Fortunate Contest

Besides rocks, one of the most basic of all weapons throughout mankind’s history across most cultures has been the long wooden stick. This makes sense since sticks were always readily available in the forests or could be easily made. The Asian martial arts took the long wooden staff into an art form as many martial art styles include the long staff in their systems. Some styles even have traditional weapons forms or katas featuring the long staff. Some systems of martial arts train with weapons such as the staff through practical techniques only without the use of set forms.

Unlike many martial art weapons such as swords, knives, kamas and sais which are short range, staffs are long range weapons with superior reach. This enables the user to attack and defend from a distance which can be frustrating from the point of view of an opponent who has a short range weapon. Long range weapons are also useful in keeping multiple opponents out of reach too. Of course, long weapons such as the staff cannot be easily concealed like short range weapons so they can be cumbersome to carry around.

One of the most popular martial arts weapons from the Japanese karate styles is the bo. Even today, the bo is usually the first weapon taught at karate schools and is the most common weapon seen at tournaments. The bo staff comes in different variations. There are heavy bo staffs which resemble thick poles which are considered more traditional and there are lighter versions which are tapered at both ends. There are also multi-sided bo staffs such as octagonal but these are much less common than the usual round, circular versions.

Although there are one handed swings, most bo techniques involve both hands holding the weapon. Various strikes and blocks can be performed with either end of the bo as well as the sides and middle. Bo users take advantage of the entire weapon as techniques can be executed with any part of the bo. For the majority of techniques involving the bo, the user holds the staff near the middle with both ends protruding out equally. Traditionally, the lead hand (furthest away from the body) has been the right hand.

Contemporary weapons forms competitions have caused the bo to evolve where competitors now use extremely lightweight bo’s and some even have reflective finishes giving a more flashy visual appearance when the user is performing a bo form. Unlike traditional bo forms, contemporary creative open forms with the bo involve more complex spins and even tosses. Some martial artists do not consider some of the modern bo forms observed in the competition circuits to be true weapons forms as some competitors emphasize too much baton-like twirling action rather than actual combative techniques. It could very well be a matter of personal taste. This is why in most of the large open martial arts tournaments, weapons divisions are split into traditional and creative.

Chinese kung fu styles also utilize the long staff although there are some differences in techniques when compared to Japanese karate styles. Instead of holding the weapon in the middle most of the time like a bo is held, Chinese staffs are usually held near one end which has the effect of elongating the weapon even more. Taditionally, the lead hand is the left hand with the right holding the bottom end of the staff. However, there are techniques which involve switching sides as well as using the bottom end to strike too. In addition to strikes executed while holding the weapon with both hands, there are more single handed techniques with Chinese staffs than with Japanese bo staffs. Like their empty hand kung fu forms, Chinese staff forms have more circular, swinging techniques than in Japanese karate styles.

Contemporary wushu forms use a much lighter weapon than in traditional kung fu staff forms. Wushu stylists also use staffs or cudgels that are made of a unique white wax wood from trees that are grown only in China. Staffs made of this type of wood are not made with precision like Japanese bo’s. The wushu staffs are naturally tapered with a thicker bottom and thinner top. The white wax wood is extremely resilient as users of this type of Chinese staff perform techniques which involve smashing the entire weapon on the floor at full force.

Korean kuk sul won also has the long staff in their system and the techniques used are like a blend of Chinese and Japanese moves. Although all martial arts styles that utilize weaponry have more complex and possibly more impressive looking weapons, the long staff has remained to be a favorite for many martial artists.

Clint Leung is a lifelong martial artist with over 32 years of training experience in kung fu, tae kwon do, karate, kickboxing and martial arts weaponry. He has won Canadian and world championship titles (NASKA, NBL and WSKF). He is also owner of Free Spirit Activewear (http://www.FreeSpiritActivewear.com), an online retailer and designer of premium martial arts activewear. Free Spirit Activewear has martial arts info articles.

If you would like to double or triple the profits your ebooks bring in then this article will show you how.

