Recently in an online think tank forum a gentleman mentioned that Hemp contains about 4 times the cellulose value to make Ethanol as Corn. Oh I can hear the critics now; “Just Say No to Ethanol!” or “This is your car on drugs!” In fact when I first heard it, I thought well here is a some pothead who has some drug induced inner thought, wishing to share it with the world online while getting his fix of the Munchies, with a large pepperoni pizza and enough Doritos to last the night?

Well it turns out this gentleman who mentioned this is right? Can you believe it; that is just too funny. Turn drugs into fuel; everyone wins? Although there are some other issues to this of course for instance another think tanker asks:

“Well how much water does it take to grow hemp? If it takes too much that could be an issue too you know, droughts?”

Of course if Monsanto Corporation could make terminator hemp seeds which would use less water and provide 20 times the cellulose value that would be very good for Ethanol? In fact this conversation went on for quite a while and then another Think Tanker stated:

“I was listening to the Art Bell show one night and someone brought up this point about Hemp and Ethanol. At first I thought the guy was just some stoner who called in on the late-night talk show, yet after listening for a minute or two, he did bring up some good points because of the texture and density of the plant itself.”

You know if we can take Hemp or other such weeds and do this, maybe we can take away some of the sage brush each year to prevent fires or the underbrush in the forests, some is 120 tons per acre and that is a lot of fuel making for potential forest fires. If we could remove it and make fuel and simultaneously keep the forests healthy it might be a good plan. Harvest what is already there instead of letting it dry out to rot? This is an interesting conversation indeed, the kind of out of the box thinking which is intriguing to all. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Interpretation, next step planning, prevention & retaining the customer

Fuel oil dealers primarily respond to change by reacting to competing market forces. First it was the COD discounters, then it was the gas companies and we reacted to each in kind. Now with the underground tank subject looming, dealers are again buffeted by forces that affect our markets. Will we react as before or will we promote programs to derail threats? In New York and New Jersey, The Homeowner’s Environmental Loss Protection Program
set a precedent, becoming a valuable tool to thwart gas conversions, but more tools are needed, especially to lug the uncontrollable leak of accounts that occur at the time of a
property transaction.

As vice president and founder of Annis Fuel Oil Service (AFOS), in the early 1980’s I recognized underground oil tanks as an area of opportunity. With passage of the New Jersey Hazardous Substance Storage Act and amendments to the Spill Act, tank work began to overlap with environmental science. Four years of college chemistry paid off. While spinning off ANCO Environmental in 1991, I remained loyal to my oil industry beginnings. As a small oil dealer I am sensitive to the
threat UST hysteria poses. With diplomacy I market UST services to local fuel dealers who otherwise compete with my family’s oil company. Instincts say deny or minimize the UST problem. But the distant environmental storm is looming and must be addressed. Our
customer’s financial interests are at stake and they seek leadership. Fuel dealers must address and deflect the public relations damage caused by leaking underground tanks, learn how to select an appropriate tank test, define the true adversary behind the oil tank debacle and finally, find solutions. I hope the material presented herewith will help in these areas, and prevent the loss of oil heat customers to other forms of fuel at the point of real estate transfer. As both of my companies operate primarily in New Jersey, many references are made to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) regulations. These regulations may be mirrored by similar regulations in other states. Check your state Environmental Protection Department for specific regulations governing your area.

Misinformation
The gas companies have spearheaded marketing campaigns implying that oil heat causes underground pollution. Our observations support the opposite conclusion. Statistically more remediation projects involve abandoned or improperly closed tanks than active tanks. Homeowner insurance policies decline most UST pollution claims, therefore the leaking tank owner who converted to gas heat finds himself in a greater bind today than he who stayed with oil. But where the gas heated homeowner gets stuck with the remediation bill the oil industry shoulders the negative fallout. To win the public relations game, it behooves the fuel industry to deflect the problem. Redirect the emphasis from ‘oil heat’ to ‘underground tanks,’ and take a proactive stand.

A fuel oil account is most vulnerable at the point of a property transaction. Tank testing and site certification is becoming more commonplace. Driven by liability concerns and the ‘due diligence’ audit requirement defining the innocent purchaser, buyer’s attorneys secure their client’s the right to test around an oil tank. Due largely to public misconceptions, this mechanism will continue to bash oil heat far into the future.

Know Your Adversary
Recently a fuel dealer told me “…it’s the lawyers. They’ve blown this out of proportion.” Others say it’s the gas companies, or the gas heating contractors, or the Realtors, or the yank-a-tankers. All these parties are a vocal reaction to the true, silent adversary; corrosion. Low pH soils coupled with a high water table enable a high ion exchange rate with the tank. Non homogenous backfill concentrates the resulting electrochemical reaction at points of greatest electrical conductivity. Therefore, soil particles with conducive mineral content or construction debris that touches the tank completes the corrosion circuit. Over time, this reaction dissolves a hole into the tank. Laws of chemistry and physics are accelerated by poor construction practices. This is the underlying force behind the tank problem.

