Making Documentaries Made Easy & Cheap: A Guide for the Politically Active

Media consolidation is reducing the breadth and depth of the information Americans receive about the important issues that confront us as a nation. Hard facts, in depth analysis, and first person accounts about serious matters like the Iraq War, torture, war profiteering, electronic vote tampering, health insurance cost increases, medical errors & malpractice and a host of other important issues are driven off the mainstream news by things like the ascension of a new pope or the funeral of a statesmen.

Political activists, through years of research, are often better informed than the average citizen about one or more issues, and they are often much better informed than the average reporter. The question is, how can political activists package their data in a format that most American's are willing and able to accept? The answer is by creating independent films that communicate the compelling facts.

Creating a documentary used to be something undertaken only by the media elite. Buying and developing film, using three cameras at a time, cutting and pasting film strips to create the finished product ensured that the vast majority of documentaries were created by well funded professionals. All that has changed.

A political activist needs just a few tools in order to begin creating and selling documentaries nationally.

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Here's how:

Acquire a digital video camera for $300-$600. A mini DV camera is probably best since it uses small one hour tapes that don't cost much. You can pay more for an HD (high definition) "prosumer" camera, but buy what you can afford. While you are at the video store, pick up a good clip-on microphone. You will find getting good sound key to creating a great documentary.

Acquire a new MACINTOSH computer with 500-750 GB of storage for $1500-$2400. I say this as a person who teaches people how to use PCs day in and day out. New Macintosh computers come with the software required to make films. The free iMOVIE software makes loading the images captured on your DV tapes as easy as plugging your camera into the computer and clicking capture. You can load multiple tapes, cut and paste segments, add sound & music tracks, and burn DVDs. Doing all that on a PC takes longer and costs more for the same quality. Learning to use the software and hardware on a PC takes longer too.

Set up an account for your DVD at http://www.CustomFlix.com for $50-$75. CustomFlix is a subsidiary of Amazon. After you set up an account, fill in the blanks about your DVD (including the price), upload some 300 DPI images using their templates to define the cover and face of the DVD. Ship them your DVD. In about three weeks it will be for sale. Note that you never have to spend $2000 to imprint a bunch of your DVDs as used to be the case. CustomFlix does DVD-on-Demand, which means they produce the DVDs when they are ordered. If you order your own DVDs you get them at the base production price (about $7), and the price goes down if you order many copies. If you set the retail price at $14.95 you'll make $4-$7 when someone buys one.

If you don't want to make your DVD available on Amazon, check out http://www.Mixonic.com and http://www.Lulu.com who do DVD-on-demand as well and have no setup fee at all.

Promote your DVD by telling people about it at events. You may even want to buy a bunch to sell. Let other activists purchase your DVD at a discount. Customflix makes this pretty easy. You just give them a discount code.

Reach a national audience try keyword advertising through http://www.google.com/ads. Note that I've found ads that cost $0.05-$0.25 per click-through do better than those that cost more.

Post excerpts from your DVD on http://www.Revver.com, http://www.YouTube.com and video.google.com. Its free and its a great way to get exposure for your work. Creating Google ads that point at your video on these sites is a great way to get the word out about your issue, and perhaps sell a few DVDs to people who want to know more. Just make sure your video clips show your web address.

Make sure you get releases for anyone you put on film. You can find the form anywhere on the internet. You should also ask people you interview if its OK to use them in your documentary while the camera is running. Make sure you tell them the documentary will be available on Amazon so they know it will be commercially available. Putting someone on film without having their permission is likely to get you sued.

Will you make a million dollars making documentaries?

Probably not. I know folks (www.conceptionmedia.net) who went to Fallujah just days after the US stopped bombing it and had interviews with the inhabitants returning to the ruins. Mainstream media is very unlikely to pick up your documentary no matter how good it is. Keep that in mind while making it and budget accordingly. Not everyone will enjoy Michael Moore's (Fahrenheit 9/11) or Robert Greenwald's (Iraq for Sale) success.

On the other hand, its very likely that a political activist who is actually politically active will have no problem breaking even on most their projects. Perhaps more important, a tidal wave of documentaries that address the issues people care about is the best remedy for our nation's extremely consolidated media.

Nancy Fulton is a writer and filmmaker with first person experience in creating low-budget documentary films. Check out her movie, Back From Iraq: the US Soldier Speaks at www.BackFromIraqMovie.com [http://www.backfromiraqmovie.com/].

Auto Repair Estimates - Making a Career From Writing Estimates

What is an estimator?

An estimator is a person that writes auto repair estimates on vehicles that have been involved in an accident. The estimator must understand the basic car design and know the nomenclature of a vehicle. The estimator must also have good communication skills as they deal with customers on a daily basis. Not only does the estimator have to communicate with customers, but they will also be the contact person for the insurance companies, shop managers, and the shop foreman or technicians. Therefore, communications is a must for an auto estimator. This career pathway is definitely for a people person. In fact, I would even say that a person that writes auto repair estimates for an auto body repair center needs to be part salesman. It is their job to sell them self, the company, the technicians, and the service that the shop provides. Not all technicians make good estimators, but it is a good idea for the estimator to have experience as a technician. Although, there have been people hired without experience and trained by the shop to write estimates.

Who Will Hire You?

There are two different industries that hire auto estimators. One is auto body repair shops and the other is insurance companies. This can also split into other categories in each industry. Collision shops can be dealerships, franchise shops, or independent shops. Some insurance companies hire their own auto estimators, while other insurance companies hire independent auto estimators. When you write estimates for the insurance company your title may be an auto appraiser instead of an auto estimator.

What Can You Expect To Earn?

