Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Banayat

I started my first business back in 2004 and successfully grew it to $1 million turnover, with 50 staff across 10 sites in only 2 years and I loved it. I learned some useful lessons along the way that I feel compelled to share with you. The most important of which is that you need to know why you want to be your own boss and whether you have really thought through the consequences of that decision.

Here are a few of the reasons why many people want to be their own boss and valuable points to consider if you plan on having products, clients, customers and employees:-

You want to be master of your own destiny.
There are many factors effecting any business, depending on what you are selling including, the weather, availability of supply, cost price, choosing the right employees, choosing the right clients, choosing the right bank, seasonality and your competitors, all of which seem to conspire to distract you from your path.

You don’t want to conform to the corporate rules.
You may not want to wear a suit, be politically correct or be the person that others expect you to be, but be prepared to take time to find like-minded people who want to work for and buy from the person you want to be.

You want the flexibility to work when you want.
Employees will expect a good leader to lead by example. If they think you are half-hearted then believe me, they will be. Clients expect to you be available when they need you!

You don’t want anyone telling you what you can and can’t do or to impose deadlines upon you.
What you can or cannot do will become apparent as you see the ebb and flow of clients and customers, they will vote with their feet if they feel they are not getting what they thought they were going to get, when they want it. Also remember your relationship with clients, suppliers and staff is a two way street and if you fail to deliver your part of the bargain, you won’t feel like you are in charge for long.

You are fed up with making money for other people and feel you can make more for yourself.
Check out your ‘Wealth Profile’ online, it costs about $100, but it will be the best move you ever made. You need to find out what kind of character you are and who else you need around you to be successful. For example, I am a ‘CREATOR’, which basically means I am great at coming up with innovative ideas for products or marketing, but I am poor at completing projects and give too much away when closing deals and as a result, I need a ‘SUPPORTER’ on my team.

Your current job does not give you the life you want.
Make sure you have the support of those around you. You can make significant gains, but get it wrong without the support of your nearest and dearest and you could lose more than just your money.

Changes in circumstances such as, you have been fired or made redundant and the current financial climate makes finding another job, with the same pay, in the same field unlikely.
Changes in circumstances can often be the catalyst for helping you make the decision you have feared for a long time and if this is the case then go for it. If you are starting a business because it seems like the last resort, I admire your principle, but you may find it almost impossible to conjure up the self-confidence, drive and enthusiasm you need to succeed.

Your current employer has just appointed you a new Line Manager, who you don’t get along with.
Starting a business, won’t stop other people deciding who you work for. If one of your key clients is the employee of a large corporation, they can be replaced and if your client is a small business owner, they may sell, both scenarios can equally result in change for better or for worse.

You have just come into some money and want to put it to work for you.
‘Learn before you earn’ is a phrase used by multimillionaire Brad Sugars. If you don’t understand the rules of making money, you could stand to lose it and then some! Do a lot of self-development before you risk your children’s’ inheritance.

If some of the realities of being your own boss seem daunting to you, but you feel that you have the energy, stamina, determination, self-discipline and self-motivation, the qualities common to all successful Entrepreneurs and essential in any business, then start with the ‘work from home’ model, with no employees, low overheads and fixed price good quality products, as long as you have honed your people skills you’ll be fine..

Good luck.

Jonathan Bradley
Managing Director
Sharp and Strong Ltd.
If you want the definition of a ‘customer’ visit my blog entitled ‘What is a Customer’ at http://myhealthwealthandsuccesssecrets.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-is-customer.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Bradley

The following is a list of exciting things you can do while lucid dreaming. They are classified into three categories, suitable for beginners, intermediates, and experts, respectively

A. For Beginners

You have learned how to have lucid dreams; but you haven’t gained enough control. You can only do simple things in lucid dreams, such as the following:

1. Walk through solids

Are you still not sure whether you are dreaming or having a real life experience? Try walking through the wall. Rush headlong into the wall and check if you can come out at the other side. If you do, you are really dreaming. Though fun, this activity requires a certain degree of self-confidence on your part.

2. Paint in the sky

You can paint that gorgeous sunset you viewed the other day or any other design or pattern you please.

