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Sunday, March 13, 2011

How To Write a Simple Invoice

The fun part in working is getting paid for it. When you have just finished working for someone and it is time to get paid, you must let the person know that you have accomplished the task. To be more formal about it, you would want to write down all the details and particulars of all the work you have done. If this is the case, you must make an invoice. This will give the payer a detailed summary of what is being paid for. As much as possible, it should reflect what was agreed upon or what is in the contract if there is any. Making your own invoice is quite easy. Just make sure that it is as detailed as possible. For tips and guidelines on how to do it, just read on below.

* Label the document as invoice. At the page’s topmost part, type “Invoice.” After this, you may type on the left side your full name or business name, company or personal address, contact details such as email and phone numbers. Put in a reference number. Some experts recommend four digit reference numbers. If this is your first invoice, then use 0001. All your invoices must have different reference numbers because accounting departments will use each of your invoices for filing and payment reference.
* Include the creation date for the invoice. Near the reference number, preferably under, type in the date when the invoice is being made. There may also be cases wherein you would like to include the date the service or work was rendered and the billing time. From this date line, you may type in the buyer’s address. Be sure to precede it with “To.”
* Start with the work details. Now, you will have to start listing all the work you have done. This is the part of your invoice that has to be detailed. If the buyer is paying for certain items, then list them down as well. Include the model and color. If you are being paid for your services, you may include the certain time you have spent in finishing the work. Make sure that there is a breakdown of services and items so that the buyer will have an idea of how the total cost came about. The gross amount must be come after the breakdown. Below it, indicate the subtotal of the items sold and the services rendered. Lastly, put the grand total using a bold font.
* Estimate the payment time. Make a good estimation for the payment time. Add a note stating the date when the payment must be made. Usually, it should be fifteen to thirty days upon your completion of the task. You may also indicate your preferred payment method. If the payment requires a mailing address, be sure to type it. You may want the payment to be deposited to a bank account or you may want it via PayPal. Just make sure that the buyer has an idea of your preferred payment scheme. Remember that some companies have their own payment processes. If so, you have to comply with their standard operating procedures.
* Print invoice. It is advisable for you to have a hard copy of your invoice even if you already have the soft copy. It will be easier to use it as reference.

You may use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel in making your invoices. If you have to make another one, especially for the same buyer, you may use your first invoice as a template. Just replace the breakdown of costs and reference number. Save it using another filename.

How To Write a Sales Invoice

Businesses are always focused in becoming profitable. In order to do that, increasing revenues is the name of the game. And, of course, revenues can only be achieved through sales. However, in order to complete a sale of any product, the customer must be given a sales invoice. It serves as a bill for the customer, which will inform him about the products he plans to purchase, the quantity, and the costs involved. From the sales invoice, the customer will be able to examine what he is buying, how many units he is purchasing, the price per unit, the price for the lot, the taxes associated with the purchase, and the overall cost that he will have to settle to finally get the goods he has ordered and get the official receipt closing the transaction.

Normally, most companies use customized software to prepare, write, and print out invoices. The software is often linked to an inventory system. However, some businesses, those that are still in the dark ages, prefer to prepare sales invoices manually. If that is the case with your business, then you will definitely want a guide that you can follow to create your very own sales invoice. Here is that simple guide.

* Create the letterhead. While it is alright to prepare a handwritten sales invoice, it would be better to do it digitally. Use a regular word processing program such as MS Office. Open a blank document and use the first two lines at the top of your page to create your letterhead. The company logo and the name go up top in a decently sized font. If you have a .jpg version of the logo and the name, you can insert it onto the document. Below that, insert the details of your company, particularly the business address and contact information.
* Indicate the invoice number. In order to differentiate a sales invoice from the other invoices, you will want to assign a number to each invoice you create. This particular number should be located top right, beneath the letterhead. This will enable you to easily track invoices later on.
* Add the client’s detail. Back to the left side of the page, start encoding the details of the client beginning with his name, address, phone number, and the order number (if necessary).
* Add the sales transaction. Below the client’s details, add a table with about 4 columns. The first column will be for the name, type, and description of the product to be purchased. The second column should be for the price per unit of that product. The third column is for the quantity of each product listed. And, the last column is for the sub total cost for the product relevant to the quantity and the price per unit. There should also be a lone row below that indicating the overall charge for the transaction, which should include all taxes associated with the transaction.

If your inventory system requires each product to be coded, make sure to include those codes in the product description column as well.


The final part of the sales invoice is a portion for the client to affix his signature as well as the business’ authorized representative to approve the transaction and legitimize the invoice. Print and submit the invoice to the client and wait for him to settle the charges. Once he completes payment, give him a receipt along with the goods he has just purchased. Keep the sales invoice for filing.

How To Write a Real Estate Advertisement

If you want to sell your house, or any piece of real estate property for that matter, the first thing that you should do is to come up with a great real estate advertisement. An effective advertisement will drum up interest for your property and entice people to visit the spot to appreciate the place better. On the flip side, a poorly-written real estate advertisement could not only turn away potential buyers but could also lower the value of your property. Writing a great ad goes beyond putting together a string of good adjectives to describe your property. Providing too much info can actually scare or intimidate buyers. Providing too little could make your buyer think that you are hiding something. Here are some steps and tips to remember in writing your own real estate advertisement.

* Do some research and read other property advertisements. Open the newspaper and read through the house listings. Is there an advertisement that quickly grabbed your interest? Think of the reason why you were attracted by the ad. Go online and look for professionally written advertisements. This should help you come up with the structure of the advertisement that you will write for your own property.
* Write down all the features of your house or real estate property. Since you are the owner, you will now what qualities and features of your house that you like best. These are the ones that you need to highlight in your ad. List all the other features that you can think of. Once you are done, go over your list and weed out the ones that are not so important.
* Think of a catchy headline and start your advertisement with the special or unique features of your home. Just like any other form of advertisement, getting people interested in reading your ad is the first step in selling it. Do you have a pool? Has your kitchen been recently remodeled to fit a chef’s needs? Use adjectives in describing your property and furnishings. “Oak flooring,” “granite countertops,” These are the things that you need to mention in the first few lines of the advertisement.
* Provide the basic information regarding the place. People on the lookout for real estate properties will always ask about location, number of rooms and bathrooms, size of the lot and the floor area of the house, and the price that you are asking for. After you have provided these, give the other features that you think will be relevant to a buyer. Give a general idea of the condition of the house and specify any renovations or remodeling conducted on the property. Avoid lines that profile buyers such as, “Great for a small family”. If possible, describe the neighborhood as well. Try to keep your description to about a hundred words.
* If you are posting the ad on a website, try to include photographs of your property in its best state. Newspapers generally do not allow for pictures to go along with advertisements unless you are willing to pay for extra charges. If, however, you will be putting your ad up on a website, these typically have features for you to upload some pictures of the property. Make sure to clean up the area first before you take pictures. Make sure that you do not have toys and clothes lying on the floors or piled up in a corner. Make sure that the pictures are clear.
* Finally, write down the information of the person who the buyers should contact. If you plan on handling any inquiries yourself, provide your name, email address, and phone number. If necessary, indicate on your ad the time when buyers could contact you.


Once you are done writing your ad, show it to a friend or relative and ask for an honest appraisal. Get their feedback and use this to improve your advertisement. Once you finish your final draft and choose the best photos to go with the ad, send it to the office of your local newspaper or post it on a community website.

How To Write a Persuasive Business Message

When you are writing for a business, the key word is persuasion. Indeed, advertising is regarded as the art of persuasion, for the simple and obvious reason that you are selling your product, business, idea, and service to prospective consumers. Hence, when you are writing a business message, it has to be persuasive. To write a persuasive business message, here are some steps that you can follow.

* Know what you are talking about. The first step in writing a persuasive business message is to know what you are talking about. Do you know sufficient information about the product or business? If not, then you have to learn more before you can write about it. Do not bluff your way in writing a persuasive business message because it will sooner or later haunt you. First of all, before you can persuade somebody else, you must be convinced yourself. If you are not convinced, then you have a problem with your business and product. Once your consumers buy into your message and find out what a fraud you are, then they would turn into an angry mob that could be a bigger problem for you down the line. So be honest. Keep in mind that you just have to be persuasive, you do not have to lie.
* Know who you are talking to. There are different ways of being persuasive, and a large part of that depends on who you are talking to. Hence it is very important that you know who you are talking to, what their sensibilities and concerns are, why they would be interested in what you have to say, and why you will be worth their time. Frame your message according to the best possible way that it would make sense for them to buy your product.
# Be creative. Do not just say please try our product. Say it in different ways creatively. Inject some humor, employ some real-life testimonies, do something radical that will get people’s attention. Do not be plain.
# No hard sell please. Persuasion means making the other person do something out of their own accord that they would otherwise not do without your persuasive message. Selling your products outright and directly would tend to put off some people, and they would not be engaged to know more about your product unless they are already interested in your product I the first place. To get people interested in your product, hook them with witty lines and relevant message, but not with forceful messaging.
# Get them to try. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, get potential customers to try your business and product. If you have to say anything, just get them to try your product. The whole test of a persuasive business message is to get the people to try your product and what you are offering. Once they try your product or business they will be able to make a decision for them to love your product and to make a place for it in their lives if it is truly a great and relevant product.

