Who else is sick and tired of trying to get rich online with gimmicks, gadgets and guru’s? Think that little known marketing “secret” or underground trick or technique is going to make you wealthy? Have you convinced yourself that selling ClickBank eBooks, or affiliate programs is going to allow you the sort of lifestyle you truly deserve? Or, maybe like I once did long ago… You think that you are going to earn REAL wealth with a personal blog that details your entrepreneurial rags to riches journey and inspire millions on your way to the top of the mountain?

Think again.

The truth is, you have more of a chance, statistically… earning a 6 figure salary in a real world, conventional career, than you would trying or applying any of the ideas above in the online entrepreneurial space.

But… Before you think I’m suggesting you give UP on your online entrepreneurial aspirations, I’m not. Instead, I want to share a few very simple inspired ideas that have worked wonderfully well for me, as well as thousands of other real world entrepreneurs who are doing what we love for a living. (many of whom, have turned the simple ideas below into multi million or even multi BILLION dollar business to boot)

Curious to know more? Continue reading as we take a quick look at a few simple rules that WILL transform your brand, blog, business and bank account… immediately below.

Rule #1: BUILD Something

98% of the online entrepreneurs I meet are always trying to sell something. Whether it’s an affiliate product, or a coaching course, or even an inexpensive eBook… That model may offer a slender shred of quick success, but it’s not a viable way to build enduring value.

Building something, instead of selling something, is a far better long term strategy for not only creating real wealth for yourself, but building real value in your niche, market or industry as well.

Consider THIS for a moment.

AIRBNB is forecast by some high dollar investors (including one of the founders of PayPal, Peter Thiel) as the next 100 BILLION dollar business. It was started by a few average people on a bootstrap budget, and has grown into THE authority site in the “affordable alternative to hotel” travelers space.

Kickstarter, another offbeat idea for creating a community platform for PASSION and purpose based professionals to share their flare with the world, has become the LARGEST source of funding for ordinary people with extraordinary inspired ideas, funding 100s of millions of dollars and counting.

The chances that you or I am going to create the next AIRBNB or Kickstarter? Not great.

But, the chances that you or I can launch a similar style site that is an “authority” in a smaller niche, market or industry that we care about, or have passion for, and that can earn hundreds of thousands of profit, or be valued at 6 or even 7 figures or more in a reasonably short time?

Pretty darn good… Especially if you scale this strategy across multiple markets.

For example?

You can create an entire business that emulates an AIRBNB style model, for under $100… with killer templates, premium plugins and simply follow their blueprint for success. It doesn’t have to be real estate, you can create a search engine that matches consumers from the public, with professionals that have something specific to offer and need to be found, in just about any niche under the sun.

You can create a directory site. You can create a local marketplace. You can create a social network in your niche, market or industry of choice, using FREE plugins like Buddypress, and position yourself as the thought leader, authority or go to expert.

Maybe your passion is online business or entrepreneurialism or helping other professionals build BUZZ for their own blogs, brands or business? You can create a job board, a classified site, a local news magazine, a marketing forum, or even a crowd funding community… And literally, build an entire online “agency” with high dollar offers behind it, simply because you’ll be looked at as the brains behind the scene.

The truth is, this approach takes a little bit more work… And a little bit more effort overall. But believe it or not, it’s EASY to do, a whole lot of fun, and a great way to offer genuine value to others while doing what you love for a living!

Write it down! Tell the world. Accomplished authors, whether known worldwide or only in smaller professional circles, are able to reach every dream faster… and then some. Want to grow your business – write. Be offered the next promotion – write. Get a job, or a new job – write. People look up to the successful among us. They affiliate themselves with the accomplished. They hire, promote, or buy from the expert who has demonstrated they are a mover and shaker in their field. Are you?

What to Write

You are an expert. There is something, maybe many things, which you do exceptionally well or know much about. Putting your wisdom to the page provides credibility to your work, helps your fellow man in an area with which they want to learn or improve, and gives you a strong sense of self-satisfaction when your work is published.

