Posts tagged society
Do You Know What BOGO And B1G1 Really Stand For?
Dec 31st
Definitions of words often change quite quickly these days. In the distant past the meaning of words was often set in stone. Today the meaning can change in a blink. With new faster ways to communicate with wider and more culturally, socially and education
There is a growing significant movement happening global where consumers are asking businesses to look after the things they care about such as the environment and the less fortunate in society. The request is still mainly tacit and despite it being an ironic request it still signals we are in a time of great change. Consumers these days want their ‘toys’ but they don’t want the environment to be destroyed in the creation of these. They want cheap products but they do not want workers to be paid a pittance to create the cheap products.
Until recently there was no real answer to this complex puzzle but today one actually exists. It exists in the reforging of a simple single word – GET. Today there is a new movement of consumers wanting to get and at the same time give. They are reforging the word GET into the word GIVE.
Every day automated email notices arrive from Google Alerts for two keywords – B1G1 and BOGO. I see all the new places these words are being used on the Internet. I can now see that the new meaning of these words is coming alive ‘poco a poco’ -little by little.
The B1G1 and BOGO acronyms both stand for Buy One GET One free. You buy one and you get given an extra one for free.
If you look on Wikipedia you will find these definitions for BOGO (there isn’t a definition yet for B1G1) -
* An acronym in the retail industry that stands for Buy One Get One. For example, you could say “Buy 1 DVD, Get 1 FREE!
* An acronym in slang British that stands for Britons Of Greek Origin or Greek Britons.
* Bogo, Cebu, a city in central Philippines.
* An alternate name for the Bilen ethnic group of Ethiopia or their language, Blin.
* An alternate name for the Bilen ethnic group of Ethiopia or their language, Blin.
* The mascot of the ITESM CEM.
* BogoMips, an unscientific measurement of CPU speed
* BogoMips, an unscientific measurement of CPU speed
BOGO light
There is a business in the USA called SunLight Solar founded by Mark Bent. He has created a special torch that not only is an amazing and sturdy solar-powered light; his company also gives a free torch to those in need in developing nations for each one bought. If you look on their website you will learn about their “BOGOlight”.
“The BoGo – our Buy one/Give one – program has successfully provided lights to many, many thousands of people in the developing world, changing lives because of your purchase and participation.” – BOGOlight.com
Mark Bent has flipped the BOGO acronym upside down when he started to use the word as part of his product name. For him now and the thousands who buy his lights, BOGO today means Buy One GIVE One. Each person gets to give a light every time they buy one for themselves. So now with each sale people who do not have the benefit of electricity can tap the power of the sun to support them in their lives.
There are many other well known and less well know businesses now doing Buy One Give One giving or transactional giving as it is becoming known. Some of the famous ones are One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) and TOM’S Shoes. Some of the less well-known ones (in the USA at least) are based in New Zealand, Australia and the UK – Earthstar Publishing, Maple Muesli, Blinds Couture, Figure 8 Body Chains, Sunsplash Homes, Honestly Women magazine and Thavibu Gallery based in Thailand are just a handful of special businesses that are heading the Buy One Give One movement.
Many Buy One Give One businesses are coming together under the single brand banner of Buy1GIVE1; a Singaporean based social enterprise which is becoming the home of transaction based giving. Any business can now choose to be part of Buy One Give One giving with ease. It’s like a CSR ‘plug-in’ to allow a business to start giving from each and every sale today – starting from just one cent. It is now not even a matter of giving an equivalent product to someone else. Instead it is about giving to a charity project that is in resonance with a company’s business activity. For example a magazine publisher cannot support the planting of a tree every time they sell a subscription, a restaurant can feed a child for each meal sold, a TV store can gift a cataract blind person with the gift of sight (Get Vision-Give Vision), and a builder or property developer can build a budget home for those in need who have lost their homes in a disaster (Buy1BUILD1) – the list is only limited by imagination.
The stats now add up saying consumers do care. The 2008 Goodpurpose global study of consumer attitudes revealed that nearly a huge 68% of consumers would remain dedicated to a brand during an economic slump if it supported a charity cause. This study also highlighted some other key points as well such as:
* Half (52%) of consumers globally are more likely to recommend a brand to others when it supports a good charity cause over one that does not.
* 54% would sing the praises of a brand to promote their products if there was a good cause behind it.
* And going even further globally, consumers are voicing a strong desire for marketers to connect their brands to social causes or action. Forty-two percent say that if two products or services are of the same quality and price, commitment to a social purpose trumps factors like design, innovation and brand loyalty when choosing one product brand over another.
Transforming Getting into Giving
The new concept of Buy One GIVE One is starting to replace Buy One GET One as the global giving movement led by Buy1GIVE1 ripples out. Right now if you search for the terms B1G1 and BOGO you will find that websites that do Buy1-Give1 giving are on the first page of Google results. Certainly with the large consumer demand shown for products from companies like TOMS Shoes, BOGO lights and OLPC – One Laptop Per Child, this tide is set to continue and spread.
I did a recent Google search to find the top 25 keywords associated with the keywords BOGO and B1G1. The results were interesting indeed seeing none of them contained the word Give. You can see the results below. It will be interested to repeat this experiment in 12 months time to see what changes. Consumers are now starting to drive significant change and despite them wanting to receive free gifts (as in traditional BOGO/B1G1), they equally want to help others and the environment. This feeling is validated by 2008’s Goodpurpose global study.
