CUE ORG For Better Education And Information

How To Get 10% More Work Out Of Your Employees

It is getting harder to run a business for a profit. We
are faced with rising costs, lowered demand etc. Our
businesses have to be super effective just to keep up.

But:

* How many more benefits are possible?

* Will pay increases increase effectiveness?

* Do more benefits really cause workers to produce more?

Well there is a way to increase productivity without
increasing your Overhead.

We deal with doctors every day. And the number one
complaint the doctors get from their patients is that their
job is making them sick. And they aren’t far from the truth.

No I’m not saying YOU are making them sick. Their work
environment is making them sick.

Examples:

1. We had one office where the bosses turned off the air
conditioner at 5PM on Friday. They turned it on Monday at
8AM. All the workers were sick until noon on Monday.

That’s 10% of the work week was spent doing nothing but
sitting around complaining.

We asked the bosses to leave the air handler on over the
weekend. NOT the air conditioning, just the fan. This was
to keep the air moving through the HVAC filter. The stuff
the filter kept out of the air was causing workers sinuses
to hurt. It was giving everyone a headache.

Under the old cost cutting procedure ( turning off the
HVAC), it was taking till noon for the filters to catch
up to the air quality level it was on Friday at 5PM.
When the levels did reach that point everyone felt
better and work continued.

But now the problem was eliminated! The bosses got an
immediate 10% increase in work without paying a penny for
it. Sure they used 50 cents more electricity. And some
bosses will gladly lose $1,000’s of dollars in work to
save 50 cents in electricity. But some people don’t care
if the business makes a profit as long as they LOOK
like they are cutting costs.

This isn’t the only example of how the health of a building
cuts worker efficiency/effectiveness.

2. We had one business where the walls were covered with mold,
especially behind the pictures and calenders.

Everyone bickered and complained about headaches etc ALL week
long. Management was constantly talking to someone from the
Union about some complaint or another. Workers were constantly
taking sick leave. Employee clumsiness was costing a fortune
in copying machine and other mechanical repairs.

After cleaning up the mold, the workplace turned into heaven.

The point of this article is that the work environment
has a direct effect on worker productivity. Don’t hire more
workers, take care of the workers you already have. Give them
a clean healthy place to work. And just changing janitors
won’t help.

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

May 10th, 2008

The Future of Digital Photography

With the onset of the 21st century, photos can be manipulated and altered in many ways using digital imaging and computer aided techniques. Digital photography started a significant change in photographic technology and changed the nature of photography significantly.

Nowadays, the number of photos you can take is much higher, so you can afford to make mistakes. Also, a photograph can often be remedied on the personal computer, even if it was spoiled by too much lighting. While that has made photography more beginner friendly, it is still far from an easy hobby.

Photography has been present for more than a hundred years and yet new innovations are taking place even this day. Looking at it, one has to surmise that photography will develop again in the future. It’s never too late to get into photography and even now it’s too early to stop learning more about it.

Cameras have certainly come a long way since the early camera obscura. Today the digital point and shoot cameras used by many fit easily in one hand and are fully automated. You even need none of the film rolls present in cameras from a couple of decades past, but can store hundreds of high quality photographs on a memory card less than a square inch in size.

If this is the state of photography today, what may the future hold for us? Technologies such as high dynamic range (HDR) imaging and specular reflection have already been developed. They will probably enter the consumer market within the next few years. More long term plans on photographic technology include various forms of 3D modeling.

Regardless of which one of these technologies you will have in your digital camera a few years from now, one thing is certain: your camera will still not take the pictures without your guidance. Choosing the target, the angle of view and cropping the photograph will still be left for you to take care of and excel in.

If you are into photography, you probably want to get better at it. That requires practice - a lot of it. However, it is often helpful to be taught about the theory, too. That’s why online photography courses have become a popular method both for new photographers to get used to the art and for more experienced photographers to hone their skills.

[Keywords: digital photography, photography, future, technology, hobbies ]

May 9th, 2008

Questions to Ask When Designing a Website for Clients

Questions to ask when designing a Web Site for your client (s).

