Health Source Acupuncture Provides Pain Relief in New Jersey

When we say to you, “…you have a cervical disk problem,” do you know what that means? I didn’t think so. As doctors, we talk about these things so often, we sometimes just assume you know what we’re talking about. So first, sorry about that!  Now, let’s clear up the question, what is a cervical disk problem?

The term “cervical” means neck, just like the terms “thoracic” means mid-back and “lumbar” means low back. The term “disk” refers to the shock absorbing fibro-elastic cartilage that rests between each vertebra of the spine. Think of the disk as being similar to a jelly donut. The center of the disk is liquid-like (the nucleus), kind of like petroleum jelly, and the outer part (the annulus) is tough and strong and circles the nucleus center like the rings of an freshly cut oak tree stump. What makes the annulus/outer layer so strong is the type of tissue it’s made up of and, maybe most important, the opposing criss-cross pattern of each layer or ring of the annulus. Studies have shown that when the disk is pierced with a knife and then compressed, this criss-cross pattern of the annulus layers self-seals the cut, resulting in no leakage of the liquid center.

So, the question is, how can a disk rupture, herniate or “slip” if it’s so tough, strong, and self-sealing?

The answer: as the disk ages or when it’s injured, tears or “fissures” in the disk fibers occur creating rents or channels for the liquid part to work its way out towards the edge and eventually break through the outer most layer – hence, the term “herniated disk.” It’s similar to stepping on that jelly donut until the jelly leaks out to the point where you can see it.

Here’s the strange part. Research tells us that about 50% of people have bulging disks (not quite herniated through) and 20% of us have herniated disks (that have popped through) but have NO PAIN AT ALL! That makes it tough since an MRI or CT scan may show a herniated or bulging disk but how do we know that’s the disk that’s clinically important – the one that’s creating the pain?  That’s why we treat patients and not their image (MRI, CT scan or x-ray).

Even though a disk may be bulging or herniated, we may not necessarily treat that particular disk if it’s not expressing itself clinically by creating a shooting pain down a specific area in a arm, usually below the elbow often into either the thumb or pinky side of the hand, with associated abnormal tests for strength and/or sensation. That’s why we check your reflexes, your strength, and sensation for each nerve. We’re checking to see if that herniated disk is “pinching” the nerve and if it is, we utilize manipulation, traction, PT modalities, and issue home traction units to try to “un-pinch” that nerve to avoid surgery.

Learn How to Use the Restaurant Online Ordering System Free Software

Learn how to streamline all online food orders with this free restaurant online ordering software by Restaurant Online Solutions. The FREE Restaurant Online Ordering System is easy to integrate into any restaurants' system for carryout, dine-in or food delivery services.

The National Restaurant Association Survey showed that nearly 40% of people say they would like to receive emails from restaurants keeping them updated with special promotions and new items. The restaurant online ordering system can store a customer’s email address after an order is taken online. Keep local patrons updated about daily specials, coupons, and special events or promotions with enticing offers via email or SMS. 

Having the capabilities to take online orders will clearly divide the competition. Being able to find a restaurant with a smart phone, laptop, or desktop is convenient, but what if a person can also submit an order with a simple click of a button or an image of what they want from an online menu? Find out the answer, and take the Restaurant Online Ordering System for free. No catch. No strings.

Sneak Peek : Free Restaurant Online Ordering Software

Parenting Children with ADHD, Autism & Learning Disabilities

How many times have you watched a person park in a handicapped spot and watched them get out of the car and walk away with no apparent difficulty? And didn’t you wonder why on earth they needed to park in a spot that might be needed for someone in a wheelchair? Well, many people have heart and respiratory and other conditions that limit their ability to walk distances. We just can’t see the problem.

The same situation exists in children with any type of learning disability. The problem is not obvious. It is very real however, and can interfere with performance at school. That sometimes makes it hard to accept and understand. One of the biggest issues is that of executive functioning.

Executive Function

Essentially it is a set of mental processes which help children connect past experience with present action. These brain functions allow us to make plans, keep track of time, finish work, ask for help, wait our turn, engage in meaningful discussions and research information as needed. Without these capabilities, children are likely to be unable to interact appropriately in school and complete required schoolwork. Child development skills such as executive functioning can emerge over time and in varying degrees with some children.

Children with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder typically present with executive functioning issues. Until recently, it was assumed that inattention was the key problem in children with ADHD. It is now believed that ADHD is actually an executive function disorder. While it is true that all children will struggle with these skills at some point or another, children with ADHD and ASD have chronic problems with executive functioning.

In order to help a child improve their executive functioning skills, it is important to understand the specific components and why they are necessary for good school performance. These components have overlapping characteristics because of multifunctional components. When all the skills are present, they work together to produce a desired outcome.

