We all look forward to relationship with the opposite sex with much excitement. And we ought to, because our lives, progress, joys and blessings depend to a large extent on how we manage our relationship with the woman and the man we elect to live our lives with.At the back of our minds is the question of how to do it right. This is because relationship with the opposite sex has been the major source of anxieties, sorrows, pain and anguish. Many people are hungry and thirsty for what is right – they need direction especially on the issue of relationship between the sexes. The definition of what is right and how to differentiate what is right from what is wrong has become a very critical issue in modern times.There is a foundation for joyful relationships on which one can build upon with a high degree of probability for success in the relationship with the opposite sex. The elements of the foundation for joyful relationships are friendship, mutual respect, honor, faith in God, trust, clarity of purpose, integrity, virtue, love, communication skill, forgiveness, Independence and understanding. The identification of these foundational elements are important because they address the fundamentals of a joyful relationship and the problems plaguing our society emanating from relationships with the opposite sex and how to turn them around for your own good.If men and women would learn about these elements of the foundation for joyful relationships and make them a part of their lives, they would not only be able to solve relationship problems, they would enjoy the relationship and establish a legacy of stability for their posterity and all those who look up to them for guidance and direction.If we all have come to accept the fact that the family is very important to the society – that it is actually the basic but very important unit of the society where all values are to be inculcated, then, such a unit more than any other, must be built on a very solid foundation. It is dangerous to continue to pursue a relationship with the opposite sex without the establishment of foundation.As dating and courtship relationship should normally precede marriage relationship, which eventually creates the family unit, then, it makes so much sense to pay attention to foundational elements of joyful relationship, which will help to lay that solid foundation for all to achieve that peaceful and joyful relationship that we all look forward to in life.It is during dating and courtship that one can learn and establish these pillars. Those engaged in dating and courtship should pursue friendship as the first thing they want to achieve in their time together. If you could be friends with a man or a woman, when you become lovers, friendship would be your sustaining power. Love as we all may know is fragile. There is need to respect those we relate with. In the marriage relationship, mutual respect is key. If you find out that, you could not respect the man or woman you are getting together with, it is worthless to continue, as the result would be disaster.All are encouraged to take each element of the foundation for joyful relationship, understand it and apply them in the course of the dating and courtship relationships.

Small business credit cards are a special type of credit cards that are meant for use by small business (as opposed to the normal credit cards or personal credit cards which are meant for the use of an individual). Some people wonder why they should go for a small business credit card when they already have one or more personal credit cards.This is a very valid question indeed. By logic, if something like small business credit cards exists in market as a separate entity altogether, there must be a special need for it. It must have some features which are useful to small businesses in particular. Though there are a lot of similarities between personal and small business credit cards (of course there would be similarities since both of them are credit cards after all), there are a few differences too. These differences are mainly in terms of the flexible credit limit, lower APR offers and attractive terms and conditions which are better for small business credit cards.Besides all the benefits which are quoted for credit cards and the additional attractive offers, there is another important reason for going for a small business credit card. The reason is business expense accounting. A lot of small businesses face this is as a major challenge. One needs to keep track of each and every business expense and log the information somewhere for the purpose of business expense accounting. Business expense accounting is needed not only for tax purpose but also for financial strategy evaluation and budget tracking. Generally speaking, two main problems quoted for small business expense accounting are business expense segregation and expense classification.By using your small business credit card for all your small business outgo, you can very easily separate your business expenses from your personal expenses. This will thus solve your business expense separation problem. What you receive on your small business credit card bill is your business expense directly. Moreover, this report is something which your tax consultant will love too.The second problem is also solved automatically. Most small business credit cards also group together the business expenses under proper heads. Some credit cards even provide credit card statement as data feeds which can be directly fed into accounting software. Just imagine how much hassle you are saved from with this business accounting feature. Wonderful, isn’t it?The other great thing about small business credit cards is the help they offer in terms of managing the expense peaks. Though such variations are part of almost every business, they are even more critical for small businesses. So when that need for immediate purchase arises, you wouldn’t need to worry if you had the backing of a small business credit card. Also, generally small business have to pay first and receive later i.e. make payments for purchases before receiving payments for services/goods, so small business credit card also acts as an intermediary who fills in the time gap at little or no additional cost.The credit card membership benefits are at its best when it comes to small business credit cards. There are discounted ticket offers, car rental offers, gift offers and many other good offers for small business credit card holders. Just check all such benefits that might be available on your small business credit card and ensure that you use them whenever and wherever required.The small business credit cards are ranked higher by the credit card suppliers too. So everything associated with a small business credit card, including the customer service, is better than the personal credit cards.Thus, small business credit cards aren’t something that a small business owner can afford to miss especially with what all it offers.

