Friday, February 29, 2008

7 Financial Strategies for Transitioning from Salaried to Solo


1. Continue to draw a (reduced) salary
Leaving your current employment in order to develop your new business may look like the only option, based on an assumption that you won’t get approval for reducing your hours.
2. Develop another income stream
If you need to leave your present employment, is there a skill in your toolbag that you can resuscitate and put to work without a significant expenditure of time or energy? Is moonlighting or freelance work an option? Virtual e-lancing websites (such as eWork.com, Guru.com, and e-lance.com) may be worth looking into for short-term professional services opportunities.


3. Reduce expenses
Apart from fixed expenses - mortgage, taxes, insurance, etc. –are discretionary expenses that make up the larger part of budgets. Doing a careful analysis of these expenses and choosing what you can forego for awhile can often save thousands per year.
Carefully analyzing hidden expenses – credit card interest rates, bank charges, late fees, auto debits, phone plans – or “lost money” from low interest rates on savings may generate several thousand more per year.


4. Borrow
It isn’t necessary to wait to borrow for start-up costs until you have a well-documented idea to submit for a business loan. Refinancing a home or taking a line of credit are relatively low-cost ways of generating capital. Depending on your credit rating, you can also get time-limited low-interest loans from credit card companies.
If you choose this option, applying for loans or refinancing packages while you’re still employed is strongly advised. Your rating as a borrower declines quickly once the regular paychecks stop.



5. Identify your niche.
Think about the services you’re uniquely qualified to provide, as well as the ones you most enjoy providing. Be specific! Write them down! Then think about what group of people would get benefit from those services and have the ability to pay for them. Again, be specific: age, where they congregate, habits and values, how they define the problem your services are going to solve.

6. Create your marketing plan.
Don’t be intimidated by the term “marketing plan”. While what you need from a marketing plan will get more sophisticated as your business develops, for now it simply means answering the question,

7. Manage fear!
For most people, anything involving money involves some level of fear. It’s important to acknowledge to yourself and to others that you are taking a risk, and you’ve decided it’s a risk you want to take. So consider the fear natural, and find ways to manage it.
Getting support from people who believe in you and in what you’re embarking on is #1 in fear-management tactics.

Monday, February 25, 2008

3 Crucial Elements For Jumping Sales Numbers

Marketers from every niche have common ground when it comes to bills. Yeah, every month there’s a new stack of bills demanding to be paid. Will there be enough profit to slide right through bill paying time without a flinch? Or do you find yourself fretting about whether you’ll even break even? You don’t have to be victimized by envelopes and 8x10 sheets of paper. Implement these 3 techniques to boost your sales.


1. Find More Customers
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of making more money is getting more customers through our doors. In fact, the majority of advertising focuses on doing just that. There are several things you can do to entice more customers to buy from you.

Implement Follow-Ups
Marketing gurus have discovered that follow ups can increase your customer conversion rates by as much as 50%. Now, that’s a whopping improvement! Don’t let potential customers fade away. Keep the doors for future communication open, and watch the drastic growth in your profits.

Encourage Referrals
Every satisfied customer will tell 3 friends or family members about your business - without encouragement. Imagine what would happen if you start rewarding their efforts.

Get Free Publicity
Nearly everyone keeps a sharp eye on the local news. Hey, it’s funner to know what’s going on when you personally recognize the names and faces in print! Find ways to make your business newsworthy and catch the attention of potential customers without even paying advertising fees.


2. Sell More Per Customer
Think about it... how can you get every customer that walks through your doors to spend more money before walking back out the doors? Here are 3 sure-fire, profit increasing tips:

Increase your prices.
Hey, that might not be as bad as you think. Along with the price increase, focus on increasing the perceived value of your product. Yeah, we all expect to pay a little more for high quality stuff. Not everyone is bent on finding the absolute cheapest price in town... they may be more interested in lasting quality.

Add some higher end products or services to your business.
It’s never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket. That’s why wise marketers diversify their products and services. Think of it this way... higher priced products may not make as many sales, but each sale will bring in a much greater profit. You don’t need to make as many sales to come out on the best end of the deal.

