Open Journalism For All - News, Documentaries And Information Services

This is a copy of my most recent email newsletter. This was an overwhelming success. I suggested the newsletter on the spur of the moment when I was not busy thinking what the heck, give it a chance. *********************************************************** January 2006

The Early Bird Gets the Worm—Don’t Delay Free Tree Day Jan. 28th is a Free Higan Weeping Cherry Tree Day

Greetings! January 28, 2006 is free Weeping Higan Cherry Tree Day…..All members of our email club can receive a free Higan Weeping Cherry when you bring your pickup to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. Fountainville Pa. location. These trees are 10-12′ tall and in 24″ baskets. These trees must be picked up on the 28th, before 5pm. sorry, no rain checks. There is a limit of one per family and you must have been a member on or before January 27, 2006 of our email club.

Sincerely,

Bill Hirst Free Tree Day Jan. 28th, 2006 is Free Tree Day

5275 W. Swamp Rd. Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923

January 28, 2006 8:00AM-5:00PM Reasons to Come to this Event We are selling 150 acres of our nursery and we must liquidate many trees and plants. Some of of plants are in quantities that would supply us for many years of sales. But we can’t move that number of trees. Thus they will be either sold at a discount, destroyed, or given away. I like the last option. Thus if you bring your pickup to the farm today, Saturday the 28th, we will give away 1 free Higan Weeping cherry to each email newsletter subscriber to Highland Hill Farm that picks up the tree by 5PM. Sorry you must be have be signed up by Jan. 27th, to qualify. There are no rain checks. These trees are in 24 and 28 inch baskets and are app. 10-14′ tall. We will help load them in your pickup.

We have a total of 75 trees ready to give away while the supply lasts. All other trees and plants are 20% off today.

Driving Directions to the Farm Highland Hill Farm 5275 W. Swamp Rd. Rt. 313 Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923 myhirst@yahoo.com http://www.seedlingsrus.com We will have other free tree offerings each month. So keep in touch. ************************************************************** Within 15 minutes of this email being sent people started to arrive to make selections. We would have had no customers on this day. Yet we sold enough other stock to make this offering possible. We gave away 52 trees and this was even covered by the press showing up and giving us exposure in local papers.

There are a number of ways that you can find tax services companies. The yellow pages is a good place to start for companies in your area but, depending on where you live, the list of names may be extremely long. It is a good idea to ask your friends, colleagues and business partners to recommend the tax services that they have found helpful and efficient in the past. Then you can call the tax services professionals that you have on your list and discuss your requirements.

The first step in finding the best tax services for your needs is deciding what level of help you require. Perhaps you simply need someone who can file a simple tax return but has to wade through your slightly disorganised accounting documents, or maybe you have a number of employees and need
assistance sorting out their tax withholdings or you may even want all of these tax services, and more. The size of the tax services company may also be an issue. You may want one person to be able to perform all of your tax work, especially if you are only a small business owner or you may want a team of tax professionals and you want to find tax services that have a number of specialists available. Once you have identified the type of tax services then you can begin your search more easily. Your available tax services budget is obviously going to be an issue but you should try to allocate as much money as possible to ensure that you can afford the best possible tax services. Remember that you can incur heavy fines if you have incorrectly filed your tax return or are late paying any type of tax that your business is liable for.

Apart from professional qualifications and references one of the most important points to consider when assessing which of the tax services companies you want to use is whether you feel comfortable with the person you are dealing with. At the end of the day you are going to trust them with your financial records and it is essential that you feel that you can depend upon the person.

Every business, at some time, needs the help of some type of tax services at some stage. Large organisations usually have their own tax services department with accountants and tax lawyers but small companies often have to hire tax services on a regular basis to help keep their tax returns and other issues in order. It is important to know how to find the best tax services, no matter what type of business you are involved with.

Learn more about Tax Software and gain access to a wide variety of resources at http://www.alltaxsoftware.info. You’ll find articles, resources and links to helpful sites.

