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Heavy eye lids may have looked sultry and sexy on long-gone film sirens like Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck but in today's society, heavy eye lids may mean that impaired vision is in your future.

Gravity plays a large role regarding the condition of your eye lids. Like the muscles in the body that elongate due inactivity and lack of exercise, your forehead and eye brows muscles can elongate, too, then move downward into the muscles surrounding the eyes.

This very quiet elongation means that one day you will notice that the distance between your eye brows and eye lashes have diminished and those once youthful eye lids look creased and lined.

Crows' feet are another indicator that your eye brows and forehead are in need of attention. Crows' feet can be lines and they can also be folds that develop at the corner of the eye affecting the peripheral vision. Left untreated, you may consciously or unconsciously begin to lift your forehead when you are speaking resulting in deep horizontal forehead lines. You might also realize that you are experiencing eye strain, tiredness and even headaches from this increased activity.

Poor muscle tone and lack of ligament support that begins in the forehead will pushes downward into the brows and the results affect the eye lids as they pool onto the lashes resulting in impaired vision. This is caused by inactivity in the upper portion of the face.

Some people who have sagging eye lids, commonly called dermatochalasis by the medical community, will immediately elect to have surgery; some may even try Botox or other modalities recommended by their physician; however, there is another avenue that will produce remarkable results without anything invasive.

Rather than electing to have a brow lift or upper eye lid surgery or both, many savvy consumers are rethinking surgery and considering specialized facial exercise to correct this malady that usually affects most everyone over the age 50.

Just as exercise trims a thick waistline, slims inner and outer thighs and strengthens the abs, specific exercises can indeed lift sagging upper eyes, eye brows and more.

The forehead muscle is called the frontalis muscle. It is a vertical muscle that originates in the hairline. When it loses its tone and elasticity, it elongates by pushing into the eye brow muscles which then weakens the upper eye lids.

Your frontalis muscle can regain strength through isometric contraction exercise and this action lifts the forehead and the eye brows. By frequently exercising the muscles around the eyes and the forehead muscle horizontal lines will soften, the eye lids will open and the impaired vision? Well, in just a few weeks, your eye lids will lift and your eyes will look brighter. Try it! What do you have to lose just saggy eye lids that make you look tired.

Rather than opting for temporary measures such as surgery and injections that may detrimentally alter the face, exercise will increase the distance between the eye brows and the eye lashes giving the user a lifted look. Your eyes will feel and look brighter and healthier without any risk, pain or recovery. Exercise works!

Cynthia Rowland is widely recognized as an expert in all natural facial fitness with over thirty years experience in health & beauty related fields. She has appeared on The View, NBC 4, Fit TV, HGTV and other popular shows. This author, speaker and television personality is leading the crusade to keep men and women looking vibrantly younger through natural techniques without spending their childrens inheritance.

Cynthia Rowland

I Save Faces
http://www.rejenuve.com/fmsavesfaces.htm

Credit card application online approval is now easier than ever thanks to the Internet. It matters little what type of charge card you are seeking. Whether it's a small business credit card, a balance transfer credit card, a travel rewards card or a student card to help build a solid credit record, you can apply for any and all of them online.

Let us say for instance that you are seeking a cash rebate offer. You would then go online and use a credible site that allows you to compare the various deals to see which ones offer you the financial benefits and services that best suits your needs. We currently recommend using Find-Cards-Now.com for its security, ease of use and excellent selection.

Depending upon the offer, credit card application online approval can happen in an instant, or it could be several days for the bank or credit card company to process your application. If you have a strong credit record then you can rest assured that you will more than likely be quickly approved for just about any charge card of your choice.

Your options are many. All of the major banks and credit card issuers allow you to apply for credit cards online. These include banks such as Bank of America, Chase and Citibank, as well as credit card companies like Discover Card, Visa, and Mastercard. As stated before, there is really no shortage of offers to choose from, including secured and debit cards.

When reviewing the deals that interest you, be sure to carefully look over the details of each offer. Some important questions to ask are: is it an introductory offer, are there any annual fees, what kind of customer service does it offer and are you completely protected from unauthorized use and fraud. It is very important to know the terms of service.

