Communication is one of the most important industries in the world. People have a need to talk, to get in touch with their friends and family, no matter where they are in the world. We started with letters sent with any individual traveling in that direction, which progressed to the postal system. With the advent of the Internet, we exchanged snail mail for email and later instant messengers

Somehow though, it just wasn’t enough. We needed to hear their voices not just read their words. With the help of great inventors, we progressed from the telephone to cellular phone to again utilizing the Internet to make calls.

Skype has been among the pioneers of this system. Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP as they call it, has been instrumental in bridging the distances between people. It means a lot to people to be able to actually greet their special someone happy birthday on that very special day without the exorbitant costs that land line or mobile telecommunications company charge per call.

Skype has been a wonderful service, much appreciated and enjoyed by everyone who prefers voice chat to email or messages. It is easy to use: simply download, sign up, tell your friends to do the same and you can talk with each other for free! Who could ask for more?

Skype, apparently though has become a little ambitious. After they were bought by Ebay, things seem to have begun to slide downhill. They’ve announced new paid services such as SkypeOut and SkypeIn. They are great ideas, for sure. This is why some of the Skype users who have been very happy with the free service agreed to pay the premium.

Unfortunately, while they may be expanding their products’ abilities to get new users, they have forgotten to take care of their existing subscribers. The service has deteriorated since I first signed up. Unfortunately, Skype doesn’t seem to care.

Since I didn’t want to kick up a fuss if there was a way for me to fix the problem myself, I checked out the Sykes home page again. I was happy to see that they had a help page with a trouble shooting guide. Unfortunately, even after following the various instructions and suggestions- it still wasn’t working properly.

Usually when that happens, I call the company to ask for further assistance. So I looked for a phone number where I could reach Skype’s customer service. I searched all over the page and didn’t find any number that I could call. The link marked “Contact Us” lead to a page that basically said before contacting them, I should read the help pages. No problem I had done that.

It now said that if I didn’t find the answer in their knowledge base I should contact their customer support. I now clicked on the link for that and ended up at an online ticketing system for complaints. Now, I’m glad they are taking down the complaints in black and white, and I do appreciate that it seems to be on a first in, first out basis. What upsets me is that absolutely nothing seems to be happening.

I told them how I was having some trouble with the service. I mentioned how more frequently it happens that the people I call can hear me but I can’t hear them in the middle of our conversation. I asked if they could please give me feedback on how to resolve the problem. After I filled out their form, I got their infamous acceptance message saying, “If your inquiry requires a response, we will get back to you within three days”. What the?! I thought every customer deserved to get a response, even if it’s just to get pointed to the right part of the forum!

Skype is so busy building up their new communication products that they’ve stopped communicating with their existing clients. They have obviously forgotten that great customer service is what will keep the numbers in their database up. If people don’t get the assistance they need, they will leave; especially now that the service of the product itself is deteriorating.

Are they now so big that they can’t be talked with? Is it too much to ask that they put in a few more people to take care of answering the support requests? Or have they already spread themselves so thin that they can’t afford to hire more people? No wonder the service is beginning to suck.

I truly don’t appreciate how impersonally Skype is handling customer service. I pay for SkypeOut, I got billed but to date, it still isn’t working properly. I sent Skype both a support request (from their site) and an email, to the email address of their billing team (the address of which by the way I did not find on their website but through searching the web for other Skype complaints). I still have no action from them. Talk about wasted money!

What amazes me is that Skype doesn’t even have “live chat” or some other similar help desk program so that we customers with concerns and who want to continue using Skype can talk with someone in Sykes who can help. Considering that Sykes is a communication company, I’d have thought that they would create one themselves. That little software for customer service is an absolute treasure!

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, after all the site is obviously geared to attracting new users only. Skype seems to be interested in just making more and more money; and bringing in more users. They obviously don’t care if their subscribers leave because they get no assistance and maintenance services from them.

Cardinal rule of any business, Skype, is to take care of your customers. Your repeat business usually in the long run can make you more money than new subscribers will. It would do your business a lot of good if you would pay attention to your subscribers and give them their money’s worth. I know I’m disappointed in the service…..

A business venture can experience cash shortage or difficulty in being liquid even if it has receivables and steady assets that are more than its payables and other liabilities.

There are easy solutions to cash shortage just so a business enterprise can meet its short term obligations like payroll. Among these solutions include loans or short-term borrowing and factoring accounts. Factoring accounts can be done for accounts that are expected to be received by a company during a certain period.

A person who wants to avail of credit through the factoring of his accounts receivable must submit an application form which will then be reviewed by the agency concerned. Once approved, the applicant should consider the terms of the loan proposal and wait for a maximum of seven days within which the agency will con duct a credit investigation. The investigation will cover the applicant’s credit status, tax payments and liens as well as any pending criminal case.

After which, the applicant must submit the original invoices of services rendered or good s delivered. Once the invoices are verified, a fund amounting to about eight percent of the total invoice will be approved and advanced to the applicant. The balance will be held until the invoices are fully paid.

