Tracking Your Articles Properly

Writing articles related to your business is a great way to build your link popularity and also to provide more content for your site and other sites. Not too mention it's always nice when someone finds your site and uses it within their newsletter.

The only problem is, what if people dont tell you that they were using your articles??? How would you know who to reward?

I say reward because of another article I wrote, "reward those who publish your articles". It briefly outlines how to boost your articles popularity by boosting the other sites it's listed on.

Let's say for now, you just want to track your articles properly.

#1 Creating appropriate forlders within your "favorites". Every browser allows you to create a folder in order to hold your favorite web sites. Organizing your favorites folder is key when you plan to market your business 24/7. In this case, we'll create a new folder called "Articles Listed".

Within that folder, you'll want to start creating other "sub" categories for EACH INDIVIDUAL ARTILCE that you market.

For instance, let's say you have about 10 articles that you always promote, you'll want to add 10 folders within your new "Articles Listed folder". Make sure to give them a short but recognizable name that you would be able to distinguish which article it is for.

Ex. (I will use 3 of my title's)

Tracking your articles properly (Folder: Tracking Articles)

Writing Articles To Boost Your Traffic (Folder: Writing Articles)

Reward Those Who Publish Your Articles (Folder: Reward Publishers)

#2 Always keep the same headline for your article: I've visited many sites who consistently change the headline of the article simply to make it seem like a different article. Don't be shy, I'm sure we've all thought about it, infact, I am also guilty.

Starting now, let's all keep the same headline...

The reason for keeping the same headline is for 1 keeping a strong consistency with your marketing and 2 making it easyer to find your articles online.

#3 - Finding All Of Your Articles: Now let's find them for you... (Hoping that you already created your folders within your favories menu?)

I preffer using Google's Toolbar for this but it is not required. Let's all go to: www.google.com and start looking.

Why google? Simply the best...

Take your 1st article and cut and paste the EXACT title within the google search. Now add "" at the beginning and the end of your title

Adding "" at the beginning and the end will narrow your search to exactly what's in between.

For ex. "Tracking Your Articles Properly" would give me better results than if I were to search: tracking your articles properly. Actually I do recommend you try both methods just in case.

Now once you have found a site that has listed your article, add the exact page your article is listed within the proper folder you created within your "favorites menu".

Once you have completed this task for all of your articles, it will be very easy to keep up with your new articles. Another thing is, if you plan to reward those sites, you now have them all seperated into proper categories.

I hope this helps you out even a little like it did for me...

FREE GIFT: Get my personal list of sites to add your articles! Simply send a "blank" e-mail to: article_listings@smartads.info and get my list right away.

About The Author

Martin Lemieux

Smartads - President
http://www.smartads.info

Affordable web site design & Web Site Marketing Tips
http://www.flyinggelatingames.com

ASES - Affordable Search Engine Specialists

Please feel free to re-publish this article within your site. Everything MUST remain in tact!

GOING TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?

Send us a note of the location so we can add a link on our site to where you have used the article! http://www.smartads.info/contact

Time Management: Setting up your Schedule for Success

Would you describe yourself as extremely busy? Do you often feel tired and stressed out? Sometimes our ambition is our worst enemy. Many of us with big goals try to do way too much. We spread ourselves a mile wide and an inch deep. We are involved in many different things, but aren't excelling at any one thing. Beware of mediocrity. Most of us want greatness. If that describes you, then you must prioritize your endeavors and adjust your schedule accordingly. Assess your current schedule. Make a list of everything in your life that takes time. This includes school, work, extracurricular activities, sleeping, eating, studying, exercising, talking on the phone, hanging out with friends, chores, bathing, etc. List EVERYTHING. Then note how many hours per week you need for each item to do it well. Add up the hours. While there are only 168 hours in a week, many of us need two or three times that to accommodate our schedule. This is where stress and mediocrity come from. Make your list again, but this time, find a way to limit yourself to 168 hours. There are only two ways to do this: reduce the number of weekly hours per item, or reduce the number of items. I recommend the latter. Cutting activities you enjoy out of your life can be painful, but it's necessary.

Then, to work more efficiently, try some of the following tips:

1. Make a daily to-do list. This will help you organize your day and prevent you from forgetting important tasks.

2. Prioritize your to-do items. Some tasks are not as critical as others. Assign each task an A, B or C rating. A items are important tasks that must get done right away. B items are important, but not as important as A items. C items are things that need to get done at some point, but there's no rush. Once you've assigned a rating to each task, re-write your to-do list with all the A items on top (in order of importance), then the B and C items. Complete the A items first. This may seem obvious, but think about how many times you've put off an important (sometimes unpleasant) task so you could call a friend, clean your room or do something else that really didn't need to happen at that time. Stick to what's important.

3. Group similar activities together. Make all your phone calls at once. Run all your errands at once. Transitioning from one type of activity to another takes time, so group like to-do items together and complete them at the same time.

