Kriss Blog

Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, installing skylights can drastically improve the atmosphere in your home.

Windows and skylights are two separate products that can greatly contribute to the quality of your home. There is definitely a fine line between your home being too bright and being too dark and dingy; and with skylights, you can easily change the atmosphere of your home to whatever suits your taste. They can also save on energy bills if you pay attention to the energy efficiency ratings.

Installing skylights, while certainly easier to do before your home has been completely built and furnished, can be done at any time while you own your house. If you have a relatively decent knowledge of structures and how to operate many of the required tools, chances are you can do this project yourself. You will need some basic carpentry skills, such as accurate measuring, cutting and fitting. Furthermore, installing skylights in your home can be made much easier if you have access to your attic and any plans that may have been drawn up that detail the structural layout of your home. After all, you do not want to cut blindly into your ceiling and hope you hit a good spot to install a new skylight. You may end up cutting into power cables or water pipes.

A great and much more popular alternative to installing skylights yourself is to hire a professional. There are countless contractors out there who would simply love your business, so be sure to ask around and find a contractor who seems right for the job. It is also important to get local references about contractors, as there are many who will not hesitate to rip you off without ever doing any work to your home. A great way to find a contractor is to ask friends, family and co-workers if they know someone they did business with.

Hiring a contractor to do the job of installing skylights in your home will begin with a simple introduction and overview of the home where the contractor will make sure you have the right types of ceilings to benefit from a skylight. After a general appraisal and firm quote for how much the project will cost, the contractor should return in a timely fashion with the appropriate skylights in hand and he and his team will set to work installing them. While not a lengthy process, you will definitely want to remove any prized furnishings and breakable items from the work area before installing skylights.

Bill Urell

AP - School officials in San Luis, Ariz., are investigating a busing mix-up that ended with a 6-year-old boy wandering alone in Mexico.

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Small business owners attend networking events to get clients. Much of the time, it doesn’t work the way they anticipated, and they often give up before really determining why it didn’t work. They move to a different group and are destined to repeat the same mistakes.

First of all, let’s talk about networking basics. In order to get the maximum bang for your networking buck, join a group where your target market gathers and keep showing up. That means to go to every event you can possibly attend over and over so you can build relationships with the other members and they grow to trust you. You are not just looking to get clients directly from the group though; you want them to refer others to you, so that relationship is very important. Also, you need to stick with it for at least several months (depending on the frequency of the meetings), bringing the same consistent message.

There are several basic reasons why networking might not work for someone and here they are:

1. You’re networking with the wrong people

2. You’re doing it wrong

3. It’s just not a good group for you

Determining what the problem is, is the first step.

Here is the biggest clue that it is not you - if you are networking at more than one place regularly and getting clients at the ABC group, but not at the 123 group, it’s probably not you. If you have been regularly attending 123 for at least 4-6 months, take an objective look at why it might not be working for you.

If the other members of this group are not in your target market, and they also do not share your target market, that could be the problem. You could be the best dentist on the planet, but if you’re marketing to the Proud False Teeth Wearers Society , it isn’t going to work for you! Cut your losses and leave!

Occasionally, it’s just not the right place. Maybe the members’ occupations or hobbies are not remarkably different than the ABC group, but you’re just not getting any business. It could be that they are very cliquey or disorganized. Maybe there is already someone there with the same business as yours who is getting all the referrals already. Don’t swim upstream all the way - just find another group.

An important message to get from this is - it’s not personal. Nobody in the group is out to get you; they don’t even know you. Don’t beat yourself up over it - it’s not you.

But what if it really IS you? What if networking doesn’t work for you no matter where you do it? Maybe you just aren’t doing it right. Here are the most common mistakes I see over and over:

1. No clear target market - there is a woman in one of the groups where I network who sells a skin care line. When she introduces herself and her product line, she closes with …and my best client is anyone with skin! That does not help me figure out whom to refer to her. Does she really want me to refer every living being I’ve ever encountered? Clearly communicating your target market - as though you are painting a picture with your words - is the best way to get referrals. The reaction you’re going for is this: Oh my gosh! That’s me/my sister she’s talking about! Would that happen with a target market of ‘anyone with skin’? Never. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to get a referral.

