shadow

Google To Remove All Search Engine Queries After Two Year Period

In the wake of growing concerns about Internet security, Google announced recently that they will be implementing a new policy of data retention, which will involve the deletion of all search engine queries after a period of 18 to 24 months.

Google is the first major search engine to set such a time limit for information retention, and has pledged to begin this process before the end of 2007.  Search Engine query information can reveal much about an individual user, based on the number of queries about certain topics, which has recently sparked criticism of Googles previous policy of keeping these logs of information for an indefinite period.

In a statement released by the leading search engine, spokespersons for Google responded to this radical new policy change by explaining that it is in response to feedback form both privacy groups and government agencies, and that the new policy will provide better privacy protection for it’s users. The amount of time that queries will be kept before deletion, they explain, is the time period required by many foreign laws which state that user information must be kept for up to two years in the event that it is needed for any legal and or court proceedings.

Per this new policy of the deletion of search engine queries, Google will erase eight of the bits that form a user’s Internet Protocol, or IP address, which is identifies the computer used in a search engine query.  Google also has plans to make cookies, the small files that track user visits to certain websites, anonymous under the new policy. This amount of information kept, says the company, will help to improve services and aid in the detection of fraud, and will be used for no other purposes.

Retention of these search engine query records has been a much discussed and debated issue since the demand of the Justice Department that several websites turn over their query data.  Yahoo Inc, AOL Time Warner, and Microsoft Corp complied with this demand, turning over the information, to the dismay of many Privacy Advocacy groups. Google however fought this request in court and was allowed to provide a reduced amount of this user information.

Under this new policy, the disclosure of such information to any party becomes a non issue, since, in the words of Kurt Opsahl, attorney for the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation you can’t disclose what you don’t have.

Washington DC Tours – Limo Tours

Wherever you go in the Virginia, Maryland, or Washington area, make sure that you book your ground transportation with 007limo.com.  When you are visiting a new area, the last thing you want to worry about is how to get to the places you want to go.  Our success is attributed to the fact that you, our customer, is our primary focus.  Our executive sedans, stretch limos, limo buses, airport buses, party bus, town cars, or limousines are suited to provide the elegant look and style that you deserve when you are visiting a new area.  Let 007 Limousine Service worry about how to get you there, while you sit back and arrive at your destination in the elegance, style and comfort you deserve.

If dining and nightlife is what drew you to this beautiful area of the country, you will find you have almost too many options for things to do.  Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia all enjoy a thriving dining culture and diverse nightlife.  Take advantage of any of our limousine services at 007limo.com to experience the Washington area nightlife in both luxury and style. Our downtown and stretch limousines will take you to each club or venue of your choice to ensure you experience these sights as a local would.  If you have a large group, be sure to take advantage of a limo bus, party bus, limo van, or SUV limo.  There is no group too large or too intimate that 007 Limousine Service can not accommodate.

If you are a history or culture lover, you will enjoy the world class museums and art venues that the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virrginia area has to offer.  There is no better way to experience the ambience of this history mecca than through the experience of a town car, sedan, or stretch limousine to take you to any historical destination you desire.  Blend in with the history and culture of this area by enlisting a luxurious limousine or town car through 007 limousine services.  Attend live theater or musical performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and do so in style, with the convenience and elegance of a classic stretch limousine from 007 Limousine Service.

Whether you are into culture, religion, academics, the arts, or politics, 007 Limousine Service can ensure you experience the area in style with their luxurious limousines, limos, limo buses, limo vans, party limos, SUV limos, or town cars.  Whatever you want to do in the Washington area can be accomplished in the high end style you deserve, at one of the most competitive prices in the area.

We will provide any limousine service that you require at competitive and affordable rates.  007 Limousine Service drivers are on call to use their extensive knowledge of the Washington D.C. area to ensure that you have the best, most enjoyable limousine experience when you are in the nation’s capital and surrounding area.  007 Limousine Service provides point-to-point services from the moment you arrive in the Washington D.C. area, to the moment you are dropped off at your desired destination.

