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No matter what you are writing, the first priority is write the first draft.

Most writers procrastinate. Since writing is a demanding job requiring focus and dedication, most writers delay, dally, defer, and dawdle.
How does one get that first draft completed?

1. Plan
2. Organize
3. Implement
4. Write

Without a doubt, the most important step is to plan what one intends to write, be it a novel, an article, an essay, a short story, or a poem. The writer must have something to say and a desire to say it. The need to express, for whatever reason, is important. It may be self-fulfillment, it may be economic, or it may to leave a legacy, but whatever it is it must be strong enough to force the writer to prepare and develop a way to put words to paper.

Once the idea is generated, the second important step is to organize. This usually means time at a computer or typewriter. Time must be set aside, a place of work must be established, and distractions (whatever they are) must be eliminated. The professional writer writes every day and often everywhere, but the amateur may not have the same motive or drive. Time, of course, varies from person to person; some writers have a day job to contend with, others write only when the urge comes upon them, or whenever time is available. An ideal place to write will also depend on the individual; some need noise as a background; others require silence; and still other do not carethey can write anywhere. The elimination of distractions is different for each person. Writers have written with bustle and hurry all about them; others need a special place with a special ambience. Do what you have to do.

Putting thoughts to paper or screen is the most important part of the process. Start. Write quickly letting the thoughts flow from the mind to the paper or screen. Do not be too concerned about syntax, word choice, grammar, spelling, or capitalization. The most imperative act is to get something down; rewriting will take care of the technical aspects of writing. Today most word processors have grammar and spellcheckers, but do not rely exclusively on them. They do not find all errors; if you are poor at spelling and grammar seek the services of someone who is capable in these areasa friend, a teacher, or if necessary a professional copywriter.
That is writing: planning, organizing, and putting words to paper or to screen. It is not difficult if one has a positive attitude about it.

Charles O. Goulet had a BA in History and a BEd in English literature. Several of his historical novels have been published and are available through Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble, and many other bookstores.
His website is http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c.
His blog is http://go1c.bravejournal.com

San Diego offers a bevy of interesting hikes. With the average home price being around $500,000, they better be interesting!

To unwind, I typically stop on my way home from work to hike from Cardiff to Carlsbad on the beach. For picturesque sunsets and “tasty waves”, the beach between Cardiff to Carlsbad can’t be beat.

Cardiff – Starting

I typically start this hike by parking just south of restaurant row in Cardiff. Restaurant row is located to the north of the lagoon between Cardiff and Solana Beach on Highway 101. Parking is located on the side of the road, which is right up against the beach. Give me convenience or give me death!

As you head north, you first pass Charlie’s and other restaurants. Past the restaurants, you will come to the beginning of the bluffs that will line the beach to the end of the hike. San Elijo campground is on top of the initial bluffs and extends for roughly a mile north. The campground is very popular and the temporary home of locals and tourist. You can tell the difference by contrasting tans with sunburns.

Following San Elijo, you will walk through Sea Cliff County Park with bluffs over 100 feet high. An area known affectionately as “Swami’s” quickly follows this park. The name derives from the fact the area above the bluff is the home to the Self Realization Fellowship Center. This area is know as hot surf spot, but is very crowded. If you are a bit winded, you can stop and watch 50 or so surfers maneuver for waves. Yes, traffic jams aren’t exclusively restricted to California freeways.

North of Swami’s, you will cruise along a long strip of sand hemmed in by 50 to 60 foot bluffs in the town of Encinitas. For those with a wicked sense of humor, there is a relatively popular game called, “Watch the house fall.” Yes, the bluffs are giving away slowly. As they erode, the homes first lose plants, then patios and so on. They say real estate is all about location, location, location, but sometimes a beach front home isn’t all that great.

The Encinitas section of the hike is fairly long. With the high bluffs, you will find sections of the beach that are deserted. Yes, even during summer. The only thing breaking up the solitude is Moonlight Beach, a fairly popular beach with locals. Otherwise, it’s just you, shells and joggers until you arrive at the end of the bluffs and South Carlsbad. Time to turn around and find the car.

