What’s Lurking Under Your Fingernails?

In the spring of 1997, I spent a wonderful day with Dr Omar Amin in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr Amin is one of the most respected and sought-after parasitologists in the world and runs the Parasitology Center Inc in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He gave me a copy of his paper ‘Understanding Parasites’ in which there was a sentence that has always stuck in my mind: “A recent inspection of an expensive restaurant in Los Angeles showed that 100% of all employees (not just servers) had fecal matter under their nails”.

Fecal matter and disease (particularly parasites) generally go together. With our cities offering cuisine from increasingly exotic regions of the world, this carries a higher incidence of parasite-borne diseases, especially if these regional foods are undercooked or even raw: Dutch herring, steak tartar, ceviche, sashimi, sushi for example. Tapeworm is high on the list of ‘residents’ in these foods as is the Anisakid Worm.

A food-handler with poor personal hygiene will more than likely increase the exposure and risk of pathogenic organisms spreading. Years ago kitchen staff wore gloves and hairnets when handling food. They don’t seem to do this any longer although regular hand-washing habits may be mandatory nowadays.

University of Gondar, Ethiopia

In 2003, 127 food-handlers working in the cafeterias of the University of Gondar and the Teachers Training College there were fingernail-tested. These café’s were selected because the mass-provision of foods is a likely source of transmitting infections. Fingernail contents of both the hands and stool specimens were collected from all 127 food-handlers. In addition to fecal matter under the fingernails, the following was found:

– Coagulase-negative staphylococci (41.7%) by Staphylococcus aureus (16.5%), Klebisella species (5.5%), Escherichia coli (3.1%), Serratia species (1.58%), Citrobacter species (0.8%), and Enterobacter species (0.8%).

– Shigella species were isolated from stool samples of four food-handlers (3.1%). None of the food-handlers was positive for Salmonella species and Shigella species in respect of their fingernail contents.

Thankfully no intestinal parasites were detected from fingernail contents, but intestinal parasites were detected in their stools:

– Ascaris lumbricoides (18.11%), Strongyloides stercoralis (5.5%) Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.6%), Trichuris trichiura (1.6%), hookworm species (0.8%), Gardia lamblia (0.8%), and Schistosoma mansoni (0.8%); 1.6% of the study subjects were positive for each of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, hookworm, and Giardia lamblia.

It’s clear from this and many other studies that food-handlers are a potential source of infections. It’s not only food handlers though. To give you an idea of where and how contamination occurs, here are a couple of lists.

The 10 ‘dirtiest’ jobs:

1. Teacher/day-care worker

2. Cashier (bank, post office, supermarket, fast foods etc)

3. Policeman

4. Animal control officer

5. Janitor, plumber

6. Computer repair (using dirty keyboard/mouse)

7. Doctor or nurse

8. Laboratory scientist

9. Rubbish collector

10. Meat packer

Here are some of the dirtiest places you’ll touch in your day:

1. Supermarket trolley handle

2. Office keyboard (not yours) and mouse

3. The button on a public or office drinking fountain

4. Door handles – toilet, refrigerator and microwave at office and home

5. Vending machine buttons

6. The kitchen sink in your home

7. Your toothbrush, if left near to a flushed toilet (always close the toilet lid!) and the toothbrush holder

8. TV remote control (hotels and home)

9. Anywhere around household pets (including sandboxes)

10. Escalator handrails

11. The buttons on ATM’s, lifts, video game controllers

12. Petrol pumps

13. Car steering wheels, especially with multiple drivers

Next time you go out for a drink, think before you dip your fingers into the bowl of peanuts on the bar. Alongside the nuts will be fecal matter and urine residue. Then of course there’s that lemon wedge in your drink:

“I worked in restaurants for years and here is what I saw. The lemons and limes were delivered and put into the walk-in cooler. When the bartender needs a hand full of them he would go grab them by putting them in his apron. He would then slice them up on a cutting board and put them into cups and place them on the bar. Customer # 1 orders a beer and pays for the beer. The bartender stuffs the cash into the register. Customer # 2 orders a vodka and soda with a lemon. Bartender reaches into the ice bin and fills the cup, grabs a lemon and squeezes the lemon into the drink. At no time does any water touch the fruit or his hands and this goes on all day. Money, ice and fruit. Oh, and the occasional trip to the john.”