Despite the recent correction, and regardless which popular metric you use; PE, Shiller’s CAPE Ratio, or Buffett’s Market to GDP comparison; this is one of the most expensive markets since 1923. The other two were the 1929 and 2000 markets and we know how those turned out. Incidentally, 1923 was the year the “Composite Index” was introduced, the S&P 500′s precursor.The record shows that, while stock prices can continue at elevated levels for a long time, they eventually reverse to the mean. That can happen in one of two ways. Either the market goes sideways for a long time until earnings catch up, or there is a sharp drop to bring prices in line with historical PE ratios – a reversal to the mean. History has shown that investors are not a patient bunch. They will put up with a sideways market for a while, but eventually they will tire of meager returns and put their money to work where they believe will yield greater gain potential. Once that ball gets rolling, the market exits en masse and a severe bear market takes hold. The upshot: there is a big market drop in store.The question is when and was this past correction a hic-up or a prelude to the big plunge. A study of major bear markets indicates the latter is more likely. Indeed, a review of 28-plus -percent market drops since 1923 reveals there is always a preamble to every major bear market. Some folks are under the mistaken impression that stock market crashes occur at market tops. That is far from the truth.The stock market may well be fickle, but providence is kind. It always gives us advance notice of a coming crash, grabbing our attention amidst our complacency with a surprise drop and providing an opportunity to get out before it crashes in earnest. This is shown in the analysis below for each of the following major bear markets (28% decline or more): 2007, 2000, 1987, 1973, 1968, 1962, 1946, 1937, and 1929. Intraday prices and daily closes are only available for the S&P 500 from 1950 on. Therefore, Dow Jones Industrial Average closes were used for the markets before that.2007
The initial top for the 2007 market came July 17 when the S&P 500 had an intraday high of 1555.90. The index would drop the next week and eventually settle to an intraday low of 1370.60 a month later on August 16 – a drop of 11.9%. Henceforth, all highs and lows are intraday unless otherwise stated. The market would climb for seven weeks to reach a market top for the index of 1576,09 October 11, 2007 – 1.3% higher than its previous high. An initial 5.5% dip was followed by a quick recovery to 1552.76 October 31, before succumbing and dropping 10.8% to a low of 1406.10 November 26, 2007. The index would recover to a high of 1523.57 and continue on a series of lower lows and highs until its nadir of 666.79 March 9, 2009 for a 57.7% decline.2000
The 2000 market gave plenty of warning before the Dot.com plunge. The market faltered right after opening the New Year January 3rd. After reaching a high of 1478, the S&P 500 dropped to 1455.22 at the close. It dropped below 1400 the next three days and recovered to 1465.71 – the high January 20, 2000. From there it did a roller coaster ride down to the 1329.15 low of February 25 – a 10.1% drop from its high thus far. The market finally climaxed at 1552.87 March 24, 2000. It would drop precipitously April 14 to a low of 1339.40 – a 13.7% drop – but then slowly recovered to 1530.09 by September 1, 2000, only 1.5% below its all-time high. Thereafter it steadily went down with some sharp drops followed by rallies but only to the downtrend line. The market bottomed at 775.80 October 9, 2002 for a 50.1% decline.1987
The 1987 bear market was a swift one. After vacillating to a high of 337.89 August 25, 1987, the S&P 500 dropped to 308.58 by September 8 – an 8.7% hit. It quickly recovered to 328.94 by October 2, only 2.6% down from its high. It wobbled to a close below 300 October 15 before crashing the next Monday to close at 224.84 – a loss of 20.5% for that day. It would close lower December 4, 1987 at 223.92 but the low point for the move came the day after the plunge, October 20, when it dipped to 216.46 for a loss of 36.0% from the August high.1973
This, along with the 1968 bear market, were part of the mega bear market that spanned 1967 – 1982. The S&P oscillated within the 100 and 110 range for most of the year. It cleared the 110-barrier in late summer only to dip below it again before making its final surge as the year closed. It peaked at 119.79 December 12, 1972 and then dropped 4.3% to 114.63 December 21, 1972. The New Year propelled the index higher reaching a top of 121.74 January 11, 1973 – a 1.6% gain from the previous high. It quickly dropped to 111.85 by February 8 and then proceeded to careen downward over a series of bumps until hitting bottom at 60.96 October 4, 1974 – a 49.9% loss.1968
