For years I’ve enjoyed listening to speakers of all types, trying to identify what makes them successful. Many preachers have developed their skills to a level of fine art, like Charles Swindoll or Joyce Meyers. With rare exceptions like President Barak Obama or, depending upon the event, Sarah Palin, civic and political leaders typically lag far behind religious leaders in polish and presentation. Whoever they are, leaders would do well to forever work at improving their communication skills.

Here are a few practical nuts and bolts:

Speak. The first law of communication is to communicate, so if you want people to get the message, share the message. And you must speak in a vocabulary-as simply as possible-and manner others can understand. Don’t do what some professors attempt to do, impress the audience with multiple syllable words. Doesn’t work. When the crowd goes home the only thing they remember is your hubris. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)-doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Don’t apologize for speaking. It’s one thing to hear an infrequent speaker offer a nervous apology on the church platform; it’s quite another to hear this from a leader. If speaking makes you nervous get over it or get another job. Your apologies for being ill-at-ease makes everyone else ill-at-ease. The more comfortable you are “in your own skin” the more comfortable your audience will be with your presentation.

Convey confidence. Take charge of the speaking opportunity and treat listeners with respect. Say “Thanks,” but don’t gush. Do whatever it takes to develop your confidence: prepare properly, practice, use notes, etc. Stand physically relaxed and avoid signaling nerves by odd gestures or extraneous movement.

Connect with the audience. Smile. Look directly at people individually and collectively. Scan the entire audience in a natural and measured way so everyone feels you are speaking to them. On the way or at the event, be alert for a development unique to the occasion, than mention it at the beginning of your talk. Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer is a master at this. Every time, dingy old high school auditorium or the Waldorf Astoria, he finds something to say that’s distinctive and complimentary to his listeners and their venue. Know your audience and relate directly to them, their town, or their event today. Make them feel special-why comedians exit stage left saying, “You’ve been a great audience.”

Develop a few appropriate one-liners that work anywhere. Old stand-by one-liners-with which you are comfortable-are always there for you like a good friend. They reduce your anxiety, help you convey confidence and connect with the audience, and assist in engaging the audience and helping them relax. One of my favorites goes something like this: “I’ve always wanted to speak at XYZ. (short pause) Guess now I can die happy.” That one never fails to get a laugh.

Never read your speech. It may be appropriate to read a short formal announcement or a reference to someone else’s statement. But reading your content is the fastest way to lose your audience’s attention, put them to sleep, or literally lose them as they vote with their feet going out the back door. I once sat in the Michigan Legislature’s gallery listening to Governor John Engler deliver his State of the State Address. While I appreciated him and most of his ideas I struggled to stay focused as he ponderously read line after line. You can guess what the opposition party was doing. To the Governor’s credit he got better with time, according to a few of his intimates, with professional help and practice. Good for him. Good for his constituency.

Be brief. FDR’s “Be sincere; be brief; be seated” is a good rule of thumb for any speaker. In November, 1863, Edward Everett gave the principal speech at the dedication ceremony for a new military cemetery at Gettysburg, followed by President Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” Everett later wrote to Lincoln, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

Tell stories. Jesus generally spoke to crowds of followers in parables, which are short stories from everyday life containing an application of deeper spiritual truths. While more than thirty parables are recorded in the Gospels, in the book of Mark it says Jesus used many other parables in his public speaking ministry. Indeed, “He did not say anything to them without using a parable” (Mark 4:33-34). People are interested in people and that’s what a leader’s best stories should be about.

List core values and/or state goals clearly. Put your values and goals into every major presentation. Why? Because an important way to motivate people is to assure that they know where they are going. Values and goals are part and parcel of a vision speech. Share them, or better yet, as leader embody them. Lead by example.

Be positive. “Negative campaigning” has long since become commonplace in American life. But a leader is better served taking the high road. Ronald Reagan gave us a version of this, his 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” Describe who you and your organization are, not who others or competitor organizations are not. Being quoted in media with a sound bite attack on others is more about ego or vengeance than it is about advancing your organization’s vision. Nobody follows a flame-thrower for long. The heat’s too intense.

Use props to reinforce not replace your speech. PowerPoints, video shorts, pictures, audio, other technology can be enormously effective tools for engaging an audience. But you’re still the speaker and, for my money, you need to speak. No media has yet been developed that is as compelling as a passionate person who truly believes what he or she is saying. Use props wisely, but don’t forget the natural power of going “unplugged.”