If we look at the history of environmental regulations, the foundation was the 1977 Federal Clean Water Act. This legislation focused on industrial polluters. In 1984 with the passage of the New Jersey Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act (ECRA),
regulation-driven liability made the presence of an UST a headache for industrial property owners. This was the distant thunder of today’s UST debacle. Stricter industrial environmental regulations have trickled down to residential situations.

In June of 1993 ECRA was amended and renamed ISRA, Industrial Site Recovery Act. Many positive changes made the regulations more “user friendly”, and even compassionate with the creation of a spill fund. Virtually unnoticed in these amendments, however, was a companion change to the Spill Compensation and Control Act (Spill Act), introducing a principle significantly affecting all current and future owners of real property in New Jersey. The new principle promulgates that future owners of polluted property are liable for contamination they did not cause. The potentially devastating language of this amendment makes buyers responsible for any discharge of a hazardous substance unless they can satisfy certain criteria:

1. That they acquired the property through an inheritance;
2. That they acquired the property after the discharge occurred;
3. Lack of knowledge at the time of acquisition that any hazardous materials had leaked;
4. Lack of involvement in the management of the leaked hazardous substances before acquisition;
5. Notice to the NJDEP upon actual discovery of the discharge.

In order to demonstrate that a new owner did not know and had no reason to know of the discharge of hazardous substances at the property, the acquiring party “must have undertaken, at the time of acquisition, all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property.” “All appropriate inquiry” requires the performance of a preliminary assessment, and if necessary, a site investigation. In the case of an underground storage tank, nothing short of soil testing meets the appropriate inquiry” threshold, qualifying a damaged buyer as an “innocent purchaser.” This concept is the cornerstone of the “innocent purchaser offense” used by buyers in pursuit of responsible or
contributory negligent parties to the property transaction. Driven by regulation and just old fashion ‘let the buyer beware’, tank testing is here to stay.

Choosing The Right Tank Test
The appropriate test is a function of tank status, site conditions and overall objective. Verifiability and timeliness of results are additional test selection criteria. Test limitations, potential false positive and false negative conditions are discussed following the introduction of each technique.

An overview of tank testing methodology is reprinted from ANCO’s UST LINE*, Issue #4. It poses the question “which tank testing method is best?” The purpose of a tank test is two-fold: to protect the buyer from a past leak and to protect the seller from being blamed for a problem that did not exist when he sold his house. To accomplish these objectives, we seek one answer: has the tank in question leaked and created an environmental problem? In short, is the site contaminated?

In choosing a test to answer this question, the first concerns will be accurate results and verifiability. Ease of scheduling, quick results and cost are important as well. Finally, a test is needed that is applicable to the right situation that takes into consideration soil stratigraphy and compensates for site conditions.

The best testing option will meet all or most of the accuracy, verifiability, speed and cost objectives.

There are three major categories of tank tests: liquid, air and soil tests. The first two are in-tank test involving delicate computer based instrumentation that measures the loss rate of a reagent, liquid or gas, as it leaks out of the tank. This is precisely the drawback of in-tank tests. Will a buyer find any rate of leaking acceptable? Probably not. But the NJDEP does. To help compensate for certain limitations of these tests, the NJDEP
has instituted a pass/fail leak threshold of .05 gallons per hour, below which the tank will legally “pass” the test. But this “acceptable” leak rate is 1.2 gallons per day, or 438 gallons per year. This will not be acceptable to most buyers.

For liquid tests, or volumetric tests, the tank must be filled with oil up into the neck of the fill pipe. Minute volume changes are observed and the tank fails only if the oil level decreases at a rate surpassing .05 gallons per hour.

• Benefits: This test entails no surface disturbance.
• Drawbacks: False positive results, indicating a leak, are not uncommon for conditions as benign as lose threads on the fill pipe. A fuel delivery must be tightly coordinated with the performance of the tank test itself. This involves additional expense. Worse still, if the tank does have a leak the test itself will discharge more contamination into the soil.
• Verifiability: Beyond test data review, verification is impossible without complete retesting.

Air Tests come in three types: pressure testing, vacuum testing and tracer testing. Pressure testing involves applying air pressure to the tank and watching for pressure drops. This is an outdated test which can blow out a weak spot in the tank and create a significant leak.

Vacuum testing involves plugging all pipes to the tank applying a vacuum, then listening through a hydrophone for leak sounds.

Tracer testing involves injecting an isotope of a rare gas into the tank and using sensors placed outside of the tank to sense a the leak of the rare gas. Results can take up to 10 days to process due to the gas migration period: i.e.: clayey soils retard the migration rate.

