Potential Diseases Caused By Diesel Exhaust Exposure

Potential Diseases Caused By Diesel Exhaust Exposure
Every day at work, employees working with diesel engines
are exposed to diesel exhaust. Further, exposure to diesel
exhaust is chronic. Failure to protect from diesel exhaust
combined with chronic exposure will very likely result in a
chemical disease. Although the harmful effects upon
railroad workers of exposure to diesel exhaust has been the
subject of several studies and has been known for many
years, most of the railroads have done little or nothing
about taking preventive measures, or informing their
employees of the hazards. There are two chemical diseases
one can contract from diesel exhaust exposure: obstructive
lung disease and cancer. In addition to entering the body
through the respiratory system, harmful diesel exhaust
components can enter the body through the eyes, possibly
causing permanent damage to the optic nerve, and possibly
even to the brain and central nervous system.

Diesel Exhaust and Obstructive Lung Disease

A recent study determined that between 40% and 50% of train
service workers suffer from the effects of obstructive lung
disease as a result of their chronic, unprotected exposure
to diesel exhaust. Railroaders who work in the shop crafts,
as well as the maintenance of way and signal departments,
have also suffered the effects of chemical disease when
exposed to diesel exhaust in the workplace.

The effect of obstructive lung disease is shortness of
breath. Diesel exhaust exposure causes obstructive lung
disease by the deposit of diesel soot into the lungs.
Diesel exhaust's ultra-fine particles lodge in the lungs
where the particles cannot be easily removed by the lung
itself (mucociliary escalator). Eventually, these fine
particles clog the lumen in the lungs and gradually the
lungs lose their elasticity and become less and less able
to expand and contract with each breath. Each day of
exposure to diesel exhaust results in accumulation of the
particles that restrict breathing.

Another common outcome of obstructive lung disease is
diesel asthma. Diesel asthma is commonly mistaken for an
allergy. Sufferers of diesel asthma notice that once
exposed to diesel exhaust there is a sudden shortness of
breath or quick on-set hypersensitivity to diesel exhaust,
both of which occur without warning. This reaction to
diesel exhaust becomes increasingly severe and persists
long after exposure has ceased. Over years, obstructive
lung disease may cause the loss of fifty percent or more of
the lung's capacity.

Compared to chronic, unprotected, diesel exhaust exposure,
cigarette smoke is innocuous. Further, modern diagnostics
are capable of distinguishing between the lung damage cause
by diesel exhaust as opposed to cigarette smoke.

Diesel Exhaust Exposure and Cancer

There is medical evidence that exposure to diesel exhaust
causes cancer in humans. Medical studies of workers
chronically exposed to diesel exhaust show that diesel
exhaust causes cancer of the lung, urinary tract, bladder,
stomach, prostate, mouth, larynx, esophagus, and colon.
Further, the type of cancer caused by diesel exhaust
typically metastasizes--the cancer spreads to other
locations in the body.

Diesel Encephalopathy

Lastly, medical professionals have recently made a
connection between diesel exhaust and diesel
encephalopathy. A recent study of workers tied diesel
exhaust exposure to memory deficits, sensory losses,
equilibrium imbalances and mood swings. Diesel
encephalopathy is a relatively new discovery, but some
claim it can be detected.
If you have been exposed to diesel exhaust and have
suffered injury, you may have a legal case.

----------------------------------------------------
For more information on diesel exhaust exposure use
LegalView's information portal at http://www.LegalView.com/
. LegalView offers an array of legal topics ranging from
mesothelioma lawsuits to the Heparin recall,
http://baxter-heparin.legalview.com/ .

Speed Coaching

Speed Coaching
I think I'm missing out. I'm guessing a lot of managers,
who could benefit from developing good coaching skills,
self-select and decide not to attend my training. I'm
further guessing that this may be because their perception
of coaching involves two cosy chairs facing each other,
soft lighting and a couple of hours spare to really get
stuck into some deep rooted psychological cause behind
certain difficulties that occur at work.

