Looking to Start a New Business? Consider the Personalized Products Industry

Nancy Wurtzel

Looking to launch a new consumer products business that makes and markets gifts? Why not consider a niche that has grown dramatically over the past few decades and still shows signs of continued expansion? The market has your name written all over it -- the personalized products industry.

In the U.S. today, there are more than 100,000 businesses selling personalized gift products with annual sales of at least $27 billion, and these numbers are continuing to increase.

Why is the personalized gift market considered such a rapid growth industry? Several forces are at work currently driving the personalization market.

1. The Economy: The U.S. is just coming out of an economy slump and recession. During tough economic times, consumers often look for added value when they make discretionary purchases. For example, when shopping for a gift, price conscious buyers look for a selection that will make an impression and be lasting. Consumers perceive that they are getting both when they purchase a personalized product. In general, buyers are actively seeking personalized gifts, and this activity and interest is moving the industry forward.

2. New Technology: Advances in technology have made a wider variety of products available and much more affordable. For example, machines that personalize towels and clothing once cost thousands of dollars and weigh hundreds of pounds. Now, a much smaller, cleaner, quieter, computer-driven piece of equipment can produce the same quality goods -- but at a fraction of the price. And, if manufacturing upfront costs are less, products become more affordable.

3. Product Selection: Since technology has made production easier and cheaper, there has been an explosion of personalized goods and gifts. Gifts range from the inexpensive and predictable to the upscale and highly innovative. Most gift stores offer some personalized gift selections and there are now many stores, websites and even mail-order catalogs with literally thousands of consumer choices.

4. Stand-Out Gifts: Personalized gifts are memorable. For instance, parents will always remember who gave their newborn a charming personalized picture frame, but can't recall who sent the expensive outfit that baby outgrew in a few weeks. A personalized present is also a great choice for the "person who has everything."

PERSONALIZED HISTORY
The personalized gift market is primarily a U.S. phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back to our early American history when silversmiths practiced their skills by engraving family names or initials on one-of-a-kind silver trays, bowls and jewelry.

As the country expanded westward, saddle and gun makers would occasionally personalize their wares, while wood artisans used their talents to create uniquely decorated trunks with family names or crests.

These early personalized items were always made to order and available only to those who could afford to pay the price -- which was, at that time, a very small percentage of the population.

Not much changed until the late 1950s when mass production brought the "pre-made" personalized gifts to middle America.

Suddenly, every local corner drug store offered displays of inexpensive pencils, key chains and jewelry featuring names like Linda, Mike, Tom, Cindy, Mary and Dave.

However, most of these personalized items were considered cheap imported gifts aimed at kids and teenagers. And, if you had an unusual name, you were out of luck because all these novelty products were pre-made at the factory with the most common names of the day.

While there are still many of these low-ticket items available today, the personalized products industry has grown and evolved over the past forty odd years. Probably the biggest change that has moved the industry forward has been advances in technology.

Lower costs for machinery means that it's now possible to have personalization equipment in decentralized locations rather than one central processing plant. Additionally, personalized gifts that once would take weeks to obtain can now be created in a matter of days or even minutes. Consequently, gifts that once had a long ordering lead time, are now almost impulse buys for today's busy consumer.

Computer-driven technology also has made literally thousands of personalized gift choices in a variety of price ranges available to the consumer.

BUYING AND SELLING
What type of companies sell personalized gifts? Major catalogs, countless ecommerce sites, upscale department stores, specialty boutiques, general dry-goods retail storefronts, drug store chains and thousands of small entrepreneurs.

What types of personalized items are consumers buying? Almost anything can be personalized, so the choices are many.

Just pick up a catalog and you will find robes for adults and kids, fine crystal, quilts, keepsake gifts for newborn babies, expensive gifts to mark a graduation, wedding or anniversary, a variety of clothing and even furniture. Visit a local retail store and you will find stationery, jewelry, wall art, T-shirts, mugs and dinnerware, glasses, picture frames and much more.

Why are these gifts so attractive for so many sellers? Any retailer will agree that a personalized gift means a little more effort up-front, but in the long run fewer returns. Plus, these products often carry a higher price point -- and therefore profits -- making these gifts very attractive.

AMERICANS LOVE PERSONALIZED GIFTS
While you may find some personalized gift items in other countries, you will not see the same wide range of products that are found in the U.S. Why has the personalized gift market thrived here at home?

It's really pretty simple according to those who study consumers. Americans -- young and old alike -- love to see their names on a product because it makes them feel special and unique.

And, American consumers are always looking for products with a slightly different spin, and this, too, is accomplished by purchasing a personalized product.

Faith Popcorn, who studies and reports on nationwide trends, has coined the word "egonomics" to describe the personalized product phenomenon. Other trend forecasters agree that the personalized gift industry is here to stay and will continue steady growth as more products are brought to market in response to consumer demand.


Nancy Wurtzel is the founder and owner of All About Baby, an ecommerce site located at http://www.allbaby.com. All About Baby specializes in personalized and memorable gifts for children as well as interesting and helpful child-related site content. Ms. Wurtzel has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience. She consults with small businesses seeking to enter the marketplace or grow their existing ecommerce business.

Getting Priorities Straight
Lois R. Thompson

It is reported that there are over 1.5 million new people coming online each month,
with only 95% of all online businesses making a profit.

I believe that the Internet is by far the greatest gold rush in history. So, how can
this be...only 5% of online businesses raking in the gold?

Are the opportunities not equal for all? does it take large financial backing? No! I
believe the failure of the 95% is attributed to the same causes for business failure
off line as well as online. In a nutshell...it's the lack in clarity of vision.

How can we be focused when we don't have a clue what it is that we are to be focused
on line. Without clarity of vision there is no real purpose, and with out real
purpose our priorities become confused.

Without a carefully thought out game plan, it is most unlikely for one to achieve
true success. In any venture, discouragement will come. And without a game plan when
discouraged does not produce the Quick Riches that was so hopeful would come, one
tends to give up on that venture. Then, frantically looks for the next opportunity and
jumps right on in.

Before long, we are back to square one. We now have 3 or 4 newly claims staked, and
none of them really producing. Depending on how much time and money we have
invested, at this point, he may be tempted to sit the next race out, or even worse...drop
out of the race entirely, with the false notion that..."it does not work."

What is wrong here? We have never taken the time to lay a solid foundation. Without
a solid foundation a house just cannot stand the storm.

So what...if it takes a year or so to pay your dues in the School of Hard Knocks?
That is not much time for a life of wealth and freedom. Don't buy the hype! No one
logs on to the internet, signs up for a bizop, get a fancy website then sit back and
become financially free.

As with anything else in life, we all must make a dedicated effort if in fact we are
to reap the blessings.

The Beginning - Your Reason

Now that you are ready to create a game plan for financial
freedom there are some steps to be followed closely.

Here's Fact.
Financial freedom, becomes very elusive, unless you have a reason, and I mean are
really big reason or a bunch of important reasons that drive you emotionally. If you
don't have know your reason right now, you need to begin to dig deep and keep
searching for that thing that drives your passion. Do you remember a time when you were
really passionate in life? What what was that passion about? How would you like to
have that back?


Here's where you start:

1. Keep a new notebook for your training. Make it
one you'd be proud to plan your life with. This
notebook is going to hold a lot of important
information you are going to want to refer back.

2. Once you have that notebook, state your life's creed or
statement of life. Write this out boldly! Make this a
commitment to yourself. Write at the top, "I'm 100%
committed to achieving my goals and dreams." Something
powerful happens when you write things down. Don't
just think it, ink it. You will want to review this
often. A year from now, you'll be blown away at how
significant it is that you've written that down.

3. Why do you want financial freedom? Here's your first
task: write down everything financial freedom would
mean to you. Keep writing for as long as you can, up to
30 minutes. Yes, I said 30 minutes! Most people will
spend hours planning a vacation, but they can't give 30
minutes to writing down their reasons for financial
success. Will you commit to your success and do this
task, or are you keeping yourself busy building someone
else's dreams. This is a goal setting exercise, built
on the power of your dreams.

I do this once a quarter. Each time I do it, I am impressed upon and inspired to do
more with my life. It will be the same for you, so go for it!

Write down ALL your dreams and goals.

