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Colin Croucher - EzineArticles.com Expert Author

A career of over three successful decades of people business operation has helped to build the never give up attitude
Learning to deal with people and their demands on a daily basis is a bit like the miner working at the coalface.
Experience is the great teacher in life & business, and heaven knows Ive made all of the mistakes
everyone does, but you learn to correct them and then move on to the next … [More]
[View Colin Croucher’s Extended Author Bio]
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- Steam - Brass & Hardwood
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] For centuries man employed the power of steam to propel mighty steamboats along the big rivers of the world in an effort to transport & deliver goods & materials to the early Pioneer settlers spread along the great river valleys. Steamboat travel was once as common as is boarding a high-speed train today.
- Why Install Solid CV Drive Shafts In Your Classic Lotus Elan?
[Automotive] The answer can be summed up in one word:
Reliability!
Several different driveline replacement alternatives to the donut have been produced, some have offered a half & half deal, where a universal joint was used in conjunction with a donut, the thinking behind this idea is that the donut provided a cushioning effect within the driveline, while in theory the idea is sound, the system was still prone to failure.
- The Lotus Elan - A Remarkable Classic
[Automotive] Ever thought that driving a forty year old car could put a smile of satisfaction on your face?
The smile is not from the quirky looks, or from from the sound system, as this brilliant little car
does not even have one…
- Small Farm Maintenance & Workshop Skills
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Small farm lifestyle living has attracted a lot of interest from a large number of people, many of which have decide to take the step and live the rural lifestyle dream. There is no wonder that so many books have been written to provide ideas and guidance to help the small farmer or homesteader create an income to help them survive and prosper on a small rural holding.
- Small Farm Skills & Lifestyle Challenges
[Home-Improvement] In recent times there has been a dramatic shift in the preferred lifestyle of so many people, some have made a Sea Change and choose to live by the coast, others make a Tree Change, and move to the country to embrace the rural lifestyle, where the air is clean and fresh, and the day to day living is much more relaxed than one could ever experience in the city.
- Sand Moulding For Hobby Metal Casting
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] The all time favourite moulding medium is green sand for its simplicity, initial low set up cost, ease of use and predictable results. Properly stored in a plastic bin, conditioned green sand will last for several weeks. Green sand is the most efficient, low cost way for the hobby worker to begin metal casting.
- Aluminium - The History Behind The Metal
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Minerals containing aluminium are very difficult to decompose. In 1825, a Danish scientist H.C.Oersted discovered that metallic potassium could be used to chemically reduce aluminium from one of its compounds. The cost of aluminium in the very early days was around 250.00 English pounds per kilo to produce, more costly than gold!
- The Backyard Foundry And Forced Air Burners
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Furnace burners potentially create more than enough problems for the hobby metal casting worker, it is not unusual to read about people who are attempting to build a furnace, only to be confronted with problems and frustration with a complex burner? It is quite simple to construct a crucible furnace, but the stumbling block seems to be: “The burner”. Why?
- Weddings - Casual or Formal Wedding Planning In North Eastern Victoria, Australia
[Relationships:Wedding] Why not set your wedding apart by choosing a special north Eastern Victoria country wedding venue and create a real surprise for your guests. Today’s bride and groom can give their wedding that special something to make their wedding different without blowing the budget.
- Green Sand Reconditioning In The Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Green sand is one of the oldest foundry moulding mediums known to the industry, its use in the foundry can be traced back to the early times. But do you know how to get the best from it?
- Low Cost Race Car Parts For The Home Constructor
[Automotive] Australian grassroots motor racing grew up with the home built special. Many examples of these historic cars are still in existence today. Some were built as circuit racers, but many were built for the ever-popular hill climb events held at the various climbs scattered around Australia.
- Burt Munro: The Indian Speed Legend Of New Zealand
[Automotive:Motorcycles] To achieve success with limited financial resources is surely something that few people realize, to spend a lifetime perfecting and refining a motorcycle with basic skills and technology should also be measured as a huge personal success.
- Real Blokes Have Back Sheds
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] There was once a time when every decent backyard had a shed. In Australia the back shed was a sacred place where a bloke could work on his favourite projects without any interference from the wife, the boss, the kids, or anyone else for that matter.
- Backyard Metal Casting for The Hobby Worker
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Any practical home handyman can melt metal in the backyard hobby
foundry, all you need is a simple, well-designed melting furnace. A low cost melting furnace can be built form scrap metal and a few bits and pieces.
