Yes, there is a disproportionate amount of black women to black men and that could be why you’re still single but let’s be honest- you are a serial dater and your misfortunes with men are NOT due to the gender imbalance. YOU’RE THE REASON WHY YOU’RE STILL SINGLE! Now before you get angry with me and throw your computer out the window, let me explain.

It is so easy to blame external or inanimate forces for your relational dry spell. No one likes to believe that they are living in a self-created rut. Many black women walk around totally oblivious to the fact that they are responsible for their own relationship failures and if they could just tweak a few things, success would hasten their way.

I’ve given much thought to this topic and I’ve provided the top 10 reasons why a lot of black women are still single. I purposefully spent more time dealing with the most pertinent reasons because of their importance. The list is in order and the goal of the list is to help you look introspectively, discover what applies to you, and correct it so that you can find that ideal match. Please comment and let me know what you think.

1. The “Mr. Right” Complex

Let’s agree that there is no such thing as perfect! Tragically, black women are inundated with images of Boris Kodjoe and thoughts of Derwin from The Game (Pooch Hall…yes Pooch) that they subconsciously expect the guy down the street to have the same appeal. Black women are used to having beauty shop talks about what a man needs to be (Height, weight, income, bone structure etc…). They end up creating a caricature from a Disney film rather than an actual man and then become dogmatic about finding someone with EVERY desired characteristic. Inevitably, when they meet Tyrone from down the street, they become dejected because he falls short of their lofty expectations, even though Tyrone is a really good guy. Ladies, here’s some advice…PRIORITIZE! Write a list of the 10-15 things you want in a guy. Be detailed but reject the tendency to enter into a fairy tale world. Once you write your list, at the top of it write ‘70% – 80%’. If you can find a guy that possesses 70 to 80 percent of your list with two or three qualities in your top ten, YOU’VE FOUND A GREAT CATCH! It would be ridiculous if I rejected 100% of a delicious cake because 20% of it was burned. I’d just discard the 20% and delight my palate with the other 80%. Every human being is a W.I.P. (Work In Progress) and if you learn to prioritize your preferences, you’ll find a man that has most of the qualities you want and a willingness to develop in his deficient areas.

2. Just Can’t Pick ‘Em

The cheater, the deadbeat, the narcissist, the beady-eyed thug- you’ve been through them all. The old saying that good guys finish last is true because you’ve shunned the warm-natured gentile fellows for the riff-raff. Like a moth drawn to a campfire, you gravitate toward the “bad boys”, and you regularly get burned for it. Consider this, a championship college football team is crafted by wooing and scouting the BEST recruits. The head coach scours the country looking for the best talent and he will not rest until he discovers the next Cam Newton (He’s the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Auburn University). He meticulously puts together a winning team by focusing on the value of each individual recruit. Now, think about the last ten guys that you have dated. Think about their strengths, weaknesses, and think about why and how the relationship dissolved. Once you have the ten guys in your mind ask yourself this question, do those ten individuals make up one collective winning team? If your answer is NOT a resounding yes, then you need to do some soul searching. Why are you drawn to guys that don’t match well with you? Why do you consistently pick the loser? Is there some historical event that has skewed your ability to make wise dating choices? Hopefully, you will find the answers to these questions so that your next pick will be the right one.

3. Overly I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T

She-Ra was a cartoon character in the ’80’s with spectacular abilities. She was extremely strong and she wielded a sword that could transform her into an unstoppable super-being. She was the epitome of independent because she didn’t take any crap from anyone. Although She-Ra was intensely fun to watch on TV, I imagine that she wouldn’t be a very fun date. She-Ra wouldn’t allow a man to open the car door and she definitely wouldn’t allow a man to pay for her dinner. She would show up to the date flaunting her ability to suplex robots and communicate with animals and she would belittle her date’s meager human contributions. Did you ever notice that She-Ra never had a man? Maybe you’re still single because you come across as a 21st Century She-Ra. You’ve acquired a great job, college degree, and shiny new sedan by the sweat of your own brow. You never looked to a man to give you anything and you make that clear on every date that you go on. Here’s the problem, most men want a semi-traditional woman. This doesn’t mean that men want a doormat; a semi-traditional woman is woman that is assertive when it’s called for but not too insecure to encourage and welcome a man’s leadership. A semi-traditional woman doesn’t get offended when a man asks her to cook his dinner, yet she expects that he’s going to return the favor sometime later in the week. If a woman rejects a man’s initial acts of chivalry on a date, he interprets it as a clear indication of her overly feminist, girl-centric personality and he quickly becomes disinterested. Remember, the character She-Ra was only an alter ego. She-Ra was actually Princess Adora but she transformed into She-Ra whenever it was time for battle. Ladies, learn how to be She-Ra in battle but a princess in life.

