Best Weight-Loss Tips Ever

Losing pounds doesn't have to be torture (we're looking at you, cayenne-pepper cleanse). Adopt at least three of these behaviors — they're simple to integrate into your day-to-day routine, and all are enthusiastically backed by nutritionists — and you'll be thinner and healthier in days. (Plus, the weight will stay off.)

1. SNACK, BUT SMARTLY:

Grazing between meals used to be on the weight-loss hit list. But nutritionists now know that it's better to satisfy a craving with healthy grub than ignore it and risk a junk-food binge later. The best picks are filling, protein-packed snacks, such as one stick of string cheese, a tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of fruit, or a medium-size bowl of damaged.

2. TURN OFF THE TV:

Dining while viewing can make you take in 40 percent more calories than usual, reports a new study. And texturing, driving, or any other distracting activity during a meal can also result in your eating too much. Instead, make each meal something you put on a plate and sit down to, even if you're eating solo.

3. STEP ON THE SCALE DAILY:

If your regular weight increases several days in a row, it's a red flag letting you know you need to cut back a little or beef up your workouts slightly.

4. SCULPT THREE TIMES A WEEK:

Doing 5 minutes each of push-ups, lunges, and squats (in 30-second intervals) will help build and maintain muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, so you'll torch more calories as you go about your day.

5. REACH FOR YOUR CELL:

Next time your mind gets stuck on a certain food, call a friend and redirect your brain by asking how her day's going. Research shows that cravings only last about 5 minutes, so by the time you hang up, the urge to devour junk will have subsided.

6. EAT A BIG, BALANCED BREAKFAST:

An a.m. meal made up mostly of carbs and protein with some fat keeps blood-sugar levels steady and hunger pangs away so you're not susceptible to pigging out come lunch, studies show. Opt for something satisfying for your stomach and taste buds — like egg whites and turkey bacon with whole-wheat toast.

7. WATCH THE BOOZE:

One innocent-looking margarita or cosmopolitan can rack up hundreds of calories that do nothing to quench your appetite. Treat yourself just on the weekends and cut back somewhere else or stick to a glass of wine, light beer, or vodka and soda — three drinks that each have about 100 calories per serving.

8. HAVE FRUIT TWICE A DAY:

Fruit has no fat and is mostly water, so it'll fill you up while leaving less room on your plate (and in your stomach) for high-cal fare. Don't freak about fruit's carb count — we're talking the good kind of carbohydrates that contain lots of healthy fiber.

9. STAY ASLEEP LONGER:

Getting to bed just 30 minutes earlier and waking up 30 minutes later than you normally do can help you make better food choices, researchers report. Also, when you're well-rested, you're less prone to snacking out of fatigue or stress.

10. VISUALIZE YOURSELF THIN:

When you feel your willpower breaking, conjure up a mental picture of yourself when you looked and felt slim. The visual motivation keeps you focused on your goal weight and reminds you that it is attainable, since you've achieved it before.

 Source :http://www.cosmopolitan.com

I Need a Career

Some of us are lucky enough to get employed at an ideal company right after college. These lucky few will move up the corporate ladder with a combination of hard work, positive work environment, progressive learning, and time. But for the rest of us, we may find ourselves stuck in a first or second job, and we still have to establish the right career footing in our late twenties. It can be a career dead end unless you change jobs now.

Here are ten signs that your career is going nowhere and it’s time to find a new job.

1. You’re not learning new things

It’s been two years or more since you joined the company and you find yourself doing the same things repeatedly. Sometimes you feel like working in an assembly line. You’ve asked your employer for new responsibilities or new projects, but he turned it down. It’s time to change jobs.

A career is the sum of the experiences, skills, and knowledge that you’ve earned from work. This sum makes you more competent and earns you more authority or expertise on your field. If you’re not learning new things over the course of time, you’re not moving your career.

It doesn’t have to be a promotion or a departmental change. In most cases, a lateral project is all you need to expand your knowledge. For instance, if you’re a sales executive assigned to conduct personal pitches to clients in your designated territory, you can suggest to adapt an online newsletter to reach out to your customers. This way, you’ll learn a new thing aside from the sales skills that you’ve developed through time: online marketing. Think of a lateral project that can help you perform better and preferably involving people from other departments to expand your knowledge. If the current work environment prevents you from doing these things, it’s time to move out.

2. You’re not earning more

If your salary is stuck where it was a couple of years ago, you’re not having a career but just a job. Businesses are designed to earn more profits every year, and they usually do or they risk folding up. Chances are, if your employer is not raising your pay scale, the company is either losing business or it doesn’t care much about sharing its profits. Both reasons should compel you to look for a better job.

Moreover, earning more doesn’t always mean in cash, especially if the company is short of it. Many startups offer stocks as part of the compensation package. The idea of your income being tied with your company’s potential income is good enough reason to stick to your job. Otherwise, it’s best to look for an employer who is willing to give you a chance to earn more.

