Wholesale Wedding Flowers

Did you notice that the new trend of decorating a wedding reception hall is by using balloons that are tied up into various shapes? But what is a wedding reception without flowers? Somehow it is not the same. Well, at least to me!

I bet that the foremost consideration for bridal couples to opt out of flowers and go with something new, like balloons, is cost. However, buying wholesale flowers for weddings need not be expensive.

If you do not believe me then check out the wholesale calla lilies that are sold by Fifty Flowers. Besides the really low prices due to the volume sold [you just HAVE to check out the price difference between normal retail price and the price from Fifty Flowers], Fifty Flowers also have the variety to cater to the needs of every bridal couple.

Lelong Spot the Total Contest

Are you game for Lelong's Spot the Total contest? I think this is a pretty tough contest where you need to spend the better part of you day browsing through the relevant categories. Sigh, where got time lah?

But I think it's pretty smart of Lelong to generate page views by dangling t-shirts and an iPod touch in front of us to get us to hunt for the three items and add up their sale price to get the total. So this contest is aptly name 'spot the total'.

Smart as they are, though, I believe that Lelong, who only recently found out about and implemented AdSense, do not know that a sudden spike in traffic will only lower their CPC.

Massage Chair At Half Price

I was surfing the marketplace forum of expatriates in Malaysia and came upon a member selling his massage chair for MYR8,000. Apparently, he bought this massage chair for MYR15,000 less than a year ago and it is still covered with warranty.

Can you imagine buying a massage chair for MYR15,000? I know that these are sold at that price range but there are people buying them?? I was told that although the pay is minimal for these sales boys and girls, they do get a high percentage of commission for every sale they clinch too, but 1% of MYR15,000 is only MYR150.

If I were to splash MYR15,000 I'd rather buy a car, albeit a used one. Or maybe I could go on my dream vacation to Monte Carlo. Or, I could set up a mini home entertainment room that is sparingly furnished hehehe but I will definitely NOT buy a CHAIR. What about you?

To Hong Kong

I was surprised to learn that my friend just returned from Hong Kong with his family. What surprised me was not the fact that he went to Hong Kong but the fact that his baby is not even a year old and has already traveled to Hong Kong! I know Hong Kong is not far but still, it is a plane ride away and air tickets are not cheap.

However, knowing him, he most probably have shopped for the best travel deals to enable him and his family to travel to Hong Kong for a shopping vacation without breaking the bank. My friend, like me, does not believe in paying full price for anything if we get similar products or services at a considerable lower price just by spending a little time searching for deals and specials.

I think that I need to consult my friend when it comes to my upcoming holiday plans too.

La Senza's Ballerina Flat For Spring

If you have been reading my other blog, you will know that I have been shopping for shoes. When was it that my shoe broke embarrassingly during Chinese New Year? Hhmm was that Chinese New Year of 2007? Gosh! And I still have not found a good pair of shoes to replace them!

Anyway, the reason I am finding it so difficult to buy a pair of shoes that I could wear comfortably is because that my feet come in a half size. Now, that is just one of the odd things about me. Like when it comes to buying tops, I'm larger than S yet smaller than M. Go figure.

A few days ago, I was told that the Ballerina Flat is a must-have for this Spring. This is from La Senza, by the way. HHmm do you think that they are comfy? I prefer shoes that have thicker soles and these are pretty thin at the soles but they are sold at only CAD30.50 for two pairs or at a more expensive CAD19.50 per pair.

If I were to buy them, of course I would be buying two pairs for CAD30.50 which works out to be CAD15.25 per pair only. Why pay CAD19.50 when you can get the same for CAD15.25?

Benefiting From A Professional Marketing Company

As you know, I have plans to set up my own lingerie label but looking at the budget that market leaders have splurged on marketing and advertising, I am not sure WHEN I will be able to afford to advertise in such a large scale like them. However, I have my own ideals and it is said that if you believe in what you do, you can take your brand in a new direction and be a band leader as well. If I were to follow in the footsteps of the more established brand names, I may as well forego my own plans and go work for these companies, right?

Having said that, I believe that no matter what, a new brand would always require the fresh ideas and expertise of a marketing company to bring added exposure to our brand name. Otherwise, with so many different brand names of a similar product being launched on a monthly basis, our own brand could easily get drown in the pool. When it comes to the crunch, only the companies with the most innovative and revolutionary ideas will survive.

Over the past few months, I have been told of the marketing and search engine marketing and optimization services provided by Brand Identity Guru, which runs a website at http://www.brandidentityguru.com. While I have no doubt about their capability, I am afraid of the cost. Coming from Malaysia where the Ringgit is weaker, marketing by an American company would definitely blow my budget.

On the other hand, I do not see why an American company would not benefit from the services that are being offered by a marketing company like Brand Identity Guru.

Gift Giving With Fresh Flowers

Although some people think that we can only give flowers on special occasions, I think that we could actually do it whenever we feel like it. You know, fresh flowers can bring cheer to someone's day especially when it is unexpected.

Have you thought of giving flowers to a close friend out of the blue? I use to think that fresh flowers could be costly but after getting to know about Beyond Blossoms, I realized that as long as we know where to source for our fresh flowers, we do not have to break our piggy bank to do it.

Beyond Flowers have a very innovative reward program where customers will be given bonus points with every purchase of flowers. These bonus points are accumulated and then redeemed for flowers from Beyond Blossoms. This means that although you are already paying a low price for your flowers at first, when you have enough bonus points, you can have your flowers for free too!

Do I Change My Printer?

If you remember, I wrote about losing my package of printed promotional items for my WebStore and the sample t-shirt that I thought I would print a few for my Buyers. you know, sort of like a promotion PLUS free gift.

Well, the package never arrived from the United States. I thought it was my bad luck because I bought twice from them and one package did arrive and I was pretty happy with most of the items that I ordered and received.

Some time later, I came across a couple of people who claimed that they also bought printed items from this particular company and they did not receive their products as well! I thought that I would close one eye about losing my package because I did not lose money even with a lost package but now that I know about other people who experienced the same thing, I am beginning to wonder if there is something not right with this company.

I wonder if I should place a new order with them the next time I want promotional items printed. What if my package gets lost again? It's not really the money because it is not even that expensive but it is the feeling where I eagerly anticipate for it to arrive and it will never come. I am not sure now.

Is There Something Wrong With The Postal Service Here?

