TUMPEK LANDEP, TAJAMKAN ''SENJATA KEHIDUPAN''

Hari ini (15-08-2009), Saniscara Kliwon Wuku Landep, seperti biasa umat Hindu merayakan Tumpek Landep. Dalam konteks ritual, umumnya umat Hindu memohon ke hadapan Hyang Widi Wasa agar tiap peralatan teknologi dapat berfungsi tepat guna, memudahkan umat dalam beraktivitas.

Di balik itu, apa sesungguhnya makna Tumpek Landep? Plt. Rektor Institut Hindu Dharma (IHD) Negeri Denpasar Drs. I Gede Rudia Adiputra, M.Ag. mengatakan perayaan Tumpek Landep pada hakikatnya memohon kepada Tuhan agar umat diberikan ketajaman senjata kehidupan. ''Landep itu mengandung makna runcing atau tajam. Jadi yang ditajamkan adalah senjata kehidupan kita. Tumpek Landep dipakai momen untuk menajamkan senjata kehidupan,'' ujar Rudia Adiputra.

Senjata kehidupan itu, kata Rudia, tak lain adalah pikiran. Agar pikiran cerdas, perlu ditajamkan melalui penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan. Melalui pikiran yang tajamlah umat diharapkan mampu menghadapi berbagai musuh dalam diri. Musuh itu yakni persoalan-persoalan kehidupan, antara lain kemiskinan, kebodohan, kegelapan dan sebagainya. ''Berbagai musuh itulah yang mesti kita lawan dengan tajamnya pikiran dan hati nurani,'' ujarnya.

Kata Rudia, menajamkan pikiran itu melalui penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan. Melalui perayaan Hari Saraswati-lah umat Hindu bersyukur kepada Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa karena telah diturunkannya ilmu pengetahuan. Sementara, dalam Tumpek Landep umat ''mengevaluasi'' apakah tajamnya pikiran lewat penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan sudah mampu digunakan dengan baik.

Kata Rudia, salah besar jika ada anggapan bahwa Tumpek Landep dimaknai otonan kendaraan. Pada Tumpek Landep umat sejatinya memohon keselamatan agar senjata kehidupannya bisa bermanfaat demi kesejahteraan umat manusia. Pun kendaraan, senjata dan alat-alat teknologi tercipta dari olah pikir manusia. Dalam ritual Tumpek Landep, alat-alat itu diharapkan dapat berfungsi untuk memudahkan aktivitas manusia sekaligus bermakna bagi kehidupan bersama.

Makna bagi Seniman
Tumpek Landep pun memiliki makna tersendiri bagi para seniman. Rektor Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Negeri Denpasar Prof. Dr. Wayan Rai S, M.A. mengatakan Tumpek Landep sebagai momen penting untuk mempertajam kemampuan seni bagi seorang seniman.

Perayaan Tumpek Landep itu hendaknya dijadikan tonggak untuk memantapkan diri dalam berkesenian yakni menajamkan penciptaan, teknik garapan dan sebagainya. Untuk bisa membuat garapan yang betul-betul metaksu, perlu ada upaya dari dalam maupun luar diri seniman.

Kata Rai, Tumpek Landep erat sekali hubungannya dengan taksu. Secara umum, para seniman sudah melakukan pemujaan saat memulai berkesenian. Tetapi dalam perayaan Tumpek Landep, para seniman lebih memantapkan diri melakukan penajaman melalui persembahyangan agar metaksu. Dengan mengosongkan pikiran untuk memuja Tuhan, diharapkan muncul inspirasi dan spirit baru.

Sebagai bentuk ritual memuja Dewa Kesenian dalam Tumpek Landep, para seniman biasanya mengupacarai atribut tari seperti gelungan, keris, tombak dan lain-lain. ''Dengan melangsungkan ritual seperti itu para seniman berharap agar selalu diberikan ketajaman dalam berkesenian,'' katanya.

Penajaman itu tak hanya lewat keterampilan atau latihan, tetapi juga spiritual. Sehingga para seniman mampu tampil tajam atau metaksu. ''Untuk bisa metaksu, seorang seniman harus meraihnya melalui kedua aspek yakni fisik maupun mental,'' katanya.

