How To Become a Writer

Maybe you've always wanted to become a writer, but had a few doubts. Well, before you make any major decisions, consider seven things you should do and know first. Here's how to become a successful writer.

1. Assess your writing skills. Think about your writing from an ability standpoint. In your last written communication was your wording clear and to the point? Do you understand how to evoke reader emotion? Are you careful about grammar and making words flow?
   Now give some thought to your writing talent. If others have told you they enjoy reading your emails, editorials, or work-related communications then it's possible you have a natural writing knack.
   But should your skills need fine tuning, don't worry. Online writing tutorials and community college writing courses can help you improve writing mechanics. You may even want to try some writing activities in your free time.
2. Investigate writing options. When you choose to become a writer you have numerous writing choices. For example, you can choose to specialize in creative, medical, legal, or technical writing careers. Or you can write for magazines or newspapers. Other writers prefer to focus on authoring books. Writers also work for the commercial arena where they specialize in developing marketing materials that businesses use to promote their company products.
   One way to explore writing careers and options is to subscribe to a few writing e-zines. www.writersweekly.com is very popular because it focuses on teaching writers how to earn money writing. It also lists several paid writing markets which warmly welcome beginner writers. Another good resource is www.writing-world.com. It covers everything from starting your writing career to expanding it.
3. Identify your passion. It's critical you write about things which inspire you. Otherwise you can easily become distracted and lose motivation. If you have a hobby, profession, or subject that captivates your interest repeatedly, incorporate it into your writing.
4. Continue to learn. Being a writer requires that you be a voracious learner. Early in your writing career you'll likely cover diverse topics. To sustain a generous stream of ideas, get into the habit of reading various books and newspapers.
   When you're ready to specialize, take classes, attend lectures, and join online communities and special groups who share your same or related interests. The advantage is you'll acquire more expertise in a particular area. The more expertise you obtain the more access you have to a receptive audience. This is a crucial part of the writing process (at least if you want to make money by writing).
5. Network and prospect. In order to earn money, you're going to need customers. These can be magazine or newspaper editors, business owners, publishers, or people who purchase books. Networking helps you establish valuable contacts. And since it's customary for writers to work solo, networking can also keep you from becoming a new age hermit.
   < < <Writing Tips: How to find networking events > > >
   Joining a writers group or an industry association will inspire new ideas and provide career support. Find a group that suits you or start your own.
   Locate writer's resources and networking options here:
   http://www.writerswrite.com/org.htm < List of writing organizations >
   http://idealist.org/ < List of internship/volunteer & writing jobs >
   http://bookweb.org/ < List of bookseller associations >
   www.mediabistro.com < List news, writing jobs, events, and features 'how-tos' >
   
   Networking Opportunities are also found in:Rotary Clubs
   School organizations
   Churches
   YMCAs
   Conferences
   Writing Retreats
   Trade shows
6. Create a Portfolio. A writing portfolio is a sample collection of your written work. Its purpose is to showcases your writing ability. Having a portfolio demonstrates your professionalism and proves your initiative. It will also boost your confidence.
   Samples can be contained in a binder, on a CD, or website. An editor or client prospect might ask to see a few writing samples just to get a sense of your writing style.
   When you're first starting out it's understandable that you won't have any published material. Do not let this dissuade you one bit. And never apologize for a modest portfolio. However you can build a professional-looking portfolio easily by including samples of material you've written for work. These could be sales letters, PowerPoint presentations, project reports, or corporate communication pieces. Include any essays or articles that are unpublished. You can also create mock newsletters and brochures. Use the advertisements you get in the mail as a guide.
7. Make a solid commitment. Writing takes discipline and supreme motivation. If you want to learn how to become a writer, you'll need to put a lot of time and effort into the process. Before all the romantic and glamour notions overwhelm you, give the vocation some serious thought.

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Z-ViPrinter Creates Digitally Signed PDF From Any Application

Some use Cute PDF for converting documents into PDF format. Another option is Doro PDF which allows creating encrypted and password protected PDF documents. While both of these PDF writers have very useful for converting different kinds of documents into PDF files, they do not allow previewing the document structure before conversion which often results in problems with the alignment of the newly created PDF document. Moreover, they do not provide the option to Digitally Sign PDF documents which is quite commonly used nowadays due to copyright issues.
Z-ViPrinter is a PDF writer which integrates with any application by adding a printer option and allows converting into PDF format. Other than providing 40/128-bit encryption and password protection, it also allows digitally signing documents before converting them to PDF format and provides a preview of the document before conversion. Furthermore, it also allows emailing the file or sending it to a fax machine, both of which are unique options.
Z-ViPrinter works pretty much like Doro and Cute PDF. Just open the Printer Dialog of any application, select Z-ViPrinter and click Print.

