Quast

The big kick-off is upon us again and those experts in the know from the world of TV and press have been busy telling us how it all ends, even before it has begun! As usual fixed odds in focus have joined in via their e-zine service Tipped at the Post.

In the Premiership, although Liverpool have spent big, they are not quite there yet and consequently are likely to fall short of Man Utd and Chelsea again. The Blues will be keen to regain their crown, but United still appear to have the edge. Arsenal are perhaps, one season away from being genuine challengers again; however, in Van Persie they do have a player capable giving the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Gerrard and Drogba a run for their money, with regards to player of the season. Spurs are getting closer to the big 4, but they are still not close enough and are more likely to be battling for the UEFA spots with Portsmouth, Villa, West Ham and Newcastle.

The likes of Reading, Everton, Sunderland and maybe surprisingly Derby can all make mid-table finishes. Most people will have the Rams as certainties to make an instant return to the Championship, but in Billy Davies they have a talented manager capable of keeping their heads above water. At the bottom Blackburn and Man City can stay out of trouble - just; with the rest in a real battle. Wigan have signed a lot of players, but too many of them have a lot to prove and Middlesbrough - with some un-inspiring signings - could join them in the bottom two. Of the remaining 3 teams, Bolton might struggle to cope post Allardyce and slip out at the death, leaving Birmingham and Fulham breathing huge sighs of relief.

Charlton, with a good manager and plenty of cash, are more than capable of jumping straight back up from the Championship and taking Wolves along with them. Last season will have been a good experience for the black country outfit. Sheff U have an impressive forward line, but defence is a worry and the play-off's look a more likely option together with Watford, Cardiff and one from Norwich, Coventry and Southampton. West Brom may well suffer a Wembley hang over and just miss out. Mid-table is probably the best Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and Palace; with Leicester, Hull and QPR improving on last term, but not significantly. Colchester did remarkably well in their first year up, but are likely to find it a great deal tougher second time around and Preston are likely to suffer from the loss of David Nugent. Bristol City and Blackpool are more than capable of consolidating, but the others look vulnerable. Barnsley can just about survive, likewise Plymouth; leaving Stoke Burnley and Scunthorpe fighting the drop.

In League One, Forest are everybodys tip for promotion, but they look destined to miss out again. They have brought in Neil Lennon, but its a very tough division and you have to wonder about his legs. Tipped at the Post's two for automatic promotion are Doncaster and Millwall. The Yorkshire club are very ambitious and James Hayter is a cracking signing at that level. The Lions young side finished well and Willie Donachie will have them spot on. Huddersfield, Oldham and Luton are taken to fill the play-off places with Forest; just ahead of Carlisle, Swansea, Yeovil and Southend. Bristol Rovers can have a brighter season than many are suggesting, as can Hartlepool and Walsall, all 3 coming up together. Brighton, Tranmere, Crewe and Port Vale seem set for pretty uninspiring seasons; and Gillingham and Leyton Orient look certain to be bottom half material. Leeds need some luck with their appeal against the 15 point penalty, otherwise they could slip straight through. Swindon can stay up at their expense, but Bournemouth, Northampton and Cheltenham look to have it all on to avoid the drop.

In League Two Paul Ince can get one over Fergie - Darren that is! MKD can just pip Peterborough at the top, with Shrewsbury joining them. Notts County, Darlington and Rotherham are taken to make the play-off's along with surprise packages Bury. Chesterfield, Bradford and Rochdale should all go close; with Hereford, Wycombe and Mansfield not too far behind. Lincoln have probably missed their chances over the past 5 years and Terry Butcher will not find life easy at Brentford. The two newcomers can hold their own, but the rest might struggle with Chester and Accrington Stanley making way for the return of Torquay and Oxford, who are taken to make their League comebacks.

Mick Burrows writes for http://www.fixed-odds-in-focus.com

Don't be at odds with yourself by missing out on the best prices check here for all you need to know!

A few decades ago it was easy to spot an import car. They were small, mostly 4- cylinder econo-boxes that were made in Japan or Germany. However, over the last 2 decades, more and more foreign manufacturers have built plants here in North America. Honda built the first Japanese manufacturing facility in Ohio in 1979. Today, Honda builds the Accord, Civic, Odyssey, and Acura MDX in plants in Canada and The United States. Toyota builds the Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Solara, Tacoma, Tundra, Matrix, Sienna, and Lexus RX350 in plants across Canada and the United States as well. Nissan builds virtually all of their vehicles in The United States including the Maxima, Altima, Titan, Armada, Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra. Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz also build cars throughout The United States. So do you still label a car an import if it's made in your own country? Are the Crown Victoria and Chevrolet Impala imports because they're made in Canada? What about the new Ford Fusion? Is that an import car? It's made in Mexico.

Okay, perhaps an import is a vehicle that is designed somewhere else regardless of where it is built. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru and others have Research & Development centers in the United States (mostly in California). Many also have design studios there as well. So can a car still be labeled an import if it's designed and built and sold in The United States? The reality is that there are no longer imports and domestics. Ford builds cars in Europe, Asia and North America. As does General Motors. What about Chrysler? Is it still a domestic? Daimler-Benz (a German company) owns it. Is Bentley an English car company? Volkswagen AG owns it and most of the major components come from Audi. BMW owns Rolls Royce and the quintessential English car, the MINI. I wonder if people in England think of those cars as imports or domestics?

