High Archives - TODAY INDIA

Sample Cover Letter For High School Students

Many teenagers who pass high school look for part time or full time jobs for earning pocket money. A job can be an experience building stepping stone if you already know what type of career you would like to make in future. Nowadays there is huge number of jobs available for high school student. You just need to prepare an effective cover letter if you want to secure a decent job.

In this article I would like to provide a sample of a high school cover letter which would help high school students, particularly juniors and seniors who want to enter the workforce.

Your Name

Your Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Your Phone #

Your Email

Date

Employer Name

Company

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name,

I am responding to the employment opportunity listed on your website. Please accept this letter and accompanying resume as evidence of my interest in applying for this job. I feel my qualifications and my skills would prove to be an asset for your organization.

I have recently passed high school from a well known school. Now, I am looking for an honored job that will add experience to my building career. Here are some of my key strengths that I would bring to the position. I am:

1. A self-starter.

2. Disciplined.

3. An excellent communicator.

4. Very willing and eager to learn new things.

5. Exceptional at customer service.

6. Great team worker.

Accepting challenges is the foundation of my life experiences and something I do with confidence. You will find me a totally committed individual with pride in being direct, spontaneous and communicative. I can maintain records, perform numerical calculations with accuracy and I need little direction to complete assigned tasks. These are the qualities that make an excellent candidate for this post.

I was responsible for handling and organizing various important activities in my school. I have even participated in numerous cultural activities. I have working knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, MS Excel and Internet.

I would appreciate your consideration of my credentials. If you do think there is a shared interest, I would greet the chance to meet with you to hear more about your company, the requirements of the position, and how my skills would be a good fit.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Typed Name

I hope my article will help you in preparing a high-quality and eye-catching high school student cover letter.

LinkedIn Traffic Secrets – 5 Simple Steps for High Quality Daily Buyer Traffic

Don’t chase after traffic. Discover where the traffic is already going and get in front of it. Then redirect the traffic where you want it to go, directly to your profit centers.

Get Your Wisdom Right Here

So many online entrepreneurs chase after traffic. Even veteran online entrepreneurs get caught up in this potential trap.

Chasing after traffic is especially dangerous for the beginning online entrepreneur. They throw money after traffic by buying traffic before they know what they are doing.

This can lead to lots of money going out with nothing to show for it.

Listen. I’m not against paid traffic. I use it.

I just strongly recommend that you create a proven system that takes a new person from prospect to customer before you pay for traffic.

Especially since there are so many great ways to get high quality buyer traffic for

Let’s Look at This the Right Way

Your mindset about traffic is critically important. When you view traffic the right way you are much more likely to do traffic the right way.

Before we talk about what the profitable traffic mindset is, let’s talk a bit about what it’s not.

Profitable traffic is not a one time event.

I hear this often as an excuse for not being successful with traffic online.

“Well, I tried to get traffic like they said. I create a (fill in the blank) to get traffic and nothing happened. This traffic stuff doesn’t work!”

This traffic stuff does work, it just might be you didn’t work it right.

Driving consistent, evergreen buyer traffic is a life long task. I’ve been at this full time for almost 10 years now. I still make creating new traffic one of my daily revenue generation rituals.

The correct view is for the long haul, getting immediate, long-term and evergreen buyer traffic.

While looking at traffic the wrong way is one of the common traffic mistakes, there are 3 other big profitable traffic mistakes you need to be aware of and avoid.

Mistake #1

As with lots of online success, there’s this myth about traffic. The myth goes something like this:

“Well really good traffic is for those people, and I’m not one of those people.”

On the surface it’s the magical thinking that profitable traffic and the success that comes with is just something that magically happens to a chosen few. And you are certain you are not one of the few.

This is at best a glorified excuse for failing, even for not trying at all.

At worst it’s a story some are committed to believing, because they are very committed, almost wed, to the notion that success is for other people, not them.

The reality is that every single one of those people who are enjoying successful traffic started with ZERO TRAFFIC.

Then they got the first person, then another, and then another and so on. They were willing to do the necessary things and work for the traffic they said they wanted.

Implement the correct and current strategies for building traffic, work at it, and you’ll enjoy lots of evergreen buyer traffic.

The bottom line is that building traffic works when you work, and when you work it right.

Mistake #2

Here’s another big profitable traffic mistake: relying on only one source of traffic.

Many entrepreneurs do this silly thing around many issues in business. This mistake is so prevalent in fact that master marketer Dan Kennedy has said:

“The worst number in business is 1.”

Back when I was a therapist in private practice I build many sources of referrals, which is the same as traffic offline.

When I started writing a weekly relationship column for the local newspaper that quickly became nationally syndicated my practice exploded with referrals. I was full with a waiting list and was filling up the practices of colleagues as well.

It was very, very tempting to stop nurturing other long term traffic sources and to not build any other sources of referrals.

Knowing the worst number in business is “1” I continued to nurture all my other traffic/referral sources and build new ones as well.

I wrote that weekly column for the local newspaper for 10 years. When that column, a major referral source, ended I was not panicked or affected at all because I had continued building additional sources of referral.

The bottom line online is you want to make building traffic a life long daily pursuit so that you have multiple streams of traffic coming in from multiple sources.

Mistake #3

Once you get good at generating consistent traffic it’s very easy to believe you can then go do the rest on your own.

And you will be able to do some.

The reality is that the profitable traffic game online is ever changing. It’s really too much to try to keep up with on your own.

For this reason and many more I will always have a coach and always be a part of a mastermind. I always want to have another set of trusted eyes on my business.

Other people whom you trust can always see the things you can’t see, simply because it’s your business and you can get too close to be able to see all your options.

The bottom line for you is to always have trusted eyes on the traffic generation part of your business.

The Power of Profitable Traffic

Remember when I said don’t chase after traffic, find out where the traffic is going, get in front of it, and then re-direct it exactly where you want it to go?

And where you want it to go is your profit centers like your blog, your opt in pages, your product resource pages as well.

The 3 types of traffic you want to build are:

1) Immediate traffic

2) Regular traffic

3) Long-term/evergreen traffic

Results Now Mini-Workshop

Now let’s get you some traffic with your content, shall we?

The steps are simple really:

Step 1 – Choose a specific topic in your niche – Interestingly enough, the more specific you can make the topic, the more buyer traffic you will pull.

Cast too wide a net and the less high quality traffic you get.

Cast a specific targeted net and the more high quality buyer traffic you get.

Step 2 – Come up with the 3 most common mistakes most beginners make around that specific topic. These can also be mistakes everyone makes, beginners and veterans alike.

Step 3 – For each mistake talk about how the mistake is made and what it looks like, how easy it is to make. You want to avoid making your prospect feel bad for making this common mistake.