In the next step, you can either directly save the document to PDF format, email it (by using the default mail client or the Z-ViPrinter’s built in email option), send it via fax or select a digital signature and password for applying to the document. Unlike other applications of its kind, Z-ViPrinter also provides a preview of the document with a zoom option to help you determine if the documents alignment needs to be changed to avoid being distorted after conversion.

Z-ViPrinter works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Download Z-ViPrinter

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Graph Made Easy - Make Beautiful and Attractive Graphs

Graph presents one of the best way to summarize and analyze huge data sets, but sometimes it’s not as easy to plot data on the graphs as doing data entries. Since creating graph of each data set present in data sheet often requires mapping all the related data fields and then choosing the best graph type to represent the extracted data values in a way that can be easily understood by the target audience, many of us choose to depict relationships among data in tabular form instead of plotting them on graphs.
Back in March, we covered free version of Graph Made Easy which somewhat automates the process of creating basic charts and graphs. Back then, Graph Made Easy had two versions. The free version was a stripped down feature-rich version of paid standard version. Now standard version has gone totally free, having absolutely no strings attached. It has also been updated with few small yet useful improvements and graph options, which includes, high quality graphs, graph color schemes and layouts, customizable graph themes, curved lines and line point shape options, Format Painter like functionality along with options to apply defined opacity level over different graph elements.
Just like previous version, it asks you to choose type of graph you want to create and X Axis values, such as, Date and Numbers. A click on New Graph will create a new workspace for you. You can start off with entering graph data by clicking button present underneath New in toolbar. Depending upon the chart type, it asks you to enter the graph data. Graph Made Easy creates your charts and graphs in real-time. For instance, if you select Pie chart, it will start creating chart and legend list as soon as you enter slice values in data entry form.

The chart legend can easily be edited. Just right-click on legend box to bring up its editor. Under Items tab, change the slice name and number. It also lets you selectively hide the chart legend data. For further customization, you can change legend’s font, border and layout from respective tabs.

Chart color, shading, pattern fill is one of the feature that was missing in previous version. Now you can adjust chart shades, apply effects, change opacity, tweak with shading styles, check between different contrast values, etc. It must be noted that you will get to see a whole of different theme presets and options with each chart type.

When you hover mouse pointer over the chart element, it shows the related entered data. For example, it will display slice number, value and percentage in pie chart. Some basic chart related tools are lined up in main navigation bar present in left side, including, chart markers, arrow tool, text label, lasso, and magnifier.

Chart data related tools can be accessed from Tool menu. Here, you can change canvas background, add specified color, and change size, tweak with Axis Line and Location, define data range, set gridlines and files, and set axis markers.

Graph Made Easy has a lot more features to offer. You can check complete feature list on product page. Graph Made Easy works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
Download Graph Made Easy

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Flush Print Jobs - Remove Stuck Printer Queue In One Click

Tired of too many stuck printer jobs in the queue? Why not remove them all in one click? Flush Print Jobs is a portable application that flushes the print jobs of your local printer. It does not have a GUI interface and merely requires being run from an EXE file to remove all printers jobs in the queue. This can be handy for not just home users who might accidentally send too many print commands, but also for system administrators who have to deal with novice users who send too many simultaneous printer commands to a network shared printer. Flush Print Jobs is not dependent on a certain type of printer and can remove printer queues from the command line. For this reason it works with any kind of printer.

When you download Flush Print Jobs, the setup folder contains two separate folders for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. Just run the executable for your Windows version and a command prompt will show up, after which the printer queue will be instantly removed.

Flush Print Jobs is an open source application which works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Download Flush Print Jobs

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How To Sell Gold: Selling Gold Coins and Bars, and Where to Sell Gold

Wondering how to buy and sell gold? Promises of “cash for gold” are everywhere, but when it’s time to sell your gold, it pays to be careful, well informed, and not too greedy. Sure, you want a lot of money when selling your gold jewelry and other gold items, but you have to be realistic with the current price of gold. Finding someone to buy your gold won’t be hard, but getting good gold prices takes time and planning. And if you plan on making it big in the gold selling business, you’ll also need to know how to invest in gold. When you want to sell gold, know what you have, know what it’s worth and know what to expect.

“Your aim is to get as close as possible to the raw ‘melt’ value, both when you buy and sell gold,” says Adrian Ash, Head of Research for Bullion Vault, a gold trading and storage firm based in London. The melt value is the value of the gold in your piece if it were melted down and sold as bullion. These gold selling tips will help you learn about getting a good gold price, selling gold coins, bars, jewelry and stock, and knowing where to sell gold.