Aspek fisik melalui latihan-latihan menabuh dan menari. Aspek mental melalui pendalaman-pendalaman keilmuan dan kaitannya dengan keyakinan terhadap Ida Sang Hyang Widi, sehingga mampu tajam atau metaksu dalam penampilan. * subrata

sumber: balipost.co.id

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Pegawai Negeri Sipil atau Pegawai Negeri Santai

dicopy full dari tulisan Shabrun

Judul diatas mengelitik benak saya untuk sekedar menuliskan sedikit tentang PNS. Pada dasarnya PNS begitu diminati dengan berbagai macam alasan, bahkan begitu banyak orang rela berlama-lama menjadi SPN (seperti pegawai negeri) alias tenaga honorer lengkap dengan baju yang mirip PNS. Sungguh sangat miris rasanya jika kita baca peran seorang Margareth Thatcher yang kita kenal sebagai 'wanita besi', yang begitu terkenal keras saat memerintah. Saking kerasnya beliau memangkas ribuan posisi dalam pemerintahan di Inggris ditahun 1976, setelah itu beliau teruskan lagi dengan rayenism dengan merekrut para ahli efiesiensi, dan akhirnya berbuah pelayanan publik yang cukup sempurna ... Inggris berbenah begitu jauh dalam sektor publik, seiring dengan pengembangan akuntansi sektor publik dalam bentuk tekhnologi

Menjadi PNS di Indonesia? hhhmm suatu hal yang begitu banyak diminati orang mendaftar berjubel, pakai protes segala jika tidak diterima, pakai sujud syukur jika berhasil diterima, sebegitu perlukah kita membuka keran pendaftaran PNS? atau hanya perwujudan dari janji-janji politik saat kampanye dalam penyediaan lapangan kerja. Begitu banyakkah pekerjaan yang ada dalam tubuh pemerintahan, sehingga setiap tahun membutuhkan tenaga pengganti bagi mereka yang pensiun? pertanyaan-pertanyaan diatas tidak sendiri muncul, melainkan akibat dari tidak terurusnya pelayanan sektor publik yang diberikan oleh rekan-rekan PNS. Bahkan sampai iklan rokokpun mengkritisi kinerja PNS yang tentunya ini tidak bisa digeneralisasi,namun cukup memberikan fenomena tersendiri untuk lebih mengkoreksi kinerja entity-entity terutama yang masuk dalam kategori pelayanan sektor publik.

Adalah penting untuk dimengerti bahwa TAX adalah revenue terbesar dalam memberikan sumbangsih kepada 'goverment expenditure', dengan bahasa yang lebih mudah pajak yang dipungut dari rakyat itulah yang mengcover biaya-biaya yang dikeluarkan oleh pemerintah termasuk dalam hal ini gaji PNS. Dengan pemahaman tersebut, masih adakah kesempatan untuk 'SANTAI' bagi seorang PNS. PNS harus lebih bekerja keras... harus lebih melayani masyarakat.... dengan demikian jadilah mereka Pegawai Negeri Sipil dan menjauhkan mereka dari kesan Pegawai Negeri Santai.....

PNS dan institusi tentunya tidak hanya diam tanpa berbenah, harus kita akui berubahnya sistem anggaran berimbang menjadi sistem anggaran kinerja adalah suatu pertanda bahwa PNS dan institusinya mengalami perubahan. Sejak awal tahun 2004 disetujuinya Standar Akuntansi Pemerintahan untuk diimplementasikan, adalah suatu kemajuan mengingat sejak merdeka kita tidak pernah punya Standar Akuntansi Pemerintahan. Pembenahan yang dilakukan didunia akademisi dalam hal ini PTN menjadi Badan Hukum Pendidikan, demikian juga dibidang medis dengan tidak mem-plot posisi direktur/rektor harus dari tenaga medis/akademisi, semakin membuka kacamata kita akan pentingnya pelayanan sektor publik yang selama ini kurang terurus.Mari kita terus memberikan dorongan pada para PNS untuk terus memberikan pelayanan public yang sempurna, setidaknya dengan memberi pemahaman pentingnya pelayanan public bagi mereka yang ingin menjadi PNS

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Microsoft Windows Micro Xp Sp3 v0.82

Description:
Lighest & Fastest XP ever made with Updates Upto Sep 2008 [SIZE 85MB Only]
In this Version, You can install and run just about all the programs and games
that you can run on a normal installation of XP.

