Fred Harteis News Articles - Fly the crowded skies

Fred Harteis News Articles - Growing demand for airline travel, coupled with a tighter supply of seats, means there's likely to be few or no empty seats on your next flight, especially if that flight is this summer. And it's quite possible you'll be paying a higher fare for your next ticket, given the scarcity of seats.

The nation's 10 largest airlines filled 81.1 percent of their available seats in April, the highest reading for that ratio known as "load factor" ever seen in April. That follows a March when the industry as a whole filled 81.8 percent of its seats, also the highest reading ever for that period.

Over the first four months of the year, the 10 largest airlines have filled 78.2 percent of the seats, a higher load factor than was seen in the three busy summer months right before the Sept. 11 terrorist attack shook the industry and flyer confidence. The first four months of last year, the same carriers filled 75.8 percent of seats.

Part of the high load factor is due to a 5 percent increase in miles flown by paying passengers during April compared to a year earlier.

But part of it is also due to a number of troubled airlines trimming capacity over the last 12 months, leaving the industry with essentially flat capacity in the face of growing demand.

Two carriers that filed for bankruptcy in September, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, cut capacity by 8 and 10 percent, respectively, over the first four months of the year compared to a year earlier. The current US Airways, which was formed when America West bought the then bankrupt US Air last year, has 11 percent fewer seats available than those two carriers did combined a year ago.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Expensive gasoline = consumer belt-tightening

Fred Harteis News Articles - As higher gas prices eat into consumers' shopping budgets, more Americans say they could be forced to cope with the pain at the pump by cutting back on eating out, driving less often and holding off on purchases on big-ticket items like cars and TVs, according to a new industry survey.

According to the 2006 "Gas Prices Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey" from the National Retail Federation (NRF), 76 percent of consumers believe fluctuating gas prices have impacted their spending habits, up from 67.2 percent last year and 57 percent in 2004.

“Higher prices at the pump act as a tax on disposable income. As prices continue to rise, it is inevitable that consumer spending will be affected," NRF president and CEO, Tracy Mullin, said in a statement.

How do consumers plan to adjust their budget to account for the gas price hikes? About 45 percent of those polled said they will simply drive less. Additionally, 37.2 percent said they plan to decrease vacation and/or travel, while 36.2 percent will cut back on dining out.

Also, 22.2 percent will delay a major purchase such as a car or television and eight percent of respondents say they will carpool, almost double the amount from the previous year, the report said.

The retailers that provide the best return for the dollar will benefit during this period. So this "clearly gives the advantage to discounters, warehouse clubs and online retailers over department stores and mall-based retailers," Mullin said.

While the luxury market has been particularly immune to the rise in gas prices, the survey suggests that even the recession-proof shopper may start pulling in the reins.

According to the study, 69.3 percent of affluent shoppers (with household incomes of $50,000 or higher) said gas prices are negatively affecting spending, compared to 59.1 percent in 2005.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Workers would give up coffee for Web

Fred Harteis News Articles - It should come as no surprise that most Americans with Internet access at work do some personal Web surfing on the job. A new survey finds that half of them would rather give up their morning coffee than forgo that ability.

Maps, news and weather are the chief nonwork-related sites visited.

A quarter of employees watch or listen to streaming media at least once a week from work, and 18 percent have downloaded and stored nonwork music, photos and video clips, according to a telephone-based survey sponsored by Websense Inc., which makes software that helps companies filter and monitor Internet use.

Many companies have Internet policies that ban pornography but allow reasonable personal Internet use, such as e-mailing a doctor to schedule an appointment or buying a gift during a lunch break.

According to the survey, 61 percent of employees with Internet access have spent at least some time accessing personal sites.

The average is 3.1 hours a week, compared with 12.8 hours for work-related surfing.

The survey of 500 employees was conducted March 16 to April 4 by Harris Interactive. The random sample was limited to adults who work at a company with at least 100 employees and who have Internet access on the job.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Theft-proofing your home

Fred Harteis News Articles - Suntan lotion...check. Bermuda shorts...check. Now that you're packed and ready to hit the road, make sure your most valuable asset will remain safe and sound.

Here are Five Tips that will tell you how.

1. Know the stats

There were over 2 million burglaries nationally for the 2004 year, the latest year that stats are available, according to the FBI. Most burglaries happen in July and August - exactly when many homeowners are off on their summer vacations. In fact, most communities will experience a 10 to 18 percent increase in home burglaries during the summer, according to the Burglary Prevention Council. The average home loss totaled over $1,600 dollars. The most common time for a burglary to happen was during daylight hours from 6 am to 6 pm. Burglars spend no more than 60 seconds breaking into a home, so you'll want to make it as hard as possible for them.

2. Unplug your garage door

Before you pull out of the driveway, disable the electric garage door opener and make sure the door is locked securely. If you have manual lock make sure you use it. While it might be rare, you don't want someone with a universal garage door opener gaining any access to your garage and your home.

3. Make your yard burglar-unfriendly

Take a walk around the yard. If you see shrubs or trees that provide sufficient cover to a would-be burglar, you'll want to trim them. Keep these bushes far away from the house. You may also want to plant thorny bushes, like firethorns or rosebushes, closer to the windows. Pay special attention to your first floor windows. Over 60 percent of burglars come through a window that should have been locked, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. People that break into homes usually find an opening that should have been closed, says Tom Kraeutler, host of the radio show, "The Money Pit."

4. Follow the light

Burglars want to blend in as much as possible. So consider investing in motion detector lights for the outside and light timers for the inside of your home. With a motion-sensitive light, an intruder is bathed in light the instant he steps into your yard. You'll also want to use light-timers on lamps near the front and the back windows. This way you'll be able to create the impression the home is lived in. You can buy them for as little as $20 to $50.

5. It's not just thieves

While you're on vacation, the last thing you want to think about is coming home to what could be a disaster. Before you leave, turn off the main water valve, says Kraeutler. If a pipe bursts while you're away, you could return to a pool of floating furniture.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles – What They Don’t Teach You In College

Fred Harteis News Articles - The business world is another animal entirely. Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, it's not a natural fit for ambitious graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort. Suddenly, the tenets of success we've followed since kindergarten don't apply, because getting ahead in the business world often has nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations. Since they don't teach corporate in college, here are six tips to help you win at the business world's game:

Develop a marketable corporate person:

Think of yourself as a publicist with the task of promoting you. Learn to capitalize on your skills, succinctly assert your achievements and project a corporate persona -- or your most mature, professional and competent face.

Establish profitable relationships:

Business networking is a valuable tool to gain information, increase your visibility in your field and make connections that will help you move forward in your career. Seek out new contacts and potential mentors whom you like and admire and whose interests you share. On the home front, don't expect your boss to figure out what you're all about. Determine her priorities, find out what she wants from you, and brainstorm ways to surpass her expectations.

Master transferable skills like goal setting, effective communication and time management:

You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but transferable skills will serve you well no matter what future path you decide to pursue. Make your time count now by working with your boss to set specific, reasonable and attainable goals for your present position that will help you advance to the next level.

Stay motivated despite trying circumstances:

There's no doubt that the business world can be frustrating, but remember that you can choose your response to your environment. If you make a conscious decision to begin each day with a positive outlook, negative conditions at work can't take that away from you. Aim to increase your self-awareness so you can better understand your emotional hot buttons.

Get people to cooperate:

Always keep in mind that other people don't care what you want -- they want to know what's in it for them. By approaching negotiations with an attitude that allows both parties to win, you'll be more effective at eliciting cooperation and ultimately getting what you want.

Be proactive about your career growth:

Approach your performance review strategically by soliciting feedback on your progress, identifying new goals and growth opportunities and hammering out a long-term promotion plan. When asking your boss for a raise, be prepared with a list of contributions that have positively impacted the bottom line.

When you're struggling to survive in a corporate job, it might be an achievement just to make it through the day. But if at any point you feel like taking these steps is not worth the effort, just consider how much time you are likely to spend in the business world. Assuming you work from age 22 to age 65 for 235 days a year, you'll be on someone else's clock for about 80,000 hours, or one-tenth of your life. Isn't it only fair that you do everything you can to create a rewarding job experience?

Source: Aol.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - NBC: No Bad Comedies?

Fred Harteis News Articles - The ability to laugh at oneself is said to be key to a healthy lifestyle. If that's truly the case, then executives at the NBC television network must be pretty darn healthy.

Making light of the ratings woes at NBC was a prominent theme throughout the network's upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. NBC, which is currently languishing in fourth place among the advertiser-coveted demographic of 18-49 year olds, trotted out producers and stars of new and returning series, and many of them took pointed jabs at the network's status.

Paul Haggis, the Academy Award-winning director of "Crash," quipped that after winning a few Oscars, he thought he'd be on the No. 1 network. Haggis is the creator of a new crime show called "The Black Donnellys" that will debut in January.

And Nate Corddry, currently a correspondent of the "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Comedy Central and member of the cast for NBC's new drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," joked that he was excited about moving from basic cable to NBC "despite the reduction in audience."