How To Write a New Employee Press Release

If you have a new employee in your company, you should take the time to make a press release for him. This is a smart move not just to let other employees know of him (which is important specially if the new employee’s tasks will bring him to close association with his co-workers), but to boost employee morale as well.

* Determine whether the press release will be strictly professional and formal, or very laidback. This will depend on the overall atmosphere of your company. Take your cue from previous newsletters and press releases. You might even want to create two types of employee press release: a formal one for wider release, including to the bosses and managers, and an informal one for your department, to foster camaraderie and good fun among the employees.
* Begin by stating the new employee’s work and task responsibilities in the company. This is actually what’s most important for the other employees to know.
* Include a short bio about the new employee. The most important details to include here are his previous training and work experience. You could also include details such as his place of origin, the name of his college/ university and his birthday (excluding the year, if this is his choice; see next tip).
* Acquire permission to report all the information. This is very important: for his own good reasons, he may not desire the entire company to know about his birthday or other personal details about him. While you’re talking with him, you should also take the time to confirm with him if all the details that you have about him are accurate.
* Obtain a quote from him about how it’s like to work for the company. This is great for either opening your press release, or closing it. Plus, the other employees will probably be interested to know about the impression they are making on the new guy.
* Obtain a quote from upper management about their impression on the new employee. This could be a great way to boost the morale of the new employee and make him feel like he is part of the work family already.
* Know of other information that you may include. Again, this will largely depend on the degree of formality/ informality that your press release will take. If you work at a small, local business with few employees, for example, it may be more important to make the new employee feel at home in your company. You could include more personal information such as his favorites, his hobbies, and data about his family. Again, it’s very important that you seek his approval before you publish any of this information.
* Follow the format of previous press releases. To reduce any possibility of going against company procedures, it’s best that you format your press release according to previous ones. If other press releases have pictures, then you should add one to this new press release, as well. You could also consider sending out an email to every employee instead of a printed memo-type press release; this way, you could save up on resources and not add on to anyone’s clutter, too.


Remember, writing a new employee press release is all a matter of finding how formal or informal you should make it to be, and ensuring that every piece of information that you report is accurate.

How To Talk to Potential Clients during a Social Event

Social events are perfect ways to meet and mingle with potential clients. In fact, the groundwork for many business deals is subtly arranged during social gatherings. It’s a great way to meet potential clients and establish some rapport with them so that when you make a business call, you will be better received. The key to building a future business relationship with potential clients is to learn the art of talking to them during social events.

* Find out who is in attendance. When you’re at a social gathering, work the room so you can find out who is there. If you have a mutual friend, ask to be introduced. Everyone is a potential client, so be friendly and polite to all. However, don’t just try to single out a particular person because you have business interests in mind. It’s better that you mingle with everyone so you can really put yourself out there.
* Introduce yourself. Whether you wait for a formal introduction or simply decide to come up to someone and strike a conversation, you need to let the other person know who you are.
* Provide a brief overview about what you do but don’t go into the details. Most conversations start with your name and what you do. When you talk about yourself, you can say the name of your company and say what department you are in. Avoid going into a lengthy monologue about your job title and what your company does.
* Keep it casual. The rule of thumb to remember is to keep things lighthearted and stay away from business when you are in a social gathering. Ask about his family or his recent vacation. Try to find common topics of interest.
* Don’t talk about business. If you bring up trying to set up a meeting or pushing your products, you will turn people off. You don’t want to develop a reputation of trying to mix business with pleasure. Otherwise, you’ll stop getting invited to social gatherings, or people won’t want to talk to you. Keep in mind that it’s easier to discuss business matters later on once you have established rapport and a friendship with a potential client.
* Exchange business cards before you part. When you are talking to the other person, ask for his business card. You can also present yours so you can do an exchange. You can end the conversation by saying you’ll be in touch soon or that you hope to see each other again soon.
* Stay professional. Even if you are in a social setting, you should refrain from engaging in bad behavior. For example, it’s not a good idea to get drunk or to make a pass at other women. You still want to present yourself as a friendly yet professional person. You will turn off potential clients if you are rip roaring drunk. Outside of the social setting, they may have second thoughts about using your services if you conduct yourself in such a manner. If the potential client is the one that is getting drunk, that’s ok.


Have fun and relax when you are at social gatherings. Parties, cocktails and dinners are a great way to unwind and network at the same time. You can meet a lot of potential clients at places outside of work. The trick is to learn how to balance it and work the room properly.

How To Take Advantage of a Layaway Plan Program in your Local Pawnshops or Online Store

You’d be surprised by the quality stuff you can find in your local pawnshop. Long maligned and burdened with a criminal reputation, pawnshops are the last refuge of the desperate. But pawnshops provide a good service to the community in that they allow layaway on some of the items they’re selling. Layaway allows you the convenience of making monthly payments on items you want to buy but are short on funds for. This will give you enough time to properly finance the merchandise for relatively low rates. This gives you enough financial flexibility to get the things you want but not skimp out on the essentials of life. This is a service offered by some stores that carry high end merchandise that middle class working Joes can’t afford to pay straight up. Sometimes, these stores have agreements with banks so that the monthly payment is automatically deducted from an existing bank account or a payroll account for employees.

* Pawnshops. Given their clientele, pawnshops are the leading purveyors of layaway plans for items in their stores. But this is not a standard for all pawnshops everywhere, as pawnshops are independently owned businesses. How one pawnshop conducts business may be completely different from another. For example, regarding layaway plans, some pawnshops will require a down payment for the item while another may just rely on good faith that you’ll be paying for it eventually. There may be a layaway fee in one shop while another will offer a percentage off if you meet all the monthly payments for the layaway.
* Check the reputation. Unfortunately some pawnshops live up to the stereotype. Some of them have criminal entanglements and are notorious for fencing stolen goods. The best thing to do before dealing with pawnshops is to be aware of their reputation in your neighborhood. You can also talk to your local law enforcement division to check for any cases that the pawnshops in your neighborhood have been linked to. Before getting into any layaway agreement with any pawnshop, you should know what you’re getting into first.
* Online sellers. Layaway is another payment option offered by online sellers for their merchandise. Usually the terms of their layaway plans are detailed in their website or you can email the site’s webmaster for detailed instructions on the site’s layaway policies. Make sure that you read and understand the print correctly because there may be some clauses that allow for hidden charges.
* Check the seller’s reputation. Always check the user’s reputation regarding their deliverables. The main problem with e-business is that you are buying an object sight unseen and what you see featured in the site will be drastically different once it comes to your door. Always read the user’s review regarding the products or the online seller, consistent poor ratings regarding the seller may mean that you could be taken for a ride when getting into a layaway agreement with that seller.

Buying items on layaway is a great way to keep yourself financially flexible and, at the same time, able to afford high end merchandise. Just make sure you’re protected from any kind of malfeasance online or in the pawnshops.

How To Write a Marketing Research Report

Reporting the results of marketing research is an essential step in formulating a marketing strategy. Comprehensive and insightful marketing research will only be wasted if the final report is inadequate, or worse, erroneous. The reader requires definite findings that are backed up by numbers and facts in order to make a decision that will affect the product. A well-written marketing research report not only translates the data obtained, but also provides a recommendation based on the results.

Here are the steps to writing a marketing research report.

* Start with a summary of the research findings. Use definite terms when describing the results and lean towards action words to grab the reader's attention. A lot of research will revolve around dry facts that can turn off many decision makers who have to go through a lot of reports every day. Structure the first paragraph with the idea that this alone should guide the executives in forming a strategy.
* Proceed with the questions that led to the research. This background statement will remind readers of the research's original purpose and set them in the proper frame of mind.
* Expound on the results. Use as many pages as necessary to explain the results of the research in detail. On the other hand, eliminate unnecessary information that may divert attention to the original objective of the research. You may include key diagrams within these pages, but reserve the bulk of the tables and charts at the end of the report.
* Provide a recommendation. Tie in the results with the company's objectives to create a series of actions designed to act on the research. Use your understanding of the research when coming up with a recommendation. Back up your proposal with historical data from similar events as well as your understanding of the company’s objectives and current resources.
* Give alternatives to the recommendation you made. You should provide other responses to the research result, in case the reader disagrees with your recommendation. You may need to think out of the box for the alternatives, which may include maintaining the status quo or doing the opposite of the main recommendation. Provide advantages and disadvantages for each response to allow comparisons to each other.
* Add the necessary diagrams, tables and charts at the end. This should give readers a visual idea to the data generated by the research. Provide the reference label for these diagrams on the relevant text in the report. Finally, make sure to include the essential information from reference materials that you have used in your report.
* Prepare your report in conjunction for a possible presentation. Design the master copy of your research report such that it includes notations and links to allow you to create a slide presentation out of it with ease. Take note that such presentations are heavy on the diagrams, images and key phrases that take secondary place in your text report. You may use the comments feature of your word processor to leave notes to yourself that will not appear in the main report, allowing you to refresh your memory when you revisit the report anytime in the future.