“Excerpt from the book: Graphic Artists Guild, Handbook Pricing & Ethical guidelines Written by: Brent Parker

These questions are a great tool to use when trying to develop your clients website. It gets down to the roots of web design, so there is a clear and precise understanding of what needs to be done. You can either make yourself a check list on paper for face to face talks or you can put it into Adobe PDF form, and have them download it from your website and fill it out later. It may seem odd at first, but in the long run it works out perfectly.

GOALS

• What is the client’s business and how will the client’s Web site advance it? What message is the Web site supposed to convey?

• Who is the primary audience for the Web site? The primary age group of the audience? Their professions, disciplines, and interests? (Designers should warn clients that if the target is a broad-based, international audience, with potentially slow modems, old browsers, or expensive service, this might limit the design options.)

• What are the secondary goals of the Web site? Is this an informational site or an avenue for internet-based marketing or revenue?

• What subjects, in order of priority, does the client want to cover on the Web site? Have the client define at least five separate area of subject matter and state what’s unique about their business.

ONLINE EDUCATION

• Does the client understand the difference between the Web and an online email service such as America Online? The answer to this question is an indicator of the clients overall Web knowledge. If the client does not understand the difference, the designer may want to factor in time for basic Internet education

• Does the client require a Web hosting account and/or dial up access? How many users? What user privileges would the client like?

• Is the account only for email or does the price quoted allow for server space to host a Web site? How many megabytes of server space?

• If the client already has an Internet account, is it with a true ISP or with an online service such as America Online? If the account is with an online service rather than a true ISP, extra costs or special arrangements may be needed to host the Web site.

PLANNING

• Who will give final approval of the project? If someone other than the clients’ team will have final approval, then the designer needs to make sure that person has Internet access and understands the Web.

• What domain name would the client like? (.com, org. net etc…) What are two to three alternative domain names in case the first choice is already taken/

• Are the client’s source materials in electronic form, and if so, does the designer need to handle file conversions? The designer may need to educate the client about how to submit materials in as consistent and compatible formats as possible. If necessary, the designer should provide the client with a variety of options and be prepared to do conversion’s

• Does the site required advanced functionality, such as database functionality (Access, Filemaker Pro, Microsoft SQL, Oracle Server)? Does the site need to be coded in a special language such as Microsoft ASP or Allaires Cold Fusion?

• Are there requirements for e-commerce, such as the ability to process credit card transactions, development of Shopping Cart strategies, survey forms, advanced configurator sales selectors, online games and interactive demonstrations, online chat and message boards?

• Is the site to be hosted in-house or with another provider? If in-house, the clients information services department should be included in the planned meetings.

DESIGN

• Is the website to be designed from scratch, or is it a makeover of an existing site? If a makeover, does the client want any additions?

• What look and feel would the client like for he Web site? The client should show the designer examples of Web sites, magazines, publications, or artistic works they like. Does the client have a specific genre, culture, or style in mind?

• Are there any collateral marketing materials (brochures, publications, corporate identity programs, or posters), preproduction sketches, or media (CD-ROM’s, video games, records, or tapes) that the Web site should be consistent with?

• Does the client desire graphics interactivity and/or multimedia (also involving content development and site mapping)? These typically include JavaScript rollovers and effects, animated GIF’s QuickTime or AVI movies, sound files, PDF downloads, Macromedia Flash animations, and interactivity.

• Does the client need a new logo or new collateral marketing materials and media to be consistent with the new Web site? If so, these design services should be quoted in addition to and not as part of the Web site proposal.

• Does the designer wish to negotiate a credit link that targets his or her home URL or email?

FOLLOW UP

• Does the client have the staff to respond to email? If not, the designer may need to explain that the client may develop a bad reputation in the online world if people don’t receive immediate responses.

• Does the client plan to have in-house site maintenance, or does the client want the designer to do it? Designers considering site maintenance arrangements should look carefully at the ability of their own organization to do at least biweekly of monthly changes

About The Author

Brent Parker is the creator and Webmaster of Sprywebsolutions.com. Spry Web Solutions is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We specialize in web design, corporate identity, business documents and other great design tools. If you are a business start-up or thinking about starting one, we have a Corporate Identity pkg complete with 10-12 pg Website, 1000 Business cards, Letterheads and Envelopes all custom for one great “low” price.