• Benefits: Vacuum and tracer tests are simple to coordinate, involve no surface disturbance and test the piping as well.
• Drawbacks: False positive results from lose fittings are not uncommon and the volumetric portion of these tests use the .05 gallons/hour standard.
• Verifiability: Other than data review, verifiability is only possible through complete retesting.

The third category, the soil test, directly measures the amount of oil that has already leaked, answering the central question directly, simply and cost effectively.

In this test, soil samples are retrieved from around the tank at depths of 6″-12″ deeper than the bottom of the tank. These samples are tested for petroleum hydrocarbons. Results are immediately available. Some methods include hand digging to the top of the tank to check visually for signs of corrosion and to precisely locate the edge of the tank. Clearly, the closer the sample’s proximity to the tank, the more accurate its representation of underlying soil conditions. Analytic results are checked against NJDEP action levels for problem identification.

• Benefits: This is a simple test, not relying on electronic instrumentation. It detects oil spills from any source, including previously removed leaking tanks and
  overfills. Contamination resulting from overfill is easily differentiated from deeper contamination resulting from a tank failure. This method is applicable to any underground tank, whether it is active (in use) or out of service. Even previously closed tanks can be tested to determine whether the tank leaked before closure and if that leak was not remediated.
• Drawbacks: Soil testing disturbs the soil, as this is an out-of-tank test that seeks the affects of a leak.
• Verifiability: 1 1/2″ diameter bored holes can remain open, facilitating independent sample collection.

The Next Step
After receiving test results, what should be done if there is suspicion of a leak or confirmed contamination? The next step is to determine if the test results are valid and if the site is contaminated. Vessel tests alone will not tell you this, so a soil test should be performed. Incorporated into this test can be tank and piping inspections to eliminate those conditions leading to possible false positive results.

Once it is determined the test is valid, it is now time to perform quantitative analysis, delineate the extent of contamination and/or plan for the tank removal and site remediation.

With the quantitative analysis, levels are compared with applicable action levels. Where levels exceed state regulations, a tank removal is undoubtedly required. But action levels loose their meaning when the question is asked. Why is there any oil 12″ below the tank? It is arguable that small quantities are normal however, low levels may be the telltale sign of imminent gross tank failure. ANCO recently removed a tank where bored soil sample Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPHC) analytic results were at 150 parts per million. The dealer recommended removal even though results were well below the first NJDEP action level of 1000 ppm. (NJDEP allows up to 10,000 ppm TPHC is some cases). This dealer’s recommendation rose above an often displayed instinct to deny the problem. Upon removal the tank was found to have dozens of pin holes in it. In this case, the dealer’s concern for his customer prevented a small problem from becoming a huge problem. Most significantly, it preserved the account.

Planning
All disposal facilities require various laboratory analyses. Standard turn around time for these tests is two to three weeks. This is also the typical lead time between tank removal contracting and actual mobilization for removal. The job should be coordinated so the testing is completed before mobilization. Such planning will expedite the clean-up and shorten the project duration by about three weeks.

Securing contaminated soil clearance at an approved disposal facility ahead of time allows the tank removal, soil digout and disposal to be done as one operation. This eliminates the need to return to the site at a later date to remove the contaminated soil. This is critical for speedy job completion and during the winter months to prevent the dug out soil from freezing into a solid lump. This single operation approach should be less costly than the tank removal - soil digout - stockpile - then return to loadout alternative.

Therefore, the most direct path towards expeditious site remediation requires soil testing.

Prevention
So far we have covered steps that follow a failed tank test. Because tank testing is generally performed by the buyer before a real estate transfer, the oil account is now at risk of being lost. What can be done to prevent an account from being subject to a tank test in the first place?

The first proactive choice is to work with the seller before he lists the property and convert the account to gas. This is the poorest choice for our industry. The quick gas conversion sale looses that account forever. Historically, this choice has left our industry with a legacy of improperly closed tanks. These eventually come to light and by association tarnish fuel oil’s name. Improperly closed tanks will continue to be a more significant public relations problem than active UST’s as there is no direct financial assistance for hidden contamination if they leak.

Let’s modify the first choice by limiting the offer of gas conversion services. Furthermore, when closing out an underground tank (in conjunction with the gas conversion), rout out hidden contamination at that time, by offering only tank removals or soil investigations in conjunction with in-place closures. If a problem is discovered the financial hardship becomes an immediate consequence of the decision to convert to gas. This hardship merits less sympathy than that endured by the innocent property owner who later discovers an inherited problem. This approach turns the table on gas market’s ruthless portrayal of oil heat as a polluter.

My second recommendation is for oil dealers to selectively encourage their customers to move away from old single walled steel underground tanks to basement tanks, above ground tanks, or double walled tanks. This must be done with great delicacy and finesse. It requires readdressing the underground tank situation from ‘no problem’ to ‘eventual problem’. It requires action before the tank starts to leak. This minimizes the potential for cost overruns and wins greatest customer appreciation.

