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The percentage of US households owning a pet has risen from 56% in 1988 to 62% in 2008, according to the figures provided by the American Pet Products Association or APPA. The growth in the number of households is accompanied by increased spending on pet supplies and other items. The US households are expected to spend $50.84 billion on their pets in 2011. This amount includes expenditure on food items, supplies, over the counter medicines, vet care, cost of purchasing and grooming pets. Taking care of a pet involves expenditure on buying a wide range of pet supplies which includes foods, clothes, medicines etc.

Need for Pet Supplies

Pets are just like any other family member and need a lot of supplies which include food items, medicines, clothes or houses, shampoos and soaps for washing etc. Every pet owner likes to provide the best of supplies to his/her pet. This means buying the best quality of food and other products to ensure that the pet remains healthy and grows according to its age. The best way to buy good quality pet supplies is to get in touch with specialized pharmacies that deal in household products.

According to statistics quoted by the he American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the average cost of basic food, supplies, medical care and training for a dog or a cat is $700 to $875 annually. You can buy good quality pet supplies at discounted prices from varied online pharmacies that focus on selling supplies of all types and all price ranges.

Types of Pet Supplies

Whether you have a cat or a dog or horse or any other animal as household, you will need to buy certain basic essential food and other items on a regular basis. In addition products that help you to groom and train your pets are also essential. Several types of innovative supplies are available in the market and are aimed at making it easier to take good care of your pet.

While some pet supplies are common to all animals, there are others which are specific to certain animals. supplies can be generally categorized into:

• Training products
• Grooming products
• Essential food items
• Feeding and Water containers
• Cleaning products
• Food supplements
• Pet Carriers and Houses
• Pet Toys and Beds
• Health Care products
• Books and CDs on grooming pets
• Pet Clothes and Collars

Apart from these pet supplies, you are bound to spend on vet visits and pet medicines to treat some common allergies and infections. Medicines to treat common problems like fever, itchiness, hair loss, ticks, cancer, rabies, dysentery, tumors, worms etc can be treated by buying branded or generic medicines from a pet pharmacy.

Buying pet supplies from a specialized shop or pharmacy is highly beneficial because their staff can advise you about the right type of products. You can also check about the usefulness or the efficacy of a household product chosen by you. These pharmacies also guide you about the dosage and the right procedure to use a medicine or a treatment for your pet.

You can save your spending on pets by buying pet supplies from an established supplier of pet products and veterinary medications. The best way to get great deals on these supplies is by ordering online.

The popularity of fly fishing has been a hobby that a lot of people like it very much and it is growing day by day. Anyone can now participate in fly fishing sports irrespective of their abilities or other differences, which is why now there are so many fly fishing lovers. You should be able to understand the techniques as well as equipment required. Followings are 2 things you must know to be successful in fly fishing.

A) Fly Fishing Basics

To improve your fly fishing skill, you must first go for the proper Fly fishing basics course. Once you have the basic skill, you should be able to catch fish easily at every place.

One of the fly fishing basic skill that the course will teach you is the reel and rod. The rod used by fly fishers is different from regular rods. They are thinner and taller and each rod is an assured weight. A four or five weight rod is used to catch pan size and trout fish. Rods has a lot of size, vary from small to large rods. The large rods usually use in ocean fishing. By selecting the rods correctly, it will make your fishing easily.

Another fly fishing basic is the reel, the reel type is no the same from the normal one. It’s something that you should inquire about at every fly fishing store in order to understand.

Other Fly Fishing Basics

Next, is the fishing line, it is also completely different from normal one. The fly fishing line is totally visible and is much larger in diameter. Some fly lines will float on water and others are made to sink in water. A tippet (a monofilament line) is tied at the end of the fly line. This is what really does the fishing. It is about six feet long and the lure is tied to the end of the fly line. In this way, the fish is not able to see the fly line. In actual fly fishing, we use artificial flies in place of large heavy lures.

Usually, the lure used for fly fishing isn’t a true lure.

B) Fishing Flies: Many Varieties and Widely Available

For beginners knowing the type of flies and during what part of the year they can be productive is of great importance in succeeding with fly fishing. The fly fishing come in many Varieties models and is available in many of the fishing shops.

Types of Flies and When to Use its

Do you know fish are not stupid? At least, not for the bigger ones, if not they will not grow to such huge sizes by being dumb. The large fish, usually know that a nymph floating on the surface is out of place, the dry flies are usually to intend to emulate bugs normally found on the surface while nymphs are supposed to look like hard shell bugs and are typically fished near the bottom with little bit or no movement to the fly. For the adult flies, in general should not be around in the early spring. For the Wet flies, there are fished just under the surface, imitating emerging bugs under the surface with twitching of the line making them more attractive to those hungry fishes.

It is however necessary to be able to relate the fishes to the flies as well as the type of water (freshwater or saltwater) that you will be fishing in. Most flies are one of a kind and form the most important items of the fishing equipment, and you will surely need to take extra care of the files after having purchased the files because it is essential not to get your fly fishing flies crush or entangled, them accidentally due to their fragile nature and delicate.

It is thus essential for the fishers to keep the flies safely stored in suitable fly boxes, which must be kept absolutely dry after every use. In order to dry the fly box, you should try and air-dry which will prevent the flies from losing their shape, or hooks becoming corroded. Since the flies have practically lightness they can simply be crushed, mean you need to prepare more spare flies. It is also important that you experiment with the files as well as practice movement of the fly so that you get adept at handling the files.

