April 24, 2008
Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community paper needn’t be a headache. Providing they are informative, reasonably short and to the point, readers and publishers will welcome your articles.
But, if the secret to writing neat, sweet articles is to keep them succinct, how do you maintain your focus and avoid the pitfalls of waffle?
Try the 3 by 3 Plan!
Taking a really simple example, suppose you want to write about kites. The first stage is to brainstorm all the possible topics under the heading of ‘Kites’. You may come up with several ideas here: for example, kite history, kite safety or making a kite. Any of these subjects could form the basis of a good article.
Select just one of these ideas (let’s choose ‘kite-making’) and then you can start to put the ‘3 by 3 Plan’ into action.
Brainstorm again to extract just three topics related to kite-making. Remember, you want to stay focused in your article, so three is a good number to begin with! The topics you find could be:
1. Types of kite
2. Parts of a kite
3. Decorating a kite
Now, for each of your three main topics, select three linked sub-topics that will relate to your audience. Children (or parents, for that matter!) might want to know the basic information about:
1. Types of kite - (a) Classic diamond (b) Hexagon (c) Star
2. Parts of a kite - (a) Sails (b) Spars (c) Flying lines
3. Decorating a kite - (a) Painting (b) T-shirt transfer paper (c) Applique
Once your plan is in place, write three sentences about each of your (a), (b) and (c) sub-topics. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your article will grow and how sharp and to-the-point your finished writing will be.
And finally, staying with the idea of three as your ‘magic’ number, here are three more tips:
1. Make sure you have a connecting or transition sentence between each main topic. A good linking phrase will entice your reader to keep on reading!
2. Write your introduction after you’ve written the main body of the article. Keep it interesting but limit it to 3 sentences!
3. If you want to write a longer article, use 5 or 7 as your ‘magic’ number …
© 2005 Lynda Blake. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author: Lynda Blake is an independent writer, working with small UK businesses to improve their web presence.
Resources used in this article: Brainstorming and Ideas Organizer software http://www.notateit.com
More articles by this author can be found at http://www.edbit.co.uk
Source: www.isnare.com
Comments Off
There’s only so much time that a sane person can spend maintaining a boat in the depths of winter. Even the Sailing Fanatic has found that the delights of scraping, sanding and fixing toilets begin to pall after a while. He has taken a break to recover his enthusiasm.
Great, you might think. But wait! For when the Sailing Fanatic stops obsessing about boats, a strange transformation occurs: just as Clark Kent sheds his business suit to reveal… Ta Ra! … Superman, so the Sailing Fanatic clambers out of his oilies and sailing boots to reveal… Ta Ra! … the Skiing Fanatic, complete with orange goggles and a fetching bobble hat.
It is an awesome sight, believe me!
Likewise, I also undergo a transformation, changing instantly from Reluctant Sailor to equally Reluctant Skier. With a few dry-ski-slope lessons and one week’s proper skiing under my belt, I am still at the ‘Why do I want to risk life and limb to get cold, tired and hungry, throwing myself off a mountain’ stage.
Compare this with the Skiing Fanatic, who likes nothing better than to travel up to the steepest part of the steepest run, point his skis down the hill and go - followed by two tiny fellow fanatics, who zip happily behind in the blind belief that Daddy will never lead them into harm’s way.
The four of us hit the slopes mid-January, at a small child-friendly resort in the French Alps, known as Les Gets. It is geared up for skiers of all abilities, and a quick trip over the mountain leads you into the massive linked ski area that forms the Portes du Soleil.
The Skiing Fanatic was in his element. The kids were having a whale of a time. And I - had some more skiing lessons.
‘Forget red and black runs,’ I told Tim, my ski instructor. ‘I just want to be able to ski down a blue run without being terrified.’
And, a few hours later, much to my surprise, I could!
It started to snow halfway through the holiday: powder snow, lying thickly pristine on the pisted slopes until we swished our way, one after another, through it. We tackled a long sweeping run, lined with pine trees, swooping and spraying our way downhill, before stopping for hot chocolate at a café halfway down the mountain.
The sun broke through the clouds as we sat there, enjoying the spectacular alpine scenery. It was beautiful. It was fun. I was enjoying it.
The Skiing Fanatic laughed.
‘If you think this is good, just wait until you’ve been cruising up the West Coast on a summer’s day,’ he said.
There was a familiar gleam in his eye. The Sailing Fanatic was back, twinkling at me from underneath a bright red bobble hat.
Helen MacKenzie is a freelance writer. She contributes to the web site at http://www.sea-dreamer.com. The Sea Dreamer web site has articles, guides and news on sailing and cruising on the West Coast of Scotland.