May 8th, 2008

Poker Online - the Future of Professional Poker

After the early days of the poker game, poker became a bit isolated from the world. Limited by law in many countries to high-rolling casinos, the poker game was out of reach for the average citizen. Therefore, beginners and novices who were interested in the game had a hard time to pursue their dream and improve their skills.

Why? Because they had to be ready to shell out large amounts of cash money to be able to play. Moreover, there was not enough opposition. One has to play hundreds or thousands of games to get professional level poker skills and it was simply impossible to do this in any but the worlds largest cities.

Luckily, with the information era of the late twentieth century, online poker came into the scene. Through the years, online poker has become so significant that the World Series of Poker accept entries from players of purely Internet based poker background. Today, playing poker online is the best way to improve, since one can always find an opponent in the Internet - regardless of whether it is day or night where you live.

There are also literally hundreds of online poker rooms to choose from. They each have their strengths and their weaknesses and most also their loyal players. The new wave of online poker has made the game readily available to each and everyone who is interested.

The consequence is that there are players to be found in every level of skill. By playing ones way through the low bet tables into the professional level high stakes tables, a new poker player can take his skills to the maximum. The professional poker scene is much richer today that it was just decades ago.

It is important to find information on different online poker rooms, because they have different levels of opposition. Depending on whether your goal is simply to win pennies or to become a better player, you should choose a completely different poker room to play in. Poker room reviews help by giving you that information.

[Keywords: poker online, professional poker, pro poker, poker skill, poker rooms ]

May 8th, 2008

Pink Honda S2000

If you prefer more modern car films to the older ones the chances are you will know which film the title of this post refers too. The Fast and The Furios is a classic modified car film that graced the silver screen about 10 years ago - and is still strong in the imagination of the youth. The username fastandfurious is one thats always taken - mainly because I want it and can never get it. The car in question is a chinese graphic designers PINK Honda S2000, and is a pretty good looking car in the movie - but in real life I swear honda s2000’s are just so damn small, I couldnt fit in one without looking like a pleb.

[Keywords: username, prefer, more, modern, car ]

May 8th, 2008

Home Buyers, Don’t Wait to Start Planning Your Housewarming Party

A new home is exciting on a number of levels, of course, but one of the nicest bonuses is that buying a new home affords a perfect excuse to throw a party. Then, especially if you haven’t entertained in a long time, it’s possible that your housewarming party will rekindle your desire to have guests over on a regular basis for friendly gatherings.

It doesn’t take a lot of capital to throw your first party. In fact, a housewarming party can be very informal, because by definition, you’ve just moved in and haven’t gotten completely settled into your new home. That takes a great deal of the pressure off, because your guests won’t expect more than a good time out by the grill with something to drink and eating supper off paper plates. That type of gathering isn’t going to strain the budget much.

Guest List

Keep your initial guest list manageable, and make sure the people you’re inviting have enough in common to be able to mingle comfortably. It’s best to invite folks who already know each other. A guest list of about a dozen is your best bet for your first attempt at throwing a party.

Invitations

Give everyone a couple weeks’ notice. You can print up invitations if you’d like. They’re not expensive anymore, and can easily be done on any home computer and printer. You might follow up with an email as the day gets closer, to remind everyone. You could also ask them to shoot you back an email to let you know if they’re coming. Written invitations usually get a better response than telephone calls.

Clean and Supply

Even if you just moved in, you want to clean your house well and make sure the bathrooms are well stocked with supplies, including toilet paper, soap, and towels. Vacuum the house and furniture, especially if you know that some of your guests are subject to allergies.

Outside Preparations

Before the guests arrive, put your own vehicles into the garage to give everyone lots of parking space. Keep obstacles such as lawn mowers, kids’ bikes, and skateboards out of the way to avoid anyone tripping over them. Add some colorful flowers in pots near the front door. For a nighttime party, add some white party lights around the doorway.

