12 Surefire Brainstorming Techniques

Writers, students and anyone else will occasionally need an idea or two. While you may have times when ideas come with little or no effort, there will be times when the fountain of creativity seems to have dried up. Have no fear, however. Even if you’re not feeling particularly creative, you can still think and reason. By thinking clearly and using the following techniques, you’ll find an endless supply of ideas.

Free-writing – Just write. Don’t worry about format, topic, or anything else. Just write, about anything at all. It might be a description of your kitchen ceiling, or a diatribe about the lack of parking spaces at your local veterinarian’s office. The important thing is that you get writing, and keep writing. Let one thought lead to another, or just write on one thing, in ever increasing detail. Maybe you’ll write for a set amount of time, or maybe your aim is to fill a page or multiple pages. Pick out individual topics, ideas, names or anything else. Whatever you do, you’ll soon have many ideas to work with.

Breakdown – Take your initial topic, and write it at the top of the page. Divide the topic into subtopics, questions, themes, and such, listing them below. Continue to break down and list those subtopics as before.

Listing/Bulleting – List everything about the topic, then list any related phrases, keywords, questions, sources, etc. If you can think of it, add it to the list. Then take each item from the list, and do it again.

Cubing – Cubing refers to taking your topic and examining it from six different sides, like the six sides of a cube. Consider the topic in the following six ways:

  1. Describe it
  2. Compare it
  3. Associate it
  4. Analyze it
  5. Apply it
  6. Argue for and against it

Now, examine your answers. Are there any connections between them? Do any themes emerge?

Similes – Complete the following sentence: [Blank] is/was/are/were like [Blank]. By comparing your topic to another, seemingly unrelated word, you’ll begin to see new ideas about your topic, better understand different aspects of it, and new ideas will emerge.

Clustering/Mapping/Webbing – This technique allows you to expand on a topic in a freeform, organic manner. Write a keyword or words about your topic in the center of a blank page and draw a circle or box around it. Branch off in as many ideas as possible, connecting them visually to the topic. Then branch off from there. Go as far as you can or want to, continually branching off.

Parts – Look at the relationships between the whole, the parts and parts of parts. Make the following lists on opposite margins of a sheet of paper:

Whole………………………Parts

Part…………………………Parts of Parts

Part…………………………Parts of Parts

Part…………………………Parts of Parts

Apply these labels to topics and subtopics, words, etc. Then draw conclusions about relationships, patterns, connections, etc.

Journalistic Questions (The Big 6) – Ask yourself the 6 important questions of journalism:

  1. Who
  2. What
  3. When
  4. Where
  5. Why
  6. How

List related questions for each one, then seek out the answers; repeat as many times as you need to.

Outside the Box – Try approaching your topic from a totally different angle. Ask questions from a seemingly unrelated viewpoint. You might think in terms of occupations, academic subjects, demographic groups, cultural groups, etc. Examine it fully from each new perspective, jotting down every thought, question, commentary, interpretation, etc.

Charts/Shapes – Instead of words and phrases, think visually. Put things in terms of charts, shapes, tables and diagrams. If you can find photographs related to the topic, use them as well. List anything you see, any thoughts that come to mind and any conclusions drawn from the images.

Slanting/Re-slant – Examine an idea or topic in terms of purpose and audience. If stuck, think about a different purpose or a different audience. For example, if you’re writing about married couples with the purpose of entertaining couples with at least five years of marriage, try looking at the topic from the newlyweds.

Referencing – If you have a basic idea or topic, look it up. Go to the dictionary, the thesaurus, the encyclopedia, an almanac, quote collection, any other reference. List any information. If you don’t have a topic, open to a random page, pick any topic, then go from there.

Combination of Techniques – Start with any technique then apply another technique to the results. For example, after listing and bulleting on your original topic, try referencing each listed item.

Once you have used these techniques, you should have a list of the ideas produced. These ideas must then be organized in some way. You may start by listing them neatly, then categorizing them. Group them according to subtopics, put them into an outline, or try to sequence them in some way. The idea is simply to impose some sort of order on the disorganized results, giving you a clear collection of ideas to work with. Now equipped with these ideas and some related information, you’ll have a better idea of what to work on in your writing.