I'm getting a little worried right now. On 13th February, 2008, I called up my bank in the United States to set up internet banking. They said that they will be sending me my log in ID and password in two separate airmail letters.

On 1st March, my latest consignment was shipped to me from the United States. Today is already 25th March, 2008.

As you can see, it has taken a hell long time for these to reach me and there is still no sign of them! What to do? Sigh... I really can't afford to lose my mail because that means a loss of time too. See, from 13th February till today is already 1.5 months and from 1st March until today is already more than three weeks gone. Oh-oh!

Unique Wedding Favor Ideas Online

My friend, Julie, informed me that she just organized a beautiful wedding for a bridal couple who flew to Bali for the memorable event. Like I mentioned earlier, her husband is a part-time wedding photographer and Julie helps the bridal couples for free.

This wedding, Julie was commissioned to come up with unique wedding favor ideas for the wedding and Julie told me that luckily, she was able to get these ideas on the web and they were all approved by the bridal couple.

That saves her a lot of time and not forgetting the stress that would ensue if the bride demands for something else at the last minute! Julie told me that working with them has been a breeze and this couple was easy to please.

If you would like fresh ideas for your unique wedding favors, do check out The Knot’s Wedding Shop.

.my 2nd Level Domain Opens for Public Registration Today

Is this good news? I don't know, as I have no plans to buy a domain that ends with .my. I know I should book my usual domain name with a .my BUT nah... I already have more domains that I could remember.

If you are interested, though, for your information, what you need is to be a Malaysia, hold a MyKad, own a Malaysian registered company, and of course, Rm120 per year for the domain name. And of course, it does not need to be mentioned that you need a good domain name that reflects your business!

If all the above requirements are met then go ahead and create your web presence. Registration opens today, 25th March 2008, at 9.00am (Malaysia Time, GMT +8:00).

Searching For New Blogger Template For My Blog

I spent the couple of days looking all over the internet for a Blogger template for this blog. You may not have noticed any changes on this blog because I have set up a Blogger template test blog specifically for the purpose of testing out Blogger templates.

One thing I noticed is that the designers or the people who ported WordPress blogs into Blogger templates, did not really test their themes properly before releasing them. Now, I am not saying that all of them are like that but I have tested so many themes and almost all turned up with little errors here and there, some that could be easily rectified, some are so error ridden it's just better to drop it than to waste time checking the HTML codes.

So, after two days of intense searching, I still ended up with nothing to show. It galls me that I have wasted time. I do have a couple in mind but I can't decide if I should stick to Blogger Classic that uses HTML or move on to Blogger that is out of Beta that uses XML. So which shall I use?

Looking For Hotels In Spanish?

Searching for information online is a task that not many people are prepared to do because it takes up a lot of time. However, when you are planning a vacation, that is exactly what you much do. Can you imagine that if you were to search for ofertas de hoteles, yes, in Spanish, how much more difficult it is than searching for this information in English?

That's why Hotels.com specifically set up a sister site in Spanish to cater to just this group or travelers. While you may think that it is a waste of resources to set up a website in a language that is not as widely used as English, you will be surprised that Spanish is a widely spoken language in America and there are still people who are more comfortable using Spanish than English.

Therefore, setting up a Spanish site for these Spanish speaking people to plan their vacation is a smart move.

Rounding Up Your Cents

I remember writing a post on the difference that even one sen will make to retailers and how much they "profit" just from pricing their items at $0.99 and then do not give a change to their customer claiming that they have run out of one cent coins.

Well, guess what? If you do not already know, beginning 1st of April,2 008, the Malaysian government is going to make us round up our bills, meaning if our bill ends with 1 or 2 cents, we do not have to pay that but if it ends with 3, 4 or 5 cents, we have to pay 5 cents. On the other hand, if it ends with 6 or 7, we only pay 5 cents and if it ends with 8 or 9 cents, we will have to pay ten cents. Check this poster I have enclosed for clarity.

I am, of course, not happy with this move. I have a huge collection of one cent coins especially for paying my shipping, buying items or paying bills that do not have a round figure because I know that the one sen could turn into a five figure sum annually.

They can claim that it is expensive to mint the coins but don't bull shit us that it will make life easier for us not to have to handle one cent coins.

Sign Up For This List Building Course & Training

As an internet marketer, one of the trickiest things to do is turning prospects into customers. Because our business is conducted over the internet, we actually have more work to do that people who conduct business face-to-face. Emailing, which was the primary mode of communication with our prospects, is already out of fashion no thanks to the deluge of spam mail that we receive daily.

This morning, I was told that a professional marketer by the name of Srini Saripalli will be conducting a course on Integrated List Building and generously sharing with us his know-how on online and offline list building.

In this course, which will only be launched on 12th April, 2008, Srini Saripalli will shoot straight to effective ways of list building that have been proven to work. If you are interested to participate in this home study training program, which you should especially if you are a home business owner, then pre-register at ListBuilding360.com. I'm not going to miss this chance too!

New List Building Course Coaches on Latest and Workable Internet Marketing Tactics

Srini Saripalli, a professional information marketer who is often referred to as a business strategy expert and success engineer, is Launching "List Building 360", a list-building online training program/home study course, beginning Saturday April 12, 2008.

(PRWEB) March 18, 2008 -- Srini Saripalli, a professional information marketer who is often referred to as a business strategy expert and success engineer, is Launching "List Building 360", a list-building online training program/home study course, beginning Saturday April 12, 2008.

List building and email marketing methods that were in vogue when the World Wide Web was a young thing still remain in vogue today. Internet marketers have abused email marketing to such an extent that people are junking even genuine emails - now, it has become impossible to generate sales using these Jurassic Web 1.0 strategies. The result is that many infopreneurs are failing in their Internet marketing business and are losing their entrepreneurial steam rapidly.

Target your prospects with relevant messages across 360 degrees and you will have success. Note that, Internet marketing is a serious business for serious people who believe in doing serious work.

List Building 360 promises to change all that. The course stays clear from unsuccessful, corny and age-old email marketing and list-building tactics, and focuses on practical and workable Internet marketing strategies based on a combination of savvy online and offline tactics. The course is geared towards existing internet marketers who are desperately looking for new, in-depth, expert list-building information that will enhance and revitalize their business model and deliver them the profits they always dreamed about. Aspiring internet marketers are also welcome to join the course.

