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How Can Internet Advertising Help Your Business?

How Can Internet Advertising Help Your Business?

Internet advertising is one of the newest ways of getting exposure and brand recognition for your business, however many small and mid-size businesses do not take full advantage of all of the marketing opportunities it has.  Internet advertising opens the door to endless sources of clients and other businesses, as almost everyone is currently connected in one way or the other.  Below are some tips for using internet advertising to your advantage. 


How to use Internet Advertising for your business


1. Evaluate how your business can benefit from Internet Advertising
Internet advertising is a broad term for numerous types of marketing strategies using the internet.  The following are some examples of internet advertising that your business should consider:
A. Blogs – Blogs are a great method for garnering attention for your business.  A blog is a journal that your business can keep with different entries that relate to your consumer needs.  While blogs are cheap and relatively easy ways of reaching consumers, you will need to battle with many other blogs that exist.  In order to set yourself a part, you need interesting information that engages the reader and has information found nowhere else. 
B. Social Networking – In recent years, social networking has exploded across the internet, as people spend much of their time conversing with friends, family, while posting pictures and commenting.  Facebook has become the go to social networking site, and your business should have a presence by either a facebook profile or fan page.  Social networking is again a cheap and relatively easy method of internet advertising, however you will be competing with many other pages and profiles, so you will need interesting and engaging content.   
C. E-Mail Marketing – One method that is often used is the sending of mass emails, either describing your company or providing informational texts that involve your business.  E-mail marketing must be approached with caution, as you run the risk of being considered spam, which will reflect negatively on your image with consumers.  Instead, you must send e-mails only with important updates and interesting new content.  


2. Consider your budget
Budgeting is a crucial elements when coming up with a marketing plan using internet marketing.  The internet provides advertising that range from the very cheap to the very expensive.  While advertising by using emails and other basic forms of communication can be very cheap, they often are not as effective as the much more expensive methods.  Professional companies can build your website and provide services to help your business’ website generate traffic.   
Revenue can be generated from internet advertising, but it may not be noticeable at first and take some time.  Blogs, facebook pages, and e-mails all take time to build followers and readership. You must slowly develop your internet presence before having any noticeable affects on your business.  However, you will more clients will come to you seeking your service who have been exposed to your internet marketing.  

3. Put your Internet Advertising plan into effect

Internet advertising works best when you have multiple types of advertising working together in conjunction with one another.  Articles sent through email should be linked to your website, your website should be linked on other websites, and all of these should be search-able on search engines such as Google and Bing.  A facebook profile can link to blogs and written content generated by you and your business.  All of these advertising methods need to be put in place to work together in order to maximize the effectiveness of internet marketing.  

4. Evaluate how your Internet Advertising plan is working
Once you have your internet advertising plan up and running, you must constantly monitor how well they are working.  The internet can be a fickle medium to garner attention, so you must constantly check how many clients are being reached, how engaged they are in your advertising materials, and whether you should change your strategy.  Consulting outside firms is often the best method for determine how helpful your internet advertising is for your business.  

Internet Advertising compared to regular advertising
Regular advertising and internet advertising can always be used together to full expose your company to as many clients as possible, however you need to understand the benefits and limitations of each.  Internet advertising will usually be significantly cheaper and more diverse, in that you can reach many people with just simple blogging posts or facebook updates.  However, with this simplicity comes the fact that you will be up against thousands of other advertisements and content all vying for your consumers attention.
Regular advertising can be more expensive, more time consuming, and can challenge you to be creative.  However, regular advertising, when done properly, can expose your company to more consumers, especially older ones who do not use the internet as much as the younger generation.  Regular advertising can include sending mailers, taking ads out in publications, or other media outlets.  


Legal Issues with Internet Marketing
While most internet marketing is simple and is not affected by regulation, you must be aware of illegitimate forms.  Spamming and spy ware are used by some groups in order to send mass emails and reach many more consumers than they should be reaching.  Such methods are often illegal and you business can face sanctions if caught up with such internet marketing plans.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact a legal professional who has experience with advertising laws and internet regulation.  

