By default, most things worth having usually require a lot of work. A college education, a rock solid marriage, childbirth, and running a marathon are all examples of things that while we are trying to accomplish them, we often question whether or not we can, need, or even want to continue with all the hard work that is required. As we push ourselves to go on, we can\’t help but ask - is this really worth it? However, in the end, when it\’s all said and done and the smoke is cleared, we discover that we have accomplished something great, and it was well worth the work.

If you are a business owner, writing a business plan could be one of those great accomplishments that you discover is well worth the work. When writing my plan for Your Task Matters, I constantly wanted to convince myself that I could have a successful business without the hassle of writing a plan. But when it was complete, I realized that writing a plan was undoubtedly one of the wisest investments of time that I could have made for my business. And although writing a good plan requires a commitment, it doesn\’t have to be hard work. Here are five easy steps that can have you putting a business plan into place quicker than Simon Cowell can reel his next insult on another somehow clueless victim.

Step 1 - Start with a list. There is no point in discouraging or even overwhelming yourself in the beginning with lots of non-functional ideas of what you think a plan should look like. A list is simple and effective. Just write down every thing that you feel would be critical to the success of your business. At this point there are no wrong or right answers, but the more specific your list, the better. We will call these items your objectives. This list should also include details related to your business such as identifying information, services, target market, rates, etc. If you think that something is important to doing good business, write it down. A detailed list of objectives is key and will help you further down the line. If you are not certain about what to include in your list, go on line and look at templates of sample business plans, or do a business success keyword search to give you ideas to help get you started.

Step 2 - Categorize your objectives into identifying groups. This can be done by one of two ways. You can take your list of objectives, group the like items together, and then give each group a category heading. For example, if your list included the following objectives: 20 years experience; limited local competition; and high demand for product, then you might group these items together under the heading “Strengths”. The other way that you can categorize your objectives is to make a draft table of contents listing any categories that you feel should be part of your business plan. An example of this approach is that you can make a table of contents listing categories like the following: Services; Market; Foundations for Success; SWOT(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) Analysis, etc., and then place each of your objectives under the appropriate category. If you have objectives that don\’t seem to fall into any of your categories, create a heading that will properly identify your objective. You don\’t have to have a lot of categories, just as long as you\’ve captured all of your objectives. Once you\’ve created all of your categories, add additional objectives that you didn\’t think of before that may be beneficial to your business.

Step 3 - Identify a strategy for implementing each objective on your list. This will probably be the most time consuming portion of the process for most, but also the most important in my opinion. It will involve well thought out processes, research, and some basic projected analysis. If one of your objectives is superior customer service, then your strategy for implementing it might be to return phone calls within 24 hours, or to send a thank you card after every sale. This step will help you to consider exactly why you chose each objective that you\’ve listed, verify it\’s criticalness to the success of your business, and then figure out a plan for how you can continually and successfully implement it as a core routine for your business. During this step you may also discover that some of your objectives overlap and can be merged together to save you some work.

Step 4 - List your goals. Identifying your short and long term goals is an excellent tool for evaluating whether or not your current strategies are working, or if you need to re-assess the plan that you have in place. Mapping out your goals by what you would like to have accomplished within 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, and 5 years will help you to measure whether your business is on schedule, behind schedule, or ahead of the schedule outlined in your plan.

Step 5 - Format, edit, and tweak. Even if you plan on being the only person to ever view your plan, you should still take the time to format your plan into something presentable. Create a brief overview identifying your business as a sole proprietorship, LLC, etc., along with a description of your vision, mission, and values for your business as a short introduction. Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and underline, highlight, and bullet where necessary. Even though this is the final step, do not be surprised if your plan isn\’t as complete as you would like. Ideally, at this point you should have what I would call a “growing” plan. It should be a solid foundation for which you can begin to build on, and as your business grows, or heaven forbid, doesn\’t, you will be able to modify it accordingly.

