Blue Opal as investment opal

Black opal mined from Lightning Ridge has always had good reputation for blue opals on black
These opals in the 1980s were common in the Cochran opal fields at Lightning Ridge and these were Nobby opals not seam opal, that is the opal was formed naturally in rock with black potch on top and bottom.
The seam opal has lighter black back and sometimes with grey or sandy potch on top
So black opal nobbies are best investment opal as from 1990s production of black nobbies has dramatically decreased and only seam opal is found today
So all the buyers of black opal with blue colour have made good investment and enjoyed their opal
Some blue opal from Lightning Ridge has magic electric blue fire and flash and also some best natural patterns of opals are in blue colour, from broad flash to block pattern and they are very attractive in white gold ring
These days white gold jewellery is very popular and some crystal opals do not suit white gold jewellery but black opals blue colour are stunning, even set with diamonds they look so attractive to the eye

Black opal has promoted red fire opal as the best opal for investment.
Rating colour of black opals are as follows
Red
Orange
Green
Blue
But Blue opal has been under valued as investment opal, black opal with red fire has increased in value 50% per year over last 10 years. Black opal with cabochon and good flash has doubled that figure to make it the best investment colour if you had purchased blue fire opal 10 years ago

Also when purchasing opal over the internet always ask seller if opal is as bright as picture, so good idea to ask for picture of hand holding the opal as the picture cant be enhanced  as the colour of skin looks different ,either greyish or pinkish looking means the picture has been enhanced
Opal is also rated in accordance to brightness 1 dullest 5 brightest
Body tone which is how the opal is visual is also measured from N 1as blackest to N9 as lightest opal
Also check with seller that the bottom of opal is clean ,that’s is all natural potch ,black preferred to grey or if potch/sand is evident on bottom
Lastly the more cabochon the opal also the more valuable ,so flat opals are generally less expensive than well domed opals
Opals that are domed reflect light better and rolling flash pattern is very popular as shows colour from all angles
Enjoy your own Blue Opal!

How To Manage Time

I have been a manager for a social service agency for several years. The people that I manage are under a great deal of stress due to the clients that they serve as well as the paper work that is required of them. The greatest skill that the best workers have is how to manage time wisely. This skill of time management is difficult to teach and is often met with resistance.

Many workers feel when the subject of how to manage time is brought up, they are going to be criticized for the way they are presently doing things. So often a few changes in the order in which a task is done can save time and effort, but this often means changing a habit. I have found that how to manage time needs to be presented in a manner that will not create defensiveness. One of the tools that I have used is developing a checklist for the staff members to follow. Most people like being able to check off tasks that they have completed. By placing the tasks in the most logical order, staff may change the way in which they do things and will learn how to manage time more effectively without becoming defensive.

Another way I have helped others with time management is to model how to manage time myself. I post my schedule outside my office door daily, and try to keep on the schedule. I make a habit of including as many tasks as possible on my schedule so that I can get the most work done as possible. I have found that by scheduling the little things that only take a few minutes I get more done. If I only write down the major time commitments of a day I tend to get behind because I am not allowing for the day to day tasks that need to be performed and that do require time, even if it is a short period. I always include periods of time in the morning and afternoon that are available for staff to spend time with me asking questions or discussing issues. I have always had an open door policy with my staff, but now that I set a side specific time each day the time is used much more efficiently. I am not interrupted as often and the staff members are more prepared when they come to spend time with me because they can see the amount of time I have available. By modeling how to manage time the staff members are becoming more efficient workers. I am also a better and more effective manager.

How To Improve Communication Skills

In community college, one of the best courses I took (which was a requisite, actually) was on how to improve communication skills. The teacher was a trip, and was equally adept at making the class interesting and engaging as well as informative. I still recall the tools and techniques often. In fact, just the other day I was discussing the practice of clear communication whereby one person (a.k.a. the speaker) sends information, the receiver (or listener) takes in the information and then reiterates in his/her own words, and the sender confirms that the listener received it the way it was intended.

I wont get into the metaphysics of how words/language can be misinterpreted, unheard, neglected, abused, etc., but will instead stick with the basics for how to improve communication skills as I learned them and as I try to practice them. And I will share what I remember for those who wish to speak in public, not for those in an interpersonal relationship or what have you・

First, acknowledge that public speaking sucks for most human beings. [One comicer maybe it was an adaid that if the number one fear is speaking in public and the number two fear is death, does that mean people would rather die than talk aloud to a crowd? :-)] Anyway, this is what I do: I think of the material/topic I will be speaking on; I realize how much I love the subject; and I focus on my love for the subject. I trick myself, that is, into shifting my focus from how I will speak to what I will speak on・orgetting all about being afraid! [Screw that imagine the audience in their underwear・thing. I am not sure that works anymore.]

