BUSI-SMALL BUSINESS - 5

I.How to Avoid Major Pitfalls with Your Business Credit Card

You’ve started a business and now you need to start acquiring items for that business, everything from inventory to the office supplies. Plastic in hand, you run full steam ahead toward – debt! Instead of making your dream of profit come true, you are watching said profit going out the door to pay your credit card payments that include high interest. One day, thousands of dollars down the road, you may suddenly turn around and ask yourself what happened.

Of course, simply having a business credit card is not a bad thing. It’s the type of card you end up with that counts, and the costs associated with it. Do your homework. Look into the various types of credit card products out there. Look for ones that have low APR’s (Annual Percentage Rates), low or no annual fees, and always pay very close attention to late fees and other penalties. Last look for a card that suits your business in terms of what you want to gain from it, like points for travel, rebates on products or supplies, and other benefits that have real value to you and your business.

Simple rules

It is easier to borrow money on a credit card than it is to go get a bank loan – easier but costlier, of course. Cardholders are given large amounts of credit that not every individual can handle, and human frailties apply to business people, too. The number one rule is: Don’t mix business purchases with personal purchases. Also, be sure to pay your bill on time every month. According to American Express, they collect $2.9 billion dollars a year in late fees alone. Late fees cost you money and they can increase your interest rates as well.

A very important, and often overlooked rule is to “know your own money limits” and learn how to manage you credit card. Try to purchase things with cash instead of using credit. If you do use your credit card, be sure to pay it off at the end of the month. Don’t get caught up in huge, revolving debt that you know you will not be able to carry indefinitely. Do not risk your credit rating and get caught up a vicious circle of debt. And don’t forget that, at some point after you’ve had your card and are making payments on time, you can call the credit card company and ask them lower your interest rate. They just might do it.\

Also be careful with introductory offers. Many card companies offer interest-free periods just to bait you. Once that period is over, rates can then rise to, or past, the 18.9% national average. Cash advances are also sometimes very expensive. Before you take out cash from the ATM using your credit card, check to see how much the interest rate for cash advances is going to be. Cash advance interest rates can be more expensive than rates charged for regular purchases, and there is also a surcharge of $5 or more.

Use it, don’t abuse it

Remember, try to make the most of your credit card. If you can obtain a low interest “rewards” card that promises cash back at the gasoline station, why not use it? Small businesses can save a lot of money by using their rewards correctly. A small construction company can charge materials at the local hardware store and reap the rewards benefits at the same time. It all adds up. But you have to be paying attention to the numbers!

Lastly, always use your business credit cards responsibly. Don’t fall into the traps that many people often do. Use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to charge your next purchase on your card. If the items that you are purchasing are not necessities, than pay by cash or go without. It is very easy to forget that every time you swipe that card you are incurring debt. Once that debt gets beyond control it becomes a beast to maintain.

If you use your card wisely than you are in control, as opposed to the card issuer being in control of you. You will not likely be able to charge your way to success, or borrow your way into better revenues. But the credit cards you have can finance your good ideas and help you keep working hard toward your goals. And if you end up making bad decisions that get you financially stressed, remember this old saying: It’s a poor carpenter who blames his tools. Credit is a tool, so use it – don’t abuse it.

II. Internet Marketing Strategy: 5 Essential Secrets

The biggest internet marketing strategy mistake I see small business owners making is they treat their website as some kind of "add-on" to the business. Most of them have a website at all only because they get the feeling they "have to", and because everyone else has one, they ought to have one, too.

But the truth is, a bad website can be worse than no website at all - and most small business owners do indeed have bad websites.

Why do I sat they're bad?

Because they're actually nothing more than boring online brochures. And the reason for this is your average website designer might know website and graphic design inside out, but he's not a marketer.

Big Clue: don't EVER leave your internet marketing strategy in the hands of anyone but a professional marketer with documented results to prove his abilities. Better yet, study and learn the subject for yourself.

So to that end, here are 5 essential secrets to get you started.

