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Reading time: 7 Minutes
There's more to office design than desk placement and adding a couple of pot plants. Here, journalist Alexander Garrett speaks to the Regus teams responsible for harnessing the vital elements of a perfect workspace
Forget ping-pong tables, meditation rooms, and even beer on tap in the communal lounge. The secrets of a truly great office lie deeper – in its fundamental design. According to reports, a good, well-designed office can boost employee happiness by 33 per cent(1), while more than half of workers believe their productivity would increase if they could attain their ideal office environment(2).
Businesses should pay attention to these stats. Research from Gensler, a global architecture firm, shows that lost productivity due to poor workplace design cost US businesses an estimated $330bn last year(3).
Regus understands these issues better than most. It opens millions of square feet of new workspace around the world each year, adding almost daily to the company's global network of more than 3,100 business centres in 1,000 cities in more than 110 countries. Meeting the needs of the 2.5 million individuals who use these workspaces – not just today, but in the years ahead – is a challenge that calls for an imaginative approach to design and a profound understanding of how the way we work is changing.
1. Understanding the new world of work
"Great office design is a balance of art and science," says Switzerland-based Filippo Sarti, Global Head of Property Services and New Centre Openings for Regus. "The art is designing the space to be attractive and deliver a wow factor for the user. The science is in making sure the space works for the businesses renting the space and the employees using it."
He points to Regus's unique position – offering flexible space to a diverse range of customers around the world. "We have to be able to plan and position office infrastructure that works for any possible future customer," he says. "What size space will they need? What power and data needs will they have? How long will they stay? And what happens when they leave – will the needs of the next occupant be accommodated in the same space?"
"People tend to think of office design as just about where you position the desks, but it's so much more than that," says Francis Cleary, New Centre Openings Project Director, Asia Pacific at Regus, based in Hong Kong. "It's about responding to when, where and how people work. Workers of all generations – not just Millennials – are discovering the benefits of co-working and becoming more mobile. Offices need to be spaces that foster productivity, creativity and collaboration."
In a 2017 Regus survey of 20,000 senior managers and business owners across the world, a fifth selected business centres as the most popular location for remote work. "Today's offices are moving towards being a destination-type space," says Cleary. "It's the place you choose to work, because it's where you work best."
Filippo Sarti, Regus Global Head of Property Services and New Centre Openings
2. Choose the design template
As modern office design has evolved, so too has Regus design. Compared with 30 years ago, when the company was founded, a new Regus office looks as different today as a 2018 Tesla would to a 1989 Honda Accord.
New business centres are based on one of several designs. The location – and the potential future clients – determine which option is chosen. "Our customers range from Millennials in tech startups and creative industries to professionals in finance or services," says Cleary. "We want to offer space that is sympathetic to different business types and their needs."
One of the more contemporary designs, known as Sagano, is a clean and modern look that deploys sleek lines and materials, such as stainless steel and tempered glass, to create spaces inspired by nature and the four seasons. "An example of this design is the Clarahuus Centre in Basel, Switzerland," says Cleary. "It's more professional in look and feel, which is suitable for the area and the businesses that use it."
Sagano taps into the current design trend, biophilia – a human desire to be close to other forms of life in nature. By infusing a combination of living things, natural patterns and design elements inspired by nature, workers can feel relaxed, engaged and connected to the world around them. "By using natural materials, including wood veneers, and clean bright lighting, we create a calming, productive space," says Cleary.
Another Regus design, Bauhaus, has a more industrial feel, and is popular with startups and younger businesses. "For companies geared towards artistic, creative activities, Bauhaus is a stylish, non-traditional environment, with lots of variety in the types of space you can work in," explains Cleary. The Brin centre in Naples is a great example of Bauhaus in practice: a post-industrial-style space with exposed steel pipework and glass staircases.
3. Remember the fundamentals
New thinking on employee wellbeing is also informing office design. Studies have shown that exposure to blues and greens can boost creativity, while red improves performance on tasks that require attention to detail.
And furniture isn't left to chance. An environment with curved lines – say, circular tables in a meeting room, or desks with smooth corners – is linked with positive emotions, which aid creativity and productivity. "Whichever design template we use, we consider every detail," says Sarti.
The Regus Clarahuus Centre in Basel, Switzerland, is based on the Sagano design
4. Divide up the space
The next step in designing an office is deciding how best to divide up the space – making sure you create the right mix of work areas. Gensler's 2016 UK Workplace Survey found that 67 per cent of the UK workforce feel drained at the end of each working day due to their immediate environment – and that workers were more likely to be innovative if they had access to a range of spaces supporting different working styles.
As wholly open-plan environments fall out of favour, offices are being redesigned to accommodate more varied work settings, known as activity-based working (ABW), and more opportunities for movement. "Offices in the past often resembled schoolrooms," says Cleary. "That uniformity has been replaced by a diverse range of elements, including individual office rooms, meeting booths, communal tables, reading tables, think tanks, phone booths and meeting rooms.
"The key is to offer every type of space a client could want. That same client may have changing needs for different spaces at different times. The challenge is to correctly estimate the demand for each element so that the space is neither crowded nor underused."
5. Prioritise social spaces
Another important consideration is the non-work space. There's a glut of research showing that interactions, including accidental meetings – sometimes termed 'creative collisions' – boost productivity rather than drain work output. A case study cited in the Harvard Business Review described how employees were given sociometric badges to track their movements and interactions. The data collected over weeks showed that when a salesperson increased interactions with co-workers on other teams by 10 per cent, his or her sales also grew by 10 per cent.
A simple decision about where coffee machines are placed can prove critical in engineering such collisions. That's why a café area and social space is at the heart of every new business centre – from China to Colombia. "We want to encourage interactions," says Cleary. "The café is right at the entrance when you arrive, and it's connected to all the other areas, so that you as an individual also feel more connected."
Francis Cleary, Regus New Centre Openings Project Director, Asia Pacific
6. Provide a sense of place
The final stage involves customising the space: with materials, furniture, soft furnishings and artworks. This is where there is most scope to give each business centre a distinct identity which resonates with its locale. At the Menara Boustead business centre, which opened in 2017 in Penang, Malaysia, old maps of Penang line the walls, while decorative floor tiles come from traditional Malaysian shophouses. "It's all about picking some part of the local architecture to give a sense of place," says Cleary.
"To ignore the local input on design would be a mistake," says Sarti. "Regus centres around the world may draw from the same design guidelines and aim for a consistent quality and standard, but they use locally sourced products and are far from uniform."
7. Check it's working
From sensors under the desktops to employee wearables, the office is becoming more connected and is driving how workplaces are designed. "We have a huge amount of intelligence on how our centres are used," says Andre Sharpe, Regus's Chief Information Officer. "We're like a laboratory, able to monitor how customers use our products and services – and then adapt and improve their experience based on the results."
One such example is using booking data for each component for the office, drawn from other worldwide sites, then observing how customers use the business centre. "We can see which spaces experience high traffic – and at which times of the day. This helps us to understand if the areas are performing as well as they could be for our customers."
"In the future, companies will be able to cross-reference information on employee movements with performance data," says Sharpe. "The results could then be analysed to find out how the space is serving the users and how it is impacting the company."
Sharpe points out that while data privacy will be a crucial consideration, "when correctly used, these services help companies create tailored offices that encourage positive performance and collaboration".
Cleary and Sarti also recognise the importance of using data to inform future design – and the exciting prospect of this. Says Cleary: "We're designing for companies, but we're also designing for people. If we can give people what they want in a workspace before they even know it themselves, it's good for everybody."
Alexander Garrett is a British freelance journalist who writes on a wide range of business issues for the UK press
Additional reporting by Hannah Hudson
(1) https://www.officegenie.co.uk/workplace-happiness-report
(2) http://pdf.savills.com/documents/What_Workers_Want_2016.pdf
(3) https://www.gensler.com/news/press-releases/uk-workplace-survey-2016-findings


