Archive for July, 2008

ADVERTISE WITH CIRCULARS

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

DISTRIBUTE 81/2 X 11″ CIRCULARS Co-op Mailing (short for co-operative) means that two or more businesses share in the cost and distribution of a direct mail campaign. It’s kind of like having you and another non-competing business split the cost of printing, assembling and mailing an advertising flyer to a shared (same) marketbase. Co-op dealing is very beneficial (and usually safe) for everyone involved. One example of co-op dealing in mail order is to send your 8 1/2×11 camera- ready circular to a co-op printer and they’ll print your ad on one side, their ad on the back side and ship them back to you for a low cost of around $10 per 1,000. You get your printing almost free and the other dealer gets his or her flyers mailed on the back of yours free. But what do you do with them when they are mailed back to you? If you’re new to mail order it’s doubtful you have a mailing list to distribute them to. Plus, postage costs alone would run you about $290.00 first-class. At this rate it would have been cheaper to send the camera-ready to a tabloid or adsheet publisher rather than by a co-op. But don’t despair. Simply have the printer ship your copies to a co-op circular mailer instead of sending them to you. A couple good circular mailers we recommend are BMG Services, PO Box 429, Johnson KS 67855 (your cost is only 1c for 8 1/2×11 pre-printed circular) or Thorn Gifts, 1807 Stillwater #5, St Paul MN 55119 (your cost is only 5c for each 8 1/2×11 pre-printed circular.) Why the difference in price? BMG mails by bulk rate and Thorn mails by first-class. Either method is effective and sure beats paying 29c each. In addition, you benefit from the mailing list of the circular mailer. If this particular mailer sells a mailing list, having them do a 1,000 or 5,000 “test” mailing for you would be a way to test their names. You should get a few responses from a mailing of this size but it all depends on “what” you are offering and the “price” you are offering it for. It’s very difficult to sell any item for more than $50 on a 8 1/2×11″ circular. For items costing more than $50, you need to use the two-step approach. In other words, use the 8 1/2×11″ circular to generate inquiries and follow-up with the complete sales materials that constitute the higher price the customer may decide to pay. Another idea is that you could contact a dealer with products and services not conflicting with your own and ask them to co-op mail for you. In this deal, you would pay for the 2-sided printing (with the mailer’s ad on back of yours) and he/she would mail them for you free of charge. It works! Another way to co-op deal in mail order is by co-op advertising. High Mountain Advertiser and Popular Advertiser are both long running co-op publications. You place your ad the first time through a dealer and all future ads are 50% less. Then you have the option of mailing pre-printed copies with your name in the publisher’s block as an authorized dealer. When other people order advertising, they will send their orders to you. You keep 50% of the money and send the rest (along with the order) back to the publisher. This way, you can have your 8 1/2×11 circulars printed and mailed in a publication at a 50% savings. Coal Publishing, 27 South 4th Avenue, Highland Park NJ 08904 also offers co-op advertising in their “Small Business Keeps America Growing” tabloid. For the low cost of $35 per tabloid-size page, you can have your 8 1/2×11″ circular along with four 2-inch ads printed and mailed to a whopping 5,000 circulation. All you are responsible for is the mailing of 200 of them. Any beginner can handle mailing 50 per week to a mailing list or to their own customers. Besides, no one can offer you a 5,000 honest circulation for this price. This is a real money-saver! If you market the direct mail method, it’s a good idea to send a good circular you plan to keep around for awhile to a mail order printer and have 1,000 printed on 1 side. Then, you can use the back of 100 or so for testing purposes of other circulars. Run down to the copy shop and run the circulars through the copier by printing on the back side. Only run 100 or less and send them to the best names you can find. If they pull orders, you may have a winner and can have 1,000 printed. Nothing is more annoying than being stuck with 1,000 circulars with something you want to mail on one side and something outdated on the back. NOTICE: Rates and prices shown here were current at the time of writing. Call for quotes.

Heavy Equipment Costs

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

With the steady increase in construction projects nationwide year after year, it’s no wonder the average price of the typical piece of heavy equipment is over $135,000. Let’s face it; we wouldn’t be able to get our jobs done if we didn’t have these behemoths available. But there are some hidden costs within their benefits.

The technology used in heavy equipment is far beyond anything we have seen in the past and the costs to hire someone to operate a particular piece of equipment is skyrocketing. The national average for a heavy equipment operator is in the $60,000 range.

Heavy Equipment Costs
Powerful heavy equipment is useless if there is no around to fix it. Working with heavy equipment is no easy task. If your company has purchased some type of machinery that has no maintenance agreement included, one major repair jobsite can wipe out the profit you had built into the project.

Every year, millions of dollars worth of heavy equipment is stolen from the job site. Heavy equipment is tempting for thieves. The stolen heavy equipment is either parted out or taken to another area where it is sold or used by another business.

When heavy equipment is underutilized your costs of acquisition skyrocket and your loss in value is occurring unnecessarily. Heavy equipment is not a cheap undertaking and you should find ways to maximize the value of your machinery. One thing to consider is renting or leasing your equipment when it is idle.

Polaroid Instant Cameras

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

The fist time that I ever used one of the Polaroid instant cameras, I was a child. This item was too fun for words but I was a little apprehensive about touching the picture as it developed. The idea of ruining the photo just because I touched it was too much for me to handle back then.

Careful as I was, there were few photos that wound up with fingerprints. The ones that did wind up with marks serve to be great reminders of my experiences with Polaroid instant cameras over the years. There is a story behind each photo and another story behind each fingerprint.

Polaroid Instant Cameras
I guess that the appeal of the Polaroid instant cameras is rooted in childhood. The whole process of taking pictures is fascinating all the way around. The ability to watch the film go through the process of turning into an image is a real treat for photo enthusiasts from years gone by.

Today’s products from the Polaroid Company offer all of the cutting-edge technology that you would expect from such an innovative organization. Investing in Polaroid instant cameras is usually a good bet and I have never been disappointed with the items offered by this well-known camera company.