Beta in the Context of the Capital Asset Pricing Model

The economic model used for securities valuation and stocks are a part of the Capital Asset Pricing Model in terms of the expected return and comparative risk. According to the login which is fundamental for CAPM, shareholders are willing to take on extra risk only in case of additional expected return. As a result, the price for stock is negotiated of the free of risk security added to the risk premium which results from additional risk.

Formula of CAPM is Probable Security Return = Free of Risk Return + Beta * Probable Promote Risk Premium, Beta in this formula is the general risk which results from savings in a large market, for example, New York Stock Exchange.

In case of CAPM, Beta can receive a definition of the stock instability of a certain investment selection in relation to the economy. According to the definition, Beta of a market is 1.0, where separate stocks are assessed against the Beta’s market value. Risks which are associated with savings rise with Beta and, the other way, reduce if investment is not as risky. Beta, as the significant element of CAPM, expands proportionately with the price of funds discount rate, while the reduction rate is depressingly related with the current value of upcoming cash flows. That’s why, Beta is the main element in valuation of the company.

Beta coefficient is resulting from the analysis of linear regression. Beta coefficient is estimated from the income of a portfolio during a specific period of time and the profits from distinct asset during a particular period of time. The drop line consequent is referred to like the Security Characteristic Line. Betas are usually calculated by deep-rooted brokerage companies that are later published in a book of beta. It must be noted, that admission to such book if oftentimes limited to usual investors. Nevertheless, other online sources like Yahoo Finance as well have beta coefficients published and calculated. The value of Beta of 0.00 means that the stock is fresh and has no historic performance.

The power of the underestimated: Word-of-mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing is rarely the focus of a new businessperson seeking to gain more clients. Everyone wants to start an affiliate program or pay someone far too much to "manage their add campaign".

However, many of the biggest businesses choose to use word of mouth marketing instead of a pricey campaign. Google (gmail) and Amazon are two prime examples that I will explain later.

Expensive research has taught these companies that people believe their friends more than they believe billboards or commercials and so it has been proven to be one of the best marketing methods around.

Word of mouth is probably both the most successful kind of advertising and the most profitable. People naturally talk to each other and spread ideas, names and opinions. This article aims to show you how to use this to your advantage, how to make money from word of mouth.

1. Business Cards

There are many places online where you can order large quantities of business cards. If you use them to introduce yourself with people who aren't already friends and family then you are already spreading your businesses name.

It may feel contrived and a little cheesy but it works. Few people rip up business cards. They usually end up deposited on a kitchen table ready to be picked up when someone who runs your kind of business is needed.

Also, they bring your business into conversation. You don't need to promote it, just give them the card and you are increasing your brand recognition.

2. Tell-A-Friend Scripts

Online you often see on the side of websites a link called "tell a friend". This makes it so much easier to tell a friend about a website and therefore far more people do.

BY adding one of these links to the side of your website you are immediately increasing your ability to market though word of mouth. You are making your website word-of-mouth friendly and so you are likely to be talked about more, become better known and make more money.

A free "tell a friend" script can be found here:

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/tellafriend.shtml

All you have to do is copy and paste the script from that site somewhere in your websites html. Maybe at the bottom of the page. Try and pick somewhere near the rest of your links so that it isn't ignored. There we have it! Instantly better marketing.

3) Invite a Friend Offers

This is a strategy that many of the most profitable websites with the best marketing strategies online have used and I am about to explain it to you for free.

All you do is that you offer a discount for every person who invites a certain number of friends to your website.  This is a bit like an affiliate program only you pay them with a discount that does not affect your profits much rather than actual money.

This however is harder to set up. If your website runs a "membership" sign-in system then it will be easy to just get your web engineer to add this script.

If however you plan to run a more basic website set-up (like me) then this still is fairly easy. When you are setting up your shopping cart software (if you read my guide on it then you will be using the free one offered by Paypal) then just customize it to allow "comments" while ordering.

Tell people that if 5 people "comment" or mention their name and email address while ordering products then you will give them a 40% discount on their next purchase. This will form an incentive for people to use word of mouth to grow your business and thereby increase your customer base and potential profits.

4) Email, bulletin board and other signatures

Whenever you write anything online, sign it with your website address if you have one. This includes emails.

