The main banks make much of their monies by charging customers fees and this goes for business customers as well but it doesn’t need to be that way if you own a business as there are many banks that offer free banking in the US and UK.

In the UK you can get a free business bank account for the life of your business. There are 2 or 3 banks that offer this real free deal and there are absolutely no catches whatsoever. These banks do promote these deals and you can compare business bank accounts to see what the others will charge you. In the UK the top 4 banks offer free banking for about 18months to new business owners and then after that you go onto their standard tariff. But the banks mentioned above do not do that and the free banking offer lasts forever. So if you are a UK customer check out those deals.

If you are a US based business there are some deals for you also. Here are a few we have researched that you can check and save money for your business.

• You can get a free business account from Citizens bank that allows you up to 200 free transactions each and every month with no monthly account fee. This is ample for most smaller businesses. If you go over this allocation you pay just 50c per transaction. There are other options for a smaller monthly fee where you receive more “free” transactions but their base offer looks good.
• Bank of America offer free banking but only if you keep a certain balance in your checking account which for most small business owners is not possible especially during the credit crunch. Have a look at the account but there are other options that offer real free banking for businesses.
• HSBC in the US have a whole range of business checking accounts for small and large businesses and some come with free transactional costs although have some limits but should be fine for most businesses. These carry no monthly fees and don’t require you to have a minimum balance in your account either. The account to check out are their Business Direct and Free Business Checking accounts. More information on all their business accounts can be found here.
• BB&T offer a free checking account for businesses that allow up to 150 free transactions through your account each month with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirement. You can see their free account here.
•  US Bank has free accounts mainly designed for the smaller business owner and like some of the above allow up to 150 fee free transactions each month with no monthly fees. If you are a larger business they have accounts with low monthly fees and up to 500 transactions will be processed at no additional cost. You can compare all their business checking accounts here.

So there you have it. If you are a small to medium sized business and process up to 150 transactions through your business checking account each month in the US you can get everything for free. And if you are in the UK you can have unlimited banking so there’s no need to pay any costs to your bank as a business owner any longer.

Having these pests is at best a nuisance but also a heath hazzard to families and children alike so here is our best advice on how to get rid of ants in the house whether you have them in the kitchen, outside in the garden or yard or even the bathroom some using standard pest control measures others naturally without chemicals or other harmful substances.

Why do you get ants in the first place ?

Inside the home ants love a dirty place that’s warm so if you continually get them then think about cleanliness in the home especially in kitchen areas. You need to wipe down counter tops and clean the floor properly on a regular basis. There are many types you can get in your house including sugar ants, black ants, flying ants and fire ants.

If you have pets and leave their wet food out all day you’ll likely see ants come for that and perhaps the water. Why not try using dry food only. Our own pets live purely on dry food and we never have ants coming any where near it although we get some in the garden.

Natural remedies

It’s the main nest you need to destroy especially the queen ant because she is the one producing all the little eggs that then turn into proper ants. If you can find the nest then it needs to be destroyed. You can try the following:

1. Poor down boiling water all over which will kill them instantly. You may need to do this with a lot of water because the nest may go much deeper than you can actually see
2. Pour salt around where the ants are
3. Get some crushed back pepper and put it around them – they hate that
4. Real talc or baby power has worked before
5. Put down cornmeal which they will digest and as it expands inside them will kill them
6. Try putting down cinnamon – this will not kill them but should keep them away for long periods
7. Use a bait with a sticky syrup with a little boric acid (be careful with this) – the worker ants will eat this and hopefully should take it back to the nest for the others to also consume

Be aware with boric acid that it may be harmful to animals and children so always read the label.

Pest control for ants

There are plenty of commercial products on the market and all seem to work using harsh chemicals. Just be mindful of where you are putting these because you don’t want your children or pets to eat these or get them on your surfaces and food you’ll eat as well. Standard ant powder seems to do the trick in gardens where little nests appear but somehow they always seem to come back again so ensure you get the ants to go back into the nest because it’s the queen that needs zapping ultimately so no new ants are born !

If you have any tips on how to get rid of ants naturally or any other ways that have worked for you then do let us know below.

