Place the clock

This day I try to place the Clock onto my Blogsite, I learned it for several weeks before, try it several times and get failed, but now I can place it on my Blogsite with safe.

Growing Trees in the desert, with the aid of " Waterboxx "

Photo : groasis.com

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Pieter Hoff used to export lilies and tulips from the Netherlands. He retired from the flower export business seven years ago. Now, he is trying to help people grow trees and plants in the desert -- and save water.
In many places, much of the freshwater supply is used for irrigation. Yet most of that water may be lost through evaporation into the air. So Pieter Hoff has invented a simple plastic device called the Groasis Waterboxx. He says he got the idea from nature.

PIETER HOFF: "If you look at nature, and I give an example in your own country, if you look to the Rocky Mountains of the Sierra Nevada, you find trees all over the mountains. So trees are actually able to grow on rocks. They have very strong roots."
Mr. Hoff says the trick is that nature does not dig a hole like we humans do to plant seeds. Nature plants the seeds through birds or animals on top of the soil. Their waste then acts as a cover. It prevents the humidity in the soil from evaporating.

Trio shares Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Scientists Imitate Life, Melding Carbon Atoms for Uses From Cutting-Edge Drugs to Electronics

more in Health »

By GAUTAM NAIK

United Press International

Nobel winner Ei-ichi Negishi.

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to a trio of scientists who came up with an elegant way to mesh together stubborn carbon atoms, an approach vital for the development of novel medicines, materials and electronics.

Trying Move & Stop

I want to make a picture move & stop if I point to it & move and so on

Influencing yourself and others to achieve results

DELVING DEEPER 
Joseph Grenny on influencing yourself and others to achieve results
Over the past 20 years Joseph Grenny has taught and advised more than 100,000 leaders from all over the world.  His experience – combined with the latest research – has led Grenny to develop what he calls “six sources of influence.”  In this exclusive interview, Grenny discusses these six sources and how they can give you the power to change anything. 

Over the past 20 years Joseph Grenny has taught and advised more than 100,000 leaders from all over the world on how to get the best out of themselves and others.  His experience – combined with the latest research in behavioral economics and the social sciences – has led Grenny to develop what he calls “six sources of influence.”  He contends that these sources of influence – if carefully and consistently nurtured – will provide you with a systematic strategy for executing on influence and give you the power to change anything.  Read on to learn more.
Interview by Chris Stanley

Why is influence so important to business leaders?If you think of problems like an iceberg, business leaders face problems both above and below the water line.  Those above the water line are the visible problems of setting strategy and policy, developing new products, creating processes.  These are the visible, tangible, tactile challenges that they need to generate solutions to.  The problems below the water line tend to deal with behavior in the organization - things that are not always visible and apparent, but that profoundly affect the ability to execute on the elements that are above the water line. Of the two, the below the water line problems tend to be the more profound, persistent, and the most resistant to change.  And leaders tend to have the fewest tools for solving them.

So what would you say are the typical characteristics of a great influencer?There are two big things that people need to do to be effective at influencing change. 
Firstly they need to have a robust and proper way of understanding today’s behavior.  For example, if they need to improve service quality, the first thing that leaders do is they start rolling out a change strategy without deeply understanding the behavior that they are confronting.  If employees are lethargic, disinterested or resistant, leaders tend not to have a very robust way of thinking about the root causes of that resistance.
Secondly they need to have a robust way of creating an influence strategy. We’ve spent 25 years studying the best that social science has to offer and also looking at the best practitioners on the planet to see how they create effective, rapid, profound and sustainable behavior change across an organization.  We found that the measure of the potential effectiveness of an influence strategy is the degree to which it reflects six sources of influence.

What are these six sources of influence?There are two big reasons people do what they do - because they want to do something and because they can do something.  What leaders tend to do is develop motivation strategies that do very little on the ability side. They also tend not to understand that there are three types of motivation and ability: personal, social and structural.