A Salesperson of Your Life Pt. 2

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

As I said in my last column, like it or not we are all salesmen. Our lives are made up of a series of sales presentations , otherwise known as presenting ourself in the best light possible. Whether we re out for a job interview, trying for a raise, or just convincing our employees that a job must be accomplished you are making a presentation. To become masterful at it can be summed up in the acronym IPRESENT! In my last column we covered the steps I through E : I involve your audience P prepare your audience R research your arsenal E explain Why? Let s finish the acronym today. S stands for State (mental) Management. The mental state of the successful presenter must be congruent with the message. If you don t believe that, try giving a pep talk to your sales force when you re depressed it won t work! You must be aware of and manage your own mental state and that of your listeners or communication channels will not be open. I don t have space to elaborate on methods of doing this, but here are a few key hints. First, AAI act as if. Act the way you want to feel, it s amazing how this works. Use music to set the mood if necessary, dress the part, and reduce your anxiety by whatever method works for you. Remember that you re the one in charge, and presentation mastery isn t about being perfect it s about achieving your objective. E is for eliminating the unknowns. Fear of public speaking ranks high on most people s list of worst fears. You may find you re unusually nervous, develop poor voice tone or negative body language, and be unable to respond to audience feedback. Managing your anxiety permits you to focus on your audience and their needs. The basic approach to do this is the asking ourselves a list of what if? questions. Another way to overcome our fear is to take ownership of the situation. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Double check your notes, and prepare yourself. N is fudging a little by using the second letter of the word know as in kNow Your Audience. Whether it is one person or many that you are presenting to you must do three basic things: Meet their needs, reduce tension, and avoid mistakes. A good knowledge of the listeners will give you a chance to tailor your objectives to meet their needs. This also allows you to reduce the audience-presenter tension so they will focus on what you re saying. With a clear knowledge of your audience s views you ll be sensitive to potential hot buttons . T stands for Tailor Your Presentation Throughout . Boring listeners leads to missed objectives or total failure. You must be flexible and responsive to your audience. To do this you need to use techniques that will give you audience feedback; you must diagnose the cause of the problem you re addressing, and finally you must choose the solution to act upon. When you re presenting watch for non-verbal behavior such as clock-watching, foot-tapping, and cat-napping. When any of these are present get some feedback with, Is it too warm in here? or Should I pick up the pace? That breaks the attention or lack of, of the audience and brings them back to your talk. One important thing to remember is that the mind can absorb no more than the seat can endure. Sometimes a simple thing like taking a short stretch break will solve the problem. The techniques for achieving your most desired outcomes are at your fingertips, when you remember that life is a series of presentations.

Get What You Want in 7 Powerful Steps

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

In my most recent columns we ve covered issues about improving your business and marketing, but today let s start right at the beginning. You re really getting tired of the 9 to 5 rat race and are thinking about chucking it for your own business. All your friends keep telling you that you could do for yourself just what you re doing now for your boss. Why shouldn t you profit from your ideas instead of him? You keep thinking about it because you know that you ll never be financially where you want to be with a weekly paycheck, but what business would you start? Before you pack in that weekly paycheck, this is the time to evaluate yourself and your future and it takes some real, down to heart honesty. You want to change your life for the better, so let s start. Did you know that you have the potential to do and be anything you want? People have different perceptions of the ideal life, and it ranges from obtaining financial freedom to as simple as owning a new pair of sneakers. Unfortunately, many fail to reach their aspirations because they can t get a solid, clear picture in their mind of what they want. Take the next few days and embark on a fact-finding journey that will be a life-changing experience. Get a pad and pencil and start with this first step: STEP 1 - KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT Be specific in your passions, then focus all your efforts on that particular desire. Those who always change their minds and those who give up easily when the going gets tough will never get anywhere. If you re a bit confused and aren t sure what you really want in life answer these questions: What makes your heart beat with excitement? What makes you happy? What are you constantly thinking of day and night? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? What do you enjoy doing? What are your obsessions? What things make you jump for joy? Write down all your possible answers to the above questions. Write down everything, no matter how silly or unimportant it seems. Put all your desires on paper that answers any of the above questions. When that s done, go back and circle five to seven items that interest you the most. Then evaluate and choose with your heart, not your mind, the one and only thing worthy to spend all your time and resources on and that brings out the best in you. Now you may wind up with something like, I want to play quarterback for the RAMS. If you re over 20 I d say that isn t too viable a choice, but you could do something related to football or sports. How about starting a sports publication? Or perhaps a sporting goods retail business, sports memorabilia business, or even a gym could be the answer. You can always read books and surf the net to help you in your search. The most important thing to remember, no matter how pie in the sky it seems, is to USE YOUR HEART. Others may disagree with you, but you should be firm with what you really want. Others may offer comments or advice, but the final decision is always yours to make. You should concentrate on what you want, not what others want. Remember you only get one shot at living your life. There are no replays and you don t get to do it over. You may not do it right, but at least you re doing it. Too many lives have been lived in quiet desperation waiting until until they had saved a nest egg, until the children are out of school, until I retire, and they depart this life before until ever arrives. Don t go to sleep tonight without making a decision on WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN LIFE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. Then spend a few days evaluating how to make it possible and make a living at it. Begin living every day as if it were the last day you had never leaving anything to be done next week, next month, or next year. There will always be bills, things will always break down eventually and need replacing, there may be storms and earthquakes and repairs but there will only be one life for you to live. It can t be put on hold ! The final outcome of your efforts may be in the future, but you re living each day by taking steps toward that outcome.

Electric Coffee Makers

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

There are many types of coffee maker available on the market today. When most people think of a coffee maker, they think of an electric coffee maker. This means the coffee maker is plugged into an outlet and is powered with electricity. This is the most common way to power your coffee maker because of its simplicity. You just plug it in, add water and coffee, and push start. This is much easier than the older vacuum and stove top coffee makers from years past.

It can be hard to imagine not using an electric coffee maker. Many of us have grown up with them not knowing how hard it was to make coffee long ago. It used to take a lot of time to stand there by the stove and watch your coffee brew and make sure everything was going right. Lucky for us, we just have to push start and wait. The electricity heats the heating element which is in the water container. The water is heated to a specified temperature and then by gravity or a pump pushes the water over the ground coffee, more on home appliances. The result is a nice, easy cup of coffee. This has a great advantage over stove top coffee makers as you don’t have to worry about your coffee being too cold or so hot it takes the skin off of your tongue. Electric coffee makers don’t use a ton of electricity so you won’t even notice a change in your utility bills.