Step 4 – For each mistake include what to do instead. You are not giving away the farm here, just offering one small tip.

Step 5 – Include a call to action to visit one of your profit pages and get your content out on Social Media, your blog and LinkedIn.

Major congrats! You’ve just created and shipped an Evergreen Traffic Machine that will bring your immediate, regular and long term evergreen traffic.

Profitable Genius Tip

“An evergreen traffic machine a day sends buyer traffic your way.”

I promised you a “traffic genius tip” and here it is:

You want to make creating your evergreen traffic machines something that you do daily. While that may sound like a lot, when you see the results it will feel much easier.

As you’ll see ETMs come in all forms – some as simple, quick and easy as an info-graphic, along with some that take a little more time such as blog posts, articles and videos.

Building ETMs is one of my DRGRs – how’s that for alphabet soup?

Said another way – creating evergreen traffic machine to build waves of highly qualified buyer traffic is one on my Daily Revenue Generating Rituals. I recommend it becomes one of yours too.

Mt Pleasant – High Life in the Low Country

Just East of Charleston is a beautiful stretch of land bounded by Charleston Harbor, Shem Creek and Cove Inlet. English settlers in 1680 named the area Mt. Pleasant. Today it is still a treasure to behold, but is easy to miss among the modern sprawl of Hwy 17.

As visitors walk the docks of Shem Creek and the streets of Old Town, they connect with the natural beauty of the area that drew settlers here. The marsh spreads out from Shem Creek, opening glistening green and gold arms out to Charleston harbor. In Old Town along Pitt Street, massive live oaks spread moss-laden limbs over narrow streets.

The historic charm hides the underlying battle between the descendants of the early settlers and modern day developers. Locals wish to remember and conserve the area, while developers dream up ways to profit on the ambiance. The fight against progress is ancient, its roots running deep along the shorelines. Low Country residents have a history of fighting for their beliefs, keeping time honored traditions intact. Balanced compromise is called for to accommodate industry and preserve the way of life.

“The Creek” as locals affectionately call it, runs out of the marsh and into Charleston Harbor, beckoning travelers to explore the natural beauty and architectural nooks and crannies. While dolphins cavort in the creek, pelicans and gulls perch on shrimp boats, inviting visitors to pause and enjoy the view. As the sun sets, rays of golden light reach through thunder heads above, bounce off the surface of the water and flash silvery radiance that lights up the marsh grass.

Boats of all sizes and shapes line the docks on each side of the creek. This community has provided much of the shrimp supplied to the Charleston area for 30+ years. Shrimp season opens in late April with the Blessing of the Fleet festival, held at historic Alahambra Hall. Deep sea fishing charter vessels also dock here, as do kayak outfitters. Sail and power vessels tie up to the dock, their passengers encouraged to dine along the quay. The ‘no wake’ zone makes it easy to pause here for an experience of freshly caught local seafood at restaurants lining “the Creek”.

For longer term stays, dock your vessel at Patriot’s Point Marina. Located just outside the mouth of Shem Creek toward Charleston Harbor, Patriot’s Point is the largest marina in the area, with 459 slips. A majestic view of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown offers an opportunity to explore and connect with naval history. An entire day could be devoted to exploring the Yorktown, the Coast Guard Cutter and the Medal of Honor Museum. Tour boats to Ft. Sumpter leave from the Yorktown daily.

Patriot’s Point Resort and Hotel is also located here. Nautical themed guest rooms decorated in bright yellows and blues, comfy bedding and spectacular views of the harbor keep guests close to the water with all the comforts of home. The resort also offers an 18-hole championship golf course overlooking Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter and Shem Creek. Known for its challenging waterfront finishing holes, the course is within minutes of the beaches at the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

Patriots Point Resort is well acquainted with water lovers. Charleston Race Week is held here in the Spring, and sport fishing tournaments are throughout the season. Black and White photographs of previous tournament winners line the walls in the Reel Bar. A quick bike ride or shuttle from East Cooper Shuttle will transport you over to Shem Creek. For guests preferring to go into Charleston the Water Taxi leaves from Dock A hourly, dropping passengers at the Charleston Maritime Center, within walking distance of the Aquarium. Bikes and pets are welcome on the water taxi. Bring the camera for unique close ups of the hull of the U.S.S. Yorktown and the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.

For accommodations overlooking Shem Creek, check into The Shem Creek Inn. The Inn offers a 10% discount for fishing charters booked with Captain Rick Hiott’s Inshore Fishing Charters. Guests booking a fishing charter with Captain Rick Hiott’s Inshore Fishing Charters receive a 10% discount on room rates. Captain Hiott’s fishing expertise for Red Drum is widely known, both with locals and worldwide. Featured on the Discovery Channel – Europe and in Saltwater Sportsman Magazine, Captain Hiott is highly recommended for finding the best inshore fishing hot spots, and also for his genuine interest in teaching others about the inshore waters around Charleston.

The abundance and experience of local fishermen here provides for the ultimate in fresh seafood. Mt. Pleasant Seafood operates a retail store here at the Creek and has a booth at the Mt. Pleasant Farmer’s Market. For fining out, patrons at the Water’s Edge Cabana Bar delight at the antics of the playful goodwill ambassadors of the Creek. Arriving daily at 4 pm, the male dolphin makes his appearance, followed by the rest of the pod. Look closely and you will see the baby swimming along with his mother. It’s as if these creatures have come to just to welcome guests to the area. It would be difficult not to be infused with wonder as one watches these beautiful beings fish for their supper. Working in conjunction with brown pelicans and seagulls, they dive for fish remains from the charter boats.

Sunsets are an event here. Several restaurants offer outdoor and creekside dining, allowing guests to experience the wonder of a brilliant Charleston sunset with the ubiquitous charm of a small fishing village. Enjoy the view from the outdoor bar and dining area at Vickery’s. Watch as the suns rays cast over the marsh as it spreads toward the mouth of the creek. Feel the gentle breezes from Charleston Harbor waft through the palmettos. Even during a storm, the view from the indoor bar is a magnificent way to watch the drama without dampening the spirit. From the indoor bar, one can see the shrimp boats, wings spread out and up as if they were water angels ready to fly.

Looking across the creek offers an opportunity to check out the architectural nooks and crannies lining the docks. Magwoods Seafood still provides shrimp and fish to much of Charleston after 30 years in business. “Live long, Love long, Eat Seafood” is their motto, painted on the walls in red and blue. At The Wreck, Low Country culinary favorites are dished up informally on huge paper plates. The price is well worth the spectacular sunset view from the screened in porch dining room. This is one place the no-see-ums can’t reach during dinner.