A GPS navigation system is something most people on the move in their car may have built into their dashboard already although most purchased from shops are portable so you can use them on the move. Vehicle navigation systems sometimes rely on bluetooth technology and the prices of these items are continually falling so cheap GPS systems can also sometimes be the best to buy.

What is GPS – Global Positioning Satellites ?

GPS was first invented and used by the US army and there are now 27 GPS satellites orbiting the earth and are positioned so that at any one time at least 4 are available and visible for commercial use. The navigation systems need 3 of these to determine where you are on earth and then the software can calculate everything else required such as journey times and most favored route.

GPS Navigation System Reviews

There are hundreds of GPS navigation systems on the market – here are a few that can be used in the car or as a handheld portable device.

Mapquest Navigator Iphone App

This is the newest version of the Mapquest navigator for the Iphone as a downloadable app which is a voice guided navigational system with 2D and 3D moving maps and live traffic information provided by INRIX. It also incorporates AOL city guides with local listings and ratings for restaurants for the top 40 cities in the US.

You can also find the lowest gas prices for diesel or petrol.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple store and costs a mere $3.99 for a one month trial and then it’s $3.99 per month, $9.99 for three months or $29.99 for a whole year’s subscription. Although this is designed for in car use you can also use it as a portable device.

Under $200 – Garmin Nuvi 205

One of the most popular navigation systems under $200 is the Gamin Nuvi 205 GPS which receives between 4 and 5 star ratings on all the consumer review sites. It can have either a standard or widescreen format and has maps for all the US but not Canada. Most Garmin systems are incredibly easy to use and this has a 3.5 inch or 4.3 inch screen, a “where am I” emergency feature and FM or MSN traffic. It is light weight at just 5.2 oz, can fit into a shirt pocket, lasts up to 4 hours on its lithium battery and has touch screen technology. Although the RRP of this system is $209.99 you can get it for under $120 at Amazon.

Between $250 and $500 – TomTom GO 920T

The TomTom GO 920T GPS navigation system has pre loaded maps for the US and an additional 41 countries in Europe and earns rave reviews. There is also the advanced 930T which includes lane guidance. Although the RRP of this was originally $699 you can get it for less than $250 if you search around. It’s a widescreen 4.3 inch includes traffic information and bluetooth capabilities. The screen offers 2D or 3D maps and has voice commands. The battery should last around 5 hours and has remote control access. It also has enhanced positioning technology so that if you go into a tunnel where there is not GPS signals it senses the car acceleration and estimates how far you are travelling. Other systems such as the Garmin Nuvi mentioned above normally just say “satellite signal lost” and kind of give up. It’s a neat feature but generally you know you are in a tunnel and when you are out the system picks up your new signal in any case. The traffic information option will cost more after the one year free trial.

So that’s a review of three GPS navigation system devices. Let us know what you use and if you have any thoughts of those above.

Cooking bacon is easy and straight forward although depending on the cuts you get will depend not only on the taste but the amount of smoke you’ll generate from the fat. Although bacon is not the healthiest piece of meat to purchase and eat it is still very tasty and so long as you watch the fat content you should have a great meal.

Choosing Your Cuts of Bacon

Bacon does come in many forms from what butchers call “steaky bacon” with streaks of fat within it to back bacon which is much less fatty. The choice depends mainly on the fat content and whether you like this taste at all. Some bacon is smoked and give off a lovely flavor and is mainly what the folks at self help articles choose when making a bacon sandwich.

The best way to cook bacon

Generally it’s better to grill bacon rather than fry or oven cook because all the excess fat drips off so it’s a little heathier. It also crisps better so the bacon is crunchy and has additional taste and this is the way we prefer. If you are frying then try to use olive oil with a low olive taste otherwise your bacon won’t taste much like bacon but of olive oil.

