text:
buy phenergan codeine syrup In the spirit of Christmas giving, welcome to my FIRST blog giveaway!
*cue wild cheers*
The winner may use this portrait session for:
a family shoot, a maternity session, a "meet the baby" photo date, an engagement shoot, an anniversary shoot, a hey-we-feel-like-getting-some-awesome-photos type of session, or heck – even just for some solo feel-beautiful portraits! The shoot itself will be 45 minutes long and take place in a pre-agreed upon location within the city of Chicago. The winner will also receive three high resolution digital images and one 8×10 print. Additional prints or digital files may be purchased separately. The shoot must take place in either January or February of 2015.
So what are you waiting for? Enter away!!!


text:
How to remove wrinkles of the lipsWritten by:
Over the years and the constant aggression that causes the gesture of smoking to the skin , the elasticity of the area of the lips is lost, causing those wrinkles that form around. Hyaluronic acid is a highly effective aid to reduce and in many cases virtually eliminate these wrinkles. This molecule is natural in our body, we have it in great quantity. Its function is to moisturize tissues, to make us an idea is like a microscopic sponge that retains water and moisturizes tissues. With this product we can recover the turgor of the tissues in a natural and safe way, we simply inject it in the bottom of the wrinkle raising its base so that it loses the relief, which returns to the skin its smooth appearance.
In this way the skin is stretched, the wrinkles are much blurred and the mouth regains its structure, as we also redraw the profile of the lips to appear uniform and without the nicks that wrinkles cause. In addition, this treatment is interesting to moisturize the lips in general and return the turgor that with the years and tobacco are caused.
Its effects have a duration that depends on each person and case, but with the latest technology products that we have at this moment, approximately lasts a year. And it is applicable to anyone who wants to beautify their lips, because as I said we eliminate wrinkles, we define the profile and we recover the cupid arch, at the same time that we insist that we can recover the hydration of the labial mucosa. That is why at any age you can use the product and each person can do it in whatever is most necessary. In my clinic we always customize the treatments , there are even cases in which we treat small scars .

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On the set of Gossip Girl Leighton Meester is used to playing young New York socialite Blaire Waldorf. In spite of New York's frigid temperatures, she remains to stay stylish. Read on to see how you can get her look that mixes different patterns and textures!
Mixing patterns to stay warm
Leighton Meester's Gossip Girl-character Blair Waldorf's style is preppy with a trendy edge, always mixing patterns and contrasting colors. She manages to wear different textures and patterns while still creating one unified look. This is how she does it:
Pick a plaid coat: The plaid coat is the bulk of the outfit and will be your biggest investment piece. Fit one that has neutral or a pop of colors (but most of all keeps you warm).
Add tights: Leighton wears lace tights that are a monochromatic color complementary to the coat. Choose a neutral with any pattern you like!
Choose accessories: Leighton is wearing heels, but flats will also work with this look. Keep in mind that you want to create one long line, so be sure your hat and shoes continue the color theme — then you'll look seamless from head to toe!


text:
5th Anniversary Fall Reunion Mystery Tour
5th Anniversary Fall Reunion Mystery Tour
Oct. 20 – 23
Once again we've selected a special destination with lots of beautiful sightseeing, interesting attractions, delicious meals and as always "special surprises". You never know if we'll end up in a big city or somewhere off the beaten path in the countryside. We might be boarding a riverboat […]


text:
Mar 03, 2014, 5:46 AM EST
AFP/File, Andrew Cowie
Virgin Media has turned on a filtering system to help parents stop children seeing inappropriate material online. The firm is the last of the UK's big four ISPs to turn on the government-mandated filtering system. Initially only new subscribers will be asked whether they want the filters turned on or off.
Virgin Media in broadband fightback [Financial Times]


text:
In telecommunications, serial transmission is the sequential
transmission of signal elements of a group representing a character or
other entity of data. Digital serial transmissions are bits sent over a
single wire, frequency or optical path sequentially. Because it requires
less signal processing and less chances for error than parallel
transmission, the transfer rate of each individual path may be faster.
This can be used over longer distances as a check digit or parity bit can
be sent along it easily.
In telecommunications, parallel transmission is the simultaneous
transmission of the signal elements of a character or other entity of
data. In digital communications, parallel transmission is the
simultaneous transmission of related signal elements over two or more
separate paths. Multiple electrical wires are used which can transmit
multiple bits simultaneously, which allows for higher data transfer
rates than can be achieved with serial transmission. This method is
used internally within the computer, for example the internal buses,
and sometimes externally for such things as printers, The major issue
with this is "skewing" because the wires in parallel data transmission
have slightly different properties (not intentionally) so some bits may
arrive before others, which may corrupt the message. A parity bit can
help to reduce this. However, electrical wire parallel data transmission
is therefore less reliable for long distances because corrupt
transmissions are far more likely.
Bus network
Ring network
Star network
Mesh network
Wireless network


text:
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Describes the most common causes and forms of hepatitis, and ways to reduce the risk of contracting or developing them.
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text:
Here are some pictures I found that give me inspiration to do some cool and different things with my hair in the new year.
Love their style but I love their hair more.
(Moptop Maven and her friend Lori)
This might be my new years hair style! Love these curls. Is Nia Long ever going to age? she is flawless in this picture.
I really want to also try some new hair accessories for the spring!
Like I said before I am aiming to go bigger with my hair this year!
You can find your your inspiration anywhere!!


text:
Weddings and More
There are a few events in our lives that require special care and planning, but all of that begins with great ideas. Let us help.
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Check out the additional rooms and spaces available for your event or business needs.
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text:
Greenmal Holding Corporation
Greenmal Holding Corporation was a financial and real estate business started by Henry Greenberg and David Malzman in New York City, in the 1920s. The firm is significant because it was a company which dealt in large amounts of capital, and was based in the financial hub of the United States.
Wall Street skyscraper[edit]
In February 1929 Greenmal Holding Corporation announced the acquisition of a $4,050,000 loan to be used to erect a thirty-three story office building,[1] located at 114[2] - 120 Wall Street.[1] The cost of construction was estimated at $12,000,000, with the edifice resting upon a fifty-one[3] caisson foundation.[4] Designed by Buchman & Kahn, the building was planned to occupy a plot measuring 23,000 square feet (2,100 m2). The site was at the South Street (Manhattan) block front, between Wall Street and Pine Street.[1] Greenberg and Malzman purchased the property in 1928 from the American Sugar Company.[5] Space in the building was leased to the Foreign Commerce Corporation, the American Sugar Refining Company, the J.G. White Management Corporation, Case, Pomeroy & Company, Anderson & Fox, the Mortgage Bond Company of New York, the Luckenbach Steamship Company, and Coverdale & Colpitts. Floor areas ranged from 4,300 to more than 20,000 square feet.[6]
Greenberg and Malzman purchased a four-story office building valued at $125,000 in April 1929. It was in the vicinity of Wall Street.[2]
New York Life Insurance Company bid $1,000,000 to foreclose a $5,569,605 lien against the skyscraper at a June 26, 1933 auction.[5] The insurance firm previously initiated a $5,000,000 suit to foreclose a consolidated mortgage on the property, on November 23, 1932. A first mortgage of $4,050,000 was given in 1929. Liens of $200,000 and $750,000 were made subsequently. The lawsuit was based on nonpayment of $150,000 in interest, on May 1, 1932. Of the amount owed only $46,040 was paid by Greenberg and Malzman.[7]
- ^ a b c 4,050,000 Loan Is Placed, New York Times, February 1, 1929, pg. 49.
- ^ a b Builders Take Fee and Lease To Protect Wall St. Project, New York Times, April 24, 1929, pg. 52.
- ^ Fifty-One Caissons For Wall Street Edifice, New York Times, August 11, 1929, pg. RE2.
- ^ Razing Buildings On Wall Street, New York Times, May 12, 1929, Page RE1.
- ^ a b Skyscraper Bid In By New York Life, New York Times, June 27, 1933, pg. 32.
- ^ Renting Large Space, New York Times, November 3, 1929, pg. RE4.
- ^ Wall St. Site In Default, New York Times, November 24, 1932, pg. 48.
Coordinates: 40°42′17″N 74°00′22″W / 40.704702°N 74.006054°W


text:
I should note that I don't recall the details of the challenge that lead to the writing/illustrating of this particular series of events, but it appears to have happened so here it is.
I had been escorted to the gasque by a lovely young gentleman who knew that part of town better than myself, and it was daylight out, then. By the time I realized that I wasn't going to have fun at the after party (because, let's face it, flashing lights and thumping club music and drunks bouncing off of each other like pinballs and calling it dancing never really has been and never will be my scene) it was one in the morning and, quite incredibly, no longer daylight.
So I stepped out and started heading in the direction I remembered coming from initially, my hands tucked in my pockets and my head down. I walked for maybe three blocks before realizing…slowly…hesitantly…that not a single goddamn thing in my vicinity looked even the slightest bit familiar.
And, as Tahnis are prone to do, I began to panic. Only mildly at first, thinking that, maybe, if I turned right and pointed myself east and just kept walking I would eventually come to the street that lead to domkyrkan, a familiar street I could then follow to my bike. Little did I know (woe is me) that I chose a street to turn on that dead-ended without leading me to the desired destination.
Flustered and confused, the panic swelling in my chest like plastic wrap sealed too tightly over Tupperware in the microwave, I started heading back in the direction of the party, only now on a different street. I am not sure why I chose this course of action. It does not seem like the most productive course of action, and I am not entirely sure what I thought I was accomplishing by doing this, but I did it, and found myself in yet even more unfamiliar territory.
The hour grew late(r) and my panic began to draw prickling tears into my weary eyes. It was at about this point that I became weepy.
If I were in The Blaire Witch Project it would have been at this point that I would peered tearfully into my camera lens, snot oozing down my face, and desperately whispered things like, "I am so alone, and so scared. I am sorry. I was so wrong. I should never have stayed at the after party. It was stupid, and I know that now, and I just want my family to know that I love them."
It was at this moment, after I had somehow managed to cross the river on a bridge I'd never seen before and when all hope seemed lost, that I saw it: Epic Fucking Domkyrkan's awe-inspiring (unless you're Lucas) towers piercing the night sky, illuminated golden in the darkness.
It was like I'd found God. I began to run, my feet carrying me like frightened pigeons towards those soaring towers where I would be safe from the unfamiliar streets and stumbling drunks (okay, maybe it was more like a brisk walk, head down and shoulders all hunched up like a certain celebrity of Norte Dame). From domkyrkan, the most noteworthy landmark in Uppsala by far, I was able to make my way back to my bike, at which point my trial by fire (or whatever) petered out into oblivion.
I was homeward bound, and could not wait to take a shower and pass the fuck out.