Another skill knows how to tie the flies is also an art in itself, and you will probably be most acquainted with the Woolly Bugger as well as the Frankenstein fly, and all of the other millions of exotic fly available on the market today. Fishers will most probably be most well familiar with the Woolly Bugger, which is useful in almost all the situations, and is relatively easy to tie as well. Even though you may not get the tying right the first time, with effort, you will ultimately get there and with luck, your Frankenstein Fly will help you even to catch a large sized fish.

Experience greater pleasure

Above are just a 2 things you must know for fly fishing. By study, understanding and knowing the fly fish basic and different type of files use, it will certainly help you catch more fish. Many fly fishing knowledge and basics skill can be achieved thru practicing fishing and learn thru experience. Going for a fly fishing course, learning from an expert or hire a guide for fly fishing is definitely will help you improve your fishing skill. Once you get the entire thing right, you will experience greater pleasure as well as success from this gorgeous sport of fly fishing.

Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit Fly Fishing Women to learn more about fly fishing at Rocky Mountain and fly fishing in Key West.

Sex Education, as the term clearly indicates, refers to education which is based on human sexual behavior. Parents, schools or caretakers offer it in some parts of the world to educate the children, who are stepping into their adolescence. If formally received, sex education is either taught as a full course at high school or junior high school level or in biology, health, home economics classes. Teaching sex education is rather a controversial issue; debates have been going on for several decades discussing if it should be taught formally in schools or not. Sex education in schools should exist without any doubts and apprehensions as it offers many benefits.

Adolescence is called the “age of storm and stress”. The young teenagers, during this phase of life are under deep psychological pressure. Mainly, this psychological pressure is the result of one’s growing sexual needs and the biological changes and hormonal effects on the individuals. During this time, most of the children are observed to become easily irritable. They find it difficult in most situations to deal with the family members. They might not want to talk to them about the natural changes taking place in their body and mind. In such circumstances, one highly suitable option is that of the teachers who are able to teach them to control their urges until a proper age. In schools, trained teachers would help the students to know how to deal with their sexual impulses. This role can not be replaced by parents or other entities. A classroom discussion and lesson would make them feel it is natural, and they would also feel that they are being understood by someone. However, taking them individually to psychologists or other trained educators would not help. In such a situation they might consider themselves to be different and misunderstood by family and people around them. Therefore, it becomes crystal clear that the best way to offer sex education is always in school.

It is a psychological phenomenon that children at young age are under an immense peer pressure. Something that they learn in the class with their peer group is what makes a better impression on their minds than otherwise. They are more focused in the lessons that teachers offer and are more eager asking question to clear their ambiguities. They might feel embarrassed and uneasy questioning their parents about it, but it always differs in case of the teacher in the class. This is because everyone in the class is going through the same stage. A class discussion becomes healthy source of learning as it helps in enhancing the knowledge on the subject.

Many people advocate that sex education should only be restricted to families, that is, that parents should personally educate their children. This view is totally illogical and holds complications and questions. The first point is that not all the parents would be willing to do it or would be able to do it. Secondly, this education needs a proper channel through which it should reach its required learners. There could be many possible problems in the families so they might not be able to take the role of a teacher in educating their children regarding sex. The demand of annulment of sex education from the schools is highly conservative.

Most importantly, there are many single parents, how would they take up this challenge of educating their children on their own? Parents can not properly educate their children about sex also because they lack details that qualified sex educators convey in schools. Thus, the stance of abolishing sex education in school is not a favorable thought. In many observed cases where parents or children are embarrassed about talking over sexual matters with each other, it is most likely to be uneasy situation at both the ends. This keeps the children from learning the answers to the questions they might have in their minds. This can be a great flaw of shifting the duty of sexual education from teachers to the parents. It will leave the children only half or less educated about the issue and as they say “Little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, this might end up in grave situations.

According to research, most of the parents also feel uneasy because they know that they are not equipped to provide the apt sexual information to their children. They also fail to comprehend what details and information should be concealed and what should be revealed, keeping in mind their children’s age. On the other hand, there might also be parents who would feel comfortable talking to their children about sexual matters, but only when the children bring the matter up.

Most parents, around the world, may also lack role models to look up to as they would not have talked over sexual issues with their own parents in their adolescent. This makes them inefficient to trigger their roles of educating their children in an effective way as the assigned teachers are able to do in schools.

Sex education is not limited to only a single branch of knowledge. This education focuses on a number of significant sexual matters that are offered with especially designed courses and programs. Sex education covers the education of relationships, sexual abstinence at a certain level and teaching to practice safe sex to the level of children who are thought to be sexually active. Therefore, its claim for being appropriate and guiding holds strong base.

At a certain age of adolescence, growing children have problems facing relationships and controlling their personal emotions. Conflicts related to such matters persuade many youngsters to commit suicides or take part in other immoral activities. Proper sex education in schools also concentrates in making the youngsters emotionally stronger and in educating ways to cope with relationship problems. This argument strongly shows the immense benefit of sex education in schools.

Sex education is an important health strategy and this cannot be denied. AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases can only be controlled if people are aware of precautions and have a vast knowledge in this case. This knowledge is conveyed through sex education, and if sex education is banned in schools and if parents have to educate their children, then it would not be as beneficial to the individuals and the society on the whole as teaching in school could be.

Sex education does not exist in all parts of the world. Asians are commonly regarded conservative when compared to westerners. It is not a part of their course in schools; this does not in any way mean that their teenage pregnancy rate is any lower if they are not exposed to sexual matters openly. In fact, this is one way how peers can mislead most of the youngsters and persuade them to bask in young age sexual relationships without any attempts for safety. This has resulted in serious problems such as the spread of fatal diseases like AIDS and has also increased rate of illegitimate births.