Marketing research reports need not be remarkable by themselves. By providing both instant and comprehensive insights from given research, decision-makers can use them to support their own ideas for a marketing strategy.

How To Start a Handyman Service - Classified Advertising

It’s not unusual for people skilled in repairs to adopt a full-time livelihood as a handyman. If you’re interested in this kind of job, remember that your goal should be to score enough clients so that you will be able to generate a comfortable income. Set a target monthly income and determine the prices you will charge for your services; these figures will help you derive an estimate of the number of the number of customers you should get. Once you’ve got this settled, the next question is how you will be able to attract at least this number of clients.

* Create your own website. Creating a website can be pretty difficult if you want to make it from scratch. You will need to know how to do HTML encoding at the very least. If you can’t make your own website, however, you can hire other people who can do web design for you. There are plenty of freelance web designers and developers who can help you out here. Make sure that you make a website that looks professional and trustworthy.

Another option for you is to use existing platforms like social networking sites and free blog sites so you could create a standard page to advertise your services. At the very least you will be able to let your friends and contacts know of your business.
* Add your contact details. Next, you will need to make sure that you add your contact information to your website, as well as a list of the various types of handyman services that you offer. In fact, your website should contain all the information that a potential client needs to know about you, including your fees, the areas that you service, and your past relevant work. This is because your website will basically work as your ‘office’ in cyberspace which you can link people to when you start posting in online classifieds and forms.

How To Start a Computer Repair Shop that Attracts Great Clients

Fortunately for you, computers are a booming business and it will stay that way for a long time. The majority of households and all businesses have computers. This is highly advantageous for you, especially if you’re running a computer repair shop. Everyone is a potential client. If you don’t have your own computer repair shop yet and are considering opening one, then today is the perfect day to start. Here’s how to start a computer repair shop and attract great clients.

* Education. Get the necessary skills and education to run a computer shop. You must know the basics of computer systems and how to repair them. You may want to enroll in a few short courses at the nearby university or community college or you may even learn online for an affordable amount.

If you lack the necessary knowledge about computers, you may opt to hire an IT or computer professional and have him manage the technical computer aspects of the business. You, on the other hand, can manage the overall operations and management of the repair shop. It is still advisable though that you equip yourself with at least the basic knowledge about computers.

Computers and programs are constantly updated and new programs are always being marketed, so keep yourself in the know by reading up on the latest trends. Subscribe to a few computer magazines or join online forums to keep yourself updated.

Apart from your computer expertise and your business’ exceptional service, in order for your computer repair shop to be successful, you have to market it accordingly. Attract great clients by promoting your business in different media forms and venues.
* Flyers. Post flyers, brochures and posters at the town’s most frequented spots like the mall, local deli, church, school, community hall and such. Include the name of your business, contact numbers and the list of services you offer. It is up to you if you would like to include details such as costs. To build a client pool, you may want to launch your business/ computer repair shop by offering special discounts and packages to clients.

You can get extra mileage by posting online. Create a working site and send mail to potential clients. There are numerous venues where you can post ads like Craigslist and eBay. You may also take advantage of networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and even Friendster. It does not cost anything to post on these sites.
* Phone calls. For a more personalized form of promotion, you can do a telephone campaign. Call households within your area and inform them of your winning services. This may be a tedious job but it is nonetheless a good means to connect with future customers.
* Ads. If the budget permits, you may want to post an ad in the local newspaper or even produce your own commercial to be shown on cable TV and radio. But you may not need to resort to expensive means as you can also promote your business through word of mouth. Satisfied customers will be happy to share their reviews with their friends and family.


Attract clients by giving them great service and promotions. To gain a wider and stable client pool, you may want to approach neighboring businesses that use computers. Create a package for them that they cannot resist. For example, for a suggested sum, your computer repair shop can do the repairs of all their computers for the whole year. Good luck!

How To Start a Computer Delivery and Setup Service

Though there is an infinite pool of information on that Net which gives instructions on how to set up a computer, most users are still hesitant to set up their own desktop computer. They are afraid of accidentally destroying the computer before they even have the chance to use it. Take advantage of this opportunity and offer your services to deliver and set up computers for users. Here’s how to start your own computer delivery and set up service.

* Operations. First you will need to set up a “headquarters” for your computer delivery and setup service. If your business is a small operation – serving a small and manageable area of business – a quaint office would suffice. But if you are considering expanding to encompass several states and towns, you may want to establish a head office and satellite offices.

If you are purely offering a computer delivery and setup service, you may want to approach neighboring computer shops and partner with them. They sell; you deliver. Both of your businesses will greatly benefit from the partnership.
* Vehicles. Depending on the size of your operations, you may need one or more pickup trucks or cars for your delivery service. It may not be advisable to use scooters, motorcycles or bikes for this type of delivery service as the items being delivered may be too big and too heavy - unless of course you are delivering laptops. Scooters and motorcycles may be more advisable if the pick-up points are not too far away from your computer centers.

If you cannot afford to buy your own vehicles yet, you may want to work out a partnership with delivery services around your area. You can package their services into your computer delivery and setup.
* House calls. Instead of having the laptops or computers picked up, sent to the centers for repair and then delivered back to the home, why not provide the option of having the computer technician go to the client’s home. You can add a fee to have the computer technician teach the clients on how to reboot and fix common computer problems.
* Computerized schedule. To ensure a smooth operation, update your delivery systems by going electronic. Track the delivery and synchronize timing by logging in the schedules on a computer program. You don’t need any expensive or complicated programs for this. Microsoft Excel will do. Logging the schedules and deliveries in a software program will help you get a better grasp of your operations and see what areas need improvement. You can also fix the schedules of deliveries easily on a computer.
* Communication. To help track the deliveries, you will also need a radio system to help in the communication between satellite stores and drivers. Since radios are passé, you may want to buy a few mobile phones for the delivery drivers to help ensure that deliveries are made on time.
* Promotion. Promote your business by posting flyers on community billboards, setting up an official website and forwarding advertisements/ emails to potential clients. You may also want to reach clients by approaching certain business offices and schools. You can also spread the good news by word of mouth. Launch your new business by offering promotions and discounts to attract new customers.


Good luck!

How To Take Inventory using the LIFO Method

LIFO stands for “Last-In-First-Out” in an inventory costing method. It is one of the most popular methods for keeping tabs on the progress of an inventory. The premise of this process is that the last item you have encoded in your inventory is the first item that you have sold in that year. If you are running a big business with several products, you might want to consider using this method for your inventory. This is very handy if you need to compute for the cost of goods sold in a year.

To use the LIFO method, follow the simple steps below.

* Organize your product list. Refrain from maintaining a single list for all of your different products. Do not mix bananas with apples. Organize your product list into separate sheets. Group similar products together and record sales separately.
* Use “batches” to record the inventory. As products usually come in groups, it is best to record them per batch. This should also give you a high-level overview of the products delivered. In addition, it will be easier for you to track down which batch comes in last as this is important for the LIFO method. For example, record “Batch 1 – Cost: $1000, Quantity: 20 pieces”, “Batch 2 – Cost: $1800, Quantity: 30 pieces” and so on.
* Compute for the cost per batch. Take the example from the previous step. Compute for the cost of goods for each batch. For batch 1, get the cost by dividing 1,000 by 20 and batch 2 by dividing 1,800 by 30. This gives the values of 500 for batch 1 and 600 for batch 2. If you end up selling 35 units at the end of the year out of the 50 products delivered, then, the 30 out of the 35 units that were sold for the year is at $600 per piece and the 5 others are at $500 per piece. The remaining 15 units in your inventory are to be sold at the same rate as batch 1, which is at $500 per piece.

How the LIFO method works is best described in the same manner as how you would fill a can with coins and use its contents later on. If you are to place a few coins in a can regularly and the time comes that you need to get some coins from it, the last ones you put in are the first ones you will be taking out. The coins that are added last are easier to access, thus they are the first ones to be consumed.

Double check the values you indicate in your inventory as a slight typo error can cause a lot of confusion. Also, have a certified accountant check your record for tax calculations at the end of each year.
To make the computations easier, you can use basic spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel. Create a template for your LIFO method using this software to create a faster and more accurate inventory process in the future.

How To Throw a Direct Sales Online Party

Direct sales often depends on your having a large network of associates and contacts in order to succeed. While a direct sales business works well in face-to-face encounters, direct sales can also work well in an online setting. The concept of the “Tupperware party” has extended to a new dimension, which is online.

Throw a direct sales party online and see your direct sales grow. You can even focus on recruiting your friends and acquaintances to join your direct selling network. Going online is an easy and innovative means of reaching out to potential customers and clients. It will involve a lot of planning, logistics and coordination, though.