Looking toward the bridge, R.B.’s and Red’s Ice House offer more choices for outdoor dining. RB’s is more upscale, and quite serious about proper patron parking, sometimes towing their own customers by mistake. Bright yellow signs warn fines for booting and towing. RB’s owns the Shem Creek Towing Company, and keeps a tow truck is parked in view on the lot.

Red’s is the casual local hangout with something going on at Happy Hour daily. Offering free parking in a huge gravel lot adjacent to the restaurant, they are more concerned with customers having a great time. Red’s is also the local “Yappy Hour” hotspot, so bring your canine buddies to meet and greet the locals. Ice cold buckets of water and doggie biscuits are favorites with the four-legged furry crowd. Upstairs, the view of the sunset is unparalleled. Cushions line the upstairs bar, which can be reserved for private parties. On holidays, this is a prime spot to view fireworks shot from the U.S.S. Yorktown.

Happy hours are special at Red’s Ice House. On Sundays, listen to local acoustic/rock/folk singers playing downstairs. On Thursdays, taste the freshly steamed shrimp served up at the bar for free. Best of all, Wednesday evenings feature a sunset cruise on the Palmetto Breeze, a 50′ sailing catamaran. This is a great way to watch the CORA (Charleston Ocean Racing Assoc.) races in the harbor, with plenty of photo ops on the trip. Ticket prices include adult beverages and a spread of hors du vours. Captain Ping is always cheerful, ready to take guests out on the water. He will even let you steer the boat, if you ask nicely.

A few blocks away from Red’s is the Old Town of Mount Pleasant. Listed on the National Register of Historic places, Old Town is home to quaint churches, colonial and antebellum homes and also the majestic Alhambra Hall, the original site of the Mount Pleasant Ferry Company. Built in 1847 by Charles Jugnot and Oliver Hilliard as a summer retreat and dance hall, Alhambra Hall sits nestled in a grove of massive live oaks. Rebuilt in 1937, it is a popular spot for community events. Located on a waterfront park lined with live oaks, and equipped with a fabulous community playground, this is a quiet peaceful place for an afternoon picnic. Wander over to the Confederate Cemetery, and don’t miss the tiny Post Office building on the way back over Pitt Street. Many streets end with a view of Charleston harbor, making it easy to see why the town founders named it Mt. Pleasant. Although there is no mountain per say, it is certainly a pleasant place to be.

A short distance away is the Old Town, where visitors can tap into nostalgia with an old fashioned ice cream soda from the Pitt Street Pharmacy. Down the block, the Old Post House Restaurant and Tavern operates in the building that served as a grocery store. Originally built by German immigrants in 1888, the Post House serves light lunch and dinner, with dining downstairs and a meeting room upstairs for private parties. She Crab soup, tuna, lamb shank, steaks, sauteed sea bass, and shrimp & grits await hungry diners here. The streets of Old Town point toward Charleston

If you’re in Mount Pleasant on a Tuesday afternoon, stop by the Farmer’s Market, held at the Old Moultrie Middle School on West Coleman Blvd. An abundance of fresh flowers, herbs, local produce, and seafood is found in this tiny market. Local Bluegrass or acoustic musicians perform while you shop. Snow Cones and face painting are available for kids of all ages and a barbeque stand ensures that you won’t go hungry before you get back to your floating home. The Market runs through the end of October, with a special Holiday Market and Craft Show scheduled on December 8 from 10 – 3 pm.

Shopping in this area offers a variety of delightful wares both in Old Town and on the Creek, and in some cases, a generous helping of local history. In the village, Utonga Gallery offers a unique collection of Shona (Zimbabwe) sculpture. Next door, Out of Hand Gallery is a feast for the eyes of cards, gifts and treasures to remember your visit. At the Charleston Candle Cottage on West Coleman Blvd., customers can chat with Rachel, the proprietress. A post office is located in the back for mailing art cards to folks back home. The candle selection here is vast as well. Behind the Candle Cottage, watch local artist Steven Jordan as he paints watercolors and oils of favorite Low Country scenery.

Across the way on Mill Street, a variety of shops are located in the Commons. For the right stationery and post cards, check out The Scratch Pad. Sue Tanis offers an appealing selection of quirky, fun locally oriented gifts, stationery and invitations for the right occasion. At the end of Mill Street, proprietress and local history expert Lou Edens offers a collection of select gifts, home furnishings and a generous helping of local history about the area at The Fifth Season. Lou owned and operated the Maritime Museum next door for years, and also owns Rice Hope Plantation Bed & Breakfast on the Cooper River.

Shem Creek Marina is across from The Fifth Season on Mill Street. Sailing vessels can’t navigate under the bridge, the marina specializes in long term dry dock storage for smaller power boats. The old Maritime Museum building is next door, now the recent home of Coastal Expeditions kayak tours. Coastal Expeditions offers kayak tours of Shem Creek, and passenger ferry tours to Bull Island year round.

Two more restaurants are on this side of Shem Creek. Shem Creek Bar & Grill has a spectacular view of the marsh from the outdoor dock bar and the indoor back porch. Inside the main restaurant, the bow shaped bar is unique, reminding all who enter that boating is a first love here. With a great selection of seafood and Low Country favorites, this family oriented restaurant has it all. Next door the new Creekside Bar & Grill offers lower priced favorites and outdoor roof seating overlooking the creek.

One could easily spend a week discovering the historic places in this area. Watching a sunset through the shrimp boat wings, strolling along the docks of the creek after dinner, and taking time to explore local shops will endear visitors to this charming spot so close to Charleston. A kayak tour will shed light on conservation efforts on the Creek, and a conversation with locals at Red’s will further enhance your visit here. Check out the many wonders of Shem Creek and Old Town Mt. Pleasant soon, before it’s too late to remember the way things were.

Sidebar

Lodging

Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina

20 Patriots Point Road

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

http://www.CharlestonHarborResort.com

843-856-0028

Toll Free: 888-856- 8333

Reservations

Toll free – (888) 856-0028

Shem Creek Inn

1401 Shrimp Boat Ln,

Mt Pleasant, SC

(843) 881-1000

Marinas

Charleston Harbor Marina

24 Patriot’s Point Rd.

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

Office: (843) 284-7062

Mobile: (843) 297-2949 or (843) 297-2948

Fax: (843)856-8540

Patriots Point Links on Charleston Harbor

One Patriots Point Road

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Phone: 843.881.0042

Fax: 843.881.0044

Toll Free: 877.709.5053

Restaurants

Water’s Edge

1407 Shrimp Boat Lane

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

Reservations 843.884.4074

Vickery’s Bar & Grill

1313 Shrimp Boat Ln

Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

(843)884-4440

Reds Icehouse

98 Church Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843.388.000

Shem Creek Bar & Grill

508 Mill St

Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

(843)884-8102

Creekside Grill

508 B Mill Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843-856-4803

http://www.CreeksideBarGrill.com

Old Village Post House

101 Pitt Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843-388-8935

Tours and Sightseeing

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

40 Patriots Point Road

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

866-831-1720 toll free

843-884-2727

Angie Bennett, Group Business/ Visitor Services

866-831-1720 toll free

groupreservations@patriotspoint.org

Aqua Safaris, Inc. (Palmetto Breeze)

24 Patriot’s Point Rd.

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

800-524-3444, 843-886-8133

Coastal Expeditions

514 B Mill Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843-884-7684

Fishing Charters

Aqua Adventures

Capain Chuck Griffin

843-884-6696

843-860-1664

Captain Rick Hiott’s Inshore Fishing Charters

(843) 412-6776 cell

or (843) 554-9386 home

Transportation

East Cooper Shuttle

Elaine: 843-343-0484

John: 843-327-4700

Water Taxi

Charleston Water Taxi

843) 330-CWTX (2989),

One way $5

Round Trip: $8

All day Pass: $12.

