Changes to Your Project Budget

Changes to Your Budget
Flawed estimates, accounting anomalies and
permanent or minor variances can cause budget issues. Some you just have to
deal with, and get the rest of the work done with less. But many can be
managed. By defining acceptable variances and monitoring your reserves, you
can keep most projects on course.

Project Budget

Project Flexibility Matrix

Project Flexibility Matrix
This simple, effective tool helps guide
tradeoff discussions on scope, resources and schedule during project definition
and planning work. A team can use the matrix to clarify which constraints are
flexible and which project goals are not. Courtesy of the portal
ProjectConnections.com:

Download

MS-Excel Experts

Spreadsheet Speed Demon?
If, like many project managers, you use MS Excel
for recording or reporting statistics, these Excel keyboard shortcuts will save
you time. From TechRepublic.com
Download your Excel Short Cuts

Low-Budget Marketing Reaps High Returns

Low-Budget Marketing Reaps High Returns

The founder of Bizymoms.com, Liz Folger, started her website in 1997 with
just a few pages. With more than 750 pages today, the site is one of the top
work-at-home-moms resources on the Internet.Her secret: Do-it-yourself
publicity. Get more low-cost/no-cost tips on widening your target audience and
your impact.

Read: Low-Budget Marketing Reaps High Returns

Big Bang for Small Bucks

How To Hire Employees Who Share Your Work Ethic

How To Hire Employees Who Share Your Work Ethic

Successful small business owners represent the very definition of a positive
work ethic – the belief that there is a moral benefit to work and its ability to
enhance character.

But how do you impart your work ethic on employees who have much less of a
stake in the success of the business?

It starts in the interview process - where you can pose questions and role
play scenarios to explore a candidate's style. And then it happens every day on
the job through the expectations you create and the example you set.

Learn how to get buy-in from your employees. Read: How To Hire Employees Who
Share Your Work Ethic

Hire hardworking employees.

10 Commandments of Growth

10 Commandments of Growth

People always ask for tips to successful growth. Although there is no manual
or guidebook to growth that I am aware of, I thought I’d try to capture lessons
I have learned along the way and share them with you. I call these the “10
Commandments of Growth.”

To read Paige Arnof-Fenn's lessons learned, click on: 10 Commandments of
Growth.

full article

Low Cost Benefits for Independent Contractors

Low Cost Benefits for Independent Contractors

Learn how to get low cost health benefits from IAB.  Get the benefits
you and your family deserve. 

Register today.

Low Cost Benefits for Independent Contractors

Low Cost Benefits for Independent Contractors

Learn how to get low cost health benefits from IAB.  Get the benefits
you and your family deserve. 

Register today.

Manage your companies policies, procedures and compliance documentation

Manage your company's policies, procedures and compliance documentation.

FirmCover(TM) is a web-based solution for distributing your procedures
documentation to staff and ensuring that documentation can be easily and quickly
updated in a secure environment.

FirmCover(TM) provides a controlled environment for managing and updating
your procedures documentation. Changes are always captured within
FirmCover’s(TM) comprehensive set of audit trails for easy viewing by auditors
and regulators. Specific versions of your manual can be stored in FirmCover(TM)
by saving a version of a manual.
FirmCover(TM) was created for managing
procedures documentation based on extensive feedback from clients. FirmCover(TM)
incorporates all the features you need for easily and effectively managing
compliance and training challenges.

To learn more about FirmCover(TM) contact FirmCover@btiworld.com or call
1-800-265-8254.