Here are the results:
Free, photography, blogging, discount, networking, African, boots, groups, music, dallas, togo themes, wallpapers, buy, applications, skins, values, coupon, gift, sharing, shopping, pics, join, prose
Transactional or transaction based giving
Buy One Give One giving is transactional – every time you buy something, you give something. In the case of SunNight Solar, TOMS Shoes and OLPC they happen to give physical products of the same nature for everyone sold. However, in most cases, Buy1GIVE1 associated businesses give a charitable contribution from each sale. Giving can start from just a one-cent contribution per sales transaction and go up to thousands of dollars in the case of Buy1BUILD1. At 1cent any business in the world can afford to give from each sale especially when they also know 100% of the contribution goes to the cause.
The amount contributed from each sale is not the point of focus with Buy1GIVE1 transaction based giving. The focus is instead on the story and sharing the simple joy of giving. In the end, if you think that 1c is not a lot to contribute and is unlikely to make much of a difference think again and consider the following idea.
Coffee consumption has spread globally and Brazil is by far the largest coffee producer in the world producing on average 28% of all coffee grown. In 2006 Brazil grew enough coffee to brew 216,400,000,000 (216 billion 400 million) espresso coffees! If we were to make this calculation across global production amounts then we get an amazing number for the daily global consumption of around 2,117,416,830 (2 billion 117 million) cups of coffee – wow! The figures are not easy to find but if we guessed that around 40% of the world’s coffee is purchased in coffee shops then we would find that 846 million 966,732 cups are sold commercially each day globally – almost 900 million. This would equate to about’5 million cups in the US alone seeing they purchase around 21% of the world’s coffee.
If we considered the impact of the coffee industry alone taking up Buy1-Give1, imagine now that for every cup of coffee sold a child in a developing region like Sub-Sahara Africa received clean drinking water from a well and it only costing 1cent to do this. Surely any coffee shop could afford to contribute this amount from the sale of a single cup of coffee. Imagine the different that this one action alone would make in the world.
Transaction based giving is the story of a thousand mile journey starting with the first step. To dig a well costs a few thousand dollars hence many communities in developing nations cannot afford to dig wells. But when you see that it only takes the sale of a single cup of coffee to give clean well water to a single person for a day1, then you can see the magic of transactional based giving. Buy1GIVE1 giving is like the compound interest of giving – a little turns into a lot very quickly.
So many companies are used to doing things on their own. Doing transactional giving is no different. A company can go out find a cause and start doing Buy One Give One giving. And yet they are missing the point when they do this. Buy1GIVE1 giving is about sharing the joy of giving and not trying to change the world. As soon as you step up and say you are going to change the world then the world will step up and challenge you. Within a heartbeat a company would experience the sharp scrutiny of the media inspecting their every move. And yet when a company steps up and says it is supporting what its customer want and joins with others in its industry to do that in a win-win way, the story is different. When companies choose to join together under a commonly recognised banner/brand they can have a powerful joint effect. The ripple that a single company creates is added to that of another and the ripple grows into a tidal wave that benefits so many. This is the power of giving and doing things together.
The final power of Buy One Give One transaction based giving is that everyone wins – the consumer wins – at no extra cost to themselves they have made a difference through their purchasing choices – the business wins in so many ways – and the worthy cause or charity wins because they can now receive small amounts from many sources all aggregated and paid as a lump sum from a single source if done through the Buy1GIVE1 service.
A new start – a new world – new thinking
If you go and check Wikipedia.com today for the word BOGO you should find that a new definition has been added. It’s time for a tide-change – a change from focusing on GETTING to working with GIVING. I added this small addition to Wikipedia’s BOGO definition: “… an acronym in the marketing industry that stands for Buy One GIVE One.”
Just imagine our world where every time you shopped and bought something you gave something – automatically and seamlessly. This is the simple joyful magic of transaction based giving.
This is the world I want to be part of.
And remember – you don’t ‘get’ giving till you get giving.
References:
http://www.buy1-give1free.com/index.php/Partnering/Worthy-cause-charity-projects.html
http://www.dep.org.uk/globalexpress/13/page1.htm
http://www.scfnw.org.uk/site/article183.html
http://www.coffeepoet.com/2007/09/
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee
http://www.dep.org.uk/globalexpress/13/page1.htm
http://www.dep.org.uk/globalexpress/13/page1.htm
Footnotes: 1 The daily cost for clean well water per person is calculated by taking the average cost to dig a well then dividing that amount by its average expected life without major maintenance then divided it by the number of people in the community benefiting from the well on a daily basis.
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Charity Ratings Are Unpredictable – How To Increase Rating
Dec 31st
Charity ratings are highly unpredictable with highly appraised top ranking charities being overtaken by new charities that suddenly make their appearance in the horizon. Charity Water is a rather new but typical example of this. Innovativeness and the all-powerful Internet are causing charity ratings of brand new charities to skyrocket. A charity that could be relatively unknown today might get rated as the best the next day by the New York Times. And then the rating of that charity might shoot up from nowhere to the top of the chart within the matter of a single day.