Don’t let these stop you from having a business plan for success!

A recent study of 29,000 business startups noted that 26,000 of them failed. Of those failures, 67% had no written business plan. Think that’s a coincidence?

Here’s the top 10 myths Solo Entrepreneurs often have about business plansusually, the reasons why they don’t have one. De-bunk the myths, and see how having a business plan for your solo business, can actually be easy and fun–and can jumpstart your success!

1. Myth: I don’t need a business plan–it’s just me!

Starting a business without a plan is like taking a trip in a foreign country without a map. You might have a lot of fun along the way, and meet a lot of friends, but you are likely to end up at a very different place than you originally set out forand you might have to phone home for funds for your return ticket.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Successful Solo Entrepreneurs know that the exercise of creating a business plan, really helps them think through all the critical aspects of running a business, make better business decisions, and get to profitability sooner.

2. Myth: I have to buy business plan software before I can start.

Business plan software comes in many shapes and sizes, and prices. Many are more geared at small and growing businesses with employees.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Business plan software can be helpfulbut it’s not required. Software is more likely to help if you have a more traditional type business, like a restaurant or a typical consulting business.

3. Myth: I need to hire a consultant to write my business plan.

Consultants are an expensive way to have your business plan written.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Your business IS youand you need to be intimately involved with the creation of your business plan. A better strategy, if you think you need professional help, is to hire a coach or mentorsomeone who can guide you in what you need to do, not do it for you.

4. Myth: The business plan templates I’ve seen have all these complex-sounding sections to themI guess I need all those?

The only time you need to follow a specific outline is if you are looking for funding.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Your business plan needs to answer ten basic questionsthat’s it! Don’t make things more complicated than necessary.

5. Myth: My business plan needs to be perfect before I can start my business.

If you wait for everything to be perfectly detailed, you may never start.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: If you have at least a first draft that answers those ten basic questions, you are ready to launch your business! Make your business plan a living, evolving document. In the startup stages, review and update your plan every 2-3 months. As you grow and stabilize, you can slow down the review cycle to every 6-12 months. All business plans should be reviewed and updated at least once a year.

6. Myth: I have to do everything I say I’m going to do in my business plan, or I’m a failure.

Many Solo Entrepreneurs never start because of this mythwhich leaves them feeling that the success of their future business suddenly rides on each stroke of the pen or click of the keyboard!

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Think of your business plan as a roadmap for a trip. Expect to take some detours for road construction. Be flexible enough to take some exciting, unplanned side trips. And don’t be surprised if instead of visiting Mount Rushmore, you decide to go to Yellowstone, if that turns out to meet your vacation goals better!

7. Myth: A good business plan has a nice cover, is at least 40 pages long, must be typed and double-spaced…

Business plans intended for investors, such as a bank or venture capitalist, must meet certain requirements that such investors expect.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: As a Solo Entrepreneur, your business plan need only satisfy YOU. It might be scribbled on a napkin, on stickie notes on your wall, or consist of a collage of pictures and captions. It might be all in one document or scattered among several mediums. As long as you know it in your head and heart without having to look at it, and and it is easily accessible to you when you have doubts, that’s all that is necessary.

8. Myth: I don’t need a loanso I don’t need a business plan.

YOU are the investor in your businessand would you invest in the stock of some company without seeing a prospectus?

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Seeing your plan in black and white (or color, if you prefer!), can give a whole new view on the financial viability of your business. If “doing the numbers” seems overwhelming, remember you don’t need fancy spreadsheets. Just lay out a budget that shows where all the money is coming from (and going), and have an accountant review it for additional perspective.

9. Myth: My business plan is in my headthat’s good enough.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes can’t remember what I planned yesterday to do tomorrow, if I don’t write it down!

