the same place on the same day can be a complicated task. Someone within your organization is having to spend time pulling it all together. This is time that could be better spent generating sales and income for your business.

Web conferencing allows your workforce to work smarter. With web conferencing, a meeting that before may have taken a member of staff out the office for several days, can be concluded in a matter of hour, freeing up extra time. A few extra hours in the week to get the job done is something most employees would appreciate.

Work Smarter And Reduce Costs

Document sharing is one of the many facilities available through web conferencing. Documents can be viewed simultaneously by individuals, regardless of where they are located. Projects can be completed more quickly and more accurately. Documents can be updated in real time and colleagues can edit them together. In the absence of web conferencing, this form of collaboration would require an element of travel, costing the business time and money.

There is a personal upside for employees who have their business travel reduced, too. Less time spent traveling for work means they have more time at home with their families and staff who are happier in their home lives are likely to be more productive during their working hours.

Diane Parker is a freelance writer and technology enthusiast providing valuable information including: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

The Mystery of Purpose

Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?" -George Bernard Shaw

That was the moment that changed his life! Michael would never be the same again. That Sunday morning in church, Michael had a revelation. The preacher, Father Robert was talking about the purpose of our life. He said that unless and until we find out why we are here, we will never be happy. "God made us for a reason," he said, "and we have to find that reason." This was the solution that Michael had been waiting for. Now he was out on a mission to find his purpose. After three years, Michael still had not found it. The question on his mind was, "Where should I start to look for it and how will I know that something is my purpose?" In this perplexed state, he decided to go back to Father Robert.

The preacher told him to ask God for his purpose and that God would show him the way. So that night, Michael knelt beside his bed and prayed like he never prayed before. His heart was breaking! He truly wanted to be happy. That night, after the intense prayer, he cried himself to sleep. In his dream Michael met God, and God showed him a beautiful painting and then the vision vanished. When Michael woke up, the painting was crystal clear in his mind.

When he looked to the stool next to his bed he could see a paintbrush and some colors of paint. They were the exact colors that he saw in the painting. Michael now knew that he had to find this painting even if it will take his whole life to find it. So he started on his quest. He went to Europe first and there went to all the art galleries and was asking the curators whether they had a painting that used these exact colors. The curators at all the art galleries in Europe shook their heads. He then went off to other parts of the world to find this wonderful painting. He was on a mission to find this painting even if he died finding it.

After many years, he was already beginning to feel dejected as though God had fooled him. He stopped praying and continued trying to find the painting. He died in an art gallery in Russia while trying to find that painting of his dreams. When he died, he felt himself rising and could see his body on the floor. Suddenly everything became pitch black and he could hear a voice say, "Son, what happened to you? I gave you all that you needed."

"You didn't give me what I needed to find that perfect painting. I couldn't explain the painting to the curators. All that I had was the lousy colors you gave me and that didn't help me to find the painting."

"That's where you made the mistake my son. The painting that I gave you in your dream was not for you to find, but for you to create."

That struck him hard! "I was meant to create it, not find it. My whole life I was out to find it." In death, he had found out the biggest kept secret in life. You are not meant to find your purpose; you are here to create your purpose.

Can you imagine Michelangelo going around the world to find the David? He had to create it. Could you imagine Leonardo Da Vinci going around the world to find the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? He had to create it.

I was reading this book called Creation by Gore Vidal. It is an amazing book based on the historical times of the Persian Wars. The amazing thing about the book is that it incorporates so many historical characters such as Confucius, Buddha, Zoroaster and Socrates in one book. When the author was asked how he came up with such an idea he said, "I was always looking for a book that would have the Buddha, Confucius, and Socrates. I couldn't find it, so I decided to write it myself." When I read that it struck me hard! There are two kinds of people in this world: 1) the people who wait for something to happen, and 2) the people who go ahead and make it happen. Which one are you? Are you so busy trying to find your purpose that you aren't going to create one for yourself? Don't get caught in this trap. The true secret of the purpose of life is this: It is your duty to create your purpose not look for it.

Sukhbir Singh is the creator of LifeApps! Personal Development International.

LifeApps! Personal Development International deals with the full range of exercises in realizing the true potential within human beings.

For more information please contact LPDI at info@lifeapps.com

Winning Sales Proposals

Your proposal is selling for you when you're not there, so it must reflect your standards of professionalism.

Like it or not, sales proposals are a tool of the trade, and writing a well-crafted proposal can mean the difference between winning and losing a client's business, especially if you are selling to major accounts. Decisions can take months. Multitudes of people at different levels in the customer's organization have input and influence. Even in less complex selling situations, the buyer may request a proposal.

