Archive for July, 2010
Business Success: Can a business plan help entrepreneurs avoid a major disaster?
A client recently recounted his experience searching for a consultant to help him plan and launch his small business. He’s a former high tech executive with a masters degree in business administration, who is developing a small ethnic restaurant concept.
He started his search by calling several large restaurant consulting firms. Unfortunately, most either had little expertise with start-ups or little interest in working with one. The one firm that was interested offered to sale him a business plan for $10,000. Although he could have easily afforded the fee, he knew instinctively that purchasing an off-the-shelf business plan was a bad idea. Eventually, he was referred to me by a mutual business contact.
Working together over the past several weeks, we have developed and refined his business plan, created a high impact investor proposal, and spent considerable time reviewing the details of his business assumptions and resulting projections – all for substantially less than $10,000. He has literally experienced an immersion into the restaurant business through our relationship, including time spent in local restaurants learning about common management challenges.
Coincidentally, I recently wrote an article on the 5 Pitfalls of launching a small business, which listed failing to properly plan as the #1 pitfall. With this in mind, I am deeply concerned to hear stories like the one from this client. Here are two fundamental problems with the offer he received.
Pre-done business plans are basically worthless. These days, it take more than just a pretty plan to secure financing and investment in your idea. Understanding the business that you are entering into is important to instill confidence. You won’t get indepth understanding from a recycled business plan. Purchasing such a plan is simply self-defeating. Having someone else do your homework when it come to launching a small business is reckless. A business plan is merely evidence of the business planning process. It is the planning process that gives entrepreneur insight into the industry, market, and company they want to create. Skipping the process can leave an entrepreneur unprepared to succeed.
Such shortcuts remind me of a recent NPR report on the extremely high automobile fatality rates in Russia. It seems that Russians, who don’t want to take driving lessons or study for exams, can easily purchase driver’s licenses on their local black-market. As a result, it has been noted that cities like Moscow have large numbers of drivers unfamiliar with basic driving rules; which helps to explain why they have twice the number of fatal accidents as comparable American cities. In the end, whether it’s operating a vehicle or a business, proper preparation matters.
Natural Hair Products for all types of Curly hair
Women with curly hair no longer need to worry about managing their hair as there are a number of natural hair products available to cater to their needs and provide the necessary solution for keeping the curly hair healthy yet gorgeous.
Curls are of various types depending upon the curl pattern and texture, some may be tightly curled and some are loose curls. Broadly, curly hair is categorized as Curly, Wavy and Kinky hair. Curly hair can look really beautiful provided it is given the right care and require a little extra effort on part of the person to select the right products to keep hair healthy.
Natural hair products are the most suitable for treating curly hair as they contain a right mixture of natural oils and extracts, proteins, humectants, natural moisturizers, nutrients and natural conditioners. Apart from cleaning the curly hair, they provide the much needed moisturizing and conditioning to the hair. In addition, they help you stylize your hair as per your desires thus enhancing your look.
A wide a variety of natural hair products for women to choose from include cleanser, curl creams, shampoos, moisturizers, conditioners, gels and hair styling products. One must select a product after identifying the hair type to produce the desired results. The biggest advantage of using natural hair products is that there are no harmful effects associated with them as they are made up of only natural materials, unlike other cosmetic products which may give some hazardous results due to the presence of chemicals.
These products are manufactured to give the essential nourishment to curly hair which requires extra attention than normal hair and improve the quality of hair by bringing in shine and strength to hair. In other words, natural hair products are the best solutions to impart health to your curly hair.
So what are you waiting for? Just go and grab the right product for your hair or visit www.curls.biz.- your guide to curly hair care. It offers you an extensive range of natural hair products to suit your requirements and provides the relevant information to take care of curly hair.
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Your Aha! Experience Means Business
Aha! Experience2009-06-10
By H.Bernard Wechsler
My Aha! Experience
“Pop, can you help me with my homework? I got these five last words I can’t figure out how to use each one in a sentence. “
“Sonny, you come to the right window. Gimme your problem. It is just as important to know where to find the right answer, as learning itself.”
“Here, five easy words, but I have to use each one in a separate sentence.
First is Tsunami, that’s one I never saw before. Two, is Tutor. Number Three is Denial, used as a legal term. Four is Defeat, used in a specific battle. Number Five is Cataracts, which I don’t know at all.”
“Gimme that list. Are you ready? I’m not going to repeat it twice, so pay attention.
1. Tsunami, it comes from Latin meaning Salt. I fried the Tsunami and eggs, and added mustard on Italian bread for flavor.
2. Tutor, from the Latin for Horn. In the Bible, Joshua blew down the walls of Jericho because he was a Tutor. Harry James played a mean trumpet, and he was a hot Tutor. See, two for one.