* Look for an online chat room. There are numerous online chat rooms that you can use to hold your online party. You can actually opt to go for a public chat room, or a private conference in one of the more popular VoIP or text chat network, such as Skype.
* Prepare the invitations. Since this will be an online meet up, your invitations should also be online. Prepare an email to send out to your virtual guests. Make sure that you include the time and date, the web address of the chat room, and the products and incentives being offered. Include your contact details for any inquiries and outside orders.
* Familiarize yourself with the chat room. Since the will be held online, you will need to familiarize yourself first with the features of the chat room. You would not want to give your guests the impression that you cannot navigate your way through your own online facility. Try to explore the different features and functions of the chat room. You might want to practice with a few associates and friends.

Some chat rooms include video conferencing (such as Skype). This will be ideal if you will be showing actual products to your attendees.
* Be prompt. If the party starts at 7:00 p.m., open the chat room at least 15 minutes ahead of time. Greet the early comers and spend some time knowing them more.
* Start the party. Every time a guest enters the chat room, greet by name to let them know that you recognize each guest accordingly. The presentation must not be lengthy so that the guests will not get tired easily. Make sure your product website is online, and always direct your guests to the website if they want to order. If you have a co-host, make sure you coordinate with each other so that you can highlight the advantages of your products, and so you both know how to reply to inquiries.
* Start some games with prizes. Fun games will make the party more interesting and entertaining. Give some incentives to winning participants, such as discounts and freebies.


When the time comes for the closing, be sure to thank your guests for coming to the party. Give everyone your contact information, and inform them briefly about the overall offer. Make sure you follow up with each and every individual attendee. Earn the trust and confidence of your guests, and your offers will definitely be noticed.

How To Set Up a Small Business Invoicing System

Whether your business is big or small, you will need a means of accounting so that you will not lose track of costs, expenses and receivables. Having a small business invoicing system will make it easier to invoice clients, and to manage invoices by vendors and suppliers. With specialized software, you can easily keep track of your earnings and receivables on a regular basis.

* Look for an invoicing platform. There are several invoicing platforms that are readily available for anyone who has a computer and/or Internet connection. Choose one that fits your budget and the size of your business. For example, you can go for an online invoicing system like FreshBooks.com. This system is free for a single project and single client. For a more comprehensive overview, read online reviews on these invoicing systems.
* Create the invoice system based on your business. With your invoicing platform or software, you will no longer need to create individual templates or invoices for each vendor or client. However, you will need to define a few things. First, you will need to define your company’s name and contact information. You will also need to attach your business logo, so that these information will be included in the invoices.

Have a sample of an invoice in order for you to have an idea on what to include while considering your business needs.
* Track the necessary billings. Make the most out of your invoice platform by tracking your regular billings. Instead of writing or marking them as “done” in a notebook, you can track these using your invoicing system. Invoicing systems like Freshbooks will indicate whether a client has already viewed your invoice. You also have the option of marking these as “paid” on the Freshbooks online interface.
* Bill your clients. At every billing period, you can input the invoice information into your small business invoicing system. Define the item number, description, quantity and prices of the items on your invoice. Then, you can either print out the invoice for physical transmission, or these can be sent online. One great thing about invoicing platforms is that you can do your invoicing through email. Its simplicity makes it possible to add as many clients as necessary. You can also have a list of as many invoices for every customer as you want.
* Keep track of payments. Some billing software can automatically keep track of money received. For example, FreshBooks.com offers PayPal integration, such that PayPal invoices can also be generated along with FreshBooks invoices. This way, your client can just click the “pay now” button and he can pay online, assuming he has a valid PayPal account.
* Keep track of your invoices and finances. If you are sending invoices online, make sure you have correctly inputted your clients’ and vendors’ email addresses. Sending invoices this way can also help you keep track of historical invoicing data. Online invoicing systems also provide a search feature that lets you search through your invoices and customers. You can easily track your invoices and the amounts through the search keywords.


Small businesses can benefit a lot from online invoicing systems. This allows entrepreneurs to save time and money by helping manage the flow of funds.

How To Take eBay Photos that Sell

It’s easy to assume that a photo may not make much of a difference when you’re selling products on eBay. You’d be surprised, however, at how you can significantly increase the chances of selling your product with the mere addition of a photograph. Products that have photos also tend to get higher bids, and are usually more in demand. Remember, people are visual creatures. Take this fact to your advantage by taking great photographs of your product to ensure that it sells.

* Determine the color. Make sure that you add color to the photos that you take. This is very important, especially if you are selling older books that have black and white pictures. If you have photo editing skills, you can add in color by using programs such as Photoshop. Colored pictures stand out more easily, especially when the product is displayed as a small thumbnail on the screen.
* Know what details to consider. One important consideration is the resolution of your photograph. Pictures that have very low resolution will tend to create blurry photos that will not attract a lot of attention. Photographs that are highly detailed and life-like garner the most attention, because it gives the viewer the feeling that he can actually touch the object.
* Be very specific when taking pictures. Remember: the challenge with selling things on eBay is that customers won’t be able to pick up your product and inspect it for themselves. Your job as the seller is to help them do their inspection even if they can’t actually touch your product. To do this, try to limit the scope of the photographs that you are taking. If you are taking a photograph of a laptop, for instance, make sure that you focus on its different parts. You can take a separate photo that shows only the front view, a separate photo for the side view, and another photo for the back view. You can even take individual photos for the keyboard, the screen, the camera, and the ports on the computer. The more detailed your subject is, the clearer the image is in the viewer’s mind.
* Portray action. Choose objects that have a little bit of action to them. This is why even products that do not move are usually portrayed standing up or at an angle. If you have ever seen mobile phone ads, you will notice that most of them are standing up as if they are moving. With this in mind, try to prop up your products on a stand to make them look more interesting.
* Work on nostalgia. EBay is also great for collectors. If you are selling collector’s items, make sure that you post older photographs which will make collectors feel nostalgic and even more eager to add your item to their collection. Keep in mind, however, that this only works if you are selling older collectibles. If you are selling gadgets, on the other hand, then you need photos that look very modern and sleek.


Using photographs to make a sell in eBay is easy. With these in mind, you should be able to find the appropriate pictures to accompany the products that you sell on eBay.

How To Start an Online Grocery Delivery Business

Online grocery delivery businesses have been attempted in the past, but with unfavorable results. Some people, however, think that the failures of past online grocery delivery businesses are due to lack of business planning. If you want to give online grocery delivery a try, here are some steps to help you start this kind of business.

* Research. The market for delivery grocery businesses is rather slim, and it is a very specialized niche market at most. There are some people who are very busy and who would like to have their groceries delivered right to their own doorsteps, but most people are actually quite willing to set a couple of hours each week to do their grocery shopping. This does not mean, however, that setting up an online grocery delivery business is impossible. This just means that you need to make sure that you do your research well, and that you select your audience or market demographic very carefully.
* Website. You will need to create a website. Because you are basically launching an online business, one of the most important things is for you to create a good website. Creating websites today is quite a complex process, because they are so much more sophisticated and complex, and now allow for user interactivity. Because you will likely conduct most of your business online, make sure that you hire a good web designer who will make a sleek and professional looking website for you. Also make sure that there is a shopping cart in your website so that visitors can do their grocery shopping online.
* Marketing. Next, you will need to form some marketing strategies to promote your website. This involves advertising your services. There are many ways to do this. The best way is to start small by advertising in local television stations and radio stations, and by running print ads in the local newspaper. Also make sure that you leave fliers and in car windshields, and add posters in bulletin boards around town. Remember, the grocery delivery business is best when it starts small-scale first.
* Shipping and sourcing. Make sure that you have contacts with some of the local grocery stores in town. Ask if there are any discounts for you if you purchase their products in bulk, or if you purchase the grocery that you deliver solely from them. There are some groceries that offer this, and most mom and pop grocery stores are easy enough to talk into it. This way, you will be able to earn more money by finding cheaper goods to deliver to your clients. Source out a good shipper that can do the delivery for you. Or if you are working only in town, you can deliver the goods yourself.


Running a grocery delivery business has its share of risks, but if you live in a town where people are busy and need someone to do their groceries for them, it is possible for this type of online business to take off, and with success.

How To Write a Testimonial

Testimonials are made for a number of things – as a college recommendation letter, to a reference from a former co-worker or even as just a brief testimonial about a specific product. Regardless of where it will be used, testimonials need to be factual and concise since you need to convince the reader why you recommend the person or the product. There are some basic dos and don’ts when writing testimonials, and you can see them listed in the article below.