List of Celebrity Branded Fragrances

List of Celebrity Branded Fragrances

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Actresses

The most successful fragrances branded by a celebrity are those of Elizabeth Taylor as she collaborated with Elizabeth Arden.  The duo released 12 of the most successful celebrity fragrances between 1988 and 2010, and some of these fragrances include Passion, White Diamonds, Black Pearls, Gardenia, and Violet Eyes. 

 

Jennifer Lopez has released over 15 fragrances and some of the most successful include Glow, Still, Deseo, and Love and Glamour. 

 

Sarah Jessica Parker released 8 fragrances between 2005 and 2009 that included Lovely, Covet, SJP NYC, Endless, and Twilight.

 

Halle Berry released three popular fragrances including Halle, Halle Pure Orchid, and Reveal.  The branded fragrances have been released by Jennifer Aniston, Kate Walsh, Eva Longoria, Reese Witherspoon, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Isabella Rossellini. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Male Actors, Models, and Athletes

Male musicians with the most successful branded fragrances include Diddy, Usher, Akon, and Nelly. 

 

Diddy’s successful fragrances include Sean John I Am King, Sean John Unforgivable, and Sean John Unforgiveable for Women.  Usher’s successful fragrances include UR for Men, UR for Women, and Usher VIP.  Popular fragrances by Akon include Konvict Homme and Konvict Femme.  The most popular fragrance by Nelly is Apple Bottoms, and other musicians like 50 Cent and Tim McGraw have popular fragrances as well. 

 

Antonio Banderas has released 15 branded fragrances, and some of the more popular fragrances include Seduction in Black, Spirit VIP for Men, Spirit VIP for Women, and The Secret.  Male celebrities like David Beckham and Patrick Dempsey have released branded fragrances as well. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Female Musicians

Celine Dion has released 14 fragrances, and some of the popular fragrances include Celine Dion, Belong, Enchanting, Sensational Moments, and Simply Chic. 

 

Britney Spears has released 9 different fragrances, and she has collaborated with Elizabeth Arden for most the fragrances.  Her popular fragrances include Curious by Britney Spears, Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy, Circus Fantasy, and Radiance. 

 

Mariah Carey has also released 9 fragrances, and she has also collaborated with Elizabeth Arden.  Some of her popular fragrances are M, Luscious Pink, Forever, and Lollipop Bling Honey. 

 

The following female musicians have also released popular fragrances: Avril Lavigne, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Shakira, Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Jordin Sparks, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Jessica Simpson, Mary J. Blige, Hilary Duff, and Queen Latifah. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Other Popular Celebrities

The following celebrities are known for popular branded fragrances as well:

 

Andy Warhol: Andy Warhol and Marilyn Rose

Kat Von D: Saint, Sinner, and Adora

Cindy Crawford: Cindy Crawford, Summer Day, and Joyful

Maria Sharapova: Maria Sharapova

Heidi Klum: Shine

Kim Kardashian: Kim Kardashian and Gold

Kate Moss: Kate, Vintage, and Wild Meadow

Paris Hilton: Heiress, Siren, and Tease

Daisy Fuentes: So Luxurious, Dianoche Love, and Mysterio

Naomi Campbell: Eternal Beauty, Cat Deluxe, and Naomi

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordon, 23, and Legend

Trade Secret

Trade Secret

 


A trade secret is primarily defined by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA).  Essentially, the trade secret is information such as a formula, pattern, program, method, process, technique, or similar piece of information that produces economic value.   However, the information only produces actual or potential economic value because it is not accessible by other parties who could also generate economic value with its use. 

 

Before the UTSA was passed, the use of a secret in trade was an offense under a common law tort known as the Restatement of Torts.  Section 757 and 758 of this tort laid out general policies, and the majority of U.S. Courts adopted the trade secret tort.  Comment (b) of §757 is still accessed regularly and determines what qualifies as a secret in trade.  A secret in trade is recognized depending on the following:

 

·         the amount of information about the secret known outside of the business

·         the amount of information known by employees for the business

·         the measures taken by the business to protect the information from exposure

·         the value of the secret to the business compared to competitors

·         the difficulty involved in acquiring the information and duplicating the information

 

In order to submit a trade secret claim, the information needs to qualify for protection in the first place.  Secondly, the party holding the secret needs to prove that they took reasonable steps to keep in the information private.  Thirdly, the party holding the secret must prove that the secret was not unlawfully obtained from another party. 

