The holidays can be a stressful time and is one of the biggest times when people fall into a depression. Just take a look at the craziness that took place on Black Friday where there were fights breaking out and the lady who pepper sprayed another shopper to get an item. This is supposed to be a time of sharing and reflecting back on what we are thankful for and help others that may need a boost. I always try and look to the positive and search out funny photos, videos & pictures on the web to start my morning so that even the most stressful situations are bit more controllable.
I would challenge you this holiday season to start your day by watching a funny video or viewing a funny pic at Uberhumor.com. Instead of reading through your email or turning on the TV to watch the latest economic news why not start your day with a laugh. With so many pretty funny pics and videos you are sure to find something that will make you think and laugh out loud. It has been shown that those who have a greater sense of humor live longer. Starting your day with positive images and thoughts will help you have a better attitude and you may even inspire those that you come in contact with.

Well the year of 2011 is almost over and a new year isn’t far away. As our technology continues to grow daily, I still see some folks living life in the past. In my local area, there are new laws in place, where a gas consumer must pay at the pump or pay the cashier before pumping gas. We are no longer allowed to fill up our tanks and then walk inside the store to pay. Most people have learned the modern technique for paying at the pump and why not? It is so much easier to pay for your gasoline, at the fuel pumps at a gas station like Shell; than to use cash and have to make the long walk, to pay for your gas inside.

I like to have a credit card for just buying gas with at the gas stations. The rewards card from Citibank is a nice credit card to have in your wallet or pocketbook. This card has no annual fees, as long as cardholders meet the annual requirements; which are easy to do. It has a low interest rate and to me that is the most important thing about any credit card. The exciting feature for citibank credit cards are the rewards. If you’re the holder of this rewards card from Citibank, you can expect your rewards to come in the form of fuel and its always nice to get free gas. Not only do you get a good bank and gas station logo with this card, but you have something that saves you from walking inside the store and paying the cashier directly. You would think more people would use their credit cards or debit cards to pay for gas this way, but a lot of consumers are still making those long walks to pay for their gas. These tiny plastic cards are really worth their weight in gold on those cold winter time mornings or when the skies open up and heavy rains are falling. Paying for your gas at the pump is the only way to get a fill-up, in my opinion.

Paying the cashier for gas is not the only thing I see people still doing wrong today. You know how we see an item on the shopping channels on television and we want to order it? With different rewards programs available with citibank credit cards you can choose which one will benefit you most. Citibank and other credit card companies want to earn your business so many of them are providing these cards at no cost with no fees. You can search for the card that is right for you at Creditcardapplications.com where you can set the criteria on what type of card you want.
All of those shop-at-home channels, would gladly accept your citibank cards, because it has the Mastercard logo on it and Mastercard is accepted everywhere. And don’t forget these television and online purchases will help you to earn more fuel rewards, if you did use your citibank credit card for these purchases.

I know that right now parts of the country are starting to see the first signs of winter as snow begins to fall across the East and parts of the Northwest. Now if the time to start to think about what you might want to add to your Christmas wish list or start gathering ideas for your loved ones. I have started to think about what I want to ask my family for and one of those items is a hammock. We had the opportunity to relax in one of several hammocks in a large resort area on the beach in Mexico and it was simply awesome. I would like to be able recreate the look and feel of the rope hammocks we had access to for our deck once the Spring hits. At specialized sites like Hammockhub.com I saw that they offer a huge selection of hammocks in various styles, shapes and sizes.
What a unique gift to give someone this holiday season. It would be a great place to relax and enjoy their new tablet or iPad that you are already thinking about getting them for Christmas.

If you have been seeing the latest TV ads for reverse mortgages for those who are 62 and over you may be asking what exactly is this all about. In our reading and research it is exactly as the name implies.Instead of taking out a home equity loan they can take advantage of a reverse mortgage and see if they qualify. You can use one of the reverse mortgage calculators at All Reverse Mortgage company in order to see the current rates and which rate type, fixed or adjustable, may be the best solution for your situation.
This type of mortgage appears to offer relief for those that are nearing retirement and have decided that they would like to take advantage of the equity in their home. These loans are backed by HUD and can provide some additional tax benefits. Consult your accountant and look at expert sites on what questions to ask if you are going to consider such a financial solution.