text:
You've heard talk about Les Mills GRIT now for years! Maybe the pricing and session dates made it a less desirable program for you. Well do we have a treat for you… beginning February 2018 GRIT will now be an included group fitness class for all Raintree Athletic Club members.
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Limit 20 participants per class. A GRIT PASS is required to attend.*
*Passes will be available at the front desk on a first come, first serve basis, starting 30 minutes prior to class time. Limit one pass per person – must be present to pick up the pass (cannot reserve via phone or for other class participants.)
All classes held in Studio 1.


text:
Days Out in the Nene Valley #1 Heritage: Fotheringhay & Oundle
With so much to see, do, eat and visit, its almost impossible to take in all of the Nene Valley in one visit. With that in mind, we have created this series of downloadable itineraries for visitors to help plan their trip.
Spend the morning in Fotheringhay
One village has played a key role in English history being both the birthplace of Richard III and the final destination of Mary Queen of Scots. Learn more about the village's unique place in English history with a visit to St. Mary and All Saints Church and the castle mound.
About St. Mary and All Saints
Open all year. This famous Perpendicular style church is a small part of a once great Collegiate foundation dating from 1411. Striking features include the octagonal lantern tower, the two storey north porch and the pinnacles and flying buttresses along the length of the nave.
Visit our website to download walking maps for circular tours of Fotheringhay and Woodnewton
Lunch Options
With a wealth of highly rated pubs, restaurants and tea shops not to mention award-winning food producers and delis, the Nene Valley's reputation as a food-lover's heaven is well deserved.
After a walk around Fotheringhay and Woodnewton, there are a number of options for adventurers looking for a delicious lunch including The Falcon in Fotheringhay, The Queens Head in Nassington or the Tap & Kitchen in Oundle (pictured)
Spend the afternoon in Oundle
Stroll around this historic market town famous for its Georgian streetscapes and impressive limestone buildings. There is much to discover whether you are on the history trail, attending one of the many cultural events or want to enjoying active country pursuits.
The Talbot Hotel is famous for its New Street and inner courtyard facades, which were built with stone from Fotheringhay Castle in 1630. The staircase is believed to be that which Mary Queen of Scots famously descended on route to her execution at the castle on 8 February 1587.
With free parking for all visitors, make the most of your afternoon and explore the town with our downloadable Oundle Heritage Trail.
Sleep Tight
After a long day exploring the history of the Nene Valley, weary travellers can look forward to some of the finest accommodation around. Popular local establishments include The Talbot Hotel in Oundle and Castle Farm Guest House in Fotheringhay
More more information on the Nene Valley, including more of these itineraries, please be sure to check our website.


text:
Commission TypeCPA , CPL , CPS
Minimum Payment$50
Payment FrequencyNet-30, Net-15, Net-7, Bi-weekly, Weekly, Daily
Payment MethodCheck, PayPal, Wire, Payoneer, ACH (Direct Deposit)
Referral Commission5% lifetime
Tracking SoftwareIn-house proprietary platform
Tracking Linkhttp://trkur.com
Twitter@PeerFly, @LukePeerFly, @PeerFly Offers
FacebookPeerFly Fan Page
Affiliate Manager
Luke Kling
Email: [email protected]
AIM: LukePeerFly
Phone: 888-400-4359 ext. 1285
Skype: LukePeerFly
1 Charlie Gartman
Email: [email protected]
AIM: CharliePeerFly
Phone: 888-400-4359 ext. 1061
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1 Chad French
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AIM: ChadPeerFly
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1 Travis Glenn
Email: [email protected]
AIM: TravisPeerFly
Phone: 888-400-4359 ext. 1286
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Email: [email protected]
AIM: DaveyPeerFly
Phone: 888-400-4359 ext. 1298
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1 Corinna French
Email: [email protected]
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Phone: 888-400-4359 ext. 1281
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1 Nikki Lindsey
Email: [email protected]
AIM: NikkiPeerFly
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Skype: NikkiPeerFly
RIP PeerFly you will be missed greatly! One of the best and most amazing CPA networks ever on the Interwebs! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!
For those who haven't heard yet PeerFly announced that they are closing down the network!
There is def a room for improvement, though it's one of the best mainstream networks on the market
The Best Network.The support is 5 star and payment always on time. sign up with my referal link and get instant approval.If you are serious about making money in 2019 promote offers from peerfly. Wide selection of CPA offers.Sign up today and get approved instantly http://bit.ly/peerflyapproved
Pankaj Mandloi Reply:
June 7th, 2019 at 8:57 am
i want to instant approve can i approve instant in peerfly?
Its over a year I am working with Peerfly and it changed my life ?? Really, I am earning more than in my day job. But back to Peerfly, because it all started there. My affiliate manager helped me to pick offers that convert well and I made my first conversion just 14 days after I started. That was real motivation to keep working and my earnings were raising every month. I made over 13.000$ in a year because they motivated me, sent me great offers and content I could use to promote offers. And they always send my money right on time. So, my rating is simple 5 stars.
You can signup with my link and get my affiliate manager, who will approve you and will help you grow income like he did to me.
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Jose Emilio Bolhano Reply:
February 11th, 2019 at 4:52 am
Hi Kazi, I applied to Peerfly using your link. Please help in the approval of my application, thanks
彭柱崟 Reply:
May 7th, 2019 at 8:01 pm
Noyon islam Reply:
July 31st, 2019 at 9:06 am
Hi Kazi, I applied to Peerfly using your link. Please help in the approval of my application, thanks
Peerfly looks very great and one of my top networks to use! I will use it more often soon I guess since they have any kind of offers.
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Great network! Been paid on time every single time.
My rate is 5/5.
Thank you PeerFly!
Hello Guys,
My name is Mehul Jain and I am getting so many emails from people to give my review on peerfly network.So, guys, i want to tell you that nothing is wrong with this network. This network is 100% genuine with authentic offers
Great network.. Peerfly has paid me on time, every time for 2 years now.. Highly recommend these guys.
Sarowar Reply:
February 15th, 2017 at 9:24 am
Hi, Khemiri i want to join this network can you help me please…
Email:[email protected]
nayan Reply:
March 19th, 2017 at 3:48 am
Hi, Khemiri i want to join this network can you help me please…
mahbub sunny Reply:
May 24th, 2017 at 6:36 pm
contact me any person
nayan Reply:
March 19th, 2017 at 3:49 am
Hi, Khemiri i want to join this network can you help me please…
Muhammad Waqar Reply:
June 2nd, 2017 at 8:14 am
Hi, Khemiri i want to join this network can you help me please…
Unfortunately, PeerFly has gone down the hill.
They used to be a decent network.
My partner kept telling me to get away from PeerFly because they never helped him out, and I kept telling him that I always received help.
Years ago that is…
Now today, I've emailed them various times regarding early payment and questions on a particular offer.
I was told they'd get back to me. It's been months and I still don't have an answer.
Early payout was once something I loved. I was always accepted and have had my account in good standing with them for many many many years.
Now I requested payout and was never emailed anything regarding it until I waited 3 days and sent two emails. The payout was requested for under 1 business day.
I finally got an email saying it's been denied.
Whatever the reasons, it is valid.
I've had my account with them for many years, received normal payments and early payments without a problem.
Now there is a problem.
Support is terrible.
It was once a very good Affiliate Network company. Very good.
They were very active in the community.
I received many t-shirts and swag from them too.
Unfortunately, my partner is right — they are lacking very badly and the lack of reviews on here shows.
It's time to move on and I'm quite disappointed.
Not because the payment was rejected (the advertiser could have also had input), but because it took many days to get answer when I submitted it for under 1 business day.
It's a he11 of a shame, PeerFly.
It's time to reevaluate the company and your standards.
Browe Reply:
January 31st, 2017 at 3:10 pm
PeerFly had sent Net 30 Payment.
maxim Reply:
January 19th, 2018 at 12:57 am
Its also happened to me.
I've had my account with them for many years, received normal payments and early payments without a problem.
Now there is a problem.
Support is terrible. emailed them so many times without answer.
It was once a very good Affiliate Network company. Very good. But its long gone..
Got paid again. Peerfly is my favorite network ever.
[email protected] Reply:
December 8th, 2016 at 1:11 am
hello bro I want talk to you can you pls knock me my Skype:thompson.clegg – email:[email protected] when you feel free.I hope to work with you!
Hoang Reply:
February 2nd, 2017 at 7:55 pm
Hello bro,i want ask you something and want working with you pls contact with me world_open or [email protected]