A prime example of how this has worked for one company is hotmail. At the end of every hotmail email it advertises the free service that they provide and so the y had to do less marketing because word of mouth gave them free advertising.

5) Buzz

Buzz is the modern term for when you do something exciting, edgy or different and people begin to talk about it - a lot.

While it is very difficult to tell you how to create a buzz for your product or website, I can tell you that you always need to be thinking out of the box.

Again, many very large and profitable businesses use this technique simply by doing something strange as seen in Burger King's "Subservient Chicken" campaign. To promote their new chicken sandwiches they created a website with a man in a chicken suit that would obey the commands that you typed. This was unusual, unique and interesting and so created "Buzz."

I wouldn't recommend doing things like that all of the time but when you are thinking of how to grow your business it is definitely something worth considering.

Office Cleaning Contracts | Janitorial Software | Office Cleaning Business

Here are a few ways for you to pick up more   office cleaning contracts  for your business. You can use these methods over and over again so that you can build a system that generates more office cleaning contracts consistently. That should be your goal. Considering you won't get every contract you bid on, you must know that the more quotes you provide to potential customers, the more potential contracts you will pick up.

Cold Calls:

This is a fantastic way to get more office cleaning contracts. Although I'm sure you probably hate talking to people on the phone, this is a little different. You are not going to be trying to close the sale over the phone. You simply want the chance to meet with the client so that you can present them with your proposal. That is when you will close the sale. And because of this, most potential clients will meet with you because they know that they are not under any obligation to do anything with you.

Newspaper advertising:

Advertise your business in all the local newspapers. Most people who own businesses look in there frequently for services they require for there businesses. One line ads won't really do anything in terms of return on investment. I would recommend something with some images that can stand out and grab the customer. Don't forget to include all your contact information.

Internet Advertising:

You can also advertise your website all over the internet. Look up local classified ad websites for your local area, and advertise your business in there as well. The great thing about advertising on the internet is that you can also add a link back to your website which is great for your web presence. It will also help with link exchanges, employee recruitment, and more. Use these 3 ways and pick up more office cleaning contracts.

The Importance of Building Demographic-Specific Business Leads

Everyone knows that without buyers, a product or service, no matter how innovative, will be useless. So where do you find buyers of your products and services? With today’s technology, creating consumer leads is easy. However, building direct mailing lists of targeted buyers is hard. This is where building business leads come in.

Business leads are important to any kind of company or individual seeking to earn from products or services. Without consumer leads, your marketing plan is on the wrong path. Sales leads allow you to target consumers who are interested in buying your product. They increase profitability of up to 70% because you no longer have to contact everyone and promote your product; instead, you go directly to those who are desperately searching for your product and services.

Creating demographic-specific sales leads allows you to target only those who are more likely to buy what you offer. When you build telemarketing lists or email lists, you can directly promote your products only to those who are interested, saving you time, effort and money in marketing. This way, your company can widen customer base without spending additional funds.

There are many ways to reach your target consumers through business leads. You can use mailing lists, email lists or telemarketing lists, depending on your needs. With just a few newsletters, promotional e-mail and other marketing techniques, not only can you single-handedly widen your customer base, you also increase sales dramatically in just a matter of days.

However, sales leads should be gathered with your target audience in mind. Meaning, your business leads shouldn’t be from just any list; instead, they should come from targeted mailing lists. As such, even new homeowners should be part of your email lists and telemarketing lists to ensure that all consumers who are more likely to buy your product hear about your promotion, products or services.

The importance of building demographic-specific sales leads can be used in any kind of business. Whether you’re managing an online store or you’re the marketing head of a huge company, these business leads could be your ticket to success. So if you’re having problems creating a solid customer base or increasing sales, then the best thing you can do is to find business leads through building telemarketing lists, email lists or direct mailing lists today and experience the dramatic increase in sales.

Custom Vinyl Decals and Magnetic Signs Give You a Competitive Advantage

If you own a small - to medium-sized business, you likely face stiff competition for customers or clients. In such a competitive marketplace, the business that comes out on top is the one that uses every means available for creating brand awareness and advertising its products or services. Even if your marketing efforts include splashy media campaigns, costly pay-per-click search engine marketing, and direct mail pieces, you should also take advantage of less expensive means for sustaining awareness of your company. If you don't have a large marketing budget, it's even more important to find creative ways to build awareness of your company and get the word out.

