Ever known a manager who held great respect of his or her team but was not respected by his or her management? Or maybe you’ve had a manager that just couldn’t get things done effectively because he or she just didn’t know how to “work the system”? Or even still, are you are a manager who is continually frustrated because you can’t get your manager to do what you need him or her to do? If any of these sound familiar to you, welcome to the world of ineffective upward management.

Upward management is one of those skills that some do very well, many never seem to master, and virtually all learn only through on-the-job lessons-learned. When done well, both the manager and employee work as a team to ensure each other is informed, address problems before they spin out of control, and be more effective at managing. When done poorly, both manager and employee are not only ineffective at getting the job done but are chronically frustrated due to mis-steps and surprises.

Through the years I’ve come to categorize most poor upward managers into four personality types:

The Brown-Noser – This is the employee who treats his boss as some kind of rock star and constantly searches for what his boss wants to hear. Rather than upwardly managing, the brown-noser upwardly affirms whatever it is the boss is thinking.

The Rebellious Teenager – This is the employee who consciously conceals information from her boss because she wants to demonstrate that she can get things done without help from her boss. Rather than upwardly managing, the rebellious teenager keeps her manager in the dark by withholding information.

The Cowardly Lion – This is the employee who simply is afraid to share information with his boss because he fears his boss’ reactions. Rather than upwardly managing, the cowardly lion avoids sharing information unless completely painted into a corner.

The Erupting Volcano – This is the employee who subscribes to the “more is better” school of information management and will tell her manager every gory detail of every single event every single day. Rather than upwardly managing, the erupting volcano spews data like hot lava and forces her manager to pick out the important facts.

So how do you avoid mis-steps in managing upward? Give this baker’s dozen a look and see if one or two of these nuggets can help you be a better upward manager:

#1 – Understand your boss – Think about how your boss likes to communicate; does she prefer written emails or verbal discussion? Does she like structured one-on-one meetings or informal chats? Get a clear understanding of how your boss likes to engage and adapt your style to her style.
#2 – Stick to objective facts – When presenting information avoid emotionally-biased assessments. Sure, you may have put your heart and soul into a project but if the project no longer makes Business sense to do then it’s your responsibility to put personal feelings aside and do the right business thing.
#3 – Don’t dump problems on his or her doorstep that you should be solving yourself – Yes, your manager has greater responsibility than you, probably gets paid more than you, and most likely has more organizational influence than you. That doesn’t mean you get to delegate things you should be solving yourself. Handle the problems that you’re paid to handle and enlist your boss for the stuff that requires his influence in the organization.
#4 – Be specific about what you need – Whether it be money, resources, or some other form of assistance, be very specific about what you need, why you need it, and what will happen if you don’t get what you need. Credible objectivity is crucial here: if it looks as if you are “stacking the deck” by exaggerating consequences or embellishing benefits you’re likely to not get what you need. Also, subsequent asks are going to be viewed with greater skepticism.
#5 – Don’t ever give reason for your boss to question your credibility – Simply put, if you get caught stretching the truth on even the smallest of facts, you’ve now given your boss reason to question not only the little things but also the big things. You’ve got to stay pure with your boss and protect your integrity by never allowing your credibility to be put to question.
#6 – Don’t manage upward at the expense of managing downward – I’ve known one too many managers who did a great job of keeping his boss happy but had a team that wanted to string him up by his thumbs. Look, at some point in time those that manage up at the expense of managing down will get found out and will have to pay the piper. Don’t play Russian roulette with your career by keeping your boss comfy while ticking off your team.
#7 – Respect your boss’ time – Got a meeting with your boss? Show up on time, come prepared to discuss whatever topics need discussing, and end the meeting on time. Your boss is busy and her time should be utilized as effectively as possible. Don’t let your boss see your meetings with her as a waste of time.
#8 – Diligently follow through on commitments – So your boss asks you to complete an assignment by tomorrow. You agree to meet the commitment. The deadline passes and you haven’t met the commitment and all you can offer up is some lame excuse. Sheesh. Even if you think an assignment given to you is the dumbest assignment on earth, if you’ve made a commitment to do it then meet the commitment. Not following through shows a lack of respect for your boss and breeds distrust.
#9 – Present options – In decision making managers like to see alternatives and the consequences associated with each alternative. Some of the best decision making meetings I’ve been in with my bosses have been where we had meaningful dialogue around two or three viable options to resolving a tough problem. My job in the process was to frame up the options, provide facts to support each option, and provide a recommendation. Sometimes the recommendation was taken, sometimes not; the most important thing was that a good decision was made because there was good informed discussion..
#10 – Make your boss look good – Let’s say that your boss is due to make a presentation to his boss and is relying upon you to provide some critical information. You give your boss the information he needs and he presents it to his boss. He then gets fricasseed because the information is wrong. Guess whose office he stops at first on his way back from getting barbecued? Simply put, don’t put your boss in a situation where he looks bad in front of his management; you’ve not only hurt your credibility, you’ve hurt his credibility.
#11 – Don’t suck up – Telling your boss what she wants to hear can label you as a spineless know-nothing who doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to manage effectively on your own. You’ll not only quickly lose the respect of your team, your boss will ultimately see through you and not respect your leadership abilities. Sure, you may get the occasional self-absorbed manager that craves shameless idolatry; but by and large bosses view sucking up as incompetence.
#12 – No surprises – Ever tell your boss that your project is on schedule and on budget then at the last minute spring a huge schedule or budget slip on her? Particularly early in my career I’ve had this happen more than once. For it to happen more than once is shameful to say the least. Bosses don’t like surprises where they are forced to accept a problem without having the option to try to fix it before it got out of control. When you see problems make sure you northwind your boss; just make sure you’re working diligently to resolve the problem and not just to cover your @#$.
#13 – Admit mistakes…quickly – Look, screw-ups happen. Heaven knows that I’ve got more screw-ups to my name than many managers will ever see. The important thing is to own up to your mistakes quickly and outline what you are going to do to rectify the mistake. Being the last one to recognize you’ve made a mistake just diminishes your credibility, so own up to those gaffes and get to work fixing them.
Upward management: sometimes a real pain, many times a diversion, but always a necessity. Take stock of your upward management skills and see where you might need to tie up some loose ends using some of these nuggets.

