1992 Brick Fundraising Project gives Alumni a Sense of Belonging Today

Brick fundraising specialist Larry Cannon (www.bricksculpture.com) has helped hospitals, churches, schools and non-profits raise funds with memorial brick fundraising since 1988. In 1992, a brick fundraising wall raised over $100,000 for Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia. But the benefits continue on and on.
Susan Bryant, the current principal said that today the name wall is "meaningful, it gives the alumni a sense of belonging, a sense that they were here."
There's never been any graffiti on the donor wall, even though the school itself has the occasional prank, and the location of the memorial brick wall would provide easy access for graffiti. Today donor alumni volunteer school maintenance projects.
Alumni come to Columbus High School looking for their name on the brick wall. It gives a sense of belonging that extends to the family and friends.
Larry Cannon, one of the premier US brick artists, engraved the school logo in a 6- foot-high mural as the centerpiece of the brick fundraising wall. His work is beautiful ? a one-of-a kind brick sculpture. In the hundreds of brick fundraising projects he's done since 1988, there's only been 1 case of vandalism and no graffiti on any of his work?.an amazing fact considering how much of his work is in high schools, colleges and on inner-city buildings.
This brick fundraising wall adds to the community in a way that will last beyond a lifetime. The $100,000 in raised funds came in handy in 1992, and the wall continues to give lasting benefits to the school and community.

6 Ways to help your employees beat stress and work more

If you would like your business to employ highly motivated and high-energy level employees then investing in the workplace atmosphere and facilities will help and will reduce work-place stress significantly. Research confirms that if your employees are stressed then that will cost you even more money in missed workdays and increased on-the-job injuries over both the short term and the long term.

In addition to the negative repercussions of having stressed out employees, your business may be experiencing lower productivity and poor quality of output. It is both clear and obvious that some very cost effective strategies could minimize stress on the job and provide your employees with opportunities to reduce other stress related problems.

Below is a list of 6 ways in which you can help your company reduce stress for your employees while increasing the output of your business:

1. Provide an attractive and comfortable work environment whenever possible to reduce stress. Pleasant surroundings can do more for a person's attitude then we often realize. Create a less formal atmosphere by adding plants or improved decoration, even if that is just in a rest room it will help.

2. Supply a quiet room for your employees to take their breaks in. Not the canteen or games room, this room should be separate from the normal "hustle and bustle" of the work-place. It will give your employees an opportunity of a quick 10 minute break from work and anywork related stress that they may be experiencing.

3. Instead of giving orders 100% of the time try to create opportunities for employees to make decisions that will directly affect their job performance. This gives them a sense of personal power and less stress because they feel they have some control.

4. Thank your employees for work accomplished and recognize them for exemplary performance. A quick thank you will go a long way in reducing complaints and stress. Be genuine and only thank when workers have worked well otherwise you will be rewarding sub-standard activities.

5. Always choose ergonomically sound equipment, tools, and furniture. These will make work easier for your staff, reduce workplace injuries and therefore limit any compensation claims. In addition workplace stress will be reduced and staff, equipped with the correct tools, will be more productive.

6. Go out of your way to create opportunities for the employees to meet, socialize and build relationships away from work. Set up a bowling team from work where you gather and play once a week or maybe a softball team, or even a book club, for employees only.

When staff realize you have their interests in mind and are doing all you can to improve working conditions they will respond and you will see an improved atmosphere and productivity.

About the Author

John Edmond worked for many years in insurance and finance and now writes on a number of topics including small business and finance. If you are starting a new business go to Tips on Starting a New Business or Business Information for a selection of articles on business and finance.

10 Seldom Used Freebies That Can Increase Traffic

1. Checklists-Create a list of things to check for a
particular process related to your business's topic.
Ex: a checklist for creating a web site.

2. Templates-Design a template that will make a
certain action easier for your target audience. Ex:
a template for writing a resume.

3. Text Workbook-Publish a text format ebook so
your audience can learn and practice a certain skill.
Ex: a text workbook for writing ad headlines.

4. Transcripts-Create an ebook of text transcripts
of a related live event. It can be a seminar, speech,
class, interview, etc.

5. Dictionary Of Terms-Publish a web directory or
ebook dictionary of terms relating to your specific
business industry or subject.

6. Advice Service-Offer a live chat room were
you or your employees can give your visitors and
customers advice on your business topic.