It is easy to understand where this view comes from and the
coaching profession doesn't help because it welcomes and
indeed encourages this perception; it makes it seem as if
coaching must ALWAYS occur at this level to be helpful, but
it doesn't. A trained Life or Executive coach may well work
at this depth to bring about the significant and permanent
change for which they have presumably been hired but the
coaching manager is less concerned with causing tearful
epiphanies and more concerned with restoring focus and
improving performance on the job. This can be done far
quicker.

Most coaching is supported by a questioning framework. I
devised the coaching ARROW and although this comes with a
wide range of sample questions, it can be boiled down to
five:

A - Aims - What do you want?
R - Reality - What's happening now?
R - Reflection - How big is the gap?
O - Options - What could you do?
W - Way Forward - What will you do?

These five simple questions give us an opportunity to coach
at great speed. They will not, on their own, create
fundamental change or improvement but they will create
focus and mobility. These being, in my view, the desired
outcomes of any coaching conversation in a work context.
Imagine you wanted to add a little coaching to a
conversation with a colleague who was about to make an
important business pitch. Asking 'What do you want?' could
really get them focused on a positive outcome and ready to
bring it about. It's not dissimilar to an athlete mentally
rehearsing the race in their mind as they settle into the
blocks. Imagine, talking to another colleague who had just
returned from a meeting that had gone spectacularly well,
but they were unsure why. Exploring 'What's happening now?'
immediately afterwards could really bring some insight and
learning to bear.

When our team members become used to being coached in this
way, they often come with Aims, Reality, Reflection and
Options already thought through. They just want to check
things out with us and get some 'permission' from us for
the way forward.

I think of this technique as Martini coaching: 'Anytime.
Anyplace. Anywhere' I have taught the technique to managers
who hardly ever see their team, but can still do some good
coaching around the coffee machine, in the lift or on a car
journey. Another tip is to have the questions to hand on a
small piece of paper so that you can self-coach before you
settle down to tackle an important task. G o ahead and
order the cosy chairs and soft lighting for the major
conversations, but there's plenty of coaching that can be
done in the meantime.

----------------------------------------------------
Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. For a bumper load of
coaching tips and tricks - including FREE resources - visit
http://www.mattsomers.com

Success Sequence for Exponential Profit Growth

Success Sequence for Exponential Profit Growth
In studying what the CEOs did whose companies grew the
fastest in stock price, I observed that the following
sequence was followed to achieve that great success:

1. They learn to do one business model reinvention.

2. They decide to do a second business model reinvention
and need to expand the scope of what they consider and
where they get help.

3. They decide to turn business model reinvention into a
repeating activity, which requires a shift in corporate
priorities and attention.

4. Their business model reinvention success propels them
beyond the boundaries of their original marketplaces. They
need new targets of opportunity for their subsequent
reinventions and must begin searching for them.

Here's a brief example of such a sequence by a one-man
business to help you grasp what I'm describing:

Mr. Ray Hughes is a native of the Isle of Man, located in
the Irish Sea. There he learned to be an outstanding golf
caddy. He served up to two golfers at a time by carrying
their bags and providing advice.

Based on how much they liked his service, he could hope to
get additional jobs from the same golfers. If one pair of
golfers wanted to start early and another pair late, he
could potentially carry four bags a day.

Unfortunately, the winter weather in this native land is
bad enough to deter golfers, and work is scarce then. This
way of serving golfers on the Isle of Man was his original
business model.

Mr. Hughes decided to improve his business model. He
realized that if he could find a place where there were
lots of golfers and good year-round weather, he could earn
more money. He decided to move to the Monterey peninsula in
California, home to many famous golf courses including
Pebble Beach. The temperature is moderate there year round,
and winter weather brings mild rain in which golfers will
often play.

Because of the quality of these courses, golfers fill them
from dawn to dusk. As a result, he could work more often.
Further, the prices for playing are very high. Golfers are
interested in having a good experience and value their
caddies more highly than on the Isle of Man.

