“Sixty percent of bankruptcies and seventy-five percent of divorces in California are done without lawyers,” according to Do It Yourself Documents, a self-help legal book and kit retailer. With the availability of so many quality self-help legal resources today, it has never been easier to handle your own legal matter. I will tell you what self-help resources are available and how to use them.Although the information I am about to give you is based on research and experience, always remember that only a lawyer is qualified to give you sound legal advice. I am not a lawyer, but I have worked extensively in this field. Use any of the products and services I mention here at your own risk.You have several choices when trying to handle a legal matter without a lawyer. You can do the matter entirely on your own with a self-help book or kit; you can handle the matter with aid from an independent paralegal or legal assistance program; you can handle the matter through a program such as Pre-Paid Legal Services.SELF-HELP BOOKS AND KITSThe market is saturated with self-help legal books and kits. Which ones can you trust? HALT, an organization of Americans for legal reform, has reviewed many popular self-help guides. On their website, you can find their “Do It Yourself” section, which has helpful product reviews. In general, I will save you time and tell you HALT repeatedly recommends products from Nolo Press. All of Nolo’s books and software are created by lawyers and are updated constantly. I also recommend products from Alpha Publications. I do not recommend products from Info America or similar publishers.Kits and books you want to stay away from are those that are not updated frequently and not written by experts. Make sure the book or kit has a help-line from the publisher you can call if you need assistance. Also, does the kit/book include the forms you need? Does the kit/book have a CD-Rom so you can type the forms on your computer? Remember, you get what you pay for.Before you buy anything, however, I recommend you check your state court system’s website because many states provide both forms and basic instructions for free. For a complete list of state-specific resources, try DoItYourselfDocuments.com. On the left side of their homepage, find your state on the drop down menu, then scroll to the bottom of the page for your state.If there is a state-specific version of the kit or book you want, buy that one. For example, there are many national divorce kits intended for use in all 50 states. I have never seen one of these books or kits that was useful.INDEPENDENT PARALEGALS AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSIndependent paralegals are paralegals that do not work under the supervision of attorneys. In California, independent paralegals are licensed, bonded, and use the title “Legal Document Assistants.” Currently, California is the only state to regulate independent paralegals. For the California Association of Legal Document Assistants, visit their website at http://www.calda.orgAn independent paralegal can provide you with the forms you need for many routine legal matters and assist you with filing your documents. Typically, independent paralegals are knowledgeable about local court rules and other nuisances you may not find in a self-help book or kit. The price? Usually, 1/3 of what you’d pay for an attorney.If you live outside of California, be sure you hire an independent paralegal with a paralegal certificate from an American Bar Association approved school. Many times, independent paralegals with 15 years of experience or more do not have these certificates because they were not needed years ago. You may want to ask the independent paralegal what, if any, continuing education s/he obtains over the course of a year to stay up-to-date on training. Also, how long, if at all, s/he worked under the supervision of an attorney to gain the required knowledge to assist you. Finally, ask if the independent paralegal is a member of a professional association or has any special certifications.There is only one national independent paralegal franchise to my knowledge, and that is We The People. We The People does not require their owners or operators to have paralegal certificates; however, they do provide in-depth training from the company on all the types of legal matters that they cover. We The People has been in business for over 20 years.Like the independent paralegals described above, there are also “attorney assisted” independent paralegals. These attorney-assisted paralegals typically perform the same services as traditional independent paralegals but have an attorney proofread their documents or oversee their work in some way. Prices are typically about the same or slightly higher than traditional independent paralegals.As for legal assistance programs, most states have “paperwork helpers” in the courthouse to assist you. In California, these are called Family Law Facilitators. These programs are free to everybody; they are not legal aid, which is only available to people with low incomes. There are also occasionally programs through local civic groups, such as the YMCA, that provide similar assistance.PRE-PAID LEGALThere are many types of legal insurance, but the most established is Pre-Paid Legal Services ( http://www.prepaidlegal.com ) For about $25-$30 a month, you can call a “provider law firm” and get legal advice on any matter. If you decide to use the “provider law firm” to handle a legal matter on your behalf, you typically receive some kind of discount. Some programs include free preparation of a Last Will and Testament for you and your spouse. Like any insurance, you can cancel your membership at any time.If you wanted to do a more complex legal matter on your own, you could obtain a pre-paid legal membership and call your provider law firm any time you had a concern. If desired, cancel your membership when your legal matter was resolved. Be very sure that each time you call your provider law firm, you make it clear that you are not calling about the same thing you previously called about. They will charge you if you do. Be very specific and say, “I have called about this issue before, but I have a new concern…” Be prepared to wait a day or two for the provider law firm to call you back with your requested advice or information.Many employers offer pre-paid legal insurance as a benefit. Before you sign up, be sure to check with your employer–it may be completely free to you.

