PLCO Business

Police Officer Buys Eggs For Woman Caught Shoplifting, Video Catches Hug

2014-12-21T12:30:00.002-08:00

Video: http://youtu.be/Hm4WDvzjMBY

An Alabama woman caught shoplifting eggs from a Dollar General store left with food to feed her family and a hug from a police officer that chose to purchase the eggs for her when she was apprehended.

Tarrant Police Officer William Stacy was called to the Pinson Valley Parkway Dollar General on Saturday after store employees caught a man attempting to steal a dozen eggs, Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno told AL.com/CBS Atlanta reports. Stacy approached the would-be thief as she headed toward her vehicle in which her young children awaited. She told Stacy that she was only stealing in order to feed her children.

A video caught by a fellow shopper shows the exchange between the two, which ended in a hug shared by officer Stacy and the woman in the parking lot. Dollar General told Stacy it would not prosecute and he offered the woman a deal.

"We CAN all just get along," the two declared.
“We CAN all just get along,” the two declared.
“He said, ‘If I give you these eggs, will you promise that you won’t shoplift anymore?’”

Reno told AL.com. “He knew that she was telling the truth and that’s the reason he went in and bought the eggs.”

Stacy purchased the eggs for the woman and she responded by asking the officer if she could give him a hug.

“Police officers do this all the time. Of course, these are the kind of stories that never get told,” Reno said. “Every police officer in Jefferson County has done this at one point in time.”

The video of the friendly exchange has been viewed over 400,000 times via Facebook.

Source: http://www.notyourhomepage.com/

Travel Like A Business Owner, Frugally!

2014-12-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

People who don't travel much will often think that business travel is exotic. Interesting cities, nice hotels, restaurant meals all seems so much better that the everyday "humdrum" existence they live!

Then there are the people who actually travel for business, whose view might be a little different. Longer hours, no home cooked meals, miss their own bed, hotels are all the same when all you do is use them to sleep and shower, restaurant meals get old and then there is the time away from family. Not often mentioned but equally off putting is the exposure to germs and people you might not otherwise choose to meet! Too often you find yourself in an aircraft where invariably you are sitting next to a large person who overflows into your space, and has a very obvious cold!

Now that I have put business travel into context, it IS a valuable, and needed, activity for any business that has multiple locations or even just clients in multiple locations.

Business owners approach travel with the goal of achieving their business needs as effectively and as "cost effectively" as possible! Here are some business travel tips from a business owner:

"Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship." Benjamin Franklin

    Book ahead! Last minute travel is costly... and does not allow you to plan your days as effectively as you might.

    Look at travel options... don't go with the same airline all the time just to collect points! In Canada I might travel on Westjet, Air Canada or Porter based on price, convenience and my travel needs for a given trip.

    Be frugal with hotel bookings. Generally it's just a bed and a shower. You don't need the most expensive hotel. I find a reasonable place, convenient to my meetings. I often use sites like Hotwire to get great rates and have friends who use airbnb.

    Limit travel in business hours. I get early morning flights when headed west, and late evening flights when headed east. This means I can maximize my time at my destination. For example if I leave Toronto at or before 7am I can arrive in Calgary or Vancouver around 9am local time, giving me a full day in that city.

    Look after your body. Eat well, get enough sleep and work out. You don't even need a gym to work out! Pushups, ab exercises, squats, lunges, walking the stairs etc. are all good exercise that you can do anywhere.

    Travel with hand sanitiser. In the "germ environments" of planes and hotels it makes sense to act like a health professional. Wash your hands often!

    Travel with supplements. You will likely not get the nutrients you get with your regular diet so bring vitamins, ColdFX even some pain medication. It will help you stay healthier and hence more effective.

    Limit your alcohol intake. It is easy to let this get away from you when you are visiting colleagues and clients in other cities. Exercise some restraint, your body will thank you.

    Take materials with you that will make your travel time effective. Catch up on reading, create a reading file with photocopies or cutouts of articles. Put materials on your kindle, iPad or other reader.

    Travel light. Learn to pack effectively and think through your wardrobe... if you can travel with carry-on luggage only you will save time and aggravation. (Learn to us an iron... there is one in most hotel rooms).

    Spend like it is your own money. As a business owner it IS your own money! Tip appropriately, but not extravagantly. Choose reasonable but not crazy restaurants. Take the team for a couple of drinks, but don't make a night of it.

"Entrepreneurship is living a few years like most people won't. So that you can live the rest of your life like most people can't." Unknown

Source: http://www.eagleonline.com/blog/

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2014-12-14T17:39:00.001-08:00

As tempting as a pricey, artificial pre-lit Christmas tree may be, few things about the holidays are as satisfying as a fresh, real Christmas tree.

Fresh test. Gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in your hand if the tree is fresh. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. You should not see an excessive amount of green needles fall to the ground. Some loss of interior brown needles is normal and will occur over the life of a tree.

Keep it fresh. The best secret for keeping your tree fresh is water, water, water. Once you get your tree home you want to cut 1/4-inch off the end and immediately put it into water.

Be sure to store your tree in a cool, shaded place out of the sun such as a covered porch or garage until you are ready to bring it into the house.

Never allow your tree to run out of water. If a fresh tree is properly cared for and watered, it should stay fresh through New Year’s Day.

Additives. The National Christmas Tree Association does not endorse any additive to the tree’s water. Your tree will stay fresh with just plain water.

Whoops. Within four to six hours of exposure, the tree will form a sap seal over the stump and it will not absorb water. If you forget to make a fresh cut and now the tree is all set up and decorated, do this: Remove the water from the stand (use a turkey baster to suck it out). Now drill holes into the side of the trunk below the water level. Immediately refill with water making sure none of the holes are above the water line.