3. Denial runs 4,184 miles in Africa and feeds into the Mediterranean Sea. Oh yeah, Denial separates into the White and Blue, and they collect in Egypt.
4. Defeat. George Washington had 2,300 Patriots at the Battle of Trenton, against the Hessians on December 26, 1776 (day after Xmas). The Americans could not afford boots for their soldiers, who had to wrap Defeat with rags for the seven-mile march to Trenton, New Jersey.
5. Last, is Cataract. The word is taken from the name of a Native-American chief and has come to mean luxury. General Motors owns the Trade Mark for the name Cataract, since August 18, 1902.”
I sat there stunned, just 12 years old, but I knew Pop had scammed me.
“I will never ask you anything again. Thanks for nothing.”
“Wait – you don’t trust me and my answers?”
“No, I don’t trust you or anybody else after this.”
“Pay attention – this is an important moment in your life. It is called an Aha! Experience. You don’t trust your own father, and nobody else, right? You have to trust and depend only on yourself, right?”
“Yeah, right, so what?”
“Sonny, tomorrow I am going to sign you up at the New York Law School. You have learned your first critical lesson about independent research.”
“That’s was my Pop. Yeah, I went to New York Law School graduated, and passed the Bar (not Kelly’s) on the first crack.” —
copyright © 2009 H. Bernard Wechsler www.speedlearning.org hbw@speedlearning.org 1-877-567-2500 —————————————————————————————————
Texas Tech Red Raiders College Football Tickets And Seating Chart
There’s been tweeting and quite the buzz about Texas Tech Red Raiders Coach Mike Leach’s comment about “fat little girlfriends” aimed at getting his point across to his players in a most compelling way after the Red Raiders lost 52-30 to the Aggies, even though the Red Raiders were the three-touchdown favorites. This was a wakeup call, Leach’s opinion because although they were the favorite to win, they lost by a proverbial landslide. Leach isn’t hanging up over the loss to Texas A&M but he’s looking toward the future, just as many optimistic fans and players are doing and trying to make sure that the Red Raiders learned the lesson when Texas A&M took home the victory.
For the most part, the season’s been real good to the Red Raiders. At the start, they beat North Dakota 38-13 and followed up a week later with a defeat of Rice 55-10. On September 19, the Red Raiders may have been favored to win but Texas took the game 34-24 and Houston followed suit taking a one point lead to end the game 29-28. The Red Raiders bounced back from the two losses to win against New Mexico 48-28, Kansas State 66-14 and Nebraska 31-10. From there, as folks say, the rest is history where Texas A&M is concerned and the win the rocked the Red Raiders.
During the rest of the 2009 season that remains, fans and coaches are optimistic that the Red Raiders can make an excellent run of things with the proper effort. Remaining games include Kansas on October 31, Oklahoma State on November 14, Oklahoma on November 21 and Baylor on November 28. The eyes will be on this great team to see if they will really show folks what they’re made of. With the majority of the remaining games at home, hopefully they’ll put on a show for everyone to remember.
Current fans already know that the Jones AT&T Stadium has recently undergone construction and there were mixed feelings about the expansion but for the most part, it was a good thing that took seating from 54,000 to 60,000. The expansion is expected to be complete no later than midseason, offering many great opportunities to enjoy the Red Raiders to new seating options. Game day logistics have changed some due to the continued construction on the east side where parking spaces have been cut back from 544 to 93. This construction is anticipated to add 1,000 to the stadium’s existing capacity and provide more revenue-generating opportunities as well as to improve the appearance of Jones AT&T Stadium.
As many of these renovations are being finished up, fans will be treated to one of the finest stadiums in the country. Spanish architecture is themed throughout the stadium from the concourses to the concessions, luxury suites, club seating and state of the art press box. New restrooms have been added and gates around all sides provide easy access to designated seating. Whether you wish to north or south end of the field for a perfect view or to group in with the east side or west side of the stands, there are excellent sites all around Jones AT&T Stadium.
With so much tradition already rolled into the games that the Texas Tech Red Raiders play, it’s a good idea to get your seats picked out and tickets purchased as soon as possible so that you’re sure to get the seat you want for upcoming games. This is especially the case for highly competitive games like the ones coming up in October and November this year. Be sure to make your selections soon!
Pharaoh Said to Moses: Whatever Sign You Bring Us, We Will not Believe in You
Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-64) is an attempt to help them to know their Creator.