4. Overlap. Sometimes you can do two things at once. For example, you can read while you do the laundry. You can write a letter while you're on the bus. Be careful about doing multiple tasks if one of them requires your focus.

5. Identify and avoid time wasters. We all have them. I like to check my email. Some people like to take unnecessary naps. Some people look for things to clean and organize as an excuse not to work. See what you do that wastes your time and stop doing it.

6. Identify and avoid distractions. My cat likes to jump onto my lap when I work. Some people work with music on, but then start singing. Maybe your phone rings a lot and you always answer. Eliminate these distractions when you need to get stuff done.

7. Find a good place to work. See where you're most productive and focused.

8. Organize your workspace.

9. Keep flat surfaces clean.

10.Use an effective filing system. Make sure you know where everything is.

11.Take pit stops. Sometimes taking a 5 minute snack break or a 60-second breathing break can re-energize you and improve your efficiency.

12.Do more during your most productive hours. Some of us are morning people while others are night owls. Work during your best time. Many people think they must work harder to be successful. In most cases, they just need to work smarter. Take time to manage time. Otherwise, it will manage you.

Motivational speaker Scott Greenberg gives live presentations and workshops all over America. For more information on Jump Start Performance programs and leadership books, visit www.scottgreenberg.com.

How to Choose the BEST Charting Software

I suggest that you do not spend a lot of money on charting software as most perform very similar functions. Often the price is inflated to capitalize on the mentality that expensive is better. A software package under $1000 will perform all of the tasks required by even the most advanced traders.

The perfect charting software needs to be the most powerful technical analysis tool no matter what you are trading ….. stocks, futures or currencies.

Unfortunately, of the thousands of people why buy charting software, only a handful ever put it's true technical analysis potential to good use.

Imagine being able to quickly and easily find high potential, lowest risk trading opportunities each day. What would it mean to your lifestyle if you could uncover what are potentially the most lucrative stock, futures or currency trades easily and quickly and then profit from this information?

Do you think your trading (and your life) would be more fun?

The following is a brief guide to some areas to consider when selecting charting software that will help you achieve this goal:

• Does the software contain the charts and indicators you require?
• What kind of database does it use, ensure there are multiple data providers out there?
• Is historical data readily available for the database format?
• How can the price data get updated and what data providers are there?
• Does the software have its own programming language?

Personally, I recommend MetaStock and I have used it for years. It contains just about every bell and whistle a trader would need. It is easy to use and allows you to scan the market looking for only those trades that exhibit your entry rules. This function alone is an invaluable tool that almost completely automates my trading system..

MetaStock has been the standard in stock analysis software for many years due to its affordable platform, advanced features and large user base. With any stock analysis, software that you settle upon, it is always helpful to know how many other people use the software. This provides a free resource for tips, tricks and general help using the application.

No matter what charting software you do decide to go with, just a word of advice. It is important to recognize that software is simply a tool that aids a trader in undertaking their business activity. There is no such thing as a software package that does everything for you. Avoid any packages that gives buy and sell recommendations. Commonly referred to as black box programs I have found, with rigorous testing, these packages simply do not work.

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comes to MetaStock & designing profitable trading systems.

His MetaStock website offers a huge free collection of trading
related tips and tricks. Gain free access now.
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123 ABC Numbers in the Bible Simply Amazing

Underneath the Hebrew and Chaldee of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament there is hidden an extraordinary disposition of numbers which cannot be explained away by human intelligence. In order to understand this we must remember that none of these languages had symbols for numbers such as we have (1,2,3,4, etc). Instead of numeric symbols they made use of the letters of their alphabet so that a = 1, b =2 etc. One can easily see then that a word could be looked at in two ways, either as a word or as a series of numbers which could be added up to a total. For instance, the Greek word for "word" is "logos". If looked at from a numerical standpoint its value would be l =30, o ? 70, g = 3, o = 70, s = 200; total 373. The numerical value of "logos" is therefore 373.

If we were to look at the Greek text of the first eleven verses of the New Testament (Matt. 1:1-11), we would find an elaborate scheme of sevens underlying the words, which could not have been put there by chance, or even arranged by any human cleverness on Matthew's part. These verses contain 49 words (7x7). Of these 49 words, 28 (4x7) begin with a vowel, and 21 (3x7) begin with a consonant. These 49 words have 266 letters (7x2x19); this number is itself 38 sevens, and the sum of its factors is 28 (4x7). Of these 266 letters, 140 (20x7) are vowels, and 126 (18x7) are consonants. Of these 49 words 35 (5x7) occur more than once in the passage and 14 (2x7) occur only once. Seven occur in more than one form and 42 (6x7) occur only in one form. The 49 words are divided thus: 42 (7x6) are nouns (the name of something) and seven are not nouns.

Of these nouns, 35 (5x7) are names of people and seven are ordinary nouns. Of these names 28 (4x7) are male ancestors of Christ and seven are not. Thus, an elaborate system of sevens occurs in these few short verses of the Bible. If Matthew was not writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, what a headache he must have had trying to figure out how to arrange all those sevens.

