The UK’s Records Management Society defines records management as, “the process by which a company manages all the elements of records whether externally or internally generated and in any format or media type, from their inception/receipt, all the way through to their disposal”. In this digital age many organisations have set up comprehensive systems to ensure that electronic records are safely stored and backed up, with a plan in place should an unexpected crisis occur. This makes a great deal of sense since some estimates suggest that over 90% of businesses that have had a major data processing disaster will go out of business within 5 years.

These days most employees rely on electronic systems to do their job and lost or damaged files can spell disaster. However while IT systems are often carefully considered and any perceived emergencies planned for, paper records can frequently be neglected. It’s difficult to pinpoint why this is except to say that perhaps manual records are considered unimportant when compared to expensive IT systems. Perhaps it is also the case that the sheer physicality of a paper record makes people (wrongly) believe it is not as important to safeguard as a computer file that could more easily be destroyed or corrupted. But to take this viewpoint is ill advised and short sighted.

Many organisations are under a legal obligation to keep certain records for a specified period of time. For example, financial institutions are now required to keep mortgage loan files for up to ten years after the loan has been repaid. Some medical records must be stored throughout the life of the patient and government institutions are now required to keep certain records for up to 50 years. Companies pay a high price for inadequate record keeping. In January 2003 The Bank of Scotland was fined £1.25m for breaching anti-money laundering rules on the identification of customers because it had failed to retain a copy of customer ID or a record of where it was kept. Often there is a legal requirement to keep the original paper document even when it exists electronically and in any action, the legal weight of records will be greater if the original version is produced. The Business Archives Council, which promotes the preservation of business records of historical importance, gives some other reasons why it can be prudent to save original documents.

Among their points are:

* Transparent corporate governance

Good record-keeping is an integral part of transparent corporate governance. The implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US has brought heightened scrutiny of an organisation's internal controls and practices. Trustworthy and accurate records serve as a bedrock for a company's reporting systems and ensure that they comply with best practice

* A key part of Corporate Social Responsibility

Caring for your heritage can be a key part of a Corporate Social Responsibility policy. Businesses have impacted on the lives of their staff, customers, shareholders and on the communities in which they operate. Business archives record how lives have been affected and changed. Some companies have publicly acknowledged that their own histories are an important piece in the jigsaw of the past and that they have a duty of care to their own archives. Making business archives accessible to the public is a real contribution to the community.

* Brand Building

The past can be used to support present performance. Archives add detail and depth to the public image of a company, differentiating it from the competition. Celebrating significant anniversaries or birthdays brings the long-standing nature and the achievements of the company to the fore. Historic information and images can also be used to support particular brands emphasising their position in the market place.

Is the staff that is keeping your business where it is now, the same staff that will take you where you want to be?

If you are not reaching your productivity, sales and revenue goals, it is time to figure out exactly why.

What Have You Done to Grow Your Business this Year?

If you are like most business owners and managers, you have tried just about everything; from new technology and software, to modifying your marketing message and efforts, to hiring teamwork consultants, to reorganization.

There are three things all of these techniques have in common. One, they cost you a lot of money. Two, they eat up a good amount of your time. And three, they rarely (if ever) work. To grow your business, it is imperative to improve the productivity of your employees. That is the reason organizations spend their time, energy and revenues on the products and services that are written about in articles, advertised in the media and introduced at seminars.

However, the typical outcome is "business as usual." Those employees who naturally performed before the costly modifications, still naturally perform. Those who failed to meet your sales, teamwork, motivation and productivity expectations, still fail and cost you time, energy and money.

Why You Need to Hire ONLY TOP Performers

Your TOP Performers produce month in and month out. So no matter how ineffective your technology, processes or managers may be, your best employees continually make you money without external support, motivation or incentive.

Studies have shown, the top performers in a position are five to eight times more productive (and profitable) than average employees. Organizations that have created recruiting and hiring standards, and more importantly follow them, have doubled or tripled their productivity, sales and revenues by doing nothing more than hiring more top performers.