2 Different kind of provider

Hello Folks, my blog appearance maybe not to neat to read / see ( see below - Kaastengels cake ), because the sentence is not composed properly, it cause I need to print my blog to Print Friendly service, if I follow Blogger style composing, the result in Print Friendly service is not good in construction, so it is 2 different kind provider program which have 2 different kind of basic language.
I want to print my posting then I have to set my post similar like the Print Friendly wants, therefore it looks like not neat in appearance, that' s the reason.

Kaastengels

                    from : Majalah Sekar

Kaastengels

Jumat, 24/9/2010 | 13:44 WIB

Bahan :
150 gr margarin
1/4 sdt garam
1/4 sdt kaldu ayam bubuk
1 kuning telur                                                                                           Bahan olesan ( aduk rata ) :
1 sdm susu cair                                                                                        2 kuning telur
100 gr keju cheddar parut halus, diangin-anginkan agar kering                  1 sdt susu cair
200 gr tepung terigu protein sedang                                                          Bahan taburan :
1/4 sdt baking powder                                                                             100 gr keju cheddar parut

Cara membuat :
1. Kocok margarin, garam, dan kaldu ayam bubuk sampai lembut selama 1 menit. Tambahkan kuning telur dan susu cair. Kocok rata.
2. Masukkan keju cheddar parut. Aduk rata. Tambahkan tepung terigu dan baking powder sambil diayak dan diaduk rata.
3. Pulung adonan memanjang. Potong-potong 4 cm.
4. Letakkan di loyang yang diolesi tipis margarin. Oles dengan bahan olesan. Tabur keju parut.
5. Oven 45 menit dengan suhu 140 derajat Celcius sampai matang.
Untuk 372 gr
Tips: Untuk rasa lebih gurih, sebagian margarin boleh diganti dengan mentega.

Editor: Dini

Test caution

Caution,   Caution ! 

Easy steps to improve your PC' s

Unless your computer is fresh out of the box, it's probably not running as fast as it used to. Our PCs fill up with all sorts of good stuff -- documents, music, videos, programs, games, downloads -- and bad stuff like viruses and spyware, too. Over time they can get bogged down.

Much like oil changes for your car, a little periodic maintenance can help extend your computer's lifespan. And in a tight economy, it's smart to take a few simple steps to help keep your PC running like new, instead of buying a new one.

We've collected a series of tips and tricks to help your computer run more smoothly and broaden its useful life. They are easy enough that anyone, even a novice, can run them -- but they can all help bring that “new car smell” back to your computer.

Computers with Windows XP and newer operating systems come with several simple utilities to check, clean and de-clutter your hard drive. Doing so will free it up to access your programs and files more quickly.  Disk Check identifies and removes hard disk errors caused by crashes or power failures. It's a good idea to run it every few months to make sure the drive itself is functioning properly. 

• Click on My Computer • Right click on C drive • Choose “Properties” • Select the Tools Tab • Click the "Check Now" button under "Error Checking" • Check all the boxes • Click Start

Disk Cleanup removes temporary files and unnecessary detritus from your hard drive, freeing up space. For example, when browsing the Internet your computer collects thousands of temporary files to help Web sites load more quickly. But over time these files create clutter, so it's a good idea to clean them out. We recommend running this around once a month.

• Click on My Computer • Right click on your C drive • Choose “Properties” • Select Disk Cleanup

The Disk Defragmenter improves hard drive performance and speed by piecing together parts of files that have been broken apart. As you use your computer, files are constantly added, changed and removed. Over time, these files and folders are broken into chunks of data, so when you want to access the file your hard disk has to work harder and look in more places to find all of its contents. This is known as fragmentation. The more full your hard drive becomes, the more likely it is your files will be fragmented. The Defragmenter pieces those chunks of data back together, so your hard drive can load them more quickly.

We recommend using this utility at least once a month -- and it's best to run when you're finished using the computer for the day, as it can often take over an hour to complete.