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In partnership with Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc.
Prep Time:
45 minutes
- 1 package Mori-Nu Silken Soft Tofu, or Silken Lite Firm Tofu, drained
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. allspice
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 egg whites
- 1 small apple, peeled, sliced very thinly
- Margarine for frying, if desired
- Combine first 6 ingredients and beat with electric mixer on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but still shiny. Fold tofu / flour mixture into egg whites. Blend thoroughly.
- Lightly butter a non-stick frying pan and place several apple slices on bottom.
- Pour 1/2 cup batter over apples for each pancake. Fry covered. Brown both sides and serve hot with your favorite topping.
Nutrition Info:
233 calories, 7.7g fat, 9.5g protein

subset: commoncrawl


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Kinder Morgan's $76 billion acquisition of El Paso Pipeline Partners and other infrastructure properties last November may have been the largest deal in the midstream oil and gas sector, but it has not been the last. Since the Kinder Morgan transaction closed in November, we've seen M&A activity from Next Wave Energy Partners and Woodside Petroleum.
According to KPMG's Mergers & Acquisitions survey, which looks at overall activity, 82 percent of respondents plan to make at least one acquisition in 2015, and 36 percent believe oil & gas will be the busiest sector. This would make 2015 the busiest M&A season since 2007. In addition to that that strong general backdrop, there are a number of reasons to expect vigorous M&A activity in the midstream oil and gas sector throughout 2015.
Midstream companies aren't particularly sensitive to commodity price swings
Declining crude and natural gas prices
Even though they've recovered slightly, crude oil prices are down more than 40 percent in a year, and natural gas continues to endure price pressure, according to the US Energy Information Administration. These declines badly hurt the profitability of upstream companies and, to a lesser extent, downstream companies in 2014. Midstream companies, however, aren't particularly sensitive to commodity price swings. Their long-term contracts pay on the volume, not the price, of the underlying commodity moved. Indeed, while the broad S&P 500 Energy index lost nearly 10 percent in 2014, some midstream-focused companies saw their stocks rise 10 percent or more. That financial strength likely will spur those companies to look for solid midstream acquisitions to add stability to their balance sheets and diversity to their product line.
US Energy production continues to rise
US crude oil production increased 13.2 percent through March 2015, and the country is at its highest production level since February 1973. Liquefied natural gas production averaged just over 3.0 million barrels per day in March, 9.1 percent above last year's output. The US continues to invest in infrastructure to export liquefied natural gas, particularly to energy-hungry Asian countries. And Congress has talked about providing legislative relief that would liberalize crude exports and increase volume even more. All that extra production makes the midstream oil and gas companies – responsible for moving and storing all that oil and gas – look more attractive as businesses.
Capital spending on oil and gas midstream and downstream infrastructure increased 60 percent from 2010 to 2013
New Infrastructure is still sorely needed
Capital spending in oil and gas midstream and downstream infrastructure was $89.6 billion in 2013, an increase of 60 percent from 2010. Most observers expect this trend to continue, particularly for natural gas, where some basins have virtually no pipelines. A need for new oil transportation infrastructure is also acute. And because renewable forms of energy are intermittent, there should be a significant build-out of new, natural gas-fired plants and a corresponding increased gas supply to replace the energy produced by retiring coal generation plants. Expect midstream players to be both acquirers and sellers of all these assets, as energy companies seek diversification to strengthen their balance sheets and keep up with rising infrastructure costs.
Companies are looking for geographic diversity
Lower prices increase upstream companies' risk levels, prompting some to reduce risk by diversifying geographically. According to the KPMG M&A survey, 39 percent of all energy companies said the need to geographically diversify was a major reason they were considering a merger or acquisition.
In the wake of low energy prices, companies don't want to place all their bets on one basin or offshore area. We believe mid-sized and large midstream companies will continue to move into new geographic areas to reduce their risk.
Regulations are becoming more complex
Observers expect stricter rules and emission standards on coal plants, increasing the demand for natural gas. At the same time, there are already new rules in place on the storage and transportation of all forms of energy. Look at North Dakota, the home of the Bakken basin, for some recent examples of increased government oversight. The state has enacted new rules requiring companies to capture at least 85 percent of natural gas produced during oil production by 2016. It also has penalized five oil companies and forced them to reduce production for burning off more natural gas than allowed. Additionally, North Dakota has legislation on the table that would eliminate using older rail cars to ship flammable liquid, which includes most Bakken crude. Lawmakers could also require oil companies to stabilize crude to ensure lower flashpoints. This type of increased oversight, in North Dakota and elsewhere, likely will raise storage and transport costs. Larger midstream companies can more easily absorb these increased regulatory costs.
Increased M&A activity among midstream companies isn't a certainty, of course. M&A activity could slow if producers curtail their production, prices drop more than expected, or Congress and the states ease off on efforts to increase safety regulations for coal plants and transporting crude by rail. But midstream oil and gas companies are poised to be excellent businesses in 2015, and industry trends seem to be favoring larger, more geographically diverse companies. Those forces make midstream players both potential acquirers and targets for acquisition.
This article was originally published in Oil & Gas Monitor.


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HEMA Band Spring Concert May 6, 2019-Dearborn FMC
Join HEMA band for their free spring concert! Bring the family and see how music education can be easy and affordable and how it can fit into your homeschool plan.
When: May 6, 2019
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Dearborn FMC 2801 Telegraph Rd.


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Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls
Our interest in improving well-being for women, and particularly women who are at risk of negative outcomes as a result of specific social or structural issues which they face, was borne out of our involvement in the criminal justice sector. In particular, our interest was prompted by the 2012 Commission on Women Offenders .
Through this theme we aim to:
- Divert women and girls going through tough times away from negative outcomes and help break inter-generational cycles of negative outcomes within families and communities
- Support women, girls and their families to be safer, happier, healthier and more achieving
Download our theme briefing here.
Current Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls Programmes
Maternal Mental Health
Start: TBC (still in development phase) End: TBC
Maternal mental health emerged as a key priority area for further investigation in our briefing for…
Women's Centre Programme
Start: May 2016 End: TBC
This programme is seeking to establish three Women's Centres in Scotland to meet the needs of…
Latest Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls newsView more of our news
Latest thematic summaries available from Women's Centre programme November 2018 The Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ) and the University of Strathclyde were commissioned by The Robertson Trust in 2015 to undertake an exploration of the development of women's spaces. The latest reports are now available to download.
Sharing the Power: New blog for Coproduction Week Scotland November 2017 Our Programme Manager, Fiona Jamieson, talks about The Robertson Trust's journey with coproduction in a new guest blog for CoProWeekScot 2017.
Latest Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls publicationsView more of our publications
Completed Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls Programmes
There are no completed Improving the Wellbeing of Women and Girls programmes.


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Supplied in convenient dispenser jars to suit the Cafe-Bar beverage dispenser units.
Enjoy the rich flavour of country style creamed vegetable soup and savour the fresh highlights of onion, carrot, capsicum and spices in a smooth creamy base.
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Nollywood actor, Mofe Duncan, has taken to Instagram to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his beautiful wife, Jessica Kakkad, who he got married to two years ago.
The actor wrote;
"#OnThisDay #Aug 20th 2 years ago #MyTraditionalWedding ☆ XX•VIII•XV ☆ 2years later, I'm still wearing her ear rings, her necklace and even wearing her huraches for her. ☆ #ManLikeMofe ☆ #MamaDidntRaiseNoFool ☆"
A Happy wedding anniversary to the couple.


