Are you thinking of starting a new business in 2012?

Why not start out with a great franchise. Here’s a big list of 100 Low-Cost franchises you can get going. Even if you’re not considering starting one, you may know someone else who is. Take a look at the list. It’s fun to look over.

Of course, when it’s time to get that big web site going, you know who to call… me!

Happy (and prosperous) New Year!

1

H & R Block

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Stratus Building Solutions

Commercial cleaning $3.45K – 57.75K
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Jazzercise Inc.

Dance fitness classes, apparel & accessories. $2.98K – 76.5K
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CleanNet USA Inc.

Commercial cleaning $6.66K – 92.95K
5

System4

Commercial cleaning $6.16K – 37.75K

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For those of you planning your big holiday party… here are the Top 200 most requested songs!

This video was very well done and is straight to the point.

Labeling and drugging our children unnecessarily is criminal.

Let them choose their own destinies.

Research by experts at otcvetmeds.com, states that pet grooming is essential not only to maintain hygiene and good health, but also to encourage good pet behavior. According to the statistics reports submitted by specialists at otcvetmeds.com, 95% pets are healthy and obedient when groomed on a regular basis, by pet owners or by professional groomers.

We couldn’t agree more. I would like to add, however, that there’s also a very special bonding process that occurs when a pet owner bathes his own pet. At Riverside Grooming, we offer our facilities for self-service as well. It allows the pet to get oriented in the grooming shop with its owner. This assures him that he is safe and that from now on, when he comes to the shop that everything is okay…even if being dropped off for full-service grooming.

Keyword research is the basis of putting in place a sound foundation for your business. Some SEOs claim keyword research is worthless. In my view, keyword research (along with competitive analysis) is perhaps the most important activity that you can undertake to set the stage for all of the other work that you need to do.

Again, it always boils down to the keywords. That’s what Google has done is created a keyword powerhouse. Indexing is what it’s all about. This article is refreshing, yet quite good for beginners to understand.

Just getting these concepts understood is half the challenge I run into with my clients. I think Mark Jackson did a good job on this one.

Alcoholic Beverages

Potential effects of alcohol consumption in cats and dogs range from vomiting and diarrhea to coma and death, depending on the quantity ingested.

Apple Seeds and Pits from Apricots, Cherries, Peaches, and Plums

Certain fruit seeds and pits contain the poison cyanide. However, they need to be punctured to release the toxin (pets often swallow apple seeds whole and excrete them without ever puncturing them). Also, an animal has to eat quite a few of them to get sick.

Avocados

Avocados contain a toxic compound called Persin. Experts disagree about how poisonous avocados (especially their pits) are to cats and dogs, with some saying the risk is minimal and others asserting that it’s potentially serious. Given the disagreement among expert sources, erring on the side of caution is recommended.

Baking Soda, Baking Powder

These leavening agents can trigger electrolyte abnormalities in cats and dogs when a sufficient quantity is ingested (the toxicity threshold varies from one pet to the next). Muscle spasms or even heart failure may result.

Caffeinated Substances

Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and certain medications, can damage the central nervous system, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Caffeine is most often consumed when pets eat coffee grounds from the garbage or human medications that contain it.

Chocolate

Containing both caffeine and theobromine, chocolate can adversely affect the heart and central nervous system of cats and dogs, as well as causing pancreatitis. If a pet eats enough chocolate, he can die.

Citrus Oils

Used in food additives, shampoos, fragrances, and insect repellents, citrus oils (limonene and linaloolare) are toxic, especially to cats. Although most pets recover from citrus oil poisoning with veterinary care, death has occurred in some cases.

Fatty Foods

Cats require far more fat in their diets than dogs. In households with both dogs and cats, they must be kept from eating one another’s food, because cats eating dog food can suffer nutritional deficiencies, and dogs eating cat food or other fatty foods can develop pancreatitis.