2. Unprofessional - people, dress up. There are a few business owners who really don’t have to wear a suit or other professional attire, but not many. For example, fitness instructors, contractors, artists, etc. - it is expected that they will not be in a suit. For everyone else, dress up. In fact, it is ok to over-dress - err on the side of caution. I know a woman who owns a wig shop. She always wears a pretty dress and full makeup, like I would wear to have cocktails with a friend. During her 30-second intro, she changes her hair once or twice! It makes quite an impression. For most people, wear a little makeup and comb your hair. I suggest you actually have a hair style! You will be judged - dress appropriately.

3. Too many hats - no, this is not another style issue - I’m talking about people who are promoting more than one thing. MLMs (multi-level marketers or network marketers) are the most frequent offenders as they are not only trying to sell their product, but also promoting the business opportunity. Just pick one thing and stick with that consistently. If you mention both every time, the other members don’t know what to do for you - don’t make people try to figure stuff out or think too much because they just won’t.

Conduct a return on investment analysis periodically - once a month at least. Look at the time and money you’re putting into your networking and ask yourself if you’re getting a positive return on your investment. If not, you need to figure out why before you quit, but you may need to quit. Many people don’t want to stop going to the meetings because they paid a big annual fee, but if they continue going they are only continuing to waste more time and money. Make it work, or get out.

Copyright (c) 2006 Audrey Burton

Audrey Burton is a practical Small Business Coach. She eliminates your business overwhelm and gets you motivated and excited about your business! To sign up for her free, monthly email newsletter, visit her site: www.TigressCoaching.com http://www.TigressCoaching.com .

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Houston schools teachers have not had significant pay raise in seven years. The new Houston schools budget plans for an average 8.6 percent pay raise for teachers for the 2006-07 school year, with a total of $49.2 million in funding. The state is providing $31 million for the pay raises, and the Houston schools are providing $18.2 million from their own revenues. An additional $8 million increase also is included for teacher performance pay.

This is all part of the Houston schools proposed $1.4 billion budget for the 2006-07 school year, and the Houston schools will NOT increase school tax property rates by the allotted four cents per $100 of property.

The Houston schools believe the pay raises should make their district more competitive to attract more teaching talent. Newly recruited teachers will start at $40,268, an increase from last year’s $36,050 starting pay.

The Houston schools proposed budget also includes the following:

• $1.9 million for principal and assistant principal pay raises of 5.1 percent. Again, the Houston schools intent is to make their district more competitive. This also includes additional incentives for principals of larger schools and/or those with higher numbers of disadvantaged students and gifted and talented students, which require more oversight and innovation to educate.
• $3 million to help academically struggling Houston schools.
• $4.8 million more for elementary and middle schools.
• $12 million for small-sized Houston schools that do not receive as much per-student funding but need the revenues for instructional improvements.
• More than $10 million to help bring school buildings up to standard.
• $25.1 million for overall school building maintenance.
• $927,300 (nearly $1 million) to maintain the increased police and K-9 presence at the Houston schools.
• Four percent raise across the board for school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and hourly employees.
• Four percent raise for Houston schools administrators.

This is all from the proposed budget’s General Fund, which increases by 5.7 percent under the Houston schools new plan. The Houston schools additional revenue for the coming school year comes from the increase in local property values and the state’s newly adopted school finance system, which shifts more of the funding of public education burden to the state. This decreases the cost of education for the local taxpayers from the 87.1 percent last year to only 77.6 percent for school year 2006-07.

Separate from the General Fund is a special appropriation from the state legislature for the Houston schools. It will place $11.8 million more next year into improving high schools, with each receiving an extra $187 in per student funding. The Houston schools intend to add an additional $39 per student to this special appropriation, based upon the types of students and specific needs of each school.

Lastly, the Houston schools put aside extra money this year to cover the cost of fuel for school vehicles and electricity. The Houston schools have a total of 1,000 buses and other vehicles in its fleet. They expect the cost of fuel to increase by $3 million. The cost of electricity for Houston schools is expected to increase by $9.1 million over last year’s expenditure.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.

Reuters - Former Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, the only filly to finish in the top three in all three U.S. Triple Crown races, died on Monday aged 31.

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Running a website is not an easy job; it takes some effort to make money online. There must be hundreds of millions of webpages out there struggling to be noticed by search engines and by their target audiences. If you are a website publisher who’s eager to get your brand or service in front of the right readers, it would take more than just a good logo or business concept to get them flocking to and trusting your site. To grab people’s attention and increase website traffic, you must provide something extra, something unique, something they may not find elsewhere. But the problem is, you may have so much on your plate as it is that you can’t possibly provide grade-A content 100% of the time. Even great webmasters and website publishers need a little help sometimes.

