Site Promotion – Are You Cheating Yourself Out of Visitors?

If you aren’t using social sites such as MySpace, Digg, and Yahoo! Answers to tap into new audiences and promote your product, service, or website, you are cheating yourself out of near infinite traffic potential.  Social sites, from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to social bookmarking sites such as Yahoo! Buzz, Digg, and Deli.cio.us, to question and answer communities like Yahoo! Answers and Wiki Answers are gold mines for targeting prospective customers.  Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of each type of social site.

Social Media Sites

Social media sites enable you to target people who have already expressed an interest in your product or service.

Marketing Tips:

Join groups relating to your market niche, post links to interesting sites on the Web (including your own), and post polls surveying readers about their interests.

Social Bookmarking Sites

Social bookmarking sites allow users to share their Bookmarks/Favorites with their friends by voting on stories they like.

Marketing Tips:

“Digg” and “buzz up” articles you post on the Web. Make friends on social bookmarking sites so that other users will see the articles you “like.” This can help make an article go viral.

Question and Answer Communities

In question and answer sites, users ask and answer questions submitted by other members of the community.

Marketing Tips: Answer questions relating to your product, service, or industry. Provide valuable information and helpful advice, then include a link to your website as a reference. Be sure to focus on answering the question and providing value, rather than just promoting your site.

Internet Marketing Information – How to Get Into the World of Internet Marketing Now

With the rapid growth of the internet and the opportunity it can offer to everyday people to take advantage of it and make an income with, it has brought around the role of internet marketing. It is crucial that businesses and individuals looking to gain an online presence gain some more information about the area and how they can become successful in internet marketing before diving into it all.

First of all; what is Internet Marketing?

The term Internet Marketing is a broad scope, generally its associated with marketing products and services over the internet. But it is also associated with marketing done via email and wireless media.

It is a great source for income online as once you have mastered the different marketing strategies you can leverage the internet and the massive audience to potentially reach a large number of potential customers.

What’s Involved In Internet Marketing?

There are a number of business models out there that are used by internet marketers, for example there is;

One-On-One Approach – Which is where the marketer targets specific individuals on the internet who they know could possibly be interested in the product/service they have to offer. A good example of this is Google’s pay per click (PPC) campaign. Although there are other forms on social networking sites such as Facebook where you can narrow the search down to someone’s age and location.

Nice Marketing – This is where the marketer will target a very specific market and have expert knowledge on that area. An example would be to have a website dedicated to a specific laptop brand and model.

Appealing to Interests – Marketers will really place an emphasis on the interests that individuals will have rather than reaching out to the market as a whole.

After deciding on the business model the marketing will take place which ties together the creative and technical sides of the internet. Different forms of marketing strategies to name some include; Banner ads, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social networking, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

How to become an Internet Marketer?

Well it is possible for anybody to promote products and services on the web, even without any technical knowledge as there are so many tools and creation software out there that make everything simple.

But when it comes down to the marketing side of Internet Marketing it becomes difficult for the novice to grasp the right ideas and be able to drive a good amount of traffic to where they want to. And with there being plenty of scams online promising an automated system that will do everything for you, its easy to get sucked in and realise that is just not true.

Becoming an internet marketer involves working with people that have already made a living online and want to share their knowledge with you and talk you through marketing strategies step by step. Its great when you come across a site and are bemused by the amount of information on the subject they are giving away.

An online community of some of the worlds top internet marketers formed and taught people how it was done, step by step and were on hand to answer any questions.

