Now, Let’s continue with Part 2. We will discuss the following here:

Creating tables
Using CSS boxes as webpage layout

Here’s how:

Creating tables

Tables are very useful in the presentation of data. The following are the html tags to be used to create a basic table:

Single-column table:

<table width=”400″ border=”1″ cellspacing=”2″ cellpadding=”4″>
<tr><td>row 1 data</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 2 data</td></tr>
</table>

Type the above in your mywebpage.html within the body tags, save and refresh your browser. That’s the table on the web. Referring to the above html codes, width refers to the width of the whole table (you may also use pixel here like “800″), border is the outside line or outline of the table, cellspacing is the space between the cells, cells are the area where the data are located, cellpadding is the space between border and cells. You may change the values of these table attributes or properties based on your preference or requirement.

Though the above table html codes are still working, W3C.org requires the table properties or attributes be defined in the style sheets or CSS. Using CSS, the above table properties could be presented as follows:

Within style tags in the head:
.type1 {
width: 400px;
padding: 4px;
margin: 2px;
}

.border {
border: 1px solid #000;
}

Then, within the body tags:

<table class=”type1 border”>
<tr><td>row 1 data</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 2 data</td></tr>
</table>

Looking at the codes, “type1″ is preceded by dot (.), meaning it is a class selector. For the next type of table properties or attributes, you may label it as type2, then type3 and so on or with other names you prefer. “border” is also a class selector and “border: 1px solid #000″ is the thickness (1px), border type (solid) and color (#00f) of the border. There are more discussions of CSS in “Creating CSS boxes as web page layout” and in “Using CSS in styling your web pages”

If you want to try the above, then type the codes within the style and body tags as noted, save it and refresh your browser. It must be the same as the first one.

Now, let’s make a 2-column or multi-column table:

<table width=”400″ border=”1″ cellspacing=”2″ cellpadding=”4″>
<tr><td>row 1 data 1</td>
<td>row 1 data 2</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 2 data 1</td>
<td>row 2 data 2</td></tr>
</table>

Type the above in your mywebpage.html within the body tags, save and refresh your browser. That’s the 2-column table on the web. To add a column, just insert <td></td> after </td>. 1 <td></td> is one column, 1 <tr></tr> is one row and 1 <table></table> is one table.

Now, lets make a table with 1 main heading and 3 subheadings:

<table width=”400″ border=”1″ cellspacing=”2″ cellpadding=”4″>
<tr><td colspan=”3″>Main Heading</td></tr>
<tr><td>Subheading 1</td>
<td>Subheading 2</td>
<td>Subheading 3</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 1 data 1</td>
<td>row 1 data 2</td>
<td>row 1 data 3</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 2 data 1</td>
<td>row 2 data 2</td>
<td>row 2 data 3</td></tr>
</table>

Type the above in your mywebpage.html within the body tags, save and refresh your browser. See? Yes, just use colspan to merge the columns. To merge 2 columns, use colspan=”2″ and for 3 columns, use colspan=”3″ and so on.

If you want to merge rows, use rowspan instead of colspan. See this example:

<table width=”400″ border=”1″ cellspacing=”2″ cellpadding=”4″>
<tr><td rowspan=”2″>merge row data</td>
<td>row 1 data 2</td></tr>
<tr><td>row 2 data 2</td></tr>
</table>

Now, type the above in your mywebpage.html within the body tags, save and refresh your browser. Now, you see that 2 rows in your first column were merged.

Try creating your own table using different values to familiarize yourself in manipulating tables.

Creating CSS boxes for web page layout

Before, tables are being used as layout of a web page. So, the header, right bars, left bars, main content areas and footer are inside of a table. This slows down the loading of the page as the browser will have to complete first the table before it will display the content. Your visitor may have already left before your page could be displayed. If you prefer to use table as your layout, you have to avoid using big tables. You better use small tables to allow the browser display your page little by little but faster.

Though table could still be used, W3C requires CSS boxes to be used for layout instead of tables due to the issue of accessibility. CSS boxes load faster than tables. These could be controlled within the style sheets that could be within the head tags or in separate CSS file. The most critical part in css boxes is the positioning. So, I’ll explain to you the positioning properties of these boxes, based on my experience:

position: absolute – You have to define the x-axis and y-axis as point of reference of the corner of the box. x-axis is either left or right and y-axis is either top or bottom. You have to define also the width or the left and right margin or padding of the box. The box is not affected by the preceding or subsequent boxes. Likewise, the boxes preceding or following the boxes that are positioned as absolute are also not affected.

float: left or right – You need to fix the width. You also need to select if left or right. The box will lean on the side you selected. It will lean on the box preceding it if there is enough space for it. This is affected by the other boxes except for the absolutely positioned boxes.

no position or position: static or fixed – This follows the normal flow. This is also affected by the other boxes except for the absolutely positioned ones. You need to define the width or the left and right margin.

