Improve the Efficiency of Your Fleet with Fuel Tank Cleaning

Periodic fuel tank cleaning is one of the most important things that a operator or owner of an above ground or underground fuel storage tank can do to keep their fuel performing properly. With continued usage, fuel storage tanks can accumulate moisture and particulates from repeated filling. Moisture condensing in fuel tanks can create conditions for microbial growth leading to microbial contamination of the entire fuel system. Actually, microbes depend on this water contamination for growth.

Fuel degradation can occur directly due to microbial contamination. Any change in fuel color is the best indication that this contamination has occurred and there’s an urgent need for fuel cleaning. Elevated pour point, reduced combustion efficiency and cloud point, increased corrosion of fuel components and poor detergency, and severely plugged fuel filters are just some of the negative effects of intense microbial growth in the fuel storage tanks.

Mostly, microbial contamination may occur due to two main groups of microorganisms: fungi and bacteria. Both of them need water and food for survival. In case of any fuel tank, fuel is their food, and as water and oil don’t mix, the best place for them to congregate is at the bottom of the fuel tank (water-fuel interface). So the best way to ensure clean fuel is by keeping the tank microbe free. You can do this easily by ensuring there’s no water in the fuel tank because then there will be less opportunity for these fuel bugs to thrive.

What are the dangers of using dirty fuel tanks?

Moisture and sediments can seriously impact the performance of your fuel and fleet engines. Aside from that, bad fuel and residues also increase the chances of tank fire or explosion. Aside from that, water accumulation may promote rust in steel fuel tanks from inside causing seepage and leakage. Therefore, fuel cleaning can be achieved by periodically cleaning the furl tanks.

The easiest way to keep your fuel tanks clean and fresh is to somehow avoid contamination in the first place. This would require detailed evaluation and control of:

• Fuel System maintenance
• Fuel monitoring program for microorganisms
• Fuel treatment

However in most cases, these procedures and preventative measures are neglected and thus results in the need for fuel tank cleaning services.

What should be the fuel tank cleaning frequency?

Well, the frequency depends on the amount of use (filling and dispensing of fuel). All fuel tanks that are used frequently will surely build up considerable sediment, particulates and fuel reside at a much faster rate than fuel thanks that are used more infrequently.

In many cases, the steps in a standard cleaning a fuel tank process include:

Drain the Fuel Tank

Before any cleaning can begin, fuel tank should be drained to remove all moisture, residual gases and other liquids. If tank has not been cleaned for years, then a special chemical will have to be sprayed on its interiors to make the thick sludge pumpable so that it can be extracted.

Scrubbing the Fuel Tank

Once the sludge and gasoline has been removed, the inside of the tank is srubbed. This is done using an industrial cleaner. Scrubbing will remove all organic matter, residual sludge, water and other impurities from the tank’s interior walls.

Rinsing the Fuel Tank

After fuel residue, sludge and other mater has been removed from the tank, it should be thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry. You must ensure that tank is completely dry before adding any fuel.

Keeping fuel storage tanks clean is important as they are life blood of all types of vehicle fleet owners and industries. Without any fuel, businesses cannot deliver parts, products or workers. A clean fuel storage tank means no more fuel cleaning is required, which reduces costs and downtime associated with frequent engine breakdowns or repairs. So, inspect your fuel tanks regularly and ensure their cleanliness.

Epic Entrepreneurship in Truck Scales for Farming, Mining, and More

Today, all types of manufacturing, farming, and industrial processes have become extremely reliant on heavy-duty machinery and equipment. So much so that it seems to be impossible to imagine going through everyday life without these robust pieces of technology.

Spanning from mining to farming industries, the dependence on heavy-duty weighing systems has significantly grown. As a result, companies that specialize in weighing technologies and truck scales, such as Walz Scale, have become very useful.

About Walz Scale 

Walz Scale is a supplier and service support company that offers precision weighing equipment (such as truck scales for mining, farming, and shipping) which is used for a lot of applications. Applications of Walz Scale products extend into transportation, industrial, laboratory, agriculture, waste, aggregate, mining and recycling contexts. The company has been around for more than fifty years and it is still going strong. Beyond offering the finest solutions in truck scales, the company’s topmost priority is the satisfaction of its customers and it certainly does work hard to achieve this by offering top notch trucks and equipment.

