Benefits Of Self-Publishing

So you've just finished writing your first manuscript and you think it's ready for the world. Congratulations! Not many aspiring authors get to this point. Your next step now is to publish it. But you know how hard this part can be. There is too much competition from veteran writers and if it's your first time, there's a slim chance you'll get traditional publishers' nod. Even when you decide to hire an agent, it still won't be easy because even agents rarely work with first-time authors. So what seems to be the solution? Try self-publishing.

Publishing your own novel may not give you as much prestige as having a mainstream publisher take on your work, but it's a good start. A lot of these companies take notice of first-time writers after they've self-published good material. Besides, there are many advantages to self-publishing, including the following:

TIME

Benefits Of Self-Publishing

To put it simply, self-publishing will have your book printed fast. There are many self-publishing companies that allow you to do this. They will automatically upload your work online and it can take as little as a month and a half for it to reach retailers. This means you can have a clearer picture as to when you can expect your novel to be released. When you are writing something that is significantly related to a particular time of the year, such as the opening of another school year or the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, you know just how to set your schedule so that your work is released in perfect timing.

CONTROL

Obviously, when you self-publish your work, you only have yourself to make it better. No need to deal with publishing company editors who can practically manipulate your work according to how they see fit. They'll even get to decide what to put on your book cover. These may feel synonymous with giving up your full freedom as a literary artist. After all, the reason you write is because you have your own way of telling reality as you see it from your eyes, even when you've written fiction. To have someone else take that freedom away is defeating the essence of your artistry.

PROFIT

Remember that if a publishing company decides to publish your work, it's theirs and they'll only pay you about 10% in royalties from your book sales. And if you have an agent, that 10% will even be entirely yours. With self-publishing, everything your book earns is your own.

Benefits Of Self-Publishing
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Is The "Long Island Medium" Real? The Truth About Celebrity Psychics

Are TV psychics and mediums real, or just good for entertainment purposes alone? Are the shows scripted in advance.....or are the readings really as impressive as they appear on the show? And what about the most POPULAR medium on TV today - The "Long Island Medium" with Theresa Caputo, is she the real deal......or simply just another person pretending to communicate with spirits for money, fame and celebrity prestige? In this article we are going to take a quick and easy look at the Long Island Medium TV show, and I'll share my personal opinion on whether I believe she is doing something truly extraordinary, or simply makes for good TV instead. Curious to know more? Continue reading as we take a closer look below!

My Personal Psychic Experiences

First, of course ALL of this is just my own personal opinion, and based on many years of research, publishing and adventures in the psychic realm. (as I've written well over 1000 published articles on psychic phenomena and maintain a whole slew of blogs, websites and social communities in the psychic field)

Is The "Long Island Medium" Real? The Truth About Celebrity Psychics

With that said, I've had hundreds of readings myself, and feel like I'm a pretty good judge at who is the real deal....and who is just enjoying a good ride up the totem pole of success!

When I first started watching the show...

I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. While I'm definitely a true blue believer in the authenticity of MANY psychic mediums, (through personal experience and rigorous research) I'm also very well aware that many, especially on TV, are often much more about entertainment, than genuine ethereal enlightenment.

At first, many of Theresa's messages were a bit vague for my tastes and with so much "1 to 1" contact, cold reading.....or picking up non verbal cues from clients, is a HUGE risk as well.

(Note: This is BIG reason most people who study psychic mediums prefer to test them on the phone....with no direct visual contact with the people they're reading. This is often called "blind" readings for that reason)

Over a number of shows, and doing some of my own research by talking to other people in the field, my opinion started to change in her favor.

Watching a few shows this weekend, I was impressed by some of the seemingly spontaneous reactions of people who Theresa "read" in unexpected places, and the super specific information she shared with each of them. (and of course, their reactions to what she shared which is very hard to script, and seemed to reflect genuine amazement and incredulity at the accuracy of what they were told)

At the end of the day, it's VERY difficult to gauge how accurate a medium is on TV. The format makes it very tough to judge.....as it's TV, and designed to entertain us, and keep us coming back. Plus, we have no idea how much is "omitted" as well, and this keeps my skeptical guard up, even today.

That said, I'm impressed with "The Long Island Medium" and it's pretty good TV, too! As someone who has had personal experiences (and readings) with some of the biggest names in celebrity mediumship (people like John Edward and the like, who I believe is 100% authentic) I'm definitely interested in learning more about Theresa Caputo....and when available, would be very interested in seeing her face to face as well!

The only real downside of investigating famous psychics, mediums and clairvoyants?

Cost. Most of the better known celebrity psychics charge such a large amount for a reading, that the general public is priced out of the equation. The good news is, you DON'T have to pay a fortune to a celebrity psychic to get an amazing reading, and often......you can find local or telephone readers who are equally as good, for a fraction, of the fraction of the cost. As I've said many times in the past.....my WORST reading ever cost me over 00 (with a famous psychic who I had to travel to see) and one my best, cost and literally blew me away.....without having to get off my sofa to boot!

Is The "Long Island Medium" Real? The Truth About Celebrity Psychics
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WARNING! Don't get scammed by another "fake" Psychic EVER Again!

Skeptical? Good! Get a Authentic Psychic Reading Right HERE!

(Special Readings Available For Skeptics, the Curious or People Who Just NEED To PROVE Genuine Psychic Abilities are True!)

Due Diligence Checklists - For Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Planning to purchase or finance Commercial or Industrial Real Estate? Shopping Center? Office Building? Restaurant/Banquet property? Parking Lot? Storefront? Gas Station? Manufacturing facility? Warehouse? Logistics Terminal? Medical Building? Nursing Home? Hotel/Motel? Pharmacy? Bank facility? Sports and Entertainment Arena? Other?

A KEY to investing in commercial real estate is performing an adequate Due Diligence Investigation to assure you know all material facts to make a wise investment decision and to calculate your expected investment yield.

The following checklists are designed to help you conduct a focused and meaningful Due Diligence Investigation.

Due Diligence Checklists - For Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Basic Due Diligence Concepts:

Commercial Real Estate transactions are NOT similar to large home purchases.

Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer beware.

Consumer protection laws applicable to home purchases seldom apply to commercial real estate transactions. The rule that a Buyer must examine, judge, and test for himself, applies to the purchase of commercial real estate.