If you think about it, no amount of black hat SEO or link wizardry will get you the long-term results you are really shooting for. High-quality content is what your target customers want. Skillful linkbuilding may build a lot of short- to mid-term traffic but classic content lasts a long long time. To make serious money online, you have to give your clients this content. Many website owners invest their time and money in web design and online promotions without even considering the importance of original content. Do you really want to look just like your direct competitor — providing a mirror-image of their services to your readers and potential clients? High-quality content, as opposed to knock-off imitations and readily available templates, is crucial to a website’s success. What you need are highly capable content producers who will drive qualified traffic to your website and give it some distinction. This is what competent and effective website copywriters are all about — producing quality content for your website and help you make money online.

But before you hire, you must ask yourself what exactly you are looking for in a website copywriter. The following guidelines will certainly help you pick the best website copywriter to help you increase your online profits:

1. Can they produce quantity as well as quality?

This is extremely important; high quality content is imperative, and so is quantity. A constant and steady amount of high-quality material is an essential ingredient for a successful online business. A website copywriter has to be able to deliver both quantity and quality to make you money. With this in mind, you must ask them for a guaranteed daily quota. You would want a lot of work done in a short span of time, but you can’t possibly expect high quality with that mindset. When you ask for too high a quota you will probably be sacrificing quality. Somewhere around 2000 words a day is average.

2. Will they be able to produce original content?

There are a lot of ways to ensure that your content is purely original. Ask the website copywriter for a guarantee that all written materials will be checked explicitly for duplicate content. To avoid plagiarism and other copyright issues, they must run their work through originality checkers such as webmasterlabor.com/tools/checker and copyscape.com, or other reliable duplicate content checkers available to them. Your content plays a very important role in search engine optimization. Passing off content that you can easily find in thousands of other sites won’t help your PageRank or traffic at all. Original high-quality content is indeed the best way to optimize search engine results — and a website copywriter producing original material makes it all happen.

3. Does the website copywriter have a back-up?

When you retain the services of a ghost writer for a long period of time (to produce blocks of content, for example), you must make sure that there are contingencies in place — just in case they become unavailable all of a sudden. Having a back-up will ensure your deliverables. Moreover, you have to ask if the back-up is just as, if not more, capable than the original writer. You wouldn’t want your content quality to nosedive whenever your leased writer is temporarily unavailable. Using a copywriting company, as opposed to a single freelancer, is your best choice if delivery and quality consistency are important to you.

4. Does the website copywriter have an editor?

Some website copywriters for hire could very well be their own editors. But wouldn’t it be better if they had someone to help them with errors they could overlook themselves? Editors play a key role in this process because they make sure that the writer’s work is delivered on time, every time. They check for grammatical errors, inconsistencies in flow, compliance with your instructions, and overall quality of the writer’s work. Also, they function as project managers; they inform the writer of the topical and stylistic guidelines that the client requires.

5. Do they follow a quality-assurance process?

How can you be sure that you are getting materials that live up to your own standards? Would it cost you extra to send some back to the writer for revisions? Website copywriters should follow protocol as far as quality-assurance is concerned. First, they must submit a block sample of their work to the client. Second, they make necessary revisions after receiving client feedback. This process continues until the client gets what they want. Meanwhile, the website copywriter shoulders all costs incurred during these revisions. Quality-assurance like this will only guarantee the best results in output and client satisfaction.

6. Will the writer surrender full rights of the materials produced to the client?

All materials produced by a website copywriter must be on a purely work-for-hire basis. Ideally, the client assumes all rights to the materials obtained from the writers during the length of their employment or contract. Under the work-for-hire system, copyright ownership falls on the client and not the writer.

7. Can you, as the client, set the tone or style for the articles?

You can, as the hiring party, ask the website copywriter to follow certain parameters — specifying demographics, for instance. As the client, you must also welcome the writer’s preferences in tone and style for the job. To be able to work efficiently, you must allow them to make any suggestion that they think would cater to your audience better.

8. Will they accommodate your format requirements?

Ask for an OS platform-neutral delivery format so your text can be published correctly. These are usually in the form of .txt or .html files.

