text:
When you clear away the ego involved in social media marketing (how many Followers did you pick up this week, how popular was your last blog post, did the recent Infographic go viral, etc.), a single question remains:
Are you reaching your target audience with information that serves them and facilitates a strong relationship? Tweet this
This question presumes two things:
- That you produce quality information, services, or products that solve the problems of others, and
- That you know your target audience.
The Target Audience "Fab Four"
The first question above is one of business development, and there is much that you can focus on there. However, I want to focus briefly on the second question. Are you able to identify your target audience?
There are many ways to define a target audience, but these are the critical factors that should be in the forefront of all of your marketing, the Fab Four, if you will.
- Age
- Gender
- Personality types (this can include Values)
- Profession/Income Level
If your products and services are capable of solving problems for others, which I presume you believe they are or you wouldn't have launched your business, then all you have to do is reach the "right" prospects with your message. The more you can identify the right prospect, the better your conversion rate from prospect to customer will be.
There's a pretty good chance that if you consider your current customers, the best of them will stand out. What do they have in common when it comes to age, gender, personalities, or income? Some of these are a bit harder to identify than others, but by focusing on the profitable customers with whom you currently enjoy doing business and comparing their similarities, you will find some common traits.
We've found it's helpful to even give a "face" to your target audience. That might mean a real customer or it could be an archetype, but if you keep this face in mind when putting together all of your marketing pieces, you will be less likely to miss your target audience in your marketing.
It's easy to get distracted in social media marketing by focusing on how well you're doing with your own content and social media. We all want to "be popular," and often, we look at numbers to evaluate our success. That may be an appropriate measure in some cases, but it's not the only factor to be considering! It comes down to whether or not you're reaching the right prospects.
The right prospect who becomes a brand advocate for you is far more powerful than a large number of people not in your target audience who may never help generate leads or sales.


text:
Search Options
About 413,000 results
BAS (Boise Active Singles) (Boise, ID) | Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/BoiseActiveSingles/WELCOME TO BAS! (Boise Active Singles) We are a group of single adults who ...
BOISE SOCIAL SINGLES (BSS) (Boise, ID) | Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/BoiseSocialSingles/OUR SOCIAL GROUP IS DESIGNED FOR FABULOUS SINGLES IN THEIR 30'S
Singles Meetups in Boise - Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/topics/singles/us/id/boise/Find Meetups in Boise, Idaho about Singles and meet people in your local
community who share your interests.
Singles Ministry | Calvary Chapel Boise
https://www.ccboise.org/our-church/singles-ministrySingles Ministry Events ... Mar 31, 7:00pm, FOCUS (Singles ages 35+), Youth-
401 ... Google+ 208.321.7440 • 123 Auto Drive, Boise, Idaho, 83709.
Boise, ID - Night Clubs, Bars & Singles Events - Eventful
boise.eventful.com/events/categories/singles_socialBoise singles events & Boise nightlife in March 2017 [updated daily]. Find ...
Boise Singles & Personals: Free Online Dating & Chat in Boise
www.datehookup.com/singles-id-boise.htmMeet Boise singles online & chat in the forums! ... We have singles forums, chat,
groups for all types of interests, friends, and a lot more. ... Personals & Singles in
Boise, Idaho - 100% Free ... Chat with singles on our free Boise dating site.
Meet Singles in Boise! - Thisisboise.com
thisisboise.com/uncategorized/single-ready-get/10 Jan 2015 ... After all, Boise, Idaho was named one of the cities with the "best looking ... A
popular place singles tend to spend their free time at is The Drink.
Idaho - Christian Singles Groups - ID
www.rjdwebdesign.com/singles/christian-singles-groups-id.phpBoise, Idaho (ID). Name: Single Adult Ministry Hosted by: Calvary Chapel Boise
Location: 123 Auto Drive, Boise, Idaho (ID) 83709
The 15 Best Places That Are Good for Singles in Boise - Foursquare
https://foursquare.com/top-places/boise/best-places-good-for-singles6 days ago ... Bittercreek Ale House is one of The 15 Best Places That Are Good for Singles in ·
1. Bittercreek Ale House. 9.3. 246 N 8th St (at W. Idaho St.), ...
Where to find singles in the area...... (Boise, Nampa: community ...
www.city-data.com/.../boise-area/943324-where-find-singles-area.htmlIs it better to go to Boise? What are some of the happening night clubs in this
valley? Where do most singles hang out? Rate this post positively ...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Countless times after a day of trekking up through the mountains with my girlfriends, we would arrive in a small village, longing for some cool drink or something to eat- anything to refresh us for the journey back. At the beginning of my trip I was always so worried: would there be a village shop or restaurant where we could refill our water bottles and buy food? How about a bathroom? I found that these needs were met every time, and not once on these excursions did we satisfy our hunger and thirst with our own money.
As we would walk into a mountain village, children would be looking down on us from upstairs windows, and then we would hear running and yelling something to the effect of an English, "Mommy, mommy, there are foreigners here! There are foreigners here!" Then said mothers would come to their door way and come out, kissing us on the cheeks, greeting us, "
As the tea would steep, we would talk in broken Arabic, French, and simple hand gestures. When words could not be found, we resorted to smiles. The food would come, and the guests would be served first, sweet mint tea and usually some kind of bread or cookie. More talking, more tea, and more smiles… After many hours, relatives would stop in with their greetings and then more talking and yet more smiles. After spending a whole day conversing and sharing, we would find out that the next door neighbors had prepared a evening meal for us, and so we would say our thanks and goodbyes to our new friends and move on to the next house, where we would sit and talk for another three hours, eating a traditional Moroccan meal. After long goodbyes, the father or older son would travel part of the way back to our village to state his protection over his family's guests, and to ensure our safety.
This was a common happening in
Oftentimes, Moroccans would ask us to stay the night with them. We were now their family, and they took joy in looking after our safety and welfare. They wanted to know about our families, our work, and our religious beliefs, whether they agreed or not. How often in
Learn from the Moroccans… hospitality is no small thing- it can change lives. It changed mine.


text:
A Book
A Book, by Desi Arnaz In short, A Book is Desi Arnaz' autobiography. Desi tells his life story from his early life in Cuba to his early experiences in America, becoming a musician and a celebrity. Everyone knows how he met and fell in love with Lucille Ball —...Continue reading


text:
This program is closed to further registration.
90 John West WayAurora, ON, L4G 2P3
Get fit while you sit! This program uses cardiovascular exercise to improve your endurance, and works the muscles to strengthen the entire body. This class is ideal for participants who are new to exercises or who prefer the aid of a chair during the routine.
1400 Wellington St. E
Aurora, ON L4G 7B6
Contact us for information:
Tel. (O) 905.726.4770 | (F) 905.726.2831


