What’s Going On In Our World As To Why We Would Need To Be Preparing For An Economic Disaster??

I realize that for some, the term “Preppers” may be totally new and it may make you think of the kids in high school who wore khaki’s, penny loafers and polo shirts. But this is for you if you are just starting to realize that world events and potential natural disasters can be cause for concern for you, your family and your business.

So, a “Prepper” is someone who takes this seriously and is at least doing some things to prepare for such eventualities.

Now for the committed preppers, thy will realize the Amish offer a glimpse into the “Simple Life”, which the Amish have lived since the 1600’s when they were formed in Europe by a man named Jakob Ammann. A related group with similar conservative religious values is the Mennonites.

So, for purposes of our discussions, when I refer to the Amish, I am talking about the Amish/Mennonite culture.

The Amish migrated to the United States in the 1800’s to escape religious persecution. They have established several small areas which they live in throughout the U.S. and one of them happens to be central northern Indiana here I have lived for many years. About 10 years ago my wife and I bought a business from a Mennonite family and we had many Amish working for us during the time we had the business. (We sold it in 2009, just before real estate market got really bad. Made a nice profit and everything was paid off. The business just sold again for a few hundred thousand less than we sold it for.)

We have been prepping to some extent the entire time we’ve lived here, but have stepped up our activity dramatically the last year or so.

Willis my Amish friend revealed to me a few months ago, that he’d really like to find a way to help others by getting survival and prepping tips out to society. So, with my colleague, Hari Luker, Willis and I have formed Amish Survival Secrets.

This is all a long way of setting the stage and giving you a feel of where we’re coming from. You see, the Amish have been made fun of, sometimes thought of as very mysterious. There are shows on TV like Breaking Amish ( http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/breaking-amish/videos ) that sensationalize the Amish lifestyle.

Then there’s the Amish Heater, which has been sold for several years through full page, direct response ads in virtually every newspaper in the country. The fact is that the Amish don’t use these heaters and the only thing that might make them Amish is a wood surround cabinet for the electric heater. ( http://www.heatsurgesale.com/ ) From a business growth specialist, I have to tip my hat to them, but from someone who knows the Amish I realize how fake it really is.

In our case, this is not fake. Willis is really Amish and I have worked with and know the Amish. By combining our technology and online skills with Willis’s personal knowledge and access to secrets only the Amish know, we can bring you “true Amish” ideas that you can use in your life.

So, what are the threats to consider?

Here’s just a few things that could happen:

• Major economic upheaval due to burgeoning debt and failing economies throughout the world
• Natural disasters
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• Hurricanes
• Volcano
• Solar Flares on Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) – Wipes out everything electrical and would shut down everything, instantaneously. Internet, modern cars, phones, electrical grid, computers, etc. This has happened a few times in the last century and our enemies now have the capability to do it to us.
• Nuclear Strike
• Terrorist Strike
• Major Energy Shortages Skyrocketing Inflation Whatever Else??

We’ve seen all of these play out recently. See how many people were devastated in these situations.

If this sounds like doomsday talk and you just want to go about your daily business and react when you have to… no problem. But, consider how many are listed above and others that haven’t been considered. Is it possible that at least one of these could happen to you in the next 10 years, even if you are not a gloom and doom person?

So the point is here, is to simply make you aware of what COULD happen and that there are some very simple remedies for you to act upon to make sure you are ready if or when this happens.

An MLM home business is a great way for a company to get product out into the marketplace with little overhead. It is also a great business model for the independent contractor or representative for creating wealth via a leveraged asset and a residual income stream. The model is successful because it revolves around the company’s end products being sold prior to any commissions being paid out (or advertising, for that matter). But which marketing approach or philosophy will make the most profit?

An MLM home business company only pays out once what they’re marketing has been sold. And, regardless of what a company is selling, no one gets paid unless something does get sold. Something – a product, service, membership, etc – must be purchased before anyone in an MLM home business organization is paid. That transaction determines who and how much is paid out.

