How to Write Articles to Sell Your Book

Selling books online means that you need to get interested readers to your website or to your Amazon listing. One great way to get people to your website is writing articles for republication.

My author friends asked me to share what I've learned about writing articles for the Internet. I've spent thousands of dollars learning what I'm going to share with you. In return, please help me grow my ezine subscriber base.

There are six categories you need to understand about article writing:

1. Article Structure

This article follows a typical article structure for email delivery. Note that articles you submit directly on websites need a different format. Each website explains their individual requirements.

a. Article Title: (How to Write Articles to Sell Your Book) You need a title that gives a benefit to the reader. There are hundreds of articles telling you how to create a sizzling title. Learn how to use keywords (more about this soon). My first title for this article was "How to Write Articles to Promote Your Book." A stronger benefit to you, the reader, is "sell your book." Another title tip: change your titles when submitting to various websites so you know which title gets picked up more. Another title for this article could be "Sell More Books: How to Write Articles." After you submit your article, search for the title and you'll see where it goes and which title works best. For instance, my article "Feng Shui, Design Psychology and Bed Placement" posted on EzineArticles didn't do as well as "Feng Shui, Design Psychology and Sleeping" posted on thephantomwriters.com.

b. Article Author: (Jeanette Joy Fisher) A comment on names: if you haven't started with a website or published yet, don't use a name that can be spelled different ways. I wish I used another name because Jeanette can be spelled many ways. At least Fisher only has two spellings. I'm doomed to having ten websites for my book titles instead of just one for me. If I had used Joy Fisher, my life would have been easier.

c. Article Copyright: (2005, All Rights Reserved) Don't forget to Copyright everything!

d. Article URL: This is the website link where your article is posted for either preview or copy for others to use.

e. Article Autoresponder: (mailto:Howtowritearti...@writertoauthor.com) This is an automatic email service which sends out the article if you send a blank email. Click on the link and get this article in your inbox. You may want to replace letters inside the email address with... so you don't get a lot of junk email. The person asking for the article needs to fill in the blanks. This is because spiders search for email addresses on the Internet. Unscrupulous, mean people use them to send viruses. I lost two computers when I first created a website and listed my email address.

f. Author Contact Email: (mailto:jeanette...@gmail.com) Notice how the joy is left out. People who post your article are supposed to notify you, but many don't. And they will post your article without the byline, without links to you. Just accept that some of your hard work will be stolen, but most of your republications will help you.

g. Word Count: Number of words in the body.

h. Formatted to (65 Characters per Line) You need TextPad or another way to keep your articles formatted to 65 spaces per line - -letters, commas, spaces, etc. I talked my author friend Pamela Armstrong (SurvivingHealthcare.com) through TextPad; this took a couple of hours. One easy way to shorten the lines is to sign up to gmail, yahoo, or hotmail, and email your article to yourself. When you do this, you may find that many of your words have strange marks in them -- this leads to the next article component problem.

2. Article Format

Most writers use a program like Word to create their masterpieces. Word has fancy "curly" quotes, apostrophes and other smart fonts that don't transfer into email and onto some website reader's screens. You can remove the smart quotes in Word; avoid using the emdash and other symbols such as three periods. If you copy your Word document into TextPad, you will see black bars in the problem areas and the spell check will catch the curly quotes. To remove the smart quotes in Word: go to Tools, Auto Correct Options, Autoformat, uncheck "straight quotes" with "smart quotes," and the same in Autoformat As You Type.

3. Keywords and Article Titles

The keywords are the words people search for related to your topic. When I first wrote "Staging Homes for Top-Dollar Sales," I had the keywords mixed up. There are 3,160 results for Google's keyword search for "staging homes" and 35,300 for "Home Staging." However my article, "Staging Homes" is listed at the top of the search and my article "Home Staging" is on page two. Your goal is to use the keywords in your title that people interested in your topic search for and to get your article listed on the search engines where it's easily found.