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: There is a real power in writing down your plans. Some schools of thought advocate that the act of writing a plan down triggers our subconscious to start working on how to manifest that plan. And, of course, it’s a lot easier to remember when you have it in front of you. And a lot easier to share and get feedback from your non-mind reading supporters.

10. Myth: Friends and family are the best sources of feedback and advice on my business plan.

If your brother is an accountant and your best friend is a market research expert, then this might be true.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: As well meaning as our friends and family can often be, they just aren’t the best way to get honest, objective guidance. Instead, seek out folks that have specific knowledge that will help you, are willing to be candid with you, and that have a genuine interest in helping you succeed. A business coach is one resource to consider!

Copyright 2004, Terri Zwierzynski - Accel Innovation, Inc.

Terri Zwierzynski is dedicated to the success of lifestyle-inspired Solo Entrepreneurs. She is the CEI (Conductor of Extraordinary Ideas) at http://www.Solo-E.com and the author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small or Solo Business. Terri is an MBA honors graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, and has been working with solo entrepreneurs since 2001. You can reach Terri at http://www.TerriZ.com

Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com, the lifestyle-inspired online learning and connection community. Visit now to receive a free copy of our special report, The Four Secrets of Solo Entrepreneur Success, plus a complimentary 30-day membership.

Speedometers are commonly divided into mechanical or electronic types. A cable enclosing a rotating, flexible shaft is fixed to mechanical speedometers to furnish the input signal. The rotating shaft is coupled with a permanent magnet in the speedometer. It turns at a speed relative to that of the vehicle. Electromagnetic forces deliver the torque to ricochet the needle.

At the time of calibration, the magnetization of the fixed magnet in the meter is altered until the exact deflection is acquired. An automated speedometer calibration technique includes a calibrated supplier to produce input signals for the speedometer. It also incorporates a sensing method to exactly establish the deflection of the needle, and entails a control scheme to modify the limits that manage the torque and sets off the needle to deflect.

The most complicated factor is the sensing system that reads needle deflection. The most commonly applied sensing method for this use is a camera, an image acquisition board, and image processing software that explores the image for the needle.

The system offers an output in respect to the angle of deflection from the commencement point, or immediately as speed in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (kmph). The speedometers vary in form, kinds of graduations, needle patterns, dial background designs, and nonlinear dial graduations. As a sequel to this, mapping between the deflection angle and the equivalent speed is not linear.

The mechanical speedometers pulsate in the fixture when exposed to major electromagnetic forces at the time of calibration. Hence, there was a major necessity to produce image-processing software that endured rotations and offsets in the meter image because of the effective movements between the meter and the camera.

In several of the assembly areas, companies often resort to minor batch work where diverse speedometer versions are created in the same day. This implies that the time to alter the system from one type of meter setup to another must be small.

Calibration provides detailed information on Calibration, Calibration Equipment, Calibration Services, Calibration Software and more. Calibration is affiliated with Custom Die Cutting.

What do George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere have in common? Apprenticeship training, of course!

Apprenticeship training is the oldest kind of job skills learning and has been used for centuries to train blacksmiths, silversmiths, printers and the like. In fact, Congress enacted the National Apprenticeship Act I n1937 to recognize the importance of apprenticeship in developing highly skilled workers in various trades. Apprenticeship is important in manufacturing, public utilities, fire, police, safety and of course in becoming a real estate mogul like Donald Trump!

Learning any highly skilled profession takes more than classroom training. You need hands on experience with someone who is an expert in the field. This is where an apprenticeship can give you what you need to excel at your profession. Apprenticeship fills in the gaps from books to real life and gives you a solid understanding of how a specific process works. Apprenticeship is one of the best ways to develop skills in any highly technical craft.

Apprenticeship usually consists of full time on the job experience where you learn how to do the job in the real world, Here, you will be working with a skilled trainer who will teach you the skills you need. One great benefit is that you get paid while you are learning. You can also take classroom training that are related to your desired occupation.