Know What You Have

For most people, owning gold means gold jewelry. However, selling gold jewelry based only on the gold it contains might not be the best approach. When you sell gold jewelry based on just the current gold price, it won’t take into account the craftsmanship, beauty or sentimental value of your gold item, or other gems and precious metals it might contain. When selling gold jewelry, try a jewelry shop that takes used items, or try selling your jewelry online at eBay or another site. Just make sure that wherever you choose to sell your gold, they offer you fairly good and current gold prices.

Gold coins are another commonly sold item. Selling gold coins is a little trickier than going to your local jewelry shop. The first step in selling gold coins is to determine whether they are gold bullion coins—basically, gold minted into coin form—or numismatic coins. Numismatic gold coins are rare coins that hold special interest for collectors, and their value is based not only on the gold they contain but also their rarity, condition, demand and year of mintage. So when learning how to sell gold coins, keep in mind the type of coin that you have for sale.

The American Numismatic Association (http://www.money.org/ana_custom/dealer_search/dealer_search.cfm) can help you find a reputable dealer to evaluate if you should sell your gold coins. They will help you determine a selling price of gold coins so that before you sell a gold coin, you’ll know whether it might be more valuable as a collector’s item, rather than strictly for its gold.

Selling gold bullion—in the form of small bars or government-issued coins—is fairly straightforward because these gold bars and coins come in standard weights and purities; therefore the current gold prices should be easy to find. Of course, if you want to start selling gold coins and bars, you’ll also need to know how to invest in gold.
A gold bar will be stamped with a number that indicates its purity—either .999 or .995. You may even have a certificate of authenticity from when you bought it. You may want to include that certificate when selling gold bullion.

Selling gold coins produced by a government mint can be somewhat easy because they come in standard weights, such as 1-ounce, half-ounce, or quarter-ounce so you can quickly determine the gold prices. The purity of the gold is also standard; the American Buffalo and the Canada Maple Leaf, for example, are .999 while the American Eagle and the South African Krugerrand are .917.

Purity, or fineness refers to the amount of actual gold in a coin, bar or piece of jewelry. When selling gold bullion, you’ll need to know the actual amount of gold for sale because that will determine the gold prices at which you can sell the items. If the gold is less than 24 karats, or 999 parts per thousand, it means the gold has another metal alloy mixed with it. For example, if you sell gold bullion that’s eighteen-karat gold, it means the gold is 750 parts pure gold and 250 parts alloy per thousand.

The best way to sell gold jewelry is to first separate it into groups based on purity—14 karat in one pile, 18 karat in another and so on. Then you can weigh the pieces together and know what amount of gold is for sale.

When you want to sell gold that’s old jewelry and other scrap gold—dental fillings or crowns, gold nuggets, or electronic components—you might not know the weight and purity. A local jewelry shop can help you by weighing the pieces on a scale, and testing the purity with a substance called aqua regia.

When selling gold bars, coins or other valuables, make sure the clerk weighs your gold in front of you, and if you don’t trust their scale, test it yourself. Weigh a nickel on the scale. U.S. nickels always weigh 5 grams. If the scale says anything less than 4.9 grams, walk away and find somewhere else to sell your gold bullion. You want to find the best gold prices possible, but you don’t want to go selling your gold coins, bars and other items to buyers who won’t give you accurate gold prices.

Know the Current Price of Gold Today

Are you wondering, “What is the price of gold today?” Now that you know the weight and purity, check the “spot price” of gold per troy ounce at Kitco.com or Bullion Vault.com to find the current gold prices that match your items. The spot price is the price for delivery of physical gold, which in the gold market is two days from the trade date.

A troy ounce is the standard weight in which gold is quoted in the international market, equal to 31.1035 grams. Less commonly, you might hear about a unit of measurement called a pennyweight. There are 20 pennyweights in a Troy ounce.

The center of the world’s wholesale gold market is London. If you want to get in on the gold selling business, you’ll need to pay close attention to the wholesale gold market. The biggest bullion banks are located here and twice a day they meet to set a gold market price to clear their outstanding orders. This is called the London Fix. This current price of gold is used in other gold transactions throughout the day. Members of the fix meet at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Are you asking yourself, “What percent of value will I get when I sell my gold?” The gold price per ounce fluctuates constantly, so expect some variation up until the point when you actually sell your gold. With pure gold—24 karats or .999 purity—simply multiply the weight of your item by the current price of gold. With selling gold of other purities, multiply by the appropriate percentage.

• 22 karats: 91.7%
• 20 karats: 83.2%
• 18 karats: 75%
• 16 karats: 66.6%
• 14 karats: 58.3%
• 12 karats: 50%

Several websites also offer online calculators that automatically pull in the latest price for gold, making selling gold for cash very easy. You may want to look around before you actually sell your gold to ensure that you’re getting the best gold prices available.