One of the best ways to add value to an ebook is to simply supplement it with audio. It can be you reading your ebook into a recorder, and/or it can be my personal favorite way which is to interview an expert and record them.

Now, while it only takes you a few hours to do all this, it lets you beef up the content of your ebook and charge a lot more money for it.

Why?

Because this audio is added value for the customers who buys your book.

Instead of having to sit down and read and focus on it an ebook, or print it out, if they have it on audio and they can burn a CD, they can listen to it in their car, while doing housework or anywhere they can access a radio or walkman.

Whatever the case may be, you’re making it more convenient for your customers to listen to your ideas and that’s added value right there.

They don’t have to “make time” for it. They can be driving to and from work or taking a shower and be learning a little bit about whatever your ebook is about.

Think of how much more your profits would be if you tacked on just an extra 50% or 75% to the price of your product. Think about how beneficial it would be to not only get more money per sale, but more overall customers who are happy and ready to buy from you again.

Believe me, the small amount of time it takes to do this one simple thing will be more than worth it in the end. I see it all the time not only with my own business, but my clients’ businesses, too.

Getting started on an exercise program is one thing. Staying
on it is the bigger challenge. We have all been there.
New Years Eve comes around and wham! Instant motivation! It
is only a small percentage however that sticks with it. Why?
When you hear the term exercise resistance you of course
think of strength training with weights, don’t you? Well,
it can also mean something else.

The phrase, “Exercise Resistance” or ER was coined in the
mid 90’s. It means, a conscious or unconscious block against
participating in a regular active program. Studies show that
some people have barriers built up from past experiences
that give them a negative mindset toward exercise and food.
This prevents a person from starting or following through
on a fitness or diet program. This is more of an emotional
feeling that controls a behavior more than anything.

“I thought the golden years were supposed to be filled with
relaxing things to do, not more activities I usually put off
before?” Have you ever just resented having to exercise now
that you are older? “Why should I start exercising? I will
not follow through-never have. It will be just another
failure of mine?” Or how about not starting to exercise
because you have a fear of failure? My favorite; “why does
Jane look like she does and I have to work so hard at it? It
does not seem fair!” Have you ever compare yourself to your
youth or your best friend?

Each one of them; resentment, fear of failure, comparisons
are barriers you build up only to at some point sabotaging
your desire to feel good and get in better shape.

The answer to overcome these barriers is three fold. First,
figure out HOW you are motivated. Second, WHERE your
desires come from. And third, come to an understanding that
these barriers are only illusions you have fabricated in
your mind. THEY ARE NOT REAL! The bottom line is, until you
work on your approach to weight loss and fitness, the
numbers on the charts will not stick.

Click here for FREE Mini Course ==> http://www.resolutions.bz
Discover the five step
common sense way to lose weight. A formula the medical
and fitness industry DO NOT want you to know about! Greg Ryan is a well known author of the Changing from the
“INSIDE OUT”, book series.

If you’re searching for a proven method that leads to fast results, than this article is for you. Many times I come across loan officers who are either new in the industry and need to earn immediate income or who joined during the height of the refinance boom and now needs to build purchase business.

Either way, this strategy I’ve tested with dozens of loan officers and have had great success. In fact, it’s one of those ideas that’s commonly known, but is uncommonly practiced - meaning that it’s another way of getting ahead of your competitors.

Captive Audience

With the housing market appearing to cool off and inventory climbing in many towns across America, it prompts agents to hold open houses again. This is great news for you, because it means they’re captive. It’s one thing to approach an agent at their office, when they’re on their natural turf, but when it’s an open house, you’ll discover their behavior is strikingly better. For one thing, if the traffic for the open house has been slow, they’ll be happy to have someone to speak with.

So the first step, which believe it or not, is the most difficult for loan officers, is to give up some personal time on a Saturday and visit several open houses. How much time? If you’re efficient, meaning you’ve spotted the open houses in Friday’s paper and planned a route, you could knock out a dozen in three hours.