- Building A Hobby Crucible Furnace
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Efficient melting of metal in the hobby foundry requires a simple, but well
designed, easy to operate melting furnace. A well-designed furnace does not necessarily mean it will be expensive to build, or that it is complicated to construct and operate.
- Hobby Foundry Info - Where Can I Find The Right Answers?
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] There’s no doubt that the Internet has spawned a massive volume of free information which is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection and computer. The info on the net can range from the simplest of subjects to highly technical information about aeronautics & outer space probes.
- The Classic Lotus Elan Could Average 69MPH Without Exceeding 70MPH
[Automotive] During the 1960’s through to the late 70’s sports cars were designed by engineers with one thing in mind, to provide high performance with good handling & brakes, good looks, and an exciting driving experience with lots of grin factor…read, pure unadulterated driving enjoyment behind the wheel.
- Handy Man Talents - Do You Fit The Bill?
[Home-Improvement] Do you pride your self as a competent handy man? Lets face it, there are many women who just love guys who can turn their hand to just about anything around the house. But it’s not enough to be “just” a handy man, to be a well rounded, in demand handy man you need to develop many
different sets of skills.
- Hobby Metal Casting -The Journey & Exploration.
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Involvement in certain hobbies can be due to all kinds of factors, in some cases it stems from a curiosity point of view, with others it can be because a friend insisted on showing you how, but the urge can also come from a personal need or challenge to create and make something which you know is the only way in which you will obtain that certain something.
- Five Reasons To Build & Operate A Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] 01: To Be Able To Melt Metal Just For Fun.
People do all sorts of things “For Fun” they drive fast cars & motorcycles, they jump out of planes & parachute to the ground, some climb mountains, & others play lot’s of different types of sport, you…..
- Building A Moulding Bench For The Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Workshop skills, welding & fabrication.
If you’re going to spend a good part of your spare time working in your hobby foundry, then you’ll need to have the best possible equipment & gear that you can afford. And there is no need to go out and spend a small fortune, if you are resourceful you can do a lot your self.
- Foundry Oil Bonded Sand Core Production
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] To produce cavities within a metal casting; as required for liquid cooling in engine blocks and cylinder heads. Special negative forms (core boxes) are used to produce sand cores. Cores can be made up from oil bonded sand, a vegetable oil such as linseed oil can be used to make effective sand cores.
- Should You Cast or Fabricate That Metal Work Project
[Automotive:Motorcycles] During the design phase of some metal work projects you will be faced with the question of how you should tackle a project, some projects have a fine line between the decision of whether you should fabricate from steel or sheet metal, or to cast metal in a sand mould….
- The Single Biggest Mistake You Can Make In Your Business
[Business:Small-Business] Your business will have little chance of long-term survival without
a constant supply of paying customers, they are your life blood,
so you should treat every customer like gold and do everything you
can to retain your existing customers for the long term.
- A Man’s Got to Have A Shed
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] In Australia, the back shed is like a haven, somewhere to escape
from the world and, well, just do your own thing. Some men set up their shed to play pool, darts, or old time pinball machines, many even install a drinks bar so they can invite a few mates around and have some fun.
- Boat Restoration - Make Your Own Gudgeons & Pintles, Cleats, & Oarlocks
[Recreation-and-Sports] Old boat restoration is not unlike vintage car or motorcycle
restoration, i.e. you’ll find many parts that are unsalvagable
and will need to be replaced or reconditioned at some stage during the restoration.
- Home Made Hand Tools For Hobby Foundry Work
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] If you have been thinking about making a start in hobby foundry work in your home workshop, you may be forgiven for thinking that the tools and equipment will cost you an arm and a leg, this need not be. Sure, you could trot off to the downtown industrial tools supplier and take home an arm full of expensive tools….
- The Hot Metal Ezine: A Global Ezine For Hobby Workers
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Hobby metal casting can be a rewarding metal craft hobby, would you like to learn more about the craft? Anyone interested in working with metals can join in with many other like-minded people and subscribe to this specialised ezine.
- How An Australian Wedding Photographer Survives Thirty Year Career
[Relationships:Wedding] From very humble beginnings in 1973, a photography business was established in Wangaratta, which is a large provincial in the hub of North East Victoria, Australia.
