Wednesday, December 31, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Saturday, December 27, 2008

How to REALLY be Successful with 2009 New Year’s Resolutions http://ping.fm/kUl9E

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business

by Chris Brogan
www.chrisbrogan.com





Twitterbirds

We really can’t deny the fact that businesses are testing out Twitter as part of their steps into the social media landscape. You can say it’s a stupid application, that no business gets done there, but there are too many of us (including me) that can disagree and point out business value. I’m not going to address the naysayers much with this. Instead, I’m going to offer 50 thoughts for people looking to use Twitter for business. And by “business,” I mean anything from a solo act to a huge enterprise customer.

Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay. Further, you might have some really great ideas to add. That’s why we have lively conversations here at [chrisbrogan.com] in the comments section. Jump right in!

Oh, and please feel free to reblog this wherever. Just be kind and link back to the original article.


50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business

First Steps

1. Build an account and immediate start using Twitter Search to listen for your name, your competitor’s names, words that relate to your space. (Listening always comes first.)
2. Add a picture. ( Shel reminds us of this.) We want to see you.
3. Talk to people about THEIR interests, too. I know this doesn’t sell more widgets, but it shows us you’re human.
4. Point out interesting things in your space, not just about you.
5. Share links to neat things in your community. ( @wholefoods does this well).
6. Don’t get stuck in the apology loop. Be helpful instead. ( @jetblue gives travel tips.)
7. Be wary of always pimping your stuff. Your fans will love it. Others will tune out.
8. Promote your employees’ outside-of-work stories. ( @TheHomeDepot does it well.)
9. Throw in a few humans, like RichardAtDELL, LionelAtDELL, etc.
10. Talk about non-business, too, like @astrout and @jstorerj from Mzinga.

Ideas About WHAT to Tweet


11. Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”
12. Have more than one twitterer at the company. People can quit. People take vacations. It’s nice to have a variety.
13. When promoting a blog post, ask a question or explain what’s coming next, instead of just dumping a link.
14. Ask questions. Twitter is GREAT for getting opinions.
15. Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.
16. Tweet about other people’s stuff. Again, doesn’t directly impact your business, but makes us feel like you’re not “that guy.”
17. When you DO talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, pictures, etc.
18. Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things.
19. Don’t toot your own horn too much. (Man, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I do it all the time. - Side note: I’ve gotta stop tooting my own horn).
20. Or, if you do, try to balance it out by promoting the heck out of others, too.

Want one of the best themes around?


Some Sanity For You

21. You don’t have to read every tweet.
22. You don’t have to reply to every @ tweet directed to you (try to reply to some, but don’t feel guilty).
23. Use direct messages for 1-to-1 conversations if you feel there’s no value to Twitter at large to hear the conversation ( got this from @pistachio).
24. Use services like Twitter Search to make sure you see if someone’s talking about you. Try to participate where it makes sense.
25. 3rd party clients like Tweetdeck and Twhirl make it a lot easier to manage Twitter.
26. If you tweet all day while your coworkers are busy, you’re going to hear about it.
27. If you’re representing clients and billing hours, and tweeting all the time, you might hear about it.
28. Learn quickly to use the URL shortening tools like TinyURL and all the variants. It helps tidy up your tweets.
29. If someone says you’re using twitter wrong, forget it. It’s an opt out society. They can unfollow if they don’t like how you use it.
30. Commenting on others’ tweets, and retweeting what others have posted is a great way to build community.

The Negatives People Will Throw At You

31. Twitter takes up time.
32. Twitter takes you away from other productive work.
33. Without a strategy, it’s just typing.
34. There are other ways to do this.
35. As Frank hears often, Twitter doesn’t replace customer service (Frank is @comcastcares and is a superhero for what he’s started.)
36. Twitter is buggy and not enterprise-ready.
37. Twitter is just for technonerds.
38. Twitter’s only a few million people. (only)
39. Twitter doesn’t replace direct email marketing.
40. Twitter opens the company up to more criticism and griping.


Some Positives to Throw Back

41. Twitter helps one organize great, instant meetups (tweetups).
42. Twitter works swell as an opinion poll.
43. Twitter can help direct people’s attention to good things.
44. Twitter at events helps people build an instant “backchannel.”
45. Twitter breaks news faster than other sources, often (especially if the news impacts online denizens).
46. Twitter gives businesses a glimpse at what status messaging can do for an organization. Remember presence in the 1990s?
47. Twitter brings great minds together, and gives you daily opportunities to learn (if you look for it, and/or if you follow the right folks).
48. Twitter gives your critics a forum, but that means you can study them.
49. Twitter helps with business development, if your prospects are online (mine are).
50. Twitter can augment customer service. (but see above)

Want one of the best themes around?

What else would you add? How are you using Twitter for your business?

By the way, Jeremiah Owyang has a great post on this, too.

The Social Media 100 is a project by Chris Brogan dedicated to writing 100 useful blog posts in a row about the tools, techniques, and strategies behind using social media for your business, your organization, or your own personal interests. Swing by [chrisbrogan.com] for more posts in the series, and if you have topic ideas, feel free to share them, as this is a group project, and your opinion matters.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Using Free Publicity to Build Your Web Site Links and Traffic

by Matt Hockin

So, you have a great product or service, yet your web site is not getting the high rankings and traffic you desire from the top search engines like Google and MSN Search.

You’re not alone. This scenario is playing out all across the web, yet there is a simple solution to the problem. Publicity. Publicity is the art of gaining exposure for your web site, product, or service with press releases, articles, and other promotional methods.