Mining Scales

Being a global leading company when it comes to mining scales and other industrial weighing solutions, not to mention, the experience garnered over the decades, Walz Scale is certainly a very popular name in the industry. Two of the most popular mining scales offered by Walz Scale would be weighbridge scales and the onboard loader scales. These mining scales help provide accurate weighing and 3D load scanning features which certainly boosts the efficiency of the miners. Any mining site can benefit from the tailor-made and personalized solutions offered by the company. Not only does it improve productivity in the mining company but it also significantly brings down the mining costs.

Mining trucks are no doubt extremely heavy vehicles, therefore if one has to weigh them then one would need an even stronger weighing machine. The mining scales offered by Walz Scale has a concrete surface and a low-profile design which enables effective and accurate weighing of the trucks. An impressive thing about these heavy duty truck scales is that they can function as pit-type and above the ground. The signature self-setting connectors of Walz Scale makes the installation and expansion process a cakewalk. The scale or conveyor belt features a lot more structural steel in comparison to other popular truck scales manufactured by the competitors.

Farm Scales

Farm truck scales are also commonly used in case of the agriculture industry. Keeping up with the needs and demands in this industry, Walz Scale offers a wide array of weighing products, technologies and applications. These farm scales are highly cost effective solutions for farmers and they are capable of taking care of every kind of weighing need. These farm truck scales can be teamed up with peripheral equipment such as remote displays, computers, printers and yield management software programs in order to maximize efficiency.

Onboard Truck Scales

In addition to the above mentioned truck scales, Walz Scale also offers onboard truck scales. Onboard scales help the user save a lot of money and time because they can weigh the truck along with its contents easily, quickly and conveniently. These scales are generally installed on the truck frame itself, thus rendering them ready for weighing at all times! Some of these on-board truck scales also feature the wireless technology which enables individuals to tell the weight of the truck even if they are standing at a significant distance away from the truck.

Payload Pro Software

Incorporating a truck scale or farm scale into your operations is not always enough. Managing weights or making calculations is also key, and calls for the use of both hardware and software. As far as hardware solutions are concerned, the truck scales would fit the bill, but when it comes to software you will have to ensure that you select the right one. Payload Pro is a software program that is one of the best and most advanced programs offering software tools that helps in managing the payload on mining scales. This software program is used in large mining sites, factories and heavy equipment industries.

Yield Pro Software Solutions

Another one of the software solutions offered by Walz Scale is the Yield Pro App, which is very easy to access (especially if you are using an iPhone) and is tailored for farmer and ag producers. It not only supports Windows Operating Systems but it is also compatible with smartphones and tablet computers. It is suitable for farmers mostly as it helps in managing yield and harvest production. This software program is targeted at producers who have massive harvests and would like to optimize the productivity of their farms.

There is no doubt that Walz Scale is a leader for truck scales and weighing solutions for multiple industries. To learn more about this company, visit the Walz Scale website.

Piano Distributors: Your Epic Source for All Things Piano

Purchasing a piano for your family, business, or personal interests can offer intellectual stimulation and lifetime enjoyment from all avenues. Aside from providing elegance and sophistication, every musically-inclined individual must consider owning a piano or keyboard, because it is a timeless and recession-proof investment.

The first step to owning a piano is to seek out a reputable piano dealers that offer you a wide-selection of the leading names in the industry. Additionally, piano dealers who offer expert sales knowledge, customer support, and piano lessons further define the epic sources you want to visit.

Piano Distributors is one piano dealer that offers all of that, and more. For over 50 years, the Piano Distributors has been a prominent and trusted piano dealer offering diversified and top quality piano brands at very competitive prices. Top brands such as Yamaha, Young Chang, Baldwin, Hardman, Cable-Nelson, Kawai, Kurzweil, Pearl River, Petrof and PianoDics are offered at Piano Distributors.

Furthermore, Piano Distributors have been providing service par excellence in several key locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri.

When you avail of the products and services of Piano Distributors, you are assured of the highest degree of professionalism and expertise. Furthermore, with Piano Distributors, you are guaranteed that their:

• new pianos are of top quality and come with manufacturer warranties.
• used pianos are skilfully reconditioned by expert technicians and come with dealer’s warranty.
• employees provide you with top of the line after sales services.
• team of experts and industry professionals who address all your piano concerns.
• sales team can best assist you have the best experience with your piano.