Here are some thoughts to get you going:

What would your family be like?
What would your relationships be like?
What kind of house would you live in?
What kind of car would you drive?
What specific vacations would you take?
How could you give back?
Would you set up a charity? What kind?
To live debt free how much would it require per year?
How much fun would you put into your day?
What time would you get up in the morning? Go to
bed at night?
Would you travel? Where? In what style?
What kind of clothes would you own?
What kind of jewelry would you wear?
What would you do for your community?
Being financially solid and debt free, what would you
do with the rest of your life?


If you have not done this before, it can be most tedious, but keep writing until you
until you get to the bottom of this. Working out your dreams is a very profitable
investment. As with anything else, the more you work at it, the better you'll become
at it. You'll be doing this again, and we'll take you back to your notebook to see
how you've progressed since you wrote all this down. I think you'll be very inspired.

Yes! this is a time consuming process, but an investment so great a price cannot be
placed upon it. Remember the turtle? he is the last to get out of the starter box in
a race, but he plows steadily along and finishes at the finish line. Sometimes,
going slow is getting ahead...those that wait, mount up with wings as eagles!

Now that you know your own dreams, you're ready to hear about our strategy for
helping you achieve them?




==>>> Lois has been blessed with earning a full time <<==
= income working from home part-time, through combining
= MLM and Affiliate Marketing. You CAN TOO! Subscribe to
= Building Wealth News Ezine and Discover HOW to
= "Bridge The Gap Between MLM And Affiliate Marketing"
= Visit http://www.the-power-to-get-wealth.com

Does Your Copy Look "Fake" To the Search Engines?

Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword

From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text. The more advanced the engines have gotten over the years, the more complex and sophisticated many writers have gotten with their search engine copywriting.

Supposed formulas, saturation levels, and other mysterious concoctions have been developed to help us outsmart the engines. However, what we should have been doing all along was writing for the visitor first and the engines second. Why? Because creating a site that's loved by visitors is a prime factor in linking, ranking, and marketing as a whole. As the engines make great strides with more personalized and efficient searches (such as semantic search) natural search engine optimization writing is even more important.

Rather than just indexing the copy on your site, engines are learning to "understand" what a page is about. The ironic thing is, as the search engines get more complex the "formula" for SEO copywriting is actually getting more simple.

Write Naturally

In the future, search engines will be looking for Web pages that reflect a natural tone with the copy. Is it obvious that keyphrases are being shoved in wherever possible? Does every headline/sub-head, image tag, and comment tag have a keyphrase included? Does the copy sound fake, unnatural, and stiff? If so, then spiders and bots will recognize it and possibly flag it as something to be wary of.

Take a look at this lovely piece of copy I found while surfing just the other day. (I've replaced the keyphrases used in the original copy with the word "wherever" so as not to embarrass the site owner.)

Wherever Holiday Rentals

Holiday rentals in Wherever for holidays in Wherever

Wherever holiday rentals directly from the owners. Rent a holiday villa in Wherever or perhaps a 2-6 bedroom apartment in Wherever. Wherever vacation rentals for holidays in Wherever are easily located by searching the Wherever Holiday website. Wherever Holiday Rentals offer holiday apartments in Wherever and holiday villas.

Find accommodation in Wherever by clicking on the Wherever map or the active links. You will then see holiday rental apartments, villas and townhouses in stunning Wherever accommodation.

Let's suppose someone walked into your travel agency and asked for help. You would most likely ask what they were looking for. They would reply, "Holiday rentals in Wherever. What can you show me?" Would you honestly take off on the spiel above? Can you see yourself talking to a real client face-to-face and saying, "We offer Wherever holiday rentals in Wherever and can find you many apartments, villas, and houses in Wherever"? I don't think so.

Tips for Writing In Natural Language

1) Vary your keywords/phrases. For example, if a keyphrase you particularly want to target is "14k gold jewelry" consider also using keyphrases like "14k gold watches" or "gold wedding bands" or others along those lines. This will give you a variety of phrases within your copy.

2) Read it out loud. When you read your copy out loud you'll get a better sense of whether it sounds unnatural. If you wouldn't say, "We make 14k gold jewelry and have made 14k gold jewelry for 10 years. If you need 14k gold jewelry just view our catalog" out loud, then don't put it in your copy, either.

3) Break up keyphrases. As searchers get more knowledgeable about finding what they want in the engines, they use longer and longer search queries some of which just don't make any sense. For instance, I recently had to use the phrase "real estate Pittsburg downtown" when writing a page of SEO copy. Since this search string was not easily worked in as that exact phrase, I broke it up. One sentence I used it in said: "When looking for commercial real estate in Pittsburg check the downtown listings first for exceptional locations and prices." The words are still in the same order with minor breaks in between. When you can't use a phrase "as is" this is a very viable alternative.

Keep in mind the direction search engine optimization is taking. The closer you can get to writing in natural language, the better off you'll be. It only makes sense to create a site now that will last through the long haul. Especially when that site will have a better chance of favorably appealing to the engines and your visitors.



Karon is author of "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)." Discover the secrets to creating SEO copy with a perfect balance between keywords and natural language. http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword

My Needs are Simple and Few!
M J Plaster

My dear owner,

Thank you once again for giving me shelter. (Lick, slurp, lick, slurp) Aside from food, shelter and love, my needs are simple and few! Since I am dependent upon you to provide for me, we should discuss my basic needs. I can lend you the canine insight that you may lack as a human, particularly if I am your first canine companion pet.

Of course, I require a steady supply of food and fresh water, and while I long for the same quality of culinary delight that you routinely enjoy, I know that's an unrealistic expectation. As long as you feed me something that's nutritionally suited for my species, I'll happily devour whatever little morsels of people food you throw my way. I'm not particularly fond of that stuff that comes from the tap, but it'll do in a pinch. I draw the line at drinking from toilets.

Splish splash

In addition to my regular veterinary care, I'll need a flea and tick collar at a bare minimum. How would you like those critters crawling all over you? Please help me to prevent them from crawling on me.

If you want to show me off for company, how about you pick up some grooming aids so I can look my sexy best? I SO look forward to weekly shampoos. Who needs rubber duckies when you get to splash at humans at bath time? I understand that humans multitask, and I love those massages with the grooming gloves, so we could watch TV together while you give my coat a nightly massage. I cannot vacuum after myself (but maybe you could suggest that as an advanced course at obedience school), so you might want to pick up some of those hair pickup tools for yourself.

A bowl of my very own

I could use a doggie bowl or two, something simple, yet elegant, perhaps something with my name on it. It's not that I mind sharing your everyday bowls, but it would be nice to have something that's all mine when it comes to feeding and watering troughs. I'll need one for food and one for water, and an everyday pattern will suffice-no need for an expensive china pattern.

Collars and other jewelry

I look forward to our walks together, but it's just too tempting for me to stray when you walk me without a leash. I think the government suits must be on to us doggies, since they've enacted those pesky leash laws everywhere. So, if you want to continue spending this quality time with me, you'll need to find a leash that fits me properly, is strong enough to hold me, and is the proper length. If it's too long, I'll trip all over myself, but if it's not long enough, I won't have the room I need to roam. I know that there is a dizzying array of leashes available, but please use a little discretion and choose one with the right "look" for my breed so that all the other doggies don't make fun of me. They can be so darn cruel!

Creature comforts

I was told that most humans have jobs, so I understand that you'll be spending time away from me. If you could see your way clear to leaving a few creature comforts behind, it would really help. First, I don't want to hog your people furniture-it's too big for me anyway. I could use one of those nice, comfy doggie beds. Floors are meant to be walked on, not lounged upon. I know that there are a number of places that I should not go when you're gone, so spray that indoor repellent, and I'll learn the first time. I'm a quick study-something about Pavlov!

Dogs in toyland

Toys will help me pass the time, assist me in my development, and most importantly, distract me from the fact that you're not here. I could have some REAL fun if you'd get me my very own cat, but I realize that is not likely. Here is a list of things that I would really, really enjoy if you cannot get me my own cat:

 A nice supply of those rubber, chewy thingies
 Squishy, squeaky, talking toys
 Rawhide chews, dental chews, anything that I will mistake for a bone
 Treats, treats, and more treats - a never-ending supply of treats

Special occasion gifts

You humans have your porches, your patios and your tree houses. I would give my doggie eye teeth for my very own dog house. You could have Santa deliver it in time for the holidays, or you save it for a birthday treat. Either way, it'll give me my own little hideaway and protect me from the elements, should you take temporary leave of your human senses and leave me outside while you run one of your many errands. If you can't swing the canine estate just yet, maybe we could negotiate a doggie door?