With convergence of information and communication technologies where the mobile phone, the computer, and the internet have become inseparable, more and more doors are being opened in all sectors. In the education sector, the internet has provided a new way where students and lecturers can perform their respective duties without necessarily being physically close. This is what is known as online education where both student and instructor meet online. But is online education important? Here are a few reasons why students should choose online education to advance their careers and get that most desired qualification and certificate.Wide Range of ChoicesIt is only in online education where you can choose from a wide range of schools without being limited by physical distance or boundaries. You are able to choose education programs some of which cannot be available in your area. Some students are forced to take majors in courses that they would not have otherwise liked because their colleges do not offer what they would have liked. In other instances, some students live in rural areas far away from colleges of choice. With online education, you are able to take the major that you want and attend college of your choice without major relocations.Remember that you need not go for expensive programs. This is because you are given an opportunity to choose what suits your budget. Additionally, online programs are generally cheaper when compared to the traditional class-based programs.FlexibilityOnline education offers flexibility that allows both the student and the instructor to meet when time or schedule allows best for them. Whether you are a busy working-cum-schooling individual that does not have time for classes during the day, you are easily accommodated in an online education program. Additionally in the global village, there are differences in time because we are not all in the same time zone. Taking an online education program that suits your schedule is made possible by the differences in time.It is good to realize that students do not necessarily learn at the same pace. Some feel that the instructions are too fast and overwhelming while others feel that some students are dragging them behind. With online education, there is flexibility in pace and time. You can choose an online program that will suit your pace.Online Education Offers Excellent Networking OpportunitiesUnlike what many would want to believe, online education offers some of the best opportunities to meet with people from around the world. Sharing an online class will make you get important contacts and academic references some of which will help you in your future career. In order to understand this better, one only needs to look at how many friends and followers that one has gathered through online platforms. Online schools are no different.Online education does not require commuting; it can be done while still working normal hours and it is very effective.

Should I use inbound or outbound marketing? Where do you find that balance between outbound and inbound marketing to maximize and grow the flow of leads? What should you consider when concocting a synergic marketing mix to include both? To answer all these questions, let’s start by understanding each of the marketing techniques, its strengths and weaknesses.What is Outbound Marketing?
Outbound marketing can be simply described as a straightforward business exchange proposition. “Hey there, want to buy my thing?” is your basic message and approach of outbound marketing. It’s the oldest and most fundamental part of any marketing strategy, and is also what non-marketers assume marketing is all about.Examples of outbound marketing include telemarketing (“cold calls”), paid mailings (both electronic and “snail mail”), advertising (banner ads, radio ads, billboards, etc.) and even door-to-door sales. It’s all about reaching out and pulling the prospect in.Strengths of Outbound Marketing
Not only is it the older and better polished set of techniques, outbound marketing generates sales leads almost immediately. It goes beyond saying that it’s no magic wand, but when it comes to “sealing the deal”, your go-to tools are those in your outbound toolbelt.1. Easier to measure ROI2. Quicker to show impact3. Potentially PersonalizedWeaknesses of Outbound Marketing
Many businesses and brands love outbound marketing for its quick and easily measured results. However, they equally hate the cost and too often the reaction of the target audience, which can easily manufacture a negative sentiment toward the brand.1. Intrusive2. Expensive3. Ineffective on its ownWhat is Inbound Marketing?
In short, the idea of inbound marketing is to create a pull effect to bring in pre-qualified leads instead of pushing intrusive messages.Inbound marketing activities include opt-in email marketing, content production and promotion, social media, and search engine optimization efforts (SEO), among other things.Using this method, a type of funnel is created with leads coming in at the top of the funnel (TOFU) and being “nurtured” down the funnel with marketing messages tailored to the stage that the lead is in until they are “ready” to be approached with a message directed to start the purchasing process.Strengths of Inbound Marketing
Though it existed long before social media and even online sales, the inbound methodology has taken over digital advertising by storm in the past decade. With growing banner blindness, do-not-call lists and the rising cost of users’ attention, it’s no wonder so many brands and businesses include inbound marketing in their strategies.1. Cost-effective2. Unintrusive3. BroadWeaknesses of Inbound Marketing
For B2B marketers, it’s often hard to explain the value of inbound marketing to executives who just want to see those leads flowing in and converting. It’s no longer a new approach and methodology, and yet there are reasons brands sometimes hesitate to prioritize inbound marketing activities.1. Slow to show results2. Harder to measure3. ImpersonalBrewing Your Marketing Mix
Let’s go back to the question we started with: which should you be using – inbound or outbound? Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each, you can see why both are necessary ingredients in your marketing mix. But how much of each, and when?A number of variables affect the inbound to outbound ratio of every brand, product, campaign, and even specific transaction. The impact of some might be less than of others, depending on your unique business and product.Deal SizeProduct TypeFunnel StagesThe Marketing Mix and Match
Combining inbound methodologies and outbound marketing techniques in your marketing mix is not always easy, but is usually worth it. By defining the correct balance between the pull techniques of inbound and the push techniques of outbound, you can combine both to create an optimized lead nurturing and conversion process. It all depends on how well you know your target audience, and how willing you are to make the effort to cater to their needs along the journey down the funnel.