• Click on My Computer • Right click on your C drive • Select Properties • Choose the Tools tab • Click "Defragment Now" button under "Defragmentation"

Windows XP and higher can automatically check to see if it needs to be updated. Microsoft often supplies patches, updates and security fixes for Windows (as well as Office and other Microsoft programs) that should always be installed to keep your PC up-to-date. The beauty of Automatic Updates is that it checks with Microsoft on its own and lets you know when you need to do something. So just make sure that Automatic Updates are on:

• Click Start, and then click Control Panel • Click Automatic Updates • Choose Automatic (recommended)

Though it sounds counterintuitive, dropping an unwanted file in the Recycle Bin doesn't actually remove it from your hard drive. To prevent accidental deletion, a file can remain in the Recycle Bin and continue to take up space. Periodically emptying the Recycle Bin helps free space for the files you want to keep.



By the way, if running all these individual fixes doesn't sound like your cup of tea, there is software available that can optimize your computer in a few simple steps -- cleaning our your hard drive, speeding startup and shutdown, and repairing errors. AOL offers two that are worth checking out: PerfectSpeed and System Mechanic.

Finally, perhaps the most common causes of computer sluggishness are viruses and spyware. You may already have computer security software installed on your computer, but with so many new threats created every day, it must have updated definition files to be of any use.

If you don't already have security software on your PC, make sure you install it and keep it updated. Paid AOL members can download security software from McAfee for free, as part of their membership, at safety.aol.com. If you're not a paid AOL member, you can still find special deals on McAfee software at this site.

Source : aol.com

To : Mr. Lee Williams

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for become " my followers ", I just open this / my blogsite ( at 00.01 ) and try to set print friendly service ( the print service not operate properly, I don' t know why, perhaps I must wait several days to see the result - not instant ?  ), then I notice that you join my blog - experiment blog, I cant' t find your blog, where is it ?, I want to see your blogsite too if you pleased, when I try to see your blog, my view profile / fake photo connected to " my followers " service ........... and I can' t erase it .........., The Blogger Team seems forget how to make erase service on our followers photos.
By the way, please write down your email address or blogsite on my right side bar - Chat Box , I' ll try to contact you via those media later.
Thank you very much for your attention.

Yours sincerely,
Hadi

Hidangan dari Tepung Ganyong

SERABI GANYONG KUAH
Untuk : 15 buah
1 buah : 111 kalori

Bahan :
- 150 gr tepung terigu
- 100 gr tepung ganyong
- 2 btr kuning telur
- 250 ml air......................} campur jadi satu
- 250 ml air daun suji....}
- 2 btr putih telur
- sedikit garam
Kuah :
- 350 ml santan
- 75 gr gula merah
- 1 lbr daun pandan
- 1 sdt tepung maizena
- 100 nangka masak dipotong dadu jika suka
- sedikit garam
Cara Membuat :
1. Campur tepung terigu, tepung ganyong, dan kuning telur. Tuang air sedikit demi sedikit sambil diaduk rata.
2. Kocok putih telur sampai kaku lalu tuangi adonan tepung sedikit demi sedikit sampai habis, aduk rata beri garam.
3. Panaskan wajan dari tanah liat, tuangi adonan lalu ditutup, api jangan terlalu besar, setelah masak angkat dan sisihkan.
4. Buat kuah
Rebus santan dengan gula merah dan daun pandan, masukkan tepung maizena yang sudah dilarutkan dengan sedikit air, aduk rata, masak hingga mendidih sambil diaduk, beri potongan nangka setelah mendidih angkat, dinginkan.
5. Serabi dihidangkan dengan kuah nangka.