Payments for services rendered and goods delivered will be sent directly to the credit agency which will in turn release the balance of the total invoice less the appropriate payments for their services.

Getting short term financing through factoring of the accounts receivable of a business enterprise can be easily availed of even through the internet. There are credit agencies that have made the process easier by making forms available online. By filling up the form online the applicant can have his accounts receivable assessed before he speaks to a credit representative.

Companies selling services ad well as distributors selling products are eligible for the factoring of their accounts receivable provided the services have already been rendered and the goods already delivered.

This method of accessing easy funding is commonly used by trucking companies who have thousands of accounts receivables in the form of freight bills. However, these companies have to pay their truckers as well as pay business overheads so they cannot wait for a month or more for these bills to be liquidated.

Factoring is an easier way to get additional funding for business compared to the traditional financing methods which require lots of paperwork and long waiting periods. With a meager amount deducted by credit agencies from the invoices, usually one to six percent, small business can already add to their cash flow and can run their businesses efficiently.

Working from home has turn out to be more and more trendy in the past few years. More people are getting weary of having to rouse up early and make a extensive commute to a job they detest and working for a person or a company they don’’t want to work for. One of the best advantages to working from home on your own home business is that you can wake up when you want or need to and the commute is a long as it takes for you to walk to your home office. But it can be easy to get distracted when you are working from home so here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

It’s critical that you become involved in all characteristics of your home business and become well-versed in the areas that you are unfamiliar with. This includes starting from the very idea on what you want your business to be about, to the formation of the service or the product all the way to the end when the product or service reaches the customer. If you assign things to other people, it can be easy to get induced into doing something that you end up not liking, so knowing what is going on in all aspects of the business is very important.

Exploration is a great thing. I know it can seem a little bit scary, especially if your home business is the lone thing contributing to your earnings. However a business should be about doing new things. The world is moving at a fast pace and people get jaded with seeing the same things over and over again and experimentation of ideas and products could be very useful and give you a step up above your competitors.

The biggest thing you need to be educated about when owning and operating a home business is the Internet. It is the most prevailing tool you can have when working from home. The Internet is the best place to tell people about what your business has to offer and there are several ways to not only inform people but also make money with different types of programs like advertising and affiliation. Having a website is one of the best ways to confront all of these things and you can either make it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. The bottom line is that any business needs to have an online presence.

These are just a few of the many things you need to think about when working from home and owning your own home business. Like I said before, it is crucial to become informed with all characteristics of operating a home business.

Not just the simplicity factor with which we can shop online but the discounts that we can get 24 hours a day with no theory of working day makes cyberspace shopping a good experience for buyer. Traders from global picture enter into your list of options providing you with competitive price tags with no constraints of rent, employee salary etc.

A seller may ask you to post comments on his web site for review. You can get many neutral reviews from buyers who have purchased and tried the products.

Ease of accessibility

As we discussed earlier, with internet stores opening every now & then, there are plenty of stores & items on net & nothing is better than getting your delivery at your door-step with some clicks on your computer. You don’t have to rush to all the stores to compare price. Its just one chair & you compare all the offers using your hands.

Cheaper Prices with big concessions

Online stores have the ability to offer better prices while maintaining a sound profit margin. This is achieved by having a virtual shop without any need to pay for its lease, maintenance or other expenses PLUS managing without workers & their heavy salary. After this comes the fierce competition factor among merchants that further lower down the cost.

Cut down time taken in locating it

Introduction of shopping directories have made everything more easy. Shopping directories have not only made finding your product trouble-free but it also saves time killed in visiting multiple stores & finding your desired product. Shoppers can browse through multiple store products all from one web site cutting down on time spent in visiting multiple stores for an item OR search for multiple types of items from multiple stores.

Are you an individual, a common man who toils day and night, up and down to earn three meals a day? If yes, then do you at times come home depressed with a look of betrayal on your face? There can be reasons like someone withdrew cash from your credit card and you have no clue how; the television you purchased for your family is not properly functioning, the shopkeeper refused to take the onus even though the TV is in the warranty period or somebody stole the information from your email account by hacking it?…this is the plight of today’s consumer, who at the end of the day comes back home defeated and cursing his fate and today’s world.

But one should never forget that God only helps those who help themselves. You can never be beaten unless you admit that you have lost; similarly no one can deceive you unless you let him do so. Thus, it is time for the consumers to wake up and realize that nothing will happen by sitting hands on hands, more than talking of action, one should believe in implementing or doing it. Howsoever one may try it is impractical to erase theft, fraud etc. form our society. In this case the only option left is to take preventive measures.

• The first and the foremost step for a consumer to prevent himself from cheating is to keep his eyes and ears open. Know or be aware of what is happening around you. Read the cases of various scams, thefts, burglaries, phishing scams etc. in that are highlighted in your local newspaper and also seen on television. This will keep you informed and conscious of what is going on and what can unfortunately even happen with you.

• Learn from the mistakes of your neighbors. If a shopkeeper has given a malfunctioning gadget to your neighbor, do not make the mistake of going to that shop. If somebody stole important mails from their mailbox, do make it a point to collect all your crucial mails directly from the post office.