Fiction Tips – The Snare of Coincidence

Quirky Incidents

In the search for story or plot ideas, oftentimes novice novelists will come across an interesting, fascinating, quirky incident that they are absolutely sure will make a great novel. Perhaps it was a newspaper article, or an anecdote told by a friend.

The reason the idea is so compelling is because it involves a fascinating twist of fate. Coincidence, if you will. And here lies a snare – a trap that beginning fiction writers often fall prey to.

Only a Small Seed

First of all, keep in mind that when you grab at an idea to use as the basis for your plot, that idea should be only a small seed. This is your starting point. This little spark is the only thing about the plot that should come from outside the writer. Everything else about the story will be filtered through and formed by your own unique imagination and frame of reference.

In the years when I was teaching for a writer correspondence school (over 9 years, to be exact) I could spot when one of my students had created a plot from an actual happenstance. First of all, the plot was weak – pitifully weak. When I brought up the issue, the answer was invariably: “But that’s how it really happened.”

Fine, well, and good! Sorry to disappoint you, but your telling something exactly as it happens is not a plot!

Plot Evolves from Deep Emotion

True, genuine plots evolve from the deep emotions of the writer. That seldom happens when a story is built from an external source. It become flat and uneventful – and seldom grips the reader.

And that brings me to the point of the problem of using coincidence to get your character to a certain point in the story. Again, it’s often the quirky, coincidental aspect of an incident that grabs our attention and arouses our curiosity. While these types of things are fun and captivating in real life, in fiction it will always look like author manipulation.

Why?

Because a plot that relies on fate is a thin plot. It’s the “easy way out.” It’s the cavalry coming over the hill at the very moment the battle is almost lost. Okay, right, sure. Your reader is rolling her eyes. She may continue reading, but trust and respect for the author has been lost – or at least diminished somewhat.

Avoiding Melodrama

The best way to forfeit the interest of most readers is to ask them to believe something that is not really believable. And that’s the point about a quirky, wild, off-the-wall coincidence or strange happenstance. In real life, its main appeal is that something unbelievable actually happened. This is not what your reader is looking for.

Any incident that has an “operatic” quality, or is coming from way out in left field, will most certainly come off as melodrama. Not the mark of a skilled novelist.

To rely on coincidence is the lazy way of writing. It’s a short cut that means less hard work of actual plotting – weaving the story to make it work. Or put another way, to make the story stand on its own. When it does, it is believable. The reader is ready to “suspend disbelief” and step into your world and accept your story. And in the process, accept you (the author) as well.

And that, my struggling novelist, is what we are all striving for in this strange business!

Autoresponder Secrets – The Best Bits!

Autoresponder secrets – Is there really a secret to using an auto-responder system? I have been a user of autoresponder systems for over ten years now and I admit that the first few weeks that I operated my own auto-responder system, I did not understand most of its uses and benefits. After two months of use, I started to see how surprisingly they helped my business. I had increased sales and an increased number of site visitors who were in turn converted to subscribers.

Autoresponders allow me to automatically send messages to my subscribers in my own predetermined time. I can even greet them on their birthdays or during other special occasions. All I do is set the system to do this. It gives me a greater chance to connect with my subscribers – to make them feel special. With this, I have gained and retained more and more customers.

I really believe that each entrepreneur in whatever business he is undertaking should use this system. Let me share with you some autoresponder secrets – what they are and how you use them.

Goals – What does an autoresponder do?

1.) Builds a long-lasting relationships with your customers and subscribers.

2.) It allows you to send the most unique and engaging emails about your business.

3.) It heightens your sales and the number of visitors.

Below, I will elaborate on the steps above so you can achieve these goals. This is my ultimate autoresponder secret. I have learned these tricks through my own experience and usage of the system.

1.) You must make your own autoresponder series. This is how it happens. Hundreds of visitors visit and subscribe to your site. When they have subscribed, send them a welcome email. This will make them feel like they are a part of something. This will increase their interest in your company. Send them the most important features of your product or service. After which, you can start promoting more services and products from your company. Make them aware of everything you can do to help them. What do they want to know? What are the features of your product that are very useful? All of these must be in your mail.

