Crerar Library News

Majestic Southlake Homes for Sale

When it comes to saving your preciously earned money, you will definitely search for safe investment solutions and real estate will be superior one to invest in. Real Estate investment is very capital oriented comprehended with high cash flow. Actually real estate investment will engulf ownership, purchase, management, sale/rental of real estate for profit gaining. When you carry out such an investment, the real estate will act as an asset comprising of limited liquidity when compared to other investment forms.

The decision to invest in real estate, really deserves an applause and before investing in any real estate all you need to do is a bit of research i.e. you need to be aware about the existing real estates in which you can invest a fair price i.e. awareness about information asymmetries. There are several ways through which you can get better information for determining the value of property you wish to own. Generally the sources used engulf:

• Real estate agents and real estate brokers (like Southlake realtors)
• Market listings by means of commercial information exchanges and others.
• Banks having different departments for real estate short sales.
• Government entities like Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae.
• Private sales, public auctions.
• Real estate investors and wholesalers.

When it comes to real estate investment, people tend to have different tastes and choice. Getting a property that suite perfectly to your needs definitely requires some time and great research. But to make your task easier and proffer you with your dream house at quite attractive prices we present you, Southlake homes for sale. Southlake is the region that requires no introduction, it forms to be the best residing place comprising of serene atmosphere and calmness that you can clearly enjoy with no hassle around.

There exists no one who would leave this golden opportunity of investment in the bizarre Southlake. The region comprises of many captivating sites with scenic beauty, wonderful large gardens, open play area and broad roads. You can get the majestic house of your choice at Southlake at quite attractive prices, to get better understanding you can even consult any Southlake realtors who will proffer you with several competitive property options in depth. Each of the houses put for sale comprises of basic as well as modern amenities that will suite variety of your needs.

If you have decided to invest in real estate, then, this is the best season to invest in and getting the opportunity to invest in Southlake properties is quite worth it. Just contact the Southlake realtors today, and make the best Southlake house yours. You will not only get detailed information about the insights of the house but you will also get the houses at quite competitive prices. It is highly recommended to better use the current season for your investment purpose because such chances shouldn't be missed off.

Southlake homes for sale engulfs homes of varying range, just choose your best one and fulfill your dream of living in a luxurious home at quite a fair cost.

What is Leadership?

Find out what makes a great leader, with

James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.

Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.

– Professor Warren G. Bennis

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

The word "leadership" can bring to mind a variety of images. For example:

A political leader, pursuing a passionate, personal cause.

An explorer, cutting a path through the jungle for the rest of his group to follow.

An executive, developing her company's strategy to beat the competition.

Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring.

Yet, while leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills to guide their people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way.

In this article, we'll focus on the process of leadership. In particular, we'll discuss the "transformational leadership" model, first proposed by James MacGregor Burns and then developed by Bernard Bass. This model highlights visionary thinking and bringing about change, instead of management processes that are designed to maintain and steadily improve current performance.

Note:

Leadership means different things to different people around the world, and different things in different situations. For example, it could relate to community leadership, religious leadership, political leadership, and leadership of campaigning groups.

This article focuses on the Western model of individual tipos de lideres and discusses leadership in the workplace rather than in other areas.

Leadership: A Definition

According to the idea of transformational leadership , an effective leader is a person who does the following:

Creates an inspiring vision of the future.

Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision.

Manages delivery of the vision.

Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision.

Leadership brings together the skills needed to do these things. We'll look at each element in more detail.

1. Creating an Inspiring Vision of the Future

In business, a vision is a realistic, convincing and attractive depiction of where you want to be in the future. Vision provides direction, sets priorities, and provides a marker, so that you can tell that you've achieved what you wanted to achieve.

To create a vision, leaders focus on an organization's strengths by using tools such as Porter's Five Forces , PEST Analysis , USP Analysis , Core Competence Analysis and SWOT Analysis to analyze their current situation. They think about how their industry is likely to evolve, and how their competitors are likely to behave. They look at how they can innovate successfully , and shape their businesses and their strategies to succeed in future marketplaces. And they test their visions with appropriate market research, and by assessing key risks using techniques such as Scenario Analysis .

Therefore, leadership is proactive – problem solving, looking ahead, and not being satisfied with things as they are.

Once they have developed their visions, leaders must make them compelling and convincing. A compelling vision is one that people can see, feel, understand, and embrace. Effective leaders provide a rich picture of what the future will look like when their visions have been realized. They tell inspiring stories , and explain their visions in ways that everyone can relate to.

Here, leadership combines the analytical side of vision creation with the passion of shared values, creating something really meaningful to the people being led.

2. Motivating and Inspiring People

A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But it's leaders' ability to motivate and inspire people that helps them deliver that vision.

For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have lots of enthusiasm for it, so it's often easy to win support for the project at the beginning. However, it can be difficult to find ways to keep your vision inspiring after the initial enthusiasm fades, especially if the team or organization needs to make significant changes in the way that they do things. Leaders recognize this, and they work hard throughout the project to connect their vision with people's individual needs, goals, and aspirations.