Lonnie Pacelli
http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/thirteen-tips-to-effective-upward-management-63915.html

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Las Vegas, NV — Pacific Timesheet, the leading name in timesheet and time tracking systems, announced its providing eligible organizations free time tracking software systems with up to 10 user licenses. Pacific Timesheet also assists qualified nonprofit, educational and government services organizations with additional donations in the form of pricing discounts for larger timesheet software systems.

Pacific Timesheet CEO Pat Conrad stated “Pacific Timesheet can be used to track the time, work and progress of activities supported by various grants or funding sources under any platform, such as time clock, personal computer, mobile device and IVR system etc. It provides a comprehensive yet easy to use project management tool. The software also allows for the reporting and tracking of project details to ensure easier and more efficient Project Management. The software contains an activity and project-management system that is compatible with accounting and other key in-house systems.

About Pacific Timesheet Enterprise

Pacific Timesheet Enterprise is a J2EE-compliant time-sheet and time tracking software for the web and supports virtually every operating system and database. Its n-tier architecture allows its timesheet systems to scale to tens of thousands of users. Single sign-on integration is also available with LDAP, OpenID, Netegrity and Microsoft Active Directory. Pacific Timesheet Enterprise provides project timesheet, project time tracking, project management, project portfolio management, job costing, product life cycle management, payroll timesheet, and time and attendance features in one system. Modules include automated approvals, billing and pay rates, time-off scheduling, resource scheduling, custom reporting, project management dashboard, iPhone timesheet, IVR integration, time clock integration and payroll integration. Each module can be licensed separately. Pacific Timesheet supports all major operating systems and browsers, and is available in licensed or ASP/online versions. Pacific Timesheet’s extensive customization support can meet virtually every end user requirement, and makes it the best platform to consolidate and standardize your time tracking systems. This platform provides maximum control, flexibility and visibility allowing managers and administrators to deploy and standardize their time and work tracking implementations quickly with little or no training required. Pacific Timesheet Enterprise integrates seamlessly with your existing IT infrastructure and other software assets so you can easily merge and compare data across key systems. Custom configurations are available for specialized requirements. Extensive training services, including End User training, Project management admin training, Supervisor training, and Application Admin training, and consulting services ensure that rollout is on-time and user acceptance is high.

About Pacific Timesheet

Pacific Timesheet is a leader in providing on-demand timesheet and time tracking software. Its flagship product, Pacific Timesheet Enterprise, provides unprecedented ease-of-use, flexibility and reliability. Built on platform, database, and browser-independent technologies that can be implemented either on-premise or on-demand, Pacific Timesheet provides an enterprise-ready solution that is easy to use and implement for companies across the globe. Pacific Timesheet offer significant rapid Return on Investment allowing customers to save millions of dollars while improving their visibility into employee projects, work and attendance.

The Company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has offices throughout North America and Europe. Pacific Timesheet is an equal opportunity employer always in search of talented professionals interested in the development and application of proven software technologies. Pacific Timesheet’s time management Systems are used by some of the world’s largest corporations such as Applied Materials and NOAA. If you need additional information about Pacific Timesheet go to www.pacifictimesheet.com, or call 866-416-2061 ext. 200

Jason Trend

The regular demands of work, relationship and leisure each calls for personal attention. These areas require personal management oversight in order to prevent unnecessary stress and increase productivity.

At work, it is likely that you have to juggle with multiple responsibilities. These include the multiple deadlines that you have to adhere to. The key to learning time management in the workplace lies in the following 4 key points.