Digital marketing services are the latest way of marketing. They provide a 360-degree view of the marketing sphere and can help you to ensure that you reach your goals.Digital Marketing is a tricky area, where you need to take into account many factors in order to succeed. That’s why it’s important to hire a company that has expertise in this field and can help you plan your strategy for lead generation.One of the most important aspects of digital marketing is lead generation, which is why it needs careful planning and implementation.How to create Strategies for Leads GenerationDigital marketing services are a type of service that typically offers a selection of digital marketing options, such as email marketing, social media advertising, pay-per-click advertising, and search engine optimization.A successful strategy for lead generation is one that offers an ROI to the client and the provider. The provider should be able to get a return on their investment by getting the desired level of sales or leads from the client. The client needs to be able to get sufficient data on which they can base their campaign decision-making process.Identify your customersIn today’s digital world, customers are no longer satisfied with a one-way conversation. They want to be active participants in the way your business runs. In order to meet their expectations, you need to identify your customers and understand what they want from your company.The first step is understanding who your customers are and their needs. After that, create a dialogue with them by providing them with what they want and need from your company. If you do this, they will likely become a happy customer who will continue to use your services for a long time because now they feel like part of the team.Decide your budgetOne of the most important things to consider when choosing a company for your marketing needs is how much you are willing to spend. Marketing services can range anywhere from $25 per hour for digital marketing services to much more than that?There are three main factors that affect cost: the time spent on certain tasks; what will be delivered; and the number of assets the company has at its disposal. When it comes down to it, you want to compare apples with apples when comparing what will be delivered and how many assets are used by different companies in order to get a true comparison of what is possible for your budget.Use right platformAs a business owner, you should always choose the right platform for lead generation. The digital marketing services that you choose to use should be a perfect fit for your company and your needs.You can generate leads from social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, and many other sources. Each of these channels has advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of before making any decisions.Hire good companyDigital marketing services are essential to the success of any company. They are important for businesses of all sizes, from startups to multinationals.One such service that digital agencies provide is SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is a huge part of digital marketing as it helps companies rank higher in SERPs (search engine result pages) and attract more customers.Digital agencies also provide other services such as social media marketing, content management, and design, web development, and app development.Target your customersThese days, it’s not just about the product. If a company doesn’t have a digital strategy, they are going to lose a lot of potential customers.What is the value of a company without reaching its customers? Without identifying your target audience and targeting them, you can’t sell your products and services effectively. The first step to solving this issue is knowing who your customer is. There are three different types of people that you might need to sell to:Prepare your strategyThe first thing that you have to do is to figure out what your marketing goals are. Then you have to set up a strategy for reaching these goals.The marketing strategy needs to be well-defined and focused on the needs of the business. It has to be feasible, achievable, and sustainable for future development.Strategies should have a clear focus on ROI, KPIs, and conversion rates. For example, setting up a Facebook page with the objective of increasing website traffic over the next year is not enough if you don’t know how it will happen or if it’s realistic.A digital marketing services company can help you with this process by providing high-quality digital marketing plans with step-by-step instructions for execution at reasonable costs.Increase your growthDigital marketing services have the potential to help you grow your business.Digital marketing services have been in demand in recent years with a huge increase in usage and revenue.This has been a result of the fact that people are increasingly turning to digital channels for shopping, banking, and other services. It’s also because of the increased competition from traditional media outlets such as TV, print publications, and radio.This is why it’s important for businesses to invest in digital marketing services from an experienced company like ours. We’ll work on strategies and campaigns that will help you reach new audiences and gain more sales leads.Monetarize your customersDigital marketing services are in demand in this age of digital transformation. As customers are getting digital savvy, marketers need to find new ways to bring them back into the store or stay in contact with them. The rise of social media platforms has led to a huge increase in customer awareness. Digital marketing strategies have become important for businesses looking to retain customers and create loyal customers.The best way for companies looking to monetize their customers is through free offers. These free offers can range from discounts or trials on subscription-based products, access to reports, coupons or vouchers for your products, etc.

