Exact Plan

It was recently determined that Bees aerodynamically speaking cannot fly. At least using all the known equations for lift, thrust, drag and weight used in the aerodynamic text books so routinely used by aerospace engineers and aircraft designers. But how can this bee possible? Well it seems rather obvious that the bee has evolved to use other strategies to fly.

This issue was recently brought up in an online think tank and discussed between myself and another member and you might find the discussion rather fascinating indeed.

Warren states: “A part of the intent of my writing this does invite testing and challenges to this ‘perception’ I have of the dynamics of the flight of the bee. Those are welcome too, but remember all of the theory needs to be affirmed via testing and application.”

Ah, so are you wishing to build a better bee to prove concept or test an actual bee in its evolved natural organic form? Because hasn’t the US Military already done such?

Warren states; “I perceive (like one of the five blind men around the elephant) a set of standing waves beneath each wing of the bee.”

Like an extended boundary layer and in that air beneath the wing of the bee the sound waves help change the density of the air and thus allow the Bee to ride on an air cushion rather than regular air, which is much thinner? Or are you stated the bee creates a low-pressure area underneath, doing the exact opposite? Well sure this could work. Here is a thought:

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showtopic=1300

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showtopic=1027

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showtopic=1295

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showtopic=1496

Now then if we could use this methodology we could fly an MAV with high wing loading in a thinner atmosphere; so of course I am thinking Mars. And exploration tools for astronauts, robotics, artificial intelligence androids on the surface?

Warren states; “Have you ever been skiing in the snow? The bee creates his own mountain of snow, so to speak, and simply glides down that mountain. If an increase in elevation is required, more energy is expended, the (two) mountains with one valley in between the two ’sound-mountains’, simply grows larger, the bee glides forward on this dynamic ’sound-skier’s’ paradise.”

I have actually no problem with your theory so far.

Warren states; “As the bee flies, it can exchange forward momentum for vertical assent. Ever notice how a bee does not calmly and normally fly straight up? A bee can do that, but it is not the normal mode of flight, it does that when it is stressed or has no other option.”

Okay so the Bee simply uses the denser air underneath tilts his wings at a 45-degree angle uses deflection off the denser air it produced and thrusts upward? Piece of cake, I have no problem with this. In fact I do not even care if a Bee actually does that, as we can build something that does just what you say I bet?

Warren states; “If a bee is not stressed, the bee will glide upward, energy exertion is gradual in this mode, only when a bee is under stress will it exert enough energy to fly nearly vertically upward.”

Yes this would be very efficient like a kite as the youth runs forward straight up it goes. The Bee similarly uses the deflection it created of thicker air, built up by flapping and buzzing on the air molecules.

Warren states; “Think of a bee as a skier, a skier making a ‘mountain of sound-snow’. This ‘mountain’ is a wing-shaped sound wave pattern as it is pressed away from the wing face. It looks just like a wing and gets larger the further from the wing you move. There are two of these dynamic “mountains” of sound energy, one under each wing.”

Got it, yes, no problem I have thought here before, not with Bees, but with thoughts on super maneuverability for UAVs.

Warren state; “The way the bee controls flight is by rotating the base of the wing clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the bee’s torso. If a left turn in level flight is required then the mountain of sound under the left wing is rotated counterclockwise, relative to the torso, the sound energy mountain is larger in the front left quadrant of the bee’s trajectory; there is more ‘drag’ on the left side of the bee and the left rotation, or left turn is executed.”

Yes, I have no problem with this.

Warren states; “It would be similar to tucking a rocket engine under each of your armpits, large enough to lift you from the earth, just enough to hover there. You still have to contend with gravity, I imagine it would take a while to learn to do this, but trajectory as you flew would look just as does the bee’s trajectory.”

Yes but in your theory you have given the Bee, UAV, Aircraft, Helicopter, anti-gravity device, UFO, steerable ordinance, blimp or Superman one hell of an advantage over gravity haven’t you?

Warren states; “You watch them next time and just let them show you what they are doing. You will see it if you quiet yourself and observe. This is what I meant in the sentence above, that I suspect bees “create and direct, sound energy, specifically, dynamic sound structures or patterns, standing waves for example.”