But it was not all self-deprecatory humor at the presentation. NBC, the first of the prime-time networks to unveil its fall lineup to advertisers this week, also conveyed a sense of hope that the worst may be over for the network, which ruled the ratings through much of the 1980s and 1990s.

Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment, said NBC was proud of risks it took this season, particularly with the two quirky comedies "My Name is Earl" and "The Office." Those two shows were both critical favorites and ratings bright spots for NBC on Thursday nights. Reilly said he hoped the network's slate of new scripted shows would also provide some much-needed "rocket fuel."

"Even while bringing up the rear on the ratings front, NBC has gotten out ahead in programming trends," Reilly said. "I'm ready for this season to be over but I couldn't wait to share with you our new series."

In addition to "Donnellys" and "Studio 60," NBC is also rolling out two new sitcoms, including one called "30 Rock," which like "Studio 60" is also about the behind the scenes maneuvering on the set of a "Saturday Night Live"-esque sketch comedy show, and two other dramas.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Getting off the grid

Fred Harteis News Articles - Wish you could sever the ties to your electric company? With alternate energy it may just be possible.

Here Are 5 Tips you might need to know before going solar.

Measure your sunshine

Before you even start dreaming about installing solar paneling, make sure your home is basking in sunshine. Your roof should face south and you should live in an area that doesn't have a lot of trees in the way. Homeowners who live in sunny areas like Arizona or California are going to get more bang for their buck than someone in Massachusetts or New Jersey. If you live in Nevada, for example, you'll get 50 percent more out of your solar energy panels than if you lived in Seattle or Maine.

2. Weigh the costs

It's going to take you 15 to 20 years to make up the money you initially spent to install solar panels. Costs range from $14,000 to over $35,000. And it's unlikely you'll ever be able to save money, unless you can sell your unused energy back to the utility company. About 40 states let you do this, including California, Maryland, Colorado and New Jersey. There are some federal and local rebates check out http://www.dsireusa.org to see what's in your area, but you'll really need to sit down with your energy bill to crunch the numbers.

3. Replace your water heater

If you want to make a gradual shift to solar energy, it may be worth your while to invest in solar water heaters after your conventional water-heater conks out (especially given the run up in natural gas prices). The payback for solar water heaters is much quicker at about five to six years.

4. Don't pull off the grid entirely

While it's tempting to pull yourself off the grid entirely, you may want to start with a smaller system to supplement your main supply of electricity. You'll have fewer up-front costs and you'll also be able to gauge how much energy is needed to power the entire household.

It makes sense to get a system that meets most of your needs and rely on the grid for extreme energy usage than it does to purchase an oversized system you may not need. Don't forget, you can always add more panels later.

5. Check your warranty

Solar panels are under warranty for performance only. That means any storms, hurricanes, tornados or hailstorms that cause your solar cells to be ineffective will not be covered. These performance warranties generally last 25 years.

Your warranty may also be voided if you don't install the system correctly or keep up maintenance on the system - like not cleaning off stains. The solar water heating panels typically come with a five- to 10-year warranty, depending on manufacturer.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Do It Now: Pay (a lot) less for phone calls

Fred Harteis News Articles - Between your cell phone and home phone, your long-distance carrier and Internet provider, you face a stack of telecom bills every month. Are you getting the best deal you can? Probably not. Could you save by dealing with fewer companies? Maybe.

Take a deep breath, gather your bills, and look for these four signs that you're paying too much.

You pay more than new customers do

Make loyalty pay. New wireless and landline deals are rolled out every day at ever-lower prices. If you haven't checked your plan in more than a year, you're probably paying too much. But you don't have to switch to take advantage. Just ask. See what's out there. At whitefence.com you can compare local and long-distance service packages; go to myrateplan.com to do the same for wireless. Then call. Chances are, the customer service rep can hook you up with a new promotion.

2. You pay for too many minutes

Flat can be fat. Landline packages that offer unlimited local and long-distance calls for one flat rate are popular. But at $45 to $55 a month, they're not always the best deal. If you make fewer than 300 minutes of long-distance calls a month, you're better off paying by the minute -- for instance, just 3.9 cents a minute with PowerNet Global (pngcom.com). A flat-rate plan makes sense if you talk more. Save over landline rates with an Internet phone service such as Vonage (vonage.com), which offers unlimited calling for $25 a month.

3. You have features you don't use

Relax. You can miss a call. If you have an all-inclusive package, you're probably paying for bells and whistles that you never use. Strip your phone plan to basic service and select only the features you really need. If, say, you select caller ID and call waiting but opt out of voice mail and the [*]69 callback service (you have caller ID, remember?), you could save as much as $10 a month on your bill.

4. You're too tightly bundled

Simplicity will cost you. Getting your phone, cable and Internet access from one company sure is convenient. But you'll pay a premium for the simplicity of one bill because your cable company is never the cheapest option for phone service. If you're set on a voice-over-Internet-protocol plan (which is what the cable company offers), a third-party provider will cost less.

Don't fret the Net. For high-speed access, you'll have to bundle your Internet with your cable or phone provider. Shop around to find the best price, but set up a Web-based e-mail address with Yahoo or Gmail so you can switch easily if a better deal rolls around.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Apple seen developing iPod phone

Fred Harteis News Articles - Web and telecom conglomerate Softbank Corp. is working with Apple Computer Inc. to develop mobile telephones with built-in iPod music players.

The music-playing phones can download songs from Apple's iTunes Music Store, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said in an article posted on its Web site.

A spokesman for Apple, was not immediately available for comment.

The report said Apple and Softbank have agreed to co-develop the phone for sale as early as this year. The device is expected to carry both the Softbank and Apple brands, the report said, without citing the source of the information.

Softbank, which said last month it would buy Vodafone's Japanese mobile phone business, appears to be looking to use the power of Apple's brand to compete against mobile market leaders NTT DoCoMo and KDDI Corp.

Last year, Apple and handset maker Motorola Inc. introduced a music-playing cellphone known as the Rokr that has received disappointing reviews for its design and the limited number of songs that can be stored on the device.

Speculation has mounted that Apple is developing its own mobile phone - popularly labeled the iPhone - that will combine the stylish design of its iPod music and video player with mobile phone features.

Pundits from blog rumor sites to Wall Street analysts have speculated on the meaning of a string of patent applications filed by Apple Computer that stretch back several years and could indicate its ambition to build its own mobile phones.

Also fueling speculation about Apple's next potential moves is a newly disclosed Apple patent application for a display screen that detects multiple, simultaneous touches or "near touches" to produce separate signals to a device.

Touch-screen technology is widely used in so-called smartphones that have a variety of functions such as phones, e-mail, contact lists, Internet access and cameras.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Top 50: Most entry-level jobs for grads

Fred Harteis News Articles – The job market for college seniors is the best it's been in five years. But it's better at some companies than others.

The job site CollegeGrad.com surveyed 1,100 companies about their hiring expectations for entry-level workers this year, and compiled a list of those with the most positions to fill.

The companies that report having the highest number of entry-level positions to fill are Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Lockheed Martin, Walgreen Company, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.

The survey found college seniors who majored in marketing, business, management, accounting, computer science and communication are among the most in demand.

But there's good news for liberal arts grads, too, said Philip Gardener, director of Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI).

Almost half of the jobs he sees companies recruiting for are in sales and marketing, jobs that stress excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to work "in an ambiguous environment," he said. More so than engineers, IT professionals and other technically oriented grads, liberal arts majors tend to do well in these positions, Gardener said.

But it's not just big companies that are hiring. Small companies are hiring a significant number of new college graduates, expanding job opportunities by about 25 percent, according to a CERI report, which notes that "while it may seem that large companies have all the jobs, small employers – and there are thousands – may actually be the best place to find employment."

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Working Moms Want the Gift of Time for Mother's Day

Fred Harteis News Articles - This Mother's Day, Americans will spend close to $13.8 billion on cards, flowers, candy, jewelry, spa packages and brunches for their dear old moms, according to the National Retail Federation. But working moms especially want something that money can't buy. According to CareerBuilder.com's "Mother's Day 2006 survey," they just want more time.

One-in-four working moms said they are dissatisfied with their work/life balance and are actively seeking jobs that will provide them with more flexibility, and some will do it at any cost. Fifty-two percent of working moms say they are willing take a pay cut to spend more time with their children, a significant jump from 38 percent last year. Nearly one-in-ten are willing to take a pay cut of 10 percent or more.

Some working moms say a simple phone call during the workday helps them feel connected with their kids. Twenty-eight percent report they talk to their kids while at work at least once a day, but 30 percent say they typically don't get a chance to call their families while at the office.

Here are some ways to help you have a healthy work/life balance without jeopardizing your family life or career:

1. Organize and compartmentalize -- Set aside one night a week or a month to get organized at work. If you take work home with you, make sure your kids don't see it. Check e-mails after bedtime. When you're home, it's all about them.

2. Be consistent -- Stick to the same routine every day, so your children know what to expect.

3. Set aside vacation days -- There are some noncompromises in life, and you should save your vacation days for those special occasions. That way, at major events like graduations, school plays, soccer playoffs, you are there and you are in the front row.

