What is SOPA?

Well the basic idea of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is to stop pirate sites selling counterfeit physical products like fake watches, designer clothes, electronics etc. This bill is currently with the US congress and, if passed, would allow the US Government to add certain sites to a blacklist and this would prevent access to anyone in the US to these sites. It will not only have ramifications in the US but potentially world wide.

The intention of such a bill is good but if passed it could be a disaster.

We all know that there is theft and fake goods on the internet and it has to be stopped but the majority think that this bill would cause sites to be shut down that should not be shut down.

If anyone is advertising a fake product, their site would be shut down, even if they were not aware the product was not the genuine article.

The payment processors that accept these payments would also be closed down.

This bill could also affect copyright both the written word, graphics and photographs. This could result in many sites being closed down because they have copied some graphics or used someone’s photos.

If the US starts closing down foreign sites you can imagine that there would be some form of retribution. Other countries from around the world would retaliate. This could be an internet disaster.

The pirates, if blocked, would just find new methods to distribute their goods. They would not just go away. They would be losing millions. Can you imagine if there are people selling fake goods on ebay?

So what can be done? If you live in the US, you should contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them to vote against SOPA . When you contact them explain the damage that this could do to the business online. Advise them that you agree with the goal but not with the legislation. Always give your name and where you live as this will let them know that you are one of their constituents. You can either phone or write and make a stand against SOPA. Every US citizen must be heard – do not leave it to a small minority but become part of the majority.

If you want to read what Wikipedia has to say- read it here.

To YOUR success

Sue McDonald

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Establishing your own home business can be very challenging but also very rewarding. You have to set up you office so that you are able to take care of your business. This will enable to treat your home business as you would if you had to work somewhere else.

Setting up a home office that makes working convenient and efficient for you, there are some essential factors that you will need to put your home office together. Therefore, you have to get all the necessary equipment and furniture that will enable you to set the office up.

Starting Your Home Office Setup

We need to create a plan and see exactly what we have at present and what we need to get. Call it your home business plan. If you do this, you will be able to organize what you need to achieve your goals

Decide exactly where you want to set up your office. The main thing is that is a convenient place for you to be able to carry out your business.

Select the quietest area available to set up your office. You do not want a lot of distractions that will lessen your productivity. This is particularly important if you have very young children at home.

Space Plan

After you have decided what area of the house you are going to use to set up your office, there are a few other decisions to make. Make sure this area gets enough air and light and you away from any noisy area. This enables you to provide a professional environment dedicated to your work.

Since you will be spending a maximum amount of your time every day in your home office, make sure it is a place where you are comfortable. If not, then you can spend a substantial amount of time in decorating your home office to make it suitable for working.

Home Office Equipments

There are certain pieces of equipment that you will need in order to be able to operate effectively. So this is where you know what you have and what extra items you need.

You will definitely need communication equipment and a connection to the internet. When you are conducting business it is important that you can contact other people and they can contact you. When you are running a business from home, always have a separate dedicated telephone line for the business. If you don’t have one set up an email account. There is a free service on Google for this. Sign up for skype – it is free.

The idea of having more than one medium of communication is to be able to provide the most convenient communication method for your business associates as possible.

Other equipments that will be need in your home office include computers (either laptop or desktop), printers, scanners,and a fax machine. You may need to purchase other specialized equipment relevant to your profession.Whether you are a professional setting up your own home business or an internet marketer, all of this applies to you if you want to be successful.

To YOUR success

Sue McDonald