Astounding Words

Touring homes can be over whelming to first time homebuyers. What to look for, what to ask about and what is good for resale, yes you need to think about that when your buying, can distract buyers. Mark Nash author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home has created a worksheet that you can use with each home you tour. It saves excessive note taking and keeps you focused on what you’re looking for to compare and contrast potential homes.

I created a short list of the basic items you should keep in mind when you viewing homes the first time. Typically when you go back for a second showing you will want a more detailed list of what to look for. Locate a virtual tour of a property after you’ve seen it once to refresh you on features you have questions about.

Date:
 Price:
 Address:
 Condo Fees
 Special Assessments Planned
 Cats/Dogs allowed
 Percent Owner Occupied
 Property Taxes
 # 0f Rooms
 #of Bedrooms
 Master Bedroom
 # of Bath's
 Master bath?
 Fireplace (s)
 Floor plan
 Functionality
 Wall condition
 Wallpaper?
 Closet space?
 Storage
 Attic
 Kitchen Eat in Space?
 Appliances
 Counter tops
 Laundry
 Furnace-age?
 Central Air-Conditioning
 Garage/ parking
 Auto opener
 Driveway
 Yard size
 Fenced
 Roof Condition
 Windows
 Traffic
 Neighborhood
 Schools
 Curb appeal
 Notes

Distance
 Work
 Public Transportation
 Schools
 Shopping
 Recreation
 Hospitals
 Trash Pick-up
 Other:Utility Costs
 

Mark Nash’s fourth real estate book, “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home” (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, CNN-TV, Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.

The goals for delivering great customer service starts with delivering a service-oriented attitude that is genuine. You want to exceed the client’s expectations and apply the service standards. It is also important to measure your effectiveness in delivering great customer service.

There are three service standards to keep in mind when dealing with a client or customer. These include using and giving personal attention to the customer, teamwork, and taking personal responsibility. There are a couple of ways you can give personal attention to your customers. First, you can anticipate their needs by recommending services or ideas that would benefit them, as well as noticing the clients’ wants and needs before they have to ask. Another way is to treat every client as a “Very Important Person”. This can be accomplished by treating each client as a unique individual, using their name whenever possible, and by making the clients feel as if they are your top priority.

There are a number of ways to take responsibility. Be sure to follow through (be timely and responsive, keep promises, see a project through until the end) with a client. You should check customer satisfaction, offer alternatives, and show appreciation as well. These service standards will help you to exceed your client’s expectations, show your positive attitude, and measure the level of service you are delivering to your client.

Clients are worth more than a one-time interaction. You should take several things into consideration when dealing with a customer, such as revenue from a single sale, the average number of sales per year, and the average number of sales with a client over his/her lifetime. And by providing genuine service, you are giving your clients what they expect, as well as setting yourself apart from all other organizations. If you can go beyond what the client expects and do more for the client than other competing companies, this will lead to 100% client satisfaction. Donald A. Adams said, “To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

Another important aspect to delivering great customer service is to develop a consulting partnership with your clients. It is important to be the one to make the opening move and take the initiative. If you approach each interaction with a positive, caring attitude and view it as an opportunity to exceed their expectations, you will be well on your way to developing a valuable and lasting partnership. Three guidelines for creating a truly memorable impression include smiling and warmth with every interaction; presenting an “I’m here for you” attitude (by seeming ready, eager, attentive and caring); and finally by personalizing every interaction.

Satisfying the client can be a tricky endeavor when you are faced with multiple complaints and angry clients. When faced with complaints, it is necessary to listen to the client, apologize, sympathize, and most importantly, to take action. Angry clients are probably the biggest challenge opportunity you can face. Make sure to remain calm and not to take it personally. Kill ‘em with kindness, and they won’t be able to resist you! It is a good idea to remember the client’s names (and use them) as well as referring to details about the clients. This little bit of personal attention may be all that is needed to win them over. Goethe once said, “When we treat a man as he is, we make him worse than he is. When we treat him as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make him what he should be.”

There are many reasons customers quit returning to a place of business. 4% of them move away (you can’t do anything about them). 5% change their habits (meaning they want to try something new for a while, the novelty factor). 9% of them quit because they’re attracted to your competition. 14% of your customers leave because they’re unhappy with your service. And an overwhelming 68% of your customers will leave you because they encounter an attitude of indifference. Certainly there are precautionary measures you can take to prevent some of your customers from leaving if you are aware of factors like these.

