Last 26 September 2009, Philippine time, Tropical Storm Ondoy (International name Ketsana) landed on Manila. And it landed with a bang by unleashing relentless rain. According to reports, it dumped an average of 2.24 inches of water per hour for 6 hours, compared to Hurricane Katrina which dumped over an inch of rainfall in Louisiana for 3 hours and another 0.5 inches per hour over the next 5 hours. In a span of 24 hours, it dropped about 455 mm. of rain compared to 250 mm. caused by Katrina.

At present, some parts of Manila and its nearby towns are still flooded.

The total number of fatalities from some areas in Central Luzon and Calabarzon submerged in mud and water may already be more than 200. But the National Disaster Coordinating Council has placed the death toll at 140 as of 4:00 P.M. Monday (28 September), pending reports from local government units.

As part of Seek No More's advocacy and initiative, it started a campaign to raise donations for the flood victims. Listed below are some of the institutions who are accepting donations, both in cash and in kind, for those who are badly affected by the typhoon. Seek No More would like to invite everyone, including Filipinos abroad, to share some love during these very difficult times.

BINALOT
Branches are accepting donations

STARBUCKS
Branches are accepting donations

COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF
Branches are accepting donations

MANILA
Deposit money with the Phlippine National Red Cross

Metrobank
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BPI
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: CURRENT

BPI
UN Branch
Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: SAVINGS
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM
For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. 527-0575 or 404-0979 with yourname, address and contact number.

QUEZON CITY

GMA 7 Kapuso Foundation
Ongoing Repacking Activity for Relief Operation

For those wanting to join the pool of volunteers, you may contact us at:

GMA Kapuso Foundation Warehouse
Charles Conrad Street
Doña Faustina Village II
Brgy. Culiat, Tandang Sora
Quezon City

Contact Person: Sheilana Ward
Telephone number: 931-7013

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Center
Sagip Kapamilya hotlines 413-26-67, 416-03-87
Ondoy response: ABS-CBN hotline 416-36-41

Bank: Banco de Oro, Mother Ignacia branch
Acct name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Acct no.: 5630020111

ABS-CBN Foundation Inc for overseas donation: 1-800-527-2820 or www.abscbnfoundation.org

Routing code for international cash donations
BNORPHMM ABS-CBN Branch

In kind donation:
Drop off sites are at 13 Examiner Street or at Scout Bayona in front of Rembrandt Hotel.

ABS-CBN Foundation US Office Toll-Free: 1-800-527-2820

NoyMar Relief: Tulong Bayan Relief Operations
Old Seafood Market near Farmer’s Market, Cubao, Quezon City
Needs volunteers to help pack on Monday, September 28 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Numbers: 9137122, 9136254, 9133306, 09086579998
Website: www.marroxas.com

Church of the Risen Lord, UP Diliman
Relief Drive for UP communities start at 7:00 A.M. on Monday, 28 September2009
UP College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
Go to: College of Arts and Letters (CAL), look for guard on duty at UP CAL
Operations: 24 hours until Wednesday tentatively
Numbers: 0929-6454102 (Prof. Roselle Pineda)
Donate medicines, clothes, blankets, food to be distributed by Citizens’ Disaster Response Center.

We will also need sando bags for repacking and volunteers to help in the repacking. For further details please contact CAL Dean’s Office at 928-7508, look for Ms. Aurora Carandang.

Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Katipunan Avenue. Relief operations have been moved to the covered courts and volunteers are needed. Call 426-6001. Or contact 09176312423 and 09177035357

Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC)
72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City.
Numbers: 9299820, 9299822
Operations: 8:00 A.M. onwards.
Donate money, old clothes, blanket, bigas, munggo,.volunteer to help distribute goods.

Radio Veritas
Veritas Tower , West Ave. corner EDSA, look For Karla Turingan
Numbers: 9257931 to 39, 0918VERITAS
Operations: 24-hours, tentatively until Tuesday.
Donate old clothes, food, assorted goods, bottled water, cash.

Our Lady of Pentecost Parish
12 F. dela Rosa cor. C. Salvador Streets, Loyola Heights , Quezon City
Numbers: 4342397, 9290665
Operations: 7 a.m. till 10 p.m. Sunday, until further notice.
Donate packed meals, bottled water.

Erica Paredes
Go to: Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, look for Erica Paredes
Numbers: 09174741930
Operations: Throughout the week tentatively, from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Donate ready-to-eat foods like hard-boiled egg, bread, packed juice, sandwich filling, volunteer to prepare sandwiches and distribute goods

Relief Operations for San Francisco del Monte, QC area
Please call Rache Gillego at 0918-9241636. Operations start at 7:00 A.M., Monday, 28 September

Caritas Manila office
Relief goods can also be brought Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. corner EDSA, Quezon City
Tel No. 9257931-40.

Camp Aguinaldo
For donations of relief goods, please deliver them to CRS Office, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. or call 0915-1162853. Food, Medicine, Clothes and other relief items are much needed.
A collection point for relief goods was also set up at the GHQ gym in Camp Aguinaldo (near the Soldier’s mall, past Gate 3).

Miriam Quiambao and World Vision Development Foundation
Go to: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood or at the World Vision office at 389 Quezon Avenue, corner West 6th St., Quezon City, look for he guard in the lobby (on One Orchard Road)
Number: 0917-8623209
Website: http://www.twitter.com/miriamq, www.worldvision.org.ph
Operations: Until 28 September (Monday), 24-hour operation

Donate goods like clothes, blankets, canned goods, crackers, mattress, hygiene kits, noodles, bottled water, oatmeal, instant coffee, sugar (for relief pack to be distributed by World Vision)
Volunteer to help repack relief goods for World Vision starting today at 7:00 P.M.