Due Diligence: "Such a measure of prudence, activity, or assiduity, as is proper to be expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent [person] under the particular circumstances; not measured by any absolute standard, but depending upon the relative facts of the special case." Black's Law Dictionary; West Publishing Company.

Contractual representations and warranties are NOT a substitute for Due Diligence.

Breach of representations and warranties = Litigation, time and money.

WHAT DILIGENCE IS DUE?

The scope, intensity and focus of any due diligence investigation of commercial or industrial real estate depends upon the objectives of the party for whom the investigation is conducted. These objectives may vary depending upon whether the investigation is conducted for the benefit of (i) a Strategic Buyer (or long-term lessee); (ii) a Financial Buyer; (iii) a Developer; or (iv) a Lender.

If you are a Seller, understand that to close the transaction your Buyer (and its Lender) must address all issues material to its objective - some of which require information only you, as Owner, can adequately provide.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

(i) A "Strategic Buyer" (or long-term lessee) is acquiring the property for its own use and must verify that the property is suitable for that intended use.

(ii) A "Financial Buyer" is acquiring the property for the expected return on investment generated by the property's income stream, and must determine the amount, velocity and durability of the revenue stream. A sophisticated Financial Buyer will likely calculate its yield based upon discounted cash-flows rather than the must less precise capitalization rate ("cap rate"), and will need adequate financial information to do so.

(iii) A "Developer" is seeking to add value by changing the character or use of the property - usually with a short-term to intermediate-term exit strategy to dispose of the property; although, a Developer might plan to hold the property long term as Financial Buyer after development or redevelopment. The Developer must focus on whether the planned change is character or use can be accomplished in a cost-effective manner. A developer conducting due diligence will focus on issues involving market demand, access, use and finances.

(iv) A "Lender" is seeking to establish two basic lending criteria:

1. "Ability to Repay" - The ability of the property to generate sufficient revenue to repay the loan on a timely basis; and

2. "Sufficiency of Collateral" - The objective disposal value of the collateral in the event of a loan default, to assure adequate funds to repay the loan, carrying costs and costs of collection in the event forced collection becomes necessary.

The amount of diligent inquiry due to be expended (i.e. "Due Diligence") to investigate any particular commercial or industrial real estate project is the amount of inquiry required to answer each of the following questions to the extent relevant to the objectives of the party conducting the investigation:

I. THE PROPERTY:

1. Exactly what PROPERTY does Purchaser believe it is acquiring?

(a) Land?

(b) Building?

(c) Fixtures?

(d) Other Improvements?

(e) Other Rights?

(f) The entire fee title interest including all air rights and subterranean rights?

(g) All development rights?

2. What is Purchaser's planned use of the Property?

3. Does the physical condition of the Property permit use as planned?

(a) Commercially adequate access to public streets and ways?

(b) Sufficient parking?

(c) Structural condition of improvements?

(d) Environmental contamination?

(i) Innocent Purchaser defense vs. exemption from liability

(ii) All Appropriate Inquiry

4. Is there any legal restriction to Purchaser's use of the Property as planned?

(a) Zoning?

(b) Private land use controls?

(c) Americans with Disabilities Act?

(d) Availability of licenses?

(i) Liquor license?

(ii) Entertainment license?

(iii) Outdoor dining license?

(iv) Drive through windows permitted?

(e) Other impediments?

5. How much does Purchaser expect to pay for the property?

6. Is there any condition on or within the Property that is likely to increase Purchaser's effective cost to acquire or use the Property?

(a) Property owner's assessments?

(b) Real estate tax in line with value?

(c) Special Assessment?

(d) Required user fees for necessary amenities?

(i) Drainage?

(ii) Access?

(iii) Parking?

(iv) Other?

7. Any encroachments onto the Property, or from the Property onto other lands?

8. Are there any encumbrances on the Property that will not be cleared at Closing?

(a) Easements?

(b) Covenants Running with the Land?

(c) Liens or other financial servitudes?

(d) Leases?

9. Leases?

(a) Security Deposits?

(b) Options to Extend Term?

(c) Options to Purchase?

(d) Rights of First Refusal?

(e) Rights of First Offer?

(f) Maintenance Obligations?

(g) Duty on Landlord to provide utilities?

(h) Real estate tax or CAM escrows?

(i) Delinquent rent?

(j) Pre-Paid rent?

(k) Tenant mix/use controls?

(l) Tenant exclusives?

(m) Tenant parking requirements?

(n) Automatic subordination of Lease to future mortgages?

(o) Other material Lease terms?

10. New Construction?

(a) Availability of construction permits?

(b) Utilities?

(c) NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit?

(i) Phase 2 effective March 2003 - Permit required if earth is disturbed on one acre or more of land.

(ii) If applicable, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is required.

II. THE SELLER:

1. Who is the Seller?

(a) Individual?

(b) Trust?

(c) Partnership?

(d) Corporation?

(e) Limited Liability Company?

(f) Other legally existing entity?

2. If other than natural person, does Seller validly exist and is Seller in good standing?

3. Does the Seller own the Property?

4. Does Seller have authority to convey the Property?

(a) Board of Director Approvals?

(b) Shareholder or Member approval?

(c) Other consents?

(d) If foreign individual or entity, are any special requirements applicable?

(i) Qualification to do business in jurisdiction of Property?

(ii) Federal Tax Withholding?

(iii) US Patriot Act compliance?

5. Who has authority to bind Seller?

6. Are sale proceeds sufficient to pay off all liens?

III. THE PURCHASER:

1. Who is the Purchaser?

2. What is the Purchaser/Grantee's exact legal name?

3. If Purchaser/Grantee is an entity, has it been validly created and is it in good standing?

(a) Articles or Incorporation - Articles of Organization

(b) Certificate of Good Standing

4. Is Purchaser/Grantee authorized to own and operate the Property and, if applicable, finance acquisition of the Property?

(a) Board of Director Approvals?

(b) Shareholder or Member approval?

(c) If foreign individual or entity, are any special requirements applicable?

(i) Qualification to do business in jurisdiction of the Property?

(ii) US Patriot Act compliance?

(iii) Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance?