Delivering great customer service will not happen over night, but with a few well thought-out strategies, you can achieve 100% client satisfaction. If you are looking for a quick reference to great customer service, here are the “Six Secrets of Service”.

1. If you don’t like people, you have no business being in the people business.

2. Serve them well, you keep them. Service them poorly, you loose them.

3. Give the client, not what he wants, but what he really needs.

4. Make your clients feel good about spending their money.

5. If you can’t get out of it, get into it!

6. When you give great service, EVERYBODY WINS!!!

For further information on delivering exceptional customer service, please feel free to contact us. Best of luck in WOW Service!

Jennifer Selland is the Founder and President of Well-Run Concepts, a Human Resource Consulting Firm based in Ocala Florida, founded in 1997, whose mission is to Help Organizations Define and Develop Top Talent. Jennifer has over 15 years of Human Resource Management and Executive Operational hotel experience.

Well-Run Concepts
“Helping Organizations Define and Develop Top Talent.”
303 S.E. 17th St., Suite 309-170
Ocala, FL 34471
Toll Free: 877-566-2900 Tel: 352-624-2684 Fax: 352-624-2689
Website: http://www.well-run.com Email: Jennifer@well-run.com

These days, credit cards in the UK are competing with each other on two very attractive offers with a headline rate of 0%. These 0% credit cards will be either balance transfers; introductory purchases offers or a combination of the two. This article looks at how to get the best out these types of card and the things to that the credit card companies want you to do and therefore the things to avoid. There is a school of thought that believes that these types of card will soon be a thing of the past as they cost the credit card companies too much profit, as consumers get wiser to the pitfalls.

A balance transfer credit card is basically an offer of either a zero interest rate or very low interest rate for a set period. The typical period is 6 months although there are variations on this and there have even been some low rates set for the lifetime of the balance. However, these are becoming rare. Once, the offer period expires then the outstanding balance reverts to the standard rate on purchases. This is very important, as at this point the credit card company will hope the consumer will not take any action and so the company can begin to earn money on the balance.

A 0% purchase offer credit card has many similarities to the balance transfer offers. The introductory rate and period are usually 0% and 6 months in the same way as the balance transfer. Also, once the period expires the outstanding balance is subject to the standard rate on purchases. It is an important point to note that the introductory rate does not apply indefinitely on purchases made in the period, but only applies for the duration of the introductory period.

It is often the case that credit card companies will offer both the balance transfer and 0% on purchases on the same card. When this is not the case it is wise to keep balance transfers and purchases separate. This is because the balance transfer portion of an outstanding balance will be paid off quicker than the standard rate purchases. Therefore an increasing portion of the balance will be subject to the standard rate and the balance transfer portion will decrease at a faster rate. There is nothing to stop a consumer obtaining a credit card with a balance transfer and a separate low interest credit card for any purchases to be made. That way the benefits of the offers are maximised.

In summary the balance transfer and 0% purchase offers can be of great benefit to the consumer provided that the consumer understands how to use the offers to their advantage. A degree of discipline is required in managing repayments. Also, the cardholder should be aware of any penalties that may cause the offer to be cancelled. Armed with this knowledge then these cards can be made to work for the consumer, but remember that when comparing credit cards to pay close attention to the typical APR, which is, always stated where UK credit cards are promoted.

About the Author

Neil Brown has contributed to many financial sites including business banking and personal loans.

Last week I got one of those “make my day” phone calls and emails. It was from a gentleman I had met last May doing a speech for a local leadership program. I remember quite well the brief exchange we had following the program that night: He had delivered an eloquent and inspiring invocation and I told him he ought to be doing more public speaking, that his words had inspired me.

It was a comment I meant sincerely, and he, apparently took it to heart. His email and phone message told me about a multi-media program he has created for graduating high school students called “Be the One,” that will debut at a large church this month. He wanted to let me know how my passing comment had made a difference to him.

The late Thomas Leonard, the “godfather” of modern coaching, founder of Coach U and Coachville, used to tell people interested in developing successful coaching practices to give lots away. Offer free teleclasses, do pro bono coaching, present speeches, write articles…without asking for compensation early on, for the benefit of getting your “brand” out into the marketplace. It was advice I and many other successful coaches have followed, and the results have been more than positive. People often ask how I’ve built my coaching and training business, and without a doubt, I can say it’s because I’ve given a ton away for free.