One of the best ways to advertise is through the use of signage. Huge billboards might be cost prohibitive, but there are a variety of less expensive types of signage that can bring customers into your retail store, drive traffic to your website, and create an awareness of your products and services. Best of all, high quality customs signs can be ordered over the Internet at a fraction of the cost of creating custom signs locally. What follows is an overview of the types of signage that is available and how you might incorporate it into your business.

Custom Vinyl Decals: If you own a retail store, your doors and windows are essentially premiere advertising space. When you create a custom vinyl decal for your door or window, you have a powerful advertising mechanism. Custom vinyl decals are also ideal for bumper stickers, so if you belong to a booster club, are advocating for a political cause, or want to provide a giveaway to your customers, you can design your own bumper

Custom Window Lettering: Lettering with your business' name on it is important for your storefront, but vehicle lettering can be an even better advertising bet. When you have custom vehicle lettering, you are advertising your business whenever you or your employees are behind the wheel. You can customize these vinyl graphics to incorporate your logo, your business name, your website address, your phone number - or anything else you want potential customers to know.

Custom Banners: Whether you're having a sale or another type of event, custom banners draw attention to your business. When you design your banner, you can include your logo and have access to a wide selection of colors, fonts, special effects, borders, and graphics.

Magnetic Signs: If you need signage that is temporary, magnetic signs provide you with inexpensive yet valuable advertising. For example, if you or your employees use their personal vehicles for deliveries or to call on customers or clients, magnetic signs can easily be attached to the vehicle and then taken off at the end of the day.

Other Types of Signage: The best custom sign companies can produce a huge variety of signage. In addition to custom vinyl decals, window lettering, banners, and magnetic signs, they can also do everything from custom wall lettering and custom wall graphics, to boat lettering and registration numbers, to license plates and digital decals.

Virtually every business that advertises - from network marketers to franchisees - can utilize these inexpensive marketing methods to spread the word without breaking the bank.

How to Start Your Own Janitorial Business

If you are hard working, blue collar person thinking about starting your own business from a scratch and have only a small amount to invest, you may consider janitorial cleaning service business. Every business needs immaculately cleaned once in a while and often times in a day if it is public premise.

Once you decide to start a janitorial cleaning business. Like any other business, there are lots of steps involved you need to take into account:

1.     You need to decide and register your business name.

2.     Get the business registrations and licenses from your Local County or city hall.

3.     Start up cost

4.     Income Potential

5.     Printing marketing materials

If you are intending to work from home, you need to consult the zoning guidelines governing your residential area to check whether starting this business from home is allowed.

Doing the right things from the start will take your cleaning business to the next level of success.

It is important to sit down and figure out what will be start up cost to build a janitorial cleaning business. Your start-up costs can be around $500 - $5000. You can even start on a part-time basis working from home with just a vehicle and minimal amount of equipment.

However, janitorial expert recommends you that you should have at least $50000 as an initial investment to start this business right.

Starting your janitorial cleaning business as a home based business will put you in a much better position allowing you to...

1.     Keep your expenses low until you succeed in establishing some accounts and customer base.

2.     Offer lower prices as a part of your initial business strategy.

3.     Work flexible hours primarily on a part time basis

4.     Increase your hours of operation

Once you establish your identity as a successful janitor/janitorial cleaning service provider in your area and surroundings, you can rent or lease a space with adequate parking and storage space to store your equipment and supplies efficiently and safely.

A janitorial business lacks glamour and may seem "mundane", but the janitorial service industry has shown remarkable growth over the past decade and many experts believe that the outlook for the industry over the coming decades is very bright.

More on Bar Equipment

An electric blender is useful, especially for drinks like frozen daiquiris and those with ingredients that are not easily combined, but it is not essential To puree fruit, whip cream, or prepare frozen drinks, frappes and milk shakes, you need a blender with continuous speed adjustment or you can use an everyday food processor. If drinks with crushed ice become a regular request at your bar or you host many cocktail parties, consider investing in an electric ice shaver.