5. Who is authorized to bind the Purchaser/Grantee?

IV. PURCHASER FINANCING:

A. BUSINESS TERMS OF THE LOAN:

What loan terms have the Purchaser, as Borrower, and its Lender agreed to?

(a) What is the amount of the loan?

(b) What is the interest rate?

(c) What are the repayment terms?

(d) What is the collateral?

(i) Commercial real estate only?

(ii) Real estate and personal property together?

(e) First lien? A junior lien?

(f) Is it a single advance loan?

(g) A multiple advance loan?

(h) A construction loan?

(i) If it is a multiple advance loan, can the principal be re-borrowed once repaid prior to maturity of the loan; making it, in effect, a revolving line of credit?

(j) Are there reserve requirements?

(i) Interest reserves?

(ii) Repair reserves?

(iii) Real estate tax reserves?

(iv) Insurance reserves?

(v) Environmental remediation reserves?

(vi) Other reserves?

(k) Are there requirements for Borrower to open business operating accounts with the Lender? If so, is the Borrower obligated to maintain minimum compensating balances?

(l) Is the Borrower required to pledge business accounts as additional collateral?

(m) Are there early repayment fees or yield maintenance requirements (each sometimes referred to as "pre-payment penalties")?

(n) Are there repayment blackout periods during which Borrower is not permitted to repay the loan?

(o) Is there a Loan Commitment fee or "good faith deposit" due upon Borrower's acceptance of the Loan Commitment?

(p) Is there a loan funding fee or loan brokerage fee or other loan fee due Lender or a loan broker at closing?

(q) What are the Borrower's expense reimbursement obligations to Lender? When are they due? What is the Borrower's obligation to pay Lender's expenses if the loan does not close?

B. DOCUMENTING THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LOAN

Does Purchaser have all information necessary to comply with the Lender's loan closing requirements?

Not all loan documentation requirements may be known at the outset of a transaction, although most commercial real estate loan documentation requirements are fairly typical. Some required information can be obtained only from the Seller. Production of that information to Purchaser for delivery to its lender must be required in the purchase contract.

As guidance to what a commercial real estate lender may require, the following sets forth a typical Closing Checklist for a loan secured by commercial real estate.

Commercial Real Estate Loan Closing Checklist

1. Promissory Note

2. Personal Guaranties (which may be full, partial, secured, unsecured, payment guaranties, collection guaranties or a variety of other types of guarantees as may be required by Lender).

3. Loan Agreement (often incorporated into the Promissory Note and/or Mortgage in lieu of being a separate document)

4. Mortgage [sometimes expanded to be a Mortgage, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing]

5. Assignment of Rents and Leases

6. Security Agreement

7. Financing Statement (sometimes referred to as a "UCC-1", or "Initial Filing")

8. Evidence of Borrower's Existence In Good Standing; including

(a) Certified copy of organizational documents of borrowing entity (including Articles of Incorporation, if Borrower is a corporation; Articles of Organization and written Operating Agreement, if Borrower is a limited liability company; Certified copy of trust agreement with all amendments, if Borrower is a land trust or other trust; etc.)

(b) Certificate of Good Standing (if a corporation or LLC) or Certificate of Existence (if a limited partnership) or Certificate of Qualification to Transact Business (if Borrower is an entity doing business in a State other than its State of formation)

9. Evidence of Borrower's Authority to Borrow; including

(a) a Borrower's Certificate;

(b) Certified Resolutions

(c) Incumbency Certificate

10. Satisfactory Commitment for Title Insurance (which will typically require, for analysis by the Lender, copies of all documents of record appearing on Schedule B of the title commitment which are to remain after closing), with required commercial title insurance endorsements, often including:

(a) When available, Affirmative Creditors Rights Endorsement (extending coverage over policy exclusion 7 and policy exclusions 3(a) and 3(d) as they relate to creditor's rights matters)

(b) ALTA 3.1 Zoning Endorsement modified to include parking

(c) ALTA Comprehensive Endorsement 1

(d) Location Endorsement (street address)

(e) Access Endorsement (vehicular access to public streets and ways)

(f) Contiguity Endorsement (the insured land comprises a single parcel with no gaps or gores)

(g) PIN Endorsement (insuring that the identified real estate tax permanent index numbers are the only applicable PIN numbers affecting the collateral and that they relate solely to the real property comprising the collateral)

(h) Usury Endorsement (insuring that the loan does not violate any prohibitions against excessive interest charges)

(i) other title insurance endorsements applicable to protect the intended use and value of the collateral, as may be determined upon review of the Commitment for Title Insurance and Survey or arising from the existence of special issues pertaining to the transaction or the Borrower.

11. Current ALTA Survey (3 sets), [typically prepared in accordance with 2011 Minimum Standard Detail for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, certified to the lender, Buyer and the title insurer.

12. Current Rent Roll

13. Certified copy of all Leases (3 sets)

14. Lessee Estoppel Certificates

15. Lessee Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreements [sometimes referred to simply as "SNDAs"].

16. UCC, Judgment, Pending Litigation, Bankruptcy and Tax Lien Search Report

17. Appraisal (must comply with Title XI of FIRREA (Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, as amended)

18. Environmental Site Assessment Report (sometimes referred to as Environmental Phase I and/or Phase 2 Audit Reports)

19. Environmental Indemnity Agreement (signed by Borrower and guarantors)

20. Site Improvements Inspection Report

21. Evidence of Hazard Insurance naming Lender as the Mortgagee/Lender Loss Payee; and Liability Insurance naming Lender as an "additional insured" (sometimes listed as simply "Acord 27 and Acord 25, respectively)

22. Legal Opinion of Borrower's Attorney

23. Credit Underwriting documents, such as signed tax returns, property operating statements, etc. as may be specified by Lender

24. Compliance Agreement (sometimes also called an Errors and Omissions Agreement), whereby the Borrower agrees to correct, after closing, errors or omissions in loan documentation.

It is useful to become familiar with the Lender's loan documentation requirements as early in the transaction as practical. The requirements will likely be set forth with some detail in the lender's Loan Commitment - which is typically much more detailed than most loan commitments issued in residential transactions.

Conducting the Due Diligence Investigation in a commercial real estate transaction can be time consuming and expensive in all events.