Galleries

Steven Jordan Gallery

409 W. Coleman Blvd and

423 W. Coleman Blvd in the Peach Orchard Plaza

843-881-1644

Utonga Gallery

113 Pitt Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

800 732 4306

(843) 216 7686

Shopping

Out of Hand

113C Pitt Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843-856-3585

The Fifth Season

510 Mill Street

Mt. Pleasant SC 29464

843-884-5000

The Scratch Pad

409 Mill Street

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

843-884-3433

Biometric Techniques – Enhancing Security Standards In High Performance Enterprise

INTRODUCTION:

In today’s digital economy, where many important activities are carried out with the help of computer, the need for reliable, simple, flexible and secure system is a great concern and a challenging issue for the organisation. Day by day security breaches and transaction fraud increases, the need for secure identification and personal verification technologies is becoming a great concern to the organisation. By measuring something unique about an individual and using that to identify, an organisation can dramatically improve their security measures. Awareness of security issues is rapidly increasing among company how they want to protect the information which is a greatest asset that the company possesses. The organisation wants to protect this information from either internal or external threat. Security plays a very important role in the organization and to make computer system secure, various biometric techniques have been developed. Today biometric techniques are a reliable method of recognising the identity of a person based on physiological or behavioral characteristics. Biometrics techniques exploit human’s unique physical or behavioral traits in order to authenticate people. The features measured are face, fingerprints, hand geometry, iris, retinal, voice etc. Biometric authentication is increasingly being used in areas like banking, retailing, defense, manufacturing, health industry, stock exchange, public sector, airport security, internet security etc. Biometric technologies are providing a highly-secure identification and personal verification solutions. Biometric techniques are an attempt in providing a robust solution to many challenging problems in security. Biometrics focuses on the analysis of physical or behavioral traits that determine individual identity. Biometrics can he used to verify the identity of an individual based on the measurement and analysis of unique physical and behavioral data. Indeed, biometrics techniques increasingly are being viewed as the preferred means to confirm an individual’s identity accurately.

The history of biometric techniques is not new, it trace its origin from the past. The ancient biometric technique which was practiced was a form of finger printing being used in China in the 14th century, as reported by the Portuguese historian Joao de Barros. The Chinese merchants were stamping children’s palm and footprints on paper with ink to distinguish the babies from one another. Biometrics the ancient Greek word is the combination of two words -bio means life, metric means measurement.It is the study of methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon physical or behavioral characterstics. The physiological characterstics are fingerprint, face, hand geometry, DNA and iris recognition. Behavioral are related to the behavior of a person like signature, study of keystroke, voice etc. Thus a biometric system is essentially a pattern recognition system which makes a personal identification by determining the authenticity of a specific physiological or behavioral characteristic possessed by the user. Biometric characteristics are collected using a device called a sensor. These sensors are used to acquire the data needed for verification or identification and to convert the data to a digital code. The quality of the device chosen to capture data has a significant impact on the recognition results. The devices could be digital cameras for face recognition, ear recognition etc or a telephone for voice recognition etc. A biometric system operates in verification mode or identification mode. In verification mode the system validates a person identity by comparing the captured biometric data with the biometric template stored in the database and is mainly used for positive recognition. In the identification mode the system captures the biometric data of an individual and searches the biometric template of all users in the database till a match is not found.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIOMETRIC TECHNIQUES

o Face Recognition

The biometric system can automatically recognize a person by the face. This technology works by analyzing specific features in the face like – the distance between the eyes, width of the nose, position of cheekbones, jaw line, chin ,unique shape, pattern etc. These systems involve measurement of the eyes, nose, mouth, and other facial features for identification. To increase accuracy these systems also may measure mouth and lip movement.Face recognition captures characteristics of a face either from video or still image and translates unique characteristics of a face into a set of numbers. These data collected from the face are combined in a single unit that uniquely identifies each person. Sometime the features of the face are analyzed like the ongoing changes in the face while smiling or crying or reacting to different situation etc.The entire face of the person is taken into consideration or the different part of the face is taken into consideration for the identity of a person. It is highly complex technology. The data capture by using video or thermal imaging. The user identity is confirmed by looking at the screen. The primary benefit to using facial recognition as a biometric authenticator is that people are accustomed to presenting their faces for identification and instead of ID card or photo identity card this technique will be beneficial in identifying a person. As the person faces changes by the age or person goes for plastic surgery, in this case the facial recognition algorithm should measure the relative position of ears, noses, eyes and other facial features.

o Hand Geometry:

Hand geometry is techniques that capture the physical characteristics of a user’s hand and fingers. It analyses finger image ridge endings, bifurcations or branches made by ridges. These systems measure and record the length, width, thickness, and surface area of an individual’s hand. It is used in applications like access control and time and attendance etc. It is easy to use, relatively inexpensive and widely accepted. A camera captures a 3 dimensional image of the hand. A verification template is created and stored in the database and is compared to the template at the time of verification of a person. Fingerprint identification.Currently fingerprint readers are being built into computer memory cards for use with laptops or PCs and also in cellular telephones, and personal digital assistants. It is successfully implemented in the area of physical access control.

o Eye Recognition:

This technique involves scanning of retina and iris in eye. Retina scan technology maps the capillary pattern of the retina, a thin nerve on the back of the eye. A retina scan measures patterns at over 400 points. It analyses the iris of the eye, which is the colored ring of tissue that surrounds the pupil of the eye. This is a highly mature technology with a proven track record in a number of application areas. Retina scanning captures unique pattern of blood vessels where the iris scanning captures the iris. The user must focus on a point and when it is in that position the system uses a beam of light to capture the unique retina characterstics.It is extremely secure and accurate and used heavily in controlled environment. However, it is expensive, secure and requires perfect alignment and usually the user must look in to the device with proper concentration. Iris recognition is one of the most reliable biometric identification and verification methods. It is used in airports for travellers.Retina scan is used in military and government organization. Organizations use retina scans primarily for authentication in high-end security applications to control access, for example, in government buildings, military operations or other restricted quarters, to authorized personnel only. The unique pattern and characteristics in the human iris remain unchanged throughout one’s lifetime and no two persons in the world can have the same iris pattern.

