Archive for 'stress management'

Is it possible to come to the United States to work for a family based ecommerce business?

I learned that for H1B visa, the occupational title that my employer applies for me should emphasize my education and qualifications. I have a bachelor’s degree in English, but “General Manager” is the title that my employer will apply for me to bring me to America and work for his family based ecommerce business (isn’t incorporated). I’ve worked for him for 2 months now via the Internet from across the Pacific. I do Market Research, Product Research, Business Applications/Softwares Researching and Testing, Website Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, Competitor Price Researching, Price Analysis, Profit Projection, Order Placing, Shipment Tracking, Customer Service, etc. Basically I work as a “General Manager” of the business though I don’t manage any human as we don’t have any other employees. I manage, manipulate, and monitor a wide range of softwares and web applications which perform almost all business functions. I really think I’m a “General Manager”, but will USCIS agree?

Reasonable hourly rate for Google Optimization (US/Can)?

Hi, I do all sorts of search engine optimization and internet marketing for a living.

I have a background in programming and a spectacular understanding of search engine frameworks, but I’ve only been in the marketing industry for a few months. I’ve been doing rather well working for myself.

Until now, I’ve only quoted prices to companies on a per-project-basis.
A company contacted me, and they want me to work from their office for several weeks, six hours a day.

They seem to like me, and are asking my hourly rate. I have an idea of what to say, but I just wanted to get an opinion from others.

What would you pay someone, per hour, to get your business on rank #1 for some search engine results pages?

Thanks.
@ Vishwas.
Actually, proper keyword research ensures that I can guarantee not only a first page ranking, but a #1.
This is a commonly perpetuated myth by those who don’t know what they’re doing in SEO.

Any suggestions of how to quote for web / brochure / business card design services?

I’ll be doing some freelance web design / brochure design and business card design very soon…

Can anyone recommend a pricing structure (excluding web hosting & registration) ….?

Ie – hourly rate as opposed to package deals…

With and without Flash components….

Search Engine Optimization…

Any suggestions for sites to check out for assistance with this..?

*** I would consider myself quite good at web DESIGN, but I wouldn’t say expert A List Apart type material!!! ***

What do you think guys..?

How much do I charge for designing this website? How much do I charge for SEO services?State Max or min price?

I just designed this website … and test-launched it… Here’s the link http://kmo.awardspace.us/

Please tell me the minimum or maximum price i can charge for this…. (I quoted $500)
&
How much do I charge for the Search Engine Optimization services if the client prefers it ??

Thx for any help

Would you provide me service for website business?

I want to purchase web service that include a
(1)a domain name
(2)12 months windows website hosting that include ownership of purchasing website (for windows server)
(3)Ready made website
(4)search engine optimization service for my hosting website
(5) I need all these service in price range of $80 -$120 US Dollar including service taxes & hidden charge.
Please help me

Which serious online forum could I join to learn more about Internet marketing and making business online?

Thank you!

Can The Internet Marketing of Adult Industry fukc The Crisis?

What do you think?

Which is The Best (e)Book or Blog/Site/Forum about The Internet Marketing of Adult Entertainment Industry?

I need a good quality internet marketing or webmaster forum?

I have tried some of the major ones and have been left dissapointed.

Digital Point – Mostly taken over by spammers posting lame one line comments or asking the same question that was just asked 3 threads earlier.

Warrior Forum – Mostly a bunch of marketers and wannabe marketers all trying desperately to sell each other ebboks.

V7N – Little in the way of traffic or useful information.

Can anyone please offer me some suggestions, are there any better forums out there for discussing things such as blogging, website creation, marketing, SEO and similar?

In terms of Affiliate Marketing, do internet forums do well in attracting traffic?

Or would another type of site be more profitable?

Internet marketing and SEO – Where should I focus my efforts?

There are so many tactics to boosting your site and keyword rankings. Currently I am trying a little bit of everything such as link building, blog posts, article writing, social media marketing, forum posting, etc. I want to know the tactic(s) that I should be focusing on most because doing all of this is extremely time consuming.

What are the chances of vinyl records making a comeback and replacing CDs and MP3s? Is audio technology….?

Returning to the past? I got the following article off CNET.com.

June 26, 2008 10:11 AM PDT
Making vinyl records the old-fashioned way
Posted by Daniel Terdiman 4 comments

At United Record Pressing in Nashville, Tenn., LPs are still made the old-fashioned way: with lots and lots of vinyl. This is a bin full of little vinyl pellets that will be melted into records.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–When people think of the Beatles coming to America, they usually conjure up images of The Ed Sullivan Show and screaming teenage girls chasing the Fab Four on the streets of New York.