One of the key ways they do this is through Expectancy Theory . Effective leaders link together two different expectations:

The expectation that hard work leads to good results.

The expectation that good results lead to attractive rewards or incentives.

This motivates people to work hard to achieve success, because they expect to enjoy rewards – both intrinsic and extrinsic – as a result.

Other approaches include restating the vision in terms of the benefits it will bring to the team's customers, and taking frequent opportunities to communicate the vision in an attractive and engaging way.

What's particularly helpful here is where leaders have expert power . People admire and believe in these leaders because they are expert in what they do. They have credibility, and they've earned the right to ask people to listen to them and follow them. This makes it much easier for these leaders to motivate and inspire the people they lead.

Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural charisma and appeal, and through other sources of power , such as the power to pay bonuses or assign tasks to people. However, good leaders don't rely too much on these types of power to motivate and inspire others.

3. Managing Delivery of the Vision

This is the area of leadership that relates to management . According to the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model , there is a time to tell, a time to sell, a time to participate, and a time to delegate. Knowing which approach you need to use, and when you need it, is key to effective leadership.

Leaders must ensure that the work needed to deliver the vision is properly managed – either by themselves, or by a dedicated manager or team of managers to whom the leader delegates this responsibility – and they need to ensure that their vision is delivered successfully.

To do this, team members need performance goals that are linked to the team's overall vision. Our article on Performance Management and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) explains one way of doing this, and our Project Management section explains another. And, for day-to-day management of delivering the vision, the Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) approach helps to ensure that what should happen, really happens.

Leaders also need to make sure they manage change effectively. This helps to ensure that the changes needed to deliver the vision are implemented smoothly and thoroughly, with the support and backing of the people affected.

4. Coaching and Building a Team to Achieve the Vision

Individual and team development are important activities carried out by transformational leaders. To develop a team, leaders must first understand team dynamics. Several well-established and popular models describe this, such as Belbin's Team Roles approach, and Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing theory .

A leader will then ensure that team members have the necessary skills and abilities to do their job and achieve the vision. They do this by giving and receiving

feedback regularly, and by training and coaching people to improve individual and team performance.

Leadership also includes looking for leadership potential in others. By developing leadership skills within your team, you create an environment where you can continue success in the long term. And that's a true measure of tipos de liderazgo.

Note:

The words "leader" and "leadership" are often used incorrectly to describe people who are actually managing. These individuals may be highly skilled, good at their jobs, and valuable to their organizations – but that just makes them excellent managers, not leaders.

So, be careful how you use the terms, and don't assume that people with "leader" in their job titles, people who describe themselves as "leaders," or even groups called "leadership teams," are actually creating and delivering transformational change.

A particular danger in these situations is that people or organizations that are being managed by such an individual or group think they're being led; but they're not. There may actually be no leadership at all, with no one setting a vision and no one being inspired. This can cause serious problems in the long term.

Key Points

Leadership can be hard to define and it means different things to different people.

In the transformational leadership model, leaders set direction and help themselves and others to do the right thing to move forward. To do this they create an inspiring vision, and then motivate and inspire others to reach that vision. They also manage delivery of the vision, either directly or indirectly, and build and coach their teams to make them ever stronger.

Que es liderazgo is about all of this – and it's exciting to be part of this journey!

How to Import Products from China!

Many of you will choose to import goods from abroad (outside the European Union). If and when you do, it’s essential to fully understand how importing works; what extra costs are involved, time frames for delivery etc.

For many new traders, Importing sounds like a nightmare to go through. But in fact, it’s not that complicated at all IF you know the basics behind the importing process – payment, shipping, taxes and customs. In this blog post I’ll try to cover most of the important aspects of importing from China and other countries outside the EU.

What does “importing” mean?

In general, importing means that you’re buying goods from a supplier outside your country. However, in my examples I won’t be counting European Union countries as goods can be freely moved across the EU without paying extra import duty or VAT. For most of you, China and the United States will be the top two countries to import from, so let’s cover them in detail.

Shipping Methods

Shipping costs will make up a substantial percentage of your total product cost, so it’s important to keep them as low as possible at all times. As a general rule of thumb, the bigger your order, the lower ‘per item’ shipping costs you’ll face. There’s no point in importing one pair of unbranded shoes from China as the shipping costs will be far more than the cost of the product itself. Volume is the key to success when building your eBay business around an “Importing from China” product sourcing concept. But that doesn’t mean you have to start off with full container loads either!

Here are the 4 most popular shipping methods you can use to import goods from China:

1) Regular Post. This means normal, regular China Post which can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. No online tracking is provided. It can be used for parcels under 2kg. Usually, you will only use regular post for samples and again ONLY if time is not that important and you can afford to wait a few weeks for a package to arrive. China Post is not the most reliable system so be prepared for lost/stolen packages.

If at all possible, I try to avoid using China Mail for any shipments as the delivery time is simply too long.

If your supplier is located in Hong Kong, you can use HK Airmail which is way more reliable, comes with a tracking number and usually arrives within 5-10 days.

