Making Money with Articles: How to Choose a Web Designer

There are two important things to remember when looking for a web designer:

First, it is important to go with a freelancer if you are looking for a small and simple site. You can probably get one done for $30 to $50. There are many freelancing companies on the web that you can tap into to find the designer for you.

Second, it is important that you ask to see a few sample sites that the web designer has done and that you check any ratings that may be available for the designer. This may keep you from getting wrapped up in a project with someone who will not finish or cannot do the type of job that they claim they can do.

If you cannot put together your own website to host your articles on and you don't want to pay the extra $7 to $12 dollars per month that it may cost to get a host that offers a What You See Is What You Get website builder, then your only other option is to hire a web designer. The good thing is that, if you are looking for a very basic 2-5 page site and you hire a freelancer rather than going with a web design company, then it will be relatively easy on your wallet.
 

Making Money with Articles: Freelance Writers

If you cannot or do not wish to write your articles yourself, you can search different outsourcing companies to find a freelance writer to help you grow your business and your website. These freelancers will ghost write articles for you which means that you will own all copyrights to the material that is produced to do with what you want. Freelance writers have a talent for writing, however, they would rather make quick money off of writing for others, rather than taking the time to build a niche website that will need to be heavily marketed and promoted to begin earning revenue. They are usually not marketers, but rather people who have a gift for the written word. On the other hand, those who are looking to make money from articles are marketers. They are looking to build websites that will give them long term revenue, rather than one quick payment and that is it. This Internet pool or freelance writers will open up a good opportunity for you to receive the quality, original content that you are looking for to build your niche site.
 

The Project Management Method – Curse or Blessing

Project management is an area of expertise that has undergone some significant development in the last decade. A business project can have a far-reaching effect on the business and result in either tremendous improvement in the businesses ability to function in the marketplace or a significant setback to that business entity.

The idea of a formalized project management approach has been around for quite some time. So it was not uncommon for any manager to find themselves learning the discipline of a structured project management system. That project methodology takes any given business or IT project through the same standardized steps from conception through implementation. Those steps would include…

* Project definition
* Needs analysis and requirements definition.
* Cost benefit analysis.
* Project scope.
* Project schedule and budget.
* Detailed specifications
* Development
* Testing
* Training
* Deployment

By utilizing a standardized process of doing all projects the same way, using the same reporting methods and tools, there is an economy of skills in that the project leaders and team members become adept at navigating these steps. Further, by using the same systems and criteria, a scale of evaluation as to the effectiveness of the system is developed so the ability of project teams to do well over time improves.

It was natural that this standardized method would become codified and finally developed into a well-developed system that could that molds all projects to a single standard. By developing an industry wide method that requires strict training and adherence to the same terms, tool sets and definitions of success, the "intuitive" nature of judging project effectiveness is reduced. And so "the Project Management Method" was developed whereby project managers can undergo strenuous and exacting training in a standardized method that would be enforced via certification across the whole of the business community.

Whether or not the PMM represents a curse or a blessing to the business world depends to a large extent on individual applications of the method and measurements and observations on whether the method itself introduces efficiency to the process of project management or just another layer of bureaucracy.
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There are some strong positives to utilizing a methodology that is standardized at an industry level. Those project managers who have gone through the certification process can be depended on to implement that system the same way in each business setting. As such, the process of finding qualified project managers becomes simplified because the certification process alone communicates to the business that it can expect the PMM system to be implemented correctly.

By putting into place an external method of certification and measurement of excellence, the project manager career begins to take a high level of professionalism similar to in the legal and medical fields. So the PMM movement represents a maturing of the IT and project management disciplines as they move toward greater levels of accountability and control.

The dangers come in implementation of the PMM methodology on a project by project basis. In order for a PMM certified manager to live by his credentials, all projects must conform to a standard mold. The unique nature of each project may not easily fit into the PMM process of systematization.

In addition, the PMM system is heavily dependent on a large amount of meetings to document that the project is adhering to standards and a methodical documentation process from which there is little room for variation or accommodation. The PMM is a complex methodology so the tool sets that must be used to track the process can be expensive and difficult to use.

The outcome is that the introduction of the PMM system can cause the actual business objectives of the project to take on a secondary priority to the high standards of PMM itself. Project leaders working under the requirements of the PMM can become more accountable to the methodology itself and lose sight of what is good for the business or what is efficient in terms of getting the project completed.

There is very little room for creativity or individual judgment within the confines of the PMM and that is problematic because the nature of business problems have historically depended on the judgment and creative problem solving skills of middle management. By dominating the project process with the needs of the PMM methodology, excessive cost is introduced as well as cumbersome requirements that do not benefit the business or the project itself.