If the loan requirements cannot be satisfied, it is better to make that determination during the contractual "due diligence period" - which typically provides for a so-called "free out" - rather than at a later date when the earnest money may be at risk of forfeiture or when other liability for failure to close may attach.

CONCLUSION

Conducting an effective due diligence investigation in a commercial real estate transaction to discover all material facts and conditions affecting the Property and the transaction is of critical importance.

Unlike owner occupied residential real estate, when a house can nearly always be occupied as the purchaser's home, commercial real estate acquired for business use or for investment is impacted by numerous factors that may affect its use and value.

The existence of these factors and their affect on a Purchaser's ability to use the Property for its intended use and on the Purchaser's projected investment yield can only be discovered through diligent investigation and attention to detail.

The circumstances of each transaction will determine what degree of diligence is required. The level of diligence required under the circumstances is the diligence that is due.

Exercise Due Diligence.

Due Diligence Checklists - For Commercial Real Estate Transactions
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R. Kymn Harp is a seasoned attorney and trusted advisor to commercial real estate investors, lenders, and developers. He is a partner in the Chicago, Illinois law firm of Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd. and may be reached at (312) 456-0378 or rkharp@rsplaw.com. For more information, visit his website http://www.rsplaw.com

Ford Motor Company - Case Study

Background (General Facts)

Ford Motors is one of three leading automotive manufacturing companies in the United States. Based in Michigan in 1903 by Henry ford and grew to reach revenue of 0 billion and more than 370,000 employees by 1996 [1]. In the 1970's, the automobile market for the major auto makers - General Motors (GM), Ford, and Chrysler- was crunched by competition from foreign manufactures such as Toyota and Honda. In 1999, Ford acquired the Swedish Volvo model in an attempt to compete in the foreign market and expand to other regions. Furthermore, Ford launched a full organization re-engineering business process plan called "Ford 2000" aiming at reestablishing the company's infrastructure. The process meant reduction in their Vehicle Centers (VCs) to only five covering the operations that spanned 200 countries. It also meant cutting redundancies and requiring Information Technology (IT) to be the driving force and the link between Ford centers worldwide.

In building Ford's IT infrastructure, the company focused on implementing a setup that supported the TCP/IP communication protocol based on the U.S. department of Defense requirements. At those days, Ford internal network was meant to serve files transfer unlike most companies that used the network mainly for email communications. Throughout the 1990's, Ford developed a cost effective Global Enterprise Network Integration (GENI) process to link all its locations compromising on the type of the connection and the cabling in favor of full coverage. During the same time, Ford started building its Web Farm, which was basically a set of hardware and software managed by a team for building Ford's public website. The work started by publishing documents for technical references and moved to more advanced images from a live auto show. As a result, the website received 1 million visits a day in less than 2 years after its official launch. Throughout the end of the 90's, Ford established its web services by increasing the amount of information published, building more intelligent and standard web application in 12 weeks period, purchasing more Netscape browsers for setup on its users' machines, and creating a B2B server to allow the suppliers secured access to Ford's Intranet.

Ford Motor Company - Case Study

In the path towards service cost reduction and bringing more business through the web, Ford worked closely with its competitors in the U.S. market GM and Chrysler to establish what came to be known as "Automotive Network Exchange" (ANX) certificate. The protocols aimed at providing a unified communications standard through the Internet to enable suppliers to provide common technology for all manufacturers. Moreover, Ford focused on making information on its web site more accessible and useful by deploying a team to manage the process of adding and updating information based on an analysis of how humans deal with information. One final aspect of Fords endeavor was to try to build a model through its infrastructure that benefited from the model implemented by Dell computers to improve their supply chain and delivery process. The direct model would not work well for automotives as it would with computers, as a result Ford worked on its retailing network remodeling and identifying what would eventually give it the extra edge in delivery time.

Enterprise Architecture Issues

Ford's regional expansion to address the competition for market shares demanded cost management for the infrastructure upgrades IT infrastructure places limitations on the type of application development based on the platforms Easy access to information and prompt delivery of vital data to key individuals requires proper knowledge managementOrganizations reengineering and process remodeling is necessary when adapting new technologies to maintain the cost and increase efficiency Supply chain errors and delays can severely affect the progress of the business and the market value of the corporation
Analysis

Infrastructure Upgrade

Since the inception of the Internet in the 1960's, much effort has been made in standardizing how computers connect to it. In 1982, the International Organization for Standards (ISO) realized that during that period many ad hoc networking systems were already using the TCP/IP protocol for communications and thus adapted it as a standard in its model for the Internet network [2]. The main driver for IP convergence, at that period, was the growth in data traffic through wide area networks (WANs) established by local companies. Furthermore, in 1991, the Internet was open for commercial use, and that demanded a reduction in the total cost of operating the network to cope with 1 million Internet hosts that materialized in only 1-year time. Telecommunications companies like AT&T understood the potential and worked on standardizing the network offering voice services over IP networks that managed the separation between voice and data transmission [3].

At the same time, Ford had launched its plan to update its infrastructure, and seized the opportunity brought by the global movement of integrating the voice, fax transmission network with data transmission and expanded its WAN to include its offices in Europe and elsewhere. The financial benefits also came from the fact that Ford adapted the TCP/IP protocol from the beginning and made sure that all its technical infrastructure upgrades adhere to the standards. This made the transition of its system to the Internet as cost effective as it could be.

Web Technologies

Intranets employ the hypertext and multimedia technology used on the Internet. Prior to 1989, when Tim burners-Lee invented the Web [4], most applications used standard development languages such as C and C++ to create desktop applications that were proprietary and dependent on the platform. For example, applications running on a command-based operating system such as UNIX would not run under Windows, and those working for PCs might not work on Apple computers and vice versa [5]. The invention of HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) introduced a new model for applications that conform to the standards provided by a single program, the "Web Browser". Unlike standard applications, the browser brought a unified interface that had a very fast learning curve. Users seem to require no additional training to work with web browsers. Furthermore, system administrators did not have to spend time installing upgrades on users' machines, since the Intranet client/server architecture facilitated all the updates through the connection with the web server [6].