Because of the power the mass communication media have over the people, when a charity is in the good books of the media, it expands very quickly and manages to get a lot of charitable giving. By that same yardstick, when media do not have much interest in propping up a given charity, its rating also plummets in the same proportion.
Directory lists of charity rating
With cynicism a bit on the higher side and eagle eyed guardians of charity practices ever on the lookout for malpractices, with huge amounts of money spent on managing or misuse of funds, directory listings of charity ratings are having a field day. It is rather strange that altruistic organizations, the purpose of which is to give others, themselves come under the scrutiny of guardians of ethics. Altruism is becoming a knotty issue!
Institutions like Givespot.com, Guidestar.org etc. provide comprehensive listings of charity ratings. GiveSpot 100 list is the list of the 100 highest ranking charities that is provided by Givespot.com. Another one that provides similar data is charitynavigator.com which has a list of the top ten charities as well a charity check system. Finding out charities is made easy by this. The biggest charity director of US is Guidestar.org with lots of free data on charity as well as information that can be availed for payment. Though its name gives a different impression, Better Business Bureau is a charity directory that gives a list of both commercial and non-profit ventures of USA.
With enough charity rating guides, there is no data shortage for anyone who wants to get information on the 100 top charities, but what constitutes real rating is something different. What in reality makes a charity superior has nothing much to do with its ratings. There are characteristics that make an organization, whether charity based or otherwise, stand out from the rest.
Charity Ratings and belief in the public
A 2005 YouGov poll published that the majority of the British population – 56% – had only a ‘fair amount’ of trust in the global charities like Save the Children and Oxfam . Only 15% of the charities surveyed had ‘a great deal’ of trust – even in the ones that do well in charity ratings.
Charity Watchdog Scares are more common
Trust in charities has dropped a lot in recent times. Yet who can blame the public. Charity watchdogs tell unsettling stories of very highmanagement salaries, charities taking as much as 60% of donations for overheads with their being little left for the actually charitable giving.
Recent studies show that the average costs of raising funds in the UK and Australia are’% or 22% respectively. In the USA, the Association of Fundraising Professionals found the statistic to be around 30%. These figures do not even include admin expenses, which are often much higher. Some charity givers see this as a key issue especially with charitable giving often in the media spotlight like it was in Singapore a fewyears ago. The additional negative focus tends to reduce charitable giving which is not good.
Charity ratings secret revealed
There is not much difference in the way in which charity organizations and commercial organizations try to get money. How they eventually use that money may be different, but their modus operandi for attracting that money is essentially the same.
In order to get the funds necessary for functioning, as well as to improve the charity ratings, there is only one assured way – make it tempting.
When we see an object and would like to buy it, or make an investment in it, or want to connect with it, we tend to take a decision on the basis of how tempting it is to us. If it is very appealing, we might instantly buy it or plan to get it but if it is not all that tempting, we would definitely postpone the idea.
Charity Water was exceptionally successful in getting media backing and good charity rating because of their appealing idea. The scheme of charging a good price for a bottle of charity water, and using the profits thereof for getting clean water to areas where it was not available, was a fascinating idea that appealed to all.
The factors that make Charity Water quite fascinating and promote its rating are the following.
* They have a cool name – who would think of calling a charity Charity WaterThe person behind the charity was on overdrive with passion in sharing about their idea
* The message and objective are clear, straightforward and singular – sell water and give water – Buy One Give One
* They gave importance to the solution and not to the problem. This is an assured way for any charity to get a good charity rating in the public’s eye. People by and large have no interest in being reminded of the miseries of life. They prefer to feel elated. So in this case when they know that their act, that of buying a bottle of water, can affect the lives of others positively, they are glad.
How to reduce you Charity Ratings in a heart beat
The fastest way in which a charity’s ratings would go down is when it turns itself less tempting by centring its attention on the problem. People are by and large disinclined to listen to negative things. On the contrary, most people are keen on listening to positive things that involve verve, dynamism, motivation and effort to bring in a fresh vision.
We only need to observe ourselves with our own children and experience how when our children ask us for something in a fun and lively and enthusiastic way we just want to say yes. And when they ask us for the same thing in a whinging and whining way we say no very quickly.
The picture a charity projects would strongly affect its ratings. By projecting an arousing and motivating picture of itself it will be able to influence people well. Then people will be ready to give more in response.
Social Enterprise raises Charity Ratings and reduces Fundraising Problems
A new business model emerged a few years ago called Social Enterprise . This in a way is a hybrid mix between a charity and a business. Some entrepreneurs want to tackle social issues but they do not find the charity model effective or attractive enough.
Many socially conscious businessmen may find the ambience of a full fledged commercial venture and its decision making mechanism unpalatable. For such people a social enterprise is an apt field where they can use their business acumen and inspiration effectively to solve social problems and usher in changes. One of the best known among such socially aware entrepreneurs is Muhammad Yunus who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. He was the first business man to be given such recognition.
A new global social enterprise, Buy1GIVE1 commonly known as B1G1 (Buy 1 Give 1), partners businesses with worthy cause and charity organisations right around the world. Buy1GIVE1 cuts traditional fundraising and administrative costs down to nothing: promising to give 100% of all funds received. Similar to successful online entities like Kiva.org , recently endorsed by Bill Clinton; Buy1GIVE1 is an alternative to the traditional way of direct giving to charities. Many find them a more efficient way to make contributions while gaining significant value in return.