In closing, I want to reiterate just how critical a business plan can be to the success of your business. Take the time to sow the seeds of knowledge, experience, and resources into a business plan that will reap success for you.

Cassandra Ewing
Your Task Matters
Errand & Personal Assistant Services
http://www.yourtaskmatters.com

If you really want your wedding album to be something out of the ordinary, why not create a coffee table book wedding album? No longer are wedding albums a ho hum look at a few still photos of your big day. Thanks to computer technology and software such as Photoshop, you can have a custom wedding album that is suitable for conversation.

In addition to just photographs, a custom wedding album design can feature word content as well as photographs. It is now easier than ever to have a custom wedding album that looks more like a work of art than one that looks as if it belongs stored in a closet.

Coffee table books have also come a long way in the past few years. No longer do you have to have the prerequisite art book lying on your coffee table. You can have a book that really means something to you, such as a wedding album, school album or a family album that is designed to look like a coffee table book. A little imagination and knowledge of Photoshop can truly go a long way today.

In addition to creating a unique wedding album that everyone will talk about and enjoy seeing, you can also present someone with a creative gift. Be forewarned - once you start down the path of custom album design, you will find yourself wanting to create albums all of the time. Albums can be created for parents, friends and children. Just about anyone will enjoy a keepsake such as a custom album.

A coffee table book wedding album is a great idea and so much more artistic than a traditional old wedding album. Best of all, because technology has come such a long way in recent years and there are people who can create these custom albums with skill as well as speed, you do not have to end up waiting a year in order to receive your custom album. You can have a custom coffee table wedding album in half the time it would take you to get a traditional album that just depicts ordinary photographs.

One of the most creative and unique gifts that you can give someone is a coffee table book of their wedding or other memorable event in their lives. This type of book is now possible thanks to computer technology. If you are not able to create a book like this yourself, you can easily find someone who will be able to create a custom coffee table book for you. It does not have to cost a lot of money, either, but the gift will actually be priceless.

If you are looking for the most unique gift you can give someone, even someone who appears to have everything, think about getting them a custom coffee table book that depicts their wedding, school life or other event. There is actually no limit as to what you can create when it comes to custom coffee table books and custom album design.

www.bestdesignsolutions.com

Carnarvon Gorge is one of Queensland\’s hidden treasures, with a smorgasbord of natural attractions in every direction. Driving from Brisbane, the easiest route is via Roma and Injune which takes about nine hours. Alternatively, it is half the distance south west from Rockhampton. One of the best ways to enjoy a holiday in the bush is by car,as there are excellent camping facilities and you can stay as long as it takes to enjoy the beauty of this wilderness retreat.

Takarakka Bush Resort is an ideal base with excellent facilities, including a convenience store and central to all the great walks. The grounds and surrounds are fantastic for a stroll, with the Platypus Pool just around the corner and the nearby lookout a perfect location to enjoy the cliff sunset. Kangaroos and wallabies are locals here, as well as the occasional prickly echidna. The Information Centre nearby also doubles as a starting point for many of the walks.

The best time to visit is between March and October, when temperatures are mild, although it does get very cold at nights. The summer months bring 40oC temperatures during the day so the waterholes are an ideal way to escape the heat, and there are not as many visitors around this time. This is also the rainy season, so come prepared to weather a few storms. The gorge is so large that you can easily feel like the only person in the world once you get off the beaten track onto some of the longer walks.

I have been fascinated by this \’oasis in the desert\’ ever since my first school camp, and still remember the wonder I felt when we stepped off the coach into a world of eucalypt trees, kangaroos and waterholes. I still remember the exhilaration of finally reaching the gorge lookout, the eeriness of the moss gardens, and the echoes of the natural amphitheatre. Every visit since then has recaptured my heart, and thankfully the natural beauty of the Gorge has stayed exactly as it was all those years ago.