text:
Summer Selections: Heal
by Jodie Reed
I slammed the bathroom door behind me and thrust my shaking right hand into the sink while my left struggled with the cold tap. I bit down on my lip. Breathe, I told myself as the cool water began rushing over the sore flesh. Don't cry, just breathe… I closed my eyes and turned my face away, biting down harder on my lip. The bright lights in the ceiling made the backs of my eyelids glow a strange, alien pink.
I'd always hated the fuss people made when they hurt themselves, couldn't stand it. Even from a young age I can remember handling things myself. Fall down? Get up, brush yourself off, move on. It was something Mum had always preached, something I now did without a second thought.
And yet…burns?
I took a breath and opened my eyes. Now on the back of my right hand, beneath my thumb and forefinger, were two bright red lines. I'd branded myself like a cow.
'Shit,' I muttered, peering closer, 'please don't scar…'
I blew on my hand and flapped it about in the air, trying to remember any other advice they tell you, before just shoving it back in the sink. I felt stupid. Four months shy of my fifteenth birthday and I still wasn't able to deal with this without freaking out.
I knew I wasn't special; burns hurt for everyone, duh. Except for me there was an extra edge to them. The pain but also this burst of fear and dread in my stomach, like I was going to be told off… No. I shook my head and focussed. Mind over matter, that's what Mum said. I looked at the lines again; the loud, stinging feeling had finally begun to cool to a dull roar. I took another breath and told myself that it looked worse than it was. Then I wiggled my fingers to prove it.
The oven glove had disappeared, that was the problem. I hadn't thought anything of it, just grabbed a tea towel to take the tray of fish fingers from the oven. It should've been fine except, out of nowhere, Hugh pipes up and drops a bombshell:
'Mum and Dad are getting a divorce.'
Seriously, where had that come from? And what was I supposed to say? I had no idea he even knew that word, let alone knew that his parents' marriage was on the rocks. I'd been baby-sitting him for over a year and yet we'd never had conversations like that. He'd said it as if he were telling me he might be getting a haircut on the weekend; matter-of-fact and without emotion, but as though he wanted my opinion too. It had caught me totally off guard and I'd jumped, only slightly, yet slightly was enough for the top of my hand to touch the upper shelf in the oven.
I'd yelped and dropped the tray back onto the lower shelf in surprise, hopping backwards with a gasp. Hugh had jumped too, up out of his seat, but then he froze, making a strange squeaking sound as though he wanted to help, apologise, and run off, all at the same time. I'd turned away from him, closed then flicked the oven off, and just hurried out the room.
I sighed now. I could hear him, shuffling to and fro in the corridor outside the bathroom. I must have freaked him out, I thought to myself. I turned the tap off and began to carefully dab my hand on the towel to dry it. I looked at my face in the mirror. My cheeks and ears were still flushed but there was nothing I could do about it. I tucked a stray lock of auburn hair back behind my ear.
'Lowry?' came a tiny, muffled voice.
I smiled and looked away from the glass. 'It's okay, Hugh. I'm fine,' I said, straightening my school skirt as if to confirm this. 'And take your sleeve out your mouth – you know what your Mum said.'
'S'not in my mouth!' protested a clearer voice.
'Oh, really?' I teased, spinning round and opening the door, but there was no one there. Just the sound of footsteps running towards the living room.
An hour and a half later and Hugh and I were sitting crossed-legged on the floor of his playroom. While I'd plated up the food, Hugh had found an ingenious way to cover his chewed sleeves; wearing his raincoat indoors. Subtle. I should've told him to take it off and sit down properly for his tea but, how could I? I knew the reason he was chewing all the sleeves and collars of his clothes (and driving his Mum nuts in the process) was because his parents had been arguing – still, after months and months. And he was right. While neither his Mum nor his Dad had told me explicitly yet, it was clear that they were separating, and soon. Hugh was stressed but, at six years old, there was nothing he could do to change things. Me burning my hand had just stressed him out more. I could hardly have had a go at him.
So, instead, I'd done the only thing I could do; I'd gone and put my own raincoat on. From there, the whole thing had spiralled off into a game of 'it's raining inside'. When I'd finished washing up after tea, the make-believe rainwater had filled up the downstairs to such a degree we had to retreat to the safety of playroom upstairs. There we'd built a make-shift fortress for Hugh's toys.
Hugh had taken charge of the game and had been chattering away happily all evening but now, as the sky outside got darker and the time got closer to his Mum's return home, he'd gotten quiet again.
'Hey,' I said, nudging his leg with a Lego boat we'd constructed, 'where to now, c'ptain?'
'Lowry?' he said, not looking up. 'I'm sorry about your hand.'
'It's alright, Hugh,' I said, switching hands so I could hold the boat with my left and hide my right, 'it doesn't hurt now. I was just clumsy, okay?'
He nodded but the tension didn't lift. I could feel it coming. I'd thought I'd distracted him from his earlier subject, but he was smarter than I thought.
He looked up at me, checking my face for something, before looking away once more. 'They're getting a divorce,' he told me again.
I swallowed, wincing slightly. The word sounded wrong in his little voice. Foreign, too big. He said it like it was a thing, a new car or a pet.
'Hugh, do you know what that word means?'
He nodded slowly, drawing lines with his finger in the carpet between us, then rubbing them out and redoing them.
'And who told you that?'
'No one…'
I sighed through my nose, 'Really. And did 'No One' say anything else?'
But, before he could answer, the sound of a key in the front door cut through the quiet. His head whipped up and his eyes met mine. Don't tell her, they said, please. I should've though, I knew I should, but instead I smiled and touched his shoulder as I stood.
'Don't worry,' I said.
Ms Davies slid her feet out of her work boots, looking up at me as I made my way down the stairs. She frowned, 'You haven't been out, have you?'
'Oh, no,' I said, careful to hide my right hand in a pocket. 'No, the coat was just a game we were playing.
'Ah,' she nodded, stretching, 'And how's he been? He spoken to you?'
'He's been fine and, no – quiet again. Sorry.'
The silence thing was new. As of a few weeks back, Hugh had stopped speaking. To anyone, that is, except me. When I'd asked him about it he'd just started ignoring me too until I'd apologised and let him have ice-cream for pudding. I figured it was a phase, like everyone said, and it was best to let him get on with it. Besides, it had to be better that he spoke to me than no one at all; especially seeing as 'No One' had so much to say recently.
Ms Davies hung her bag on its peg and then looked at me expectantly. I realised there was no sound of movement from upstairs.
'Oh, right. I'll just get him for you,' I said, embarrassed, and she smiled at me sadly.
Back in the playroom, Hugh was sitting in the exact spot I left him.
'Hey, c'mon,' I said, kneeling beside him, 'she wants to say 'hi'. She hasn't seen you all day.'
'What's going to happen?' he whispered, as he picked up his favourite Hot Wheels car, 'Will I get to keep my toys?'
'What? Hugh, of course,' I said, nodding in earnest, 'of course you will.' But his face stayed screwed up and hurt. 'Where is this coming from, huh?'
'But how do you know? Lara, from my school, she had to move away.'
'I'm sure it'll be fin–'
'But how do you know?' he insisted. And then I watched as an idea crossed his face. 'Have your parents gotten a divorce?'
'My parents…' It was weird. All my life and I was sure that was the first time I'd said that. My parents…always separate, always apart. Opposites; present, absent, one here, one not.
'Hugh? Hugh, sweetie?' his Mum called from downstairs.
His big brown eyes looked at me expectantly and the burn on my hand had started to sting again. A strange rushing sound started in my ears and I could feel myself beginning to blush. 'I…' A lie swam round in my mouth, but it was like Hugh could see it, see right into my head. I pushed it away and the truth came out in whisper: 'I'm not sure. I don't know, Hugh.'
His eyebrows rose, clearly impressed and intrigued. His mouth opened, ready for more questions, but then his name rang out again, followed by the tell-tale creak of the bottom step. He jumped up and nodded at me, with an expression I couldn't read, and disappeared out the door.
'There you are! How was your day, darling? You alright?' floated in from the hall.
I stood and looked at the faces of all the toys in the room. 'I don't know,' I said again.
Summer Selections is a FalWriting series bringing you a variety of writing produced this academic year by Falmouth students. It's a vibrant and diverse selection of work covering text forms from experimental poetry to forensic literary analysis, from gothic short stories to critical dissertations. This year the selection is guest edited by third year student Jess Hawes.


text: On the 21st of March the team will be traveling down to the National Trust Petworth House in Sussex to digitise a medieval Chaucer manuscript. This will be our first grand outing and large job using the cradle and equipment. Photographers will be on site until Thursday 25th, in one of the public areas for all to see. Our Conservator will also be on hand on Monday. While we are there, we will be available for questions and advice while we work.