List Building 360 will coach on the merits of employing a results-yielding integrated approach - an approach that will turn the list-building concept on its head and coach the participants about new and revolutionary techniques more suitable and workable in our present Web 2.0 and social media age. The course is made up of dynamic list-building training modules that will demonstrate:

-How to find highly motivated customers;
-How to explore new territories and markets;
-How to segment & target precisely;
-How to get that competitive edge with innovative products and
-How to get faster results with marketing campaigns;
-How to perform all of the above profit-generating actions by spending the least amount of time, effort and resources and many more.

Moreover, this being a training program, it is ideal for home business owners who want to enhance their Internet earnings. Srini Saripalli adds a rider though: "Target your prospects with relevant messages across 360 degrees and you will have success. Note that, Internet marketing is a serious business for serious people who believe in doing serious work."

List Building 360 will be launched on April 12, 2008 and is initially open only to a few serious entrepreneurs on a first-come-first-served basis. To get a head start you can visit ListBuilding360.com and register for the pre-launch notification.

All relevant information pertaining to the course will be available at its registration site http://www.listbuilding360.com on the launch day.

Resource Information:
Srini Saripalli is a technologist, marketer and a business success coach. Referred to by many as a Success Engineer, Srini shares his time-tested and proven success strategies for marketers, small business owners and entrepreneurs on his blog.

La Senza's Introductory Offer: $10 Off With Code SOFREE10

I am not sure if you all already kjnow about this year but La Senza is running a promotion with $10 off their range of number one bras "So Free". Prices on their website are before deduction of $10. When you check out, remember to enter the code SOFREE10 to be eligible for a $10 deduction from your bra.

The good news is that this $10 discount is also valid alongside the 10% La Senza Prestige club, Elite club and VIP discounts. So if you are a member of any of these exclusive La Senza clubs, you will be getting a double offer.

I always believe that when you are shopping online, always wait for a promotional offer, sale or hunt for relevant coupon codes. This is to enable you to save. Shopping online is only half the fun. The other half is knowning how much you saved just by spending a little time on the internet looking for a coupon code that works.

In this case, there is no need to hunt as I am letting you know already. It is SOFREE10.

New Land Investment Options

With a friend who goes all over the world picking up land as a long term investment, I get to know his latest purchases and the hot spots when it comes to real estate.

What surprised me was that he is currently eyeing Nicaragua land. HHmm I have not heard of people investing in Nicaragua land but I guess my friend is right in the sense that we have to pick up the land first before the prices are pushed up due to demand. This does not apply to Nicaragua real estate only but to all properties.

I asked my friend the kind of land that he is interested in and he told me that he only wants seaside land because he intends to build his holiday home. I am not sure if Nicaragua beach property would be more expensive that land in the capital city, Managua.

Whatever it is, as an experienced international real estate investor, I believe he will make the right decisions when it comes to Nicaragua property buying!

Steady Price Of Precious Metals

If you have been following the trend of the American Dollar, you will know that it has been steadily declining over the past year. If you have only held cash, in American Dollars in your bank, and will the American Dollar dropping so many points already, you nett worth is now way lower than it was a year ago because of the declining value of the Dollar.

Living in Malaysia, I have always known that a weak currency will not be able to provide us with the security of our investment. Having gone through the 1997 meltdown, I know that the only secure investment would be on gold and silver bullion. This is because the prices of gold and silver hardly ever fall but keep rising.

Of course, this is not to say that they NEVER fall at all because there may be a price correction once in awhile but still, an investment in bullion is always more secure than investing in currency, stocks or the wrong commodity!

What do you think?

My Alexa is Higher Than Yours

I know that I have asked before but allow me to wonder aloud once again: Is there something wrong with Alexa? I swear that I a getting way higher traffic numbers than I used to but why is it that with every update on my Alexa, the numbers are increasing for all my blogs? I find it really strange. The only logical consolation is to think that if my traffic is lower, then my Alexa will not even be this current number but way higher.

I was told that installing the widget on my blog can help to record my traffic better but it looks like it does not help at all. And if it is no longer useful, I think I'll be taking it down since it does not look good at all with the seven digit numbers!

As a webmaster, I know that I don't blog for Alexa but as a webmaster trying to earn a few bucks from my site, I am rather concerned about this. Yea, I know that Alexa reading is no longer relevant in traffic tracking BUT advertisers may not know that. *sigh*

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

If my friend, Boon, is still around, he would be going around chanting "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle". You see, he championed environmental issues and anything that had to do with the 3Rs were closed to his heart. Now, even though he is no longer around, we, his friends and family, make it a point to recycle our trash whenever possible.

Did you know that our scrap, especially HDPE Scrap, is big business? Otherwise, companies will not send out large lorries making rounds in residential areas collecting plastic scraps for free.

Just now, I was told of a company called HDPE Scrap for Recycling which you can also check out at their website http://www.hdpescrap.com, whose primary business is in sourcing for and supplying raw plastic material.

If you read the website of HDPE Scrap for Recycling, you will get in depth information on the kind of High Density PolyEethylene scrap that they are sourcing for and what they do with all the HDPE Scrap that they have collected. HDPE Scrap for Recycling then supplies their HDPE Scrap to various industries. If you would like to know their prices, then it all depends on how the HDPE Scrap is processed and the supply and demand of this commodity. Apart from this, HDPE Scrap for Recycling also offers consultancy services all over the world.

Spring Is Here

Spring is here and I get the impression of "light and cheery" weather as opposed to the thunderstorms that I am going through daily. A friend commented that there is not a day that goes by WITH blue skies. Well, I have my head buried under work most of the day that I never noticed that; blue skies, I mean. Nobody CANNOT not notice about the thunderstorms!!

Spring is the weather that brings clothes like these to mind. It's light and simple to wear or match. You don't need to take a few hours to dress up and they go oh so well with jeans!

And most of all, Victoria's Secret is running a promotion where buying any two tees from their selected range of tees will save you 20%!

The Popularity of Home Gyms

If you my blog last week, I am sure you came across a post on losing weight and maybe buying a treadmill so that I could workout at home.

Well, I went to Courts where there’s a store selling gym equipment. I thought that I would try out the treadmills there but the salesperson told me that home gyms are very popularly now and people who are serious in working out at home will usually buy a few gym equipment and set up a mini gym at home.

I knew about home gyms when back in the 1980s, my uncle already set up one in his house and we used to play in his mini gym whenever we visited. However, I did not know that nowadays, people prefer a home gym over an exclusive gym where members can socialize.

Now I can’t even decide if I should get a just a treadmill or enroll in a professional gym!

