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If there is one thing that Turning Point knows, it is credit card debt. They are a debt resolution company that helps to negotiate with credit card companies to reduce debt by up to 50 percent for its customers, through the use of fixed free settlements. They do not add interest to the debt amounts, and they will not try and promise you something they cannot deliver. They are fair and through, and if you receive had past due payments on your credit card, they can try and assist you.

Your FICO score really is key. It determines what form of credit you get, if you can get credit, and how much of credit and an interest rate you get. Approximately thirty five percent of your Total credit score is made up of your payment history. Therefore, if you have a history of making late payments on your credit card, then you are going to have to deal with having a lower credit mark. One late payment, which is defined as 30 days or more past due, can lower your credit score by dozens of points. Those dozens of lowered points can mean you will have a higher interest rate and owe more money.

You run the risk of your account going into collections if you are extremely past due and have numerous ninety day or more past due payments. Collections appear on your credit report and lower your FICO score quite a bit.
As long as you receive not gone into collections, you should receive the choice to make minimum payments which may save you from being late, but the minimum due doesnt help to pay off your rotating balance by much and can drive you to drop even further behind on your accounts.

Almost there! This is the third lesson of my “Invitation Anatomy 101″ list of articles. Remember, this article continues the listing of common Optional Components typically seen in invitations. While many examples are directly relevant to wedding invitations, I’ve tried to be broader to include the general invitation and corporate invitation components as well.

If you haven’t already done so, I highly encourage reading my article “Invitation Anatomy 101 - Typical Components” first. This article continues from “Invitation Anatomy 101 - Optional Components I”:

Optional (or Additional Components) CONTINUED:

6) Seating Cards

• Seating cards may be used to identify the proper spaces each guest should be seated at. These cards may be made for both the ceremony/formal event and reception. For weddings, ceremony cards are also known as ‘pew cards’, whereas reception cards are considered ‘place cards’.
• There are many variations of seating cards. Some seating cards are simply number cards, while others may only discern ‘bride’s side’ and ‘groom’s side’, or main auditorium, balcony level (for annual meetings), etc. Some seating cards can even state each guest’s full name.
• Seating cards are usually small in size and may be folded horizontally. They usually match the invitation style exactly or coordinate with the theme and colours of the event or company logo (for corporate events). There are countless style options and variations available.

7) Thank You Cards

• With respect to weddings, it is not only proper etiquette, but an expectation that the newlywed couple sends out Thank You cards. Your guests’ wedding or shower gifts should be acknowledged in this form (even in addition to other personalized expressions of gratitude).
• Thank You cards have evolved over the years. The traditional card used to be a small book-fold card no bigger than 3″x 5″ containing a small handwritten expression of gratitude on one side, and a wallet-size wedding picture on the other side.
• Some modern alternatives include: Postcards that features a collage of wedding pictures on one side and a gratitude expression on the reverse; Cards that emulate the style and format of the invitation but contain the gratitude expression instead (picture may or may not be included); or the utilization of digital picture printing or even electronic Thank You cards.

Note: Electronic Thank You cards should always follow in conjunction with printed cards.

• Nowadays, less couples are opting for the inclusion of photographs in their Thank You cards. Since the trend is towards smaller more intimate weddings, supplying photographs has become a permissible omission.
• Companies may also wish to send out “Acknowledgement cards” to express appreciation to their guests for attending their event. I have seen the use of Acknowledgement cards/Thank You cards for smaller, more elite VIP events where guest lists may include diplomats, industry leaders, top company executives, politicians, and other dignitaries. Besides being a great reminder and advertising opportunity, it’s also proper etiquette. Oftentimes, an appropriate gift accompanies the Acknowledgement/Thank You cards.

Residence Cards (or Change of Address Cards)

• For the post-wedding couple: Residence cards (also called “At Home Cards”) are an elegant way to communicate your new home or residence together to all your friends and family.
• These are small cards that may be sent with invitations or shortly after the wedding. They should include your names, your new home or residence address, phone number, and move-in date.
• For companies: Change of Address cards are critical to companies planning a major location change. Change of Address cards can stylishly inform your key business partners and clients of your new location. Address Cards have a better chance of getting noticed and acknowledged over common email, faxes, etc. They can easily save a lot of aggravation, time, and money - not to mention added exposure to clients and potential clients.