The Cardiff to South Carlsbad hike is about 5 miles in each direction. The walk is flat and quick. By the end, you will be relaxed and forget that Bert in accounting is a jerk. Enjoy.

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.

Network Marketing during the holidays has always been a little tough, unless you are Network Nick and have a Network Nick mind set! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all in the MLM Network Marketing Industry!

Twas the night before Christmas, all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, except me clicking my mouse,
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
With all my mlm applications to be sent laying there..

The children were all nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of mlm millions danced in my head,
and mamma and her kercheif and I in my “never quit” cap
had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there rose such a clatter,
I sprang from my magnet mattress to see what’s the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Stumbled over my mlm new dealer kit and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
gave a double diamond quality to the objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and and a downline of reindeer.

With a little ol driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment in must be Network Nick…
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
and he motivated them like crazy calling them by name.

Now Dasher, Now Dancer, Now prancer, now Vixen,
On Comet, and Cupid, Start 30 day blitzing!
To the top of the pay plan! To the top of it all!
Now dash away dash away! dash away all!

As dry leaves that before a wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle it increases the drive,
So up to the house top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of retail product, and Network Nick too!

And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof,
Recruit Recruit Recruit! and the sound of each hoof.
As I drew in my hand, was turning around,
down the chimney Nework Nick came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, like all the mlm diamonds do,
and his suit was Versace,with boots brand new,
A bundle of products and apps on his back,
and he looked at me as he opened his sack…

His eyes how they twinkled as if he took out his apps,
His cheeks were like rubies his lips how they flapped.
His droll little mouth was speaking of MLM,
and the beard he had looked distinguished on him.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
as he took out a board and started talking to me.
Circles,and more Circles he drew as he was telling,
and when he laughed he shook like a bowl full of jelly.

He wanted me to join santaclause.com,
and be one of his frontline, to be number one.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon I was signing my name in red.

He spoke not a word, for he knew how it worked,
and when I signed the application away it was jerked
and laying his finger aside of his nose,
he gave me my dealer kit, and up the chimney he rose

He sprang to his sleigh to his downline gave a shout
and away they all flew for another prospects house.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of site…
Duplicate Duplicate! Morning-noon- and night!!!

Merry Christmas from Net-Work Nick for all MLM and Network Marketing professionals!

Doug Firebaugh is one of the top MLM Network Marketing Trainers in the world. Over a million people a month
read his training ezine. He spent the last 7 years traveling the world speaking and training on Success.
He lives in Birmingham Michigan, and you can receive a FREE subscription to his training ezine- The MLM
Success HEAT- at:
http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_9.html

http://www.passionfire.com

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mt Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. “The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on Everest. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Mount Everest is shared by two countries. Sherchan just 7 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

However, he was all too aware of the potential dangers Chomolungma or Mount Everest could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused This year Anthony Loeff the French climber is reporting the scales for the Mount Everest after he reached the summit of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania earlier this season.

They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Andrew Brash noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. The 76-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Chomolungma. Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Man from Nepal, 74, oldest person to scale the top of Mount Everest Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over Chomolungma or Mount Everest and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. More than 3177 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

“Chomolungma this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Further, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Min Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. His first found him within 223 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. One year later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Everest to finish what he had started.

Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Mt Everest. Now that Andrew Brash has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family.

We have all most probably encountered it at some stage in our lives – who do we stay friends with after a couple divorces or separates?

The text book answer is to stay friends with both parties of course but that’s a mighty tall order to fulfil as we are dealing with human emotions and judgemental attitudes here as well.

Fortunately I think that most normal friends witnessing a couple of family splitting up can actually see both sides of the coin and actually do stay away from taking sides.

However, in the real world the divorcing couple will normally expect you to commit to one side or the other and this pattern often establishes itself way before the final separation or divorce. This is due to our blame culture where we often ignore our own responsibilities for the situation we find ourselves in – it’s always someone else’s fault – black & white, when actually there will be many shades of grey that overlap and it is often not until many years later and upon a lot of reflective thought that we suddenly realise that we were actually partly to blame for the failure of that relationship.

So, how do friends handle the initial expectation from one part of the divorcing couple to now ignore their former partner? It can be really tough for friends of separating partners – you know, who do you invite to the family party – him or her – can you invite both? – what will happen if they both meet at the daughters wedding? – god forbid but what will happen should each one bring a new partner? – The scenarios are endless.