Download report

Green Growth Areas for Entrepreneurs

Green Growth Areas for Entrepreneurs
Which green sectors should
entrepreneurs be watching -- and what
determines VCs and angel investors'
interest in a green startup?

href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=617667&c=22f6a904cf512287&l=1">Green Growth Businesses

The Black Gold Rush

BIDDING FRENZY FOR ANGOLA'S OIL
Record bids for drilling rights
demonstrate the big bets oil companies are making to secure reserves of
black gold
Angola's Oil

Oil Sands Set to Explode

Rising energy prices are driving oil sands production to new heights. Last
week, Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) released a report giving an update on
the opportunities and challenges facing Canada's oil sands between now and 2015.
(Link opens a PDF.) A follow-up to a 2004 report, the document takes into
account current market conditions, such as the doubling of the price of crude
oil and natural gas since the original report came out. We've given our own
report on Canada's oil sands, but now let's take a revised look, based on the
new NEB report.

Download the Oil Sands report.

Investment News

BE YOUR OWN ROCKET SCIENTIST
Here are five advanced technologies with allthe bells and whistles that may just turbocharge your portfolio's performance

full article

A Huge Investment Opportunity

Warren Buffett's buying again. After sitting on a huge cash pile numbering in
the tens of billions of dollars for several years, the Oracle has started to
deploy that money. Not only has he been increasing existing positions in Wells
Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and American Standard (NYSE: ASD), but Berkshire Hathaway also
acquired new stakes in ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), General Electric (NYSE: GE),
and United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS).

And there's a reason that he's buying now. Large caps are cheap overall, and
some large caps are trading at huge discounts to their fair value.

Learn about Wareen Buffett's new straqtegy.

INNOVATION CHAMPIONS

INNOVATION CHAMPIONS
It's a conversation. It's a community. It's about one of the key business challenges of our era. It's IN: Inside Innovation,
our new supplement devoted to helping companies use "design thinking"

Inside Innovation

New Changes for Pension Plans and 401-Ks

Public-company pension plans could be dealt a blow by legislation under
consideration in Congress that could limit the use of credit balances. The
measure could have the greatest impact on automotive, aerospace and
basic-materials firms.

full article...

401(k)s moving away from financial planners
A new survey of midsize
401(k) plan sponsors reveals that those who switched plan administrators to
mutual funds in the past two years outearned those who used financial planners
as plan administrators. The data, released at a conference of the Society of
Professional Administrators and Recordkeepers in Washington, shows that plans
using mutual funds climbed three percentage points while plans using financial
planners fell two percentage points.

Companies plan to add staff in 10th straight quarter

Companies plan to add staff in 10th straight quarter
A survey of 16,000
U.S. employers found that 31% of companies planned to increase their staffing
levels in the third quarter of this year. The expected staffing level increase
for the second quarter was 30%, and the third quarter increase represents the
10th straight quarter in which more than 20% of companies planned to add
staff.  

The New York Times/Associated Press

Discover Business Card

Discover Business Card aims for small-business market

Rolling out its first commercial product, Riverwoods-based Discover Financial
Services LLC on Mondaywill introduce a credit card for small-business
owners.

In 2005, small-business credit and debit spending on U.S. Visa and MasterCard
commercial cards exceeded $130 billion, up from $102.66 billion in 2004,
according to the Nilson Report, a trade publication covering payment
systems.

full article...

BR>Get your Discover Card today!

HR Block calls on rivals to halt use of tax loans

HR Block calls on rivals to halt use of tax loans

H&R Block Inc. is no stranger to making controversial offers to get tax
clients through its doors. The nation's largest tax preparer has spent tens of
millions of dollars settling lawsuits that claimed its refund-anticipation loans
take advantage of low-income taxpayers by charging high fees.

Chief executive Mark Ernst called on his top two competitors, Jackson Hewitt
Tax Service Inc. and Liberty Tax Service, to stop selling ``pay-stub" loans,
unsecured cash payments made before a person has filed his taxes. Ernst said
they endanger the reputation of the entire industry. ``The economics of the
product have more in common with payday lending than refund lending," Ernst
said, referring to loans criticized for sometimes creating spiraling levels of
interest.