4. Pushing the BIG “C” too soon

I must admit, I’m a sucker for a good romance. I tend to fall early and quickly which is undoubtedly why I ended up married at 18. Most guys are the exact opposite of me. Guys tend to treat commitment like it’s the plague. It’s not that they’re totally opposed to the idea, it’s just that they feel like commitment should be a gradual destination rather than a hurried first stop. Imagine that commitment is an apple. It begins as a hard inedible seed with only the potential to be a desirable fruit. With the right amount of time and dedicated nurturing, the seed will grow into a ripe and delicious treat. No matter how insistent and overbearing you are, you cannot force the apple to grow at a quicker pace. It grows and blossoms on its own. When you try to make a man your husband after the first three-weeks of dating, it leaves a sour taste in his mouth much like an unripened apple would. It’s not that there isn’t the potential for the friendship to blossom into an exclusive dating situation; it’s simply that much nurturing and time is necessary for the relationship to transition from seed-form to ripe for harvesting. I know that you’ve been single for a long time and your clock is ticking louder than it ever has, but just remember, love is like food; a microwaved meal can never measure up to the quality of what comes out of a slow cooker.

5. Making the new guy pay for the old guy’s mistakes

Being bitter and acrimonious is a state of mind. Unfortunately, you’re the governor of that state. Sure, you have a valid reason to be upset. You were lied to, cheated on, abandoned and/or abused. Your ex was a scoundrel and he did unspeakable things to you. He hurt you deeply and you’re still bearing the scars. There’s only one problem, the tumultuous relationship ended when you were in your twenties. You’ve had ten years to heal and you’re still hurting as if the wound was freshly made. Of course you’ll never admit that you haven’t recovered from the breakup, but the evidence of your emotional stagnancy comes out when you meet a new man. The poor guy is unaware of the fact that you have triggers, so when he says, “I think you look nice in red. I’d like to see you wear that color more often”. He’s shocked when you go off on a tirade about how you can’t stand controlling men and how you’ll never let a man manipulate you again. He’s oblivious to the fact that you’re not responding to him, you’re responding to the poor treatment you received at the hands of a previous reckless man. If you’re honest with yourself, you’d have to admit that you’ve developed an adverse reaction to anything that even remotely reminds you of your ex. You have determined that you’re not going to let anyone devalue you the way that he did. Unfortunately, your guarded approach to men makes it hard for you to offer any man a clean slate. You enter a dating situation suspiciously which makes it difficult for you to connect with anyone. Although you’ll never forget what happened to you, you MUST forgive. Your desire to hold a grudge and constantly relive your most painful moments is what’s keeping you from finding love. Men will only endure unfair associations for so long before they decide to find a woman that will give them a fresh chance. Ladies, it’s time to move forward and realize that the new man deserves an opportunity to show you that he’s NOT the old one.

6. Giving up the Goodies Prematurely

The Sega Genesis was a popular game console when I was in middle and high school. It kept me entertained for hours and staved off weekend boredom. The third game that I bought for my Sega system was called Arch Rivals. It was a basketball game that allowed the player to punch and slam the opposing team members. When I bought the game I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to get home and pulverize my computer-generated rivals. I played the game for only three days before I discovered how to beat it. Once I conquered the game, I quickly became disinterested in it and it spent the rest of its life buried underneath clothes in my closet. Dating is a game with the ultimate prize being a committed relationship and maybe even marriage. The way that you play the game will determine how you will be viewed by the gentleman that’s trying to court you. If you give away too much too soon, he will view you as initially exciting but ultimately unfulfilling. If you require that he passes necessary levels in order to receive certain rewards, then he will remain interested and engaged. Now, when I use the word “goodies” I’m not just talking about sex. Of course sex is the ultimate goody, but time, money, and gifts can also be considered goodies. You should calculate how and when you distribute these things. Giving everything away too soon makes you naïve and giving away too much makes you a human ATM machine. Remember, naiveté is the character flaw that keeps women from being taken seriously and an ATM machine wasn’t built to be respected, it was built to be used.

