Not if you've already committed yourself to the press. Nothing will get a reporter or program manager more upset with you than having to print a retraction to a story they helped you promote or having to schedule another guest on their talk show because you canceled. 2. Never Do Anything But Your Best It's all about reputation. Editors, reporters, talk show hosts and program managers need to know, beyond a doubt, that if your name is associated to a story, it's about a project that's sure to be done right.

Whether you're doing an interview on a show with 30 listeners or 30,000 listeners, give the same 100% effort. 3. Don't Wait For The Big Story You have to keep your name alive in the newsroom. It's impossible to have a reputation if your name only comes up once or twice a year. Watch the news for angles you can twist your reputation, credentials or services into.

Keeping your name alive is easy if you stay in touch with the reporters. 4. Don't Wait To Get Started Reporters should get your press releases once every week or two. It keeps your name and subject on their mind and it allows them to call you when they have a story they need your input on. It also gives them backup information to look up when you send your press releases.

5. Don't Make It Too Long A press release can be one page only. There are no exceptions to this rule. Make it any longer and you're tipping off the reporters that you may not know what you're doing. 6.

Keep It Simple Make the press release simple, straightforward and to the point. Your releases should tantalize the reporters and give them no choice but to call you for more information. Print your press releases on simple white paper without frills or gimmicks. 7. Don't Go Overboard Avoid singing delivery people, costumed couriers, or any other cheap gimmick (regardless of how much you had to pay for it).

Reporters are interested in your story, not your bribes. 8. Establish A Trademark As best you can, make all of your press releases look alike. If you're consistent in your general appearance, it won't be long before media people will be able to glance over at an incoming fax and immediately know it's coming from you. This along with a good reputation as a source for good stories will get you pulled out of the crowd and dropped on top of the stack of press releases for immediate attention.

9. Remember It's The Story, Not You Your press release must not be an ego story about you. It's not about you. It's about the information you have that you're willing to make available to the media. The more you brag about yourself the less publicity you'll get.

10. Do Your Proof Reading Remember these are media people. Poor grammar or spelling will make a strong negative impression. Be sure you check everything carefully before sending it out. Before you write and send any press release, go down this checklist of mistakes to make absolutely certain you're not making any of them.

When you do that, you'll find reporters much more willing to ring your phone and book you for interviews..

Most people are flattered to get an email telling them how much you like their site and would they please give you the name of the developer. Alternatively, there are online directories that list web designers and programmers. Some of these directory sites give you the ability to request quotes from several developers who will respond to you online. If you find a developer on one of these directory sites, ask him or her for a list of sites they have done. Then call or email the webmaster or other contact person listed on some of those sites.

Ask if those clients were satisfied with the quality and timeliness of the developer's work, and whether the developer showed an understanding of their requirements and a willingness to listen. If you're willing to deal with people strictly by email, phone and IM, there are programmers in India and Russia who charge very little. Many of them frequent these online directories, so be aware that the person answering your bid request may be half a world away.

Some dont's in picking a website designer

Also, you don't want any hurt feelings if your friend's nephew does a rotten job and you have to tell him so. Nor do you want to be reticent about asking for changes because someone is doing the website for you as a favor. DON'T be impressed by awards.They're easy to get. Many of them are available to all comers. All you have to do is promise to link back to their awards site.DON'T be impressed by a slick marketing presentation.

If the firm is dominated by marketers, they may undervalue their technical talent. Some of the best companies are two or three person firms whose members are all actual designers and programmers. Three other things to consider: One: A marketer is overhead for a design firm. That means the firm that hires one has to charge you more to pay the marketer's salary. Two: A marketer knows how to sell, not the nits and grits of how to make a website.

You might as well start the process with the person who's actually going to make the website. Three: You may love the marketer you meet with initially, but that's not the person you'll be living with during the creation process. You need to be sure you can communicate with the person who's actually going to do the work. The final DON'T:Don't authorize work with a handshake. Get a contract spelling out who's going to do what and how payment will be handled.

It's for your protection as well as the developer's.As an internet development manager, I've worked with all kinds of design companies. I know you will find, as I did, that a good designer can make the process of putting up a website a pleasurable and edifying experience..

Many of the sources of cheap, high volume leads supply you with leads that have absolutely no interest in your particular business (or product or service) and furthermore, have been put into the list in such a manner that can get you into trouble with your ISP because you are unwittingly spamming (many of these bulk lead lists are created by robots that crawl the Internet and harvest email addresses) the recipients. In order to be effective in the promotion your particular proposition, whatever it is, you have to seek out your target market. This is as true online as it is offline. Just because you are able to reach huge numbers of people with your message on the Internet far more cheaply and quickly than you can offline, does this necessarily mean you should? What's the point of devoting your time and energies to marketing to a massive group of people without first knowing whether they, as a group, have a general interest in what you are offering? It is much more efficient and effective to first find out where your prospective customers congregate, and then target that congregation, than it is to use a shotgun approach and hope that one of your pellets will somehow find its target (you know... throw enough up against the wall and something is bound to stick).