Internet Home Based Business Tips to Encourage Innovation

Innovation is often the reason for the success of businesses. To get recognized, you’ll need to be innovative and differentiate yourself from the competition so that people notice you and invest in your product or service.Even as your business grows, you need to continually employ new creative ideas in order to stay ahead of the competition, since you are not the only one selling a particular product or service. If you don’t innovate, your competition surely will.Internet home based business tips to encourage innovation:If you want your team to come up with new ideas, you must cultivate a culture which is conducive to innovative thinking. You must always try to be the first person to come up with new ideas to increase the productivity of your business and maximize profits. That way you will be pushing yourself to open your mind for new learning and input.You are the leader and your team will observe and try to emulate what you do. If you are innovative, your team will take on your character and be even more innovative. Now that is how to encourage innovation in your Internet home based business.Be open:As a businessman, you will have certain strong and weak points. As such, it is important that you have an open mind that is receptive to new ideas. Your team will sometimes come up with ideas that you may not have thought of. You’ll need to be the most approachable person in your business.Let them work:As businesses grow bigger, they tend to employ a top to bottom approach. The top brass decide on what the employees are supposed to do and how they should work. There is very little room for innovation in such places and business growth tends to be slow. However, that is not the case with your home business.You have a certain advantage when you run a business from home. Here there are fewer people and it is easy to take in new ideas. Instead of advising your team on how to work, you should set common goals and give a few guidelines with fixed time frames. How each person reaches his goal is left up to them.Often, even in big organizations, the best employees are self-leaders. They force their bosses to give them a free hand and accomplish their tasks in their own unique style. If you want your team to innovate, give them the freedom to do so. That is truly how to encourage innovation in your Internet home business.Incentives:Aside from letting people work in their own way, go one step further and encourage them to do so by rewarding them for coming up from innovative ideas. This will give them even more reasons to work harder and to be creative.An integral part of your business strategy must be to encourage innovation in your Internet home based business team members or employees. A good idea on one day can turn into a poor one the next day, depending on consumer demands, newer technologies and your competition.

Home-Based Business Success – Things You Need to Succeed

Many of us would like to quit our jobs that we go out of the house to get to every day and stay at home instead and make money. The challenge is knowing how to get started. Our perception is that the people who have succeeded online have some special knowledge that is hidden from the rest of us or that we will lose a lot of cash in attempting to get started online.Our perception is mistaken. If you take the time to do your research, you can find a lot of good content online that gives you step by step instructions on how to develop your own home based business.The most effective way of developing a home based business online is to choose what you would like to offer to your customers, your focus, and then work toward finding people who would be interested in such products. If you are focused, you can make a lot of money online.Some examples of what you can choose to do online as a home based business are: buying an existing website or being an affiliate and promoting someone elses product. There are many others too. The most important choice in your online business is to be sure what it is you want to do and what it is in which you want to invest your money. By knowing what it is you want, you have less of a chance of failure because you are focused on one thing.The absolutely most important thing about having an online business is, after you have decided which niche or area you are interested in working, is to do your research! There is a ton of information out there for every type of Internet business. You need to read as much information as you can about the type of business in which you are engaging.Remember networking! Talk to people. Communicate with people who have a similar business to the one in which you are interested. They have a lot of first hand experience to share. You can learn from their experience and possibly avoid the mistakes they made in their journey.Starting a home based Internet business takes a fair bit of time to get it producing profit. You need to work steadily in developing and promoting the products you are selling. It will take lots of hours initially to get your business set up and get people to buy from you, but once it is set up and attracting visitors, you can relax a little and enjoy the profits!If you take action on each of these steps in starting an online business you will be sure to be successful in your endeavours! Take Action and you will succeed!