A consistent publicity campaign can get you links from some of the best web sites on the Net. These links provide your web site with “Link Popularity" and the Google PageRank numbers you need for high search engine ranking and traffic. Plus, the links themselves can bring you a significant about of targeted traffic.

The Top 5 Tips for Getting Publicity (and Links)

Here are a few of my tips for getting publicity and links on the web sites, AND getting news stories and articles in the newspapers, magazines and Internet radio show sites.

TIP #1: Be Consistent - Stick With It For The Long-Haul

For maximum results, use public relations as a long-term awareness and link-building campaign. This will allow your messages to be delivered to the appropriate audience and generate visibility, traffic and sales for you.

The biggest mistake I see businesses making with publicity, is they’re not consistent at all, only sticking with it for 1, 2, or 3 months. It pays to be consistent is because sometimes you’ll send out a press release and get no response back, no publicity, nothing... In fact, this is when most people quit, when they should realize that publicity is a “numbers game" that generates exposure over the long-run if they would just stick with it.

Plus, if you know where to submit your articles and send your press releases, each one that you write can generate 3-20 or more new publicity hits and new links to your web site! So, send something to the media at least every month, if not every week or two. Stay on track by scheduling your articles and news releases on your marketing calendar.

TIP #2: Offer Great News Ideas and Quality Articles

To maximize your results, don’t send corporate “flack" to the media. “Flack" is blatant advertising disguised as a press release. Instead of wasting the media’s time, be their ally by sending them real news and quality articles that help their audience.

Don’t think you have enough time or ideas for writing articles and press releases? You probably already have the content for 12 press releases or articles without having to write a bunch of new content.

Where is this “hidden" content that’s already written? It’s the content on your web site, and in your white papers, and other marketing materials. Simply “repurpose" and edit this content into announcements, articles, press releases, tip sheets, and other publicity materials.

TIP #3: Expand Your Publicity Campaign By Building A Media List

In the publicity game, your greatest assets are your contacts. Since you know your ideal customer, you can target the web sites, media, and publications that your customers use to get their news and information. Your media list should consist of the following types of media...

* Industry-specific web sites, and e-newsletters

* Internet blogs, discussion forums and discussion lists

* Article syndicators

* Trade publications

* Newspapers

* Magazines

* Radio & TV shows


TIP #4: Distribute Via E-Mail

A 2003 study by the Meta Group revealed that approximately 80% of business people say their e-mail is more valuable than the phone. This applies to media professionals as well, so send your press releases and articles via e-mail. E-mail is f*ree and easy to use, but adhere to these quidelines for e-mail press releases...

* Introduce yourself via e-mail to the media professionals on your list and start building a relationship.

* Use a compelling subject line that is personalized by including their first name.

* Never ever send attachments

* Be sure to format your e-mails in ASCII text file with hard returns at 65 characters. (Use Microsoft NotePad)

* Following up via the telephone will greatly increase your results, but never ask “did you receive my press release?" (The media hate this question since they get hundreds of press releases a day!)


TIP #5: Post Your Articles On Your Web Site And E-Mail Newsletter

Content is King on the Internet, and the search engines love web sites with great niched content. Your articles and news releases are a perfect source of keyword rich text that’s tasty “spider food" for the search engine crawlers. So, post your articles and press releases on your web site to increase your search engine traffic.

But don’t stop there. Send them to your e-mail newsletter subscriber list, you never know who might be on your list who will love your article and link to it!

CONCLUSION:

As the great P.T. Barnum once said...

“Without publicity a terrible thing happens... nothing!"
Publicity is a great way to build your web site links, visibility, traffic and sales. Use these tips to maximize your publicity campaign’s success.

Promote! Promote! Promote!

About The Author

Article by Matt Hockin, of Interactive Marketing, Inc.
Interactive Marketing, Inc. assists business owners with increasing their growth and profits with cost-effective, high-ROI sales and marketing strategies.
http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com//

Send Press Releases! Get the Word Out about Your Great You, Your Company or Organization



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Have a Fearless Day!

Anna D. Banks
Anna@AnnaBanks.com
www.AnnaBanks.com
www.StrictlyBusinessRadio.com

Follow me on TWITTER - www.Twitter.com/annabanks


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Have a Fearless Day!

Anna D. Banks

Anna@AnnaBanks.com
http://www.AnnaBanks.com

Host@StrictlyBusinessRadio.com
http://www.StrictlyBusinessRadio.com

Follow me on TWITTER - www.Twitter.com/annabanks

Sunday, December 14, 2008

List of Social Networking Sites


By Doug McIsaac at
www.dougmcisaac.com


social marketing

When you think of social networking sites, there are some obvious candidates that may immediately come to mind. It may be surprising to know how many different social networking sites are actually out there. Here is a basic list of social networking sites online, but this list is by no means exhaustive.

Blogging - These are social networking sites that either center completely around communicating through blogging, or put a large emphasis on the concept of blogging.

- Blogger, http://www.blogger.com
- Livejournal, http://www.livejournal.com
- Twitter, http://www.twitter.com
- Windows Live Spaces, http://www.spaces.live.com/
- Wordpress, http://www.wordpress.com
- Vox, http://www.vox.com
- Xanga, http://www.xanga.com

General Social Networking - These are the core of the social networking concept, with names like MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and Facebook leading the pack.

- ClassMates, http://www.classmates.com
- Bebo, http://www.bebo.com
- Deviant Art, http://www.deviantart.com
- Facebook, http://www.facebook.com
- Flickr, http://www.flickr.com
- LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com
- Meetup, http://www.meetup.com
- MySpace, http://www.myspace.com
- YouTube, http://www.youtube.com
- Gather, http://www.gather.com
- imeem, http://www.imeem.com
- Itsmy, http://www.itsmy.com
- My Yearbook, http://www.myyearbook.com
- Webshots, http://www.webshots.com

International Social Networking - These sites are especially popular in international countries, or are intended to cater to residents of a specific country. Friendster, for example, is a worldwide social networking site but it is especially popular in countries other than the United States. Biip, on the other hand, is a social networking site designed for the Norwegian community.