Use your same (best) vision speech repeatedly. Leadership expert Barry Z. Posner’s formula for good vision communication: “Repetition, repetition, repetition!” Richard Nixon made the point more colorfully, “About the time you are writing a line you have written so often that you want to throw up, that is the time the American people will hear it.” Communicate the vision persuasively and persistently at every possible occasion. And don’t worry if you’re sharing the vision too often. Management consultants Thomas Werner and Robert Lynch recommend leaders communicate their vision 7 times in 7 different ways. I’d say a lot more often than that.

These items are suggestions born of experience, not rules. Some will apply all the time. Some will apply sometimes. It’s your judgment call.

You are the leader. Lead with your words.

Eggs are a very powerful food in general, they are known as a super food, but when it comes to bodybuilding and gaining a lot of muscle mass they are the perfect food to have in your diet. The high protein content and nutrient dense yolk create a perfect food for increasing testosterone levels and gaining muscle.

High protein content

Eggs contain the highest quality protein you can get; the only higher protein source is whey protein. The egg white and egg yolk both contain about the same amount of protein.

Protein is the number one component your muscles need to grow the better the quality the more of it can be absorbed and converted into muscle tissue by your body.

Hormone boosting fats

The egg yolk contains all the fats. Most importantly it contains high amounts of healthy cholesterol. The cholesterol is what will skyrocket your testosterone levels – testosterone is derived from cholesterol. An average egg contains about 200mg of cholesterol. To see noticeable results eat at least 800mg of cholesterol, this equates to about 4 large eggs.

How to eat so many

Cooking a dozen eggs can be time consuming. You can eat eggs both cooked and raw; just make sure either way you eat the whole egg, white and yolk, to reap all the benefits.

When cooking your eggs fry them in coconut oil or butter. Add plenty of fat for scrambled eggs. Boil them or poach them, have them however you prefer.

Add raw eggs to your protein shakes. If you can handle it gulp them down whole on there own.

Extra nutrition

For extra nutrition mainly from the egg yolk, which should be a bright orange or yellow color, if it is pale it usually means the egg isn’t that good quality. To get the best eggs make sure they are grass fed instead of corn fed. Eat organic, free range eggs. You can even get eggs that are omega 3 rich, these are the ones you will want for the most nutrients.

Aim to eat 4-5 eggs for breakfast. Then maybe a few raw eggs in an afternoon shake and then some more cooked eggs before bed. This will give you optimum results, giving your body a constant supply of protein and fats – for muscle growth and anabolic hormone elevation. Combine this with an intense muscle building workout for amazing gains in muscle mass.

Thinking of starting an import/export business? Jennifer Henzel, a Certified Import/Export Trade Professional offers these tips for getting started:

1. Many countries have set up offices (Consulates or Embassies) in foreign countries to promote the exporting of their goods. The Consulates will supply you with industry directories and more. Embassies are located in a nation’s capital and Consulates in different cities. In many cases, the Embassy web site will contain directories and manufacturer lists, as well as an email link that you can use for sourcing

2. To import goods, communicate with that country’s Consulate situated in your own country. If you are uncertain what products the other country wants, you can obtain catalogues and lists of manufacturers.

3. Contact your country’s taxation department to ask about registration numbers or other procedures that you must follow. For example, if you are Canadian, you will require a Registration Number, issued by Canada Customs and Taxation Agency (CATA). When you inform CCTA of your plans to import or export, they issue an extension to your business number. This number is used on all related documents.

4. Find out about licensing requirements, if any. Many countries do not have licensing requirements for most products. However, if you are importing or exporting high-risk products (pharmaceuticals, liquor, chemicals, arms, certain food items and certain articles of apparel), you might need a license. “I strongly recommend that people start out with low risk items that can be easily traded and have fewer barriers­ like giftware and consumer items,” said Henzel. “Certain industries, like dairy, are guarded by lobby groups in some countries. You will be faced with quotas and restrictions.”

5. Embargoes are trade barriers set up against other countries. Many countries have embargoes against Cuba, for example. First, contact your own government to determine whether there are restrictions or embargoes against the country you are considering. Next, contact that country’s Consulate or Embassy to see if there are restrictions against goods from your country.

