The Calling Card Alternative

For a few years now, the calling cards business is booming. Everywhere you go, everywhere you search you might find one: in WallMarts, grocery stores, newspaper stands, vending machines in coffee shops. But the place you can find the most of these long distance alternatives is the internet. A quick search on Google, Yahoo or other search engines will reveal thousands of websites that sell calling cards. So,it's an easy pick, one might say. Well... not quite.

According to the FCC, almost 70% of the calling card businesses are fraudulent. Meaning mostly that they get your money but you don't get the calling card. That means that you have to be very careful when choosing a website to buy from. On top of that, calling cards vary in number and features, so you have to choose the one appropriate to your needs. Their low rates however, come with a price at times. Companies selling calling cards use VoIP technology and other third party carriers to complete their calls. While not as expensive as a satellite connection (hence the low rates), this technology is at the beginning, so problems may occur from time to time. This is why calling cards are not usually recommended for emergency calls. For calls within the United States however, calls made with calling cards (also known as phone cards) have a good quality and connection rate, given that you have found a good supplier.

So here are the steps you need to take to get the best out of your calling card purchase:

- Find a reliable website (this means no weird pop-ups, no advertisement of Viagra on the website ? you get my point).

- Take a look at the available calling cards and rates.

- Check out any details of calling cards: usually, next to or underneath the picture of the calling card there is a link that will take you to a "Details" page. Look for maintenance fees, rounding, any other surcharges, expiration dates.

- If you intend to make a lot of long calls over a short period of time, choose a card with a maintenance fee. This means that a certain amount will be deducted from your balance each week/month until you use up the card. But if you plan to make so many calls, you'll probably use the card up by the time the maintenance fee is deducted. Calling cards with maintenance fees also tend to have lower rates.

- If you use the card just once in a while, choose a card with no maintenance fee. These cards usually have higher rates, but you don't have to worry about your balance going down if you do not use the card.

- Look for a Customer Service number. Reliable companies have Customer Service, in case their customers have questions or problems.

After this, get the card you this is best for your needs and wait for it to arrive in the email. Unless otherwise specified, you should be able to use it immediately. Good luck!

Robert Mann is the co-owner of http://www.callingcardshome.com - offering calling cards and long distance service to and from over 150 countries.

A Medical Intuitive Look at Past Life Wounding

In my work as a Medical Intuitive, I come across many instances where a client's past lives are impacting their current physical and emotional health.

I do not think that our spirit essence endlessly progress from one life to the next without having other options between lives. My thoughts are more aligned with the research performed by a remote viewer. His name is Lyn Buchanan. In his book The Seventh Sense, he describes remote viewing sessions he did on what happened to people's souls after they died. What he found was really interesting. Some people seemed to return to their families of origin, spending time with deceased loved ones. Others appeared to merge with the Light, an all-encompassing, blinding energy that could be said to be God or a higher dimension. Others went to a very dark place, a place so dark it lacked color, substance, or any familiar shape or form. It was "the void," perhaps what is commonly thought of as hell. And other souls he viewed seemed to be born again into different bodies on the physical plane, often with a brief break of a decade or more between incarnations.

One of the most interesting things that Buchanan found was that some souls appeared to journey backwards in time. For instance a person who had died in 1995 could come back to a physical life, however it would be in a past time. This goes along with quantum realities which state that past, present and future all exist simultaneously. Buchanan talks of seeing many modern day souls reincarnating into a past period like the 1800's.

Certainly in my work I have come across people who just don't fit in the modern world. Their physical body is the contemporary one; however their energy wiring is very different.

In working with these clients, I have learned that the world of spirit shows us things about past lives on a "need to know" basis, only revealing information if it pertains to issues we're working through in our current life.

Healing Past Life Wounds

In the medical intuitive work with clients, I've discovered that past life death wounds leave terrible scars on the energy body. The energy body is a holographic, four-dimensional field that contains all of the information about what that spirit has experienced in various lives. While the pleasant memories are there, the traumatic ones are also.

With some persons, the death wounding suffered from a past life will make itself present in the current body of the person. One of my clients was killed by gassing in a former life, and in this present life she has a serious problem with breathing and is very sensitive to odors.

? 2005 Christopher Stewart

Christopher Stewart is a Medical Intuitive assisting others in their healing process. His work is compassionate, uplifting and empowering. You can visit Christopher's website at http://www.clairvoyantguide.com for further information and to schedule a private consultation. You can also look for frequent updates to his blog at: http://intuitiveliving.blogspot.com/ Publisher's Guidelines: You may freely publish this article online, in email newsletters, or in print so long as the resource box and byline are in tact. Author would appreciate a notification, however that is optional.