2.) Be distinctive from others. Have a brand and remember to stand out from the rest of the other entrepreneurs in the market. Do not be lazy in creating these automated emails. Try to be clever, clear, concise and brief. While all the others may have long articles, be different by providing your subscribers short but complete details. They do not really want to read long never ending emails. Most often, it will bore them. Also, do not be too technical. Talk to them in the most natural but creative way. You can hire a designer as well. It is up to you how you can be creative.

3.) Test consistently and try to find weak points. Your list of autoresponder emails must be analyzed. Know what emails gets the most responses and what emails do not. You can analyze the click-through-rates to give you an idea of an emails performance.Find the emails that are read less and have low response rates. Examine these massages and try to create new ones. Also, try to find out what your subscribers want to know and/or why these messages are not read.

These are the autoresponders secrets that each entrepreneur should know. This system is really helpful, but you must know how to make use of them and how to make the best of it. Just like any other system, if you do not learn to make creative ways to use it in the best way you can, it will never work.

The steps I have mentioned above are what I have learned through my usage of auto responder systems. I hope this will be of help to you to. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my autoresponder secrets.

How to Design a Website – On Your Own Or Hire a Professional Web Designer

We are sure that this is one of the most important question which most companies find difficult to get answers to. Obviously, there are both advantages & disadvantages of designing a website on your own and getting it done by a professional, as it is said, “Every coin has two sides”. So here, we will discuss about the same. But before we start the discussion, it is to be remembered that web designing is an art, so you should have a clear idea about the vision, brand or the statement of your company that you wish to get communicated when any of your current or portential customers visit your website. Your website should impress them in all ways. Advantage of Web Designing on your own

1. Knowledge is Power. If you have to design your website on your own, definetely it will require some knowledge about it. Probably, you will refer books, websites and tutorials and in the process gain knowledge about web designing, and a syou know knowledge is power ! You gain knowledge regarding web designing and web designers on the whole and this knowledge will of course help you in the long run.

2. It affordable Since you are designing a website on your own, there’s no cost involved. It’s just you and your time and you can design your website.

3. It gives you a satisfaction and the idea that you have created something is worth cherishing. Advantages of Hiring a Web Designer to design your website.

1. Hiring a professional web designer will certainly save you time. Web Designing is a time consuming process, and add to it the time that you will spend to learn tricks of the trade. Whereas, a professional web design company has all its tools in place and can give you the required solution with the relevant technologies in one package. They can design creative websites very soon highlighting your products & services effectively and communicate your message clearly.

2. Concentrate on YOUR Business – If you are running a small business — probably you handle sales, customer service, accounting, marketing and also devise strategies for business growth. When you have so much to do — why do you want to get a lapse in your concentration and learn something else, instead, hire a web designer who will design a creative website for you, while you concentrate on your core business.

3. You want Quality, right ? – A quality professional web site designer will give you what you want, and in the long run a quality web designer is best for you & your business. 4. Enter into a long term partnership with your Web Designer, so that they will keep abreast with the latest technology and the next time you want to update your website you know whom to call ! Web Design Temple provides professional web designing services. Backed by the creative strength of our professionals, we are able to deliver creative & visually appealing websites, which rank higher on search engines and bring business for you.

100 Tips to Market Your Music – Part 2

Even if an artist has an outstanding talent, record deals do not fall out of the sky and land in your lap without music marketing. In this Internet age, A&R at most record labels is not what it once was, so those reps are looking for artists that already have CD sales, a great fan base, and already have the look and feel of being made even more marketable.

We started a list of marketing tips in 100 Tips To Market Your Music and continue more great ideas here, so tweak any of them as you will!

Promo Tip #55 Tag your MP3s with your name or band name, not just the song name. They need to know WHO did this material when they happen across it months later.

Promo Tip #56 Know who you are! Get into an appropriate category so that you can be found. People have to be able to identify your sound into a category that they can identify with. You may want to portray a new edgy sound, which is fine, but there are still general categories that people search on in record stores or online and you have to be found in one of them.

Promo Tip #57 Throw a listen-in. Contact record stores, coffee shops, book stores, malls, recreational areas, galleries, cool clothing stores or nightclubs that are willing to support local music. The free listen-in could have talk session and discounted CDs with coupons.

Promo Tip #58 Keep it simple silly, web sites that take a long time to load, are not easy to navigate, and are not interesting will not keep the viewer’s attention long enough for them to get to know you. So don’t make your personal website or any site that can be customized, so frilly that it turns a potential opportunity away.