2) Courier. Shipping with a courier company will be the most suitable method for most people starting out IF it involves small, lightweight items. With courier companies such as TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx you pay a premium price for each kilo BUT you get fast delivery times and an online tracking facility. These days most courier shipments take just 3-5 business days to arrive in any Western country from anywhere around the globe. I personally use TNT and DHL most of the time as their prices have worked out lowest for me. For a 50kg package, expect to pay around £4 or £5 per kilo.

3) Air Freight. This is somewhere between courier shipping and sea freight. Shipping times vary from company to company, but in general range between 5 to 10 days which is not bad at all! With Air Freight costs will be significantly lower than with courier companies, but extra work is involved when the goods arrive in your destination country. With Air Freight you’ll usually have to handle documentation and customs clearance on your own (unlike with courier companies), which for many newbies may seem impractical. Of course, you can always outsource these tasks to a freight forwarding company at an additional cost.

With Air Freight, expect to pay £2-£3 per kilo for a 100kg shipment.

Air Freight is usually cost effective once shipments are in the range of 100kg or more UNLESS very bulky items are involved; if that’s the case your only viable option is to use Sea Freight.

4) Sea Freight. This is the most popular shipping method used by big companies to import goods from China. The cost per kilo (£100-£150 per pallet, even less if you can order full or half-container loads) is very low but the downside is the lengthy delivery time. Depending on where you’re located it will be in the vicinity of 30 to 40 days in most cases.

Just like with Air Freight, you’ll have to take care of the documentation, customs clearance and delivery of goods from the port to your home or office. It’s not that complicated to be honest – I do this on my own on a regular basis, but I understand that for newbies it could seem too complicated and that’s why I recommend using a freight forwarding company that will take care of all the procedures and deliver goods right to your door.

Also, with Sea Freight it’s very important to calculate all the EXTRA COSTS involved once the goods arrive in your country. Your supplier will usually give you the FOB price, which means that the goods are loaded onto the ship. But that’s not the end of the story! Once your shipment arrives at the port there are all kinds of extra charges, such as:

Unloading charge;

Port fees;

Docking fees;

Storage fees;

Clearance fees;

Etc.

And I’m not talking small figures here! These fees can run into hundreds of pounds! That’s why it’s crucial to take these numbers into account BEFORE you order any goods so that you know precisely what your final product cost will be.

Again, the easiest way to keep these costs under control is by using a freight forwarding company. You can ask them to quote for door-to-door delivery which includes all the fees associated with Sea Freight shipping.

Even with all the additional fees Sea Freight is still the cheapest shipping method for imports from China. Remember that it’s cost effective ONLY if your order is big enough. Usually, a half pallet or one full pallet will be enough if your margins are right. Again, this will depend on the kind of goods you’re importing, their value and weight. Sometimes Air Freight offers the same savings as Sea Freight with the added bonus of much speedier delivery.

In general, Sea Freight is better for bulky items or in cases where the shipping time is not that important. Personally I try to stick to couriers and Air Freight as often as possible as I just can’t stand the long wait involved when using Sea Freight. (but then again I deal mostly with small, light weight items).

Advantages of Using a Freight Forwarder

Here is some good news – I have recently started recommending a freight forwarding company called Woodland Global. You may already have heard about them if you’re an active member of The Wholesale Forums as Darren, who works for them, is a member there and he helps people with questions about importing.

Woodland Global is a great company to deal with and so far I have only heard positive feedback about them:

There are no yearly or joining fees;

They’re UK based and very easy to get in touch with;

They’re fast because they ship containers from China on a weekly basis;

Their pricing is very competitive, even for small-time importers;

They will deliver goods to your door and take care of all the documentation.

In a word – Woodland Global is a perfect solution for small-time importers! Their fees are very affordable and they’ll even deal with small orders. If you’re interested in their services and need a quote, get in touch with Darren on TWF or simply use the contact page on their website.

Imagine the kind of opportunities this opens up to you, especially if you’re just starting out on your journey and you’re still looking for the perfect niche? Most people stay away from bulky items as they don’t want or don’t know how to deal with Sea Freight shipments effectively. Now, with the help of a freight forwarding company, it’s suddenly not so much of a problem anymore!

Woodland Global can even pick up goods for you in China and deliver them to the nearest port. However, if possible, always try to arrange shipment of goods to a Chinese port via your supplier, as this will often work out to be cheaper.

Shipping from the US

If we talk specifically about importing from the USA, the cheapest option for sending parcels is with the US Postal Service. They’re reasonably priced, especially if you don’t opt for their fastest shipping method. You can send up to 30kg per shipment and the closer you get to that 30kg mark, the cheaper the price per kilo.

Even if your order comes in at 50kg, you can simply split it into 2 shipments and still send it via USPS. Of course, this will only work with small, lightweight or valuable items, not furniture or LCD TVs. For bulky items you’ll want to go back to using Air Freight or Sea Freight.

As you can see, each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but in general you should be able to make your decision based on these 3 major factors:

1) Size and weight of the shipment

2) How long you can wait before the shipment arrives

3) Value of goods

In other words, the best shipping method will depend on your order!!!