 

There are two cases when a secret in trade is unlawfully obtained.  The information was unlawfully obtained through improper means or there is a breach of confidence.  For example, if an employee accessed information and sold the information to another company, the second company committed breach of confidence. 

 

It is not illegal to obtain a trade secret if the information is discovered independently, reverse engineering leads to the discovery, or the company holding the secret failed to take proper steps in protecting the secret. 

 

A trade secret does not last for a specific number of years like a patent.  The secret in trade continues indefinitely until disclosure of the secret is reached lawfully.  An inventor has the choice to choose between a patent and a protection of the secret, but the information cannot by dually protected at the same time. 

 

Obtaining a secret in trade does not always exist as a crime only under tort law.  It qualifies as a federal crime in some cases.  The crimes becomes a federal crime when it violates the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. 

 

A recent trade secret violation occurred when Kolon Industries stole information about the manufacturing process used by DuPont for Kevlar para-aramind fiber.  Kolon is headquartered in South Korea and makes a bullet-proof product called Hercron.  Kolon wanted to improve its products, so they targeted former employees that formerly worked for DuPont to receive information on the secrets.

 

They soon received information about the secret manufacturing process used by DuPont and replicated the process in three years. 

Hungry Jack’s

Hungry Jack's

 

Hungry Jack's

Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast food franchise that was originally under the control of the American fast food franchise Burger King. From 1995 to 2001, the two companies were involved in a prolonged legal dispute that was ultimately decided in favor Hungry Jack's.

 

Hungry Jack's began business in 1971 as the exclusive franchise of Burger King in Australia. In 1991, the contract between the two businesses was renewed. The contract included a "termination clause" stating that Hungry Jack's was responsible for opening four new franchise locations a year. However, the contract contradicted itself with another clause which stated that as long as Hungry Jack's opened at least two new locations in a year, another year's worth of a "grace period" would be granted.

 

In 1995, Burger King decided it wanted to take over directly from Hungry Jack's. Though the terms of the contract stated that every franchise location opened had to be approved by Burger King, the company refused to approve the opening of any new locations, making it impossible for Hungry Jack's to live up to the terms of the contract. At this time, Burger King also made use of a Hungry Jack's employee who provided them with information about the company's activities.

 

In 1996, Burger King claimed that Hungry Jack's had violated the terms of its contract and began directly opening its own franchise locations. In 2001, Hungry Jack's filed suit against Burger King, claiming that they had violated the terms of the contract. The case was heard in the New South Wales Court of Appeal and resolved on June 21, 2001. In its decision, the court considered the termination clause's terms and its contradictions with other parts of the contract. The court ruled that the contract allowed Burger King to arbitrarily impeded and hinder Hungry Jack's, making it impossible for them to honor the contract.

 

In reviewing the contract, the court considered the question of "good faith." Because the contract in question was not a standard commercial agreement for which precedent concerning good faith had not yet been established, the court had to rule on whether there was an implicit, justifiable reason to assume such a basis for business. Taking into account Burger King's attempts to prevent Hungry Jack's from opening more locations and use of internal information provided by its informant, the court ruled that Burger King's actions were taken with the direct intent of harming Hungry Jack's to allow Burger King to open its own locations.

 

As a result, the court ruled in favor of Hungry Jack's and ordered that Burger King pay roughly 71 million in Australian dollars. Burger King appealed the decision but was not successful in this attempt. The case is considered in the Australian legal system for introducing "good faith" as a measure of determining the merits of two parties' actions when involved in a contractual dispute. The case is often cited as a precedent in such cases.