Enjoy Your Housewarming Party!

Greet every guest at the door and show them where to put coats and other items. It will also bring them up to speed quickly and comfortably, and let them know you’re glad they came. Give them a brief tour of the home, and then show them to where the main section of the gathering will be held. This will help ease them into the swing of things before you turn them loose with those folks who are already there.

As the party goes on, mingle. It’s your responsibility as the host to make sure everyone feels welcome and pampered. Move around and ask if your guests need a drink refilled or anything else. But the key is to have fun! If you’re having a good time, your guests will probably enjoy themselves, too–and your housewarming party could be the beginning of a whole new era of entertaining in your new home.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher, author of real estate investing and interior design books available on Amazon, offers free entertaining tips and holiday decorating tips at http://joyholidays.com

May 7th, 2008

How Sharing Romantic Love Poems Will Change The World

First Love’s Philosophy

by Percy B. ShelleyThe mountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;

The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine

In one another’s being mingle;–
Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;

No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it’s brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth,

And the moonbeams kiss the sea;–
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

What Love’s Philosophy Means To Me…

These kinds of short romantic love poems capture the magical time when love’s promise is just outside our reach. We are falling in love and nothing feels better and gives more hope!

I love to read ” Love’s Philosophy” out loud, and hear my own voice in which I can inject feelings and emotions — it seems to bring the poem to life!

It brings two worlds together - my experience and love of nature and the dawn of new love in my heart.

It takes me away to the thousands of miles I have hiked over alpine meadows, paddled torrent rivers and sailed over open seas. How many countless stary nights have I slept under? What thanks can I give to the moonbeams lighting my way on midnight runs through the Teton mountains?

When I read ” Love’s Philosophy” I know that Shelly is thanking God for me!

To see this union and mingle of all things in the eyes of my beloved, to feel her warmth and loving gaze is something that ” Love’s Philosophy” is point to.

I can not help, but take delight in such a union I feel as though I am joined with the spirit that flows through all things.

This is the gift of living with love. Peace and harmony. I call it happiness. To share it with someone you love is abolute divine. The keep it sacred and cherished is called humanity.

Romantic love poems are timeless, and transcend cultural barriers. They are like sunsets and sunrises.

They can be read over and over and still the magic lives in even greater glory.

It does not matter if you enjoy reading or writing poems of love, just enjoy them and share the joy!

Warm Regards

Erik Kampe

Love & Romance Editor, PWSH
www.pathways-womens-sexual-health.com

Join in and write your own page! It’s easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Share Your Favorite Love Poem & Story! It’s easy to do. How? Simply Click Here To Start!.

[Keywords: romantic love poems, love poem ]

May 6th, 2008

Sufferers with diabetes have a condition that…

Sufferers with diabetes have a condition that creates a problem with how their body produces energy for food. Our bodies use glucose, a form of sugar which our digestive system has broken down from the food we eat, which is then transported around the body via the bloodstream. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body but diabetes causes glucose to back up in the bloodstream. If the situation is not dealt with it doesn’t take long for the body to build up high levels of glucose in the blood also known as ‘high blood sugar levels’.

This subject has comprehensive information available on other sites and the information about the condition in this article about diabetes has been made short to enable easy and quick understanding. Young people (sometimes older) are liable to contract type 1 diabetes which occurs when the body stops producing insulin; this means insulin must be given to the diabetic on a daily basis for them to live. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and is required for the body to function normally. Type 2 is also called adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes; this is caused when the insulin is either not being produced in sufficient quantities or there is a problem in its use, however a careful diet plan can usually treat the condition.

Those energy foods which we all need to live are pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and fruit of course. Prolonged periods of high blood glucose levels can lead to problems like heart disease, kidney complaints, blindness and even limb amputations. Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications; some of these conditions can be slowed down whilst others can even be stopped. To manage your condition well, ensure you take your medication; this includes watching your blood sugar levels, blood fat and cholesterol in addition to quitting smoking.