Establishing Your Home Based Business

We all try to avoid red tape whenever possible, but it seems to follow us around where ever we go. Establishing a Home Based Business is no different. In fact, making sure you have been successful in meeting all the red tape requirements before you open your doors for business is going to be less of a headache in the long run.The first thing you need to do is to determine the format of your business. Are you going to be the sole proprietor? Or would some other option like a partnership, a limited partnership, or even a corporation serve you best? Each of these business options have their pros and cons. Make sure to take the time to review each of them and determine which one will suit your interests best.For example, a sole proprietorship is the quickest business to set up, but it also has comes with greater personal liability. Incorporating will separate your personal interests from your business interests, but this will require legal oversight that may be time consuming or expensive. So be sure to take the time to review the different options and how they will affect your home based business.The next step in establishing your home based business is to check with your local government about laws pertaining to home based businesses. Most local governments require you to purchase a business license or reseller certificate. They certainly aren’t going to pass up any opportunity to get their hand into your tax pocket. So make sure you are properly licensed and certified to do business out of your home.While you are taking care of the licensing business, you should probably step over to the zoning office to make sure your home business will not violate any zoning laws. It would be a shame to find out after spending time and money in setting up a home based business that you do not live in an area that permits business to be carried out in residential areas.Now, you will need to check into insurance options. You need to face the fact that we live in a litigious society and liability insurance is probably a good idea. Not every home based business will encounter the same degree of liability, so not every home based business needs the same level of insurance. But it is always wise to check into the possibilities. You don’t want to find yourself in a mess down the road because you thought you could skip this step in the beginning.And finally, you need to purchase equipment and tools that will allow your business to function. Don’t skimp here thinking you can wait a couple months for profits to start pouring in before equipping your office. You need to be able to satisfy your customers from day one, and if you are lacking an important piece of equipment like a copier or fax machine, they will find that an annoyance, and look elsewhere. So take the time to fully outfit your home office before you open your doors on the first day.Remember that while red tape is annoying and it slows things down in the beginning, cutting through it in the beginning is going to save you headaches in the long run.

Internet Home Based Business – Strategies to Get Started

If you have accepted the challenge of starting an Internet home based business, congratulations because you are in for the ride of your life. If you keep it simple and do the right thing; by working hard, be self-disciplined and motivated, dedicated and developing a mindset of never quitting, you will be successful and reach your goal of financial freedom.Generally speaking, a home business opportunity will cost less to start because of greatly reduced overhead; because you do not have to commute to an office thereby saving on transportation costs, no need to buy lunch a break time, because you eat at home, therefore saving on food costs. There as many dollar savings for you, depending on what you spent during your 9 to 5 work schedule.No matter whether you end up selling information, services, or products, the one thing to keep in mind when starting an Internet home business you must love the subject, product, or service. Of course, the big question that most every home based business owner starts out with is:Do I know if a home business opportunity is really the right fit for me?Strategies to get your home business started:o The wise home based business owner plans every action and executes it the best way he cano When you own a home business opportunity, there are no bosses to order you around, you are the boss, so act like it and take charge of your businesso There is good news for entrepreneurs who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work; they will see their business growHave a 3 to 5 year plan so you are not tempted to quit just before you are about to make some great money. Imagine starting your own online home business opportunity in the comforts of your own home. Consider the experiences or information you have that will be an asset as you start your network marketing business. Sit down with your children and discuss why you started working from home and stress the importance of being able to get your work done. A good Internet home business opportunity typically offers a low start up cost, has an established management team, a branded company, and has a great or unique product.Start learning the skills that are elementary to career and business opportunity prosperity. Starting your own home business has become a young version of the American Dream. Starting out as a home based business offers some special benefits to entrepreneurs. Learn about several factors to consider when starting a home business. The average work at home requires about $10,000 in start-up costs whereas most Internet business start-up is usually under $500.These strategies are tried and true, so you will benefit greatly by implementing them when starting your Internet home based business.

Why Every Small Business Needs A Website

It’s safe to say that we live in a world where it’s assumed that pretty much anything can be found online. Whether it’s to figure out where you’ve seen a familiar looking actor in a movie, check out the menu of a new restaurant you’re going to or just to find out general information about a company, most of us turn to the web. Let’s face it, many people don’t even a copy of the Yellow Pages anymore and the ones that do aren’t running to find it when they need to find out about a business. These days when someone is looking for something or more like looking for you and your business, they go online.

So does this mean all businesses should absolutely have a website? Yes, whether you own a business, work for yourself in any capacity or provide paid services to the public in some shape or form, you need to have a website.

Common misconceptions determining if a business needs a website

First off, the size of your company doesn’t matter. Regardless if you’re a one-man show or a have hundreds of employees, size truly has no bearing when it comes to the benefits of getting your business online. Many small business owners often think that since majority of their business comes from local clientele, having a website isn’t really necessary. Some of these small, local businesses have been in business for a very long time and have been doing extremely well without a website. In many cases that’s absolutely true and I can’t fault them for thinking that way, but I can only imagine how much even better they could be doing if they actually did have a website.

