Author Archives: schatzi

How to Write an Article – Writing Article Content

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Writing article content for distribution is a very important part of learning how to write an article, and how well or badly you do it can make or break your online business. If this sounds a bit extreme, knowing how to write an article that keeps the reader riveted to your page can make a massive difference to your business than if your writing was bland and uninteresting. That is indisputable. Most people find the title easy to put together, even if many don’t do it properly. However, it is the article content that most people seem to struggle with, particularly the first and last paragraphs.

It appears to be starting the article and finishing it that most inexperienced writers struggle with, not only with regard to the content of these sections but also the use of keywords. Article marketing is about writing articles that interest the reader, and then persuading these readers to visit your website. Not just any page, but a page that relates to the article. That is why you write an article – to get visitors to your web page. They must therefore be interested in your content, which must therefore be defined by the title.

For that reason it is difficult to regard each of the elements of an article independently. Each leads into the other. However, let’s have a look at what’s involved in writing article content, beginning with the first paragraph.

The first paragraph should take the form of an introduction to the subject of the article. The first sentence should include the main keyword, and will be very important in catching the reader’s interest. Although the title would initially have done that, it is the first sentence that will persuade them to continue or to click away. It should almost be like another title, reinforcing the topic heading, and leading into the main content of the article.

Many people will write an article without understanding the importance of the introduction and the way it leads into the main body, and also of the importance of the concluding paragraph, and how it should lead into the resource that comes after it. Writing article content, therefore, is an extremely important part of article marketing, and how you write an article can, I repeat, make or break your online business.

This is particularly so if you rely on article marketing as your major marketing strategy, where the click-through rate of readers to your website is critical to your success. You should therefore pay most attention to the title and first paragraph than to any other part of the article. The reason for that is that if these are not right, the rest won’t matter!

Introductory Paragraph

This should follow on from and reinforce the title. As previously stated, the first sentence should contain the main keyword. The next two or three should justify what you say in the first, and then lead into the main points of discussion. My first sentence above makes a bold statement, and the next three support it, or justify it. The final sentence then goes on to describe where the problem lies.

Body of the Article

This should expand on the points made in the introductory paragraph, and should follow on from the last two or three sentences. Expand on the main topic of the article, perhaps explain why the pint to you are making is important, and then propose a solution.

Of course, not all article are of the problem – solution type; some are informative and others narrative. However, irrespective of the subject matter, when you write an article for distribution you can and should still maintain a flow from title to first paragraph, and then from that to the body of the article, so that the interest of the reader is maintained.

Final Paragraph

The final paragraph should be a summing up, and lead into the author’s resource, where you publish your web page URL. You should begin by summarizing what has been previously written, and end by suggesting that further information might be useful. Read how I do it below.

Make sure you keep your objective in mind when you write an article, irrespective of the subject matter. Writing article content is easy if you remember to construct your title in such as way as to attract interest, and reinforce that in your first paragraph, particularly in the first sentence where you will repeat your main keyword. Writing article content with then seem much easier, although there is still lot for most people to learn in respect of selecting the right keywords, and constructing titles and initial paragraphs to keep readers fixed on your page.

Puppies Toilet Training – Does Your Puppy Know Where to Go?

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One of the topics that always comes up when people think about getting a puppy is toilet training. How is it done? How long will it take? Will I be able to do it? These are normal and very significant questions to have when you think about puppies. Toilet training is the first and most important behavior that a puppy must learn in its young life.

Will you be able to do it? With some guidance, most people should be able to toilet train their puppy. You should be aware that just like children, puppies need to reach a level of physical and mental development before they can have control over their functions. It might be very difficult to toilet train a puppy that is less than 12 weeks old and you are going to need a lot of patience for this task with a puppy or dog of any age.

It takes less time to train older than younger puppies. Toilet Training can begin at any age, but as mentioned before, a certain age must first be reached. In fact, a puppy that is six months old might only take a few days to train. It will depend on your skill and patience.

A good way to start toilet training your puppy is to “paper train”. This means having the puppy “go” on a newspaper that is placed in a consistent spot. The next step will be to train the puppy to go beyond the door, outside. Of course there will be accidents, but this is normal for puppies. Toilet training involves a lot of patience and consistency, but don’t get discouraged, just keep at it and don’t lose your temper. Your puppy will learn and it will make your life so much easier.

Yes you can toilet train your puppy. Make sure that you don’t start too young. Try to start with paper training or some other method, but be patient and consistent. It will take between a few days and a few weeks depending on your puppy’s age and your skill.

