TODAY INDIA

Tips On Church Banner-Making: Permanent Application Process of Your Designs/Letters

This article is a continuation of basic church banner making processes. Here I will share details on how to permanently apply your already prepared designs to your banner background without sewing. As you may recall from previous articles, your patterns were used to trace and cut out your designs from fabrics that you have ironed fusible transwebbing to the back side.

First, you will need a flat, clean surface to work on, preferably one large enough to accommodate the size of your banner. You will need to make the surface “ironing friendly”. This means you can either place a large ironing pad or large towel on the surface so that you can safely iron on it without damaging the surface area. Tip: Be sure the area is free of crumbs or wet spots or any other foreign matter. I recommend keeping all food and drinks out of the area entirely. Nothing is more disappointing than having a beautiful, almost finished banner ruined by wet spots or food that leaves oily spots!

You will also need a straight edge ruler or yard stick, several straight pins, an iron, transparent paper (or drafting paper), and fabric paint that comes in a squeeze bottle, like Tulip fabric paint.

Begin by placing your letters and design on the laid-out background where you think they will look the best and offer a balanced composition that is pleasing to the eye. To line up words, I use a yard stick and straight pins. I measure the distance from the top of the banner to where I desire the bottom of the letter of the first line of the word/s to appear. I make this same measure on the left and the right sides and mark each one with straight pin. Now I place the yard stick just under those two pins so that it rests directly on the underside of each pin, creating a straight line to place my letters on. Peel the paper backing off of each letter (from the iron-on transwebbing) and place the each letter so that the bottom of the letter rests against the top edge of the yard stick. Use your eye to space your letters/words so they look balanced. If you have more than one line of words, space the lines equally apart using the same method of measuring from the top edge of the banner on left and right sides and marking with a straight pin and then placing the yard stick between the marked pins to form the straight line for your next line of words.

I like to tack each letter with the tip of my heated iron just to insure that it will not accidentally move when I remove the yard stick and work on the next line of words. Once you have the design and letters where you want them, it is time to iron them down.

Do not iron directly on the fabric. Use a piece of paper, preferably transparent paper. I use a leftover large piece of transweb paper that already had the glue side transferred onto a large banner pattern from previous work. If you do not have that, I recommend drafting paper sheets that you can purchase from an office or art supply store. These drafting sheets come in large enough sizes to work well and are transparent enough for you to see your patterns beneath it as you iron. Carefully lay the paper over the laid out patterns and iron them down on medium/high heat (test it first to be sure your iron is not too hot), moving the iron over the design letters until they are fused to the banner background. Moving your iron also keeps from making iron depression marks on the banner. It only takes about a minute to fuse. Remove the paper and move it to the next area until each section is fused thoroughly.

TIP: If a letter shifts out of place while ironing, there is a remedy. Allow the material to cool then try to peel off the letter. If it does not peel off easily, you can use a damp cotton swab or cloth to dampen only the letter or design that needs to be removed. Once dampened, the fusible glue is loosened enough so it should peel off easily and you can reapply it in the corrected position. Try not to dampen too much or you may leave a water mark on the banner background.

Once you have everything ironed in place, you can now make them permanent. I like to use Tulip gold Glitter dimensional fabric paint. I carefully squeeze and drag the tip along the edges of all of the letters and designs to create an even small, smooth bead line of paint that touches the edge of the letter/design shape and connects to the banner background. This creates a permanent adhesion without sewing a stitch! You will want to practice first to get the hang of how much to squeeze and the rate of dragging the tip along the edges. Sometimes the paint will have a bubble or burp of air that you cannot foresee. The Glitter paint type is more forgiving than other colors, because it has a clear base. When a burp happens, you can gently wipe away any excess. So for beginners, use the Glitter Tulip fabric paint. With experience, you will be able to better control the bead line of paint and the “burps”. When you become expert, try using Tulip Slick color paints for a different effect. Practice first.

For large banners that have large letters, you can still get away with not having to sew. In this case you can use fabric glue, like Aleene’s Fabric Glue and a suitable narrow trim for outlining each letter. It is best to use a narrow trim that has the ability to curve, such as a woven trim or single line of sequin trim. First outline one letter at a time with a thin line of glue. Then adhere your trim carefully over the glue so that the trim covers the edge of the letter and overlaps to touch the banner background. When you get to a sharp corner, hold the trim down firmly and create the corner. For some trims, you may want to tack down sharp corners with a tiny dab of hot glue. Then continue with the fabric glue. If using hot glue, be sure to remove all glue “strings” because the “strings’ may later get ironed onto your banner and ruin it.