Never Stop Selling

The question: "When should a growing company slow down its sales function and focus solely on delivery?"

The answer: "Never!"

When fast growth is the focus of your company, the only constant is that you will always, and I mean always, need more sales. It doesn't matter how full the sales pipeline looks, you need more sales. It doesn't matter that you have no idea how you're going to deliver the order you just took, you need more sales. And it doesn't matter that you're booked for the next year, you need more sales.

To understand why you must keep selling in the face of certain income, I will introduce you to "Murphy's Law" of Sales which states that "whatever business can be lost, will be lost!" Customers will change their mind, cancel orders, and in some cases just go out of business altogether.

There are numerous snags that can stop your sale before it hits accounts receivable and unfortunately most are beyond your control. The good news is you can protect yourself against this uncertainty by filling the sales pipeline at all times, no matter how good things get.

Enlarge the Pipeline

A great way to protect your sales future is to increase the expectations of your sales pipeline. If you think you need to put $1 million in the pipeline try moving that number to $2 million. I'm not suggesting that another million dollars worth of sales are going to magically appear just because you updated your Excel spreadsheet. Instead I'm suggesting that you raise the bar on your projections so that you can absorb the inevitability of losing sales along the way. It's far better to be over prepared.

Spread the responsibility

Because small companies typically cannot afford to hire several salespeople they often rely upon the founder or another single person to do the job for the entire company. The problem with this approach is that there is too much reliance on one person to feed the entire organization. Sometimes people run into a cold streak, get distracted, or just aren't the right fit at the right time. Any one of these factors can cripple your sales pipeline.

Instead of relying on an individual to bear the company's entire sales load, spread the responsibility across all members of the organization. A great way to do this is by giving other people in the company an opportunity to participate in the sale process as well. Allow others to help prepare presentations, give them responsibility for "up-selling" existing customers and ask them to use their professional networks to identify new opportunities.

When you're hot, stay hot

Another mistake growing companies tend to make is celebrating their victories and resting in the spoils of sales. You've just won that huge account and now you don't have to sell for six months while you rake in the dough, right? Wrong! The worst thing a company can do when it's hot is to stop selling.

The confidence and positive energy behind a big win is a force you cannot possibly replicate with bonuses, company meetings or sales team pep rallies. Harness the positive momentum from big sales to make more phone calls, setup more meetings, and close more deals. It's much easier to call that next client after you've made a big sale than when you're on month three of a cold streak.

Keep your sales team in sales, not delivery

Now your winning sales team is landing customers left and right and it's time to start delivering on the promises they made over those expensive dinners. Since the customer naturally expects the sales team to be along for the delivery, your top salesman should be along for the ride, right? Wrong again.

The sales team is there to sell, not deliver. And any time that they spend servicing your existing customers is time they aren't spending finding the next customers. As soon as the shoe salesman becomes the cobbler he's doing the wrong job. Get your sales team right back into the field as quickly as possible and let the people in your organization responsible for delivery service your customers.

Watch the Horizon

It's easy to get distracted today with a big win and all the obligations that come with delivery. All of a sudden you need to worry about staffing, office space, equipment and of course satisfying that customer you just spent all your time wooing.

While you don't want to miss delivery, you simply can't afford to lose sight of the next sale on the horizon, which means it's time to pick up the phone, schedule a meeting, and close that next sale. The only thing more important than your last sale is your next sale!

- Wil

Wil Schroter is a serial entrepreneur, author, and public speaker. Wil has been recognized as U.S. Small Business Person of the Year, twice as the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (1999 & 2004), and is a member of the Business First Top 40 under forty. Connect directly with Wil at wschroter@yahoo.com. Visit http://www.goBIGnetwork.com.

Can Newbies Avoid The Pitfalls?

Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has decided that a career in public relations will be your Caviar and Champagne in life, here are four situations in which you do not want to find yourself:

1. You confuse the basic function of public relations with sub-parts that make up the whole like publicity, crisis management or employee communications.

2. You feel unsure in approaching public relations problems, then uncertain about what counsel to give your employer/client.

3. As the years pass, you rely on career-long misconceptions about public relations but forge ahead anyway advising the employer/client ineffectively sometimes with damaging, if not dangerous counsel.

4. You realize too late that you have gone through your entire career without a firm grasp of what public relations is all about.

Newcomers can avoid those pitfalls by grasping early-on The Rosetta Stone of public relations, i.e., a guide to understanding the discipline and its core strength. Namely, people act on their perception of the facts; those perceptions lead to certain behaviors; and something can be done about those perceptions and behaviors that lead to achieving an organization's objectives.