Know Where to Go to Sell Gold for Cash

When you’re learning how to invest in gold, your first concern will probably be where to sell it. If you’re wondering where to sell gold coins, bars and jewelry, the World Gold Council offers a list (http://www.gold.org/investment/why_how_and_where) of reliable dealers around the world that will give you accurate and current gold prices. Before you sell gold, you should also check the Better Business Bureau. They can help you find the best place to sell gold—a coin shop, metal refinery or jewelry store—with a clean reputation. Do not, no matter how tempting, use a “mail it in” service that offers you cash for your gold if you ship it to the company in one of their envelopes. Some people think this is the best way to sell gold because it’s easy and you don’t have to go anywhere. However, these services are notoriously bad with their stingy compensation so don’t mail in your gold; sell it elsewhere instead.

When selling gold for a profit, experts also warn against “cash for gold” buyers who set up shop in temporary locations, such as hotel rooms. They often won’t give you the accurate and current gold price. Make sure you only deal with a reputable buyer and not a fly-by-night operation when you sell your gold and silver coins and bars.

When selling gold coins or other types of gold, you can find a gold dealer at a coin store, a jewelry shop, or a gold-only business. Call around to several gold dealers and ask them what they would pay you per gram for your gold, and go for the dealer that gets you the highest percentage of the “melt value.” It’s possible that a larger business might be able to offer more, since they deal in large volumes of gold, but that’s no guarantee. The best approach is to make a few phone calls ahead of time to various gold dealers.

You can save on shipping costs and insurance by selling your gold coins, bars and jewelry close to home. And less experienced sellers may appreciate the guidance of dealing face-to-face with an expert. “You want to find a coin store with some ornery old fart who’s been doing this for 40 years,” says financial advisor Michael McGowan, author of “Financial Foghorn’s Guide to Gold.”

Gold selling online has become popular in recent years. Online dealers and auction sites like eBay are a popular option if you want to sell gold online. You may get a better gold price. Follow the usual precautions when you buy and sell gold coins, bars or jewelry online: Don’t ship the gold until you have the money in hand, and check the buyer’s record.

A recent trend in selling gold is gold parties, in which someone invites several friends to their home and a gold dealer is there to make offers on the guests’ gold. The host then gets a small cut of the dealer’s business. Experts say this is a reasonable way to sell your gold, as long as you’ve done enough research to know you’re getting a good price. Beware of social pressure to sell your gold before you feel ready, and check the gold dealer’s business record ahead of time.

Gold dealers won’t give you the full price of gold today—they’ve got to make a profit, after all. How close you get to the piece’s full value depends on what type of piece you have, how much gold you have to sell, and which dealer you decide to work with. Different gold dealers offer different percentages, which is why it’s important to research gold dealers before selling your gold. Jewelry doesn’t get much better than 70 percent, but if you sell gold bars or coins it gets closer to 90 percent.

When to Sell

Learning how to invest in gold is different than learning how to invest in other forms of money. Although the old investing chestnut—“buy low, sell high” —also applies to precious metals, gold investing isn’t about short-term gains. Gold is actual money, not a paper or electronic representation of money. So even when the world’s financial markets are in dire trouble, gold still has value; hence why learning how to buy and sell gold is so popular. The price of gold today may be high, but experts advise you to hang on to your gold for as long as possible.

As of early 2011, gold had been in a bull market for more than 10 years. “In 2001 you could have spent around $60,000 on one share of Berkshire [Hathaway] stock, or bought 200 ounces of gold,” writes Richard Smith, a gold dealer at Coin&Stamp Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona. “The Berkshire share [on Jan. 25, 2011] traded around $124,000, while the 200 ounces of gold now would net you some $266,000.”

Of course, although we know the price of gold today, it’s impossible to predict the future. But McGowan says signs of a peak in gold prices would include increased participation in the gold selling market, long lines of people waiting outside coin stores to buy gold, and high price-to-earnings ratios for mining companies.

When learning how to buy or sell gold, you should check out market intelligence reports from the World Gold Council (http://www.gold.org/world_of_gold/market_intelligence/) to help you understand trends and the impact of the price of gold today. Smith also offers regular market analysis columns about the current price of gold at OnlyGold.com to help you further understand how to invest in gold.

Gold Accounts, Gold ETFs and Other Options

Now that you know how to sell gold bullion, you may be wondering, ”How do I sell gold accounts or ETFs?” If you have a gold account—where a bank stores gold for you in a secure vault somewhere—you can sell the gold without the hassle of checking weight and purity, or shipping the bars or coins somewhere. A simple phone call is all it takes to sell gold from those sources. But again, when learning how to invest in gold keep an eye on the current price of gold and only sell when you have to.

If you have shares in a gold ETF (exchange-traded fund) or in a gold mining company, you would sell these as you would sell any other investment on the stock market—through an online account or through a stock broker. It should give you the current price of gold today.

