Monday, June 21, 2010

Real Estate Lead Generators; Business Building Ideas Are All Around You

When I first got licensed to sell real estate I was about as clueless as they come, but what I lacked in knowledge and ability I made up for in desire to learn and willingness to learn. So, I went to school after finishing real estate school.

No, not a school with a sit down classroom, but school in the sense that I started asking questions of veteran agents and watching what they did and said. I turned off my mouth after a while and opened up my eyes and ears and learned more doing that than I did while getting licensed.

For example, I learned that Real Estate Lead Generators abound, and everyday I was presented with opportunities that had I not been tuned in to pay attention to would have gone overlooked.

Here's a case in point with respect to business cards. I don't remember exactly how many business cards came with my first order, but I vaguely remember it being 500-1,000 cards. A year later I still had most of them. It was the craziest thing that I could have done!

Think about it! Instead of making it a point to give them away as fast as I could I was actually rationing them out like I didn't want to unload them.

Don't make that mistake! Business cards are great real estate lead generators and should be given out as freely as you would a glass of water to a thirsty person. And that's just what real estate prospects are. Thirsty to make real estate transactions with real estate agents sharp enough to recognize the opportunities.

Admittedly, I wasn't too sharp back then, but as I got smarter I realized the value of handing 3-4 business cards to everybody I came in contact with-and I mean everybody; my kids teachers, my doctor, your doctor, the school crossing card, my mechanic, dentist, etc.

And then there were the scores of counter tops that I encountered everyday. Grocery store counters, dry laundry counters, fast food pickup counters, counters where I paid the cable bill, bought computer stuff, book counters, etc.

Oh, and less I forget I must have passed by hundreds of billboards without placing one business card, real estate flyer or anything else on it. My stomach still knots up when I think of all the money those wasted opportunities cost me.

But like I said, I'm a lot smarter now (okay, so maybe I'm just older) and can pass on some pearls of wisdom to you so that you can avoid some of the mistakes I made. For example, some other real estate generating ideas include:

Real Estate Leads from Contractor and Home Builder Shows.
Real Estate Contractor and Home Building shows are becoming extremely popular among folks who are looking to build their home or are considering having one custom-built themselves. Getting Real Estate Leads from them is a great a strategy that's easy to implement.

Real Estate Closing Gifts; Small Gifts That Lead To More Referrals and Sales.
Many Real Estate Agents think of real estate closing gifts as something that should be given to the home buyer by his or her close family and friends. The gift serves as an accolade for the person's accomplishment. You can design them yourself if you're the creative type, or simply go out and buy one from your local shopping mall.

Free Website Content; Using Free Content To Generate Leads.
Everything you need to know to build a realtor web site and generate leads is available on the Internet, much of it free to little cost-including website content! In fact, some of the best real estate information I've read has been free, and although locating quality free content for publication and turning them into HTML to publish on your web site each week involves a great deal of time and effort it can be worth the effort.

I could go on and on, but it all comes back to the notion that real estate lead generating ideas are around us all day, everyday. If you pay attention to them you can work them to your advantage, but if you impose your will with them you can dominate your market like no other agent in your community.

Source: Free Articles

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Notes from a Novice: My Marketing Adventure

Well, here goes. I'm going to give this "writing" thing a shot, even though I'm not much of a writer. Right now, my graphic design site only gets a hundred or so hits a week -- and that's not even enough to show up as a blip on the radar when Google searches the Net.

I've tried writing search engine optimized articles in the past to sell my graphic design services and I've got to tell you -- it didn't do me much good. Search engine algorithms get smarter all the time, and keyword-stuffing doesn't work nearly as well as it used to. One of my clients (who will remain nameless) asked me to do a series of SEO pieces for his band's website -- and their site ranking actually went down as a result.

During a rare day of accelerated motivation, I was doing some Web research and came across the concept of article marketing. Fans of the practice claim that if you do it right, writing one or two articles a week about your business will drive traffic (and therefore money) right into your hands. So here's the experiment: I want to take the $5,000 per year I make now off my online efforts and turn it into $15,000. Ideally, articles like this one will help me get there!

The concept is simple: All I have to do is write one or two of these articles per week (provided I can keep up my motivation!) and when I distribute them to online content sites, I'll start getting links and improving my PageRank. That all sounds well and good, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Distributing articles to these sites is tedious!

