What You Need To Know if Your Company Wants To Produce A Video

Studies show that people remember merely 20% of what they hear, and only 30% of what they see, and an incredible 70% what they hear and see. * With this in mind, it's no wonder why video is such a powerful communications tool.

So your company has decided they need a video. Where do you start? What questions do you ask? How can you make sure the final product is what you are expecting? This article will give you the tools you'll need to have a professional video project you can be proud of.

First, let's talk about money. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Especially with video production, if you make a decision to hire a production company solely by picking the lowest quoted bid, you will probably end up with a video that is much less than what you expected. Remember, this video represents your company. Do you want your video to look like a high school A/V project? On the other hand, there is no reason to go crazy and spend ungodly amounts of money. It's important to find a company that gives a fair bid for the type of video you need and can produce your project in a professional manner.

Two Decisions

To start your video project, there are two decisions that you will need to make. First, do you want to hire an independent producer or a production company? Second, you will need to decide if you wish to receive your bid for production as a "Package Price" or "Piece Meal".

Independent Producer or Production Company?

Independent producers usually work for themselves and do not own any equipment. They generally rely on outside production companies to supply their equipment and crew needs. This means that if you have an immediate need, the producer is dependent on someone else to help service you. However, unless the independent producer is very busy, you should get good personal attention.

By hiring a production company, you can get a producer who is part of the production company that has the equipment and crew resources in-house. They can generally respond immediately to your needs. Depending on the scope of your project, a production company will either use an in-house producer or hire a freelance producer to coordinate your project.

Either way you decide, be sure you have an experienced producer to manage your project.

Two Ways to Hire

There are two ways of hiring a producer or production company to create your video: "Package Price" and "Piece Meal".

"Package Price"

A package price for the entire project is the way many videos are negotiated. For most situations it is the most logical. The client knows exactly how much to budget for, and the production company knows how much money they will have to work with.

If you choose this route, be sure to have a very clear bid with exactly what each side will be responsible for. The advantage for this is if the company requires to do more work than initially planned to finish what is described in the bid, they are obligated to do whatever it takes to complete the project. However, it is very important to understand that if you, as the client, request more than what is described in the bid, you would be expected to pay extra for your request.

"Piece Meal"

The other way to produce your video is "piece meal". Hire your production company by the day, or by the hour. This way, whenever someone is working on your project, you are paying for their time and only the time they are working on your project. Your producer should be able to give you hourly and daily rates and to estimate the total cost for the project according to your needs.

Your Producer

Whether you hire an independent producer or a production company, you should have an experienced video producer coordinate your entire project. Your producer should be available to you at any time to answer questions and to consult with you about any part of the production. Don't scrimp on your producer; they could make or break the entire project, and they should not be learning on your nickel.

Your producer's job is to manage the project from beginning to end. They are responsible for coordinating the scriptwriting, pre-production, shooting, and editing. Depending on where you live and his or her experience, you can expect to pay your producer between $350 to $1000 a day.

Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is usually charged by a finished minute rate. For example, if your script is 10 minutes long and you are charged $200 per finished minute, your cost for a complete script should be $2000. A complete script should include all voice tracks and equally important, the video shot descriptions that match the voice track.

Shooting

Shooting is usually charged by the day. Depending on your needs, your shoot may be as small as hiring one cameraman with gear, all the way to having a complete crew that may include a cameraman, lighting director, audio technician, production assistant, teleprompter operator, make-up artist etc. Rates vary depending on your location, but it is standard to hire a strong two-person news style crew for $1,000 - $1500 per day, including professional camera gear, audio and a lighting package. On smaller projects, the shooter can also act as the producer.

Editing

Editing is almost always charged by the hour. For most all projects, a high-end digital (non-linear) editing system will handle your project beautifully. Depending on the system, you should pay between $100 - $200 an hour for editing, including an experienced editor that can make suggestions on how to make your project even better. Finding a Production Company

Looking under "Video Production" in the Yellow page directories is generally a good way to find a local production company. Remember: just because the size of an ad is bigger for one company than another, it doesn't mean the production company is better.

Personal referrals sometimes are your best bet. But remember that this video will represent your company, so be sure you are referred to a professional video producer with experience and not cousin Billy who has a consumer camera and wants to get into the video business.

You can also search the Internet. One of the best sources for lists of production companies on the web is at www.mandy.com. There are many others sites with lists, but this one seems to be the best. Using search engines like Google to find production companies that have a presence on the web is also a very good source.

Awards

Has the production company won any awards for the videos they have produced? There are regional and national awards that producers can enter their projects. If your production company has won some critical acclaim, it's a good chance that they would be a good company to produce your video.

Quality and Format

Other than the producer's expertise, the quality of the final product depends largely on the equipment used to shoot, light and edit the video. For most corporate video projects (marketing, training, communications, etc.), commercials and television programs, the Betacam SP or DVCAM formats are the smartest choices because of their widespread compatibility. There are a number of new excellent broadcast digital video formats, like DVCAM, that are just now emerging on the market. From a client's point of view, Betacam SP or DVCAM or one of the new professional digital video formats (DVCPRO, Betacam SX, Digital Beta) will give you broadcast quality images. Even though Mini DV is quite an incredible format for the prosumer market, it doesn't have quite the quality of the professional formats.