- Friendster, http://www.friendster.com
- Face Party, http://www.faceparty.com
- Friends Reunited, http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/
- Biip, http://www.biip.no/
- Cloob, http://www.cloob.com/
- Cyworld, http://us.cyworld.com/
- Fotolog, http://www.fotolog.com/
- Frühstückstreff, http://www.fruehstueckstreff.org/
- Grono, http://www.grono.net
- Habbo, http://www.habbo.com
- hi5, http://www.hi5.com
- Hyves, http://www.hyves.nl
- IRC Galleria, http://www.irc-galleria.net/index.php
- iWiW, http://www.iwiw.hu/
- Profile Heaven, http://www.profileheaven.com/

Niche Interests - These are social networking sites that are geared toward certain interests like music lovers, bibliophiles, coffee enthusiasts or pop culture.

- Advogato, http://www.advogato.org/
- Amie Street, http://www.amiestreet.com/
- ANobii, http://www.anobii.com/
- CafeMom, http://www.cafemom.com
- Buzznet, http://www.buzznet.com
- Broadcaster, http://www.broadcaster.com
- Cake Financial, https://www.cakefinancial.com/
- Care2, http://www.care2.com/
- Eons, http://www.eons.com
- TravBuddy, http://www.travbuddy.com/
- Travellerspoint Travel Community, http://www.travellerspoint.com/
- BlackPlanet, http://www.blackplanet.com
- Elftown, http://www.elftown.com
- Flixster, http://www.flixster.com
- Geni, http://www.geni.com
- Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com
- Gossip Report, http://www.gossipreport.com
- Guild Café, http://www.gamerDNA.com
- Hospitality club, http://www.hospitalityclub.org
- Last.fm, http://www.last.fm
- Library Thing, http://www.librarything.com/
- Lifeknot, http://www.lifeknot.com/
- Live Mocha, http://www.livemocha.com
- One World TV, http://tv.oneworld.net/
- Plaxo, http://www.plaxo.com
- Ravelry, http://www.ravelry.com
- Sci Space, http://www.scispace.net/
- WAYN, http://www.wayn.com/

Social Media - These sites specialize in sharing media and news with other members of the community.

- Digg, http://www.digg.com
- StumbleUpon, http://www.stumbleupon.com
- Del.icio.us, http://del.icio.us
- Reddit, http://www.reddit.com
- Fark, http://www.fark.com

Younger Generation - These are social networking sites that are best suited for younger generations and students.


- College Tonight, http://thequad.com/
- Gaia Online, http://www.gaiaonline.com
- NeoPets, http://www.neopets.com
- Student.com, http://www.student.com
- Reunion, http://www.reunion.com

Each one of these sites can be a good solid way to drive targeted traffic to your articles or your website. Before you ask, yes, you have to be careful not to do and outright sales pitch on your post. But with a little thinking on your part you will be able to make a useful post that is directed to your target market, without coming across as spam.

Some of the sites will not lend themselves to this marketing strategy, unless you are very creative in your post. Consequently you will find yourself being banned and your post being deleted if you violate the terms of service of those and others reflected on this list of social networking sites.
social marketing, social networking


This post was written by:

dougmcis - who has written 43 posts on dougmcisaac.com.

I've been building businesses for almost twenty years. I retired from RMTG, Inc November 2006 and started working with coaching clients within months of that retirement.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Marketing Your Business Using Facebook

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Controlling Stress and Toxic Relationships - 10 Self-Coaching Suggestions For Surviving the Holidays




By Drdeah_Curry


It's sad but true that the season extending from Thanksgiving through New Year's is often the most stressful time of year in families and close friendships. Depressions deepen, anxieties rise, and aggressions and frustrations get unleashed, causing serious emotional frustration. It can't all be blamed on global warming, the election outcome, or seasonal affective disorder.

Some stress at this time of year is predictable. We're spending more money than is sensible in a down economy on gifts for people we may not even like. We're fighting shopping crowds and endless traffic, and waiting in interminable lines at the post office. We feel pressured to attend social functions that drain our energy, where we over-eat and over-drink to the level of feeling miserable. And we call this holiday cheer? Bah humbug.

For those who long to celebrate the holidays in the true spirit of a multi-culturally meaningful season, here are some ideas for gracefully creating a stress-free inner climate of peace and good will.

Taking Control of Personal Stressors


1. Know Your Limits and Live Within Them. Whether it's saying no more often, or setting a ceiling on spending and other indulgences, pay attention to how you use your energy and resist using it out of guilt. Do only what your heart and spirit are really joyful about doing.

2. Take Even Better Care of Yourself Than Usual. In periods of predictable stress, it's important to maintain daily health routines. Getting the rest, nutrition, exercise, and hydration the body needs strengthens our ability to tolerate small irritatants. If you have to get less sleep, or skip meals or workouts in order to have time for activities that are inherently stressful, you're not taking good care of yourself.

3. Believe in Your Essential Goodness. Many people are driven to take on more stress than necessary out of an erroneous belief that if they don't they will be seen as bad, flawed, uncaring, or mean. Allowing guilt, fear or anticipation of others' disapproval to dictate how we use our energy is an act of giving in to a tyrrany of toxic assumptions and dysfunctional expectations. If you are caught in this trap, start telling yourself that you are a good, kind, and caring person and that doesn't change if you decline an invitation, or refrain from sending obligatory gifts and cards.