Researches have shown that the cause for ramification of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) in the eras of 80s and 90s in the US and the UK is the lack of knowledge and information provided about sex in schools or home. Home and family has never and will never play an integral part in conveying sex education to teenagers, therefore to rely on the option of home, is to deceive your own self from the expected exigency in the future.

Some conservative groups assert that to discuss sexual issues openly is to devalue religion. No religion in the world abstain its followers from spreading the information that is so essential for human lives. Sexual behavior is natural and takes place through biological changes and this cannot be questioned as this is a part of human life. Thus people who take refuge under the religious shelter, to make their arguments strong, are misinterpreting religious ideas and laws.

Modern time is the time of internet and powerful media. Teenagers are exposed to Hollywood, TV and internet. These sources offer demonstration of sex which is highly thoughtless and casual; in this situation it is almost illogical to leave the teenagers on their sexual choices. They are young and fully excited; therefore they can not make a favorable choice. Sex education in school offers the information and knowledge they need to understand to know the responsibility that is accompanied by sexual relationships. The teacher in school helps the students to know the difference between a thoughtless and thoughtful sex. Having an urge for sex is not a problem; it is a natural process showing that the young people are developing to become adults; however the problem is having unsafe sex and hurting people through sexual choices.

People who claim that sex education in schools have more cons than pros, often come up with the statements suggesting that sex education in classroom should be avoided because the most effective tool for offering sex education, according to them is TV, films, magazines and media. Such people fail to understand that trained sex educators under especially designed programs teach sex education to children in schools. They are thus able to handle children’s problems and clear their ambiguities in the best possible way, whereas magazines, films, TV and other channels and mediums of providing sex education are be reliable. They are most of the times urging the young people by encouraging their sexual promiscuity rather than effectively teaching and educating them. This wrong approach damages the society and the individuals in disguise of ameliorating them.

People contradicting the notion insist that sex education always makes the learners have sex and experience it personally, once they learn about it in school. The reality is that sexual urge for any human being is a natural occurrence. When children reach to a certain age, whether they find people to educated them about sex or not, they do have natural instincts about it, and therefore if provided a chance they would surely want to satisfy their urge. This natural reaction can not in any way be related to the outcome of sex education in schools. In fact, the best time for letting sex education play its role is when the sexual urge increases and the teenagers want to find a source for its satisfaction. It offers individuals with the required knowledge so that they are careful. It is only then that they understand the consequences of sex leading to child birth as well as sexually transmitted diseases. Thus sex education is basically a warning and a caution for such children who are stepping into the phase of life where they would need to know all this.

Some people who go against the topic also argue that even though sex education exists, it has still not decreased the rate of teenage pregnancies. I would rather not go deep in to the moral issue of the topic, but it is important here to discuss and point out the shortcomings of our society. Social values that insist that being single, pregnant and teenagers is fine, is what has to be changed. Through educating the children and making them aware that it is just not ‘cool’ to be pregnant when single or teenager, and just because ‘others are also doing it’ does not in any way justify their actions, this change can be achieved. There are many sexual education programs that teach the learners about the grave consequences that can result in having early sex. This type of sex education in schools is helpful and makes the learners responsible and mature enough to understand the difference between morality and immorality.

People, who are against the notion, repeatedly state the question that why sex education is given so much importance when there are also many other issues connected with juvenile delinquencies such as drugs, drinking and aggressive bullying. No doubt, there are also many other issues to consider important enough to be taught in school for awareness but psychological researches show that behind most of the juvenile behavioral problems, one main reason is always the active sexual urge which drives the young people to indulge themselves in harmful activities like drug abuse and alcoholism. It is also commonly observed that young teenagers who indulge into such activities are unaware of proper sex education. Once they are given a true picture of sex and its consequences their mental status relaxes and they are easily able to cope with other social taboos.

Parents, who believe that sex education pollutes the minds of their children, have in large number taken their children out of schools promoting sex education. In this process of instilling in their minds their religious and family values, they forget that the media, their children are largely exposed to can also lead them astray. Sex education in schools does not in any way offers them an invitation to have open sex by making them aware of the risks; it just educates them about the matter in the best way.

Apart from educating the students about safe sex, sex education in schools is also helpful as it helps students to learn proper terminology for reproductive system, STDs and birth contraceptives rather than the street lingo that is commonly used by laymen. Sex education classes are gender based and that is why the young learners are not embarrassed and are only taught what is related to their gender. Early inclusion of classes also helps the teenagers to either become abstinent for some time or to become responsible if they are already active. Therefore, many sexual problems that occur in adulthood can be controlled if effective and apt sex education is given at the right time.

A proper sex education which is holistic, nonjudgmental and comprehensive never misleads or misguides the teenagers. Such a curriculum should be imposed in all schools around the nation; it is an answer to many social problems and conflicts. Would any parent leave their kindergarten kids to walk alone on the streets without letting them know how to walk safely? No parent would actually do that, in the same way, letting your teenager children socialize with their peers and fellows without any proper sexual education is nothing contrary to the analogy mentioned above. It is hazardous and risky for their lives. Thus, proper sex education in schools should be encouraged so that they learn all the significant facts through trained teachers, who help and supports them in these matters of highly crucial value. Sex education should be taken as a positive aspect which promises healthier and better life for the youngsters. It therefore should be taken as a subject taught in schools to enhance knowledge on the subject matter; something merely as human anatomy or biology class. Sex education should be given in all schools to educate the children for their betterment, avoiding it will only result in emotional, social and health problems.