Cooking Bacon in the Oven

So if you just have an oven to use then so be it. The only trouble with this method is that of course you have to wait for the oven to warm up to a decent temperature which could take 15 minutes or so and then wait for the bacon to cook. Also the bacon will dry out a little because of the oven cook method and you need to keep an eye on it because it will cook much faster and suddenly you’ll notice the bacon has shriveled to little pieces

Method – heat the oven up to about 400 degrees F – it really does need to be this hot

- put the slices of bacon on a baking tray – you may want to cut the fat off the sides as this will prevent the bacon curling as it heats up

- if so desired sprinkle some black pepper onto each side before placing it into the oven

- wait for about 10 minutes and check – maybe turn each slice over (not really required)

- after about 15/ 20 minutes the bacon should be cooked although you could wait a little longer for extra crispyness

Making a Bacon Sandwich

This is the ultimate for bacon. Just get two slices of bread and add ketchup or brown sauce to each side. Add in some pepper and other seasoning to taste. Then add in your crispy bacon. You could also toast your bread (which is making me hungry as I write this) – yummy.

So that’s our tips on how to cook bacon in the oven and if you have anything to add please let us know.

Writing letters especially to customers can make you feel completely stumped and not know what to say. Additionally a correctly formatted business letter is important if you are introducing your business or are connecting with other businesses for quotes, sales introduction an apology or even a thank you letter of appreciation (for example, if you have had a recreational day out).

The information on this page will enable you to know how to write a business letter and the format and and parts always form the same style and structure even if it’s just a cover letter. There is letter writing software available but if you have Microsoft Word you should be able to do it yourself by following the guidance below.

The main points to remember are that you want to get the person you are writing the letter to understand what you want and elictic the right reply.

Tips for writing business letters

As mentioned above you want your business letter to get read and actioned so that means sending it to a named person rather than just any one you can think of (or worst still just “head office” or something else less random. Most people will know who they are writing to (a named contact) but if you don’t then ring the company concerned up and find the name and correct spelling together with their department name.

When it comes down to the actual writing you should keep it as brief as possible and not stray onto pages and pages that simply won’t get read at all. Perhaps you should jot down first what you want the outcome to be and a few words on why you are writing in the first place.

Then you can start to build up the structure. The point with a letter is you want the person to read it and do something so you need to outline why you are sending it together with facts and figures as necessary. If you have a lot of information you want to send then attach them as appendices and refer to them in the body copy and well as at the end as attachments listings.

Be wary to keep all emotion out of the letter and if you are finding yourself in this mood then leave writing it for a few days but write down the facts you want to get across in a book or jotter pad so you can refer to them later and not forget why you were writing in the first place.

Business letter template

Here is a template you can use for writing formal business letters. There is an example after this to give you some ideas but in essence the structure and format are the same for any business letter you may have to write. 

Top of the letter

Your street address (but not your name)
Your state and zip code

Today’s date

The name of the person you are writing to (first name and surname)
The company name
Company department
Company address and zip code

Dear salutation (this can be Dear Mr. Smith – if you have the name of the person just put Dear (surname) and don’t include their first name) or Dear sir if you happen not to have a named contact (but see above about this)

Introduction and initial paragraph – in the first paragraph you will need to make it short at just one or two sentences and this would explain why you are writing the letter.

Letter Body – this will have additional facts and detail why you are writing with specific information you want the recipient to act upon.

Final and closing paragraph – This should summarize the letter and have a specific call to action spelling out what you would like to happen next – whether this is a reply or that you will follow up the letter with a telephone call later that week.

Sign off - Usually this would simply be “Yours sincerely”  and your name.

Business Letter Example

Here’s an example of a business letter to give you an idea of what it’s all about.

Patrick T. Bains,
316  Mission Street,
San Francisco CA 94119
 
September 17th, 2009

Mr. Harry Perkins,
XYZ Company Inc,
542 Daytona Avenue,
Seattle, WA 17992

Dear Mr. Perkins,

Thank you for allowing us to provide a sales quotation for 1,000 luxury gift hampers for your clients’ christmas giveaway last Wednesday.

I have enclosed a full quotation including the delivery schedule we discussed and ordering details.

I very much look forward to receiving your order this year and can be contacted directly on my cell at 0700 333 333 during office hours if you have any questions at all.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick T. Bains,
CEO. Luxury Hampers Inc.

Encl: Quotation

As you can see the letter is quite short and summarizes why it is being written and the outcome required.

We hope this sample business letter template and and formatting tips helps you – if you have any additional tips or help needed please let us know below.