As a result, his income from each golfer also rose. The
main drawback was that the cost of living is very high in
that area, especially for housing.

The pro shops at these courses often receive requests for
caddies, and encourage golfers to make their own
arrangements. The pro shops usually refer such requests to
caddies who have been praised by other golfers. Because so
many players told the pro shops they were pleased with Mr.
Hughes, he was often recommended.

These introductions became the basis of his next business
model innovation. Many of the callers wanted to have more
than one caddy. Could he help them?

Mr. Hughes is a good judge of golfers and caddies. He
inquired about the golfers who would be visiting and
matched the golfers with compatible caddies. For example,
an inexperienced golfer might be helped by a caddy who had
a low-key personality and experience as a teaching pro to
help the duffer navigate the course more pleasantly and
successfully.

As a result of helping other caddies get jobs, they also
favored him with referrals in turn. That further increased
the number of bags he could carry in a year.

Also, those who liked the caddies Mr. Hughes had assembled
for them would often pay him extra for the service, even
though he asked for no more pay. The pro shops heard
favorable comments about these services as well, and
referred larger parties to him.

Mr. Hughes is a very intelligent, inquisitive, and
interesting man to converse with, and he quickly learned a
lot about the golfers who visited these courses. Many of
them were attending business conferences at the Pebble
Beach resorts. Almost all of the conference sponsors used
travel agents and meeting planners to arrange for meeting
and sleeping rooms, meals, and other resort services.

Mr. Hughes asked the golfers and the resorts whether they
would be willing to let him play the role of travel agent
for these occasions. The resorts and many conference
sponsors who had played with him were happy to do so.

Naturally, Mr. Hughes still organized the caddies, while
adding a major source of income. At this point, he overcame
the high cost of living in the area through expanding his
role from being a person solely providing a physical
service to someone who was also helping make business
conferences more successful.

Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of seven books including Adventures of an
Optimist, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The
Ultimate Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Part-time Business - 3 Great Part-time Business Ideas To Help Make Your House Payment Each Month

Part-time Business - 3 Great Part-time Business Ideas To Help Make Your House Payment Each Month
Have you been looking for the ideal part-time business?
Easy low-cost ways that you could make more money? Have you
been wanting your own business but you don't want to take
any risks like quitting your job and going full time even
if it's a lousy job that you currently have?

Have you considered a part-time business where you could do
just one or two small side-jobs a month to make your house
payment and or pay other bills? Maybe you are looking for
something more than that, but hey, that is a good start!

Maybe you work at home right now but could use an extra
$1,000 a month to pay the bills so you can continue to work
at home in comfort the rest of the month and be able to
concentrate on your work.

If so, listed below are three great ways that you can start
your own part-time business and make some red-hot immediate
income on the side. This is also a great way to test the
waters before doing anything radical like quitting your
present job and going part-time on a full-time basis.

Way back in 1991, I decided to start my own house painting
business. I didn't plan on making it a part-time business
but that is what it shaped itself into over the years.

You see, I only work 6 hours a day on average and I never
work weekends so that amounts to only 30 hours a week that
I do work. The nice part though is that I make a lot better
money working part-time than I used to when I had a boss
and worked 45 hours a week.

I can actually make more in a day and a half painting than
I did all week long at my last regular full-time job. And I
can come and go as I please. I can't get fired or get in
trouble for being late either and I like that a whole lot.

Anyways, listed below are three easy to start, low-cost
part-time businesses. Each one can make you a quick $300 -
$500 for just a few hours work and over a thousand a week
if you wish. The reason I write about these 3 businesses
listed below is because I know them and they make me money.
These are 3 moneymakers that I specialize in.

#1 Residential/Commercial Painting Business: If you love to
paint this is a handy service you can render for the busy
homeowner. Many wives won't let their husbands go near a
paint brush. Many customers like having things done for
them. I started my painting business for practically
nothing and it gives me great immediate income whenever I
need it.