You will find that by selectively targeting your prospects before marketing to them, your conversion ratio (the proportion of your target market that takes positive action and actually purchases your product or service) will be much higher than the results you would otherwise achieve without first taking the time to target your prospects. Once again, quality wins out over quantity. It seems that a great many webmasters have not stopped to ask themselves the all-important question...What is the purpose of my web site? For some reason, many of them seem to think that the purpose of their web site is to give away freebies. Or it could be to be a "showcase" for their products. Or it could be to create links to all kinds of resources.

Or it could be to have fancy flash graphics and build a brand name. One of the biggest mistakes people new to web design make is going for more "flash" than substance. They bog down their site with a bunch of fancy colored backgrounds, 3-D text, flash presentations, etc. If a visitor to your site is using a 56K connection and has wait to more than 8 seconds for it to load (which can easily happen on sites heavy with graphics), you can expect to lose about 1/3 of your visitors. If you're a business, the purpose of your web site is to sell a product or service.

Your web site should have one main focus. It should not be selling a dozen products, a dozen opportunities, or linking to a bunch of different affiliate programs. Presenting too many options has a tendency to confuse your visitor. When someone visits your site, it should be clearly obvious what one action you want him or her to take..

But, to make it short and sweet, here are some tips that you can use to get your business purring like a kitten that actually work:

• Your friends and family. Yes, they love you, and most of them are more than happy to help you out. What I did was design a killer flyer and asked them to distribute them to their co-workers and the like. Now that's cheap labor.
• I wrote a few articles that interested me and tied them in with my business then, approached various sites that I thought would be genuinely interested. Most of them that I approached were interested and, guess what, people are reading my articles with my business name tagged at the end.
• Donate a percentage of your profits to a good cause that interests you.

  This generates tons of interest in your business by word of mouth and by association with the company that you are donating to. And hey, you'll have better karma too.

• Send small inserts with your bill payments. Yes, with your bills. Traffic to my site doubled after I began doing this. The people that you pay money to are opening the envelope and depositing the checks that you sent to them.

  Why not add a small insert with your payment....they promote like crazy with inserts when they send you the bill. You're just returning the favor.

Following the 5 tips below will minimize your odds of data loss from corruption in your Access databases.1) Split your database.The single most important thing you can do to prevent corruption in MS Access databases is to split the database into a "front-end" and a "back-end". The front-end contains all of the forms, queries, and reports, while the back-end contains only the data tables. A copy of the front-end is placed on each user's computer, and the back-end with the table data is stored in a shared folder on the network. How does this prevent corruption? Well, consider the amount of information that must make it across your network to your computer each time you open a form or report. If one bit of that information doesn't make it intact, you risk corrupting your database.

Alternatively, if the forms, queries and reports are all stored on your local computer, then the only bit of information that needs to traverse the network is the actual table data. By reducing the amount of data you need to move back and forth across the network, you significantly reduce the chances of corrupting your database. If you're having corruption problems with an Access database on a network drive, splitting the database is the single most important thing you can do to stop it.2) Don't hold connections open.This one applies to both programmers and users. If you're a programmer, make sure you close your connections as soon as possible after using them. Leaving the connections open will allow more opportunities for an "unexpected" dropped connection.

The only time you may want to leave a connection open longer than required would when it's used inside a loop. For such a case, open the connection at the beginning of the loop, and then close it after the loop is completed. Just make sure it gets closed for all cases (including exceptions).If you're using a Microsoft Access database or application, be sure to close it when you're finished. Again, leaving the application open provides the opportunity for corruption if a network connection is lost. Remind users to always close the application before going home, as nightly backup jobs may fail or cause corruption in the shared file if there are open connections.3) Exit the database correctly.Always close the database or application correctly.

Ctrl-Alt-Delete/End Task can wreak havoc on Access databases. Whenever possible, complete your tasks, then close the application using the File - Exit menu option or alternative Exit option provided by the application.4) Don't skimp on hardware.Remember that the corruption flag can be set from the slightest packet loss between your computer and the database file. MS Access has sometimes been called "the canary in the coal mine". It has gained this reputation from being the first application to "die" when there's the slightest hint of trouble on your network. Just like the slightest presence of gas caused the canary to die, the slightest presence of network problems and packet loss can kill your Access applications.