Ms. Forgetful's Vacation

I met an old friend last evening by chance. By the way, yesterday was a public holiday so almost everyone was in town! Anyway, we were so happy to meet each other again after such a long time. Time flies but it seems like the two of us were the same people who parted ways.

I noticed something different about her but I could. She seemed extraordinarily cheery. She then disclosed that she had one of the best family vacation just a week ago at a Hilton Head rental. All right, now she is making me green eyed!

We parted ways again but promised to keep in touch and she also promised to email me the photos that she took during her vacation. Let’s see if she will remember. She's not known as Ms. Forgetful for nothing!

[Final] Reminder From AccentBanking

I received a reminder email from AccentBanking early yesterday morning. The email was to remind us to withdraw our funds from Tomato Bank if we had yet to do so. This last day of withdrawal is 31st March, 2008 but if I were you, I would do it pronto. You need allow time for the funds to clear, needn't you?

AccentBanking says that they will not be providing customer support services to account holders who failed to withdraw their funds from Tomato Bank after this date.

The good news, though, is that AccentBanking will be rolling out a new service for people who are not in the US yet require a US bank account. I'm interested to know what they have in store for these group of people though I do not need it. Stay tuned!

Sell Your Endowment At The Best Price

My sister told me that there are fears that America may slip into recession. Whether this will happen in the near or middle term no one can tell but it has already caused many people to reevaluate where their expenses are going.

According to my sister, some homeowners are already considering a remortgage of their homes while some are looking for buyers for their endowment policies. While selling endowments is not necessarily a good choice, at least it is an option if worse comes to worst. I say it is not a good choice because the Seller will always receive a lower value for his policy.

However, if people were to sell endowments, there are always companies like Endowment Express whose primary task is to connect the endowment seller with the endowment buyer who could pay the best price.

You see, there are many endowment sellers especially in such an economy and it will pull down the value of your endowment. However, if you have a company like Endowment Express which has a website at http://www.endowmentexpress.co.uk which will help search for the major buyers, your interest will be protected. If you would like to know how much your endowment policy may worth, contact Endowment Express for a free quotation.

Transformation Inside Out

How long has it been since I met my old school mates? Sometimes I feel like it was only yesterday that we parted ways. Over last weekend, I had the chance to attend a tea session with some of my old friends and one of the girls, I noticed there was something different with her but I could not pin point the change.

She then told me that she had saline breast implants a little while back and I was pretty surprised about that! Here was the girl with really high self-esteem and she needed breast implants?

According to my friend, she saw how beautiful and confident her colleague became after breast implants and she told herself that the transformation of a person from breast implants is not only on the exterior but also interior.

When one decides to undergo breast implant surgery, she will be evaluated and she can even choose the size and shape of her new breasts. Technology is so advanced now!

Public Holiday: 20th March, 2008

Please take note that tomorrow, 20th March, 2008, is a Federal holiday here in Malaysia, in conjunction with the birthday of Nabi Muhammad S.A.W., or better known as Hari Keputeraan Nabi Muhammad S.A.W.

I have had a handful of enquiries on my sales these few days and I did tell them that there is no shipping on 20th March, 2008. If there is a need to have the purchases delivered early, in the case of birthdays or other special occasions, then you know that you absolutely need to have your payment sent in time for your package to be shipped before the 20th of March.

21st March, 2008 is Good Friday but it is a working day here in Malaysia so shipping will resume as normal. 22nd of March may be Saturday but it is a working day as well. Sunday is rest day. So ideally, your packages are shipped out on Friday and you will get your hands on your packages on Saturday.

Contemporary - A Gold Certified Partner for Business Intelligence

No matter how some companies like to say that there are other better products or solutions than those that are made available by Microsoft, Microsoft is one of the top companies and already synonymous with computing. It is no wonder that they are the market leader.

Last evening, I was informed that Contemporary plc, a British expert company in business intelligence has managed to retain its status as Microsoft's Gold Certificate Partner for Business Intelligence.

From what I understand, this status is reviewed on a yearly basis and Microsoft does this to maintain its highest standard levels in their Certified Partners. Really, with annual stringent checks like this companies who wish to continue to be Microsoft's Gold Certified Partners are not allowed to rest on their laurels!

You may wonder why companies try their best to be accepted as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Well, it’s like an insiders’ club where Gold Certified Partners have access to Microsoft’s range of resources that are exclusive for these Partners, first hand evaluation of new products or technologies and priority to Microsoft’s Support team.

By the way, Contemporary plc is a company that helps businesses understand their data and try to steer the company in the right direction based on the feedback or data received. Therefore, as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, they are able to utilise the technologies of Microsoft for better data evaluation and analysis for their clients.

March 15th 2008

Contemporary re-qualifies as a Microsoft Gold Partner for another 12 months. This is the highest accolade in the Microsoft partner programme and a major achievement. Qualifying for this award required commitment from our technical team and excellent feedback from our customers who provided Microsoft references.

This award means that we have demonstrated superior levels of successful implementations, capabilities and certification. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners are required to meet rigorous requirements for certification and expertise. Contemporary plc has retained it's status of Gold Certified Partner for Business Intelligence by demonstrating quality of service and high levels of developer certification, deep real-world experience, and by providing completed customer reference projects that were independently verified by Microsoft.

Through engagement with Microsoft, Microsoft Gold Certified Partners have in-depth access to a variety of exclusive resources and early product information. Resources include priority access to a support team of Microsoft certified systems engineers, non-disclosure evaluation of new products and technologies, as well as planning tools and events to keep up to speed on the latest Microsoft product developments and future direction.

www.contemporary.co.uk

Busy Online

Ever so often, I am asked what I am busy with. Many people think that running an online business is easy peasy but I'm telling you right now that it is not. First of all, there's ground work to be done like sourcing, procuring, importing, photographing AND cropping & resizing of the images, writing and listing.

And then there's the marketing aspect once the items are listed. I see the listing of items like displaying the items on the supermarket shelves. You need an attractive display to catch the eye of the casual shopper. You need something extra to make the stop to have a look.

When it comes to marketing, you need to always find new ways to bring your brand name and products out to more and newer groups of people. I surf the internet with this in mind, looking for potential places to market. Of course, this is ON TOP of the regular email campaigns that I run.

So you see, there are just a hundred and one activities to do online and it seem like there's just not enough time, though lately, I have tried not to push myself that hard!