Having experienced several friends now go through divorce and separation proceedings and each one has found its own set of issues, I can say that there is no set advice or guidance in the form of a one size fits all answer.

However, there are a few outline framework procedures that I would certainly adopt in order to ensure that your former couple remain friends long after the divorce or separation.

Firstly – always try to balance being sympathetic and understanding to your main friend but without actually agreeing to any of their own conclusions regarding blame etc. – remember your only hearing one side of a very unbalanced perspective. This ensures that you do not reinforce your friends biased viewpoint and you can still remain impartial – very important. This may require exemplary diplomatic skills but if your conscious of this fact can actually be quite challenging and rewarding – its like being tested yourself.

Secondly, make it clear to your main friend that you may still see or respond to their former partner from time to time after the divorce or separation for obvious and practical reasons. Most of our lives are intertwined these days with other stuff such as the sharing of the school run or business contacts for example. It needs to be made clear by way of simple inexplicit references with your normal conversations that this will happen. This signals to your main friend that divided loyalties are not actually that simple to divide in the manner that they may be thinking. It also ensures that you are not accused of being a ‘Judas’ and losing the confidence or friendship of your main friend when they find out that you have had contact with their former partner.

And thirdly, never, ever say what you really thought of their former partner even if you think that having empathy with their feelings will help them over this period – Just remember that a high proportion of separating couples do actually end up getting back together again & releasing a load of sympathetic venom last month will stick in your reunited friends throat like barbed wire and your relationship with them both will never be the same again.

Within these three basic guidance rules will be a whole host of anomalies that will occur that will need careful thoughtful planning on what your responses will be for each individual case of a divorcing couple. It wont be easy – it never is especially when dealing with a high emotional content. But trying to frame your responses within these three basic guidance rules should ensure that your friendship is retained and remains flexible for most situations that may occur over the coming years.

Jenny Clair editor of Marriage-Divorce-Separation.com has formed a community web site exploring the various issues of divorce, separation and breakdowns in relationships.

http://www.marriage-divorce-separation.com

So you are engaged to get married but don’t have a lot of extra money to spend for the wedding? No problem you can still have a beautiful wedding for nearly half the cost. The key ingredient to have is a budget worksheet and budget plan before doing anything. By spending the time to plan ahead and budget your major expenses you will ensure success in saving money. You will not be caught on a whim and spend over the amount planned. Not having a plan is a recipe for disaster because this often means you are searching for crucial items last minute which can really add up.

Below are some of the more common categories that comprise a standard wedding budget form. You will want to at first include all of these categories and then latter you can easily go in and delete any categories that are not needed.

We have given some estimates of the percent a particular cost should be in relation to the total budget. For most items we provided a range of costs. If the item is very important to you then you should plan on the higher end of the range and if it is not important much at all use the lower range. Just make sure that it all totals only 100% in the end.

Location, Location, Location

This is one of the most important keys in Real Estate and in Weddings alike is location. It is important to leave a category of your budget for the location of the wedding and the reception.

Wedding Site:

There are so many places to get married that the list is endless. The cost can vary greatly from a simple backyard wedding to an incredibly expensive formal church wedding. Typical costs for the wedding site will run from 3% to 5%.

Reception

The Reception is one of your biggest expenses and should be planned for carefully. Again the price and percent of your total wedding budget will vary depending on the site. Plan ahead, do some comparison shopping and visit the a few sites first. Typically costs will run around 48% for the reception. This includes the food, site rental, drinks, cake and favors.

Other Important Details

Along with the site rental and reception costs there are things that need to be planned for ahead of time. These are all included below. Keep a careful eye out for the things that you think are important to your wedding in particular and things that don’t matter so much.

Attire

The attire for the wedding includes such things as the wedding dress, viel, tuxedoes and bridesmaid dresses. Depending on your own style preferences and choices this category of items can run between 8 to 12%.

Rings

Rings are such an important symbolic part of the wedding. You do not want to forget the cost associated with them. Typical costs will run between 2 to 5%. The main differences here will be between the metal used and the diamond chosen for the ring. Design rings and signature pieces can often run 2 to 3 times more then a custom made ring. Many jewelers are happy to custom make a ring for you.