Make sure you're not using the cheap built-in NICs that come with some PCs. Instead, use brand name network cards. The same goes for cheap hubs. Whenever possible, match good brands of equipment throughout your network.5) Routine compact and repair.Performing the built-in compact and repair function regularly is recommended to prevent corruption and improve performance. Consider automating this function with a utility to compact and repair all of your databases nightly or during the weekend.Error messages to look out for - the following error messages may signal database corruption:"2239 - The database 'databasename.mdb' needs to be repaired or isn't a Microsoft Access database file.""Record(s) can't be read, no read permissions on 'databasename.mdb'""Unexpected Error 35012""Unrecognized database format ?databasename.mdb'.""?databasename.mdb' isn't an index in this table.

Look in the Indexes collection of the TableDef object to determine the valid index names.""The Microsoft Jet database engine could not find the object 'databases'. Make sure the object exists and that you spell its name and path name correctly.""The database has been placed in a state by user '' on machine '' that prevents it from being opened or locked""Disk Error -- Reserved error (-1601)" "The database has been placed in an unexpected state." "Record(s) cannot be read; no read permission on 'MSysObjects'" "Record(s) cannot be read; no read permission on 'MSysACEs'." "The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot find the input table or query 'MSysAccessObjects'. Make sure it exists and that its name is spelled correctly."Conclusion:While you may never be able to prevent all Microsoft Access database corruption, you should be able to stop 98% of the problems before they occur by following these 5 simple tips. Follow these tips and implement a prudent automated backup schedule to minimize your odds of significant data loss..

• Cookie Gift Basket ? bake up some homemade cookies and enclose them in colorful plastic wrap, include a personal card or poem.
• Chocolate Lovers Gift Basket ? include individual fancy chocolates, boxed chocolates, or the person's favorite chocolate bars along with hot chocolate mix.
• Holiday Gift Basket #1 ? a Christmas holiday gift basket idea could include small stocking stuffers, candy canes and homemade Christmas cookies.
• Holiday Gift Basket #2 ? a Halloween holiday gift basket can be stuffed with candy, throw in some plastic skulls, spiders, cob webs and assorted creepy items.
• Wine Country Gift Basket ? wine and cheese baskets are favorites, include two bottles of choice wine from your favorite winery or wine shop, add cheese and crackers.
• Coffee Gift Basket ? Your favorite coffee lover will enjoy fresh gourmet ground roasted coffee (or their favorite brand), flavored creamer, cookies and a fun coffee mug.
• Italian Gift Basket ? include a variety of dried gourmet pasta like spinach, whole wheat, or dried tomato, two jars of pasta sauce, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, garlic bread and fancy olive oil.
• Tea Lovers Gift Basket ? you can include several varieties of black tea, green tea and herbal teas, a mug and homemade butter cookies adds a nice finishing touch.
• Champagne or Beer Gift Basket - the champagne basket would be elegant: includes a bottle of fine champagne, cheese and crackers, and fancy chocolates; the beer basket includes several domestic and/or imported beers, lagers, or ales, chips, pretzels and nuts.
• Pet Gift Basket ? dog and cat gift baskets are the most popular.

  For a dog you can include: homemade doggie biscuits or cookies, a doggie collar, doggie toys. For a cat you can include: cat treats, cat nip and cat toys.

He and Scott Jolliffe brought the idea for a customized online textbook marketplace to their fellow "Pi Kappa Phi" fraternity brothers Sarabjit Singh and Geoffrey Cox, who worked to design and implement the textbook site. www.urShelf.com was launched in Summer 2004, and is set to continue helping students into 2005 as an online bookseller for those in their college years. With their ongoing success in the Fall 2004 semester, the four are optimistic about this upcoming Spring. "We wish something like this had been around when we were still in college," Jolliffe remarks. "We might've done more of the reading," he jokes.

Indeed, college students across the country are about to reap the benefits from the cheap textbooks at urShelf.com? and they'll have no more excuses for not doing the reading. Visit http://www.urshelf.com and begin exchanging textbooks today..

The adjustment can be made in the field at the time of purchase, or during the installation process at home or at the office. The weight adjustment process is so easy, young children can perform the task. Additionally, existing flat panel users can leverage their investment in displays by easily upgrading their existing mounts to CF's more flexible desk stand or arm designs. CF's weight/height adjustability is also a benefit to channel partners and design-in customers who no longer need to carry a complex and wide-ranging quantity of inventory to meet end-user's requirements. One CF product model covers a wide range of LCD or plasma monitors, eliminating excessive inventory carrying costs.

"Today we are bombarded with visual information from displays and computer interfaces in our homes, stores, restaurants, hotels, airports, banks and vehicles. Ergotron's family of CF embedded products will make it very easy for everyone, from children to adults of all sizes, to access and use the information displayed," said Joel Hazzard, President of Ergotron. "CF will be critical to home theatres, office and school furniture, warehouse and distribution centers, factory floors, and the transportation and healthcare industry." The CF based products ensure a viewer can easily adjust display screens to the appropriate location and height, optimized for personal comfort and ergonomic health.The recently introduced Neo-Flex? LCD Stand and StyleView? cart are available now. The next product incorporating CF, the Ergotron LX? Desk Mount Arm, will be available in January. Over the next six months, Ergotron will be launching a complete new series of height adjustable Arms, Wall Mount products for LCD's and Plasma displays, Multi-Monitor Stands, and 20-inch, Height Adjustable Large LCD and Plasma TV Stands and Carts.

