Many small pressure washing and high-pressure hot water contract cleaning companies are located in areas, which may reach sub zero temperatures with wind chill factor. It is important to make sure your equipment does not freeze, as the water left in a pump will expand and crack the casing, unloaders or coils. With equipment running around $10,000 for a good skid unit, one has to be very careful to keep it in good running order as replacing it does not come cheap.

For those of you that live in colder climates and keep your truck in an unheated garage there are a few things that you should consider. We have found that as an alternative to running antifreeze through your pressure washer you can turn the halogen lights on the top of your truck or wash rig trailer on and focus them onto your pressure washer coil cover to protect the coils.

You can usually do this and then I have one more work light that you hang on the side of the skid above the Honda or Vanguard engine and focus this light down into that area to protect the pump. This setup has worked quite well so far and can actually get things pretty warm.

Obviously this setup would not work if you keep your truck outside although I have heard of people that have had good luck with covering their pressure washer with a tarp and putting a heater under it but I don’t know that it would be worth the risk. You probably better off just going with the anti freeze in that situation. But, never the less never let your pressure washer freeze over, unless all the water is completely drained. Think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Business in the UK’s freight shipping industry has been booming over recent months. The port of Belfast is experiencing one of the busiest periods in its 400 year history. And now figures from the country’s leading sea freight lines show that freight shipping volumes increased by 8% between 2004 and 2005.

The Reasons for the Increase in Freight Shipping Volumes

The greatest freight shipping growth area has been on Irish sea routes. In this area volumes increased by 16% between 2004 and 2005. The reason for increased freight shipping volumes on this route was the acquisition of the Fleetwood to Larne service by one of UK’s main shipping lines. This acquisition added 259,200 freight units to the total volume shipped on this route in 2005.

Furthermore, the North Sea and Scandinavian markets experienced similar growth figures.

The Future of Freight Shipping

According to one of the main line’s directors the future looks bright for freight shipping in the UK. He claims that the continuing investment in new ships and the commitment to the development of its route infrastructure and network will help meet consumer needs moving forward.

He is quoted as saying,

“We are pleased with our performance in 2005, particularly on the Irish Sea. Our Republic of Ireland routes have performed well while our services into Northern Ireland have also demonstrated robust development in a tough market area, assisted by our first full year’s operation on the Fleetwood to Larne route which from day one has proven a very successful acquisition for us.

“In recent years we have invested around £60 million in our vessels in order to improve the quality onboard and create attractive onboard environments,” he added.

Areas for Concern for the Freight Shipping Industry

Despite this optimism, the rising price of oil is a concern for the entire freight shipping industry.

Freight shipping companies that want to compete effectively in the future will have to implement energy saving schemes and other measures to make up for the growing cost of fuel.

GBS freight is a Freight Shipping Company based in the UK.

Q. I was laid off six months ago. Jobs in my field are scarce so I moved
to a new town to start a home business. People have paid me for
everything from website maintenance to pet sitting.

But the money seems to be small and slow. And frankly, I really want a
corporate job with benefits.

A. Welcome! You’re what I call a reluctant entrepreneur. Often we start a
business, write a book or develop a talent out of a deep and boiling
passion. But sometimes we begin reluctantly, out of necessity.
Sometimes the odds of finding a job are considerably less than the odds
of succeeding in self-employment.

Still, we feel like we’re trapped in an arranged marriage - not a
romance.

The good news: Arranged marriages can become success stories!
Working towards one goal, however reluctantly, will eventually lead to
success and fulfillment - which may come from a totally different
direction.

1. Listen to messages from your environment (”the universe,” if you
prefer).

You’re getting business right away, while your job-hunting efforts are
going nowhere. When clients are willing to pay you real money -
regardless of the amount - you’re getting a message, “You have a
market for your services.” And when you attract clients effortlessly,
you’re getting a strong “yes” message from your environment.

So should you stop job-hunting? If you really want to return to corporate
life, keep looking. Don’t be surprised if you lose interest in a “real” job
as time goes on.

And, most of all, pay attention to what is happening.

2. Evaluate your most lucrative options.

Can you command a high price for your services?

Maybe.