Meeting the Producer

When you initially talk with your producer, be sure to ask some questions. But more importantly, the producer should ask you most of the questions and listen to what you want. This is your company's video and it's up to the producer to try to get in your head to give you a product that you want, not what the producer wants. Be aware if the producer tells you what you need without listening to what you are saying. At the same time, ask the producer for recommendations that would enhance the project beyond your video knowledge.

Set up a time to meet with the prospective producer. Meeting at your location is usually most beneficial. If you want a marketing or training video for your widget, it would be important for the producer to see the widget. Bring copies of videos you would like to emulate and tell your producer what you like and don't like about these videos. Be sure the producer brings sample tapes similar to the project you want to do. Look at past projects your producer has completed. You should also call the producer's past clients to get feedback on their professionalism, work quality, and personality to understand what is was like to work with them.

Q and A

Your producer should listen to what your company's goals are regarding the video, ask a lot of questions, then give suggestions for the best way to produce your video within your budget. Often, your production company won't know anything about your business and vice-versa.

Questions to Ask Your Producer

What can I do to keep my costs down?

A good producer will help you keep the project within your budget. Some of the more common ways to save money are:

? shorten the length of the program,
? use fewer professional actors, and
? keep the shoot days to a minimum.

Holding a pre-production meeting to coordinate the project could save hundreds of dollars. If the shoot is scheduled at your company's location, try to do everything possible to facilitate the videotaping process. For example, if you are creating a marketing or training video for your widget, let your manufacturing line take direction from the video producers and allow disruption of their work.

What kind of experience does the producer have?

The experience of the producer relates directly to the quality of the finished product. Be sure to see examples of video work that the producer has personally produced.

Are there any extra charges?

Ask up front if there will be any extra charges. Some common extra charges: taxes, tape costs, mileage, travel expenses and duplications. It's important to understand that if you, as a client, make changes to the project that require additional work from the production company not originally agreed upon in the proposal, expect extra charges to apply. What will you need from me?

You, or a representative from your company, will need to be an accessible contact person to help coordinate approvals, schedule shoots, and answer questions to help make the production process as smooth as possible.

Questions Your Producer Should Ask You

What do you like and dislike about other videos?

What do you want to achieve with this video?

Who is the target audience?

What do you want the audience to do after watching the video?

How will the tape be shown?

How many shoot locations are there?

Will we be shooting during business hours?

If we are shooting during business hours, are there any logistical concerns?

How long does the video need to be?

Will a company executive need to be on camera?

Do you need a professional on-camera talent or voice-over?

Who will write the script?

Will you need extra graphics or animations in the video?

Are there any other materials that need to be included in the video, such as photographs?

Final Points to Remember

An important point to remember, especially if you are a rookie at using video, is that communications is key to the success of your video. Your production company should be available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Your producer should be kept informed of the project's status and what the next steps are.

Television is a huge part of our lives and we are very accustomed to top quality programming. Today's audiences are sophisticated and expect broadcast quality video productions. If your video is anything less, your message and image will suffer greatly.

Remember to ask questions, be sure you are asked a lot of questions, and go with your gut feeling. Chances are you will end up with a great product and have a fun time in the process.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions. Greg Coon

Eyecon Video Productions
Dallas, Texas
214-368-3932
Toll Free (877) 704-1517
greg@eyeconvideo.com
http://www.eyeconvideo.com
*Source: Harvard Business Review

Greg Coon is the President of Eyecon Video Productions, a professional video production company based in Dallas, Texas.

Overcoming Burn Out

Burn out, it can happen to anyone. Some of the common signs of burn out can be (although not an all inclusive list) depression, mental, emotional and spiritual fatigue, overreacting to little things, negativity, lack of concern over the work / tasks that need to be done, frustration, anger, feelings of powerlessness, weight loss or gain, insomnia.

It is vital the steps be done to overcome burn out before it causes major impact to your life's goals and directions.

There are many things that can be done to help deal with burn out. If at all possible, take a vacation. For those that it's not possible, or at least in the time frame you need, let's look at some other things that can be implemented.

1. Try to clear your calendar of everything for a while that is not a total necessity.

2. Do some things on the physical level to help, get extra sleep, try eating only organic foods for a while, take some good quality vitamins, and get some exercise that especially will get you some fresh air.

3. Spend some time trying to pinpoint tasks / situations in life that are both draining, and giving. Once you've done that, perhaps ask for help or delegate those things that are a draining force. Increase activities that are refreshing.

4. Talk to someone else, outside of the situation, could be a friend, family, life coach, counseling, etc. They may be able to offer insights and suggestions you can't see. Sometimes it's tough to see the trees through the forest.

5. After a period of doing some of these suggestions, see if the burnout is on the way out. If not, it may be a time to really evaluate your life's paths, career, etc. Perhaps it's a bad match to who you are as a person and it would be best to make a change, but it's better to do that from a position of strength, and not of desperation to make a change just for change's sake.

Sometimes, burn out can be a reality check that our life is out of balance in some way and adjustments are good and very healthy and necessary to our lives. I believe there are very real seasons in each person's lives' as well and perhaps it can be a changing of one season to another new one. It is important however, to step back and see what our bodies are telling us when we experience burn out. Who knows, perhaps it may even be one of those "hidden blessings" that we look back on years later and think, "you know, that was the beginning of a real, positive change in my life."