Competition

Competition

How the Law Handles Competition between Businesses
In business, competition between sellers within an open marketplace is beneficial for both businesses and consumers. Competition not only keeps prices lower and raises quality, but it also provides more choices and more reason to be innovative. In order to maintain this sense of competition between sellers, the Federal Trade Commission enforces the antitrust laws.
These laws were first created in response to many companies who concealed their business practices using trusts in the late 19th century, which threatened the free market.
·         The Sherman Act (1890)
o   Created to prevent potential cartels or monopolies that could be detrimental to having competition in a free market
o   The act does not allow companies to artificially raise the price
·         The Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)
o   Created the Federal Trade Commission which now regulates large corporations and stops them from having unfair trading practices
·         The Clayton Act (1914)
o   Prevents certain practices that could harm competition in free market, such as price discrimination or having an individual being a director on two companies in competition with each other.
While the anti-trust laws are applicable to most organizations, there are certain types that are exempt from the anti-trust laws, such as labor unions banks, and agricultural cooperatives.
The Federal Trade Commission still continues to monitor large corporations to ensure that no business practices occur that may harm the free market and healthy competition. The Federal trade Commission Monitors the following activities:
·         Mergers
o   While mergers can allow firms to operate more smoothly, mergers result in fewer options and possibly higher consumers.
·         Agreements Among Competitors
o   Businesses cannot conspire to raise prices, hinder other businesses from operating, or raising prices
o   The Federal Trade Commission pays close attention to potential artificial price fixing
·         Manufacturers and Product Dealers
o   There are some agreements, for example a car with a brand of tires that are acceptable, but others can be illegal if they restrict competition without providing customer benefits.
·         Monopolies
o   By excluding other companies or impairing their ability to compete, it can hurt the consumer by allowing them to control prices.
·         Other Anticompetitive Actions
By regulating major corporations, a free market can exist and competition is possible between sellers. However, there can be downsides to competition in the free market. It can potentially lead to increased costs and if waste if companies repeat ideas without innovation. In certain circumstances, competition is inefficient and a natural monopoly flourishes.

Charities

Charities

Charities and the Law


A charity is a non-profit organization that works to benefit the public or accomplish some form of philanthropy. 
Charities can be either public or private foundations. When a charity (even if foreign) qualifies under the Internal Revenue code Section 501(c)(3), which makes them exempt from taxes, they are considered to be a private foundation. A private charity receives the majority of its funds from one source, such as a family, individual or a corporation.
If the charity does not qualify to be a private foundation, it is considered to be a public foundation, and also classifies under Section 508(b) or 509(a). In a public charity, the majority of funding comes from the government, private foundations, or individuals.
For a charity to have 501(c)(3) status, it must be organized and run exclusively for the reasons described in the code, in this case purely for charity. The organization cannot benefit any private interests and none of the earnings should benefit any one private individual shareholder. Because of this status, a charity can get tax-deductible contributions.
A charity is limited in its ability to conduct legislative and political activities, such as lobbying. Under 501(c)(3) code, a charity must do the following:
Restrict lobbying to a very small part of the charity’s activities
Refrain from taking part in any candidates during political campaigns on any level of government
Not let any earnings benefit one individual or private shareholder
Refrain from operating for the benefit of one private interest or for the purpose of any trade or business that is not related to the exempt purpose
Refrain from illegal activities
The most common 501(c)(3) charities promote:
Fighting community deterioration
Preventing juvenile delinquency
Eliminating discrimination and prejudice
Constructing or maintaining public monuments, buildings, or works
Advancing science or education
Advancing religion
Securing civil and human rights through the law
Helping the underprivileged, the distressed, or the poor
 
A charity that is under 501©(3) must follow two disclosure rules placed by the federal tax law. A donor must receive from the charity a written acknowledgement for any individual contribution that is at least $250 in order for the donor to claim a federal contribution on a federal income tax return. Second, a charity must give a written disclosure to a donor who pays $75 or more as a combination of contribution and payment for a service or good.

Business Letter

Business Letter

Writing a Proper Business Letter


A business letter is written differently from most letters due to its use of formal language. Instead of showing creativity using evocative language, a business letter uses more succinct language, while stressing accuracy and specificity. 
The write an effective business letter, it is important to assume that the receiver of the letter will not have much time and will want to quickly understand the point of the message. Depending on the context, the writing style can be more casual, such as what would be found in an email correspondence or more formal, such as what would be found in a contract. The writing style of a business letter relies on the circumstances and it is important to use the correct amount of formality.