- Melting & Recovery Of Aluminium Drink Cans, Swarf, & Bottle Tops
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] When the novice hobby metal caster first thinks about melting metal, the immediate thought is to collect a big box of Al bottle tops and Al drink cans to melt. The most likely reason for this is that the material is relatively easy to collect and handle, and the thinking behind the idea is that because of its lightweight it should melt quite readily.
- How To Set Up A Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Imagine, you’ve just discovered that it is possible to melt and cast metal in your own backyard foundry, you feel excited at the prospect of making your very own metal castings. The enthusiasm builds as you start to slowly begin to understand the; how, what, & when of this ancient metal craft…
- Hobby Metal Casting & How To Make A Start
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] I know for a fact that there are many readers of the Hot Metal ezine who are eager to learn how to get started in this fascinating metal craft.
- Basic Pattern Making In The Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Success or otherwise in your hobby foundry will depend to a large degree on your skills & ability to create simple patterns, i.e. Patterns that are easy to mould, lift or separate from the sand mould after a gentle rap.
- Lost Wax & Lost Foam Casting Processes.
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Investment or lost wax casting is a versatile but ancient process, it is used to manufacture a huge variety of parts ranging from turbocharger wheels to golf club heads, from electronic boxes to hip replacement implants.
- Depression Refractory Mix For The Backyard Foundry.
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] This old time foundry refractory mix for crucible or cupola
furnaces was adopted by financially strapped foundry owners during the great depression, everyone suffered financial hardships during those days so there was lots of improvisation going on, now the backyard founder can save money…
- Sand Moulding Systems For Hobby Metal Casting
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Green sand is one of the all time favourites because of its ease of use and predictable results. Green sand will retain moisture for weeks on end while stored in a plastic garbage bin. Green sand is the most efficient, low cost way for the hobby worker to start making moulds for metal casting.
- Financial Rewards For The Hobby Metal Craft Worker
[Home-Based-Business] Most metal craft people, i.e. hobbyists, overlook a potential gold
mine sitting right in front of them in their own workshop. Have you ever thought of supplementing your income by doing outside jobs repairing metal utensils and articles.
- Cleaning & Finishing Metal Castings In The Hobby Workshop
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Every metal casting you produce will require some kind of finishing
operation before it becomes a useful, serviceable casting.
Finishing of castings can be a laborious job if carried out entirely by hand, luckily for the home metal craftsman or woman…
- A Young Mans Passion For Metal
[Self-Improvement] Metal is wonderful stuff isn’t it, you can bend & twist it into all
kinds of shapes, you can draw it with dies, cut, drill, and mill & turn it, weld it, and off course melt it and pour the molten metal into moulds of all kinds.
- Building Sand Moulding Boxes For The Hobby Foundry
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Green sand and other types of casting sands are usually housed in what foundry moulders refer to as flasks which are nothing more than fabricated timber or steel boxes without a bottom or lid.
- Hobby Metal Craft Skills; What Exactly Are They?
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Have you ever watched a metal craftsman in action such as a
Blacksmith at a country fair… most people watch in awe as the
Blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge
before placing it on the anvil and then proceed to hammer it
into all kinds unique shapes.
- Create Your Own Metal Castings
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Have you ever thought about creating your own unique metal objects by employing the art of metal casting. It is not as difficult to do
as you may think.
- Mailing Lists -The Key To Successful Business Promotion
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Email-Marketing] If you have been online for more than an hour, you’ve heard some
Internet marketers say, “The money is in the list!”
- World Skills & Learning About Old World Skills
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] There was once a time when almost everyone acquired, or knew how to do a practical skill of some kind, they were special skills, which most people used throughout life. They just became second nature.
- Is Your Autoresponder Hungry?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Email-Marketing] Do you know how to feed it, so that it helps you to earn the money
you deserve! Building your own profit pulling list is EASY when you
know how!
- How To Make Your Own Vintage Motor Cycle & Automotive Spare Parts
[Automotive:Motorcycles] Vintage Car & Motorcycle restoration enthusiasts all share
one thing in common…
- Decorative Metal Work Techniques From The Early 1900s
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Today’s Metal Craft workers should truly appreciate the artistic skills & techniques used exclusively by the highly skilled metal artisans from almost one hundred years ago.
- It is Possible to Create All Kinds of Items with Hobby Metal Casting
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] You could turn your metal craft hobby skills into cash, but first you need to learn how to produce high quality items with simple tools, equipment and methods.