4. Redefine, Reschedule, Resist, and Renew. Stress can be managed well by redefining priorities, rescheduling anything that doesn't have a critical deadline, resisting the impulse to "fix" others, and saving yourself enough time and resources for personal renewal.

5. Give in a Meaningful Way. The commercialized holiday scene pressures us into thinking we must buy, buy, buy to appropriately give, give, give. But mindlessness only serves meaninglessness, and leaves us feeling empty, dissatisfied, stressed out, or worse. Find a meaningful way to give to others that makes an important difference in their lives to connect yourself to the spirituality of the season -- the universally hoped for return of enLightenment, and peace to the world.

Ending Toxic Relationships

A toxic relationship is one in which you are continually emotionally abused, feel unsafe or discouraged in being fully authentic, or are disempowered and left unable to get your psychospiritual needs met. Attacks of criticism and ridicule that come out of the blue are difficult to defend against in effective ways, much less in a loving manner.

Toxic relationships do not have to be endured, no matter who they are with. We don't have to put up with cruel, sarcastic, disapproving, abusive behavior to keep the peace. I coach those who are in such relationships to give to themselves the gift of severing ties with such people, if not permanently, then especially during the holiday season. Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Decline to attend family gatherings that include abusive, critical, or shaming relatives. You do not owe anyone an explanation for choosing to keep healthy boundaries. Celebrate with friends or alone, instead.

2. Be clear, explicit and firm about your limits. Say "I can come to dinner only on Tuesday, and will need to leave by 9 pm." Keeping your own boundaries puts more control in your hands, and lowers stress levels.

3. Use the broken record technique to enforce your right to your own decisions. Repeat as necessary, "I'll be at Tuesday's dinner, but will be leaving by 9 at the latest...I'll see you at the dinner, and I'll be ending my evening by 9...Even though I will be leaving before 9, it will be good to talk to you at Tuesday's dinner." Resist others' attempts to talk you out of what you know is best for you.

4. Start stress-free traditions with friends, co-workers, neighbors or others who are not toxic. Traditions are just culturally laden habits that segments of society or family groups practice together. Decide with a new group of people what is meaningful and celebratory.

5. Take a holiday break; celebrate alone. When your world is crowded with toxic relationships, sometimes the best thing is to withdraw from all of them during the holidays. Spend the time exploring and nurturing your own spirit, dancing to your own drumbeat. Tune in to the natural world, journal, create, take a trip. Follow your own quest for meaning and be really conscious about what and why you are celebrating.

Controlling stress and toxic relationships at any time of year requires forethought, effort, and perhaps a bit of courage. The key is to let others own their own feelings about your need to take care of yourself, and for you to be mindful about how you manage your energy.

Get free tips for a Stress-Less Holiday Season for Singles, on my website http://www.EmotionalFirstAid-Coaching.com If you need coaching to help you get through the holidays, see http://www.DeahCurry.net for details on the coaching process and how it differs from counseling.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Drdeah_Curry

Monday, December 8, 2008

Tips for Dealing with Stress & Depression during Holidays by Shelby Hill at 3PM on Strictly Business Radio 12-9-08 http://ping.fm/Jsu1V

Monday, December 1, 2008

Insider Tax Tips and Advice for Entrepreneurship and Business Development on Strictly Business Radio 12-4-08. http://ping.fm/gigzO

Saturday, November 29, 2008

"Stay Safe Online" - Strictly Business Radio host Anna Banks, interviews Etienne Gibbs, Internet Security Educator http://ping.fm/sNPX4

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Small Business Tips for a Challenging Economy


www.cardscan.com


(ARA) - As the world's economy becomes more and more challenging, small business owners need to find ways to keep their business afloat. Here are some tips to maintaining good customer relations while managing the bottom line:

Invest in technology.

Maintaining your computer systems is vital to keeping your business running smoothly. If you're not a technical whiz and you don't want to pay for ongoing information technology support, consider Macintosh computers for your business. Although they cost a little more initially, many people find the investment pays back in ease of use and longer life. More companies are releasing business software that runs on the Mac and you can also use a program such as Parallels to run any needed Windows-only software on the Mac. Investing in technology will allow you to implement other cost-saving processes and programs.

Share files and data.

When you share a centralized database and critical files between computers, it can increase productivity. For example, if a customer gets a new phone number or moves, updating it in the central database that everyone uses will keep you connected to customers. "Synchronization and file sharing are easy and intuitive on the Mac and these were key reasons driving the move to Mac," says John Ives, who runs a defense-industry consulting firm and recently made the switch to Mac.

Communicate with your customers and prospects efficiently.

In a tougher economy, don't stop marketing, just do it more efficiently. Rather than sending out direct mail, consider e-mail marketing as a way to reach out to customers and prospects alike. Using a tool such as CardScan contact management system, you can capture all your contact information electronically. Scan and read all your business cards with the card reader and use "drag–and-drop" to capture e-mail signatures or prospect contact information from Web sites. Using CardScan software, you can create and assign categories for your contacts. If you meet a group of prospects at a meeting, scan in the cards, assign the category with the meeting name and then you can send targeted follow-up e-mails to these prospects in just a few steps.

CardScan for Mac also keeps a photo of each business card, so you can flip through the various images of them on your computer, rather than losing them in a folder or a pocket. For business-owners on the go, the scanner plugs directly into your laptop's USB power source, allowing you to scan your cards on a bus, in the hotel or on an airplane – before you return to the home office.