* Writing a testimonial for a former co-worker. One of the most common testimonials you need to provide is an anecdotal report of your former co-worker. This may be needed if he is applying to a new company and they want to run a background check on him to see if he will fit their company. One thing to remember is that you need to be very specific when you mention his good and negative points. A testimonial will not have great value if you just say that your former partner is dependable. You need to state that he always plans ahead and has several back up plans in parallel to a current plan just to make sure that he has a failsafe measure for all cases. Instead of just saying that he is professional, you can say that you can count on him to be always on time and always sends out meeting agendas and minutes.
* Writing a testimonial for your favorite product. Another common use of a testimonial is if you have been requested to provide a short testimonial for your favorite product. Whether it will be posted in the company website or be printed out in the store premises, your testimonial should be no more than two lines long and yet very factual. For example, instead of saying “I love the coffee and ambience here!” you can say, “This is my favorite place because I love sipping their white mocha Americano on these plush sofas!”. This way, you give the reader a visual image of why you love it in the coffee shop instead of just saying you love it. Another way to say good testimonials is by saying how a product affects you. For example, instead of saying “This herbal supplement made me healthier!” you can say “In just 3 cycles of the supplement, I was able to sleep earlier and at the same time, my skin cleared up!”.
* Writing a testimonial for other reasons. When writing testimonials, think of it as you are being tried in court for that person or product. You need to make sure that what you are saying is something that you can defend just so that the testimonial is real. You can also be specific about concrete improvements or even site specific anecdotes to put more credit to your testimonial. For example, if you were being asked for feedback about a certain professor then you can say “Mr. Smith was able to help me improve my skills in creative writing by allowing me to immerse myself completely on the subject and then had one-on-one sessions on how to translate my emotions into a screenplay.”


Do not scrimp on words when writing a testimonial since you are essentially marketing a product. Think in reverse – what if you were asking someone else to write a testimonial for your product? What would you want him to say?

How To Write a Television Promo Script

Television promo scripts are short blurbs of promotions that are often read out during a television program. These scripts should last not more than a couple of seconds since there is an ongoing program or the director will be shortly cueing for a commercial. Writing a short, concise and yet effective promo script takes a bit of skill and talent. However anyone, even with no experience in writing one, can easily learn to do it. If you need to learn how to do this, then read the outlined steps below to serve as a guide when writing your own script.

* Knowing what your promo is all about. The first thing you need to do is to know the purpose of the promo script you need to write. Ask the product or brand manager what exactly needs to be said, especially if there are contact numbers that need to be broadcasted. Know the mechanics of the promo and at the same time, if the product has any tag line, make sure you get that right.
* Making a draft. Once you know the basic details of the promo, start writing a draft of what needs to be said. When you have all of the basics written down, that’s when you start putting in the promo and catchy words that will make your audience listen. A sample draft for a travel promo can read like this, “Expert Travel announces their 25th year in providing fun and easy packaged tours by having a ‘Fly one, Fly all’ promo! All you need to do is to book a flight from April 1 to June 30 and you instantly get a chance to win an unlimited flight pass for 6 months!”
* Making another draft. Unfortunately, great scripts do not come from one draft alone. You will be writing several drafts, all with a slightly different approach to make sure you get what the product manager needs. Be prepared to write at least 5 different kinds and there will be several revisions on each kind. This is normal in script writing.
* Injecting other materials such as audio clips and visuals. Depending on the type of promo and the amount of time you would have, you can insert brief audio clips like the product jingle to further enhance the recall factor of your commercial script. You can also inject some visual props especially if you know you will be on camera while reading the script. If you have a product sample with you, that’s even better so that the camera can zoom on it or if you are promoting a concert tour, then a sample poster would be great.


Once you have all of your materials positioned and your draft is approved, try doing a mock run of the commercial and record that while you are rehearsing so that you can catch any inappropriate words or actions while reading the script. This is the equivalent of proofreading your work for a commercial script. Remember to keep the brand in mind as you deliver since this is all about the product.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

How To Snoop using Facebook

Facebook has become the number one craze among a lot of people regardless of age. Hence, Facebook has also become the number one haven for people who want to snoop on somebody else. Aside from being easy, snooping using this social networking site can provide a lot of information. This can be as simple as personal data to as much as a person’s daily activities. So if you want to snoop on somebody, here is how you can do so using Facebook:

* Get a Facebook account. You need to get yourself a Facebook account first before you can even start snooping on somebody else’s account. It is very easy to do this since you only need to fill out the form on the website's homepage. When you have set up an account, set your profile by adding information you like such as pictures, personal data, and other interests.
* Join a network in Facebook. Without a network on Facebook, it will be impossible for you to succeed in your task. You have to join the same networks that your subject has in common with you. You can do this by searching for friends who have the same location, school you have been to, companies you have worked for, organizations you are a member of, and the like.
* Get access to your subject’s profile. You can easily gain access to the profile of your subject by inviting him to be your friend. If he confirms your invitation, you can already access his profile, information, pictures and his wall. This will mark the start of your success in snooping using Facebook.

* Make friends with the friends of your prospect. If you are friends with the friends of the person you are snooping on, it will give you more opportunities to find more information about the person. Since activities and messages of the person usually have something to do with his Facebook friends, earning access to their profiles will make it easier for you to snoop on your subject.
* Look for the information that you want about your subject. Use his profile, his friends, and his network to find information about him. You can browse profile pages and walls to get the information that you need. Sometimes, checking out the photos of the person and his friends will give you a good idea about the person you are snooping on. However, take note that you cannot always get all the information that you want. If your subject's security setting is very high, you can only get little information.
* Set a lot of time for your snooping task. Every day, you can expect new information regarding your subject, especially if he is the active type in Facebook. Hence, it is best if you can set aside a lot of time to check his profile and his activities. This way, you can be certain that you will not be missing anything, especially if you want to spy on what the other person is doing every now and then.


It is always very easy to use Facebook and other social networking sites to snoop on someone. As long as you do not go beyond what the person is willing to share, this kind of action is always acceptable.

How To Take Orders over the Internet

In this day and age, people mostly rely on the Internet for almost anything like finding the answer to a basic question, meeting new people through social networking sites, sending a message to a loved one through email, or shopping. Online shopping is pretty much a common thing nowadays. Companies have online stores up and running and consumers are buying products from these stores 24/7. Furthermore, each transaction is electronic so the need for cold hard cash to purchase stuff has become unnecessary.

These online stores are really just websites with a selection of products to choose from and a payment gateway that will allow a consumer to make an order and pay for it. The simpler the setup is, the more appealing it will be for consumers. If the site is too complicated for the end user, he will tend to look for other online store options that would be a whole lot easier for him to navigate through. To avoid that, you will want your online store to take orders online efficiently and without too many complicated procedures. Here is how.

* Method of payment. Companies should select a good method in accepting payments from customers. One suggestion is to use PayPal. PayPal is a known web-based application for safe online funds transfers. Most companies use this as their method of payment for their online shops because they accept most credit cards and electronic checks. Aside from PayPal, companies can also get their own merchant accounts. Compared to PayPal, merchant accounts have lower transaction fees although their set up fees are higher. Infusionsoft is one company that can facilitate merchant accounts for online stores.
* Shopping cart. Shopping carts are not only found in grocery stores but in online shops as well. They allows customers to order all the items they want before checking out and paying. There are some free online shopping carts available, one of which is the Zen Cart. It is a user-friendly open source shopping cart software commonly integrated and used in a lot of online stores. Another option is the available shopping cart system of PayPal.

* Security. Since transactions being made in online stores involve money, the security of the site becomes an important factor. It is better for companies to have encrypted sites especially if they are using their personal merchant accounts to take orders from customers. A secure page is essential because customers send their credit card information over the Internet and it is possible that other malicious parties may be watching and waiting.

Normally, a merchant account will have integrated security features that an online store can utilize. The same goes with PayPal. Typically, the way it works is simple. If a customer clicks on a product that he wants to purchase, he will be redirected to the secure payment gateway of choice. For instance, if he chooses to pay via PayPal, his browser will be redirected to a PayPal merchant secure transaction page linked to the online store. This way, if a hacker is waiting, he will not be able to see the credit card or PayPal information of the customer due to the secure and encrypted transaction page.


If you are planning to start an online business, make sure you provide a secure and easy to use online store. The simpler and more straightforward the online store, the more customers it will have.

How To Show your Recent Posts on your Blogger Blog

As if you haven’t got enough avenues to announce your latest adventures to the world, here comes another one called Blogger. Blogger is from Google and is a website that allows you to post anything you want on it: photos, videos, music, and of course, your daily blog. This is a great venue if you want to fit five blog entries all in one page. How’s that for a really exciting opportunity that lets you chronicle everything about your life? Overall Blogger is a pretty good place to get your message across. If you want to get started on using Blogger, check out the steps below:

* Get on the Blogger website, sign up for an account, and log in. Navigate your browser to the Blogger website and immediately sign up for an account. On Blogger, you are required to use your email and password to get through. The system is case sensitive so make sure that you double check your entries to avoid encountering username and password problems on your next login session. Wait for the email confirmation that gives you permission to access your newly created Blogger account.
* From your personal dashboard click “layout.” Pick out the appropriate layout that will draw the eyes of the readers to your most recent blogs. Move to the next step once you’ve completed this step.
* Choose “Add a Gadget.” This option will let you display your recent blogs to the appropriate section or category.
* Find the plus (+) sign. This sign would be in a blue color and then from there you’ll need to click on “Feed.”