You have the basics of how to make banners for churches. You have read how to find inspiration for your designs; how to execute your ideas into patterns and how to transfer them onto fabric. You have also read how make your banner background. Now you know how to permanently apply those letters and designs to your background. In future articles, I will share more advanced techniques. The next article will discuss ideas for how to adorn your banner with sparkle and richness.

Is Classified Advertising Dead?

For more than a century, classified ad business was dominated by the newspapers. In the offline world of the days now long gone and forgotten, it was tremendously lucrative, accounting for a significant part of publishing business’s revenues. There were even numerous standalone classified ads publications, either free or paid, attracting both readers and advertising profits.

It all changed in 1995, on the eve of digital revolution. It was that year that Craigslist was launched. It is estimated that today, this online classified giant costs tens of millions to run, at the same time bringing hundreds of millions in revenue.

While online publishing has sucked dollars out from the pockets of offline classified publications, it was a good news for an average classified user. Since cost of publishing on Internet is very low, online classified advertising websites can afford to let users post, and reply to ads, without a fee.

The real problem with free classifieds today, for both the classified ads website owners and their users, is not the operating cost, but the issue of “getting found” among the myriad of free ads in the jungle that is the Internet today. And it’s a huge problem!

The solution to this growing problem of “getting found on the Internet” appears to elude even the most hardened Internet marketing veterans and offline advertising mavens. That led some to proclaim the death of classified ads business model. They were probably too quick to write them off, though.

Online ads certainly have some serious advantages over offline ones going for them. Not charged for by the line, they can be longer. Once posted, they usually go live almost instantaneously. Unlike their printed counterparts, they are searchable.

What can we expect from the classified ads in the future? Well, they are yet to respond to social, something that is changing the Internet before our eyes. Giving the ads a “social layer” could infuse a new blood into the old industry. One important advantage online advertising has over traditional, but hasn’t made a full use yet, is performance monitoring in real time.

In recent times, a growing number of new classifieds emerged, some offering hyper-local listings, while the other cover globally. Niche classifieds are offering everything under the sun, specializing in anything from business opportunities or personals, to boats or pets.

Despite the growing pains, online classified ads world looks like it’s thriving! Classified advertising has a long history, and it is definitely not still… history.

Communication Effect

The system of sending information or message from one place to another place is communication.

Understand the meaning of communication and system of communication. Understand about the familiar developments like Mobile, Fax, Computer, E-mail, and Telecommunication.

In ancient times it used to take many days to send a message or information to distant places. But today we can send messages to any part of the world quickly due to the development in the field of communication. The message may be in the form of written piece, sound, picture or movie. Today man uses Telegraph, Radio, Television, Telephone, Fax, Mobile, Videophone, Pager etc., through telegraphy, message can be sent in the form of words. For example: If you want to send a message “Happy Birthday” to your friend. Go to a nearby post office and send the message to his address. This message reaches your friend in few hours. The most common device used for communication is Telephone. We can converse with a person anywhere in the world through a telephone. Depending upon the distance between the communication people, service of the telephone is divided into three categories. The system of sending information or message from one place to another place is known as telecommunication. Through Fax, written material and pictures can be sent. Telephone calls are grouped as local-calls, Subscribers Trunk Dialing, International Subscribes Dialing. Through internet one can access the required information from any part of the world. The modified form of postal service is e-mail.

Speaking through the telephone while driving a vehicle or even walking is not a surprise. Here the mobile phone acts as a receiver and transmitter. The radio waves are set up between the two people, who are communicating with each other. Fax is a modified version of telegraph. The written material pictures can be sent through Fax. For Ex: If you want to send a cartoon story to a news paper, feed the fax machine with your data. The cartoon story written on a paper is transferred to the fax machine at the news paper office through telephone line as it is For this you should know the Fax number of the news paper office.

Every individual needs to be well equipped with the tools to communicate effectively, whether it is on the personal front, or at work. In fact, according to the management gurus, being a good communicator is half the battle won. After all, if one speaks and listens well, then there is little or no scope for misunderstanding. Thus, keeping this fact in mind, the primary reasons for misunderstanding is due to inability to speak well, or listen effectively.

Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.

There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication.

