Carmon

Printer cartridge overheads can be a major expense for any busy office -- and even if you're working at home, it's important to factor in the amount you spend on your printer ink when assessing the cost of running a home-based business. And what you spent on that bargain-priced printer may turn out to be only a fraction of what you pay annually in printer supplies.

A family household may have several printers on the go, each requiring its own specialist cartridges. The kids are doing their homework, researching information online and printing off reference material before drafting and printing homework papers. Digital photography is great, but grandma doesn't have a computer (let alone an e-mail account!), so you're making high quality prints of your son's graduation ceremony to mail to her. And you have to proofread some important work documents by tomorrow -- and you know you can't check text accurately from the computer monitor, so ...

If you're anything like me, you can't imagine working without the support that a personal printer provides. But while the search for reliable but cheap printer ink never ends, there are some strategies you can adopt to economize on ink use and lower your budget for replacement cartridges.

1. Use draft print quality where you can. Go to File -- Print to open the box that lists the settings for your printer. Click 'Properties' to bring up the various options available. You'll probably find different choices under the heading 'Paper/Quality' that allow you to select draft quality printing. Your document will print at a lower resolution but that may not matter for reference material that you will likely discard later.
2. Choose black and white printing over color when possible. Depending on your printer, you may have the option to select grayscale printing using the black ink cartridge only. If you're not doing presentation quality work, chances are you won't need the other colors.
3. If you're dealing with a long document, print two sheets to a page if you can. Your printer may allow you to print two pages side by side in 'landscape' orientation -- and you'll save on paper costs too.
4. Modern personal printers can produce high quality photographs, particularly if you use specialist photo paper. But printing high quality digital shots can use a lot of ink -- so think about outsourcing your photo printing to a local print center. Many services allow you to order your prints online and can mail them to you if you can't collect them yourself. You can often have your photos printed on calendars, mouse mats or greeting cards, if you wish.

Reduce your inkjet or toner costs by economizing on ink when you can -- and keep your ink supplies ready for those occasions when high quality presentation counts.

Nigel Patterson is a business writer and the publisher of Printer-Ink-2u.com.

His many articles provide useful tips and advice for online purchasers of inkjet cartridges and laser toner, as well as other printer supplies.

A while back I interviewed Steve Antisdel for a story about how they were embracing the Internet at the family furniture store. I had been contacted by a trade association he was a member of and told that he was one of their most forward thinking members.

I ended up with something a lot more exciting than that when I found out they were taking their online business to outside investors. As it turned out, they were one of the first regular privately owned mainstream retailers to jump into the deep water of the Internet - at a time when everyone else was funded with virtually unlimited resources.

This was a first for me. Not only had they taken their five decades old furniture store on line, battling and winning against huge odds (they were the last player left standing after the dot com bubble burst) but now they were bringing in a group of venture capitalists.

The story was also exciting because maybe this option would become a viable exit strategy for other Main Street companies.

Two years passed and I heard from Steve again. He and his brother and cousin had created a consulting and investment company, taking what they had learned building the ECommerce application for a traditional retailer, and were helping other businesses leverage their companies online.

By the time we connected again they had come across a company selling apparel to working people. You know, like factory workers buying metatarsal boots & shoes to protect their feet in a hostile environment, steel toe logger boots, a full line of Carhartt clothes and Timberland boots, even (I am not kidding) steel toe tennis shoes.

I loved it. So often all you hear about are Internet marketers selling stuff nobody needs or big companies selling glamorous items only a few can afford.

They found a a company, located in a town of 400 people in Indiana, not exactly in the middle of nowhere, but they could see it from there, that had become a destination for working people from all over the area.

Plus a company that has a truck carrying 1,000 pairs of work shoes and boots that visits plants in a sixty mile radius, selling and servicing its customers when they are on break or coming off or going on their shift.

Now the people who took a furniture store online have done the same thing for this tiny store, extending their reach nationally.

The story we wrote is about how these two companies put together a joint venture that leverages one another's strengths.

It's about how they keep focused day to day on what's important to their combined business and it is some food for thought.

Only one out of four successful companies outlive their founder. Why is that?

Evidence points to a lack of leadership and management skills in the person who is charged with the responsibility to grow the business in the second generation.

I asked Steve what the key ingredient in their decision was that motivated them to join forces with Eric Deniger and The Working Person Store to apply what they had learned taking the family furniture store online.

