Great financial tips to ensure you make more dollar

Like most people I find balancing the household finances at the end of the month a struggle. With three children all under eight and me not in full time work we need to watch every penny and I have become adept at making the money last and would be described by the popular press as a “Thrifty Mum”. I am probably not alone when I’m not only able to list all of my direct debits but also able to say the amounts I pay each week for each of them and the day they come out of our bank account. The control this gives me allows me to avoid worrying too much as I couldn’t cope with the thought of not being able to do so and the crisis I would be in would threaten everything I and my husband have worked together for. I have become very canny at looking out for offers and religiously cut vouchers out of the newspaper and keep an eye out for when the deals are on at the local Tesco supermarket. One of the most helpful ways of saving money I’ve come across in recent years is to use the comparison websites to make sure that you aren’t paying a penny more than you have to on your household bills. I used the life assurance cover website and saved a fortune. I also checked to see if our buildings and contents insurance can be bought cheaper than we have it already. Changing electricity and gas suppliers is always worth considering as they tend to put up prices for people who don’t switch providers like the banks and building societies do for those who don’t move their money to the best savings accounts. I believe that we can save about one month’s salary a year by switching or threatening to switch suppliers. Sometime purely mentioning the fact that you are about to change provider to your existing provider will mean that they will drop their price by a huge margin. Its well worth trying, the alternative is too awful to contemplate.

Source: http://lifeassurancecover.uk.com/blog/2011/12/13/i-found-i-was-paying-too-much-my-life-insurance-when-i-made-online-comparison-using-life-assurance-cover-website/

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My wife and I needed to reduce our overall monthly expenditure due to a change in our personal circumstances. We sat down with a list of our monthly outgoings and a clean sheet of paper and tried to come up with ways that we could achieve the savings required to live within our means. Ideally our plan would save us three hundred pounds a month and we would aim to renegotiate all of our policies plans and utilities and any shortfall would be made up by cutting back on our holiday plans and social lives. We started with our direct debits and logged onto the internet to get a life insurance comparison, mortgage costs and utilities. The savings it’s possible to make were substantial although we weren’t able to save the entire amount we were virtually there and our lifestyle will not suffer tremendously, so we’ll be able to enjoy our lives as much as we did before. With hindsight  it’s clear that those who put off  carrying out such an exercise are being stupid and wasting money unnecessarily, money that most people can ill afford to give away. It’s not as if there isn’t enough adverts on the television telling us to log onto our computers to compare the price of our car insurance, home insurance and so on.

Source: http://www.lifeinsurancecomparison.uk.com/blog/2011/11/18/financial-austerity-beginning-bite-save-money-free-life-insurance-comparison/

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It almost goes without saying that good customer service is essential to sustaining any business. No matter how wonderful a job you do of attracting new customers, you wont be profitable for long unless you have a solid customer retention strategy in place and in action. Its the actions that count not what you say youll do, or what the policy says. People will remember what you or your employees have done or not done.

One of the key components of an effective retention strategy is exceptional customer service. Not just good service, but memorable service. Today, consumers expectations are higher than ever and companies that fail to deliver, risk losing market share.

10 Tips for Delivering Good Customer Service.

1)Treat me like a somebody. Its been years since that Midas muffler commercial aired, but the Im a somebody phrase can still be heard from time to time. Why? Because regular customers expect (and deserve) to be remembered. As one woman summed it up, You dont need to remember my name, or what I order, but do acknowledge that Ive been there before.

One of the best examples Ive ever seen of this is at my local coffee shop. One day I noticed that the young man behind the counter greeted some people by name and, even if he didnt know their name, he knew what they usually ordered. As I waited for my tea (hed already placed my two milk on the side on the counter without me having said a word), I asked him why he said, See you later to some customers, See you tomorrow to others, yet always said, Have a good week to me. The smiling, friendly reply? Because you only come in on Mondays and Fridays. As I thanked him, I thought to myself, Wow. He wont be here long. Unfortunately, I was right.

2)Be polite! Too frequently company representatives ask customers for file information without saying Please or even being polite. It is not acceptable for a service rep to simply bark out, Account number? And it is never acceptable for a service rep to insult a client.

