Why Six Sigma Will Work In Service Environments

Although Six Sigma has its roots in manufacturing, it works just as effectively in service industries. It's no secret that service environments, such as financial organizations, healthcare providers, retail companies, and hospitality organizations have a harder time applying Six Sigma principles. However, the core principles of Six Sigma allow it to cost-effectively translate manufacturing-oriented Six Sigma tools into the service delivery process.

Service organizations have different root causes of problems and a unique set of processes and metrics. Thus, the tools and methodology required to achieve the improvements of Six Sigma are significantly different. While problems in the manufacturing setting may lie within a process, the issue in a service environment often is the process itself. Service industries are full of waste--and ripe for the benefits of Six Sigma. It is easy to apply relatively simple statistical and lean tools that will reduce costs and achieve greater speed with less waste in service processes. There are numerous case studies that demonstrate how Six Sigma can be used in service organizations just as effectively as in manufacturing and with even faster results.

In a service organization, the critical factors in quality and efficiency are the flow of information and the interaction between people, especially interactions with customers. Transforming the process of these flows will yield quality results. At the heart of every service business are the opinions, behaviors and decisions made by people. Analyzing and modifying human performance in service environments is as complex as any manufacturing situation. Six Sigma achieves documented bottom-line strategic business results by initiating an organization-wide culture shift. Until a process focus, rather than a task focus, is developed, the scope and endurance of improvements will be limited. Analyzing and modifying human performance in these environments is complex, but Six Sigma provides the tools and methodology required to achieve significant long-term improvements.

Service managers trained in Six Sigma become skilled at advanced process analysis and problem solving techniques relevant to the “real world” of service environments. They learn to identify and eliminate poor decision-making processes, standardize practices, reduce cycle times and manage the risk of the extensive changes required for breakthrough process improvement in people-oriented transactional processes. Successful Six Sigma services projects will lead to improved customer satisfaction, increased profit margins, reduced costs, and lower turnover. Six Sigma tools can be used in many service environments, even service areas within a non-service industry. Areas such as procurement, call centers, surgical suites, government offices, R&D, and many more will all receive benefits from implementing Six Sigma process improvement.

Six Sigma will help a service environment become a customer-centered organization, gain control over process complexity, and improve response time on signature services.

Use An MRD To Control Your Outsourcing

Is your software development process as unpredictable as the weather? Is your software casting a shadow causing six more weeks of programming? Are you using a marketing requirements document (MRD) or magic to predict your software release schedule?

Early in my career, I worked in a lab for a company that sold microwave devices. I was responsible for the HP computer system that ran the software used to design the circuits. One day a tech support guy from HP came by. He asked what we did in the lab. When I told him "designing microwave circuits", he said, "Oh, I hear they use a lot of FM".

I paused and tried to remember if Frequency Modulation was really used in these circuits. Before I could respond, the guy from HP continued, "Yeah, it takes a lot of F-----g Magic to make those circuits work!"

He was right. A major issue with microwave circuits in those days was creating them with a high-yield manufacturing process. Too often there was much tuning and tweaking of individual devices with toothpicks and tweezers to make shipment dates.

Since then I have worked on a few software projects where some amount of "FM" was required to get the software released.

How about your software projects? Do they drift along never seeming to finish? Do they require the heroic efforts of a few individuals to make your shipment dates?

Outsourcing can solve the issues of delayed software releases by imposing more process on your software development - more process than is typically used in an organization where everyone is working in close proximity.

Outsourcing vendors need to have a well-defined process and excellent communication to be successful. Software development is all that they do. Outsourcing not only gives you the benefit of having your software developed for less cost, but also a process that provides improved predictability, results and success.

But many remain fearful of outsourcing. The number one concern is losing control of the software development process.

One client expressed it this way. "I can't just tell the programmers what to do on a day-to-day basis. It would be like hiring a contractor to build a house and telling him to put a window over there and a door over here. You have to understand what impact that will have on the plumbing and electrical and the building of the rest of the house."

He is right. You need to have some idea of the architecture and the plan for construction. Working together with a few programmers in the same room can sometimes let you make some shortcuts and share the plan by informal word of mouth. “Just put a pop-up window over here.”

Except for small and simple projects, this informal communication does not work. You need some description of the requirements for the software. You need to find a way to efficiently communicate the requirements of your software so you can move beyond the "idea" stage with the vision for your software.

The first step in creating a software product is to write a Marketing Requirements Document or MRD. It contains a brief description of all the features, functions and benefits your product must have to be successful in the marketplace.

Some companies make a distinction between an MRD and a PRD - a Product Requirements Document. The PRD has more details on what the software should do. For example, you need both an MRD and PRD when you are creating several services and products. The MRD describes the product strategy, market positioning and sales channels required to deliver the products with specific sets of functionality to the market. The PRD on the other hand focuses on the detailed requirements of the software itself.