Here is a basic list of executive skills and their definitions:

Impulse Control – the ability to stop and think before acting
Flexibility – the ability to alter or revise strategies when circumstances change
Working Memory – the ability to retain information and use it to complete a task
Planning & Setting Priorities – the ability to determine what goal to focus on and what steps it will take to attain
Self-monitoring – the ability to assess your performance
Emotional Control – the ability to control feelings by focusing on goal
Task Initiation – the ability to start a task when necessary and not procrastinate
Organization – the ability to create and maintain methods of tracking materials and information

This group of skills works collectively to help your child interact appropriately, process information, and learn.  When one or more is deficient, learning problems arise. If you read descriptions of children with ADHD and other learning disorders, they are often cited as lazy, forgetful, disorganized, unable to complete assignments, prone to outbursts and prone to impulsivity. They may not start homework or complete it, may be disruptive in class or may be combative with peers. They can be sensitive to criticism, unyielding and defensive. All these traits are associated with poor executive functioning.

Now that you have an idea of how this problem manifests itself in your child, you can try some strategies to help your child improve. It all boils down to management. Good management yields productivity in the business world. The same is true when applied to your child. Understanding and patience is also necessary. It is easy to get exasperated when you don’t understand why your child doesn’t “get it”.

 

1. One of the best things you can do is break tasks into manageable steps. It is easy for a child to give up when they believe the goal is beyond their ability to achieve. Make each step an easy success by keeping short and attainable.
2. Use visual and audio aids to reinforce the task. If a child has difficulty with tasks such as getting dressed, post a visual schedule of dressing steps. Written instruction should accompany all oral instruction.
3. Give your child breaks between activities and ample time to adjust to a new activity prior to starting.
4. Keep a consistent schedule as much as possible. Maintain the same bedtime. Schedule homework to be done at a specific time and keep to it. You can split homework assignments so there is a substantial break in between if they have trouble staying on task.
5. Keep activity charts and post them where they can be easily viewed.
6. Reduce all distractions. Give one thing at a time and keep all other tasks out of line of vision.
7. Label everything your child needs for their schoolwork and for home workspace. Have a specific spot for each item.
8. Review homework assignments and maintain a checklist. Have your child check each assignment as it is completed.
9. Keep open communication with your child’s teacher and get regular feedback.

 

Keep in mind, many brilliant people have experienced these problems, such as, Albert Einstein, and that executive skill problems is not an indication of level of intelligence.

Did You Know?... Brain Health

Health Alert: Healthy Brain, Healthy Life

Powerful memory requires a healthy brain and the right nutrition. The brain uses tremendous amounts of energy and is the most metabolically active organ in the body-- it never completely rests. As a result, it has one of the highest rates of free radical production. These free radicals begin to destroy the structure of the brain, its connections and the cells. 

Unless you replace those damaged parts with nutrients, brain function starts to fall off more and more over time. For example, Omega-3 fatty acids are replaced extremely rapidly. If you are deficient in this nutrient, your brain begins to change its structure very quickly and soon (only 2 weeks) loses its ability to properly function because one of its vital components is missing. Americans consume an average of 129 pounds of sugar a year; 57% of it comes from processed foods.

For example, teenagers drink an equivalent of 54 teaspoons of sugar a day just from soda. Sugar consumption dramatically increases free radical generation in the brain. It produces cross-linking of the proteins in all cells which dramatically increases the damaging effect of these free radicals, making every cell in your body age much, much faster -- particularly brain cells. In some extreme cases, it can even result in permanent brain damage. 

Lack of Vitamin B-1 in the diet causes memory failure and depression. Consumption of a lot of carbohydrates depletes Vitamin B-1. Vitamins C, D, E, K, A, B and carotenoids are all associated with brain function. Animal fat impairs the ability to learn and remember, but healthy fats, such as Omega-3, improve depression, memory retention and thinking. 

This is because the brain uses an enormous amount of fatty acids for its membranes. Aspartame, MSG, pesticides, and herbicides in food; aluminum in deodorants; fluoride in the water; and mercury in vaccines may play a major role in brain toxicity and brain function decline. Excessive toxicity destroys brain cells.

Why Is Lower Back Pain So Common?

Low Back Pain: Why Is It So Common?

This question has plagued all of us, including researchers for a long time. Could it be because we’re all inherently lazy and don’t exercise enough? Or maybe it’s because we have a job that’s too demanding on our back? To properly address this question, here are some interesting facts:

• The prevalence of low back pain (LBP) is common, as 70-85% of ALL PEOPLE have back pain that requires treatment of some sort at some time in life.
• On a yearly basis, the annual prevalence of back pain averages 30% and once you have back pain, the likelihood of recurrence is high.
• Back pain is the most common cause of activity limitation in people less than 45 years of age.
• Back pain is the 2nd most frequent reason for physician visits, the 5th ranking reason for hospital admissions, and is the 3rd most common cause for surgical procedures.
• About 2% of the US workforce receives compensation for back injuries annually.
• Similar statistics exist for other countries, including the UK and Sweden.