One approach already being implemented by some fuel oil dealers is a selective tank replacement program. An obvious limitation includes funding, however, where it is physically possible to install a 275 gallon tank, UST closure plus 275 installation should be at least 35% less expensive than a gas conversation. A dealer offered financing plan makes this approach affordable and most significantly, retains the oil account. Project costs should be in the $1,800-$2,000 range. With an interest free finance plan spread over 12 months, payments of $150-$167 per month should be affordable.

In short, prevent your customer’s from failing an underground oil tank test by preventing it from happening in the first place. Eliminate the tank, take a proactive stance by replacing it and protect your customer from what the laws of physics inevitably deed him.

By honestly disclosing the limitations of steel UST’s, then immediately offering an affordable solution, your customer will believe you care as much for their financial welfare as your own. Liken it to an automobile recall due to a faulty component. It is better to initiate the recall than to defend a lawsuit. In our case, it is better to initiate a proactive solution than to defend fuel oil’s name as a polluter.

Questions & Answers

Question: What is the most thorough tank closure method?

Answer: Regulatory Bulletins 88-3 and 91-4 mandate acceptable closure techniques. These techniques fall into two categories: in-place closure (aka abandonment) and complete removal. UST Line #5* addresses the choice of removal vs. in-place closure, recommending the latter as long as soils under the tank are tested. This UST Line* introduces the “level of completion” concept, a big concern of homebuyers. This concept is applied to each of the closure techniques specified in Bulletin 91-4.

Level of completion is a measure of job thoroughness in terms of both environmental issues and future liability. This criteria of thoroughness or completeness is becoming a major factor in determining the best approach for dealing with a particular underground storage tank situation.

In terms of completeness, removal is best, followed by open tank closure.

Removal vs. In-Place Closure. Undoubtedly the most thorough job is done when the tank is completely removed. However, tank removal is equipment-intensive, which makes it costlier than in-place closure. It is also a very invasive procedure, particularly if a finished deck or walkway is over or near the tank area. Surface restoration further complicates the job and raises the cost.

With tank removal, cost must be weighed against level of completion. Is the homeowner planning to sell the home? The closed tank left in the ground can be a stumbling block. Gone are the days when one could simply state that the tank was taken care of… today, the seller must provide certified evidence that the technique used to close the tank meets the intent of Bulletin 88-3 and, especially critical, that the tank never leaked. Tank removal offers the highest level of completion because the tank is now entirely eliminated.

In-place closure techniques fall into two categories: injection of concrete slurry or polyurethane foam down the fillpipe and pouring sand or gravel through a large opening. The former is completely non-disruptive, while the latter requires hand digging to the top of the tank, opening a 2′ x 2′ hole in the tank and actually entering the vessel. The cost of each approach is approximately the same. In terms of thoroughness, however, entering the tank is a far more complete approach because it allows the tank to be completely cleaned out of all sludge and residue and allows for leak inspection while inside.

*UST Line is a monthly newsletter written by Mark Annis, President of ANCO Environmental Services, Inc. For more information, please visit ANCO’s website at http://www.ancoenv.com.

Mark C. Annis is president of ANCO Environmental Services, Inc., Berkeley Heights, NJ., a full service professional contracting, consulting and engineering environmental company. He can be reached at 800-564-8502.

Controlling property is 100 times more powerful than owning property.

Once we share this “truth” and you really grasp what we are saying, it will forever change how you view real estate investing and could dramatically change you life!

It did ours!

Yes it is that powerful!

We do not think anyone will disagree with the fact that when you invest in a home the “traditional” way you have to jump through a lot of hoops!

What if we told you there was a way that you could invest in real estate WITHOUT jumping through all of those hoops?

Would you be excited?

How about if we told you that your credit would not be the issue, even if you just filed Bankruptcy yesterday?

Excited yet?

Wait, it gets better!

What if we told you that you did not have to have a large down payment?

What if you could control these properties for as little as $1-10.00 down?

Still not excited?

What if there was a way to establish an equity position in the home you control WITHOUT being on the title!

Well, this is possible when you control properties instead of owning properties!

How do you accomplish these wonderful things in Real Estate?

That is the truly the Million Dollar question!

And the answer is…Drum roll please…

With a lease purchase contract!

A lease purchase contract allows you today to lock in a purchase price for sometime in the future.

How powerful is a lease purchase contract?

In our own case we locked down our dream home without a credit check under market value with a right to purchase at that under market value at any point during a 5 year term.

Before we walked into the front door of our dream home, we had ALREADY established a tremendous equity position, without being on title!

In 3 years the land values TRIPLED in value and our home almost DOUBLED in value!