The MRD or PRD should include basic architecture and the critical user interface for your software:

* Software architecture
* Hardware platform selection
* Functional specification
* User interface design
*Multiple “use cases” describing how users will interact with your software
* Story board demo (optional)
* Major release milestone schedule
* Quality Assurance testing
* Technical Documentation requirements
* Detailed schedule (up to completion of first major milestone)
* Cost estimate for cost-efficient and time-effective outsourcing development

Your marketing requirements document or MRD describes the functionality of your software product and how it will be sold and distributed. It is also a device to control your software development process, especially if you outsource. Otherwise you run the risk of delays, poor quality and just not knowing what you are doing.

Customer Service Warning—What to Watch for That Indicate We Have a Customer Service Problem

Do you frequently hear that customers are unhappy about something, and sometimes they are downright frustrated.

Yet, what you hear from your employees is, “Stupid customers! They just don’t understand how to use the product”?

As the owner, or manager, what has been your response? Has it been to back up your employees, or do you go find out what the customer is really saying?

WARNING: you’ve been given an indicator of what is going on in the organization. The customers aren’t getting what they thought they paid for, and the employees are actually blocking access to what the customer wants.

Let’s look at it from the customer’s view:
You’ve just bought a new XYZ that is critical to your business operation. You get it back to the office, and can’t make it work as advertised. You call customer support, with hope that it is just something that can be quickly fixed. After waiting on the phone for 30-40 minutes you finally get a live person who immediately says, “Oh sure. Everyone makes that mistake. All you have to do is ……[stand on your left foot while pushing the button with the right index finger]. No problem. Thanks for calling…click.”

You didn’t even have the chance to tell him that you aren’t one of those everyday customers. You are actually quite knowledgeable and already tried that, but it didn’t work. So, since he didn’t listen, you’ve got to make that call again. Another 30-40 minutes waiting and finally get someone else whose immediate response is….[exactly the same as the last time] but you are trying to get him to listen before he cuts you off list the last one. You finally get him to stop and listen, but his response is, “You’re using it wrong. It wasn’t meant to do that, at least that way. When you are using it THAT way you have to stand on the right foot while pushing the button with the left index finger. Geeeeee!!! …..click.”

And after you try it on the left foot it starts working. In the meantime you and your business were off line for how long at how much cost?

What did it cost you to buy that product that was supposed to save you money?

And chances are that there will be another 20-30 calls for other issues. In the meantime it’s costing you tons of time and money while you are trying to fix THEIR product, and, in some cases, because your business is dependent upon having the product working, the entire business is down.

So, what’s the answer to this?

Although many customer service reps, managers, and business owners think this is a technical problem that can be fixed by fixing the technical issue, please listen carefully IT IS NOT. It is a management problem. It is up to management to fix the fact that the person directly in contact with the customer is more concerned in proving that the product really does work and the customer is too stupid to know it instead of helping the customer get what he really wants. The employees must be informed, maybe trained, to understand their real job is to help the customer and that requires listening to him thoroughly. Otherwise they are probably answering the WRONG question.

Sometimes there really is a good technical reason to stand on the left foot instead of the right when pushing the button. And if a customer doesn’t know how or when to do that, isn’t the problem with the instructions, not the customer.

Keep good records on what customers are calling about. Even if an employee has what he thinks is a justifiable answer, if that question just keeps coming up over and over it is time to find out what the real base cause is.

I also believe that most customer service people actually are trying to do a good job for their boss, but they don’t understand what the goals of their job really are. So they are doing a good job delivering the wrong service. Most feel that their job is to protect the boss, the company, and maybe their own job, from that “stupid customer.” That makes it a losing situation for the customer.

If they change their perspective to, “My job is to help the customer get what he wants. I’m the expert on company policy, the technical issues, and I’ll use those tools to help the customer get what he really wants, which usually is a product that works.”

I was traveling to the Middle East last year and saw a perfect example of how the perception of an employee might affect his customers. When arriving at the counter where they check passports there were two people that were there to facilitate faster movement through the different lines.

One considered themselves as someone to help the people get what they wanted. They walked up to the arriving passengers, asking them if they were citizens or not and guiding citizens quickly to the right line. If they were not citizens, then they asked if they had each of the several papers filled out, checked those papers and then suggested that they correct line XYZ before getting up to the counter that they were now being pointed toward.

The other considered himself a policeman. He was preventing people from getting in line, preventing them from getting in the wrong lines, and sending them over to a work table to fill out the papers themselves. When they came back the “policeman” would check the papers again and send them back to do them over. No offer to help other than to say, this isn’t filled out right, do it again.

The difference between these people: mainly in their vision of their job, what they perceive as their job. They both have the same job description, making sure that the agent at the counter doesn’t have to deal with improperly filled out forms and to make the lines move through faster.