9) Website Cards

• First, a bit of background: Many companies offer ‘free web space’ on the internet where you can design a website using some generic templates. Some companies are wedding-themed and offer couples an easy and ‘low-tech’ way of constructing a “wedding website.” The advantages of a “wed site” are numerous. You can personalize a space on the internet that is accessible by anyone in the world. You can update it with pictures, wedding details, gift registry information, quotations, letters, stories, and even solicit creative contributions from family and friends.
• Website cards are physical cards that can be included with your invitations directing your guests to your “wed site”. Essentially the cards contain your names, the website address (http://www.) and your email address(es).
• For companies: By now, most companies have websites (those that don’t will surely get one to stay competitive). However, when companies first launch websites, a lot of money often gets thrown towards creative ways to market the website to the desired audience. Website cards - created much like miniature Announcement cards could be elegant and stylish and like Change of Address cards, they would get noticed. Nowadays, since most companies have a website and plaster it everywhere all over their letterheads, promotional items, and literatures, website cards have a role as a revived nostalgic marketing tool from the past.

10) Electronic Cards

• Theoretically, any of these components - including invitations - can be created and sent electronically. While the possibility of exploring electronic alternatives to physical cards is a tempting one, it is not recommended. The dreams of a “paperless society” remain just that. What I mean is that nothing appropriately replaces stationery and physical invitations.
• Also, the proliferation of spam, unsolicited emails, virus email attachments, ad-ware, and spy-ware poses problems for the future of Electronic cards: 1) Filtering software may inadvertently delete an electronic card attachment or notice before its received, 2) Email is still not accepted as a ‘formal’ alternative to traditional invitations, 3) Given the ‘cyber-battle’ with spammers, email invitations suffer credibility and image problems, 4) Email screams frugality which undermines the nature of formal invitations.
• Weddings are still considered formal and traditional events. Even if every one of your guests is an active user of the internet, electronic cards and greetings (if sent) should always be sent in conjunction with traditional invitations.
• Acceptance of electronic cards as substitutes for invitations or invitation components is not yet a reality and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

11) Registry Cards

• Not just for weddings anymore - gift registries can be made for baby showers, graduations, retirements, anniversaries, house-warming parties, etc.
• Many retail companies accustomed to registries print and offer their own special ‘registry cards’ that displays their logo. A registry card announces an active registry with a retailer.

NOTE OF INTEREST: There is still some controversy over whether information regarding gift registries is better communicated through word-of-mouth rather than through invitations. At present, gift registry cards are quite normal and ubiquitous in the wedding invitation world. Ultimately, it is a personal choice to make.

Again, the list could truly fill several more pages easily. New components are being created all the time to fill the need to communicate specific messages through an invitation method. Also, other factors such as religious and cultural traditions may be incorporated into these or additional component of your invitation. Remember, part of the uniqueness of custom invitations is the personalized elements that make your invitation - uniquely yours!

Laura Paladino’s work has been featured locally and nationally across print and television. Her public and commercial clients range from brides to wedding and event planners to celebrities in Canada and the United States. For additional articles and resources, information on Laura Paladino, her invitation design collections, or her select bridal boutique products and studio services, visit http://www.laurapaladino.com

Often when you are looking for wedding vendors who suit your needs, you will run across a vendor that advertises that they also will coordinate your wedding - FREE! These people generally do not have the extensive training or association memberships that professional wedding designers or bridal consultants have.

Be aware that there are different types of vendors who offer wedding coordination services:

Concierge Service

There are concierge services that also do wedding coordination. While they are running errands for executives (scheduling lunches, picking up laundry, buying gifts) they are also planning your wedding. Wouldn’t you feel better to choose a company who caters strictly to event planning — not wrapping packages while trying to find your site?