Makes sense to me. Could this indeed be how the Bee defies our knowledge of physics and aerodynamic principles? Are humans so egocentric that they failed to notice this before? Has evolution simply beat mankind again and showed him the errors of his ways? Can we use these tricks of the Bees to build flying “pods” or cars, which will fly at 5 to 10 times the efficiency of modern aircraft? Perhaps we should have been told more about the birds and bees? Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

You have had a stroke. Hopefully, you went to the hospital when you developed your symptoms of weakness, numbness, altered speech or visual impairment. Your hospital care enabled you to limit the damaging effects of the loss of circulation to a portion of your brain. You’ve made it through the acute phase of stroke management. Now what?

You will want to obtain the best achievable outcome from the impairments you already have. If you have “motor” impairments (weakness or clumsiness) you can rest assured that randomized, controlled trials — the gold-standard method for determining a treatment’s effectiveness — have shown that physical therapy can improve your level of functioning. If you have speech impairment, then speech therapy might be beneficial, though this has never been proved by means of randomized, controlled trials.

While it is important to focus on rehabilitation following a stroke, there are also other issues to attend to. As a survivor of a stroke you are at increased risk for another.

Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Columbia University in New York studied 655 people who suffered first ischemic strokes. (Ischemic strokes are due to plugged blood vessels and not bleeds, and comprise 85-90% of all strokes.) Publishing their results in a March 2006 issue of the journal “Neurology,” the investigators found that in the first five years following the stroke there was an 18% likelihood of another. Over the same time period the research subjects also had a 5% likelihood of a heart attack.

Can you improve your odds? Absolutely! The process of using information from the first stroke to help prevent another is called “secondary stroke prevention.” The idea is that if there is something that can and should be done to reduce one’s risk, now is the time to do it. There is no point in waiting for yet another attack to occur before getting started.

A blue-ribbon panel from the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association reviewed the state of knowledge concerning secondary stroke prevention for patients with ischemic strokes and published their results in a March 2006 issue of the journal “Circulation.” They found that use of blood-pressure-lowering medications has a powerful effect in reducing the risk of a second stroke — ranging from 24-43% in better studies — and this benefit might even extend to patients who have normal blood pressure to start with.

If you have diabetes, then it is especially important to control high blood pressure. Using a medication from the groups of drugs known as “angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors” (ACEIs) and “angiotensin receptor blockers” (ARBs) will not only help control blood pressure, but will additionally help protect the kidneys. If you have diabetes, then it is also important to consider use of cholesterol-lowering medication, especially from the class of drugs known as “statins.” Statins can additionally benefit people without diabetes and even those without elevated cholesterol levels. Of course, in diabetes it is also important to keep the blood-sugar levels as close to normal as is humanly possible.

Quitting smoking is also pivotal in preventing another stroke, and it is never too late in the game to benefit from this difficult but important change. Consumption of more than two standard drinks of alcohol per day also increases the risk of stroke and should be avoided. If you are obese, then it is in your best interests to lose weight through a combination of calorie reduction and sensible exercise.

The carotid arteries are a pair of pulsating blood vessels in the front of the neck that carry blood to much of the brain. If your hospital studies showed that a carotid artery is 70-99% narrowed (severe stenosis) and your recent stroke was downstream from this blood vessel, then you are much less likely to have another stroke if you have a surgical clean-out (endarterectomy) by an experienced surgeon whose complication rate is less than 6%. If you have severe narrowing, but because of some medical or surgical problem the surgery is considered too risky, then insertion of a stent into the narrowed artery can serve as a substitute for endarterectomy.

If the carotid artery on the same side of the stroke is 50-69% narrowed (moderate stenosis), then an endarterectomy can be considered, but the benefit of surgery in these circumstances is much less clear-cut. If the narrowing is less than 50% (mild stenosis), then you are better off leaving the artery alone.

The above recommendations are based on studies in people with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which is the most common cause of strokes and, for that matter, heart attacks. But not every stroke is caused by atherosclerosis. That’s why medical testing is important in stroke patients — so that treatment can be tailored to individual circumstances.