In the modern age, the World Wide Web has changed the way we do things dramatically. It has made the sharing of products and information quite convenient for us all. Managing our finances, whether it be online banking, or getting credit card application approval for that new platinum card with all the great travel rewards, has also greatly benefited.

Morgan Hamilton is a financial adviser that specializes in the credit and debt markets. To get more information about Credit Card Application Online Approval and be able to review and compare Instant Approval Credit Card Application we recommend you visit www.Find-Cards-Now.com

Hard Drives: ATA versus SATA

The performance of computer systems has been steadily increasing as faster processors, memory, and video cards are continuously being developed. The one key component that is often neglected when looking at improving the performance of a computer system is the hard drive. Hard drive manufacturers have been constantly evolving the basic hard drive used in modern computer systems for the last 25 years, and the last few years have seen some exciting developments from faster spindle speeds, larger caches, better reliability, and increased data transmission speeds.

The drive type used most in consumer grade computers is the hearty ATA type drive (commonly called an IDE drive). The ATA standard dates back to 1986 and is based on a 16-bit parallel interface has undergone many evolutions since its introduction to increase the speed and size of the drives that it can support. The latest standard is ATA-7 (first introduced in 2001 by the T13 Technical Committee (the group responsible for the ATA standard)) which supports data transfer rates up to 133MB/sec. This is expected to be the last update for the parallel ATA standard.

As long ago as 2000 it was seen that the parallel ATA standard was maxing out its limitations as to what it could handle. With data rates hitting the 133MB/sec mark on a parallel cable, you are inviting all sorts of problems because of signal timing, EMI (electromagnetic interference) and other data integrity issues; thus industry leaders got together and came up with a new standard known as Serial ATA (SATA). SATA has only been around a few years, but is destined to become the standard due to several benefits to be addressed in this Tech Tip.

The two technologies that we will be looking at are: ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) a 16-bit parallel interface used for controlling computer drives. Introduced in 1986, it has undergone many evolutions in the last 18+ years, with the latest version being called ATA-7. Wherever an item is referred to as being an ATA device, it is commonly a Parallel ATA device. ATA devices are also commonly called IDE, EIDE, Ultra-ATA, Ultra-DMA, ATAPI, PATA, etc. (each of these acronyms actually do refer to very specific items, but are commonly interchanged) SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) a 1-bit serial evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface.

Basic Features & Connections

SATA drives are easy to distinguish from their ATA cousins by the different data and power connections found on the back of the drives. A side-by-side comparison of the two interfaces can be seen in this PDF from Maxtor, and the following covers many of the differences

Standard ATA drives, such as this 200GB Western Digital model, have somewhat bulky, two inch wide ribbon cable with 40-pin data connections and receive the 5V necessary to power them from the familiar 4-pin connection. The basic data cables for these drives have looked the same for years. A change was made with the introduction of the ATA-5 standard to better improve the signal quality by making an 80 wire cable used on the 40-pin connector (these are commonly called 40-pin/80-wire cables). To improve airflow within the computer system some manufacturers resorted to literally folding over the ribbon cable and taping it into that position. Another recent physical change also came with the advent of rounded cables. The performance of the rounded cables is equal to that of the flat ribbon, but many prefer the improved system air flow afforded, ease of wire management, and cooler appearance that come with them.

SATA drives, such as this 120GB Western Digital model, have a half inch wide, 7 blade and beam data connection, which results in a much thinner and easier to manage data cable. These cables take the convenience of the ATA rounded cables to the next level by being even narrower, more flexible and capable of being longer without fear of data loss. SATA cables have a maximum length of 1 meter (39.37 inches), which is much greater than the recommended 18 inch cable for ATA drives. The reduced footprint of SATA data connections frees up space on motherboards, potentially allowing for more convenient layouts and room for more onboard features!

A 15-pin power connection delivers the 250mV of necessary power to SATA drives. 15-pins for a SATA device sounds like it would require a much larger power cable than a 4-pin ATA device, but in reality the two power connectors are just about the same height. For the time being, many SATA drives are also coming with a legacy 4-pin power connector for convenience.