Choosing the Best School System For Your Children

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When many people are looking at communities to purchase a new home, they might consider factors such as market price, proximity to work, what the neighborhood is like, and local property taxes. However, when you are parents, there is also another very important factor that you need to consider when choosing a new home: the school system that you will be enrolling your children in.

In fact, the local school system is often one of the first things that parents ask real estate agents about a home they are interested in. Are the schools safe? What are the class sizes? Are the teachers known for excellence, and do the average test scores reflect good teaching? What are the extra-curricular programs like?

If you’re a parent who is looking to purchase a new home and move into a new community, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you wil be putting your kids into a good school district.

First, don’t be afraid to visit the local schools with your child and ask for a very brief supervised tour from a school employee. Check in at the school office with your child first, let them know that you are considering enrolling your child in classes at the school, and ask if your child can have a quick look at the school grounds.

Doing this won’t only help you make a decision about which school system you should put your child into, but it will also make your son or daughter feel much more comfortable with the upcoming move. This, along with some research about the school’s education record and performance, should give you a good feel for the local school system.

5 Secrets to Learn Spanish Fast

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You want to learn Spanish fast? Then don’t just go to evening classes like everyone else and plod along at a sedate pace with the rest of the class. You need to get focused and know where you are heading. Follow these 5 steps:

1. Know why you’re learning Spanish: Create a very clear reason in your mind as to why you are leaning: whether it’s to gain fluency for a job application, to prepare for a holiday to Spain in one month, or to reach a sufficient conversational level to get by only in Spanish in Mexico.

Most people do not define a clear reason for learning for themselves to focus on. You will absorb what you learn in your Spanish lessons twice as well simply by having an understanding of where you’re heading.

2. Turn the Why into a Quantifiable Goal: If you want to achieve fluency in Spanish for a job application, find out which official exam is required as proof of your fluency. Then study exactly what the exam requires you to know. If you’re learning for Spain in a month, your goal could be to learn all possible restaurant, directions, emergency and small talk language. If you just want to learn to a decent conversational level, make your goal to be able to talk for one whole day, or week, in Spanish.

Now you have a clear target to head towards, your mind will focus on the aspects of Spanish that you need to achieve it. If your subconscious mind has a reason to absorb information and clear goal, it will absorb twice as much and twice as easily.

3. Create pressure: Set the exam for six months. And commit to sit that exam in 6 months no matter what. Promise to yourself that on your holiday you will talk to no English-speakers for a week. For your conversational level goal – tell a Spanish-speaking friend that in one month you will spend a whole day talking to them only in Spanish. And ask them to hold you to it.

This pressure will focus your mind wonderfully during classes. Notice how different your attitude and speed of learning is to other students with no idea of their Why, Goal or Pressure!

4. Choose carefully How you’re going to learn: classes in schools are often Not the best way to learn Spanish: the pace usually slows down to the speed of the slowest student, and the teacher’s attention is divided amongst 10 or 20 students.

The very best way to learn is to go to Spain or Latin America and learn in a social environment. If this isn’t realistic for you, the next best way is to find a good home-study course, to learn at your own pace, in your own comfort, then follow step 5.

5. Get into the deep end! This is by far the most important step you must take if you want to learn Spanish fast – but 95% of students do not take it: simply find yourself a native-speaking conversation partner, who will talk to you at normal talking speed in his or her normal accent. Talk with them regularly, and you will progress beautifully. And very fast.

The vast majority of Spanish students never take this step. They study at a casual pace for years, then have real trouble understanding native Spanish speakers. Make sure you’re not one of them! Remember, the Spanish conversation you have in a classroom is nothing like real Spanish – and that is what you want to learn.

Just knowing these five steps already ensures you will learn Spanish 3 times as fast as the next student.

Earn CNA Certification in Maine for Healthcare Career and Listing on the Nurse Aide Registry

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Certified Nurse Aides are entry-level direct patient care workers, who perform nursing, and nursing assistant-related tasks in the licensed facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs and nursing homes, homes of the patients and various other types of healthcare settings. Maine laws and federal regulations require nursing assistants to be certified with CNA Certification in Maine, and registered with the Maine Registry for Certified Nursing Assistants in good standing to be eligible to perform entry-level nursing-related tasks and services. Department of Educational and Cultural Services (DECS) awards ME nurse aide Certification to successful nursing students.

However, there is an exception; nursing aides can work for a maximum of 4 months in a facility without a registration on the Registry, but they will have to submit training program participation documents to Registry. Nursing aides who have received NATP out-of-state can also apply for a temporary listing on the ME registry, pending appearance in the Bridge Exam. The temporary registration on the Registry will not be for more than 4 months.