Payment Options

When dealing with ANY supplier for the first time, you have to be extremely careful. There are so many scammers operating out there in the wholesale industry, so before you decide to send money to your supplier, make sure you do all the background checks available to you to make sure you’re dealing with a legit company. And even then, always, always start with a small trial order to avoid huge losses if that supplier turns out a scammer.

When you have done all the checks and verified the supplier, you can place your first order. Which payment method is safest to use? Usually, suppliers will accept the following:

Wire Transfer – this means sending money from your bank account to the supplier’s bank account. This is the most common payment method used in B2B transactions. Wire Transfer doesn’t offer ANY protection, so only use this method with suppliers you trust 100%. Sending money to a supplier in China can take up to 5 working days.

Transfer fees will vary from bank to bank but in most cases will be in the region of £10-£30. Most banks offer international wire transfers at a reduced cost when you use the bank’s ONLINE banking facility. Finally, the fee you pay your bank to carry out this transaction is usually a fixed one which means that the more money you send per transaction, the lower per pound fee you’ll pay.

Most Chinese companies will accept wire transfer as a default payment option. If they don’t, it may be a sign that something dodgy is going on. Make sure you only send money to the company’s bank account and not to a personal bank account, no matter what story the Chinese supplier tells you.

Credit/Debit cards – one of the safest ways to pay for goods is by using your credit card. Chinese suppliers will vary rarely take credit card payments but companies in the EU or US will, in most cases, be happy to accept credit card payments. Some companies may add on a small extra fee to cover the fees they have to pay themselves when they accept a payment by credit card.

Why are credit cards good for paying your supplier? First of all, with most card issuers you can initiate a charge-back if something goes wrong with your order or the supplier turns to be a scammer.

Secondly, most cards offer a cash-back or points system where you can actually get some money back in the form of bonuses from your bank – be they frequent flyer points or extra cash in your bank account.

Lastly, if the supplier accepts credit cards it’s a pretty good sign that he’s legit, especially if we are talking about suppliers in the UK and US. Why? Because it’s not that easy to set up a merchant account and start taking credit card payments. Companies have to undergo a strict verification process to be able to take card payments and this is something most scammers won’t do.

PayPal – I’m sure you’re fully aware of what PayPal is and how it operates. These days, most Chinese suppliers will accept PayPal payments. All your payments with PayPal are protected, so you can always open a dispute and request a refund if a supplier has scammed you. Now, you will not always win those disputes, but PayPal’s most recent policy is generally buyer friendly and sellers are the ones who have to prove that the transaction was legit and the goods were delivered.

Again, it’s not that easy to open a PayPal account in China, which is why scammers try to avoid using PayPal and will push WU, MG or other similar, unsafe payment methods. As with a wire transfer, make sure you’re sending money to the PayPal account of the company you’re dealing with and not a personal PayPal account.

Escrow – Legitimate suppliers know how important safe payment methods are to buyers and that’s why when dealing with suppliers on Alibaba, you now have the option of using Alibaba’s escrow payment system.

What is escrow? With escrow, you first send the money to an escrow company and they hold it for you until you receive and inspect goods and only then release the money to your supplier. It is by far the safest payment method as you ONLY pay your supplier once you have received and inspected the goods.

Western Union, MoneyGram etc. – NEVER ever deal with a supplier who only accepts Western Union, Money Gram or similar payment methods! The only time you should use Western Union is when you are ordering product samples as WU transfer fees are much lower than bank transfer fees.

But only do it with totally verified, trustworthy suppliers. When you use WU, you can’t actually send money to a company; only individuals can send and receive money via the WU network.

Most scammers will only accept payments via Western Union. If branded goods are involved, it’s a sure sign that you’re dealing with a scammer!

Personally I try to stick with PayPal when dealing with Chinese suppliers and PayPal or credit card when dealing with US based suppliers. Wire transfer is usually ok for European suppliers and manufacturers, if we are talking about verified suppliers.

Currency Exchange Rates

There’s not much really you can do about currency exchange rates; you simply have to accept them as an additional cost when dealing with suppliers abroad. If you’re dealing with large amounts of money (in excess of £10k+), you can look for currency exchange companies that may offer you better rates. Personally I have never used such companies as I’m only dealing in high profit margin items these days where 1% doesn’t have any impact on my bottom line.

If PayPal is the only payment method offered by your supplier, you simply have to accept PayPal’s exchange rate as it is. If wire transfer is an option, you could probably get a better rate from your bank BUT they’ll take a commission on an international transfer which will offset all the savings you would make on the currency exchange.

If you have a really strong, long-term relationship with your supplier, and you’re 100% confident they won’t scam you, try offering a PayPal Mass Pay option to your supplier – in return for a percentage from the total you have to pay (PayPal won’t charge any fees to a supplier using Mass Pay).

So for example, if you pay $1000 via PayPal in the usual way, PayPal will charge a fee of around $30 and the net amount the supplier will receive will be $970.