Which is why, when public relations goes on to successfully create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, it accomplishes its mission.

NO organization - business, non-profit or public sector - can succeed today unless the behaviors of its most important audiences are in-sync with the organization's objectives. And that means public relations professionals must modify somebody's behavior if they are to help hit the employer/client's objective and earn a paycheck. All else are but means to that end.

And here's one way to get there:

-- identify the problem or challenge
-- identify target audiences
-- set the public relations goal
-- set the public relations strategy
-- prepare persuasive messages
-- select/implement key communications tactics
-- monitor progress
-- and the end game? Meet your own behavior modification goal.

A bonus: you are using a near-perfect public relations performance measurement. I mean how can you measure the results of an activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve the goal you set at the beginning of that activity? You can't. It's pure success

So, as a beginner, can you expect to avoid the four pitfalls listed above? Yes, and here's why:

-- With proper preparation, you will not confuse action tactics with the basic mission of public relations because you will know precisely what each is and just what fits where in the public relations problem solving sequence.

-- You will feel more confident about providing counsel to the employer/client because the public relations problem at hand can be clearly identified allowing you to select solutions that obviously fit into the action sequence outlined above. You will identify your target audiences because you will know exactly who your employer/client wants to reach, and the necessary action tactics will then be self-evident.

-- You realize that you have gone through your entire career WITH a firm, successful grasp of what public relations is all about.

Of course, on the way you will also nurture the relationships between your target audiences and your employer/client's business by burnishing the reputation of the organization, its service and products. You will do your best to persuade those target audiences to do what your employer/client wants them to do. And while seeking public understanding and acceptance of that employer/client, you'll insure that your joint activities not only comply with the law, but clearly serve the public interest. Then, you will pull out all tactical stops to actually move those individuals to action. And your employer/client will be pleased that you have brought matters along to this point.

But when will that employer/client of yours be fully satisfied with the public relations results you have produced? Only when your "reach, persuade and move-to-desired-action efforts have produced that visible modification in the behaviors of those target audiences you, and they wish to influence.

In my view, this is the fundamental premise of public relations, its central, strategic function and the basic context in which you must operate in your pursuit of a successful and satisfying public relations career.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

Quality Time?

There's a phrase that's become popular over the past few years that fills me with wonder. That phrase is "quality time." We've all heard it, and we all seem to accept it as a real concept. But to the average country person, that phrase is difficult to comprehend.

Here's what I mean. Last summer, my 10-year-old son Cody and I spent an entire day walking the fields, checking fences. When we saw a post that needed straightening or a strand of wire that needed to be tightened, we set right to work. Sweat poured across our faces, our shirts grew soaked from the hard work we were engaged in. But as we strained against the task at hand, we talked about his little league baseball team and how he could improve his hitting to the opposite field.

Then, as we walked a little farther down the fence line, we laughed till we cried when a covey of quail nearly gave us a heart attack as they exploded out of the grass in front of us. We heard the amazingly varied call of a cardinal in the woods off to our right. We saw two red-tailed hawks circling lazily over our heads, and marveled at how they could see field mice at such a height.

It was a typical day for us, father and son. We weren't doing anything "special." We were working. And yet, I know from similar experiences with my own dad when I was Cody's age that days like these would be the ones that came to mind once he'd grown up and had children of his own.

So I ask again: was that "quality time?"

Think back to your own childhood. What things do you remember most about your parents? Was it the fact that your dad worked 16 hours a day at the office, and fell asleep on the couch on the weekends because he was too exhausted to move? No, I'm willing to wager that's not what you remember. More likely, you remember the time you went for a long walk along the country road in the rain and came home looking like not only something the cat had dragged in, but something he'd dragged in and forgotten under the refrigerator for a month.

It's been said that kids spell "love" ... t-i-m-e, and I couldn't agree more.

So the next time you hear yourself thinking that you'll make it up to your daughter when she asks you to play "Chutes and Ladders" for the seven millionth time, remember: your kids are watching you, and it doesn't matter how young they are; they know how to spell the word "quality," too.

Strangely enough, to our kids, the word "quality" is spelled exactly the same as the word "love."

They're both spelled T-I-M-E.