However, one sees his job as catching mistakes and taking them out of line. That might actually make things easier on the guy checking papers at the counter, but certainly not on the customer, the guy trying to get in to the country. The other sees his job as helping the customer get through this tough process and guiding him to get the answers on the paper, and into the right line.

So, ultimately how can this be used in your company? Make sure that the employees in direct contact with a customer have a vision of their job that is clearly defined as:
Your job, if you decide to take it, is to make sure that customer gets what he wants. You are the expert in company policy, and possibly even technical issues of the product so use those tools to facilitate, smooth out, getting the customer what he wants.

Many times the responsibility of the employee is not to find a technical reason (standing on the left foot while…..). The employees should be trained to think beyond the fact that some technical aspect of a product is or is not broken. He should be asking the customer why he is struggling, it could be in the instructions, it could be customers are buying it to do something that it wasn’t intended to do (marketing, advertising, are saying the wrong thing, or not saying it clearly enough).

Frequently the employees need to be trained to think out of the box, and help the customer in ways that are not quite as obvious. The employees can better help a customer if they have the skills to probe find what is the real cause that is well beyond a technical “it’s broken” response from a customer.

Let's Just Get To The Bottom Of This Hill, Mr. Frodo

Imagine thirty thousand menacing obstacles in your path to success.

You’re dehydrated. Hungry as hell. And wobbling like an Irishman on too much Guinness. Your eyes hurt, your head throbs and your will is all but broken. You’re not even sure you want to go on.

You feel like Frodo.

As in the character Frodo, in the final episode of the ‘Lord of the Rings-The Return of the King.’

Terror and dismay gleam from Frodo’s big, expressive blue eyes. In the distance, he can see his goal. But it seems to him like he’ll never get there. He turns to Sam and says in a defeated tone, "Sam, it’s the Eye," referring to the eye of Sauron - the enemy he must destroy.

And Sam turns to Frodo in a soft, encouraging voice and says,
"Let’s just get to the bottom of this hill, Mr.Frodo."

Let’s just get to the bottom of this hill, Mr.Frodo.

I spoke at the World Internet Summit in Sydney, Australia, last week. And I saw about two hundred and fifty Frodos in the audience.

Confused. Weary. Inundated with dozens of tactics and strategies about the Internet, their eyes stared into nothingness. Frozen stiff at the task of having to build an Internet business from scratch, almost all of them seemed to have a cross too heavy to bear.

And they didn’t exactly have Sam to egg them on.

I said to them, like I say to you. "Let’s just get to the bottom of this hill, Mr.Frodo." Then we’ll do the next hill, and the next and the next, till we get to our destination.

You’re bound to be struggling. I struggle in Yoga class. I’m a first-class doofus. Five minutes after we start the class, I wonder when it’s all going to end. I look at the ‘human pretzels’ twisting and turning to the left and right of me, and I can’t ever see
myself being so flexible. And I despair.

But I’ve got my own personal Sam. I simply say to myself:"Let’s just get to the bottom of this hill, Mr.Frodo"

And hurrah, yippeee yahooey, I’ve actually made it past
Yoga session No.2. :)

What Is Appreciative Inquiry?

Appreciative Inquiry is the act of exploring and recognizing
the best in people and the world around us. The key to this
philosphy to to seek and discover how to improve and work towards
transformation.

Do you believe that despite the complaints and problems
encountered in your organization, there is nonetheless
significant good work and results occurring? Do you want to
find a way to fan the flames of these positives so that they
engulf your entire organization? Let’s admit it – sometimes our
problem-centered focus places too much attention on the negative.
Perhaps it’s time for a new approach. We can seek to discover
the excellence already present in our organizations – just as
Michelangelo is reported to have said that he saw an angel in the
rock and carved to set it free.

Having a positive vision is the underlying premise of
Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry is a philosophy but it
is also practical since it suggests a particular method of
changing social systems. In its most basic form, an appreciative
inquiry is about asking questions about the best of what is and
what has been. The information is like a discovery that lends
itself to dreaming about the positive future and finally,
designing the action plan to make it happen.

For example, a consultant or trainer is frequently in the
position of needing to understand the training needs of a client
company. Here are several potential questions that could be used
in appreciative interviews:

• Describe a time when you took part in professional development
that was especially energizing and enlivening. Who was involved?
What happened? Describe the event in detail.

• If you could imagine or transform the professional development
available in any way you wished, what one to three things would
you like to see happen to enhance its vitality and effectiveness?

• What do you imagine your own role might be in helping to make
this happen? Who could work with you?

The resulting qualitative data would be most efficiently analyzed
by computer software such as text retrievers, code and retrieve
programs and conceptual network builders. Such software programs
would help draw valid meaning from the data by reducing it, help
to identify patterns through comparative analysis and go beyond
the narrative text to display the data in matrices.