text:
Has the TSA literally helped Americans find their testicles? Have their over reaching, over reacting policies finally gone too far? These are questions that many in the media have been asking since the implementation of a policy of groping those hapless travelers who decide to opt out of going through the not so newly installed naked body scanners at airports across the nation. I ask, has the TSA finally stumbled upon the limit of what the American general public will tolerate? Is this what it takes for the common folk to finally wake up from the dream that was America, a bunch of robotic uniformed thugs taking nude pictures and feeling them up in public with everyone watching? Well, if that's the case I have to thank the TSA and offer the waking masses some coffee to get them going.
I decided a couple of years ago to stop flying and have driven several hundred miles when I've had to go places rather than fly. I simply wasn't going to put up with it. But that was no big deal. One guy who flies infrequently doesn't much matter to the airlines. Customer service seems to be a thing of the past, and no one really seems to care too much what one customer out of the millions of customers in this country thinks anyway. It did surprise me, however, when my seventy seven year old mother decided last year to drive down to Florida rather than fly. She has been known to travel back and forth between Florida and Illinois semi regularly, but she also decided not to fly anymore. Her reason was the same as mine, the Transportation Security Administration.
The people at the TSA, especially those on the front lines actually interacting with the traveling public, just don't seem to be the best examples of humanity to be found on the planet. I had heard numerous stories about the ridiculousness of their control freakiness, if that makes any sense, well before I had to decide whether to fly or drive. Sure, they may claim that they are just doing their jobs and following the orders of their superiors, but it sure seemed to me that they were taking things a little too far a little too often. It was almost as if they enjoyed their new found power so much that they weren't going to let some fellow human being assert his will or proclaim his natural rights without making him pay. It was almost as if such things were considered a direct attack on their "authority" and they couldn't stand being questioned. They were, after all, the protectors of the flying public, making sure those scary, scary terrorists were kept at bay. They were to be looked upon and honored as heroes. How dare anyone question their methods?
Then the body scanners came. There was only a few at first, but they were soon to be found in more and more places. Oh sure, they were controversial from the get go, but the traveling public was assured that the images weren't pornographic or stored and that this was a necessary evil to prevent nutty, suicidal extremists from stuffing their underwear with explosives and trying to emasculate themselves on international flights. I suppose whether or not the images can be considered pornographic depends on whether or not the person looking at the image is a pervert.
The naked body scanners just seemed to make the sky guards salivate even more. They seemed to love these machines, to love herding people through them. The traveling public, however, didn't take so kindly to the machines. The more they found out about them, the more they became concerned at what was happening behind the scenes. They found out that they'd been lied to, that the pictures were quite graphic, that the images were stored in a database, and that they were being dangerously radiated. Concerns arose that some TSA agents might not be the most trustworthy sort and that going through the radiation emitting devices might cause cancer. The more informed and concerned travelers began to "opt out" of the naked screening process.
This behavior, of course, could not be tolerated by many TSA agents. They don't seem to like their orders being disobeyed or their authority being questioned. Perhaps that's why some of them may have welcomed the newest "enhanced" pat downs. These are the pat downs that those who opt out of going through the body scanners have to undergo. These are the pat downs reported by many travelers as being not just too intrusive, but tantamount to sexual assault. Travelers who are unwilling to go through the naked body scanners have reported being groped by uniformed strangers supposedly there to serve and protect, including women having their breasts cupped and squeezed and their vaginas probed and men having their genitals painfully grabbed. Finally the abuses are being widely reported.
Now, I hear there are many who are opting out of the scan. There are many would be travelers feeling indignant about the enhanced groping, er, pat downs. There are many like myself who have declared they will no longer fly. There's even a website dedicated to the proposition that we will not fly anymore called wewontfly.com. They are sponsoring a national opt out day where they are trying to get as many people as possible to opt out of going through the naked body scanners. They also advocate educating the public as to the dangers and realities of the naked body scanners. This is an effort which really seems to be gathering steam and seems to have the establishment a little worried. I believe that the American public is finally realizing the power it has and how to exercise that power.
Could the American populace finally be waking up? Did the abusive TSA find the limit to our tolerance? Is the sexual humiliation inherent in there "security" procedures too much for most to take? Will enough of us finally realize that this is all just security theater, that none of this is necessary for our safety and has been implemented simply to train us to be obedient slaves cowering to authority? After all, if they can take naked pictures of you and store them for their amusement or grab your genitalia at their whim, is there nothing they can't get away with? And if you think that the groping is going to be limited to those who decide to opt out, you might want to think again. There is talk about making the enhanced pat downs mandatory AND doing away with the opt out option. That means that you'll either submit to having your naked picture taken and being groped by a uniformed stranger, or you won't be able to fly. Is that what it will take to make you stand up and say no?
One might wonder what will happen next. Now that the traveling public seems to have awakened to the abusiveness of the TSA, will it awaken to the other abuses our society has been enduring for years? I mean, sure, the TSA has been subjecting us to searches, demanding we remove our shoes and dump out our water, and now intruding upon our personal space (including our private areas) for some time, but that's nothing compared to the financial screwing we've been getting from the establishment elite, the Federal Reserve and their corporate buddies. Once this battle is won and the TSA either removes their machines and backs off on their groping policies or all airlines go out of business and there's no need for their services anymore, perhaps then we can move on to other important matters. Perhaps then we can exercise our power and call to account those who have stolen our wealth through fear and fraud. Perhaps then we can start to reclaim our freedom.
Now that so many know that they've been lied to about the naked body scanners, do you suppose they'll start to wonder what else they've been lied to about? Will they react to that realization with the same righteous indignation as seems to be happening with the TSA abuses? Will they start to realize that the establishment media has not been doing its job and that there hasn't been any investigative reporting worth crap in a long, long time? Will they start to dig deep into the alternative media and realize that the truth has been out there all along, that it's been covered up by government and the corporate establishment for decades rather than exposed because of greed and lust for power?
I don't know the answer to those questions, but I do hope so. I do hope that we can come to discover that the answer to our problems is not more power concentrated to the few, but rather more liberty given to the many. If this comes to pass then we should thank the TSA for being so abusive and corrupt, for that will have helped remind us that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The less centralized power there is to grab, the less likely such power will end up in the wrong hands.
My archived articles are available at szandorblestman.com. Please visit there to help support me and my efforts. I also have an ebook available entitled "The Ouijiers" by Matthew Wayne.


text:
The magnificent design presents in the last picture you see. It is a fabulous bed frame that can make you feel like flying. It is because the design that has floating style. Its curve shape on the bottom part is cropped and create accent that this bed frame stands by single holder. The headboard also looks unique with brown rattan wood in slope shape…
Monthly Archives
Recent Posts
Recent Gallery
About Us
Article Index : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Gallery Index : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
© 2018 Spanishorientation.com. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved.


text: Editorial | April 01, 2002From the New Managing Editor Lyn Turkstra Author Notes © 2002 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Article Information Editorial Editorial | April 01, 2002 From the New Managing Editor SIG 2 Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, April 2002, Vol. 12, 2. doi:10.1044/nnsld12.1.2 SIG 2 Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, April 2002, Vol. 12, 2. doi:10.1044/nnsld12.1.2 View Article Figures Tables PDF PDF Supplemental Data Supplements Multimedia Share Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest Tools Get Citation Citation Turkstra, L. (2002). From the New Managing Editor. Perspect Neurophysiol Neurogenic Speech Lang Disord, 12(1), 2. doi: 10.1044/nnsld12.1.2. Download citation file: RIS (Zotero) EndNote BibTex Medlars ProCite RefWorks Reference Manager © 2018 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association × Alerts User Alerts You are adding an alert for: From the New Managing Editor You will receive an email whenever this article is corrected, updated, or cited in the literature. You can manage this and all other alerts in My Account The alert will be sent to: Confirm × Sign In or Create a free account to receive alerts. × I have the distinct pleasure of taking over the "command" of Perspectives, as my predecessor so nautically put it in the December issue of the newsletter. I'd like to thank the Steering Committee for giving me this opportunity, as the newsletter has informed and inspired me for many years. Stacie Raymer noted, in her farewell column last issue, that the newsletter is "often cited as a model to follow among the divisions." This is a reflection not only of the high quality of the contributions, but of the fact that the newsletter offers something for everyone: clinical resources, current research findings, a vehicle for continuing education, and inspiration for advocacy. The Steering Committee also continues to seek innovative ways in which to best serve the division affiliates, as exemplified by our plan to produce a joint issue with Division 1 for June 2002. I look forward to being part of this exciting process. Subscribe to view more For full access to this article, log in to an existing user account, become a SIG affiliate, or purchase a short-term subscription. Become a SIG Affiliate Join a SIG Pay Per View Entire SIG 2 Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders content & archive 24-hour access $25.00 Buy Now This Issue 24-hour access $17.00 Buy Now This Article 24-hour access $10.00 Buy Now Sign In or Create an Account Please sign in using your ASHA.org login. If you do not have an ASHA login, you may register with us for free by creating a new account. Sign In or Create an Account We've Changed Our Publication Model... The 19 individual SIG Perspectives publications have been relaunched as the new, all-in-one Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. Learn more > Related Articles Related Topics


text:
I know that Lenox isn't in/near Boston (I'm from the North Shore originally) but I figured my fellow Bostonians may be able to help, regardless.
I saw a previous post on this topic from '09 but thought to revisit and update it - I'm getting married out there and could use any/all rehearsal dinner ideas/locales. My fiance and I love food so something that's a surefire winner would be much appreciated.


text:
_____The Adventure As you descend into the sewers looking at the dirtied map the Dwarfs handed you, you notice that the air gets slightly more foul the further you descend. You soon find out that the map the Dwarfs gave you is outdated, the sewer system has been changed quite a long time ago. You are now lost within the sewers, and it is almost pitch black. You continue down to find an end to the spiral pattern, as it turns into a large room, the sewage is pooling up in the middle of the room where there seems to be a slightly clogged drain. In the room, you see six lights, each a different color. You also find a tablet reading
Out of fire the infant is born molten hot with rage Wind then to cool the child and shape the child's form Rain falls to help it grow, the boy stands and learns to fight Chill then covers the land, shields of ice make the man avoid harm Mystic air then shocks the earth, the elder becomes a thinking force Death then to calm the world The Cycle begins again.
You find that the source of the six lights is a symbol of each of the seasons. ___Once the puzzle is solved______ The center of the room opens up and you hear the sewage flow down into a lower room. The filthy water turns into a spiral, and at this time water jets out from all sides of the room where great slits along the wall were noticeable. The clear water pushes you down into the spiral of sewage as you go down the dark drain hole. You fall unconscious as you drift away into the black abyss.
You wake up to find yourself in a large dark room with only dim runic blue writings on the wall to light the room. You stand up to find yourself remarkably clean, and look up only to find and almost never ending amount of runic symbols going up until you see nothing but blackness. It seems you have fallen down a long way. There is a hallway that leads forward out of the room, this is the only way out. As soon as you leave the room, a great wall of black fire bursts up from the ground to block your way. ____Boss, Ghost of the Elder Black Dragon____ You hear a furious roar of pure rage. Your attention is Drawn up to a swirling black figure that is visible only because the runic writing on the walls is growing to an intense brightness. You now see that the black figure seems to be made out of black flame with bright red flaming eyes streaking across the room descending quickly until it crashes to the ground like a torrent of water crashing onto the deck of a ship. The flames form into a great black Dragon in a ghostly flickering form that seems to be eternally aflame. He lets out one more roar that shakes the room and causes rubble to fall to the ground. He twists around and looks at you with his flaming red eyes as what looks like saliva drips from his mouth, yet before it can reach the floor, the saliva flickers away like a dying flame. The Dragon takes a deep breath that sucks the air from around you almost pulling you in. If the Hero's have a spot of trouble with the Dragon. You see the blue runes written on the wall melt down into the center of the floor until they pool together to show the symbols of the five seasons. Because two of them are being stood on, those two light up quite brightly. If they all are stood on, then a swirling beam of bright multi-colored energy hits the Dragon in the face causing his form to turn into nothing but a black flame for one turn, the Dragon will not be able to act on this turn.
VICTORY!!! The Dragon lets out a scream as the black fiery figure starts to loose the licking flames that make up its body, the flames turn into a liquid goo as the dragon starts to melt to the floor screaming as it sinks down until there is nothing left but a large pile of black goo. Out of the goo a white ghostly figure pops out and laughs in pure joy filling the room with a feeling of warmth and hope. You hear a deep voice "Thank Youuuuu…. " You look down to find the black goo melt into the ground and disappear and revel glints of gold and silver on the floor. The flame blocking the door dissipates and the Runes on the walls form into 6 lamps that light the room, and more lamps are formed down the hallway.
The Hero's gained the weapon of Famalhut, the great gun of the 5th age. They trade to to some strange creatures they find called "droplings" Where they have a city made out of scrap metal and sewage.