It is of utmost importance not only to communicate but also effectively communicate. Please throw some light on the first instance where Lisa was not suitably promoted. She did give her presentation, she did communicate, then why was she denied her promotion? She did not effectively communicate. The trick is not only to communicate but effectively communicate. And if you can effectively communicate, the world is all yours.

Communication process is a simple process where a message is being transferred from a sender to the receiver. The receiver after receiving the message understands the message in the desired form and then acts accordingly. Not every individual is born with good communication skills; it is inherited in due course of time as the individual passes through the various stages of life. Communication skill is an art which has to be mastered to make one’s presence feel, stand apart from the crowd and emerge as a strong leader in all facets of life.

Don’t always depend on verbal communication at work place. After any verbal communication with the fellow workers, make it a habit to send the minutes of the meeting or the important points through e-mail marking a cc to all the participants. Always depend on planners, organizers and jot down the important points against the date set as the deadline to complete a particular task. During presentations, the addressee must use whiteboards, papers and the participants also must carry a notepad to avoid forgetting any point.

Intra-personal communication skills: This implies individual reflection, contemplation and meditation. One example of this is transcendental mediation. According to the experts this type of communication encompasses communicating with the divine and with spirits in the form of prayers and rites and rituals.

Interpersonal communication skills: This is direct, face-to-face communication that occurs between two persons. It is essentially a dialogue or a conversation between two or more people. It is personal, direct, as well as intimate and permits maximum interaction through words and gestures. Interpersonal communications maybe:

Focused Interactions: This primarily results from an actual encounter between two persons. This implies that the two persons involved are completely aware of the communication happening between them.

Unfocused interactions: This occurs when one simply observes or listens to persons with whom one is not conversing. This usually occurs at stations and bus stops, as well as on the street, at restaurants, etc.

Non verbal communication skills: This includes aspects such as body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, etc., which also become a part of the communicating process; as well as the written and typed modes of communications.

communication like group discussion. Remember you are not the only one speaking in the group discussion; there are other participants as well who are vying for the limelight. You might get only a single chance, and you just can’t afford to miss the opportunity to create that first impression, and as they say first impression is the last impression. An individual might have complete knowledge about the topic assigned to his group, might be well aware of what is happening around him, but if he can’t effectively communicate his ideas to others, he will fail to create his mark. The way an individual communicates his ideas has to be very impressive for him to live up to the expectations of the deciding authorities.

Teddy appeared for an interview with a reputed media house. He had been eyeing for this company for quite a long time. He fared extremely well in the face to face rounds and was looking forward to getting selected in the organization. Unfortunately something else was in store for him. He could not get through the GD Round. He was exceptionally good in academics, had a healthy professional background and even expressed his ideas in his best possible way in the group discussion. The problem was in his communication level. He did try his level best but failed to impress the interviewer and thus lost out on his dream job.

Converting your thoughts into words is an art and one has to master it to win over the trust and confidence of the assessor. One has to very sensibly and carefully choose the right words to share his thoughts with the other participants and make his points clear. Never use slangs, instead go for some corporate jargons or professional terminologies for the desired edge. Also avoid cracking jokes in between as it is considered highly unprofessional. An individual must not stammer in between or chew half of his words. Speak clearly and your voice must never be shaky. There is no one who will beat you there, so why to get afraid of a group discussion?

No one will ever deduct your marks if you greet your fellow participants well. Use warm greetings and never forget the handshake on meeting. These gestures actually help in breaking the ice and create a bond among the participants. Someone has to begin the discussion, so why not you? Take the initiative and start the discussion. Introduce yourself and your team members well. Never believe in personal favors. If any participant is unwilling to speak, do not force him unnecessarily. If someone has spoken well do not hesitate to give him a pat on his back. Such non verbal communications sometimes go a long way in boosting the morale of the participants. Be very confident to win over the trust of the interviewer as well as the other participants.

The pitch and tone must also be taken good care of. You are speaking not for yourself, but for others to listen and respond. Always ensure that you are audible to one and all. Every participant must be able to hear you clearly and understand what you intend to convey. An individual must also learn the art of voice modulation. Don’t keep the same pitch always; learn to play with your tone as per the importance of the word or the sentence. If you want to raise a question to your fellow participants, it must also reflect in your voice. Avoid shouting or being too loud in group discussions. You are here to voice your opinion, not for fighting. Keep your voice polite, soft but convincing. Never sound unintelligent or foolish, as the interviewer has a constant eye on you. Do take care of your punctuation marks and the flow of words. It is no harm to take pauses or breaths in between sentences. Never repeat sentences as it will lead to monotony and others will tend to ignore you. Don’t just speak for the sake of speaking.