Product samples incorporating CF will be displayed at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Ergotron booth is number IP615 in the Innovations Plus area of the convention. About Ergotron, Inc. Ergotron is in the process of completing the merger with its sister company, Constant Force Technology, LLC. The merger is expected to be completed by January 1, 2005.

The combined company offers a wide range of mounting solutions for LCD and plasma displays, laptops, desktop, handheld PCs, and other digital monitors. From sit/stand mobile carts to wall, ceiling or floor-mount solutions, Ergotron's products target the home and office market, healthcare and pharmaceutical, manufacturing, finance, government, point-of-sale, kiosk and entertainment environments. Each Ergotron product uses space efficiently and provides the finest ergonomically adjustable access, wherever a digital display is required. Ergotron ? comfort within reach.StyleView is available in various configurations through the worldwide Ergotron distributor and dealer network. The Neo-Flex desk stand is available through distributors, dealers, and at leading retailers.

For more information on these or any Ergotron's products, please visit www.ergotron.com..

TAX BREAKS. Yes, terrific tax breaks. When you operate a home based business you can write off the costs for:

• The area in your home you use for the business
• Office supplies (including your computer)
• Related tools (hosting fees, journals, magazines, cable TV),
• Job expenses
• Travel expenses
• Meals and entertainment
• Advertising
• Your phone
• Legal and professional services
• Training
• And much, much more.

Most businesses cost AT LEAST $5,000 to get started. That's the VERY low end. You can actually start making money on the internet by joining an affiliate program for free and marketing with free ads. Even if you're getting your own site up it can be done for only a few hundred dollars. 3.

LOW OPERATING COSTS. Once you're up and running you can build your business on a budget of a hundred dollars a month or less. I'm including operating expenses like hosting fees, merchant accounts, etc. The less money you spend, the more time it will take, but you don't have that choice in most businesses. You usually have to have a lot of cash or you can't get started.

4. HIGH PROFIT MARGIN. Since your costs are low you keep more of the money you make from sales. If you sell a product delivered online (like e-books)you don't have to pay for shipping either.5. MARKET FOR LITTLE OR NO MONEY.

You probably already know this, but don't take it for granted. Online you can submit free ads, do ad swaps with your ezine, use pay per click search engines, etc. Check out how much advertising costs offline. Just to mail 1,000 letters costs $340.00! Instead you can e-mail your offer to 100,000 people for free.6. YOU DON'T NEED YOUR OWN PRODUCT.

There are a ton of folks with great products you can sell through affiliate programs. Go to www.cj.com for ideas if you don't know what you want to sell. You can make a great living just from marketing for other people in your spare time.7. TIME FREEDOM. You build your business as fast or slow as you like.

You can work all day or 2 hours at night after you put your kids to sleep. Work one day a week or seven. It's ALL up to you.8. JOB SECURITY ON AUTOPILOT. Remember job security? It doesn't exist in the world of being an employee.

If it takes you 3 or even 5 years to build your business from part time to full time at home, you're still ahead of millions of people depending on a paycheck for all 40 to 60 years they have to be an employee. 9. OPEN 24 HOURS IN EVERY COUNTRY. ...Oh yeah, that. Your site works for you while you sleep.

So does your advertising, the articles you write, and your ezine. Consider every little thing you do to market to be a new round the clock employee you just hired for free. These employees will stay out on the web working for you forever. The BIG SECRET is that the older your online business gets, the less work it takes to make more money.10. YOU KEEP THE CASH.

If you're an employee you are a cog in the company machine. The company keeps most of the money your labor produces. As you build your company online you keep ALL the money your labor produces. Since you're the owner instead of the employee, the bigger your business grows the fatter YOUR wallet gets!11. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.

Plenty of other folks have been in this game for awhile. They created the blueprints so you don't have to. If you learn how to do it from people who are already making a killing it's simple. You do what they've done and you will get the same results.12. CHEAP AND FREE RESOURCES.

You can subscribe to ezines full of free tips. You can buy information on how to build your business for as little as $14.97. Obviously, the more expensive the information is the more valuable it is and it will help you to build faster, but you can find plenty of great support that's cheap too. 13. YOU ARE A PART OF A COMMUNITY.

Online marketers are usually nice people who like to help each other. It's a great bunch of people to be dealing with. If you want support along your journey it's only an e-mail away. Do you know of any other business with all of these benefits? Network marketing is the closest and it still isn't even close to being this beneficial...unless you use internet marketing to build it.? Red To Greene, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com.