Your Plan

If you’re going to take some personal time on a Saturday to pursue agents, you definitely want to make the most of your effort. So let’s review your objectives; an open house visit is your chance to:

• Schedule Appointments - Don’t miss this point - Your primary objective in visiting open houses is to schedule appointments, not to share every reason in the world why they should do business with you. You’re not there to socialize longer than 20 minutes. If you’re staying longer than that, you’re giving up too much information.
• Build Your Prospect List - If you visit a dozen open houses, you should gain at least 4 appointments. But what about the other 8? If you don’t get an appointment, always seek permission to market your services to them in the future. Just say, “If you’re like most agents I meet, you’re interested in ways to grow your income. If I come across ideas from time to time that can help you do that, would you be offended if I send it to you?” Of course, very few will turn you down and now you’re building a list of prospects who have granted permission for you to send them information.

  If you find yourself quickly accumulating a permission-based list, consider implementing a regular email or direct mail campaign so you can build familiarity, which leads to future originations.

• Demonstrate Your Professional Commitment - Just by showing up on a weekend, you’re making a statement about your willingness to service agents.
• Make Friends - You might find open houses to be a less confrontational method to meeting agents. Some of my toughest clients, loan officers who never called on agents before, found open houses to be less intimidating and trouble-free.

The idea of visiting open houses has been around since the dawn of time…ok, maybe not that long, but hopefully you get the idea. It can give you a quick jump start to meeting agents, developing some familiarity and if you schedule several appointments, a real chance to interact with agents who will send you originations.

If you’re new in the industry or haven’t marketed your services to agents before, it’s a strategy worth trying. You’ll find that it’s not too difficult, and agents recognize the effort you’re putting forth, so they’re more empathetic to your cause.

Jeff Nelson helps loan officers increase loan originations by attracting quality relationships with real estate agents from the development of customized relationship-building strategies.

Click here to get a free copy of the Marketing Planning Guide, a 20-page workbook designed to help you outline a strategy to become an Agent Magnet.

Visit us at http://www.loan-officer-marketing.com

The company behind the Glass Intruder, Topoco are considered the best known and liked companies in the design and manufacture of vibrators. They are manufacturers of a range of alternative legendary sex toys like the Big Pete along with the 10 Inch Flex Dong. Topoco are amongst the most price competitive, so you can buy your vibrator sure in the knowledge that will not see any a lower cost offer by another supplier.

This dildo is produced in a number of lengths, colors and widths. The Glass Intruder comes with a free additional vibration pack, make no mistake, this is as toy of top standards. The flexible material of the Glass Intruder allows for penetration at angles that are difficult through straight intercourse, meaning it is possible to reach never before experienced sensations and hither to un-found erogenous parts of your body. In addition to being fun, the Glass Intruder formed from non-harmful PVC, so it is genuinely harmless to use. This dildo is made with ticklers at the base, to help boost your sexual adventures to another place entirely.

The Glass Intruder is a top selling sex toy for Topoco. The popularity of the Glass Intruder is due to it’s competitive price and versatility. The Glass Intruder can be used for stimulating any female erogenous zones. The ideal toy for those lonely nights in alone. This little beastie is the perfect addition to any ones collection. The Glass Intruder glass dildo is also a favorite with guys of either orientation. This marital aid would also make a marvelous initial buy for an individual who does not already possess a sex toy.

Whenever a company becomes dominant in its sector, many of its competitors
cry foul. In a free economy that company has more than likely reached this
position because it has simply outperformed its rivals. Good luck, I say.
Although it goes against the grain, I recognise that there would come a point - a point, that is, when dominance turns to monopoly - when the authorities may need to clip the wings of such a successful company. However, this must surely be a last resort. I am convinced that European countries have got this wrong.

The bar is too low. The alarms bells ring far too early. There is too much state
interference in the running of market sectors when such interference can often
lead to long term imbalances and a tendency to stifle innovation.

I don’t think we should be resentful, or feel threatened when a company
becomes large. When this happens it always throws out new opportunities. For
instance, a big company is usually an unwieldy company. The board is usually
aware of this and fights against it, but it happens all the same. Why? This is
because such companies take advantage of their size by streamlining their
business. This brings economies of scale, but also means that change is more
expensive. When a new product comes on the market, or a new way of selling a
product, large companies may take a long time to adapt. Smaller, nippier
companies will take up the slack and win the prize, leaving the lumbering giant
puffing and struggling to keep up.