So, what are the common links as to why back pain is so common? One reason has to do with the biomechanics of the biped – that is, the two legged animal. When compared to the 4-legged species, the vertically loaded spine carries more weight in the low back, shows disk and joint deterioration and/or arthritis much sooner, and we overload the back more frequently because, well, we can! We have 2 free arms to lift and carry items that often weigh way too much for our back to be able to safely handle. We also lift and carry using poor technique. Another reason is anatomical as the blood supply to our disks is poor at best, and becomes virtually non-existent after age 30. That makes healing of disk tears or cracks nearly impossible. Risk factors for increased back injury include heavy manual lifting requirements, poor or low control of the work environment, and prior incidence of low back pain.

Other risk factors include psychosocial issues such as fear of injury, beliefs that pain means one should not work, beliefs that treatment or time will not help resolve a back episode, the inability to control the condition, high anxiety and/or depression levels, and more. Because there are so many reasons back problems exist, since the early 1990’s, it has been strongly encouraged that we as health care providers utilize a “biopsychosocial model” of managing those suffering with low back pain, which requires not only treatment but proper patient education putting to rest unnecessary fears about back pain.

 

Health Update : Weight Loss Tip Of The Month

Simple Ways To Get Better Result From Any Weight Loss Program

Everyone wants to know the answer to this question: What’s the best way to lose weight? The problem with that age-old question is – there is no ONE correct answer because everyone’s body make-up, chemistry and genes are different.  In other words, we all react differently to different types of food. We also react differently to different types of exercise. That’s why losing weight and keeping it off can be so difficult.  It has also opened up the door for marketers to sell all kinds of junk that promises to get you skinny… just about overnight.

Here’s the real truth about weight loss – and it’s something many people simply do not want to hear…

To successfully lose weight, you must meticulously figure out what types of foods and exercise work with your body chemistry and type. Then, you must make a plan incorporating those foods and exercises... then… YOU MUST STICK TO THAT PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. There is no “quick fix” pill or wonder diets or miracle piece of workout equipment that will work.

That’s A Hard Pill For Most To Swallow

But, there is a way to get better results for ANY eating or exercise program you do. Here is how: Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research instructed obese adults who participated in the study to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and maintain a weight loss journal. While some were asked to maintain their weight loss journals six days a week, others updated it only once a week. The author of the study said those who maintained their journal regularly lost more weight compared to those who updated it only once a week. It is believed several reasons attributed to the success of the “journal” group.

Two very important reasons are: accountability and the ability to really analyze what you are eating and doing physically. People are often surprised when they see in writing what they are doing. Perception is often very different from reality. So, if you want to increase the effect of any weight loss program you are on, try keeping a journal. But first, accept the fact that losing weight and staying in shape takes effort and time, and the results are a better looking and healthier you. Nothing is more important.

Local Search for Small Businesses

Local Online Search & SMB

Local search has become one of the most affordable and important ways for small businesses to be found by their customers. In a recent ComScore study, they found that 42% of local searchers wanted to find a business within 6-15 miles of their home or place of work. Searchers are looking for more relevance than ever before. With statistics like this, it’s more imperative you are giving those local users every opportunity to find your business.

The reality is that there are many factors that can contribute to a successful local, online presence. In today’s market, it takes being available at different times and in varied formats to reach the right audience. One of the main ways prospects can find you is through a local business listing. With prime placement right at the top of the search results page, these listings give a previously unheard of visibility to small and local businesses.

 

So what can you do reach that coveted prime placement?

Submit your listing

Seems pretty simple, right? Well, it’s a crucial step. Just submitting and verifying your listing can sometimes be enough in less competitive markets. Google takes the verified information as the most trusted, so make sure your listing is claimed.

 

Have only one, optimized listing for your business

When you submit your information to Google, you could have the option to choose existing business information, if it exists for your company. You don’t want to have competing listings out there, so always claim the existing information and optimize it- so there is only one active listing. I have seen claiming another listing significantly help a business rank better.

 

Choose correct categories for your business

Google provides different industry options for you to choose from. These are one of the main factors that determine which searches your listing could show for. Make sure these accurately describe your products and services.

Put your industry and target area in the title of your listing

This information helps Google, but it also improves your visibility for those keywords.  Be sure to use a local phone number in your listing- Using a local number lets both the user and the search engine know that you are in fact located where you say you are.

Create a description that’s informative

This descriptive area provides you the chance to give the most information about your company. Use your keywords and provide the details that would be valuable for your customer base.

Reviews are important. Positive reviews are a huge factor on whether or not someone will choose you business over another. Not only that, but the presence of reviews (both negative and positive) can increase the ranking of your listing. In some industries, I have seen listings perform better by simply having more reviews than their competitors.

 

Here is the Golden Grail List of Directories to maximize your business ranking locally:

Google.com/places
Local.Yahoo.com    
Bing Local    
Yelp.com

YellowPages.com

MerchantCircle.com     

Business.Intuit.com    

Citysearch.com    

Superpages.com    

Local.com

InsiderPages.com     

DexKnows.com    

YellowBook.com    

HotFrog.com    

YellowBot.com

MagicYellow.com     

USCity.net    

MojoPages.com    

YellowUSA.com    

Manta.com 

Keep your listing up to date

Updating the information tells the search engines that it’s relevant. It can be as simple as updating a coupon, or other details. Make sure your listing is 100% complete. Don’t underestimate the value of having a completed listing. Google is all about the user experience, and a complete listing shows that your business is providing the most information.