By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker / owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write on a variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style. http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com

Selling for Beginners

Speak to almost any self employed professional and most of them will say that they love their job but don't care much for selling their services. Here's some advice to help all those reluctant professionals who need to sell to clients.

We have identified 9 basic selling skills that will help you to sell your product or service. Ensure that you and your sales team master these skills and you will be successful at selling.

Research shows that fear of selling is one of the greatest barriers to business success and, often, professionals are the worst of all. But whether you are an accountant, advertising excec or business coach you still have to sell to keep the business coming in.

We have found a few ideas that will help you to become successful at selling yourself. The main idea is to know your product, know your client and be prepared and professional. The following tips will greatly enhance your ability to sell.

Acknowledge the value of selling

Be positive in attitude, love selling. It is widely accepted that the excitement and enthusiasm of the salesperson accounts for around 50 per cent of success in selling. In a world in which everything counts, the excitement and enthusiasm of the salesperson affects the customer's responds.

Manage your sales activities effectively

As a salesperson, you are responsible for results. You can achieve the required result by setting it as a goal, and then resolving to pay the price that must be paid to achieve the goal. You need to establish clear sales goals. The subconscious mind responds to clarity. Having established the sales goals, it is necessary to determine the actions or activities which must be undertaken to achieve those goals.

Know your product

Know your product, its benefit and competitive advantage Why does your customer buy the product or service? What benefit do you sell? It might look like a haircut, but it's probably admiration. It looks like a motorcar, but it's probably status. It might be called a bungee jump, but it's probably excitement. If you're selling to other companies, the benefit is probably increased sales, lower costs or higher profits.

Identify your customers

Why should anybody buy your product or service? What is the benefit or improvement in their condition? Whose life will be enriched? Who will get the greatest improvement from your product or service? With which customers does your competitive advantage make a difference? With which customers does your competitive advantage make the biggest difference? Customers want to be more, have more, do more.

Identifying customer needs

Do not focus on trying to sell the product which you produce. Warehouses throughout the country are full of products nobody wants to buy. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! Find out what benefit your customer desires. Talk to your customers. You will be surprised how often price is not the priority. They may be looking for a local supplier, excellent service, a guarantee, any risk of loss to be assumed by the supplier, immediate delivery, staged payments. If you know your customer, then you have a far greater chance of forming a lasting relationship which should lead to permanent relationship selling.

Be Great at making presentations

Giving a presentation is one of the most feared events in Western society. In surveys of people's fears, death is usually ranked around number six. Giving a presentation is usually number one. To be excellent at selling, you have to give presentation.

Be prepared to handle objections

"We don't want it, we can't afford it, we don't believe you, we've tried it before and it didn't work, we are perfectly happy with our present supplier and it's not in the budget." Your initial reaction could be that you are not going to make the sale. This is incorrect. You have to understand that an objection is a request for more information. As long as the customer is objecting, you are selling.

Close the deal

A customer is someone who is willing and able to purchase the benefit you offer. In a successful sales presentation, you eventually reach the point when it is time to ask for action, time to close that deal.

Always follow up your sales efforts

You may not sell on the first visit or first occasion. Make a decision to go the extra mile, make the second effort, follow up your initial approach. Contact the prospective customer once again within three days. You can always reopen a negotiation with new information, new price, new terms, a better offer following discussions with your boss. Keep your customer informed. Educate your customer to appreciate the benefit you offer and your competitive advantage. After making a sale, contact the customer within four weeks with a view to making the next sale. Follow up direct mail with a telephone call

You are free to reprint this article in your ezine or ebook, or on your website, as long as the contents in the article and the resource box are not changed.

Copyright 2003 - 2004 www.My1stBusiness.com

About The Author

Ben Botes is the head Coach at www.My1stBusiness.com a web portal dedicated to 1st time business leaders and entrepreneurs. Visit the site for hundreds of free Micro Modules, Teleclases, Resources and Coaching designed for you to succeed with your business.

ben.botes@my1stbusiness.com

What Is Best Practice Public Relations?

Why, public relations that stays true to its fundamental premise, of course.

In a nutshell, "People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished."

Adhere to that, and you can't go wrong!

Even those who believe public relations is just a bunch of communications tactics, can improve their performance because the premise and its strategy will keep those tactics on the straight and narrow.

How? The premise requires that tactics be selected on the basis of (1) knowing how a target audience perceives the organization, (2) precisely who the tactics should be aimed at, and (3) and most important, what changes in perception, and thus behaviors, are desired so that you can set a goal, then tell if you achieved it or not.

That way, the tactics have a fair chance of doing some good by visibly helping you achieve your business objectives.

Happily, even when "practiced best," this isn't rocket science. All it takes is a brief but logical plan.

Decide which external audience of yours has the most serious impact on your organization. That becomes your key target audience, and off we go!

Can't do much if we don't know how they perceive you and your organization. So, you've got to get out there among members of that key target audience and ask some questions.

What do they think of you and your operation? Notice any negatives? Are misconceptions, inaccuracies or rumors becoming evident? Any undercurrents surfacing? Is there a problem coming down the pike?