After an initial drop to start the year, the market climbed steadily from March through November finally topping December 2, 1968 when the S&P 500 maxed out at 109.37. The index dropped to 96.63 by January 13, 1969 (an 11.6% drop), fizzled in its rally coming within 0.43 points of the low March 17, and then rallied all the way up to 106.74 May 14, 1969. After coming within 2.4% of the top it succumbed finally hitting bottom May 26, 1970 at 68.61. That was a 37.3% haircut.1962
The stock market steadily climbed from October 1960 to December 1962 when the S&P 500 topped out at 72.64 December 12, 1962. Then it dipped to 67.55 January 24, 1963 for a 7.0% loss. The index quickly went back to 70 the next week and eked out a small gain the next month finally peaking at 71.44 March 15, 1.7% below the high. Thereafter, the index plunged to 51.35 June 25, 1962 for a 29.3% decline.1946
The market had been on a tear since the latter part of World War II and started 1946 the same way gaining 8% by February. Intraday highs and lows for the S&P 500 were not available for the analysis so, hereafter, Dow Jones Industrial Average closes will be used. The Dow Jones closed at 206.61 February 5, 1946. The index then plunged 10% to close at 186.02 February 26. It quickly recovered its previous high and surpassed it on a bucking horse ride up to 212.5 May 29, 1946 – a 2.9% gain from its previous high. The bumpy ride continued until August when the index reached 204.52 on August 13 and then fell in exhaustion finally closing at 163.13 October 9, 1946 for a 23.2% decline. Despite a number of rally attempts, the market would continue to struggle until February 1948 with a maximum loss of 28%.1937
After a precipitous drop from 1929 to 1932, the market seemed to be on recovery mode until it plateaued in early 1937. The Dow Jones closed at 194.4 March 10, 1937 to mark the end of the uptrend. The index then drifted lower for three months until bottoming June 14, 1937 at 165.51 for a 14.9% loss. It spent the next two months on a steady climb eventually topping at 189.34 August 16, 2.6% below the previous high. That was its last hurrah as the market plunged 49.1% to its 98.95 March 31, 1938 Dow Jones close.1929
Much like the 2000 market, the Big Crash of ’29 gave plenty of warning. After going sideways for the first half of the year, the market went through a 10.0% correction when it swanned from a 326.16 Dow Jones close May 6 to 293.42 May 27. Thereafter, it rose undaunted until reaching the market top close of 381.17 September 3, 1929. It drifted lower, slowly at first, but then gained momentum until reaching a low point Friday, October 4 with a 325.17 Dow Jones close – a 14.7% loss. It made a mad dash effort to recover the next week but was only able to manage a 352.86 close October 10. At 7.4% lower than the September high, this was the lowest percentage close to a previous high of any of the major bear markets. Then again, this was the granddaddy of all bears. Ten trading days later, on October 24, the index closed below 300. It dived Monday, October 28 and again the next day closing at 230.07. The market continued its plummet until eventually reaching bottom July 8, 1932 when the Dow Jones closed at 41.22 for a record 89.2% decline.ConclusionHistorical data shows that every major bear market since 1923 always provided investors with a warning. After seemingly peaking, they went through a significant decline before rising again only to plummet thereafter. In two instances, 2000 and 1929, it gave two warnings; the first a correction months before peaking, and the second after peaking.Declines after the initial peak ranged from 14.9% to 4.3% with an average of 10.8% and a median of 11.6%. In three out of the nine cases, 2007, 1973 and 1946, the second peak was lower than the first. The range was from a loss of 7.4% to a gain of 2.9% with an average of -1.4% median of -1.7%. Taking out the 1929, 7.4% outlier, the average was -0.63% and the median -1.6%. The time between the two peaks ranged from 30 days to 5.4 months with an average of 96.7 days and a median of 93 days.Starting from the premise we are in the beginning stages of a major bear market, and having gone through a 10% correction, what is in store for us? Surveying the data, it turns out we are average. There seemed to be no relationship between the severity of the bear market and the time lapse between the two peaks. However, five out of the six times the market went through a bonafide correction, 10% or more, it took months, between 2.9 and 5.4 months, for the market to top and begin its downturn in earnest. The notable exception was the Crash of 1929, which only took 37 days between the first and seconds peaks. Although there was no consistent pattern for depth of the initial decline and the total decline, it is notable that the four largest initial drops led to declines of 49% or more – a level only achieved by the 1973 bear market after only a 4.3% decline. There is no discernible relationship between the initial decline and second peak level, nor the total decline and second peak level.It could be that Morgan Stanley’s prediction this Monday, that a slowdown may loom starting in the second quarter, may be correct. We have already gone above the -7.4% level from 1929, so it would seem this market does not correlate all that well to that one and the wait to the next decisive peak will be measured in months. Regardless, I would caution all to watch the market’s advance very carefully. If the S&P 500 gets within 2.6% of the 2872.87 January 26 top, i.e. 2798, that is your signal to exit the stock market. No sense being greedy about the last 1 or 2 percent gains and risk losing much more.