Above all, I require the same devotion and attention that you expect from me. Treat me right, and I'll be your best friend for life.

Love and kisses,

Your beloved doggie


M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.dogs-n-u.com/pet-supplies.htm, http://www.dogs-n-u.com/dog-collars.htm, and http://www.dogs-n-u.com/dog-food.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

Spiritual Meanings of Gemstones and Native American folklore

Tarl Michael

Through out human history every thing imaginable on earth and in the skys has been associated with a spiritual meaning and that includes gemstones.

At Bearlanders Trading Co. we ship our merchandise with a spiritual meaning card. Including our dream catchers and kachina dolls. Here is a list of those spiritual meanings, passed on to us by Native American Indians who craft our jewelry and gifts.

Amber (golden transparent color):This beautiful golden-color stone was once thought to be pieces of the Sun which had fallen to Earth. Amber is actually fossilized resin from extinct pine trees, many pieces of Amber have insects or plants encased. It is thought to relieve sore throats and minor infections.

Amethyst (purple color): Conducts peaceful energy, aids intuition, encourages freedom from addictions.

Aventurine (green in color): Releases anxiety and fear, boosts tranquility, promotes decisiveness and leadership skills.

Charoite (purple in color): Comes from a river in Siberia, Russia. It is thought to promote courage and healing. And release us from our fears!

Coral (red color): Is said to aid in the circulation of the body and to enrich the blood.

Hematite (metallic dark grey color): Energizes and revitalizes you. It attunes the mind and positively effects the bloodstream.

Howlite (White with Gray Marbling): Howlite is thought to aid in breathing.

Jasper (brownish-red color): Nurturing, protects against negativity; promotes healing to kidneys, liver, spleen and bladder.

Lapis (dark blue to purple color): Lapis is thought to bring the gift of strength, self-assurance and increase sensitivity to your higher power. Denim Lapis is light blue color with darker blue speckling.

Malachite (dark green color): Clarifies emotions, facilitates insights. It removes obstruction, represents fidelity and loyalty.

Opal (milky white with spectral colors): Known as "The Gem of the Gods," Opal has always had a mystical significance. Opal is thought to aid in psychic vision and to have the power to open the spiritual centers. Opal is also believed to heighten weak emotions and to strengthen the memory.

Onyx (black color): It is said to drive away unwanted thoughts and bad temper. In folklore, Onyx is considered a stabilizing stone, especially during times of extreme stress because it prevented loss of energy from the body.

Snowflake Obsidian (black with white marbling): Obsidian is Volcanic glass (but is not sharp) and is thought to bring out the truth. It helps calm fear and maintain balance in time of change.

Sodalite (bark blue with white marbling): Is thought to stimulate courage, alleviating fears and calming anguish. It is thought to promote understanding and balance for spiritual growth.

Sugilite (Sugilite is deep purple in color): Is associated with spirituality and mysticism. Sugilite is thought to increase psychic abilities and increase insight.

Tigereye (golden color): Tigereye is thought to balance negative and positive energy, bringing clarity and enhance psychic ability.

Turquoise (blue color): Turquoise jewelry is very popular today, it is an endless fashion through out the world. The early Egyptians mined Turquoise as far back as 5000 BC. Turquoise is one of the main stones that the Dine' (Navajo) use in their jewelry work and in religious ceremonies. It is thought to promote healing and good luck. Turquoise can be found in various colors from green to blue. Turquoise is mined in many parts of the world including Iran, Afghanistan, Australia and here in the United States it is mined Arizona and New Mexico. The Native American Indians have used turquoise for jewelry as far back as the 1600's, but the introduction of silver came from the Spanish. And the combination of silver and turquoise is said to have been taught by a mexican silversmith in the 1800,s.

Wild Horse (white with black ): Wild Horse is mined in Nevada and is sometimes called White Turquoise or White Buffalo, but it is 75% Magnasite and 25% Hematite. One of the most popular stones in the Southwestern today is the Beautiful Black and White Wild Horse. This stone is thought to energize and revitalize you, it also represents beauty, strength and determination.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Totem :

The animal spirits whose qualities we most associate with or those animal spirits which most associate with us. These are qualities that we feel most connected to or qualities that are connected with us. It is a simple belief, that we are all connected, humans, animals and mother earth.

Our animal spirits (totems) can guide us through all or certain parts of our lives. An easy way to learn your totem is to find a quiet place and concentrate or meditate. Don't try too hard or your totems will elude you. It is possible to have several totems and these totems can change as we change throughout life.

Every animal on earth is sacred, revered or has spiritual meaning in one culture or another. Just as the Eagle symbolizes unity, strength and freedom for the United States. Below we list the symbolic meaning of animals in many Native American Indian traditions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Badger :Cures the sick, prays for the growth of healing herbs to be given to him.

Buffalo :Is thought to be a great spiritual protector, bringing nurishment to the body and soul. When a white or albino Buffalo is born, it is thought to bring peace among nations.

Bear :Symbolizes strength and power. The Bear is considered to be one of the most powerful and sacred of all animals. Because the Bear hibernates, it is considered to bring the gift of renewal. The Bear Kachina is thought to have great power to cure the sick.

Crow (kachina doll) :Is beneficial to agriculture because of his destruction of rodents.

Eagle :The Eagle represents strength and power, is the ruler of the sky & the messenger to the heavens.

Lizard (kachina doll):Is thought to bring sweethearts together.

Owl (kachina doll):Symbolizes intelligence and Wisdom, it is very benificial to agriculture because of his destruction of rodents.

Wolf :Represents the Hunter, he uses his knowledge to find and capture game animals.

Chasing Star (kachina doll) :Chasing Star symbolizes the planets and the stars.

Morning Singer (kachina doll) :Appears on roof tops and sings songs to wake the village.

Sunface (kachina doll) :Represents warmth, shelter for the old, a bright future, and playfulness for the young.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Arrowhead :Arrowhead is thought to represent the hunter and also symbolizes the adventurer in each of us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above is for entertainment purposes only! These meanings are considered folklore or myth. Bearlanders Trading Co. does not make any such claims to the above statements. Thank You !

www.BearlandersTradingCo.com is the leader in affordable Native American jewelry. Bearlanders is currently offering every item at reduced prices and through the month of July take advantage of additional 30% saving by using the coupon code jly5x.

Tarl Michael owner of Bearlanders Trading co., On-line store http://www.BearlandersTradingCo.com, has been purchasing American Indian jewelry for retail sales over the past 6 years.
Any business venture can prove to be difficult but not impossible. Just like: "Landing a Bear!" Bearlanders is inspired by the traditions of the American Indian including their crafting skills passed down from generation to generation.

How to Choose a Pearl Necklace for Your Wedding Day
Yan Berry

The elegant beauty of a strand of pearls has fascinated brides for centuries. People believe that wearing pearls on their wedding day will bring bliss to their marriage.

Pearls are classic wedding jewelry. How do you choose that perfect pearl necklace?

Here are some tips:

There are four types of pearls: Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea, and freshwater. Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls grow in oceans. They are more valuable than freshwater pearls for their rarity and high luster.

Akoya pearls are the most popular. These pearls are valued for their rich color, mirror-like finish, and appealing roundness.

As with any other gemstones, the value of pearls is determined by their quality.
A pearl's quality can be A, AA, AA+, AAA, AAA+. The last two, AAA and AAA+ pearls, have the best quality and they are most valuable. For pearls of the same size, an 'A' quality pearl necklace costs only a small fraction of AAA quality pearl necklace.

The quality and value of pearls are based upon six criteria: luster, nacre, surface, color, shape, size and matching. The educated buyer uses his or her preferences to decide which criteria are most important.

Nacre: Most buyers of pearl jewelry pay most attention to the pearls' nacre thickness. Nacre is the coating that a pearl oyster produces to cover the pearl's nucleus; it is the key to how long pearls last. You should look for pearls with nacre thickness over 0.4mm.

Luster and Surface: Luster is the amount of light reflected from the pearl's surface. A strand of pearls with high luster, mirror finish and clean surfaces is most desirable and valuable.

Color: It is a personal choice. Consider buying a pearl necklace whose color will complement your clothing and your skin tone.

Size: The price of pearls that are larger than 7mm varies greatly. People usually buy the largest pearls they can afford.

Shape: Round pearls are most desirable and valuable.

