Top 10 List of the Most Popular Article Directories and Submission Web sites Ranked by Alexa
September 1, 2010
Article directories really are a dime a dozen. With the hundreds that are out there how do you know which ones are most effective? Here’s a list of the top 10 most popular article directories and submission sites on the net.
- EzineArticles- The big daddy of article directories. If you had to choose only one place to submit your articles to, this would be the one.
- Suite101- Become an author and write articles and / or register and search for recommended articles you might be looking for.
- Buzzle- Check out the latest trending topics, articles, and news that’s happening around the globe. Sign up to become an author and have your articles read too.
- Helium- Get published and get paid by becoming an author on Helium.
- GoArticles- ‘The webs largest free content article directory’
- Article Dashboard- Search through the database of posted material or become a member and post content for yourself.
- Submit Your Article- ‘The World’s Leading Article Submission Service To Submit Articles To Hundreds Of Publishers and Websites On Autopilot’
- iSnare- Distribute your articles to thousands of article sites for only $2 and below
- Article City- Your one-stop shop for free articles
- Search Warp- Read. Write. And Discuss.
Monkey See Monkey Do: What Kind of Example Are You Setting?
August 25, 2010
Winning an argument with daughter is just about as difficult as teaching a new born algebra. A few weeks ago she was caught pointing at Tigger from Winnie the Pooh and shouting “Tigger is being stupid” and when she was confronted she argued that it was okay to say that word because SpongeBob Square Pants says it. She could have said far worse things but a 4 year old calling things stupid is unacceptable. Of course I never thought this was true because nine times out of ten my angel will pull reasons out of the sky to avoid any consequence. For example she feels that she cannot finish her dinner because someone else’s back is hurting, so hers is in too much pain to finish her veggies.
I’ll admit that the excuses are adorable, and quite hilarious but of course we as parents have to refrain ourselves from laughing at moments like this. It wasn’t until this morning when my daughter and I were watching tv with her that I actually heard SpongeBob say “Im stuuuupid” in a episode where Patrick Starfish’s parents were coming to visit him. At that very moment my daughter and I looked at one another in shock and our looks confirmed we both heard the very same thing. We knew exactly what was about to come out of my daughters mouth and not even two seconds.. “See Mommy, I told you he says it”. Try explaining why it’s okay for a children’s program to say something you don’t want the viewer to say.
What monkey sees is what monkey does. Are you displaying proper behavior around you peers? Think about it, if my 4 year old daughter is clever enough to pick up that “it’s okay to do _____, because so and so does it” anyone can. When you are with company, at work, or anywhere for that matter make sure you take a look at your actions before you are so quick to judge why other people are doing something. Perhaps they are picking up some bad habits from you. It’s easier to have the mentality “Don’t do as I do, do as I say” rather than step up to the plate and take responsibilities for your own actions.
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August 20, 2010
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Handshake Etiquette: How to Properly Shake Hands
August 11, 2010
Have you ever shaken someone’s hand and instantly felt every bone in your fingers break to pieces? Or, even worse, felt as if you were shaking the hand of a dead fish?
True: Handshakes have been around since the birth of civilization.
False: Everyone knows how to shake a hand.
Firm handshake – this means you too ladies! Obviously the goal here isn’t to break the person’s hand, but by having a firm handshake it show that you are confident, mean business, and excludes a professional demeanor and attitude. A handshake can tell a lot about a person and believe it or not there is a right and wrong way of something so simple.
When you go to shake someone’s hand, take notice where your hand is being placed. If your hand is positioned on top this means either you or the person shaking your hand thinks that you are better than them. If you are positioned on the bottom, it means you or the person feels that you are the lesser of the two. Make sure your hands are parallel; this shows that you both are equal.
Next step, allow them to grip your hand first, if someone shakes your hand softly, this means you should speak to him or her softly, if it is firm, speak to him or her with more authority.
Communication through a handshake is very powerful and it is one of the key elements in getting to know who it is you are speaking with and it is YOUR first point of identifying with
this person and making yourself known!
And one more element to your first met and greet. When introducing yourself, make sure you look at your partner directly in their eyes and have constant eye contact. Wandering eyes is a dead giveaway of lack of confidence or respect.
The Do’s and Don’ts: How to Effectively Network Your Business
August 4, 2010
If you haven’t already it’s time to crawl out of your comfort zone and start introducing yourself! If you are attending an upcoming meet up event, seminar, or anywhere where there will be a room full of business executives you will have to learn how to network successfully. Here are the basic do’s and don’ts on how to effectively network using yourself and your business.
DO reach out and stay connected. The key to networking is communication, engaging, and connecting. Never assume that you are important enough to never have to approach people, even if you’re already a celebrity. Stay connected with people by picking up the phone every now and then; send them a tweet, an email, anything to keep you engaged with your peers.