Now, granted this is waterfront property and things took off BIG TIME, but because we had positioned ourselves with our lease purchase contract we were sitting pretty with a huge equity position!

We never jumped through one hoop and did not have our credit checked to establish this equity position.

We were smart enough to recognize controlling property was 100 times more powerful than “owning” property any day of the week, month or year!

We really do wonder why anyone would invest any other way!

Is it legal?

100% legal!

As a matter of fact, most mortgage companies advertise looking for those with a lease purchase contract who want to convert it to a mortgage!

Consider this email we received from a Real Estate Lender who does $800 Million Dollar a year in lending!

“As a RE Lender for a Mortgage Bank that does 800 Million dollars a year in residential lending, I deal primarily with what I term “credit challenged” buyers searching for help to purchase their first home. I know just how difficult it is for some families to overcome the restrictions that low income presents, the credit consequence of divorce or clients getting trapped in reaching beyond their financial means. I’ve, frankly, seen it all.

Warmest Regards, George C.

What do we mean by “control” real estate?

Simple. When we “control” real estate we have 5 options available to us. We can:

Sell the property Rent the property Sandwich lease the property Assign our rights in the property Live in the property

But the most powerful benefits to you investing this way is that you can establish an equity position in that home without ever being on title!

For example, lets say you control a home for a 5 year term and you have the right to purchase the home at any point during the next 5 years for $250,000. Let’s say the home appreciates in value to $350K in 3 years. You now have the right to purchase a $350K home for $250K. That is a $100K equity position you now have without being on title! That is the truest definition of power there is!

There is no more powerful way to invest in real estate today!

That’s it for now but we do cover this topic in detail in our course “Buy With No Credit, How to make Money this month in Real Estate!”

When was the last time youd heard a secret being told? That might not be the last time because the secret to network marketing online will break the cipher of its secrets. The secrets will be told. Thus, the secret will no longer be a secret. The secrets are revealed. All thats left is for us to read and find them out. First things first, lets define what Network Marketing is.

Network Marketing is also called Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). Network Marketing is a dual effort of franchising and express marketing of products. Interested individuals can get associated with a mother company in a seemingly freelance contractor relationship. These interested individuals are called sellers after getting in. Sellers are monetarily compensated based on the volume of sales of their marketing or selling performance and the sales of those sellers whom they bring into the company.

I have provided here some tips on how to break the codes of secrets of Network Marketing Online. Take a read for they will boost your Network Marketing business.

1. Practice using your products and make it a habit. There is always this common mistake of the Network Marketing moderator in asking why his or her business is not progressing. Why ask that question, if you the owner and moderator of your business, are not utilizing your own products? Why ask that your companys budget is descending and is always on the debit side of the worksheet? Well, I am fervently hoped that this isnt your case. Want to avoid that circumstance? If your answer is yes, then put now in your lists to success my tip number 1.

2. Never stop learning and maintain your velocity in educating your self. There is no such a thing as information overload. According to what I have read, Anyone who stops learning today is uneducated tomorrow. This quotation speaks by itself and is self-evident and very elementary. Read your daily those of business magazines. Learn from the success of other people. Lots of books are available. The short sentence phrase that might have read might take into the tower of success. Watch out! The book of success might just watch you.

3. Set-up a long-term business goal. So, what is that goal? TO SUCCEED is your main and specific goal. Nobody does desire not to succeed, right? If you want SUCCESS to creep your business, then have well-planned business goals.

4. Schedule a regular product and plan presentation among your distributors. If you are the owner of your network marketing business, then this is just right for you. It does not take away a portion of your personality if you meet everyday your sellers to have a personal meeting with them. This not only creates a security of their staying in your company. But it also creates an income security enough to support you.

5. A sense of CARE makes a big difference. It might consume all the papers on Earth to explain or to say something about care. But it only takes a simple act to show that you recognize your distributors or sellers existence. Your distributors or sellers will stay longer in the group if they feel that they are appreciated. Simple token of appreciation will do such as money or any other recognition that posters your appreciation to their job well-done.

6. Train self-driven distributors. Nothing compares to the amount of tasks done by groups that work independently in their own independent way. Lead them first then allow them to unleash their potentials. So how do you do that? You may exert some kind of presentations that will catch their innate desire to motivate themselves independently. You will later find out how progressive your group is.

7. Populate your business with a customer-oriented situation. Your distributing power lies on your distributor. There is always this common mistake of taking for granted the customers opinions on your way of assessing them. The transaction is ONLINE but it is not a valid reason not to establish good rapport among your customers online. Just be on line and your customers will lead the line toward your business objective.

8. Know what your customers need. Anticipating your customers needs ahead of time is better than selling unappreciated products. Practice the art of listening to your customers suggestions, wants, and needs. Once you get their trust, you can immediately pave the way towards your goal of motivating customers on patronizing your products.