Say no to "Tax Loans"

Path To Investing Web Site

Path To Investing Web Site
Unsure of how to choose the
most appropriate mutual fund to invest in? Visit Path to Investing for a lesson
on Choosing Mutual Funds led by Marc Lackritz, president of SIA. Here Lackritz
explains how to understand mutual funds, how to set realistic expectations, the
importance of asset allocation and diversification and the basics of how to buy
mutual funds. While at Path to Investing, be sure to check out the Hot Topic
section of the Web site for an update on mutual fund reform and its impact.
Click here to view the Guided Trip.

more...

Forecasting Principles

Title: Forecasting Principles
Subject: Management
Source: Wharton / J. Scott Armstrong
learn more...

Sample Business Plans

Sample Business Plans
Entrepreneurship
Center for Business
Planning
href="http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=5088&db_table=links">Downlaod your business plan template

The Power Networking Business Seminar Series

The Power Networking Business Seminar Series

Build Viable Contacts TODAY! Come out and REALLY
network with Phil Andrews and the Power Networking Business Seminar Series.
Hosted at the legendary Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Building in Harlem, USA
this is sure to be a memorable and productive event. Mr. Andrews has held events
in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and is now coming to Harlem. Guest speakers
include Mr. Anthony Quinones of the Unity Card and Derrick Guest of Griots Roll
Production. Together we can build a circle of business so all our need are at
arms length. Publishing, Web Design, Public Relations, video production .

Register today!

Why SEO Matters in Site Re-Design

Why SEO Matters in Site Re-Design

Those cool elements like Flash animation that you let a Webmaster talk you
into won't matter much if nobody can find your company's Web site in the first
place. And if they can't find the site, they won't use it to conduct any
transactions. In a nutshell, that's the importance of search engine optimization
(SEO). A site redesign is the ideal time to improve SEO, this author says, as
efforts to go back and "fix" it generally are not enough to help a site reach
its full traffic-generating potential. He touches upon several SEO mistakes —
not removing old Web pages and not properly re-directing users and search engine
crawlers to new content — and urges companies to avoid them.

href="http://itbe.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=DB66E7:3C5015E">Learn more...

SEO Marketing Tools
Online Marketing Tutorial

Commentary: Housing, transportation costs crimp savings

Commentary: Housing, transportation costs crimp savings
Americans are
finding it increasingly difficult to save, and the reason is clear, according to
this columnist. It's not pricey coffee, trips to the mall, health care or
entertainment spending that are hurting us, it's the cost of housing and
transportation.
href="http://online.wsj.com%2farticle%2fsb115085103697185844.html%3fmod%3dhps_us_editors_picks/">more...

Google's Search Lead Widens, Reaches 50 Percent

Google's Search Lead Widens, Reaches 50 Percent

Google accounted for a majority of all the Internet searches
conducted in
April, Nielsen/Netratings found in a report issued
last week that may as
well be a coronation.
href="http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-3765-12-98-99975-442143-0-0-0-1">more info...

Structured products more popular, raising worry among advisers

Structured products more popular, raising worry among advisers
Wall
Street is promoting the use of structured products -- which combine bonds,
derivatives and other instruments into a single package that allows for betting
on the direction of the stock market -- for retirement planning. But many
financial advisers say the complex investments are inappropriate for most
individual investors.

full story

Derivatives for Main St.

To Be a Leader, Talk Like One

To Be a Leader, Talk Like One
The five essentials you should use when
speaking in business situations
straight from the mouth of a pro. Listen and
learn
href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615142&c=22f6a904cf512287&l=14">Learn more...

Terminate Your Public Speaking Fears

Terminate Your Public Speaking Fears
How Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barbara
Corcoran, and Toby Keith learned to
communicate powerfully
href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615142&c=22f6a904cf512287&l=10">full article

Microsoft Will Remove PDF Support from Office

Microsoft Will Remove PDF Support from Office

Adobe's not happy with Microsoft, and threatened court action. 