Another prevailing thought is that it doesn’t make much sense to have a website if your business isn’t actually selling something online. Whether you have an actual tangible product that you plan on selling online or not is irrelevant. These are all huge misconceptions because the bottom line is that it comes down to exposure. Developing a website for your business is the easiest, most efficient and affordable way to get your name out there. Let’s take a look at how having a website for even the smallest business can be beneficial.

Benefits of having a website for your business

For any business, staying relevant among today’s tech-savvy consumers is paramount. Not only does a website help promote your business but it serves as a means for you to be found by customers. Once you have a website you immediately stop being invisible to all the potential customers trying to find you online. And whether you know it or not, being invisible as a business in this on-demand, information age is costing you money.

Here are some key benefits to having a website for your small business:

You create another marketing tool.

Do you have a business card for your company? Obviously that’s a no brainer, of course you do. Just like how you would make sure you get business cards made for your company, creating a website should also be an obvious must-have. A website will be one of your most powerful sales and communication tools for your company, allowing potential clients to quickly and easily find out more about the products and services you have to offer. Think of a website as a brochure for your company that is constantly kept up to date and always available to anyone and everyone.

You create a place for information and communication.

Besides being a sales vehicle, a website is your company’s home turf so to speak for everything having to do with your business. It’s the primary place where people will go for trusted information about your business, to voice concerns and have their questions answered. Whether it’s your current customers, the ones you hope to attract, potential employees or even business partners, a website is your business’s greatest communication tool. Even if it’s two o’clock in the morning, if someone wants to know something about your business, they will look for answers, and your website will be the place they go. Also, any information about your business read directly from your own website is valued more as opposed to information ascertained about it from somewhere else like another website.

You add legitimacy to your business.

Having a website automatically creates legitimacy and validates your business in the mind of clients. To the public this creates confidence that you’re a real, functioning company that is currently doing business. Conversely, if someone looks for your business online and sees you don’t have a website their confidence in your business will wane to say the least. This might imply to the average web user, that you’re not a serious business, can’t afford a website or that your company is old-fashioned.

Allows you to keep up and stay ahead with your competition.

If you’re a small business and you’re competing with other small businesses in your local area, many of them might be in the same boat as you and don’t have a website. That’s all the more reason for you to get one and stay a step ahead. But if any of your competitors do have a website and you don’t, you’re losing business to them plain and simple.

Having a website though can help level the playing field between your business and with the bigger companies that you normally wouldn’t be able to compete with. One of the nice things about the internet is that a potential customer can just as easily find your small business’s website as it can with a website belonging to a huge national chain. Imagine you’re a local hardware business that is a few miles away from a Home Depot. Now, if a local customer searches online where in the area they could purchase a certain home improvement product, wouldn’t you like your chances that they might stumble on your business if you had a website?

Best bang for your buck advertising tool.

A website provides more exposure for your money than any other form of advertising. For the average small business owner, the cost of a local radio or television commercial is just not affordable unless it is aired when vast majority of the targeted audience is sleeping. Local newspaper ads can be reasonably priced, but doesn’t have the reach or impact they once did. Print news is an industry that’s been on the decline since most people are getting their news for free online. With a website, there are no space constraints in detailing and marketing your products, and you are able to interact and truly engage with your customers something that really can’t be done with these other forms of advertising. Also in terms of cost, after the initial investment to design and build the site, the annual expense for hosting and maintenance is a fraction of the outlay many small businesses throw at local advertising throughout the year.

Conclusion

So after all that, does it still mean every website should have a website? And the answer is still yes! But it doesn’t mean that it has to be an expensive undertaking. A website doesn’t need to be big, highly technical, or break the bank in order for it to benefit your company. Even the simplest website that is professionally designed and contains well thought out content can easily benefit any business. But before you can even think about designing your site, you have to take the first step, which is realizing that your business does in fact need one.

