People Management Skills - 5 Key Secrets For Your People Management Success

You be very good at managing your people if you want business success. These are skills that are mostly ones that you can learn and develop, and, of course, it really helps if you have a natural capacity to get on well with people too.

Practicing and building your abilities is not as hard as you might think. Here are the simple secrets that you can focus on to make the difference.

1. Do What It Says On The Tin - Manage!

Your people see the name on your badge, or your door (or your parking space) and they expect you to do what's expected of you. They want you to lead from the front and show you're in charge. This is about leadership; being the last on the ship and heading the charge into battle. When things get tough you dig in and show up.

Managing is about making sure you recognize what your responsibilities are and deliver them, and only them. People management skills deliver by giving others some responsibility and letting them get on with it. And that you are accountable for it all. No-one else; no shirking and blaming others. It's you.

2. Build A Great Team

If you really want to make the best of your people asset, you get great at leveraging the amazing talents of all your people. Squeezing their potential to the full by supporting, guiding and coaching (maybe even 'coaxing' them!), to realize what is possible.

You see, a manager's role is to deliver success. And not just in the results in their business - psst, it's more. People management skills are totally about a legacy of developing and utilizing capability fully. Gluing individual talents together. Making the whole bigger than the sum of the parts.

3. Ooops - And Let's Not Forget Those Results

Bottom line, is that you have to deliver the day to day, year by year business and profits or other success measures expected of you. It's what pays you and your people.

So, you have an obligation to keep your eye on the ball and deliver. Your people will depend on you to lead them to success, with their help, of course (and believe it, they will be your rocks, if you do this right). They trust you to work hard enough to make the numbers stack. In the tough business world we inhabit, their jobs depend on it.

4. Build Relationships

OK - let's rewind a little. It helps you as a people manager if you get on well with people. If you are a people person. It's pretty much a pre-requisite. When you are wringing out performance from your people, it really helps if you have a rapport together.

And it's easy to do.

You show an interest in them. You ask them questions that show an interest in them as people and not just colleagues - what's important in life to them. You listen effectively and hear what they say. More, you start to anticipate what they are on about when they talk to you. Or before even. And, of course, you treat them as equal human beings and show trust and respect to them.

Then it works.

5. Accept Feedback

The final key people management skill is an ability to show a little humility. You aren't perfect - not at all. The very best managers listen hard and learn much from their people too. It's a fine-edged balance that they get just right. Managing how they absorb and react to feedback is a testament to who they are. And they get back the reward for the way they handle what their people share with them about them.

Listen, your best advocates are the people you listen to and help you develop yourself. Then they listen to the constructive way you help them. It's two-way traffic and mutual support. It's invaluable. It's terrific.

Five little steps that will help your people management skills succeed. You may need to flex and change a bit. You may need to gulp down a bit of your pride too and change your behaviors.

And wow - is that OK!

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

3 Sex Games For Couples To Light Each Others Fire

If you want to have a fun and exciting relationship, then you have to make things interesting in the bedroom. The problem is this is hard to do after spending years with your partner.

There will be times when things have gotten stale between you and your girl. That's why it's important to try to play different sex games.

Here are 3 sex games you can try to make things more interesting...

1- Watch each other

One of the kinkiest ways to add some fun is to take turns watching each other "please" yourselves. It's widely known that almost every person has a voyeuristic side. By watching each other masturbate, you're tapping into a primal subconscious impulse which is generally untouched during a typical sexual encounter.

Now the best way to play this sex game is to get in a comfortable position and watch your women "take care of business". Then when she's done, you do the same for her. Trust me, at some point during this session, the two of you won't be able to control yourselves. And it'll probably culminate in a really hot-n-heavy sexual experience.

By watching each other masturbate, you'll probably learn a lot about what makes the other partner feel good. Then you can use this knowledge the next time you're having sex.

2- Make it a "Blockbuster" night

This sex game is pretty simple. All you have to do is each pick your "favorite" porn video and have a "video night". During your private screening you each take turns acting out your "favorite" scene. Similar to the concept discussed in the last tip, you use this information to find out the special things that your partner wants.

I recommend that you each take turns with your own video. Each session should last about 15-20 minutes and you use this time to "re-enact" what the actors are doing. All you really need to do is to study each scene and then do your best to give an encore performance.

3- Give her an oil massage

Massages are a great part of a healthy relationship. But there is a way to REALLY ramp things up and give her an incredible sexual experience. Simply add a bit of hot oil the next time you give her a sensual massage.

Here's how to properly give her a hot oil massage:

Before your next session, go out and purchase a couple of plastic sheets and some massage oil which can heat the skin. Or you can try heating the oil in a saucepan (Obviously don't let it get too hot).

Then when you get things started, you apply the oil ALL over her skin and give her a DEEP massage. Start out by targeting general areas like her back and shoulders. Then as things heat up, you focus on her more intimate areas. Just remember to cover all areas of her body and focus on really giving her a nice full body massage.

In my opinion, an oil massage is a great way to please her while building up towards a climatic experience. All you have to do concentrate on her pleasure and she will definitely return the favor later on.

Sex games are a fun way to add some excitement into a relationship which has gone cold. If you try out the three games listed in this article, you'll discover it's easy to make things interesting with your woman.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

About the Author

Scott Patterson can help YOU meet, attract and seduce ANY woman! In his free resource, Attraction Mastery, Scott provides over 50 TIPS you can use to get instant results with girls. To claim your free copy of this incredible resource, visit his site right now: http://www.ChickMagnet101.com

Tips for running your own business/franchise

If you want to run your own business, one of the best ways to do that is to get a franchise. That way you're already involved with a successful business based on a name that people recognize and you've got a better chance at doing well. You still have to work hard, though, because successful franchise operations don't just happen. Like any business, they require hard work and dedication. There are also some other things that you can do to address the issue. The first thing you can do is to choose the right franchise. You have to pick something that you're comfortable with, and don't just get something that you think is going to make you the most money. That's no good if you're miserable. Once you've picked one you need to maintain a good relationship with the company whose franchise you have. The last thing you want to do is essentially cut yourself off from corporate help.

Monitoring your cash flow and marketing your business are the other two big things that you can do to make sure that your franchise is successful, but they aren't the only factors in success. For example, you need to know how to manage your time correctly so that you don't get behind with paperwork, leave clients waiting, or have other problems. If you take time to plan things correctly it also gives you time to see where your strengths and weaknesses are, which is something that you need to know. Then you can do the last two items on your list: reward yourself for what you do right, and have fun with the franchise that you're running. Work shouldn't be miserable. A job that you truly like will also be enjoyable, and that will make your customers happy, too.


Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Learning How to Put on a Condom

Are you wanting to know how to put on a condom? If you are planning to engage in sexual activity with someone that has not been tested for sexually transmitted diseases and if you have no other protection against pregnancy, you certainly need to use a condom. After all, the last thing you want is to have an unplanned pregnancy or to catch a disease from your partner.

In order to make sure you are safe, you need to learn how to put on a condom. If you don’t learn how to put on a condom properly, you risk the chance of tearing the condom or experiencing leakage. If this occurs, the benefits of using a condom will be negated and you will spend the next several weeks worrying about pregnancy or disease!

If you have never learned how to put on a condom, it is best to practice before the heat of the moment. When you are excited and getting ready to have sex, you will be even more likely to do something wrong when putting on the condom. Not only will this be an unnecessary risk for you, it can be quite embarrassing as well! After all, you don’t want the person you are getting ready to have sex with staring at you as you fumble with a condom.

So, take the time to learn how to put on a condom before the moment arrives. Then, use the same brand of condom when you do engage in sexual activity. That way, you can be certain you will know just what you are doing.

The first thing you need to know when learning how to put on a condom is to use care when opening the package. Don’t use scissors or your teeth because you may accidentally tear the condom. Once you remove the condom, do not unroll it. Not only will this make the condom more difficult to put on, it will also make it more likely to rip or tear.

After the condom is removed, the next step in how to put on a condom is to place the condom on the tip of your erect penis and then unroll it down the shaft. If you have difficulty unrolling the condom, you might have put it on the wrong way. In this case, you will need to throw the condom away and use a new one if you are going to actually have sex. If you are just learning how to put on a condom and do not plan to have sex with the condom, however, you can simply flip the condom over and then unroll it.

If you purchased a condom with a reservoir tip, you should unroll the condom completely and allow the reservoir tip to remain limp. If your condom does not have a reservoir tip, on the other hand, you will need to leave a little bit of space at the tip of the condom so the semen can be collected safely.

For more information visit: Learning How to Put on a Condom

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

The Importance of Language Learning

The Importance of Language Learning Historically, man used to make sounds to express his thoughts and feelings. Later on, these sounds became words. Words were then structured in the form of different languages. Language learning is very important to generate and express thoughts. The whole world becomes easily accessible through language learning, as learning different languages broadens our mind to accept the culture and lifestyle of various societies in the world. Language learning also helps in the study of ancient books in different languages and scripts. It also helps to enable trade among different countries. New inventions in science and technology are documented and published in many languages. Today communication is taking place among those who have acquired technical and scientific qualifications after years of dedicated study. The use of one language across the globe is a fascinating concept but it is not possible in practical life. Hence, language learning helps to solve all the problems faced due to lack of communication and understanding between people of different nations and cultures.