Steve said, "If it hadn't been for Eric, there is no way we (North Main Ventures) would have gotten involved in a deal and applied ourselves to it like we have. Without someone who 'just knew it' it wouldn't have been the right partnering opportunity - and Eric's the guy."

Leadership, management, and effective communication are the focus of our next series of interviews with Main Street.

Our objective is to shine a light on best practices by today's and tomorrow's leaders.

My hunch was right when I agreed to interview these two guys. Steve was featured in this month's Internet Retailer and Eric has just received an award by the Governor of Michigan as a company to watch.

I hope you will read the full story of their joint venture, titled, "A Synergy of Business Strengths" on our web site.

Two follow up stories about leadership are in the works and will be posted along side it.

Wayne Messick wants to interview business owners positioning themselves for success in the 21st Century. To be interviewed visit http://www.ibizresources.com/submit_profile.html And here is A Synergy of Business Strengths in its entirety http://www.familybusinessstrategies.com/profiles/North_Main_Ventures.html

Boating is insanely popular these days. If you enjoy, purchasing your own boat is the next step for you. Here is some basic advice.

If you are thinking about purchasing a boat, congratulations! A boat, no matter the size, is a purchase that is bound to bring you plenty of good times. However, just like with any purchase, caution should be taken to ensure that you are getting a fair deal. Buying a boat is a lot like buying a car. You will need to consider whether you should purchase a new or used boat. You will need to find a reputable dealer or find someone who is selling their boat. You need to know what to look for to determine whether the boat you are buying is seaworthy.

The first step in buying a boat is determining exactly what type of boat you need. Where will you be using your boat? Are you planning to use it in the ocean, on a lake or in a river? How many people will use the boat at one time? Do you require a boat that has accommodations for sleeping? How much money have you set aside to purchase the boat?

Once you determine what type of boat you want, you can start comparing different available boats. Your first concern, of course, is the safety of the boat. Newer boats should have little safety concerns, but with used boats you will need to know what to look for. Ask whomever is selling the boat if the boat has ever been in any type of accident. Check to see if the paint is chipped or whether you can see spots where the paint color is not uniform. This might indicate an accident. Are their any rust lines or lines where you can tell that the boat was submerged in water? Does the deck of the boat feel sturdy or are there spots which feel soft? How does the inside of the boat smell? If you smell mildew or mold, this is not a good sign. Ask for the maintenance records for the boat. Did the previous owner take the time to do routine maintenance tasks?

Some people are quite concerned about the appearance of a boat. Remember, a worn down appearance doesn't necessarily mean that the boat is in bad shape. If you are concerned about the appearance, make sure you do a complete check of the boat before agreeing to buy. If purchasing new, check to see what options and accessories are available at the time of purchase. You can often get a discount on these items if you purchase them with the boat.

Finally, make sure you know all the costs associated with your boat before you make it yours. Remember, the cost of the boat is just one thing you will be expected to pay. Boats need to be registered just like vehicles. If the boat will travel on a trailer, you will probably be expected to register this as well. You will have to pay taxes on the boat. Some other expenses include dock fees, the cost of routine maintenance or repairs, and the cost of your fuel or oil. If you will not be using the boat year round, you need to add in the cost of storing the boat during the winter months. As long as you do your homework before heading out to purchase your boat, you should be quite thrilled with boat ownership.

Jonny Holderbrock writes boat information articles for BoatDealerDepot.com.

Carpet cleaning has a number of important steps that should be followed. You need to apply a prespray and allow it to dwell, you need to extract it with a neutralizing rinse and you need to post groom it among other things. One step that is often overlooked is dry soil removal. Read this article and learn about the importance of dry soil removal.

Dry soil removal is perhaps the most important step in the carpet cleaning process. It is estimated that almost eighty percent of the soil in a carpet is dry soil. This soil can easily be removed when it is in the dry state by performing a thorough vacuuming. But what happens if you skip this step and move straight to pre spraying the carpet like so many carpet cleaners do. What happens is this dry soil gets wet and turns into a sticky mud. It is much harder to clean mud out of a carpet than dry soil. So when you skip the vacuuming you make the job of cleaning the carpet much much harder and the results will suffer. So instead of skipping it be sure to do a thorough vacuuming. By thorough I mean that you must use a quality vacuum and vacuum the carpet in several different directions. Do not rush through the process. Take your time and move slowly. Remember that the vacuum is most effective on the backward stroke so be sure to expose all of the carpet to the back stroke instead of using the traditional and ineffective W pattern.