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- a declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document.
- an official certificate of a formal acknowledging.
- public recognition by a man of an illegitimate child as his own.
Origin of acknowledgment
OTHER WORDS FROM acknowledgmentpre·ac·knowl·edge·ment, nounpre·ac·knowl·edg·ment, nounre·ac·knowl·edg·ment, nounsu·per·ac·knowl·edg·ment, noun
Words nearby acknowledgment
Example sentences from the Web for acknowledgment
The acknowledgment of these crimes, which came as part of an amnesty for them, was a cathartic moment for El Salvador.Bringing El Salvador Nun Killers to Justice|Raymond Bonner|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All Cumming wanted to hear his father say was an acknowledgment of what he had thought all those years was wrong.Alan Cumming: The Truth About My Father|Tim Teeman|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was good information on who, what, and where and there was an acknowledgment of this at the highest levels.Exclusive: U.S. Special Ops Readied Syria Attack in June|Eli Lake|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would never deign me with any sort of acknowledgment, because I was too low on the totem pole.Chloe Sevigny on 'The Cosmopolitans,' New York's Frat Boy Takeover, and 'Asshole' Michael Alig|Marlow Stern|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She wanted more from him, some acknowledgment of feeling, but he gave her nothing.Juan Pablo Chooses the Girl He 'Likes,' Proposes They Go Get a Burger|Brandy Zadrozny|March 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The denial of the authenticity of John's Gospel is a source of far greater difficulties than its acknowledgment.The Wave of Scepticism and the Rock of Truth|Matthew Henry Habershon
An expression of joy hung on La Felina's lips, and she nodded in acknowledgment.
The acknowledgment of a rose before mentioned might seem to have some allusion to the Knights Hospitallers.
I made this acknowledgment freely, but I knew that it would provoke comment from my compatriots.Penelope's Experiences in Scotland|Kate Douglas Wiggin
He also wrote him a very long letter, but never received either an acknowledgment of the poem or the letter.


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Small Garden Tools - Chinaprice: 1.00 Dollar US$
1, Small Garden Tools
Item No.: G01001
Garden Tools, Garden Hand Tools, Garden Tool Sets Wholesale, Supplier & Exporter in China
China Garden Tools, Gardening Tools, Factory Manufacturer & Exporter
China manufacturers & exporters of gardening hand tools, supply all range of quality gardening hand tools with low prices
Company Contact:
- Posted By: Hebei Gardepot Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Phone: 86311 66632096
- Address: 20-th Floor, Gelan Business Building, 256 Xisan Zhuang Street Xinhua District, Shijiazhuang City, He, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Email:
- Website: https://www.gardepot.com
Published date: November 15, 2016 -
- Business Description: Direct Import from the Production Line!
Our company is a garden & lawn products supplier that provides customers with hundreds of varieties of gardening tools, garden decorations, cultivation equipment and other outfits all necessary for successful job in the garden.
For the past 20 years, we have been one of the biggest garden & lawn products export companies in China, Gardepot ship a large amount of containers every month worldwide. Our dedicated staff will provide you with professional service all the way from the manufacture up to the delivery to the port of entry.
If you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact our friendly staff.
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Pruning SawHand tools - Hebei Gardepot Industrial Co., Ltd. - China - November 15, 2016 - 1.00 Dollar US$
1, Pruning Saw Item No.: G01250 Spec.:270mm/300mm China Saws Manufacturer, Supplier & Exporter of Bow Saws, Folding Saws, Hand Saws & Pruning Saws China Bow Saws, Folding Saws, Hand Saws & Pruning Saws Manufacturer & Supplier We are C...
Shovel HeadHand tools - Hebei Gardepot Industrial Co., Ltd. - China - November 15, 2016 - 1.00 Dollar US$
1, Shovel Head Item No.: G01415 Model No.: S501 Blade Size W*H(mm): 245X29 2, Shovel Head Item No.: G01416 Model No.: S501S Blade Size W*H(mm): 245X295 3, Shovel Head Item No.: G01417 Model No.: S501-4 Blade Size W*H(mm): 180X225 4, Shovel Head Item ...
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1, Grass Shear Item No.: G01051 Overall Length:13.8" We have many sizes for Grass Shear China Gardening Tools, Agriculture Tools, Garden Fence Manufacturer, Factory, Supplier & Exporter Gardening Gloves, Raised Garden Beds, Greenhouse, Flowerpots...
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Running A Blog Advice That Can Work For You
Successful blog posting starts with passion for your theme. People will appreciate your posts more, if you write about something in which you have a genuine interest.
How To Distinguish Cast Iron And Gray Cast Iron
The ganglion and the gray cast iron belong to the graphite cast iron group - iron and carbon alloys and some other elements (silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, chromium, nickel, copper). Both types of cast iron are easy to mold, less shrinkage.


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First ever Animal zoo in Peshawar to be inaugurated
PESHAWAR: (APP) Adviser to the Chief Minister for Environment, Forests and Wildlife, Syed Ishtiaq Urmar said on Monday that work on first ever Animal zoo in Peshawar was in full swing and would be inaugurated by December this year.
In an exclusive interview here at his office, the adviser said first phase of the Peshawar zoo, which is being established in the premises of Pakistan Forests Institute, Peshawar over 29 acres land, would be inaugurated by December this year as work on the project was in full-swing.
The zoo's boundary wall has been completed while work on its overhead water tank and area layout and sewerage area are in full swing, he added.
In the first phase, we would keep local species and later on foreign animals and pheasants would be brought to it, he said.
"We are in contact with South Africa to bring rare animals, birds and wild species in the Peshawar zoo , he said, adding it would a model zoo of Pakistan that would provide better recreational facilities to the entertainment starved Peshawarities at their doorsteps.
Walking and cycling tracks besides modern restaurants would also be setup in the premises of the zoo to provide better recreational facilities to the residents, he explained.
The zoo will also comprise offices, animal health care centres, a parking area, a food court, an aquarium, a souvenir shop, he said, adding animal keepers, supervisors, veterinarians and security staff would be appointed besides creation of enclosures for ostriches.
The adviser said the zoo would also serve education, public awareness and a research centre in the province.
Ishtiaq Urmar when asked about non allocation of funds for the zoo in KP budget 2016-17 said , Rs 120 million have been already approved for this mega project and if required more funds would be provided from the umbrella funds of Environment Department.
The total budget of Environment Department in the current fiscal year is Rs4 billion and establishment of zoo is our top priority, he said.
PTI Chief Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of the zoo on February 3, 2016 and the Chief Minister KP during its inauguration address has announced its establishment by October this year.
It merits to mention here that the idea of setting up a zoo in Peshawar was floated during the previous government when a group of students from Beaconhouse School System, Khyber Campus, Hayatabad, Peshawar had collected signatures to petition the then chief minister Amin Haider Hoti to announce the construction of a zoo in Peshawar.
Peshawar Development Authority had offered to provide a land in Regi Lalma for Rs240 million, which was beyond the allocated funds for the zoo. Another site Dheri Zardad, along Nowshera-Charsadda Motorway, was also not suitable as it was not easily accessible and so the idea of establishing the zoo was dropped.
Syed Ishtiaq Urmar said the PTI led government accorded high priority to this project and found a suitable site in premises of Pakistan Forest Institute for it. He said zoo site is not only accessible and suitable but would also help make Peshawar Zoo spread on 29 acres bigger than Lahore Zoo, which was established over 24 acres.


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Lingerie lovers can rejoice as Victoria's Secret is coming to Dublin.
Victoria's Secret is out. The US's most famous women's lingerie company is in advanced discussions to replace BT2 in one of the most prominent stores on Dublin's Grafton Street.
There's already huge excitement online about the possible Dublin store and I for one am definitely on the bandwagon! VS has been operating a store in Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport where the range of products includes a variety of leisure wear, fragrances, cosmetics, sunglasses and fashion bags, as well as the world famous lingerie.
The Irish Times reports this morning that the fashion firm is in advanced discussions to secure the high-profile south Dublin retail space – although a spokeswoman for Brown Thomas said that "no deal has been signed."