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50 COLLEGE PAPERS TO ADVERTISE IN

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Colleges have tremendous circulation of their bulletins and newspapers. Their price per run on advertising is very inexpensive for the number of prospects reached. Believe it or not, multi-millions of dollars are spent by students each semester. If you have a new idea or product, run a test ad in one or more of the publications and see if you get results. Usually a less expensive 1″ ad will let you know whether your product or service is going to pull or not. If your test ad proves successful, then you may want to go to a larger ad or even a display-type ad and increase your coverage to include more bulletins and newspapers. Another way to distribute your product is to advertise for a student on campus to represent you on a commission basis and be your dealer. Usually there are several students who would love to have the opportunity to make some extra money. A good way to find the right person is by resume qualifications or actually calling them on the phone and talking it over with them. Finding the key person could result in many easy dollars in your pocket. In the past, some of the biggest sellers on campus have been radio and stereo equipment, music tapes, car repair manuals, study aids, self-improvement booklets and tapes, school fads of various natures, and any kind of special or different steins for drinking beer. Any new idea or product you may be able to come up with could be very advantageous to you in the form of increased sales. Advertising in college bulletins and newspapers gains more results during the first three days of the week. When ordering advertising, it is best to specify that your ad appear in the Monday-Wednesday editions. Thursday is okay, but Friday is definitely out; minds seem to drift toward plans for the weekend, leaving little interest for purchasing. Write to the enclosed list of publications. Ask for their rates and circulation. All of them will respond to your needs and many of them will call you and discuss whatever plans you have for advertising. They will work with you to try to see that you get the most response from any type ad you may run. We sincerely hope this report helps you in gaining sales and is an instrument in the growth of your company. You cannot beat the circulation of prospects reached for the dollars spent. Have a good year! 50 LEADING COLLEGE BUYING POWERS University of Oregon Daily Emerald P.O. Box 3159 Eugene, OR 97403 Circ. 10,500 daily University of Arkansas Arkansas Traveler Hill Hall 304 Fayetteville, AR 72701 Circ. 8000 bi-weekly University of Mississippi Daily Mississippian University, MS 38677 Circ. 10,000 daily University of Washington The Daily 144 Communications DS-20 Seattle, WA 98195 Circ. 18,000 daily University of Texas at Arlington P.O. Box 19038 Arlington, TX 76019-0038 Circ. 18,000 daily University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily Newcomb Hall Charlottesville, VA 22901 Circ. 13,000 daily Illinois State University Vidette Normal, Il 61761 Circ. 22,000 daily Ball State University Munci, IN 47306 Circ. 14,000 daily Florida State University P.O. Box U-7001 Tallahassee, FL 32306 Circ. 46,000 daily Jackson State University Jackson, MS 39217 Circ. unknown Indiana State University The Indiana Statesman Tirey Memorial Union Annex, ISU Terre Haute, IN 47809 Circ. 14,000 daily West Texas State University College of Arts and Science Canyon, TX 79016 Circ. unknown Texas Southern University 3100 Cleburne Avenue Houston, TX 77004 Circ. 15,000 weekly Spelman College Spelman Spotlight P.O. Box 40 Atlanta, GA 30314 Circ. unknown Wright State University The Daily Guardian Dayton, OH. 45435 Circ. 4,000 daily University of South Florida Oracle Let 472, Arts and Letters Bldg. Tampa, FL 33620 Circ. 25,000 daily Ohio State University The Lantern 281 Journalism Bldg. 242 W. 18th St. Columbus, OH 43210-1107 Circ. 31,000 daily Montana State University Exponent Strand Union Bldg. Bozeman, MT 59715 Circ. 8,000 bi-weekly Texas Tech. University P.O. Box 4080 Lubbock, TX 79409 Circ. 17,000 daily University of Florida The Alligator P.O. Box 14257 Gainesville, FL 32604 Circ. 43,000 daily Iowa University 111 Communications Center Iowa City, IA 52242 Circ. 20,000 daily Bowling Green State University The BG News 106 University Hall Bowling Green, OH 43403 Circ. 11,000 daily Morgan State University Spokesman Cold Spring Ln. & Hillen Rd. Baltimore, MD 21239 Circ. 4,000 bi-weekly East Texas State University The East Texan Box D - ET Station Commerce, TX 75428 Circ. 7,000 bi-weekly San Francisco State University Dept. of Journalism 1600 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132 Circ. 10,000 weekly Auburn University The Auburn Plainsman 1st Floor, Foy Union Bldg. Auburn, AL 36849 Circ. 18,500 weekly Winona State University Winonian Winina, MN 55987 Circ. unknown Washington University Student Life St. Louis, MO 63130 Circ. 8,300 weekly University of Tulsa Collegian 600 So. College Tulsa, OK 74104 Circ. 4000 weekly University of Maryland Diamondback College Park, MD 20742 Circ. 21,000 daily University of Kentucky The Kentucky Kernel 210 Journalism Bldg. Lexington, KY 40506 circ. 18,000 daily Boston College The Heights Chestnut Hill, MA 02167 Circ. 9,500 weekly Seton Hall University The Setonian S. Orange, NJ 07079 Circ. 10,500 Weekly Pace University Pace Plaza New York, NY 10038 Circ. unknown University of New Mexico Student Publications P.O. Box 20 Albuquerque, NM 87131 Circ. 30,000 weekly University of Wisconsin Union Box 88 P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53201 Circ. unknown University of Tennessee 5 Communications Bldg. Knoxville, TN 37996-0314 Circ. 15,000 daily Cal State University, Long Beach SS/PA-010 1250 Bellflower Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90840 Circ. 20,000 daily Northwestern University N.O. News 360 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115 Circ. 21,000 weekly University of Wisconsin, Stout The Stoutonia Menomonie, WI 54751 Circ. 7,000 weekly Texas Christian University The Daily Skiff P.O. Box 32929 Circ. 5,500 monthly University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Racquet La Crosse, WI 54601 Circ. 5,000 weekly Washington State University The Daily Evergreen P.O. Box 2008 C.S. Pullman, WA 99164 Circ. 20,000 daily San Jose State University Spartan Daily San Jose, CA 95192 Circ. 15,000 daily Portland State University Vaanguard P.O. Box 751 Portland, OR 97207 Circ. 17,000 bi-weekly Valdosta State College The Spectator VSC Box 194 Valdosta, GA 31698 Circ. unknown Kent State University Daily Kent Stater Kent, OH 44242 Circ. unknown Georgia State University Signal Box 695 University Plaza Atlanta, GA 30303 Circ. 10,000 weekly Arizona State University State Press 15 Matthews Center Tempe, AZ 85287 Circ. 40,000 daily