3. Fly

Who doesn’t love flying? Many people naturally fly in their dreams. In lucid dreams, you can experiment with various styles of flying such as airplane style, where your arms are outstretched and Superman style, where one arm is stretched behind your body and the other is in front of you. When you have had enough of flying, you can swim in the air making use of either the breast stroke or the dog paddle techniques.

4. Explore

You may explore unknown realms; however, you might get so engrossed in your findings that you might forget that you are dreaming. In other words, the lucidity of the dream will be lost. If you wish to explore, do so with a dream companion, who will remind you every now and then that you are dreaming.

B. For Intermediates

Once you gained better control over your lucid dreams, you could try these slightly difficult activities.

5. Eat

Eat whatever you want to eat. However, you can easily get distracted and lose the lucidity of the dream because of the mouthwatering taste, smell, and sight of all that food.

6. Meet your spirit guides

Are you in need of guidance? Does a problem or life situation bother you? Then you need to meet your spirit guides. These guides usually appear as animals, and once they appear, they impart a lot of wisdom.

7. Have a date with an exciting person

Do you have a crush on someone? Does the prospect of meeting a celebrity or a world famous spiritual leader, scientist, artist, or writer excite you? You can easily fix a date in your dreams and have an exciting time indeed.

C. For Experts

These activities are for the expert lucid dreamer who has gained complete control over his or her dreams.

8. Have sex

You can easily satisfy your sexual fantasies in your dreams, and it feels like a real life experience. But take care to see that you don’t get too excited and lose the lucidity of the dream.

9. Die

Want to know what happens after death? You can easily die in your dreams and find out.

10. Gain inspiration

Do you need inspiration for a poem, article, business idea, or a piece of music? The power of the subconscious is yours to tap into during your lucid dreams. Ask for inspiration, and fresh ideas will flash into your conscious during your waking hours.

And this is not all! You can do ANYTHING in lucid dreams. What you do depends on what you want to do and how creative you are. Create any situation you like, do whatever you like, and have fun lucid dreaming.

Abhishek is an Astral Projection expert and he has got some great Astral Projection Techniques up his sleeves! Download his exhaustive 350-Pages eBook, “Astral Projection Underground”, from his website http://www.AstralProjectNow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

There can be different types of cards as well. Some cards come with decorations or with beautiful illustrations. But they are ideal for most types of brief correspondence. Such note cards are also used for sending that special message of yours to anybody close to you. Note cards are also available with envelopes having coordinating colors or designs. Such cards can be found in various stationery stores. It is easy to find plenty of designs and cards that may come in designated packs of ten or twenty. Sometimes packs of note cards are available with several different designs. If you want a personalized cards for yourself, then you might have to order at a local stationery store or online. Personalized cards can have decorations depending on a person’s taste and the price of such note cards with the quality of paper used and the printing cost. Some of these are available for no additional fees.

Note cards come in various formats for various needs. They can have full-color printing and often matching envelopes are included with them. Handwritten personal notes are much more personal than sending an email. The best part is that their matching envelope adds to their charm and beauty. Another benefit is that they may also be used for business purposes. However they are mainly used for personal reasons. The difference between the business one and that of the personal is that the latter one is larger and offers more space for the message or design. Professional flat ones are handy for quick and handwritten business notes. The personal folded cards bear stylish designs and can be a great item for the purpose of gifting.

These cards are very important and can be needed any time. However you should be organized regarding your collection and use the appropriate card for the appropriate occasion. They come in various designs and those designs indicate the purpose of any particular card. It is advised to write only on one side of the card as that makes the card look neat and beautiful. You must have separate cards for separate work. You can categorize your cards as well; for example you can have cards for quotations, authors ideas, statistics, graphs and charts. Thus keeping separate cards for separate work would make your work easier.