Promo Tip #59 Join local communities and organizations and go to meetings periodically and pay attention. Listen for opportunities in what they are saying and perhaps volunteer. Help them and they will help you. Nonprofit organizations are likely to have access to media outlets that may give your some exposure.

Promo Tip #60 Check your public and local radio stations that play your type of music and try to get some air time.

Promo Tip #61 You will hear a lot of no’s and negativity. That is to be expected as everyone’s taste is different. Hopefully someone will give you some constructive criticism. Learn from it what you can but keep moving forward.

Promo Tip #62 Develop yourself as a complete package. Record labels do not spend the money on A&R as in the day. Educate yourself as a well-rounded music artist and present yourself as such.

Promo Tip #63 Elevator Pitch – If you only have one shot to make an impression in 30 seconds or less, can you do it? You will need to, so practice it!

Promo Tip #64 Post your gigs on your website(s), class ads, Craigslist, Backpage and other sites for your location.

Promo Tip #65 Submit your music to songwriting competitions, musician competitions, singing contests – try out for American Idol, for gosh sakes!

Promo Tip #66 Do a free conference call to chat with fans using your website. Record the call and follow up by posting the MP3 on your site. Promote it for all its worth.

Promo Tip #67 Never release an inferior product, send out professional, and only your very best demos and new releases.

Promo Tip #68 Get testimonials and reviews from people that matter and start locally if you have to. Add them to your press kit.

Promo Tip #69 Make sure you make it easy for potentials sales to happen whether on your site or at a show. Make the payment process, safe, secure and EASY.

Promo Tip #70 Have a house concert. Invite the neighborhood to your backyard.

Promo Tip #71 Give your fans insider, behind the scenes, back stage with the band info and videos. This is great info to include in newsletters – people that signed up to learn more about you on purpose.

Promo Tip #72 Take the good with the bad, and take it all graciously. You must keep your image clean or at least maintain the aforementioned image.

Promo Tip #73 Don’t waste time, prioritize and go with the best bets. Put your energy into the correct market for YOUR music.

Promo Tip #74 If you can write well about a music subject, write and distribute articles. Always source the article back to your website. Let it be redistributed with the bottom author source info to spread your message and link.

Promo Tip #75 Gig swap with other bands from another area to widen your fan base.

Promo Tip #76 A music profile or bio, press kit and press releases should all be well written, free of misspellings, kept current, and to the point. Schedule updates of your various online activities.

Promo Tip #77 Find a business in your area that you can partner with for mutual benefit. If something about a song, style, or image would boost a local business, develop a cross promotional relationship.

Promo Tip #78 Respond to all your correspondence in a timely, businesslike, and correct manner – appropriate to the sender. Be considerate of your audience.

Promo Tip #79 Give people what they want. It’s all about the fans. If they come to your website, give them information that makes THEM feel good. If they come to your show, entertain them, thank them and thank the venue for the experience.

Promo Tip #80 Don’t disappear. Once you have started building your momentum, it is a continuous onslaught.

Promo Tip #81 Attend music conferences, indie showcases, music festivals. Gain exposure and network.

Promo Tip #82 Be easy to work with and be flexible. A good reputation carries a lot of weight. Flexibility can also mean possibly adjusting areas of your work or image so as to get your foot in the door if need be.

Promo Tip #83 Have a cause. Create an event to promote that cause. Team up with other like-minded bands and make a news worthy event out of that cause.

Promo Tip #84 Business Cards – When talking to anyone, hand one out. You must include the link to your website. Consider your link as your online business card.

Promo Tip #85 Rolodex your contact list (some sites have contact managers in their member consoles). Make a list and keep it current of all the places online and offline that you need to post to when you need to send out reoccurring press releases of news and events. Be aware that many sites have limits in number and/or time frames, be careful to not exceed them.

Promo Tip #86 Invoke your personality into your writings to make your invitations, announcements and introductions fun and effective.

Promo Tip #87 Clearly define what you are about – quickly, online or offline. People have short attention spans and are short on time – not just the music industry, but most people in general. This is very important! Don’t waste words. Make anything you have to say about yourself or band enough to give the important necessary information and cut out the nonsense.