Focus less on becoming the next multi-million dollar author of Harry Potter and more on being you. If you are not a storyteller, fiction may not be your area. Plus, unless you want to change careers to become a full time author, it will do little to help your current career. Write non-fiction; that is, how-to, why-it-works, knowledge, and educational pieces that will help others know what you know. Don’t worry about writing yourself out of a job, thinking if you write it down they won’t need you anymore. On the contrary, you will become THE source for your clients and co-workers alike.

How to Get Published

“You should write a book” is a common phrase in American lexicon that we hear, or say, often. Maybe a book is in your future. But, if you are not a writer now, and have never been published before, it is probably not the best place to start. Consider magazine, journal, newspaper, newsletter, or electronic authorship.

There are two common ways to proceed.

The first, and most common, is to find a need and fill it. Talk to the editor of the publication for which you wish to write to find out what content they need. A little known fact is that most magazines and journals theme each issue and often make available their Editorial Calendars, outlining the themes for the upcoming issues. If your expertise corresponds with an upcoming theme, contact the editor to see if they will allow you to try your hand at a piece for consideration.

The second, less common approach is to just write. Find a topic to which you bring passion, expertise, and experience and write an outstanding article. Work it and rework it. You are on your own time – you have no deadline. Revisit it in subsequent days or weeks to lay “fresh eyes” on it. When you have it almost where you want it, share it with a trusted advisor for their input and feedback. Rework it some more. Only after it is perfect – shop it around. Send it to editors of journals, magazines, newspapers, and newsletters to see if they will accept it. Don’t just send it to any editor of any publication. Research them first and make an honest judgment call on if your article would fit well in their publication.

I have personally had much more success with the latter method; though, fellow authors tell me it is the path less travelled and much more difficult to find success. With over a dozen articles published in national publications and dozens more in state and local print, I have not found this, however, to be the case.

How Long

Publications differ. In broadly speaking terms, there are three different article lengths – think of them as small, medium, and large. The common measuring tool is in number of words, as opposed to characters, found with some social media (such as Twitter); or, column inches, found predominantly in the newspaper world.

A small article, then, is 600 to 800 words. Anything smaller is not really an article at all; but rather, an interesting fact, very short story, or report on an event. After being laid out on the page, adding graphics, advertisements, or sidebars, a 600 to 800 word article fills less than a full printed page.

Medium-sized articles are the bread and butter of most publications, ranging from 800 to 1,200 words with a median length of 1,000 words. They either fill the printed page or extend to a second page when laid out and enhanced in production. It is possible that they will extend to a third page, though this is rare. I recommend you focus your early attempts in targeting this size. This is the perfect sized article to get an editor’s attention.

As articles approach 1,200 words in length and exceed it, they become feature articles. Most magazines and journal have three or less feature article in each issue. Newspapers have one per section. And, newsletters have one per issue. Every author wants a cover story. You have to earn it. History is full of ‘naturals.’ Maybe you are one of them and can hit it out of the park on your first time at bat. Most of us thrive at on-the-job training. We make our mistakes along the way. Learn. And, improve.

All Authors Hate Editing

You should have enough to say. In fact, you should have too much to say. It is much easier to ramble on long-winded than it is to be succinct. If you find yourself on the other side of the equation – searching for what to write – you have picked the wrong topic. As an example, after writing, re-writing, reviewing and tweaking this article, it was 1,557 words (I cut 367 words).

Editing it down to size is always the hardest part of writing a piece, large or small. It separates the adults from children.

Never send out into the world any piece unless you are convinced it is your latest masterpiece that far outshines all previous work. Should an article not rise to that level, keep it to yourself until you make it so.