Microsoft Windows Micro XP v 0.82 - eXPerience | ISO | 85MB
RAM Usage On First Installation ……….. 39 Mb
Handles …………………………….. 2229
Threads …………………………….. 157
Processes …………………………… 15
Entire Install Size ………………….. 205Mb
Documents and settings folder size …….. 3.19 Mb
Program Files folder size …………….. 2.79 Mb
WINDOWS folder size ………………….. 199 Mb
Files In System32 ……………………. 815
CHANGELOG
(MicroXP v0.82)
released: 2008
Following the release of MicroXP v0.82, this new version fixes an issue
with Wireless LAN where it was not able to automatically find networks
around you without knowing the SSID identification code of the network.
This problem only appeared with Service Pack 3. The fix was simple, just
replace three DLL files in this SP3 version with the older SP2 versions
of the files - problem is fixed and you can use wireless just the same
as you could in previous (SP2) releases of MicroXP.
All previous fixes in all previous versions
of MicroXP apply in this new version 0.82.
MicroXP v0.81 to MicroXP v0.82
[REPLACED FILES]
- Replaced SP3 version of “wzcdlg.dll” with SP2 version (saves 5Kb)
- Replaced SP3 version of “wzcsapi.dll” with SP2 version (saves 1Kb)
- Replaced SP3 version of “wzcsvc.dll” with SP2 version (saves 121Kb)
[REMOVED FILES]
- Removed all .XSD files.
- Removed “L2Schemas” folder from the WINDOWS folder.
- Removed “Provisioning” folder from the WINDOWS folder.
[Services Remaining In Windows]
Cryptographic Services
DCOM Server Process Launcher
DHCP Client
Event Log
Logical Disk Manager
Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service
Network Connections
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Procedure Call
Server
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telephony
Windows Audio
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
Windows Installer
Wireless Zero Configuration
Workstation
All these services are enabled on installation,
so you can start using Windows straight away.
[WHAT YOU CAN DO]
- PROGRAMS -
You can still install and run just about all the programs and games
that you can run on a normal installation of XP. There is a text file
in the eXPerience folder on the desktop that has a list of programs
that work and includes some that don’t work (not many). Even Office
2007 installs on this version of Windows
- GAMES -
Up to now, there has not been one single report of any game not
working on MicroXP. Gaming is what this edition of Windows is all
about, it gives better benchmarks than any other version of
Windows I have ever tested.
- LAN NETWORKING -
At last - MicroXP now has the ability to browse your local network.
All you need to know is the computer name of the computer you want
to connect to and thats about it, just right click My Computer and
choose Map Network Drive. All computers can see each other even
if every computer in the network is running this MicroXP.
- CAMERAS AND SCANNERS
Now in MicroXP it is possible to use a digital camera (USB only,
no Firewire) or a scanner. Tested and working with a Fuji FinePix
6MP camera. The Photo Printing Wizard is not included, neither
is the wizard to download photos from the internet, but the rest
of the functionality for cameras and scanners is as complete as
in full Windows. My favourite saying: whats missing, you’re not
gonna miss! Print photos with Photoshop or maybe even Irfanview.
Ctrl+P to print works in every single program that supports it,
so its not like we ever needed the photo printing wizard, which
only ever made all images I fed through it A4, even small images,
so it actually did not even work, unless I skipped a button but
there really are no buttons to skip in that wizard, its useless.
- DIAL-UP CONNECTION -
You can still use a Dial-Up connection (Broadband or old 56k modem).
This is the one major flaw in other stripped out operating systems,
a lot of UK users still use a modem with broadband… in this
edition, RAS Dial-Up/PPPoE/DSL/ADSL connectivity is OK as well
as old 56k modems. Yes, try this install on a Pentium II or even
an old 486 might run it! They had 75Mhz processors and 8Mb RAM
with 4Mb graphics cards.
- WEB BROWSER -
This installation already includes a basic web browser called
Browzar that uses a few core files left from Internet
Explorer. No, Internet Explorer is not included, but select
files included in this installation that come from Internet
Explorer are vital to running Windows. Its also Internet Explorer
related files that allow you to open CHM files, which you can do
in this edition of Windows. This Browzar web browser is only here
so you can at least get online and download Firefox, Opera, Netscape
or whatever browser you want. This not only saves space on this CD,
but you get to choose what web browser you want to use and you get
the latest version not an old and possibly insecure version. Flash
v9.0.124.0 for Firefox and Opera is included, so Google Video and
YouTube work straight away in whichever browser you install.
- PASSES WGA CHECKS
If you go to download for example, Windows Media Player 11 from
Microsoft’s downloads section, you will need to validate windows
by running the GenuineCheck.exe file that Microsoft asks you to
download as part of the Windows Genuine Advantage checks. Its
fine to do this, don’t be scared of your key being blacklisted.
- FLASH -
If you install Opera or Firefox web browser(s) in this special
MicroXP edition of Windows, you can go visit YouTube or Google
Video without even having to install Flash Player. You can just
watch the videos right away.
Download
from http://www.fullandfree.info/software/microsoft-windows-micro-xp-sp3-v082/