Flowers / Decorations

There are a variety of expenses in this category which include everything from flowers to reception decorations. Typical costs will run between 6 to 10% of the total budget.

Outside Sources of Help

Often Deejays and photographers are important to the wedding and reception and a cost that should be figured in. The prices can vary widely depending on their experience level and other factors.

Photographers

Photographers are important as the wedding pictures will be one of the lasting memories of the wedding ceremony and reception. It is important to choose a photographer carefully and to find one that you can work well with. Typical costs for a photographer will run between 9 to 14%

Deejays

Again there is a wide amount o differences in the prices charged by different Deejays. It is important as always to do some comparison shopping on the phone before going out to interview the select few. Typically costs associate with Deejays are between 6 and 10%.

Gifts and Stationary

These are important ways to interact with your guests. Stationary includes everything from wedding invitations to thank you cards. While the gifts will include the more traditional gifts like the Bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts. Typical costs in this category run between 4 to 8%.

It is important to work up a and develop a budget breakdown and to know where your costs are going to come from. Before adding any numbers to your wedding budget checklist you will want to prioritize the budget and develop a worksheet. Then you can go and start adding in numbers and fleshing out the wedding budget plan.

Free 5 day
Wedding Planning email course. check it out now before the offer is gone. Learn more about
Wedding Budget Worksheet.

Years ago at a presentation at the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, I promised an audience to teach them to conquer this beast once and for all. Later, another instructor approached me and said “why did you say that to those people? It’s not possible.”

Poor woman. All she was saying is that SHE cannot break writer’s block, which told me all I need to know about her career. In all likelihood a promising beginning, perhaps an award-winning poem or book…and then pain.

It is not only possible to end writer’s block forever, but you can actually use it to your advantage!

First, let us define it in some useful way: Writer’s block is the inability to

1) Produce new text.
2) Edit and polish existing text
3) Finish projects on a reasonable schedule
4) Send those projects out for editorial judgment.
5) Continue sending them out until they are sold.

Accepting the above, I’m going to give you a definition of the root cause of Writer’s Block that will actually help you in every arena of your life.

“Writer’s Block is nothing more than a confusion of two different states of mind: the Flow state, where you produce new text, and the Editing state, where you evaluate and polish what you have written.”

WB is such a killer because most of us have done far more reading than we have writing, and spend far more time in critical analysis of finished, polished work of the masters than in experiencing our own early drafts. So when we try to create text, we measure our first draft efforts against the polished work of the world’s great writers. Immediately, that “this is garbage!” voice goes off in your head, and you have a block.

It is said that novice writers must work through a million words of garbage before reaching their true voice. How in the world will you ever get through it if you constantly judge every word? If you will learn to turn that voice off, you will learn a massive and important lesson about the structure of the human psyche.

But what exactly is “Flow”? It is the psychological state where time seems to vanish, where you “fall into the page”, where the rest of the world floats away as you concentrate. This is similar to the “hypnogogic” state experienced just prior to sleep, and the first thing in the morning. It is experienced in distance running, dancing (remember the lyrics to “Flashdance”? “She’s moved into the danger zone, where the dancer becomes the dance”) and, to be perfectly frank, it is experienced during sexual relations in the moments just prior to orgasm. It is the dissolution of the subject-object relationship sought by numerous schools of meditation.

1) Alternate days (or work sessions) between flow and editing. If necessary, wear different hats, or sit in different chairs for each. NEVER DO BOTH IN THE SAME SESSION

2) Set yourself a daily output that will get you to your goal of one million words in less than 5 years. 1000 words a day will do it in three years. That’s roughly comparable to earning an AA degree. Not too shabby!

3) Explore and specifically study “Flow State” as a discipline. Do your internet searches and find a physical or mental activity (running, dancing, meditation, Tai chi, yoga, etc.) that opens a doorway to this inner world.

4) Listen to largo rhythm, sixty-beat per minute string music. Vivaldi is perfect for this, and induces “Alpha” (flow) state rapidly and effectively. Stay away from music with lyrics, but soft jazz is also terrific.