Professional vs. Amateur

Pros get paid. Amateurs do not. Again, unless you are interested in changing careers to become a writer, use it as a supplement to your current career. Focus your efforts in writing the best piece possible and getting it to print rather than the few hundred dollars a paid author may receive. Success begets success. The more you are published, the easier it becomes to get published. If you are good, editors will want you. Whether writing is your passion or you write about your passion, my advice is the same: get a few dozen publication successes under your belt before you ever consider doing so for payment. Stay an amateur writer as long as you can. When you go pro, go fast and make a splash.

Dream big. Choose the most glorious publication in your field and work your way up to becoming a regular author in it. Your peers, contemporaries, clients, and boss will all appreciate your accomplishments and will reward you with greater success in your career of choice.

Become an author. Grow your career. Improve your life.

There are a series of comments in the Edgar Cayce readings that indicate that we are closer to the New Era than we may realize and that our daily news may indicate.

The first of these is Cayce’s insistence that the prophecy of the time to the end is over, that we are in a transition period, a time of “readjustments.” The prophecy of the time to the end was first given to the prophet Daniel by the angel Gabriel (Daniel 12:7) and again to the disciple John by the “Spirit” in the Revelation (12:14). Gabriel told Daniel that the time remaining was “a time, two times, and a half time,” and the Spirit told John that it was “a time, times, and a half time.” Cayce’s readings say:

“The time and times and half times are at an end, and there begin those periods for the readjustments.” (294-185)

“(Q) What is meant by ‘the day of the Lord is near at hand’?

“(A) That as has been promised through the prophets and the sages of old-the time and half time-has been and is being fulfilled in this day and generation [given in 1933], and that soon there will again appear in the earth that one through whom many will be called to meet those that are preparing the way or His day in the earth. The Lord, then, will come, ‘even as ye have seen him go.’

“(Q) How soon?

“(A) When those that are His have made the way clear, passable, for Him to come.” (262-49)

“The time and times and a half times shall pass, and then shall man come to know that in the temple, in the tabernacle of his own temple will he meet his God face to face!” (2572-1)

As these readings indicate, the end of time, times, and a half time begin a new era of enlightenment on the earth, and this era is to last “a thousand years.” It will be an era in which evil will not exist. The Revelation says, “Satan will be bound” during this golden era. The Cayce readings convey it this way:

“(Q) What is the meaning of one thousand years that Satan is bound?

“(A) Is banished. That … the prayer of ten just should save a city, the deeds, the prayers of the faithful will allow that period when the incarnation of those only that are in the Lord shall rule the earth, and the period is as a thousand years.

“Thus is Satan bound, thus is Satan banished from the earth. The desire to do evil is only of him. And when there are … those only whose desire and purpose of their heart is to glorify the Father, these will be those peri-ods when this shall come to pass.

“Be you all determined within your minds, your hearts, your purposes, to be of that number!” (281-37)

According to Cayce’s readings, the Second Coming will be a part of this thousand-year era.

“(Q) Please explain what is meant by ‘He will walk and talk with men of every clime.’ Does this mean he will appear to many at once or appear to various peoples during a long period?

“(A) As given, for a thousand years He will walk and talk with men of every clime. Then in groups, in masses, and then they shall reign of the first resurrection for a thousand years; for this will be when the changes materially come.” (364-8)

Notice the comment about material changes. In reading 288-29, Cayce said, “the Earth will be changed again,” not by flood this time but by fire. It will be a cleansing of a higher degree.

The cleansing by fire may be connected with another prophecy in Cayce’s discourses, that of the Earth’s poles shifting.

“(Q) What great change or the beginning of what change, if any, is to take place in the earth in the year 2,000 to 2,001 A.D.?

“(A) When there is a shifting of the poles. Or a new cycle begins.” (826-8)

This shifting of the poles of the Earth is associated with the breaking down of the Van Allen Radiation Belt. This “belt” is an encompassing shield of energetically charged particles (plasma) around the Earth, held in place by the Earth’s magnetic field. It shields our planet from solar radiation. We see the effects of this protec-tive belt in the Northern and Southern Lights, which indicate the directing of the solar radiation to our planet’s poles, away from the highly populated areas. If the belt opened during the shifting of the magnetic poles of our planet, then solar radiation would reach the populated areas. This would be a cleansing by “fire,” as the proph-ecy states.