Six weeks ago there was a problem with my home internet account which is with a phone carrier I have used my entire life (and, as you know, this kind of loyalty to a phone company is almost unheard of these days). In all that time, I have never been late with a bill payment to them. There is a long and ugly story here, but the short version is that a) the problem was on their end and b) before they realized where things had gone wrong, their rep was extremely rude. When I asked him to please change the way in which he was addressing me, he snarled, Well whadya expect? If youd pay your bills on time you wouldnt have this problem.

I couldnt believe what I was hearing. In fact, if Id just read this account (instead of being on the receiving end), I wouldnt have believed the story. Whats worse is that although the company later apologized, their senior management seemed to feel that this was not an isolated incident.

A 2005 survey conducted by Schulich School of Business MBAs suggests that this kind of problem exists in over 30% of companies, and costs them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost customers (and revenues) each and every year. Dont let your company end up one of these statistics.

3)Thank your customers like you mean it. When your employees conclude a transaction, they should thank the customer with a smile and a sincere thank you for completed by whatever is appropriate for your business. Too often, customers received a rushed and barely civil Thanks-Have-a-nice-day-Next. With large purchases, the verbal greeting should be followed up with a hand-written card not just because it leads to increased referrals (which is does), but because it is the correct thing to do.

Oh, and by the way, the word Sure is no way to respond when a customer thanks you. To many people in many parts of the world, this is dismissive and suggests you dont care. The correct phrase is Youre welcome.

4) Appearances do count! According got two independent pieces or research, nearly 90% of customers form an impression about how competent and reputable your company is based on what they see when they walk trough your doors.

Preserve me from auto-attendant hell. Customers are becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with having to sift through a multitude of options and press numerous buttons only to be told that the desired service can only be obtained through the companys website. Worse is when the auto-attendant uses voice recognition but doesnt recognize your voice. People want to connect with human beings; they dont want to listen to a long list of prompts. For hints on how to use auto-attendants effectively, please read The top 5 new things people expect for good customer service on our ReallyGreatInfo.com webiste.

5)Do what you say you will… when you say you will. The expression Under promise, over deliver may have become somewhat hackneyed through over use, but is still germane. One of the quickest ways to lose customer confidence is to not follow-through, or to be late delivering a service or product, without notifying the customer in advance, determining whether or not the delay will impact the customer and providing an alternate solution in the interim if necessary.

One of the best examples I ever experienced of a company doing it well happened with Toyota. There was a problem with my RAV4 and Toyota couldnt repair it easily. I was driving a loaner, but had planned to go camping with my kids. It was our summer holiday and it had been planned for months. When Toyota couldnt repair my vehicle in time, they rented an SUV for us to use without me having to ask. I have since purchased another vehicle from this dealership and recommended it to 6 others who have purchased from them. Coincidence? I think not.

6)Surprise the customer from the time to time. When it is possible to provide an extra level of service, do so. Whether its an unexpected complimentary dessert in a restaurant, or an upgrade that has not been requested, these special gestures go a long way towards engendering customer loyalty and to winning you new customers. It has long been known that on average, a dissatisfied customer will tell 10 – 16 others, but people who have had an unexpectedly good experience also recount their stories.

7)Provide full service. When Successories sends out its framed prints, it includes the hooks and a small levelling device. Theres a remote control toy vendor near me who includes the batteries. My gas station dispenses free coffee with gas on weekday mornings. A drive-through drycleaner in northern Ontario opens early and hands you the morning paper with your order. Small things, yes. Greatly appreciated? No question.

I spoke to each of my local retailers and learned that in each case, their sales and profits have enjoyed double digits increases since they introduced more comprehensive service. Think about what you can add to help make things easier for your customers. In some cases, by looking at what else it makes sense to sell, you can even add a new revenue stream while improving the perceived level of customer service provided.

8)Mea Culpa. When you have made a mistake, admit it and set things straight. When customers have a complaint listen, truly listen. Then apologize and take corrective action. In many instances, the very act of listening (without interrupting) can be enough to diffuse the situation and make the person feel worthy as a customer. Then ask the customer how they would like you to resolve the situation. In most instances, your client will come up with something reasonable and often less costly than a solution you might have proposed.

9)Listen to your customers. Conduct your own surveys and get feedback on what they like and dont like – and take corrective action as required. Let customers know that their business is appreciated and that their opinions are important to you.