Free Wedding Coordination Services

You must ask yourself how these companies stay in business if they aren’t charging you for their services! Simple. They are provided with an incentive payment (usually a percentage of the package you purchase) from the vendor that they refer to you. Since the vendor will raise their prices to cover the amount going to the “free service”, you could actually end up paying much more in commissions for what is supposed to be a “free” service to the bride. One important note is that a lot of the more reputable vendors will not subscribe to a service like this, so you could really be missing out on a vendor who matches your style and has extensive skill and talent.

Ceremony Site Coordinator

Often hired by the church/ synagogue /wedding site to make sure that their rules are followed — such as no lights on the video camera, no throwing of rice or birdseed, who can and cannot stand on the alter. Professional wedding coordinators always work with these people to ensure that your ceremony is as individual as you are, while still following the guidelines set up by the church/synagogue/site.

Reception Site Coordinator

This person is usually a salesperson who works in the catering or sales office of the site. Typically, they are NOT trained wedding coordinators. It is their job to make sure that the right linens are on the table and that everything seems to be running smoothly. If you ask for vendor referrals, you will usually get a list of companies who have done weddings at their site before. They do not check references of these companies and may have only worked with them once or twice.

Florist

Again, this person is trained in how to do fabulous floral arrangements for your wedding day. If you ask for wedding coordination, you will receive a list of vendors who have used their services in the past and references will not be checked.

Caterer

Caterers are a wonderful addition to your wedding. They create imaginative menus best suited to your wedding style and budget. However, caterers are not wedding coordinators. Situations have come up where a caterer has told a bride not to waste her money on a wedding designer. When the day came, details were not complete and one of the suggested vendors did not show up. They also do not help you with complicated questions on wedding etiquette and they aren’t at the church to make sure that all the details are completed.

A True Wedding Designer Works For You On Every Level
Let your vendors do what they are best at. Spreading themselves too thin can, in the end, can cause you to not get the wedding you hoped for. When you are choosing your designer, make sure that they belong to a reputable organization and that you feel comfortable with the services that they are offering you. They should only have your best interests in mind!

The above information should simply reinforce the fact that a Professional Wedding Designer has your personal interests at heart, not their own. Invest wisely in your wedding and make sure that you are being taken care of so you can relax and create wonderful memories.

©2004, All Rights Reserved, Sasha Souza Events, Do not reproduce without permission from author.

Sasha Souza Events was first established in 1995 and specializes in full service wedding and event design. Today, Sasha Souza Events is an Master Bridal Consultant, distinguished member of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC).

In 2004, Sasha Souza was honored by Modern Bride Magazine as one of the top 25 trendsetters in the wedding industry… being included with top industry pros such as Colin Cowie Lifestyle, Preston Bailey Event Design, Ron Ben-Israel Cakes & Jane Packard Flowers. She was also asked by Antonia van der Meer, the editor of Modern Bride Magazine, to take on a role in the prestigious Modern Bride Advisory Panel. Being considered among the top event design & coordination companies in the nation is a great honor and Sasha Souza always strives to create unique, fun and interesting events for the guests to experience.

In 2005, Sasha Souza will be the chair & host of the Special Event show wedding luncheon in Miami Beach, Florida which is sponsored by Special Events Magazine and Primedia Event Services.

On the assumption you have not yet mastered betting hall games of chance, then do read on.

A description of a betting room is an edifice that focuses on gambling. Here, aficionados will hopefully play at coin operated machines or alternative betting games. Casino games normally have fully transparent percentages incorporated which ensure the casino keeps up the upper hand above the gaming devotees.

Rather a lot of betting saloon games can sway you into getting overly dependent in no time. Let’s examine the classic one-armed-bandit, a cash operated machine with three reels which pirouette once a knob coupled to it is pushed. The appliance as a rule compensates according to an array of glyphs discernible on the dials on the contraption. Lamentably, gambling house pastimes put forward the mirage of having the upper hand, tricking the visitor - the participant is charged with decisions, but in reality these won’t realistically level the client’s long term disadvantage. This is due to the casino not paying the full stake as expected. This systematic arrangement is again and again found in well known casino games such as five-card stud, dice, roulette or blackjack.