The Piano Distributors also offers a wide range of services so you won’t need to go anywhere else for all your piano-related concerns.

Renting Pianos 

Do you need to hire a piano for an event or a special celebration? The Piano Distributorshave designed a unique rental system where you can rent prized pianos for specific events or for certain monthly schemes. Furthermore, you can examine the piano in your home and pay only a rental fee, which will be deducted from the purchase price, once you decide to buy the piano.

Moving Pianos

Moving a delicate piece like a piano is a complex undertaking. With Piano Distributors, you can move your piano from one location to the other safely as it will be handled by a team of professionals and industry experts.

Piano Lessons

Whether you're seeking piano lessons in Raleigh or in Atlanta, Piano Distributors can help you connect with the right piano professional. They can help you find a teacher who is proficient in teaching young children, or adults who simply want to fulfill their long-time dream of playing the piano.

Tuning and Repair Pianos

PianoDistributors.com has a pool of industry experts and technicians who can help address all your piano repairs and tuning needs.

Selling Pianos

If at any time you need to sell your piano, you can have it consigned at Piano Distributors and connect with the right buyer. In some occasions, the company may even buy your piano outright.

Storing Pianos 

In case you are renovating your home but you don’t have a place to store your piano, Piano Distributors have ample storage facility whether you need to store your piano for a long-term or short-term period.

What sets PianoDistributors.com above its competition is its trademark Piano Match system that will allow you to find a piano according to your specifications, whether is used or brand new. The company is tops when it comes to all things pianos.

Epic Business Ideas in Custom Tank Tops at The Neon South

Personalized apparel has evolved into a common business model and marketing ploy that's popping-up everywhere on the Internet. Giving customers the opportunity to custom design t-shirts, tank tops, hats, magnets, and other accessories has offered quite the selling proposition for the creative buyer.

One epic start-up that's beginning to thrive on the Web is The Neon South. Based out of Dallas, The Neon South specializes in custom tank tops, sunglasses, and hats. But as the name implies, this epic company centers it's business model on most things neon, particularly neon tank tops.

Colorful Roots of The Neon South 

The Neon South is a simple brand that spawned from a couple of young and creative entrepreneurs who are avid music festival goers and spring-breakers. Not only did they see a popular interest and demand in customized neon tank tops and apparel, but they also could resonate with their target audience of fellow concert goers, fraternities, sororities, and creative individuals.

So the business began, starting with custom tanks tops composed of many brightly colored options. But The Neon South didn't end with just customizable neon tanks. To further accessorize their rad customer base, they also offer full spectrum of neon sunglasses, hats, fanny packs, and now, pocket tank tops.

Once a popular classic in the 70's and 80's, pocket tanks are being reborn thanks to custom pro's at The Neon South. Customers can choose from a hundreds of different custom color combinations with these pocket tank tops. And what's epically-entrepreneurial about it is that The Neon South is one of the leading pioneers and contenders in bringing back custom pocket tank tops to the market. In fact, custom pocket tank tops are now available for the first time ever on a national scale thanks to The Neon South.

Beyond Custom Tank Tops

In addition to offer custom tank tops in neon and other standard colors, customers can also find a wide assortment of (mostly neon) sunglasses, fanny packs, drink koozies, crop tops and headbands. All of these accessories are available for customization and thus compliment orders for custom tank tops.

There is a select choice of in-house tank top designs available for sale at TheNeonSouth.com, and those products can be purchased individually. However for custom tank tops and other accessories, the minimum order is 20 items. What's neat is that users can either create their custom design on the website, or upload designs to the blank template. The Neon South also offers design customization services for those in need of some creative input.

Unlike some other companies that offer standard custom t-shirts and screen printing services, The Neon South handles each order individually to ensure quality control. Although this makes ordering custom tank tops a bit slower, the response time is fast and an employee of the company may communicate with the customer to make sure all details and specs are met.

So what are you waiting for? If you're interested in custom tank tops, hats, koozies, sunglasses, or other neon accessories, visit TheNeonSouth.com to explore their extensive offering of awesome apparel and products.