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Welcome to Bedugul - Bali

Bedugul is a cool mountain area in Bali. Bedugul located about two hours drive from the Ngurah Rai International Airport. Bedugul has many beautiful tourism objects and facilities; even you will see beautiful sights along your journey to this location. The Eka Karya Botanical Garden (the only botanical garden in Bali) located inBedugul area, among Lake Beratan, Lake Tamblingan, Lake Buyan and natural forest in the west part. At the edge of Lake Beratan you will see the Ulun Danu Temple which is beautifully and harmoniously featured with the surrounding nature. Some water sports activities are provided in this lake e.g. fishing, skiing, diving and parasailing. Yes, clear air and environment with its beautiful surrounding make Bedugul area as one of the best and favorite holiday sites in Bali. Go and check it by yourself.

Have a nice travel

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Web 2.0? Or Is It More Like Web 16.0?

It has become difficult to keep up with the meanings of all the new phrases and terms generated by modern technology. One of the most commonly used phrases on the world wide web (www) today is "Web 2.0." It seems like every web solutions company is using this phrase to sell its stuff. So to the average Joe who's not a geek, what is "Web 2.0"?

Well according to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia…

"[T]he phrase Web 2.0 can refer to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis, and folksonomies [collaborative tagging schemes] — which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users. The term gained currency following the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use webs. According to Tim O'Reilly, 'Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.' Some technology experts, notably Tim Berners-Lee, have questioned whether one can use the term in a meaningful way, since many of the technology components of 'Web 2.0' have existed since the early days of the W!
eb."

There is no doubt the www has advanced significantly since inception, but there really is no new version of the www. It is simply much more useful to the everyday person.

However, if we counted each major innovation as a whole number and each minor revision as a tenth, we would already be into double digits. So why are we calling it "Web 2.0"?

If you have seen the latest Die Hard movie, or ever bought software for your computer, you will understand why we are not in Web 2.0. Even if we call it Die Hard 4.0 or MS Office 2007, it's still basically the same movie or tool. So what we are really experiencing now is more like Web 16.0.

If you have an in-depth, honest conversation with your web designers, they will tell you that Web 2.0 is a myth. So to explain how we got to Web 16.0, here's a history of the most significant events on the www.

WEB 0.1 -- 1958 – SAGE – Radar systems are first networked
WEB 0.2 -- 1960 – Packet switching is first created

WEB 1.0 – EMAIL – "A New Way to Send Unsolicited Mail Is Born"

Although the exact history of Email is a tad murky, it is generally accepted that it appeared in 1965, and was created so that people accessing a mainframe could communicate with each other. This was the first step in the interconnection of people, facilitating almost instant communication at no cost to the user.

