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- Equestrian Club as a line of business. Project Summary Business Plan Equestrian Club
- Equestrian Club as a line of business
- Stages of discovery and development of the project business plan Equestrian Club
- Organization of the Equestrian Club: land acquisition and creation of infrastructure
- The acquisition of horses and ammunition business plan Equestrian Club
- A detailed list of ammunition, gear and equipment to work with horses and equestrian club operation includes:
- marketing campaign
- With regard to specific advertising techniques, used to promote equestrian club services, will be effective:
- financial calculations
Horses and all related areas of sports and entertainment in the minds of the people associated with prestige and belonging to the upper class. Despite, that such representation is not quite correspond to reality, this activity is still very costly and has a high degree of risk. However, thoughtful and a calculated business plan equestrian club will start their own business, turning it into a profitable project. Less costly designs are considered such as for example tennis court and Karting Club.
Equestrian Club as a line of business. Project Summary Business Plan Equestrian Club
Business Plan Equestrian Club is a project of creation and development of sports entertainment facility. Duration of the project - 2 of the year. The business plan provides for that period to achieve several major objectives:
- – satisfaction of target audience needs to communicate with horses, provision of horse riding and training, additionally – satisfaction of requirements casino customers through the provision of betting services;
- – creation of an enterprise with a high level of profitability;
- – getting stable profit.
Duration of the project - 2 of the year. To start it has become possible, It plans to ask the bank lending. basic calculations, Regarding the need of the loan amount, interest rate, you have to pay to the creditor, and net income of the company, They will be presented in the financial part of the business plan.
Equestrian club as a business idea – video:
Equestrian Club as a line of business
Riding clubs are very diverse. They may have different specifics and scope of action. In addition, it is important to distinguish between the concepts and terminology, existing in the industry. for example, the very notion of "club" implies the presence of a strict organizational structure with a package of integrated offerings and provide customers with a comfortable environment visits. The market is now dominated by a different type of organization - a hastily built stables, offering rental of horses, often of poor quality and low prices. There are also horse-riding school, but they specialize in the preparation of future professional athletes and require more serious logistical and theoretical framework.
This project involves the opening of the Equestrian Club medium scale, containing a small number of horses and offering the most popular services sector mainly in amateur. In the specific case of the new organization Indicative activities will include:
- – horseback riding lessons for beginners and amateurs;
- – horseback riding instructor-led;
- – conducting training for customers, planning careers in equestrian sport;
- – providing stalls for rent to private horse owners.
These main directions with the respective demand can expand and complement. For example - enter the service of paid photo shoots and video footage, of horses for weddings and other events, etc..
Opening the equestrian club, it is important to provide perspectives and ways of attracting and retaining customers. So, if visitors are offered a simple rental and walk without sports prospects, customers eventually will go to a professional institution. Therefore, initially it costs provide for the development of sports and the future for the most motivated and talented pupils. true, to achieve this level only if you have appropriate training horses, quality equipment and professional trainers. It is with recruitment recommend starting the, who plans to open a full-fledged school with a sports bias.
The founder of the plans could be more ambitious goal - to open a wide-profile club, that will attract not only those wishing to learn the art of riding, but gamblers, those wishing to try their luck, and fans of the brightest sights. In this case it is necessary to organize a database, on which, In addition to training in the core disciplines - dressage and jumping, will be held still and jumps or presentations of national sports, which also attract many visitors.
It should be borne in mind, the more activities and services will be included in the project, the more expensive the cost of its creation and implementation will be difficult. The best option in the first step the inclusion of such services:
- – a one-time rental of horses;
- – selling monthly subscriptions;
- – children's riding school;
- – corporate events;
- – special events - weddings, photo shoots, etc..
The pre-study the situation on the market. Will be interested in the total number of training offers horseback riding, providing horses for hire or photo sessions and competitions or other events, as well as specific information - service level, pricing, etc..
Answers to questions about the basics of riding and equestrian business – video:
Despite the increasing popularity of equestrian sports and related recreational activities, This sector of the market is still relatively free. The main reason - lack of confidence in the business start-ups, that the business does not become unprofitable. However, as the analysis of trends, demand for horseback riding lessons, walks and all kinds of entertainment, associated with horses, constantly growing. The main condition of success is to provide quality services and well thought-out marketing policy.
It is important to choose a suitable and entrepreneurial activity log format. For such a large-scale project will be the most appropriate legal status. Details about the registration of legal entities can be found, familiarized with the Federal Law number 129: Federal Law of 08.08.2001 N 129-FZ (row. from 03.08.2018.
Stages of discovery and development of the project business plan Equestrian Club
Before the opening of the club need to make a tentative plan for basic and additional services, indicative timetable and consider pricing. Indicative list of services will be as follows:
|Name of service
|use period
|average cost, rub.
|of time
|1. main
|Rent a plot
|1 time
|9.00 – 13.00; 15 – 21.00
|A trip in the park
|1 time
|To 400
|9.00 – 13.00; 15 – 21.00
|Walk around the neighborhood
|1 – 3 o'clock
|About 300 for 1 time
|9.00 – 13.00; 15 – 21.00
|2. sports mileage
|from 1 o'clock
|500 – 1 000
|3. The hunt for imaginary fox
|To 3 hours
|from 500 to read. for 1 no
|On request
|4. Services of horses
|Stipulated in the contract between the parties
|18 – 76 thousand
|According to the contract for services
|5. groom services, forging and other service
|According to the contract for services
|from 4 thousand and more
|According to the contract for services
|6. Providing stall rent
|Stipulated in the contract
|from 18 thousand
|According to the contract for services
|7. Horse riding lessons
|Stipulated in the contract
|For subscription - 18 – 390 thousand
|By agreement, according to the price
|8. Rent locker
|According to the contract
|4 thousand a month
|According to the contract for services
|9. commercial Inspections, participation in show
|According to the contract
|In accordance with the estimate
|According to the contract for services
|10. Various club events
|According to the contract
|It is estimated
|According to the contract for services
|11. Use store for members
|Stipulated in the service contract
|according to the price list
|According to the contract for services
|12. event, other suggestions for breeding
|According to the contract for services
|according to the price list
|According to the contract for services
The standard and obligatory for clubs at all levels will be training services horsemanship adults and children 4 years old, rent horses and walk in the park, forest or surrounding areas, as well as providing stalls for horses and owners of rental services of specialized professionals - groom, blacksmith and veterinarian. Suggestions to visit Count's hunt or participate in special events will relate to individuals only - it requires additional costs and pre-treatment. But the opportunity to provide additional services to enhance the level and prestige of the club, raising it to elite organizations rank, designed to provide customers. Also As for totalizator - before introducing such a service, you need to analyze the state of the current market and to make an assessment of financial possibilities and interests of the target audience.
Milestones on the discovery and promotion of equestrian club before going on a break-even point:
|Test conditions
|Home project
|1 – 2 year
|The conclusion of the investment agreement
|1 project of the month
|first 30 banking days
|Getting credit
|Availability of compulsory set of documents
|1 month
|Adding to the state register, registration with the administrative and tax authorities
|Conclude an investment agreement
|from 1 to 30 calendar days
|choice of location, paperwork
|preliminary work
|1 month
|Construction of the complex, arena, other structures
|The conclusion of the investment agreement
|1 month
|Buying equipment
|The conclusion of the investment agreement
|To 30 calendar days
|Equipment installation
|Obtaining investment funds
|To 30 calendar days
|production activity
|To 30 calendar days
|The end stage of the production process
|To 30 days
|Marketing campaigns
|30 calendar days
|To 360 calendar days
|End of project
|12 – 24 months
Organization of the Equestrian Club: land acquisition and creation of infrastructure
The first major stage, the success of which will largely determine the future of the organization - to find a suitable location for the Equestrian Club. Usually it is a large area, located in close proximity to the city - a maximum of half an hour. picking location, It should take into account transport interchange - this will not limit the potential audience of only visitors, Have your own car. Picking up a piece of land, should pay attention to the presence of the forest or parkland, and ponds - a landscape that is very important for horse riding.
Despite, that the land acquisition cost is quite expensive, and the majority of the founders of horse clubs rent the land, more rational still acquire ownership. If the land is to be used under a lease agreement, there is always a risk of, that the local authorities will terminate this agreement and will withdraw plot.
The required area is determined by calculating 1 horse - 0,5 ha. And since the club opened with livestock on less than 30 horses considered unprofitable, site should be from 5 hectares or more. This item costs will be the most important in the business plan, since the minimum value portion of such size, if it is located close to the city, will be 120 one thousand dollars.