A business plan is a very important part of any business. It is usually drawn up before the business launches, but can also be developed after a business has already taken off. A good plan can take some time to develop but the effort you put into it will be well worth it to make your business succeed. Not many people know exactly what goes into a good business plan. What alot don’t realize is that each business plan is unique to each business. Just because a Candy Shop’s business plan is successful for them doesn’t mean it will be successful for a Webhosting business. Though the design of the business plan may be similar, it is truly the details inside that make it work.

Here is an example outline of a business I developed for Logo2D.com . This will give you an idea of some of the subjects that go into a good business plan:

1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Mission

2.0 Company Summary
2.1 Company Ownership
2.2 Company History (for ongoing companies) or
Startup Plan (for new companies)
2.3 Company Locations and Facilities

3.0 Products and Services
3.1 Product and Service Description
3.2 Business Advertising Program
3.3 Sourcing and Fulfillment
3.4 Technology

4.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
4.1 Customers, Target Market & New Technology
4.2 Competitive Edge
4.3 Marketing
4.4 Main Competitors
4.5 Strategic Alliances
4.6 Milestones

5.0 Web Plan Summary
5 Development Information

6.0 Management Summary
6.1 Organizational Structure
6.2 Personnel Plan

7.0 Financial Plan
7.1 Breakeven Analysis
7.2 Projected Profit and Loss
7.3 Projected Balance Sheet

As you can see it seems a little complex, but the best thing to do is to break it down into parts. Usually each category(Category 17) will remain the same on most business plans. Some categories may be added in or taken out all together. The key is to provide as much essential data as possible. For example on Number 5.0 Web Plan Summary. You business plan mike look something like this:

Part: 5.0 Web Plan Summary

5 Development Information

Logo2D.com has already developed the necessary tools for business including:

Business Identity

Our logo is unique to us, displaying a eye appealing, unique symbol that when seen can be easily recognized as Logo2D.com creating brand labelling.

Ecommerce service

Logo2D.com features a fully operational ecommerce website system that allows products to be added through an admin section on the site. It also has the ability to take, receive and process orders, remove sold products, creating promotional offers and coupons/vouchers and also displaying featured products on the front page of the website. Also included in the ecommerce program is an area to add, create and manage website ads placed on the Logo2D.com.

Website development

All graphics for the website development have already been developed, coded and integrated into the ecommerce system. The website is live and taking orders on www.Logo2D.com

Products

Development needed products(such as logos) have already be developed and an inventory of over 150 products are on the website at any given time. As soon as logo is sold(as well as during down times) a new logo/new logos are being developed to the highest of quality and added back onto the website.

Marketing Material

Marketing plan and materials are in the works.

As you can see from above what details are given have already been researched and found out. There aren’t any comments from a personnel stand point, just facts that have proven. You can also project different areas of your business plan but you will have to do some research on this as well. So when you are developing your business plan you want to deal with facts and information you already have or can get(not comments or guesses).

When developing a good business plan, research is definitely key. The effort you put into it will determine the effort you will put into your business.

Anthony Jewell has over 6 Years experience in the Web & Graphics World. You can visit my business at http://www.logo2d.com

©Copyright 2005 Logo2D.com : Feel free to use this article freely but please keep in the copyright

Copyright 2006 Anthony Fallon

Sage Training - A helpful guide for anyone that has had the task of company accounting dumped on them using Sage Software without the investment in training. If you need to have Sage training because you are not sure of what you are doing then conveniently place this article on the bosses chair to bring it to their attention.

Sage Accounting software programs are great for recording business transactions and providing management data instantly when it’s required. But why do so many business owners believe that buying a piece of software will transform their business overnight without the in-house skills to use it? And this doesn’t just apply to accounting software! “Oh well, you can use a keyboard, so you can do the accounts” this is usually a major part of the decision making process when small businesses buy accounting software.

The person that can use the keyboard is struck with paralysis because they don’t know anything about accounts and are too frightened to say “well if I’m going to do the accounts using Sage I’m going to need Sage training because it takes three years to become qualified as an accountant and I don’t know anything about it and your expecting me to knock out management accounts for you at the end of the month.” “Oh just read the manual” comes the reply

Manuals only make sense when you’ve been shown how to do it Is it me or do manuals only make sense when you know how to do something? Manuals tell us how the programs work they are not very good at how do I process this credit note because the goods have been returned and we need our money back. There just isn’t enough room in the book to cover every possible human encounter. About 80% of the transactions require only about 20% of the effort because they are straightforward and obvious to a book-keeper, once the rules are learned. The other 20% or so of transactions require 80% of the intellectual effort. Trawling through a manual without any accounting experience or Sage training is definitely a non starter.

Sage training in the classroom This is the next step up from reading the manual. There are many Sage training organisations you can visit, including Sage Software PLC, who can provide you with excellent training facilities and guide you through the software. Sage training in the classroom usually takes the form of a fictitious company with a training manual that has preset tasks for entering various transactions. Those preset tasks don’t always match your business transactions.