A Leader in Discount Luggage Sets: LexingtonLuggage.com

Are you tired of scouring through the internet for the most affordable discount luggage sets? If so, then scour no more.

The purpose of discount luggage store, LexingtonLuggage.com, specifically exists to serve customers like you.

Your One-Stop Shop for Name Brand Discount Luggage Sets

Lexington Luggage offers a complete selection of top-quality, name brand discount luggage sets at some of the cheapest prices you will find anywhere. The company has a variety of stock from reputable name brands including Zero Halliburton, Samsonite, TravelPro, Delsey, A.Saks, Briggs & Riley Travelware, Eagle Creek among so many others.

Check out more of Lexington Luggage's discount luggage sets and travel accessories now, or read on to learn more about this epic company.

Unbeatable Discounts on Luggage Sets and Travel Accessories

In case you are wondering why the prices for discount luggage at Lexington Luggage are so affordable, consider the dynamics of demand and supply. When prices go up, people stop buying. When they are reduced, products sell off the shelves at unbelievable rates. Lexington Luggage understands this economic concept hence the low pricing of quality products.

What is more, this luggage shop aspires to beat all competitor prices. This is why, in addition to the discounted prices, you can also the use the Lexington Luggage coupon code to mark 15 percent off all your purchases.

Featured Products at Lexington Luggage

The products in stock at LexingtonLuggage.com include travel accessories, messenger bags, duffel bags, backpacks, laptop bags, briefcases and luggage sets. Below we highlight some of these product categories, and why Lexington Luggage dominates each:

Discount Computer Bags

Prices for computer bags at Lexington Luggage range from $84.99 (for a bag going for at least $200 at other online luggage stores) to around $155. You no longer have to strain your budget for that enviable bag. Shop at Lexington Luggage’s inventory of discount computer bags and enjoy great quality at incredibly- low prices.

Discount Backpacks

Additionally, you can get quality backpacks at prices ranging from $19.99 to $99 (down from $110), depending on the brand, design and make. The backpacks and mobility sets at this discount luggage store are unbeatable anywhere else.

Discount Duffel Bags

Generally, Lexington Luggage sells duffel bags at prices as low as $195 (for the Jack Georges Carry On Duffel Bag with a 3- Way Zip). The most expensive duffel bag at this store goes for $599 (a huge discount considering you would buy it for $685 at another store).

Discount Luggage Messenger Bags

Strap on a messenger bag from Lexington’s for anything between $79 and $417. You can be sure that people will be stopping you on the street asking where you got such a striking bag from.

Discount Travel Accessories

Lexington Luggage stocks luggage carts, umbrellas, gifts, travel 3oz., travel clocks, shoulder pads, luggage scales, pack – it sacs, waterproofing material, electrical converters, adapter plugs, travel pillows, security money belts among others. Whatever you need, this store can sell it to you at the lowest price imaginable.

Discount Wallets

Need to upgrade to a more stylish wallet? Well, you can now buy durable, detailed and perfectly designed wallets from Lexington’s. Some of the popular designer items on sale include passport cases, card cases and wallets for men and ladies. You also get to choose from a wide variety of colors and material (metal and leathers).

Discount Luggage Sets

Last but not least, Lexington Luggage sells a great selection of discount luggage sets at prices ranging from $39 (unbelievable!) to $300. These sets also come in a variety of colors, designs and material.

Overall, you can be sure that you will never be disappointed when you shop at Lexington Luggage. Is it any wonder that some customers have described the store as "a piece of (travel) heaven on earth"?

Epic Entreprenuership as House Sitters in San Francisco

We recently discovered a unique case of epic entrepreneurship in creating a business model as house sitters in San Francisco. Think about it - the ability to live for free in a beautiful city that has the one of the highest costs of living in the United States. Sounds too legit to quit.

The website is SanFranciscoHouseSitting.org and the creative entrepreneur behind it all is Tyler Tafelsky. The duo intends to provide San Francisco house sitting services to vacationing homeowners and other people needing a pet or house sitter to look over their home.

Tyler has a wealth of experience as pet sitters and house sitters, and in many different areas beyond San Francisco. Native to northern Michigan, each offers a love for animals, in addition to a mindful presence to watch over their clients' homes.