It seems like every content site has totally different parameters: This one wants 75 characters per line, that one wants 70. This one accepts HTML coding, that one wants all plain text -- absolutely no HTML. By the time I had successfully submitted my latest article to three places, I was ready to uncork the chardonnay and call it a night! It took nearly four hours just to get my words out on three websites. I was ready to give up on the Internet for good after that.

After a little more reading, I discovered that I was not alone. In fact, there were so many other people like me that some enterprising Internet gurus had created systems that would negate the need for all the busy-work. I'm not sure yet whether I want to sign up for a paid subscription to one of these sites, so I'm going to do a little further research.

The first place I looked at was isnare. They offer a free article distribution service, but in order to reach their entire list of 40,000 sites you need to pay a fee -- something that is fairly commonplace in this industry. The fees work on a sliding scale depending upon how many articles you want to submit. It costs $10 to submit five pieces, right on up to $100 for 115 articles.

The next place I looked at was PhantomWriters. Cool name, right? I pictured myself wearing a leotard and a cape, flying from website to website distributing pearls of wisdom.

PhantomWriters has a snazzy website that is quite content-rich itself. In fact, I got pretty caught up reading some of their writing tips! This service is a little more expensive, ringing in at $35 per submission, or a volume discount of $200 for 10 articles. This one seemed a little steep for my budget, so I moved right along.

My next Internet search brought me to SubmitYourArticles. They charge a flat rate of $37 per month for four article submissions, which works out to just under $10 per article. They also offer HTML editing tools and a good directory of tips and tricks to get your work published.

Another service I found was Article Marketer. They work on a subscription system, and each level of subscriber can submit unlimited articles during the course of their subscription. The quarterly subscription is $74.99 right on up to a lifetime package for just under $500. Article Marketer submits to more than 66,000 sites. They also employ a team of editors who read each article to make sure it's publishable.

All four of these places have something unique to offer, and depending upon the volume of articles I submit, each of them could be a better value. In the end, it's all up to me -- and you!

Source: Free Articles

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Diamonds And Surface Imperfections

Besides carbon spots, another big defect that can happen in diamonds is cracks or open cleavages in the crystalline material. Sometimes if little breaks go across the grain they can create big imperfections. These imperfections can cause a serious misdirection of light, causing lack of luster. The larger cracks are called cracks, the lesser ones feathers, or flaws. Some stones have so many of these imperfections that they are called cracked ice, many jewelers will not handle them.

The smaller feathers are less noticeable and are still sold. The feathers can be caused by wear and tear of turbulent waters, the method in which they were recovered, and sometimes the unskillful handling during the cutting and polishing process.

Besides cracks and feathers, another defect in diamonds can be minute cavities either empty or filled with liquid. Some have thought of the liquid to be carbonic acid. These bubbles are serious defects if of any size, as stones containing them may burst owing to increase of pressure within on becoming warmed. The cutter can cut the diamonds so that none of these cavities are left remaining.

Another type of diamond imperfection is leaving unfinished places of the surface of the cut stone. Sometimes the cutter purposely leaves unfinished portions of the stone. They will usually leave the unfinished portions on the outer edges of the stone. This can make the stone larger, weigh more, have better contour. Larger stones are more valuable than smaller ones. The natural surface will often gather dirt easily making them harder to clean and the unfinished spot more visible.

Another type of surface imperfection which can be avoided is small nicks or chipped places. These chips and dents should not be present in newly cut stones, but at times setters are the reason why. Sometimes tools like chisels or files can cause these problems. Stones should be checked over after they have been set.

Some diamonds although free from all of the defects listed above can suffer from sub-microscopic irregularity of texture, or possibly they have within them a finely divided substance. A strong beam of light at any angle through the stone will appear milky.

There are many degrees of imperfections in diamonds. The slightest of all imperfections is often called v. v. s., or very, very, slight. These extremely slight imperfections can only be seen by a few experts, with the use of a good lens. These stones are often times sold to the public as perfect, and for the most part that is what they are. The public does not truly understand how rare it really is to find a perfect diamond, and along with the lack of that knowledge people are unwilling to pay the amount that a really good diamond is worth.

This condition has perhaps led to defensive measures on the part of the trade. Often times, dealers will feel justified to mark a stone perfect, when really it may have some microscopic defects. In the diamond trade perfect and white diamonds have meanings of variance with the true significance of the words.