The Sage classroom training is very good for learning how to put the data in but it doesn’t teach you the accounting that goes on in the background. You need to understand what goes on in the background if you are to produce accurate management reports and correct any input errors. There’s one thing that’s annoying about classroom training and it’s that person that sits at the front and asks all the questions they already know the answer to so they can impress others. Hogging the limelight and the tutor’s time. It’s in that instance when you wish you weren’t so gentlemanly or lady like so you could get up and punch them on the nose. Sage training in the classroom is recommended if all you want to do is input data.

Sage training in the workplace One to one Sage training is by far the best way to learn how to use the program but be wary, the person training you should be a qualified book-keeper or Accountant. Make sure you see their credentials One to one Sage training by a qualified person means you will learn more than how to process transactions, you will learn how to get out what you put in and apart from statutory information you will be able to handle any question your boss wants to throw at you. Funnily enough they all seem to ask the same questions, How much do we owe, how much do they owe us, how much have we spent on, etc.

Sage training at your desk means it’s your data you’re working on; the invoices, credits, customer receipts and purchase payments that you are familiar with on a daily basis. Sage training in the workplace is less expensive than classroom based training: In a classroom environment there is more than you being trained and you have to share the instructor with other learners who will have had to pay the same amount as you. Workplace Sage training is more efficient in that the instructor spends more time with you on specific issues relevant to your business and what you need to know Specific written training procedures for how you use the Sage software in your business can be created so that anyone can process data consistently with management needs.

Software is just a tool, and without an experienced person behind a tool usually leads to disaster - Education is often considered expensive but it lasts a lifetime (which is more than can be said for software) If your boss wants to go to bed at night comforted by the fact that the accounting function of the business is in safe hands then suggest some investment in training. But don’t waste their time, if you really don’t want to learn the accounts tell them so - You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink! And if you really want to become fully conversant with accounting procedures then contact anyone of the worldwide accounting bodies for more information.

Anthony Fallon is a qualified Accountant and provides workplace training for Sage Accounting Software. He can be contacted through the Warrington Web Works website at www.warringtonwebworks.co.uk

Why is it that many obese individuals lack the motivation to lose weight? Well there are several that most weight loss schemes miss. Some include the following;

1. Many obese individuals have an emotional investment in remaining obese. They use food as a way of numbing themselves to emotional pain, of avoiding engaging in satisfying relationships, of engaging in more creative interests, of taking responsibility for their lives, of asking others to rescue them and so on.

2. Many obese individuals become desensitized to how they actually feel both physically and emotionally. Compulsive over eaters who are emotionally prone to obesity often use food to numb their emotional pain. By doing so they are also numbing out the physical and emotional discomfort that naturally goes with being obese. When they lose touch with how awful they actually feel there is little left to fuel any motivation to change.

3. Many obese individuals lack the energy required to make a consistent effort to take better care of themselves. Carrying extra weight inherently drains one’s energy. As obesity, in my view, is often emotionally determined, such individuals are also carrying a great deal of emotional pain that requires energy to keep it unconscious.

4. Many obese individuals are eating foods that they are sensitive to and which actually make them depressed. Dr. Peter D’Adamo has written a wonderful dissertation (see “Eat Right 4 Your Type”) on the relationship between one’s blood type, food sensitivities, obesity and depression. It appears that individuals who eat foods they are sensitive too not only are unable to metabolize them, they also become susceptible to developing obesity, depression, and other chronic illnesses.

So in summary how can one address this motivational issue?

1. See Dr. D’Adamo’s book and follow it strictly for at least 6 months to see changes.

2. Address and release the emotional needs to remain obese i.e. old traumatic pain. This can be done via the Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP) (see the web link below for more on this). MRP will also help restore your energy and re-sensitize you to how you actually feel so that you can be guided by such feelings in your journey back to complete health and happiness.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

If you were asked to put a value on your website what would it be? Perhaps you paid a small fortune and commissioned a top design agency to build it. It would still be worth at least what you paid for it, right?

It’s a sad fact that a great number of websites are worthless. They give no value to their owners and are little more than a drain on resources. Would it surprise you if your website was classed as one of these?

The World Wide Web is made up of millions of webpages so it’s not surprising that many are rarely seen by human eyes other than their owners’ and creators’. These unfulfilled webpages are like trees in a forest. They can make as much noise as they want, but if no one is around to hear it then who is to know they ever made a sound? Too many of those that are seen by people are poor at encouraging progress through the sales cycle i.e. they don’t persuade the reader enough to progress to the next stage whether that’s submitting a sales query or making a purchase.