3 main approaches or philosophies to to consider when it comes to creating income with the MLM home business model:

1. The first MLM home business approach is the retail sales model.

This is the lowest income approach of the three and essentially involves buying “product” (which could be a product, service or membership) at a discounted or wholesale price and then turning around and marking up the price to allow you to make a profit when you sell it. This is a direct sales approach. The more “product” sold, the more money made. The amount of income is directly related to the amount of “product” sold and the amount of profit added in to the price of each sale. When no sales are made, no income is received. Pretty straight forward and self-explanatory.

Many people new to the MLM home business industry or not familiar with the industry mistakenly believe that this approach is the main marketing approach one needs to follow in order to see success with an MLM home business. This is where the sales-type objections usually come from, where a potential prospect learned about the MLM home business model as someone was trying to sell them on an MLM home business “product.”

2. The second MLM home business approach is the whole-sale model, focusing on organizational sales.

Rather than relying on just the one business owner to sell “product,” with this approach the focus is widened some by bringing on a few other people to help increase overall sales volume, taking in a little less per sale because of having to pay the team part of the commission of each sale. So now there are say ten people allowing for ten times as much product which perhaps may allow one to multiply profit by 5 (to account for profit margin being cut in half, say).

This is a better model in that it allows one to leverage oneself somewhat, allowing one to increase one’s revenue and profit by being able to move more “product.” However, the focus here is still on the “product” itself. If a person limit’s his or her operations to just 10 people and themself, they are limiting their income as the 11 of them are only able to move a certain amount of product. Also, they are dependent on all 11 people to continue their production level to maintain the revenue and profit level. So it is a better model than the first model as far as revenue and profit are concerned, but it’s still a “sales job” and limits one’s income potential.

3. The third MLM home business approach is similar to the second approach but the focus and philosophy is entirely opposite.

The focus is on building a team where many people are able to move just a little product each rather than the other way around. The team creates the leverage to allow you to earn a little from a whole lot of people, able to earn a few percentage from hundreds rather than a larger percentage from just a few.

Why is property powered by solar panels worth more?

• Solar PV systems reduce or eliminate the energy cost from the grid

• Solar PV systems protect or eliminate future rate inflation due to approved increases from Departments of Public Utilities

• Solar PV systems are allowed to be in accelerated devaluation for tax purposes helping ownership values to improve quickly

• Properties with solar panel systems resell for more than properties without solar (As much as 17% more)

• Studies show that properties with solar have sold faster than properties without solar (On average 20% faster)

Based on Nevin, Bender and Gazan from the Appraisal Journal it’s more than financially quantifiable to integrate solar. A solar electric system increases home value by $20,000 for each $1,000 in annual reduced operating costs, supported by the entire Appraisal Institute. The rationale is that the money from the reduction in operating costs can be spent on a larger mortgage with no net change in monthly cost of ownership.

A solar electric system goes beyond other property improvements in percentage of cost recovered. Most solar systems will recover much more than 100% of cost, in actuality it has been determined that the total savings over 25 years is 220% to 350% return on the investment. This savings may even increase greater if energy costs from public utilities continue to skyrocket.

Interestingly, and as a sidelight to this article, a recent exhaustive and detailed study by the National Renewable Energy Labratory (NREL) found that solar homes sold 20% faster and 17% more than the equivalent non-solar homes across several subdivisions built by different California builders. In one particular subdivision all 257 solar homes sold within a year, 2 years faster than expected. Interviews with the home buyers provided some interesting findings: If solar was already on the house and factored into the price, buyers were more likely to pick the home with solar, but if a decision to be made at the point of purchase the buyer shelved the choice as just one more decision. The homes with solar were priced at $380,000 to $500,000 but because of the demand some sold for as much as $600,000!

As the solar system ages, appreciation is expected to continue as electric rates increase. For example, the more rates rise the greater the ratio 20 to 1 creates on value. This aging will continue since most solar panel systems now generate at least 80% of their power to 25 years and hardware (not financial) depreciation will be expected to accelerate. All system warranties are required to be at least 25 years before solar modules are set to expire. Homebuyers will be at least willing to pay 100% of originating costs for a retrofit solar system with 20 to 1 ratios only increasing with inflated electrical prices. The overall feeling of the current or future owner will be the assurance that they can get their money back out of the system if they need to sell.