Now, see the illustration below that will create 5 boxes, namely: headerbox, leftbox, centerbox, rightbox and footerbox. These are liquid boxes, which automatically adjust in width when the display window size of the computer is changed:

<style type=”text/css”>
body {
text-align: center;
margin: 1px;
}
#headerbox {
width: 100%;
height: 15%;
background-color: #9cf;
border: 1px solid #00f;
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}

#rightbox {
float: right;
width: 20%;
margin-top: 5px;
text-align: center;
background-color: #cff;
border: 1px solid #00f;
height: 100%;
}
#leftbox {
float: left;
margin-top: 5px;
width: 20%;
text-align: center;
background-color: #cff;
border: 1px solid #00f;
height: 100%;
}

#centerbox {
width: 99%;
margin-top: 5px;
text-align: center;
background-color: #cff;
border: 1px solid #00f;
height: 100%;
}

#footerbox {
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
height: 15%;
vertical-align: middle;
margin-top: 5px;
background-color: #9cf;
border: 1px solid #00f;
}

</style>
</head>
<body>

<div id=”headerbox”>HEADERBOX content area</div>

<div id=”leftbox”>LEFTBOX content area</div>

<div id=”rightbox”>RIGHTBOX content area</div>

<div id=”centerbox”>CENTERBOX content area</div>

<div id=”footerbox”>FOOTERBOX content area</div>

</body>

First, you type the above html codes to you mywebpage.html within the head, style and body tags as noted in the above. Then, save it and refresh your browser or open the file with your browser. Are you seeing the headerbox on the top, the leftbox, rightbox and centerbox in the middle and footerbox at the bottom? Try to change the width of your browser window. See? The width of the boxes are also adjusting and that is excellent as your page will auto-adjust depending on the browser window size of your visitors! That is because I used %s in defining the width of boxes.

Now, let me explain the above codes for creating boxes as your layout.

headerbox – preceded with #, meaning it is an id selector and could be used only once per page; float: left means the box will lean on the left if fit; width: 100% means the box is 100% of the browser window and that is the reason why it is liquid; height: 15% means the box is 15% of the browser window; text-align: center is the alignment of the objects or characters inside the box; background-color: #9cf is the color of the space within the box; border: 1px solid #00f is same as discussed in Creating Tables.

rightbox – same explanations in the above except for the float: right which means the box will lean on the right and margin-top: 5px is the distance from the bottom line of the box above (headerbox).

leftbox – same explanations in the above.

centerbox – same explanations in the above except that it has no position defined, meaning it will follow the normal. It will fit itself based on the available space. This will be its 100% or full size. More than this limit will distort the box alignment.

footerbox – same explanations in the above except for the vertical-align: middle, which means that the objects or characters inside the box will be vertically-aligned in the middle.

Try changing the values of the values of the css boxes above, then save. Refresh your browser and familiarize yourself with the effect of each change. Please note, however that there may be minor differences if the above css boxes are displayed with browsers other than internet explorer like firefox and opera.

Continue with Part 3.

About the Author:
Hardi Budd is affiliated to www.freetipsandwits.com and free-website-tips-guides-tutorials.blogspot.com that offer Free website tips, guides, tutorials and web resources for affiliates, internet marketing, online business, search engine optimization, website promotion and internet security. Supported with affiliate programs, freebie directory, add URL, link exchange, english tagalog jokes, news and more.

This is free for republishing as long as the author byline with active link to our sites is retained as-is.

“How to turn “slightly interested” customers into “I’ve got to have it!” customers!”

I am truly amazed as to the lack of information websites contain. You would think that a business would realize that a potential customer would at least like to know how to contact the customer service department. But, you’d be astonished at how many times I’ve actually come across NO information on the business except “place your order here”. That truly leaves the customer with a feeling of abandonment. Since I visit so many websites throughout the year, I wanted to list some of the top 10 things I look for when making the decision whether to purchase or not.

Number 1: Include some type of contact info.

You need to make sure the customer has some type of information to contact you after the sale. If you happen to work out of your home, think about getting a post office box or a mail station. I realize that still doesn’t tell the customer your physical address, but it’s always nice to know the city, state, or even country of the company involved. And by all means, add a phone number to this list.

Number 2: Update your website often.