4. Create a support network -- Although you should plan to be there for those special times, emergencies are inevitable. Have a back-up "special" person (like aunt or godparent) pick up your child from daycare or attend a school event if you can't.

5. Divide and conquer -- Assign tasks to family members, so when you come home from work you don't have five hours of cleaning and grocery shopping in front of you. And appreciate the results.

6. Get involved -- Introduce yourself to your child's teacher and ask for e-mail updates on his/her progress. Volunteer your time where you can spend it with your kids, whether it's joining Scouts or coaching a team or participating at a school function.

7. Learn to say no -- Designate a certain amount of time to your community and friends and establish limits. Supermoms need a break too.

8. Don't worry about the dust -- Sure, the laundry needs to get done and dishes cleaned, but if your house isn't perfect, that's OK.

9. Plan meals ahead -- Create a weekly meal plan and aim for one trip to the grocery store a week. You'll save time and money.

10. Live close to work -- A long commute can cut into your time with your family and add unneeded stress to your day. If you can afford it, move closer to work. Or, let this be a deciding factor when looking for your next job.

Source: AOL.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis Linda Harteis : Mothers Making History

Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis Great Mothers of American History

”All that I am, my Mother made me." John Quincy Adams

About – Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis

Fred Harteis, owns Harteis International and North American business technology firm, Biznet Productions. A background in construction and agri-business laid Hateis’ business foundation. Under Fred Harteis’ leadership and vision, his businesses have grown exponentially.

Harteis International is a family company. Harteis’ children, Tonya Harteis, Fred Harteis Jr., and Annie Harteis Brescia support the company’s world-wide operations.

Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI

IBOAI, the official trade association of IBO’s. serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.

Billy Florence leads Team DC Inernational. Billy Florence owns Equad News www.e-quadnews.com. Fred Harteis owns Harties International.

Key words: Jody Victor Billy Florence, Fred Harteis, Greg Duncan, Ron Puryear, Don Wilson

Fred Harteis News Articles - Cut your summer travel costs

Fred Harteis News Articles - Is expensive gas causing you to rethink your summer vacation plans? Don't worry. Here are some Tips to cut your travel costs this summer.

1. Hold on to your wallets

We'll get the bad news over with now. Taking the family on vacay is going to cost you 5.4 percent more this year than it did last summer, according to the Automobile Association of America. On average, you can expect to spend an average of $261 per day for food and lodging.

2. Stay with monks

If you don't mind a curfew and a little peace and quiet, you can bunk at a monastery for as little as $18 to $35 a night, says Pauline Frommer of the Pauline Frommer Travel Guides. To get the lowdown on where to find these places, check out guidebooks that focus specifically on convent or monastic travel or ask about accommodations at the Vatican Tourist Information Bureau. Keep in mind that there may be gender restrictions and if you're traveling as a couple, you may have to get separate rooms.

3. Hone your discount radar

It's not only accommodations you may be able to bargain for. Before you leave for your trip, make sure you contact the local tourist board and tell them to just send you buckets of coupons. Generally these local tourist boards will have two-for-one movie tickets, tour passes or theatre and meal discounts.

4. Ditch your frequent flyer card

If you are holding frequent flyer reward cards...toss 'em. These cards generally have high annual fees and fees that could be $15 for simply redeeming your miles. There is also the possibility of blackout dates, possible seating restrictions, and there's just no guarantee how valuable these cards will be when demand is high and seats are limited on most airlines' according to Curtis Arnold of cardratings.com.

5. There are deals to be had

Don't let the prices scare you away. There are still opportunities out there for last minute travelers, says Terry Trippler of Cheapseats.com. "As airlines scrutinize markets, they may think they need more help filling up seats, and you'll see prices come down," he says.

Airlines change their prices three times every weekday and once a day on Saturday and Sunday. You'll likely see large clearance sales on cruises this summer. Cruises in the Caribbean aren't selling that well, according to Banas. So you'll likely see a lot of deals on those for the summer. Some helpful travel sites you may want to check out include site59.com, 11th hour.com and gotoday.com.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in agriculture Fred Harteis has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Cut your summer travel costs

Fred Harteis News Articles - Is expensive gas causing you to rethink your summer vacation plans? Don't worry. Here are some Tips to cut your travel costs this summer.

1. Hold on to your wallets

2. Stay with monks

3. Hone your discount radar

4. Ditch your frequent flyer card

5. There are deals to be had

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in agriculture Fred Harteis has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - What not to get Mom for Mother's Day

Fred Harteis News Articles - Mother's Day is coming soon, and for anyone who hasn't yet thought of a present for Mom, this may not be the best day to experiment and deviate from the norm.

Trend specialists advise that it's better that people stick with the tried and true options like jewelry, fresh flowers, a trip to the spa or to a nice restaurant and resist the temptation to pick up something gimmicky like "Play-Doh" perfume or hot pink "Princess" toilet brushes from eBay.

"A lot of moms like Mother's Day to be a family day," "So think about taking mom to the movies and dinner. Many women that we've interviewed tell us they want their family together and no drama for one day."

According to a Mother's Day survey last month from the National Retail Federation (NRF), not only are people planning to spend more on average for Mother's Day - $122.16 up from last year's $104.63 - but the most popular gifts do include a trip to the spa, jewelry or treating mom to dinner.

Some companies such as toymaker Hasbro, will try to lure consumers with "unconventional" gift ideas. To commemorate Play-Doh's 50th birthday, Hasbro has bottled the Play-Doh scent into a limited-edition fragrance just in time for Mother's Day.

Only give mom a gym membership if she specifically has been talking about joining the gym, otherwise it can be misconstrued. "If mom has gained a few pounds and you give her a gym membership out of the blue, you could get a few stony stares.” Lingerie, for the most part, is an absolute no-no. It's just creepy.

Drew Neisser, president and CEO of marketing firm Renegade Marketing Group, offered some more suggestions about Mother's Day gifts to avoid.

One is anti-aging cream. "Unlike your birthday, Mother's Day is not an occasion to reflect on how old you are, or how bad you're looking," he said.

Another is Cadbury Cream Eggs. "When you want to give chocolate, don't buy off the Easter discount rack," Neisser said. Don't even go near the Swiffer Duster, he warned. "Any household cleaning appliance is risky, especially one you picked up in Aisle 10 of the super market.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Article - Hollywood hit a well-documented rough patch last year, with annual box office receipts declining for the first time since 1991. But so far in 2006, there's some good news.

According to figures from Exhibitor Relations Co., a movie industry research firm, box office grosses are up 6.8 percent from a year ago through April 30.

Even better news, however, is that attendance is up 3.5 percent as well. So even though the box office bump is due partly to ticket price increases, more people actually are going to see movies as well. That's an encouraging sign considering that the number of ticket sales has declined for the past three years straight according to Box Office Mojo, another movie industry research firm.

So, with the big studios ready to start unleashing their big blockbusters – the release of "Mission: Impossible III" on May 5 kicks off the summer movie season– will there be enough hit flicks to keep people swarming back to the multiplexes and reverse the slide of the past few years?

Hopes are high for a box office and attendance upswing this year. And there is reason to think that this summer could be a bonanza for Hollywood.

Sony appears to have a surefire hit on its hands with the film version of the runaway best selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code." Walt Disney hopes to replicate the success it had in 2003, when it released Pixar's "Finding Nemo" and the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, with the latest Pixar film "Cars" and the sequel to "Pirates."

Other sequels that could be fan favorites are "X-Men: The Last Stand" from News Corp.'s Fox and the long-awaited "Superman Returns" from Time Warner's Warner Bros. studio.

There is the potential for some sleeper hits as well.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co, said one such contender is "Snakes on a Plane," a movie that's exactly what you'd expect it to be about. Samuel L. Jackson stars as a passenger on a plane full of deadly snakes. The movie, to be released by Time Warner's New Line studio, has already attracted a lot of buzz on various movie blogs.

Pandya said "Click," a comedy starring Adam Sandler about a guy who discovers a remote control that allows him to fast forward and rewind to certain times in his life, should stand out among all the big action movies.

Finally, he said it will be interesting to see if audiences are ready to see movies about the September 11 terrorist attacks. "United 93," about the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania, came out last week to mostly favorable reviews and grossed $11.6 million, good enough for second place at the box office. But it remains to be seen if the movie is more than a one-week wonder. There's also the Oliver Stone-directed "World Trade Center", which will be released in August.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Being a mom could be a 6-figure job

Fred Harteis News Articles - Raising children to be productive members of society is an invaluable contribution. But you don't get cold cash for that kind of work - this society values only those economic contributions one makes outside of the home.

So it's worth asking just how much would a mother be paid if she did all that she did in the world of real paychecks?

Salary.com has released its annual market valuation of a mother's work. After talking with 400 stay-at-home and working mothers, it determined the 10 major jobs a mother performs at home and the number of hours she typically devotes to each of those jobs.

Researchers then tried to determine the competitive market value that an employer would pay for one person to do a blend of those 10 jobs seven days a week.

Salary.com determined that a stay-at-home mother might be paid as much as $134,121 for her contributions as a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, janitor and CEO, among other functions. The stay-at-home mothers surveyed said they logged a total of 92 hours a week performing those jobs.