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The Quiet Explosion of Cell Phone Limitation Technologies

It is no secret that the explosion of functionality the world of cellular communications is nothing short of phenomenal. Scarcely a month goes by when something new is added what people can do with their cell phones. Now cell phones can take pictures, keep your calendar, let you send text messages or emails, surf the internet and do virtually everything except make the toast and burp the baby. But along with the technological revolution in what cell phones can do, there is another quieter revolution that has as its objective the opposite goal, to stop cell phones from doing what they can do.

It stands to reason when a technology as pervasive as cell phone communications enables virtually every man, woman and child to communicate to virtually anyone virtually anywhere that at some point there would be a need for some controls. That need has become more and more compelling when it comes to certain types of facilities where it is not only undesirable for cell phones to be operative but in some cases downright dangerous. Some outstanding examples of where you do NOT want cell phones operational are…

§ Prisons where inmates can use them to plan illegal activities.
§ Federal buildings to protect classified areas and to restrict terrorist activity.
§ Religious buildings such as mosques where cell phones can disrupt the ceremonies.
§ Banks and financial institutions where cell phones could be used for robberies or for terrorism.
§ Theaters and music halls where you want cell phones turned off during the performance.
§ Hospitals or airplanes where the operation of cell phones can disrupt machinery.

The problem with securing a building from cell phone operation is that putting up a sign that cell phones should be in use is not getting the job done. The phones can still be on and used as a homing device or create disruption to sensitive equipment. So to be effective, the facility needs to have cell phone blocking technology in place to stop the operation of every cell phone that comes inside that facility for the time it is there and then returns operation to that device as soon as it passes out of the facility area.

This is a tough challenge and the technologies that have been developed for the most part bring as many problems as they solve. There are basically three solutions to the problem.

1. Alarming. A device is put in place that can detect the signals coming from user's cell phones. When the signal is detected, alarms go off to alert the user that the cell phone should be disabled. The problem is that this is not that much better than a sign on the wall informing people that cell phones are not allowed. It depends on compliance and the user can easily turn the phone right back on once inside.

2. Disruption. Otherwise known as jamming simply sends out a disruptive signal to jam the cell phone while in the facility. Jamming is destructive to machinery, dangerous to people and animals and in many countries, illegal to use.

3. Distraction. This approach detects the signal that the cell phone is sending to the tower to be recognized and sends a false signal back to the phone so it is distracted and thinks it is in communication with the tower when it is in fact off line. No calls can come to the phone because the tower doesn't know its there and no calls can be made because the phone isn't actually on line.

Of the three, distraction has the best chance of solving the problem permanently. The business trend to look out for is the rapid expansion of any company that uses the distraction method for cell phone management. That will be the business that thrives in this market.

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The Steps to Finding the Perfect AD Agency

A good Ad agency can take a business and propel its success forward in ways that few other business partners can do. If the business is one that will benefit from promotion or advertising, the right AD agency bring to the table the talent, the creativity and the resources to put together just the right advertising campaign and then to deploy it in a way that is a perfect fit for the business's marketing objectives and for the market that the business serves.

But for every success story of how an AD agency took a business to the next level of success, there are plenty of horror stories of terrible advertising campaigns. A bad advertising strategy not only fail to escalate the sales and success of the business, it may damage the business in the eyes of the consumer and cause damage that could take years to fix.

There comes a time in the life of any business when the decision is made to either employ the business's first AD agency or to change agencies to find one that can fit the marketing objectives of the company. To be sure that this process results in one of those success stories and not one of those horror tales, some precautions are in order such as…

§ Nail down the company's marketing objectives before you meet with candidate agencies. Don't allow the AD agency to dictate what your marketing goals are. By taking charge of what you want before you begin the process, the chances of finding just the right agency are vastly improved.

§ Put together a review committee for the search process of finding the right agency. This team is well informed about the company objectives and the marketing goals that lead to the decision to bring an AD agency on. They can be kept together throughout the selection process so you have wisdom from many different parts of the company management structure to guide the process.

§ Nail down the budget for the project before you put the invitations out to AD agencies to bid on your business. If you know exactly how much you can spend, that will help in the selection of the right agency and in setting their limitations early in the relationship.

§ Establish the schedule of how long you have find an AD agency and then the time frame they have to put a campaign together, get it approved, produced and activated so the outcome is in sync with the company objectives. If you have a major product announcement coming along, the time to start finding an AD agency is months before the week when the product goes public. By timing the project so adequate time is allowed for each step, you don't rush the process and end up with an inferior promotion which will result in unsatisfactory results.

§ Make sure the AD agencies you invite to bid on the business understand your business, what you do, the product to be promoted, your market and your business image. They should also be aware of previous marketing efforts that were done by the business. If the previous efforts were successful, there may be a strong tie in to the next promotion that would work well. If that last promotion was bad or needs major improvement, the AD agency should know that so they can steer clear of the same mistakes.