Submit your info to other directories as well. Google actually pulls your business info from other sites, so it would behoove you to have accurate, standard information about your business from as many sources as possible.

This is just the beginning for your online visibility. The first steps to getting great rankings for your local listing. While there is no guarantee that following these steps will increase your rankings, an optimized listing almost always outperforms an un-optimized one. So, take the time, and see what you can accomplish. Do you have any other tips for local listings?

Health Update : Headaches

Headache – What Can YOU Do?

Headaches are one of the most common complaints for which patients seek chiropractic care.  Chiropractic is especially helpful in the treatment of headaches because the three nerves that exit the top of the spine (upper neck) are often the cause of or directly related to headaches. These three nerves travel into the head and have to pass through a very thick group of muscles in the upper part of the neck near where these muscles attach to the base of the skull.  This is why when you have headaches and rub the back of the neck, the muscles may feel tight and or tender.  In fact, if enough pressure is applied over one of these three nerves, pain will radiate into the head following the course of the nerve, sometimes all the way into the eyes.  When chiropractic treatment is applied in the upper neck region, a reduction of the headache and neck pain occurs because the muscle tension is decreased and joint motion is restored.

The International Headache Society (IHS) has classified headaches into two main categories, primary and secondary.  Primary headaches occur for no known reason and there are four groups of these: 1) migraine, 2) tension-type, 3) cluster, and 4) “other” primary headaches. Secondary headaches are those with a specific cause such as sinus/allergy headaches, those associated with eye strain, a known medical condition or those due to cold or flu.  Both migraine and cluster headaches are “vascular” (related to the blood vessels expanding inside the head) resulting in a unique set of symptoms that includes nausea, vomiting, pounding/throbbing and can be quite debilitating. 

The most common type is the tension-type of headache.  A thorough history is necessary because there is no specific diagnostic test (lab or blood test) for tension-type headaches.  Hence, the concept is to make sure the headache is not related to some other condition that is diagnosable by a blood or lab test and if present, having that condition properly managed.  So, assuming all the tests come back “normal” and all other causes have been eliminated or “ruled out,” the most common type of tension-type headache is “episodic” or, occurs off and on, lasting minutes to days.  The pain is usually described as, “…my whole head hurts.”  There is typically tightness or tension (NOT throbbing) described in the neck muscles and the intensity ranges from mild to moderate, not usually severe, where laying down is needed.  Physical activity does not usually make it worse and there is no sickness to the stomach (nausea/vomiting), and no intense reaction to bright lights or noise (like there is with migraine & cluster types of headaches).  There are sub-types of tension headaches that can occur simultaneous with migraines headaches, but the classic “aura” (a before the headache warning associated with migraine headaches) is usually not present.

Chiropractic treatment typically includes manipulation and mobilization of the neck, muscle release techniques, physical therapy modalities like electric stimulation, ultrasound, and others, exercise, stress and diet/nutritional management.

 

The Evolution of Gummy Candy

Gummy Candy

In the beginning, there were two species of candy.  These were the Twizzlerius gummus and the Cocolai roundus.  Both of these species lived harmoniously in the Garden of Eaten for many, many years.  One day a great wind blew the Cocolai roundus off the garden.  In their new habitat, the only thing for them to eat was shrinking leaves.  In time, the Cocolai roundus became much smaller.  So small, in fact, that eventually they disappeared.

 

I would have to consider myself a connoisseur of candy especially those with Latin based names. Having the cavities to prove it, I think there were a lot of different variations within the same species of candy that I’ve consumed.  The majority of the candy shared the same characteristics and looked to be “evolved” from each previous species.  I find it much easier to classify things in this way because of these shared traits.  If you were to sub classify the candy species you could go on forever.

 The Twizzlerius were devastated by the loss of the Cocolai roundus and became torn in two.  Thus began the Great War of Twizzlerius.  After the war, only half of the population remained.  These survivors left the garden and traveled to the ocean.  Once at the ocean, some of the Twizzlerius gummus went to live in the water and some went to live in the caves.  In time, the ocean Twizzlerius became adapted to being in the water all day and turned into Gelatinus fishious.  The cave dwelling Twizzlerius developed a hard outer shell and became smoother to travel through the rough habitat.  They became Jellybellius obolai.  

