Senziant - http://www.senziant.com - has launched their new web presence dedicated to helping local, small businesses and emerging businesses reach their potential online. In Q1 of 2010 Senziant will be announcing several products that will be of interest to it's target audience that aim to provide excellent value and ROI to marketers.  Online marketing need not be overly difficult or expensive - Senziant focuses on ensuring that every dime and every minute of time is spent on the right types of activities.

As a veteran of the diamond industry for over 7 years, it is always shocking to me to find out just how misinformed the average diamond consumer is when it comes to the facts about the Four "C"s of diamond grading: Color, Clarity, Carat, and Cut.  Below is a quick overview of each of the Four "C"s followed by an in depth discussion of why Color, which is probably the "C" that always receives the most undeserving attention.

Carat - This is simply the weight of the diamond measured in Carats.  A Carat is equal to exactly one-fifth of a gram.

Cut - Mistakenly, most people believe that Cut refers to the shape of the diamond.  That's actually incorrect.  Cut refers to the cut quality of the diamond, ie, how nicely its measurements are proportioned to reflect light.

Clarity - Clarity refers to how "clean" the inside of the diamond crystal is.  A diamond filled with inclusions (imperfections) will receive a lower clarity grade than a diamond that has fewer and less noticeable inclusions.

Color - Color, obviously, refers to the color of the diamond itself.  The color scale of diamonds begins with the letter "D" representing a completely colorless stone, all the way down to Z which represents a fairly yellow colored diamond - but not so yellow that the intensity of the yellowness because more valuable.

As mentioned earlier, Color receives far more attention than it deserves.  In the US, the general range of diamond colors available is between D and K colors.  The reason I say color is overrated is that even a J or K color will look white to the naked eye in a well made round brilliant cut viewed face up (as it will be in a setting).  I like to compare diamond color to teeth.  There are people with white teeth, and there are people with very white teeth.  When you see a person with regular white teeth, you never think there's anything lacking in his teeth color.  It's only when viewed immediately before or after a person with very white teeth do you even notice a difference.  So it is with diamonds.  If you put a J color diamond next to a D/E/F color diamond, you will definitely see a slight difference in shading.  But if you were to view an ideal cut J color diamond mounted in a ring, you would never suggest that the diamond is anything other than white.   For more information visit: http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com.

 

Everyone faces a struggle balancing their work and home lives, but add to that the responsibilities of mothering and running a household and many women have it even harder. It’s good to know you can always find some guidance, camaraderie and a little humor only a keystroke and a click away. The Internet makes it easy for us to find the resources to help us gracefully wear so many hats.

Bnet

Bnet is similar to other successful sites like MoneyWatch, ZDnet and Tech Republic, all of which are run by CBS Interactive. These sites provide top-notch resources for business people and can be especially helpful for staying current on business news. Bnet offers industry information, advice and articles across all categories of business. Women will find especially helpful information by searching for articles related to women in the work place.

Women For Hire

Professional connections are important for entrepreneurs and business professionals. Valuable connections to other women in your industry can be found at Women For Hire, a site that provides lnks to both national and local professional organizations. The site has a bounty of other resources that help female professionals find educational resources, mentoring programs, networking events, jobs, career support and more.

The Office of Women’s Business Ownership

The Office of Women’s Business Ownership offers female entrepreneurs all the tools they need to find success in a male-dominated business world. A division of the Small Business Administration (SBA), the office gives women easy access to organizations focused on empowering women with the knowledge, resources and tools they need to succeed in business. The site will help you get federal loans and grants, teach you how to start a business, show you how to find financing and show you how to attract investors in your business.

The Nation Association of Professional Women.

NAPW is a great resource for women looking to network, learn, share and grow. With active local chapters, great informational webinars, and professional women interviews/videos and a sterling track record; NAPW is a great choice for women looking to make a difference in the professional workplace. I highly recommend NAPW - I have been a member for some time now – and enjoy following their presence online. See NAPW Twitter; NAPW YouTube; NAPW Jobs; and NAPW at Merchant Circle for more information.

Staying on Track

Need to take a break and get five minutes of “me” time? Mommy Track’d is a site offering free organization tools and a wealth of irreverent, funny and touching articles about mothering, working and multi-taskings. Mommy Track’d just “gets” it when it comes to the life of a working mother. The “Mommy Moments” section will give you a laugh and help you to realize you are not alone in your struggle for balance at work and home.

Working women will benefit from subscriptions and frequent visits to these sites. They offer the information, tools and advice women need to get through their hectic days.

Every year, a game comes out that you simply have to play to believe. From darts to billiards to ping pong to ladder ball to cornhole, there is always that “next big game” that you just know will be a huge hit. This year, I will proclaim it loudly now...that game is Hookum.

Hookum is touted as the world’s first multiplayer Bimini ring game. Don’t know what Bimini ring is? Don’t worry. One swing of this tantalizing game and you’re hooked. The gameplay is simple: push the top of the game to extend four cantilever arms. Attached to each arm is a length of string with a ring attached to it. Opposite each arm and attached to the central pole are four hooks. The goal is simply to swing your ring in such a manner that it attaches itself to your hook.

Easy, right? Wrong. What may seem simple is tantalizingly difficult. Hookum is one of those games that has the perfect degree of difficulty. Initially, no one will be terrible at it, but no one will be great at it, either.

I recently had friends over for a few cocktails and they asked what that interesting looking thing on my coffee table was. I told them it was Hookum, and after explaining the basics, we played a few rounds. Initially, they were horrible, they didn’t understand that you have to pull back your string and release your ring with the perfect velocity along an arcing path so your hook will catch it. They were tossing right at the hook, or throwing out of desperation. But as they caught on, they quickly caught up.

By the end of the night, every game was a dogfight and as everyone frantically tried to outduel one another, I found myself having to concentrate only on my throw. This had to be my time. This was the one: Tune out the screams. And focus. On. The. Perfect. Release...

Up for a great challenge? Ready...Aim...Release...Hookum. For more information visit: http://www.playhookum.com.