What about blood-thinners? If you have atrial fibrillation (a specific pattern of irregular heartbeats) then you are at particular risk to have a stroke due to a blood clot being thrown into the circulation from the heart. In this case warfarin (Coumadin) is the blood-thinner of choice. If for some reason the warfarin cannot be tolerated or is considered too risky, then aspirin is a second-best choice.

If your stroke was due to atherosclerosis, then studies support the use of an “anti-platelet” drug. Platelets are the building blocks from which blood clots are made, and anti-platelet drugs interfere with the ability of the platelets to clump together to form a clot. Antiplatelet drugs of first choice include aspirin by itself, aspirin in combination with extended-release dipyridamole (Aggrenox), and clopidogrel (Plavix).

It’s important to realize that patients who address every risk factor for a second stroke are likely to have the best outcome and the lowest chances of another attack. Handling some risk factors and not others is better than doing nothing at all, but in fighting off a second stroke, you want to use every weapon in your arsenal.

(C) 2006 by Gary Cordingley

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles see his websites at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com and http://www.neurologyarticles.com

Hawaian wedding favors are the ideal way to bring a sense of sunshine to your wedding day. Whether or not you are lucky enough to celebrate your nuptials on an exotic island, Hawaian wedding favors can capture the vacation spirit for your guests to remember forever. Weddings are a time of great celebration - share this feeling with a Hawaian wedding favor.

Hawaian wedding favors aren’t just for those celebrating their happy day on the islands. Whether you are basking in the sunshine, or getting married in the midst of winter, Hawaian wedding favors capture the spirit of the celebrations perfectly. Choose from a range of brightly colored favors to bring sunshine to even the coldest winter celebrations.

Beach wedding favors can truly bring a sense of summer to any wedding day, but they are also the ideal finishing touch to your real Hawaian wedding too! Beach weddings capture perfectly the joyous hope of the couple’s special day, and beach wedding favors are the perfect way to carry this feeling into even the smallest details.

What better way to remind your guests of the sun drenched beauty of your special day than with Hawaian wedding favors? Choose from a range of inspiring summer-filled tokens that will remind your guests of sunny climes even on the darkest winter day, including tropical candies, and brightly colored pineapple keychains or paper weights.

Hawaian wedding favors also offer a wonderful range of handcrafted gifts, including items made from local produce. Beach wedding favors could include such unique items as coconut bowls, or notebooks made from dried banana leaves. With such varied and unusual possibilities, it is no wonder that Hawaian wedding favors are so popular!

So whether you are having a beach or a winter wedding, Hawaian wedding favors will be sure to bring a sense of optimism and radiance to your special day. Give your guests Hawaian wedding favors, and you can be sure they’ll remember your happy day forever.

For a website totally devoted to Wedding Favors visit Peter’s Website The Wedding Favors Guide and find out about Unique Wedding Favors as well as Wedding Favor Ideas and more, including Cheap Wedding Favors and Wedding Shower Favors.

Your business is listed in the Yellow Pages
whether you buy an ad or not. Your business is
listed in the Yellow Book and the other phone
books, too, no purchase necessary. Yup, free
listings in the yellow pages. Provided, you have a
business line, in the name of your business, at
the phone company. Advertising your home number as
a “business” can only lead to confusion and a
problem when the phone company finds out.It’s as
bad for your company image as having an eMail
account with a free service. Spend the bucks for a
real business number and a real Internet domain.

Once you have an “official” business number, the
trick is to get people to remember your name when
they look in the book. That’s advertising’s job.
If you stress what’s in it for them they will
remember who you are when they go looking. Many
times they go looking a year, or more, after
hearing or seeing your ads. If it is all about
them, they will remember all about you.

Surveys show the majority of people look in the
Yellow Pages for a name that seems familiar,
either through past dealings or because of
advertising or referral. Only the people who don’t
have a clue go there to make a decision based on
the ad copy or size of the ad. And color doesn’t
make a difference to the clueless.