 

 

 

 

The Gelatinus fishious suddenly split into two populations when one group decided they wanted to see the world and the other wanted to stay in one part of the water.  The first group traveled all over the ocean and in order to outrun their predators became skinnier and faster.  They became known as Wormius squiggilus.  The Wormius traveled the whole world over and opened underwater tiki huts.  However, when they all migrated to a new area in Brazil, they were wiped out by gigantic eels.  The second group thrived for a very long time but then a great flood washed them into a small lake.  The only way for them to get food was to develop legs and leap in and out of water.  Over time, they became a species called Gelatinus frogus.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Jellybellius obolai were squished by a cave collapse and the survivors were much flatter.  They moved out of caves and into condos.  The condos had frigid air conditioning so over time the Jellybellius developed a rough sugar coating to withhold body heat.  This species of Jellybellius became the Sucra wedgy. The Sucra’s liked to travel to the lake in the summer.  They liked it so much that they all decided to move there.  Eventually, the Gelatinous frogus and the Sucra wedgy’s began mating and out came the Gummus bearus.

Barriers to Effective Private Practice Marketing in Health Services

Marketing Health Services 

In mental health and the caring professions, I believe the biggest barriers to effective marketing come from within individual practitioners' own perspectives, their assumptions and preconceptions.

Some of these assumptions and preconceptions are entirely on target, while others are arguably less so. They come in at least two flavors:

 

• Factual matters, concerning what is true in the world
• Philosophical matters, concerning what is 'right'

 

The factual matters are easy to clear up because they depend on how the world really is. The philosophical matters are much more interesting and depend on individual people's views of themselves, their careers, and their lives.

Factual Matters and Marketing

As an example of a factual matter, some people believe (rightly or wrongly) that their respective professional organizations prohibit any kind of marketing or advertising activities. There is no actual debate about this kind of question. It's just a matter of checking it out: what exactly is a particular organization's policy? Although it is so easy to check out, a belief which hasn't been checked out yet but which is in fact wrong may greatly (and unnecessarily) impede effective marketing: if you believe you're prohibited from doing something, you're significantly less likely to do it!

As an example of something which might not be quite such a simple matter of fact, but which still doesn't come close to the philosophical subtlety of personal outlooks on life, some people think that marketing is the same as advertising. If you think this too, don't worry: you're in good company. In fact, while conducting some market research in preparation for a marketing guide I've been writing, I examined one recent book ostensibly about marketing which was actually overwhelmingly full of advice about advertising; so maybe even some of the people who write books on the subject don't really understand the difference! Advertising is just one part of marketing, the part that is specifically about ways of delivering a specific marketing message, usually to the potential customer of a product or service. In marketing parlance, it's the inside-out part (broadcasting your message), rather than the outside-in part (listening to customer needs and adapting to meet them). Here again, if you were to believe that marketing and advertising are the same thing, and you know (for example) that you don't like advertising, you might be unnecessarily dissuaded from doing any marketing!

Philosophical Questions About Marketing

Far more interesting than either of these two examples, however, is the question of how you, as an individual practitioner, view marketing and its position in your constellation of thoughts and feelings about your work, your clients, your broader life and your role in the commercial exchange of time and effort in return for money. These largely derive from your views about yourself and about what is the right way to be, rather than about matters of fact in the outside world.

20 Questions About Marketing

Some examples of these kinds of questions, the answers to which might influence how you apply basic ideas of marketing, include:

 

    * How do you feel about your own value in the work that you do?  
    * How do you feel about providing some of that value in exchange for money?
    * How should the amount of money you receive in exchange for the value you provide relate to the costs you incur to provide it?
    * How do you feel about articulating your value to other people?
    * How do you feel about making a profit?
    * How much of your reward in doing your job is psychological, as distinct from financial?
    * Would you be willing to work for free?
    * At what point will you need another source of income to augment the income you derive from your caring profession?
    * How would you feel about telling your colleagues that you've formulated a marketing strategy?
    * What does 'selling' mean to you?
    * What does financial exploitation mean to you?
    * Do you have a view about how those in your profession 'should' think or feel with regard to questions like these?
    * To whom do you feel your services should be provided? Everyone? Only those who can afford it? Only those who happen to be the sort of people you      particularly like working with?
    * What sorts of people do you particularly like working with?
    * If you had too many potential clients to see at a given time, and if it were entirely up to you, on what basis would you decide to work with some clients and not with others?
    * How do you feel about others in your profession who only see select groups of clients or those who see all kinds of clients?
    * How do you feel about those colleagues who receive more money for their services (or who have more clients) than you do? And those who receive less money (or who have fewer clients)?
    * What does competition mean to you?
    * How do you feel about capitalism?
    * How do you feel about learning about marketing?

 

And that's just a sample twenty questions -- there are plenty more where those came from, and more still awaiting from within your own individual perspective!

In the case of each one, your own particular views and your philosophy of life will influence how you might apply basic ideas of marketing. Unlike the factual examples from the start of this chapter, there are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers, and no one can teach you how to think or feel. They are ultimately about you and your relationship with the world around you.

 

Reflecting On Your Own Unique Position

In my own experience with small groups of counselors or students, very often these kinds of questions elicit a combination of discomfort, uncertainty, avoidance, and sometimes a desire to 'take a stand' (well considered or otherwise!) in one particular direction or another. But whatever the reaction, even just beginning to consider these questions makes an important start toward better understanding your own outlook on virtually unavoidable aspects of your profession.