There is also a system of elevens in the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Scriptures and so wonderful is this that the chance of these figures occurring by accident rather than design (this is by the inspiration of God) is 1 in a number followed by 30 zeros, billion million taken a million times. No one in his right senses therefore could argue that all these happened by accident or by human cleverness. Mathematics says it could not do so. This marvelous system of numbers occurs right throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Attempts have been made to find the same thing in human authors, especially those who lived about the same time as the writers of the Bible but no such system has been discovered; it is only found in the Word of God.

If what I have written here sparks your mind to further investigate this wonderful part of the depth of God's Word then there is a book for you which you can download free from Believer.com. The book is entitled Number in Scripture and is available for download as an eBook at Believer.com just request your copy from paul@believer.com.

Paul Griffitts has been a Bibical Researcher for over 30 years
Currently Paul is the Editor of The Good News Letter for Believer.com Click here for a Free eBook The Two Natures in the Child of God

Power of Positive Beliefs

I am an educator as well as a coach and am interested in what it is that brings out the best in the people with whom I work. Over the last few years I have read a great deal of research on the power of beliefs. I am convinced that it is essential that I hold, and communicate to my students or clients that I believe in their ability to learn, to heal, and to grow.

We have to hold and project these beliefs even when, or perhaps, especially when the person we are working with does not hold them. In a recent study it was found that teenagers from economically disadvantaged families were more likely to attend college if their parents, especially their mothers, were optimistic about the teens chances of enrolling in college.

I read once about a teacher who was given a list of student names with numbers ranging from 125 to180 after their names at the beginning of the school year. Believing that she had been given a class of gifted students, she worked hard all year to provide opportunities for these students to do well. At the end of the year she asked for another class of gifted students since they had all performed outstandingly. She was told that the numbers were their locker numbers, not their IQs.

In transpersonal therapy the belief held by the therapist or healer about their client is an important component of the therapy. There is solid research to back this up. Marilyn Schlitz at the Institute of Noetic Sciences is carrying out some interesting research on intentionality, which she defines as the "projection of awareness, with purpose and efficacy, toward some object or outcome." In his review of the research on human interconnectedness, Braud claims that the mental and emotional processes of one person can directly influence the mental or physical processes of another person. Hibbard claims that she experiences "the use of intentionality in psychotherapy as an extremely potent form of spiritual healing." Benor, who began as a skeptic of spiritual healing says "Just holding an intent brings healing energies and spiritual awareness into the therapy."

Elizabeth Targ refers to medical research that demonstrates the powerful positive effects of the belief of the physician in the treatment offered. She also cites Braud and Schlitz' work on distant intentionality which dramatically demonstrates the ability of one person's thoughts to influence the physical state of another person.

She urges medical practitioners to "consciously activate their own images of wellness for each patient with whom they work." In order to help our students or our clients to let go of self-defeating beliefs and to hold life-affirming beliefs, we have to hold those for ourselves as well as about our clients. I use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which is a powerful process for reducing or eliminating old, unhealthy, negative beliefs and allowing life-affirming beliefs to surface.

Lorna Minewiser, Ph.D has been helping people reduce their stress for more than 15 years. She offers individual and group coaching, workshops, CDs, e-books and Stress Reduction and Relaxation kits. She is available for presentations on the power of beliefs and on Emotional Freedom Techniques. For more information you can reach her at http://www.thestressreductioncoach.com

You are Closer to Being Vitamin C Deficient Than You Think

Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don't eat much junk food and aren't a fast food eater only rarely. You think vitamins are pretty much nonsense-particularly since you are eating so well-and besides, you feel pretty healthy.

Well let me rain on that parade a little.

Consider this. In order for nutritional researchers to determine the required levels of nutrients, diets must be designed of known nutrient content with a specific deficiency in the nutrient being studied. Then varying doses of the nutrient can be added to the diet to determine at what level symptoms of deficiency disappear.

In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a vitamin C-depleted real meal menu is described. The diet consists of the following choices:

Breakfast: Apple Juice, Applesauce, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Unprocessed bran, Hominy grits, Cream of Wheat, Eggs (scrambled or hard poached), Cheddar cheese, French toast, Syrup, Yogurt (plain or strawberry), Bran muffin, Glazed doughnut, Mini bagel, Cream cheese, White toast or bread, Wheat toast, Margarine, butter, Honey, Peanut butter, Sugar substitutes, Low-fat cream cheese, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, White milk (whole, 2%, or skim), Chocolate milk, Buttermilk.