The market valuation for working mothers – who make up close to 70 percent of all mothers with kids under 18 -- comes to $85,876, assuming a 50-hour week in the Mom role. That would be on top of whatever salary a working mother draws from her job outside the home, working 44 hours.

Salary.com's senior vice president of compensation, Bill Coleman, acknowledges that the inclusion of CEO as a function might skew the estimated pay for a mother's work toward the high end, since a CEO earns north of $600,000 a year, and while both roles involve a lot of decision-making, it's unrealistic to say that running a family and running a company are comparable in terms of size and scope of responsibility.

Running a household is more comparable, perhaps, to a top manager's job – a manager who in the workforce might make in the low six figures.

The mothers surveyed by Salary.com only reported performing CEO-like duties no more than 4.6 hours a week. That's a relatively small portion of their time -- unlike the very low-paying duties of housekeeping, laundry and janitorial work, which combined account for between 30 percent and 40 percent of mothers' time.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The Harteis International Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - How to shop for a fuel-efficient car

Fred Harteis News Articles - If you're shopping for a more fuel-efficient car, you need to get a handle on what poor fuel economy really costs you. And you'll need to take a hard look at what you actually need in a vehicle.

If fuel economy is important to you, you'll need to keep it in mind early in your decision process. Once you've settled on a specific make and model, most choices you make will have only a slight effect on fuel economy.

You might want to consider a gas-electric hybrid vehicle. If you do, you should make that choice for reasons other than saving money.

A hybrid car or SUV will burn considerably less fuel than a non-hybrid version. It shuts down its gasoline engine whenever it stops, making it quieter and more relaxing to drive in city traffic. However, according to various calculations, hybrid cars are not cost effective, on a purely financial basis, because they add more in cost than they save in fuel, even when factoring in federal tax credits.

Another option, of course, is to consider whether you could get by with a smaller vehicle to begin with.

If you've decided you need an SUV, for example, ask yourself why. If you need the storage flexibility to occasionally haul large items, don't forget that there are other options.

"Most people I know who drive SUVs use them as large station wagons," said Jack Nerad, editorial director for Kelley Blue Book's Website. So why not just buy a station wagon? There are plenty to choose from these days and they generally get better mileage than SUVs

If it's for the sake of getting all-wheel-drive, there are many cars today that offer that as an option. And, if you live in an area where it snows only occasionally, new technology like electronic traction control and stability control offer improved handling and traction in snow without the added weight and complexity of all-wheel-drive.

Forgoing all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive on a car or SUV will gain you about one mile per gallon in fuel economy by EPA estimates. How much money that ultimately means depends on the vehicle and, of course, on fuel prices. If gasoline costs about $3.00 per gallon, a one mile per gallon difference in fuel economy will save you about $90 to $150 a year in fuel costs. The difference in annual fuel cost will be larger for vehicles that get poorer fuel economy, like large SUVs, since that extra mile per gallon will mean more in percentage terms.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis – Teamwork

Babe Ruth knew what “Teamwork” was and how to be successful as a team. He applied it to his career and his everyday life. ~ Fred Harteis

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. was born on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. In the fall of 1946, Babe was diagnosed with throat cancer. Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at Memorial Hospital in New York City at age 53. His body lay in state at the entrance of Yankee Stadium on August 17 and 18, where over 100,000 people came to pay their final respects.

Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI

Trade Association Facts:

IBOAI, the official trade association of Quixtar Ibo’s, serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.

About Quixtar Diamond ibo leadership: Billy Florence leads Team DCI. And founded Billy Florence’ Equad News . Fred Harteis owns Harteis International. Don Wilson leads Legacy Business Group. Jody Victor is president of Markerman Productions.

Ron Puryear Greg Duncan Dean Kosage lead WWDB team, World Wide Dream Builders.

Jerry Harteis leads Harteis Associates.

Diamond leadership IBO key words: Billy Florence, Fred Harteis, Greg Duncan, Don Wilson Quixtar MLM, Randy Haugen, Colombo DiSalvatore, Quixtar Inc.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Allergy-proof your home

Fred Harteis News Articles - Spring is in the air...and so are millions of pollen spores and other allergens. And you don't have to be outdoors to aggravate your allergies. Dust mites, dander and mold inside your home can trigger a reaction.

These Five Tips will help you cut these household allergens down to size.

1. Focus on the bedroom - If you're trying to eliminate indoor allergies, the best place to start is the bedroom. There can be up to two million dust mites that live in your bed. The bedroom is the perfect haven for dust mites. They live in pillows, mattresses, bed springs, blankets, and comforters. Dust mites are invisible and they feast on dead skin. These mites are the number one indoor allergen and their population peaks in July and August.

What can you do to control these little pests? Wash your linens once a week in the hot cycle, which should be about 130 degrees. You should also invest in an allergen-proof pillow case and bed cover. The pillow cases may cost you about $10 and the mattress cover may cost between $50 to $100 at your local home improvement store.

2. Freeze your teddy bears - It's not just the bedroom that's a breeding ground for mites, it's the zoo of stuffed animals your child may have laying around. Waldron says she was shocked when she saw the billions of mites a teddy bear could have.

3. Control the pet dander - Our pets may be our best friend, but they are certainly not a buddy to our allergies. Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. The type of pet you choose makes a big difference. Cats have the most allergens, according to Waldron, followed by dogs and rodents. Light haired female cats generally cause fewer allergy symptoms than dark-haired male cats according to studies. Washing your pet at least once a week has also been shown to make a large difference in cutting down on allergens.

4. Snuff out mold - Indoor mold can cause allergies year-round. Mold spores are airborne, so they create new mold colonies wherever they land. Some of your home's biggest mold hotspots: the basement, the bathroom and your closet...even houseplants can be a hideout for mold. To keep mold from coming back, make sure you cut the humidity in your home to 40 percent or below using a dehumidifier. You may also want to use your air conditioner to get rid of the humidity. Cooling the air decreases its ability to hold water. You should also get rid of firewood and piles of leaves and weeds in your backyard.

5. Keep pollen out - Runny nose? Watery eyes? You may have pollen to blame. And this allergen can get you in almost all the seasons...from tree pollen in the Spring to ragweed in the Fall. If you are especially sensitive, when the pollen count is high either don't leave the house or keep the windows closed. That's between 5 am to 10 am. Pollen is also a very sticky traveler. You'll want to remove your shoes when you come inside the house. Washing your hair before you go to sleep is also a good way to cut down on wayward pollen spores that have collected there.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - 4 fly-fishing hot spots

Fred Harteis News Articles - There are plenty of fish in the sea - and in the rivers and lakes and streams. And you may have dusted off your fly-fishing pole recently in anticipation of catching some of them this summer. But before you book a flight or pack your gear, you need some hard data.

If you go to Alaska for king salmon in August or September, they're all gone," says legendary flyfisherman Lefty Kreh, who has taught angling techniques for the past 50 years.

And no matter where you're headed, one good way to get the inside track on fish is to contact good fly shops in the area and then hire a guide once you get there.

"A guide knows the local tides and whether bait fish are concentrated somewhere," says Kreh. To help you plan your summer getaway, we asked Kreh for his top picks on where to flyfish this summer.

Manitoba's North Seal River System

For the fisherman who enjoys the remote outposts. The best time to go is during the final week of June and the first two weeks of July. That's when the water temperature climbs to 60 degrees and large pike - some more than 20 pounds - move into the shallow bays and lie around like big green logs. They're the largest predators in this water, so they're not afraid of anything. And no need to worry about being an expert at this fishing hole.

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

For the angler who doesn't have much time. Good fishing in the Narragansett Bay can take up as little as four hours. The last week of May and the first two weeks of June is the time to catch striped bass. And blue fish are plentiful during the last week of September and the first two weeks of October.

Los Roques, Venezuela

Los Roques is a destination for expert fly fishermen. Situated about 80 miles off the coast of Venezuela, the island offers some of the best bonefishing in the world, and pretty good tarpon and permit fishing as well. It's mostly wading, so you need to be in good physical shape. And bonefish, though relatively small, are always a challenge. When hooked, a 17-incher can run up to 100 yards.

Central Pennsylvania

For those who want exclusive access to prime fishing spots and are willing to pay for it, Spring Ridge Club offers more than 14 miles of streams for members only in the heart of the Allegheny mountains. A one-time fee of $71,500 and $6,000 in yearly dues is your ticket to trout filled runs that you and just 90 other people are allowed to fish.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles – Rhode Island seeks to be wireless state

Fred Harteis News Articles - America's smallest state is seeking to become its first to offer a wireless broadband network from border to border.

Backers of Rhode Island's $20 million project say it would improve services and make the state a testing ground for new business technologies.

It also comes at a time when Rhode Island's capital of Providence is stepping up efforts to lure business from Boston, about a 50-minute drive away, in neighboring Massachusetts, where office rents are among the nation's most expensive.

The Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks (RI-WINs) should be fully in place by 2007, providing wireless connectivity throughout state, whose land mass of about 1,045 square miles is only slightly more than double the size of metropolitan Los Angeles.

A pilot project involving state agencies, Brown University and businesses is to begin next month.