Size. When choosing a tree remember the most important characteristic is water capacity. A good rule-of-thumb is one quart for every inch in diameter of the tree’s trunk. For example, the average six-foot tree has a trunk with a four-inch diameter, so the tree stand should hold one gallon of water.

Proper fit. You should also make sure the stand fits the tree. If it is too big or too small it might cause the tree to tip over. Never trim the sides of the trunk to fit in a stand.

Fire hazard. The National Fire Protection Association tracks fires and their causes. According to their data, of all residential fires real Christmas trees are involved in less than 1/10 of one percent (0.1%). Sensational blazing trees on the evening news are often doused in a flammable liquid to create a show, or are very old and dried out.

An industry. There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.

Caution. Never burn a tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pine trees have a lot of sap which can flash and also create a chimney fire.

Source: http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/

Rescues, Crashes and a Tornado as 'Pineapple Express' Hits California

2014-12-13T02:49:00.003-08:00

Strong winds, torrential rain and snow that caused widespread blackouts in Northern California hit the southern part of the state Friday.

After drenching Northern California the previous day, the storm dumped up to 5 inches of desperately needed rain in Southern California. A landslide left 10 homes uninhabitable and fire officials executed a dramatic rescue of two people from the Los Angeles River.

There were street flooding, traffic tie-ups and wind gusts up to 60 mph in some areas. At its height, about 50,000 customers lost power, though most had it back quickly.

A small tornado hit South Los Angeles as well. The "wind event" occurred at 10 a.m. blowing a roof off a house and causing other damage. No injuries were reported, MyFoxLA.com says.

Meanwhile, the poor weather contributed to a spike in traffic accidents. California Highway Patrol reported a total of 236 vehicle collisions in San Diego County Friday, significantly higher than the average 50-75 on a dry day, MyFox5SanDiego.com reported.

As the storm crept down the coast overnight, its powerful winds caused power outages around Santa Barbara, where the National Weather Service said up to 5 inches fell in coastal mountains. Amtrak suspended service between Los Angeles and the Central Coast city of San Luis Obispo.

In Camarillo, a Ventura County city about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, rain was falling at about an inch an hour over hillsides ravaged by a 2013 wildfire. With few roots to hold the soil in place, the deluge caused part of a hillside to give way.

Debris brushed aside concrete barriers crews had set up on the slope and surrounded about a dozen homes with silt, sticks and rocks -- some as large as a couch. The force was so great that two large earthmovers used to set up barriers were swept down to the street, with one nearly buried.

Near downtown Los Angeles, the fire department rescued two people from the storm-swollen Los Angeles River. Orange County fire officials and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies each pulled a body from smaller waterways, though in both cases the cause of death wasn't clear.

Even after the fast-moving storm cleared out, the risk remained that sodden topsoil on wildfire-scarred hillsides could collapse.

The threat of slides in several other inland Southern California areas led to some evacuations.

It was the second major storm in a week for Southern California and the storm is expected to intensify as it moves across the state.

Click here for video.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

Why Fakes Destroy Value

2014-12-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

It's not unusual to encounter people who think that the concern over fakes and counterfeit items is somehow exaggerated.

This often goes hand-in-hand with the view that attempts to track down and punish the perpetrators is somehow the product of commercially jealous 'mega enterprises' that can't compete with the 'little fella' trying to make a living by running rings around them.

However, this really isn't a question of Robin Hood versus the big guys - and here's why.

Who is the big business?

The first thing to note is that, perhaps paradoxically, it is the counterfeiters who are often the big business here. They can be vast enterprises and they're not Robin Hoods. They're actually selling their fake goods for vast profits and getting fat on the results.

True, they might be getting their items manufactured in appalling sweat-shop conditions in undeveloped areas of the world but the people producing the items for next to nothing won't be seeing much if anything of those huge profits.

Who is suffering damage?

Another myth is that it's only big bona-fide manufacturers who are suffering.

The reality is that the consumer also suffers.

Rarely are counterfeit goods ever even close to the same quality as the originals. They may pass a casual visual inspection but ultimately when they start falling to pieces shortly after purchase it's usually the public that suffers.

So, when you actually start to consider the damage caused by fakes and the battle against them, it's easy to identify victims and none of them are the fakers and criminals.

Destroying value and trust

However, the really big and perhaps most serious impact of faking and counterfeiting arises from the almost irreparable damage it can do to trust and latent value.

Let's consider one perhaps slightly obscure example - that of antiques and specifically Confederate State of America memorabilia.

Over many years the fakers of CSA civil war items have become so proficient that now many people, including some experts, can struggle to be sure of the difference between a genuine and fake item. The result is that the re-sale value of many perfectly genuine CSA items has been massively reduced because many purchasers now can't be sure whether they're buying a real or counterfeit item.

This is tragedy not just in value terms but also historical legacy.

Clearly, modern manufacturers do not wish to see consumer confidence in their brand destroyed by similar considerations and that's why they go into battle against the counterfeiters using the most modern approaches including things such as security holograms and DNA encoding.

Summary

For all the above reasons, it shouldn't be the counterfeiters that get our sympathy.

Ultimately their activities are destructive not only to big business but also the consumer, the small collector, the family that has its heirlooms and so on.

The attempt to beat the fakers is a battle that should concern us all and be one that we not only take seriously but actively cooperate in. if we don't, we may find ourselves in a world where you just won't be able to take any commercial description or branding seriously - and that's a scary thought.

Are You Strategy Avoidant?

2014-12-11T05:09:00.003-08:00

Let's face it, when you're a thought leader, strategy is overrated. This isn't chess, this is barely checkers. You don't really need a strategy. You know where you're going (well, sort of) and you know how you'll get there (kind of). After all, you're really busy, and busy is good (right?).

So, since we all hate strategy, here's five easy ways to avoid being strategic.

Be Reactive! Zig when everyone else zags. Proactivity is so 2007. Just instinctively react to every inquiry that you get, to everyone from India or Poland that emails you and wants to be your partner, to every event (the Left-Handed Plumbers Association of Kentucky annual pipe fitting gala is a hoot) that asks you to speak, to everyone's cousins' brother-in-law that sat next to a guy on a plane that knows a guy who works at (or was it near) Google, and you'll achieve your objectives. Planning is boring and being focused on your target markets takes all of the excitement out of being successful.

Tweet, A Lot! Spend all of your time on Twitter. These days, Twitter's where decision makers go to find top quality thinkers. Tweet about everything you can think of, your content, your dog, your food, your kid; you're definitely the only person that's had a less than pleasant experience on American Airlines or with a unique opinion on Miami's 97 degree weather. Avoid being insightful, and don't even attempt to be interesting just keep Tweeting!

Resilience and Flexibility are for Gymnasts! You're not Mary Lou Retton here-it's OK to be stubborn. You are the expert after all. Ignore new thinking! Don't integrate any relevant business or social trends into your work. Your ideas are flawless, timeless. Never adjust or modify them. Stick to direct mail and telemarketing because if it worked "back in the day," then, by God, it'll work now.

Be Everything to Everyone! Being strategic preaches focus and precision, then why would you mess with them when every man, woman, and child on the planet can so obviously benefit from your brilliance? Who cares if they can afford it or how they prefer their content; your stuff is so life-altering that they'll all figure out how to pay for it and find it and master it. Target marketing is ridiculously limiting.

Do it All by Yourself! Clearly, you have all of the skills that it takes to leverage your content. You know exactly how to create it, how to get it published, how to develop it into every possible modality. Don't forget that you're an awesome marketer, researcher, business developer, social media expert, magician, contract negotiator, logistics ace, 4 star general, blogger, videographer, publicist, exterminator, instructional designer, web developer, graphic designer, geologist and zoologist. Keep all your juicy profits by excluding other experts or those simpletons that spend all their time just doing one thing. You're a jack of all trades and it's better to know a little bit about everything than it is to pour into what you do best.

Source: http://thoughtleadershipleverage.com/

2015 Color of the Year Announced

2014-12-10T03:54:00.002-08:00

Color fanatics and fashionistas - this one's for you.

The 2015 color of the year has officially been announced, and we hope you like shades of red. The Pantone Color Institute has declared that "Marsala" is the next up-and-coming color to take trends by storm. The "naturally robust and Earthy wine red" will make its appearance on runways in spring 2015 and will likely pop up as a popular color for beauty products, interior decorating and graphic design, according to a release from the "global color authority."

"Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in a release. "Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness."

Each year, the Pantone Color Institute, a color research and information center, names a color of the year. In 2014, the color of the year was "Radiant Orchid," preceded by the 2013 color of the year, emerald.

The color of the year is determined by research of worldwide color influences, including colors used for technology, films and fashion.

"The color of the year selection requires careful consideration and, to arrive at the selection, Pantone combs the world looking for color influences," the release states.

Source: http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/

Low-Cost Holiday Gift Ideas

2014-12-09T03:00:00.003-08:00

There is a lot of sentimentality out there about gifts, but there is also a lot of waste, with people giving and receiving gifts that they end up throwing out or giving to Goodwill, she says. "Most of the retirees I've spoken with don't mind spending money, but they do mind wasting money."

The malls are crazy busy at this time of year, and some retirees may not want to go near them, says retail consultant Brian Kelly, founder of Brian Brands in Chicago. He suggests that those people consider giving the gift of time. They can donate some of their time to a charity, neighbors, friends, their children or grandchildren.

Here are Yarrow and Kelly's ideas for smart holiday gift giving on a budget:

* Cut down your holiday list. Look at the list of people you give presents to, and see if it's time to take some of them off the list. "It's painful to do because if someone has made it to the list, obviously you care about them. But I think many people will be flat-out relieved to be off the list, because if you give them a gift then they think they have to give you one in return," Yarrow says.

That's happened to her. "My best girlfriend said to me, "I hope you're not planning to get me anything, because I don't want to add anybody else to my list."

Retirement is a perfect time to trim down your list, because many people realize that many retirees are on fixed income, she says.

Before you take anyone off your list, talk to them or write them a letter and let them know that you still care about them but are trying to simplify the holidays. "You can say, 'I love you, and I know you love me, but let's not do gifts this year,'" Yarrow says.

She also suggests crossing people off your list if they don't seem to appreciate your gifts or even acknowledge that they received them.

*Consider giving away family heirlooms or sentimental keepsakes.

Some retirees have possessions they are no longer using that are rich in sentimental value such as a family Bible, books, china, silver, furniture or jewelry. Consider giving those away to someone who might enjoy them, Yarrow says. The key to doing this is to ask people if they might like the gift before you give it to them.

The present can be simple. She says her grandmother gave her and her sister her a secret recipe for stuffed grape leaves - something they both treasure.

Kelly loves giving away some of his own collectible books. To make the present really special, you can put an inscription or photo inside the book, he says.

Another idea: "If you know someone who treasures the giant bowl you put mashed potatoes in during the holidays, the platter you put the turkey on or other special serving items that have been in the family for a long time," then give them away to someone you know who likes them, Kelly says. Reassure them that you want to pass them on to their family, he says.

* Give to charity instead of buying gifts. You can suggest to friends and family that instead of spending money on each other, you make donations to a foundation, a charity, someone's college education or a family in need, Yarrow says. Or you could suggest to family or friends that you spend time together instead of money on each other.

Kelly agrees this is a good idea because there are so many people in need in this country and around the world. Many retirees appreciate the opportunity to give back, he says.

* Write down pearls of wisdom. Kelly suggests writing down pithy quotes, witty insights or common phrases used by your family and giving those as a thoughtful gift. To make it even more special, you could have someone who does calligraphy write it out or do the calligraphy yourself.

* Share your time and talent. If you know how to do something that someone else can't do, that is one of the most valuable commodities, Yarrow says. You might offer to create a photo album, do a home improvement, make a meal, babysit or create a website for them.

Yarrow has a friend who hates to wrap presents, so Yarrow does it for her every holiday season. "I bring the wrapping paper and the ribbon and spend the whole day wrapping for her. I'm happy to give that gift to people."

Kelly suggests that people who have expertise in finance and setting up family budgets offer their help to family and friends as a holiday gift.

* Host a white elephant gift-exchange party. This is usually a party where people give away presents they were given that they don't want or like, Yarrow says. Sometimes guests can take gifts from each other during the exchange to add to the humor of the party, she says. "My book club does this every year. The fun part is seeing all the really weird stuff that people have given as gifts.

"One year we had a lot of really unattractive sweaters going around. I got an ornament one time that everyone else thought was tacky, but I really love and have in the center of my tree," Yarrow says.

"This is perfect for people who are retirement age, because most people probably have a gift drawer of things they haven't used. If not, you can pick out something at Goodwill."

Source: .http://pnj.com

Successful People Do This!

2014-12-06T17:59:00.001-08:00

Only read this if you are serious about your business. Majority of entrepreneurs will be stepping into the new year without a plan and that's just plain stupid. Is that you? Well, now is the time to turn things around and get ready for your best year ever.

Let me keep this simple, as I always like to do. Time to sit down, grab a piece of paper and pen and start writing.

- What was your revenue for year to date?

- What are your expenses for year to date?

- How much do you want to make in 2015?

Once you've got those numbers identified (and I trust you are doing this along with your book-keeper!) - it's time to review the numbers in detail.

- How much revenue do you have contracted for 2015 already?

- What clients do you have that you want to keep? How much revenue do they represent?

- What clients do you want to fire? (and yes, there are times you should be doing this) - how much revenue do they represent?

- What have been your product sales? Event sales?

- What are your plans for products and revenues in 2015?

- What expenses did you incur - for travel, technology, professional development, team members, etc.?

- What additional expenses will you incur?

- What expenses can be eliminated? (memberships, conferences, subscriptions, etc.)

This is not a comprehensive list, by any means. My intention here is to simply get you thinking... thinking about your business, your money, your life.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Many of you are running your business like a hobby. You don't have a clue when it comes to the numbers in your business. You don't have a plan. This is the year to change all that.

Some things to consider over the next few weeks:

1. Get a book-keeper. This is one of your wisest investments if you are just starting out.

2. Get an assistant (or a virtual assistant). This would be another wise investment so you can focus on doing the work you are best doing - and where you can charge more and make more.

3. Get a coach. If you are not working with a business coach, that is just plain stupid. Every entrepreneur needs a business coach (I have two!).

4. Start tracking your numbers on a daily basis.

5. Start tracking your celebrations on a daily basis, too. There is always something to celebrate.

Successful entrepreneurs do all of these simple things to ensure business growth. When you know better, you do better (says Maya Angelou) - so get cracking!

Source: http://www.wealthywomenleaders.com

Move Forward

2014-12-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

There is no magic formula in choosing the best small business opportunity that will succeed. Some guidelines can help, but use your own judgment in making a final decision.

Consider "profitability". Demand and supply affects profitability. Demand is the desire of people to possess or make use of your product or service while supply is the amount of competition you face for your chosen business idea.

Reflect on your knowledge and passion. A business that you know best or are willing to learn and excites you the most would stand out. Malcolm Forbes once said, "The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living at doing what they most enjoy."

Look for a business idea that has a "fair" return on investment. Decide what is fair to you. It is ok to have a business and not make money if you do it as a hobby. But why not earn from your hobby as well?

The process of identifying small business opportunities and choosing the number one opportunity should help you proceed.

Source: http://sitesell.ccom

Thinking Ahead

2014-12-03T02:49:00.000-08:00

For a short period of time, during my school years, I took chess lessons. While I enjoyed the game I did not keep it up, probably because I was more inclined to less cerebral activities like football (soccer). The aspect of chess that I found most interesting is the need to think multiple steps ahead, to think through the implications of your next move and your opponent's likely response... and beyond!

I try to apply the same thinking in my professional life. If I can think ahead a few moves then it means I can be better prepared for whatever might come my way. Obviously there are no crystal balls, but too often the future is very obvious and yet there are people who somehow always seem surprised!

"A first-rate Organizer is never in a hurry. He is never late. He always keeps up his sleeve a margin for the unexpected." Arnold Bennett

Can you see yourself in any of these situations:

The salesperson has one key contact in a client who gives them a significant amount of business. That person leaves, or retires, or gets promoted, or moves role... and "Surprise" the business dries up!
The company relies on its technology to be its differentiator... but at some point someone else innovates faster. Surprise! The market for their solution is no longer popular.
You have monthly work commitments and you have an upcoming vacation that will impact your ability to deliver. Surprise... you suddenly have to get the work done, at the last minute, before going on vacation!
I make a commitment to deliver a speech at an upcoming conference, but procrastinate in writing it until "Surprise" the conference is in two days!
You want to lose some weight and get fitter before the warm weather arrives. You lay out a plan but there are so many "exception occasions" that "Surprise" your weight is not going down and your fitness not improving!
If you take time out to plan then you are far less likely to get surprised. Thinking ahead, or "planning" is critical for individuals and companies.

"A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door." Confucius

In sales you need "account plans" that will meet and exceed your quota targets with built-in allowance for anomalies. You need to ensure adequate account coverage, an understanding of the "players", competition, opportunities and threats. Good account planning should result in few surprises.

As a company you need strategic plans that will map out your future, taking into account external and internal influences such as competition and regulatory change. You should collaborate with your management team, and consider using external advisors in the creation of these plans.

As an individual you need to plan your time, ensuring that you get to complete the things you both need, and want, to do. A good plan will allow for both work and personal goals, assuring the right kind of life balance that suits your situation.

If you let your days drive you, instead of you driving your days you are bound to get more surprises than necessary!

Source: http://www.eagleonline.com

Top 10 facts about December

2014-12-02T04:28:00.000-08:00

The last month of the year begins today, so here are some December facts

1. There are fewer daylight hours in December in the northern hemisphere than in any other month.

2. According to a 2011 survey, more dentists have birthdays in December than in any other month.

3. To counter the “melancholy and phlegm” brought on by December, Richard Saunders, writing in 1679, recommended eating cabbage, onion and roasted apples or pears after meat.

4. In the UK more drivers are breathalysed during December than in any month. It is also the worst month for road deaths.

5. “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” (JM Barrie).

6. It is estimated that 11 billion will be withdrawn from ATMs in the UK this month. We withdraw more money in December than any other month.

7. According to a recent survey, December is the month when couples argue the most.

8. The stock market tends to do better in December than any other month. This has been put down to something called the ‘Santa rally’.

9. More people suffer fatal falls in December in the UK than any other month.

10. “Men are April when they woo, December when they wed,” (Shakespeare, As You Like It).

December is the month when couples argue the most.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/

Give The Gift of Cooking

2014-12-01T17:12:00.002-08:00

Please remember: Enter the shipping address of where you would like us to send the certificate in the comments sections of your purchase.

All certificates are [personalized here at our Eden Prairie location and mailed out.

If you have special delivery instructions, please feel free to include them into the comments also, or give us a call. 952-949-6799 Thank you.

Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 12:00pm to Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - 11:45pm

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

How to Keep Your Credit Card Information Safe From Cyber Criminals

2014-11-28T04:02:00.001-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year -- until your credit card information is compromised.

An estimated 140 million American shoppers are expected to start their holiday shopping in stores and online over Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation.

While many of us are dreaming of deals, it's important to remember that cyber criminals are on the prowl, targeting unsuspecting shoppers and trying to steal their passwords and credit card information.

"If you're shopping at a site you haven't been to before, you kind of do so at your own peril," Tim Ryan, a former FBI investigator and managing director of the cyber investigations practice at Kroll, told ABC News.

While it doesn't necessarily mean avoiding those sites, it's important to make sure they're secure before entering any personal information.

Many browsers show this by displaying a padlock icon near the address bar or the upper right corner of a window. Another easy way to make sure you're on a secure site is to make sure the URL starts with "https://".

Ryan said he advises shoppers to "be hesitant" of reacting to any emails or phone messages they may receive from people claiming to be from a store or their bank.

"People are going to be sensitive to the timely nature of their purchases and criminals know this," he said.

One such example he's seen is a scam email claiming a user's credit card may be deactivated soon unless they click a link that essentially leads them into a criminal's trap.

"If your bank allows you to get email or text alerts about whenever your card is used, I think that's really an excellent way to monitor what is happening with your card," Ryan said.

One of Ryan's other tips for staying safe may surprise shoppers: It's OK to let a trusted website, such an Amazon, store your credit card information.

"Entering your card once is more secure than you continually having to enter your credit card time and time again," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/

Rain, snow affecting Thanksgiving travel

2014-11-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

A sloppy mix of rain and snow rolled into the Northeast on Wednesday just as millions of Americans began the big Thanksgiving getaway, grounding hundreds of flights and turning highways hazardous along the congested Washington-to-Boston corridor.

By early evening, more than 700 flights had been canceled, the bulk of them in the Northeast, during what is typically one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Thousands of flight delays were also expected as the snow from the nor'easter piled up.

Some travelers tried to change their plans and catch earlier flights to beat the storm, and major airlines waived their re-booking fees. But most planes were already filled.

Numerous traffic accidents were reported across the Northeast, where by midafternoon the line between rain and snow ran roughly along Interstate 95, the chief route between Washington and Boston.

Schools and businesses also closed in some areas, and state government offices let workers go home early.

Pat Green and her husband drove from Saugerties, New York, to the Albany airport for the first leg of their trip to San Francisco. She said the drive on the New York State Thruway was "a little hairy," but they made it, and their flight was on schedule so far.

"It was snowing so hard you couldn't see the car ahead of you," she said. "We slowed down so we were fine. We also give ourselves a lot of extra time."

Major Northeast cities were likely to see moderate to heavy rain most of the day, though New York could see 1 to 4 inches of snow, and its northern suburbs 6 to 8 inches, the National Weather Service said. Higher elevations west of the I-95 corridor could see as much as 6 to 12 inches.

Dan Albert hoped to beat the snow as he, his wife and 15-year-old daughter refueled their SUV Wednesday morning along I-81 in Hagerstown, Maryland, about halfway between their Greensboro, North Carolina, home and their Thanksgiving destination in Mahwah, New Jersey.

"Traffic was fine last night, no problems at all, but today's going to be a real booger," Albert said. But he added: "Got to see the folks. We only get to see them once a year. Got to muscle through it, right?"

At a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, tired families grabbed large cups of coffee and breakfasts of pizza and fried chicken before heading back to the slushy road.

Abdullah Masud, a lawyer who lives in Kuwait, was heading from Boston to Washington with a cousin.

"We were originally planning on leaving Wednesday morning, but when we heard about the snowstorm we changed our mind and left Tuesday night. But I don't think it made that much of a difference," he said, noting the heavy traffic.

By early afternoon, airlines had canceled more than 10 percent of their flights at Philadelphia, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports.

The wintry weather was not confined to the Northeast. An Alberta clipper left many highways in North and South Dakota slick, and a winter storm warning was issued for parts of Minnesota.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

Dealing With Information Overload

2014-11-25T17:29:00.002-08:00

The information age is well and truly upon us and we are bombarded with all sort of information from different sources- push emails, RSS feeds, Facebook updates just to name a few. The advent of internet has a huge impact on our lives. It changed for ever what we can call the 4Cs- culture, commerce, connection, and communication. Our desire to know coupled with the desire to be part of every excitement out there has led us to situation where we place ourselves in the way of an information storm. We also understand the power of information. If we only know how, every word of information is an asset as there are avenues of monetization. This creates in us an unpleasant condition which is referred to as information overload. We see many of the information workers struggling to deal with information overload. So is there a way to manage the amount of information we should allow in our life. Let's examine some of the options we have.

To begin with, we must have a clear priority based on well-defined goals. This should allow us to focus on our most important tasks at our hand which, in turn will help us the to work with only the essentials. As a rule we can follow a four step process, which we can call as the rule of 4Es- Evaluate, Execute, Eliminate and Escape. The first step is Evaluation, which means we first have to identify what information from all the ones that we have gathered from relevant sources is required for achieving our most important and immediate goals. One more criterion to keep in mind while zeroing on the information is to ascertain which of the information can easily be acted upon. Having evaluated the information, we should quickly move on to using the information for whatever you have needed it for in the first place. This constitutes the Execute step.

Next is the Elimination step. In this step, we eliminate all the extraneous information from unnecessarily occupying our precious hard disk space. We can let go of any information source that is not helping in our objective. If you have performed the three steps mentioned so far you should already be feeling lighter. Whatever still remains can be dealt with in the last step- Escape. It means we should remove ourselves from the source of all information for a short period. Try selective unplugging.

Even better, you may try to plug out totally for some time and escape to an uninhabited island!

Source: http://jitendratiwari.com/

Yahoo Mail is STILL down after underwater cable is severed

2014-11-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

Yahoo Mail is STILL down after nearly four days for many users – with the internet giant blaming a ship which cut through one of the undersea optical fibre cables that carry its data.

Users in America and Britain are still locked out of their Mail accounts, or experiencing extremely slow loading times.

Yahoo has blamed another ship which cut through its data cable while fixing a separate underwater data pipe.

Such incidents are not uncommon – in 2008, a dragging ship’s anchor was blamed for a cable cut which shut down internet services across large parts of the Middle East and India.

Yahoo has said that a repair ship is already on its way to the site, and it is currently rerouting traffic to restore service to its users.

Yahoo said, ‘We are aware that Yahoo Mail is slow or inaccessible for some of our users. The issues were a result of an underwater fibre cable cut, caused by a third party while fixing a separate cable.

‘The engineering team has rerouted email traffic to mitigate accessibility issues. A cable repair ship has been mobilised and will be at the site this weekend.

‘We apologise for the inconvenience as we certainly understand email is a critical service for our customers.”

‘We’ll be posting updates regularly on this page to keep everyone informed of our progress. Thank you for your patience as we work to fully resolve this.”

Source: https://metro.co.uk

How Gratitude Serves You

2014-11-22T18:29:00.001-08:00

Many times we get too busy trying to reach our goals, trying to acquire wealth and all the other good pleasures of life. We get choked by our regular activities that gratitude is pushed to a corner. We get overwhelmed by the many negative things that are happening around us. This write-up will help you focus on the positive side of life, read on...

Gratitude shifts your focus away from problems

When you are truly grateful for the things you have, you will automatically shift your focus away from lack and other problems. The ability to be grateful for the things you have is an ability you can decide to develop today. You can decide to see the good in everything that happens, you can decide to be thankful no matter what happens. When you develop the mindset that everything that happens to you happens for your good, things naturally begin to fall in place.

Gratitude attracts more of what you desire

The easiest and fastest way to get the things you desire is not to worry about them. Worrying doesn't solve anything, it doesn't attract good things to you. As a matter of fact, the things you worry about tend to happen most times. Gratitude repels the negative force of worrying, it diminishes your lack and helps you get more of those things that you desire. From this moment henceforth, be thankful for all you have and all you need will come to you. Use the force of gratitude to attract the things you need.

Gratitude gives strength and vitality to your body

A merry heart does well like medicine to the body. Ingratitude produces negative energies in your body, decreases your capacity to focus on tasks and greatly reduces your productivity. There is a strong connection between your mental and physical well-being. When you have a healthy mind, you have a healthy body. When you are grateful every time you build up a strong and healthy mind.

It takes just about the same effort to be grateful as it takes to be ungrateful. However it is much more beneficial for you to be grateful. From today, decide that nothing that happens will take away your ability to be grateful. Program your mind to think positively of everything that happens to you, surround yourself with positive people, read good books and listen to good music. Do not let anything steal away your ability to give THANKS.

Source: http://www.obaroaziza.blogspot.com/

Kmart To Employee: Work on Thanksgiving Day or Get Fired

2014-11-21T01:56:00.002-08:00

Kmart will open its doors at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day this year and remain open for 42 hours, meaning that many employees will have to come to work to staff shifts. While the company says it tries to fill the slots with volunteers or seasonal hires, workers are reporting that the reality on the ground is very different.

Kmart remain opens on Thanksgiving Day and won't allow workers to ask for time off to be with family.
A sign at a Kmart informing employees that they cannot request time off over the holidays.

Jillian Fisher, who started a petition on Coworker.org asking Kmart to give her mother and other employees the flexibility to take the holiday off, surveyed 56 self-identified employees from more than 13 states. Of those, just three said they had the option to ask to take the holiday off. In a press release from the petition organizer, one employee said human resources has told them, “if you do not come to work on Thanksgiving, you will automatically be fired… I made the request to work a split shift on Thanksgiving and was denied.” Another said, “Our manager stated at a staff meeting: ‘Everyone must work Thanksgiving and Black Friday. No time off.’” At one location, an employee says signs have been posted in the break room saying workers can’t request time off on Thanksgiving or Black Friday and that everyone has to put in at least some time on both, while at another signs have been posted saying no one can request time off between November 15 and January 1.

“I am a lead at a Kmart and it is mandatory for me to work on Thanksgiving,” another employee said. “If I were to call out I would be terminated, and requesting off is not allowed.”

Only seven surveyed employees said their stores had given employees the chance to volunteer for a holiday shift. “[A]t my store, they scheduled workers who aren’t seasonal and who DIDN’T volunteer to work on Thanksgiving,” one said. Another said, “I didn’t volunteer to work on either of these days they just pretty much scheduled me regardless if I had plans or not on Thanksgiving.”

Kmart workers are not allowed to have time off between November 15 to January 1.
A sign for employees at a Kmart

And most workers have no idea whether they’re going to be asked to give up some of their Thanksgiving dinner to come to work, even with the holiday a week away. Forty-three percent of the surveyed employees said they still don’t know their schedules for Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Fisher says that her mother has sometimes found out her schedule as little as a day ahead of time.

They may be in for a rude surprise: of those who know their schedules, all but two have to work on Thanksgiving, while about three-quarters also have to come in the next day.

In response to questions about the survey results, a company spokesperson said in a statement, “Again, we reiterate that our stores do their very best to staff with seasonal associates and those who volunteer to work holidays. Seasonal associates are told upon hire of our holiday store hours and we make every effort to accommodate associate shift requests during this time. Associate schedules are posted, on average, two weeks in advance – including for holiday schedules. All associates are compensated time and a half pay for the hours they work on Thanksgiving Day. We continue to express deep appreciation in advance to all associates who will be working Thanksgiving and Black Friday.”

Kmart employees aren’t alone in being asked to come to work on the holiday. Twelve retail chains will be open, requiring millions of people to leave home. Erratic and last-minute schedules are rampant in the industry, so others may also be in limbo waiting to find out whether they will miss out on time with friends and family. And no American is guaranteed a paid holiday off, so many others may find they aren’t able to request the time off.

Some stores, on the other hand, are deciding to just stay closed and let employees be at home to celebrate: 17 have announced they will not open on Thanksgiving. Many say it’s to allow their workers to take a break and be with loved ones.

Fisher will keep the momentum going in the pushback against Kmart. “I plan to continue to fight not just for my mother, but for every family that has had to choose between spending time together and working longer hours,” she said. “We are simply asking Kmart to display more effort when it comes to allowing employees to request off or volunteer to work on Thanksgiving.”

Source: http://billmoyers.com/

December Dazzle

2014-11-19T17:56:00.002-08:00

The City of Prior Lake will host its free DecemBRRR Dazzle celebration on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5 - 8 p.m. at Lakefront Park. Activities include Santa (5:30-8:00) and his reindeer, pony rides, concessions for purchase, lighted bowling and bean bag toss, a huge bonfire with the Prior Lake Fire Department and an ice sculpting demonstration.

Weather permitting, other events include dog sled rides/demo, skating and snow shoeing (skates and snow shoes available at the park).

Visit HERE for more info.

Why ‘passion’ has no place in business

2014-11-18T18:13:00.001-08:00

This is going to be one of my (hopefully) rare curmudgeon posts. Apologies in advance. I just had an attack of the Victor Meldrews this week.

I get very cross when I hear people talk about ‘passion’ in business. Either in mission statements (e.g. Microsoft: “your potential, our passion”) or in CV covering letters (e.g. ‘I’m passionate about the insurance industry’).

As a top salesman put it last week: “you can be as passionate as you like but if you’re not making your numbers it won’t help you.”

C’mon people. It’s just silly. It’s inflationary language. It’s also just the wrong word.

    The dictionary definition: “the suffering of Christ … the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces … an outbreak of anger … an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction … sexual desire…” These are not appropriate or relevant in the work place.

Passion, like solution and mission, is just a placeholder for people who can’t think of a more accurate word. Here are some alternatives which would be much more useful, descriptive and precise. Use them and you’ll stand out from the herd of Apprentice-wannabes who are just giving it 110% as they step up to the plate and all that other crap.

    Commitment
    Enthusiasm
    Energy
    Persistence
    Diligence
    Friendly
    Loyal
    Knowledgeable
    Hard working
    Expertise
    Experience
    Determination
    Resilience

But the best thing to do is to shut up and do a really, really good job.

The best song with a list of good words is Philip Glass’s Forgetting with lyrics by Laurie Anderson. Although Tom Lehrer’s The Elements needs a shout too but for different reasons.

Source: http://www.badlanguage.net

How to Create a Winning Business Name

2014-11-17T17:48:00.003-08:00

Below are some tips that may help you in the process of naming your business with a winning name.

1. A business name needs to be easy to say, spell, write and remember. People are turned off by long, complex and hard-to-spell business names. For the customers’ convenience, they should be able to remember the business name easily and find it easily in the phone book or be able to spell it right when searching online.

2. A business name needs to be associated with an image. People can easily imagine the associated image when they hear or read a business name and often times, such image has close relation to the name or word. It makes it easy for customers to remember the name when they can associate it with some visual element.

3. A business name should have a positive impact. Most customers shy away from business names that are negative sounding or with negative connotations or denotations. Most of the customers would easily associate with business names that evoke something good and beautiful. Choose words that you want customers to associate with your business and make sure that they fit the description of your business.

4. A business name should include information or reference to what your business is all about. Your business name should at least give your potential customers an idea or clue of what the business does. Integrating names that describe the nature of the business will provide the edge of visibility. If a landscaping business has a business name that comes with the word “garden” or “landscaping”, people will not have difficulty in searching for the business name in phone books and online directories.

5. A business name needs to be short and unique. Customers need to be able to remember your business name easily. If they hear a name “VGamers”, they can associate it with either a cybercafé or a video games arcade. Similarly, if they hear the name “Bedland”, they can associate it with a bed manufacturer or bed retail store. In both cases, the names give a close picture of what a business cold likely be. Short names are also important for advertising purposes. They are easier to manage than long names especially when designing a poster, billboard or add banner.

It is important to remember that the business name you choose will be the focus of any marketing campaign plan for the business, so as early as the time of thinking about the business name, it should already integrate, font styles, colors and possible logo. These elements will have additional impact to the business name you will come up with that can pave the way for your business’ success.

Creating a business name is the first step you have to take in establishing a business. Be it big or small business, coming up with at least three winning business names will help you decide which amongst the chosen names best fits and describe your business. After this step, business registration should follow immediately to be sure that you will get your desired business name.

Source: http://www.businessmarketingpress.com

Tips To Choosing An Ideal Business Location

2014-11-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

1.Many businesses can be launched and run from home. If you need to move to an outside facility, identify the features and fixtures your business will need.

2.Determine how much rent you can afford.

3.Decide what neighborhood would be best for your business and find out what the average rents are in those neighborhoods.

4.Make sure any space you’re considering is or can be properly zoned for your business. (If working from home, make sure your business activities won’t violate any zoning restrictions on home offices.)

5. Before signing a commercial lease, examine it carefully and negotiate the best deal.

Source: http://www.sbomag.com

Stand Out by Being YOU

2014-11-14T18:23:00.002-08:00

When you are a service professional, you are selling your services, but really you are selling a lot more than that... you are selling yourself.

Understanding your own value as a professional is one of the most challenging things that a small business owner has to do.

In fact, a lot of small business owners I know don't even realize that they have to sell themselves. There is a huge misconception among VAs particularly, that their services or skills are the thing that will sell them to a potential client.

While it is your service offerings that clients need, they will most often decide to work with you, simply because you are YOU.

And being YOU means being unique... different than the others that offer the same services that you offer.

We often say in the marketing world that people do business with people that they know, like and trust.

Relationship building is the fastest way to get new clients -- good clients -- and part of that is selling yourself to them.

But how can you stand out from others when you might all provide similar service offerings? Simple... just be YOU.

Here are a few tips that you should consider when selling yourself to others:

1. Value - think of the value that you are bringing to the customer. Your level of expertise is yours -- not someone else's -- so get really clear on what you know how to do, and how it can help the client.

2. Values - think about your own personal values. What is important to you, and how does that translate to your business? For example, if you have a family, is it important for your clients to also have a family? Things that are important to you come across in your personality, and can make quick steps to a solid relationship with any potential client.

3. Integrity - be really clear about who you want to work with. Don't work with people who don't fit into your ideal. It is important not to compromise your working boundaries or principles just because someone wants to pay you.

Selling yourself is not as challenging as you think, but it does take some planning and skill.

By considering your own value, what is important to you, and staying in integrity with those things, you will find great clients that you can build long term relationships with. And they will appreciate you more too.

Work on your marketing message with selling yourself in mind, and it will work harder for you.

Stand out from the crowd simply by being YOU. Doing a little homework to articulate just who that is makes things easier with all of your marketing copy and efforts.

Source: http://www.yourvamentor.com/

Downtown Dazzle

2014-11-13T17:51:00.001-08:00

Bundle Up and Meet Friends on Main Street.
Shops & Businesses will be Open till 9 p.m.
Check them all out, enjoy specials, treats, and beverages along the way.
Sing along with carolers.
Warm your fingers and toes by the bonfires.
Food Trucks and Photo Stations
The Ozzie Harris Band 6-9p.m at the VFW
Drink specials, Free Appetizers and Vendors with Services and Great Gift ideas for Sale at the lower level VFW.
Bake Sale Fundraiser @ Premier Dance Studio.

A Great Way to Beat the Cold...Bundle Up and Go Out!
A Great Night Out in Downtown Prior Lake!

Location:

Downtown Prior Lake

Date/Time Information:

Thursday, December 4
from 5-9p.m.

Contact Information:

Sandi Fleck

Send an Email

Fees/Admission:

FREE to participate.
Inside
$50/vendor for Chamber Members
$150/vendor for Non-Members
Outside
$25 vendor for Chamber Members
$$75 vendor for Non Chamber Members
Sponsorship
$200 for Chamber Members
$500 for Non Chamber Members

Source: http://priorlakechamber.com