Deposit cash donations to World Vision Development Foundation, BPI savings account number 4251002415 and BDO savings account number 270043411

Gabriela Women’s Party Headquarters
118 Scout Rallos, Kamuning, Quezon City
Call 929-5342

St. Theresa’s College
Go to: St. Theresa’s College, 116 D. Tuazon Avenue, Brgy. Lourdes, Quezon City
Look for: Mrs. Sacdalan
Tel. Nos.: 740-1821, 740-1802

Manor Superclub
Go to: Manor Superclub, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City
Tel. No.: 421-3180

MAKATI/TAGUIG/MUNTINLUPA

Trilogy Boutique and Canteen
Accepting donations like clothes, food, water and blankets. Volunteers are welcome too. Go to: 110 Alvion Center, Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. No.: 328-1071
Email: trilogyboutique@gmail.com

San Antonio Parish, Forbes Park
Accepting all kinds of relief goods.
Contact JJ Yulo or Mike Yuson.

Power Plant Mall Stores: Myron’s, Team Manila, ARANAZ, MOONSHINE, LUCA
Now accepting donations of food, water, clothing and medicines, no cash pls. Call 898-1702 for Power Plant Mall.

NoyMar Relief: Tulong Bayan Relief Operations
White Space, Pasong Tamo Ext., Near BMW, Makati, look for Clare Amador or Jana Vicente
Numbers: 09285205508, 09285205499, 0908-6579998, 0939-3633436, 9137122
Operations: 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. throughout the week until further notice.
Website: www.marroxas.com
Donate drinking water, old medicines, clothing, blankets, canned goods, noodles, Volunteer to man stations and repack food.

Philippine Army
Go to: Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio, Makati or General Head Quarter’s Gym in Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, EDSA, Quezon City, look for any on-duty personnel
Number: 892-3417 (direct line), 845-9555 (trunkline) local. 6464 and 6466
Operations: Ongoing everyday for 24 hours until further notice
Donate relief goods (no cash)
Call hotline for rescue, evacuation or relief assistance.
Call to report missing persons

Victory Fellowship – Fort Bonifacio
Go to: Victory Fellowship, Every Nation Building , across Market-Market, Fort Bonifacio, look for Pastor Bernard Marquez
Numbers: 813-FORT, 8171212
Operations: Tentatively until 5:00 P.M., may may extend hours. Entire week until Friday.
Website: www.twitter.com/VictoryFort
Donate canned goods, milk, bottled water, clothes, cash.
Volunteer to help pack relief goods

Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaplaincy
Hillsborough Village, Cupang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, look for Genelyn Sembrano, Meanne Cuneta
Numbers: 8428148, 8079847
Website: www.sacredheartofjesus-alabang.org
Operations: Tuesday-Sunday (29 September to 4 October). 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon, 2:00 to 6:00 P.M.
Donate water, blankets, shoes, clothes and other goods
Donate in cash

MANDALUYONG

SM Megamall
Smart branches, Papemelroti store (no cash)

Shangri-La Plaza Mall: LUCA
Now accepting donations of food, water and medicines.

PASIG CITY

LUZON RELIEF: Volunteer / Donate / Pray
Renaissance Fitness Center
2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers, Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, look for Warren Habaluyas, co-founder
Numbers: 0929-8713488
E-mail: luzonrelief@gmail.com
Operations: Monday to Saturday (Sept. 28-Oct. 3), 9am-7pm
Donate non-perishable food items, beddings, pillows, blankets, clothes
You can donate cash but it is not encouraged

University of Asia and the Pacific
Accepting medicines, slippers, food, water and clothes. Volunteers are also welcome.
Go to: Study Hall A on September 28 and Multi-Purpose Court on September 29 onwards. University of Asia and the Pacific, Pearl Drive corner J Escriva Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig
Look for: Concha dela Cruz at 0917-4074601 or Joy Reynaldo at joy.reynaldo(at)uap(dot)asia.

University of Asia and the Pacific bank accounts:
For Pesos and other currencies
Bank of the Philippine Islands
Account name: Univ of Asia & the Pacific Found Inc
Account number: 0201-0414-73
Branch: Pasig Ortigas (G/F Benpress Bldg., Meralco Ave. cor Exchange Road, Ortigas Center)
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

For US Dollars
Bank of the Philippine Islands
Account name: Univ of Asia & the Pacific Found Inc
Account number: 0204-0183-59
Branch: Pasig Ortigas (G/F Benpress Bldg., Meralco Ave. cor Exchange Road, Ortigas Center)
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

SAN JUAN

La Salle Greenhills
9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.. this week
Need volunteers to collect, receive, sort, pack, deliver, and distribute donations.
Donations can be brought to Gate 2 of LSGH along Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong.
Please call Louie Aguinaldo at 0917-5295706 or 2168505.

MANILA

Ministop Ibarra
Accepting non-perishable food, clothing, medicine, beds, pillows, blankets and emergency supplies
Go to: Ministop Ibarra, Espana cor. Blumentritt, Sampaloc, Manila

Globe outlets
Accepting relief goods (no cash)
Go to: Globe branches at Alabang Town Center, SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Bicutan, SM Fairview, SM North, Park Square and Greenbelt 4

From Carlos Celdran:
Please text 0927-9103919 or 0927-3770808
They’ll pick-up the goods from your place and bring it to a centralized depot (Ateneo Covered Courts). Kindly text us your address/location and they’ll do best they can.

ONLINE
For online donations you may also visit the RED CROSS website at www.redcross.org.ph.