Be In The Loop Of Money Markets

As a small time investor in stocks, I can hardly afford to lose money. I find that it is up to me to get as much information as possible and keep myself updated with the latest economic and socio happenings of the country to try to predict market trends. As an example, the market is in a downward trend currently due to fears of America slipping into a recession.

This morning, I was told of a financial blog contributed by five money experts. Although this blog is rather new, they have very informative posts that will help us make better decisions when it comes to investing.

Check out the blog: Market.Melange | Hedge fund manager´s brainstorming tool is not all you will be getting. As a responsible investor, I think that you should be on the ball and this blog will keep you in the loop.

Just imagine, these guys at Market.Melange had already said that the American economy is in a recession back in December 2007 / January 2008!

Asian Markets Tumble This Morning

Did you read the news on the steep fall of Asian stock markets this morning on concerns of a weak economic future in the United States?

Actually, I am not surprised at all with this fall since the market rose to more than 1,300 in late February, 2008. Moreover, the market is ALWAYS window dressed just before the Elections and the propping stops once the Election is over.

Even without concerns of the American economy, which is predicted to slip into a recession, I already had my reservations about investing in a market that had ballooned up. This downward trend of the KLSE therefore comes as no surprise to me.

Always hold to the formula of “buying low and selling high” instead of “buying high and selling higher” and we won’t go wrong.

Shopping Wisely For A Home Loan

Buying a home is a long term commitment. Did you know that when my sister decided to buy a home, she had to take out two home loans? Not only that, once she signed on the dotted line, she committed herself to thirty long years of repayment of her larger home loan. The smaller one had a shorter repayment period.

Because of this long term commitment, it is always best to shop for the best mortgage rates first before binding yourself. There are plenty of mortgage tools that you can utilize online, like the ones provided by MyHomeLoanMortgages which you can use for free, like the mortgage calculator.

Shopping for a home loan is also applicable for homeowners seeking a mortgage refinancing. I tell you, when it comes to huge sums of money like that, we should not rush ourselves. This is the best time to shop wisely.

CyberPartyGal's WebStore Is Back Online

I am so glad to announce that after being offline for approximately six long hours, CyberPartyGal's WebStore is back online. The server repair was uneventful, luckily, and I am not back in business.

Did you know that with my Store being offline yesterday for six hours and most of my self-hosted blogs down for about twelve (!!) hours, I suddenly had so much free time on my hands! LOL

See, most of my activities are centred on the computer and internet, my Store and blogs. Without power or internet access or the use of a computer, without access to my WebStore or blogs, I really cannot work at all. Boy, was I glad that I already got most of the important blog posts published so I was not as stressed out as I could be!

Like I mentioned, I am back I business, so do drop by my Store today. :)

Fighting Flab Effectively

I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago that I seriously NEED to lose some weight. I feel the need to do something before I am too fat and then it would be very difficult to shed the weight.

I would not say that I am fat but I have excesses on my body that I could do without. I consulted my friend on the best way to shed some weight and wondered aloud if I should take out my exercise bicycle that has been collecting dust.

My friend advised me to get a treadmill instead as it would provide me with an overall effect of toning my body.

Also, having a treadmill at home means that I would not have to do my walks out in the street which would be dark after work. It's a great safety precautionary measure!

Be Proactive In Protecting Your Computer

I told my friend that I found a software virus in my computer AGAIN and he chided me by saying that there's no use for me to keep complaining if I do not do something about it. What I should do is to get better protection for my computer against virus, malware, spyware, Trojans and other parasites.

Well, it's not that I do not want to get full-proof protection for my computer since I depend so much on it for work daily but I am running on a tight budget here, you know?

So my friend recommended me something called NOD32, an all-in-one computer and network protection by Software Security Solutions and told me that I could get an annual license for home use for $39.99 only.

That sounds like a very reasonable price and yes, it’s time to be proactive in protecting my computer instead of put it at risk and then complaining about it!

Scheduled Downtime For CyberPartyGal's WebStore

In case you did not read my notice of a scheduled downtime for CybePartyGal's WebStore on my other blog, this is to inform you that CyberPartyGal's WebStore will be inaccessible on 16th March, 2008 from 5pm to 11pm Malaysian time. This is an approximate time, of course.

If you are outside of Malaysia, then I believe it helps to know that this scheduled downtime will be from 0500 - 1100 Eastern Standard Time. While some people will be writing emails to their Customer regarding scheduled downtime so that maintenance of the Store or Server could be carried out, I think that notices on my blogs would be sufficient.

That's the purpose of a blog, isn't it, to keep Customers informed?

It's Happy Bunny

It's kind of disappointing that my It's Happy Bunny products aren't selling as well as they could. It's Happy Bunny is a very popular cartoon character in the United States and its syndicated merchandise is very expensive.

Even though my It's Happy Bunny items are slightly more expensive than my regular items, they are still significantly lower than what you will have to pay buying from various other online stores or even if you purchase them from the United States directly from the creator.

Take this sleep shirt for instance. I am only selling it at MYR40. By the way, they are available in sizes S, M and L. So of course, being Malaysian, many people would think that MYR40 for a sleep shirt is not worth it. But did you know that the same item is being sold at other stores for MYR60? This means that by buying from CyberPartyGal's WebStore, you would have already saved MYR20, and that is 33% of the price you would have paid buying from other stores.

So what do you think? Is it still expensive?

Looking To Buy Used Car Radiators?

Most of my male friends spend the better part of their free time tinkering with their cars. They spend more time with the car than with the wife! I used to ask them why they mess with the car even if they are running perfectly and they say that running perfectly is not enough. They want the car to run BETTER than perfect. DUH!

You'd be surprise that guys like these will willingly spend plenty of time and money shopping for car parts and accessories. Did you know that a friend of mine drove to another city just to buy a used Toyota Radiator?

I thought he was pretty silly to do so when all he needed to do was shop at Radiator.com where not only will he be able to buy Toyota radiators, but radiators for most other car makes as well! Too bad he did not consult me first before making the trip!

It's All About Me By David & Goliath

I have this pair of pajama pants by David & Goliath selling at RM60. I know that many people are thinking that RM60 for a pair of pants, a pajama pants, no less, is a little out of this world. LOL

If you think that this is expensive, then you should check out the website of David & Goliath. I personally love the pictures that David & Goliath come up with and the material of their lingerie and apparel are always soft and comfortable.