In 2004, NOVA presented a show on PBS called “Magnetic Storm,” which revealed that scientists have discovered that the magnetic poles of our planet have begun to change. The show also revealed how solar ra-diation will reach the planet’s surface in populated areas.

An interesting note on this comes from the radiation disaster at the Soviet nuclear planet in Chernobyl. The release of radiation into the atmosphere caused terrific damage to the surrounding areas. Scientists predicted that all life in the area would die. But after many years, the field mice were still flourishing. When examined, these mice were found to have mutated their chromosome structure, enabling them to live in high radiation. Perhaps the prophecy that we will “all be changed in the twinkling of eye” relates to this dramatic change in our genes resulting from the higher radiation in the atmosphere, the “fire” cleansing.

Also associated with the end times is a massive war like no other. However, in Cayce’s readings, he sees this war quite differently than normal wars. He sees it as a battle for incarnation dominance! Which souls will gain a dominant incarnate presence on the planet, the good or the bad? The battle is being fought out of our sight in the spirit realms surrounding the planet. There’s a struggle for the wombs of the Earth. As bodies die and new ones are created, which souls will get these bodies? Of course, we know that the prophecy is that the souls of those who love God and their fellow humans as brothers and sisters will again gain the majority. In this way the planet becomes empty of evil and filled with goodness for a thousand years.

“(Q) If the Armageddon is foretold in the Great Pyramid, please give a description of it and the date of its beginning and ending.

“(A) Not in what is left there. It will be as a thousand years, with the fighting in the air … between those re-turning to and those leaving the earth.” (5748-6)

As these good souls gain the majority presence, the vibrations of the planet will change, preparing the way or, as Cayce stated it, “making the way passable” for His return.

The combination of radiation cleansing and increasing numbers of good souls incarnating brings the planet to a new era of enlightenment and goodness.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear that music of the coming of the Lord of this vineyard, and art thou ready to give account of that thou hast done with thine opportunity in the earth as the Sons of God, as the heirs and joint heirs of glory with the Son? Then make thine paths straight, for there must come an answering for that thou hast done with thine Lord! He will not tarry, for having overcome He shall appear even as the Lord and Master. Not as one born, but as one that returns to His own, for He will walk and talk with men of every clime, and those that are faithful and just in their reckoning shall be caught up with Him to rule and to do judg-ment for a thousand years!” (364-7)

These are exciting prophecies but so hard to hold on to in the midst of everyday, material life. Neverthe-less, we must prepare ourselves by living as He would have us: loving one another, helping one another.

It was not long after the birth of telemedicine that m-clinic apps for doctors took over and now they are commonplace within the healthcare setup. From remote consultation to smooth billing, these apps have helped the doctors organize their practice and provide efficient healthcare services to their patients.

Every other day, new apps for doctors are making their way into the healthcare setup. Each new app has better features than its predecessors to help the doctors overcome the problem of communicating with their patients and to bring high quality medical services right to the threshold of the patients (into their palms, to be more precise).

Mobile apps for doctors-the new communication channel

Mobile apps have brought ease of communication for the doctors, where contacting the patients located in remote regions is no more a problem. Mobile apps for doctors have evolved to include some remarkable features like chat, call and video consultation. These mobile apps are nothing short of virtual clinics where patients can benefit from prompt healthcare services provision. They are an incredible tool for patient engagement.

The use of these m-clinic apps for doctors is not limited merely to doctor-patient communication. They are also being used by health professionals separated by distance to get in instant contact with each other. This way, mobile apps help improve the efficiency of communication for the purpose of timely delivery of healthcare services to the patients. Prompt medical delivery was never this smooth and easy.