Grapes, Raisins, Some Types of Currants

Even very small quantities of grapes or raisins may cause irreversible kidney damage. Effects are quite variable from one pet to the next.

Macadamia Nuts

Consuming macadamia nuts can trigger a serious illness in cats and dogs that includes depression, staggering, weakness, vomiting, and swelling and pain in joints and muscles (usually not fatal, but quite traumatic).

Milk

Most cats and dogs are lactose-intolerance and can suffer episodes of diarrhea if they consume cow’s milk

Moldy Food

Moldy foods contain mycotoxins that can cause stomach upset in small amounts and seizures, coma, and even death in larger quantities.

Mushrooms

Depending on the type, mushrooms can cause a variety of health problems in pets ranging from intense diarrhea and vomiting to severe neurological problems including seizures and coma. Although dogs are more likely to consume mushrooms than adult cats, curious kittens may be drawn to them.

Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds contain toxic compounds that can cause severe gastroenteritis, characterized by persistent vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Nutmeg

Cats in particular tend to be drawn to nutmeg. However, nutmeg can be toxic to pets (and people) when too much is consumed, and the threshold for toxicity varies from one animal to the next. Although a few grains will probably do no harm, if a pet laps up a sufficient quantity of nutmeg, he may suffer tremors, seizures, and other nervous system abnormalities, and the results may be fatal. To be on the safe side, keep nutmeg out of reach of cats and dogs.

Onions and Garlic

Onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, shallots, and chives can cause a serious illness in cats and dogs called Heinz Body Anemia. Onions are the most likely to trigger it, though other allium species such as garlic may also cause problems if too much is consumed (for more information on this, see Onions and Garlic Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs).

Potatoes

Under-ripe produce and greenery from potato plants contain a toxin called solanine that has effects ranging from stomach upset to severe neurological problems or even kidney failure, depending on the amount consumed.

Raw Eggs

In addition to the Salmonella risk associated with raw eggs, feeding raw eggs whites on a regular basis can trigger a biotin deficiency. These risks are quite low if raw egg is fed only occasionally as a treat, but still worth keeping in mind.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb plants contain soluble calcium oxalates, which are especially prevalent in the leaves. When an animal consumes too much rhubarb, he may show symptoms of poisoning. Kidney failure is possible if a large enough quantity is consumed.

Salt

Salt can be toxic in relatively small quantities (the toxicity threshold varies from one pet to the next), and excess consumption can lead to kidney damage, seizures, coma, and death. In addition to table salt, pets may consume salt in de-icers or playdough.

Tomatoes

A substance called tomatine, which is found in the stems and leaves of tomato plants and unripe (green) tomatoes, can trigger serious problems in large amounts, though small amounts usually only cause stomach upset.

Xylitol

Many products, including various gum brands, are sweetened with Xylitol, which can cause severe, permanent liver damage in cats and dogs.

Yeast Dough

Uncooked yeast dough produces toxic ethanol, as well as expanding in a pet’s stomach.

Many people feed sick pets human baby food. If you are giving a pet baby food, be sure to check the label for toxic ingredients such as onions.

Pet Poison Hotlines

If you think that your pet may have been poisoned, call a veterinarian, local animal emergency clinic, or pet poison control hotline. These hotlines, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, include:

• Pet Poison Control Helpline: 1-800-213-6680, $35 fee
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 1-888-426-4435, $65 fee

For more on toxic substances and pets, see Non-Toxic Flea Control and Are Poinsettias Toxic to Cats?