Comments Off
1. Belief in the Product To sell a product you have to believe
in it. Or at least know it intimately enough to be able to
market it properly. If you fail to do this you will not be able
to pitch the product convincingly. You must be totally familiar
with the details of the product or service. If this is not so,
you will not be able to satisfy the curiosity of the potential
customer.
Avoid over pitching a product. Doing so makes the product seem
phony and contrived. Ultimately, the potential customer will
skip your ad to look for better offers.
2. Always make your Ads believable People usually know whether
they are being presented the truth or are being lied to.
Although there are many legitimate online ads and business on
the internet, phony, hokey, and deceptive one also abound. Many
potential customers are tentative when dealing online because
they fear that they may be taken advantage of by unscrupulous
online scams.
Do a case study. Go through the many ads that litter the
internet. Find five ones that are dubious and five ones that
seem legitimate. Now study their differences. There will be a
noted difference in the language they use, the tone they use,
and other differences you find in them.
Try to emulate the style of the reputable businesses on the
internet.
3. Be aware of the marketing techniques that abound on the
internet Do you know what mailing lists are, and how they can
help increase your business? Have you seen how viral marketing
has been used by some of the biggest companies in the United
States? Have you considered paid ads and Search Engine
Optimization to drive traffic to your website?
These techniques all have their pros and cons. It would do well
if you considered which combinations would have an optimum
effect on your business marketing.
4. Build a Good Reputation Nothing beats a good name. And
nothing makes a good name than a happy customer.
Strive to make every customer a happy customer. You may have a
few sore ones here and there but the way you handle them will
tell whether you are building a good name or not. Always make
sure you deliver your promises on time, in great quality and
with a generous smile.
Always build relationships with customers. Don’t employ the hit
and run technique of marketing. The marketing does not end when
the sale is made. It is only the continuation of a cycle that
will bring much benefit to both business and consumer.
5. Personal Touch People are people. They do not like to be
treated as robots. Since these are beings with flesh and blood
and emotions, make sure you deal with them in that manner.
As much as possible, build great customer relationships among
your consumer base. This will make them feel part of your
business.
6. Allocate Resources Some marketers commit the extreme folly of
thinking that marketing costs nothing. Of course it costs
something! It costs money, time, effort, and good judgment. If
one does not allocate these resources for this activity. The
quality of marketing will suffer.
Be confident! Competence builds confidence. Like it was said
earlier, always maintain a positive outlook. Learn from mistakes
(others mistakes, more preferably). And keep trying! Success is
just within your reach!
Comments Off
Searching for the most informative advice pertaining to sprinklers system.
When you are trying to find superior information relating to sprinklers system, it’ll be complex separating value packed information from amateurish sprinklers system suggestions and help so it is sensible to know how to judge the advice that is offered.
Here are several tips which we recommend you think of using when you are searching for information about sprinklers system. Hold in mind the advice we give is only relevant to internet information about sprinklers system. We are unable to offer any assistance or guidance for conducting research offline.
Sprinkler System: Compare Prices
Compare prices from over 40,000 stores. At BizRate.com, find deals, consumer reviews, and store ratings to save money.
A terrifc piece of advice you can follow when you are presented with help or advice concerning a sprinklers system web would be to confirm the sites ownership. This may divulge who is behind the site sprinklers system qualifications The easiest way to reveal who owns the sprinklers system web site is to look on the ‘about’ page or the sites ‘contact’ page.
Any reputable site providing information concerning sprinklers system, will almost always provide an ‘about’ or ‘contact’ page which will list the people behind the site. The details should disclose some specifications about the website owner’s expertise. This enables you to make an assessment about the vendor’s qualifications and experience to offer guidance about sprinklers system.
About the author:
Jon Galvin is the webmaster for http://www.sprinklers-system.info
Comments Off
With the Christmas season approaching, many children have time
off from school.
One activity that will create lots of fun and provide many
hours of pleasure for children and for adults, and more so for
the birds, is to string popcorn and cranberries together.
Popcorn is inexpensive. And, the cranberries can be purchased
at any bulk store. We buy the dried cranberries, as they are
easy to work with.
Steps for this simple, but fun project are:
- put on your favorite Christmas music
- thread your needle
- pop your popcorn
- set up dishes with your popcorn and cranberries
- then string the popcorn and cranberries through your thread,
one after another
- once done, you can then go outside and decorate - wrapping
your strings of cranberries and popcorn around a tree or hang
over a bush
You end up with colorful strings of decorations that look
wonderful on bushes or trees. Place the strings of popcorn and
cranberries where your children can check and see how much the
birds have eaten. Children will have great fun watching the
popcorn and cranberries disappear!