text:
Kazuki Coin is one of the most advanced Crypto Currencies in the market. We bring a new way to invest, a new way to earn, a new way to profit and that is crypto currency investment.
Consider this. Trading in gold is no longer profitable. Forex trading is similarly proving to be a huge risk. Real estate has gone bust. Stockmarkets are plain unreliable and prove to be a losing proposition for most. Against this uncertain atmosphere of investments, we offer a solid, highly proven and secure as well as profit oriented investment option in crypto currency mining operations that we undertake.
Trade KAZUKI COIN and other cryptocurrencies at Global Trade, and enjoy a generous welcome bonus up to 10,000 £/$/€.
We offer KAZUKI COIN CFD trades with up to 20:1 leverage.
You can start trading KAZUKI COIN from £100/$100/€100
Volatility makes for an excellent addition to any financial trading.
Kazuki Coin is 100% regulated to ensure a seamless trading.
Cryptocurrency shortcircuits the banking system and its associated transaction fees which is welcome news for merchants and service providers. There are no chargebacks. They get paid immediately.
There are over 700 cryptocurrencies but only a few are globally popular and in demand making them as precious as gold. Buyers using cryptocurrency may not have to account for it or pay tax.
Some cryptocurrencies are always increasing in value. This is because, unlike paper currency, there is only a fixed amount in circulation and as popularity grows, demand grows and therefore the value of cryptocurrency grows.
It is international in nature and has a uniform value, sometimes increasing all the time, and it can also be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges.
There are small risks but the benefits for some people far outweigh the disadvantages especially in transactions that may not be advisable through regular channels.
It is accepted in 40 countries and has a presence in 180 countries and there are nil or low transaction fees. 500000 businesses worldwide accept cryptocurrency for products and services.
for download click here
Need help or just want to say hello?
Email : email@example.com
Email : firstname.lastname@example.com
Your message has been sent, thank you.


text:
15% OFF! - Vintage Harmony Monograms
By Caroline B
Related Products
More By This Designer
|(0 Total Votes) | Rate It
Please sign in to rate this product! Log In
Product Categories
Product Information
- Type: Monogram and Alphabet Pack
- Designer: Caroline B
- Size: 10.6 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Monogram Characters: 62
Coordinating Products
This product includes all the design
elements from the following products:
Vintage Harmony Pack
Designer Notes
Smooth and soft colors for this Vintage Alpha, covered of old newspaper for the upper case and old fleuron paper for the lower -62 pieces). Also available at a discount as a Bundle !
Image Quality
High-resolution (print quality) JPG and PNG files (with transparency).
Download Options
Easy install directly into My Memories Suite software. Purchase My Memories Suite
General use installer for other software applications (i.e., Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc.).
Album and Photobook templates are intended for installation in the MyMemories Suite software only.
The General download will still contain all of the digital paper and page element files and template pages in a flat jpeg format so that you can recreate the template.
The layered pre-built pages are not available in the general download.
Download Access
All download options are available after checkout by clicking the "Access Your Downloads" provided on the order confirmation page. You may also access your downloads after logging into the My Account section located at the top right of the website.


text:
"Are you claustrophobic?" was the first thing Scott White of Personal Power Training asked me before we started the test. I'm not so I didn't think I would have a problem. Sadly, I was wrong.
I noticed lots of high-tech gadgets when I walked in the room – my kind of place! Scott weighed me, took my blood pressure and entered some data into the computer. He then started to fit the apparatus on my head. This picture is NOT me but the apparatus was exactly the same.
Notice the blue mouthpiece that I was supposed to breathe through and the blue clips pinching the nose. Well, it wasn't the most comfortable (or the most fashionable!) but I dealt with it.
I started walking on the treadmill – a slow walk – and just about 30 seconds into it, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was suffocating. I pulled the whole thing off my head and said I couldn't do it. Scott calmed me down until I was ready to try it again. We got everything all connected again and I started walking. I felt that same panicky feeling but I calmed myself and worked through it. I felt successful. I was going to be able to do this!
Every minute or so, Scott adjusted the speed and/or incline to make me work harder. About 7 minutes into the test, I felt panicky again and this time I seriously could not go on. I pulled everything off again and said I just couldn't finish the test. I hope to be able to work myself up to go do the test again (and finish it) sometime in the future.
Have you had your VO2 tested? What was your experience?


text:
Acer is launching one the first very few devices in Canada to come with ICS Android 4.0 on it's brand new 10.1 inch Iconia Tab A200 , it weighs in at 1.5 pds and comes with a HD multi-touch screen with a 1280x800 resolution.It has a Tegra 2 processor and 1GB of Ram and MicroSD slot and as well a full-sized USB 2.0 Port so you can plug-in other devices and 16GB of on board memory at $349cnd or 8GB version for only $329cnd. For more details please check our the press release below.
Acer Launches Iconia Tab A200 Tablet With Android 4.0 in Canada
Full-Featured HD Tablet has Attractive $329 Starting Price
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 29, 2012 - Acer Canada today debuts the Acer Iconiaâ"¢ Tab A200 pre-installed with Androidâ"¢ 4.0 OS in Canada.
The newest addition to Acer's line of full-featured Android tablets, the 10.1-inch Acer Iconia Tab A200 is a portable activity hub for gaming, e-books, movies, music, photography, social networking and more. The many enhancements of Android 4.0 enable customers to interact with and enjoy the Acer A200 in ways that are both truly natural and exciting.
"The Acer Iconia Tab family of tablets is an excellent example of Acer's ability to deliver high-performance, full-function mobile devices at unbeatable values," said Max Hu, senior product marketing manager for Acer Canada. "Acer brings the Iconia Tab A200 to consumers at an affordable price, without making sacrifices on key tablet features such as expansion, connectivity to other devices, HD displays and cameras. Android 4.0 OS further complements the sleek, powerful and well-designed Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablets to give customers an all-around first-rate experience."
Sleek and easy to hold, the Iconia Tab A200 weighs 1.5 pounds. The tablet is wrapped in a slim, titanium gray-colored casing, with an eye-catching patterned back side, which is soft to the touch. On the front, the A200 showcases a beautiful HD multi-touch display featuring crystal-clear 1280 x 800 resolution for an outstanding viewing experience.
Made especially for multimedia enjoyment, the Iconia Tab A200 combines hardware and apps for loads of fun. The tablet provides an enhanced level of performance with its NVIDIA® Tegraâ"¢ 2 dual-core mobile processor and integrated GeForceâ"¢ GPU that allows users to enjoy HD gaming, 1080p video, Flash-based applications, faster browsing and multitasking.
Gamers of all ages will enjoy the preloaded Tegra Zone Android app, which allows users to search and download the best Android games that are optimized for NVIDIA Tegra powered tablets. The Iconia Tab A200's fast gaming experience is also supported by a six-axis motion sensing gyroscope, essential for high-precision gaming so actions and animations are more correctly performed.
Users can enjoy up to eight hours of cable-free battery life, providing many hours to surf the web, watch movies, play games and read e-books, far from the nearest electrical outlet. The Iconia Tab A200 comes pre-loaded with apps like Kobo for countless reading selections and Netflix for instant delivery of movie and entertainment titles. One tap on the Android Market allows users access to thousands of downloadable apps.
Offering superior expansion and connectivity, the Iconia Tab A200 has a full-size USB 2.0 port for hooking up other devices and a MicroSD slot and micro-USB port for passing data. A two megapixel front-facing web camera enables face-to-face chats or quick snaps for still photos. For an enhanced social networking experience, the Iconia Tab A200 includes Acer SocialJogger, which consolidates Facebook, Twitter and more into one spot.
Acer clear.fi is installed on the Acer Iconia Tab A200 to connect with any other DLNA-compliant device to quickly and easily share digital medai. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media plays and storage devices) and gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photos, pre-recorded TV).Android 4.0 Brings Additional Capabilities to Acer Iconia Tab LineThe Acer Iconia Tab A200 with Android 4.0 delivers new features that give customers more usability and enjoyment. Customers will appreciate the faster browser, enhanced app and folder management options, more intuitive navigation, and a completely reimaged design that is more polished with enhanced holographic effects. Plus, customers can more easily customize their Acer tablet and will enjoy improved integration with Gmailâ"¢ email and calendar functions as well as improved multitasking and switching between tasks. The Acer Iconia Tab A200 with Android 4.0 also includes several new features that are unique to Acer tablets, such as the highly-customizable Acer Ring. The Acer Ring can be launched with a single touch and lets customers have quick and easy access to apps, surf the web, capture screen images, post photos and status updates to their social networks, and more.Customers will also enjoy an improved weather widget and will be able to access their favorite apps even when the screen is locked.Availability and Affordable Price Starting at only $329.99The Acer Iconia Tab A200 is available in Canada now at major technology and elctronics retailers. It will begin selling pre-installed with Android 4.0 within the next several weeks. The Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g16 in titanium grey and the A200-10r16 in cherry red both have 16GB of memory and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $349.99 CAN. The Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g08 in titanium grey and the A200-10r08 in cherry red have 8GB of memory and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $329.99 CAN. Customers in Canada who have already purchased the Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablets can expect their devices to receive an over-the-air update to Android 4.0 sometime in the following week. In addition, the Acer Iconia Tab A100 7-inch tablet and Acer Iconia Tab A500 10-inch tablet will both receive the same over-the-air update to Android 4.0 within the next week. Customers will be alerted that their system is ready to be updated to Android 4.0 OS and can either accept it immediately or postpone it for a future date.Acer is the number one notebook provider in Canada, the number two overall PC provider in Canada, and has held the number one Canadian market share position in LED and LCD displays for 26 consecutive quarters. About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for notebook PCs. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer designs environmentally friendly products and has established a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including supporting the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 8,000 people worldwide. Revenues for 2011 reached US$15.7 billion. Visit www.acer-group.com for more information.