There are hundreds of different apprentice ship programs and indeed, these programs create some of the most highly-skilled, highly-paid individuals who work at their jobs anywhere in the world.

In the US, such programs are federally approved although each state oversees and administers the details of their programs. Once you complete an apprenticeship training program, you will get an apprenticeship certificate which is recognized nationwide. It is also the credential you will find the most useful and portable within most industries around the country.

Apprenticeship is for those that have a burning passion for their occupation as it is no easy road. Even before you can get start, you will need to have an application accepted and there could be a lengthy wait until an opening comes up for you. While a fantastic opportunity, this is not one to be pursued lightly. It requires commitment and dedication, so think about it carefully before you jump into an apprenticeship program.

Lee Dobbins write on many topics. Please visit Moving And More where you read more great articles on careers.

Practical mailing solutions for home and business are a must for just about all of us. Very few of us enjoy to hand write envelopes when it comes to bill paying time. Even fewer when we are business owners. Worrying if addresses are written legibly and correctly can waste precious time better spent on other things. However with a simple computer and a printer with ink, the process can become much more simplified and accurate. A practical and economical application for envelope printing can be easily utilized by any business owner, big or small.

Any kind of business demands many mailings for paychecks, bills, catalogs, etc. The most realistic manner of accomplishing this drawn out process can be as simple as printing envelopes and addresses from a computer. Using compatible software (i.e., Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word) an entire database of names and addresses can be printed onto envelopes and even mailings. The most commonly known software application to accomplish this is Microsoft Word with a feature known as Mail Merge. The mail merge function can work in conjunction with Microsoft Outlook, or with Microsoft Access to draw out the names and addresses of the clients and/or employees to be sent to. Using this software in the proper process of Mail Merge, hundreds, even thousands of preprinted envelopes can be produced within mere minutes, as opposed to hours when done by hand. The usefulness of printed envelopes does not stop here however, there is still a practical solution for the average home user as well.

Any average person has a range of bills to pay, and always plenty of envelopes to address, mostly by hand. This process involves looking up addresses, writing checks, addressing envelopes by hand, and double checking to make sure the information on the envelope is accurate and legible. The solution to a chunk of these problems, is the same for the average home user as it is for the average business user. With the simple process of mail merge, and stored list of commonly paid bills an average person no longer has to wonder or double check to see that the envelopes he or she has written are accurate and legible. Rather they would have the assurance that they are. To cut down the time even more, the average home user could consider using a check-writing program such as VersaCheck, or competitors to write his/her checks for them. With these simple processes, any user can simplify their lives and wind up with more free time to do what they love.

Clearly the advantage goes to the technology to save time and money for any user, either big or small. With the confidence that bills can be paid on time, and never having to double check for accuracy, piece of mind comes standard. The only worries these confident users have are if they have the necessary amount of envelopes and ink in their printer to finish the job. The only question to remain in anyone’s mind is “Why didn’t I do this much sooner?”

Our Printing Directory is dedicated to the printing industry. Find more information and other printing topics on our Envelope Printing resource page.

How’s your cash flow? I might just as well have asked a woman her age. Joe Dominguez, author of “Your Money or Your Life” says that the most embarrassing question is “How big is yours?” Your paycheck, that is.

I was once sitting in a coffee shop with my friend, Jade. She had just introduced me to Phil, a friend of hers who she was doing some business with. Phil and I got to talking and discovered that we had both experienced some similar childhood traumas. We got into a very personal discussion about our healing.

When we were finished, Phil looked at Jade and said, “Let’s go somewhere more private to discuss our business.” Their financial discussion was more personal to him than our very personal histories. Isn’t that interesting?

Most of us barely know where our cash goes. We barely admit that our spending is mostly an emotional decision that we have rarely thought through carefully. Try keeping track of everything you spend for one week. If you’re brave, do it for a month. Just keep a little notebook and write down each expense. You can keep your receipts and record them at the end of the day, but it’s best to do it every day so you get all of them down.