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Coca-Cola (KO) held on to the top spot as the world's most valuable brand, according to a survey by branding agency Interbrand and BusinessWeek, the ninth year in a row that the beverage company has come in at No. 1.

IBM (IBM) came in at No. 2, the survey said, but there were a lot of changes this year. Campbell Soup (CBP) rounded out the list at No. 100. UBS (UBS) tumbled 31 places to No. 72.

Seven brands fell off the list, the biggest being Merrill Lynch, which ranked No. 34 last year and was acquired in January by Bank of America (BAC). AIG (AIG), previously No. 54, and ING (ING), which was ranked No. 86 last year, were two others that missed the cut.

And seven brands made the list for the first time this year: high-end apparel brands Burberry, Polo (RL) and Puma, low-cost food companies Campbell Soup and Burger King (BKC), cosmetics maker Lancôme and tech firm Adobe Systems (ADBE).

Overall, the combined value of the world's top 100 brands fell this year for the first time in the history of the decade-old list, down 4.6% to $1.15 trillion. Of the 100 companies on the list, 49 were U.S.-based.

Here are the top 10 most valuable brands:

1. Coca-Cola, up 3 percent to US$ 68.73 billion.


2. IBM, up 2 percent to US$ 60.21 billion.


3. Microsoft (MSFT), down 4 percent to US$ 56.65 billion.


4. General Electric (GE), down 10 percent to US$ 47.78 billion.


5. Nokia (NOK), down 3 percent to US$ 34.87 billion.


6. McDonald's (MCD), up 4 percent to US$ 32.28 billion.


7. Google (GOOG), up 25 percent to US$ 31.98 billion.


8. Toyota Motors (TM), down 8 percent to US$ 31.33 billion.


9. Intel (INTC), down 2 percent to US$ 30.64 billion.


10. Walt Disney (DIS), down 3 percent to US$ 28.45 billion.

Read More ...

The economic downturn last year may be heading to a full recovery soon, but it is still too early to tell if employment levels and wage rates will return just as fast as it was two years ago. For this reason alone, it helps a lot to maintain a decent appearance in every job interview you go to.

Results from a recent survey of more than 500 HR professionals — commissioned by Gillette [PG] and conducted by Harris Interactive — indicate that 84 percent of HR professionals agree that well-groomed employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not well-groomed. This is not surprising really when one considers that first impressions account for almost ninety percent of what HR professionals are looking for aside from a firm handshake.

"How you look has a direct impact on how you feel, your confidence and self-esteem," says Mark Jeffries, business consultant, communications expert and author of the best-selling book, What’s up with your handshake? "This is as true for guys actively seeking a job as it is for those who are currently employed and seek a competitive advantage. At the same time, seemingly small details, like a clean shave or a great-fitting—but not necessarily expensive suit—send important visual cues to others about your professionalism and confidence."

To help ordinary people look more employable, Gillette launched the Gillette Career Advantage on Gillette.com. There, job seekers and professionals looking to get ahead can review expert advice from Mark Jeffries and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren, take the Gillette Career Quiz and view the Hire Guide to see what HR professionals really think.

It also provides the tools, information and advice that applicants would need to rise above the competition in today's competitive job market.

"At Gillette, we understand the competitive nature of today’s job market and want to provide men with the tools to look their best, giving them the confidence to step up even if they may be doubting themselves," said Thom Lachman, Vice President, North America Grooming, P&G.

For information about Gillette products or to review the complete Harris Interactive Survey and obtain advice from grooming and career experts, please visit the Gillette Resource Center.

Read More ...

If you've always hated your kids, your spouse and the rest of your family, it's surprisingly easy to make sure the acrimony and hurt feelings endure long after your funeral.

However, if you actually like your friends and family, avoid these eight major mistakes identified by Sheyna Steiner of Bankrate.com in planning your estate. These errors will make your survivors wonder what your last wishes were, where your financial records are and why they're paying taxes they didn't need to.

In short, a living nightmare from the dead.

1. Staying ignorant about the process
   
   As with most things, but especially with estate planning, when you don't know what you're doing, mistakes practically make themselves.
   
   Lawyers are supposed to look out for your interests, but they're not always successful. "They bury their mistakes," says Ron Christner, an associate professor of finance at Loyola University in New Orleans. "In other words, you have a will made out when you're 40 and you die when you're 80, and they look at your will and say, 'Oh, this is all wrong.' Well, that's 40 years too late to discover that. But that's when you find out that somebody made a mistake."
   
   Of course, the deceased would have to take some responsibility for not updating the will after age 40.
   
   If you don't want to leave a mess for your family, you need to bone up on the subject. Spend at least as much time on it as you would researching a car before buying it, says Denis Clifford, a lawyer and author for Nolo, a publisher of consumer-oriented legal books and software. It's a huge mistake to turn everything over to a lawyer and not get any information about something on which you're going to spend a substantial amount of money, he says.
   
   "Someone should have an idea of what a living trust is before they go ask someone to make one for them. I would say get some information so you're at least an intelligent consumer," says Clifford, the author of "Estate Planning Basics," "Make Your Own Living Trust" and "Nolo's Simple Will Book."
   
   But don't think that scanning a book or two will enable you to do it all yourself. Keep in mind that an estate plan is basically a way to distribute your money after you die, minimizing taxes and fees. Hiring a good estate-planning attorney to do this is highly recommended - and not that expensive, Christner says.


2. Being clueless about the role of wills
   
   "Where attorneys make money is in probating the will. They might do a simple will for you for $300, but if they probate the will when you die, they get approximately 2 percent of your assets, depending on state law," says Christner.
   