Verses 7:131-133 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) The five successive signs that Allah has sent to Pharaoh, 2) What Pharaoh and his folk said when abundance and comfort befell them? 3) What Pharaoh and his folk said when an evil thing smote them? 4) Pharaoh said to Moses: Whatever sign you bring us, we will not believe in you, 5) When Moses invoked Allah against Pharaoh and his folk? And 6) Allah inflicted upon the Egyptians a flood, locusts, vermin, frogs and blood but they refused to believe.
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In the previous articles (63) Verses 7:128—130 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Moses said unto his people: Seek help in Allah and endure the affliction, and He said also: The land is Allah’s. He gives it for an inheritance to whom He will, 2) The Israelites said to Moses: We suffered hurt before you came to us and since you have come to us, 3) Moses said: Be patient, the sequel Paradise is for those who keep their duty unto Allah , 4) Moses said: Allah will destroy Pharaoh, that He may see how you shall act, 5) Allah straitened Pharaoh’s folk with the dearth of vegetation year after year and 6) Allah seized them with famine that they might take admonition. Then what?
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The meaning of verse 7:131
But whenever a good thing, such as land fertility abundance and comfort, befell them (Pharaoh and his folk), they said, This is ours, this is our right! This belongs to us, that is, we deserve it, and they did not give thanks for it; and whenever an evil thing, [such as] drought, lack of fruits or hardship, smote them, they ascribed it to the evil auspices of Moses and those with him; they would augur ill of Moses and those, believers, with him.
Allah said: Surely their evil auspice, their hardship and abundance was only with Allah i.e. from Allah.
Surely their ill augury is with Allah, Who brings it upon them, but most of them do not know, that whatever befalls them is from Allah.
The meaning of verse 7:132
And Pharaoh and his folk said to Moses:
Whatever sign you bring us, to cast a spell upon us therewith, we will not believe in you;
And so he Moses invoked Allah against them.
In other words, they said:
O Moses, whenever and whatever sign you bring wherewith to bewitch us, to dazzle our eyes with, we shall not put faith in you, we shall not believe in the message. And so Moses prayed against them.
The meaning of verse 7:133
So Allah unleashed upon them (Pharaoh and his folk) the flood, continuous, uninterrupted rain: day and night, from Saturday to Saturday, which penetrated their houses and which for seven days would come up to people’s necks as they sat;
And Allah inflicted upon them (Pharaoh and his folk) the locusts, which consumed their crops and fruits, likewise; they were engulfing them for seven days, and ate everything that the earth produced: vegetation and fruits;
and Allah also inflicted them with the vermin (in Arabic, the word is al-Qummal which is the plural of the English word lice, woodworm, tick, or the vermin) ; this means that Allah also inflicted them with crawling creatures without wings-which devoured whatever the locusts left behind uneaten.
and Allah also imposed them with the frogs, so much so that they harmed them, such that they infested their houses and food supplies;
After which Allah inflicted on them blood such that their wells and rivers filled with blood.
A succession of different clear signs of one month interval.
But they were too scornful, to believe in such clear signs; they were arrogant and refused to believe and became guilty; and were a sinful folk.
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Verses 7:131-133 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:
Verse 7:131
QARIB: when good things came their way, they said: ‘it is our due, ‘ but when evil befell them they blamed their ill fortune on moses and those with him. indeed their ill fortune was with Allah, though most of them did not know.
SHAKIR: but when good befell them they said: this is due to us; and when evil afflicted them, they attributed it to the ill-luck of musa and those with him; surely their evil fortune is only from Allah but most of them do not know
PICKTHAL: but whenever good befell them, they said: this is ours; and whenever evil smote them they ascribed it to the evil auspices of moses and those with him. surely their evil auspice was only with Allah. but most of them knew not.
YUSUFALI: but when good (times) came, they said, “this is due to us;” when gripped by calamity, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with moses and those with him! behold! in truth the omens of evil are theirs in Allah’s sight, but most of them do not understand!
Verse 7:132
QARIB: they said: ‘whatever sign you bring to us, to cast a spell upon us, we will not believe in you. ‘
SHAKIR: and they said: whatever sign you may bring to us to charm us with it– we will not believe in you
PICKTHAL: and they said: whatever portent thou bringest wherewith to bewitch us, we shall not put faith in thee.
YUSUFALI: they said (to moses): “whatever be the signs thou bringest, to work therewith thy sorcery on us, we shall never believe in thee.
Verse 7:133
QARIB: so we sent upon them floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood. (all these were) clear signs, yet they were proud against them, for they were wicked people.
SHAKIR: therefore we sent upon them widespread death, and the locusts and the lice and the frog and the blood, clear signs; but they behaved haughtily and they were a guilty people
PICKTHAL: so we sent against them the flood and the locusts and the vermin and the frogs and the blood – a succession of clear signs. but they were arrogant and became a guilty folk.