When you’re done, look at each expense. Let’s say you spend $2.50 on coffee on your way to work. Now ask yourself a question about the emotions that moved you to spend that money. Were you looking for Safety? Control? Or Approval? If you were tired and needed coffee to stay awake, it could have been safety and maybe even control of your ability to stay awake. Lester Levinson created “The Sedona Method” about 40 years ago and taught his workshop participants to notice these motives in themselves.

I’m not saying to change any of your spending patterns. Just be aware of them. Self-awareness alone can make a big difference in your cash flow. Awareness helps us to change naturally. It takes a lot of courage to notice the emotional component of even our smallest spending decisions. Why don’t you try it and see?

About this writer -
Tim Mettaroy is a business coach helping individuals to manage their cash flow to get more satisfaction out of their money. You can read more articles about cash flow at
Cash Flow Business Online

When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues.

Valuation. Valuation is the most prominent negotiating issues. Valuation is the price of the company in which the venture capitalist invests. Valuation determines what percent of the company the investor is buying for their capital.

Timing of the Investment. Many investors will commit a large amount of capital, but will contribute that capital to the companies in installments. Often, these installments are only made when pre-designated milestones are met.

Vesting of Founders’ Stock. Like capital, investors often prefer that stock is given to company founders and key employees in installments. This is known as vesting.

Modifying the Management Team. Some investors insist that additional or substitute management employees be hired subsequent to their investment. This gives investors additional security that the company will execute on its business model. An important issue to negotiate with regards to modifying the management team is the amount of stock or options that will be issued to new management team members, as this will dilute the holdings of the founders.

Employment Agreements with Key Founders. Venture capitalists typically do not want companies to have employment agreements that limit the circumstances under which employees can be fired and/or set compensation and benefits levels that are too high. Other key employment agreement issues to be negotiated with venture capitalists include restrictions on post-employment activities and employee severance payments on termination.

Company Proprietary Rights. If the company has an important product with intellectual property (IP), investors will want to ensure that the company, and not a company employee, owns the IP. In addition, investors will want to ensure that new inventions be assigned to the company. To this end, investors may negotiate that all employees must sign Confidentiality and Inventions Assignment Agreements.

Exit Strategy. Investors are very focused on how they will “cash out” of their investment. In this regard, they will negotiate regarding registration rights (both demand and piggyback); rights to participate in any sale of stock by the founders (co-sale rights); and possibly a right to force the company to redeem their stock under certain conditions.

Lock-Up Rights. Venture capitalists may require a lock-up period at the term sheet stage. The “lock-up period” is typically a 30-60 day period where the investors have the exclusive right, but not the obligation, to make the investment. Investors typically conduct due diligence during this time without fear that other investors will pre-empt their opportunity to invest in the company.

Each of these issues are critical when raising venture capital, since the outcome can significantly impact the success of the venture and the wealth potential of the company founders and management team. Because venture capitalists are very knowledgeable regarding these issues, and have great skill in negotiating on them, companies who are raising venture capital should seek advisors who also have this experience and expertise.

Since its inception, Growthink Business Plan Development has developed over 200 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. Growthink has become the firm of choice for venture capital firms, angel investors, corporations and entrepreneurs in the know.

For more information please visit http://www.growthink.com or visit our venture capital site at Growthink Venture Capital.

It is crucial when advertising your home-based Business that you take an active and aggressive approach since action is preferable to passivity. Mistakes will sometimes occur, they are simply part of the learning curve. After all, mistakes are how we really learn in life. You can read all of the home business news reports and articles you can yet you still have to put those ideas in motion. It is especially important to keep this in mind since you will probably make more mistakes in advertising than in any other part of your business plan. There are just so many options out there (not to mention lot’s of hype) that it can be very difficult to make wise choices. You will see so many wild claims you may end up confused and numb after reading it all. These overhyped claims seem to be particularly common on the world wide web. Be aware that you may end up trying something that will not work, so be prepared for that and do not feel bad. As I said, this is how you learn. And it could be the correct choice for another business. Just be willing to make a few mistakes and you will be o.k. Just know that success and true financial freedom will not occur overnight.

