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Luggage Warranty Woes

You've just purchased new luggage for your vacation.  It came with a warranty.  What exactly does that mean?

Do warranties vary from state to state?  Does the place of purchase have any effect on the warranty?  Will they do the warranty repairs?

It is, of course, important to read the warranty.  They differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and have different meanings for different products.  Save your receipt and product tags along with your proof of purchase.  Many people find it helpful to save the carton also, in case the luggage has to be sent to a repair facility or back to the manufacturer for repair.  Most of the warranties do not cover ordinary wear and tear or damage by a common carrier such as the airlines or cruise ships.  Many also have disclaimers against abuse or mishandling.  Additionally, all external parts are vulnerable to damage on any luggage.  Leather, moving parts and wheels for example will show wear with ordinary use and may need to be refurbished or replaced.  This will not always be covered by the warranty.  Many airlines and cruise lines also have disclaimers against claims for external parts.  They may not pay for wheels or handles that need to be repaired or replaced.

There are very generous warranties attached to some premium brands of luggage.   Mosaic Travel Gear has a "peace of mind warranty."  They offer free repair or replacement for the first three years of purchase, no matter what the damage is or who has caused the problem.  Thereafter, a limited lifetime warranty will cover all manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product.

Briggs and Riley luggage is another brand with a generous no-holds-barred warranty.  If their luggage is ever damaged they will fix it free of charge.  You are not required to make an insurance claim or a claim against the common carrier such as the airline or cruise line.  The luggage has to be returned to them for the repair.

Tumi luggage has a different warranty on the zipper, fabric and bindings. This is warranted for five years.  All other components are warranted for the life of the bag as long as it is with the original owner.  They do, however, charge a processing fee which covers costs and return shipping.   This fee is waived during the first year of purchase.

Some warranty repairs are done at the place of purchase, while others must be sent back to the company.  Always ask before making your purchase.  Claims to a common carrier such as an airline generally have to be made within 24 hours.  It's usually a good idea to look over your luggage when you receive it to be sure there is no damage.

Most of the popular brands of luggage are made to withstand the rigors of travel.  Just be sure to factor in the written warranty when making your purchase.  Now you can start packing!

Image processing services

It database is beginning on how to grip images. When working with images there are many things to carry on in mind such as loading an image, using the right format, saving the data as different data types, how to display an image, conversion between special image formats. It database presents some of the instructions planned for these operations.

A digital image is collected of inches which can be reflection of as small dots on the screen. A digital image is an instruction of how to color each. We will see in detail later on how this is done in practice. A typical size of an image is 512-by-512 inches. Later on in the course you will see that it is suitable to let the proportions of the image to be a power of 2.

Image allowance and exploration can be clear as the Act of prying images for the purpose of identifying objects and judging their meaning. Image market analyst study the a little sensed data and effort through logical process in detecting, identifying, classifying, measuring and evaluating the meaning of physical and cultural matter, their patterns and special association. In a most worldwide way, a digital image is a collection of numbers depicting special sharing of a certain playing field parameters that depicts the average happiness of rather small area within a scene.

In tools for ( http://www.dataentryindia.com/data_entry/image_entry.php " target="_blank-image processing ), present engineers, scientists, and researchers among a perceptive, stretchy surroundings for solve complex imaging troubles. They relate these tools in discipline such as aerospace and protection, biotechnology, medical imaging, scientific imaging, and materials science.

Tools support images generate by a wide range of devices, including digital cameras, frame grabbers, satellite and airborne sensors, medical imaging devices, microscopes, telescopes, and other scientific instruments. You can visualize, analyze, and process these images in many data types, including single - and double-precision floating-point.

Making your Franchise Business work

Buying a Franchise Business is not a get rich quick scheme. You have found the right opportunity, analysed the viability of the business, met the franchisor and signed the franchise agreement. Now the hard work begins.

The first year of managing your franchise business is often the hardest. This is when you will learn the core skills that are required to making your business opportunity successful. In the process you will also find out more about your own strengths and weaknesses.

Before you start any business the first question you should ask yourself is are you prepared for hard work? Unlike employment, you will have to be ready to deal with problems when and wherever they arise.

Are you ready to learn new skills? The franchisor will have provided you with initial training that all the franchisees need. Usually your training does not end there. Once you start running your business you will uncover gaps in your skills which need further training. It is imperative that you plug these gaps as soon as possible.

Remember that the franchisor wants you to succeed. Bearing this in mind it is important that you discuss your successes & problems with them on an ongoing basis. This will help to keep communication lines open and help you to deal with problems as they arise.