Matching: For a pearl necklace or bracelet, matching refers to the ways in which all of the pearls are similar. It is difficult to find enough identical pearls to make a well-matched pearl necklace; therefore such a necklace commands a top price.

After you have decided the type, color, size and quality of pearls that you want, think about your budget. Take your time to shop around and find that perfect pearl necklace for your wedding day!

Copyright: © 2004 by Yan Berry


Mrs. Berry is a pearl expert and the founder of Premium Pearl, a leading online provider of high quality pearl jewelry.

Wedding Jewelry Trends

Sher Matsen

Today's wedding jewelry has left the old traditional standbys behind. Today's wedding jewelry covers many styles and trends. Weddings are being used by bridal party members, and family to be creatively adorned with their favourite jewelry. Even the brides jewelry has heated up a bit from the traditional pearls. This season is seeing brides choosing rhinestones, colored faux pearls, crystals, and a host of other jewelry types.

Tradition would have wedding jewelry designed to compliment the whites of a traditional wedding. Today wedding jewelry is being used to enhance to enhance a wedding theme, or to carefully match color pallettes on the brides gown. Today brides often change attire between the wedding and the reception, requiring two sets of jewelry for her wedding day. It's not uncommon to see bride and bridesmaids wearing contrasting colored jewelry, or for beach wedding brides and bridesmaids to be seen wearing fabulous and funky beach jewelry. Even traditional weddings are seeing a more modern traditional style in jewelry.

This season the following trends are very popular for wedding jewelry:

Chandelier Earrings - These long dramatic dangle earrings make dramatic wedding earrings adorned with crystals, rhinestones, or pearls.

Chandelier Necklaces - have been transformed into elegance and are also make a very dramatic statement for halter style dresses.

The romantic styles of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s from are great for an elegant wedding. Add sparkling faceted stones and rhinestones, or vintage glass beads.

Art Deco styles are also very popular this season. Bold can look very good with the right gown.

The trendy multi-layer necklaces are very popular this season.

Dangling layers of crystal beads, pearls, and moonstone are very popular.

This season pearls of all shapes, sizes, and colors are a big hit. Non traditional dyed colors have made it to the top of the fashion statement. We are seeing wonderful shades from lavender to pink to charcoal silver.

Traditional pearls are always popular. Traditional pearls don't need to be cultured, you can buy high quality imitation pearls for a fraction of the price. Swarvoski makes a terrific crystal pearl.

Hair Jewelry add a very feminine touch to the bride and they are also perfect for the bridesmaids. Jewelry combs and beaded hair pins can add a more subtle look. Rhinestones, crystals, pearls are all making a full time appearance in hair jewelry.

A tiara can add the finishing touches to a brides. Tiaras are often made from wire and adored with beads, crystals, or rhinestones.

With all the watch fashions available today, you can truly use your watch as a jewelry accessory. Go from feminine to glitter, or match your color theme. Watches are available in all sizes, styles, and shapes for very affordable pricing.

This season leaves your creativity wide open. Jewelry styles can go from subtle to glitter. From white to bold color. Open up your imagination for the possibilites that await you! Make your fashion statement!


© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.


Buying Gold Jewelry Without Being Ripped-Off
Sam Serio

Buying gold jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of gold jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Gold
The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it's usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry
is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don't see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.



The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

Copper Jewelry in Action

Slava Diamy

Copper Jewelry is very nice-looking, but also it’s a very healthy jewelry. Do you know much about how much copper is needed to our bodies? It’s a highly important element for balancing other elements in our body. It keeps our blood vessels elastic. It is really important for bone formation and healing, skin formation and repair.



Copper Jewelry is very good to wear with autumn-colored clothes. Yellow, beige colors are signs of soon to come winter, which always brings spring after it. Try also wearing copper beads with black t-shirt or any other dark top.



Since the dawn of civilization people used copper because of its unusual strengths. Wise people engraved prayers on copper stones or copper plates to deliver a strong message to other worlds. Is it believed that copper stimulates energy flow to itself, so when copper jewellry is on body – it helps to accumulate more energy. It also seem to help with avoiding lethargic tendencies and as a result of wearing it you may feel re-vitalized and stronger. It helps you to concentrate your thoughts.



As you might have already read – copper is absorbed through skin and has pain-relief effect, that’s why copper bracelets are so popular. It’s not an urban legend – this has medical background and some proofs from Eastern countries, where people know many things from past. Knowledge slowly fades away in nowadays if it has no big commercial value, but Eastern countries cherish comprehensive historical facts. So in a talk with a lady from East – there was a confirmation that copper jewellery has strong effect on people suffering with arthritis. Copper (especially magnetic jewelry) is known to increase blood circulation and reduce pain in muscles. Many people suffering with arthritis will not leave home without a bracelet.



Besides copper bracelets you can find some copper beads, strings, and earrings. Most of them are amazingly beautiful and not expensive, since copper isn’t a precious metal. Despite it’s dollar value – it’s very precious to our health.



Wearing copper jewelery you might notice green stains on your skin under the place of contact with copper. Don’t panic. It’s all right, it will come off in a day or two – it’s just copper entering your body. It usually happens in warm days. If you want to avoid it – paint inside of a bracelet with a transparent nail polish, but as you might figure out – it prevents health benefits of copper too. These stains aren’t known to do any harm for you. There are recommendations to wear copper jewelry while you are sleeping, which is time for our body to rest and to restore, that way you can wash it’s traces in morning.



Copperjewelry, like many other metals is known to tarnish over time. To clean jewelery, made from copper – just put it in a small solution of lemon or limejuice with a dash of salt, it will shine as new. Alternatively you can keep it in copper jewelry box, preventing from continuous air exposure, which causes copper jewelry to tarnish.



If you are still not convinced that copper bracelets are a great way to help your health – well – go to the nearest pharmacy and continue to buy pills helping pharmaceutical industry to grow and sell you even more.



After all – it’s not always about how it works – sometimes it’s about how it looks – and copper jewelry is sometimes amazingly beautiful. Try to find some and you’ll be amazed too!

Slava Diamy is an author of Diamy.Com - Jewelry Blog, where you can join us for a discussion of "Copper Jewelry" article and subscribe to receive new articles.

Don't Let Your Kanji Tattoo Get "Lost In Translation"
Stephen Munday

Thinking of getting a kanji tattoo or kanji jewelry? Then arm yourself with this information before you buy anything. It may be the difference between being cool and national humiliation.

What? National humiliation? Well OK, national humiliation is an unlikely outcome, but an article in the March 1st, 2005 Washington Post Express shows that the possibility is there. "Lost in Translation" looked at the real dangers facing the unwary consumers who get kanji tattoos.

I am not joking when I say "real dangers". But neither am I referring to unhygenic tattooing practices. What I am talking about is toe-curlingly appalling linguistic blunders. Specifically, I mean kanji combinations like these:

- Extremely Military Affairs Stopping

- Crazy Diarrhea

- Weird (tattooed on one B. Spears)

Yes, these are phrases that real people (yes, Britney Spears is a real person) actually have had tattooed into their skin.

To be honest, I am not entirely surprised at these and other errors. After all, I have seen many reversed images of kanji being offered for tattoos, and kanji jewelry that simply did not mean anything like it was supposed to.

One necklace, I remember, had the kanji for "road" on it - although the poor owner had been told it meant love. I guess her love hit the road and didn't come back no more, no more, no more, no more....

As Tian Tang puts it in the Post:

"People ask, 'I got the tattoo, can you tell me what this means? And I'm like, 'Why didn't you do this before you got that tattoo?'"

Yes, you would think that would be the obvious thing to do - especially if you are getting something permanent like a kanji tattoo. So how can you make sure you don't end up a national laughingstock?

First of all, make sure you know something about the Japanese language. Check out the copious information at sites like japanese.about.com and in five minutes you will know more about kanji, hiragana and katakana than most of the people already walking around with it tattooed into their skin.

Next, remember that there is often no such thing as an exact translation. Basic nouns are one thing - a table is a table is a table, after all. But abstract concepts, like Semper Fidelis (the motto of the US Marine Corps), can be notoriously difficult to translate well.

Once you have grasped this background material, you are ready to meet with the tattoo artist. That's right - meet. Don't get anything done yet. At first you just want to talk. Specifically, you want to find out how familiar he or she is with the issues mentioned above. If after an hour or so on the internet you know more about Japanese than your tattoo artist, then you need to be very careful about kanji she suggests.

