Cognizance

Solicitation, Bid or Procurement are the word which may seems scary to some one who is new to business line but it is most effective way to grow and enlarge your business.
For a small scale business industry it is more important to generate a continuous and reliable source of revenue. This source could come through proper bidding.
To do business with any governmental body is not that complicated though it seems very tough.

WHAT TO DO
To go for governmental bids first decide your geographical limits. Once you are clear about your sky you can reach to unlimited opportunities. To know about the bids placed one can go through various site which provides details of solicitations available.
For example –

www.fbo.com

https://www.stateandfederalbids.com/index.html

http://www.governmentbids.com/

It is also a good idea to study the agency you may be targeting, and figure out how your product or service might fit in to its needs. Realize that the agency will look critically at your business, specifically your financial status, staffing, history and track record


HOW TO DO
To do business with federal government it is mandatory to register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR), primary registrant database provider to federal government. Its URL is
http://www.ccr.gov/

For registration with CCR one has to provide his TPIN number (Trading Partner Identification No.) along with DUNS number. Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) provides a D-U-N-S Number. Basically this company rates the business on some criteria.
http://www.dnb.com/us/
Once you are registered with CCR you are almost all set to place a federal bid.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS
Before placing a bid it is advisable to understand all the rules related to Federal procurement process. It is a unique set of rules and regulations called as Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
It can give you an insight to offering a good price for your product and can help you in achieving the goal of grabbing the bid.


WHERE TO APPLY
You need to figure out which department has published a bid. As mentioned earlier you could do this through various website. One can find link for bidding for a particular business on same page where details are available. You need to follow the instructions and fulfill all the conditions.

REGISTRATIONS
Usually for doing business with state departments one needs to register with that state. It may be done either through one agency for almost all departments or through individual department of the state. For example if someone wishes to do business with State of Florida he could register on MyFloridaMarketPlace.com and can check solicitations available for almost all departments.
http://dms.myflorida.com/mfmp

FEE
Few State registrations require certain amount to participate in procurement. This fee is always mandatory and can be paid online also. But sacrificing few bucks for a big gain is not a bad option.


HOW TO APPLY
To do business with any government body one has to figure out whether one body/agency is responsible for whole state’s bidding process or separate department or counties have their own bidding system. According to this information one can register with that particular body. Some times this is completely an online process and in some cases one has to fill in certain form and submit them physically. Still this paper work is not that tedious. One has to provide particular information including Federal Index Number or SSN.


SPECIAL PREFERENCE
Government agencies are required to contribute for advancement of Socially and Economically disadvantaged people. For the very purpose these classes gets preferences in certain government projects -

o Women-owned businesses: A woman-owned business is one that is owned and controlled 51% or more by a woman or women.
o A small disadvantaged business: A small disadvantaged business is one that is 51% or more owned, controlled and operated by a person who is socially and economically disadvantaged. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and Native Americans are presumed to meet this standard. Other entrepreneurs can qualify by showing, via a “preponderance of the evidence,” that they are disadvantaged.
o A veteran-owned business: This is a business that is owned 51% by a veteran.
o A service-disabled veteran-owned business: This business is owned 51% by one or more service-disabled veterans. The Veterans Administration confirms the disability.

MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION
In some projects up to 25% participation is reserved for MBE. So try to take advantage of this opportunity if you fall under this category.
For becoming a Minority Business Enterprise one has to get certified first with his own state then only he/she can forward in other state.
To register with a particular state all information can be accumulated from the State’s website

AS AN INDIVIDUAL
There are certain agencies which invite proposals from individuals also. Especially artists, writers, announcers, journalists and some field specialists can bid for themselves too. For an individual also procedure is same i.e. he/she has to first apply for DUNS number then register with CCR and then apply for particular position. It may require registration with State too.


TIPS TO LOCATE OPPORTUNITIES
It is not easy to pin point one opportunity and grab it. For that one has to be aware all the time. Keep eye on up coming opportunity. There are some ways to locate opportunity.
First, try to contact the small-business liaison within any agency, each has one. Keep in mind agency’s small business specialist may or may not be the buyer himself but he could be the person who will point you in right direction.