Consider asking one or more appreciative questions at your next
staff meeting. Set it up properly by giving employees a little
background and reasoning for the approach. Let them know what
you plan to do with the information and invite interested parties
to get involved in the resulting action plan. You might be
surprised by the synergy that results!

Depression Can Turn into Joy

Depression is the most prevalent disease of our time. Under the guise of informing the public, both the medical profession and the media are constantly "warning" us of the dangers and probabilities of the disease most likely to terminate us. News about a lack of sufficient influenza vaccine is enough to get our collective blood pressure soaring.

Bad news is chronic and it affects us all. Do I have a magic pill that will make all the bad go away? No. But, there are ways to help us stay out of depression.

Live One Day At a Time

The Bible admonishes us to live each day to the fullest as there's enough evil in one day to handle! Don't look back on past hurts, nor fret about tomorrow. Live today as if it is the only day you have. Make each day so full of the present that yesterday and its problems are completely shut out and tomorrow is unattainable! Choose to focus all your thoughts and energy on what is at hand, and do everything to the best of your ability.

Watch Your Tongue!

The power of life and death are in the tongue. Words can both bless and curse. Negative words can evoke great fear and anxiety. The mind paints a picture of every word we hear or see. Although words are not tangible, they have the power to bring about physical matter! The earth was created by the Word of God's Power! Negative words always produce negative impulses, whether minute or major. Conversely, positive words make you feel good. A mere smile and a happy: "Have a great day!" instantly exude warmth. So, be careful of what you allow to sink deeply into your subconscious.

Happiness Is a Choice

We can choose to dwell on bad news and perpetuate it by speaking about it, or to swiftly replace our thoughts and words with constructive ones. Whenever we hear good music, our feet start tapping, we’re humming the melody, and pretty soon we're happy. Our thoughts respond to what we feed the mind through our senses. Therefore, we CAN choose to be happy! Start practicing to switch off the minuses in your life and concentrate on the pluses.

Gratitude; the Antidote

Thankfulness is one of the greatest virtues. If you divided a page in two and wrote all your setbacks on one side and all the blessings on the other, you would find that your blessings far outnumber the negatives. The Bible says to give thanks with a grateful heart for all things.


God Is In Control!

Start each day by thanking God, your creator and loving father. He knew you before you were born and knows your end. Spend time in the Word, especially the Psalms. You will receive a new refreshing, empowerment and warmth.

Some Practical Recommendations

1) Get lots of sunshine. Melatonin, a hormone produced only in the dark, lowers the body temperature and makes you feel sluggish.

2) Keep busy. Taking frequent strolls, playing sports, or volunteering help chase the blues away.

3) Pamper yourself every now and then. Take a day and just have fun, doing what you like most.

4) Eat nutritiously. Sugar, caffeine, and alcohol will eventually cause anxiety, tension, and internal problems.

5) Socialize. Hang out with people who are up-beat and give moral support.

The Many Uses Of Training Videos

Every new employee needs some type of training, and most employees benefit from ongoing training and learning. This training needs to be consistent, useful and easy for both the employee and the employer. It also needs to be convenient and cost effective. One way to accomplish this type of training is with the use of training videos. Training videos are an excellent training tool for businesses looking for customer service and sales skills, safety training, team building, and every other type of training you could possibly think of. Training videos provide the ultimate in versatility for the employer.

One of the greatest advantages of using video training is that it is extremely cost effective. Buying training videos and any additional training material is usually a one-time cost. The videos can then be used over and over and any additional material needed is usually available at low cost. Training videos are also available in a variety of different formats, including VHS, DVD and CD-ROM. The advantage of this variety of format availability is that you can use it with whatever type of system you have and you do not have to upgrade or learn how to operate a new system.

Video training has the added advantage of being able to be done in a group setting with several employees or with just one employee. Training can be done within any timetable, and then put away in the company’s video library for future employees so that they receive the same training as previous employees. This assures that all the employees receive consistent training and it can be easily tracked as to which videos an employee has viewed. Training videos can also be sent home with an employee. Another advantage of these types of videos is that they teach concrete skills in a way that is effective for most employees. Customer service, sales and safety issues are all things that must be learned before an employee can be an asset to the company. A training video accomplishes this in an easy to understand way.

It is easy to find the type of training videos that an employer is looking for. Many office supply companies offer these kinds of training tools, and they are available in abundance on the Internet. Many of these companies that sell training videos will also conduct an assessment to assist an employer in finding out what type of training is necessary for their employees and then suggest appropriate training videos. An employer can purchase just one video or invest in an entire set of training videos tailored to the needs of their business. This makes it an affordable training option for any business, large or small. Training videos are ideal resources that are readily available, extremely affordable, user-friendly and get the kind of results employers are looking for.

What Does it REALLY Take to do that Home Business?

