There are no two people alike in the world, so no two people have the same taste.  Why is it then that the majority of homes have plain, white switchplates?

Switchplates have been around since the days of indoor electricity.  They cover an open area in a wall where a light switch is in place, making the area look neat as a pin as it covers the exposed wires, all while assisting in a hazard free area.  The originals were quite hideous, usually made of a boxy style wood block, not meant for any sort of decorative purpose at all, just for practical use.

We’ve certainly come a long way, as the days of your grandmother’s tarnished, brass switchplates, with the preamble to the constitution engraved on the top seem like a past dream (or nightmare) .  They can really be quite a beneficial art form, for everyone with electricity needs to have a switchplate for safety reasons, so why on earth would you want to have the same exact, boring one that everyone else has?

Traditionally, decorative switchplates have been found in children’s bedrooms, nurseries, and the occasional bathroom.  But why stop there?

There aren’t many things more boring than a plain, drab wall. A solid, eggshell-colored wall with a plain white switchplate - I need to get an espresso just for thinking about it.  You need a splash of color and some decorative art to give your home the character it needs - it should reflect the personality of its resident - it should reflect you. Why not combine the color and the art into a snazzy, un-boring switchplate cover?

A bathroom full of frogs or a kitchen accented with wine bottles and grapes can both easily have the finishing touch of a not boring switchplate.  If you can’t find the exact pattern to match what you already have, please, at least change the color of the switchplate to coordinate or compliment the rest of the room… don’t leave it white.

At any rate, switchplates are a quick, simple addition to turn a dull and dreary room into a dazzling den that’s as easy as flipping a switch.

The new concept of getting paid for giving your honest opinion seems to be too good to be true – well its not. Not only the person taking part benefits but the company benefits on a whole as it leads to better and improved products that sell. Most people tend you use these surveys as extra cash source or a good paid hobby you can do in the comfort of your own home at your own pace. I wouldn't recommend doing them full time as there not stable enough and would be hard to get into the thousands bracket but the hundreds if definitely realistic for anyone.

They are so popular because of the fact that anyone can do them; the only restriction may be your country as some companies make the surveys country specific but if you look hard enough there are plenty out there which you can take part in. I would say the main feature that appeals to everyone is the fact of being able to work in your night wear at 3:00am in the morning (or which ever time suits you). It's the flexibility that will grab your attention as you work when you want and for how long you want which is everyone's dream job right? The thing is you need to allow yourself some free time as the fact of working and getting paid for as long as you want can be tempting to work non-stop to earn loads of extra cash, I know I would be. Too much work can have negative effects and will harm your body so it's vital that you rest, eat well and take time off from work to do other activities. Aside from that its ideal for stay at home mums or people that cannot go to work due to illness or disability as they don't need to attend interviews or make the effort to get out the house and be somewhere for a certain time. Simply get up when you want and you can fit these paid surveys into your current lifestyle. If it's only a few a day it will still bring in some extra money which is always a bonus. When its said you work as much as you want it doesn't mean you login to your account and pick surveys that you feel like doing, you will get a flood of emails to your inbox with surveys ready to be taken but don't feel like you have to do them all, simply pick a selection and do those. If you have more time do a few more but any other just delete them. There are so many people taking part on paid surveys the quota will more then likely be satisfactory for the client. You should not have to pay to take part in paid surveys so be careful with the companies that require a start up fee, make sure you start with a decent company and you will be well on your way to making that extra cash you've always wanted.

The popularity and visibility of a website on the internet makes it ranked good by search engines. Actually, the more visible the website is to viewers, the better the chances it can get to be noticed by the major search engines such as Yahoo, Google and MSN.

So if your website is not being notice by the search engines and your presence is being ignored by the internet, what will you do then? What will you do to make sure that your website will be recognized by the search engines? Read on, since this article will provide you the answer to these questions.

Definitely, having a business, you want it to gain success. Of course, you do not want your website left hanging in there without even a single visit or sale. One of your goals is to gain lots of visitors to your website; since this can help you gain traffic to your website and can get great ranking on the search engines.

Of course, you have heard about search engine optimization or SEO. For you to gain the goals you want for our business’ website, you have to optimize your website. Optimizing your website takes a lot of work, so if you think you can’t do it, you can hire a SEO Company to make the work for you. But of course, do not hire just a SEO company; make sure it is the best one.