None of these suggestions takes a lot of time or money to implement, yet they can pay dividends in increased customer satisfaction and retention. The key, though, is to ensuring that employees understand the importance of their front-line role and get good training and supervision.

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8 Great Tips: Selecting A Professional Search Engine Optimization (seo) Service

Search engine optimization is increasingly being accepted as a powerful and critical component of the marketing plan. With the costs involved in other forms of online marketing growing significantly, it has become almost a necessity for companies to include SEO in their overall marketing mix.

Its thus no surprise to know that professional SEO today is big business and this industry is growing at a fast pace. There are however many different types of SEO firms out there and finding a reliable service can be a daunting task.

Search engine optimization firms employ varying methods to get high rankings for websites and not all of these techniques are considered ethical. With the increasing number of black hat SEO firms, (companies using unethical and unfair methods and techniques to manipulate search engines), and the thin line between actual black hat and white hat SEO practices, it is crucial to be well informed of the methodology the company plans to use for your website before you decide to hire them.

Here are 8 simple tips to help you in your evaluation and selection of a trustworthy and professional search engine optimization service:

1.Educate yourself with the basics
Make sure to do your homework carefully before you venture out to hire a SEO service. Its imperative you understand in advance exactly what a firm can and will do for you to enable you to evaluate them. There are several resources online dedicated to search engine marketing and search engine optimization and taking the time to understand and learn the basics will go a long way.

2.Fee structures and your budget
There are no standardized fee structures and most companies offer a range of packages instead. A package may in itself contain a variety of services like keyword research, optimization of a certain number of pages, directory submissions etc. Selecting a company should not be only about cost. A firm that charges more may not necessarily be better at SEO and likewise a firm that charges less may not necessarily be providing you the same services. Use prudence while understanding pricing models and the risks behind them. One way to go about deciding what your budget should be is to first identify your websites and business unique needs, tailor a package to meet these requirements and then compare firms pricing models to decide a realistic baseline budget.

3.Size and specialty of the firm
Depending on the size of your website and requirements of your company, it might be a good idea to check out whether the firm is adequately staffed and what their customer to SEO team ratio is.

Another important thing is to ensure that the company specializes in all areas of SEO and has a team of professionals experienced and accomplished in each of the areas including design, development and actual coding.

4.Location
The location of the firm largely depends on your comfort level. You may favor a local company or one at least within your country or prefer to outsource completely to another country to benefit from their lower costs. There are also few companies using a blended offshore delivery model with marketing and client services offices in one country and the actual design and development work being done in another. With the combination of lower costs plus client servicing available within reach, this upcoming balanced model may be a good option to consider.

5.Client testimonials and references
References are a great way to start and should be freely available. If they havent been provided, ask and make sure to use them to find out exactly how credible and trustworthy the company really is based on their past clients experiences.

6.Guarantees
Most firms wont guarantee top position results and shouldnt. It is justifiable for a company to guarantee increasing your traffic or rankings from its current positions; however if any SEO service is guaranteeing you a specific position/ranking in any search engine, make sure you read the fine print of the agreement.

7.Ethics / Spam
Ethics is of paramount importance when it comes to selecting a search engine optimization company. There are a variety of unethical practices a firm can use right from while selling their services to you, to, the actual methods they employ while optimizing your site (keyword stuffing, cloaking, etc to name a few). Make sure to ask as many questions as possible and specifically about the methodology they use. If the firm does not offer you ready explanations of the process they undertake to optimize websites, you probably need to look elsewhere.

8.Reporting and success measurement
Some of the key questions to ask How long will it take to see results? What type of reports will the SEO firm furnish and how often? How will success be measured? Will a maintenance plan be included?

It is largely up to you to define the goal and success level of your SEO campaign. It may be an increase in the traffic to your site, potential leads from a mailing list subscription, or an increase from last years sales. Make it a point to discuss and articulate your goals with the SEO firm and come to an agreement before you hire them. It is however important to set realistic expectations. Unlike PPC and other forms of paid advertising, SEO is a time consuming process, both in terms of implementation as well as results.

To conclude, hiring a SEO services firm can have a significant impact on your companys bottom line, however the decision to partner with a particular SEO firm should only ensue after a careful evaluation of the firm and after you have done the groundwork necessary to help you decide your own goals for the program.