With over 7200 contacts, Ives, needs to be organized. Using a CardScan system, he quickly enters notes for contacts such as special interests or where he met the person. "I can type in a few letters or words and instantly find the one person I need with the CardScan system," he says. "It's very easy to use and synchronizing to Address Book ensures we are using accurate and up-to-date information."

Get your business online.

Many small businesses put off building a Web site, or they let it get out of date because it costs money to maintain. But there are now many non-technical and free tools to build and maintain a Web presence. For example, using WordPress, an open-source blogging tool, you can build a blog that looks professional and is very easy to maintain. It's also a more modern approach to communicate with customers and prospects.

Use inexpensive creative resources.

If you need photos, illustrations or graphics for your marketing materials or blog, resist the urge to use the amateur-looking clip art packaged with your software programs. Instead try inexpensive online sources such as iStockphoto.com for low-cost photos and graphics, or tempatemonster.com for Web templates and blog themes.

Courtesy of ARAcontent



Free Expedited Shipping from CardScan!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Anna Banks interviews Coach Colette Ellis on Strictly Business Radio today. Get tips for your social enterprise. http://ping.fm/KWD9B

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Anna D. Banks Serves as Panelist for Managing Violence at Home Conference, Philadelphia, PA



Managing Violence at Home Workshop of 2008 - Special Guest Speakers – Dr. Rosalyn Pitts, Beverly Mays, MA and Anna D. Banks, GCDF. The panel and discussion was moderated by Commissioner Bridgette Obradovic, Governors Advisory Commission on African American Affairs.

Responding to the need for discussion, education and awareness about domestic violence issues, the Women’s Empowerment Initiative (WEI) of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, PCUSA and the Governor's Advisory Commission on African American Affairs (GACAAA) sponsored the “Managing Violence at Home” workshop on Saturday, November 22, 2008. The workshop was hosted at the Women’s Empowerment Center at 4950 Aspen Street, Philadelphia, PA.

The increasing number of Domestic Violence abuse cases especially among the women, in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, is alarming. The following statistics are an indication of the severity these insidious crimes:

• Currently, Philadelphia is averaging about 1 out of every 4 women being abused, either physically or sexually, or otherwise coerced into sexual behavior by their partner.

• One in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.

• Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.

• The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year. $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services.


Opening remarks were given by Wanda McNeil, WEI President, who issued a warm welcome to all attendees. The half-day program featured a “Managing Violence at Home” panel & small group discussions moderated by Commissioner Brigette Obradovic. Featured panelist included Dr. Rosalyn Pitts of Pitts Psychological Services; Beverly Mays, MA, Therapist, Drug & Alcohol Counselor and Anna D. Banks, GCDF, professional trainer, domestic violence awareness advocate, and radio talk show host from
New Jersey.

Brief remarks were also given by Sonya M. Toler, Executive Director of Governor’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs.

About Women’s Empowerment Initiative (WEI):


The Women’s Empowerment Initiative (WEI) is dedicated to impacting the lives of women disadvantaged by social or economic circumstances. The initiative will enable women to enhance and develop their quality of life and become architects of their future by presenting opportunities for spiritual, educational and economic transformation.

The imitative is committed to empowering women, thereby strengthening families and transforming communities.

About Governor’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs (GACAAA):


GACAA is committed to assisting African Americans in gaining full access to all opportunities afforded to the citizens of the Commonwealth. The Commission members, appointed by the Governor, bring extensive talent, expertise and knowledge to the Commonwealth and are dedicated to working with the Governor, his staff and all sincere Pennsylvanians who share a belief in the concepts of equal justice, opportunity and equality for all of our citizens.

The commission is solution-oriented and committed to creating the necessary linkages, both private and public; to assure inclusion of African Americans at all levels within the Commonwealth.

This holistic approach of working with all people of goodwill will insure the success of the Commission and the full citizenship rights of its African American citizens.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Dr. Niama L. Williams (Dr. Ni) interviewed 11-20-2008 on "Strictly Business Radio" by host Anna D. Banks http://ping.fm/A4jwL

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Is anyone teaching (off-line) internet marketing for local WAHMs, SOHOs, Start-ups and other small business? I'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Why Hackers Love Non-Profits and Small Businesses. On www.StrictlyBusinessRadio.com - http://ping.fm/1ecEK

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Anna is excited that there are great people, in the New Jersey, like Maureen Walliser, CEO of Hudson Community Enterprise, Jersey City, NJ.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Add This: http://ping.fm/HfLFH

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Achieve Your Goals

By Anna D. Banks




Are you interested in achieving your goals and dreams by visualizing these in the most powerful and exciting way? CLICK HERE NOW to learn more about the Vision Board software I highly recommend!”

The KEY to Attracting Everything You Want
is Captured in this Incredible Vision Board System. Visit http://ping.fm/TQZby

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Visualize Your Goals


SOFTWARE REVIEW:

By Anna D. Banks

If you are committed to achieving big things in life, this amazing tool could keep you inspired for your goals and in a positive mindset… helping you to manifest the prosperity you deserve!


Review: Vision Board by OrangePeel Ltd

This company OrangePeel Ltd has come up with a way of visualizing your goals and dreams by displaying your dream images, affirmations and power words on your computer screen and other digital devices like your iPod. I though it was an interesting idea and decided to get a copy. Now that I have been using "Vision Board" for a couple of weeks, I thought I should share some of my impressions with you about whether or not it lives up to the promises that OrangePeel Ltd makes about it on their web site.

Is it really that easy to use? Would it really be that flexible and fun to create a personalized Vision Board? And what it comes down to: would it really keep me in a positive mindset and inspired to reach my goals and dreams?