1. Use Multiple Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Website

One of the most important rules in marketing is don't rely on any one marketing medium to bring you customers. You're too vulnerable. If something changes or stops working, you can suddenly be left with (literally) no new business coming in.

Unlikely?

Yes, but it happens. Imagine you've got a high Google ranking and then for whatever reason you lose it. If you were relying on that, you're in trouble. And it does happen. Google don't owe you anything and they change their algorithms constantly.

So use multiple methods in your internet marketing strategy: pay per click, article marketing, forums, blogs. Even banner ads have enjoyed something of resurgence. So test as many different ways as you can think of, and if they make a profit for you, keep using them.

2. Grab Your Visitors' Attention For More Than 8 Seconds

According to the research, you have on average 8 seconds in which to persuade your website visitors to stay on your site, before they lose interest and go somewhere else.

This means you have to present them with a compelling reason to stay. And the first thing they see on every page is your headline, so if it's your logo and company name, you have just lost them. This is why the headline was invented and continues to he used. Because it works.

It's also why you really do need to learn how to write passable sales copy as part of your internet marketing strategy.

You don't have to aspire to being the next Robert Collier, but it's an essential skill for all business owners, whether they like it or not. As a minimum you need to tell the difference between good sales copy and bad sales copy so you know if your copywriter is trying to sell you a lemon (I've seen it happen, to the tune of $9,000, too).

3. Embrace The AIDA Formula And Use It On Every Page

Every page on your website has a purpose, and if you want to make any money that purpose is always going to be to get your visitors responding to you in some way (and ultimately you'll want them to buy from you).
So every page is to some extent a sales page, and so should follow the AIDA formula: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

No exceptions, not even in your "about us" page. Because, while this might upset you, no one is interested in you beyond wanting to know what you can do for them. It's a fact of business life. Get used to it.

This is why I talk of an internet marketing strategy. It's not just a random collection of "stuff". It's all put together to achieve a purpose.

4. Use Offline Media To Drive Traffic Online

One of my favourite advertising techniques is to drive traffic online from small, very cheap-to-place ads in the relevant media.

The beauty of this internet marketing strategy is you can very tightly focus your ad and get a dedicated domain to match and send all the traffic there, all for a fraction of the price of a traditional offline media ad.

And of course, internet "real estate" is dirt cheap so you have the luxury of telling your whole "story" using as many words and other media as you like.

Try it (especially now, when offline advertising space is really, Really, REALLY cheap!).

5. Concentrate On Building Relationships Not Selling!

This might sound a bit Zen... but if you stop trying to sell all the time you will ultimately sell more.

See, selling is a process not an event, and the way to do more of it is to concentrate on that process.

You'll know a certain percentage of the people who visit your site will buy from you. That realisation suddenly makes your whole internet marketing strategy a whole lot simpler, because now you can stop sweating and fretting over the event of selling to each prospect and instead concentrate on the process of marketing.

The easiest way to kick this off is to set the purpose of your website's landing pages or points of entry to be "name gathering" pages. Once you get your visitors' details (and there are many ways of doing this), you can make the sale in the ongoing relationship you have with them by email and other media, such as direct mail.

This also means you can usually streamline your entire website, because you're not trying to accomplish hundreds of different things with it - often you can reduce it to name-capture, relationship-building elements such as a blog, and a shopping-cart (for the people you eventually get to return to make a purchase).

See, your internet marketing strategy doesn't have to be complicated or expensive... but it DOES have to be thought out.

HEALTH-WORK PLACE BURNOUT -4

I.The most suitable one to your lifestyle

As time is changing our lifestyles are also becoming more luxurious. In that case normally obesity rises as a mass problem. Indifferent lifestyle coupled with the lack of physical activities is frequently correlated to obesity. This problem occurs because extra calories and less physical activity.

Some people suffer from obesity because they don’t have any control over their appetite and they never desire to do any physical activity. Fat deposits in their body everyday and that finally convert in to obesity. We can not fully blame changing lifestyle for obesity because there are also hormonal disorders that can cause obesity but it was visible in only 10% cases rest 90% were because of bad eating and working habits.