Second, consider attending a "Business Matchmaking" event. Business Matchmaking is a United States Small Business Administration program that is sort of like speed dating; it is a place where small business can have quick get-to-know-you meetings with government and corporate procurement officers.Business Matchmaking is the brainstorm of Hector Barreto, the administrator of the SBA who recently resigned. According to Barreto, traditionally most of these government contracts went to small businesses "inside the beltway" (in and near Washington, D.C.) Barreto figured that other small business people around the country might like to earn some of these contracts, so he teamed up with Hewlett Packard and created Business Matchmaking, a sort of traveling road show of procurement opportunities.
Up Coming Business Matchmaking Events –
Chicago, IL – September 16, 2009
Boston, MA – October 15, 2009

Following all these steps squeezes out a lot of energy, attention and a lot of paper work but the result is surely remarkable enough to pay back all these efforts. So go ahead and start gambling for a good fortune.

Best of Luck.

What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.

In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.
What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?
Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).

Is the H1N1 swine flu virus the same as human H1N1 viruses?
No. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are antigenically very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.


Swine Flu in Pigs

How does swine flu spread among pigs?
Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?
Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?
H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.

By : Roopali Shishulkar

Everybody who wants to win apparently invincible battle of Cancer should know some trivial but important secretes which cannot only prevent but fights and controls the cancerous cell from growing in body. Here are some dieting tips, which can be very helpful.

What to Eat

After detection of any kind or any stage of cancer, a patient has to be very much careful regarding his diet. What he should eat can convert his battle into a win-win situation.

Apricot seed- These seeds are highest source of laetrile (also called nitriloside or amygdalin), an anti cancer agent. A component that is considered as not only killer of cancerous cell but it helps in growing new tissues.

Fenugreek seed- These seeds are highly antioxidant and help to prevent cancer.

Aloe Vera- contains the active immune stimulant ace mannan

Wheat germ (Wheat Grass) juice- it can lower cholesterol, fights cancer especially colon cancer, it can prevents constipation and it can improver digestion. In addition to protects heart disease and can help stop strokes. It is rich in protein, fiber, polyunsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin B17- It is found in most all fruit seeds such as the apple, peach, cherry, orange, nectarine and apricot. Some beans and grasses such as wheat grass contains it.

Turmeric- Turmeric has countless medicinal values. It is highly anti cancerous, anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory as well as anti bacterial. It suppresses tumor growth, controls high blood pressure, and prevents diabetic and arthritis.

Green Tea- Green tea reduces tumor and detoxifying the body.

Garlic – It blocks tumor nourishment and thus helps in reducing its size.

Vitamin C-Lemon or other Vitamin C rich food helps in building tissues and helps in better absorption of calcium and minerals.

Protein- Protein should be in the form of seeds and nuts. Almonds are good source of protein so are Sesame and Sunflower seeds. Chew them properly. Almonds are good source of laetrile too (but not as high as Apricot seeds).

Ginger Extract- It discourages tumor growth and helps in recovery.

Cruciferous vegetables-This family of vegetables includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. Of them, broccoli has been found to be the best. Scientist of University of Minnesota and Johns Hopkins proved that the active ingredient, called indoles, found in these vegetables had helped a 90 percent reduction in cancer rates.

Juice - Use lemon, orange, grape, carrot, beet, and apple juice daily. All juices should be fresh, with no sugar added. Do not mix the juices.

Red beet juice (from roots and very little if any from tops) and juice from carrots, celery, grapes, and other darker vegetables and fruits, such as black cherries, black currants, etc helps in cleaning the system and rebuild it.

Eat soaked figs, prunes and raisins in good quantity.

Take potassium rich food.

Iodine protect against breast cancer. Eggplant (brinjal) is a good source of it.