6. Participate in the local Boards of Trades (or Chambers of Commerce if there is no local Board of Trade). In addition to networking, you have access to research libraries and other resources that will offer good trade information.

7. Use customs brokers. “Small businesses attempting their own paperwork can run into delays at borders. If you make a mistake, you can be fined,” said Henzel. “A custom broker’s service is well worth the fee you pay.”

8. When exporting, understand that there is no one solution to shipping and customs handling that will work in every situation. Every deal is different. Each company and each set of products will require a different set of services, or a combination of services. Engaging the services of a freight forwarder is one possibility. Freight forwarders arrange shipping and customs for goods going to other countries. “You have to shop for these services and do your research,” Henzel explained. “Ask a lot of questions. It’s no different than buying a piece of furniture. You shop around first.”

9. Be familiar with Incoterms, as posted to the International Chamber of Commerce Web Site (http://www.iccwbo.org/index_incoterms.asp). Incoterms are standard trade definitions that dictate the shipping and payment responsibilities of each party. The two companies involved negotiate Incoterms for each deal. The best known Incoterms include EXW (Ex works), FOB (Free on Board), CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight), DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid), and CPT (Carriage Paid To). “You negotiate according to the Incoterms,” Henzel said. “You decide who pays for shipping, who pays for insurance, etc.”

10. Consult your bank for information about Letters of Credit, the most common form of payment when trading internationally. With a Letter of Credit, you minimize your risk because the banks assure that the goods are delivered before the money is exchanged. As an importer, a Letter of Credit reduces the risk of having to pay in advance for goods, or of paying for goods that are inconsistent with the product description in the Letter. As an exporter, you have the buyer’s bank’s assurance that you will receive payment provided you ship the goods as specified within an agreed-upon time.

11. Participate in Trade Missions. Consult your Board of Trade or local Chamber of Commerce to discover what is available.

12. Finally, look to the Web for information about international trade. Many web sites offer an array of information that you can access for no charge, including Henzel’s site (www.importexportcoach.com).

Baker’s Dozen Donuts is a franchise donut store chain founded in 1978 by Peter Paraskakis. This donut store operator is based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The chain operates over 300 store units, mostly in the Toronto, Ontario market area. Expansion came in the late 1980s, but it remains a small scale operation. Stores are company-owned as well as franchised. The store has two slogans: The original sign featured a European-looking Baker with a moustache holding a tray of a dozen donuts in one hand, and the thirteenth or “Baker’s Dozen” donut in the other hand.

Many donut shops are small and dark. Baker’s Dozen Donuts breaks these stereotypes with a large well lit customer area and donut showcase visible from the main street. Baker’s Dozen is often complimented by many customers as one of the cleanest shops around.

Baker’s Dozen Donuts offers a huge selection of donuts made fresh every single day. Not only does the shop offer specialty donuts, but they also make a fresh variety of croissants, muffins and a large selection of goodies such as fritters, strudel sticks, bagels, cinnamon sugar sticks, flavoured chorus, cake holes and sundaes. To go with the donuts, pastries and other goodies, the shop also offers a huge selection of drinks. From fresh coffee to a variety of fruit smoothies and everything in between, the shop offers a wide drink menu to satisfy whatever thirst you may have.

Baker’s Dozen Donuts guarantees its use of the highest quality ingredients that they can possibly find. They believe that the best doughnuts can only be made with the best ingredients; thus their constant efforts to elevate the standards in their baking practices.

Franchise agreements are granted with an initial franchise fee of $20,000. Royalty fees are 6% of gross sales. It takes a total net worth of $68,000 to $150,000 for investing a kiosk and a total net worth of $320,000 for a drive-through. Approximately, over 1 to 4 employees are needed to run a franchised unit. The company also requires an advertising fee of 2% local plus 2% national.

A franchisee will be provided with continued service and support from the company which include advertising and marketing, financial assistance, lease negotiation, site location, staff training, management, supplies and purchasing. Aside from these benefits, Baker’s Dozen Donuts has built its name through the years. Carrying its brand is one big advantage, as it is already known and established.

Becoming a successful franchisee with Baker’s Dozen Donuts isn’t as daunting as it might seem. Naturally, there will be challenges but the basic requirements you need to overcome to make your franchise work are assets you probably already possess. Essentially, Baker’s Dozen Donuts looks for highly motivated organizations or entrepreneurs with a sincere commitment to building a retail brand in their territory.