We have had a chance to check out actually participate in auctions atdeal fun. You can bid items like iPads, laptops, and other great electronics and get them for up to 98% off retail. What I found interesting about the penny auction style is that you can get caught up in the bidding and let your emotions take over. If you are new to deal fun you will want to set a limit and then watch a few suctions to see how it works and how people bid. They do have great customer service that even offer the option to new users that if you loos your bids within the first 24 hours of when you first place bids you can get those back.
IF you are involved in an auction and do not end up winning you can apply the bids placed towards the purchase price.

They offer beginner auctions so that you can bid against other beginners to sharpen your skills. You can also look at completed auctions to see what amount were placed on a particular item. You will see that some items people only spent a few while other people will spend hundreds of bids. Now is a great time to join since the holidays are just a few months away and you might be able to pick up a great gift for a really good deal.

I have always been a big fan of planned communities because they offer access to parks, trails, and neighborhood events. With most planned communities they will have covenants which in most cases are a great thing to have because they are in place to help protect the overall homes and the community. Ashton Woods has Homes for sale in Orlando across the ares that offer luxury homes at affordable homes in planned communities. They are in the development of some new communities while having existing homes that are ready to move into. I took a chance to look at some of the homes and features that they offer and what impressed me is the eco-friendly feature that they offer with their homes. They have extra steps to make their homes more energy efficient that could result in substantial energy savings. With the current low rates it is a great time to look at a new home.

If you’re just getting started with a new business or your ready to make the next step with your small business, you can count on social marketing  to help. They can connect you with friends in the same area of business, allow you to exchange ideas and thoughts in a forum setting and they also provide a way that you can submit business articles on a lot of different topics. You will also want to team up with a google adword expert to help you align your CPC campaign so that it is inline with your overall brand and product offering. This can be an effective way to reach out with others online and learn valuable knowledge that will push your small business to the next level. This is why having a reliable internet connection is critical to any business who is online and using some of these tools or planning on getting online. The use of ecommerce SEO services providers like Globe Runner SEO can be your competitive advantage. They started by creating their own online ecommerce site and saw the success that they had and knew that they could help others. The internet has shown us that it does not matter where you are located as long as you provide a valuable service.

Using the internet as a valuable tool to connect with others and your customers is key. You can also connect with other companies who can provide expert advice on ways to maximize your social media and online presence. The agency creative dallas firm of Globe Runner SEO understands how to integrate your shopping interface with high impact SEO to gain and retain your customers. If you think your small business could use help with online marketing, you could benefit too from the services provided from social media.They even have new ways to help service companies to search key words in conversations within twitter and then you can send a tweet around that specific topic. It is very natural and provides a simple solution to help you engage a whole new audience and you can even geo-target to make it relevant to your market.  One or two new strategies or tactics in the way we conduct our business online can make a big difference. Don’t wait for things to fall in your lap and go out and get the knowledge needed to move your business ahead in the future.

With the advancements in technology for mobile technology more and more people are searching, shopping, and interacting through their mobile phones. With the enormous growth of Groupon and other saving sites that are building apps to go after the growing mobile and smartphone customer. The iPhone has created a whole new market for people to interact with peers, blog, and play games online with their friendly user interface, ease of use and high end graphics. This has helped to create a new channel for marketers called Mobile Marketing where companies can target and reach a new set of customers wherever they are at anytime of the day. So lets say someone is on their iPhone and searching to buy running shoes online you can have your mobile site show up in their top search lists which can help drive traffic to your site through specific mobile searches. Through specific text advertising local businesses along with national brands can alert customers when they are near a particular store. Through creative text messages, mobile ads, and game and application sponsorships companies are finding unique ways to stay in touch with their customers and develop and reach new ones.

There are companies that specialize in helping sellers to maximize this channel to help companies build and launch successful mobile campaigns powered in part by mobile marketing. Through their extensive experience in online marketing and SEO management they have developed a team that is helping customers take advantage of the next frontier of advertising. So if you are looking to expand your market and the current ad channels are not getting the most ROI then reach out to one of the fastest growing SEO companies with the talent and expertise to help you expand and grow your business in today’s current market. There are now several companies that understand what it takes to engage your customers at a local level without being seen as spam. People want to save money and then share those deals with their friends and once this takes place your brand and company will benefit.