Although, Maine ranks among the top 10 states with few New CNA Jobs, the state still requires a number of certified CNAs to work in varied health care settings. There are about 108 certified facilities, and 37 community hospitals and clinics in the state. Nurse Aides can always find employment opportunities in these facilities. In addition, 30.9% of the total ME population is 45 to 64 years of age, and 15.9% population are 65 years and above, according to the 2010 United States Census Bureau Summary File. The elderly people constantly require the services of nursing assistants to assist them with ADL and other routine cares.

Maine CNA Certification Requirements

In order to get certified and receive ME certification, a nursing aide must complete two crucial steps including:

  1. Successfully complete 180 hours Nurse Aide Training program including 90 hours of theoretical classroom course instruction, 20 hours of Lab training and 70 hours of supervised hands-on experience in a long-term care or licensed facility.
  2. Pass ME state Competency Evaluation Test.

Maine CNA Exam

ME competency evaluation exam is a 2-part test consisting a Written (or Oral) Test, and a Skills Test. The Written Test consists of multiple-choice questions, and the Skills Test requires demonstration of 5 randomly selected skills. Both parts of the test are independent of each other, and the nursing aide students must successfully pass both parts to be eligible for CNA Certification in Maine, and listing with the Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants.

Five Easy Ways for a Busy Parent to Get More Involved in Their Kid’s Education

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Did you know that one of the number one complaints from our teachers and educators nowadays is parental involvement or better non-involvement? Many parents seem to think that the school should teach their children, manage them when they are there and that they as parents do not need to be involved or put any effort in the education of their children. So if you want to change this and get more involved in your children’s education, here are five easy ways to do so.

One of the easiest ways to get involved in your child’s education is by being interested in his school day. Ask your child how school was or if anything interesting happened today and when your child answers, listen. Just asking will not help, you have to listen to what they say and respond to their needs. It is very important to ask everyday and to be consistent in asking and listening. When you ask your children about their school day and about their homework, it will signal to them that school is important to you and therefore should be important to them. Asking them about their school day and about their homework will also send a clear message that you expect them to learn and study.

A second easy way to get involved in your child’s education is to check their homework. Not only check, but also assist with the homework and help your child to study for exams. When you check your child’s homework everyday, it will ensure that your child does the homework and also that your child knows that studying and doing the homework are an important part of their education. Some days your child might be in a crabby mood or just plain does not want to do the homework. Give the child some free time, but insist on the completion of the homework by the end of the night or the weekend or some other arbitrary deadline before the next class. Set that time period as a deadline for homework completion and infrequently remind the child of it.

Almost as easy as the first two ways to get involved is the parent teacher contact. Keep up to date on your child’s progress in school; do not just wait for the teacher to send you information home. Frequently get in contact with your child’s teachers and find out about your child’s progress, behavior and anything that relates to school. There are many different ways you can talk to your child’s teacher, meet him after class at school, set up an appointment, set up a parent teacher conference, participate in conferences set by the school, call your teacher or even send the teacher a letter. Teachers like to hear from parents. The teacher knows that parental involvement is one essential key for student’s success in school. Teachers do not have the same influence on children as their parents do.

Did you know that getting involved in your child’s education also means to vote in school board elections? Yes, voting for whom you think will do best for the school can improve the environment your child learns and studies in. This is actually a very easy way to be involved in your child’s education; you have to make a checkmark on the voting ballot and are already helping.

Lastly, there are also setting guidelines, milestones and rules for your child. Be involved by not letting your child stay up late on school days, by limiting the time they watch TV and instead encouraging them to read a book, do their homework or study. While you set rules and guidelines for children to follow, make sure that you are a good example of what you preach. Don’t turn the TV on, after you have told your child not to watch TV, but to read a book. Get a book out yourself, or while he or she is doing homework, catch up on paperwork such as bills.

Bid Writing Courses

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If you do a quick search engine check for “Bid Writing Courses” then you are likely to find a plethora of different training providers. How do you know which to choose? Well, there are various accreditation bodies and I would expect these training providers to be part of this and affiliated with them and audited by them in some kind of way. If they are very good training providers then I would expect people to be talking about them and writing about them either in the press or online so do your research and find a company to use which looks like they are offering what you are looking for. If you can ask for referrals from other happy customers, preferably those previous and ongoing clients who have specifically used these training providers for their inhouse team of Bid Production experts. This is because, in my opinion, it is better to use a Bid Writing training provider with actual practitioners providing the training. If the trainers themselves have worked and/or still work in industry then this is so much better. I would much rather be trained by a Bid Writing practitioner come trainer rather than a training who was given the course material to learn themselves and then impart to others but has never even set foot in industry or written Bid Documents for real clients in real scenarios.

