(NAPSA) – Finding ways to save and turn problems into profits is a key quality that’s shared by successful small businesses that have found a way to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
To help you and your business do the same, here are some tips.
• Shine a light on savings by making sure to turn out the lights in areas of the office
that are not being used. Another option is to install motion sensor lights that will
automatically turn lights on and off when people enter or leave a room. The
savings in your utility bill will soon be visible.
• Cut back on waste and save on mailings by cleaning up your mailing list. Start by
making sure that the materials you are sending out are being sent to active
accounts. Get rid of bad addresses, inactive customers and undeliverable mail.
• Print it yourself. One way some businesses maintain control over printing costs –
and their brand – is to do their printing in-house whenever possible.
For example, thanks to a new app, iClickn’Print, a growing number of businesses are finding they can now maintain more control over the look of their stationery and business materials by doing their own printing.
That’s the word from Mafcote, the company that created iClickn’Print. The app is designed to let business owners design their own branded business materials, such as stationery, business cards, envelopes, letterhead, and posters and signage, from their own computers, then print them from their own printer.
To make the process even easier, businesses can purchase printing paper and templates that are compatible with the app made by Geographics or Royal Brites branded paper.
In addition to saving money, the app also gives a business more control over where and when the printing gets done. Plus, the application works from your computer’s Internet browser. That means there’s no need to install the program onto your computer.
• When it comes to communicating what your brand is and what your business is
about, do all that you can to stay focused on your message. Keep your
statements, both verbal and written, simple and consistent, and make sure they
reflect your key messages.
One way to do that is to make sure your name, logo and graphics-including signage-communicate your brand.
That means you need a logo and color scheme that complement your verbal message and create a cohesive presentation for all your materials and website. This can help to create savings by cutting back on printing excess materials that don’t reflect the brand.
• Savvy small businesses know how to save by knowing where and when to
spend. For example, many small businesses see money spent on marketing and
promotions for the holidays as an investment, whether it’s to attract new
customers or to reward existing customers for their loyalty.
To learn more, visit www.iclicknprint.com.
One way to maintain more control over your brand is to do as much of your own printing as possible. The key is to have professional-looking results.
Brian Allen, a senior Commercial Music student at TSU, shows off the bass guitar he built as a senior project using the seven native woods of Tennessee. (photo by Rick DelaHaya, TSU Media Relations)
Brian Allen, a senior Commercial Music student at TSU, shows off the bass guitar he built as a senior project using the seven native woods of Tennessee. (photo by Rick DelaHaya, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Growing up, Brian Allen would spend countless hours with his father in their small shop tinkering with electronics or learning the basics of wood-working tools. He loved working with his hands, and the Commercial Music major was soon rebuilding and refinishing drum sets and guitars.
It wasn’t long after Allen began playing bass guitar at Tennessee State University that the 23-year old decided he could build one of his own. And it wouldn’t be just any bass guitar. It would be one that incorporated his love of working with native woods of Tennessee.
It all started in high school when Allen’s band director gave him a set of drums to refinish. He completely removed the wrap from the shells, and refinished and stained the wood underneath.
“I enjoy the process of taking things apart to see if I can put them back together while improving them,” said Allen. “I love bringing back to life what other people discard using basic tools.”
A musician for the better part of 10 years, Allen plays percussion and bass guitar, and, he added, dabbles in beginner guitar. He soon made a decision to put his skills to the test and try to refinish his first guitar. Walking into the local Goodwill store, he left with a low-end 12-string Kay vintage acoustic guitar he purchased for $140 to see what he could do by “playing around with it.”
“It was difficult, to say the least,” Allen joked. “It was really harder than I thought to disassemble and put back together. The body was in pretty bad shape and a little warped.”
After sanding to bare wood, Allen set about building a new bridge out of Honduran rosewood, something that he had never done before but a skill that would come in handy for future projects. Allen estimates he has nearly 100 hours in the refinish, but it taught him the basics of guitar building and he was ready to tackle his next project. After learning basic repairs and building a lot of confidence, Allen decided to build his own bass guitar.
“I figured I could build on my skills and create something that no one else has ever built,” he said.
After much research and on the advice of a close friend, Allen decided he would pay homage to his home state by building the guitar out of the seven native woods of Tennessee (Red and White Oak, Poplar, Pine, Cherry, Black Walnut and Maple).