4. Article Content

If you cut and paste information from your book, tone down the writing style; make it informal, and concise. Your content needs to relate to your book's benefits without being a sales letter. Chose a major benefit that the reader will enjoy from reading your book. What is your answer to: "Why should I read your book?" "What will I get?"

a. Introduction or Hook: Just like home shoppers won't get out of their car if curb appeal doesn't attract them, you need your first sentence to grab the reader with a benefit for reading your article.

b. Body: Web readers need short paragraphs filled with BENEFITS. You must give a strong reason to motivate a stranger to want to read on. Keep giving reasons why your information gives answers to their problems. PAIN. Feel the reader's pain and offer solutions. Your title should open the way for this with something like: "Change Your Credit and Buy Your First Home." STORIES. Use stories to illustrate the pain felt by your target audience. For instance, tell a story about a family who fixed their credit and bought a home.

c. Headlines and subheadings: Use other keywords to break up your article with subheadings. This makes your article easier to read online. Tip: before you start writing your article, check for keywords and make a list for reference to cover in your article.

d. Conclusion: Even when you write a list, such as "Top 10 Ways to Save Money," you should end with a summary inspiration. You want to leave the reader wanting more so they follow your link to your website.

5. About the Author, Author's Resource box, Bio, Biography

I've seen so many articles on this one topic, there's most likely a book on it. Examine the way experienced writers create motivating calls to action. Your purpose is to show that you're the expert with the solution to the reader's problems. Your goal is to get the reader to follow your link for help. Refuse to list your articles where you won't receive a live link to your website or to your book page on Amazon.

6. Article Submit

You can submit your articles through article distribution services for a charge, by email to article announcement groups for free, or directly to hundreds of websites online. One way to find websites matching your niche market is to do a Google search, such as: "real estate investing" + "submit article." I use Bill Platt's thephantomwriters.com service and EzineArticles.com. From these two services, my articles appeared on over 11,000 websites. I simply don't have the time to submit to all the other places.

If you write a compelling article in the proper format, your message will be picked up by ezine publishers, web masters, and maybe newspapers. And, like me, you will sell your books.

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology professor, is the author of interior design and real estate books. She is part of the Writers to Authors group whose mission is to help writers sell their books. For help writing and selling your books, go to http://www.writertoauthor.com/

Please sign up for Jeanette's newsletters and help her increase her subscriber base in return for this article. For more about Jeanette, see http://www.jeanettefisher.com

How to Find More Time in Your Day-Balancing Career and Family

Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of one's goals and priorities. This translates into sitting down in a quiet atmosphere and taking just a few minutes to think about "What are my priorities in life? What could I never live without?" When one is clear about the things that are important to them in life, it is easier to determine which errands, assignments, and projects to take time out to complete or to dump or delegate. You will then be able to do the things you love to do. Thinking about goals is a crucial step in striking balance for our busy lives.

Delegate-A powerful tool that many people overlook or ignore is delegating. Everyone wants to grow and learn new skills. When given responsibility, most people are motivated to do a good job. Colleagues, students, children, whoever you delegate to, with your clear instruction and guidance you can trust that the job will be completed well. Mothers do not often realize that children of all ages are indeed capable of completing many tasks and often love doing them.

Self Time-We must believe that we are valuable people. On an airplane, we are instructed that in case oxygen masks are needed, first administer the O2 to yourself and then to your children. Why? Because if we do not get what we need, we are of no value to another person. This applies to all of the people that demand our attention. Create boundaries and set aside uninterrupted self-time. Their questions can wait. Respect yourself.

Rebekah Slatkin is a professional organizer dedicated to getting people organized through hands-on decluttering sessions, teleconferencing, coaching, and her website http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com Visit http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com and subscribe to Organewz, her ezine dedicated to organized living and get organizing tips and downloads- free.

Introduction To ISDN, Part II

In the previous ISDN article, we looked at how and why one router dials another using ISDN. Just as important is knowing what keeps the link up once it is dialed.

Why? Because ISDN acts as a phone call between two routers, and it???s billed that way to your client. The two routers that are connected by this phone call may be located in different area codes, so now we???re talking about a long distance phone call.

If your ISDN link does not have a reason to disconnect, the connection could theoretically last for days or weeks before someone realizes what???s going on. This is particularly true when the ISDN link is used as a backup for another connection type, as is commonly the case with Frame Relay. When the Frame Relay goes down, the backup ISDN link comes up when the Frame Relay link comes back not billed for all that time.

To understand why an ISDN link stays up when it???s not needed, we have to understand why it stays up period. Cisco???s ISDN interfaces use the idle-timeout to determine when an ISDN link should be torn down. By default, this value is two minutes, and it also uses the concept of interesting traffic.