Successful businessmen, who are searching for a chance to give back richly to the society and to provide for deserving charities, fully understand the importance and properly structured working credos of institutions like Buy1GIVE1. Every single sale is able to affect a change somewhere – not only altruistically. It has also the ability to forcefully influence things in such a way that each act becomes a unique marketing story. There is a world of difference in the way in which Buy1Give1 works and those charities which give away thousands and thousands of dollars work, because Buy1Give1 lets their customers know what the joy o f giving is. Buy1Give1 transaction-based giving is a perfectly beautiful way of giving.
Enterprises like Buy1GIVE1 provide details of charity requirements, especially those which are really needy causes, and these always manage to attract lots of donations. Entrepreneurs understand very well the fundamentals of these equations and so are more likely to help such causes rather than worry about the charity rating. They know very well that people have an inherent tendency to respond to a more touching requirement, than simply to media rating.
Maple Muesli of Australia has allied itself with a charity called Midday Meals in India, in the city of Mumbai. As a result when a packet of muesli is bought, a needy kid is given food in Mumbai. Since a simple meal is available there at the cost of 30 US cents, Midday Meals daily manages to feed about 125,000 kids. The charity feeds these children in schools and it helps substantially in protecting children from begging and other harsh realities and abuse of street life.
The company has managed to advertise the worthy cause of the charity Midday Meals in Australia. The inspiring story is continuously shared by Maple Muesli with all their buyers which has resulted in increased rating for the institution of Midday Meals in Mumbai, though all that the charity does is provide a daily lunch for those needy children. This is the era of Effective Giving – The sun has almost set on the Era of Plain Charity Donations.
In a matter of a few years, changes are bound to happen in the background of the top 100 charities as more inventive and effectual ways of giving originate. The current scenario offers very few choices on how to give for a charitable purpose. All the available ones are not good enough to make a dent in the existing problems.
Other methods of Charity Ratings
Newer and varied ways of gifting things to others are rated and featured in the table given below. These are Charity Comparison Data.
We have compared and rated a few well-known and less well-known charities and Social Enterprises on areas that are important to their donors.
THE SALVATION ARMY
ROUTE TO GIVING: DIRECT GIVING
The Salvation Army is one among the most well-known 100 charities of the world – Both individuals and enterprises make contributions directly to it.
OPENNESS – B – Not sufficiently open – Plenty of money is being collected – but the results are not always completely clear.
ADVANTAGE TO BUSINESS – C – Even a single donation to Salvation Army by a business might find mention in the press.
EXPENSES FOR RAISING FUNDS -B – Heavy expenses are incurred for raising funds.
CONTRIBUTORS’CHOICE OF CHARITY – B – For direct giving, you can have a lot of charities to check out before settling which one is best.
PROMISE FOR GLOBAL CHANGE -C- No potential noticed for bringing about a market change.
PRODUCT (RED)
WAY TO GIVING: MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Product (RED) is a brand that enters into partnership with companies, which then creates products with its logo, a percentage of which goes to fighting AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa.
TRANSPARENCY – B – Lack of transparency – sum of money is contributed for every purchase – but result is not fully measurable.
MARKETING VALUE TO BUSINESS – A – People and businesses love to support (RED) as it is backed by adored personalities like Oprah & Bono. Marketing results a little hard to track though.
EXPENSES FOR RAISING FUNDS – C – Spends huge sums of money on advertisements – giving that money directly to Africa would have been more practical.
CONTRIBUTORS’CHOICE OF CHARITY – C – Partner businesses do not have much choice in the charities that receive their contributions – all are in Africa.
POTENTIAL FOR REAL GLOBAL CHANGE – B – Products (RED) only partner huge companies and all their profits go to Africa.
THE BODY SHOP
PATH TO GIVING : BUSINESS TRADE & GIVING
The Body Shop engages in community trade helping Third World countries; and makes huge donations to charities from their profits.
OPENNESS – B – Not sufficiently open – Plenty of money is being collected – but the results are not always completely clear.
MARKETING VALUE TO BUSINESS – A-tve – Customers are happy to be involved in community trade and are motivated to buy more. Visibility could be a lot better.
FUNDRAISING COSTS – A – Lower costs – Successful business model that makes donations and boosts community trade.
CONTRIBUTORS’CHOICE OF CHARITY – A – Businesses can choose where their money goes.
POTENTIAL FOR REAL GLOBAL CHANGE – B – Businesses’ giving back is great – but very few take the added effort to push for change like Body Shop.
LIVE EARTH
WAY TO GIVING: EVENT FUNDRAISING
Live Earth was a series of music concerts for a global audience held on July 7, 2007 which kick-started a three-year long campaign to fight climate changes across the world.
OPENNESS – F – Intelligent Giving had reported that the takings from the concert tickets sales were not accounted satisfactorily.
BENEFIT FOR THE BUSINESS – B – It was beneficial to business sponsors as they got good media coverage, but as it was a single event results are not easily measurable.