* On the space provided, enter the correct URL. From the “Feed” page, you’ll see an empty field/box. Copy and paste the URL of your Blogger page to fill out this field/box. Unless you know basic programming, you should not manually type in the URL on the field provided. A simple “copy and paste” command of your URL from the browser will do. Once that is accomplished, click “Continue.”
* Choose a category that best fits your blogs. You can go with the most obvious “My Most Recent Blogs” or “My Top Blogs.” The choice is up to you. There are also available tools on the website to highlight the posts that you want people to read in succession. Use these tools very sparingly and wisely. You don’t want your new blog page looking too busy. It distracts your readers’ attention to the content of your blogs.
* Check the content and run a critical eye over the layout. You have to place yourself in the position of your reader. Look at the layout and succession of the blogs that you want to show. Check for misspelled words or distracting elements on your freshly-minted layout. If you are thoroughly and completely sold on what you see, click “Save.”


Now all that’s left for you to do is check if the URL is working and make sure your recent blogs are posted on Blogger. That’s how easy it is to use Blogger to show your life’s daily adventures!

How To Start a Food Diary Online for Free

The Internet has countless uses for so many things in this day and age of technology. You can even use the World Wide Web to shed pounds by starting an online food journal. The great thing about the Internet is that it’s fairly cheap. All you need is a stable Internet connection and a computer, which one normally has at home anyway. The act of registering an online journal or diary won’t cost you a cent.

* Look for a free online journal host. Search the web for available online sites specifically made for food diaries. This will have the proper templates for the purpose of logging your food intake. The purpose of this online food diary is to help you track what you’ve taken in, what you’ve burned, and the total calories in your everyday diet. What makes this so much more convenient than a physical diary is that you have the tools that will help make calorie tracking easier. Online food diaries have calorie counter and chart templates so you don’t have to manually compute and chart your way to losing weight.
* Register for free with just an email address. All you need to register for an account is to have a valid e-mail address. Fill out the registration form and then verify using your e-mail account. Now, you’re ready to get started.
* Keep your diary updated. Record your daily intake on your diary regularly. If you don’t have Internet access and you are afraid of forgetting, list things down for the meantime and then log them all in at the end of the day. Set your current weight and your target weight. Then, log-in all your food intake per day. The online journal has thousands of food options with matching calories so that you are able to count your intake. You can also record exercise regimens and this will reflect how many calories you’ve lost. The great thing about this feature is that you no longer have to keep peeking at the packaging to list down how many calories you just ate, which can be a very awkward thing to do in public.

* Be accurate. In remembering your food intake for the day, keep things specific. Remember how much of each food item you ate. For example, if you ate chocolates, how many bars? Or how many squares? Be honest, too. Don’t cheat by not logging in when you overeat. You’re not helping yourself by cheating. If you’ve overeaten, try to note why. Some people overeat when they’re particularly stressed or having their premenstrual syndrome.
* Observe your food intake. Now that everything’s in black and white, you’ll be able to assess if you are eating the healthy way. Try to scratch out any unnecessary unhealthy food and replace it with a healthier, but equally delicious food item. For example, ditch that ice cream for some frozen yogurt, which some people find yummier than ice cream.


Another great thing about online food diaries is the support that you can get from the online community. You’ll have access to success stories that will serve as inspiration and motivation, and new friendships waiting to develop.

How To Take Notes in an Opera Browser

While most people may be using the more popular Internet browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer, other browsers like Opera are making waves through the integration of useful features that these giants do not have. For instance, Opera has its very own notepad that a user can utilize to take notes while browsing the net. This feature is very nifty since you can take notes on the fly without having to shift from browser to word processor.

* Launch Opera. Turn your computer on and wait for it to completely boot. Press the “Start” button on the lower left portion of the screen and look for “Opera” from the list of applications and folders that will be presented. Opera is represented by a red letter “O” icon. Click on this item to launch the browser.
* Copy some texts from a website. Type a website in the address field and press the “Enter” key. Wait for the page to completely load. If there is anything that catches your interest, be it a news article or a line from a story; highlight the text strings using your mouse. You can do this by dragging your cursor over the text strings. Direct your mouse pointer over the highlighted area and do a right click. A list of menu options will be displayed. Select “Copy to Notes”.
* Place your copied text to your notes. Click the “Menu” button on the upper left portion of the Opera browser window. Choose “Notes” from the list of commands. This shall open a new tab on your browser window labeled “Notes”.
* Navigate the “Notes” tab. This window contains 2 columns by default. The left column is where your previously copied text strings are placed. All other text strings that you try to copy from the browser will be added to this column. An icon representing the website where you got the text from is displayed on the left side. The right column, on the other hand, lets you type your personal notes.

* Type your own notes. Click anywhere in the right column of the window and start typing. Notice that whatever you type on the right column is automatically reflected on the left column as well, but represented by a different icon. This is to help you distinguish your personal notes from the ones you have copied.
* Edit your notes. If you would like to edit a note, click the entry in the left column. The full text will be displayed on the right column. Click anywhere in the right column to activate this part of the window. Start typing additional notes or go on and edit an existing one.
* Find a specific text on your notes. In case you already have several notes listed and you are having difficulties tracking each of them, use the quick search function by typing the search parameter on the “Quick find” field on top of the window.
* Organize your notes. Organize your notes if you are conducting research and if you are using several websites as references. Activate a separator by clicking “Add” and choose “New separator” from the menu items. Notice that a line separator will appear on the left column. Click and drag your notes to organize them using several separators.


Optimize the Opera browser installed in your computer by using this feature when taking notes. This is very helpful especially for students conducting research.

How To Start a Free and Easy Blog

People who love writing can now go online and get their very own blog in which they can share their thoughts. Having a blog is exciting and often educational. You will be able to share your everyday learnings and experiences with people and also gain knowledge from other people’s comments on your entries. It is very easy and does not cost much. All you need is a computer, Internet connection, electricity and your creativity.

* Set up shop. To get started, boot up your computer and enable your Internet connection. Open your web browser and search “free blogs”. The most popular ones being used right now are livejournal.com, blogger.com, blogspot.com, tumblr.com, and wordpress.com. Click on the button that says to register and fill out the information needed. You will be asked to type in your e-mail address. If you don’t have one yet, then open a new window or tab and choose from the number of available free e-mail providers. The most popular are Yahoo and Gmail. Sign up for a new account by filling out the requested information. Then, once this is done, you can continue with your blog registration. Once you’ve completed the registration process, sign in to your e-mail address and click on the verification link to get started.
* Personalize your blog. Each blog site allows you to personalize your blog with the use of layouts and themes. There are templates you can choose from, but if you’re into html and layout work, you can even make your blog design particularly specific, such as photos of yourself and your friends, or the things you are passionate about.

* Brainstorm. A usual tip for proper blogging is to think of one specific topic and to stick to it. For example, if you’re an athlete and like to try different sports, you can advocate for health and fitness by making this the center of your blog. If you’re a beauty or food enthusiast blog about the latest beauty trends and yummy restaurants. However, you can also simply choose to write about you and your daily grind. But, keep in mind that the whole world can read what you write so for security measures, try to use pseudonyms and be careful about posting your whereabouts. Think of a witty, funny blog name that will encapsulate who you are or what your blog is about.
* Blog regularly. To encourage traffic to your site, try to blog as regularly as possible. Keep things interesting and updated by adding photos as visual aid. Keep your words catchy but succinct. Always proofread to clean out grammatical errors or wrongly spelled words. If you get enough traffic onto your site, you might even be able to raise an income out of it from companies who want to place ads on your site. When you get comment from followers, make sure to reply to as many as possible. Acknowledging your readers is a way of thanking them for patronizing your blog.


At all times, practice proper etiquette. Refrain from using foul language and be conscious of other people’s beliefs, race and religion. Use freedom of speech at an appropriate level. True, you can say whatever you want, but never do so at the expense of others.

How To Stay Ahead of Your eBay Competition

When it comes to the online market, eBay is perhaps the most popular and successful of all the auction sites. It is not surprising that many sellers on this website are already earning enough to live comfortably. You may be a novice eBay seller, but that is never a reason to stay behind the competition. More experienced sellers have devised great strategies for selling well online. These strategies are well thought out and studied carefully. You can devise your own strategies too, with some creativity and careful study, and stay on top of the game. Try one or more of the following ways on how to stay ahead of your eBay competition:

* Use keywords wisely. Put yourself in the shoes of potential customers and think of possible phrases that you would use to look for your products. The product’s brand or title does not necessarily have to be the best keyword. If you are selling slimming coffee for instance, you don’t just put down its brand name, especially if it isn’t very popular yet. Instead, use “slimming coffee,” “effective diet,” or “diet coffee” as your keyphrases. This way, your product won’t only be searchable on eBay but on Google as well.
* Give better value to your products. Better value doesn’t always mean a cheaper price. There are better ways to add value to your product than by simply lowering its cost. Offer free items along with the product, or give better deals like free shipping, for buying a certain amount from your eBay store. When offering bonuses, make sure they are related to the product, or are at least interesting to the buyer. Offering a free laptop bag with a laptop makes more sense than offering a free box of chocolates with it.
* Keep your listing page customer-friendly. Explore eBay products. You’ll realize the difference between a customer-friendly listing and poorly listed items. Most experienced eBay sellers will post pictures of the item with the necessary angles and proportions, and will provide all relevant information pertaining to it. Beginners will typically have poor or incomplete data about the product. They also have a poor presentation of the listing.