Parts of a Business Letter
Most business letters can be broken down to the following sections:
Sender’s address
o If the address is not already in the leader head, include one line above the date at the top of the letter.
o Only write the street, city, and zip code.
Date
o The date is the date that the letter was written or completed.
o Write the month, day, and year 2” from the top of the page either in the center or left justified.
o It should be written in American date format if addressed to an American company.
Inside address
o This is to a specific individual and his or her business address. 
o The address is left justified and one line underneath the sender’s address or the left.
Salutation
o This is the name within the inside address with the personal title.
o Use a personal title, full name, colon and a blank line after the salutation.
o The personal title can be omitted if gender is unknown.
Body
o The body should be in paragraph format that are left justified and single spaced.
o There should be a blank line between paragraphs.
Closing
o The closing is at one line after the final body paragraph and has the same horizontal point as the date. The first word should be capitalized and four spaces should be left between the closing and the sender’s name.
Enclosures
o Enclosures should be indicated by typing “enclosure” a line after the closing.
o Documents can be listed optionally, particularly if there are multiple documents.
Typist initials
o The typist of the document usually initials the document, but if it was written by the sender, initials are omitted.
Other tips for writing a good business letter
It is acceptable to use first person pronouns, but make sure to use “we” when representing the company.
Avoid using a passive voice in order to maintain clarity in the business letter.
Be concise but still consider the tone of the letter in order to avoid being blunt.

Equipment Financing FAQS

Equipment Financing FAQS

Businesses in need of flexibility
may turn to equipment financing to acquire the implements necessary to run
their enterprise effectively.  After
accepting business equipment financing, the liquidity afforded by the
arrangement will enable the business to pursue other functions vital to the
success of their business.

Why should I pursue business equipment financing?

As equipment for businesses is
generally a capital investment, many businesses will view equipment financing
as a means of having the equipment pay for itself.  Although this is less cost-effective than
purchasing the equipment outright, small businesses will not always have
sufficient cash flow to justify buying expensive or vital equipment
outright.  The liquidity afforded by
equipment financing typically will outweigh the potential drawbacks from paying
interest on equipment financing. 

Some business financing providers
will even consider software a type of equipment and will agree to finance that
as well.  For many businesses,
specialized software necessary to the operation of the company will cost
thousands of dollars, putting them in the exact situation as businesses that
need equipment financing on tangible equipment that produces the products sold
by the business.

What are the conditions of business equipment financing?

During a business equipment
financing arrangement, the equipment is technically owned by the leasing
company.  This means that the financing
is a form of secured debt and failure to meet this debt obligation will enable
the leasing company to retake possession of the item.  Continued payment will give the lessor the
right of use to the financed asset and usually leases to own the item eventually.  These provisions must be made in advance with
the business equipment financing organization, to ensure the fairness of the
agreement, especially if the lessor intends to own the equipment at the end of
financing.

How will the business equipment financing arrangement work?

Depending on the financing
organization chosen, there may or may not be upfront costs or application
fees.  The upfront costs may be a
provision that requires some advance payment, such as the first and last
monthly payments that would be paid made in advance.

Expect to be offered a variety of
payment plans, from the conventional monthly payment plan to seasonal,
graduated, deferred or annual payments. 
Each of these plans will have its own merits and only the business
requiring the equipment financing will be able to make the best judgment on which
plan offers the optimal level of flexibility for the business.  For instance, a business that anticipates
high startup costs and slow cash flow may choose equipment financing with
graduated payments, making low payments at first and eventually making higher
payments.  Businesses that have income
that varies through the year, such as seasonal businesses may opt for a
seasonal/skip payment option will allow some payments to be skipped, in
exchange for higher payments made during seasonal peak times.

What equipment can be financed?

Virtually any equipment
imaginable can be financed, depending on the equipment financing firm.  This will include all items from medical
equipment to 18 wheel freight trucks. 
The firm will have different conditions for lease, depending on the
equipment, such as credit checks or minimum experience using said equipment.

Network Marketing For Your Business

Network Marketing For Your Business

Network marketing is a method of developing client contact by using other agents and individuals to meet with clients and represent you.  Network marketing is used in many different businesses, but is most often found in businesses that are selling products or services that are of a very personal nature.  Insurance and financial services are two good examples of products that people tend to purchase through friends and family.  