The mobile phone is a significant and indispensable communication tool for small entrepreneurs. It can be useful when following up with suppliers and customers, or when communicating with employees, and a way to make their small business accessible to their potential customers.The only setback with this kind of communication is the high price tag small business owners have to pay. Many small business owners discover that their monthly phone bills comprise a huge chunk of their overhead and operation costs.Deciding on the best mobile phone plan for your small business can be a truly daunting task. Several considerations have to be made in order for you to make sure that you get the maximum cost savings for your business. In this article, we will help you find the best business mobile phone plans for business.Communication is crucial for any small business. To be able to succeed and make more profits in today’s economically competitive environment, businesses need the right tools to succeed and outsmart the competition.Selecting the perfect business mobile phone plan is an essential part of any business be it big or small. Yet, with the wide array of competing business plans on the market these days, getting through the labyrinth and finding the perfect plan for the needs of your small business can really be tricky. As you scour the market for the best business mobile plan for your small business, you also have to carefully assess your needs and set your priorities right.Read on below to learn things you should consider when choosing a small business mobile phone plan and find out how you can further improve your business with the best business mobile phone plans today.Here are top five tips to help small business entrepreneurs find the best phone plan for their small business:1. Discover the plan that matches your individual usage.Ask yourself what do you use more often? Long distance, day time minutes, data, or do most of the calls take place after office hours? Analyse your own usage patterns and find the plan that best matches your business needs. Most pricing are organized so that users may select the best alternatives possible such as an unlimited calling after business hours, low rate long distance, unlimited weekend calls or even unlimited long distance for $10 a month.2. Research and find telecommunication companies that cater to small businessGo to various telecommunication websites and look for the special business or enterprise sections of their website for information on business phone plans. Their sales representatives at the store fronts, dealerships, or other strategic locations will be more than willing to assist you with your inquiries regarding consumer based products and plans. They will surely have the exact same plans available to meet the various needs of any business.3. Regard yourself like any other businessDo not belittle your business or take yourself for granted, even if you are small, it does not mean you don’t qualify for a business pricing. Major carriers will provide small business price plans to even solo entrepreneurs who are heavy users. Just the same, if you are a family business on a family plan, do not be afraid to ask about business pricing to get everyone the amount of minutes, long distance, as well as data needed to communicate to customers and within the business more effectively. Streamlining your plan to do away with overrated charges is the key.4. Demand for perks and freebiesSmall business plans may also come with the added perks and freebies much like big businesses and business owner find this immensely helpful. If they offer freebies, by all mean avail of it! You are very much entitled to these as would your bigger business counterparts. Check for better hardware replacement guarantees for your consumer plans for best possible plans.5. Get the best deals possible for business owners like youBear in mind that business pricing does not solely apply to wireless plans. Several substantially sized telecoms offer business pricing on all of their products, such as cable and internet. These plans basically provide even bigger bundle discounts compared to regular consumers can access.