Apparently the saber rattling had an effect, as Office 2007 will
now
ship without a "Save to PDF" capability. But it goes even
further than that,
as Microsoft also plans on softening the Vista
bundling requirements for its
own XPS format - a possible Acrobat
competitor.  We've got all the
details on this case, but in short
it looks like Microsoft blinked. 

Adobe Beats Microsoft:
href="http://ct.eletters.whatsnewnow.com/rd/cts?d=181-673-1-356-144054-35995-0-0-0-1">more...

JetBlue Wins WiFi License

JetBlue Wins WiFi License

Want to connect to the internet while flying across country?  It

looks like JetBlue is your only option.   The airline that
pioneered
satellite TV looks primed to bring you internet as well.  Our
story
details which two companies won the licenses, and what might happen

next.

Jet Blue Will Offer Airborne Internet:
href="http://ct.eletters.whatsnewnow.com/rd/cts?d=181-673-1-356-144054-35992-0-0-0-1">more...

Supreme Court Takes Aim at Affirmative Action

Supreme Court Takes Aim at Affirmative Action

Nearly one year has passed since the resignation of Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O' Connor, and yesterday, the ramifications of the appointments of
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito were clear when the Supreme
Court agreed to re-examine the role of race as a factor in promoting racial
diversity in our schools.

more...

Jobs: Assistant Director Position

Urban Youth
Alliance:  *Assistant to the
Director of
Development**Part Time- 30
hours/week****Position Description:*Urban
Youth
Alliance is an indigenous, multi-ethnic, multi-denominational
faith and
community-based organization in the South Bronx that has
trained urban youth
for leadership since 1970. Urban Youth Alliance is
seeking to immediately
hire an Assistant to the Director of Development
to provideadministrative
support and development assistance to the
  Director of Development. The
position
pays $12.00/hr for 30
hours/week.*Responsibilities
 include:*· Researching grants and other
funding
opportunities· Editing and revising grant proposals·
Coordinating
fundraising events· Providing administrative
support to the Director of
Development· Coordinating
communication with
individual
donorsQualifications:· Superior writing
ability & editing
skills· Strong research skills·
Strong verbal presentation ability· Strong
administrative and
organizational skills· Ability to coordinate
events·
Comfortable working in a South Bronx
community-based
setting.  Applicants from the South
Bronx, or similar
urban areas, are encouraged to apply**·
Comfortable working with a
faith-based agency; familiarity with Bronx
church community a
plus*To
Apply:*Please send the following via mail to Faye Lopez
at PO Box
617, Bronx, NY 10451 or via fax to
 (718) 402-6879· Cover Letter (no
applications will be reviewed
without a coverletter) addressed to Ruben
Austria, Director of
Development· Resume or CV· Writing Sample (any
example
of applicant's writing will
suffice)

Taking the Pulse of Family Business

Taking the Pulse of Family Business
From behemoths such as Ford to
mom-and-pop shops, they share a set of
common challenges in today's business
climate

href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615787&l=13">learn more...

How to Polish Your Presentations

How to Polish Your Presentations
If you want to communicate effectively
before an audience, here's what
you need to do: Practice, practice,
practice

href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615787&l=12">full story...

Countdown to Product Launch, Part IV

Countdown to Product Launch, Part IV
Feeling lucky? We wrap up our series
on bringing a new product to market
with seven ways to make the unexpected
work to your advantage

href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615787&l=5">learn more..

The Library: Next Best Thing to an MBA

The Library: Next Best Thing to an MBA
Across the country, public
libraries are giving would-be entrepreneurs a
helping hand with resources and
expert guidance

href="http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?id=615787&l=2">full story...

Your Cash is Now Worthless

Your Cash is Now Worthless

By JP Behrens

Forget paper money, it means nothing in this new age of high technology and debit check cards.