The couple plans to move to San Francisco at the end of October 2013, and although they have a temporary place to reside, their goal is seek-out house sitting gigs throughout the Bay Area of California. After realizing the high demand for house sitters in San Francisco,Tyler has created a we presence to market their house sitting and pet sitting services.

In addition to having a unique proposition for homeowners seeking experienced house sitters wanted in San Francisco, Tyler set himselfapart from the competition in many ways. Unlike other house and pet sitters in the Bay Area, they offer their services free of charge. They also have working experience caring for various types of animals, including cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, fish, and more. They are also both very mindful of the homeowners' demands and are more than willing to take-on household chores like mowing the lawn and landscaping, vacuuming and dusting, and other upkeep.

When it comes to creative and epic entrepreneurship, the house sitters in San Francisco take the cake.

Creating a Cohesive Website Optimization for Your Company

The true prupose behind website optimization extends far beyond the traditional practices of search engine optimization (SEO). That is, there's much more to website optimization than keyword optimizing a web pages and building links, all in an effort to attain greater search engine exposure.

Although your company's website optimization strategy should indeed focus on SEO, it should also equally include the practice of Conversion Rate Optimization, (or "CRO").

CRO is the art and science of crafting and fine-tuning your website for better performance after visitors land your website. The primary goal here to maximize the value of your traffic to generate the greatest conversions and thus leads/customers to your company.

So what are the elements that your company's website optimization strategy include? Below is a list of some of the components you'll want to consider when developing a true website optimization strategy for your company.

• Website Usability: how well users interact with your website's functionality
• User Interface: the design, structure, navigation, and overall layout of your website
• Website Load Speed: the quickness in which pages load on your website
• Crawlability: the efficiency in which your website is crawled and indexed (lack or presence of HTML errors, Flash media, etc.)
• Keyword Relevancy: how well keywords are used throughout your website for SEO purposes
• Page Copy: how fluid and strong the readable text is on your web pages
• Media: use of videos and images to help establish value and meaning on your website
• Calls-to-Action: graphics, buttons, and text that motivate users to take action

These are just a few elements that your company's website optimization strategy should include. To learn more about how to develop a cohesive website optimization campaign for your company, visit WebPresenceGroup.net, a leading website optimization company that provides free audits for qualified companies.

Carving a Niche: Walz Scale Truck Scales

Walz Scale truck scale systems are integrated with advanced technological components and are capable of weighing trucks of different capacities. Walz Scale truck scales can be custom designed for different configurations to meet varying needs of the trucking, shipping, farming, mining, and other industry applications.

Truck weighing systems should be capable of giving accurate and consistent results. Walz Scales have been designed to provide accurate and reliable results when it comes to weighing heavy duty and light trucks. Walz Scales has added a wide range of scales to its product portfolio including heavy duty scales, grain dump truck scales and farm scales.

Heavy Duty Truck Scales

Heavy duty truck scales are available in both steel deck form and also in concrete deck form. They can be used above the ground and also in the pit type mode for measuring weights of heavy duty trucks. The concrete or the steel deck rests on a series of I-beams.

These truck scales have been designed in such a way so as to measure a large number of heavy duty trucks on a given day. It has the capability to weigh 300 or more trucks in a day. Walz Scale industrial truck scales can be calibrated to measure up to 80,000 pounds.

Grain Dump Truck Scales

These type of scales allow the truck operator to perform weighing by loading and unloading the truck on scale. These scales come in standard widths of 12 feet thus increasing the through put of the grain dump truck and at the same time provide more safety to the truck.

By using this farm truck scale model from Walz Scale, farmers can simultaneously complete their loading and unloading process while weighing operations are being performed.

Farm Truck Scales

These scales can easily be installed by the farmers near their fields. There is no need for hoisting equipment like cranes for completing installation. The deck of the scale measures 12 foot wide. In addition to the 12 foot wide scales, Walz Scale also offers industrial truck scales for sale in widths such as 11, 12 and 14 foot. The various components that are used in this scale are galvanized. This increases the life span of the different components thereby enhancing the overall life span of the farm truck scale.

Over a period of time, Walz Scale started to involve in the design and manufacturing of modern scales like the full length weighbridge scales, super heavy duty weighbridges and portable frame weighbridges

Weighbridge Scales

Weighbridge scale are full length scales come with the required weighing components including the various mounting hardware accessories. The scale system comes with inbuilt electronic display systems, which facilitates the operator to watch the payload live and make adjustments to the payload as required.