But it really forces to ponder over that problem that 25 on every 100 persons are suffering from problem of extra weight. It seems very funny to suggest for such a weight loose program which consumes maximum hours of your day cause in such a fast running and busy life no one has time to spend on their weight loose program. For present fast running life the solution should be fast and easy and of course less time consuming. Nothing is impossible in present high tech era and that is also possible to loose weight without wasting much time on weight loose program.

Diet pills and appetite suppressant drugs are eve ready answer to every problem related to your extra weight. Phentermine is that drug that can sort out your problem without demanding much time and money and that is the only one solution which suits to your lifestyle and habits. Even buying Phentermine is also very convenient and suitable to your lifestyle. You can order phentermine to any online supplier and can also get discount phentermine anywhere you want.


Nothing is as suitable as this to your lifestyle which can save your time and hard earned money. Of course there is no doubt in effectiveness of this drug cause millions of people are witness of its wonderful results. Try this out and be one more to tell its surprisingly quick results to others but you will feel its wonder only after using it so take a step towards it and feel how your can change just through a wise decision.

II. Home Business Burnout: What To Do When Doubt Creeps In


We've all been there before. Your website isn't pulling in any hits and your advertising campaign is a bust. The leads you've been contacting either don't want what you have or couldn't handle it if they wanted to. Your trying like mad to make something for yourself to avoid having to go back to a dreaded J.O.B. but it seems like all of your efforts are in vain. In the beginning, you were psyched, motivated and driven to succeed in a business where 99% of people fail. You had confidence in yourself. You were willing to do whatever it took to reach your goals and make it to the top. So what happened?

Well, somewhere down the line, you dropped the ball. No, it has nothing to do with what kind of leads you are using, or your advertising budget. You dropped the ball when you invited a very unwelcome guest into your home business enterprise...your own doubting ego. Ego is a vicious fighter. It must be right at all costs. It lives and breathes to remain unscathed. As soon as you step out of your comfort zone and take a risk, your ego stands up at attention and tries to talk some sense into you. "There are so many people who don't make it in this business...who am I kidding?" "Maybe I should just cut my losses and get out now. At least I tried."

When you fall for these tricks, ego rests easy, knowing that it's got you by the throat and you'll be hard pressed to take such risks again. Safety. Security. The familiar. These are what keeps ego alive. The problem with that is that life is always changing. Our existence from moment to moment is changing. Our bodies completely regenerate...every single cell of our body is totally recreated within the course of two years. But, in spite of the fact that change is the only constant, ego thinks it can get by without it.

It's easy to blame the economy, the advertising, or just 'bad luck' as the reason why most home businesses fail. But the truth is more difficult to accept. The truth is that we are slaves to our ego. We are the destroyers, through listening to that niggling voice in our head and giving our power over to it. We cannot stand the thought of failure or being laughed at even if we are the only ones doing the laughing.

When you begin to realize the tight grip your ego has over every aspect of your being, you see that the road ahead is indeed a long one. But there's hope! You can begin to quiet the voice of the ego. It takes dedication...not just to your website and your advertising. It takes dedication to yourself...the real you that's been sacrificed at the mercy of ego. The real you that knows that anything is possible and that you deserve to succeed.

The very best way to take control of your ego is to adopt the habit of daily meditation. As you come to know stillness each day, little by little you can chip away at that annoying ego, revealing in the space between your thoughts; the essence of who you truly are. Know this part of yourself, and you will be more able to keep ego at bay. Visualize your goals as if they have already happened.

We create our reality by the thoughts that we think in each moment. Refuse to allow the negativity and doubt to creep in. When you recognize yourself having a doubting thought, do not give it one more millisecond in your head. Replace it with a positive affirmation or a powerful image of yourself being as successful as you want to be.

Get to know yourself in your head as you aspire to be, not as you 'think' you are. Assume success with every fiber of your being. Intend to be successful. Give thanks for your success, in advance and often. You will see things begin to go your way. You will see the success that you envision begin to manifest in your external life. Make each thought a positive and valuable thought. Hold lofty goals and assume that they are being made manifest, no matter what ego tells you is 'reality'. We create our own reality, with or without ego's input.