From the book Spider's Big Catch

Gary Anderson

www.abciowa.com

? 2004. Gary E. Anderson. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Gary Anderson is a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter, and manuscript analyst, living on a small Iowa farm. He's published more than 500 articles and four books. He's also ghosted a dozen books, edited more than 30 full-length manuscripts, produced seven newsletters, and has done more than 800 manuscript reviews for various publishers around the nation. If you need writing or editing help, visit Gary's website at www.abciowa.com.

abciowa@alpinecom.net

DECT - A Brief Explanation and How We Could Benefit From It

DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications. Unlike analogue cordless phones that used to be frequent in many homes and businesses around the world, DECT is a digital wireless communication technology that is through its advanced reliable infrastructure bound to make cordless phones even more common in businesses and homes around the globe.

DECT formerly stood for Digital European Cordless Telecommunications standard. This is because the technology involved was primarily developed by European companies. It was changed to reflect the global acceptance of this cordless telecommunications technology.

DECT uses TDMA which stands for Time Division Multiple Access, to transmit radio signals, much the same as Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). GSM is designed for mobile communications over longer distances, where as DECT has been designed especially with short distances and large user numbers in mind. Many of today's modern cordless phones can operate in dual mode, giving the user seamless DECT and GSM integration.

Below are five major applications of DECT cordless technology;

1. Cordless Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

This allows companies to connect to a wired telephone company and then re-distribute their calls over a DECT cordless phone system through a radio antenna. Users could each have their own number and make use of all the features of a fully functional PBX phone system. A DECT cordless PBX phone system would be especially useful to companies or organisations that have a large number of mobile employees, such as warehouses, hospitals and building sites etc. It is even possible to convert a wired PBX into a fully functional DECT cordless system with the addition of specialist DECT equipment to your existing wired phone system.

2. Wireless Loop (WLL)

Users in a neighbourhood typically served by a telephone company wired local loop can be connected instead by a cordless phone that exchanges signals with a neighbourhood antenna. A standard telephone (or any device containing a telephone such as a computer modem or fax machine) is simply plugged into a fixed access unit (FAU), which contains a transceiver. The wireless Local Loop can be installed in an urban area where many users share the same antenna.

3. Home Cordless Phones

With the huge range of multiple handset, one cell DECT systems on the market these days, people can install a single cell antenna anywhere in their home and have a DECT cordless handset in each room.

4. Cordless Terminal Mobility

The arrangement that is used by a lot of businesses for their cordless PBX phone systems, could also be used by a service wanting to provide cordless phone numbers for individual subscribers. This system in general will provide less mobility than that of a GSM based system, which would give it's users a greater range.

5. GSM/DECT Internetworking

The DECT standard is able to interact with the GSM standard, allowing users to move freely with a telephone from the outdoors (GSM signals) into indoor environments (DECT signals). In the future many GSM service providers will want to extend their services to support DECT signals inside buildings. A dual-mode phone would automatically first search for a DECT signal and then a GSM signal if DECT is not available.

Thank you for reading my article,

Jason

Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. Specialists in the supply and installation of business phone systems and accessories.

Getting the Best Auto Loan Rates

Getting a good auto loan rate is not luck, but rather a skill that you must learn. There are good auto loan rates available if you know the tricks of the trade and how to negotiate to get the best deal for you. Remember, you should not be afraid or nervous when trying to negotiate your auto loan because you will be saving yourself money. That should give you the courage to try and get the best auto loan rate available. Follow these suggestions as well to guide you in buying a new care and negotiating your auto loan interest rate.

Auto Loan Tip #1 Buy at the End of the Month

Frequently car dealerships have contests and the winner of the contest gets a good prize, whether it is monetary or physical. Generally, theses contests are a month long, so by the end of the month the salesman are crazy to make a sale regardless the price. So, you will be able to negotiate a better price on your vehicle during these types of competitions. The lower the cost of your vehicle, the better terms you might be able to get for your auto loan.

Auto Loan Tip #2 Have Good Credit

Now this might seem obvious to you, but everyone is not aware how their credit will affect their auto loan rate. If you have great credit, go buy a car whenever you want because you have grounds to negotiate an auto loan on. If you have bad credit, work on rebuilding your credit for several months and then try to get an auto loan. This effort alone will help you in more areas than just your auto loan rates.

Auto Loan Tip #3 Negotiate Your Auto Loan

When talking to an auto loan lender don't divulge how much money you can spend per month on your auto loan. If you throw out the highest number then this will be the starting point and exactly what you want to avoid. Instead, negotiate with the lender, know your limits however and that there are other car dealers and lenders out there. You never should accept a first offer without trying to get a better deal.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.loans-center.info a blog focusing on the latest Auto Loans news, resources, and articles. This site provides detailed information. For more info visit his site at: auto loans

Big O

Growing up, I remember my Dad had some really good friends. They had the most amazing, positive and magnetic energy. Arguably, they were also among the "coolest" of their time. One in particular, is not only admired by me, but by countless others who affectionately know him as, "Big O." "Big O" is called "Big O" for several reasons. The most obvious; he's big! Two, his first name is Orin. And three, his son, Orin, Jr., is nicknamed, "Little O."