The next important stage - the creation of the necessary infrastructure. The basic list will include a variety of areas open and closed. Open areas following:
- – several golf training and competition, including grass field for Equestrian Games (their number and the area determined by the scale of future activities);
- – a race track on 500 m and the route for the race over rough terrain - if the plans include the organization of races;
- – Levada - their number is determined by the number of horses;
- – barrels for training horses and novice riders;
- – summer stables;
- – a device for automatically paddocks;
- – parking for cars and horse transport;
- – children playground.
Of covered area equipped with such facilities:
- – office club;
- – if necessary - training center, including a sports hall and several classrooms;
- – restroom customers;
- – stables with the necessary number of stalls;
- – riding hall, equipped with at least 500 spectator seats and tribune;
- – playpen size 60H20 meters predmanezhnikom;
- – hangars for storage of hay and sawdust, garage;
- – veterinary station and a pharmacy.
Construction of stables and its equipment - the most important points of the business plan: Horses content requires the creation of good conditions for them. The building should be well protected from the cold and outsiders. Number of stalls is calculated on the initial amount of horses, but with the expectation of an increase in population in the future with the ability to expand the stable. Good, if the building stables will be located space for training of animals (approximate size - 80 m), Washing, feed, viewing room, if necessary - a solarium for horses. The total area will be approximately stable 390 m. When constructing desirable to take care of the presence of wide passages, which will facilitate the process of feeding, harvesting and transportation of horses. As for the stables, they should be spacious and bright, with the obligatory presence of windows to ventilate.
Apart from the basic premises in order to expand the range of services and generate additional income can be added to a range of services several zones of leisure nature - billiards, restaurant or sauna.
One of the main problems of any of the areas of the horse business - an acute shortage of qualified personnel. Due to the decline in the economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the past 25 years in the country were closed or barely functioning, many equestrian school. In addition, due to lack of development and non-profitability of the industry, many graduates of these schools have changed the type of activity. The same applies to veterinary surgeons, farriers, and other professionals working with animals. As a result, there is a shortage of specialists in all areas. therefore, opening an equestrian club, even at the stage of preparation is necessary to seek qualified personnel. Depending on the specifics of the club is to be professional athletes for training and training of horses, instructors to teach horsemanship, grooms, groom, veterinarian, Koval and others. staff size is determined by the specific needs of, especially a variety of services, provided by the club, and size of livestock. If in the first phases of the horses will be slightly, part of experts (blacksmith, veterinarian) you can not take the staff, causing them if necessary. But as the scale is better to have your own employees.
Before recruitment is necessary to find out the average level of wages in the industry. As known, turnover can be an obstacle to the development of the new organization, as a permanent and cohesive team is one of the quality marks. It is worthy of payment can hold employees to permanent jobs, stimulating them to the maximum commitment and professional development.
The acquisition of horses and ammunition business plan Equestrian Club
About half of the investment in opening a business takes the acquisition of horses. For this purpose, refer to the studs, to private breeders, horses often sell other clubs and just individuals. On the question of the choice of animals should be treated, Using no cost considerations, and relying on the state of health of the horses and their skills. Prices for young horses start 1 thousands of dollars, but these animals are usually not suitable for novice riders, therefore it is better to buy more expensive, but experienced horses, do not require special training. For each such an animal will have to pay a few thousand dollars. Choose the best horses with the help of a veterinarian and an experienced coach, who will be able in time to determine the state of health and the training of animals. For the elite clubs are buying horses from abroad, in particular, from Germany, which today is the leader in this field. But the import of animals includes the need for registration of mass documents, so this option is not the most convenient.
purchasing horses, immediately calculate the approximate cost of their content. The estimates for each head lay on 1 thousands of dollars for ordinary horses, and 3 thousands - for sports.
A detailed list of ammunition, gear and equipment to work with horses and equestrian club operation includes:
- – equipment for horses. First of all - Jumping saddle, dressage, universal, for ponies;
- – bridle, reins, headband for various disciplines, protective equipment for feet, nedouzdki, chembury and other equipment;
- – brush, hooks and other care products for horses;
- – blankets, conveying equipment;
- – means for cleaning and washing of animals, hoof care and hair;
- – holders for saddles and other ammunition, brackets and more.
One important element arrangement Equestrian Club is a high-quality primer. It must meet current standards and do not pose a danger to the joints and hooves. To do this, all training Platz and meadows equipped with special shock-absorbing soil. Professional covering sports fields requires maintaining a constant level of humidity. For this purpose, should be equipped with an automatic watering system. Especially good internal humidification device, do not interfere with the process of training.
If the equipment Equestrian Club to pay attention to the automation of many processes, including soil moisture, feeding, singing, walking and training horses, you can save on human resources, and consequently, monthly salary and tax deductions.
marketing campaign
A crisis, which was the peak for 2013 – 2014 years, reflected in the field of equestrian sports. Due to the collapse of the ruble, price increases and a general decline in living standards, many small riding clubs closed or stagnant for a long time, operating loss. The crisis primarily affected small companies, is focusing on walks and activities for fans. Horse and sports complexes, focused on the sport, Least susceptible to crises - they, usually, It has a capital reserve, investors and sponsors.
Opening mid-sized club, should be considered, what now, in the post-crisis stage, them on the market are relatively few. It means, that the chosen niche is relatively free, and therefore, all, that it is necessary for the promotion and popularization of their business - quality advertising. Particularly advantageous can be tote the club, where are racing or running. This not only means additional earnings, but also an effective method of attracting customers - in our country a lot of people gambling, ready to put large sums of money at the races. By implementing this type of activity, It should make a good advertisement to attract potential customers.
The main problem of the modern horse breeding and equestrian sports - the industry has not yet fully recovered from the decline of the 90s. To develop its, you must actively involve all interested in horses and active lifestyle, as well as to look for sponsors and investors. The main advantage can be considered the democratization of this hobby and the active involvement of the middle class. therefore, advertising planning, the focus should be including in this layer of the population.
The study of these features lead to the conclusion, that the key to success will largely depend on the ability of business creator cause the interest of potential customers and create all the conditions for the retention of this interest.
With regard to specific advertising techniques, used to promote equestrian club services, will be effective:
- – Development of your own logo and other symbols, increasing awareness of the club;
- – the creation of the official website of the structure. It should be detailed information about the services offered, conditions of visits and training, Privacy policy, systems, subscriptions and possible discounts and promotions. developing website, It should be placed on information from the club life: photo and video training and competition, informative facts about the horses and the horsemen, and similar information, which can attract fans of these animals ;
- – advertising in a variety of Internet sources. The first will run ads on niche sites and forums, and groups in social networks. Effective contextual and banner advertising. It is advisable to order SEO-promotion in search engines, which will allow the target audience to freely see ads while searching the information of interest;
- – advertising in the media - usually, it includes special editions for athletes equestrians and fans;
- – related infrastructure.
Despite, that interested people often learn about the existence of the Equestrian Club and without massive advertising, better to take care of public awareness of their city. But for more safeguards should announce a new equestrian club on the site of the sport and public organizations. At first, the main income of the Equestrian Club will be formed on the basis of new, often casual visitors, and then formed a stable customer base.
Effectiveness of promoting equestrian club depends on the territorial factor: the largest number of potential customers will definitely be in Moscow and other large cities. It is in the capital and metropolitan target audience is generally longer, also has large financial capacity.
financial calculations
The important point of the business plan - the issue of funding a new project. Since the horse club refers to the types of costly business, own funds of the founder to open it will not be enough. When planning the creation of a large-scale project, should refer to bank lending. If we take into account the optimal amount of the loan, of between 99 million. 991 thousands, by estimate, must take into account the financial items:
- – estimated interest rate on a commercial loan - 14%;
- – the investor's income for a specified period - 6 million. 435 thousand;
- – total amount of interest, accrued on the loan, will be from 6 mln.434 thousand rubles;
- – payback period from the opening of the organization - 10 months;
- – the overall economic effect - 199,5 million. rubles.
At the same time the implementation of the interest payments must begin with the first months of the club's activities. This will help simplify the understanding of the flow discounting calculation structure, and will also help in controlling the flow of funds.
One of the items of the financial part of the business plan - projected revenue structure of the new organization. Specific or approximate amount of profit determined by such indicators:
- – analysis of consumer demand for services in selected sectors;
- – analysis of the market of this type of services;
- – general conclusions about the state of the relevant market.