BAKPAO GULUNG TEPUNG GANYONG
Untuk : 10 buah
1 buah : 165 kalori

Bahan :
- 150 gr tepung terigu
- 50 gr tepung ganyong
- 30 gr tepung thamien
- 1 sdt yeast instan
- 80 ml air es
- 1 sdm susu bubuk
- 1 btr putih telur
- 25 gr gula pasir
- 15 gr mentega putih
- ½ sdt baking powder
- ¼ sdt garam
Bahan isi :
- 50 gr bawang bombai cincang
- 3 siung bawang putih cincang
- 150 gr ayam giling
- 100 gr wortel dipotong dadu kecil
- 1 sdm tepung ganyong untuk pengental
- 1 blok kaldu instan
- garam merica secukupnya
- 2 sdm minyak untuk menumis
Cara membuat :
1. Buat adonan isi
- Panaskan minyak, tumis bawang bombai dan bawang putih cincang hingga harum, masukkan daging ayam giling dan wortel, aduk rata.
- Masukkan kaldu instan, garam, dan merica, aduk rata kembali.
- Tambahkan larutan tepung ganyong untuk pengental, aduk, masak hingga matang, angkat, sisihkan.
2. Semua bahan dicampur, aduk dan uleni sampai kalis, lalu tutup dengan plastik, biarkan selama ± 30 menit.
3. Adonan bakpao dirol melebar, letakkan adonan isi di atasnya lalu digulung, padatkan, potong menjadi 10 bagian.
4. Gulungan bakpao diletakkan dalam kertas mangkok/paper cup lalu kukus hingga matang selama ± 15 menit, angkat.
5. Hidangkan.

Source : Kompas.com - kompas cetak

Building a Website : 5 Things you need to know

Every business needs an online presence today. How to build a website that will bring in new customers -- and keep them coming back.
By Julia L. Rogers - Posted 5/ 10 10 at 3:30 PM

We no longer live in a world where entrepreneurs can stay offline and still be competitive in the marketplace. Every business, no matter how small, must have a professional Internet presence, starting with a well-designed, easy-to-navigate website that communicates its brand and is consistent with other marketing materials. No matter which type of business you own, prospective customers are going to get a very distinct impression of your business based on your online presence. Your website is essentially your online storefront or business card, so you need to ask yourself, "What does my website say about my company?" Want to build a new website or improve the one you already have? Here are five things you need to know.

1. Choose your domain name carefully.
Ideally, you should select your domain name at the same time you are naming your business, because you want it to match your company name exactly -- so people can find you easily online. The experts at IT consulting firm Catalysoft agree that a domain name should be intimately connected to your company's brand. The next best option is a domain name that is related to the key product, service, or benefit you provide. When you follow these rules, your site will be more likely to appear at the top of Web search results, because potential customers will be searching specifically for what you offer. Previously, the three-letter extension after the domain name or "top level domain" was very important, because each type -- ".com," ".org," or ".net" stood for a different entity. Now that the Web has exploded as a business medium, these domain names have essentially become interchangeable and can be used for any purpose.

2. Keep it simple.
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when setting up their websites is getting too fancy with design and using large images that slow down loading times and make navigation impossible. Simple navigation and graphics can let more visitors view Web pages and keep them on your site longer because the pages load faster. To simplify your website layout:

•Create the content first, which can often be the most difficult part of creating a website
•Use small-but-striking graphics that can be reused on multiple pages
•Make the navigation of your website easy to understand
•Use the same template to create the layout of each page of your site so you can cut production time and make the site easy to read.
Often, the most simple websites are the most effective. Clever visual design, animation, or other surface features will never impress as much as simple language and to-the-point statements about the benefits the company provides.

3. Pay attention to search engine optimization, or SEO.
SEO is a way of analyzing and creating individual Web pages and entire sites so they can be discovered, analyzed, and indexed by search engines like Google. SEO is critical for small-business websites, because it makes the content of pages more relevant, more attractive, and more easily read by search engines and other indexing software. Paying attention to the keywords your potential customers will use when looking for your company and the services or products you provide is critical to creating the right text for your website. Without SEO, a site can become virtually invisible. Optimizing your site means creating a site map and paying attention to details like title tags, headers, and site description. Improving your search ranking -- whether on your own or with the help of a hired SEO consultant -- should be an ongoing part of your marketing efforts. In today's complex online world, ignoring SEO is like failing to put a sign on your storefront.

4. Design is important, but content is still king.
When setting up a website, the overall appearance is important, of course. People coming to your site will be enticed to stay if the look and feel is appealing -- just as they will be turned off by an unprofessional looking website. However, content is what will get potential customers, clients, and partners to stick around. Once visitors are convinced to stay, the content of your site, and particularly the copy, needs to keep their attention. It has to be relevant and answer questions they have. Copy on the site has to lure visitors to your marketing message and products, and give them "calls to action" that will engage them.