A diamonds representation is at times taken too far. The purchaser must find a reputable dealer who will legitimately regard as a perfect diamond that has nothing in it that could be seen under a low-power lens. This dealer will also state if they have hidden diamond defects under clamps, and if they have come into an agreement on a fair price.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Jewelry In Ancient Rome

Jewelry (joias) is a fascinating fashion accessory that has been popular from ancient times. It has played a variety of roles including political, religious and ornamental, and jewelry artefacts have helped modern historians shape pictures of the daily lives of ancient civilisations.

Jewelry in ancient Rome is no exception. There are literary accounts and pictorial depiction such as in the Regina tombstone, plus an abundance of other artefacts available that help us to understand the role jewelry played during this fascinating time.

Jewelry (joias) was worn by men and women though it was subject to conventions of the time; particularly with regards to the appearance of men. Male jewelry was typically practical in nature. Men usually wore a single ring. The ring would serve a functional purpose. Typically a signet ring, the male jewelry item was used to seal official documentation. The male signet ring was initially iron but was later produced in gold as it displayed status and wealth more clearly.

Other practical uses of the signet ring included the inlay being a type of key for a strong box. Literary evidence suggests that propriety regarding male jewelry (joias) was ignored by a minority of fashion fanatics, as with any other social group. Trends and attitudes also changed from the time of Emperor Augustus. The emperors were established with official state clothing during his reign which included jewelry as a display of status and power.

Jewelry also had a protective function in ancient Rome. Boys wore an item of jewelry known as a bullah. This was worn from being a baby. It was worn around the neck and was a form of chain with a pouch which contained an amulet. This was a jewelry item worn by most classes, but the rich upper class had bullahs made of gold. The amulet was often phallic in design, as boys were considered to be the stronger species and so needed protection. Another jewelry (joias) item worn by boys was a small gold ring which was again carved with a phallus for good luck

With regards to women, jewelry (joias) was first and foremost a display of wealth and status. Women had no obvious status distinction through their dress like Roman men. Therefore, hairstyles and jewelry were the only distinction possible. The importance of jewelry to the status of women is apparent through certain historical events. When the Oppian law was passed in 195BC curbing the use of jewelry and suggesting it be handed over for war materials, women demonstrated against this in the streets. During the campaigns of Marcus Curellius, women chose to donate their jewelry (joias) to get enough gold to send a huge gold vase as an offering to Delphi. Their behaviour was rewarded with speeches at funerals which had previously been only for men.

The type and amount of jewelry worn by women varied, but the richest women were the most flamboyant in terms of amount and style. Amber jewelry (joias) was only worn by lower class women and was thought vulgar by the wealthy who favoured gold jewelry. Other items used to make jewelry include pearls, coloured glass beads and polished stones. These would be inset in gold and would vary in size and style, depending upon status. It was possible to tell a lot about a woman in ancient rome by the jewelry she wore.

The types of jewelry worn include necklaces with adornments such as pendants, amulets. Fibula which are similar to safety pins were used as fasteners and so were often adorned to make them a piece of jewelry that was both function and beautiful. Earrings were popular and came in both hoop and drop styles. Rings were usually inset with stones or carvings.

Particularly popular jewelry (joias) items were engraved gems which were referred to as intaglio. These were gems such as carnelian, jasper and chalcedony that had a sunken or engraved image, created with the use of wheels and drills.

Tomb jewelry findings suggest that bracelets were usually worn in pairs with one on each arm. Some tombs have revealed up to 7 items of jewelry on each arm which shows how the conventions for men and women differed. Even gold thread hairnets have been discovered.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Diamond Illustrated Jewelry

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. The Chinese philosopher, Confucius explains an explicit expression of a diamond. Beauty, purity, durability and undying value, all elucidate the magnificent. Diamond studded jewelry express sentiments. Thus, diamond ornaments are considered hearty presents for special occasions.

When comprehending the origin of diamond, India reminds us about the valuable. Around three thousand years ago, when discovered, diamonds were believed to have magical powers. Talismans made of rough diamond were used to keep evil away and a defending force in battles. Also, they were believed to have medicinal powers in healing, curing illnesses. So that the mine workers did not smuggle diamonds, they were deemed as poisonous when consumed.

After the discovery of some famous species like the Kohinoor and the Blue Hope in India, appetite for the mystic beauty grew throughout the world. The Orange River beds, then Australia and then Lake Argyle are now contributing in supplying diamonds to the world. However, India continues to be famous in diamond polishing along with huge deposits of the rhombic crystalline.