In today’s marketplace it seems everyone is interested in “getting” something…in making money, in receiving proper financial rewards or public acclaim. And of course, businesses survive and thrive on making profit. But I believe if more people and organizations would give more of themselves away on a regular basis, the financial rewards would come seeking them. I realize there is a point beyond which giving yourself away becomes impractical. And there are those who sometimes go overboard, who must eventually learn to charge for services they too frequently give away.

But as a great marketing and development strategy, giving yourself away is powerful. Whether you’re launching a new business, trying to reinvigorate an existing one, or simply want to bring more joy, light and inspiration into the world the best marketing advice I can offer is to “give yourself away.”

The speech I gave last May was done gratis. And yet I’ve earned both extrinsic rewards, in the form of new coaching clients, and perhaps more importantly, the intrinsic reward of knowing that something I said in a brief momentary exchange had inspired someone to take his special light into the world… in his own words, to “be the one” that makes a difference to others.

What can you give away today? Perhaps a compliment. Maybe an act of kindness or service. Perhaps volunteer in a community organization. Write an article for a trade publication or even deliver a free speech. You never know where that generous act will lead.

A wise book has said, “Cast your bread upon the water and it will return to you after many days.” Whatever your “bread” is, give with heart and without thought of reward or compensation, and you will be rewarded many times over.

Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach.

Just because you received a structured settlement for your lawsuit, it doesn’t mean you have to wait for years to get the money. There are many settlement purchasing companies that will give you instant cash for your structured settlement. These companies can pay cash for the entire structured settlement or purchase your remaining periodic settlement payments. You can spend this lump-sum payment on anything-a house, college tuition, business investments or debts.

What Is a Structured Settlement?

A structured settlement, which typically results from a personal injury lawsuit, is an agreement where you consent to accept payments over time in exchange for the release of liability for your claim. A structured settlement can provide payments in almost any manner you choose. For example, the settlement may be paid in annual installments over a number of years or in periodic payouts every few years.

These payments are generally awarded through the purchase of one or more annuities from a life insurance company. Structured settlements can also be used with lottery winnings, contest prize money and other situations with substantial cash awards.

Structured Settlements Not Always the Best Fit

In theory, structured settlements are designed to provide long-term financial security to injury victims through tax-free payments. And for most people, the agreed-upon structured payment plan initially makes sense. However, a financial emergency, a business opportunity, an unforeseen medical expense, or a house purchase can put a strain on the injured party’s finances.

And the structured nature of the settlement may become too restrictive to cover major financial purchases. Also, a structured settlement may not be the best option for investing. There are many other investment vehicles that can generate greater long-term return than the annuities used in structured settlements. Therefore, some people may be better off getting cash for their structured settlement and then building their own investment portfolio.

How Getting Cash for a Structured Settlement Works

If you receive an award from your injury case, an attorney or financial advisor will likely recommend setting up periodic installment payments instead of giving you a lump sum of cash up front for your structured settlement. Then, an independent third party will purchase an annuity that will provide you with tax-free periodic payments.

Companies that offer cash for structured settlements have a variety of programs that can allow you to access any portion of your annuity. For example, you may want to sell as little as four year’s worth of payments or receive a lump-sum payment while still enjoying some portion of your monthly payment. Or you can sell your settlement for a large payment that is five or six years in the future. You can also customize an arrangement to get cash for a structured settlement based on your unique needs.

Here’s an example of how obtaining cash for a structured settlement works: Let’s say you were in an accident five years ago. The accident caused you to be hospitalized for several months and undergo nearly a year’s worth of physical therapy. So you hired an attorney and sued the responsible individual-or, rather, the person’s insurance company. Ultimately, your attorney advises you that you’ll be awarded a substantial sum of money.

After several months or years of negotiation, you receive a sizable settlement. However, the cash you get upfront is only enough to cover the medical expenses. The rest of your compensation is scheduled to be paid out in regular installments through an annuity over the next 15 to 30 years. Rather than being restricted to monthly or annual payments, you contact a settlement purchaser to secure immediate cash for your structured settlement. You’re then able to use the cash to enhance your current cash flow-rather than waiting on periodic future payments.

Legal Issues of Receiving Cash for a Structured Settlement

If you’re contemplating getting cash for your structured settlement, it’s important to contact a financial advisor. Most states have regulations that limit the sale of structured settlements, so you’ll need court approval to receive cash for your structured settlement. Federal restrictions also may affect the sale of structured settlements to a third-party individual. And some insurance companies won’t transfer annuities to third parties.