Language learning like if you learn French, improves your ability to deliver concise messages that are apt for the situation that you face in your business or personal life. The first step in language learning is to develop familiarity with a language by reading and understanding it with the help of an experienced tutor or language teaching websites. Language learning helps to improve communicative ability and aid in language skills development. Language learning also enhances our vocabulary and develops our reading and comprehension skills. It helps us to be comfortable with the use of sentence structures with appropriate grammar. Learning a language also enhances the skill to speak comprehensively with the words coming out in a constant flow, which can be slow or fast. Language learning enables exposure to the knowledge and information contained in a vast number of books written in various languages.


Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Skills for Effective Communication

Effective communication skill is vital for any relationship to thrive. It is imperative, as people, that we develop the ability to understand one another and, in doing so, cultivate deeper and more significant relationships. There are a number of factors that contribute to effective communication. As with any skill, these traits can be developed through concentration and practice. Here are some basic skills for effective communication to work on.

• Listen more than you talk. One of the most overlooked skills in effective communication is the ability to truly listen to what the other person is saying. All too often we’re so intent on getting out point across that we don’t take the time to digest what the other person is saying. Effective communication, first and foremost, is about understanding the other person’s position.

• Remain calm and collect your thoughts. Another key to effective communication is having a clear idea in your own mind what you want to achieve in the exchange with the other person. Whether that communication is written or verbal, in order to be effective one must pause, understand in your own mind exactly what you want to communicate, and process that communication appropriately.

• Take Time to Reflect. Whether the communication method is verbal or written, an important communication skill to cultivate is the patience to pause and reflect on what is being communicated. If you are the listener/reader make certain that what you are understanding is what is actually being spoken or written, not what you THINK is being communicated. (Remember the old saying about what happens when we ass-u-me!) If you are the speaker/writer make certain that you are saying or writing what you mean to say. This sounds pretty fundamental but how often have each of us been in situations where we are frustrated because what we are thinking in our minds is not what the other person is getting? Often the reason for this is because we are simply not saying/writing what we mean.

• Stay Humble. Remember, you don’t know all the answers to every question nor hold the only valid position on any issue. One of the primary purposes of human communication is inter-personal growth. There is seldom a situation where another person doesn’t have something they can contribute to our lives that we don’t already know. We short-change ourselves if we don’t take the opportunity to learn something from almost everyone.

• Recognize Areas of Commonality. Almost everyone can find something that they have in common with another person. That area of commonality might be an interest in horses or cars or an author or a hometown. There’s almost always something that we can find in common with someone else. This commonality often forms the basis for effective communication.

These are some basic effective communication skills that will apply in almost every situation. Whether you are talking to your spouse or a complete stranger in a new situation, applying these skills will stand you in good stead.


Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Knowledge Is Wealth

Selling products or services isn't the only way to make money online. What you know can earn you a nice income. People are always looking for information to help with a problem, to educate them, or to entertain them. There is big money in information products on the Internet. The potential for huge profits are great because you have low startup costs and no inventory.

The most common information product is an eBook. An eBook is simply information in an electronic rather than paper format. Other information products include:

streaming video viewed on a web page
audio files on tape or CD
pod casts
access to web pages where info is stored
printed books, CDs, DVDs sent to buyers.

Computer + Topic = Information Product

Big money in information products happens because the process is very easy to create. Choose an interesting topic, put fingers to keyboard and in a little while you've created an info product. If the topic is really hot, you may start earning income hours later. Internet technology provides 24/7 sales and delivery of product. Automate your site so you can sell the product, process the payment, deliver the item via email, and follow up with the buyer later to check on customer satisfaction (and sell more stuff!).

What makes a good information product?

Practically any subject can net big money in information products. How to start a business, self-improvement techniques, career advice - if you can think of a topic, there are probably people willing to buy the information product you put together.

Use your interests and expertise for subject ideas. Search online forums to locate people who might be interested in your information product. Offer to send them a free copy of your info product. This will spark sales and lead to referrals for you.

No writing experience needed.

You don't have to be Pulitzer Prize material to create information products. There are millions of works in the public domain that you can republish and sell. These include non written items such as art, photos, old films, and historical speeches. You can even hook up with a talented writer to help you create an information product and pay him a flat fee or percentage of the profits.

You could make a video of yourself or another person demonstrating a skill (cooking, crafts). Budding musicians can record their songs and sell them as an mp3 download. There's even a guy who records himself reading nursery rhymes and sells the CD to parents with small children.

Product Promotion

A lot of fledgling book authors and musicians sell their books and CDs from the back of their car trunk. For online information products, your web site is your car trunk. Create a site specifically for selling your information products. Participate in affiliate programs to increase site traffic and sales for your items.

Sources

"The Best Product to Sell Online," (entrepreneur.com)

"Selling a Product on the Internet," (2createawebsite.com)

"What is The Perfect eBay Product???," (skipmcgrath.com)

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Ways to Make Money Online - Choose Realistic Over Hype

Making money online has become a very popular alternative over the last 10 years or so, because it is certainly easier to make money through the internet that it is within the traditional business model, and also because there are many ways to make money online with the potential to deliver a truly decent income from which anyone can make a comfortable living.

However, as much as running an internet business can be one of the easiest ways to make money, that does not mean that it does not require preparation and a lot of dedication. It is true that you will skip many of the obstacles associated with the traditional business model, but in the end we are talking about a business, and any business will demand preparation and work.

As it turns out, the fact that making money online is easier has opened the door for many misleading and over-hyped offerings that promise overnight riches without any effort, which is the first thing you should avoid in order to really be successful. There is no way you will make money with the internet if you start by thinking you will achieve this effortlessly.

So, the first thing you will need before starting a business is determining what do you think you would want to do, or what do you think would best fit your profile as a business person. Maybe you are an investing oriented person, or maybe you are more of a sales person or simply a multi tasker.

In any case, it is important to have an idea about what would you picture yourself doing business with; once you do that, you then have to move on to getting the tools and resources needed to build that business. For example, if you are an investing oriented person, and you feel that your best shot is at forex trading, then you should start looking for a good forex course (education) or a forex software (tools), as these will be the driving force of your trading operation.

If you do not feel like investing money, but you would rather build a business out of your effort and intelligence, then internet marketing is probably the best option for you and in this case a solid starting point will involve getting a quality educational resource to guide your efforts thus allowing you to make a more efficient and profitable use of your time.

The great thing about doing business online is that once you get the hang of things you can eventually start working less and earning more, which is what makes it a truly remarkable way to make money for anyone with an pc and an internet connection.

There are very lucrative ways to make money online, but in order to see results you will have to put your back into it for a while. This is why many people quit looking for ways to make money online, and it is hard to blame them because I myself had to break my neck for nearly a year before I saw the kind of money I was expecting, which means that I went through countless disappointments and more than $1,000 spent in many different systems, programs and tools, until I found the ones that really helped me build and develop my business.

I do not regret any of what I have been through because that is what ultimately gave me my most precious asset today: know how; but believe me, I was very close to settling for my regular day job forever. Now I know it is perfectly possible to find profitable ways to make money online, but the fact is that you have to be ready to face the truth and to choose realistic over hype, consistent growth over instant millions.

Will you have to invest in education and tools? Will you have to be patient? You will you have to work?

Absolutely, but if you keep going there will be no stopping you, as each day that passes you will become an ever more seasoned business person with the ability to spot profitable business opportunities everywhere you turn, and before you know it, you will have become a full time internet entrepreneur.

Find very important information about online business oriented tools and resources at this site: http://www.specialonlinebusinessreviewauthority.com.

Also, I invite you to visit my website at: http://theworkathomentrepreneur.com, where you will also find information, free tools and resources to help you start a successful online business.

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

4 Strategies For Using AdSense Effectively

When you set up a blog or web site, you may have already decided that there are some great opportunities for money making. You might join an affiliate program or sell banner ad space, for example. However, one of the best ideas on how to make money is by using AdSense. This helpful program will place ads on your site. When site visitors click on those ads, you earn money. Here are some strategies to help you discover the secrets of using AdSense to maximize your earning potential.

Things to Avoid

When you're writing your content, you want to make sure that you leave off some items. For instance, you don't want any of your content to discuss certain topics or products, such as tobacco or weapons. Google has strict policies about now placing their ads on content that contains this type of information.

A smaller concern is the use of any character that is non-standard English. For example, if you have a German last name that includes an umlaut and you add this to your page, you could end up with Google ads that are written in German. The problem is that the system which generates the ads for the pages is imperfect occasionally. To prevent these issues, make sure to avoid the use of any non-standard characters in your content.

Always Control Your Account

The temptation to turn over the management of your AdSense account could be one of the biggest mistakes people make when using AdSense. The problem is that if you are turning over your account to someone else you are giving them a lot of power over the content on your site. You could also be giving the power to scam you either out of your earnings or out of important information.

The best idea is always to manage your own account. If you're using AdSense, be sure to control your account. You can always turn over other parts of the process to a third party, such as writing the content or handling the design.

Always Ask

When you're using AdSense, you don't want to take anything for granted. If there's something you don't understand or aren't sure about, you can always contact Google for help. Even though the company is massive, they have a stake in your success. Remember you're not earning every penny that is generated from those advertisers. Instead, a good portion of the money goes to Google and they are profiting handsomely from the endeavor. Most reports suggest that the Google customer support is quite happy to answer any of your questions and you should make the most of that when you're using AdSense.

Know Your Keyword Density

Google doesn't think fondly of what are called spam sites. We've all been to these sites which are flooded with keywords to the point that there's no useful information there. If you're running this type of site, you might have problems being approved for using AdSense.