* Make a better listing. Assess your competitor’s listings and see if there are any loopholes. Make sure to make the same mistakes on your own listing. Better yet, create a much better listing such as posting good pictures or writing more interesting descriptions.
* Accumulate helpful feedback. Simply ask buyers to give you feedback on eBay. You may offer free digital items like an ebook to encourage them. After all, not all buyers like to give feedback, even if they are happy with your services. You may also offer exchange feedback, which means exactly as it says.
* Provide good customer service. A lot of studies have proven that customers will buy from a business with better customer service. This isn’t so hard to understand. You need to make it a habit to check your eBay account, at least once every day. Answer all queries in a friendly tone. Be as approachable as possible so potential buyers do not get too intimidated to bid.


Competition is a fact in any business – be it on eBay or elsewhere. The bottom line is, it is always the one ahead of the competition who gets the most profits. Evaluate your business habits and learn from other people, too. Continuous learning is important to keep you alive in this highly competitive business.

How To Stop People from Stealing Your Online Information

For some people, going online is already a part of their daily routines. Whenever you send e-mails, post on numerous social networking sites, sign-up for newsletters, create accounts, or shop online, you automatically share and receive information. And if you’re not too careful with your online transactions, this makes you vulnerable to identity and information theft. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this from happening to you. Read on and find out how not to be a victim of online identity theft.

* Limit the information you share online. This is the most practical tip of all. The less information about you that can be accessed online, the less likely you’ll be a victim of identity and information theft. When signing up for something, leave out personal information that’s not related or necessary to what you’re signing up for.
* Always keep your firewall on. A firewall is part of a computer system designed to prevent unauthorized access to your computer and data while you’re using the Internet or while you’re logged on to a computer network. It acts much like a brick wall or a shield between your computer and any intruders who want access to private networks. Firewall is responsible for filtering messages and data that comes in and out when you use the Internet. Those that do not meet specific security criteria are blocked. You can adjust your computer’s security settings but do not turn off your firewall. Once it is off, your computer is vulnerable to intruders and hackers.
* Keep your anti-virus software updated. You should use reliable anti-virus software. Some are free and can be downloaded in an instant like AVG, Avira AntiVir, or Avast. Check the links below for lists of the best free downloadable anti-virus software. Most anti-virus programs automatically do updates once you’re connected to the Internet. And when there’s something wrong with your software or you need to manually update it, a prompt will warn you in time. You also have the option to use a premium edition of anti-virus software; that is if you’re willing to shell some money for it. It’s usually a package containing the beefed up anti-virus program, plus other useful extras like spyware and ad or pop-up blockers to name a few.

* Do not use auto-fill. Windows has an auto fill feature that saves the information you filled out on websites like name, address, contact numbers, e-mail address, etc. It can be convenient because the next time you need to fill out something using any of this data, it would appear immediately once you type the first few characters. Do not use this feature if you’re using a public computer or sharing one with others. It’s like easily giving them the opportunity to access your files and identity.
* Disable and delete cookies. Cookies are instantly downloaded into a folder in your computer once you visit a website. These are encrypted in text format and may include a kind of ID number, login details, pages visited, domain names, even banners, graphics, and ads. Visiting one website may generate multiple cookies. The danger is that cookies contain information that can be tracked once an intruder gains access to your computer. Be selective with the websites where you enable cookies. You can open the Cookies folder and edit the contents, but this will take time. For a faster solution, use a web browser that allows for privacy settings adjustment and cookie options like Internet Explorer 6. It will help you weed out cookies coming from advertisements and annoying pop-ups.
* Shop from familiar, trusted sites. Buy only from reliable major retailers like Amazon, global shopping sites like E-bay, or honest sellers you’ve dealt with before. Use safe third-party sites such as PayPal to dispense money every time you go shopping online.


In the Internet age, almost anyone is vulnerable to identity and information theft. Be vigilant and follow these steps to prevent it from happening to you.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

How To Keyframe in Walk Cycle Animation

The most challenging about animation is that you have to create numerous drawings for a second of movement. Worse, all the drawings must show a smooth transition or else, it will be an unnatural movement. That is why drawing the keyframe first is very important before drawing the frames in between.

Keyframes are called as such because they guide a cycle of animation into a smooth transition. So, it wouldn’t be so obvious that a cycle has ended and immediately begun if you know how to make effective and correct keyframes. Practice doing this today with a walk cycle. Walking may seem easy but not if one has to animate it. Follow the guide below to create the keyframe for a walk cycle. Take note that the steps will not detail how to draw the character because it will depend upon your taste. Just follow the general guidelines and you’ll do just fine.

* Draw the guideline. This will be the ground where the character will be walking. Draw a straight line to indicate the ground. Each keyframe should have the same guideline if you don’t want to lose the consistency of the animation.
* Draw the first keyframe or the so-called “contact pose.” This is the start of the walk cycle animation. How the character should look like to emphasize that it is the start of this cycle? Take note that if the left foot is forward, the right arm should be forward. That’s how a person normally walks. To emphasize that the drawing is the contact pose, make sure that the forward foot’s ankle is touching the ground while the toes are up. The other foot’s ankle is raised while the toes are touching the ground. If one arm is forward, then the other arm should be at the back. Observe that this contact pose gives balance to the opposite—one arm forward and other backward, toes raised and the other is touching the ground.
* Draw the opposite of the first contact pose. If you have a backlight, better use that to trace the ground of the first frame. Use it also to determine the proper distance of the character from the first frame to its reverse pose. Imagine that there will be about four frames between the two keyframes.
* Draw the second keyframe opposite of the first. Therefore, if the left foot is forward on the first keyframe, then on this, the right foot should be forward. Everything is similar and direct opposite except for the hips, which will be slightly upwards on the second keyframe.
* Draw the last keyframe. This is exactly the same as the first keyframe, only that it will be farther on the frame. Some animators don’t do this anymore because the first keyframe can already sustain for the last keyframe.


Now, you can start drawing the in-between movements. Imagine how the feet, hands, and body of the character will move from the first keyframe to the second keyframe. Check the accuracy of your drawing by flipping the page from one frame to another. The sequence of drawing should follow a logical order or you might end up drawing some of the frames again.

How To Make a New Screensaver

A great way to customize your computers and save on power at the same time is to use a screensaver, which covers your screen if it has been idle for a certain amount of time. The best part of the screensaver feature is that you do not have to use the prefabricated ones if you do not want to. You can easily replace the default option with something more to your liking. Here is how to make a new screensaver:

* The basics. Making a new screensaver is very easy and anyone can do it, no matter what level of skill you are at, artistically or technically. All you really need is your creativity. You can go with something as simple as the time and date or as complex as an entire photo album. You can even use a video as your screensaver! It is up to you if you want to create your own or use ready-made ones. Once you know what you want to use as your screensaver, it is just a matter of fiddling around with certain options, parameters and features to get it on-screen the way you want it to be. Set the font to be used, the album or location of the pictures, how long the computer has to be idle before the screensaver activates, and much more. To find these controls, look for the control panel menu and select personalization, which will lead you to the screensaver settings.
* Using preset screensavers. There are preset screensavers for your choosing. Some of these different themes are not as simple as you might think and who knows? You could possibly enjoy them. Preview each one before you make the decision to go with something else. Some of these “boring” choices might surprise you. For example, one of the standard screensavers is a text message. Sounds mundane enough but if you give it some thought, it actually gives you an infinite number of choices, since you yourself will be supplying the words. You can take your favorite quote, passage from a book or even your own name and make that your screensaver. Doesn’t that sound appealing?
* Using photographs and videos. Most people choose to use photographs or pictures as screensavers. This is because they convey a lot of meaning and emotion, truly making the computer their own. It is as if a little piece of their being is part of the computer. As mentioned briefly earlier, you can even select entire albums to use as screensavers, meaning a whole night’s worth of memories or an entire portfolio of drawings is at your disposal. Some even use short videos as screensavers, which can be fun surprises through particularly long and arduous nights when they suddenly pop-up.


Though truly one of the simplest applications on any computer, people can spend a lot of time and effort customizing their screensavers to their liking. This is because of how much fun the simple act of selecting a favorite quote, picture or video can be. Making a new screensaver is so easy that you will have trouble sticking to just one.

How To Make a Movie with PowerPoint

PowerPoint is an excellent presentation maker. But not only is it good for organizing texts, charts, and photographs, PowerPoint can also be used to collate image, video, and audio files for your slide show. When put together, these elements can make a movie-like presentation. This how-to article will show you how to do this. So if you are ready, let’s get started.