3. You need more challenge

It’s a career killer: when you’re bored with your job. It’s no secret that career achievers have one thing in common: passion to conquer a challenge. It’s the thing that will make you work harder, excel, innovate, and be creative. But without a challenging task, it’s hard to outperform yourself on the next round and your career will likely stagnate. It’s time to look for a challenging job.

In fact, we measure the most successful people not by how much they earn, but by the challenge that they have overcome. Steve Jobs is credited for making mobile phones smart and cool. Neil Armstrong is hailed as the first man on the moon. We know Christopher Columbus to have discovered America for Europeans. We don’t really care how much they had earned, but just how much they had accomplished.

Similarly, you need a challenge to measure your own career success. The challenge can be short-term like closing a new client (instead of simply maintaining accounts) or long-term such as outsourcing non-core services to streamline the business.

4. You’re done with your boss

If you believe your boss is behaving unfairly towards you, not just once or a few times, but for the longest time, it may be out of character and not of work-related stress. A boss who keeps on discrediting you or stop short of crediting your achievements can ruin your long-term plans. Unless the human resources department can work a way out for you, it’s time to shift to a new job with a positive work environment.

The American Psychological Association points out that if an employer’s hostile behavior is caused by stress, that behavior can be managed by understanding where he’s coming from. Is he pressured to meet his superiors’ expectations? Is he threatened by your better skills or more advance education? You can improve the situation with some goodwill techniques. Warm up to your boss by showing him you’re a partner in his plan. Give him credit for the department’s achievements. Socialize with him. But if he remains the bad boss that he is even while you try to build goodwill for months now, you deserve a better job. Ask for a transfer; or look for a new employer.

5. You’re done with your hostile co-workers

Every workplace has its cultural quirks. But sometimes, the quirks by co-workers can be counter-productive that it threatens your career mobility. If your employer cannot help you address this problem, it’s time to look for a new job.

Extreme cases like sexual harassment, racial discrimination, or drug and alcohol-related scenarios are addressed by state and federal regulations. However, some hostile work environments are caused by frictions in the nature of work, rather on personalities. For instance, sales people and advertising people are usually at each other’s throat when it comes to giving credit for the company’s record earnings or, worse, losses. If you’re a solitary copywriter working in a roomful of sales officers, you may find it difficult to perform your task. Without an ad team to back your ideas, you’re likely to be relegated to secondary status. Even if you’re in good terms with your co-workers, but they have an undue influence over your work, that’s a hostile environment for your career, at least.

6. Jump a sinking ship

Loyalty only counts so far as the company can earn profits for itself and you. Yes, you should be conscious if the company’s earnings is increasing, plateauing, or sliding steeply. After all, your salary depends on the business. Think like an investor. Get a long-term picture where your company is heading. Is it a sunflower field or a scorched farmland? If you believe the ship is sinking, jump now before it drags you down to the bottom of the sea.

But don’t jump at the first sign of distress. Businesses do falter occasionally and eventually recover their footing. However, a company that’s losing market grip continuously and, worse, management hasn’t shown or inspired a solution to stop the bleeding is a sign that the sinking is for real.

7. You need to adjust to a new life

When you’re single, a hyper-active, fast-paced career that sends you to far-off places or nightly events may be your cup of tea. But now that you have a family, you want to settle down to more predictable working hours and off-days. It can also be the reverse when you’re looking for a more exciting work culture. In both cases, ask your employer for a new position or task to help you adjust to your new life. If the company cannot help you, it’s time to look for a new job that fits your kind of lifestyle.

Sometimes looking for a new job to adjust to your new life means changing states. Some states may have lower paying scale, but they also have lower living costs. If adjusting to a new life means raising a family, you might be interested to know America’s most and least family-friendly cities cited by Forbes.com. New York City is said to be the costliest city for a family, while San Jose in California is the most affordable.

8. Your job doesn’t use your strongest skills

Many people find themselves not doing what they are good at because they simply grabbed the first job opportunity that came their way. It’s a wrong fit at the start, but it should not stay that way. Ask the human resources for a transfer within the company, but if that’s not possible, it’s time to look for a new job that fits your skills.

The best way to excel in career is to tap your best skill. Are you a natural leader back in college but you haven’t been given a chance to head a team, never mind a department? Are you creative but have to stick to templates designed by a management that can’t think out of the box? You may be good at building rapport but you’re not exposed to prospective clients. You should build on your strength and your job should allow you to do that.

9. Get a better offer

Of course changing jobs may be a simple case of getting a better offer. The offer can be higher salary, greater career mobility, better benefits, or an improved work schedule. In any case, if you believe this opportunity comes knocking but once, grab it and it’s time for a new job.