I have been in recruitment for over 15 years and am a true believer in the use of good technology within the recruitment process. This has led me to make it a mission to keep informed of what resources are being developed and made available on the technology front within recruitment.I have therefore conducted continuous and extensive research in this area and have been involved in developing software and tools specific to our industry.This brings me to an interesting topic which has come up time and time again during my research and discussions with numerous recruiters, I am sure all recruiters have discussed this in length and with much passion at some time. The replacement of recruiters and the recruitment process by technology!I have heard from some clients as well as recruiters that some feel our days are numbered, as technology, for example on-line job portals / boards, both general and in-house developed will soon replace us.These are my thoughts and findings on this issue: Technology is fantastic! A great resource for Recruiters and should be embraced with open arms.
Many recruiters are afraid of technology, they would still prefer to work with flip cards and say that anyone using technology is not a “Real Recruiter”!My experience is: ignore technology and “Real Recruiter” or not your business is doomed, it will not progress far into the future as a viable entity. You will be replaced.Technology is not a replacement for recruiters but a powerful tool to assist us, make us more productive, give us more reach, make us more competitive. We should (in fact must) welcome it as many other industries and professions do. How many accounting packages are out their that could and in many cases do “replace” accountants in certain aspects, yet the demand for accountants is still high.Why are we so insecure about our industry!I am aware that recruiters and the recruiting industry has taken a battering over a long period but one thing we can not doubt is that we are necessary, in fact essential! We too are always in demand – even if some folk like to tell us otherwise.I have had clients try their own portal / on-line database, only to realise how difficult the recruitment function actually is, mainly their own portals only bring about more work and less recruitment success, as they get piles of responses, many whom they can never use, but they still need to manage.
They generally come back for assistance, even if it is with their own portal as an additional tool.Recruiters should be getting in first, start using the excellent technology available, become recruitment technology experts and then use this knowledge to your advantage, sell your knowledge of recruitment technology tools to your clients, make it an added benefit to your clients.If clients want to use technology in recruiting we should encourage it and be involved in the process of decision making and choices as to which technology is most suitable. Introduce them to technologies using your expertise. This may seem like a bad business approach to those who feel they are in danger of losing their jobs to technology, but if you explain and demonstrate to your clients how a combination of the right technology along with a knowledgeable recruiting professional will produce the most desired results, then you maintain control, you lead the process, you are able to make yourself an indispensable part of the recruitment process.This is better then trying to persuade them not to use recruitment technology or just waiting for your business with them to possibly shrink as they find appropriate technology themselves or find a recruiting professional who is willing to guide them in this process.Developments in recruitment technology are inevitable and in fact very necessary to ensure our industry, as well as the market in general, thrives. We can not have archaic recruitment processes trying to keep up with modern market human resource demands.So, lets encourage more development by researching and using the tools and technology available to us, only by using the technology do we make it viable for the developers of these tools to continue enhancing and fine tuning to suit our requirements and needs. After all we are the recruiting experts and should therefore be the main contributor to how these systems operate.Technology will no more replace us then it will any other profession – unless we force it to!

There are many ways people botch important communication each and every day. They lose jobs, hurt their relationships and limit their opportunities in life. Each of the habits have many “sub-habits.” In this article you will be introduced to the argumentative communicator.Eight Habits of Highly Ineffective Communicators The Blaming CommunicatorThe Argumentative CommunicatorThe Gossiping CommunicatorThe Judgemental CommunicatorThe Comparison Making CommunicatorThe Better Than CommunicatorThe Hear My Old Baggage CommunicatorThe Interrupting CommunicatorHave you ever been in a conversation where you found your mind drifting, dreaming, and struggling to stay focused? Do you remember how it feels to try and listen as someone drones on and on? When we are faced with a poor communicator there can be many reasons for the missed connection. Often there are words and phrases that simply shut us down, and prevent us from listening as well as we would like. Many times the person communicating is injecting so many negative words and ideas that we begin to feel down and heavy inside. It may just be that the person you are communicating with is boring you because the content of the communication is all about them, about stories you don’t care to listen to, and people you have never met!What if that poor communicator who is boring someone to tears…. is you? How would you know if you are the one who is inserting negative associations, bringing up insignificant details, droning on about you, you, you? How do you know if someone is really interested in what you have to say… that they are really engaged in the conversation? What