5 Tips For Identity Theft Protection

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

This is that time of year when we all start getting those emails that want to purloin our secret codes and passwords. You know the ones that have subject lines like: Your Account Is About To Be Closed, There s A Block On Your Account, Could You Help Me Claim My Funds, or my all-time favorite Congratulations You ve Won The UK Lottery. This is the time of year when we are all shopping for gifts for family or customers, and the last thing we need is for our bank or credit cards account to be hindered. That is exactly what these cyber grifters are counting on, and unfortunately some of us are tempted to follow the instructions sent to investigate. First and foremost, DON T FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMAIL! If you think there might be a problem, access the account in question as you normally do on your PC and not with the link supplied in the phony email. I ve had some very authentic looking email supposedly from banks, that even went so far as to copy the colors of the bank logo and stationery style. But, don t fall for the scam. In fact, don t even open the email, because many are just set to loose a virus program on your computer by being opened. Simply forward the suspicious email to the spoof email address supplied by your bank, or credit card company. Nearly 10 million Americans fell prey to identity theft last year, costing businesses and individuals billions of dollars. Here are some other tips to help you: Understand debit card dangers: Greater liability than credit cards. When it comes to fraud, debit cards carry much greater personal liability than credit cards, depending on how quickly you report the loss of the card. If you fail to report unauthorized use within 60 days of receiving your bank statements, you could lose all the money in the account and be held responsible for the amount of money that has been tapped from your line of credit. Rethink check writing: That little slip of paper has way too much information. Some experts advise against check writing because it gives away your address, bank account number, signature and license number to complete strangers. On top of that, there s no federal legislation to limit your liability for forged checks (each state has its own set of rules). Experts advise that you look into automating your bill paying. Secure your mail: Your mailbox is a goldmine of information. Between bank statement, bills, and all those pre-approved credit card offers, your mailbox is loaded with personal data which identity thieves can use to easily apply for a credit card in your name. Unless you diligently check your credit report, you may never even know about it. One way to avoid this is to have your mailbox under lock and key, but most of us in Santa Clarita have our mailboxes at the curb in front of our house and the postman frowns on carrying dozens and dozens of keys around. The other solution is to have a rented mailbox, or to foil dumpster-diving thieves by buying a shredder and destroy documents before discarding. Go virtual: For shopping online, there are virtual card numbers. These are randomly generated credit card numbers that are disposable and that on-line shoppers use once and throw away. It s linked directly to your real credit card account so purchases show up on your monthly bill. The service is easy to use and it s FREE! All you need to do is register with companies offering the virtual card, and they are MBNA, Discover, and Citigroup. Create an emergency identity kit: Would you know how to contact your credit card company in an emergency? Create an emergency kit that contains: your account number, expiration date, issuing company name, and emergency contact number for each card you own. While you re at it, make copies of your driver s license, social security card, birth certificate and passport and store them in a locked box or file cabinet, or a safe deposit box. I like the safe deposit box best, because this gives you protection in the event of a catastrophe such as fire, earthquake, etc. This may all seem like a lot of unnecessary work, but if you re ever the victim of identity theft even just once you ll realize that it s well worth the effort. Many of us forget that were it not for what we carry in our wallets or in our purses, we re all John and Jane Doe s if we can t speak due to injury or are unaccompanied by someone who knows us. How much less stressful is it to know that in a bank box, no matter where you are, there are items that can verify your identity. Better to be safe, than sorry!