(1) Understand roles and job scope

You must always understand your own job scope. When you are handed a task, make sure that you fully understand what is expected of you and your colleagues.

If any doubt arises, clarify them with your employer. Roles have to be defined to prevent time wasted on completing someone else’s job.

(2) Prioritize

You need to focus your energy on one task at a given time. This gives you the maximum concentration and working capacity to produce a better job.

Sometimes, you may end up with unexpected workload when your colleague or superior needs a last minute favor. Arrange your workload in line with the expected deadline and complexity of task. You will find yourself less overwhelmed as you work on one task at a time.

(3) Time Frame

You may have multiples tasks awaiting you to work on but do set a time frame to gauge time needed for each task. Try your best not to exceed the intended period.

To do so you will need a high level of self discipline because very often, all your superior expect is for you to submit your work according to the deadline. Try to construct your own schedule for every on-going project with its target date of completion.

Cut down on time spent chatting with colleagues if necessary to ensure no time is wasted.

(4) Get it right the first time

While you work on multiple deadlines, ensure that you produce quality work so that you won’t need to execute a correction on the completed task. This wastes precious time and energy.

As Helene Malmsio from Time Management in the Workplace website says “Ensure that you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish in your working day and be realistic!

You will do yourself no favours by trying to complete a week’s worth of work in one day. All you will accomplish if you try this technique is a big ball of stress in your stomach and a head ache to go with it.”

Learning time management in the workplace is actually not difficult. It may take time but once you’ve mastered the necessary skills, you will feel less pressured and be able to work better.

Gen Wright
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/4-tips-for-learning-time-management-in-the-workplace-1228307.html

There are some very significant things you necessarily do SEO-wise while designing your website. Content is King when designing your website, and is similarly important to both of the major groups who will determine the success of your web site. Secondly, while designing your website, aim to get a high ranking in the top three search engines- Yahoo, Google and MSN. It is also important that you switch from your own profit-oriented perspective to the prospective customers’ perspective.

A web designer needs to consider a variety of online selling principles while designing an eCommerce website. When designing your website, for more details visit to www.html-lockdown.com you need to ensure that it is compatible with other internet browsers, or your website will appear with a messy layout. Use fewer words to attract the audience and communicate a message: Designing a website is like telling a story.

Having good keywords is one of the most important areas to consider while designing a website/webpage. This could be because when you are designing a website, you are concentrating so intently on the smaller details that you forget to step back and look at the big picture. If you don’t have a website or have a poorly designed website you should consider creating or re-designing a website to adequately market your products.

It is not only about designing a website. I was personally involved in everything from designing the website to sales and marketing, for more details visit to www.html-branders.com to product design and Project Management, to customer support and beyond. When designing your menu and website navigation, do make it simple and intuitive. Layout is extremely important in designing your website.

I wouldn’t name the website here, but I know well about them because I was trying to compete with them for two most competitive keywords “web design company” and “web designing company” If you doubt that these keywords are so competitive, I would like you to have a look at this great tool which would tell you how competitive a keyword and a phrase is, it’s fun to play with.

Similarly, thinking about the navigation, how the site will work, and why users are coming to your site, will give you greater insight to what you need to achieve when designing a new website. Instead of designing a sale-oriented website, try to create a “thing of beauty”.

When designing your website, there is one crucial point you need to keep in mind – your website serves as a platform to display your catalogue of products to your customers. This article will help point out some key areas you should focus on when designing your own website. Designing a site with the web standards will ensure that the website backbone will not need to be redone any time soon, which in turn, reduces the amount of work on the site and the expenses of the site owner.

With 306 different website templates designs, you can now save time and start using them instantly without going through long-hour of designing your own templates anymore.

Website promotion software, web designing and optimization all are very important. Driving high traffic to your site is important, but what’s even more important, is designing a website that makes them stay. For instance, if you are going to be designing your own websites, you will need an html editor and website design software. Aim to get a high ranking in the top three search engines- Yahoo, Google and MSN.

ANILVIJAN

An ERP system is a real-time Business support system that provides to the info requires of the whole enterprise using a sole deposit of data (a database) and a very high-tech set of highly-customizable software modules which, unitedly, help decision-making and the actions located on these conclusions. This invariably results in highly effective processes and a resultant competitive advantage. SAP, originated by SAP AG, located in Walldorf, Germany, is 1 such copyrighted ERP system.

The SAP system is organised into whatever sets of ‘solutions’ (essentially, modules) that handle the info demands of particular areas of any corporation’s procedures. Set on top of these already-integrated individual modules is the Cross-Application layer, components of which further ensure that these several solution ‘talk’ to each other in a cohesive fashion.

There is a saying, “If you fail to plan, you are actually planning to fail”. Consequently, a good starting aim for understanding SAP is it’s Project System which treats every action within the organisation as part of numerous project. Set on current orders (or perceived demand), this module is practiced specify projects that will implement these orders and set out tracking them from then on. A typical project would take on a mix of some manufacturing actions as well as whatsoever associated procurement (raw materials as well as bought-out items). Chasing After every such project right from inception, through to its completion and beyond (post-project analysis) is competently dealt by this module.