When this monitoring phase is complete, you can set a public relations goal that corrects the problem you turned up. For example, your goal might try for a positive impact on individual perception by explaining your pricing policies, or replacing a damaging rumor with the truth.

Now you need to know how you're going to reach that goal. And that's where strategy comes in. You have three choices. You can create opinion (perception) where none exists, or you can change existing opinion, or simply reinforce it. Your choice will respond to what you turned up during your monitoring phase.

If there is a tough part in our brief and logical plan, this is it. You need a really good, corrective message for delivery to your key target audience. It must be clear as spring water, VERY persuasive and, of course, the unvarnished truth. Prepare a draft, then try it out on two or three members of your external audience, then adjust as needed.

Now we come to those "beasts of burden" we discussed up front, the communications tactics themselves. These foot soldiers, to mix a metaphor, will carry your corrective message to the eyes and ears of members of the target audience. A pretty important step, so choose well.

Luckily, you have a ton at your disposal. Emails, personal meetings, news releases, radio interviews and special events. Or, letters-to-the-editor, face-to-face meetings, speeches and open houses. A long list.

Your work is not quite over. How do you know whether your brief and logical plan is working?

The answer is, you will not know for certain until you and your colleagues get back into the field and talk to members of that all-important key audience population all over again.

I know, I know, that's time consuming and a powerful lot of work. But it's worth it! What you want to question those folks about, of course, is the same topics you raised the first time around. Only now, you're looking for altered perceptions.

For example, does the second set of responses indicate that you were successful in clarifying the misconception? Or that the inaccurate belief is morphing into your version? Or, that the irritating (and potentially dangerous) rumor has been laid to rest?

If, however, feedback shows more work is needed, it's back to the drawing board for a better mix and frequency of higher-impact communications tactics. Plus, another look at your message ? was it clear enough? Were the best "hot buttons" pressed? Did you include the right facts and figures to support your case?

Fact is, the Pot 'o Gold at the end of this rainbow is consistency. When you gather responses showing a consistently positive pattern, that brief and logical plan of yours is beginning to produce the success promised by the fundamental premise of public relations.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2003

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Top Ten Reasons to Hold Family Meetings

1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a closer family.

In this very busy world, designating this time every week is one way to ensure that family members stay connected with one another. Relationships are living things, and must be nurtured. Family meetings are about nourishing our relationships with the most important people in our lives. Form the habit of connecting regularly.

2. Create family value statements and operating principles.

Family meetings give you a chance to discuss what's important to you as a family and to create family value statements, which reflect your collective thoughts. Similarly, they give you a chance to talk about how you want to operate together as a family and treat one another, by developing family operating principles.

3. Share appreciations and give thanks for our many blessings.

This is a way to give children and adults permission to let one another know how much they are appreciated, and to share the many things they have to be thankful for. It is far too easy to take the blessings in our lives, and our loved ones, for granted if we do not form the habit of appreciating on a regular basis.

4. Improves family communication

More and more today, family members are going in different directions and at break-neck speed. Add to this the fact that each person is unique and perceives the world in his or her own way. Miscommunication can cause hard feelings. It is crucial to never assume that what you are saying is being understood the way you intended it, or that you are understanding what others are trying to tell you. Always take the time to check perceptions. The family meeting can be a "rest area" where time is set aside to make certain that communications are clear.

5. Provide leadership experience

Everyone gets a turn at leading the family meetings. This is a great way for children to get early leadership experience. Be certain that their contributions in this regard are honored and respected. You will be building a confident future leader, who will experience the joy of positive leadership.

6. Offers an opportunity to stay current regarding upcoming commitments, activities, and events.

Family meetings are wonderful opportunities to review the family calendar, clarify who needs to be where and when, as well as who will be taking responsibility for what. Once again, clear communication and joint planning can relieve the ongoing stress of busy lives.

7. Gives an avenue to celebrate each other's successes.

This is most important. Family meetings should always contain a time to celebrate successes of each family member during the week. These need not be big, monumental events but can simply be every day successes. This not only creates pride and joy in daily life, but also forms the habit in each family member of looking for the positive in one another.

8. Provides time to plan family vacations, activities, and special events.

This gives everyone in the family a chance to give their input into a family trip or experience, rather than the adults always doing the planning. When the whole family is involved, everyone is much more likely to enjoy the event. Investment in family activities, for each member, is often directly proportional to his or her involvement in the planning. A richer shared experience is most often the result.

9. Establish a safe, respectful environment to problem solve.

By following the family's operating principles, and with open and honest communication, children will learn that problems can be discussed openly and solved respectfully together. Creating win-win solutions takes practice, for adults as well as for children and youth.

10. Have fun together

These meetings provide a great opportunity for the family to participate in fun family activities. As family members get to know one another better, share stories, laugh, and problem solve together, deeper relationships develop. Try to weave fun into every family meeting.

Copyright 2004 by CoachVille & Dan and Suzanne Bond

About The Author

Dan and Suzanne Bond

As a school teacher, high school principal, and superintendent, I worked for many years with parents who were raising their children. I have boy/girl twins who will be seniors in high school next year. It is my strong belief that ALL parents want to be good parents. Being a mother of twins and a working mom most of my career, I know the feeling of a busy schedule coupled with the desire to make meaningful connections with children. It is my desire to help parents/caregivers make those connections with their children and share character-building values with them as well.