The first thing that impressed me was how easy it was to order the product and get the download. I think I was actually putting pictures into the system after less than 10 minutes of ordering and I straight away received a stack of bonus products as well with my download. So that was a great start. Another thing I thought was really excellent was the simplicity of the system. It is simple to follow, yet powerful.

I played around a little, and got more and more excited as I discovered how easy it was to put my Vision Board together. I am always relieved when things actually work right the first time, and when the system is fool proof for people like me who are no computer geniuses. You can't go wrong with the three simple steps they take you through. Even a 9 year old could easily create his or her own Vision Board.

So then I really got captivated by it and found myself searching for inspiring images in my own photo gallery to include in the tool. I also checked out the online image library that is included in the software, they had some cool pictures for me to use. I also found a fantastic picture on the Internet of my dream car, my dream house, and dream vacation. Really exciting to see that moving around on my screen all the time, talking about inspiration!

I started to come up with powerful affirmations to add to the pictures. The features that really impressed me were the libraries that come with the software. If you don't know how to formulate an affirmation or power word, or just need some inspiration just use the library packed with great affirmations and power words.

You even get to choose the font and color of the affirmations that come up and you can decide whether to use colors or an image as your Vision Board background. I chose a picture I made on one of my travels of a beautiful ocean outlook, which inspires me to travel more with my family and friends.



Once I put my Vision Board together with my images, affirmations, power words, favorite music and my chosen background I thought "right, let's see if this really works..". So I clicked on "Preview" and pop there was my Vision Board showing on the screen! Wow, I felt as excited as a little child. I decided I wanted to change one of the affirmations, which was so easy to do. I like that a lot, as my dreams change from time to time so I can just adjust my Vision Board accordingly.

The software also includes a Poster Creation Module and their newest edition Vision Board. By focusing on your Vision Board at least twice a day, you are applying The Law of Attraction in a most powerful way. By constantly feeding your subconscious mind with positive affirmations and images of your dreams, feeling as if you have already achieved them, and taking inspired action you will attract your goals into your reality.

OrangePeel has recently released their latest edition Vision Board. Apart from all the powerful existing features, such as the audio module allowing you to incorporate mp3 music and voice recordings into your Vision Board, this "next generation Vision Board includes some very excited extra modules. It includes a set of new presentation themes and a revolutionary MovieRecorder! This fantastic addition allows you to create a movie of your Vision Board and display it on websites, iPod, iPhone, digital photo frames, etc. It also features a fantastic new Poster Creation Program, enabling you to freely copy and paste images and text on a Poster on your screen, which then can be taken to a print shop. So I purchased a copy of this newest edition right away, and I just LOVE it. To be honest, I didn't think they could do a better job than they already had, but this really is a step up once again from their previous version. I believe these extra features make Vision Board truly the most complete manifestation tool available anywhere!

I am equally amazed how inspired I actually am by this Vision Board. Sometimes I just bring it up on my screen to have a look and get focused again. I lean back and look at the dream images on my screen, listen to my favorite song and really feel what it would be like to have that car, or to go on those travels. This truly inspires me to take massive action and I know by feeling as if I have already achieved it, I will attract it to my reality. This is what I have learned about The Law of Attraction: the more positive energy you give to your goals, the faster you will manifest it. When I turn on my computer in the morning my Vision Board shows as the wall paper. When I come back into my office after lunch or a meeting, my Vision Board is right there showing as the screensaver, so it makes me get right back to business. Vision Board even features a little pop up balloon displaying your affirmations and power words, which increases the exposure to these affirmations and power words and helps adjusting your belief system.

Oh, I almost forgot another amazing feature. After a while I discovered the "export" function in the software. Wow, I realized I could actually send my own Vision Board to my family and business partners! What a cool way to inspire them as well. So I sent one to my partner who called me after half an hour saying "wow, what a cool way of keeping focused, where did you get this? I want to create my own". Oh, did I mention that you can also print your Vision Board. I have printed a couple of copies and hung them everywhere around the house. It drives some people, but hey I know it works! I even have been able to display my Vision Board on my PDA, thanks to this amazing "export to mobile devices feature".

I guess you know by now how impressed I am with this tool. I could go on and on about it…. But here's the bottom line: this software does absolutely everything it claims to and is a MUST for anyone serious about attracting huge success and abundance and wanting to keep inspired. It is just so complete and it makes so much sense to own one. I give this product my absolute highest recommendation.

Oh, I almost forgot: this is a very good time to check out this product as they offer an amazing set of free bonuses. So make sure to not miss out on their mind blowing bonus package valued at over $1000, including bonuses from Eva Gregory, Ruben Gonzalez, Jim Driscoll, Vic Johnson, Lee Brower and Jim Bunch, to name a few. I actually think this bonus package in itself already more than worth the investment!

CLICK HERE to read more about this powerful visualization tool, and how it can help YOU to attract the prosperity you deserve!


Live Fearlessly,

Anna



Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Glad to be an American! Grateful to live in a country where it's citizens CAN exercise their right to vote. I PRAY for USA & ALL citizens!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Are you a Social Entrepreneur? Let's talk! Be my guest during November on http://ping.fm/eLTKH

Are you a Social Entrepreneur? I would love to interview you on my Internet radio show during November. http://ping.fm/jvhAv

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Scheduling 11-11-2008 my talk show http://ping.fm/LeQLI Topic: Social Enterprise, The New Nonprofit Hero.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Greenpath Radio Welcomes Co-Host Anna D. Banks

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Entrepreneurs & Small Busines Owners - Get the publicity you deserve!