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Site Indexing – The Most Effective SEO Technique

By: Prashant K Shukla

The most effective SEO technique is to index the pages of new website. There are lot of important issues, one should take care. We are providing a simple guide steps to help you in this regard.

1. Just design you website structure, create your content pages (don’t worry if they are not completed yet) and publish them swiftly. Because, the process of indexing, new websites takes about two months. So, this technique helps you saving time.

2. Since, you have already designed your web site structure and contents (may be incomplete or with minimal info) as I said earlier. Now, create a sitemap for the site and submit this to Google Sitemap Service. Yahoo has lately created a similar service to Google Sitemap and so also submits your website to it. There are lots of online free site map generation services available.

Here are few of them, you may use.

* Create your Google Sitemap Online By: XML Sitemaps
* ROR Sitemap Generator By: ROR Web
* Site Map Builder By: sitemapbuilder

3. Third step is to submit your website to some Open Directory Project; DMOZ is good and is used as basis by many search engines like Google, MSN and Alexa. This process again takes several months. So, the first step plays a good here too.

4. There are three major search engines namely Google, Yahoo and MSN. Submit all your pages for inclusion in these three major search engines and keep submitting your site pages to other search engines on a regular basis. Do it manually or you may use some search engine submission software or service which may help you by automatic submission.

5. There are lot of SEO Friendly Directories on the web. Some are paid services and some allows free submissions of URL. Submit your website to these SEO Friendly Directories. All major search engines crawls these Directories frequently. This will help you both a catalyst for the indexing of the web pages and also move a step forward in Page rank Building.

6. You may start Building links using Reciprocal Link exchange programs. The text links should not only point to your website homepage but also to other pages down in the website page structure.

7. Posting on Google Groups advertising for your website is something very helpful in building good Page Rank. The posts should include at least two links to your website.

8. Participate in topic discussion on other sites is also a great technique to make your existence strong and do include your site URL in the reference section.

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Title:
A Dozen Great Search Engine Placement Tips

Word Count:
527

Summary:
To be noticed or successful in the World Wide Web one needs to apply sound business sense and practices. When a surfer uses a search engine to find information he will get what he needs within the first 7-10 results displayed. This means that sites that are ranked higher than 10 are hardly ever noticed. Most of the traffic is enjoyed by those who rank within the top ten.

Keywords:
Submit Free Press Release , new product or services, new website, announcing new hires, special event or seminar

Article Body:
To be noticed or successful in the World Wide Web one needs to apply sound business sense and practices. When a surfer uses a search engine to find information he will get what he needs within the first 7-10 results displayed. This means that sites that are ranked higher than 10 are hardly ever noticed. Most of the traffic is enjoyed by those who rank within the top ten.

Here are a few pointers that may get you a ranking within 1-10:

1.Use relevant target key words for your pages. Ensure that the key words are more than two words long. Put yourself in the shoes of the surfer and list what the likely search terms will be which are relevant to the content.

2.Use keywords frequently through the page but with relevance. Higher placements are recommended. Ensure that target keywords are placed in the HTML title tag. Include target words in the titles. Write titles that capture interest and attention. These are what appear in search engine listings and only if they convey the content of the pages clearly will a user access the web page.

3.Every page must have a title tag, Meta keywords tag, and Meta description tag.

4.Use text navigation with great thought. It is advantageous to use keyword phrases as links. If text navigation is not possible then try and include footer on every page.

5.Avoid search engine stumbling blocks like image maps or frames. Construct your pages such that any search engine, old or new can read the pages. Create static pages and avoid symbols in the URLs.

6.Link analysis is used by important search engines in ranking algorithms. So, it is crucial to build solid links. Ensure that the links are relevant to your web content. Think quality not quantity. The secret is in approaching sites that are non-competitive and are ranked high by search engines.

7.Avoid spamming. It can get you banned. Fight the battle for supremacy by ethical means. Just ensure that your content is relevant and interesting, layout simple, and titles attractive and teasing.

8.To maximize efficiency submit more than one page manually. Make sure the pages are good representations of your site and its content.

9.Avoid automated programs for submission of pages. Submit manually and pay attention to any problems reported.