Promo Tip #88 Create a band calendar with some humorous photos of the various band members at various events.

Promo Tip #89 You heard it through the grapevine. Share “some” inside knowledge with other bands and songwriters in your area. Start your own information highway.

Promo Tip #90 Create an automated template for emails. Take the time to add the person’s name with a personal tidbit, but save time with a ready made email guide. Respond to unsolicited emails with your own personalized marketing message and a link to your website.

Promo Tip #91 Play for free if you have to, any where, any time. Create an event, an event with a cause and donate the proceeds to a charity. This can open up some interesting contacts and opportunities. Sponsor an event.

Promo Tip #92 Reach out and touch your fans. Whether someone else is maintaining your online presence or not, occasionally touch base with fans personally.

Promo Tip #93 Include every ounce of contact info needed upon every available surface.

Promo Tip #94 Borrow an idea from other sources, even outside the music industry. If it works for that company, perhaps you can adapt the idea to market your music as well. Find a way to put a new twist or slant on a successful bands tactics.

Promo Tip #95 Send birthday cards to your fans…of course you need to get their birthday info when they sign up for mailing lists.

Promo Tip #96 Get involved in the music forums and message boards that target your music segment and ALWAYS include your signature URL (aka web link)!!

Promo Tip #97 Start a Music or Band Blog, well written and kept current. Submit it to music Blog directories.

Promo Tip #98 Create a novelty song that topics a holiday, a hot news item, your city or town, sports team, political event or other idea and gain exposure on promoting this song.

Promo Tip #99 Listen to your fans and learn what brought them to your show. This is very effective to giving you feedback on which promotional tool worked.

Promo Tip #100 Success does not happen to those that wait. A record label , music deal, stardom, just creating a website “and they will come” does not just land in your lap with you doing nothing. You have to make success come to you. Be persistent, be confident, roll up your sleeves, it is going to take some serious work.

But wait, there’s more! We could not stop at 100! Here are a few more great tips:

Promo Tip #101 Use the Internet to research and keep current on new ways and new sites to market your music.

Promo Tip #102 Strength in numbers. Build joint ventures, collaborations and/or online partners on a project and both of you market that project.

Promo Tip #103 Have a professional email address.

Promo Tip #104 Don’t burn your bridges. Even with the increasing number of music “want to-be’s” the music industry is a relatively small and close knit community. A wrong done to you by someone early in your career, may be that “someone” in a position of music power one day that you just might need to do business with.

Promo Tip #105 Join the party, even if not in the mood. Don’t respond to the inevitable “what do you do” question with your day job, but tell your potentially new fan you are a musician and hand them your business card.

Promo Tip #106 Keep a journal of your marketing efforts with what worked and what did not work. This can be used in many ways down the road besides tracking your efforts. A book or e-book maybe?

Promo Tip #107 If out partying, have a designated friend or band mate for image control. If you get into something that could potentially land you in trouble, that controller gets you out of the situation before it can hurt your image. Video can be on the Internet before you even get home, so protect your image at all costs if you happen to get out of control.

Promo Tip #108 Business is business. There is a time and place for slang/explicit language, behavior, and the like. Project yourself in a professional manner. Know when you are onstage and when you are not.

Promo Tip #109 Get your own competition going about your band or a new release. Give something away, have fans register at local record stores, find a way to get buzz going by asking a great question.

Promo Tip #110 Self promote everyday, in every way, one way or the other.

Some of these pointers may not be for you. That’s fine. Do what you need to do, just make sure we ALL hear about you. Very true that many artists do not have the funds to do some of these tips, well, with the Internet and some ingenuity it possible to get around this to an extent.

The difference between you and another band that made it may not be that their music was better. It might be that they found a way to get noticed better. The music industry needs music talent and is constantly on the look out for something that stands out. If you have the guts and perseverance, it can be you.

Seven Benefits of Internet Forums

Internet forums are wonderful places to be, especially as an Internet marketer. If you join forums in your niche, then be sure to benefit so much, especially when you try as much as you can to be active in the forums. Just take a look at the following benefits:

– Free Knowledge: In forums you have access to knowledge worth some real money for free. Forum members are ever willing to share their knowledge and experience with others, and you can, especially as a newbie, benefit from these free knowledge.