Keep in touch with other franchisees so that you can benefit from their knowledge which has been acquired through actually running the business. They will help you to avoid a lot of standard mistakes and guide you through most of the common problems that arise when running your business for the first time. It is generally a good idea to have a franchise buddy who has been running the franchise for many years as well as keeping in close touch with somebody who started just the same time as you.

You should make regular adjustments to your business plan as live numbers take over from projections. This will help you to budget accordingly. Keeping tight controls over your outlays is just as important as monitoring and enhancing sales.

Once you have started making money a new process begins. Now you have to decide how you want to proceed. Is it easier to increase business with your current franchise or is it now the time that you thought about buying another franchise?

Do your employees need further training? Well trained workers are the key to growing your business. Who knows, once you have well trained staff, you might not be needed at all to manage your business! One very important point to bear in mind is that if a member of staff is not right for the job, then it is important that you replace them immediately. You do not want to waste any time training the wrong people.

If you are happy with your current level of earnings then it is perhaps better to focus on managing your business more professionally so that you eke out the last bit of profit from the venture. Systemize everything that needs doing more than once and then?

Learn to delegate. I repeat, learn to delegate. Most new business owners are uncomfortable with giving orders. This is now your business and you are in charge. Your staff will respect you more if you manage your business correctly.

If you follow the above principals then you should be on the path to having a really successful business.

Another Way to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business

We, as virtual assistants (Vas), generally attempt to grow our business by obtaining more clients or contracts. Now the new strategy is to enlarge our small business by creating a multi-virtual assistant company or organizing a team of Vas to subcontract or outsource projects to. These Vas provide services, which will complement your services rather than compete with them.

More and more virtual assistants are creating multi-virtual assistant companies, while others are subcontracting to other Vas. Normally, virtual assistants who work with multi-virtual assistant organizations or work on a subcontract basis are entrepreneurs themselves. On the other hand, Vas who are in the beginning stages of their business can gain experience and knowledge as business owners while at the same time establish their companies, as well as earn money. Operating a small business requires much more than just knowing how to type or perform any other administrative task.

However, it is a win-win concept because an established virtual assistant (va) can offer more services without having to be skilled in that particular area, as well as have the assistance of up-and-coming Vas. In some cases, a virtual assistant needs a va to help them with administrative tasks. In addition, you have a backup in case of your absence for any reason. Whether you operate a multi-virtual assistant establishment or subcontract to other Vas, you can offer their services in addition to yours.

For example, in an attempt to grow my virtual assistant business and expand my services, I'm applying the subcontracting strategy. I recently organized a team of three Vas with varying skills to subcontract projects to. My core service is word processing services, and the team services include bookkeeping, Real Estate Virtual Assistant (REVA) services, transcription, and website and graphic design. Their services complement mine rather than compete with them. Now I can offer their services in addition to my current offerings. If for any reason I am absent or need assistance with my administrative tasks, every member of the team is able to perform word processing services and provide administrative assistance.

If you are a virtual assistant who is in the process of growing your business or increasing your list of services, consider organizing a team of virtual assistants with various skills. As the virtual assistant industry grows so does the level of available skilled virtual assistants. It is a win-win situation for established virtual assistant companies, up-and-coming virtual assistants, and our clients.

Three Steps To Success Anyone Can Duplicate

Success means different things to different people. Whatever your definition of success, this article will help you realize your goals.

If you define success in terms of a good job or a profitable self-owned business, then this article may become the turning point in your life. As you read, I will share some of my success secrets, which I have been able to execute in my own online business.

What It Means To Be A Leader

During my time in the U.S. Army as an Army Staff Sergeant, I learned valuable lessons about leading teams to the successful completion of projects. I learned that by following the direction of good leaders, one could build the confidence and skill set necessary to become a successful leader.

Good leaders quickly separate themselves from the masses of people who simply live day-by-day doing only the bare minimum to keep their job one more day. In other words, leaders stand out in a crowd of managers and workers.

While the Army tried hard to bring leadership qualities out in all of their people, the truth was that leaders are those who decide to go the extra mile and to create a brighter future for themselves and others around them.

A good leader is simply the person who "helps" you to become the best person you can become, by teaching you how you can "help" other people to become successful too.

One Decision Can Change Your Destiny

Are you waiting?

Are you waiting for "me" to tell "you" the secret to success?

It is time for "you" to make a decision, now.

You must decide to stop waiting for success to come to you. Success simply will not fall out of the sky into your open arms. It does not work that way.

You must "decide" to become successful. If you are waiting for success, then success will never come your way. But, once you understand that success is waiting for you, and you decide to go get it, no matter what, then you will have changed your destiny for the better.

