If you're in the market for a new computer desk, there are a few things you should know before you open your wallet.  First, you need to decide what type of computer desk is right for you.  Here's an easy check-off list of factors you should consider:

First, there are three basic types of desks:  the Downview Desk in which the monitor is actually mounted below the desktop surface and can be seen through glare-resistant glass or plexiglass; the Split-Level Desk in which the surface is split into different height-adjustable surfaces allowing the monitor to be positioned higher than the writing surface; and the Adjustable Table type – the most common—in which there is only one desktop surface, the monitor is positioned on this surface and all work is done on the surface as well.  There are benefits to all three.  The Downview Desk has recently gained popularity because the monitor is somewhat 'hidden' and doesn't clutter the top of the desk, allowing for the most efficient use of space.  While still considered ergonomic, some users prefer tilting their heads up rather than down to see the screen.  Downview desks are welcomed in classrooms and computer labs because it allows students to keep their eyes on the front of the classroom without having to lean around a monitor and therefore look easily from the instructor to their own monitors.

Downview Desks also give the appearance of a sleeker, cleaner environment.  The Split-Level Desk is revered because it's perfectly ergonomic and allows for the most adjustment for comfort.  All surfaces adjust to the user and these desks are ideal for people who are shorter or taller than the average user because they're entirely customizable.

The Adjustable Classroom Table is popular because with the fewest features, it's the most affordable and provides a basic, comfortable, height-adjustable desk that provides ergonomic support to the user without all the other bells and whistles.

Second, decide what size will comfortably fit in the space you have.  Computer desks come in many sizes from single-user 30-inch widths, to multi-user 72-inch widths and nearly everything in between.  Measure your space and then choose a desk slightly smaller (as in 2 – 3 inches smaller) so that the space doesn't appear too crowded.

Third, find a manufacturer that offers desk colors that appeal to the room you're working in.  If you like a desk but it only comes in white and your room is all natural wood, you won't find the overall look of the room very pleasing.  Since you don't want to have to paint a desk yourself, choose one that works with your existing color scheme.

Fourth, decide on a price and stick to it. Be sure to check into shipping, tax, and handling charges.  Companies often advertise a desk at a low $129 but when all is said and done, other charges can end up adding almost $100 to your purchase!  We found a company called Versa Tables that offers free shipping regardless of weight to any customer in the contiguous U.S.  Those are the kinds of deals you're looking for, so be sure to check out shipping rates or ask a customer representative for the rates before you commit to purchasing.

Business owners want more leads, more customers, more sales. It sounds logical: attract more customers and more sales will follow, leading to increased profits. But is this the best way to maximize profits? Sometimes it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees.

What about the customers your business already has?

It can cost up to seven times more to acquire a new customer than it can to sell more to an existing customer. Yes, generating leads is important, and attracting many new customers may lead to fast profits. But looking after your existing customers, providing quality service and developing a long term relationship will allow you to tap into an ongoing profit source.

Marketing is the most powerful tool for attracting customers, and search marketing techniques can pinpoint the preferences of your target market using data from search engines. Knowing what your market is thinking is the key to generating fat profits. Online strategies are vital to uncovering the potential of your business. Once you have found your niche and have a sophisticated marketing strategy in place, you need to systematize your business to achieve automation. Profit will come with satisfied customers and having the proper systems in place will ensure that customers are satisfied, employees are productive and your business is generally running on autopilot. Profit is more or less guaranteed once this is the case.

Increased profits are achieved through a step by step process where marketing and customer satisfaction are at the core of the business. While there are methods to quickly generate leads and achieve fast profits, a certain level dedication is required to create a truly successful business. There is no quick fix solution to achieve the profit and success you want.

A B2B directory is fundamentally different from a search engine, even though it also presents a list of links to a certain topic. Search engines look for sites on the whole B2B based on the keywords one has entered, whereas a B2B directory has a set amount of links, usually entered by the owners of the corresponding site, which are sorted according to topic, usually not more than one or two per site, and always referencing the whole site, not simply subpages of it.