Use a standard ice bucket, widely available in various sizes and materials, to keep frozen ice cubes conveniently at hand for the duration of any party or cocktail session. Ice tongs or an ice shovel are ideal to remove the ice from the bucket (do not use your fingers), but if you do not have either, use a large spoon.

Fresh fruit juices can be prepared using a lemon squeezer or juicer. (Electric juicers are not recommended because they squash the peel and seeds, too.) Many long drinks contain soda water, which is best added to the glass using a siphon. To use one, you simply fill the siphon with water from the faucet or use still mineral water. A carbon dioxide cartridge will make sure the water is always carbonated when you want it.

Another very useful tool is a pair of bar tongs, which can be used to loosen tight corks in champagne and other sparkling wines. A bitters or dash bottle has a doser cap and is good for storing ingredients that are only used in small dashes.

The other pieces of equipment that help to make your job behind the bar enjoyable are standard in most kitchens. These include a lemon squeezer and a nutmeg grater. No doubt your kitchen also contains a chopping board (preferably with a drainage channel), a finely serrated knife, similar to a cheese knife, with two points for spearing pieces of fruit, and a citrus zester, also called a cannelle knife, for removing fine strips of citrus peel that make attractive garnishes.

Small dishes for holding pieces of fruit and garnishes are also useful, as is a cork with a pouring spout, which can be inserted into any bottle to make pouring out measures easier. Of course you also need a can opener, a bottle opener, and a (orkscrew. A champagne or bottle cooler is indispensable. Toothpicks are an absolute must for spearing olives, cherries, and pearl onions, as well as for creating other garnishes.

You might also want to stock up on brightly colored drinking straws in varying lengths if you plan to serve some of the more exotic cocktails. (Be sure to avoid straws which are too thin, otherwise pieces of ice or fruit can block them.)

Five Tips to Finding the Best Home Based Business Opportunity

Who wouldn't rather work from home? In today's workforce, the wealthy are getting richer, those with the least resources are getting poorer, and the middle is being squeezed out. With gas prices gouging consumers, commutes to and from work are costing more than ever before, meaning less discretionary income when payday rolls around. And, as companies continue to tighten their belts and downsize, workers are taking on increased responsibilities for the same amount of money. What's the result? Working longer hours with less to show for it.

When you work at home, though, your office is down the hall. Instead of filling up your gas tank twice a week, you might fill it twice a month. You have more time with your family and more time to spend following your passions. Best of all, you can make your own hours and the only boss you have to answer to is the one who looks back at you from the mirror.

So, the lure to work from home is there, but exactly what are you going to do in order to make money? Anyone who has surfed the Internet knows that there are thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of home based business opportunities being touted. How do you find one that's legitimate so you can make money while you work at home? Here are five commandments to follow:

1. Beware of Sales. Unless you're a natural born salesperson and have a passion for it, avoid the business opportunity that forces you to sell. You'll end up hating it, and the neighbors, friends, and family members that you try and convince to buy your product will wind up resenting you.

2. Beware of Inventory. This is ancillary to the first commandment. Many home based business opportunities require that you invest in inventory. Remember, you want to make money, not spend it on inventory. Moreover, you don't want to deal with the hassles and headaches of storing products, fulfilling orders, and shipping products.

3. Embrace Support. The home based business opportunity you choose should offer a comprehensive support program. This should mean that the company has a step-by-step training manual, online courses, and wonderful support staff who are available to answer any and every question you may have. The company should also provide you with materials such as templates, samples, and anything else you need to get started.

4. Flexibility is Key. Whatever business opportunity you choose, it needs to be one that's flexible. If you hook up with a company that insists you put in a certain number of hours each week, it's no better than working an eight-hour shift and having a boss. The idea is that you own your own business and that you have the ability to choose whether to work at your own pace, whether that's part time or full time.

5. Carry it Forward. For your first home based business, choose a company that can teach you skills and strategies that you'll be able to use in your future endeavors. Your first home based business probably won't be your last, so it's important to learn all that you can in order to succeed in the future.