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Entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, managers need to step back on a regular basis and get back to basics. The temptation when running your own enterprise is to stop doing the foundational elements that made you successful in your business. What are the basics for you? Could they be?
• Marketing: Testing and measuring what is working in your marketing program and what isn't. Are you guessing as to which marketing programs work and which don't. One of my clients swore that one of their marketing programs worked and worked well, until we ran the numbers. They were investing about $14,000 per year in this program and got about $6,000 back. Even taking into account lifetime value of the new customers, it was an expense and not an investment. Both revenue and profitability went up when they stopped that marketing program.
• Sales: It is documented that sales people must be trained and retrained on a regular basis to refine their skills and ensure the basic blocking and tackling is being done. What old sales techniques need to be revisited and are there new ones? Selling today is very different than 5 years ago, however some of the basics like communicating with your prospect are foundations which often get forgotten due to bad habits.
• Closing: Are you asking for the close in the sale? I have a client that lost the potential of a big new account because the prospects perception was that they didn't want it enough. They asked for the close, but not often enough during the final presentation. Their competition asked for the sale more.
• Advertising: Are you running the same old ad that you always do? It works – great, but could it be better. What is your shock and awe with your advertising? Do you get their attention, or are they yawning through the whole process?
Basics are critical. Innovation is critical, yet if the innovation is built on a rocky foundation the whole business may fail before you know it.
The last issue addressed 3 aspects of your business. This issue will address 3 additional areas of: Are you working harder than your business, or is your business working harder than you? There are 6 steps to creating a profitable business that works without you having to be there every day:
Each of the six steps builds upon the previous. Here is a high level jet tour of the last 3 of the six steps.
Leverage: creating efficiency = more time for the owner
If you are the typical business owner, you are the hub of a wheel. The spokes are the channels of decision making from all aspects of your business. Get the picture?
In our desire to control our business we have imprisoned ourselves, the owners. Additionally, because we have not implemented written systems to run our business we have become vulnerable to certain key individuals within our organization. These key players are very good at what they do and if they leave the company, the consequences will produce a significant setback for the business.
The answer is to systemize the routine and humanize the exception. Systems should run the business and people should run the systems. The Japanese taught us this hard lesson in the 80s. Systemize your business and you will leverage your capacity as the owner. Until systems run your business, you have a job. You will never be able to extract yourself to work on your business instead of in your business. Lifestyle improvement will remain an unreachable dream.
Team: having the A-Team run your business = structuring for growth
Ask business owners what represents their greatest headache, most will tell you "employees". You've heard it said: "People are a company's most valuable asset." That is not true! The right people in the right positions are a company's most valuable asset. In the book "Good to Great" Jim Collins writes: "Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is one thing above all others: the ability to get and keep enough of the right people."
Synergy: a well-oiled business machine = freedom!
This is when 2 + 2 = 5. Too many business owners after experiencing a little success try to expand through duplicating outlets or franchising before they have successfully completed the four previous steps. As they grow, because of insufficient systems and/or the wrong people on their executive team, cracks start to appear in the foundation. So they retreat and go back to when it was only one business location that they can control with their presence. In fact, if the owner carefully built a strong foundation on the four previous steps, the cumulative effect of this smart work will be significant income with time to enjoy it. Congratulations – you now no longer have a job! You are a successful entrepreneur!
Massive Results: diversification through multiplication or acquisition
As a result of what you have learned by taking your business through this process, coupled with the time and money to leverage, you can create multiple steams of income and wealth by multiplying your business concept or acquiring other businesses and taking them through the six steps. Or, you can retire with a lifestyle that is the envy of most.
Janna Hoiberg is a local business owner and business coach with 25+ years of business experience. Forward your business questions to: 719-358-6936 or email to email@example.com
Are you working harder than your business, or is your business working harder than you? If you are working harder than your business, you are among the many self-employed who have succeeded in purchasing a job for themselves! Do you aspire to be an entrepreneur? Then you must figure a way to create a business that works harder than you, so that you can use your spare time to launch other business endeavors or to enjoy the lifestyle that typifies the successful entrepreneur; time with family and time for personal leisure pursuits. So how does one get their business to work harder? Follow these 6 steps to creating a profitable business that works without you having to be there every day:
Each of the six steps builds upon the previous. Here is a high level jet tour of three of the first six steps. The last 3 steps will be covered in the next issue.
Mastery: from chaos to order
Time is our most valuable asset. We can regain lost income, but can never regain lost time. There are four activity categories into which we can invest or waste our time:
1 and 2 are time wasters for the business owner. 3 and 4 are the difference between working in your business and working on your business. 4 is working in what I call the Zone and should represent 80% of your time. Working in the Zone will prevent many of the urgent/important from occurring.
Do you know where your business is financially? What is your breakeven? How about your cash flow – can you predict it? What is your profit position – how accurate and real-time is your information? Is your most valuable tangible asset (your business) increasing or decreasing in value? Is your business consistently delivering your value proposition to the marketplace in such a way as to not just satisfy your customers, but create many raving fans? This is called the WOW factor. And finally, are your business goals aligned with your personal goals so that when your business is working harder than you, you are living your desired lifestyle?
Niche: effectively marketing your USP = predictable cash flow
Discounting your prices in the face of competition is devastating to your bottom line. Let's, for example, assume that your gross profit margin is 40%. If you discount your prices by 10%, your sales must increase by 33% to maintain the same gross profit dollars! How does one avoid such damaging action? By creatively crafting your marketing around your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)! Done correctly, this will carve a niche in the marketplace that you alone occupy, thus insulating your business from the discounting frenzy produced by a market crowded with competitors.
Look for Part 2 and the balance of the six steps coming in the next issue.
Like all things in life, running a business has its ups and downs, its highs and lows, and its successes and failures. Celebrating the sweet victories is easy, but how do you cope with the agonies of defeat?
First things first, like it or not, failing is inevitable. Every single person has failed at one time (or in most cases, lots of times). Throughout history scores of renowned great achievers not only failed, but failed over and over again. When Albert Einstein was young, his grades were so poor that a teacher asked him to quit, saying, "Einstein, you will never amount to anything!" Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team for his lack of skill. Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade. Soichiro Honda was turned down for an engineer position with Toyota Motor Corporation.
Here's another truth: Failure is not something to fear. Failures and mistakes are lessons that can be used as stepping stones. And even though it may feel like it's the end, it's actually just the beginning. According to dictionary.com, failing is "an act or instance of failure." But according to John Maxwell, bestselling author of Failing Forward, "Failure is simply a price we pay to achieve success."
Failing forward is a willingness to learn from failures and implement the lessons into your actions, behaviors, and business. It's choosing to pick yourself up and continue to move forward and toward your intended outcome in spite of being discouraged.
Think about the last time you failed and ask yourself these questions:
Now take the answers to these questions and plan how you will incorporate the lessons into your future actions.
So the next time you find yourself flat on your face, be grateful for the learning opportunity, dust yourself off, keep trying, and remember that the most inventive and successful people in the world not only fail, they are the BEST at failing.
Tradition entwines the history, heritage, and reputation for any business, and especially family business. It creates a familiar foundation for generations to establish themselves as economies, markets, and business environments. Tradition sets expectations and creates standards for customers and business owners alike. It also has the potential to differentiate your brand from the competition. When the community recognizes the way you do business as a family tradition, they have an idea of the level of service they can expect from you.
With that said, sometimes tradition can be interpreted as restrictive and a hindrance. This is especially true if you or members of your family business are adverse to change. Tradition is not to be used as a reason or excuse to shun from incorporating innovations and new practices into your business. After all, these changes, difficult as they may seem, are what can give your company the cutting edge.
There is no established timeframe in making a tradition.
Tradition has a positive impact on family business and is essential for success for today and for the future.
The transition from one generation to another can be very seamless and smooth. However it takes education, planning, openness and humility.
As much as possible, do away with the prejudices you have of this next generation about what they can and cannot do. Get rid of family politics. Stop protecting Junior and doing things for him. Let Junior stand on his own two feet or leave the business. There is no shame in not being in the family business. Life is too short to not follow your passion. A message to Junior: Understand that you will change. You may not want to join the business now, but your passions, needs, desires and interests will change as you age. Mom and Dad, Grandpa, and Auntie may start getting smarter and have a better perspective as you get out in the world, work a job and learn the realities of life. Don't burn your bridges and be unable/unwilling to come back and see the value of that family business. Also, following your passion doesn't mean sitting on the beach strumming a guitar (nothing against beaches and guitars). It does mean that if you have a passion for medicine and the family business is a furniture store, follow that passion for medicine. Just because your passion was the business doesn't mean you have to force your passion on everyone else.