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Friday, December 07, 2007
Freak-A-Leak Week: Hi Tek's "Hi-Teknology Vol. 3"
Going a little different on the Freak-A-Leak reviews, I'm giving a track by track breakdown for the final installment of "Freak-A-Leak" Week. For this one, we'll break down producer Hi-Tek's "Hi-Teknology 3: The Underground."
Life to Me ft. Estelle: Estelle is a young London-based R&B/Hip-hop artist. On here, she opens the set with a blast. Hi-Tek wanted to use this album as a platform for new artists, and he nails it with this opener.
Play My Piano ft. Dion, Raekwon and Ghostface Killa: Hi-Tek spits some nice lines, while Rae and Ghost come through and blast lyrical shots. Dion sounds like a damn sample, very tight, with muted guitars and lite drums filtering the beat.
God's Plan ft. Outlaws and Young Buck: Outlaw's give a eulogy to Pac, they keep asking me is Pac alive/ i say hell yeah, n----, u can see it in my eyes. Young Buck comes on with a more reserved flow, but no less passionate. he gives props to soldiers, while saying bush is just drinking grey goose, and pays homage to his 22 yo cousin who is serving life. Buck sounds better on here than he did on Buck the World. the track uses brevity
Ohio All-Stars: Introduces a fleet of talented street rappers, with a chest-thumping, Hi-Tek synth beat, complete with a deep "Ohio" bark punctuating each verse. This is the most distinct Hi-Tek sounding track, similar to his work with 50 Cent on The Massacre.
Back on the Grind ft. Riz, Kurupt and Dion: A g-funk, lowrider groove. Kurupt lays down his gangbanger drawl on a song that laments the lifestyle of crime and bad living that plagues the average hustler. Newcomer Riz sounds like a younger, more energetic Fabolous. Dion's hook is hypnotic only in its pronunciation: sometimes his singing sounds lazy.
I'm Back ft. Rem Dog: Rem Dog is an A-town affiliate, Jeezy - lite. He has a relaxed drawl, his style yells A-Town. Lots of violent gangster posturing, which is kind of played. Hi-Tek gives him a syrupy pimp track to get his gangster on, but Rem Dog is only interested in redoing tired gangsta dujour. His hook includes "These n----- don't want no problems," channeling another A-town rapper, Lil Scrappy.
Kill You ft. Push Montana: Push Montana knows how to have fun on a killer track. Even when he's threatening to kill you, and detailing how he's going to do it, he does it like he's in on the joke. lines like "I'mma introduce this loud n---- to the silencer" I put it in, everybody know/he was in the pen, he shoulda gotta know/" Hi-Tek gives him some eerie blues to mess with.
Handling My Bizness: Hi-Tek gets dangerously close to two-step/lean wit it rock wit it snap tracks on this one. M-1 shows up and gets his g-roll on.
Come Get It ft. T-Pain: T-Pain shows up on a smoky, wind chimey instrumental track that is absolutely gorgeous. Hi-Tek has the musical inhibitions of DJ Quick, able to fill in beats with charismatic piano sprinkles and data-processed digital melodies. This has him sounding like Roger Troutman as well.
Step Ya Game Up ft. Little Brother and Dion: Tek hooks up with underground stalwarts Little Brother, harkening to the producer's underground hip-hop pedigree. Dion gets his Al B. Sure on and steals the show, sounding more relaxed and sexy by finding the pocket on his solo. It's clear to see that him and Tek have a good chemistry when they get beyond hook singing. Dion needs an EP of Hi-Tek music (not sure if he could carry a whole album).
Know Me ft. Jonell: Jonell, the star of the original Hi-Teknology hit "Round and Round," gets her solo. As good as Tek is producing rappers, he absolutely kills it when he's coupled with a talented female. Know me doesn't have the sonic contagiousness of "Round and Round," but Jonell knows how to sink into the tracks. Tek really needs to produce for more female R&B acts. Amerie, Nina Sky or Mya would sound right on a Hi-Tek joint.
Time ft. Talib Kweli and Dion: Tek and Kwe reunite for some of that Reflection Eternal steez. This is a nice funk track, but someone needs to kidnap these two and lock them in a room underneath the Hoover Dam or something. It's been way too long.
Posted by Marc Cabrera at 10:51 AM
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What's Cookin'? Smithtown - Farm Fresh Bounty - Where to Find
Smithtown's Farm Fresh Bounty - Where to Find
By Nancy Vallarella What's Cookin'? Smithtown
Part II
"When you buy locally grown, you're getting the produce at its peak form," says Darlene Price, senior nutrition resource educator at Orange County Cornell Cooperative Extension. "It's ready to eat right now. When you buy your fresh produce in a supermarket, you're never really sure how long it's been sitting."
Although many supermarkets carry local produce, much of what you find in these stores has been transported 1,200 miles on average. Produce at local farm stands and farmers' markets is picked ripe and sold within a day. That translates into fresher, more nutritious food because the vitamins and other nutrients haven't had time to break down.
Farm Stands
Borella's Farm Stand on Edgewood Avenue in St. James - With the help of only one day-worker, this 55-acre farm, farm stand, nursery, and vineyard are tended to by Barbara Borella-Perrotta, her sister Laura Borella-Gallagher, and Laura's husband, Steve Gallagher. A constant struggle exists here maintaining crops to harvest. Wildlife devastation has limited Borella's late arrival of produce. Corn and tomatoes are now available. There is hope for harvesting additional products, but Borella's Farm has been struggling with deer feeding on the crops, even grape production for Whisper Vineyards has been impacted.
BB & GG Farms on North Country Road in St. James - Owned and operated by another branch of the Borella family tree. Ever wondered what the BB & GG stood for? - Bill, Bob, Gary, and Glen. Bill Borella oversees the large nursery business and admits that the products offered at the farm stand are from an east end farm. The reason he maintains the farm stand is purely tradition. His mother opened the stand in 1959 and locals expect to find farm fresh produce there ever since.
Farmers' Markets
St. James Market, Saturdays until October. 2nd Ave, & Woodlawn Ave. - St. James Market is the Community Association of Greater Saint James' effort to increase awareness for the greater good for all of St. James. Local brick and mortar businesses participate in the market alongside out-of-town producers. Saint James Pasta and Pork realized a 30% uptick in sales participating in the St. James Market and Summer Nights Festival in 2017 over the same period during 2016. "Many people who we have met at the market never knew where we were located despite being in the same location since 1989. We sell 15 – 20 times more, fresh mozzarella on Saturday at the market compared to what is sold in the store during that time," states Clara Giunta, Co-Owner of St. James Pasta and Pork.
Fink's Family Farm from Wading River is the anchor producer at the St. James Market and the Nesconset Farmer's Market.
Nesconset Farmer's Market, Saturdays until November. 127 Smithtown Blvd. – This market has been through several transitions over the past decade. It is currently a vendor-operated market. Fresh produce, pasta, and pickles are found here with olive oil products in attendance every other weekend.
King's Park Farmer's Market, Sundays until November. Municipal Lot, 25A (across from King's Park Fire House) – Longest operating Farmer's Market in the Town of Smithtown. SujeckiFarm & Nursery (Calverton) and Fink's Family Farm (Wading River) are the anchor producers at this market. Joining them are Blue Duck Bakery (Riverhead), Bambino Ravioli (Bay Shore), pickles, artisan baked goods, pretzels and a handful of other value-added producers. This market is an after-church tradition in the King's Park community for over a decade.
Purchasing local products direct from the farmer allows for conversation about how that product is grown. It's all about providing residents with direct access to fresh local food, preserving open spaces on Long Island and aiding economic stimulation within communities. For more information on seasonal, local products visit www.ChooseLI.org
Next Thursday part 3 in this series Smithtown's Farm Fresh Bounty – How to Prepare


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Beat the summer heat and visit any one of these free public outdoor pools in New York City. Your family will love making a splash, especially if it's in a pool close to home.
Looking to cool off this summer? New York City has plenty of free public outdoor pools for the whole family to enjoy.
Across the five boroughs, you can find a pool near you whether you want to cool off, exercise, or hang out. Don't forget to follow these pool safety tips to stay healthy while having fun in the sun.
Check out the list below and find a pool in your neighborhood.
For more pools in your area, find one near you here.
If you live in New York City or Long Island and want more information about our health plans, please click here.
Please note that clicking on this link will take you away from the Healthfirst Healthy Living website.
© 2018 HF Management Services, LLC.
Healthfirst is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Healthfirst group of affiliated companies.
This health information or program is for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, or act as a substitute for medical advice from your provider. Consult your healthcare provider and always follow your healthcare provider's instructions.
"Free Outdoor Pools." NYC Parks. Accessed June 25, 2018.


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Wanted a thread to discuss the most click-baity hot-button topics surrounding this most classic of Disney movies (but not the best, I mean have you SEEN Lilo and Stitch?) that manages to worm their way into every Cracked/Buzzfeed article I've ever seen. You know the ones:
- "Why do the animals bow down to an animal that's going to eat them? That's not right!"
- "Hyenas get unfair treatment in this movie. They were just hungry!"
- "Scar was really the good guy and Mufasa was evil!"


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The Pantanal Travel Guide
Mostly located within the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso but also extending into parts of Bolivia and Paraguay, the Pantanal is the largest area of fresh water wetland in the world. Although not as well known as the Amazon, the Pantanal is undoubtedly one of the best places in the whole of Latin America for spotting wildlife. You can expect to see herds of capybara, three species of monkey, giant otters, peccaries, crab eating fox, marsh deer, caiman, tapir, the hyacinth macaw and abundant birdlife. Porto Jofre at the end of the transpantaneira highway is also the best place in the world to see jaguar, although sightings are never guaranteed.
The Pantanal is the largest fresh water wetlands in the world, yet still relatively unknown, this is a wild and untamed part of South America
Best months to visit The Pantanal
The Pantanal can be visited at any time of year but the best time is during the dry season which runs from mid April until October. For jaguar spotting you need to go between June and August which are the driest months. The best months for bird watching are July until September.
Our hand-picked hotels in The Pantanal
A well thought out selection of hotels can make a good trip truly exceptional and here at The Latin America Travel Company we put a lot of resources into sourcing and visiting hotels. Below is a selection of lodges in The Pantanal that we have picked out as some of our favourites.
Best reasons to visit The Pantanal
The Pantanal covers a vast area and is home to a staggering amount of wildlife. Below are some of our top highlights and best reasons to visit the area.
Weather Averages for The Pantanal
Other destinations in Brazil
From the bustling city of Rio to the quaint colonial town of Paraty, explore more of Brazil's exotic destinations with our essential guides by clicking the links below.