Once interesting traffic brings the link up, by default all traffic can cross the link. However, only interesting traffic resets the idle-timeout. If no interesting traffic crosses the link for two minutes, the idle-timer hits zero and the link comes down.

If the protocol running over the ISDN link is RIP version 2 or EIGRP, the most efficient way to prevent the routing updates from keeping the line up is expressly prohibiting their multicast routing update address in the access-list that is defining interesting traffic. Do not prevent them from crossing the link entirely, or the protocol obviously won???t work correctly.

With OSPF, Cisco offers the ip ospf demand-circuit interface-level command. The OSPF adjacency will form over the ISDN link, but once formed, the Hello packets will be suppressed. However, the adjacency will not be lost. A check of the adjacency table with show ip ospf adjacency will show the adjacency remains at Full, even though Hellos are no longer being sent across the link. The ISDN link can drop without the adjacency being lost. When the link is needed, the adjacency is still in place and data can be sent without waiting for OSPF to go through the usual steps of forming an adjacency.

This OSPF command is vital for Cisco certification candidates at every level, but is particularly important for CCNA candidates. Learn this command now, get used to the fact that the adjacency stays up even though Hellos are suppressed, and add this valuable command to your Cisco toolkit.

One myth about ISDN is that Cisco Discovery Packets keep an ISDN link up. CDP is a Cisco-proprietary protocol that runs between directly connected Cisco devices. There is a school of thought that CDP packets have to be disabled on a BRI interface in order to prevent the link from staying up or dialing when it's not really needed. I've worked with ISDN for years in the field and in the lab, and I've never seen CDP bring up an ISDN link. Try it yourself the next time you're working on a practice rack!

Keep studying!

Chris Bryant, CCIE (TM) #12933, has been active in the Cisco certification community for years. He worked his way up from the CCNA to the CCIE, and knows what CCNA and CCNP candidates need to know to be effective on the job and in the exam room.

He is the owner of http://www.thebryantadvantage.com, where he teaches CCNA and CCNP courses to small groups of exam candidates, ensuring they each receive the individual attention they deserve. Classes are offered over the Internet and in person in select cities. Chris has custom-written the Study Guide and Lab Workbook used in each course - no third-party training materials or simulators are used.

You're invited to visit our site and check out our CCNA and CCNP courses and study aids, and to sign up for our weekly newsletter written personally by Chris. Chris is always glad to hear from Cisco certification candidates at chris@thebryantadvantage.com.

The Exodus

And the matter of who is doing the abusing is the most important thing we as a world full of equal people must ascertain. Who are the Benjaminites who were thrown out of Israel and later returned under Judas Maccabee? Who are these mercenaries who protected Egypt from the Elephantine stronghold?

To be sure there are many perspectives on the history of Israel and the Jews. The next excerpt is from a group that I am not enamoured with to any great extent. I recommend a thorough analysis of their agenda despite the factual history they provide in this little snipette of their approach.

"The division of Israel took place under the rule of Rehoboam over Judah, Jeroboam over Israel, in 975 B.C. The House of Israel sinned through idolatry and were cast out of the land in 721 B.C. and did not return. The House of Judah also sinned and were punished and banished to Babylon for seventy years, and a remnant of them under Ezra and Nehemiah returned as "the Jews" in 536 B.C. The term "Jews" is never in the Bible applied to the Twelve Tribes or to the Ten-tribed House of Israel. These were to be divorced from the Mosaic law and lost to human history and knowledge, but known to God, re-covenanted in Christ, and to enjoy the Hebrew birthright in the isles of the seas, to be His national evangelists to the world, and the inheritors of the Kingdom of God taken away from the Jews and given to a Nation. It will be shown that the British enjoy all the unconditional promises given to the seed of Abraham in the Christian era and that therefore no other Nation can now replace them as Israel.

It was in 741 B.C. that Isaiah prophesied that 'within three score and five years shall Ephraim be broken in pieces, that it be not a people.' The final siege of Samaria and the deportation of Israel took place in 721 B.C. Subsequently in 676 B.C. Esar-Haddon completed the work begun and from this date the history of the house of Israel ceases in the Scriptures, and the tale is taken up by Prophecy.