Carpet cleaning is simple if you just follow all of the proper steps. So if you are a carpet cleaner be sure and pre vacuum and if you are having your carpets professionally cleaned be sure that they vacuum or do it yourself before hand.

Find tips and information on Denton carpet cleaners and cleaning at the writers website on local carpet cleaning.

A truly international fruit!

Watermelons squeeze nature's goodness into every bit of its being. The fruit is popular as an excellent thirst buster, especially during those sultry summer days. It brings quick respite from the sweltering heat with its cool, scarlet juice and lip-smacking freshness. Indeed, watermelon juice is a veritable delicacy around the world. No wonder, it is grown in 96 countries worldwide, with China leading the production, followed by Egypt, the Mediterranean region and United States. In the U.S. alone, 44 states are growing the fruit including Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, and Arizona.

What makes watermelons an excellent natural source of good health is the fact that they are not only low in calories (only about 51 calories per cup), but also a great source of vitamins A and C, potassium and the antioxidant Lycopene. The goodness of watermelons is threefold. Let's take a closer look at each.

The natural guard against prostrate cancer

First, watermelons provide excellent protection from diseases of the prostate, especially cancer. The active agent helping in this beneficial process is Lycopene. And when it comes to Lycopene, it's hard to beat watermelons. Fresh tomatoes are a close second to watermelons in Lycopene content. Mangoes are also rich in the substance.

But what is Lycopene? It is a naturally occurring chemical known for its cancer-fighting properties. Lycopene is responsible for the red color of many fruits and vegetables like tomatoes. Modern research shows that eating watermelons and drinking green tea are a great way to fight cancer of the prostrate.

Matters of the heart

Secondly, watermelons do wonders in improving cardiac health. The green fruit has earned the American Heart Association's "heart check" seal of approval.

This certification program provides a clear pointer for shoppers looking for heart-healthy food. To qualify for this certification, a food must be low in total and saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. What's more, it must also contain at least 10 percent of the recommended daily intake of one or more key nutrients, viz. protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.

Watermelon passes the test with flying colors. The Lycopene present in watermelons also help fight cholesterol while potassium combats high blood pressure and reduces the threat of a heart attack drastically. When top notch heart health is the agenda, watermelons are indispensable.

Your perfect weight loss aid

Last but not the least, watermelons are excellent means of controlling obesity. It's easy to keep unnecessary weight off by adding copious amounts of watermelon to your diet. It is a proven fact that foods with high water content help in losing weight. With 92% water content, watermelons offer an excellent choice in keeping those pesky pounds at bay. Take comfort in the fact that one slice contains only a single gram of fat.

Interested in learning more about the many health benefits of this wondrous creation of nature? Watermelons and good health have become synonymous. Find out how by visiting this brilliant resource on watermelons. You owe it to yourself.

So the next time you see a juicy, red slice of watermelon don't stop. Bite into it and enjoy the benefits of good health and great taste.

Simon Churchgate is a veteran in Internet marketing and wordsmith par excellence with countless articles on a wide range of subjects to his credit. Watermelons hold a special place in his heart.

Today, many people are buying the Kenmore water softener for their home in order to improve their health. With the amount of harmful chemicals and bacteria in our water supply, it is absolutely essential to have a purifier or softener of some sort in order to eliminate them and give you crisp, clean drinking water.

Kenmore water softeners range from the inexpensive Ultra soft 175 water softener to the top-of-the-range 880 model, with all the gradients in between. The Ultra soft 175 is perfect for a small household with average water hardness.

Regeneration is initiated on demand, and it includes a usage increase option button to cover you if you have guests. It is operated via computer, which is set upon installation.

It has a six-hour memory in case of a power failure and comes with a one-year guarantee on electrics and ten years on the tank. At the other end of the Kenmore spectrum is the sophisticated Ultra soft 880, which is capable of softening the water of large households with hard water.

The Kenmore water softener is responsible for providing crystal clear good tasting water free from chemical contaminants and other impurities. It also gives great water for cooking, drinking, beverages and baby formula. There should be no compromise in water intake as water is the medium for digestion, absorption, and metabolism.

The Kenmore water softener prevents scale build-up on plumbing and appliances, encourages soaps to lather better and work more efficiently, increases the softness and overall life of fabric, and makes housework quicker and easier. It gives soft water for clean conditioned soft water for all of your household cleaning, laundry and bathing needs.

Kenmore includes a comprehensive section on the benefits of soft water. It prevents scale build-up on plumbing and appliances, encourages soaps to lather better and work more efficiently, increases the softness and overall life of fabric, and makes housework quicker and easier.