With the recent uncertainty of the economy and the outlook on jobs people are looking for ways to save money. Shopping online and searching for deals is standard for our household because we can usually find a better deal either through a weekly deal or using online coupons. There are hundreds of online coupon sites that offer an collection of coupons at many of the major retailers online. Whether you are looking to save on a pair of shoes, or the latest electronics there are hundreds of coupons that you can choose from. Many retailers have an excess of inventory and by offering online coupons they can generate cash flow while helping bring in new customers. You can also find small to medium sized businesses using online coupons as way to attract new customers and build their online presence. Like this deal at PricePickle.com where you can find OvernightPrints.com Coupon where you can save on your print jobs whether you are a small business or just need to get some prints online. You can order business cards, postcards, and marketing materials online and get free shipping with one of the coupons that we saw available.

Many small businesses can shop for online business services and use coupon sites like PricePickle.com to save on their daily operating expenses. Many of the sites like PricePickle.com use customer testimonials to help others rate the deals that are on their site. They also offer a live Twitter feed where you can find quick answers to your questions and see which deals online are hot at the moment. They have a nice feature that let’s you provide feedback on the coupon and if it worked or not. So if you are looking to make a purchase online make sure to do your research for online coupons because you can certainly save a few bucks and may actually find a better deal.

Our education system is under constant change as each state and school district try to manage limited budgets while providing cutting edge education for their students. Many states have instituted state wide testing programs to gauge the success and progress of the learning of their students. Many students that are in rural or high needs schools lack the attention and focus to help them grow in key areas. This is why I when I was reading about the Woodrow Wilson teaching fellows program it really caught my eye. It is estimated that by 2015 there will be a need for over 280,000 math and science teachers to fill the gap in educating our kids. The race to raise the bar in our schools around these technical skills is growing and being able to teach our kids more than just the basic of reading, writing, and arithmetic needs to improve.
The program has funding for 30 fellows that provides up to $30,000 stipend for those that are accepted. Their goal is to strengthen and develop educators in STEM fields (science,technology,engineering and math). The program is designed for new graduates and those who are looking to make a career change. While current educators are not discouraged to apply there is a application process and all will be considered. While receiving high level training and guidance during the masters program you will be placed in high need or rural schools. The commitment for receiving this scholarship also asks that once you obtain your masters degree that you commit to three years in a high need school. Currently there are three states that are participating in this scholarship program which are Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. If you are looking to make a career change and what to help raise the bar in educating our children then apply for the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships program today.

You have probably seen news reports and blog posts about consumers winning items like the iPad 2, LCD tv, and gift cards for up to 98% off on what are called penny auction sites. Sites like dealfun.com have become extremely popular because you can buy bid packs which allow you to bid on hot technology items. When you place a bid the price goes up by one penny thus the name “penny auctions”. The fun part about the whole bidding process is that there is a time limit for the auction but as the clock nears zero every bid adds an additional 15 seconds to the clock. So there is definitely a strategy involved in placing your bids at the right time to win that coveted iPad 2 or whatever you are bidding on.
For newbies dealfun offers a “Win Guarantee” so that if you do not win within the first 24 hours of your first bid placed all your bids are returned to your account. They also beginner auctions that allow those just joining the site a way to polish their skills and get an understanding of how the bidding works and develop strategies to help you win. What other site will help you in this manner? Along with super responsive customer support you can get questions answered and help with any issues. I would recommend that if you sign up, which is free by the way, to watch a few auctions and you can see what others game plans are before diving in. Or if you just want to have fun and get a great deal then place your bids and if you do lose those bids that were used can be used towards the purchase price of the item. What a Deal!! So if you sign up and win post the results back here for other to see and best of luck.