Unions here in North America want consumers to "buy American". At the Detroit auto show in January the UAW handed out bags at the Ford booth that said "Buy American" in big letters. Needless to say, it caused confusion, as I didn't know if they meant buy the Toyota Camry that is built in Kentucky or the Ford Fusion that is built in Mexico, or the Dodge Charger that is built in Canada and uses many components from the previous generation Mercedes E-Class.

Let's face it. Consumers should pick a car based on what's best, not on the location of a company's mailbox.

Peter Johnson is the chief writer for http://www.all-about-car-selection.com

Background
Are you a minority or woman business owner? Have you considered applying for SBA status to allow you to access millions of contract dollars with the federal government? Wonder if your business qualifies to become 8(a) certified?
Here is what the Small Business Administration (SBA) has to say...
Who is considered socially disadvantaged?
According to the SBA Web site: http://www.sba.gov/8abd/indexfaqs.html

Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as members of a group. Social disadvantage must stem from circumstances beyond their control."

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, individuals who are members of the following designated groups are presumed to be socially disadvantaged:
Black Americans
Hispanic Americans
Native Americans (American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Native Hawaiians)
Asian Pacific Americans
Members of other groups designated by the SBA. (this includes Caucasian women)

What evidence must an individual who is not a designated group member provide to show social disadvantage?
At least one objective distinguishing feature that has contributed to social disadvantage, such as race, ethnic origin, gender, physical handicap, long-term residence in an environment isolated from the mainstream of American society, or other similar causes not common to individuals who are not socially disadvantaged" - SBA Web site

What types of evidence can be used to assist in meeting the burden of proof?
Evidence which tends to show generalized patterns of discrimination against a non-designated group or statistical data showing that businesses owned by a specific non-designated group are disproportionately underrepresented in a particular industry may be used to augment an individual's case. Statistics and generalized patterns are not sufficient by themselves to establish a case of individual social disadvantage. However, an individual's statement of personal experiences in combination with the generalized evidence may be sufficient to demonstrate social disadvantage. SBA Web site

Why is this important? Because, Y-O-U can write your own social narrative!

Now that you know the fundamentals, it is time to focus on applying online for SBA 8(a) status AND writing your social narrative.

Is it intimidating? YES, but you can successfully apply for SBA 8(a) status WITHOUT PAYING SOMEONE ELSE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, it is NOT that difficult. I did it, so can you!

Beginning with an extensive Internet research, I located several companies that would help me prepare the whole packet (which I didnt need the whole service) or the narrative but, the prices were outrageous! My budget would not justify hiring these consultants for hundreds or thousands of dollars. After recovering from sticker shock, I was even more determined to complete this application process and social narrative ON MY OWN as a personal challenge.

I invested over 80 hours of in-depth personal research, calling the SBA office in D.C., interviewing recent 8a designees and compiling a list of criteria to include in my own social narrative. Coming from a project management background, I kept notes on all of the processes, resources and tips. After organizing my materials, I completed the SBA application online and then produced a seven page narrative, submitted electronically to the SBA. In about a week, my company received 8a status.

There are three areas the SBA wants to see evidence of discrimination: education, employment and business work history. You can put together a compelling argument for your cause, just like I did, by focusing on four areas in your life. They are:

Family Background / Influence: It is relevant to start your narrative with a background history of your family and its influence upon your education, career and business endeavors. Describe the influence your family exerted on your career decisions. What were you expected to do with your life / career? What types of careers did your parents, siblings, grandparents or extended family members pursue? How did this differ from what you wanted to achieve later in life?

Educational Background / Opportunities: Educational experiences directly influence your ability to make career choices. Describe your educational background. Did you complete high school? Do you have a college degree? Where did you attend school? How long did it take you to complete your education?

Career Experience / Earning capacity: Career experiences directly influence your earning capacity and overall quality of life. Can you give an example of when you were subjected to harassment in your work environment that had a dramatic negative affect on your overall job performance?

Business History / Your experience as a small business owner since applying for and receiving SBA 8a status can be a great boost to your companys income.

Here are the two key points to remember as you prepare the narrative:

1. Think of this as a writing exercise: Plan on spending at least 3-4 hours writing, editing and preparing the final narrative. This is just a paper, dont stress!

2. Put on your Whiner Cap: This is the one time that it is OK to be a whiner. I know that this goes against all that you have taught, but in this case, to be a winner, you must be a whiner. You have permission to whine and write about it.

And finally.... be sure to add some quotes to your narrative. One way to add credibility to your narrative is to use quotes from studies what support your claims. The Internet is full of quotes that relate directly to your personal situation. I used eight quotes in my seven page narrative.

The best way to find quotes is to do a Google search www.google.com on key words that you want to emphasize in your narrative. For example I used the following descriptors:
women salaries
women education
Texas women careers

I hope this article has inspired to apply for and begin writing your SBA 8(a) social narrative. If you need additional help, please refer to the Design2Train website: www.design2train.com/sba8a/index.html

Design2Train, a SBA 8a certified company, was founded by Karen Miller in 2001. Karen is an award-winning instructional designer with over 20+ years of training development experience. Her clients include motivated entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Design2Train specializes in creating "training at the speed of business". Visit our website: http://www.design2train.com