I think that I will have to wear this pajama pants if I am unable to sell it because it is too expensive. Yes, I do know that it will be tough sell even when I ordered it from my supplier. Well, what to do? I am a sucker for the colour pink!

Capturing The Attention Of Casual Browsers

Retail is a funny business, more so online retail. I am sure that I have mentioned before that in online retail, it is very difficult to capture the attention of the casual browser and try to get them interested enough to stop and have a more detailed look at our product and to read the description. We first only have a photo to do that. I mean, capture a shopper's interest.

I notice that the first thing an online shopper will look at is the photo and then the price. It the price is right, he or she will take a closer look at the photo by enlarging it. And then only will he/she read the description.

That's why it is so important to capture a captivating photo and try to put in all the different elements of your item in one photo. For me, whenever I have the time, I will shoot new photos of the items that did not sell for a considerable amount of time. I know it's a lot of work but it keeps the items fresh.

Have You Heard Of Trasylol?

A couple of days ago, I read about the product recall of Trasylol, a drug by Bayer that was said to cause kidney failure to patients.

What appalled me was that the product recall exercise happened in November, 2007 and I did not even know about it. I think that when such an important product recall is made, it should be made known to everybody.

That's not all. Apparently, patients who have used Trasylol in the course of treatment did not even know that they have been administered with Trasylol and hence even if they knew about the product recall of Trasylol, they did not know that they were at risk too!

Trasylol has been in the market for fourteen long years and it is still unknown how many kidney failures, or worse, death, it has caused so far.

Mark & Associates, P.C., a law firm that specializes in product liability, is currently providing free consultation to patients who suspect that they have been administered with Trasylol and suffered complications as a result.

VS Tee Time – Buy 2 & Save 20%

Having followed the business of Victoria's Secret for a few years now, it is great to see how much they have revolved to sell more than just lingerie. They have expanded their business to include apparel, shoes and beauty products. These are things that every woman wants.

I received this newsletter about their latest sale offer where buying two of their tees from a selected range would entitle you to a 20% discount. This means that you will get to save some money even though 20% is not that much, in my book!

What do you think of their selection of tees? I think that this is not what we know as "tee" over here. This screenshot that I have enclosed look more like a hoodie, right? That’s why it's called a HOODIE TEE.

When it comes to pricing, I would say that they have made it affordable. Buying in Ringgit, sure, it is a little on the high side but if you are earning American Dollar and buying at an American price, I don't see how different it is earning Ringgit and buying in Ringgit.

I'll Call You Back

Yesterday, I made three telephone calls to three different companies. I wanted more information on certain products that they are selling. However, they were unable to let me know what I wanted to know and said that they will call me back later in the day with the information.

I left them my name and contact number and expected to hear from them later in the day but they did not return my call with the information that they promised.

I am very surprised, actually. I wonder if these people are in business or not. If tell a potential customer that you will get back to her later in the day, then do it. It is fine if you do not have the information yet, but what is so difficult to just pick up the phone and call up to let her know that the information is not available yet?

This is not the first time actually. I have come across many such cases and it keeps me wondering if they want my business. If it would be this difficult to communicate with them should we do business in the future.

Making An Informed Investment Decision

My sister told me that now she has finished installing her car, she has some spare cash which she would like to invest. My sister is quite the risk taker and what she wants is a quick return on her investment.

Although I believe in long term investment, and hence do not mind the slower returns, my sister, on the other hand, prefers to invest in stock options.

I told my sister that PowerOptions has a full suite of products like options screener, among others, that would assist the stock options investor to evaluate the market with accurate analysis of data so that the investor can make a good judgment on buying, selling or holding.

I am sure that stingy as she is, she would not want to spend extra money subscribing to such services but I told her that she could try out the service for free for two weeks.

Hitting The Traffic Milestone

It is always very exciting to hit a traffic milestone for a website or blog. I don't keep tabs of the total traffic numbers of my blogs because I have too many blogs but I do keep an eye on the traffic that comes to my CyberPartyGal's WebStore.

The other day, I received my 10,000th visitor as according to SiteMeter. I was very happy although this number is significantly lower than the actual number of visitors that came because I only installed SiteMeter to my WebStore months after setting it up.

I didn't even know of SiteMeter prior to that until my friend gave me suggestions to revamp my WebStore and to use SiteMeter to determine and the traffic so that I can analyse my data better to help me improve on my store and ultimately, my sales.

Although I know that my traffic is more than 10,000, the number shown on SiteMeter is recorded traffic and it gives me a high. I remember when a popular local blogger hit his 1,000,000th unique visitor, he was so happy that he threw a party. So cute. LOL

VS Swim 2008

Victoria’s Secret has a new range of bikini swim wear as you can see from this screenshot. I don't like them but if I were to choose my favorite out of these three, I'd pick the white one.

I somehow think that all the stars are overkill. Too many already but I am sure there will be people who would like them enough to buy them. Some may even like the golden buckles.

However, out of this new range of VS Swimwear, there are some that I like, especially the VS one-piece swim suits and new range of Victoria's Secret tankinis.

Having said that, I am not going to buy any because I don't even know how to swim. hehehe!

Used Engines, Transmissions From Midwest Auto Recycling

One of the reasons I am reluctant to buy a used car is because I am afraid of not getting value for money. It is very difficult to buy a car, more so when it is a used car. Sales people tend to bully women, you know, because they have the perception that we are not as knowledgeable as the next guy when it comes to things like cars, electrical and electronic products.

If all companies that deal in used engines, transmissions and other car parts are like midwest auto recycling, then I need not worry.

Did you know that this company, Midwest Auto Recycling, that specializes in used car engines and transmissions tests each and every product and clean them before reselling. They also provide nationwide warranty for the products that they sell too.

Businesses like Midwest Auto Recycling gives us buyers of used items peace of mind.

The 12th Malaysian Election [PRU12] Has Come And Gone

Well, it has finally gone. Since the day of dissolution of Parliament until a couple of days ago, the whole nation seemed crippled when everyone was preoccupied with attending ceramahs, video taping ceramahs, uploading them onto YouTube, writing blog posts, dissing the politicians that they love to hate and championing the candidates that they support.

Now that the 12th Malaysian GE [GE2008 / PRU12] has come and gone, can we get back to business and living?

I noticed that traffic to my sales was generally lower during that two - three weeks but it was higher to my blogs, particularly blogs that touch on the on-goings of the election. Yes, it did caught many people by surprise but I think the only group of people who were not surprised by the outcome was the voters.