Five card stud is really a highly trendy casino game. The guests, playing with partially screened hands, place stakes in a principal pot which is then bestowed onto the winning gamer owning the leading combination of cards. (And as eveyone knows, the bluff may actually win as well…)

football online gambling

Not far removed from straight poker, blackjack is likewise an immensely popular casino pastime. A sizeable portion of its reputation is due to its particular mix of chance and know how and decision making, not to mention a system labeled Card Counting. The aforementioned is an approach by which gamblers are in a position to significantly switch the winning odds of the game for their own ends by both wagering & procedural actions correlating with the cards deployed.

Craps is a extremely popular casino pastime where people try to foresee the roll of two dice. Aficionados are betting on the result of one spin, or on a string of spins on two dice. Dissimilar to blackjack, there can’t be a credible winning strategy you could cash in on to bend the odds.

Roulette is an extremely popular pastime. A croupier turns a roulette wheel that accommodates 37 (classical roulette) or 38 (American roulette) independently tagged receptacles in which a ball will settle, thus deciding the winner When a player happens to place chips on a specific number which is successful, which is to say it’s their lucky day, the promised return is going to be thirty-five to 1, the initial pledge itself being tossed back. Therefore in totality the original stake is multiplied by thirty six.

Many a gambler has asked “Why should I require this poker rakeback? I only play at poker rooms when I have an inducement to play.” What if one of these days you resolve to be a full time poker player? There are numerous players in the gaming world who regret dismissing rakeback but nowadays all of them have opted in for all the leading poker web sites. Don’t become one of them.

Anyone who wagers less than a couple of dollars and just bets when clearing bonus payments, you are picking up normally around 100% rakeback for the bonus on your bet. A certain well known gambling room have lately closed accounts of betters who played on their gaming room entirely to play this way. It’s anyone’s guess if this might inspire a new trend. Should this take place then a rake back deal is a necessity.

Someday you might just find your greatest game and then discover you are extremely prosperous, if you are not by now. I was hurt by an accident then poker came along during my recovery, I have no regrets. That’s over 2 years back yet I have not required a job in those couple of years because of online gambling and naturally rake back. Forward planning is as always a fantastic plan. Think of it as an investment for tomorrow, if you don’t believe Full Tilt Poker rakeback is beneficial for you now it certainly might be a brilliant strategy in the future, there is no way you can lose. If you’re thinking about checking out a different poker rooms you absolutely have to sign up for rakeback deals.

The online gamblers advice service Rakeback Professionals is proud to be associated with so many reputable affiliates. Signing up can be as effortless as visiting a The Rakeback Professionals agency partner website or even as accessible as e-mailing. Every affiliate will set you up in no time. You will be set to play straight off. If you sign up with a partner thru Rakeback Professionals you can rest assured each partner will have been screened and also agrees to grant permission to Rakeback Professionals to mediate whatever conflict which may occur. All The Same since we evaluate every one of our partners, complaints have been relatively few and futhermore we will always act swiftly to get to the bottom of each issue to to look after all card players.

Rakeback Deals

If you are scanning for an unbeatable bargain on Dishwashers, looking on the world wide web can be a marvellous tactic to make sure you don’t squander treasured time & currency. If you’re tired of trawling round store after high street outlet browsing for your families brand spanking new dishwasher then why do you not get to your computer and get on the internet and begin searching.

You really should regularly buy your new dishwasher from retailers you really trust, however, when and if you should be presented with a large array of strange brands on the internet selecting might be arduous. A wonderful practice to stave off shopping with unreliable retailers is to purchase with on-line stores which also own a high quality high-street presence. You very much should also be extra sure to thoroughly scan the terms & conditions of every one of the sites you’re pondering buying your dishwasher from.

Another method to distinguish a trustworthy online shop when surveying the market - place for high quality dishwashers is to be sure to find out whether they possess an impartial and explanatory shoppers handbook. Consulting a guide will often also bring to the forefront a scattering of considerations you might well not have thought of if you were just buying by yourself. The aforementioned could possibly include; energy consumption, further features and dryer capacity amongst other considerations.

Be very wary of hidden charges - VAT and home-delivery charges that are added on at the checkout might ofttimes transform that initial unbelievable price you found for your dishwasher into something wholly unremarkable.