Upsell
Offer every customer an additional product that accents his current purchase at the register. Hey, maybe they forgot they’d need batteries to go with the toy they're getting for their niece's birthday gift! You can be a hero... a richer hero.

3. Sell More Often
The fact that it’s easier to sell to the people who know and trust you is obvious. Sometimes we get so focused on new customers that we miss the gold mine in our own back yard. Take advantage of the hard work you’ve invested in winning the loyal customers you already have with these ideas:

Create a Special Deal
Show your customers you appreciate them and understand their needs with a special offer catered just for them. You’ll be thanking them, and selling more in the process.

Add New Products
Increase the number of products you already have available - especially products that your customers have asked for. They’ll know that you’re looking out for them, and you’ll take their thanks to the bank.

Communicate
Resell yourself on a regular basis. Don’t forget to let them know about upcoming specials that they’ll appreciate. Most of all... keep selling them on the benefits of the products or services you offer.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

A Tool for Early Breast Cancer Screening


Who isn’t familiar with the expression, “early detection is the best prevention?” We hear this term throughout the year and most everyone is familiar with this “catch phrase” as it relates to breast cancer. Obviously, a woman’s chance for survival improves when a cancer is found early. We hear that simple rhyming statement but are women really offered early detection?

Our “gold standard” for breast cancer screening is mammography, clinical breast exam and self-breast exam. Other techniques are used but ALL current technologies examine structure; something is formed and large enough to be seen or felt. However, it is well-documented that a mass that is detected by mammography has been growing for 8-10 years before it was detected. Is this early detection?

There exists a technology that can detect an issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam and truly offers early detection. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are searching for early breast cancer detection, digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) may be of interest.

Historically, DITI fell out of favor shortly after its initial debut in the early 80s. When DITI was first introduced, strict protocols and trained technicians did not exist. Shortly after its initial beginnings, DITI fell out of favor as a diagnostic tool in the medical community.

There are now very strict protocols both for testing and interpreting. Perhaps due to these guidelines, thermography (as with all digital technology) has exploded in its technique and capabilities. Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool. Tumors or other breast diseases measures warmer than surrounding tissue and can thereby alert a physician to a problem before a tumor is actually palpable.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified thermologists. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, women who refuse mammography, or women who want clinical correlation for an already existing issue. Thermography, because it analyzes a developing process, may identify a problem several years before mammography. As we all know, early detection is important to survival.

DITI has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%. An abnormal thermogram carries a 10x greater risk for cancer. A persistent abnormal thermogram carries a 22x greater risk for cancer. Thermography, as well as mammography is a personal choice for women. This decision ideally should be made in collaboration between you and your physician. However, thermography does not require a physician’s order.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Articles and Internet Branding: 5 Steps to Success

Are you ready to become an internet marketing expert? Are you ready for a massive conversion rate plus unlimited residual streams of income for your web-based business? Excellent! I'm here to focus your mind on the job at hand. Today you will learn how article marketing is the means to the end, and that end is PROFIT.


Web marketing success happens one project at a time. The formula we're about to discuss works best when your product is information-based. Meaning, if you're an expert in your niche, other people are going to want to learn Your Secrets. You can use this to your advantage- by creating marketable products that deliver information (your Secrets) to customers who are willing to pay for it. You will then use web articles to lure in your prospects.

How will you go about this? Take it one step at a time.

Step 1. Select a niche market. What are your interests? Where does your expertise lie? Wherever that is, is where you will focus your next marketing project. Let's say it's real estate. Your Marketing Mission is: make your name recognizable within the realm of real estate. Build yourself up as an expert in the buying and selling of property.

Step 2. Create an online persona and brand for your business. For continuity's sake, let's go with the real estate example. Suppose you want to be known as the Inside Expert on house flipping for profit. Sounds like a great plan to me! Now grab yourself a web designer and a great copywriter and get going on perfecting that image of you as the Real Estate Go-To Guru!

Step 3. Develop an informational product that readers can buy directly from your website. You've seen those kits that all the Experts are selling, right? Who told you that you can't sell one on your website? Nobody. So, get going. Start pulling all nighters if you have to, just get that kit written and make it powerful so that your buyers will go, WOW! I can't believe what I learned from this guy/girl, and for such little money! Hire a ghostwriter, if you really want to get this project cracking. Either way, as Nike says: Just Do It.