Business letters are important for example if you need to request action to an inquiry or need confirmation of something make a complaint or maybe to confirm an appointment so you can use this formal letter template to help you get the results you need.

When searching for how to write a formal letter online there are some example layouts and structure and these all follow a certain format which is generally required. So how do you get your letter read and acted upon ?

Tips for writing formal letters

The one thing you want as an outcome of sending your letter is for it to get to a person who can action it. So that means finding out a real name of a person rather than just sending it to a department or to a company hoping that it will get somewhere. So find a name and address both the letter and the envelope to this person and the department or section of the company concerned.

When writing your letter it should be quite direct and come to the point quite quickly. A long rambling letter may be put to one side to be actioned at a later date so it should be factual in content especially if you are making a letter of complaint. Get to the point fast.

At the end of the letter summarize again your main points and what action you want to take place. This can be to confirm they have received your letter for example or to telephone you.

Whatever state of mind you are in especially if you are writing a formal letter of complaint you should leave all emotions out of the letter and just stick to the facts. If not, a few days later after you have calmed down you may wish you have never written it in the first place !

Formal letter template

Here is a template you can use for writing formal letters. We have added examples within this but the main structure remains the same.

Your exact street address
Your state and zip code

Today’s date

The name of the person you are writing to (first name and surname)
Their company name
Company department
Company address and zip code

Dear salutation (this can be Dear Mr. Smith – if you have the name of the person just put Dear (surname) and don’t include their first name) or Dear sir

First paragraph – in the first paragraph make it short at maybe one or two sentences. This should summarize exactly why you are writing to the person concerned.

Letter Body – this will have additional facts and information about your letter and why you are writing.

Closing paragraph – This should summarize the letter and have a call to action which would be you telling the person what you would like them to actually do now they have read your letter. If you want a telephone call then you need to leave your number.

Sign off - Usually this would simply be “Yours sincerely”  or simply “Sincerely” if you have addressed a real person’s name in the “Dear Mr x” or “Yours faithfully” if you have addressed the letter as “Dear sir”

Formal Letter Example

Here’s an example of a formal letter to give you an idea of what it’s all about.

Daniel F. Baker,
116 Main Street,
Boston,
Suffolk MA 02119
 
October 19th, 2010

Mr. B Johnston,
ABC Company Ltd,
452 Sommerset Street,
Wayne, IN 47992

Dear Mr. Johnston,

I am writing to you to lodge a complaint against the quality of food and service we received in your restaurant on Thursday last when we dined with you that evening.

We have been dining with you for the past 5 years and have always received a great welcome and wonderful food but on this occassion the food was only luke warm when it was received and the whole service took nearly three hours in total from arriving to settling the bill.

When we mentioned this to your staff member Mr Standston he was rude to myself and other guests and refused to acknowledge our complaint.

We wish to return to your restaurant for future evenings but are reluctant after out experience.

I would therefore like to request a refund of that evening’s meal cost of $87.93 and have enclosed the receipt issued.

I look forward to receiving a check to this amount and dining with you again in due course.

Yours sincerely,

D. Baker.

As you can see there is no emotion in the letter and it gets to the point very quickly, lays out the facts of the issue and closes with the required action the letter writer is looking for.

We hope this formal letter template and example helps you – if you have any additional tips or help needed please let us know below.

The blurb says it was awarded “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” and Obama would be travelling to Oslo in December 2009 to accept the nobel peace prize.

Many previous presidents have also won this award including Jimmy Carter in 2002, VP Al Gore in 2007, Woodrow Wilson in 191 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

Reaction to the Award

Of course general reaction was positive from world leaders and Obama himself said he was surprised and deeply humbled. He went on that “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have won previously” and he also said as he accepted in a speach in front of the White House that it was “an affirmation of American Leadership”

The people who manage the award said Obama had “created a new climate in international politics” and when deciding on the peace prize looked at his vision and work towards a world without atomic weapons Thorbjoern Jagland the chairman of the nobel committee said.

Although many leaders brought favorable comments to this award many of the press especially those based in the US were not so positive  like Dan Balz of the Washington Post said “there was amazement all around that the award had gone to a president still in his first year in office with no major international accomplishments” whereas the London Telegraph said is was one of the biggest shocks in Nobel Peace prize giving history.