A dental practice is sold for a variety of reasons: retirement, moving to another city, or even because of health issues. Regardless of the reason, it is critical to consider the tax ramifications of the sale. Depending on the type of assets sold, the seller can pay federal and state taxes of up to 40% of the gain. For example, a majority, if not the entire amount of the equipment sold is likely to be taxable at the highest rates for both individual and corporate owners. This is because most dental equipment is written off in the year of purchase or depreciated over a 5 to 7 year period. Therefore, there is usually a minimal amount of basis in the equipment at the time of sale.

If a corporation owns real estate, the gain is taxed at the highest corporate rate. If an individual owns the real estate and leases it to the corporation or other legal entity, the tax on prior depreciation is 25% and the gain in excess of depreciation is 20%. Goodwill, patient records, and accounts receivable are also assets usually included in the sale of a dental practice and will be taxed at the 20% rate. Needless to say, the tax liability can be substantial resulting from an outright sale.

Example of an outright sale of a practice and resulting tax liability::

Equipment: $120,000 gain X 40% tax rate = $48,000

Receivables: $ 20,000 gain X 20% tax rate = $ 4.000

Records: $ 90,000 gain X 20% tax rate = $18,000

Real Estate $250,000 gain X 20% tax rate = $50,000

Goodwill $115,000 gain X 40% tax rate = $46,000

As you can see, the total tax liability of $166,000 on this hypothetical sale is staggering, but there is a way to defer these taxes until well into the future. It is called a Section 1031 tax free exchange.

Deferring taxes through a tax-free exchange

Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code has been in existence since the early part of the 20th century. If you purchase “like-kind” property within six months of the sale of the practice, your taxes will be deferred, as long as the various rules are satisfied. There are two time periods involved. The first one, called the identification period, requires the selling dentist to identify one to three replacement properties within 45 days. The second period involves the actual purchase of the property. That needs to occur within 6 months after the sale of the practice.

Exchanges can be either total or partially tax-free. If you have sold your practice and are purchasing another one, it would qualify as a total exchange if you are purchasing a more expensive practice. If it is less than the sold assets, you it would result in a partial exchange and some taxes would be due. Another example of a partial exchange is one in which a practice is sold which includes real estate and the dentist subsequently purchases an apartment building for income property. If the building cost was greater than the real estate sold, no taxes would be due on that portion. Taxes would be due on the other assets sold.

Section 1031 tax-free exchanges are a great way to defer or in some cases eliminate tax liability. It is very important to follow the rules to the letter. Therefore, it is advisable to seek the guidance of an experienced attorney and/or CPA before implementation.

What prompted ace cyclist Lance Armstrong to hit upon the idea to use rubber cancer bracelets to fund cancer research? No one knows. But the signature yellow rubber cancer bracelets worn by the seven-time Tour de Force champion and cancer survivor quickly caught on as a common fundraising tool. And young people soon turned wearing them — in all colors and with all kinds of messages stamped on them — into a trend.

The rubber wristbands have been around for decades as ‘baller bands’ — worn by basketball players because of restrictions against metal jewelry. But the trend really caught on with Armstrong’s cancer bracelets.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation says that more than 52 million ‘LiveStrong’ bracelets have been sold already! But millions of other rubber cancer bracelets have also been sold. And that is without counting the millions, maybe billions, of all other kinds of rubber wristbands that have been sold or are being sold all over the world — rubber bracelets for tsunami relief, for showing support to American troops, for just about anything, and nothing! In fact, they are now the coolest thing that anyone can sport on one’s wrists. Though called rubber bracelets, these are actually made of synthetic rubber, or silicone gel.

When you buy a LiveStrong rubber cancer bracelet, $1 from its proceeds is donated to the Lance Armstrong Cancer Foundation! That is, $52 million has been raised for cancer research already! The LiveStrong rubber cancer bracelets are made by sportswear major Nike. Cancer is 1the second largest cause of death in the United States and one out of four deaths will come from cancer

Now you have a different color rubber cancer bracelet for different types of cancers. In terms of popularity, after the yellow rubber cancer bracelets come the pink ones. The pink rubber cancer bracelets are worn as a show of support for breast cancer patients. There are still more colors of bracelets for colon cancers, prostrate cancers, and so on. But it is well nigh impossible to do a color-coding chart for the rubber cancer bracelets and the types of cancers they represent. Simply because so many of them are being brought out by different organizations across the world.