Step 4. Write articles to build your credibility. If you've been reading my "series of internet marketing articles" in order, you'll already be familiar with the concept of article marketing. (Note: I listed this as Step 4, but really your articles should be flowing as early as Step 2.) As part of your brand-building strategy, stream a steady flow of web articles to content-hungry webmasters who fall into your topic category, who will then spread your sage advice all over the internet. If you're burdened with time constraints, hire a ghostwriter to do this work for you. At the end of the articles, include a bio that directs them to your website. From there, they can learn more about you and what you can offer them.

Step 5. Direct your customers to a sales letter that teaches them about your product. Again, you can do this with article marketing. An easy scenario to follow: You write an intriguing article featuring five tips on how to gauge the real estate market. At the end of the article is your bio, which directs the reader to a link where a sales letter page opens. That sales letter will then contain certified testimonials from happy clients and customers of yours. All of this will further enhance your reputation as a qualified expert.

The final outcome: clicks to your website, where visitors use PayPal or another easy money transer in exchange for your informational product. The profit's in your pocket. Beautiful! YOU DID IT! Give yourself a pat on the back. Take a vacation!

Of course, if you're going to be an internet expert, it's a smart idea to create multiple areas of expertise for yourself in more than one niche. Again, articles are the means to the end. Suppose now that you're done with your online real estate venture, you've figured out that Copywriting is another God-given talent of yours that can be leveraged for profit. Time to create a Brand New Internet Personality! How will you do this? Easy. Follow the five steps I mentioned above, only replace each mention of real estate with Copywriting.

Do you see the INFINITE POSSIBILITIES? Good! You've got plenty of work to do. So stop reading, and start writing those articles!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Advantages Of A Gym Exercise Equipment


Now is a good season for the health conscious to check up on the latest in gym exercise equipment. A wide variety of gym exercise equipment is available in the market each designed to tone the specific part of the body. So for that lasting impression as you stride down the beach and flaunt it, here are some of the important aspects in choosing the right gym exercise equipment for you.

Know your body: whether you want to sport the firm and fit type or something as insanely huge as the Hulk, gamma radiation included, everyone has their own preference. For a first-timer, choosing the right gym exercise equipment can be attained in two ways: purchasing it from a sports store or to sign up in one of hundreds of gym establishments in the city.

One advantage in using the gym exercise equipment in a gym is the selection of commercial models that will help you get in shape, if not faster then better. Commercial gym exercise equipment are a little more complicated to use, often with digital readouts and other computerized systems attached, but the outcome after using the machine does show fantastic results after a few weeks. In addition to commercial gym exercise equipment, trainers are available to help you draw up a program to achieve that attention-grabbing body you always wanted. Be it in a posh place like Gold's Gym, or a neighborhood one that offers fifty bucks per session, these establishments hold the upper hand when it comes to quality gym exercise equipment.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

6 Things to post on your blog when you're running out of idea

6 Things to post on your blog when you're running out of idea

There is no doubt that blogs are the “it” thing today in the online world. Wherever you surf, blogs are sprouting everywhere like mushrooms, whether they’re used for personal or business purposes. But for starters, what is a blog anyway? It is a diary where you can post your thoughts or feelings or whatnots, except that it is online and the public can read it. But enough of that. Gone were the days when they were used solely for personal reasons. On the business side, they can be a very useful tool to boost your business, and to keep your customers updated on the products and infos you have. But if you’re still struggling to catch up on the latest thing these days and you think you’re not much of a great writer either, let me give you some useful subjects you can write about to give your customers a lot of reasons to keep coming back to your site.

1. News. Okay, so maybe that’s basic. After all, your company or business is the reason you put up a blog, right? Write about the products you sell. Give them a bit of the benefits your potential customers might get for buying them, with a link back to your main site to read the entire sales letter. You can also write about updates to your product. Post news about the industry you’re in. If you’re selling products that help people get better search engine rankings, write about search engine news. Or, if you or your service has been featured on TV, papers, or notable websites, write about it. Don’t forget to post seminars or gatherings where you’ve been invited.