Now that the 12th Malaysian General Election is over, I hope that sales will come once again!

MindFlite Exchange [MF/X]

Just now, I was introduced to this website called MindFlite Exchange or in short, MF/X. On the surface, it looks like a business website but it actually is a business marketplace where owners of young companies could meet with their potential investors or expand their business and social circles.

MF/X allows for adventurous investors to purchase a stake in these young companies. Buying unlisted shares come with a significantly higher risk than buying shares that are already publicly traded but the returns are manifold.

Click here to join MF/X and read more on the concept of MF/X and how you can utilize the features provided by MF/X to hold stakes in a variety of companies and see them grow.

The Three Different Fujitsu Esprimo U9200

The other day, I thought that I already have my eye on the Fujitsu Esprimo U9200. In fact, I noticed this model back in November, 2007 but back then, it was selling at approximately MYR4,200.

Anyway, now, the mark price is MYR3,999 and if I were to purchase it, I would be able to get it slightly cheaper.

A couple of days ago, I saw an advertisement in the papers on this Fujitsu Esprimo U9200 and there are actually three different models with the same name! There's one that is selling at MYR2,799, one at MYR3,999 and one that is selling at MYR4,999.

The cheapest unit is slightly slower because it has lower specification while the most expensive at MYR4,999 has 3.5G capability which allows the user to slot in his/her data card.

I think I will be getting the MYR3,999 unit but I can’t make up my mind! Should I continue to shop?

Recovering Debt Seamlessly

As the economy slows, more and more companies are defaulting on their repayment and breaking away from their schedule. This puts the creditor in a spot because they themselves will feel bad about chasing for the money when they know that business is not that good.

Debt recovery can be a very time consuming task and one has to be extra tactful too because money is always a sensitive issue. That's why I think that it is always best to let professional debt collection agencies to handle such matters.

For one, we do not have to keep tab on the monies owed to us and that frees up our time so that we can concentrate fully on our business. Although a debt recovery company will impose a fee on their services, I feel like that is a small price to pay knowing that these people are professionals when it comes to debt recovery and they have no problems with handling an uncomfortable situation like collecting debts!

Earlier today, I was told that American Profit Recovery, with its website at http://www.americanprofit.net is one of the handful of companies that offer such a debt collection service at a lower cost which means that we get to recover the bulk of the sum owed to us from our debtors.

Getting Orlando Hotel Discounts

I received a short note from my sister this morning that she has planned yet another trip to Orlando, Florida. To say that I am envious is an understatement! You know, at first, I wondered where and how she could afford trips to Orlando this frequently but she told me that her vacations are all on a tight budget.

Firstly, she is able to get Orlando Hotel Discounts from OrlandoHotels.com, she also gets discount travel packages, car rental and also theme park tickets.

Getting a little savings here and there would add up to a considerable amount of money, money that she could use to extend her holiday OR to spend on souvenirs for family, friends and colleagues.

What is surprising to me is that my sister took the trouble to look for all these discounts on the web and plan her vacations online too. She doesn’t like to use the internet all that much, you see.

MYR Falling

My friend told me that i should hold on converting my USD to MYR until after the elections. It is a known fact that the government will do a little window dressing on the currency and stock market just before the elections so that the people will think that the economy is good and so continue to back the ruling party.

it is also a known fact that the currency and stock market will not be propped after the elections and the values of the currency and shares will be adjusted according to market value.

Now that the 12th Malaysian general elections are over, true enough, the Malaysian Ringgit fell slightly today. However, some will put this down to the fact that the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange indices fell a massive 130 points earlier today but this could also be put down as an influence of Wall Street yesterday.

Whatever it is, I am grateful that I will be getting a greater value for my American dollar and that is all that matters, isn't it?

Glitch on eBay

I realise, recently, that there's a glitch on eBay Malaysia where I get a note that my item is not relisted due to an error and that I will have to relist it a while later, and so I did.

After a few hours, I discovered that my item will be listed twice on my list and I would then have to cancel one of them.

This actually came to my attention when I received a bid on two of my items which was actually one and the same item listed twice. Eeekkkk I had to cancel my items to be fair to both parties but I did write to them that there is only one item available for sale and not two.

I hate stuff like these that make me seem unprofessional. Ggggrrrrrr

Free Consultation From Injury Lawyers in Omaha

Earlier today, I was told of a law office in Omaha, Nebraska that offers free consultation for people involved in car accidents and unfortunately got injured. It is not easy to seek compensation from the party that we are involved in the accident with especially when we are unable to prove that we were in the right while the other party was in the wrong.

This is especially difficult when the accident happened in such a way that it is not easy to determine the wrongful party. That's why, an experienced car accident lawyer would be able to help us to fight for our case.

It is good news that there are Injury Lawyers in Omaha who are providing free legal consultation without obligation to engage them to handle our case.

After consulting with the lawyers, we would then know what recourse or option we have and then only are we able to proceed from there.

Fujitsu Esprimo U9200 Looking Good

In November, 2007, I wrote a post on Fujitsu Esprimo U9200 as my choice of laptop but the only problem was the price. At MYR4,200, that is not an easy price to pay. Recently, the price has dropped a little. A local store has this at MYR3,999 and another store at MYR3,899 though this store has no more stock.

I am thinking if I should get it now or a little later, during PC Fair. I expect the price will go lower a little or there would be plenty of freebies thrown in. I also need to see how much more I would have to pay for other stuff apart from this laptop, like original software, external hard drive, spare battery, pendrive, laptop cooler and skin and warranty.

What do you think? Some people have told me that paying MYR4,000 is on the high side and buying a laptop for this price is not worth it. Most of my friends bought their laptop, without a spare battery, at an average of MYR3,500. Well, that’s only difference of MYR500.

Victoria's Secret Clearance Sale - Save Up To 70%

I've got good news for all you fans of Victoria's Secret! They are currently holding a clearance sale where you will receive up to 70% off regular prices on Victoria's Secret lingerie, sleepwear, apparel, swimwear, beauty products and accessories.

If you have ever contemplated buying Victoria's Secret, this is the right time to buy. Why would you want to pay full price when you can save a considerable amount of money during clearance sales like these.

Although I do not need anything from Victoria's Secret, browsing through their official online store, I am also tempted to buy, luckily I could control my shopping urge. LOL

Full Length Windows

My sister sent me more photos of her new home to make me jealous. I would so love to publish them on my blog to share but I don't have access to my scanner. Sigh... that is what happens when people borrow and never bother to return it.