The Rhode Island network is a hybrid of WiMAX and WiFi technologies that would deliver real-time connections at a minimum speed of 1 megabit per second (Mbps), allowing users to download a typical Hollywood-length film in about 100 minutes. The system will be supported by 120 base antennas placed throughout the state.

A few antennas, each about 3 feet to 4 feet in height, are being placed in Providence and Newport on the southern coast during the initial tests.

So far, no state outside Rhode Island has sought to build a border-to-border network, said Bob Panoff, a private consultant and the RI-WINs project manager. While more cities are interested in becoming wireless, McClure said, "there's no groundswell of consumer support for it."

More than 80 U.S. cities have wireless networks, according to a study done in August 2005 by the U.S. Internet Industry Association, which represents Internet companies. But use has been sporadic, plagued by costs and sputtering technology, said Dave McClure, the association's president. Orlando, Fla., for example, removed its wireless network last year due to tepid use, McClure said.

The project is being funded by public and private sources, and once fully operational, users would pay $20 per month under one fee structure, said Saul Kaplan, acting executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, a partner in the project.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Depression, anxiety in Katrina's kids

Fred Harteis News Articles - Each time the 3-year-old gets in the bathtub, she thinks she's going to drown. Monica whimpers when her grandmother turns on the faucet, sobbing softly at first, then wailing as the tub begins to fill.

There's no use telling her she won't drown; the word isn't yet part of the toddler's vocabulary. And it won't do much good to tell her that grandma will take care of her, either; Monica learned the hard way that those she loves can't always protect her.

There were seven children inside the family's Gulf Coast home on August 29 when the 30-foot wave, unleashed by Hurricane Katrina, crashed down upon it. As the walls began to crumble, the older children swam out. Monica, the littlest, was still inside with her grandmother and two aunts. None could swim.

The toddler went under. She would have drowned if not for a family friend who dove in, fished her out and placed her inside a floating cooler.

In her plastic ark, the girl bobbed to safety -- but the storm's high water mark is still imprinted inside her, as it is in thousands of others who survived the storm.

Some 1.2 million children under 18 were living in counties rendered disaster zones by Katrina. As many as 8 percent, or 100,000, are expected to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, according to one assessment.

Most experts say the toll is likely far higher. Of the first 1,000 children screened by the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 27 percent displayed symptoms of trauma, including nightmares, flashbacks, heightened anxiety and bedwetting, says Dr. Joy Osofsky, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at LSU's Harris Center for Infant Mental Health.

A study by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and the Children's Health Fund compared children displaced by Katrina with other kids surveyed in urban Louisiana in 2003. Katrina's victims were more than twice as likely to have behavioral or conduct problems; the same was true of depression or anxiety.

To read this complete Fred Harteis News Article visit our news partner at:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/04/25/katrina.schildren.ap/index.html

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Rents heading up in '06

Fred Harteis News Articles - Apartment rents are headed up in 2006.

After a few years of little movement, residential rents are expected to climb substantially, even as home prices may finally be plateauing.

"This will be a good year for landlords," says Greg Willett, vice president for research and analysis at M/PF YieldStar, a consulting firm serving the multi-housing industry. "There will be rent growth as vacancy rates come down. Landlords feel comfortable enough now to start raising rents again."

According to Willett, whose firm tracks 57 markets, rents will likely rise between 5 percent and 6 percent in 2006.

Several factors are contributing to landlord optimism, but what they all boil down to is that more Americans are being driven into the apartment market due to the increased expense of home ownership.

Home prices appreciated at an average of nearly 9 percent a year from 2001 to 2005, far surpassing increases in rents, which averaged only 2 or 3 percent a year. The soft rental market coincided with the housing boom, which drew millions of Americans into home ownership, reducing the demand for apartments.

But the hot home market is cooling off this year. David Lereah of the National Association of Realtors is predicting home price increases around 5% for 2006 – about the same amount that rents will rise.

The higher end of the rental market took an especially hard hit during the housing boom as more affluent Americans saw the value of buying real property as an investment as well as a place to live.

"There has been a big cut in the number of higher income renters" says Willett. "Many people used to be renters by choice. Now most renters are by necessity."

Those renters by necessity will probably be joined by many more over the next months. High home prices and rising interest rates mean that hundreds of thousands of potential homebuyers cannot afford to buy a single-family home or condo, according to Brad Inman, founder of Inman News Service, which covers the real estate industry.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Best cars with great gas mileage

Fred Harteis News Articles - You find plenty of lists out there of cars that get the best fuel economy. Those lists are easy to produce, but they aren't really of much use.

For example, the most fuel-efficient car on the market today is the Honda Insight, but do you really want to buy a rough-riding two-seater with no storage space? After all, you probably need your car to do more than just get you from one place to another. You might like to carry a few other people or some luggage. You might even want a little driving enjoyment from all those miles you're driving with each fill-up.

Edmunds.com, the people who provide automotive data and content for CNN's automotive Web sites, has select vehicles in five categories that get very good fuel mileage but that are also otherwise outstanding automotive values. There's no point to buying a fuel-efficient car that doesn't pay off in other ways.

Here are five -- a luxury car, family sedan, sports car, crossover SUV and a subcompact -- that are smart buys and easy on fuel. For each category, we've also mentioned two alternatives.

None of the top cars are hybrids. That's because, with their added cost, hybrids aren't really a good value from a purely economic standpoint. But we've provided a hybrid choice in some categories for those who are willing to pay more to burn less fuel.

Luxury Vehicle - Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI

Family Sedan – Toyota Camry

Sports Car – Chevrolet Corvette

Crossover / wagon – Toyota Rav4

Compact Car – Toyota Corolla

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Eight Ways to Boost Your Salary

Fred Harteis News Articles - If you're looking to punch up that paycheck, here are some simple yet effective ways to boost your salary.

1. Ask for a raise: Do your homework by asking your HR compensation department for salary ranges within your position. Of course, you can't just trust their word on it. Check external sources as well such as Salary.com.

2. Enhance your credentials with an advanced degree: According to Frank Mayadas, program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a consortium of institutions and organizations committed to quality online education, higher education gives you the opportunity to fine-tune your skills or explore different professional paths, making you more marketable for higher paychecks in the future.

3. Take advantage of tuition reimbursement: Instead of thinking of a pay increase as money in your pocket, think of the alternative: tuition money you're not paying out of pocket. For instance, Debra Wall-Czech made a breakthrough with her company's reimbursement policy by asking it to reimburse online classes.

4. Network: According to Deborah Brown-Volkman, president of Surpass Your Dreams, a career and mentor coaching company based in East Moriches, N.Y., and author of 'Coach Yourself to a New Career: A Guide for Discovering Your Ultimate Profession' (iUniverse, 2003), networking is vital to increasing your intellectual capital.

5. Move laterally: Alexandra Levit, author of 'They Don't Teach Corporate in College' (Career Press, 2004) and founder of Inspiration@Work, a marketing communications consultancy firm based in Chicago, experienced this firsthand. Early in her public relations career, she explored internal opportunities and moved into another department, resulting in a bigger paycheck.

6. Inquire about flextime: Flexible work arrangements allow you time to explore other options, perfect for helping your career both professionally and financially. When Alexandra transitioned from full-time public relations manager to strategic PR consultant and author, her amended work hours enabled her to push into a field that's made her much happier and thereby, more effective.

7. Think out of the box: "When Jane Smith resigned, she was surprised when her managing director made a counteroffer and asked her to put something on the table. Jane came back with her request: "I would consider staying with the company if I can move to the London office with a U.K. salary for at least six months," she told her. Much to her surprise, leadership gave its blessing. Now she's ready to pack her bags. Lesson learned: Don't be afraid to ask for what you really want. As in Jane's case, you may very well get it.

8. Demonstrate consistent performance: Alexandra and Jane both ended up getting what they wanted because they had demonstrated excellent performance at their companies. Jane indicates she was prepared to share examples of her work to gain leverage, essentially proving hard work is mutually beneficial to both the employee and employer. Her philosophy? It's in the company's best interests to keep good people. "No one wants to train someone new," she explains. "The knowledge base and ramping-up time take away from productivity."

Source: Aol.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis : Cooperation Gains Ground

Individuals win trophies. Teams win championships. – Fred Harteis

Fred Harteis: Cooperation

"Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself."

-- Alexander Graham Bell

Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI

Trade Association Facts:

Ron Puryear Greg Duncan Dean Kosage lead WWDB team, World Wide Dream Builders.

Diamond leadership IBO key words: Billy Florence, Fred Harteis, Greg Duncan, Don Wilson Quixtar MLM, Randy Haugen, Colombo DiSalvatore, Quixtar Inc.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Styling at 40,000 feet

Fred Harteis News Articles - No matter where you're headed this summer, getting there by plane will be far from a vacation. Thanks to cost-cutting efforts by struggling American carriers, the number of flights within the United States is down by some 5 percent this year.

That means seats are becoming harder and harder to come by - much less ones available with frequent flyer miles.

But there are some bright spots, particularly abroad. If you've been thinking of a European vacation, now's the right time to get your plans in order. Airlines have already ramped up service over the Atlantic at least 4 percent this year and better yet, there are deals to be had - especially in business class.