Prepare for a Tax Hit

Before you start looking into where to sell gold, and determining standard gold prices, you should consider how you’ll be taxed when you sell your gold. If you’re planning on making a gold investment, know that gold is different from other investments. It doesn’t fall under the usual capital gains tax rate. The Internal Revenue Service will consider physical gold, or an ETF that is backed by physical gold, a collectible rather than an investment.

When you learn how to buy or sell gold, you should also consider how long you plan to own the gold for. If you sell your gold before owning it for a year, the amount you sold the gold for is looked at as ordinary income. If you own your gold for more than a year before selling, the money will be taxed at the rate of 28 percent—rather than the 15 percent rate at which most stock market investments are taxed.

Now that you know how and where to sell gold coins, bars, jewelry, accounts and more, you can start putting your prized metal up for sale.  The gold selling business will take some time to understand.  Doing your research and making a few phone calls to check gold prices before selling your gold coins, bars, jewelry or stock could add up to hundreds of dollars in your pocket.

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Tuorials To Write a Letter of Intent: Template, Example

A letter of intent is typically written by a student who is trying to sell himself to an undergraduate college/university, a graduate school, an athletic department at a college/university, or a business that provides an internship. The purpose of the letter of intent is a sales pitch. You are selling yourself and your abilities. You can learn detailed information about how a good letter of intent can benefit you by taking online business classes - just click here to learn how to enroll in an accredited online college.

Writing a letter of intent is similar to writing a cover letter for your resume - so similar, in fact. However, letters of intent are geared more toward student programs or entry-level positions.

As a student, you have probably spent a great deal of time researching the schools and programs that interest you. Once you have narrowed down your choices to the ones that you believe fit you the best, it's time to introduce your best self to the right people. That's where the letter of intent comes in.

So how do you write a letter of intent? Here is a basic letter of intent template:

1. Determine the name and address of the right person to receive the letter. You don't want to address the letter to "Department Head" or worse yet, "To Whom it May Concern." Unless the letter is directly addressed to the right person, it's not likely to get read by that person. A quick phone call to the institution or place of business can usually get you the information you need.
2. Write the letter using the proper business format. This is not a casual, friendly letter. It needs to look professional. Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
3. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph of the letter. Include what year you are in school, what school you currently attend, and any information that is pertinent. For example, if you are writing to the basketball department of a school, it would be appropriate to mention that you are the captain of your high school basketball team.
4. Next, describe why you are writing the letter. Describe how you first learned about the school or program, and how you became excited about it.

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Design Creative Holiday Gifts for Your Clients

As a freelancer, you are in charge of everything—from invoicing and collections to fun stuff like giving yourself an annual bonus. So, when it comes to giving holiday gifts to your clients, the choice is entirely yours. On the one hand, most clients don’t expect to receive gifts from small vendors or independent contractors. On the other hand, unexpected extras are a great way to remind your clients why they love you.

Just one note of caution: Don’t fall into the trap of “promotional gifts.” Nobody wants to receive a gift that is an obvious gimmick. Steer clear of the cheap and cheesy. This means: No refrigerator magnets; No desk calendars with your logo on the front; and by all means, please, no plastic letter openers. These things aren’t gifts they’re marketing. I’m not saying that promotional gifts don’t have their place, we all love free schwag, but holiday gifts shouldn’t scream “Look at me!”

Instead, give your clients something that shows how creative you can be without looking like an advertisement—in other words, something they’ll appreciate that won’t wind up in the garbage the minute after they open it. Here are some unique gift ideas for clients to spark your imagination.

Design a Gift Card for Your Clients

There are many companies now that make gift cards for small businesses. Talk to one and strike a deal. Instead of giving a gift card for your services, buy a batch of gift cards to a local coffee shop or bakery on the condition that you can design a custom card. This gives you a chance to show off your design work, while still giving your client something personal that they can enjoy that is not business related. Score double-points if you have a client that offers local gift cards.

Limited Edition T-Shirts — Without Your Logo

Just about everyone likes t-shirts. Not everyone, likes t-shirts with your logo. Instead, show off your design skills by making a kick-ass t-shirt that has nothing to do with your company. Make it an annual tradition and long-term clients will get to “collect them all.” Make a few extras and store them for the future. Then, in a few years you can have a contest and give away the “entire collection” of limited edition shirts. If you have a team, consider having each artist create a design and let your clients vote online during the month of December. Then, give the shirts away as New Year’s gifts.

Give Your Client a Gift Of the Month

Of-the-month clubs are a great way to give a personalized and unique gift. This is an especially good gift idea for office environments because it’s something that everyone can enjoy together. If your client is a foodie, give them a subscription to receive a different bottle of gourmet olive oil every month. Best yet, because of-the-month gift clubs can last anywhere from three months to a year, your client will be reminded of your generosity long after the holiday season is over. To get the most impact with maximum value choose a “seasonal” gift club that is delivered quarterly. It’s still a year’s worth of gifts, but less costly than a 12-month subscription.