In the audio book, "Sound Advice on Sales Strategies," Tom Snyder of Huthwaite, the creators of SPIN Selling says that when it comes to sales proposals, "It's important to keep in mind that a proposal must sway key decision makers and influencers you haven't met, not just the ones you have."

"Consider how you will ensure that these people actually read your document," says Snyder. That means making it as easy as possible for people to read, and focusing the document on the client and their needs. "Build a strong business case that justifies the cost and addresses the client's business issues," says Snyder. "Show how your solution meets the needs and delivers benefits." And, he adds, don't pile all of the technical detail into the body of the proposal.

Decision makers weigh all of the risks before bringing a new solution into their organization, and won't purchase until those are resolved. Face it head-on. "Assess the risk inherent in the decision," says Snyder. "Show how your solution will minimize those risks." For example, the risk of implementation is always a primary concern. Your sales proposal should provide clear implementation plans that show how obstacles will be overcome.

You may need to work through a number of iterations when writing a sales proposal. "Make sure you're hitting the mark," says Snyder. "Check your draft proposal with your sponsor ? your internal champion ? before submitting the final version. "

Finally, when it comes to winning sales proposals, Snyder says it's helpful to remember an old adage, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Your proposal is selling for you when you can't be there, so it has to reflect your standards of professionalism."

Tom Snyder offers advice on planning and executing sales strategies each week in the free audio-newsletter from What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92

About The Author

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, a publisher of business audiobooks and online audio programs on marketing, sales, and small business strategies.

Preparing For Your Media Interview

Media interviews are an important part of an overall public relations campaign. Any size company from entrepreneur to Fortune 500 can benefit from media interviews. Always arrive for a media interview prepared and early. We've seen competent CEOs drown in uncharted media waters. Being unprepared guarantees you won't get asked back. When you are contacted for any kind of media interview ask the following questions:

• What is the angle of the interview?

• Is the interview for Television, Radio, Print or the Internet?

• Will the reporter be interviewing anyone else for the same story?

• How much time will you have for the interview?

• What is the date the story will air?

Keep adding questions to your own checklist to help you prepare for your interviews. The following tips will help you:

Tip 1: Preview any show or publication before your interview.

Tip 2: Know what you want to talk about so you get your main messages across.

Tip 3: Prepare for the questions you expect to be asked.

Tip 4: Create 10-15 second sound bites that are memorable and get your point across.

Tip 5: Understand colors and styles that are effective for on camera interviews.

Tip 6. Create any graphs, photos, or video to enhance your story in advance of the interview.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about your impending interview will boost your confidence and help you get the most from your media experiences.

About The Author

Judy Jernudd is the CEO of STARtegic, a Media Consulting and Coaching firm in Beverly Hills, California. Companies that benefit from STARtegic Media and Presentation Coaching include IBM, Mobile Corporation, Dow, NASA and the United States Postal Service. Judy is the author of "Media Star Power ABCs to Successful TF, Radio, Print & Net Interviews." More information can be found at: www.MediaStarPower.com.

Role Models for Your Teen

By the time your children reach their teens, there is only a limited amount of time left to influence them and get them started in life in the right direction.

The teen years are a critical time for role models in your children's lives. Often you will find teens have a hard time talking to their parents. This isn't always the case, but even in the closest families, teens often feel more comfortable talking to another trusted adult about some of the things going on in their lives.

Of course you would prefer your teen would go to an adult when they need to talk something important out, instead of relying on their friends who may not have the insight an older, more experienced adult would have.

Obviously you have no real control over who your teen goes to for advice, but there are a number of ways you can steer your teen in the right direction.

The best chance your teen has for interacting with other adults is in extracurricular activities. There are all kinds of activities your teen can be involved with, here are some that come to mind: church youth group, scouts, sports, music, school clubs, community service, just to name a few. Personally I don't encourage parents to involve their teens in so many activities that it leads to burnout for both the parents and the teen, but carefully selected activities led by good and capable leaders will enrich your teen's life in a way few things can, and will increase the likelihood that your teen will establish a relationship with one of the group leaders.

One word of caution, however. Talk to your teen about their activities and get a feel for yourself the effectiveness of the group leader. Not to say that they have to excel in every way, but just make sure that they are a good role model, and not a negative influence in your teen's life. There is the potential of bad leaders in any activity, including in a church setting, and it is the parents' responsibility to make sure their teen is in a positive atmosphere, influenced by mature leaders.