You have seen it and heard it, “See our ad in the
Yellow Pages”. Furgitaboutit! Don’t encourage them
to go look for your ad, instead, show them how to
find your number.

Why send ‘em to the yellow section where they
could be swayed by ads from your competitors. Most
folks can’t remember numbers seen in print or
heard on the radio and few carry around a pad
and pencil. Your job is to help them associate
your name with their ability to find your number.
“In the white pages under B for BIG Ideas
Group”.”In the white pages under M for Moritz
Engine Repair. Moritz, M-O-R-I-T-Z.”

Keep a little yellow ad if you want, for the
clueless. Use your advertising to help people
remember how to find you when the time comes.
Advertising is for them and then they remember
you.

For more about Yellow Pages, get my article
“15 Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads”
MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel, All Rights Reserved
BIG Mike is a Business Consultant and Professional
Speaker. His BIG Ideas Group helps business grow
with promotions, special reports, mastermind
groups and seminars. http://BigIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to “BIG Ideas” Newsletter
MailTo:SignUp@BigIdeasGroup.com

Westerners tend to associate the practice of yoga with the physical regimen of poses, stretches and breathing, commonly known as hatha or astanga yoga. There is much more than this in the ancient art of yoga. Meditation, specifically mantra meditation, is an integral part of the yogic tradition as it helps bring the practitioner closer to the true and ultimate goal of yoga: union with the Supreme.

The Sanskrit word “yoga” means “union” or to “link up with”, specifically referring to linking up with God or the Supreme Being. The practice of hatha and astanga yoga is a preliminary process designed to assist the yogi in controlling their senses to able to focus better on the Supreme. Ultimately the practitioner is able to control and raise their life air through the chakras to attain union.

A mantra is a sound vibration or specific series of words or sounds. The word “mantra” is derived from the Sanskrit word “man” which means “mind” and “tra” which means “to deliver from” or “away”. A mantra is therefore a sound vibration that takes the mind away from the material and puts it on the spiritual. Hence, mantra meditation is often referred to as “transcendental sound” because the sound of the mantra transcends the material world.

Mantras are always derived from names of God or descriptions of attributes of the Supreme Being. Thus, mantras often include Sanskrit names for God such as Rama, Chandra, Krishna and Siva. Also, Sanskrit terms such as ‘Hare” (referring to the energy of God) and “Shanti” (peace) are quite common.

The process of mantra meditation is quite simple. The yogi focuses his attention on the sound of the mantra and repeats it softly to him or herself, or sings and chants it aloud with others. Whenever the mind wanders, attention is brought back to the sound of the mantra. This can be done while using meditation beads (japa yoga), or in groups with musical instruments (kirtan). In time, with practice, the practitioner is better able to focus the mind on the transcendental sound and the mind has less of a tendency to wander.

The purpose of mantra meditation involves a fascinating philosophy. First of all, it is believed that the names of God have a purifying effect on the consciousness. The body is seen as a temporary, material container, housing the spirit soul (one’s true essence) and surrounded by a subtle material body, or the mind. The regular hearing and chanting of mantras is seen to help clear away the confusion and misery caused by identifying oneself with one’s body and mind.

This false bodily identification is seen as the root of all pain and bewilderment. Imagine the spirit soul as a brilliant, shining gemstone but one cannot perceive this because it is covered by dirt and dust. Mantras serve as a sort of transcendental polishing cloth, slowly taking away the dust so that the yogi can begin to experience the true essence of the self - eternal, full of knowledge and bliss!

Mantra meditation is therefore an important aspect of the process of self-realization. This is the ultimate goal of yoga: the realization that we are spirit in essence, part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit. The more we progress on the path of yoga, the more peaceful, blissful and loving we become. This is spiritual life.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

In the real world a “fire wall” is a fireproof wall that is built to stop the
spread of fire from one part of a building to others. In the Internet world a
firewall has a similar purpose in that it stops the spread of harmful viruses
and attacks from entering your home or office network.