There are people who take wearing their rubber cancer bracelets seriously, and there are those who hate the sight of them. But it can’t be disputed that these rubber wristbands have brought charity into the life of the common man. They have also succeeded in bringing some of the bitter realities of existence — as well as joys – into the plane of society’s consciousness like never before.

Specifically designed and manufactured by famous candle maker Franklin Gurley, the novelty candles first entered the market in the 1930s. Originally, the candles were commissioned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (now ExxonMobile) simply so that they could make use of the excess paraffin that was produced during the oil refinery process. Made by confectioner Franklin Gurley at his company W&F Manufacturing, they were originally marketed under the name Tavern Novelty Candles. Over time, Gurley’s business went from paraffin confections such as wax lips and teeth to almost exclusively candle production. Tavern was bought out and the name was changed to Gurley Novelty in 1949.

The Tavern and Gurley wax figures and candles were most commonly sold at discount stores such as Woolworths, but they could also be found at department stores like Macy’s. Gurley made candles for all of the major holidays, but the ones most sought after today by collectors are generally the Christmas and Halloween candles. Vintage Thanksgiving and Easter candles are quite popular as well though, so you can expect prices for all of the candles to remain rather more expensive than the candles cost at the time of manufacturer.

Individual candles sold for between 10 and 99 cents and sets sold for a bit more. Nowadays, you can expect to spend at least $10, with many candles selling for quite a bit more. Frequently however, you’ll find that you’ll be able to pick up a full set at a single auction if you are shopping on Ebay.

Almost all vintage Gurley candles that you will on the market today have unlit wicks. While they were marketed as candles, the little figural candles were never really meant to be burned. People collected them for display. There are actually some wax figures under the Tavern brand that don’t even have a wick, such as a Nativity set that was designed by Gurley.

For Thanksgiving, some of the popular vintage Gurley candles that are collected are the Pilgrim men and women, an Indian boy and maiden, various Turkey-shaped candles, and the Mayflower. There’s an even bigger variety of vintage Christmas candles from Gurley which include Santas, snowmen, Christmas trees, choir boys, angels and more.

If you are a collector only interested in the original Gurley and Tavern candles, then one thing it will be important for you to keep in mind is that the Vermont Country Store has purchased many of the Gurley candle molds and is manufacturing candles today that look exactly like the original candles. If you want to ensure that you are buying the vintage collectibles and not reproductions, it will be important to search for candles that still have the original Gurley label so you know that you are getting a vintage item and not a brand new one. If you find some candles that have lost their labels, one way to tell the difference is that the newer candles will be very brightly color compared to their vintage counterparts.

Buying or selling real estate is probably the most significant transaction you’ll ever make in your life. That’s why it’s important to choose the best Realtor to help you achieve this goal. But before you hire the services of a real estate agent, there are important factors to consider.

Many people have the perception that all real estate agents are the same. Some sign with the first one that comes along. Unfortunately, they realize later on that they should have been more selective before signing an agreement. To guide you in choosing the best Realtor for your needs, below are seven questions to ask your prospective real estate agent.

1) What is your experience in real estate?

The first thing you need to ask a real estate agent is how long they’ve been in the real estate business. It doesn’t mean that you cannot enlist the services of newly licensed real estate agents. Just keep in mind that those who have years of experience under their belts are probably more knowledgeable on what to do, from listing to closing. Aside from the number of years in the business, ask them what segment of real estate they focus on – residential, commercial, luxury, etc. Find out if he/she is primarily a listing agent or a buyer’s agent (or both). Familiarity with the market is also essential, so ask what geographic areas the agent usually covers. You can even dig deeper by asking if the agent has received any awards for outstanding performance.

2) How many and what types of properties have you listed and sold in the past year?

It’s one of the most important questions you should ask a real estate agent. The number of properties he or she has listed and sold in the past year is a valuable indicator how good a real estate professional is in getting the job done. Take note that this question consists of two parts: properties listed and properties sold. Agents may demonstrate their ability to list homes; however, the more important thing is the sales part – the ability to close deals. If they have many properties listed and sold in the past year, it shows that whatever strategy the agent is using, it’s certainly working.