10. Prepare your goals with thought and care. Use a designer who is aware of online architectural design principles. Synchronize content, design, and navigation. Make it user and search engine friendly.

11. If you are in a hurry to get your website ranked then consider the option of using search engine marketing programs like PPC. In this case traffic is generated within days.

12.Use a link analysis report which will consider your competitors plan of action and prepare a recommendation report for you that is exclusive to your business module.

Search engine placement is the corner stone to success. It will not just ensure a good ranking but substantial increase in traffic and optimal business returns. As an astute business person or avid cyber techie you need to view the site in a rounded way and consider not just aspects of content and design but marketing strategies and cost effectiveness.

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Women’s Career Tips: How to Land a Great Magazine Job

New media jobs are opening every day for women of all ages and backgrounds such as media sales jobs, media relations jobs, and many others. Magazine jobs are especially popular among women. Career women often enjoy the thrill of working on a busy magazine editing staff, photography staff, or working as a writer.

Magazine employment offers many advantages for women. Magazines often provide a good, upscale office environment with great career pay and benefits. Also, many magazines (especially online publications) allow women workers to telecommute so they can work flexible hours and stay home with their children.

Choose a Magazine Career

There are many magazine jobs for women requiring a variety of skills such as typing, editing, photography, graphic design, newsletter layout, writing, management, advertising, printing, and computer skills. One large magazine might employ hundreds of people on staff or as freelancers. Women can select a magazine career based on their special skills and what type of work they enjoy. They should consider what’s required for the job and if they have had proper training in that area. Some magazine editor jobs or magazine writer jobs might require college training.

Next, women can sift through jobs with magazines that cover subjects of interest to them. Every magazine has a theme such as business, finance, home decor, travel, fashion, working women, parenting, or gardening. Fashion magazine jobs, for instance, would be perfect for a woman who loves working in fashion and wants to have a magazine career as well.

Job Resume Tips for Women

Before applying for a magazine job, women should create a very professional, detailed resume. Two formats should be used – one for online applications and one to print for applying in person or by postal mail. The resume should be detailed with all high school, college, and other special training. Any skills or experience working in an office environment should be listed, even if they’re not directly related to magazine work. Also, the resume should detail personal accomplishments such as musical skills, honors, awards, sports, and so forth. The layout should be professional and easy to read with no grammatical errors.

Research Magazines before Applying

Media jobs for women aren’t always what they seem to be. Applicants should do some legwork to find out what the job entails as far as tasks, hours, and pay before applying. Also, there should be the opportunity to move up the career ladder later on. To do research, applicants might be able to call or email to ask questions. Otherwise, they can have a list of questions ready for the job interview.

Career Success Tips

Women’s jobs can easily be found these days, but aren’t always easy to keep. Once a great career has been secured, this is just the beginning. To be successful, women must work hard, be dependable, and meet deadlines. Magazine editors, writers, designers, and printers must complete their tasks before the print date or the magazine will not stay afloat for very long. Women who are new to the field can secure their position by showing diligence with even the smallest of tasks and by being willing to go the extra mile.

Another way to secure long-term magazine work is to be willing to start at the bottom. A woman might start out as an editor’s assistant, but the opportunity to become an editor could be just around the corner. Or, she might start as a freelance writer or photographer before getting hired on as a staff employee.

Magazine jobs for women provide exciting opportunities in a variety of fields. Women of all ages are realizing their career dreams through magazine jobs and are enjoying a healthy salary and great benefits in the process. Use these magazine job hunting tips to discover your dream career!

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Buying multimedia these days is a confusing process. When you want a sight-and-sound program to tout your company in person or on the web, what do you ask for? Probably a Flash or a PowerPoint. Problem is, thats putting the cart before the horse.

Todays audiovisual world is filled with possibilitiessome are found in the way shows are shown; others in the way they are created. One thing should be sure– video will be a part of your presentationat least if you want to make a real splash.

This article looks at the multimedia/video/presentation buying process and offers ten considerations you need to make to successfully commissionor produceyour next major audiovisual communication. I hope you will adopt them.

1. Flash? PowerPoint? Video? Dont Rush to Conclusions.

When youve got a story to tell and it requires sight and sound, be careful not to prescribe the solution too quickly. One mans PowerPoint these days is another womans video. When people need something to run off of their computer, theyre quick to ask for a PowerPoint show or one of those FLASH things.