5. Your site should reflect your company's personality.
Small businesses are not faceless corporations -- and that's a big advantage they have in the marketplace. Your website should convey your company's unique story, without generic business jargon and stock photos. Try using straightforward language, starting a company blog, and including real photos of your company and staff, to help enhance your online persona. You want to keep it professional, but authenticity resonates with customers, and anything you can do to spread that is bound to be good for the bottom line. Creating Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts, and including links and widgets on your own website, can also help create a personal, one-on-one connection with customers.
 
Source : aol.com - small business

Jajanan dari Ubi & Singkong

Aneka Hidangan yang digoreng

Asuhan : Nyonya Rumah
Gorengan tidak terbatas pada pisang goreng ataupun ubi goreng, tetapi dapat juga tampil menarik berupa gorengan yang diisi daging dan bumbu lainnya. Dengan sedikit kesabaran, Anda dapat membuatnya sendiri.

BAKWAN UDANG

It works again !!!

Woooww, it works again !!!; Now I can print and manage / customize any of my download articles from another website again, the print service from Print Friendly repaired successfully.
But I can' t stand any longer, because I have to go now, next time I' ll tell you another things, this time I have many works / job to do, therefore I don' t make any posting yet, include on my main blog, this is because of my tons & tons of works is waiting since early last month ( April ), I' ll tell you my mentioned job later OK ?, Bye !.

Can' t print any of articles from here

I can' t print any of my articles in this blog now, why ? ............... as I know I can print an article from here ( my blog site ), why ? .............. Is Google banned the print service ?. Why ? ............... is there anything wrong that I do ?.
Why Google not inform me about this ?;  Is there anything wrong that I do ?.

Survey with Blogger Team - Google

So, I have several times checking by Google, my blog have been checking by Blogger Team; It noticeable with my Feedjit traffic visitor, you can see from around Europe and California region, ........... yes I always use / make practice to my blog every Blogger in Draft made ( if I see their new draft form is suitable to my blog / me ).

And there is an error in uploading image on Blogger in Draft user if they want to use it, the image won' t coming up. I read in Blogger Team information they still try to fix it. OK.
When I write this posting the rain' s coming, we have spring time too start from last March, many flowers are blooming now.

Makan Bersama dengan Masakan Buatan Ibu

Sorry again my Folks, this time I want to print an article in my language, so I borrow this weblog to do this. Many Thanks for your attention. I use Jump Break service to hide the article.

I just fix my blog

I just fix my blog after I failed to use new template from Blogger Team, I want to use New Blogger draft form but I forget to look at preview service first, I directly click to Apply Blog .............. then ............ crushed ............ my blog crushed into pieces ............. Oooohh !! my !.
Start from several days ago I try to build / repair my blog again. Well .......... here we go again.
This blog isn' t my main blog, it is for my experiment blog only, I usually try some new model from Blogger Team - draft to this blog first.

Mmmh ........ where' s that food ad ?

                                                                  Hei ! ...................... where' s that food ad eh ? ...................

Source : funnypic

Broadband across US.

Special English

Plan Aims to Expand Broadband Across US

One-third of Americans do not have high-speed Internet at home. Other countries offer faster, cheaper service.

Dana Demange 18 March 2010

Photo: AP

A mother in Aurora, Colorado, uses the Internet with her children

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

A newly released proposal calls for almost everyone in the United States to have high-speed Internet service at home within ten years. On Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission sent its National Broadband Plan to Congress.

The F.C.C. wants one hundred million homes to have inexpensive Internet service at ten times current speeds. Another goal for twenty twenty is to have the fastest and most extensive wireless network of any nation.

The United States invented the Internet. Yet a recent study placed it sixteenth in broadband access. F.C.C. Chairman Julius Genachowski says the service available is slow and costly compared with other developed countries.

Currently, about two-thirds of Americans have broadband at home. But almost one hundred million do not. The government says fourteen million of them cannot get broadband even if they wanted it.

The United States built a national highway system to expand transportation. Now President Obama says a similar effort is needed to expand broadband networks.