Website copywriters who offer these services and more will promote a business relationship that is result-oriented, stable, and consistent. With the best copywriter working for you, you can sit back, relax, and leave the arduous content work to them for a change.

Fritz Dorado is a website consultant. For more information on website copywriters or ghost writers, visit www.webmasterlabor.com http://www.webmasterlabor.com

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On the Avenue to the Super Bowl

It began out as a no-brainer–at the commencing of the season, everyone knew that the New England Patriots would possibly win the Super Bowl. Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles may be a challenge, but they get to the Championship match and back out. But something unusual happened this year…

The Eagles in fact made it to the Super Bowl. For Eagles devotees, this was certainly a development. After years of working, they ultimately obtained their target of getting to the Super Bowl. If you dwell anywhere pretty well Philadelphia, you would think that fan-damonium broadened to a new altitude. Everywhere you look, all you could behold was Eagles merchandise. Fans decorated their cars to the nines with Eagles license plates, tire covers, mud flaps, flags–you name it. Fans even garnished their homes with NFL Merchandise and humongous inflated Donovan McNabb lawn ornaments.

Patriots fans did the very same. They got set for the huge game in style, because in their soul, they knew the Patriots would end up winning. For their Super Bowl shindig, they located New England Patriots snack helmets, Patriots helmet plaques, and flags. Fans even dressed their offspring in youth uniforms of their admired team.

But, wait! There were other contenders in the rivalry to the Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a fabulous season with their new and accomplished quarterback. Patriots fans believed that they would have to defeat the Steelers in the Super Bowl, but they dropped out in the Championship match. This was, as predicted, a major misfortune for the Steelers spectators. They are hard core fans, and are faithful NFL memorabilia collectors. They await patiently for their team to boost again, but in the meantime, they wear their Steelers hard hats with happiness.

The opposite team that was a direct menace was the Atlanta Falcons. Not only did they have amazing defense, but they had superb receivers to take them to victory. No one supposed the Falcons to go as far as they did, even their spectators. As the NFC Playoff game drew closer, Falcons spectators did everything they could to back their team. They snagged up a NFL clothing they could come across and discovered football fan faces to use rather of messy paint to cheer on their team. They made everything with the Falcons name or team logo into a treasured sports collectible. But, the Falcons fell in the Playoff game.

When it came down to the two best teams in the NFL, the fans cheered and the football flew but only one team could take it all. Patriots fans left the game happy, but the Eagles fans were plotting their revenge for the next season. In the end, the players in the NFL are important, but the fans are what carry the power and support for their team. Fans show their support in many ways, but most treasure their NFL Sports Memorabilia above all.

For more information from Leigh Winslow about sports collectibles and sports merchandise, please visit www.sports-collectibles-store.com http://www.sports-collectibles-store.com

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans Wednesday to sign a deal to build a U.S. missile defense base on Polish soil, an agreement that has already prompted an infuriated Russia to threaten its former Soviet satellite.

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Have you fell victim to identity theft? If you have you’re not alone as identity theft is now the number one crime in the U.S. There is an array of different forms of identity theft, but internet identity theft is by far the biggest problem. With hundreds of thousands of credit card transactions going through the internet on a daily basis and hackers becoming increasingly knowledgeable, it is getting to the point where it is risky to shop online.

There are several ways you can go about preventing identity theft to make sure you don’t add to an already astounding stat. One of the biggest ways people give in to identity theft is by submitting personal information through scam emails. You probably have seen them and have maybe even fell for them, but thousands of scam emails claiming to be from the IRS, banks and Paypal are circulated throughout the internet every day.

Inside these emails, they want you to submit personal information such as a credit card number or your social security number. The purpose of the email is to get you to submit your information to renew your account or check your bank status. All they are doing is trying to get your personal information and use it against you, thus identity theft.

As hard as it is to believe, it is possible for you to make purchases without truly making them. It is vital that you check your credit card statements every month and look for any unidentifiable purchases. If you make any purchases online, there is the potential for your credit card number to be hacked and for the hacker to go on a shopping spree.

Identity theft is a scary crime because it is possible for you to be a victim of it without even realizing it for several months. By that time it may be too hard to find the person. Although you are not held responsible for any of the unauthorized charges, it is a major pain to work everything out. You have to work out your credit report, replace your credit cards and even potentially close and open a new bank account.