is your method of observing whether or not the person or group is interested and intrigued, or tired and looking for the door?When you become a top notch communicator, you learn from everyone you talk with. You will notice the subtle cues that tell you if you are in good rapport, speaking in a way that your audience understands, and using words that create desire and interest. You will be willing to identify in yourself those things that push others away and prevent them from listening as well as you would like. This is a very potent aspect of self awareness that allows you to stay fascinating to everyone around you!Throughout this series of articles you will look at the areas of communication where people most often go wrong. You will discover how you may have been alienating others and helping them to feel negative when they are around you. As you read these scenarios, notice if you see yourself in them. Take time to be very honest about your style of communication and the effects you are having on those around you.The Argumentative Communicator Do you enjoy playing the devil’s advocate? Are you constantly offering your opposing opinion when it is not asked for? Do you find yourself saying the word “but” often in your conversation with others? You may be an argumentative talker. There is an effective way to take an opposing view, but it may destroy rapport. There is a way to give your opinion, but it may be received as unwanted advice. When you continue to oppose the comments of your listener, you run the risk of making them feel wrong, stupid, or uninformed.Men and women seem to view communication differences in different ways. I often notice that men will say, “we had a debate” or “an intense conversation” and women will indicate that they had “a fight” or an “argument.”The argumentative communicator, whether a man or a woman should be aware that their communication efforts may immediately be perceived as a “fight” (the worst of the four above labels) regardless of the intent of the communicator.I have a confession to make. I was in debate in high school and like Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) I find a good debate stimulating and enlightening. Debate generally can be described as a structured discussion where individuals cite evidence about an issue in an attempt to persuade another person. Debate is an intellectual process where it is OK and preferable to be “right.” While I do enjoy debating very much, I do not enjoy arguing, which is emotionally based.Arguing is where two or more people disagree about some subject, they raise their voices and make the discussion personal by bringing in the other person’s intentions.What’s the difference then between debate and an argument? In debate we cite evidence with the intent to validate our point of view. In arguments we cite evidence, make claims about the negative intention of the other person’s behavior, and become very emotional to the point where apologies will be in order after the communication is finished because one or both parties will have their feelings hurt. In an argument the individual feels attacked. When the attack is perceived as hostile, with intention to harm, I call this a “fight.”Perceptions are tricky things. One person may be simply debating or discussing a subject intellectually with no intent to harm. The other person may perceive such communication as intending to harm them and they feel as if they are in a fight with a need to defend themselves instead of their point of view! Sometimes it takes quite a long time for the person who is debating to come to the conclusion that the other person is upset and fighting.There are no easy and clearly defined answers to rapidly determine whether someone thinks you are arguing, fighting, debating or discussing. Therefore it is vital to ask if it’s “OK to have this conversation” or at least smile. It’s also important to keep sarcasm out of discussions and debates if it isn’t obvious to the other person that you are having fun with them…instead of poking fun at them.The argumentative communicator needs to be right. They want to defeat their opponent as if the dining room or boardroom is a courtroom where only one person can “win.” In interpersonal communications or in business, it’s critical to remember that it’s very easy for no one to win. This doesn’t mean to stop disagreeing or intellectually pursuing what is good and right. It is very important to make sure those we have discussions with do not feel attacked.There is an additional problem. You and I both know that we often take possession of our ideas as if they were our identity. If people’s ideas and verbalized thoughts are always experienced at the level of one’s identity, then all debate will become perceived as fighting or arguing. Therefore, when this pattern of communication erupts it’s important to separate the idea from the person. This doesn’t stop discussion and debates from becoming arguments and fights but it does add clarity to the conversation.If you are discussing something with someone and they perceive you as argumentative, I suggest you ask the person, “How can I present counter examples and other points of view to you so that you are not offended and your feelings are not hurt?” I thought of this wonderful question many times when it was simply too late to ask.If you experience numerous people saying things like, “you just love to argue don’t you?” or “why do you always argue with me” or “I don’t want to fight with you,” then regardless of whether you are fighting with people or not you need to reconsider your approach to communication so you are perceived as less abrasive.Many times people who are intellectuals (whether they are “intellectual snobs” or not!) are considered argumentative simply because they have such a broad or deep knowledge about something that they are constantly the individual with superior knowledge about a subject. This can lead others to feeling inferior. In these situations it can be useful for the person