The payload systems that are available on weighbridge truck scale come provide the required capability to the operators for collecting, storing and analyzing payload data. With such payload managements systems integrated, the operator can determine opportunities to increase the productivity by allowing more trucks to be weighed in a day.

The various truck lengths that can be accommodated in full length scales include 30 feet, 45 feet, 60 and 72 feet trucks. It has a maximum capacity of 200,000 pounds and comes with optional features including integration with the printers, managing truck weighing process from remote locations through wireless data processing and the capability to print from remote locations. These Full length scales have the capability to provide accurate and consistent results even in the harshest of conditions.

5 Tips to Becoming an Epic Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship can stem from any creative idea. Regardless of how small or big the idea is, when pursued mindfully, it can lead to a successful business venture.

If you have wanted to become an epic entrepreneur, there are some things that you need to keep in mind. Even though these tips may not be exciting and inspiring, they are essential if you want to ensure that your business is successful, as well as sustainable, for the long haul.

Scribe a Clear Business Plan

What most aspiring entrepreneurs overlook is writing out a clear business plan. You must mention your mission, goals and overall purpose of the enterprise in this business plan. Try to fit in details about financing, employment, marketing and investments because this information will serve as the framework for your future business.

If you need guidance, consulting a business adviser or coach is a good idea as he will be able to pinpoint the important aspects of your business plan and suggest ways in which you can organize it.

Forecast Your Expenses and Cash Flow

When planning an entrepreneurial setup, not only do you have to know everything about the overall scheme of financing, but you also have to be wary of the cash flow. Financing should be your primary concern since that will drive your business for the first few months but at the same time you should plan out the cash flow for future needs.

It is best that you over-estimate the expenditures during the planning stage so that the extra money can serve as cushion cost in case some aspects require more investment than you had anticipated.

Determine Costs for Land, Labor and Other Essential Resources

Parallel to the latter tip, you will have to determine the number of employees that will support the operations in your company. Land is also a crucial factor since most businesses need a place to sell products and serve customers. The better the location, the higher your chances of reaping profits. But before you can make profits, you will have to invest. Thus you must be able to determine certain estimates regarding the same.

The third aspect to consider is consulting services like accountants, lawyers, marketing professionals and IT experts that you have to maintain in order to ensure that your business operates successfully. Since it is quite impossible to be specific, it is a good idea to observe a comparable business and make your estimates.

Learn the Basics of Taxation

If you know how to plan taxes, you will be saved a lot of stress in the future. The kind of business and its location determine the taxes you have to pay so find out what the tax requirements are for your business model in the area you wish to operate. If you need help, you could consult an accountant or a financial planner who will be equipped to offer you great solutions.

Pinpoint the Optimal Business Insurance

Not only do you need insurance to start a business, but it also helps to ward-off risk that can potentially damage your entrepreneurial venture in the future. There is a wide variety of insurances that you can choose from so pick one that protects all aspects of your business. Even though it may pinch your pocket to invest in business insurance, look at it as a necessity that will help keep your business afloat.

What's All Hype About Search Engine Optimization "SEO"?

Search engine optimization (or "SEO") is exploding with hype as the new, cutting-edge marketing manuever for businesses.

The truth is, SEO has been around since the late 90's when Overture, Yahoo, and other blooming search engines were viewed as quality sources to get information.

Only in the last 5 years or so has SEO become a popular facet to a company's marketing plan. This grow has been fertilized by the ever-powerful Google (which accounts for over 70% of activity on the Internet.)

If you're interested in knowing more about the history and basics of the SEO, this Wiki page is a pretty good resources.

The focus of this post is to enlighten you, the Epic Entreprenuer, on how to leverage SEO for your business's marketing plan.

The Purpose of SEO

The purpose of SEO is to get your website as high in the search rankings as possible for keyword phrases that reflect what you have to offer. Individuals are actively searching these terms, so the website traffic is typically good. As a result, businesses can capture pre-qualified leads from web traffic via search.

Understanding Your Business's Unique SEO Strategy

Just like a marketing plan, the SEO strategy for your business will be unique. Certain keyword phrases trigger special search results that demand a unique approach.