Many modern motherboards, such as this Chaintech motherboard, come with SATA drive connections onboard (many also including the ATA connectors as well for legacy drive compatibility), and new power supplies, such as this Ultra X-Connect, generally feature a few of the necessary 15-pin power connections, making it easy to use these drives on new systems. Older systems can easily be upgraded to support SATA drives by use of adapters, such as this PCI slot SATA controller and this 4-pin to 15-pin SATA power adapter.

Optical drives are also becoming more readily available with SATA connections. Drives such as the Plextor PX-712SA take advantage of the new interface, although the performance will not be any greater than a comparable optical drive with an ATA connection.

Performance

In addition to being more convenient to install and drawing less power, SATA drives have performance benefits that really set them apart from ATA drives.

The most interesting performance feature of SATA is the maximum bandwidth possible. As we have noted, the evolution of ATA drives has seen the data transfer rate reach its maximum at 133 MB/second, where the current SATA standard provides data transfers of up to 150 MB/second. The overall performance increase of SATA over ATA can currently be expected to be up to 5% (according to Seagate), but improvements in SATA technology will surely improve on that.

The future of SATA holds great things for those wanting even more speed, as drives with 300 MB/second transfer rates (SATA II) will be readily available in 2005, and by 2008 speeds of up to 600 MB/second can be expected. Those speeds are incredible, and are hard to imagine at this point.

Another performance benefit found on SATA drives is their built-in hot-swap capabilities. SATA drives can be brought on and offline without shutting down the computer system, providing a serious benefit to those who cant afford downtime, or who want to move drives in and out of operation quickly. The higher number of wires in the power connection is partially explained by this, as six of the fifteen wires are dedicated to allowing the hot-swap feature.

Price

Comparing ATA drives to SATA drives can be tricky given all of the variables, but in general it is the case that SATA drives will still cost just a bit more than a comparable ATA drive. The gap is closing rapidly though, and as SATA drives gain in popularity and availability a distinct shift in prices can be expected. Considering the benefits of SATA over ATA, the potential difference of a few dollars can easily be justified when considering an upgrade. Computer Geeks currently has a limited selection of SATA drives, but several technical sites, such as The Tech Zone and The Tech Lounge, offer real time price guides to see how comparable drives stack up.

Final Words

The current SATA standard provides significant benefits over ATA in terms of convenience, power consumption and, most importantly, performance. The main thing ATA has going for it right now is history, as it has been the standard for so long that it will not likely disappear any time soon. The future of SATA will be even more interesting as speed increases will help hard drive development keep pace with other key system components.

Jason Kohrs Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

For over 16 years, users of desktop label printers have been agonizing with the constant need to manually change label rolls just so they can print different sized labels. Were talking about the little desktop label printers here, like the Dymo LabelWriter. These small label printers connect up to a PC or Mac and enable the user to quickly print a single label, or labels by the hundred.

Labels for these printers are supplied on rolls, and the labels are precut to certain sizes. The most common label size used in these personal/desktop label printers is the Address or Shipping label. People naturally use these label sizes for addressing their letters or packages, but many owners of these personal label printers also like to print labels for other uses. Other uses could be for filing, product identification, name badges, CD labels, price tags, and so on.

So the problem has always been that when you want to change to a different size label, you had to remove the current roll, insert the new roll, print your labels, then you would most likely put the original roll back in because that is the size you use the most - and it just makes sense to have that roll in your label print most of the time.

A perfect example would be a Dentist that prints labels for letters that are mailed to its patients, but also requires a label to be put on each new patient's dental file. You could imagine the secretary changing rolls of labels say 10 times a day, or maybe it's 20 times or 30 times?.. who knows? it could be 100 times a day. Each time a new patient arrives the secretary would need to remove say the Address labels from the printer, load the File Folder' labels, print the label for the patients file, then put the Address labels back in so she can continue sending mail pieces to patients and suppliers.

This whole process takes time, and it sort of makes nonsense of the fact that the label printer was supposed to be saving time - not wasting because the rolls are constantly being changed.

Thus, a real solution was need for those users who regularly use more than one label size.