"Dad had started to transition out of the business. He was very organized and had a place for everything. The son, the new business owner and leader, had not inherited Dad's particular gift of organization. He had piles on his desk and on the table. Dad on a few occasions during the transition went through and "cleaned up" the piles and threw out what he believed was unnecessary papers. As you can imagine, that created tension and frustration—on both sides. New rules had to be set up. There were new ways of doing things. It wasn't better—just different—and Dad had to step back. He needed to be humble, understand new ways and allow the new regime to succeed or make mistakes on their own. It was a reality check for Dad who needed to realize he was no longer in control."
The most significant challenges with running a family business arise due to the relationships within families. With a regular job, you can leave work at the office with no worries about bringing the job home. However, when your co-workers live under the same roof, or are related to you, work and family issues can become intertwined. Your childhood relationships with siblings, parental interactions, self-image, generational thought processes all affect relationships in a family business.
Some of these challenges include:
There are lots of challenging issues when working in the family business such as divorce, health challenges, financial stability just to name a few. Rather than ignore the possibilities of such things happening, it's best to create a scenario and then a contingency plan should something arise. Protect your business, but don't forget to protect the family as well.
Transition timing can be very stressful. How long will it take to transition parents out of the business? It seldom happens overnight (unless by death or divorce). Yet the multi-year transition can be enough to kill the business, the relationships or both.
The challenges include:
Customers. Do customers always want to work with Dad, since he gives them a long-term customer discount that Junior won't? Do they like the way Mom runs the business and always ask for her, making it hard to establish a level of leadership?
Boundaries. So who really is in charge? Daughter? Mom? Dad? All of the above? Who makes the decisions during the transition time? Create a plan that lays out the transition. Is this a six-month, 12-month or two-year plan? You may have to revise the plan at some point. Do not just go with the flow. It might work out, but there is a great chance that it might not. Hoping things will go well doesn't work. Hoping no one will get their feelings hurt doesn't happen. Not making a plan puts you on a path to having issues.
"But we have always done it this way." That statement has been heard around the world in businesses of all sizes. Family business owners do not have the corner on this market. It does take on a new twist when changes need to take place to keep up with the times, the skills of the next generation or just market changes. One of my favorite books is If It Ain't Broke, Break It by Robert Kriegel and Louis Patler. Their concept is to examine conventional business wisdom and to break those rules in order to gain a competitive advantage. This book was written in the '90s but much of it still applies today. When something is working, you need to analyze why it is working and what can be done to improve how it is working. In other words, what can be done to make things work better? Football for many years was solely a running game. Even after the forward pass was legalized, it remained a running game until a coach decided to have his team try throwing the ball. Everyone was shocked and critical. Yet, today football is very much a throwing game; just look at what quarterbacks get paid for their throwing ability!
A Mom and Dad are now in their 70s. They are still active in the business, yet the reality is they need to be stepping back and delegating more control and decisions to the three children in the business. The three kids have been a part of the business for multiple years so they know how it works and how to provide the service and deliver the product. Sounds like a great scenario, right? Well, that depends.
So often the product and service areas are running smoothly, yet the next generation doesn't have a great grasp of the business portion.
Financials: How do you read those financials? Why is the overhead rate so important and how does that relate to cost of goods sold and profitability? Who is our banker and why is that relationship so important? How does the profitability trend? If seasonal, what is it per season? Business is math, marketing is math, team is math, sales is math, so why wouldn't financials be math? If you don't like math, then find someone who does and can translate it to what you can understand. As the transition begins, understanding the numbers becomes more critical than anything else. High profitability can cover up many sins, but good math can weed them out and increase profitability even more.
Management of the team: How does Mom stimulate, encourage and manage the team? Will the team be ready, willing and able to work for the next generation? Does the next generation have the leadership skills in place to be wise beyond their years? It takes five components to ensure you have the team you want:
Vision: Who will now carry the vision for the business? Who will take the trends affecting the business and start to make plans now to make the necessary course adjustments? Who balances the visionary to keep a level of reality in place? One business I worked with had an environment where the husband was the visionary. He always had new ideas, new thoughts, new opportunities that he wanted to follow. The wife was more of the money manager and brought a dose of reality to the business. She is the one who asked the hard questions regarding return on investment, the downside to an idea, etc. That is a valuable role to have in any company. However, that must be moderated with the vision that sometimes can't be seen by anyone else. Too much caution allows opportunities to pass and therefore be missed.
My parents had one such opportunity. Dad was offered the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a development that was taking place in the area where they lived. At the time, the area was essentially in the middle of nowhere. Actually it was in between somewhere big and somewhere else that was growing. The place in between was a risk. The cows that lived in that field were pretty content. Now today that area is a bustling, vibrant area. Dad always said that was the one that got away. This isn't to blame Mom; she always provided that caution, yet usually went with the visionary.
The next generation needs to have the visionary and the realist. There must be compromise between the two. One without the other can run the business into the ground. The visionary without the realist who asks the hard questions creates a business that follows every new trend. Not all trends are good. The realist is usually so cautious that they never get on the upswing of the bell curve. They are the late adopters and implement something after it is mainstream, passing up the opportunity to gain a competitive edge. It is sort of like installing a fax machine in 1995 when email was becoming the predominant tool. The fax machine was leading-edge back in the 1970s and was going out of style by the time the 90s rolled around.
George loved his business. He had attended school for many years to become a good doctor, was good at medicine and followed in his family footsteps. After a number of years of hiring out the administration part of his practice, he and his wife, Katie, decided to have her become involved in the operation. She was good at working with patients, completing the administrative tasks and helping in all the ways possible. Both George and Katie were busy all day long and didn't take time during the day to discuss business matters.
As all business owners know, it is the little things that can be the difference between peace and frustration in the daily life of business. Yet it is the little things that often don't get addressed until they are no longer little things.
Katie wanted to start regular weekly meetings with George to discuss the business and often tried to have these discussions once they both arrived at home. George, however, did a great job (better than most) of leaving business at the office once he walked out the door. Katie figured, what better time than during the evening after dinner when the kids were doing their homework or engaging in other activities to have the office discussions. The result was friction as they both dug in their heels.
Fortunately for them, after a few months of back-and-forth discussion, they came to an agreement to go out to lunch every other week, just the two of them, to discuss business. This allowed George and Katie to address business issues during the day and enabled them to grow their business.
Boundaries are probably the most important aspect of running a successful family business without destroying relationships. It doesn't ensure one or both parties won't overstep the boundaries, but at least they are drawn. Boundaries are required in many areas, including between home and work, among roles within the business and between family members and employees.
She is very controlling. He is always talking. She is slow to take action. He is quite a perfectionist. Are those words descriptors of you, your family members or your spouse? I know I recognize myself in at least two of those phrases. The challenge is not only our behavior, but the behavior of others. We need to understand the value of each other's strengths and capitalize on them, not focus on the negative. Let's look at different types of "behavior".
She is so controlling – yet the value she brings is the ability to makes decisions quickly, achieves goals, continue to be highly productive, a great leader, risk taker, and is usually efficient and structured. Now that doesn't sound so bad and could be these are tendencies that are needed in this business.
He is always talking to people which impacts productivity. However he is also spontaneous and loves a crowd around him, seeks out participation from others, is great at motivating the team, keeps everyone laughing, is easy to get to know and will try anything. Who wouldn't want to be around him?
She is slow to take action and hard to adapt to new environments. However, she is also relaxed, accepting, a great listener, a fantastic team member, is great at follow up, friendly, compatible and sees the details that others don't see which keeps us out of trouble.
He is such a perfectionist – it has to be exactly right. Yet, if I want something done right, he is the one to complete the task. He is accurate, systematized, structured, a good planner, and focuses on quality more than anyone on the team.
What one considers a benefit, another considers irritating. Think through the personalities on your team and refocus on looking at their irritating habits as strengths to appreciate!
The psychology of denial is interesting. Webster's defines it as: a condition, in which someone will not admit that something sad, painful, etc., is true or real.
Yet, that is a state that many live in daily. They essentially lie to themselves on a regular basis and that lie becomes the truth. Where are you lying to yourself in your business?
Each of the above items and your Excuses (which are dressed up reasons) are part of your own denial. You don't want anyone else to notice that you are lying – and lying to others – but mostly to yourself.
Truth is:
As the end of the first quarter of this year approaches, it might be a good time to ask yourself these questions and contemplate on where you are suffering from Denial and what do you need to change personally and in your business today!