This can vary on your experience and if you work for a small body shop or an insurance company. However, according to O*Net the national median for an Auto Damage Appraiser is $53,440 and had a growth rate of 7% to 10% in a ten year period. (2006 - 2016) Some collision repair centers will pay their estimators a salary and a percentage of every job that they sell. Therefore, the more estimate sales that the estimator produce, the more income he or she can earn if on one of these types bonus incentives.

What is the first step towards this career?

The first thing you will need is to learn is the basics. You can do this by enrolling in a collision repair program. Many local community and junior colleges offer these programs. This will allow you to learn the basics about the entire industry. Everything from the body repair, structural or frame repair to painting. Most programs incorporate a basic estimating course within the auto program. This will give you a taste of the industry and determine where you fit in best at. You may decide to become a collision or paint technician instead of a person that writes auto repair estimates. Whatever you decide, this training is the first step to securing a job in the auto collision repair or estimating careers. Some insurance companies require that you have a bachelor degree, but many do not. Experience hold a lot of weight with insurance companies as well. The training is your foundation and how you build the building is up to you. What I mean is, once you have your basics down, you have many opportunities and directions to explore.

Where do I find a facility to gain the training?

The best training for your money is going to be at a junior or community college. Community colleges normally focus on smaller groups, which offers lower student per instructor ratio. This leads to a deeper level of learning. They also receive state and federal funding, which allows them to offer quality programs at a much lower cost to the student. Other training facilities include technical schools and private owned schools. Check with your local community college to see if they offer collision repair. If not, ask them if there is a nearby tech school that does. Chances are that they will know where to point you in the right direction. Once enrolled in a collision repair program, you will be on your way to a career as a person that writes auto repair estimates or many other career pathways that collision repair has to offer.

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Population Explosion - An Epic Human Problem in the Making

In the mist of each human life I believe there are key turning points which go on to determine, not only personal success achieved, but as well the quality of life for each individual and that individual's family; and that it is how this quality of life affects ones community which determines, in a large part, how successful communities are in fact built.

Applying this same individual reckoning to nations I would suggest our planet has come to a critical cross-road, a key turning point, if you will, whereby the future quality of life upon our planet is in question. Individual nations now have the opportunity to address or ignore the issues of population control. If nations choose to address this urgent human issue then I have little doubt quality of life in the future will be positively impacted. On the other hand, if nations continue to ignore population statistics, they will do so at their own peril.

Our planet is in fact entering an era of unprecedented population growth and will, in less than century, be faced with human numbers which will be impossible to sustain. Our planet's atmosphere is already in serious question, global warming is harming food production, fresh water supplies are rapidly disappearing and our planet's mineral resources are slowing being depleted.

I am sure to many people this all sounds like science fiction but to those people, who understand the numbers, exponential population growth is an epic human problem in the making.

Population Numbers

Year - Human Population in Billions

2011 - 7.000000000
2020 - 8.146791776
2030 - 9.642644274
2040 - 11.41315393
2050 - 13.50875123
2060 - 15.98912631
2070 - 18.92492916
2080 - 22.39978200
2090 - 26.51266113
2100 - 31.38071612

The above numbers are computed using an average population growth rate of 1.7 percent per year. This has been the average historical population growth rate on our planet since population record keeping began. As can be expected human population increases vary by year. For example, in 1962 the world population rose by 2.2 percent per annum while in 2009 the estimated growth rate was below 1.5 percent per annum.

The point I am making is, no matter what benchmark you care to use, human population growth is explosive, particularly in the Third World where population estimates are inexact but normally in excess of the industrialized world. Human population estimates in the Third World can range well over 2 percent per annum in the coming years.

So what do these population numbers mean? Surely they mean different things to different people because these population numbers can be interpreted in so many ways. If you want to argue accuracy, for example, nobody can produce a perfect set of population numbers; all that can be done is project what history has shown us and go from there. The only thing for sure, as I already said, human population growth is explosive.

In attempting to take the broadest view possible of overpopulation it is worth looking at such things as carbon footprints, food consumption and water usage on an individual basis. In this way we have some means to measure the impact human population has on our planet.

Carbon Footprint

For definition purposes the "carbon footprint" is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person. In terms of human beings the "carbon footprint" can be considered as the measure of carbon dioxide created by one individual over the period of a lifetime; and this measure, particularly in the Western World, can reach into thousands of tons of carbon pollution per individual.

Here is a list of the top 5 CO2 (carbon dioxide) producers on our planet. The emission figures are in millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted into our planet's atmosphere in 2008.

China - 6534
United States - 5833
Russia - 1729
India - 1495
Japan - 1214

As you might guess the United States leads the world in per capita CO2 emissions (19.18 metric tons) for this one year span. Given these CO2 (carbon dioxide) figures continue to rise as world population numbers increase one has to wonder if, somewhere in our future, there is indeed a saturation point? That is a point where we have done irrevocable damage to our planet's atmosphere.

Many scientists, for many years, have suggested this is a likely possibility and I have yet to hear of any of these scientist changing their mind.

Water Conservation

In many ways the depletion of fresh water supplies around our planet are beginning to become as problematic as are CO2 emission. I kid you not, water cost and water usage around our world are entering an era of unprecedented and escalating change.

China is already losing once fertile crop and pasture land at the rate of 20,000 acres per year. This desertification is being created because China's water tables are being depleted by over usage and the same is true in the United States. Although America has yet to experience desertification matching that of China, you can be sure desertification of crop land will become a major American problem in decades to come.

The best example of water usage problems in America can be seen in the Ogallala Aquifer, which covers 174,000 square miles, over eight states, in the American Midwest. By best estimates this aquifer, which took many centuries to fill, will be nearly unusable in less than two decades. This means millions of acres of fertile crop land and hundreds of American cities will be left without water.

If you think hard about this single aquifer, which feeds so many American people, you have to wonder where the American political mind is coming from. Consider this-I see only two ways to replace this vital water supply. The first way is to produce a miracle whereby the American Midwest is saturated with enough rain to replace the centuries it took to fill the Ogallala Aquifer in the first place.