Enter the Dymo LabelWriter Twin Turbo. This little baby is actually 2 label printers in the one chassis. You get to load it up with 2 different label rolls, meaning that you won't need to be swapping out rolls of labels as often. And choosing which roll you want to print to is easy - you just specify left or right. It's that simple.

Getting back to the Dentist example (and let's assume that a Dymo LabelWriter Twin Turbo was now being used), the secretary would have a roll of Address labels and also a roll of File Folder labels loaded up in the Dymo machine, both rolls ready to go. When an Address label is required for a letter that needs to be mailed, the secretary just prints the label. When a File Folder label is required, the secretary just prints the label. There's no need to stop the workflow and manually load a new roll of labels - having both rolls loaded up in the printer simultaneously just saved a whole lot of time and aggravation.

The 16 year old problem has now been solved. And by the way, the Dymo LabelWriter Twin Turbo can print over 50 labels per minute, on over 30 different labels sizes, it can print postage stamps and it doesn't use an ink cartridge or toner or a ribbon.

Sally Green is the PR Manager for Labelcity. Labelcity is a specialist supplier of Dymo, CoStar and Seiko Label Printers, Supplies and labeling Software, with over 16 years experience and well over 40,000 customers.

Do you have your own flower garden and would like to make some use of it? Are you fond of crafts and do it your self decorative projects? Would you like to make some homemade floral arrangements to further accent your home or to give away as gifts? If this sounds like you, then please read on for some tips on making beautiful floral arrangements.

To start your floral arrangements, you will first need something to put your flowers in. Get a vase or some other container that is decorative and also holds water. Before you start your floral arrangements, you may want to consider further decorating the vase or container by spraying it with gold or bronze spray paint. Let it dry for 24 hours and then spray on a coat of clear enamel spray. This will give your arrangement a more decorative feel.

Next, you need a base for your floral arrangements. The base is used for the flowers to have something to anchor to. You can use a ball of willow branches, grapevine, or floral foam that you can buy at a local craft store. The floral foam is called Oasis. If you use Oasis, be sure to soak it in water and poke holes in it with a pen before you put flowers it so that it doesn't break the stems.

When cutting flowers for floral arrangements, try to do so early in the day or morning. This is because the stems have more water in them at this point of the day and the flowers are not drooping. Be sure to only use cold water in the flower arrangement because warm water tends to make the flowers open up too soon and not last as long.

If you want your flowers to last longer, you can places apple and lemon wedges in the water at the bottom of the floral arrangements. The apples have nutrients that will help feed the flowers, while the lemons prevent premature rotting and browning. It also adds a more decorative touch to your flower arrangements.

When designing your flower arrangements, try to pick colors that go with the environment the arrangement will be placed in. First use taller flowers to create the vertical part of the arrangement. Then use full blooming flowers with bright and bold colors for the center and sides of the floral arrangements. Then fill in the small gaps with tiny flowers.

Those were some great tips on making beautiful floral arrangements. If you use all of these tips in conjunction with each other, you are sure to have a long lasting floral arrangement. With a little practice, you can be well on your way to having beautiful floral arrangements that rival those found in floral shops!

Sandy Beaches offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Flowers. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Floral Arrangements

The ceiling fan blade determines how much air gets circulated in the room where the ceiling fan is located. When you buy a ceiling fan, the ceiling fan blade is balanced by the manufacturer before they are ready for sale. This is to ensure that your ceiling fan blade will perform smoothly when it is installed properly.

Ceiling fan blade comes in a vast of array of styles, sizes and designs. When you are shopping for ceiling fan blade, the right size blade will make the difference between gaining maximum benefits for energy savings and having the ceiling fan overwork because it is too small or too large.

Ceiling fan blade come in many designs. There is a vast array of colors and finishes for you to choose from to find the ideal ceiling fan blade to perfectly complement your dcor. You can choose from designer ceiling fan blade that makes a distinctive statement in your home, thicker and wider blades to give you the ultimate in performance, as well as carved blades to make a unique impression on any guest who visits your home.

There are even ceiling fan blades that are made exclusively for outdoor use. You will choose your ceiling fan because of the look of the blades, most times, but you can also build a customized ceiling fan and choose ceiling fan blade that will have just the right look you are looking for in your home.