Men generally have more germs under their fingernails than women but there are more germs found under artificial nails than under real ones.

There is of course hope…

Viruses and bacteria are an integral part of our lives. There are billions of them in and around us. A strong, healthy immune system will generally take care of most of the daily threats we pick up from that dirty supermarket trolley or domestic pet but being conscious about this is also valuable.

Some Nail Facts:

— onychopathy is the study of fingernails and toenails.

— Fingernails are essentially dead cells that are made of a protein called keratin – the same stuff as our hair. We’d get along fine without them but they’re great at help us do fiddly things like gripping things better, text messaging and scratching ourselves. They also absorb some of the stress that the tip of the finger bones would otherwise have to bear.

— Fingernails grow quicker when you’re young, faster on your more active hand and more in summer than winter. They also grow faster on pregnant women.

— Dry nails? Just drink more water.

On a final health note…

Try not to drink straight from aluminium cans. If you buy canned drinks and bring them home, wash the tops as they may carried a virus called Leptospirosis.

There’s much scaremongering on the internet about people dying from drinking out of unwashed cans. I’m not sure about the accuracy of that but if there’s any truth here, it would be because the victim had such a depleted immune system, offering little if any resistance to the invading bacteria.

Tests have shown that some aluminium cans carry dried rat urine containing Leptospira i. Cans are usually stored in rat-infested warehouses and delivered direct to retail stores without cleaning! Just so you know.

Let’s keep the exposure to a minimum.

What’s the Most Popular Sport in the World?

A lot has been written on this subject and the question has never been definitely determined.

The problem is how to define popular. Analysts have based their assessments on various criteria such as most watched, most played, most talked about, most revenue-generating, largest television audience, number of stadia and facilities worldwide, tournaments held and merchandise sold. Because so many criteria have been used numerous lists of the most popular sports have been published. However the problem is made easier by the fact that soccer is often on top no matter what the criteria used.

A survey in 2001 by the International Football Federation (FIFA) shows that more than 240 million people play the sport in over 200 countries across the globe.

Soccer is older than most other games. Its origin goes back 3000 years to ancient China where a game was played with a ball of animal skins stuffed with hair or feathers which was kicked between poles 10 meters high and used for military training. Evidence from other ancient societies Greek, Mayan, and Egyptian show that kicking games like soccer were played in those cultures. The modern game as we know it began in 19th century England and the London Football Association was started in 1863 which established the first set of rules.

Soccer spread very easily. It began in a country known for its culture and systems and for ownership of an empire and it was easily exportable.

Today, soccer is the highest paying professional team sport. The prize money for winning the 2010 World Cup was $30 million (World’s Most Popular Sport- Most Popular Sports.net). The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event; 715.1 million people watched the final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany (The Real Truth: World Cup: Why Soccer Is So Popular Around The World by Cliff Potter, July 10, 2010).

The game is played in a team format and each team has 11 players. The idea is that a team tries to score goals by kicking the ball between the goalposts of the opponent through a combination of passing and dribbling. Pushing, shoving or defending by causing opponents to fall is a foul. In the end the team who scores more goals wins.

Soccer is very popular because it has certain attractions that appeal to both men and women, young and old:

First, it’s simplicity is appealing. All you need to play is a ball. There are no money barriers and it can be played on any surface, on the neighbourhood street, the beach or in the park. It offers hope to kids particularly in developing countries to use as a stepping stone to a better life. They can play in a sport their heroes play which increases the game’s popularity.

Second, soccer is a team sport. As much as 22 people can play in one game. It helps to promote team spirit and unite people around a common purpose.

Soccer also creates team rivalries and passion. Soccer has some of the most intense international rivalries such as between Argentina and Brazil, England and Germany and the US and Mexico, and intense Derbies such as between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina, Manchester City and Manchester United in England, and Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.