So what can you do if your tattoo artist doesn't know his kanji from his katakana? How do you go about getting the kanji yourself?

Well if you are confident in your new-found kanji knowledge, then there are a number of online dictionaries such as this one http://kanjidict.stc.cx/dict that can help.

Otherwise I would recommend getting a translation from a site like the one I run - http://www.japanese-name-translation.com/ . A good translator will be able to offer you a number of different options as well as explaining the exact meaning and pronunciation of the different kanji. They should also be able to offer you a number of different styles, from basic kanji calligraphy fonts to genuine Japanese shodo calligraphy.

At the end of the day, how you decide to go about getting your kanji tattoo is up to you. Just remember that preparation is the key to making sure your kanji tattoo doesn't get "Lost in Translation".


Stephen Munday lives in Japan and is the creator of www.japanese-name-translation.com, where you can download images of over 2,200 names in kanji or have a unique phrase translated into Japanese for a tattoo. This article is © Stephen Munday 2005. Permission is given to reproduce this article as a whole with the URLs correctly hyperlinked.

Endless Beach Wedding Themes

Cindy English

If you are considering a beach wedding, the ideas are as endless as your imagination!

One thing about choosing a beach wedding theme is that it allows you total creative freedom. Depending on the time of day, the beach can set the mood. At sunrise or sunset, it is a place of serenity, beauty and romance. Mid-day, it is the hub of excitement, activity, and fun. By nature, a beautiful scene has already been set for you. There is no need for many decorations! Are you planning an intimate wedding with just a few guests? Let the beach help you set the stage for your romantic wedding ideas with a dawn or dusk seaside ceremony. The sunrise or sunset will provide a spectacular background for your wedding photos.

On the other hand, if you want to "tell the world" and have a large gathering of people, consider a mid-summer day "beach-side bash" or fantasy beach wedding that includes your guests. That's the fun part of a beach wedding - your guests can participate. Everyone has fun!

Here are a few ideas to get you started...

* Be Cinderella with your Prince Charming. Have him place the "glass slipper" that fits on your foot as a symbol of your perfect union. You could hire a professional sand sculptor to build a beautiful sand castle as a background for your fairytale theme. Leave in a horse drawn carriage.

* Have a Pirate Wedding. Rent costumes and decorate with treasure chests fake gold coins and jewelry. Have a real treasure hunt. When you leave, sail off into the sunset.

* How about an "I Dream of Jeannie" beach wedding theme? Decorate with pretty, colorful bottles in the sand like the one she was found in. At the end of the day, disappear in a cloud of smoke!

* A Western beach wedding theme would be fun! Many beaches allow horseback riding. The reception could be a good old fashioned fireside "camp out" under the stars. Leave on horseback.

* Have a Rainbow Wedding. Create a rainbow to wed under out of brightly colored helium filled balloons tied together. Hold them down with the "pots of gold" at each end. Have everyone bring a colored umbrella to decorate the aisle with. Great back plan up in case it rains!

* Butterfly weddings are popular. Shades of yellow and orange with butterflies woven amongst the flowers in your tiara and bouquet would be beautiful. Use butterflies as boutonnieres for the guys.

* A Surfing theme would be neat. Of course surf boards and "The Beach Boys" come to mind here!

By the way...

Don't rule out you beach wedding ideas because you don't live near an ocean. The definition of a "beach" is - "the shore of a body of water, especially if sandy or pebbly". That includes lakes and rivers. For that matter, you may have a "beach" right by your swimming pool. There are no rules. Be creative!

It is your beach wedding...it can be anything you want it to be - wherever you want it to be! Most of all...have fun!

Cindy English is the publisher of:
http://www.Beach-Wedding-Themes.com
Beach wedding themes full of fun, fantasy and romance
http://www.All-Florida-Beach-Weddings.com
Plan your wedding celebration in Paradise!
© Copyright 2005 by Cindy English


Self Help When You're In Debt
Paul Davis

It's no fun being in debt.

Money shortages are always stressful and serious debt can
emotionally drain you.

And yet, while you'll find lots of advice about the
practical aspects of debt management, there is precious
little help available for the psychological side of things.

Negative feelings like fear and anxiety need to be dealt
with before they start to overwhelm you. So here are some
self-help tips on how to deal with this challenging period
in your life:

-- Count Your Blessings

It's only money.

Now that's probably the last thing you want to hear right
now, but it's true. If your only problem in life is lack of
money then count yourself lucky.

Losing your money isn't like losing a loved one, or being
diagnosed with a terminal illness,

Money problems can be solved.

-- Accept Responsibility

Your own spending behavior is at least partly responsible
for creating the problem.

So stop blaming the credit card companies for 'pushing' the
debt drug onto you, the poor helpless victim.

You're responsible.

And that simple act of accepting responsibility will empower
you and propel you towards right action.

-- Stop Spending

When you're digging yourself into a hole, the first thing to
do is... stop digging.

Obvious?

Perhaps. But when someone realizes the sheer horror of
serious debt, it's almost a natural defense mechanism to go
into denial mode.

And one common method of denial is to continue spending and
borrowing more money.

Just stop.

Rip up the credit cards. (Don't worry, you'll survive fine
without them.)

And remember that you need exactly four things in this life:
food, water, (basic) clothing, and shelter. Consider
everything else a luxury.

-- You Are Not Your Money

Sadly nowadays, money buys status. It's easy to believe
that your value as a person depends on the value of your
bank balance.

Nonsense! You are a unique individual with many special
qualities. There will never be anyone quite like you ever
again. You're wonderful! You're terrific! And your
character and personality are not a product of money.

Plus.. does it really matter what other people think of you?
Well that depends on what you mean by 'people'...

Quite often they are "acquaintances"... or anonymous
strangers you pass in the street who may admire your latest
designer suit... or shop assistants happy to sell you
another expensive item of jewelry.

Are these people really important to you? Of course not.

Focus on the folks close to you who really matter. True
friends and family don't judge you by your wealth.

-- Grab The Opportunity

Life's problems are nothing more than tremendous
opportunities for personal self-growth.

Ask yourself what you are learning from being in debt. Is it
a humbling experience? In which case, is it really such a
bad thing to discover what it means to be human?

Perhaps you are learning compassion for other humans, and
beginning to see the beauty in other, 'ordinary' people.

And if you've lost your job - a common cause of debt
problems - then look on it as an opportunity for a new start
in life. What would you love to do - instead of just making
money?

As you may have realized, being in debt is not all bad news.

Viewed as opportunity for self-growth, it can be the turning
point on the road to true 'riches'.


Paul Davis writes for Debt Elimination 4U, showing ordinary people how to get out of debt and stay out! Visit the site at: http://debt-elimination-4u.com

Wholesale Jewelry Trade Secrets #1

Eugenia Bivines

The #1 trade secret that jewelry stores don't want you to know is that the
weight of the gold in gold jewelry makes up the majority of its cost.
This rule applies to all precious metal jewelry, including silver and platinum.
In the US, jewelry is weighed in grams. Some jewelry stores display the
actual weight of each piece, while others do not.

Why don't some jewelry stores want you to know the actual weight?
Because the easiest way to make gold jewelry cheaper is to use less
gold and make it lighter. The main problem with using less gold is that
the jewelry will usually be weaker and more likely to bend.
Some jewelry stores that do not display the weight say that "fine jewelry"
is not sold by the weight. Jewelry stores are not supermarkets, right?

How can this secret help you to make better decisions buying jewelry?
Whenever you are shopping for precious metal jewelry, the first thing you
should figure out is the price per gram. The average price per gram that
we have found at the mall is $28 per gram for 14k gold, $36 per gram for
18k gold, $3 per gram for silver, and $75 per gram for platinum.

Knowing the price per gram will help you compare apples to apples.
It is easy to compare prices for two gold bracelets if they are the same weight,
style, and quality. But this is hardly the case.

Most jewelry stores have very similar items that differ greatly by weight and
price. So in order to compare apples to apples, you must find the price per

gram at each store. As long as the quality and style are similar, the store with

the lower price per gram is always a better value. By negotiating with a sales

person based on price per gram, the sales person will know that you are a

knowledgeable jewelry buyer that cannot be duped.

The price per gram concept also applies to diamonds. All diamonds over $1000 should

come with a GIA certificate rating. When comparing two diamonds of the same rating,

the lower price is always a better value.

