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7 Steps Any Solopreneur Can Use to Build a Winning Brand e, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon.What does your brand say to your customers? What, you don't have a brand because you're a solopreneur; a one-woman shop? Ah, but you do. If you have business, you have a brand, whether you realize it or not.Think of some of the world-wide brands we experience every day – Target, Dell, and BMW. Just mentioning these names conjures up a feeling, doesn't it? For example, when you thought of Target you may have felt a bit light and happy because of their upbeat commercials. When you thought of Dell you might have thought "They're a friendly computer company. I could see myself buying a computer from them." Or, when BMW crossed your mind, perhaps the image came to your mind of your hands intensely gripping the sterling wheel of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" while your foot is seriously on the accelerator as you swerve around tight-in corners. Oh, the feeling of power under your feet!When someone says your company's name, people get some kind of immediate gut feeling, too. Something goes through their mind - That's your brand.The question is, "Is it working for you?"Your brand is the experience your target customers have while interacting with you. If their experience evokes a strong, positive emotional response, then you've got a great brand. Why? Because customers buy from emotion and back it up with their head. If your customers have trouble remembering your name when you're not actually in the room then you need to work on your brand.Creating a brand isn't just for the big companies; it's for companies of all sizes because we're all fighting for attention from our target customers. Here are seven steps any solopreneur can use to building a winning brand:Step 1: Rekindle Your Passion – Why did you start your business? What really b U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awak Top 10 Reasons To Move Your Internet Business To Panama (While You Stay Home) In fact, her father explained the fundamental principles to my father over 30 years ago: A renewable energy source that’s not subject to Arab oil embargoes or Mid-East wars ... cleaner fuel for the world’s automobiles... more jobs... less pollution.10. Pay no income taxes on profits your company does not remit to the U.S. You should pay taxes in your country on money your Panamanian corporation pays you, whether in salary or tax-advantaged dividends or capital gains. However, the corporation can pay many of your expenses as legitimate business expenses.9. Pay no income taxes in Panama. A non-resident Panamanian International Business Corporation or Private Interest Foundation does not pay any kind of tax on any of its income or assets, and does not even have any reporting requirements to the Panamanian government.8. No Panamanian requirement to collect sales taxes from your customers. (Yea!)7. No capital gains tax, no tax on interest income, no stock sale or transfer tax, no property tax, and no gift tax.6. Panama has the most stable government in Latin America, no army (it was abolished by constitutional amendment in 1994; security is provided by the U.S.) and 70 years of the same offshore corporation law. Panama is the registered domicile for nearly 500,000 corporations and foundations, making it the second most popular jurisdiction to incorporate in the world, following Hong Kong. It has the second-largest free trade zone in the world, again following Hong Kong, with almost 2,000 import/export businesses operating inside it and well over 250,000 visitors a year. Products can be imported, warehoused, and sent to customers in any country in the world without paying import or export duties.There is no requirement for paid-in capital. Directors, officers and shareholders can be of any nationality and reside in any country. Meetings of directors, officers, and shareholders may be held in any country (travel and entertainment expenses are 100% deductible), Now, that future is here: Every country on the planet wants to see more of its automobiles running on renewable fuels like ethanol. And with 600 million gas- and diesel-burning cars and trucks on the road today, that implies the most massive transformation since the industrial revolution. Every major government is implementing policies that stimulate ethanol consumption. And with hundreds of billions of public money pouring into research and development, this is not exactly a temporary fling. Wealthy individuals, large banks, major mutual funds are all looking more seriously at ethanol. And yet, the big flows of investment money into ethanol have barely begun. Why the Hesitation? I Count Three Reasons ... • First, some investors seem to think investing in ethanol is strictly for environmentalists. They don’t believe global warming is a man-made phenomenon, and they don’t agree that cars should have to shift from gasoline to biofuels. So they