Because of the ever-increasing threats that are appearing on the Internet you
no longer have to be in business to need the protection of a fire wall. In
fact, every computer that is connected to the internet should have one
installed. You’ll be a lot happier once you know that you have protected your
personal files, information, and financial data, such as credit cards and bank
account numbers, from being shared with every crook on the internet.

Here are some questions that you should consider before you choose a fire wall
for your PC:

1. What features do I need?

2. Do I want to be protected from viruses, Trojan horses and worms?

3. Am I at risk because I use programs that access the Internet automatically?

4. How much am I willing to spend on a firewall solution?

Here are the common features that are available in almost any software-based
fire wall program:

Inbound filtering - protects unknown users or programs from accessing your PC

Outbound filtering - Protects your PC from sending information to the Internet
without your permission

Application integrity verification - Verifies that any program you are running
aren’t sneaking around behind your back and doing things that they shouldn’t
be doing.

Data encryption - Automatically scrambles any sensitive data that you do allow
to be transmitted.

Stealth mode - Hides that fact that your PC is even connected to the Internet
so that hackers can’t see you.

Pop-up ad blocking - Stops those annoying ads.

Cookie blocking - prevents web sites from sending you cookies without your
permission
Spyware protection - Blocks dangerous spyware from operating on your PC

There are many software-based firewall programs that can be downloaded from
the internet. Most of them come with free trials so you can test each one and
choose what’s best for you. Although you won’t have to be King Geek to install
and set up your firewall, there are some adjustments and settings that will
have to be tweaked. All of the better firewall programs come with decent
instructions and many of the products have help available at their web site.

If you notice that some program that used to work stops working after you
install a fire wall then you’ll have to make a change in the fire wall’s
configuration that will enable the program to operate freely. If you find that
there is no way to let your previously operating program pass through the
firewall then that might be a good indication that you need to try a different
fire wall. Be sure to check with the makers of both the software program and
the firewall before you give up and change.

Copyright © 2004 Cavyl Stewart. Discover 52 Ways To Do More With Software by signing up for my exclusive Free ecourse. Get resources, tips, reviews and recommendations you can use right now to help you achieve more, easier, and cheaper! 100% Original content. Visit: http://www.find-small-business-software.com/52ways.html

Business thrives on competition.

You’ve to be aware of your competition and do something to remain on top.

So how do you eliminate your competition without bloodshed? You must
create a niche for your business. A niche is something that makes your
business different from your competitors. To compete with other
businesses nowadays (especially online) you need something that nobody
else can copy. One of a kind!

First you must know who your competitors are. Is your business the only
one of its type? I doubt it. If so, it won’t be for long. Do you know your
exact target audience? If not, you will have to find out this information
before creating any kind of niche.

Below are two internet marketing online secrets to come up with a
competition eliminating niche.

1. Just Ask! The first way to come up with a niche is to think like your
target audience or customers. Know their exact needs, wants, goals,
problems and interests. There’re two ways to do this: The first way is to
put yourself in their shoes, think like them. The second way is to give them
polls and surveys to find out what they’re thinking. Pick a niche that none
of your competitors are using. If you can’t find one that your competitors
aren’t using pick one to improve.

2. Just Think! The second way to come up with a niche is to use
your brain power. Ask yourself questions like: How can I set myself
apart from my competition? What could I offer that they can’t? Imagine
or daydream that your business is on top of all your competitors. What
niche put your business at the top in your head? Now, if you keep asking
these questions your mind will eventually start shooting out more ideas
than you can handle. One of those ideas may be the niche you’re
searching for.

Now that you have your niche that’s just half the battle. You must test
it. Does your niche appeal to your target audience? Will it attract
people away from your competition? If it does, you’re done, until your
competition comes up with a better niche. If your niche doesn’t, than
repeat the process above and test a new niche until it works. If you
want to eliminate your competition and be successful you will use this
process several times in your business life.

May these internet marketing online secrets help you
to make a lot of money.

Warmly,

I-key Benney, CEO

I-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of “Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System”,(investing online ) program, which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.

Mscsrrr Millionaire Cash System helps you to generate $1,500+/Week for life, from home or office, part time or full time. No large investment or hassles. Win $1000-$2000 free “cash”…

Making an elegant centerpiece for your table, that you can paint
a design on to match your Christmas table settings.
Here I will show you how to make a elegant bowl to hold fruit, nuts
or sweets.