• Never reveal personal identity to a stranger. You go for a morning walk and a man over their tries to be extra amiable even asks you to come home for lunch etc. does not imply that he wants your friendship or that he is a genuine person. So do not disclose your residence, telephone numbers, your workplace numbers etc. to him unless you gather complete information from a known person about him. Avoid giving personal details on phone. If you receive calls from unknown place that offers you some benefits and asks for your particulars, don’t be carried away by that. Tell your particulars only when you are sure that the call is genuine and that there is no other way out.

• Do not rely much on courier services. If you an access to the place where you have to deliver the parcel, take out some time and go yourself.

• Do not hand over your credit or debit cards even to your friends. It is foolish to trust someone blindly nowadays. Never tell your friends or colleagues to check your mails while you are holidaying with your family. It is not wise to let others know your password and mails.

• When you are out for shopping in the market, do not carry much cash. Keep the tentative amount and credit or debit card in case of emergency. This will not only help you do a regulated shopping but will also save you from many pitfalls.

• Before purchasing any commodity, always read the manufacturing date, the expiry date and the MRP carefully.

• Never forget to take all the bills and an assurance for the warranty period. Take the bills for each and every thing you buy and it is advisable to take things on a longer warranty basis even if you have to pay a little more for it.

• If while coming back home you lose your wallet, call up the police and register your complaint. This can protect you from the illegal use your documents by the one who picks them up. It is better that you de not carry your essentials every time you move out of the house.

• Keep all the emergency numbers (like the social security unit of your area, the police station number etc.) stored in your mobile phone. Also what is vital for your security is to keep a back up record in a diary of all the essential numbers in your phone and addresses. This will facilitate you with all the information in case you lose your mobile phone.

Wake Up, Its Time to Retaliate by Being Cautious and Not to Sit Quite.

Great men are born once in a while. Men are great not because they are born with some attribute of greatness but their deeds make them great and remarkable individuals in history. Such people thus are not born overnight it takes one’s whole lifetime to achieve that success and fame that one only dreamt of. The article throws light on some of the great men who brought revolution in the business world. Their achievements not just brought tremendous credit to their name but are largely beneficial to the multitude.

• The Tobacco Industrialist Washington Duke (1820-1905)- the personal life of this farmer from North Carolina was a sad story for both his wife and son died of the same disease. Adding to the disaster, his cotton crop too failed at the same time. Btu Duke did not let this stop himself from proceeding in life. His life was full of struggle he even became a prisoner of war during the Civil War. Finally the big break that changed his entire life came when he manufactured the popular product ‘tobacco’. The Union Army that was staying in the North Carolina had a great liking for tobacco. Duke’s manufactured tobacco which came to be known as ‘Pro Bono Publico’ was a brilliant sensation that won the heart of all the tobacco lovers very soon. Later Duke also manufactures cigarettes under the name of his company W. Duke, Sons and Company which too was a big hit.

• The inventor of the reaper Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884) has his own place in the B-world. McCormick was the son of a blacksmith who had influenced and helped the people of Shenandoah Valley with his exuberant skill in making agricultural devices. The father made the reaping machine that the son modified extremely and took it to places. The McCormick’s designed inventor was a huge success at his birth place and even when he went abroad. McCormick went to Chicago in 1847 where he opened a factory named the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The factory scaled new heights despite massive competition. McCormick’s device that he had invented and built drastically shrunk the labor and time required to produce grain. Where in 1830 it used to take 20 hours to harvest an acre of wheat, it took just one hour to do so in 1895…all thanks to the great mind behind it- McCormick.

• The industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) needs no introduction in the business market. He was a man who had strived hard against poverty during his childhood. He worked as a bobbin boy and as a telegrapher and also as a superintendent for the Pennsylvania Railroad. His petite savings that hye invested in oil, iron and steel during the Civil War fetched him a turning point in his life. in 1880 Carnegie had brought a lot of companies under the Carnegie Steel Company. By 1990 this company produced a fourth of all the steel in United States. Known to be one of the richest men of the world then, Carnegie believed that rich men act as trustees to their wealth and they must administer it in the favor of the public.

• Thomas Edison (1847-1931) perhaps is unknown to none and has his own coveted place in the history. Edison was the man who had about 1100 inventions in his name that have unbeatable use in the world today and then. The man who spent few hours in school, worked as a railroad newsboy was the first to start of a publication typeset and printed on a moving train. The other inventions added to his list are an electronic vote recorder in 1868, quadruplex telegraph in 1874, phonograph, light bulb and a Dictaphone to name a few. But many of these were mere improvements on what a team or so had manufactured and at times he helped others in creating devices. For instance the Dictaphone, working motion picture system that synchronized pictures with sound and the stock ticker were prepared by others under the help and guidance of Edison. He also formed a company that later became General Electric.

• Apart from these the glorious men like George Eastman, Henry Ford, Madam C.J Walker, Joseph Pulitzer and many others have made significant contributions that has greatly helped mankind every now and then