7. Beauty but no Substance

Every head turned as she entered the grocery store. Her curvaceous body seemed to glide up and down each isle. The chestnut tiling only accentuated the color of her skin and her flowing black hair swayed rhythmically with each step she took. She was gorgeous and she was approaching Walter with a bewildered look on her face. “Excuse me sir,” she began, “I was wondering if you could help me.” Walter gulped with anxiety as he gazed helplessly into her amber eyes, “Sure” he stammered. “I’ve been searching this store for nearly 30 minutes and I can’t seem to find the earl,” she said. Walter’s look of infatuation quickly turned into puzzlement, “You’re looking for what?” “I’m looking for the earl and I can’t find it anywhere.” At this point, Walter could no longer hide his perplexity; he squinted as he tried desperately to figure out what earl was. “Ma’am,” Walter started, “I have no idea what earl is.” She thought for a moment and responded, “You know, earl. I’m looking for cooking earl. I’m trying to fry chicken and I need cooking earl to do it.” As hard as he tried, Walter couldn’t ignore the hilarity of the moment. He busted out in laughter as he asked, “Are you talking about cooking oil?” The woman grinned in pleasure, “Yes, that’s what I said- earl.” Walter pointed to isle 7, “It’s right down there ma’am.” She winked at Walter and walked briskly toward isle 7. Walter chuckled to himself as he thought about the unlikely encounter. The woman was so beautiful but her beauty only covered the tragic fact that she was brainless. It looked as though she spent ample amounts of time and money on her looks but judging by her grammar, she probably hadn’t read a book since high school. “It’s a shame,” Walter whispered under his breath, “She could’ve been the one.” Enough said!

8. The Know- it- All

Normally, men are pegged as the gender with the infallibility-complex but with the advent of the women’s lib movement, women have increasingly become the know-it-alls. It’s not uncommon for a childless and single black woman to offer marital and parenting advice to her married girlfriend. In black beauty shops all across the country women cackle about what men are and aren’t. They fail to realize that they really know nothing about men and what they do know is so skewed that it borders on irrelevant. Unfortunately, in beauty shops (and in barbershops) unenlightened conversation is encouraged rather than condemned. The seemingly harmless banter that takes place quickly becomes ingrained beliefs and those beliefs become entrenched opinions. The problem exists when a man shares an objective truth about himself or men in general and before he completes his sentence you rudely interrupt by saying, “Oh no, that’s not true.” See, he knows it’s true! How does he know it’s true? He’s a man! Yet you argue incessantly because you think your beliefs are right and his are misguided. Do you see the problem? The only solution to this problem is to speak authoritatively ONLY about what you’re knowledgeable on. If you know fashion, speak about fashion. If you know sports, dazzle him with your precise football analysis. Don’t take a hardline stance on what you’re not absolutely sure you know about. A man appreciates a woman that is intellectually curious and open to learn. Ladies, this might be a hard pill to swallow, but your mamma, grandmamma, and aunty are not the best sources of male education. If these honorable women have been your sole teachers on male issues then it’s time to be reeducated. The best way to learn about men is to listen to one.

9. A Less Than Stellar History

The fact that double standards exists is a sad reality in our society. The most unfortunate double-standard happens when a promiscuous man is viewed as a hero and a promiscuous woman is viewed as a whore. I wish we could abolish double-standards altogether but unfortunately, they are what they are. Secretly, every single man harbors a desire for his future wife to be able to validly wear her white wedding gown. He cringes when he meets a wonderful prospect only to later find out that she’s been around the block. Ladies, let me be candid, no man wants to be committed to a woman that has slept with half the state. He might have his temporary fun with such a woman, but he will never settle down with her. Everyone has things in their past that they’re not necessarily proud of. If you have had multiple sexual encounters, my best advice is to divulge this information once trust has been established in the relationship. Avoid the sex conversation until you are convinced that he won’t judge you unfairly. It’s a sad commentary on our society when an oversexed man can find love easier than his female counterpart, but unfortunately that’s the reality. Don’t share your past until you’re absolutely sure that he can handle it.