WEB 1.1 -- 1967 – Markup language is created
WEB 1.2 -- 1969 – ARPA – A link is established between computers
WEB 1.3 -- 1696 – ARPA Net – First packet-switched network created

WEB 2.0 – WYSIWYG – "What You See Is What You Get (sometimes)"

With the invention of WYSIWYG in 1970, users could now be presented with a basic display of what their finished product would look like, as they were working on it. This removed the need to memorize complex code.

WEB 2.1 -- 1970 – ASP – First Application Service Provider (SAAS)
WEB 2.2 -- 1970 – Style sheets are created
WEB 2.3 -- 1971 – @ is created to separate hosts and users
WEB 2.4 -- 1973 – TCP/IP is created to simplify networking
WEB 2.5 -- 1973 – First connection to another country established
WEB 2.6 -- 1974 – The term "Internet" is adopted
WEB 2.7 -- 1976 – X.25 – The first network standard is approved
WEB 2.8 -- 1978 – International packet switching service created

WEB 3.0 – USENET– "The Black Market of the Internet"

Usenet was established in 1980 to offer mail and file transfers as well as give personal users access to news. Usenet is in fact a large network of servers all in communication with each other; a user posts something to the local server and that item is passed along to the other servers. Usenet was a major turning point because users could finally have an open conversation with anyone on the net, without needing to specifically know the user (unlike Email). The downside is that with a sometimes un-policed net capable of file transfers, the Usenet of today is a haven for piracy of all types, where anything you can imagine is accessible.

WEB 3.1 -- 1979 – Email is made available to personal computer users, millions of Nigerian Princes suddenly need public help

WEB 4.0 – REAL TIME CHAT – Going Outside Deemed "Obsolete"

Real-Time Chat was created in 1980 following users' frustrations with Usenet articles sometimes taking 24 hours to be updated. This signaled a turning point: online conversations became instant, albeit isolated into segregated groups.

WEB 4.1 -- 1980 – First ISPs created providing dialup internet
WEB 4.2 -- 1981 – TCP/IP becomes a standard
WEB 4.3 -- 1981 – US/Europe/Canada/Hong-Kong/Australia connect
WEB 4.4 -- 1983 – TCP/IP becomes the only standard
WEB 4.5 -- 1983 – First wide area network using TCP/IP operational
WEB 4.6 -- 1985 – FTP – The File Transfer Protocol is created
WEB 4.7 -- 1988 – IRC – Internet Relay Chat is created
WEB 4.8 -- 1988 – Bulletin Board Systems and Forums created

WEB 5.0 – HTML/HTTP/Web Pages – "It Has Begun…"

Around 1980, many researchers were using the internet, but they had no single way to create/display "documents" (web pages). Physicist Tim Berners-Lee and his colleagues needed a simple system for creating/displaying documents, but found that existing systems were too commercial, platform-specific or complicated for the average user. So they created their own relatively simple system, consisting of browsing software called "WorldWideWeb," a protocol for transmitting the information (HTTP) and a document annotation convention called "Hyper Text Markup Language" (HTML). This meant anyone could now create web pages using their simple language.

WEB 5.1 -- 1989 – Images can now be animated, oh the horror!
WEB 5.2 -- 1990 – The network now covers the entire world (publicly)

WEB 6.0 – Search – "Did You Mean: Google?"

Before 1990, there was no way to find a page; you had to know the specific location. Around 1991, search engines began indexing (storing) the content they found, giving users the ability to search for a page even if they didn't know the page's location.

WEB 6.1 -- 1991 – DNS – Dynamic Naming System is created
WEB 6.2 -- 1991 – The first text-based browser is created

WEB 7.0 – DHTML – "Because Non-Scrolling Text Is Boring"

The web was static until Dynamic HTML (DHTML) was created. DHTML introduced client-side scripting, allowing authors to include code in their web pages that performed an action upon being downloaded onto a user's computer. DHTML introduced rollover buttons and drop-down menus on web pages. It goes a long way to making the web more personalized.