Third, soccer stimulates national pride. It’s a dream to play for your country and people take more pride in their country when the national team succeeds. For example in Colombia when the national team plays both sides in the civil war lay down arms for 90 minutes and cheer on their team. On the other hand this pride can be taken to the other extreme so in 1969 El Salvador and Honduras went to war over a soccer game (called the soccer war).

Fourth, few countries have another viable sport to rival soccer.

Lastly, soccer is a good investment if you can get a team that goes far. That’s why $5 billion are spent by European clubs to buy the best talent available (Why Is Soccer Not Popular In The US? By Steve McCarthy, March 23, 2009). The purpose is to win trophies which in turn brings in big prize money.

There are different types of soccer i.e. futsal or indoor soccer and beach soccer which help to broaden its appeal. And there is women’s soccer which has expanded since the 1990’s and also has World Cup competitions.

It is also interesting to mention that in most lists of the most popular sports cricket often ranks second. This is surprising since it is only played in the British Commonwealth countries mainly, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, India and Pakistan.

A lot has been written on the reasons why soccer has not become more popular in the US. In my opinion American sports fans are already preoccupied with their own sports like baseball, basketball and American football so there is no more room for another competing sport.

Despite the success of soccer as a world sport it has not been without its problems:

In recent years FIFA has been hit by allegations of bribery, corruption scandals and resignations. The most notable are allegations against some top officials for wrongdoing during World Cup 2018 and 2022 bidding campaigns.

Secondly, soccer has been taken over by commercialization. Recently there has been an inflow of money from rich businessmen in East Europe, America and the Middle East buying up top clubs and top players. The desire to win and make money has become the main objective with the attendant problems associated with the use of performance enhancement drugs.

Third, Europol (a European law enforcement agency) recently found evidence of match-fixing in more than 380 matches including the Champions League and World Cup qualifiers between 2008 and 2011. Over 300 more matches are under investigation, most from outside Europe.

Lastly, the good name of soccer is increasingly being damaged by racism and racial abuse between players or from fans directed at players.

Added to this is the long standing problem of soccer violence not only between rival fans but last week festivities by Paris St.Germain fans in Paris celebrating their team’s triumph in the league was marred by outbursts of violence.

In conclusion, soccer has come a long way since it was first invented and found to provide much entertainment for the millions of fans around the world. But the essence of the game is different from those days. Today the game has become big business. It’s losing its authenticity and eventually may lose its popularity. Then soccer will no longer be “King”.

Victor A. Dixon

May 20, 2013

Publicity Predicament Number 2 – What’s the Right Timing For Publicity?

Media outlets are in the news business. And as you can tell from the close resemblance between the words “news” and “new,” the mission of the media is to bring you interesting and timely reports on what’s new. If you’re an entrepreneur or organizational marketer and you feed your news about what’s new to the media at the appropriate time, you’re helping both them and yourself. You give them news to share, and you receive credibility and exposure to potential customers.

Ah, but what is the appropriate time? Media deadlines are the most important element in proper timing. Follow these guidelines to make the publicity process work in your favor.

In one group are radio, television, newspapers and web sites, which have short-range deadlines, and in another group are magazines, which have considerably longer-range deadlines. For the short-range deadline media, one week is generally enough lead time for those media outlets to pick up your story. For magazines, the lead time depends on the publication schedule: Monthly magazines need to receive your press releases or pitches 3-6 months ahead of time, while those published every other month need even longer lead time. Weekly magazines need 3-6 weeks advance notice, whenever possible.

When announcing events or looking for coverage for them (as opposed to, say, announcing a new product or providing perspective on a trend), you often need to add a few weeks to the lead time, because daily media often have a weekly rather than daily publication schedule for their calendar listings. That is, upcoming events get published in a batch once a week on Thursday or Friday rather than every day.

The biggest timing complications arise with a product launch, because magazines need to receive your publicity materials 2-3 months before the newspapers, radio, TV and websites in order for them to feature new stuff around the same time. If you rely simply on press release distribution for publicity, either magazine coverage will lag way behind the other media or the newspaper etc. coverage will be premature.

Solve that dilemma by sending publicity materials directly to the magazines at least three months before you want the coverage to appear, then wait until the week before you want the coverage to hit up the newspapers, radio, TV and websites, either by contacting them directly as well or by doing a general press release distribution. That’s right – do publicity in two batches.