Attitude is all about how you look at things. I recently took a trip to New Orleans flying through Houston. The Polar Vortex that has been hitting the US made for cancelled flights and a one day delay in actually making the trip. Then upon my arrival in Houston my connecting flight was cancelled. Rather than waiting around hoping to make it on another flight (the standby list was over 200), I chose to drive. The situations on that drive will generate some good stories during my speaking event!
That drive and the resulting situations (i.e., getting pulled over, having the road closed for 125 miles and getting detoured twice etc.) could have made for a very unhappy person who was grouchy, blaming the airlines, mad at the world and generally miserable. What I chose was the pure joy of having 6 hours to myself in a part of the country I haven't driven before and the peacefulness of my thoughts (when I wasn't singing at the top of my lungs to a favorite song).
The event that happened was the cancelled flight, my response was – ok now what happens. My actions created the outcome; "this is a journey and who knows where it will take me". My response could have been much different and the outcome could have ruined the whole conference for me.
My questions to you:
I have learned that one great joy is to take a bad situation and NOT take it out on others. I love watching them respond when they expect you to yell and get mad. I love putting joy into their day of not having an irate customer in front of them. Now this doesn't mean I allow them to walk on me, or am a push over (those who know me probably haven't even dreamed of that situation.) You would be amazed at how often I then get told: Thank you for being so understanding. Thank you for your attitude.
How do YOU respond? Do YOU need to change your response to life, business, and personal situations which not only change your world – but those around you?
The critical impact of attitude is seen every day in the business world. What one business owner sees as a disaster, another sees as opportunity and capitalizes on that opportunity. Those who have spent their lives in below the line thinking don't even realize the impact it has not only on them personally, but their families, businesses, customers and potential. If their team is below the line, where did they learn it from? Most likely they learned it from the business owner. An owner who is below the line will hire staff who also first turn to blame, excuses and denial. It is someone else's fault that the project is delivered late, someone else's fault that the customer is upset. To change they will need someone to hold them accountable to point out where they are below the line.
As I work with clients on this concept, the tendency is to swing to a point where issues in the business are not discussed with the excuse (notice the tendency again) that the issue is below the line. This doesn't give permission for a business to white wash issues in the business. What is does change is the ownership and responsibility for changing the issue at hand. If projects are late, that is a fact. The question is what must change in the business to ensure projects are not delivered late, that your customers have the experience stated in all the promotional material.
Businesses have lived for years in below the line thinking and attitude. They stay in business, they grow, and they pay the bills and serve customers. What impact would the business make with an above the line attitude? Profits would increase. Less time would be spent on blame and poor productivity. Productivity would increase with energy due to the positive atmosphere in the business. The examples abound.
Yet, you must be ready to make the change. Your dissatisfaction with the results, profitability, long work hours, people avoiding you since they dislike being around negative, blaming people, etc., must be at a point where it is higher than your resistance to making the change. It is easy to live below the line. It may not be fun, but it is easy and there is a great deal of company. When I ask my clients do they want to be average, the resounding answer is NO. They want to be above average. To make that happen, your mindset must change to one of excellence—above the line thinking— and you will be amazed at the results.
Let's start with a story.
Two business owners are in the same market, offer essentially the same products, target mutual markets, and yet at year end, produce very different results. One business is doing well, another is doing poorly. One business owner seems on top of their game, another isn't succeeding. One business is growing, the other business is barely scraping by and the owner is beginning to wonder whether it is either time to sell, or maybe, just shut the doors.
What is the difference between the two businesses? There can be any number of factors to consider. Perhaps the owners differ in the amount of knowledge and skills they have for running a business; there may be a difference in the systems which have been put into place, or maybe they are missing all together. Consider the team that drives the business forward, how pricing is determined, marketing is presented, and how sales are made. Many factors play into the success and growth of a business. Yet, there is one characteristic that creates the largest differentiator between the two business environments. That is the mindset of the owner and/or leadership. How do they view, what is their perspective on every situation, every economic obstacle, every customer, and perhaps on life in general? The attitude of leadership sets the tone for the environment of the business.
Is there a pervasive attitude similar to Eeyore's, Winnie-the-Pooh's donkey friend? In this type of environment the we get below the line thinking which produces a string of blame, excuses, and denial manifested in the "woe is me" life is hard, this is what happened, I don't get the same opportunities as others, the economy is really hurting, etc. In below the line thinking we often hear people blaming someone else, producing excuses for why things didn't get accomplished, and denial that their attitude is a main source of the issues at hand. Below the line thinking creates a reason for everything and generates a need to be explained.
On the other hand, the attitude that propels above the line thinking is more like Pooh's friends Kanga or Owl. Above the line thinking accepts ownership, accountability and responsibility for everything they do. They understand what they cannot control (economy, taxes, etc.) is only 10% of life; but what they have great control over is 90% of their life. This is what the author Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls the 90/10 rule. How your day goes is totally up to you, as is how you react to situations and what opportunities you achieved even through disastrous times. Steve Jobs got fired from Apple which most likely was not what he called the best day of his life, yet without being fired from Apple he would not have created Pixar and NeXT which are part of the foundation of the Apple products we love today. Above the line thinking creates results. Results don't require explanations, they speak for themselves.
The concept of goal setting seems to have at least 2 camps; one that perceives value, the other that questions the value. I was meeting with a friend recently and asked them about their own goal setting perspectives. He indicated he had never set goals and had been successful, so he didn't see the value. However, he did make plans and followed through regularly on his plans. In reality it boiled down to semantics; his plans were nothing different than goals. The word was different, the end result the same.
Both provided a roadmap that needed to be executed. Both required the individual to sit down and evaluate what had been accomplished and what was needed to move forward.
Another word that seems to stimulate some and repel others is resolution. What do you think about the typical New Year's Resolution – does it work or is it a feeble attempt to make yourself feel good – for about 10 days before your "resolve" deteriorates.
Most goals, plans and resolutions fail because of the lack of commitment, determination and accountability. They also fail in the true emotion of WHY you are doing them. If there isn't a compelling reason, purpose, why – or whatever word you want to use – it won't happen. The Why is actually more important than the actual goal or plan. The Why is what motivates you to make it happen no matter what. The Why is at the heart of the difference between success and failure. What is your WHY? If you don't have a clearly defined Why – I suspect you will have a very hard time achieving what you set out to accomplish.
Now, I will also challenge those who don't attempt to set goals, yet perceive that they have done fine without them. Here is the challenge: "How much better could you have done by setting goals, creating a plan, or making that resolution?" Sure you have done well, achieved much, are financially secure. Awesome, congratulations – great job! Yet, what would 5% or 10% more mean to you, your employees, your family, the charities you support? Is "doing fine" a form of settling, not being willing to get out of your comfort zone, fear of true success? Only you can answer that question.
No matter what you call it: Goal, plan, resolution or something else. You need a guiding light to illuminate the path you plan to follow and allow you to find places to rest along the path throughout your journey. That rest can be the difference between success and success beyond your wildest imagination. The next step is yours.
Why do we, as a society, have such a hard time dreaming? As children, we dream on a regular basis. We fly, conquer the world, create imaginary friends, and plan to accomplish things never considered by anyone 20 years of age or older.
Then the aging process starts and conformity begins. We conform not only in our behavior (which is mostly good), but in our ability to dream. One by one, we are told (and often not outright), that our dreams are impossible. Our dreams are unreasonable, unreachable, or even unthinkable. You might have even heard, "Why would you ever try that - you might FAIL!"
What this creates is a society of control freaks. Some control freaks become business owners and owners who want it done their way, believing their way is the only right way. What they end up losing is the ability to leverage the world to get things done for them. They don't hire for new ideas, they hire for fitting into the box the business owner created. The problem: business owner wealth creation is often best accomplished by people with the desire to dream in a world without boxes.
Make 2014 a year of Dreaming without Boxes! What does that mean? It means stepping out and doing things differently. A perfect example is Steve Jobs who created something that was new and different that we didn't know we needed! Yet how many of us want to revert back to what life was like prior to first Apple computer? As a business owner, you need to get away from the day to day operations at times and give yourself time to dream, to challenge the status quo, your current thinking process, and to be open to new ideas.
You also must be willing to let others challenge your thinking – they also have dreams that might allow you to fly, conquer the world, and accomplish things you were told were impossible.
Dream big dreams for yourself, your family, and your business in 2014. Dreams do come true, but only if there was a dream in the first place!
An old adage goes, "Rules are meant to be broken." In many ways, this is absolutely correct. Simply following the rules, doing the same thing over and over, won't get you anywhere. Albert Einstein once said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them." Every truly great, major innovation in history has come about as a result of new thinking.
So let's say you've set up your business, and are doing fairly well. You have a steady stream of revenue, a good customer base, efficient systems in place, and everything is going great. What do you do next? Often, businesses will plateau. They will improve up to a certain point, but things won't get better from there. Once a plateau is reached, new thinking is required if you want your business to grow-which you should. Now, you should not throw your old playbook out the window, however, change is needed, and in many cases this change is rather unconventional. You need something that sets you apart.