Since Ford established its Intranet, it was aiming at building web applications through the initial analysis of "Mosaic", the early form of web browsers. The technical department at Ford used web languages to create the first web site in 1995. In 1996, the team started building applications making use of the unified "Netscape" browser that was deployed on all machines at the company, and working on a standard template to cut on the development life cycle. There was a substantial cut in training cost due to the user-friendly interface of web applications. Furthermore, the speed of development made vital applications available to different individuals across the company. For example, the B2B site allowed suppliers remote and secured access to various sections of Ford's Intranet. In addition, the development team created an application as a virtual teardown on Ford's website where Ford's engineers could examine parts of competitors' cars and evaluate any new technologies. The alternative would have been an actual trip to a physical location where Ford tears down cars to examine the parts.

Knowledge Management

While there are many definitions for knowledge, each company might adapt its own based on how it analysis data and information to acquire knowledge. The University of Kentucky, for example, defines knowledge as "a vital organization resource. It is the raw material, work-in process, and finished good of decision-making. Distinct types of knowledge used by decision makers include information, procedures, and heuristics, among others... " [7].

Organizations go through different activities to manage the amount of information they collect to form the knowledge base of the company. Activities include creating databases of best practices and market intelligence analysis, gathering filtering and classifying data, incorporating knowledge into business applications used by employees, and developing focal points for facilitating knowledge flow and building skills [8].

Ford was excited about the traffic it was receiving on the Web site and everyone was publishing all the material they have on desk on the Intranet. Nevertheless, there was a growing concern about the usability and usefulness of the material people were adding. As a result, Ford created a "Knowledge Domain Team" to build complete information in nine areas that were identified as vital to the business. The process Ford took was based on surveys and specialists input in how people perceive information, and what is considered vital and what is distracting in the structure of Ford's website. The aim behind the initiative was to reduce the time individuals spent in searching for information through proper indexing of the website content, and making sure that what was important could be accessed in due time, and what is trivial did not overwhelm the researcher with thousands of results.

Business Re-engineering

In the area of organization's re-engineering process innovation is the set of activities that achieve substantial business improvements. Companies seeking to benefit from process innovation go through the regime of identifying the processes, the factors for change, developing the vision, understanding the current process, and building a prototype for the new organization. History shows that organizations who define their processes properly will not have problems managing the issues and developing the change factors [9]. When introducing technology, business redesign is necessary. The industrial fields have been using Information Technology to remodel processes, control production, and manage material for generations. However, it is only recently that companies recognized that the fusion of IT and business would go beyond automation to fundamentally reshaping how business processes are undertaken [10].

When foreign companies were allowed to compete in the U.S. market, Ford understood that to succeed in business in a competitive arena it needed to implement strategies that competitors find difficult to imitate [11]. As a result, Ford bought Sweden Volvo to enter the European market, and partially owned Mazda to have a competitive edge with Japanese cars1 [12]. To achieve that it re-engineered its production development activities and global corporate organization and processes for dramatic cost reduction. Furthermore, it understood that expansion requires collaboration and alignment, and thus planned to establish the IT infrastructure through a WAN that connected all the offices. In the process of innovation and re-engineering, Ford has set policies to manage the cost of establishing the network, built models for continuous implementation, and organized global meetings to align all parties with the process. Adding to that, when it came to managing the website, Ford facilitated an awareness campaign for all the branches to understand that Ford is using the web to collaborate and research and adapting information technology as a way to maximize its business value. The goal for Ford was to maintain its leadership in the market and to do that in the most efficient and cost effective method that is there.

Supply chain management

Supply chain management (SCM) is about coordinating between suppliers, manufactures, distributors, retailers, and customers [13]. The basic idea that SCM applications revolve around is providing information to all those who are involved in making decisions about the product or goods to manage delivery from the supplier to the consumer [14]. Studies show that reducing errors in supply chain distribution, increases revenue, enhances productivity, and reduces the order-to-fulfillment period [15].

Ford often compared its supply chain process to that of Dell's, in an attempt to close the gaps in its own process and reach the level of success Dell has reached. The difference in the distribution model between Dell and Ford lies in the middle link of using retail shops. Since Ford cannot skip retail as a focal distribution point, it worked on establishing a network of retail shops that it owned. Ford made sure shops are not affecting each other in terms of sales, and gave them all a standard look and feel to establish itself in the consumer's market as a prestigious cars sales retail company. Furthermore, extensive re-engineering initiatives were undertaken to enhance Ford external network by eliminating the correlation with smaller suppliers. In that way, Ford made sure that key suppliers have access to forecasting data from customers' purchasing trends and production information to enable a faster order-to-delivery cycle. Ford vision was to create a model that allowed flexibility, predicable processes and delivered the product at the right time to the right consumer.

Conclusions

Ford is an example of how traditional organizations can mature to adapt what is current and maximizes the business value. The process that Ford went through necessitated the continuous support from management. In addition, it depended on alignment between those involved as a key for success. The correlation was not restricted to internal staff; it extended to cover competitors to reach mutual benefits, to work with suppliers to maintain similar grounds and adequate infrastructure, and to create training programs to educate all on the vision and organization's objectives.

Ford technical progress came at a time where the Internet was yet to reach its full potential. The introduction of Fiber-optic cables in the late 90's and the substantial increase in bandwidth would have helped Ford and cut on the cost in endured connecting its own offices. Furthermore, the ISP services that provided hosting servers were limited to only few players, which explained why Ford preferred to manage its own web server and maintain the overhead of the 24 hours uptime and backup.

From this case study, I understood the level of commitment large firms have to maintaining their position in the market. These companies know the revolving nature of business in the sense of how easy it is to fall back if they did not keep up with the change. The Ford process also shows the need for quick and resourceful thinking when faced with situations that might seem to be unfavorable. The way Ford ventured into the foreign market by acquiring local manufacturers was a strategic decision that did not only enabled Ford to merge with different technologies, but it also saved it the additional cost of establishing production centers in Japan and Europe.