Film tax credit financing has existed in Canada for a number of years now. The good news is that this sought after financing has just been enhanced in a variety of ways thanks to additional enhancements to film and TV tax credits, that now also include the animation, multimedia, and gaming productions.While some of the tax credits vary by province there is a clear bottom line – film tax credits are available, and you can finance them in a bridge loan /factoring manner. That financing allows you to complete projects, enhance the financial ability of the project, and even better, move on to the next project with additional capital!In Ontario recently the government passed legislation that increased availability of Computer Animation Credits. For example, labour expenditures which are qualified and vetted increase to 100% for arms length employees who don’t have incorporation status – for example – ‘ freelancers ‘.Another significant change is the government removed the requirement that eligible projects in animation and visual effects did not have to be created mostly with digital technologies.Well that’s the good news on availability of the tax credit itself. How does the production owner monetize that credit into real cash flow and working capital – i.e. the ‘ bridge financing ‘that we mentioned earlier.As most Canadian business owners and financial managers know the financing in such niche areas in Canada is not a widespread financing source. This is best described as boutique or niche financing with only a small handful of players participating. To maximize your financing in this area seek out the resources and experience of a credible financing advisor with tax credit financing expertise.The amount financed, or advanced to your project under you claim in general tends to be 75% of the claim value – this is not a hard and fast rule, but it’s a solid generalization based on our experience. The funds represent the combined federal and provincial claim, with the aforementioned 75% loan to value.Another great financing feature is that in certain instances funds can actually be advanced prior to the claim and final certifications. This certainly would not be pertinent to all parties but could certainly be a great benefit to some productions.It makes common sense to all parties, including the financier to fund claims in excess of 200k as a starting point. Many fundings are of course in the millions of dollars. In certain instances other financing could also be considered as an add on – i.e. technology financing for computers, software, etc.Tax credit financing in Canada primarily in the past has been related to the governments SR ED program, but clearly hot new sectors are animation, gaming, virtual reality, and independent film productions.Customers always ask us how long the financing process takes. We always estimate 2-3 weeks with the customer’s full co operating on any application, due diligence, docs and funding issues.Film tax credit financing, or tax credit financing in general is a fabulous way to bridge financing, raise short term working capital, etc, Talk to an expert to guide you through that process!

Selecting the right DJ Entertainment for you Son or Daughter’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a task that should not be taken lightly. Ask any parent who has recently had their son or daughter’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah and they will tell you that the Entertainment plays a critical part in the success of this kind of celebration. Often times the first service that is reserved is the Entertainment.Entertaining a crowd of people that has a significant portion of 13 year olds and 30 something and older adults demands a certain level of expertise. If both of these groups had the same tastes in music then entertaining this kind of crowd would be simple.However this is not usually the case. Therefore the first thing to look for is an Entertainment company that specializes in Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.While the specific tastes in music may vary amongst the different age groups there are interactive dances that both can enjoy together. This is where your MC (master of ceremonies) comes in. A seasoned MC can have a crowd of adults and kids out on the floor together having the times of their life almost instantly.Aside from handling the candle lighting ceremony, the grand entrance, and various introductions, your MC is a source of motivation and energy for your party. A physical and verbal presence on the dance floor to lead your guests through interactive dances and games. Your Son or Daughter is the star of the show and the MC’s job is be right there making sure everyone is having fun while paying the right amount of recognition to the guest of honor at whatever level the Bar or Bat Mitzvah feels comfortable.Bar / Bat Mitzvah MCs come in all shapes, sizes, personalities and experience. Be sure and sit down with any potential MCs you are considering and see how your personalities fit. This will be very important when your party date arrives as a large portion of the success of your celebration is resting on his/her shoulders.Be sure and ask questions about anything that is on your mind. A seasoned MC will have the answers to your questions and will be able to set you at ease about your specific concerns.If the DJ company you are considering does not offer a dedicated MC for your event you may want to keep searching. There is a lot for the MC to keep track of to make sure things run smoothly (making sure the photographer and videographer are ready before an important moment, shutting down any side entertainment before a candle lighting, being by your son or daughter’s side during the candle lighting to name a few). A separate DJ should be playing the CDs.Another thing that can help engage the kids and the adults together is the use of motivational dancers. They are available through most DJ companies who specialize in Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. Their high energy style and dance expertise is appealing to all ages. During the follow along dances they are there to instruct and motivate right along side the MC. This should be done in a tasteful manner.Colorful lighting and special effects are available from many DJ companies. They add to the energy of the room and can transform an elegant dining room into a trendy night club environment in a moments notice.Some DJ companies offer dance stages that can help to spot light the Bar or Bat Mitzvah. While on stage he/she will be raised above the crowd for all to see. Even the grandparents in the rear of the room will be able to see the guest of honor.How do you know if the DJ company you are considering does all (or any) of this in a way that is a proper reflection of you and your family? Through the use of video. Most reputable Bar/Bat Mitzvah Entertainment companies will have video footage of their entertainers in action. By watching a videotape you can see their style, appearance, and how they make the day special for that guest of honor. After sitting down with an MC and watching his/her video you can get a pretty good idea of whether of not you are a match.Also visiting the web site of any potential companies you are considering is a good start. You can often times view party pictures, read past client testimonials, and even download video footage all from the comfort of your home computer.The earlier you start the process the better. It is common for some of the more popular companies to book 2 years in advance or more. When you have narrowed your search, call to set up appointments to meet in person and you will feel confident that you are on your way to selecting the right DJ Entertainment.