   Many people think a will acts as a free pass around probate court - a common misconception.
   
   "A will is simply a letter of instruction appointing someone to be in charge of your estate and specifying how you want your estate to be distributed or divided, but it doesn't avoid probate," says Benjamin Berkley, an attorney specializing in estate planning and administration.
   
   Berkley, an author of two estate-planning books, "My Wishes" and "The Complete Executor's Guidebook," says another misunderstanding people have about wills is thinking they need to be notarized. "Having it notarized invalidates it. It has to be witnessed, not notarized," he says. "It depends on your state: It could be one witness or two witnesses."
   
   Instead of simply writing up a will, experts recommend putting assets into a living trust - especially if you own real estate.


3. Putting your kid's name on the deed
   
   Adding your kid's name to the title of your house is not a good way to pass the old homestead on to the next generation. Tax implications make it a clunky way to bequeath assets.
   
   And yet "so many people do this to avoid having to set up a revocable living trust," says personal-finance author and TV host Suze Orman. "Your mother or father may say to you, 'Let me put your name on the house with joint tenancy and right of survivorship so that when I die, it's immediately yours.'"
   
   Several problems can emerge when someone puts another's name on a house, Orman says.
   
   "First, it's a gift, and the most you can gift to somebody (without notifying the Internal Revenue Service) is US$ 12,000 a year," she says. "So, if the house is worth US$ 200,000, and they put your name on it as a joint tenant with right of survivorship, they just gave you a $100,000 gift for which they have to do a gift-tax report, which then becomes a matter of public record."
   
   This also means you lose tremendous tax benefits that you would have received had you inherited the house.
   
   "When you inherit property, you get an incredible step up in basis on it," Orman says. "So if you inherit a house and the value of it is worth $500,000 on the day you inherit it, and you then turn around and sell it for that, you don't pay any tax because that's your new cost basis.
   
   "If you get that property as a gift while a parent is alive, you take over your parent's cost basis," Orman says. If the property has appreciated since your parent bought it, you're on the hook for the gains, which will be taxed when you sell it.
   
   If you live in a community-property state such as Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington or Wisconsin, the rules for property ownership are different still.
   
   "You have people who think that you can hold property in joint tenancy, which is not valid in community-property states," says Christner, the Loyola associate professor. "But they think you can just own something together and it goes automatically to the other person. That's not a good idea for estate planning. If you have a very small amount of assets and live in a state that allows joint tenancy with right of survivorship, that may work, but it's basically not a good idea."


4. Dawdling indefinitely
   
   Procrastination may be forgivable for young singles with no dependents, but if you never get around to doing anything, the grief experienced by your survivors will be compounded.
   
   Inaction all but guarantees that tensions will run high after you die.
   
   "The biggest single mistake is avoiding the subject altogether," author Clifford says. "There are a couple of reasons that people do that. For one, it's not fun, and I can't make it fun. Secondly, it's procrastination (caused by) fear of thinking about your own mortality."
   
   Christner says: "The rules for probating, or, in effect, determining whether you have a valid will, are somewhat different in every state. And if it's not valid in your state, then the intestate laws in your state determine how your property is distributed."
   
   Some people may put off doing anything because they don't feel it's the right time. But anyone with assets and a family to protect should at least have a will. "Everyone needs to do some estate planning. The only problem is when to do it," says Christner. "The day you should do it is the day you die, because then nothing can change very much."
   
   Failing that, "anyone with a significant amount of assets, who has children or a spouse should make up a will probably in their 30s or 40s."


5. Not trusting trusts
   
   Going through probate, a necessity if you die intestate (without a will), will result in your estate paying too many fees. Though often discussed, federal estate taxes won't even touch most estates, but court costs definitely will if not planned for. Why fritter away as much as 10% of your assets built throughout a lifetime of hard work?
   
   "The whole purpose of having a trust is to avoid probate, because that allows your estate to pass to your loved ones without having to employ an attorney or go to the court," Berkley says. "It just goes directly to your heirs and minimizes many of the expenses to your estate."
   
   Christner says: "A trust doesn't save taxes, but it does save probate costs. Depending on the state, it probably saves between 8% and 10% of the total estate. If you leave everything you own in your estate, and it all goes by will, then maybe 10 percent of it will go to attorneys, appraisers and executors."
   
   The aim in planning is to minimize the financial exposure to your loved ones when you're no longer here. "By having an estate plan in place, that avoids many, many, many of those expenses," Christner says.


6. Leaving messy financial records
   
   Pawing through someone else's disorganized records isn't anyone's idea of a good time. Add in grief and the stress of trying to unearth a will or some other evidence of planning, and it's downright chaos.
   
   Keeping track of all of your information and organizing it in a recognizable way is vital, Christner says. "Social Security numbers, insurance policies, the name of the companies you do business with, your brokerage accounts and where they're held, and account numbers should all be included."
   
   Berkley agrees. Just because a person passes away doesn't mean that credit card companies stop billing.
   
   "The estate is still going to owe the money," Berkley says. "And all of a sudden children are looking at bills that are past due, and they just don't have the information. So many of us now keep information on our computers. Passwords, screen names, stuff like that -- make that stuff available to your loved ones," he says.
   
   You may want to include a letter designating where you want your personal property to go. "Unless it's in your will, it doesn't have any legal standing," Christner says. "But if it's written down, it can prevent fights between relatives where someone says, 'Oh, he promised me this,' and you can see that it's written down that no, he didn't. He promised that particular thing to someone else because it's in writing, and here it is."


7. Giving your ex-spouse a parting gift
   
   Failing to occasionally update an estate plan or make changes to beneficiaries after divorce, marriage or other life changes spells trouble.
   