At the same time, their industry counterparts have either failed to grow or gone out of business. Most of these organizations have spent a good amount of time, energy and revenues on reorganizing their marketing, sales, technology and leadership processes also.

Adding another top performing employee to your team is the only way to guarantee your success. Whether that means adding a new position to payroll or replacing a non-performer, it is an important decision that must be made if you want to grow your business.

How to Attract & Hire TOP Performers

Because it is not a matter of if, but when you come to the realization that your current staff is holding you back from your important goals, here are five ways to insure every future hire can, and will, become a top performer:

1. Don't Expect Candidates to Find You

If you are only recruiting "passively" with classified ads, general web boards and employment agencies, you are only going to find "passive" job seekers. You need to do everything in your power (network, referrals, educational partnerships, etc.) to "actively" recruit motivated top performers.

AuctionTip #1: Howto Put an Atractive Background in Your OnlineAuction AdPage 1 of 9

AuctionTip #1: How to Put an Attractive Background in Your Online Auction Ad

Have you ever visited an auction and noticed a peculiar and catchy background?

Here's how to do it. First of, go background texture hunting at this site: http:/www.grsites.com/textures/ Once you find one- upload it to a free image host like: htp:/www.honesty.com

Now, for the moment you're been waiting for. This requires HTML so don't faint on me. Make sure this is the first thing that appears in your ad html:

That's the code you'l need.

AuctionTip #2: The BEST Types of Products to Sell

Without a doubt, there are a few types of products you'll need to sel in order to become realy successful on eBay…

Here are the 3 types of products you should try to sel if possible:

Consumable

Example would be anything a person would buy and use up and buy again. To say there is staggering potential for backend sales would be an understatement.

Any product you would download or receive by floppy or CD is considered to be an info-product. Though it takes some study and patience to reap the rewards of seling information efectively, in the long run it wil be worth the efort.

Collectibles

EBay is famous for its rare items. Stamps, beanies, antique whatnots, you name it, and it's there.

Sentimental items carry with them the largest profit margins. When you're puling in $100-200 profit margins or more, your volume doesn’t have to be heavy to get where you need.

If you want a brainstorm with a list of al the various products categories, visit the link below:

htp:/listings.ebay.com/

11 Time Tested Principles For eBay Seling Success

Without a doubt, something separates good selers from the not-so-hot ones. It has nothing to do with magic either- it has everything to do with sound practice.

Here are 11 principles to live by when you start your auction business. They wil work wonders for you.

1. Pick Your Niche and Define Your Market

This is ground zero for your success strategy. Find your own niche. Define your market. Then you can know the type of person you’re going to be seling to and the types of product you want to sel.

Credit cards are available from more banks than ever before. There are a huge amount of different varieties of credit cards available online as well. Of course they are all cleared through Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and Discovery. So the variety is in the realm of similarity. Also, certain states have more favorable laws for the establishment of large credit card issuing units, especially the states of Nevada and Delaware and a couple of others.

Basic attractions of credit cards come in a fairly limited series of features. The first is low interest rates. Many cards today give you an up to 12-month introductory rates of zero-interest rates. Thereafter, the APR is several points above the prime rate. Rates vary from a low of 11.5-percent to 14-percent or more. Another incentive is to give customer rebates, and points accumulated as discounts on certain attractive problems. The most familiar discounts are on gas and the accumulation of airline “frequent flyer” points.

For example, on a card issued by Chase Banking Corp the APR is 14.24-percent, which is a variable rate. With this card you can earn rebates on all of your gasoline purchase, not only one brand, with the maximum gasoline rebate per month being $15. These days it has become increasingly easy to be approved for credit cards. It’s mostly based on your credit score, and your current income, but often, there will be no verification of your income.

You can see there is quite a variation of the interest rates paid on cards. Looking at a Discovery Platinum card, it’s amazing to see an APR of only 10.99-percent and also a 12-month period of zero-interest on balances. The actual interest charge will be based on the customer’s credit history and income. This card has a credit limit of $50,000. Due to the low interest rate and the high credit limit, presumably the verification of credit and income would be more rigorous than for any old card.