But if you agree to using Mass Pay, the supplier might charge you only $980, generating savings for both parties. $20 may not seem that much but that’s only if you send $1000. For larger payments this method can save hundreds of $ in fees! REMEMBER, only do this if you’re 100% confident about supplier you’re dealing with!

To sum it up – factor in currency exchange fees as an additional cost that you can’t do anything about! PayPal will probably turn out to be the best payment method for you, especially if you sell on eBay (buyers will also pay you via PayPal, simplifying cash flow for your business).

Taxes

When you import goods into the EU from abroad, you have to pay two kinds of tax before the goods are actually released to you:

Value Added Tax (VAT)

Import Duty

The VAT rate is different for each European Union country, so make sure you check your country’s specific VAT rate before making any calculations. The current VAT rate in the UK is 20%.

Import duties vary widely from product to product so do check the accurate rate with the help of this free online calculator:

http://www.dutycalculator.com/

Import duty will be usually be in the range of 2%-5%, but with some products it can be as high as 10% or even more. On the other hand, with some product groups you won’t have to pay import duty at all, so be sure to check out that online calculator to see exactly how much import duty you’ll have to pay for your particular goods.

REMEMBER!!! Import duty is payable only on the goods’ value, but VAT will be applied to the TOTAL of:

Goods’ value (price paid to the supplier)

+

Shipping

+

Import Duty

So VAT is calculated on the value of the goods + shipping + import duty. I just wanted to clarify this as people often get a nasty surprise when they see a bigger number than the 20% of the goods’ value they were expecting.

Register for VAT or not?

Many people who are just starting out importing will ask this question – should I register as a VAT payer before I import goods from abroad? The answer is NO, NO and NO! Without going into numbers and complex calculations, you will want to stay away from VAT registration as long as possible (that is, until you reach the maximum turnover after which you HAVE to register for a VAT number by law).

So just remember that you don’t have to register before you reach the threshold. The current VAT threshold in the UK is £77K over the previous 12 months. You can even ask for an exception to be made if your turnover exceeds this amount temporarily. You’ll find more details on the HM Revenues and Customs website. VAT thresholds vary from country to country, so if you’re based outside the UK, be sure to check the local laws regarding VAT registration.

Read more about VAT registration for small businesses here.

EORI Number

A few years ago the EU introduced an EORI number to monitor imported goods. This number is used for statistical purposes and there are no extra costs involved.

You’ll find more information about EORI on the HMRC website. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re a registered business it’s a good idea to register for EORI before you start your importing activities or else the process of receiving your shipment when the goods arrive in the UK may be delayed.

EU regulations, CE mark.

With some product groups you have to be extremely careful when importing goods from China, or any other country outside the European Union as you must ensure they comply with EU rules and regulations. Some sensitive product groups are:

Health & Beauty products

Electronics

Children’s toys and equipment

Food

Chemicals, drugs, creams etc.

What you’ll find is that most Chinese suppliers will tell you that all the certificates are in order : DON’T take their word for it! If you can, verify that all the documentation is genuine so you can import those goods into the EU without any chance of them being seized and destroyed at customs.

Copyright & Patent Issues

Another sensitive question – patents. You’ll eliminate copyright issues as long as you stay away from branded items and items with branded designs (such as kids’ toys with Disney characters, company logos, movie characters etc.) With patents, the situation is more difficult as there is no easy way to find out whether an item you want to import from China doesn’t breach any registered patents. What you can do though is ask your supplier about potential issues with this BEFORE you place your order.

Patent issues often come up with electronics and specific instruments and devices, so if you’re dealing with some really fancy device or piece of equipment, make sure the supplier’s products don’t use any patented, protected technology.

http://www.asiaconsultores.com/(VIDEO)-Como-empezar-o-potenciar-un-pequeno-negocio-este-2014.html

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid of the importing process, but start small.

It’s not as complicated as it looks, especially if you use courier as a shipping method. With couriers you don’t have to worry about long shipping delays or customs clearance as they will take care of all the documentation for you.

Take it step by step – place a small order on AliExpress and see how it works out. On AliExpress you’re protected by an Escrow Payment System, so if something goes wrong with your order, you can always open a dispute and get your money back.

Good Luck!

http://asiaconsultores.com/

Importance of Brand Colors in Branding and Marketing

The psychology of color is not an entirely new concept. It has been utilized in a variety of fields, including business, due to its persuasive ability to impact the buying decisions of consumers. For this reason, brand colors are looked into as one of the most crucial factors that business owners and marketing professionals consider when establishing a brand. Choosing a color to signify the brand, as well as the use for its visual marketing tools, can impact the success (or failure) of a brand.

It was not until recently that color psychology was taken seriously in the concept of business marketing and branding. The reason behind this is that there are so many uncontrollable variables - including cultural differences, context, experiences, and personal preferences - that came into play when interpreting what each color means.