Many of us use Google as our search engine of choice these days. In fact a staggering 304 million searches per day are handled by Google.Google is keen to keep its place at the top of the search engines and so they have been very busy making sure that people continue to find what they are looking for when they use their search engine. They know that serving up relevant websites for their customers will keep them coming back for more of the “Google Experience”.This is especially great news for businesses because Google has been creating many free tools to help website owners to improve the quality of the traffic to their websites. Google wants to put you and your customers together because a happy customer for you is a happy customer for them.Did I use the magic words “free tools”? Yes I think I did.Google has lots of free tools that you really should be using if you are serious about your business. I’ve listed them below.Google ToolbarIt seems everyone wants you to use their toolbar for your web browsing and I generally avoid installing toolbars onto my browser. However I make an exception for Google. Their toolbar is quite good and it has one very useful feature.Their toolbar shows you Google’s page rank of the page you are currently viewing. This is great for those who are looking for sites to get links from or even when you are checking out the competition.It’s free and you can download your copy through the following link.http://toolbar.google.com/Google Analyticshttp://www.google.com/analytics/Google Analytics is a fantastic tool. I amazed at how much they have packed into this free tool. You get a really in depth view of the traffic coming to your site and not just from Google.With Google Analytics you can see:what keywords people are using to find your site,what pages they are arriving at your site (most people wrongly belief that all their visitors arrive at the home page first),where in the world their visitors are coming from,which sites are referring visitors to the site,and much, much more.I urge anyone who is serious about their website to try Google Analytics. It’s free but do be warning you can happily spend hours looking at the results. I did!Google Webmasterhttp://www.google.com/webmasters/Google Webmaster is a great tool for giving you an overview of how Google sees your website.Want to know when you were last indexed?What to know who’s linking to you?Want to know if Google is having problems indexing your site?Google Webmaster will tell you this and much more.Google AdWords EditorIf you use Google AdWords then you might want to consider this free tool. Google AdWords Editor allows you to download your AdWords campaigns to your computer and make changes offline. You can apply multiple changes across campaigns and adgroups rather than having to enter each one separately.I’ve only recently started to use it and the interface is a little unfriendly. However I’m sure they will refine it over time. I certainly found the duplicate keywords feature very useful. Follow the link below to download and try it yourself.