Almost every customer service oriented business is set up to accept credit cards. Even McDonalds and Burger King are swiping cards these days for their customers.The last bastions of cash necessary mechanisms were the parking meter and the vending machine.Well, start bottling up your change, because they've fixed that, too.

In Canada, a private company Verrus Mobile Technologies is spearheading the move to use cell phones to call in payments for parking meters.This isn't the first time cell phones have been used as debit cards.

In various European countries, cell phones can be waved in front of vending machines and are set up to deduct money from your bank account to pay for items.Verrus has found that not only is it more convenient for the customer and meter police alike, but it will cut down on the wear and tear of the machines.

Customers are also paying more into the meters than they normally would, and the city of Vancouver is making record amounts of money on the 8,000 meters currently set up.Plus, Verrus is earning 30 cents per transaction, which the driver pays as well, and they are calling it a convenience fee. In any event, your cash money is become more and more obsolete. Debit cards and cell phones are ready to destroy the paper dollar and replace it with electronic transactions.Every Christmas, on-line sales increase and the Internet doesn't accept cash or check. Only cold, hard plastic.

One company that is already positioned to profit from the electronic evolution is Micros Systems (NASDAQ: MCRS).

Companies to Watch
Micros Systems (NASDAQ: MCRS)
Candela
Optibase
Universal Display Corp.
Wright Medical Group
Plug Power Inc.
Ballard Power Systems Inc.
Astronics Advanced Electronics Systems

More boomers to face poverty levels

More boomers to face poverty levels

Up to one in five baby boomers could face the specter of living in poverty after reaching retirement age, according to a new SIA study that says a "substantial and sustained saving effort" is needed to reverse the trend. The 20% figure would represent approximately double the current proportion.

full article

More Retired Women Face Poverty

Midyear marks prime time for personal finance review

Midyear marks prime time for personal finance review

As the first half of the year comes to an end, many investors will pause to review the performance of money managers, to examine stocks and mutual funds to decide what to keep and to consider how to tweak their holdings to do better in the future.

Unfortunately, this midyear review most likely will leave out the most important manager of all, because people don't evaluate their own performance as a saver, spender, consumer and investor. They're so busy looking at investment results that they fail to consider their own progress (or lack thereof) toward personal goals.

This is odd, because investors have more power and control over themselves than over any pro. Your investment decisions may improve your portfolio, but you have complete control over your savings rate, your ability to cut debt and more, and those actions will improve your overall financial condition as much or more than dumping a money-losing stock or fund.

full story...

Financial Literacy: Saving for Retirement More Challenging for Blacks

Financial Literacy: Saving for Retirement More Challenging for Blacks

Despite increased financial prowess among blacks in the last decade, prevailing racial disparities in investment strategies illuminate a need for more financial education.

Blacks tend to invest more conservatively than whites, relying more on employer pensions and real estate for retirement income than stock investments, according to the 2006 Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey. While the data shows increasing financial prowess among blacks in the last decade, prevailing racial disparities in investment strategies illuminate a need for more financial education.

Now in its ninth year, the annual Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey, conducted by telephone, evaluates the investment and savings practices of 500 white and 500 black homeowners who make $50,000 or more per year.

With traditional sources of retirement�life insurance, pensions, Social Security�in flux, blacks especially face new challenges. While most blacks and whites believe pension funds will not exist 10 years from now, 65 percent of blacks compared with 49 percent of whites work for employers who offer these traditional plans. But while whites' stated primary purpose for savings is to retire comfortably, many blacks have a different agenda.

"They want ownership, control and empowerment that stem from owning their own businesses," said Lisa Toppin, human-resources and diversity-programs director with Charles Schwab. "But they're considering this at a point of retirement. It takes money to fuel business; they have to use their savings, and many new businesses fail. If this happens, they may become dependent on their children, who then have little time to save themselves."

Fifteen percent of blacks, nearly four times the rate of whites, save in order to start a business post-retirement. But what if there is no return? While 90 percent of both groups consider themselves "very responsible" for retirement preparations, blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to believe that "when corporate pensions go bankrupt, the government should be responsible for paying those people."