How to use Network Marketing for your business


1. Identify if Network Marketing is right for you
Not all businesses can benefit from network marketing so it is important to identify if your business can before seeking to use it.  What type of product or service do you provide?  Do your clients seek to use you because they trust you and your company on a personal level, or are they only concerned with price and efficiency.  Network marketing can help businesses who rely on reputation and trust.  

2. Determine if you can budget for Network Marketing
Different types of network marketing can have different costs, but you should be aware that it will be necessary.  Many network marketing plans call for hiring employees or representatives that seek to sell your product to friends and family within their personal network.  They then are given a commission for the business that they bring in.  Other plans call for full time salaried employees who work their contacts into continuing business relationships.  

3. Establish your Network Marketing plan
Once you have determined that your business can benefit from network marketing, you must develop a plan for putting it into place.  Search out qualified individuals who will represent your business and who have relationships with companies. Determine how many representatives you will need, what they will be selling, and how they will be compensated.  It may be a good idea to slowly use network marketing instead of jumping into a large plan.  Trial and error will show you how network marketing can work without committing you to a large network marketing plan.   

4. Put your Network Marketing plan into effect
Taking all of the above steps into account, you next have your representatives go into the community and try to get new clients for you.  You should see a spike in new clients while your representative works their contacts and brings them to your business.  Eventually though, you must plan for your representative’s contacts to run out.  It is at this point that you must have planned for either eliminating this representative or moving them to try to bring in new clients or sell a different product.  

How to adapt your Network Marketing
Marketing as a whole has been greatly affected by new technology and better sources of communication.  Now, clients all over the world can be exposed to your marketing.  Keep this in mind while adopting any network marketing strategies or changing existing plans.  Network marketers can use these sources of contact for bringing you clients within their networks.  Representatives of your company may have vast networks of contacts, through online communities, social media, or other exposure to people around the world.  

Loan Amortization Schedule

Loan Amortization Schedule

A loan amortization schedule is a useful tool to determine the amount left on a loan and the interest that will be paid.  Through the use of a loan amortization schedule tool, one will be able to determine the date of repayment, monthly principal and interest owed and the sum of all payments that will be made to the lender.  Although it is not particularly difficult for an individual to generate a loan amortization schedule, tools exist to guide borrowers through the steps of making a loan amortization schedule to help determine their future finances.

What is the definition of amortization?
The term amortization refers to the amount of the monthly payment made on a loan that decreases the principal owed.  You use a loan amortization schedule to determine how much the portion of the monthly payment that is not allocated to pay interest will decrease the principal amount owned.

How do I calculate a loan amortization schedule?
First, gather the following information (sample numbers included)
Loan Amount = $50,000
Loan term = 10 years
Interest rate = 12%
Amortization rates = monthly
Loan amortization can be calculated manually sometimes, but generally speaking, it is a better idea to use software or resources that are programmed to give accurate results on loan amortization schedules.  
Using an online loan amortization calculator, we find that the initial payment made is $717.35.  $500 is paid in interest, with the remainder paid toward reducing the principal.  Looking at the loan amortization schedule, we see that assuming the repayment began in January 2012, by Jan 2015, $406.37 is being paid in interest and $310.98 is paid toward the principal.  Only about $10,000 of the principal will be repaid that that point.  Toward the end of the loan amortization schedule, which ends on December of 2021, we see that more of the principal is repaid with each payment, while the share of the payment that is used to cover interest, declines, coinciding with the slowly reducing principal amount.

What are the issues with a loan amortization schedule?
A loan amortization schedule assumes that payments will remain exactly the same throughout the repayment of the loan.  Especially in arrangements with adjustable interest rates or lacking “balloon payments,” monthly payments can vary.  The lack of balloon payments allowed for more of the principal to be repaid early, thus reducing the interest that will be owed.  Use a loan amortization schedule as a benchmark to estimate how much a loan will cost and only use it as a guide if the loan is fixed and you know that you will not able to repay it early.  Payments may vary slightly due to rounding on the part of the lender although these discrepancies are usually adjusted at the end of the year.
As with all blended payment arrangements, interest will dominate the repayment at first and principal repayment will overtake interest repayment a bit of time after repayment has begun.  A loan amortization schedule can help you visualize when that will occur, which can be valuable information.