Some internet options are also faster than others - if the speed at which you get your dishwasher is really not a concern then this will not bother you that much at all. On the other hand, if you’d rather not be manually washing the knifes and forks and pans over Xmas then you will wish to pick a retailer who gives you guaranteed delivery times.

Dishwashers can commonly look the part when they are sat in a display room or on a website but end up disappointed when it reaches your families house. So be sure to check the returns policy of the web-site you’re ordering from. Dishwashers are an important part of the home so it’s critical to choose wisely.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times before, stored it in the back of your memory bank, and haven’t had the desire to go back there to get it. Well, now’s the time to start acting on what I like to call “The Undiscovered Gold Mine.” What I’m talking about is the marketing power of an opt-in email list.

To most recognized internet marketers, it’s really not an “undiscovered secret” at all, but to those of you who have not been practicing this powerful marketing campaign, you’ll be astonished by the capabilities this tool will provide you. Trust me, you will discover a whole new realm of profit once you maximize your loyal opt-ins and present your offer properly.

You may be skeptical about asking your potential customers for their email addresses. It’s very understandable. I was the same way. Like you, I didn’t want my visitors to think that I was snooping into their privacy. And these days, people are becoming increasingly wary about handing over their email addresses to just anyone. But there’s a gold mine of opportunity in those e-mail addresses, and many marketers don’t take the time to look for it. In this first lesson, I’ll show you why an opt-in email list is so important to your business, and I’ll hand over the most compelling opt-in offers that will have your visitors instantly signing up.

So many unsuccessful websites simply do not mess with creating an email list. And you know what? This is why tons and tons of websites fail. It’s sad to hear about a business owner who spent a small fortune driving traffic to their websites but the sales just didn’t come like expected.

It’s a fact that hardly anyone ever buys anything the first time they visit a web site. In fact, studies have determined that it takes a typical Internet customer about seven visits to a single website before they buy anything. If you’re just depending on hits alone, you’re in trouble.

The number one reason for collecting e-mail addresses and using them is for establishing an electronic, permission-based, relationship with loyal visitors and customers. It would seem that the practical benefit of collecting e-mail addresses is obvious. Yet conversations with novice marketers indicate that many not only do not collect them but hardly use them even when they do. That’s a shame.

Collecting e-mail addresses should be a no-brainer in an Internet-enabled market. E-mail is so commonplace and pervasive that its existence and use are many times taken for granted.
Did you know that…

“69 percent of U.S. e-mail users have made purchases online after receiving permission-based e-mail marketing, 59 percent have purchased in retail stores, 39 percent have purchased through catalogs, 34 percent through call centers and 20 percent through postal mail.”
And, “78 percent of those surveyed say they want to receive e-mail from their favorite online merchants.” -
*Source: Doubleclick.com

If you’re not actively collecting opt-in e-mail addresses and using them for marketing purposes you are missing out on important relationship building, credibility enhancing, and advertisement improving possibilities that could translate into more sales! This is your chance to turn one-time visitors into your best customers. If you’re not providing a way for customers and visitors to express interest in hearing from you in the future, you’ve just lost a potential sale.

Remember, your opt-ins are loyal visitors to your site. They have willingly asked you to send them newsletters, ezines, eCourses, promotions, special offers, and other free information. They want what you have to offer them!

So why not take advantage of this extremely powerful operation? The more people you have on your list, the more potential customers you have. It’s been reported that up to 10% of subscribers to a newsletter will be converted into a sale. And these people are truly interested in what you have to say. When done correctly email marketing can become your most powerful way to generate sales.

Your email list should only contain addresses for which people have willingly given you their contact info (i.e. “opt-in subscribers”) - anything else is deemed ’spam’. Most email addresses are submitted to lists via a form on a web-site. You can convince people to subscribe to your list in a variety ways, some more successful than others. In the next few lessons, I will supply you with the most powerful means of increasing your opt-in subscribers. But for now, I want to fill you in on the most persuasive and enticing incentives to offer your future opt-ins.