Read my book here whispers of my heart.

The word “competition” brings to mind images of athletes or sports teams striving to do their best and working hard to accomplish significant goals. For most of us, achieving goals and enjoying life is at least partially dependent on working together and getting along with others. Many of these essential relational skills are learned in the developing years as children move from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. Given the importance of these key life skills, our society would benefit greatly by ensuring that kids are provided with ample opportunities for working together and getting along with people. Such relational skills can be effectively taught (and caught) in the context of an organized sports program.

It seems that kids are born with an innate sense of competition and a desire to win. Our society, schools, and sports programs all cater to this inclination to compete with various games and challenges. Such challenges have been a part of human society from the beginning, and this competition develops a number of important skills for use throughout life.

As an example, the desire to be the champion and top dog often pushes people further than they would choose to go on their own. This dogged determination to win is what drives Olympic athletes, CEOs, and many leaders to attain to lofty positions. However, the downside of unchecked competition is that negative traits including roughness, a domineering attitude, and unsportsmanlike conduct can develop and can take over a person. Such negative traits can be very harmful, and if not kept in check, can lead to damaged and broken relationships.

This danger for unguided winners to develop poor attitudes is precisely the reason we should encourage children to get involved in team sports programs and other organizations where healthy competition is encouraged and promoted. It is often within these organizations that essential life skills are taught and where the development of proper attitudes can be nurtured.

By participating in organized team sports, kids can begin to truly experience the thrill of winning and the pain and discouragement of defeat. By experiencing these emotions in the context of their sports community, children can begin to understand the roots of their emotions and how their emotions can affect others. In addition, parents and coaches can observe how kids react and can provide encouragement and guidance as needed when and if inappropriate behavior and reactions are observed.

Within the context of an organized sports program, a skilled coach can help and encourage the winners to revel in the victory, and yet do so in a way that does not put down the losers. In fact, if the kids on the winning team can learn how to reach out and encourage kids on the losing team, they have learned an extremely valuable lesson that will serve them well throughout their lives. In the same way, the losers must learn the essential skill of losing well and not withdrawing in self-pity or lashing out at the winners, their teammates, or their coach. Winning and losing are a continual part of life, and developing key skills to cope with victory and loss will go a long way in helping young people cope effectively with the ups and downs of life.

In developing life skills, there is a significant difference between team sports such as basketball, baseball, and soccer and individual sports such as tennis and racquetball. Individual sports typically focus on developing the competitive side of an individual, but organized sports programs can teach so much more. On a team, the children learn to work together to accomplish things that they could never do on their own. In addition, the coach can provide encouragement and direction, and the kids themselves can encourage each other when they are down. On a team, kids can also develop the confidence to try new things that they might otherwise not try. Such an encouraging and supportive environment is rarely found in an individual sport, but can be commonly found on sports teams. Out of necessity, teams learn to work together to accomplish mutual goals and such skills will help carry them through life and work.

In summary, the competition and cooperation that occurs in organized sports programs can be very healthy and helpful for developing essential life skills. In a well-run program, team sports encourage children to work together, encourage one another, and get along with others. A quality and gifted coach can develop these skills in children, and our children would be well-served into adulthood and our society would benefit by having these skills engrained into our children’s character.

To run an effective team sports program, you need a good coach and some great sports equipment. We strive to bring you quality sports equipment for all of your team sports needs at affordable, discount prices. Come visit us at http://www.primosportsandgames.com/sports-equipment and check out our wide selection of gear for various team sports. We are continually adding to our collection, so please check back often if you don’t find what you are looking for.

As crazy as it seems, some people spend more time choosing a coffee machine than they do selecting the business broker or intermediary that will sell their business. This can be a fatal mistake that can cost time, money, and sometimes the ability to sell the business at all.

How do you choose the right business broker or intermediary?

What follows is a list of questions to ask any intermediary when interviewing them. We also explain what to look for in the answers given.

No one is going to have every qualification listed. But the person you retain must be trustworthy, knowledgeable, experienced, organized, and compatible with you.

Questions to help you determine if the intermediary trustworthy:

Does the intermediary have written references? Can you call the references?

References indicate a job well done. They indicate that the intermediary had the dedication to complete the transaction and provide follow-up. You should be able to call any reference given. Pick two or three to call and ask the following questions.

***Were you pleased with the results?

***Was the initial evaluation consistent with the sales price?

***Did the intermediary follow his plan?

***Would you hire the intermediary again?

***Was the intermediary knowledgeable and did he provide good advice?

***Was the intermediary willing to cover uncomfortable information such as if the initial asking price might not be realistic?

The purpose of these open-ended questions is to try and really find out whom you are dealing with. The answers should be consistent with the written reference.

Does the intermediary belong to local business, charitable groups, churches that indicate a place in the community?

Most people who belong to these types of groups have roots in the community. They generally work hard to be known as quality people.

Does the Intermediary Belong to Industry Associations that have ethical codes?

Again this is an indication that someone makes efforts to play the game fairly. Someone who is always willing to cut corners is likely to cut corners on you too. In the intermediary/business intermediary fields the International Business Brokers’ Association (IBBA) has a strong ethical code.

Are the intermediary’s statements consistent and do they make sense?

If the intermediary’s statements do not make sense to you, or are highly inconsistent, be aware that you probably have a personality or other conflict brewing and you would probably do better to keep looking for someone else.

Do you innately feel good about the intermediary?