- The plan of the projected profits, is considered, the lowest threshold of profitability. With all these features and an indicative timeline for investment (1 – 12 of the month) and functioning (with 13 by 24 of the month), you can make a plan of volumes of Service:
|Type of service
|The volume of sales per month (kol. person, kol. working hours horse)
|price (with 1 man, at 1 time, for 1 horse)
|Revenues from sales, 1 months.
|1 – 12 months. investment
|The content of the horse (normal package)
|20 stalls = 20 owners
|14 – 22,5 thousands of 1 horse
|280 – 450 thousand
|1 – 12 months. investment
|The content of the horse (luxury package)
|10 stalls = 10 owners
|58,3 – 66,1 thousand.
|528,4 – 661 thousand rubles
|1 – 12 months. investment
|Horse riding lessons
|5 working hours per day 1 horse
|16,8 – 302,4 thousand.
|1 million. 680 thousand. – 30 million. 240 thousand.
|1 – 12 months. investment
|specialization (dressage)
|3 working hours 1 horse
|170 – 1100 rub. for 1 time
|336 thousand. – 20 million. 160 thousand.
|1 – 12 months. investment
|Rent cabinet in the locker room
|30 people per month.
|from 3,4 thousand. rubles per month
|100 thousand. 600
|1 – 12 months. investment
|Rental of horses
|5 working hours per day
|from 230 rubles per hour
|448 thousand and more
|1 – 12 months. investment
|commercial Inspections, show
|To 3 hours a day, 2-3 once a month
|450 – 1 700 rub. in hour 1 people.
|40,5 – 151,2 thousand.
|1 – 12 months. investment
|Club events, a restaurant
|100 person, 4 – 8 once a month
|In accordance with the contract and price
|120 thousand. – 3 million. 300
|1 – 12 months. investment
|Shop for members
|The range of goods and souvenirs
|To 120 thousand rubles.
|1,2 million.
|1 – 12 months. investment
|events, frozen semen
|1 – 2 once a month
|according to the agreements (120 thousand rubles. and higher)
|120 – 220 thousand
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|The content of the horse (normal package)
|25 stalls = 25 owners
|14 – 22,5 thousand. rubles for 1 horse per month
|350 – 560 thousand
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|The content of the horse (luxury package)
|15 stalls = 15 owners
|58,3 – 66,1 thousand rubles.
|873,6 – 991,2 thousand.
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|Horse riding lessons
|5 working hours per day 1 horse
|On loan 16,8 – 302,4 thousand.
|1 million. 680 thousand. – 30 million. 340 thousand.
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|specialization (dressage)
|3 working hours 1 horse
|170 – 1100 rub. for 1 time
|10,1 – 604,8 thousand.
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|Rent cabinet in the locker room
|40 people per month.
|from 3,4 thousand. rubles per month
|from 134,4 thousands
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|Rental of horses
|5 working hours per day
|from 230 rubles per hour
|from 448 thousand
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|commercial Inspections, show
|To 3 hours a day, 2-3 once a month
|450 – 1700 rub. in hour 1 people.
|50 000 – 300000
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|Club events, a restaurant
|130 person, 4 – 8 once a month
|In accordance with the contract and price
|from 150 thousand. – 5 million.
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|Shop for members
|The range of goods and souvenirs
|To 120 thousand rubles.
|from 1 million. 800 thousand
|13 – 24 months. functioning
|events, frozen semen
|2- 3 Order per month
|according to the agreements (120 thousand rubles. and higher)
|220 thousand. – 330 thousand. and more
At the moment, the industry trend of volume growth at the level of 10%, consumption is on record 20% annually. If this trend will continue, the end of a two-year project annual sales will reach more businesses 215 million. rubles. Such an indicator is determined after taking into account the likely risks, which include a high amount of initial capital, lack of suitable land for rent or purchase, as well as the problem with the search for highly qualified personnel.
Key to the opening of business expenses can be shown in the table:
|item of expenditure
|Costs per month, rub.
|Expenses for the year, rub.
|One-off costs
|Total for the year
|Purchase or lease (from 4-5 it)
|1 million. 250 thousand
|15 million.
|30 million.
|30 million.
|The buildings (stable, riding hall), from 4 thousand. m
|30 million.
|30 million.
|livestock (30 heads)
|20,8 million.
|20,8 million.
|The content of the horses (for training / sports)
|60000 – 500000
|720 thousand. – 6 million.
|720 thousand. – 6 million.
|Purchase of equipment for horses and humans
|3,3 million.
|3,3 million.
|Purchase of equipment for ground handling (1 u)
|2 million. 330 thousand
|2 million. 330 thousand
|Payments animal husbandry services, vet (2 pers.)
|50 thousand.
|768 thousand
|768 thousand
|Buying equipment, computer equipment
|850 thousand.
|850 thousand.
|Creation and maintenance of website, hosting
|12 thousand
|12 thousand
|Fixed costs of online advertising
|45 thousand
|540 thousand
|540 thousand
|Salary (calculated per 12 months)
|To 2 million.
|23 million. 664 thousands
|23 million. 664 thousands
|payment of taxes (for 12 months)
|413,7 thousand.
|To 5 million.
|To 5 million.
|Unexpected expenses (for 12 months)
|8 million. 738 thousand
|8 million. 738 thousand
|in total
|3 million. 877 thousand
|47 million.
|96, 113 million.
|128 million.
In terms of tax payments equestrian club is no different from other types of businesses. The system of tax reporting standard: fiscal year begins in January, and with few exceptions the main taxes, which go forth from the business founder, following:
|tax rate
|Tax on profits
|earned profit
|1 month
|added value
|1 month
|Property tax
|value of property
|According to the schedule
|Income tax
|wages fund
|1 month
|Social Security contributions
|wages fund
|1 month
The study of this sector of the market shows, that riding clubs belong to the very expensive and risky types of business. But the good organization and the availability of pre-thought-out business plan and Equestrian Club will be very cost-effective. The main factor of success are increased interest in this type of activity and the fashion for equestrian sport among all segments of the population. Business Plan The result was the following conclusion: equestrian club belongs to the direction, flourished and lacks the high-quality services. Therefore, it is cost-effective type of business, who pay for itself in 1 – 2 years after opening.
The main aspects of the opening of the Equestrian Club – in the video:


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The Amateur Youth Bowlers Tour is a tour founded by Tournament Director, Edgar Burgos in July 2020. The Inaugural Amateur Youth Bowlers Tour event was hosted at Mardi Gras Lanes in DeKalb, Illinois on September 19th, 2020, where we hosted a total of 72 bowlers at the event. The tour will host monthly events, and the current schedule can be found on the Tour Dates page, or on our Facebook, Amateur Youth Bowlers Tour.
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My husband says that he doesn't have a mind's eye, that he cannot picture things in his head.
Here's a story of scientists studying both ends of the spectrum of the ability to conjure up pictures of objects or people in their imagination. The lack of this ability is called aphantasia, and the condition of experiencing extraordinarily strong mental imagery is called hyperphantasia.
"This is not a disorder as far as I can see," said Dr. Zeman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Exeter in Britain. "It's an intriguing variation in human experience."
© 2021 by Mary Daniels Brown


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Corona Virus Quarantine Day #17: April 2, 2020
Today my guest writer is my rap loving, basketball shooting, sweet hearted 9-year-old Finley Joseph Dorsey.
Today we started out the morning with the best breakfast of crepes. My mom says I eat them like a grown man. Then we did school work. I like getting on the Zoom calls, it's fun. It is fun to see my friends and my teachers. Then we played outside with GiGi. After that I went to the barn to do my goals. I made 200 shots today. We played outside some more after that with GiGi and on the play set. Cooper and Fiona made up some crazy game with the swings. It was fun and Fletcher loved it.
I helped Mommy make brownies for dessert, they were delicious. We had a dance party tonight. The best dancer in the house (besides mom) is Fletcher. He is so good because he makes me laugh when he dances. He likes to do flips. We are trying to watch the movie Avatar but it is really long so we only watch a little at a time. I think it's a good movie. Last year when we were in Disney we rode on the Avatar ride; it was really cool. It was one of my favorite rides in Disney. That's why we wanted to watch the movie. Overall this quarantine is fun but it helps that we have the barn and a big yard to play in. I don't like that I don't get to go to school and see our friends, but I like spending time at home with my family. Today I am thankful for the barn, a big family to play with, the outside and GiGi to play with.
Love, Finley
This boy loves his puppy. Finley Joe is so good about taking her out and helping to care for her!
You guys…I made a conscious decision today that it was going to be a good day. Yesterday was so draining. When I woke up this morning I felt as if I had been hit by a freight train (physically) but all is well and good and I felt like the only way to remedy this situation was to make a delicious breakfast of crepes. The kids love them and they are surprisingly easy (easier than pancakes in my opinion) and you serve them with fruit so everyone wins!
The crepes definitely got my day started out in the right direction…then the kids on line school started. Man, I'm trying to stay positive because I know those teachers are working their butts off…but I'm drowning in all. The. Work. Anyone with me there?
Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the instruction they are giving but it's soooooo much time. When I was their only teacher we were done by 11, 12 at the latest (I know I'm a real slacker). But you'd be amazed what you could get done in 2-2.5 hours. Also, with three different ages, attention spans and level of ability I cannot be in 5 places at one time (6 on days I'm working) so the 12 different web-sites and 10 different passwords are too much to handle.
I'm impressed but not surprised with their level of instruction under the circumstances but I think they need to cut themselves some slack in a major way. The new "system" is putting stress on everyone, including the teachers. As a teacher, I can tell you, they miss our kids. They'd rather be in school than doing what we are doing. So would I. I miss my students and seeing them on a computer screen is not the same. I think everyone is trying to do the best they can and I'm grateful my kids go to a school where their teachers care so much for them. I just desire a bit less work!
On that note though, my kids so love the zoom calls. They love seeing their friends and teachers. Fiona had her first one today and that made her feel pretty big time! A huge thank you to their teachers for making that happen!
Regardless of the nature of "school" these days the time outside has been glorious. I am not sure what our puppy will do when tomorrow is 30 degrees and she doesn't get to be outside 70% of her day J. Watching Gi Gi chase after Fletcher and try to pull his pants down will never get old. He loves it and even when she's tired he antagonizes her to get her to chase him..then he just laughs and laughs and laughs. I remind him he won't be laughing so hard if she gets ahold of his bottom…or something else for that matter. Ouch!
I can't get enough of this. It's so darn funny!
The kids made up some crazy game on the swing set outside today and I got so much joy watching them enjoy each other…it went on for almost an hour. These life lessons of learning to entertain themselves is such a gift. I'm incredibly grateful they have each other to make this whole thing so much easier.
Gaga was feeling a little better today at times, in one moment of clarity she helped Fletcher with his one workbook page where he had to write his name. GOD bless her. He seems to give her a lot less trouble then he gives me. The little booger.
I told Gaga she's hired! She's been too sick to teach anyone the last few weeks but in a moment of feeling better she took over Fletcher's work and he immediately became a better student. Must by my fault 🙂
The little booger did entertain us all with some amazing dance moves today (the video won't load…you guys it was epic he made me promise at bedtime that I'd let him dance more tomorrow…this boy is totally my child). If I have learned anything in my life it is the impact music has on my soul. It's an immediate game changer for me. For instance, if "Pour Some Sugar on Me" comes on…it's game on, look out for the dance moves you will see from this lady (many of you have witnessed them). The kids have recently learned of my hidden talent of being able to rap…yes that's right. I can rap. Their favorite is "Ice Ice Baby". I think I blew Finley's mind the first time I did it. He was genuinely impressed. Fiona is trying to memorize the words to the Vanilla Ice classic. She sits in her room with her Alexa (something I totally did as well…except I had a cassette tape and a notebook writing down lyrics) trying to memorize the words. When she masters that you better believe you will all get a glimpse of it.
So if you are having a bad day, turn on your Alexa, Amazon music, Spotify or whatever you listen to and have a full on dance party or jam session in your bathroom, basement or kitchen. It is good for the soul and it helps snap you out of a funk.
Dance on my friends, I know I am adding dance party to my daily routine. Stay well and don't forget to celebr8 the awesome in your world.
I do love this little baby! In other news I heard Fiona tell her teacher that she wanted an Apple Watch and her mom to have another baby for Easter. Yep, she aims high. Good times.


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There are a million and a half strategies I can share with you to increase your traffic, get more leads, and boost your profits right now… However, there's ONE thing more important than any strategy I could give you.
There's ONE thing that can provide you with a competitive advantage that's so strong (when you do it right), even your most formidable competitors can't touch you, no matter how big their marketing budget is…
And if you don't incorporate this into your business, you'll easily be passed up by a competitor who does.
In today's "new" economy, it only takes 30 seconds on social media to see its importance…
We're talking about building trust.
A few years ago, a reporter called my office to ask me what I felt was the biggest competitive advantage of the year. I told her it was to establish a trusted relationship with your customers.
It's even more essential today.
In 2017, the Edelman Trust Barometer recorded the largest-ever DROP in global trust across the board. Consumers don't trust business, government, media, and NGOs. (Source)
The implications of this are enormous, and the trend continues.
By default, your prospects don't trust you, they don't trust your advertisements, and they don't trust that you're going to stand by their side when something goes wrong.
^ It's a tough truth to swallow, but it's real.
Consumers don't believe CEOs will do what's right for the consumer – and will instead put profits ahead of consumer interest.
You need to earn and build your customers' trust.
But most marketers and business owners don't think it's important, so rather than take the time to provide value, establish a relationship, and build upon it…
Short-sighted markers hit people over the head with a glut of hyped-up advertisements and over-the-top marketing messages, trying to dupe unsuspecting customers to buy from them.
One guy had the nerve to tell me: "I don't care if my customers use the product. I hope they don't. As long as they open up their wallets and spend money with me!"
In fact, I just fired a client (someone who paid me tens of thousands of dollars EVERY MONTH for my advice). He accepted the bad advice of another "marketing guru," took a bite out of Eve's apple, and knowingly made empty promises to score a few sales.
It makes me sick to see someone destroy their company like that…
It's this type of cancerous, short-term thinking that will inevitably become the death of his business.
Good riddance.
And it happens all the time. This story has a very predictable ending, where he'll come back to me on his knees, bleeding profits and begging me to accept him back… But I'll refuse.
Integrity is one of those things – you either have it or you don't. I don't have the time or effort to waste on people who inherently don't have the best interests of their customers as a top priority.
You see, trust is the foundation of every successful company in today's new economy…
Let's face it: we live in a very interconnected world where consumers talk. They write reviews, share experiences, and discuss on social media.
Today, you can no longer hide behind the wall of an uninformed customer (in most cases, they know more about you, your product/service, and your company than your own employees). Building trust is everything.
With more and more competition coming into the market everyday – and consumers getting wiser – you can't hide behind the veil of consumer ignorance for long.
Ultimately, your customer trusts you to:
- Be honest
- Provide them with a better advantage than your competitors
- Give them value
- Support them
- Guide them into buying the right product/service for them
- Do what you say – when you say it
Fail to do any of the above, and they'll leave you for someone they CAN trust.
Understand this…
Half of your buyers feel victimized and believe the system has failed them (NO, this isn't a political statement).
From the consumer standpoint, they have no faith in leadership (business or government), they feel they're being treated unfairly, and they have a pessimistic view of the future.
To top it off, much of society hates big, profit-hungry companies.
Yet, let's not forget that with adversity comes opportunity.
For many of us, when you play by the rules of the NEW economy, you have an AWESOME opportunity to stand out, be different, and WIN!
Many big, dumb CEOs are confused – they think the goal of a public company is to increase shareholder value (they still teach this principle in business school).
THEY think the goal of marketing is simply to GET customers. They're wrong.
The goal of any company is to provide a greater benefit and advantage to their consumers in order to help them achieve the best result possible.
And the goal of marketing is actually to GET and KEEP customers.
Look, there are times when you MUST subordinate your own profit interests for the best interest of the customer.
^ Read that again.
Every week, my awesome team takes sales calls, interviewing potential clients. And every week, we turn down applicants if they're not a good fit.
We know we're not for everyone (especially if they're afraid of putting in the work and just want a quick fix).
Which is why sometimes your best deals are the ones you don't make.
When you put the right product/service in the wrong hands, you potentially have yourself a customer support nightmare.
As I've said many times, we live in a different world today…
"It's not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
— Dr. W. Edwards Deming
With more competition and more informed buyers than ever before, the customer has all the power.
You MUST put your customer's interests ahead of profits.
If you fail to realize this, you're in trouble.
Without trust, no Phoenix is powerful enough to raise you from the ashes.
That's why it's critically important you abide by these rules:
- Say what you're going to do, then do what you say
- Frequent, honest, and authentic communication is key
- Trust is built one interaction at a time (it's not built overnight)
- Sell in the best interest of the customer (not in the best interest if your profits)
- Tell the truth (even if that means, at times, admitting when your product/service isn't right for the customer)
- We're all human – when you make a mistake, own up to it and make it right (don't make up stories)
- Become the "trusted advisor" for your customers (that includes offering tips, information, and advice to help them make an informed decision)
- Go out of your way to show your customers that you care about them
- Protect and improve what's important to your customers (this might be the environment, their local community, or even helping them protect their own wellbeing)
- Listen to your customers (when you get feedback, take it seriously)
Remember, trust is a commitment and a journey. It takes time to build it, but can be lost in an instant.
When you go out of your way to become the trusted leader in your industry, you'll have a competitive advantage and stronghold in your market.
When you build a relationship with your customer that's based on trust, you'll earn their loyalty. They'll become lifelong customers and refer their friends.
"Free markets can succeed for all if business works with the people, not just sells to them."