The Most Compelling Opt-In Offers
–visitors will be signing up left and right!–

Offer a Free Newsletter. I know, you’re thinking, “Free?” Yes…this has been proven to be THE best way to collect opt-in email addresses. If you offer to provide potential subscribers with information they need (and don’t have to pay for) - information that they are actively looking for - they’ll be glad to subscribe to your newsletter. These people WANT to know more about what you have to say! These are the people who are most likely to be open to future offers from you - once you have established a credible relationship with them. It has been reported through rigorous research that up to 50% in sales can be generated from newsletter auto-responder follow-ups! It’s also been shown that offering free newsletters is the single, best way to increase your opt-in e-mail list.

Give away a free eBook. It’s a great way of getting more subscribers and growing your online business. You need to make sure that the eBook is of quality information or you will lose ALL credibility with your subscriber. Your customer will see right through you if you give them a free ebook full of unattractive information. You don’t want to lose these customers just because you were too lazy to write something of quality. Remember, these people are truly interested in what you have to offer them, so you don’t want to lose their interest right from the get-go. If you do this properly, you’ll see return visits from these loyal subscribers. And you know what that means….more sales for you!

Offer a free article about a subject related to your product or service. This is a very powerful list-building tactic. Subscribers gained from articles are more predisposed to what you have to offer because they practically opt-in pre-sold. Plus, your credibility as an expert in your field has already been established. By offering information, which your visitors will find useful for free, you can get them to sign-up to your list (i.e. “Enter your email address here to receive your Free Guide”).

Give away a series of Free Reports. If you offer to teach your visitors about something they are interested in, at no charge to them, you will not only be able to build your list quickly, but you’ll also boost your credibility as an expert in your subject. The best way to distribute free reports are via an auto-responder delivery system. You can set it up so your visitors will receive their reports on specified days of the week/month. You should also offer your visitors the entire series of reports in exchange for their email address (or some other fair trade).

Give away a Free Download. You can’t beat a free download of a “trial version” of software. If you’re selling software, this is the ideal incentive for your future opt-in. Of course, since you collected their e-mail address when they downloaded the product, you’ll be able to offer them any special discounts on the ‘full version’ of your software just before the trial version expires.

There are no hard and fast rules about how you should hold or store your email list (though online auto-responder services are great tools) but it must contain the ability for people to unsubscribe (i.e. people must be able to request not to receive any further emails from you). Providing this ability shows you operate a respectable list and you are far less likely to be accused of spamming.

Without a doubt, the hands-down best, and most compelling opt-in offer is a Free Newsletter. You will not only get a truck-load of opt-ins, but you will also be able to expose them to your company and your offer many times over the course of a few months!

When done correctly, email marketing can become your most powerful way to generate sales. Your opt-in incentive needs to entice potential subscribers with a benefit that is strong enough to overcome the common objections of not wanting to share their personal contact information. But once you have their email address, you must design the proper strategy of promoting your product if you want to boost your sales from your opt-in list. These devoted subscribers are sitting there waiting for your offer - so make sure you know how to present it in a way that will entice your ‘new best friend’.

Matt Callen has been working online as an Email Marketing Expert and Internet Marketer. He has experience consulting small online business owners by using advanced tactics he had taught himself and learned from the great marketers of our time. From this knowledge and expertise in email marketing concepts, Matt has recently developed a powerful marketing software that creates attention-grabbing, unblockable popover ads at InstantPopOVER.com

Learn more about building your email list and tapping into an undiscovered gold mine of profit. You can start with a few dollars and a good idea to make lots of money online! I did and I’ll show you how. To find out more and receive a 30% OFF DISCOUNT on my new popup creating software for reading my article, please visit http://www.instantpopover.com/articleoffer.htm

A massive and growing mobile telephone UK market following the rule of introducing the newest new phone has now made it incredibly complicated for individuals to compare phone promotions. Most of the time, there are tons of aspects that individuals may need to look into when making mobile comparisons that some of the most top ones get forgotten about. Find Sony Ericsson offers online and compare with other models online.

As a result, you forever end up having a cell phone which is either too high priced or one which is not suited for your mobile phone call profile. Hence we mention in this article about the 2 most chief things that mobile phone customers should regularly notice when making mobile comparisons. This will often help folk land a cell phone that at least meets the basic criteria cell phone customers are looking for.