text: walkerbk 3 Posted September 25, 2017 So I have finished my ls1 4l65e swap and love it. Anything over 3k rpm gets a little scary. Went to the strip to show up all the mustangs and running street tires got nowhere... literally spun tires for the first 60ft and then just rolled through the finish. After buying a set of street slicks I went back. Still could not launch as hard as I wanted to but I was running low 12s. My thought is coil overs, bigger sway bar, lsd differential and true slicks. Well I am getting ready to start my next build (63 c10) and am researching what I am doing for suspension and have decided to keep the solid axle and add a torque arm. After researching torque arms I thought why not put one on the datsun? Is there a large difference since it is a irs? My thought is the torque is still going through the nose of the diff (thus the clunk that I had to fix). My thought is remove the extra mount over the diff that I added and remove the stock nose mount and replace it with a bar that goes up to my transmission mount. This would make it to where the diff is mounted on the rear and then to the front of the car right under the driver seat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Salary for Football Defensive Backs
© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.
Defensive backs refer to players who are positioned on the defensive team behind the line of scrimmage. These players include safeties, who represent the last line of defensive, and cornerbacks, who defend receivers and tackle offensive players. (REFERENCE 1) Their salaries are determined by the National Football League in negotiations with the NFL Players Union.
For 2012, the cornerback with the highest base salary, according to Spotrac, was Namdi Asomugha who played for the Philadelphia Eagles to earn $11,000,000. His total salary for the five years starting in 2011 was $60,000,000, with an average $12,000,000 per year. Among several of the lowest paid players at $390,000 for the year was Will Hill of the New York Giants. He only had a one year contract for that amount and becomes a restricted free agent after the season. Cornerback salaries for the year averaged about $1,113,602.
The safety with the highest base salary was Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens. He had a six-year contract that began in 2007 totaling $44,400,000, with an average salary of $7,400,000 per year. Among the many players earning the lowest salary of $390,000 for the year was Sean Richardson of the Green Bay Packers. His three-year contract started in 2012 and totaled $1,445,000, with an average salary of $481,667 per year. The average salary for all safeties was $1,218,142 per year.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated in August 2011 defines the minimum salaries for all players, including cornerbacks and safeties, until the year 2020. Salaries vary by the number of credited seasons and the year. For example, in 2012, a rookie earns an annual minimum of $273,000 with no experience, $343,000 with three credited seasons and $418,000 with 10 or more seasons. In 2020, minimum annual salaries jump to $510,000 for no experience, $463,000 with three credited seasons and $538,000 with 10 or more seasons. A credited season is defined as a season in which a player is on full-pay status for a total of three or more regular season games.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement also specifies the benefits and conditions under which defensive backs and all other team members play. If a player travels and does not receive meals by his club, he is entitled to daily reimbursement in 2012 for breakfast at $19, lunch at $29 and dinner at $47. In 2020, those amounts jump to $31 for breakfast, $41 for lunch and $59 for dinner. During the regular season, starting with the first regular season game, players must receive at least four days per month off. Injured players may be required to undergo medical treatment during his day off. For each game played during the off-season in 2012, players receive $22,000 for the Division Playoff, $40,000 for the Conference Championship and $88,000 for winning the Super Bowl or $44,000 for losing it. In 2020, those amounts jump to $33,000 for the Playoffs, $59,000 for the Championship, $130,000 for winning the Super Bowl and $65,000 for losing.
Job Resources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.
- Who Are the Defensive Backs?
Describes the positions that act as defensive backs.
- Spotrac.com :: The Spot for Sports Contracts :: Homepage
Including over 5,000 professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey player contracts/salaries.
- Accountant Wages by Industry
Accountant Salary by Industry: Discover the industries that pay the highest and lowest salaries for accountants.
Related Books
I pretty much knew the salary was going to be high when I saw your topic. It is a sport that pays very well and all for the love of entertainment. I guess if people stopped going to the events, then the business would drop the high pay scale and lower ticket prices; but, we all know that's not going to happen.
I never understood why football players make so much. I guess if I took one tackle I would probably appreciate their salaries a little more. Great look at this industry!
Wow! No wonder all those kids in high school wish to become professional football players. Amazing salaries! With all of the latest information about the dangers and long term effects of head trauma (concussions) there IS a price to be paid. Voted useful and interesting.
Now I'm nauseous! Ridiculous money and it will only get more ridiculous. Sigh! Welcome to the United States! Great job of research!


text:
Student-Contributed Wiki
An awesome student from our education program made this wiki. It is not managed by iFixit staff.
- Guitar Strums Twice
- LED lights blinking, guitar cannot connect to console
- Buttons stiff or unresponsive
- Device won't power on
- Unresponsive or Broken Whammy Bar
Guitar Strums Twice ¶
Every time the guitar is strummed to play one note, the game registers two strums and plays two notes.
Tension Spring Broken or too Loose ¶
This happens because the tension spring for the strummer is not set to the right value, or the spring is in fact broken. Look at our strummer replacement guide to fix this.
LED lights blinking, guitar cannot connect to console ¶
The lights on the guitar blink rapidly and the game does not respond to any input to the guitar.
Out of Range ¶
The Rock Band guitar only has a range of about 20 feet, make sure you are close enough to the wireless receiver
Guitar not synced ¶
The guitar must be synced with a specific console, to do this press the small white button on the side of the guitar, below the D-pad. In addition, press the sync button on the wireless receiver or dongle.
Buttons stiff or unresponsive ¶
Buttons are hard to press down or do not respond
Dirt or Dust Build Up ¶
Some dirt or dust could have built up underneath the buttons causing them to stick or feel unresponsive. Look at our buttons replacement guide to clean or replace the buttons.
Device won't power on ¶
Lights do not come on when the bass is turned on
Power Switch Not On ¶
There is a small black power switch on the back of the guitar next to the the battery panel.
Bad Batteries ¶
The batteries in the guitar have no more charge. Replace the batteries on the back panel of the guitar.
Unresponsive or Broken Whammy Bar ¶
When playing the game nothing is registered when using the whammy bar, or the whammy bar does not return to correct position
Bad Connection within Circuit ¶
To open up the guitar and either check the connection of the whammy bar or to replace it, check out our replacement guide.
Broken or Loose Spring ¶
To readjust the tension within the spring or to replace the spring, check out our replacement guide.


text:
Boston Store Guide
Ladies and gentleman, we proudly present our very first Stateside store: Boston Downtown Crossing. The four-floor landmark store boasts an awe-inspiring 77, 390 square feet of amazing fashion at amazing prices. Plus, you can enjoy an exclusive Primark first with free in-store Wi-Fi, get some inspo from our scrolling Primania screens, and even chillax in the brand new rest areas (calling all shopaholics).
Want to take a look? Be our guest! We've created a virtual tour, so you can strategise, prepare, and then shop until you drop! Enjoy...
The Deets
We're privileged to call the iconic Filene's department store our Boston home. It's a cherished landmark that we're super proud to occupy. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Throughout the store, you'll notice a selection of illustrated graphics, these were created by world-renowned graphic artist Luke Embden, who has also collaborated with Selfridges in London.
The Numbers
77, 390 square foot, entire store
1, 000 square foot dedicated trend shop
530 mannequins and busts
100 new lines added daily
90 total trading hours
84 fitting rooms
73 cash desks
7 escalators
7 display windows
First Floor
On our first floor, as you enter the building, you'll find an entire floor of womenswear, as well as our unique Trend Room. The Trend Room is an impressive 1, 000 sqft of merchandised apparel, specifically selected and styled to reflect current trends.
Second Floor
Up on the second floor, you'll discover more womenswear, as well as our denim kitchen, fashion accessories, hosiery, beauty and the newly-launched Primarket. You'll also find fittings rooms for the savvy shopper who knows all about trying before buying!
Tired? Check out our chill-out areas, specifically designed for those Primaniacs who have shopped themselves senseless. You'll find comfy seats, and a place to charge your cellphone! Well, we can't have your battery dying before you've had a chance to upload your latest look to Primania now, can we?
Third Floor
Congratulations, you've made it to the third floor! Ladies, here you'll find shoes and lingerie to complete the outfits you'll have no-doubt accrued on your way up. Guys, welcome to your domain - so many clothes!
Fourth Floor
On the top floor of our fashionable mini-kingdom you'll find something for the kids, as well as our amazing range of homeware. An ever-growing department, home should be on your hit list for sure. On a practical note, you'll also find restrooms, and the exchange and returns till point... if you really, really want to return something (we hope not!).
Our giant flagship store awaits your exploration! Don't forget to use our free in-store Wi-Fi to tweet, Instagram and Snapchat your store pics and vids. We'd love to know what you think!