The crystalline is the imperishable, known for its hardness, non abrasive, transparency and light dispersion attributes. A form of carbon, diamonds can bear high pressure and temperature. Since diamonds are a token of richness, many fear the consequences that may follow wearing the jewel.

Diamond cutters influence the value of diamonds with their talents. However, nature has its impact in its own way. Nature controls features such as the carat weight, color and clarity, which are consistent factors that make the stone look so beautiful.

One factor that unlocks the magnificence of the rough diamond or the crude mystical and that is the way the stone is cut. Usually the stone is chiseled with 58 facets. Some common shapes that diamonds resemble would be pear, heart, round brilliance, emerald, marquise, oval, square, circles and baguette and princess cuts.

Diamonds with maximum clarity rate the highest and with maximum impurities or inclusions are priced the lowest. Flawless diamonds with the best cut could be highly expensive. If a diamond is cut well but has impurities, the inclusions would block dispersion of light. Similarly, if a flawless diamond is not well chiseled, it will resemble an unappealing glass rock. Juvenal, a Roman satire poet says that many individuals have, like uncut diamonds, shining qualities beneath a rough exterior.

Diamonds are available in varied color fancies, white crystal clear being the common and in demand. Yellow, pink, brown, blue, champagne and green are other colors that assort the variety of diamonds available. The chemical content in the stones determine the various shades of the valuable. As the intensity of the color increases, so does the value.

For all the diamond fanatics, it will be interesting to know legends about some significant diamonds such as the Star of Africa, the Excelsior, the Great Mogul, the Kohinoor and the Blue Hope Diamond, the Centenary and the Regent.

It is believed that the Kohinoor brought misfortune to the male possessors who owned it or wore it but brought good luck to the female holder. After it was passed on to many rajas and sultans of India ultimately went in the hands of the British empresses. Now the diamond studded crown or the Crown of Jewels stays in the Tower of London. The Star of Africa also known as Cullinan I is studded on the Crown of Jewels.

Other than these famous diamonds evacuated, every diamond speaks its own individuality. Every diamond differs from one another. Diamonds are significantly valued for their extreme clarity. The name of this precious jewel itself signifies its unique personality. The named is derived from a Greek word adamas that means the unconquerable. The unbeatable radiance, brilliance, is noteworthy for evoking romantic fervor, undying love, admiring beauty, and display opulence.

Diamonds are though, cut in various shapes, and chiseled into various optical facets. But these diamonds are further studded in gold, white gold and platinum to make them wearable. There are various patterns that make the ornaments look so regal and striking. Floral, serpent, charms, swirls, nebula, starthread and many more are designed by artistic, skillful designers into bracelets, medallions, cufflinks, tags and pendants.

Diamond ornaments are also found associated with other gemstones like rubies, emeralds, topaz, sapphires and pearls. The designs are also made customized. Diamond ornaments are useful far and wide for gifting during various occasions. Thematic patterns are a common trend. For a romantic occasion, hearts, solitaires, and letters are generally gifted. Tags and large diamonds are commonly gifted to men. Cufflinks and watches are also studded with these gemstones worn by the elite class.

Weddings, birthdays, valentine day, anniversaries, inaugurations, and corporate occasions are the best time to gift these valuables.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A gift for your Child

Around Christmas and the New Year is the time when nice and kind fairy-tales comes to every house as is normal at the end of the year. These fairy tales bring many presents and gifts; with children waiting with anticipation for such presents. They believe that Santa Claus does exist and he will give them the most long-awaited gifts they crave for. Christmas - is the time when all our cherished wishes, desires and dreams can come true. Let us create a fairy-tale for our children and give them our warmth, love and care!
Very often we have to choose what to give our children and this choice is not an easy one at all. On the one hand: children and parents must like the present, but, on the other hand- it must be at a reasonable price and value for money. We are here to try and help you in this difficult matter.
We suggest we divide children into three categories and then help to find a suitable gift for them:

1)Under 3 years old. The child does not have any requirements at this age as yet.
2)From 3 to 12 years old. The child at this age understands many things, he /she has her own material and spiritual values as well as interests.
3)Upwards 12 years. The most difficult age, but not impossible.

A gift for a child under 3 years old:

1. The gift predominantly must be safety. It should not contain any tiny parts and components, or have any sharp angles. It must not be frightening or ugly. Please remember the child at this age is often still very clumsy and may hurt themselves with the sharp details or swallow small parts.
2. A present should correlate the intellectual development of the child. If it is a baby - better give him or her nice brightly coloured and imaginative rattle.
3. A gift must help a child to develop mentally and physically. Nowadays there are a lot of toys that develop movement coordination, dexterity, logic etc.