For instance, if your business model is a(n):

• local business - you'll want to be aware of Google's localized search results (accompanied by the Google map with little pins.) These results are influenced by Google+ local pages (also formerly known as Google Places pages,) so you'll want to ensure you create one of these. Additionally, you'll want to modify your keywords to be geo-specific (e.g. "wine shops in Traverse City" or "computer repair shops in Peoria IL")
• online store or ecommerce website - you'll want to consider implementing the products of your ecommerce store on Google Shopping. These product listings are a huge sources of search traffic and can help be the ideal supplement to any ecommerce SEO strategy.
• advertiser, blogger, or publisher - if your business model centers on regular online publishing (or time sensitive information) see if you website or blog qualifies for Google News results. This is popular platform for search that can provide a wealth of traffic.

Get a Free SEO Audit

There are tons of SEO companies that offer free SEO/website audits. It's important to note that the best practices of SEO have drastically changed over the last year. Some SEO techniques are obsolete; however some providers still claim they're effective (loser denial, maybe.)

Unfortunately, this sketchy behavior has given the SEO profession a bad name over the years. Just be sure to do your homework and inquire to multiple SEO providers when scouting for services or consulting programs. Getting the opinion of multiple "SEO specialists" is key to weeding-out the amatuers and theives.


About the Author:
This article was contributed by Tyler Tafelsky, an Internet marketing manager at the Web Presence Group, a Yogi, a triathlete and an overall righteous dude. To learn more about Tyler, connect with him on Twitter or Google+.

Key Questions to Ask When Interviewing Prospective Business IT Consultants

When seeking help on how to utilize information technology (IT) for your business, there are thousands of IT consultants who can offer their wisdom and insights.

However like most consulting professionals, each IT consultant has a unique style and approach as to how they operate.

Below we have compiled a list of questions to ask when interviewing your prospective business IT consultants.

What types and brands of computer and IT systems do you specialize in? Understanding the technology that your prospective IT consultant uses is imperative in knowing how their "go-to solutions" match up with the goals of you business.

What was your professional experience before you became an IT consultant? Getting an idea of the individual's professional experience can help you gauge how extensive of an industry track record they have to offer.

Do have experience working on similar projects or providing consulting services with other groups encountering challenges similar to ours? This question can put a lot out on the table in terms of how proficient the consultant will be in addressing the specific problems your company is faced with.

What prior experience do you have with clients related to that of our business's size? Similar to the last question, this allows you to grasp the IT consultant background experience. Additionally, inquiring about the types of issues the consultant has handled can uncover his or her degree of business domain knowledge. This can help minimize the expense of billable hours spent on getting up to speed.

Are there additional members of your IT consulting team who work with? Some IT consultants work individually and others work as a team. This will help you understand the expectations regarding the timeliness of support request, for team-based providers are sometimes more efficient.

Have you written any publications or documents that underscore issues that our company is facing? Professional IT consultants will often times document or write about issues that they troubleshoot and solve. In short, this separates the quality IT consultants from the mediocre.

What companies or professionals have you personally worked with before? If the prospect is able to release this information to you, then ask the follow-up question: Can we call them to ask about your services? Getting feedback from a source other than the IT consultant is a great supplement to your prospecting efforts and selecting the right individual.

This article was written by the advocates of Facet Technologies, a professional team of IT consultants in Peoria, IL. Facet Tech can help advise your business on ways to leverage IT for more efficient operations and productivity.

Organizational Psychology: The Power of Reinforcement

One of my favorite courses as business student was Organizational Psychology. That favor stemmed from having such an awesome professor who made a mundane subject rather inspiring.

Organizational psychology is a scientific study of the behaviors and attitudes of people within a working environment. And if you're working to become an epic entrepreneur, you'll definitely want to understand a few things about organization psychology.

Reinforcement is perhaps the most powerful and influential aspect of psychology. Receiving feedback from your boss can alter your level of productivity, as well as your mood and mindset. For this reason, you'll want to leverage the power of reinforcement with righteous intentions.

As an epic entrepreneur, how exactly do you do that?

Providing quality reinforcement, whether positive or negative, requires a strong sense of empathy. That is, you must somewhat understand your recipient's perspective and feelings (or the ability to put yourself in their shoes.)

This is particularly important when giving negative reinforcement - or feedback focused on on stopping an individual from behaving in such a way.