Always remember there are other individuals also who are participating in the group discussion. They may not be from the same background as you are, might have an altogether different thought process, but you have no right to make fun of their views. Always respect their opinion. If a participant is speaking, never criticize or oppose him in between. You will get your time to speak, and please wait for your turn. An individual has to be very patient, calm, dignified, sophisticated and above all professional in his approach. The individual who passes the information to others for sharing his thoughts and ideas with them is called the sender. (First Party) The individual who receives the information from the sender and responds accordingly to give him the feedback is called the receiver. (Second Party). In the process of communication the information must reach the receiver in exactly the same form the speaker intends to. If the recipients fail to provide feedback to the speaker, communication is considered to be ineffective and incomplete.

Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver. Communication needs to be effective in business.

Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management (Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Feedback is integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are very large. It involves number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between organization and society at large (for example between management and trade unions). It is essential for success and growth of an organization.
Communication gaps should not occur in any organization. Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, and satellite communication to support business communication. Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.

Business Communication can be of two types:
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication

Oral Communication – An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally business communication is a formal means of communication, like: meetings, interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business communication would be – Grapevine. Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required. Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences,
interviews, etc.) is significant so as to build a rapport and trust.

Written Communication – Written means of business communication includes – agenda, reports, manuals etc. Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.
Advantages of Written Communication

Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.

It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required.

It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge.

Written communication is more precise and explicit.

Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.

It provides ready records and references.

Legal defenses
An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication system in the organization.

Remember effective communication is a necessity in today’s challenging scenario and the above tips definitely go a long way in improving one’s communication skills.

Promotional T-Shirts – A Blast From the Past

The most common method of t-shirt printing in the past was using silk-screen where designs are separated into individual colours. Water-based paints are usually used for this process and only a limited number of colours can be used.

In the 70s and 80s, airbrush also gained popularity and other more decorative methods included embossing, appliqué and embroidering. These later ones are admittedly more expensive. Nowadays, with the advent of technology, laser printers can easily print any image on a t-shirt. Companies can have the option of having their logos printed easily within a very short time. Their designs can be as intricate as they want and can be printed on the garment without compromising design or colour. Colours also have a wider range and can be printed in more vibrant hues.

It has now been a standard practice for companies to print logos, slogans, new products and services on garment giveaways. Companies such as Coca-Cola and Disney have acquired a massive following with their logos brightly printed onto all sorts of different clothing items. It is now a fashion statement for a person to wear t-shirts with designer names and logos printed on them and In this way, companies become household names.

This is the importance of promotional t-shirts to a company. It is easy to dismiss this age-old method of advertisement as a relic of the past since the media has paved a whole new road to advertising heaven. Companies are willing to shell out millions of pounds for a page in the fashion magazines and newspapers that line the streets. They’re willing to pay television networks lots of money for a few minutes of airtime to advertise their products and services. With the arrival of technology, companies fight over the chance to put up ads in whatever website is available in cyberspace.

It’s a fact, advertising has come a long way but we have yet to dismiss promotional clothing as a thing of the past. Unlike television, you don’t need electricity to show your customers what you stand for. Unlike the internet, you don’t need a broadband network to remind your customers that in case they need pizza, or have plumbing problems, or banking needs, you’re there to help them. Unlike magazines and newspapers, your customers don’t need to spend money to purchase advertisement.

It’s very easy to see why, although old-fashioned these form of advertising is still a very effective way of promoting a company’s name, products and services.

Book Summary – Corporate Canaries – Avoid Business Disasters – Written by Gary Sutton

Gary Sutton is a business turnaround expert and this little book is packed with great stuff. If you are interested in business or have a business then this book needs to be on your desk. Use it as a business desk reference. I am a big believer in “Inversion” which is to study the opposite of things. If you want to be successful then study success & failure to really understand the full spectrum. Gary’s book outlines 5 major early warning signs which are similar to blood pressure, insulin levels, cholesterol and heart rate for physical health.

Why is this important to me?

There are several reasons you need to take into account that make this book important. Are you an employee? If so then you need to read this book. The early warning signs will make sure that your company is solid. Enron employees thought that their money and retirement was safe. As we all know this was not the case. One of the main principles on debt would have given them the knowledge to make a change before they lost all their retirement.