– Richard Edelman


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McLaren Hotel
North Sydney
About McLaren Hotel
With a stay at McLaren Hotel in North Sydney (North Shore Sydney), you'll be convenient to Luna Park and Sydney Harbour Bridge. This hotel is within close proximity of Royal North Shore Hospital and Kirribilli House.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 27 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and minibars. Wireless Internet access (surcharge) is available to keep you connected. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and complimentary newspapers.Amenities Take in the views from a garden.Dining Take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours).Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include express check-in, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference space and meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.
- Satellite TV*
- Wi-Fi
- Air conditioning
McLaren Hotel Map
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling


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The book: indistractable by Nir Eyal
Is the author smart/do they know things I don't: Yes. And also the author's enthusiasm for self-made motivational t-shirts and loving account of various apps to help maintain concentration are for sure useful course correctives to my deep inner desire to surrender to the tide of fate. But I am in my forties, and any time before thirty I would have responded to everything in this book with sunny condescension, and it's not like my inner nineteen-year-old is so far beneath the surface. This is one of the best and worst things about being middle-aged.
Does the main idea seem true: That it is important to be able to focus on the things we have chosen ahead of time to focus on? Honestly, I don't know. Sometimes it seems to me that the single best thing about being alive is the way our minds just churn away at whatever the world presents us with. In practice, though, this means I spend a lot of time trying to track down what people on the internet are mad about that day. So.
Single most awesome thing in the book: It's a tie between the author's truly admirable willingness to follow through on the consequences of what he's saying (on best display when he advises parents not to interrupt their children in their scheduled video game playing) and the moment where he says, yeah, people aren't meant to be happy.
Moment where I was like, oh boy, here we go again: He ruins the people-aren't-meant-to-be-happy moment by ascribing it to evolutionary biology, which is my least favorite thing in the entire world. We can only guess at the mysterious levers that caused McDonald's to start offering the Egg Mcmuffin all day; the idea that we can successfully decipher why humans are the way they are seems insane on its face.
Thing that seemed like it could be useful if I actually tried it, which I didn't/Thing that actually did influence my behavior: He's a big enthusiast for scheduling your time, which both enticed and frightened me. So in the middle of the most brutal week of my year I sat down and boxed out what I was going to do. By the end of the day most of the list of things had been replaced by other things entirely; on the other hand I had actually done some stuff that I meant to get done, which is not something I ever take for granted.
Thing That I Would Like To See The Numbers On, Sir: Supposedly his daughter both read and considered sleep studies in choosing her own schedule.
Thing That I Refuse To Believe, No Matter How Many Numbers You Show Me: There's a very extended use of Tantalus as a metaphor. I don't really think Tantalus is a warning against the dangers of distraction, although perhaps my previously held belief (Tantalus is a warning against cooking and serving your son for dinner) is overly literal.
Thing That I Have Way Too Many Thoughts About: About midway through the week I started reading this book I started to get the unsettled feeling that comes upon me when I start trying really hard to do the things that I've decided to do. It's a kind of frantic, greyhound-at-the-start-of-the-race feeling, and I hate it. I do sometimes wonder if I would hate it less if I pushed through it, the way that if you keep working out regularly the misery subsides into comfort. I think indistractable itself would urge me to push on — after all the book takes mild aim at the concept of ego depletion, which posits will power as a finite, if renewable, resource. Instead indistractable at least implicitly makes the argument, which I also see a lot in the sports media I consume (I think about this (behind a paywall) article of Justin Bourne's maybe more than I should), that what you need is not to give yourself a break but to develop rigorous habits, that that's the path to excellence.
And that's probably true in sports, and it may be true in other things, and yet. I refuse, I guess. I want, sometimes, in some ways, to be excellent, but more than I want to be excellent I want to not be chasing a goal at top speed, with the rest of the world tuned out. I want to be distracted. I want to stare into space; I want to be startled by the conversation two people near me are having. (I was going to say two people near me at a restaurant, and it hit me once again how far away that kind of life has gotten.) I want the world to give me things I didn't ask for; I want to be valuable in ways that have nothing to do with the effort I commit to anything. And I believe that beauty and richness can spring from that; I believe that there's a path to excellence that comes from being the recipient of generosity rather than effort of will.
I really am arguing with myself here. Eyal includes a picture in the book of his wife wearing an LED crown meant to indicate she is not to be interrupted, and what could be more charming and idiosyncratic than that? But when I am chasing my own effort I stop feeling capable of making space in my own head; I don't know how I can ever say I have done enough. And so instead of trying any of the techniques in the book, midway through the week, I took off work a couple hours early and laid in bed, and for the rest of the week I didn't worry about doing the things I should be doing, and I don't know if it was good for me or bad for me, but it's what I did.
I would like to see a world that gave us more, and Eyal definitely talks about the requirements of institutional support. But any self-help book is going to be about what you can, yourself, do to change the facts as given. And I can't help but wonder what excellence would look like if instead the world around us bent.
Useful Counter-programming: Any article about Universal Basic Income; you can start with this one.
Next Week's Book: Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg


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The emergence of a new, 'highly infectious' Covid variant — responsible for more than 40 per cent of cases in the U.S., where hospitalisations reached more than 40,000 a day in December — is a grim reminder that the pandemic is far from over.
This comes as concerns rise about the effects of China's reversal of its zero-Covid approach, leaving its huge population, who have little natural immunity to the virus, able to resume normal life and travel.
Even here, despite most of the population having booster after booster, there are around 9,000 people in hospital with Covid in England alone. That's up from 4,900 at the beginning of December, according to NHS data.
So will we ever truly wave goodbye to this pandemic?
Locked away in a laboratory in Bangladesh is a box of white powder developed by scientists at Lancaster University that may prove a key weapon in helping us do just that.
Even here, despite most of the population having booster after booster, there are around 9,000 people in hospital with Covid in England alone. That's up from 4,900 at the beginning of December, according to NHS data
That's because this powder, when mixed with saline, can be used as a vaccine against Covid-19. But unlike current Covid vaccines, it's not injected into your arm: it's squirted up your nose.
Crucially, whereas other vaccines reduce the risk of serious disease and death, the hope is that this one, called ViraVac, will be more successful at cutting the risk of becoming infected in the first place. It could represent a sea change in the approach to vaccination against Covid — and potentially other respiratory viruses, too.
ViraVac is based on a vaccine sprayed around barns to halt a form of coronavirus in chickens. It is one of around a dozen nasal Covid vaccines being developed.
One of these includes a two-dose nasal vaccine now being produced in India that was developed by Washington University in the U.S. and has been approved in India as a primary vaccine and as a booster. The vaccine was given emergency approval after studies showed that it gave 'complete protection' against certain strains of Covid, after six weeks.
Elsewhere around the world, scientists have been trying to perfect their own nasal vaccines — because the more we learn about the virus, the more some believe that targeting the immune system this way is the best chance of halting the march of Covid for good.
Crucially, whereas other vaccines reduce the risk of serious disease and death, the hope is that this one, called ViraVac, will be more successful at cutting the risk of becoming infected in the first place. A stock image is used above
With the standard injection, the protection varies according to the vaccine and the variant it is up against. For instance, the Moderna booster offered an impressive 90 to 95 per cent protection against hospitalisation with a Covid-19 infection nine weeks after vaccination, according to UK Health Security Agency data released last January. But the protection drops when it comes to catching Covid — while it offers 63 per cent protection against the BA.1 Omicron variant and 70 per cent against the BA.2 after two weeks, after 25 weeks that falls to 9 per cent protection against BA.1 and 13 per cent against BA.2.
'One of the failures of current vaccines is that they don't provide long-term protection — we rely on multiple boosters — and they don't prevent the virus being transmitted or block infection,' says Lawrence Young, a professor of virology at Warwick University.
Muhammad Munir, a professor in virology and viral zoonoses at Lancaster University, believes nasal vaccines offer a solution as they 'halt community transmission' — in other words, stop people getting ill with Covid and passing it on.
'It offers the chance to get a full handle on this pandemic,' he says.Central to this is the fact that nasal vaccines work on different parts of the immune system compared with vaccines given intramuscularly (i.e. as an injection typically given into the arm).
Professor Munir says that's because Covid enters the body via infected droplets that gain entry mainly through the nose or mouth, the logical approach is to focus the immunological fight there. As he explains, vaccines given into the arm produce T-cells (which knock out infected cells) and B-cells (which produce antibodies that attack invading pathogens).
'But these immune cells are predominantly in the bloodstream and organs, with only a tiny quantity in the nose and mouth so they aren't guarding the point of entry.
'And yet for Covid the route of transmission is through the nose and mouth. This area is lined by a mucus membrane that continues to the gut and is enriched with an armoury of immune cells.