Leaving a job for a better offer doesn’t mean you’re burning bridges behind you. Rather, it’s better to leave in goodwill—with advance warning that you’re leaving or a simple thank-you letter expressing your gratitude for all those years with the company—because you may need your old employer in the future, whether as a prospect, partner, client lead, or whatever. It’s a small world and you should be expanding your network of career people at every chance.

10. Career shift

It’s never too late to shift career gears. If you have the passion for this newfound career, that passion will likely carry you to excel. It’s time to shift jobs.

Martha has been sales pitching enterprise solutions to small- and medium-scale companies. She’s caught in the unenviable position between demanding clients and hardheaded programmers. Until she dipped herself into coding out of frustration to meet client expectations, she didn’t realize she has a knack for this new career. What’s more, she believes she can program better solutions because she has the perspective of both client and programmer.

Career shifting is a milestone and you should think hard before you do it. Still, the only thing worse than shifting careers and regretting it later is not shifting at all when you know your career is heading nowhere.

You should not stop at simply keeping a job when you know you have more to offer, and to get in return. But you need to be proactive and conscious that in career mobility, you have the last say, not your employer, and that can mean looking for a better opportunity, elsewhere.

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Source : http://careers.financesonline.com

Tips that will land you a job at a small company

If you’re hoping for a job at a business like the one I cofounded — Of a Kind, where a team of four sells the pieces and tells the stories of emerging designers — then here’s something you should know: The hiring process is very different from that of a company with a massive human resources division. So how do you get yourself noticed and employed? Below are 11 things that will make you stand out.

1. Pitch yourself right out of the gate:

The most frustrating inquiries I get are the ones from people asking how to apply for a job. If a small company is hiring, you better believe everyone working there is basically drowning. If they aren’t hiring right this minute, the inquiries that catch someone’s eye are the ones from people who seem like go-getters, self-starters and all of the other things people claim to be in interviews but so often aren’t. So prove your efficacy here and now: Write a three-paragraphs-at-most email that expresses your interest in any current openings or ones that might exist in the future, what you’d bring to the table and why you think that this biz is such a star. Include a link to your website and/or attach your resume — bonus points if it’s one page.

2. Read up:

Dig into that “Press” tab on a company’s site; Google them; watch videos with the founders. Not only will understanding a company’s goals and motivations give you fodder for an interview when that time comes (fingers crossed!), but it will also help you shape a cover letter and sell yourself.

3. Know who you’re talking to:

Odds are, you aren’t emailing an HR department — you’re reaching out to someone who is your (hopefully) future boss. So don’t you dare kick off a cover letter with "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Hiring Manager?" Dig up an email address for the person you’re hoping to target. Guess — who cares if you get a bounce-back? — or write to info@company.com and address the person you hope is on the other end.

4.And know how to speak to that person:

Every company has a voice, and, when it comes to small companies, that voice is very likely shaped by the person or people behind it — not a brand manager or copywriter. Emulate this voice in your cover letter and correspondence. But here’s the trick: Going too far down this road can backfire — you can come off as zany, trying-too-hard, or just out-of-sync with the company’s vibe if you don’t totally nail it. So stay professional, and if you fear you might be pushing things too far, well, maybe you are.

5. Don’t go overboard with resume design:

We’ve never been offended by a plain, boring resume — but we have been turned off by ones that go design-y with loud fonts and splashy backdrops and, as a result, convey an aesthetic that doesn’t mesh with ours.

6. Push what you can contribute — not what title you want:

If there’s not a job opening listed and you’re reaching out blindly,position yourself as a Jack/Jill-of-all-trades who’s ready to dive into anything and everything. Then spell out what skills you have that would benefit the company and demonstrate your range. If you’re hoping to be the fifth employee at a company, the crux of your job might be marketing, but you should be prepared to pitch in on all fronts — and you should sell your ability to do so.

7. Don’t say that you’re looking for a new job:

That’s made obvious by the fact that you’re reaching out in the first place! It also makes it sound like you’d accept any gig that seemed better than the one you can’t wait to leave (which, fine, maybe you would — but no one needs to know that). The company you’re approaching wants to feel special — like you can’t imagine working anywhere else. Express that, for you, it’s not about just breaking into an industry or working at a startup but rather that it’s the magic of this very impressive company. Just try to say that in a way that’s not so kiss-ass-y, if possible.

8. Make sure your social media activity is up to snuff:

You most likely don’t need to do a dramatic overhaul here, but you should probably make sure that, no matter where you’re applying, you haven’t put out a dozen negative tweets in a row. While you’re at it, take the opportunity to emphasize what about you makes you such a good fit for the company you’re approaching. Dying to work for a cooking app? Drag that Pinterest board of recipes to the tippy-top of your profile. 

9. Follow up a meeting with a thanks and some genuine feedback:

Yes to a handwritten thank-you card — but yes to a same-day email follow-up as well. Just a nice, short note reflecting on something that was discussed or sharing a quick biz dev thought will do it.