Using the guidelines above, plan your timing carefully so you don’t have publicity appearing before your product is ready for purchase or after it’s too late for customers to plan to attend your events.

Bonus Tip: Improve your timing even more by looking up or requesting a publication’s “editorial calendar.” This is an issue-by-issue rundown of planned topics – for instance, the March 16 issue will cover network security, the March 23 issue software upgrades and so on. If you dovetail your publicity with a particular publication’s editorial calendar, you’re practically a shoo-in!

Return to India Jobs – What’s Hot, What’s Not?

If you are an NRI and are browsing the internet, you will be surprised to find many placement agencies and websites which have sprung up in recent times offering their services in locating NRIs with the perfect jobs which commensurate with their present status in the USA. Many Indians in USA are logging on to these websites and are posting their resumes, hoping that they will land up with a lucrative job in any multinational company or corporate business house in India.

The Indian economy has begun to boom and many are waking up to this fact. India is making a slow but steady progress in her growth and many NRIs want to be a part of this growth and do not want to miss this opportunity.

It is not only sentimental reasons like being with aged parents and other close relatives that are attracting Non-resident Indians to return in search of Indian jobs. Many sectors are currently in need of trained professionals and experienced skill personnel that are luring these people to return to Indian jobs. The demand does not rest with only jobs in the technology sector but in other sectors like shipping, construction, health care, biotechnology, newspaper industry, specialty marketing and aerospace. Most of the jobs in these sectors are up for grabs for highly qualified and experienced personnel and Indians working in Indian companies in USA are finding these as a very attractive option.

Many of the websites catering to finding jobs for NRIs are enticing these people with lucrative benefits and perks like all expenses paid relocation, comfortable lifestyle, salaries on par with US currency, company accommodation and much more. The hot jobs that are luring many Indians in US are the white-collar jobs and managerial positions in financial institutions and investment banking sectors. The hot jobs, which are being filled, are the middle and senior management levels in the different corporates and companies.

Many western and European business houses that are keen to set up their businesses in India are looking for expatriates who are willing to take up responsible senior positions to manage their business in India. With their expertise in work knowledge and exposure to international trade practices, these Indians are an asset to these foreign companies.

With the merchant banking and investment banking sectors emerging as two of the hot spots that are offering lucrative Indian jobs [http://www.imrti.com/] opportunities to these NRIs, there are jobs in the technology field which are not so hot and attractive any more to the returning Indians. Most NRIs returning to India are looking for jobs in the managerial levels. It is these jobs that are very attractive with all their perks and pay structure. The Indian IT industry is already up to the brim with talented workforce from the local population, but it is the other sectors like banking and investment, construction and health care that are offering some of the hottest jobs to these Indians from USA. If you are working with an Indian company in the US and are currently looking for jobs in India, you know where to look.

Tag Line or USP – What’s the Difference?

There’s a lot of confusing rhetoric in the market as to what is a ‘Tag Line’ and what is a ‘Unique Selling Proposition’. The point of this post is to clarify both and the major difference between them. Unfortunately even amongst the ranks of ‘Marketing Professionals’ there are those who don’t understand that difference and as a consequence they miss out on what could be pure marketing gold for their clients.

Let’s start with the USP, in an earlier article of mine I described a USP for a cafe and gave an example of how the USP could be arrived at, essentially it is a process of researching your competition, listing what it is that they offer the market and uncovering what it is that they don’t do.

The ‘don’t do’ items represent the gap and the opportunity that exists for you and your business, you have discovered USPs based on your competitive research. In fact, in that earlier post we listed a number of USPs that we identified as a result of the work we did.

The whole basis of a USP is that it is something that others don’t, won’t or can’t do and you can only uncover your USPs as a result of research.

Now for the ‘Tag Line’, think of this as the words that you wrap around your USPs, if, for example, you own a souvenir shop in a special location overlooking the Blue Mountains. You do the research and you find that yours is in fact the only souvenir shop that has the clear mountain and valley views, those are unique to your shop.