This will also help recycle your old news papers.

The art of papier-mché is one of the cheapest and easiest crafts
to do and can result in some stunning beautiful pieces.
This can be fun and rewarding to see your own work as center of
attraction.

There are two techniques of papier-mché. Pulping involves mixing
pieces of paper with water and boiling them to a pulp and adding
an adhesive this makes a clay like substance.
This type is used for sculpting and is for the more advanced person.

The second type and most popular is layering, in which layers of
torn news paper are pasted over each other onto a mould, this method
is used for more delicate projects and is the type I recommend for
beginners, and this is the one I will be sharing with you today for
your elegant centerpiece.

The materials you will need are.

News paper
 Several sheets of  waste plain paper
 Flat bottom metal, china or plastic bowl for mould
 Petroleum jelly
 PVA glue
 Scissors
 Craft knife
 Thin cardboard
 Masking tape
 White matt emulsion paint
 Paint brush
 Soft pencil and eraser
 Colored gouache paints
 Non-toxic watercolor varnish

What to do.

1.Tear news paper and plain paper into strips about 10cm to 15cm
long and 2cm to 4cm wide.

Smear a thin layer of petroleum jelly over the mould.
Mix the PVA glue with a little water.

Dip strips of paper into glue mix and start pasting to mould.
To ensure a consistent thickness, alternate layers of news paper
with layers of plain paper.

Apply eight to ten layers of paper, leaving each one to dry before
applying the next.

2.Trim around the top and bottom edges of the bowl with scissors.
Gently insert a knife between the mould and the papier-mché shell,
and separate the two.

Bind the top edge of bowl with more strips of glued paper.
Cut a circle of cardboard to fit the base and secure this to the
outside with masking tape.

Remove the bowl completely from the mould and cover the inside and
outside with two more layers of glued paper strips.

Allow to dry completely.

Note: Apply glued strips at right angles on the last layer to keep
the surface as smooth as possible.

3. Paint the bowl with two coats of white matt emulsion paint to
give a neat strong surface leave to dry.

4. With a pencil lightly draw your design on the surface, then fill
in with gouache paints and again leave to dry. When completely dry
cover with two layers of clear varnish.

I painted mine in a deep red and painted gold stars just here and there for a Christmas theme and filled with assorted sweets hanging candy canes around the edge.

This technique can be applied to most moulds that have straight sides
or even plates and trays.

Plates can make a very attractive wall hanging with a photo of your
family or pets in the center.

Let your imagination go wild and most of all have fun, these projects
are suitable also for supervised children, you can make wonderful
piatas for parties using balloons as moulds and when dry pop the
balloon and cut a small hole in the top to fill with sweets then with
tape stick the piece you cut out back and decorate with shredded
tissue paper.

About the Author: Sandra Hedditch.

Sandra is a retired Primary School Craft Teacher, who excels in the
fine art of crafts -
She has created lolly pots for Children
You may see a sample of her work at …http://imagincraft.blogspot.com
Who knows you may get inspired to make some yourself.

Porcelain veneers are a great solution for many people with crooked or damaged teeth - but are not necessarily a viable option for others.

If your teeth are crooked or misaligned; if they have become worn or slightly chipped over the years; if your teeth have become stained due to consumption of coffee, tea, red wine or tobacco use; you may be a good candidate for porcelain veneers, provided that your dentition is otherwise structurally sound and in good dental health.

However, there are patients for whom the use of porcelain veneers is not a viable option. At best, they would be a waste of time and money, and at worst could actually cause harm. Some of the individuals may ultimately be helped with porcelain veneers, but only after other conditions have been addressed.

It is important to understand that porcelain veneers can only be placed on healthy teeth that are embedded in healthy gums. Teeth that have been weakened because of neglect or sudden injury or have lost a substantial amount of their surface enamel may require crowns rather than veneers.

People who suffer from diseased gums are also not good candidates for porcelain veneers. Any conditions requiring gum treatment, root canal work or anything else connected with the dental foundation must be addressed prior the use of veneers.