Directories may vary in size and scope, some only dealing with a small amount of topics or being specific to a small geographic region, where as others might be extremely large. Examples o the latter are Yahoo! Directory and the Open Directory Project (ODP), which is huge and open for search engines and other directories to use.

There are several different types of directories and ways they treat listing. Some offer their service free of charge, some demand a one time or recurring fee, some even let you bid or pay for the best positions within the directory. Some directories, especially the free ones, put restrictions on their listings for example they could make it impossible for search engines to follow the links behind the listing. In addition, some might require a link back to the directory on every page they add to their listing.

B2B directories basically work like a telephone book for the internet, all you need to know is the starting address for the directory and what

you want to find.

Here are four hidden sales pressures that we bring to our cold calling:

1. Focusing On the Sale

If you're like most people who make cold calls, you're hoping to make a sale -- or at least an appointment -- before you even pick up the phone. The problem is the people you call somehow almost immediately notice your mindset. They sense that you are only focused on your goals and interests, rather than on finding out what they might need or want. This short-circuits the whole process of communication and trust building.

So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus into thinking, "When I make this call, first I'm going to build a conversation. From this, a level of trust can emerge which allows us to exchange information back and forth. And then we can both determine if there's a fit or not." When your focus shifts from making a sale into making a conversation, there’s no sales pressure. Many people enjoy conversations. Moreover, as long as you’re sincere, this will be one of them.

You’re also exchanging information rather than "informing" someone of your product or service. This helps your potential client know that he or she matters to you. This means you’re not being experienced as "pushy."

Keep in mind that letting go of trying to force the outcome of the conversation into a sales event means being totally relaxed with the idea that your solution may not be a fit for them. When you’re exploring right along with another person whether there’s a "fit," then that person feels no sales pressure.

2. Talking About Ourselves First

When we start our cold calls with a mini-pitch about who we are and what we have to offer, we’ve introduced sales pressure right away. The other person knows we want to make a sale, and they have to respond to that pressure. Most will respond with defense or rejection.

So instead, start your conversation by focusing on a need or issue you know the other person is likely facing. Step into their world and invite them to share whether they’re open to exploring possible solutions with you.

3. Forcing the Conversation into a Pre-Planned Strategy or Script

Here’s a hard one to avoid if we’re using scripts or carefully planned cold calling strategies. When we rely on these methods, it’s usually because we just don’t know how else to "do" cold calling. However, when we take charge of a conversation in this way, the other person almost always feels like they are being maneuvered. That’s pressure.

If we aren’t allowing someone else to be fully involved in the conversation, then we’re using sales pressure to try to control the outcome. Potential clients feel this sales pressure, even when it’s subtle. Therefore, once again, "The Wall" goes up.

I’m not suggesting that we don’t prepare and plan for our cold calls. There are some really good ways to begin cold calls that we’ll want to use over and over. Additionally, there are special phrases we can use that convey well the fact that we’re interested in solving a problem for the other person.

What we want to avoid, however, is trying to control a cold calling conversation. This almost always happens with scripts and old-style sales strategies. Potential clients feel this pressure and respond negatively.

4. Over-Enthusiasm

The problem with over-enthusiasm in our cold calling is that the other person has to make a decision whether to "buy into" our perspective, or reject it. They feel the hidden sales pressure that wants them to be carried along with our enthusiasm. This usually means braking, whether gently or abruptly.

With over-enthusiasm (which is often just an offshoot of our tension), potential clients feel somewhat boxed in. They feel the pressure of our expectations so they feel compelled to respond either positively or negatively. Most will almost always respond negatively.

Completely eliminating all sales pressure from your cold calling conversations will certainly invite the other person to respond much more warmly and positively.

Locals around the Chuquicamata continue to claim that the Ernesto Guevara who visited the area in 1952 was nothing more than a brawling drunk, with a penchant for one-night stands. If Che had caught the boat to Easter Island, as one story goes, “there would have been no Cuban Revolution.” That may well be an exaggeration; but a good case can be made for the proposition that the huge open-pit copper mine of Chuquicamata, or Chuqui as it is commonly known in Chile, remained firmly etched in the psyche of the Argentinean revolutionary right until his death.