Now lets look at the USP associated with your research, you have amazing views and no other souvenir shop has them. Your task is to associate the views to what you sell and importantly what it is that your customer takes away with them.

Here’s one suggested Tag line for this Souvenir business:

Unmatched Views… Unmatched memories…

The USP is the location, the stunning views over the Blue Mountains, we have associated it strongly by comparison with the occasion that the customer visits the shop and makes a purchase, they actually bought a ‘memory’ of their visit to the Blue Mountains, both of which are unmatched by your competition.

That particular tag line has 4 words, that’s acceptable and it looks and sounds quite good. Another tag line that you could use has just two words and very fewer words hold more power and can be more memorable:

‘Incomparable memories’

In the image at the top of this post on my blog, Larry Nelson has done his research, he knows that people looking for his kind of services are tired of agents offering to move the world but not delivering. By default they wanted results and they did not want excuses. Larry capitalised on that knowledge very effectively.

To simply create a tag line without research and clearly identified unique aspects of your business demonstrates a shallowness and a wasted opportunity. The ‘Tag Line’ is as important to your business or marketing plan as the USPs that you uncover and can only come from them. Both will show a potential lender or investor that you have done the research and you have thought about how you can present your business to your customers on the best possible way.

There are other techniques that you can use to help create your Tag line and that will be the subject of another article.

Marketing Strategy Plan: What’s Your Unique Selling Proposition?

Every business must have a marketing strategy plan. The success of every business, whether online or offline, depends on business planning. Experts have shown that strategic planning in marketing is the key to improving efficiency and effectiveness in business. Business owners are advised to always present unique selling propositions. Deep insights in marketing are necessary for reasonable propositions.

Unique Selling Proposition and Its Benefits

A unique selling proposition (USP) can best be described as a marketing idea that differentiates one businesses product or service from its competition by way of a benefit or way of doing business. Your USP will convince the potential buyer from doing business with you because your proposition is seen as much more valuable as compared to your competition. Here are three famous USP examples:

“You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less – or it’s free.” Domino’s Pizza

“The ultimate driving machine” BMW

“The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand” M&Ms

Furthermore, a USP helps greatly in product marketing strategy. Every seller must be able to identify the company’s unique selling proposition. You do not sell what you do not know. You will be able to provide answers to any question asked by the buyer and thus convince the buyer to buy even more.

How do you know your USP?

1. Consider yourself to be a buyer.

The USP must be unique indeed. It ought to be an addition to the benefits that are obtainable in your industry. The consumer market research should be critically conducted. This will reveal the needs of the consumers and it’s the tool that will be used to uncover the USP. Having understood the needs of the consumer, the solutions to the needs are then made unique in such a way that it is completely different from those of the competitors.

2. Determine customers’ motivating buying factor.

You can get to know this by a simple questionnaire or by short interviews of your customer. Most customers will provide genuine answers as per what gives them the drive to purchase your products. This is very essential.

3. Determine reasons why consumers prefer your products and services.

The best source of getting feedback is through your customers. They provide you with the information you need to know about the reasons why your services or products are distinct and preferred to others in your industry. Some of your customers will even suggest how you can improve your services.

Ensure that your selling propositions are convincing enough to persuade customers to use your products and services. Also ensure that you retain your customers while you increase your customer database.

What’s Better For My Business, QuickBooks Online Plus Or QuickBooks Pro Using Remote Access?

The purpose of this article is to help a typical small business owner understand the differences between using the remote access capabilities with QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus. A less expensive QuickBooks Online version is also available, however that software is not considered for this analysis. I did consider a more robust version called, QuickBooks Online Plus. Before we address the differences, its first important to understand the term remote access. The term remote access has been with us for a long time and has emerged to mean, according to Wikipedia, a form of communication with a data processing facility from a remote location or facility through a data link. One of the more common methods of providing this type of remote access is using a virtual private network(VPN). The definition is further enhanced by the term remote desktop, which also according to Wikipedia refers to a software or an operating system feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features. Some allow attaching to an existing user’s session (i.e. a running desktop) and “remote controlling” it in front of the user’s eyes. Whereas, according to a Google definition, online accounting relates to accounting that can be done on the World Wide Web. I agree with both definitions, however there are important differences that an owner or accountant for a small business or even a midsize business needs to consider and they are addressed below.