Don't start Using Adsense until you learn all of the possible strategies. To learn more go to http://www.goodinternetmoney.com/FREE_Report1.php

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

6 Steps to Making Easy Money Online Before Christmas

Who else wants to make easy money online? If you are anything like the VAST majority of the people I talk to these days, the one thing you DEFINITELY could use some more of is EXTRA cash, right? And who can blame you! The housing market has tanked, the stock market is in the gutter and Christmas is only a few short weeks away. Sort of the trifecta of terrible timing, right? I agree....but I don't really worry about it for two reasons: 1) I'm Jewish so I have to buy very few Christmas gifts. and 2) I have a simple, surefire system for generating easy cash online that ANYONE can follow. (and that means YOU!) Read on and I'll give them to you.

1) Sign up for several big affiliate networks. (not the small, rinky dink ones that ONLY cater in digital downloads on how to teach your cat to MOO like a cow), or are only e books, audio and the like. You REALLY prefer hard goods when possible.

2)Pick a Product. Yes - you'll need to pick a product first. Forget about all of the complex, convoluted research protocols you'll hear bandied about by the online marketing gurus, the tool you'll need to buy, the seminars you'll need to attend and all of that nefarious nonsense. Just pick a product that you can sell. It should have a good track record of earnings, preferably be a nationally known brand and have a good online visibility profile. There are, I dare say, THOUSANDS of products that fit this profile, so don't waste TOO much time trying to pick the perfect one. (later, you'll move on to a second, third and fourth anyway)

3)Register a domain name that is as close to the product name as you can get WITHOUT violating any trademarks. (trust me on this one, it's NO fun fighting the big companies on this one, I've unfortunately learned the HARD way.

4)Choose Your Keywords. Pick keywords that relates well with the product, and TRY to make them specific "buying keywords" whenever possible.

5)Write Articles Using the Keywords in the title, and submit to ezinearticles.com. In Your resource box you should link to the domain you registered in step three. (preferably using resource box strategies that compel, cajole and gently coerce folks to click on the link)

6)Put a one page redirection on the root, or top level index page of the domain you registered, that AUTOMATICALLY forwards directly to the affiliate program you picked in step 2. All of the traffic that hits this page, from your article box, will go to the vendors affiliate page with your cookie.

Waiting for a step 7?

There ISN'T one! It's that easy. Are there refinements, improvements and permutations on the above that are more powerful?

Absolutely. Are they NECESSARY to make REAL money? No, they're not. The above is how I started, and it works every day and twice on Sunday for me, (and thousands of others like me) and will do the very same for you if you start today. And if you're BROKE for Christmas, you can't say anyone DIDN'T try to help" Un broke" you beforehand, for free.

Now FREE: 28 UNCOMMON Questions (and REAL Secret Solutions) to Your Most PRESSING Online Marketing Problems.

Download Simple, Straightforward Steps To FINALLY Making Real Money Online (Even if You're Frustrated, Ready to Give Up, and Throw In The Towel)

Now Live: http://www.LifeMasteryLabs.Com

Empowering People Through Service, Information & Opportunity

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

Increase Traffic By Having Back Links

What is link building? Link building is the process of getting other web sites and web pages to link to your web site. These links will not only drive direct targeted traffic to your pages; but will also increase your overall search engine visibility and rankings. However the process of building incoming links to your site can be a tiresome task when getting started. The purpose of this article is to outline the importance of building a strong linking profile for your site as well as to make a few suggestions of key strategies that any webmaster regardless of marketing budget can employ to climb to the top of the search engine ladder.

1) Purchasing Links & Sponsored Reviews

Paying other webmasters to place a link on their site back to yours is probably the easiest and most straight forward way to generate links to your site. However, it can become a very expensive venture, not to mention you need to pick and choose your potential candidates very carefully since a so clled bad neighborhood (website) can affect your page rank. Thus,you should look to the following before buying links:

1. The number of incoming links the candidate site itself has

2. The candidate site's overall page rank

3. The age of the site

4. The search engine saturation (number of pages indexed in the major search engines) of the site.

2) Comment and Post on Related Blogs & Message Boards

I strongly encourage you to register on message boards related to your topic or subject and include links within the signature of your posts and messages. The same goes for blogs and commenting. And please make sure that you re offering valid comments ad NOT just spamming, such as posting obvious spam posts such as "Cool site, check my site out at ..." will likely get your IP address banned from the web site or network, and can negatively impact the reputation of your brand or web site.

3) Write User Testimonials & Product Reviews

Writing user reviews or testimonials can create a lots of back links to your site. Most often when you write a review for a product or service you've had success with, the webmaster will include a link back to your site in the signature of the review. In addition, the webmaster of the site you have written the testimonial for will be more than happy to include and activate the link when they post the review onto their website. Of course, it shoud be a positive review!

4) Join a Few Manual Traffic Exchanges

You want your web site seen and clicked on by real visitors who are interested in what you have to offer. However, this can be time consumming. Thus, I recommend joining 4 or 5 exchanges that are free and if you are getting business from them, then upgrade.

5.) Write Articles and Distribute Them Online

Writing articles and submitting your articles to the popular article directories is a great way to generate many back links to your web site. You just need to write a few articles geared toward your topic and subject matter and distribute them to the many article directories on the Internet. The articles should be between 300 and 600 words. Within the authors bio area or resource box you want to include a little information about you and as well as a link back to your site. Whenever your article is picked up by other webmasters or syndicated across other popular web sites you will receive a free one way link back to your site. The down side is that this technique does requirea little investment of time in write and submitting an article.

6) Submit Your Site to Directories

There are a handful of well trusted and high quality directories that you should consider submitting your site to. You need not waste your time in submitting to hundreds or even thousands of directories. Some of the most notable directories to submit your web site to in no particular order are DMOZ, The Yahoo! Business Directory, and Google. Though most of the directories l've mentioned here are not free to submit to, the cost of submission is well worth the price as the links you'll receive from this investment are quality one-way links that carry a good amount of page trust and rank.

7) Exchange Links and Build Partnerships

Many webmasters dedicate a page on their site titled references or resources and use this page to link out to other web pages that have agreed to link back to their site. However, remember to pick and choose web sites that are well trusted and ranked by the search engines and that are related to the topic and subject matter of your own site.

8) Purchase Targeted Traffic

Remember, traffic equals sales. The more targeted your site visitor is, the more likely that a sale will result from them viewing the site.

In this article I have discussed 8 of the most effective, and commonly used methods to generate a massive amount of incoming links to your web site. Building links to your web site is not a 'set-it and forget-it' facet of web marketing and requires time, dedication and ongoing analysis. You can never have too many quality incoming links to your site.

Your Author:

Richard's articles can be found on http://www.HitAlert.com

Credit Repair is More Than a Right, It's Your Responsibility by Stuart Hunter

The majority of Americans have errors and other unverifiable information on their credit reports that could be dragging down their credit score. Odds are good that your credit score is lower than it should be. The unfortunate thing is that odds are you will be yet another one of the millions of Americans who will continue to suffer with an unfair credit score because you will do nothing to repair your credit.

Most Americans want to believe the credit reporting system works; that people earn their bad credit and there is nothing they can do about it but wait for seven years. But study after study shows the credit reporting system frequently does not work. This is why the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection legislation give you the right to do something about it - the right to make sure your credit score is as good as it can be.

So why is it that, though everyone has the right to dispute the negative items in their credit reports, very few people do? It certainly can't be because they don't understand the importance of a high credit score. After all, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the benefits of a good credit score when it can be the difference between paying $2,500/month and $2,000/month for the exact same house.

More likely, the reason people do not repair their credit is a mix of apathy and lack of understanding of the credit reporting system. Too many people assume the credit reporting system is some official government bureaucracy with an extensive system of checks and balances designed to ensure the safekeeping of their credit history. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The credit bureaus at the center of the credit reporting system are not official organizations. Instead, they are massive, for-profit corporations that collect personal information from your creditors and make money by selling this information in the form of your credit reports.

So now you are asking yourself, how do they ensure this information is correct? If a creditor reports something that is wrong, how do the credit bureaus make sure it doesn't end up on your credit reports?

The answer to both of these questions is: they don't. Your creditors report information, the credit bureaus record it, and for most people, the story ends there.

Nobody at the credit bureaus or in the government is going to make sure your credit reports are accurate. The way the credit reporting system is set up, there is only one person who will ever bother to check up on your credit reports - and that person is you. You are the missing, and ultimately the most important, piece of the credit reporting puzzle.

Making sure your credit score is where it should be is your responsibility and repairing your credit reports is a task you will have to initiate because no one out there will do it for you.

It is your right and your responsibility to dispute the questionable negative items in your credit reports and the sooner you start, the better. You can work to repair your credit on your own or you can enlist the help of a credit repair law firm like Lexington Law.

Whether you attempt to repair your credit on your own or with the help of a credit repair expert, by taking an active role in the credit reporting system, you can ensure your credit score is as good as it can be and that you have the advantage over the millions of people out there with bad credit who haven't taken action to do anything about it.

About the Author

Lexington Law is a consumer advocacy law for that focuses on credit report repair. In practice since 1991, Lexington Law has helped over 400,000 clients take control of their credit.

Free Adult TV Channel - How To Watch Free Adult TV Channels Online by Ralph Taub

Lots of people search for varieties of porn online. Many politely call them adult movies or adult videos. There are also a good number software programs that allow you to decode TV feeds and watch adult TV channels online. Once downloaded, you can watch a free adult TV channel any time the mood strikes you.

I say free because although there is a one time fee for the initial download of the software itself, there are absolutely no monthly charges to view the channels of your choice. The savings over time really equate to having free adult TV channel access. This is in comparison to other types of adult tv providers who charge a monthly fee, a pay-per-view fee or even a per-minute streaming video fee.