Having a business, you want to make sure that it will gain lots of profits and be popular, but you can achieve this if you make use of search engine optimization. Yes, as mentioned earlier working with a SEO Company can help you out achieve all of your goals. But you have to take time in finding the best SEO Company.

The Best and professional SEO company can guarantee the success of your website, with their methods, strategies and experiences, they can assure you that you will gain traffic to your site and be on the top rank of the search engines.

Yes, you know that lots of people are using the internet for information, services and products, and they do it with the use of search engines. So if you will be on the top rank of the search engines, lots of internet users will visit your website.

If you are looking for the best SEO Company, you can use the search engines in doing so. You have to simply type the topic or subject of your website on the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Definitely, the search engines will give you plenty of results but of course all you have to do is open the one on the top rank and look for the SEO Company that made it possible for the website to be on that ranking.

Indeed, in order to gain the success you desire for your business, you have to work with the best SEO company that possess the strategies, methods and experiences that can aid to that goals.

Remember the numbers game? Well, that is the same thought behind sending out sales letters. The hope is that with every hundred or so letters, a few sales will result.

If you don’t know how to make a call from scratch and build trust, it seems to make sense to rely on a letter, brochure, or e-mail to do the job. But once you learn how to cold call the right way - with the new mindset - you’ll realize that sales letters really aren’t any help at all.

Here are four reasons to consider making cold calls without referring to a sales letter:

1. You get pegged as a traditional salesperson right away

When you start your cold call by referring to a sales letter, you’re following a traditional sale and marketing technique. This indicates to potential clients that you’re a traditional salesperson.

Do you really want to be associated with something that brings up painful memories of sales pressure? Better to break out of that negative salesperson stereotype entirely, and offer something new.

2. People just don’t read sales letters all that much

The hope is that potential clients have seen your sales letter before you call. From among all the other letters that arrived on their desk that day, you hope they’ve read yours (which is unlikely), and remembered it (even more unlikely).

The idea is that when you call, they already know what the call is about.

However almost no one reads sales letters. If they do, they remember them only vaguely.

3. Cold calling conversations are harder to initiate

Most people take it for granted that it makes sense to send out a letter before cold calling. They think this gives them something to start speaking about. They can say, "I sent you a letter, did you get that?"

Nevertheless, when you call, these are the reactions you typically get:

• What letter/e-mail?

• What was it about?

• Sorry - I don’t remember seeing it. What are you selling?

You may as well not have sent out the letter at all. Saying, "Hi, I’m just calling to see if you got my letter?" does nothing to move the conversation forward or to generate two-way dialogue. You’re still at square one.

4. A sales letter makes you talk about yourself first

When you start your cold call by explaining what a sales letter was about, you’re talking about yourself, your product, and your company.

This is exactly what we’re trying to avoid in the new cold calling mindset. We want to talk about how to solve their problems first, not about what we’re selling.

Isn’t it true that sales letters, brochures, and e-mails focus entirely on your company and your product or service, rather than on solving a particular client’s specific, individual problems? It’s essentially just an advertisement that you’re referring to. Moreover, you’ve lost the opportunity to be seen by your potential client now as a problem solver.

You’re just another salesperson who’s only interested in making a sale.

So what do we do?

Suppose your marketing manager sent out several letters or e-mails and you need to follow up. How would you open that conversation? By simply making your cold call without mentioning the letter. Just because your company sent out the letters or e-mails doesn’t mean you have to refer to them. In most cases, the letters are only going to hurt you, not help you.

Basically, if you have to follow up on a sales letter, then treat the cold call as usual and don’t refer to the letter at all. You’ll find that you won’t be tagged with the "telemarketer" stigma, and you avoid being pulled into the numbers game. At the end of the day, you’ll feel much more satisfied with your cold calling approach. You’ll be able to continue moving forward, firmly anchored in the new cold calling mindset.

Everybody would love to make lots of money quickly, working from home, and only doing a few hours of work per week. I've spent the past two years trying to find a great way of doing this. Only over the course of the past few months have I found any "get rich quick" programs worth buying. I've been trying to make money online for a long time. I had a few small websites, but they never made much more than a few hundred per month. It was easy money and didn't require much work on my part, but I knew there were people out there doing better than I was and I knew I could do as well as them.