Training For Bid Writers

It is important to be fully trained in the art of writing Bids and develop the necessary skills rather than write PQQ’s and Bids by trial and error, and end up coming unstuck at some point and lose Tenders for lucrative opportunities. To take a step back for a moment and commission an external Tender Writing company to take care of your company’s Bid Document until you have your Bid Writing team inhouse, is a very good idea.

Once you have found a good Bid Writing Training provider then your new inhouse Bid Writer can participate in the course as a learner.

Becoming An Expert

Once a learner as been through a Bid Writing Training Course it is advisable for them to keep learning on an ongoing basis. Skills and experience are gained over time with the correct training provision. In fact, many courses form a basic foundation from which further learning can be done. Becoming a PQQ and Bid Writing Expert will take years and years of experience and practice. So keep at it and never give up!

Finding a good Bid Writing Course is a good start for any budding practitioner.

Why My College Experience Has Been My Most Valuable

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As a kid, many people get asked different variations of the same question: “What has been your best experience?” And even at that age, there are many joyful moments to consider-birthday parties, trips to the local amusement park, and bicycle-riding lessons. But often, it is not until your adult life that you go through many of your most valuable events. Some, for instance, may find their time in the military to be of utmost importance to them, while others sometimes find that their experience as a parent was the most rewarding one they have had. Personally though, I consider my time in college as my most valuable experience.

First, my experience in college has given me a chance to sharpen my skills in my field of choice. There have been, and there will continue to be, many opportunities to learn more ways of improving my craft as a result of my time in school, which I am truly thankful for. For example, the Writing Center at my school has taught me many writing tips and rules that I was unaware even existed, and would still be unaware of had it not been a part of my experience.

Because of this, I realized I still had a lot to learn despite what I thought; but this allows me to improve my skills more as I continue to attend school and also gives me more confidence in my area. And as a result, I know one day this valuable experience will help me in my search for another one-a rewarding career.

In addition to learning practical skills, being in college has also taught me a lot about social sciences such as sociology and history. For instance, I have had the privilege of learning about religions in unfamiliar parts of the world, such as Buddhism and Islam, that I had no knowledge of beforehand. From this experience, I have learned many interesting things about the cultures in which these religions are typically followed. Learning about many different religious ideas and practices in other areas of the world, like meditation, reincarnation, and the worshipping of multiple deities, has been valuable to me because it has cleared up some misconceptions I had, thus allowing me to be less ignorant on the topic. It has also given me a better understanding of others’ beliefs and traditions, no matter what region of the world they originated. This has made my time in college much more enriching and worthwhile.

Also, there are other social science subjects that were valuable for me to learn as well. For example, I was fortunate to have taken classes in psychology during my earlier years in college. I had always wanted to know more about psychology since I have found the human mind and how it works and develops very interesting. I have learned about the process by which the brain develops during infancy and childhood, the concept of repressed memories, and how distorted those memories become over time. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about all of this and hope to learn even more about different aspects of psychology in the future. I consider this subject a very valuable and important part of the college experience because, not only does it allow one to understand how their own mind works, but also gives them more knowledge of what the human mind and brain are actually capable of.

My experience in college, particularly the English program, has also allowed me to gain more knowledge about a variety of literary authors and types of literature. Had I not decided to attend Carthage, I would never have known about classic writers like Katherine Anne Porter, Kate Chopin and the many different plays from William Shakespeare. I have also learned more about what fables, short stories and poems are and how to tell between them. Also, reading those classic pieces has given me insight into what it was like to live in the author’s time era and what the oppressed female writers had to go through. Not only is this knowledge interesting to learn, but recognizing the differences between various methods of story-writing will also help me to be more versatile as a writer, thus improving my future career.

In summary, my time in college has enriched my life in many ways. It has provided me with the necessary tools to enhance my skills more, taught me valuable knowledge about this diverse world and people and concepts in general and eventually will enable me to hopefully become more successful in life when I finally graduate and get my degree. It also has stressed to me the importance of thinking critically and asking questions in many situations. All these aspects of college have also made me more well-rounded as a person. It has been easier for me to achieve these opportunities than if I lived in some other countries, especially third-world ones. These experiences are truly irreplaceable and I would not trade them for anything. If I could go back in time and speak to my much younger self when I was first asked the question, “What has been your best experience?” the baby-faced version of me would certainly have been surprised by what my answer is now.

Coaches – Consultants – Record, Then Re-Purpose Your Sessions

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Most coaches or consultants don’t generally consider recording their coaching sessions, but if you include this as part of your services, you are providing a value added service for your students or clients. They will be able to concentrate on the conversation and the coaching sessions rather than taking tedious notes, which will then have to be deciphered.

