Archive for June, 2008

Paul Allen

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Although it doesn’t always mean that philanthropists — persons who donate money and other forms of resources to support an objective for a common good — are affluent people, Paul Allen, who was ranked by Forbes as the eleventh richest American last September 2007, is definitely an affluent individual. He is estimated to be worth $16.8 billion. Paul Allen, together with Bill Gates, quit his academic career to pursue a dream that has brought him fame and wealth. However, the co-founder of Microsoft is keen on supporting education as seen by his 1 million-dollar grant to bolster the University of Washington’s Medical Scientist Training Program. This in addition to the following contributions the co-founder had made to the said institution of learning:• $18 million for the creation of the Kenneth S. Allen Library, named after Paul’s father;• $5 million for the establishment of Faye G. Allen Center for Visual Arts, named after Paul’s mother;• $14 million for the foundation of Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering.• $3.2 million given for prostatitis research and $5 million for cancer detection project — both were awarded to the University of Washington Medical School.All donations have been made through the Paul Allen G. Allen Family Foundation.

Femtocells in 4G Technology

Monday, June 30th, 2008

With the development of 4g technology at hand, many corporations have pooled resources to ease its efficient installation. One of such organizations, The Femto Forum has linked with the Next Generation Mobile Network, an alliance to push the utilization of femtocells for the deployment of 4G networking. This suggestion proposes a functional procedure for the technology’s introduction, a method which not only releases a variety of costs, but also opens for a smoother commencement. Femto and NGMN will collaborate in the designation of efficient network standards, in an effort to promote the deployment of femto cells whether operation is routed via LTE or WiMAX.

Femtocells are sets of networking hardware, collectively forming as small connection stations. About the size of a wireless router, the technology employs existing frequencies as a methodical network class of mobile internet communications and broadband providers. The broadband device ensures the lessening of burden on the network, disallowing the excess communication traffic through progressive coverage. It achieves this through its innovative delivery techniques, a process which is already used widely throughout the United States.

Using the traditional methods of network deployment is a sluggish process. The utilization of this procedure will boost the adoption of LTE and WiMAX capabilities, initiating revenues prior to comprehensive installation. The consumption of this technology will significantly advance communications industry, permitting high-speed deployment of next generation networks. With the development of 4g technology at hand, many corporations have pooled resources to ease its efficient installation. One of such organizations, The Femto Forum has linked with the Next Generation Mobile Network, an alliance to push the utilization of femtocells for the deployment of 4G networking. This suggestion proposes a functional procedure for the technology’s introduction, a method which not only releases a variety of costs, but also opens for a smoother commencement. Femto and NGMN will collaborate in the designation of efficient network standards, in an effort to promote the deployment of femto cells whether operation is routed via LTE or WiMAX. Femtocells are sets of networking hardware, collectively forming as small connection stations. About the size of a wireless router, the technology employs existing frequencies as a methodical network class of mobile internet communications and broadband providers. The broadband device ensures the lessening of burden on the network, disallowing the excess communication traffic through progressive coverage. It achieves this through its innovative delivery techniques, a process which is already used widely throughout the United States. Using the traditional methods of network deployment is a sluggish process. The utilization of this procedure will boost the adoption of LTE and WiMAX capabilities, initiating revenues prior to comprehensive installation. The consumption of this technology will significantly advance communications industry, permitting high-speed deployment of next generation networks.

Contested And Uncontested Divorce

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

A divorce case is contested if the parties cannot agree on every one of the issues involved in their particular situation. Common areas of disagreement include, but are not limited to: grounds for divorce, custody of the children, visitation rights, division of the assets of the marriage, child support, maintenance (alimony), payment of family debts, contribution toward educational expenses (college or parochial), payment of health insurance for the dependent spouse, income tax structuring, etc

When a divorce case is filed, it is given an identification number and is deemed by the court to be a matter that will ultimately require trial time in order to resolve all issues. Divorce cases are generally called for trial in the order in which they were filed.