WEB 7.1 -- 1993 – The first graphics based browsers are created
WEB 7.2 -- 1993 – Screen casts are first created
WEB 7.3 -- 1994 – Wikis are created; Britannica begins holding its breath
WEB 7.4 -- 1994 – The World Wide Web Consortium is formed
WEB 7.5 -- 1994 – CSS – Cascading Style Sheets created

WEB 8.0 – ONLINE DIARIES – "Teens Reportedly Misunderstood"

Online diaries were first created in 1994 as a means for people to store their diaries online for personal or public reading. Writers could now reach almost anyone worldwide at practically no cost, and everyone could create editorials on whatever subjects they liked, without fear of censorship.

WEB 8.1 -- 1996 – The first social bookmarking site created

WEB 9.0 – RANKED RESULTS – "The Online Popularity Contest"

Search engine results helped find things, but many of the results were useless or had nothing to do with the keywords used. As of 1996, search results started to be ranked based on a multitude of things, like how popular a page is. This made searching faster and easier, and significantly less painful.

WEB 9.1 -- 1996 – Flash is created, whole websites can now be animated
WEB 9.2 -- 1997 – The term "Blog" is adopted

WEB 10.0 – HIRED BLOGGERS – "Wow Isn't Product X Great!"

As of 1997, personal diaries began to evolve to what became known as "blogs." Many corporate websites and personal homepages had (and still do have) news sections, these were traditionally updated manually in a back-end system. With the advent of blogs, the commercial sector jumped in, seeing a new marketing medium.

WEB 10.1 -- 1998 – The first audio news site is created
WEB 10.2 -- 1999 – The first web-based operating system is created

WEB 11.0 – RSS – "Newspapers Deemed Obsolete"

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) was created due to the lack of a universal feed format. The creation of RSS means that users could now "subscribe" to feeds containing video, audio, text, or graphics. Users no longer had to trawl the web for new information, they could "subscribe" to a feed and have it sent to them directly.

WEB 12.0 – REMOTE SCRIPTING – "Waiting For 4 Seconds Now History!"

Remote scripting allows scripts running inside a browser to exchange information with a server, so that scripts could be triggered locally, processed remotely and have information returned directly to the browser. This made the web faster and easier to use, and removed the need to refresh the page for simple tasks like sorting.

WEB 12.1 -- 2001 – Blogs evolve from online diaries

WEB 13.0 – PODCASTING – "Now Everyone Can Avoid Listening To You By Choice Rather Than Circumstance!"

Podcasting originated as a portmanteau of the iPod® and broadcasting, although "portable on demand broadcasting" has now become the widely-accepted definition. Originally Podcasting was created to allow individuals to distribute their own radio shows, but it has become popular for a wide variety of things, from educational materials to the latest gaming news. Podcasting opens up distribution of audio content to anyone with a server, with users "subscribing" to the RSS feeds that appeal to them.

WEB 13.1 -- 2002 – Folksonomy is created, giving rise to "tags"

WEB 14.0 – VIDEO PODCASTING – "Web-Based One-Sided Conversations"

Shortly after Podcasting became popular, video Podcasting was created as a means to send the equivalent of TV episodes to users. Though similar to podcasting, the content was not limited to just "TV episodes". Video Podcasting opens up the video medium so that making a TV show is possible for anyone.

WEB 15.0 – VOIP – "High Tech, Dodgy Sounding Free Calls"

With the Voice Over Internet Protocol, telephone audio is sent over the internet, rather than a traditional phone line. This removes almost all cost involved, and also removes the need to have a physical phone line. What this means for consumers is calling becomes much simpler, easier and significantly cheaper.

WEB 16.0 – SAAS – "The Industry Makes a SaaS of Itself."

Software as a Service (SaaS) is just a new term for a concept that has been around since the dawn of the internet (ASP from 1970). SaaS refers to using a piece of software run/provided through the internet, and instead of paying a large one-off purchase price, you "rent" the software for as long as needed. So while SaaS is the buzzword of the day, the concept is decades old.

..The CONCLUSION?

So if you follow the basic rule that each total upgrade is a new ".0" then we are nowhere near Web 2.0. The story is really one of falling price, increasing reliability and bandwidth, coupled with ubiquitous access.

Simply put, "Web 2.0" is just shorthand for the development process outlined above. Bottom line, the web really becoming what the web really always should have been.