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enter notes via tablature
Grrrrr - I just spent 15 minutes searching the Handbook looking for ways to shift pitch of notes on a TAB staff, and I give up. I also mean "shift strings and keep pitch"
I know it is there, I have seen it. But my "search thoughts" "keywords" don't find it/them.
I tried search on
TAB notes
tablature note input
change tablature pitch.
The methods of "up arrow" with/without CTRL don't seem to work on TAB staff notes.
Can somebody please send the handbook refs/links.
Dick Penny
Did you find https://musescore.org/en/handbook/tablature#edit-notes? This entire page is dedicated to tablature input.
In reply to Did you find https:/… by mike320
No, I missed that page in current search - it is the one I had seen previously.
In reply to https://musescore.org/en… by kuwitt
Thanks for this URL, it is what I was looking for.
Still don't know why my search terms did not bring it up...….
In reply to Thanks for this URL, it is… by dpenny
You were probably searching the forum (recent posts) rather than the handbook. If I don't know where to find something in the handbook, I search the PDF version, your search should get you what you are looking for.


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30 in. V Fireplace Grate
Browse all deals at Home Depot
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* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Home Depot to confirm actual price & availability.
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Begin the process of becoming a United States citizen by enrolling in a eight-week course that will help you prepare for the United States Naturalization Test and Interview. In this course, you will study United States history, geography, and government, as well as, improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English.
To be eligible for the United States Citizenship Preparation class, you must be age 18 or older; have been in the United States close to five years or more, have a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card); and be able to read, write, and speak some English.
Classes are currently offered at our Huron and Aberdeen campuses. Class size is limited, and preference will be given to students who have had a Green Card for four or more years.
For more information, or to register for the class at our Huron campus, please contact 605.353.7175.
For more information, or to register for the class at our Aberdeen campus, contact 605.626.2298.


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The Saskatchewan public appears both for and against the government's decision to exempt farmers from mandatory truck driver training for now.
Radio phone-in shows and social media sites last week heard from those who think farmers should be subject to the same training as those seeking a Class 1 commercial licence and those who think they have enough experience driving large equipment and semis that they don't need instruction.
Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said he believes all truckers should be properly trained but farmers probably don't need exactly the same training as other commercial drivers given the nature of their work.
"We don't need to spend 30 hours learning how to back up to a loading dock," he said.
The mandatory course, which begins in March 2019, includes 121.5 hours in the class, the yard and behind the wheel. The cost has been estimated at between $6,000 and $8,500.
Lewis said if farmers are required to comply and if they have to go from a rural area to the city to take the course, they will also have the cost of hotels and meals for a month.
He said as far as safety is concerned, all drivers should receive the same instruction.
The exemption under the mandatory training does require farmers to obtain an F endorsement on their licences.
The criteria is: at least 18 years old, not a novice driver, submit a medical, pass all the Class 1 written and road tests, and road inspection.
Lewis said about half of the semis registered in the province have farm plates, which is not the same as the endorsement, but are responsible for only eight percent of the accidents.
"It's the other 92 percent they need to get out in front of," he said.
He added that most farmers do hire commercial truckers to haul grain because it's usually more efficient.
Susan Ewart, executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, said that organization would like mandatory training for all drivers to keep the roads safer. However, she said farmers might not require the full course that a new driver will need.
The government has said it continues to review the requirements for farmers who operate their own semis and change could still be coming.
No other province that is implementing mandatory training has exempted farmers. Ontario already has mandatory training. Alberta's course will be in effect in March and Manitoba will hold at least two consultation meetings in early January for input on its standards.


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Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York
Carol Marder, co-founder and chairwoman of Inkwell Global Marketing, passed away on August 22. She was 76.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Carol co-founded the company in 1983. Her son Steven Marder is the president and CEO.
Carol is survived by her husband Ed, son Steven and daughters Elisa Cohen and Susan Harris.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at www.bcrf.org.
Phone: (914) 848-7369
Fax: (914) 365-2541
© 2020 SAAGNY. All rights reserved.
Website by Blue Pixels Media, LLC


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Graduate Assistant
Serving McLane Stadium Since: June 2018
Izzy Farmwald is originally from Akron, OH and recently moved to Waco in the fall of 2018 in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Sport Management and is currently the Operations & Events Graduate Assistant at McLane Stadium. In her role at McLane Stadium, Izzy creates marketing graphics for the social media platforms and finds sponsors for the various events she helps organize and run.
Prior to moving to Waco, Izzy graduated in the spring of 2018 with her Undergraduate degree in Sport Industry from The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, Izzy interned in the Fan Experience and Promotions department within Ohio State Athletics.
In her free time, Izzy likes to spend time outdoors and hang out with her friends around Waco, as well as travel home to Ohio to see her family.


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The significant rise of the cost for education is hindering it. Many of the students with little financial capability are facing the problem to a large extent. It not only acts as an impediment to education but also becomes responsible for the huge rise in the expenditure which is becoming one of the main reasons for the worrying of their parents. Reducing cost can be possible through online education and many other strategies. Let's look at what the 3 experts of education have to say about this:
1. Anya Kamenetz, NPR's lead education blogger and author of DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education and The Test
Improvement Of College Pricing
It is the decision of the federal government to have a profitable quality from the colleges through rapid employment for the for-profit institutions and the career colleges. The government suggests that the colleges where the exceeding number of the graduates cannot repay their student loans should be forced out from the federal student aid program. In this way the competition will still be there without forcing the colleges to announce a fixed price or without crippling there bargain.
College Payment
The student loans perform a major role in the tuition fees of the colleges. Its availability is the reason of the unequal varying of the tuition fees of the colleges. In order to make the tuition fees moderate, loans are needed to be cancelled often as the bankruptcy in the loans drives the lenders towards being more careful. The students should also be careful about the high amount of money demanded by the institutions.
Cost Effective Education
Ways are there though for the students to get cost-effective education as well as the privileges of it. Both of these are offered by private education as it increases the number of the various features of a traditional degree program. The convenient part for students is that it is offered through the virtual medium.
For example, Southern New Hampshire University and the College for America have introduced online education, the features of which is cost-effective and skill-based education. Employees are even provided the advantage of being enrolled through their employers. Some students suffer a large amount of expenditure when they transfer and online education assists them in reducing the amount to an affordable standard irrespective of their transfer.
2. Anthony P. Carnevale, director of Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce
Look Before You Leap
Possessing knowledge on taking loans and its outcomes are vital for the students. Although it becomes the government's task to ensure that a student must not be troubled with paying the student loans, the student himself/ herself have to investigate on it thoroughly even before beginning to think about it.
Apply Technology And Get Something Better
Higher education should be of less cost as the number of the seekers of higher education are exceeding in America. The question is how to deliver cost-effective but a healthy education to them?
The answer is that it can be done through technology as many of its instances proved to provide help to the students when they had needed it the most. Each and every student can access quality education as well as the guidance of the most efficient faculty, no matter where they are, with the help of science.
Who's Benefited?
What about the students who are prepared less or who does not have the financial capability to go into the traditional colleges? Will they get quality education within the limited economy of them? Online education again says a 'yes' to them as it trains them to heighten their capacity of learning and makes them prepared.
3. Lauren Asher, President of the Institute for College Access and Success
The Condition Of The Recent System
It is a wrong notion that the students with limited economical capacity are getting access to the traditional education through the student grants. The cost shifted largely to high amounts and the students going to traditional colleges are actually left with no options but to pay the already risen loans at a large rate.
Improve Pricing
Pricing can be improved if the colleges do not declare the rate of the debts. Even they cannot provide students the financial aid award letters which is responsible to represent the full cost of attendance.
Easy Payment For The Students
The consumers taking private loans will be more insecure than the consumers taking federal loans as the latter provides the opportunity of repayment. It effectively reduces the matter of debt. The students' benefit from the federal loan will be the most if it can be mandated before taking private loan; can ensure the students' enrolment and can confirm the total amount being covered and the institutions' information of any untapped eligibility of the aid.
Search To Save
It becomes evident that the cost-effectiveness is not possible without the correct implementation of the strategies discussed above. The students need to find out the matter of student loans by investigating as well as doing the same for the tuition fees of the institutions. The online education also presents them a healthy mode of education that they need it the most now. Education can be got in a less cost if the students not only want so but also look for it.
What do you think about the conference? Share your opinions and thoughts with us by commenting below.
Article source – onforb.es/1Ig50mx