A Kenmore water softener features the following:

Dependable Controls: State-of-the-art electronics for dependable performance.

Rotary Disc Valve: Conserves water fewer parts, maintenance-free operation and is cost effective.

Quality Materials and Workmanship: 1 to 3 years warranty on parts.

Durable Resin and Salt Storage Tank: Corrosion resistant.

Therefore, if you are in the market for a new water softener, the Kenmore water softener should certainly be a priority to check out. Is it right of you? Only you can make that determination. Do your research, compare more water softeners, and find the best one for your health now.

To learn about drinking purifier water and how it can benefit your health, try visiting http://www.water-purifier-reviews.com. This site reviews each faucet water purifier and rates them.

It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones and firms muscles. Actually it accomplishes very little toning and firming. Resistance exercise (weight training) is where real toning and firming of muscles occurs.

Doing both aerobics and weight training is the optimal way to lose more fat and gain more muscle. If you are trying to lose weight, studies show that weight loss increases by 56 percent with aerobic and strength exercises combined.

Muscle may weigh more, but when you increase your muscle composition, the body is able to burn more fat, even when you are resting, because your metabolism is higher. A pound of muscle will use 350 to 500 calories per week to survive, while a pound of fat only needs about 14 calories per week. New studies have shown that building muscle helps your body fight disease better, too.

Strength training benefits everyone, no matter what age or sex, and is becoming recognized as an important component of fitness. Research is indicating that the muscle loss found in elderly people doesn’t come from age, but lack of activity. Even a young person who doesn’t get enough exercise can lose muscle mass and strength. Strength training, such as lifting weights or performing weight-resistance exercises, as little as twice a week can help maintain or increase muscle mass.

Strength training involving several sets of multiple repetitions using moderate weights will not result in huge muscles. Instead it builds bone mass and increases the metabolism, as well as toning and firming the muscles, giving a leaner look.

It is very important to do both aerobics and strength exercises. The aerobic exercises help your heart and lungs get stronger and help your body utilize oxygen more efficiently, which in turn helps with strength training and overall fitness. The strength exercise helps develop muscle, reduce body fat and maintain bone mass.

Aerobic Exercise is a type of exercise that elevates the heart rate and breathing for a continuous sustained period. This overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest.

There are many options to choose from today. Bicycling, aerobic dance, swimming, walking, and stepping are all examples of aerobic exercise. Which ones to chose depends on your physical condition, your history, your interests and your goals. Many experts believe it is better to alternate between 2 or more types, to get a better workout.

There are two main types of aerobics- high impact and low impact. It is better to alternate between high impact aerobics (which are harder on the body and may cause more damage) and low impact aerobics, such as walking and swimming. This is called cross-training, and helps reduce the chance or injury and overuse of certain muscles.

You will want to perform aerobic exercises at least 20 minutes a day for at least 3 to 4 days a week. If you are trying to lose body fat, or your physical condition is very good, then you may want to work longer at it. Try exercising up to 40 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week.

Remember there is no real need to go overboard. Moderate intensity is almost always better, and is more enjoyable. Low to moderate intensity is an especially good idea when starting out after a layoff or recovery from illness or injury, or if you are significantly overweight.

Warm-up and cool down is important to reduce discomfort and the chance of injury. Warm up by starting slow and gradually build up to your top speed. Then slow down again at the end of your workout.

The whole idea behind aerobic exercise is to get up and get moving! Find something you enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life.

This is an excerpt from the ebook The Enzyme Health Diet Plan by Dianne Ronnow. Copyright 2005 by Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

The Enzyme Health Diet Plan is a FREE e-book that can be found on the Enzyme Health website at Enzyme-Health.com

For information about a new safe and very effective diet patch that is safely helping thousands of people lose weight, go to http://PowerDietPatch.com now!

This article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and the resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Searching for instant Alabama health insurance quotes? At the end of this article there's a hyperlink that will lead you to them. All you have to do is answer a simple questionnaire, and you'll get immediate quotes for health insurance plans in Alabama. And now, let's take quick look at a new health plan that could save you a lot of money.

Alabama Health Insurance Plans

There is one health insurance plan that costs less than all the rest. The plan I'm talking about is an (HDHP) High Deductible Health Plan. For example, one woman was paying over $400 per month for her traditional health insurance plan. With a high deductible plan, she was able to get health insurance for under $250 per month.