* Gather all the materials you need for the presentation. These include the videos, sound files, and photos. Save them all in your computer and remember the folders where you keep them.
* Set the format for your presentation. Start by accessing Microsoft PowerPoint. Go to Start menu, then choose All Programs. Select Microsoft Office and click Microsoft Office PowerPoint. On the Format menu, choose a slide layout, slide design, and background for your presentation. After this, you can begin working on the first slide.
* Write the text. You can write a text using a text box. On the Insert menu, click Text Box. A text box will appear on the slide, which you can adjust based on the length of the text you intend to type. Now, choose the color and size of the font. Then, begin to type the sentence or phrase.
* Add photos. On the Insert menu, choose Picture and then From File. Access the folder where you saved the pictures. Then, click Insert. Resize the photo if necessary.
* Insert the video clip. Do this by going to the Insert menu. Select Movies and Sounds. Click Movie from File and begin to browse the folder in which you earlier saved the video file. After locating the video file, choose a format and click OK. Note that unlike a video clip in a .gif format, an .avi video clip won’t automatically run when the slide is displayed. If you want it to be played automatically, hit the Automatically option when asked how you want the video to start. If you want to control when to play it, just choose When Clicked. With this option, you need to click the video if you want it to run.
* Add sounds. Music and sounds will add life to your presentation. To add sound, you need to access the Insert menu. On the drop-down list, choose Movies and Sounds. Then, select Sound from the File menu. In the Insert Sound dialog box, click the folder in which you saved the sound file. Click the file and choose a format. Again, you will be asked how you want the sound file to be played. You can choose between Automatically and When Clicked. After picking your option, click OK. Aside from choosing from a file, you can also record your own sound, provided that a microphone is connected to your computer.
* Animate each element of the slide. Animation will define the movement and transition in each slide, ultimately giving your slide show a movie-like pacing. You can add animation for each slide by going to Slide Show and selecting Animation Schemes. Choose any from the listed effects. To apply animation effects to every element of a slide, select Custom Animation from the Slide Show menu.


When you have selected the animation effects for the entire slide show and slide elements, make sure to run the presentation and see how it works. Add or remove slides or slide elements if there is a need.

How To Lipsync in iStopMotion

Lip syncing via iStopMotion makes your characters look like the sounds they are making really come out of their own lips. This application will let you edit the animation on a frame by frame basis by allowing you to adjust the mouth movements of each character as it goes along. Adjusting lip sync movements can require a lot of your time and patience and the steps below will make it easier for you to achieve this.

* Selecting the View tab. Your first step is to select the tab for viewing, which can be seen at the lower right portion of the application screen. After selecting the “View” tab, select the “Rotoscope/Lip Sync” option.
* Opening a movie. Then you would need to open the movie file that you want to edit. Select the button that has the image of a round gear that brings out the browse window of your machine. Click on “Load” and select the movie file that you want to edit for this session. Be sure not to open multiple movie files at a given time since this will eat up the memory of your machine unnecessarily. Next, you need to select the “Show in Main Window” option that can be seen within the “Rotoscope/Lip-sync” menu. The movie that you selected will be displayed in the application working window that is a split screen mode of display. You will also see the live view of the camera from what you are currently working on.
* Recording your animation. Now you are ready to record your work. Select the “Record” button that is colored red and can be found under the application working window. You will notice that the next frame of your selected movie will be displayed in this area.
* Altering the mouth shapes. You can now change the shape of the mouth of the characters that you want to edit. You can do this by going to the left part of the animation window that should match the movie frame that is currently being displayed in the right part of the same window. Make sure that you are editing the right section of your movie.


Those are the easy steps on how to edit your characters. You just have to keep on repeating the steps until you are satisfied with the results. Play your work a couple of times so that you can see if the animation is smooth and appropriate.

If you are a Windows OS user, unfortunately, there is no version of iStopMotion for your operating system. This would only work for those using Mac. For best results, you should upgrade your OS version to Mac OS X Tiger with a QuickTime version of at least 7.1. Check if your hardware can run the program first before downloading the full version or making any purchases, in case you do not have a copy of this application, yet. It is also recommended that for Mac OS X v10.2 users, you should use iStopMotion version 1.5 and those who are on Tiger or newer, can use version 1.8.1 or any later releases.

How To Modify Hair With Poser Software

Poser is a 3D software rendering engine that can depict a human figure in a rather life-like form by being three-dimensional. This program allows an easy interface for renderers. Usually, 3D renderers use other modeling software like 3DS Max or Maya to model the human figure then use the Poser software to modify the model.

If you’re already half-way through completion of your human figure, you can create various looks for your figure by modifying the hair. In real life, hair can change a person’s appearance tremendously. It would be the same with 3D figures. Poser can accomplish that task. Read on to have the know-how on modifying hair using the program.

* Start the Poser program. If you made the figure using other types of modeling software, open Poser program and load the figure on the screen by using the “import” tool. If you already made your figure using the Poser program, just open the file and load it. Once the figure is loaded, change the view into face camera. This way, you are focused on the hair.
* Choose a hairstyle. Before modifying the hair, you need to select the growth hair guide. This guide will tell you how the hair is going to grow. Some renderers use pre-designed hair styles that are presets in the program. Switch to the “hair room” and click on the pull down menus for hair. Once you click on a preset style, your figure should automatically update. You may use the hair style tool as well. This tool has the options of designing the hair by bending, shaping and even twisting it.
* Adjust the length of the hair. You can adjust the length of the hair by using the hair length parameters. If you want to have it longer, use the length variance parameter. Adjust how the hair grows by pulling it back, down or pulling it at the side. It would depend on your preference.
* Control the density of the hair. Hair looks better when it is densely populated. Check the selection “show populated” to display on screen how thick the hair would appear. Adjust the density by using the hair density level. Move the level to the right to increase the density and move the level to the left to decrease it. Generally, density controls how many hair strands your model should have.

Another control under the “show populated parameters" is the kink strength. This gives you the freedom to modify how straight or curly the hair can be. The clumpiness control shows how the hair is clumped together. Remember that hair doesn’t really clump together unless it is held by a tie or a ribbon.

* Control dynamics. Hair dynamics pertain to the movement of the hair you want your figure to have. For example, you want hair to fall flat on its face then you can increase or decrease the gravity level.


As long as you have a particular hair style in mind, modifying your model’s hair would be an easy breeze. Just remember to be as close to real life when modifying the hair and be very patient when working on the controls – it takes a lot of time to modify these details. Lastly, never forget to save your work! Click on the “save” button from time to time, the last thing you want is losing your hard work.

How To Publish an Animated GIF from Flash

Flash animations are the best ways to entertain and inform the audience in terms of any subject. However, the problem is that it is not always accessible to people who do not have Flash plug-in or in places where it is impossible to upload the Flash SWF. Good thing is that with an animated GIF, you can make your own Flash animations easily accessible to everyone. Plus, publishing it from Flash is just easy. Check out how you can do this yourself:

* Navigate to Publish Settings in the Flash program. Go on File and then click on "Publish Settings". A window will appear for you where you need to start changing settings for the GIF for publishing. Once the window is open, go to Formats and then check on GIF Image. Then, click the tab indicating GIF at the top corner of "Publish Settings" window.
* Choose the right size for your animated GIF. In the GIF tab, you will notice that "Match Movie" is checked. Do not change this if you prefer to publish the image in the same size of the Flash movie. Otherwise, change the size and enter the pixel height and width that you prefer. Avoid distorting the image by taking note of the ration of the size of the original movie.
* Establish the animation playback of the GIF. Choose "Animated", which you can see in the "Playback" options. This will set the movie to publish in a frame by frame setting as a GIF animation.
* Enter the playback options of your animated GIF. Choose "Loop Continuously" to make the animated GIF playing indefinitely when published. However, you can also set it to repeat by indicating how many times you want the animated GIF to play.
* Set other options for your animated GIF publication. Optimize the color of the GIF to remove unused colors so that the image size will be reduced. Set "Dither Solids" so that the colors will be mixed in the current existing palette. Other options you have to set up are Interlace, Smooth, and Remove Gradients. Set all of them very well so that your animated GIF will be published at its best quality.
* Set the transparency options for the GIF. The "Transparency" menu will offer you various options to apply on your animated GIF. Choose "Transparent" if you prefer the background to be transparent. Choose "Opaque" if you wish the background to be a fully solid color. Lastly, choose "Alpha" to set the opacity of the GIF from a range of zero to 255.
* Choose the correct palette type to display the image. Set the GIF image to Web 216 so that the image will use standard colors to work for all web browsers. Pick "Adaptive" so the program will build a new color palette that is based on the components of the image. Then, choose "Web Snap Adaptive" to let the program change the colors as close to the 216 palette as possible. The last one is "Custom" where you can create your own color palette.
* Publish the animated GIF once everything is set. Publish the image by simply saving the settings you have changed. Then, go to File and click on "Publish". An easier way to do this is to use "Publish Settings" window. Click the "Publish" icon from the window and your animated GIF is all set and good to go.


The process of publishing animated GIF from Flash is easy. From now on, you can distribute Flash animations to a larger population the easier way.