Do you own a business? If so then you need to understand all of the principles outlined in the book. You have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure your company is sound to all stakeholders. This is important because they depend on you and these early warning signs are imperative to understand so you can make the necessary changes.

Gary uses his grandfather’s advice as a coal miner to outline the 5 main problems to be avoided. I will focus on the 5 without the story but understand that coal miners used to use canaries to detect a gas leak. Thus if the canary died then they knew they had to evacuate the coal mine. We will dive into each of the 5 principles now:

1. You can’t outgrow losses – You see this time and again where short term Wall Street conscious firms focus on top line growth with no regard to profit. This is a bad idea. Mergers of two mediocre companies that have top line growth only yield one big average company that will bleed money.

Early warning signs are:

1.) If company revenues have grown at twice the rate of net profits for three years

2.) The sales force is commissioned on volume, without regard to profit.

3.) Hallway conversations are about sales, not earnings.

2. Debt’s a killer – This one is nebulous but Gary gives a great indicator of when debt is too much. If you have seen any of my other summaries then you know I am a big fan of OPM (other people’s money) to leverage good debt to buy cash flow assets. With that being said, too much debt can kill you in bad times.

Early warning signs are:

1.) Debt to equity exceeds 1:1

2.) Equipment is always leased, never bought

3.) Executives spend more time with bankers than with customers.

3. Fools fly blind – This one has to do with financial controls. When these are sloppy then nobody knows where the business really is. This is a killer because the operating P&L’s take too long to distribute or worse than that they don’t even use them as tools. Also, when bigger companies focus on revenues and earnings per share but have no idea if they have enough cash to cover payroll.

Early warning signs are:

1.) Year-end audit adjustments are more than 1 % of revenues or 5% of earnings.

2) The books don’t close within two weeks of the month’s end.

3.) When you ask employees where the company makes its best profits, nobody knows.

4.) There are no lead indicators for sales.

4. Any decision beats no decision – “Analysis paralysis” kills innovation and speed. These two factors separate market leaders and everybody else. When people are scared to make decisions or spend too much time covering their own asses then this uncovers deeper company problems and bad leadership. These behaviors create bureaucracy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Check out my summary on How the Wise Decide to overcome this bad behavior.

Early Warning Signs:

1) The mission statement tries to say many things to many people (wishy-washy)

2) Brochure and ad headlines don’t offer specific and meaningful benefits to buyers

3) Employees, customers, and vendors give different answers when asked what the company does best. Leadership has failed. Nondescript companies die.

5. Markets Grow and Markets Die – Company leaders have to recognize when markets are dying. If they don’t then the reinvestment yields “diminishing returns”. Basically this means the company will die by a thousand cuts. In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins profiles Kimberly Clarke’s entry into the consumer paper business and exit from their traditional business. They had to sell the mills. This was a big decision that worked out but can be very difficult because you have an established business that makes money. I can attest to number 5 because it has happened in my own business. We have had to reinvent ourselves twice in the 14 years I have been working it. There are types of businesses that are more successful and easier than others. This is worth the study in and of itself and I will profile business types in future summaries.

Early warning signs:

1) Sales have dropped two years in a row.

2) The competitors’ sales have dropped two years in a row.

3) Nobody’s making money.

In summary, Corporate Canaries is a must read book. The lessons are critical if you strive to build a business and the lessons can translate to your personal finances as well.

I hope you have found this short video summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days.

One thing you can take away from this book is to keep your debt to equity below 1:1. This is difficult for most people because they have the debt and no equity. Through daily discipline and simple daily changes, this can change easily.

Energy Saving Posters Will Encourage Employees to Save Energy in the Workplace

Energy Saving Posters in the Workplace

Often even the most environmentally conscious people forget to conserve resources in the workplace. But earth friendly habits are important to foster in the workplace, and it is important that managers and business owners put the right tools in place to make green habits easy to adopt at work. Besides being good for the earth, green habits improve a business’ bottom line.

When employees consistently turn off lights and unplug appliances, less energy is required to operate the office. When there are policies in place that require them to turn off screensavers or use sleep modes on their computers, a huge amount of money is saved on electricity bills.

Energy saving slogans are a fun way of gently teaching “old dogs new tricks”. Often people operate on autopilot with bad habits that could easily be replaced by earth friendly practices. This is especially true if the managers or owners of the business do not set eco-friendly systems in place. For example, if no recycling bin is provided, everyone will more than likely throw their recyclables into the trash rather than taking them with them to a recycle bin off site. Almost every breakroom could benefit from a recycling bin and appropriate recycle sign. Another great suggestion to post in breakrooms is the use of reusable utensils and travel mugs.