Another opportunity is customer service. As companies grow, they put more
barriers up between themselves and their customers. If you ring your local store
run by Joe, you will probably speak with Joe. If he is busy he would ring you
back. If you try to ring your local store run by a large corporation, you are
more likely to be put through to a national call centre, asked for your customer
id, your zip code, put on hold for 3 minutes and had the telephone call
recorded. As soon as a company starts to treat its customers like that then a
gap in the market has just appeared. Large companies are rude. They treat their
customers as cattle, only fit to be sold to and nothing else.

Whatever it is that a large company sells, whether it is a product or a
service, they will not resist the temptation to rationalise their product range.
They will prune out low profit offers and major on the high profit ones.

So, a
customer walks into a supermarket and can’t find that duck liver pate that she
so loves. She asks the assistant why the product is not available to be met by a shrug of the shoulders, or, if she is lucky, a page out of the manual “how to tell a customer the Duck Pate is not economical for us to sell”. Now, a gap in the market has appeared. Let’s hope our customer knows Joe. He may just start stocking the Duck Pate. Yes, he will charge more than the supermarket did, but he recognises a gap in the market.

This happens all the time: companies grow; they cannot adapt to change fast enough; they begin to treat their customers with contempt; they remove product lines, leaving customers high and dry. As a company grows and stretches, it starts to leave holes in its product and service offer. As the holes grow, smaller companies fill them. Of course, small companies become large ones too, and so the whole process renews itself.

This is as natural as nature itself and should be allowed to continue with only the lightest regulatory touch. The process should only be interfered with when monopolistic practices are inevitable and unavoidable.

I mentioned customer service earlier and must moderate my stance just slightly. It is surely possible to have a call centre that is responsive to customers, that doesn’t record calls and is courteous, even friendly. If one exists, though, please let me know. The point is that customers’ time is valuable. Being held in a queue for a period of time on the telephone is an unwelcome imposition. Arkay Hygiene is the UK’s leading wholesaler of Insectocutor fly killers. After about a year, the ultra violet light emitted by the lamps used in the machines starts to degrade. Some fly killers use glue boards that are used to trap flies.

Before the onset of summer, customers who are not on an automatic replacement scheme will be on the telephone asking for replacement lamps and glue boards. Thankfully Arkay Hygiene is large enough to afford the best standards of customer care and very competitive pricing. It is also small enough to respond to customers’ requirements. When customers want to purchase uv lamps or glue boards Arkay Hygiene will respond there and then, without recording their calls!

Big may not be beautiful. Perhaps small is also not beautiful. How about medium -sized is beautiful. Not much of a slogan, but perhaps true all the same.

Vernon Stent is the marketing consultant to Arkay Hygiene. Here you can see IND65 glue boards and here you can buy uv bulb products

How would you like to have your name and web address spread all over the internet?

How would you like to have your web site move up to the first few pages on the major search engines?

Actually, it’s not as difficult as you may think. It requires some time and effort on your part, however, the rewards can far outweigh the effort that you put in.

Not only can you receive thousands of dollars worth of free advertising and promotion, but you can also develop a reputation as a smart person, one who many people would like to be affiliated with.

So, just what is this all-powerful genie of self promotion?

Believe it or not, it’s Article Writing.

That’s right, the absolute best method that I have found to get free advertising is to write articles and submit them to ezine publishers and article directories. Website owners and ezine publishers are always looking for content for their sites and newsletters. Why not let them publish yours.

Let me give you an example of the power of writing. I had written just 1 home business article and submitted it to about a dozen online article submission sites. Prior to this, when I checked Google to see how many links I had coming in to my site, MLM Wonders, it showed only 37 links. About 2 weeks after submitting my article I checked again and had well over 300 links incoming.

If you’re not sure what that means, let me explain.