Lunch: Chicken noodle soup, Cream of chicken soup, Croutons, Escalloped chicken, Pork chops, Brown gravy, Garlic herb pizza, Grilled cheese sandwich, Tuna chunks, Yogurt (plain, vanilla or blueberry), Rice royale, Black beans, Rice, Pretzels, Applesauce, Diet Jell-O?, Cookies (chocolate chip or sugar), Ice cream (vanilla or chocolate), Bread (white or wheat), Saltines, Margarine, Butter, Sour cream, Peanut butter, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Sugar substitute, Relish, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced), Cream

Dinner: Chicken and rice soup, Cottage cheese, Croutons, Fried shrimp, Roast beef, Brown gravy, Macaroni and cheese, Cheeseburger, Chicken salad, Yogurt (plain or peach), Pinto beans, Rice, Diet Jell-O?, Vanilla ice cream, Angel food cake, Bread (white or wheat), Margarine, Butter, Peanut butter, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced)

Evening Snacks: Peanut butter crackers, Graham crackers, Chocolate chip cookie, Popcorn, Ginger ale, Diet cola

If you review these choices you should note something familiar. They are the very foods that the majority of people now consume! By eating these foods a person will restrict vitamin C intake to less than 5 mg per day. The bare minimum RDA (Recommended Daily Alolowance) so far established for vitamin C is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women -- and this is highly contested as being far too low. There is a huge body of research now demonstrating that humans need several hundred milligrams (some believe more than a thousand) per day to achieve optimal health.

Vitamin C is a critically important nutrient for humans since our bodies are unable to synthesize it. In the wild, fruits and vegetables would be the main source. Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and is critical to connective tissue integrity and health. In its absence, the nutritional disease scurvy occurs resulting in a sort of meltdown of the basic structure of the body. Teeth fall out, internal bleeding occurs and it can cause a miserable death. In days gone by, ancient mariners feared the disease more than capsizing. But left out to sea long enough with only bread and salted meat they were almost sure to suffer it to one degree or another

Heart disease is a leading killer in modern society. Dental disease is epidemic. Both of these conditions can be initiated or fostered by vitamin C deficiency. There presence may in fact be the very marker that vitamin C deficiency is widespread. Coronary and cerebral vessels lose their integrity leading to heart attacks and strokes, and periodontitis (gum recession, bleeding and oral infection) leads to loss of teeth, foul breath and seeding of the body's organs with pathogens.

Vitamin C is not a silly nutrient to be ignored or played with. Don't assume that because you seem healthy at the moment that chronic degenerative disease is not incubating within. In fact, if you are eating exclusively processed modern fare, you can count on it.

Convert the diet to more fresh and raw foods (See authors The Thinking Person's Master Key to Health (CD), http://wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&
Product_Code=EDCD21&Category_Code=EDUAIDS&Product_Count=0. Note that there were no fresh foods in the test diet. And certainly taking daily vitamin C supplements (500-1000 mg per day) is prudent insurance given that normal dietary fare is clearly vitamin C deficient.

. (Am J Clin Nutr, 1997; 65(5):1434-40.)

Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net

Help is Here for Your Wedding Ceremony

When it comes to your wedding services, nobody wants to spend too much and yet have to foot the bill for the reception. Really it depends on where you want to your wedding to be and what type of service that you are hoping to have.

There is a way to satisfy all types of weddings as long as you know what your options are. Let's take a look at the different types of ceremonies that you can choose from that can save you a great deal of money.

Church Ceremony:

When you want your ceremony to be in a church, you will often have to pay for the rental and the priest or minister to perform the ceremony.

Some churches will decorate for you while others will not. If this is an issue, be sure to ask first. How much money you will pay for the ceremony will vary and will depend on how the policies of the church.

Here are some tips on how you can save money on a church ceremony.

? Look for a church that offers complete services or all inclusive packages rather than separate fees

? Try to bargain deals for outdoor weddings

? Rent the church alone and hire your own minister

? Have your services on a day where there are no church services because it may be cheaper

? Decorate the church yourself

? Offer to volunteer at the church for awhile in exchange for a discount

? You can save some money by hosting your ceremony in the church basement rather than in the worship center.

? Churches will often offer more inexpensive prices if you are a member of the church.

Outdoor Ceremony:

You can save a great deal of money by hosting your ceremony outside like in a beautiful park, at the beach, on a hilltop or even in your yard.

Of course, having the ceremony in your backyard is the cheapest. Here are some of the formalities that go with having an outdoor ceremony that can save you money all around.

? The best way is to have the service in your backyard

? Choose an open public forum that does not generally have a great deal of people trying to access it, and get the right permits etc. beforehand

? Opting for an ordained minister rather than a priest etc. is often cheaper. Just be sure to check that whoever you choose can legally perform wedding ceremonies in your area.

? You can forego the chairs and have the guests standing as long as you host a short ceremony. A nice white or themed linen on the ground for guests to stand on is an elegant touch

? When going with outdoor ceremony, people often opt for the portable arch because it is easy to transport and just as elegant

? Of course, you can always host your ceremony at city hall and save your money for the reception. Record the ceremony and host a viewing during the reception

Outdoor ceremonies open the door to many themes that can greatly reduce the cost of your wedding and reception. Hawaiian themes and beach themes can help you save money on formal wear, and decorations etc. because people having an outdoor wedding are often casually or island dressed.