Judah was carried captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 603 B.C. and the Temple finally destroyed in 586 B.C. The word "Jew" is found for the first time in the Bible in II Kings 41:6, but the Second Book of Kings was not written till the return of Judah and Benjamin after the end of the Babylonian captivity." (9)

The House of Judah or David includes Solomon and the person who I was named after. Yes, Robert the Bruce and the Bruttii of Pythagoras' Bruttium (Croton in Italy) and many other Keltic nobles have run things in most of the world for a long time.

Elephantine Mercenary Jews or Hyksos Overlords of Egypt?

I have written one whole book on the matter of Who is a Jew and I did not include this specific quote in it. There are so many things I could include at this juncture. This quote is from a top academic and Egyptologist from Oxford.

"Less fortunate than the Greeks, who could worship their gods unhampered and build sanctuaries to them in the Greek settlements in the Delta, {Such as Naucratis which is a Bilderberg or Physiocratic type of venture we have dealt with many times before.} were the Jews. Since the time of the XXVIth Dynasty they had formed a considerable part of the garrison at Elephantine as mercenaries in the fortress defending Egypt from attack in the south. There they were allowed to build a temple to Yahve and his two female companions, Ashima and Anar, whose worship was not forbidden among Jews before the introduction of the unified religious law on the occasion of the rebuilding of Yahve's temple at Jerusalem in 515 B.C. The Jews of Elephantine also continued to enjoy the privilege of possessing a sanctuary of their own during the Persian rule throughout the fifth century; but clashes now and then took place between them and the native Egyptian population, probably as a result of the increases of Egyptian nationalism under foreign domination.

In 410 B.C. the priests of Khuum, having secured the consent of the Persian commander, raised soldiers of Egyptian descent who penetrated into Yahve's temple, pillaged its precious sacred vessels {Could some of these things held sacred have once been the art or manufacture of those who Egypt venerated or considered their own? Could that include the Ark and other scientific instrumentation?} and demolished and burnt the temple. When the Jews complained to the Persian satrap at Memphis, the commander who agreed to this misdeed was punished by death, but it was only in 407 B.C., after continuous requests and bribery, that the Jews secured from the Persian authorities permission to rebuild the temple?" (10)

He goes on to document how Egypt overthrew the Persians and then Alexander took over Egypt. I do ask the reader to think long and hard about the Persian relationship with these mercenary Jews and ask if the Basilidae of Greece and Persia are their kin. I know this means the Bible Narrative about the hard done by slaves who left with Moses and other trite fictions is pure hogwash and one can thus see an elite and well-armed force of specially equipped fighters is what the poor Jews have been. But that does not mean the average Jew gets treated much better by their elite.

Alexander put the alchemical family of Ptolemy in charge of Egypt. Ptolemy had Manetho do a history of King's List that connected him to Hercules and the De Danaan that are the elite Jews I have traced throughout 35,000 years since the first white man walked to face of this trembling and fearful planet. No longer was it easy for mankind and much has gotten worse in matters of the soul and brotherhood. I apologize as a member of this elite group that was split into factions and still fights for power. I have less and less regard for my forbears and their history as I continue my research.

Author and activist for ecumenicism

Your Mental Attitude is The Key!

As a being of thought, your dominant mental attitude will determine your condition in life. It will also be the gauge of your knowledge and the measures of your attainment. The so-called limitations of your nature are the boundary lines of your thoughts; they are self-erected fences, and can be drawn to a narrower circle, extended to a wider, or be allowed to remain. You are the thinker of your thoughts and as such you are the maker of yourself and condition. Thought is causal and creative, and appears in your character and life in the form of results. There are no accidents in your life. Both its harmonies and antagonisms are the responsive echoes of your thoughts. A man thinks, and his life appears.

If your dominant mental attitude is peaceable and lovable, bliss and blessedness will follow you; if it be resistant and hateful, trouble and distress will cloud your pathway. Out of ill-will will come grief and disaster; out of good will, healing and reparation. You imagine your circumstances as being separate from yourself, but they are intimately related to your thought world. Nothing appears without an adequate cause. Everything that happens is just. Nothing is fated, everything is formed.

As you think, you travel; as you love, you attract. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. You cannot escape the result of your thoughts, but you can endure and learn, can accept and be glad.

You will always come to the place where your love (your most abiding and intense thought) can receive its measure of gratification. If your love be base, you will come to a base place; if it be beautiful, you will come to a beautiful place.