By submitting my article to those few sites, I was giving anyone the permission to download it and use it as content on their sites. By checking just one of the sites I submitted to I found that my article was downloaded over 150 times. So, if 150 people put my article on their web site, just think of the exposure (and links) I am getting.

If you consider the fact that those 150 web sites may get thousands of views each month, my little article could be seen by hundreds of thousands of people. All at no cost to me!

You may also be thinking that people do not want to read articles that are just advertisements with a lot of links in them so how does that let you promote your site.

You’re right about that, and also remember that most article submission sites will not let you submit articles that are just advertisements for your site or products. In fact I don’t put any links into the body of my articles.

So how are all those links coming to my site?

Simple. With each article you write, you have the opportunity to put a resource box at the end. This short ‘Signature File’ is usually around 5 lines and is where you introduce yourself and tell the readers about what you are selling and how they can get more information. It can contain a link to your web site and an email address. This is your advertisement, and it’s free.

What’s the matter, don’t think you can write about anything interesting?

I didn’t think I could either. Then I got to thinking about what I have been doing online for the past few years. I thought about some of the problems I had and how I fixed them and how I used the internet to make money (i.e. this article). I also decided that other people may want to know about these things and presto, a writer was born!

Thousands of people are joining the internet every day and are looking for information on particular topics. Some may be looking for ways to make money, others may be looking for recipes, or articles on pets, or just about anything. The possibilities are endless. If you have a favorite hobby, share it with others by writing articles about it.

If you’re not sure about a topic, do a little research on the internet. Read other articles, check websites and then condense what you learn into an article.

You don’t need to be an experienced writer, just write like you would talk to someone about your topic. Try to be grammatically correct and check your spelling, or have someone check it for you.

Don’t try to write it all at once either. If you’re not sure what you are going to say, simply jot down whatever comes to mind then go back and fill in the paragraphs. Stop for awhile and then come back to it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can remember about your topic when you are just walking around, then you can come back and type it out.

Try to keep your articles between 500 and 1000 words. Keep your paragraphs short as this makes for easier reading. If you don’t like writing paragraphs, you could make it a ‘Tips’ article, for instance, “7 Tips For ***”, or “10 Good Reasons To ***”.

Writing articles can give you free promotion and at the same time develop a favourable reputation for you on the Internet.

So what are you waiting for?

About the Author

Randy Justason is the Owner/Webmaster of MLM Wonders - http://www.mlmwonders.com - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a home based business on the internet. You can subscribe to the MLM Wonders free monthly Newsletter at: mailto:subscribe@mlmwonders.com

Soaring through the air, watching the clouds and the birds fly by. No, you are not flying your own private plane, but you are doing the next best thing. You are flying an RC airplane through the sky. With a little practice, you can even have your airplane doing acrobatics, and you thought you would never be a pilot!

Flying RC or radio controlled airplanes is an excellent hobby, and it can be a lot of fun. RC airplanes are perfect as a father and son activity. Bring the family together with some airtime and share the joy of flight. If you want to get started in the RC airplane hobby, you do not need to be intimidated, with recent advancements in electronics; getting started in RC airplanes is easier than ever before.

What types of RC airplanes are there?

There is so much more than just airplanes in the RC aircraft world. No matter what type of aircraft interests you, there is something available for you. Some of the most common types of kits and models that you can purchase are:

1) Airplanes
2) Jets
3) Gliders
4) Helicopters
5) Blimps
6) UFO’s

In addition, of course, within all of these categories, there are a number of different styles. You can get simulations of most real airplanes and jets in the world. Whether you want to fly and old-fashioned bi-level plane or a modern jet. You will be able to find a ready to run kit or model kit that is perfect for you!

Can anyone Fly RC Airplanes?

RC airplanes are easy to operate and with a little practice, anyone can soon be an expert. You can choose from electric airplanes or gas powered. Typically, electric airplanes are the easier models to fly. With the advances in electronics over the last few years, the receivers in the planes are getting smaller and smaller, and lighter and lighter. This means that the airplanes are easier to manage, especially for new pilots.