Right idea, but not necessarily the right spec.

Flash is considered hip, and PowerPoint is considered a must. But PowerPoint and Flash often are just containers for VIDEO, just as a VHS tape and a DVD are containers for video.

SO, just because you want your project on the web or on computer CD-ROM, doesnt mean it shouldnt incorporateor bevideo. Video is what the big boys useoften, even in major documentaries and motion pictures.

Dont choose the production method solely on the distribution method.

2. Sound Is the Secret Weapon.

Whats the first thing you remember about Star Wars? Dah-dah, da-da-da dahhhh-dahhh!

Yup, the music. And the sound effectsthe hum of the light sabers, the drone of the Death Star. Can you imagine Star Wars without music?

Even in corporate videos, music plays an extremely important part. But youd be surprised how few producers actually realize that. Theyll let a narrator blab on and on, and, to add insult to injury, youll hear the same piece of music looping for the entire length of the show! (Flash presentations are notorious for this.)

Sound tells your audience how to feel; how to distinguish whats important; when to react and how.

A picture is worth a thousand words? Music is worth a thousand emotionslike loyalty, belief, trust, enthusiasmall potent predictors of productivity.

3. Create for the Environment.

Ever see an IMAX film on home video? Is it the same as in the IMAX theater? Ever see your favorite movie on a 4-inch LCD? Was it the same as in your home theater?

No, of course not. IMAX movies and major motion pictures (especially science fiction and thrillers) are created for LARGE screens, in rooms where people are quiet and the sound has impact.

Commercials played in sports arenas on those big jumbotrons generally feature very little dialog. Whod hear it? You can barely hear the music.

When a video communications project is strategized, the environment in which it will be played is an important part of deciding the style and intensity of production. If your CD-ROM is never going to make it past a laptop, running out and shooting sweeping panoramas of the countryside may not be necessarybut plenty of close ups will be.

Play to the room.

4. How Long Should It Be?

Attention spans are short! Shouldnt all videos be short? Well, theres short, and short. Theres real time, and perceived time.

A boring video goes on forever. An exciting video ALWAYS seems shorter than it is, and often bears seeing a second time!

Audiences arent stupid. They dont have short attention spans; they just dont like to be bored. A good story will transcend time. It will seem shorter but last longer in their minds.

5. $1,000 a Minute? $200 per Slide? $3.99 a Pound?

Pricing is always liable to a lot of subjectivity, and so over the years people have tried to quantify the production of multimedia materials. A thousand dollars a minute has been quoted since the late 1960sfor film!

But lets shatter some illusions. Video production (in fact, many creative activities) can not be judged entirely on the running time. It takes $2 million and 9 months to produce a single 24-minute episode of the Simpsons. Ive seen industrial training tapes that ran 90 minutes and grossed the producer $2,000.

Shouldnt he have gotten $90,000? Not for pointing a camera at a podium and hitting record, and editing out awkward pauses!

It is MUCH tougher to produce a great five-minute video that will rouse an audience and get specified results. To keep up a broadcast-quality pace, to have the right music, to shoot in various locales, to create high-quality 3-D and other animations… well, itll cost more than $5,000, I guarantee that. Sometimes, not much more, but other times, 10 times that amount. Your producer should be willing to write a proposal, tell you what she plans to do, and give you a specific quotation for that exact effort.

6. What Style Should It Be?

On the surface, communications styles change often. After all, audiences like what is current and hipto them. But different audiences come from different age groups, economic backgrounds, regions; so what is hip to a 22-year-old web designer in Atlanta might not be hip to the 45-year-old engineer in Dallas.

Your producer needs to think like a chameleon. Yes, we all have our own strengths and styles, but we are working for you. And you have a corporate style and a defined audience. Too slow a pace, not enough hip animation, and maybe the twenty-somethings will snooze. Too kinetic, too flashy, too loud, and maybe the chairman of the board will have your head.

Maybe youve never seen American Idol, but that doesnt make it unpopular with a large part of the population. If youre not hip on the likes of an audience, trust someone who isyour producer, or that DJ-wannabe who can name everything ever produced by
Jay-Z.

Uh, who?

7. Can I Have That Tuesday?

If its your dry cleaning, yes.