Natural Supplements to Grow Taller Review – Herbal Facts and Marketer’s Claims Review

Why do many consumers take dietary supplements to grow taller? The reasons are varied-many times medically valid, sometimes not. In low or appropriate dosages, some supplements offer health benefits under some circumstances. Some people use supplements with good intention: perhaps in search of protection from or a remedy for health problems such as depression, aging skin, cancer, or arthritis. Still others seek added benefits: perhaps better athletic performance or sexual prowess. Too often, supplement use is based on scientifically unfounded marketing promises. But, some people still claim to undeniable scientific proofs.

It would be great, but boosting your nutrient intake won’t cause your cells to produce extra energy or more brain power. Only three nutrients carbohydrates, fats, and proteins supply energy or calories to grow taller. Vitamins don’t. Although B vitamins do help body cells produce energy from the three energy nutrients, they don’t produce energy themselves. Many powerful drugs and toxic chemicals are plant-based. Varieties of mushrooms can be classified as “culinary delicious” or “deadly dangerous.” In the same vein, herbal supplements should be used with caution! Any healthy natural supplements to grow taller, without proper doctor acknowledgement and governement authority approbation sounds really fishy to me.

Athletes and other physically active people need about the same amount of nutrients as others do to grow taller just more energy, or calories, for the increased demands of exercise. The extra amount of food that active people eat supplies the very small amount of extra vitamins needed to grow taller and have more energy production, too.

Although protein needs are somewhat higher for some athletes, especially for those in strength-training sports, food can easily provide the extra. On another note, physical activity, not extra amino acids (protein), builds muscle. For more on nutrition for athletes and ergogenic aids.

Dietary supplements to grow taller won’t protect you from the harmful effects of smoking or alcohol abuse. Here’s the real scoop: Smoking does increase the body’s need for vitamin C; drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages can interfere with the body’s use of most nutrients. If soil can grow crops, the food produced is nutritious. When soil lacks minerals, plants don’t grow properly and may not produce their potential yield. Growing area does affect a food’s iodine and selenium contents.

Supplements won’t give you instant grow taller results, it would take at least a 2-3 months training for instance. For vitamins and minerals to do their work, they need several hours or several days to interact and do their work in your body. For any benefits from other dietary supplements to grow taller, you likely need to take them even longer. Supplements to grow taller are easy to spot. By law, they must be labeled “dietary supplements.” About eighty thousand dietary supplements are marketed in the United States with multivitamin/mineral supplements being the biggest product category-and with an average of 500 new products launched each year. They’re sold in many forms-for example, tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, powders, and bars.

Do you consume a varied, balanced diet to grow taller? With some exceptions, supplements usually aren’t necessary. If you’re healthy and if you’re able and willing to eat a balanced, varied diet. You probably can get the vitamins and minerals you need from smart food choices. According to national studies, most Americans have enough healthful foods available to do that, yet they may not. Under some circumstances, vitamin/mineral supplements offer benefits and are advised; like those for growing taller.

A woman with heavy menstrual bleeding? You may need an iron supplement to replace iron from blood loss. To enhance absorption, take iron supplements with water or juice on an empty stomach. If nausea or constipation are problems, take iron supplements with food. Absorption may be decreased by as much as 50 percent when taken with a meal or a snack. A woman who’s pregnant or breast-feeding? You need more of some nutrients, especially folate and iron-and perhaps calcium if you don’t consume enough calcium-rich foods. Check the label’s Supplement Facts to make sure you get enough for a healthy pregnancy. Ask about a prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement.

Someone unable or unwilling to regularly consume a healthful diet to grow taller? You likely need a dietary supplement to fill in the nutrient gaps. However, eating smarter would be better if you don’t have food-related health problems! Take a supplement with the advice of a doctor or a registered dietitian. For example, pre-menopausal women who don’t consume enough calcium to grow taller and stronger bones from food likely need a calcium supplement-unless they’re willing to improve their diet. Some babies after age six months, children, and teens may need a fluoride supplement to grow taller and perhaps iron or vitamin D.