Copper production in Chuquicamata began in 1915, just as German scientific successes in the quest for artificial nitrates had resulted in the collapse of the world market for Chile’s traditional export: saltpetre (potassium nitrate). Since then copper acquired a pre-eminent position in Chile’s economy, and thousands of indigenous workers deserted the floundering haciendas to find work in copper mines like Chuquicamata, El Salvador and El Teniente, all American-owned until the Chilean copper nationalization program of the late-1960s.

Initially, it was the plight of those mine workers which shocked Che as he headed north from the historic city of Valparaiso, after abandoning plans to reach Easter Island. But as Che and his companion, Alberto Granado, entered the Chuquicamata mining complex, the full story of Chile’s copper, and the world demand for that copper, began to unfold. Chuquicamata also emerged as a classic example of the relationship between supposedly modern mining techniques and crucial role of exceptionally cheap labor on the commercialization of copper.

It was at Chuquicamata that Che learnt, from a mine foreman, the value of copper in the post-war industrialization of North America and Europe. In Valparaiso, a barroom conversation with an American prospector had left Che wondering why ordinary Chileans were obsessed with their copper deposits. “There is an unimaginable amount of gold and silver riches lying hidden in the Andes Mountains,” the prospector repeated to anybody who cared to listen. But, as a Chuquicamata foreman explained to his visitors, “there is one and only one truth about mining, any mining, and the gringos will tell you that: focus on keeping the production cost as low as possible, let the rest of the world worry about demand and supply cycles.”

The picturization of life around the Chuquicamata in The Motorcycle Diaries left Robert Redford and his guests deeply moved at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. But Che apparently took away more than the images of extreme poverty from Chuquicamata. In later years, he was able to see how the United Fruit Company used clout and politics to make windfall profits, year after year, from its Chiquita bananas in Guatemala. During an essentially failed trip to Africa, to advance the Laurent Kabila-led insurgency, he saw how foreign companies were scrambling for the vast mineral potential of the Congo, and destroying the social fabric of the region in the process. Finally, a few weeks prior to his death in 1967, Che studied the tin mining sector of the Bolivian economy and noted, once again, that mine owners and traders had continued to make profits, regardless of boom and bust cycles in the industrialized economies.

Though he never returned to Chuquicamata, Che kept abreast of the story of Chile’s copper. And perhaps the story of Chile’s copper continued shaping the Che legend. Since copper constituted a significant portion of Chilean exports, American mining interests exercised a domineering influence in the Chilean economy. At the same time, disease and hunger continued to cast dark shadows over the shanty towns around Chile’s copper mine, whatever the level of international copper prices. Citing copper, Che regularly warned Latin American governments, at every available opportunity, that foreign domination would only compound the problem of impoverishment.

But who was listening? “This continent is full of Chuquicamatas,” said a senior Chilean mining official at a seminar in Havana as the socialist government of Salvador Allende proceeded to nationalize Chile’s copper mines and introduce worker emancipation legislation in 1971. “The mining laws need to be revamped urgently. But who has the will, and the muscle?”

President Allende, an ardent admirer of Che, came to power as a result of the 1970 elections. Three years later he was overthrown in a military coup; while the nationalization of the copper mines was not reversed, trade unionists in Chile’s copper belt had to wait for another 30 years to legitimize the demands of those indigenous workers Che encountered along the road from Valparaiso to the Peruvian border.

Introduction - At the end of May 2007 it has been reported that the Panama Banks have collective assets of over $55,000,000,000 (55 Billion dollars). This is 17% higher than the preceding year (2006). Seventeen percent is very respectable growth by any standards.

The Panama banks reported net gains of $444,000,000 in the first five months of 2007. This is 19% higher than the same figure reported in the year 2006. They are even growing in profits.

This year two new banks have opened in Panama and five others are in the process of getting their doors opened now. Business is good.