You can alter your thoughts, and so alter your condition. Strive to perceive the vastness and grandeur of your responsibility. You are powerful, not powerless. You are as powerful to obey as you are to disobey; as strong to be pure as to be impure; as ready for wisdom as for ignorance. You can learn what you will, can remain as ignorant as you choose. If you love knowledge you will obtain it; if you love wisdom you will secure it; if you love purity you will realise it. All things await your acceptance, and you choose by the thoughts which you entertain.

A man remains ignorant because he loves ignorance, and chooses ignorant thoughts; a man becomes wise because he loves wisdom and chooses wise thoughts. No man is hindered by another; he is only hindered by himself. No man suffers because of another; he suffers only because of himself. By the noble Gateway of Pure Thought you can enter the highest Heaven; by the ignoble doorway of impure thought you can descend into the lowest hell.

Your mental attitude towards others will faithfully react upon yourself, and will manifest itself in every relation of your life. Every impure and selfish thought that you send out comes back to you in your circumstances in some form of suffering; every pure and unselfish thought returns to you in some form of blessedness. Your circumstances are effects of which the cause is inward and invisible. As the father-mother of your thoughts you are the maker of your state and condition. When you know yourself, you will perceive, that every event in your life is weighed in the faultless balance of equity. When you understand the law within your mind you will cease to regard yourself as the impotent and blind tool of circumstances, and will become the strong and seeing master.

**Attn Ezine Editors / Site Owners** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place.

Carl Cholette is an internet marketer, motivational coach, fitness trainer and syndicated author. He has a degree in business and a passion for fitness, psychology and sales. Visit http://www.coastalcenter.ca

Is Your Food Aging You?

Did you know that the food you eat could be prematurely ageing you? Science has made some amazing discoveries in the last decade in nutrition. We really should be taking note of what we put in our mouth because more than ever, "we are what we eat". Do you know the impact of what you are eating? Probably not. It's time to find out because over-indulgence in certain types of food cause the body to prematurely age.

Would you like some more free radicals with your lunch...? There is frequent mention these days about 'free radicals' and how they are constantly attacking the body, causing potentially serious damage.

A free radical is the name for a molecule that has an unpaired electron. They are a normal by-product of metabolism and without them you would die.

To put the record straight, it's the over-production of free radicals that causes damage to the body. We are advised by nutritional experts to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

This is because they are rich in antioxidant phytonutrients...substances that neutralise free radicals and so help protect the body.

One of the essential tasks of free radicals is in producing energy from the food you eat. Every time you eat, free radical activity is intense. The more food you eat, the more free radicals are formed, and the more antioxidants your body needs to neutralise them. Big meals are big trouble!

Effective Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E; minerals such as selenium, zinc, and herbs such as aloe vera and grapeseed extract.

The Reality of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are root vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, grains, fruit, pastries, cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets etc. They are easy to prepare, filling, tasty and cheap. Most meals are dominated by carbohydrates, as most of us 'full up' on them. When you eat carbohydrates you're eating a form of sugar.

Carbohydrates are converted by the body into glucose, which is either used immediately for energy, or stored in fat cells. Carbohydrates make up an excessive proportion of the diet, add together a lack of exercise and excess sugar and the inevitable result is excess weight.

By reducing your overall carbohydrate intake and reducing the size of your meals, you reduce your body's exposure to free radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that meals, you reduce your body's exposure to free radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that gets stored as unwanted fat. A double bonus!

Big meals are too much stress

Food is in abundance - look around the supermarket shelves at the food mountain! Fill your trolley, take it home and fill your kitchen cupboards - fill your plate and fill your stomach till you can barely move. How many times a week do you overeat? How many free radicals are attacking your body and accelerating the aging process? You could choose to eat less.

Think about your meals over the last week.

Better still, keep a food diary for the next week, record each meal by drawing a plate divided up showing how much protein, carbohydrate, fat, vegetables and fruit you eat at each meal/snack. After a week you'll be able to see for yourself how much sugar you are eating.

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant. This world renowned, medically approved program will give you results you'll love and all the support you need! Estimate your healthy body weight, tons of recipes, articles, free newsletter and more at http://weight-loss-health.com.au

Planning the Menu for Your Wedding Reception

When you are planning a budgeted menu, you must first know what your exact budget is when it comes to the food and drink specifically. Some people keep the food and drinks separate, but on average, the food and drink are a part of the same bill.