To see some extraordinary examples of note cards and how you can also create these wonderful personalized note cards to be used as wedding thank yous or as your personal stationery you can also visit http://www.pagestationery.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Betsy_Kline

Emails may be the thing in today’s world but they are not personal. I myself am to blame on occasion, but I try my best to be in contact personally with friends and relatives. Getting a card, letter or note in the mail is a nicer way to show you care. Finding that note in the mailbox of someone you haven’t seen in years is a wonderful feeling especially when they send you a picture of a new baby or grandchild

I once saw a movie, sorry can’t remember the name, but there was this woman who led a very lonely life and didn’t have any friends or relatives. She noticed that the lady across the street was always getting mail. The first lady looked in her box every day, but it was empty. One day the lady who received all the mail noticed her checking out her empty mailbox and decided to send her notes every day in the mail, but not identify herself as the lady across the street. Each time the lonely found a note, she was so happy and at least found comfort in having contact with someone. One day the lady across the street who was mailing the notes died and the lonely lady then knew who her mysterious friend was. She had kept her hopes up and made the woman’s life a little easier. It was a little sad, but just goes to show you how contact with someone can be a beautiful thing.
Let’s get back to being personal… somehow we have all lost that along the way. Let’s not have today’s technology take away the contact we have with those whom we love. Think about writing someone today – they will appreciate it.

Jackie Coote - http://www.impressionsbyjackie.com

Jacqueline Coote – Impressions by Jackie “Nothing Leaves An Impression Like A Lasting One”

By Jacqueline Coote

Many years ago, sending hand-written thank-you notes was considered not only proper, but “de rigueur.”  In this somewhat crazy, stressed-out, impersonal world, people are so ‘busy’ that they send computer-generated thank-you notes for wedding gifts, which may have cost $20 – several hundred dollars.  When did that become acceptable?

Here’s the good news for today’s professional:  If you send thank-you notes, you will stand out from others because doing so is now such a rarity.  Note:  I always try to look at the upside of things.

So, here are some considerations for thank-you notes:

1. Use them.  Sending thank you notes is a classy way to ‘be.’  You certainly can have thank-you notes that go along with your stationery.  You can also have special ones created that have your logo on them, but you don’t need to have that.  What is required, however, is sending thank-you notes to clients, people who have done something special for you, those with whom you work, or someone you see written about in a local newspaper.
2. Don’t worry about your words.  Worry more about getting your thank-you notes written and mailed.  Your thank-you notes don’t have to be long.  They don’t have to be beautifully worded.  You don’t need to have an expensive Hallmark card.  But, what thank-you notes do need – is to be written and sent.  When people do things for us, we need to acknowledge it.
3. Sending a belated thank-you note is better than not sending one at all.  Many times, I get so behind on my thank-you notes that I think, “This is ridiculous, I can’t send a thank-you note this late.”  I finally had to get past that and just write notes to people.  If I cut an article out of the newspaper or a magazine a year or year-and-a-half ago, it’s pitiful that I haven’t send some kind of a note to that person – so although the first temptation is to toss the article, I now realize that it’s MUCH better to go ahead and send it anyway.  A number of times, the recipients of the note said, “This was such a nice reminder,” or “I appreciate that,” or “You’re the only person who acknowledged it.”  Apologize for it being late, if you need to, but I would encourage you to send thank you notes – promptly or embarrassingly late.

The bad news is that thank-you notes are few and far between here at the end of the first decade of the new century.  The good news is that you can make someone’s day by sending such a note.  Try to send at least one a week and see what happens.

One writer has referred to the art of scrapbooking as “collage journaling.” Her point was that the most important thing about your scrapbook is that it reflects you, your creativity, and your heart.

One way to reflect yourself that way is to add your personal notes to the pictures and images that make up that collage. Much like a traditional journal, your scrapbook “journal” is an ideal place to write down your feelings.

Of course, your feelings will depend upon the images and the memorabilia that make up your layout. But the moments that are important enough to put in your “collage journal” are going to be important enough to inspire some strong, clear feelings that you can express in a few sentences or a short paragraph.

There are two ways to get your thoughts onto the page: handwriting them or typing them on the computer. There are few things as beautiful or expressive as personal feelings handwritten in careful calligraphy; it gives a sense that the journalist cared enough to sit down and write a personal note to the cherished person in the layout. However, not everyone is skilled at calligraphy. The computer allows you to choose from several different fonts, and allows for a neatness and cleanness of text that often perfectly complements the care you’ve taken with the layout.

Your sentiments can be written on card stock and matted against a darker color, or they can be written on the matting of one or more of your photographs. Whichever you choose, it’s a good idea to write a rough draft first, to make sure your words are as you want them, and that you express clearly the things you want to say.