Running a home based business takes more than organization, time management and good luck. It takes faith and a consistent desire to succeed. Throw ego out the window and create success for yourself one thought at a time.

III.Don’t Let Workplace Burnout Destroy Your Life

It used to be called "mid-life crisis" – and haven’t all of us joked about it – a turmoil and discomfort that literally turns life upside down.

Nowadays this syndrome is being recognized as “work place burnout” and it is becoming more widespread and is affecting men and women alike throughout the entire workforce. Work place burnout has been pinned as the main cause of reduced morale and absenteeism.

WHO IS AFFECTED?

You may be experiencing the symptoms of work place burnout even if you are as young as 30 years of age, though most people affected are in their early 40’s.

Some people experience a sudden grief and loss, while others perceive that something is changing but it may take several years to manifest.

Are you feeling a lack of personal achievement and satisfaction at work? This is one of the early warning signs. Is going to work a time-consuming drudgery and work itself a day-long bore? Do frustration levels increase exponentially as you grapple with life issues - which could show that you are not in control? If so, you're not alone. You're on the downhill slide to work place burnout.

Don’t expect your spouse or boss to understand what you are going through, as workplace burnout is extremely personal in nature – you’re having the crisis, not them! You may be led to blame your spouse or boss for the way you’re feeling, as they seem to be the closest source of your pain and angst.

However if your condition is true work place burnout then you will need professional help to shift your perceptions into a more realistic balance.

There are emotional and physical symptoms associated with what you are going through.

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

The emotional symptoms usually show up as the first sign that you are burnt out. You may often feel an unrelenting stress, lack enthusiasm, have a sense of loss of control as well as experience an unexplainable grief.

You may want to blame those around you for the way you feel, but this rarely resolves the inner turmoil that you are experiencing.

In severe cases of work place burnout people experience thoughts of suicide, and even in mild cases the thought of total detachment through this means may seem to be a way out.

Many people who experience the emotional symptoms often show up at the doctor seeking help with a loss of spark in their personality. “Nothing I do is worth it anymore,” they say.

This feeling often results in a loss of productivity and creativity. It also fuels negativity and cynicism, with a quickness to get angry and blame others. Over time you may find solace in detaching yourself from others, however this rarely resolves the issue.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Work place burnout also affects your body. The feeling of “never being able to do enough” may drive you to work extensively long hours in an effort to catch up.

You may be losing sleep over your sense of failure to achieve anything meaningful, which in turn leads to physical exhaustion.

Physical exhaustion may take the form of headaches, physical shaking from head to foot, inability to think clearly and being unable to relax.

Physical exhaustion also causes you to lose your natural communication ability, so communication between your spouse and children, your boss or co-workers may sometimes become explosive.

There is also the possibility of experiencing gastrointestinal problems as your body is unable to cope with extensively long hours of work.

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

People experiencing work place burnout need to take time out of their busy lives to confront the underlying issues that are causing them stress. There is no easy fix – and the solution that you arrive at is most likely going to place you on a different life course than the one you have been traveling.

One method of finding the root cause of your uneasiness is to use a notepad and start writing out your thoughts. The thoughts, impressions and images that are filling your mind can be captured and you will be able to identify a pattern, which in turn you may be able to address.

A further use of your notepad is to go into a deeper realm of writing to discover the thoughts and impressions that are flooding your spirit. In a quiet environment spend at least one hour with your eyes closed and write down the thoughts that come to you. As you perform this activity, your thoughts should change from first person to third person as your focus shifts from your head to your inner being. It’s as if you can hear someone else talking to you and giving you direction and counsel.

A visit to your local General Practitioner may also help you cope with the effects on your body due to workplace burnout. Prescription medication may be given to assist you to relax and get your body rested again, while you sort through the underlying issues. You may be prescribed relaxants or sleeping aides. You may also be referred to a gastroenterologist if the need exists.