For project actions that refer to manufacturing, the Production Planning module handles the specifics of capability planning, production scheduling down to the individual tasks on the shop floor. This takes on handling data on the accessibility and deployment of human resources, machinery, tools and fixtures, consumables and energy requirements to list a few.

With streamlined production occurs Plant Maintenance which addresses preventive maintenance, breakdown maintenance along with the associated down-time of equipment and lost hrs of the work-force as well as the time, material and labor necessary for such maintenance.

The Materials Management module interfaces with Production Planning and Plant Maintenance to check a) Timely delivery of materials and b) Reduced cost of inventory. Its range originates with material requisitions (based on Bills of Material emanating from production plans as well as for unintentional purchases) and leads them from placing orders to receipt of commodities, their receiving review (quality control), their being taken into stock and being subsequently supplied for production. This module also treats finished-goods inventory.

The Costing module interfaces with all entity that has a cash value associated with it. It requires into consideration the different cost-centers and all the linked costs : equipment, material, labor and services. The same holds true for the profit centers. This costing module has a provision for product-based costing (which could fail to care particular fixed costs accurately ) as well as activity-based costing which is interpreted more scientific and supplies for cross-functional apportioning of all the drivers of these prices.

The Sales and Distribution module tracks all transactions from inquiries, requests for proposals/ quotations and pricing to interfacing with the finished-goods stock (in factory and warehouses) to picking, packing, shipping and delivery.

The Financial Accounting module logs financial transactions in the electronic equivalent of primary books of accounts, holds the General Ledger and all defined sub-ledgers, consolidates all this into the ultimate books of accounts (essentially, Profit & Loss account and the Balance Sheet), manages tax-related transactions/adjustments and interfaces with book closure. Accidentally, most of this is of a statutory nature and gets implemented with the country-specific selections of SAP.

Asset Management is used for chasing assets from the time they are bought, right through their life-time with regard to their depreciation (and, therefore their current valuation) to the point they are either sold or wrote off.

The quality management module, along with the Project System, in reality overlaps all other functions and interfaces with every one of them throughout the life of the organization. Quality, they say is never by chance; its always by design. That is why this module is used to facilitate all activities that construct quality into the corporation’s products/services (preventing defects/errors occurring in the 1st place). This is done by preparation (essentially, incorporating preventive steps in the company’s work-flow), playing these quality programs and dealing periodic inspections to find out deviations, if several. Important to the corporation’s icon and credibility in the outside world, are activities that leave to the different applicable certifications getting which is also managed effectively by this module

This was a simplex point of a very large application called SAP.

Eli Griffin

There have been a lot of changes in the way student loan interest can be handled for tax purposes. For example, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Government have now included student loan interest as a tax deductible item on personal tax returns. In addition, the previous cap on maximum loan interest rates was repealed and new rates when into effect. So, what does all of this mean? Well when the new rates were announced lenders immediately began advertising campaigns to have students consolidate existing loans in order to lock in the older lower interest rates. The belief was that the newer rates would impact tax returns as the students (or their parents) began to repay educational loans.

In order to understand how a change in interest rates can have a huge effect on student loans and student taxes, one needs to have a basic understanding of debt management. For example, interest rates on the unsubsidized or privately issued loans will begin accruing from the date the loan is issued and continues to compound upon itself. Thus, deferred payment loans that also defer interest payments can generate an extremely large amount of additional debt for any student. This impact is lessoned on the federally subsidized loans as subsidized loans to not generate interest in this way.

In an attempt to promote the advancement of higher education, the government has allowed interest paid on student loans to be noted as a deduction on individual tax returns. Meanwhile, the deferred payment options allow a student to attend the university and defer payment of the student loans until completion of the degree. The loans come in both subsidized and unsubsidized forms. Subsidized as reserved for those students able to show a financial need and the government pays the interest accrued until the student completes their degree or leaves school. Unsubsidized student loans are not based upon need and the student is responsible for paying interest as it accrues on the loan. There are lenders who will offer deferred payment loans simply because of their income generating power for the underwriting financial institution. And in fact, there are lenders who have made a complete Business out of providing deferred payment student loans which are targeted toward students who either do not realize or perhaps do not understand the concept of the interest charge incurred on interest accrued.

Student loans, and more specifically deferred payment student loans, that are offered within the boundaries of the federally subsidized or unsubsidized guidelines, are extremely helpful to students and parents who are trying to scrape together enough money to meet college funding needs. However, both parents and students need to be better educated in the terms of the debts they are incurring. Short of taking part in credit counseling to gain that understanding, however, both should take the time to read carefully the loan papers and the terms and conditions attached to them. They should also try, if possible, to pay the unsubsidized interest payments as it accrues. The money they saved would be a great start to a retirement fund upon graduation.