What is your branding game plan?Not the branding media schedule – that is just part of it – but rather, your overarching strategic decision-making game plan on all of your branding initiatives? Most advertising managers have a page or two media plan that an agency has produced that shows how their advertising dollars will be spent. The game plan I am referring to is the overall philosophy and management tool that keeps every aspect of their branding on track.The game plan acts as a compendium of sorts – a concise, yet comprehensive strategy of how the brand is executed in the marketplace. It covers all touch points of the brand and the “rules” for its implementation. Rather than leave this to chance, your game plan crafts a branding decision-tree that allows the manager to ensure that every branding decision is accretive to the overall brand experience, not detracting.The game plan is a document that should be created to assist in communicating the advertising and media plan. It serves as a guide for the internal teams at the organization including the company managers and franchisees as well as providing crystal-clear direction to the agency. The compendium provides further explanation of the overall process for how the advertising plan is created in addition to how it will be managed. These strategic decisions should be reviewed on an annual basis to determine the entire branding program.Below are the key elements to include in your branding game plan:Market Research & Demographics: Based on the market research conducted at your company, the targeted audience of your brand communications should be reached based on demographics, program selection and scheduling guidelines. Demographics should cut across the following attributes and all brand activities should be vetted against these targets:Age Range
Male/Female Ratio
Total Annual Income
Employment Ratio
Marital Status
EthnicityProgram selection refers to the review of a programs content to ensure that it’s consistent with the advertiser’s desired brand image and its demographics. Scheduling guidelines assist on steering the programming placement, frequency and delivery of media.Flights, Weights And Spots: Next, determine the game plan for when and how to communicate your brand. Flighting refers to scheduling periods of activity and inactivity on a TV and/or radio schedule. A period of activity is called a flight and a period of inactivity is called a hiatus. Flighting is typically used to cover a long period of time, such as a year, within a limited advertising budget that does not allow advertising for 52 weeks. TV weight refers to the number of target rating points (TRP’s) scheduled in a flight. TRP’s are the standard unit of TV measure. Quantitatively, a TRP is equal to one percent of the target universe. Radio is a better medium than TV for building frequency. However, the fragmented nature of the radio market and the consumers’ listening patterns limit the cumulative reach that radio can deliver as a medium. Unit length refers to the duration of a commercial spot/radio broadcast.Day Parts: Based on the demographics of the targeted audience, the brand manager needs to determine the optimal day parts of the messaging. Day parts deliver different audience compositions (e.g. daytime delivers a high percentage of women). There is also a correlation between a spots audience delivery and its relative cost. Primetime delivers a large, broad audience and is, therefore, the most expensive day part.Electronic Media: Now, you need to execute the brand communication and there are numerous options from which to choose. Television delivers the highest reach of any medium. The sight, sound and motion of television allow the advertiser to communicate a message in a highly memorable way and to shape a visual into a recognizable image for their brands. Spot television offers the flexibility to target a specific local market aimed at the desired customer base in a programming environment consistent with the advertiser’s brand image. Spot air time for cable television is often much more expensive than broadcasting on a cost-per-thousand basis and does not have as large a reach. Cable television is limited because it only reaches paid subscribers. Spot radio is competitively purchased from local stations and can be easily targeted by market and demographics. Radio commercials are relatively inexpensive to produce which enables brands to change messages more frequently. Since radio has no visual, it is less expensive than TV.Non-Electronic Media: There are other ways besides electronic means to deliver your brand message. Outdoor advertising is commonly referred to as billboards. Outdoor advertising reaches a large percentage of the population, but because it is seen by people “on the go” billboard advertising is appropriate only for brief messages. It’s best used as a medium to reinforce an established, well-known brand. Newspapers reach a wide cross-section of the public, which makes them hard to target a specific audience. Other options include solo direct mail and marriage mail.Sponsorships And Promotions: Your brand can be communicated through sponsorships and promotions as well. For instance, the brand may be aptly communicated through the sponsorship of local sports teams. By sponsoring these teams, the brand is allocated spot time during broadcasts, as well as occasional “mentions” of the brand by the game announcers. In addition, the brand may receive postings of signage in the arena and mentions in printed promotional materials. Lastly, aligning the brand with a corporate charity communicates that the brand is an upstanding corporate citizen. These sponsorships and philanthropic involvement help communicate the brand community responsibility.Social Media & Web: An overall brand game plan would not be complete without addressing social media. Setting up a company Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and YouTube channel – each vertically integrated to your overall brand communications- enhances your brand presence. These social media enable the brand to be extremely nimble with its messaging and if integrated into an overall brand strategy, provide cost-effective touch points to key followers.Your brand communications should work in tandem with one another regardless of the medium that is used to communicate. Each variable within these media – from program selection to day part mix – should be determined not haphazardly, but rather in a cohesive strategic branding compendium. Not only will the efficiency of your strategy be intact, but it will yield greater results.