Finally, those who suffer from a high degree of stress and regularly grind their teeth as a result will not benefit from porcelain veneers. Tooth grinding, or bruxism, will simply cause expensive veneers to become chipped or broken.

Incidentally, there are those who already have attractive, healthy teeth, but decide to get porcelain veneers anyway because they seek absolute perfection. In fact, absolutely perfect teeth do not exist naturally in anyone’s mouth. If you are among the fortunate whose teeth are essentially straight and stain-free, you’ll find that the risks, maintenance and expense associated with veneers will not necessarily make a good thing better.

Do you operate your business as a series of projects, using project management tools and skills to advance your projects from conception to completion? Or perhaps you’re new to project management tools and skills and haven’t considered applying them to your own business? Most of us fall somewhere in between.

Running a productive and efficient business, whether for one person or for 500, is a series of projects of various sizes and complexity.

For example, here are some projects a typical solopreneur may have:

– Creating/upgrading your business identity (logo, stationery, biz cards, etc)

– Creating/upgrading your web site

– Setting up or upgrading your computer equipment

– Setting up or reorganizing your filing system(s) whether computer-based or paper-based

– Doing your tax reports

– Creating your marketing referral engine

– Creating passive-income revenue streams (teleclasses, ebooks, e-classes, white papers, reports, etc)

If you aren’t using project management tools and skills to run your business, your productivity is suffering.

Now, if you don’t have a full client/work load, then perhaps you don’t think this is an issue you need to be concerned with right now. May I offer to you the suggestion that the time to increase your efficiency and productivity with new tools and skills is precisely when you don’t have all the clients or work you want or need?

Learning something new like this helps keep your enthusiasim charged, which spills over into your marketing activities, which helps engage your prospects in your business. It’s all good.

So where do you start?

I recommend that my clients start by using TraxTime, a little PC computer program available inexpensively at www.spudcity.com.

TraxTime allows you to setup projects or clients and then track the amount of time you are spending on that project or for that client. You can run reports (which are great for attaching to your invoices) of how much time you’ve spent by day or by week.

TraxTime functions like a little time clock you just punch in and punch out of the various projects and clients as you move from project to project throughout your day. When you get in the habit of using TraxTime, you’ll find you can then analyze how/where you are spending your time quite the eye-opener for many solopreneurs. (Where you actually are spending your time can be quite different from where you think you are spending your time. And in the soloprenuering business, time is our most critical resource.)

Then what?

Once you get the hang of tracking your time, you next use this history of how much time it takes for you to perform certain tasks and projects to begin forcasting the time you will spend on upcoming projects and tasks.

For forcasting, task dependency identification, and scheduling, I use an Excel spreadsheet in its most basic text-only format. I identify all the tasks in a project and enter them into the spreadsheet in column 1 in the order (from top to bottom) of how they must be completed. Then I use the cells across each row to specify the due dates (via time allocated). I reserve the last column of the spreadsheet for recording notes of special circumstances or decisions that have or will affect that task. And I use color to highlight those cells where tasks are critical (yellow) or off-schedule (red). Works great for most solopreneuring projects.

I’ve used this method for projects as complex as requiring me to track the work of 12 subcontractors, so I know it works. (Yes, I’ve used Microsoft Project. I find it too cumbersome to setup and manage for most projects performed by solopreneurs. But if you already know/use it, please continue.)

No matter which project management tools you use in your business, do start thinking like a project manager and setting up, tracking, and running your business as the series of projects it really is.

Copyright 2004, Rose Hill, Inc

Rose Hill, Founder and Owner,of Biz Whiz Expert (http://www.SoloBizVille.com) and Team Member of Solo-E.Com (http://www.Solo-E.Com) has been self-employed since 1990. Knowing how to run corporate departments and how to market corporate entities, products, and services did nothing to prepare her for successfully running and marketing a one-person business. That is why Rose created the SoloBizVille and SoloBizU community to specifically to help solo entrepreneurs jumpstart their business success without all the trial-and-error learning.

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