So you’re there at that webpage again. Looking at all the smiling faces and all the people telling how they started with five minutes a day and no money down and now they have a vacation home in Aspen. Is it real? Can average Joes and Janes really make it that big?

Yes and no. I have personally met many average people who have made many hundreds of thousands of dollars each in home businesses. Some of them had impressive educations and backgrounds. Some were pretty unimpressive before. I’ve met a tattoo parlor owner, a bouncer, a college coach, and a homemaker. All of them have made multiple six figure incomes. They were average in terms of their education and work background, but there are also some things about them that aren’t average at all.

Did they have to train for years and listen to a home correspondence course of hundreds of CD’s? No. Did they go get another degree? No. Did they just get lucky? I don’t think so. The reason I don’t think so is because they all had a few things in common. Logic tells me that if the things they had in common produced the same result, then maybe that’s not luck.

I have known all of these people personally, and I can show you some of the things that they had in common. If you have/do these things then you also have a great chance at success. If you don’t do these things, then your chances of success are slimmer.

Firstly, each one of them treats their home business like a real business. If you don’t put your business near the top with family and your current job, then guess what – you will continue to have that job. What that comes down to is making decisions like your whole future depends on it. Don’t feel like calling that last contact? Can’t attend that company function? That $2000 for marketing could be used for those new curtains or that new stereo. Those are the key decisions and all these people made them with their business in mind first.

Secondly, they all had a very pressing “why” to their business. For some it was the heartbreak of dropping off their 2-year old in day care. For others it was a divorce or separation and they would have lost everything. In every case these people had a “why” that gripped them like a grandmother who hadn’t seen them in three years.

I have seen people who were asked about why they are doing a business or what their goal was and they were vague such as, “I want to get financially free”, “I want more time at home”, you get the picture. Worse yet some people have a negative reason such as “I want to be out of debt”, or “I hate my job”. Those are NOT going to carry you through the hard times.

If you can’t tell me right now exactly WHY you want to do a business, then you may want to consider figuring that out before you get started. Get really specific and positive. What do you want to accomplish? When do you want to have it by? What are you going to use the $30k in the next month for? How much will you give away?

Once you have concrete answers to these questions, then you are ready to start looking at the how-to. I will discuss the process of figuring out your why in my next article. Don’t miss it!

How To Handle Customer Billing Snafus

Q: I just discovered that for the past six months I have been billing a client half of what I should have been. Should I just include the total of the past due balance on his next bill or contact him first to let him know that it's coming? This client has been difficult in the past, so I'd rather not deal with him until I absolutely have to. My partner, on the other hand, thinks we should call the client and let him know what's going on before sending the bill. What do you think? -- Louis K.

A: I think your partner is right. If you think this client has been difficult to deal with in the past just wait until he opens your bill with six months worth of arrears attached to it without prior notice or a full explanation of the amount owed.

Sending such a bill is like dropping a bomb on the client's desk, and I guarantee you the fallout from the resulting explosion would end up landing squarely on your head.

So the question then becomes, how do you collect money that is rightfully owed to you from a client who has a history of being difficult? That's easy, Louis. You make your partner call him.

Seriously, whether the client owes you the money or not is a moot point. Yes, you made an accounting mistake, but if the client agreed to pay you a certain amount each month in exchange for certain services rendered, and you have been under-billing that client for delivering those certain services, the client owes you the money, period.

I have found that in situations like this it is always best to be proactive and face the problem (or what you perceive as a potential problem) as quickly as possible. This will save you hours of needless worry since most of the time the problem is not as big a deal as you imagined it to be.

There can only be three outcomes in this situation.

(1) The client will understand and pay you without argument.

(2) He will argue the point, forcing you to offer a compromise plan.

Or (3) He will flatly refuse to pay, forcing you to decide how far you're willing to go to collect what is owed. You should be prepared for either occurrence before getting face-to-face with the client. Remember this: In a business negotiation, he who is prepared the least gives up the most.

With that in mind, here's how I would handle the situation.

Arrange to meet the client in person. This is much better than trying to explain the situation over the phone because most people (including myself) tend to only give half of their attention when on the phone. The other half is usually focused on things going on around them while they're on the phone.

Once you're in front of the client, downplay the fact that an error was made (since the error did not negatively affect the service the client received). You might even poke fun at yourself over the situation (if the client has a sense of humor, that is). You should then politely ask if he would prefer to have the unbilled balance included on his next invoice or submitted as a separate invoice.

Then close your mouth, smile, and wait for him to respond.

You'll notice that you did not give him the option of not paying the bill, nor did you give him a point of contention to argue over. He should get the message that it goes without saying that he owes the money and needs to pay the bill, but being the wonderful person that you are, you are willing to let him decide how you should be paid.