perecieved as superior and therefore the one who often puts others “on edge” or “on the defensive” to reduce the number of verbalizations in a communication and “tighten up their communication.” Make long speeches shorter. Ask more questions and have fewer total words spoken in dialogue.Remember: Where one person knows seems to know everything, the other person is not necessary…or at least that’s how they feel. Most brilliant people got that way because they were incredibly inquisitive. This too can become a problem. Asking questions of others is a great way to learn about how others feel, think and believe but believe it or not…there are lines that can be crossed here as well!Many people process their “thoughts” through their “feelings.” You can ask someone what they are thinking and they will say, “I don’t know,” “nothing”, “not much,” “nothing important,” and so on. These people aren’t planning major life events in their mind, they are simply in the moment…in their feelings and because they process information differently from verbalizing thinkers, they often feel inadequate in a relationship or are pegged as poor communicators. In fact, they may not be good communicators but they can improve their communication skills if others don’t put an enormous amount of pressure on them.If you are a person who takes time to process external information and you don’t communicate well about information you have just received, a good strategy to appear more competent is to say things like, “I need to consider what you’ve said…to ponder it.” “Let me think about what you’ve said. I’d like to talk with you tomorrow about it, when I’ve taken the time it deserves.” “My initial reaction is positive and I’d like to take some more time to consider it.”What this does is allow the two parties to know that there is no problem with what was communicated by the verbalizing party and that they are indeed considering the information, not ignoring it as verbalizers often feel others are doing “to them.”"Non-verbalizers” (people who use few words in the course of a day or a conversation) often become angry when they are asked to express more than they already have said. This leads them to argue from their feeling base. “Why do you always make me feel bad.” “You’re mean.” “You don’t respect my feelings.” They might raise their voice and repeat the same sets of feelings or thoughts over and over and they are now arguing.Instead, the “nonverbalizer” can share information like this. “I’m starting to get upset but it’s because I’m not able to put my feelings into words yet. I’m not upset with you and I don’t want to be, so let me ponder this and let’s talk again tomorrow about it.”Meanwhile, the “verbalizer” (people who share lots of information…almost streams of information in communication) get upset and angry when others don’t respond in like kind. Someone who communicates 50 out of 60 minutes will feel the other person is “holding back” or “covering up” or that they just don’t care. These things upset the “verbalizer” and once upset, as with all communication about to go wrong…emotions will get the best of the verbalizer and communication will deteriorate rapidly. Because the verbalizer is able to deliver words in large volume and speed, the verbalizer also is more likely to be deemed argumentative when she gets upset. Her voice will raise and become angry.The verbalizer needs to share their feelings now. “I’m starting to become angry because I feel as if you are not sharing with me what I’m asking you for. Am I reading you right?” It’s very important that the nonverbalizer doesn’t take this communication as “blaming” because the nonverbalizer is by definition someone who doesn’t communicate as much and certainly not as quickly as a verbalizer.What can you do if you are dealing with an argumentative communicator that you have to deal with? * Tell the person you don’t enjoy arguing but that you will discuss options and ideas.* Tell the person you respect their point of view but disagree.( If necessary, tell the person that this subject is something you don’t wish to continue discussing because it is personal or volatile. (This is OK for business of course but not going to do the trick in long term relationships.)* Speak your point of view clearly and what it would take for you to re-evaluate your point of view.* Ask the person, Is being right more important than your feelings?” (In other words, what is at stake? Safety? Life/Death? Some long term issue? or Is it about whether you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle or end….)* Suggest the person frame their comments in a more gentle fashion. “I know you aren’t saying that to attack me, it just hurts when you say it that way.”"Instead of yelling, allow yourself to speak calmly and then I’ll be able to listen to you better.”
“If you stop calling me names when we talk, I’d be a lot less defensive. Deal?”What can you do if YOU are the argumentative communicator? * Ask more questions.* Be interested in how the other people in your life came to believe and think what they think.* Be aware that not everyone perceives discussion, debate, arguing and fighting in the same way. Find out what those important to you believe about each of these things.* Ask the important people in your life specifically how you can communicate with them to help them know you don’t want to argue but discuss.* Determine why you need to be “right” or make someone else “wrong” in heated communications.* Always think of your intention. If your intention is gentle. Speak more quietly. People associate quieter tones and gentler intentions.* Show people you care in ways other than verbally so they know you care when you do argue.* If you find yourself getting into a heated discussion, ask the other person if they feel you are arguing or discussing. Ask what the difference would be for them.* Ask your friend/association/partner how you can communicate without giving the appearance of arguing.Want to communicate smoothly and effortlessly with anyone?