Toys. Rattles and mobiles and all similar articles are right for babies under 1 year. You may wish to give wooden toys, cars and dolls to children that are elder than 1 year.
Book. A book is suitable present for the children upwards 2 years old. Bright and colourful pictures help a little one to open the rich world of colours, educate them towards animals and external worldly objects such as trains cars, planes -A book is the best gift for all ages.
Meccano. They develop logic and spatial thinking. Various wood and plastic bricks will bring a lot of joy for your little one.
Playing Set. There are a great number of playing sets for home, sand-boxes-are one and need careful deployment but bring hours of fascinating discovery.


A gift for a child from 3 to 12 years old:

At this age a child has his own interests and preferences. It would be better to get to know his or her interests: whether he or she has his favourite film or goes in for particular sport-You have to take into account his or her interests, let look at some ideas:


Toys. They are still relevant, only now you may give more complex and comprehensive toys.
Book. Must be chosen with the regard for the age and understanding with learning still well in the frame.
Table or computer games. Here you may find any game for any age, just read the inscriptions on the game box; the age is always indicated there.
A gift for an energetic child. In this case you may give all that is connected with the moving games: ball, bicycle, push-cycle, hockey stick, tennis set or badminton set etc.
Computer or add-on device. Only do not forget to control the pastime of your child in front of computer, because the long sitting in front of it harms the health.
Video cassette or DVD. You may give cartoons, movies as well as popular science films.

A gift for a child upwards 12.

When a child goes through the stage is more complicated to please them. There interests sharply change; toys are of little importance now. We thoroughly recommend you to take his interests into consideration, because teenagers are very sensitive.

Book. It is suitable for that category of children that like to read.
A gift for an energetic child. Here is more fitting to recommend such things as sports equipment and accessories to it like: dumb-bells, weights, tennis rackets, roller skates, skateboard, skates-
Jewelry for girls. Girls began to devote more time to their appearance. Earrings, bracelets or a chain will give great pleasure.
A gift for a music lover. Almost all young people are keen on music! CD of his/her favourite performer, new head-set, mp3 player will cater for their tastes.
A gift for a computer beginner. If your child goes mad on computer, then any computer device will be perfect as a present: a new ergonomic keyboard, modern wireless mouse, modem, a new video display card, flesh, handbag for CDs-
A personal vehicle. Teenagers dream of a mountain bicycle as it gives a great feeling of independence and freedom.
A mobile phone. Very useful thing and parents can contact any time with their children.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and have a great Christmas shopping Experience!

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Fashion Jewelry To Match Your Moods

If you are a person who wants to look good in everyway then this article will pacify your fashion instincts a bit. Find the best fashion jewelry to compliment your dress worn casually or at parties and ceremonies.

Is it like you always keep wondering to wear the perfect jewelry that goes with your dress, I may guide you what to wear with your favorite dresses.

Casual kind people should spice up their looks with light gemstone jewelry or custom gemstone beaded jewelry that is available at the most affordable rates in the market. Have a collection of this exquisite gemstone jewelry in different colors and designs in your wardrobe and you can wear these with your day-to-day clothes. You can add sparkle in your looks by adoring cool diamond studded earrings or diamond hoops that can be worn on all occasions or daily with every dress you prefer to wear.

People preferring to wear tiptop dresses should go for discount diamond jewelry or handcrafted cheap pearl jewelry. A spectacular shine of a diamond can work wonders for you to look stunningly beautiful. Diamonds-the most precious and most expensive are available in different varieties and shapes too. Take a pick from your nearest or online jewelry store where you can find wholesale discount diamond jewelry to match your costumes perfectly.

If you are want to look good in a shimmering silver jewelry then you should go for trendy wholesale fashion sterling silver jewelry. Jewelry to go with all dresses, silver jewelry is the favorite choice from the ancient times. You can find the best silver jewelry sets at the most reasonable rates in the market.

In evening functions and parties you must wear some eye-catching jewelry that glorifies your beauty in all ways. Always try to adore titanium amethyst jewelry, glittering gold jewelry, platinum jewelry, antique silver jewelry, black or white diamond jewelry or sparkling gemstones to relish your inner self-esteem wearing these outstanding designs.

Give your looks a boost of the day by complimenting your dress with the perfect wholesale jewelry and carry yourself lavishly in a cool and contended attitude


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