It makes the ceremony more comfortable for the guests too because they are also dressed casually.

Outdoor ceremonies can immediately switch from ceremony to reception which saves some extra money on travel fees too, such as limos etc. The Hawaiian theme will be a great way to have a luau or pig roast reception. You might want to consider a theme that lets you have a picnic for your reception party or a beach party or bonfire, but I will get into themes in more detail in a later section.

All of these tips were designed to help you find deals and discounts. You can also choose to have your ceremony at a courthouse or city hall building; record the services and play the recording during your reception instead. It is a nice way to share your vows with your friends and family without spending a fortune on the ceremony.

Wedding Chapel:

When most people think of wedding chapels they think of Las Vegas style chapels, but that is not all that chapels are. If you are a religious person, it is very easy to solve the question of a wedding chapel because you can choose to get married in your usual place of worship.

This may be a church, synagogue, mosque or other religious temple. However, if you have not had a religious upbringing, are marrying someone of a different religion or culture, or simply would rather select a different venue, it is important to discover what wedding chapel options are open to you.

If you would still like a ceremony in the style of a particular religion, most chapels have a host of different officiates who can provide the appropriate wedding ceremony to suit your own specific needs.

The majority of wedding chapels are designed in the style of churches. Most couples seek this traditional type of scene, even if they do want a non-denominational ceremony.

Chapels advertise features, such as stained glass windows, oak flooring, historical buildings, chandeliers and more. If you would prefer a modern building, it is possible to find chapels that are less traditional, such as those that are located in art galleries but you will need to research them well if you want to get a good deal.

Wedding chapels come in various sizes, and you must calculate how many guests will require seating at your wedding before committing to a particular chapel.

The majority of chapels seat between a hundred and a hundred and fifty guests, but there is one to suit every size of wedding. In Las Vegas, for example, there are chapels just large enough for the Bride, Groom, officiate and witness.

The location of your wedding chapel is key. There are numerous choices in cities and towns, but you may opt for a more natural or dramatic position. There are wedding chapels located anywhere from the Smoky Mountains to Hawaiian beaches, from Lake Tahoe to Disneyland!

If you have connections to the military, you could consider holding your wedding in a military chapel on a military base. There are long waiting lists for these facilities, but they are usually free (except a charitable donation).

Some facilities offer a choice of chapel depending on your religion, and it is possible to find Protestant, Catholic and Jewish chapels. However, there may be restrictions on decoration or numbers of guests.

There is also a vast array of novelty, or themed, wedding chapels springing up everywhere these days. The first themed chapels originated in Las Vegas, but it is now possible to find outlandish chapel designs anywhere.

Aside from the ubiquitous Elvis chapels, there are options such as a neon wedding at the luminous chapel in New Orleans, or a Cowboy chapel in Nevada. Try to incorporate the theme into other aspects of your wedding, such as your attire, the music and food. Some chapels even supply costumes for the guests which can really make your day a great deal of fun.

Mia LaCron is the founder of Cut-Wedding-Costs.info - http://www.cut-wedding-costs.info - devoted to helping individuals live out the wedding of their dreams on a realistic budget they can afford.

Greenhouse Buying Guide - Choosing The Right Greenhouse

When choosing a new greenhouse for your garden there are several things to bear in mind if you are going to get the most from your choice. A wrong decision can prove costly in the long run so be sure you know exactly what you need before you buy. Here are some of the most important things to consider:

What Do You Need Your Greenhouse For?

If you are looking to grow flowers or vegetables all year round then a tightly sealed, insulated greenhouse with good light transmition, ventilation and heating will be most desirable. However, if your greenhouse will only be used for germinating seedlings or wintering less hardy plants through light winters then a simple plastic frame with a polythene covering will no doubt suffice.

Free Standing or Attached?

Depending on your requirements there can be major benefits of either of these types of structures. An attached greenhouse can be a simple lean-to style greenhouse attached to the side of your house or a more expensive sunroom style construct in fitting with the rest of your building. The main advantage of either is in terms of maintenance and running costs as an attached greenhouse will benefit from being very simple to adapt to your existing lighting, heating and water sources. The major disadvantage here however is that being attached to your home means the greenhouse will have less direct exposure to the sun which may limit the types of plants you can grow effectively and positioning to minimise this is all important. A permit may also be required as this will be seen as a building extension to your home.

A free standing greenhouse on the other hand, offers many gardeners a much welcomed retreat away from the home, somewhere to escape the madness as it were. They are typically more expensive, requiring additional heating during the winter months and cooling during the hottest periods and you will also need to plan how to get electricity and a water to your new building. Your greenhouse will however have maximum exposure to sunlight.

What Size Greenhouse Do You Need?