By reflecting on your own views of marketing and some of the adjacent conceptual territory, you can become aware of your own potential strengths in marketing, your own weaknesses, and your own particular interests or areas you'd like to avoid. And importantly, you can overcome any barriers to your own success in marketing which are simply unnecessary -- such as barriers which might have been based upon something you'd never really thought about in detail before, or barriers which might just come from a lack of information.

By patiently continuing to explore, wondering, testing, hypothesizing, and reflecting, you can come to a better understanding of your best ally in marketing.

 

How To Plan Your Business Blog

Are you thinking about launching your business blog? You're not alone. A recent study by GuideWireGroup revealed that approximately 89 percent of businesses polled use blogs as a way to communicate with their customers. In another survey, Burson-Marsteller found that 15% of Fortune 500 companies have blogs. A successful business blog can generate tens of thousands of dollars in revenue each year, with figures for large corporations typically much higher.

So, business blogging is becoming a mainstream marketing tool. That does not mean, however, that blogging comes easily or naturally for many companies, their owners and employees. Blogging, like any form of content, is a commitment of time and resources - namely, you have to know how to write (or have access to good writers) and you have to maintain your blogs with fresh, original and insightful new material on a regular basis.

This should not scare you away. It should, though, inspire you to learn the basics of business blogging before you turn your baby loose on the world. Planning out your blogging strategy first is a wise move, because it gives your blog a greater chance of success. Here are 10 tips for launching your business blog:

1. Identify your readers.

Before you start writing anything, make sure you understand who your target market is. This is also known as your "buyer persona", which marketing guru David Meerman Scott defines as "...a distinct group of potential customers, an archetypal person whom you want your marketing to reach." Basically, you want to tailor your topics to the groups of people who are most interested in your company. Otherwise, you're missing the mark and losing out on potential leads and sales. To identify these buyer persona's, there are 3 questions you should ask yourself-

 

     Where do your customers come from?

     What type of content will be useful to them?

     Where do your customers hang out online?

 

2. Create social media accounts.

If you haven't already done this, register accounts with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Start with these and expand later. This is important because you need places to post links to each new blog, so that your groups, fans, and followers can read them. Posting on social media also encourages people to subscribe to your RSS feed, another great way to promote your blog.

3. Establish your social media presence.

Lay the groundwork for later blog promotion by establishing relationships with your target markets. One of the best ways to do this is through social media. Now that you have accounts started, you can go in and join forums, listen to conversations and hear what people are saying about your industry. Add thoughtful and insightful comments whenever possible. Hire employees to do this if you don't have time, but try to contribute every once in a while if you can.

4. Determine where to place your blog.

You can either put your blog on a page within your website or give it its own domain. Your choice depends largely on your goals. Do you want the blog to be part of your site, and linked to it directly? Or do you have plans to use your blog for other purposes, such as to earn revenue through ads or creating a secondary business from it?

A blog can help your website to rank higher, and it can also rank highly on its own. So, think about your long-term objectives when deciding where to place it.

5. Use the right keywords.

If you're placing your business blog on a page within your site, most likely you'll be using the same keywords for your blog that you are using for your site. If you've done good keyword research, then these are the keywords that reflect your business and are the search terms that people are using to find you. If your blog is separate, consider if any keyword changes need to be made. You may want to take your blog site in a different direction from your site. Again, this depends on your goals for your blog.

Incidentally, if your blog does have its own domain, you'll want the domain name to be brandable, easy for consumers to recognize and search engine-friendly.

6. Choose a blogging platform.

You have options here. WordPress is the most popular blogging platform, but you can also check out Joomla, Blogger, TypePad and others.

7. Plan your posts.

Think about the direction you want your blog posts to go in. A good way to stay on track is to start with one main topic and draft a few blogs in advance. Post them on a regular schedule and you'll have a supply of targeted blogs that add fresh content to your site and point back to your company each week. Coming up with topics can be a challenge, but there are a lot of helpful resources on the Web if you get stuck.

8. Network with influencers.

Once you've got your blog started, it's a good idea to look around at other bloggers in your industry. See what they're doing, what they have to say, and leave insightful comments on their blogs. This kind of web networking will help you establish relationships with these people, which in turn will prompt them to help spread the word about your blog and your company. This kind of free advertising is invaluable. It connects you to credible and respected individuals within the blogosphere and markets your business for you.

9. Promote your blog.

As mentioned earlier, offering a blog subscription through an RSS feed is an effective way to promote your blog. There are other ways to get the word out, as well. Write an optimized press release, submít articles to directories that link to your blog page, submit your blogs to social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg (or set up an account with Ping.fm and have it done automatically). Make sure that you link to your blogs in your social media posts.

10. Measure results.

If you're going to take the time to blog for marketing purposes, you'll want to know how well you're doing, right? Since it relies primarily on the building of human relationships over time, blog ROI can be tricky to measure. But, you do have many tools at your disposal to help you determine how much or how little your blog is contributing to the bottom line.