Now, I've seen a lot of "get rich quick" programs. Most of these people make claims about earning $2000/day with Google or something similarly insane. Almost all of these people are complete liars. Even if they were making $2000/day with Google AdSense, it'd be because they had high - traffic websites with a lot of quality content. I'd know, because in one whole month, I never even made half of what they promised I'd make daily with their programs. Maybe you've already been scammed by one of these fraudsters. Anyway, I finally got sick of what was being offered.

I decided I'd look through the all of the "get rich quick" programs I could find and see if there were any that were actually legitimate. I found that there were owners selling their programs for well over $100, but the information in them could be found almost anywhere online for free. Additionally, they all contained out-of-date information, had no e-mail support, no money back guarantees, and broken links in the downloads section.

In conclusion, almost all of the programs I found were completely useless. The owners knew it, but they couldn't care less about their customers since they didn't offer refund policies! Amazingly, while looking through all of the programs, I actually did find a few legitimate programs. They were run by ordinary people like you and me, and they had found some great methods of making money from their home by doing very little work.

I spent some time working with those programs, and my income is now ten times what it used to be. These programs provided a large amount of great information on how to make extra money on your computer doing very little work. Numerous customers had provided great feedback and reviews for their products. Many of them have started to make money just days after buying!

Their programs have excellent prices, and the authors have a group of paid staff who are dedicating to helping you or providing assistance if you need any. I must say I was amazed! If you do decide to purchase any of the programs listed below, I recommend you join quickly. Most of the owners tell me they are getting an overwhelming number of sales and plan on raising prices in the near future, so order while prices are still low!

2.     To Your Online Success,

http://swasdm.realblog.hop.clickbank.net

If you long for something different from your everyday 9-5, you are not alone. Many people feel trapped in their jobs and work is something they do not enjoy. But what if there was a way where you could find your perfect job, decide your salary, and even set your own hours. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, it’s a reality for thousands of freelancers who work from the comfort of home each day.

FACT: Freelancing provides a sense of freedom not found in the average workplace.

Freelancing is the best way to earn income without having to go to a boring 9-5 job. As a freelancer you can do many types of work including data processing, web design, programming, writing articles, photography, and the list goes on and on. Freelance jobs are plentiful if you know where to look. It is a genuine and legitimate way to make money on the Internet. There is a large variety of work, and so much of it, that it is almost impossible NOT to find work once you get started. There is no need to worry about finding online jobs because there are so many employers who are ready to hire people like you and me for their projects.

FACT: There are many opportunities on the Internet right now for freelancers.

There are many freelance sites on the Internet where you can advertise your services and look for work. Some are free to join and others charge a membership fee. You need to make sure you find the right freelancing site for your needs. There are also many guides to freelancing available but you need to make sure they not only cover how to freelance but where to find freelance work. Freelancing is becoming a way of life nowadays for many people. There is no reason why you can’t join the freelancing revolution and start earning real money from your own home right now. All you need to do is arm yourself with the right information and the right attitude towards working from home.

There are many advantages to working from home as a freelancer including:

Be your own boss. No more being told what to do and when to do it.

Set your own hours. No more boring, same old 8 hour work days, day in and day out.

Quote your own price. No more working for a lousy minimum wage that will hardly get you and your family by.

Work from the comfort of your own home. No more working in a stressed out, overcrowded office.

Choose what projects you want to take on. No more doing stacks of paperwork for hours on end or work that you are made to do.

FACT: You can make working from home more than just your dream.

Working from home is not impossible, lots of people have tried it, liked it, and have made it a way of life for them. Ordinary people are becoming very successful and making a living as a freelancer, but becoming a success does not happen overnight. The main thing to remember when looking for online jobs is to always do your homework before jumping in. With a little effort and persistence, you will be able to build a good reputation online and work will start coming to you. Take control of your life and realize that freelance work is an honest, reliable way of earning a regular income.