I earned by doctorate degree from Seattle University in 1982. I recently retired from the superintendent's job and work just part time as a coach to people who studying to become principals and superintendents. I am excited to provide this same kind of support to parents and other educators who may learn of my services.

Duplication, with attribution, permitted and encouraged. www.CoachvVille.com

From CoachVille's "Awesome Dads, dare to be a hero!" community.

Check us out at: http://dbc593.cvcommunity.com

su.dan@verizon.net

Spider-man 3 on Your Cellphone Anyone?

The titanic developments in new technology have radically changed the way we watch TV and movies at home. Gone are the days when the TV set was a box in the corner with a 20in screen and a tinny speaker. Now most of us prefer to watch movies and sports casts on a widescreen that's at least 28in from corner to corner.

If you are a fan of home theater then that screen will almost certainly be bigger and be accompanied by a surround sound speaker system to maximise the aural effect and immerse you in the action. As technology improves and equipment becomes cheaper, more and more people will have high definition TVs and home theater set- ups.

However, if Sony has its way, we'll all be enjoying a completely different movie- watching experience, on a 2inch mobile phone screen. Sony wants to see an iTunes- style download service for movies so we can download them and watch them on the move. Would you watch a film on a cellphone? I wouldn't.

Imagine it. Out would go the immersive, involving experience of the movie theater that we've tried so hard to create at home, and in its place would be a screen so small that it would be difficult to make out what was going on. That in itself would create a dilemma for film-makers. If a sizeable number of people who pay to see a movie do so by downloading it on their mobile, will directors have to take this into account when making it? Will studios reject cuts because they contain too many subtle facial expressions or movements that can't be detected on a tiny screen? Will the muted colors of a Saving Private Ryan have to replaced with more lurid and brightly colored scenes to make them more easily visible on a cellphone?

And what of the audio? Is their any point in spending time and money developing a detailed and textured surround-sound experience if a significant portion of your audience will be listening on earbuds while travelling on a train?

These examples may be extreme, but they do highlight the differences between the way a music download service works and the way a movie download service would. Music, by its nature, is immensely portable. OK, the sound quality from an iPod over a pair of earbuds may be nothing compared to that from a decent hi-fi set-up, but for most people most of the time, it's a close enough approximation. That won't be the case with movies. Why did those tiny, battery powered, pocket TVs never really take-off? For the same reason.

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, who knows a thing or two about the movie industry through his stewardship of Pixar, has often said that he's not interested in producing a video iPod because no-one wants to watch movies on a small screen. Jobs is right about most things, and I think he's right about that. Sony disagrees. It will be interesting to see who's right.

Robert Armsrong is a contributor to The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.

All About Student Loans

A student loan is an unsecured loan made by lenders that receive government underwriting assistance. Without this government assistance, student loans would not be very practical. Lenders would find other more profitable arenas in which to loan their money. Nobody would be able to get a low interest student loan ? without the help of a parent with a substantial financial history and reasonable means. Like any government sponsored program, there are rules and regulations and red tape to deal with. In the case of student loan red tape, it all begins with a financial aid form called the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

This form establishes the student's eligibility (or ineligibility) for all manner of student loan assistance, including low interest loans. This form can be filled out and submitted as a regular paper form, or it can be filled out and tracked online (much easier). The guidance office at your High School is likely to have a pile of these forms. Libraries and College Admissions offices are other places to look for the paper version of the form. If all else fails and you really want the paper version of the FAFSA, you can get one by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Most people find it more convenient to simply log on to www.fafsa.ed.gov and submit the form electronically. By doing it this way you also automatically get a way to look in on the status of your application. Supposedly, doing the form online can make the process from one to two weeks faster than submitting the paper form. Either way, you will find that the form is relatively easy to fill out, and typically will require much of the same information that would be included in the parent's tax returns.

Student loans are also available to those who turn out to be ineligible for the regular unsecured low interest student loans. These other loans are normally called Parent Plus loans or private alternative loans, or just "alternative loans". These are basically loans made with a co-signature from the parents. In effect it's no different from a young person buying a car with a parent's co-signature. Both the student and the parents are on the hook for repayment of the loan.

Because of the government regulation involved with the unsecured student loans, this is one of the few types of loans that do not require a whole lot of shopping around. There is not a lot of variability in the interest rates and other features of the government sponsored loans. The same is not true for the Parent Plus loans or private alternative loans. With those you do need to shop around.

So the first step is really to fill out a FAFSA form well in advance of the time tuition is due and use that to start your quest for college money. This will help you to determine what kind of student loans you are eligible for and assist you greatly in your loan shopping.

You can learn more about your options and how to apply for student loans by going to my website at - http://www.creditcards-and-loans.com/student-loans.html

Jeff Pritchard is a webmaster with several informative websites and primary author of the new website http://www.creditcards-and-loans.com. This site is a supermarket for all types of credit and loans. You can learn about the options and differences between various kinds of loans and find all the best and latest loan offers.

How to Put the Sizzle Back in Your Relationship with These Seven Goal Setting Tools

Goal Setting and Relationships?