Find that niche, and utilize it. Do something new, something different, and blow everyone away with your creativity and innovation.
(Picture credit:Freeditigalphoto.com)
In any business, just providing good customer service is not enough. In order to rise above your competition, you must take your customer service from average to spectacular. Customers have higher expectations and look for something that makes your company stand out.
Create a positive customer experience. Were their phone calls answered courteously and in a timely manner? Were their encounters with you and/or your staff friendly, energetic, and memorable? Did you do everything possible to find answers to their questions, solve their problems, and meet their specific needs?
Share your enthusiasm. This key ingredient to success is crucial for gaining and retaining customers. If you are not enthused about your business, how can you expect the customer to be enthused about your products or services? Deliver your customer service with excitement! Your enthusiasm is apparent whether you are chatting on the phone, face-to-face, or emailing with your client. Make sure that your staff and team members provide customer service with the same levels of enthusiasm and excitement.
Engage your customers. Assess all aspects of your business and determine how your clients felt about their experience. It is important to view your customer service from their side and then focus on any areas that may need improvement. Offer your clients the opportunity to share their feedback through comment cards, surveys, and testimonials. Be prepared and open to suggestions and/or complaints and criticism as you do this.
Make it your goal to provide stellar customer service from start to finish. Let your enthusiasm impress and inspire your clients to come back again and again. When you share your products and services in a genuine, positive, and exciting manner you are building a connection and customer experience that helps you rise above the rest of the competition!
Keep the Happy in Your Holidays
[Recently, I discussed taking time out for yourself to relax and take a break (Read: "Seeing the Forest Through the Trees!"). This week, I'd like to elaborate on this topic and incorporate it into the holiday season.]
It's the most wonderful time of the year! And also the most hustling, bustling, hectic, lose-your-mind-because-you're-so-crazy-busy time of year. Running a business and making time for festivities and celebrations can be a challenge. In between the potlucks, get-togethers, cookie exchanges, and ugly sweater parties are invoices, year-end financial statements, payroll, budget forecasting, planning and hundreds of other tasks to complete before the new year.
Here are some helpful hints to get you through the season with your sanity intact:
The holidays are meant to be a break from the everyday routine. These are the days when you can focus on spending quality time with the people in your life who matter most. Your time is valuable, and unlike money, you can't obtain more of it—what you get is what you get! With some proactive planning and time-management, you can enjoy the challenges and rewards of working for yourself AND enjoy the holidays too! And from me it is Merry Christmas to you.
Have you ever found yourself drifting off in your thoughts during a conversation? To observers, it appears you're engrossed in discussion, but mentally you're compiling your grocery list, preparing for your next appointment, or thinking of what you'll say when it's your turn to talk. When we are not fully listening, we are short-changing our speaker and ourselves. By receiving some parts of information and only pieces of conversations, we risk misunderstandings and miscommunications later down the road.
Active listening is making a conscious effort to concentrate on what another person is saying as well as understand the complete message they are sending. Through active listening, you are able to better communicate, relate, and respond to your clients, which mean you can better meet their needs and build a stronger relationship.
Here are 5 tips to help you become a better active listener:
As you interact with your clients, peers, and employees, try to practice your active listening skills. Do your best to be patient with yourself while you're honing these new skills. Though these steps may seem simple, active listening takes practice!
Every day, everywhere around us, there is an abundance of fear. No matter who you are, your age, or your profession, you are afraid of something (and probably more than just one thing). These fears can be anything from creepy crawlies, heights, public speaking, and natural disasters. These fears aren't completely unwarranted. Fear is a basic instinct; a means of survival ingrained in our fight-or-flight response. But just because fear is a natural reaction, doesn't mean that fear has a place in your business, especially if your fears are holding you and your business back from being a success.
The world of self-employment is ripe with opportunities for fear to creep up and rear its ugly head. Making follow-up phone calls, resolving customer issues, or presenting to potential clients can all feed into many kinds of fears. The difference is if you choose to take the opportunities to face your fear and push your business to the next level.
One of the first steps toward overcoming your fear is to identify the fear itself. You can do this by taking a mental inventory of your fear and jotting them down. If you find you're having a difficult time compiling your fear, consult a colleague, peer, or business coach to help you brainstorm the fears that are possibly holding you back in your business. Once you've written down these fears, review each and assess if these fears are based on real-life experiences or if they are based on your own assumptions.
Of the fears that are based on real-life experiences, recall what about the experience led you to your fear. Take time to really analyze and reflect on the overall situations and circumstances. Was this a one-time experience or is this reoccurring? How did you handle this experience? Was everyone involved satisfied with how you handled this experience? Did you garner any lessons learned from this experience?
Of the fears that are not based on real-life experiences, try to identify a common thread or theme between them. Do they tie into fears of rejection, confrontation, public speaking, failure, or something else?
After you have identified and assessed your fears, then talk them out. Confide in your network, discuss them with other trusted business owners, and get other perspectives. You don't have to face your fears alone! Work with an experienced Business Coach to create a specific action plan to help you overcome your fears, gain closure, and move forward.
Working for yourself is scary enough! The last person you need getting in your way is YOU! Choosing to work hard and face your fears isn't easy, but it sure is worth it!
All too often, I hear excuses for why something did not happen the way it should have. People always search for ways to absolve their guilt by blaming their issues on something else. I have found throughout my career that there are three major categories of excuses:
The "It's good enough" excuse
This is one of the most common excuses. Someone will do a passable job, scraping by, but quit as soon as possible with the excuse that what they accomplished is good enough. They are not striving for an "A" or for real quality work. Merely scraping by with a "C" or adequate work is good enough. However, if you want to make your business truly exceptional, meaningful, a true world-changer, this is not acceptable. You will never get ahead with "good enough". Would you yourself do business with just "good enough"?
The "I'm new at this" excuse
Along this same line, people who are new at something feel that they have a right to give themselves a bit of slack. Although there is something to be said for the learning curve, all too often it becomes an excuse to slack off your first few months. However, the opposite is true; you need to be ready from day one. Otherwise, you get trapped in a cycle where the "I'm new at this" excuse becomes a "good enough" habit.
The "I didn't plan for that" excuse
We all have moments that make us go "Oops!" If you have any doubts about that, I have a board game called Leverage to show you. Even though there are some unexpected developments, you cannot simply say "Oh well." You need a plan B, as well as a Plan C, D, & E. Be prepared for any and all eventualities, because you never know what will happen in the future. An employee may walk out on you, or there may be a sudden shortage of your product. When that happens, what will you do? Seriously think about a variety of scenarios and create plans to put in place before you need them.
Ultimately, complaining about a situation does nothing productive for you or your business. What you need to do is isolate the problem and identify a solution. Don't waste ages explaining your problems to your friends and colleagues, only to ignore their advice. Instead, get to the root of the problem, follow through with the corrective solution, and move on with your business. The art of self-correction is among one of the most important business lessons you will ever learn.
Whether you're buying your morning cup of coffee, holding a door open for a passerby, or letting a fellow driver merge in front of you, most likely you hear two magic words: Thank You. You hear it most every day, probably more than once. But how often do you SAY it? Do you feel that you say it enough? And do you make it a point to show it?
Steven Covey, bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, puts it this way: "Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival, to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated." [emphasis added]
Chances are your clients have a number of providers, services, companies, and products to choose from, and they have chosen to support you and your establishment. With the holidays just around the corner, this is one of the best seasons to show your gratitude and appreciation for all of the people who make your business possible!
Here are some easy ways to show your appreciation throughout the season (and all year long):
If you already incorporate customer appreciation into your business, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done. If you would like to start doing so, work on focusing your attitude on gratitude this holiday season...a little gratitude can go a long way!
The holidays are upon us, and too many times we find ourselves procrastinating during the last fiscal quarter of the business year. Have you evaluated the success of your annual goals? How much time and research have you put into setting new goals for next year? What is the state of your office and equipment? Will you be making any changes? Are there expenses this year that you will not need to add to your budget for next year? Are there additional major expenses that you will need to be planning for? What is your marketing plan going to entail for the next twelve months? These are just a few of the questions that are waiting for you to answer in the upcoming weeks.
What inevitably happens is that we feel like we have a lot of time to complete these final tasks, but in reality we have very little time between October 1 and December 31. Between holiday closures and holiday parties, the actual work days are significantly reduced. If you want to have a successful 2014, you have to begin planning for it now!
Here are 5 incredibly important tasks to complete by December 31!
Don't head into the New Year blind. If you plan your time, thoughts, and actions wisely during the last three months of this year, you will be setting yourself and your business up for an incredible 2014!
Call or contact Janna Hoiberg online to schedule a free, initial consultation.
There is no obligation and you're guaranteed to learn a few new things about your business.