Mobile apps act as billing gateways to solve the problem of remote billing. This way, they have overcome the conventional means of billing, making the whole billing process more streamlined and efficient. With these doctors’ apps, billing the patients in remote locations is no more an issue.

When it comes to establishing a successful medical practice for doctors, these mobile apps are playing a significant role to help the doctors make their practice grow. They are contributing remarkably towards branding and these m-clinic apps for doctors can now be recommended to the patients for download so that they can easily contact the doctors 24/7. This way, doctors are making their health setups expand exponentially within short time frames.

How frequently released mobile apps for doctors are helping the health industry

Mobile apps have completely revolutionized the approach of doctors and even the patients, towards healthcare. They have helped improved the quality of life for the patients besides helping the doctors improve their services. Even with frequent release of health apps, there are only a few good quality apps that can be relied upon and are being flagged for their quality by the patients and doctors alike.

The mobile apps for doctors are the next big thing in the healthcare industry, providing easy and prompt communication between the doctors and their patients, as well as between doctors located in other areas. This way, mobile apps are helping the doctors employ a multi-disciplinary approach for improving the health of their patients by benefiting from the expertise and experience of their colleagues located across the country and even across the globe.

New apps for doctors are continuously being released and they have completely revolutionized the concept of m-health, taking it to another dimension. These health apps are helping the doctors conserve massive amounts of revenue which can be channeled into other demanding sources. Health infrastructure within the country has become better and is being improved further still owing to these m-clinic apps for doctors.

I confess, I am a David Hewlett fan (“McKay” is one of my favorite characters of all time), also I’m a Stargateophile (gatephiliac?) and pretty serious fanatic, however, I don’t automatically and blindly “love” everything out just because it’s attached to Stargate, either SG-1 or Atlantis. I like to think I have an independent mind to some extent. 

A Dog’s Breakfast sounded like a cute project, and I enjoyed reading the Hewlett dgeek.com blog and watching the squirrels (his self-named fans) spin an ever-widening and impressive marketing buzz like never seen before. And yes, I follow dhewlett on Twitter. But I still reserved my opinion until I could view the film.

I love the old screwball comedies, Cary Grant, Tracy & Hepburn, and I loved Peter Seller’s Inspector Clouseau. These were comparisons Hewlett made for his film, and it caught my interest on a level other than sci-fi (spoken reverently).

So, when I popped this little indie film into my DVD and started watching, several things happened. 

1) I fell in love with Mars the dog, totally and completely! 

2) I adored Kate Hewlett (even though she’d already won me over in “McKay and Mrs. Miller” (Atlantis reference)) 

3) Discovered Paul McGillion was hilarious 

4) Tried to mimic Chris Judge’s fantastic facial expressions, and

5) I totally loved the screwball, far-fetched and often very clever film 

Silly? Oh ya. Goofy? Most definitely. Over the top? You betcha. But, it also had this core of sweetness (not sloppy, icky, sticky sweetness, but good, warm, real sweetness), a warmth running through it that was subtle and unmistakable.

The behind-the-scenes segments and features on the DVD opened me up to the Dog’s Breakfast “inner circle,” so that I felt a part of the movie and let in on the inside jokes, which is not only a clever marketing angle, but it also increased my enjoyment and gave me a real connection to the crew and the film…and made me salivate (my homage to Mars) in anticipation of their next film. 

Bottom line: fun movie with a lot of energy, nice subtle yet warm “moral,” laughs galore, a few groans of mock-agony as it went over the top here and there, and I grinned, giggled and laughed out loud through the entire film. And I wanted a signed photo of Mars in the worst way!

When planning a holiday, you have so many factors to take into consideration. If you are travelling as a family, you have to focus on where to go, what to see and what will entertain the entire group. Another big deciding factor is where to say.

Thousands of people arrive at busy city locations each year for a dream holiday. They will explore the sights, see the local shows and enjoy some much needed retail therapy at the selection of stores. You can enjoy this experience whether you decide to stay in a hotel, at a bed and breakfast or guest house or you choose to stay in a serviced apartment.