Next, stand tall, and speak out. If you speak out over the heads of the audience, you should get a good thing going with the acoustics in the room. I know you need to look down at your notes, but since we all understand that notes are involved, there is no need to try to hide the notes・o how about holding them in your hand at chest level when you refer to them? Screw the podium unless you are nervous. If you are, the thing blocking you will relieve nerves a bit. If it doesnt refer back to the first suggestion for how to improve communication skills.

And finally, take ownership. Just as you will stand proud and just as you will feel the love, so shall you learn how to improve communication skills by owning that stage, pulpit, podium space, or head of the table area in the conference room. Look at the listeners. Imagine you have knowledge of something they know much less about and therefore they NEED you to be good, kind, and direct.

And, for Gods sake and your audiencee interesting. If you arent a typically funny person, smile. Studies show a smiling presenter gets more positive evaluation anyway. Move about. Change your tone. Try it. Try yammering away to a crowd, then suddenly dropping into a whisper. Check out how many will perk up all of a sudden.

You are in control. Take it and respect it!

Office Space To Rent

When starting a business, one of the most important decisions you will make is deciding what kind of office space to rent. At the beginning it may be fine to work out of your own home, but once your business begins to take off, it is more professional to have a formal office space.

The most obvious first step is contacting a realtor to help you find the appropriate office space to rent for your business. The realtor will narrow down the selection for you by offering advice based on your geographical preferences, space requirements and how much money you want to spend. Once youve discussed your options, the realtor will then show you several office places that fall within your specified criteria. You must remember that during this important process that you have the final say about the property that would best suit your business needs. If the realtor tries to push you into an office space to rent that is not suitable to you or your business, you can choose to work with another realtor who will be more respectful of your time and opinion.

Another important consideration when choosing an office space to rent is how much money you are willing to spend on the monthly rent, how long your lease will be, and what kind of location you are looking for. In general, renting office space in a prime location such as on a main road will be considerably more expensive than an office that is off the beaten path. If you have a strong customer base, and do not need the publicity that a main road would offer, you are better off choosing an office space to rent that is less geographically desirable and therefore cheaper to rent. Alternately, if you rely on customers driving by and seeing your business as a way to attract more customers, your money will be better spent on an office space with plenty of main roadway exposure.

Finally, if your business is still young, you may not be able to accurately determine its growth over the next few years. This is why it is important to find an office space to rent that has a flexible lease. If you could potentially outgrow the space over the course of a year, it makes no sense to be stuck in a five year lease. Again, the cost of the rent may be more reasonable with a longer lease, but the effect this could have on your business could be detrimental in the long run.

Office Supply Store

Looking for office supplies, office furniture, or school supplies? Your local office supply store carries most anything you would need for school, home office, or business, from mechanical pencils and binders, to promotional items, computers, and fax machines. Personalized items such as business cards, invoices, envelopes, shipping labels, ink stamps, pens, and signage are also available at most office supply stores. Items such as ink stamps can be made while you shop and are usually ready in just a few minutes. This will give you a few extra minutes to try out that cushy leather chair for the office or an organizational system for all your personal and business files. Office supply stores also carry fun accents for your office including crazy clocks, picture frames, desk calendars, and other must haves like goofy looking stress balls.

When shopping for school supplies, office supply stores have the best selection. This is also a better alternative than fighting the crowds in the aisle at Wal-Mart or Target only to find that everything has been picked over and you have to go to another store anyway. Local office supply stores usually post the school supply lists for each school too, so if you forget it there will be one there waiting for you. Some office supply stores will also keep track of what school the student attends, and contribute a portion of student purchases to their school during back to School・promotions. Online office supply stores are another option; just sit down with your list and shop at your convenience, no matter what the time of day. There are also quite a few discount sites that carry an abundance of office basics for less, like printer paper, pens, and calculator tape.

Office supply stores are everywhere now. Why would anyone want to shop for office supplies anywhere else? Lots of people now have personal computers in their homes, and in many cases, have more than one, and they need all the accessories too. Individuals, families, and businesses all have a need for the things that will make their office function more efficiently, or make those complicated projects easier to tackle. Office supply stores have just about anything one would need or want to make their home office their own. If you have the right supplies, you can do almost anything, all projects big or small with great ease. After all, we do live in the twenty-first century now; no more ink wells, fountain pens, and parchment paper!