By doing some planning up front and being ready when you begin to bring AD agencies in to discuss your goals, you will vastly improve your chances of selecting the right firm. And by finding the right AD agency, you vastly improve the success your advertising will bring to the company which can be a tremendous boost to the corporate profitability.

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Difference Between Systems Analyst and Business Analyst

Many run into the problem of differentiating between a systems analyst and a business analyst. The differences in some organizations do not exist. In other companies, the comparison is almost an insult. Depending on the business or corporation, there are many differences. The job title is not the only thing with which to compare these two separate roles. The problem occurs when the title is not so conclusive. The business systems analyst or the systems business analyst can actually be one or the other or both. Job description is the only way to tell when this happens. There are differences, though.

A systems analyst is capable of looking at a program or utility and see the code. They can go in and pinpoint where changes need to be made. They can incorporate the new data into an existing program for benefiting the company. The systems analyst can collect data and transform it into usable code for a new project or program. They can recognize where problems may lie in the code itself. They can rewrite this code to alleviate the problem. Usually, the systems analyst can consult with other IT members in technical jargon foreign to the business stakeholders. The stakeholders are just grateful the job is being done.

The business analyst has a more complicated position. He or she must not only understand the way IT speaks but also how the stakeholders speak. The business analyst is more of a people person. He or she acts as a liaison between management and IT. A business analyst will be able to look at all aspects of the company and discover underlying causes for system failures. He or she may not be able to write the code to fix the issue. The business analyst can at least come up with the concept of what the code is supposed to do.

The business analyst can retrieve reports and data from IT and transform it into reports needed to develop a project plan or program. Further development and research may be needed from another department which the business analyst is capable of doing. This is not to say the systems analyst can not do the job. The systems analyst is more black and white when it comes to this. The true business analyst is more creative and more flexible.

The business analyst is one who can pull teams together to focus on the outcome of a project. He or she will be good at heading up meetings to present information in an easily understood language. The business analysis will be motivational, a driving force behind the project plan.

Both are essential for good business. The systems analyst may need the business analyst to determine what is needed for the code to work effectively. The business analyst needs the systems analyst to make the code work effectively. Working together, these two people can accomplish great things for the company. There are certain companies who have both needs met with one person or a team of people. It is all a matter of choice. Trying to decide between the two may cause more headache than just hiring two people, or one who is qualified, to get the task at hand done.

Importance of a Business Analyst

Each year technology advances at break neck speeds. These advances are utilized by businesses all across the globe. Multi-million dollar corporations are caught in a “keeping up with the Jones” race to develop new products or better ways of serving the consumer. At times, the bottom line starts to fall. When the trend starts to become a normal thing, there is a problem. This is when a company may need to step back and regroup. Even then, trying the same old thing just does not produce the desired results. A business analyst can come in and trouble shoot the issues.

A certified business analyst is trained to recognize problems and come up with solutions. He or she can listen to what the management is saying and turn it into facts and figures which can be incorporated into a project program. Listening is one of the best attributes a business analyst can have.

When the professional business analyst listens, he or she will hear what is being said. They will also hear what is being implied. The management may know what the problem is, just not how to fix it in a timely manner. Listening to all parties involved will give the analyst a broader scope of the problem. This may mean meeting with IT and other employees. Listening to lower level teams may lead to discoveries no-one knew existed.

The business analyst is removed from the situation, an outsider looking in. This does not mean the analyst has to be an outsider. He or she can be in the organization already. It is just that they can look at the project objectively and determine what is a waste of time and what is not. A different perspective is always a fresh start to any program. It is important to not follow in the same path. It did not work the first time, why would it work this time?

It is important to bring in someone who has a creative side. Someone with good people skills can manage a group of people to motivate them into action. A good business analyst will do this very thing. Acting as a liaison between different teams and departments, the business analyst can keep each unit informed of what is happening. He or she can delegate duties while explaining what must be done and why. He or she may allow freedom of expression and allow someone to generate fantastic ideas which may have been tossed aside in the past.

It can become frustrating to implement a plan of action only to discover when it is put into affect, it is no longer a viable solution. The business analyst will not allow this to happen. He or she is looking at the end goal and keeping up with changes which may affect the outcome. The perfect business analyst is abreast of what is needed and what is wanted. He or she can use this information to develop a flexible plan. Instead of a plan “B”, the plan “A” will be structured to allow for change or new needs.

The reason it is important to have a business analyst is because businesses need “what if” people. They are the ones who determine if a market changes how to incorporate new ways to target it. The business analyst knows if a new technology is on the market, and how it may help the company. Looking at a “what if” situation, the business analyst can determine what will or will not work. The professional business analyst can put a floundering company back on top.