A divorce case remains a “Contested Divorce” until each and every item is resolved. If, however, at any time during that period of the divorce case, the parties and their attorneys can reach an agreement on all of the issues, they can then stipulate to the court to have the matters heard as an “Uncontested Divorce” (no fault divorce) matter. When this occurs, the court will accommodate the parties to the marriage and provide an expedited Hearing in which it will hear proof regarding the grounds of the divorce and the settlement of the divorce. If the standards of the court and the law are met, the court will approve the settlement and enter a divorce Judgment on that day or shortly thereafter.

Remember that, it is usually easier to marry than to divorce, especially if the spouses who wish to do so must divide their common property as well.

Attempts to use the worldwide Web as an effective means of struggle against bureaucracy are undertaken constantly and sometimes successfully. Today it is possible to fill legal forms for divorce by divorce online legal services.

Note that Legalhelper.net (http://www.legalhelper.net/divorce.aspx) provides an easy-to-use, quick, and economical online method for creating completed legal forms from its site for your uncontested divorce (either no-fault divorce or fault divorce).

About The Author

James Wood

Software programer for 15 years

What is Guerrilla Marketing?

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

The history of these battles is the history of guerrilla warfare.

There are similar stories in business.

One example is that of the “Marlboro Man”. Before the Marlboro Man, the Marlboro brand of cigarettes was ranked 31st - almost rock bottom.

After the introduction of the Marlboro Man, and the guerrilla branding campaign to promote it, Marlboro became the #1 brand in a multi-billion dollar industry.

It may shock you how many of the “big business” names (that are now household words) started out as struggling small businesses.

The history of the ascent of these icons is the history of guerrilla marketing.

Until 1984, the principles of guerrilla marketing were known only by a select few people in the world. They jealously kept this information quiet with almost fanatical secrecy. And who can blame them? If you had some special knowledge that allowed you to rise to the top of your field, would you want this information to be made public? Of course not!

The balance of power was dramatically upset by a maverick marketing genius named Jay Conrad Levinson - a man who is arguably the most respected marketer in the world.

He is the man who coined the term “guerrilla marketing” and introduced these secrets to the average Joe (like me). His concepts are so successful that he has published 27 books on the subject (in 37 languages), his books are required reading in the most respected MBA programs in the world, and he is now the most widely read and respected author of business books in the world.

And Jay did all this “from scratch”. That is, the success of the “Guerrilla Marketing” brand is a testament to the very principles Jay himself teaches.

It just so happens that he is also one of the creators of the Marlboro Man. (Think what you will about tobacco, but you can not deny the power of the marketing behind Marlboro - arguably the most successful marketing campaign in history, and the most widely recognized brand in the world.)

So, what then, is Guerrilla Marketing all about?

Let’s take a segment from Jay’s new book “Guerrilla Marketing for the New Millennium” to learn:

“Marketing is absolutely every bit of contact any part of your business has with any segment of the public. Guerrillas view marketing as a circle that begins with your ideas for generating revenue and continues on with the goal of amassing a large number of repeat and referral
customers.

“The three key words in that paragraph are EVERY, REPEAT, and REFERRAL. If your marketing is not a circle, it’s a straight line that leads directly into Chapters 7, 11, or 13 in the bankruptcy courts.

“HOW IS GUERRILLA MARKETING DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING?

“Guerrilla marketing means marketing that is unconventional, non-traditional, not by-the-book, and extremely flexible. Eighteen factors make it different from old-fashioned marketing: “

Jay then goes on to list 18 things that separate guerrillas from “mere mortals”.

(See below for info on his new electronic book - it’s recognized as his most powerful work yet - and can’t be found in book stores.)

So, how then, does this information apply to those of us marketing on the Internet?

Far more than you think! The Internet is not just a new guerrilla battlefield - it’s the *ultimate* guerrilla battlefield. There have been more small business mega-success stories in the last 5 years than in the combined history of business.

And there are clearly two factors that have influenced this more than anything:

1. The Internet

2. Guerrilla Marketing

Ever wonder why big businesses are totally blowing it online? Because they are not guerrilla thinkers!

These big bloated bureaucracies are sluggish and set in their ways. This means that someone like you can step in and out-maneuver them. (More and more big businesses are turning to small business entrepreneurs to teach them how to market online - the tables have turned!)