DON’T presume or make distinctions while meeting people, never ever judge ANYBODY. You never know who you might be talking to. Remember: It’s not always about who you know.. it’s about who THEY might know. Draw your conclusions after you have spoken to them, if necessary.
DO circulate when you meet people in a group setting. Don’t confine yourself to one crowd and not talk to anyone else, this is not high school. Get around the room and introduce yourself and express interest in what others are doing in their line of business, who knows maybe they’ll reciprocate and ask you about your business.
DON’T ramble or go off track when describing your work, mission, or who you are. Work on your “elevator speech”. It is said that you should always be prepared to tell an individual what you do in the time it would take you to get 5 floors down in an elevator (usually 30 seconds). Stay focused and on track. Keep it simple and to the point, if they have questions they will ask. No one likes a person that throws up a world of knowledge within the first 5 minutes of introducing themselves.
DO look you best when going to a meeting or seminar. Look friendly, approachable, and likeable rather than stiff, uncomfortable, and overly flattering. Stand with self confidence. Hold your head up high, but not too high. And of course.. Always remember to smile.
DON’T come off as a sales person. The objective of networking is to meet people not scare them away with high pressure sales tactics. Believe me when I say if they are interested they will inquire. If the person you are talking to is interested in your services, schedule another time with them to meet and discuss the details outside of the networking event.
DO listen. Listen, listen, listen! Counter questions, inquire details, and offer suggestions when asked for them. Listening goes a long way.
If Your Why Doesn’t Make You Cry Then It’s Not Good Enough
August 2, 2010
“If your why doesn’t make you cry then it’s not good enough.”
For every action there is a cause behind it. What is your reason for succeeding? Is it to keep your family off the streets? Really analyze your reason for getting out of bed every morning and doing whatever it is that you do. Don’t say “Because I need money”. It can’t be money, it has to be something stronger than that. Every one needs money, we all know that. Really dig deep down inside and find your reason.
This week ask yourself: What is my motivation to succeed?
Time Management Tips
July 30, 2010
Have you been feeling the need to be more organized or productive lately? Have you spent your day in a frenzy of activity and wondered where your time was spent since very little has gotten accomplished?
Time management skill is essential, especially for small business people who often find themselves wondering where the hours of the day went. Here are some basic time management tips to help you stay calm, collective, and productive during your next work day.
Find out where you’re wasting your time.
The first step to effective time management is figuring out where your time is going. What are your time bandits? Chatting with coworkers at the water cooler, surfing the net, reading emails, making personal calls, or getting caught up in office drama – any of these sound familiar? Start your day off by tracking your daily activities so you can form an accurate picture of what you do on a day to day basis.
Create daily goals.
Remember, the focus of time management is changing your everyday behavior, not changing time. Every morning before your “shift” make a list of all the things you would like to accomplish for the day. Using tools like Remember The Milk, Central Desktop, or Google Tasks can increase your productivity by keeping a list on your desktop, online, or downloaded as an app to your phone. Once you’ve accomplished the goal you’ve set for the day just check it off and move to the next task. Try setting specific goals, for example if you work in a call center set a goal for how many calls you would like to make that day. Put a little pep into your day by challenge yourself to exceed your goal.
Execute a time management plan with a schedule.
Thoroughly plan out your day and if possible try planning your entire week. Try to structure your week by setting timelines. For example from 9:00 to 11:00 I will focus on ____ and from 11:05 to 12:30 I will accomplish _______. Track how long you think each goal would take for you to achieve and then mark it in your calendar. If you’re working on a project that takes more than a day’s time then it’s best to track your progress with milestones. For larger projects break them down and dissect what you have do to complete it on time while giving it your full attention to detail. Using Central Desktop and other tools can help with this as well. Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks.
Prioritize ruthlessly.
If you take a look at my daily plan you will realize that I have dozens of little goals, and even more big goals. Learn to PRIORTIZE. If you have 10 different tasks to do for the day figure out how many of them you truly need to accomplish. Always put the most important things at the very top of your list to make sure they get done. Once you start a project, follow through till the very end (unless of course you are breaking it down into milestones)
Learn to delegate and outsource your work.
No matter how small or how large your business is there’s no reason to feel like a one man band. For effective time management try passing some of the work to someone else whether it would be a co-worker or a virtual assistant. Find someone who specializes in your field and have them take on some of the load. Ways To Utilize a Virtual Assistant gives you a variety of services to delegate to a virtual assistant. Make sure to do your due diligence and research a virtual assistant prior to hiring them. Here’s a list of Questions You Should Ask a Virtual Assistant during the interviewing process.
Be sure your surroundings are organized.
Nothing frustrates me more than a cluttered mess. Make sure your surroundings are neat, clean, organized, and everything is easy to find. This includes computer documents, folders, and filing systems. A big hunk of time can be lost chasing missing items. Try avoiding this as much as possible by organizing your office.