Follow In The Footsteps Of People Whom You Wish To Emulate

While I was in the U.S. Army, I learned how to seek out leaders who were willing to share with me their secrets to success. I actively sought out people who could help me to become a better leader.

Even in my daily life outside of the Army, I found several opportunities to hook up with people who exuded leadership qualities, people who were willing to share with me their own secrets to success.

The truth is that there are people who may doubt their own abilities to have something to share, but if they doubt themselves, they are wrong. Everyone has something important to teach others, but it takes a gem of a person to understand that the role of a leader is to teach others, what "they" take for granted.

A Lifetime Of Learning Over Lunch

Just the other day, I had lunch with a fellow who is probably responsible for selling more cars in our area than anyone else. In our local metropolitan market, if someone asks about a great car dealer, his name will surely be mentioned.

My lunch partner knew that I have a successful website, and he also knew that I had an interest in learning more about what is required to be successful, from him.

To my surprise, his first words were, "Clinton, I don't know if I can offer anything to you that would help you. I sell cars, and that is what I do. You have some kind of online business, and I cannot even venture to guess how you make your money."

My lunch partner went on to say, "I appreciate the offer to share a lunch with you, but your business and my business are so different. I would not even know where to begin in giving advice to you."

Despite his initial hesitation, we went on to have a great meal, and I learned a lot! I could literally spin several articles just on the knowledge that he was able to impart to me over lunch.

If You Want To Be Rich, Listen To Rich People

Online and offline, I like to associate with people who have been successful in their fields. I learn so much about growing my business, by listening closely to people who have defined their industries.

Even online, there are key people whom I pay close attention. With every conversation, I hear some gem of information that I can apply to my own online business. These tidbits of information pieced together have helped me carry my website from one in millions to one that has served more than a million visitors.

Success In Three Simple Repeatable Steps

My car dealer friend finally put aside the idea that he could not help anyone outside his own industry, and we had great conversation.

When I asked him the secret to selling cars, he said he could sum it up in three steps:

* Talk to your customers. When you understand the needs of your customers, then you know how you will best be able to help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.

* Follow-Up. People rarely buy on their first visit, so it is important to follow-up with them. When buying big-ticket items, people tend to shop around a little bit more. When you follow-up, you are frequently creating a relationship with your customer. When all is said and done, if two products are substantially equal, it is often the relationship the customer has with the sales person that will "seal the deal."

* Be persistent. Persistence does not equate to being pushy. Persistence means that you follow-up, once, twice, three times, and more if necessary. If a salesperson is obviously "only" interested in satisfying his or her own interests, then persistence could be construed as pushy. But, when your goal is to be persistent with the goal of helping the customer solve his or her problems and satisfy his or her goals, then persistence is a quality to be appreciated.

Learning Anew Each Day

Bill Platt at The Phantom Writers taught me the same lesson last year. Bill always tells me that the secret to success online is "consistency." He says that we need to talk to our potential customers, and we need to keep the conversation going by consistently talking to potential customer base.

John Reese of Marketing Secrets taught me the same lesson. He emphasized that I need to develop a newsletter or an auto-responder series so that I could create and keep an ongoing conversation with my potential customers. Reese also taught me to track my results (follow-up) on everything that I do for my business.

Since I started my website in 2001, I have noticed that all of my mentors tend to teach me the same lessons over and again in their own terminology.

All of my mentors continue to tell me to talk to my customers, follow-up, and to be persistent in talking to my customers

With so many people who are successful in their own industries sharing with me the same sage advice, I tend to pay attention.

Final Thoughts

It does not matter whether you seek to use this information to help your career or to build an online business.

Make your decision today; decide to be successful. And then follow the golden rule of helping others to achieve what they want to achieve, follow-up, and be persistent in your efforts.

If you play your cards just right, in just a few years, you might be the mentor that we will all want to attentively listen to and appreciate.

Grants for Business

There are some Government grants that are available for EXPANSION OF  businesses (but not to establish a new business). When a government agency makes funds available for a grant, it places an announcement in the Federal Register which is issued every weekday. For the major part, these grants are very specialized. Moreover, many Government grants are not available through the year. That is, you can't apply for most of them at any time you wish -- in practical, you can apply for them only when they are announced by a Government agency.

GRANT is not exactly a loan, Attempting to get funds through a orthodox financial institution can be very lengthy and requires loads of paperwork, only to find out that you've been refused. These Government Agencies don't have to work under the same abovesaid requirements that banks do. You work on how much funds you require, as long as it's a legible amount and complies with Government Agencies basis, the fund is yours to keep and you don't have to repay it. This money is interest free and non taxable .None of these plans need a collateral ,co-signers , credit check, security deposits , you can apply even if you have a bad credit or bankruptcy , it doesn't matter, you as a U.S. citizen and tax payer are entitled to these funds.