The second way is to build new and costly infrastructure which pipes water from either the Columbia Basin in the Northwest and/or the Great Lakes in the Northeast. Granted building such infrastructure may sound a bit extreme but in reality, that is unless you believe a miracle is forthcoming, there is no other way to support the people and economic viability of America's Midwest.

I could make the same point about the American Southwest where water usage is becoming just as critical. Many cities such as Los Angles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson could face extreme water shortages within the next few decades. Likewise Southwestern agriculture and industrial plants will be facing the same water shortage problems.

The short and long for water conservation in America is, as aquifers and rivers go dry, water will have to transported, sometimes thousands of miles, in a network of pipes. This new and expensive water infrastructure will not be optional. It will be required to support the economic health and vitality of our American Nation.

Food Consumption

Unfortunately we humans require a list of basic resources to survive and, in essence, it is these basic resources which this brief article is about. We humans require, in no particular order, oxygen, water, food and a little heat to insure our survival; and with the exception of heat, which comes primarily from the Sun, we have jeopardized, by over population, all of these basic resources we depend on most.

One outstanding fact I know about food is that it takes a walloping 1000 tons of water to raise only one ton of grain. I am not sure how much water it takes to raise a bushel of beans or potatoes but it is probably a lot. When I read this fact I nearly did a back flip because my mind instantly did a few a few calculations and concluded the cost of raising grain will become too costly in decades to come; that is, when the Ogallala Aquifer runs dry the party is over, not only for America's Breadbasket, but for the rest of America as well.

"This article is becoming over-the-hill," you say. "We have to have grain to make the bread we eat," and you are right. What I did not say was how many America's would be eating bread at $25 per loaf or Big Macs at $15 each; and I forgot to mention the cost of dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream and a host of other dairy related entrees we all enjoy on a regular basis.

What I am really driving at is the costs of commodities, namely agricultural products, are on the threshold of a real price explosion. When you consider higher food demand (increased population), the cost of piping water (yet to be acknowledged) and the rising cost of energy (an absolute certainty), it can only mean one thing and that thing is much higher food prices.

Granted we all have a few years before the impact of food prices become really serious but rest assured the future cost of water and energy will insure a good portion of your income will be required to buy even the most basic of family food requirements.

Conclusion

The design and cost of providing basic infrastructure for a planet with over 30 billion inhabitants will be immense in the 21 Century. In fact our planet is presently ill prepared to take on such a gigantic task but then we are talking about another day.

Today the condition of America's infrastructure is a mess. Not long ago I was traveling down some secondary roads in California and made the comment to my wife we were traveling on little more than what amounted to "cow trails". I am not sure but I would guess there were 25 to 40 good size potholes per mile. I cannot blame the State of California for their poor system of secondary roads, or any other state for that matter, as I realize all of the states of our United States are strapped for cash.

This means, to me, the repair of secondary roads are way down on a long list of other financial priorities states are now forced to deal with. So where is all of this money going to come from to repair American Infrastructure? Is our Federal Government willing, or even able, to give away billions again, like they gave to Wall Street Bankers to save the day? It seems as though states are really now on their own, except for the Interstate Highway Systems and maybe airports, to find the necessary money for infrastructure repair.

If what I said here is anywhere near the truth then America is in for a long, drawn-out siege. That is until America can find the innovation to adjust to a new world, economic order and our banking system can find the integrity to support such new innovation, rather than run with all the profit, then we American's will have to wait. If America's economic recovery takes a decade or more, then so be it and if recovery happens within a decade or less, then we Americans can consider ourselves extremely lucky.

Jim Osborne is a retired programmer and Veteran living in New Mexico. Jim's interest include writing, computers, investing and billiards.

Jim's favorite quote is by Jon Stewart...

Living in the limelight, the universal dream for those who wish to seem. Those who wish to be must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme -- RUSH, "Limelight; And now, here it is, your moment of Zen.

Have You Ever Dreamt of Making a Full Time Income From Your Hobbies and Interests?

Have you ever dreamt of making a full time income from your hobbies, interests and the activities you enjoy?

Government statistics shows you can!

If it's a hobby you're passionate about, a special skill you possess or inside knowledge that would intrigue others! You can create a Thriving profitable business just by doing what you love to do each and every day!

"The Facts... A multi-Billion pound industry!"

According to National statistics the average UK household will spend at least £57.40 a week on recreation and their hobbies that's a minimum of £2984.80 per household, per year spent on hobbies and recreation, it's the second highest spend for the typical UK household and only second to the £61.70 spent on transport cost, (car, insurance, petrol, tax, repairs etc...)

The statistics show that more money is spent on recreation and hobbies, then food and drink, housing fuel and power, clothing and footwear, household goods and services, education and even health.

Research also carried out by national statistics estimates that there were 61.4 million people living in the UK in 2008 with that figure set to rise by 4 million by 2018 and the population is set to hit 71.6 million by 2033.

The research showed there are 23.8 million households in the UK. That means the estimated yearly spend on hobbies and recreation in the UK alone is 68 Billion pounds and rising year on year.

"Defying recession, a trend for spending!"

UK national statistics show that 18.3 million households in the UK (70 per cent) had Internet access in 2009. This is an increase of just under 2 million households (11 per cent) over the last year and 4 million households (28 per cent) since 2006.

Sixty-three per cent of all UK households had a broadband connection in 2009, up from 56 per cent in 2008. Of those households with Internet access, 90 per cent had a broadband connection in 2009, an increase from 69 per cent in 2006.

In 2009, 37.4 million adults (76 per cent of the UK adult population) accessed the Internet in the three months prior to the national statistics interview. The number of adults who had never accessed the Internet fell to 10.2 million (21 per cent) in 2009.