text:
JGL dropshipper Personalised trainers Best mens brown dress elevator shoes Increasing 2.5 Inches Cow leather upper Pig Leather lining Rubber OutsoleTotally invisible will not be notice by others even when you take it off Handmade with genuine leather provides extreme comfort and breathable Made in China 21ST CENTURY SHOES CO., LTD.
About Us | Privacy & Security | Contact Us | Return&Exchange| Why Shop From Us? | Why Be Taller? | FAQS | Link Exchange | sitemap
copyright © 2015 elevatingshoes.com,inc. All Rights reserved


text:
Pistons Pass On Trades, Move Past Alleged Protest
By Steve St-Pierre
An already difficult season for the Pistons took a turn for the worst in late February when several Detroit players allegedly orchestrated a player protest, skipping a pregame shootaround. The organization has gone at great lengths to deny the allegations and move past the ugly occurrence.
The incident took place following the NBA's trade deadline. According to various reports, the Pistons negotiated two separate deals involving veterans Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.
The Dallas Mavericks, interested in acquiring Prince, offered Detroit the expiring contract of injured forward Caron Butler along with their 2011 first-round draft pick. Joe Dumars, Pistons President, allegedly passed on the deal because he wasn't interested in swapping expiring contracts – Prince is also a free agent this summer – or acquiring Dallas' pick, which is expected to be in the late 20's overall. Likewise, Dumars wants to keep his options open with Prince, looking to either keep him this offseason or sign-and-trade him in a more beneficial deal.
Reportedly, the Pistons agreed to send Hamilton to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with a lottery-protected 2012 first-round pick in exchange for a $12.6 million trade exception and a second-round pick. Hamilton allegedly made it clear he did not want to play for the league's last-place team, so the Cavs discussed a contract buyout that would have paid Hamilton $18 million of the $25 million left on his contract and allowed him to sign with any other team.
Supposedly, Hamilton passed on the offer, perhaps hoping the Pistons will be purchased soon by a new owner, opening up the possibility of a higher buyout.
With frustration building throughout the Pistons' locker room, several players apparently decided to take their frustrations out on John Kuester, Pistons Head Coach, by boycotting the shootaround. The players accused of participating in the protest include Hamilton, Prince, Tracy McGrady, Chris Wilcox, Rodney Stuckey and Austin Daye.
The organization has denied the allegations, vouching for each player. According to the Pistons, Prince and McGrady were excused due to illness, Wilcox overslept, and Stuckey and Daye showed up towards the end of shootaround due to a mix-up.
Hamilton, though he was unexcused, apologized to Kuester. The two had been at odds since Hamilton was benched early in the season in favor of McGrady. For the time being, it appears that Kuester has flip-flopped the two in his rotation, opting to play Hamilton and sit McGrady. Hamilton has been coming off the bench, with Stuckey moving back to point guard and Ben Gordon starting at shooting guard.
Additionally, Ben Wallace missed shootaround the day of the protest but has been excused from the team to deal with the death of his brother. As a result, Daye and Wilcox have been starting at the forward positions alongside rookie center Greg Monroe. In an effort to move forward from the so-called shootaround shun, the Pistons quietly issued fines for Hamilton, Wilcox, Stuckey and Daye.
"We've had a lot of interesting things happen to our team…" Kuester says. "…This is an emotional game, a passionate game, and my goal as a coach was always – and will always be – to get the maximum potential out of players.
"I always go back to Ben Wallace saying 'Players aren't going to like coaches, coaches aren't going to like players, (and that's) the way it is.' I just want the maximum potential out of these guys."
As of now, Daye has been the only player to open up about missing shootaround.
"For me, personally, I have no problem with Coach," Daye says. "He's been playing me, so why would I protest someone that's playing me?"
Daye stands by the Pistons' explanation of what occurred and acknowledges it was his fault.
"That's why I got punished," he says. "You make a mistake, and you learn from it…trust me, if I could've been on time, I would have…it's a mistake I'll never make again, and I apologize to Pistons fans and the Pistons family for being late."
Dumars, who's known for shying away from the media, issued a statement to voice his support for Kuester. The players understand why Dumars carefully picks and chooses when to speak out.
"If he feels that something needs to come up and something needs to happen, he's going to do it because he's the head honcho around here," Daye says. "And we all respect him."
Despite the negative that's come out of this season, the Pistons have had some positive highlights as well. For example, the players who did not protest against the coach have benefited by staying on the floor and continuing to develop for the future.
"That's what it's all about, getting an opportunity and taking advantage of it," Kuester says. "One of the things that happens in this league is that no one is entitled to anything. The big thing about respect and earning respect, you earn that every day. You don't earn it on the past. You earn it on how you work every day and how you react to things every day, and that's how you earn respect."
"I'm here to play basketball," Monroe adds. "That's my job, and that's what I'm going to do.
Though the odds are against them, the Pistons believe they have enough in them this season for a playoff push. However, they know it's going to require a commitment from the entire team.
"We have a lot of maturity, and I think Greg Monroe has benefited a lot from Ben Wallace," Kuester says. "I think Austin Daye has benefited a lot from Tayshaun Prince. I think Tracy McGrady has done some things to help our young players too."
"Of course, those guys are a big part of our team," adds Monroe. "They've been a big part of this franchise for a long time."
Despite the constant backlash from his players and the rumors of his eventual dismissal, Kuester maintains confidence in his team.
"This isn't about coaching," Kuester explains. "This is about players, and this is about them wanting to win.
"Sometimes, you're not going to execute the right way or do things the right way. But when you play with energy and play with intelligence…good things will happen."


text:
VG Invites loves the deep rich hues of burgundy for fall and winter weddings. Reds inspire romance and can be coordinated with pinks or greens and even whites for a bold contrast. We put together a collection of our favorite ideas to give your lots of inspiration for your wedding theme.
VG Invites
Break Tradition – Incorporate a Wedding Fan Page Using Facebook
Once upon a time couples sent out their wedding invitations to guests. Beyond the invitation in the mail, there was little communication done amongst the bride, groom, wedding party, and their guests before the Big Day. Today's brides are more tech savvy and socially connected than ever before. Instead of making a wedding website, couples are opting to create wedding fan pages so brides can share their personal wedding journey with friends and family. VG Invites is a fan of using Facebook Fan Pages for weddings because it can be a key organizational tool and a place to share your love with your guests and wedding party.
Here are what some users are saying:
"I think it's really cute and gives many people involved in your wedding a chance to congratulate you before the big day, share helpful links, etc."
"I have one and it is great. All of my girls live in different cities so it's easy to keep in contact. I also love how we can share photos. We have shared hair ideas, decoration ideas, dress ideas, etc. I love mine and my girls check it all the time. Just make sure it's private."
Here are some great uses for your wedding Facebook Fan Page:
For fun and link sharing among the bridal party. Having wedding information, pertinent links to wedding registries, event updates and an option to RSVP online makes life easier on both wedding guests and those planning the wedding. For bridal updates, brides can share their personal wedding planning journey with their friends and family. Guests can sneak a peak at pictures announcing who the DJ or band will be prior to the rehearsal. Don't forget post wedding sharing. Include guests on your Facebook Wedding Fan Page and they will revel in the joy of sharing and commenting on pictures. Your Facebook Wedding Fanpage is a great way for them to share moments.
How to set up your Wedding Facebook Fan Page
1. Log into your Facebook account and go to your "Home" page.
2. On the left sidebar see option for "Pages" and click on "Like Pages".
3. Top Right Click "Create New Page"
4. Click on "Cause or Community"
5. Click on "Create Group"
6. Name your group (such as Bride's Name and Groom's Name Wedding). Select your members. To select members, simply start typing their names. If they are already connected to you in Facebook, their names will pop up. Depending on your needs and desires, you will want to select "Public", "Closed", or "Secret".
7. Next you will want to upload a cover photo. Your cover photo should be 851 x 315 pixels and a .png file. You can find some beautiful cover photos that are already optimized for your Facebook Wedding Fan Page at www.VGInvites.Etsy.com along with matching wedding invitations, save the date postcards, and wedding programs.
8. After you have uploaded your cover photo you can begin creating events and include those individuals who will be attending. For example, getting all the bride's maids together to try on gowns. Give the event a name, a description of the details, where, and when.
9. Share photos: You can create an album and share photos and even add videos.
Some Fun Ideas:
Add widgets to make pages more resourceful. Widgets or applications allow for pages to be useful interactive tools that are fun for your guests. For Example, Wedding Fan Pages can include: a wedding day countdown widget, a map widget that displays the event venue's locations, a RSVP widget, a custom form widget and even a polling widget if the bride wants instant feedback from her wedding attendees.
For a larger affair that takes months to plan, such as a wedding, something more substantial and engaging, like a Fan Page, is a fun and useful tool to have. Facebook has opened a huge door for brides to take a more modern approach to planning and sharing their big day.
I hope that you have found this tutorial helpful. Please leave me your comments below.
This tutorial was brought to you by VG Invites and Graphic Design By Vicotira
VG Invites Cutting Your Invitations – A Tutorial
DIY projects can be great excuse to get together with friends for a fun girls night in. So put out some snacks and lets get started.
What you will need is a cutting matt, metal ruler, and an Xacto knife.
1| Line up your metal ruler along the guides that come printed on your invitations
2| Using your led hand Firmly press down as indicated here
3| Holding your xacto knife in your right hand, as indicated in this tutorial, Make a slice along the edge of the metal ruler.
4| You may want to make a few practice cuts first until you get the hang of it.
Before you know it you will be making professional looking cuts like these.
Thanks for visiting and check out my latest tutorials at www.VGInvites.com
This tutorial was brought to you by www.VGInvites.com and Graphic Design By Victoria