Finally, the most efficient way of resolving work place burnout is to rely on the services of a professional counselor. A trained counselor can travel this journey with you. Their assistance can help make the hard decisions become easy as you work through the process of resolving the cause of your work place burnout, so that you can be on track for a happy and healthy life once again.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT -3

I.How To Prepare For Business Disasters

If you, like most people, think that starting a business is the toughest part of entrepreneurship, allow us to change your view. Managing a successful business year after year, while ensuring that it is protected from harm, is even more challenging. Tense, already? Take it easy! … We are here to give you some tips on how to prepare yourself to face business disasters Disaster Management and Preparedness (Occupational Safety and Health Guide Series).

It might happen some day. Despite not being located in a disaster-prone area, calamity like wind storms, tornadoes and earthquakes can hit any time with little or no warning, destroying your entire business. Even if a flood doesn’t put your business under water, it may distance your customers and suppliers. Alternatively, lengthy illness, accident or unexpected death of one of your business’ co-founders can also mean the collapse of your company.

Hence, while running the business, you should have a plan of how you will handle catastrophe. Although, you cannot be hundred percent sure that you have covered all the unpleasant possibilities, here are some simple steps that can help protect your business and its assets. Let’s talk about them.

1. Find out what might go wrong:

First of all, list out what could go wrong with your business. Once you have identified the threats, you need to rank them in order of maximum impact and likelihood.

Next, assess how vulnerable your business is to those calamities. For example, think about whether the employees are properly trained on an appropriate course of action to be taken in the face of natural calamity. If you’re worried about security issues, find out whether the company’s security system is capable of thwarting insider theft. Other exigencies include sudden power failure, an accident on the work site or incapacitation of key staff members.

2. Write down a plan:

Your next job is to create an ‘emergency action plan” Disaster Management and Preparedness (Occupational Safety and Health Guide Series) (Hardcover)
by Thomas D. Schneid (Author), Larry R. Collins. It is basically a manually written document for dealing with the identified threats to your business. The modules of your plan must make sense, and also be in conformity with prevailing law. For instance in the United States, it should contain an OSHA-directed evacuation plan; must follow the Sarbanes-Oxley antifraud law; should not contradict the provisions of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the National Fire Protection Association’s Life-Safety Code and so on.

Let’s give you an idea of how to go about that emergency action plan.

I. A list of people responsible for assessing the degree of risk to the business should be clearly included.

II. A list of names and designations of people who are responsible for making decisions, checking response actions, and bringing the business back to its normal operations should be incorporated. Make sure that someone responsible is in charge of contacting emergency service providers. In addition, nominate a person to act as a contact point for outside parties, such as customers and vendors.

III. Instructions about the proper handling of various machinery and equipment must be included.

IV. Guidelines on emergency rescue operations, medical tasks, fire fighting and other activities must be provided.

3. Sit with your people:

Once you are through with drafting the plan, sit down with your employees to discuss it. Your people should be properly informed about all the threats that could strike, and what they are expected to do in the event of disaster.

If they seem to have no prior experience of handling any type of business crisis, you had better arrange a trial run for them. It might also result in your employees devising a more efficient strategy of tackling a business disasterDisaster Management and Preparedness (Occupational Safety and Health Guide Series) (Hardcover)
by Thomas D. Schneid (Author), Larry R. Collins.

4. Inform the people concerned:

You are also supposed to inform the authorities and other service providers about the identified threats and the action plan you have prepared to deal with them. During a crisis, the concerned people are typically the police, the local fire department and the emergency medical service.

It is a proven fact that those businesses that acquainted the authorities with this information lost less in times of trouble. At the same time, being experienced in handling emergencies, they can provide you with valuable advice on how to improve your preparedness Disaster Management and Preparedness (Occupational Safety and Health Guide Series) (Hardcover)
by Thomas D. Schneid (Author), Larry R. Collins.

While these measures may help your business recover from the ravages of disaster, it might still reel under the aftermath of calamity. Often, injured parties might sue your business for damages suffered on its premises. Another time we’ll talk about how you can save your company from being dragged into court at the end of a business disaster, and how to come out on top, should the worst happen.