But here in Music City, there’s something else to commemorate the earliest stages of the British Invasion: the fact that the first American Beatles 7-inch record was produced by United Record Pressing–then, as now, one of the largest makers of vinyl in the world.

On Monday, as I swung through Nashville on Road Trip 2008, I was lucky enough to get to visit the production facilities of United Record Pressing here and get a firsthand look at how LPs are made. Before you scoff at the notion of making records, consider that over the last few years, the format has made a big comeback, with sales skyrocketing and turntables moving off store shelves like they haven’t in years.

Why? The reason is pure irony.

According to Jay Millar, the marketing and sales manager for United Record Pressing, it has everything to do with the emergence of Apple’s oh-so-ubiquitous MP3 player.

“It really started picking up when iPods started coming onto the scene,” Millar said. “Everything got so sterile with digital that people were not spending time” with the physical manifestation of their music.

A record-pressing machine at United Record Pressing. The company is one of only three in the United States that still produces LPs in any meaningful amounts.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

In other words, as iPods began to dominate the music world, people were leaving their CDs on the shelves, and iTunes downloads, as well as those via file-sharing services, took over.

But for audiophiles used to actually handling some sort of disc, this change has led to a reversal of fortune for the LP, a format long thought to have gone the way of the floppy disk.

For a company like United Record Pressing, that’s been great news, as its sales have been going up steadily as more and more artists turn to records as a way to get their music into the hands of people who care about it.

So how is a record made?

First, a separate company with facilities nearby takes the original recording–which can come in the form of an audio tape, but (audiophiles, cover your eyes here) more often comes on CDs since many artists are using software like ProTools to cut their tracks–and uses it to cut the familiar circular grooves into an object called a lacquer.

The lacquer is then delivered to United Record Pressing, which begins the process of actually making the LPs.

First, the lacquer is sprayed with a layer of silver, which, after it sets, is then peeled off. The resulting sheet is known as the master, and it is the opposite of a record, because it has ridges rather than grooves.

The master is then used to make what is known as the mother, a metal version of the record that can, itself, actually be played.

At United Record Pressing, black is not the only color of vinyl that is used. There’s also red, orange, blue, gray, and even a mixture made from the cuttings of the other colors.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

The mother is then pressed into what is known as the stamper, and this, too, has ridges. The stamper actually is the basis of every record that comes out of this factory.

At this point, it’s all about raw vinyl, millions of little chunks of the material that resemble Pop Rocks.

And it’s not just black either. The company also makes records that are red, orange, blue, and gray. Sometimes, it takes all the discarded vinyl from several pressings and mixes them together into a kind of hodgepodge color.

First, the vinyl is melted down into what is called the biscuit. This is the center of the record, the round part with no grooves and the little hole. To this is added the label, which is pressed onto the biscuit, a step that doesn’t require any adhesive. Rather, the biscuit is so hot from the vinyl being melted down that the label sticks right on.

The labels, which are printed here by the thousands, are actually baked in a special oven so that they retain no moisture, something that could cause bubbling on the actual record.

To ensure that labels don’t bubble up after being pressed onto a record, the labels are baked in an oven to remove any moisture.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

Then, the biscuit is placed in the middle of a machine and then it is joined together with a fresh supply of vinyl, and together they are smashed between a plate and the stamper. A blade then shears off the excess vinyl, and voila! A brand new record slides out of the machine and onto a rack.

When all is said and done, it’s actually a remarkably simply process. But there’s still much more that must happen before an LP leaves the facility.

First, at least one of each new album run must be tested. So on one side of a room that long ago was used as a room for record release and signing parties–Hank Williams Jr. had a party thrown for him here when he was 16, Millar said–a woman is sitting and bobbing her head as she listens to songs on headphones, making sure the new record has no problems. If it does, United Record Pressing will have to tell the record company what the issue is.

There’s also the small matter of putting the records in their sleeves–something I saw two people tucked away in a corner of one room doing. They had their process down pat: grab an LP, inspect it quickly for obvious defects, pick up a sleeve, slide in the record, repeat.
Click for gallery

Millar showed me a room in the basement of the building that contained thousands and thousands of folders–really, they seemed like extra-thick album covers with no art–that contain the masters of every record the company has produced over the years. This is a treasure trove bar none, since United Record Pressing works with pretty much every major label you can imagine.

Inside each folder is the master, and a full set of all the associated materials: the master, a label, an album jacket, and anything else that might be included, such as liner notes. And these days, as with an Elvis Costello album Millar showed me, the folders may also hold an insert with information for a digital download of the album.