In December of 2009, the United States Senate passed the Health Care Reform Act, which was later adopted by the House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. This bill represents monumental changes in the American medical system, both for consumers of health care, as well as employers and insurance providers. Among other things, the Bill requires health care policies to be approved by the government, and provides monetary penalties for citizens not covered by approved health care insurance. The reason for such penalties, as described in the Bill, is that by allowing citizens to go uninsured they become significantly less likely to seek preventative care for conditions they may experience. This translates into increased costs for the health care system as a whole, and indirectly to the taxpayers.But wait a minute. You may be asking yourself, what does this mean for me? To begin with, rest assured that if you are currently covered by health insurance, you will be unaffected by this change: all existing health care plans will be grandfathered in by the Bill. Furthermore, if you are currently uninsured, the government will not penalize you until the Bill comes fully into effect in 2014. Even then, the legislation provides exceptions for individuals who cannot afford health insurance, those who object for religious reasons, are incarcerated, or citizens who do not currently reside in the United States.The penalties thereafter will begin at $95 for uninsured persons in 2014, increase to $325 in 2015, and $695 in 2016. Under the House’s amendments to the Bill, the final amount of the penalty is $695 each year for each person for whom the taxpayer is liable. This can accrue up to either $2,250 (for three uninsured individuals) or 2.5% of the taxpayer’s household income, whichever is greater. Some of the Bill’s proponents feel that this figure is too lenient, as it allows taxpayers to simply pay the penalty until they require a medical procedure. They can then purchase insurance which would normally be more expensive, especially for individual health insurance not provided by an employer. This type of “adverse selection” could potentially be detrimental to the social health system, though it is possible that a future amendment may increase the penalties for uninsured persons to prevent this.The effects of the Bill will not be felt until 2014, though some regulatory acts will come into effect sooner, including regulations on medical plans renewing after September 23, 2010, requiring greater transparency in any existing health care plans, as well as the creation of a federal high-risk pool that will begin this summer.The Bill represents an unprecedented change in the United States government’s stance on health care. The goals of the Act are certainly very ambitious, and time will tell whether it achieves its goals. Though the Act may be changed by future amendments, and even challenged legally on constitutional grounds, it is imperative that taxpayers, insurers, and employers alike understand the Bill and its implications, since they will have a profound and lasting impact in the landscape of America’s health care.

When dealing with home health care, one has so many advantages at hand that they almost have to be picky about what they are going to get involved with.Believe it or not, home health care these days is an unmatchable service, because its singular job provides a multitude of services you would not expect.From occupational therapy to physical therapy to speech therapy, home health care has adapted to provide people all these services you would have to go elsewhere for inside the home. Just think of the situation. You would typically have an appointment Monday with your physical therapist. In fact, it would probably even be Monday and Wednesday, as most therapies occur two days a week. That being the case, take occupational therapy and schedule it for Tuesday and Thursday. Finally, speech therapy gets prepared for Fridays, and maybe every so often you switch around therapy to not over do it, or not accommodate other appointments.Could you imagine having to do all that? The driving, the gas money, the constant roaming around and never having the right time to rest; it all seems too daunting and too straining to even be thinking about. However, it is often the reality for some who are trying to live at home, but still look after themselves by seeking out the best care possible.With home health care, you can eliminate this need to be everywhere everyday at once, and you can make your day around when someone is coming to help out. In fact, many people think that all home health care providers do is look after patients at home by giving them medicine or cooking them meals.They do not realize the extensive training they have received that allows them to help out with therapies like occupational, physical, and speech. That isn’t to say that the most basic forms of care are not provided or aren’t necessary. Certainly they are.However, the main point of home health care is to go beyond the general offerings of nursing facilities. It may be easy to think why that is possible, but there are a lot of options to cover, and home health care providers stay on top of them. For instance, nursing facilities are excessively costly, and it is challenging to try and reduce such costs. There are some fees that are just out of your hands, such as usage inside your dwelling, or payments that go toward the staff. Those are just some of the base costs. There is no telling how far expenses can extend.Once your decision has finally come to be made, it is important you sit down and actually compare the cost differentials between home health care and a facility that one moves into. Chances are that you will see that in every aspect home health care is going to be the more affordable option because you have some control over the costs. However, it is important you see for yourself. No matter how convincing the arguments seem, you must inform yourself first and foremost.