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Common Mistakes In Business Plans

Your business plan is typically the first impression potential lenders of investors get about your business idea. Even with a great product, team, and customers, and you are unable to convey to properly convey your image, it could be the last impression if your plan has some of the following, common mistakes.

Lenders and investors review hundreds of business plan every year and with every plan, lenders and investors become more cynical because the same mistakes pop up with regular frequency. With so much competition for a limited amount of capital, it is imperative to not make these mistakes.

1. Financials

Unrealistic Financial Projections - Simply saying that you are going to do $100,000 in sales is not enough nor can you simply say there is no way of knowing. Everyone knows there is no way to accurately come up with financial projections over the next three years, especially in a start-up. But, what is required in your plan is that reasonable assumptions are made and supported with research. By incorporating a detailed list of assumptions and how you arrived at your numbers, the lender/investor can judge your analysis and decision making process. If you are projecting to generate high sales outside of industry norms, explaining how you arrived at this conclusion is a must. Lenders and investors have seen many, many plans that claim sales are going through the roof once funded and as a result are very jaded at statements like this. Financial data that is inconsistent with industry averages and overly aggressive sales figures will raise flags. Explain every number.

Confusing Cash with Profits - Revenues do not always equal cash. For example, suppose you make a sale this month for $100 that cost $50 to produce. Assuming your buyer doesn’t pay for 30-60 and even 90 days if dealing with state or federal sources (and assuming they all pay), the effect on your cash flow is significant. Suppliers and employees still have to be paid for their work while you are waiting on payment from the buyer.

While you may not have a significant portion of sales coming from receivables, the timing of cash flows is critical for developing a financial strategy as cash flow is much more important than profits. Profits are an accounting concept while cash is money in the bank. If you don’t believe me try paying your bills with profits.

No Adjustment for Seasonality - All businesses are seasonal to some extent, some more significant than others. Seasonality refers to the percentage of sales that are made in a month. For example, most retailers have huge November and December sales and lousy January and February sales. Did you make enough cash during the good months to cover the slow months to cover salaries, rents and lights?

If You Build It They Will Come - Be careful in assuming once your doors open people will be streaming in to buy. You have a new, relatively unheard of business. This is a time when your business is particularly vulnerable as most of new owner’s cash reserves have typically been used to open the store. If sales projections are off during the first couple of months and you don’t have enough working capital to keep the lights on, you may be quickly going out of business.

Insufficient financial projections - Basic financial projections consist of four elements: Income Statements, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow Statements.

For most businesses a three-year projection is sufficient, but if yours is a capital intensive one and will take longer to show profitability then use five. Actual figures are a must if you can get them and any number in the projections needs to be in the business plan narrative. If you are purchasing an existing business use the historical financials to show support for your sales figures.

No Quotes - Any significant expenses should have a quote accompanied in the appendix, especially for construction or remodeling as this is an area where most entrepreneurs slip as they do it themselves and greatly underestimate the costs.

2. Marketing

Failing to relieve the customer’s pain - Businesses are rewarded to make consumer’s pain go away. Pain can include; my car stopped working, my doggie is sick or my tax returns are too hard to prepare.

If your business plan can’t show how you are relieving the customer’s pain, then the chances for success in the marketplace is extremely limited.

Remember pain equals market opportunity. The greater the pain, the greater number of customer’s with this pain and the better you can relieve the pain equals greater market potential.

One Billion Customers Served - Claiming everyone needs your product/service will send a strong message to the reviewer that you don’t know your market and remove any credibility to your plan. In the good old days the shotgun approach to marketing could work as there were limited channels for advertisement. Today with unlimited outlets and more narrowly defined markets, this approach does not fly.

While it’s true everyone eats, not everyone will eat at your restaurant, nor could you effectively advertise to everyone. By researching the segments that are most likely to use your product/service and showing how your message will get to them will ultimately make your endeavor more successful. Having clearly defined target markets will show you have done your homework and be the cornerstone of a marketing strategy that can succeed.

We have no competition - Use this statement if your want your plan rejected. Every business has competition. While there may not be a direct competitor, meaning one that offers the same or similar product, there is always an indirect competitor.