If you are not able to meet your calcium and vitamin D recommendations with foods to grow taller, you may need calcium or vitamin D supplements to grow taller. Ask a dietitian or your doctor about the right dosage and type. And enhance their absorption by taking them with food. Only food can provide the mixture of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and other substances for a health quality that can’t be duplicated with dietary supplements to grow taller alone. Fortunately for most Americans growing taller, there’s plenty of quality, quantity, and variety in the food marketplace.

Enjoy plenty of calcium and vitamin D-rich foods. They provide more for bone health calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and overall health than supplements do. And a varied, well-balanced eating plan offers other nutrients that appear to promote bone density, including magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K

Supplements to grow taller carry labeling, showing the amounts of vitamins and minerals in a single dosage. If you already eat a healthful diet, you probably don’t need any more than a low-dose supplement. Taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement, with no more than 100 percent of the Daily Values (DVs) as a safety net, is generally considered safe. Most nutrient supplements are produced in low dosages.

Supplements with water-soluble vitamins or minerals can be risky if taken in excess, over time. For example, taking extra vitamin B6 has been suggested to help relieve premenstrual tension. Yet there’s limited evidence to support large vitamin B6 doses for relief of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women have viewed large vitamin B6 doses as harmless, since they are water-soluble. Instead, they may cause irreversible nerve damage when taken in very large doses above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): 500 to 5,000 mg vitamin B6 per day.

That said, can you overdose on vitamins or minerals naturally as you grow taller with food? That’s highly unlikely. As we mentioned, taking very high doses of dietary supplements or taking too many, too often can be dangerous. The vitamin and mineral content of food is much more balanced fortunately. In amounts normally consumed, even if you enjoy extra helpings, you won’t consume toxic levels of nutrients. So eat a variety of foods-and enjoy! Note: Nutrient amounts to grow taller can add up if you consume a lot of highly fortified foods.

You may take dietary supplements to grow taller for potential health benefits. It’s not uncommon for people diagnosed with cancer, AIDS, or other life-threatening health problems, who are desperate for a cure, to put their hopes and healthcare dollars in alternative treatments, including dietary supplements. However, supplements may offer a false sense of security-and a serious problem if you neglect well-proven approaches to health or delay medical attention.

Drink plenty of fluids with calcium supplements to avoid constipation. The lactose and vitamin D in the milk help to enhance calcium absorption. If you don’t drink milk and want an alternative to calcium pills, consider calcium-fortified juice or soy beverage. One cup of calcium-fortified juice or soy beverage can contain about 300 milligrams of calcium, the same amount as in a cup of milk, and provides vitamin C, folate, and other nutrients. Still, you need a vitamin D source to aid absorption; some calcium-fortified juices and soy beverages are also fortified with vitamin D.

Calcium supplements help to protect against osteoporosis (brittle-bone disease) It can’t make up for your lifestyle choices or poor health habits. Regular weight-bearing physical activity is important to grow taller and obtain healthy bones. For healthy bones, avoid smoking, too.

Vitamin nasal sprays or patches are effective to grow taller? No research evidence says so, even though they’re promoted for faster, more efficient absorption. In fact, they may not be absorbed at all. Here’s the reality check: Fat-soluble vitamins need fat from food to aid absorption. Vitamin C in your intestine aids iron absorption-a problem if vitamin C comes from a spray. Vitamin B12 binds with intrinsic factor made in the stomach during digestion. That cannot happen with a spray or a patch! So that means all the place that try to claim that you could grow taller with that are just scam.

Indeed, herbals and other botanicals have known medicinal qualities helping us grow taller; 30 percent of today’s drugs come from plants. Yet, herbals and other botanical supplements also are sold as dietary supplements rather than regulated as drugs. Like many plant-derived pharmaceuticals, these supplements can offer both positive health benefits and harmful side effects.

On the up side, enough scientific evidence has been collected on a handful of botanical supplements to support their limited use. For example, under a doctor’s guidance, gingko biloba may be used to help treat the symptoms of age-related memory loss and dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease); green tea extract may help reduce cancer risk. A growing body of research evidence is being gathered about their safety and effectiveness, as well as their limitations and dangers.