Advertising your home-based business may be quite pricey so you could be in for a costly a lesson. You need to have as much current data as you possibly can so you can make an informed decision. If you are marketing on the web, for instance, you should know that banner advertising is not nearly as effective as it once was. What was at one time a fresh idea now gets perhaps a one in one hundred click through percentage rate, if even that.

Text links draw a little better and are generally preferable. Make sure the link text is good as that is crucial. Pay per click engines can likewise be kinda tricky. You really have to keep a close eye on it and be prepared to tweak your ad from time to time to get the best results. And unfortunately, click fraud is something to watch out for as well. Ezine ads are usually better while often being cheaper. Put some effort into low cost ads which more are proven like simple networking and referrals.

Writing articles is a winner since webmasters need content and you get a resource box at the bottom of your article whenever it is used! Search engines are typically free yet take time to optimize for. It can also take a while to show up in the results. I strongly recommend submitting your site to the niche directories as they are usually free of charge and can bring targeted customers to your site as well.

One of the top methods for getting new customers, however, is to give wonderful customer service and simply ask for referrals. You may want to start your campaign at this Directory and begin building your link popularity.

Ryan Joseph is a home-based business writer/researcher. More info at http://www.home-business-match.com More home business free reprint articles at http://www.home-business-match.com/homebusinessarticles.html

No one really knows just how big this Ebay business could
actually become because it continues to grow at a mind boggling
rate with no apparent end in sight. Over a billion dollars of
merchandise is sold every month and that figure just continues
to grow. While you might not be interesting in using online
auctions to provide your sole source of income, you may want to
consider Ebay selling as means of creating viable part-time
income that can really add up over the course of a year.

Endless Possibilities

While Ebay continues to diversify its services and allow
customers more and more options, online auctions remain the
heart and soul of their business. If you are just interested in
using Ebay selling to generate part-time income without the
hassles of working for other people, then Ebay auctions are for
you.

One of the reasons why Ebay is such a popular means of
generating part-time income for so many people is because it
takes so little investment and time to get started. If you have
a computer and Internet access along with either a digital
camera or access to a picture of the item you are selling-well,
you basically have all you need to get started!

Of course you will also need to register with Ebay before the
fun begins. For this all you really need is a checking account,
a credit card, and a few minutes to sign-up. It is not
impossible to register on Monday and begin selling items on
Tuesday. Really, it is just that simple!

To begin with and for a better idea of how to navigate and use
the site, most people opt to search their homes for things to
list on Ebay auctions. Frankly, the sky is basically the limit
with respect to what you can choose to list because Ebay selling
is a pretty wide open field. Of course, Ebay does ban some items
from being sold so be sure check out their website for a listing
of unacceptable items.

For people who love to go antiquing and spend their weekends
scouring flea markets for the best deals, making substantial
part-time income is no problem at all. This is especially true
for people who really know how to spot a quality item at a great
price. It is nothing to buy something on a weekend and turn
around and sell it for double the price they paid for it (or
more!).

If you are creative and like crafts or painting pictures, Ebay
selling can be a great way to get started in a field you have
always dreamed of working in while making money in the process.
An Ebay store can be an excellent way to turn your hobbies and
passions into cold hard cash and perhaps even build your
reputation.

Honestly, the list of possibilities could literally go on
forever it seems because Ebay auctions offer people the chance
to earn part-time income in any number of ways. The start up
costs are minimal and so are the risks. Just be sure to use
accurate descriptions and answer all questions promptly and your
part-time income potential is limitless with Ebay auctions!