YUSUFALI: so we sent (plagues) on them: wholesale death, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood: signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance,- a people given to sin.
Women of all procurement section of the Chengdu earthquake are not held as scheduled
10 o’clock yesterday morning, China shoes capital of the International Department of the Na Liu is busy to Italy A shoe company contact, telephone, email, fax. As busy and 9 colleagues, they will give thousands of domestic and foreign Shoes Key enterprises and institutions to send an invitation?? To invite them to be held in Chengdu, capital of China’s shoes? Third international procurement section.
5? 12 Wenchuan earthquake, Chengdu shoe firms should rush to production, and took the loss, all the shoe companies now have to resume production, Earthquake will not affect the company’s international Order , Third International procurement section will also be held as scheduled in October.
Unprecedented scale international procurement section does not delay
In October of this year, China shoes capital of Chengdu, will be held in the “shoes capital of China, 2008 Third International Festival and the procurement of Chengdu International Exhibition of footwear and leather materials” from yesterday , China shoes capital industry operations center staff began to enterprises and organizations all over the world to issue thousands of invitations.
“Earthquake not only will not affect the international purchasing Festival, this year’s size and international efforts will be more than in previous years.” Shoes capital of China operation center industry, the main Renpeng Jun told reporters that the international procurement of this Festival will be invited to more than 500 famous brands and exhibitors, in addition to continuing invitation Russia , Italy, Spain, the world’s footwear strong abroad, this year will be invited to Brazil, India, Vietnam and other major powers shoe companies, thousands are expected to come from Italy, Spain, more than 20 countries and regions purchasers participants. Organizing Committee will also organize trade trade negotiations, held in the industry in international forums, to promote direct dialogue between domestic and international footwear industry, shoe industry, seek foreign transfer of development. As the current international procurement Festival substantial increase in business, the organizing committee of the International Pavilion of the area to increase in scale than last year.
Overtime to reduce earthquake Learned that although the earthquake brought to many shoe companies to suspend work, delay in delivery time of impact, but companies are actively find ways to eliminate and to expand capacity. “After the earthquake, Chengdu footwear enterprises only production downtime a week, thousands of shoe companies in the May 19 soon resume full production, although the affected part of the order of delivery time, but the total amount of international orders not have much effect. “Jun Peng told reporters after the earthquake, in order to solve the business problems of underemployment, industrial operations center is organizing a variety of channels, focusing on recruitment of industrial workers, to ensure that full capacity production enterprises.
“Delay in delivery time, reduced orders, will not affect the major trends on Shoes.” Peng Jun said that at present, China shoes capital of the industrial park where the company is stepping up production time strive to minimize losses caused by the earthquake.
As one of the leading shoe Chengdu, Chengdu, Wu Jun shoe in after the earthquake, has also been a certain extent. Chairman Ma Zhongjun said the earthquake, the enterprise lost a lot of workers, in order to complete orders on time and tasks, Wu Jun shoe production the past few days against time. “We undertake international orders will not be affected, the disaster through active and effective organization of production, Wu Jun has now been restored to production levels before the earthquake.” Mazhong Jun said.
Peng Jun said that China’s shoes of all staff is actively with the Russian and other international shoe company contact with them made it clear that the situation in Chengdu, about their ideas and needs. First time, informed understanding of the international market, Chengdu Shoes not affected by the earthquake. This approach has achieved results very soon, now that China and Russia have reached shoes of intent: in July, China shoes capital shoe with Russia are fully Cooperation And increase international market promotion efforts in Chengdu brand shoes.
All over the world send invitations to invite key enterprises
How to ensure greater earthquake shoe business development, receiving more orders from international markets? From June 1, China shoes capital of the whole industry began operations center Sneakers Industry key enterprises, institutions issuing invitations, inviting them to participate in this year held in October in Chengdu international procurement section. “This work will continue until early July, more by way of invitation e-mail, now, we have received some confirmation letter, businesses and institutions.” Shoes capital of China operation center industry, International Business Manager Hu Guanqiang told reporters that the important role of invitations issued, is to tell the international footwear industry giants, Chengdu footwear industry is not affected by the earthquake, and now has resumed production capacity will not affect the productivity and international orders.
Jun Peng told reporters that the procurement section of the International Organizing Committee will convene a large number from Russia, the United States and other countries and regions, buyers, establish a trading platform to actively promote health disaster the local shoe industry and orderly development.
Posted in Disasters 
Tags: Chengdu, Earthquake, held, Procurement, scheduled, Section, Women 
Comments OffAbout Air Freight Charter
A brief definition of the term “air freight charter” could be the following: various commercial organizations that offer freight handling services worldwide by the use of air crafts. These organizations can be located in the private sector, which can get highly competitive.
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