After all, vacations should start on the plane. During summer, airlines often run out of cheap seats early but have a glut of space in the front of the plane. Why? There are fewer business travelers and tons more tourists waiting to climb the Eiffel Tower.

So if you ever wondered what it's like up front, now's your chance.

If you plan ahead - usually more than 60 days - airlines like Continental, United, Lufthansa, and Air France have business-class fares that aren't too much more than a coach ticket.

Take the popular New York to Paris route. For a typical week's vacation in July, business class on Continental is $1,798 (normally it's more than $6,500); Dallas to Amsterdam on Air France is $1,982; Charlotte to Brussels on Lufthansa is $2,484; Phoenix to Zurich on United is $2,198. Eos and MaxJet, two new all-business-class carriers, are also cutting summer fares from New York to London (from $2,950 and $1,398, respectively.)

While all prices are about double the cost of coach, they also include at least double the legroom - and on long flights, every inch counts.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Great Money Saving Tips

Fred Harteis News Articles - Two recent publications, the February issue of Consumer Reports and the March issue of Real Simple, have some innovative money-saving tips worth sharing.

Some of the suggestions are just plain obvious (pay off your credit cards, don't bounce checks), other are too small to really matter (skip curbside check-in at the airport to save $2).

But CR's to-do list has some sound advice and Real Simple's writers came up with some innovative tricks. Here are the most helpful:

Pay monthly bills automatically online. You'll never have to worry about costly late fees on the big ones, like mortgage, car and credit-card payments and you'll save about $70 a year in postage to boot.

Bundle up. Check to see if you can package your cable, telephone and Internet service with one company for a discount of $10 to $20 a month.

If you don't mind Big Brother tracking your whereabouts, sign up for an electronic toll-paying device like E-Z Pass if it's available where you live. In addition to saving time and fuel, discounts for using the tags are increasingly common, reaching as much as 50% of some tolls.

Don't pay full price on shipping for your online purchases. Many retailers offer free shipping for purchases over a certain amount, so consider pooling shopping lists with a friend or relative.

Shopping search engines like Shopzilla.com can also help you find retailers willing to ship for free.

Pass on supplemental life insurance offered through your employer. You'll be paying to cover not only yourself, but that overweight chain-smoking co-worker down the hall. If you want extra coverage go through a broker instead.

Speaking of insurance, take time once a year to review your homeowner's and automobile policies to make sure you're not overprotected. If your once-fashionable car is now a beater or you gave that valuable jewelry away as a gift, amend your coverage accordingly.

Think twice before committing to expensive home renovations as a way to up the market value of your home at sale time. According to numbers cited by Real Simple, an average kitchen renovation costs $43,860 but returns only $39,920, or 91%. New roofs return 85% and new windows 90%. Instead, hire an interior decorator to "stage" your home i.e. dress it up with snazzy furniture and other accents to make it more attractive to buyers.

Source: FoxNews.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Insurance Institute: Safest small cars and minivans

Fred Harteis News Articles - The safest minivan isn't made by Honda, Toyota or Chrysler, according to recently completed tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Korean-made Kia Sedona earned the Institute's "Gold Top Safety Pick" award, getting top marks for front crash, side crash and whiplash protection.

Among small cars the Subaru Impreza, the closely-related Saab 9-2X and the Honda Civic were the best-performing small cars. Those cars also earned "Gold Top Safety Pick" awards.

The Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid vehicle was also tested and, when equipped with optional side airbags, got top marks for front and side impact protection. Without side airbags, however, its side impact protection was "Poor," the Institute said.

In its side impact test, the Insurance Institute hits the vehicle with a barrier that resembles the front of a sport utility vehicle or pick-up truck. That type of impact represents a much graver risk of head injury, and therefore a greater risk of death, than an impact from a car. Vehicles without head-protecting side airbags generally perform poorly in the Institute's side impact test.

The poorest-performing small cars were the Suzuki Forenza and Reno, Saturn Ion and Kia Spectra.

Those cars received the second-highest rating of "Acceptable" for front impact protection and ratings of "Poor" for side impact protection.

The best-performing minivan was the Kia Sedona which also earned an overall "Gold Top Safety Pick" rating.

The Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Nissan Quest minivans all earned "Good" ratings for front and side impact protection. The Odyssey earned a "Marginal" rating for whiplash protection in rear impacts while the Sienna and Quest were given "Poor" ratings.

The worst-performing minivans in these safety tests were the Dodge Caravan. the closely related Chrysler Town & Country and the Mazda MPV. Those minivans received "Acceptable" ratings for front impact protection and "Poor" ratings for side impact when tested without head-protecting side airbags. When tested with head protecting side impact airbags, the Caravan and Town & Country received "Acceptable" ratings for side impact protection. The Mazda MPV was not tested with side airbags.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Lilly: Bone drug cuts breast cancer risk

Fred Harteis News Articles - Eli Lilly and Co's Evista osteoporosis drug works as well as the older tamoxifen in reducing the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women, with fewer dangerous side effects.

The results of the 19,000-woman Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) trial show that Evista, known generically as Raloxifene, is less likely than tamoxifen to cause blood clots and uterine cancer.

"In STAR, both drugs reduced the risk of developing invasive breast cancer by about 50 percent," the National Cancer Institute said in a statement.

Tamoxifen, sold as a generic and by AstraZeneca Plc under the brand name Nolvadex, has long been prescribed to treat and prevent breast cancer. Lilly said it would seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market Evista both for osteoporosis and to prevent breast cancer.

"Today, we can tell you that for postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer, Raloxifene is just as effective, without some of the serious side effects known to occur with tamoxifen," said study chair Dr. Norman Wolmark.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, after lung cancer. More than 200,000 people are diagnosed and another roughly 40,000 die from it each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Globally, 1.2 million women and a few men are diagnosed with breast cancer annually.

The lifetime risk for a woman in the industrialized world is roughly one in nine. But the risk is much higher risk for those with several risk factors including having a mother or sister with the disease, never having had a child, or having had a number of suspicious-looking breast lumps.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis : Cooperation Gains Ground

Individuals win trophies. Teams win championships. – Fred Harteis

Fred Harteis: Cooperation

-- Alexander Graham Bell

Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI

Trade Association Facts:

Ron Puryear Greg Duncan Dean Kosage lead WWDB team, World Wide Dream Builders.

Diamond leadership IBO key words: Billy Florence, Fred Harteis, Greg Duncan, Don Wilson Quixtar MLM, Randy Haugen, Colombo DiSalvatore, Quixtar Inc.

Fred Harteis Business News - Who's to blame for high gas prices?

Fred Harteis Business News - Spring is not even a month old but it's already promising to be a long hot summer for American drivers. Gasoline prices are surging toward highs not seen since the wake of Hurricane Katrina last fall - the national average now stands at $2.68 a gallon - and some experts are predicting $3.00 a gallon before long.

Consumers aren't the only ones feeling the heat, though - on Capitol Hill, politicians are scrambling to head off the anger of constituents furious about having to spend $50 each time they fuel up their Honda Accord or Ford Taurus and roughly double that to fill the tank of a maxi-SUV.

Last week, Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl and Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter proposed legislation that would increase regulatory scrutiny of Big Oil, which Kohl says "has unquestionably enriched itself during this period of high prices."

Taking on Big Oil six months before November's election is a can't miss proposition for politicians, of course. Besides calling on the federal government to make OPEC liable under U.S. anti-trust laws, Kohl's Oil and Gas Industry Antitrust Act of 2006 would mandate the creation of a joint state-federal task force to investigate whether producers, refiners and marketers are sharing information in a bid to keep prices high. It would also ask the DOJ and the FTC to examine the consequences of the mega-mergers that have transformed the industry in recent years.

There's no harm in having the government keep a closer watch on the energy industry, and Kohl's sympathy for consumers is commendable, but blaming Big Oil for high gas prices is a little like blaming McDonald's for obesity. (Yes, I know that also makes for effective politics.)

Because while those profits might seem outrageous - ExxonMobil earned over $36 billion last year - Big Oil makes its money by pumping oil out of the ground, not refining and selling it as gasoline. Of Exxon's mammoth haul, only a tiny fraction came from making and selling gas in the U.S.

The idea that prices are set by Big Oil, not the traders at the NYMEX and other global bourses, is a misconception that seems to come into vogue whenever energy prices start making new highs. And putting the blame on OPEC, let alone trying to subject a foreign cartel to U.S. laws, seems to be doing anything but dealing honestly with the problem of too much demand and too little supply here at home.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred: Fred Harteis is president of The I Team Organization. With a back ground in agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Sprint unveils child locator service

Fred Harteis News Articles - Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. mobile service, has introduced a wireless service to help parents find their children, as it makes a bid to expand its presence in the family market.

The service lets parents look at maps on their cellphones or computers to locate their children who also carry mobile phones. Parents can also program the service to automatically send them text messages at specific times each day to confirm that their children have arrived at home or in school.

The so-called Family Locator service aims to bring in revenue from a location technology Sprint and its rivals are required by law to put into cellphones so that safety workers can pinpoint the location of 911 emergency service callers.