10. My friend, my brother, my mamma said…

This reason is the exact opposite of reason #3. Women that suffer from ‘Everybody Else Said Syndrome’ view the input of others as law. Critical decisions aren’t made without the approval of a certain person or group of people and every sentence is prefaced by, “My friend/brother/mamma said…”. A forward-looking man will NEVER settle down with a woman that thinks with someone else’s brain. He realizes that during the casual dating phase of the relationship it might be okay for her to reach out to others, but in marriage this tendency is detrimental. In marriage, both parties must be willing to settle their own issues in house. Actually, the Bible says that a married couple should cleave to one another and become one flesh. A woman that is overly dependent on another person or other people will never be able to fulfill that mandate. Ladies, I know you value your homegirl’s opinion and you hang off of every word your mother says, but if you want to find a man, you’re going to have to learn the value of self-consultation. You will never be a man’s kitten if you’re committed to being someone else’s parrot.

In western culture it is easy to get caught up in the fast paced hype of current trends. It seems that there is not enough time to do that which we set out to do. Our tasks lists are longer than our meals with our families. Sitting down to enjoy our families or nurture ourselves is becoming a thing of the past. Unless we stop, look, and listen to how we are really doing or feeling deep inside.

I am a single mother of a teenager and I know from first hand how to be an over responsible workaholic. Being a single mom puts me in a position of being the super woman. I have to cook, clean, organize, pay bills, go to work, take care of my daughter, be the absent father, among other things I am suppose to be or do because of my position of being a single parent.

I dove into my career as an entrepreneur twelve years ago. I am in the service oriented business. My passion was to meet the needs of my clients and for twelve years I did exactly that. What I did not plan on was over working led me to burn out. I was forced to work so that I can provide and live a good life for my daughter. I thought that money was easier if I worked hard and was never home. I even worked two other jobs to make ends meet. What I found out is that my body can only do that for so long and then I got some sort of illness. This is when depression set in for me and it seems to be the highest emotional illness among single parents. I wanted to be the tough mom and the one who could “do it all” and prove to the world that I can do anything! well, that was all wrong.

The workaholic and burnout came together and I crashed. I hated my every day life, and I hated going to work, and I hated what I use to love to do. Personally and professionally I thought I had it made. wrong again. My focus was on meeting the needs of my clients and I neglected myself and everyone else around me, including my daughter. She did not deserve that but I felt I had no choice in the matter.

we all have choices and I finally took a long look at what I had been doing with my life and how it affected the lives of those around me. Yes, I would have done things differently, but I guess it was my time to learn that over working and burnout became a blessing. Why was it a sign of a blessing? Well, once I realized that I was an over doer, I took that break I needed and realized I am a better person for having gone through all what I did. I want to help others who work too much and I want them to get the help they need before they feel guilty or regret some of the things I did. My motto: “Live with No Regrets”.

My advice to avoid burnout is to read articles now before it happens. Look for the signs written. If you have lost your lust for life and you are negative every day, get some help. Depression either has set in or you need to get help for your depressed thoughts. When you are depressed it affects others even if you do not think it does My only wish is that whether you are a single parent or not, over working and burnout usually go hand in hand please do not wait until its too late to get the help you need. Stop, look, and listen to the real you on the inside. Above all remember there is a higher power that cares enough about you that, “this too shall pass.”

Over the past decade or so, manufactured homes (still commonly referred to as mobile homes) have become a great option for new homebuyers. Unlike the old shoddy mobile homes in trailer parks that people think of, manufactured homes now come as two-story homes or even town homes and include features like cathedral ceilings and fireplaces.

The basic configuration for manufactured homes, however, is still single wide or double wide. Single wide or single-section mobile homes are made of one main unit. The average single side manufactured home usually has about 1,100 square feet of living space while double wides average about 1,700 square feet. Needless to say, there are also larger manufactured homes, but single- and double-wides are still the most common sizes.

Manufactured homes do have their problems. According to Consumer Reports, single-section homes have more problems with floors, roofs, windows, and doors while multi-section home problems tend to be related to the joining of the sections.

In part the problems relate to the fact that the home is built in a factory and then transported to another location via flatbed truck. The motion involved can have a negative effect on the joints and connectors. However, manufacturers of quality homes do their best to correct any problems that may occur during transport.

Nowadays it may even be impossible to tell the difference between a mobile home and an on-site home unless you have seen it being built. The most common difference is that manufactured homes tend to have a lower roof slope because the home has to be moved under highway bridges.