Almost every office uses paper, but not every office has a tree friendly policies like recycling paper, copying on both sides, and only print what you need. Simply posting these suggestions on the wall with a green sign will cause people to think twice about wasteful practices.

Energy saving posters are large enough to describe several ecofriendly practices, and are designed to cater to the needs of a certain area. There are posters that target breakrooms, copy rooms, lobbies, warehouses, and other common workplace areas. These posters often feature animated illustrations to demonstrate how to green the workplace. Green signs and posters can go a long way to help employees tread a little lighter on the earth.

Employees may feel it is the responsibility of the company to enforce environmental policies. These policies can be established by simply posting appropriate signage in the workplace. This simple step can be effective without even holding meetings or verbal reinforcement. Often employees are happy to participate in green programs, and just need these practices to be first suggested and encouraged by the supervisor. Greening the workplace doesn’t have to be more work. It is more about changing mindsets. The best way to remind people is to place signs in appropriate areas.

One of the most effective energy saving poster shouldn’t even be called a poster at all, because it measures just 5″ x 7″. It is a small sign that is placed beside a light switch that simply says “Turn Off Lights When Not In Use”. This message should be placed beside every single light switch in the workplace.

Don’t let greening the workplace overwhelm you. Start small and do what you can. Make it simple and others will follow. Order some energy saving posters today and you won’t even need to hold a meeting!

Multi-Location Software: Keeping Businesses On Track

As the global economy expands, more and more businesses find that they are in need of multi-location supply chain software to efficiently track and record their business around the globe.

One such area that finds itself in need of this technology is businesses that deal with supply and logistics. Most industries that have multiple locations need to be able to track information from multiple sources. By investing in a system that can provide real-time information from all locations, a business can adequately prepare for the needs of their customers.

An example of a business that is frequently in need of this form of technology is school systems. Since most school systems have multiple campuses, having a service that can compile all of its mandatory data, such as attendance, in one concise format, the school district is able to save on it resources and keep track of state, local, and national requirements.

When corporations, such as hotel chains, are doing business, the home office is in charge of keeping up with the daily information from each hotel. If a hotel in the chain needs to order 500 rolls of paper towels, the software can hold the order to ensure that other hotels in the chain do not need the same item. This capability saves the company on shipping and can save hundreds of dollars by purchasing in bulk.

Other large businesses, such as hospitals, are in constant need of purchasing supplies. While most hospitals have a department dedicated to purchasing for their own location, in order to take advantage of the global market, the sister hospital across the globe may need similar items.

When the inventory of an item is depleted at a factory in England, for example, the sister factory in Boston will show the lowering of the inventory. This provides the most up-to-date information at all times for accuracy within a company.

To use another example, if a client in France needs 5000 widgets from your company, the sales representative can look on the multi location software to see if the branch of the company in France has enough widgets. If not, the representative can check other company locations and place a transfer of widgets from that facility to the one in France to complete the order.

While the idea for this type of platform has been in the planning stage for several years, technology has caught up. With the technology now available, every potential market that has numerous locations could ultimately benefit. While accuracy will improve the bottom line in business, it will also have an impact on customer service.

One of the largest complaints of customers and clients across the globe is poor customer service. Selling products that are out of stock, shipping products that are incorrect, ordering inaccurate amounts of products, and many other issues are listed as poor customer/client satisfaction. Every business, however, knows that it is customer satisfaction that truly affects the bottom line. By using this type of technology in business, schools, factories, and hundreds of other areas, customer satisfaction, accuracy, dependability, and the bottom line will almost certainly improve.

Camping Tents – Camping Tent Checklist

The kinds of things you want to consider bringing on your next camping trip will vary depending on when and where you are going camping. For example, if you are going camping in the winter, you will want to bring gloves and boots, a warm jacket and a hat. If you are going hiking or mountain climbing, you will need to bring lots of lightweight things to put in your backpack. However, if you are planning to go camping in the woods or at a campground, you will find the camping trip checklist below very useful.

Print a copy of this checklist and store a copy with your camping tent. Put the list in the bag with the tent stakes so you never forget where the list is. You will need the list before you leave home to go camping and again when you finish packing your camping tent and other items at the site and you are ready to go home.