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Back in June I spotlighted a French singer/songwriter by the name of JAIN, including her in a MASSIVE 4 part 'Brilliant Pop Bits You Might Have Missed" feature. Her infectious single, "Come" hooked me in with it's melting pot of musical influences, including African rhythms, reggae, and a smattering of soul and hip-hop all neatly polished off with some slick electronic production.
Currently in the midst of a mini bi-coastal jaunt—her first time playing here in the States by the way—JAIN is doing some promo before she drops her debut album, ZANAKA here in America on October 21st via RCA Records/Spookland/Sony Music France. With two well-received stops in Los Angeles (including a School Night show and an appearance at Hotel Cafe) already under her belt, 24 year old JAIN takes on New York next, with a show in Brooklyn last night at Rough Trade and another at Mercury Lounge in Manhattan's live music rich Lower East Side neighborhood slated for tonight. Be sure to check out my Instagram and Snapchat for updates from the show!
Heads Up
Mr. Johnson
Lil Mama
All My Days
You Can Blame Me
So Peaceful
Check Out JAIN Online:
Official Site || Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Instagram

subset: commoncrawl


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A look at the movies releasing on Friday
The Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic, Romeo and Juliet Ram-leela and the tale of a nautch girl Rajjo hit the theatres today. Horror thriller Insidious Chapter 2 will also be releasing on Friday.bollywood Updated: Nov 14, 2013 19:35 IST
The Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic, Romeo and Juliet Ram-leela and the tale of a nautch girl Rajjo hit the theatres today. Horror thriller Insidious Chapter 2 will also be releasing on Friday.
Genre: Romance-drama
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Richa Chadda, Shweta Salve
Synopsis: The film is a Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic, Romeo and Juliet. Ram, the local village Romeo, is a colourful and charming vagabond, while Leela is an unbridled and passionate village Juliet. The only thing in common between these two strangers is their families' hatred for each other. The two communities have been sworn enemies since the past 500 years and their own kin falling in love with each other is worse than any storm that could have ever come. When Ram and Leela see each other for the first time, their worlds collide, wars are fought and destinies are written in blood. Set in a land of guns and vengeance against a musical backdrop, Ram and Leela fight the world to live their own dreams. But will their love be accepted by their warring families? This forms the rest of the movie.
Insidious Chapter 2
Genre: Horror thriller
Director: James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins and Lin Shaye
Synopsis: Insidious: Chapter 2, a terrifying sequel to the acclaimed horror film, follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. The Lambert family learn their struggle with the supernatural is far from over when a long-buried secret plunges them back into a terrifying world of darkness. The famed horror team of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell reunite with the original cast for this second installment.
Genre: Drama
Director: Vishwas Patil
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Prakash Raj, Dalip Tahil, Upendra Limaye, Kishore Kadam, Paras Arora and Swati Chitnis
Synopsis: Rajjo is a love story set against the backdrop of the decaying 'kothas' of Mumbai. It is the journey of a women from a mujra girl to a housewife.
Rajjo is a nautch girl, but her pastoral upbringing has moulded her into an altogether a different person quite unlike one. She falls in love with an 18-year-old Brahaman boy, Chandu. Chandu visited the kothas of Nagpada for the first time with his friends to celebrate his victory. There he meets Rajjo, who mesmerises him with her powerful mujra dance. For Chandu, it is love at first sight. He belongs to a family of music lovers and music is the common running thread, so is the strong attraction that draws Rajjo and Chandu together and seals their love. Begum, who runs the kotha, is a very strict person, but when he gets to know about Rajjo's love, he gets her and Chandu married. Meanwhile, Handa Bhau is a corporator with powerful political connections, and he wants Rajjo at any cost. Bhau tries to break the relationship in all possible ways. Whether he succeeds or not forms the rest of the film.


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Share the post "Stollery Hospital With CISN, CHED and Fresh 92.5 FM Hold Annual Corus Radiothon on January 18 & 19, 2017"
The 18th Annual Corus Radiothon is a live, two-day broadcast on CISN Country 103.9 from the lobby of the Stollery Children's Hospital. CISN's sister stations, 92.5 Fresh Radio and 630 CHED, support Radiothon both off- and on-site during the broadcast. These stations generously donate air time, staff and programming to allow the community a glimpse into everyday life at our world-class Hospital.
During Radiothon, dozens of young patients and their families share stories of hope, help and healing to inspire the community to invest in excellence at the Stollery. The radio hosts encourage listeners to call our phone bank and become members of our Bear Hug Club — someone who pledges a minimum of $20/month to the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.
Since 2000, Corus Radiothon has raised more than $18.5 million — including more than $1.3 million in 2015. Proceeds help the Stolley Children's Hospital Foundation invest in the best people, programs, pediatric equipment and research to keep the Stollery Children's Hospital world-class in delivering specialized, acute health care to kids who need it most. Radiothon is the perfect opportunity for our supporters and volunteers to share in an inspiring experience and hear first-hand the difference donors make for Stollery kids.
January 18 & 19, 2017
5:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day
Stollery Children's Hospital Lobby
8440 112 Street NW, Edmonton


text: Hi, I need to know exactly what I need to do to set up time off for pregnancy (as a part time employee). I have been trying to figure out what I need to do all afternoon and am getting no where- I'm sure because they want you to screw up so they don't have to pay out. How can you give 30 day notice for FMLA is you don't know when you will need it and who does that need to be submitted to? Being part-time, do I only get 6 weeks FMLA? So if I am put on bed rest prior to my birth, then what? I just run out of time and lose my insurance?? Or potentially have to go back to work before the birth? What are your options if you medically need more time than that? Does the short term disability and FMLA have to be taken concurrently? I am so frustrated- the HR person is only around in my building sometimes and I have no idea when and no way to contact...I'm getting to the point where I really can't do my job anymore but my due date is about 8 weeks away. I would like to try to work like 2 more weeks and after that my doctor wants me done- so potentially I could be out of FMLA before I even give birth!? And what about afterward? I have a good chance of having a c-section...what about recovery time for that?


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We believe part of the mission of the local church is to evangelize the world. In addition to trying to reach our local community, we send financial and prayer support to missionaries both at home and in foreign countries. A percentage of our total general offerings is designated to missions, and church members participate through Faith Promise offerings as well. We send monthly support to a total of around 44 missions projects.
Our foreign missions projects include missionaries to:
Bahamas – Jason Lowe Family
Bolivia – Joshua Morris Family
Brazil – Dan Bennett Family
Brazil – Leland Johnson Family
Cambodia –Tim Stephens Family
Colombia – Rafael Gomez Family
Dominican Republic – Adam Pittman Family
Egypt – Jason Christiansen Family
Europe-US Military Brett Skillen Family
Guam/Micronesia – Sean Quinlan Family
Germany – Andrew Wilson family
Guatemala – Jerry Kinman Family
Iranian refugees – Ken Liles family
Kenya – Ole Konnerup family
Mexico – Mark Whiffen family
Mexico -Ernesto Valtierra Family
New Zealand – Guy Bankston family
Newfoundland – Patrick O' Brien family
Nicaragua – Jeremy Blanz Family
North Africa – Brendon W Family
Peru – David Liles family
Philippines –Carl Gormley family
Philippines –Mike Mislan Family
Russia – Bob Van Sant Family
Solomon Islands –Michael Deatrick Family
South Africa – Mark Schladenhauffen family
South Africa– Ron Naugle family
Spain – Mark Stipp family
Taiwan –David Green family
Ukraine – John O'Brien Family
Wales – David Campbell Family
West Africa – Dallas Brown
Our Home Missions Projects Include:
Ahavath Messiah Ministries – Al Reichman
Ambassador Baptist College
Bible Broadcasting Network
Crisis Pregnancy Center of York county
Farmer Christian Academy Girls Home
Global Baptist Schools – Bob Reed
Independent Baptist Fellowship of the Carolinas
Jewish Awareness Ministries – Ken Overby
Lighthouse Baptist Church – Brian Alphin Family
Living Letter Prison Ministry – Joe Hendricks Family
Piedmont Rescue Mission
Rock of Ages Prison Ministry – David Roth
Tabernacle Childrens Home


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I think we have heard a lot about smart-watches in recent times, according to report from Bloomberg News HTC is planning a smartwatch for the second half of next year. Just like the Galaxy gear, HTC's smartwatch is also expected to have a camera and run Android, dont expect things like pricing and other watch features to be leaked yet. We recently saw and reviewed the Sony smartwatch and other companies like Samsung have already produced smartwatches running Android, we still expect Apple's iWatch debut next year.
According to reports yesterday, HTC CEO Peter Chou and chairwoman Cher Wang talked about HTC's intentions to penetrate the wearable technology market, which they called a "critical segment" for the company. HTC was rumored to be working on a Smart watch with Microsoft last year but we doubt if the project was fruitful. The CEO also claims
It's still too early, it has to meet a need, otherwise if it's just a gimmick or concept, it's not for people's day-to-day lives. That is an opportunity for us.


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J.L. Jones
- 86 years old
- Date of birth: December 20th, 1928
- Date of passing: February 24th, 2015
This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, J.L. Jones, 86, born on December 20th, 1928 and passed away on February 24th, 2015. We will remember him forever.
Leave a Tribute:
Invite your family and friends to visit this memorial:
Subscribe to receive e-mail notifications when others contribute to this memorial.
Created in partnership with
Williams Funeral Home & Crematory
1670 N Jefferson St NE
Milledgeville, GA 31061-2207
(478) 452-2148
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text: It is Christmas in July for my blog. I didn't get my holiday sessions from 2014 posted yet so better late than never I always say. I will be setting my Fall and Winter holiday mini session and regular session schedule in late August/early September. I will open booking for those at that time.


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WE'VE heard warnings this week that Birmingham's parks are in danger.
Tory councillor Peter Douglas Osborn claims the threat comes from government house-building targets which would gobble up every available patch of land.
Maybe he should be looking closer to home at his own council's woeful maintenance of several city parks, including these three, which are in real need of TLC.
Mohammed Jamil is a worried and frustrated man as the Small Heath Park he came to know and love as a cricket-mad teenager in the '60s, when he had just arrived in Birmingham from Kashmir, is in a serious state of disrepair.
Now that he's got grown-up children of his own, Mohammed's concerned that the next generation of youngsters won't be able to enjoy the same opportunities as he did.
"If you want an example of how neglected it is, just look at the park-keeper's lodge," he says.
"It's been boarded up for about 17 or 18 years and when we told the council that we wanted to put it to community use and we'd even apply for the grants, they told us they wanted to use it themselves.
"But nothing has happened, and we can't help thinking they're just leaving it to fall down."
Drainage problems mean that even at the driest times of the year, the park has a large puddle about 30 yards across, which Mohammed says is a drowning hazard to small children and off-putting to visitors.
He's formed the Friends of Small Heath Park, but fears that despite frequent lobbying of Birmingham City Council, residents' concerns aren't being taken seriously.
"There are some real problems here, but we just feel as though we're banging our head against a brick wall."
Another case is Lightwoods Park is in Sandwell - but it's managed by Birmingham City Council - and therein lies the problem.
Critics say that because most of the people who use it don't have a vote in Brum, their complaints are ignored.
Sandwell Council's deputy leader Steve Eling describes Lightwoods as "a slum" and complains that the state of the paths is "absolutely appalling, a real health hazard".
"We are always getting complaints from local residents who say they or their children have fallen," he added.
"If you're coming in a wheelchair or a buggy, it's really not worth it unless you've got an Olympic weightlifter to help you along. That's how bad the paths are."
This was The Stirrer's childhood park, but now it stands as a monument to municipal neglect.
The wonderful mini-golf course of my youth was turned over to wilderness years ago and in the last few years the tennis courts and beautifully tended flower beds have disappeared too.
They are now fenced off and buried under a scary jungle of foliage.
One local resident told me that part of the park has now been sold to a house-builder, with some of the proceeds going to improve what remains.
But what have people been paying their council tax for, if not the upkeep of vital amenities like these?
Ley Hill's current state is also nothing less than a disgrace.
Birmingham City Council says it's currently investing #20 million in its parks.
They promise that work to upgrade the paths in Lightwoods Park will start next month, while #1.6 million will be spent regenerating Ley Hill, including the creation of a new village green.
They plan to continue discussing the future of Small Heath Park and its disused lodge with local residents.