Give it to Charity

Offer your client a service they will really appreciate by offering a pro bono design to the charity of their choice. Many people have a charity that is close to their heart, and almost all charities need design work. Keep it small and set parameters if you plan on offering this gift to multiple clients. Something simple like a free business card design, or a free event flyer with up to 4 hours of design work. You may even be able to team up with a local printer to include the printing for up to a certain amount.

Another option is to “give big”, but offer the gift to one charity. Make it a game which only your current clients can enter. Let clients submit suggestions or creative briefs then choose one lucky winner to receive a free design. If you decide to “give big,” don’t miss out on the opportunity for free publicity. Issue a press release announcing the winner, and another when the job is complete. Be sure to give credit to any partners—such as the printer or the client who nominated the charity.

Corporate Gifting: To Give or Not to Give

For many freelance designers and small agencies, the decision of whether to give gifts to clients comes down to cost—especially when the economy is slow. However, when it comes to gift-giving you have something going for you that is rare in the corporate world. Creativity! Have a glass of mulled cider and let the creative juices start flowing. Chances are, you can brainstorm a couple of creative gift ideas for your clients that don’t cost too much. The return on investment is invaluable. You’ll generate goodwill and be top of mind when your client sits down to make the marketing budget for next year.

With a little creativity, you can offer something to your clients that they’ll remember for years to come – which means they will also remember you. What are the most creative gift ideas that you have seen or given to clients over the years?

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Tutorials To Read Sheet Music

Learning to read sheet music can seem daunting to some people, especially those with no prior musical background. Sheet music contains its own little language documented on paper. The key is to find a way to crack the code, read music, and be able to play or sing on the pitch of each note.

If you want to learn how to read music, then you have come to the right place. The following article contains a guide that will teach you how to read sheet music as well as lists resources you can use to learn more about music, in general.

If you want to learn more -- and in one night, no less -- here's a recommendation: Learn to Read Music In One Evening. Who doesn't want instant gratification? If you prefer video music lessons, which can be extremely helpful when learning to read music, I strongly recommend Music Master Pro.