If its the multimedia project or video that is going to convince 5,000 that downsizing is good for them, well, no.
Good video takes time.

How much time? A well-designed, strategized, outlined, planned, written, and produced project (already it sounds long) takes time. Heres a planning guide for a typical 10-minute video:

Write proposal–1 week
Script–2-3 weeks
Production planning–2 weeks
Shooting–2 weeks
Logging and digitizing tapes–1 week
Music selection, voice tracking–1 week
Rough cut–1-2 weeks
Review time (script, rough cut)–1 week (its up to you)
Final edit and effects–1.5 weeks
Duplication–2 weeks

With overlap, overtime, and some real sweet talking from you and me to the hard-working staff, maybe we can cut that down or work some things in parallel. But dont kill the messenger. Allowing sufficient time for the project will get you one hell of a program In the long run, when you do it right, it shows. And the spin-off benefits are enormous.

8. Use Interviews for Believability

Interviewswith your customers, employees, suppliers, even youcan have a dramatic impact on the credibility engendered by your video.

This is especially true for softer subjects, such as fundraising, public opinion, HRD company introductions, tributes, etc.

Interviews are not what they seem. They appear candid (and are); they seem unscripted (and are); they seem easy to do and a way to skip scriptwriting (they ARE NOT).

Interviews require researchwho has the best stories, attitude, presence. Interviews require testinga pre-interview. And they require scripting, if only as a target goal to help the interviewer frame the right questions.

Never let your producer put words into peoples mouthsa pet phrase, an endorsement, a rah-rah statementunless the interviewee came up with it candidly. Theres no faster way for all of you to look boneheaded.

And I dont think THAT was the purpose of the video.

9. Videos Hidden Value

Many big videos and presentations are created for meetings. They unveil the theme, set the stage, introduce a new product, whatever.

But when management realizes they will be used only once, they often become unnecessary. Staging, projectors, production coststhats a lot of cabbage for 500 sales people. Couldnt we add a second entre at the awards dinner?

Fact is, I agree with your bossto the extent that everything should have a repurposing value. And todays video does. Plan it right, write it right, and in no time your videoor at least scenes from itcan be used on the web, on CDs and DVDs, and in your salespeoples PowerPoint presentations.

Now you can justify the purchase and sleep a bit easier.

By the way, even WITHOUT a reuse value, there is nothing like a rousing video opener at a big meeting to set the tone, redefine a company, begin the change process, and build a roaring fire under your sales teams butts. The difference is seen in sales; they have the energyAND new video tools to take with them. The increased revenue more than pays for the cost of the video.

10. A Good Video Producer Knows Sales

And not just because he sold you a project.

Video done right is a form of persuasion. It follows all the good rules of sales (with some exceptions).

First of all, videos must get audiences saying yes. We have to start with common ground and then build our case.

Video incorporates logic. If, then, and after that, then

And video promotes emotional connection. Add the emotional punch, and now youve got a sale.

If a video producer doesnt know this, then hes not a producerhes a craftsman working at some aspect of our trade. And that is fine.

But those who can sell audiencesthey are few and far between.

The care and consideration that goes into producing your companys video overview, sales presentation, or funding solicitation is no less important than the wording of a direct mail piece, the design of your ad campaign, or the development of a corporate identity. For, indeed, a video presentation becomes your corporate identity.

Use these ten tips and youre on your way to perhaps the most successful communications project youve ever undertaken. That just might mean a raise, a corner office, or at least a slap on the back. And thats all good.

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As a business owner, you may never have considered server rentals. You may be wondering when you would ever rent a server instead of buying. Here are just a few reasons why server rentals make sense:

Replication of Your Network for Training or Testing Large-scale training or product testing projects can be resource-intensive. Many companies choose to create a separate, temporary network for these kinds of projects. Server rentals can be arranged for a short-term training session or long-term testing project. By creating a replica of your network, you can let your employees learn and test in a realistic working environment.

Disaster Planning Have you thought about the damage that could occur to your network in the event of a flood or fire? What about server failure or theft? While such occurrences are rare, you should be prepared. Server rentals give you a temporary replacement so you can get your business up and running while you wait for your new equipment.