Many of the traditional health plans are rich in benefits that people rarely use. You could be paying out a lot of money for nothing. Instead, that money could be going into a tax-free (HSA) Health Savings Account. The money in your health savings account is used to pay for deductibles if you need it.

Health savings accounts can also save you money in taxes. A single person is allowed to contribute $2850 per year, and a family is allowed $5650 per year. This money is yours to manage and any unused portion is yours forever, it can even be saved for retirement.

Alabama Free Instant Health Insurance Quotes

One of the best ways to learn more about Alabama health insurance is to go to an insurance quote website and request free quotes. Immediately after you complete their short form, you'll get several low cost HSA, HMO, PPO, and POS quotes while still online. After you have your quotes, you can compare plans and visit their websites for more detailed information.

Just click on the following link to get Instant Alabama Health Insurance Quotes and more health insurance information. It's fast, it's free, and you're under no obligation! You'll get 4 to 5 competitive quotes for health insurance plans in Alabama. To find out more about HSA tax savings you can go to Turbo Tax Online and use their free tax estimator to see how much income tax money you could save with an HSA health insurance plan.

New Internet marketers soon hear that building a list is a vital first step in their plan of making money online. Many gurus say that an email list is your starting point.

If youve done your homework, you already know the many ways that building an email list will help you reach your business and financial goals. You can promote your affiliate products or your own products and services to your list. You can promote up-sales, back end sales and design new product launches. You can see that building a list is crucial to your long term success.

The benefits of building a list dont stop with direct sales. Once you have a list, you can survey your members for market research information. You can invite testimonials for the goods and services you are offering. You can find beta testers for your new product. You can acquire joint venture partners for product launches.

Thats all well and good, you say, but I dont know how to go about building a list.

There are plenty of approaches to building a list. Participating in a joint venture giveaway is one way.

Joint venture giveaways are events in which several joint venture partners donate gifts. Each partner invites other people to join as a joint venture member and collect an array of gifts.

The gifts are usually accessible over the Internet downloadable reports, ebooks, graphics, software, scripts, audio or video files or subscriptions for a membership web site.

Nothing to donate? Surf to an auction site like eBay and search for ebooks. Look for ebooks or articles that are being sold with Private Label Rights (PLR). Be sure to check the rights that the seller is offering. Typically, you can give away a PLR product as it is, re-write it, or put your own name as the author. Quite often you can get PLR products on eBay for two or three dollars a bundle.

Auctions arent your only source. Consider using items in the public domain. Since these items are not copyrighted you can give them away freely. Run a Google search for public domain ebooks.

Now then, lets go back to the joint venture giveaway and how you use it for building a list. The event host invites joint venture partners to participate. Participating joint venture partners are expected to attract members to collect the gifts. If you do not have an email list to contact, you can invite family and friends and Facebook contacts. You can put the invitation in your email signature and post to appropriate forums and email lists, if the rules permit you to do so.

Next, you need to create a squeeze page since building a list is the purpose of this event. When members click through your link on the giveaway site to collect your gift, they arrive at a page that asks for their email address before you deliver the gift Once they provide their email address, your system takes them to a second page where they receive information about collecting their gift.

If you are wondering how to set this up, it is simple to do if you have a good autoresponder service. An autoresponder will generate the form that collects the email, save the email to a database where you can use it later, and direct your gift-seeker to the page with the download information. Once set up, the entire process is automated. It makes building a list easy.

No autoresponder? Do a Google search but avoid the free autoresponders. They usually dont offer all the features you need and worse, will distract your visitors with other peoples advertising. Building a list without a good autoresponder just wont work.

And thats it. You are building a list that you can use as you wish. However, do not fall into the trap of abusing your subscribers with spammy emails and trashy product recommendations. Be good to them and they will repay you many times over.

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What is the single most important piece of hunting gear? If I wanted to be poetic, I would say that it is the hunter: a hunter must be well-tuned, skillful, watchful, aware, patient, and ready. Of course, in truth, the most important piece of hunting gear is the gun or bow. Beyond that, all hunting gear is simply fluff Or is it?

After all, did the hunters of centuries ago have GPS, Gore-Tex, sound-amplifying earmuffs, laser rangefinders, pocket-sized digital wind meters, satellite phones, and other technologically savvy hunting gear? No. Back then, the hunt was a matter of man vs. nature, man vs. beast. Now it seems that it is technology vs. nature.

These days, a hunter does still need skill, but not as much. If he loads up with all of the latest hunting gear, he can go out into the wild and bag a deer during the day and then be back in the city, dining in a fine Italian restaurant by that night.