II. 3 Steps to Planning a Security Policy

It is common for many companies to notice a security problem and then immediately look for technology solutions to plug up the hole. In the end, companies wonder why they have an abundance of solutions that do not efficiently secure company assets. This is where planning becomes a necessity.

The Importance of Planning
Planning your security policy requires a close analysis of employee behavior in different job roles and is also the time for company security goals to be articulated. Having problems and goals evaluated simultaneously makes it easier to come up with all-encompassing solutions that will be effective and advantageous for all. A good rule of thumb when planning a security policy is to base the policy around risks rather than technology. A policy should not change as the technology changes.(1)

The Planning Stage helps to address this, by focusing on employee behavior. This is crucial because, changes in policy often start with changes in procedure.

Organizations need to understand that much of information security and privacy work that needs to be done are people-based [regarding] policies, procedures, training, awareness [and] response activities.(2)

Planning Your Security Policy
There are three factors to keep in mind when planning your policy. The first requires you to express the goals of your policy. What are you trying to accomplish? What are you trying to protect? The second step requires you to scan the work environment and identify vulnerabilities that exist within current processes. The final step asks you to create a plan of action that will help alleviate the flaws. All are equal contributors to planning success.

Step 1: Setting Goals for Your Security Policy
Your security policy goals should run parallel with the goals set for your company. For example, if your company is customer oriented, then a goal of your security policy should be to protect your customer and their data through use of encryption and network security.

Furthermore, all parties should play a role in goal setting. This is crucial because if a security breach was to occur, each department plays a different role in the recovery process, as well as in re-evaluating procedures for policy improvement. Global involvement allows each department time to invest in the policy, ensuring a higher level of cooperation when the time comes to implement the policy.

Step 2: Identifying Security Vulnerabilities
A company must examine existing procedures and identify all processes that pose a security risk. For example, policies regarding data management; how data is protected during storage, how long it is kept and proper methods for data deletion are common pains in the corporate world. Some questions that may help identify such vulnerability include:

• What types of sensitive information does your company handle?
• Which department handles each piece of sensitive information?
• Is sensitive information stored with non-sensitive information?

Such questions should spur some thought as to what changes need to be made in order to begin alleviating the risks that accompany current processes within departments.

Step 3: Creating a Plan of Action
After identifying which processes require change, create a plan of action for mitigating these risks. Each plan should consider how long it will take for the each change to occur, what type of training is necessary for each individual/department to meet the newly adopted standards and also what responsibilities each individual/department can be held accountable for (i.e. how often are gap analyses(3) regarding security conducted and who conducts them?)

Other challenges include budget limitations and optimizing upon security measures while still adhering to auditing standards. Such measures “should be traceable from one document to another so that audits can easily verify that policies are being enforced.”(4) If technology solutions are an option, comparing different products may be helpful.

After procedures have been established, decision makers should be able to identify “which personnel roles are responsible for which activities, which activities need to be logged, [and] how often inspections and reviews are done internally.”(5) They should also have followed up with a procedure for making additional changes to the policy in the future.

Security Policies to the Rescue
Security policies are a necessary element to prevent your business from facing disaster. “Information security and privacy cannot be a band-aid-add-on after a product or system has been launched; it must be incorporated into the mindset of all personnel,”(6) with ample time and training provided to ensure internalization.

Now that you have your security policy planned out, it’s time for policy implementation. But before you try putting your security policy into action, read Implementing Your Security Policy to get some implementation tips.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT -2

I. How Gantt Charts Can Help Avoid Disaster

Having run 15 months late on completion of a construction project, a building company incurred extensive penalty charges, which eventually led to its closure. Not having any project gantt charts indirectly led to the company's failure.

Background
In my article 'Gantt Charts, Pert Charts - What Use are They?' I said that Gantt Charts are useful tools to help you manage better, but they won't give you all the answers. What I didn't say is that not having a Gantt Chart can be disastrous: a company recently went into receivership, partly because it didn't have Gantt Charts showing the critical paths on a major construction project.