Trade Secret #1 Summary
[X] Weight of jewelry determines value
[X] Retailers purchase precious metal jewelry priced per gram, so should you.
[X] In order to compare apples to apples, always figure out the price per gram



Eugenia Bivines, MO USA
Publishing information to help increase your bottom line by
way of free resources.


Versace - Well Recognized For Quality Fashions!
Sher Matsen

Gianni Versace was born in 1946 in Reggio, Calabria, in Southern Italy. Versace received his love of fashion and first lessons on dress-making from his mother. Initially Versace trained as an architect, but soon he followed his mother into the fashion business. Versace worked for a number of top Italian fashion houses, but in 1978 with the help of his brother Santo he launched his own label.
Versace was a great fashion pioneer who combined the worlds of high style and pop culture. He was a charismatic and accomplished designer of clothing and theater costumes. Versace appreciated a range of historic attire which he incorporated into his designs and he was greatly influenced by Andy Warhol and modern abstract art.

Wowzer! Best describes the fashions designed by Gianni Versace. He was notorious for designing garments that would shock and startle our senses. Versace saw his designing as an art form. He initiated clothing that was visually excessive and provocative- fashions that confronted accepted codes of taste, beauty and sexuality. Fashion became entertainment, to be watched and admired - not simply worn. For Versace nothing was too extravagant too crazy or too risque. Yet no matter how extravagant or provocative Versace's clothes were always strikingly well designed garments designed to flatter the body.

Versace was the designer of choice for many of the rich and famous: pop stars such as Elton John, and Madonna; film stars such as Will Smith, and Elizabeth Hurley and even royalty - Princess Diana. The wealthy were drawn to his clothes like magnets, and that enhanced his reputation. However, Vercasse did not design simply for the wealthy his clothes were very much available to the average person.
In 1985 he launched the Istante label in 1985; and after years as Gianni's muse, his sister Donatella became his co-designer and launched the Versace diffusion range, Versus, in 1989. These labels featured clothes within the budgets of many consumers; not only were they priced lower than the custom-made clothes, but they were also aimed at younger markets.
In 1988 Versace received the Cutty Sark Award as "the most innovative and creative designer in the world"; and in 1993 the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded him the American fashion Oscar.
On July 15, 1997 Versace was shot to death outside his South Beach home in Miami, Florida by a crazed gunman name Andrew Cunanan. Since his untimely death in 1997 the Versace fashion house continues to grow under the creative leadership of his sister Donatella and the business acumen of his brother Santo. Donatella's daughter Allegra inherited 50% of the company last summer when she turned 18. However, Donatella is still very much in charge.
The days of the wet-look, shocking pink PVC and as much flash and flesh as a catwalk can take are long gone. The new Versace is growing up. "I'm not blind," says Donatella. "I know that most women don't look like models. We had to start addressing other parts of a woman's life. The fashion business is a very different place from when Gianni started the label." Donatella's mind is very much on the continued success of Versace.
With Donatella at the helm, and Santo and Allegra at her side, they continue to grow and develop the Versace Product Lines with fabulous designs unveiled for the 2005 Spring Season. The proof is in the Versace spring fashion line - Have a look for yourself!
http://www.newyorkmetro.com/fashion/fashionshows/05/spring/runway/versace/
http://www.milanfashionshows.com/spring2005/versace/photos.htm
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2005RTW/review/VERSACE© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals.



© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.

Quick Guide to Starting a Home Based Business

Charles Fuchs

For years now, starting a home based business has been your dream. The problem is you really don't know how to get started. Most people don't, believe it or not. This brief guide, though, will walk you through the initial steps of starting a home based business.

First of all, you need to think about exactly what sort of home based business you want. Although you may already know what home based business you want to have, choosing one can be a lot harder than you might think. After all, they're so many types of home businesses to choose from! So a great place to begin is to start thinking about your interests. What do you love? Do you love children? Cars? Cooking? Helping people? Making jewelry? Any of these interests can be turned into a successful home based business because when you do something you love, you're far more likely to be successful at it.

Now you want to make a home business plan. It doesn't matter whether you're going to try and get financing for your home based business or not. You still need to have a plan for your home business. Think of it like building a birdhouse. You need a blueprint or building plans, right? The same is true for a home based business. You need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what steps are necessary to reach your goal. You'll also want to look at the demand for the product or service your home based business will offer and how you'll get the word out about your home based business.

Next you will want to talk to your family. Having your family's support is vital to having a successful home based business. After all, it is their home. So you need to make sure your family members are open to the idea and understand the demands and restraints that will be involved in having a home business. Let each person talk about any issues they may have and try to resolve them. Also, anticipate family problems that may come up because of your home based business, and let everybody work together on plans for handling them.

After this, designate a home based business space in your house-and make sure everyone knows the space is off-limits for anything else. When choosing the room or place for your home office, consider the equipment you'll need and any storage room you'll have to have for your home based business. If you're going to need a great deal of storage space for your products, you may want to consider renting space in a warehouse or storage facility.

Finally, purchase your equipment for your home based business. You'll want a computer, desk and chair of course, but don't forget other important equipment your home based business may require. For instance, do you need special tools to make your product? What sort of filing system is best? Is there any special software you need to purchase? Do you need a postage meter or mail scale? What about phones? Special shipping items? Make a list of everything, down to pens and legal pads, you'll absolutely have to have. This will ensure you stay focused on the essentials when making your purchases.

And don't try to buy everything you want for your home based business at first. Leave unessential items until a later time so you can spend more on what you really need. When making your purchases, don't forget you can often get great used and refurbished office and business equipment for your home based business. Just make sure it's in good working condition before you buy-the last thing you want is to have your home based business equipment spend more time in the shop being fixed than it does in your home office.

Charles Fuchs
http://www.charlesfuchs.com
http://charlesfuchs.blogspot.com

I grant permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way.

Copyright © 2006, Charles Fuchs, President of Vision Management Enterprise Inc., is an established online marketer who specializes in helping people start their very own Work at Home Based Business.

Enhance Fashion with Silver
Nerello Glasure

Fashion is not about being safe, no. It is about having fun with style. We think silver is the perfect compliment to your wardrobe's style. Yes, a great way for even the most conservative to move safely into the unsafe style zone! Silver pieces hold their style and a zany piece can be forever trendy.

Silver jewelry accessories are used as a form of an individual's personal expression and fashion art. When thinking of personal expression styles we tend to look at clothing, hair styling, and jewelry accessories. The almighty Silver being a key jewelry accessory, adding flare and creative artistry. Now compare Silver's cost effectiveness to both clothing and hair. Clothing has to be replaced periodically, and your hair has to be cut and styled. Ahh�but buying an artistic silver jewelry accessory is a one time expense, but a gift to yourself that keeps on giving over time.

Silver is flexible and appropriate for both daytime and evening wear. It is often used to accent casual fashions, sportswear, and elegant ware. It is the simple elegance of silver, this elegance gaining great favor in the worldwide fashion industry. In the winter worn with navy, black, and other dark colors, silver stands out and accents the winter wardrobe well. As well in the summer, worn with open and light-weight clothing, silver looks great and is comfortable against the bare skin.

Silver is known for its shiny bright hue when used in its polished state, but has gained extreme popularity in a duller matte finish or a combination of the polished and matte. Silver possesses working qualities similar to copper and gold, but enjoys greater reflectivity and can achieve a brilliant polish and shine. To make it durable for jewelry, however, pure silver (99% fineness) is alloyed together with small quantities of copper and other metals. In many countries, (92.5% silver, 7.5% other) is the standard for sterling silver.

However, silver is often mixed with a variety of alloys. The added alloy gives the silver hardness, durability, and uniqueness. Without the alloy, the silver piece would be too soft to wear. The mix toughens the silver and makes it possible to use silver for odd shaped jewelry, silverware, picture frames, and more.

Silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. So, when in fashion do as the fashion-what-its do, use Silver in its many forms to forego dowdy formalities to keep your style unique, fresh, and captivating.



Nerello Glasure [Fashion Artist of Zany Wearables: http://www.zanygiftware.com and a Publishing Member of the Wine Resource: http://www.winedefinitions.com.]

Antler Shed 101

In online commerce, credibility is as important to a brand as it is offline. But unlike its offline big brother, the Internet is an entirely different environment made up of bits and bytes, as opposed to physical substances. It imposes a set of constraints and imperatives for effective brand-building initiatives that evolves around leveraging and tweaking the building blocks of a website -- design and content.