In fact, it is these digital downloads that may be heralding the re-emergence of the LP and the death of the CD. That’s because many artists are now offering record buyers a one-time free download of all the tracks on the album as a bonus.

This is still a small enough phenomenon, of course, to barely register on Apple’s radar. iTunes is safe, in other words.

Still, for audiophiles who used to buy CDs, this gives them a way to have a physical disc to listen to the music on, as well as a way to easily tote it with them.

“People don’t need their discs to be compact anymore,” said Millar, “because you can’t get much more compact than MP3. So it’s back to the big discs.”

can someone please critique my resume?

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
I possess the specific skills and knowledge – most importantly- the dedication and commitment to ensure that any task is completed on time and professionally.

Key accomplishments include:
•Skilled at all Microsoft Office 2007 Applications
•Able to Work Well in a Swiftly Changing Environment
•Positive Attitude and Excellent Attention to Detail.
•Fire fighter Certified ; CPR & AED Certified
•US Army Veteran

EDUCATION
Masters of Science in Business Management 2009 to present
Colorado Technical University
•Relevant Coursework:
oApplied Managerial Decision-Making
oProject Management
oProject Planning
oMarketing in the Digital Age

Bachelor of Science in Human services2006 to 2009
Colorado Technical University
•GPA: 3.14
•Relevant Coursework:
oAccounting for Non-Accounting Majors
oManaging Human Resources
oOrganizational Leadership

Firefighter 1&2 Hazmat Ops & Awareness2009 to 2009
St Clair County Community College
•GPA: 3.65 / 4.00
•Response to Terrorist Bombings Awareness certificate
•FF1 , FF2, and Hazmat ops/awareness
•56 FEMA Certification
•Organizational Leadership

06/05 Associate of Applied Science/Human Services 2002 to 2004
Concentrated in Criminal Justice & Human Services
Baker College, Port Huron, MI
Essential Courses:
•Legal Issues in Corrections, Client Growth and
Development, Security, Abnormal Psychology, General Psychology,
Sociology, Workplace Communication, American Political Systems,
Information Systems Theory, Word Processing, Mathematics for Business.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jones Monument 03/08 to present
Monument designer, stone cutter Port Huron, Mi
•Through my experience at Jones monument I was in charge of basic hand design of tombstone, as well as unsupervised field work. Field work consisted of using GPS navigation for mapping cemeteries plots, as well as engraving tombstones by hand within them. Attention to detail was a key aspect through this position.

Store Manager 12/05 to 10/07
Wireless Solutions Fort Gratiot, Mi
•This position was minimal supervised by our CIO and required new challenging tasks for me. Supervision of store employees, training, as well as multiple inventory transfers were key requirements. The continual changes made by the wireless carriers, meant keeping on top of the new technology for our customers. Weekly quotas and reports aided with these responsibilities.

Security/Maintenance 01/04 to 03/07
Baker College Port Huron, Mi
•This was an entry level position that I worked as a part time student worker; well attending college. A typical day would consist of cleaning classrooms, bathrooms, and carpets. The company vehicle was used to remove snow in winter, or to pick up supplies off campus. Reviewing security cameras was a daily task that was divided between myself and other staff on the maintenance department. I also tented to the general Maintenance of the company vehicle

Store Manager 2000 to 2002
Wireless Accessories Fort Gratiot, Mi
•Through my experience at Wireless Accessories I learned about the aspects of being a supervisor/Manager of a store. Daily responsibilities included opening/ closing the store, nightly deposits, taking inventory of products, direct ordering from suppliers, and working with customers. Weekly duties consisted of creating a by-weekly work schedule for 15 employees, employee training, interviewing, hiring/terminations, employee payroll recorded keeping.

Human resource specialist 2000 To 2004
US Army
•Organizing, maintaining and reviewing personnel records
•Entering and retrieving personnel information using computers
•Processing recommendations for awards and decorations
•Arranging awards ceremonies and preparing, updating and coordinating
requests for evaluations
•Preparing and monitoring Soldier requests for ID cards and tags,
leaves of absence and passes
•Ordering and maintaining office supplies and Maintaining filing
systems

Additional Certifications
•Professional Communication Certification from Colorado University
•Certification of Achievement from Federal Emergency Management Institute
•56 additional Certifications in various areas of Federal Emergency Management from FEMA

What is a killer resume title for my resume and can someone please critique?

Name left out
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
I possess the specific skills and knowledge – most importantly- the dedication and commitment to ensure that any task is completed on time and professionally.