Sixty four per cent of all adults who were recent Internet users (having accessed the Internet in the three months prior to the national statistics interview) had ever purchased goods or services over the Internet.

Of these, 83 per cent (26 million) had purchased within the last three months.

"UK online spending to reach £56bn by 2014"

Online spending in the UK is set to reach £56bn by 2014 as the web defies the recession, according to analyst Forrester Research.

Internet sales are set to grow at a yearly rate of six per cent over the next six years, says the survey, which covered more than 4,100 UK consumers as well as large retailers with a web presence.

According to Forrester, around 28 million UK consumers shop online today and the figure is set to jump to 37 million by 2014, the equivalent of £56Billion in value.

UK consumers are leading the online shopping trend, with spending reaching around £1,312 per person per year. By comparison, Germans spend £771 a year online and the French spend £693 annually.

"Even leading UK retailers such as Argos, Next, and Tesco have begun integrating their channels in search of seamless cross-channel customer experiences to help drive substantial sales growth," says the Forrester report.

Popular items among online shoppers in the UK are books, DVDs and leisure travel, while the French are likely to shop for clothes, books and leisure travel. Books, clothing and event tickets are the most common items to be purchased online in Germany.

"For the past decade, online shopping in the UK has been driven by a virtuous cycle," said Forrester retail analyst Victoria Bracewell Lewis.

"Growing numbers of UK online shoppers and growing online spend per shopper encourage retailers and travel operators to improve their online offerings, which in turn draw more shoppers and higher spending."

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, UK shoppers spent over £4.6Billion during the Christmas period last year, an increase of more than 14 per cent year on year - equivalent to £76.67 for every person in the UK.

The studies also show that in 2008 UK consumers had spent £13billion online in the first three months of the year, the equivalent to £213 for every person in the country.

"Getting in on the action... here are the facts!"

We know from real fact based statistics that online consumer spending is on the rise year on year.

We also know through these statistics that the second highest household spend in the UK, is money spent on recreation and hobbies... yes! Even higher then spending on housing costs, food, clothing, education and health. Which means - "people love to spend money on their hobbies and interests".

Statistics also show us that the most purchased items online in the UK are books, DVDs and travel leisure.

It makes practical and logical sense to produce and sell the most purchased items online in the UK. It also makes sense that we create these items related to hobbies and recreation which is a multi billion pound industry and the second highest household spend in the UK.

When it comes to hobbies and interests there are also tens of thousands of topics, sub topics and subjects to choose from and most of these hobbies and interests are completely over looked by major companies, competition and the mainstream media. Meaning there is big money to be made by the little guy.

"Replacing your current income and beyond"

Books and DVDs are extremely cheap to reproduce, with a professional book costing around a penny per page to reproduce with a retail price of £5 - £12.

DVDs however take profits to a whole new level, with reproduction costs around £1 to £1.50 and a retail price of anything from £20 - £50 depending on the topic, subject and availability of the DVD. Mark ups of 5000%

These profit margins are worlds apart compared to the 5 - 30% mark up on retail and wholesale items.

"Doing the maths"

If you had a DVD that retailed at £20 and had a duplication cost of £1 per DVD, this includes art work, printing, case, blank disc and shrink wrapping. That means for every 1000 DVDs you sell you would make £19,000 in profit! Selling 5000 DVDs a year would net you £95,000 per year pre tax profit. 5000 may sound like a lot of DVDs to sell, the truth is, it is if you go the wrong way about it, however if you follow the right plan and take the appropriate steps then it can be achieved and more!

"The perfect product!"

The statistics show hobbies are what people love to spend their money on, they also show that DVDs are one of the most purchased items online, and from my companies experience we know the process and costs of creating and selling DVDs returns the highest rate of profits and the lowest need to make sales?

"Higher profits, means we reduce the number of customers we need to find each year, we also require less sales to reach a high level of income!"

Our DVD postage cost are very little in the UK and worldwide, we pack our DVDs in cases which are almost indestructible and never get damaged in the post, they're light weight, we've never had a case of postal theft and the DVDs fit through any standard letter box.

They cost very little to reproduce, are very cheap to ship and have very high profit margins and returns.

"The media revolution... here are the facts!"

Studies show that the average person in the UK that lives to the age of 72 years old would have watched the equivalent to 8 solid years of television. "8 years!"

People are also looking for new things to watch related to their hobbies and what interests them most.

*Are there any big competition to this line of business?

*Are National TV shows and channels a threat to your success?

DVD productions that are "hobby" "teaching" "training" and "How-to based" have no threat from mainstream TV. Mainstream TV produce mainly Dramas, films, documentaries, soaps, shopping, sports, news and reality.

DVD productions based on our hobbies are for example and as followed:

Health and beauty:


Your guide to Bridal hairstyles
How-to Become a beauty Nail technician
Poll dancing excises
Become a make-up artist

Arts and Crafts:


How-to draw portraits
How-to paint landscapes
How-to create miniature figurines
How-to make your own jewellery

Animals and pets:


Dog Training for beginners
Dog obedience training
Horse ridding
How-to make pet garments

Software training:


Microsoft excel training
Adobe Photoshop CS4 training
How-to build edit Videos with Final cut Pro
Adobe Flash Training

Sports:


Speed bag Training for Boxers
How-to improve your Golf handicap
Fly fishing Tools and equipment
Poll dancing fitness

Music:


How-to Play the Piano
How-to Play Guitar
Vocal Training
How-to read music

That's just a small handful of subjects that can be covered producing DVDs there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of opportunities to create DVDs on any topic.

Mainstream TV is no competition for an independent DVD producer it can help to sell more DVDs.

Lets say you create a DVD on How-to play the Violin "just an example" and a month later a TV channel starts a new show, and the show is based on people learning to play the violin.