On the other hand, the materials now used tend to be comparable to the quality of site-built homes and, other than roof slope, generally resemble “regular” homes. Indeed, if a manufactured home were not located in a “trailer park”, most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

Nowadays more double-wides are sold than single-wides. In great part this is because the typical home buyer want more space, not less, and double-wides offer that at a price that is still far less expensive than a traditional home of the same size. Not only that, but zoning in many areas actually means that double-wide manufactured homes are the smallest size allowed.

As a homeowner, you should also know that double-wide manufactured homes tend to hold…or even increase…their value as compared to single-wide homes.

In the past decade the number of single women has more than doubled official figures reveal. Many have chosen to live an independent life rather than having a traditional husband. Also 1 in 5 women will never have children. Also 40% of all households with children under the age of 18 are the sole income earners. Only a few decades ago it was difficult, if not impossible, for a woman alone to take out a mortgage. These days more and more women are buying homes on their own. In recent surveys single women have made up between 16 and 22 percent of homebuyers. Women are now killing their own spiders, mowing their own lawns and repairing their own toilets, etc.

With these facts it is little wonder that the single travel industry is booming. Travel companies and tour companies now have to accommodate these ‘freemales’. Lots of single travel tours are cropping up and holiday companies are designing holidays for these type of independent women. You only have to go on Google and type in ‘single women travel tours’ to see thousands of dedicated websites vowing for the top spot. If you are modern women and want to travel the world on your own there are a few tips you should take to avoid and stumbles along the way:

1. Be prepared for the questions “Why are you travelling alone?” Many people will not understand your reasons for being single and wanting to travel alone. Being prepared for this question will put you in good stead and stop you getting caught off-guard or being bothered by the question.
2. Use your instinct. Women are a lot more sensitive and emotional than men, this means they have a far stronger gut feeling or instinct, so use it. If you feel unsafe, you’re probably right and should move away. Perhaps you will get weird vibes from some chap in the pub. If you feel uncomfortable and your alarm bells in your head are ringing then get out of the potential danger.
3. If this is your first solo trip why not book with a pre-planned holiday tour company. As I said before there are literally thousands of companies designed for single female travellers. There will be someone to pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel and then pick you up for tours. Some companies will put groups of single women on the same tour so you will be in good company.
4. This is common sense but don’t following strangers to out-of-the-way places or accept accommodation or lifts from men or women you don’t know.
5. Don’t wear flashy jewellery or expensive clothes’ in public places as it will show people you have a lot of money. You will be more of a target for robbers if you flash your bling.
6. Make sure you know what the emergency number of the country you are visiting and make sure you have a mobile phone charged on you at all times.
7. Some cultures believe a women travelling alone is considered available. To avoid unwanted attention you could wear a false wedding ring.
8. Tell some friends and family your plans and check back with them every now and then.
9. Be prepared by having photocopies of your passport, ID and travel insurance.
10. If you’re worried about your lack of self defence skills why not take a basic class before your trip. This will give you more confidence in travelling solo.

Finally don’t be scared. If you have chosen a single life by your own decisions then you are probably a very confident person full stop. Being alone can be and is fun. Ignore what your ‘coupled’ friends say about serial killers and rapists. Don’t let them put you off because they think its dangerous. Couples can come into trouble just as easily as single people travelling. Use your common sense and play it safe. You will have a complete blast doing exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it.

In modern times, dating has become somewhat complex as well as harder for everyone to attain it. On top of this issue, you will find loads of dating sites that offer the opportunity to meet your dream men or women in exchange of exorbitant fees. So, are you taking the help of some robotic algorithms to find answers to the love and relationship problems or you are just sitting in the drawing-room and watching the lousy boring movies?

If the answers are ‘YES’, then you should rekindle your confidence and think about how you can manage to date? You know, there is some etiquette along with technique to win over your love and trust me you will able to get your love if you follow these simple yet powerful techniques. So, let’s take a brief look at these etiquettes and techniques.

1) Avoid being Lame: The first and foremost technique is to show the persona of a real man. Women like the men who have an appealing character with astute thinking. Additionally, you can score with a 20-year old girl if you are not lame while approaching her. Besides, don’t tell her that you like old man things like golf, fishing or driving the mid-life crisis sports car. So, you can win her only if you show the real of you!

2) Don’t be an Uncanny Guy: Do you feel that ladies are not smarter than you? I know that you don’t think like that because they are miles ahead of you and are smart enough to trick you at any time. So, don’t piss off yourself by acting like an uncanny guy who always blame girls and tend to think that they are just dumb.