   Major changes such as having children or buying and selling property warrant changes in your will or trust. Equally important are making changes to beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies, as those forms trump a will.
   
   "An insurance policy that has a beneficiary on it -- that is not dictated by a will or a trust," Orman says. "A retirement account that has a designated beneficiary or a payable-on-death account at a bank -- those accounts aren't dictated by a will or a trust."
   
   Clifford notes: "In some states and with some types of assets, divorce doesn't necessarily revoke the prior spouse as being a beneficiary. For instance, with any federal pension, you have to change the beneficiary. Specifically, you can't just get divorced and assume that your spouse is no longer your beneficiary. And the same thing is true if you have a child: You should update your will or whatever you have."


8. Letting others figure out what you want
   
   Talking to your family about your intentions seems obvious. After all, they will one day be combing through all of your most closely guarded secrets.
   
   "When someone passes away, you as a survivor have to put together these pieces of the puzzle, and many times these pieces don't fit. And you have the hardest time when, if there had been communication, all of this could have been avoided," says Berkley.
   
   "I had one situation that was so bad," he says. "The person died without leaving a will or any instructions, and she left three daughters. And there was such fighting between them over who would get what that it went to the court. The court decided that no one was going to get anything and appointed a public guardian to come in and take the entire inventory and sell everything and then write three checks to the daughters.
   
   "Had the mom left some kind of instructions or indication, all of that would have been prevented. But it happens a lot."
   
   Besides easing the transition after death, leaving specific instructions about your medical care while alive - specifically, in the form of a medical directive -- also comes in handy.
   
   "We definitely recommend a health care power of attorney if you are temporarily disabled, a financial power of attorney for someone to pay the electric bill and the gardener and the mortgage if you are disabled," Berkley says. "There's also a very important document known as a living will, which directs a physician."

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It was reported by Enterprise North East Trust that over 40 percent of new businesses set up in the UK each year fail within their first two years of business. Hence, they are warning businesses that they should increase their chance of survival by making sure that they are targeting the right client base for their product; carrying out targeted promotional activities will help a business to establish their identity both in the business community and also with potential customers.

Someone might have what they consider to be a sure-fire winner in terms of a business idea, however if they do not market their business effectively then the likelihood of their business failing increases. In the current economic climate, marketing the business is even more important than ever.

With customers being more discerning with their dollars, you need to understand customer evolution to ensure they support your business. Ron McLean of flyingsolo.com.au five stages of customer evolution.

1. Tyre kickers
   
   These customers have seen one of your ads or stumbled into your business as they were passing by. They have come to check you out and can disappear as quickly as they arrive if you don’t engage and look after them.


2. Interested
   
   These customers are interested in seeing you again, it’s like a second date, this could really lead somewhere if you are consistent.


3. Customers
   
   Now we are cooking! These people are in your database and are regular customers. They are starting to bring in real value to your business. It is your chance to find out what they really like and make recommendations to them about other products and services you provide.


4. Friends
   
   These customers enjoy spending time with you and will refer others to your business. Take good care of these customers and find ways to become their best friend.


5. Advocates
   
   These customers are loyal to you, they recommend you to others and would not go anywhere else. Reaching this stage is what we must strive for in customer relationships. The more customers you have who reach this stage, the more successful you become as a business.

Next, you need to develop a communication strategy to maintain and build on these customer relationships at each stage of the customer evolution.

You must ensure you touch base with your Advocates on a regular basis. Invite them into your business and visit theirs so that you both have a great understanding of each other and can explore the opportunities of working together.

You should be targeting your Friends by developing an understanding of their needs, operations and people. Investigate how you might provide them with a service that is beyond what they get from anyone else.

You should communicate with Customers at least monthly, to remain in the front of their mind. Keep in touch with Interested customers quarterly, that way they know you are around and might have something they want on offer.

The key is to identify which of your customers sit at each stage of customer evolution and then develop your communication strategy to build on and improve these customer relationships.

Look to move your customers through the evolutionary stages, one level at a time, by staying in touch, understanding their needs and providing solutions.

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Jay MacDonald of CreditCards.com expressed worry that credit cards may be replaced by a really simple device. The user only needs to inject a miniature radio frequency identifier the size of a grain of rice between their thumb and forefinger and, with a wave of your hand, unlock doors, turn on lights, start their car or pay for their drinks at an ultrachic nightspot.

The problem is, the whole concept is a little geeky for most of us, nauseating for some, Orwellian for a few and even apocalyptic for a smattering of religious fundamentalists.

Forget the science of it - and yes, it does work remarkably well. Forget the convenience of it. Forget that similar identifying technologies, from bar codes to mag stripes, overcame similar obstacles and are now ubiquitous.

Radio frequency ID implants face a hurdle the others did not: ickiness.

"There is sort of an icky quality to implanting something," says Rome Jette, the vice president for smart cards at Versatile Card Technology, a Downers Grove, Ill., card manufacturer that ships 1.5 billion cards worldwide a year.

How RFID devices work?

The RFID technology is un-yucky, however. The implanted tag - a passive RFID device consisting of a miniature antenna and chip containing a 16-digit identification number - is scanned by an RFID reader. Once verified, the number is used to unlock a database file, be it a medical record or payment information. Depending upon the application, a reader may verify tags at a distance of 4 inches up to about 30 feet.

The RFID implant has been around for more than 20 years. In its earliest iteration, it provided a convenient way to keep track of dogs, cats and prized racehorses. Few took note or voiced much concern.