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There are many scholarships available for foreign students who want to study in Denmark. In fact, many of the scholarships available at the universities in Denmark are government scholarships.
They have been sanctioned by the Danish Agency for International Education under the Cultural Agreements program. This program was signed between Demark and many other countries. Some of these countries were European; while others were non-European. This agreements regarding studying in Denmark were signed between 1937 till the millennium.
These policies mentioned in this agreement came into effect from 2011. The EU countries that are a part of this agreement are Austria, Belgium, Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Netherlands Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, and Lithuania. The agreement offers students from these countries many scholarships to study in Denmark. Some of the well known scholarships in the agreement are Erasmus and Nordplus.
This agreement favors talented exchange students and researchers from the above mentioned EU countries to study at universities in Denmark. The topics the students can choose to study are; Danish language and culture, design, or environmental studies, etc. Most of these scholarships are available only at the postgraduate level. The only exception being, the course on Danish language and literature that is available at the bachelor's level. There is a pre requisite clause to this also. You must have studied Danish language for at least 2 years before applying.
In addition, you can opt to study these courses on a long term basis or also for summer language programs. Most of the scholarships provided to study in Denmark for a long term period provide a monthly stipend that can cover living and tuition expenses of only one person. Full time degree program students who are already enrolled at universities in Denmark cannot be considered for this scholarship. Also, if you are already studying at any other higher educational institute in Demark, you cannot apply for this scholarship.
Also, universities in Denmark and all concerned authorities want to ensure that the most deserving students become a part of this program. Therefore, they have set criteria for giving out these scholarships. The students who meet most of the criteria requirements can easily gain access to study these courses.
Firstly, the reason and motivation for choosing the program of study should be enumerated lucidly. It is important that they mention Danish language and culture candidly in their reasons to study in Denmark. For instance, they can choose to study any of the following subjects; environmental studies, design, music, architecture, etc. So, the reason should state the field chosen in relation to Danish language and culture.
The lecturers at the universities in Denmark choose the applicants after reviewing their application. Most of these lecturers teach Danish abroad. These applications should also have the reference of an internationally acclaimed Danish lecturer attached to it. Normally, all lecturers are affiliated with different universities in Denmark.
Therefore, before applying to study in Denmark and sending out this application, the candidate is required to contact the Danish university. They should receive an invitation from this university to pursue studies with them. The application forms have to be sent to the 'The Danish Agency for International Education'.


text:
Bought mine on Craigslist no box or manual.
After trying like 5 task killers/managers on the market, I didnt like any of them.
After getting used to the one on the HTC One X I was disappointed the GS3 didnt have anything like that.
Today I accidentally long pressed the hardware button on the bottom of the screen, and yep, up popped a native
task manager that looks like the one on my Nexus 7.
Doh !
I feel stupid, but I am happy .


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| Follow .
Focus: TV Shows NCIS, Since: 06-12-07
Founder: H.I. Fanfiction - Stories: 12 - Followers: 24 - id: 46936
Tony & Gibbs are two of best characters on NCIS. Their slash love has created many things, including children. **If anyone knows of some good Tony/Gibbs MPREG stories that I don't have here, let me know by PM-ing their URLs or their titles to me!** :D


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Displaying 1 - 10 of 346 results
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Plate 5: South Kensington Museum. The Iron Museum
Survey of London: Volume 38, South Kensington Museums Area
Plate 5 South Kensington Museum. SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM: the Iron Museum, 18556. W. Dredge probable designer for Messrs. C. D. Young (p. 98). Demolished/removed a. South front in 1850's South Kensington Museum. South frontView result
Oakington: Economic history
A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 9, Chesterton, Northstowe, and Papworth Hundreds
fields. 97 By spreading its sowing of dredge over two fields, it could ... wheat, rye, and dredge, were sown in one field, spring ones, oats and peas, ... maslin, and probably some dredge,...View result
Dr stephens water - Dresden tape
Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities 1550-1820
REED See also DRAWING PEN. Sources: Tradecards. Dredging box [drugger ... dredging-box; dredgeing box] A dredge box could be a BOX for containing COMFITs, ... is unlikely to have...View result
House of Lords Journal Volume 7: 5 May 1645
Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 7, 1644
County of Essex, dredging and taking Oysters, and Brood of Oysters, ... and with him Twelve or Thirteen Boats more, and did dredge and take Oysters, ... all of them did dredge and take Oysters,...View result
Economic history: Agriculture
A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12, Chelsea
all the corn growing on the demesne- wheat, rye, barley, dredge, and oats ... to servants, dredge (barley and oats) for the pigs. 2 About 145 a. of arable ... while 16 a. of dredge was added. A...View result
The Bedford Estate: Covent Garden and the seven acres in Long Acre
Survey of London: Volume 36, Covent Garden
5 Surplus produce such as fruit, barley, dredge, a hay, vetches and strawView result
Inhabitants of London in 1638: St. Andrew Holborn, London
The Inhabitants of London in 1638
Page 10 566 MS. p. 319. Mr. Dredge 10 Mr. Jellibrand 9 Mr. Warnor 9 Mr.View result
Elsworth: Economic history
A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 9, Chesterton, Northstowe, and Papworth Hundreds
famine of the late 1310s to c. 165 a. afterwards. From part of the dredge ... and dredge. 50 The abbey 51kept a small herd of 20-24 milking cattle, sent ... 90 qr. The amount of dredge reaped...View result
Westminster Bridge
Survey of London: Volume 23, Lambeth: South Bank and Vauxhall
by James Dredge, 1897. Survey of London: Volume 23, Lambeth: South BankView result
Select Glossary
A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 17
of a parish's land. dredge: a mixture of various kinds of grain sown together,View result


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Make Change Stick
Many organizations write and talk about it, but few actually achieve it. Let's face it – it's hard when you can educate, communicate, facilitate, entice and incent others to change, but we can't mandate it.
TSI fosters Organizational Change Management (OCM) in a very applied manner. Based on great research in OCM and refined by hundreds of projects, TSI has developed an entire methodology and pragmatic approach that helps organizations manage change effectively so that client teams experience project success with minimum disruption.
TSI trains on OCM, we measure change readiness and constantly monitor the levers, both from an individual behavior perspective, as well as from an overall or group dynamic. Lastly, since TSI's approach is to look at OCM in relation to other improvement efforts (cush as a process or performance improvement project, or a technology strategy or program management project), we have the opportunity to interweave it in other tasks and activities. This make it real and greatly improves our chances to "make change stick.
TSI Has Many Areas of OCM Expertise
TSI has assisted a number of clients proactively (and at times, reactively) address the most difficult OCM challenges.
These projects have ranged from:
- Develop and execute an Organizational Change Management work stream within a complex CRM implementation
- Tailor an OCM training workshop for a number of key leaders for the varying roles they will need to play as part of a major transformation
- Assess executive and other stakeholder change readiness
- Define, analyze and improve how the organization works today and how it should work
- Improve handoffs and flow of work, communication and information – between suppliers, vendors, departments, customers and other key constituents
- Clarify roles and responsibilities in a manner that improves workflows customer satisfaction and controls,
- Define current performance including customer satisfaction, loyalty, cycle times, service levels, quality and other factors
- Determine how to improve performance levels
Listed below are a few examples of our expertise:
Private Sector/For Profit University
TSI was engaged by this rapidly-growing, online educational company to help them improve visibility over two key processes that were being tracked manually, and with extensive effort and delays. Firstly, the program development process was extremely manual and people-intensive. After TSI led a brief structured analysis set or workshops, we recommended a project tracking tool to assist academic leaders in planning and managing the status of college-wide program development projects. This ensured each program was completed in time for student registration.
Secondly, the faculty assignment process was reviewed and enhanced to build in faculty experience, performance and availability parameters. Recommendations from this project also include an improvement in technology (in addition to change in some policies and processes) centered on a tool that was currently in place and required further development. The updated tool now automates most of the tasks involved in the assigning of over 1,000 faculty members to over 2,500 class sections per term, on a cycle that repeats eight times each year.
Rapidly Growing Online Retail and Marketing Company
Rapidly growing organically and by acquisition, this company was tagged as "the fastest growing company in history." TSI was selected to define improved financial processes and clarify roles and responsibilities in most areas of the company.
This included key financial reporting processes and controls to enable their financial function to enable and sustain this growth. TSI also led the project to rapidly assess the existing technology and then to define business and technology requirements. This project resulted in selecting a cloud-based financial system (NetSuite); TSI assisted in the contract negotiation and establishing key service levels and KPIs for all vendors. Finally, TSI led the global implementation and achieved a great deal of success both in speed and quality of the implementation. The system was live in 5 countries in 6 weeks and in 51 countries in less than 9 months.
Easy to Do Business With
TSI feels we are only as successful as our last project. We need our clients to implement change that makes a positive difference. This is why we balance the proven process and organization change management approaches that steer our projects, while being flexible and adaptable.
The Takeaway
Due to the intellectual property TSI has invested in our approach and methods, we intentionally do not share that much of it on our site. We encourage you to contact TSI to learn more! Whether you are striving to keep your organization in a leadership position proactively, or are striving to make significant gains for other reasons, call on an expert team to make your desired gains – 847-705-0960 x 202.