Before you can begin thinking about anything else you need to know what size greenhouse you require. As a rule of thumb, whatever size you think you need right now is going to be too small for you a year later. Buy bigger than you need or you'll end up looking at a costly extension or a new greenhouse before long.

However, that doesn't mean you need to go overboard. If space is an issue then a lean-to greenhouse which attaches to the side of your house or other building might be the perfect solution. Equally, a mini greenhouse or a simple cold frame might cover your needs. Whichever size you choose, be sure to check out whether you need planning permission from your local authority before you put anything anywhere or you could be told to remove it later.

Which Frame Is Best?

Wooden, Metal or PVC? Experienced hobby greenhouse owners will tell you all about the benefits of a wooden frame. If you are building your own greenhouse then wood is also the easiest to work with. Wood is also a strong frame suitable for any covering you choose and if properly maintained will last a long time. The side benefit of wood comes about when you want to drive hooks in here and there to hang tools on or otherwise affix things to the frame. This is a simple hammer job with a wooden frame but a pain with an aluminium or galvanised steel frame. Wood does however need regular maintenance to protect against the humidity of the greenhouse environment and insects.

Aluminium, galvanised steel or other metal frame requires virtually no maintenance and is also strong enough to take any covering you choose. Metal frames do conduct heat and cold however and are therefore more difficult to heat and cool. Plastic frames can only be used with lightweight plastic sheet coverings and are usually only found in small structures likes portable and mini greenhouses.

Which Greenhouse Covering?

The four basic choices of covering you will find for a home greenhouse are the traditional glass panes, polycarbonate, fibreglass or polythene plastic sheeting. There really is no 'perfect' covering or construction material for a greenhouse, and what you choose will ultimately be as much reliant upon your budget as it is upon your requirements.

Plastic sheeting is cheap and the choice of commercial growers although probably not suited to the home user as it is less than attractive to look at, tears easily and typically needs replacing within 1 to 5 years.

For the hobbyist, the choice is most likely to be between a glass, fibreglass or polycarbonate cover. Glass is the traditional choice of greenhouse covering for hobbyists and of the three, allows the most unfiltered light to penetrate through and is the most attractive if your greenhouse is going to be a feature of your garden. It does however require a strong, sturdy frame and solid foundation and if your greenhouse is going to be placed near trees, around kids playing ball or in a particularly windy area or if you just happen to be a particularly clumsy gardener, can prove to be an expensive option. A glass greenhouse can also prove difficult to keep heated in the colder months and tough to keep cool in the summer months as glass is such a good conductor, heat and cold just pass through.

The major alternative to glass is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate sheets are lighter than glass and far less prone to breakage. Sunlight penetration through polycarbonate is less than achieved with a plain glass cover however, but as light diffuses through the sheets, plants are less likely to burn under strong sunlight. Single polycarbonate is as attractive as glass but the real value in polycarbonate comes from the double or triple thickness sheets which have an in-built air space between each sheet and can save a lot of money on heating costs.

Fiberglass is a lightweight solution which allows roughly the same amount of light to pass through as glass but is less aesthetically pleasing and is prone to staining over time.

Heating, Lighting & Ventilation

Depending on what you want your greenhouse for, you should consider the associated heating, lighting and ventilation requirements. For many, the requirements of their greenhouse is driven as much by their pocketbook as it is by any other requirements. The initial outlay is easy to see but hidden costs such as heating, lighting and cooling requirements are often overlooked. By chosing the right greenhouse in the first place you can often cut down on such costs - remember - glass and metal are conductors and are therefore harder to heat during the winter months which can prove costly if you are prone to long, cold periods. A lean-to greenhouse attached to the side of a building can, with a little bit of forethought, make use of that building's heating and lighting sources potentially saving money on both initial set-up and running costs.

Mark Falco is the owner of ukgardeningsupplies.co.uk - a UK gardening shopping guide featuring cheap greenhouses and more gardening tools, equipment and supplies at low prices from UK online garden centres and nurseries.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing - For The Faint of Heart

Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe they just need a refinishing job. It can be a daunting task, but here are some ideas to make it a little easier.

If your hardwood floors are in dire need of refinishing, get a few estimates from professionals. You may be surprised at the figures. You'll want to sit down when they tell you it will cost you $1200 to have your living room redone. You could carpet over it for less, but doesn't carpeting over beautiful hardwood floors seem, well, wrong?

Contrary to what you may have heard, the finish doesn't take days and days to dry. It's quite simple actually. Go to your favorite local home improvement store, Lowe's, Menard's, Home Depot or other. Rent a sander. You'll need a drum sander, a belt sander or both. They will explain to you how to use the machine and tell you what kind of sand paper to purchase. They will also tell you what kind of stain and finish to get. Make sure you also pick up some dust masks because you will have saw dust everywhere.

The sanders are very easy to use. They're a bit on the loud side. The key is to keep it moving at all times. Do not stop or you will get a divot in your wood. Think of it like a clothes iron. You need to keep it moving or you will burn your clothes. Same deal with the sander. It creates a lot of heat and you will burn or dent your floors if you hesitate in one place too long.