The advantages to having this software downloaded to your computer are quite a few, however, two major advantages are easily identified.

A free adult TV channel software program gives you complete privacy. You can view all the hardcore or softcore adult TV you desire from your PC monitor in the study rather than from the television in the family room. This type of programming is not something you want your children viewing if you are a parent. You wouldn't want to accidently leave an adult DVD in the family room disc player. A free adult TV channel viewed online also gives you the option of using the adult content lock to provent prying eyes from viewing the same programming.

Online adult TV offers a tremendous advantage over traditional forms of adult television. It can boast the most generous number of adult channels available. Online TV software programs collect TV feeds from all over the world. If you purchase a satellite TV software program that gives you access to 4000 channels in total, most likely you will have approximately 200 or so adult channels. Because the programming comes from all over the world, this means you can sample hardcore and softcore adult programs from many different countries. Free adult TV channel software can give you the ultimate in adult content viewing satisfaction for an extremely low price.

About the Author

Get the software program that lets you watch all the adult TV you can handle for one low price! Visit my website for the ultimate adult TV package. Watch satellite TV on your PC

Owning Real Estate in Puerto Vallarta by Joshua Geary

Imagine the joys of a summer home that makes you money whenever you are not staying in it. This kind of place would be beautiful to visit, comfortable and easy to live in, and ready for you whenever you want because it would be yours. A timeshare cannot offer you all of that no matter how desirable the location, since it can be difficult to get the time slots that you want and even harder during peak vacation time. A timeshare cannot give you everything you need to have the perfect getaway whenever you want, but a condo in a place like Puerto Vallarta, Mexico can.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the most incredible real estate location in Mexico. Invest in Mexico and you can retire to your beachfront condo whenever you wish to enjoy days filled with sun, sand, golfing, fishing, and anything else you could desire from a tropical paradise. Your oceanfront condominium will be waiting for your return whenever you are away, and you will surely wish to retire to Puerto Vallarta's idyllic setting after spending vacation after vacation in sunny bliss.

Owning real estate in Puerto Vallarta can also be a greatly profitable adventure. The typical American has only two to four weeks of vacation time per year, and for the other forty eight weeks, your vacation property would normally sit empty, awaiting you. To keep your property on the Pacific Ocean working for you, hire a local property management company to keep your place looking fresh and lovely and rent your condo out as a vacation rental to others looking to enjoy the wonders of Puerto Vallarta.

Real estate in Puerto Vallarta is a flourishing business because of the high profitability and constantly increasing prices of the local properties. Even just a couple of years of property ownership could translate into big money for interested investors, and getting a great vacation home that pays for itself is no small benefit either. You may become so enamored with your property in Puerto Vallarta that you will not be willing to sell it!

Owning real estate in Puerto Vallarta means living in the lap of luxury. You can enjoy a tropical paradise on the Pacific Ocean and never worry about a thing. The beautiful and luxurious condominiums and other properties in this city are made for the comfort and delight of their residents, even short term residents like yourself. Glance out the window of your Puerto Vallarta condo and watch the dolphins play in the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy sunshine on the beach or adventures beneath the waves, and fall in love with this incredible location.

Prices on properties in Puerto Vallarta seem to rise by the day, so now is the time to do your due diligence and learn more about investing in Mexico. Your investment property may be just waiting for you in sunny Mexico, but it won't wait forever. The time has come for you to make the smart move that you have been dreaming of and invest in Mexico.

Investing in a condominium in Puerto Vallarta could be a smart investment choice for those who are looking to invest in Mexico. You will have a vacation home to enjoy that practically pays for itself, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful Pacific Ocean on your future vacations, and you could potentially be able to resell the condo for a great profit if you don't decide to retire to Mexico entirely. With all of these incredible benefits, what could be better?

About the Author

Real Estate in the US maybe cooling, but real estate opportunities are heating up in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is a destination that likely going to be a hot bed for real estate development for years to come. Visit http://www.PrimePuertoVallartaRealEstate.com and subscribe to get information on how to purchase condos in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

Stock Trading Systems & Software >> Making Money When a Stock Moves UP or down by MomentumStockPick.com

Beginner traders often fantasize or wonder about how some people are able to achieve tremendous profits by trading stocks just a few hours on a daily or weekly basis.

So going beyond the hype & the bells and whistles that a lot of the called "trading gurus" like to invoke, the real "secrets" of the stock market game are enclosed within the trading set ups and market signals you rely on to decide how to CHOOSE stocks, as well as WHEN to BUY & when to SELL them, or even when to SHORT SELL those that are poised for a profitable fall. So the clearer your set ups are, the faster you can spot a potentially profitable trading scenario and ACT ON IT reducing your risk.

Complicated technical systems and information overload can make you slow and confuse you right from the start, making you loose money instead of making your profits grow.

In essence, You can be sure that the trading method you employ to approach the stock market and pick stocks can make a big difference in your results as a trader. In order to succeed you will need to FOCUS on a set of simple trading strategies that you can implement without hesitation.

Fortunately some sites on the web do offer more effective and updated day trading methodologies. One of those sites that can show you how to take advantage of certain stocks on positive and negative momentum as well is http://www.MomentumStockPick.com

They focus on momentum stock trading strategies, that are practical and easier to apply than many other technical systems out there.

Stock trading doesn't have to be complicated as many people perceive. But you do need to follow a well organized set of rules and tactics, that once you master them, you can aspire to replicate profitable trades with consistency.

About the Author

Momentum Stock Pick helps stock traders and investors take advantage of practical stock trading opportunities every day at http://www.MomentumStockPick.com

How To Get More Hits On Your Website

There are many ways to get more hits to your website, you have Pay per click advertising, banner ads, search engine marketing, article marketing and many more. You can use any of these methods of marketing to get more hits but the key to being profitable with your website is for your hits to be targeted.

Targeted hits to your website will consist of the people most interested in your product or service visiting your website. Getting more hits to your website will cost you one way or the other. Either time or money. Methods such as banner ads, pay per click ads and ezine ads will cost you money while methods such as article marketing, forum marketing and classified ads will cost you time.

Whichever method you choose, you want to make sure it's profitable. The best way to make sure your hits are profitable is by targeting them properly. Article marketing and pay per click marketing are among the most profitable hits you can get online. Its due to the way your visitors find your website when using these methods. They were looking for similar information using a major search engine when they came across your site.

This is the power in using these two methods of marketing online. They work by using the search engines as an anchor; your users find you when doing searches using their major keywords in their favorite search engine using certain keywords.

Your website will be displayed with the results of their search if you know how to target keywords in your market.

I wasted 17months trying to drive profitable traffic to my website, but you should not do the same. Instead click here to get a copy of my "Quality Traffic Report". In it I will show you my results after testing article marketing vs. google pay per click, you can use the results to start driving profitable traffic to your website. You can also visit http://www.qualitytrafficbuilder.com/internetbuilding

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

How to Increase Website Traffic - It's About Work

I help people trying to make a living online almost every day. Users of my digital products, member's of my traffic sites and even just commenters on my blogs. The number of people that ask me for a simple set of directions that will help them increase website traffic, and ultimately make them more money, is pretty substantial. I respond to almost every request personally... or at least I try my best to.

Helping people is why I started working online in the first place. If you've been following my work, then you already know my first sizable site was a free resource helping people to get their car's emission control system fixed without breaking the bank! It's been a long road since that project, but my goal has always been the same... helping people solve problems.

I become a website traffic "junkie" very quickly and eventually dedicated the majority of my time to this one area of making a living online. In my opinion, learning to increase website traffic is the single most important thing you can do to get results online. You can have a great product or service, but if you can't get your message out to interested people, your site's going to be, well... lonely.

I'm in the process of putting together a new report on how to use free, or low cost, resources to increase website traffic. The manual will be geared for the newer marketers, but will cover some intermediate and advanced ideas as well that should not be tackled until the proper groundwork has been done.

The resource book is going to be released as a completed project, but I'm going to try something new... As each segment is put together, I'm going to release the content as a free article through this series. This will allow you to take immediate action steps and follow through the series on a day to day basis without getting too overwhelmed by having a "manual" dropped on your desk! The key to starting and running a successful online business is first getting targeted website traffic, and then work to continually increase website traffic to an almost unmanageable point.

So first... Today's article is going to serve as a primer. I want you to understand the objectives of the series so that you can get the most from it, and also highlight a few things that we'll cover. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but just my initial thoughts on important topics. Based on suggestions from the majority of my members, I'm thinking we should cover most of the free website traffic techniques I use to increase website traffic on a daily basis.

I'm going to attempt to provide links to videos for some systems as well, to help give you a clearer picture on how some of this works. If you ever have a suggestion or request to cover a specific topic, please feel free to contact me through the links below. Here's some of what we'll be covering regarding how to increase website traffic:

List Builders
Viral Tools
Surf For Traffic Programs
Traffic Exchange Programs
Article Marketing
Joint Ventures
Web 2.0 Strategies
Search Engine Optimization
Pay-Per-Click Techniques

And there will be more, but this is a good start. As you can see from the list it is going to be a bit of work both getting the initial traffic, and then managing to increase website traffic... but it's worth it. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people go from barely making enough to cover their website hosting bill, to actually making a very good living online just by learning to increase website traffic.