So, start thinking like a guerrilla right now. You have the advantage - all you have to do is take it.

Here’s the definitive place to get started - where you will find an easy to follow step by step plan for launching a “guerrilla attack”! History is full of stories where tiny, unadvanced armies have handily defeated better equipped and much larger armies.

The history of these battles is the history of guerrilla warfare.

There are similar stories in business.

One example is that of the “Marlboro Man”. Before the Marlboro Man, the Marlboro brand of cigarettes was ranked 31st - almost rock bottom.

After the introduction of the Marlboro Man, and the guerrilla branding campaign to promote it, Marlboro became the #1 brand in a multi-billion dollar industry.

It may shock you how many of the “big business” names (that are now household words) started out as struggling small businesses.

The history of the ascent of these icons is the history of guerrilla marketing.

Until 1984, the principles of guerrilla marketing were known only by a select few people in the world. They jealously kept this information quiet with almost fanatical secrecy. And who can blame them? If you had some special knowledge that allowed you to rise to the top of your field, would you want this information to be made public? Of course not!

The balance of power was dramatically upset by a maverick marketing genius named Jay Conrad Levinson - a man who is arguably the most respected marketer in the world.

He is the man who coined the term “guerrilla marketing” and introduced these secrets to the average Joe (like me). His concepts are so successful that he has published 27 books on the subject (in 37 languages), his books are required reading in the most respected MBA programs in the world, and he is now the most widely read and respected author of business books in the world.

And Jay did all this “from scratch”. That is, the success of the “Guerrilla Marketing” brand is a testament to the very principles Jay himself teaches.

It just so happens that he is also one of the creators of the Marlboro Man. (Think what you will about tobacco, but you can not deny the power of the marketing behind Marlboro - arguably the most successful marketing campaign in history, and the most widely recognized brand in the world.)

So, what then, is Guerrilla Marketing all about?

Let’s take a segment from Jay’s new book “Guerrilla Marketing for the New Millennium” to learn:

“Marketing is absolutely every bit of contact any part of your business has with any segment of the public. Guerrillas view marketing as a circle that begins with your ideas for generating revenue and continues on with the goal of amassing a large number of repeat and referral
customers.

“The three key words in that paragraph are EVERY, REPEAT, and REFERRAL. If your marketing is not a circle, it’s a straight line that leads directly into Chapters 7, 11, or 13 in the bankruptcy courts.

“HOW IS GUERRILLA MARKETING DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING?

“Guerrilla marketing means marketing that is unconventional, non-traditional, not by-the-book, and extremely flexible. Eighteen factors make it different from old-fashioned marketing: “

Jay then goes on to list 18 things that separate guerrillas from “mere mortals”.

(See below for info on his new electronic book - it’s recognized as his most powerful work yet - and can’t be found in book stores.)

So, how then, does this information apply to those of us marketing on the Internet?

Far more than you think! The Internet is not just a new guerrilla battlefield - it’s the *ultimate* guerrilla battlefield. There have been more small business mega-success stories in the last 5 years than in the combined history of business.

And there are clearly two factors that have influenced this more than anything:

1. The Internet

2. Guerrilla Marketing

Ever wonder why big businesses are totally blowing it online? Because they are not guerrilla thinkers!

These big bloated bureaucracies are sluggish and set in their ways. This means that someone like you can step in and out-maneuver them. (More and more big businesses are turning to small business entrepreneurs to teach them how to market online - the tables have turned!)

So, start thinking like a guerrilla right now. You have the advantage - all you have to do is take it.

Here’s the definitive place to get started - where you will find an easy to follow step by step plan for launching a “guerrilla attack”!

Mark Joyner is the CEO of http://www.markjoynerseminarvideos.official.ws To quickly and easily start using free viral traffic building as he recommends in this article, we recommend you get a copy of these seminar videos.