Need help preparing for retirement? Call your Tax Pros today. 718-875-0556

ServiceCenter@TaxProsOnline.com

How to Reach GLBT Market? Use Multimedia

How to Reach GLBT Market? Use Multimedia

While advertisers traditionally have tried to reach the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community (GLBT) through print marketing, many are finding today's most effective campaigns work through different media, according to a column in The New York Times (registration required).

"In this fragmented media age, everybody's demanding hyper-customized creative to talk to specialized audiences," says Brian Graden, president at Logo and at MTV Networks Music Group Entertainment. "We're all coming up to speed together on the best way to reach this audience."

In June 2005, media behemoth Viacom launched Logo, a cable-television network and complementary Web site that targets members of the GLBT community and their families. The Logo cable channel is available in 23 million households, compared with 13 million last Junes.

"In the early research we did, testing what our audience was looking for, they said they wanted to see ads on the channel to see who would be reaching out to them," says Lisa Sherman, senior vice president and general manager at Logo in New York, part of the MTV Networks division of Viacom.

To date, more than 60 national corporations have advertised on Logo, including Eastman Kodak (one of DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies and No. 5 in the Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities in 2006), General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Sears Holdings and Subaru.

Film festivals have become another way to reach the GLBT community. The Stolichnaya brand of vodka sold by wine and spirits producer Pernod Ricard USA is underwriting a documentary, "Be Real," and will launch a complementary Web site that profiles of six lesbians and six gay men, reports the Times.

"The project is about more than a brand," said Adam Rosen, senior Stolichnaya brand manager at the Pernod Ricard USA division in New York. "We want to showcase our commitment to the community in a culturally relevant way."

Cultural relevance is of utmost importance to the GLBT community, whose buying power is projected to increase 5 percent to $641 billion in 2006, according to the latest data from Witeck-Combs Communications and Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

"There was a pent-up demand for a channel to cater to this consumer," said John Nash, president at New York�based Moon City Productions�creator of GLBT-targeted campaigns for Subaru. Subaru has incorporated GLBT outreach into its marketing campaign for more than a decade, Nash told the Times. Commercial spots include subtle cues to signal the intended audience, like picturing either both men or both women when two people are shown in a shot, he added.

Subaru, Volvo and BMW are perceived as the top auto brands that extend the greatest outreach to the GLBT community, according to the American International Automobile Dealers. For the GLBT community, a perception of inclusion translates to a marketing reality.

Whether commercial advertising is presented in a magazine ad or a television commercial, greater proportions of gays and lesbians report they may be motivated to consider buying products shown in these ads, according to an October 2005 online Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs poll of 1,715 non-GLBT and 351 GLBT adults nationwide.

The study found that 49 percent of GLBTs prefer brands that target their community over brands that do not, compared with 33 percent of other consumers. GLBTs also are more likely to trust brands that have been advertised in GLBT-targeted media (47 percent vs. 34 percent).

"In today's competitive marketplace, it is no longer prudent for a leading corporation to ignore the buying power of the gay market," said Witeck-Combs President Wesley Combs, in a statement. "Marketers that do risk leaving market share on the table for others to capture."

Finally, the Truth: How Many Gay Americans Are There and What Will They Buy?

Finally, the Truth: How Many Gay Americans Are There and What Will They Buy?

Despite increasing anecdotal evidence that the number of gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the United States is on the rise, there continues to be a dearth of hard data to accurately describe the group. What has been especially problematic is the use of some consumer-research data to support the widely held market perception that the great majority of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community is wealthier and better educated than most Americans. So while marketers trumpet GLBT consumers as a "dream demographic" with loads of disposable cash burning holes in their designer pockets...

full story

New Ways to Access Micro Lending Market

Social Lending Marketplace Prosper Launches

Prosper (formerly known as CircleOne), founded by E-Loan cofounder Chris Larsen, has launched--very softly. According to the site:

People who need money request it, and other people bid for the privilege of lending it to them. Prosper makes sure everything is safe, fair and easy.