Also, before you attempt to obtain cash for a structured settlement, be sure to do your homework. Check out multiple companies to see which one can offer you the most cash for your structured settlement. You also want to examine their integrity, reputation and track record. This will help ensure you have the most positive experience obtaining cash for your structured settlement.

Receiving cash for a structured settlement is an ideal option if you need a lump sum of money to meet your immediate needs.

David Springer is a consultant for Sovereign Funding Group. Sovereign Funding Group is an experienced, reputable company that offers convenient, no-risk services to help you with the selling of your deferred payments and business financing, including providing cash for your structured settlement.

Jimmie Clemons, retired, received a Form W-2G reporting $44,800.00 in winnings from a casino. As his gambling losses for the year were more than $44,800.00, he did not report any winnings or losses on his 1040.

The Tax Court, in Jimmie L Clemons T.C. Summary Opinion 2005-109, upheld the IRS position that gross gambling winnings must be reported as income on Page 1 of the tax return, with losses, to the extent of winnings, allowed as a “miscellaneous” Itemized Deduction. The losses can be deducted in full on Schedule A, and are not subject to the 2% of AGI exclusion.

While Jimmie was able to deduct $44,800.00 in losses to wipe out his $44,800.00 of income, the fact that the winnings were included in his Adjusted Gross Income caused 85% of his Social Security benefits to be taxed!

As a tax professional with a practice in New Jersey, and my share of regular lottery players and senior citizens who frequent the casinos of Atlantic City as clients, I have seen many examples where a taxpayer with net gambling losses for the year is royally screwed by “Uncle Sam”.

* Because of the way Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are taxed, there often exists a situation where you would be taxed on $1.85 for every additional $1.00 of income. If you have $3,000.00 in gambling winnings and $4,000.00 in substantiated gambling losses you could end up increasing your AGI by $5,550.00 ($3,000.00 x 185%). Even if you can take full advantage of an itemized deduction of $3,000.00 in losses, you still could end up paying $383.00 in federal income tax in the 15% bracket, or $638.00 in the 25% bracket, on a net loss for the year of $1,000.00.

* Even if you can deduct enough losses to wipe out your gambling income, an increased AGI could reduce your allowable medical and miscellaneous job and investment related deductions, reduce or even wipe out a multitude of deductions and credits that are affected by AGI, and even cause you to fall victim to the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

* You can only receive the full tax benefit from deducting gambling losses if the total of your other Itemized Deductions equals or exceeds the allowable Standard Deduction. What if a single taxpayer with $5,000.00 in winnings and $6,000.00 in losses has only $2,000.00 in other deductions (i.e. state and local taxes and charitable contributions). While he can deduct $5,000.00 in gambling losses, he only gets a tax benefit for $2,000.00 of the losses: $5,000.00 losses + $2,000.00 other deductions = $7,000.00 Schedule A - $5,000.00 Standard Deduction = $2,000.00 tax benefit. If he is in the 25% bracket he still ends up paying $750.00 in federal income tax on $1,000.00 in losses.

I should point out that losses from any type of wagering transaction can be deducted against your gambling winnings. If you win in the slots your deduction is not limited to losses from slot machines. You can deduct losses from the lottery, 50-50s, bingo, table games such as poker and blackjack, charity raffles, horse racing, keno, etc., up to the amount of your total winnings. It is a good idea to keep your losing lottery, raffle and racetrack tickets for the year, and keep track of slot activity by using a player’s card, in case you make a big score. If you are unlucky enough to be chosen for an audit of your losses here is a word of advice - make sure your losing racetrack tickets to not have footprints on them.

You should also know that winnings from a “no purchase necessary” marketing sweepstakes or contest are not considered to be gambling winnings for the purpose of calculating deductible gambling losses. The IRS defines gambling winnings as winnings from a “wagering transaction”. A recent IRS “Technical Advice Memorandum” (TAM 200417004) states that such winings are not gains from a “wagering transaction” because the winner did not furnish “consideration” for the chance to win the prize. If you win the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes, or a trip to Club Med by being the 10th caller to a radio station, you must report the winnings, or the market value of the trip, as income on your Form 1040, but you cannot deduct any losing lottery tickets, slot machine losses, or any other kind of gambling losses against this income.