3) What was the average sales price for the properties you’ve sold over the last year?

Asking this will give you an idea in what kind of market the agent specializes. Find out if the real estate professional has experience selling properties in the price range you’re listing at. If a majority of properties sold falls on the low-end market segment, it might take longer for the agent to sell if yours is a higher-end home. Although agents can sell any property regardless of price range, it’s likely that they will have better success in the market and price segments in which they have the most experience.

4) What is your average sale to list price ratio?

The sale to list price ratio (sometimes called the sale-to-list or list-to-sale ratio) is the final sales price divided by the listing price, expressed as a percentage. If it is 100%, it means the sales price was equal to the list price. You can view this ratio in two ways. A skilled listing agent can negotiate sales prices that are equal or close to the list price, and sometimes even greater in a very competitive market. So ideally, listing agents should have sale to list price ratios closer to 100%. On the other side of the coin, a good buyer’s agent can often negotiate a sales price that is lower than the list price. Therefore, buyer’s agent ratios ideally should be lower than 99%.

5) What marketing strategies will you use?

Deciding on what strategies to use can spell the difference between success and failure. A poor marketing strategy will diminish the chances for success. Do your own due diligence by asking how the agent will sell your property. There are lots of options – staging, open houses, joint marketing, print advertising, and of course, online marketing. Whatever approaches are used, they should be designed to bring in the highest number of qualified potential buyers. Higher end properties can also often benefit from professional staging. In any case, your agent should advise you on how to best prepare the property to make it the most attractive to potential buyers.

6) Can you give me some references?

Reputation is important in this line of business. Whether you’re buying or selling a property, you should ask for references (past clients). If possible, call a few and ask them about their experiences with the agent. Were they pleased with the service provided? Also ask if they are in any way related to the agent. A list of references made up of friends or relatives generally won’t provide an objective assessment of the agent’s qualifications.

7) Do you offer any type of guarantee, and will you let me out of my contract early if I am not satisfied with your service?

You can’t say with certainty how things will go, even if you did your due diligence. For this reason, you should ensure that you’re prepared for any eventuality. If you sign a contract and later find that you’re not satisfied with the service, will the agent allow you to cancel the agreement? If things don’t work out the way they’re supposed to, you should have the freedom to choose another agent who can deliver better results.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when choosing a real estate agent. Finding and interviewing Realtors can be a very time-consuming and laborious task. However, now armed with these seven questions, you are on your way in choosing the best Realtor for your needs.

On July 16, 2010, Google announced the discontinuation of their Nexus One phone, stating that the phone would no longer be available online, and that it would only be sold through select retailers in Europe and Korea. This raised questions by many who hailed the phone as a triumph for Google, and viewed the phone as a sure-fire competitor in its market. On the one hand, many have been quick to point to disappointing sales figures for the phone as the primary reason why Google dropped the Nexus One, but were there other factors in Google’s decision?

It would seem there were actually a variety of reasons why Google pulled the phone, but there are three which stand out above the rest.

The first reason is that they effectively became competitors with their partners. This created odd tensions between Google and phone companies like T-Mobile and Verizon, who have partnered with Google in the release of Nexus One and other Android phones. These companies were selling the Nexus One as a product bundled with their services, but the fact that all the major phone companies were able to do the same, and were all simultaneously competing with Google as a retailer for the phone itself became a point of contention. The phone never really had a solid platform as a result, a fact which came to undermine product sales and credibility.

The second reason is, as mentioned above, was disappointing sales figures. Various numbers have been thrown about by various reporters, but the consensus seems to be that the Nexus One sold only around 20,000 units in its opening week, and by the time of its discontinuation had only sold around 150,000, in contrast to its apparent competitor, the iPhone 4, which has sold well over a million units. Of course, a product cannot succeed without numbers backing it, a fact which brought more trouble to the doorstep of the Nexus One.