229 HOT PLACES TO RUN YOUR CLASSIFIED AD

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING IS A PROVEN METHOD Classified advertising has always been, and will continue to be the favorite method for Mail Order “Pros” to advertise. Almost all Mail Order Pros started with these tiny inexpensive ads since they represent the best cost effective way to reach millions of people. TWO BASIC METHODS Two basic methods are used with classified advertising. (1) Place an ad offering FREE literature, and then send your literature to all inquiries. A “free” offer will always out pull an ad that requests money, but your overall profits may be larger since you will generate more inquiries. This method is excellent when you are also collecting “Opportunity Seeker” names that you can rent. You should be able to generate fresh National leads for $.20 to $1 using this method. (2) Offer a report for $2 or $3 and then send out other offers with your orders. This eliminates the “Opportunity Seeker” who never buy anything, and your operation is much cleaner and void of “busy” work. OVER 200 LISTED PUBLICATIONS The following is a listing of over 200 magazines that offer classified advertising. The first group of magazines represent the mail-order “Pros” favorites, and they will always out pull other magazines for opportunity offers. The second group has been selected from thousands of other magazines (1) they offer classified advertising, and (2) they are the least expensive (Word Cost/Circulation ratio). Notice that the last column provides the Word Cost/Circulation ratio. That is, this ratio shows you how much it will cost you for each word for every 1,000 people who get the magazine. The lower this ratio is, the more cost effective it is. For example, if you were to advertise in the National Enquirer, it would cost $8.95 for each word, and it will cost you $.0023 for each 1,000 persons that get the National Enquirer. In this example, if you placed a 10 word ad, it will cost you $89.50, and it will be sent out to 3,500,000 people. COST/CIRCULATION RATIOS This may seem like an expensive ad, but the cost to get your 10 word ad to 1,000 people is only ($.0023 x 10) = $.023! That’s right - two cents!! For every 1,000 people! Therefore, learn to evaluate the circulation/cost ratio since this will tell you the relative cost that is important. As a further example, consider advertising in the “Hounds And Hunting” (#238). Here the cost for a word is only $.22. Good Deal? NO! In this case your Word Cost per 1,000 is $.0227. Therefore, your cost to place a 10 word ad per 1,000 people is ($.0227 x 10) = $.227! That’s over 10 times more expensive than the National Enquirer! However, if you were selling something for hunting, it might actually pull better than National Enquirer. ASK FOR RATE CARD Before you place an ad, write to the magazine and ask for their “Rate Card” for both classified ads and space advertising. You will normally receive a large package containing a sample publication, advertising rates, schedules and discounts offered for multiple insertions placed for sequential publication dates. This Group of Publications Have Always Proven To Produce Excellent Results For Opportunity Offers: # MAGAZINE NAME CIRCULATION 1. Globe Group 3,000,000 Weekly P.O. Box 21 Rouses Point, NY 12979-0021 2. The Star 2,900,000 Weekly P.O. Box 1510 Clearwater, FL 34617 3. National Enquirer 3,500,000 Weekly P.O. Box 10178 Clearwater, FL 34617 4. Grier’s Almanac 3,011,680 Annually P.O. Box 888281 Atlanta, GA 30356 5. Field & Stream 2,000,000 Monthly Two Park Ave New York, NY 10016-5695 6. Classified, Inc. 25,000,000+ Monthly 100 E. Ohio Street, Suite 632 Chicago, IL 60611 7. Grit 330,496 10 times/yr Stauffer’s Magazine Group 1503 S.W. 42nd St. Topeka, KS 66609-1265 8. Capper’s 353,422 26 times/yr Stauffer’s Magazine Group 1503 S.W. 42nd St. Topeka, KS 66609-1265 9. Popular Science 1,861,155 Monthly 2 Park Ave. New York, NY 10016 10. Popular Mechanics 1,633,210 Monthly 224 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 11. The Workbasket 2,726,000 6 times/yr 700 West 47th St., Suite 310 Kansas City, MO 64112 12. Home Mechanix 1,003,244 Monthly 2 Park Ave. New York, Ny 10016 13. Crafts ‘N Things 287,828 8 times/yr 701 Lee St. #1000 Des Plaines, IL 60016 14. The Family Handyman 1,000,000 10 times/yr 28 W. 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 15. Workbench 1,025,000 6 times/yr 700 West 47th St., Suite 310 Kansas City, MO 64112 16. Crafts Magazine 1,000,000 Monthly P.O. Box 1790 Peoria, IL 61656 17. Money Making Opportunities 222,000 8 times/yr 11071 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604 18. Spare Time Magazine 301,000 9 times/yr 5810 W. Oklahoma Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53219 19. INC. Magazine 647,211 Monthly 38 Commercial Wharf Boston, MA 02110-3883 20 Fate 200,000 Monthly Llewellyn Publications Box 64383 St. Paul, MN 55164 21. Income Opportunities 400,000 Monthly 1500 Broadway, Suite 600 New York, NY 10019 22. Success 1,200,000 10 times/yr PO Box 570 Clearwater, FL 34617-0570 23. Book Business Mart 50,000 3 times/yr Premier Publishers P.O. Box 330309 Fort Worth, TX 76163-0309 24. Opportunity & Income Plus 250,000 Monthly 73 Spring Street #303 New York, NY 10012 25. Entrepreneur 1,700,000 Monthly P.O. Box 570 Clearwater, FL 34617-0570 26. Black Enterprise 240,000 Monthly 130 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10011 27. Mail Profits 15,000 6 times/yr P.O. Box 4785 Lincoln, NE 68504 This Group Represents More Good Magazines With Low Cost/Circulation Ratios 28. Hemmings Motor News 261,551 Monthly P.O. Box 256 Rt 9 West Blvd Bennington, VT 05201 29. The Old Farmers Almanac 4,400,000 Annually PO Box 520/Main Street Dublin, NH 03444 30. The Ladies Birthday Alman. 3,803,450 Annually 1715 W. 38th St. Chattanooga, TN 37409 31. Cat Fancy 237,528 Monthly 2401 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90057 32. The Antique Trader Weekly 190,000 Weekly P.O. Box 1050 Dubuque, IA 52001 33. Cars and Parts 106,111 Monthly PO Box 482 911 Vandermark Rd. Sidney, OH 45365 34. The American Rifleman 1,372,371 Monthly 470 Spring Park Place Herndon, VA 22070 35. The American Hunter 1,359,643 Monthly 470 Spring Park Place Herndon, VA 22070 36. Railfan and Railroad 144,216 Monthly Carsten’s Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 700 Newton, NJ 07860 37. Bird Talk 123,134 Monthly PO Box 57900 2401 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90057-0900 38. Model Railroader 181,683 Monthly 1027 N. 7th St. Milwaukee, WI 53233 39. Sports Collectors Digest 43,361 Weekly 700 East State St. Iola, WI 54990 40. Muscle Car Review 71,235 10 times/yr Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc. 3816 Industry Boulevard Lakeland, FL 33811 41. The American Legion Magazine 3,004,913 Monthly PO Box 1055 Indianapolis, IN 46206 42. Crochet World 72,300 6 times/yr House of White Birches 306 East Parr Rd Berne, IN 46711 43. Gun Week 20,000+ Weekly Box 488 Station C Buffalo, NY 14209 44. Quiltworld 71,000 6 times/yr House of White Birches 306 East Parr Rd. Berne, IN 46711 45. Woodman of the World Mag. 466,625 Monthly 1700 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68102 46. California Senior Citizens 69,000 Monthly 4805 Alta Canyada Road La Canada, CA 91011 47. Sew News 235,000 Monthly P.O. Box 1790 - News Plaza Peoria, IL 61656 48. American Motorcyclist 176,169 Monthly 33 Collegeview Road Westerville, OH 43081 49. American Collector’s Journal 50,926 Bi-Monthly P.O. Box 407 Kewanee, Il 61443 50. Shooting Times 196,441 Monthly News Plaza PO Box 1790 Peoria, IL 61656 51. 