10. Be a super-user:

Demonstrate how hardcore you are by using the crap out of the service. You don’t need to be a super-spender if the company charges for its services, but it’s hard for us to believe that anyone is an Of a Kind diehard if she’s never bought a single thing from our site.

11. Proclaim your affections before you ask about jobs:

You know what’s amazing as a business owner? To get an email from a customer or user who just wants to say he or she appreciates what you’re doing — and asks nothing in return. If you’re utterly obsessed with a company and would dream of someday working there, write to the people behind it and don’t attach your resume. These are things people remember — or that their inboxes remember if they search for your name when you apply for a gig later. At the very least, it’s good karma.

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Source : http://mashable.com

New Year Tips for Your Small Business

To ensure success within the yr., most tiny businesses do not realize that the method begins long before Gregorian calendar month one. Instead, plenty of labor goes into setting your business up for a running begins once the clock strikes twelve. do not wait; begin currently with this list of ten yr. Tips For Your tiny Business.

1. Return Your Professional arrange:

If it's been a moment since you examined this important document, now's the time to urge to that. Review it to make sure it's still aligned along with your current company goals. Modification what wants ever-changing.  

2. Set Your Business Purposes:

New Year's resolutions aren't all concerning losing weight. It’s useful to get out what you would like for your business within the returning twelve months. Be specific, therefore you'll be able to truly live results and see whether or not you accomplished them by year's finish.

3. Build an Upgrades Calendar:

Sit down with a calendar and begin viewing all the vacations or events you would like to create promotions around. This can offer you ample time to arrange your social media updates, blog posts, advertising campaigns, etc.

4. Take into account Your Appointment wants:

If your business is obtaining more and more too busy for you to run with a skeleton crew, begin designing your hiring strategy for 2015. Take into account temps, freelancers, virtual assistants, and part-timers as alternatives to regular staff if your budget is tight.

5. Invest in Expertise:

If you have been adjourning that pc or software system purchase, now's the time to travel ahead with it. You will be a lot of economical, if you have got a pc that does not take associate hour to load. Also, if you would like to scale back your ratable financial gain, you would like to pay cash before 2014 rolls away.

6. Produce a Conference arrange:

Attending conferences and business trade shows are often therefore useful for you as a business owner. Not only are you able to meet others in your field however you also may learn from leading specialists. Do some creating by removal to ascertain what is obtainable to attend in 2015, and place them on your calendar.

7. Valuate your on-line whole:

Google yourself! Is it time for a replacement headshot or web site refresh? What worked for you in terms of promoting this year? This is often an excellent time to tweak your on-line strategy so you determine the tools that helped your business grow, and decrease on those who do not.

8. Get Prepared:

If you are like plenty of business homeowners, your table is untidy, and then is your desktop. Pay some hour’s abandonment and shredding stuff you do not would like and organizing your PC files by year, i.e. Contracts 2015. It’ll create things easier to search out. I guarantee you may feel a lot of along return Gregorian calendar month.

9. Refresh Your Workers' Skills:

If you are doing have workers, now's an amazing time to supply supplementary coaching to refresh their skills or offer them new ones. Perhaps they don't seem to be all exploitation your client relationship management software system. That is the good topic for coaching.

10. Get Cooler:

Your staff is not the sole ones UN agency might learn a lot of. If the top of the year is quiet for you, integrate reading time. Scan business blogs, books, magazines, and anything you'll be able to get your hands on to air high of the trends in your occupational.

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Entertainment Tips for Families

The Boom rater Report, our weekly collaboration with on-line person resource Boom rater, in the week explores wholly free, fun things to try to along with your family.  “A number of weeks past you had ideas for no or low value diversion for singles," a member asks. "I’d prefer to learn suggestions for free of charge diversion for families on a good budget. Our family plays board games and cards and that we visit space parks, however would really like to undertake some totally different free activities out of the house. My female offspring is thirteen and my kinsman is eight.” Here are some boom rater replies:

Oh, Go Fly a Kite:

 My grandparent and that i created kites out of newspapers and balsa with tails made of torn fabric strips. Now, my son Brandon can surrender TV and video games to pay time with ME building and flying home-baked kites. However times have modified. We tend to build kites, some pretty elaborate, from patterns on the web that Brandon is worked up to seek out for North American country. We've got discovered free directions on the online. We tend to build the kites along and he decorates them thus his kites stand out from the remainder. We tend to fly them on the beach while not interference from trees or wires. I’m proud I might introduce him to associate in nursing activity that's high-powered solely by his imagination and his ability to run quick enough to urge his kite into the air. The engineering aspects of the hobby and therefore the worth of his seeing a project through from begin to completion are different pluses. However the $64000 joy is seeing him go wild once the kite he created himself is flying high within the sky. perhaps sometime Brandon can show his son or grandchild a way to build kites and tell them regarding however we tend to had this a lot of fun while not disbursement a penny. Can there still be pennies then?