You will feel like a Zamboni driver smoothing out your surface. Word of caution, you do need to maintain control of the machine at all times. It is self propelled, like a lawn mower or a basset hound on a leash. When you power it up, hold on to the machine tightly. Don't be afraid of it and after a few passes, you'll start to even have fun.

First you need to remove the old finish, basecoat, color, and top coat. You may opt to forgo the color (stain) and just use the nature color of the wood. You will still need to apply a finish to it.

There are basically two types of floor finishes: one is oil-based and the other is water-based polyurethane. Oil-based is available in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish. Satin works well on floors because it hides small flaws and lets the natural beauty of the wood show without a bright shine. Oil-based also produces a warm amber look that gives you the traditional glow of wood floors. Water-based polyurethane dries clear and resists yellowing. Water-based also dries quicker.

Make sure you let each coat thoroughly dry before applying the next; same as you would nail polish. Give your floor at least 24-36 hours before moving furniture back on it. It will continue to harden in the first couple of weeks.

Don't be overwhelmed. Instead of looking at refinishing your hardwood floors as a humungous job, look at it as giving your room a manicure, one step at a time. You'll also save yourself as much as $1,000 by doing it yourself.

Luz Madera loves to work with wood. She is the webmaster of http://www.funwoodworks.com which is the premier woodwork and woodworking site on the internet. Please visit http://www.funwoodworks.com for some excellent woodworking resources.

If It Was Easy Everybody Would Do It

Q: I started my business about a year ago and everything is going fine. We're growing and making a profit, but the stress of running the business is really starting to get to me. I spend more time worrying than working. Sometimes the pressure is almost more than I can take. I'm starting to think that I'm not cut out to run my own business. Do you have any advice that might help me decide what to do? -- Steven S.

A: I'm full of advice, Steven, and it's totally free. Just remember, you get what you pay for and I can't be held legally or morally responsible if my advice somehow lands you behind the counter at McDonalds. I'm not Dr. Phil, for petesake. I'm shorter and have more hair and less money.

Seriously, the first thing you need to do is take a few deep breaths and take comfort in the fact that you are not the first entrepreneur to feel the weight of the business world on your shoulders. Every business person, including yours truly, has felt the way you do at one time or another. For some, it's a feeling that occurs daily, especially when things aren't going as well as we'd like them to. And don't think the stress will magically disappear if your business takes off. I know people who run multimillion dollar corporations and they will tell you that the stress level goes up in proportion to the size of the business. These same people will also tell you they love what they do and would never consider doing anything else.

The difference between these entrepreneurs and you, Steven, is that they have been in business longer and have learned to not only handle stress, but to take stress and transform it into a driving force. They feed off the stress. It fuels their creativity and innovation. Stress challenges them, it makes them think, makes them better entrepreneurs.

I think the real question isn't whether or not you have what it takes to run a business. The real question is do you have what it takes to handle the stress of running a business. These are two very different questions and the answers depend totally on you.

Even on the best of days running a business can be incredibly stressful, not to mention overwhelming and exhausting. It's only natural that there will be times when you wonder if it's really worth it. Asking yourself the "should I just get a real job" question simply means that your human side is showing. And as a human you have a limited tolerance for things you can not control. And that's really where the stress of being an entrepreneur comes from. We worry about things we can't control. Things like finding new customers, paying the bills, making payroll, and a thousand other things. Sure, we can put forth our best efforts to make these things turn out in our favor, but we really can't control the outcome.

So we worry. And worry breeds stress and stress breeds doubt and doubt breeds the feeling that an 800 pound gorilla is using your chest for a lawn chair. It's only natural that you being to wonder, "Is this what I really want to do? Do I have what it takes to run my own business?"

I remember once complaining about the stress of running my business to an elder entrepreneur. He waved at me like he was swatting a fly and said, "Son, if it was easy, everybody would do it. Now suck it up and move on."

Suck it up and move on? probably the best business advice I've ever gotten. No fortune cookie was ever so on the money.

My mentor's eloquent point was this: running a business is never easy and always stressful, but that's what makes it so dang exciting. Running a business is like walking a tight rope? backward? with your eyes shut? and your pants on fire? Man, sure beats working for a living, huh.

Steven, it sounds to me like you're having what I call a "garbage truck moment." That's when the pressure of running your business starts getting to you and you begin to question whether the entrepreneurial life is right for you. The debts are mounting, your staff is shrinking (or growing), you get that nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach and you find yourself longing for the apparent simplicity of driving a garbage truck.

Note to garbage truck drivers: save your hate mail, boys. I know you work very hard and I respect what you do. Without you the world would be a very different, very smelly place, indeed.

What's happening to you, Steven, has happened to us all. The stress is causing you to doubt not only your decision to start your own business, but your ability to run it, as well. There's no magic bullet for dealing with stress and you certainly can't eliminate it totally, so you must learn to handle it.