You can find ceiling fan blade choices online or when you shop at an area lighting showroom or home improvement store. If you decide to shop at a showroom or a home improvement store, you can avail yourself of the knowledgeable staff that are there to help you with any and all aspects of choosing the right fan and installing it correctly.

Before you are ready to lay your money out, be sure you do research so you know just what it is you are looking for. You will need to be armed with room measurements to ensure you choose the correct size ceiling fan blade to do the job correctly.

For more information about Ceiling Fan Blades?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.ceiling-fans-zone.info

Nokia is one of the most trusted brands in the global mobile phone market. Whether its design or the technology, the company has always given the best before the consumers. In its wide range of portfolio, the company has offered some unique mobile devices that are affordable to every class of people and help them communicate with the world, always. Nokia introduces the Nokia 5070 a perfect blend of form and functionality to suit today's mobile lifestyle. The company has launched this handset keeping in mind the changing new trends among consumers. The device offers everything to satisfy consumers social needs and preferences.

Enjoy browsing phone features that are hidden inside and keep you on par with the latest trends. The Nokia 5070 comes with a complete set of messaging features such as SMS, MMS and Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging send texts, images, videos and music with ease. With this handset, you can send quick messages using Xpress Audio Messaging. Share your precious moments with friends and family, always. When you want to relax after work, the Nokia 5070 offers fun features and lets you enjoy every moments on the go. Loaded with an integrated FM radio, you can tune in to your favourite music station for all time hit music.

And with stereo headset, enjoy every beats, wherever you go. The handset also comes with pre installed Java games such as Sudoku play and refresh your mind, anytime-anywhere. With its unique looks, consumers would always wish to personalize the phone. Customise some unique ringtones and give a unique look, when in crowd. You can also choose some funny wallpapers and themes for your stylish phone. Hold this slim device in your hand and explore unlimited features that are hidden inside. Mobile phones have become an inevitable part of everyones lifestyle. And with Nokia 5070, you will always be able to communicate with the world.

Caitlin Lucy is a Expert Author. She has written good quality articles on Nokia 5070, Compare Mobile Phones and Contract phones

The sushi craze is bigger than ever in America right now, with new sushi joints popping up all over the place. Yes, sushi is quite in. Of course I realize this isnt news to anyone, as at this point it might even be on the verge of out. But, irregardless of your opinion of sushi, it may not be around for too much longer. Or, at least, sushi as we know it.

You see, Americas growing interest (along with Chinas and Russias) in the artful Japanese creation has led to a shortage of the most common ingredient used in sushi: bluefin tuna. Not only are bluefin tuna fisheries already being depleted by their original and most frequent consumer (Japan, of course) but global demand for the raw fish is adding quite the insult to injury.

Whats ironic about the situation is that the spreading of culinary traditions across the globe is usually seen as a form of flattery and an extension of cultural influence, but for Japan and its economy, the global sushi trend has been nothing short of a detriment. The NYTimes article that reports on Japans crisis analogizes that tuna in Japan is as important as steak in America.

Imagine America without steak! Even if you dont like red meat, there is no doubt that steak is a sun around which the American economys planets revolve (but of course, we have multiple suns.) I mean really, what would America do? Well, actually, chef Gordon Ramsay has recommended horse meat as a healthier and better tasting steak substitute. America is fortunate enough to not have to resort to any backups (yet), but even if that werent the case, Japan may beat us in the horse races (pun entirely intended).

Yes, you guessed it! Horse meat is Japans backup plan!

To keep the sushi economy alive, some Japanese chefs have decided to use raw horse meat or deer to make their sushi. Forgive me if Im wrong, but the thought of this in America would likely turn stomachs away from sushi for good (and maybe that is their intention!) But in Japan, both raw horse meat and deer are considered delicacies for natives. They just havent been placed inside a jacket of seaweed and rice before (not that maki is the only way to enjoy sushi.)