58 Dog Fancy 135,320 Monthly 2401q Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90057 52. Guns Magazine 205,619 Monthly Publisher’s Development 591 Camino de la Reina, Ste. 200 San Diego, CA 92108 53. National History 511,463 Monthly 488 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10022 54. Baseball Digest 297,490 Monthly Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 55. Farm Journal 730,145 13 times/yr 230 W. Washington Sq. Philadelphia, PA 19106-3599 56. The Farmer 118,459 21 times/yr 1999 Shepard Rd. St. Paul, MN 55116 57. Finescale Modelier 77,748 Bimonthly 1027 N. 7th St. Milwaukee, WI 53233 58. Trains 91,749 Monthly 1027 N. 7th St. Milwaukee, WI 53233 59. Good Old Days 72,500 Monthly House of White Birches 306 East Parr Rd. Berne, IN 46711 60. Dune Buggies & Hot VW’s 107,302 Monthly 2950-A7 Airway Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 61. American Handgunner Magazine 179,751 6 times/yr Publishers Development 591 Camino de la Reina, Ste. 200 San Diego, CA 92108 62. Fur-Fish-Fame 172,847 Monthly 2878 E. Main Street Columbus, OH 43209 63. Changing Times 1,372,867 Monthly 1729 H St., N.W. Washington, DC 20006 64. B’NAI B’RITH JEWISH MONTHLY 171,457 Monthly 823 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017 65. QST 161,442 Monthly 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 66. Railroad Model Craftsman 72,315 Monthly Carsten’s Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 700 Newton, NJ 07860 67. Power Boat 83,224 11 times/yr 15917 Strathern St. Van Nuys, CA 91406 68. Saturday Evening Post 500,000 6 times/yr 1100 Waterway Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46202 69. Successful Farming 575,686 14 times/yr Locust at 17th Des Moines, IA 50336 70. Hunting 311,715 Monthly 8490 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 71. Michigan-Out-Of-Doors 101,066 Monthly 2101 Wood St. Lansing, MI 48912 72. The Rotarian 510,000 Monthly 1560 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL 60201 73. Car and Driver 900,691 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 74. Organic Gardening 1,188,335 Monthly 33 E. Minor St. Emmanus, PA 18098 75. Country Music City News 500,000 Monthly 50 Music Square West, 6th Floor Nashville, TN 37203-3246 76. Bowling 131,351 6 times/yr 5301 South 76th Street Greendale, WI 53129-0500 77. Motor Trend 738,964 Monthly 8490 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90069 78. Soldiers of Fortune 105,000 Monthly P.O. Box 693 Boulder, CO 80306 79. W.C. - Cross Stitch 72,851 Bimonthly 306 East Parr Rd Berne, IN 46711 80. Equus 138,011 Monthly 656 Quince Orchard Rd. Gaithersburg, MD 20878 81. Our Sunday Visitor 115,000 Weekly 200 Noll Plaza Huntington, IN 46750 82. W.C.- Home Cooking 68,265 Monthly 306 East Parr Road Berne, IN 46711 83. Flower and Garden 4,171,000 6 times/yr 700 West 47th. St., Suite 310 Kansas City, MO 64112 84. Full Cry 33,955 Monthly Gault Publications P.O. Box 10 Boody, IL 62514 85. American Cage-Bird Mag. 40,000 Monthly One Glamore Court Smithtown, NY 11787 86. Prorodeo 26,567 Bi-weekly 101 Prorodeo Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80919 87. Football Digest 203,182 10 times/yr Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 88. Guns & Amo 521,638 Monthly 8490 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90063 89. Modern Photography 650,386 Monthly 825 Seventh Ave. New York, NY 10019 90. Family Motor Coach Association 98,000 Monthly 8291 Clough Pike Cincinnati, OH 45244 91. The Highlander 38,000 7 times /yr P.O. Box 397 Barrington, IL 60011 92. Craft Art Needlework Digest 101,189 Bimonthly P.O. Box 584 Lake Forest, IL 60045 93. Yankee 2,900,000 Monthly Yankee Publishing, Inc. 4850 Gaidrew Road Alpharetta, GA 30201 94. National Speed Sport News 75,000 Weekly P.O. Box 608 79 Chestnut Street Ridgewood, NJ 07451-0608 95. National Review 240,000 25 times/yr 150 E. 35 Street New York, NY 10016 96. Collectors Mart 86,623 6 times/yr P.O. Box 12830 Wichita, KS 67277 97. Lapidary Journal 35,982 Monthly P.O. Box 80937 San Diego, CA 92138 98. Easyriders 356,590 Monthly 28210 Dorothy Dr. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 99. Video Review 450,001 Monthly 902 Broadway New York, NY 10010 100. Basketball Digest 104,238 8 times/yr Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 101. Winning! Newsletter 100,000 Monthly 5300 City Plex Tower Jenks, OK 74037-5300 102. Teddy Bear and Friends 60,743 6 times/yr 900 Fredrick Street Cumberland, MD 21502 103. Women’s Circle 49,100 6 times/yr House of White Birches 306 East Parr Road Berne, IN 46711 104. Shutterbug 90,000 Monthly PO Box F Titusville, FL 32781 105. High Fidelity 300,172 Monthly 825 7th Ave. New York, NY 10019 106. Skiing 440,370 7 times/yr 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 107. Soundings 105,606 Monthly 33 Pratt St. Essex, CT 06426 108. Motorcyclist 209,757 Monthly 8490 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 109. Horoscope 104,200 Monthly 245 Park Ave. New York, NY 10167 110. Practical Homeowner 708,504 9 times/yr 33 E. Minor St. Emmaus, PA 18048 111. Bassmaster 530,757 Monthly One Bell Rd. Montgomery, AL 36117 112. Antique Monthly 66,243 Monthly P.O. Drw. 2 Tuscaloosa, AL 35402 113. Pipe Smoker 25,000 Monthly P.O. Box 22085 Chattanooga, TN 37422 114. Banana Republic Trips Mag. 300,000 Monthly One Harrison St. San Francisco, CA 94105 115. Camping & RV Magazine 20,000 Monthly P.O. Box 337 Iola, WI 54945 116. Women’s Household 39,200 Quarterly House of White Birches 306 East Parr Road Berne, IN 46711 117. Body, Mind & Spirit 152,000 Monthly P.O. Box 701 Providence, RI 02401 118. Cycle 373,398 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 119. Today’s Chicago Woman 125,000 Monthly 200-West Superior, #400 Chicago, IL 60610 120. Lottery Player’s Magazine 180,127 Monthly 321 New Albany Rd. Moorestown, NJ 08057 121. Video 407,050 Monthly 460 W. 34th St New York, NY 10001 122. Archery 113,023 Monthly 319 Barry Ave. Suite 101 Wayzata, MN 55391 123. The Quarter Horse Journal 67,664 Monthly 2701 I-40 East P.O. Box 200 Amarillo, TX 79168 124. W.C. - Country Needlecraft 44,508 Monthly 306 East Parr Rd. Berne, IN 46711 125. Modern Drummer 78,400 Monthly 870 Pomton Ave. Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 126. International Travel News 26,109 Monthly 2120 28th St. Sacramento, CA 95818 127. Worldradio 25,833 Monthly 2120 28th St. Sacramento, CA 95818 128. Kiwanis 279,249 Monthly 3636 Woodview Trace Indianapolis, IN 46268 129. Power and Motoryacht 135,319 Monthly 1234 Summer St. Stamford, CT 06905 130. Modern Electronics 75,241 Monthly 76 N. Broadway Hicksville, NY 11801 131. Sail 175,212 Monthly 100 First Ave Charlestown, MA 02129 132. The Lutheran 1,083,181 Monthly 426 S. Fifth Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55448 133. Americana 325,186 Monthly 29 W. 38th St. New York, NY 10018 134. The Horse Trader 28,370 Monthly P.O. Box 728 Middlefield, OH 44062 135. Passenger Train Journal 16,151 Monthly P.O. Box 6128 Glendale, CA 91205 136. Runner’s World 451,512 Monthly 33 E. Minor St. Emmaus, PA 18049 137. The Log 46,960 Monthly P.O. Box 89309 San Diego, CA 92318 138. Harvard Magazine 186,677 Monthly 7 Ware St. Cambridge, MA 02138 139. Horse Illustrated 135,609 Monthly 25025 I-45 North, Suite 390 Spring, TX 77380 140. Trailer Boats 72,501 Monthly 20700 Belshaw Ave. Carson, CA 