It seems that hunting is no longer about the hunt and connecting with nature. It seem that hunting is now all about shooting and scoring. Even the most city-bred CEOs can now go on a hunt and expect to win. After all, they can afford all of the latest hunting gear: and they will buy it, even if they only plan on hunting once or twice.

So, does all of this new hunting gear remove the hunter from nature? I say that yes, it does. That being said, though, many pieces of new hunting gear do have their place.

After all, is a hunter wearing a basic cotton camo jacket really that much more of a hunter than someone wearing Gore-Tex? Just because one hunter prefers to stay warm and dry and healthy does not make him or her less of a hunter, right?

And just because a hunter takes a GPS and a satellite phone and special topo maps does not make him or her any less of a hunter. After all, safety is key, and these new items of hunting gear could mean the difference between life and death for a hunter.

And even if a hunter does use sound-amplifying earmuffs to improve his chance of hearing a deer coming, he still has to be able to shoot it. And if he uses a pocket-sized digital wind meter to see how the wind will affect his bullet, he still needs to understand how to use it and where he should then aim.

And so what if a hunter uses a laser rangefinder? He still needs to have spotted the deer in the first place and he still needs to have remained calm, quiet, and patient.

Wait a minute maybe all of this new hunting gear is not as bad as I thought. Or maybe it is just too easy to get carried away with it. After all, there is some pretty amazing technology that is used to come up with such advanced hunting gear.

As a hunter, the thing that you need to learn is where to draw the line. It is good to use a few of these new items of hunting gear, but you need to decide which pieces to use. If you use them all, hunting becomes less like hunting and more like a video game.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, the environment, recreation, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on hunting, please visit Deer Blinds.

Congratulations! You have been asked to join a nonprofit Board of Trustees. That is certainly an honor, but it comes with many caveats and responsibilities you should know before you accept. You should know that beyond the demands on your time, there may also be demands on your financial resources far beyond your capacity to anticipate them. This article will give you a thorough checklist of the things you need to analyze.

1. What is the culture of the Board? Is it an active Board that challenges the Executive Director on recommendations and points of policy, or is it a passive Board that takes its marching orders from the Executive Director. Ask to see minutes of past meetings, and if you see that each motion was passed unanimously, you can conclude that the Board all plays to the same drummer. On the other hand, if the minutes reflect spirited debate, and a split vote, they you can assume you are being asked to join a Board that takes the lead in setting directions.

2. Who is on the Board? Is there anybody you know well enough to discuss your prospective appointment? Are there people on the Board you do not like? How do you see your personality engaging with the Executive Directors? Is the Executive Director a member of the Board (not recommended)? Is there a rapid turnover on the Board with former members not serving their full terms? Do you perceive the Board as composed of people who were selected for their talents, or because of the financial contributions they give?

3. Does the nonprofit have a lot of money? While this may be an asset to the nonprofit, it can be a substantial liability to you personally. When you go on a nonprofit Board, you assume fiduciary responsibility. That means that if something goes terribly wrong, and the consequences involve substantial losses for the nonprofit, you can be held personally liable, along with your other Board members, up to their ability to pay. That means, for example, that if there is a loss of money due to neglect or malfeasance, you and your colleagues on the Board can be ordered to make it right.

4. Additionally, this doctrine of fiduciary responsibility extends into the management of any endowment or retirement assets that the Board manages. Be sure the Board has an Investment Committee composed of highly qualified financial professionals (they do not have to be members of the Board) who meet regularly to review the performance of the funds in their care.

5. Be sure that any funds are being managed professionally by people chosen by your Investment Committee. In their contracts, it should be clearly stated that they assume fiduciary responsibility for the preservation and growth of those funds. More about the functions of this Committee in a future article.

6. Insist on a full orientation. Meet members of the staff. Talk with other Board members. Tour the facilities. Examine the financials. Most important, be perfectly clear about what is expected of you as a member of the Board.

7. If you do not have the time, or you know you will not be able to attend the Board meetings regularly, or participate in whatever committees you join, do not accept the appointment to the Board. It deprives the nonprofit of your talents, and greatly exposes you to any liability that may arise as a consequence of the Board not exercising oversight.

If you can satisfy yourself that the costs and liability are not too great for you to assume, join the Board and enjoy doing an important act of selfless commitment.

Jim Gould is the Chairman of Fundraising Solutions, a fundraising company that offer a free fundraising program for non profit organization fundraising and ClickShopSupport.org, a charity shopping website.