Eat food which, includes dried apricots, asparagus, pearled barley, dried navy beans, fresh lima beans, raw beets, sprouted seed with no salt, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, caraway seed, cauliflower, celery seed, small leaves of chard, dark raw cherries, dandelion greens, dill seed, endive, unsulphured figs (dried or raw), garlic, concord or emperor grapes, grapefruit, fresh horseradish, fresh lemons, lentils, fresh limes, nectarines, okra, onions, oranges, fresh parsley, dried or raw peaches, Bartlett pears, dry or fresh peas, persimmons, raw pineapple (never canned), raw plums, dried or raw prunes, raw quinces, raisins, wild or brown rice, sage, rolled oats, spinach, squash (acorn, Hubbard, yellow summer), tangerines, raw tapioca, raw turnip leaves, and watermelon.

Best cancer fighting foods

1. All red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. These are carotene rich.
2. Garlic, onions, broccoli, wheat germ, sea greens, leafy vegetables, chili peppers, grapes, berries, and carrots are antioxidant rich to fight free radicals.
3. Steamed cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage cauliflower, kale potatoes, corn, hibiscus tea and brown rice. These are protease inhibitors.
4. Whole grains, apples, fruits, and vegetables are great high fiber foods.
5. Fish, flax oil, walnuts, and berries are high lignan foods.

What not to Eat

Eliminate fats, salted foods, fried foods, smoked foods, pickles, soft drinks, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and all processed, fried, and junk foods from the diet.

1. Meat - Avoid meat in all form. It is dead matter, low in mineral and produces uric acid in excess which is a waste product. It is considered as if amount of animal protein particularly meat is high in body chances of cancer is more.

Nations and groups, which consume less meat, have less cancer. Hospital records show that Seventh-day Adventists, who eat little or no meat, suffer far less from cancer than the average meat-eating American. Dr. Willard J. Visek, research scientist at Cornell University, stated that the high protein diet of Americans is linked to the high incidence of cancer in the U.S.
Never eat luncheon meat, hot dogs, or smoked or cured meats.

2 Sugar - Devitalized, processed and sugared food is as dangerous as non vegetarian food. Cancerous tumors require sugar in order to grow. Older women who use generous amounts of sugar are much more likely to contract breast cancer. Do not use any cane sugar products, such as cake, pie, jelly, ice cream, candy, etc. Even Artificial sweeteners are cancer-causing drugs.

3. Dairy Product- Milk and milk products are harmful, so they should be avoided. Milk contains a growth hormone essential for growth of calves, which also stimulates tumor to grow. So milk product should not be consumed.

Do not eat animal protein. Restrict consumption of dairy products.

4. A high-fat diet - dramatically increases the occurrence of colon, breast, endometrium, and ovarian cancer, as compared with a low-fat diet. Eating a lot of fat encourages the development of cancer in both men and women. Colon cancer is more likely to occur in men.
Rancid oils and heavy protein diets thicken the blood, and weaken its ability to transport food and oxygen to the cells.

One striking fact is that cancer cell does not need oxygen to grow. Rancid oils and fats decreases oxygenation thus weakens normal cells and strengthen cancerous one.

Heated fats (animal or vegetable), when heated to a high temperature, become carcinogenic. Never fry food, never eat fried food. Instead add no oil to your cooking, but place measured amounts on your food after it is served at the table. In this way, you will be better able to control your oil intake

5. Pea Nut or ground nut - Do not eat more than 2 diets of protein in a day as Pancreatic Enzymes needs time to concentrate on digestion of cancer cell beside than protein.

6. Coffee - Oil in coffee seeds turns into rancid when heated, for the very reason does not drink coffee at all.

7. Do not take supplemental iron tablets. The body tries to withhold iron from cancer cells, because the inorganic iron helps the cancer grow.

Limit

1. Soy- limit but do not eliminate soy product

2. Modern food processing, canning, and cooking destroy enzymes vital to digestion and body needs. When food is heated to 106o F., some of these enzymes are damaged; many are destroyed when 120o F. is reached. Try to keep foods, which have been subjected to heat, to below 25% of the diet. Too much cooked foods throw an extra burden on the pancreas. It must try to produce additional enzymes to detoxify that cooked food, which tries to produce a normal output of the same enzymes used throughout the body to destroy cancer cells.