o Voice Biometrics

Voice biometrics, uses the person’s voice to verify or identify the person. It verifies as well as identifies the speaker. A microphone on a standard PC with software is required to analyze the unique characteristics of the person. Mostly used in telephone-based applications. Voice verification is easy to use and does not require a great deal of user education. To enroll, the user speaks a given pass phrase into a microphone or telephone handset. The system then creates a template based on numerous characteristics, including pitch, tone, and shape of larynx. Typically, the enrollment process takes less than a minute for the user to complete. Voice verification is one of the least intrusive of all biometric methods. Furthermore, voice verification is easy to use and does not require a great deal of user education.

o Signature Verification

Signature verification technology is the analysis of an individual’s written signature, including the speed, acceleration rate, stroke length and pressure applied during the signature. There are different ways to capture data for analysis i.e. a special pen can be used to recognize and analyze different movements when writing a signature, the data will then be captured within the pen. Information can also be captured within a special tablet that measures time, pressure, acceleration and the duration the pen touches it .As the user writes on the tablet, the movement of the pen generates sound against paper an is used for verification. An individual’s signature can change over time, however, which can result in the system not recognizing authorized users. Signature systems rely on the device like special tablet, a special pen etc. When the user signs his name on an electronic pad, rather than merely comparing signatures, the device instead compares the direction, speed and pressure of the writing instrument as it moves across the pad.

o Keystroke

This method relies on the fact that every person has her/his own keyboard-melody, which is analysed when the user types. It measures the time taken by a user in pressing a particular key or searching for a particular key.

OTHER BIOMETRIC TECHNIQUES ARE
o Vein/vascular patterns: Analyses the

veins in, for example, the hand and the face.

o Nail identification: Analyses the tracks in the nails.

o DNA patterns: it is a very expensive technique and it takes a long time for verification/identification of a person

o Sweat pore analysis: Analyses the way pores on a finger are located.

o Ear recognition: Shape and size of an ear are unique for every person.

o Odour detection: Person is verified or identified by their smell.

o Walking recognition: It analyses the way the person walks.

METHODS OF BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION:

o VERIFICATION : is the process of verifying the user is who they claim to be.

o IDENTIFICATION : is the process of identifying the user from a set of known users.

WORKING OF BIOMETRICS:

All biometric systems works in a four-stage process that consists of the following steps.

o Capture: A biometric system captures the sample of biometric characteristics like fingerprint, voice etc of the person who wants to login to the system.

o Extraction: Unique data are extracted from the sample and a template is created. Unique features are then extracted by the system and converted into a digital biometric code. This sample is then stored as the biometric template for that individual.

o Comparison: The template is then compared with a new sample. The biometric data are then stored as the biometric template or template or reference template for that person.

o Match/non-match: The system then decides whether the features extracted from the new sample are a match or a non-match with the template. When identity needs checking, the person interacts with the biometric system, a new biometric sample is taken and compared with the template. If the template and the new sample match, the person’s identity is confirmed else a non-match is confirmed.

[Biometric Authentication System and its functional components]

The Biometric authentication system includes three layered architecture:

o Enroll: A sample is captured from a device, processed into a usable form from which a template is constructed, and returned to the application.

o Verify: One or more samples are captured, processed into a usable form, and then matched against an input template. The results of the comparison are returned.

o Identify: One or more samples are captured, processed into a usable form, and matched against a set of templates. A list is generated to show how close the samples compare against the top candidates in the set.

A biometric template is an individual’s sample, a reference data, which is first captured from the selected biometric device. Later, the individual’s identity is verified by comparing the subsequent collected data against the individual’s biometric template stored in the system. Typically, during the enrollment process, three to four samples may be captured to arrive at a representative template. The resultant biometric templates, as well as the overall enrollment process, are key for the overall success of the biometric application. If the quality of the template is poor, the user will need to go through re-enrollment again. The template may be stored, within the biometric device, remotely in a central repository or on a portable card.

Storing the template on the biometric device has the advantage of fast access to the data. There is no dependency on the network or another system to access the template. This method applies well in situations when there are few users of the application. Storing the template in a central repository is a good option in a high-performance, secure environment. Keep in mind that the size of the biometric template varies from one vendor product to the next and is typically between 9 bytes and 1.5k. For example, as a fingerprint is scanned, up to 100 minutia points are captured and run against an algorithm to create a 256-byte binary template. An ideal configuration could be one in which copies of templates related to users are stored locally for fast access, while others are downloaded from the system if the template cannot be found locally.

Storing the template on a card or a token has the advantage that the user carries his or her template with them and can use it at any authorized reader position. Users might prefer this method because they maintain control and ownership of their template. However, if the token is lost or damaged, the user would need to re-enroll. If the user base does not object to storage of the templates on the network, then an ideal solution would be to store the template on the token as well as the network. If the token is lost or damaged, the user can provide acceptable identity information to access the information based on the template that can be accessed on the network. The enrollment time is the time it takes to enroll or register a user to the biometric system. The enrollment time depends on a number of variables such as: users’ experience with the device or use of custom software or type of information collected at the time of enrollment

Biometric Performance Measures:

o False acceptance rate (FAR) or False match rate (FMR): the probability that the system incorrectly declares a successful match between the input pattern and a non-matching pattern in the database. It measures the percent of invalid matches. These systems are critical since they are commonly used to forbid certain actions by disallowed people.

o False reject rate (FRR) or False non-match rate (FNMR): the probability that the system incorrectly declares failure of match between the input pattern and the matching template in the database. It measures the percent of valid inputs being rejected.

o Receiver (or relative) operating characteristic (ROC): In general, the matching algorithm performs a decision using some parameters (e.g. a threshold). In biometric systems the FAR and FRR can typically be traded off against each other by changing those parameters. The ROC plot is obtained by graphing the values of FAR and FRR, changing the variables implicitly. A common variation is the Detection error trade-off (DET), which is obtained using normal deviate scales on both axes.

o Equal error rate (EER): The rates at which both accept and reject errors are equal. ROC or DET plotting is used because how FAR and FRR can be changed, is shown clearly. When quick comparison of two systems is required, the ERR is commonly used. Obtained from the ROC plot by taking the point where FAR and FRR have the same value. The lower the EER, the more accurate the system is considered to be.

o Failure to enroll rate (FTE or FER): the percentage of data input is considered invalid and fails to input into the system. Failure to enroll happens when the data obtained by the sensor are considered invalid or of poor quality.

o Failure to capture rate (FTC): Within automatic systems, the probability that the system fails to detect a biometric characteristic when presented correctly.

o Template capacity: the maximum number of sets of data which can be input in to the system.