There are a number of reasons why you may choose serviced apartments for your next holiday over a hotel or bed and breakfast. Serviced apartments can provide you and your family with a welcome alternative to a hotel. You can enjoy the conveniences of home and live like a local in any area, while still being a tourist and enjoying all the sights and attractions the area has to offer.

You will find that serviced apartments can provide you with a home away from home and work out cheaper than staying at a hotel or other accommodation option. Apartments are usually what is called self-catering. This means that breakfast isn’t waiting for you in the morning and you won’t enjoy the benefits of room service, but you will enjoy a fully equipped kitchen where you can buy your own food and eat in your own time and whenever you want with ease. You are not restricted to a kettle and a small amount of tea, coffee and milk.

Another reason to choose serviced apartments for your next holiday is that they come with all the modern amenities and facilities you get at home. You can enjoy the convenience of the internet, a fully equipped kitchen, television, washing machine, dishwasher and so much more. These apartments are usually well cared for to ensure you have a memorable and enjoyable stay wherever you decide to visit.

You will find that serviced apartments can accommodate you whether you want to stay for one or two nights or a couple of weeks. Most rental companies handling these apartments are able to accommodate your stay, no matter the duration. You may want to stay longer, extend your stay or only stay for a limited time, while still enjoying the modern conveniences without having to stay in a hotel.

Serviced apartments come with a housekeeping service. In most instances the service will come in once a week to change bedding and towels and clean up, so you still get to relax and enjoy all your holiday has to offer. Shorter stays may also be able to take advantage of a turndown service, if this is what you expect when on holiday.

Another reason to choose serviced apartments for your next city break is that you have the freedom to explore. You don’t have to wake up at a set time to have breakfast, you don’t have to spend the day out because you have limited space, but you do get to enjoy the area while living like a local and experiencing the city in a whole new way.

Always ensure when booking serviced apartments online that you only deal with a reputable and reliable company that has years of knowledge and experience in the holiday rental industry. They should be able to provide you with a range of units to choose from, helping you find your dream holiday apartment to meet your particular holiday needs.

Going on a wine tour is a great way to spend your day. It gives you the opportunity to kick back and relax and experience something that you do not do on a regular basis. Whether you have been on one wine tour or many, there is one thing that will take your wine tour to the next level – going on the tour in a limousine.

Renting a limo provides you with a number of benefits and luxuries that you cannot otherwise enjoy if you are the one doing the driving yourself. One of the things that make wine tours so fun is being able to enjoy and experience everything a winery has to offer; this includes not only the wonderful scenery, the history of the land, great food, but also having a few glasses of wine.

The following are some of the many advantages and benefits of renting a limo for your next wine tour. They include:

Convenience

Choosing to do a wine tour in a limousine provides you with the convenience of not having to worry about driving. It also provides you with the convenience of being able to go to multiple wineries, having your schedule planned for you for the day, and not having to worry about how you are going to get to and home from the winery.

Comfort

Riding in a luxurious limo is a lot more comfortable than driving in your car. This is especially the case if the winery is out of town and will take more than an hour to drive to. All you have to do is sit back, enjoy the ride, and let your driver worry about the traffic and directions.

Safety

Obviously, part of attending a wine tasting is drinking wine. Renting a limo removes the potential for drinking and driving. It also allows everyone in your party to enjoy the wine tour to the fullest.

Flexibility

When you rent a limo you have the flexibility to book a romantic trip for two or a trip with a group of friends. Most limo companies have a number of different styles of limos to choose from, so there should not be an issue planning a tour, no matter how many people will be joining you. If you have a large group of 10 or more people, you can even rent a limo bus to make sure everyone travels together.

You can enjoy the wine

Most importantly, renting a limo will allow you to enjoy the wine with a clear mind. You can focus your complete and undivided attention on tasting a selection of wine and seeking out that one bottle that you find stands out more than the others.