90746 141. Skip 35,400 Monthly P.O. Box 404 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 142. Trailblazer 94,572 Monthly 15375 S.E. 30th Place Bellevue, WA 98007 143. Saltwater Sportsman 128,521 Monthly 186 Lincoln St. Boston, MA 02111 144. Midwest Outdoors 37,773 Monthly 111 Shore Dr. Burr Ridge, IL 60521 145. Golf 912,157 Monthly 380 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10017 146. Southern Outdoors 288,963 Monthly P.O. Box 17915 Montgomery, AL 36141 147. Cats Magazine 129,332 Monthly 445 Merrimac Dr. Port Orange, FL 32019 148. The Western Horseman 162.369 Monthly 3850 N. Nevada Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80933 149. Guitar World 128,823 Monthly 1115 Broadway New York, NY 10010 150. Mother Jones 183,864 Monthly 1633 Misson St. San Francisco, CA 94103 151. Flying Models 27,073 Monthly Box 700 Newtown, NJ 07860 152. Golf Digest 1,239,100 Monthly 5520 Park Ave. Trumbull, CT 06611 153. Fishing World 341,215 6 times/yr 700 West 47th St., Suite 310 Kansas City, MO 64112 154. The Christian Herald 142,376 Monthly 40 Overlook Dr. Chappaqua, NY 10514 155. UCLA Monthly 186,000 Monthly 1633 Westwood Blvd., Ste 110 Los Angeles, CA 90024 156. Video Marketplace 140,000 Monthly 990 Grove St. Evanston, IL 60201 157. The Owner Builder 66,150 Monthly 1516 Fifth St. Berkeley, CA 94710 158. Pennsylvania Sportsman 65,490 Monthly P.O. Box 5196 Harrisburg, PA 17110 159. Woodenboat 103,180 Monthly P.O. Box 78 Brooklyn, ME 04616 160. The Ensign 54,534 Monthly P.O. Box 31664 Raleigh, NC 27622 161. Small Boat Journal 57,103 Monthly Box 400 Bennington, VT 05201 162. Women’s Sports and Fitness 300,708 Monthly 809 S. Orlando Ave., Ste H Winter Park, FL 32789 163. Dirt Bike 131,930 Monthly 10600 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345 164. True West 32,939 Monthly P.O. Box 2107 Stillwater, OK 74076 165. Jazz Times 49,237 Monthly 8055 13th St., Suite 301 Silver Springs, MD 20910 166. Tours & Resorts 194,716 Monthly 990 Grove St. Evanston, IL 60201 167. Hockey Digest 103,506 Monthly Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 168. Canoe 64,060 Monthly P.O. Box 3146 Kirkland, WA 98083 169. The Nation 79,978 Monthly 72 5th Ave New York, NY 10011 170. World Tennis 383,059 Monthly 3 Park Ave. New York, NY 10016 171. The BackStretch 25,380 Monthly 19363 James Couzens Hwy. Detroit, MI 48235 172. Motor Boating and Sailing 141,463 Monthly 224 W. 57th St. New York, NY 10019 173. Car Collector/Car Classics 31,318 Monthly P.O. Box 28571 Atlants, GA 30328 174. Circus 281,842 Monthly 3 West 18th St. New York, NY 10011 175. National Lampoon 250,002 Monthly 155 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10013 176. Total Health 71,010 Monthly 6001 Topanga Canyon Rd. Woodland Hills, CA 91367 177. Bestways 161,815 Monthly P.O. Box 2028 Carson City, NV 89702 178. Writer’s Digest 220,196 Monthly 1507 Dana Ave. Cincinnati,OH 45207 179. Boating 188,057 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 180. Horticulture 178,508 Monthly 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1220 Boston, MA 02116 181. New Age 151,730 Monthly 342 Western Ave. Brighton, MA 02135 182. N.J. Hunting and Fishing 15,000 Monthly P.O. Box 100 Somerdale, NJ 08083 183. Dog World 64,732 Monthly 29 North Wacker Dr. Chicago, IL 60606 184. Outdoor America 43,422 Monthly 1701 N. Ft. Meyer Dr. Arlington, VA 22209 185. Sport Fishing 109,384 Monthly 809 South Orlando Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789 186. Old West 28,385 Monthly P.O. Box 2107 Stillwater, OK 74076 187. Treasure 22,679 Monthly 6745 Adobe Rd. 29 Palms, CA 92277 188. Petersen’s Photo Magazine 283,010 Monthly 8490 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 189. Fine Woodworking 296,773 Monthly P.O. Box 355 Newtown, CT 06470 190. Old House Journal 97,948 6 times/yr 69th & Seventh Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11217 191. Snowmobile 419,478 Monthly 319 Barry Ave.S., Suite 101 Wayzata, MN 55391 192. Lost Treasure 41,423 Monthly P.O. Box 937 Bixby, OK 74008 193. Cycle News 60,700 Monthly 2201 Cherry Ave. Long Beach, CA 90806 194. Yachting 136,028 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 195. The N.Y. Review of Books 114,234 Monthly 250 E. 57th St. New York, NY 10107 196. American Film 133,232 Monthly 3. E. 54th St. New York, NY 10022 197. Pure-Bred Dogs Amer. Kennel 53,950 Monthly 51 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10010 198. Knitting Digest 25,600 6 times/yr House of White Birches 306 East Parr Rd. Berne, IN 46711 199. American Photographer 254,107 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 200. Saturday Review 200,000 Monthly 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. Washington, DC 20002 201. Human Events 36,695 Monthly 422 1st St. S.E. Waashington, DC 20037 202. American Business 104,772 Monthly 1775 Broadway New York, NY 10019 203. Classic Toy Trains 10,000 Monthly 11027 North Seventh St. Milwaukee, WI 53233 204. Auto Racing Digest 44,124 Monthly Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 205. Soccer Digest 27,929 Monthly Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 206. High Technology Business 203,678 Monthly 214 Lewis Wharf Boston, MA 02110 207. The Western Boatman 23,961 Monthly 20700 Belshaw Ave. Carson, CA 90746 208. Archaeology 105,146 Monthly 15 Park Row New York, NY 10038 209. Motorcross Action 92,257 Monthly 10600 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345 210. Threads 125,913 Monthly P.O. Box 355/63 S. Main St. Newtown, CT 06470 211. UTNE Reader 67,449 Monthly 2732 West 43rd St. Minneapolis, MN 55410 212. Yoga Journal 44,819 Monthly 2054 University Ave. Berkley, CA 94704 213. Practical Horseman 55,752 Monthly Gum Tree Corner Unionville, PA 19375 214. Dirt Wheels 88,632 Monthly 10600 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345 215. Hounds and Hunting 9,697 Monthly Box 372 Bradford, PA 16701 216. Backpacker 172,111 Monthly 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 217. Bowling Digest 104,159 Monthly Trump Card Marketing 222 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 218. Darkroom Photography 70,508 8 times/yr 9021 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90069 219. Miniature Collector 23,602 Quarterly 170 5th Ave. New York, NY 10010 220. Gun Dog 62,973 Bimonthly 1901 Bell Ave., Suite 4 Des Moines, IA 50315 221. BLUMS FARMERS ALMANAC 100,000 Annually 3301 Healy Dr. S.W. Winston-Salem, NC 27103 222 The Magazine Antiques 60,578 Monthly 980 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10021 223. Hispanic Business 107,875 Monthly 360 S. Hope Ave., Suite C. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 224. Linn’s Stamp News 74,082 Weekly P.O. Box 29 Sidney, OH 45365 225. Sel!ing 100,000 Quarterly PO Box 570 Clearwater, FL 34617-9862 226. Mustang Monthly Monthly Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc. 3816 Industry Boulevard Lakeland, FL 33811 227. Super Ford Monthly Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc. 3816 Industry Boulevard Lakeland, FL 33811 228. Corvette Fever Monthly Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc. 3816 Industry Boulevard Lakeland, FL 33811 229. Mopar Muscle 6 times/yr Dobbs Publishing Group, Inc. 3816 Industry Boulevard Lakeland, FL 33811 DISCLAIMER: The publishing business is a fickle one and magazines come and go rapidly. Please check the list of references against the current year issue of Witer s Market (available in any library or bookstore).