My coach taught me this. When he informed me that he would be recording our sessions, I was delighted. That way I could concentrate on what he was telling me, ask questions, and absorb more. Then when I wanted to refer back to something, I didn’t have to rely on incomplete, indecipherable or useless notes.

I also didn’t have to worry about my memory failing me. Months later I could use the recording to refer back to something that we had talked about. I also took advantage of listening to the recordings several times, always hearing more each time I listened to it.
Another time when I was taking a course on how to use Dreamweaver, I recorded the sessions myself and I have referred back to them many times over the months to refresh my memory. I found that those things which I used a lot came easier to me, but having the recording to refer back to for methods that I used less often, made it possible for me to retrieve that information even months later.

Listed below are six advantages for coaches to record their coaching sessions.

1. There is no need for the student or client (or the coach) to take notes. When I’m taking notes I find that my attention is distracted and I either lose my train of thought or I miss something that is being said.

2. I will also have a record of the questions or comments that I made. If I’m taking notes, I won’t usually write down my own comments or questions, taking for granted that I’ll remember them later. (Ha! That’s a joke).

3. Your recording can be referred back to so that information is not forgotten or distorted. Oftentimes when there is no recording and I do take notes, I find that my notes are either incomplete or completely incorrect. I may have learned shorthand in high school, but my use of it is very rusty now and it is hard to read at best. Also, when taking notes, my handwriting and abbreviations are difficult to decipher.

4. The coach has research material. If the coach is recording their sessions, they have research material to refer back to, or material for articles, downloadable books, or other information products. It is, of course, understood, that no confidential information will be disclosed, but much of what is relayed is advice or suggestions which can be used for someone else who may have the same issues. Oftentimes, when advising someone, a coach may wish they could recall what their advice had been in an earlier session so they could use that same sage advice.

5. The recipient of the advice will be able to recall 100% of the information. I don’t know about others, but my retention of material while learning is sometimes sketchy at best or non existent at worst.

I am delighted when I know the session is being recorded. So much so, in fact, that if the coach isn’t going to record it, I will record it myself. It is unquestionably a value-added feature and could result in your being able to charge more to your clients or students and give fewer sessions, freeing up your time to take on more clients.

Coaches/Consultants, if you aren’t now recording your sessions, I urge you to consider it. Here are some methods you can use.

o Small portable digital recorders if it’s a one-on-one session.

o Over the phone using a bridge line or a recording service.

o Telephone recording devices which can be purchased at your local electronic retail store or through the Internet.

Recoding coaching/consultant sessions is definitely a value-added service. One that you should consider. If you also get that audio transcribed, you have yet another information product to add to your collection.

Secret Careers in Ministry Nobody Ever Applies For

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When most people first consider careers in ministry, they mainly think about jobs as a pastor. There are many other positions you can pursue in the ministry besides being the head pastor of a church. The lead pastor and the youth pastor get all of the glory in a congregation, but churches hire people for many other positions in a church too. A small church may only have one person on staff, but churches with several hundred or several thousand members may hire people for a wide variety of positions.

If you don’t want to be a lead pastor, but you still want a career in the ministry, here are some jobs you can pursue today.

Ministry Coordinators or Associate Pastors
Large churches will hire pastors for a wide variety of roles. They may hire people who can lead various ministries at church. They may need someone who can head up the children’s ministry. Some congregations even hire people that can lead small group ministry, Sunday School classes, and various other ministries throughout the church.

Church Administrator
The primary purpose of a church is to lead the lost to Christ, but there is a business aspect to the church too. You need someone who understands money to handle all of the finances of the church body. This will free up your pastor to focus on the ministry of the church instead of the finances of the congregation. This is one of best paying careers in ministry you can get if you don’t want to be a pastor of a church.

Grounds Keeper or Administrative Duties
Larger buildings need regular maintenance. You need someone in the church who can cut the grass or hire a handyman to fix the issues in the building. You do not want your pastor to have to worry about all of these things when he is serving the community. In a small church, the pastor may do everything, but in larger congregations, there is a need for this position.

Music Directors
Music directors are responsible for the worship and music in the church services. They are often responsible for directing the choir too. Churches with thousands of people need people who can direct the congregation in worship, and this can be a full-time job. Most churches hire this person to work in a part-time capacity.

There are many careers in ministry you can pursue even if you don’t want to be a senior pastor. You should not pursue a career in ministry if you want to make a lot of money, but a career in serving the Lord is much more fulfilling than anything else you can do!