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Categories:Business Planning, Knowledge Pantry
October 31, 2016
Lessons Learned In This Crazy Food Industry (PODCAST)
What does it take to make it in the food industry today? We talk with Matt Aaron, founder of Andes Fruit Columbia and host of the Food Startups Podcast. He's not only talked with hundreds of food business to learn about the mistakes and challenges they've faced along the way but also shares his lessons learned as an import/export business.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
Note: Links mentioned in the podcast can be found in this transcript and listed below the transcript.
|A little bit about our guest today, and you'll see why I'm so excited to have him on the show. Matt Aaron is the creator of The Food Startups podcast. As always, we're going to include links in the transcript so that you can link directly back to his podcast. The show talks to food entrepreneurs, everyone from small coffee and early-stage food startups to food companies that have more than $500 million in revenue, including folks like the legendary investor Jim Rogers, Seth Goldman of Honest Tea, and Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill. With over 100 episodes and counting, their audience is made up of listeners like you. I highly recommend you check out this podcast series.
|In addition to running the podcast, though, Matt is also a food entrepreneur himself. He's also coming at this from the avenue of understanding what issues and challenges you're facing. He's the co-founder of Andes Fruits Colombia, a company that ships exotic Colombian fruits into the United States. In 2010, he moved to Colombia, which is the base of operations. He's fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, in addition to English, obviously, and is an avid reader, having read over 400 books since 2008. His dream is to one day turn parts of Colombia that were once in control of the guerrilla group FARC into a fairly traded agricultural program.
|Matt, thank you so much for coming on today. I'm very excited to have you here.
|Yeah, thanks so much for having me, likewise.
|This is fantastic. As I mentioned in the introduce, you're not just a podcast host, but we're going to get to that in a minute. You also run a food company. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into the food industry?
|Yeah. It actually started … I'll give credit, I guess he's a pretty famous blogger, one of Time magazine's top 25 bloggers, Tynan, T-Y-N-A-N.com. This is a really interesting person. Feel free to look him up.
|He came down to Bogota, and he stayed with me for a couple of days. This was in 2012. What was interesting about it was he showed me what really good nutrition was. I had no idea about nutrition. I thought a lot of odwalla, fruit juices, and things like that were healthy. He taught me about fried carbs, etc. That sparked a journey in Colombia and Peru into all the cool weird super-feeds that were there. I was just trying everything.
|I came across a fruit, which is more well-known now, called camu-camu, which grows on the shore of the Amazon River, and in that zone in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. It has more vitamin C than I think of food, definitely any fruit, in the world. Now, it's very … It's not sweet at all, it's very acidic but, in abstract form, it's a great way to get natural vitamin C. I started selling that on Amazon. That's kind of how I got into this crazy food space.
|Wow, that's a really innovative way to get into it.
|Yeah, I guess. Starting out, all of the mistakes that I've made. I still remember … This is a great learning experience. Camu-Camu was really interesting. Things have changed I suppose. Naturals does a good job but, in general, just putting something in a bag without adding value in the sense of, are you going to mix it with something, etc. can become tough. I still have the number two ranking on Amazon. Dr. Oz mentioned camu-camu. Sales went through the roof. I ran out of inventory. As a rookie I didn't have my supply locked down. I lost my Amazon ranking. That was kind of the end of that business.
|Oh man.
|Yeah, it was a great learning experience. If I ever come across another, we'll call it super food, that has that type of potential, I'll have a better idea on how to capitalize on it.
|To that point … You were talking about kind of the added value. In a perfect world, if you were to do it over again, even without the Dr. Oz piece, what do you think is important for food producers or food entrepreneurs in order to convey … Especially a product like yours that, let's say a US clientele in particular might not be familiar with, how do you convey to them how to use it, what's important and why it's good for them?
|I'm going to answer, and since I'm not doing online sales right now, I'm going to try to answer more … I guess this could apply to online sales but, more towards in-store sales. The first part is packaging. You have to educate on the packaging. People need to know what it is. They need to be intrigued by it and you have to tell them how to use it. I think some mistakes that I've made, I've seen other people make, is they have this exotic super-food but they don't tell people exactly how to use it. That's a big mistake.
|Then, did you because … I know you said you're importing it in extract form, did you run into import-export issues with food or was that not a concern since it was in extract form?
|What I did …
|What about now?
|Sure, so what issues did I run into? Okay, I'll tell you the first one. This is more an Amazon issues but it's worth mentioning. Amazon, you have to print out their bar-codes. I thought you just had to have a UPC. I was completely wrong on that. Then, the Amazon said, "Listen, you need to pay for us to put the Amazon bar-codes on there." This is obviously done by robots and machines. They basically put the Amazon barcode over the front of the label. My buddy ordered off Amazon and was like, "Hey man, the cover of Mama-Camu, which is the camu-camu brand, has the Amazon label over it. You can't even read it." That was the first one.
|Second is, importing … Okay, so I'd say importing the camu-camu … Getting a good customs broker is really important. As we'll talk about later, now that I work in produce which is perishable. Even more important but, not as important as non-perishables, people that are alert and can be proactive in making sure you get approved. I think that's super important.
|I don't know if you remember this Jennifer, another thing that I've worked on is panela, which is a non-centrifugal unrefined sugar. It comes from Columbia organic sugar. Our first shipment with that literally arrived the day the government went on shut down. The people that were responsible for getting this approved … It was my first time. It's pretty complicated sugar. That was another one.
|There's going to be things. I guess the best learned from this is to: 1.) Get a good customs broker 2.) Read as much as you can and 3.) You're gong to run into problems with the logistics. You want to avoid problems, yes, learn from them, try to prevent them but, you also need to be able to react and get a setup where you can handle these inevitable logistics problems. They can range from not getting cleared, being two days later then you expect, trucker not picking it up … It's 7pm and you've turned off your email for the day. Let's say 10pm, "Hey I tried to pick up last night, but I couldn't get it." Then, you call them back and they're like, "Oh, we can't pick up for two more days." Those types of things are going to happen.
|It's amazing … I definitely feel blessed in the sense that going through all these types of things, in theory, are going to get you better in the future if you can learn from them.
|Well you know, you were talking about some of the specific logistics with import-export and things like the government shutting down, is probably not on your radar of issues that could happen when you're starting up your business. That idea of being flexible, that also … The reality is, I think every food entrepreneur starting out, you've got to be able to be flexible and make decisions. I talked a lot about trying to be strategic in your thinking but, sometimes you do have to make decisions on the fly.
|I imagine that you've heard some stories like that in the podcast series. That would bring me to my next question which is, what made you decide to start up the podcast series in addition to running your business?
|I come from a tech background, Jennifer, and the great thing about the tech world is that a lot of the programming, a lot of SEO, which is basically showing up in Google, all that type of stuff, you can find it online. It's pretty easy to get. There's pretty good information that you can get for free.
|in the food business … Now, obviously with small food biz and uploading my podcast and a couple other people, but it's still very small, right? It's still really small, especially when I started in 2013. There were not … Gosh, it's tough for people to find this information online. I tend to think that import-export quality control is not necessarily set up from forming the micro-small businesses.
|Now, the larger small businesses, lets say when you get to 500,000 or a million sales, you're going to have an idea. You can figure things out and you can probably afford to go to these trade shows and learn. The majority of food jobs are not at that level. The idea is just democratized information, so people have this available to learn and also just kind of a place to hang out. We thought a lot about that because sometimes if we don't deliver information in an entertaining fashion, people just won't absorb it. Just think about that boring textbook that you were suppose to read but never read in college. That's why we started the show. Just to kind of help educate people for free on the ins and outs of food service.
|I love it. That's obviously the same reason I did too, which is this idea that I really believe that a rising tide carries all boats. The more information that we can compile, gather and share with other food entrepreneurs, the better the food industry as a whole can be, for the businesses and consumers. I loved how you put out the democratization of information. I might end up using that.
|Sure, feel free. I stole that from someone, I'm sure. Please use it. It's a beautiful concept I think. I'll tell you where I got it from. I got it from one of my guests, which is BlueCart. A big space in food stars and teching, we'll call it food tech, is apps that allow for ordering between restaurants and suppliers. The traditionalists are just like, when you call it's like, "Hey, I need some more mangos. Hey, I need to get some fresh garlic. Hey, I need some more salmon." Whatever it is, you just call and like, "Where is it?" This is just all through an app.
|What makes BlueCart different, and they talked about democratization, is that almost everyone else, the vendors and the restaurants have to pay to use this service. They might be great services but a problem I think a lot about is, the smaller vendors where $10-$15 a month, that's a lot of money for them in the sense that there's problems. It's just not an extra cost that you want them to pay. They made it free for both restaurants and vendors. They got rid of that barrier. That's what they meant by democratization. Even the smaller diary, the micro-diary, grower can get on without having to think, "Oh man, it's another subscription service." As you know, a lot of people don't like having these subscription costs.
|Absolutely, especially as a small business. At least, especially until you know it's going to pay off for you, that's not a cost that you want to have on your balance sheet.
|Yeah, and I want to kind of intertwine some of the lessons here because I know we went into the import-export part. What you find … Whether or not you're in import-export, there's a lot more costs I think, unless you're a seasoned vet. If you're getting into it as a newbie, like I did, there's always going to be more costs then you think. You have to think about the margin of safety. Meaning that, "Oh, we just need to sell 25%, great." You want to add in a couple grand just for the surprises like, "Oh, we need free samples. Oh, we need in-store demos. Some product is old, so you don't want to sell that anymore. You're going to sell those at a fraction of the cost and insurance." All that type of stuff that you kind of learn on the fly, but these costs definitely add up.
|I'll tell you another one. When we imported our first container of dried fruits, in Baltimore they did something called an x-ray, where they had to put the 20 foot container through an x-ray. That's $450 bucks. It was like $400-450 bucks. A lot of these costs just kind of show up. I think that's really important to have in mind as well.
|Absolutely, I love that, the margin of safety. It's also, I think I see entrepreneurs do a lot, is they set their prices with what they hope will be a good profit margin without taking into account that margin of safety that you just talked about. Then, once your prices are set, it's really hard to go back, whether it's your consumers or the retail partners, and later say, "Oh, wait. I actually need to increase that by X because I'm not covering those surprise costs." It ends up eating into your own profit or any profit that you hope to generate from the business.
|Jennifer, I'm going to add one thing there because this conversation has been great so far. It's kind of tapped into some unconscious ideas I've gotten from food stuff on my show. One thing that I've seen multiple times, on successful food businesses today, they're in a lot of stores, but they started in farmer's markets. You mentioned pricing. Not only do you need to price correctly, which is one of the biggest mistakes I've seen, also you need to make sure you price in farmer's markets the same price you want in retail. Why? You build these loyal fans and let's say you sell it at a discount at the farmer's market, $3. All of a sudden, they go to Whole Foods and it's at $5 or $4 or $3.50. They might not buy it. That's also I would also mention as well.
|I think that's a great point. Yeah, that is something that start-ups make mistakes with. Then, also, if your Whole Foods buyer happens to be walking through the farmer's market, which does happen with a lot of these stores. They are looking for new and interesting products, and they see your product price significantly lower then what you're telling them it needs to be priced or what you're suggesting it's priced at retail, they're going to drop you. They are more likely to drop you.
|Jennifer, I'm going to give you, we'll call it anonymous tip. I won't mention the company, that way I won't be violating their trust here. Basically, UNFI, some of the big distributors … You have to be careful with distributors as well. Most stores will want you to have a distributor address and all. If a distributor of UNFI or any of these people find out, and I've seen examples of this happening … One example in particular, where they found out that they had offered their product cheaper to another distributor, they just got on the black list. You have to be really careful with these relationships.
|We also talk a little bit about this on the show and some master minds with other food entrepreneurs, about diplomacy. You want to stand tough with these distributors and buyers, but you can not get on their black list. It's definitely a skill that takes a little bit of nurturing. It's really important to keep that in mind.
|My head went to … It's kind of like a political environment. Yes, you have to be firm on what you want and need for your business but you have to be very open with your relationship with them. Trying to build … Not to scare people away from distributors or retail buyers by any stretch of the imagination, because you can have great relationships with those people but you need to be looking to build relationships that are long-lasting and it's not going to be just a one-off with them. That takes work.
|Yeah, I'm going to go for a metaphor here. Tell me what you think. It's kind of like … Buyers sometimes can be … I hope none of my buyers are listening to this, but I'm going to take a chance that they're too busy, even though this is a great podcast to listen to. Think of them, not all but a lot of them, as the jealous girlfriend or jealous boyfriend. You have to think of them that way. You have to be really careful the way you handle them or with other buyers as well.