Buy Lunesta Cheap By Comparing Prescription Prices Online

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

We all know that there’s no such thing as cheap Lunesta. But when compared with the other prescription sleep aids, Lunesta is the best buy if you’re looking for a way to just finally get a good night’s sleep without waking up drowsy and dysfunctional. When you begin taking Lunesta, you’ll enjoy another huge benefit: Unlike other sleep aids, Lunesta is the only one approved for long term use. That means you can enjoy months to years of better sleep, rather than just a few days.

When looking for the sleep aid medication with the best overall value, Lunesta is an obvious choice. But what’s the best choice when it’s time to buy Lunesta online at an internet pharmacy?

Many people just look for the lowest prices on their sleep medications, and they end up being ripped off. Some get the wrong pills, and some receive impure medication that doesn’t work. But others never even get their order in the mail. In many markets, such as the car market, the saying that “you get what you pay for” doesn’t really apply. But this saying is definitely true when we shop for prescription medications online.

We have taken it upon ourselves to research every online pharmacy we can find, and in most cases, the news isn’t good. Many end up linking back one processing company, and only some of them are legitimate. In the interest of breathing some real life into the online pharmacy industry, we have compiled our research into a “best buys” website.

You can use Shoppe.MD to find the best prices on Lunesta at reputable online pharmacies. We also provide a wealth of Lunesta information and resources, as well as a Lunesta message board.

EzineArticles Expert Author Ian Mason

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Compare and buy Lunesta with Ambien and Sonata sleep aids at Shoppe.MD, drug information and insomnia forums.

Try a Huge Dildo for a Wonderful Orgasm with your Boyfriend

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Some husbands have a tough time keeping a tooled up pecker and some gals have incredibly long sex drives, meaning it takes the woman a particularly long time to come. Because of this difference in sex drives, love making can often turn into a boring and unsatisfying sexual session. That’s why small dildos can often be helpful. If the gent shoots early in the session, or even if the chick just takes longer than her lover, he can continue to penetrate the chick with the huge dildo. That way all sexual fun does not have to stop. It gives the guy enough time to charge his energy and keeps her horny. Hence when the male is set up to come back into the love making session, the chick will still be aroused enough to accept the guy.

Your very most stimulation zone is your mind. And as significantly as tons of feminists won’t admit this, the penis is an ancient symbol of power, no matter how massive or tiny, it is still associated with fertility. Penetrating your woman with a thin dildo can make a fantasy of power activity reality.

Some girls delight in the sensation of feeling full in their vagina or anus. Whenever a sex aid such as a huge dildo, penetrates the vagina or anus, the muscles contract around it. Tons of girls find the tightening of the above mentioned muscles to be truly enjoyable. Feels like the real thing but better - Adult and Sex Toys.

The Popular Notebook Trends At The Moment

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Move over Desktop, it’s the era of the laptop, or at least that what the massive demand indicates. Manufacturers are trying to keep up with this but have said that supply could be scarce. In fact if anything has dented demand or shipments of laptops then its been limited supplies of parts. It’s a market which is also difficult to keep up with it respect of of technology because its developing all the time.

One of the growing trends is gaming laptops. You can actually get a good spec for your cash these days because even the enthusiast technology is falling into the mass market area very quickly. I play games on my notebook on a regular basis and must say I’m surprised how playable few of the intense games are. Past problems with big, hot laptops for gaming are vanishing and new sleeker, attractive products are coming out. Extreme game players will always choose their desktop gaming machines for speed and rightly so but it’s the usability laptops give that influences people settle on frame rates. Gaming laptops are the test of speed for the notebook trade and it will be good to see how the next technology fairs.

Talking of gaming laptops, the most alternatives are aquirable when they are custom built. I think the parts are more established and perform better. You can typically save cash on components you do not need by specifying the notebook to your requirements. The vast majority the laptops found in retail shops are made to get the maximum market share and not the smaller niche sectors. Custom laptops offer a solution to this. Brands who provide custom laptops usually provide a greater personal and local support as well. Big companies are actaully being disregarded because of this.

I think plenty of geeks are waiting for the next range of laptops. A unique development I haven’t mentioned is the development of inexpensive ultramobiles. They have their distinct market in the mobile computer market in such a small space of time. Buyers want laptops that are weightless yet additionally large enough to be functional and easy to use. I’m sure that companies already have their designs made up. It wouldn’t shock me to see ultra mobile gaming laptops in the next forthcoming future. New innovations are seen every year and I’m sure the next few months already carries a lot of promise for us techies.