FUNDRAISING COSTS – C – Spent millions of dollars on advertising on what some say was an unsuccessful event, which had no real goals.
CONTRIBUTORS’CHOICE OF CHARITY – C – Only three charities received funds.
POTENTIAL FOR REAL GLOBAL CHANGE – C – These events are usually held one-off or annually. Money is often given to larger, more established charities.
Buy1GIVE1 (B1G1)
ROUTE TO GIVING: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
B1G1 is a brand licensed to form a partnership with any business – connecting them with any worthy cause in any place. A truly universal precept.
CANDOUR – A – By giving for particular causes, makes sure that funds go exactly for that which it is intended. Customers get information on how exactly their money has made a change – i.e. the children whom it helped, or the environmental cause it protected.
MARKETING VALUE TO BUSINESS – A+tve – Great marketing value because of:
* Quantifiable giving * Press coverage * Valuable stories * Individual to individual * Continuing customers
FUNDRAISING COSTS – A+tve – Zero costs – B1G1 can take care of a charity’s fundraising needs including a large percentage of admin as well. 100% of funds received go to the charity.
CONTRIBUTORS’CHOICE OF CHARITY – A – Business givers can choose their charity project or elect to give to a charity cause such as food or education, etc.
PROMISE FOR GLOBAL CHANGE – A – Unlimited. If more and more businesses can collaborate with charities internationally, the prospects for real change is colossal.
You Would Think Giving away Money Would Be No Big Deal!”
You would think that giving money is easy – pull out a wad of cash, write a cheque or punch in your credit card details. Yet, billionaires philanthropists like George Sores , have gone on the record as saying that effective giving is one of the hardest things to do. Developing nations receive billions of dollars every year and yet it often seems like nothing changes much.
Asking the right questions is necessary for bringing about the required changes. Social entrepreneur Mohammed Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, has done pioneering work in the field of Microfinance and is revolutionizing the ways in which indigence and environmental problems can be tackled. People like him are showing the way as to how consumerism and social enterprise can change the face of the world. Another such example is the ‘Trade – Not Aid’ of The Body Shop. The ideals of Buy1GIVE1 are equally potent and are a model for charities. Social enterprise needs total recognition.
Bill Gates, when asked how one can make a difference in the world, pointed to the Internet. Kiva.org and Buy1GIVE1 (www.b1g1.com) are organisations that add value to the giver. With Kiva.org, people can receive email journal updates from the business they have sponsored. This happens with Buy1GIVE1 as well. Businesses also get the added benefit of marketing stories to tell their customers: buy a laptop with us, and we give one computer to someone who cannot afford it.
Next steps to increasing your Charity Ratings
Make sure that you have an open attitude, use the laptop effectively, and keep apart a little time to observe the novel and wonderful systems of charity that are being born. These function through the internet and are mostly network based.
Today if you are not linked in with powerful global networks through the Internet you are missing out and no matter what your charity rating is today, tomorrow things will change – radically.
Lots of companies nowadays make their appearance out of nowhere and are sold a few years later for billions of dollars. This was a scenario that would have been considered impossible a decade ago. But today this is a normal phenomenon. What every one of these internet companies primarily do is to tap into global networks or even perhaps create one themselves.
Buy1GIVE1 (Buy One Give One)
Buy1GIVE1 is a rather new entrant to the world of Social Enterprises and was launched in’97 by a Japanese lady called Masami Sato. Any business can avail a membership in Buy1GIVE1, and membership charges for smaller ventures will only be one dollar a day and donations can be as little as one cent on a sale. Buy1GIVE1 is in the forefront of the Buy One Give One transaction-based giving world movement. Joining hands with Buy1GIVE1 is totally uncomplicated for businesses as well as charity needs. The working pattern of Buy1GIVE1 is perfectly controlled and practical. It connects the products or services of any given business to a needy cause (Buy1GIVE1’s or their own) and after that whenever a sale is closed, it has to be recorded and the contribution percentage sent to the charity at the end of the month or end of quarter year directly or through Buy1GIVE1.
You could be losing out a lot if you are not interested in forming an association with Buy1GIVE1and not persuading your business patrons to do so. Buy1GIVE1 is a unique and brilliant organisation whose impetus as well as global impact is huge.
A new era of charity giving
Organizations that have been non-entities just a couple of months ago have now invaded internet with resounding user acceptance. Having an online presence on sites like MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, NING or TipJoy are becoming survival requirements. Likewise companies like The Present, Buy1GIVE1 and Kiva are organisations that one should build a relationship with. These are the avant garde institutions that help to create and sustain charity ratings. Now is the time to give new life to a perfect future.
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Discover Your ‘Giving Bee’ Personality
Dec 21st
Bees are all giving by nature. They give naturally to maintain the environment of abundance. But each bee actually takes a different standing in maintaining the colony as well as the flower garden. So, I thought human beings are the same. We are all naturally giving and caring. But we often express our giving in different ways. So, here it is a ‘giving bee’ chart where you can find your bumblebee type. Watch out for the following bee analysis! The more you share your value as a giving bumblebees, the more we can all do together to make a difference.