If you do not feel you can trust the person, move on and find someone else.

Questions to help you determine if the intermediary is knowledgeable:

What is the intermediary’s formal education?

While formal education is not the end all and be all an intermediary with a working knowledge of business and accounting and other disciplines related to business is helpful.

Has the intermediary obtained continuing education in his field of practice?

Every field and profession is under a siege due to the pace of change. eChanges come from regulation such as changes in tax laws, from market ups and downs like the internet boom and bust, and technology just to name a few areas. Everyone can benefit from staying informed on the changes in their industry including your intermediary.

Has the intermediary authored or spoken professionally on his areas of expertise?

To be able to teach authoritatively or to be published is an indication of true knowledge and depth of understanding.

Questions to help you determine if the intermediary has experience:

Has the intermediary ever owned a business? Was it sold?

The old saying is, “if you want to understand a man you need to walk a mile in his shoes”. Everyone seems to understand the benefits of being a business owner.

Unless you have been a business owner you cannot understand the many difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices that go along with the benefits. Really understanding your plight means that the intermediary understands what you are going through and will work to reduce your difficulties.

How long has the intermediary been brokering?

Other experience can assist in reducing the amount of time that someone needs to learn the basics of brokering. Yet, under two years experience and you can bet that the person is still learning the basics. Why have them learn on you if you can get a pro?

Does the intermediary have any related experiences from selling other businesses?

Every business is different. There are so many different industries and businesses that often the intermediary you are talking to will not have sold an identical business or even one in your industry. The intermediary should still be able to relate experiences from other transactions that help you understand where you are.

Did the intermediaries past experiences relate to his role here?

Many business intermediaries have had prior positions that use many of the same skills as brokerage. People who have performed them are going to have been in many of the same situations and you should benefit from their knowledge.

Questions that can help you determine if the intermediary is organized and has a system:

Every intermediary should have defined systems for the following components of the sale. Ask about any of these. For instance, ask how will you market my business?

Defined systems should at a minimum include:

1. Information gathering about seller, the business, industry, collection of financial information, tax situation, assets etc.

2. Computation of estimated sales value

3. Development of understanding and agreements between intermediary and you

4. Creating Business Value

5. Marketing Plan for selling business

6. Process for qualifying and working with prospects

7. Offer and negotiation process

8. Completion of documentation

9. Due diligence

10. Settlement

11. Follow-up after the sale

Then ask follow-up questions detailing what they have said. For instance if they said they will place a listing on the Internet, ask “What information is provided on the Internet listing?”

Ask these questions about two or three of the systems defined above.

The intermediary should be willing to share exactly how they intend to work your business. Intermediaries need to work on many transactions so if they are not organized things will fall apart and your business may not be given the attention it needs.

Does the intermediary work for a firm? If so what does that add to the process?

A reputable, knowledgeable brokerage firm can magnify your intermediary’s success. By providing back office support and people to fill in when overloaded a good brokerage office is valuable. They also have systems and training to assist new agents.

Compatibility:

Through all of the above questions you should be thinking about integrity and compatibility. The intermediary does not need to be your friend. In fact that could be detrimental to getting the job done. But the intermediary must be someone you can work with, trust, and respect. You must be confident that they will not be underhanded with anyone including you.

The Crux of the Matter:

If you are not 100% comfortable with your intermediary interview another one. Keep looking. Do not become a horror story. There are several intermediaries in most cities. Look until you are comfortable.

***Make sure your intermediary is trustworthy and a part of the community.

***Make sure your intermediary is qualified educationally and through actual experience.

***Make sure they have systems in place so that the work necessary to sell your business gets done.

***Make sure you are compatible with your intermediary.

***Is this someone that can deliver bad news to you and you will still be able to work with?

***Finally do you feel good enough about your intermediary to refer them to a good friend?

Make sure the answer to all of these is yes. Your final financial reward for all your hard work depends on it.

Gregory R. Caruso is an expert at helping business owners plan and execute the sale of their businesses. Greg is an inactive CPA, attorney, and business owner with 20 years experience. He can be reached at www.successfulexits.com [http://www.successfulexits.com].

When you step up to the Rental Car Counter the Rental Agent is going to ask you if you want to purchase insurance for the rental vehicle. If you say no they will ask you to initial next to each coverage that you decline. The decisions that you make in these few moments could have a dramatic impact on your financial situation. Deciding if you need to purchase the auto insurance offered at the Rental Car counter before you arrive can keep you from incurring a serious financial loss or wasting your money on insurance that you already have or do not need. One of the questions that we are asked most as auto insurance agents is “Do I need to purchase the auto insurance offered at the rental car counter when I rent a car?” The answer to this question is maybe. You may be able to provide coverage for the rental car using insurance policies you already own or you may decide you need to purchase additional protection. In this article we are going to give you the information that you need to make these crucial decisions.

When You Rent A Car There Are Several Ways To Secure Coverage For It Without Having To Purchase Coverage At The Rental Car Counter.

Transfer Coverage From Your Existing Auto Insurance Policy – If you are going to be renting a car and you have an existing auto insurance policy you should take your insurance I.D. card with you when you rent the car. The car rental company may require it and it can save you a lot of time and aggravation if you are pulled over by the police in your rental vehicle. The coverage and deductibles on your own auto insurance policy will automatically transfer to cars that you rent as long as you are not using the rental car for business purposes or renting in another country. You should check the declarations page of your personal auto insurance policy to find out if you currently carry Property Damage Liability, Comprehensive and Collision coverage. Make note of your Property Damage Liability limit and your Comprehensive and Collision Deductible. If you are renting a car in another country you should definitely consider purchasing coverage at the rental counter as most personal auto insurance policies only cover their owners in the country where the policy was written.