Nuts and Bolts of Online Sports Competition Bets

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Bond together people’s main leisure actvities and what you’ll discover is a vogue we call a sportsbook. Seriously: what could believably be more imaginative. If you fancy a crowd of fellows clapping for a favored local sports club, and ceaselessly wagers will be calculated parallel to the clamor. Set to catch more of the action, spectators will usually aspire to figure who is most likely to win the forthcoming contest. In the end, this all eventually evolves into a fun little contest called sportsbook.

Hot best online casino sports betting action and cool cash prizes online now!

To place your wager, you’ll want to search for a sportsbook, that’s to say a place which takes sportsbook. In the U.S., you will find four states where you can go for sports betting officially, but inofficially you can do it anyplace assuming you can pinpoint a bookie and if happen to be of legal age. Among the sports competitions you can choose to risk some money on are pro plus, likewise, college football plus basketball, pro baseball and hockey, plus, likewise, bets on both horse and dog racing. Customers will have a choice of wagering on the total combined score of a competition, at which point any given contester will go under, and even if a given tossed coin in a competition comes down either heads or tails.

The odds makers depend on their figures be of assistance to you establish which sports club you may deem is most likely to win. First, we have the spread, that’s points leverage tallied to the disadvantaged team that is expected to go down by X number points. Evidently, this describes the sportsbook provider’s time-honored mode of organizing impartial bets for a Sportsbook. For instance you could choose to wager on a competitor that is expected to go down and and nonetheless make money on the bet assuming the team takes a licking by X number of points.

There are plenty of varying types of lays– straight bets, where you simply quote the contestor you feel will prevail or go under, teasers,parlays and, in addition, over/unders, i.e. lays on the sum total of points secured in the meet by the two parties, the straight bets, where you’ll select the side you feel will prevail or go under being the most typical in sports betting.

So why not have a bash at it and have a lot of fun in the process. Only take pains to ensure that you won’t get ripped away and fritter your complete retirement pension on a quirk… For otherwise you’ll be sure to find yourself feeling sorry all life long…

The Responsibility of Leadership: An Important Message To MLM Leaders

Friday, June 20th, 2008

In this weeks article I am going to share with you part of an email I sent to a leader in our company who was discouraged with their organizations performance. I cannot stress the importance for leaders to constantly grow and get better at starting people on the right track. This concept is a SECRET that has been mastered by only a few.

The secret to retention & duplication is in the first 24 hours, 72 hours, 1st week and month a new person is in the business. If you do your job right in the beginning, it makes everything 100% easier in the future. If someone makes it 90 days in the business the odds of them developing a strong positive attitude and moving forward towards success is extremely high.

Zig Ziglar says, the only difference between a big shot and a little shot is a big shot is a little shot that kept shooting. I recently read an article that stated, “Dreams come true if you Never give up” it talked about this concept. Persistence is the most important ingredient in the success formula.

Here is the truth about this business. Distributors come and go, developed leaders stay. This business is a revolving door. Many people get excited until the work starts. I have heard it said, “Anybody can get excited about lifting 300 pounds, UNTIL THEY GET TO THE GYM!”

As leaders we have to understand the psychology of a new distributor, and do our part to help them develop a strong attitude and ultimately a belief in 4 areas; the company, the product, the industry and themselves. As human beings we are all made up of:

Opinions

Attitudes

And

Beliefs

All of us have opinions, about anything and everything. An attitude is much stronger than an opinion. We have all heard the phrase “They have a real attitude about that”. A Belief is just that, an unwavering, knowing, with everything within us. To believe is to KNOW, without doubt, in your heart and soul. Most people can count their TRUE beliefs on 1 hand.

Now when a new person enters your organization the pendulum in their mind has probably swung from a negative opinion to a positive opinion that is why they decided to “give it a try”. We have to understand that just because they made the intelligent decision to join, doesn’t mean that they believe like we do. They are still very fragile psychologically.