When looking to start any business it is important, particularly considering today’s market, that you look for specific ways to cut minimize or reduce overhead and risk. Any business is going to have risk, but it is important to have a full understanding of the amount of investment, start-up cost and “ROI” (Return on Investment).

Most people are not aware that 80% of ALL franchise endeavours fail in the first two to five years leaving large debts looming for years thereafter.

One way and in my opinion the best way to cut overhead, start-up and investment cost is to take advantage of the new age of entrepreneurship and start a business from the comfort of your home. Opportunities have emerged in the online market that are creating millionaires every single day. Learn more about the exciting opportunities tied to a business model that begins profitable by visiting: http://whatsbetterthanafranchise.com.

Most small to medium size businesses quickly get to the point where they realize they need an accountant who is versed in everything from tax preparation to financial planning. When they can no longer handle all of the financial work themselves, they start shopping for a bookkeeper to help them with the complexities of their finances. Some companies opt for a generic bookkeeper while others hire a CPA, assuming that the difference between the two is more a matter of cost per hour for their services than any difference between the services they offer. In fact, there are numerous differences between them that make a Certified Public Account well worth every dime you spend.

Anybody Can Be An Accountant

And that does mean anybody. There are no federal or state guidelines a person has to meet before they can hang out their shingle as an accounting specialist. In fact, the very definition clearly allows anyone who is interested in doing the books to advertise themselves as an accountant, which is simply someone who looks after the financial records for a business or organization. If you work with figures, you can use the title without having to get a college degree, take a test or ensure that you understand finances. If you can use a calculator and are familiar with basic accounting software, you can be a bookkeeper for any company willing to hire you.

A CPA Has To Prove His Or Her Qualifications

You can’t, however, simply put up a sign and be familiar with bookkeeping to be a Certified Public Accountant. The certification process is a stringent one. You have to take a series of tests and pass them with the appropriate score in order to be allowed to refer to yourself as certified. In the state of Illinois, there are no fewer than four exams required and you will have to pass every one of them. Rigorous testing ensures that everyone who passes has been properly trained. What does that training entail? In most states, it means you’ve been to college and obtained the appropriate degree.

Education Is Critical

Even though someone has spent years as a bookkeeper, if they don’t have the educational background, they can’t call themselves a CPA if they haven’t completed at least 120 semester hours of the appropriate credit courses from a recognized educational institution. The courses have to include business law, accounting and auditing, with a focus on accounting.

Keeping Current Is Also Vital

Keeping a CPA designation can be as difficult as getting one because there are strict guidelines for maintaining certification. Anyone who is a CPA has to complete at least 80 additional hours of continuing education every two years in order to stay current on the constantly changing laws and regulations surrounding business accounting practices.

Will you pay a bit more to have a Certified Public Accountant work for your company? Yes, but you’ll soon realize that his or her knowledge, training and experience are valuable assets that will save your company a great deal more in terms of peace of mind and the best possible financial decisions for you and your business.

Time management is not so much discipline as it is recognizing what you should or should not let interfere with accomplishing your desired goals. There are many things that can get in the way of having a good plan for managing your time, just as there are excellent ideas to help with management. Presented below are six time management don’ts along with their corresponding do in order to be better at managing time.

1. Don’t rely on stacks of paper to remind you what to do.
2. Do put every task you need to do all on a single list.
3. Don’t rely on your memory for appointments.
4. Do put all appointments on your calendar.
5. Don’t ignore important projects because they seem too big for you to do.
6. Do break bigger projects into many smaller manageable tasks that you need to get done.
7. Don’t believe your work has to be perfect to be good enough.
8. Do go for quality in order to eliminate the possibility of future rework for you.
9. Don’t do the easy stuff first just because you can do it quickly.
10. Do work on your higher priority tasks before working on lower priorities.
11. Don’t be late to meetings you attend or start meetings you hold late.
12. Do use an agenda for your meetings to keep it on track and end on time.

Consider the six time management things to do when any of the six don’ts crop up. Eliminating or avoiding the things that can get in the way of having a good plan for managing time will make it easier to do the good options that help you to become better at time management. Remember that time management is a little discipline mixed with lots of recognition of those items that might personally interfere with accomplishing your goals.