Salgado Investigations was founded by Jorge Salgado in early 2006, the company is based in Croydon South London. I asked Jorge how he first got into the world of private investigation. He informed me, he was a bit of a rebel in his younger days, he started off his working life with a short stint at his local Cinema. This was followed by finding work as a security guard; Jorge quickly found his feet in this line of work and progressed to become a store detective. Jorge continued to distinguish himself from his peers and moved up the chain to becoming a retail undercover investigator at Heathrow Airport and later was appointed as the security manager at WH Smiths.

In 2006 Jorge decided it was time to take a gamble, this led to him setting up his own private detective agency. It is normal for people to struggle when they first set up their own business, Jorge was no exception. In the first 6 months he found it very difficult to source a steady stream of clients. From late 2006 however things started to improve as clients started to appear on a more regular basis.

Jorge is passionate about his work; he continually strives to improve his own personal knowledge base as well as developing his website. He views this as crucial, especially in light of new licensing legislation that is expected to be introduced within the next 12 months. His clients are obviously happy with the level of service as he receives many referrals and recommendations.

Salgado Investigations offer an array of services, these include

• Process Servers

• Tracing Agents & People Finders

• Loss Prevention Investigators

• Matrimonial & Infidelity Surveillance

• Insurance & Personal Injury Detectives

• Computer Forensics Unit - CFU

Jorge spends a lot of time networking with other small business owners at 4Networking, what I personally like is Jorge puts a lot of time into this networking group however due to the nature of his work, it seldom results in him sourcing clients, this is testament to his true character.

I wish Jorge all the best for the future, I am aware he has some interesting ideas for his companies’ development and improvement. I am sure his hard working ethos and determined attitude will serve him well in positioning his business at the forefront of the UK’s private investigation sector.

This is the 21st century. Why are we burning little black rocks to charge our laptops and cell phones?

Because after years of mine shutdowns and declining prices, the coal industry is making a prosperous return.

In the early 1900s, coal was the nation's major fuel source, supplying almost 90 percent of its energy needs, according to the Department of Energy.

When the cleaner, more efficient petroleum and natural gas came into play, the demand for coal declined. Today, nearly 55 percent of the nation's electricity is generated using coal, and the numbers are growing, according to the World Coal Institute.

Even though perceptions of the coal industry have changed dramatically over the years, coal maintains its vital role in the world's energy mix for many reasons. It is easy and safe to transport, it remains far cheaper than natural gas, and it is abundantly available.

But it wasn't until natural gas prices shot up and California was held back by blackouts that the coal industry took center stage. For decades, it seemed to be dying. But with easing of pollution controls, the Bush Administration began to establish the groundwork for a resurgence of coal-fired power across the nation.

In 1999, natural gas was the most expensive fossil fuel, petroleum was second and coal was the least expensive, according to the Department of Energy. Although the cost of generating electricity from coal has increased through the years, it is still lower than the cost of generating electricity from either natural gas or petroleum.

As for cleaner air, coal has long been unpopular with environmentalists who argue the fossil fuel produces the greatest amount of mercury and carbon dioxide emission, associated with global warming. Current energy bills, however, propose clean coal power initiatives, which would implement high-tech ways to reduce pollution when electricity is generated from coal.

Today, mines that were closed in the 1990s after a downturn in coal prices are being reopened in Southeastern United States. Quest Minerals and Mining (OTC BB: QMMG.OB) is acquiring and reopening properties that produce coal in compliance with Clean Air Act requirements. According to Quest, coal emitting less than 1.2 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million BTU, commonly referred to as "low-sulfur coal" is currently trading at more than $50 per ton.

When making decisions about IT offshore outsourcing, the state of the U.S. economy looms large. The effect of exchange rates, interest rates, IT employment levels and even domestic commercial office vacancy rates will affect your onshore, offshore or nearshore strategy. America is growing more and more dependent on lower cost offshore services. So what is an offshoring decision-maker to do about controlling cost in this U.S. economic downturn?  That depends on how the economic cycle affects your business. Because consumer spending leads the economy up and down, recent weakness at Tiffney and Target suggests both ends of the consumer spectrum are being affected, so we may be early in the cycle. In his article “Understanding the Economy” (Inc. Magazine in December 2007) Joseph H. Ellis says, “People worry that a recession is coming. But buy the time one arrives, most economic harm has already happened.” He says don’t be afraid to do your own economic detective work. You may gain a new perspective in cyclical patterns and cause-and-effect relationships you didn’t realize existed. Here are four indicators to consider.