The biggest attraction is the Gorge itself, and avid bushwalkers will enjoy the many walks available. Each is clearly signposted and suits most levels of fitness. The Rock Pool walk is a favourite, which takes close to an hour ending in a shady rest area and pool surrounded by ferns and casuarina trees. If you\’re lucky you might see a platypus or two. The Moss Gardens take a few hours return but your reward is an incredible display silky moss, ferns and rich undergrowth. The rock walls seem to tower overhead with a canopy of palms, ferns and everything green.

The Nature Trail, taking only an hour return, is a must and best enjoyed at dusk or dawn to capture the wildlife, colours and beautiful scenery along Carnarvon Creek at its best. The Boolimba Bluff Walk takes you high up to a panoramic view of the gorge. Don\’t forget your camera and be prepared for a lot of steps and ladders. It is well worth the trek for such incredible scenery of the gorge at its best. My favourite has always been the Amphitheatre which can only be reached via a sturdy ladder leaning into its sixty metre chamber. Once you are inside it is hard to believe that such an impressive attraction has been formed by the sheer force of running water.

Another great idea is to plan a day trip through the gorge combining a number of walks. For instance, the Aboriginal Art gallery, Ward\’s Canyon, Amphitheatre and Moss Gardens can all be joined together. The walks have been designed so that a number of them branch off the main walking track. For flora and fauna lovers, a visit to Ward\’s Canyon is another must do with the world\’s largest fern proudly on display.

Why not pack a picnic lunch and hike to the Devil\’s signpost or The Ranch for the day? The tracks are easily marked but not used as frequently which means you often have the wilderness to yourself. Another adventure option is to walk the length of Carnarvon Gorge. This is an overnight experience which needs some planning but is worth every minute of amazing scenery.

Birdwatchers will think they are in heaven with wedge tailed eagles, peregrine falcons, rainbow lorikeets, king parrots and kookaburras just some of the birds at home here. Dusk is always noisy, with a host of birds singing to each other around the campgrounds. You can\’t forget the owls and tawny frogmouths which come alive at night.

You need to plan for at least three days to a week to experience the best of Carnarvon Gorge. There is something about driving through the outback for miles and finally reaching an oasis of such magnitude. Once you visit you will have to come back again and again.

Jenny Brewer is a travel agent whose passion is writing. After spending her leisure time writing time writing childrens stories, she now enjoys writing about travel destinations. For more of her articles visit Car Hire Australia

This is a real revolution, but you don\’t know whom to believe in this world. I know how depressed you feel while looking for solutions for your unbearable depression…. The solutions you find are more depressing than the depression you carry in your heart… Nobody explains you anything, nobody really knows anything.

I know how irritated you feel when you hear the many doctors and experts tell you that depression could be caused by this and that, without actually telling you your exact problem and more importantly, how to solve it.

When I was pregnant and I had lost my young cousin and my beloved mother-in-law in the same week of July, when my belly was starting to show and I was only thinking about my baby, I felt tremendous depression, but I was waiting a child… I could not give up. The problems had only started with 2 deaths in the family that year… So many problems all at the same time… Everyone in my place was only depressed.

However, I started caring for my dreams and desperately sought a solution for my depression and fears. I was so insecure… I was always afraid that something bad would happen to me and my family again.

This was the beginning of my arduous path.

Even though my life was depressing, I was actually very lucky because I started to learn how to interpret my dreams. I followed the guidance of the unconscious that produces the dreams and cures our depression, giving us new life by developing our conscience. If I were treated by a psychologist, I would have experienced many more problems. Of course the doctor would not be able to cure me because my problem was very serious, as I verified by interpreting my dreams myself.

I suffered a lot but I\’m very lucky because I found health! And I\’ve being helping so many people regain their health in the same way, that today I can only bless my suffering. It was worthwhile! How many people in this world look for a solution for their depression but never find it? How many people spend a fortune and become dependent on a psychotherapist for their entire life?