How to make the checklist work for you:

a. As you pack the items you are going to bring camping, place a checkmark above that item below. If the item is not listed, add it.

b. Place a scratch through items you choose not to bring

c. When you are finished camping and as you pack items to bring home, place a checkmark under those items below.

Camping Trip Checklist

Consider bringing the items below with you on your next camping trip.

1. Camping tents, tent stakes, rope or clothes line, tape, tarp

2. Fan, chairs, lantern, matches, propane, newspaper for starting fires, campfire logs, plastic baggies (big and small)

3. Charcoal, charcoal lighter,

4. Towels for wiping dew off chairs in morning, bath towels, dish towels, beach towels, washcloth, soap

5. Inflatable mattress bed, cot, sleeping bags, blanket, pillows

6. Paper/plastic plates, paper towels & napkins, plastic spoons, forks, knives, pots, pans, spatula & tongs, table

cloth, can opener, table cover, cups, salt n pepper/shaker

7. Clothes in luggage, swim suit

8. First aid kit, mosquito repellant (raid), sunscreen

9. Tin foil, knife & scissors

10. Hatchet, hammer, garbage bags small shovel

11. Radio, binoculars, compass and/or GPS. dustpan and broom, backpack, air pump, portable heater, coolers, extension cords

12. Games to play i.e. bocce ball, badminton, bean toss, sudoku, cards, tubes for swimming, books to read

13. Ponchos/jackets/coat

14. Cooking grill, oven mitts, pie makers, marshmallows

15. Fishing poles, tackle box, water shoes, life jackets, boots

16. Pot scrubber, toilet paper, folding table

Successful Marketing Tips For A Paintball Field

‘Build it and they will come’ is a phrase made popular by the Kevin Costner movie ‘Field of Dreams’. While this phrase is actually speaking of a baseball diamond built in the middle of a remote corn field, for some reason many new small businesses seem to think it applies to them. Too often the excitement for their new venture clouds their viewpoint into thinking the business they’re about to open will be so novel that all they will have to do is open the doors and they will be flooded with new customers. While this situation can happen, it is extremely rare and even more so for a business that appeals to such a limited demographic like a paintball field. The reality of the matter is if you don’t have a meticulous marketing plan set to start at least 8-10 weeks before opening day, you are already planning to fail.

The unfortunate statistic for small businesses is an 80% failure rate in the first 18 months. Forbes magazine will tell you the main reason for this is because they run out of money. While this is the reason they end up closing their doors, the reason behind this is simply from a lack of planning. Many new paintball field entrepreneurs get so caught up in the layout and construction of their business, they either completely forget about marketing or it’s an afterthought at best. Most of the time, the reason new start-up businesses run out of money is because they didn’t start their marketing efforts early enough or misfired their marketing altogether. The bottom line is they weren’t able to generate enough business to keep their operation running. Not starting your marketing efforts early enough will ensure your first few months of business will be slow and stressful. Misguided marketing is even worse as it wastes valuable time and limited start-up money to produce nothing.

Even though paintball may be one of the field owner entrepreneur’s favorite past times, it takes an adult to step out of oneself and realize not everyone has the same interest. In fact, paintball caters to a very small demographic making marketing to a broad spectrum audience useless. Because of this, it’s smart to avoid costly television commercials, radio and newspaper ads designed to ‘keep your field’s name in everyone’s mind’. This type of media should only be used to boost hype for specific events and not to provide the ‘regular exposure’ most sales reps will try to sell you. Since the game of paintball tends to only attract certain types of people, your most cost effective form of advertising is to target these specific groups. This is called niche marketing and if done correctly, can be very effective. The first task is to make a list of all the different niche groups who play paintball at commercial fields. Then target specific campaigns and promotions to only these groups.

Ages of players who participate in paintball is 8-40+, however it is recommended players be at least 18 years old. This is because the sting of being hit is often too intense for younger players. While it will take a little forethought, targeting youth for marketing your paintball field to could be a venture that pays off in the long run. Considering most fields cater to high school and above, youth players are a large demographic that tend to be left out in the commercial world. When making your initial equipment purchase, consider buying .50 caliber paintballs, guns and gear. These are a smaller size ball and do not hurt when they hit you compared to the larger, standard .68 caliber paintballs. This is a big decision because .50 caliber gear is limited on the types of guns available. It will be too costly to buy both .50 cal and .68 cal markers and balls for your field so you will have to decide on one and stick with it. While .50 caliber size gear is fairly limited on the types of markers available they are actually more cost effective than .68 caliber. Offering .50 caliber paintball will also allow you to market ‘pain-free’ paintball to the younger audience and cater to a market that’s virtually untouched.