His administration says expanding access is an economic development issue. Fast connections, it says, are important to business and job creation, and to other areas like education and health care. The government proposes to spend up to sixteen billion dollars on a wireless network for public safety agencies.

Most Americans get broadband service through their cable television provider or telephone company. There are rules for companies that supply utilities like electricity and water to let competitors use their wires or pipes. But some experts point out the lack of such "open access" rules for telephone and cable companies. This is unlike some other countries with better broadband access.

Expanding service to some areas of the country will require wireless transmission. But there is a limited amount of radio frequency spectrum available.

To help pay for the plan, the F.C.C. wants to sell five hundred megahertz of spectrum. But it says the plan will require ten times more unused spectrum than it can now offer. TV stations are worried that they will be forced to give up some of their frequencies.

Some members of Congress have questioned the costs of the F.C.C. plan and how it may affect competition. At the same time, a court case has raised questions about the agency's legal powers to regulate broadband service.

And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I’m Steve Ember.

9 Things Highly Successful Business Owners Do Differently

Building Lessons Learned in 2009: What Highly-Successful Small Business Owners Are Doing that You Can Do Too

by Stacy Karacostas

I've talked to plenty of entrepreneurs who are just barely eking by right now. One of the most common complaints I hear from long-time business owners is "referrals alone are just not enough anymore".

What's really interesting is that most of them aren't doing anything different to market and grow their businesses, even though the marketplace has clearly changed.

On the other hand, I know other small business owners who've experienced unprecedented growth this year. I'm talking growth that would be considered stellar in a good economy. Even my own revenues have almost doubled again this year.

So, what are successful entrepreneurs doing differently? Based on my experience and observations here's a list of 9 things successful small business owner are doing that you can do too…

1) Forget about the state of the economy.

Pay attention to how it changes your prospect's buying behavior, but don't let the gloom and doom get you down. If you sell products or services that are truly helpful or useful there will always be people willing to buy.

2) Offer something new.

If people aren't buying what you're currently selling, but they used to, that's a sign something needs to change. The knee jerk reaction is to simply cut prices. But that devalues what you offer.

Instead try adding value by creating new packages out of products and services you already have. Or updating a current offering. Even better, bring something completely new to the table… Hold a workshop, write an ebook, sell a new product or product bundle, offer training programs, delve deeper into a specific aspect of what you already offer.

3) Stop guessing.

Find out what your prospects, clients and customers want then give it to them. Do this by surveying your people in person, by using a short, written evaluation, or via email using a no-cost service like surveymonkey.com.

4) Embrace technology.

The World Wide Web is no longer the Wild, Wild West, but there's still plenty of room to make your mark. And all the social networking tools make it super cheap to market your business effectively. So get out there and give it a go. You'll expand your reach, get your wisdom further out into the world, and maybe even discover it's fun.

5) Build your list.

Even before the Internet, business gurus said "The money is in the list". In other words, you need a list of past and current customers, as well as a list of prospects, that you keep in touch with. That way get to know, like, trust and remember you.

You can do this the old fashion way by collecting contact info over the phone or in your office or store, then sending out print materials. Or, you can do it the modern way by having an awesome offer and sign up system on your Website, then staying in touch via email. Or use a hybrid of the two.

6) Provide value.

The days of the pushy salesperson are going…going…gone. Nowadays people don't have extra cash burning a hole in their pocket. So they expect good value for their time AND money.

Focus less on selling your products and services and more on how you can be a helpful problem solver in all your marketing and you'll get better results.

7) Embrace mixed media marketing.

Silver bullets don't exist when it comes to marketing. Instead of focusing on one media or tactic, create a strategy and plan that uses as many as you can to reach your people.

For example, I send postcards, letters and gifts, write a weekly e-newsletter, host monthly teleseminars, post articles, audios and video online, write a blog, go to live networking events and more.

8) Keep learning.

Times and technology are changing fast. It's up to you to stay on top of what's new and what's working now. But you can't do that if you're always buried in your business.

So read a new book, attend teleseminars (I host a free one each month, for example), and get yourself out to at least one non-industry specific conference each year. I attended two this year and they were so valuable I plan to go to at least that many—if not more—next year.