So how have you determined the value of your website? Have you only taken into account its cost to build and maintain or have you also considered what it actually does for you and the value it adds to your business? Ask yourself this question, if you were to put your website up for sale, how would you convince a potential buyer that it was worth the asking price? Would you sell it on the basis of how much it cost to build or on the strength of the benefits it brings?

Do you think owners of expensive luxury cars are motivated by how much they cost to build, run and service or because of things like the prestige they give the owner, the superior performance and higher levels of comfort? In this context, it may be easier to recognise value and worth, but when it comes to your website can you do the same? If your website provides you with no measurable benefits or is a tree in a lonely forest then how can you be sure it’s worth anything?

Suppose we’re comparing two very different websites; one cost £10,000 to build, looks very impressive, but converts poorly, generates little interest and the other cost £1,000 to build, wouldn’t win any design contests, but consistently generates fresh leads and converts a high percentage of prospects into customers. Which of these websites do you think is worth more?

Now ask yourself again, what’s the value of your website?

William Lee is the proprietor of Web Star Creations (www.webstarcreations.co.uk). His personal blog is www.wlee.me.uk.

You know information is valuable.
You know the Internet is a profitable venue for marketing information.
You think you may have a great idea or maybe even a product… Now
what?

If you’ve done your research, you already have the right tools to start
your online business. Namely, you know how to make a website (or if
you don’t know how, you know that you can learn how to do it easily or
that you can hire someone else to do it for you) and you understand the
mechanics of selling your product online (like signing up with a payment
processor and getting visitors to go to your site).

But maybe you’re afraid to start.

There’s nothing wrong with being wary; in fact it’s good business sense
to know what you’re getting into. A common statistic thrown around is
that 9 out of 10 new businesses will fail within the first year. But knowing
that doesn’t mean it’s time to quit before you even start. You have a
product and therefore you have a target market; it’s useful, even
necessary, and most certainly comforting to your beginner’s brain to do
your own research and due diligence.

One method of practicing your business before actually going it alone is
to become an affiliate. Using an affiliate program to enter a new market
allows you test out your ideas and hone them with the ultimate goal of
creating and promoting your own product. (In summary, for you
beginners out there, affiliate marketing is the process of earning a
commission off of purchases made by visitors who arrived at that
particular product’s site by clicking on a link on your webpage).

An advantage of affiliate marketing is that your only concern is driving
visitors to their site; the affiliate program will worry about having the
perfect product, providing customer service, and delivering the product.
Affiliate programs may even provide you with banners or free e-books
and techniques showing you how to promote them. This will provide a
good learning ground for you so that you can garner ideas for eventually
promoting your own product.

Find some affiliate programs related to your particular idea or product.
The research you’ll derive from joining an affiliate program will be the
real benefit. By setting up a website or a few websites testing out your
various ideas and promoting these ideas, you can then sit back and see
what happens. Hopefully you’ll start making money. Then you can see
which products are really selling and what marketing techniques are
working. As you work on improving your website for the products that
are selling, you’re laying the groundwork for selling your own product.
You can then feel more comfortable about your own venture using the
successful techniques you learned through this “practice” attempt.

And maybe starting your own business won’t look as scary.

Joshua White
http://www.webwealthmethods.com

Joshua White is a student of anything making moral and ethical money
online. For online (moneymaking) mentoring come to
http://www.webwealthmethods.com

Travel brochures are more or less like other brochures but they contain visuals of higher quality, considering that they need to give the right feel and impact of the places they advertise and campaign for.

Travel brochure doubles as a vacation guide and is full of maps, pictures of tourist spots, and information pertaining to the landmarks and must-visit places. Information must also be provided about the flora, fauna, climate, culture, history and geography of the places mentioned in the brochure. An ideal travel brochure should also give information about flights, roads, the shortest way of reaching a particular place, and other such information. Apart from this, it should give detailed information about accommodations-a list of hotels, motels, upper-range hotels and mid-range accommodations.

A travel brochure differs from other brochures in that the writing style is persuasive - the ideal travel brochure leaves a strong impact on a would-be traveler and compels him to visit the places mentioned within. However, while playing with words and creating the right imagery, care should be taken to ensure that one does not get carried away - the information should be correct and factual. They should enable people to make informed decisions - care should be taken that neither the text nor the visuals convey a misleading impression, so that travelers do not feel let down when they actually visit the places mentioned in the brochure.

One should also be prepared for somewhat higher expenses when producing a travel brochure. By their very nature, travel brochures need good-quality printing to make the visuals as appealing as possible. The photographs should speak to the intended target base. Ideally, travel brochures should be in full-color and innovatively designed, with several folds to present more pictures in neat divisions. In the end, the best travel brochure is that which succeeds in increasing tourist inflow.

Brochures provides detailed information on Brochures, Full Color Brochures, Travel Brochures, Cheap Brochures and more. Brochures is affiliated with Full Color Brochure Printing.