For example, performance parameters associated with the fingerprint reader may be:

o a false acceptance rate of less than or equal to 0.01 percent

o a false rejection rate of less than 1.4 percent

o the image capture area is 26×14 mm.

Obviously, these two measures should be as low as possible to avoid authorized user rejection but keep out unauthorized users. In applications with medium security level a 10% False Rejection Error will be unacceptable, where false acceptance rate error of 5% is acceptable.

False Acceptance When a biometric system incorrectly identifies an individual or incorrectly verifies an impostor against a claimed identity. Also known as a Type II error. False Acceptance Rate/FAR

The probability that a biometric system will incorrectly identify an individual or will fail to reject an impostor. Also known as the Type II error rate.

It is stated as follows:

FAR = NFA / NIIA or FAR = NFA / NIVA

where FAR is the false acceptance rate

NFA is the number of false acceptances

NIIA is the number of impostor identification attempts

NIVA is the number of impostor verification attempts

False Rejection Rate/FRR The probability that a biometric system will fail to identify an enrollee, or verify the legitimate claimed identity of an enrollee. Also known as a Type I error rate.

It is stated as follows:

FRR = NFR / NEIA or FRR = NFR / NEVA

where FRR is the false rejection rate

NFR is the number of false rejections

NEIA is the number of enrollee identification attempts

NEVA is the number of enrollee verification attempts

Crossover Error Rate (CER)

Represents the point at which the false reject rate = the false acceptance rate.

Stated in percentage

Good for comparing different biometrics systems

A system with a CER of 3 will be more accurate than a system with a CER of 4

BIOMETRICS USE IN INDUSTRY

Punjab National Bank (PNB) installed its first biometric ATM at a village in Gautam Budh Nagar (UP) to spread financial inclusion. “The move would help illiterate and semi-literate customers to do banking transaction any time.

Union Bank of India biometric smart cards launched. Hawkers and small traders could avail loan from the bank using the card.

In Coca-Cola Co., hand-scanning machines are used to replace the time card monitoring for the workers. In New Jersey and six other states, fingerprint scanners are now used to crack down on people claiming welfare benefits under two different names.

In Cook County, Illinois, a sophisticated camera that analyzes the iris patterns of an individual’s eyeball is helping ensure that the right people are released from jail. At Purdue University in Indiana, the campus credit union is installing automated teller machines with a finger scanner that will eliminate the need for plastic bankcards and personal identification numbers.

MasterCard International Inc. and Visa USA Inc., the world’s two largest credit card companies, have begun to study the feasibility of using finger-scanning devices at the point of sale to verify that the card user is really the card holder. The scanners would compare fingerprints with biometric information stored on a microchip embedded in the credit card.
Walt Disney World in Orlando has started taking hand scans of people who purchase yearly passes. These visitors now must pass through a scanner when entering the park preventing them from lending their passes to other people.

The technology also received widespread attention at summer’s Olympic Games Atlanta, where 65,000 athletes, coaches and officials used a hand-scanning system to enter the Olympic Village.

Selection of Biometric Techniques:

There are a lot of decision factors for selecting a particular biometric technology for a specific application.

1. Economic Feasibility or Cost:-The cost of biometric system implementation has decreased recently; it is still a major barrier for many companies. Traditional authentication systems, such as passwords and PIN, require relatively little training, but this is not the case with the most commonly used biometric systems. Smooth operation of those systems requires training for both systems administrators and users.

2. Risk Analysis:-Error rates and the types of errors vary with the biometrics deployed and the circumstances of deployment. Certain types of errors, such as false matches, may pose fundamental risks to business security, while other types of errors may reduce productivity and increase costs. Businesses planning biometrics implementation will need to consider the acceptable error threshold.

3. Perception of Users:-Users generally view behavior-based biometrics such as voice recognition and signature verification as less intrusive and less privacy-threatening than physiology-based biometrics.

4. TechnoSocio Feasibility:-Organizations should focus on the user-technology interface and the conditions in the organizational environment that may influence the technology’s performance. The organization should create awareness among the users how to use the techniques and should overcome the psychological factors as user fears about the technology. Organization has to also consider the privacy rights of users while implementing the biometric techniques.

5. Security: Biometric techniques should have high security standards if they will be implemented in high secure environment. The biometric techniques should be evaluated on the basis of their features, potential risk and area of application, and subjected to a comprehensive risk analysis.

6. User friendly and social acceptability -Biometric techniques should be robust and user friendly to use and they should function reliably for a long period of time. The techniques should not divide the society into two group i.e. digital and non digital society.

7. Legal Feasibility-Government has to form a regulatory statutory framework for the use of biometric techniques in various commercial applications. It should form a standard regulatory framework for use of these techniques in commercial applications or transactions. If required the framework has to be regulated and changed time to time.

8. Privacy-As biometric techniques rely on personal physical characteristics, an act has to be made to protect the individual’s privacy data not to be used by other. A data protection law has to be created in order to protect the person’s privacy data.
Criteria for evaluating biometric technologies.

The reliability and acceptance of a system depends on the effectiveness of the system, how the system is protected against unauthorized modification, knowledge or use, how the systems provide solutions to the threats and its ability and effectiveness to identify system’s abuses.

These biometric methods use data compression algorithms, protocols and codes. These algorithms can be classified in three categories:

o Statistical modeling methods,

o Dynamic programming,

o Neural networks.

The mathematical tools used in biometric procedure need to be evaluated. Mathematical analysis and proofs of the algorithms need to be evaluated by experts on the particular fields. If algorithms implement “wrong” mathematics then the algorithms are wrong and the systems based on these algorithms are vulnerable. If the algorithms used in the biometric methods have “leaks”, or if efficient decoding algorithms can be found then the biometric methods themselves are vulnerable and thus the systems based on these methods become unsafe.

Different algorithms offer different degrees of security, it depends on how hard they are to break. If the cost required to break an algorithm is greater than the value of the data then we are probably safe. In our case where biometric methods are used in financial transactions where a lot of money is involved it makes it worth it for an intruder to spend the money for cryptanalysis.

The cryptographic algorithms or techniques used to implement the algorithms and protocols can be vulnerable to attacks. Attacks can also be conceived against the protocols themselves or aged standard algorithms. Thus criteria should be set for the proper evaluation of the biometric methods addressing these theoretical concerns.