"Big O" just happens to be big on optimism, as well. Quite frankly, he's one of the most optimistic and friendly individuals you could ever meet. Optimistically, he led his high school football team. Optimistically, he happily married and became a loving husband, father and grandfather. Optimistically, he took the initiative and brought Little League Baseball to a small city that didn't believe it was possible. Optimistically, he mentored children from several communities. Optimistically, he built a state-recognized program for hundreds of troubled youth. Optimistically, he ran -- and successfully served -- as Mayor of my city. Optimistically, he comforted my family when my Dad died unexpectantly. Optimistically, "Big O" did, and continues to do, the most incredible things.

Optimistic individuals are enthusiastic, grateful, and positive visionaries. Optimistic people passionately share their ambition, energy, ideas and plans. Optimistic people stay committed to their dreams, values and goals. Optimistic people not only positively affect the lives of others, but their own lives as well. But, most importantly, optimistic people neither have to be big, nor have a first name ... which begins with the letter "o."

Fran Briggs is an inspirational speaker, author and peak performance coach. She is also the principal of The Fran Briggs Companies, an organization which helps groups and individuals take their potential, beyond the max! For more information or to sign up for your free successzine/newsletter, visit http://www.franbriggs.com/

This essay is dedicated to Orin Allen, Sr., in recognition of the tremendous leader he is; and the person of magnificent influence, he has always been.

The Hendrickson Mayfly

Mayflies are essential to trout fly fishing. There are still ultra purists who consider casting dry mayfly patterns upstream to rising trout the ONLY form of fly fishing. I wasn't brought up that way and find that way of thinking too limiting. For one thing it would severely limit my time on the water, and would force me to get rid of about three-fourths of my beloved fly fishing gear. However, I must admit, there is a certain timeless quality to casting classic dry flies upstream to rising trout. And if that were available to me year round, well I might move to closer to ultra purist status.

One of the classic mayfly species is commonly called the Hendrickson. But it's Latin name is Ephemerella subvaria, and then there is the Light Hendrickson and it's Latin name Ephemerella invaria. But it doesn't stop there, there are several species that entomologists have identified. But we as fly fisher's have simplified that and lumped all these into Light Hendrickson and Dark Hendrickson.

How the Hendrickson mayfly received it's common name is a bit of fly fishing lore. As told by Roy Steenrod of Liberty, New York:

'"One day in 1916, while we were fishing the Beaverkill below the junction pool at Roscoe, a hatch of flies came on. We had never seen the fish rise so freely for any fly as they did for this hatch. I caught one of the flies and put it into my fly box, and after lunch that day at Ferdon's I tied some patterns of the fly as nearly as I could. We took fish with fly day in and day out, and for years it proved to be a killer and is so today. One day, while sitting on the bank of the stream perhaps two years after I had tied the first patterns, the matter was brought up as to which I would call or name the fly. Looking at A.E., the best friend a person could ever wish to have, I said, 'the fly is the Hendrickson.' I saw at once that A.E. was pleased.'

The Dark Hendricskon or the Ephemerella subvaria is one of, if not the first substantial hatch on many rivers every spring. When water temperature hits 50 degrees the fish begin seeing and keying on this mayfly. The males and females look very different, while the Dark Hendrickson pattern is a great imitation of the male, the Light Hendrickson is probably closer to the female. However, the classic pattern described above is the Dark Hendrickson, that worked so well all those years ago. And still does today.

The Light Hendrickson pattern is commonly used for two other mayfly hatches. The Ephemerella invaria can also be called Pale evening Dun or Sulphur and is commonly mistaken with the Ephemerella dorithea. But the invaria hatches first, often right after the subvaria or Dark Hendrickson. It is more robust than the later Pale Evening Dun or Sulphur patterns. For most fly angler's however, it is enough to remember Dark Hendrickson first then Light Hendrickson second. Once in a great while angler's will not have any luck on rising trout hitting the Dark Hendrickson, even though it is only the subvaria that is out. Perhaps the trout are keying only on females, for whatever reason switching to the Light Hendrickson seems to do the trick.

One other thing about the Light and Dark Hendrickson fly patterns. Is that they make great general all-purpose mayfly attractor patterns. Renowned fly fishing author Skip Morris, has proposed that only two mayfly patterns are required in one's arsenal a dark and light pattern. While most angler's wouldn't be comfortable with such a limited offering, these two patterns would complement each other just fine. The Dark Hendrickson is second only to the Adams as the most used all purpose mayfly attractor.