Penalty Charges
The original contract for the construction of a block of flats did not include a dated project plan showing the critical path. When changes to the specification were made by the customer, no plan revisions could be produced to show how these changes would affect the project end date. The flats were finally ready for handover some 15 months later than the original agreed end date, leading to penalty charges.

In order to contest the penalty charges, the company needed to show:

1 The handover date specified in the contract was possible within the original specification.

2 That the end date was bound to slip because of the extra tasks and extended durations caused by the customer's changes.
All they had was a series of spreadsheets listing the tasks undertaken: a new spreadsheet was created when each change was made. The spreadsheets didn't show the variances from the original plan, nor what the impact of those changes was on the project dates.

How Gantt Charts Would Have Helped
If they had created a Gantt Chart at the contract stage, they would have had a baseline plan against which they could monitor their progress.

When the customer requested amendments to the specification, the company could have added in the necessary extra tasks and changed the durations of the existing tasks as required: this would have clearly shown the handover date slippage. The customer could then have been called upon to sign an amendment to contract, agreeing a revised end date.

Without these tools, the company was unable to prove that the delay was not caused by their own inefficiencies (although it could be argued that trying to manage a complex construction project without using appropriate planning tools is an indication of inefficiency in itself).

Conclusion
If you are called upon to manage a project for a customer where time is of the essence, you need to use appropriate tools, such as gantt charts, to monitor the plan and work out the impact of changed circumstances, and communicate the changes to all concerned.

II.Prosci's change management methodology

Prosci's change management methodology is based on research with over 1600 participants over the last ten years. What is unique about the methodology is that it comes from real project leaders and teams reflecting on what worked, what did not and what they would do differently on their next projects. At its core, Prosci's methodology is the collective lessons learned by those introducing change across the globe. Based on this research, Prosci's goal has been to develop a methodology that is holistic and at the same time easy to use. The resulting process, tools and assessments have been developed with one goal in mind: that you can put them to use on your projects, building your (and your organization's) own internal change management skill set. Below is a high-level overview of Prosci's methodology.

HEALTH - PREGNANCY - 1

I. Why Is There Teenage Early Pregnancy?

Teenage pregnancy today is an outbreak! However, we love life, in any angle; the child she is carrying is innocent to be blamed. The girl will suffer all the consequences from the moment she knew that she is pregnant. It will change her mental, physical and emotional aspects. The guy suffers too. He will carry all the words and blames more if he will run out of the situation.

Teenage life is where cases of sexual desires tend to happen. There is an urge to do something that they knew is not for their stage. They might learn from their respective lessons about contraceptives and how it is done, sex. In anyways, they must know what is wrong and right things to do, their limitations. Emotion is the number one enemy of teenagers and it should be controlled.

There are different ways to avoid your children to engage in these situations. It is all must start at home.

Most of the times, at their early age, they get pregnant because of their family problems. Broken family, financial problem, emotional problem were common causes. They believed that they can run from their families if they will raise their own with a boyfriend or someone else. They sometimes blame their parents when not properly attended or when there is no good communication at all. They might feel alone and find companion with boyfriend or friends. The delicate part is when they were subjected to drugs, smoking, drinking, illegal things and sexual activities that cause unexpected pregnancy too.

In some cases, rape is an issue. This sometimes causes pregnancy and destruction of dignity as well.

Sometimes youth believed that they know all things happening around them. They try to experiment and get curios. Out of curiosity, innocence and emotional awareness, they do things like sex a game only. They did not even think what this act can result.

The feeling of must-admit-mistake is not easy to accept. You might ask yourself, "How about my future?", "My parents, they will be disappointed!'. I'm pretty sure they are! No parents will have fun seeing their child at early age is suffering from big responsibility.

In this situation, learn to say sorry though they cannot turn right the result. Accept the fact that you made a big mistake. Well it is not a mistake if there is love they say, but the fact that it happened at a wrong time, it is. Good conversations between the two parties are needed. Talk carefully; very well, do not let your anger rises rather than the mission to end well the negotiation.