If you list your copyright or other dated information, make sure it is changed on a regular basis and includes the current year. Nothing is more frightening than to purchase from a website selling e-books or software that is older than a few years old. It always makes me think I’m getting old information that was written for a different set of problems. Now I know that copyrights should have the year they were developed, but list the year it was established plus the current year. For example, list your copyright like this – © 2000 – 2004. Customers won’t enter their personal information (especially credit cards) on a site that looks like it’s been abandoned. So, take a long look at your site and see if something needs to be freshened and brought up to date and then do it.

Number 3: Make your benefits clear.

Most companies will list the product or service features, but that doesn’t tell a potential customer how this will help solve their problem. The best sites I’ve visited, not only list the features, but have a separate list detailing the benefits for each. It’s easy to say you’re the best in your field and you’re the only ones that do “this” – whatever your “this” is, but go a step further and tell the customer what that means to them. In other words, what’s in it for them? If you have trouble defining your benefits, ask the one person that would know best – your customers! If they are happy with your products or services, they will be able to tell you what problem it overcomes and the benefit they receive. Besides, what better way to find out how you’re doing in servicing their needs?

Number 4: Watch for broken links.

How many times have you tried to click on a link and it goes nowhere? It’s sometimes hard to believe that when we develop our websites and include working links, in a short period of time the links become broken. Why would this happen? Well, if other sites are like ours, they are always changing the information included on the site. In other words, the page link you have listed on your website might get renamed without the benefit of a redirect link attached. Then if your customer clicks on that link, they will be left to wonder just how old this information might be. The best way to stay on top of this is to check your links often and ask the visitors of your site to report back to you if they find a broken link.

Number 5: Make it easy to purchase.

If you’re doing business on the internet, you’ll need to have some way for your customers to pay. The best way is to accept credit cards. If you don’t have a merchant account already, the easiest way to get set up immediately is through services like Pay Pal, Clink Bank, and 2Checkout. But, you still need to add other convenient ways to shop for those that prefer not to purchase online. Make sure you list a mailing address, a phone number, or even a fax number they can send their payments. You’d be surprised at the number of individuals and companies that would prefer to send their payment (even if it’s a credit card purchase), rather than send their personal information over the internet.

Number 6: Don’t use pushy sales talk.

You’d be surprised at how many times I’m shopping on the internet that I find people using the old tactic “buy right this minute or you’ll never see this price again”. I know that’s now going to make me buy immediately, in fact, it will probably cost that company my business. I don’t like to feel “bullied” into buying anything. Now that’s not to say that you shouldn’t run a sale occasionally. But, if you do, list the time period of the sale for everyone to see. Just make sure you don’t tell every customer that visits that they must purchase now (today), because most customers will price shop and compare products before they purchase.

Number 7: List your guarantee.

Everyone wants to feel that if a service or product they’ve purchased is not up to the standards or expectations they thought, that the company will take care of them. And because of that, you should always list a guarantee. It doesn’t have to be a lifetime warranty, but it should be a reasonable amount of time or a reasonable procedure to follow in order to return an item. And better yet, if you have the type of service or product that you could allow a limited amount of time for a “test drive”, it will decrease the apprehension some people have about doing business with someone they don’t know.

Number 8: Include your privacy policy.

This is one of my big pet peeves. I want to know how my personal information or email is going to be used. I always read the privacy policy before entering any of my information. If I feel like my privacy is not going to be protected, then I move on to the next company. So make sure you list yours and make it easy to obtain.

Number 9: Include a terms and conditions.

This is also a way to convey to your customers and potential customers how your company does business. This is the place to list exactly how you do business and in what conditions you will offer a refund or replacement. You have to take into account that the majority of your customers or not looking for something for nothing. Now I will admit there will always be a small percentage of your customers that will try to take advantage of you, but you’ll find most customers just want to be treated fair and know you’ll take care of them.

Number 10: Explain all the steps in making the purchase.

After they’ve purchased, do you tell them what the next step will be? Will they be able to download their purchase? If so, how long before they’ll know where to log in? Or, if you ship your product or service, when can they expect delivery? These are just a few of the things you should let them know as soon as they purchase. Nothing can be more frustrating than to make a purchase and then have to call the company a week later wondering where your order is. Make sure you explain each step and show them what great customer service you provide right from the beginning.

That’s my favorite list of how I like to do business online and I hope these 10 key steps will help you as you develop your company online. Just remember, treat your customers with the same great care you like offered to you and they’ll keep coming back for more.