Free online tools like Google Analytics and Google Alerts provide you with information about how your customers are finding you online, and can tell you a lot about your blog page, in particular. Facebook Insights is a way to track activity on your Facebook account. Other tools are available, so look into them.

Launching your business blog is, like any project, all about preparation. If you do your homework and lay a solid foundation, your blog will produce results. Keep in mind that blogging is a form of content marketing and, as such, is primarily about building relationships with customers. So, be patient, follow these tips, and watch your business grow!

 

How to Successfully Market on Search Engines

 

The 4 C's of SEM

Here are the 4 Top Guidelines you need to know about successful marketing for search engines:

As more and more people jump online and get comfortable with the ease of plunking down their bank card for purchases, it is becoming apparent that traditional marketing such as direct mail, advertising, and telemarketing just won't be enough to get your small business over the top. Changes in the world that small business now sees are nothing short of mind-blowing. If you want to get your business, product or service noticed, you need to be marketing for search engines (SEM) and on board with the social media impact on business. Online tools today have changed the game and created new rules for information exchange and information commerce. Software as a service application, better known as SAAS, is bringing everything from Aunt Sadie's bookkeeping services to your kid's martial arts training regimen online as part of the mysterious but ever-expanding Cloud. Your business needs to be visible in the cloud, and marketing for search engines is your primary tactic of being found.

Content

If your website is your printed brochure and you like it that way, please click off of this page now! You cannot have any success online driving traffic to your site from search engines without content. Gobs of content! Oodles. Insane amounts of words, pics, video, music-whatever floats your boat. By insane amounts, recognize that there are millions of websites out there with, sit down, 1000s of pages of content!

Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo look at content as a measuring stick of how relevant your business is in the world. There are plenty of strategies, and unless your resources of money and bodies are endless, you can't do them all. Article writing, for my blog and similar versions for dozens of other's blogs and article sites, is a favorite strategy of mine. If you're paying attention you just learned one way to get written content for your site. Syndicate it. This is great for those who fear content creation, don't have time for it, or simply lack the confidence that anything they have to say is worth broadcasting. There are millions of bloggers and poor man's authors out there dying for you to publish their material on your site for the simple favor of a return link or three to their websites or blogs.

Don't like to write? That's OK. Know what a ghost blogger is, Mr. big-time CEO? And in today's full-color world, Google rewards pictures, properly tagged, even more. Even better is video. People, if you've been to my VBlog and seen me interviewing subject matter experts, it's not because I think I have a career in film making or replacing Larry King. I want to get great information to my readers and video works fantastic, but it also boosts my search engine rankings in a major way. Boo-Yah!

If you want to know how to really beef up your content, just get a hold of me and I'll give you some free tips and some other things you can do. I can even interview you for your site promotion.

Connection

It ain't a once and done world. Any good marketer knows that it may take a while for someone to warm up to your content, so you need to have plenty of it and keep refreshing it... a lot! Your goal is not to have them look on your site or blog once, but to bookmark it, subscribe to your RSS feed, and basically give you permission to market to them again and again. It's that repetition of content in different forms, if possible, that wins over people. Once they subscribe, you're now beyond idle chit chat and into the hand-holding phase of the relationship. Keep going and you just might get to second base, where they like you enough to want to talk to you.

Conversation

Ahhh! Now we're getting comfortable. If you subscribe to or read any blog posts, you know that 99.9% of them have a box to encourage you to have a take and don't suck about it. You also see all those tiny little squares on websites, all over the place (just check mine-get your dead cat out again), asking you to follow them on Facebook, re-Tweet them, subscribe, StumbleUpon, or otherwise talk to the site, rate the blog, or product, or picture - get it! This is just marketing recognition of the importance of dialogue and chatter in today's world. Exploiting this correctly is the main way social media helps small business. Everybody is a critic, yes, and torque-off the wrong, angry blogger or hacker at your ówn risk, but most ordinary humans have real lives without the time to spend it on wrecking yours with vitriolic bile in cyberspace. Create a conversation with your customers, and soon you'll have them creating positive, happy, fluffy conversations about your business. Do this right and go viral and you're a celebrity in your little business niche, and that ain't chump change, friends.

Consistency

This is the most important C of the Big 4 for marketing for search engines. Every day, millions of pages of content get loaded onto the Internet and indexed by Google, Yahoo and the boys. Not to mention, the rules and algorithms that the major search engines use to determine relevance in the world are constantly changing. What that means to you is, if you are trying to get any search engine traffic at all to do enough business for you to purchase a Happy Meal, you need to be engaging in this stuff weekly. Monthly? Cute. Once per quarter? Google does not suffer fools easily. The Internet is a - what have you done for me lately - world. On top of the world today, living in a refrigerator box tomorrow.