'If a vaccine is inhaled or given as drops through the nose or mouth then it will prime these cells, which are the first line of defence, to act quickly.'
T-cells and B-cells in the mucosal layer can prompt a lightning-fast attack 'pretty much the instant the virus comes in', attacking it before it has a chance to infect cells, he says. 'These nasal immune cells get to work in a couple of minutes — whereas the immune cells made by intramuscular vaccines get to work six to eight hours after entry of the virus.'
This time difference, he says, is vital. 'If just one virus particle successfully sticks to one cell it takes over that cell and replicates to produce a million more viruses in an eight-hour cycle,' says Professor Munir, who has been leading the research into Lancaster University's nasal vaccine.
'That's why the nasal vaccine will have the advantage — the immune cells it produces in the nasopharyngeal region can act immediately. It's a bit like having the police sitting and waiting for a crime to be committed.
'With the intramuscular vaccine approach, the police only come once the problem is there, and by that time damage could be done.'
Certainly, animal studies of his nasal vaccine look promising.
A study published in the journal iScience in August 2021 found that hamsters given it had 'complete protection' from lung infection and inflammation — and did not shed viral particles when infected with Covid, which suggested that it would stop onward infection.
Reducing transmission is an attractive proposition, not just to reduce cases but also because it may prevent long Covid.
Continued high transmission also leaves the door open to more variants of the virus — currently, for example, the new XBB.1.5 variant is already responsible for one in 25 cases in the UK. 'The fact that we haven't halted transmission is why we are on our tenth variant of concern,' says Professor Munir. 'The emergence of this newly identified Omicron variant — which is worrying because we don't know yet how protective current vaccines will be — shows the importance of this, and there could be more around the corner.'
It's not just Covid: there is a buzz in the scientific community about nasal vaccines for respiratory infections and the mucosal immunity they offer, says Professor Peter Openshaw, an immunologist at Imperial College London.
'I was at a [vaccine] conference recently where one in four presentations was arguing the importance of mucosal immunity and not systemic [i.e. body-wide] — and that's a big change.'
If you can stimulate a good immune response in the mucosal layer, the immune cells in the nose can then travel around the rest of the mucosal layer down to the gut lining, adds Professor Young.
He says that this defence in the mucosal membrane in the gut against Covid especially may have unexpected benefits: 'A proportion of people with long Covid have gut symptoms. And data suggests the virus can persist in the gut, so providing greater protection at the mucosal layer in the gut may help with that, too.'
A nasal vaccine would also clearly be good news for needle-phobics — a 2021 study by Oxford University, which questioned 15,000 people, suggested 10 per cent of all vaccine hesitancy was linked to needle phobia, reported the journal Psychological Medicine.
'When the news was released [in 2021] that we were working on a nasal vaccine for Covid, we started getting emails from people all over the country asking if they could try it as they don't like needles,' says Professor Munir. However, there are drawbacks to nasal vaccines. 'The one big advantage of injectables is you know exactly how much is being administered,' says Professor Openshaw. With nasal vaccines you can't be so sure if some of it is sneezed out or swallowed.'
A nasal flu vaccine, called Fluenz Tetra, is already being offered to children aged two and three or those with underlying health conditions aged two to 17. It contains a live but weakened form of the flu virus. But attempts to develop nasal vaccines that are not based on weakened viruses for other respiratory infections have not yet been successful — a key problem being how to keep the inhaled vaccine in place long enough.
'The nose is lined with mucus and hair-like cells, which are good at binding to stuff and carrying it backwards into the stomach — potentially rendering a nasal vaccine useless,' says Professor Openshaw.
There are other hurdles for nasal vaccines for Covid. Michael Diamond, a professor of medicine at Washington University, who helped develop the nasal vaccine that has been passed for use in India, says governments preferred to fund the development of intramuscular vaccines over others.
'We have a 50-year or more history of giving vaccines via the intramuscular route — we don't have that track record with these [nasal] vaccines,' he told Good Health.
'The U.S. government gave a lot of support to companies to work with vaccines that they thought were more likely to succeed. That consumed a lot of resources so there was not much left to support new initiatives.'
After Washington University developed the nasal vaccine, a company in India (Bharat Biotech) licensed its technology and developed it.
Funding was thin on the ground in the UK, too, says Professor Munir. 'There were three or four vaccine options [not nasal] on the table early on and funding for anything else dried up,' he says.
And in his case there was also a personal reason to delay work. When the pandemic broke, his young son, Ibrahim, was gravely ill in hospital with a genetic disease. With 12 years' experience working with coronaviruses, his opinion was keenly sought and he spent much time talking to other virologists while in hospital corridors — but was in no position to get into the lab. Ibrahim died aged five in February 2020 and it wasn't until August 2020 that Professor Munir felt able to get back to work.
'My motivation was if I can't do anything to save my son, perhaps I can do something to save humanity,' he says.
He and his small team set to work modifying the vaccine he originally developed for the poultry market.
'Coronaviruses wipe out the poultry industry in countries such as Egypt and Pakistan,' he says. 'How we deal with these is to give them a nasal vaccine [sprayed into the air]. All coronaviruses are spread through droplets and this is the best way to stop transmission.'
The vaccine is a type of viral vector vaccine. It uses a harmless virus such as a cold virus but within it is a piece of the genetic code of the Covid spike protein, which helps imitate an infection.
But whereas the one used in the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was a virus that caused cold-like symptoms in chimps, this one contains a virus that affects poultry.
'And it has a receptor that sticks to the nasal tract — it's designed to develop a respiratory infection which makes it perfect to deliver a nasal vaccine,' explains Professor Munir.
Modifying the original vaccine — which would be given to humans as two doses, one month apart — to be specific to Covid meant they had to ensure the portion of the spike protein they put into the virus carrier stayed put.
'We were working until 2am most days for weeks on end,' he says. He recalls the 'whoop whoop feeling' when the team realised the vaccine was stable even at -4c (25f) to 37c (99f) — meaning it wouldn't need expensive storage facilities, unlike the Pfizer vaccine.
'Then came the frightening part of trying it in animal studies,' he says.
But, as the research with hamsters showed, it was highly effective. The vaccine is now being refined ahead of human trials due to start this year on 30,000 volunteers in Bangladesh and Peru (where they have high infection and low vaccination rates).
If successful, it could be used to vaccinate large numbers of people cheaply and quickly.
And 'the know-how could then be piggy-backed to develop nasal vaccines for other contexts — even for things such as cancer', says Professor Young.
The road forward may have its twists and turns, however. Questions remain, for instance, over the length of immunity that nasal vaccines offer.
'If the lining of your nose remembered every single thing it has ever responded to, it would become overloaded, so your immunological memory there is usually of quite limited duration — which may be a necessary adaptation,' says Professor Openshaw. 'This kind of immunity then tends to be short-lived.'
Professor Munir says: 'We won't know how long the immunity it gives lasts until it starts going up people's noses. But I believe this is going to work well.'
Professor Young adds: 'News of this latest variant is a wake-up call that we aren't quite out of the woods yet with Covid — and a nasal vaccine might be the answer we need now.'
What's behind the hacking cough that's making everyone feel so rotten? ANGELA EPSTEIN reveals the reasons behind the tide of illness
From Covid to flu and the nasty cold doing the rounds, it seems most people are currently battling a bug.
So much so that pharmacies have been selling out of cold and flu remedies such as Lemsip.
Multiple factors are behind this tide of illness, says Neil Mabbott, a professor of immunopathology at Edinburgh University.
'In recent winters there was limited mixing indoors, as well as widespread use of face coverings and social distancing. We're now mixing indoors and using public transport much more, and in larger groups, providing greater opportunities for these common infectious diseases to spread.'
The situation is being exacerbated by the fact that this winter there appears to be a particularly virulent cold in circulation, says Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London.
'The current one seems highly infectious and brings a really lasting hacking cough,' he told Good Health.
John Oxford, an emeritus professor of virology at Queen Mary, University of London, concurs.
'It has been an extraordinary winter so far,' he says. 'There seems to be a lot of infection going around. There are also dozens of varieties of cold virus and we can get reinfected with each one.'
And then there is the so-called 'immunity gap', adds Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases at Norwich Medical School. This is the result of lockdowns reducing our usual exposure to seasonal viruses, so we have little natural immunity to them now that they're back in circulation. And the longer it is since previous exposure, the greater our chance of catching an infection.
'So if someone was exposed to flu three months after their original bout, then they'll probably not develop the illness again,' says Professor Hunter.
'If exposure happens a year later, it might lead to a standard bout of flu — unpleasant but not dangerous as they won't have high levels of antibodies to it, but they'll have at least some.