The evaluation of the biometric systems is based on their implementation. There are four basic steps in the implementation of the biometric systems which impose the formation of evaluative criteria.

o Capture of the users attribute.

o Template generation of the users attribute.

o Comparison of the input with the stored template for the authorized user.

o Decision on access acceptance or rejection.

Applications of biometric techniques

Biometrics is an emerging technology which has been widely used in different organization for the security purpose. Biometrics can be used to prevent unauthorized access to ATMs, cellular phones, smart cards, desktop PCs, workstations, and computer networks. It can be used during transactions conducted via telephone and Internet (electronic commerce and electronic banking). Due to increased security threats, many countries have started using biometrics for border control and national ID cards. The use of biometric identification or verification systems are widely used in different companies as well as the government agencies. The applications where biometric technique has its presence are

o Identity cards and passports.

o Banking, using ATMs, Accessing Network Resource

o Physical access control of buildings, areas, doors and cars.

o Personal identification

o Equipment access control

o Electronic access to services (e-banking, e-commerce)

o Travel and Transportation, Sporting Event

o Border control

o Banking and finance, Shopping Mall

o Airport security

o Cyber security

o Time Management in Organization

o Voice Recognition(Telebanking)

o Prison visitor monitoring system.

o Voting System

Prospects of Biometric Techniques:

The biometric industry is at an infancy stage in India, but is growing fast to capture the entire market. This technique is expanding both into private and public areas of application. Biometric applications need to interconnect to multiple devices and legacy applications. The industry market and consumer markets are adopting biometric technologies for increased security and convenience. With the decreasing price of biometric solutions and improved technology, more organization is coming forward to implement this technology. The lack of a standard regulatory framework is a major drawback in implementing biometrics in organisation.It is not widely accepted by the users because some organization and society have the opinion that this technology is inappropriate and the privacy data of the users are lost. If proper regulatory framework is not established it will not be accepted by the organization as well as by the user. The devices manufactured for biometric techniques has to comply with standards Increased IT spending in the government and financial sector offers better opportunities for such deployments. Even though there are no global mandated or regulatory frame works as of now, they are expected to arrive very soon.
Standarad law and regulation will open a wide market for biometrics in electronic legal and commercial transactions.

The anti-terrorism act has introduced has a wide scope for the biometric techniques to be implemented.

Consumer privacy data has to be protected in order to be widely accepted by the user.
Integration of biometric with different legacy application and hardware.

Biometric technique has a great demand in the telecommunication domain.

The notebook and laptop manufacturer has already implemented the biometric techniques like finger printing for the enhancement of the security.

The biometric industry must address major challenges related to performance, real-world utility, and potential privacy impact in order for biometrics to reach their full potential
Many companies are also implementing biometric technologies to secure areas, maintain time records, and enhance user convenience.

An interesting biometric application is linking biometrics to credit cards.

Other financial transactions could benefit from biometrics, e.g., voice verification when banking by phone, fingerprint validation for e-commerce, etc. The market is huge, and covers a very wide range of hardware, applications and services.

Conclusion:

The future of this technology is booming. With the rapid increase of fraud and theft in commercial transaction; it is a great concern for the organization to use biometric as key instrument in eliminating the fraud and flaws in the traditional security approach. Both businesses and consumers are anxious for greater security in commercial transactions. The technology is increasingly reliable and affordable, and the question of the legal enforceability of electronic contracts is settled. While consumers recognize the benefits of biometric authentication, they are reluctant to fully accept the technology without adequate assurances that companies will keep their biometric information confidential and subject to various safeguards and the existing law provides a limited measure of protection for biometric information so greater protection should be offered to consumers so that their personal information is not misused. Biometrics will play vital roles in the next generation of automatic identification system. Biometric identifiers must be considered when implementing a biometric-based identification system. The applicability of specific biometric techniques depends heavily on the application domain. Biometrics must be implemented properly to be effective and the consequences considered. Biometrics will become increasingly prevalent in day-to-day activities where proper identification is required. The real future of the technology lies in creating a biometric trust infrastructure that allows private sector and the public sector to handle security needs. Ultimately, such an infrastructure would allow people to move to various locations worldwide while maintaining their security clearance as defined by their physiological and behavioral identities.

Take Your Customer Service Dept From ‘Cost Saving & Cost Reduction’ To High Profit & Business Growth

The more communication I have with people involved in telephone service and sales, such as Contact/Call Centers and Customer Service Departments, the more amazed I become at the reluctance to create more sales and profit opportunities through better interaction with current customers, reactivation of lost accounts and new business acquisition.

Companies are forever seeking ways to cut costs and reduce staff – particularly so in Call/Contact Centers (turning so many into ‘Call ‘n’ Wait’ disaster zones) – they often fail to see what rewards they can achieve by using the following formula:

1 humble telephone + 1 skilled operator + 1 established sales system = HUGE PROFITS!

Here are twelve ideas that can dramatically improve your bottom line RESULTS build greater customer RELATIONSHIPS and earn you (a company of any size and industry) more REVENUE.

1. Build the loyalty of your current customers

A ‘no brainer’ right? Why is that so many customers cannot get through to you, when it suits them?

Why are you constantly offering free incentives and reduced prices to gain new business?

CRM is meant to be the new service elixir. Well it is worth nothing if you don’t listen to your customers.

Here’s an example – in the last six months or so, a metropolitan daily newspaper has offered ten-week subscriptions for $39.90 (I pay more and have subscribed for 20 years), contests (win wine if you subscribe, see a rock group in concert!) and give-aways to induce new subscribers. Me, I get some sort of special club membership with the odd discount or special offer. But hey, so do the new subscribers! Who’s ahead?

2. Gain referrals from current customers

The cost of losing customers is almost incalculable. Add to that the people they tell about their bad experiences and the people they never refer to you.

Instead, offer your current customers a total strategy of satisfaction and benefits. Then, encourage them to tell others.

Don’t reward these referred customers (but do give them total satisfaction and benefits). Do reward your current customer for their referral. Develop a system that will encourage customers to tell friends, family, their customers and associates about you and then say ‘thank you’ or offer them something of value for their efforts.

3. Add VALUE to every sale

Here is a really simple equation: If you give value – you get more sales.

That’s it. If your people are trained to offer advice and information, educate customers, offer them creativity and innovation then your customers will buy more products and services, more often.

Even if your prices are slightly higher. This was the IBM way, back in the 60’s and 70’s with some great lessons to be learned. IBM charged the steepest prices in the industry but their service and support was legendary. The phrase ‘no one ever got fired for buying IBM’ originated way back then.

4. Turn an enquiry into a prospect

Then, turn that prospect into a customer. Then turn that customer into an advocate, one of your company’s ‘raving fans’.