As leaders we must work hard to keep that pendulum on the positive side, because it swings constantly back and forth in a new persons mind. That is why it is so important, to give them activities to follow in the first 72 hours they are in the business (20 Reasons, Top 3 & list of 50 contacts)

If a new person goes into the market place and immediately starts inviting people to an overview or conference call without first establishing WHY they are doing the business, there is a very good chance they will get hit with some kind of negative from a person who has nothing more than a misinformed opinion.

It doesn’t take many negative misinformed opinions to sway a person who only recently developed a positive opinion. That is why it is so important to try to insure that a new person has immediate success. Immediate success in the beginning will make a big difference in the future when they hit their first slump.

If a person knows WHY they are doing the business it is much easier to persist through the misinformed people in the market place. If they don’t know WHY, then it makes it much easier to throw in the towel before they ever really start. Does that make sense?

“Until you know why, the HOW doesn’t matter”

So as leaders, the two most important activities we can do with new people are making certain they complete their 20 Reasons and Top 3 Reasons sheet. Then teach them how to approach their top 10 business prospects in a non threatening way, by asking for their help as described in the many of my training CD’s and make sure that you are with them on the phone when they follow up with their first 10 business prospects. (It is a funny thing, but a misinformed negative friend, or relative won’t be nasty if a stranger is on the phone)

Make sure they get some easy product sales by getting some company literature in the mail to people they have credibility with at church, work, family or social clubs, and you are off on the right foot.

Can you get this picture? It is knowing exactly the activities and attitudes that you want to create with new people during the first month. You are responsible for implementing the GAME PLAN. You want to take them by the hand and….

1) Help them establish their Reasons

2) Choose the top 10 business prospects from their list of 50, make sure they understand the “can you do me a favor” script and get a opportunity CD in their hands.

3) Make sure they get at least 10 “Hot Product” brochures into the market to pick up some easy sales with people they have high credibility with.

4) Follow up with them on their first 10 CD’s and you handle the conversation.

If you can accomplish these 4 steps with every potential leader that joins your organization you are on your way to developing a strong relationship with that person, because you cared enough in the beginning to provide them the one on one directional leadership that they needed.

There are two types of perceived leaders those with “Position / Rank Power” and those with “Personal Power”. Personal power leaders are willing to go the extra mile to direct and guide their people in the beginning. People know if you sincerely care or if you are attempting to manipulate them for your own good.

“People don’t care how much you know, until
they know how much you care”

Will every person want your help? Will every new person keep up their end of the bargain and actually give you their top 3 reasons and a list of 50 contacts? NO !
That would make leadership too easy.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. When people aren’t willing to do their part, you must have “DEFINET CLOSURE” with them. You need to say something like, John, I have a business to build and I thought that you were going to play a major leadership role on my team, but right now you don’t seem to be ready to go to work, so I have to work with people who are. I am here, and when you are ready to go to work, you let me know and we will start building your team.

THIS IS A CLUE: For you to be able to take this stance and posture with people you need to personally have a constant flow of new prospects in your funnel and new members joining your team. If you don’t, it is very easy for us to push people who are not ready to run and create aggravation and frustration for ourselves and damage the relationship in the process.

You must have definite closure, because now this person can not cause you any aggravation or stress. Anything you get is a Bonus” you can now focus on finding someone who wants to build and quit trying to push a snowball uphill.

It has never bothered me when new people quit or sat back and did nothing, because I knew in my heart that I had done everything within my power to get them off on the right foot. I always created definite closure and in doing so I preserved my relationship with them.

Many times people will not make an effort, because they don’t want to let us down. People need to build the business for THEIR REASONS, not ours. Sometimes it takes people a little longer to believe they can than others. However if they hang around, those beliefs those strong positive attitudes will be developed over time.

This business is fun and exciting when you work with people who have STRONG REASONS!

So to improve your retention, to grow your organization, you must understand how this business really works. The real product in our industry is not a health tonic, vitamins, skin care, legal services, etc, it is PEOPLE and the better you become at getting people off on a positive track in the beginning the easier this business becomes.

Please contemplate on this and take it to heart, internalizing this information can be the difference between Success and Failure in your enterprise.