“My mom has a rocking chair that served as the inspiration for the body,” Allen said. “A friend suggested I use the same hard wood as the chair and build it in the shape of the state of Tennessee.”
The first design was drawn on a simple white board in his kitchen and quickly morphed into a more elaborate design. Using simple algebra, Allen and his friend, an engineering student also attending TSU, decided the length of the guitar should be 29 inches, proportional with the length of the state at 429 miles.
He cut the different woods into 1 3/8 inch strips, glued them together and cut to create the shape of the state. After multiple coats of a protective finish, he installed the neck he got from an old bass guitar. The build was finished after he installed the electronic components.
“This build really kept me on my toes,” he added. “It was both awesome and a little scary building the bass this being my first time attempting anything like this. The plans changed a few times, as we hit some snags along the way, but in the end I think it is a guitar that I can be very proud of.”
After two-and-a half months of work, the guitar, the only one built in the shape of the state of Tennessee to his knowledge, was ready to make its debut not only in the classroom, but also as his senior project. That is when people started to take notice of his creation, Allen said.
Dr. Mark Crawford, associate professor and coordinator of the commercial music program, helped grade the project, and remembers that put in the hands of a musician such as Allen, it was an exciting project because he had the tools to create something “awesome.” Like many artistic people, in addition to Allen’s musical abilities, Crawford said, he has other creative skills. In his case, it includes working with his hands.
“He has an innate ability to fix things or build things, all which require creative problem-solving skills,” said Crawford. “I was aware of this when Brian enrolled in his Senior Project course. He approached me with the novel idea of building a bass guitar in the shape of Tennessee, and I decided this would probably be the best kind of project for him. Once he finished the bass, he used it as he performed with the Commercial Music Ensemble. Through the groups’ travel, Allen’s guitar was seen in four different states, including audiences at the BB King Museum, Holiday World Theme Park, Nashville Sounds baseball games, Nashville Shores and other venues.”
Just as impressed was Dr. Bob Elliott, head of the Music Department, who thought the guitar was “an excellent example of a boutique build” and an indication of the type of work taking place in the Commercial Ensemble program.
“Brian has an excellent future ahead of him,” said Elliott. “Our program is designed to not only help the students learn how to play music but also how to find a niche in the music industry. Nashville is full of jobs that are not only in the music industry, but those that support it. Should Brian decide to pursue a career in instrument repair or the building of one-of-a kind instruments, his training at TSU and his musical background will serve him well.”
So what’s next for this budding guitar builder? Plans are already in the works for another bass guitar made out of Mexican Purple Heart wood with the neck fashioned from Madagascar rosewood. It will be, Allen said, one of the most exotic builds he has ever attempted.
But even more than building guitars, he is also looking forward to graduation this spring so he can start his career, either playing music or building guitars, or attending Luthier school for guitar building.
“My ultimate goal is to hopefully get on with a company such as Gibson, and learn guitar building from the ground up,” Allen said. “Then I’ll take what I’ve learned not only at TSU but whatever company I work at and turn that into possibly a custom-guitar building business or repair shop.”
(NAPSA) – Lori Ramos Cavallo compares being a new caregiver to being CEO of a Fortune 500 company straight out of high school.
No prior experience. No qualifications. No idea where to start.
“My Mom went from being completely active to needing care overnight,” said Cavallo, who cared for her mother for eight years following a devastating stroke. “You don’t prepare for that mentally, financially or emotionally. It’s a struggle.”
To help stroke caregivers, the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, developed “Caregiver Guide to Stroke.” The free guide includes sections on emotional support, communicating with the health care team, managing the effects of a stroke, legal resources, financial support and health coverage.
“Becoming a caregiver can be overwhelming,” said Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D., clinical psychologist and family therapist at Crozer-Keystone Health System in Springfield, Penn. “While they are still adjusting emotionally to a sudden change in their loved one’s functioning, family caregivers also feel like they need to become instant experts on treatments, rehabilitation, insurance and more. This guide will help the person who does the helping.”
A common fear for caregivers is that their loved one may have another stroke. The American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative, nationally sponsored by the global health care product company Covidien, teaches the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people remember common warning signs of stroke. F – Face Drooping A – Arm Weakness S – Speech Difficulty T – Time to call 9-1-1
To download the association’s free “Caregiver Guide to Stroke,” visit www.StrokeAssociation.org/Caregiver. For caregiving or general stroke inquiries, e-mail TogethertoEndStroke@heart.org or call 888-4-STROKE (888-478-7653).