Some services have a ceiling and people won’t pay more, no matter
how great you are. If the ceiling is ten or fifteen dollars an hour, you’ll
need to review your strategy.

Can you tap into a market with deeper pockets? Or package your
services to avoid the dribs-and-drabs syndrome? Even a simple pet-
sitting service can come up with creative strategies. Consultants,
designers, coaches and professional services: package for profit.

3. Expect to invest time before you get results.

One newcomer to my town complained, “I’m not seeing any money.
Maybe I should just take a low-paying job.”

I asked her how many hours a week she would work in the low-paying
job. Thirty to forty, she said.

And then I asked, “How many hours are you investing in your new
business?”

Silence.

“And how long have you been building your business?”

“A few months. Okay, maybe a few weeks.

“Put in thirty to forty hours a week, for six months, and you’ll be amazed
at what happens.”

4. Get a second opinion.

If you’re working hard but seeing no results, add a new brain to your
team: a consultant, coach or mentor.

Choose wisely! Bad guidance will feel like driving ninety miles an hour
going against traffic on a busy Interstate Highway. Based on my own
experience, I’ve put together a collection consultants who really help -
not just tell you to “dream and you can do it” or “clear clutter.”

Tip: Best question to ask: “What have you learned lately? What are you
doing differently now, compared to six months or a year ago?

5. Be ready for surprises.

As you work, you’ll encounter new ideas and new people. You’ll actually
become creative and confident.

Accept any assignments and clients that match your skills, talents,
experience and personality. If you’re not sure, offer to do the work “on
spec,” which means you’ll get paid if and only if your client is satisfied.

Don’t be surprised if you find your niche by accident. Most people do.

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps midlife professionals create small, medium
and huge career changes, start a business or start over.
Fr^e Report: Ten secrets of managing a major life change.

Mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact cathy@cathygoodwin.com or call 505-534-4294

An online business, as with any business, requires
careful planning and consideration. It starts with asking
the right questions and researching all the possible
answers.

The biggest mistake anyone can make in any venture is to
blindly join in because it’s all the rage. Starting an online
business is no exception. What works for someone else
may not necessarily work for you, no matter how lucrative
or easy it may sound.

Let’s take a look at the questions and some of the possible
answers that might help you get your online business off
to a good start.

WHO will you do business with you?
Who is your audience? Who is most likely to buy from you?

It’s only natural to think that building an online business
will attract visitors but the visitors must have an interest
in what you are selling. Just getting someone to your site
isn’t enough. They have to find what they are looking for.

Who you market to, your choice of keywords and your
website design all play a major role in achieving the sales
you need.

For example, placing jewelry ads in a golfing magazine
won’t generate sales because the audience isn’t looking
for jewelry, they interested in golfing. You must reach the
people most interested in your product or service. This goes
hand in hand with developing a website that delivers what
your viewers are looking for. You must provide good website
navigation, create a smooth ordering process and market to
the right people.

The internet offers hundreds of methods and tools to
accomplish all of these tasks but thorough research and
testing is a big step towards achieving your sales goals.

WHAT is your product or service?
If you have a product or service already, great! If you don’t,
then you will have to do some research to figure it out.

You can start by asking yourself, What are people looking for?
What do people want to know? What interests or talents do I
have that might benefit others? What products can I offer that
are of interest?

Start by picking a topic of interest and ask people what they
would like to know most about it. Take a poll of family and friends. Internet forums are a great source for information.

Niches work very well on the internet. For example, selling
products that cater only to left handed people is a great niche. You’re focusing in on a specific need while narrowing your completion.

If you can find a common problem and provide a solution to that
problem, you can be fairly sure of success. Helping people save
money, save time, make their life easier or fulfill a need, are all hot topics of interest.

WHERE are YOUR interests?
Do you like helping people? Do you have products that others
might have a need for? Did you have a life experience that
might help others?

Begin by finding your interest, then provide useful, quality
information and products relating to it. Use your business
to establish trust and expert advice. The more relationships
you can establish and the more information you can offer
your viewers the more successful you’ll be.

WHY are you starting an online business?
If your answer is because you hate your boss, the commute
is a killer, or you want to make lots of money, you better
head back to your day job.