Sprint's service shows data such as street addresses to which a child is close and the estimated accuracy of the reading, which could range from a radius of 2 yards around the child to a radius of hundreds of yards.

It also notifies children via text message that their parents have checked up on their location.

Walt Disney Company, which is renting space on Sprint's network to sell services under its own brand, said last week it plans go after the family market with services including a location offering that is similar to Sprint's service.

Mobile packages designed for families have become key to growth at U.S. operators, which currently sign up as many as 60 percent of their new subscribers via family discount plans, according to technology research firm, Yankee Group.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Time's almost up, tax filers!

Fred Harteis News Articles - Calling all procrastinators! You have five days to file your tax return.

If you've been dawdling up until now, it's time to start hunkering down. Five tips is here to help you with your last minute tax tips.

1. AMT: Are you at risk?

More and more people are falling prey to the Alternative Minimum Tax. This year, the AMT will hit about 3.6 million taxpayers. That's up from 2.9 million last year, according to the Taxpayer Institute.

This tax tends to hit large families and those who pay high state and local taxes. If you're married and your combined income is more than $110,000, watch out! You may be at risk. If you're single making $75,000 a year, you should also crunch the numbers. Other warning signs: You made a healthy profit when you sold your home, or you've sold some stock.

Figuring out if you owe the Alternative Minimum Tax, (even if you don't) can add 6 hours to your tax-preparation time if you do it on paper. It amounts to filling out a whole new tax form.

2. Crunch it online

It could take you up to 16 hours to prepare your taxes by hand, according to the IRS. And good luck getting an accountant this late in the game (especially considering the day before the deadline is Easter Sunday and Passover)!

Your next move: go online. Tax preparation software claims you can be done in four hours. And if you're tech savvy, this should be a breeze. Here are some online software programs you should consider: http://www.turbotax.comand http://www.taxcut.com

3. Help for hurricane victims

If you suffered from Hurricane Katrina, you automatically have until August 28th to get your return in and pay your taxes. To figure out what areas qualify for this automatic extension, go to the IRS's Web site at IRS.gov.

If you live outside the disaster areas, but you need relief from filing and payment deadlines, call the IRS disaster hotline at 1-866-562-5227. If you need help filing your taxes, the IRS is providing free assistance. For more information, call 1-800-829-1040. And of course, if you're still trying to piece together your financial life.

4. Get an extension

If you just don't think you'll be able to get in your tax return by 11:59 pm on Monday, file for an extension. If you don't, you'll be paying a penalty of 5 percent a month on any unpaid balance you owe to the government.

This year, you can file one form (Form 4868) and get an automatic six-month extension. Check out www.irs.gov/efile if you want to file for an extension online. You can get an extension by phone or over the Internet if you pay taxes by credit card. But remember, this is an extension of time to file, not pay. So you'll have to estimate how much you owe to Uncle Sam and send in the check by Monday.

5. An extra day for Northeast filers

This year, you have two extra days to file your return since the 15th falls on a Saturday. But there's extra good news if you live in the Northeast. Residents of Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia have until April 18th to file their tax return.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Cut your costs at the gas pump

Fred Harteis News Articles - Taking a road-trip this summer is going to be more expensive than ever, thanks to rising gas prices. But don't let that stop you from hitting the road.

Here are a few Tips to tell you how to cut those costs when you're behind the wheel.

How much will it hurt?

The Department of Energy estimates you'll be paying at least $.25 cents more per gallon this summer. But that is a very conservative number according to experts. "You'll see gas at $3.00 a gallon in some places like California and Chicago," says Jim Kliesch of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Already we've seen the price of gas soar $0.33 in a month. And we haven't even hit the peak summer season, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. If you want to get a more detailed estimate of just how much that trip to Grandma's is going to cost you, check out AAA's fuel cost calculator at http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

Think shade

Park your car in the shade whenever possible. The same sun that is steaming up your steering wheel is also stealing fuel from your gas tank. It's called evaporative emissions and it's common in cars that are older than five years old, according to Kliesch.

Forget the bling

It may look cool, but spoilers can spell disaster if you're looking to conserve fuel. Spoilers may be marketed to give you that extra stability and handling, but according to Karl Brauer of Edmunds.com, they have virtually no aerodynamic benefit. In fact, spoilers can have a very negative impact on fuel conservation.

Keep your cruising to the highways

Cruise control can be oh so tempting. Especially when you have a stretch of nothing but highway. And it can also be good for your wallet. If you're able to maintain a steady speed for some time, using cruise control can improve your gas mileage.

Be smart, the next time around

If you're looking to get the most fuel efficient vehicle, you really have to look at the miles per gallon. Stay away from gas guzzlers. These are vehicles that get less than 20 miles per gallon.

The most efficient vehicles (without going hybrid) can get about 35 miles per gallon. And even getting a few more mpg's out of a car can really impact your finances. Buying a car that gets 10 more miles to the gallon could save you $550 per year, according to AOL's Save the Planet Web site. That means nearly $3,000 of gas savings over 5 years.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Can a robot replace your receptionist?

Fred Harteis News Articles - So far, computers have displaced assembly-line workers, telephone operators, and musicians. Now a Japanese staffing firm wants to add front-desk personnel to the list. In February, Nagoya-based People Staff launched a service called Robot Dispatch: For $424 a month - or one-sixth the cost of one of the firm's human temps - Japanese companies can rent an electronic receptionist shaped like Hello Kitty.

Manufactured by Business Design Laboratory, also based in Nagoya, the 20-inch-tall Hello Kitty Robo can recognize as many as 10 faces, ask visitors to speak their names, and tell them when the person they have come to see is ready. With 20,000 stored conversation patterns, songs, and riddles, the robot is arguably more entertaining than many real attendants. Cheaper too. "Many Japanese corporations don't have a person at reception," says Chihiro Yamada, a People Staff spokeswoman. "If a company wants to hire a receptionist, we can save them money."

That's good news in Japan, where a record low birthrate is creating the need for an alternative workforce. But what about in the United States? Will robot receptionists follow anime and text-messaging across the cultural divide, or get lost in translation like talking toilets and plastic food?

In the United States, we think of a receptionist as someone who not only greets visitors but also answers phones, accepts FedEx packages, makes coffee, and produces documents. I can imagine that entrepreneurs in entertainment, high-tech, or child-centered facilities could benefit by using Hello Kitty as a novelty. But right now there isn't much financial justification.

Jennifer Schramm, Manager of workplace trends and forecasting, Society for Human Resource Management

People don't like to face machines; you need a human when you have a problem. Right now, you could not use this on a regular basis. It's quite possible, though, that robotics research could lead to machines that replace humans. Especially if the cost benefits are there.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Disney to put TV shows online

Fred Harteis News Articles - Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Television will offer some of its most popular shows, such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," for free on the Internet in a two-month trial.

Advertising revenue will support the trial run on ABC.com, with advertisers AT&T Inc., Ford Motor Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Universal Pictures already signed up.

"Commander in Chief" and "Alias" along with "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" will be available on the Web in May and June, starting the day after they are first broadcast.

Viewers will be able to pause and move between "chapters" in an episode but will not be able to skip embedded ads.

Disney is also launching a high-speed Internet channel for soap opera fans, called Soapnetic on April 17 for subscribers to Verizon Communications Corp.'s Internet services.

Leading U.S. media companies are experimenting with ways to deliver programs via new technologies and still maintain revenue as viewership for their prime-time schedules slowly erodes.

ABC sells digital downloads of its highest-rated TV shows for the popular iPod music and video player, while other networks have been testing online and video-on-demand formats for airing shows soon after they first appear on broadcast TV.

"In the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, and we have some of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC television group. "Stay tuned ... because this is just the beginning."

During the past two years, ABC has gone from being the laughing stock of the major broadcast networks to arguably the coolest network thanks to hits "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost."

Source: cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles : Cellphones for kids -- and seniors

Fred Harteis News Articles - There's something for young and old and everyone in between at the CTIA Wireless 2006 trade show. While most of the new mobile handsets introduced here are aimed at active adults -- more than 70 percent of whom already have a mobile phone, according to market research -- at least two new services are hoping to dial up seniors and kids.

Going after different ends of the age spectrum, Disney Mobile (for children and their parents) and Jitterbug (for seniors and their boomer kids) are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), a new breed of specialized mobile phone service for targeted demographic niches.

MVNOs buy excess capacity from the big national wireless companies, and then offer phones and phone services customized for a certain demographic niche. ESPN Mobile (also a Disney company) is one such MVNO, catering to hard-core sports fans who want the latest headlines and game videos delivered to their mobile phones.

Disney once again enters the MVNO business on the Sprint Nextel network, this time going after the so-called "tween" market of 8- to 12-year-olds, and their parents. Specially designed Disney Mobile phones allow parents to track the location of their kids -- or, at least, the location of their phones -- using GPS technology. Parents can also program the phones to restrict incoming and outgoing calls, including the times the phone can be used. They can set monthly spending limits for text messages and downloaded ring tones, thus avoiding unpleasant billing surprises and, one hopes, teaching the kids important budgeting skills.