#2 Ceiling Star Mural Painting Business: Another great
part-time business. Star mural painting done right is
breath-taking. This is something new that is just getting
started. Kids and teens everywhere have glow stars stuck to
their ceilings. Just think if you offer families a
realistic looking star mural ceiling in their bedrooms!
There is no competition. If you are fascinated with the
stars this is an awesome business to get into and is
perfect for retirees as well as teens and college students.

#3 Drywall Repair/Finishing Business: Drywall Repair and
Finishing goes hand-in-hand with painting. You can easily
charge $300 - $500 doing simple small repairs like water
damage and texturing. I just finished a small repair job
for $335. It took me an hour and a half the first day and
the second day took 6 hours. Not too bad a wage for only 7
hours work.

You can also get small jobs hanging drywall. A customer
might have a basement or garage that they need drywall hung
in. Then taped, finished and painted as well. You will also
get asked to do the painting most of the time as well.

So there you go. 3 easy low-cost ways to start a full or
part-time business. All can be started for less than $500.
You can run them at 30 hours or less or turn them into a
thriving empire. You can even add them all together as a
home improvement business.

----------------------------------------------------
Lee Cusano has owned and operated his own successful
painting business since 1991. He has also helped many
others to start their own painting business with his "Paint
Like a Pro Estimating and Advertising CD-ROM".
Lee also offers a free report titled "How To Gain a High
Success Rate For Getting Painting Jobs". To get it go to
http://www.Painting-Business.com

Coffee in the Office - The Traditional Vending Machine

Coffee in the Office - The Traditional Vending Machine
With the choice and variety of office drinks machine
available today, choosing the most suitable one for your
office can be difficult. I have already posted several
articles discussing the pros and cons of different types of
machines and in this article we discuss another ' the
traditional office vending machine.

Many years ago the basic office vending machine consisted
of a table top unit containing several canisters of loose
dried drinks ingredients, push buttons to select the drink
and a simple coin mechanism to enable money to be collected.

A typical arrangement for the machine of ingredient
canisters or hoppers would comprise of freeze dried coffee,
powdered milk, drinking chocolate, sugar and one other
ingredient usually soup. Tea was not really an option as
the taste of instant tea was not of sufficient quality and
despite improvement this still remains the case today.

A plastic cup was taken from a column, money inserted in
the mechanism and the cup put underneath the various
selections and a button pressed to select the ingredient
required. A white coffee for example would require a 6
stage process to produce a drink that still had to be
stirred. Coin inserted, cup taken, coffee pressed, milk
pressed, sugar pressed and lastly hot water added by
pressing the final button.

This format still forms the basis of many smaller budget
office drinks machines today. The technology has improved,
the taste and choice of the drinks is vastly superior but
the concept remains the same.

Larger automatic machines still use different ingredient
hoppers, but have incorporated the whole process into a
single one button operation that dispenses the chosen
beverage into the cup at a fixed position so there is no
need for manual operation.

Generally these types of machines offer instant drinks
only, so that tea drinkers are often forced to choice an
alternative. This sort of machine is easy to restock as it
is a simple matter of refilling the various canisters
inside the machine with the appropriate product. However
spillages do occur and it is important that a daily
cleaning and hygiene process is undertaken.

Modern and more expensive office vending machines can offer
fresh brew coffee and leaf tea options and serve fabulous
tasting drinks. However the complicated brew process means
that cleaning and maintenance is more involved and your
service engineer will need to call more often. Machine,
drink and service costs are all higher for fresh brew
machines, so this needs to be taken into account.

It is always best to discuss your requirements with a
reputable supplier who will advise the best solution to
your office drinks needs and suggest the most appropriate
style of machine to suit your particular office layout,
taste and budget.

----------------------------------------------------
For more information about office coffee and drinks
solutions visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

5 Super-Easy Steps to Increase Your List of Referral Partners to 100

5 Super-Easy Steps to Increase Your List of Referral Partners to 100
Do you obtain much of your business through referrals from
others-from people who know, trust, and like you?

Are you happy with the number of referrals your referral
partner network is producing?