The full mobile phone UK market is booming on the basis of incredible features like interactive maps that keep getting added every month. Though, a really large majority of cell phone customers acquire phones based on their appearance, brand and super marketing only to regret later when mobile customers observe that their breathtaking handset lacks an unusually standard feature like sending text or bluetooth. Innumerable outstanding high end cell phones sell on the basis of marketing, brand image and looks at price tags that are unjustified if you look at the lack of features. For e.g. the latest apple Iphone 3G does not let cell phone customers forward messages to all. Unfortunately, Apple Iphones target audience, 18 - 35, gets to regret the removal of this feature only after spending months worth of wages on it. Hence make sure that your brilliant new mobile phone has all the features like mp3 players you require before buying it. Since cell phone organisations will never tell folk about the great features like movie players that their mobiles lack, reading up online phone write ups is the finest way to do it.

Over the past few years, research has continued to prove the benefits of e-mail marketing for business: low costs, high conversion rates and detailed tracking are all notable features. But e-mail marketing is becoming much more than just a tool for spammers and e-businesses. Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy on the differences between spam and permission-based emails, and more and more of them are accepting permission-based e-mail marketing as a positive replacement for direct mail.

The best news is that the majority of people who receive permission-based e-mails open, on average, 78% of them.

Jupiter Research reports effective email marketing campaigns can produce nine times the revenues and 18 times the profits of broadcast mailings. But crafting an effective business email is both an art and a science. Here is a list of factors, potential problems and effective solutions to keep in mind:

1. Spam! Spam! Spam! I don’t need any Viagra!
The average consumer receives more than 300 emails a week, 62% of which are spam. No wonder there’s such hostility towards the industry. But spam filters, bulk folders and “report spam” features are helping consumers become more at ease about the perils of spam. While 89% of users cited spam as a major concern in 2003, that number dropped to 85% in 2004, proportionally to an increase in the use of spam-fighting tools.

So as a permission-based business email marketer, what can you do? One tip is to remind your subscribers to add you to their “safe senders” list. The second, and most important, tactic is to make sure your email marketing service provider has a good relationship with ISPs. This will ensure that your email marketing campaigns go into your subscribers’ inboxes, not their junk mail folders. When choosing an email marketing software, make sure the company has strict anti-spam policies and complies with the guidelines of Can-Spam.

2. Images and formatting: Why do my emails look broken?
Broken email campaigns are an increasing concern among email marketers, especially since several companies and web-based email providers now block graphics as a measure to combat spam. In fact, according to ClickZ, 40% of email marketing messages delivered to inboxes are “broken.”

This was actually something that came up during Eliteweb.cc’s beta-testing phases, as we had a client in the Canadian Government whose recipients were mostly using highly secure email programs. The solution we came up has now become one of our key competitive advantages.

What Eliteweb.cc does is it publishes every single email marketing campaign sent to a secure location on the web (a location only original recipients of the email can access, thanks to encrypted technology that automatically authenticates the user). The technology also ensures you can track your users’ behaviors, even if they are reading your email campaign at the secure web location.

3. Personalization and relevant content: In a business e-mail, one size does not fit all.
In a recent study by DoubleClick, email users were 72% more likely to respond to a business e-mail if its content was based on the interests they had specified. That number points out the absolute importance of allowing users to choose their own interest groups and have control over which business e-mails they receive. The most popular interest categories, according to the study, are coupons and household goods.

But you’re coupon is no good unless the user opens the email. Users in the study said the most compelling reason for them to open a business email is the name in the “from” field. So it’s a good idea to make sure your company name is clearly stated there. Another major factor is the “subject” line. Users cite discount offers and interesting news as the most compelling subject lines, followed by new product announcements and free shipping offers.

4. Click-through and conversion: Show me the money!
So the user has opened your email and read the content. Great. But where’s the sale? There’s good news here. For one, consumers are increasingly likely to make purchases as a direct result of a business email campaign. One-third of users in the DoubleClick study had purchased something by clicking a link on an email. Another 42% clicked on an email link for more information, then purchased the product at a later time. Second, online couponing is booming: 73% of consumers have redeemed an online coupon for an online purchase, and 59% have redeemed an online coupon offline.