Key accomplishments include:
•Skilled at all Microsoft Office 2007 Applications
•Able to Work Well in a Swiftly Changing Environment
•Positive Attitude and Excellent Attention to Detail.
•Fire fighter 1 & 2 Certified , CPR & AED Certified
•US Army Veteran

EDUCATION
Masters of Science in Business Management 2009 to present
Colorado Technical University
•Relevant Coursework:
oApplied Managerial Decision-Making
oProject Management
oProject Planning
oMarketing in the Digital Age

Bachelor of Science in Human services2006 to 2009
Colorado Technical University
•GPA: 3.14
•Relevant Coursework:
oAccounting for Non-Accounting Majors
oManaging Human Resources
oOrganizational Leadership

Firefighter 1&2 Hazmat Ops & Awareness2009 to 2009
St Clair County Community College
•GPA: 3.65 / 4.00
•Response to Terrorist Bombings Awareness certificate
•FF1 , FF2, and Hazmat ops/awareness
•56 FEMA Certification
•Organizational Leadership

06/05 Associate of Applied Science/Human Services 2002 to 2004
Concentrated in Criminal Justice & Human Services
Baker College, Port Huron, MI
Essential Courses:
•Legal Issues in Corrections, Client Growth and
Development, Security, Abnormal Psychology, General Psychology,
Sociology, Workplace Communication, American Political Systems,
Information Systems Theory, Word Processing, Mathematics for Business.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jones Monument 03/08 to present
Monument designer, stone cutter Port Huron, Mi
•Design and carve head stones to customer’s request
•Working with heavy equipment to handle gannet and marble
•Mapping over 40 cemeteries in the St Clair and surrounding areas and
•Understanding plot layouts

Store Manager 12/05 to 10/07
Wireless Solutions Fort Gratiot, Mi
•Sales of cellular phone/ carriers, inventory, stock.
•Working with a complex POS server connected to multiple stores,
Employment training
•Direct ordering from Verizon, nightly deposits
•Customer service

Security/Maintenance 01/04 to 03/07
Baker College Port Huron, Mi
•Maintained security on campus grounds
•Building general maintenance repairs
•Company vehicles general maintenance repairs
•Security camera reviews, and reports

Store Manager 2000 to 2002
Wireless Accessories Fort Gratiot, Mi
•Sales of cellular accessories, inventory, stock.
•Employment training
•Direct ordering from warehouse, nightly deposits
•Cellular repair and modification

Human resource specialist 2000 To 2004
US Army
•Organizing, maintaining and reviewing personnel records
•Entering and retrieving personnel information using computers
•Processing recommendations for awards and decorations
•Arranging awards ceremonies and preparing, updating and coordinating
requests for evaluations
•Preparing and monitoring Soldier requests for ID cards and tags,
leaves of absence and passes
•Ordering and maintaining office supplies and Maintaining filing
systems

Additional Certifications
•Professional Communication Certification from Colorado University
•Certification of Achievement from Federal Emergency Management Institute
•56 additional Certifications in various areas of Federal Emergency Management from FEMA

Quickstar Productions? Does this sound legit to you?

My band received an invitation yesterday to participate in a compilation cd these guys put together called 11th Hour Confession. The minute we got it we were skeptical and have been looking into it. If anyone else has ever gotten this same message or has any information about these guys, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Here is the message we recieved…

Hi,

I heard your song, “NEW Take Me With You COVER” and I am very impressed with it. We are currently working on a benefit compilation CD titled “11th hour confession”. It will feature emo artists from across the scene. I believe that your song would be a perfect fit on this project and I would be honored to have you take part.

My name is Joe Bird, and I am a project manager with Quickstar Productions, as well as a musician. Quickstar Productions is a company that specializes in designing music-marketing campaigns and supplying digital distribution services for record labels and independent artists. In 2005, Quickstar Productions released its first Comp CD as a way to promote unsigned artists. This CD was extraordinarily successful in accomplishing its mission! Over the years the company has built off that success and perfected a marketing plan to maximize exposure for the artist. Quickstar Productions is based out of Baltimore, MD and is an active member of the Maryland Better Business Bureau.

“11th Hour Confessions” is a CD designed to raise money and awareness for the charity called, To Write Love On Her Arms. They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those that need help with depression, addiction, and suicide, find help. Over the past few years they have been able to help thousands.

We really want this CD to benefit those affected by depression, self injury and suicidal intentions, but we also want it to be advantageous to the artists on it as well. Therefore we have designed a complete marketing plan for the CD. “11th Hour Confessions” will be marketed and made available in the following ways:

1. PHYSICAL SALES: You will receive 50 copies of the CD to sell at whatever price you choose. These will be professionally produced, retail ready CD’s. We recommend selling them for $8. That way you can make $400. You keep 100% of your sales. This is a great way to get more merchandise to sell at your shows and also a way to target other fans in your genre. The idea is that when each artist sells their 50 copies, the other artists on the CD will have their music exposed to other fans of your genre of music. Therefore, your song will be exposed to many new listeners.