'But there's now a three-year gap between previous and current exposure to flu, and this can lead to a severe form of it.' The same may apply to other respiratory infections.
How long we succumb to a virus — and how long it takes to feel normal — depends on factors such as the infection, your vaccination status, previous infections as well as your age. But is there anything we can do to speed up recovery?
Most medication fights symptoms rather than the cause, so they won't speed up recovery, says Professor Hunter. Prescription anti-viral drugs can do this, but are usually only offered for severe flu in vulnerable people.
'For most people, by the time you know it's flu, it's too late to take them and they do little to help,' says Professor Hunter. (Studies show antiviral drugs work best when started within two days of getting sick.)
A more accessible form of treatment is sleep. A 2019 study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine found that a good night's sleep can increase the function of T-cells — white blood cells that kill invading bacteria and viruses.
'Our body's circadian rhythms [24-hour cycle] and nocturnal sleep play important roles in regulating our immune system,' explains Professor Mabbott.
'That's why disturbed sleep can reduce the effectiveness of our immune responses, either to infections or vaccines.'
Dr Steven Kinnear, a Bangor-based GP in County Down, says: 'Since sleep is vital to gee up recovery, I use the children's remedy Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight, which can stop a blocked nose disturbing my rest.' (The vapours help decongest, he says.)
Eating well helps, too. 'Think Mediterranean diet, rich in colourful plants, each with their own host of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients,' says Dr Jenna Macciochi, a senior lecturer in immunology at Sussex University and author of Your Blueprint For Strong Immunity.
'Focus on protein, too, as this provides the building blocks for the different components of our immune system. In addition, your tissues may have incurred damage from the infection — protein is important to rebuild and repair.'
She suggests omega-3 supplements, as these fats are the raw materials for our immune system anti-inflammatory mechanisms (to turn off inflammation and help repair and recovery).
The reason we're advised to drink plenty of fluid is partly to help thin mucus, so it drains away more easily, relieving congestion, says Dr Kinnear.
'But limit alcohol,' adds Dr Roger Henderson, a GP in Shropshire. 'Too much can lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can affect your immune system.'
And pace yourself when it comes to exercise. 'Pushing yourself before you're ready can set you back, and make you even more exhausted,' says Dr Gavin Francis, a GP and author of Recovery: The Lost Art Of Convalescence. 'It's important knowing that it's OK to rest a bit — and that it might take a good few weeks to improve.'
Convalescing is a vital part of recovery, agrees Dr Macciochi. 'In today's fast-paced world, we feel we have no time to be ill — we're all looking for a quick fix and then to get back to our normal daily life quickly,' she says. 'Recovery takes time. Health doesn't begin when acute symptoms end.'


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In 2012, Mayor Myrick proclaimed October as Silent Movie Month in Ithaca to highlight the region's role in early American moviemaking. Join the celebration this year — its 10th — with virtual and in-person events, and WSM's ongoing multimedia exhibit at the Tompkins Center for History & Culture. In this unusual year, we're expanding Silent Movie Month into November!
Our first event of Silent Movie Month 2021 is Thursday, October 14th.
More details about other Silent Movie Month events coming soon, so check the website often for updates.
Thursday, October 14th, 7-8pm
Serial Style: The Business of Being Irene Castle
A virtual presentation by Denise N. Green, Associate Professor of Fashion Design in the College of Human Ecology, where she also serves as Director of the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection.
Click here for more information.
Wednesday, October 27th, 7-8:30pm
Patrick Conway & his Famous Ithaca Band
A virtual presentation by local historian and Visiting Lecturer at Cornell who, since 2011, has taught a class about Cornell history.
Presented by Friends of Stewart Park as part of its Stewart Park Centennial Zoom Series. Click here for more information.
Saturday, November 13th, 7:15pm
A Fool There Was (1915) starring Theda Bara and Edward Jose with live musical accompaniment
At Cornell Cinema
1915 > USA > Directed by Frank Powell
Click here for more information.
Thursday, November 18th, 7pm
The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema
Presented by Historic Geneva
A virtual presentation by Barbara Tepa Lupack, historian and author who has written extensively on American literature, film, and culture, including Silent Serial Sensations: The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema (Cornell University Press, 2020)
Click here for more information.
Serial Style: The Business of Being Irene Castle -- ONGOING EXHIBIT
This multimedia exhibit featuring never before seen ephemera related to Irene Castle is curated by Wharton Studio Museum and the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection at the Tompkins Center for History and Culture. It's on display during Silent Movie Month and through February 2022. Open Wednesday through Saturday 10am-5pm. The exhibit is part of The History Center's expansive installation Breaking Barriers: Women's Lives and Livelihoods.


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Healthy Living: Don't overthink trying to make the perfect plate for Thanksgiving
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Get ready for the turkey, gravy, stuffing and dessert, but also make sure you're following food-safety tips, so you don't end up sick instead of celebrating. It may seem like common sense, but really understanding how to thaw and cook your turkey safely is important. In order to prevent the spread of bacteria, you want to cook it through to 165 degrees.
According to the Food Safety website, you should not wash or rinse any meat or poultry that's not recommended and if you do wash your turkey, you need to fully clean and sanitize your sink after. The USDA does not recommend stuffing a turkey due to food safety reasons. When it comes to thawing out your turkey the refrigerator method is recommended, that's 24 hours for every five pounds.
Now let's talk portions. While you may want to indulge in all the comfort food, you don't want to end up in a food coma. Registered Dietician, Haley Hughes said when it comes to holiday eating habits, it's important to take care and nourish your body, but don't let the stress of what to eat and what not to eat to add to it either. Hughes said set your intentions. You don't have to have the perfect plate. Eat regularly throughout the day and don't starve yourself before dinner and maybe plan some sort of physical activity before or after you eat.
"We got to build a better relationship with food and be able to enjoy it, we're not enjoying it when we're making it this big deal and it's all or nothing and then eating the entire plate and then feeling terrible afterward. It's okay, let's enjoy these portions that make you feel good and add to our quality of life that way," Hughes said.
On another note, Hughes said with so many people working from home, you can still treat eating like you're at the office. She said you may find yourself doing a different routine, but what's important is to pull out some of the benefits and go from there.
Copyright 2020 KTUU. All rights reserved.


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In Shift, Conservatives in Iran Back Ahmadinejad
TEHRAN — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received praise from Iran's reformist politicians and withering criticism from its conservatives after he sent Barack Obama a letter last week congratulating him on winning the American presidential race.
But in a sign that conservatives fear their attacks might inadvertently strengthen a possible reformist candidate in Iran's own presidential vote in June, their criticism has quickly shifted to early support for Mr. Ahmadinejad's re-election.
The potential opponent is former President Mohammad Khatami. He has not announced his candidacy, but is under pressure from his political allies to run.
On Friday, Mr. Obama offered a public reaction to the letter in his first postelection news conference, saying that he would review it and respond appropriately. But he also said "Iran's support of terrorist organizations, I think, is something that has to cease" and its suspected development of nuclear weapons was not acceptable.
On Saturday, reformist politicians offered praise for Mr. Ahmadinejad's outreach. The letter "presented a humane, reasonable and peace-seeking image of Iran," according to the daily newspaper Etemad.
But conservative members of Parliament and newspapers began their attacks.
The Jomhuri Islami newspaper, in an editorial, said that initiating contact with the United States was among the responsibilities of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme religious leader, and not of Mr. Ahmadinejad. Relations ruptured in 1979, after the Islamic Revolution in February and the takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran by students in November.
The speaker of Parliament, Ali Larijani, referred to Mr. Obama's noncommittal response and said the United States "was not moving in the right direction" for improving relations.
Ahmad Tavakoli, a conservative member of Parliament, released a public letter, saying Mr. Ahmadinejad's unilateral efforts had been met with "arrogant responses" and did not serve the country's dignity.
But by Sunday, the criticism had evaporated, and some conservative politicians had begun to condone the letter.
Another conservative member of Parliament, Mehdi Koochakzadeh, said Sunday night that Mr. Ahmadinejad's letter was "for the expedience of the regime and with the approval of the supreme leader," according to the Web site Alef, which is run by Mr. Tavakoli.
In addition, an editorial in Kayhan, a leading conservative daily, said Mr. Ahmadinejad was the "most qualified candidate" for the presidential race despite the criticisms of him. It argued that Mr. Ahmadinejad's achievements were more significant than his failures.
Mr. Ahmadinejad is popular in smaller towns and villages, where he has distributed financial aid. In contrast, Mr. Khatami would be expected to draw support from large cities.
One analyst suggested that the conservatives were trying to get the reformists to choose a different candidate.