Free Movies:

Ascertain if your cable television service offers a rewards card. In my city if you sign on for cable, phone and web through a similar service you get a card that gets you free passes to envision new movies at sure theaters each Tues. the cardboard additionally gets you discounts in the slightest degree different showings. This has been a good means for my better half and ME to envision movies free—saving North American country nearly $20 a pop.

Go Fish:

Fishing is my selection for cheap outside diversion the total family will get pleasure from. My wife, sons and grandchildren typically be a part of ME to fly fish for trout within the lovely streams of VT, and fish for bass in our crystal clear lakes. The value is least. A license is barely $20 for the year, and it's free for young youngsters. Sometimes, your catch pays for dinner. I've met fishing buddies and different fishing families through native bait retailers and activities listed on Take ME Fishing. This summer my better half and that i drove up to North American country with 2 different couples for per week of salmon fishing. We tend to rent a cabin along, therefore the worth was affordable. We tend to fished each morning and afternoon and contend cards most nightly. We've already planned our trip for next year.

No value Cruises:

NY town offers many cool free things to try to. However my favorite may be a free "cruise" on the Staten Island Ferry. Yes, it's completely free! My grandchild Emily and that i take the 30-minute trip from Staten Island to envision superb views of the sculpture of Liberty, lower Manhattan and New Jersey. We've ne'er had to attend quite half-hour for a ferry. Air-con and heating wreak a cushy ride within, however quit on the deck for the simplest views. There’s a cheap bar, however the "cruise" is basically free if you pack a lunch. We tend to decision it our special Hudson River Picnic. We've created it a breakfast cruise once dawn is breaking and a dinner cruise within the early evening once the lights of the sculpture and Manhattan are exciting. She includes a whole album of images from our trips—memories she is going to continually have of our special times along.

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Tips for a Nice Smile

With selfless and instant photo sharing, a camera-ready smile is great to have. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a celebrity or genetically blessed to flash a glowing grin.

Smile Tip No. 1: Wear a "Parade" Smile:

Nice smiles are gentle and natural. Smile as if you're in a parade, suggests Lily T. Garcia, DDS. In other words, strike a smile you can hold for a long time. When you smile gently, your face looks relaxed. Your mouth opens slightly, and your lower lip matches the curve of your upper teeth.

"You’ll feel the edges of your upper front teeth gently touching your lower lip," Garcia says. Your cheeks may rise a bit, but not too much. It’s the opposite of the quick smile that flashes across your face when you see an old friend. That kind of jumping-for-joy smile makes your eyes squint and your neck muscles tense -- which can make for an awkward-looking photo.

Smile Tip No. 2: Nix the Double Chin:

More concerned about your chin than your grin? It’s all about posture. "If you slouch or your head is too bent forward, you won’t like how your smile looks," says Pamela McClain, DDS. She recommends this: Turn your head slightly and drop your chin so your face is not completely square with the camera.

Smile Tip No. 3: Make Lipstick Your Friend:

Choose a shade that works with your skin tone. "The right shade of lipstick can make teeth look whiter," Garcia says. Shades like cherry red, wine, berry, plum, or rosy pink are your best bet. Blue-based or pink-based undertones will minimize yellowish tones in your teeth.

On the other hand, Garcia says, the wrong color, especially one that’s too dark or too red, can detract from your smile. (Psst. Lipstick sticking to your teeth? Might be a sign of dry mouth or excess plaque.)

Smile Tip No. 4: Work With What You Have:

You don’t need perfect teeth to have a camera-worthy smile. Just look at Tom Cruise and his off-center ivories, Garcia says. The midpoint between the actor's two front teeth, which should line up with the center of his nose, is off to one side. It's rather obvious, but when Cruise smiles, few people notice it.

Smile Tip No. 5: Prime Your Teeth and Gums:

Getting your teeth and gums camera-ready requires a bit of behind-the-scenes prep work.

If your choppers have yellowed with age, try a whitening product or visit your dentist. Correcting cracked, broken, or missing teeth will likely mean some time with a dental professional.

Though you may think of them as supporting actors, healthy gums play a crucial role in a nice smile. "You can have beautiful teeth but if your gums aren’t healthy, that detracts from your smile," McClain says. Take Julia Roberts, she adds, "She’s got a big smile, and she has a really nice blend of gum tissue and tooth."

Smile Tip No. 6: Practice:

Your perfect smile might not happen overnight. If you have a big photo event like a wedding or graduation coming up, take time to practice smiling in front of a mirror. You can see how it looks and feels when you hold your shoulders back proudly and strike a natural, unforced smile. You can also play around with turning your head and finding your best angle.