Recommendations

Maintaining leadership in the market requires innovative organizations willing to reengineer to succeed. IT fusion with the business means restructuring and remodeling to understand the role IT would play to meet the business objectives Planning and modeling is vital when coordinating work with large teams. Constructing websites is not about content; it is about understanding what adds value and how humans interact with information. Knowledge management is a plan that companies need to develop as part of their initial business process modeling It is not wrong for large firms to try to adapt to successful processes implemented by other firms.
References

Robert D. Austin and Mark Cotteleer,"Ford Motor Co.: Maximizing the Business Value of Web Technologies." Harvard Business Publishing. July 10, 1997. harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=WDARNHINBSYKSAKRGWCB5VQBKE0YOISW?id=198006 (accessed July 30, 2008). Computer History Museum, Internet History 80's. 2006. computerhistory.org/internet_history/internet_history_80s.shtml (accessed July 30, 2008). Darren Wilksch and Peter Shoubridge, "IP Convergence in Global Telecommunications." Defense Science & Technology Organization. March 2001. http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2400/DSTO-TR-1046.pdf (accessed July 30, 2008). Computer History Museum, Internet History 80's. H. Joseph Wen, "From client/server to intranet." Information Management & Computer Security (MCB UP Ltd) 6, no. 1 (1998): 15-20. R. Boutaba, K. El Guemioui, and P. Dini, "An outlook on intranet management." Communications Magazine (IEEE), October 1997: 92-99. Joseph M. Firestone, Enterprise Information Portals and Knowledge Management (OXFORD: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 169. David J. Skyrme, "Knowledge management solutions - the IT contribution." ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin (ACM) 19, no. 1 (April 1998): 34 - 39, 34. Thomas H. Davenport, Process Innovation: Reengineering Work Through Information Technology (Watertown,MA: Harvard Business Press, 1993), 28. Thomas H. Davenport "The New Industrial Engineering: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign." Sloan Management Review 31, no. 4 (Summer 1990): 11-28, 12 Gary M. Erickson, Robert Jacobson, and Johny K. Johansson, "Competition for market share in the presence of strategic invisible assets: The US automobile market, 1971-1981." International Journal of Research in Marketing (Elsevier Science) 9, no. 1 (March 1992): 23-37, 23. Austin and Cotteleer, "Ford Motor " , 2. Henk A. Akkermans, et al. "The impact of ERP on supply chain management: Exploratory findings from a European Delphi study." European Journal of Operational Research 146 (2003): 284-301, 286 Thomas H. Davenport and Jeffrey D. Brooks, "Enterprise systems and the supply chain." Journal of Enterprise Information Management 17, no. 1 (2004): 8-19, 9. Kevin B. Hendricks, Vinod R. Singhal, and Jeff K. Stratman. "The impact of enterprise systems on corporate performance:A study of ERP, SCM, and CRM system implementations." Journal of Operations Management 25, no. 1 (January 2007): 65-82.

Ford Motor Company - Case Study
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Sally Ahmed is a webmaster , web technology analyst, and a developer for more than 7 years. Earned the Certified Web Professionals title from the International Webmaster Association in 2001. Worked as a technical Internet instructor at New Horizons computer learning center. Worked in several companies where she developed and planned over 20 websites . Holds a Masters degree in web technologies from the University College of Denver, CO. Currently working as a web technology consultant and an E-commerce manager for several local companies.

The BEST Foundations For Christian Ministries and Churches

The grantmaking climate has been volatile since a 22% decline in foundation assets in late 2008 caused a steep drop in foundation giving. The decline lasted throughout 2009. But in 2010 foundations are recovering their lost assets. The S&P Index has improved by 68% this past year, the largest one-year upturn that since the Great Depression. As a result, 70% of foundations expect to give more this year than last year. Smaller foundations, those most likely to support Christian ministries and churches, are twice as likely to give more in 2010 than they did in 2009.

Now is the time to ensure your ministry or church is aware of the best foundations so as not to waste time and energy looking for funding from the wrong sources. Opportunities for funding abound. Here are a few reasons...

the upswing in the market means more funds are available for your organization the number of foundations in the United States is soaring - about 2,000 new foundations are expected to spring up in 2010 the sooner you develop relationships with them the better wealth is shifting from individuals to foundations

The BEST Foundations For Christian Ministries and Churches

There are no less than 10,000 foundations with assets totaling around 0 billion that support Christian ministries and churches.

The following Christian-friendly foundations are good places to begin your search. They are ten of the best funders of Christian ministries and churches based on a number of factors. They give the majority of their funding to Christian ministries and churches, they specifically support evangelism, and they give on a national basis.

MJ Murdock Charitable Trust

The foundation was granted charitable status in December 1975 in Vancouver, Washington. The Trust's purpose is to support and enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants to organizations that seek to strengthen the region's educational, spiritual, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways.

Grants are available for Building Funds, Matching Gifts, Equipment, Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, Research Funding, Seed Funding, and Project Funding. The Trust's funding interests include Education, Health & Human Services, Arts & Culture, Science, Medicine & Engineering, and Scientific Research. Between 2005 and 2009, 43 percent of the Trust's funds went to health and human services, 30 percent to education, 19 percent to scientific research, and eight percent to arts and culture.

The Trust is especially interested in funding scientific and research efforts that further the pursuit of knowledge. Its educational funding interests are projects and programs in both formal and informal settings...program enhancement and expansion...and new approaches consistent with an organization's mission and resources.

Its arts and culture funding priorities are educational outreach efforts and performance and visual Projects that enrich the culture of the region. The Trust funds health and human services efforts that address physical, spiritual, social, and psychological needs. It is especially interested in programs for youth.

Its average grant size is ,000. Its largest grant is million.

ARTHUR S DEMOSS FOUNDATION

The foundation was granted charitable status in March 1959 in Washington, DC. Its

primary purpose is to support Christian Evangelical purposes. Its funding interests include Christian Organizations & Churches, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Children, and Youth & Families. Grants are available for Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, and Seed Funding. Grants are awarded to spread the Christian gospel through any means. This includes technical assistance to missionaries and missionary groups, and support for pastors, evangelists, preachers, and others who spread the Christian Gospel. Grants also support the printing and distribution of Christian literature, Bible and tracts, and audio and audio-visual communication.

The foundation's programs include Power For Living, which seeks to make as many people as possible throughout the world aware of the Biblical account and how people can get right with Christ; Executive Ministries, which focuses on turning business executives into disciples of Christ; Literature for Little Ones, which provides Christian literature and books, including the Bible to children.