Check here for image: http://www.buy1-give1free.com/images/What-type-of-giving-bee-are-you-Global-Giving-Village-sml.jpg
Bee type analysis
1. Change-making bumblebee
A giving bee who likes to see change – who spots every opportunity to do something better and worthwhile. A change-making bee often starts up new exciting projects for others to participate in. A flexible thinker who can collaborate well with others while often taking a leadership position in making change. Many entrepreneurs and creators are this type of giving bee. They are not afraid of making change.
2. Believing bumblebee
A giving bee who believes in one core belief very strongly and inspire others to follow. Rather than changing all the time and being way too flexible, this giving bumblebee attracts everyone by being solid like a rock and integral to the immovable belief and vision. Some of the religious leaders as well as political leaders are this type of giving bee. Believing bees makes for a great leader who attracts masses of followers. This bee can also be a great follower who strongly supports an existing belief and excites others to come together.
3. Caring and nurturing bumblebee
A giving bumblebee who may not stand out as a strong leader but actually are the biggest heart focused giver. A caring and nurturing bumblebee is egoless in giving and is always the first to take the giving action when seeing anyone in trouble. Though this bee seems gentle and subtle, the strong desire to give and care for others drives this giving bee to demonstrate some unbelievable giving acts. Many people who dedicate their lives to giving (volunteering, community service etc) are this type of bee. Giving comes totally natural to them.
4. Supporting and uniting bumblebee
A giving bee who sees the greatest value in connecting and cooperating in effective partnerships. This giving bumblebee is very focused on finding existing great ideas, mechanisms, philosophies or beliefs to benefit the community. It tends to support what resonates with him/her more often than coming up with a brand new way. A supporting and uniting bee is less attached to own way and has more flexible mind while being quite strategic about what to support. Rather than taking immediate action emotionally, this bumblebee sees the value in creating the sustainable unity. Long-term ‘quiet’ charity givers and those who take low profile in community giving but stick to the same project for a long time are more often than not this type of bee.
Original article is at: http://www.buy1-give1free.com/index.php/598-What-is-your-giving-bee-type.html
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Who Has Hear Of Litigation Support Services – (what Is This)
Dec 20th
Have you heard of litigation support services – (What is this). This is a litigation service which helps lawyers present a better case. The better your case the better chance you have to win. Many cases do not get to the trial stage. They are negotiated before trial and both parties agree to a settlement. Or there are cases that are settled in conflict resolution settings. But you have to be ready for trials that do go to trial.
People are fascinated with courtroom trials. We see them on television and in movies. They make for great drama when a witness is broken down on the witness stand by a heroic lawyer who is the epitome of justice and truth. She is able to establish that the witness is lying on the stand to protect someone and the case against her client falls apart and the story ends with right prevailing because an honest lawyer was able to verbally squeeze the truth out of the courtroom trial.
In today’s jury trial members of the jury are more likely to be swayed by video evidence verses oral testimony. Part of how litigation support services can help you present your case is to build your video evidence. If you are representing a client who has suffered personal injury from a car accident you can use a video reconstruction of the accident to show the jury.
The reality in this 21st century is that we all watch television and all see movies with special effects. We are used to the video image. This is what the average jury wants. They want to see a video to help them understand your position. Litigation support services is where you need to go to help you give the jury what they expect.
If you have a medical malpractice case litigation support services can create an animated video demonstrating the medical procedure in question. When the jury sees your video on how the procedure was supposed to have been performed you can better present your case on what did or did not go wrong with the procedure. Litigation support services can also provide you with the most experienced and qualified legal experts to help prove your case.
Most experts do well under direct. But they fail you sometimes under cross examination. You need a litigation support service to provide experts who will hold up under tough cross examination. You do not want all your time and money you spent on one expert witness to be wasted.
Some in the legal field think that if they have a video camera they can record their own depositions. Then they realize that they have no audio on their recording. Before this happens to you spend the money and look for a litigation support service to do all your video recording you will need to make your case air tight. Some services even keep back up tapes in case you lose the one you are taking to court.
You need today in this complicated practice of law a litigation support service on your team. Look one up today.
Our superior court reporting service maintains most stringent guidelines and guarantees that our court reporters and litigation support services are certified and skilled in the latest technologies. For more information on litigation support, please visit us.
Make Your Own Electricity For Cheap
Dec 15th
If there is one thing that always seems to drive people insane it is when their electricity bill comes. I am sure everytime you look at your electricity bill you are thinking to yourself “How could it possible have cost me this much, is there a way to save some money?” Luckily for you, the answer to that question is yes! Listen, this may sound a bit weird, but you can easily cut the cost of your bill in half and even cut it completely from time to time. You are about to read some great steps you can take and by the time you are done reading you should know how you can easily make your own electricity for a very cheap cost
Step one is to evaluate what your needs are. What this means is that you need to do a quick search throughout your house of things that are costing you a lot of money in your bill and write them down so you can include them in your plan. The next thing you will be needing to do is figure out exactly what you need to achieve.
Some people just want to save power and go green, other people want to just save some money, what category are you in? You should now have that list of the things around your house that will be needing some electricity. This will include your freeze, water, and lights. Once the list is finished you now need to decide what you are going to do to make your own electricity.
There are many different ways to do this. The most popular seem to be wind and solar power. I am not going to sit here and say those two things do not work, because the evidence is clear that they both do get results, but they can take up a lot of room and cost a lot of money to make. On average, a wind powered house will save about 20% on their electric bill and a solar powered house will save around 30% depending on the size of the home.