About The Author

Website Savvy: 10 Key Steps to Turn Your Customers ON! by – Carmen Wisenbaker, President of Penworth Publishing, http://www.penworth.com Carmen has been in the publishing industry for more than 23 years. Because she has so many subjects that have to be researched, she spends a good deal of her time on the internet. Many times when looking for products to purchase, she comes across many websites that tend to hinder the sale. This article covers her favorite pet peeves about what to do and what not to do, in order to get your customer to purchase online. You may use this article in your newsletter as long as the contact information is included and the article is used “as is” with no alterations. © 2004 Carmen Wisenbaker.

This article can be viewed online at http://www.penworth.com/web_savvy.htm or sent by an auto-responder at article622@penworth.com

carmen@penworth.com

Gaming laptops used to only be obtainable from specialist resellers. Basically as I remember they were not really the hottest selling laptop computers but being the most costly they were the greatest profit producing laptops. I guess that the vast number of people would concur they always wanted a gaming laptop however it was just out of reach for the majority. They were pretty much desktop computer rivals and the quickest, best laptop you could get. I would get very excited by them however I knew I couldn’t go out and buy laptop computers at the prices they were going for. Things look set to shift though because now the gaming portables market has attracted the eye of bigger companies.

I bet they would categorise it as a top end portable and make lots of money on these particularly with their economies of scale. With such small margins on other notebooks it is not a surprise they want to be included here. Local resellers are unable compete with them in convincing people to buy laptop computers. This is a colossal threat to smaller niche retailers. I know for certain that laptops for gaming will get more affordable for everyone. Additionally prospects just look to trust bigger companies more.

In my opinion these companies are rolling out the best laptop computers at this point in time. This should provide some hope to the local companies. I believe consumers that purchase these kinds of notebooks like to be able to spec up their system. Consumers of this sort are normally extremely educated in regards to the technology involved, and so can make spec for spec comparisons. For people of this kind, how well it performs typically is of greater significance than how good it looks.

All the changes are extremely favourable from the customers view. As this pushes down the prices even greater, high end technology will get increasingly obtainable to the consumer. Who can possibly say what will occur. I am actually not sure anymore. New innovations are constantly coming out and that should hold prices relatively high. It’s hard to tell what will take place now that the large companies have gotten involved in making laptops for gaming.

We all want to improve our top line – our income – be it our salary or business profits. Here are the 5 Ways to make it happen:

1. You need to figure out what you want, and don’t settle for anything less without a struggle. Build a fortress around your desires. Figure out how badly you want it. Figure out how you are going to get it. Form a plan and reward yourself along the journey.

The difference between an achiever and a super achiever is that the super achiever gets out of his comfort zone and tackles the tough stuff. Modest achiever attempts to survive on their reputation.

Learn from people who have done it before. Those people are always set high goals and achieve for themselves.

2. Keep pushing yourself. Doing one hard thing a day lifts your momentum, confidence level, self-esteem and provides the sheer joy of success.

3. Be Sales Oriented. Everyone in the whole company should be salesperson. Go for more sales calls and more activities to get the sale.

4. Focus. Do as you plan and don’t let anybody steal your day. People can steal your day with their negative emotions, and sometimes they don’t even know that they are doing this. Gravity is always there, and pulls you up through strong focus.

Focus on the most profitable activity. First you need to know what products and services you should be focusing on based on the 80/20 rules. Then have the profile of your ideal customer and list out all the characteristics. Third is to find more customers who want to do business with you. Go get more customers, and embark on creative and aggressive marketing to make it happen.

The best way to identify if a prospect fits your ‘best customer profile’ is to ask some great questions. Ask the following:

* Which of your customers are the easiest to work with?

* Which of your customers do the most businesses with you?

* Which of your customers give you the most headaches?

The answers to these questions will tell you where you should be investing your time. Because the goal is to get great results, which leads us to the last and fifth way…

5. Be Results Driven. No more excuses for not doing anything. In fact, do not bother to find reasons for non-achievements, and instead spend the time on achieving something else to compensate for the lack of achievement. Be ruthless. Give the best to your customers by learning the keys to customer service. Set a goal to increase your business profits by a quantum leap now.

Gordon Goh is author of the free, informative website Simply Motivation offering quality useful tips for Motivation

ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is apparently much confusion about proactive protection initiatives and apparently safe and unsafe spending behaviour. For example, many consumers remain reluctant about shopping online, but they may still give out personal details over the phone in a cold call, or they may have redundant or dormant accounts and financial products which are susceptible to fraud.

