Sunday, March 23, 2008 

Personal Pet Check-Ups

For all pet owners, regular monitoring and examinations of your pet will give you a better idea of the animals overall health and prove as good quality time for both you and your pet. Also, this may help you catch a problem in the early phases and certainly before it becomes life threatening. The list of things you can do during this time could be long but below weve taken the time to list a few of the most basic and easy to read signs of being off color. In addition to the usual, these steps may help you in deciding your pets actual state of health.

CHECK YOUR PET FOR:

1) Build up in the tooth area. Also bad breath- which may suggest gingivitis or other tooth/gum problems.

2) Clean ears. Is there wax build up, ticks, mites or other parasites inside? Is a bad odor present?

3) Are the eyes discolored or irritated? Is extensive matter present?

4) A greasy coat? Is the skin grey white or red and irritated? Do you find evidence of fleas or other parasites? Is the smell of the animals coat on your hands, after checking it with your fingers, fishy, rank or offensive?

A doggy odor, while common, is still a sign of a low level of health. If your answers to many of the above areas are YES, then you should plan some type of action to discontinue this cycle of bad health. First and foremost, diet is the best place to start. Consult with your vet and/or check into possible alternative therapies. In the end, your pets overall health is up to you, so these early warning signs should not be overlooked.

A clean bill of health is the most valuable gift you can present to your pets- next to your love and attention.

Article written and reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/
Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - "Your New Best Friend"

Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com, is a lifelong animal lover and dog enthusiast. Interested in more dog information? Training and health tips? Thinking about getting a purebred dog? Interested in the German Shepherd Dog in particular? Need to promote your dog related website and get additional in bound links? Check out pedigreedpups.com , total-german-shepherd.com or http://www.pedigreeddogs.com (purebred dog breed directory) for more information.

 

Eight Ways to Enjoy Yourself on the Water

Throughout the centuries, human beings have loved the water. Water has fed us, cleaned us, quenched our thirst, and given us a convenient highway since long before there were real highwaysindeed, for as long as our species has been alive. Weve built most of our major cities near rivers, oceans, or lakes. We compose poetry and songs about the ocean, write stories about adventuring on mighty rivers while floating on nothing but tiny rafts, and build expensive waterfront properties so we can live next to water year-round. Weve devised thousands of ways to travel, play, and live off-land. Following are just a few ways weve come up with for experiencing the thrill and joy of being out on the open water.

Yachts. Nothing compares to the elegance of a yacht. Powered by windthe ancient engine that Polynesian wayfarers used to populate the far-flung islands of the Pacific, Viking explorers used to discover Greenland, and Magellan used to circumnavigate the globea yacht will take you where youre going, and make you feel like a king or queen while youre en route. Lots of yachting companies offer trips that involve fine wine, gourmet food, and a luxury experience.

Powerboats. Couple the thrill of being out on the water with the excitement of high speeds, and youve pretty much summed up a trip on a powerboat. We love skimming across the glassy surface of a lake or riding the waves, the wind scraping the hair back from our faces, the sun shining down on the surface of the water. The best powerboats are like convertible sports cars on wateran unbeatably thrilling experience.

Windsurfing. For centuries humans have been harnessing the power of wind to navigate on the water. But windsurfing is a relatively new invention that involves balance, strength, and timing. Windsurfing gives you more range than a surfboardyou can traverse wide lakes with no waves or perform daredevil stunts in the surf, depending on your style and that of your board. It takes practice, but its a sport thats growing in popularity worldwide.

Kitesurfing. Similar to windsurfing, except the sail is really a kitelocated at the end of a rope instead of attached to your board. Kitesurfing is a fun and challenging sport that requires some coordination to do wellyou need to be able to guide both the kite in your hands and the board thats strapped to your feet. The sport has become far safer and more accessible to beginners due to recent advances in kitesurfing technology.

Zapcats. Never heard of these? Youve been missing out. Zapcats are small, motor-powered catamarans that can move at thrilling speeds and turn on a dime. Theyve got the speed of a powerboat and the flexibility of a jet skian undeniably exciting combination. Most rentals will usually send an instructor out with you, like they will with a powerboat. A zapcat ride is much more hands-on than the typical powerboat ride, however, because both parties are needed to steer the craft. Theyre a blast to race in aquatic obstacle courses.