don’t see much future in ethanol. Big mistake! The shift to ethanol is not just about burning cleaner fuel. As Elisabeth’s father pointed out over three decades ago, ethanol is also about reducing our dependence on petroleum imports ... slashing our vulnerability to wars and revolutions in oil-rich regions of the globe ... and gaining firmer control over our own destiny. • Second, investors have focused on the fact that gas stations in the U.S. are resisting alternative fuels, making it almost impossible for ethanol to reach American consumers. But as I’ll show you in a moment, the consumption of pure ethanol (the kind that is being resisted in the U.S.) is not the primary source of demand today. Moreover, the U.S. is just one of many growing world markets. • Third and most recently, some investors have hesitated to move into ethanol because they see petroleum prices coming down. If oil prices don’t go up, they figure, ethanol won’t make it either. We disagree. The price for crude oil could fall to $40 per barrel, and it would barely make a dent in a massive global transformation to ethanol that’s now under way. Most important, their hesitation is your opportunity. It has helped bring down the price of some of the leading ethanol stocks. And it has opened a brief time window to jump in. I’ll show you where in a just moment. But first, join me on a brief global tour — so you can see for yourself how broadly based the ethanol revolution has already become. A New Mega-Industry Is Born For at least two decades — from the early 1980s to the early 2000s — the ethanol industry was largely stagnant. Ethanol production in the U.S. and Canada was growing, but only gradually. Brazil’s ethanol output was actually sliding. And worldwide output was stagnating. Then, at the turn of the new millennium, two things happened: The U.S. government and industry began to push ethanol more forcefully. And Brazil, still the world’s leading producer despite the earlier decline, took off! Result: Worldwide ethanol production has nearly doubled in five years ... the surge in volume has triggered the development of new, more efficient technologies ... and a new mega-industry has been born. Right now, the only country with cars running on pure ethanol is Brazil. But a mix of ethanol and gasoline is used in the U.S., the European Union, Mexico, India, Argentina, Columbia and, now, Japan. Here’s a country-by-country rundown ... Brazilian Ethanol: World’s Richest Investors Are Starting to Pile In! George Soros’s Adeco has recently bought a major ethanol plant in Brazil. Bill Gates acquired a share in three new plants in Brazil’s western state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Even Google’s Larry Page and Sergei Brin have revealed plans to invest in Brazilian ethanol. International companies are one step ahead of them: Infinity Bio-Energy, which trades on the London exchange, already operates Brazilian ethanol plants valued at $200 million and plans to invest another $500 million in five more plants by year-end. Evergreen, a British group, has recently bought Cridasa, a major ethanol producer in Minas Gerais. And the French group Tereos bought 6% of Brazilian ethanol producer Cosan and owns three plants. Overall, investments in Brazil’s ethanol industry are surging. In 2005, they were about $6 billion, including new plants, acquisitions and expansions. In 2006, they’ve surged to nearly $10 billion. And by 2010, even if there’s a recession in the U.S., they should hit at least $15 billion. The main attraction: Ethanol is transforming Brazil’s economy, and Brazil’s ethanol technology is about to transform the world. The key factor: Innovative ways of lowering the cost of production. Back in 1980, it cost Brazil’s ethanol producers over $2.60 to make just one gallon — not exactly competitive with gasoline! But now, Brazil is churning out ethanol for a meager 75 cents per gallon. And Brazil’s science agencies are funding a raft of new R&D to drive the cost down even further. So even if petroleum and gasoline prices fall further, Brazil’s ethanol will remain extremely competitive. Already, nearly every single car rolling off Brazil’s assembly lines has a flex engine capable of burning either ethanol or gasoline. So when we’re driving in Brazil, we can fill up with whichever fuel happens to be cheaper. And when our tank is half empty, we can even mix the two fuels at will. The flex engine has far-reaching implications. And although it’s going to take time, ultimately, I see nothing that can stop it from spreading to the world’s largest fuel consumers — the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and India. Even before that technological shift takes place, Brazil’s shipments of ethanol to overseas markets are surging. Late last year, it jumped 91 percent to 144 million gallons from 76 million gallons a year earlier. Plus, Brazil is negotiating with Japan, China, India and the EU to export still more. Even Brazil’s ethanol exports to the U.S. are