The average size of its grants is 0,000. Its largest grant is -million.

C.I.O.S.

Christ Is Our Savior, Inc. (C.I.O.S.) was granted charitable status in February 1987 in Waco, Texas. C.I.O.S. provides grants for Program-related Investments/loans. An example of this is the three-year .1 million grant it awarded to Baylor University's Center For Family and Community Ministries in 2006. It funded a Center proposal that had four objectives... educating future community ministry leaders for churches... preparing these leaders through congregational field internships in the School of Social Work...producing community ministry resources and training for churches, much of which will be come from recent research within the school...and publishing a quarterly journal to be used as a resource for congregational leaders.

The average size of its grants is 5,000. Its largest grant is Million.

CHATLOS FOUNDATION INC

The foundation was granted charitable status in February 1955 in Longwood, Florida.

Its purpose is to proclaim the glory of God by funding nonprofit organizations in the US and around the globe.

Grants are available for Building Funds, Equipment, Operating Funds, Land Acquisition, Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, Publication Funding, and Technical Support. The foundation's funding interests include Bible Colleges & Seminaries, Religious Causes, Liberal Arts Colleges, Medical Issues, and Social Issues.

The foundation's average grant size falls between ,000 and ,000. Its largest grant is 0,000.

THE CROWELL TRUST

The Crowell Trust was granted charitable status in August 1941 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Grants are available for Building Funds, Equipment, Operating Funds, Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, Scholarships. The foundation's funding interests include Christian Organizations & Churches, Missions, Religion, Theological Education, and Youth Ministries.

The foundation's mission is to provide grants that teach and actively help spread Evangelical Christianity. Its grants promote Evangelism and Discipleship, International Cross-cultural Missions, International Church Planting, US-focused Missions, Christian Higher Education, and Christian Leadership Development.

The average size of the foundation's grants is ,000. Its largest grant is 0,000.

TYNDALE HOUSE FOUNDATION

The foundation was granted charitable status in December 1966 in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Its purpose is to minister to the needs of the people through grants to Christian charities. Its charitable fund supports Christian work around the world. Although the foundation is most noted for its support for Christian literature projects, including new translations of the Bible in languages throughout the world, it also supports Christian Higher Education, Evangelism, Disaster Relief, and Social Services in the United States and abroad.

Grants are available for Conferences & Seminars, Operating Funds, Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, and Publication Funding. The foundation's funding interests include Christian Organizations & Churches, Human Services, Language & Linguistics, Literature, Protestant Organizations & Churches, and Religion.

The foundation's average grant size is ,000. Its largest ever grant is 0,000.

HUSTON FOUNDATION

The foundation was granted charitable status in August 1959 in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

The foundation's grants support health, social, and human services, arts and culture, Christian organizations, education, and public policy. Grants are available for Annual Campaigns, Building Funds, Emergency Funds, Equipment, Operating Funds, Matching/challenge Funding, Program Funding, Research Funding, Seed Funding, and Technical Support.

The primary purpose of the foundation is to fund ministries that have a strong Protestant, Christ-centered, Biblical-based foundation. This includes ministries that have an effective prayer and a unique calling by the Holy Spirit to promote evangelism and discipleship around the world. Nationally it focuses on secular issues, including humanitarian needs. It also seeks to encourage problem solving and innovative, practical approaches to meeting the changing needs of our regional, national, and international communities.

The average size of the foundation's grants is ,000. Its largest grant is 0,000.

A previous article also discussed the National Christian Foundation, the Maclellan Trust, and the Harry J. Lloyd Foundation. Combined these are the best foundations as of 2010 for Christian Ministries and churches.

The BEST Foundations For Christian Ministries and Churches
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Jeffrey J. Rodman is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Certified Grants Specialist (CGS). He is an experienced grantwriter, fundraiser, and nonprofit executive, who operates Here-4-You Christian Grant Consulting and Church Grant Writing providing consultation for grant writing to Christian ministries and Churches worldwide. Jeffrey received his BS and his M.Ed. from George Mason University.

Jeffrey supervises a team of writers, researchers, editors, and administrative staff in providing consultation for grant proposal writing, nonprofit development, and fundraising in almost every state and a dozen foreign countries and has worked on proposals to Federal, State, and Local government as well as to Foundations, Civic groups, and many others. He has written 100's proposals, secured millions of dollars in funding, and maintains a funding rate of nearly 80%.

Here-4-You Christian Grant Consulting
Jeffrey J. Rodman, CFRE, CGS, M.Ed.
President & CEO
Website: http://www.npfunds.com
Blog: http://npfunds.com/blog
Phone: 1-866-HERE-4-U-1

ISBN - What Does it Really Mean?

ISBN = International Standard Book Number

Most small and self-publishers know that an ISBN is a necessary number that identifies their book within the book industry. But what do all those numbers actually mean? Can anyone look at an ISBN and extract any useful information?

Let's consider what the 13 digits in an ISBN mean to the book industry (publishers, wholesalers, distributors, libraries, and retailers).

ISBN - What Does it Really Mean?

First, note that you may encounter two versions of ISBNs -- the ISBN-10 and the ISBN-13. Besides three more digits, what's the difference?

A few years ago, the ISBN folks realized that they would soon exhaust the mathematical possibilities of the 10-digit format. Too many books were being published in too many different formats. The solution was obvious -- expand the format to incorporate more digits. You might think that adding three more digits would increase the available numbers by a factor of 1,000...but you'd be wrong.

It only doubled them.

How could that be? you might wonder.

To answer that question, consider the bar code on the back cover of a book. You will usually find the ISBN printed in human-readable form (i.e., in numerals) just above the bar code. Up until a couple of years ago, that would have been the 10-digit ISBN. Then, during a transition period, it frequently included both the 10- and 13-digit forms of the ISBN. Now, most newly published books will show only the ISBN-13 (although some are still including both). You might also have noticed that there are human-readable numerals sort of embedded along the lower edge of the bar code. Those digits are the ISBN-13...and always have been (even when there was no such thing as an ISBN-13).

In the days of only ISBN-10, a book's bar code with its embedded numerals (technically known as the Bookland EAN, or European Article Number) consisted of the ISBN-10 plus a 978 prefix and, usually, a different final digit.