So, a thought on globalization, if youre still reading:
Do we want to continue spreading our culinary traditions? Often food, no matter where you come from, is based on local resources, which means that sharing the traditions with the rest of the world seems to mean sharing the resources too. At some point, youd think, a country would have to be selfish, because people in other parts of the world may not appreciate or need a food the way that country does. In fact, one persons food adventure is another persons staple, so where does the boundary lie?

Im not naive as I realize that my comments and thoughts are entirely based on my being American. I know I come from the melting pot world where Im fortunate enough to have food influences from all around the world readily available to me. And further, I know that this isnt the case in the rest of the world.

Run for the hills horses! Youre next!

Hillary Marshak is a writer and editor for Recipe4Living.com, an up and coming recipe sharing Website. For more articles like this, or for a large collection of recipes, visit the site at http://www.Recipe4Living.com

Mortgage refinancing is as popular in Arizona as it is in the rest of the country. It accounted for almost half of all mortgage applications last year.

Mortgage refinancing involves getting a new loan to pay off your current one. The new loan can be for more money, depending on how much equity there is in your home. Equity is the difference between what you owe and the homes market value.

Mortgage refinancing can lower your monthly payments if the new loan has a lower interest rate. If the new mortgage has a shorter term, you can pay it off sooner and save thousands of dollars. Refinancing will let you change an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage or vice-versa. And, you can refinance to cash out equity to pay for anything from home improvements to a college education.

Before refinancing, make sure your original mortgage doesnt have a prepayment penalty. If it does, this might affect your decision, depending on the size of the penalty,

Comparison Shop

Comparison shop to get the best deal on Arizona mortgage refinancing. Interest rates and closing costs may be negotiable, especially in todays competitive loan market. Contact several lenders and find out all the costs involved in refinancing with them.

Once you have all the information you need, dont be afraid to ask lenders to waive or reduce one or more fees in order to get your business. (Be sure that any discount reduces your bottom line and that a lower fee in one place isnt offset by another cost being raised elsewhere.)

Get whatever deal you negotiate in writing. You can also lock-in the interest rate for an agreed upon period of time to protect against rate increases while your paperwork is being processed. If you are charged a fee for this, see if it is refundable at closing.

You can get a worksheet for comparing different Arizona Mortgage Refinancing offers at Arizona Refinance Center. You can also get a quick and confidential loan quote at no cost.

Mike Hamel is the author of three business books and several articles about mortgage financing. His material is featured on sites like Arizona Refinance Center.

Business cards arent just for business people anymore! Business cards for personal use (also known as calling cards) are a wonderful way to convey your personal contact information. With so many different ways to get in touch with people home phones, cell phones, email addresses, instant messaging, faxes, snail mail addresses, personal websites, blogs, etc communicating your contact information in an attractive and handy manner is essential part of communication. The great news is that personal calling cards are available in a variety of styles, so you can pass along your information in a way that best expresses your personality!

Here are 10 great ways to use personal calling cards:

Teachers can use calling cards to convey all of their contact information to their students and their parents by sending a calling card home on the first day of class with all of their vital contact information.

Whether youre moving into a new home or you pack up for the winter for a warmer climate, calling cards are a great way to let everyone know all of your new contact information. Calling cards are great for new college students as well!

Parents of children with serious medical conditions or allergies can spell out their childs health conditions on a calling card (i.e. what the child is allergic to, medications, etc). Parents can also explain how to handle a medical emergency (i.e. who should be contacted, the pediatricians name, insurance information, etc.)

Recently married couples can use a calling card to let everyone know where they will reside and what their new married name is. For women keeping their maiden name or hyphenating their name with their husbands, it is helpful to spell this out on a calling card. Calling cards can be enclosed with the thank you cards from the wedding.

Party organizers can use calling cards to enclose with shower invitations to detail registry information for expectant mothers or brides.

Coaches can score the winning play by use calling cards to pass on all of their contact information to players and their parents.

Mommies who are involved in a lot of activities and play dates can use personal calling cards to express their contact information to everyone they meet.

Throwing a party? Enclose a calling card with party invitations to let guests know when and how to RSVP for your next party.

Use calling cards as an enclosure card with your next gift. You could personalize the gift with text like, A gift from Ashley Simpson.