On the down side, like other supplements to grow taller, herbal and other botanical supplements are regulated differently from pharmaceuticals, which are meant to cure or prevent disease. You aren’t as protected from misleading claims as you might think. When you think about the quality and effectiveness of these grow taller methods; you can see that the marketer’s are absolutely in control of the quality…

According to current law and regulations, herbal and botanical remedies to grow taller and other dietary supplements to grow taller can enter the marketplace without FDA approval. The burden is on the FDA to remove a dangerous dietary supplements to grow taller from the marketplace. Currently dosages of herbal remedies aren’t standardized, so dosages vary among products. Some are even copies of the actual real-product that is made by legitimate herbal company; they put the same product name change what is inside and put the same label. Be very careful, you can look up grow taller 4 smarts free scam alerts to be ahead of scammers.

Although packaging claims can’t say that a supplement to grow taller cures or prevents disease, it may carry claims for its purported health role. Many claims have only limited scientific evidence. Are herbal supplements or botanicals are safe during pregnancy and nursing? There’s not enough scientific evidence yet to recommend safe levels for herbal supplements for pregnant or nursing moms. However, some are known to be harmful to a baby.

How to Detect Drug Abusing Teenagers

The effects of substance abuse in teens are not only individual; they can also be seen on the society. They may face problems at school or college and may involve in criminal activities. It is therefore very important to detect drug abusing teenagers. Drug testing should be conducted on a regular basis at schools and homes to identify and save them from harmful drugs of abuse.

Signs of drug abuse
Identifying certain signs helps you to detect if the kid is addicted to the drugs. Some of the common physical and emotional signs are:

• Change in sleep patterns
• Poor motor coordination
• Poor hygiene and illness including nausea and excessive sweating
• Irregular heartbeat
• Impaired thinking
• Mood swings
• Hyperactivity or overtired
• Depression

Drug abusing teens lose their interest in family activities, often abuse verbally and physically at home or school, and disrespect the family or school. In addition, abrupt decrease in grades, memory and attention loss, and lack of interest and concentration on studies are some of the signs at school. The moment you observe any of the above mentioned signs, you need to immediately check if the kid is abusing drugs. Drug testing is one of the safest and easiest ways to detect the drug abuse among teens.

Types of drug tests
There are different types of methods to detect the teens who are using drugs. Some of the common ones are urine, saliva, hair, and blood tests.

Urine drug test
Of all the types, urine testing is used most commonly as it is inexpensive method used to detect a drug user. You can use urine test kits at home or school to check if the child is addicted to illegal drugs. Quick and accurate results are obtained by these test kits.

Saliva drug test
It is more advantageous as it is relatively non-intrusive. Saliva from the mouth is taken through a swab and is checked for the presence of drugs. Most recent drug abuse can be detected by saliva tests. Conducting saliva test is very easy and also provides accurate and immediate results.

Hair drug test
This method is also non-intrusive. A hair sample of 1.5 inches in length is enough for conducting the test. Drug or its metabolites deposited at the hair shaft are detected by hair tests. You can get very reliable and accurate results by this method.

Blood drug test
You can also use a blood sample of the teen to detect illegal drug usage. It is however expensive and you need to approach laboratory as you cannot conduct it at your home.

Detection periods
The detection period depends on the method of test conducted. These detection periods vary from the type, dosage, and frequency of drug used.

Urine drug test can detect drug or its metabolites for 30 days in frequent users and for 2-3 days in occasional users. The test detects Cocaine for 4-5 days, Heroin for 2-4 days, Methamphetamine for 3-5 days, PCP for 3-7 days, and Codeine for 2-4 days.

A saliva test is mostly used to detect recent drug usage. However, it can also detect drugs consumed 3 days back. Of all the methods, hair drug test has a longer detection period. It detects illegal drug consumption for about 90 days.