9) Stop doing it all yourself.

This is a biggie. The people I know who have successful, growing businesses and fulfilling lives have figured this out. And it's even truer in the Internet age.

Face it, you don't have time to become skilled at doing everything it takes to market, grow and run your business—especially online. Eventually you'll hit a wall, business growth will stop, and you'll be exhausted and burned out.

The solution? Even if you don't have the money to hire an employee you CAN afford a Virtual Assistant. Get one now and have them help you revamp your Website, set up and manage your blog or email newsletter, handle your social networking, automate your marketing and much more.

Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. She's the author of "Putting Your Business on the Road to Success", "The Small Business Website Bible" and more than 200 articles on marketing, copywriting, sales and success. For more information, visit Success-Stream.com.

Source : Business Week - Business Exchange, businessweek.com, businessknowhow.com

7 Small Business Marketing Tips

by Bob Leduc

Here are 7 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help any small business find customers and generate sales quickly.

1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business
Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.

2. Offer a Cheaper Version
Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.

3. Offer a Premium Version
Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price.

4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods
Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

5. Trim Your Ads
Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses
Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

7. Take Advantage of Your Customers
Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business

from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

Each of these 7 marketing tips provides a simple, low-cost way for any small business to find customers and generate sales quickly.

Copyright 2005 Bob Leduc

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Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales Consultant. For more information about *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper, visit his web site at http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV

Source : Business Week - Business Exchange; business week.com

Traditional drinks

SORRY FOLKS, this time I want to post an article from my own language ( it tells about how to make some of our traditional drinks ), I take this way because I want to print it out ( for my files ), if I print directly from the site ......... there' s an object that I do not want to print ( it pictures too large, too much ink will do ) .......... therefore I copy and place that article to here.

DAPUR KITA

Minuman Tradisional

Minggu, 3 Januari 2010 | 03:33 WIB

NYONYA RUMAH

Berbicara tentang minuman, memang banyak macamnya dan bervariasi tampilannya. Tetapi aneka minuman tradisional yang terbuat dari rempah-rempah Indonesia di bawah ini, selain rasanya khas Indonesia, membuatnya pun sangat mudah. Marilah kita mencoba resep aneka wedang (minuman hangat) yang sangat nikmat diminum pada sore hari, apalagi selagi turun hujan.

Wedang Ronde

Keperluan:

2 peres cangkir tepung ketan

2 sdm makan muncung tepung kanji

Air panas setengah mendidih

Kesumba warna merah dan hijau

Isi ronde:

Kacang tanah disangrai, buang kulit arinya lalu gerus agak kasar, bubuhi irisan gula jawa secukupnya, mencampurkannya sambil diperciki air sampai dapat dipulung. Pulungi bulat-bulat sebesar kacang tanah.

Cara membuat:

Dua macam tepung disatukan, tuangi air panas secukupnya sampai adonan cukup untuk dipulung. Uleni sampai rata, lalu bagi tiga, yang sebagian dibiarkan putih, yang lainnya diberi warna merah dan hijau. Pulungi bulat-bulat sebesar kelereng, isi dengan 1 butir bulatan kacang, lalu bulatkan pula. Sisa adonan dipulungi bulat-bulat kecil tanpa diisi. Jika semua adonan sudah dipulungi, masukkan ke dalam air mendidih. Masak sampai rondenya terapung lalu tuang ke dalam saringan, siram air dingin, tiriskan lalu masukkan ke dalam air gula supaya tidak melekat satu sama lain.

Kuah Ronde

Keperluan:

Jahe kira-kira 3 ibu jari

3 batang sereh

3 lembar daun pandan

Gula pasir semanisnya

Cara membuat:

Jahe dibakar, kupas lalu memarkan. Sereh juga dimemarkan pada batangnya. Masak kira-kira 2 liter air masukkan jahe, sereh, dan daun pandan, didihkan lalu kecilkan apinya. Masak terus dengan panci tertutup kira-kira 1/2 jam lagi supaya meresap, bubuhi gula semanisnya lalu saring.