– Cost Saving: You are saved cost by having some things that you would ordinarily spend money to achieve given you for free by your forum members. When I was to publish my first site, I had some difficulties. Yet I had it published by a member of one of the forums I belong. I would have spent so much money to have someone else do it for me.

– Mentorship: Forum members provide a form of mentorship to newbies. There are those in every forum who are ever willing and ready to offer you help in every topic. And from there you can even develop a lasting business relationship with some of the gurus in the industry.

– Opportunity to build credibility: Forums offer you the opportunity to build credibility and establish yourself as a guru in the Industry where you operate. If you are the open-minded type that will always offer help to people, especially the newbies, you will soon be seen as a guru and an established expert in the Industry. The idea here is for you to always be willing and ready to offer useful help to people.

– Opportunity to advertise your products: The forums have sections where you can advertise your products for free. This is also another way of saving you cost. You also have the opportunity of advertising yourself.

– Early Guidance: I was in warrior forum and saw forum members discussing a particular product that was bought by some of them and found out that the product was just nonsense, and worse still, when they asked for refund as promised by the product owner, he said their guarantee was just for thirty days and that the time to ask for refund was over. This issue actually came up because somebody in the forum wanted to buy this product and wanted to inquire from the forum members whether to go ahead with the purchase or not. After all he heard about the product, I’m sure no charm in this world would make him want to buy any product from this owner.

– Source of Motivation: You can easily see people who will give you the motivation and encouragement you need to keep on in your business and eventually succeed. It is great to have people of like minds and in the same business line who are willing to co-operate with you and help in building you up. Remember that iron sharpeneth iron.

These are some of the benefits of joining Internet forums. And if you are yet to join one, I wonder what it is you are still waiting for.

The 7 Essential Characteristics Every Entrepreneur Needs

Discover the secrets to being a successful Entrepreneur…

Becoming an entrepreneur is not an easy task! Around 45 percent of all new businesses fail to survive more than two years. There are certain qualities and characteristics that are absolutely necessary if you would like to become successful in your business ventures. Some of these qualities are built-in parts of your inherent personality, and some of them get developed over time. Knowing these characteristics and identifying your weaker ones – those which need strengthening – will, eventually, help you become a successful entrepreneur and ensure that you succeed in your business ventures.

1. Common sense.

Studies show that most successful businesspeople consider common sense as the foundation of their success. Good judgment depends on acquired knowledge and past experience. The combination of these two creates necessary prerequisites in developing common sense in a person. Common sense allows you to understand complex issues in simpler terms and get into the core of a problem.

2. Specialised knowledge of your field and willingness to learn

It is easier to start a successful business if you have deep knowledge of the business field that you decide to pursue. Having said that, studies show that most self-made millionaires have only average intelligence. Nonetheless, these people achieved their financial and personal goals in business because they are willing to learn. To succeed, you must be willing to ask questions, remain curious, interested and open to new knowledge.

3. Self-confidence and the heart of a champion.

Self-confidence is a key entrepreneurial skill for success. A successful entrepreneur believes in his abilities. He/she is not scared to take risks and make difficult decisions. You have to be determined to succeed at all costs. You have to anticipate resistance from your friends, family and loved ones. You must exercise unlimited persistence.

4. Ability to work hard

Every successful entrepreneur works hard. Ask any successful businessperson and they will tell you immediately that they had to work more than 60 hours per week at the start of their businesses. If you are in a start-up phase, you will have to breathe, eat and drink your business until it can stand on its own. . This requires a self-control that many people simply fail to develop in them.

5. Passion

Success comes easily if you love what you do. Why? Because we are more relentless in our pursuit of goals that we are passionate about. Entrepreneurs who succeed do not mind that they are putting in 15 or 18 hours a day to their business because they absolutely love what they do. Success in business is all about patience and hard work, which can only be attained if you are passionate about your tasks and activities.

6. Think success

To attain the kind of success that you want, you need to dream big. Every success story starts with big dreams! If you only aspire to survive, then you might just achieve that. Conversely, if you aspire to generate incredible wealth and happiness within your life, you might just achieve that too. You should actively visualise success in your mind. What does it feel to triple your current income? How will your life change? What will your business look like if you achieved the million-dollar mark? You must believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have the ability to recognize and fulfill your goals.