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Source:http://www.webmd.com

Online Dating Advice

Contrary to outdated notions, online dating is not just for losers. In fact, millions of hopeful singles log on everyday looking for Mr. and Mrs. Right. Even your future soul mate could be as close as the click of your mouse! You just need the right online dating advice. After all, for every fairy tale ending, there are stories of disappointments, bad dates and scams.

Unfortunately, it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you engage in regular contact with someone whose photos you've seen, whose bio you've read and whose voice you may have even heard over the phone. But, as we all know, there are predators are out there, so you have to be careful.

With that in mind, here are 10 tips for staying safe, having fun and potentially connecting with your perfect match online:

1. Vet him before meeting him: You must be diligent from the get-go. The other day, I was with a girlfriend, and she showed me the latest text conversation between her and a man that she met online. He lived in another city and wanted her to travel to meet him. His end of the conversation turned sexual. I advised her to cut communication immediately. This man was not soul mate material.

2. Be careful about the image that you project in your profile: If you are serious about finding your future husband, posting provocative photos in skimpy attire is not the message that conveys that. Keep it classy. Also, be honest about your age and weight. One of the biggest complaints from dating site users is the dishonesty about those two things. When you meet in person, you will not be able to hide it, and won't that be embarrassing?

3. Take your own transportation: You do not want to be stuck in a guy's car if he is creepy or makes you feel uncomfortable. Being able to leave when you're ready is important.

4. Meet your date in a public place: such as a coffee shop or an outdoor mall. Avoid secluded places like parks, or isolating activities like hiking.

5. Don't worry about hurting his feelings; your safety is paramount: Trust your gut. Women often tell themselves that they are being silly when they feel that something is off, or they are afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Your intuition will tell you if you should cut the date short and move on, listen to it.

6. If he gets too personal, asks for financial information or a loan, run: People have all kinds of sob stories. It is not your job to fix them. Most likely, he is a pro, and scamming women is his job.

7. Have fun: Dating is supposed to be fun. Keep it light. The first few dates are to see if there is a romantic connection and common interests. Let your personality and sense of humor shine through.

8. Let him do most of the talking: The first couple of dates are the prefect time to find out about him. If you listen more than you talk, you will find out everything you need to know.

9. Don't jump into a relationship too fast: Get to know this person, his friends and family. One of the best ways to assess the character of a man is by the company he keeps.

10. If you feel burned out, take a break: For some people, online dating ends up becoming like a second job. If you find yourself exhausted, getting negative or bitter, take a break from it and do something special for yourself. Spend the day at a spa, take a class to learn a new skill or a drive up the coast. It will give you a new perspective on life and love.

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Source : http://www.yourtango.com

Tips for Healthy, Safe Online Dating

Dating has changed dramatically over the past few decades. It's gone from meeting prospective mates through family and friends to heading out to a bar or other gathering to visiting an online dating site. A report from the online dating industry estimates that nearly 25 million people worldwide accessed dating sites in April 2011.

This dramatic shift raises many questions. Is online dating a good way to meet a partner? Is it more effective than the old-fashioned ways? Is it safe and healthy? How do you know that the individuals you talk to are really who they say they are? Are there other risks or downsides?

While online dating clearly allows you more access to potential dating partners and lets you get an initial sense of someone before deciding to meet face to face, it has some drawbacks.

Reducing a person to a two-dimensional profile isn't the same as actually meeting someone, and the large number of partner descriptions could lead you to objectify potential partners and possibly make you reluctant to commit to just one. And if you communicate online for a long time before meeting someone, you may have skewed expectations, according to an analysis of online dating in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

The mathematical algorithms used by dating sites cannot know how you and a potential partner will grow and mature over time or even how you will interact in the short-term. In other words, they are no more guaranteed to succeed than any other method of dating.

Still, they remain hugely popular in our busy world. If you decide to try online dating, here are a few tips for safe, healthy online dating.

1.Don't reveal contact information:When you're creating an online dating profile, be cautious about what information you disclose. Keep things pretty general and avoid personal contact details at all costs. Make sure you use a reputable site that allows you to keep private such details as your full name, phone number, address or personal email. Don't reveal info on your dating profile that would allow someone to search for your social media accounts and stalk you through those.

2.Be wary of red flags:There are a few red flags you should be on the lookout for when you're hearing from people. Try to avoid people who try to jump immediately into communication outside of the dating site, say they're from the United States but are currently abroad, ask you for money, ask for your address under the guise of sending you gifts, make blatant and frequent grammar or spelling mistakes or send you links to third-party sites. If you notice any of these, block and report the person.

3.Check it out:Ask questions—and then ask them again in a different way. See if you get the same answers, even to simple questions like where someone grew up or where they work. It may not be as easy to gauge honesty online as it is in person, so be curious and pay attention. You can also check out someone with an online search, but don't get a false sense of security if you don’t turn up a criminal record. You should always proceed with some caution, whether in an online or in-person setting.