growing despite a huge, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon. U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awake Moving Boxes and Supplies Across New York trol over our own destiny.Whether you are moving to New York or within New York moving isn’t an easy task. Moving means careful packing of all the items and furniture so that they aren’t damaged while moving. This is when moving boxes and supplies play a vital role. In fact moving boxes and supplies actually kick start your moving procedure and planning.It has been seen that many professional moving companies tend to emphasize more on moving boxes and supplies. Before packing your items make sure your moving boxes and supplies are big and sturdy enough to accommodate all your belongings. Many New York moving companies, nowadays, also offer special moving boxes for packing piano and chandelier. Also you get some specialty moving boxes and supplies, to handle such items as books, breakables and other important belongings.Apart from moving boxes and supplies you also need few other items that go along with your moving boxes. Those are:• Packing paper, bubbles or peanuts for the breakables. All these are as important on the moving supply list as the moving boxes and supplies themselves.• Packing tape. Don’t forget to get the best packing tape available in the market. Your items are very important to you; therefore, packing tape is the secured way of sealing the moving boxes and supplies.• Scissors. Many packing tapes these days come in rolls that self-cut. But the truth is that they can be a nightmare to deal with. A pair of sharp scissors can cut through the hassle for you at that moment.• Marker or good pen. It sounds clich? but having a marker is a wise step. Marker is usually used to clearly label all of your moving boxes and supplies. The better you label the moving boxes, the less time you’ll spend unpacking them.There are various points to be kept in mind while • Second, investors have focused on the fact that gas stations in the U.S. are resisting alternative fuels, making it almost impossible for ethanol to reach American consumers. But as I’ll show you in a moment, the consumption of pure ethanol (the kind that is being resisted in the U.S.) is not the primary source of demand today. Moreover, the U.S. is just one of many growing world markets. • Third and most recently, some investors have hesitated to move into ethanol because they see petroleum prices coming down. If oil prices don’t go up, they figure, ethanol won’t make it either. We disagree. The price for crude oil could fall to $40 per barrel, and it would barely make a dent in a massive global transformation to ethanol that’s now under way. Most important, their hesitation is your opportunity. It has helped bring down the price of some of the leading ethanol stocks. And it has opened a brief time window to jump in. I’ll show you where in a just moment. But first, join me on a brief global tour — so you can see for yourself how broadly based the ethanol revolution has already become. A New Mega-Industry Is Born For at least two decades — from the early 1980s to the early 2000s — the ethanol industry was largely stagnant. Ethanol production in the U.S. and Canada was growing, but only gradually. Brazil’s ethanol output was actually sliding. And worldwide output was stagnating. Then, at the turn of the new millennium, two things happened: The U.S. government and industry began to push ethanol more forcefully. And Brazil, still the world’s leading producer despite the earlier decline, took off! Result: Worldwide ethanol production has nearly doubled in five years ... the surge in volume has triggered the development of new, more efficient technologies ... and a new mega-industry has been born. Right now, the only country with cars running on pure ethanol is Brazil. But a mix of ethanol and gasoline is used in the U.S., the European Union, Mexico, India, Argentina, Columbia and, now, Japan. Here’s a country-by-country rundown ... Brazilian Ethanol: World’s Richest Investors Are Starting to Pile In! George Soros’s Adeco has recently bought a major ethanol plant in Brazil. Bill Gates acquired a share in three new plants in Brazil’s western state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Even Google’s Larry Page and Sergei Brin have revealed plans to invest in Brazilian ethanol. International companies are one step ahead of them: Infinity Bio-Energy, which trades on the London exchange, already operates Brazilian ethanol plants valued at $200 million and plans to invest another $500 million in five more plants by year-end. Evergreen, a British group, has recently bought Cridasa, a major ethanol producer in Minas Gerais. And the French group Tereos bought 6% of Brazilian ethanol producer Cosan and owns three plants. Overall, investments in Brazil’s ethanol industry are surging. In 2005, they were about $6 billion, including new plants, acquisitions and expansions. In 2006, they’ve surged to nearly $10 billion. And by 2010, even if there’s a recession in the U.S., they should hit at least $15 billion. The main attraction: Ethanol is transforming Brazil’s economy, and Brazil’s ethanol technology is about to transform the world. The key factor: Innovative ways of lowering the cost of production. Back in 1980, it cost Brazil’s ethanol producers over $2.60 to make just one gallon — not exactly competitive with gasoline! But now, Brazil is churning out ethanol for a meager 75 cents per gallon. And Brazil’s science agencies are funding a raft of new R&D to drive the cost down even further. So even if petroleum and gasoline prices fall further, Brazil’s ethanol will remain extremely competitive. Already, nearly every single car rolling off Brazil’s assembly lines has a flex engine capable of burning either ethanol or gasoline. So when we’re driving in Brazil, we can fill up with whichever fuel happens to be cheaper. And when our tank is half empty, we can even mix the two fuels at will. The flex engine has far-reaching implications. And although it’s going to take time, ultimately, I see nothing that can stop it from spreading to the world’s largest fuel consumers — the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and India. Even before that technological shift takes place, Brazil’s shipments of ethanol to overseas markets are surging. Late last year, it jumped 91 percent to 144 million gallons from 76 million gallons a year earlier. Plus, Brazil is negotiating with Japan, China, India and the EU to export still more. Even Brazil’s ethanol exports to the U.S. are growing despite a huge, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon. U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awak Improve Your Home by Refinancing Your Mortgage thanol more forcefully. And Brazil, still the world’s leading producer despite the earlier decline, took off!The possibilities involved in refinancing are overwhelming. If you have considered using a refinanced mortgage to do some remodeling you should consider cash-out refinancing. With a cash-out refinance home loan you can refinance your current mortgage for a higher loan amount than your outstanding debt and thus obtain extra cash for whatever purpose you desire. You can easily use the money to make home improvements and thus, you would be using as collateral for the loan the very same property that you’re going to improve.With Cash-out refinancing, you refinance your mortgage for more than you currently owe, then pocket the difference. Cash-out refinance home loans are just like regular refinance home loans, only that you actually refinance for a higher loan amount than your outstanding mortgage making use of the equity you’ve built on your home. Thus, you get a fair extra amount to use for whatever purpose you can think of.Let’s say you own a property worth $200,000 and you still have to pay a mortgage loan of $60,000. This implies that there is $140,000 worth of property that can be used as collateral. Though some lenders are willing to finance up to 100% of the property or even more, most of them will only lend up to 85%. Thus, in a common scenario you can request a refinance mortgage loan of $170,000, use $60,000 to repay the previous loan and keep remainder for other purposes.These loans are can actually be used for home improvements, which means they are actually raising the value of the property that is used as collateral for the loan. Thus, the lender is benefiting from the fact that the asset guaranteeing his money is more valuable and thus, the risk involved in the transaction lowers.Lenders will often consider loans used for home improvements to be o Result: Worldwide ethanol production has nearly doubled in five years ... the surge in volume has triggered the development of new, more efficient technologies ... and a new mega-industry has been born. Right now, the only country with cars running on pure ethanol is Brazil. But a mix of ethanol and gasoline is used in the U.S., the European Union, Mexico, India, Argentina, Columbia and, now, Japan. Here’s a country-by-country rundown ... Brazilian Ethanol: World’s Richest Investors Are Starting to Pile In! George Soros’s Adeco has recently bought a major ethanol plant in Brazil. Bill Gates acquired a share in three new plants in Brazil’s western state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Even Google’s Larry Page and Sergei Brin have revealed plans to invest in Brazilian ethanol. International companies are one step ahead of them: Infinity Bio-Energy, which trades on the London exchange, already operates Brazilian ethanol plants valued at $200 million and plans to invest another $500 million in five more plants by year-end. Evergreen, a British group, has recently bought Cridasa, a major ethanol producer in Minas Gerais. And the French group Tereos bought 6% of Brazilian ethanol producer Cosan and owns three plants. Overall, investments in Brazil’s ethanol industry are surging. In 2005, they were about $6 