Damages to your rental car will be covered by the Property Damage Liability portion of your personal auto insurance policy if you are renting the car for pleasure use. However, if you were involved in an accident that is covered by your auto insurance policy and your car is in the shop being repaired. Damages to the replacement car that you rent will be covered by the Comprehensive and Collision coverage portion of your personal auto insurance policy. That means that you will have to pay the deductible for these coverages if you damage the rental car.

Use Coverage Provided By Your Credit Card – Most major credit cards advertise rental car insurance as one of the benefits of owning their card. The truth is that the coverage that these cards provide usually only pays after your personal auto insurance policy limits have been exhausted and only if you used their card to pay for the entire price of the rental. The level of protection with credit cards seems to change on a daily basis so we recommend calling your credit card company to determine your exact level of protection for rental cars. When you talk to the credit card representative ask them for information about Liability, Comprehensive and Collision coverage for rental cars. It is best to get this in writing as it is not unheard of to get several different answers from the same credit card company. You should also ask if there are any exclusions. Many credit cards exclude coverage for luxury or exotic car rentals.

Purchase A Non-owned Auto Insurance Policy – If you rent cars frequently but you do not have your own auto insurance policy you can save yourself a lot of money by purchasing a “Non-Owned Auto” Liability policy. This policy provides you with the same type of protection as the Excess Liability coverage offered at the rental car counter. These types of policies usually cost around $300 a year and will cover you when you are driving any private passenger automobile. This policy only provides protection for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability. It will not pay for damages to your rental car so you will still need to purchase the Collision Damage Waiver or use one of the coverage methods we discussed earlier.

If you are unable to secure coverage by using any of the methods listed in the previous chapter you should seriously consider purchasing coverage at the Rental Car Counter. It can be hard to get an honest advice about these coverages from the rental car agent because they are paid a commission every time they sell it to you. Don’t worry; we have provided you with all of the help you need below.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) – This protection is also called the loss damage waiver (LDW) by some rental car companies. It is often referred to as insurance but this is incorrect. It is actually a waiver of responsibility. When you purchase this protection the rental car company waives your responsibility for damages or theft of the rental car. If something were to happen to the car you would simply file a quick claim form when you returned the car and the rental car company would pay to repair or replace it. The price for this protection usually ranges from $15 to $25 depending on where you are renting.

Caution: This coverage may become void if you cause an accident while breaking the law. This includes excessive speeding, driving off road or driving while intoxicated so be careful when you are driving a rental car or any car for that matter.

If you carry a minimum limit such as $10,000 for Property Damage Liability coverage you may want to consider purchasing the Collision Damage Waiver because this low limit may not be enough to pay for repairing or replacing the rental car. Remember you could also be held responsible for damages to other peoples car’s or property if you are involved in accident and found to be at fault and Rental car companies will charge you for loss of rental income for the car that you damaged. These are all important factors that should be considered when deciding if you should purchase the Collision Damage Waiver.

Another advantage to this coverage is that there is no deductible. This can come in handy if you were involved in an accident that is covered by your auto insurance policy and you are renting a replacement car while your car is in the shop being repaired. You see in this scenario any damages to the rental car would be covered by your Comprehensive or Collision coverage which means that you would have to pay the deductible.

Excess Liability – Car rental companies are required by law in most states to provide a minimum amount of liability protection for renters of their vehicles but this is rarely enough to protect your interests if you seriously injure someone in an accident. The liability portion of your personal auto insurance policy will transfer to your rental car so you have adequate limits of bodily injury and property damage liability on your personal auto insurance policy we would not recommend purchasing this coverage. This coverage would only pay after your personal auto insurance policy limits are exhausted. This price for this protection is around $10 to $13 dollars per day for 1 million dollars worth of excess protection.

Personal Accident Insurance – If you or your passengers are injured in an accident or as a pedestrian this coverage will pay for your medical expenses and ambulance fees if needed. If you live in a “no fault” state, have health insurance or carry medical expenses coverage you probably already have this protection and do not need to buy it from the car rental company. Check your auto insurance and health insurance policy to find out for sure. A claim for this type of loss on your personal auto policy will not cause an increase in price so if it is covered on another policy there is really no benefit to buying it from the car rental company. The price of this protection usually runs from $2 to $5 a day depending on where you rent.

Personal Effects Coverage – This is coverage for theft of you or your passenger’s personal items such as cameras, camcorders or Laptop computers. This protection may also be provided on your homeowners or renters policy if you have one so you may not need to buy it from the rental car company. However, homeowners or renters deductibles are usually $500 or higher and all of your articles may not be covered. Check the declarations page of your policy for your deductible and the exclusions section to find out if the items you are taking with you are covered.

One of the benefits of purchasing this coverage from the rental car company is that you usually do not have to pay a deductible. You simply file a claim when you return the rental car and you are reimbursed for the theft of your items. You will usually need to prove ownership of the items that you claim were stolen by providing the rental car company with receipts or other proofs of ownership. You should also ask the rental agent if any exclusions apply to this coverage prior to purchasing it. The price for this protection is $2 to $5 dollars a day.