I\’m very lucky because the solution I found was the best one and I only spent money buying books that I studied with dedication because they saved my life. The wise unconscious that produces our dreams is a real doctor, the best we can find! This doctor sends us messages for free and cures and advises us for life.

If you are depressed, start feeling better because there is a solution and you can find it within yourself. Your case will be examined in detail by the unconscious, and you\’ll discover the best solution for you, based on your improved intellect and all the knowledge you will acquire by interpreting your dreams.

Don\’t think that dream interpretation is as vague as interpreting poetry or something. My method of dream interpretation is a continuation of Carl Jung\’s method; using this method, you\’ll immediately learn how to translate dream images into words and understand how this information can help you.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung\’s research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere. Learn more at: http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click here and download your copy of the Free ebook

Beating Depression and Craziness

Having some difficulty really knowing your customer?

Maybe part of the problem is the goal we set. Normally, the goal is knowing about the customer. Usually that means..

1) Knowing the things they think is important.
2) Knowing what they want.

But does this goal fall short? Is there something more ideal to shoot for?

You know you know your customer if you see what they see, think like they think and want what they want.

It\’s a better goal to shoot for, how about a better scope to aim through? Here\’s a Lens you can use to help guide you in seeing things from their perspective.

Lens?

Lens: a tool used to gain a different perspective on what you\’re looking upon.

This Lens is called Be-Do-Have or BDH for short. I think I ran across it through Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame.

Note: The key is the order you through the Lens. Be to Do, then Do to Have. Let\’s take a look…

BE
BE the customer — KNOW them.
Who is the customer trying to BE?
Who is the customer trying not to BE?

DO
What is the customer DOING to solve their issue?
What must be done for you (AS the customer) to notice and to want it?
What is the customer trying not to DO?

HAVE
What must the customer HAVE in order to acquire this solution?
What does the customer HAVE that they can trade?
What is the customer trying to HAVE in their life?
What does the customer HAVE to sacrifice?

This is very different from our normal way of thinking. Here\’s how we normally think about our customers…

What does the customer have? Money, budget.
What does the customer do? Read newspaper, watch TV, surf the web.
Who is the customer? Demographic data.

It\’s natural. We try to see our customers through our own eyes. But, the goal is to see through their eyes.

Here\’s how you could go even more in depth…

BE
(I = customer. It\’s not about you. Get over yourself.)

• I\’m the customer. Who am I?
• Who do I want to be known as?
• Who do I want to know?
• Go deeper into my demographic data. Who is the person fitting this piece of data? Who fits that one?
• Go deeper into the answers I give in interviews and surveys. Who is the person who answers this way?
• If I say something, who is the person that says things like that?
• What values does this mean I have?
• What priorities do I have?
• Who is the person that lives where I live? Works where I work?
• What am I afraid of?
• What motivates me?
• What do I consider freedom?
• Free to be what? Free from being what? Free from feeling what?
• Who do I trust? Why?
• Who do I distrust? Why?
• Who am I attracted to?
• Who am I repulsed by?

DO

• What do I do?
• What do I read?
• What am I looking for when I read?
• What do I tend to notice?
• Where do I go, and why?
• When do I do the things I do?
• With whom do I do things?
• Why do I do the things with them?
• I want to be free to do, what?
• I want to be free to experience, what?
• I want to be free from having to experience, what?
• I want to be free from having to do, what?

HAVE

• What stuff do I consider important?
• What things do I protect?
• What things don\’t I care about?
• What things am I trying to get rid of?
• What things am I trying to hide?
• I want to be free to have what things?
• I want to be free from having what things?

Ponder these…or have your marketing people ponder these. Having a real understanding of your customers you\’ll get better results.

Toussaint Goudeaux is a Principal with Ontologi, a strategic consulting firm focusing on… well, focus. Focus may be the missing ingredient for a business wanting to move to the next level. For more information please visit http://www.ontologi.com