References:

• ASPCA, Ask the Expert: Poison Control, “Nutmeg,” ASPCA.org, 2011.
• Cope, R.B., BVSc, PhD, “Allium Species Poisoning in Dogs and Cats,” Veterinary Medicine, August 2005, pp. 562-566.
• Drs. Foster & Smith, Veterinary and Aquatic Services Department, “Citrus Oil Toxicity in Dogs and Cats” and “Macadamia Nut Toxicity in Dogs and Cats,” PetEducation.com, 2011.
• Haynes, M., Dr., “Are These Foods Toxic to Dogs?” AskaVetQuestion.com, n.d.
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, “Wild Mustard,” OMAFRA.gov.on.ca, 7 April 2011.
• Pet Poison Helpline, “Poisons,” PetPoisonHelpline.com, 2011.
• Ruben, D., Dr., “Dangerous Foods: Are They Harmful to Your Cat?” PetPlace.com, 2011.
• Spielman, B., Dr., “Mushroom Poisoning in Cats,” PetPlace.com, 2011.
• Stregoski, J., RVT, “Toxic Foods and Your Dog: People Foods That Can Poison Dogs,” About.com, 2011.
• WebVet.com, “Toxic and Dangerous Foods for Pets,” 2010.
• Wesley Chapel Veterinary Hospital, “What Foods Are Harmful to Your Dog?” WesleyChapelVet.com, 2009.

 

Jennifer Copley – Jennifer Copley, BFA, BEd, has a diverse base of expertise that includes research, writing, education, pet care, and various other …

 

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WordPress has made it very easy for small businesses to have a website that is easy to update and maintain, but do you know how to optimize your WordPress site so that it has the best chance of appearing at the top of your customers’ search results?

The process is similar to optimizing any website, but with a WordPress installation you can customize many of your pages’ SEO elements, as well as automating them to cut down on the time it takes to post a new item to your site.

Here’s a pretty good article for an overview on using WordPress for Search Engine Optimization. I like the general tone of it. It’s also quite complete for those who want a nice clean aspect of using wp, particularly for those new to using WordPress.

Timing is everything, as D.J. Waldow knows more than most. As an account manager with e-mail marketing firm Bronto Software Inc., Waldow noticed that the companies he worked with would send out e-mail blasts and get open rates of 15 percent to 20 percent, even for targeted, opt-in lists. It just didn’t seem like enough.

“How many times do you get an e-mail [and] you’re on the phone or you’re busy and can’t open it, even if it’s relevant,” Waldow says. “I started to think, what if we send that message again, as a re-mail? We could alter the subject line and change the content a bit and increase our open rate.”

Michael Bisbee and Michael Kaulentis, both 31, are avid users of e-mail for their business, MK Biz LLC, a $6 million company that operates Chicago nightclubs Manor and RiNo. E-mail marketing is essential for telling their young, tech-savvy clients about the latest events and happenings at their clubs. However, with at least one e-mail going out per week, Bisbee says, “We don’t want them to feel overwhelmed or annoyed. E-mail marketing [especially in the nightlife industry] can be a very delicate balance between good coverage and overexposure.”

Waldow has noticed some re-mailing best practices, which he and his colleagues captured in a free white paper titled, “Re-Mailing: Targeting Those That Don’t Open.” Among the recommended tips are: Time your re-mails. It’s easy to overdo re-mailing, so some good rules of thumb are to resend one week after a monthly mailing or five days to a week after a semimonthly mailing. If you mail once a week or more, try resending only to those who haven’t opened the last three or four e-mails.

Change the content. Write a new subject line and change the look of the e-mail. That way, it will look fresh if someone caught sight of it before deleting. Focus on benefits to the customer in the subject line and give some sense of urgency. Waldow suggests including a time-sensitive promotion or some type of exclusivity, such as “for subscribers only.”

Test yourself. Testing is the best way to determine what works with your customer base, says Waldow. Go back to subsets that didn’t respond to one offer and try a different offer. The best e-mail marketers segment their lists and target promotions that work specifically for their audience segments.

Gwen Moran is co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans. Reach her at gwen@gwenmoran.com.

This article was originally published in the July 2008 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Go for Seconds .

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This is a great tip on getting your message accross. My main thought on it, however, is that you should personally be absolutely certain of what your message is BEFORE you begin your campaign. Once you have that locked in, continue to push that message.

It’s all about public relations and markeing.