Anyone planning about going into business for himself, or wishing to enlarge an existing business should head for the world's largest "one-stop-money-hub" where FREE MONEY is being held for you to begin or expand a business by the Federal Government.

It is absolutely amazing that people living right in the United States of America wouldn't know that every year the world's biggest source of free business aids in delivering.

While there are still no direct small business grants that can be borrowed from the federal government, many state development agencies offer direct small business grants and other types of financial assistance designed to encourage and help businessmen in starting or expanding a small business

SOME FACTS:

Over $29 trillion dollars in low-interest loans and free grants;

over one-third billion dollars in obtaining of contracts; and

Around $32 billion dollars in research grants FREE consulting.

With a market that remains unpredictable, and a requirement for even greater economic growth on all aspects, the federal government is more interested than it ever has been earlier to give you the money you need to establish your own business and become your own boss!

Majority of people never try for FREE government GRANTS since they feel it is not meant for them, or simply don't know who to contact or feel there's too much red-tapism.

In spite of the perception that people should not trust the government for aid, the great government give-away programmes have remained so amazingly big that if each of the approximately 9 million businesses applied for an equal share, each would receive over $69,000.

The fact is, however, that people from all aspects of life do receive GRANTS MONEY free and other help from the government, and you are entitled to it.

Trust is Better than Selling in Cold Calling

I’d like to introduce you to a radical new thought. In the old sales mindset, you’ve probably been trained to focus only on making the sale. You approach your cold calls with the idea of moving things towards a sales event.

But think about what this does to your cold calls. Before you even say "hello," basically then, you have an agenda.  You want something.

Well, your prospects can sense this immediately, and they put up their guard. As people, whenever we know that someone wants something from us, we automatically move into a defensive place. You probably do, too, if you’re talking with someone who has an agenda.

Can you see that your sales focus actually destroys the possibility for a genuine, trusting conversation? Because it’s focused on yourself – your desire for a sale - and not on the other person.

Salesmanship vs. Relationship

So it’s time to re-think the way you approach cold calls. When your strategy is to make a sale, then you’re someone who has to be "watched." You’re not weighing what’s important to the other person. And so to them, you can’t be trusted.

It’s much better to build trusting relationship into your cold calling process. When the other person feels that you’re relating to them from this place, there’s no need to be suspicious and defensive. There can be a pleasant, productive, truthful dialogue about whether what you’re offering makes sense for them.

So, really, it’s about trust and relationship. Why? Because when given the choice, people always prefer to do business with someone they can trust.

Here are two fundamental shifts you’ll need to make if you want to move away from the old "sale-focused" mindset.

1. Release the Need for Control

Whenever you’re trying to control the outcome of your cold call, you’re not allowing the conversation to have a natural rhythm and flow. You’re trying to maneuver things in a certain direction.

So you’re not building relationship, you’re trying to build sales. You’re focused on things like getting information, finding the decision maker, scheduling an appointment, or closing the sale.

And all of this sets off "alarms" for the other person. Prospects can sense that this kind of interaction is somewhat of an impersonal, pre-ordained process. They know it really hasn’t much to do with them.

So how can you to shift into something more positive? You begin by consciously surrendering to the outcome of your cold call. When you do this, you’re no longer trying to manage things. You can be relaxed and helpful.

This is subtly but powerfully felt by the other person. When they recognize you’re not "pushing" for a certain outcome, there’s an opportunity for mutual exploration, and you can be viewed as someone who’s trustworthy.

2. Focus on the Other Person

When you start your cold calls by talking about your product or service, most people "shut down" right away. You’re talking to someone who doesn’t know you, and you’re trying to get them to step into your world.

Instead, try stepping into their world. Think about what matters to them. Put yourself in their shoes.

The best way to do this is to think about what kinds of problems they may be having. For example, let’s say you provide invoice management systems. You might start with something like, "I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to exploring new ways to solve revenue loss from unpaid invoices."

Now you’ve started your cold call by focusing on the other person’s issue right away. You’re not talking about yourself. You’re "tuned into" their problems and difficulties. This feels really good to them, and you’ll more likely share an open, trusting conversation.

When you don’t have strategies and "pitches" built into your cold calling agenda, you can be a real person talking to another real person. Now there’s an opportunity explore together in a more trusting way whether what you’re providing is a fit for them.  And the difference will astonish you.