3) Don’t Use Lies while Telling your Age: This is a fundamental technique as girls prefer men who are honest with everything, especially with their age. Don’t you ever hide your real age before a girl or woman because if you are good enough, then she might like you at the first moment. Additionally, girls can figure your age and trust me, you don’t want to face a girl who has caught you while lying. So, be real and honest.

4) Avoid being Brash and Overconfident: If you are thinking that ‘I am the Special One’ or ‘I am totally matched to a 20-year old girl’, then you are in the wrong side of the coin. The reason behind this judgment is that you are being brash and overconfident in choosing a girl. What’s more, you are ignoring a particular group of girls who can be your trophy wife as well. Besides, you can’t expect yourself to be likened by a specific age category of girls. Why squeezing the chances of getting a trophy wife? So, give enough time and considerations to the girls who want to step forward for you.

5) Wait for your Moment: This is the most special technique of all because most girls avoid men who are impatient and repulsive while approaching them. To add to that, if you ask her to get close with you in the first meeting, then you can forget her because she will stop interacting with you. Other than this, that girl can take you as stalker if you continuously ask her to be with you. Therefore, be patient or impulsive behavior will make your hands empty. So, wait for your moment and win her first, then you can have everything with her.

To conclude the writing, I would say that these tips are extremely useful for men who are willing to make some sacrifices with patient approach. On top of it, if you follow and implement these tips, I bet that you will get the love of your life easily. So, be the guy that is portrayed in the above tips and win the heart of your love!

It’s so easy to do, if only more salespeople knew about it.

One day I was talking to Greg, a client of mine who is the general manager of a dealership in the Orlando, Florida area. He told me about the time he had been a volunteer at the Disney World annual marathon. His job had been offering candy bars to runners at the 22 mile mark “candy stop,” which was toward the end of the marathon. He did this with a small group of other volunteers.

Greg said initially about 2 out of 10 runners accepted his candy bar offer. Then Greg noticed each runner had their name on their shirt. So he decided to start calling them by their name when offering them a candy bar. “Tyler, would you like a candy bar… Martha care for a candy bar… “

To his surprise, once he started saying their names, his candy bar acceptance rate jumped up to the 90% range.

The other candy bar volunteers started noticing what was happening with Greg, so they started saying each runner’s name too. Suddenly they had about the same increase in acceptance rate.

The change was so dramatic that Greg wanted to try an experiment…

Greg asked the other volunteers to stop using the runners’ names to see what would happen, and they agreed and all stopped. They still made a pleasant offer, but they said, “Here’s a candy bar… would you care for a candy bar… ” without mentioning any names. As quick as they stopped doing this, their acceptance rates dropped back down to around the 20% range again.

The reason Greg told me this story was because we just completed doing a dealership wide phone sales audit at his store.

One of the tests we did that prompted his story was study of two groups of calls.

In Group A: We randomly pulled calls where the salesperson used the prospect’s name one or more times during the telephone conversation.

In Group B: We randomly pulled calls where the salesperson did not use the prospect’s name during the telephone conversation. In general with this group, the salespeople were just as friendly and some even said “Ma’am” or “Sir” as they talked. They just didn’t say the prospects name such as “Mr. Jones” or “Bill.”

At Greg’s dealership the vehicle sales department had a 36% greater appointment rate when they used the prospect’s name on the phone compared to the group that didn’t. In the service department, they had a 19% greater appointment rate when they used the prospect’s name on the phone.

The first time we did this test at a dealership, Group A had a 26% higher conversion rate of leads to appointments than Group B. We have been doing these audits now for a few years and the results have fluctuated from a low of 12% greater appointment rate to a high of 44% greater appointment rate.

We have done these dealership telephone audits with different size dealerships, in different markets, from different franchises. We have even gone back a year later and re-audited a dealership’s current calls. The one consistent result, we find, is when salespeople use a prospect’s name one or more times in a phone conversation, their average rate of converting leads to appointments increases noticeably.

Our most current statistical audit results show that 41% of the time on inbound sales calls salespeople do not use the caller’s name during the conversation even one time. But if I had to guess, I would say 90% plus of salespeople think they do use the caller’s name. Service advisors’ use of the caller’s name is significantly lower than salespeople.