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The Potency of 'Unlike'
In these digital infatuated times, brands too often overlook the criticality of positioning. It seems quaint somehow. Just another marketing term beginning with 'P', it's even given equal weight as the others. When the narrative in the press, and even respected marketing titles, asserts that people, in their revulsion against big corporates, don't want brands anymore, and that Millennials are somehow radically different from all the other 18-34 people who have gone before (and from everyone else), and that adverts in 'traditional media' no longer work (only 'content'), well, unless you take a check-step, you may actually believe it. Because, be clear: it's all nonsense. It's fake news.
Yes, our times are different. Yes, we have information and digital technology empowering and changing our society and lives in new ways. But in our responses, are we any different to those in the 1830s onwards, when confronted by the revolution of the railway and effective mass transportation? Or the 1700s when confronted with the revolution of organised industry, or before that technology on agriculture? Underneath it all, we are human and respond in fundamentally human ways; we have the same needs and desires. Yes, the manifestations of our needs are in response to new inputs… but why should they be different?
Feminism, consumerism, the growth of youth culture, the explosion of mass culture, the destruction of manufacturing industries, the decline of traditional institutions such as the church – all these and many more have helped transform Britain, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Kenan Malik 4th Feburary 2018
The structures of our society are going through radical change. And as a consequence, there's never been a time when brands are more important navigators for people. Brands continue to fulfil needs and desires on so many levels. These may be purely functional or they may be about our self-identity, but brands remain a constant for everyone in our society, rich or poor. Critically, brands remain a cornerstone for how we navigate life – sometimes actively, more often in the background – but a consistent presence nonetheless. And of course, we leave some brands behind, yet we discover and adopt new ones – since the introductions of brands as we understand them now in the 1800s, it was ever thus. Just because of artisan products from small producers at places like Borough Market, or craft products are sold on Etsy, doesn't mean brands are dead – the space expands and frankly, it just gets more interesting. Nick Johnson, co-owner of Mackie Mayor a new artisan food hall in Altrincham, Cheshire says, "All our vendors are passionate and independent. We are originators. It's an antidote to brand mentality". But he's wrong. If you look at the craft movement, those that are commercially successful, that scale-up (to a reasonable level to ensure their continued survival) are the ones that create brands. Some protect their independence and grow, some take the money and sell out. If you're of an 'artisan' mentality' it may make you uncomfortable, but consumers still want brands as much as ever. They may start differently, look different, they may have a different ownership structure or long-term ambition; they may have a different experience, but they are brands nonetheless.
Whilst competition exists, brands exist. And so long as we want to express ourselves through what we consume, brands will exist.
So to treat brand positioning casually, to assume it is less important today, is perhaps the greatest mistake of anyone running a brand. As new methods of manufacture and retail are devised, as new brand launches proliferate in response, the act of setting yourself out differently from current and potential competitors becomes the single most important task you have.
There are all sorts of brand positioning models and structures: onions, pyramids, keys, eyes. Worrying about the layout is missing the point. A great brand positioning has four, distinct, parts: it defines the target consumer and what connects them to the brand; it defines the brand itself, the offer it makes, the benefits it gives; it is clear about the relationship it has with you, it's beliefs and behaviours, and finally it is unambiguous over visual gateways it owns – symbols, signs, sounds, by which people recognise it by.
At the heart of this is the positioning pitch. What does the brand give me, what's the benefit, why can this brand make this claim? And given the digital marketeers focus on shares, pokes and likes, it's perhaps ironic that at the heart of a great brand positioning is an unlike.
This isn't the act of removing your preference for something. Rather it is being totally clear on who you are unlike.
Unlike Gilette, shaving with Harry's is cheaper, funkier, more convenient and just as smooth.
Unlike any other form of transport, Brompton cleanly revolutionises your city transportation.
Unlike any other ice cream, Ben & Jerry's is packed full of chunky indulgent bits.
It's time to unlike this faddish love of digital marketing and get back to positioning like a pro.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy and innovation company that finds the direct route to success for categories and brands. Get in touch with David at email@example.com / +44 (0) 1283 246260. You can follow The Crow Flies on Linked In (http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-crow-flies-ltd?trk=company_name), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thecrowfliesltd). © The Crow Flies, 2018
Winging brand positioning
Not that long ago I was asked by a client to review different brand positioning models with a view to taking best practice and my, as a marketeer, what an illuminating way to spend a few days it was. Whilst it was no doubt a lesson in metaphors and also surprisingly educational about amusing fruits, body parts and long-forgotten polygonal shapes, what was particularly striking were the commonalities (or lack of them): what great brand positioning statements need to have and where they slip up. Here at The Crow Flies we call this the '2 Wings and 10 Feathers'. But we would, wouldn't we? The important point is that firstly, there are 5 critical building blocks of a positioning – the structure of what's important to construct a compelling and consistent brand, and secondly there are 5 watch outs to ensure the way the positioning is constructed is sharp, meaningful and clear.
Wing 1: the 5 building blocks
Clarity of purpose: too often, 'purpose' is treated as a mandatory corporate tick box exercise (see here) and too often it's confused with commercial goals. Being clear on what you want to be, for whom, by when is important – but not here. That's for your plan. Purpose is something else, higher level, heart-felt. It's why your business does what it does, or in this case, why your brand does what it does. It's crucial – arguably the most crucial aspect of your brand positioning – because it provides guidance. It cuts off the options. It forces choice and sacrifice. It defines what you won't do as much as what you will.
Defining who the target consumer is and their connection to your brand: it's staggering how often the brand positioning models reviewed made no reference to the target consumer. None. Or perhaps a blunt socio-demographic description and a few random comments on what media 'Jules' likes to consume. Clarifying who the target is, in a way they would recognise, and more importantly what the problem is they want fixing, the need they want met or the simple desire they want fulfilled is a cornerstone of a great positioning.
Defining what the brand is and what the benefit is: your brand exists to fulfil a need. Your brand is in some way bought as a reward for fulfilling the needs, desires or fixing your targets' problems. So of course, being clear on what your brand offers functionally and what reward it meets emotionally is critical. Identifying the underlying truth of your brand that matters is essential too – but you can only define this if you're clear on who your target is and what they're looking for. There's a virtuous circle that both keeps you honest and helps you make great decisions.
Defining how it is recognised: great brands are instantly recognisable. Great brands own many mental pathways and one of those is a bundle of visual and semiotic cues. Colours, shapes, words. These 'anchors' can be a curse if your brand has to change, but your greatest asset if you're in good shape and looking to accelerate.
Defining the nature of the relationship: ultimately a strong brand is more than a product. It builds a friendship relationship with its consumers. Yes, it delivers something functional in a way that a product does, but how it communicates, and how it does so consistently over time, means that a relationship is built that is beyond transactions.
Wing 2: the 5 'watch outs'
Confusion – this first point builds on the foundations. What does each element do, why? It's incredible how many of the positioning models reviewed bandy phrases around. Positioning, proposition, promise. Values, Principles, Traits, Personality, Tone of Voice; Essence. Lots of elements, but no order, no clarity.
Duplication – of words, sections, phrases. It's a personal bugbear, but the repetition of phrases in multiple locations in a brand positioning is a clear signal that it's not fully understood. Precision is key.
Compounding – why have one benefit when you can have ten? It's so tempting –because your brand can offer many benefits, doesn't mean it should. In fact, let's not beat around the bush, it definitely shouldn't. As consumers, we are impacted by thousands of pieces of data every day. Our brain is effectively a big filtering system, and if it can filter something out, it will. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Your goal, your aspiration, is to be single-minded.
Fluffiness – whilst it's tempting to unleash the inner poet or lyricist, most positioning statements suffer because, like a member of TOWIE, there are too many fillers, and not enough power. Don't be tempted to crack your positioning in a day. Draft it. Write contenders. Get input and constantly, constantly, distil; which leads nicely on to…
Over-elaborate – as Albus Dumbledore so notably said, words have so much power they can become magical. It's easy therefore to be tempted to scribe five words when one will do. Celebrate simplicity.
Great brand positionings? It's a matter of two wings and no prayers.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, brand strategy and innovation company that helps discover the direct route to success for brands and businesses. If you're looking for brand positioning help, drop a line to email@example.com; +44 (0) 1283 246260
© The Crow Flies, 2017
Brand architecture…or just city planning?
At the start of the year, Coca-Cola went public with a piece of brand architecture work that will impact their whole range – what they are calling their 'One Brand' strategy. All brands will be united under a strategic sign off of 'Taste The Feeling'. This is not a branding revolution – far from it in fact. Many companies when starting out simply don't have the financial resources to market multiple brands. Creating a single meaning is logical, commercially sensible and often quite desirable.
What's unusual in the Coke example is that often, companies move away from this single 'architecture' approach over time as they wrestle with multiple sub brands sharing a single meaning. How can a low fat, full fat, high taste, low taste, large size, small size, for the young, for the old range cohesively sit together. It's not impossible, but it creates strain. And of course, Coke are not lacking in the funds to adopt a brand by brand approach – which is why over many years they haven't. Coca-Cola brands – original / diet / diet Caffeine free / Zero have been connected by shared values and iconography, but have ploughed, very successfully separate furrows. Separate furrows in the same field, but separate nonetheless. Off the back of this, Coke Zero has been an incredible launch and Diet Coke – well, in overtaking original Coke has been a phenomenon. So why change?
Potentially, it's competitive pressure. Coke can't move without Pepsi or another challenger matching it; or indeed leading and putting them under pressure to respond. More likely, it's pressure from outside soft drinks – from other drinks categories. But surely this is a matter of ensuring that the Coke range remains fresh, relevant and contemporary? How does making each brand share a single meaning help that – versus keeping each brand sharply targeted and focused on key needs, attitudes and consumer segments.
Perhaps then it's Governmental pressure? Soft drinks are an easy target for obesity campaigners and the UK Government's new 'sugar tax' is evidence of targeting the low hanging fruit. But again, how does a single brand architecture help?
So then, surely it must be the changing media environment? The fragmentation of channels and increasing personalisation of viewing and ownership of content by consumers. But again – it doesn't wash. The whole point of our media landscape now surely, is that we can build more specific brand positionings for more specific audiences and needs? If anything, wouldn't Coke be doing the opposite? Making individual brand positionings even more refined?