Let's also not forget the sub-surface version of these great trout mayflies. The common three patterns that cover the whole Hendrickson family of may flies are as follows. Of course there is the Hendrickson Nymph, which is a close cousin of the all-time great Mayfly nymph the Pheasant Tail.

The Hendrickson's, whichever Mayfly is on the water, are a versatile combination to have in your possession. They can be traced back to when affluent fly fisher's had their own tier's, and they are still used today. Classics never go out of style.

About The Author

Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company - http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com.

Bailiffs & Council Tax - Knowing What To Do

This article is about bailiffs who may call trying to collect Council Tax or Community Charge (Poll Tax) arrears. If a bailiff has contacted you to collect another sort of debt the law might be different.

Council Tax and Poll Tax are usually collected by private firms of bailiffs on behalf of your local council. They try to take your goods away and sell them, usually at auction, to raise money to pay the debt. The process they have to follow to say they want your goods is called 'distraining' or 'levying'.

From October 1998 bailiffs who call must be "certificated". This means they must have a certificate from the County Court allowing them to act as bailiffs. You can complain to the County Court about a certificated bailiff.

From April 1998 you should get a letter from the Council telling you how much you owe and warning you that a bailiff will call if you do not pay the debt within 14 days. It will also tell you who to contact at the council if you have a query. Contact the council and try to make an arrangement to pay what you can afford immediately. If the council agrees then they can stop bailiffs calling out and save you extra fees.

DO I HAVE TO LET THE BAILIFFS IN?

IF THE BAILIFFS HAVE NOT BEEN INTO YOUR HOME BEFORE TO COLLECT THIS DEBT, THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO COME IN. THEY CANNOT BREAK IN. YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO LET THEM IN.

* DON'T open the door to them as they may try to push past you. If they get inside, they have a right to enter again and may break in to take your goods.

* DON'T leave windows open or doors unlocked - bailiffs can legally get in through these. Bailiffs CANNOT get the police to help them break in.

* BEWARE! Some bailiffs may leave you a phone number, and arrange to come round to 'have a chat'. Don't let them in, even if they say it's only to use the toilet or make a phone call.

* Bailiffs MAY try to break into sheds, garages, greenhouses etc., even though this is illegal. KEEP VALUABLES SAFE! They may be able to take cars, motor-bikes and other vehicles parked near your home.

* Politely but firmly refuse to let the bailiffs in. Offer what you can afford to pay. If the bailiffs accept your offer, ask them to return to their car, and go out and pay them. Make sure you get a receipt.

DON'T SIGN ANYTHING! If the bailiff leaves papers for you to sign and return, you do not have to do this. You don't have to sign agreements posted through your door either.

THE BAILIFFS HAVE ALREADY BEEN INSIDE MY HOME

THIS IS MORE SERIOUS. If you have let them in before, then bailiffs have the right to return to you home and if you don't let them in, they are allowed to break in.

* Contact the bailiffs straight away and make an offer to pay the debt in instalments. Show them a copy of your personal budget so they can see you are offering as much as you can afford. You will need to treat this as a priority debt as bailiffs could come back and take any goods they have listed if you don't pay. Get a receipt for any payments you make.

* Contact you council and ask them to take the debt back. Ask your local Councillor for help.

WHAT THINGS ARE THE BAILIFFS ALLOWED TO TAKE?

There are some things that the bailiffs are not allowed to take at all; such as goods that are rented or hired. The regulations also say that the following items are exempt and can't be taken:

* "Such tools, books, vehicles and other items of equipment as are necessary for use personally in employment, business or vocation"

* "Such clothing, bedding, furniture, household equipment and provisions as are necessary for satisfying basic domestic needs of the person and family".

* This list is not very specific so you may find that bailiffs have a different idea of what items are necessary for you to keep and what can be taken. You can complain about what the bailiffs take if you feel the items should have been exempt.

CAN THE BAILIFFS TAKE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT MINE?

The bailiffs can only take things which belong to you and/or goods which are jointly owned by you and your partner. If they want to take goods that belong to someone else (your children, partner, lodgers etc.) explain that the goods do not belong to you. If you can, show a receipt or note as proof. The owner of the goods may have to provide a sworn statement in the form of a "statutory declaration" to say this is the case. They cannot take goods which are rented or hired. This includes goods on hire purchase agreements. Show them a copy of your credit agreement if you can.

WHAT IF I HIDE THINGS OR GIVE THEM AWAY?