The show gets millions of viewers and thousands of people are now searching the internet looking to learn how to play the violin and all because they love the new show and a new "trend" is starting.

That could happen and if it did you could do very well, and if you don't believe that could happen! just take a look at Tattooing... that trend came about through a popular TV show called Miami Ink and now tattooing is more popular then its ever been.

Also look at the trend of people playing the card game "Texas hold em" this craze came about from a TV show in North America that had an audience of 200 million viewers, then people started to search the internet looking to learn how to play the card game Texas hold em.

"Serious business questions for independent video producers"


Are big companies in competition?
Do you need to compete on price?

Research shows that this is a problem that most if not all wholesale buyers and sellers face and "why most fail to make money!", and with good reason... imagine if you were selling Nintendo wii's on the internet, you wouldn't do too well and here's why...

All the big companies sell Nintendo wii's on and offline they buy more consoles then you could ever buy from suppliers, therefore it cost the big companies less per unit and that means that the big companies can offer the consoles at a cheaper price to customers then you ever could.

The same is true if you were to choose to sell to a particular marketplace lets say you choose to sell Home furnishing items to home owners.

Right away you'll have competition from Supermarkets and large retail stores selling the same or similar items to the same marketplace as you are "home owners"

Again the same is true if you invented a new hoover or household appliance, big companies like dyson, morphy richards, hennry and every other hoover manufacturer in the land would be in direct competition with you by selling similar items or alternative products to yours.

The point is this! large corporations are established, they already have the lion share of customers, they have their own distribution channels, super sized marketing budgets and can generate large profits with very small margins due to the shear volume of sales they make in their outlets and shops nationally and globally. Going head to head with a retail giant by selling what they sell and trying to compete on price will end in tears many find this out the hard way.

Yet this doesn't happen with the DVD producer business model for hobbies, most hobbies are targeted at small or niche markets that are seen as "small fry" to the large corporations dominating the super large marketplaces in the retail world. The chance for success is much higher because of this.

Is having a hobby, skill or special knowledge enough?

The facts shown by national statistics who collect information and carry out statistical analysts on behalf of the British government confirm that the second highest spend in the average UK household is hobbies and recreation, even higher then the cost of housing, clothing, food, education and health.

We also know from statistics carried out by national statistics and analyst Forrester Research that Internet spending continues to rise despite the recession and that the most purchased items on the Internet in the UK are books, DVDs and leisure travel.

Anyone reading this with a hobby, skill or special knowledge, including anyone who has an ounce of entrepreneurial blood or ambition to replace, double or triple their current income by doing something they love to do, will be bursting with nervous excitement at the facts and statistics that lay before them on this page.

Yes... my dear reader "it is time to start dreaming!"

Because...

There will be many people reading this who are knowledgeable in an area, have interests or skills to share in a particular subject, some reading may have already thought of creating an item based on their hobbies, interests or the skills they have.

Why not do a little research into your hobbies, the skills you possess and the interests you enjoy, who knows? You may discover that your idea or knowledge is in demand. There may even be cases where the item people want to buy just isn't available and when you create that item, they will quite literally throw their money at you to get their hands on it.

As a result those with a passion and those that know the ins and outs of their hobby (one that's in demand) will do extremely well and potentially make a lot of money creating and selling items with the right plan of action.

Is it for you!

Are you an expert in a particular field? Do you have a passion for your hobby? Are you knowledgeable in a particular topic? Do people always ask for your advice on a particular subject? Do you have a special skill to share? Have a professional qualification?

If yes... then the product creator and DVD producer business might just be for you!

UK Based Alex Cain has been in Independent product creation and direct response marketing strategies for the past seven years. Specialising in new media, marketing and innovative workshops, Alex Cain also runs the website TheProductDeveloper.com

Making the Right Choices in Insurance Lead Generation

In everything we do, we are bound to make choices. And there are times that we mistakenly choose the wrong ones. Well, we cannot avoid that, especially that it is our human nature to make errors. The same is true in insurance lead generation. Insurance companies cannot escape making mistakes nor they can't prevent inevitable forces from happening. That is why as much as possible, they have to make the right choices in all the decisions. If it is only easy to choose right from wrong, there will not be problem at all. However, reality does not work that way. Every single option needs careful analysis and other factors should be weighed.

Generating insurance sales leads requires a lot of decision-making processes. And since it is an indispensable function of marketing, special attention in picking decisions should be observed. Always remember that you will not be able to know that you made the wrong move until you see the results. By that time, you cannot undo what has already been done. And mind you, the cut can be too deep to handle. Better select the best options before programs start to run. Here are some of the things you need to account for:

The Target Market. Or, who are going to buy your products? You cannot expect all the people, even in the local area, to purchase your goods or services. When you create your produce, you should have known by then who will need it. Specify the criteria, e.g. age, company size, income. Here's the danger. If you have set an incorrect targeted prospects, you will not be getting the expected results even if you have the best offerings. Otherwise, you will be enjoying abounding sales.

The Marketing Medium. Next up is the marketing vehicle. This is quite important since the choice will dictate how cost-efficient and effective you are in reaching prospects and getting responses from them. For obvious reasons, select an instrument that has a high reach and response rates. Why settle for something that is slow in getting you in front of potential customers? Among the mediums we have, always include an online and offline tools. You have to cover both online and offline markets to get the best results. There are a lot of business opportunities on both sides. Do not miss the chance of getting some from both.

The Business Contact List. Another thing to consider is the type of business contact list. The target market and the marketing medium are some of the factors that will influence your decision. If you market to the whole nation, then you should obtain a database of prospects within the country. If you want to run a telemarketing campaign, then generate a calling list. What you need to check is the freshness and accuracy of each business contact information.