It is human nature to try to make the most of our assets, including our financial assets. Apart from those people who have no ambition and throw away their money, the majority look for ways to increase the amount they have. They look to the future, and try to build enough resources to let them see out their retirement in a financially stable way.One of the most common ways to try to build up cash reserves is to use existing cash to put into some kind of investment scheme. There are many different investment vehicles available, and one of the most popular ones in recent times has been binary options.Like all investment schemes, there is an element of risk involved, but one of the reasons binary trading has become so popular is it provides an opportunity to make substantial profits over a relatively short time period.Bad investmentsThere was a time when people were quite happy to leave their spare cash in a bank. They felt it was secure there, and that gave them such confidence that they did not worry too much about the poor rates of interest they were receiving.Today, unless you have a very large sum of money to invest, putting your money in a savings account is like throwing it away, albeit over a long time period. Interest rates on standard savings accounts are now almost always lower than the rate of inflation.That means that even though the dollar amount in your savings account may be growing year on year, its real value is actually falling. In other words, you can buy less with the amount in your savings account now than you could with the amount you originally invested. In the present financial situation, putting your money in a bank savings account has to be regarded as a bad investment. This is especially the case for long term goals, such as a comfortable retirement.Why binary options trading is a viable alternative?As already stated, binary trading provides a way to make decent profits over relatively short time spans. One of the key aspects of this type of trading is that results are known quickly, giving investors the option to take corrective action before large losses are incurred.Later, we will look at how this type of trading compares to other forms of investment. First, it is important for the potential trader to understand what this type of trading involves, and how it is different from other more standard types of investing. The best way to do this is to compare this type of trading with stock market investments.To make our explanation clearer, we are going to create a fictitious company called Ace Products Inc. whose stocks are traded on the NASDAQ. The company is doing well, and its share price has risen by more than a dollar in the last year to $7.95 today.StocksStocks or shares are issued by companies that have floated on one or more of the world’s stock exchanges, such as the NASDAQ or the London Stock Exchange. Companies issue shares at a given price, and anybody can then buy some of these shares. Shares are bought and sold through the stock exchanges. The price of shares is dictated by supply and demand. The more demand for a given the share, the higher the price will be.When you buy shares in a company, you become a part owner in that company, no matter how small your share allocation is. That means you have a say, albeit a tiny one, in how the business is run.Shareholders are entitled to vote at the company’s AGM, where they can take part in votes to appoint people to the board, and to approve the company’s annual accounts. Most people who have small shareholdings do not bother to attend the AGM to do this. They can appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf. If they do not attend and do not appoint a proxy, they assign the right to vote on their behalf to one of the board members.If the company they have invested in makes a profit, the board may decide to issue a dividend. The company decides it has a surplus of cash that will be divided amongst the shareholders. Each share will have some monetary value, and the total payable to a shareholder is the share dividend value multiplied by the total number of shares he or she owns. When the dividend is paid out, most companies permit shareholders to reinvest the money by purchasing new shares, or they can opt to receive a cash amount.For the purposes of our illustration, we will assume you own 1,000 shares in Ace Products Inc., which you bought 6 months ago at $7.25 each. The company has announced that it will pay a dividend of 2c per share. That means you are entitled to a $20 payout from the company. For simplicity’s sake, we will ignore brokerage fees and bid/offer spread (of which more later), but if you decide to sell the shares, you can now make a profit in your investment. Here’s how:Sale price: 1,000 x 7.95 = 7,950Dividend: 20Gross worth: 7,970Amount invested: 1,000 x 7.25 = 7,250Gross profit: 720The key factors here are:1. As a part owner of the company you got a dividend of $20 from profit distribution.2. When the company is doing well, the price of shares tends to rise.3. If the company did not do well, there almost certainly would have been no dividend, and the price of shares is likely to have fallen.4. If the price of shares falls below the price at which you bought, your holding will be worth less than what you paid for it. You will have just two choices. You either sell at a loss, or hold on to your shares in the hope that the share price will go up again.5. When you bought your shares, you did so because you expected the share price to rise.6. You own your shares, and you can hold on to them for as long as you like.Binary options tradingThe term “binary options” harks back to the early days of this type of trading, when there were only two possible outcomes. You either made a profit or make a loss – there was no other scenario. Today, there are many more complex ways in which you can take part in this type of trading, but beginners should stick to the most basic.Binary trades always have an underlying asset. This could be a stock, a currency, a commodity, a stock market index, and so on. We will use Ace Products Inc. as our underlying asset.A key element of this type of trading is that you must specify an expiry time in the future. This could be just a few minutes, an hour, a month etc. Another key element is the strike price. When you make a trade, you take a position that says the strike price will be at or above a certain level at some time in the future.If you think that Ace Products Inc.’s share price will have risen to $8 in 30 days’ time, you can make a call option. You back your belief with an investment amount. On the trading platform, another trader will have the opinion that your prediction is wrong. He or she will make an offer that will be a percentage of your investment amount.You both enter into an irrevocable options contract. When the contract expires or closes, the Ace Products Inc. will either be at or above the $8 you predicted. Is so, you get your investment amount back, plus the additional percentage you were offered. If the share price is below $8, you lose your entire investment amount.When you make a call option in a binary options trade, you are not buying anything physical. If you take a call option on the share price of Ace Products Inc., you do not own any shares in the company. Taking a call option means you think the price of the share is going to increase to at least the specified