As you can see, there are many benefits to renting a limo for your next wine tour. Renting a limo allows you to enjoy your wine tasting experience to the fullest without the worry of driving. And, you can be sure that you will get home safe and sound once the tour comes to an end.

How can RSS feeds be used to your advantage?

Summary:

Now that you’ve covered the basics of RSS Feeds in RSS 101 – An Intro to RSS Feeds, it’s time to move on to the more important stuff. RSS Feeds can help you on many different levels as a reader, writer, or marketer. It even adds an SEO benefit to your site!

RSS for the Web Surfer:

Sure, keeping up to date on desired content is easier than ever with the internet, but now RSS feeds make it even more convenient. RSS feeds not only allow you to hand-pick the information you are fed, but it aggregates it all for you, creating a one-stop-reading experience. No longer do you have to check websites and search for the information you want; it is brought to you.

RSS for Writers:

The last thing you want to do is make it a hassle for people to access your work. Don’t lose potential readership because other sites in your niche offered RSS feeds while you didn’t. Whether you are in charge of a forum, write web articles, blog to promote a product, or want to share your life story, having RSS feeds available allows others to gain easier access to your insights. Once accessing your content becomes an annoyance, good content will only get you so far.

Using RSS to Market your Website:

As a marketer, RSS feeds make it easier to interact and build relationships between authors (business) and readers (consumers) while providing an accurate tool in measuring their response to the content. “Just as newsgroups satisfy a need for interactivity among users with similar needs or interests, RSS satisfies a need for content producers and consumers to exchange information of common interest”(1) through newsletters, promotions and press releases.

Using RSS allows you to automatically update these channels of information exchange, using several different mediums to do it, such as photos, audio, video and even executable applications. But unlike email, RSS is only delivered to those who are actually interested in receiving the content, making your marketing efforts direct, focused, and easy.

It is through these subscriptions that marketers can track just how many people are truly interested in what your company has to say. By putting a tracking code in the RSS source code, you can record just how many people are accessing your web content via RSS. Overtime, you learn a great deal about which content are valuable to your audience, and which are not. Attentiveness towards such developing trends like RSS is guaranteed to make you more effective on the job.

RSS’ Added Bonus: Search Engine Optimization

All SEO engineers know that in order to perform effective web searches, search engines use meta-data from sites to assist them in finding the most relevant results for a search. By updating your item tag in your meta data, you can categorize yourself in a niche of your choosing and direct your feed towards a target audience via search.

Also, by having an RSS feed available, you can submit your site to many RSS feed directories, and make your feed available on partner sites in order to improve your search engine ranking. Not only that, but “the traditional Web search engines tend to favor fresh content – so, this also ensures your RSS content is pushed to the search engine rather than having to wait for the search engine crawler to visit your site.”(2) It is a sure method to bring more traffic to your site while achieving higher search engine rankings, and it’s absolutely free!

British football, more commonly known in The United States as soccer, has gained in popularity, as is evidenced in the fact that more and more companies that print banners are seeing an increase in the production of soccer banners and other soccer and team related apparel and products. Soccer moms proudly display soccer ball stickers on their automobiles. They don T-shirts that proudly proclaim them “Soccer Moms” and team parties and tournaments are gaining in popularity and scope.

Soccer banners can be elaborate or simple. They come in a wide variety of sizes, different colors, fonts and font colors. They can be generic enough to be used over and over again, or be personalized with team photos, Names, dates, slogans, quotes or quips. They normally average from twenty-five dollars each to one hundred dollars each. They can be ordered ahead of time or as late as two to three weeks ahead of time, depending on the policies of the company with which you are dealing. It is always a good idea to get the banners early and check them for errors, so if they are not right, they can be returned and replaced before you need them.

Often banner companies offer individual banners, or pennants, for team members to take home as keepsakes and/or sell at the games. Many teams order T-shirts, caps, stickers, buttons, pennants, and other team merchandise and sell them throughout the season to finance end of the season parties, all star events, and other team related expenses.