Parents will never let their child carry all the burdens. Give them support and advice them. In that case, they will realize and learn from that situation. Never tell that they were no longer part of your family, because nobody can change the fact that they are from your blood.

Remember, blood is thicker than water! Believe that sooner or later, they can prove their selves to you, parents.


II. Find Ways to Pay for Medical Expenses During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also be quite stressful. The extra expenses of prenatal care and preparing for the new baby are overwhelming for many women.

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, your spouse and your baby deserve to be healthy and have consistent care. Financial aid and other programs are available for women in need and their babies. The following organizations can help your partner and your baby get medical care:

• State and local health departments - They can tell you what programs are available in your area. Ask about health insurance, medical care, and how you r family can qualify for this help.

• Local hospital or social service agencies - Ask to speak with a social worker on staff. She will be able to tell you where to go for help.

• Community clinics - Some areas have free clinics or clinics that provide free care to women in need.

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program - This government program is available in every state. It provides help with food, nutritional counseling, and access to health services for women, infants and children.

• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - This program provides health insurance for children under age 18 in every state.

• Telephone book and Internet - These resources may have information on programs in your area.

Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help your family have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.

To find out about the program in your state:

• Call 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229) This toll-free telephone number will connect you to the Health Department in your area code

• Call or contact your local Health Department.

Above all, ensure a healthy pregnancy for your spouse by making sure she has a healthy diet , sleep and exercise, a stress-free life, and regular visits to the doctor. Find pregnancy tips articles and childbirth celebration ideas for dads.


III.When Your Body Knows You're Pregnant

When I was pregnant with my son, even though I didn't know it yet, my taste in foods changed radically. I remember going to my favorite seafood restaurant for a lobster dinner, and barely being able to eat a bite. Even the smell was repulsive. And the butter? Forget about it!

A few months later, when my pregnancy was confirmed, it made sense. There were a few other tell tale signs as well, and if I'm totally honest about it, deep down I knew I was pregnant, but I waited for a positive pregnancy test result before I told my husband. I talked with some of my friends about this and all of them had some sort of sign that they were indeed pregnant. Now not all of us had the same symptoms but the following is a list of the most common ones.

1. Tender breasts are the result of increased levels of estrogen and progesterone. Your breasts will retain more fluid because of the hormone rise causing your breasts to feel heavier and more sensitive than usual. They can also become quite sore. Anyone with PMS knows what this feels like!

2. All of my friends and I experienced major levels of low energy, particularly during the first trimester. I've never slept so much in my life and used to sneak off to the staff room and have power naps at lunch. If I didn't , I would literally fall asleep at my desk come 3 o'clock. There are basically two reasons for this fatigue; your heart pumps a bit faster to supply oxygen to the baby, and the extra progesterone causes your body temperature to rise slightly.

3. My poor sister-in-law, who's a fabulous cook, couldn't set foot in the kitchen for months after conception. The smell of cooking meat in particular sent her gasping for fresh air. Needless to say there was a lot of take out at her house! I have another friend, a real chocoholic, who couldn't even look at a Hershey bar without throwing up. I had no morning sickness at all with my first pregnancy, lucky me, and the only thing I took a dislike to was seafood. I paid for it with my second pregnancy though, as morning sickness stretched into afternoon sickness which turned into, well you get the picture.

4. Without exception, every pregnant woman knows the location of the nearest bathroom, no matter where she is. And if there isn't one within easy reach, we move locations. It's that simple. Most people think that this only happens in the last trimester when the baby is pushing against the bladder, but not so for a couple of my friends.

5. My normally even tempered best friend turned into a raging mood swinger in the weeks following conception. She cried at every romantic scene on TV and flew into an absolute rage when the cable went out one night during a get together to watch Gone with the Wind. Not knowing that she was pregnant, we simply offered her another glass of wine and told her to take it easy!

Mother Nature is a wonderful woman and the above are just some of the ways she has of telling us when we're pregnant.