4.Plan a safe first date:After getting to know someone online, you might want to meet in person. There are a few rules you should always stick to for first dates. First, plan to meet up in a public place; never agree to go to someone's house or invite someone to yours. Next, tell a friend or family member where you're going, as well as any details you have about your date, like a phone number or name. When you're arranging transportation, get there and leave by your own means—don't let the other person pick you up. This will allow you to leave whenever you want, for example, if you're not having a good time or feel uncomfortable. Finally, be smart about alcohol. It's OK to have a drink, but don't go overboard. This will help you keep your wits about you.

5.Do what feels right:Use your instincts to help you decide if and when you want to take your relationship to the next level. If you feel comfortable and have given the relationship some time to develop, there's no reason to feel wary about a relationship that began online—many people find love this way!

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Source : http://www.healthywomen.org

10 Low-Cost Ways to Promote Your Business

Business promotion is to running a successful business as practicing scales is to playing the piano well; it may not be a thrilling activity in itself, but you just have to do it! You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning how to promote your business (and more is better, if you can fit the time in)!

You promote your business by getting the word out. The first axiom of business promotion is that you have to do this consciously. You can't rely on other people to do it for you, no matter how great your product or service is.

1) Use every outgoing piece of paper, and every electronic document as business promotion:

You have business cards, but you also put out a lot of other documents in the course of doing business. Check these to make sure you're using their promotional possibilities to full advantage.

For instance, business stationery is an ideal business promotion tool. Is your business name, logo, contact information (including URL if you have one), and slogan on your envelopes as well as on your letterhead? Or are your envelopes only printed with your business name and return address? What a waste! Your phone and fax numbers, your URL, and even a memorable slogan should be there, too. It's not just an envelope, it's a business promotion tool! You're sending it out anyway, so why not make it work for you?

The same goes for outgoing faxes, bill payments, receipts; whatever paper you send out should carry your full company message. And don't forget to make sure that your email has a complete signature that provides all your business information and a promotional tagline.

Electronic documents, such as email, are also easy to update with your latest business promotion information, whether it be a special price on your product or service, or letting people know that your company has won an award. If you need information about using signature files with particular mail programs, visit About Email Guide Heinz Tschabitscher's Signature links.

2) Writing articles on topics related to your business expertise is an excellent business promotion technique:

Well-written articles can provide free advertising and build positive word-of-mouth. If you're a realtor, for instance, you could write a piece on preparing your home to be shown. If you're a website designer, you might write a piece about assessing website usability. The more specific your topic, the better. Write a short biographical note, or "blurb" about you and your business to go with the article. Then send it out!

Where? As the goal is to promote your business, ideally you'd like it to appear in a publication that your target market will be reading.

1) Blogs/websites - There are an astronomical number of these that are hungry for content! Many accept, even seek out, "guest posts", blogs or articles from people not employed by the person or business running the site.

These can be great promotional placements for you as long as you choose the blog or website you allow to publish your work carefully. Having one or more of your articles on a site that gets little traffic isn't going to help you and may even hurt your business if it's a spammy looking site. Ideally, you want to get your piece published on a blog or website that has high traffic and has a good chance of being visited by your prospective customers.

You also have to choose carefully in terms of your target market. If you're selling baby clothes, getting one of your articles published on a blog about SEO isn't going to be seen by many (if any) of the customers you hope to impress. Getting your work on a popular blog directly related to bringing up baby would be a much better fit.

2) Magazines - The magazine industry isn't dead yet and many of them are always looking for content too. Once again, the trick is to get your article published in a magazine that your target market is likely to read. Search for these online by specific topic (i.e. baby magazines).  

Freelance writing sites also provide a great deal of information on all kinds of publications that might publish your efforts. 

3) Newspapers - are also excellent places to place your business promotion article. Try contacting the Business editor of your local paper and pitching your article. If this approach fails, you might be able to get your piece into the paper by sending it in as a letter to the Editorial section.

3) Sending out press releases is another great way to get some free business promotion:

The caveat to using press releases as a business promotion tool is that your press release has to actually contain information that is newsworthy, and be engaging enough to get people's interest. Has your business recently expanded? Do you have a new product? Have you been involved in some promotional activity such as sponsoring a charity event? Have you or your company recently won an award? All of these are examples of "news" that you can capitalize on to get some free promotion for your business.

Press releases can also be published online.

4) Spend some of your online time on business promotion through social media:

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are great ways to promote your business through social media.  A good example of how this can be effective was illustrated to me recently when we had a power outage that affected some areas of our small community.  One of the local restaurants posted on Facebook that they had power and were open for business and within an hour they were packed with customers.  

5) Use buddy marketing to promote your business:

For example, if you send out brochures, you could include a leaflet and/or business card of another business, which had agreed to do the same for you. This gives you the chance to reach a whole new pool of potential customers.