|I like that analogy. I have to ask you because you actually have a podcast that was specifically titled, "Why you shouldn't start a food business." Given what you know, having talked to food entrepreneurs and being a food entrepreneur yourself, if you had someone come to you to ask you about advice for starting a food company … I know we've talked a lot about different pieces of advice here. Is there one thing that you would tell them? I guess the second piece to that question is: Would you tell them to do it? Would you say why you shouldn't do it?
|Sure, okay, two parts here. Great question by the way. I'd say, one is that you have to find out about their passion. Do they really love it? It's not just love, but understanding. This can be psychologically and emotionally hard. I find that is kind of a theme with most start-ups. I'll paint you some episodes that we can talk about a little bit more. The point, not paint you.
|I think one is that you have to really be into it. You have to be willing to go through that emotional roller-coaster of starting any business. I've talked to people before … I have people call me for advice sometimes. This one guy, a really sharp guy, and he could make doing programming. He had a food hobby project. He could make a contract between 10-15,000 a month with a Silicon Valley start up. He's really good at what he does.
|This food start, he was just struggling and spending tons of time, not making any money. Most food starts don't make money in their first year. We talked and I was like, "Dude, do you really want to do this?" I think he's probably like 28 and he's like, "Dude, I want to buy a house. I want to get my dating life a little more serious. Things like that. This food business I'm up late at night." I was like, "Dude, you don't have to start a food business." I think we definitely idealized the entrepreneur being the number one starting businesses because you can be great employees, we'll say number fours or number sevens, like the number four employee like this guy, etc. He's excellent at what he does. I was like, "Man, I don't know enough about exactly the type of [inaudible 00:20:09] but it seems like if you just double down …" Maybe he'd go from $10-20,000 a month, have a much less stressful life, and do other important things that he wants to do.
|I think you have to really think about the sacrifices there. I think he expected it to be a 9-5 … There's some exceptions, but very rarely do I see that working. There's just going to be problems where … I'll give you a really good example, Jennifer. We'll say with customs brokers. This could also be with logistics companies so, even if you're doing it domestically, these deliveries. Sometimes you have to be on the ball. When you start-up, you have to be the janitor. You have to be the CEO. You have to be everything, right? Just having to be checking your email at 8pm to make sure that the trucker picked it up. Things like that, that a lot of people don't like dealing with.
|To be honest, sometimes some of the biggest stress I've had, Jennifer, is when everything is perfect and I'm going away for the weekend, something like that. Everything's set up and I have my trucker. Here's the dock. You're going to pick this up from Miami airport and deliver it. Everything's good, you know? Then, it's 4pm and it's like, "Great, I'm going to go see some friends. It's Friday at 4pm, let's go to happy hour." Then, 7pm, "Hey, we're not able to get it today and we can't get a truck out for another week." Which is just for fresh fruit, a disaster. You have to be willing to go through those types of problems. I'm sure other people listening to this have many more examples that they can give.
|I once had … This was a couple year back, right? Just give another example, is the whole cupcake thing was getting really big. Somebody came to me and said, "I want to start up a cupcake company," and was thinking about transitioning out of another industry to get into this because she loved to bake. What I told her is, "Okay, I want you to spend the next 30 days baking 4 dozen cupcakes and frosting, every single day for 30 days. Four dozen, if you're really selling cupcakes, is not that many. Then, I want you to come back after 30 days and tell me, do you still want to do this as a career?"
|She didn't even make it the full 30 days. She emailed me and said, "I'm going to actually stay where I am." Sometimes I think there's this misconception that because you have a passion for it, you have to turn it into a business. Sometimes, it's okay for it to just be a passion and to be the thing that is kind of your emotional and your physical release after your work day. That's fine as well.
|That's a great point.
|One thing I was going to ask you is … The cupcake example is a perfect example. For many product categories within the food industry, the barrier to enter is pretty low. The cost to enter can be pretty low, which I think is one of the things that is both a blessing and curse to the food industry. The real test for a low of entrepreneurs is a lot of folks who listen to this podcast, where they really struggle is, when they try to grow that business from the start-up to that next step. Not even into a middle-sized company, but just that next step. What sort of challenges have you heard or have you experienced yourself in that phase? Are there themes that you hear that entrepreneurs struggle with when trying to scale or grow their business?
|I guess, first off … You mentioned this, not all categories is the barrier to enter low. I'd say produce and the beverage is … It can be low in small batches, but the marketing is really expensive to grow. Like with beverages in the sense that, one there are commercial kitchens … I'm sure you give advice on these types of things, but the commercial kitchens, the incubators and so forth to get your product made … I think scaling growth, it's expensive.
|I'd say one of the themes is packaging and then co-packers. You're almost always going to work with co-packers when it comes time to scale. You're not … It's very rarely, are you just going to start and build a plant or a factory once you move our of your kitchen. The theme with co-packer is, it's a price per scale. If you're going to do 1,000 bottles, the production is going to be really expensive. If your going to do 10,000 bottles, it's going to be cheaper, but then you have 10,000 bottles to sell and they may be perishable, right? That's always a really difficult decision. It's not always easy to make. You kind of go back and forth on it.
|Then there's packaging. Everyone is going to have a lot of iterations of their packaging. It's saying the limits like, "Man, we can print 50,000 labels, but …" This has happened to me and a lot of people I know, a lot of successful people I know too. They print their label and there's just something weird, like a typo or they are like, "Oh, we forgot to put the number of grams of carbohydrates or we spelled fat F-A-A-T." Things like this happen. Obviously, we're going to scrutinize our labels a lot more then the average person. We don't want that to happen. Those are big struggles, I'd say.
|Another thing for scaling I'd say … A lot of people don't think about sometimes, it's not just getting in the store. It's staying in the store.
|It's getting that velocity. That can be expensive. The grocery stores, they are going to have free-fills, meaning they want a couple cases free for every store or a case free for every store. Then, what are you going to do to promote it? Do you have the manpower to promote this?
|It's always exciting to see the companies that travel around on a road trip and go from store to store. As you know, that's expensive. Especially if you have a full-time job, you probably can't do that. Those would be the things that come to mind. We already mentioned the price incorrectly.
|Speaking both of price and being on super-market shelves, what do you think or do you have any advice, for smaller food companies who have gotten on to store shelves, but are shelved right next to a big brand. That big brand has such economies to scale that they are able to price their product somewhat unrealistically.
|Even if you are using a co-packer … The granola that's next to you that's made by a big granola company, is going to … They're making millions of boxes and you might be making 10,000 boxes with your co-packer. Their price per unit is going to be so much lower. Do you have any recommendations for food entrepreneurs who are either getting into or have gotten into the super-markets and are trying to compete with those bigger brands that are priced so much higher then they are?
|I'd say … Priced so much higher or so much lower?
|Sorry, yeah, priced so much lower. The big brands are priced so much lower then the smaller start-up is.
|Gotcha, yes. Here's what I would say. This is something that you have to think about. There are ways to have a premium brand, but more often then not, the more common answer that you get from most buyers is … I actually tried to sell like a spirulina granola once and it's awesome, but it was literally twice the price of every other granola. You almost have to price … The Honest Tea guys tell me this, you almost have to price … Even if it's not profitable. Hopefully, you'll at least break even or where you want to be when you get to that size. Does that make sense? You may have to price at a loss betting that you can get the velocity up and make that 25,000 product run. Then, at that scale you'll profit. Maybe you plan out that in 9 months we'll be able to make the production runs that will be profitable a little bit. Right now we need to price competitively.
|The first thing in my head that I went to is … I love numbers. The first thing my head went to is, this is why cash-forecast or so important because if you can draft out in a cash forecast, "Okay, how much capital do we need to get to that point that we think we're going to be at in 9 months," and make sure that you have the capital between now and that 9 month mark. Honestly, a little bit extra because things aren't going to happen exactly as planned. Then, yes, it is easier to kind of take that hit now, knowing that it's going to pay off in the future. I would definitely recommend that folks do a cash-forecast to make sure that the numbers are going to work out for them.
|Yeah, and I think also packages are so important, which is why I mentioned it multiple times throughout the episode. The cool thing about farmer's markets and going to events, you can get a lot of feedback on your packaging. Buyers as well, but I would think most companies are going to want to launch in a store with version 2, version 3, or version 4 of the packaging. That's not a rule. That's more just a guideline.
|If you get feedback on your packaging, that can sometimes … This is someone who's made a lot of mistakes here. That can be the difference in being successful and not successful. It's really important to have you packaging just shout off the shelf. It's got to be extroverted packaging. I think going bold … Like you said, if you're next to a brand or you don't have the best space, you really need to stand out. Do whatever you can to stand out.
|I like that, extrovert packaging. I hadn't thought of it that way, but that's a really fun way to think about it.
|Yeah, and I got this from Tessa Stewart, who's a packaging expert in the UK. She's kind of against focus groups and big companies like Naked … Not Naked, Innocent, the smoothie company that is a big company in Europe. Other companies, they pay her to go to supermarkets and watch the way people interact with the product. Then, she would go up and ask them questions. She said a lot of times she'd meet founders who are introverted people, which is fine. Being introverted is great, but your packaging needs to be extroverted. That really stuck with me.
|I love that. You've shared a ton of information on lessons learned and tips and advice. I have to ask, do you have a favorite … You have over a hundred podcasts already. Do you have a favorite podcast episode that you would say, if we're telling listeners right now, "Go listen to this. Then listen to all the others, but go listen to this one first." Do you have a favorite one that you can share with us?
|Can I give you two?
|Episode 101 is with Honest Tea and I recommend you read their book. We go behind the scenes of the book in this episode. If you're not familiar with Honest Tea, they sold to Coca-Cola, which I'm sure … That was my projection, Coca-Cola? How could they do that? They were able to keep their brand completely independent and now they have distribution everywhere. They're in Chick-Fillet and Wendy's with their organic fair-trade tea. They tell their whole story. We talk about the biggest mistakes learned. He just talks about … This guy has gone from inception in 1998 to now, like a $160 million a year company.
|I think that's a great learning to see, "Do you have what it takes?" It teaches you about how vicious the beverage industry is. That's a great one to get a mind-set and chops.
|One episode that I'm really proud of, that I also think you should listen to, is on art and design with WTRMLN WTS (pronounced: Watermelon Water). I'm not sure if you're familiar with WTRMLN WTR. This is episode number 85 of the podcast. Jody, she's an expert in experienced design. Experienced design is like … The easier way is to think about going to the Apple store; everything, the way it smells, the lighting, the way it looks, the way people speak to you, everything that goes with the experience. She's consulted with fortune-100 companies about these types of things.
|If you go to their website and you look at their packaging, WTRMLN WTR in terms of marketing design copy, is just … They're blowing up. The Broncos before the Super Bowl were drinking it. Biance invested in it. That was a great lesson on art and having a concept and having an artistic expression of your concept within your company. Not just in your packaging, but everything the company does and how powerful it can be.
|It was definitely an episode that I didn't even know what I was getting into. I just got referred by their PR, "Hey, would you like to have them on the show?" Then, it just turned into this really amazing episode that I still think about today.
|Oh, fantastic. I love that. I'm pausing because I haven't actually listened to that one, so I'm kind of making a note here to go back after we finish talking and go listen to that one. Thank you so much for being on today. As I mentioned earlier, we're going to include links to those two podcast episodes, to the podcast series in general and to Andy's Fruits Columbia, the company that Matt Aaron helped to co-found.
|Thank you so much for sharing all of your insights with us. Like I told you guys in the beginning, those of you here listening, go check out this podcast, his podcast series. I don't do this with everybody, as you know, but his podcast series is one that if you like podcasts, you need to get it on your phone and keep listening to it.
|Jennifer, thank you so much for having me. Sorry, to interrupt. I want to say thank you so much for the shout-out to my podcast. That means a lot as pod-casters, you should know.
|No, my pleasure. You do great work and you do great work in helping to democratize the information that all of us food entrepreneurs need to get and to stay successful in a really highly competitive and every-changing landscape.
|It's not easy, that's for sure.
|Thank you.
As a reminder, you can check out The Food Startups podcast by clicking here. For other Small Food Business podcasts, click here to Listen + Learn or you can access them directly on iTunes.
Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:
- Andes Fruits Columbia
- BlueCart
- Tynan.com
- Food Startups Podcast Episode 85 with WTRMLN WTR
- Food Startups Podcast Episode 101 with Honest Tea
- Food Startups Podcast Episode 17: Why You Shouldn't Start A Food Business
Related Articles:
- Designing Packaging That Jumps Off Store Shelves (PODCAST)
- Should I Hire A Demo Team To Grow My Business? (PODCAST)
- The Emotional Roller Coaster Of Entrepreneurship (PODCAST)
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text:
Confirmation that the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round against Alfreton Town will take place at Sincil Bank Stadium this coming Tuesday, 28 October 2014.
The game will kick-off at 7.45pm with admission prices being as follows:-
Adults: £15
Concessions 60+ / Disabled: £10
Juniors U18/students 18-21 with ID: £5
Tickets for the Starglaze VIP Lounge, meanwhile, will be £18 for members and £20 for non-members. For Executive Boxes and other sponsorship/hospitality options, please contact Commercial Manager Russell Moore, at email@example.com or on 07971 122234.
The draw for the First Round Proper, meanwhile, will be televised live on Monday 27 October on BBC2 in a 30 minute programme commencing at 7.00pm. Ball number 54 is the one to keep an eye out for!