text:
The assault on rural America continues unabated. For the past six months dairy farmers across the country have suffered a historic drop in milk prices while operating costs remain high. Since December 2008, the price that farmers are paid for the milk they produce has plunged over 50 percent, the largest single drop since the Great Depression.
While organic dairy farmers have faced a decrease in overall sales due to the recent world financial meltdown and tight budgets on the home front as a result, the current drop in milk prices is impacting mainly conventional and small to mid-size family dairy farmers — the worst crisis most dairy farmers have faced in their entire careers.
Without immediate action from President Obama, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and members of Congress, this current crisis could be the launching point for the final liquidation of the independent family farmer.
Plunge in Milk Prices + High Costs of Production = Final Liquidation
According to the USDA, the average cost of production for milk is $24.08 per hundredweight (cwt or 100 pounds), while the price dairy farmers were paid for their milk in April sunk to $10.78 cwt.
This means that dairy farmers are earning less than half of what it costs to produce their milk. Imagine having your salary cut in half and still trying to cover the same monthly bills. Even worse, feed and fuel prices are starting to go up in the past few months.
For farmers, most of whom work too long of hours and are paid too little money, this is the perfect formula for a final liquidation of one of the last remaining independent segments of ag production. For years, small and medium-sized farms have relied on their dairy cows to stay relatively free from domination by factory farms and corporate agribusiness. But no longer.
The Past Revisits the Future – 1998 Eight-Cent Hogs
What we are witnessing today with dairy farmers has happened before and is part of a historic trend that must not be allowed to continue. As Chris Petersen, President of Iowa Farmers Union and an Iowa family hog farmer, said recently, "First they consolidated the turkeys and chickens, then the hogs and now they're coming after dairy."
Petersen spoke at a rally for dairy farmers held on May 30th in Manchester, Iowa, where some 150 family dairy farmers from across the country gathered at a small town livestock exchange, some traveling from as far away as New York and Pennsylvania, in an effort to draw attention to the ongoing crisis.
As a hog farmer who survived the 1980's farm crisis, Peterson is painfully familiar with the impacts that industrialized agriculture and consolidation have had on family farmers and rural America.
For many Iowans, the current crisis in dairy is eerily reminiscent of 1998, when prices hog farmers were paid for hogs dropped to 8 cents a pound, virtually wiping out an entire generation of hog farmers during a single market downturn.
In 1997, the year before the crash, there were over 122,000 hog farmers across the U.S. Today less than 65,000 remain. In Iowa, the nation's leading hog producer, there were over 18,000 hog farmers in 1997, while less than 8,300 exist today, with most animals in this sector now raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or factory farms.
For those who missed the consolidation of livestock in the 1950's and 1960's when it happened to the chicken growers, and then the 1980's and 1990's when they came for the hogs, this year will be the final sell-off of the family dairy farmer. The final sector reliant on livestock will at last be captured.
In addition, the industry trend towards animal confinement that has taken off in the past decade in dairy will increase significantly if these small and mid-sized farmers are allowed to fail.
Increasing consolidation in the dairy industry has also played a factor in the current crisis, creating an uncompetitive market for dairy farmers. Just one cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) controls 40% of milk produced in the U.S., severely limiting competitive pricing for farmers. But not only does DFA have undue market power, they also have a history of market manipulation and were fined $12 million last year manipulating the milk prices in the commodities market.
U.S. Faces Catastrophic Loss of Dairy Farmers in 2009
Leading farm advocacy groups such as Farm Aid and the National Family Farm Coalition are estimating the potential loss of 20,000 family dairy farmers as a result of the current milk crisis. If action isn't taken soon in Washington DC, America could lose up to 30% of U.S. dairy farmers — possibly more — as they strain under the monthly cost of debts, which are piling up each month.
Meanwhile, banks have already started cutting off farmer's access to loans across the country and have increasingly begun seizing herds when farmers can't make payments.
In a phone call received last week, one farmer told how a neighboring dairy farmer in eastern Iowa had lost his farm. The 550 head family dairy farm was seized last month, forcing a father and his two sons off the farm. Only five years ago, the father had expanded their operation so he could eventually turn the farm over to his sons. Now that dream is gone. To make matters worse, the bank seized the last trailer full of cows on a Friday and the youngest son got married the following day, a wedding that turned from a celebration into a tragedy.
The same farmer who related this story said that he had received a call from his banker who was coming to visit his farm the next day, with no reason given. The farmer said he was current on his payments, but wasn't sure if his credit would be cut off like it had to several dairy farmers he knew across Iowa.
Stories like this are becoming increasingly common in rural America, especially in dairy country – states like California, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin.
The loss of so many family dairy farms could launch the next Great Depression for rural America's economies. As farmers are forced off the land once again, as they were in the 1980s, the businesses and communities that rely on them stand to lose their tax and customer base.
Crashing the Farmer's Price for Free Trade
While cyclical problems of supply and demand and have caused numerous market collapses in the past, a closer look at the dairy crisis exposes deeper fundamental problems in the dairy sector.
Currently the chattering political class in Washington DC keep repeating the line that the current crisis is due to "overproduction," but an inspection of dairy imports and exports tells a different story
A recent post from John Bunting, a New York dairy farmer who writes for Milkweed and runs, tallied the imports of milk protein concentrate or MPC and found a record increase in imports in the first quarter of 2009. Between January and March of this year imports of milk protein concentrates (MPCs), not including casein and other dairy products, increased a whopping 24.59% according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Services.
MPCs are broken-down proteins and fats created by milk being processed at high temperatures and contain tasty things like bacteria and somatic cells. More problematic are the fact that MPCs are considered a glue additive and while not actually approved as a food additive by the FDA, Bunting calls them "technically an illegal ingredient," can be found in such things as baby formulas, sports drinks, yogurt, pizza and ice cream.
If that doesn't sound too bad then remember that these foreign milk-like substances are coming from China, India and a host of other countries that don't have very stringent food safety regulations. Think milk from China, melamine in baby formula, etc – not a good strategy for food safety.
Another interesting trend pointed out by Bunting is the loss of dairy exports by the U.S. during the first quarter 2009, totally over $638 million over the same quarter in 2008. On top of this, Leslie Hatfield reports over at the Huffington Post that according to the National Milk Producers Federation dairy imports into the U.S. "have risen from $80 million to almost $3 billion in the last 10 years."
So if we have record imports of milk products that compete against our own farmers on their sales in the U.S. and then they have a net loss approaching a billion dollars in trade that takes away from further potential sales, plus a massive increase in imports over the past 10 years, then what we really don't have is a "surplus" of milk – but a serious trade deficit when it comes to milk products that is pushing American's dairy farmers to the brink this year.
Additionally, for the month of March, Bunting reports that dairy exports fell by 32.9%. Even with Vilsack's recent implementation of the new dairy export program, it's hard to imagine making up that $638 million in time to save the thousands of dairy farmers that will be forced to shut down their barns by the end of this year.
Loss of Family Dairy Farms = Death of Rural America's Economies
It's estimated that dairy farmers are currently losing up to $200 per cow, per month. Since dairy processing and dairy farms have one of the largest economic multipliers of any segment in agriculture, with each cow generating $17,000 per year in economic development in the form of jobs, goods and services created, the loss of a single 85 head dairy farm will drain a local economy of nearly $1.5 million in economic activity.
For the eastern Iowa county that lost a 550 head dairy farm last month, that's $9.4 million flushed out of the local economy forever.
Unfortunately, the number of dairy farms being forced out of business is just beginning. In the next few months, as more banks cut off additional loans to farmers, these numbers are going to climb to record levels for the dairy industry.
A recent conversation with a dairy industry worker revealed the loss of 10 additional dairies across Iowa in the last 6 weeks – totaling another 3,060 dairy cows or $52 million erased from small town local economies across the state.
And while $52 million is chump change for Wall Street banks, which are churning through government bailout cash faster than a five-legged mule, losing a third of U.S. dairy farms this year will be catastrophic for our rural communities.
For people who are having a hard time understanding how bad this will be: This could be rural America's last stand for independent family farm agriculture. Increasingly, family farmers, rural Americans and farm advocates are pleading with President Obama, Secretary Vilsack and Iowa's Senator Tom Harkin to do something about it before it's too late.
Every day, every delay, costs America another farmer. And our farmers are not a renewable resource that can be grown and planted in a single season.
If up to 30 percent of dairy farmers are forced to go into foreclosure, the U.S. could see over 3.1 million of the nation's 9.3 dairy cows sold off and potentially liquidated. A quick calculation shows the current dairy crisis, if allowed to continue, will blow a $52.7 billion hole in rural America's economy – most likely more, as the ripple effect will send a shockwave through small towns and businesses across the country.
Rural America is Too Big to Fail
While Senators and Congressmen lined up in Washington during the past year to offer Wall Street a sweetheart deal for making a mess of the U.S. and global economy — erasing a lifetime of earnings for tens of millions of investors because of years of excessive greed — and then reluctantly bailed out Detroit for the sins of auto execs, politicians have done relatively little to help dairy farmers who are facing the crisis of a century.
Sure, Secretary Vilsack has made several small attempts to jumpstart the system, with a few stopgap measures, including $150 million in Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) payments — which provided farmers who previously signed up for the program a meager $1.51 per cwt subsidy; the USDA's March purchase of 200 million pounds of surplus nonfat dry milk for use in domestic feeding programs; and a recent use of the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) to subsidize 92,000 tons of dairy products destined for overseas. However, these steps have done almost nothing to stem the tide.
Unfortunately, none of these actions have translated into higher milk prices. Most U.S. dairy farmers see these attempts as worse than the usual band-aids farmers have been thrown in the past because it allows politicians to pretend they've actually solved the crisis when really it's getting worse every day.
Conversations with dozens of dairy farmers from across the country reveal that the government MILC checks are barely able to cover costs of electricity, let alone feed bills, which have grown by up to 10 percent in the past four weeks.
"We're not asking for a bailout, we're just ask for a fair price," says Jerry Harvey, a third generation Iowa dairy farmer who milks 70 cows in Promise City, Iowa.
And as many farmers across the country are now saying, if Washington thinks there are banks too big to fail, wait until Americans have to rely on food from foreign countries, which have much looser food safety regulations, to feed their families.
All these farmers are asking for is a fair price for the food they produce for American consumers, it's time some folks in Washington start putting their heads together for a sustainable solution. The cost of failure for America's dairy farmer is not something the U.S. can afford.
Leave a Comment
View Comments Close Comments
Monday, June 15th, 2009This is why the organic/conventional debate should be secondary. Save rural society and it's farms first, then we can discuss organic, conventional, sustainble, permaculture, GMO, biodynamic, no-till.... Free trade destroying agriculture is what led to the Constiution being written. In the 1780s, the weak American government of the Articles of Confederation could not effectively regualte trade. Cheap imports from Britain and France crushed farm prices......until a group of angry farmers stormed the courthouse in Springfield, Mass.....the fallout of which swung the political pendulum in favor of the strong central government......and a year later the Constitution was written, and the rest is history. So,.......never underestimate a mob of angry farmers!
Monday, June 15th, 2009This looks like another in a long series of issues that has the potential to make the United States unrecognizable from only a few years ago.
I wish the farmers and all of us well.
Dixie Burkhart
Facts Don't Matter
Monday, June 15th, 2009Counter-cyclical payments, like those for corn (and for dairy), ensure that farmers never receive below a certain price, by paying them the difference between what the market offers and a government-set "price floor." This keeps many farmers producing and corn when they would otherwise go out of business. As a result, corn is everywhere: in your soda, in your beef, and in your car. American corn farmers, however, are barely scraping by, while conglomerates like Cargill and Coca-Cola are making billions of dollars off of cheap corn (cheap for them because the government picks up half the tab). Here's Michael Pollan on the issue:
"But though those subsidy checks go to the farmer (and represents nearly half of net farm income today), what the Treasury is really subsidizing are the buyers of all that cheap corn." (The Omnivore's Dilemma, pp 54-5).
Is that really what we want for American dairy farmers too? To enrich Kraft and Dean Foods on their backs, and at the taxpayers' expense?
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009Per Andrew's comment, subsidies don't seem like a sustainable answer. At the same time, I don't want to see relatively small dairy farmers going out of business in favor of massive, environmentally destructive dairy operations and imported dairy. Is there a solution that keeps the farms viable without huge subsidies?
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009Andrew,
Thanks, we share your concerns regarding subsidies. The current floor price for dairy has been set artificially low and does not cover cost average feed costs, let alone cost of production. Also the MILC payments have been inadequate.
The dairy crisis represents a real opportunity for Congress and this administration to end anticompetitive markets and price manipulation that have been allowed to grow harmful to family farmers due to increasing concentration. Strengthening anti-monopoly laws and Justice Department enforcement of antitrust legislation would be a good start.
But the truth is, family farm agriculture is as important to America as Wall Street and Detroit, our elected officials need to act.
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009Dave,
Thanks for your response. My point is simply that increasing the price supports for dairy farmers would not benefit those farmers in the long run, but, as with corn, would benefit the biggest processors (Kraft, Coca Cola, etc.). Enforcing pertinent anti-trust laws, however, sounds like a great idea.
Thursday, June 18th, 2009Andrew,
We are in agreement regarding subsidies, we support Obama's Rural Agenda and the need for strong payment caps. We're also in agreement that a permanent floor price that does not have supply management and expansion clauses worked into legislation would be problematic for both dairy farmers and consumers and would only lead to more mega-dairies.
We're calling for an emergency floor price for 6 months, an opening of emergency lines of credit and something that helps simplify milk pricing so it cannot be manipulated and reflects a real market. The fact is leaders in Washington need to act fast or there will only be more consolidation in the dairy industry.