That is not as weird as it may sound. Consider the following definition of a goal: "A goal is a future incidence or event that is consciously worked towards." With this in mind, it is perfectly normal to make it your goal to improve your relationship, and these seven goal setting tools can help you.

A great relationship is one of the finest things life can offer. When you choose your partner and start on a full-time relationship, you look forward to a future of love, support, encouragement, communication and intimacy. We enter into relationships for many different reasons and with many different expectations. Often, due to circumstances outside your control, a relationship can become a little tarnished.

You recognize that all people are different and that even the most compatible couple will have individual needs that differ at times. Using just the seven goal setting tools discussed in this article takes a give and take approach. Partners in a relationship who adopt this give and take attitude often feel a sense of pride in modifying a need "downward" when they know it will satisfy and stabilize their partner and the relationship itself. Mutual giving flourishes in an atmosphere of cooperation.

Seven Goal Setting Tools

Listening: Communication is the key to a lasting relationship and listening is the key to communicating. Being a good listener takes more than being attentive to your partner when he or she talks with you. Good listening is a characteristic of a healthy relationship. Give your mate full attention when he or she is talking. Listening without interrupting the other shows respect and also builds trust. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is just to listen - with your heart. So listening helps to improve relationship in great way.

Small things: The small things are what constitute our existence. Once the excitement your partner brings to your world becomes familiar, it's the small things that thrill you both and that will keep you connected and turned-on for the long run. Do the small things you did when you first fell in love with your mate. Remember the small things you did to show your love to your mate? But as time went by, you probably began to get weighed down with simply living life and forgot the small things that made the difference in the beginning. Small things like a phone call in the middle of the day just to talk or say, "I love you", a handwritten appreciative note, flowers, gifts, and opening doors. Re-charge your relationship by consciously going back and doing the small things that you did when your love first began to grow.

Give attention: When each person has decided to give of themselves to the other, you form a reciprocating relationship of love, concern, and devotion. Consider your mate's interests more important than your own. Give attention to your mate's interests. All healthy relationships require consistent, ongoing, conscious attention to survive and thrive. It is a simple fact that whenever we give attention to something, we are choosing to create more of it.

Say 'thank you': One of the most useful phrases in improving your relationship is to say "thank you". These two magic words will make others feel closer to you and create loyal relationships. This attitude of appreciation nourishes the heart of both participants and assures that each person's needs are attended to. Things like saying "thank you", re-charge your relationship. You know to say "thank you" when someone gives you a gift or does something special for you. However, if you're seriously interested in improving your relationship, you need to let your mate know how much you appreciate things that are not special, the things that we just take for granted because people are supposed to do them anyway. Tell your partner what is right with them, what you appreciate, value and cherish. Thank them repeatedly and often. Appreciation makes your partner feel valued. It also builds trust and a feeling of acceptance. These powerful attributes act like a magnet to attract your partner to you.

Personalized gifts: Personalized gifts are great not only for life's special occasions. Personalized gifts bring important moments to life and keep the memory alive forever. Express your feelings and show how much you care with personalized gifts. It shows your partner how much you value your relationship. Personalized gifts are always a winner because they are made exclusively for your beloved, with care and attention. Choose gifts that reflect your partner's interests. Evening wrapping your gift can be personalized. A little handwritten note expressing your gratitude can mean as much to your partner as the gift itself. Also be sure to give the gift in person. Personalized gift giving is a great way to spread goodwill and cheer amongst each other.

Feel special: Sometimes your partner likes to get noticed once in a while. We like to feel appreciated for our actions, feelings and aspirations and want to be noticed and acknowledged. Become a person who notices these things in your partner and give a compliment often. It will make your partner feel special and know how that you care. The only way our partner knows what makes us feel special is if we speak up. The gestures that make us feel special are different for each one of us. Learning how to make each other feel special takes time and an awareness. Taking this journey of self-discovery together is one of the joys of a relationship. A key to a happy relationship is a commitment to learn. It is an attitude of curiosity, discovery, and delight in each other. Learn this essential relationship wisdom, and you will make each other feel special every day.

Unconditional love: Love is the primary energy in the universe. Giving unconditional love will deliver the greatest joy possible. The term 'unconditional love' means to love without terms and conditions, which means giving of yourself. Unconditional love is accepting another for exactly who they are, not forcing the person to change to meet your expectations of how they should be. It is about giving the person the freedom to be exactly who they want to be by allowing, supporting and enabling them in every way you can. Unconditional Love is true neutrality; it does not judge or evaluate. It does not like or dislike. It does not blame, so it does not need to forgive. It does not have choices or preferences, opinions or positions. Unconditional Love does not dictate, is not authoritative. It has no expectations other than what is.

Put the Sizzle back

Learning how to establish and maintain a loving, supportive relationship is no different to setting any other goal. It takes information, planning, thought, skill, time, and most of all, attention. You learn your skills and styles from your parents, close friends and relatives. You watch them from the time you are little. They teach you both your roles in a relationship, and how to play them, through their example. This happens in every family and much of the teaching is unintentional and unconscious. You can learn to be assertive (not aggressive) and to collaborate with your partner. You can learn to listen with your mind and heart. You can learn to fight fair and resolve conflicts equitably and sanely. You can learn to value and acknowledge both yourself and your partner. You can learn to speak from your heart and be safe. You can learn to ask for what you need and want.