These are all benefits of having your own business but they
shouldn’t be the focus of why you start a business. Your
business should be an investment in something that interests
you. You must have motivation and drive to be a success.
You can’t be afraid to keep going until you get it right. Investment is a virtue and failure is not an option.

If you have an interest and the desire to work hard, then the
money will follow. If you just want to get the bills paid and stay home with the kids then it’s probably not the right decision for you.

WHEN should you get started?

The time is now. The internet is exploding, opportunities
arise every day. Search engines are becoming more and more
sophisticated and there are creative tools that will help
you run your business with little effort.

HOW are you going to do all this?
OK, so it’s not a “W”, but important nonetheless.

I don’t recommend quitting your day job to start an online
business. With all the ‘get rich quick’ schemes and marketing
hype it’s easy to cast caution to the wind and take to the
internet.

It’s best to begin slowly. If you currently have a job,
you can build your business as time permits. Don’t expect
too much too soon. It typically takes several years to
begin bringing in substantial income.

Creating a business plan is a must. There are hundreds
of products, internet experts and internet scammers just
waiting to take your money and use up your valuable time.

Without proper planning and careful consideration you can
be left broke, desperate and discouraged. An all too
common scenario for many businesses online.

Be smart, ask lots of questions and plan carefully. If you
do it right the first time you’ll be that much closer to
building a successful business.

Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support
industry. She has moved her expertise to the world wide web
helping businesses find trusted Marketing Tools,
enhance customer service, build confidence and increase sales.
Visit Elizabeth at:
Pro Marketing Online

A joint venture is when two or more businesses join together to
work on a project for a set period of time. Doing joint ventures
with other businesses can increase your chances of beating
your competition, increase your sales and increase your profits
quickly. Plus:

-you can save money when businesses share operating costs

-you can get referrals from other businesses

-you can save valuable time when businesses share the workload

-you can offer your customers new products and services

-you can gain new business associates

-you can save money by sharing advertising and marketing costs

-you can get free advice and important information from other
businesses

You can find businesses to joint venture with online or
offline. I try to find businesses that have the same target
audience, but are not direct competition with my business.
Here are a few ways to find joint ventures online:

-subscribe and participate in e-mail discussion groups, online
forums and newsgroups that deal with your target audience

-subscribe to e-zines that deal with your targeted audience

-note on your Web site or e-zine that you are interested in
doing joint ventures

-search in your favorite web directories and search engines to
find businesses to joint venture with online

Once you find a business simply e-mail them your proposal.
Tell the business owner the benefits of the joint venture.
Explain to him or her why it would be a win/win situation for
both of your businesses. Give them a lot of compliments about
their business, Web site, products and services. Using all three
methods above will greater your chance of constructing a
profitable joint venture. Good Luck!

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

With the advent of new technologies in DVD and digital video
production, corporate production houses are poised to start
creating much higher quality videos at a much lower cost. Recent
HDV model releases from both Sony (HVR-Z1P) and JVC (GY-HD101)
has seen high definition video production become available to
smaller production companies. As a result we are now able to
produce videos at full 1080i HD resolution, and with the release
of Canon’s hugely anticipated XL H1 get full HD-SDI uncompressed
video straight from the camera.

The Canon XL H1 is long awaited follow up to the industry
stalwarts the XL1/2 series. It is the company’s first foray into
HDV video and is also the first camera in this range to feature
uncompressed HD-SDI output. What this means is that for the
first time video producers can purchase a relatively cheap
camera (less than US$9000) and edit full uncompressed video,
without the disadvantages of using HDV and an intermediate codec
to edit.

Whether you are in music video, corporate video, DVD or
multimedia production, you now have the opportunity to compete
with the larger companies with much higher overheads. This is
great for freelancers and the industry in general as productions
can be completed at more competitive rates and the huge
investment in both camera gear and edit suites doesn’t break the
bank like it used to.

Remember the good old days when a BetaSP rig cost you
$80-$100000 and about the same for an Avid setup? I for one am
sure happy about the reduction in expenses and look forward to
seeing some amazing work from everyone with all of this new gear.

Focusview video and multimedia is a Melbourne based company
specializing in video production, CD ROM production and DVD
production.