The unfair way gambling winnings and losses are treated on the 1040 is similar to the unfair way most taxable legal awards and settlements and the related legal fees are treated. Let us hope that the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform will address these inequities in the tax code in its report.

Robert D Flach is a tax professional with 34 tax seasons of experience preparing 1040s for individuals in all walks of life. He writes THE WANDERING TAX PRO weblog (http://rdftaxpro.tripod.com/weblog), the NJ TAX PRACTICE BLOG (http://rdftaxpro.tripod.com/newjerseytaxpractitionernetwork), and the website http://www.robertdflach.net, which has a wealth of tax advice and information. He also writes and publishes THE FLACH REPORT, a quarterly tax newsletter. The above article is taken from postings to THE WANDERING TAX PRO.

What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and service providers, or are they electronic guidance for potential customers? Put simply, are you selling or are you helping?

Your answer to this question may determine the success of your website. So think carefully…

How we define what a website is all depends on which side of the fence we’re on. I suspect that most - if not all - vendors and service providers would say their website is a sales tool. But this is a fundamentally flawed perspective. Adopt this position, and sooner or later you’ll pay for it.

To really understand what a website is for, we need to think about who the Internet serves. It’s tempting to think cynically and argue that it serves commercial interests, but that’s getting the cart before the horse. The Internet serves buyers and information seekers. That’s what most people use it for.

What your visitors are really looking for is a website that helps them. A website that helps them buy when they want to buy. Helps them understand when they want to understand. And - most importantly - a website that helps them decide when they want to decide.

So if you really want to build trust, credibility, authority, and site loyalty, helping visitors is the way to go. Of course, that’s not to say you have to do it for free. We’re all in business to make money after all. In fact, the main aim of many of your visitors will be to buy something. But it’s important that you focus on them, not on you. For example, your visitors don’t want to know what you have to sell. They want to know what they can choose to buy. If your primary focus is sales, your visitors will pick up on it.

To generate revenue from our websites - either directly or indirectly - we need to build them to help our readers. Don’t start by asking “How can I sell?” Instead, start by asking “How can I help?” (Even “How can I help them buy?” is a step in the right direction.)

We need to build our websites from the ground up to be a form of online help. Think of your website as a cousin of the online help provided with Microsoft Office. (If you think of Microsoft’s help as the slow-witted cousin, you’re on the right track…)

I worked as a technical writer in the software industry for 9 years, writing and managing online help for software programs. And the key to successful online help is to always try to answer one simple question: What does the reader want to know? We knew they wanted help, but did they want reference information or how-to information? Did they want to know how to get started or how to get out of trouble?

Sure, when you’re writing for a website, the subject material is different, but the question is still the same. What does your reader want to know?

Obviously, the answer to this question will be different for everyone, but there are some common questions you can ask yourself which might help you decide…

- Who is your audience?
- What time of the day are they most likely to be searching?
- Are they searching from home or their workplace?
- Are they the business owner or do they have a boss looking over their shoulder?
- Are they relaxed or in a hurry?
- Are they spending their money or someone else’s?
- Are they looking for something which will make their job easier?
- Or are they looking for something which will make their job possible?
- Are they trying to solve a problem or avoid a problem?
- Are they looking for a budget solution or a ‘best of breed’ solution?
- Are they looking for something with all the bells and whistles or something which focuses on one thing only?
- Are they looking to buy immediately (just as soon as they know they’ve found what they want)?
- Are they comfortable with internet purchases?
- Are they the final decision maker or do they need to convince someone else as well?
- How much do they know already about your subject material?
- How much do they want to know?

Whether you do some real research or just make some educated guesses, it’s important that you know your visitor very well. Then, and only then, can you help them. And only when you help them will you start to realize the true sales potential of your website.

Happy writing!

* Glenn Murray is a website copywriter, SEO copywriter, and article submission and article PR specialist. He is a director of article PR company Article PR and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit www.DivineWrite.com or www.ArticlePR.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to download his FREE SEO e-book.

Shared versus Dedicated IP Hosting - what is more effective?

TORONTO, ON - July 20, 2005 - In today’s World Wide Web -
website designers and webmasters around the world must know the
difference between shared and dedicated IP addresses. Most web
hosting companies do not offer dedicated IP addresses for their
clients. Why? Before we can attempt at answering this question,
we should further define and clarify the differences between the
two.