2. DIGITAL SALES: The compilation will be made available for sale in all digital stores including iTunes, Rhapsody, Wal-Mart, Napster, and Amazon. Your song will also be available as a ringtone that your fans may purchase. You will receive 50% of profits generated.

3. EXPOSURE: The CD will be sent to record labels, marketing, and management firms. Along with the CD, a booklet featuring your picture and bio will be made available so they can learn a little bit more about you. In addition, free promo copies will be handed out at concerts in the Baltimore/Washington area. Quickstar Productions will also promote the album through the use of MySpace.

4. RADIO: The CD will be sent to college and internet radio stations and be featured on various podcasts throughout the world.

5. NETWORKING: Developing a network with other musicians is key to ones success. This comp CD is a chance to do so. You will be provided with all the other artists’ information before the CD is released so that you can start show swapping with one another, networking and helping each other out.

To have your song included on our upcoming compilation CD please visit our website, Quickstarproductions com, to download the submission forms. We do not charge a fee to be on “11th Hour Confession” but we do ask that you purchase 50 CD’s to distribute at cost ($165). That way we can cover the costs of the project so that as large of portion of the proceeds can be donated as possible. This will be the only cost to you. One of the most important parts of this project is getting the CD into the hands of fans. The more CD’s that you are able to distribute the more exposure everyone gets.
Please check out www QuickstarProductions com for more info on this compilation. Since we plan to release this CD as soon as possible, we ask that all submissions be returned by March 15th. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions. We appreciate your interest in helping To Write Love On Her Arms help others.

Rock on,

Joe Bird
joe @ quickstarproductions com
quickstarproductions com
Office 443//552//7058

PS. If you would like to check out past editions of “11th Hour Confessions” they are available on iTunes, Napster, eMusic, Amazon, etc.

I need help with this question?

The traditional financial technique of marginal costing is sometimes used as an aid in short term decision making within music and entertainment companies.

Understanding the distinction between fixed and variable costs and how this distinction applies to any activity enables us to deduce the break-even point for the activity in question.

Explain the uses of breakeven analysis, define breakeven point and analyse the weakness of this technique.

Task 2

You are an artist manager who has been offered two record deals for one of your acts. One is offering a traditional advance and royalties deal, the other is offering a 50/50 net receipts deal. Both deals have the same advance (£50,000) and are outlined in the attached contract extracts. As the manager, you have to explain to your client(s), the Act, what this means in financial terms. It is generally expected that the predicted sales level will be 100,000 units.

Normal costs associated with

CD Published Dealer Price £7.50 Digital Download Retail Price – £0.79

Discounts 12% Distribution Fee – 40% of retail price

Distribution Fee 10%

MCPS 8.5% of published DP

Faulties 1%

Manufacturing £0.48p per unit

1. Work out the royalty revenue, under the traditional deal, for a single CD unit.

2. Work out the royalty revenue, under the traditional deal, for a single digital download.

3. Work out the re-coupment point for the act under the traditional deal assuming that 75% is physical product, 20% is digital and the remaining 5% (£2,500.00) is synch income.

4. Work out the per CD unit credit and the per unit download credited to the artists account under the 50/50 net receipts deal.

5. If the record company spend a total of £100,000 marketing the album; work out the

re-coupment point for the act under 50/50 net receipts deal, assuming that 80% is physical product (£118.000), 20% is digital (£29,500) & the same sum of money is received for ‘synch income’ (£2,500.00).

6. Compare & contrast the two types of deal and comment on your findings. Remember this is what you would have to tell your clients – the Act.

Mobile Marketing For Small Business…Anyone Know Where I Can Learn About This?

I have a small company and I keep hearing about mobile marketing. Anyone have any good resources?

Thanks!

Ben

Which mobile phone companies the best in the market today?

How is the situation in China regarding mobile carriers? Can western companies enter the chinese market?

did not find any information, e.g. is t-mobile planing to enter china? please help me, it is a university project

unethical practices of some pakistani telecommunicaion companies like mobile company charge more than mention.

pakistani mobile companies charge rupee more than what in their tariff.and telefun service in pakistan targeting on childerns and charging 14.07 rupee per mintues.
i need research on these unethical marketing practices by these telecommunication companies.

How is t mobile market in the USA?

how is t mobile cell phone company market in USA and Germany?