Use these seven goal setting tools, and put the sizzle back in you relationship. This is just one of the areas that is covered in the eaziGOAL system.

About the Author
Colin Dunbar's eaziGOAL is the ultimate goal setting program created especially for working moms and dads. "There is no reason we working moms and dads cannot reach our dream." Full details available at http://www.eaziGOAL.com FREE newsletter.

A Guide to Non-Typical Catfish Fishing Techniques - Part II

Method 1

Equipment

I fish baits at all depths, not just the bottom, in wide-open water. I always set up and fish deep lake structures. Besides an understanding of the contours on the bottom of the lake, being mobile and being able to read your fish locator are the keys. The tools I use are 8-foot heavy action rods, circle hooks, cut and live shad, balloons and the all-important fish locator. I use 30-pound line, large capacity reels, 8-foot heavy action rods, 2 oz. Egg sinkers, barrel swivels and #7/0 circle hooks.

Basically a Carolina Rig, I have a hook with an 18-inch leader tied to your barrel swivel, which is connected to your main line, which is where your egg sinker is attached. My boat is equipped with steel rod holders, a hand-controlled trolling motor, two fish locators, a big dip net and marker buoys. My equipment is not the most expensive but it is practical. The main thing to remember is to keep whatever equipment you use in good condition. Many know all too well about the disasters that can be caused by old line and improperly maintained fishing equipment and big Blues will test everything from your knots to your rod holders. If there is a weak link, they will expose it.

Find the Big Fish

You need to know how to tell the difference between larger fish and bait fish while using your fish locator.

There are two main structures that I catch Blue Cats on: ledges and humps. Blue Cats are creatures of edges and they seem to congregate on the brake lines of ledges and humps. The one-two punch comes when you find these structures with both bait fish and big fish mixed together on your locator. There are very few spots that I will stop and fish where I don't see either big fish or bait fish on my locator. The ledges that I primarily fish are old river channels edges. The fish can be scattered up and down the edge but the best fishing occurs when they are on the top.

Catching Them

Typically, when I set up to fish these ledges, I run my boat over them and throw out my marker buoy where I see the fish. A little trick to using your marker buoys is to throw your marker upwind of where you are going to fish. If you drop the marker right on top of the fish, you will be bumping it and will eventually move it while the wind is pushing you around. If you throw it upwind of the fish, you can run your trolling motor right up to it without the wind pushing you over it.

Next I bait my rods, staggering them at the depth I see the fish. If the fish are up high, above 10 feet, I use a balloon and live shad on two rods. The other four rods will have half live and half cut shad, which I will suspend over the fish, continuously moving around the marker until the first strike occurs. In the warmer months the bite will usually occur on live shad. The colder the water, the better that cut bait seems to work.

Keep moving the depth of your baits up and down according to what your locator is telling you. An easy way to determine the depth of your bait is to measure the distance between the first guide and your rod's reel. My rods are two feet from reel to the first guide so when I pull out twenty sections of line between my reel and the first guide, my bait will be approximately 40 feet deep. Stagger the depth of your bait so that you know how deep each is. When you get your first strike, move your other rods to that depth. If no strikes occur within 30 minutes move to another structure. I have set on the same ledge for many hours and caught fish, but I will usually have to move after catching 5 to 10 active fish. If you do not have a trolling motor you can use anchors, but it requires many sessions of heaving up heavy anchors and can soon kill the fun of ledge fishing. When water is at its coldest, the anchor method will work better due to the inactivity of the fish below.

In other words, the warmer the water the faster the fish will spook out from under your boat. The colder the water the less chance the fish will want to move away due to their comfort zone in the water column.

Make sure to read Part 3 of this article to learn about Capt. Jeff's second non-typical technique!

You have permission to publish this article free of charge as long as you are not selling it and that you include the author bylines immediately visible with the article and, if published in an electronic medium such as on a web site, you provide a link back to www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com in the author bylines, both where the web address is listed as well as well as with the text "Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service"...

Jeff Williams runs a Truman Lake Hybrid Bass and Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service offering lodging and guided trips in Missouri. To book a trip, learn more tips, or find out how Capt. Jeff would fish your own local waters, call 1-866-HOOKSET or visit http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com today!

Student Credit Cards 101

Almost all students have and use student credit cards. Some of the students use them wisely and build for them an early credit history but others accumulate lots of debts that would have to be paid off once the student life is over. Students that have a credit card should learn how to take charge and manage their own finances as soon as possible, because the time between teen years and adulthood is very short. So, the sooner a student starts managing his own financial matters the sooner he will develop useful financial skills. Student credit cards are no longer a privilege for wealthy students but now are considered a social entitlement.

A student can very easily obtain a student credit card. Offers for student credit cards are everywhere students are: in campuses, at social functions, in their mail boxes, in bookstores, etc. That is because credit companies consider students to be good customers. First of all they are loyal; once a student obtains a credit card, he is likely to keep this particular card for years to come and instead of getting other new cards they upgrade it every time they fill the need to do it. Nowadays, the conditions to obtain a student credit card are very weak, so more and more students have access to them even though they don't have a steady source of income. And this is a second reason why credit card companies offer more and more credit cards to students: they usually can't repay their debts in time. And this is what credit cards companies rely on; they make lots of money from late payment penalties, interest fees on unpaid credit card balances, annual fees and more. So, students that don't repay their credit card balances in full each month are the best customers.