HERE IS THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS

There are 100 people on this planet whom you have a reasonable
amount of influence. Take advantage of this fact. Make darn sure
that every person within your own circle of influence KNOWS that
you are in business for yourself, and make sure they understand
what your business offers.

When your friend is asked to make a referral, they will
recommend you.

PASSIVE VERSUS ACTIVE REFERRAL NETWORKING

When people ask your friends for a referral and your friend
mentions your business, that is passive referral networking.

Active referral networking is when you can get your friends go
directly to their friends and say “Hey, I have a friend who just
started a business. If you are in need of what he offers or you
know someone who will need his services, would you please give
my friend a call or make the referral to his business?”

If you can get even a portion of the people in your own circle
of influence to actively refer your business, then you have
built the foundation to build an advertising campaign even more
effective than the average local television advertising campaign.

Think about that for a moment.

Most people only dream of reaching 50,000 potential customers
with their television advertising dollars. You now have the
knowledge to reach 50,000 people without spending a single penny.

Home Biz Marketer, Proven and Selected Affiliate Program Specialist, Stock Market Investor and Trader.

Ordinary people are making EXTRAORDINARY
money WORKING FROM HOME on the Internet!
Subscribe to FREE News Letter by email. Send your blank email to: 33homebizparadise@getresponse.com

Owner: http://www.33homebizparadise.com

http://www.itosh10.com

Those of us business owners who do it all, whether we are home based or a small business have it made. With today’s technology we can look as big as we want. With the web, faxes, video conferencing and all the burgeoning technology you don’t need to be a big business to succeed today. We can do a lot that our competition can’t or won’t do. So let’s take advantage of being small.

In fact, being small has its advantages. The mom and pop or one person operation only has to worry about themselves not employees. If we have a bad month, someone else is not depending on us to pay them. We tighten our belts and work harder next month.

We can also take risks that a larger company might not. A different marketing technique, a new and innovative strategy. We can go with our creative ideas. We don’t have anyone to answer to but ourselves. So our creative process doesn’t need to go through channels or get someone else’s approval.

Another advantage, especially for those of us in a home based business; we don’t need the fancy trappings of larger companies. For many of us home based businesses owners our office is in the kitchen, dining room, family room, part of their bedroom. Even for those of us using a second bedroom or den as an office, we keep our costs down. We don’t need the high priced rents, fancy furniture or luxury cars. We can keep our costs down by working out of our home, buying used or discount furniture. We keep costs down, cut corners and count our pennies. We are frugal rather than extravagant.

We can also make alliances with other business outside our area, network or form a partnership relationship with them. We compliment each other. These businesses are typically in a related but not competing field. However, we can also work with our competition. There are many word processors who network with one another, so if they have overflow work, they have someone they can give the work to. Lawyers who can’t handle a particular case, refer it to another. An example of a great alliance would be a travel agent with B&Bs, spas, resorts. Or, let’s say you have developed an exercise machine you have been selling through your website and mail order. Why not try to develop an alliance with a sporting goods store to sell your product. Or set up an alliance with exercise newsletters or magazines who could send a mailing to their subscribers about your product.

You could also check with organizations that can help you showcase your product. What about Weight Watchers, or Ediets.

If you were selling promotional items ask your local Chamber if they would be interested in getting T-shirts or hats imprinted. Catering businesses could offer their services to a local charity or a restaurant could give any left overs to a local food bank.

Giving away prizes, your time and services is something we have discussed in a number of other articles.

For those of you in business whose competition has been around a while and is bigger and more powerful, what do you do? Well, we would ignore them and go about our business. Never, ever bad mouth your competition. When students ask us about other coaches we never bad mouth them. Whatever you think personally of your competition is your business and it should never be shared. Run your business in an honest, and ethical manner and let your customer decide who they want to do business with. Remember, you are smaller so you can offer them more personalized attention, cater to their needs. Many times as businesses grow bigger and more powerful they forget what got them where they are…attention to their customers needs. You don’t have that problem, you have all the time in the world to give your customers your undivided attention. Your business depends on it.