Paintball is not gender specific however mostly played by males. It is not a sedentary game and it is much more fun for people who are more athletic and can move around quickly. Target specific marketing campaigns to facilities and programs geared toward youth, males and athletics. To do this, make contacts with groups like the local YMCA, athletic centers and even gyms. Meet with owners and/or planning managers to promote your field with informational fliers, special events and/or certain days or games you’ve scheduled just for their group. Most cities and towns have numerous health clubs. Consider setting up a one day paintball war for rival gyms to battle each other for a local title. This can also be done for high school sports teams during the end of their season or in between seasons. Many high school coaches like to keep their team together during down times with activities that are fun, challenging and different from the sport they normally play. It’s a good idea to market your field to these leaders and help them schedule an event that will help their team bond.

It’s quite common for certain groups to use outside activities for bonding exercises to bring a team closer together. Many corporate companies take their employees on white water rafting adventures, ropes courses and even paintball for this valuable experiences. Marketing your paintball field to every corporate company with more than 10 employees is a great idea for this purpose. Target every corporate company of this size within a 120 mile radius, set up a certain day on your field you will hold the event and/or offer them a special corporate rate. Take time to try and meet with HR executives or managers who may be interested and set up an event. Another good niche group to market your paintball field to is police and military personnel. Active duty soldiers/officers may want to rent your field for certain simulation tactical exercises. Inactive personnel often still love the adrenaline and strategy of a good battle and have the potential for being very good repeat customers. Offer these groups military and law enforcement discounts as well as group rates and/or special field times.

Don’t waste your time, energy and money trying to get every tax payer in your zip code to play at your field. The list goes on for specific niche groups to market to and the more creative you get with your promotions the better. Take your time thinking of more groups to communicate with and try to constantly come up with new ideas to get and keep them interested in playing at your field. Keep simple stats on which events/marketing campaigns and niche groups were the most successful so you know which ones to keep doing and which ones to go back to the drawing board on. Once you have a steady flow of new players coming, focus on internal marketing strategies to keep them coming back. For example, frequent player discounts, free tank refills or ammo after a certain number of games they’ve paid for, etc. Set up your paintball field from the beginning so it can be manipulated to host different events and competitions for different niche groups to play there and many players will call your field their home.

News Reading in the Internet

One of the benefits of modern media is the use of the latest technologies has changed the speed of relaying information to different parts of the world. Decades ago the catch phrase was the latest news; today the popular phrase is breaking news because people received the latest news by the hour, every hour. Unlike ages before, people received news days or weeks after the incident occurred. Before, it was plain global news, at present it has become more specific using phrases such as Islam news, culture news, middle east new, and online news to name a few. Due to internet the world has been getting smaller and people get easy access with latest news development. It is a welcome development as people will be able to digest specific information easily.

Online technologies have allowed people to search and received news developments at a click of a mouse. And not only that, they can type specific key words such as gulf news, international business news, and middle east news to arrive easily at the web pages they want immediately. Long ago, newspaper readers’ patience has to be tested before they can read latest Muslim news, Islamic news, and Middle East News. The search bar features have slimmed down time constraint of accessing specific news to readers. In addition, some functions of these sites has exposed readers to links that give related information of the events.

Readers have to skim from different pages to find one article about world business news. Oftentimes, readers have skipped the news that they want to read as it is buried in the inside pages. In addition, newspapers then do not provide in depth analysis of events that unfolded during that time. Online editions have categorized different news items such as world business news, international business news, news in middle east, and Islamic news, to give more details as the event progresses every seconds of the day. And because of these readers have are better informed and are more clarified with the issues.

The internet has further created additional source of information for everybody. The web does not host online editions of major newspapers. It is home to websites and blogs that concentrate on specific news categories. Thus, you have sites for Islam news only, blogs for culture news, and webpages that caters only gulf news. In addition, thousands of articles that deals specifically with topics like Islamic news, international business news, and middle east business news, just to name a few are easily accessible. It gives readers of more objective and detailed information of specific interest.

It has been predicted before that the web will replace newspapers as major source of current events information. This is the reason why newspapers have invaded the web to benefit from this development. At present, both off line and online versions are available for everybody. It is not yet definite if land base newspapers will suffer extinction just like the dinosaurs of long ago. At any rate, people are still enjoying both versions.