5) Practice making pictures in your mind, and then writing down what you see WITHOUT judging the quality of your descriptions. You want to enhance the connection between your deep consciousness and your typing or writing.

6) If you can’t find a good meditation technique, just sit and “listen” to your own heartbeat for 15-30 minutes a day.

There are many other ideas, but these will get you started. The most valuable thing you will learn is to “turn off” or ignore the negative voices in your head. And an artist who learns to do this on demand is on the way to integration of the deep levels of the unconscious…and greater joy in the act of creation.

NY Times Bestselling author Steven Barnes has published over three million words of fiction, been nominated for Hugo and Nebula Awards, and wrote the Emmy-winning “A Stitch In Time” episode of the Outer Limits. He is the creator of the Lifewriting high performance system for writers. Get a free daily Lifewriting tip at: www.lifewriting.biz

“…after only three weeks of taking Hoodia XR I have dropped 13 pounds and a dress size,” reads one testimonial. “I have lost 24 pounds in the last month…” reads another. Are these testimonials too good to be true? How about these? “Hoodia XR has not given me any side effects…” and “…I never think about snacking.” If these are the results that dieters can expect, then no wonder everyone wants to try it. There are a few critics, but the positive testimonials by dieters using hoodia and reviews of product performance far outweigh them. One informal study reported satisfactory results in 80% of the customers surveyed. Of the other 20%, many stopped using the product for financial reasons. These products can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $40 to $90 for a thirty day supply. And price does not necessarily equal quality. One of the more expensive products is currently the subject of a class action suit.

To date, only a handful of people have had anything negative to say about hoodia gordonii. There is no real controversy surrounding it. However, negative comments about products which claim to contain genuine hoodia and reviews of those products do exist. And, even these companies use positive hoodia testimonials for advertising. Consumers must be educated, at least a little, and do a little research before they buy any health supplement which claims to contain hoodia gordonii. One can not always trust the hoodia testimonials.

Genuine hoodia gordonii is expensive and rare. Exportation of the plant from South Africa is strictly regulated. Customers can look for a CITES certification, which is a license to export hoodia, and reviews of the chemical composition of the product. These are generally referred to as analytical reports. Customers will usually find more positive hoodia testimonials of products which can display these documents. There is at least one company that will not supply this evidence to the customer until the product is purchased. It might be wise to avoid this product all together.

Hoodia testimonials concerning side effects or the absence of side effects may be the most amazing to people who have tried other appetite suppressants. Most appetite suppressants are stimulants. Side effects related to stimulants can range from mild to life threatening. Ephedra, which is also a plant derivative, is a stimulant and actually caused deaths in some cases before it was banned by the Food and Drug Administration. Stimulants increase heart rate and blood pressure, not a good thing to do to an overweight individual. To date, there is no evidence that anyone has experienced any of these side effects when using hoodia and reviews of the hoodia gordonii plant’s composition does not indicate the presence of stimulants.

There are websites which are dedicated to side by side comparison of hoodia testimonials, content of hoodia and reviews of pricing. Hoodia gordonii supplements are currently some of the best selling appetite suppressants on the market. They may not work for everyone and dieters should check with their doctors before they begin any weight loss program. Obesity is a real health threat and hopefully hoodia gordonii can help people stick to their diets and lose those dangerous pounds. Hopefully the hoodia testimonials at the beginning of this article are not “too good to be true”.

To read more hoodia testimonials, learn more about hoodia and reviews of specific products visit the Hoodia Info Blog.

Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog. Visit us at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com.

Disney Babies, Elmo and friends, little ducklings, Beatrix Potter, Noah’s Ark, Candyland jungles, sailboats and stars and moons and teddy bears and choo-choo trains – and those are just a few of the thousands of wallpaper patterns that are available for the single most precious room in your house. Decorating a nursery for your soon-to-be bundle of joy is a joyful task, but the choices can be overwhelming. If you’re choosing wallpaper for your nursery, there are some guidelines and advice that will help you choose nursery wallpaper that he’ll love just as much when he’s five as you do on the day you bring him home from the hospital.

Decide on a motif.