Identity theft is just as bad of an inconvenience for the credit card companies as it is for you. Every year credit cards experience losses of 50 billion dollars a year. In an attempt to solve this, many credit card companies are coming out with new software that can better detect identity theft and internet identity theft. Some software now checks for unusual purchases, such as large expenditures in a short amount of time.

While there are various ways you can fall victim to identity theft, internet identity theft has become increasingly troubling over the past few years. With a rise into the number one crime in the U.S., it is vital that you are careful when purchasing or submitting any personal information because you never know if you may be the next victim of identity theft.

David Tanguay is dedicated in helping individuals & businesses get out of debt. To compare hundreds of credit card offers & rates please visit Apply for a Credit Card at easycreditcompare.com http://easycreditcompare.com

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For those who spend a lot of time standing or walking, painful feet may become an unfortunate reality. Taking time to treat painful feet can help soothe the aches and pains, and may help prevent more serious conditions. A healthy soak for feet designed to help increase circulation, promote muscle relaxation, and soften the skin, can help make feet feel better both inside and out. However, chronic pain should be reported to a doctor or podiatrist, and those with diabetes in particular should consult with a physician before using any type of product or method to treat painful feet. Swollen feet, for example, are normal in hot and humid weather, but can also be a sign of a serious medical condition. As with any physical condition, it is wise to seek the advice of a physician or podiatrist if painful conditions such as swelling, muscle cramps, or others continue for more than a few days.

Some conditions may be treated easily with a foot ache soak followed by foot lotion. Calluses and corns are two such examples. Calluses are a build-up of thick skin that develops over time, most often on the heels. As our bodies age, the padding in the feet becomes thinner and the development of calluses is one way the body adapts to this change. Other areas of the foot may also develop calluses, such as the ball of the foot. Because calluses can signal other, more serious foot problems, it is wise to seek the assistance of a podiatrist to treat painful feet. A doctor is also the best person to remove very thick and/or painful calluses. For a minor callus buildup, a healthy soak for feet can be used to soften the skin, which can then be gently removed using a pumice stone or similar product. This treatment, followed by a revitalizing foot lotion can help relieve and treat painful feet. Inserting padding in the shoes at the point of the callus can also aid in reducing foot pain.

Corns are one of the more common foot ailments, and tend to show up most often in people under thirty and in women. This is likely because of the shoe styles worn, which can put pressure on the toes. Corns are small, concentrated calluses that usually develop around the toes where friction occurs most, such as the tops, around joints, and in between. To treat painful feet resulting from corns and to help prevent corns from developing, use a foot ache soak on a daily basis. Following the foot soak, corns can be gently removed using a pumice stone, followed by a foot lotion. This easy, preventative program, combined with shoes that do not pinch the toes and special pads over the corns, is an effective method to treat painful feet. It is also a nice, relaxing way to end the day.

For general foot aches and pains, a healthy foot ache soak combining a range of treatment components can aid in the reduction of normal swelling, help reduce muscle fatigue, lessen muscle soreness, and rejuvenate the feet. Products that incorporate various botanicals, for example, can create a foot soak that positively affect both mind and body and treat painful feet. Research shows that scents have a direct impact on our thoughts and emotions, and the use of botanicals in a foot soak offers both mental and physical benefits. Botanicals have long been used in combination with massage therapy to promote feelings of well-being, promote health, and as therapeutic tools. The same concepts apply when using botanicals in combination with a soak to treat painful feet. Foot soaks can also be useful in the treatment and prevention of other conditions such as athletes foot and in promoting overall foot health.

Peppermint, for example, is useful in clearing the mind and emotions (which can be very welcome after a long day on the job), relieves muscle aches, and is often used to treat painful feet. Combinations of lavender, rosemary, and juniper, are used to relive pain and in sports medicine. Other blends, such as peppermint, rosemary, and geranium are used not only to treat pain but also to uplift and strengthen.

For a relaxing foot soak, use cool or warm water and soak your feet for about fifteen minutes. Pat the feet dry rather than rubbing them with a towel (although a rough towel can be in replace of a pumice stone for mild calluses or corns). When feet are dry, apply a foot lotion.

by Vincent Platania

AP - Poland’s prime minister says his country will offer asylum or a $40,000 payment to any Iraqi working for its military or police in Iraq.