I'm willing to bet that the client will choose option A or B and that will be the end of that. If this client has been difficult to deal with in the past, he may argue that since the mistake was yours, he shouldn't have to pay the bill. This is, of course, a BS argument (and I don't mean Bachelor of Science), but one that some clients might make just to get out of writing you a check.

As mentioned earlier, you should have prepared for this possibility before going in. If your business can survive without collecting the unpaid balance and you really want to maintain a relationship with this client, you should be prepared to offer a compromise that lets the relationship continue.

Without appearing to be caving under the pressure (this is the hard part) look the client dead in the eye and say, "Mr. Client, since I value your business and the billing mistakes were indeed mine, I'm willing to forego collection on the unpaid balance and start billing the correct amount with your next invoice, which, by the way, I happen to have right here…"

Granted, in this situation you are not going to collect on the past balance, but you are establishing the rules of the game for the future and you might even improve your relationship with this client. The money you forfeit today could lead to an increase in referrals, testimonials, and repeat business tomorrow.

Here's to your success.

Indian Wildlife photography and wildlife photos

India is amongst the top twelve countries in the world in terms of wildlife and forests depicting ‘Mega Diversity ’.
Remote mountains icy plateaus, moist evergreen foothills, rainforests and dry scrub, deserts, saline flatlands, mangrove swamps, lush mountain forests, grassy meadows, shaded pools of water; tall feathery bamboo all collectively supports an amazing variety of wildlife.

Since centuries ago animals have been worshipped in India for instance elephants are seen as Lord Ganesha and monkeys as Hanumana.

A very large number national parks and sanctuaries have now been established in India to provide natural habitat to animals. “TIGER” is National Animal & “PEACOCK” is National Bird Of India. This is only place in the world where one can see the majestic beauty of Tiger in a single visit of Bandhavgarh, Kanha or Ranthambore National Park. Tiger is now become a Prime animal of India.

Corbett national park -India’s oldest national park and Periyar Reserve hosts the home of the Asian Elephants. The Kaziranga in Assam is the homeland of one horned Rhino. Gir forest of Gujrat is now the only place in entire Asia for Asiatic Lion. The world’s heritage Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a smattering of wetland attracts some of the greatest congregations of migratory waterfowl.

Its flora comprises 15000 flowering plants that are 6% of the world’s total. India’s faunal diversity is also high, with its 1178 bird species representing 14% of the world’s total. Similarly there are Over 500 species of mammals, 30,000 insects and over 400 varieties of reptiles. In short this sub-continent is a paradise for those who love to observe the grace and beauty of the flora and fauna and for those who want to capture it on film
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With an amazing variety of flora and fauna it is unfortunate to know that around 250 animals are endangered and in need of immediate protection. A few of them like Cheetah have already been extinct and many more are there in the queue surviving woefully on its last legs for instance Tiger, Golden Langur a few varieties of deers and monkeys and certainly some of the birds.

There had been several efforts made by the Indian Government to protect and perverse this rich wildlife and splendid nature. One of the success stories is that of the “Project Tiger” the most spectacular one and the one, which has saved many forests under its wide umbrella. Project Tiger succeeded mainly through the strong, evocative symbol of the tiger itself, in rallying public opinion not in India but worldwide.

The major cause of vanishing animals in India is poaching as well as shrinking forest cover. The cause is deforestation, because of population as well as industrialization growth. Inspite of, many efforts made to stop poaching there had been no radical reforms taking place, mainly because the laws are not effectively enforced.
In 1972 India declared a number of animals and birds as completely protected and started “project tiger", declaring 11 sanctuaries, reserved forests and national parks for tigers exclusively in the Indian subcontinent. Measures to preserve wildlife taken since independence have been fruitful to some extent. Now we have over 200 sanctuaries, national parks and reserve forests spread all over the country. Some of these are as big as 780 sq. km and the smaller ones around 26 sq.km in area. The majority of these are well connected by road and rail and some even by air. Furnished rooms, dormitories, rest house of the Forest Department and private hotels with all amenities are available. In most of the sanctuaries and national parks, roads are good. In some places there are watchtowers near water holes. Common animals found in abundance.
India has a great wildlife but it is not properly exposed. The major reason is that photography in India is not as easy as in the vast open grasslands of Africa. Lighting’s condition is generally poor. Most of the animals are very shy & alert. The forests are very dense with thick undergrowth thereby making the forests a bit inaccessible. But it is very true that India has a very large scope for wildlife photography if it is explored properly.

Time Share

A time share is basically jointly owned property. Most people purchase a time share in the form of a vacation property. While most families or individuals cannot afford two homes or to travel to a second home a number of times a year, they have the option of investing in a time share. A time share allows an individual or family to own a portion of a vacation property and time to spend there. Sometimes a time share can be purchased so that one week each year, one week every other year, several weeks a year and in many other time allotments so that the time share meets the needs of each purchaser.