2. History of your business. Maybe this one has already been in your main website, but who cares? People forget it. They come and go and chances are, when they visit your site, they don’t read it. Write about how you began, the reputation and achievements you’ve earned, and the accolades or awards you received, with a link back your site. That way you’ll let them know why they should buy from you, and that you’re a real person who’s building a reputable business. Add some employee’s profile if you have someone working for you, too. If you have nice traffic or site stats, that’s also worth mentioning.

3. Customer’s feedback. When a raving customer emails you about how your product has helped him, share it in your blog. You’re giving your visitors a compelling reason to buy from you.

4. Site of the week / month. Mention a site that doesn’t compete with you but complements to your won. Explain to them why you like it, and why it deserves your accolade.

5. Contests, surveys, trivia, questionnaires. If you’re running a contest, post it in your blog to encourage visitors to join. Get their attention by including the prizes, a bit of the rules, with a link back to your site for more information regarding it. Or put a survey. That could give you information regarding the product you’re selling, as to how you could develop it further.

6. Tip of the day. Write about a new tactic you developed or something you learned and perfected.

So there. Whatever your business is, no doubt there’s always something you’ll definitely want to write about. Give it a try. And it will reward you soon.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Accent lighting - Adding the right touch to your home lighting


Accent lighting - With highly functional task lighting, spaces like the laundry room are brightly lit so that you can see the whites versus the darks. However, such bright light does not create a soft mood or add drama; for this you choose accent lightings.

Accent the mood with wall dimming options

First stop in creating mood and accent around the home is to incorporate wall dimmers to light fixtures, including ceiling mounts and chandeliers. This approach is very commonplace and gives you options to fully accentuate the room or produce softer more gentle lighting.

Emphasize artwork and wall hangings with accent lights

Adding a wall mounted museum light or picture light is an excellent way to accent fine artwork; two sconces positioned on each side of the painting will also add emphasize. This can be done with any wall hanging: mirrors frames are nice to accent.

Living room: down lights can emphasize an area

For social areas such as the living room you can both soften lighting and gently accentuate an area. For example, adding a couple of down lights in the ceiling over a living room sofa, toned down with dimming options, can cast gentle pools of light. This can accentuate the focus to this area while providing spill over light to the walls and washing the whole room with pleasant light.

Accentuate and decorate a kid's room with string lighting

For kids rooms string lighting can create wonderful accent to a nicely decorated bedroom. You can buy them in shapes and themes such as: submarines, cars, hearts, stars and more. Not only will this add a nice accent and touch; colourful lights can be used at night for children afraid of sleeping in complete darkness. For more information about home lighting,

Monday, February 11, 2008

A Beauty Salon Will Help You Look Your Best!

A beauty salon will help you look your very best with a price that will fit in almost any budget. A beauty salon will be able to make your hair, skin, toes, and fingernails look marvelous. In addition, most beauty salons offer their services for a fairly reasonable price. However, sometimes it may be difficult to choose what service you want. If that is the case, simply be on the lookout for any fashion style that you like. Look through magazines and cut out photos of styles and colors that you find pleasing. Take notes so that when you do go to a beauty salon, you will know exactly what you want. However, be aware that some beauty salons are better than others. To make sure that you are in high-quality beauty salon, check to see if it has clean beauty salon equipment and a clean work area. Also, be aware that in most states, beauty salons are required to publicly display their establishment license. If the salon or barbershop won’t show you an establishment license, you don’t know whether the shop’s health and safety procedures have been approved by the state.

Time saving Beauty Salon Tips.

A beauty salon visit can be time consuming. To get the most from your visit and still have time left in your day, try these time-trimming tips. Before you leave your beauty salon, schedule your next appointment. Call ahead on your appointment day to see if your stylist is running on time. If not, you won’t have to waste time sitting at the beauty salon when you could be home. If you want to be quickly in and out for your beauty salon appointment, try to schedule the first appointment for the day.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

1-2-3-4 Never Scrub the Bathroom Anymore


One of everyone's least favorite chores is cleaning the bath- room. You put it off ... and put it off... until it takes nothing short of an atomic bomb to get it clean. It doesn't
have to be that way.

4 steps, about 2-3 minutes a day- and you will never have to deal with soap scum build up or scrubbing the bathroom ever again.