Don't let me be misunderstood (note to self, try to develop some lyrics around that), you need to consistently market to the search engine universe to succeed at the game. Having said that, if your content is wholesome, good stuff, the huge benefit of the online world is that your stuff doesn't ever die! I heard a guy on a YouTube video say, "Google never forgets." I have articles from 10 years ago that are ranked in the top 3 of certain undisclosed keywords to this day! It can be a beautiful thing. The problem is, you don't ever know what is going to last. It's simple really. You don't know what the rest of the world is going to do that might be more relevant than the pearls you posted last week. The best you can do is keep going. You'll hit some grand slams at times, but you will end up scoring more runs in the long run with singles, walks and being hit by the pitch. Grab your Louisville Slugger and step up to the plate.

Vacation Home Guru Kai Stadler

Who Is Kai Stadler? 

German born Kai Stadler was well acquainted with travel before entering the vacation rental home business. After completing his high school education and compulsory military service as a member of the Special Forces in Germany, Kai came to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1989 to continue his studies. Kai completed his education internationally with semester studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France and the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Rotan.

Kai’s travel experiences have spanned multiple continents including Africa, South America, most of Europe, and forty nine states in America. Kai’s extensive travel history has primed him for the career that he has today and is well acquainted with the necessities and desires that make travel enjoyable.

Kai and his business associates developed a plan to rent out high end properties that were not selling on the 2009 housing market as vacation homes. This provides a classy and comfortable vacation spot with the full amenities of a home for families or groups of friends looking for quarters on a larger scale but still more personable and private then a hotel room or suite.

Kai and his partner Mike Geraud continue to develop and expand the vacation home rental market. Kai still enjoys traveling and does so with his wife and two daughters.

Kai Stadler : FREE Week Vacation Home Rental Contest

No purchase necessary to participate

Our selected panel of judges will critique and rate your video based on the following criteria:

1. A detailed explanation about what you have done that you feel is inspirational. For example: Charities, charitable donations, or volunteering your time for anything worth mentioning. Please also be able to prove your actions if you are chosen.

2. Creativity of your video/article. In the age of YouTube and self-promotion, the more interesting ones get all the traffic. Every contestant should adapt this same exact theory when creating their entry. Increase your chances of winning by submitting an interesting and creative video and/or written article. Entries that are original, creative, funny, thoughtful and with a compelling story are the ones that will make it to the finals. Be daring and different and you may be sitting on a beach soon.

3. Finally, give us your suggestions on how you would make Tropical Vacations Group continue to grow. For example: Future contests you would like to see, video suggestions, website designs, or an innovative idea. This will increase your chances for a 4 night 5 day stay at one of our Luxury Vacation Homes in South Florida.

How To Enter:

Please submit a (1) one to (2) two minute video and/or a well written no more than 2000 word article. In either case, during your explanation please make sure you mention Tropical Vacations Group, Mike Geraud, and Kai Stadler. You should acknowledge that it is there contest.

Contestants have the option to submit both an article and a video, which may increase their chances of being chosen. To enter the Tropical Vacations Group Sweepstakes, you can send your completed video and/ or finalized article in Microsoft Word or (PDF) format to:

 

Roman's Rant : Health Issues

How Important Is Dietary Fiber?

According to an article in the Kingsman Regional Medical Center Journal, reports have indicated a strong correlation between obesity prevalence and the amount of fiber consumption. The data suggests that countries with the highest fiber consumption consistently had the lowest obesity rates. Obesity is considered to be more common in Western Countries because fiber consumption is so low.

 

Lacking the amount of recommended fiber can hinder proper digestion and can also contribute to weight gain. Deficient fiber levels have been linked to obesity and inhibit nutrient absorption in the body. Generally foods that are high in fiber are also low fat. Conversely, foods that contain low fiber content are generally calorie dense. Foods that are rich in fiber have been found to lower blood serum insulin levels which can promote a feeling of fullness for longer periods of time which can aid in weight control.

Studies regarding children and fiber intake have yielded similar results. High fiber diets aid in the prevention of childhood obesity and improved general health. These studies indicated that children that ate a high fiber breakfast had a lower BMI (body mass index) and lower cholesterol levels. In addition to being low calorie, high fiber foods are also generally contain less saturated and trans fats than foods with a low fiber content.
Fiber consumption by adults and children (specifically plant based fiber sources) has been an effective and proven treatment for obesity. Fiber facilitates healthy weight loss by boosting metabolism and creating a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. A high fiber diet can decrease the amount of food consumed while simultaneously increasing the body’s ability to metabolize and burn off the fat before it begins to accumulate in the body

 

An elevated body metabolism can also provide the body with more energy which can also increase the prevalence of physical activity and exercise. Fiber, particularly plant based fiber, is an imperative part of a healthy diet. In addition to facilitating weight loss and increased metabolic levels, fiber is also an important component of proper digestion to keep the body healthy. Foods that are low fat and low calorie are also an important part of a healthy diet. Foods like POPCAKE pancakes that are low calorie and 97% fat free can be incorporated into a diet that promotes a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Dietary Fiber: A History of Prebiotics