I believe the key to handling stress is to first identify the source of the stress, then formulate a plan to deal with it.

Here's what I do. Take a pencil and paper and list all the things that are causing you stress. For each item listed ask yourself: Is there anything I can do about this? Is there anything I can do to change this from being a point of stress to a point of accomplishment? In other words, is this something I have control over?

Stressing over things you can't control is a total waste of time. Tell yourself that you're burning brain cells in vain and mark that item off your list. Some people don't have this ability. Some people are just natural born worriers who are not happy unless they have something to worry about. They revel in worry. They work in worry like a great artist works in paint. Even when things are going great they worry that the sky is about to fall. If you are a natural born worrier, Steven, nothing I say will help you handle stress.

Great, now you have something else to worry about.

Next , determine if each point of stress is something that has happened in the past, is currently happening, or has not yet - or may never - happen. If the stress point is the past, there's not much you can do but attempt to rectify the situation causing the stress. If it's a current problem, formulate a plan to deal with the problem and eliminate the stress it's causing. And if you're stressing over things that may never happen, remember what Mark Twain said: "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened."

Finally, Steven, it's important to remember that working for someone else can be just as stressful as working for yourself. Sure, you don't have the stress (and responsibility) associated with running a business, but you will have other stresses that can be far worse; like impossible work deadlines, sales quotas you can't meet, a boss that learned his management skills on a chain gang, coworkers who don't pull their own weight, possible layoffs, etc.

Very few things in life are without stress. Just ask any garbage truck driver.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.

Related Links:
http://www.prosperityandprofits.com
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting

You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have extremely low or no results in sales because of your poor planed copy. You shouldn't be amazed by the fact that huge corporations all over the world do that mistake and waste millions of dollars on false advertisement campaigns.

However, how can you write good sales copy, killer ads that get the attention of people? There are no magic recipes for that, but you can follow some fundamental rules, which can lead to you to success if you adapt them properly.

1) Have a good product. Be honest and mean what you say or what you offer. Avoid the exaggerations and hyped claims. You stake your reputation and your business offline or online it doesn't make any difference.

2) Have a plan on your trial and error period. Don't expect to write your first copy and be a golden one. You will alter it many times, test it, retest it try a new one and so on. Set a schedule for that. Do not fool around.

3) AIDA. It's the proven and the bedrock of the copy process. Always follow it. AIDA

A= Attention. You must grab it instantly or you don't have a chance.

I = Interest. You grab and keep their interest. If they get bored, they will leave.

D= Desire. Interest must be transformed into desire for what you offer.

A= Action. You must convince them to act now. Not tomorrow, next week e.t.c. They will forget it few hours later.

4) Always work on your prospects emotion. Most of the people buy something emotionally and then justify it rationally.

5) Headline is the Key. If it doesn't grab their attention then they've gone away. Your headline must be a killer one.

6) Promote your best and strong benefit at first, not last. That's how you are going to create interest and then desire.

7) Tell stories. That's an excellent way to rekindle their emotion or even their passion. Stories always inspire.

8) Answer all the objections and questions you think your prospects could have. In that way you will gain their trust.

9) Use bullet points for each of your benefits and bold, italics fonts for your text. Use the underline feature but not so often.

10) Give time limit. This is an excellent tool for calling your prospects to act now!

11) Offer testimonials. It is the mother of gaining trust tools. Especially, if it is from someone important in your field.

12) Make them easy to buy. Don't let them get lost in your web site. Make it as easy as possible.

13) Avoid graphics. They won't help you. People are looking for information not images.

14) Give guarantees. Research has proved that when you have a long guarantee your client feels safer and that leads to fewer refunds too!

15) Never assume that your prospects know what you want to say. Always be specific and clear about your product or service.

16) Have your copy or ad checked by your friends, colleagues e.t.c. It's better to have other views, after all it's a part of the testing process.

Here are some great headlines and emotional triggers.

• A Little Mistake That Cost A ?? $3,477 A Year

• Do You Make These Mistakes In ?..?

• Why Some People Almost Always Make Money In The ??.

• How I Improved My ??. In One Evening.

• How I Made a Fortune with a ?.. Idea.

• 161 New Ways To ??

• How To Plan ??

• The Truth about Getting Rich.

• Dare To Be Rich

• The Secret To Being Healthy.

• How To Write A ??

Attract The Opposite Sex

Be Independent

Be Successful

Avoid Embarrassment

Be Strong

Be Healthy

Satisfy Curiosity

Make Money

Gain Knowledge

Save Time

Avoid Effort

Get A Better Job

Be Your Own Boss

Add Fun To Life

Work Less

Relax.

Copyright 2004 Christos Varsamis

About The Author

Christos Varsamis is an internet marketing consultant and the owner of the exclusive internet-marketing club www.internetmarketingsuccesstips.com. Get his knowledge at your desktop! Subscribe to ims-tips@aweber.com.