In terms of industries, the top performers are travel, hardware/software, electronics, apparel, food, home furnishings, gifts/flowers and sporting goods. All companies sending business emails in those categories said between 71% and 80% of recipients have purchased their products because of an email campaign.

There’s no need to fret if your company doesn’t fit in to one of those industries. The overall landscape for email marketing conversions is looking brighter every day. The average click-to-purchase rate has increased nearly 30% since 2004 and the average orders-per-email-delivered rate has increased more than 18% since last year.

5. Stats tracking: Who are my real consumers?
E-mail marketing is an increasingly popular tool in effective CRM, and it’s about time more businesses recognize that. First off, if your provider’s email services for business do not include detailed, real-time tracking, you’re getting a raw deal. Real-time tracking is now an industry standard, and it’s highly valuable, as it allows you to see the exact moment a user opens your campaign, clicks on your link and makes that purchase. Studying your users can help you improve your communications efforts, so each campaign performs better than the last (several email service providers also let you compare the performance of your campaigns).

But many marketers are still in the dark. According to a recent WebTrends research, only 5% of marketers are very confident in the measurement of their online marketing efforts, while 26% admit they’re “flying blind.” WebTrends says the low confidence comes from a lack of knowledge when it comes to measurement, which means there’s still a lot of work to be done.

In email marketing, a blind shot won’t take you very far. But if you aim properly by following these essential rules of play, you should soon be reaping the same major results as so many online and offline businesses.

Robert Burko is the president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, a web portal that provides Fortune 500 solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Eliteweb.cc’s Elite Email Marketing program is optimized for all the above tips.

A great Wedding Shower Game you can play with all your guests is the popular recipe game. This fun game is a great way to include everyone and provide a new bride with a bevy of fail safe recipes to stock her kitchen. It should be known that this game requires advanced notice of all the guests, since they will need plenty of time to find a suitable recipe for submission. Consider sending guests a special recipe card with their wedding shower invitation so that they can complete their part of the game at home.

When the guests arrive, have them deposit their recipe cards into a special basket or a cute recipe box, this begins the fun Wedding Shower Game. Be sure that each guest includes his or her name on the recipe card so that the bride knows exactly who sent the recipe. Also, suggest that guests include potential side dishes or courses that will go well with their dish. This will help the bride a great deal when it comes to meal planning and grocery shopping.

Once all guests have arrived and all recipe cards are in their respective holder, the wedding shower game can begin in earnest. Provide each guest with pen and paper so that they can rate each recipe on a given scale. Develop a rating scale, allowing certain points for a clever name, ease of cooking, end results, and how easy the item is on the budget. Consider providing a gift for the winner of each of these categories and choose kitchen or cooking relating items for fun gifts.

Have the bride read each recipe to the guests, and then allow everyone to rate the recipes on your given scale and categories. This will determine who is declared winner of this specific wedding shower game. In reality, the bride is the true winner, since she will gain a wealth of knowledge from the experienced cooks in the crowd. Be sure the bride calls the name and identifies each individual who wrote the recipes.

This fun wedding shower game is a great way to introduce everyone to each other as well. Before the bride arrives, allow a time for individuals to swap recipes and provide additional recipe cards for the guests to take home. This is a great way for everyone to converse in addition to gaining a new recipe to add to their trusty kitchen arsenal at home. Another way for everyone to share their recipes is to create a website that each guest can access in order to further look into each recipe submitted.

Another fun way to play this great wedding shower game is to have each guest submit a great household tip. These tips can include everything from how to identify and remove stains to how to care for a garden. This game is easily adaptable to any theme of a party, and may be the best gift the bride receives! Guests can also bring a gift that is associated with their recipe of tip, perhaps a hard to find ingredient or unique tool to make life around the house a great deal easier.

Put a romantic spin on this classic wedding shower game by asking each guest to include a great date tip or romantic gesture. Have two categories, one for the bride and one for the groom, so that both individuals are included. Encourage guests to include tips like budget friendly dates, sweet romantic gestures, and great ways to get any couple out of the relationship rut! Everyone will certainly enjoy this great wedding shower game.