The third reason for the discontinuation of the Nexus One is its failure to properly brand itself. Google didn’t push as hard on advertising as its competitors did for their products. Apple and AT&T had a variety of ads for the iPhone 4, as did Verizon for its new Droid phone, yet the Nexus One was relegated to a few Hulu ads and a small space at the bottom of Google’s homepage. For this reason, it could be argued that the average consumer simply wasn’t aware of the Nexus One, contributing to poor sales.

The tragedy of the Nexus One is that it actually performed well as a phone. Its failure wasn’t because it was an inferior product, rather, it was killed through a lack of proper planning. At present, Google does not plan to continue the Nexus One line, though I hope at a later date they make a comeback and reenter the mobile phone market, learning from their mistakes with the Nexus One.

Naruto series became popular both in Japan and the United States. Overwhelming responses from the people and demand of it comic could be seen in terms of its sales. In Japan over 71 million copies were sold out of volume 36 and volume 43 sold 1.1 million copies during 2008 becoming the 9th best-selling comic from Japan. In the first half from 2009, it ranked as the 3rd best-seller manga from Japan, having sold 3.4 million copies. Volume 45 ranked 5th with 1.1 million copies sold, while volume 46 ranked 9th, having sold 864,708 copies and volume 44 at 40th place.

Ups and downs can be seen everywhere. This series too has received praise and criticism by several reviewers. A. E. Sparrow from IGN noted how some manga volumes focus only in certain characters to the point the number of fans increases. He was impressed the way Kishimoto manages to make remarkable combinations of fighting scenes, comedy and good artwork. The anime and manga magazine Neo feels that Naruto’s character as irksome but at the same time feel that the series has a sickening addictiveness to its level of characterization. Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network (ANN) liked the designs of the characters very much. He also noted how even the “goofiest looking character” can act “damn cool” when he fights. He also praised the way battles takes place and how emotional it turns out to be at the end.

The fight scenes and the opponents in the series develop the interest among the readers and viewers. The artwork of Kishimoto was also commented by Lugo as it makes the story dramatic and exciting. The start of Part II has been praised in another review by Casey Brienza from ANN. She noted how well the characters were developed as they had new appearances and abilities.

Sparkle paper towels are claimed to be made of 100 percent virgin fiber.These towels are used for a number of different purposes in homes and in commercial areas. There are different brands of paper towels aside from Sparkle and they are generally comparative on the absorbent qualities they possess. The thickness of these towels is vital in absorbing moisture and is one of the primary features that set them apart. Sparkle paper towels, like most towels, are made of ingredients used to absorb as much moisture as possible.

To give you a brief history, they were first invented by a person named Arthur Scott. He was the head of the Scott Paper Company.Towels were a result of a mistake he committed while he was processing toilet paper. The rolls had been made too thick and were not able to be used as toilet paper. Scott then sold these to a teacher. These were the first ever to be sold. The product then began to be sold to restaurants, hotels, and even public bathrooms. It had the name Sani-towels. In 1931, Scott sold the first towels used specifically in the kitchen.

They can be used in restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other places. Usually, paper towels are used to wipe up spills. They can also be used to dry your hands after using the bathroom, cleaning windows, furniture, and other surfaces and they are frequently used as table napkins.

Aside from Sparkle paper towels, there are many other popular brands used today. The most popular of these brands include Brawny, Scott, Viva, So-Dri, 7th Generation, and Bounty among others. Towels are usually white. However, some have different designs on them. There are even generic brands that are less expensive, but most are far less absorbent.

Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and can be thrown away after use. Many people prefer to use paper towels for exactly this reason. However, many people like to use cloth towels because they are more environmental friendly, though that is even debatable since they require constant washing and thus consume a lot of water and energy in the process. The other issue is that these towels are also a potential breeding ground for bacteria because of the moisture they retain after use.

These towels can be bought at discounted prices and to save even more money, you can use towel coupons. You can also opt to buy cheaper generic towels if you like. However, understand that cheaper paper have lesser absorbent capabilities and you will likely use more of them which will partially offset the cost savings. If you are in need of towels which can absorb more moisture, buy the thicker ones.

Sparkle paper towels are useful in many ways. They can be used anywhere – in restaurants, in hotels, in offices, and in homes. However, in order to reduce the use of towels, you can use electric hand dryers in washrooms.