The confusing factor in all this is that as consumers we buy brands, not companies. Oh, there's no doubt that how companies set up their mission and their principles casts a discrete halo on individual brands – but that's different from owning a single minded thought in the mind of your target consumer. I may buy Diet Coke, but I wouldn't buy original, yet when I want full flavour I may choose Pepsi Max. I love the flavour intensity of Taylors of Harrogate's Hot Lava Java, but occasionally I just need the convenience of Kenco Millicano. Different needs, different occasions, same consumer.
Which makes the whole 'One Brand' approach a worry. If it's not a response to competitive pressure, Governmental pressure or changing consumer usage habits and needs then it can only be one thing: intellectual neatness. It's more like city planning – idealistic but difficult to deliver. Coke will find it tough precisely because they did such an amazing job building their individual brands and I suspect, it will quickly unravel (as reports suggest). Intellectual neatness is not always the commercially neatest thing to do.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy and innovation company that helps discover the direct route to success for brands and businesses. email@example.com; +44 (0) 1283 246260
© The Crow Flies, 2016
Please. No Widdling on the Crown Jewels
The latest John Lewis advert is good old-fashioned advertising. 'Old-fashioned' in the sense that it's a 60" advert with a 30" cut down; it's got a heavyweight media plan, which in turn is heavy on 'terrestrial' TV channels and most importantly, like great adverts of old, has got people chattering. Is the old guy in need of sympathy or help? Is the little girl caring or interfering? And why, oh why is no one reporting sentient life on our nearby orbiting moon?
Yet the John Lewis advert is also wise counsel for marketeers. There's this new paradigm which attracts the column inches: that 'digital' has / is revolutionising the marketing task, that somehow, today everything has changed; we all need a new skill set, new knowledge, to release our inner-coder. But it's a paradigm with shaky foundations. This advert counsels doggedness, patience, getting a differentiating position, owning it and sticking with it. No, more than that: not just sticking with it, but also sticking it squarely, firmly, robustly into the mind of your target consumer. And what better way than a blockbuster TV ad on ITV and Channel Four? (Note: I'm no Luddite; they're doing digital stuff too, and clever with it – but it's being treated for what it is, another set of interesting and interactive channels to communicate the central positioning and creative idea). It's cut through so quickly that another retailer has already spoofed it.
There's another message though, one less obvious but just as stark. The real triumph of the John Lewis work, whether you like it as a marketing output or not frankly, is the fact that yet again, there is consistency. Consistency of direction. Consistency of positioning. Consistency of purpose. It is all too easy to jump on the bandwagon when brands are on the up and there's the risk of beatifying aspects of a brand that are actually suspect under the microscope… but not here. John Lewis is, in a way, reaping a reward of its colleague ownership: it takes a long-term view and treats its brand with studied respect. It recognises the pressures in the changing competitive context but responds in a way that is not only true to its brand, but that builds it too. The latest advert is, along with every touch point in the John Lewis experience, a lesson in brand stewardship, not brand management. It's starkly evident that the brand is too precious to be meddled with. New 'brand managers'* in the role to bolster their CV, won't get to widdle on the crown jewels. The real revolution in marketing is coming from those who dare whisper that there isn't a new paradigm. It's coming from those who dare whisper that finding, landing and stewarding a clear positioning through changes of personnel and ownership with steely resolve and determination – that's the revolution.
*and by 'Brand Manager' here, I mean anyone who can meddle with the brand from the CEO down!
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy and innovation company that helps find the direct route to success for brands and businesses. And no widdling allowed. email@example.com; +44 (0) 1283 246260
© The Crow Flies, 2015
Mass niche
Discussions sometimes seem to weave through time like long strands of gold, looping, intertwining and crossing at the most unusual and surprising times. It's a reminder that rarely is their original thought but rather a repurposing of an old idea, or theme, into the current context. Indeed, this isn't an original thought itself: I doff my cap to the late and truly great Terry Pratchett; in fact his character, Granny Weatherwax in 'Witches Abroad', "This is called the theory of narrative causality and it means that a story, once started, takes a shape. It picks up all the vibrations of all the other workings of that story that have ever been. This is why history keeps on repeating all the time".
So it was recently when an ex Ad Agency suit who I worked with years back reminded me of the 'concept' of 'Mass Niche' which I had coined, apparently. Well, I wasn't about to do myself the disservice of denying it and actually I do remember it. It was born out of a desire to develop the brand we were working on with a seriously distinctive point of view, tone of voice and stand out from our immediate competitors. It was a desire to be brave and go where the bigger, more institutional brands couldn't or wouldn't…. but with scale. Hence, 'mass niche'.
Mass niche. Yes, it's an oxymoron, that's where the appeal as a construct lies. But is it a paradox: can it be solved? Is it a useful way to think about what brands need to achieve distinctiveness and engagement? Essentially, can a brand deliver a 'mass niche' positioning – for this is what my colleague was searching for?
We played verbal table tennis. Which brands are mass niche? Pret á Manger perhaps: operating in a seriously crowded and competitive market, yet idiosyncratic with strong brand integrity. Mini? A car with bags of cheeky personality. Waitrose, or Aldi, clearly standing for something different – both from one another and also the middle of their market. We hotly debated Peroni: a brand which so successfully established its 'niche' by partnering with Italian restaurants, but has pushed out and beyond since then, whilst staying true to its stylish Italian roots.
But the truth is, these just felt like well positioned brands. Recognisable, built around a product truth, distinctive in some way with their positioning.
Is there a difference then? Well a 'niche' is either a nook, cranny or recess – something that offers shelter – or it's a position of great fit: round peg, round hole, that sort of thing. No definition implies 'small' although this is often assumed. With this in mind, niche brands do seem to have a number of points of difference.
Firstly they create the niche. They lead, back a hunch or belief early on. Sustainable, defensible niche brands have the knack or serendipity of getting behind a trend before it becomes dominant, mainstream. Or put better perhaps, they often help a trend in belief or behaviour emerge. Brompton bikes are a great example: they didn't invent folding bikes, but their founder Andrew Ritchie saw not only the poor design of existing folding bikes (they fold but were difficult to carry or poor to ride) but also the potential of the folding bike to contribute towards revolutionising personal transportation, particularly in urban environments. Interestingly, despite their profusion in London, most Bromptons are exported today. This is all fine in retrospect, but it's it worth remembering that it takes serious belief, luck and capital (or at times, lack of): the Brompton story started over 30 years ago.
Secondly, niche brands have more than functional defence built in to their make up. Critically, they are founded off, publicise and stay true to their founding beliefs, particularly and especially later when they become fully or part purchased by a new owner. In the U.S. Anchor Brewing Company was a pioneer of today's craft brewing movement. The owner, Fritz Maytag was fresh out of college, finding his feet and wondering what to do with his life. He bought Anchor because he liked it and heard it was closing. And it was brewing the sort of beer he liked to drink and unlike the beer brewed by the major corporations. Those principles remain true today (with a new owner since 2012), and in fact Anchor remains proudly (and deliberately) a relatively small business.
Thirdly whereas many brands, including those deemed strong by most consumer measures generally have a look that is instantly recognisable, niche brands seem to treat their design with much more reverence and sensitivity. Not that long ago, a long established bric-a-brac store shut down in a nearby town when the owner retired. In the closing down sale was an old Colmans mustard sign, by the look of things, probably from outside a shop or railway station. The yellow, although with some patina of age, the bull and the logo are just as recognisable today. This brand of course, remains the benchmark in feisty English mustard and very much an English fabric brand.
But, the lines between these points and simply well positioned brands are slight. No, the true 'nicheness' comes from the way the brand controls the agenda of 'the battle'. If you're in a niche then attack is difficult except from the front: and that's where the mass niche brand is strongest. A bit like the Rohirrim holing themselves up in Helms Deep in The Lords of the Ring, The Twin Towers. Fight OK, but you will fight on my terms.
Apple own stylish technology that fits with everyday life. Benefit Cosmetics own glamour. Agent Provocateur owns sexy femininity. Chicago Town own deep pan pizza.
So what is mass niche? Well positioned, yes. But narrow in their focus too with deep, deep principles. It may seem a slight difference, but it's a niche worth fighting for.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy and innovation company that helps brands find a direct route to long lasting success. email@example.com; +44 (0) 1283 246260; www.thecrowflies.co.uk; @crowflieshigh.
The Power of 'Or'
In these frenetic, pressured times it's increasingly common to see businesses pushing to do more, more, more. A leader in one of my old businesses called it "the power of and". Oftentimes, this multitasking ability is painted as a virtue, a desirable trait. Bold leaders, macho businesses, taking on more, broadening scopes of responsibility, acting like superheroes. It is a shorthand: leaders who take on more are leaders that achieve more. It's likely that this sounds familiar to you. Perhaps this describes what is expected of you in your role.
Alas, it is a load of old conkers.
The more I work on brands, helping businesses decipher what drives their brands, their business and what the priorities are, the more I realise that the desirable trait in a leader, the desirable trait in a brand in fact, is the ability to understand that landscape and prioritise. No, more than this, to sacrifice. Eminent business strategy 'guru' Michael Porter, he of 'The Five Forces of Competitive Strategy' wrote, "the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do". He was referring to business strategy, but the point still holds.
In fact, 'and' is pernicious, dangerous. Helping a client with brand planning recently we reached a great place. Throughout the session there was committed agreement that with limited and tightening budgets, the brand had to do significantly less in order to cut through. In fact, the brilliant news was the brand would focus on just one major activity in the calendar year, hunkering down tightly on a single target group, devoting its total resources to one time period and leaning all the investment against it.
But in the weeks that followed it unravelled. An alignment meeting with the senior team was the root cause: one sales director had asked for more to support a competitive threat in his channel. The marketing director had asked why they weren't putting some effort into another, slightly older demographic; the trade marketing controller pushed for greater category investment. Ultimately, the plan was more focused than the previous year, but 'and' had done its damage. A brand with a chance to cut through won't now do so.
Of course, this isn't a call to restrict your agenda such that it is so narrow you lose your competitiveness. Rather, it is about finding your agenda – for example, your brand positioning or your corporate purpose or your people strategy – and then asking 'or' questions around it. What if we were to focus our investment on these two activities? Or what if we were to put everything behind one? What if we moved all our media online from traditional sources for a year? Or, what if were to put it all into an experiential programme. 'Or' focuses, 'and' dissipates.
The promise of the 'next big thing' leads us into temptation: 'we can do this as well" or 'look how cost effective the new widget is, we can add it to our mix'. Truth is, what marks winners out is the ability to focus and sacrifice. Find your agenda, keep it tight and watch out for the weakening effect of 'and'.
David Preston is founder of The Crow Flies, a research, strategy and innovation company that helps brands find a direct route to long lasting success. firstname.lastname@example.com; +44 (0) 7885 408367; www.thecrowflies.co.uk; @crowflieshigh.
© The Crow Flies, 2015