By Anna D. Banks

"Small business owners and entrepreneurs can get thousands of dollars in free publicity by following the tips, tricks and tools, courtesy of Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound®. She's a former newspaper editor, a small business owner AND she was tapped by Entrepreneur.com as its public relations expert. Click here to read all the columns she wrote for Entrepreneur.com and click here click here to check out her educational tools for small business owners.

What do you do once you have your press release prepared? Use free release distribution services to get the word out about you, your company, product, service or sponsored event. I’ve used many services and the following have given the best results:

www.24-7PressRelease.com - Free release distribution with ad-support

www.1888PressRelease.com - Free distribution, paid services gives you better placement and permanent archiving.

www.Free-Press-Release.com - Easy press release distribution for free, more features for paid accounts.

www.PR.com - Not only will they distribute your press releases, but you can also set up a full company profile.

www.PRCompass.com - Distribute your press release with a free or paid version, others can vote it up ala Digg.com style.


Have a Fearless Day!

Anna D. Banks
Anna@ImagineMoreLLC.com
Anna@AnnaBanks.com

Follow me on TWITTER – www.Twitter.com/annabanks

Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners: Use Press Releases to get the Word Out about You and Your Company



By Anna D. Banks

Instant Press Release Creator Available!

Free On-line Press Release Creator Allows You To Instantly Create Powerful, Attention Grabbing, Perfectly Formatted Press Releases in an instant.

Now even people who have never written a press release before can crank out professional looking press releases in a matter of minutes.

Instant Press Release is the creation of a 20-year small business marketing pro and is absolutely free to use.

Click this link, create your press release and send it out to several of the following distribution sites Instant Press Release Creator

Have a Fearless Day!

Anna D. Banks
Anna@ImagineMoreLLC.com
Anna@AnnaBanks.com


To follow me on TWITTER - Click Here


Here's a list of 20+ sites that will help you with getting your press release out in the world for free.

www.24-7PressRelease.com - Free release distribution with ad-support

www.24-7PressRelease.com - Free distribution, paid services gives you better placement and permanent archiving.

www.ClickPress.com - Distributes to sites like Google News and Topix.net, Gold level will also get you to sites like LexisNexis.

www.EcommWire.com - Focuses on ecommerce and requires you include an image, 3 keywords and links.

www.Express-Press-Release.com - Free Distribution Company with offices in 12 states.

www.Free-Press-Release.com - Easy press release distribution for free, more features for paid accounts.

www.Free-Press-Release-Center.info - Distributes your release, offers a web page with one keyword link to your site. Pro upgrade will give you three links, permanent archiving and more.

www.I-Newswire.com - Allows for free distribution to sites and search engines, premium membership differs only slightly in adding in graphics.

www.NewswireToday.com - All the usual free distribution tools, premium service includes logo, product picture and more.

www.PR.com - Not only will they distribute your press releases, but you can also set up a full company profile.

www.PR9.net - Ad supported press distribution site.

www.PR-Inside.com - European-based free press release distribution site.

www.PRBuzz.com - Completely free distribution to search engines, news sites, and blogs.

www.PRCompass.com - Distribute your press release with a free or paid version, others can vote it up ala Digg style.

www.PRUrgent.com - Not only distributes your release, but attempts to teach you how to write one, and even offers downloadable samples for you to work with.

www.Press-Base.com - Submit your release for free and get on their front page and the category of your choice.

www.PressAbout.com - A free press release service formatted as a blog.

www.PressMethod.com - Free press release distribution no matter what, but extra services based on the size of your contribution.

www.PRLeap.com - Free distribution to search engines, newswires, and RSS feeds. Fee based bumps get you better placement.

www.PRLog.org - Free distribution to Google News and other search engines.

www.TheOpenPress.com - Gives free distribution for plain formatted releases, fees for HTML-coded releases.

JOIN CO-HOST ANNA D. BANKS ON ‘GREENPATH TO BALANCE WEALTH RADIO SHOW’

THE CIRCLE OF SUCCESS CONTINUES WITH THE ‘GREENPATH TO BALANCE WEALTH RADIO SHOW’ ON SUNDAY 19TH OCT 2008.

Come join Co-hosts Coretta Fraser and Personal Finance and Career Development Coach, Anna Banks on Sunday ( 3:30PM EST, 21:30 EU, 20:30 UK time).

Join the discussion: “A PLAN FOR SUCCESS - Brake Free, Get over the fear and Move towards financial Independence”


IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO LISTEN LIVE
Log on to www.blogtalkradio.com/greenpath
At 3:30pm (EST), 21:30 (EU) , 16:30 (Brasilia time)

-Click on the "on the air" to join in live
- Click on the green chat button to join the chat

To join the conversation: 347-215-7885
Skype: ourgreenpath

I would love to have you join me,

Love Anna

Anna@AnnaBanks.com

Monday, October 13, 2008

Need to connect your social networks - go to www.flock.com

By Anna D. Banks

I love the social networking sites. I get to connect and build social, business and personal relationships throughout the world because of http://www.ning.com; http://www.twitter.com; http://www.facebook.com and http://www.plaxo.com. It's exciting and it can consume a lot of time.

Travis Greenlee sent out a post with some great, information on connecting your social networks with http://www.Flock.com. Check it out. Flock.com could save you a lot of time, staying connected with your growing number of "FRIENDS".

After you visit http://www.FLOCK.com, let me know what you think? I look forward to hearing from you.