Clinton Maxwell
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/debt-management-plans-should-include-educational-loans-115001.html

Holly Mann wrote the book Honest Riches which is a comprehensive guide which explains how to set up a website, build content, advertise, SEO, creating e-books with tips and tricks on internet marketing throughout as to how she personally gets her websites out there within weeks or a few months.   She is an internet marketing guru who has written Honest Riches to assist those individuals looking to make money online.  Her book helps beginners learn what approach to take and where to go for resources.  She puts a huge focus on free resources since she is aware that many people starting out in internet marketing have little financial means.  Is it really possible to make passive income online (being continuous income earned currently for one time efforts performed in the past).  Yes it is.  Holly Mann’s book Honest Riches, updated for the third time in 2008, tells you how to accomplish this in short order.  You should also be aware that Holly Mann is sharing with you in her book Honest Riches, her personal techniques for making money online in 280 packed full pages.  She prides herself on being an honest marketer.

Why Should You Buy Holly Mann’s Book called Honest Riches

This book is and/or will:

• an excellent resource for beginners and intermediate internet marketers and even senior web marketers will find new ideas and resources in her book
• provide you with resources for FREE information, programs, website building, autoresponders, cloaking devices, keyword searching, etc. for those on a tight budget
• packed full of information, advice, procedures, web tool resources, programs and links to the best websites available for information in internet marketing
• resources to cut to the chase and get down to making money quicker
• help you move in the right direction from the onset which will save you hours of time doing the research yourself
• teach you affiliate marketing basics, how it works, the difference between independent and network affiliate programs set out in a detailed precise chart, recommendations on what networks to join, how to find good affiliate programs, and even information for those outside of North America in other countries and what programs and networks are available to them, and a detailed checklist on what questions you need to ask when picking a network or program
• provide an explanation on cloaking and how necessary it is for you to understand why it is important to use it with your links together with free sources for cloaking software
• teach you how to profit without having a website including explaining niches, using forums to profit, forum signatures and how to use links within to promote your business, etc.
• provide you with tips on how to write a sales letter and/or review of a product, where to find the hottest and newest products to review and sell, where to submit your reviews online without a website, additional sources for learning how to write articles
• provide you with how to use social networks, web 2.0 and e-mail marketing to obtain Business
• provide you with a detailed explanation of what autoresponders are and where to find the cheapest and best autoresponders
• teach and explain to you how to create a website including providing explanations about domain names, IP addresses, website hosting, website designs, special advice for beginners, HTML, PHP, content management systems, free websites
• provide you with how to hire a web designer, contracts for services, website design resources, and how to hire a web designer for free
• provide an explanation of RSS feeds, readers, finding and adding feeds, e-mail subscriptions for RSS feeds, and how to add an RSS Feed to your website
• provides an explanation and links respecting various types of advertising methods free and paid on the web including press releases, articles, directories, classified ad websites and how to websites, pay-per-click, and free reports with tips for all forms of advertising
• provides advanced monetization techniques including visual card directory, Amazon stores, social network marketing
• provide you with many tips, tricks, things to be careful about, top websites for matters discussed throughout the book, and many many resources for freebies
• The book is well written and easy to read, contains charts and diagrams to make the concepts easier to understand and has two indexes for ease of finding information

When I found Holly Mann’s book, Honest Riches, I was blown away by the amount of advice and information contained in the book.  The Honest Riches book was recently expanded and updated to go from 95 pages to 280 pages packed full of new and current information and resources.   I received the updated version free of charge because I had previously bought version 2.   The 2008 version breaks down the procedures for doing online marketing more clearly so as to assist the beginner who has no concept of what making money online is all about and provides many more resources.

What’s In the Honest Riches Book

For those of you who really like to know more specific details about a book which normally cannot be easily ascertained from online marketing, the following is a book review of Honest Riches which is very long and detailed so that you can determine more carefully whether the book will cover the subject(s) that you need training on, information about or resources for.   If the subject is covered in this book you can be assured the information comes from an excellent source.  Holly Mann spends considerable time looking into the programs she promotes and always buys and uses all programs she promotes.  She does not promote programs that she does not think are worthwhile.  Holly Mann also includes her own personal tips and tricks.

Her current 2008 version of the book, Honest Riches, is really 10 books in one and focuses on the following:

• Affiliate Marketing 
• Research & Preparations
• Profiting Without a Website
• Website Creation
• Search Engine Optimization
• Advertising Methods
• Product Creation
• Advanced Monetization Methods
• Internet Marketing Toolkit
• Holly Mann’s Personal Resources

Below is a summary of each of these books and what they will offer you.   This book is for those who are at beginner or intermediate level in internet marketing.  It can also assist senior internet marketers for new information they may not be aware of.  Holly Mann is very proactive at providing new and updated information to her audience.  She spends her time looking at all of the many ways of making money online so that she can provide these resources to her readers as time goes on.