The birds will also benefit from this simple, inexpensive
project.
Start a Christmas tradition that will be a wonderful
memory for children and adults alike!
Comments Off
If you’re embroiled in litigation and struggling with finances, a lawsuit advance can provide vital cash to help you stay afloat.
A lawsuit advance is an early payment on an anticipated future settlement. Essentially, it’s designed to provide cash prior to settlement for plaintiffs suffering financial hardship directly as a result of the damage brought about by their case. A lawsuit advance can literally mean the difference between giving up and losing your caseor hanging in there and receiving the settlement you deserve.
Lawsuit advances fill a significant void in the financial industry. Many times the legal system puts people who can’t afford to wait for their money at a disadvantage. These hardships often put pressure on plaintiffs to push for early settlement even though extending the negotiations would very likely be in their best interest. Insurance companies recognize this and can take advantage of the circumstances by dragging out the settlement process. A lawsuit advance helps to level the playing field because it provides a means for helping litigants survive while they wait for their case to settle.
Many types of litigation qualify for a lawsuit advance, with the typical kind being a personal injury case. Other kinds of cases that may also be suitable for a lawsuit advance include wrongful death, product liability and breach of contract. The funds from a lawsuit advance can be used for a variety of purposes. The most common usage is to avoid foreclosure or eviction from a home or repossession of a car. A lawsuit advance also can be applied for medical, living and other expenses.
When to Consider a Lawsuit Advance
Is a lawsuit advance right for you? It depends on your circumstances and needs. In general, you might consider a lawsuit advance if:
• Your employment status has changed.
• You need additional funds to pay for major and daily living expenses.
• You have bad credit and cannot get approval for a traditional loan.
• You are contemplating bankruptcy.
Not a Loan
A lawsuit advance is not a loan. A loan would require a credit check, employment verification and repayment, regardless of the outcome of your case. Instead, a lawsuit advance is a type of “non-recourse” payment. This simply means if you lose your case, you don’t have to repay the money you received through the lawsuit advance funding.
Many attorneys add the cost of this funding into the basic reimbursable costs of the suit when determining damages; repayment isn’t made until the case is resolved. So if the case is lost, neither you nor the attorney is liable for the costs. Therefore, the risk lies solely with the lawsuit advance company providing the funds.
How It Works
A lawsuit advance is a common way to get cash that can help you stick with your case for the best possible settlement. Here’s exactly how it works: When you hire a lawsuit advance company, you agree to allow a lien to be placed on your lawsuit or claim. The lien will enable the company to be repaid at the time of settlement. With most lawsuit cash advance companies, there are never any up-front or out-of-pocket fees. They’re repaid only whenand ifyour case settles.
And while lawsuit advance firms must review your case as necessary due diligence, they otherwise maintain a hands-off approach. They’re not in the business of offering legal advice. Nor do they interfere in either the case or the attorney-client relationship. Their primary area of concern relates to funding issues.
How much money can you get for a lawsuit advance? The amount is determined based on the specific underwriting criteria of each lawsuit advance company. But a lawsuit advance can range anywhere from $500 to $500,000.
The money received from a lawsuit advance can be a godsend if you’re struggling financially because it can be a quick, easy solution to your problem. Because it’s not a loan, a lawsuit advance doesn’t require a credit check, employment, monthly payments or collateral. And more importantly, there’s no risk you’ll have to repay the money if you lose your case.
Working with a Lawsuit Advance Company
You should consult with an advisor before deciding to work with a lawsuit advance firm. But once you determine to take this course of action, working with a lawsuit advance company is a straightforward process. Here are the steps you can expect with the typical lawsuit advance firm:
• Step 1: You provide the lawsuit advance company with information regarding your case and needs.
• Step 2: The company contacts your attorney for certain legal documents pertaining to your case.
• Step 3: A determination is made regarding the amount that can be provided for your lawsuit advance.
• Step 4: Then the company contacts you to discuss the amount of lawsuit advance available.
• Step 5: Agreements are transmitted to your attorney, who applies a lien on your case to secure the position of the lawsuit advance firm.
• Step 6: Once all the paperwork is completed, a check is forwarded directly to you.
The bottom line is: A lawsuit advance eliminates the need for you to accept a minimal amount of money due to financial pressuresinstead of what your case is truly worth. And, it can be a viable option for keeping your personal finances afloat during litigation.
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 lawsuit advance funding.
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 a lawsuit advance.
Comments Off