Of course now that Obama has won the award it provides increased and added pressure to actually get things done and almost thrown the gauntlet down to those who he is trying to put down nuclear missiles that it’s all down to Obama and no one else.

For example a spokesperson for the Taliban said Obama should have won the Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing innocent people and mentioning that in fact he is sending more troops to Afghanistan and escalating the war there where as the Afghan president Hamid Karzai said that Obama was the most appropriate person to be awarded the prize.

For the 2009 Nobel Peace prize there were 205 nominations including Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who had been one of the favorites to win it with Chinese dissident Hu Jai. The process of selection and all the nominations are kept completely secret for 50 years.

The award that Obama has won includes a gold medal, $1.4million and a diploma so we wonder what he is going to spend all his prize money on ?

So if you are asking about Obama nobel peace prize for what did he get it for now you know. We’d love to know your reactions to this so let us know below. Thanks.

There are many schools and forensic science colleges in the US you can study for degrees in this arena to follow careers in criminal investigationand backroom staff such as pathology as a scientist and other specialized areas such as odontology, DNA testing, nursing and entomology.

What is Forensic Science ?

This is basically the investigation into minute detail of crime scenes based on evidence collected by crime scene investigators. They may collect blood samples, DNA, fibres from clothing, fingerprints at the scene or from suspects and then analyze these with computer technology or in a science laboratory to understand where these might be a match for a suspect or persons unknown. This helps the police in their investigation to gather evidence to perhaps prosecute the right people for crimes committed.

The term comes from the latin “forensis” and is also often called forensics which means “blonging to”.

How to Become a Forensic Scientist

First and foremost you’ll need to be qualified as a scientist and need a bachelor’s degree in either chemistry, physics or biology. Some areas may required a masters degree but it depends on what type of work you want to undertake.

The job entails being completely unbiased so you’ll need to understand the facts and evidence that you find and help others understand how this has been linked to any suspects or other places.

There is a lot of detail involved especially at crime scenes where the evidence is gathered so you’ll need to have patience in the collection of samples and be able to write detailed reports of any findings you discover.

As a forensic scientist you’ll also most likely need to present your findings in a court room so confidence of public speaking and cross examination will be qualities to possess.

The American Academy of Forensic Scientists

The AAFS is the organization that represents the interests of qualified forensic scientists in their work and there are many types including toxicology, anthropology, pathology, criminalistics and biology. Other types of career linked to forensics include forensic accounting (for financial investigations) digital forensics (investigation internet fraud and email evidence) and forensic geology (looking at soil samples)

Forensic Science Colleges and Degree Programs

Here are some of the schools and colleges in the US that offer degree programs for qualifications in Master of Science in forensic science and Bachelor of Science in forensic science.

• Arcadia University Glenside PA – Master of Science Degree (MSc)
• University of Baltimore – Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc)
• Bay PAth College Longmeadow MA – BSc
• Boston University – MSc Biomedical Forensic Science
• Chaminade University Honolulu – BSc
• Columbia College – BSc
• University of Florida – MSc and BSc
• International Forensic Research Institute – MSc
• George Washington University – MSc
• Indiana University – BSc and MSc
• Marshall University – MSc
• Michigan State University East Langsing – MSc
• Nebraska Wesleyan University – MSc
• University of New Haven – BSc

There are also dedicated online universities and colleges that you can study for your degrees as well.

Fear of commitment and being afraid to go from being single to a long term relationship is fraught with commitment phobia issues and many people are scared of the long term dedication to just one person for the rest of their lives so here’s some advice in managing this especially if you have an upcoming marriage.

The issues of commitment

Underlying fear of getting things wrong and making poor decisions that may take years to reverse and have financial consequences could all be issues that lead to fear of commitment and commitment phobia both in men and women. For the most part we are happy with our lives although we have met a partner we believe we want to be with forever. When thinking about this change we all have anxieties for asking ourselves is this really the best decision we can make or if there is something better out there (ie: the grass is greener syndrome). For women it could be the lack of emotional support in a relationship that they need and are looking for someone to help them with that.