It is better make all of your rental car insurance decisions before you step up to the rental counter. Nobody should be forced to make snap decisions on issues of this much importance and now you don’t have to. We hope that you have found the help that you needed in this handbook. I love to get feedback on this article so please send your questions or comments to info@theautoinsurancebuyersguide.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Dylan J. Guidry and his team of auto insurance specialists are a recognized authority on the subject of automobile insurance. Their website [http://www.understandingautomobileinsurance.com] provides drivers with an independent source of car insurance information that can be used to lower the cost of their auto insurance.

Introduction

Whilst it is recognized that South Africa is still in a process of transition regarding higher education to address the imbalances of the past, it should also be emphasized that Institutions of Higher Education in large are still underplaying the importance of higher education as commercialized commodity in the global world. This resulted in a low commercial higher education presence in the global world, a limited capability to attract quality students from foreign countries and a national oriented education approach. Even the school law that will soon be introduced in South Africa to address the imbalances of the past may have a negative effect of institutions of higher education to play a significant role in the commercialized educational world. The proposed new law emphasized adherence to the principles of equitability, rectification and representativeness above competence in the appointment of teachers. This may undermine the quality of education firstly, in schools and later in institutions of higher education in South Africa.

This is in sharp contrast with international trends signaling that the international higher education market is becoming more competitive as education competes as export and import commodity. Figures available indicate that higher education export represents on average around 6.6% of total student enrollments in 2000. This figure can still not be matched b South African Institutions 5 years later. In countries like Switzerland, Australia and Austria these figures were above 11% in 2000 making these countries the highest internationalized higher education countries in the world. Similarly, educational services in Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America respectively represent the third, fourth and fifth largest service export sectors. This clearly provides evidence that these countries realize the significance of higher education to transfer intellectual capital and enhance the economic competitiveness of nations.

Interventions required

It is important that Institutions of Higher Education in South Africa position themselves as nodes in an increasingly seamless knowledge base in the global world, which could have a greater interface with the knowledge-driven global economy. Therefore, Institutions of higher education in South Africa should given even more attention to integrate with influential international institutions that will enable them to internationalize higher education.

Currently, internationalization of higher education in South Africa happens more by incident rather than through thoroughly planned and organized approaches. If institutions of higher education in South Africa intend to consider higher education as a commercial trade commodity, serious emphasis should be place upon:

· Introducing purposeful policies and strategies that clearly indicate the road forward with regard to internationalization intentions and the specific areas that would need priority attention. However, this should not be developed as separate internationalization strategies, but should e seen as a natural element of the overall strategy of the institute.

· Implementing induction and course programmes that will attract quality foreign students to the institutions.

· Supporting academics to participate in conferences as well as in reputable academic journals to publish research results.

· Ensuring that all course offerings meet international accepted criteria as defined by the leading institutions of higher education in the developed world.

· Creating conducive learning environments equipped with the latest learning technologies.

Internationalization requires that institutions of higher education in South Africa should emphasize a somewhat loosening of the relationship with Government to create new transformational bodies to address the imbalances of the past, but also to broaden this mission to play a more active role in regional economic development. This can be achieved by establishing strong horizontal links with other universities research institutions and industry in the Southern African Development Community. If this can be achieved, the activities of institutions of higher education will no longer be isolated from the marketplace and its outputs could become merchandise products as well. Loosening the relationship with government will not only provide for more freedom to autonomously decide what educational and research outputs to create, but will also increase the pressure on institutions of higher education to perform better as they take up the responsibility to raise funds for projects and salaries.

It is imperative that higher education in South Africa can no longer take the disposition that placed research and development in contrast to one another. Rather, it should take the stand that the outputs of institutions should have a strong:

· Social development and application in which the simultaneous promotion and integration of education, scientific research and production occurs;

· Science and Technology Financial Management Support System in place in order to create a safe and secure research environment for academics; and

· Set of ” Key State Laboratories” where research and education of strategic importance to the development and well-being of the country can be carried out.

Conclusion

South Africa institutions of higher education currently rated only among the top 40 of the world’s host countries. An urgent need exist to rethink and reformulate the educational thinking models of institutions of higher education in South Africa. Because of the changing political situation accompanied by a changing global economy, many traditional ways in which institutions of higher education were previously governed will change. Unless institutions of higher education in South Africa succeed to internationalize successfully, huge opportunities to earn foreign currencies using higher education as a trade commodity will be lost.

Jan Grundling is the Head of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. He has published extensively in accredited Journals nationally and internationally.

Every Internet Marketer makes mistakes, and those mistakes usually cost you money! It’s important that we learn from the mistakes that we make so that we do not make them again, and so that we can gain insight into where we went wrong. I have compiled a list of the 10 most common mistakes Internet Marketers make. My goal is to help you steer clear of these mistakes in the hope that I can save you some money, and time!

=>Mistake #1 – Using the Content Network

When you start a Google PPC campaign you should always remember to turn the content network off. The reason for this is because you do not want to receive traffic from pages with Google Adsense on them as these pages are many times plagued with click fraud and non targeted traffic. If you are not an expert, you should not be using the content network. I do not use the content network because it can cost you an arm and a leg and produce absolutely zero positive results.

To turn the content network off, log into your adwords account, click on a campaign, then click the “Edit Campaign Settings” button. On the right of the screen “uncheck” the box that says “Content Network”. You can leave “Google Search” and “Search Network” checked.

=>Mistake #2 – Too Many Keywords per Ad Group

Limit the amount of keywords per Ad Group to less than 25 keyword (75 if using broad, phrase, and exact match types). Having more than 25 keywords can negatively affect your Quality Score as the more keywords you have, the less relevant they are to the ad. DO NOT put more than 25 keywords in an ad group unless all keywords are very highly relevant.