Time share sales are very commonly done by real estate agents that can provide more information about time share sales. There are people who specialize exclusively in time share sales and often have the largest assortment of time share sales to present to any one who is interested in a time share. The idea of time share sales originated in Europe by a ski resort real estate developer who decided to encourage his guests to “stop renting a room” and consider buying the hotel. His time share sales were successful as his former guest became ‘owners’ of the hotel bit by bit. Those involved in time share sales deal mostly with rooms that are similar to apartment or studio units. There are some time shares that offer multiple bedroom homes, but they aren’t as common in time share sales as smaller accommodations.

Time shares can be confusing without someone who specializes in time share sales to guide a buyer through the process. Time share owners are permitted to stay at their vacation resort during a set period of time that can depend on the kind of time share ownership they purchased. Many people who have time shares often allow family or friends to use their time share when they can’t or rent their time to another party. Sometimes one time share owner will change weeks or time allotments with another time share owner to accommodate changing schedules or needs. Another option would be to swap time share locations during a specific period of time with another time share owner to enjoy a different vacation destination. Exchanging time shares can be done privately or through a time share sales person.

While most people involved in time share sales and ownership love their decision to be involved in time shares, there are a number of critics who liken time share sales to travel cons. Doubters believe that time share sales should not require up front payments and those who invest in time shares will never recover the money that they invested. Those who do enjoy time shares believe that they are getting the best value for their money and are guaranteed the kind of vacation they want every time they stay at their time share.

Time share sales have been made to an estimated seven million individuals and families all over the world. Time shares include several thousand resorts that add up to 11 million time share ‘allotments’ that have been purchase. Time share sales are not limited to vacation properties anymore and have extended to luxury items like airplanes and fancy cars.

Motivation - Only YOU Can Do It!

The Internet Marketing and home based business boom has virtually drowned us in various programs and systems through which you can earn money by working from home. The problem with this is that many people seem to have forgotten that "working at home" actually means WORKING, even if it is in the comfort of your own home. If I had a dollar for every person who signed up for program after program, and then just sat down and waited for something to happen - I would be rich enough to buy a small country. The worst part is that those who fall into this trap end up broke and will thus despise everything that has to do with Internet marketing for the rest of their lives.

One reason for this phenomena is undoubtably the somewhat unrealistic claims often being made in sales letters for Internet marketing tools and programs. And many network marketing programs would have you believe that you "just have to sign up" and then the system will do all the work for you. However, I don't think we can shift all of the blame on "the system". After all, when was the last time you believed a typical tv-commercial or sales pitch to be 100% objective and truthful? What makes you think advertising on the Internet would be any different?

Regardless of what you are trying to promote online, be it your own product(s), an affiliate program or a multi-level marketing company, the fact is that it will take time and effort before you reach your goal. Your mental attitude towards the project is therefore of utmost importance. Information on specific things, like getting web site traffic or publishing your own newsletter, is readily available on good sites about home based business and Internet Marketing - just like the site you are visiting right now. Finding people who will teach you all they know about Internet marketing is not a problem. But it will be entirely up to you to take action and realize your dreams.

Self Motivation and Mental Training

It is therefore important that you firmly believe that you CAN and WILL be successful with your chosen program or product. In fact you should stand up in front of a mirror right now and tell yourself exactly what you expect to accomplish with this program and that, no matter what, you will reach your goal. This is a technique called autosuggestion and it is discussed in great detail in the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

I know some people like to scoff at so called “self-help books”,but I really recommend that you read this one with an open mind and try out it's suggestions.

I mean, think about it for a moment...if you consider, say, a high jumper. Do you think he or she could actually jump over a bar that is well over 2 meters up in the air if they constantly where thinking “that's waaay to high, I'll never make it”? Of course not! Almost all successful athletes today recognize the importance of mental training in addition to physical conditioning. The wealth of information about Internet marketing that is readily available to you can be compared to the tough physical conditioning a top athlete goes trough – there will be a lot for you to do while learning all the tools of the trade, but if you stick with the plan and do it a little bit at a time you will eventually possess the Internet marketing equivalent of a super-athletes physiology. If you also take some time to program your mind for success, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Another important point is to avoid negative reference groups – no matter how much you have pumped up your confidence, it can all be torn down in a heartbeat by a negative reference group.
Especially when you try to earn a living from the Internet, you will run into many people who will tell you how stupid you are for even thinking of such a possibility. You must at all costs avoid talking (seriously) about your plans with people like this. Confide only in those who will support you, and ignore all the whiners an old farts who know nothing about the Internet anyway!

Conclusion

So, to tie the two aspects mentioned in this article together - it is important for you to believe in yourself, but you must also have realistic expectations. Most people who fail in making it on the Internet do so because they buy into some “get-rich-quick-over- night-without-lifting-a-finger-scheme”. And when nothing happens for the entire first week they feel ripped off and give up.