Now, with the implementation of ISBN-13, the ISBN and the Bookland EAN will be identical, including the final digit.

Confused yet? Hold on. Let's decode an ISBN-13 to help clear things up.

The ISBN-13 and Bookland EAN, consist of five distinct parts:978 or 979 prefix (all this means is that the number refers to a book -- after all, the EAN is used for a lot of other non-book products with their own unique prefixes) Group or country identifier (for books published in the English group -- meaning the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. -- this will a "0" or a "1") Publisher prefix (this can from two to seven digits, depending on the size of the specific block of ISBNs) Title identifier (this is actually the part that is assigned to a specific title, edition, and format published by the publisher identified by the publisher prefix) Check digit (the last digit in the ISBN, always just a single digit, that is calculated using a specific mathematical algorithm and only really matters to computer databases and such -- you don't have to know how to compute it)
Note: To date, nobody has been assigned an ISBN block with the 979 prefix, although R. R. Bowker expects to begin issuing those later this year. Since the ISBN-13 system allows for only two book-prefix possibilities (either 978 or 979), the change to ISBN-13 only doubles the available possibilities. One mystery solved.

Real-World Example: 978-1-934631-21-8

What does that string of numbers tell us?

Right away, you can see the "978" prefix that tells us this is a book. The next digit, the "1" following the first hyphen, says it was published in one of the English group countries. The next set of digits (934631) is the publisher prefix. If you looked up this prefix in one of the industry databases, like Books-in-Print, you would find out that "934631" identifies Slipdown Mountain Publications LLC...and only Slipdown Mountain Publications LLC. Nobody else will ever be issued that specific publisher prefix.

The next set of digits (21) represent one specific title, edition, and format in the block of "934631" publisher-prefix ISBNs. In this case, it is the first edition of my own book Devil in the North Woods and, specifically, the e-book format of that book. No other book will ever use the title identifier "21" with the publisher prefix of "934631" and the group identifier "0." And that's what makes it unique. And what makes sure nobody orders an e-book format for this book when they really wanted the paperback format.

Note: The paperback format of that same book has a different ISBN (in this case 978-0-9746553-1-4, which also has a different publisher prefix since our company owns two different blocks of ISBNs although both point only to us).

And then there's the final, check, digit (8, in this case). The check digit calculation involves applying a mathematical algorithm to all the preceding digits (which is why the check digit for the ISBN-10 format is almost always different than the check digit for the ISBN-13 format of the same basic ISBN). The check digit can also be an "X," which is used if the check digit calculation results in "10."

By knowing the publisher prefix, you can immediately determine the size of that block of ISBNs. Since there are only 13 digits total, and the 978 (or 979 eventually) plus the group identifier always total four digits and the check digit is always a single digit, there are only eight digits left to work with. In the above example, the publisher prefix is six digits, leaving only two digits to assign to specific books and, thus, only 100 possibilities (00-99). Therefore, this represents a block of 100 ISBNs.

Since self-publishers usually buy a block of 10 ISBNs and small publishers typically buy a block 100, anyone who cares can quickly determine the size of your publishing venture. And they can determine that even if you leave out the hyphens...but that's a lengthy subject better suited for a follow-up article.

If the ISBN for your book was assigned by one of the many subsidy publishers (who prefer to call themselves "self-publishing companies" or "POD publishers"), the publisher prefix will clearly designate that subsidy publisher as the publisher-of-record. Which means you did not really self-publish at all, as far as the book industry (trade journals, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, libraries, etc.) is concerned. Having a subsidy publisher listed as your book's publisher is like starting your at-bat with two strikes already counted against you.

And that's probably not the way you want to launch your book's marketing campaign.

ISBN - What Does it Really Mean?
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Walt Shiel is the Managing Partner and Publishing Mentor at Five Rainbows Services for Authors & Publishers, a subsidiary of Slipdown Mountain Publications where he serves as Publisher. Besides offering a full range of affordable publishing solutions, Five Rainbows can tailor a mentoring program to help you achieve your specific goals for your book! And be sure to check out Walt's View From the Publishing Trenches blog.

Book Printing Software For Your Self Publishing Needs

You wrote the book all on your own, so why not publish your book by yourself? Purchases are available for book printing software that you can put on your home computer. You will be able to do all your self publishing needs from home. There are many types of software available on the market. You just need to make sure you purchase book printing software that is compatible with your computer.

Often times with any computer program you will encounter problems and difficulties. You can address your issues to the customer support department. It is very important that you find a company that offers customer support 24 hours a day all 7 days a week. Find a company that is determined to make you succeed.

When you are all ready to get your work of art into print you will want to keep these few things in mind. People really do judge a book by its cover. If the cover looks like its going to be a boring read, it will most likely be overlooked and put back on the shelf. By using book printing software companies to help you with printing your book, you will find a wide variety of options to increase the chances of your book becoming a success. Some options you will have to think about are what type of cover do you want your book to have? Hardcover and paperback are available. Also, you can have different types of finish for your cover. Did you want to put a jacket over your hard cover? You will need to think of eye catching art to be on the cover as well. The cover needs to cater to the target audience. If you are intending to capture an audience mainly of children, you will want a flashy look on the cover. Put something that children are interested in on the front of the book. Also, you want to artwork to be able to be incorporated with the story line.

Book Printing Software For Your Self Publishing Needs

Have you ever thought about using two covers? By doing this, you can create a cut out look on the cover. Perhaps the main character of the book can be seen from the second cover through the front. This technique is known as die cutting. Embossing letters and pictures is also a neat technique used by book printing software companies. Using foils and metallic ink will be a sure way to embrace your reading audience.

The best way to find book printing software or a printing company that is reputable and does a good job is to join a writers group. You will find out loads of information on every topic related to writing. If you live in a heavily populated area you will be able to easily find writers groups around that you can join. If you live in a small town you might just be able to find classes at the local university or you can always join groups online. These groups were created for people like you and by people who have been where you are right now. You will find people who are willing to help you and who have knowledge in the area that you're seeking answers in. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Writers groups are for writers of all levels.

Book Printing Software For Your Self Publishing Needs
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Read more information on Book Publishing options and services at => http://www.bookpublishingoptions.com