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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Working Smarter, Not Harder as a Freelance Writer
"I should bid low early on and raise my rates later when I have a bigger portfolio."
"I have to take low-paying gigs, because they're the only gigs I can find and I need money right now!"
Have you ever said any of these things to yourself in your freelance writing career? Has anyone else ever tried to convince you of these things? If they did, they'd be offering terrible advice.
I see many freelance writers (especially freelance Web writers) who live by the above "rules." I also watch as most of them continuously struggle to make ends meet. They have to take one low-paying writing job after another with a constantly full schedule just to earn enough to scrape by.
You don't have to live like that!
The real key to successful freelance writing is knowing how to work smarter, not harder. You've heard it before, but what exactly does it mean as a freelancer?
Here's an example:
A freelance writer (let's call her Sally) currently charges $10 per article writing Web content for clients. She can only work 40 hours per week, and to stay on top of things like marketing (get more clients), looking for gigs, and other administrative duties she can only bill out 30 hours per week.
Now let's say that Sally's a generally strong writer. She devotes plenty of time to research whether digging up statistics online or conducting interviews. On average, let's say it takes Sally one hour to write a fairly decent article. That means Sally is only able to earn $300 per week.
She can't get by on that. Even though Sally is in a two-income household, she really needs to be bringing in something closer to $900 per week (thinking about current times, let's say her spouse was laid off from work, and now she has to be the sole provider in the interim).
Uh oh. What's Sally to do?
She can do two things: work harder, or work smarter. Here's what each would look like:
Working Harder
Sally needs to triple her weekly income. Her instincts tell her that she'll therefore need to work harder--basically she'll have to triple her productivity.
She has to write three articles per hour, rather than one. Either that, or Sally has to find a way to increase her billable hours each week (working "overtime" or slacking on some administrative duties to squeeze in more billable time perhaps).
But wait. There's more. This also means Sally will have to attract three times as many clients (or three times as much work from existing clients). We therefore know she can't cut back on her marketing time. Let's also say she has other commitments she can't get out of, making overtime unrealistic.
Given the situation, the only way Sally can "work harder" is to keep working those 30 billable hours, but cram in more articles per hour.
Rather than writing 30 articles per week, she now has to write 90 articles per week. Because she can't devote as much time to research, she now writes her articles from fairly generic Web-based research alone.
Sally is able to eventually make her income goal, but her article quality has suffered and she's on the verge of completely burning out--not sustainable.
Working Smarter
Now let's assume Sally decides to "work smarter" to triple her income.
She knows what she needs to earn ($900 per week). She knows her writing quality exceeds that of most other writers in her current rate range. She has a solid portfolio built up. She refuses to burn herself out, and takes a smarter approach.
Sally re-calculates the rates she needs to charge. She knows she needs a bare minimum of $30 per article at the existing work load.
She's also smart enough to know she won't keep all of her current clients at that increase, and that she'll have to start marketing her services to a different, higher-paying market. She also knows it's very unlikely she'll have a full work schedule quickly. Therefore she decides to charge $50 per average article she writes.
At $50 per article, Sally has to write only 18 articles per week. Yes, she knows it will be harder to attract clients at her new rate, but the good news is that she doesn't have to attract as many to reach her income goal (18 articles versus the 90 she would have to secure and write at her previous rates). She'll also have nearly twice as much time to work on each article (allowing her to do more thorough research to even better justify the new rates, or she'll have several hours more per week to devote to marketing to attract those higher-paying clients.
Less time working, but earning more money--this is "working smarter."
The idea of working smart is to earn as much as you can doing as little as you can. Sounds simple, right?
That's not to say you can pull a higher rate out of thin air though. You must be able to justify those rates based on your education, experience, or other value you can offer to the specific market you want to target.
See what you can do to start working smarter in your own freelance writing career. If you currently work for $10 per article like Sally, find a publication advertising higher rates and pitch them. You may be surprised to find they do think you're worth more.
If you find yourself with free time, spend some of it writing a report, e-book, blog, or something else that can earn you money on the side. If a client isn't paying for your billable time, you should still consider it "billable." Just work for yourself on some money-making task, even if the income won't be immediate. It's better to do that than sit around waiting for more clients, and in time you may even find you can earn more that way.
We get into freelance writing because of its numerous perks. Don't end up hating what you love to do because you find yourself burning out to get by. Always look for ways to work smarter, not harder, and you'll find that you may even love your work more than before.
About the Author
Jennifer Mattern is a freelance business writer and blogger behind AllFreelanceWriting.com and WebWritersGuide.com. She is also the author of the Web Writer's Guide e-book, designed to help freelance writers launch a successful Web writing career.
Save $10 on the Web Writer's Guide e-book by entering discount code "kimberly" (without the quotes) over the next 30 days!
12 comments:
- Jennifer Mattern said...
Thanks so much for agreeing to be a host on my blog tour. :)
Looking back over my post, I think it's important to note that even though I chose one specific version of "working harder," they all tend to eventually lead to the same results - unsustainable working conditions and burnout. Many writers just assume they can keep working longer hours, and they won't have to sacrifice quality. While it's true you can do that for a while and be okay, it's one of the easiest ways to end up hating your job over the long haul.
- February 12, 2009 at 10:27 AM
- Kimberly Ben said...
Jennifer, I really apreciate you sharing your knowledge. I hope that this information helps others who want to start their own freelance writing business or need need help setting rates.
Tgis information is extremely valuable. When I first started freelencing my business took off quickly and I eneded up almost completely burning out. I was really begining to resent all the work, so I knew something had to give. I raised my rates and started marketing my services more. I'm making some other changes right now after reading your ebook.
I hope others will take advantage of the discounted price. Thanks again!:)
- February 12, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- HotWebTopics said...
Excellent article Jennifer, and thanks for bringing it to us Kimberly.
The one thing I'd second in the article is setting up different streams of income (eg, publishing an ebook, doing online seminars, etc.).
I'm at the point now where I can almost quit freelance writing b/c of my "side streams of income." This allows me to pick and choose -- for the most part -- the types of projects I take on. And that feels good.
Good luck with the book Jennifer. Seems like a very valuable resource (I read Kimberly's review of it last week).
- February 12, 2009 at 12:02 PM
- Kimberly Ben said...
Hi Yuwanda,
I agree completely! Jennifer discusses this very topic a section about this her ebook. As a matter of fact, I am working on a couple of residual income projects myself. I think both of you ladies have done such a good job of providing guides for new freelancers, there is certainly nothing I can add there.;-)
I'm working on a couple of blogs and other projects that I hope to launch very soon.
- February 12, 2009 at 12:12 PM
- Jennifer Mattern said...
"I'm at the point now where I can almost quit freelance writing b/c of my "side streams of income." This allows me to pick and choose -- for the most part -- the types of projects I take on. And that feels good."
It definitely does. Sometimes I wish we could give newer writers a taste of what that feels like just so they fully understand what they're striving for.
And good luck on going full time with the "side projects." I'm actually in a similar boat--in the process of moving from full-time client work to full-time "writing for myself." Blogs and e-books are the bulk of that for me personally at the moment, but I'm also pushing into other areas to try to diversify a bit further. Precious little delights me more than getting to reap the rewards of my own work - getting to control how it's distributed, have my byline there, and earn continuously. I sincerely hope every freelancer takes on at least one new revenue stream just to get a feel for the possibilities out there.
- February 12, 2009 at 5:48 PM
- Devon Ellington said...
Right on, Jennifer!
Also, when you get stuck in writing the $10/pop bits, that's your reputation -- cheap, not quality. The clips usually aren't the kind of thing you can use in a portfolio to get a higher paying job.
I've said this a million times -- you're better off taking on a charity pro bono and getting great clips that will catapult you to the $50/article and up jobs on the quality of the work.
High quantity, low quality mill writers hurt everyone in this profession, not just themselves. They demean themselves and the profession in which we work so hard and love so much.
- February 13, 2009 at 11:24 AM
- Kathryn said...
Thanks for the post - it definitely made me feel better about the idea of charging more for my articles. I'm a firm believer in the work smarter - I just don't always succeed at the idea.
- February 14, 2009 at 8:47 PM
- Jennifer Mattern said...
Devon - I've been known to say the same. Too bad more people don't listen I suppose. :)
In nearly every case, a writer would be better off doing a volunteer project for a recognizable (and respectable) non-profit to build a portfolio piece than taking on a free gig with someone more directly in their target market (especially compared to the low-paying markets you're mentioning).
I actually have an entire post that I'll likely repurpose and expand into a short free report on this subject (building the portfolio even without experience, and the role free gigs can play). If anyone's interested, they can find that here:
Kathryn - I'm always glad to hear any writer say they're more comfortable considering raising their rates (when they can back them up of course). As a matter of fact, today's post at AllFreelanceWriting.com is an interview with a writer who used to charge as little as $.005 - .02 per word. While she's not charging a fortune now, she very significantly increased her rates to get out of the spammy content market, and she has some good things to say about the experience that I hope other writers in that situation might find inspiring.
- February 16, 2009 at 9:38 AM
- Lori said...
Oh my. It's like Jennifer was inside my head! My post on my blog today sort of echoes the same thing - stop marketing out of desperation and start spending quality time looking for quality work.
I couldn't agree more. I took on a project once upon a time that was gawd-awful long, paid nowhere near what it should've, and tied me up for months. The money I lost because I was wasting time on it made me change my ways from that point on. If the terms aren't acceptable, neither is the work. No exceptions!
- February 17, 2009 at 8:28 AM
- Jennifer Mattern said...
Another way I like to look at it is this:
Currently I charge $200 per 500-word article.
When a writer comes to me justify taking $5 for a similar-length piece, I tell them "Look, I'd rather earn $1000 writing five articles than 200 of them - period."
Sometimes I find that kind of comparison helps them. Thinking about "five articles" helps to clear up why it's not a big deal if there aren't as many people paying those rates - you don't need to find that many who are. Even if they could only land 20 articles per month, they'd be earning 4 times as much and writing 10 times fewer articles. Heck, even if they only moved to $20 per article, they could cut their writing time by 75%, devoting that time to finding better clients.
The quality of life difference is the biggest benefit of viewing (and acting on) things that way. So far I've yet to meet a single writer who took the advice to work smarter, earning more for less, who wasn't happier for it.
- February 18, 2009 at 2:54 PM
- Jennifer Mattern said...
I just wanted to post a quick reminder for those interested in the $10 discount on the Web Writer's Guide e-book. The code given in this post will only be valid through this Saturday (March 14th). :)
- March 8, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- Kimberly Ben said...
Thanks for the reminder, Jennifer. I hope those who read this blog and are contemplating web writing will take advantage of this discount.
- March 8, 2009 at 10:20 AM