(NAPSA) – Great advances in treating HIV/AIDS have been made in the past decade – 54 percent of adults in low- and middle-income countries now get treatment. On the other hand, 72 percent of children who need HIV treatment don’t get it and 80 percent of them will die before age 5. Now, however, you can join 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys in doing something about it.
She helped found Keep a Child Alive, which supports innovative ways to increase access to lifesaving care for children affected by HIV.
Keys has partnered with skincare company Kiehl’s Since 1851 for a special edition of its Midnight Recovery Concentrate (MRC), with 100 percent of the net profits, up to $200,000, benefiting Keep a Child Alive. MRC is a potent, 99 percent natural concentration of botanical extracts specifically formulated to biologically replicate skin’s natural lipids for optimal skin repair overnight and a fresher and more radiant appearance by morning.
For more information or to purchase Alicia Keys for Kiehl’s Since 1851 Limited Edition Midnight Recovery Concentrate, visit www.kiehls.com/Alicia-Keys or call (800) Kiehls-2.
(NAPSA) – When your child isn’t feeling well, your main concern is to help him or her get better. However, when it comes to children’s fevers, your first step should always be to determine whether or not your child actually has a fever. This can save your child from receiving unnecessary medication or even hospitalization.
Fever Myth: “If your child feels warm, she must have a fever.” While he or she may feel warm, a child’s skin temperature varies with exercise, excitement and sleep-making your hands poor thermometers.
Fever Fact: Use a thermometer, so you can get an accurate temperature. Remember, the temperature for a fever depends on where you put the thermometer. A rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, an oral temperature of 100 degrees and above, and an armpit temperature of 99 degrees all mean that your child has a fever.
Parent Education
To help educate caregivers about the nature of fevers, Pedia-Care® has partnered with father and pediatrician Dr. David Hill, author of “Dad to Dad: Parenting like a Pro,” to develop a series of videos to debunk a number of myths about kids and fevers.
A Safer Treatment
PediaCare® has also developed the new Single Dose Fever Reducer. It’s designed to help make giving children medicine an easier and safer task. It’s the only premeasured acetaminophen available in individual, squeezable packets, suitable for anytime dosing.
The child-resistant Single Dose packets each contain an accurate dose for just one treatment, so they require no additional cup or spoon and reduce the threat of overdosing. The packet is specially designed for little mouths and to make taking medicine less intimidating.
Each box of the product contains multiple ready-to-use doses based on weight and age. This product is available in two sizes-a 7.5-mL packet for children 36-47 lbs. or ages 4-5, and a 10- mL packet for children 48-59 lbs. or ages 6-8. Many parents are confused as to when to give their child acetaminophen and dosing instructions can be confusing. “PediaCare® Single Dose makes dosing simple and provides parents with peace of mind,” said Dr. Hill. “This innovative product takes a trusted medicine and transforms it into an easy-to-use solution.”
To view Dr. Hill’s videos, visit www.youtube.com/PEDIACARE.
For more information, visit PediaCare.com, or join them on Facebook at Facebook.com/PediaCare and @PediaCare on Twitter for updates.
You can’t go by touch. A child’s skin temperature varies with exercise, excitement and sleep. That’s why it’s wise to use a thermometer when testing for a fever.
The Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) and various civil rights leaders announced Tuesday their concerted grassroots effort to collect one million signatures via an online petition to impeach Attorney General Eric Holder for refusing to enforce laws against same-sex marriage, according to CBS News.
The Rev. Bill Owens, president and founder of the CAAP, addressed his organization’s concerns at the National Press Club in a scathing speech on Tuesday, stating that Holder had violated his oath of office by trying to “coerce states to fall in line with the same-sex marriage agenda.” Owens also zeroed-in on President Obama by blatantly stating, “In my lifetime, I’ve never seen a president as bad as this president.”
The fire and brimstone religious leader also stated that Obama had deceived the American people by announcing that his position on same-sex marriage had “evolved.” “That is not true. He made the deal with the gay community to let him get elected, his second election, that he would take the issue up,” Owens charged. “But it was always there; he did not ‘evolve.’ It was already there because of their commitments of very large sums of money and his relationship with them.”