7. Human Research-Offer a free service were you
will search for sites or information your visitors or
customers can't seem to find online.

8. Plans-Create ready-made plans for a particular
project your target audience wants to accomplish.
It could be marketing plans, landscape plans, etc.

9. Forms-Offer printable, ready-made forms your
visitors or customers would use regularly. It could
be legal forms, organizational forms, etc.

10. E-mail Reports-Publish quarterly e-mail reports
that contains new research discoveries, surveys,
and statistics about your related industry.

11.For more tips & tricks on increasing Your Traffic
Using Freebies visit http://www.easilywealthy.com

Gabriel Ungureanu, a highly sought after home business consultant that freely offers effective marketing and advertising strategies. For practical business strategies please visit http://www.easilywealthy.com or http://www.eze-iprofit-package.comGabriel Ungureanu, a highly sought after home business consultant that freely offers effective marketing and advertising strategies. For practical business strategies please visit http://www.easilywealthy.com or http://www.eze-iprofit-package.com

A Perfect Shine - San Diego's Apartment Cleaning Company

What exactly is a House Cleaning Referral Agency?

Referral agencies are just as the name implies. They are agencies that refer "Independent Contractors" to customers for different services. One of the most popular services for referral agencies is House Cleaning. Referral agencies are contacted by customers looking for house cleaners. Referral agencies are basically the middle man. They will find you individual cleaners to clean your home.

Referral agencies are NOT the actual employers of these individuals. Referral agencies cannot direct, train or control these individual's work in any way. Referral agencies also don't pay employment taxes on these individuals. Customer's MAY be liable for paying employment taxes if they pay wages over certain tax thresholds while the individual works within their home. Referral agencies are also NOT responsible for paying worker's compensation, liability insurance or bonding.

By not paying taxes or insurance; referral agencies can most often under price employer based cleaning companies. A number consumers think this is amazing. They can save money. Everybody wants a bargain right? Well, let's take a closer look. Many and various individuals that agree to work for referral agencies have never had any former cleaning training. They may not have individual insurance or liability insurance. What happens if they get hurt in your home? Is the referral agency going to pay? NO! What happens if the individual breaks your tiffany lamp and the individual does not have insurance? Who pays, the "independent contractor? Good luck trying to collect that debt. Let's go back to the referral agency. Are they going to pay for your lamp? No way! Remember, they only "referred" an individual to you! They will tell you they have no liability.

Usually the difference between a referral agency and an employer based company is in quality, dependability, professionalism and liability. You may pay a little more for these qualities, but you will sleep well knowing you are using a licensed, bonded and methodically insured and professional company.

Referral agencies legally must disclose the fact that they are referral agencies. They must disclose this fact, both verbally and in writing. They must also let the customer know that they may be liable for payment of employment taxes including unemployment insurance and social security for this "Independent Contractor".

Other problems regularly encountered with referral agencies, is the situation where the customer is unhappy with the cleaning the "independent contractor" performs. Since the referral agency cannot legally train or direct the work of the "Independent Contractor" - the referral agencies only solution is to send another "Independent Contractor." This is the cycle a customer many times falls into when using referral agencies.

Employer based companies frequently put their employees through a thorough training program. The employee then works alongside experienced workers to gain more mastery of skills on all aspects of cleaning. When you hire a person from a referral agency you have no idea if they have had any training. Remember, the agency is NOT allowed to train, direct or control these individuals. If they do in anyway, they become employers and are responsible for paying all the taxes mentioned above.

The next time you call for an estimate on cleaning you may want to ask if the company carries worker's compensation or better yet just ask the question??? "Are you a referral agency?" Remember when calling for estimates from cleaning companies, you may not always be comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges. Make an informed decision and hopefully you will find a competent professional cleaning company to put a shine to your home. Please find laws on referral agencies operating in California below.