If you can afford the more expensive catering services, then by all means enjoy. However, if you are like most of us, you will likely need a little bit of help in creating a menu that is fitting to your budget.

If you are hosting an indoor reception in a hall and plan to have a dinner option, you have to make sure that you accommodate the needs of all of your guests which include vegetarians. You should request that the guests RSVP beforehand so that you can get the right amount of vegetarian plates.

The way that you choose to serve the dinners can vary. Here are some tips on how you can choose to serve the guests to make it a bit cheaper for you.

? You can serve the meals buffet style, with this option you have people forego wedding gifts in favor of bringing a dish

? You can offer vegetable, fruit an meat platters with dips and crackers instead of foods

? You can ask each guest to contribute a small amount of money to the reception or to make donations toward the reception rather than buying a gift.

? You can offer a soup and salad menu rather than a full blown entr?e ? Offer a limited bar which means that you offer an open bar only at certain times such as after dinner and during toasting etc. that way your guests aren't paying and you won't go broke, the rest of the time offer a cash bar

? Offer around the world appetizers instead of a meal. This will give you the opportunity to offer fill ups such as crab, shrimp. Etc. as well as casual appetizers like cheese sticks, chicken wings, and mushroom caps etc. the around the world motif will also provide your party with a variety of different tastes.

? Request that each immediate family member create a dish instead of a present

? Do not pay for extras like servers, bartenders etc. asking a friend or family member to do it instead as a wedding gift to you

Outdoor receptions give you much freedom when choosing your menu because you can serve anything that you want including barbecue, long group submarine sandwiches or pizza.

As long as you offer foods that will accommodate both carnivores and vegetarians, you will be fine. You can always find items to suit all of your needs and every budget as long as your budget is reasonable for the amount of people that you are planning to serve. If it doesn't fit, you may have to trim the invite list.

Mia LaCron is the founder of Cut-Wedding-Costs.info - http://www.cut-wedding-costs.info - devoted to helping individuals live out the wedding of their dreams on a realistic budget they can afford.

How to Grow Bamboo

Bamboo is a mysterious and elusive plant that baffles taxonomists who try to contain it within a botanical class and gardeners who try to contain it within a limited garden space as they learn how to grow bamboo. For many years, bamboo was thought to be a primitive grass but recent DNA testing has shown it to be one of the most highly evolved forest grasses. There are over 1200 forms of bamboo that grow in a broad spectrum of color including the familiar green and gold as well as burgundy, blue and even black grasses. Some varieties of bamboo can grow up to a foot a day and ultimately reach 130 feet tall while the smallest bamboo cultivar attains only six inches of growth.

The first step in learning how to grow bamboo is picking a cultivar and beginning to unravel its many mysteries. While most of us picture tall stands of green and golden canes growing in tropical bamboo forests, bamboo cultivars range from the temperate to the tropical. As well as diversity in cultivar, bamboo has over 1500 documented uses that range from use in construction to the making of acupuncture needles and from agricultural fodder to the making of musical instruments. Until they are cut, bamboos stems are properly called culms and not canes. In India bamboo plants are commonly called the "Wood of the poor" and in China the" friend of the people". To add to the confusion, a cultivar commonly sold as "lucky bamboo" isn't bamboo at all but a type of lily from the Dracaena family!

Unluckily for bamboo, it has the reputation for being an invasive plant, growing from running rhizomes. Although this is true for some cultivars, the most cold-hardy plants don't run at all, but grow from well-behaved clumps with well-established root systems. One thing that bamboo cultivars do have in common is that they are perennial plants. As noted above, some bamboos varieties are temperate and some are tropical. Because its diversity, it's easy to find a suitable cultivar when you want to learn how to grow bamboo. Bamboo cultivars range from those that grow indoors to outdoors, in a garden or in a container, in bright light or shade.

Two considerations in knowing how to grow bamboo successfully are water and air. All true bamboos are grasses and won't grow in saturated soils. They also need air circulation to thrive. In fact, some bamboo growers raise the pots of their small cultivars on chopsticks to provide air circulation under the plant as well as around it. Large pots are often elevated with heavy dowels.