If reducing fraud vulnerability wasn’t sufficiently difficult already, consumers are now being offered anti-ID theft services and ID protection insurance by banks, insurance companies and credit reference agencies. There is considerable debate around such policies however, as they do not offer full financial compensation. In The Observer last week, Richard Brown, Chief Executive of consumer finance site moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) stated that:

“Few, if any, of them appear to offer insurance protection against actual financial loss in the event that a credit company, for example, refuses to cover the loss – and this is what consumers really need. While ID protection services may have a degree of value, they shouldn’t be used as a reason to take an otherwise uncompetitive product.”

Brown continued that consumers could actually take out simple, cost effective measures against ID theft such as buying a shredder and checking credit reports regularly. The National Consumer Council ( http://www.ncc.org.uk/ ) takes a similar approach, advising consumers to avoid becoming a victim of credit card and identity fraud by:

* Not giving personal information away too easily

* When passing details over the phone, do ensure it’s to a legitimate business. Ask friends and family for recommendations

* Shred all documents with sensitive personal data

* Choose your bank security details carefully and avoid obvious passwords

* Avoid carrying around details of your address with your credit cards

* Close any accounts you no longer need

* Check your credit file at the credit reference agencies on an annual basis

Callcredit states warning signs of identity theft and identity fraud could include:

* Bank or credit card statements start disappearing or fail to appear in the first place

* Some of your mail goes missing

* Items on your credit card bill which you did not purchase

* A debt collection agency contacts you about goods you did not order or even an account you did not open

* You receive phone calls for accounts you know nothing about

* Royal Mail writes to your address about a mail redirection order you did not request

However, by just incorporating some of the measures above and keeping a regular check on your finances (e.g. don’t activate that second credit card and then put in a box for a year!), a great deal of financial protection is already set in place and you don’t have to pay a penny.

Examples of standard protection within English law encompass:

* Protection from forged signatures on cheques

* Protection from forged signatures in documents which enforce an action (the prosecution has to prove that you made the signature, rather than you prove that you didn’t)

If your credit card is stolen (or lost), you should be fully protected providing you report the missing credit card within 24 hours of the loss or theft.

If you have never had your credit record checked why not give it a go?

* Callcredit offers a service from http://www.mycallcredit.com/home.asp starting from £7.50

* Experian offers a service from https://www.creditexpert.co.uk/ with a membership fee of £49.99

* Equifax provides a credit report for £9.95 from https://www.econsumer.equifax.co.uk/

About Rachel:

Rachel writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla:

http://www.cashzilla.co.uk/

Rachel lives in a straw hut in the mountains in Scotland with three wolves and a squirrel.

Contact information:

E-mail: rachel@positiveinterest.com

Tel: 0131 561 2251

Are you a novice runner or even an experienced runner who has never been to a running store? You may have just bought all of your clothing, shoes, equipment, etc. at a department or sporting goods store. However, there are some advantages of going to a running store for all of these things. While some specialize in one thing like shoes or clothing and carry a few other odds and ends, there are some that carry everything you think you might need or you didn’t even know you needed.

Where can you find a running store? Well, traditionally when you want to find a particular store, you would go to the yellow pages, today you can do the same thing, but you can also go to the online yellow pages. Look for it under “sporting equipment” or sporting goods” or under “fitness” if you can’t find a running store heading. Or you can always go on the internet and find hundreds of listings for stores that carry every type of equipment that a runner might need.

What will you find at a running store? The most commonly carried things and the items with the widest selection will be shoes and apparel. You can find shoes that are for running on pavement or trail running. They have shoes that are designed for every foot type, running type and gait. The price range is large as well. A running store also carries apparel. Clothing made from fabrics that are lightweight and comfortable. The fabric is also designed to carry moisture away from the body and to let your skin breathe. They even have double layer socks that help to prevent blisters.

A running store will also carry gear that will take your running experience to a whole new level, like a wristband GPS system to track where you are, how far you have gone and how fast you got there. There are portable hydration systems, tiny first aid kits, and sunglasses that will play music for your listening pleasure. The list goes on and on.

If you want to have a wide selection and some great deals, go online and see what is available. If you want to get tips and advice as well as selection, you should try an actual specialty store. If you know what you want and you can find it cheap at a department store go for it. The choice is yours to make.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Sports. For more information about running shoes visit runninge.com

Mold is a big issue these days. One reason is the damage it does to lungs and immune systems. And who does it damage the most? Kids and senior citizens.

Well, let’s just talk about kids right now. And let’s narrow our conversation to the school systems. Why? Because kids spend up to 8 hours a day there, breathing in whatever is floating around in the air.

Let’s talk about schools now.

Every year, somewhere in the USA schools are being closed down
because of mold. Why are so many schools moldy?

The main cause of any mold problem is ultimately water. Something is too wet.