So if you've ever struggled to make it online, and you know that if you could just generate enough traffic to get your message out there, then you would be successful, then keep an eye on this series. I'm going to teach you to increase website traffic quickly, as inexpensively as possible, and with the least amount of wasted time or labor. But remember... be prepared to do a little work because learning to increase website traffic is a job, but it's one that pays you back over and over again!

In the first few lessons, we're going to cover List Building programs. I'm going to save you the time of trying to figure out which ones you'll actually get results from by handing you the three I use regularly to get consistent and substantial results. There's a number of tactics you should employ to get the most from these systems. Put the suggestions I give to you into an action plan, and you'll be rocketing past the ninety-five percent of people who use them all wrong. But I'm getting ahead of myself... more tips to increase website traffic in the next installment. You'll also get a sneak peek inside my newest project at TheListAuction.com!

Michael Purvis is an internet marketer who specializes in unique and cutting edge traffic techniques. His most recent project can be found at http://www.thelistauction.com

Immediate and extensive support can always be found for members by using the in site resources.

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

Gaining Business Intelligence

A white paper on how companies should analyse customer data to gain better business intelligence and how they can use that knowledge.

GAINING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

In an increasingly competitive world, using your client database smartly, to gain a better understanding of your number one asset – your customers – can make or break the success of your company.

Most companies use databases to store information about their current customers, previous customers, business partners, and potential customers. The challenge lies in finding a way to harness the useful information contained within these high volume databases in order to produce intelligent business solutions.

Business intelligence (BI) refers to the process for increasing the competitive advantage of a company by intelligent use of available data in decision-making. Business intelligence consists of sourcing the data, filtering out unimportant information, analysing the data, assessing the situation, developing solutions, analysing risks and then supporting the decisions made. This white paper describes the business intelligence process, some elementary methods of data mining, and how you can use business intelligence in your company.

Database Enhancement

The first step towards gaining business intelligence is to start with a ‘clean’ database. Incomplete and inaccurate data invariably translate into incorrect management decisions. Duplicate data is also a problem as it can wrongly weigh management decisions to one side. Whilst a good quality database does not automatically lead to intelligent management decision-making, it is a pre-requisite for all types of analysis that attempt to elicit intelligent management. We could draw an analogy with cooking, where starting with the right ingredients does not guarantee you will bake a good cake, but there is very little chance you will bake a good cake if you start with the wrong set of ingredients.

One of the primary reasons companies do not fully realise the potential competitive advantages they can gain from their own databases is the lack of proper integration of datasets across departments. Even though all the information might reside within the company, it may remain elusive due to a fragmentation of the data across incompatible databases. Regrouping all internal data into a single dataset or a series of interconnected datasets could be the single most useful step a company might take towards providing a solid foundation on which quality business intelligence can be developped.

In some cases, data entry errors and/or missing data can also severely impair the quality of information that can be derived from corporate databases. Sorting these issues can range from very straightforward fixes (e.g. matching one list against another) to more time consuming processes (e.g. contacting all client companies to update contact details of individuals working there). Ideally, all inaccuracies should be weeded out of the databases. However limited time and monetary constraints dictate that you should bear in mind how this database will be used. The level of accuracy required will vary greatly depending on the expected use for that data.

Data cleansing and database integration can provide significant advantages for a company over the medium to long term. However, they are both extremely time-consuming activities and can create a significant strain on internal resources, making them difficult for a company to justify. Hiring a third-party to do this job is often the best solution, allowing valuable information to be gained, without disrupting day-to-day business activities.

Data Mining

Analysing the information that your company stores in connection with all customer interactions can reveal a lot of remarkable facts about the buying behaviour of your customers, what motivates them and what might make them stop buying from you. It also provides a scientific method to monitor your business performance.

When deciding to mine information from a database, one is faced with a wide number of available techniques. Some of the more popular data mining methods are described below:

Statistical models

Basic statistical measurements – such as means, variances, and correlation coefficients – are useful in the early stages of data analysis to gain an overall view of the structure of the data. By revealing simple inter-relations within the data, statistical modelling can show which in-depth technique is likely to bring further information relevant to your interests.

Clustering

Clustering is a technique that aggregates data according to a pre-determined set of characteristics. It can be used to differentiate groups of customers that behave similarly on certain factors, for example it can classify customer behaviours according to credit worthiness, income, age or any other factor of interest.

CHAID Analysis

CHAID, which stands for Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection, can be seen as the opposite of clustering, in the sense that the CHAID analysis starts with the overall database, and then splits it according to the most important variable until it achieves homogeneous sub-groups that cannot be split any further. A major advantage of this technique is that the results can be presented as an easy-to-read classification tree; each split in the tree being accredited to a single variable (e.g. credit worthiness, income, age, etc).

Propensity models

Propensity models – also known as predictive models – have proven to be very valuable in predicting which customers are most likely to purchase a certain product based on a set of current customers. The results of such a model can be directly used to develop more appropriately targeted marketing campaigns.

Other recognised techniques to extract information from datasets are database segmentation, neural networking, and wavelet analysis among others. It can be intimidating to choose which method will provide the best results. As shown above, analysis tools can differ greatly in their approach of the problem. It is therefore very important for a company to consult someone with extensive experience in data mining processes before going ahead with a business intelligence project. The best method to use will vary greatly depending on the time available to do the analysis, what the results will be used for, and the type of data that is available for the analysis.

An important point to consider is whether your analysis is guided by pre-defined questions or not. Predefined points of analysis are aimed at understanding certain types of behaviours by analysing relationships between various pre-decided influencing factors. For example, a predefined analysis of customer service Vs sales would illustrate the effect of good and bad customer service on sales, and would answer questions such as how important customer service is to customers and how much it influences future sales. On the contrary, the objective of an open-ended analysis is to discover trends that are not anticipated by ordinary immersion in the day-to-day business. Performing an open-ended analysis internally is often impaired by the expectations brought on by individuals working within the company.

The techniques used to analyse data are complex. In order for your company to be able to use the results of the data analysis, it is crucial that the results should not be clouded by the complexity of the calculations but are delivered in a straightforward manner.

Intelligent Marketing

It is important for a company to recognise that a good understanding of its customers is useful only to the extent to which this knowledge can be translated into real business practices. Business intelligence refers not only to the data analysis in itself, but also to how you relate the results from the data analysis to every day business decisions and how you translate the recommended actions stemming from the analysis into live campaigns.

It is therefore important for you to ensure that the marketing department in your company interacts with the data analysts constantly throughout the process. That way, when the data analysis is complete, the marketing personnel will already be in tune with the issues the company is facing, and will be able to develop campaigns to capitalise on opportunities and strategies to mend weaknesses quickly and effectively.

Detailed analysis of your customer data will provide you insight into their needs and wants. The exercise will analyse and segment customers’ buying patterns and identify potential services that are in demand. You can use this information to shorten response times to market changes, which then allows for better alignment of your products and services with your customers’ needs.

An in-depth understanding of your customers, provided through comprehensive data-analysis, will also allow you to pick and target better prospects, achieve a higher response rate from marketing programs, and at the same time identify reasons for customer attrition and create or alter programs and services accordingly.

Understanding how external market conditions affect your business will enable you to react quickly to future changes in the market. Finally, understanding customer behaviour and the way they use your products and services will enable your company to improve its service to its current client base as well as to target new business more effectively.

About AccuraCast

AccuraCast is an integrated marketing, business intelligence and data analysis agency, providing small and medium sized companies in the UK a more accurate picture of their business environment via comprehensive data analysis, business intelligence, and marketing consultancy services.

AccuraCast helps companies gain a better understanding of their customers and market their products and services more effectively. The company uses high-tech data analysis methodologies to investigate client databases smartly, and proven sales and marketing methods to reach the target markets. AccuraCast delivers costumer specific marketing solutions and information based on tailor-made analysis of the databases, allowing companies to gain the necessary edge over the competition.

For more information on gaining business intelligence visit http://www.accuracast-marketing-agency.co.uk/business-intelligence.shtml

About The Author

For more information contact:

Jerome Bergerou
AccuraCast
Tel: 0870 240 7847
Fax: 0871 277 1371
Web: http://www.accuracast.com
Email: j.bergerou@accuracast.com

© AccuraCast Limited 2004. http://www.accuracast.com
All rights reserved. The information in this document is accurate to best of the author’s knowledge. No rights granted. AccuraCast Limited is not liabile for any loss or damage arising either directly or as a consequence of information provided in this document.

Play Is Serious Business For Childrens' Intelligence

Too many parents consider play as simply a means of diverting and distracting their children. Playthings are often seen as a means of keeping children happy, rewarding them, keeping them out of mischief, and giving parents free time.

Not often enough do parents think of play and toys as fundamental aspects of a child's education, as a means through which children learn to understand the world around them, and as the primary method by which children acquire many basic skills.

Parents can help make their children's play stimulating by doing three things.

First, they can adopt an attitude of conscious, deliberate planning in which play is regarded as one of the most important aspects of their children's environment.

Second, they can see to it that their children are provided with the kinds of toys and playthings that will help develop the widest possible varieties of skills and abilities.

Third, they can assume a direct, participating role in their children's play.

Planning a child's play does not mean planning each activity for every moment of the child's playtime. On the contrary, children should have maximum independence in choosing their own activities. And, within the limits of the daily routine of the home, a child should also choose the time for their activities, as well as the duration of each. Good planning makes sure that play is as varied and stimulating as possible.

A child should play at different times, with friends, with parents, and by theirself. This play should include, within a period of about a month, all or most of the following types of activities, each geared to the age level of the child.