Disney says parents will appreciate the safety and security features of the Disney Mobile service, including a dedicated 911 emergency button and programmable buttons to call, say, Mom or Dad at the office.

"Finally, a phone that gives moms what they need and kids what they want," the Disney Mobile tagline goes.

What kids want, according to Disney, is a real phone -- not some plastic kiddie phone with big Mickey ears or goofy colors -- with real features like a digital camera, downloadable ringtones and graphics, and other ways to customize the phone (including, of course, lots of Disney-themed content). The clamshell handsets introduced here are made by the South Korean companies LG and Pantech.

Disney Mobile expects to launch the service this summer. Pricing of the service has not been announced.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Grads finding hot jobs market

Fred Harteis News Articles - College graduates this spring are seeing the best jobs market since 2000, with many getting larger starting salaries than were being offered a year ago, according to some experts in the field.

A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows employers hiring nearly 15 percent more recent college grads than a year ago, and a particularly strong market for most business and engineering students.

It found accounting degree graduates are receiving an average starting salary of $46,188, up 5.4 percent from a year ago. Right behind are economics/finance graduates, who are getting average offers of $45,058, up 5.3 percent, and business administration/management majors, who are seeing average offers 3.9 percent higher than a year ago at $40,976.

The group also found chemical engineering graduates getting average offers of $56,549, up 4.2 percent, while the average offer for computer engineer graduates is up 5.3 percent to $54,200.

Even grads with some less marketable degrees are seeing improved salaries. The survey found the average starting salary to liberal arts graduates stands at $30,958, which is up 2 percent from a year ago.

The increases are not unexpected and "track with what employers told us earlier this year -- that they expected more competition for this year's college graduates. That increased competition often results in higher starting salaries," Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, said in a statement.

There were some fields where average offers slipped a bit, according to the survey, but in those cases the offers were little changed from a year earlier. It found marketing graduates have received an average offer of $37,446, down 1 percent, while computer science graduates fell 0.8 percent to $50,892.

John Challenger, CEO of job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, agreed that employers are finding more competition for graduates in the hot fields.

"We are approaching full employment and some employers are already dreaming up perks to attract the best talent," said a statement from Challenger. "Those graduating with degrees in business, engineering, computer science, education and health care should find a relatively welcoming job market."

But not all fields are hot for grads, he warned. Mortgage banking, real estate, automotive engineering, software engineering, media and journalism and pharmaceutical sales are the areas that are not very hot, according to Challenger.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - New ways to get ahead

Fred Harteis News Articles - If you work at a FORTUNE 500 company, you've probably found it hard (if not impossible) to get much meaningful experience outside your narrow functional area.

At big corporations, marketing people have tended to get stuck in marketing, finance people have rarely been offered opportunities to step outside finance, and so on. Everybody aiming to rise through the ranks has had to wait for a job opening directly overhead.

That's still true in lots of places, but it's changing fast. One of the hottest buzzwords in human resources now is "unsiloing," an ungainly bit of jargon that means this: Take upwardly mobile employees out of their straight-up-and-down functional "silos" and move them around to where their talents are needed, with an eye toward helping them cultivate new skills.

The idea is that if you're a an engineering project manager, you might be sent off to work with a marketing team for a while; or, if your career so far has been in sales, you might be tapped to learn the ropes in manufacturing. The assignments could be short-term or long-term depending on your employer.

But why the sudden push to help managers gain a broad range of experience?

"CEOs will rarely admit it in public, but privately they say they're worried about having enough qualified people to fill leadership roles as baby boomers retire," says Kochanski. "So more big companies now are actively analyzing where the gaps are likely to be, and which skills they need to be giving people the chance to develop right now."

A Sibson study last year revealed that more than 50% of FORTUNE 500 companies are trying to figure out how to shuffle potential leaders around to give them the broadest possible range of experience. And the trend appears to be spreading fast: 90% of large companies (defined as those with 500 or more employees) now say this kind of talent development is a top priority, according to a new study by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Of course, some huge employers, like General Electric and UPS have been unsiloing up-and-comers for a long time -- as has this year's No. 1 on the FORTUNE 500 list, Exxon Mobil.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Energy saving myths

Fred Harteis News Articles - Finally there's some good news about your energy bill. It won't be as expensive as you may think, according to the Energy Department. Costs are expected to increase only slightly, making your air conditioning bills a bit less painful. Here are some tips on cutting your energy costs.

Get your TV dinners ready

Getting ready to warm up last night's lasagna? If you want to save energy, stick it in the microwave as opposed to heating it in the oven. Using kitchen appliances that are sized to the task at hand will help you cut down on your energy costs. In fact, you could save 30 to 40 percent of energy costs, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Little things add up

Think about all those gadgets we keep plugged in day in, day out. Things like your cell phone charger, your iPod charger, the digital clocks on your stove or your coffee pots, the computer monitor, your TV, and even your night light uses energy when you're not actively using it.

It may not seem like much, but consider, if you keep your computer monitor on all the time, that will cost you $.60 cents a day, or $18 a month. And if you fall asleep watching television, you'll find that you'll pay about $6 a month for the privilege. (This is considering you pay about $.10 a kilowatt and sleep eight hours on average).

Be moderate with the thermostat

If you're just sweltering in the heat and you want to adjust your thermostat, don't turn the thermostat to lower temperature thinking the house will become cooler more quickly. Thermostats run at the same level until they reach the temperature setting you indicate. And you could run up a pretty hefty bill if you turn the thermostat down low and forget to return it to the usual setting.

Of course, setting your thermostat a few degrees lower when you're out of the house does help to cut down on your energy expenses. This can save you about $100 each year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. But keep in mind that to really see a dent in your bill, you'll have to be out of the house for at least 8 hours.

Try the cold cycle

You don't need hot water to kill the germs anymore. You can save a load of energy if you use warm or cool water instead of hot water in your washing machine. That's because between 80 and 85 percent of the energy used to wash clothes comes from just heating the water alone.

Be wary of efficiency labels

We all gravitate toward the Energy-Star labels of appliances when we're out shopping. But you may want to take these labels with a grain of salt. The benefits of this label are under fire after an investigation by SmartMoney magazine claimed the Energy Star Program is not well monitored and uses outdated test procedures. For their part, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dept. of Energy deny these findings.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Pre-paid funerals – worth the price?

Fred Harteis News Articles - All you want to do is leave your heirs with a will -- not a bill.

The average funeral in the United States costs roughly $6,000, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and many top $10,000.

So what about paying for you own funeral before it's your time to go?

If you're not familiar with the concept, "prepaid" or "preneed" funerals allow you to buy everything from a casket to cremation services from your local funeral home. Your final arrangements are taken care of before you move on the great beyond -- even if that is decades away.

Marketed heavily to the elderly and baby boomer generation, prepaid funerals currently account for a quarter to one third of all funerals, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).

And the attraction is easy to understand. Prepaying for a funeral can relieve your family members from having to make funeral arrangements while they offer buyers a chance to beat inflation by buying at today's prices.

But before you opt for that prepaid plan, be careful -- you might be getting taken.

For starters, prepaid plans do not offer buyers a lot of flexibility.

If you move...For example, if you purchase a prepaid contract from a funeral home in the Northeast and retire to sunny Florida, the contract might not be transferrable and you could be out the money you paid in, says Stacy Canan, a senior attorney with the AARP.

If you change your mind...Or suppose you have second thoughts about the funeral home where you buy a prepaid plan -- depending on what state you live in, you may be entitled only to a portion of your money back, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA). Some states, including Florida and Mississippi, have regulations that are so loose that a funeral home could claim as much as two-thirds of your money if you change your mind.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.

Fred Harteis News Articles - Travel alerts ward off travel annoyances

Fred Harteis News Articles - There's nothing more annoying than getting to the airport and finding out your flight is delayed. Or arriving at your hotel and discovering it is in the midst of a noisy renovation.

You can reduce those types of travel headaches by signing up for electronic "travel alerts." These are text or voice messages that warn travelers about gate changes, flight delays and cancellations, weather issues and other travel troubles that might affect a trip. You can get these warnings via e-mail, cell phone and other devices.

Major airlines and the biggest online travel agents have offered these alerts for years, but Orbitz and Travelocity have recently expanded their offerings. Signing up is easy and free, though you usually have to register your information with the airline or Web site on which you're booking your travel plans.

The alerts are essentially an early warning system aimed at saving travelers' time by providing information when they're mostly likely to be in-transit. Knowing that a flight is cancelled or delayed before you arrive at the airport gives you more time to rebook or make alternate plans.

In 2001, Orbitz was the first travel Web site to launch an alert service, and it now has a staff of 20 former air-traffic controllers, travel agents and airline workers who flag problems and help customers rebook flights or hotels or cope with travel problems.

That's helpful if you've got friends, family or business contacts picking you up at the airport. You can include up to six contacts for travel alerts so prior to departure, you can add the person picking you up at the airport and they will be notified if your flight is late because of congestion, a diversion to another airport or for any other delay.

Travelocity also goes beyond basic flight problems to warn travelers about potential issues at their destination. It's part of their recent push to expand their customer service program and be more proactive about preventing travel problems.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The I Team Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.