Now if a building floods, we just dry it out and that usually stops mold from growing, right? Well, if you get the building totally dry within 48 hours the answer is yes. That’s the time it takes for most mold spores to start growing actual mold colonies. Most of the time it takes bureaucrats 48 hours to find out there has been a flood. Then there are committees to decide how to dry the building. And then there are bids
to get the lowest cost.

So drying isn’t enough. Takes too long. Mold is growing and it can continue to grow after the building is dried. All it needs now is moisture in the air.

Speaking of air, we also have to consider air conditioners. Most schools use air conditioners that are bought cheap and maintained by the lowest bidder.. Air conditioners that aren’t maintained properly sweat and the moisture can cause mold growth.

Also associated with maintenance is changing air filters. Many times this isn’t done due to school budgets. Filters cost money. Not a lot of money, but money. Some schools don’t change there A/C filters until someone from the state comes to inspect.

Then there are carpets. Carpets are moldy. Kids spill food, milk, and glue onto carpets. They throw up on carpets. These things feed mold. Teachers make kids sleep on the floor at nap time.Their faces are pressed into the moldy carpets. Results: sick kids.

But the ultimate reason for moldy schools is politics. This applies to everything mentioned above, ie carpets, filters and drying.

Schools have to report to taxpayers. That’s YOU. If a school board member says to you the taxpayer, “We can spend the money on books, football uniforms or healthy air.” What are you going to say? Most people want things they can see and touch and point to.

So if you want healthy kids with strong lungs and good immune systems, the responsibility is in your hands. Go to school board meetings, talk to the radio and tv stations.If you need ammunition, tell the politicians that mold free schools win more games in sports. Championship teams are something
that can be pointed to like books.

For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and
prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean
environment.
http://tennesseemold.com/ebooks.shtml
DrGraham@themoldlab.com
http://www.GrandPaGraham.com for free newsletter

Most people who would like to get an IT certification hate certification exams. There is so much to do and so much to memorize in a short period of time that it looks like an impossible task.

They start looking for the solutions and pay their hard earned money for the list of Questions and answers. There are a numerous number of tuition providers and some of them give strange guarantees. Like “guaranteed pass in 7 days or 14 days” or “full refund if you don’t pass”. The question then comes into mind is how can they give such guarantees.

This is simple, they give guarantees because some of them compile a long list of possible questions and answers, which they consider, would come up in exams. Amazingly this works most of the time, for majority of students. However for some strange reasons it does not work out for certain number of students. These students when find difficult questions in the list start to panic, they feel that they don’t know the subject well and are not ready for the exams. In some cases they even start to forget what they already know about the subject.

While some providers give only a list of possible questions and answers, the expensive ones provide full explanation for you to understand. It depends upon your pocket as well as your time limit. Most students get serious about them just couple of weeks before the certification exam date. You might see them carrying around a thick certification book for couple of months but eventually they start looking for the tuition providers couple of weeks before the exam date.

Some ambitious students even wait until the last couple of days before loosing confidence and then they start to look for the tuition providers. Certification exams are a cut above the traditional ones. With the traditional degree, you read, understand, learn and write and it typically takes 2 years or more to complete, no experience necessary or required.

Certification is different, people who go for it are either working in their chosen field or have acquired experience previously working in the field. Certification is just an enhancement to prove that they know the subject inside out. The best part is something to put after your name such as MCSD, CCNP, and CLP etc.

They have been working in their chosen field, so it is possible for them to study couple of weeks and get the certification. They know the subject inside out anyway, certification is just the technical part and therefore they need couple of weeks before they go for exams. Some employers require candidates with certifications but most of them still look for experienced ones instead of certified ones.

So if you are considering taking certification exams try to choose the tuition provider who gives you the most current and updated material. There is a cutthroat competition in this market and the prices are going down day by day. Therefore, some tuition providers are not updating their material as often as they should and might give you the old stuff. They might look cheap but to tell you the truth the stuff is not even worth paying for.

If you are serious about certification then don’t make a mistake of leaving the search for the tuition provider to the last minute. Doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have about the subject, you would make your life a lot easier if you get in touch with the tuition provider as early as possible. After all a good rested mind and a lot of confidence is required to pass your certification exams. Plus of course the questions and answers list. You can find a number of tuition providers on the website address below.

Saad Saleem writes on a variety of subjects including online education and certification. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to http://www.certifyglobal.com and/or http://www.combinestudy.com.

Women have been given the greatest gift of creativity there
isthe capacity of creating and having a child. Even if a
woman has never had children, just the biological
possibility, is life defining.