When you are looking for airplanes that will be easy to manage, you should look for a model with a high wing. Airplanes with a high wing design provide much more stability. You may want to start out with an electric RC airplane and progress to a gas powered model, as the gas models are typically harder to handle and require quite a bit more experience.

Do I have to Build my Own RC Plane?

You have a few choices when you are starting out in the RC airplane hobby. You do not have to build your own plane; you have the option of purchasing a ready to fly or rtf kit. This is probably the easiest choice because everything you need will come ready in the box. All you need to do is do the final assembly and you are ready to be airborne.

You can also choose a kit that is almost ready to fly or arf. These kits typically only require minimal assembly. Often with this type of kit, you may need only to add the final paint job and the decals to be ready to go. You can buy almost ready to fly kits in a variety of finishing stages.

You always have the option of course to build your own RC airplane from scratch of course. There are endless kit options available if you are interested in this type of undertaking. The typical make it from scratch kit is made from balsa wood. You can use easy to follow instructions that will take you systematically through the entire process. This is obviously much harder and requires quite a bit more work, however for the experienced hobbyist, the rewards and self-satisfaction from creating your own model airplane can be extremely rewarding.

When you build your own RC airplane, you will definitely have a lot more work ahead of you. And these planes can be more difficult to fly. Often times they are touchier to steer and move and they require a lot more finesse. If you have a crash with your built from scratch RC plane, you will have to rebuild the part by hand. If you have an rtf or an arf RC airplane than you can simply purchase the replacement parts and have a quality part, instead of an inadequate repair job.

Your Final Choice

No matter what your final decision is regarding the type of RC airplane you decide to buy, you will be able to have hours of enjoyment learning to fly your aircraft. There are RC airplane clubs all over the country, and many of these clubs have their own airstrips. Whether you chose to be part of the larger RC airplane community, or enjoy your hobby alone or with a friend, RC aircraft flying can be extremely satisfying.

© 2005 http://www.rc-cars-now.com

About the Author
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.rc-cars-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including RC cars, RC airplanes, boats and more.

Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin.

Translated it means: Woon je in Oisterwijk of Veldhoven en hebt u BKR’ Lenen met en BKR codering is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een nieuwe auto met geldleningen met negatieve bkr registratie, 199741 euro is geen enkel probleem om te lenen. Van Wageningen tot Stein, financieren met een BKR registratie gaat hier altijd.

Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 7 percent. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 4 percent offered by competitors will change.

In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 3 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. See which lenders are charging fees 3 percent and for how much. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. Different lenders charge different fees. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 6 percent. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 9 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 3 percentage. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 10 percent. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 4 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, you’ve heard that; and it’s true.

Some 98.6% of all businesses are considered small, so they’re significant, and every large business was at one point, small.

Here are five challenges every small business faces:

(1) Staffing. How can small businesses attract and afford the best talent? This is tough, because larger firms and even the nonprofit sector and government might dispense better health benefits and even compensation. So, the small enterprise has to sell potential employees on the fact that they’ll gain experience, get hands-on training, and see more growth possibilities with them.

(2) Leadership & Management Skills. Most small business owners are great at some task, whether it’s cost containment, niche marketing, or creative skill. But they tend to not have formal training in how to manage their enterprises, or what to do, strategically, to make them better and to get their people to perform better.

(3) Sales. Every business can use more sales, and as one of my clients said, there are few problems in business that can’t be cured with a few more sales! Even if the boss is great at selling, he or she probably has too little time, and too many hats to wear to do it enough to take the enterprise where he wants it to go.

(4) Training. Without a capacity to train new employees quickly and efficiently, businesses can’t grow. Too little effort is put into the training function, and far too little investment, as well.

(5) Change Management. Because of its size, the small enterprise should, theoretically, be able to change on a dime, but it is more resistant than many firms hundreds of times its size. It is especially slow to abandon products that no longer contribute to profits, but that are held in esteem because “they put us on the map!”

These problems are not by any means, insurmountable. They can and should be addressed with the help of coaches, consultants, and others who can be brought in on a project basis.

The sixth challenge small businesses face, is the willingness to ask for that help!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone®, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com