Menyajikan: Taruh beberapa butir ronde di mangkok, tuangi kuah jahe yang panas, taruh sendok lalu hidangkan.

Wedang Sekoteng

Keperluan:

1/2 ons sekoteng

2-3 sdm kolang-kaling diiris tipis

2 lembar roti tawar potong persegi 1 cm

Sedikit kacang goreng

Kuah:

50 gr jahe

2 batang sereh

3 lembar daun pandan

Gula pasir semanisnya

Cara membuat:

Didihkan 1 liter air, masukkan jahe yang sudah dibakar, dikupas, dan dimemarkan. Sereh juga dimemarkan bagian pangkalnya dan daun pandan. Bubuhi gula pasir semanisnya, didihkan pula, masak seterusnya dengan panci tertutup sampai aroma jahe terasa, angkat lalu saring.

Menyajikan:

Taruh sedikit sekoteng yang sudah direbus dan lain-lain bahan di cangkir lalu penuhkan dengan kuah jahe.

Wedang Bajigur

Keperluan:

4-5 sdt kopi

1 cangkir santan

Sedikit garam

Gula jawa

Gula pasir

Kolang-kaling

1/2 sendok teh kapur sirih

Cara membuat:

1 liter air didihkan, masukkan kopi bubuhi gula jawa dan gula pasir, masukkan santan, garam, dan kapur sirih, didihkan pula. Rasakan, tambah gula bila kurang manis, angkat lalu saring. Disajikan dengan ditambahi irisan kolang-kaling.

Source : kompas.com

SORRY FOLKS, this time I want to post an article from my own language ( it tells about how to make some of our traditional drinks ), I take this way because I want to print it out ( for my files ), if I print directly from the site ......... there' s an object that I do not want to print ( it pictures too large, too much ink will do ) ......... therefore I copy and place that article to here. Thanks.

Small business

It's pancakes. In a can. It's made $15 million.

(Fortune Small Business) -- In 2001, Sean O'Connor was a co-owner of Thee Parkside, a San Francisco club that served up punk bands alongside yak burgers and bear-meat chili. When the dot-coms collapsed, he pared down the menu to focus on cheap, creative snacks. During an experiment with whipped cream canisters and funnel cake -- a project that failed miserably -- he stumbled on a better idea: putting pancake mix in pressurized cans for quick and easy breakfasts.

By 2005 O'Connor, now 38, had left the restaurant business and filed patents for Batter Blaster, an organic pancake-and-waffle mix in a pressurized can with a point-and-shoot nozzle.

Through word of mouth, social networking and publicity stunts -- traveling 180,000 miles in an Airstream trailer to visit county fairs; rallying a team to cook 76,382 pancakes in eight hours to set a Guinness World Record -- O'Connor and his 16 employees have gotten Batter Blaster into 13,000 outlets nationwide, including Costco (COST, Fortune 500) and Whole Foods (WFMI, Fortune 500) stores.

"We aren't feeling the recession like everyone else is," he says. "We are one of the few truly innovative products to come out in the egg and dairy set."

In 2008 Batter Blaster's annual revenues hit $15 million. O'Connor expects the total for 2009 to surpass $19.5 million.

"It sells incredibly well. It's a convenience item and great for the elderly, who make single servings, along with parents, single people and campers," says Jeff Mejia, director of perishables for DPI Specialty Foods, which distributes the product to Albertsons, Bristol Farms and Jensen's stores. The product retails for $4.99 a can.

There's no denying the lowbrow reputation of sprayable foods. (Think Easy Cheese and Reddi-wip.) O'Connor argues that what Batter Blaster lacks in cachet, it makes up for in a hassle-free, fun-to-use design that appeals to families.

That sounds about right to chef Manuel Trevino of the newly opened Travertine restaurant in New York City. "I would most likely only use it when cooking for my kids," he says. "You will undoubtedly be sacrificing a little flavor for fun, but utilizing a spray makes it easier to master the art of creative pancake-making, which children tend to love."

O'Connor is banking on kid-friendliness. His plans? More versions of the product that add new flavors, along with brightly colored batters, in the mix.

Source : cnnmoney.com