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Have you ever wondered how sports betting smart money became the smart money? Do you wonder what the smart money does differently than the amateurs? The biggest difference between professional gamblers and the amateurs is that the pros always take the following 7 steps. If you do these things, you’ll be well on your way to making money like the pros.

1. Do Your Homework

If you want to be successful, you have to do your homework on each game. Don’t try guessing or playing hunches. You’ll lose in the long run.

2. Stick to What You Know

Only bet on teams you know. Try starting off with just betting on your hometown teams if you’re having trouble making money.

3. Get Expert Advice

There are countless experts who will do your homework for you. Even if you don’t agree with their picks, you can use their research and make up your own mind about a game.

4. Don’t Fall for Sucker Bets

If something feels like a sucker bet, it usually is. You need to learn to stay away from these types of bets. An example of a sucker bet? A home dog getting 3 1/2. The odds makers will put a line up like this just to make sure people take the points.

5. Allocate Your Money Properly

In order to make money long-term you need to spread your bets around instead of risking a high percentage on each bet. It’s better to bet $50 on 10 games than to bet $250 on two games. Don’t be greedy.

6. Keep Good Records

There’s nothing worse than a gambler who kids himself into thinking he really didn’t lose that much. Losing gamblers are known for kidding themselves by saying they broke even when in reality they lost money. Keep accurate records.

7. Remember, It’s Just a Game

Even professional gamblers keep their wins and losses in perspective. If you don’t control your emotions and stay on an even keel, you will make stupid bets trying to make up your previous losses. Pros stay calm emotionally. Amateurs blow up, throw things, and swear at their television. Decide which you are going to be!

So there you have it, the 7 steps you must do to make money betting on sports. How many of these things do you do now? Just like the teams you’re betting on, the gambler that masters the fundamentals will win more often than not.

Go to www.davidjamessports.com/signup.php http://www.davidjamessports.com/signup.php to learn more.

David James is one of the world’s foremost sports handicappers. Not only does James have an uncanny knack for knowing who to bet on, but he also is one of the best at providing in depth explanations and statistics showing exactly why each pick meets his criteria. Click on this link if you would like to learn how to be successful at Sports Betting.

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When you are looking for a new job, advice on how to evaluate and negotiate an appropriate starting salary is invaluable. We’ve teamed up with acclaimed salary negotiation expert and author, Jack Chapman, to bring you practical advice on negotiating a proper starting salary.

Five simple starting salary rules:

Rule #1) Postpone talking about starting salary until there’s an offer on the table
Rule #2) Let the other person name a figure first
Rule #3) Repeat their starting salary offer and be quiet
Rule #4) Share your researched starting salary range and establish your individual value
Rule #5) Clinch the deal and deal some more

Starting Salary Rule #1 - When to Discuss Starting Salary

There’s not much point in discussing starting salary unless you’re sure you’re going to get an offer, make sense? But more than that, it’s not to your advantage to talk about your starting salary. When an employer asks what are your salary requirements? or what are you currently earning? they are gathering information on your likely expectations. There are maybe two or three right answers to this question and more than 20 wrong ones. Too high and you’re screened out, too low and you’ll lose money in the initial offer, or you’ll be eliminated as under-qualified based on your low salary requirements.

The proper time to discuss your starting salary is after the job position has been defined and you are sure the employer understands what you are bringing to the table.

Until then, a good postponing phrase would be, All I’ll require is a competitive salary. I will likely be using PayScale and other resources to help determine that — as I presume you will, too. So I’m confident the starting salary will take care of itself, if I’m the right person for the job.

Starting Salary Rule #2 - Who Goes First

When they’re ready to make an offer, here’s a second piece of timing advice: don’t haul out your research too soon! When it comes to discussing your starting salary, let the employer go first. That way you have a firm starting point that you can be assured of, when it is your turn. Generally, you’ll want to bump the starting salary up 5-10% or more. But, in the worst case scenario, if they go first, you certainly won’t get less than their initial offer. Additionally, there is always the chance that they will exceed the starting salary figure you were planning to mention.

NOW do you show your salary research? NO…. Not yet.

Starting Salary Rule #3 - Repeat The Offer And Be Quiet

Once they go first, you respond by repeating their starting salary offer and remaining silent. If they have given you a low-ball offer, and they know it, now is the time for them to increase their offer. Okay, I’ve heard the offer, I’ve greeted it with silence, now do I get to use my salary report?