Start Your Own Business

Do you ever get sick and tired of your boss? Maybe the company you work for irks you in ways beyond the imagination. Did they give you that much-deserved raise this year? You just hope they don't decide to downsize again before Christmas. If this routine sounds all too familiar, you may want to consider a different route to employment. Big companies aren't the be-all end-all these days. Things have changed over the past decade. In more recent times it has become more and more feasible to start your own business. Have you ever considered such a career move? Oh come on, I bet it's lurking in the back of your head. We all ponder such actions. I understand this kind of change can be scary, but isn't the possibility of being let go at any time just as frightening?

A number of individuals prefer to start their own business now days. I believe it's the freedom of it all. Let's face it, when you start your own business, you are the boss. We all want to be our own boss. This is plain and simple human nature. No one likes to be told what to do! However, when you start your own business, it's not solely about being in charge of your work hours and duties; it actually has a lot to do with your income. We all know that when you work for a large company, you inevitably become a cog in the machine. And no one likes to be thought of as a mere cog. This means your boss is making a killing, while you survive on crumbs. That's no way to live. Maybe it's time to start your own business. If the concept sounds a tad iffy, then maybe you should get started slowly. You can keep your current career, and edge into your personal business gradually. Once it's up and roaring, you can say bye bye to "the man." Believe it or not, people do this all the time.

If you are in search of ideas in order to start your own business, you may want to resort to the World-Wide-Web. There is an abundance of free data online that can inform and assist you. What are you striving to sell or produce? The Internet is certainly a great tool to market your skills and products. Think of the business you can achieve when you appeal to the entire planet. So if you are looking to start your own business soon, then it's time to get the lowdown. Get online today and take life by the horns. Become your own boss.

Make Business Cards

My husband is a graphic designer and one of the most common requests he receives is for him to make business cards. He was recently asked to make business cards for a local builder. He designed some really nice cards that looked similar to a playing card, since the company name is John-of-all-Trades. One side featured a jack character holding a variety of tools. The reverse of the card has the contact information. The corners of the card are cut on a squared-off angle to mimic the look of a playing card and the card stock is of the same weight and texture as well.

Another friend of ours asked my husband to make business cards for her. She wanted to use these cards for networking and for personal purposes. He designed some really cool cards featuring a diva-type character in hot pink and purple. Our friend was so happy with the result and pleased that she decided to have him make business cards for her, that she recommended him to others as well.

In the past my husband was asked to make business cards for a local musician. He took a photo of her face and converted it to a line drawing. Then he colored it in a shade of lavender and ran the face along the side of the card. The results were very artsy and proved to be a great success. The musician was very pleased with the results and happy that she'd asked him to make business cards for her, as well.

My husband runs a small, part-time, home-based graphic design business. He recently decided to make business cards for his own business. He took photos of the surface of a tambourine and zoomed in on the grain. He used this texture as a background for the card. The results were beautiful.

There are machines that you can find located throughout malls that will make business cards for a fee. However, the results are very plain, boring and unprofessional. If business cards are needed, it's highly advised that you go to a professional to make business cards for you. You have much more control over the process and you have a much better chance of being pleased with the results. So too, it's not recommended that you try to make business cards for yourself, unless you have professional graphic design training. Business cards speak for your company when you aren't there, and represent the image that you want to project. If your business cards lack professionalism or breaks the rules of design, this will be noticed and will not project a profession image or garner respect. You are much better off paying a small fee to a professional graphic designer and having them make business cards for you.

Insurance For Self Employed

Are you thinking about sticking it to the man・and leaving corporate America for the freedom of your own business? Self employment is a popular choice and if you have a good business plan your business can thrive.

However, insurance for self employed individuals is something to consider. Depending on the type of business you own, you might be required by law to buy certain types of insurance. Other types of insurance for self employed workers might not be required but are still a good idea and worth the cost.

Deciding on the right plan can be overwhelming. This is especially true if youve never had to deal with the intricacies of insurance before. Its not that complicated once you understand the basic policies and what they each cover.

The first place to look when considering purchasing this type of insurance is actually the Internet. Not only will you find many companies all wanting to sell you insurance for self employed people but youll also have an incredible amount of research information at your disposal.

One of the most important considerations when you are thinking about this is whether or not you will eventually hire employees. If you are currently a one man or one woman show, so to speak, your primary concern will be insurance for self employed individuals that covers things like medical and accidents.

If you expand and decide that you need extra hands, youll be faced with another decision. Most employees demand some sort of insurance coverage and for the person who is running their own small business, the costs might not always be feasible.