billion, including new plants, acquisitions and expansions. In 2006, they’ve surged to nearly $10 billion. And by 2010, even if there’s a recession in the U.S., they should hit at least $15 billion. The main attraction: Ethanol is transforming Brazil’s economy, and Brazil’s ethanol technology is about to transform the world. The key factor: Innovative ways of lowering the cost of production. Back in 1980, it cost Brazil’s ethanol producers over $2.60 to make just one gallon — not exactly competitive with gasoline! But now, Brazil is churning out ethanol for a meager 75 cents per gallon. And Brazil’s science agencies are funding a raft of new R&D to drive the cost down even further. So even if petroleum and gasoline prices fall further, Brazil’s ethanol will remain extremely competitive. Already, nearly every single car rolling off Brazil’s assembly lines has a flex engine capable of burning either ethanol or gasoline. So when we’re driving in Brazil, we can fill up with whichever fuel happens to be cheaper. And when our tank is half empty, we can even mix the two fuels at will. The flex engine has far-reaching implications. And although it’s going to take time, ultimately, I see nothing that can stop it from spreading to the world’s largest fuel consumers — the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and India. Even before that technological shift takes place, Brazil’s shipments of ethanol to overseas markets are surging. Late last year, it jumped 91 percent to 144 million gallons from 76 million gallons a year earlier. Plus, Brazil is negotiating with Japan, China, India and the EU to export still more. Even Brazil’s ethanol exports to the U.S. are growing despite a huge, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon. U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awak Event & Meeting Planners: Did You Know? Collaboration Is No Longer A Luxury, It Is A Necessity there’s a recession in the U.S., they should hit at least $15 billion.There is one powerful strategy all event and meeting planners use to reach the level of success they really dream about. It has nothing to do with event themes or locations, or your budget. It has nothing to do with your training in the industry. What I am talking about is much more powerful, and has the potential of positioning you as #1 in your industry and to generate business you never thought possible.Let me explain.When I first started my business, I felt very much alone. I had this feeling of pulling all the weight by myself, very limiting. As soon as I started collaborating with other people, I began feeling like nothing was impossible! I would come up with an idea, pitch it to one of my partners, and we would almost immediately turn it into a new revenue source. It took me a while to understand how to approach new partners, where to find them, and what to say to get a "yes."What I've learned is that collaboration is a very powerful business building strategy. Collaboration, when done right, makes everything easier. Everyone can collaborate. Collaborating is the "extra" in every extraordinary event and meeting industry professional I know. If you're like many other event and meeting industry professionals, you might find yourself overwhelmed and unable to grow in the business, or grow your business, without putting in more time and effort doing the same old things. Collaboration will allow you to multiply your efforts, save time and money, and uncover the resources and opportunities you need to become extraordinary.You may think collaboration is an advanced strategy but actually a lot of people who are new in this business get big through collaboration. A lot of people who do collaborate do it on a subconscious level. Collaborating is inherent in the The main attraction: Ethanol is transforming Brazil’s economy, and Brazil’s ethanol technology is about to transform the world. The key factor: Innovative ways of lowering the cost of production. Back in 1980, it cost Brazil’s ethanol producers over $2.60 to make just one gallon — not exactly competitive with gasoline! But now, Brazil is churning out ethanol for a meager 75 cents per gallon. And Brazil’s science agencies are funding a raft of new R&D to drive the cost down even further. So even if petroleum and gasoline prices fall further, Brazil’s ethanol will remain extremely competitive. Already, nearly every single car rolling off Brazil’s assembly lines has a flex engine capable of burning either ethanol or gasoline. So when we’re driving in Brazil, we can fill up with whichever fuel happens to be cheaper. And when our tank is half empty, we can even mix the two fuels at will. The flex engine has far-reaching implications. And although it’s going to take time, ultimately, I see nothing that can stop it from spreading to the world’s largest fuel consumers — the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and India. Even before that technological shift takes place, Brazil’s shipments of ethanol to overseas markets are