To outsource or not to outsource. Another crucial thing to consider is the possibility of outsourcing. Although the first option has always been in-house, there are times when outsourcing is a better solution. There are a lot of elements that affect a final decision. These include the related costs, manpower, expertise, experience and technology. If you think you have all the resources and it would cost you less to do it onsite, then you can greenlight an in-house campaign. If not, it is better to think otherwise.

Kurt Walters works as a business intelligence consultant. She is inviting you to visit http://www.ledgerleads.com to learn more about lead generation and appointment setting for accounting, tax and financial services.

Health Insurance - Making Smart Decisions

It is an unfortunate fact that a great many of us lack the necessary Texas health insurance in order to ensure their overall well-being. Nowhere is this truer than in the great state of Texas. In fact, we lead the nation in the number of uninsured citizens per capita within its borders. By some estimates as many as one in three Texans lack the necessary protection. While this is in no doubt due at least in part to the recent economic downturn, it is also likely that many individuals lacked health insurance because they do not understand or have a difficult time making sense of the variety of coverage options available to them.

Health insurance is important not only for personal well-being, but also for their financial health as well. It only takes one emergency situation or unforeseen health problem to ruin a family or individuals financial stability. While many people may be uncomfortable paying a monthly premium for service that they hope not to have to use, it only takes one major medical incident to make years of health insurance premiums worthwhile. Understanding the options available is an important first step towards choosing a policy that best fits the needs of an individual or family.

Purchasing health insurance with broader coverage than what is necessary will produce no benefits but will add extra stress to a monthly budget. For this reason, it is important for each person to carefully consider exactly what their health care needs are likely to be before purchasing a policy. Too much coverage is a waste of money, but too little coverage with enormous medical bills should an unfortunate situation arise. It can be difficult to navigate the myriad of choices available which is why it is important to find a reliable source of information when it comes to comparing different providers, policies, and premiums.

Once a person has decided on exactly what kind of Texas health insurance policy they require, it is necessary at several quotes from different insurance providers in order to compare them fairly and effectively against one another. This will make choosing the policy that best fits their needs a much easier process. Most providers offer plans that are similar to those offered by other providers, but the cost can vary significantly among providers which is why comparing quotes is so necessary. Coverage is important because it provides a safeguard against financial problems should health problems arise.

Charles Peeler has been providing Affordable Texas Health Insurance since 1993. Visit his website for more information or to acquire an instant Texas Health Insurance quote today!

Old Money Saving Niche Making a Comeback - Canning

It is quite common for the American family to have a garden growing in the backyard and up until recently, the produce that the garden produced was used when it was needed or wanted. Due to the recession however, amateur and professional gardeners have jumped on the canning ship in order to save every ounce of produce that their gardens are producing. While it is not known how many people have started canning for their first time or how many people have started canning again, there are a couple of things that stick out.

A website run by the organization Canning Across America has seen a spike in those looking for information on how to can. The organization also holds simultaneous canning festivals at the end of every August and the number of people who showed up also increased recently. Canning jar and equipment suppliers have noted that their sales have increased an average of 30% this year, compared to the same time period in 2008. It has also been noticed that canning equipment and jars have started to fill shelves at grocery stores and supercenters across the nation. A couple of short years ago, it was common to only be able to find canning equipment and jars at yard sales.

As noted, canning is making comeback due to people trying to find new ways to save money. Most people assume that canning fresh grown produce from their garden is cheaper than buying produce in the grocery store because they can grow vast quantities. Canned produce can often last several months to several years, which also makes cost effective since spoiling is not an issue. Other people are canning however, because they have control over the amount of sugar, salt and other additives that go into the food product that they can. In turn, this leads to healthier foods and more people are starting to become more health conscious than they used to be.

To many, canning sounds like the perfect idea to eat healthy foods and save money at the same time, but there are also a few drawbacks. Several types of produce contains a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. If the bacteria is present and placed in a jar, it can actually cause botulism, which is a form of food poisoning that is deadly. Due to this, strict guidelines that are set forth by the U.S. Agriculture department must be followed. The bacteria can normally be killed by using a pressure cooker that heat the produce to a temperature hot enough to kill it.

Aside from the methods that need to be used to kill the potentially fatal bacteria, the produce needs to be cut, the jars need to be washed, stuffed with the produce and then submerged into very hot water in order to create the seal and ensure that all bacteria has been dealt with. If you have a day or two a week that you can devote to this process then it might not seem like such hard work.

Cost is also another big factor in whether or not canning is actually worth all of the hassle. The jars cost money and it also costs money to plant and maintain a garden. After all is said and done, canning does not actually cost that much less to do than going to the local market and picking up the produce that a person needs. Canning is however definitely making a comeback and people seem to be making it their produce niche. For more information on canning and other ways that people are saving money, see http://www.theinternettimemachine.com.

Have You Ever Dreamt of Making a Full Time Income From Your Hobbies and Interests?

Have you ever dreamt of making a full time income from your hobbies, interests and the activities you enjoy?

Government statistics shows you can!

If it's a hobby you're passionate about, a special skill you possess or inside knowledge that would intrigue others! You can create a Thriving profitable business just by doing what you love to do each and every day!

"The Facts... A multi-Billion pound industry!"

According to National statistics the average UK household will spend at least £57.40 a week on recreation and their hobbies that's a minimum of £2984.80 per household, per year spent on hobbies and recreation, it's the second highest spend for the typical UK household and only second to the £61.70 spent on transport cost, (car, insurance, petrol, tax, repairs etc...)

The statistics show that more money is spent on recreation and hobbies, then food and drink, housing fuel and power, clothing and footwear, household goods and services, education and even health.

Research also carried out by national statistics estimates that there were 61.4 million people living in the UK in 2008 with that figure set to rise by 4 million by 2018 and the population is set to hit 71.6 million by 2033.