CIVIL CODE OF CALIFORNIA

1812.5095.
(b) An employment agency is not the employer of a domestic worker
for whom it procures, offers, refers, provides, or attempts to
provide work, if all of the following factors characterize the nature
of the relationship between the employment agency and the domestic
worker for whom the agency procures, offers, refers, provides, or
attempts to provide domestic work:
(1) There is a signed contract or agreement between the employment
agency and the domestic worker that contains, at a minimum,
provisions that specify all of the following:
(A) That the employment agency shall assist the domestic worker in
securing work.
(B) How the employment agency's referral fee shall be paid.
(C) That the domestic worker is free to sign an agreement with
other employment agencies and to perform domestic work for persons
not referred by the employment agency.
(2) The domestic worker informs the employment agency of any
restrictions on hours, location, conditions, or type of work he or
she will accept and the domestic worker is free to select or reject
any work opportunity procured, offered, referred, or provided by the
employment agency.
(3) The domestic worker is free to renegotiate with the person
hiring him or her the amount proposed to be paid for the work.
(4) The domestic worker does not receive any training from the
employment agency with respect to the performance of domestic work.
However, an employment agency may provide a voluntary orientation
session in which the relationship between the employment agency and
the domestic worker, including the employment agency's administrative
and operating procedures, and the provisions of the contract or
agreement between the employment agency and the domestic worker are
explained.
(5) The domestic worker performs domestic work without any
direction, control, or supervision exercised by the employment agency
with respect to the manner and means of performing the domestic
work. An employment agency shall not be deemed to be exercising
direction, control, or supervision when it takes any of the following
actions:
(A) Informs the domestic worker about the services to be provided
and the conditions of work specified by the person seeking to hire a
domestic worker.
(B) Contacts the person who has hired the domestic worker to
determine whether that person is satisfied with the agency's referral
service.
(C) Informs the domestic worker of the time during which new
referrals are available.
(D) Requests the domestic worker to inform the employment agency
if the domestic worker is unable to perform the work accepted.
(6) The employment agency does not provide tools, supplies, or
equipment necessary to perform the domestic work.
(7) The domestic worker is not obligated to pay the employment
agency's referral fee, and the employment agency is not obligated to
pay the domestic worker if the person for whom the services were
performed fails or refuses to pay for the domestic work.
(8) Payments for domestic services are made directly to either the
domestic worker or to the employment agency. Payments made directly
to the employment agency shall be deposited into a trust account
until payment can be made to the domestic worker.
(9) The relationship between a domestic worker and the person for
whom the domestic worker performs services may only be terminated by
either of those parties and not by the employment agency that
referred the domestic worker. However, an employment agency may
decline to make additional referrals to a particular domestic worker,
and the domestic worker may decline to accept a particular referral.

(c) The fee charged by an employment agency for its services shall
be reasonable, negotiable, and based on a fixed percentage of the
job cost.
(d) An employment agency referring a domestic worker to a job
shall inform that domestic worker, in writing, on or before the
signing of the contract pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b),
that the domestic worker may be obligated to obtain business permits
or licenses, where required by any state or local law, ordinance, or
regulation, and that he or she is not eligible for unemployment
insurance, state disability insurance, social security, or workers'
compensation benefits through an employment agency complying with
subdivision (b). The employment agency referring a domestic worker
shall also inform that domestic worker, if the domestic worker is
self-employed, that he or she is required to pay self-employment tax,
state tax, and federal income taxes.
(e) An employment agency referring a domestic worker to a job
shall verify the worker's legal status or authorization to work prior
to providing referral services in accordance with procedures
established under federal law.
(f) An employment agency referring a domestic worker to a job
shall orally communicate to the person seeking domestic services the
disclosure set forth below prior to the referral of the domestic
worker the following disclosure statement:
"(Name of agency) is not the employer of the domestic worker it
referred to you. Depending on your arrangement with the domestic
worker, you may have employer responsibilities."
Within three business days after the employment agency refers a
domestic worker to the person seeking domestic services, the
following statement printed in not less than 10-point type shall be
mailed to the person seeking domestic services:
"(Name of agency) is not the employer of the domestic worker it
referred to you. The domestic worker may be your employee or an
independent contractor depending on the relationship you have with
him or her. If you direct and control the manner and means by which
the domestic worker performs his or her work you may have employer
responsibilities, including employment taxes and workers'
compensation, under state and federal law. For additional
information contact your local Employment Development Department and
the Internal Revenue Service."
(g) An employment agency referring a domestic worker to a job
shall not specify that a worker is self-employed or an independent
contractor in any notice, advertisement, or brochure provided to
either the worker or the customer.
(h) Every employment agency referring a domestic worker to a job
and who is not the employer of the domestic worker being referred,
shall in any paid telephone directory advertisement or any other
promotional literature or advertising distributed or placed by such
an employment agency, on or after January 1, 1995, insert the
following statement, in no less than 6-point type which shall be in
print which contrasts with the background of the advertisement so as
to be easily legible:
"(Name of agency) is a referral agency."
(i) An employment agency may not refer, in its advertising,
soliciting, or other presentments to the public, to any bond required
to be filed pursuant to this chapter.
(j) An employment agency may not refer, in its advertising,
soliciting, or other presentments to the public, to any licensure
acquired by the agency.
(k) Any violation of this section with the intent to directly or indirectly mislead the public on the nature of services provided by an employment agency shall constitute unfair competition which includes any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business acts or practices and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising. Any person or entity that engages in unfair competition shall be liable for a civi penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred
dollars ($2,500) for each violation.