surging. Late last year, it jumped 91 percent to 144 million gallons from 76 million gallons a year earlier. Plus, Brazil is negotiating with Japan, China, India and the EU to export still more. Even Brazil’s ethanol exports to the U.S. are growing despite a huge, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon. U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awak Prospective Home Buyers - The Importance Of Escondido Mold Testing e, 50-cent-plus tariff per gallon.Are you looking to buy a home in or around the Escondido area? If you are and if this isn’t your first time buying a new home, you may already know that you are advised to have your first choice home inspected before buying it. One type of inspection that the home you want to buy should undergo is an Escondido mold testing.When it comes to buying a home, there are a large number of prospective Escondido home buyers who wonder why they should have their prospective homes undergo an Escondido mold inspection. In all honesty, there are a number of different reasons. One of those reasons is the cost. Buying a new home can be expensive all on its own. Couple that with unexpected repairs that need to be made, like mold removal, and buying an Escondido home could end up being more than you bargained before. That is why it is advised that you know exactly how much you will have to pay for a home, including needed repairs, up front. To do that, you will want to think about mold testing.Escondido mold testing is also important if you are interested in buying an Escondido home because the home isn’t yours. Until you buy the home in question and live in it for some time, there is a good chance that you wouldn’t know everything about it. For that reason, a mold problem would go unnoticed to you; however, it wouldn’t go unnoticed to a trained Escondido mold inspector. That is why you are advised to have your first choice home undergo Escondido mold testing before agreeing to buy it. Since some molds you may be unable to see yourself, mold testing is important.Another one of the many reasons why you should have Escondido mold testing done on any Escondido home that you are serious about buying is because of honesty. While there are some home sellers who may be upfront wi U.S. Ethanol Industry Starting to Ramp Up As you well know, in the realm of petroleum and gasoline, production in the U.S. has been stagnant, with virtually no new refineries built in the U.S. since 1976. Not so in the ethanol industry! Even while America’s oil refineries were aging, over 100 new ethanol production facilities have been built in the United States. And that was mostly before August 8, 2005, when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act — a renewable fuels standard that should double the use of ethanol and biodiesel by 2012. Indeed, even the normally cautious U.S. Department of Energy predicts that ethanol could put a 30% dent in America’s gasoline consumption by 2030. But those projections are probably low, especially after the Democratic takeover of Congress this week, which opens the door to a bigger-than-expected push for ethanol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a doubling of the amount of ethanol required by law to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has just taken over the House Agriculture Committee, says he will also be more aggressive in seeking ethanol subsidies. And other House Democrats say they plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, with a lot of the money going into research for making ethanol from sources other than corn. Japan: Ethanol Sleeper Wakes Up Until recently, Japan was the world’s largest sleeping giant with respect to biofuels. Now it’s wide awake and leaping forward. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to increase consumption of biofuel for transportation to 3.15 million barrels by the end of 2010. He will boost the ethanol content of regular gasoline to as much as 10 percent. And as a result, Japan’s purchases of ethanol will rise to as much as 44 million barrels per year. Nippon Oil and other Japanese refiners have set their goals even higher. They want to replace 20 percent of Japan’s gasoline and diesel consumption with biofuels. That’s why we’ve seen so many Nippon Oil executives in Brazil in the last couple of years. And that’s why they’ve created Brazil Japan Ethanol Corp., a joint venture with Petrobras, Brazil’s only major ethanol exporter. The company will start shipping ethanol to Japan in 2010, aiming for 37.7 million barrels by 2012 — not only for consumption in Japan, but also using Japan as an ethanol sales hub in Asia. Meanwhile ... Australia has had voluntary goals in place to blend up to 10% ethanol by 2010. But now it looks like it could meet its target one or two years ahead of schedule. Canada has provided tax benefits for ethanol since 1992, while various Canadian provinces have similar mandates. Argentina requires use of 5% ethanol blends over the next five years. India mandates 5% ethanol in all gasoline. Indonesia aims for 10% biofuel use. And this is just the beginning. New Companies Jumping Into The Ethanol Industry A few small companies are coming up quickly ... VeraSun Energy Corp., a small startup in South Dakota, has quickly emerged as America’s second largest ethanol manufacturer. Pacific Ethanol of Fresno, California went public in 2005, making headlines with an $84 million investment from Bill Gates. The company plans to build five plants in the state by mid-2008 and has raised a total of $111 million. Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, now the nation’s fourth largest, is also ramping up. And Denver-based BioFuel is building two ethanol distilleries and plans three more, each of which will be able to produce 115 million gallons of the grain-based fuel a year. But despite all these plans, U.S. investors are still leery, especially with the lack of ethanol at gas stations. That’s one reason Global Ethanol Holdings, an Australian producer of sugar-based fuel, scrapped its IPO last year. And it’s also why it may be too soon to jump into small U.S.-based companies. Instead, I see two better vehicles for U.S. investors interested in ethanol: Vehicle #1. Archer Daniels Midland Archer Daniels Midland is pumping out more than a billion gallons of ethanol per year. As such, it’s the agricultural giant whose future growth is more tied to ethanol than probably any other major company in the U.S. Ethanol does not account for more than 5 percent of the company’s $36 billion in annual sales. But it’s generating almost a quarter of the operating profit. Plus, the company is expanding ethanol production by 50 percent, or 500 million new gallons of annual production capacity. CEO Patricia Woertz sees the company as uniquely positioned at the intersection of the world’s increasing demands for both food and fuel. We agree. And although the stock is still in a primary, long-term uptrend, it’s down substantially from the peak it made in May, opening a window for new investors to get in. Vehicle #2 The Leading Brazil ETF Brazil’s ethanol industry is helping to strengthen Brazil’s economy in more ways than one — with more export revenues, more fuel-efficient cars, and more local jobs. Moreover, by cutting new natural resource mega-deals with countries like China, Japan and India, Brazil’s newly re-elected president is gearing up for another growth spurt in Brazil’s economy, even without an ethanol boom. Brazil’s stock market is already anticipating this trend. That’s why the iShares MCSI Brazil Index (EWZ) recently challenged the highs it made last year, and after a mild correction last week, could easily exceed them. My view: Even though ethanol is just one component of Brazil’s overall success, EWZ is a worthy vehicle. Elisabeth’s older sister Christina, who now runs the family’s sugar cane plantation in Brazil, summed it up nicely when she represented ethanol farmers at the United Nations last year: “As fossil fuels become economically, environmentally, and politically unsustainable, agroenergy is today’s future. Farmers can play a critical role in planning for — and meeting — the call for renewable energy and, hence, energy security needs.” For the world, it’s a solution. For investors, it’s an opportunity. Good luck and God bless! Martin About MONEY AND MARKETS For more information and archived issues, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com MONEY AND MARKETS (MaM) is published by Weiss Research, Inc. and written by Martin D. Weiss along with Sean Brodrick, Larry Edelson, Michael Larson, Nilus Mattive, and Tony Sagami. To avoid conflicts of interest, Weiss Research and its staff do not hold positions in companies recommended in MaM. Nor do we accept any compensation for such recommendations. The comments, graphs, forecasts, and indices published in MaM are based upon data whose accuracy is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Performance returns cited are derived from our best estimates but must be considered hypothetical inasmuch as we do not track the actual prices investors pay or receive. Regular contributors and staff include John Burke, Amber Dakar, Wendy Montes de Oca, Kristen Adams, Jennifer Moran, Red Morgan, and Julie Trudeau. Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. Martin Weiss is one of the nation’s leading providers of information for investors. As editor of his monthly Safe Money Report, author of The New York Times best-seller, The Ultimate Safe Money Guide, and editor of the free daily investment newsletter, Money and Markets, Dr. Weiss has helped empower hundreds of thousands of readers to make better financial and investment decisions. He boasts a well-trained team of technical analysts providing continuing support in the selection and timing of specific investments. Dr. Weiss has been continually active in pro-bono public service efforts to provide testimony, analysis and data to
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