What if results are positive?
Once the kid is tested positive by drug test kit, talk to him/her about the result. You can get a confirmatory result through laboratory tests. Communicate with him regularly regarding the effects of drug abuse. Ask him to leave companions or friends who are habituated to drugs. If necessary, send him/her to substance abuse treatment program.

Importance of intervention
Detection and intervention of drug abuse at primitive stages can prevent further damage. Drug intervention is an attempt made by family members or school authorities to help the teen get out of drug abuse or addiction. The main objective of intervention is to make the teen understand the physical and mental destruction caused by drug abuse. If you are not able to speak to the kid on this, you can take help of your friends or relatives. You can also consult specialists who counsel drug abusers and help them get back to their normal life.

Parents and school authorities should always keep an eye on the behavior and activities of the teens. Necessary measures have to be taken in order to prevent them from taking drugs.

Prevent Teen Drug Abuse Using Drug Testing Kits at Home

Teen drug abuse became a serious health problem in United States. It is hurting the healthcare system, burdening the economy, and causing millions of deaths every year. Of the many causes that promote drug abuse among teens, lack of parental supervision is a major one. Teens should be guarded properly by their parents as they are still immature.

Since, early intervention leads to effective prevention of this unhealthy habit, parents should identify drug abusing habits in teens and take preventive measures. Parents can take help of home drug testing kits which are effective and easy to use.

In this article, we will discuss about teens and their vulnerability to drug abuse; how to identify teen drug abuse and how important are drug testing programs at home to prevent teen drug abuse.

Teens – vulnerable to drugs abuse: Many scientific studies have already proved that teenagers are more prone to risk taking and are vulnerable to drug abuse when compared to adults. This typical behavior of teens during adolescence is because of the major changes in parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as self-control, judgment, planning, organization, and emotions. Since teen brains are not yet fully developed, they cannot take proper decisions and fall victims to unhealthy habits like drug and alcohol abuse.

Signs and symptoms of drug abuse: The primary step towards prevention of drug abuse in teens is to identify their unhealthy habits. Prominent changes, both in their behavior and in physical appearance can be noticed even at the early stages of abuse. Following are the warning signs:

Physical and emotional changes:
• Red eyes
• Finding difficulty to speak
• Sudden fall or rise in weight
• Lack of hygiene and showing less interest in personal grooming
• Aggression and arrogance
• Depression and irritation

Social and behavioral changes:
• Dissociation from old friends and acquiring new social group
• Sudden anger or depression
• Poor attendance and academics at school
• Spending time lonely
• Abnormal odor in breath or clothing
• Pipes, needles and other suspicious substances in their room

Importance of home drug test kits: The moment you see the signs that indicate drug abuse in your teen, it is the time to confirm drug abusing habits using reliable methods. They are useful devices for the parents to confirm these unhealthy habits in teens. They are simple, easy to use, provide instant and accurate results, cost-effective and above all ensure privacy. Some multi-panel drug testing kits can detect multiple drugs of abuse at a shot.

Best drug test methods to implement: When it comes to home drug testing, urine and saliva tests are considered to be the best methods. There are two other methods – blood and hair tests also, but they need special devices and expert supervision, hence are not recommended for home testing.

Urine test can detect the drugs in your teen’s system up to three days after use. If you believe that your teen has taken drugs during the last few days, then this method is effective in offering accurate results. However, it is necessary to check that your teen is not providing fake urine sample which can lead to false results.

Saliva drug testing is an ideal drug test if you suspect that your teen abused drugs on that particular day. These kits can detect drug use up to 48 hours.

Need for random drug testing: If you are conducting drug tests on your teens at regular intervals, following a regular pattern, your teen may notice the pattern and either try to manipulate the sample before the test or stop abusing drugs few days before the test. Hence, practicing random drug tests is always an ideal way to identify the drug use which effectively helps in detecting the drug abuse among your teens. Random testing makes teens say ‘NO’ to drugs as they know that you can conduct drug testing any time at home.

Home drug testing kits can be considered as effective solutions in controlling and preventing drug abuse in your teens. So, make sure that you have some of them at home to test your teen to help him stay away from drugs.