text:
RPR Appaloosa
|About RPR Appaloosas
|Other Horses
|For Sale
|Photo Gallery
Welcome to RPR Appaloosas! Please take a walk through our website and make yourself at home. Don't be shy to contact any one of us. We will be happy to answer any questions.
We have many locations. Our training center is located in Rockyford, Alberta and breeding farms are located in Bowden, Alberta and now we have a location in Union Bay, B.C. Our show horses are located in Langdon, Alberta.
RPR Appaloosas are Canadian Appaloosa Breeders
and Trainers of exceptional performance oriented horses featuring:
We offer a full service training center in Rockyford, Alberta where we specialize in starting our horses and exposing them to different aspects of their future disciplines. We believe in taking our training horses on trail rides, working them on cattle, Cowboy Challenge obstacles and teaching them all aspects of ranch life. We have an indoor arena, access to cattle and we are always going to the mountains to ride.


text:
Transom Tops
Add interest and help frame traditional rectangular windows. Transom tops add subtle dimension and visual interest. Available in 12" and 14-3/4" widths.
Use only with 12" or 14-3/4" standard raised panel shutters.
Please note that actual colors may vary from those shown on screen.
Tips & Information
Technical Resources & Data
Technical Drawings & CAD Files
Need More?
For more detailed information, including our CAD files, click to log in.


text:
The first Christmas after the
death of a loved one is especially hard, and Gail Cotter, of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, was feeling down. All around her were joyful families planning
parties and celebrations, and all she could think about was how much she missed
her husband, Gary. Gary had died of cancer on December 17, 2007, and moments
later, daughter Michelle Olszewski, on her way to to see him, heard the song
"I'll be Home for Christmas" playing on the car radio. "I thought it was such an
appropriate song, almost a sign that Dad was in heaven," Michelle says. "In
fact, for the next few days, every time I turned on the radio, the same song
would be playing." The song helped Michele feel her father's comforting
Gail wanted a sign too, something just for her. But throughout that lonely year, nothing came.
Now Christmas was approaching again. Sentimental Gary had always loved it, looking forward to hanging greeting cards and decorating the house. There would be no gift from him under the tree, Gail knew, and once again, she began sliding into depression. "Mom," Michelle phoned one evening, "let's get some shopping done tonight. You need to get out."
Michelle was right. It was time to buy some Christmas toys for her small granddaughters, time to say good-bye to Gary, to let go of the past. If only she could hear from him, just one last time…
The women pulled into the Big Lots parking lot, and went inside. Gail headed for the toy display. What were the girls hoping for this Christmas? How she wished she could solve her own problems as quickly as she could make them happy! Toys were piled everywhere, so Gail reached up at random, and grabbed a Magic Writer, a draw-and-erase board from the top of a stack. Glancing at it, she realized that someone had already written on the screen. Then she gasped. Was she seeing things? The message was short and very sweet. "I love you, Gail," it said.
"Michelle!" Gail couldn't take her eyes off the screen. None of the other Magic Writers had marks on them. Was this the sign Gail had been asking for? The two women stood in the crowded aisle and wept.
"We asked the clerk to be careful that she didn't erase the message on the board when we checked it out," Michelle says. "I think she thought we were a little weird." But Gail plans to keep the board as long as the message lasts.
"Maybe there's a logical explanation for how the writing got there," she says. "But the true miracle is that I received it when I needed it most. It was sent for me to find."
Joan Anderson Copyrighted by Joan Wester Anderson, used with permission. Originally appeared on the Where Angels Walk website, http://joanwanderson.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.


text:
One perk of having a federal student loan instead of a private student loan is that you are not required to start making payments right away. In fact, many federal student loans have a grace period*, or a set amount of time after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment before you must begin repaying your student loans. For most student loans, the grace period is 6 months but in some instances, the grace period could be longer. The grace period gives you time to get financially settled and to select your repayment plan.
For those of you who graduated in the spring, you're probably nearing the end of your grace period. Your loan servicer, a company that works on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education to process and manage student loan payments, has probably contacted you letting you know how the repayment process will work and when your first payment is due.
Here are four things you should do now, before you make that first student loan payment:
- Get Organized
Start by tracking down all of your student loans. Did you know that you can view all your federal student loans in one place?
Just log into StudentAid.gov/login using your Federal Student Aid PIN to view your loan balances, interest rate, loan servicer contact information, and more.
Note: Don't forget to check your personal records to see if you have private student loans.
- Contact Your Loan Servicer
Your loan servicer is the company that will be collecting payments on your federal student loan on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. They are also there to provide support. Your loan servicer can help you choose a repayment plan, understand loan consolidation, and complete other tasks related to your federal student loan, so it's important to maintain contact with your loan servicer. If your circumstances change at any time during your repayment period, your loan servicer will be able to help.
To find out who your loan servicer is, log in to StudentAid.gov. You may have more than one loan servicer, so it is important that you look at each loan individually.
- Estimate Your Monthly Payments Under Different Repayment Plans
Federal Student Aid has a great repayment calculator that allows you to compare our different repayment plan options side by side. Once you log in, the calculator pulls in information about your federal student loans, such as your loan balance and your interest rates, and allows you to estimate what your monthly payment would be under each of our different repayment plans. It also allows you to compare the total amount you will pay for your loan over time and can tell you the amount of loan forgiveness you're expected to qualify for if you choose one of our income-driven repayment plans. Try it!
- Select the Repayment Plan That Works for You
One of the greatest benefits of federal student loans is the flexible repayment options. Take advantage of them! Although you may select or be assigned a repayment plan when you first begin repaying your student loan, you can change repayment plans at any time. There are options to tie your monthly payments to your income and even ways you can have your loans forgiven if you are a teacher or employed in certain public service jobs. Once you have determined which repayment plan is right for you, you must contact your loan servicer to officially change your repayment plan.
* Not all federal student loans have a grace period. Note that for many loans, interest will accrue during your grace period.
Nicole Callahan is a digital engagement analyst at the Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid.