Calling cards are great to pass out to all of the contacts you meet during volunteer activities and civic and community organizations.

Hopefully, this article has provided you with some great ways to use calling cards to communicate your personal information.

This article was written by Kristine M. Lewis, owner of http://www.dreampressonline.com Dream Press provides stationery and gifts personalized just for you! Products include stationery, favors, labels, calling cards and more! Kristine resides in Michigan with her boyfriend and adorable 5-years-old son - Ben.

You were on the phone, got distracted and before you knew it traffic had stopped, giving you no room to stop and you rear end the girl in front of you. Or, let's say you're driving along and a deer jumps out and rams into the side of your door.

Now, let's say you need to file and claim and get your car fixed. But, are your rates going to go up?

In the first case, more than likely they will depending on how much your insurance company pays out to fix both cars and medical bills if anyone was injured.

But, in the second example, since this will be a comprehensive claim your rates should not see an increase at your renewal. Unless you have a long history of hitting deer then the people from PETA will be out to get you. Or if you file a lot of small glass damage claims then your rates could be affected or you may have to pay a higher deductible for comprehensive in which case small glass damage will be less than your deductible and you will pay out of pocket.

Part 2: How long does an accident stay on my record?

Ok, so back to the example where you rear ended someone. We have already established that you are going to see your insurance rates go up. Now, we need to find out how long and how much will they go up.

State insurance boards usually allow insurance companies to charge for a accident for 3 years from the day they started charging for it. Not from the time you got into the accident. You got in the accident in December and your policy runs from October to April. Your rates won't be affected until April of the next year and the surcharge will drop off 3 years from that April.

How much will your rates go up? Are they trying to get back the money they paid out for my claim? You can usually expect a rate increase of between 20-40% on average per six months. They could go up even more if you lose some discounts you were getting, such as a claim free discount.

The increase is not a recoupment of the monies paid out by your insurance company. It is designed to charge you a premium based on the risk, or chance, that you will get into another accident in the next 3 years. You are a higher risk to the insurance company and they are able to charge you for the higher risk you present to them.

If it was based on how much the insurance company paid out then you wouldn't be able to afford it if you totaled out your 2004 Nissan Maxima at $25,000 and you had to pay that back within the 3 year surcharge period. Makes sense? Good, now get off the cell phone!

Everyone enjoys getting something for nothing. Yet people are always skeptical that if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. They are waiting for a hidden "catch".

Knowing that, at your next trade show event, go out of your way to create the trust that your potential clients are looking for. Whole-heartedly offer them something free. In exchange, what you are offering them is the opportunity to get to know your company and to choose to do business with you if your company provides the product(s) or service(s) that they are looking for. No arm twisting needed. Nothing to feel guilty about. Work on building a relationship, not just on making a sale, and you will sleep good at night.

At the same time, there is nothing wrong with expecting your tradeshow experience to be the worthwhile investment that it is meant to be. Plan to get a fair return on your investment in the trade show event's booth fees. After all, isn't getting that attendee-to-client conversion the main goal of the event anyway?

Keep in mind that the likelihood of you achieving measurable results from your tradeshow booth is directly related to the quality of decisions you make regarding the resources available to you, which include: your booth setup; your strategy for manning your tradeshow booth; properly displaying your company identity design (e.g., logo, print, and media materials); and selecting appropriate tradeshow giveaways and promotions.

The serious trade show attendee will appreciate your attendance at the event. They will want to see what your booth has to offer and they will want the opportunity to ask questions; that is what they came for. Your goal is to have them remember your company, your product or service, and to give them a way to contact you (e.g., business card, print material, or your website address/ phone number on an imprinted promotional item); that is what you came for. Together that creates the win-win.

Action Steps

Accurately Estimate Amount of Tradeshow Giveaways to Order
When you research which tradeshow event to attend, always get estimates from the event sponsor on the expected attendance rates based on previous years. If they do not voluntarily provide it, ask for it so that you can estimate how many promotional items to order. Additional clues might be found by checking with nearby hotels on how sold-out their rooms are. Do your research on trade shows events and venues online through industry sites like: TradeShowWeek.com.