7. Plan accordingly and stick to your plan

You have a vision, and you have enough faith in yourself to believe that you can achieve your vision. You have to have a solid business plan and then stick to it. Put your goals in writing. You need to plan each day in such a way that your every action contributes to the attainment of your goals. Intense goal orientation is the characteristic of every successful entrepreneur. They have a vision, and they know how to get there.

Choose a Great Topic for Your Podcast

So, you have finally decided that you are going to ride the Podcasting wave and launch your own Podcast. There are number of Podcasters airing their shows these days. Many more are coming up every day to join them. But this fact should not stop you from beginning Podcasting. You should have no fear of competition because the potential of Podcasting is immense and there is still lot more to be done.

Podcasting has become so easy today that you need not be a genius or a hard core techie to start Podcasting. With anyone entering the fad, many of the Podcasts available are nothing but junk. Do not be afraid of the competition. Just try to produce quality that will help you stand out among the quantity produced by the crowd. In the process you will be able to create a crowd of fanatic subscribers, who will provide a new dimension to your Podcast.

Choosing the Right Topic

Make a list of the subjects your interested in before starting your Podcast. Here are few tips on how to add more topics to this list. Think about the things that you do during your free-time. Also think about what you spend most of your money on. Note down the movies, music, TV shows, games, political parties, philosophies, books and religions that are interesting to you. You will see that your list start to grow. If a particular topic interests you, possibilities are that it will be of the interest to some other people also and they will listen to your show. After listing the topics, you can pinpoint a theme and topic for your Podcasts.

Visiting Podcast directories is a great way to get potential topics. ‘How to Start a Podcast’ http://www.howtostartapodcast.com has a large list. This can be very helpful and give you some brain storming ideas. Visiting them will also tell you how many people are interested in your particular topic for a Podcast. There may be a lot of competition in it or there may be no competition at all. However, you need not worry in either case. More competition just means that you could have a huge listening base of subscribers.

During your research you might also download some shows of different Podcasts that you find interesting. Analyze them carefully and make notes about what you liked and didn’t like about the existing Podcasts. If you’re starting with a topic that already has an established subscriber base, then you may consider choosing a Podcast topic that will complement, rather than compete with them.

Start your own Podcast and ride the wave by taking advantage of the latest technological trend and have some fun at the same time.

What Is Web Hosting & Which Web Hosting Suits You the Best?

With the increasing trend of online shopping and e-businesses, it is not a surprise that the increase in the popularity of web hosting services is more than ever before. Even more interestingly, the rate at which small businesses are signing up for various kinds of web hosting services is breaking its own record every year. If you are new to online business, this might be a confusing thing to understand. This is why I felt the need to write this article where I can talk about what web hosting is and how you can benefit from its enormous features in order to promote your business and be successful.

First let’s discuss a little bit of history. We live in an era, where door-to-door marketing isn’t really possible in today’s ever-expanding societies and settings. With millions of households in even a small city, you can’t even think of successfully marketing your business unless you use online means. Hence, it doesn’t matter how great is the idea, product, or service that you are trying to sell, you can’t succeed without leveraging the power of internet and social media. You need to have an online presence where you can market your products and service and give them an exposure they deserve. This is where web-hosting services come into play.

There are quite a few services available in the market today to choose from. The question is: which one suits you best. Your business ideas and goals are most likely be different from other businesses and hence not any web hosting service can cater your needs and your demands. Therefore, you need to ask yourself a few questions before purchasing the subscription of any web hosting platform. The first question should be the storage space that is available at your disposal. You don’t want me to struggling in storing the high-quality photos and videos of your products. Hence you should choose a service that offers unlimited storage for your valuable content.

In terms of security of your intellectual property, you also need to ask how secure the service provider is and how long they are in business for. Don’t got for new-comers as they might disappoint you sooner rather than later. Always go with the names that are in business since a long time and hold a good reputation. Lastly, you should be questioning about the bandwidth that a particular service provider includes in your subscription. Bandwidth here is the amount of data your website visitors will be consuming by visiting your website. Once you run of allocated bandwidth, the visitors might face trouble accessing your website.

If you keep these key factors in your mind before buying a hosting service, you should be in good business.

Learn The Hot Dog Business!