Here are 5 of them:

#1. Games

Games are perhaps the most basic of all forms of play. From peek-a-boo to chess, from pat-a-cake to baseball, games occupy a central role in the lives of most children from infancy to adolescence. Games may be physical or mental. In general they involve the development of skills, although some lead to the acquisition of information.

#2. Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts give children many opportunities to express their desire to make things. Crayons, paints, clay, construction paper, scissors and paste, wood, leather, felt, and cardboard are among the materials that help children develop their creative imaginative, and aesthetic abilities. Arts and crafts also develop skills in manipulation, perception, and analysis.

#3. Construction Play

Construction play involves assembling objects from what are usually prefabricated parts. It is less creative than arts and crafts, but is also useful in developing many skills. Putting together a set of railroad tracks and trains is a form of construction play, as is play with erector sets, Tinker toys, blocks and the like.

#4. Projective Play

Protective play is play in which a child adds dramatic and emotional meaning to activities with representative toys—dolls, trucks, soldiers, homemaking sets, and doctor kits. Its great value lies in the role playing done by the child rather than in the development of specific skills.

#5. Hobbies

Hobbies which cannot be otherwise classified will generally fall under the heading of collecting activities. Collecting stamps, coins, rocks and minerals, butterflies and insects, sea shells, and leaves are all common and popular hobbies. While some help in the development of certain skills, their greatest value is in the considerable knowledge a child can acquire in pursuing them.

Most play can be classified in one of these five groups, and, ideally, play should include all of these types. Also, as skills develop, the activities should move to a higher, more mature level.

However, a child does not automatically vary his play or develop in it. This is where the parent's planning comes in —- continually making the child aware of the broad opportunities available to him in play; initiating certain activities during playtime; making suggestions when the child needs and wants them; buying toys that will, in themselves, lead to new pursuits; stimulating new interests and ideas in any of a variety of ways. The parent should not manage the child's play, but should try to nudge it in the right directions.

About The Author

Jon Weaver

FREE valuable information on Gifted Children and raising IQ scores can be found here at All for Gifted Children. Visit it today! http://www.AllForGiftedChildren.com

Succes And Business Intelligence Hand In Hand

A business without succes in some degree is not good. Succes comes from either growth in the number of customers or in the numbers of sales you do per customer. Business Intelligence can assist a company to gain new customers and keep hold of old ones. And by keeping old customers longer time you earn more money from them because of more sales to them.

Business intelligence can be shortened to BI. A definition of business intelligence is that it is a method of collecting information on your business. Information is enhanced into knowledge. Business Intelligence can present every business a precise idea of its customer’s requirements. Businesses that have huge amounts of information about their customer’s can take action upon that information. Businesses implementing BI add knowledge and understanding of a customer’s desires and decision-making process. Also the financial, cultural and technological trend of the customer is revealed. By using businesses intelligence, businesses choose either short term or long goals. BI helps a company accomplish those goals.

The idea behind Business Intelligence

The idea of business intelligence is to know your own strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths and weaknesses of your competion as well. Simply understanding the customer is not sufficient. BI is the method of gaining information about every element of your market. This is the fundamental idea in today’s business intelligence. Companies must know themselves better than their competitors, and they must know their competitors better.

Business Intelligence Tools

A company using business intelligence has to accumulate a huge amount of information. BI tools can help businesses sort out, store and even bring together business data. Some data tools are data modeling, data mining and data warehouses. Using data tools helps to progress the effectiveness of business intelligence. At the same time as data tools are used for organization, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is used in the analyzing process. OLAP is usually referred to as plain analytics, which is based on the hypercube dimensional analysis. A vendor can help your business with business intelligence as well. They provide the business intelligence tools and support needed for a successful implementation of the business process. And something important, support.

Business Intelligence final word

The better a business understand its market, the more successful that business can be. Businesses that have as totalunderstanding of what their customers need and want will be better able to work out successful strategies and implement successful processes to make their business prosper. Business intelligence is the path that businesses can take to accomplish their goals, which can be both short-term and long-term.

Some may question on the ROI of business intelligence. There is no doubt that, if a company ends up getting hold of numerous customers, and retaining existing customers as a result of business intelligence, then it will be a positive ROI. Business intelligence, if implemented right and professionally, will help your business.

About The Author

Derek Gardner

Huge amount of Business Intelligence quality Information on this site. Go pay a visit today. http://www.businessintelligence.infostairs.com

Big 4 Power the Future of Consulting Services with Business Intelligence (BI)

Business Intelligence at Big Four firms enables Consultants to deal with business processes. BI is an acronym for Business Intelligence. BI Consultants at Big 4 firms combine business and technology expertise to understand various business processes.

Big4 firms use Business Intelligence to help organizations in the analysis and assessment of their business environments. Typically, Big 4 BI consultants use application software and related technologies to gather, organize, refine and distribute the information/data. Business Intelligence consultants at Big 4 firms design data mappings between various systems, develop scripts for data mappings and build modules and business processes. From design, implementation to support, Big 4 BI consultants handle all strategies pertaining to the Business Intelligence processes.

There are many drivers contributing to the success of Business Intelligence. The rising demand for Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Consultants is an important factor that drives the BI performance at Big Four firms. Providing “data-on-demand” is imperative for Business Intelligence Consultants at Big4 firms. Customers expect “real time data” and compromising on this could prove fatal to the Big Four firms’ BI expertise.

The Big Four firms provide consulting and systems integration services in Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing and Analytics. Managing the business performance, compliance and information integration is an important task handled by the BI consultants at the Big4 firms. Gathering relevant information, conducting market research and competitor analysis enables the Big Four BI consultants to respond to unforeseen market fluctuations.

The Big 4 evaluate Core Competence in Business Intelligence based on their analysis on organizations. As per CapGemini, this evaluation refers to BI index calculation. With the BI index, organizations can evaluate their potential BI value. Organizations can analyze their strengths and weaknesses with respect to their competitors. The BI index helps an organization in transforming the present business intelligence system to a more robust and profit-driven system. The Big 4 firms enable organizations in this transition process and decision making, thus meeting Compliance demands.

A 2004 report from META group on the major consulting and systems integration companies placed Deloitte among the top four firms. Also, the report certified that Deloitte has a “strong and customer-friendly project management methodology.” Deloitte’s global Business Intelligence Services concentrate on information gathering and global networking to offer legal compliance. The META report also ranked Deloitte in the top bracket “for its broad vertical programs, especially in manufacturing and government.” http://www.big4.com/B4Sitemap.aspx provides Analyst reports, News, Events and Big Four firm updates.

Business Intelligence tools offer incredible efficiency and help in generating excellent organizational performance and market recognition. Big4 Business Intelligence Consultants are experienced in Data Warehousing Architectures, OLAP, ETL tools like Ab Initio, Ascential Product Suite, DTS, Informatica and ERD toolkits like Erwin. Knowledge of Business Intelligence tools like Business Objects, Cognos, ERP experience in Oracle/ Peoplesoft or SAP, and relational database skills are necessary technical assets of a Big 4 Business Intelligence Consultant.

Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing and Analytics make an interesting combination at the Big Four firms. Big Four BI consultants assist clients in an essential commodity – Information Gathering and Delivery. Corporate Compliance, Financial and Market Intelligence and Risk Management help organizations in meeting the regulatory norms. Programs like the Balanced Scorecard help organizations to test their business processes.

Big 4 firms and Business Intelligence - the combination substantially invokes the desired outcome – better organizational performance and overall efficiency in managing business processes.

About The Author

Neil More webmaster@big4.com is an Alumni Member and Staff Writer with http://www.big4.com He writes articles on issues pertaining to the global Big4 firms - Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Neil's articles focus on latest news and happenings in Big4 Accounting, Big4 Management Consulting, Big4 Information Technology, Big4 Tax and Big4 Legal domains.

Knowledge Management – Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System

How can I "know who knows"?

None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it’s easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. However, these systems can be fraught with difficulty in their implementation, and often end up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telephone directories. This article, drawn from a best-selling knowledge management fieldbook by its author, identifies ten key steps involved in creating and sustaining a successful, employee-owned yellow pages system.

The guidelines below are drawn from the book "Learning to Fly – Practical knowledge management from leading and learning organisations" (Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell), and sets out ten key steps to creating a yellow pages systems which really works, and has the positive buy-in of its user community – that is to say, its customers.

1 Maintain a clear and distinctive vision.

Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and avoid compromise. Beware of becoming ‘all things to all men’ – particularly those in the HR and IT departments! Everyone will want a slice of the action – don’t lose sight of the overarching aim of your system – making it easy to find people that you don’t already know.

2 Strive for personal ownership and maintenance.

Create a process whereby only the individuals concerned can create and update their entries. This will drive a far deeper sense of ownership across the population.

3 Strike a balance between informal and formal content.

Encourage people to share non-work information about themselves in addition to valuable business information. Consider prompting for this with ‘fun’ questions such as: “what was the first single that you bought?”, “what is your favourite film?”, or even “what makes you happy?”.

4 Support the photographs wherever possible.

Nothing is more powerful and personal than a photograph. It speaks volumes about the person, raises the interest levels of others and generates personal ownership of the content. If possible encourage people to include an informal photograph. The security-pass-rabbit-in-the-headlights shots rarely show people in their best light! Better to have a photograph which says more about the person and what motivates them.

5 Ensure that your product design is flexible and inclusive. Recognize that different people relate to templates, prompts and structure in different ways. Use focus groups to test opinion.

6 Start with a customer-facing pilot.

Critical mass is all important, so start with a group of people who have a natural need to be visible to internal customers. This might include supporting functions, existing networks or communities, or even business areas with new leadership.