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Fall is my favorite season because…
1. the colors of the changing leaves are just breathtaking
2. the temperature changes from scalding to tolerable. Dare I say…enjoyable?
3. there's some sort of giddiness present in the air that you can't miss and can't resist joining in on
4. the clothes in the back of your closet or in bins under your bed get to come out and play. Hello cashmere, oh how I've missed you
5. the day when you can dress up as whatever you want without being harshly judged is right around the corner. Slutty? Why yes, thank you
6. the holidays give you an excuse to eat yummy, artery clogging foods that I'm sure would normally be a giant no-no otherwise
7. there's an excuse to go wild and buy tons of presents for yourself…oops I mean other people
8. trips to family get-togethers soon packs your schedule and you actually like it
9. those few extra pounds you put on from all of the previously mentioned yummy foods are able to be covered up without any extra effort. Good bye Spanx, hello freedom
10. the major holidays means vacation time. Hmm, where should I go this year? Hawaii or… Hawaii?
Because of how beautiful it is outside, I think I will go walk my dog. Like actually walk her.


text:
About The Teacher
Swami Priyaananda is a senior disciple of Swami Satchidananda with thirty years of experience in the practice of Integral Yoga. She served in the Integral Yoga Health Services division and the Distribution Department at Satchidananda Ashram in Connecticut, as well as Executive Secretary and Coordinator of the Living Yoga Training program at the Ashram in Virginia. Currently, she is Vice President of the Office of Spiritual Development and Manager of Satchidananda Archives.Source: yogaville.secure.retreat.guru