A Perfect Shine is a San Diego Cleaning Company that also provides San Diego Power Washing. We pride ourselves in quality work and can assure your satisfaction. We are bonded, licensed and insured!

B2b Directory Service Providers

Today i want to discuss something about b2b directory or b2b websites or b2b portals. Its matter of choice to use your favorite word but in the entire article all the three terms are same. so... you know every business is using b2b directory services or b2b portal today. What do you think about b2b directory or portal service. First let me speak and then we will discuss together... ok.

What is B2B portal?
A portal is defined as an access point to World Wide Web website accessible to a customer and business both. It is a place where buyers and sellers meet means there is no need to hang around for a successful shopping. A portal is a combination of web pages, features and services which become a primary destination for users. User, consumer, buyer or sellers are provided with the facility that they type the keywords in search engine and they get the web page that is directly related to their requirement or query. There is no need to browse that web site any more. And this way the shopping of anyone can be make easy.

In short a B2B portal is a business which provide business to a business. A B2B portal is a distinct kind of website with features to conduct electronic business and manage significant parts of corporate business processes.

Benefits of a B2B portal

Today, B2B portals are not just a fancy idea! On the basis of benefit we can divide a portal in two class. In the first class, portal site take a fix amount of money from the business to which they list on their web sites. The portals are not concerning with the sale of that business listing there to promote it. In second case, portals are getting paid if any one make shopping through the portal. In this case the portal web sites doesn't get any type of revenue for listing others business neither monthly nor through CPM(Cost Per Thousand Impression). Implementation of a true high quality B2B portal or B2B Directory Services could have immediate impact on company productivity.

Adam Sturo provides you the best and latest info on foreign exporters and India Importers.

A Look at IT Help Desk Software

IT help desk software can be a valuable resource for technicians to manage and resolve troubleshooting tickets. Most companies realize the benefits of purchasing help desk software since it is a reliable way to manage customer inquiries and complaints. IT help desk software is preferred by both companies and clients over a traditional call center.

In traditional call centers, customers often complain of long hold times and unreturned voicemails. Other times, the less-than-technically-savvy customer may become frustrated in his or her attempt to explain the problem. Help desk software allows an IT department to effectively manage and direct certain issues to the appropriate personnel.

Many IT help desk software programs offer the convenience of a user-friendly menu and easy-to-manage files. Customers can choose from a variety of help topics and even copy and paste error messages to send to IT. For those customers who are not technically advanced, menus can be set up to offer a variety of common questions.

HelpDesks.com is an excellent resource for extensive IT help desk software reviews and information. This site allows you to compare the leading providers of the products to find the right program for your needs. Convenient charts allow you to see various amenities offered such as whether or not the program is web-based, costs associated with purchase and upgrades and the number of users allowed for each program.

One of the most popular IT help desk software programs, according to consumer reviews, is FootPrints. On a scale of one to ten, it has a rating of 9.2 and has multiple consumer reviews. This is a web-based program, and the initial cost is around $6,000. FootPrints offers unlimited user capabilities and free upgrades with their annual maintenance contract. This program is compatible with Linux, Windows NT, Windows 2013 and Unix operating systems. It also offers searchable databases, assignment of reference numbers, F.A.Q databases, billing databases and much, much more.

Help Desk Software Info provides detailed information on help desk software solutions, including IT help desk software, web-based help desk software, free help desk software, help desk tracking, help desk support software, and reviews of help desk software programs. Help Desk Software Info is the sister site of Recruiting Software Web.

Affiliate Is Not A Dirty Word

There are many people out there who have a passionate desire to create their own successful home business using the Internet.
Affiliate programs offer an excellent and easily accessible way to do this.