The bamboo is a symbol of long life, strength and versatility for many cultures of the world. Unraveling its mysteries is a continuing source of enjoyment. When you know how to grow bamboo, you'll find that your love for the plant grows as fast as your bamboo does!

About The Author

Hans is gardener and owner of Gardening-Guides.com and Patio-Furniture-Ideas.com.

5 Easy Steps to Protect Your Hardwood Floor From Disaster

Common knowledge states that hardwood floors are a great investment for a homeowner. They add a certain charm and character to a home that can't be replicated by laminates, carpeting, or any other type of flooring. However, the investment does not stop with the decision to purchase hardwoods. To retain the value, the hardwood must be properly cared for and maintained. Fortunately, with a few simple, easy, inexpensive steps, your hardwood flooring will always remain in perfect shape.

1. Do not use Murphy's Oil Soap. Murphy's works great on wooden furniture, but don't make the mistake of using it on your hardwood floors. You won't notice anything wrong after applying it once, but if used consistently, residue will build up and leave your floor with a dull appearance.

2. Do not use a Wet Swiffer. A Dry Swiffer is great for collecting dust, dirt, and pet hair from your floors, and it is also less abrasive than a vacuum cleaner. However, a Wet Swiffer can cause major long-term damage. The chemicals in the cleaning solution can break down the urethane finish on your floor and leave it dull, faded, and lifeless.

3. Place area rugs anywhere that might collect water. Prime areas are in front of the refrigerator, by the dishwasher, and near any sinks. Make sure that the floor is protected in any spot that is susceptible to minor leaks and water collection. A pool of water is the quickest way to destroy your floor.

4. Use floor mats in spots where people step on the hardwood directly after being outside. In addition to protecting against wet or muddy footprints, floor mats will help collect any sharp or abrasive materials stuck in the treads of shoes. This step will help prevent accidental scraping or scratching.

5. Use felt pads when moving furniture. Or better yet, lift the furniture off the ground instead of sliding it across your hardwood floor. If felt pads must be used, please make sure that they are free of any debris. Even if a tiny little object like a staple is under that pad when heavy furniture is set upon it, your floor could receive some serious gouges.

These steps will help ensure that your home retains its value by protecting your hardwood floors against major damage.

Accidents do happen, however, no matter how careful you are. If your floor becomes damaged, contact the manufacturer or the installer for advice.

You can read more about hardwood flooring at http://www.hardwoodflooringspot.info

How Good Is Your Big Idea

Q: I want to start my own business. I have tons of business ideas that all sound great to me, but my husband is not so sure. He says that we need to figure out a way to test my ideas to pick the one that has the best chance of succeeding. I'm ready to just pick one and go for it. What is the best way to determine if a business idea really is as good as it sounds? -- Hannah C.

A: Heather, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but your husband is right (first time for everything, huh): before you just pick a business idea and go for it you should test the feasibility of your ideas to make sure they really are as good as you think they are.

Every business idea, no matter how good it sounds while bouncing around inside your head, should be put to the test before you invest time and money into its execution. Success lies not in what you think of your idea, but what the buying public will think. Many entrepreneurs find out too late that the public's opinion of their idea differs greatly from their own. Wasted time and money aside, the last thing you want to do is hear "I told you so!" from your husband, so take a deep breath, slow down, and let's look at the ways you can test the feasibility of your idea.

There are many ways to test an idea's feasibility, though some ways are not nearly as effective or accurate than others. Most people start out by asking everyone they know what they think of their big idea. This is a good way to start the wheels turning because you may get feedback that you have not considered before, but be warned: this is NOT the best way to test the true feasibility of an idea. Never start a business simply based on what your friends and family think.

There are two things that will happen here. First, your mother will tell you what you want to hear and your best friends will be equally kind. No one who really cares for you will want to rain on your parade no matter how insane your parade might be, so take the wisdom you gain here with a hug and a grain of salt.

On the flip side, your coworkers and casual acquaintances will probably tell you the opposite of what they really think. If they think your idea stinks they'll tell you it's great and if they think your idea is great they'll tell you it stinks. Please don't preach to me about human kindness. Human kindness is often bested by human nature and we humans, by nature, are an envious lot. We hate to see anyone doing better than we are doing and we hate to see anyone who has the potential to leave us behind. Go watch the movie "Envy" and consider this: why would someone who is broke or stuck in dead-end job with no other prospects want to see you succeed? They wouldn't. End of story.