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At some point, being a homeowner means being a home seller. For various reasons, we may need to pack up and move. Ideally, this might mean transferring to a new home.
Whatever the case, there are areas we should tackle before selling, improving the home in various ways for prospective owners.
Start with the garden
The first thing people see when coming to your home is the landscape around it. There's no point in having the world's prettiest home if it's buried in weeds and overgrown bushes.
To improve your home's value, make your first priority the surrounding landscape and garden.
HouseLogic notes:
"Good landscaping can add up to 28% to overall home value, says landscape economist John Harris. Even taking your landscaping from "good" to "excellent," in terms of design, condition, and placement, can add 6% to 7% to a home's value, according to a Clemson University study of homes in Greenville, S.C."
Unlike other improvements, this is immediately noticeable and worth starting, to instill some confidence in your overall project.
Strip your carpets
To provide a sense of warmth, most of us have cheap carpets installed.This covers up concrete, provides a soft ground layer and is generally pleasant when first used.
However, carpets quickly become dirty and increasingly difficult to clean. Rather strip them and put wood in place.
Speaking to experts, Cleveland.com noted hardwood floors last longer and can be refinished several times "to freshen the look". Wood is also easier to clean than carpets. Though good hardwood floors often cost more than carpets, wood "adds a lasting value to a home that carpet can't."
Wood, in general, is a good alternative. For example, timber decking can do wonders to improve the aesthetics of any outside area. The various benefits of wood make it an obvious choice for those wanting to improve the home.
Clean the bathroom
One of the key areas of a home is the bathroom. No one wants a bathroom that doesn't function. Find those areas you can improve on, such as the pipes and taps, and make sure they're the best you can get.
Scrub the walls, ascertain the geyser works and do all manner of checks to see all is in working order. This benefits you, too, since it means you have a functioning bathroom and one that won't suddenly break down on you.
Selling our homes can be hard, but we can make it more enticing by making these and other improvements.