 
However, researchers have looked into the broader messaging patterns accompanied with each brand color. This makes it possible for branding experts to identify what your colors say as you build a brand or logo. According to research studies, snap judgments made by consumers are 90% impacted by color or other visual associations with a brand. In addition to buying decisions, consumers tend to identify colors in relation with a brand and whether the two work together. Thus, brand colors are becoming more substantial factors in terms of brand perception - not just in choosing which product to buy.

Marketing studies about how to use colors effectively for print marketing, or all types of marketing, have shown that consumers have preference towards recognizable brands. And how does an established brand recall? It is by choosing a color that will match a brand’s identity. New brands, therefore, should stay away from colors that are already associated with a competitor for the former to differentiate itself.

Before you can move into hiring Just Press Print’s printing services or other marketing methods, understanding how each color impacts the consumer perception is of key importance. For instance - using black signifies strength, stability, intelligence, as well as a symbol of authority. You can use it to establish credibility with your brand name. White, on the other hand - shows simplicity, purity, and safety. It is difficult to work with, but provides an endless array of possibilities if you are creative enough.

If you choose gray, it depicts practicality and timelessness. However, this color can easily convey the feelings of nothingness and depression - so you need to be smart about its use for branding purposes. Another popular color used for branding is blue. It conveys a professional image, associated with leadership and wisdom. For vitality and energy, choose red. It is also one of those colors that draw visual attention very easily. It evokes a sense of excitement and energy as well.

The use of brand colors across various forms of media advertising, including print materials, is a must. This will reinforce the brand’s identity and recall among your target audience. Consistency in using your colors for all branding efforts is important. It is a good first step towards your goal of helping consumers associate certain colors with your brand.

How to Choose the Correct Oriental Rug Cleaning Service

An oriental rug is a prized possession in many households. Each rug holds great value, whether it be monetary or sentimental.

The price of many well-made rugs runs into the thousands, and the sentimental value of those that have been handed down through generation is priceless.

Most families take good care of their rugs. They try to keep pets off of them, dirty shoes away from them, and liquids that could stain them on the opposite side of the room. But eventually, it comes time to hire a rug cleaning service to get your rug looking like new again.

But how can you find the right one?

Before you just send your rug off to any oriental rug cleaning service, be sure to follow the tips below to make sure you really are hiring experts.

#1: Look for experience

How often do you see those with expensive items of jewelry send them to novices for cleaning? It doesn't happen. When parting with your rug, look for a company with years of experience in rug cleaning.

Not only will this ensure you get the best possible finish, it'll also ensure your own peace of mind, knowing your beloved rug is in safe hands.

#2: Make sure they have the proper equipment

A workman is only as good as his tools, as the saying goes. Often, it's impossible to do a job to the correct standard without the necessary equipment.

Will your rug cleaner use water and a large stick to clean your rug, or will they use a specially designed hose with the correct shampoos and testing equipment?

Professionals also care about the drying process, not just the washing process. Enquire about what methods a company will use to dry rugs after cleaning. Their answer will either confirm or set them apart from the amateurs.

#3: Price

When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A professional rug cleaning service with a reputation for quality won't be charging a ridiculously low price for their labor. If you find a service offering an unbelievably low price, ask yourself why.

Professional rug cleaning doesn't cost the Earth, but it shouldn't cost the price of a large coffee in Starbucks either.

The Convenience of Shipping Your Rug Off, Rather than Using Local Cleaners

In a world full of important deadlines, to-do lists and packed schedules, it seems as though very few people have any spare time anymore.

Even on the weekends or after work, chances are you're just too tired to be fussing around with the cleaning of your rug. First of all it involves packaging it up, then you need to get it into the car, then drive it to your local cleaners, then, everything is done in reverse after it's been cleaned.

Thankfully, there is an easier way to go about rug cleaning.

Those wishing to bypass the transportation and travelling process now choose to ship their oriental rugs off for cleaning instead.

The advantages of this numerous, but convenience is often the deciding factor.

Many people choose to have packages delivered, takeaway fast food sent straight to the door, and mail collected from their mailbox. So why not enjoy the same convenience when that time of year rolls around to have your rug cleaned?

The benefits

Having your rug collected, specially cleaned and then re-delivered to your house or place of work isn't as complicated as it sounds. In fact, many rug cleaning companies specialize in this, and even prefer to work this way.

Your rug will be transported in a way that will keep it safe and protected, until it reaches the designated cleaning area of the oriental rug cleaning company.

From there, they'll clean it, use odor-removing methods on it, and test the health of the rug. It'll be the exact same service offered by a local cleaning company, only slightly better, as location and size aren't a factor in the way they are for smaller companies, making for a better premises.

Once your rug has been professionally cleaned, restored (if necessary), and dried, it'll be sent back to you in the same secure manner it was picked up in, ready for you to claim at the address of your choosing. Home and work addresses are both acceptable means of delivery, meaning fitting in the time to collect your rug from a local cleaner isn't an issue.

Travelling times, transportation issues and the general effort required to pack up your rug, drive it to the cleaners, then pick it up again when cleaned are totally eliminated.

Oriental rug cleaning doesn't have to be stressful. There are options to make the process far more convenient on your part. You just have to choose to do them.