Exchange rates: Analyses of major IT software outsourcing destinations reveals that most of their currencies appreciated against the US dollar substantially. This resulted in either a higher cost for clients or lower earnings for offshore providers. In a country like India that claims 70 percent of the international business process outsourcing market, the Indian Rupee gained about 11% on the dollar from an average exchange rate of 44.21 Rupees per dollar in January 2007 to a monthly average of 39.37 in December of 2007.   Currencies in nearshore outsourcing destinations like Canada and Brazil also saw a sharp appreciation against the dollar of 15% and 16% respectively from January to December 2007.  This represents increased cost to you the buyer or lost revenue to the outsourcer.  When reviewing your outsourcing strategy, currency exchange rate risk is something both parties to the agreement need to discuss and not just hope for the best.

Interest rates: Rates can go up, down, or stay the same. Sometimes we overlook the basics. The Federal Reserve seems to be trying to keep interest rates artificially low but that is exacerbating the dollar’s decline. The results are always inflationary. Should they fight inflation, interest rates will increase and this will raise the dollar. If you need capital, time may be running out on low cost borrowing even if you can get it. Keep cash at the short end of the yield curve to protect against eventual higher rates. When reviewing your strategy keep in mind that if the government’s adjustment to interest rates strengthens the dollar, your offshore services will get cheaper, however, if you use short-term borrowing to make payroll, your cost of onsite services will surely rise.

IT employment: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic’s, computer software engineers are one of the occupations projected to grow the fastest and add the most new jobs from 2006-2016. Employment levels for computer professionals are currently at one of the highest points in recorded history with un-employment in this profession reported at around just 2%. It is possible that outsourcing to other countries may somewhat temper this employment growth. Many firms will cut cost by outsourcing to foreign countries that have lower prevailing wages and highly educated workers. However, high quality jobs in software engineering require computer professionals with strong programming skills, systems analysis and interpersonal skills. Therefore rising wage pressure will become a long-term strategic issue, whether you are attempting to staff professionals domestically in a job market at near full employment or you are attempting to staff offshore where experienced professionals are demanding higher wages in their currencies against a weaker trending dollar.

Office space:  IT staff augmentation requires additional office space somewhere. On the first Monday of 2008, real estate research firm Reis reported that U.S. office vacancy rates rose for the first time in four years. Completions rose to 19.6 million square feet in the forth quarter, the highest level in almost seven years vs. 8 to 12 million over the last couple of years. This is the first time since the forth quarter of 2004 that effective rent growth has fallen short of asking rent growth and concessions have widened.   In this market it might be cheaper than ever to lease additional office space for an expanding IT services and development team. But facilities are always a part of the cost equation.  When developing an offshore vs. onshore strategy look at all your cost including facilities, utilities, network access, and other costs associated with housing a large or small team. Some emerging markets like Panama have an excellent infrastructure and government policies that are designed to encourage technology businesses to use facilities there.

No matter where you are in the cycle, cutting costs and improving quality is always a goal. Outsourcing can help you to reach that objective. There is a clear growing trend for companies, regardless of their size and industry, to outsource an element of their business. George Schildge, president of CEO of Matrix Marketing Group Inc. believes outsourcing is not a passing fad but clearly a paradigm shift that can change a business model for the better. Two themes for software development trends in 2008, according to SearchSoftwareQuality.com, are that outsourcing will continue to effect more people and business analysts and project managers will need to learn how to face the challenges of distribution across countries and continents. Bas de Baar, project manager and author of “Surprise! Now You’re a Software Project Manager” says Different cultures, different time zones different languages, different customs will impact software projects more than in previous years.

Profiting this year will require different strategies. Outsourcing will become a bigger part of the equation so do your homework now and act to stay ahead of the curve.

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Vision TRE has aggressively sought out IT professionals in Brazil, Panama and Ecuador with first-rate English skills and offers their offshore services in advanced programming skills including .Net, ASP, C++, C#, Microsoft SQL, Oracle Applications, Oracle DBA, Crystal Reports, Visual Basic, network engineering and more to U.S. clients since 2004. We currently have a large reserve of skilled professionals ready to meet any popular programming skill set demand.