The background of intimacy

Most women want intimacy in a relationship but often put down men as a commitment phobic just because that’s what they have learned from television or other media outlets. They want a long lasting relationship with love and sharing of their lives but are just afraid that their man just won’t be want they are looking for and will have to change his personality – in fact a girlfriend of mine used to say “men don’t come ready trained” and want the perfect person that is in their mind.

The man phobic

Like all men committing for the rest of your life is a big step from being single and being able to go out with the lads for a beer or watch the game at any opportunity. You don’t want to end all of this and your apartment is without all women’s beauty products everywhere. In a way you don’t want to share your life but you do want to have the woman you love to be in your life.

A committed relationship

All statistics ever published state that people are more happy in a long term relationship and in fact live much, much longer if their are married. If the relationship brings children then the family life can be wonderful.

Adjusting for the commitment phobia person

As with anything in life being with someone is a big change that although not forced upon you might be something that is moving along at a faster pace than you would like and no one likes forced change as we all want to be in charge of our lives.

Going from being single to a long term committed relationship is a big step forward and it’s not something that you can just let be as you will have to work at it but this change may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Although my mother used to say “if you have any concerns at all, don’t do it”

Issues resolved ?

So if you are in this area where you are just not sure what can you do? Well you really have to ask yourself – imagine yourself with this person in say 10 years time – will you still be happy. Ask yourself about the reasons you are attempting to make this commitment and do it for the right reasons not for example that you are young and see all your friends getting married and think you may be left on the shelf. Life has a habit of making things just right in the end and it’s only you who can decide if this is the right decision for you and if commitment phobia are really the issues you are dealing with here.

Overcoming shyness in our teenage years was something we worried about greatly but even as adults some people still suffer. We’ve been there before where we are invited to a party or a business meeting and hardly know anyone there and because we suffer from shyness it just doesn’t fill us with confidence so here are some tips to stop being shy that will help all people including children (boys and girls) and even your wife if you believe she is painfully shy in her life

So what can be done ?

Well most of this boils down to self confidence of course in that if you go into a room full of new people you just don’t know what to say but in reality those others want to know about you.

It’s the same if you have to do a presentation in front of people and you get stage fright but the fact remains is that your audience wants to hear from you – the expert.

Some of us suffer from not being able to articulate things very well (in that you find it difficult to describe facts about you because the words simply do not flow) and we have some tips to overcome that situation.

Building self confidence

If you are shy here are some tips to help you in your daily life.

• Be confident – if people are always knocking you about your looks and appearence or abilities then either ignore them in your mind or stand up to them. Often bullies continue bothering people because the person being bullied doesn’t take a stand – verbally. If you say to the person who is being negative towards you that either “your words really don’t hurt me at all” or “thank you for your comments I will take them on board” without emotion then things may get better (the worst is to rise to the bait)
• Read books – if you are finding it difficult to articulate things about you, what you have done during the day or something at work it might mean you need more words in your mind that you can use to describe yourself. We have found this with people who don’t read and many of the words they are using are short and practically non descriptive. Changes will occur over many weeks so try and get stuck into a book of fiction. If you hate reading please try and find the time as you may find you will enjoy it. Many libraries offer books for free so money should not be an issue.
• List 5 things about yourself. If you have 5 things you enjoy or hobbies then list them and write 3 paragraphs about those on a piece of paper. This means when people say to you “hi, how are you” you can reply with something like “yes I am fine today and I have really enjoyed going to the game as my team won and …. etc” – this will engage you in a conversation and people will be interested in what you say.
• Remember others may be shy also – this is something we often forget in that when meeting new people the other person may also be suffering from shyness and have the same problems (have you ever met someone and they hardly say anything back to you? It’s not that they don’t like you rather than it’s probably that they are shy and not confident either)
• You will need to make an effort – remember the saying “you get out of life what you put into it” ? Well it holds true here. If you are constantly going out and meeting new people even if it’s just to the supermarket or local starbucks you’ll meet people and strike up conversations. The more you do this the more you’ll also have to talk about with others.

So there are some basics you can work on in a small attempt to overcome being shy although changes are not going to happen overnight because most people who suffer from shyness are not necessarily extrovert characters. Try and do things. Join a club and you’ll meet new people who may become close friends eventually. If you have any additional tips on how to stop being shy then let us know below.