But is there something better out there?
Yes there is. New technology has proven that with the use of magnetic poll you can generate a lifetime of electricity. If you have ever heard of the magnetic generator called “MagniWork” (which I highly recommend if looking to save a lot of money) then you should know that they use this technology in their generators.
The MagniWork Generator can be built for an extremely low price and can fit pretty much anywhere in your house. I have mine under the kitchen sink. On average, you can purchase all the supplies for the generator (which will cost you around 100 dollars) and have it built within an hour. By the time you start using it you will be saving an average of 50% depending on the size of the home. Magnetic energy will allow you to quickly and easily make your own electricity.
Do you want to save a good amount of money on your bill?? If so you need to learn how to Make Your Own Electricity. For more details check out Click Here
The Two Biggest Reasons Why You Can Quickly Find Your Dream Lover Through Computer Dating
Nov 14th
In case you haven’t checked recently, the population of the world is exploding. Of all the things that people are good at, it seems that making more people is our primary purpose of existence on this planet.
Most people today have no problems with this simple and natural process. Find somebody, meet somebody, go through whatever cultural rituals there are, and make a family. Then twenty or thirty years later, repeat this process again.
This has been the traditional method for hundreds of thousands of years, or more. And unless anything drastic happens, like aliens take over the earth or we get hit by a giant asteroid, this will continue.
Some of us, though, have a few difficulties with this process. Either we are too busy with work, or we live in an area that doesn’t have too many people in our area of interest, or some other reason. What do we do?
In the last several years, there have been more and more opportunities to meet people online. It is becoming easier and easier to find your dream partner through the safety and comfort of your own home. Many people love doing this for many reasons.
One major benefit is that it is much more convenient. You don’t have to go to different bars, or other acceptable meeting places. You can send a email to someone anytime, day or night, and they can read it, any time, day or night.
Another reason people love this simple process so much is that it virtually removes the fear of rejection. You don’t have to approach a beautiful stranger and be afraid of getting humiliated in front of your friends.
These are just two of the many important reasons why you should try online dating today. When you discover how incredibly easy it is, you’ll wonder why you didn’t discover this earlier.
If you want to learn how to use Computer Dating, to find exactly who you are looking for, have a look at Russ J. Paulson’s Dating Internet Service resource page.
Today Hot Stocks, the Solution to the Sorry Economy
Nov 14th
If you have gotten tired of trying to strategize and predict the movements of the stock to earn the profit you are dreaming of, them you may want to get help from several stock market newsletters that are easily the craze in today’s financial markets, whether stock, forex, ETF, index funds, commodities, etc.
Newsletters and alerts for the Forex market, stock market and commodities market used automated computer systems to predict market trends for traders. There are programs that are fully automated and can actually make trades without any human intervention. Newsletters are less expensive are less expensive than software programs and can send email alerts to help you pick winning stocks.
One newsletter that is getting great results for traders is Today’s Hot Stocks. This newsletter sends email alerts to subscribers and provides regular updates on market trends. This kind of information can make a big difference in today’s often unpredictable market. The newsletter allows traders to make decisions with confidence without having to constantly monitor the market.
These stocks are expected to give you great returns on the money you have invested regardless of the economy’s state. No recession are supposed to hinder the earnings you can get from Today Hot Stocks. Its creator went on to show various statistics of the earning it made during the year of the greatest meltdown ever, 2008.
If your system has worked to make profits for you during the recent recession, you certainly have a winner. Today’s Hot Stocks helped its subscribers to make money despite the predictions of gloom and doom surrounding the stock market. As the economy improves, profits are likely to go up and subscribers will have even more success by following the advice in the newsletter.
Its creators swear that this is exactly what Today Hot Stocks can do for you. It went on to show various proofs to that effect and more testimonials to support their claim. A visit in their website which is http://www.todayhotstocks.com, will give you a clearer idea of what they can do for you.
The programmer that designed the software for Today’s Hot Stocks was a trader who understood the importance of choosing only the best performing stocks , and knowing when to buy and sell the stocks. The system has no human emotions and makes only logical decisions.
A program based on the knowledge of an experienced trader that can only make logical decisions about the most promising stocks is a big advantage for traders. By analyzing hundreds of factors that can effect the market and considering the probable outcome, the program chooses the best stock trades. The system’s creator provides this valuable information to subscribers.
Aside from being less expensive for traders than automated software, the newsletter give traders more control over individual trades. With an automated program, your trading is done without you input. With this newsletter, you can review the information and decide for yourself if you want to make a particular trade. Traders who subscribe to Today’s Hot Stocks are making profits every day from the information they receive.
It doesn’t cost anything to look at the website and see if this system can work for you. Bonuses may be offer with some subscriptions and there is a complete money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with Today’s Hot Stocks, the site will refund your money. Too bad the stock market doesn’t have that kind of guarantee.
The cost of Today’s Hot Stocks is $47.00 per month which is a fraction of the profits you can generate with the information provided by the newsletter.
Click here for more on hot stocks and stock newsletter.