White water rafting. Even if strong currents and big waves make you nervous, white-water rafting is a fun and amazing experience that will give you confidence on the water. Most white-water rafting companies will send you out with an experienced guide and in a durable craft specially designed to handle the rigors of the rapidsso youre perfectly safe. Its a fun and thrilling way to experience the power of nature firsthand. Because of the size of the crafts and its accessibility to all levels of ability, its also an ideal way to bring a group together. White-water rafting is an ideal activity for an office outing or family trip.

Rapid running. Youd think this sport would be better for people who are more experienced in white-water raftingbut actually, its popular with all ability-levels. With rapid-running, you get your own inflatable two-person craft, and are sent without a guide down a rapids course. Youre prepared beforehand, of coursemost companies that offer rapid-running activities will include a course on how to navigate the rapids safely. Its a lesser-known but no-less-fun variety of white-water rafting, perfect for those who like a little more autonomy in their boats or who just want to try something a little different than the typical white-water rafting trip.

Jet skiing. Its been described as a motorcycle on water. Jet skis are one-person watercraft that accelerates with a throttle in the handle. Theyre very flexible, with the ability to accelerate quickly and make sharp turns. Jet ski tours of bays, rivers, and otherwise-inaccessible islands are becoming popular tourist activities in locations near water.

Whether you prefer relaxing yacht cruises, heart-pounding motorboat rides, the hands-on excitement of white water, or the balance and skill of wind or kitesurfing, theres sure to be a water activity youll love. Dont be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try something newyou may find more than one activity youll enjoy for years to come.

Janette Vince is managing director of the online experience days and unique gifts website http://www.thanksdarling.com For more information on a range of days out learning water sports visit http://www.thanksdarling.com/categories/water.htm.

 

How Niche Markets Can Increase Online Sales

One of the best ways to increase sales is by targeting specific audiences that are interested in the products you have to offer. This form of marketing is called niche marketing. In order to target specific groups, you will need to evaluate the types of people who will most likely buy from your site, where to find these groups, and how to market to them.

Evaluating niche groups

You can evaluate niche groups by first deciding who you want to cater your business towards. Knowing your products or the affiliate program's products should tell you plenty. If you have created an email list, sending a short survey to your customers asking them a little about themselves (average age, income level, purchase preferences, family, and hobbies) is a great way to learn more about the types of people who are buying from your site.

Niche groups can be determined in many ways. Customers may be found in multiple groups, which can make choosing a niche group more difficult. The best way to cater to these groups is to choose two or three at a time, market to them, and see what happens.

Finding niche groups

The great thing about niche groups is that they are everywhere! Niche groups include hobbyists, political groups, gender groups, career groups, artists, writers, and others. Niche groups are usually attracted to similar web sites, blogs, and open forums. For example, soccer enthusiasts usually shop on similar sports web sites and sports news sites.

When looking for niche groups, visit forums that cater to these groups and ask questions. You will be surprised by all the responses. People enjoy talking about their hobbies, careers, and lives.

Visit web sites that are offer products that are similar to yours and see if other businesses have posted ads. Chances are, these businesses are frequented by the same niche groups.

Marketing to niche groups

Marketing to niche groups is slightly different from marketing to everyone else who finds your ad online. You will have to be more specific about what you're selling and where you place ads. If you write articles that are going to be read by a specific group, you need to write on a topic they are interested in. The same goes for blogs and posting comments on forums.

Try marketing to several niche groups in order to get an idea of which ones are the most interested in what you are selling. Tracking where visitors are coming from is very important when marketing to certain groups.

Testing niche groups

Testing niche groups is the only way to see if they are the right ones for your business. You will have to allow some time for your marketing efforts to pay off, however. When marketing to specific groups, give it your all and try to boost sales as much as possible.

If, after a month, you do not see an increase in sales from a particular niche group, then focus your energies elsewhere. Focus on other groups until you find a few that show interest in your web site. Market more aggressively and enjoy the increase in sales.

Stuart Pearce is founder and owner of Style Product Developer Ltd. The company specialise in offering tools and resources to make the creation of a web based business easy and accessible to all. Begin your online career now, visit http://www.styleopportunities.com for details.