Then, in 2002, Applied Digital Solutions (now Digital Angel) of Delray Beach, Fla., deployed to its foreign distributors a beta version of its patented VeriChip technology for human use. Two years later, the VeriChip became the first subcutaneous RFID chip to receive FDA approval as a Class 2 medical device.

One VeriChip distributor in Spain sold the concept to the ultratrendy Baja Beach Club, which offered its patrons in Barcelona and Amsterdam the option of having an implant inserted in their upper arms to pay for their drinks without having to carry wallets in their swimsuits.

Judging by the ensuing outrage, you would think VeriChip had given the pope a wedgie.

'Mark of the beast'?

Web sites sprouted like mushrooms, accusing VeriChip of being the biblical "mark of the beast" predicted in the Book of Revelations as a foreshadowing of the end of the world.

CEO Scott Silverman was equally vilified as being tied to Satan or, worse, Wall Street. Big Brother was surely coming, though he'd have to get pretty close to read your implant. Claims that the tags cause cancer based on lab rat tests upped the amps of outrage.

Were people suddenly curious about RFID implants?

"Curiosity is probably an understatement," Silverman concedes. "People have always taken interest in VeriChip. Part of the lore and part of the trouble of this company over the past five years has been just that."

Though VeriChip played no part in using its implant as a payment device, the company quickly moved to calmer waters. Today, it markets its VeriMed Health Link patient identification system to help hospitals treat noncommunicative patients in an emergency. Its future may include more advanced medical applications, including a biosensor system to detect glucose levels.

"A lot of the negative press that we received was a direct result of people having a misconception of what this technology is all about," says Silverman. "We believe that the medical application was and still is the best application for this technology.

"That said, if and when it does become mainstream and more patients are utilizing it for their medical records or for diagnostic purposes, if they want to elect to use it for other applications, certainly they'll be able to do that. But it's going to take a company much larger than us to distribute the retail reader end of it into the Wal-Marts of the world."

Versatile's Jette has watched contactless RFID battle for acceptance in the credit card arena. Just as Silverman suggests, the dynamics and scale of the payment industry tends to work against widespread deployment.

"Mobil Speedpass tried to do it; they got some traction and decided to see if there was any mileage to take this to a Walgreens or McDonald's. You used to be able to use your Speedpass at McDonalds, but that ended because, at the end of the day, you still only have two gigantic payment processors out there, Visa and MasterCard," he says. "To me, the idea of any kind of payment device having ubiquity requires an awful lot of back-end cooperation, of people willing to say, 'I don't need my brand in the customer's wallet.'"

Although the coolness factor is effective from a marketing standpoint -- American Express Blue with its smart (if largely unused) chip is a good example -- Jette says most cardholders would balk at the very thought of a needle.

"With the implanting in the nightclubs, there is a cache of exclusivity there, especially among a certain demographic where people are piercing themselves and getting tattoos. But those are things that really only 20-somethings do a lot. I really doubt that there will be any market for injectable RFID tags or even any single point-of-sale payment device."

"A lot of times, the technology is a solution looking for a problem. Sometimes people fall in love with the technology for its own sake and then try to evangelize a home for it. My business group is just smart cards, and I never forget that although we make money with smart cards, the bills are paid with mag stripe cards. As backwards and old-fashioned as they are, that is still the bulk of what the transactions are going to be in America for a very long time."

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Profit-oriented entrepreneurs will all agree that in order for a system to be considered organized it has to first maintain a record of all the things it holds. Any enterprise, ranging from a small-scale industry to a multinational company, needs to maintain a log of its inventory. Even maintaining a home needs an efficient inventory record because the owner needs to know exactly what items are present in the house, and where they are at any particular time.

For a functioning business, it is essential to adopt an inventory control software in order to properly manage their inventories and, thereby, reduce the wastages in the supply chain. Automotive giant Toyota, for instance, saves on the cost of their operations by having proper inventory management software which contributes to their ability to offer their automotives at globally competitive rates. Similarly, small and medium retail and wholesale traders can save a lot of money by implementing inventory tracking software.

However, purchasing an inventory software is often a large undertaking in resources and a huge cost for small businesses. Any proprietor needs to make the proper investment decision when purchasing this software. It is a common practice for some businesses to request a no-obligation consultation from the software company before making a decision just to make sure.

Fortunately, there is one inventory system available in the internet that is designed specifically to help small businesses handle sales, purchasing, and inventory management in very simple and easy steps – inFlow Inventory Software. It also keeps track of the entrepreneur’s entire customer order fulfillment process such as picking, packing and in handling customer returns. In short, inflow Inventory Software gives a brief overview of what needs to be done immediately.

By using inFlow Inventory, businesses can benefit from:

• Reduced inventory cost


• Increased operational efficiency


• Better customer satisfaction


• Better cashflow and product management


• Built-in accountability for your staff

The newest paid version available for download allows multiple users on networked computers to work together at the same time, while the Free download edition limits the combined total number of customers and products to 100.

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After British Airways launched its first TV campaign in two years, including an ambitious series of ads that feature events such as the migration of wildebeest and the El Superclásico football clash between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Buenos Aires, they are again embarking on another promising venture. The airline recently launched the Business Opportunity Grants, which seeks to help provide companies a fighting chance in moving their businesses forward in the face of recession.

The Business Opportunity Grant is a timely opportunity and could not have come at a better time since many small-to-medium size U.S. companies are still feeling the tight pinch of last year’s economic downturn. With this grant, businesses will be able to partner with other companies in helping them become more comfortable, agile and productive during these challenging times.