I’m not talking about coaches or high-level teachers. I’m talking about preschool, beginner, and intermediate instructional teachers. I’m going to talk about those obvious, but must-have attributes that make you the kind of teacher that every parent wants their child to have. The kind of teacher that kids scream your name when they see you outside the gym… the kind of teacher that kids adore and parents want their kids to grow up to be like. That is the kind of teacher who makes a great wage, because they are so valuable to their gym…the kind that every gym owner will bend over backwards to keep. Just like the one you’re thinking of right now who made an impact on your life. This is the kind of teacher YOU can be!

Let’s look at 12 mistakes teachers make and how we can fix them. These mistakes can be corrected with knowledge, the desire to be better, but then it takes action to do so.

I. Not using progressions- You need to have a system where a sub can see what to teach the kids when you’re not there, to keep for legal purposes, and to show the parents how much their kids are learning. And, if you teach more than a few classes, how in the world can you remember what each class needs to do?

II. Teaching preschool like school-age- Preschool classes need more defined lesson plans and they need fun props. You need to use a different voice inflection, different music, and they just need a lot of lovin! And, with preschoolers, you need very specific instructions.

III. Not realizing that you can teach school-age almost like preschool-You can use some of the same drills, stations, and equipment that you use for your little ones, but you need to give your instructions in a different voice and tone. Be sure to use many of the same props you use in preschool to teach the older ones. For examples hand and foot prints when needed, bean bag between the ankles to keep their legs together for rolls, and a ball to bring their knees up while doing tuck jumps on the trampoline.

IV. Making too many stations-confusing activity and instruction-One-on-one training is the key to true instruction. Don’t get caught up using too many stations and thinking a lot of activity is the key to a good class. Turning out good gymnasts and your students having a good time are the keys to a good class.

V. Not having fun with the kids- Preschoolers love the theme lesson plans like nursery rhymes, dinosaur week, and outer space week. They want kind teachers and fun with their classmates. For school-age kids, just learning new skills, making new friends, and getting awards is fun. Make the kids feel special and not only remember their names, but know their hobbies, their likes, and their pets. Remember their story from last week and send them notes in the mail, a birthday card, and an “I’m proud of you” postcard occasionally. Go above and beyond and create a true relationship with the student and their family.

VI. Not repeating skill names or reviewing at the end of class- What does every parent ask when a child gets in the car after class? “What did you do? and “Did you have fun?” If they can’t remember the skill names, it hasn’t been learned. Review what you did with them at the end of class.

VII. Not including parents- Use memos, newsletters, and parent-teacher conferences to relay information to parents and to keep them in the loop about what their children are learning. Creating a relationship with the parents secures the customer service triangle of teacher, parent, and child. They will become your ambassadors to the outside world and bring in more students via positive word of mouth about your business.

VIII. Not giving enough awards- Kids love to get them and parents love to see their kids happy. Moms will put certificates into scrapbooks and display those trophies and medals on shelves in the house for all to see. That is a great marketing tool.

IX. Not keeping to your word- When you’re disciplining a child, your word is golden. Also, when you’re promising you’ll call the parent or find out an answer for them, by all means, do it! Keep your word!

X. Giving the students control- Don’t ask them what they want to do, make the lesson plan ahead of time and stick to it…UNLESS it isn’t working, then it’s your job to change it. The first day of class is the key to creating respect and trust. Don’t have kids warm-up the class or spot other students. Be sure they’re in the proper attire for their safety. It’s your job.

XI. Forgetting that each child is different- Every child learns a different way and because of that, you must deliver the lesson using these methods: auditory by explaining the skill, visual by demonstrating the skill, and kinesthetic by spotting them on the skill. Keep this mantra in your head, Tell, Show, Spot! Every child’s personality is unique and may need a different approach. Be aware of their fitness level and adjust for that. Celebrate their uniqueness and make them feel special in their body.

XII. Not letting the enthusiasm shine that you have for kids and gymnastics!- If you don’t have it, go flip hamburgers at McDonalds instead of flipping kids at a gym school. The word enthusiasm comes from a Greek word, “en theos” meaning God within. Look at the last four letters of the word, I-A-S-M. It could stand for I AM SOLD ON MYSELF. If you are sold on your abilities, your school and what it stands for, and you have a love of children, your enthusiasm will shine… and so will you!