Therefore its often a good idea to hire others under a work for hire arrangement where you specify in writing that you wont・be providing insurance coverage to them. They may balk at this but its your business and if you dont want to carry that extra cost, you shouldnt. You will already be responsible for the premiums on your insurance for self employed individuals to cover yourself.

Once youve researched all of the various types of insurance available call your local insurance agent. Ask him or her if they are educated in insurance for self employed people. If they are, make an appointment with them to discuss the coverage that you feel you need. Listen to their input and then make an informed decision about what you need and what will most adequately cover yourself and your family.

Unfortunately whether its car, home or medical, insurance is a necessity and important. When you are considering insurance for self employed people have all the information you can available to you so you know exactly what is and isnt covered.

How To Start A Small Business

Are you happy with your current job? I ask this question because so many individuals are not. In fact, folks all around the world would certainly quit their job if they could. This is a prime reason why it's important to do what you love. If you aren't, you surely won't be a happy camper. In fact, you could be wasting your life. Now if I remember right, we only get one of these. Shouldn't you spend it doing something you enjoy? Maybe it's time to flip that oppressive boss-man the bird and learn how to start a small business on your own. Okay, well you may not want to be that drastic. However, there's nothing wrong with brainstorming and getting a little something going on the side that could eventually turn a great enough profit to replace your current income. It's certainly feasible these days. Take a look around. Folks just like you do this all the time. They want to live their life to the fullest and so should you. So, do you want to know how to start a small business or not?

In this day and age many people are learning more and more about how to start a small business for themselves, or their family. This is a prudent choice if you ask me. Not to diss the big companies and corporations, but they tend to toss the little guys aside on a whim. Maybe they need to make a few budget cuts. Suddenly they're treating you like you're simply expendable or insignificant. Don't they realize that you have a family to support as well? Don't they care? The sad reality is that many of these business moguls and CEOs don't really care. They're too concerned with what's coming out of they're pocket to even consider your well-being. So are you syked to get online now and learn how to start a small business of your own? The World-Wide-Web is without a doubt a wonderful place to start. You can easily acquire useful pointers and tips informing you how to start a small business and do it wisely. The last thing you need is a humungous debt hanging over your head. The key is to start small. Only do what you can handle. You're not looking to gamble away your livelihood, but merely get started earning capital on your own. You want to be your own boss, and collect the big bucks. No more of that "cog in the machine" garbage. You are the machine. Better yet, you own the dang machine. With the world at your fingertips, you can truly make it happen. If you are learning how to start a small business, make sure to consider the profit you could earn from marketing online. There are infinite customers out there.

Human Resources Companies

There are many human resources companies offering their services. Some specialize in assisting companies to find the best employees, that are most suited to each individual organization and job description. Others take it from the other angle and assist individuals to team up with most suitable employers. Still others offer recruitment advertising services, handling the entire recruitment process from writing up job descriptions, to posting job ads, to receiving resumes, interviewing and hiring the best employees for the posted positions. These human resources companies sometimes work on a retainer basis, while other times they work on a hiring-to-hiring basis. Some discounts may be offered for repeat business, and guarantees are generally in place ensuring that businesses using the services of these human resources companies actually get what they are paying for.

Companies that specialize in recruitment advertising sometimes focus their business on just the advertising itself. They generally offer services including copy writing, advertisement design and ad placement, as well as media planning, holding job fairs and creating collateral materials. Organizations that usually opt to use the services of one of this type of human resources companies include nationwide banking institutions, colleges and universities and hospitals, whose recruitment needs are ongoing and often involve mass hirings.

Still other human resources companies specialize in resume writing and career workshops, assisting job seekers in finding the best ways of marketing themselves, and thereby better positioning themselves as employees-of-choice in their communities.

The services of these human resources companies can make all the difference in the recruitment process, both for employers and jobseekers alike. Their services may seem expensive at first, but the value they can offer goes a long way in making this investment worthwhile. A lot of time can be wasted and many wild goose chases can be embarked upon without the expertise and direction of a human resources companies. If an organization lacks an in-house human resources team, then they are well advised to spend the extra money and turn the recruitment process over to the professionals, who often guarantee long-term results.

Job seekers may balk at paying for assistance with reworking their resumes. However, this is generally a nominal fee and by accepting professional resume writing assistance individuals can benefit by increasing their earning power exponentially and ensure a good fit with an employer that best suits their skill set and career goals.

So too, employers who avail themselves of these services are making a valuable investment in their employees, resulting in profit down the road.