You will also need to maintain your weight, and maintain your blood pressure to within the guidelines set by your doctor. Diabetes cannot be cured and once diagnosed it is a lifelong complaint; there are currently over five and half million Americans who have been diagnosed with this, and the numbers are rising. The problem is that here are probably another 5.5 million people who have this condition but just don’t know it; it is known that six hundred thousand new cases of will be diagnosed this and every year. The number of Americans who have diabetes and die each year is approximately 320,000 but only 34,000 die as a direct result of having diabetes.

[Keywords: diabetes mellitus, warning signs diabetes, gestational diabetes test, origin of diabetes, article about diabetes mellitus, leg swelling and diabetes, diabetes markers, losing weight to reverse diabetes, diabetes control naturist treatment, diabetes care, juvenile diabetes, what causes diabetes ]

May 4th, 2008

So, what’s an e-zine?

Technically they’re written e-zine (not ezine) although calling
them an electronic newsletter e-news or Internet newsletter
i-news clarifies what they are much better. They were given the
name e-zine (short for electronic magazine). Some people
pronounce the e-zeen and others say e-zin - however way you
write it or say it, an e-zine should be a special e-mail, sent
to you because you requested it.

E-zines are one way to build communities and relationships with
a potentially large number of people, for a minimal cost.
Instead of sending out a business newsletter, via postal mail,
you can send anyone who requests, your e-zine.

An e-zine can consist of one tip or they can include tips,
articles, ad’s, class information, suggestions, and more. They
can be sent out daily, weekly or monthly. Quarterly e-zines are
OK for organizations with paid memberships, but I don’t
recommend them otherwise. People who receive e-zines less than
once a month are apt to forget they subscribed and may think
you’re S*pamming them. I know that you don’t want to get accused
of that!

Formatting your e-zine is up to you, so decide what’s best for
you and your clients before you start.

Download a f*ree e-report “8 Categories: Choose Your E-zine
Hosting Service Now”, visit
http://www.coachmaria.com/ebooks/business2.html

May 4th, 2008

Delighting Customers - Three Solutions to Make the Difference

Customer service is the holy grail of most service and product organisations. Yet there are three basics that are vital to go further - to delight your customers…

The radio show I was listening to was debating the reasons for rude and offhand customer service. I had to share with them the three simple reasons for poor customer service (interestingly, they let the phone ring out and cut me off after a while, so not so special customer service at their end!).

So here are just three simple reasons - none of which are the fault of the person giving the customer service!

So then, three simple reasons - and solutions…

1. Firstly - the wrong people are recruited for customer-facing roles. Retail (my background), is tough - some customers are tough and it is not as attractive a proposition to some people as an easier number in an office. So recruiters panic and take what they can get - often the wrong people to face customers.

   Recruit ‘people’ people for your customer-facing work.

2. Secondly - management quality is frequently poor. Here, often again due to poor recruiting (because there is a big shortage of good managers in the UK), the wrong people get recruited into management - they are not ‘people’people either.

   Managers need to deliver results, sure, but they also need to use their employees in the very best way - by coming alongside them and working together, utilising their special skills and squeezing the very best from them.

   Yet, in a way in which the employee loves the work. It is fun, fulfilling and their environment is conducive to enjoyment.

   Recruit sharp managers, especially those who have the very best ‘people’ skills.

3. Finally - customer service is about focus. Your freshly recruited ‘people’ people, well supported from above, need to be freed up to look after the customers they want to give great service to.

   Organisations are much more demanding, to meet the requirements of shareholders profit needs, and use multi-tasking to drive productivity.

   Focusing on three tasks at once means they can’t give their total focus to delighting customers by building great relationships with every one of them. There is a place for multitasking, but other jobs must very clearly come second to customers.

   Personally, I think multitasking is actually less productive, but that’s me.

   Give your customer-facing people the complete freedom to focus on customers.

I never heard whether my comments got aired, though they did ring me back, the signal got lost. All that free advice, lost forever - except to reader here, of course! Focusing on my loyal ‘customers’

© 2005-6 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

…helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow…

May 3rd, 2008