1. The structure of sheet music. Sheet music is set up with a specific structure. The staff of the sheet music is made up of everything you will need to be able to read music. Depending on a variety of factors, the staff will tell you exactly what notes you will need to play. The first thing you need to do is be able to identify the staff.
   • What is the staff? The staff is a set of five lines and four spaces. Each space and line has the name of a note. On the staff, you will find notes, a time signature, a clef sign, a key signature, and various markings that will affect the tempo and pitch of each note. All of these things work together to create the music that is played or sung.
   • What are clefs and why do we use them? Based on what instrument you play - piano, guitar (acounstic or bass), violin, trombone, you name it - or what voice you sing (tenor, bass, alto, soprano, etc.) your music will be written in one of two clefs (treble clef&bass clef). These clefs are used to let you know what octave you are playing the notes in, as well as what notes will be played.
     • The treble clef - The treble clef is used for most musical voices including soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, and tenor. It is also used for the higher pitched instruments such as the alto clarinet, the B-Flat clarinet, the flute, oboe, violin and trumpet. The treble clef can be memorized by the following acronyms.
       Lines - Every Good Boy Does Fine
       Spaces - F A C E
     • The bass clef - The bass clef is used for the bass and baritone voices and lower instruments such as the tuba, trombone, and sousaphone. The bass clef was created because the notes for these lower instruments would be so low beneath the Treble Clef staff it would be very hard to write music that was easy for players to read.
       The bass clef notes can be memorized by:
       Lines -Good Boys Do Fine Always
       Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass
   • The key signature: Some notes are flat, some are natural, and some are sharp. Which notes are sharp, flat, or natural will be marked either next to individual notes if they are played as such one or two times through a piece or in something called the key signature if they are played as such throughout the entire piece.
   The key signature is located directly to the right of the clef sign. Which notes are sharp or flat depend on scales and keys. To learn more about the various key signatures you can check out the following website: http://cnx.org/content/m10881/latest/
2. The time signature: Near the beginning of the staff, there is a symbol marking, or a fraction. This tells how many notes per measure will be played. The staff is split up into measures. Each measure is separated by a vertical line. The standard key signature is 4/4 time. It is usually denoted by a large black C.
Other common time signatures are 2/2 time (cut time), 2/4 time, 3/4 time, and 6/8 time. The time signature is written after the key signature, but before any notes on the staff.
3. Notes, notes, and more notes. The fundamental structure of each pitch is denoted by a music note. There are plenty of things you need to know about a note before you can play or sing music. The most common things you will need to know is how long to hold each note, whether the note is sharp, natural, or flat, and what the name of each note is so it can be played.
   • Name that note: Notes have a letter name from A-G. Once a note gets to G, it starts over again at A. Notes from A to A, B to B, C to C, and so on denote one whole octave. Octaves can move up or down, and the standard singer has between two and four octaves their voice can sing comfortably.
   • Hold the note as long as you can! It would be difficult for an orchestra to make music together if they did not know how long to hold each note. Each instrument would go off on their own beat or melody, and nothing would come together properly. This is why it is so important you know what each note looks like and how long you are supposed to hold the note based on how they look.
   Whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes are common in sheet music. There are other types of notes though these are less common. The notes work together with the time signature to determine how many beats per measure should be held. The standard hold for each note is written with the time signature of 4/4 in mind. However, as time signatures change, how long you hold the note will change, as well.
4. All those funny symbols. There are many different symbols throughout sheet music. Every symbol is important. Based on what symbol you are looking at you may need to play notes or the musical piece in general faster or slower, bars should be repeated, notes should be held, or the music should get louder or quieter.
   • Tempo changes. The changes in tempo are denoted by a symbol for an Italian word. Here is a list and pictures of the various tempo changes music can experience: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/appendix/tempo/tempo2.html
   • Volume changes. Changes in volume help to improve the mood of the piece. Not every piece of music is sung or played as loud as the person can sing. Changes in volume help to make the music more enjoyable and dramatic so works are not stagnant in tone. Here is a list of the following volume changes as well as pictures of their symbols: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/appendix/dynamics/dynamics.html
   • Other symbols - There are many other symbols such as holds, ties, crescendo marks, repeats, rests, and so much more. Depending on how long you have studied music you may or may not know what these symbols mean.
   Check out Virginia Tech's music dictionary for an explanation of all of the terms and symbols that are necessary to know if you plan to read sheet music: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/
5. Pianos do things differently. Pianos are unique in the fact that they are one of the few instruments which use both the treble clef and the bass clef at the same time. While a clarinet player only needs to know the treble clef to play and a bass only needs to know the bass clef to sing, pianists need to know both if they wish to learn piano and excel at their craft.
The left hand of a pianist is used to play the notes on the bass clef of piano sheet music. The right hand of a pianist is used to play the notes on the treble clef of the piano sheet music. One of the hardest parts of playing the piano is learning to read both clefs and play them at the same exact time since piano music is written in such a way that both hands are used to play at the same time. This takes quite a bit of practice until a pianist can truly get the hang of it.
6. Learn from a professional - Take music lessons. If you wish to become a singer or musician, you must learn how to read sheet music in music lessons. Solid music education is immensely helpful in learning to play guitar, piano, oboe, violin or any instrument. A professional has been trained to the point where it is second nature to read music, and all the various instrumentation markings that are listed in the music.
There are many different places you can take music lessons. Your local College or University should be able to offer non-student music education to those who are willing to pay for it. Usually, these music lessons cost upwards of $20 per half an hour lesson. You may also know someone in your area that is interested in giving you lessons at a lower rate.
To find a musical professional in your area you can check out: http://www.musicstaff.com
7. Study on your own. The Internet has given you the opportunity to learn how to read sheet music on your own. Many online music sites and music software programs go more in depth than this article has. It takes musicians years to learn everything they need to know about sheet music and even then it is a constantly evolving process.
   If you are serious about learning how to read music and play the instrument of your choice, check out the following music sites:
   • Piano For All
   • How to Read Music
   • Reading Music Notes - For Kids
   • Reading Music Notes - For Adults
   • Learn 2 Read Music
   • Introduction to Reading Music
   • Music Lab
   
   

Learning how to read sheet music should be fun. However, it is also requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Nobody said learning to play piano is easy or learning guitar chords is a piece of cake. It all requires patience and practice. However, with the right motivation, it will be worth it and you will soon be playing, singing, or even learning to compose sheet music of your own. Taking music lessons and/or buying music software is money well-invested.

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How To Cut Your Own Hair: Scissors, Shears, & Hairstyling

For some people, going to the salon or barber shop is an enjoyable experience. For others, it is something that they would rather not do. Whether it is because of the cost or other factors, if you decide to cut your own hair, you should keep a few things in mind. Here is our hair cut how to guide:

You'll gain the confidence to cut hair like a pro without costly trips to the salon!

Let's get started with these helpful tips.