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Product or Service
Pump Body
Profile:Manufacturer - Producer|Ref:PSL216979YH | Country: China | Currency: usd | Export: No
1). 22 years experience on OEM presision casting 2). Strict Quality Control system 3). Small order accept 4). SGS certification Process available Silica sol and sodium silicate (soluble glass) Material available Al, magnesium alloy, stainless steel, carbon steel, iron, Alloy Steel, WCB, Tool Steel and etc Weight 10g-200kg Accuracy Class CT4-CT7 Surface Roughness Up to Ra1.6 ~ Ra6.3 Applied Software Pro/E, Auto CAD, Solid Work 2001, CAXA, UG, CAD/CAM/CAE Production Capacity More than 2, 000MT per year Heat Treatment: Anneal, quenching, normalizing, carburizing, polishing, plating Machining CNC and NC machining, turning, milling, drilling, boring, threading, grinding machines and test facility
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A platelet and granulocyte membrane defect in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: usefulness for the detection of platelet antibodies
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The tendency of platelets and leukocytes to lyse after their interaction with antibody and complement was studied by measuring the release of 51Cr from cells labeled with this isotope. Platelets from six patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) were 15-230 times more sensitive to antibodies and 10-32 times more sensitive to complement than normal platelets or platelets from patients with other types of thrombocytopenic or hemolytic disorders. Mixed white blood cell (WBC) preparations from patients with PNH were 3-20 times more sensitive to anti-WBC antibodies and 5-10 times more sensitive to C′ than were WBC preparations from normal subjects, but PNH lymphocytes showed normal immunologic reactivity. PNH platelets, like PNH erythrocytes, lysed more readily than normal platelets in acidified serum and in media of reduced ionic strength, but these characteristics were not demonstrable with PNH WBC's under the conditions of study. In PNH, platelets appear to comprise a single population with respect to their sensitivity to immune lysis, yet their survival time as measured with 51Cr falls within normal limits. PNH granulocytes likewise appear to consist of a single, uniformly sensitive population. See more


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For the sake of clarity, the original mutual friend is G, and the new guy is D.
I met another guy a couple weeks ago who I hit it off with but it didn't work out. But he decided that he thinks his other friend and I would be a great match. So G gave me the guy's number and said he gave D mine and that he seemed really interested in getting to know me. I texted him briefly this morning to say hello, but I've heard nothing back. G says that D's really shy, and might not respond though. But he seems so awesome, and I really would like to get to know him better even if just as a friend because we have a lot in common. G says that D got my text, but again, is really shy. I texted him a second time about twleve hours later asking about a mutual interest I know we both are passionate about hoping to prompt him into talking. That was about two hours ago and still nothing. I don't want to text him again like tomorrow or whatever asking if he got my texts as a friend suggested, since I know G talked to D and I don't know if he mentioned that I'd asked G if I had the correct number and was worried that I was texting some random person instead of D.
He lives kind of far away, so a meet up between us with mutual friends is the kind of thing that has to be planned in advance because it would be a full day endeavor.
On top of all this, I've never been in a serious relationship, so I have zero idea how to handle this.
Help. Someone just please help. Life got complicated and I don't like it.
Too shy to text me back?
For the sake of clarity, the original mutual friend is G, and the new guy is D.
Have an opinion?
What Guys Said 1
I think your doing good so far. It just sucks that he is not texting you back. Maybe if you can plan something and meet with him in person is the best way to go with this. If he is as shy as your friend says he is then the odds are he is not going to text you. That is the thing I don't get because texting is much easier and less stressful then talking face to face. Maybe he is not a texter. If you meet him in person then he might be to shy to talk and you might have to lead the conversation like your doing now with the texting. It sucks if he does have all of this cool stuff in common with you then he needs to show you more interest.Text him again if you want.I don't think he is going to text you back.00|00|0
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Published on April 17th, 2013 | by Craig Forshey75
iBomber Lands On Google Play
Mega hit iOS game iBomber has finally arrived on Android. Bigger, better, and more sociable, the Android version is a special edition of sorts that combines the best parts of iBomber 1 & 2 into a single game.
The best levels of both games were combined to create an epic 26 level campaign, which means its possible to play iBomber 1 levels with weapons from iBomber 2. Players can also compete against friends and compare achievements online thanks to the integration of the Papaya social network.
- 26 Action Packed Missions
- Social network via Papaya
- Super smooth game-play
- Multiple bomb types and pick-ups
- Amazing audio and 3D spatial sound.
- The satisfaction of blowing everything up!
- The very best of iBomber and iBomber 2
You can pick up iBomber for free on Google Play.
Google Play – iBomber


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As you may know Skechers had a deal going on some boots! The Men's Revine Hopkins Boots were on sale for $3. Most had a feeling this was a pricing error. It took me over 5 hours to order 2 pair. Yes, I only needed two pair, one for myself, and one for my husband. However, those greedy people showed up started ordering hundreds of pairs, for what? Oh wait to resell sort of like people did with those HP Tablets.
However, now that Monday is here it is perfectly clear this was a pricing error and Skechers is canceling all orders BUT…I noticed something to make me believe this was indeed a bait and switch. When the boots were priced at $3 a pair, there were only one style you could pick from… After the price went up the following day they had 2 other styles as well. This sort of thing makes you go hmm… If it was simply an error wouldn't they have all three styles from the start?
I know if I was to go into a local store in my town, and something was marked wrong they would have to give it to me for that price… I also know if a product is marked for one price but rings up for more they have to give me back the difference PLUS extra money on top of that.
I am not saying Skechers has to honor any deal, but this is the third time within the last year… something isn't right. If this is skechers way in driving traffic, it will only make people go elsewhere. I do feel Skechers should be held liable for their "pricing errors" since they seem to happen often.


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Designing Campus Networks
Macmillan Technical Pub., Jan 1, 1998 - Computers - 465 pages
This practical, thoroughly illustrated text looks at network design criteria both individually and integrated into a local area network. Contemporary challenges facing network designers are covered, including traffic patterns, types, and prioritization; security, redundancy, and scalability. Then, network blueprints which incorporate all these challenges, in varying degrees, are presented. Network designers can scale and adjust these blueprints to accommodate the unique mix of design criteria for their particular networks.
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Traffic Patterns
Understanding Traffic Patterns
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asymmetric encryption backup bandwidth barebone blueprint broadcast domain broadcast frame broadcast traffic campus LAN campus network Chapter client complex design configured core block core switch cross-campus traffic Data link layer default gateway DHCP DHCP Discover DHCP Request DHCP server distributed server Distribution Switch DVMRP EIGRP endstation enterprise servers Ethernet example hash function Host HSRP IGMP IGMP Join implemented interface Internet IP address IP default gateway IP multicast Layer 2 switches MAC address method MOSPF multicast routing multicast traffic multimedia applications multimedia group multimedia server multimedia traffic network design network devices network logon nodes operation OSPF packets PIM sparse-mode prioritized traffic Priority queuing Rendezvous point routing protocol RSVP scalable design scalable network send traffic sends the traffic server block shown in Figure shows Spanning Tree Station subnet symmetric encryption tion traffic going traffic patterns unicast user-level VLANs video server VLAN wiring closet switch workstations