Affiliate Marketing (Book 1 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

In this book Holly Mann explains what the different types of affiliate programs there are, how they work and how you get paid.  Holly indicates in this book that affiliate marketing was her key to financial success online.  She explains the difference between independent affiliate programs and affiliate networks and gives links to a number of the most popular and reliable affiliate networks, how they work and how you get paid by them.  She also recommends a number of networks that deal with individuals who live anywhere in the world.   She further provides a list of questions that you should ask yourself when you are thinking of picking a program or network and what you need to watch out for.

One of the interesting tidbits she provides in this book is about affiliate link cloaking.  She goes into great depth about what it is, how to set it up and how it protects you from affiliate link theft.   I had read about cloaking before but had no idea why it was such a benefit.   Thanks to Holly Mann I now realize that I need to use cloaking for my affiliate links.  You will too if you purchase her book. 

Research & Preparations (Book 2 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

In this book Holly Mann has spent some time showing you what the difference is between goals and direction in order to ensure you proceed in the right manner from the onset.  Remember she has already been through all this when she started to learn internet marketing and she has given you some tools for ensuring you do not get side tracked from your ultimate goal of making income on the web and the importance of “dreaming big”.  For those of you such as myself who have spent many hours looking at a number of websites unsure which ones were the best to spend time on, this book will help eliminate some of those extra hours of work for you.

Holly Mann goes into great detail about keyword research tools.  If you are not aware of what keywords are you must learn since it is a mandatory for being successful online.  She goes into detail about what “keywords are, what “niches” are and provides resources for a variety of free and paid keyword research tools and the benefits of each including Wordtracker which has been claimed to be the best available for keyword research.  Holly Mann claims that she has used Wordtracker regularly for all of her internet marketing research. 

Profiting Without Websites (Book 3 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

In this section of Honest Riches, Holly Mann explains how to make money without a website through forum postings, writing reviews, ***.  When I first heard about this concept I thought that I must have heard wrong since I could not fathom how this could actually work.  Holly Mann sets out the different procedures including a discussion about how to make money adding affiliate links to forum postings without being considered spam and gives a number of different ways in which it can be done. She also gives a website that she personally made thousands of dollars from posting a simple short advertisement.  In this book Holly Mann describes how to properly set up a signature in forums and the benefits of this.  She further tells you how you can find the hottest items to focus on when selling online.  She explains how to make money without a website by writing reviews of products and submitting them online in various places and provides you with links to some of the best places to post your reviews. 

She even provides some excellent links to learn how to write effectively for the internet if you feel you need this.   Some of these courses give excellent tips to assist you with your writing and even good writers can find new techniques that will improve their online writing which is another form of writing.  There are also references to sites where you can write articles for others and be paid for them as well.

This section also includes information on how to make money using social networking websites, web 2.0 (being websites created by a community of users) and e-mail marketing (which includes an explanation of what autoresponders are and how they can help you make money and where to get an excellent one for a great price).

Website Creation (Book 4 of Honest Holly by Holly Mann

This book goes right through the entire process of setting up websites in various forms and includes ways of obtaining free resources.  It is written for the beginner.   She provides an explanation of what domain names and IP addresses are.  Holly Mann explains what hosting your website means and gives you some excellent tips on what to look for in a hosting company along with a reference to a hosting company that I would recommend myself as a matter of fact.  I was glad to see she promotes the same one since when I did my research Bluehost was my hosting company of choice and at that time I was not really knowledgeable to make the right decision. 

There is a great section on website design which tries to teach you what not to do.  Holly Mann does not want you to make the same mistakes she did and end up with hours of extra work.    She has some very clear advice on this that should be looked at.  Holly Mann gives you some recommended software to help you create the HTML and explains what HTML is and how to write it.   She further goes into an explanation of PHP with excellent tips on how to use it on your website.

Holly Mann recommends everyone use content management systems (CMS) instead of HTML for the simple reason that everything is set up for you and making changes is very easy.  Content management systems give you the ability to add, update and edit your site without needing an HTML editor or software to do so which provides for more flexibility and control.  She also tells you where to go to get a  number of good content management systems for free and describes two of her favourites in detail.

In cases where you might not want to prepare your website yourself, she has provided information and references for hiring a designer with tips on what to watch out for. She even has tips on how to get someone to do your website for free.  Holly Mann always thinks in terms of the person who does not have a lot of funds. 

She includes a website design lingo dictionary to assist you with terms you will need to understand and service contracts that you can use for hiring a web designer.

The last chapter in this book gives an explanation of RSS Feeds and how they can benefit you.  She provides an explanation of feed readers, finding and adding RSS Feeds, e-mail subscriptions for RSS Feeds and how you can have an RSS Feed on your website. 

 Search Engine Optimization (Book 5 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

This is my personal favourite book in Honest Riches.  Holly Mann goes in detail about how search engines work, how to get indexed in the search engines right away, how to do research on the market for your website.   