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Criminal Records Check Using Online Arrest Records
Nov 13th
There is nothing more important in most aspects of life than to experience peace and well assured security every single day. The key to help minimize the illegal activities in the society is to exercise the legal right of individuals to conduct an independent criminal records check. While crimes are unavoidable, people can still do something to somehow alleviate such serious issues with the help of the police criminal records. Everyone wants a harmonious life, thus, everybody should help cut-off crimes in the surroundings.
Anyone can retrieve these official documents in various ways. You may request such reports at the police department or at the Federal Bureau of Investigation with all the paper requirements needed for the retrieval of legal files. Aside from that, the easiest way to obtain such reports is through the online service providers. The Internet has made some excellent transformation in the aspect of information dissemination and it has done an incredible job in storing public records for the people to search.
Some government agencies which handle such certified records have created file databases which are then uploaded to a website. Those who would like to access such online databases must formally seek for a permit to use such a resource. People have to identify themselves and provide a valid reason for conducting a police check. Public arrest records include details like traffic violations, murders, kidnapping, violence, sex offences and other criminal offences.
There are also online record providers which you can depend on for the retrieval of these pertinent public files. They are usually made available in two methods; the free-of-charge and the subscription-based methods. The latter is more useful when presented in any legal proceedings. The amount that you will be paying is certainly worth the services that you will get in return. Additionally, the fee-based method brings forth all-encompassing details of the criminal records.
Criminal arrest records are intended to verify if a certain person had some criminal activities in the past. The interface of the online service providers can be easily navigated, thus, even when you are a first timer in conducting an online search you will still be able to successfully get the records that you want. The instructions provided are comprehensive enough to be understood by the users. The search results are just some few clicks away from you.
The task on retrieving the criminal arrest reports today is practically much easier than what everyone got used to. The monetary charge is absolutely worth the services being offered by these online record providers. The task is very easy and straightforward, you don’t have to be a computer savvy in order to get what you want. Another good thing about it is that it can be executed independently anytime at the comfort of your own home.
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A Kookaburra with a Message
Nov 11th
I woke up this morning to my usual routine, an hour of work prior to the local cafe opening. Once 7am arrives, I dress my daughter in whatever is convenient, bundle her in her pram and head down to get my morning caffeine hit. I got to the front gate today thought and stopped dead in my tracks. There sitting on the fence post, a mere two feet from us, was the king of the kingfisher birds, an Australian Kookaburra.
My immediate thought was wonder that we got so close without startling it to flight. These majestic birds are not budgerigars, they tend to avoid humans. Seeing one so close is a treat so special it is to be remembered and treasured. So I backtracked and roused my wife so she could come and enjoy this beautiful bird while it rested on our front fence. There we stood, the four of us, enjoying each other’s company a mere two feet from each other for nigh on five minutes. What a spectacular start to the day.
Once it flew away, I went and got my coffee and reflected on the experience. I can’t believe I had to get within two feet of this bird before I realized it was there. Unbelievable, I am sure the kookaburra was watching me from the moment I stepped outside. Was I really that caught up in my own thoughts that I couldn’t see what was at the end of my nose?
If I had taken one more step I am sure the kookaburra would have flown away. My whole family would have missed this wonderful start to the day. It would have been a terrible loss, seeing these types of bird so close is such a rare experience. It turned out to be a bit of a wake-up call to me. I really need to slow down a bit and pay more attention. Why is it we get so caught up in what we are running towards, that we forget to enjoy that which is in front of us?
From my home on Australia’s Gold Coast, my young family of three are blessed with the song (or laughter) of kookaburras quite regularly. Never have I experienced one in such a personal way as I did today. I know from today too that the kookaburra’s song will have a special meaning for me; there will be a message in every verse. “Slow down Damian” it will sing. “Enjoy what is in front of you right now”. A message perhaps we all can benefit from.
Damian Papworth is a committed father. He recently went shopping for baby high chairs. He found the Fisher Price high chair products were very impressive.
What Qualifies As Driving Without Insurance
Oct 17th
It is an offence to drive a motor vehicle without a certificate of insurance in place covering you to drive that vehicle on that occasion.
The offence of driving without insurance is taken very seriously by the Magistrates Court due to the possible implications if you were to crash.
To be found guilty of driving without insurance the Prosecution simply have to prove that you were driving a motor vehicle on a public road at the time of the alleged offence. Because this is a documentary offence the burden passes to the Defendant (you) to prove that you were actually insured at the time you were driving. This is because it would be almost impossible for the Prosecution to prove that you were not insured and they would have to go through every insurance company in the Country using their insurance database to try and establish there was no certificate in place.
Something that catches most people out when accused of having no insurance is that you dont actually have to be driving the vehicle to be guilty of the no insurance offence. The law states that you only have to be using the vehicle. Having use of the vehicle can mean that the vehicle can simply be parked on a public road outside your house and if it has no insurance you will be liable for the punishment.
Another way in which many people get caught out with the no insurance law is when they believe that their fully comprehensive insurance policy covers them to drive other peoples cars with their permission. A lot of the time, fully comprehensive cover does not actually include this in the policy.
It is extremely important to make sure that you fully understand the terms of your insurance policy and that whenever you drive either your own car or someone else’s, that you are actually insured.
For more information about free legal advice please click no insurance.