The initiative was borne out of a collaborative research with The Harvard Business Review, which showed the great importance of conducting business in person and its direct relationship to the bottom-line. The study shows that 87 percent of professionals think that face-to-face meetings are essential for sealing the deal, while 95 percent said it's the key to successful, long lasting business relationships. This simple means that it is important for businesses to sit down with potential clients, vendors and investors and try to know them personally wherever they may be.

The grant includes:

• British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.


• 5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations


• US$ 1000 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott


• 5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards providing access to business lounges worldwide


• Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer

However, the free support of the airline and its partners, Regus Office Services, Courtyard by Marriott, Canon USA, Inc., and British Airways World Cargo, will be limited to 100 grants only. Companies will have a chance to make their case for an unmet business travel need until midnight (PDT) 30 September 2009.

All U.S. companies with 500 employees or less and have a Federal Tax ID Number are encouraged to submit their entries for a rare chance to connect with people globally and build a successful long-term business partnership. These entries will be reviewed by a group of British Airways executives and its communication and business partners who will also announce the winners by late November.

The airline is using their latest promotional programs to fight back after an annus horribilis in which it posted a £148 Million loss in the first quarter, the first since its privatization in 1987, and grounded 22 planes as a cost-saving measure.

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A collection of procedures is known as a process. Every business has a series of core business process that define the business model that that company uses. A company’s business model forms the basis of the company’s competitive advantage.

Business process has been loved by many and loathe by some. However, one thing is clear. No rational entrepreneur who seeks financial efficiency can live without them because they are part of everything they do. But often they take business processes for granted until disaster hits or they need to break free from their indispensible role as the boss.

Craig Reid of flyingsolo.com.au developed some very simple steps to get anyone into the path of process enlightenment and create a business procedures manual:

1. Start with the basics
   
   It is tempting to try to jump straight into writing procedures, but before you do this it is important to document information about your business that may seem obvious. Start with the basics – what the business does, who its customers are, where you are located, who your suppliers are, what your operating hours are and how you can be contacted.


2. Who are you writing the business procedures manual for?
   
   Before you plunge headlong into your business’s most complex processes, remember who you are writing the business procedures manual for - not for those like yourself who have intimate knowledge of the entire business, but for a third party. The more accessible you can make your instructions the better. Write your procedures as if you are talking to a child – that way everyone will understand them.


3. Make a list
   
   Before you start writing procedures, make a list of all of the processes within your organization, note who can provide the information and prioritize each one of them.


4. Just start
   
   What are you waiting for? Just start! Stop thinking about it and do it. Business procedures manuals are like life insurance - don’t put it off. You never know when you might need it.


5. Never mind the medium
   
   Don’t be overly concerned with how you document your procedures. Whilst Word and Excel are good ways to start, it doesn’t really matter if you write them with a rusty nail dipped in blood - as long as you do write them (just make photocopies!)


6. Step by step
   
   When you write a procedure, break everything down, step-by-step. Try to number each step, write down who is responsible and clearly articulate what is required. You may find it helpful to start each step with a verb. For people like me, that means a doing word, like 'create'!


7. Ask for everyone’s input
   
   You probably think you know everything about your business (and I’m not saying you don’t!) but you should always let any subcontractors or colleagues review your business procedures manual. You might find out that they aren’t doing things the way you had hoped, and they may even have some new ideas for ways to do things better.


8. Re-invent
   
   Documenting your processes and procedures forces you to think about the way things are currently done. This very act can help to stimulate creative juices and generate ideas to re-invent and improve your business.


9. It’s a living thing
   
   Once you have created your business procedures manuals don’t put them on a shelf and forget about them. It’s important to keep them alive and up-to-date. If you can’t handle continually updating them then set a date in your diary to review them on a regular basis.


10. Get professional help
    
    If it all seems too hard or you can’t find the time, don’t be ashamed to get help. There are many experienced procedural writers out there who can help you to pull things together.

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Switzerland tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, released today (9 September) by the World Economic Forum ahead of its Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009 in Dalian. The United States falls one place to second position, with weakening in its financial markets and macroeconomic stability. Singapore, Sweden and Denmark round out the top five.

European economies continue to prevail in the top 10 with Finland, Germany and the Netherlands following suit. The United Kingdom, while remaining very competitive, has continued its fall from last year, moving down one more place this year to 13th, mainly attributable to continuing weakening of its financial markets.

The People’s Republic of China continues to lead the way among large developing economies, improving by one place this year, solidifying its position among the top 30. Among the three other large BRIC economies, Brazil and India also improve, while Russia falls by 12 places. Several Asian economies perform strongly with Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Republic of Korea and Taiwan, China also in the top 20. In Latin America, Chile is the highest ranked country, followed by Costa Rica and Brazil.

A number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa region are in the upper half of the rankings, led by Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Tunisia, with particular improvements noted in the Gulf States, which continue their upward trend of recent years. In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Mauritius and Botswana feature in the top half of the rankings, with a number of other countries from the region measurably improving their competitiveness. Click here to read the highlights of the Report.

The Philippines ranked 87th out of 133 economies included in the study, a substantial slide from its 71st ranking out of 134 economies in the 2008-2009 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). In the 2007-2008 GCI, the Philippines was also ranked 71st out of 131 countries.

The Philippines' perennial problems of corruption, inefficient government bureaucracy and inadequate infrastructure were the main reasons given for the further decline in the country's competitiveness ranking, the Geneva-based World Economic Forum said.