The impeachment petition drive, which has thus far garnered over 8,000 signatures, vehemently accuses Holder and the President of shredding the institution of marriage and remaking it into a genderless institution. Both men are called out for having “turned their backs on the values the American people hold dear, values particularly cherished in the Black community: values like marriage, which should be strengthened and promoted, rather than weakened and undermined.”
According to Owens, his organization’s campaign “is intended to create a groundswell of support, giving Congressional leadership the encouragement necessary to remove this dangerous ideologue from public office.”
The CAAP is supporting a “March For Marriage” on June 19 of this year in Washington D.C. “in support of the bedrock of society and our culture’s most pro-life and pro-child institution.”
CAAP is calling on everyone, regardless of color and creed, to sign the petition to oust Holder from his duties as Attorney General at www.holderimpeachment.com.
A bus driver in Dayton, Ohio, who was shot twice in the chest at point-blank range, was saved by his Bible, reports KTLA.
Rickey Waggoner, 49, who was also shot a third time in his leg while standing next to his bus, was the suspected target of a gang initiation.
According to police, the two bullets aimed at Waggoner’s chest were stopped by the New Testament Bible he carried in his shirt pocket.
Waggoner had pulled his public transit bus onto the side of the road after it stopped running, police said.
He was trying to fix the problem when the men came along and attacked him, police said.
By Angela Moore
Recently I had the privilege of returning to one of my former jobs, ABC 33/40 to do an interview. I’ve been there many times since my departure in 1999 to do PR interviews and promote things with which I was involved. That day, for some reason as I greeted old friends and shook hands with new people who also understand the connection of this little thing called media I realized an important fact. It’s so important to wrap things up the right way.
As a feisty 27-year-old back in 1999 I had no idea where my career path would lead and certainly didn’t know, or want to know if it would often lead me back to places I’d already been. As a young, naïve little lady I actually paid no mind to the possibility of the notion called “full circle”. With that said, when I quit ABC 33/40 in June of ’99 I left there after having been there since the day the doors opened to go to a great job in Marketing and Public Relations at a local hospital. At that time I was a little burned out with how my simple mind perceived news media at the time. (Ask any newsie or news escapee about media burnout). I’m so glad that, even in the blessing of receiving a new job I didn’t “throw up the deuces”, “run out kicking and screaming”, “blast my boss” or “cabbage patch” out of the door leaving my old job in a way that would have been embarrassing for the now grown woman to return to whenever possible. Back then I thought I knew it all. The likelihood to do any of the above mentioned unmentionables was very possible. (God bless my heart.) I’m so glad my internal frustrations, immaturity, unwillingness to change, or drama with my “at-work” boyfriend and his girlfriends didn’t cause me to do something totally foolish. I don’t know if you’ve worked with people like the ones I’ve worked with, but most of us know of those who have disgracefully left a job, church, relationship or organization with a lot of ranting and ruckus then later on ended up crossing paths with the ones they left.
I’m so glad there was a bit of decorum even back then that I’ve tried to keep with me at all times, especially when it comes to ending a relationship (business, personal, etc.). Not to say that times (and people) don’t try me, but I’m just a firm believer that life is a perfectly woven connection of our past, present and future, and at any time that connection can come together. I want to be able to sashay right on through whatever comes back together with no lingering thought of “do these people think I’m crazy?”.
Angela Scott Moore has sported many hats in her lifetime. She’s a former broadcast anchor/reporter/producer, a trained motivational speaker, fundraiser and marketing/PR expert. She spent nine years as a pastor’s wife working in full-time ministry before than union ended in divorce. A majority of her time in ministry was spent empowering women and girls. She’s an avid inspirational blogger and also a philanthropic community supporter who has served with more than 25 local and national organizations over her 15+ year professional career. Currently she’s working in the fields of Social Justice and Human Resources and operates the blossoming, full-service events planning venture Amazing Kreations with her business partner, offering media and event planning assistance at low or no cost to small organizations and businesses. Taking lessons learned from each phase of her ever-evolving life, Angela’s now donning the hat of a single woman on a single mission to use spoken and written words to motivate others to “thrive while they survive”. Contact Angela Scott Moore about speaking engagements at amazingkreations2@gmail.com, follow her blog at www.angelamooreblog.wordpress.com, on twitter at @AngelaMMoore316 or check out her facebook page for people experiencing separation or divorce at I’m More Than What Happened.