When I first started out on my journey to become a successful Internet marketer I used to wonder about all the advertisements I came across that begged me to join an affiliate program. They made huge claims about how much money I would earn if I joined them so I just ignored them. That is until I started to understand more about affiliates and affiliate programs.

WHAT IS AN AFFILIATE?
An affiliate is someone who promotes other people's products or services. When you become an affiliate you have a money making business opportunity but you have none of the worries or expenses of a typical business. You'll never have the bother of dealing with processing or shipping an order or be involved with customer care. You will however receive money for your promotional efforts. When someone purchases a product or service through your efforts you receive a commission on the sale. All you have to do is promote and wait to receive your payment cheques.

WHERE DO I FIND AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM?
There are literally thousands of affiliate programs to choose from. Many of them will tell you that you will earn thousands and thousands of dollars per month if you join them. They will state all the amazing benefits to you and how new and fabulous their particular product or service is. I'm sure you have seen these advertisements everywhere on the Internet. If you type in affiliate programs into your search engine you will see what I mean. You will also just come across them as you are surfing.
It can be quite over whelming to make a choice.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH AFFILIATE PROGRAM IS FOR ME?
There are three approaches to choosing the right program for you.
Choose something that has a high demand
Choose something that you have a passion for
Combine the above two points so you will have a product that is in high demand and you are passionate about it.

I personally think a combination of these approaches is the best.
If you choose something that is in high demand then there will be a market for the product or service. It is essential to have a market otherwise you will find that no one will be interested in buying from you. The down side here however is when there is a high demand there is also a lot of competition.

If you choose something you are passionate about then you'll have more fun and you'll be more passionate about what you are promoting. When you have something you can put your heart and soul into you will generally do better than if you are promoting something you don't care about or know nothing about.

Make a list of what you are passionate about. Then do a search on the key words to see how many other people have this same interest. You can do this by using a key-word search. www.goodkeywords.com offer free software you can download. Use this to search for the information. Just type in the key word and see how many results come up, i.e. how many people searched for those word over the last month. Then use your search engine to locate your affiliate program.

For example my personal primary interests evolve around living a better life. This means I am interested in health, wealth, developing better relationships and emotional and spiritual well being. Because I have these fundamental desires I searched for an affiliate program that helped me to attract more of these things into my life.

You may decide to go with just one program. The ideal situation would be to find one program. Understand how it works then branch out to include a few more that connect to your primary interest. Once you've understood what's involved in promoting your primary program it will be only a little more effort to hook up with other programs and start increasing your monthly cheques! You may also find that as you go along you will need to buy a few things for example, web hosting and domain names. You may then see the value of adding these services to your affiliate list too.

For example once I found my primary program I realised I had to advertise in order to get customers. I also discovered that I really did need my own website even though I had acquired several free ones when I joined my affiliate program. So I learnt all about web hosts and domain names and website design. As I went along I picked up a few more affiliate programs. After much trial and error I came to develop an understanding of the concept of organic search engine optimisation. I loved the whole concept so I added this to my list of programs too. I have also developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for how Internet business works.

HOW DO I MAKE AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM WORK FOR ME?
The big thing is PROMOTION. You will need to promote your affiliate products or services. When you join an affiliate program you will usually be given one or more free websites and some links and banners. When someone clicks onto the links or banners and purchases the product or service you will receive a commission. This is how affiliate programs work.

Regardless of which program you are involved in, advertising and promoting your links and banners will become your number one priority!
If you are not prepared for this you will not be successful.
It is that simple.
There is no way around this.

The best way to do this is by becoming educated in the right things to do.
You have a choice of paying for advertising or not paying for advertising.
A great place to start is with understanding how organic search engine optimisation works and how to get it to work for you. This method of advertising is time consuming to get set up if you do it manually but once your done it will provide you with an endless source of free targeted traffic to your website. There are soft-ware programs you can buy that will get you set up if your short on time.

Unfortunately the truth is that 95% of Internet entrepreneurs make no money. There are lots of reasons for this. Some of the more serious and common reasons are that many people just don't understand how to promote. Many still don't even realise that they have to have their own websites. Many spend more money than they are comfortable with because they head down the road of paid advertising and they aren't in a position to afford this.

My best advise to you is that you enjoy your affiliate programs. Get your own website. Learn about organic search engine optimisation and spend your money wisely.
I hope this article will help position you for great success with you Internet marketeering