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Messages - Caroline Davis

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1
Business / Keep your staff at their best
« on: July 16, 2021, 10:49:17 pm »
Smart business owners hire knowledgeable people to ensure that customers are always getting the right advice. They are constantly making sure their staff is well-trained.

2
Business / Empower your staff
« on: July 09, 2021, 08:56:10 pm »
Let your staff run with new ideas. Then reward them with bonuses or other incentives and praise. An employee who treats the business as if it was their own is worth gold.

3
Business / Customer service is paramount
« on: June 25, 2021, 09:09:12 pm »
Don't just say the customer comes first. Great retailers live it. Anyone can say that their number one priority is the customer. But great retailers never forget to act on it, no matter how busy they are or how bad their day has been. Everything stops when a customer says, "I need help."

4
General Forum / Keep healthy and reduce stress
« on: June 17, 2021, 09:58:57 pm »
The very best thing that you can do for yourself is to eat, drink and rest to your health!

Stress is easily brought on by not eating and drinking properly. When you don't get the number of hours of sleep that you need each night, you are only setting yourself up for additional stress.

Limit the amount of salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol in your diet. Drink plenty of pure water each day and do at least moderate exercise each day. This will breathe new life into your skin, hair and will nourish all of your vital organs.

Breathe properly! Take deep belly breathes to send pure oxygen to all of your body. Laugh and then laugh some more. It is food for the soul! Do the things that please you most. Engage in healthy and fulfilling relationships and work on problems that would erode the closeness that you have with someone special.

5
General Forum / Quick and easy meal preparation
« on: January 22, 2021, 10:58:27 pm »
Using convenient appliances such as slow cookers and microwaves can be a huge time saver when planning and preparing meals. There are many delicious and healthy recipes that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker. These are great choices for working families.

In addition, making the meals ahead of time on the weekend and heating them in the microwave is a great way to stretch both your food and your time. There are many microwavable healthy meals you can make at home, and single serving microwave safe containers allow every member of the family to eat on their own schedule.

When planning the meals for the week, it is a good idea to create a chart listing each day’s menu and each days’ schedule. Here’s a smart tip…plan the quickest and easiest to prepare meals for the busiest days of the week.

6
General Forum / Trying To Get Back In Shape?
« on: January 15, 2021, 10:35:16 pm »
If you have taken a layoff from your exercise program, it's tough to get motivated to start back into your training regimen again. Set some realistic, attainable “written”goals to help push you.

The reason I have emphasized written is that if you don't write your goals down, they are merely wishes. Studies have proven over and over that writing your goals down is powerful.

If you want to get back into running, walk first. Depending upon your level of fitness, you may only start with fifteen or twenty minutes. If you have some level of fitness, start with 30 minutes and gradually increase.

Once you have been walking for a couple of weeks, ease back into running by alternating walking and running. Walk for ten minutes and run for five and so on. As you increase your level of fitness and your soreness lessens increase the running until you get back to running for thirty to forty-five minutes at a time.

7
General Forum / When nature calls
« on: December 28, 2020, 04:53:20 pm »
Gear up for an exhilarating day in the great outdoors. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran hiker, being prepared and following a few hiking basics can help make your adventure as safe as it is sensational.

You don’t have to be a professional hiker to fully enjoy a hiking adventure. Hiking basics begin with a good sense of the outdoors and a willingness to get connected with the wilderness. The right equipment and supplies can help ensure a successful outdoor adventure.

Hiking Boots
Can you safely say, “These boots are made for hiking”? If not, it’s time to go shopping. Hiking basics start from the ground up, so make sure you’ve got a good foundation. There are all sorts of different styles of hiking boots to choose from. Choose your boots and wear them for a few days before your hiking trip. If your boots are nicely broken in, blisters and sore feet won’t spoil your hike. Remember, your feet will be your only source of transportation on the trail, so you’ve got to keep them comfortable.

Clothes and Accessories
There are no fashion runways in the forest, but it’s still important to choose the right clothing and accessories. You want to be comfortable, but you need protection. Layering your clothes is always best. Start with a light shirt or tank, and then wear flannel or fleece over top. If the hike heats up, you can tie the top shirt around your waist; if the air gets chilly, you’ve got an extra layer of warmth available. Zip-off and roll-up cargo pants are also great for offering flexibility and comfort. Remember to bring a hat and sunglasses, just in case your hike takes you to a sunny spot.

Food and Water
It’s important to keep your energy and hydration levels on track while you’re on the trail, so pack plenty of snacks and fresh water. It’s great to pack light, but more important to have enough water and food when you get hungry or need an energy boost. Fruit, trail mix and protein bars are all easy to pack, and packed with energy. Just be sure to take any food wrappings with you. Avoid sugary snacks and drinks that give you an initial boost, and then cause you to crash. Sugar doesn’t replenish energy, so leave it at home. Drink lots of water along the trail to keep from being dehydrated, particularly on hot summer hikes.

Survival Supplies
Don’t underestimate nature, or overestimate your navigational skills. Accidents can happen and you may become lost, so be prepared for anything. Pack a first aid kit for unexpected cuts and mishaps, and bring anything you might need in the event you get stuck or lost. Chances are, you’ll never need your survival kit, but in this case, it’s better to bring what you don’t need, than it is to need what you don’t have.

Respect Nature
Leave nothing behind, and take only your memories. These are important hiking basics for all adventurers. Nature is a gift that must be respected as well as enjoyed. Take a break every now and again to appreciate your gorgeous surroundings. Bring a camera to capture your memories. Smell the flowers and breathe in the fresh air. A few quiet moments can create memories that last a lifetime.

A few hiking basics are all you need to hit the trail for a great day outdoors. If you have kids that can safely hike the trails, bring them along to let them experience natural wonders they don’t get to see everyday. You’ll all see the world in a whole new way.

8
Business / Re: Do you know what you are good at?
« on: November 20, 2020, 10:43:09 pm »
As a small niche market business, it is sometimes difficult to first break into your market, and then also keep a steady flow of sales to keep your small business profitable. When business is lean, many business owners consider branching out and expanding brand and services to attract more customers. Nothing could be worse for your small business success than spreading yourself too thin. Your niche marketing strategy needs to go deep, not wide!

9
Business / Re: Designing an effective company logo
« on: October 16, 2020, 09:45:35 pm »
You should use your logo in many different ways. For example, on shirts and hats, on pens and key chains, on banners and posters, on the web and in emails, etc. Therefore, make sure it’s clean, versatile and complementary.

10
Business / Marketing by promoting the unusual
« on: October 16, 2020, 09:44:13 pm »
David Sax wrote "The Revenge of Analog" describing some interesting aspects of marketing. He states that customers often discover novel advantages for products. These may seem silly and definitely were not in the minds of the creators of the products. These unexpected benefits often account for the emotional attachment users feel for products and services.

Readers who prefer print magazine say they enjoy the sound of a page crinkling when they turn it. They also have a feeling of accomplishment when finishing an issue.

Board games players enjoy sitting around a table and connecting with other people.

There is a trend among photographers who have embraced refurbished Polaroid instant cameras. They have found value in the blurry unpredictability of the film now available for them.

These odd, unexpected advantages turn up in customer testimonials, focus groups and informal user recommendations or reviews.

Smart marketers don't highlight these qualities of an offering. It is not good advertising to put the designed product functions in the background. Usually that would seem bizarre. 

It is a better idea to sprinkle the odd benefits into testimonials, illustrations or detailed descriptions of the item.

11
Business / Designing an effective company logo
« on: October 09, 2020, 09:08:39 pm »
In today’s world, images are far more appealing and gather more attention than the written word. So, your logo, being an image, has a lot more power than you think. It’s important to think about what you want your logo to say about your company and to whom you want to say it (i.e. your target market).

The best logos are simple designs that give a prompt, clear picture of who you are and what you do. We use logos in a myriad of media and platforms, plus in different sizes, so Keep It Simple. Strong logos usually have fewer details and elements. Don’t fit too much into your logo and anything that does not contribute positively, delete it.

12
Business / Get ahead of your competitors by being unique
« on: October 02, 2020, 09:06:31 pm »
Great retailers look at niche categories that others in their market ignore. They add new services to boost sales. They source out new products before the competition does.

13
Business / The future of retail is in open space
« on: September 25, 2020, 09:17:45 pm »
Customers don't want to walk among skyscraper sized aisles. The more they can see from any aisle, the better they will feel. To understand this point, go stand in one of the aisles in the middle of the store. How much wall  can you see? Are your departmental signs visible? If a customer needed a specific product, could they find the proper aisle quickly? How wide are your aisles?

14
Hobbies / Re: Painting small parts
« on: September 18, 2020, 09:09:00 pm »
I have a suggestion for getting those small parts off the sprue before painting. Place the entire tree in a one-gallon freezer bag. When you cut the part, it will stay in the bag instead of flying halfway across the room and landing somewhere in the carpeting.

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