1. Wet hair is much easier to cut than dry hair. Start with freshly shampooed, tangle-free hair. Keep a bottle of water with a spray nozzle nearby so that you can dampen your hair if it begins to dry while you are working on it.
2. Be sure that your scissors are nice and sharp to avoid pulling your hair. If you plan to cut your hair on a regular basis, it will be worth investing in a good quality pair of scissors, shears, or clippers designed specifically for use on hair.
3. You might even want to get a RoboCut, a great haircutting system. No matter what style you choose, cut a little at a time, especially if you are a beginner. You can always cut it a little shorter, but once you've gone too short, all you can do is wait for it to grow back!
4. Simple styles are best for home hair cuts. The easiest cut will be one length everywhere. Decide on an overall length (it's a good idea to measure your hair when you have a cut that you find especially flattering) and then grab your ruler. Working in small sections, comb your hair straight out from your scalp and hold a section smoothly between your index and middle fingers. Measure to the desired length and carefully snip off the excess. Continue in this manner until you have cut all of your hair. This method works equally well for both men and women, with long hair or short hair. The length of the chosen cut can vary from quite short to shoulder length and beyond.
5. Do you have dry scalp and dandruff, or do you dream of regrowing hair? I recommend you strengthen the hair you have and regrow what you've lost using this ancient Indian remedy, known simply as the Herbal Hair Solution.

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Tips to Determine Career Goals

Determine Career Goals

Career goals include "benchmarks" or objectives and the steps required to meet those benchmarks. The nature of your career goals might differ widely from the goals of another worker in your same position. Determining career goals requires careful analysis of your unique skill set and a clear idea about what the employer expects of you in terms of accomplishments. When choosing career goals, avoid choosing a strict course of action. As you plan, keep in mind that things change and that you will need to adapt to those changes.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Conduct a self-assessment of your personality, strengths and weaknesses, and skills. According to the California Board of Equalization, "the first step in developing career goals is to [conduct a self assessment.]" To help you, consider using a personality test such as the Myers-Briggs Test. The Myers-Briggs Test provides you with a personality type and lists several occupations that tend to "fit" that type.
   • 2
     Analyze your career. Identify the skills or accomplishments that your employer rewards or stresses. For example, if you were passed up for a promotion, consider what the person who got the promotion did or had that you were lacking.
   • 3
     Choose a few major goals to work toward. These objectives should be benchmarks that you can use when developing a set of career goals. For example, if you are in sales, you could set a goal of making thirty sales in the next month.
   • 4
     Analyze what you must do to meet those benchmarks. Based on your self-assessment, the skills your employer rewards or stresses, and your benchmarks, think critically about what you must do to accomplish your goals. If your self-assessment revealed that you are slightly introverted, but your employer values assertion and initiative, you might to need to work on being more assertive and aggressive in your search for new sales. The situation will vary based on your unique personality, your job and the work culture where you are employed. By thinking critically about ultimate goals and the things you must do to accomplish them, you can determine your career goals.

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Tutorials to Make a Crop Rotation Plan

Make a Crop Rotation Plan

The secret to growing a productive organic vegetable garden is to prevent pest and disease problems before they start. Vegetables that belong to the same plant family, such as peppers and tomatoes, share diseases and pests. Growing vegetables from the same family in the same place year after year can result in the buildup of diseases or pests in the soil. So, a basic way to avoid disease and pest problems is to practice crop rotation. By planting your plants in a different spot each year, you deny overwintering diseases and pests quick access to their favorite host plants. Here's how to create a simple crop rotation plan for your garden.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. • 1
     Make a list of the vegetables you plan to grow in your garden and group them together by plant family. Common plant families include: the Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, mustard greens), Legumes (peas, beans, fava beans), Alliums (garlic, onions, shallots, chives), Solanaceous crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, tomatillos) and Cucurbits (melons, winter and summer squash, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins).
   • 2
     Draw a map of your vegetable garden beds on graph paper and make several copies. Use the map to plan where you will plant each crop in your garden. To simplify the crop rotation plan, it's best to grow plants from the same family together. Be sure to note which vegetables you grew and where on the map. Also, don't forget to label it with the year, because you will be referring back to it for at least three to five years.
   • 3
     When you begin planning your garden the following year, refer back to the map from the previous growing season(s). Rotate each plant family to a new spot in the garden. Crop rotation works best on a 3- to 5-year sequence-meaning if you planted Solanaceous crops in one spot in 2008, you wouldn't plant them there again until 2012 at the earliest.
   • 4
     Rotating crops helps break pest and disease cycles, but it also gives you an opportunity to balance the nutrients in your soil. For instance, heavy-feeding crops like squash and tomatoes draw a lot of nutrients (especially nitrogen) out of the soil. But legumes (peas and beans) actually add nitrogen to the soil. So, a good crop rotation strategy is to plant heavy-feeding crops in a spot that legumes were growing in because the soil is richer in nitrogen. You can also recharge soil by rotating legumes into a spot that heavy feeders were growing in.

Tips & Warnings

• If your garden is too small to create a 3- to 5-year rotation sequence, consider growing plants in containers too.

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