=>Mistake #3 – Keyword Grouping

When you put your keywords into an Ad Group you need to make sure that they are all very similar and have at least one common keyword. You will want to use the keyword(s) within the ad title and description as much as you can. Here is an example:

Ad Group Name: Internet Marketing

Common Keyword: Internet Marketing

Keywords: internet marketing, internet marketing book, internet marketing resource, internet marketing guide, best internet marketing book, internet marketing ebook, internet marketing help.

AD:

Internet Marketing e-Book

Learn How to Make Money Online

Top Internet Marketing eBook Review

YourSiteName.com

You can see that the common word has been use in the adcopy and that all keywords have the common word Internet Marketing. This is how to properly set up an ad Group.

=>Mistake #4 – Using only Broad Match Type

To optimize your keywords for best performance and highest CTR you need to use Broad, Phrase and Exact Match Type Options. A common mistake is to only use the Broad Match Type as many people are not aware of the other match types.

Broad Keyword: Internet Marketing

Phrase Keyword: “Internet Marketing”

Exact Keyword: [Internet Marketing]

Use all three keywords within your Ad Groups.

=>Mistake #5 – Low Daily Budget

If you are wanting to achieve high amounts of traffic you cannot expect to do so with a low daily budget. If your budget is $5 / day and you set your campaign to reflect this budget, chance are that you will not achieve much traffic at all. Google displays your ads based on a number of factors including daily budget. If your budget is set too low your ads will barely be displayed at all. We recommend setting your daily budget slightly higher than you are actually prepared to pay, then monitor your costs. It’s very difficult to get any kind of traffic with a very low daily budget.

=>Mistake #6 – Duplicate URL’s

Google only allows one url to be displayed in their search results per keyword and advertiser. If you are advertising the url: http://www.wealthyaffiliate.com, and another advertiser is advertising the same url, only one ad will be displayed. When coming into a new market there is often another advertiser already advertising the url that you would like to. In this case you need to either raise your CPC in order to outbid the competitor, or, create a landing page. Landing pages always convert into sales better as web surfers like to read reviews, comparisons, and opinions about products prior to making a purchase. If you are not getting impressions for some of your Ad Groups, this could be one of the reasons why.

=>Mistake #7 – Keyword Bid Price too High

When you set your bid prices you need to have a limit, and unless you are an experienced marketer and know that your Ad Group / keyword / ad combinations make you sales you shouldn’t bid too high. I know that you are anxious to get some traffic, but paying $5.00 per click is much too high. On that note, paying $1.00 is many times too high. Try to keep your bid prices as low as possible while achieving the best position you can. Do not try to get traffic by simply out bidding your competitors. The idea is to outsmart competitors using relevent keyword groups and in turn you will pay less and see better results.

=>Mistake #8 – Ad Positions are Too Low

When trying to get traffic to your site you need to use the Google Traffic Estimator to help you determine how much you should bid per keyword. Many times if your CPC (cost per click) is too low, your position will be greater than 10 and you will not be on the first page of search results. For best traffic try to be in position 2-9 (on the first page of search results in Google). With this being said, it is sometimes very expensive to be on the first page and you may be forced to be in page 2. This is ok because as your Quality Score goes up, so will your positioning. Try to get on the first page, but if you cannot because of the bid price being too high, don’t worry, you’ll eventually get there by using our techniques to get a better Quality Score.

=>Mistake #9 – Non-Targeted Keywords

If you are advertising a product like WealthyAffiliate.com or Beating Adwords, you may be inclined to use keywords such as:

Marketing, ebook, Affiliate, Money.

The problem with these keywords is that they receive a lot of traffic, which costs you an arm and a leg, but the traffic does not convert into sales. The reason is because the keywords are not targeted enough. If you are selling Beating Adwords, our new Internet Marketing ebook, using the above keywords, the visitors are not necessarily looking for an IM ebook. If someone types in the keyword “Money” they could be looking for help with Microsoft Money, or Currency Exchange Rates. Same with the keyword “ebook”. Someone could be looking for a golfing ebook, or how to create an ebook.

You need to make sure that your keywords are highly targeted to what you are selling. For example: Internet Marketing ebook, or Make Money Online would be better choices to replace the keywords mentioned above. The more targeted your keywords are to your product, the better conversions you will see.

=>Mistake #10 – Too Many Ads when Split Testing

Split testing allow you to run more than one ad for an ad group to see which adcopy (the text of the ad) creates a higher CTR. In other words, which ad entices searchers to click more frequently. Split testing should only be done using two ads and no more. This way you can determine which ad performs better. You want to treat split testing as a contest, or even a competition. The better performing ad gets to move on to the next round, while the lower gets replaced by a new competitor.

Limit the number of ads you are running per Ad Group to 2 ads when split testing.

On a final note: Expensive mistakes can be made easily in the world of internet marketing and there is risk as we learn and take on competitive markets. Having mentors and a strong network of supportive colleagues is important, if not imperative for success. There are more and more poeple logging on every day, and the market continues to grow. However, unless you approach internet marketing with an understanding of the pitfalls and a plan for success, it will be difficult to foster lasting success. Internet marketing, in all its hype, is only a business (not a get rich quick scheme.) All successful businesses must begin with a plan.

Steven Mohrman is an Internet Marketer and member of Wealthy Affiliate 2.0. Wealthy Affiliate 2.0 is an interactive community and learning center providing amazing coaching, support, and tools to its members. If you wish to benefit from 1 on 1 support and coaching for your marketing success visit: http://affiliatewealthpage.blogspot.com/