Discussion - This is no mystery to us. Panama is currently the most secure jurisdiction for asset protection. Panama has truly anonymous bearer share corporations and truly anonymous foundations. There is no recording of ownership for either in any database or registry. The bearer shares of the corporations do not need to be held by anyone in particular and need not be kept in Panama and the shares can be made out in blank. The books and records for the corporation or foundation can be kept anywhere in the world. Panama bank secrecy laws are among the tightest anywhere in the world. Panama has no tax treaties of any sort with any country. Panama has no mutual judgment collection treaties of any sort for collection of any sort of civil judgment. Panama has some of the best banks in the world. People are finding out that the Switzerland of South America is actually better than Switzerland.

Conclusion - We expect to see more and more banks opening up in Panama. We are seeing floods of new accounts being opened in Panama from investors coming from many different countries. Since Panama is the number one retirement haven as well as being the number one tax haven, this means even more dollars are flowing into the banks as the people move here to enjoy their retirement years in a tropical paradise with low crime, low prices, nice beaches, good fishing and warm weather.

In The Beginning...For Webmasters Things To Consider When Developing A Website (Part 3)  - How can your product or service best be explained to the customer in a simple and concise manner?

Previously in this series on website development, we've

talked about selecting one message or theme to be

communicated to your customer as a means of defining your website, and considering the customer's perspective in terms of how the website is developed and presented. Now we'll discuss how your product or service can be explained to the customer simply and concisely.

Let's ask this question. When you're surfing the 'net, how

long do you want it to take at any particular website for you to figure out if the website has what you're searching for? Not long. When potential customers are surfing the Internet, you have a matter of seconds to get their attention and convince them that your website has something that's worth more than a cursory glance.

Some webmasters attempt to accomplish this objective by using a lot of "bells and whistles", flashy things or goodness forbid, sounds and music. Things like electronic greeting cards, screen-savers or free email services are just a few of the tools used to try and get potential customers to stay at a particular website for longer periods of time. It's affectionately called making your website "sticky".

And there's nothing inherently wrong with any of those methods, unless the purpose of your website is to sell vacuum widgets to your customers. If that's the case, your customer will be little interested in anything other than the smooth, efficient and economical operation of their vacuum equipment, and the products or services that will help them to accomplish that. But, back to our subject.

Your objective then, is to get your customer's attention and communicate to him simply and quickly what your product or service is and how its purchase will benefit him. This is best accomplished by utilizing the basic question model employed by journalists in developing a news story: Who, what, when, where, and why? For your purposes, you'll only need to answer three of these: Who, what, why?

"Who" explains who you are or who your company is. This gives you an opportunity to demonstrate either yours or your company's experience or expertise in the area of the

customer's interest or concern. "What" explains your product or service, and provides you with an opportunity to highlight for the customer its features. "Why" explains the benefits of using your product or service, and also offers an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself and your product from the competition.

By answering the above questions, you can completely but briefly give your customer enough information to determine whether or not they're interested in what you're offering.

Another thing that's important to remember when introducing your product or service, is to communicate with the customer as if you're sitting down and having a nice conversation. No one wants to feel as if they're reading a novel or trying to unravel Shakespeare. In fact, it shouldn't feel to them as if they're reading at all. It should feel as if they're involved in conversation.

Keep things simple, concise and uncomplicated. If you choose to use humor or wit, that's great because it can keep the interaction interesting and engaging for your customer. Just make sure that you have the talent to be humorous or witty. Otherwise, you may appear disingenuous and your customers may be turned off.

Next: How can the customer be guided to buy/buy now?

See you next time!

The main purpose of this article is to help non-designers understand the logo design process, general terms, requirements and things to remember when ordering a logo.

When you decided that your company needs a logo you need to think if you need a completely new logo or redesign the old one (of course, if you have it) before searching for a designer.  Redesign of the existing logo is often cheaper than design of a new logo.

There are a huge number of companies which offer logo design services. All of them have different prices, number of concepts and revisions offered. Some of them can design business stationery for you.  Let’s talk about every point in detail:

Price is important factor; it is very unusual to receive high quality at low price. But Internet is the place where designers work from all over the world and logos are going down in price. You can buy logo of satisfactory quality for $100 (yes, one hundred dollars). One of the very important factors affecting the price is whether design company uses clip-art (premade pictures or graphic elements) or creates unique logos. Be sure to find out this. Custom logos are much better because you will have exclusive logo nobody has.