The tools you will need-

* a shower squeegee
* paper towels
* glass cleaner
* Scrub Free

These should be kept in the bathroom. Splurge on the extra bottle of glass cleaner and an extra roll of paper towels to keep in the bathroom.

Here are the 4 steps-

1. When you get out of the shower, after you have dried off and put on your lotion and such... do a once over on the shower walls with the squeegee.

2. Take 2 pieces of paper towel and clean in this order- mirror, counters, quick wipe over towel bars, chrome in shower, and toilet lip. Throw paper towel away.

3. Do one of these chores each day or two-

*Spray tub with scrub free and do a quick wipe down with
wet rag or sponge, or
*Clean the toilet, or
*Do a quick wipe up of the floor, or
*Do a quick cleaning on your shower doors, if you have
them, or if you have shower curtains- spray any spots with Clorox Cleanup.

Each of these only take seconds if you don't let it get bad in the first place.

4. Watch for any mold, or discoloring of the grout. Spray with Clorox Cleanup and just let it work. That's it. Your bathroom will always look terrific, and it'll be a lot healthier too.

Don't let build up happen in the first place. Keeping it clean in the first place is so much easier than trying to clean it later.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

7 Quick Ideas Anybody Can Use to Make Beautiful Scrapbooks

  1. Vellum

    Vellum is a transparent, translucent material. Vellum can be used to create a slight shadow or shade change to background or embellishment colors. This can be used as a softening agent for baby scrapbooks, as a touch of elegance to gift scrapbooks, or to create dimension in a boring flat page.

    To reduce the cloudiness effect caused by gluing, apply only a thin line of glue along the edges of the vellum. In this way, you will see a slight shadow only along the very edge. This will look like a border to the vellum. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms.

    2. Shadow Boxes

    A great way to add depth to your scrapbook page is to add shadow boxes. Basically shadow boxes add a shadow to your images. Shadow boxes are also a great way to make your most important photographs or text boxes stand out form the rest of the page. Shadow boxes can also be to emphasis dedications.

    To make a shadow box, simply cut a box shape out of paper. Next, put your embellishment on a larger square of cardstock. Then, add glue to all four sides of the cardstock square and attach it to the back of your paper. The embellishment will show through, adding greater dimension to your page.

    3. Patterned Paper

    Patterned paper can be used for backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. Often plain white backgrounds look rather boring and dull. Patterned backgrounds add a touch of excitement to your page. The right pattern tailored to your theme and purpose can also increase that professional look.

    Colors and patterns can be used to coordinate with your photographs or to add dramatic effects. Paper with various themes and patterns is widely available. For instance, a birthday scrapbook could have a background made of your favorite gift wrap. This could add a touch of elegance or a touch of humor depending upon the patterned paper you choose.

    4. Textured Paper

    Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look.

    Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores.

    5. Book Jacket Backgrounds

    For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when the book jacket is the reader's favorite book or author, adding a wonderful personalized touch.

    Be aware, however, that the glossy coating on the book jacket creates an added challenge to sticking objects to this background. Alternative attachment methods include sewing and eyelets.

    6. Adding Dimension

    One good way to add dimension to images is to use double stick foam tape. Double stick foam tape literally allows items to pop out at your reader adding realism to items. This technique is especially useful in children's art and educational scrapbooks.

    Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page. Double stick foam tape is available at most craft stores in various colors and thicknesses.

    7. Ribbons and Lace

    Ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and most beautiful, border embellishment. The flowing nature of both materials encourages a touch of softness and elegance. Ribbon and lace are especially popular in gift and memory scrapbooks.

    Moreover, ribbon is easy to glue and attach. Lace requires a bit more patience.

    For an interesting change from ribbon and lace, try using jute or raffia.

Monday, February 4, 2008

4 Tips for Taking Great Baby Pictures - Even If You're No


When my daughter Layla was born I had a hard time putting the camera down. And apparently I wasn't the only one. The cashier at the photo developing shop told me that new parents comprised a fairly sizable chunk of their business.

We can't help it! Babies are such beautiful creatures that you want to capture every new movement and every fleeting smile that comes along. (Even if that smile is attached to a smelly gas bubble!)