price at the specified time.For the sake of completeness, it is worth pointing out that even if the share price of Ace Products Inc. had exceeded $8 during the lifetime of the contract, which is irrelevant. It is the price at the exact expiry time that counts.With this type of trading, you are not restricted to making contracts based on rising prices. You could also make contracts based on the value of the underlying asset falling. This is termed a “put” option. This works in exactly the same way. For example, you can take a put option that Ace Products Inc. price will have fallen to $7.90 in 30 days’ time. You will be shown an offer amount that you will get if you are right. If you are wrong, you lose your investment.Why is binary options trading better than investing in the stock market?Hopefully, it should be fairly clear from the example above that this type of trading provides you with a vehicle for making quick profits. This is almost impossible with share investments.If you buy or sell stocks, there are other factors you must take into account. We mentioned the bid/offer spread above. This is often referred to as the bid/ask price. When you see a quoted price for Ace Products Inc. share price, which is an average of the selling price and the buying price, because these two prices are different. The amount that you can buy a given share for is always higher than the amount you could sell it for at that particular time. The difference between the two is the bid/offer spread.The bid/offer spread can be quite substantial, and it is not unusual to see spreads of 1 – 2%. That means if you buy some shares in Ace Products Inc., the share price has to rise by at least the bid/offer spread percentage before you could possibly make a profit on selling the shares. In addition, you will almost always have to pay brokerage fees on both your purchase and on your sale.This means your investment is going to be tied up for some time before there is any chance of making a profit on it. Another vital aspect of investing in stocks is that there is no way to make a profit or even break even if the stock price goes down.If the stock price starts falling, you are faced with the agonizing decision of whether you should sell at a loss, or wait in the hope that the price will rise again. There is nothing you can do to improve your position. Another important factor is that you will have to make quite large investments in stocks to gain a reasonable profit.With binary options trading, you can make a good profit from a series of small investments. You will know the results very soon, and you have the opportunity to offset negative results relatively quickly. In other words, you have much more control over your investments.Is binary options trading better than investing in property?As with stocks, when you invest in property you own the asset. You will have to make a large investment in buying property, and that can be tied up for quite some time. The costs of buying property are high and there are many associated fees for owning/buying a property. You can expect to pay about 10% above the purchase price in fees, duties and taxes. You will also have to pay legal fees when you sell property.All this means that you cannot possibly make a profit from property investments until the price of your asset has risen by at least 10%. That means your investment has to be considered a long term one, and your capital is completely tied up. As with stocks, if property prices go down instead of up, there is no way for you to regain your investment.So in conclusion, there are always risks involved in all kinds of investments. When you invest in stocks, property or other standard investment vehicles, you have no way to offset falling prices. Investments in these vehicles tend to be long term.Investing in binary options trading gives you much more control over your capital. You are dealing in a short-term marketplace, so you get the opportunity to take corrective action if trades go against you. You can invest small amounts of money and still have the chance to make good profits. Binary options trading is certainly something to which the savvy investor should give some thought.

Many banks are so conscious of their reputation in the local community that they don’t want to be known for refusing commercial loan requests by respected community residents. One alternative that many of these banks have adopted is the art of never saying “no” in such commercial financing situations. What they do instead is to attach onerous conditions when they say “yes”. In most cases the bank doesn’t expect the commercial borrower to accept the conditions, and therefore the bank has avoided making the commercial loan without saying “no”. Here are two examples of a bank saying “yes” when they mean “no”.EXAMPLE # 1: STRICTER TERMS FOR COMMERCIAL LOANSA traditional bank has decided to drastically reduce the amount of commercial loans that they make to restaurants and bars. Instead of “officially” eliminating this category from their lending portfolio (which they feel would hurt their desired image as a full-service commercial lender), they have decided to add stricter terms to their commercial loan underwriting criteria for such properties. They might now require three years of tax returns, impose a higher minimum loan amount (to effectively eliminate smaller restaurants and bars), increase the percentage required for a down payment, limit loans to 3-7 years (instead of 15-25 years), require a detailed business plan, and impose annual review criteria which would allow them to “recall” the loan if cash flow is not maintained at a prescribed level. Because the bank has said “yes” when they mean “no”, if a business owner accepts the terms anyway, the borrower will end up with commercial loan terms that are detrimental to the long-term health of their business.EXAMPLE # 2: LIMITED CASH OUT WHEN REFINANCING COMMERCIAL LOANSWhen a business is refinancing their current commercial mortgage and wants to get a significant amount of cash out for various uses, it is not unusual for the bank to limit the amount of cash to amounts as small as $100,000. Even though the bank might make the business loan, if they won’t provide the amount of cash needed by the commercial borrower, this is equivalent to declining the loan. The bank has said “yes”, but a business might have over a million dollars in equity in their property and only be able to access $100,000 (which is really a “no” to the business owner who wants to use a significant portion of their equity to expand the business).ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL LOANS IMPACTED BY THE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCESThere are better options for commercial loans available elsewhere! Business owners should explore other business loan alternatives before accepting business loan terms that put them at a competitive disadvantage. Look for lenders who specialize in commercial loans and have commercial mortgage terms such as the following: (1) Stated Income (no tax returns and no income verification); (2) long-term loans of 15-25 years (or more) without recall or balloon provisions or annual review criteria; (3) business plans not required; (4) unlimited cash out when refinancing; and (5) minimum loan of $100,000.Copyright 2005-2006 AEX Commercial Financing Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.