Do you want to increase the size and quality of your
referral partner network?

Getting business by referral from other people is one of
the fastest ways to grow your business. If you want to earn
more business by referral, you have to be involved in a
referral partner network that is large enough so it can
provide you with a steady stream of new business. Referral
partners are people who are in touch with your prospective
clients on a regular basis.

For example, if a business provides web site design
services to small business, their referral partners may
include graphic artists, copywriters, business coaches,
etc. Get the picture?

By actively seeking out referral partners (some of whom you
may not personally know at this time), you will increase
the number of people who can refer business to you.

A network of 100 referral partners is usually large enough
to provide you with enough business. Yet, is not too large
that you can't handle staying in touch with them---perhaps
monthly with an eZine publication, or meeting them
quarterly for coffee or lunch.

Here are 5 super-easy steps you can take to build your
referral partner list:

1. Think about who your potential client is, and brainstorm
what type of business services they need to operate their
business. This information will give you clues about what
other professional categories may be good referral
partners. Develop a list of 10 professional categories.

2. For each professional category you identified, actively
seek to get to know 10 people. This is most likely a simple
task because there's a good chance you already know people
in these occupations. If you need more individuals to
increase your list to 10, ask current business associates
if they know individuals they would recommend. Ask existing
referral partners if they will introduce prospective
referral partners to you.

3. Schedule a time to meet with your potential referral
partners. Meeting these individuals provides you an
opportunity to tell them about your products and services,
and their benefits. It also gives potential partners the
opportunity to tell you about their products and services,
as well.

At your meetings, give prospective referral partners
details about your market niche so they know exactly what
type of prospect is right for your business. For example,
if you are seeking businesses that generate $1M to $5M in
revenues, and operate in the metalworking industry, give
your referral partner this information.

4. When you meet someone who seems willing to send you
referrals, add their name to your referral partner list
until eventually you attain 10 people x 10 occupations =
100 referral partners

5. Once you have 100 names on your partner list, determine
your tactics of how you will stay in touch with them to
build relationships. Here are some ideas about how to stay
in touch: Develop a tickler file to remind you to contact
and meet them. Send out a monthly eZine to keep your
business top-of-mind Attend networking functions Send
greeting cards Invite you referral partners to a cocktail
or holiday party. The methods you can use to keep in touch
are endless! Contact your referral partners at least one
time, every three months, to keep your relationships intact.

Over time, you may find some people are not good referral
sources. Replace them on your list to keep it fresh.

----------------------------------------------------
Bonita L. Richter, MBA, founder of Profit Strategies,
teaches entrepreneurs and business owners how to start and
grow businesses, attract more clients, and market their
businesses to increase sales, business success, and
generate wealth. Find out more about how to market your
business and boost sales with her popular FREE eBooks at
===> http://www.Profit-Strategies.biz

"JumpStart Your Business Right Now - Get More Clients, More Money and More Free Time for Yourself!"

"JumpStart Your Business Right Now - Get More Clients, More Money and More Free Time for Yourself!"
Do you need to get back in the swing of things with your
business after the holidays and not sure where to begin?

Are you feeling stuck on what to do or where to do it?

Well, the first thing I would tell most of you is to get
networking! Jump right up from your desk, bring a stack of
business cards and attend some events pertinent to your
business right off the bat. This is the best way to
generate new leads and new contacts; just do it, don't
think about it. This might be tough or uncomfortable and
you might want to 'ease' your way back into those circles,
but don't do it. Otherwise it could take you up to three
months to get back on track.

Get networking now to chamber events, trade or association
meetings, business events or expos - anything where your
target market will be. Afterwards, you'll be forced to
follow up and the whole marketing cycle begins again!

Follow up you say? What's that? Well, in my experience
only about 5% of small business people do this on a regular
basis, however it can be the single most effective way to
attract and retain new business and referrals. What are
you waiting for? No one is going to do your networking or
your follow up for you.