Instead of conferring with friends and family you should run your idea past a number of neutral third parties who are knowledgeable about business and will give you an honest opinion. Contact the local Small Business Administration (SBA) or The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offices and ask to speak with someone knowledgeable who has time to listen to your idea (don't run it past the receptionist). Or speak with the small business liaison at the Chamber of Commerce. Or seek out a successful entrepreneur who is willing to listen and give you an honest opinion about your idea. Just remember, opinions are like belly buttons: everybody has one and they are all different.

A more accurate way to judge the feasibility of an idea is to create a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis will not only help you gauge the feasibility of your idea, but also help you build on your idea's strengths, identify and correct the weaknesses, and spot ways to take advantage of potential opportunities while avoiding potential threats.

Here's how to perform a simple SWOT Analysis. On a piece of paper draw a vertical line down the center of the page. Then draw a horizontal line through the center of the vertical line. The paper is now divided into four quadrants. Label the upper left quadrant "Strengths." Label the upper right quadrant "Weaknesses." Label the lower left quadrant "Opportunities" and the lower right quadrant "Threats."

Now fill in each quadrant based on what you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your business idea. You should repeat this process for every idea you have and each quadrant should have something written in. If you can think of no strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for a particular idea, that means that you do not have enough information to complete the SWOT analysis, which means you also do not have enough information to effectively execute that idea.

Strengths are those things that make your idea a strong one. Strengths can be personal or product-oriented and may include: prior business experience and success; sufficient funding to start the business; having a customer in hand; having a unique product or service to offer; having an established market; etc.

Next list all of the weaknesses of your idea. It is important that you are honest with yourself and list as many weaknesses as you can. Don't pretend that your idea doesn't have any weaknesses because every idea does. You will hurt no one but yourself if you pretend that your idea is bulletproof. Weaknesses might include: lack of capital to start the business; lack of business or management experience; a crowded market place; large competitors; etc.

Opportunities are those things that you can tap into that might fast track your business idea. We've talked about opportunities before and how smart entrepreneurs seek out new opportunities rather than waiting for opportunities to come to them. Opportunities might include: a potential partnership with someone who sells products in the same market; a prime storefront location that is coming available; a competitor going out of business, leaving a hole in the market that may be right for you; etc.

Threats are those things that threaten the success of your business idea. Threats might include: uncertain marketplace conditions; strong competitors in the market with lower prices; possible laws or taxes that may impact your idea; etc. Like weaknesses, it is vital that you are honest when it comes to identifying threats.

Once you have filled in all four quadrants, you should have enough information to begin testing the feasibility of your idea. Do the strengths of your idea outweigh the weaknesses or do the weaknesses outweigh the strengths? Are the opportunities available to you ample or nonexistent? Are the threats many or few?

With this information in hand, you can move on to the most accurate method of testing your idea and that is the creation of a detailed feasibility plan, which we will discuss next time.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.

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Website Promotion: 10 Secret Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy

Unless you know the secret motivational secrets that make people buy, your efforts in website promotion may not be fruitful.

Here are some website promotion triggers to help you:

1. People want to make more money. They may want to start their own business, get a higher paying job or invest in the stock market. This will make them feel successful.

2. People want to save money. They may want to invest for the future or save for a big purchase. This will make them feel more secure.

3. People want to save time. They may want to work less and spend time enjoying life's pleasures. This will make them feel more relaxed.

4. People want to look better. They may want to lose weight, tone their body, or improve their facial features. This will make them feel more attractive.

5. People want to learn something new. They may want to learn how to change their car oil or build a deck. This will make them feel more intelligent.

6. People want to live longer. They may want to get in shape, eat better or gain extra energy. This will make them feel healthier.

7. People want to be comfortable. They may want to relive aches and pains or want to sleep in a more comfortable bed. This will make them feel relieved.

8. People want to be loved. They may not want to be lonely anymore or want to start dating again. This will make them feel wanted.

9. People want to be popular. They may want to be a famous celebrity or be more popular in school. This will make them feel praised and admired.

10. People want to gain pleasure. They may want satisfy their appetite or sexual desires. This will make them feel more fulfilled.

May these website promotion secrets help you to make a lot of money and succeed.

Warmly,

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