7 Deliver through local enthusiasts.

Centrally-driven push isn’t always the best way to engage the workforce. Tap into local enthusiasts and champions if possible – they will know how best to "sell" the concept locally.

8 Use success stories as a marketing tool. Reinforce the usefulness of the knowledge directory at every opportunity. Publicize any examples or successes widely, and early, to reinforce your project. This is a culture change project, and culture change happens one story at a time!

9 Encourage use, but lead by example rather than edict.

Avoid mandating the population and use of the knowledge directory. People will provide better quality content if they feel that they are volunteering the information. At the end of the day, you can’t ever conscript knowledge – you can only ever volunteer it. And let’s face it, there’s little point in finding the one person with expertise or experience that you need, if when you call them on the phone, they’re unwilling to talk!

10 Embed into people processes.

Look for process and intranet ‘hooks’ that could initiate and sustain the use of your knowledge directory (e.g. recruitment or induction of new staff, the launch of new networks, any reference on an intranet site which mentions a person’s name can become link to their personal page.

Conclusion

Creating and marketing a yellow pages system inside an organisation is a highly rewarding project – seize the opportunity with both hands. You'll need a network of champions, the cooperation of the IT and HR functions, tenacity and some marketng flair. The steps outlined above should help you on your way. Bon voyage!

About The Author

Chris Collison is a renowned expert in knowledge management and an experienced practitioner in the leadership and implementation of organisational change from a people perspective.

As a best-selling author, he has presented to audiences at business schools and at conferences around the world, and is a regular contributor to specialist knowledge management publications. Chris has worked with leaders at the highest levels of many public and private-sector organizations, sharing the practical experiences he gained whilst working in BP's knowledge management team, and his deep understanding of the human dynamics of major change programmes.

Contact Chris via http://www.chriscollison.com

chris@collison.com

Knowledge To Bring With You For The Nursing Home Admission

Nursing Homes require a lot of information. For many individuals entering a nursing home this may be the first time they are introduced to health, financial and end of life planning. Some of the information required by nursing homes may be very sensitive if you have not addressed the reality of your own or your loved ones health and financial related outcomes.

Knowing how long the anticipated stay for rehabilitation will help you determine the cost of care and the resources needed to pay for the stay. The professional staff of the hospital will be able to give you an estimated time frame. When the resident is assessed at the nursing home they will give you another time frame based upon the resident’s health condition, the resident’s ability to tolerate rehabilitation activity and the level of independence required for where the resident will reside after their rehabilitation stay.

Advance Directives are very important and deeply personal. The most critical Advance Directive nursing staff needs to know for a rehabilitation stay is what you want done if your heart and breathing should stop. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is a group of treatments used when someone’s heart and/or breathing stops. CPR is used in attempt to restart the heart and breathing. If you do not wish to receive CPR, your doctor must write a separate do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order on the chart or DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). The nursing home can provide you with more information.

The next essential piece of information is the name of a funeral home or mortuary in the event that the resident expires in the nursing home. It is a relief for family members during an emotional event to have some plans already in place.

During the admissions process the coordinator will require copies of the resident’s Social Security card, Medicare card, and other insurance cards. The nursing home will use this information to verify benefits and how the insurance will pay and how long the insurance company will pay for services.

A copy of the resident’s Living Will and a Power of Attorney is required if they have been done but are not necessary.

The Admissions Coordinator will also request financial information to help you with future financial planning for your resident.

About The Author

Tammy Gonzales, Life Coach and Advocate to Caregivers, of Revitalife Coaching & Consulting, LLC guides Baby-Boomers and the Sandwich Generation on how to take initiative to manage aging and caregiving before it becomes a crisis. Visit www.caregiverinfonline.com for more information.

tammy@revitalifecoaching.com

Teleconference - Turn Your Knowledge Into Money!

How can a teleconference turn your knowledge into money? A lot of people are asking the same question today. Although the teleconference has been used as a business tool for a long time, few people have actually seen it as more than an auxiliary tool. Few people actually see teleconferencing as being the center of their businesses.

What you need to understand is that teleconferencing actually holds a huge potential if you want to turn your brain into something more suitable for your wallet. Since the teleconference is a communications media, it follows that it can be used to trade knowledge.

One of the best ways you can use a teleconference to earn cash is by offering various types of seminars through the phone. If you have the charisma or experience required to get into this kind of business, you can hold self-empowerment seminars or teleconferences that encourage people and help them unlock their potential.

What you can do is post flyers which contain your number and the time you hold the seminar. You can then prepare the required materials to make the seminar livelier. You should then take a list of people who are planning to call and then charge them by setting up an internet account with various charging services. You can then lean back, prepare your voice and begin the lecture when the calls start coming in. When you have finished with the lecture, you can then open the panel for questions.

When you do open the panel, remember to conduct the questioning. Make the participants take turns so that there is interaction without chaos. This will help you satisfy any query that the participants may have. You should also clearly state any answers that you may have so people will not have to ask you to repeat.

You should also take a look at the English language tutorial boom that's going on in Asian countries. With the right teleconference equipment, you will be able to increase your income simply by speaking to people and correcting their English. This can come quite naturally to you. Of course, you need to have patience and excellent social skills in order to coordinate a class.

Usually, clients for this business are only looking for people who will be able to walk them through a typical English conversation. Of course, you need to teach them the right words to use when they make mistakes but the most work you actually have to do is to encourage them to keep talking. You need to prepare a set of topics so you will not end up wasting valuable phone time. However, you need to remember that the language is your focus, do not get stuck on a topic simply because different clients have different opinions. Let them explain and then move on to the next topic.

Another option for making use of the teleconference in business is to actually focus on the industry. As you may know, most teleconference services today are provided by major players in the telecommunications industry. This means that although big names are taking care of teleconference needs of entrepreneurs, they don't exactly have specialization. By offering specialized teleconference services you will be able to be one step ahead of the competition. Of course, this idea will only work if you actually have the skills to back it up.

When starting this business, you need to have connections. You need people who will recommend your services to the commonly-unreachable people in need of teleconference services. You might also want to make sue that you have contacts in the telecommunications industry so you will be able to offer competitive rates and services.
You also have the option to engage in marketing using the teleconference as a tool to reach as many people as possible while maintaining a sort of close connection with them. Through the teleconference, you will be able to make sure that you are able to focus on each potential client. You can also make sure that no time is wasted on repeating the same message again and again. Some people fail in marketing their products simply because, after pitching to 5 people, they lack enough enthusiasm or energy to infect the potential client.

These are some of the various ways you can use teleconference to turn your knowledge into money. Why not think outside the box and come up with more?

For more information on internet marketing, please visit:

http://www.thebiginternetmarketinggame.com/teleseminars.html
http://thebiginternetmarketinggame.com
http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

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

Creating an Environment in Law Firms Where Knowledge Management Will Work

The adoption of collaborative applications and knowledge management technologies by the legal profession has proceeded far less rapidly than many people would have expected or hoped. While vendors of data mining, knowledge management and other information technologies consistently see the legal profession as a fertile market for their products and initiatives, they are often disappointed by the resistance they find by lawyers and law firms. Why have advanced and sophisticated information techniques made so little impact on the information-intensive legal profession? What can be done to open up the legal market? In spite of the general climate of resistance, what projects are good candidates for these techniques?

There is certain inevitability to the entry of knowledge management and artificial intelligence approaches in the legal profession, whether the push comes from within the profession or from external pressures from clients and competitors. This paper will discuss some of the needs that law firms want to address with artificial intelligence and knowledge management projects, the resistance barriers in law firms, and then move on to list some attractive target areas for these approaches and factors that will contribute to success of these types of projects.

1. Needs Law Firms Seek to Address.

As part of an information intensive profession, lawyers and law firms create, use and store vast amounts of information in connection with their work. This information has a recognized value because it holds experience and expertise learned and maintained by legal organizations. Too often, however, the transfer of this knowledge inside or outside the firm occurs by happenstance or through one-on-one conversations without a sharing of information by all who need the information. Law firms want to tap into the value of their information in systematic and effective ways.

A. Not Reinventing the Wheel. To a surprising extent, in many law firms research is often duplicated, and agreements and other documents are created from scratch when models for such agreements already exist. The concern is not just inefficiency but also the inability to take advantage of best practices and current information and to make proper assignments to people with appropriate experience. With varying degrees of success, all firms have made efforts to implement techniques such as brief banks, standardized forms, training manual and documentation of procedures. Document assembly is one example of a technology used to capture prior efforts and to standardize best practices.

B. Knowledge Transfer and Mentoring. It is highly desirable to transfer the knowledge and even wisdom of older attorneys down to younger attorneys. In many cases, older attorneys may leave a firm or even die without the knowledge and other benefits of their experience being captured in a usable fashion. Not only is there a loss of substantive practice knowledge, but far too often there is the loss of the history and stories of a firm culture. There is a growing recognition of how much information is carried by way of story-telling. Core knowledge about a firm and its practices are encoded in its "myths and legends." Where transfer of this experience and expertise is not encouraged and facilitated, the knowledge of important historical details, such as how difficult management, ethical and other situations were handled, is no longer available for later generations of the firm. The transmission of core values and wisdom is either hindered or does not occur. Increasingly, law firms are recognizing the value of this loss and emphasizing the role of senior attorneys must play in mentoring other attorneys.