To effectively follow up with new prospects, new contacts
or anyone in general you can do any or all of the following:

1. Mail a handwritten note with your business card
"It was great to meet you, let's get together for coffee to
see how we might be able to work together. When are you
available next week?"

2. Send a personal email
"It was great to meet you, this is what I do now tell me
what it is that you do so that we might be able to refer
business to each other."

3. Make a phone call to say
"It was great to meet you, how could we help refer business
to each other?"

Not only do you need to follow up with these people within
48 hours of meeting them, but you need to follow up again
and again and again. Find new approaches each time, ask
them questions, ask them for coffee, mail them a list of
your services, drop off a promotional item and your
brochure or email them an article you read that you thought
they might be interested in.

Persistence is the key. If a lead is really warm to hot,
you will want to follow up or contact them at least four
times. If they turn you down at all or tell you no, keep
trying different angles, kill them with kindness, refer a
potential client to them, show them you give without
expecting to receive. Most of the time, with persistence,
you can win the sale or meeting.

Now, I can hear some of you thinking, "Ok, the follow up
isn't the problem, it's the actual networking, talking to
people I don't know in a big crowd."

Well, what I say to that is get over it!

Take some public speaking courses, do a lot of practicing
in front of the mirror or a friend, or you can even join
Toastmasters or a business referral organization which will
help you fine tune your 10, 30 or 60 second commercial. If
all else fails or none of this appeals to you, too bad, do
it anyway.

Let's face it, running your own business is tough, you
don't always get to do the things you like to do, sometimes
you have to do the things you don't like to do - so get
used to it and fake it 'til you make it.

The trick to networking for those who are shy or who don't
like crowds or small talk is to ask a lot of questions and
ask for other people's business cards. Don't worry about
talking about yourself or passing out your cards, just
worry about the other person and getting their card. Ask
them lots of questions about them, their life, their
business, their target market, what kind of referrals they
like to receive, etc. Because you can always follow up
later and send them your card and info!

An important thing to remember when networking is to make
sure you wear a clear, professional nametag so when you're
busy talking about other people and what they do at these
events, they can still read your name, business and what
you do on your shirt so in case they are interested in what
you do, they will ask.

So, now that you've started networking, doing your follow
up and the leads and referrals might be starting to trickle
in, what else is there? How are you marketing your
business? Do you have a written marketing plan that you
refer to and update on a regular basis? If not, write one.
There are free seminars offered in most cities by the SBA
or other Business Centers who are there to be a resource to
small business owners or of course that's something I can
help you with too in my 1-On-1 Marketing Planning Meeting.

For those of you who really need some alone time to
rejuvenate and prepare to get back to business, try a
weekend retreat for yourself. Go away from your home and
your office for 2 days, stay over night if you can in a
hotel or spa retreat to gather your thoughts and plan the
coming year.

During this retreat, you will want to write down every idea
or creative thought that comes into your head. Then you
want to plot out on a big calendar any annual events,
promotions, sales or focuses for your business. Along with
those, you will want to outline timelines or deadlines for
needed tasks or items in order to accomplish those such as
book a hotel conference room for the client appreciation
event and order and send invitations. Plot those on the
calendar too allowing ample time to accomplish each item.
Don't forget to add in your personal vacations and family
time too - you have to do this to keep balance in your life
for sure but if you don't calendar it right off the bat,
that time gets eaten up doesn't it??

Your client base is your most valuable marketing resource
so keep adding to it, following up with everyone on it and
work them for repeat business and referrals and you will
succeed. If you keep reaching or spending money trying
only to get new business and forgetting about the old
contacts and clients you will most likely fail.
Now, get networking!

----------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2008 K.Sawa Marketing
Katrina Sawa is an Award-Winning Relationship Marketing
Coach who's helped hundreds of small business owners take
dramatic steps in their businesses to get them to the next
level in business, revenues and life. She offers one-on-one
coaching, group coaching and do-it-yourself marketing
planning products. Go online now to get started with her
Free Report and Free Audio at
http://www.jumpstartyourmarketing.com !