Hot Dog Vending

A Hot Dog Cart is a specialized mobile food stand for preparing and selling street food, to passerbies. A cart operator must meet health regulations designed to protect the public from food poisoning from food borne illnesses. They are quick and easy foodservice, supplying millions of people with food every day.

It is generally a compact, full self-contained and designed to serve a limited menu. An on-board or stand-alone cooler is used to keep them safely chilled until ready for reheating. It also provides a cold storage for beverages such as soda, and water. Most carts now use propane to heat the foods, making them independent of electrical power. A colorful umbrella is often installed to protect the food preparation area from contamination, provide some shade and advertise the cart’s location

They are generally built from materials that resist corrosion, hygiene friendly and are easy to keep clean. They are generally made of polished stainless steel, but some carts also have components made from plastic, wood and fiberglass. The food preparation body of the cart in often mounted on a chassis that can be easily transported to a vendor’s location either by hand or towed by a vehicle. There are several types of carts that range from lightweight push cart that weight up to 200 lbs, to fully enclosed walk-in carts weighing a ton or more.

The mechanics are essential to the taste and safety of the food. The inside contains pans that steam or boil you food. They are constructed so that the proper temperatures are consistently met and the food is well cooked.

The first one was manufactured for Charles Feltman in 1867. Charles Feltman owned a pie-wagon that delivered fresh baked pies to the inns and lager-beer saloons that lined Coney Island’s beaches. He clients wanted hot sandwiches to serve their clients. But, his wagon was too small. So he presented his idea the manufacturer of his pie-wagon manufacture. The solution was adding a tin lined chest to keep the rolls fresh and rigging s small charcoal stove to boil sausages. When the new pie-wagon was finished, low and behold the first one was created.

They are popular for many reasons. One reason, of course, is the hot dog itself. They are a permanent place alongside pizza and the cheeseburger as an American classic.

Another reason the they are popular is the cart itself. In most cases people eat their food at home, office or in a restaurant. It is a novel experience to grab a hot dog from a cart. This novelty offers the hot dogs cart a unique ambience.

People who buy from a Vendor want to be cheered up. They want to be reminded of old times when things were better, or so they thought. And nothing is better then buying a good tasting hot dog for a lot of people.

Finally it offers a quick affordable meal. They are designed for the smoothest, quickest delivery possible of fresh food.

Why Become a Hot Dog Vendor?

“You are never unemployed when you work for yourself”

James O Mazzola:

Why Selling Food Is Good Business

Selling is the oldest business in human history. In the annals of human evolution, the individual is able to sell what they have either for barter or money. Selling food in one of the best business that has sprung forth from human interaction.

Food is in constant demand. It is one of the basic needs of an individual. Not everyone though has the time or the skills and equipment to cook food. From here on end, people have chosen to go to these skilled cooks. Now, one of the most constant and consistent business that has earned money are those that are in the food service. They can be as simple as a hot dog stand to fine dining.

Food never goes out of style. No matter how ancient or original the recipe is, so long as it tastes good and is fulfilling, food never goes out of style. The demand for food is constant and with the increase in population, food demand is definitely on the increase. The art and science of the food preparation is the centerpiece of the business. Making good food makes for good business.

The Allure of Hot Dog Stands

When you are in a public park, out door event or on a street corner, you are sure to find a cart in the area. You can see there are many people milling around the hot dog stand, looking in and often buying hot dogs. There is a reason why this is such a regular sight to see and here are the reasons why the allure of stands attracts so many patrons.

A full meal. A hot dog stand provides a customer a full meal at a cheap price. They provide much protein and nutrients to help you on your way. It is cheap and often does not cost more the five dollars. The sandwich provides the fiber and the condiments provide the flavor for the full meal.

Food to go. Aside from waiting in line, you do not spend much time waiting for the food to be prepared. Once you have paid for it, you can easily walk away and eat your meal.

Food fun. Vending Carts are often served in bright colored ways. They provide boiled hot dogs and the aroma in the immediate area makes you hungry. The condiments are brightly colored, making it not only appealing to your palate; it is a feast to your eyes.

Vending is not gimmicky. They are bought and sold everywhere and they are very popular. In fact, hot dogs are such and American tradition that it would be impossible to find a city or a sports event without them. They are most popular when they are purchased for a vendor.

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