Number of concepts is a number of ideas for logos which you will be offered after answering the logo design questionnaire. It is good to have more than one idea for logo because you will be able to choose. Usually, you will receive a couple of ideas in different styles. When you choose a concept for your logo you will be able to change it using revisions.

Number of revisions is a number of possible changes which you can request for a chosen logo design concept free of charge. You can change everything including color, font, graphic element, arrangement of the elements. The more revisions you have the more chances you receive a logo of your dream.

Turnaround time is an amount of time needed for work on your logo. Usually design process takes from 3 to 10 days. There are companies, which can do urgent orders but the cost of logo will be higher.

Number of designers – recently design companies started to indicate number of designers working on your project. Big number of designers should guarantee diversity of the concepts, but this factor is difficult to control and it is difficult to find out how many designers really worked on your project.

Stationery design – it is good if your logo design company will design business cards, letterhead and envelope for you. Usually, you will receive a couple of concepts of business stationery to choose from.

Things to remember during the communications with logo design company:

1. Number of colors of your logo. The more colors you have the more expensive will be cost of printing services.

2. Files optimized for print. Be sure to request files optimized for home and professional printing (tif, pdf, jpg, eps).

3. Source files of your logo (ai, cdr). Be sure to request source files of your logo; you may need them in future.

4. Use of photos in logo. It is very bad idea to use photos in your logo. Such logos are overloaded with graphic elements and have non-professional look.

5. Logotype with abbreviation or without company name. It is very difficult to advertise and promote your company with such logo. Logos with acronyms are good for very big companies which have a lot of money for marketing.

Logo is very important for each company and serves the crucial role of successful marketing. It is vitally important to have good logo from the beginning because redesign of logo will cost you a lot because of need to inform you clients about rebranding, change business stationery and logos on signs, cars, etc.

The decision to buy a new or even used car can be quite overwhelming. There are so many things to take into consideration that one can become quite easily confused and not know where to start. The best place to start is to decide which type of car you are most interested in. This can be determined by taking into consideration what you will be using the car for, what you are willing to pay for a car, and what features you want in or on the car. Even just these factors can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s a great idea to look at car reviews before you make any final decision.

Car reviews are a wonderful way to become more familiar with different makes and models of cars. They will offer great insight as to what the car entails and what options are available with a particular make and model. This is very important when deciding how you are going to be using the car most. For instance, you might really like the looks and the space included with a sports utility vehicle. However, if you don’t actually need all that room and you are going to be doing a lot of travelling with the vehicle, a car review may let you know that these vehicles take up a lot of fuel. This will mean that it’s going to be quite expensive to drive the vehicle all over the place and you may want to look at other car reviews to find one that’s going to be easier on the petrol, and your pocket.

Car reviews will also often give a brief history and description of the company. This can help the car buyer become more familiar with not only the cars but the company that manufacturers them. This can often make the buyer feel more secure in deciding to go with a certain make of car. One may find through a car review for instance that although a car looks nice, the company actually specializes in high-end cars and although they may have originally wanted to get a certain type of car, they may decide that the cars that company makes simply does not fit into their budget.

Car reviews can often also include the experiences of other drivers who have driven that particular car. There is sometimes nothing more valuable than word of mouth and hearing about what other people thought of the car, this can offer valuable insight. A potential buyer may find through a third party, that even though a car looks and runs nicely, the seats are not very comfortable at all. For a lot of people, that can make a huge difference when buying a car. These comments can often be about small, personal preferences or be based on pure facts such as fuel consumption. Through a car review, a person may find out that they will only get ninety miles out of a full tank. On the other hand, they may find out that although they thought it was expensive to fill that sports utility vehicle, it actually uses gas quite a bit more slowly than other vehicles on the market.

Car reviews are a great tool for anyone interested in buying a new or used car. They allow the consumer to have more information at their fingertips and being informed is always a great first step in buying a new car!