The theory has often been that artists create their best work
when they are young and after that “peak” in their career,
their art becomes stale and predictable. The assumption is
that an artist’s work is the most important early in their lives.
I would beg to differ, especially when it comes to women.

I have a theory that women come into their own as artists
later in life, after the possibility of having children has
passed and while the potential of having children is
beginning to diminish.

Because of the biological ability to have children, women
understand intuitively that creativity is a life long process, not
a destination. The tremendous urge to create is still there
after the capacity to have children is gone.

The passion and drive to create is combined with the
wisdom learned from life’s inevitable lessons. Women
frequently find that their “artistic voices” become more
confident and self-assured later in life. That is why women
often come into their own artistically in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s
and on up; Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Nevelson and
Grandma Moses are three examples.

This is not to say that younger women do not create great
art, they most certainly do. For younger women creatively
your best years are still aheadvery good news and
definitely something to look forward to.

Women who have created during their earlier years have an
advantage for two reasons:

1. A woman who has been creating continuously doesn’t
have to play catch-up in regards to the technicalities of
making art. She has already spent years learning her craft.

2. “Artistic creativity” is like a muscle. If you haven’t used it,
the muscle atrophies, and it takes longer to get ” in creative
shape”.

If you are a young woman and struggling with how to
balance work, family, friends and the multitude of things that
make up life, don’t give up your ability to create art. You will
be way ahead of the game when you get older and it is my
very firm conviction that the best years for creating art are
still ahead!

Mary Baker © 2005

Mary Baker is a contemporary realist painter, whose studio
is in Newburyport, Massachusetts. This New England city,
north of Boston, has been the inspiration for the artist’s
realistic oil paintings. Mary Baker is a professional artist and
has shown in New York art galleries. Mary’s art work has
passion, depth and beauty, capturing moments in time that
many people pass by.

Mary hopes that if you have a vocation in the arts that you will
share your artistic gifts and artistic voice and be delighted
that your art brings much needed beauty, depth, wisdom
and integrity to the world.

You can visit Mary’s website, Mary Baker Art and see her
beautiful paintings at http://www.marybakerart.com, as well
as read her many comments on art, artists and creativity.

A tremendous amount has been written about Executive Compensation, and lately, most of this information has been extremely unflattering. Much of the criticism has resulted from the gross excesses, misinterpretations of regulations, and the rash of criminal cases brought against the top management of a number of large firms, such as WorldCom, Tyco, Enron, and a host of others. Virtually every day another egregious example of corporate greed has come to light. The effect has been a huge increase in media attention, which in turn has acted as the stimulus for new government regulations aimed at curbing these abuses. While most of the regulations are aimed at publicly traded companies, there has been some spill-over into the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector. NFPs have their own set of federal and state regulations limiting executive compensation; the most draconian of these regulations being IRC 4958, or what many refer to as “Intermediate Sanctions”.

It is interesting to note that, for the most part, the regulations covering for-profit, publicly traded companies provide few, if any penalties, and certainly none are spelled out for board members involved in the approval of compensation deemed to be excessive. Since in many situations, the only penalty is that companies cannot deduct the amount of an excessive compensation payment, the brunt of the penalty falls onto the shareholders. Conversely, the NFP regulation calls for a 25% excess tax plus a disgorgement of the excess amount. If this does not occur, the fine jumps to 200%. In addition, the board members of the NFP, most of who are not paid for their board service, but are merely acting in an altruistic manner, are subject to individual fines of the lesser of 10% of the excess, or $10,000.

What are the components of the NFP compensation package? There are traditionally six (6) elements that to one degree or another comprise the Total Compensation Package of executives, whether or not they are part of a For Profit or NFP. These are base salary, annual bonuses or incentives, long-term incentives which could include stock options, restricted stock, phantom stock, and a large group of equity and cash based programs, typical fringe benefits, supplemental benefits and perquisites, and lastly various written documents or agreements that spell out the employment and severance provisions. In the case of NFPs, most of these elements are included but often with scaled-down arrangements. One area that is definitely changing is the increased acceptance and use of annual bonuses and incentives. Rather than paying cash compensation in the form of salary only, many NFPs are beginning to introduce variable pay. This not only better aligns the cash compensation with achievement of predefined results; it also allows the Board to in effect “reduce” pay when the NFP’s situation changes, performance objectives are not met, or when there are cash flow issues. It also allows the NFP to provide a more competitive compensation package that better reflects the realities of the market place. The one compensation element, which heretofore has been virtually missing from the Total Compensation Package, is the use of long-term incentives, which typically exists in For Profits in the form of equity. This is one of the major disparities between For Profits and NFPs, and it is one of the areas which needs to be addressed in order to begin to “level the playing field” between the two business groups.