This could be a great tool for investors, investment clubs that are looking for higher yields. It also is a good opportunity to provide micro loans in your community.

Register today.

Main web site http://www.prosper.com/

HOT STOCKS FOR THE SUMMER

HOT STOCKS FOR THE SUMMER

It's that time when consumers spruce up their homes, entertain outdoors, and take road trips. S&P picks some stocks poised to benefit from the season.more..

Using Technology to Compete on a Grander Scale

Using Technology to Compete on a Grander Scale

Register to win a 3 IN 1 DJBOX2 128mb MP3 PLAYER.(10 winners will be selected)
Through the advancements of technology, organizations regardless of size are now competing against one another. When it comes to the global economy, IT has made the entire business world attainable with the technical advances of the digital revolution. This increased reach,however, also leads to cutthroat competition. The companies that will survive are the ones that harness technological innovation to allow them to focus on their core competencies and customer service.

Modernizing business processes and delivering on these challenges pose major challenges for those organizations with limited financial, IT, personnel and time resources. The small/medium businesses (SMBs) that will survive are the ones that run efficiently and offer the best customer service.

Unlike their larger foes, SMBs can't afford to get it wrong the first time.
On June 27, 2006 Ziff Davis Media, Gold Winner of the Folio: Fame Award for Best Online Event, will produce, direct, and host "Using Technology to Compete on a Grander Scale." Attend this free one-day SMB technology virtual tradeshow for the answers to your most pressing questions. You'll hear directly from industry analysts, consultants, IT managers, applications experts and vendor executives. Learn how to drive efficiency, use technology and manage workflow. Don't let your small/medium business fall behind.

Register Now

This Virtual Tradeshow includes:

• Pre-event networking opportunities with industry professionals and peers via chat and the introNetworks community
• Virtual booths for obtaining exhibitor information, receiving industry updates and exchanging virtual business cards
• Live Keynote presentation and panel discussions with leading analysts, consultants, government officials and vendor executives will be on hand to share their knowledge
  

Show DateJune 27th, 2006
9:00-11:00 ETVirtual Doors "Open": Browse Vendor Booths, Network with Peers
11:00-11:45 ETOpening Keynote: Business Efficiency and Enhanced Customer Service Through AutomationFeatured Speaker: Judith A. Roussel, District Director - IllinoisDistrict Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
1:00-1:45 ETHot Button Panel 1: The Virtual Company - How to Run a Business Without an Office
3:00-3:45 ETHot Button Panel 2: Outsource is not a Dirty Word: Using Hosted Service Providers to Drive Efficiency
5:00-5:45 ETHot Button Panel 3: You Get What You Pay For: Disaster Recovery and Continuity Strategies That May Save Your Business

View the full program

Linking Strategy and Planning Budgets

Linking Strategy and Planning Budgets

Untangle the inherent but critical structural conflict organizations face in linking strategy and organizational design. This article, the first in a two-part series, illustrates how a successfully linked strategic planning/budgeting process depends not only on integrating all the entities of an enterprise, but also on reconciling long-term goals (strategy) with short-term realities (budgeting).

full article...

Doctor Aren Not Being Paid

The Check Is Not in the Mail
From The New York Times (Topic: Healthcare IT), May 25:

Few things rankle a doctor more than an insurance company's saying it cannot find a claim for medical services. Particularly when there is even a signed return receipt to document deliveryof the bill. more...

Learn how IAB Health Benefits Services helps docotrs avoid late payments from medical insurance companies.

For more on health care IT, see "Sick over Health Care IT,"from Dan Briody's Biz Bytes: full article...

Web Site Maintenance: Do It Yourself, Or Outsource It?