Every college freshman wants to have at least one credit card because it will help him very much during his college years; the student will be able to rent a car, buy books or concert tickets, provide himself help with medical or other emergencies and more. Apart from financial help during college years, student credit cards offer other types of help by building a credit history. Credit history is the record of all that happens in your financial situation throughout the years. Credit scoring is a system based on all that happens to your accounts: late payments, bill paying history, number and type of accounts, outstanding debts and more. If the credit history and scoring are good the student will more easily obtain a house or a car loan, certain types of financial jobs, insurance premiums and more other benefits. So, the student must pay his bills in full or in time, in order to benefit later of their first years of credit history.

The most difficult thing for a student is to choose from the large number of student credit card offers. And the best way for a student to choose a credit card for himself is to talk to other students and get advice from the ones that already have and use a credit card and compare credit card offers online. Before choosing a credit card, the student must be aware of the card's terms of use. Most student that already have a credit card recommend for the others a card with no annual fee and the option to limit the amount to be spent. And apart from these safety measures, wise students that think of their financial future often take a personal finance course in order to learn all kinds of financial management skills that will help them throughout their entire life.

Students must be very careful when using their student credit cards; they always have to be cautious about the amount charged on the credit card and, at the end of the month, to review the amount of interest they have to pay monthly. It is also recommendable that the credit card balance to be paid as soon as received. If for some reason the balances cannot be paid in full, the student must pay at least the minimum payment required. If problems with paying the credit card balances appear, the student must ask help from a financial counselor that will always have a solution for him as student loan repayments are much more flexible than consumer loan repayments. And another thing students must be careful about is identity theft; the credit card or social security numbers should not be given to anybody over the phone. These are important information that cannot get into the hands of wrong people because will very much damage the credit history. So, we can consider that it is best for students to have a credit card starting with their freshman college years because, if used wisely, the credit card history built in this period will very much help them throughout their entire life.

This article has been provided courtesy of Creditor Web. Creditor Web offers great credit card articles available for reprint and other tools to help you search and compare credit card offers.

Brand Name Identity in the Oil Business

I submit to you that Brand Name Identity in the Oil Business is just a important today as it was when Mobil Oil and McDonalds were building their brands. Perhaps in the future it may even be more so. I have often seen others using our business name and sought either injunction or stern warning. As a matter of fact I am preparing a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission for using one of his Brand Names and Federal Trademark in their Key Words and Meta Tags on the Federal Website, to attract visitors; a lawsuit which would have enough case law behind it to slam down the Federal Trade Commission with the help of the US Patent and Trademark Office.

When picking a name or a company in the Oil Industry you might want to be cognizant of this fact. Usually things can be worked out and only one company is required to change their name or trade dress or perhaps a royalty agreement or non-compete with regards to specific markets can be reached. Check the case law with Mobil Oil Company before you negate the facts presented here in any topic of which might arise in Business Law Class at your University or even in conversation at the local Starbucks. Be sure anyone you do business with has a back-up plan in case of Trademark Infringement.

If you plan on buying a business opportunity or franchise make sure the seller has a trademark on the name. Make sure it is current and there are no disputes which might be cause for non-renewal. Think about it, changing the name once you start can cost you big time.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

How to Make Your Claims Believable

When you hear claims like?

?Best Lawnmower in the country

?Absolute Lowest Prices In Existence

?Leaves your hair cleaner than any other shampoo

?do you believe them?

Or is there a certain degree of doubt in your mind about their credibility? Or whether they are 'hyped up'?

Think about it. Everybody expects advertisers to exaggerate their claims. To present them in their best light. Which is the exact reason why general statememts are not as effective as?

SPECIFIC STATEMENTS

So?

Rather than saying "Our prices have been reduced"? instead say? "Our prices have been reduced by 22% to prepare for our end of year stocktake"

Rather than saying "More than 20 varieties of Reebok shoes in stock"? instead say? "More than 23 varieties of Reebok shoes in stock"

Rather than saying "Our staff are very experienced carpet cleaners"? instead say? "Our team of 12 staff have a combined experience of cleaning carpets for 63 years"

Rather than saying "Used all over the world"? instead say? "Used in over 46 countries"

Or rather than a cleaner saying "We clean your house thoroughly" why not list every single thing you do

One more thing... When you give people a specific number, they tend to believe it must be true. So don't use numbers which are a multiple of 5 or 10. Instead say 4 or 9. It makes it more believable.

Even KFC realises this.

No. They don't have 10 herbs and spices on their special chicken. They have 11. That's a heck of a lot more believable than 10? or heaps, isn't it?

So take a moment now and think about how you can apply what you've learnt and be more specific in your advertising.

Warmly,

Scott Bywater Copywriting That SELLS
Level 12 / 418a Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

Scott Bywater is a professional direct response copywriter and the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get a complimentary copy of his special report '7 Ways To Increase Your Turnover... No Matter What The State Of The Economy' (valued at $29.95) and a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" ezine, where you'll discover how to write ads and sales letters that make people line up and practically beg you to do business with them... visit his web site at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au