In the world of technology one service that has come a long way is GPS tracking for vehicles. Many large companies use these GPS tracking system to keep track of their fleet of cars and trucks to monitor delivery times, road conditions, and safety alerts. With the tracking devices loaded on many delivery and construction trucks they can help monitor road speed, location, and service required. These devices have been thought of as big brother since the company can monitor the location of there vehicles and drivers at all times. This not only helps to improve productivity , but more importantly safety. These fleet tracking devices can send alerts to the office if a vehicle is traveling above the determined speed limit and dispatch can send out a message to the driver to slow down to help increase safety.

Many of these devices have also helped local and national businesses improve their service and delivery because they know exactly where a package is at all times. This is how you are able to get real time stats on your package through some of the large delivery companies. These devices can also help deter theft since the thief will be unable to get far in the vehicle thanks to the satellite tracking device. They are run by software that is kept at the dispatch center to help control the flow and location of all the vehicles. Plus they can help track maintenance and service with your fleet to help avoid costly repairs.
There a is a very nice example of a GPS vehicle tracking solution that is available at Trackwhatmatters.com which you can see the details on what you are able to track and the information available. With many of their gps tracking systems you can actually watch the dots moving on the map to give you a more realistic view of what is offered.

I am always looking for new creative ways to interact with others online and make impact. The biggest channel that has proven the most beneficial is through social networking sites. We all know of the big fish in the pond and while they are definitely part of the overall game plan I like to search out new upstarts and monitor their success and how they might play a role in our overall marketing efforts. I am pleased to talk about the MyCube private beta that is now going on. If you go to the site just enter the word “blog” in the activation code box and you can get be one of the early adopters of this new social networking site. They are offering some unique ways to interact with others and provide a high level of personal security. They are introducing a virtual currency that will allow users to buy and share content with others. This concept is of particular interest since we are always looking for ways to distribute and find new content for our blogs. So jump in early and start setting up your profile and be on the look out for future blogs on the success of this new social networking site.

Every business owner and sales person knows the importance of having a business card to help customers remember important information. In the age of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter communicating with customers and colleagues can be instant, but will they know how to reach you. Sure you will have your website where you can direct them to but what if they want to get a hold of your for an important question around a product or sale. This is where business cards can fill that communication gap. You certainly want to integrate your brand and image on your card so that it will be easily recognized, but you also want to make sure that your important contact information is towards the top and easy to access.

You will want to use the back of the business card for your various contact points if you can be accessed via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. The business card can be a substantial selling tool because if you meet someone for the first time and need to get them important information having key contact points on your business card can help you capitalize on this meeting. I look at like the elevator speech. In sales we were always challenged to come up with what is called an “elevator speech.” Basically this is what you would want to tell a customer if you only had thirty seconds to make impact. Your business card if designed correctly can be your “elevator speech” that will live on past your initial meeting. Online vendors like Businesscards24.com allow you to create your cards online while giving you an easy way to view and edit your cards online. You can align the graphics and content inline with your brand and product message. They provide quick turn around as their name implies so let’s say you are away on a business trip and need some additional business cards you can create them or pull from your account and have them ready to go really quick. They also offer the ability to order business letter head, address labels, and other post-it note type items that can also be used to hand out to clients. Reminder items can help seal a potential deal because you have the right simple message on your brands and how to contact you right at the customers fingertips which may be better than some online social marketing website. Best of luck for the rest of 2011!

We have been keeping an eye on a growing new type of auction called penny auctions. These sites offer you the chance to buy items for up to 98% off the retail price. The concept is very easy: You purchase a set number of bids through bid packs. You then use those bids to place on items that you are interested in and then bid against others to strategically bid at the right time to win your item like a new ipad 2, PS3, or laptop. Each bid you place will bump up the bid price by one penny thus the term penny auction. The one thing that you have to keep in mind is that once you place the bid that bid unit is gone. So you could bid 50 units on an item and not win and lose those bids. A newer player in the games called dealfun has taken this potential negative and made it so that if you bid on items and lose you can use the bids placed to purchase the item at close to it’s normal retail price.
This is a nice advantage and their top tier customer service is there to help through the whole process. I do like the fact that they list the winners and show details like how many bids they used to win the item which you can then use in your bidding strategy for a similar item. You can find out what other are saying about DealFun through various articles and blogs on the internet. The LA Daily news does a nice summary of the benefits for shoppers in relation to DealFun and what you can expect.