21st Century Business Women

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

When the first generation of women entered the workforce in earnest in the 1970s, they succeeded in the only way they could by imitating men. Authoritarian leadership and tight control was the hallmark of that day s businessman, and women were not exactly welcomed into the ranks of management. Well ladies, that was yesterday, and today is today! Forget what your mama or your boss told you, because following the rules can be bad for your career. Today s CEO/entrepreneur can no longer tap his/her company s full potential using a command-and-control style. The 21st century business woman needs to be able to build a vision based on the awareness of economic transformation, then help her partners and staff fulfill that vision. She must draw on a wide range of skills to get to the top and stay there. Following are 7 Key Characteristics that are essential: Sell the Vision: A leader with a fresh, independent plan for her company s growth and future has a distinct advantage in luring and keeping great talent and investors. Vision is not some lofty ideal, but an obtainable concept that is easy to understand and will make the company grow to another level. Reinvent the Rules: While women have traditionally been socialized to please others, the 21st century leader knows that good girls rarely post great returns. The strong managers/owners today not only anticipate change, they create entirely new organizations that respond to shifts and search for innovation. Achieve With A Laser Focus: Go where others fear to tread! Being aggressive and ambitious has long been considered male traits, but they are key qualities for new leaders. Today s business woman has the ability to home in on opportunities that others may simply not see, and then excel in that uncharted territory. Use High-Touch in a High-Tech Era: When a number of leaders are conducting business by e-mail, voice mail, passwords, and PINs, the female entrepreneur succeeds because she guides with a strong, personal, bed-side manner. Today s business woman is just as technologically savvy as her peers, but her skill with staff and customers is high-touch which gives her a critical edge and separation from the pack . Challenge or Opportunity? Women are great at turning a challenge into an opportunity instead of using the slash-and-burn approach. They are able to make bold strokes, but they also win the cooperation of others in the organization in making any transformation a success. A Customer Preference Obsession: In this information age which makes it easier to shop around for the best whatever , businesses must work harder to give people what they want before their competitors do. There is no substitute for spending time with clients to become expert at their businesses and learn their demands. Female leaders are almost intuitively adept in doing just that, and without the client even suspecting. Courage Under Fire: Show me any career woman or female entrepreneur today that isn t able to stand-the-heat in any tough-call situation. Their decision-making skills are rooted in a high level of confidence, because they ve had to weather and surpass any and all corporate storms they ve encountered over time. It takes a certain mind-set and bravado for anyone to start their own business and succeed, but it s even more difficult for a female entrepreneur. Let s face it, ladies! We ve always had to be twice-as-smart and twice-as-confident as any male counterpart in the corporate world. After all, if we can bear and raise the future generation, how can running a successful business scare us?