Anyway, I noticed that she has installed full length windows for her home and I kind of like them myself. If we have that for our home, it would look so much better too but I am not sure if these are practical for the weather here. It could get so hot!

Right now, we have exterior shutters. There are many designs actually but I let my parents decide. They are so fussy, I didn't want them to find fault with the one that I choose.

Expanding His Business

My friend, David, who sells brand name watches online, informed me that he has plans to expand his business. Well, what a coincidence. Didn't I mention that I too have plans to expand my lingerie business??

Anyway, David, who currently only sells a handful of branded watches said that it possible, he would like to bring in luxury watches of a higher class like Audemars Piguet, Rolex and Omega.

I am not sure how his business will be if he does bring these in. I know these won't be cheap because they are really old brand names. Like Audemars Piguet, a luxury Swiss brand name, it was founded in 1875 so I tell you, they do have a long standing history behind that brand name!

So far, David has told me that business is fairly good. I guess, if he has done his homework and thinks that it is viable to expand, do it or he never will!

eBayers, Listen Up! FREE Listing, FREE Gallery

I've got good news for you! eBay UK is offering FREE Listing. No listing fees will be imposed at all when you list on eBay UK for two days, on 8th and 9th March, 2008, UK time. Yes, this post is still in time for you to grab this opportunity and see what selling on eBay UK can help with your international sales. For more information, check out this LINK.

Selling on premium eBay sites is not cheap when you consider the exchange rate but at the same time, it offers you slightly better features and a whole lot of traffic because it not only caters to the country it is in but to the world.

Meanwhile, eBay Malaysia is offering free GALLERY to NEW eBay sellers. If you have never listed an item for sale on eBay Malaysia before, then you may want to start now to take advantage of this offer. Remember, only those who have not listed an item before from March 4th onwards will be eligible. For more information, check out this LINK.

Happy selling everybody!

Disenchanted

A distant relative told me that he is already disenchanted with local girls. I have no idea what happened that caused him to say that but right now, he no longer wants a local girl as his wife. Perhaps he went through awful experiences in the past.

I was told that he has registered himself with an online dating agency which promises to match him up with beautiful foreign ladies from Eastern Europe, particularly Russian women.

I don't blame this guy, actually. I went to check out the online dating portal myself and these ladies are beautiful and could easily capture a man's heart. I was also told that Russian women are very good with placing the family before themselves and I believe this is what guys want.

Local girls, on the other hand, need personal time and space to pursue their own goals and careers. While I am not saying that they are not neglecting the family, they demand the responsibilities to be shared equally.

Comprehensive Italian Accommodation Guide

I am so envious of my friend who is planning an Italian holiday for her family at the end of the year. Some people are so fortunate that they are able to go on an overseas trip every year. I would be happy if I could at least go on a local holiday!

My friend, Sally, told me that she has been doing plenty of research and comparison on the web on flights, accommodation, car rental and places of interest to visit in Italy, particularly in Rome.

Sally told me that one of the most confusing is checking out the various Rome hotels and their rates. Of course, as she will be traveling with her family, she is looking for somewhere economical, yet of a certain standard, that’ why she is spending time reading reviews from other holiday makers as well.

Sally said that she also is contemplating renting one of the more popular Rome apartments instead as it may be cheaper, offers privacy and more space for her family.

One of the sites that I told Sally about where she could do even more research for her year-end Italian trip is Roma Click. I believe that she would find the site useful with their comprehensive Italian accommodation guide.

36DD Bras

My supplier asked me if I would like to take a consignment of bras with the size of 36DD. Errrr I asked her if these are sexy, and she said, "Not really." Aiya, then why bother? I did not ask her how much these would cost me since I had no intention of taking them. Well, unless they are free then I would attempt to sell these.

I know that I wrote that Plus Size ladies have been neglected by retailers so far. Sure, there are some specialized stores that offer something for Plus Size ladies but by and large, I would say that they are unfortunately a neglected lot.

Anyway, I had to decline my supplier mainly because I do not relish the thought of tying up my capital and having a hard time disposing off my 36DD bras. You know, no matter how Plus size women would like to buy sexy lingerie locally, they are a minority lot and it is not viable for retailers like me to stock up on something that has a low demand.

Free Carpool Service Website

If you have the intention to "go green", I am sure know that carpooling is one of the ways that we have to adopt. However, many times, it is easier said than done. People like me would be exceptionally weary of sharing a car with total strangers. Also, how would you know if anyone in your vicinity would be heading the same way as yourself?

That's why a website like RideSearch.com, which you can browse through at http://www.ridesearch.com/ is so important. What this website does is connect people who commute to the same place, so that they can arrange carpooling schedules.

Of course, a main concern for ladies would be safety and I except that with an open concept provided by RideSearch.com, being part of a carpool would be a pleasant experience.

RideSearch.com may be a new website, they just launched at the beginning of this year, The success of this community website very much depends on the support of the people. Have you always wondered who would carpool with you? Have you always wanted to do your part in helping the environment and lowering pollution? Have you thought of ways to lower your gasoline bill? Carpooling is your answer and RideSearch.com is providing you with the means.

Public Bank Branches Closing On Polling Day, 8th March, 2008

I went to Public Bank Online with the intention to check my bank account balance but I came across this notice that they have out up which basically says that their "branch" will be closed on 8th March, 2008, which is polling day for the 12th General Election of Malaysia.

From this notice, I take it to mean that all their branches will be closed, expect the Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, although they just mentioned "branch".

Although a General Election has nothing to do with banking, I guess that the management has decided to close their branches to allow all their staff to cast their vote. Voting is a citizen's right and it is against the constitutional law to disallow someone from voting.

On the other hand, CyberPartyGal's WebStore will be OPEN as usual, so do come and shop for your lingerie :)

One At A Time

I read in the eBay Forum that there are people initiating withdrawals from PayPal to their Credit or Debit card before their first withdrawal has cleared. For me, though, I would rather have my funds cleared to my card or bank account FIRST before I would initiate a second withdrawal.

Some people think that my method is slow. Yes, there will, of course, be a slight delay each time since I will wait for the funds first, but I think that it is better to play safe than get the money locked up don't-know-where and put me in a limbo. One never knows if there would be a glitch that would cause a delay to the clearance of funds, right?

Anyway, that's what I always do, no matter if I am making a transfer to my bank account or to my Public Bank Visa Electron Debit Card.