Next time you are hesitant to get on the phones, try this tip to increase your phone appointments by 12% to 44%…

… and use the prospect’s name in conversation. Some of you probably know from experience sales appointments have a much higher closing ratio than regular ups, so this is a very lucrative thing to get good at.

Please note our audits have found that it’s important not to overkill with this tip and say their names too many times to where it seems artificial.

When talking to a friend, you would probably naturally use their name a couple times in conversation. That number is consistent with the best number of times to get appointments according to our statistical sampling.

Single fathers are everything to their children: nurse, teacher, cook and of course playmate. They also carry the burden of providing for their children financially and earning the money they need to survive. How can you as a single dad protect your children against the day that you are no longer able to provide for them? Find out more about life insurance.

As a single parent your children are particularly vulnerable. It is your salary and your salary alone that supports them. You do not have the luxury of a joint income, another breadwinner in the family. It is for this very reason that life insurance should be at the very top of your list of financial planning priorities.

Nobody likes to think about death, but as a single father one of your first responsibilities to your family is to make provisions for the day that you are not there to provide for them. Your children rely on the income that you earn to cover their living expenses, school fees and medical bills. How would they survive without your income? Who would put a roof of their heads and food on their plates, let all pay for their extra maths lessons?

You will find an answer to all of these questions in a life insurance policy. As the owner of a life insurance policy you can rest assured, safe in the knowledge that your family will be looked after in the event of your death. Your life insurance pay-out can be used by the beneficiaries of the policy to replace your monthly income, the income that supported your children, put them through school and fed and clothed them. It can also be used to cover your funeral expenses and the costs of settling your estate. Your beneficiaries might even be able to use some of the funds to pay off all or some of your debt, but this would depend on the size of your pay-out.

Remember that if your children are underage they cannot be listed as policy beneficiaries. You will need to set up a trust and name the trust as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. At the same time you will need to appoint a trustee to manage the funds in the trust on behalf of your children.

As a single father your responsibilities do not end with taking care of your children. You also need to make sure that they will be taken care of when you are not around to earn the income they need to survive. Protect your family against your untimely death with a life insurance policy.

In most of the newer homes single pane windows are not usually used but you will see them in older homes. Because of the price of the window, some homeowners still prefer to have them in their home even if they are not as energy efficient as double or triple pane windows. Repairing this window is not as time consuming and much simpler. If it has a crack, you may have to repair just that area instead of replacing the entire window. The one drawback with single paned windows is that they cannot provide the insulation quality many homeowners demand today.

Repair a single pane window

• Removing the window glass-to remove the window pane apply adhesive tape on the middle section or the border; It is done this way because to the glass out it will have to be broken out in order to replace it. Put the adhesive tape in place and gently break the window pane with the hammer so it will not shatter.

• Getting rid of the glazing compound-around the window there is a glazing compound. You can usually remove it with a chisel or the substance may just fall off on its own. Sometimes the compound will have a good grip and not come off on its own.

• Clean the frame-the frame, which is the rest of the unit, will have to be clean before the new glass window can be installed. Scrape any remains of the compound off the frame along with any other hindrance that could cause a problem during the installation of the new window.

• Installing the new glass-before you install the new glass make sure that you line the wooden frame with primer. If it is an aluminum frame, you will not have to put primer in the frame. The sheet of window glass you bought is generally larger than the one you are replacing. You will need to measure the width and length of the one window glass that is being replaced. Cut the new window glass making sure that it is one-eighth smaller so it will fit easily into the window frame

• Glazing and caulk compound application-apply a lining of call on the new window pane so there will be a type of bedding on the glass to be installed. The glazier points will have to be pressed through the window pane. If the window frame is aluminum based metal or just metal, you would use clips to hole the window glass in place. You also have to have some glazing compound between the window pane and glass.

Once the window glass is installed, clean the glass to remove any traces of the glazing compound or chalk.

Single mothers face a lot of hassles to meet the needs of her family with the meager income level they have. This can be a more frightening situation if the mother is unemployed and has a full family to support. Unemployment can be a disastrous situation in this ever rising economy where you need to worry about fulfilling the necessities of your children like housing, food, education, healthcare, emergency situations, utility bills etc.

President Obama has initiated many grant programs that give away free money to unemployed single mothers to fulfill their basic needs for standard living. These are financial gifts from the government and do not require to be paid back! So why worry now, start applying and enjoy your motherhood.