How to Give Quality Reinforcement

Below I share with you just a few tips on how to give quality reinforcement in the workplace.

• Know the exact purpose of your reinforcement and what the projected outcome will be. Meaningless reinforcement is definitely not righteous, and ain't no body got time for that.
• Offer incentives or rewards for performance. Regardless of how big or small, an incentive can be a highly effective form of positive reinforcement.
• Practice empathy by listening more and speaking less. An epic entrepreneur knows his audience by asking questions, engaging with people, and learning about them. As a result, purposeful reinforcement can be delivered

With respect to the last point, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

        "It does not take many words to the speak the truth." - Native American, Chief Joseph


About the Author: This article was contributed by Tyler Tafelsky, a marketing manager, Yogi, triathlete  and overall righteous dude. To learn more about Tyler, connect with him on Twitter or Google+.

Leverage the Efficiencies of IT to Optimize Your Business

Whether you have an already established company or a business plan in the works, leveraging IT (information technology) can help make your operations much more efficient.

When most of us think of "IT" we think of bulky computer hardware, such as servers and computer networks. However now, IT spans across many different technologies and applications, such as mobile.

Below are some tips to help the epic entrepreneur leverage IT to optimize his or her business.

Target Operational or Service Inefficiencies

Internal operations and the delivery of customer service are typically areas that can improve with the help of IT. Every business model is unique, so you'll have to do some internal soul-searching to determine the areas of your company that could use technology to more effective or productive. In short, pinpoint the bottlenecks, areas of customer complaints, or employee overuse/dissatisfaction and assess whether or not technology can help.

Get Customer & Employee Feedback

The more you can learn from both your customers and your employees the better. Gather feedback from these parties to determine areas for improvement. Once you have pinpointed specific components of your business that can be enhanced, you can then think about how IT can be of use. Integrating cutting edge IT and computer information systems on both the customer-level and production level and help to streamline your operations

Speak with Your Local IT Consultant

A industry professional can help enlighten you and your team about opportunities using technology. Set-up a meeting with your local IT consultant to explore various ways in which technology can empower your business. Depending on the type of company you operate, there are usually ways to optimize certain functions of your business with the support of IT.

Research New Technologies

Staying abreast emerging technologies can help you gauge whether or not investments are worth the money and effort. Especially with more mobile technologies coming out on the market, the versatility in IT goes far beyond what many people imagine. The use of tablets and other personal gadgets has revolutionized how some business operate. As a result, some companies have positioned themselves has more creative and cutting edge than their competitors.

Again, many of insights can be gathered by speaking with a professional IT consulting company or individual IT expert. If you do not operate your business in a metropolitan area, you can receive IT consulting services over the web as well.

Is your company leveraging any unique or cutting-edge technologies or IT solutions? Let us know in the comments section below.

Yogi Words of Wisdom That Apply to Entrepreneurship

Every week I look forward to Yoga class. My instructors will share some interesting words of wisdom that I often think about long after the class is over. Some of their words I can apply to business and entrepreneurship.

Below I share with you a few words of wisdom from my Yoga instructors, and how they translate to aspects of starting and operating a successful business.

"You might not get there today, but perhaps you will tomorrow, or next week, or next month." - Be patient with the growth of your business. Progress will come with diligence and mindful, righteous effort.

"Respect your limits" - When business is on the up-swing and the leads come pouring in, don't bite off more than you can chew. This is important for consultants and service providers. Know your limits and avoid taking on too much too soon.

"It's all mental" - Everything in this world is truly is a mental schema. In an entrepreneurial context, your brand is the mental image that defines your business. You can shape it however you want. View your brand from the viewpoint of your audience, and try to position your business from a outside perspective.

"It's not what it looks like, it's what it feels like" - Don't obsess about aesthetics, such as your web design's color scheme or your company's logo. It's the quality of your work that's most meaningful. It's all about what you can do and what you can prove, not looks.

"Be mindful" - Whether toward your employees, your vendors, or your clients/customers, it's important to be mindful of all parties that surround your business. Exercise your sense of empathy and put yourself in others' shoes.

This article was contributed by Yogi and Internet marketing expert Tyler Tafelsky. To learn more about Tyler, connect with him on Twitter or Google+.