Don’t waste any more time. PERIOD
In the end you control your time, you are in charge of your actions, and you have the power how your day is being spent. Once you come to grips with how to effectively manage your time you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. An old friend of mine often says “You can either make money or you can make excuses – but you can’t make both”
Which do you choose?
Questions To Ask a Potential Virtual Assistant
July 23, 2010
As a savvy business owner, you know you can’t do everything yourself. Whether you’re looking to spend more time focusing on growing your business or more time at home with the family, you recognize that you need help. Question is where can you find it? Virtually of course! Virtual Assistants (VA) CAN be found just about anywhere, on Twitter, Facebook, Google, you name it – we’re there. Finding a VA is never a challenge, however finding an exceptional virtual assistant is where the mystery lies at hand.
Quality VA’s are a dime a dozen, and it’s important to distinguish which VA suites your business needs best before you make a final decision. How do you do that? Not to worry, I’ll guide you in the right direction. Here is a sample list of the right questions to ask a potential virtual assistant before you sign on the dotted line.
1. How long have you been a virtual assistant?
2. What kind of experience do you have with __list a task you are looking to delegate__?
3. What projects do you enjoy working on the most? What are your specialties?
4. How will we communicate together on projects?
5. What is your level of competences with _list services your might be inquiring about_?
6. What are your working hours? Do you work weekends or holidays?
7. What is your average time to complete projects? Do you have any rush service charges if I need something done within a 24 / 48 period time frame?
8. How many clients do you currently support? How many hours per week / month do you have available to take on my potential projects?
9. May I have some referrals of other clients you are currently or have previously served?
10. Will you sign a confidentiality agreement?
Ways To Better Utilize Your Virtual Assistant
July 21, 2010
Stumped on ways to better utilize your VA or don’t quite know what tasks you might be able to delegate to a virtual assistant? VAsolutionsNOW offers a variety of services to reduce stress and help simplify your life . Our time saving service solutions are guaranteed to give you the piece of mind you deserve. Our certified Virtual Assistant organization has been built on bringing you the highest standards and quality to enhance your business and life to be worry free. Below are just a few ways out of the thousands of ways you can utilize our services:
Personal Concierge Services
* Appointment scheduling and confirmation
* Travel arrangements and accommodations
* Reminder services
* Gift shopping and purchasing
* Making sure all bills get paid on time
* Email management and filtering
* Write and send personalized thank you, birthday, and holiday cards
* Voicemail and messaging screening
* Bulk emailing
Online Business Services
* Internet Research
* Scheduling meetings and events
* PowerPoint Presentations
* Proof reading and editing
* Online reputation management
* Social media strategy and implementation
* Web site content and development
* Ghost writing and blogging
* Submitting articles to online sites
* Social media marketing
* Video marketing
* Updating websites
* Transcription services
* Word processing
* Database management and processing
* Desktop Publishing
* Contact management and organization
* Formats and creates newsletters
* Sets up user accounts on social networks
* Monitor website traffic
* Promote your website
* Radio and Television bookings
* Write advertisements
* Real Estate assistance
* Marketing support
* Auto responders
* Set up telesummits / teleseminars / webinars
**All legal and ethical requests will be taken into consideration. Contact us for a consultation if you do not see your required service listed**
Romantic or Practicable? What Kind Of Gift Would You Prefer?
July 6, 2010
On July 4th my better half and I celebrated our one year anniversary. As many of you already know shopping for anniversary presents isn’t exactly an easy task. Trying to find something that is fitting, romantic, and something they would enjoy can be tough, but let me ask you this. Why does it have to be romantic? I understand it’s the anniversary, and it’s built around love and celebration, however lets say you and your husband go out on a romantic night on the town — how much would you estimate the cost for that? A hundred dollars maybe? Depending on the festivities of the evening you can wind up spending an easy $500?
This year we decided to try something new. Rather then spending hundreds of dollars on something that only lasts a 
night we exchanged romantic for practicability. Last week my printer took a leap off the deep end and decided that it was no longer going to fulfill its duties in my office. So with that said, my darling gifted me a new printer / fax / scanner / copier that was obviously very much needed since I print about a million and one things. BRILLIANT!
Of course I wasn’t thinking of being as genus as him and decided to go the romantic way and create a masterpiece using my Mac and wrapped a few other surprises here and there. Now here’s the funny part, I wrapped 4 different items and hid them around the house and now can only remember where I placed two out of the four presents. So somewhere around here lies two nifty gifts waiting for his hands to tear open. I wonder if I can convince my daughter to do an early Easter egg hunt for Daddy, only search for wrapped gifts rather then plastic candy filled eggs?
Note to self: When hiding something, make sure to write down where you placed everything to avoid confusion.
So let me ask you this.. romantic or practicable? What kind of gift would you prefer?
**VA TIP: If you are having your virtual assistant shop for your next anniversary gift make sure to give them ideas not only what your significant other may want, but ask for ideas on things they might just need too **