She gives a research example on the SEO steps that should be taken for your new website which would be akin to a business plan.  This is great because in this process she goes through the process in baby steps so you can learn how she would handle the SEO steps for a new project step by step.

Holly Mann has created over 150 websites and provides some input into her own personal experiences with SEO techniques to help you avoid making the same mistakes.   The steps she provides for you are the exact same steps she uses herself every time she sets up a website.  She has indicated that every single niche website she has optimized has reached top ranking in the search engines.  

There is a step-by-step SEO Guide which includes keyword research, how to analyze your competition, linking strategies, purchasing a domain name, web hosting, website plan, articles, etc.   She has many resources in this section including where to go for webmaster tools and free site map templates.  She teaches you how to do reverse searching, what a robots text file is, and what you need to know about bots, spiders and crawlers when setting up your website. There are also some SEO Tutorials included.

Advertising Methods (Book 6 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

This is another one of my favourite books.  One of the first methods she recommends are Press Releases and she provides you will information on what they are, how to draft one and a list of links where to go to publish them for free.   I tend to use Holly Mann’s links for particular sites before I go to others since if she feels it is a good website to advertise in then that is enough for me.  She also gives you tips on how to pay a small amount to get a higher ranking quicker and at what websites she feels it would be a good idea to invest.

Holly Mann discussed bringing your website up in the rankings by adding articles to article websites, adding your website to directories and adding advertisements to websites and provides tips she uses herself with respect to these submissions.  She also discusses how to establish a presence online with “how to” websites and how to accomplish this and how to provide free reports and up sell at the same time and even includes a tutorial on how to prepare a free report.

There is a chapter explaining pay-per-click advertising, how to test campaigns and on affordable advertising for those who do not want to wait to get to the top of the search engines. 

Throughout all of this section there is tip after tip from Holly Mann as to what she feels you should consider and focus on when trying to get your website up in the rankings quickly.  Holly Mann explains how she has her site indexed within 2 weeks of putting it up.  After I finished reading the 2008 guide I realized why my website was still not high enough in the rankings and exactly what I needed to do in order to improve my traffic.

Production Creation (Book 7 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

This book goes into great deal on how to create and sell an e-book online including tutorials on research, creating and selling, self-publishing, brand creation.

Advanced Monetization Methods (Book 8 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

This section is for the more advanced internet marketer and if the beginners follow Holly’s tricks and tips throughout, by the time they get to this section they will have enough understanding of how to use these advanced techniques.

Some of the things that she discusses are visual card directories, how to create an Amazon store, using videos to advertise your product, social network revenue sharing, video websites, targeted text-link traffic.

Holly Mann provides a lot of information on how to market on social networks and which networks you should go with in order to get the most impact and how to gain from this exposure.

IM Toolkit (Book 9 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

Holly Mann starts off this section by saying that almost everything required for internet marketing can be obtained for free and provides information and resources for open source software, public domain software, copylefted software, non-copylefted free software, GPL-covered software, GNU software, freeware, shareware, free website design templates, free WordPress Themes, free scripts, DHTML goodies, free fonts, images and graphics, photo software, and vector images, and goes into detail about what these different types of resources can provide to you. 

There is a chapter on website ideas for making money and she provides examples and procedures for a number of types of adventures including certain types of websites that can make money and master resale rights. 

Holly Mann’s Personal Resources (Book 10 of Honest Riches by Holly Mann)

Holly sets out her own personal resources in this section of the book and outlines some of her personal preferences such as e-mail programs, web browsers, web design software and much more.  She also includes a list of her favourite internet marketing gurus that she recommends with links to their resources.

Summary

At the time of reading the third and most current version of Holly Mann’s book called Honest Riches, I felt I was at an intermediate level for understanding internet marketing.  I have found many new and exciting ideas and resources in her book to continue me to senior level.  If you are determined to make money through online marketing as I am, Holly Mann’s book can certainly help you get there quicker.

Although you can read specific sections in the Honest Riches book that might pertain to what you are interested in knowing at the onset, it is important that you read the entire book because there will be tips throughout that will help you with different aspects of your internet marketing.

This new 2008 version of the Honest Riches book very simply is 100% better than the previous versions.  My main critique of the previous version 2 would have been that although it was geared to the beginner the information was provide in short context which made it hard for the beginner to understand if they did not have a lot of knowledge.  She has definitely solved this problem by taking the time to explain very clearly from beginning to end what a beginner has to do to accomplish each aspect of internet marketing and added even more resources for everyone to take advantage of.

As a critique, I would suggest that a sub-index should have been included with the main index at the front of the book (as was done in a previous version so that it is more clear what each chapter in each book in the set deals with, however, the index at the back helps a lot to assist.

Even though there are now substantial tutorials throughout the book, it is still a book of resources and should be considered same and is there fore those beginners who need to watch their budget as they are growing their marketing online.