Dale Calvert is a Self Made Marketing Millionaire you can find many of his one of a kind training programs at deep discount prices here: http://stores.ebay.com/Network-Marketing-Support
You can see a directory of his websites at http://www.DaleCalvert.com

Nerf Bars - Making the Right Choice Saves Money and Frustration

Friday, June 20th, 2008

Selecting the right nerf bars can be an overwhelming task, especially given the wide variety of choices existing in today’s marketplace. And you may really feel lost if you’ve never owned a set of nerf bars or step bars. Stop worrying, help is on the way! Whether its black, chrome, aluminum or stainless steel nerf bars; cab length or wheel-to-wheel, bent ends or straight, by focusing on the five factors of style, materials, finish, ease of installation and warranties, you can easily zero in on the right step bars for you.

Style - First decide on the style of step bars you are interested in. Do you want the traditional look with the 90-degree bends at the ends mounting to the truck frame? Or do you want a more straight tubular look? Are you looking for 3″, 3.5″ or 4″ diameter tube? Do you need an oval tube step, with its flatter, wider step area? Additionally, do you want a cab length only nerf bar, or are you looking for a wheel-to-wheel style that will make it easier to access the front of your truck bed?

Material - With style selected, you need to decide on whether you want carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum as the base metal for your nerf bars. Stainless steel nerf bars generally are the most expensive, but they will save you money in the long run. How? Fact of the matter is that no matter how great the finish on your nerf bar, pitting will eventually develop - particularly on the bottom. Moisture and road salt can then creep in, and if the nerf bar is not stainless or aluminum it will rust, eventually become worthless and requiring you to replace them. This can be a hassle, even if your bars are covered under a manufacturer’s warranty.

Finish - Next you need to determine the type of finish you want on your nerf bars. Typical choices are black powder coated paint (high temperature baked on black finish), chrome plating, or if your material is stainless steel, it may just be polished to a high luster. Also, pay attention to the step area on the tube. Is the step tread located over a cutout or is it fastened to a flattened impression on the step bar? Flattened is better as it will not allow moisture into the nerf bar cavity, which could cause a non-stainless steel bar to rot from the inside out.

Ease of Installation - This is particularly important if you’re planning on doing the installing. Most modern day nerf bars are engineered to fit a particular make, model, year and body type (i.e., extended cab vs. regular cab vs. crew cab), and are typically no-drill installations using brackets mounting into existing holes. These types of installations should be completed in less than an hour and a half. However, even these bars may need to have some minimal drilling to finish the installation - so if that’s important to you make sure you ask. Owners of older or less common vehicles may need to resort to a universal nerf bar requiring the drilling of the frame or rocker panels. Again, if this is an issue always ask.

Warranties - No one ever wants to have to exercise their warranty rights. Why? Because it can be such a hassle to get the old nerf bars off, return them for credit, get the new ones, put them on, etc., etc. But good warranties can be worth their weight in gold. Not only should you concern yourself with the period of time covered by the nerf bars’ warranty, but also what does it cover, and how good is the company at honoring their warranty commitments. Most warranty periods from reputable manufacturers go something like this - black powder coated finishes usually carry a three year warranty; chrome plated carbon steel will have a five year warranty, while stainless steel products will carry a limited lifetime warranty. Make sure you check and factor this into your decision making process, as your nerf bars are going to take a lot of wear and tear, and it would be nice if you don’t have to replace your nerf bars while you own the vehicle.

So there you have it. By deciding upon style, material, finish, ease of installation and manufacturer’s warranty, you can easily narrow the wide selection of nerf bars that today’s marketplace offers down to the pair that is just right for you. Of course, price and availability will come into play, but with the abundance of today’s internet e-commerce sites devoted to truck accessories, you can just about count on being able find the right bars, at the right price, and enjoy the convenience of having them shipped right to your front door.

Happy searching!

Lou Berkowitz is the chief products evaluator at US Truck Accessories Warehouse, LLC a major aftermarket truck accessories supplier providing a wide selection of nerf bars and other products to the consumer. He may be reached at 1.800.394.3881