There is also an up to 2-percent cash back bonus award, when the customer receives certificates towards products and services that are partners with the issuers of this credit card. Other stores and warehouse clubs pay 0.25-percent cash back when you use this credit card. These cards are issued by the Discovery Bank, which is a branch of Morgan Stanley (investment bank). When you apply for the card, the pop-up says you get up to five-percent back on some products, so I wish they would make up their mind.

And no I am not referring to holiday cheer, parties, gifts and the like. And not even ringing in the New Year with its associated celebrations and resolutions. But, as all you bookkeepers and accountants are aware, year end for most companies is right around the corner.

One of the first issues to be deal with no matter the timing of your fiscal year end is all those pesky payroll chores. W2’s to be prepared, proved and mailed. And let’s not forget our favorite year end chore – preparation of 1099’s. If you have been keeping on top of things through out the year, then these processes should not be too onerous.

One thing you should know if you are not using a payroll service, but preparing your W2’s in house is that on the W2 form Box 12 has new two codes this year. Code AA is for Roth Contributions to a 401k plan. And Code BB is to be used for Roth Contributions to a 403 (b) plan.

And don’t forget to report fringe benefits such as cash which includes bonus, severance, vacation or sick pay, and non-cash gifts. These might include concert or sporting event tickets, meals, gift certificates or cards. Remember these benefits are subject to Income, FICA and FUTA taxes. Check with your accountant for the laws in your state as well. You do not need to report employee discounts, working condition fringes or use of employer owned or leased athletic facilities or what are termed as de minimus fringes (you know that free turkey the company gave to everyone). If you have any situation that might be unusual or that you don’t know whether it should fall into the reportable fringe benefit category, then do check with your accountant.

This is also a good time to have your employees review their withholding requirements and to supply W4 forms to them should they need to make changes.

By now you should have reviewed your vendor list and made sure that all subcontractors are marked to receive 1099’s. Your software program should be set to print a 1099 for each marked vendor that has earned $600 or more during the calendar year. You also should have already checked that you have entered the correct addresses and EIN’s for each company/person receiving a 1099. Make sure you verify with the company that the name registered with the IRS for the EIN you have in your files is the same name you will be issuing the 1099 to. For example, if you have been making checks out to John Smith he might have an EIN in his dba (doing business as) name. Or maybe you have been issuing checks to the dba and he is using his personal social security number as his EIN in which case his 1099 must be issued in his name. It is very important to use the matching name and EIN number when issuing 1099's. Otherwise you will be receiving a letter from the IRS requesting you to verify the information and even perhaps asked to withhold backup taxes from your vendor to be submitted to the IRS. Having each vendor make out and sign a W9 form when they begin doing business with you and also at the beginning of each new year will help insure you have the right information. You can get these forms at any IRS office or online at www.IRS.gov. They do not have to be submitted to the IRS as they are for your records only.

If you're not presently using an Internet or email fax service you could be losing out on a lot of benefits and advantages. Any company or individual must closely examine the benefits of using Internet fax, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you will discover.

First, as you probably already know, Internet or email faxing uses the Internet and your email system to send and receive faxes. You simply sign up with an Internet fax service provider and receive the use of a Toll free or local fax number for a small monthly fee. You can check and send faxes from your own online login control panel and you can also store your faxes online.

Once you start using an Internet fax service you will realize it has many advantages. Here's a quick run-down at what you will find:

1. Lower Costs

The set-up cost of any Internet fax service is much cheaper. There is no need for a traditional fax machine and NO need for an extra phone line. This will save you or your company money in the short term and over the long haul. If your faxing requirements or needs are very minimal, you can sign up for a lite service with very inexpensive monthly or yearly fees. Some yearly fees are as low as $20 or monthly fees under $5.