Relocation Anyone who has moved an office knows the challenges and headaches that can result. Whether you are expanding into a new office across the hall or moving across the city, you need to maintain day-to-day operations while your equipment is in transit. Server rentals provide a temporary file storage solution until your move is completed. They can also bring you peace of mind a rented server can act as a backup in case anything goes wrong when your equipment is transferred between your old and new offices.

Here are a few tips for planning server rentals:

Be clear about your needs. Make sure you know the operating system and software you need to run. Server rentals are only successful if they have the right configuration for your needs. If you arent sure what equipment you need, talk to your vendor. Their technical support staff should be able to guide you.

Be safe. If the temporary network you are setting up provides access to the Internet, it is essential that you have adequate virus protection. Companies that provide server rentals usually rent or sell virus scanners and firewalls. Talk to your vendor about your options for virus protection software.

Dont forget the extras. Along with server rentals, you will need cabling, routers and wireless access points, and may need storage arrays. Talk to your vendor about this equipment when you seek your initial quote for service.

Be prepared. Get to know your vendor. Do they have a wide range of equipment? Can they get server rentals to you with short notice?

Renting a server can be painless when renting from the right company with technical support tailored to your individual needs. Choose your rental company wisely and your next project will be a major success. Ask for 24/7 phone support or better yet, rent a tech from the server rental company.

With the right research, you can find a dependable vendor to get you file server technology when you need it. Keep their number handy you never know when the need for server rentals will arise.

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If you are using articles to help drive traffic to your website you will need to come up with ideas for articles that people will want to read and publish. The quality of articles found on article directories can vary significantly so it is important that yours are among the best available for your article marketing campaign to be successful.

There is no end to the subjects you can write about and you can use any style you wish. However, it has to be something that people will want to read. “How to” articles are very popular with both website owners and readers and can be a great way to get your article marketing campaign underway. Basically, the purpose of a ‘how to’ article is to explain to a reader how to do something.

Of course, you will have to have a good knowledge of how to do the task yourself before you can think about instructing anyone else how to do it, so stick to what you know. There are many possibilities. If you have experience in networking you could write a ‘how to’ article on how to set up a router at home, or if you love cars you could write an article on ‘how to service your car’. There are endless possibilities for ‘how to’ articles, in fact you are reading one right now.

So let’s get started. When you are writing a “how to” article remember that you are the teacher so write in an authoritative tone. You are sharing your expertise with someone who may have little knowledge of the subject at hand. So keep your writing style simple and your instructions clear.

At the beginning of your article tell your reader what their goal is and summarize how it is going to be achieved. This will prepare them for the task ahead. You should also inform them of what, if anything, they will need to have to hand to complete the task. Going back to the setting up a router example, you would need to tell them that they will need their computer, router, instruction booklet and perhaps and ethernet cable to complete the task.

Also, you must start at the beginning and work through the task step by step. Sometimes it may be beneficial to use bullet points to help give the impression that it is a step by step process. Alternatively you can link the steps with words like ‘next’, ‘and then’ or ‘now’. If you are new to writing the bullet points option might be best for you as it keeps things simple, and helps you avoid complex grammatical structures.

As you write, re-read your text every few paragraphs, and try to read it from the reader’s point of view, assuming they know nothing about the task at hand. As an expert on the subject it can be too easy to make things over-complex because the task is second nature to you. Try to imagine you are doing it for the first time and instruct the reader accordingly. Going back to our previous example, will the reader actually know what an ethernet cable is, or what a router is for that matter?

If a particular stage in the task is complex you may want to repeat the instruction, or ask the reader to check their progress so they are sure they have followed your instructions successfully.

With longer articles it is important to do this regularly so the reader does not lose track. Summarize what they have done so far, tell them what should have already been achieved and ask them to check that everything is as it should be. If a reader finds that the project does not look like what you have described, they can then retrace the last few steps and see where they went wrong.

If you work through your article in this manner you should be left with a clear, concise ‘how to’ article that takes the reader through each step of the project to completion. Read it again, at least twice, to make sure that it is well written and that instructions are clear. Wrap up with a concluding paragraph congratulating the reader for a job well done.

And finally, the icing on the cake, the headline. This does not necessarily have to be done at the end. It can be done before you write the article but you may find that headline ideas will come to you as you write your content. Be sure to spend some time perfecting your headline as this can be the difference between the success and failure of your article.

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