"The strong interdependence among the world’s economies makes this a truly global economic crisis in every sense. Policy-makers are presently struggling with ways of managing these new economic challenges, while preparing their economies to perform well in a future economic landscape characterized by growing uncertainty. In a difficult global economic environment, it is more important than ever for countries to put into place strong fundamentals underpinning economic growth and development," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Xavier Sala-i-Martin, Professor of Economics, Columbia University, USA, and co-author of the Report added, "Amid the present crisis, it is critical that policy-makers not lose sight of long-term competitiveness fundamentals amid short-term urgencies. Competitive economies are those that have in place factors driving the productivity enhancements on which their present and future prosperity is built. A competitiveness-supporting economic environment can help national economies to weather business cycle downturns and ensure that the mechanisms enabling solid economic performance going into the future are in place."

The rankings are calculated from both publicly available data and the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum together with its network of Partner Institutes (leading research institutes and business organizations) in the countries covered by the Report. This year, over 13,000 business leaders were polled in 133 economies. The survey is designed to capture a broad range of factors affecting an economy’s business climate. The Report also includes comprehensive listings of the main strengths and weaknesses of countries, making it possible to identify key priorities for policy reform.

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The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) are working together to promote education in rural areas.

The DAR, through its President Diosdado Macapagal Agrarian Scholarship Program (PDMASP) provided the deserving college children of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), known as Agraryo Iskolar, to develop a pool of high quality motivated and educated dependents of ARBs.

This educational assistance is envisioned to interface with the improvement of land tenure by addressing the need to elevate the educational status of the farmers to allow their children assume greater responsibility for progress and responsibility. The PDMASP also aims to develop a poll of highly motivated and educated dependents of ARBs equipped with appropriate farming technologies.

The implementation of PDMASP is in partnership with state universities and colleges and in line with the 10-point priority agenda of the Arroyo Administration to provide educational scholarship to the deserving children of poor families. This was launched in 2003 in honor of President Diosdado Macapagal who himself was a son of a farmer, and who signed the agrarian reform program in the country in 1963 through Republic Act 3844 also known as the Agricultural Land Reform Code.

At present, there are about 1,787 agraryo iskolars nationwide enrolled in agriculture related courses in different state schools and universities in the country. They are provided under the PDMASP with free tuition fee, book allowance every semester and modest monthly allowance.

In the school year 2003-2004, the agency supported from elementary to college, 11,222 scholars of different tribes all over the country. To avail of free education, one must be a member of a tribe with good standing in school and a good moral character.

The Scholarship Benefits

1. Free tuition and miscellaneous school fees in an amount not exceeding one thousand five hundred pesos (PhP 1,500.00) per semester to be paid directly to the school where the grantee is enrolled.


2. A monthly stipend in the amount of eight hundred pesos (PhP 800.00) to be paid directly to the scholarship grantee for every month that he or she is in actual school attendance in the first and second semester of the school year.


3. An allowance in the amount of five hundred pesos (PhP 500.00) per semester to pay for the books, school supplies and materials needed to be paid direct to the scholarship grantee.


4. An accident insurance coverage against valid for one calendar year from the date of issue.


5. Upon enrollment in the state collage and university of their choice, the grantee shall be assured of the following services:
   
   
   • The use of on-campus educational, recreational, sports and religious facilities
   
   
   • Free guidance and counseling services
   
   
   • Access to student health services
   
   
   • Membership in institutionally recognized student campus organizations and attendance in student assemblies and convocations
   
   
   • Participation in worthwhile off and on-campus activities that will help enhance the personality, skills and competency of the grantee
   
   
   • Access to canteen and food services
   
   
   • Security and protective services

Qualifications for a Scholarship Grant

The scholarship program will be available to all qualified dependents of ARBs found in all municipalities, provincies and regions of the country or where CARP is being implemented. Qualified ARBs should be CLOA holders, either as amortizing owners, hired workers of a commercial farm placed under the coverage of CARP or agricultural lessees duly registered with DAR. There will be no distinction made on where the ARBs originate, i.e. from an Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) or not and as to creed and political affiliation.

On the other hand, qualified dependents may either be the sons and daughters of the ARBs, grandchildren of ARBs, and wards of ARBs who are the legal guardians of the applicants. For this purpose only one (1) family member of an ARB will be qualified to become a grantee of the scholarship program.

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An entrepreneur who regularly shuttles from one country to another is always hard-pressed to find out how much local currency their dollars would buy and how far that currency would stretch to cover rent, food and other essentials.

There is now an easy way to do this and it is through the Big Mac Index, or at least a version of it.

The Big Mac Index, created by The Economist, has long been used as a way to illustrate the shifts in purchasing power of different currencies. A McDonald's Big Mac sandwich that costs US$ 3.54 in New York, for example, costs 1,550 pesos in Chile.

Investment bank UBS takes the concept further, translating each currency into units of work. Thus a Big Mac that takes 14 minutes to earn in New York takes nearly an hour in Budapest. (The hourly wage used for New York was US$ 19, though of course that shifts constantly with exchange rates.)

The 2009 version of the UBS survey (.pdf file) adds another good with near-universal familiarity: The iPod. A worker in Zurich or New York labors just nine hours to buy an 8gb iPod Nano; the same purchase takes a month of nine-hour days in Mumbai.

Of course, UBS isn't all fast food and hip-hop. The survey measures the relative costs of 122 goods and services, plus rent. New York, Oslo, Geneva and Tokyo are the most expensive places to live, with rent factored in. The cheapest? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; and Delhi and Mumbai in India.

The cost of living figures in the chart below are based off New York prices; if the cost-of-living column for Taipei, Taiwan, reads 48.3, for example, the cost of living is 48.3 percent of that in New York.

Also worth noting is UBS' measurement of the number of hours worked each year: Workers in Cairo and Seoul, South Korea, worked 50 percent more hours than those in Paris.

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