Choose a Practical Promotional Item, Taking Size and Cost Into Account.
Remember that it is important to select a promotional item that is useful, attractive, and does not take up too much space for visiting out-of-towners, yet is still large enough to properly display your company's logo and/or message.

Consider choosing something univerally practical such as promotional tote bags as your primary giveaway. A high-quality alternative, that is also practical and does not take up much space, is personalized keychains. Take into account the cost and quantity of items needed, but do not let cost alone influence your decision; do not sacrifice quality or your company's image just to save a few dollars.
***Note that according to the PPA.org: "As a rule, promotional products of greater value generate more sales leads than products of lower value."

Have a Back-Up Supply of Promotional Items In Case You Run Out.
Always have a back-up supply of promotional items in case you run out of your main supply. Even if it is a smaller or inconsequential item, it is better to have something than nothing.

Having a supply of plastic imprinted trade show bags on hand not only provides you with an additional piece of identifying promotional material (and a walking billboard), but it can also serve as a back-up in case you run out of giveaways by the end of the event.

Order all your promotional supplies from the same vendor.
Consider ordering all of your trade show supplies from the same vendor. This may help you reach order minimums, achieve quantity discounts, or reduce shipping costs. If feasible, consider having your promotional products shipped directly to the event venue, a nearby company office, or the hotel you will be staying at.

Have Adequate Print Material On Hand, Too.
At a tradeshow you want to have at least as much, and ideally more, print material (e.g., brochures, flyers, business cards, etc.) on hand as you do tradeshow giveaways and promotional items.

Review your company identity design to see if the logo, business card, letterhead, banners, etc. are consistent, coordinated, and reflective of the company image you want to present to others. The image and quality of your promotional item should also be consistent with your company identity design.

Plan Your Trade Booth Manning Strategy.
Before hand, plan out how your booth will be set up. Decide if your booth personnel will consist of salesmen, subject matter experts, or both. Plan where they will stand. Are they blocking access to information on the table? Are they handing out the giveaways and engaging potential clients in conversation?

Make sure that those manning your booth and representing your company are easily identifiable as such; have them wear clothing of similar style, or provide them with a "uniform" shirt with logo, and have them wear preprinted quality trade show badge holders. Even if the trade-show-sponsors already provide all attendees with badge holders, feel free to offer a good quality one that attendees can later re-use when travelling or on vacations, such as cruises (i.e., another walking billboard).

Don't judge a book by its cover.
When evaluating potential clients that visit your trade show booth, be careful to not judge the book by it's cover. There will be times when you can not accurately assess, by appearance or attitude alone, if the person you are dealing with is a key decision-maker or key decision-influencer or not. Some people are not always easy to read. Word-of-mouth, both positive or negative, makes everyone a potential decision influencer.

It might take a little effort to reach the real decision-makers for big-budget products or services, but often referrals from trade show attendees combined with online research is extremely useful and worthwhile for following-up on tradeshow leads in order to reach key decision-makers.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Granted that there is that percentage of tradeshow attendees that think of tradeshows as just time away from work or as that free trip on the company's dime. This group of people will look at your trade booth as a source of "freebies" to bring home as gifts for their friends or families. This is one of those inevitable annoyances that can surface at trade shows. Don't worry about it, those people are not your target audience anyway. Give them their piece of swag and let them move on.

There will be people that show up at your booth that just want the "freebie" and do not care about your product. There will always be things that won't go as you plan, both at your tradeshow, and in life. Don't worry about the things that won't mean anything in the long run. Stay positive and as the saying goes: "don't sweat the small stuff."

Other Tips & Tactics

• Be aware that your competitors might just be posing as potential clients to "fish" for confidential or new product information. Do not give away too much company-specific info without at least getting that person's contact information.
• Have a sign-up list handy for those that want to be contacted by a company representative after the tradeshow or convention. Combine the sign-up sheet with a free newsletter or contest entry offer to entice people to at least leave an email address or a phone number.

To select from a variety of personalized keychains, go to: Personalized Keychains at ArtPromos.com.
To search the online catalogue of a reliable promotional product supplier, go to: ArtPromos.com.
To read more about the author of this article, go to: HMH-Designs-Online.com