Maybe…

Starting Salary Rule #4 - Share Your Researched Range and Establish Your Individual Value

If you are reading this article, you have probably done some research about what your salary should be. If you haven’t or want more accurate and reliable salary information, complete our brief salary survey to determine what the average salary and salary range is for your new position.

Now that you have the salary information necessary for negotiating, I want you to learn the value of having PayScale salary report in hand. The best way to leverage a PayScale salary report for a successful negotiation is to set your own expectations about how you will use your report. Know what information your report contains, and especially know what the data represents - what is behind the numbers - before taking it to the boss or a potential employer.

When you compared your research with your offer, you were either under market, over market, or right in the range. If your salary research indicates that the offer is below the range for your specific job and responsibilities, now is the time to share your research with the employer and discuss how the employer arrived at his/her estimates. Often you will find some points of disagreement on which to negotiate an increase.

Keep in mind that the employer will likely view compensation data differently than the employee. Two common points the employer may wish to discuss are the sources used to obtain the data in the report, and whether the data in the report matches your job profile, the company profile, and job location.

Finally, when a company wants to buy your time and effort, remember it’s a human being who makes the decision. It isn’t a cut and dried assessment; it’s a rational-emotive process that takes into account many factors that aren’t always fair or logical. Your awareness of these factors can greatly improve your chances for improving your salary.

Starting Salary Rule #5 - Clinch the Deal and Deal Some More

Finally, you receive a salary that you can live with and is fair. Do you sign it then? Well, yes and no. Yes, you now have a firm base to agree to, that you know you will be happy with. But, don’t stop! It is now time to put your attention on the other factors of the salary-equation gold mine.

Betsy Ribera is the Vice President of Consumer Marketing for PayScale, Inc., a market leader in online compensation information, providing access to accurate compensation data for both employees and employers. With the world’s largest database of individual employee compensation profiles at her fingertips, Betsy provides immediate and precise insights on the job market.

LiveScience.com - If you want to boost your teenager’s grade point average, take thekid to church. Or, a new study suggests, find some similar socialactivity to involve them in.

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Ever antagonistic to its neighbors, Palm Beach Gardens has always been an independent-minded community. From its inception, when it was forced to change its name from Palm Beach City by the nearby city of Palm Beach, to more recently, when it usurped Naples’ title of “The Golf Capital of the World,” Palm Beach Gardens hasn’t really cared what its neighbors thought of it. That being said, Palm Beach Gardens is a lovely community, with a wide variety of attractions to occupy your time.

Home to the headquarters of the PGA, there are 12 golf-courses within the city-limits of Palm Beach Gardens - enough to keep even the most avid golfer busy for some time. There are great dining opportunities, and the atmosphere in most restaurants is unusually relaxed; you’ll be equally comfortable in either beach attire or a suit and tie in most cases. While not actually on the coast, Palm Beach Gardens is only a half-hour away from the treasure coast and all its fantastic recreational opportunities. Palm Beach Gardens is also home to one of the most exceptional shopping malls in the state.

Downtown at the Gardens is not your ordinary shopping mall. It is a very large, open air, pedestrian only center, featuring not only tons of stores and boutiques, but incredibly elaborate landscaping, three permanent fountains (each of which are exciting testaments to the ancient art of fountainry), and, best of all, an exclusive rotating collection of high-quality sculpture (which, like everything else in Florida, is for sale). There are over 160 stores in the mall, which has been called “The most civilized mall in the state,” and includes such favorites as a Whole Foods, a 16-screen Cobb Theater, a large selection of restaurants, and all of your favorite upscale retail stores. If you want to go to a mall in Florida, this is the one to go to.

But how to get to Palm Beach Gardens? Rickshaw? Donkey-back? Of course not! You want to travel to this fantastic bastion of consumerism in a limousine (or other luxury vehicle) from Mirage Limo. There’s no better way to go shopping than to start your trip in a limousine, and Mirage has you covered. (Please note, Mirage is a perfect choice for any event in Palm Beach Gardens; its use is certainly not limited to going to the mall).

Nick Jurkowski is a senior editor for www.MilleniumLimo.com http://www.MilleniumLimo.com . The essays above can be found on his night life blog, The Urban Adventure Blog, which is updated daily.

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