C. Efficient Delivery of Legal Services. Attorneys arguably work many more hours than other "knowledge workers." There is often a question of whether attorneys are simply working harder rather than working smarter. Both attorneys and clients see the benefits of more efficient delivery of legal services. Attorneys are increasingly aware of productivity gains achieved in other businesses by use of technology and find that their clients who have achieved such gains through the use of technology are pressuring law firms to adopt the same approaches. In other cases, business clients expect law firms to have certain technologies in place and are not willing to pay lawyers to deliver work in what is seen as inefficient and expensive ways.

D. Information Overload. Attorneys are inundated with paper, e-mail, advance sheets, journals, newsletters, web pages and a rising tide of information falling over them. Keeping up with developments in a practice area can take a substantial amount of time. As attorneys take advantage of e-mail newsletters, e-mail discussion lists, and other Internet resources, the symptoms of information overload can become very apparent. The need to organize, process and store in a retrievable fashion relevant information has become increasingly important.

E. Employee Retention. The new generation of lawyers leaving law school has been raised in an era of computers. Soon we will have a generation of law students who have never known a time when the Internet was not available. The level of expectations and reliance of sophisticated approaches to information and technology of these lawyers is very high. Law firms have found and will continue to find unwillingness by these lawyers to stay at firms that do not have state-of-the-art approaches to information. Law firms realize that addressing technology concerns is an essential part of attracting and retaining the best talent.

2. Resistance Barriers to Knowledge Management Projects.

A. Culture of Individual Practices. Nearly every successful knowledge management project has at its roots an organization in which there is a culture of sharing of information. More important, success grows from a culture of willingly sharing information. While financial incentives can help create a spirit of willingness, the trick is to create a culture where the benefits of sharing information are seen as real and sharing knowledge becomes second nature. Many firms are often described as a collection of individual practices. Even within specific practice areas, lawyers may work in a very autonomous manner. In addition, lawyers in one practice area may see little or no commonality with lawyers in other practice areas. At a more basic level, there is often a divide between litigation attorneys and transactional attorneys that is difficult to bridge.

B. Resistance to Technology. Far too often, the attorneys, especially older attorneys, who must be involved in the transfer of knowledge down to other attorneys, have a reluctance to use technology. Ironically, attorneys whose whole careers show a demonstrated ability to learn completely new areas of knowledge during the preparation of cases or through their representation of clients in a particular industry will balk at the notion of using computers. This reluctance to learn hardware and specific software can result in an unwillingness to be involved in "technology" at any level, even including the unwillingness to be assisted in knowledge transfer techniques that would involve the use of technology.

C. Lack of Time. The increasing emphasis on massive billable hour requirements tends to leave lawyers with little time and opportunity to create expert systems, highly organized data structures, or other artificial intelligence and knowledge management techniques. All of these efforts require the investment of substantial amounts of upfront time. Systems that require large amounts of upfront organization have little chance of succeeding in most law firms. Techniques that may involve the ability to process existing information "as it lies" will have the greatest opportunity for success.

D. Inability to Measure Returns. Metrics are not readily available that would help law firms measure the financial return of knowledge management applications. Where billing structures are not changed, the efficiencies obtained through these types of applications may not benefit a firm financially. For example, while the idea of document assembly has long been attractive to lawyers, the reality of reducing a several hour drafting job to ten minutes is not financially advantageous if billing continues to be based on a pure billable hours basis.

E. Incentive Structures. While there are a few firms that have created positions such as "chief knowledge officers," in many cases attorneys interested in knowledge management projects do them on a voluntary basis or may even be penalized for their efforts if these efforts diminish their amount of billable hours. In a traditional law firm, there is often a lack of incentive structures to motivate lawyers to be involved in a knowledge management project. In firms where knowledge management efforts, such as brief banks, or collections of memoranda have been tried, with unsuccessful results, there is often a reluctance to try again and a tendency to dismiss the whole notion of knowledge management rather than to analyze carefully where the prior projects failed and develop more effective new projects.

3. Attractive Areas for Knowledge Management Projects

It is becoming increasingly apparent that large-scale, firm-wide knowledge management techniques have little chance of success in law firms, especially if they are the first project undertaken. Discrete, well-considered pilot projects that can be scaled up and rolled out throughout the firm have a much greater opportunity of success. Similarly, targeted, incremental approaches that work within the existing knowledge flow of the firm are preferable to attempts to reorganize how people work. Examples of projects that should be given careful consideration are:

A. Litigation Strategy. A good starting project for many law firms would be an application in the area of litigation strategy. Excellent tools are available and the return on investment in this area can readily be perceived.

A Knowledge Management solution would allow lawyers to pull information that otherwise might be hidden in legal pads, bankers’ boxes, or in the memories of individual lawyers into a format that allows lawyers to gather and analyze facts in a helpful manner. Through a simple method of tagging information, lawyers can use a KM solution to find answers to questions previously difficult to obtain. For example, a lawyer preparing a summary judgment motion can, in a matter of seconds, retrieve a list of all undisputed facts in the case relating to the issue about which they are writing. A lawyer can assess the strength of a case by seeing a list of all undisputed facts that have been judged by that lawyer or other members of the team as highly unfavorable.

A properly deployed KM solution should create a method for looking at the information involved in the case in a variety of ways and preparing and testing strategies as well as determining where additional work may be required on a case. In addition, a lawyer could determine the strengths and weaknesses of a case and the role that individual witnesses will play in developing a case.

Law firms need to recognize that there is great value in identifying key information and associating it with other information and that a broad-based approach can be much more useful than a method that attempts to implement hundreds or even thousands of rules to create a trial strategy.

B. Client Relationship Management. A highly important area in knowledge management is customer relationship management ("CRM"). CRM is simply a method of gathering, associating and using in an efficient manner information that you have about customers. In many law firms, there are countless examples of lawyers trying to cultivate a potential client only to find later that that potential client was a college roommate of someone else at the firm. Where information about clients is not readily available, lawyers working for a long-term firm client for the first time can easily make mistakes, such as e-mailing clients who have demanded that information only be faxed to them or Fedexing copies to clients who only want e-mail copies. The holy grail of CRM in law firms is to promote the cross-selling of business to existing clients. This area is an especially fertile one for potential knowledge management and artificial intelligence projects.

C. Conflict Checking. Conflict checking is an area of difficulty for many law firms, especially as the number of clients increases and as companies enter into more joint ventures and combinations. While traditional databases can be of great assistance, often potential conflicts can only be seen by lawyers who are personally familiar with the relationships between a variety of companies and people. While CRM efforts will have a spillover effect in the area of conflict checking, the application of artificial intelligence specifically to conflict checking holds a great deal of promise.

D. Delivery of Client Services. The most exciting area of potential development for artificial intelligence and knowledge management systems is in the area of actual delivery of legal services to clients. This delivery of services might occur through traditional means or over the Internet. A number of examples of this trend are appearing and a good resource for keeping track of this is the elawyering site at www.elawyering.org. The application of technology to the delivery of legal services is especially attractive in the area of what is sometimes referred to as the "latent market for legal services" or the segment of the market where people cannot afford traditional legal services. From document preparation to delivery of relevant legal information to decision tree approaches to transactions, there is a world of opportunity and law firms are only beginning to tap the potential.

E. Managing Information Overload. Lawyers, like many others, are fighting to gain some degree of control over the overwhelming amount of information they receive on a daily basis. Through the use of intelligent agents and other knowledge management and artificial techniques, it is gradually becoming possible to manage that flow of information. Techniques, such as creating daily electronic newspapers, personalized resources, and "push" technologies to deliver specific information, updates and other information of interest can all be highly effective with very tangible benefits. "Personal knowledge management" tools give the ability to harvest and organize information on the web. This area suggests a number of useful, discrete pilot projects that can have a high impact on individual attorneys and develop momentum for other projects.

4. Strategies for Improving the Likelihood of Success of your Projects.

Choose discrete rather than global projects.

Use methods that process existing pools of data rather than require large amounts of upfront coding, organization or tagging.

Identify appropriate tools and get those tools into the hands of the people who will actually use them.

Choose committed, enthusiastic volunteers for pilot projects.

Stay up-to-date about new tools and improvements to existing tools.

Achieve buy-in from top levels of management.

Develop appropriate incentive structures for attorneys participating in projects.

Set goals, supply necessary resources and determine from the beginning a method of measuring success or failure of a project. In part, this involves the ability to answer the two following questions: How will you determine whether a project is successful and who will determine whether it is a successful?

Determine whether a chief knowledge officer level position is required. It is difficult to have success for large projects without such a person.

Stay aware of developments, talk to others involved in successful projects and keep current with initiatives at other firms.

Listen to your clients and try to anticipate their needs as a driving force in your projects.

Maintain a high degree of flexibility and willingness to change direction.

Try to get as thorough an understanding of the information flows and the information cultures within your firm.

Attempt several pilot projects at a time. Diversify your risk.

Be innovative and courageous.

5. Conclusion.

While the past history of knowledge management and artificial intelligence in the legal profession does not show a lot of successes or adoption of these projects, a number of factors, economic and otherwise, are coming into play and suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel. By being aware of the available tools, the fundamental promise and potential that law firms see in these techniques and being able to deal with the resistance barriers, you improve your likelihood of success. Discrete, high impact pilot projects are a good way to start and build momentum for an evolutionary development of these projects. There are also practical strategies that can further enhance your efforts and open up the promise of knowledge management and artificial intelligence that many people see in the legal profession. Most important, there are others working on similar projects who are willing to share information and provide assistance. The future looks promising.

About The Author

Mitchell is the Director of Microsoft Solutions as OnX Enterprise Solutions.
onx.com
Mitchell.Dubin@onx.com