- Remember When You Were Taught How To Make Things From Metal With Your Bare Hands?
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] How would you like the chance to use the skills you learnt decades ago… if you could find the right kind of practical challenge?
You can you know. Not all that many years ago, just about every
home had a backyard shed or workshop; the shed was a special place which the practical man about the house could call his own.
The shed was a place where special projects were built, & much tinkering was done. Heck, even some great inventions were born in the humble backyard shed.
- Baby Boomers Need Creative Practical Hobbies
[Home-and-Family:Baby-Boomer] Just the other day, I met an old school friend, for the sake of privacy let’s call him Jim. After exchanging pleasantries, and catching after all these years, I was keen to ask Jim what he was currently doing. To my surprise, Jim had chosen to take an early retirement at age 55. Yes, he said, “but I’m not sure if that was the right thing to do”.
- Introduction to Hobby Metal Casting for the Practical Home Mechanic - Engineer
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] If you’re a practical hands on type of person who likes to build things from scratch, then you would definitely enjoy getting involved in the art of hobby metal casting.
February 23rd 2008 Posted in
doors
If you want to really make your article “SELL” then you’ve got to craft the perfect RESOURCE BOX. This is the “author bio” that is below your article body and it’s also known as your “SIG” (short for SIGnature).
Here are the essential items that should be in your RESOURCE BOX:
- Your Name: You’d be amazed at how many folks forget to include their name in the RESOURCE BOX. Your name and optional title should be the first thing in your resource box.
- Your Website Address: in valid URL form. Example: http://Your-Company-Name.com/
- Your Elevator Pitch: This is 1 to 3 sentences that encapsulates the essence of what makes you and your offering unique. Also known as your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
- Your Call To Action: You’ve got them warmed up and now it’s time to lead them to BUY from you or visit your website. This is where you “Ask For The Sale.” Best to only give (1) specific call to action.
Here are some optional items you could include in your RESOURCE BOX:
- Your Ezine Subscription Address: While getting your interested visitor to surf your website is nice, capturing their email address can help you begin the confidence/trust process. If you’re going to do this strategy, include a URL for your ezine subscription address and do not use an email address for the “join” address.
- Your Contact Information: Such as your business phone number or how to reach you for interviews or your press/media kit. Keep in mind that article marketing is a timeless strategy and you may not have an easy ability to retract what you put in your article once it hits major distribution.
- A Free Report: This could also be part of your call to action or your free bonus report that further enhances your credibility as the expert on the topic of your article.
- Your email autoresponder: I’m not a big fan of this strategy due to the fact that spammers will text-extract your autoresponder address and add it to their spam list. Perhaps this strategy was best for the 1990’s and has now run its course.
- An anchor URL that is related to one keyword or keyword phrase that you want to build SEO strength for. Example: if I wanted to build search engine relevance/strength for the term “Article Marketing,” I’d link up that term in my resource box to my website. This is an intermediate to advanced level strategy and should not be abused by over-doing it. Keep it simple.
What NOT to include in your RESOURCE BOX:
- A listing of every website you own. There is no faster way to dilute your credibility than by posting a half dozen irrelevant URLs that have nothing to do with each other. Best to only post ONE URL that is related to the topic of your article.
- A listing of every accomplishment you’ve achieved to date. No one cares. Keep your resource box brief and to the point. Yes, your resource box should be benefit oriented so that the reader finds value in reading it rather than your ego being justified.
- Advertisements or pitches for products that are not relevant to the topic of your article.
- Keep the size of your resource box so that it’s no larger than 20% of your total article size. Too often I see resource boxes that are 50% of the size of the total article and this is abusive.
Your Perfect Resource Box Conclusion:
The BODY of your article is where you “GIVE” and the RESOURCE BOX is where you get to “TAKE” for your article marketing gift of information. The resource box is the “currency of payment” you receive for giving away your article. Be sure to include your name, website address, your unique selling proposition as briefly as possible and a simple call to action.
About The Author:
Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best quality original articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic http://EzineArticles.com/ expert author community. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links intact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://EzineArticles.com/submit/
(c) Copyright - Christopher M. Knight. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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February 23rd 2008 Posted in
doors
White papers are the sleeping giants of marketing tools. This is great news for businesses who haven’t discovered them yet, because “[r]esearch indicates that IT executives examine an average of 30 white papers each year, that nearly 90% of executives find [them] helpful or extremely helpful and more than half claim white papers influence their buying decisions.” That’s according to Bitpipe online, February 2004.