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if you dont ill never raise my voice again.
Monday, June 11, 2007
3 comments:
- Peace Vet said...
i lied im gonna talk shit. My two pissed off friends are gonna freak when I start talkin the shit i aim to.
- June 11, 2007 at 7:54 AM
- jae said...
Hey! I came here to read for weeks on end and there was nothing posted! I thought you guys were under the gag order!
SOOOOO Glad to see you back! Keep causin trouble....!
- June 19, 2007 at 7:54 PM
Happy Birthday Monsieur Mookie!
You better talk some shit or I may have to come up there!
- June 30, 2007 at 11:29 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
One little boy donated all of his birthday presents he got for his 7th birthday.
The Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive Is A Success Thanks To Generous Donors
Sponsored By
Program: CBS4 News Top StoryCategories: News, Local News, KCNCTV, Top Story
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Gull Wing Cabin is the ideal spot for a family vacation or a relaxing weekend away from it all. A five minute walk from the beach, you are close enough to almost hear the water. Boasting a very large yard and shaded patio area, this cabin is perfect for you to throw the football around, or for any of your favorite outdoor activities (kites are provided for your use!).
The outside is only the beginning, as the interior of the house is cozy and great for your getaway. The master bedroom contains a queen bed as well as a TV, with a great view of the property. A large family room area that contains a sectional as well as a lazy boy chair is great for relaxing after a long day enjoying the sun. The family room features great entertainment amenities for all ages as well: containing a flat screen TV, Xbox, cable and board games. The second bedroom holds a queen as well as another twin bed with a trundle bed underneath; making it a perfect place for the kids. Kinsey Cabin also has a full kitchen with all the necessary appliances including a toaster, blender, crockpot and expresso maker.
Whether you require a relaxing weekend or an extended family vacation, Gull Wing Cabin offers it all and is your perfect destination.


text:
07 March 2019
PH meeting in Germany
The PVRI warmly invites you to the Symposium of Advances in pulmonary hypertension and strategies for advanced heart failure, which takes place on Saturday 30 March 2019, in Münster, Germany.
The day will focus on the diagnostic approach, discuss conventional and new assessment modalities, practical approaches in different settings to provide best possible care for patients with PH.
We would warmly like to thank the scientific Board and particularly Dr Astrid Lammers.
PVRI invited speakers include:
- Professor Sheila Glennis Haworth, University College London, UK
- Professor Shahin Moledina, Great Ormond Street Hospital, UK
If you are interested to attend or to find out more, please email: Dr Astrid Lammers at astrid.lammers.ukmuenster.de


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Mission impossible: home edition
How does anyone afford to ever get a house? I mean obviously millionaires can just drop a shitload of money down and buy a house on the spot but how does one afford a mortgage if you are a regular person? Am I just making this too difficult?
We've been pre-approved by 2 different places so far but in the end what I worry about is buying a house that we can afford monthly payments and nothing in our area comes close. See I figured we might be able to afford a certain monthly payment considering we might be able to afford a few more hundred dollars a month from what we pay now. The average house cost in the vicinity of where we live now is about $500 on top of the most I figured we could afford. I had no idea we would be expected to pay that much money and I'm at a total loss.
I did however make an appointment with the woman who did our most recent pre-approval for Monday to figure out all our options. I guess the worst thing would be we'd just have to wait until interest rates go down.
Sorry for one of the most boring posts in the world, I was just hoping maybe someone would have interesting comments along with this.
5 Comments
BlueyesApril 14, 2006 at 8:49 am
I'm actually somewhat scared to find out how much I'd have to pay for a house payment with me being by myself but that's still a few years off for me. There must be some areas around you that are not bad off that might have lower housing prices like around here.
RobinApril 14, 2006 at 9:41 am
We're keeping an eye out and being realistic.
heather(anne)April 14, 2006 at 11:42 am
Not boring at all. I'm right there with you. It really does seem impossible to buy a house.
MaureenApril 14, 2006 at 11:45 am
Have you asked about adding some of your current debt into the mortgage? I'm not sure if that is even possible without having the equity to begin with. But, if you could knock off a car payment by rolling it into the mortgage, you might be able to swing it all better.
There are first time home buyer incentives from the government, too – FHA loans & other things like that. Have you looked into those?
Here are some google hits for 'first time home buyer massachusetts'
RobinApril 14, 2006 at 11:59 am
Well I know she was looking into information for first buyers (even though Erik is a 2nd time not 1st) but we're meeting with her monday to discuss it further. I"ll mention the debt thing. Thanks!!


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Many people mistake referral and affiliate marketing for each other. If that's happened to you too — no worries! Just take a couple of with this article, and you'll never make the same mistake again.
What are referrals?
Referrals, also known as referral marketing or refer-a-friend campaigns, are a marketing strategy which revolves around the idea of the good old word-of-mouth marketing. If your business sells something which people love to recommend, you can encourage them to do it more often.
Referral marketing software like Talkable makes it possible for businesses to incentivize customers to share their personalized referral links with friends and family, use customized messages and designs, as well as analyze and improve referral campaigns just as you would with any other managed marketing channel.
How a typical referral program works
Let's look at how referral campaigns work step-by-step:
- Billy buys a pair of jeans from your store and loves them
- Along with Billy's purchase, you send him a referral offer: you promise him a $15 coupon if he shares his referral link with his friends who will also get a $15 off their first purchase
- Billy's so happy about his new awesome jeans, he wants to tell all his friends about them, and he's got a great reason to!
- He sends his friend Cara a link to your store, telling her, "you will not regret this, their jeans are the best"
- Cara follows the link Billy sent her and purchases from your store using the $15-off deal
- Billy receives an email from you with the $15 coupon you promised. He's so excited, and he can't wait to use it!
What is an affiliate program?
Affiliates are people who earn money through their own websites or as independent marketers. They place either ads or other marketing content on their websites or run paid advertising campaigns leading to your online store or sales pages.
Affiliates' motivation to promote your (or any other) business is money. They get paid for sending customers to a website that belongs to their partner. In other words, starting an affiliate program is similar to outsourcing your marketing campaigns to hundreds of independent contractors.
The worst thing about affiliate marketing is that anyone can participate in your program. This means that you don't have much control over where and how your products are advertised. If you're trying to build a reputable brand that will last, this marketing channel needs to be approached carefully.
Referrals vs Affiliates: key differences
Now that we know how each type of marketing program works, let's compare their pros and cons.
|Referral marketing
|Affiliate marketing
|Who does the
|Your customers
|Any independent marketers or webmasters who enter an affiliate agreement
|Who do they promote to?
|Their network, friends, family, and coworkers
|Whatever audience they have access to
|How they promote?
|Share their experience and recommendations via social media, emails, messengers
|Paid ads, content marketin g, spam
|What's their motivation?
|To share good products with people who'd love them too and to get their own discounts
|Easy to control?
Referral marketing: pros & cons
- One of the best practices in marketing to leverage your existing customer base.
- New customers who come to you through referrals tend to have higher LTV and are more likely to become advocates themselves.
- Easy to run, manage, analyze, and adjust.
- Since you're in charge of all marketing activities, you won't have to worry about your brand reputation being affected by others.
- You can combine your referral partner program with influencer marketing activities.
- Won't be very effective if you have very few customers or if your product isn't shareable by nature.
Affiliate programs: pros & cons
- May bring you many relatively cheap leads.
- You don't have to manage marketing campaigns yourself or hire someone in-house.
- You can choose to pay only for the agreed action (such as registration, lead forms, purchases, etc.).
- You can't control where and how your products are advertised.
- Affiliate traffic often turns out to have very low purchase intentions.
- Your sales team may end up wasting their time on low-quality leads.
- High risk of fraud.
Which is best for you?
Signs you should go with referral marketing
- You already have many happy customers and you want to use them to increase referral revenue.
- Your brand's reputation is especially important to you.
- People love your product and already recommend your business to their friends.
- You especially care about long-term profits and KPIs.
- You want to incorporate another manageable marketing channel in your overall strategy.
Signs you should go with affiliate programs
- You sell a cheap product that's often bought spontaneously.
- Your brand's reputation isn't a top priority.
- You don't have many customers.
- The customers you do have don't recommend your product.
- You don't want to manage, analyze, or adjust your marketing campaigns and would rather pay others to do that.
Thinking about what referral program software to choose?
We can help you with that! Contact us here.