Involvement in group activities is especially great for teens of single parents. Teens who don't have regular contact with mature adults of both sexes often have a hard time later in normal adult relationships. Being exposed to "normal" at this age very much increases the teen's chances of growing into a well-adjusted adult. I have seen this often with boys who are raised by their moms with not much influence or negative influence from their dads.

Placed into group settings, with responsible adult male leaders, these teen boys have much less difficulty transitioning into adulthood. It also takes of a lot of the pressure off the often overworked mothers.

From my own experience, I have found that often other adults can help my teen in ways that I can't, mostly due to big differences in our personalities. I am more of a quiet introspective thinker, and my daughter is very outgoing, and has a lot of potential leadership qualities that are hard for me to help her develop because I do not possess those qualities myself. Knowing how important it is to help her develop her natural abilities at this impressionable age, I make sure there are other adults in her life who can help influence her in ways I can't. My daughter and I are very close, but there are just a lot of things that I can't help her with, so I encourage her in developing relationships with adults who do have those abilities.

My daughter and I both respect our different abilities. It is very easy to be critical of people who are not like us, and parents and teens very easily fall into this trap. The best thing to do is be honest about your own abilities, and of the abilities of your teen, and do whatever is necessary to find outside influences for your teen. The more you can help your teen develop their abilities now, the less they will have to do on their own later (often, the hard way).

And don't forget, you are a role model too. Get involved in the lives of your teen's friends, or volunteer to help in a group activity in some way, even if only occasionally. There are teens out there who really need to hear what you have to say.

About The Author

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.christian-parent.com

Heres How Cell Phones Make Your Life Easier

Cell phones, the prepaid ones, are the great way to stay within your budget restraints. You will either make an adjustment to how many minutes the prepaid cellular covers, or discipline yourself to use less minutes.

Purchasing prepaid cell phones is made very simple, regardless of what their credit situation is. You can purchase a prepaid cell phone without a credit card, without any contract, and without any deposit required.

Cell phones are a great way to get connected even if you are far away. If you continue a regular schedule to purchase prepaid cellular service with a company, they will eventually approve you for regular monthly service.

Remember that prepaid cell phones do have a higher per-minute cost. A prepaid cellular is a great gift. You are giving a gift of a functional cellular that can be used right away instead of the hassle to activate and register before using. With this gift, the receiver has the choice of continuing with prepaid cell phone service once the airtime runs out or switching to a monthly service plan.

Cell phones have some sort of entertainment programs on most new digital, ranging from simple dice-throwing games to memory and logic puzzles. Whether you want to communicate regularly with your family and friends or the cellular phone is a valuable tool for your business, makes little difference to your choice of phones.

About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher - http://www.a1-cell-phones-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Everything You Need to Know About a Secured Loan

If you're not familiar with the term, a secured loan is a loan which requires a security deposit of some kind (also known as collateral) to protect the lender against nonpayment. The secured loan is the preferred type of loan for lenders who deal with people with bad credit, but is also used when purchasing certain types of property (such as an automobile or real estate.) Interest rates tend to be lower with a secured loan than with an unsecured loan (which doesn't require collateral, but charges higher interest rates to cover the additional risk.)

Types of collateral

Just about any property with value can be used as collateral for a secured loan, though some types are more common than others. Jewelry and rare coin collections can be used as collateral for some loans, though they are usually held by the lender to help protect them from theft or loss. Automobiles and real estate are popular forms of collateral, and lenders usually allow you to keep them while you repay the loan? you simply turn over the deed or title and the lender is given a legal claim to the car or house in case you should default on you secured loan (which is a fancy way of saying that you don't pay it back.) Car financing and mortgages are both forms of secured loans, in which the automobile or real estate that you're buying with the loan serves as the collateral for the lender.

How a secured loan works

When you get a secured loan, the lender will either take your collateral or process your collateral so that they have a legal claim to it. You will receive the money for the loan, which is often somewhat less than the value of the collateral? that way if you should default on your secured loan then the lender will still be able to get their money back. When you repay your loan then the lender will either return the property that you submitted as collateral or they will present you with a release? which means that they no longer have any legal claim to the property and you can prove it. Should you default on your loan, however, then after attempting to collect the debt the lender will be free to repossess and sell your collateral in order to get their money back.

Shopping for a secured loan

Before deciding on a secured loan, you should shop around and compare your options. Look for the lender that offers the lowest interest rates and borrow only the minimum amount that you need to get by. After all, the less you borrow with a secured loan then the less you have to pay back? and the lower your chances of losing your collateral.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.