However the problem many parents have is that their lack of good photography skills can translate into pictures that are too dark, too bright, blurry, out of focus, uncentered, and so on. Perhaps this describes you.

If so, don't sweat it. These problems are easily fixable. An album full of mishaps can quickly be transformed by following these 4 tips...

1) When taking pictures of babies lying on their backs, stand directly over them and shoot straight down.

I used to take a solid color baby blanket and place it on the floor in a bright, sun filled room. When I was ready to take a picture I would put Layla on the blanket, and adjust it around her, making sure not to put her directly in the sunlight. Then I'd get on my knees right over her, aim straight down and snap away.

This technique will allow you to center the camera properly and you'll get some great close-up shots. The natural sunlight will often give you just enough light so your picture isn't too dark or too bright.

2) Capture a range of emotions.

Smiling babies are cute. But so are crying babies and pouting babies and messy babies and sleeping babies.

Be sure to take pictures of your little one in all phases of his or her emotion filled life. You'll be amazed at how truly beautiful they are in non-traditional picture taking situations.

3) Make bath time picture time.

While there are some babies who don't like water, most love it. They often become very expressive in the bath tub - laughing, cooing and splashing. So bath time often becomes a great opportunity to capture a few precious shots of your little one.

I've personally used the bathtub to document how Layla has changed over her 2+ years. Every couple of months I take a few close-up pictures of her in the bathtub. Then I take the best one and place it in a special section in the photo album.

It's truly amazing to see how her face changes so dramatically with each new picture.

4) If you use a disposable camera, choose a good one.

I purchased 3 dirt cheap disposable cameras before I had Layla. When we brought her home these were the ones we used for the first week of photo taking.

Boy was I disappointed! The pictures developed horribly. And as a new mommy with hormones still raging, you know how sad this made me. Those cuddly little moments can never be relived again.

Friday, February 1, 2008

10 Best Ways to Justify Your Airplane Purchase

For those of us who've caught the "aviation bug" finding a way to justify the purchase of an airplane becomes an all consuming mental task. Make this task simple by choosing the appropriate reasons from the list below:

1. The airplane will make money for me.
This one actually works! Learn about leasebacks and/or using your airplane in your business by visiting: http://www.airplanenoise.com/answers_to_why.htm
2. My business will benefit from my increased productivity when I fly instead of drive.

Save time and money by flying yourself! You can avoid hours at the security gate and layover time by flying yourself. Most regional trips will be completed in a fraction of the time you'd spend driving or flying commercially. Learn more by clicking the link: http://www.airplanenoise.com/business_justification.htm

3. The airplane will keep my family together.
Many people find their children off to college and their parents staying in the south. A personal aircraft allows you to stay in contact and maintain the relationships that are so important to you. After all. . . is there anything more important than our relationships with our family and friends?

4. Learning to fly provides a new challenge.
Most of us have dreamed about flying since our childhood. What's preventing us from taking that step? Life's too short to procrastinate!

5. I can vacation every weekend!
No doubt, every weekend can be earmarked for a new destination. Start with you own state, and expand to other states. Visit museums, recreation areas, friends . . . the sky's the limit! Start with this list: http://www.airplanenoise.com/great_trips.htm

6. I can make an airplane payment instead of an IRS payment!
With minimal business use (30%), your airplane purchase may be a depreciable asset. New tax laws significantly increased the tax benefit to owners7. I can enhance my children's educational experience.
Children learn more from an experience rather than sitting in a classroom or reading a book. Trips to Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, PA, Kitty Hawk are all great reasons to fly the family. Re-live your childhood at the same time.

8. Flying as therapy?
Well, believe it or not, some people fly for its therapeutic benefits. Life's problems seem to disintegrate as altitude increases. Try it next time you're feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges!

9. An airplane is a terrific status symbol.
If status is what you're looking for. . . you can't beat an airplane. Not only are pilots looked up to, but when it's your own airplane. . . "You've arrived!" No one even needs to know that the airplane is generating a positive cash flow.

10. I just WANT one!
Sometimes we just need to satisfy our desires!
"I'm worth it."
"I've worked hard and this is my reward."
"I only live once!"

I know you can add to this list!