If the bailiffs haven't yet been in, you can hide things or take them somewhere else. If the bailiffs have already been in, you are committing an offence if you remove goods that they have said they will take. You can hide them on your premises but the bailiffs can search for them.

BAILIFFS PROCEDURES

If the bailiffs are distraining for Poll Tax or Council Tax, there are certain procedures that they have to follow. They must have with them:-

* written authorisation from the council for them to call. They should show you this if you ask.

They must leave you a copy of:-

* the law setting out their powers and what they can and cannot do. These are the "Enforcement Regulations".

* the charges the bailiffs are allowed to make for each visit. You should check they have not added too much on to your debt. See the schedule at the end of this fact sheet.

* any agreement you have actually signed. This will be called a "Walking Possession" agreement and includes a list of goods the bailiffs have warned you they may take.

HOW DO I STOP THE BAILIFFS?

* You can try to make an arrangement to pay the debt back at a rate that you can afford. You can offer the money directly to the bailiffs, although it is easier to get them to accept your offer if they have never been into your home. Always get a receipt for any money you pay.

* Bailiffs cannot send you to prison. If the bailiffs have never been into your home and they will not accept your offer, all they can do is to pass your debt back to the council. It is important to make an arrangement to pay the council, or they may try other ways of recovering the money, such as taking money out of your wages or your benefit.

* If the bailiffs refuse your offer it is important to put the money you have offered aside so you can pay it to the council as soon as the debt is passed back to them. Write to the bailiffs and the council telling them you are saving the money up as the bailiffs have refused to take your payments.

* If you are on Income Support, Pension Credit or Job Seekers Allowance, some councils' have a policy for not using bailiffs and will accept an offer from you or agree to accept direct payments from your benefits. Ask your council if they are willing to take the debt back from the bailiffs so you can pay them directly.

* If the council won't help then contact your local councillor and ask them to take it up with the council for you. Explain what hardship you will be in if the bailiffs come to your home and take your belongings.

HOW DO I COMPLAIN?

The Lord Chancellors Department has issued National Standards for Enforcement Agents. These good practice guidelines set out general rules for how bailiffs should behave and what procedures they should follow. You can mention these standards in your complaint but the standards are not enforceable by law. We can give you details of the standards or they may be found at the Department for Constitutional Affairs website www.dca. gov.uk/enforcement/agents02.htm

GET ADVICE FIRST. Bailiffs law is very complex, and even if you think that what they have done is unfair, they may still be acting within the law.

* From October 1998 bailiffs have to have a certificate granted by a court to collect Council Tax. A complaint from you can help get the certificate withdrawn. Ask your local County court if they have a form for making a complaint. If not, write in to the Court Manager with details. The Court will hold a hearing and can cancel the bailiff's certificate, order compensation and order return of the goods. A bailiff can be fined for collecting without a certificate.

* You can complain to the Magistrates Court, and there have been cases recently where the debt has, in effect, been written off when it has been proved that bailiffs have acted illegally. This is done by making a complaint and asking for a hearing. The court can order return of the goods or compensation.

* You should complain to the council as the bailiffs are acting as their agent. They can ask the bailiffs to look at your complaint and change their procedures. If the council won't help you could talk to your local councillor who may be prepared to take your complaint up with the council.

* You can ask the local Government Ombudsman to look at your complaint if the Council refuse to help you.

BAILIFFS CHARGES

You may be able to complain about bailiffs charges. The amounts they are allowed to charge for council tax and poll tax are set out in the schedule on page 5. The amounts they are allowed to charge for council tax are set out on the next page in the schedule. There are lower fees for poll tax collection. These are shown in italics. If you feel you have been charged too much you can complain in writing to the Council and the bailiffs. You may be able to ask the County Court to look at the charges for you see below. Phone us for advice.

You can find out what is 'reasonable' by making enquiries on a local basis. For example, if you have been charged ?80 for attendance with a van, and local enquires indicate you could hire a van for a morning for ?40 this is clearly unreasonable, especially as it is likely that bailiffs will be visiting several properties at once, and many companies own their own vans.

In the first instance, complain to the bailiffs themselves. You can tell them you know their charges are excessive and that you will be taking further action if the charges are not reduced to the levels shown in the schedule.

* You can then complain to the council as the bailiffs are acting as agents of the Council. There have been recent cases that have been taken back in front of the Magistrates Court over these issues, with the result that the councils have been forbidden to take any further recovery action, or in other words, the debt has been written off. So it IS worth complaining.