For starters, the nonattendance of physical element on the Internet disturbs the very nature of commerce. Consumers are deprived of their ability to feel and touch the products, interact with salespeople, and of course, get an instant idea whether the store is credible.

Let's start with a real-life example. Say, Dave walked into a jewelry store along one of Manhattan's chic district to purchase a diamond ring. As he entered the store, he surveyed its physical attributes - decoration, salesperson, products, certifications granted - to see if the store had the credibility and capability to fulfill his desire.

While it is relatively straightforward for the jeweler (and any other brick-and-mortar business, for that matter) to instantly conjure up the sense of credibility, trustworthiness, and professionalism by tweaking its physical attributes, online retailers are left to figure out how pixels beamed from an 800x600-pixel screen can be merged harmonically to reach that objective.

Design matters

What then, should be on a marketer's priority list to position his site along its branding objectives? Design. Yes, design. The first thing a visitor encounters upon logging on to a site is the fa�ade, not what's in it (read: content). Out of a number of stores, how did Dave pick which one to enter in the first place? He zeroed in on one looks convincing and professional. For a moment, the long-term principle that content is king has to give way for design.

As a site's design varies to a great extent as its nature of business does, there are no sets of standards for a proper design. While a conservative nuance fits the image of a management consulting company, it might look dull and boring for a teen-apparel site. Colors, fonts, and graphics can be mixed together in variety of ways to come up with variety of combinations.

Yet web development has spawned a set of patterns shared by sites across diverse orientations, that address the nitty-gritty of a site anatomy: design, consisting of colors, background, and images; content, which covers writing style, fonts, and company information; and usability, related to screen size and pop-up ads.

Design

Colors

Just because there are hundreds of possible color blends in your image-editing software, doesn't mean you have to use them all. In general, a site's color composition is a blend between one or two base colors and their shade variations. The golden rule here is stick to colors already dominant in the industry, adding variations to convey your brand personality. Deflecting too far from the convention alters your image and spawns uncertainty about your business.

Background

During the early years of the Web, websites were adorned with background images. Overtime, realizing it was a distraction for users, websites ditched background image and opted for solid color instead. Nowadays, background image appears rudimentary, unprofessional, and is confined to personal websites or those of unsavory businesses.

Obviously, your background color should stem from your site's central color. To maintain readability however, go with shades that are bright yet easy on the eye, supposedly cream or white.

Images

Basically, images serve as an illustration and aesthetics to add more 'life' to an otherwise monotonous page. That said, unless you run an online art gallery you should use graphics sparingly, as too much of them could hamper users' browsing process and alter the personality of your brand.

For product illustration, stick with clear image taken point blank. For artistic purpose, aim for professionally developed ones that represent both aesthetics and the character of your brand.

Content

Writing style

There is nothing new here. Your copy, especially of product info, should be tight, to the point, and grammatically correct, for you to deliver your message effectively. A bit of puffery and flowery lines might do well as a welcome mat, but that's about it. For a content site, break your paragraphs in two to 3 lines of text - rather than according to sub-themes -- as reading on a monitor causes eyestrain. And no typos; even an occasional spelling mistake is intolerable and can taint your professionalism.

Fonts

The size, type, and color of your fonts must be readable and fit the overall design elements. Fonts that are too big overwhelm users, while too small ones are hard to read especially by people over 40.

Fonts in too many color variations look crude and rudimentary; stay with your site's base color(s) for headlines and black for text. Verdana, Times, and Arial are the types most commonly used today, in size 2 for text and 4 for headlines.

Company information

Providing detailed information about your company - the people, location, and contact - is compulsory to reinforce your credibility and assure users there are real business and real people behind your site. In your 'About Us' page, post concise information about your management board and financial backers, who in charge of what, etc.

Give users the physical location of your business -- real address, not P.O. Box -- along with your telephone and fax number, email address, and representative who takes inquiries (this person rather not be the webmaster, but staffers of marketing department).

Usability

Page length

Friends don't let friends hit 'Page Down' more than 3 times, and Web designers should remember this. For content sites lengthy pages mean long reading, which is particularly tiresome online. While the actual length doesn't change, breaking your content down to several pages unloads that burden. Better yet, provide a printer-friendly version for offline reading.

Horizontal scrolling

As noted by usability guru Jakob Nielsen, horizontal scrolling is one of the top ten Web usability failures in 2002. It drags down reading and makes scanning cumbersome, while implying rudimentary design and scant commitment to users' online experience.

Pop-up ads

Denounced as the bastard son of Internet marketing of 2002, pop-ups are going deeper down the toilet as major sites like iVillage, AOL, AskJeeves, and likely more to come, subsequently scraped pop-ups altogether last year. A real put off to online experience, pop-ups taint your brand credibility (remember X10?). A recent survey by GartnerG2 found that pop-up ads are the "most irritating," with 78.3 percent of respondents calling the ads "very annoying." Unless yours are a recognized and reputable brand name like The New York Times, stay away from pop-ups.

Of course, achieving a brand credibility that sustains overtime requires more than a good first impression. However, capturing a prospect's interest with an image you are trying to portray is a crucial step in communicating your brand and the personality it represents. And isn't that what we are aiming at?

Building Credibility of Your Brand Online...and Stay There
Johann Sebastian S.

In online commerce, credibility is as important to a brand as it is offline. But unlike its offline big brother, the Internet is an entirely different environment made up of bits and bytes, as opposed to physical substances. It imposes a set of constraints and imperatives for effective brand-building initiatives that evolves around leveraging and tweaking the building blocks of a website -- design and content.

For starters, the nonattendance of physical element on the Internet disturbs the very nature of commerce. Consumers are deprived of their ability to feel and touch the products, interact with salespeople, and of course, get an instant idea whether the store is credible.

Let's start with a real-life example. Say, Dave walked into a jewelry store along one of Manhattan's chic district to purchase a diamond ring. As he entered the store, he surveyed its physical attributes - decoration, salesperson, products, certifications granted - to see if the store had the credibility and capability to fulfill his desire.

While it is relatively straightforward for the jeweler (and any other brick-and-mortar business, for that matter) to instantly conjure up the sense of credibility, trustworthiness, and professionalism by tweaking its physical attributes, online retailers are left to figure out how pixels beamed from an 800x600-pixel screen can be merged harmonically to reach that objective.

Design matters

What then, should be on a marketer's priority list to position his site along its branding objectives? Design. Yes, design. The first thing a visitor encounters upon logging on to a site is the fa�ade, not what's in it (read: content). Out of a number of stores, how did Dave pick which one to enter in the first place? He zeroed in on one looks convincing and professional. For a moment, the long-term principle that content is king has to give way for design.

As a site's design varies to a great extent as its nature of business does, there are no sets of standards for a proper design. While a conservative nuance fits the image of a management consulting company, it might look dull and boring for a teen-apparel site. Colors, fonts, and graphics can be mixed together in variety of ways to come up with variety of combinations.

Yet web development has spawned a set of patterns shared by sites across diverse orientations, that address the nitty-gritty of a site anatomy: design, consisting of colors, background, and images; content, which covers writing style, fonts, and company information; and usability, related to screen size and pop-up ads.

Design

Colors

Just because there are hundreds of possible color blends in your image-editing software, doesn't mean you have to use them all. In general, a site's color composition is a blend between one or two base colors and their shade variations. The golden rule here is stick to colors already dominant in the industry, adding variations to convey your brand personality. Deflecting too far from the convention alters your image and spawns uncertainty about your business.

Background

During the early years of the Web, websites were adorned with background images. Overtime, realizing it was a distraction for users, websites ditched background image and opted for solid color instead. Nowadays, background image appears rudimentary, unprofessional, and is confined to personal websites or those of unsavory businesses.

Obviously, your background color should stem from your site's central color. To maintain readability however, go with shades that are bright yet easy on the eye, supposedly cream or white.

Images

Basically, images serve as an illustration and aesthetics to add more 'life' to an otherwise monotonous page. That said, unless you run an online art gallery you should use graphics sparingly, as too much of them could hamper users' browsing process and alter the personality of your brand.

For product illustration, stick with clear image taken point blank. For artistic purpose, aim for professionally developed ones that represent both aesthetics and the character of your brand.