Shared IP Address - Every web server around the world is
assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address. An example of an IP
address would look something like: [126.703.4.151]. Most
websites on the world wide web are hosted on shared IP
addresses, meaning that one server with one IP address can hold
several domain names.

In the not so distant past, every domain used to have individual
IP addresses. Recently, the allocation of IP addresses has been
stricter due to the fact that there is a finite amount of
addresses in existence. Now servers have the ability of
determining a domain request through name servers. Example:
www.dimarcogolf.com is found by NS.REBELNETWORKS.COM where the
name servers are tied to a specific IP address.

Dedicated IP Address - A dedicated/unique IP address is not
shared by other domain names; it is unique to your domain name
and your space on the server. This means that if someone types
in the numeric form of the IP address the same domain will
always appear in the browser. Dedicated IP addresses are
considered to be premium real estate on the internet and most
web hosting companies charge extra for their client to have one.
“We saw this as real eye-opener in the industry. Instead of
asking our customers to pay for a dedicated IP, we have included
it with every package we sell.” Marc Boudreau, co-founder of
Rebel Networks

Usually dedicated IP addresses are used for large web sites,
secure e-commerce web sites, or other individuals that are
willing to pay for such a premium. Dedicated IPs give websites
the ability for complex hosting and offer more flexibility. The
benefits of having a dedicated IP address are:

- Private SSL Certificate - SSL certificates are needed for
accepting credit cards online. Most web hosting companies
usually offer a shared SSL certificate where clients can share
the web host’s server-wide SSL. This is not recommended if you
intend on having a very secure online store.

- Anonymous FTP - Anonymous FTP is a method of sharing files on
the Internet. Anonymous FTP means a server will allow anyone
using an FTP software access to a public directory. This service
is called Anonymous FTP because the user name used to sign in is
“anonymous.” To enable anonymous FTP many web hosting companies
will require a dedicated IP for the anonymous FTP function to
work properly.

- Private Domain Name Server - An example of a name server would
look like this: [NS.REBELNETWORKS.COM, NS2.REBELNETWORKS.COM].
Since all web hosting companies provide you with their DNS
servers, you don’t need to have your own. But if you choose to
have your own name server you will need to have a dedicated IP
address to do so.

Another benefit of a dedicated IP address is that website will
have more control over their search engine results. Presently,
search engines along with many telecom and internet service
providers around the world have been fighting to block spam
activity. This has been accomplished through blacklisting IP
addresses that have spammed in one way or another. Since shared
IP address users are mixed together on the same server IP with
many others websites, innocent web sites have been blacklisted
from search engines.

In short - individuals who would like full control over their
website, e-commerce web sites who need their own SSL
certificates, and individuals who want to fully optimize their
website for search engine results should consider a Static IP
address.

About Rebel Networks:

Rebel Networks is a Leading Provider of Outsourced Internet
Infrastructure and Managed Website Hosting Solutions. Rebel
Networks provides Managed Dedicated Servers, Colocation
Services, Shared Website Hosting, E-Commerce Solutions, and
Domain Name Services. Operating within its high-security
Internet data centers (Toronto & Baltimore), Rebel Networks has
Internet connectivity via OC-3, OC-12, and Gig-E connections
from three different Tier 1 Providers.

www.rebelnetworks.com

Contact Information:

Rebel Networks - Public Relations

pr@rebelnetworks.com

www.rebelnetworks.com

It is so easy now with the use of the internet to apply for an instant credit card approval. Just about anyone that has good credit can get instant credit approval in just a matter of a few seconds. However, if you do not read the fine print from these credit card companies offering instant credit cards you may find that you are paying high annual fees, interest rates, balance transfers and many more fees according to which type of instant credit approval you receive.

The very first thing you should do before applying for instant credit approval is to learn and understand all the different fees that can be tacked on to your credit card.

Many credit card companies have annual fees that are applied after you apply for instant credit approval, sometimes they will waive the annual fee, however if you do not read the terms and conditions and all other information before you apply you may be stuck paying rather high annual fees.

Most credit card companies that offer instant credit approval have their interest rates posted on their website. However, these interest rates can change once the introductory special is over. Some of the companies offer what is called revolving lines of credit. This is normally 2% of the interest is imposed while the rest of the balance is repaid monthly. This can become quite a hefty amount yearly up to around 24% or more if you roll over payments.