Saying there is no competition tells the reviewer that you have either not done any market research or there is not a market for your product.

3. Organization

Writing For The Wrong Audience - A plan for a lender should be written differently than one for an investor. Banks are interested in seeing the likelihood that debts be repaid and investors are interested in the upside profit potential. Be sure to write your plan to your audience. For both, keep to the facts, keep it clear and keep it simple. If you don’t feel you have the writing abilities to make your plan shine, then get help.

Poor spelling and grammar - Leaving spelling and grammatical errors in your plan only tells the reviewer that you are not paying attention to details and may not pay enough attention to the business. Use spelling and grammar checkers and let others review your plan to make sure there are no errors.

Too repetitive - Many times, plans will cover the same points over and over. A well-written plan should cover key points only twice: once in the executive summary then again in greater detail in the narrative of the plan.

Remove the Jargon - Using simple language is imperative to getting a technical business funded. Don’t think that by using complex terms that lenders/investors will be so impressed with your knowledge that they will whip open the checkbook. Businesses that can’t be understood don’t get funded. If you can’t explain your business to a sixth grader your chances of funding are in jeopardy.

Investors are really only interested in your technology if it solves a problem that people will pay for, is better than the competition, can be protected through patents and can reasonably go to market without spending a lot of money.

Keep the technical details out of the business plan and in the white papers.

Appearance matters - Make sure your plan looks professional. Use professional printing, binding, keeping fonts consistent and easy to read. The more money being requested means investing more time in making sure your plan will stand out from the crowd. Be careful that you don’t go overboard and give the impression that the plan is all style and no substance.

Length - A long business plan does not make a better business plan. All of the industry and marketing research won’t save a flawed plan. Too many plans have been immediately rejected because they are too long. Lenders and investors favor entrepreneurs who can efficiently demonstrate the ability to efficiently get to the point.

An executive summary should be no more than 1-3 pages. Ideally it should only be one page but some complex plans require more. An ideal business plan is 20-30 pages, including financials. Remember less is more!

Use operating plans, white papers and marketing plans for the in-depth details.

Fluffing - Using phrases like "unmatched in the industry;" "narrow window of opportunity;" or "ground floor" are empty phrases filled with hype. If anything, the cynical reviewer will be turned off by the hype and trash your plan. Stick with laying out the facts – what is the problem, how will you solve the problem, how big is the market, how will consumers buy it and what is your competitive advantage. If the opportunity is there the lender/investor will be able to make the decision for themselves.

Overvaluing the business idea - What gives a business value is not the idea but the execution of the idea. A great idea is a start, but almost everyone has had a great idea at some point in their lives. How you will execute this idea is what sets apart a real business from the dreamers.

4. Execution Mistakes

Waiting too long - Funding a business takes a long time. Expect three months at a minimum after finishing your business plan to get funding. Unless you have sufficient capital, other sources of income and can be funded in-house at a bank, this number may be reduced. Bank financing for business with less than two years of operating history are typically funded through an SBA guarantee, which requires additional time, patience and paperwork. Financing through investors is usually an even longer process as they have a lot of people competing for their money and they tend to do significant due diligence to secure their investment. Waiting until you need the money is a sure way to keep your business from launching.

Unreasonable time lines - Many business owners underestimate the timelines for completing milestones. Its human nature to think we can do things faster than is possible. When getting a business started there will be several tasks you could not have anticipated and the some tasks you think will be easy which will end up taking much longer. It is best to overestimate and finish early, rather than scramble and execute your opening poorly.

Failing to seek outside review - When preparing your plan, be sure that you have at least a few people review it before sending it out. Preferably look for people in your industry or who have a specialization in sales, distribution, etc that could lend a fresh set of eyes and find any flaws in the plan. Being so close to the action can keep you from being objective and this additional scrutiny may save you countless headaches and money down the road.

Perfecting - It can be easy to spend countless hours perfecting your plan and ultimately never launching. Remember, your plan will never be perfect and in practice should be continually updated as you learn more about the business, market and customers. Don’t make your plan an academic practice, finish it and get in front of investors and lenders. Use this feedback to see if your plan really needs the additional perfection.

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