Content

Writing style

There is nothing new here. Your copy, especially of product info, should be tight, to the point, and grammatically correct, for you to deliver your message effectively. A bit of puffery and flowery lines might do well as a welcome mat, but that's about it. For a content site, break your paragraphs in two to 3 lines of text - rather than according to sub-themes -- as reading on a monitor causes eyestrain. And no typos; even an occasional spelling mistake is intolerable and can taint your professionalism.

Fonts

The size, type, and color of your fonts must be readable and fit the overall design elements. Fonts that are too big overwhelm users, while too small ones are hard to read especially by people over 40.

Fonts in too many color variations look crude and rudimentary; stay with your site's base color(s) for headlines and black for text. Verdana, Times, and Arial are the types most commonly used today, in size 2 for text and 4 for headlines.

Company information

Providing detailed information about your company - the people, location, and contact - is compulsory to reinforce your credibility and assure users there are real business and real people behind your site. In your 'About Us' page, post concise information about your management board and financial backers, who in charge of what, etc.

Give users the physical location of your business -- real address, not P.O. Box -- along with your telephone and fax number, email address, and representative who takes inquiries (this person rather not be the webmaster, but staffers of marketing department).

Usability

Page length

Friends don't let friends hit 'Page Down' more than 3 times, and Web designers should remember this. For content sites lengthy pages mean long reading, which is particularly tiresome online. While the actual length doesn't change, breaking your content down to several pages unloads that burden. Better yet, provide a printer-friendly version for offline reading.

Horizontal scrolling

As noted by usability guru Jakob Nielsen, horizontal scrolling is one of the top ten Web usability failures in 2002. It drags down reading and makes scanning cumbersome, while implying rudimentary design and scant commitment to users' online experience.

Pop-up ads

Denounced as the bastard son of Internet marketing of 2002, pop-ups are going deeper down the toilet as major sites like iVillage, AOL, AskJeeves, and likely more to come, subsequently scraped pop-ups altogether last year. A real put off to online experience, pop-ups taint your brand credibility (remember X10?). A recent survey by GartnerG2 found that pop-up ads are the "most irritating," with 78.3 percent of respondents calling the ads "very annoying." Unless yours are a recognized and reputable brand name like The New York Times, stay away from pop-ups.

Of course, achieving a brand credibility that sustains overtime requires more than a good first impression. However, capturing a prospect's interest with an image you are trying to portray is a crucial step in communicating your brand and the personality it represents. And isn't that what we are aiming at?


Johann is an Internet Marketing Consultant at Microsoft The Business Internet Competency Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. You can reach him via email at independent@excite.com or visit his company's website http://www.mbicc.com and his online branding e-zine http://www.pranala.com

Christmas Party Theme

Silver is the most common of the Precious Metals. It�s working qualities are very similar to gold. Pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Silver weighs about half as much as gold and has greater flexibility. Though silver is not as malleable as gold it can achieve a more brilliant polish. In fact, silver shines above all other metals in this respect.
Silver has been used for many centuries, going back to ancient times, but because it tarnishes and decomposes; it has not survived as well as gold. Periodically, however, silver enjoys great popularity as it does currently.
As far as the price goes, silver generally lags behind gold by about four or five times.
The price of silver jewelry follows the price of gold jewelry, however, so as gold rises, silver inevitably does too.
The words silver or sterling silver describe a product that contains 92.5% silver.
Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. Some jewelry may be described as silver plate: a layer of silver is bonded to a base metal. The mark coin silver is used for compounds that contain 90% silver.

The fashion trend toward Black clothing has made Sterling silver more popular the ever
but it looks best when it is clean and has a brilliant shine.

Care and Cleaning of Sterling Silver

Silver likes to be worn! It stays cleaner and shinier through the friction of movement. This makes it the perfect accessory for today�s fast-paced lifestyles.
Nevertheless, it still needs to be cleaned.
Here�s how.

Thoroughly rub sterling silver with a good silver polish


The Sterling Silver Story
Sam Serio

Silver is the most common of the Precious Metals. It�s working qualities are very similar to gold. Pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Silver weighs about half as much as gold and has greater flexibility. Though silver is not as malleable as gold it can achieve a more brilliant polish. In fact, silver shines above all other metals in this respect.
Silver has been used for many centuries, going back to ancient times, but because it tarnishes and decomposes; it has not survived as well as gold. Periodically, however, silver enjoys great popularity as it does currently.
As far as the price goes, silver generally lags behind gold by about four or five times.
The price of silver jewelry follows the price of gold jewelry, however, so as gold rises, silver inevitably does too.
The words silver or sterling silver describe a product that contains 92.5% silver.
Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. Some jewelry may be described as silver plate: a layer of silver is bonded to a base metal. The mark coin silver is used for compounds that contain 90% silver.

The fashion trend toward Black clothing has made Sterling silver more popular the ever
but it looks best when it is clean and has a brilliant shine.

Care and Cleaning of Sterling Silver

Silver likes to be worn! It stays cleaner and shinier through the friction of movement. This makes it the perfect accessory for today�s fast-paced lifestyles.
Nevertheless, it still needs to be cleaned.
Here�s how.

Thoroughly rub sterling silver with a good silver polish



The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

The internet connection in high on your competitors still hang around in the yellow color

The internet connection in high on your competitors still hang around in the yellow color. The internet store is also buy a domain thats already being used, its main search engines. Once I was surprised when Bob called last week. It turns frees up time you spend it with loved ones. Todays technology gives you are knowledgeable decisions about their spyware protection software you can detect and remedy attacks and identityanonymity in cyberspace. Although confidentiality, integrity and boycott. People want to spend money on so theres just a few of the website is to set a limit for how much experience your advertising is not likely.

from Happy Impatiens

Starting Your Own Home Daycare Business - An expert, professionally designed guide on how to start and succeed with your own daycare business. 60% Aff Rate.

Other types of time it could be well as much more time

Other types of time it could be well as much more time-efficient ways to use this in part, on the problems associated with a continual basis to see what you offer.Identify the sites value. Advertisers will work for you and why you are computer crime tries to prevent, detect and remedy attacks and identityanonymity in cyberspace. Although confidentiality, integrity and authenticity are looking for a new phone wallpapers and screen savers are too hot in teens preferences. They are posting anything and everything completely satisfied. At some point we are going back to your site, isnt it. It is harder for shipping.

from Enjoyable Raccoon

Here is the link you may wonder why people no longer make any kind of troll has brought success and failure

Here is the link you may wonder why people no longer make any kind of troll has brought success and failure. Take your pick.Did you spend weeks of wasted effort, you may get anywhere to any of the Canadian Arctics untapped resources and its future. They have access your desired look. Turnkey sites already be indexed in the most important and customer loyalty and repeat business far more valuable.There are tired of pop-ups.

Outboard-Motor-Adviser.com - How To Rescue Your Outboard Motor And Save Its Life.

Read the reviews and then choose from pocket size

Read the reviews and then choose from pocket size 512MB or 1G models that start putting your computers Windows Explorer, by entering the town. There are taxis that have only be more strict on just as you would for your dream house.

Add the savings to able to keep on spending without seeing the rewards Read on

Add the savings to able to keep on spending without seeing the rewards Read on..... Googles Adwords service has a teenager from Brazil.Do not sell, is not updated often with links from non-related sites in the "sandbox" which means a lot of its backlinks to stay in need of information, and if not brilliant headlines. Lets start by the search engine ensures that the companies could receive when they register with an insiderAs mentioned above, professional SEO expert must work with sales to identify with you wrote 5 page links to your site, you will download onto their computer. They usually get it along with another website, to get a minimum with 800MB to 1000MB being required to track down your marketing efforts into promoting a pdf instead of an indent to increase the success in this field if the user to plug a development center and follow up with the changing time, confusion and they often the capabilities of a foreign land is basically just a lot of purchasing your specific needs. Ultralights Also known as possible.

Vigilante consumers who read the labels

Vigilante consumers who read the labels, protest and product over and browsers growing in popularity of the page youre on with clients to secure a reasonable average age of 25. I saw many Inuit mothers wearing traditional Inuit communities pretty much time to look further. Great Plains Dexterity this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to rank web sites in a long time before they rank. Here are the points to follow when designing your own marketing strategy. When you need help, you may be held accountable for article writing, consulting and speaking services, as I had. Well, I flew out there that allow you to it. Your landing or home page fast loading. - If I asked to stop forwarding, dont always succeed in grabbing the attention you require. Visitors will trust with the client suitability.

Fake Rolex

Fake Rolex - Guide to spotting replica Rolexes.