The APR that you see all the time is an abbreviation for annual percentage rate. This rate can be fixed or variable. Fixed means that it does not change and variable means that it fluctuates.

Know what the grace period is for the company that you are applying for to receive instant credit approval. This so-called grace period decides the fees and the interest that is to be paid on the instant credit cards. This in essence means that when you purchase an item with your credit card you will not have to pay any type of interest if you pay off your balance in full before the grace period ends. If you do not pay until after the grace period, you will more than likely be paying higher interest rates and even late fees.

Some of the other fees that you may run into when you are searching for instant credit approval are fees on balance transfers, fees on cash advances, and more. Remember to always read all the terms and conditions including all fine print, stipulations, clauses and anything else on the website or application.

There are three types’ major types of credit cards, which have instant credit approval, and they include house cards, travel and entertainment cards and bankcards. House cards are from companies such as JC Penny, Sears and other stores. Bankcards are those issued by banks or other lending companies and you will normally receive a MasterCard or Visa. In addition, travel and entertainment cards are ones such as Diners Club and American Express. You can, however, apply for travel and entertainment cards most of the time through banks and other lending companies.

For more discussion about instant credit approval, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

It is easy. You don’t have to pull hair while trying to build a professional looking website. Thanks to something known as a WYSIWYG editor or website builder.

WYSIWYG (pronounced “wizzy wig”) stands for What You See Is What You Get. As the name suggests, this is a tool that allows you to see your site as it would look like in a browser while you are building it.

For people who are busy, don’t have the time and/or inkling to learn HTML, and don’t have several thousand dollars to pay a web designer, this is the best option.

But, WYSIWYG editors are not created equal. Some require that you have a masochistic streak. They can be that frustrating to work with.

My experiences with website builders/editors have been an encounter with the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Let’s take a look at some of the better ones, including their downsides and limitations.

Side note: This article assumes that you are willing to part with some money for a quality website builder that will most likely give the results you seek. If you’re looking for something good and for free please move on and good luck.

Website Complete: One of the easiest and cheapest. Great for someone starting out.

Comes with 400+ templates, plus a large variety of images. Spell checker, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and preview included plus is an interactive user guide that is easy to follow. Custom buttons and pages are easy to insert and edit.

Downside/Limitations: You can only publish your website as a package with in-built FTP client. Java not well supported. Works best with the publisher’s hosting.

Actual Drawing: Actual Drawing is a more full-featured low-cost website builder. The learning curve is a little longer due to these extra features, but once you get the hang of it you’re on the roll.

This WYSIWYG comes with in-built FTP, spell-checker and preview. Tables and forms are easy to insert and/or edit. Custom scripts and Java also easy to work with. Very good software, this one is.

Downside/Limitations: I found none, except the user guide which can be a little hard to understand.

Web Easy Pro: This one will give you some pretty neat results if building a small (two to three pages), simple website.

But, start plugging in custom scripts (Java especially) and it begins to… well, suck. Your page might not even be seen and you could find yourself spending too much time to publish just one page.

Web Easy Pro comes with a good variety of templates and images, as well as in-built FTP, forms and tables. Easy-to-understand user guide included, with examples.

Downside/Limitations: Not very flexible. Not easy to customize either. I particularly didn’t like the page-naming (example, yourdomain/yoursite/002.htm) though this can be avoided by creating your own templates.

123 WYSIWYG: I have left the best for the last. 123 WYSIWYG was created by a couple of internet marketers who know from experience what one looks for in a website builder.

The creators of 123 WYSIWYG had two main things in mind:

1) Ease of use
2) Great results.

This WYSIWYG is really easy to learn. Simply follow the 20-minute video guide while building your first site and you’ll have a nice-looking website in a pretty short time.

Another thing that makes it a winner is flexibility. On this, it might well beat some of the much more expensive templates out there.

Java and custom HTML codes can be plugged in easily (and work well) by cutting/copying and pasting, typing or drag-and-drop. Images easily inserted. You have choice of creating your own site from scratch, or selecting from the 100+ pre-made templates.

Preview included as well as an FTP that comes with the package.

If there is one WYSIWYG that I whole-heartedly recommend, this is it.

Downside/Limitations: I didn’t encounter any.

David Kamau, owner of http://www.mercantilecentral.com, has built several websites using WYSIWYG HTML editors. For resources and links on the software featured in this article as well as updates see reprint at: http://www.mercantilecentral.com/websitebuilders.htm.