What is a white paper?
A white paper is essentially a hybrid of a magazine article and a brochure. Its job is to educate first, then sell; it convinces readers they have a problem or need, then offers the company’s product or service as the solution. They are effective in getting attention because their salesmanship is subtle. White papers position the company in a place of authority, trustworthiness, and expertise; they’re a “soft sell,” powerful for generating leads.
What do you do with a white paper?
White papers are always given away free, and are usually distributed electronically. Post them on your website; distribute them by e-mail; syndicate them online. Bitpipe is perhaps the best-known white paper source, although there are others. People searching for information on your topic find them on these sites, read them, print them out, keep them, share them, and refer to them repeatedly.
How will white papers benefit your business?
As compared to a brochure or other marketing piece, a white paper enjoys a long shelf life. People keep them for their useful information and often come back to make a purchase up to a year later. They also can be reworked into trade publication articles and other pieces. For a company wanting to establish itself as a standout in its field, white papers are an excellent investment.
The bottom line on white papers…
If you’re a business executive looking for a copywriter to write white papers, congratulations on a smart move. Your support will contribute to a stronger finished product. With the right amount of input and feedback from you, he or she can create an effective marketing piece with a wide reach, a long shelf life, and the power to make huge profits for you.
Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response and marketing collateral, with a special interest in the health, pets, specialty foods, and inspirational/motivational/self-help niches. She has a degree in biology, has worked in a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals and teaching, and has volunteered for many causes including special-needs kids and literacy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, art, music, outdoor exercise, and all things Celtic and Renaissance.
Have you signed up for her free e-mail series on marketing strategies?
http://www.justrightcopy.com
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February 23rd 2008 Posted in
doors
E-mail signatures are a great place to add your marketing message. Here are two great ways, explained in detail, to add items to your e-mail signature.
Insert a Graphic or Animation in Your Outlook Email Signature
To add an image to an email signature in Outlook:
(1) Create a new message in Outlook using rich HTML formatting. If you want to edit an existing signature, see below.
(2) Design your desired signature in the body of the message. It is best to keep your signature to 5 or 6 lines of text, but not much more. Use the standard signature delimiter.
(3) Position the cursor where you want to insert a picture.
(4) Use Insert | Picture… to add the image or animation.
(5) Press Ctrl-A to highlight the entire body of the message.
(6) Press Ctrl-C.
(7) Now select Tools | Options… from the main Outlook window’s menu.
(8) Go to the Mail Format tab.
(9) Click Signatures… under Signatures.
(10) Click New….
(11) Give the new signature a name.
(12) Click Next >.
(13) Press Ctrl-V to paste your signature in the Signature text entry field.
(14) Click Finish.
(15) Now click OK.
(16) If you have just created your first signature, Outlook has automatically made it the default - automatically inserted - for new messages. To use it for replies as well, which I recommend, select it under Signature for replies and forwards.
(17) Click OK again.
Edit an Existing Signature to Add an Image
To edit an existing signature using the method described above:
(1) Select Tools - Options… from the menu in Outlook.
(2) Go to the Mail Format tab.
(3) Click Signatures… under Signatures.
(4) Highlight the signature you want to edit.
(5) Press Ctrl-A.
(6) Hit Ctrl-C.
(7) Use the Esc key three times.
(8) Create a new message in Outlook using rich HTML formatting.
(9) Click in the body of the new message.
(10) Press Ctrl-A.
(11) Now hit Ctrl-V.
(12) Proceed as above. Instead of creating a new signature again edit the existing.
– About the Author –
Erin Blaskie is the owner of Business Services, ETC (http://www.bsetc.ca). BSETC is a virtual assistance company that gives freedom to small business owners, coaches and speakers by managing the BS, etc.
– For More Information –
Erin has a blog located on the main page of her website in which she provides advice on small businesses and running a virtual assistance company. She has recently started a free bi-weekly telecall for virtual assistants where they can come together with other VAs and get support. You can find out more on the website at http://www.bsetc.ca
If you want to know more about our services, please contact Erin at erin.blaskie@bsetc.ca
– Copyright Information –
All rights reserved. This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system or otherwise, unless this notification of copyright is retained.
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