"Internet marketing" is not a magic bullet that, by itself, will allow you to quit your job tomorrow and become a millionaire. However, the Internet DOES offer many fantastic opportunities to make a decent living marketing products and services - provided that you have something of value to sell, of course. You should choose a product, program or system that you feel really good about. Preferably something that you already have more knowledege about than people on average. Once you are also armed with the right attitude I would be happy to assist you in your Internet marketing efforts in any way I can. Then all that is left to do is for you to GO FOR IT!

LEADING YOURSELF AND OTHERS: IT ALL BEGINS WITH YOU

Leaders come in all stripes and shades. They represent broad varieties of personalities and styles and characteristics. You find them in all kinds of organizations and in most levels of an organization. They may lead large organizations or gangs of one. There’s one thing they all have in common – leaders get results.

We’ve all seen instances where someone has risen to the occasion and accomplished something extraordinary. People we recognize as leaders tend to do that consistently over time. So why do only some people emerge as leaders?

Is it true some people were born to lead? Or does it just let us off the hook of responsibility for developing ourselves? What are the characteristics of great leaders? Visonary? Trustworthiness? Integrity? Good communicator? Good listener? Caring? Risk-taker? Ability to get things done? Persistance? Continue the list. Then ask how many of these characteristics are we born with? How many are directly related to our attitudes?

According to research, the average person uses only 3 to 25% of their potential on a day-to-day basis. Imagine what would happen if you tapped into that other 75 to 97%!

Perhaps the “leaders are born” argument is so pervasive because the characteristics, attitudes, personality that contribute to or constrict leadership are formed at an early age. Wasn’t much of what we were exposed to early intended to keep us safe and contain our behavior rather than encourage us on to bigger and better things? Sheds new light on the question of how much of our potential we use as adults, doesn’t it?

We see success as the continual achievement of our own predetermined goals. So if we are not as successful as we want to be, then we have to ask, “What parts of my personality are taking me closer to success and what parts are taking me further away?

The good news is that our attitudes are developable. Begin by defining who you are compared to who you believe you have the potential to become. Be brutally honest with yourself. And give yourself permission to change.

Leaders know what they want and go for it, rather than accept whatever comes along. If they don’t like the circumstances they are in, they create new ones. So get clear about what you want. And then look at which of your attitudes, your habits of thought, are taking you closer to your goals and which ones are taking you further away.

Think of leading others in terms of needing others to help you achieve your goals or those of your organization. Consider these skills as essential:

• Bring out the best in others
• Include people in what’s going on
• Create an environment in which people can excel
• Give people a mission to accomplish

In First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers do Differently, authors Buckingham and Coffman describe their research to determine what makes managers great. They found that managers in organizations with high productivity, profit, retention and customer satisfaction had created workplaces where employees:

• know what’s expected of them and that their opinions count ;
• feel their work is important and have the right equipment to do it;
• know their supervisor cares about them as a person;
• often receive recognition for good work and feedback on their progress;
• have co-workers who are committed to doing quality work;
• have opportunities to learn, grow, and do what they do best everyday.

They found that the employee’s immediate manager was the critical player in building a strong workplace. On retention in particular, they found that turnover is a manager issue.

Lastly, successful leaders recognize the difference between external and internal change. External change involves things outside of ourselves or our organization. The economy tanked. Interest rates are going up. The labor market has dried up. Fuel prices are skyrocketing. Wal-Mart is moving in. People aren’t buying.

Internal change comes from what we choose to do about those external changes that affect us, IF we choose to do anything.

In other words, external change is a fact; internal change is a choice.

Is Your Home Business Prepared for a Disaster?

If you're like most people, you probably started with wonderful ideas of fulfilling your dreams, to be successful and to take charge of your own destiny.

I hope you have achieved those or are well on your way.

You wouldn’t think of starting your business without a business plan and you shouldn’t even consider marketing your product or services without a marketing plan. A solid business plan and marketing plan are your roadmaps to help you to know where your going, how to get their and to achieve your goals.

Nobody likes to think about what would happen if those accomplishments were suddenly pulled out from under you, yet unfortunately it does happen.

Do you have a plan if an event such as a hurricane, tornado, fire or simple computer crash should happen to you? If not, then it's time to start thinking about adding a business continuity plan to your list of things to do. What is a business continuity plan? Simply put, a business continuity plan is a set of planned and documented procedures that will help your business back on track in the event of an emergency.

If your business is managed from your home, both your residence and your livelihood are at risk due to unexpected loss. Natural disasters are not the only risk factors. As devastating as it is to think someone else was in your home, robberies can happen anywhere.

Something as basic as a hard drive crash can cripple your home business indefinitely. I recently spoke with two people in the last month that had said that they experienced hard drive crashes and lost everything.

When you think of how much time, money & effort you have invested in your home businesses, it only makes sense to make sure it is protected and can survive an emergency.