Visual Job

Copyright 2006 Hali Shipon

Everybody likes to receive a Snack Gift Basket. Not many years ago, it was traditional to give plants and gifts on birthdays, anniversaries and other memorable occasions. Over the past few years, the giving of Snack Gift Baskets has increased and become much appreciated, relegating the gifting of plants and flowers into the into the past. A Gift Basket will always win, no matter who is the recipient, for the simple reason that a Gift Basket is so versatile.

A time when a Snack Gift Basket would be particularly welcome is when moving home. We all are familiar with the million and one things to remember — change this, redirect that — and on top of all that, we have to remember to buy snacks. Getting a “Welcome Home” gift box on moving day is more than just a gift; it is a Godsend and guaranteed to please.

And if the person you are planning to thank is on the executive level, then how about sending an Executive Treats Gift Box? These are always much appreciated by busy execs. Some of the contents can easily be kept in the desk drawer for a quick chocolate hit just before that big meeting. This type of gift for a busy executive, who is always at his or her desk, is a truly outstanding and thoughtful choice.

You may be wondering when is the best time for sending a Snack Gift Basket. They are sent these days on almost every occasion, and to family, friends, associates, colleagues and kids. Even pampered pets benefit from special pet gift baskets containing all types of goodies.

Maybe a special person who adores coffee is celebrating something special? What better way to help them celebrate than sending a sumptuous Coffee Lovers Gift Basket? Your gift is guaranteed to be thoroughly enjoyed and much remembered. Almost any occasion can be celebrated better with a Snack Gift Basket, and your thoughtfulness will be remembered for years to come.

Now you have decided that you are going to celebrate the occasion of that someone special by sending them a gift basket, you need to check out the online gift basket providers. There are many factors to consider — timely delivery of your gift basket is paramount. If you are sending a Snack Gift Basket as a birthday gift, you want it delivered on a specific day, not three days later!

Make sure that you give your order to an online company who pride themselves on their timely delivery. Ask how the order will be delivered. By regular mail? By in-house courier? By a contracted driver? Is delivery guaranteed on the day you require? What kind of redress do you have if they fail to deliver on that day?

And if you are trying to say a very big ‘Thank You’ to someone, then what better way than having an oversize “Snack Attack” basket delivered? My grandma always said that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and my experience is that these are words of wisdom. It is hard to imagine anyone who would not like to receive a Snack Gift Basket. It is the most versatile gift, and will be enjoyed by everyone.

Hali Shipon is President of MissGift an online resource for unique and gourmet gift baskets for every occasion. To shop this wide array of gifts visit: www.missgift.com

Our country has experienced a severe crisis with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. CNN and the other networks are doing an excellent job at showing Americans what is happening to our neighbors in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Our TV screens are filled with people who are desperate to be rescued, desperate for food and water, and desperate to find their loved ones. Their lives have been reduced to the clothes that they have on their back and as they walk around in shock, they know they have no where to go.

After going through the shock of being in NYC at the time of 9/11, I know that these people are in survival mode. They’re unable to feel anything at this moment. All they can think about right now is how to survive moment by moment. They’re not thinking about their bills that they have to pay, or the things that they lost. They are thinking about keeping their families safe and how to get to somewhere that has the basic amenities.

What is so inspiring to me are the many, many people in our country who are stepping up to the plate to help. School children, churches, organizations and even Mary Kay reps are rallying the support of the people they know to collect money, food and items to help the people who lost everything. These are the heroes that are going to lead our country back to its greatness. These are the people that we can get behind and support.

During the aftermath of 9/11, one of my good friends Katherine went to ground zero and volunteered her services. Before she knew it, she was organizing the food for all of the rescue workers who were working for months. Katherine worked far into the night, for no money and no rewards other than it was her civic duty to help these people. She organized the food and distributed the food. She worked among the dust and the ruins and she got others to join her in her effort. That shows leadership and charisma in desperate times.

The other day, another good friend of mine in Charlotte, NC, Shari sat by the TV like most of us and felt humbled by what she saw. She didn’t know how she could help, but from the deepest pit of her soul, knew that she had to help those who have been devastated by this hurricane. Her idea lit her up and she has now spread it across the nation. She’s inspiring Mary Kay Reps to contact every single client that they have to sell products with the intention that the income that is derived from it will go to the victims. She has 138 women in her direct unit and if each of them sell to 10 people and make $250 apiece to donate, then her unit can send approx: $25,000 to the Red Cross. www.marykay.com/sbraendel

THAT is taking immediate action. THAT is showing leadership. And THAT is someone who is charismatic and getting others to help NOW.