Although it is generally understood that individuals in comparable positions within the For Profit and NFP industries will not necessarily be paid at exactly the same level, there is still a misguided concept held by some individuals, that working at an NFP is rewarding enough, so that their overall compensation should be markedly lower. While altruism is clearly evident, it doesn’t pay the rent. Recognizing the ability of an NFP to pay reasonable levels of compensation, without harming the organization’s ability to carry out its mission, should be a main consideration in determining what compensation elements comprise the package, and in what amounts.

Is it appropriate to provide short-term and long-term incentives? Short-term incentives are generally associated with the achievement of annual financial and/or operational goals. These goals are typically set at the beginning of a fiscal year, and their achievement is part of a tactical plan to advance the NFP’s mission. To ensure that these awards do not become an “entitlement”, the Board must set realistic but stretch objectives, and determine the actual level of accomplishment against those performance measures when granting awards. Paying out bonuses when the performance is not achieved, or the measures are a “slam dunk”, sends the wrong message and defeats the intent of the entire incentive system.

Similarly, the use of long-term goals must relate to the objectives that are more strategic in nature, and related to financial growth projections over the next three to five years. It is at this point that more creativity is needed in the plan design, since NFPs obviously do not have the ability to share wealth or grant equity with members of its senior management team. The award that best fits the requirements should take some form of capital accumulation. The specific design features may vary, but the basics are the same: long-term performance goals are established and monitored. If the performance goals are achieved within the specified period, funds will be set aside into a Rabbi Trust or similar vehicle, which conforms to IRC 457f and 409A. These plans allow monies to be accumulated for the executive until retirement. Although the amounts accumulated under this type of long-term incentive plan will probably not equal the potential value of stock-based plans, it may actually be more consistent with long-term compensation programs in privately owned For Profits, and will certainly go a long way to making the NFP’s executive compensation package more competitive.

What challenges exist in evaluating the NFP executive compensation package for determining reasonableness? An interesting aspect of the difference between evaluation of the NFP compensation package is that elements such as health care benefits, contributions to retirement plans and even the prorated cost of Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance coverage is considered part of the reportable NFP total compensation package, even if it is not taxable to the individual. Among For Profit public companies, the amount and makeup of the executive compensation package is generally available in the various government filings including the proxy reports. Even though SEC regulations require specific items to be reported, preparing these proxies continues to be an art form unto itself; which often masks the true value of the compensation and appears to go out of its way to make reading and interpreting the data difficult, at best. Similarly, disclosure of the comparable required compensation data for NFPs is shown on the IRS Form 990, but is far less definitive and should be carefully scrutinized. The bottom line is that it is much more difficult to accurately make comparisons with other NFPs, which is the main area for judging the reasonableness of the overall compensation package. The regulations currently allow For Profit compensation data to be used when determining the competitive market; this is certainly appropriate since many of the NFP positions are interchangeable between the NFP and For Profit groups. A cautionary note: there are groups in Congress who believe that this “liberal” approach should be curtailed, and only want to allow the use of NFP data in the evaluation of pay.

Why is a Compensation Philosophy important for NFPs? In the world of large For Profits, most have a well-documented Compensation Philosophy that states the company’s intentions vis–vis how executives will be paid. This typically includes a discussion of what peers they will use for comparison purposes, the level of competitiveness, the basis for making awards, and the elements to be contained in the executive compensation package. Many mid-sized and smaller For Profits have not yet taken the necessary steps to formalize their pay strategy; this unfortunately is also the case with many NFPs. It is not only important from a business standpoint, but is required in the regulations. One point that needs to be carefully examined is the level of competitiveness that the organization establishes. The most common level for the majority of compensation philosophies and the one that most NFPs strive for is the 50th percentile, or “middle of the pack”. It is assumed that this is a safe place to be, and therefore, the easiest to justify. This may be true, but there is nothing that precludes the NFP Board from selecting a higher or lower baseline, particularly if it is consistent with their philosophy, and justified by the overall performance of the organization. In other words, good performance should earn executives fair and competitive pay, while outstanding performance should earn them above market levels of compensation. It all goes back to setting appropriate expectations and standards, and holding the executives accountable for results; and rewarding them accordingly.

Compensation Resources, Inc. provides compensation and human resource consulting to mid-size and Fortune 500 clients as well as public, private, family-owned and emerging companies. CRI specializes in Executive Compensation, Salary Administration, Performance Management, Sales Compensation, and expert witness services. Our reference library boasts over 4,800 surveys.