All you need are trained people, a system and a monitoring and measuring plan. Simple? Yes it is, and like all things mentioned in this article, I will bet that some of your people excel at this and a number of them perform basic courtesies with callers – and that’s it.

5. Create an upsell program

One becomes two. Two becomes four. Four becomes … greater than the GDP of Argentina.

It is so simple, easy and effective and so few organisations employ this strategy. Many of your people don’t do this because they think the additional cost will put the customer off. It doesn’t. Not if the customer actually sees the benefit of greater quantity or improved quality.

6. Cross-sell at every opportunity

What can your people add on the original purchase? Extended warranty, on-site service, insurance, a savings if they purchase an additional item(s), a special offer or other options?

If everyone in your organisation upsold and cross-sold at every given opportunity, your sales would soar. I have witnessed increases of between 15-45% in companies where a simple upsell/cross-sell strategy was installed.

7. Negotiate on price

Don’t just offer a discount or ‘best price to you’. Let me reiterate, if you give value – you get more sales. Negotiate price. Train your people that by dropping price, they are giving away margin. So, if you offer a discount negotiate an upsell and/or cross sell. Package or bundle your offer to make it attractive and a genuine customer benefit.

8. Follow up

Every time your people give a quote, send a proposal or brochure out via fax, mail or e.mail, they should record a follow up timeframe.

Between one hour and three days. Everyone who requests information should be followed up by telephone. This leads to a higher close or conversion rate (I have witnessed 20-50%) or, if they have purchased elsewhere – your follow up call may be the commencement of a relationship … or not. But you won’t know if you don’t follow up.

This rule should also be applied to complaint management. Most companies have no follow through with people who have complained.

9. Adopt a ‘keep in touch’ program

What can you do for your customers that will allow you to contact them on a planned, regular basis?

Special offers, new product or service introductions or …? The best forms of ‘keep in touch’ are e.mail combined with a regular phone call.

But be warned – you should have a purpose for every call you make or email you send. Don’t just bombard your customers (and prospects) with garbage.

10. Develop a systematic approach to lost customer reactivation

The longer you fail to make or maintain contact, the likelier you are to lose customers forever.

If you check the most recent contact vs previous contact frequency, you can detect a lost or about to be lost customer. Do something to regain their business.

This is the most costly part of your operation – the lost customer, the lost referral.

Do you have a lost customer reactivation plan?

11. Gain new customers

Why are there so few high quality telemarketing divisions in companies? Certainly, the ‘T’ word is considered dirty and grubby in some quarters and indeed it can be. However, where you have trained professionals, comprehensively developed objectives and strategies why wouldn’t a well run telemarketing campaigns gain new business and new relationships for your organisation?

Quality telemarketing will generate leads, open up new business channels/market segments, build business with small, marginal and distance customers, give you real value (as a follow up) from exhibitions and seminars.

This is one of the most under utilised resources for business acquisition (and reactivation).

12. Develop and work your system

Success will come in all of the previously mentioned guidelines, tips and hints if you adopt a systematic approach. That is:

a) A sales and service oriented contact management system, based on a quality CRM package.

b) Well trained people who consistently add value to and gain value from every call they take or make.

c) Monitoring, Measuring and Reviewing each of the above and seeking continuous improvement both in contact management and people skills.

It is simple and what’s more, it works. Use the power of the humble telephone (and quality people) wisely, and you will gain great RESULTS: Relationships and Revenue.

First Step to Successful Entrepreneurship: 12 Ways to Cut Off High Business Startup Loans

When it comes to startups, the common problem that most entrepreneurs face today is the money to start a business. Being an entrepreneur is not easy, you have to take risks and move forward with optimism psychology. You need to think of ways by which you can obtain maximum output with minimum input. Well, that’s the basic rule of the business and widely followed by entrepreneurs all over the world. You need to be creative in what you do and innovative in your decisions. Few opt for business start up loans while few look for different alternatives. Bright ideas make a better future and some good initiatives can lead a foundation for you to become a successful entrepreneur. If money is scarce, that does not mean that you put your dream on hold, you always have better options to look forward. So, here are some creative ways to finance your business.

Steps to a Better future

• Sell your product to raise money – Well if you resale your product and find a suitable buyer, then you can raise funds for your business in an effective manner. No doubt there are many successful entrepreneurs all around the globes who started this way and once they complete their target, they expand their business with funds they collect.

• Support from family and friends – It is the traditional way and the most effective way in this contemporary world. You can convince your friends and family to invest or provide small business startup loan which may help you to implement your ideas better without any pressure. This way is much better than taking loans from any other alternative.

• Double Dipping – You can always start a side business to raise funds for your business startup. In this way you will not be under any kind of debt and burden and thus it is the safest way to start the business.

• Selling stuff – Well, sometimes it’s hard to sell out your stuff, but as Jarod Kintz said “Instead of burning the midnight oil, you should try to sell it”. Sometimes you have to compromise to achieve success. You can make good money out of it.

• Credit card – You can use a credit card to finance your money. This is an easy way, but it involves risk. If something goes wrong, then the interest rate goes up at a very high rate.

• Angel investors – It is one of the recommended methods and many leading companies like Google and Yahoo have used it. Angel investors give you the required amount to start up the business. You get a friendly environment and moreover a better and quicker way to deal with business.

• Microloans – You can lookout for various firms providing small loans for the young entrepreneurs. These firms are generally better than taking business startup loan from a bank.

• Get new order and deliver – There are a number of entrepreneurs who receive the order from the customer, but they are not able to supply due to lack of money for the production. There are some companies who provide loan in this scenario. With this you will be able to raise funds for your startup in a better way.

• Real estate – This is one investment which provides greater output if done after a research. Before investing your money, always do a little work to find out the current rates etc and do the right thing. With this you can raise money successfully without complications.

• Cut out liabilities – Well, it’s another creative way to earn good money. For example, you can rent your home for some time and raise a good amount of money by doing that. Many entrepreneurs have employed this way and were successful to earn enough money to start their business.

• Crowdfunding – It is a very popular way among entrepreneurs. In this you can make a good use of internet by finding people having similar thoughts on investing with small amounts. Collectively, these small amounts on adding up will provide you with a better alternative to startup your business.

• Financing by vendors – This is very helpful to obtain the material to sell your product. The manufacturers do not take any payment from you till your product is sold. In this way you get a better extension to sell your goods much efficiently.

After reading these 12 ideas, you must be very confident about your startup. But remember that things aren’t that easy as they seems. You need to work harder to achieve the best out of it. Moreover, just by visualizing ideas in your mind you won’t be able to implement them practically. You must be able to adapt according to the situations and work practically to achieve the requisite aim. Risk is always involved for young entrepreneurs, but that does not mean that you can’t do it. Overcome your fear and be creative and innovative and always ask yourself that do I have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur?