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Literature: Spring Sensuality and Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song
The reopening of the Grassic Gibbon Center provides us with the chance to meditate on the meaning of seasons, and spring especially, for Lewis Grassic Gibbon. Gibbon wrote often of the importance of seasonal or meteorological cycles. In his...read more
Springtime in Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Mearns: Re-openings and Awakenings
The month of March traditionally marks the end of long winter hibernation and a return to the busy activities of outdoor life. Despite freezing rains and late snow storms, the meteorological (or seasonal) start to spring in the Northern Hemisphere is March 1st while...read more
Local Honour For Grassic Gibbon
Some great news about the marking of this local legend with a plaque at his former school.read more
Emma Rose Miller - Blog Author
Emma authors blog content for the Grassic Gibbon Center. She is currently based in Tucson, Arizona, but will be relocating to Scotland to conduct research as a Bilinski Fellow in 2019. She holds a BA, MLitt, and MA in English and Scottish Literature, and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is currently finishing her PhD in Literature with a focus on time, language, and magic in the works of Lewis Grassic Gibbon and Sir Walter Scott. Her interest in Gibbon, specifically, began when she read the Scots Quair and discovered that Gibbon had somehow managed to articulate all of her own secret feelings and thoughts that had previously eluded language. She has been teaching Sunset Song to college freshman at the University of Arizona for the last several years and enjoys watching new readers discover the clay fields of Blawearie and the plaintive cry of the peewits.

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[A.D. 69.] I propose to begin my narrative with the second consulship of Servius Galba, in which Titus Vinius was his colleague. Many historians have dealt with the 820 years of the earlier period beginning with the foundation of Rome, and the story of the Roman Republic has been told with no less ability than truth. After the Battle of Actium, when the interests of peace were served by the centralization of all authority in the hands of one man, there followed a dearth of literary ability, and at the same time truth suffered more and more, partly from ignorance of politics, which were no longer a citizen's concern, partly from the growing taste for flattery or from hatred of the ruling house. So between malice on one side and servility on the other the interests of posterity were neglected. But historians find that a tone of flattery soon incurs the stigma of servility and earns for them the contempt of their readers, whereas people readily open their ears to the criticisms of envy, since malice makes a show of independence. Of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, I have known nothing either to my advantage or my hurt. I cannot deny that I originally owed my position to Vespasian, or that I was advanced by Titus and still further promoted by Domitian;[To Vespasian Tacitus probably owed his quaestorship and a seat in the senate; to Titus his tribunate of the people; to Domitian the praetorship and a 'fellowship' of one of the great priestly colleges, whose special function was the supervision of foreign cults. This last accounts for Tacitus' interest in strange religions] but professing, as I do, unbiased honesty, I must speak of no man either with hatred or affection. I have reserved for my old age, if life is spared to me, the reigns of the sainted Nerva and of the Emperor Trajan, which afford a richer and withal a safer theme:[This project, also foreshadowed in "Agricola" iii, was never completed.] for it is the rare fortune of these days that a man may think what he likes and say what he thinks.
The story I now commence is rich in vicissitudes, grim with warfare, torn by civil strife, a tale of horror even during times of peace. It tells of four emperors slain by the sword, three several civil wars, an even larger number of foreign wars and some that were both at once: successes in the East, disaster in the West, disturbance in Illyricum, disaffection in the provinces of Gaul, the conquest of Britain and its immediate loss, the rising of the Sarmatian and Suebic tribes. It tells how Dacia had the privilege of exchanging blows with Rome, and how a pretender claiming to be Nero almost deluded the Parthians into declaring war. Now too Italy was smitten with new disasters, or disasters it had not witnessed for a long period of years. Towns along the rich coast of Campania were submerged or buried. The city was devastated by fires, ancient temples were destroyed, and the Capitol itself was fired by Roman hands. Sacred rites were grossly profaned, and there were scandals in high places.[ Referring in particular to the scandals among the Vestal Virgins and to Domitian's relations with his niece Julia] The sea swarmed with exiles and the island cliffs[i.e. the Aegean islands, such as Seriphus, Gyarus, Amorgus, where those in disfavor were banished and often murdered] were red with blood. Worse horrors reigned in the city. To be rich or well-born was a crime: men were prosecuted for holding or for refusing office: merit of any kind meant certain ruin. Nor were the Informers more hated for their crimes than for their prizes: some carried off a priest hood or the consulship as their spoil, others won offices and influence in the imperial household: the hatred and fear they inspired worked universal havoc. Slaves were bribed against their masters, freedmen against their patrons, and, if a man had no enemies, he was ruined by his friends.
However, the period was not so utterly barren as to yield no examples of heroism. There were; mothers who followed their sons, wives their husbands into exile: one saw here a kinsman's courage and there a son-in-law's devotion: slaves obstinately faithful even on the rack: distinguished men bravely facing the utmost straits and matching in their end the famous deaths of older times. Besides these manifold disasters to mankind there were portents in the sky and on the earth, thunderbolts and other premonitions of good and of evil, some doubtful, some obvious. Indeed never has it been proved by such terrible disasters to Rome or by such clear evidence that Providence is concerned not with our peace of mind but rather with vengeance for our sin.
Before I commence my task, it seems best to go back and consider the state of affairs in the city, the temper of the armies, the condition of the provinces, and to determine the elements of strength and weakness in the different quarters of the Roman world. By this means we may see not only the actual course of events, which is largely governed by chance, but also why and how they occurred.
The death of Nero, after the first outburst of joy with which it was greeted, soon aroused conflicting feelings not only among the senators, the people, and the soldiers in the city, but also among the generals and their troops abroad. It had divulged a secret of state: an emperor could be made elsewhere than at Rome. Still the senate was satisfied. They had immediately taken advantage of their liberty and were naturally emboldened against a prince who was new to the throne and, moreover, absent. The highest class of the knights [Probably those who owned one million sesterces, the property qualification for admission to the senate] seconded the senate's satisfaction. Respectable citizens, who were attached as clients or freedmen to the great families, and had seen their patrons condemned or exiled, now revived their hopes. The lowest classes, who had grown familiar with the pleasures of the theatre and the circus, the most degraded of the slaves, and Nero's favorites who had squandered their property and lived on his discreditable bounty, all showed signs of depression and an eager greed for news.
The troops in the city [This includes 'The Guards' "cohortes praetoriae" and 'The City Garrison' "cohortes urbanae", and possibly also the "cohortes vigilum", who were a sort of police corps and fire brigade.] had long been inured to the allegiance of the Caesars, and it was more by the pressure of intrigue than of their own inclination that they came to desert Nero. They soon realized that the donation promised in Galba's name was not to be paid to them, and that peace would not, like war, offer opportunity for great services and rich rewards. Since they also saw that the new emperor's favor had been forestalled by the army which proclaimed him, they were ripe for revolution and were further instigated by their rascally Praefect Nymphidius Sabinus, who was plotting to be emperor himself. His design was as a matter of fact detected and quashed, but, though the ringleader was removed, many of the troops still felt conscious of their treason and could be heard commenting on Galba's senility and avarice. His austerity–a quality once admired and set high in soldiers' estimation–only annoyed troops whose contempt for the old methods of discipline had been fostered by fourteen years of service under Nero. They had come to love the emperors' vices as much as they once reverenced their virtues in older days. Moreover Galba had let fall a remark, which augured well for Rome, though it spelt danger to himself. 'I do not buy my soldiers,' he said, 'I select them.' And indeed, as things then stood, his words sounded incongruous.
Galba was old and ill. Of his two lieutenants Titus Vinius was the vilest of men and Cornelius Laco the laziest. Hated as he was for Vinius' crimes and despised for Laco's inefficiency, between them Galba soon came to ruin. His march from Spain was slow and stained with bloodshed. He executed Cingonius Varro, the consul-elect, and Petronius Turpilianus, an ex-consul, the former as an accomplice of Nymphidius, the latter as one of Nero's generals. They were both denied any opportunity of a hearing or defense–and might as well have been innocent. On his arrival at Rome the butchery of thousands of unarmed soldiers [i.e. the marines, whom Nero had formed into a reserve force (Legio I Adiutrix). They had met Galba at the Mulvian Bridge, probably with a petition for service in the Line] gave an ill omen to his entry, and alarmed even the men who did the slaughter. The city was filled with strange troops. A legion had been brought from Spain, [Legio VII Galbiana, sent later to Pannonia] and the regiment of marines enrolled by Nero still remained. Moreover there were several detachments from Germany, Britain, and Illyricum,[ Illyricum included all the Danube provinces] which had been selected by Nero, dispatched to the Caspian Pass[The Pass of Dariel over the center of the Caucasus. The Albanians lay to the east of its southern end, on the south-west coast of the Caspian] for the projected war against the Albanians, and subsequently recalled to aid in crushing the revolt of Vindex. [Vindex, Pro-praetor in the Lyons division of Gaul, had revolted against Nero early in the year 68 and offered his support to Galba, then governor of the Tarragona division of Spain. He was defeated by Verginius Rufus, commanding the forces in Upper Germany, and committed suicide. Verginius afterwards declared for Galba, though his troops wanted to make him emperor]These were all fine fuel for a revolution, and, although their favor centered on nobody in particular, there they were at the disposal of any one who had enterprise.
It happened by chance that the news of the death of Clodius Macer and of Fonteius Capito arrived in Rome simultaneously. Macer,[ Clodius Macer commanded Legio III Augusta and governed Numidia, which Tiberius at the end of his reign had detached from the pro-consulate of Africa] who was undoubtedly raising a disturbance in Africa, was put to death by the imperial agent Trebonius Garutianus, acting under Galba's orders: Capito [Governor of Lower Germany. See chap. 58 and iii. 62] had made a similar attempt in Germany and was killed by two officers, Cornelius Aquinus and Fabius Valens, without waiting for instructions. While Capito had a foul reputation for extortion and loose living, some people yet believed that he had withheld his hand from treason. His officers, they supposed, had urged him to declare war, and, when they could not persuade him, had gone on to charge him falsely with their own offence,[18] while Galba from weakness of character, or perhaps because he was afraid to inquire too far, approved what had happened for good or for ill, since it was past alteration. At any rate both executions were unpopular. Now that Galba was disliked, everything he did, whether right or wrong, made him more unpopular. His freedmen were all-powerful: money could do anything: the slaves were thirsting for an upheaval, and with so elderly an emperor were naturally expecting to see one soon. The evils of the new court were those of the old, and while equally oppressive were not so easily excused. Even Galba's age seemed comic and despicable to a populace that was used to the young Nero and compared the emperors, as such people will, in point of looks and personal attraction.
Such then at Rome was the variety of feeling natural in so vast a population. To turn to the provinces abroad: Spain was under the command of Cluvius Rufus, a man of great eloquence, and more skilled in the arts of peace than of war. [He wrote a history of his own time, which was one of Tacitus' chief authorities] The Gallic provinces had not forgotten Vindex: moreover, they were bound to Galba by his recent grant of Roman citizenship and his rebate of their tribute for the future. The tribes, however, which lay nearest to the armies stationed in Germany had not received these honors: some even had lost part of their territory and were equally aggrieved at the magnitude of their own injuries and of their neighbors' benefits. The troops in Germany were proud of their recent victory, indignant at their treatment and perplexed by a nervous consciousness that they had supported the wrong side: a very dangerous state for so strong a force to be in. They had been slow to desert Nero, and Verginius did not immediately declare for Galba. Whether he really did not want the throne is doubtful: without question his soldiers made him the offer. The death of Fonteius Capito aroused the indignation even of those who had no right to complain. However, they still lacked a leader: Galba had sent for Verginius under a pretence of friendship, and, when he was not allowed to return and was even charged with treachery, the soldiers considered his case their own.
The army of Upper Germany felt no respect for their commander, Hordeonius Flaccus. [Verginius' successor] Weakened by age and an affection of the feet he was without resolution or authority, and could not have controlled the mildest troops. These fiery spirits were only the further inflamed when they felt such a weak hand on the reins. The legions of Lower Germany had been for some time without a commander, [ Since Capito's death] until Aulus Vitellius appeared. He was the son of the Lucius Vitellius who had been censor and thrice consul, [He died in A.D. 54. In the censorship and in two of his consulships he had been Claudius' colleague] and Galba thought this sufficient to impress the troops. The army in Britain showed no bad feeling. All through the disturbance of the civil wars no troops kept cleaner hands. This may have been because they were so far away and severed by the sea, or perhaps frequent engagements had taught them to keep their rancour for the enemy. Quiet ruled in Illyricum also, although the legions, which had been summoned by Nero, [For the war with Vindex] while lingering in Italy had made overtures to Verginius. But the armies lay far apart, always a sound assistance to the maintenance of military discipline, since the men could neither share vices nor join forces.
The East was still untroubled. Licinius Mucianus held Syria with four legions. [The fourth legion is III Gallica, afterwards moved into Moesia] He was a man who was always famous, whether in good fortune or in bad. As a youth he was ambitious and cultivated the friendship of the great. Later he found himself in straitened circumstances and a very ambiguous position, and, suspecting Claudius' displeasure, he withdrew into the wilds of Asia, where he came as near to being an exile as afterwards to being an emperor. He was a strange mixture of good and bad, of luxury and industry, courtesy and arrogance. In leisure he was self-indulgent, but full of vigour on service. His outward behavior was praiseworthy, though ill was spoken of his private life. However, with those who were under him or near him, and with his colleagues he gained great influence by various devices, and seems to have been the sort of man who would more readily make an emperor than be one.
The Jewish war was being conducted by Flavius Vespasianus-appointed by Nero-with three legions. He had no ill-will against Galba, and nothing to hope from his fall. Indeed he had sent his son Titus to carry his compliments and offer allegiance, an incident we must reserve for its proper place. It was only after Vespasian's rise that Roman society came to believe in the mysterious moving's of Providence, and supposed that portents and oracles had predestined the throne for him and his family.
Of Egypt and its garrison, ever since the days of the sainted Augustus, the knights of Rome have been uncrowned kings.[ Cp. "Ann.", ii. 59. 'Amongst other secret principles of his imperial policy, Augustus had put Egypt in a position by itself, forbidding all senators and knights of the highest class to enter that country without his permission. For Egypt holds the key, as it were, both of sea and land' (tr. Ramsay). Cp. iii. 8] The province being difficult to reach, rich in crops, torn and tossed by fanaticism and sedition, ignorant of law, unused to bureaucratic government, it seemed wiser to keep it in the control of the Household. [i.e. to govern it by the emperor's private agents. The province was regarded as part of the emperor's estate (patrimonium). This post was the highest in the imperial service.] The governor at that date was Tiberius Alexander, himself a native of Egypt. [A member of a Jewish family settled in Alexandria and thus entitled to Roman citizenship. He was a nephew of the historian Philo; had been Procurator of Judaea and chief of Corbulo's staff in Armenia] Africa and its legions, now that Clodius Macer had been executed, were ready to put up with any ruler after their experience of a petty master. The two Mauretanias, Raetia, Noricum, Thrace, and the other provinces governed by procurators had their sympathies determined by the neighbourhood of troops, and always caught their likes or dislikes from the strongest army. The un-garrisoned provinces, and chief amongst these Italy, were destined to be the prize of war, and lay at the mercy of any master.
Such was the state of the Roman world when Servius Galba, consul for the second time, and Titus Vinius his colleague, inaugurated the year which was to be their last, and almost the last for the commonwealth of Rome.
REFERENCE: The Histories (Book 1) of Publius Cornelius Tacitus; Translated by W. HAMILTON FYFE (1912); CONTRIBUTOR: Callum McCormick
Roman Empire: Servius Galba (Part 2)


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From the late 1940′s to the end of the 1950′s, City of Perth's surf boats not only provided the club with regular competitive success but were also used for a variety of memorable recreational activities. As in earlier times, the boats were used by some 'boaties', including Don Arcus, George Kino, Gordon Cornish, Bob Ramsay and Warren Somerford for occasional weekend trips to Rottnest, and Somerford later had vivid recollections of arriving at a committee meeting one night and seeing Reg Sanderson 'tearing strips off Bob Ramsay and George Kino' for their part in such an excursion.
Many City members can also remember that toward the end of the 1940′s, two of the club's personalities, Brian Hogan and Linc 'Needlenose' Harris, each of whom served one season as Club Captain, initiated weekend shark-baiting exercises. Warren Somerford recalled that subsequent to the 1946 shark attack at City Beach, 'the boys decided that a good way to get some income was to catch sharks and put them on ice and charge a silver coin admission [to view the shark] in the boatshed'. Raw rabbits were purchased from a large Barrack Street delicatessen and used as baits. Harris, who worked at the Midland railway workshops, supplied some chains and makeshift anchors and hooks, and these were attached to the kerosene tin floats which were used at the time as buoys in the club's point races. On Saturday evenings, the lads would pile into a surf boat, row several kilometres offshore, and lay the baits. After spending the night at the clubhouse, the boat would be taken out again to check the baits early on Sunday morning. The method proved successful, and many sharks were caught over a period of several seasons, the larger of them being sold at the Perth fish markets in Wellington Street.
Wild stories about this activity abound. On one occasion, a raw rabbit could not be obtained, and returning to the beach empty handed from the delicatessen, disappointed at the prospect of having to abandon their plans for that evening, Harris and Hogan spotted a likely looking cat crossing the road. With Hogan huddling in the sidecar of his motorbike, Harris pursued the cat onto the footpath and mercilessly ran it down. According to 'Wonk' Somerford, however, Harris could not find anyone at the beach who was willing to skin it, and the bait was not laid. On another occasion, when it was suspected that sharks were being stolen from the traps during the night, Linc Harris stayed up and, armed with a .303 rifle, kept watch. Around daybreak, a fishing boat arrived and began hauling in the night's catch. Incensed, Harris fired a couple of shots across the bow of the vessel, and the fishing boat very wisely beat a hasty retreat. Somerford recounted that 'They never touched our baits again'. The practise of sharking baiting, which Alex Flecker later described as 'beaut fun', eventually came to 'a sudden halt' sometime in the early 1950′s, when it was discovered that the towing of the bigger sharks to the beach, tied to the stern of the surf boat, left a trail of blood which drew other sharks shoreward. Flecker remembers that there was the appearance, during one of the club's Sunday morning swimming races, of 'not one but two or three sharks in the vicinity'. Despite some excellent swimming performances that day, 'We never tried catching sharks again'.


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Enter Best of Houzz Customer Service
Enter by collecting 5 star reviews from clients on projects undertaken in 2018.
Effective client communication can make or break a project. We'll share our tips for setting expectations and creating strong client relationships through critical conversations.
Top 3 Reasons to Enter Best of Houzz
- Get noticed - The Best of Houzz awards are promoted to millions of homeowners worldwide.
- Gain credibility - winners receive a Best of Houzz 2018 badge on their profile, showing their commitment to excellence.
- Attract potential clients - the awards have become a true indication of quality within the home renovation industry
It's a great achievement and I am very humbled to have achieved the award two years running now. I guess it provides additional reassurance to potential clients that my work and level of service provided is endorsed by Houzz, which is great for the credibility of my Studio.
— Donna Guyler from Donna Guyler Interior Design
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SAN ANTONIO - The Bexar County Medical Examiner's office has identified the person shot and killed late Friday night on the city's West Side.
Jason McGraw, 17, was shot while standing in front of his home in the 300 block of Moonrise Drive around 11:30 p.m. McGraw was taken to University Hospital where he later died.
Police said his parents were inside the home at the time of the shooting but could not provide much information.
RELATED: Man killed after Friday night West Side shooting
RELATED: No witnesses to shooting outside of West Side home, police say
Officials have not given a motive for the shooting or released any information on possible suspects.
This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT 12 both online and on-air for new information.
Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved.


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Club Cooee is an online 3D chat community where members use 3D avatars to meet new people, chat, create and have fun with their friends. All in One. And best of all: It's FREE!
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- Full Name
- Mohd Azher
- City
- Las Vegas
- Region
- Nevada
- About me
- I am Mohd Azher from FieldEngineer.com, an online on-demand field freelance service marketplace. It solves the challenge of finding the right resource by connecting service providers to a global pool of skilled field engineers. https://www.fieldengineer.com


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Superannuation for self-employed workers finder.com.au
Before-tax contributions are deducted from your employee's salary before they pay income tax. Usually this type of contribution is a salary sacrifice arrangement. It's advisable to have a written agreement between you and your employee about such arrangements.... Casual employees are covered under the SG scheme, and the rules are very similar to those that apply to permanent employees. The SG scheme applies to all employees, regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time or casually employed, and in many cases also applies to contractors and even temporary Australian residents.
How often do I have to pay my employees super? – Sydney
Before-tax contributions are deducted from your employee's salary before they pay income tax. Usually this type of contribution is a salary sacrifice arrangement. It's advisable to have a written agreement between you and your employee about such arrangements.... In general, you must pay super if your employees – Earn $450 or more (before tax) in any month; Are over 18 years of age; Are under 18 and work at least 30 hours a week.
Superannuation for self-employed workers finder.com.au
Your employer must pay super at least four times a year by the end of each quarter. These amounts will show up in your payslips or your payment summary. These amounts will show up in your payslips or your payment summary.... A. Salary sacrifice is an agreement between an employer and an employee, where an employee chooses to pay some of their before-tax salary into super. For you as the employer, these salary sacrifice payments are tax deductible. MTAA Super supports employers wishing to enter into salary sacrifice arrangements with their employees. MTAA Super services, including the MTAA Super …
Employee contributions AustSafe Super
No, such an employee cannot transfer the money to a UK super fund when she leaves, but as a temporary resident, she can apply to withdraw the super benefits paid into the super fund less some tax (35%), or a lot of tax (65%, if she is considered a 'working holiday maker'), when she leaves the country.... If you are not an AustSafe Super employer, you need to join online first. Join online Once joined, you'll receive a welcome email with your AustSafe Super employer number and details on how you can start submitting contributions for your employees.
How To Pay Super To Employees Australia Super
AustralianSuper Employer Contact - Submit
- Employer super obligations Australian Catholic
- Employer FAQs MTAA Super
- Employer FAQs MTAA Super
- Employer super obligations Australian Catholic
How To Pay Super To Employees Australia Super
Navigating your superannuation obligations as an employer can be time-consuming. Let CareSuper make super easy for you with service and processes that work. Let CareSuper make super easy for you with service and processes that work.
- At Nationwide Super, we help thousands of small business owners around Australia to meet their super obligations. We make the process simple and flexible - our team are on hand to help when you need us - and we offer a wide range of tools and support to boost your business success.
- In general, you must pay super if your employees – Earn $450 or more (before tax) in any month; Are over 18 years of age; Are under 18 and work at least 30 hours a week.
- Salary sacrificing superannuation, by making before-tax super contributions, is a popular strategy for employees on middle-to-high incomes. The deal is that you increase your superannuation balance while reducing the amount of income tax payable on your salary or wages. More specifically, by salary sacrificing super
- Most employees can choose which super fund will receive their employer SG contributions, and as an employer you are obligated to fulfil this choice. More information on who is and isn't eligible to choose a super fund can be found on the Australian Tax Offices website.
You can find us here:
- Australian Capital Territory: Weetangera ACT, Florey ACT, Throsby ACT, Sydney ACT, Capital Hill ACT, ACT Australia 2637
- New South Wales: Windsor Downs NSW, Dyers Crossing NSW, Eden Creek NSW, Chatsbury NSW, Monkerai NSW, NSW Australia 2055
- Northern Territory: Tiwi NT, East Arnhem NT, Mimili NT, Bees Creek NT, Coonawarra NT, East Side NT, NT Australia 0872
- Queensland: Alice River QLD, Kelvin Grove QLD, Berserker QLD, Booval QLD, QLD Australia 4038
- South Australia: Pewsey Vale SA, Salt Creek SA, Belalie East SA, Port Hughes SA, Carrickalinga SA, Smoky Bay SA, SA Australia 5067
- Tasmania: Rossarden TAS, Kingston Beach TAS, Grassy TAS, TAS Australia 7094
- Victoria: Goorambat VIC, Springfield VIC, Skenes Creek North VIC, Stawell VIC, Calder VIC, VIC Australia 3005
- Western Australia: Jennapullin WA, Wyalkatchem WA, Mt Hawthorn WA, WA Australia 6052
- British Columbia: Greenwood BC, Kamloops BC, Golden BC, Creston BC, Port Alberni BC, BC Canada, V8W 4W2
- Yukon: Quill Creek YT, Gold Run YT, De Wette YT, Tuchitua YT, Whitestone Village YT, YT Canada, Y1A 6C4
- Alberta: Chauvin AB, Bassano AB, Delia AB, Glenwood AB, Carmangay AB, Glendon AB, AB Canada, T5K 1J1
- Northwest Territories: Tsiigehtchic NT, Reliance NT, Enterprise NT, Fort McPherson NT, NT Canada, X1A 6L1
- Saskatchewan: Conquest SK, Raymore SK, Gull Lake SK, Dinsmore SK, Unity SK, Yarbo SK, SK Canada, S4P 6C1
- Manitoba: Stonewall MB, St. Claude MB, Bowsman MB, MB Canada, R3B 7P6
- Quebec: Metis-sur-Mer QC, Marieville QC, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville QC, Dorval QC, Riviere-du-Loup QC, QC Canada, H2Y 9W1
- New Brunswick: Quispamsis NB, Blackville NB, Saint-Antoine NB, NB Canada, E3B 4H2
- Nova Scotia: Wedgeport NS, Antigonish NS, Argyle NS, NS Canada, B3J 8S4
- Prince Edward Island: O'Leary PE, Lot 11 and Area PE, Cornwall PE, PE Canada, C1A 3N5
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Southern Harbour NL, Main Brook NL, Gillams NL, Aquaforte NL, NL Canada, A1B 1J2
- Ontario: Virginiatown ON, Moray ON, Georgian Sands Beach ON, Angus Glen, Lake Joseph ON, Davis Mills ON, Osgoode ON, ON Canada, M7A 2L5
- Nunavut: Iqaluit NU, Nanisivik NU, NU Canada, X0A 9H6
- England: Aldershot ENG, Birmingham ENG, Dudley ENG, Poole ENG, Sutton Coldfield ENG, ENG United Kingdom W1U 2A4
- Northern Ireland: Craigavon�(incl. Lurgan, Portadown) NIR, Bangor NIR, Craigavon�(incl. Lurgan, Portadown) NIR, Craigavon�(incl. Lurgan, Portadown) NIR, Craigavon�(incl. Lurgan, Portadown) NIR, NIR United Kingdom BT2 1H3
- Scotland: Livingston SCO, Glasgow SCO, Kirkcaldy SCO, Aberdeen SCO, Hamilton SCO, SCO United Kingdom EH10 4B2
- Wales: Wrexham WAL, Newport WAL, Barry WAL, Newport WAL, Swansea WAL, WAL United Kingdom CF24 9D9


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Charts & Figures
The 20 Activities Of Marketing Innovation Maturity
February 22, 2018
Four Aspects Of Marketing Discipline
February 22, 2018
This Is The Assessment Report For The Digital Business Playbook
September 25, 2017
Search Results
Report Gauge Your Marketing Innovation Maturity
The Assessment Report In The Marketing Innovation PlaybookFebruary 22, 2018 | Melissa Parrish, Caroline Robertson
To convert your marketing function into one that leads through innovation, you need to know where to start the transformation. This report guides CMOs through Forrester's marketing innovation...
Report Gauge Your Digital Business Maturity
The Assessment Report In The Digital Business PlaybookSeptember 25, 2017 | Pascal Matzke, Martin Gill
Digital business transformation is a journey, not a destination. And every journey has a starting point. This report guides you through Forrester's digital business maturity assessment so you can...
Report Australia And New Zealand Firms Jump-Start Their Journey To Customer Obsession
Learn From Firms That Benchmark Themselves Against Their PeersSeptember 18, 2017 | Michael Barnes
Forrester's Customer Obsession Assessment (COA) helps you gauge your customer obsession maturity against that of your peers. This report applies the COA to firms based in Australia and New Zealand...


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Bluff Hill Motupohue Environment Trust
Bluff Hill Motupohue Environment Trust is dedicated to the restoration and protection of the natural environment on and around Bluff Hill.
The Trust has a 100% volunteer workforce including it's Board of Trustees. Advising us are the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Environment Southland. Our projects are funded through grants, donations and fundraising events. BHMET is a registered charitable trust.
Bluff Hill is of cultural, recreational and ecological importance and is truly one of the last populated places in New Zealand where the forest meets the sea. "Amazingly, a remnant of the original forest cover has survived. On the Glory Track you can touch trees that were growing before the first sealers set eyes on 'Old Man's Bluff'.....Today, we recognise the value of the reserve as a refuge for New Zealand's special plants and animals, and as a place we can go to appreciate an environment that is unique to New Zealand" (from the DOC Supersite for Education pamphlet on the Bluff Hill/Motupohue Scenic Reserve).
To learn more about BHMET please visit our web site: www.bluffenvirotrust.org.
Organisation details
Bluff Hill Motupohue Environment Trust (BHMET), established in 2008, is dedicated to the restoration and protection of the natural environment on and around Bluff Hill. We do this through pest control, revegetation, and raising public awareness. In the future we will include the translocation of native species in our restoration efforts.
Got a question?Ask one here.
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Givealittle values the importance of an informed decision when making a donation. We check to make sure that adequate information is provided to donors and that pages comply with our terms and conditions. Pages are not browseable nor searchable until moderated and donor validated. For more information, check out this support article.
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A page becomes donor validated when it receives donations from at least three different sources. Pages are not browseable nor searchable until moderated and donor validated. For more information, check out this support article.
New Zealand registered charity
Is registered with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), Charity Services (formerly Charities Commission) as a charity.
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Has been granted 'donee status' by Inland Revenue (IRD). Donors to a page with tax credit eligibility may be able to apply for a tax credit.×


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Joanns fabric store near me
JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store - Fredericksburg, VA review
WWW.TRACKANDFIELDRECS PDF http://www.trackandfieldrecs.com/
Myrtle Beach Jo-Ann Fabric And Craft Store Coupons & Sales
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Discount Fabric for Apparel and Home Decorating DiscountTraveled an hour to check out this fabric store and was so glad I did.
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Last updated: 1 year ago by AnonymousF05 Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft California Stores to close.Of course, many of our fabrics, like our vinyl fabric, faux leather (we also have real leather), velvet, denim, eyelet and batiste are also well suited for craft projects.
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We purchase directly from the Carolina mills so you can create affordable and beautiful designs in and around your home.
Carol is going to make me my own costume for Colonial Day at the Capitol.Directory and Interactive Maps of Fabric Stores across the Nation including address, hours, phone numbers, and website.Get Deal One of the largest fabric and craft chains in the U.S., Joann Fabrics is a great source for all your hobby supplies.Learn to Paint with Watercolors Learn to mix watercolors using color theory principles and multiple techniques for applying watercolors.
We have found a lot of locations related to Joann Fabric Stores Near and close to you with Joann Fabric Stores open Hours and Location details You can find them by selecting your state and then city from the list above or typing your nearest city name in search bar.The lady cutting fabric was helping a woman in front of me and made eye contact with me while I was standing there.I just put the fabric on the cutting table and when I have made my mind up on what I wanted they cut it for me.Highway 17-92 (just north of the Maitland Blvd. overpass) in Maitland, Fl.
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft - at Mid Rivers Mall in St. PetersSince 1986 Discount Fabric Bluffton has provided the highest quality home fabrics to consumers at incredible prices.We offer a wonderful supply of high quality 100% cotton quilting and specialty fabric upholstery and some dress fabrics too.
Michaels has a great selection of fabrics ideal for quilting, sewing and home decorating.Petersburg, selling sewing supplies for all types of fabrics, selling supplies, shop at home decorating service and more.
The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore - Central FloridaMost of the quilting fabrics were grouped into same family colors and made it easier for me to find what I was looking for.Stephen, who has portrayed Ben Franklin at our event for 16 years, was a huge help in picking fabrics and trim.
Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts in Nampa - Yahoo LocalThis small, no-frills, family-owned fabric store is a favorite of local design students and sewing lovers for its friendly service and fair prices on apparel fabrics.
Most of the fabrics on our site are heavily discounted, many including our designer fabrics may be purchased at or below wholesale fabric prices.Specialize in Fabric Trim available at Trim Fabric online fabric store, vintage velvet ribbon, buy fabric online for discount fabric by the yard and wholesale fabrics.Fabric Bliss is a modern fabric store, yarn shop, sewing studio, and knit lounge located in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver, Colorado.


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Section 47 guidance in relation to contingent assets prescribes the requirements which a contingent asset must satisfy to be included as a scheme resource for the purpose of determining whether the scheme satisfies the funding standard or the funding standard reserve.
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During the city's June 5 City Council meeting, the council voted to approve the final draft of the new district lines that are a part of the city's transition to having single-member districts.
During last November's elections, Buda residents voted to amend the city's charter to transition from the existing at-large format to six single-member districts with an at-large mayor.
The council voted in January for even-numbered council member seats to be the first to transition to single-member district seats, and in March it approved the first draft of the new district lines. In April and May, Buda hosted two public hearings and a workshop on the first draft of the new boundaries. After public input, the council was offered a second draft, which City Attorney George Hyde said was compliant with state and federal law.
"One of the efforts that we were trying to do was not have districts divided solely by railroads because other people living on the other side of the railroad tracks, so to speak, is a different divider," Hyde said. "We have also made the effort to include subdivisions in the same district, which was a laborious task with the census data being what it was."
C. Robert Heath from Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, which created the new district maps, said because the U.S. 2010 census data was not a true representation of Buda's current population, the team had to track the number of households per block and then multiply the figure by the average number of people per household to get a 2018 estimate of Buda's population.
Council members Wiley Hopkins in Place 2, Paul Daugereau in Place 4 and Evan Ture in Place 6 will be the first to switch to districts A, B and C, respectively, in November. The single-member district position replacing the Place 2 seat will carry a one-year term; Place 4 a three-year term; and Place 6 a two-year term to ensure staggered elections of the seats.


text: Hi, my name is Sushil Maharjan. I am 21 years old. I recently live in 7/40 Fredrick Street, Rockdale. I am from Nepal and I am here to study Bachelors of Information Technology. I have small size family including me, my two sisters, dad and mom. I love and miss my family very much


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Characters in this post
View character profile for: Alana Savage
View character profile for: Jack Elvenden
View character profile for: Derek
View character profile for: Suzy
View character profile for: Alex
View character profile for: Faith
View character profile for: Spirit of Kale Elvenden
View character profile for: Spirit of Aello Goldmoon Elvenden
Family BondingPosted by
Posted: Nov 20, 2017, 9:13pm
Alana reached for Jack and said, "I showed your mother some tea that Carpathians can drink easily. Alex brought it to me. I'm so tired, my love. Hope is too. I couldn't identify what she put into my drink. The herb was natural, so my body didn't reject it. Talk to her."
Jack rubbed his temples as he was calmed down from a quick scare.
Jack: Sheesh mum, I almost had a panic attack.
Aello: Sorry Jack, When your father drank it he was never this lethargic.
Jack: Maybe its cause she is pregnant.
Aello: Most likely, but fear not she is not in any danger.
Just then Kale and Derek were told it was a false alarm by Aello and Jack before they returned to their training. Jack sat down by Alana and held her hand as he kissed her hand.
Jack: Sorry kitten I panicked a bit there when I heard Hope mutter.
Alex: Wow Jack I have never seen you scared before.
Jack: Well news flash Alex.............I have a feeling Alana and Hope are gonna keep me on my toes from now on.
Jack heard a giggle from Hope in his mind. He looked at Hope with a sigh and a half smile.
Jack: Not funny Hope. You just gave daddy gray hair.
Aello: Honey you have always had silver hair.
Jack: Its a joke mum and it seems my sweet angelic daughter is already messing with my heart and mind. I am gonna be a nervous wreck by the time she is born.
Faith: Wow Jack you are looking pale.
Suzy: Siwy papa.
Jack: You girls are gonna be the death of me.
Alex: Funny how you killed all those monsters and you get pushed around by a baby.
Jack: Cut me some slack Alex.
Alex: Sorry Jack I'm just mad you cut off our play time.
Jack: Sorry Alex. How about we play a small game in here.
Alex: But I wanted to swim.
Jack: Mum if I take Alana out there and make some chairs can you watch Alana while I play with the girls?
Aello: Of course Jack. You picked up on the jealousy real quick.
Jack: Yeah I think Hope wants to be included in our family time.
Faith: It must be tough having to please us all huh?
Jack: Does that mean you all will show me some mercy?
Faith: Probably not.
Alex giggled as she patted Jack on the back.
Aello then brought two bottles of blood for Alana, Suzy and Jack and some juice and cookies for Alex and Faith. Once they got to the beach Jack used the Carpathian way to shape the earth to make a few lawn chair frames before he used Carpathian air material to weave the fabric for the lawn chairs. He also made a small earth table so Aello could put the snack and drinks on. Then Jack put Alana on one of the lawn chairs and kissed her and the baby belly before going to swim with Faith, Suzy and Alex. This way Alana could rest while she could be near Jack and the kids. Aello then talked to Alana to keep her slightly awake as Jack talked to Hope in his mind the proper Carpathian way. Now that he was one with his beast he found it easier to use his Carpathian powers. They played in the water for a good while before Kale and Derek showed up. Kale took a seat by Aello as she served him some blood in a goblet. Jack was happy as he would wink at Alana now and then while splashing water with the girls.


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Funding ain't what it used to be. Rather than bank backing or venture capital investment, startups today have the opportunity to mix and match a range of alternative investment options to get their business up and running. Case in point: crowdfunding. It isn't just asking friends and family for their support, but rather a variety of types with differing guidelines.
Choosing the right crowdfunding campaign is a delicate decision for each and every startup, with the majority of contemporary businesses selecting equity crowdfunding through platforms like Wefunder. However, debt crowdfunding investment is also becoming an option for those founders who do not want to give up part of their business for backing. Nonetheless, both have benefits and drawbacks to carefully consider, from gaining industry partners to putting up collateral against lower repayment rates.
Crowdfunding is not free funding from the public – at least not in the world of business and startups. Non-charitable crowdfunding campaigns usually include an incentive for investors to put their money where their mouth is. Equity crowdfunding is one example: Investment entitles the backer to part of the business. Platforms like Wefunder and Seedrs show that this can and does work for both sides of the investment agreement – but must be entered into with a solid understanding of the pros and cons of such a deal.
The best part of equity crowdfunding is that startup founders are not required to put up their personal assets as collateral. Furthermore, the backing from investors and industry insiders will offer knowledge and contacts to strengthen the business as a whole – in essence, equity crowdfunding partners grant a world of ambassadors.
On the flipside, equity crowdfunding means founders must give up a stake of the business to secure investment. This means control and profit sharing must be considered. Since there is much more sharing of risk in this type of crowdfunding, satisfying investors to commit can be more difficult. Each and every equity partner literally needs to "buy-in" to the company vision. This can be especially difficult for startups with a niche concept or working in a specialized industry.
While popular, equity is not the be-all and end-all in the crowdfunding discussion. In fact, more startup founders are unlocking the potential of debt crowdfunding to realize their business goals without giving up a stake in their startup. See FundingCircle, OnDeck or BondStreet for this in action, but again there are positives and negatives to such an arrangement.
In this style of crowdfunding, founders are not required to give up part of their company to secure funding and the shares will not be diluted. If the startup later becomes very profitable, the startup simply needs to pay back the debt and remain in control of the profits. Alternative collaterals are something to consider.
Collateral is the major con here. Inherent in debt crowdfunding is collateral to back said loan. The logic is that this money will be paid back as long as the collateral is agreed upon – but this can be more difficult with startups which may not have something to collateralize.
Further, the founder might use their car, house, investment – ultimately it is negotiable. It is important to keep in mind that with solid collateral, the interest rate will be lower. The higher the risk, the higher the interest rate – and collaterals influence the risk rate of any given loan.
It is worth putting the startups to one side to consider what this new paradigm means for the investors. Rather than simply venture capital, investors have a world of options at their disposal. Between the two crowdfunding options previously discussed, investors are less at risk to invest in debt crowdfunding rather than equity crowdfunding. This is since there is at least something agreed upon for collateral to return the investment no matter what happens.
This is not something that would ever be backed by a bank. Debt crowdfunding is connecting entrepreneurs with potential investors who are keen to connect with alternative investment but not as keen to embrace risk as equity investment.
These are exciting times for investors as there are simply more options available than ever. Crowdfunding through equity or debt should be seen parallel to the stock market. Investors have the option to invest in stocks (equity) and bonds (debt), diversifying options and exposure accordingly.
The fact of the matter is that most startups will probably find a mixture of both equity and debt as the best option for their business. A healthy balance between equity and debt makes a better equation – for example, if the startup has too much debt it will become very expensive, while if they give away too much equity they might lose control and reduce long-term profits.
There is no escaping that with more ways of financing, startups need to tap further into financial engineering to understand their best possible return and long-term objectives. Whether debt or equity crowdfunding is the calling, the economic reality remains. This means to extinguish the debt as soon as possible or to partner with investors and keep them for life. In both cases, startups can succeed – but strong economic understanding is key before taking the crowdfunding plunge.
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The post The Crowdfunding Comparison Every Startup Needs To Read appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
Ten Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) network banks in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) support the group-wide program with their own FinTech initiatives "Elevator Lab Challenges" and "Elevator Lab Bootcamps". This supports local FinTechs in the ecosystems in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Slovakia. Elevator Lab's reach makes the program the largest FinTech network in the CEE region.
The winners of the "Elevator Lab Challenges" will receive a wild card for the semi-finals (remote video pitches) of the group-wide FinTech Partnership Program and therefore have the chance to reach the finals in Vienna in October 2019 and further to do a PoC together with RBI Group.
Participants get the chance to develop a pilot project with RBI's local banks to develop concrete FinTech solutions with the help of experienced mentors and access to real customer data. This makes the Elevator Lab Challenges a unique FinTech incubator – an equity-free collaboration with a local bank to get solutions ready for the market.
"Elevator Lab Bootcamps" aimed at early-stage FinTechs are new in this year's Elevator Lab round. The network banks are thus responding to the need to support founders from the outset and identify business opportunities in the banking industry.
A detailed description of Elevator Lab including the search fields and application deadlines can be found at www.elevator-lab.com.
The post FinTech Program Elevator Lab Opens Regional Challenges In The CEE Market appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
Iberdrola is a leading energy company & pioneer in digitalizing and automating the electric network. With assets worth €113bn, Iberdrola is one of the largest electric utilities in the world, providing energy to more than 100 million people globally. In 2008, Iberdrola's Startup Program was established with €70 million available to invest in innovative technologies.
STORM RESILIENCE addresses the challenge of assets frequently being tested by severe weather and unforeseen events that can threaten or damage the electrical system. Downed trees and downed lines are two of the biggest problems when trying to get the power back on. To keep their service operating and to restore it promptly when damaged is a key priority.
For that reason, Iberdrola is looking for proposals to improve predictive analysis, prevention and recovery tasks of weather event effects which can affect their costumers' service. Additionally to solutions to minimize the impact in Iberdrola's electric facilities, insurance risk coverage solutions are interesting as well due to a current limitation in insurance markets. In total, Iberdrola is looking for startups in three main areas:
For this Startup Challenge, Iberdrola has parted up with its Corporate Venture Capital arm, Perseo. "Iberdrola continues its commitment to improving customers' quality of service by using vanguard technologies. In that way, Iberdrola, in collaboration with Perseo, has launched STORM RESILIENCE for companies in the sector of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data", said Óscar Cantalejo Sánchez, Investment Manager at Perseo.
The winning company will have the possibility to perform a pilot within the group's ecosystem – combining the startup's capabilities with the resources & market reach of Iberdrola. If the pilot succeeds, Iberdrola will add the solution to their current portfolio of providers to minimize the impact of extreme weather events. On top of this, the startup will be evaluated by Perseo for a potential investment.
Apply by 30 June via the STORM RESILIENCE website.
The post Leading Electricity Utility Iberdrola Launches Startup Challenge appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
The office is your creative space, the kitchen where the sausage is made, as Mad Men's Bert Cooper puts it. In other words, your office should be set up as a welcoming, comfortable environment for all employees. Whether you're operating cubicles, an open-plan office, or have a luxury of giving every employee a private office, there are ways to make this space more people-friendly.
When it comes to office furniture, many businesses tend to make savings, which leads to many employees having back pain, which affects their productivity. Consider looking for some ergonomic chairs with lumbar support, lumbar cushions, and even standing desks for those prefer doing business with feet firmly on the ground, pardon the pun. Such flexibility will give your employees to choose what works best for therm. It's wrong to force all the employees to use a bar stool as an office chair just because it's trendy.
No human employee can be at the productivity peak all day long – everyone needs a break. Whether this is just a few minutes to have a cup of tea or coffee or to get a bit of fresh air on the balcony or office backyard, these spaces offer a refreshing respite, allowing your honeybees to meditate, their minds to wander off, or even take a short nap after a stressful episode.
Since your employees spend a lot of time in your office, you should as well make efforts to add decorations to make it more aesthetically pleasing. It doesn't have to be flashy colours or funky street art, just a few things that make it look less like an office and more like a laid back lounge, where those people would like to spend a part of the afternoon. An inspiring monochromatic wallpaper can replace the monotony of white walls, and some real art and bookshelves can give the space more character. The bookshelves can in return provide great and easily accessible storage for file folders.
Furniture, carpets, AC units, and even computer equipment produce harmful toxins that pollute the indoor air. It's estimated that a typical office space contains over 300 different airborne pollutants, and yet a single office plant is able to remove the harmful toxins in the 10 square feet space around it. Instead of making a wild guess which plants would thrive in your office, nowadays you can even rent a plant or two from a company that specializes in the installation, maintenance, and replacement of greenery in both indoor and outdoor areas.
While a run of neon lights on the ceiling used to be a standard in 99% of the offices, now it was proven that despite their economy, those unnatural flickering tubes aren't making anyone neither comfortable nor efficient. While the best option is natural light, your office orientation and the number of windows may not be enough for certain tasks. LED task lights aren't as expensive as they used to be a few years ago, and apart from having better colour temperature range than other alternatives, they give off less heat as well. The savings you make through LED lights throughout the office can allow you to throw in a few of those modern Edison filament bulbs for a more relaxing ambiance lighting.
It's no one's idea to work in an office that is too cold in summer and too hot in winter. In both scenarios, the office environment isn't balanced with the outdoor temperatures, which may lead to employees' discomfort. Instead, you should let your employees decide on the office temperature, but don't allow the gents in suits crank down the thermostat when ladies are cold. Provide comfy sweaters and blankets for the chilly days. While everyone has different temperature preferences, you shouldn't let one person who is always cold make the most decisions.
Although every company or workplace has its own indoor environment depending on the preferences of the owner and the business the company is dealing in, it's important to understand that companies with employee-friendly, and work-friendly environment experience fewer productivity issues. Employees in these spaces are more content with their surroundings and often find themselves working there not only because of financial advantages but also because they like it.
The post How To Create A Human-Friendly Startup Office appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
Let's face it: mobile development services are not cheap. During the delivery of a product, there are lots of bills for entrepreneurs to deal with. So prior to diving right into the process, it may be worth taking some time to plan your app development and marketing budget. This greatly helps entrepreneurs to find out if they can cut expenses and, if so, how to do that.
There are lots of reasons for building an app. The most common are:
The choice of platform is extremely important when it comes to budget planning. And the cost to create an app will actually depend on whether you choose to release your app for iOS, Android or both. Android development is usually more expensive than building an app for Apple users. Why so? Android-based devices support a number of screen resolutions in addition to various OS versions the app should be optimized for.
The best way to choose a platform is to check what devices your target audience uses. Finally, make sure to check what solutions developed your competitors.
It's in-house or outsourcing development you need to choose from. Since you have to find professionals, it may be more difficult to hire in-house devs. And don't forget about salaries, hardware, and software provision, office rent, etc. – quite a lot to handle, especially for young startups.
Middle-sized or big outsourcing companies also provide high-quality development services. By the way, their prices are usually cheaper than those of in-house devs. A variety of startups choose to outsource their product development, and Google and Microsoft are using this approach too.
The number of features you want to add directly affect the cost. So measure twice. First, create a list of features your app won't do without. Start with the basics – registration and profile management and then move to more sophisticated options like integrations and other platforms.
Software development requires clear revenue goals just like any other business does. App building is expensive, and you should already be wondering when these expenses are going to pay off.
By analyzing the demand on similar apps, you can easily calculate an appropriate revenue. Mind though that there are lots of pitfalls as it's impossible to foresee users' behavior.
I hope that this information will help you to estimate the budget needed to create your mobile app. Unfortunately, development services are not the only expenses to bear. So make sure to add marketing expenses as an important part of your app's success. Here are a few steps for calculating your app's marketing budget.
First of all, you need to know how many users you're going to attract. This will help you to define the average marketing budget. Smart Insights calculations show that to hit the top of, for example, the music category in App Store, your app should have about 111,551 daily installations. And if you're not interested in building music apps, just find out how many downloads top-rated apps in your category have.
The cost per install (CPI) defines how much customers are going to pay to generate a single installation. Currently, the approximate prices are between $1,2 and $1,6. Let's do some simple calculations. Taking into account the $1,2 cost per install and multiplying it by 111,551 (the number of installs needed to get on top) we're getting $133,861 of daily CPI investments. But to hit the top your app should keep the position for at least a few days.
Still, it's not that simple to get on top of any category and generate this number of installs. You will most probably need to hire a marketing analyst to test ads on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms as well as check their efficiency. As soon as the campaign is launched, marketing analysts will find out where users come from, how long they use the app for and so on.
Instead of hiring marketing analysts, you can use automated services for app marketing. These services analyze user behavior and choose the best platforms to promote your app.
Wrapping up, I'd like to say that app budget planning may indeed seem complex. There're lots of points to take into account. What I suggest is paying enough time to study all possible pitfalls of your future product to bring an efficient and unique solution to life. And, of course, not exceed your budget abilities.
The post Planning Mobile App Budget: 8 Steps To Success appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
G4A Partnerships combines Bayer's existing programs (Accelerator, Dealmaker, and Generator) into a joint initiative aimed at various stage startups in the healthcare sector to focus on co-creation and scaling by committed partnerships.
Through focusing on collaborating in specific digital health focus areas such as digital therapeutics, voice and neuro-tech, and patient engagement platforms, Bayer concentrates on longer-term collaborations and investments.
Driven to make a difference and change the experience of health together with the brightest entrepreneurs, Bayer realizes this mission through commercial partnerships, healthcare technology funding, mentorship, and access to exclusive networks.
"For us, it's all about developing new health solutions that can change the experience of health," says Dr. Zsuzsanna Varga who's heading G4A Partnerships. "We're convinced that long-term collaborations with digital health companies sharing the same passion and vision are the best way to achieve this."
The G4A Growth and Advance Tracks offer a gateway to partner with Bayer in the digital health space. Partners benefit from Bayer's global presence and business acumen to grow their healthcare startup.
This track is designed for companies in the pre-product launch stage. In addition to healthcare technology funding, Bayer provides a dedicated workspace and mentorship with industry experts.
The Advance Track is for more mature startups with a product in the market. Selected companies will be working jointly with Bayer experts to drive a commercial partnership co-funded by G4A. Successful companies will receive EUR 50K – 100K with follow-on milestone-based payments. Plus, the access to the G4A network and family.
Since its launch in 2013, Bayer has supported over 149 digital health companies. This has resulted in 29 direct collaborations with companies such as Agamon, KinAptic, Turbine, and xbird. Bayer now operates G4A in 12+ countries, developing and promoting collaborative health care projects around the world.
To partner with Bayer, review the 2019 challenges here and apply by 31 May.
The post Bayer's G4A Combines Digital Health Initiatives & Takes Startup Collaboration To The Next Level appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
Who would understand what it means to be busy better than entrepreneurs? The two terms are closely related. Entrepreneurs bear the burden of the world on their shoulders. Being the people responsible for their business' success, they have to wear different hats at the same time.
Because of all these daunting duties, time-management and productivity are key focus areas. Is there any possible respite for them? The answer is, yes. With the advent of modern technology, there are tools and software available that can help an entrepreneur save time and increase productivity.
For this post, we chose tools and we critiqued each of them thoroughly. After careful curation, we present you the six tech tools that will make your entrepreneur life easier.
This software is a powerful cloud storage platform that can be used for file synchronization as well. With this software, digital professionals and entrepreneurs have been storing and accessing the files from any device from anywhere across the globe. A free account gives you up to 2GB of storage per user.
This cuts your expenses on extra physical memory devices. Dropbox also keeps the data free from breaches making it a safe and secure option for storage. The one-click share feature lets you enjoy the liberty of working collaboratively on the files.
Email marketing has the highest return on investment (RoI) and is a great way to connect to your prospects (partners and customers) instantaneously. You can promote your online business by drafting aesthetically pleasing emails by tweaking the details by using MailChimp.
MailChimp also provides a marketing analysis and management system for your entrepreneurial adventures by reporting marketing analytics and statistics that can boost online email marketing.
An online time tracking tool that is highly recommended for small businesses. OnTheClock is an amazing software that gives additional features like payroll integration, project and payroll reporting, paid time-off (PTO) tracking, GPS tracking, multiple location punch-ins, and other tools that will take care of all your quintessential business needs.
The software is supported by mobile phones as well and comes with a handy mobile time clock application. This dead simple software is trusted by more than 8000 companies worldwide. Probably the only software in the market that combines these features in one product – a good deal for every entrepreneur.
Sometimes being an entrepreneur requires quick gatherings and answers that are not possible through emails alone. For a more faster approach, a conference call from Skype can just be the thing that a business needs. You can have internal meetings and Q&A sessions with the help of conference calls/meetings with Skype.
Also, the geographical borders create absolutely no obstruction in the internet-based conference calls. For example, you can connect to your employees in remote locations and in different countries by means of a single click. Apart from phone and video calls, you can even share files with your employees.
Social media management has never been easier before the advent of Hootsuite, an online social media scheduling and management tool that most of the entrepreneurs around the world rely on. Take care of all your social media accounts from one platform and schedule multiple posts across these profiles.
Hootsuite optimizes the time of posting for maximum views and engagement. Posting at the right time can be a boost for your business, the converse of which will be a nuisance. To make a country-wide or worldwide impact customer engagement relies heavily on the timing of the post, and Hootsuite makes management easy.
A powerful project management tool that lets your business be organized seemed a far cry before Trello was launched. Trello can be used as a digital whiteboard where you can paste cards and each card will have checklists, files, and comments.
Trello is very versatile and lets you keep a bird's-eye view on every project by creating an email course, writing an ebook and organizing specific projects. Managing a team professionally, holding briefings and brainstorming is a cake-walk due to Trello.
All the tools mentioned above have their own niche and panache. They are the most trusted tools that have proven to be very handy for every type of business. The selection of the tools will depend on the functionality and nature of your business.
For example, having free tools for your business will have no financial burden on your shoulders, hence choosing software like Trello, MailChimp and Skype should be a no-brainer.
When it comes to paid tools and software you need more features for less money. That is why OnTheClock is one tool that we'd recommend for your business. Not only does it give you superb time-management features, but can double up as payroll management and integration tool.
The post 6 Tech Tools That Will Make Your Entrepreneurial Life Easier appeared first on StartUs Magazine.
Being an entrepreneur, you need to be a team player to work as a team and achieve your goal. A well lead team can do wonders for your business and without motivated members in your team, you will not be able to reach heights. So, it is crucial to have effective leadership skills.
However, entrepreneurs are not born leaders. You need to develop and sharpen your leadership skills to handle a challenging situation. Though every entrepreneur has their own style to lead people, they can adapt some of the proven leadership skills to influence their co-workers. If you are willing to work on these skills, this article will provide you with a guide on effective ways to sharpen your leadership skills.
You have built an organization with your innovative business ideas, and passion. But, is this enough to make your company reach heights? With time you certainly need to sharpen your strategic vision too so that your organization keeps up with the growing trends. It's about understanding and indulging in the broader view of the company and its employees. Moreover, strategic vision lets you connect your short-term goals to the long-term ones for yourself, your employees, investors, and customers to make them believe in your vision.
Break that entrepreneur's know-it-all mentality and keep your mind open to learning. Leaders are amenable to know new information and learning to improve leadership skills. Also, in this fluctuating and capricious market, you need to be a constant learner to stay updated with all the happenings.
For instance, if you fumble or hesitate to speak in public, you should find ways to strengthen it. For this, you can either take public speaking course or practice in day to day life by talking to different people with confidence.
To lead a team, one of the most crucial capabilities is to master your inner instincts, intuition, and power. In short, you should be self-aware and confident about inner strengths and harness your weaknesses. You might be wondering about how one can be more self-aware. Some of the suggested ways are to understand your thought process behind taking any action, not to let your emotions overpower any decision, be patient and not to take an impulsive decision, etc. Moreover, you need to be good at assessing the results and have the curiosity to learn and grow.
Although you are the one who initiated the business idea, your entrepreneurial success depends on your team. If they won't be motivated to work with you, the retention rates for your organization will increase. So, to be successful, you need to make sure that your team walks along. You need to be aware of the mindset of new and existing employees. This way, you will only have the right talent in your organization. Moreover, you should also invest time and money to train and coach your team in order to keep your organization growing.
If you are meeting for business purposes and come wearing a t-shirt with torn jeans, your staff, investors, partners or customers will not take you seriously. Hence, you need to dress formally (at least sometimes) to influence others. Also, according to researches, if styled properly for the occasion, you feel more confident and this will show in your body language and gestures. Moreover, don't limit the dress code to yourself, you can ask your staff to dress up for in-house meetings.
To be an able entrepreneurial leader, you should never hesitate to seek advice from other people. In your initial period of entrepreneurship, try to work with a mentor, business coach or read articles and books daily. You can learn through other people's mistake and success stories. From this, you can gain leadership improvement ideas which help in effective decision making in difficult times.
Of course, you are loaded with work and have no time to pay attention to anything apart from your tasks. But, to keep your organization growing, don't overlook the impact of being a good leader on the success of your organization. The above tips will help you gain insights into being a successful entrepreneurial leader.
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Starting a new business brings many challenges with it: from finding a viable product to marketing and selling it to customers – founders constantly face potential pitfalls. While all these decisions are crucial in building a successful company, the location of a business has become an increasingly important factor too.
European startups are often thought to be lagging behind their US-based counterparts – an aspect that Andreas Spechtler, founder of the Startup Executive Academy (SEA) and CEO of Silicon Castles, the company behind the program, had in mind when building the Academy. Spechtler has experience in both the corporate and the startup world, qualifying him to know what a founding team needs to build a globally successful company.
For the third time, the SEA brings Baba Shiv, a world-leading marketing professor from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, to Salzburg's Castle of Urstein. Shiv and Spechtler developed a curriculum for the Startup Executive Academy that is tailored to the needs of startup founders and executives. "The Startup Executive Academy was amazing and totally changed my thinking about how to create a company and what is really important to be successful. I was able to implement a lot from the lectures and the experience of the other executives into my new startup. Also, we had a lot of fun at "our castle". I can totally recommend this academy to any founder", said Zeynep Demirbilek, CEO of Service Club.
The Startup Executive Academy aims to equip startup founders and executives with the tools they need to accelerate their business. Through hands-on sessions from pricing to investment proposals, participants are prepared to compete internationally.
Whether you are a first time entrepreneur, early-stage or scale-up business, the SEA is a 5 days go-to-market crash course packed with valuable information and actionable learnings everyone needs to create a prosperous business. After graduating from SEA, startups will become members of The Circle – a network that stays in touch to support each other.
Participants also profit from access to top executives, former managers, and entrepreneurs from leading companies such as Google, Dolby, Sony, Porsche, Huawei, Spencer Stuart, PWC, McKinsey, and more.
In short, here's what's in it for startup founders & executives:
On July 10, the last day of the Startup Executive Academy, the Academy opens up for Corporate Day, where startups have the opportunity to present their ideas to Corporates, VCs, and Business Angels.
To participate in the Startup Executive Academy, apply by 27 June at sea2019.com.
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Niklas von Weymarn is a researcher turned startup investor. After several years in academia, he started in Metsä Group in 2012 as VP, R&D. In the Group, "my most memorable project was being part of the Metsä Group Äänekoski bioproduct mill planning project which eventually then became the largest wood processing plant on the Northern hemisphere with an investment cost of €1.2 bn," says von Weymarn. To foster the collaboration between Metsä Group and innovative startups in the forest-based bioeconomy, von Weymarn took over as CEO of Metsä Spring, the Group's Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm in 2018.
We spoke to Niklas to talk about the mission of Metsä Spring, their current projects and future plans.
Niklas, why was Metsä Spring founded and what is your aim?
Most new ideas related to the forest-based bioeconomy are found outside Metsä Group. This is a simple fact. An established business like Metsä Group must constantly develop methods to find these new ideas.
Open innovation is one example of how a large company can become aware of external ideas. Strategic collaboration with a key machine supplier and current customers can also lead to the discovery of new ideas.
For Metsä Group, we decided to further explore new ideas through a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) activity. Being part of the CVC scene brings interesting, fast-developing startups into our pool and our role is to help develop such startups, whose business ideas, in the future, could become a part of Metsä Group's business ecosystem.
With Metsä Spring, you are looking into innovations in the forest-based bioeconomy. Which technologies are you specifically interested in?
We do have areas of interest, but to be totally honest, we might not even know all the interesting new areas. That is why hearing diverse ideas from startups is so interesting for us.
In general, our interest spans from technologies enabling the upgrading of components originating from wood to new digital tools that could be used to improve forest-based value chains.
What is your main challenge in this area?
Scaling up the production method is time-consuming and costly. A so-called demo plant can easily cost tens of millions. This is a typical challenge linked with technologies aiming at producing a material or a chemical. Business ideas that are based on digital tools can often avoid this challenge.
Metsä Group is also quite active in developing its existing businesses. For example, Metsä Group has recently initiated investment planning projects, related to building a new bioproduct mill in Northern Finland, building a new sawmill in Southwestern Finland and renewing parts of the pulp mill in Sweden. If implemented in full, the total value of these investments would amount to approximately 2€ billion during 2019–2023.
What benefits does a collaboration with startups have?
For us, it is key to find partner startups that can benefit from Metsä Group's industrial assets, our competence, and networks. As the typical aim of the startups we engage with is to take the first steps towards industrialization, having all the necessary competencies in the team, related to the industrial value chain, is crucial. In other words, we are happy to co-invest with such parties that strengthen the team and thus, help the startup to become successful and enter the market.
What can startups expect from working with you and your team?
Having an operative team within the startup and giving it full freedom to implement the day-to-day tasks are important principles. However, as we become a partner through equity investments, we support our startups in all ways possible. The success of our partner startups is a common goal.
When you decide to partner with a startup; what are some of the criteria you are looking at?
Two things stand out for us: the technology/product and the operative team. A startup must have a credible technology and product, and then a team that can use the technology to develop a feasible business model. The main aim of the phase, in which Metsä Spring participates, is to reach a proof-of-concept (PoC). This aim can typically be divided into a market PoC and a technology PoC, often also into a legal PoC.
What's next for Metsä Spring?
The first year has been quite busy. I started alone in May 2018 and now our team, including Metsä Group colleagues, grew to about 15 persons. All basic systems needed to run a company like this are in place and we can now focus fully on finding and assessing potential startup partners. This hopefully leads to more investment decisions in the near future.
Metsä Group's strategic objectives include, among other things, increasing the value of the Finnish forests, stop using fossil fuels in production completely, further increasing the generation of renewable energy based on side-streams, and ensuring that greater amounts of carbon are stored in forests and in wood-based products. This is why at Metsä Spring, we are looking at mega-trends, like climate change and issues related to plastic waste quite seriously. It is clear that betting on new, sustainable bio-based solutions is betting on a winning horse. The world will need many solutions to fight the challenges and creating a sustainable bioeconomy is definitely one of these solutions. So, any startup working on innovative solutions in these areas is welcome to join us on our journey to address these challenges.
What's the best way for a startup to get in touch with you?
On our website, we have set up a short application form to get an initial idea of what a startup does. After a startup reaches out, our team will get in touch to discuss the idea in more detail.
To get in touch with Niklas and his team, visit Metsä Spring's website.
The post "The Success Of Our Partner Startups Is A Common Goal," Says Metsä Spring CEO appeared first on StartUs Magazine.