Generally speaking, QuickBooks Pro with remote access gives you access to your desktop QuickBooks Pro accounting program and data while the QuickBooks Pro and data resides on your server in your office or your local hard drive. Whereas QuickBooks Online Plus is a web enabled accounting package with some advantages and some disadvantages, specifically less functionality for one of the most important parts of a business namely, no inventory capabilities. To some of you this could be important and to others not so important. Simply said, the benefits and drawbacks with a general ranking of each benefit or limitation of “online accounting” with QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro is analyzed below.

Some of the major benefits are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. No wired network required – you can connect with WIFI from anywhere in the world that has internet access and you can connect different department or offices in multiple locations.

2. Includes up to 3 simultaneous users plus your accountant. The cost to add another 25 users is a little more than $3 per month per user.

3. Offsite daily backup at Intuit servers

4. Automatic software updates and support included in cost

5. Quicker and simpler sign in – Just press your Web shortcut key

Some of the major drawbacks are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. Does not handle inventory and purchase orders, this rules out retail, manufacturing and distribution type companies

2. Lacks multi-currency functionality

3. Unable to open multiple QuickBooks windows in QuickBooks

4. No Company snapshot/dashboard in one desktop view

In summary, the importance of having simultaneous access from any location, allows employers, employees, owners, investors to collaborate, share and make informed and timely decisions because everyone gets the same information in real time, by simply using a typical web based sign-on. There is no time learning the remote access interface for sign on, for use with the remote software. Furthermore, your accountants can review your financials, journals, general ledgers, from their own office and answer your questions or even correct mistakes in real time. Further, you can easily outsource some of your accounting functions with QuickBooks Online Plus, as long as you set up a system to review the work product of the outsourced employee.

I am very impressed with the above mentioned benefits and for these reasons if there is not a need to account for inventories or multi-currencies then my inclination is for QuickBooks Online Plus to handle a typical small businesses accounting needs. A more detailed analysis of the functionality and data entry capabilities and performance processing will be the subject of another blog topic. Even if such analysis existed, I would recommend that you consult with an accounting professional who can best evaluate whether the QuickBooks Online Plus or remote access platform is best suited for your particular situation. When evaluating this software, its also important to determine how your employees will use the software in their to day to day activities and during a test period you should evaluate the speed in which the employees are able to enter the data and the computer/web processing(performance) speed of each relevant accounting process i.e. paying vendor bills, customer invoicing, record deposits, etc.

What’s in a Domain Name?

The term domain name may be unfamiliar to you, but all that it really refers to is the name or title used for your business on the internet. If you are a business owner, then you need a website. You should spend time thinking about this as it could be one of the most important things you do to promote your products or services. The right domain name is probably the most important thing in your branding/marketing plans. There’s no doubting the fact that people make judgments when they see or hear a particular name. Your job, when choosing/coming up with a domain name is to find one that specifically defines what your business/website is about in a specific way. If you want the answer to what’s in a domain name, the most important part of it is your brand. You may need professional help with this aspect of things

Research Your Market

The worst thing you can do is to come up with a domain name off the top of your head, or that you just like the sound of. If you want visitors to your website, the first thing you need to do is to research your market. Take a look at other businesses in the same line to see what they’ve chosen, then try to go one better.

Once you’ve researched a few names, go into Google keywords tool to find out the volume of searches for each of these names. Consider the median search term for a business like yours, then play around with them to see whether you can come up with something unique, but just as attractive. When you see the words or terms that people are using to find a business like yours, you are on your way to getting the right domain name.

Choose the Right Domain Name Provider

There are many domain name providers around, don’t choose the first one that you come across. Make sure that you choose a company where your domain name doesn’t need to be renewed every year or two. People have lost the right to the name if they don’t renew or re-register their domain name in the specified timeframe. Your domain name is essential to your brand and finding the right domain name provider is crucial to your online success. Make sure that you do your research and choose a name that describes your brand.

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