The research showed there are 23.8 million households in the UK. That means the estimated yearly spend on hobbies and recreation in the UK alone is 68 Billion pounds and rising year on year.

"Defying recession, a trend for spending!"

UK national statistics show that 18.3 million households in the UK (70 per cent) had Internet access in 2009. This is an increase of just under 2 million households (11 per cent) over the last year and 4 million households (28 per cent) since 2006.

Sixty-three per cent of all UK households had a broadband connection in 2009, up from 56 per cent in 2008. Of those households with Internet access, 90 per cent had a broadband connection in 2009, an increase from 69 per cent in 2006.

In 2009, 37.4 million adults (76 per cent of the UK adult population) accessed the Internet in the three months prior to the national statistics interview. The number of adults who had never accessed the Internet fell to 10.2 million (21 per cent) in 2009.

Sixty four per cent of all adults who were recent Internet users (having accessed the Internet in the three months prior to the national statistics interview) had ever purchased goods or services over the Internet.

Of these, 83 per cent (26 million) had purchased within the last three months.

"UK online spending to reach £56bn by 2014"

Online spending in the UK is set to reach £56bn by 2014 as the web defies the recession, according to analyst Forrester Research.

Internet sales are set to grow at a yearly rate of six per cent over the next six years, says the survey, which covered more than 4,100 UK consumers as well as large retailers with a web presence.

According to Forrester, around 28 million UK consumers shop online today and the figure is set to jump to 37 million by 2014, the equivalent of £56Billion in value.

UK consumers are leading the online shopping trend, with spending reaching around £1,312 per person per year. By comparison, Germans spend £771 a year online and the French spend £693 annually.

"Even leading UK retailers such as Argos, Next, and Tesco have begun integrating their channels in search of seamless cross-channel customer experiences to help drive substantial sales growth," says the Forrester report.

Popular items among online shoppers in the UK are books, DVDs and leisure travel, while the French are likely to shop for clothes, books and leisure travel. Books, clothing and event tickets are the most common items to be purchased online in Germany.

"For the past decade, online shopping in the UK has been driven by a virtuous cycle," said Forrester retail analyst Victoria Bracewell Lewis.

"Growing numbers of UK online shoppers and growing online spend per shopper encourage retailers and travel operators to improve their online offerings, which in turn draw more shoppers and higher spending."

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, UK shoppers spent over £4.6Billion during the Christmas period last year, an increase of more than 14 per cent year on year - equivalent to £76.67 for every person in the UK.

The studies also show that in 2008 UK consumers had spent £13billion online in the first three months of the year, the equivalent to £213 for every person in the country.

"Getting in on the action... here are the facts!"

We know from real fact based statistics that online consumer spending is on the rise year on year.

We also know through these statistics that the second highest household spend in the UK, is money spent on recreation and hobbies... yes! Even higher then spending on housing costs, food, clothing, education and health. Which means - "people love to spend money on their hobbies and interests".

Statistics also show us that the most purchased items online in the UK are books, DVDs and travel leisure.

It makes practical and logical sense to produce and sell the most purchased items online in the UK. It also makes sense that we create these items related to hobbies and recreation which is a multi billion pound industry and the second highest household spend in the UK.

When it comes to hobbies and interests there are also tens of thousands of topics, sub topics and subjects to choose from and most of these hobbies and interests are completely over looked by major companies, competition and the mainstream media. Meaning there is big money to be made by the little guy.

"Replacing your current income and beyond"

Books and DVDs are extremely cheap to reproduce, with a professional book costing around a penny per page to reproduce with a retail price of £5 - £12.

DVDs however take profits to a whole new level, with reproduction costs around £1 to £1.50 and a retail price of anything from £20 - £50 depending on the topic, subject and availability of the DVD. Mark ups of 5000%

These profit margins are worlds apart compared to the 5 - 30% mark up on retail and wholesale items.

"Doing the maths"

If you had a DVD that retailed at £20 and had a duplication cost of £1 per DVD, this includes art work, printing, case, blank disc and shrink wrapping. That means for every 1000 DVDs you sell you would make £19,000 in profit! Selling 5000 DVDs a year would net you £95,000 per year pre tax profit. 5000 may sound like a lot of DVDs to sell, the truth is, it is if you go the wrong way about it, however if you follow the right plan and take the appropriate steps then it can be achieved and more!

"The perfect product!"

The statistics show hobbies are what people love to spend their money on, they also show that DVDs are one of the most purchased items online, and from my companies experience we know the process and costs of creating and selling DVDs returns the highest rate of profits and the lowest need to make sales?

"Higher profits, means we reduce the number of customers we need to find each year, we also require less sales to reach a high level of income!"

Our DVD postage cost are very little in the UK and worldwide, we pack our DVDs in cases which are almost indestructible and never get damaged in the post, they're light weight, we've never had a case of postal theft and the DVDs fit through any standard letter box.

They cost very little to reproduce, are very cheap to ship and have very high profit margins and returns.

"The media revolution... here are the facts!"

Studies show that the average person in the UK that lives to the age of 72 years old would have watched the equivalent to 8 solid years of television. "8 years!"

People are also looking for new things to watch related to their hobbies and what interests them most.

*Are there any big competition to this line of business?

*Are National TV shows and channels a threat to your success?

DVD productions that are "hobby" "teaching" "training" and "How-to based" have no threat from mainstream TV. Mainstream TV produce mainly Dramas, films, documentaries, soaps, shopping, sports, news and reality.