2. Convenient And Portable

Internet fax is very convenient and portable, you can access it anywhere, anytime -- wherever you find the Internet. And these days that's just about anywhere on the planet.

Because it's web based, you are not tied down to the office fax machine or limited to any physical location. Online fax services are perfect for mobile professionals and business travelers. It is also ideal for those people who work in the field: real estate agents, sales people, medical personnel, engineers and architects. Those workers will find Internet fax is flexible, portable and very convenient to have.

3. Scalable For Any Business

Internet fax is completely scalable to meet any company's faxing needs, big or small. Most Internet fax services will offer special rates for large scale fax broadcasting and other faxing requirements of large businesses. It can be a good alternative faxing service for most companies, one that is easier to manage and run. A viable alternative to the old fax machine whose days may just be numbered.

4. It's Easier and Less Messy!

Internet fax is very easy to do, just attach a TIF, PDF, or JPG file to an email and hit send. It is also a lot cleaner, no more messy inks or paper jams. It truly is faxing simplified.

5. Internet Fax Is Progressive

Not to sound like a technical or business snob but Internet faxing is the modern way to fax. In our increasing technical world, it is probably the right route to take, unless we want our company or business perceived as operating in the dark ages. Granted, this is more a perception than actual fact. Many companies and workers would rather have their work confined to the office and the old fax machine -- don't bother me after business hours, thank you please!

However, from a competitive angle, it would be beneficial for any company or business to be permanently tied into their work or clients. Imagine not getting that latest real estate bid or losing that million dollar order that came in by fax over the weekend and had to be finalized immediately, ouch!

As you can see from the examples and points stated above, Internet fax does have many advantages and benefits. Online faxing can save you money and help make your company more competitive. Using or switching to Internet Faxing is one business move that requires some thought and consideration on your part.

Online faxing is the wave of the future and it is gaining ground quickly in the business community. Since an Internet fax service has so many advantages over faxing the old-fashion way, can you really afford not to test-run this relatively new way of faxing? The benefits of using an Internet fax service will make it worthwhile for you or your company. It is a smart way to do business.

Did you know that you can literally make money while you are catching some z's? There is nothing more rewarding than opening up your email program in the morning and hearing all the email come in filled with sales from around the world. You have worked hard to master your expertise and now it is time to turn it into products that not only provide a ton of value to your customers, but also provide you with another stream of revenue.

It's true -- building a passive income is your key to earning more money without working harder. Here are some ideas for how you can build an automatic income source for your online business in less than one week.

I once heard someone say "If you know how to: fix something , find something , save something, do something more quickly, do it better, do it more efficiently, do a greater amount of it, do it with greater quality, do it less expensively, do it more easily, do it more often, be happier doing it, do it automatically, or more effectively, take existing knowledge and apply to a new situation then you have a subject to create an information product about!"

There are two reasons to create an information product:

1. To create a system you can provide to your clients to eliminate the repetitive work that you dole out time and again.

As an example, I have many people hire me to help them create more profit through promotions. I found I was telling them the same information over and over that they could easily do themselves with the right information. I was sending the same worksheets and giving them the same resources. So one day, I decided to put it all into a home study program. This program is packed full of everything my coaching clients needed to effectively promote their business. Now when I have a coaching strategy session with them, we truly get to focus on the strategies, rather than the tactics. It is a win-win for both of us!

2. To create an alternative source of income.

Using this home study program, as an example, I have now "bottled my brain" and am able to offer a highly comprehensive solution to my clients promotional woes for a fraction of the cost. When companies would hire me to come in and do it for them, I would charge a minimum of $5K per month. I am now giving people all over the world access to my consulting for under $150.00. These sales add up too! If I sell 10 in a day that is $1500.00 I didn't have before.

I bet you are raring to get started now! I recommend that if you get this accomplished in less than 7 Days, you will play to your strengths. Are you a writer? Do you have connections with other people in your industry you want to partner with on a project? Do you love to speak publicly?

I want to give you three product ideas you can EASILY create almost instantly.