text:
Winning Tickets For Record $1.6B Powerball Jackpot Sold In Three States!
History's largest-ever lottery jackpot has at least three lucky winners. Three states — California, Florida and Tennessee — sold winning tickets for the monster $1.58 billion Powerball lottery, according to California lottery spokesman Russ Lopez. There was no immediate information on who the winners might be. Six numbers — 08, 27, 34, 04, 19 — and Powerball 10 were drawn Wednesday night in the historic lottery event. The three winners will split the colossal jackpot resulting in $528.8 million prize for each, according to officials. One of the winning tickets was sold at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, California, officials said. Local TV helicopters captured images of a large crowd of people gathering at the 7-Eleven, with crowds chanting "Chino Hills! Chino Hills!" Tennessee's winning ticket — the state's second Powerball jackpot winner in a row — was sold in Munford, the Tennessee lottery said in a statement. A Publix supermarket in Melbourne Beach sold Florida's winner, according to the Florida Lottery Commission.
Posted By PSmooth
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.


text:
"In a world with so many distractions, so much information, and a never-ending comparison cycle, I find it especially important to find time to be by yourself and alone with your thoughts."
-Maggie Miller
For the past two years I've been working on reinventing my photography and consequently my business. I concentrated on asking myself which direction I wanted to go as a photographer, what was the message I wanted to send? I asked myself a lot of questions, but the most important one was: why am I doing this? We are always seeking for advice from our families, friends, people we admire, and more frequently from the web. There is nothing wrong in seeking advice, but we rarely ask ourselves, we rarely follow our own guidance or intuition, this applies to any field of work. For me, it was the lack of courage and determination to remember the reason of why I became a photographer. Using my head instead of my heart was getting me nowhere, yes I was making more money than today, and had far more clients but I was not being completely honest towards the style a wanted to pursue. There are things that belong to the heart and if we don't listen we are destined to frustration.
I recently met Maggie and I must say she is very sweet, intelligent, and passionate woman. She is the heart behind MaggieGentry where creative entrepreneurs can find a partner to help their dreams come true. I love that she will become your partner and challenge you to find your reason. We sure work better when we have encouragement and support, and someone that will understand our fears and doubts but will make us push through them in order to achieve our goals. Please read on to this interview and let Maggie share with you how she overcame her fears and found the reason to pursue a creative life.
My hope for you is that you will find the courage to follow your dreams and listen to your heart. Because we all have a treasure inside, we just have to go hunting more often.
Who are you and what do you do?
Hey there! I'm Maggie, and I started a business last year called MaggieGentry [www.maggiegentry.com] where I provide thought partnership & marketing strategy for creative entrepreneurs. Most of the work I do is through one-on-one engagements, and I also host Own Your Why workshops [www.maggieteaches.com]. When I'm not doing the work I love, you can find me reading, going to yoga, hanging with my husband & cat, and eating all the chips & queso.
Where did you grow up and how does that shape what you do today?
I grew up in Victoria, TX, a small town along the coast in between Houston and Corpus Christi. I don't know how much I can contribute where I am today with the place of where I grew up, but I was always involved in creative activities: competitive dance, pottery classes, reading a lot, and I even competed in UIL Art History! So I've always had more of a creative nature. However, I'm also very analytical (I started out as a Math major before switching to Marketing!), so I love that through the work I do now, I'm able to utilize my business sense and share that knowledge with fellow creatives. Since I am no longer directly contributing to another art form, helping creative businesses prosper feels like some small way to still be involved in the creative communities.
Name something you love, and why?
Movement! Whether that's through dance, yoga, walking, or even stretching, there is nothing that helps me restore my equilibrium like being able to move. We're living more sedentary lives these days, and I'm guilty of spending HOURS at my desk trying to bust out as much work as possible. I've been better about it lately, but simply getting up to walk around for a few minutes helps me re-focus, and ultimately, produce better work. When I'm stressed, I go to yoga. There's something incredibly powerful about the physicality of moving my body to get me out of my head.
What skills or talents do you think would make you even more successful?
The work I do is hard to visualize, and I often find myself hitting roadblocks when I want to explain something, but I know that it would be better represented graphically. If I were better equipped with graphic design skills, I think I would be able to share my knowledge with workbooks, checklists, and easy-to-download PDFs in a format that is easier to digest. In the same vein, we are so visually-focused these days, I'd love to know more about photography – even to capture slightly better images on my phone.
How did you find your passion?
Through a lot of soul searching and hitting rock bottom first! While I was working my previous full-time jobs, I was always doing some sort of marketing work on the side for one or two clients. It was work that I loved doing – helping small businesses grow their reach – but I never considered it could be a full-time job for me until I was stuck in a corner where I had to find a better solution for myself. I had a dear friend open my eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, and with her encouragement, I built up the courage to make the leap.
What is your ideology as a creative person?
In a world with so many distractions, so much information, and a never-ending comparison cycle, I find it especially important to find time to be by yourself and alone with your thoughts. It's important to me to create before I consume. Also, I aim to dedicate sufficient time to get in touch with my intuition, my deepest desires, and to define my version of success. It can be easy to follow someone else path and lose sight of why you started in the first place, so for me, I need that time of reflection to keep that reminder at the forefront of my mind.
How do you overcome your fears?
Face them head on. I'm such a worrier, and so I always make up this elaborate story about how horrible it's going to be, yet every single time I face a fear, I come out on the other side relieved, surprised, and grateful. I'm hoping one day it will get easier, but my goal is to take it one step at a time!
How do you help entrepreneurs find who they are in order to improve their business?
So many of us get caught up in the day-to-day activities of running a business that we often lose sight of that spark that ignited us to get started in the first place. My goal with the work I do is to help my clients find that spark – I call it Your Why – and use that as a guiding force to help you make all other business and marketing decisions. It's important to remember that people buy from people, so we have to find ways to show the person behind the brand. An effective marketing strategy not only shares your belief system with your audience, it also ensures that you are presenting a cohesive story through all touch points with your customers. I work with creative entrepreneurs to help them find ways to genuinely connect with their audience, and develop a marketing strategy that is intentional, authentic and unique to them.
Who inspires you today?
So many ladies!!! Here's my shortlist of other female creative entrepreneurs who are killing it:
Misty Bradley [http://wearetherevelers.com/]: Misty co-hosts the we are the REVELERS podcast with her husband Randy, is a phenomenal photographer, and recently launched her coaching services [http://wearetherevelers.com/coaching/] to the world. Her compassionate nature encourages you to dig deep to find your passions and how to live a creative, fulfilling life, even when life throws you curveballs.
Jenny Karlsson [http://www.financialsforcreatives.com/]: Jenny is a pet photographer turned financial coach for creatives, and she is brilliant! Her work focuses on helping creatives become financially literate and work towards charging what they're worth. Her newsletters are always full of helpful information, too!
Liz White [http://www.lineamae.com/]: Liz is my biz bestie. We connected last year after being Insta friends, and we've been able to visit each other in our different cities, and even work together! (She did all the branding & website for Own Your Why [www.maggieteaches.com].) She keeps me motivated on the daily, and she always has helpful tips in her Insta stories. She's launching a new service – Sales Page in a Day [http://salespageinaday.com/], which may actually be complete by the time this article is published!
Devan Danielle [http://www.devandanielle.com/]: Devan and I connected over our similar beliefs that a brand is much more than your logo. Your brand includes your voice, your vision, and how you interact with your customers on every level. Her free branding mini classes are genius, and her weekly Brand Love Letters are always chock full of helpful insights and loads of inspiration.
Amy Kuretsky [https://www.amykuretsky.com/]: Amy is an accupuncturist and health coach who always shares LOADS of helpful information. Her Health Fuels Hustle podcast [https://www.amykuretsky.com/health-fuels-hustle] has become a favorite of mine, and it's easy to listen to since they're typically 15-20 minutes.
Professionally, what's your goal?
Since I have finally found work I love, I want to keep doing this for as long as possible. I want to help as many creatives as I can, and I'm open to exploring different formats in which I can do that. I like to keep this type of long-term goal fluid because even in this first year of business, things have shifted in ways that I could have never predicted, but I welcome them with open arms. Ultimately, I would love to be at a place where I have enough purchasing power that I can support all of my wonderful clients and other small businesses by buying their handmade, small batch products. I value the work they do, the time they put into it, and I truly know the value of shopping small. So success for me will be when I can afford to add a line item in my personal budget to always shop small, not only for gifts, but for myself with clothes, home goods, etc. And it also sounds super dreamy to be able to afford a regular massage.
How is it owning a business as a woman?
I attribute a lot of this to being in Austin, but it has honestly been incredible. The community of female small business owners here is extremely supportive and collaborative. I am so grateful to be here, and have the opportunity to connect with so many like-minded, driven women.
What business advice have you happily ignored?
That in order to grow I have to work with larger clients because they have bigger budgets; however, I wholeheartedly disagree. I started my business with the intent to help creative entrepreneurs, focusing on those who are also sole proprietors, and I plan to keep it that way. I think that until you are in this industry, it's hard to comprehend just how many of us there are. I want to be an advocate for creative entrepreneurs, helping them launch & grow their businesses, and I can see myself spending a lifetime doing just that.
What is the best piece of advice you will give to someone who wants to start their own business?
I always give the same piece of advice to others that I was given and still live by today, "Do as much as you can, with as little as you can, for as long as you can." My dad always said this to us growing up, and it has shaped my own business philosophy. It encourages smart growth, and asks you not to be distracted by your wants, and focus on your needs. When you are first starting out, you can feel like you need to purchase the fanciest invoicing system to make you "feel legit". Or maybe you buy the largest plan for the email marketing software as a way to manifest your subscriber growth. But those monthly fees can add up quick! Start with what works, lay a solid foundation, build your expertise, learn through doing what you really need, and then you'll have better tools to make a smart investment.
What does being "free" mean to you?
To me, being free means creating space to explore and expand. We all have the choice to create that space for ourselves, however that may look to each of us. It feels trendy right now to boast about your hustle, how hard you're working, how busy you are, but I don't believe that you have to be a slave to your schedule. You have the choice to create your boundaries to ensure you have the time, space, and mental capacity to do the things that make you feel free.
Follow Maggie