Obama Emergency Cash Assistance

Unemployed mothers run the risk of financial loss or insufficient bank balance in times of sudden emergency situations. US offers federal grants, free money, assistance programs, grants by Obama to monetarily help mothers, enabling them to meet their crisis situation. Some essential grants to avail are:

· Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

· WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

· Emergency Cash Assistance

· Unemployment Insurance Coverage

· Disaster Unemployment Assistance

· Self Employment Assistance

· Tax Benefits

Obama Housing and Rent Assistance

To serve the rental needs of unemployed mothers, President Obama and the housing department offers housing, home purchasing, rent payment, subsidy, mortgage, foreclosure assistance through HUD, USDA and Public Housing rental programs. These grants accomplish the housing needs of unemployed mothers thereby, offering a secured and independent living. The programs include:

· Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

· HOME Investment Partnership Program

· Public Housing Program

· Fair Housing Initiatives Program

· Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency

· Community Development Block Grant Program

· Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Programs

· Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Programs

· Tenant Resource Network

· Grants from states and local municipalities

Obama Utility Bills Assistance

Even meeting with the exorbitant utility bills and weatherization needs is unaffordable for unemployed moms. For a secured and healthy living standard the government furnishes grants that compensate the bills and also give away cash to keep availing the services even with dearth of money. The Obama certified utility grants are:

· Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Grant

· LIHEAP Crisis Program

· The Weatherization Assistance Program

· Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

Obama Educational Assistance

Unemployed single mothers need to continue their education to attain higher degrees for better and permanent jobs, high paying salary and proper growth. Hence, the government offers educational grants, scholarships, cash assistance and loans to jobless mothers to help them pursue their education for a better standard of living. There are even private foundations that offer educational assistance.

· Federal Pell Grants

· Federal Supplemental Educational opportunity Grants

· ‘Moms Return to School’ Government Grant Scholarship Program (MRSGGS)

· American Association of University Women

· State Based Grants

· Federal Work Study-Program

· Scholarship Programs

Start applying for the Obama grants for single unemployed mothers to help with their financial limitations.

If you’ve been trading for any length of time, you’ve probably run up against your margin limits. That is to say, you’ve probably found yourself wanting to buy more stocks than your margin will allow.

It turns out that there’s actually a simple, effective solution for increasing your available margin. That solution is to use Single Stock Futures, or SSFs.

Although it may sound exotic to trade a future on a stock, actually it is very simple in its implementation. Often you can trade Single Stock Futures through your existing brokerage account if you have access to Globex.

Single Stock Futures have two very important advantages that make it worth learning how to use them. The first advantage is that the margin requirement of Single Stock Futures at OneChicago.com, the main Stock Futures Exchange in the USA, is only 20% instead of 50% for the underlying stock. This means you could trade five times the cash in your account using Single Stock Futures. Of course, usually you don’t want to get anywhere near that, because leverage cuts both ways. You can find yourself losing money five times faster than you would with a cash account if you were leveraged all the way with Single Stock Futures.

The other advantage to Single Stock Futures is that you can short a stock without needing to wait for an uptick. This is a definite advantage because you can short a stock any time, even if it is already going down steeply.

Now, what are the disadvantages to Single Stock Futures? The first disadvantage is that liquidity in Single Stock Futures can be low. This usually means there will be a significant spread between the bid and the ask. For many Single Stock Futures, the underlying stock has a bid/ask spread of a penny or two. With Single Stock Futures, it is usually many pennies and in some cases, if you’re doing very short term trading, you will definitely want to keep in mind that the bid/ask spread eats into your profit potential. So, always consider the bid/ask spread.

The bid/ask spread will also vary by contract expiration month, so be sure to shop around for the best contract expiration month for what you have in mind.

Another disadvantage to Single Stock Futures is that they’re not available for all stocks. Currently, as of March, 2007, there are nearly 500 stocks for which you can trade the Single Stock Futures. Be sure to check to see if there is an SSF available for your selected stock picks. If so, you have a low margin way to trade it.

One final disadvantage with Single Stock Futures is that when the futures contract expires, you will be left with the underlying stock. If this is not what you intended, be sure to close out your position, whether long or short, and go flat before the expiration for the Single Stock Future is upon you.

So, if you are looking to make your money work harder for you when you trade stock picks, be sure to check out Single Stock Futures. You may find that your profit potential increases dramatically if you can use the high leverage of Single Stock Futures instead of buying or trading the underlying stock.