Blogged with the Flock Browser

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Anna D. Banks in Denver, CO


Find more photos like this on SistaTalk

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Just completed the incredible Fearless Foundations seminar in Denver, CO, with Life Coach Rhonda Britten, as seen on NBC's Starting Over Show. Visit www.FearlessLiving.org.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Baby Boomers: It's Never too Late for Change

By Anna D. Banks

The economy has most of us scared. We want to retire, but feel that we can't. Housing prices are down. Tuition for your college aged children is rising faster than the surf at "Big Sur", and even the "well-healed" baby boomer is feeling the economic pinch. Overall things may not feel full of promise, but take a look at the short video and be inspired.




To read more about Douglas Goodey – The 20 Million Dollar Man Click Here

Live Fearlessly,

Anna

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Baby Boomers: How to Make Interviewers See a More Youthful You

By Anna D. Banks, GCDF

Getting old should not harm your chances of getting a job and just playing it right can help your employment prospects in a number of ways. An example of this is Edward R. Mills who was 61 at the time of the interview. When asked what he did in his spare time all he said he competed in tennis tournaments and did "a little bit of hiking”, taking out a recent photo of him hiking at 14000 foot, Mount Whitney. He was offered the job immediately by WNET-TV and today still works at the same job that is as demanding as ever. His success story gives motivation to other old job seeker even the baby boomers, who face bias at their work because of their age. ExecuNet, a career-networking organization in Norwalk, Connecticut conducted a survey, which reported that after the age of 50 or at it, age plays a major role in organizations that hire.

In order to get over this hurdle, a few tips are listed that can boost your chances to get a job and help an interviewer see a more youthful you.

• The first way is when preparing your resume; it is best to not include the work done once you graduated from college and the date of graduation as well. A better plan would be to list the work done in the past ten to fifteen years. An instance of such method working was when Mr. Sanders was looking for a job in 1999 at the age of 63. He used this technique of resume writing in order to just sell himself to his potential employers and got the job as well. Even the CEO, David Levitt of OpenOrders said, "He probably would not have gotten in the door" with a full disclosure of his job history. ” A disadvantage of this would also be that people wouldn’t have an idea of your age but would see you as a very good candidate and offer entry level positions. Like when Rodney Struhs went for an interview and was given this line by the interviewers. “We're not really looking for someone with as much experience as you have." And they were quite surprised to see a balding and stock person.

• Another change would be in the sense of dressing, try and dress young. It is best to look fresh and not old. So you could buy new shoes, update the wardrobe, dye the gray hair, and get medical attention for the baggy eyes, etc and a lot more other changes in order to look young.

• Though there maybe a bias since the interviewee is old, this bias can be changed and Dave Opton, CEO of ExecuNet has also been witness to this. Mark Rigor, a 49 year old rises at five in the morning and rides his bike around ten to thirty miles a day and his tactic was that he radiated youthful zeal by always asking interviewers: "Is there an opportunity in your area to bike? I'm a serious biker." He was hired as a sales representative for Sure Alloy Steel.

• The best thing to do during the interview is to show and sound eager in mentoring young employees. Even updating your skills will be witness to your skill of adapting to changing technology. It will show that you are capable of working under a younger boss, a team player, and take multiple roles in the work place.

© 2008 Anna D. Banks, GCDF
________

Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Baby Boomers: Plan Ahead and Build Your Own Business after Retirement


Anna D. Banks, EzineArticles.com Basic Author
By Anna D. Banks, GCDF

Starting a Business after retirement requires you to plan ahead and build a good foundation. You need to face a number of issues and questions such as:

• What is a good business for you to undertake?
• How much time and effort are you willing to devote?
• Does this match with the time and effort demanded by the business you want to start?
• What are the key processes involved in starting a new business?
• What are the skills that are necessary for business success?
• How much should you invest in a new business?
• How do you go about developing an action plan for the business of your choice?

The process of starting a business can be a challenging, and an exciting experience. It can also be frightening, exhausting, and frustrating. The key to a minimum stress start-up is to plan ahead and build your own business after retirement, in a planned and rational way. Understanding, and planning out, the entire process of start-up makes a huge difference to the end result. There are, some basic steps that are common in planning and starting any business:

Assess your areas of strength. Are you a person who can easily take risks with money? If the idea is scary, it may be better to think twice before considering a business. No matter how you look at it, and how well you play it, being an entrepreneur involves risk. You must be willing to lose money if it comes to that. You must also have the ability and the will to work hard, be able to handle uncertainty well, and possess self-discipline.

Pick the right business. There are generally has two kinds of people. One kind consists of people who love something to the level of passion and are driven to make a career of it. If you belong in this category, make sure you conduct research to check that a market exists for the business. The other kind of person is one who is fascinated by the idea of being an entrepreneur, rather than a particular idea. In this case, pick a business that has instant demand and potential for future growth.

Come up with a solid business plan. Think of it as a map that tells you the direction you should be heading in and helps you to identify important markers you may see on the way. Before you open your doors to clients, think and plan out exactly what you want your business to be. Figure out what makes your product or service different or special, how you plan to attract customers, how you intend to beat competition, and other such essentials.

A major part of the business plan consists of a financial analysis, including:
• The amount of money needed
• How it should be spent
• Amount of profit expected etc.

Figure out where you will get the funding needed to start. Explore options like
• Your own savings
• Your credit cards
• Your retirement accounts
• Second mortgage
• Advance on inheritance
• Loans from friends or family members.

© Anna D. Banks, GCDF

ANNA D. BANKS, GCDF is an adjunct professor at Essex County College, career development and marketing coach, speaker, and author. Anna helps individuals design a game plan for an extraordinary career or business. Since 1996, Anna has helped hundreds of job-seekers, managers, business owners, and sales professionals achieve career success. For more information send an email to Anna@AnnaBanks.com.
________
Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please place a post on www.AnnaBanks.com or email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com.