5 Considerations for the Home Worker to Make Money Online

With a computer and high speed Internet access, the potential for the home worker to make money online is virtually limitless. When it comes to finding the right home based business opportunity, there are several things to consider. Here are the top five:

1. Are You a Salesperson?

Some people have a natural talent for sales, while others couldn't sell water to someone stranded in the desert. For the home based worker who has the ability to sell, network marketing may be the perfect home based business. Network marketing typically involves selling products in one or more niche markets, as well as selling the opportunity. Also known as multi-level marketing, network marketing pays commissions based on a percentage of your sales and on the sales of your "downline," or those you have recruited to sell the product. Each opportunity has its own commission plan, and many pay bonuses on top of commissions.

2. Are You Experienced?

If you have years of experience being a home worker, you probably have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, if you're new to being an entrepreneur, you probably need training. Look for a company that offers the tools and training you need in order to succeed. The type of training you receive can encompass everything from weekly conference calls or webinars (Internet-based seminars), to one-on-one coaching from your upline, to training manuals and other written materials.

3. Are You Internet Savvy?

If you know your way around the Internet and know something about setting up and hosting websites, the possibilities are endless. You can create your own websites, for example, and start generating affiliate revenue and Google AdSense revenue.

If you haven't the foggiest idea of how to set up and host a website, be sure to find a company you can partner with who will do the heavy lifting. There are many Internet-based opportunities for the home based worker from companies that provide what are called "replicated sites." They'll design and host your websites for you, so that all you have to do is work on marketing in order to drive traffic to your site.

4. How Much do You Want to Work?

Before selecting a home based business opportunity, honestly assess how much you want to work. If a stay-at-home mom needs extra money, she may only want to work two or three hours a day. If someone wants to quit the rat race and work full time as a home worker, money for moms simply won't be enough income. Sometimes a single home based business will provide all of the revenue a person needs, while other times you have to embark on several opportunities to diversify and multiply your revenue streams.

5. How Hands-On do You Want to Be?

Some home based business opportunities require that you be actively involved on a day-to-day basis, either in order fulfillment and customer service or in marketing your websites or businesses. Other opportunities are more passive in nature, in that you have to spend a lot of time initially, but they become self-perpetuating. If you're a home worker who enjoys being an ongoing active participant, choose an opportunity that requires you to interact with other people. If you prefer to be hands-off, select a business that will basically run itself.

Protect Your Important Computer Data with Offsite Backup Services

If you own a business that frequently uses computers to store data, then you probably realize the importance of having a dependable online file backup system. Without sufficient methods of data storage, your files are vulnerable and can easily be erased by power failure, employee mishaps, hackers, natural disasters, or an isolated computer crash.

One solution is to backup your own data using methods such as buying an additional hard drive for backup, or using network or FTP backup. These have advantages and disadvantages, but can be viable solutions if you have the time and capability to do your own offsite data storage.

If you don't have time to do your own backup, however, there are online companies today that offer services to protect your data for you. These are called offsite backup services. Offsite backup services provide the tools and space to store your important business or personal data daily so you can worry about other vital functions of your business.

How Online Backup Services Work

Online backup services offer an easy solution for online file backup at a low cost. The company offering the services will usually charge a monthly fee based on the amount of data storage space you'll need and how often you'll need to transfer data to their system. They will provide a special server and use protocols of their own to transfer and encrypt (or secure) your data.

Why are Offsite Backup Services Safer than Other Forms of Backup?

Offsite backup services are not foolproof, but they do provide a safe way to store your important data. One reason is the company can specialize and keep up-to-date with the latest technologies to keep your data safe from hackers and computer bugs. As a busy business owner, you probably will not have time to worry with this and you might not have the funds to hire a full-time backup specialist.

Another reason it's safer than using your own backup system is your data will be stored in a completely different location. You will have the information on your own system as well as another backup system far away. If and when a computer crash or some other event causes you to lose your data, you will have it stored in a different location to retrieve when you need it.

Choose Offsite Backup Services Carefully

When choosing offsite backup services, be sure the company is dependable and trustworthy. Your stored data should never be compromised for any reason. The company should offer a strict confidentiality standard and enforce it. You can check with the Better Business Bureau (online or off-line) to see if the company has any complaints against it.

Also, be sure the company is dependable. Storing your data using online backup services does you no good if you are unable to access or retrieve your data when you need it. Ask for referral names of people that have used the service before. Test the company with a small amount of data first to see how they operate. Being cautious at the start might save you many headaches for the future.

Using an online file backup solution can save you time and money. You can enjoy freedom from backup nightmares while allowing data backup experts to do the work for you.