It’s August, the weather has cooled a bit here and the summer monsoons where I live in New Mexico have begun. The kids are starting back to school and I feel the onset of fall. I’m getting that garden planning itch again! It happens 2-3 times a year… This time, it’s time to start ordering bulbs and perennials for fall planting. I’m always planning how my garden will look better next season and I suppose most of you do the same. Fall is the perfect time to plant for established growth next spring!

Take a good look at your garden now and think about areas you need to fill in. Do you need late season color, early spring blooms? Are there bare spots or places where plants like poppies or tulips go dormant and you need a filler to keep your garden alive with color? I find the best time for next years planning is in the fall when bloom time and plant combinations are fresh in my mind.

You may be disappointed with a plant combination you chose last season. Fall is the perfect time to rearrange. Get rid of overgrown plants and revive areas with new color or foliage combinations. Think about areas in your bulb or perennial garden you want to develop. What size, shape and bloom color do you need? Plant them this fall and watch your pans come to fruition come spring.

Shrubs and trees do take years to mature and fill their place. You can get a jump start by planting them this fall. When spring arrives they’ll be much more hardy and will require less babying.

Fall is the perfect time to mail order bulbs, perrenials, shrubs, hedges and trees. We’re winding down the season and if you’re anything like me you’re just not ready to quit quite yet. Sure there’s clean up to be done, but I find more planting helps to finish those mundane cxhores. As I clean out I plant new!

Ordering online or by mail

Ordering plants online can be a bit scary. How are the plants shipped? Will they be good quality? Will they arrive at the right time and will I be prepared to plant them then?

Fear not! I’ve ordered in fall for years and have had tremendous results!

Plant Quality and Guarantees

Nurseries do differ in what and how they ship so make sure you do some research, but almost all reputable mail order nurseries do guarantee their plants to grow or your money back. I’ve never had trouble collecting on that promise and I have used it a time or two for certain plants. I also admit, a bit grudgingly as a then new gardener, that I should never have ordered those specific plants for my climate. Nevertheless the nursery did stand behind it’s guarantee.

How Plants Are Shipped

Some plants will be shipped bare root, others as potted plants. This depends on the plant variety and I’ve actually found preference to bare root plants. They do look dead when they arrive (they are actually dormant), but I assure you that unless they have visible signs of disease like rot they’ll thrive come spring.

*Note – If you do get any plants that look like the crown has rotted either ship them back immediately or just phone the nursery and they’ll ship out new ones.

When to Plant

While you never know exactly when your plants will arrive, they are shipped to you at the proper planting time for your gardening zone. If plants arrive and it’s not convenient to plant immediately just make sure you follow the directions included in your shipment for keeping your plants viable until you can plant them. If you’ve planned ahead you will know where they go and it’ll take you little time to get them in the ground. A Saturday afternoon will usually give you ample time to get this done.

Keep in mind these companies have been in business for years and years and have shipped bare root and potted plants for eons. They do know what they’re doing and most of them do it very well. They’d be out of business if they couldn’t fulfill your planting requirements.

Gardening Budgets and Selection

You can’t beat the cost and selection of ordering by mail! Most mail order companies offer plant varieties you’ll never find anywhere else. The selections seem endless and I’ve been amazed what I can grow in New Mexico. Take advantage of fall specials and free shipping and you get a double bang for you buck. For about half of what I spend on a trip to the garden center on a single spring garden binge, I can have more variety and many more plants shipped to me at home.

Get on the Mailing Lists

Make sure you’re on the mailing list for the following nurseries at least! You’ll get a catologue several times a year. Take it into the garden with you,look around and plan accordingly. Then hop online and place an order or order by mail, but use the online resources for their help with plant combinations and companion planting. They offer great suggestions you may not have thought of before. Remember – pictures will help any gardener no matter how experienced.