DVD productions based on our hobbies are for example and as followed:

Health and beauty:


Your guide to Bridal hairstyles
How-to Become a beauty Nail technician
Poll dancing excises
Become a make-up artist

Arts and Crafts:


How-to draw portraits
How-to paint landscapes
How-to create miniature figurines
How-to make your own jewellery

Animals and pets:


Dog Training for beginners
Dog obedience training
Horse ridding
How-to make pet garments

Software training:


Microsoft excel training
Adobe Photoshop CS4 training
How-to build edit Videos with Final cut Pro
Adobe Flash Training

Sports:


Speed bag Training for Boxers
How-to improve your Golf handicap
Fly fishing Tools and equipment
Poll dancing fitness

Music:


How-to Play the Piano
How-to Play Guitar
Vocal Training
How-to read music

That's just a small handful of subjects that can be covered producing DVDs there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of opportunities to create DVDs on any topic.

Mainstream TV is no competition for an independent DVD producer it can help to sell more DVDs.

Lets say you create a DVD on How-to play the Violin "just an example" and a month later a TV channel starts a new show, and the show is based on people learning to play the violin.

The show gets millions of viewers and thousands of people are now searching the internet looking to learn how to play the violin and all because they love the new show and a new "trend" is starting.

That could happen and if it did you could do very well, and if you don't believe that could happen! just take a look at Tattooing... that trend came about through a popular TV show called Miami Ink and now tattooing is more popular then its ever been.

Also look at the trend of people playing the card game "Texas hold em" this craze came about from a TV show in North America that had an audience of 200 million viewers, then people started to search the internet looking to learn how to play the card game Texas hold em.

"Serious business questions for independent video producers"


Are big companies in competition?
Do you need to compete on price?

Research shows that this is a problem that most if not all wholesale buyers and sellers face and "why most fail to make money!", and with good reason... imagine if you were selling Nintendo wii's on the internet, you wouldn't do too well and here's why...

All the big companies sell Nintendo wii's on and offline they buy more consoles then you could ever buy from suppliers, therefore it cost the big companies less per unit and that means that the big companies can offer the consoles at a cheaper price to customers then you ever could.

The same is true if you were to choose to sell to a particular marketplace lets say you choose to sell Home furnishing items to home owners.

Right away you'll have competition from Supermarkets and large retail stores selling the same or similar items to the same marketplace as you are "home owners"

Again the same is true if you invented a new hoover or household appliance, big companies like dyson, morphy richards, hennry and every other hoover manufacturer in the land would be in direct competition with you by selling similar items or alternative products to yours.

The point is this! large corporations are established, they already have the lion share of customers, they have their own distribution channels, super sized marketing budgets and can generate large profits with very small margins due to the shear volume of sales they make in their outlets and shops nationally and globally. Going head to head with a retail giant by selling what they sell and trying to compete on price will end in tears many find this out the hard way.

Yet this doesn't happen with the DVD producer business model for hobbies, most hobbies are targeted at small or niche markets that are seen as "small fry" to the large corporations dominating the super large marketplaces in the retail world. The chance for success is much higher because of this.

Is having a hobby, skill or special knowledge enough?

The facts shown by national statistics who collect information and carry out statistical analysts on behalf of the British government confirm that the second highest spend in the average UK household is hobbies and recreation, even higher then the cost of housing, clothing, food, education and health.

We also know from statistics carried out by national statistics and analyst Forrester Research that Internet spending continues to rise despite the recession and that the most purchased items on the Internet in the UK are books, DVDs and leisure travel.

Anyone reading this with a hobby, skill or special knowledge, including anyone who has an ounce of entrepreneurial blood or ambition to replace, double or triple their current income by doing something they love to do, will be bursting with nervous excitement at the facts and statistics that lay before them on this page.

Yes... my dear reader "it is time to start dreaming!"

Because...

There will be many people reading this who are knowledgeable in an area, have interests or skills to share in a particular subject, some reading may have already thought of creating an item based on their hobbies, interests or the skills they have.

Why not do a little research into your hobbies, the skills you possess and the interests you enjoy, who knows? You may discover that your idea or knowledge is in demand. There may even be cases where the item people want to buy just isn't available and when you create that item, they will quite literally throw their money at you to get their hands on it.

As a result those with a passion and those that know the ins and outs of their hobby (one that's in demand) will do extremely well and potentially make a lot of money creating and selling items with the right plan of action.

Is it for you!

Are you an expert in a particular field? Do you have a passion for your hobby? Are you knowledgeable in a particular topic? Do people always ask for your advice on a particular subject? Do you have a special skill to share? Have a professional qualification?

If yes... then the product creator and DVD producer business might just be for you!

UK Based Alex Cain has been in Independent product creation and direct response marketing strategies for the past seven years. Specialising in new media, marketing and innovative workshops, Alex Cain also runs the website TheProductDeveloper.com

Nearly Every Nation is Now Making UAVs and That Means the Terrorists Have Them Too!

In the war on international radical extremist terrorists the United States sure has the advantage in part thanks to all the new technology in the battlespace. For instance, consider the use of UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles if you will. Today, these technologies are being developed in nearly every nation on Earth. Did you know that Saddam Hussein once had a UAV program too?

Leveraging such technologies sure offers an advantage to whichever side makes the best use of it. Up until now it has been us in the United States, but that may not be the cause in the future. Since nations like North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Pakistan, China and Russia all have UAVs and some very sophisticated equipment, it will not be long until the international terrorist cells are using these technologies against us and against civilian soft targets as well.

Even a model aircraft can carry enough explosives to kill large numbers of people. One Al Qaeda sympathizer had a diagram for a model airplane to carry a hand grenade and when it crashed the hand grenade would become live as the light weight frame around the aircraft crumbled. You can already see the problem with such flying UAV type scenarios. Although a weaponized model aircraft is not too alarming, it shows those who oppose freedom are thinking here.

The next step is logical and no one needs Tom Clancy to write about it in a novel to realize that it is inevitable. Let's face facts; nearly every nation, both friendly and foe is now designing and producing UAVs and that means the International Terrorists have them too! Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.