You might also plan and carry out business promotions with complementary businesses. A pet store and a pet grooming business, for example, might use shared advertising, or run a contest together. This can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion, and allow each business to use promotion techniques that would be too expensive to implement alone.

6) Give out freebies as business promotion:

We're all familiar with hearing or reading advertisements that promise that the first 50 people to visit a particular store will receive a free  You fill in the blank. It could be anything from a red rose through an ice-cream cone! We're all familiar with this kind of spot promotion because it works. People love to receive things that are free.

Besides using freebies as business promotions, you can also use them regularly as customer "rewards". For example, I recently had a picture framed; the framer had attached a free picture hanger to the painting's wire, with a small card thanking me for my patronage. It's only a small thing, which certainly didn't cost him much, but as the customer, I appreciate not having to rummage through my home looking for a suitable hanger, and can't help thinking positively about the service he provides. What small, inexpensive things could you give out with your product or service that will get your customer thinking good thoughts about you? Combining business promotion with customer rewards is definitely a win-win situation.

Still looking for more low-cost business promotion ideas? Continue on to the next page, which discusses being a talk show guest and giving seminars as ways to effectively promote your business.

7) Promote your business on a talk show:

Your local radio station or cable TV station may have programs that are looking for guests - a great low-cost way to promote your business! Business-related programs are ideal. Find out who the host is, and approach him or her as willing to share your expertise on a particular topic.

Call in programs are popular; you may be able to appear as a guest expert. If you're a mechanic, you might offer to take call-in questions on car maintenance; if you operate a health store, you might market yourself as an expert in herbal remedies. Have your proposal clearly worked out before you contact the program host, and make sure the parameters of your appearance, such as details about plugs, are clear beforehand.

8) Promote your business by giving a seminar or presentation:

You have expertise that other people are interested in! (You couldn't be in business if you didn't.) Why not share that expertise and promote your business at the same time?

For example, a local carpet company advertises a free seminar on installation techniques for a type of laminate flooring. Participants not only learn how to install this type of flooring themselves, but are offered special discount prices if they wish to purchase laminate flooring. Another local retailer who sells goods made of stained glass offers courses on working with stained glass on-site.

If there's no direct tie-in to your product or service, you can still give a presentation on a related topic. Nursery people or horticulturalists, for instance, often give demonstrations on topics such as tree-pruning, or slide shows of famous gardens they've visited. Although most of my business involves providing specific writing or training services to businesses, I give presentations on general topics such as "Promoting Your Business On A Shoestring".

If it's not feasible to present the seminar at your site, because you're a home-based business or just don't have the facilities you would need, arrange to give the seminar elsewhere. Many government-sponsored organizations, such as Business Service Centres and Economic Development Centres, and non-profit programs are always looking for experienced business people who are willing to give presentations. You may also be able to arrange to present your topic through the Continuing Education branch of your local college or university.

Scared? Start small and start building a name by making a presentation to one of your local groups such as your Home-Based Business Association or Business Women's network. If public speaking terrifies you, I can't recommend Toastmasters highly enough; this organization has helped a great many people get over this fear and be able to address groups of people. The link I've given here will lead you to Toastmasters' groups throughout Canada.

9) Use your vehicle to promote your business:

Mobile business promotion isn't just for white delivery vans. Where I live, one in every four vehicles has the name and phone number of a business decorating one of the windows or doors. Think of all the people who see your vehicle when you're driving around - especially if you live in a place where people often get stuck in traffic!

You should be able to get a pair of magnetic signs from your local source for less than a hundred dollars. Or, for an elegant promotional look, you could order Promo Plates, which are quite inexpensive at $29.95 USD plus shipping and handling.

10) Promote your business through your leisure activities:

One savvy businessman I know relaxes by being part of a rock band. Guess what? Every time his band's gigs are mentioned in the newspaper, the piece also mentions the name of his business!

You may not be part of a band yourself, but everyone does something for "fun". Whether your chosen leisure activity is working on a Spitfire Restoration project, rock-climbing, or shopping, there are all kinds of ways to promote your business while you do what you love to do.

Where's the harm in shopping or rock-climbing wearing a T-shirt that has the name of your business prominently displayed? Or in taking your business cards everywhere you go and clipping your card to the slip when you pay for a purchase by card or cheque? Get in the habit of doing business promotion wherever you go and you'll be surprised how word-of-mouth builds.

If your leisure activity involves a group, you might ask if you can include your business information on all of their out-going paper, or ask if you can at least give everyone a brochure.

And with any kind of group activity, there's always the opportunity to promote your business by letting other people know what you do and how it could benefit them. This doesn't mean that you talk about nothing else, but there are bound to be chances to talk about your business that crop up during normal conversation.

These ten business promotion ideas are just some of the ways you can promote your small business without spending a small fortune. With a little experimentation and time, you'll find out which of these ideas work best for you - and best get the word out about your small business.

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Source : http://sbinfocanada.about.com