We can all gain insight from these women and thousands of others who are stepping up to the plate to offer assistance in the form of money, time, ideas and supplies. The call now is to each of us: “what can WE do to help?” Can we offer a home? Can we offer supplies? Can we offer money? Can we offer time? Can we pray for the survivors?

There is no doubt that our country has been blessed for years and years. We have our basic needs met on a daily basis and many of us live with luxuries that we now take for granted. We’ve been able to help many countries who are less fortunate than us. Much of that has been done by the politicians and the entertainers who have been so gracious to raise money.

But now the crisis is once again hitting us at home. We’re seeing the every day heroes emerge and encourage all of us to lend a helping hand. Lets support their leadership and support our neighbors and show the world, why this country is so great. We can’t be defeated and we won’t be defeated. We’ll rise up, and do what we have to do. The ones of us who are strong will lead the others to safety. No matter how desperate we get. We will still have great people who will help the weakened. It’s the great people of our country that will survive. We may not have our land, but we have the people and that is what makes up the U.S. We are still the United States of America, the greatest country in the world.

Contact Mary at mary@marygardner.com or web: www.marygardner.com

Mary Gardner, The Charisma Coach! is an Executive Communications Consultant and Trainer. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She owned and operated one of the first coaching institutions on the east coast, CCI, in NYC, Philly and NJ. Mary has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 and has self published a book on public speaking. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5, and lives in Orlando, FL.

Paid Survey FAQ

A paid survey is a form of research conducted by a market research firm in order to gather information about a specific product or information. Market research companies pay everyday people small sums of money for their participation in a paid survey.

Lately several websites have been popping claiming to pay up to $250 an hour for each paid survey. Advertisements like this mislead people into believing that paid surveys are a way to get rich. The truth is, you can make good money taking paid surveys online. But you will only be paid an average of about $5 per paid survey.

Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the paid survey opportunity.

Are Paid Survey Sites Scams?
Yes and no. There are several paid survey sites that scam people into paying a fee to join their paid survey site. For the most part, these are a waste of money. Those are the sites that claim you can make hundreds for taking a paid survey. Those types of paid survey sites do not actually send paid surveys. They are just a list of companies you can join that do offer paid surveys.

But there are actually hundreds of sites that will pay you to participate in a paid survey. There are also several free paid survey directories that give you the same information as a paid membership site. There is no good reason to join a paid membership site to take paid surveys online.

Which company sends the most paid surveys
That is hard to answer. When you join a paid survey site you will usually be asked to provide some personal information about yourself. They may ask you questions about your age, race, income, marital status, etc. This is so that when a company wants to survey a particular group of people, for example women between the age of 18 and 24 who own a pet, the paid survey company can send the survey out to that group. So there is really no way of knowing who will be needed most.

There are some major companies that seem to partner with alot of market research companies actually do send alot more paid survey opportunities than others. From my personal experience I would have to say that the following companies send the most surveys in general:
NFO My Survey
Global Test Market
GoZing Surveys
Opinion Outpost
Survey Savvy
Survey Spot
Test Spin
ECN Research
American Consumer Opinion

How can I tell the difference between a legit paid survey and a paid survey scam
If a paid survey offers to pay you hundreds of dollars per paid survey that is a good indication that it is a scam. Also if you see something like “Take this paid survey a get a free laptop” you can be pretty sure this is a scam. A real paid survey will not try to get you to buy anything or sign up for any other offers. A legitimate paid survey will usually tell you the amount it is paying and the time it should take to complete the survey. Alot of paid survey companies use a “points” system. In a system like this you are paid a certain amount of points for each paid survey you complete. When you get to certain amount of points you can redeem them for a check. NFO My Survey and Global Test Market use this method of payment. If a paid survey application asks you to join other companies or asks if you would like to receive information from other advertisers you can usually be sure that is a scam also.

There is a list of several legitimate paid survey sites listed in the resource box at the end of this article.
Who is eligible to take paid surveys
Just about anyone. As long as you are over 13 years old. Some paid survey companies will only accept people from certain countries. Others paid survey companies have world wide members.

Christopher Price has participated in hundreds of paid survey panels. Plus several online focus groups, mystery shops, and product tests. He currently runs one of the most respected free paid survey databases online, wahmservice.com.

Other Paid Survey Resources:
Paid Survey
Free Paid Survey Database