3. Some natural-remedy cancer therapists say never use tomatoes at all, if you have cancer. Others say that those with cancer can eat tomatoes by themselves, not with other foods. Some say it is all right to make a meal of them if you wish—eaten alone. Some say they can be eaten with fresh-baked zwieback (bread which has then been toasted in the oven until it is hard and chewy). Probably the best decision is avoid tomatoes entirely if you have a malignancy.


KEEP IN MIND

1. Fruit juices are best taken in the morning and vegetable juices in the afternoon and evening.

2. Other than juices, a small amount of blackstrap molasses, pure maple syrup, or honey can act as a natural sweetener in place of sugar.

3. Use Whole Wheat in place of White Wheat.

4. Prefer raw fruit and vegetables as first choice, then comes lightly cooked or steamed. Salt-free frozen are next. Last preference should be salt-free canned food; but such food should only be used if the first three choices are not available.

5. Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene reduce the risk of cancer by radiation and chemical carcinogen exposure.

6. Vitamins A, D and E inhibit oncogenes activity.

7. Eat food which is high in iodine and potassium, low in sodium, protein, and fat.

If you want to make things happen the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill। At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results। Motivation requires a delicate balance of communication, structure, and incentives.

These 21 tactics will help you maximize motivation in yourself and others.

Consequences - Never use threats। They’ll turn people against you. But making people aware of the negative consequences of not getting results (for everyone involved) can have a big impact. This one is also big for self motivation. If you don’t get your act together, will you ever get what you want?

Pleasure - This is the old carrot on a stick technique। Providing pleasurable rewards creates eager and productive people.

Performance incentives - Appeal to people’s selfish nature। Give them the opportunity to earn more for themselves by earning more for you.

Detailed instructions - If you want a specific result, give specific instructions. People work better when they know exactly what’s expected.

Short and long term goals - Use both short and long term goals to guide the action process and create an overall philosophy।

Kindness - Get people on your side and they’ll want to help you। Piss them off and they’ll do everything they can to screw you over.

Deadlines - Many people are most productive right before a big deadline। They also have a hard time focusing until that deadline is looming overhead। Use this to your advantage by setting up a series of mini-deadlines building up to an end result

Team Spirit - Create an environment of camaraderie. People work more effectively when they feel like part of team — they don’t want to let others down.

Recognize achievement - Make a point to recognize achievements one-on-one and also in group settings. People like to see that their work isn’t being ignored.

Personal stake - Think about the personal stake of others. What do they need? By understanding this you’ll be able to keep people happy and productive.

Concentrate on outcomes - No one likes to work with someone standing over their shoulder. Focus on outcomes — make it clear what you want and cut people loose to get it done on their own.

Trust and Respect - Give people the trust and respect they deserve and they’ll respond to requests much more favorably.

Create challenges - People are happy when they’re progressing towards a goal. Give them the opportunity to face new and difficult problems and they’ll be more enthusiastic.

Let people be creative - Don’t expect everyone to do things your way. Allowing people to be creative creates a more optimistic environment and can lead to awesome new ideas.

Constructive criticism - Often people don’t realize what they’re doing wrong. Let them know. Most people want to improve and will make an effort once they know how to do it.

Demand improvement - Don’t let people stagnate. Each time someone advances raise the bar a little higher (especially for yourself).

Make it fun - Work is most enjoyable when it doesn’t feel like work at all. Let people have fun and the positive environment will lead to better results.

Create opportunities - Give people the opportunity to advance. Let them know that hard work will pay off.

Communication - Keep the communication channels open. By being aware of potential problems you can fix them before a serious dispute arises.

Make it stimulating - Mix it up. Don’t ask people to do the same boring tasks all the time. A stimulating environment creates enthusiasm and the opportunity for “big picture” thinking.
Master these key points and you’ll increase motivation with a bit of hard work.

Master these key points and you’ll increase motivation with a bit of hard work.

by John Jorgensen © 2008 PickTheBrain