Always research your competition. Know what products they sell, how they market them, distribute and sell them. Be sure to keep this material and update it periodically. You should have examples of their promotional materials, pricing, their services, products, etc. Update on a quarterly basis. Reading periodicals in your area and joining groups in your area of business give you the opportunity to ask questions about how people got started, the problems they had. You need to make it your business to learn as much as you can from others in your area. Depending on your business you might also have an industry publication that contains information on your competition. If so, subscribe to it.

We can do a lot that our competition can’t or won’t do. So let’s take advantage of being small, being courteous, offering better service, trying harder and offering our personal attention. Very compelling reasons for customers to do business with us rather than our competition.

Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach: subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

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

It seems to be a phenomenon. You try Google AdWords Select, your
ad gets “disapproved” by the powers that be at Google, you count
your losses and give up. It doesn’t have to be that way. There
are two primary factors to succeeding at Google AdWords. The
first is getting the right keywords. The second is writing
little tiny ads. Neither is all that easy, but they can both be
done.

Mark Twain said it best. “If I would have had more time, I would
have written you a shorter letter.” The point… it takes much
more skill, and much more time to write short copy than long
copy.

Let’s go through the process together and I’ll show you a few
tricks of the trade that have brought me AdWords click through
rates of 7.1%, 8.0%… even 25%.

Step One - You would be very wise to either use a benefit or an
end result in your headline. In order to do this, you’ll have to
be aware of the difference between features and benefits. Start
by making a list. I’ll use the example of an online shoe store.

Here are a few features:

huge inventory wide selection of sizes discounted prices
free shipping

And here are the benefits associated with those features:

hundreds of styles to choose from hard-to-find sizes in stock
save money free shipping (costs nothing extra)

Step Two - Know what your customers are looking for. YOU may
feel that one benefit outweighs another. However, your customer
might feel differently. Be sure you understand what is important
to your customer before writing your headline and your ad. You
have no room to waste so it is vital that you find a so-called
nail and hit it right on the head.

Step Three - Work in your keywords. There tends to be a greater
click through rate on search results that use the exact
keyphrase the surfer types in. The same holds true for Google’s
AdWords program.

While the following have by no means been researched, we’ll
assume that some optimum keywords for our shoe store are:
women’s shoes and sandals. We’ll want to include these in our
ads.

Step Four - Start big and narrow it down. Begin by writing a few
sentences or a paragraph about what you’d like your customer to
know. Perhaps:

You’ll find everything you’re looking for in one place! Hundreds
of styles to choose from including hard-to-find sizes in stock.
You’ll save lots of money because our regular prices are far
below that of other stores. Plus shipping is always free -
regardless of the amount of your purchase. Check out our
excellent selection of women’s shoes and sandals.

Now, go back and take out every word that does not absolutely
need to be there. You probably came up with something like this:

Everything in one place! Hundreds of styles, hard-to-find sizes.
Prices far below other stores. Shipping free. Women’s shoes and
sandals.

That’s a LOT smaller and still gets the point across. However,
it is still too long for AdWords. Your headline must be less
than 25 characters (including spaces). Your copy can only be 35
characters per line. (You get two lines.) Now is the time to
begin rearranging words to create an ad that will match Google’s
guidelines, include your keywords, and draw a crowd to your site.

Here are a couple I came up with:

100s of Styles-Low Prices Big savings on women’s shoes. Plus
free shipping! All sizes in stock.

Discount Women’s Sandals Latest styles at deep discounts. All
sizes in stock. Free Shipping!

Step Five - Test, test, test! Put them up and give them a go.
See what happens. Believe me, Google will notify you quickly if
your ads aren’t performing. Those that get lower than a .05%
click through rate are immediately “disapproved.” You are
notified that your ad has been pulled and that you need to make
changes.

Use the information in the AdWords campaign section to track the
results. I’ve heard countless tales of those who have changed
one little word and gone from a .07% CTR to a 5.0% CTR. If your
ad is pulled, make simple changes to start with. Swapping out
the word “savings” for “discount” or “big” for “huge” can be all
it takes to catapult you to the top of the list.

When you write extremely short copy, remember to stay focused.
There is not enough room to sell the customer within your copy,
but there IS enough room to pique their interests. Use the
limited space you have to punch up the biggest benefits or end
results your customers are looking for and you’ll see bigger
returns on your AdWords investment.