If you’ve already chosen some of the furnishings or bedding for your baby’s room, you may have a pretty good idea of the sort of nursery you want to create. Whether you opt for Disney characters, sailboats and fishes, fantasy castles or frolicking lambs, you’ll find nursery wallpaper that supports the theme. Keep in mind though that your child is going to grow faster than you can imagine, and it won’t be long before she’s got some very definite tastes of her own. By all means, indulge your fantasies if the motif you want is cutesy nursery with fluffy lambs, bunnies and teddy bears – but opt for wallpaper that’s easily strippable when she’s ready for Barbie and Hello Kitty.

Keep it simple and bright.

Babies distinguish bright colors and simple shapes long before they can discern anything else. Those puffy clouds and smiling stars are there for YOUR benefit, not your baby’s. If you’re looking for something that will stimulate your new munchkin’s brain, pick wallpaper with bright primary colors and simple shapes. One of the neat wallpaper tricks is to opt for a simple striped pattern accented with a strippable wallpaper border in complementary colors. It’s a simple matter to replace the ABC nursery blocks wallpaper border with Crayola crayons when he’s two, and Elmo and Friends nursery wallpaper border when he’s four and bats, balls and gloves when he’s six.

Make it FUN.

If you do decide to opt for a busy style wallpaper, choose one that will be fun as she grows older. Wallpaper murals can become a ‘toy’ of sorts, a background to imagination as your child grows older and starts to notice the world around her. Try three ’simple’ walls with a repeating pattern, and wallpaper the fourth wall with a jungle nursery wall mural, or – if you can find one – Where’s Waldo?

Pick wallpaper that’s easy to clean.

Trust me on this one. Your adorable cooing bundle will grow into a curious toddler who’ll finger paint on the walls with Mommy’s lipsticks and practice her letters on the ABC blocks. Whatever pattern or style of nursery wallpaper you choose, make certain that it’s washable!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Visit this Home Improvement Website and Majon’s Home Improvement directory.

When you create advertising for small businesses, consider both the life cycle of
your product or service along with customer buying habits.

Today, both sellers and buyers alike want fast results. You should recognize that the
actual process of turning your prospects into customers still takes time. Buying
cycle times may be shorter today, but the process still exists. People often buy
according to their past purchasing habits and patterns. These habits can be hard to
change.

Classic marketing theory details the life cycle of a product or service as

(1) introduction,

(2) growth,

(3) maturity,

(4) decline, and

(5) phase-out.

In other words:
when it’s

(1) New,

(2) Rapidly Accepted,

(3) The Industry Standard,

(4) Fading, and

(5) Hard to Find.

Furthermore, the people who buy those products/services can be profiled in
different stages as (a) innovative adapters, (b) majority adapters, or (c) stragglers.

Profiles of these three buyer categories (a) (b) (c) are helpful in creating advertising
tailored to each phase of the five life cycles of the product or service. Judge
accordingly.

For example, when you introduce a new product or service, one of your prime target
markets should be the early adapters, the innovators. It has been estimated
somewhere around 10 to 20 percent of people do their own research and
experimentation about their purchases. (An ever-increasing number do their
research on the web – before they contact anyone.)

The other 80 percent or so are followers (b) (c). They read, listen to, or watch ads;
try recommendations from their friends, neighbors or co-workers; or use coupons,
etc.

It is advertising that educates and entices prospects at these different purchasing
stages to try something new for them. Most importantly, it happens person-by-
person. Over time, good advertising can remind, motivate and change buying habits
for those in each type of profile.

So it is important to let each group know your product or service is there and ready
for them when they want to buy. Plan to have your advertising message repeated
often enough where it will be available to them when they are ready to explore and
make a buying decision.

It only takes money and time. Be patient. Keep chipping away at it. Soon, your
targeted advertising message will be part of your product life cycle and customer
buying habits.

© 2006 Jon Sinish

This article may be reprinted and distributed as long as the resource information
remains intact.

Jon Sinish is a 30-year champion of advertising for small businesses, whose clients
range from international corporations to private professional practices.

Now, at his web site, you can discover more exciting articles that reveal practical
tips, tactics and strategies to help the small businessperson manage and improve
their advertising and marketing programs. Please visit
http://www.advertising-for-small-businesses.com