Advanced trading with binaries

Binaries or in their full name binary options have become a popular form of financial trading in the past few years. Arriving in 2008 binaries have changed the concept of financial investing.By using new cutting edge technology binaries have managed to deliver a top notch trading system which allows traders to enjoy almost instant results.

Binary options allows a trader to submit a trade on almost any financial asset, predicting whether its price will rise or fall, the result is almost instant. Traders can pick different trading time frames from as short as 30 seconds and up to one year long, the profit to risk ratio is calculated as a direct result of your trading asset and trading features. Profits can reach up to 95% within just 5 minutes while risk remain on the high level of losing an entire trade.

For example a traders predicting “Apple” share price will rise in the next 5 minutes, the trader goes ahead and buys a Call binary option on (Apple) with an expiry time of 5 minutes. As the option expires if the real price of (Apple) traded in the New York Stock Exchange rises by even one pipe then the trader will have made a profit of 91% or in other words, if the trader put $100 on this bid he will have made $91 in just 5 minutes.

Binaries have becomea popular trading method especially after the 2008 crisis, traders were no longer willing to trust the traditional stock market and were looking for quick ways to make money. Looking for high returns traders have binary options as an alternative solution to traditional trading. While many were already using this systems other were gaining interest leading to ask various questions. At that time binaries were traded in a free unregulated market and one of the first issue to rise was whether binary options were legal.

The answer is bleary; the fact that binaries were traded in an unregulated manner didn’t mean they were not legal, however since 2013 several regulatory bodies around Europe had begun authorizing and legalizing binary options firms as pure investment firms. This now meant brokers were obliged to strict rules and supervision led by these authorities. This put an end to the question is binary options legal in Europe, however the situation in the United States is still unclear due to Federal laws enforced on online gaming companies in 2011.

US government has decided to classify binary options as a form of gaming rather than investing which led to a series of brokers operating in the US to shut down their business, leaving US trader looking for grey area solutions.

We predict the near future will also show a change in the US Federal admirations approach to binary options and will eventually lead to it becoming a legal form of trading all over the world. Binaries are a risky for of trading which suits a certain type of trader. Traders all over the world should have be able to enjoy this advanced trading system remembering its pros and cons

3 Reasons Recruiters Pick Your Resume (or Don’t)

Executive recruiters are on a mission: they have job orders from a client (the employer or organization who pays him) and his role is to fill that job order with the ideal candidate – not the pretty good applicant, or the person who has expertise that kind of sort of provides what the employer wants – but the absolutely perfect candidate.

Bear this in mind in order to not waste time and cause yourself frustration in your job search. Following are three factors recruiters consider when deciding to pick your resume (or not) in 10 seconds or less.

Recruiters may pick your resume if…your history is chronological, not a functional one. Too often times, candidates opt for functional resumes in an attempt to showcase something that seems different. Don’t do that. The reason the functional resume came into existence was to highlight functions regardless of time frames. However, translated another way (the bad way): you conducted these functions way back in history, so truly they’re no longer relevant to the position the recruiter is looking to fill.

Recruiters may pick your resume if…you’re in the same industry as the employer. The hard, cold reality is, if the employer is a manufacturer and you’re in information technology, even though the employer needs a VP, Operations and you were / are a VP, Operations doesn’t mean you’re aligned. There will be many candidates who actually have manufacturing background.

Recruiters may pick your resume if…your key words and expertise match. If the employer wants to fill a Chief Infrastructure Architect role, the recruiter won’t select a resume with expertise of “computer programming.” However, you can be chosen if your resume says your expertise is, “IT infrastructure strategy, scalability & capacity optimization.”

If you meet these criteria, submit your resume to all the relevant recruiters as seems reasonable. However, if not, take another path in your job search. Network in a way that demonstrates actual value – in other words, don’t just show up and collect as many contacts as you can. Or, contact a company you’d like to work for directly, especially if you see the company is growing. Spreading your eggs across many baskets means reaching a swifter, happier resolution to your job search.

Big Data- What is It and How Can It Help Me

Big data is huge information obtained, owned and processed through the latest techniques to produce the best results possible for a company. The size of the data can vary from an organization to another. This is due to the capability of an organization in managing its information, analyzing and applying it to achieve the desired outcomes.

The collected information is very important to the company as it is analyzed to find answers that may improve the company’s performance. These include:

- Reducing the cost of production

- Reduce the time taken to produce or perform other tasks

- Enhance development of new products or services thus improving competitiveness.

- Assisting in making better and more informed decisions.

- Reducing risks associated with operations.

Managing data that is received and stored can be difficult to many organizations. Some of the challenges encountered in the process of handling huge amount of information include:

Capturing- its hard to capture information from diverse sources if the organization has no capacity. This may lead to collecting inaccurate information which may lead to poor results.

Storage- huge amounts of data requires large capacity data bases. Some organizations may not have them or the personnel to develop and handle them.

Analysis of huge information may prove difficult to many organizations.

Sharing the information collected is hard especially from different sources en route to diverse stations.