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Price £54.60 (£65.52 Inc VAT)
Mobile High Back Steel Tube Stacker Frame, suitable for our 23 litre wire baskets. The high back handle on this stacker makes it very easy to move the basket stack where it is needed in the store
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Home » Texas Children's Cancer Center Embraces New Method for Needles
Donation by Stanford Financial Helps Reduce the Pain of Needles
May 23, 2007 – Texas Children's Hospital
by Elizabeth Hipp
Houston—Texas Children's Cancer Center has discovered a new way to reduce the stress and discomfort of multiple needle sticks for patients, thanks to the new and improved Luminetx VeinViewer. Stanford Financial Group, a global financial services company, donated the new and improved device and will present it to the members of the advisory board at Texas Children's Cancer Center on Thursday, May 24th.
The VeinViewer, developed by Memphis-based Luminetx Corporation, uses a combination of near-infrared light and patented technologies to image vascular structures, which allows physicians, nurses and other healthcare professional to clearly locate subcutaneous veins directly on the skin, thereby eradicating the possibility of numerous needle sticks. The sight range of the VeinViewer extends from the surface of the skin to approximately 6 to 8 mm deep and can distinguish arteries from veins. The device enables clinicians to visualize the location of the target area and observe any movement of the vasculature, regardless of a patient's age, body type or skin tone.
According to R. Allen Stanford, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stanford, this technology is amazing, and its ability to reduce the anxiety associated with needles is particularly important for the patients of Texas Children's Cancer Center. "This device is an extraordinary breakthrough in delivering care, and anything that helps lessen the children's discomfort is a gift that is definitely our pleasure to give," Stanford said.
"Our primary concern is to heal the patients and make sure they endure as little pain as possible. The VeinViewer gives us the ability to ensure that the children will get the treatment they need, without being frightened of the process," said Dr. Poplack, Director of Texas Children's Cancer Center.
As one of the nation's largest pediatric hospitals, Texas Children's is renowned for its expertise and breakthrough development in the treatment of cancer, premature infants, cardiogenic disorders, diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS and attention-related disorders. Since opening its doors in 1954, the Texas Children's Hospital Integrated Delivery System (IDS) has cared for more than 1 million children from every corner of the world, and has more than 2 million patient encounters a year. Internationally recognized, the hospital is ranked in the top four among children's hospitals by both Child magazine and U.S. News and World Report.
Stanford Financial Group is a privately held, wholly owned global group of financial services companies led by Chairman and CEO R. Allen Stanford and founded by his grandfather, Lodis B. Stanford in 1932. Stanford's core businesses are private wealth management and investment banking for institutions and emerging growth companies. Stanford provides private and institutional investors with global expertise in asset allocation strategies, investment advisory services, equity research, international private banking and trust administration, commercial banking, investment banking, merchant banking, institutional sales and trading, real estate investment and insurance. Stanford serves clients from 136 countries on six continents. Securities products and services in the United States are offered through Stanford Group Company, member NASD/SIPC. More information on the company can be found at www.stanfordfinancial.com
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Daniel Chi / Asst. photo editor
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Monday that the team will be without redshirt senior outside linebacker Etienne Sabino due to a broken fibula suffered during the Buckeyes' 63-38 victory against Nebraska on Saturday.
"We're going to miss him," Meyer said. "He had surgery, had a plate put in … best case (for his return) is three weeks, worst case is longer."
Meyer also addressed two other injured players, senior running back Jordan Hall and redshirt junior safety C.J. Barnett, who both missed Saturday's game. Meyer said Hall is "not right yet," and that Sunday was a "good sign" for Barnett, who was "out there running around."
In addition to injuries, Meyer addressed many other topics during his weekly press conference Monday.
Addressing possibility of winning AP national championship
While OSU is banned from the postseason this year and therefore ineligible to play in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, the Buckeyes could still finish the season with the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll should they win all 12 of their games this year. Meyer was asked whether he is OK with his players using that goal as motivation.
"No," Meyer responded. "We only completed seven passes, and we gave up a bunch of yardage … we're not going to talk about that stuff."
Is Braxton Miller a Heisman Trophy candidate?
The Buckeyes remain undefeated halfway through their schedule, and sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller ranks seventh nationally with 763 rushing yards and 14th nationally with 1,823 yards of total offense. Meyer still thinks it is too early, however, for Miller to be considered a favorite for this year's Heisman Trophy.
"I don't think Braxton's a Heisman candidate right now … but then again, I don't know who is," Meyer said. "I think at the right time, he will be a candidate, if he continues to play very well."
Meyer's Champions Club
Meyer named two players as his co-defensive players of the week for the Nebraska game. Meyer called senior defensive end John Simon, who had five tackles for loss on Saturday, the team's "leader" and "soul." Simon was joined in that distinction by redshirt sophomore cornerback Bradley Roby, who intercepted two passes on Saturday. Junior safety Christian Bryant was also named a champion by the coaching staff on defense.
Meyer named six players as offensive champions. Junior running back Carlos Hyde, who ran for 140 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday, was the team's offensive player of the week. Senior fullback Zach Boren, junior wide receiver Corey "Philly" Brown and three offensive linemen – redshirt junior left tackle Jack Mewhort, junior Andrew Norwell and redshirt junior Corey Linsley – joined him as champions.
Brown was also named special teams player of the week for his 76-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. Also recognized for their special teams efforts were freshmen Devan Bogard, Armani Reeves and Najee Murray, along with redshirt sophomore Adam Griffin and redshirt senior Zach Domicone.
Other players in the news
OSU confirmed on Friday that freshman wide receiver Ricquan Southward had left the program. Meyer shed some light on that situation Monday.
"I don't think he is (still enrolled at OSU). I think he just lost his love for the game, and he wanted to get back closer to home," Meyer said.
Meyer also said is "still evaluating" whether redshirt junior safety Jamie Wood, who is out for the season following shoulder surgery, will be able to return to the team or be given a medical waiver.
Another player who was not on the sidelines Saturday was freshman quarterback Cardale Jones, who was suspended from the game following a controversial tweet on Friday.
"Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS," Jones tweeted Friday from his account @Cordale10, which has since been deleted.
Meyer explained why he took action against Jones for his tweet.
"I suspended him immediately for the game, real ignorant comment," Meyer said. "That's exactly what it is, a 19-year-old making an ignorant comment. I've moved on already, he's very apologetic … he does go to class … and he's actually a hell of a kid."
The environment of Ohio Stadium
Meyer said that the environment created by the fans in Ohio Stadium on Saturday was "tremendous," while tight ends and fullbacks coach Tim Hinton called it "unbelievable."
"It was just a phenomenal night and phenomenal atmosphere and really exciting to be a Buckeye," Hinton said. "Those 'quick cals' down in that end zone … I have chills when we're doing those."


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- Yield
- 8-10 People
- Total Time
- 3 hours cooking, 1 hour resting
- 1 free-range turkey, about 12 lbs
- 2 onions, peeled and halved
- 2 lemons, zested and halved
- 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
- 6 bay leaves
- 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
- Herb butter:
- ¾+ lb butter, at room temperature
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Drain off most of the fat from the resting turkey Roughly chop the bacon, add to the tray and fry for a few minutes. Chop the onions and lemon and add to the tray with 2 rosemary sprigs and the tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the turkey wings, parson's nose and drumstick tips and fry for a few more minutes. Pour in the cider and boil for a few minutes. Add the juices from the resting turkey and simmer to reduce the liquid by half. Pour in the stock, return to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Using a potato masher, crush the vegetables in the tray. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced again by a third. Remove from heat. Strain the gravy through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on the solids in the sieve with a ladle to extract as much of the juice as possible. Add a fresh sprig of rosemary to the pan, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Before serving, remove the rosemary, season to taste and reheat the gravy. Coarsely crush the walnut pieces using a pestle and mortar and then tip into a warmed gravy jug. Pour the piping hot gravy on top and serve at once.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories1477
- Carbohydrates11 g(4%)
- Fat95 g(146%)
- Protein141 g(282%)
- Saturated Fat42 g(212%)
- Sodium1826 mg(76%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat13 g
- Fiber2 g(9%)
- Monounsaturated Fat30 g
- Cholesterol591 mg(197%)


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Instagram adoption among brands is nearly ubiquitous across industries. Snapchat, on the other hand, is a different story.
Fastest-Growing Retail eCommerce Categories, 2014 [CHART]
eCommerce and mobile-commerce spending on digital content and subscriptions increased by 27% year-over-year in 2014, almost doubling the overall retail digital commerce growth rate of 14%.
Consumers' Top Luxury Brands, February 2015 [TABLE]
Not all generations hold the same ideas of luxury – and differences of opinion also abound in their top luxury brands.
Affluents' Top 5 Holiday Gift Categories, 2013 vs 2014 [CHART]
45% of affluents planned to do their holiday shopping online, while 35% said they'd do so in-store.
Affluent Americans' Consumer Spending By Category, September 2014 [CHART]
Some 67.5 million American adults lived in a household with annual income of at least $100,000, a 5 million (or 8%) increase from last year.
Retail Brands Using Email To Promote A Discount, Q1 2014 [CHART]
Some 55% of emails sent during Q1 by the 100 omnichannel retail brands tracked in L2′s Intelligence Report: Omnichannel Retail study advertised discounts.
Gen X & Baby Boomers' Luxury Spending Plans, July 2014 [TABLE]
While Baby Boomers control the largest share of total net worth dollars of any generation, Gen Xers have the most net worth and average household income on a per-adult basis.
Products Researched Online Before In-Store Purchase By Generation, December 2013 [TABLE]
Many boomers have introduced a digital element into their shopping process, though less so than younger consumers.
Baby Boomers' Luxury Buying Plans, July 2014 [TABLE]
Upscale Baby Boomers number about 9 million, or roughly 12% of all Baby Boomers adults (about 75 million).
Affluents Expected Spending Changes, March 2014 [TABLE]
US affluent spending hadn't completely rebounded: 45.0% of respondents were still being cautious with major purchases, saying they wouldn't spend on any of the options listed.