Web Site Maintenance: Do It Yourself, Or Outsource It?

If you build a Web site, you need to keep it fresh and updated. The questionis, who does the work, and how?

read article...

Summer Slowdown Is Time To Recharge Your Business

Summer Slowdown Is Time To Recharge Your Business

Like many small businesses, Rick Lehrer and his seven employees at Cambridge Life Agency overworked during busy periods, then coasted during summer slowdowns. The problem: When his New York insurance brokerage business accelerated after slowdowns, Lehrer was frustrated again, because he never had time to accomplish all his goals. Read how Lerhrer started taking advantage of the slow season to reconnect with customers, do some business and financial planning, and more ... and how you can too.

Click here: Summer Slowdown Is Time To Recharge Your Business

Advertising: 5 Words Never to Use in Your Ad Campaign

FIVE WORDS TO NEVER USE IN AN AD

Forget the meaningless cliches and empty promises. What really matters is what customers take away about a business.

more...

Intuit Extends SMB Reach of QuickBooks Enterprise

Intuit Extends SMB Reach of QuickBooks Enterprise

Intuit moved higher into the small to midsize business market with the introduction of a new 20-seat license and a new channel promotion for its QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 6.0 accounting package.Read the rest of John's report.
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THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MELTING POT

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MELTING POT

African Americans, Asians, and Latinos are launching new businesses at rates far above the national average.

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HOW WE USE THE WEB TODAY

HOW WE USE THE WEB TODAY

A new study presents one of the clearest pictures of how people get their fill of Web-based media, especially at work.

Read the Survey.

How to Get a Pay Raise

How to Get a Pay Raise

Do you feel like you should be making more money? You're not alone. Mostpeople feel overworked and underpaid. Though negotiating a raise might seemimpossible, it may be easier...

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Business for Sale: Affiliate Marketing Online Business

Business for Sale: Affiliate Marketing Online Business

Founded in 1999, AffiliateAnnouncement is the only full-service affiliate directory
submission company.

2005 Revenue: $55,059.00

2006 YTD Revenue: $56,890.00

2006 Projected Revenue: $136k+

Average Monthly Revenue: $11,378.00

AffiliateAnnouncement is a web-based company that is easily relocated
and operated as a home-based business.

Click here for more information.
Download Business Reports and Contact Information.

Lines blurred between broker and adviser roles

Lines blurred between broker and adviser roles

SEC rules give brokers too much leeway when it comes to offering financial
advice without being subject to the regulations that restrict financial
advisers, according to some in the financial community. Michael Udoff, associate
general counsel for the Securities Industry Association, a brokerage-industry
group, says investment advisers can have conflicts of their own. For any
counselor, "what it really comes down to, I guess, is disclosure and how you
manage those conflicts."

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For Job-Searching Grads: Gifts to Get the Job Done

For Job-Searching Grads: Gifts to Get the Job Done
By Rachel Florman

When looking for a gift for grads who are entering the job market, think about what you can do to help advance the job search.

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Learn more about resume writing and interview preparation services.

How to PowerPoint Like a Pro

How to PowerPoint Like a Pro

Prepare a simple story with a strong message -- then worry about the slides themselves.

Download these new Powerpoint templates.

Improve Your Project Status

Improve Your Project Status

Some view project status as a necessary evil; done poorly, it is. Butmany successful project leaders use the status process to add value to their efforts, including better communication with management, team members and customers. Here are some proven ground rules for preparing and presenting effective status reports.

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Connections That Close Deals

Connections That Close Deals

Above and beyond superb sales skills, walking away with a purchase order will often depend on the personal ties you establish with your client.

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The Health-Insurance Crunch

The Health-Insurance Crunch

Many microbusinesses can't afford coverage, but that hurts their growth.While the policy debate continues, one nonprofit offers help

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Learn how low cost IAB Heath Benefits can help your business.

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