Information collected is supposed to assist entities to make better decisions. When that data is not collected , stored and analyzed properly it may lead to poor decisions made which could lead to loss.

There is a complex correlation between information from different sources. Linking, matching, cleansing such information across the systems is a big challenge especially to organizations with lesser capacity.

By combining big data and high profile analysis organizations can have many benefits . This is due to the fact that more information tends to form more accurate results. Such information is used to provide results on the most popular products in the market, what’s treading currently ,best movies, shows to satisfy the public.

This information obtained can be used by organizations to improve capacities hence being able to compete better, increasing their product range to suit the market tread.

New ways of doing business can be achieved as a result of analysis done that many lead to better results for the company or increase in profits or ratings. Proper analysis may also lead to opening of new avenues of doing business thus diversification of products offered or new lines of business.

Data well managed and interpreted can be used to add value in a company . The information can be used to detect leaks, failures and other defects. This is vital in helping to reduce costs incurred, leading to realization of more profits for the company. It also helps to improve efficiency. Improved efficiency gives a company an added advantage in pricing its products and services thus maximizing profits.

An organization is able to determine the best prices to offer to improve profits and increase sales due to all the information analyzed and well applied to the benefit of the organization and its customers.

The data can also be used to identify customers with the highest potential . This is vital as decisions could be made to the benefit of the organization. Check out this big data use case for more information.

3 Essential Marketing strategies You Must Implement

The amount of information on the web about how to market products is staggering with most being flat out wrong.

What is so cool about this is you can imagine those who never reveal techniques they're using. But that happens with testing and personal discovery and it's something you should do. There are no secrets, but there's a huge amount of knowledge out there that you probably don't know about - yet.

Even though it is nearly 2013 and mobile marketing has been trendy for a while, it is not too late to jump into the fray. Mobile marketing and advertising are not a quick flash in the pan, the statistics prove this. Every day mobile phones do more and more which isn't going to be changing any time soon. There is no time like the present for learning how to get into mobile marketing, particularly if you have been hesitant about getting into the market. The number of mobile users is only growing and this is something that will give your competition an edge on you.

Quit trying to figure out whether or not this is something you should be working with: the answer to that is yes. This is always up to you and if you want to ignore it you're free to do so--at your own peril of course.

If search engine optimization or search marketing are in your wheel house, make sure you understand how much power is held in social signals--signals you can use within your own marketing. This is definitely because of Google and the desire that company has to integrate social media into searching. But it doesn't matter so much why it matters just as long as you do it. You have to do it if you want to rank on the first page of Google. You have to learn a few details and the best approaches for you to choose from.

This shouldn't be brand new information but it should be good news. It is just that you used to be able to ignore a few things without having to give too much thought to the consequences but you cannot do that any longer.

Two very important parts of marketing now are utilizing social media marketing and actively engaging your audience to set up social signals. If you want to excel at search and general marketing, then you'll get with the program quickly. One of the things that works out well is to scale back your overt sales efforts. Sales copy has its time and place and that place is later on, after you've really connected with people. There are a lot of reasons for this and a lot of it is because people are getting so burned out on sales messages. If you have a relationship with your audience and have something solid to offer, they'll see it and be responsive to your message. Keeping an open and flexible mind means that most of the time you are going to be able to see all sorts of new applications that are open to you. After all, with a clear mind, there isn't any reason for you to not apply things that you find in other formats and use them for your own business.

Business Taboos Fuel SEO Keyword Hunt

The best way to use SEO to increase your business is to find the right keywords. Most people start their research on the Internet, but that’s really narrowing the choices already. After all, you have to have at least an idea of an area to look in. The key to keywords is to make them popular, but untargeted. So how do you do find one without using the Internet? Think about things that are taboo in industries. For instance, it’s unheard of for a doctor to have reviews on their website, it is seen as “unprofessional”. But how many people Google the term “doctor reviews”? That’s a gold mine. If you are a doctor, targeting the keyword “doctor reviews” on your website will give you a lot of Internet traffic, with almost no doctor competitions. Another profession which has a taboo just waiting for SEO to exploit is the legal profession. Almost the first thing to come to mind when looking for a lawyer is the cost. But by some miracle, the legal profession has decided as a whole to not list their prices. So when we have a lot of people Googling attorney fees, and almost no law firms targeting that keyword, there’s a lot of opportunity.

So now you start to see a trend of professionals that have taboos being keyword goldmines, you can brainstorm from there. Dentists are another profession. When I think of dentists I think of pain, and I want one that causes the least pain. But dentists never talk about how much a visit will hurt on their webpages. Or a veterinarian and costs. We aren’t supposed to be thinking of costs when helping our littlest family members, but this is the real world and a lot of people do. Most veterinarians don’t have anything about cost on their website.

Then you narrow. You have the idea of the keyword, now you use the internet to find the exact phrasing of the keyword idea that has the most traffic. For instance, should you target the word cost or price. Should you say what type of doctor or lawyer, or now. You will start to get keywords like drug defense attorney cost NYC or cancer doctor reviews Boston. That is how you minimize your work, but maximize your success.