For more information you can go to http://ebooklibrary.canadianbusinessresources.ca/hollymann.html

Holly Crosgrey

A homemade postcard printing can be just as attractive as the ones bought in the store or bookshop. In fact, a few simple design principles can make any postcard printing as elegant and eye-catching to your target audience. In just 30 minutes or less than a few hours, you can have your very own print postcards by using simple desktop publishing and design tips.

1- Use appropriate software for your color postcard print.

If you have been doing your full color postcards for quite some time now, you would be very familiar with software programs such as InDesign, Pagemaker, and PowerPoint even to design your project. But if you’re fairly new to this type of publishing, you might want to check out other consumer software. There are plenty of templates and layout you could choose from to help you start right away. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the basic operation first before you begin making your own print postcard.

2- Choose your format.

Even before you start designing, you have to think first of what you would want for your print postcards. What is the tone of your card? Will it be funny, romantic, serious, vertically oriented or horizontal? Would you want your postcard to have the standard rectangular shape? Or you would rather have an oval-shaped card to be different? Having a format in mind can help you speed up the design process even if you intend to use a ready-made template for your project.

3- Set up your file.

Your template most probably has a blank document to set up your postcard. Either you use the template or design your layout from scratch in your desired shape and size. Either way, make sure to have a dummy for your project so you could tweak it until you finally have the design you like.

4- Select your images and pictures, and then modify.

You can get your graphics from available clip art found in your software, or you can use your own ready stock of photos. Just remember to keep it simple as you would not want to clutter a very limited space such as your postcard printing. Depending on the identity you would want to have, your graphics can contribute big time to the overall appearance of your card. When you are done choosing your image, do not forget to make simple changes to your graphics. A different size or color may work better on your layout.

5- Select your font, and arrange your words and graphics for consistency.

Do not overuse your fonts. Stick to just one or two types. The less you have, the less distracting it would be for your readers. And make sure that your font and images complement each other. They should convey the same tone and idea for a consistent overall look.

6- Proofread and print your postcard.

Finally, check your final proof before printing your color postcards on your choice of paper stock. Check everything from your text and graphics, to the final layout. Print just one copy at high quality to check the color and ink coverage. If you like what you see then go ahead and print.

A postcard made by you is so much better than print postcards done commercially in a way that it has more meaning to the giver as well as to the recipient. Postcard printing that is ‘homemade’ has more meaning because the person who made it gave time, energy and effort to the project.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Print Postcards

Lynne Saarte
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-Business-articles/how-to-make-your-own-print-postcards-755675.html

http://expressbuzz.com/nation/pmo-got-the-middleman-wrong/323781.html

PMO got the middleman wrong

After being accused of sending bureaucrats instead of political interlocutors to save Singh’s nuclear dreams, the PMO is trying to outsource the job. It has zoomed in on Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Mumbai, to open a dialogue with the Koodankulam protesters—mostly Christian fishermen. But then, going by the PMO’s record of bungling important matters, nuclear energy is no different. Cardinal Oswald is a prelate of the Catholic Church, but in Koodankulam the majority of Christains are Protestants!

All said and done, JJ knows that the project can not be given up at this stage and so the State’s power needs would be met any way! She simply takes cheap political advantage of pretending to fight for people’s ”sentiments” which is also necessary for her. The local eltie including the Priest of local church was in the news giving his support to the fasting people! She can not afford to antagonise these elites who have considerable clout with the locals.

In fact, I surmise that JJ may have given the idea to PM informally about the need to wean the church from involving in the matter. PM had evidently overlooked the denomination and moved the Mumbai AB if your news is correct!

We, people of the State, are risking the heat of the frying pan (NP plant) or jumping into the scorching fire (prolonged power crisis) whatever way the Govt decided. A nuclear plant is not definitely safe in Indian condition, where the govt is notorious for throwing false promises of safety and bureacracy known for atrociously lax supervision! But then power crisis is one that we can not brook for long! There may be alternatives but we can not make the Govts attempt sincerely, particularly after the foreign collaborated project has nearly taken off!

I don’t think JJ is really intending to thwart the attempt of the Centre and I am sure that she is only playing both ways, to befriend the people and have the inevitable benefit of the project, coolly throwing the blame on the Centre! She would have to tackle the situation at some stage if the protests turn violent or threaten to destroy the nuclear plant structures!

Politicians should be more responsible once taken charge of ruling and not play cheap party politics at the cost of harmony and goodwill (both with people and the other govts – Centre and neighbours)!

Would you suggest maximizing opportunities, taking a leadership role, and doing what you can to "manage the project?"

usually that kind of thing is on the job training. you have to be hired in at a lower position & you work your way up to project manager then at that point you have the experience you need to move on to other companies.

the community colleges in my area also work w/ the Businesses in our area & they offer certificate courses in Project Management & Logistics Management. You may want to explore that option if you’re looking to move up in your career.