* You can apply to the County Court for the costs to be checked. This is called "Taxation". The court can look at a complaint within 12 months. They will decide if the charges are excessive or not. There is a fee to pay to the court for this application. If the court decides not reduce the bill at least 20% you can be liable for the bailiffs firm's court costs. You need legal advice first.

USEFUL LINKS

The Secretary
Association of Civil Enforcement Agencies
Kensington House
33 Imperial Square
Cheltenam
Glos
Tel: 01242 241456
Website: www.acea.org.uk

The Secretary
Enforcement Services Association (ENSAS)
(formally The Certificated Bailiffs Association) Ridgefield House
14 John Dalton Street Manchester M2 6JR Tel: 0161 839 7225
Website: www.bailiffs.org.uk

Local Government Ombudsman (England)
Millbank Tower
Milbank
London SW1P 4QP
Advice Line: 0845 602 1983
Monday to Friday 9.00 am ? 4.30 pm. Website: www.lgo.org.uk

There are 3 Local Government Ombudsman offices for England. Please contact the advice line to check where to send any complaint.

Local Government Ombudsman (Wales)
Derwen House Court Road Bridgend
CF31 1BN
Tel: 01656 661 325
Website: www.ombudsman-wales.org

Author: Michael Sherriff

After writing 100's of articles relating to UK Credit and finance Michael has also written a book that blows away the myths surrounding UK credit repair. A number one seller in the UK called "UK Credit Secrets 2005 Edition". This book can be found at UK Credit Secrets

Corporate Branding ? Dont Forget Your CDs!

Companies have been branding their collateral materials such as letterhead, envelopes, business cards, etc. for years. In fact, we often identify a company by its familiar logo or special color scheme. Branding works!! At the same time, many companies send customers and vendors large files, proposals and presentations on CD-Rs. Since CD-Rs have become the "new and more efficient" way of exchanging important information, it would seem that more companies would find it valuable to brand their CD-Rs also.

Most CD-Rs purchased by businesses come from retail office supply stores. These generic CDs usually have the logo of the retail store or disc manufacturer printed on the label. So why promote the store that sells the media? Companies are missing an excellent opportunity to brand themselves in this manner!

Another positive to branding with this type of media is in the perceived value of the media itself. People tend to keep CD-Rs because they are perceived as something of value.

To make sure that you don't miss this important branding opportunity, here is the solution! Find a CD duplication vendor who will provide your company with branded media. Yes, you too can brand your company by arranging to have your logo screen printed on each piece of blank media you purchase (ours is pictured above). Also, the quality of the media will be much higher than the media you purchased at the retail office supply store.

When artwork for your company logo is created for CD-Rs, enough room should be left on the disc to write specifics about the disc's contents, such as version number, serial number, a date, a person's name, etc. A process called Perfect Printing is an option for customizing this information after your company logo has been screen printed on each blank disc. The combination of your screen printed logo and the Perfect Printing of specific content will give your media a more professional look. Furthermore, anyone looking at your discs will see your company name over and over again.

So, what are you waiting for? Start branding your media today!!!

To find out more information visit on how to brand your CD-Rs visit www.spinergymedia.com.

Article by: Adam Platzer Spinergy CD Replication, CD Duplication, DVD Replication, DVD Duplication, CD Screen Printing Phone: 800-333-1428 http://www.spinergymedia.com

Spinning Classes - Indoor Stationery Bicycle

Over the years I have changed my exercise routine continuously. That wasn't exactly planned, but it probably kept my interest up. I started with twice-a-week through Adult Education at the local junior high school. That was simple non-impact bending. That was too easy. Then I moved into Jazzercise, which was high impact. I began to really enjoy that. But it was only offered twice-a-week. My energy level blossomed. I now am up to six days per week, and sometimes even that isn't enough!

I joined many health clubs over the years. After the high school routine, which got dull after a while, I needed to find something that would allow more days of exercising. It had to fit my schedule, since I've always worked full time. There's no choice there! Adult Education classes are only offered during the week for the most part and usually only once or twice a week. That's simply unacceptable for someone who needs to reduce stress, anxiety, nervous illness, depression and other problems.

I then joined an all-women's club, which was great! It was in a storefront but the place went bankrupt. I needed to move on. I joined a club open seven days a week and loved it. They had everything, mostly high-impact aerobics, my favorite. But they went bankrupt, as well. The company who purchased the club was too pushy and too interested in money first before pleasuring members. So I moved on.

I joined the Jewish Community Center and stayed there for 15 years until problems arose.

Gail Fonda has been writing for 40 years and probably will write the rest of her life. It just feels so good. She has a BA in Journalism, Kent State University.