"Maybe the conservatives are signaling to reformers that if they go after Mr. Khatami, they would get unified behind Mr. Ahmadinejad despite their differences with him," said Badr-al-sadat Mofidi, the deputy editor of the reformist daily Kargozaran. "The unity among conservatives can change if the reformers do not nominate Mr. Khatami," she added.
In what appears to be another signal of easing pressures on Mr. Ahmadinejad, several members of Parliament have indicated that they will vote for his nominee to fill the post of interior minister. Parliament fired Interior Minister Ali Kordan last week for lying about a fake honorary doctorate he said he had received from Oxford University.
The nominee, Sadeq Mahsouli, is a close ally of Mr. Ahmadinejad. But the previous Parliament — which was more closely aligned with the president — rejected Mr. Mahsouli's candidacy for the post of oil minister after doubts were raised about the source of his vast fortune.
Mr. Ahmadinejad is suffering politically from the damage to Iran's economy caused by high inflation and a sharp drop in oil prices. Sixty economists warned in a public letter to the president that his hostile attitude to the rest of the world was causing lost trade and investment for the country, newspapers reported Saturday.
The letter criticized the government for spending too much of the oil revenues and for its policies that the economists said had deprived the country of foreign investment.
It said that the United Nations Security Council sanctions over Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment activities had cost the country billions of dollars.


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On Alleged Lamarckism
May 9, 2021 Leave a comment
There are some biologists who claim that non-evolutionary processes explain something or other about biology. Evolution works like this. There are pieces of information instantiated in DNA or RNA called genes. Biological systems such as the cells in you body or bacteria use the information in these genes to solve biological problems, such as extracting energy from the environment, or fighting off infection or whatever. The genes are copied to produce new cells and offspring. Variations are produced on these genes by various mechanisms, such as chemicals changing the DNA copying mistakes and so on. Some variations get copied and others don't. So evolution involves the production of variations of genes and selection among those variations. The bodies of organisms like animals and plants are emergent results of variation and selection of genes (Dawkins, The Extended Phenotype, Chapter 1):
Genes manipulate the world and shape it to assist their replication. It happens that they have 'chosen' to do so largely by moulding matter into large multicellular chunks which we call organisms, but this might not have been so. Fundamentally, what is going on is that replicating molecules ensure their survival by means of phenotypic effects on the world. It is only incidentally true that those phenotypic effects happen to be packaged up into units called individual organisms.
What is required for evolution is (1) a means of information storage that can store an unbounded amount of information, (2) a mechanism for copying that information, (3) mechanisms that produce variations of that information and (4) a mechanism that selects among the variations. Whether that information is contained in DNA or RNA isn't the relevant issue. The logic of the explanation works regardless of how the information is stored. So if we're going to claim that a non-evolutionary process produces biological complexity there has to be a bit more to it than some minor change in what chemicals do the transmission.
Some biologists think that there are examples of a non-evolutionary kind of process called Lamarckism in which the environment modifies genes directly. So giraffes would have long necks because previous giraffes stretched their necks, this somehow modified their genes and then the modified genes would be passed on. Lamarckism doesn't make much sense because the environment doesn't have the knowledge required to rewrite genes, see The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch, Chapter 4.
Let's look at some alleged examples of Lamarckism. Epigenetic Change: Lamarck, Wake Up, You're Wanted in the Conference Room! by Denyse O'Leary claims that horizontal gene transfer refutes Darwinism. Sometimes genes move from one bacterium to another and manage to insert themselves in the genome of the bacterium to which it has moved. Since evolution is fundamentally about variation and selection of genes and this is an example of variation and selection of genes, so horizontal gene transfer doesn't refute evolution. Note also that horizontal gene transfer involves genes manipulating genetic material, not the environment, so it doesn't fit the definition of Lamarckism.
Another alleged example of Lamarckism involves epigenesis: changes to gene expression as a result of interactions between genes and the environment. Genes changing how they are expressed is a normal part of development (Dawkins, The Extended Phenotype, Glossary):
epigenesis A word with a long history of controversy in embryology. As opposed to preformationism (q.v.) it is the doctrine that bodily complexity emerges by a developmental process of gene/environment interaction from a relatively simple zygote, rather than being totally mapped out in the egg. In this book it is used for the idea, which I favour, that the genetic code is more like a recipe than a blueprint. It is sometimes said that the epigenesis/preformationism distinction has been made irrelevant by modern molecular biology. I disagree, and have made much of the distinction in Chapter 9, where I claim that epigenesis, but not preformationism, implies that embryonic development is fundamentally, and in principle, irreversible (see central dogma).
This doesn't count as the environment rewriting genes anymore than setting the temperature on your thermostat is equivalent to changing the design of your boiler. Some of these modifications involve a process called methylation in which a carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms (a methyl group) is attached to a base. Methylating DNA can change how it is expressed. Some researchers have claimed that methylated genes can be passed on from one generation to the next. If this copying continues indefinitely down the generations, then methylation is effectively like a new kind of base in DNA. It is a variation on the information recorded in the non-methylated gene. The methylated gene is selected if it manages to get itself copied and otherwise it is eliminated.
People who want to claim they have examples of Lamarckism and that this somehow refutes evolution will have to do a lot better than the examples above. They should learn about the details of the arguments they're trying to refute before they claim victory.


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MacLean Family Law is now a seven-time winner of the Top* Family Law Firm in Vancouver. The award is the result of a passionate and dedicated legal team working to the highest of standards to help people move forward with their family matters and we are very proud and honoured.
The Top Choice Award, which is the result of an 8-month-long public survey across Canada, is a reflection of the excellence of our legal services, and the result of our commitment to the highest of standards, care, and professionalism.
MacLean Family Law is one of Canada's most experienced and trusted boutique family law firms. Our top-rated* and multiple award-winning family lawyers have the experience, tenacity, and empathy to help you move forward with your family matters. With locations in Greater Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Fort St. John, Calgary and Toronto, we provide strategic and positive family solutions so you can move forward to a better future.
Thank you for your support and for your votes. We are profoundly grateful.
Best Regards,
Lorne MacLean, QC
Founder of MacLean Law


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Over on JR's blog, there is a thought provoking post on being right… check it out.
Over on Good Morning Sarajevo, you have got to see the images from a mosque during Ramadan…
No, I don't have much to say… wait, yes I do. I heard a great story from a young friend tonight on how God has delivered him from drug abuse for 50 days now!
Thanks God for not leaving or forsaking us! So TRUE!
But please be kind about it will you?!?!??! (only makes sense to those who read JR)


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Looks like it's a not-so-sweet Christmas for the hero of Harlem. Just one week after the surprise axing of Marvel's Iron Fist following two seasons of the comic book show, Netflix has now cancelled Marvel's Luke Cage as well, just a couple of months after the show had wrapped up its second season. Marvel released a statement via Deadline making it official:
Unfortunately, Marvel's Luke Cage will not return for a third season. Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem's Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series.
This cancellation comes as a particular surprise as when the Iron Fist axing was reported, most insiders had heard that negotiations for a third season of Luke Cage had already been well underway and an announcement would be imminent. In fact, the show's writers room under showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker had been working with both Marvel and Netflix for about six months already on new scripts, and the show's principal cast, including titular star Mike Colter, had still been under contract.
A lot memories. A lot of individual thank you calls to make. Just want to say thank you to Marvel, Netflix, the best Writer's room, cast, crew, the Midnight Hour, all those who graced the stage at Harlem's Paradise and the most incredible fan base in the world. Forward always…
— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) October 20, 2018
So what happened here? The most obvious answer here, in my opinion, is that we're seeing the first salvos in the war between Netflix and Disney. I feel that since Disney announced their plans for their own streaming service next year, and revealed they will be pulling all their licenced content from Netflix, the relationship between the two entertainment giants may have soured. Netflix is pumping billions into its original content library over the next few years, so it can certainly afford to lose a few shows if it means cutting all ties with what will potentially soon be their biggest competitor. While Daredevil's third season just hit the service on Friday and The Punisher season 2 is already on the way, there hasn't been a peep about Jessica Jones season 2 or another season of The Defenders. Don't be surprised if that stays that way and Daredevil and The Punisher joins the rest on the cancellation heap next year.
So where to from here for these series though? We have heard that Disney is not considering moving Luke Cage to the upcoming Disney Play service for a third season. However, Iron Fist actor Finn Jones has hinted that we're not done seeing his character yet, so maybe Disney could combine the two for a Heroes For Hire team-up series a la their long-running comic book.
Given how Iron Fist ended, on a much more fun pulpy tone, and Luke Cage's status quo as well, both those characters could easily fit into the more PG-13 Disney Play plans easily, right alongside the other Marvel TV series they're planning. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher are a different story though. Netflix was the perfect venue for their darker, more violent offerings, and they won't be brought in-house to Disney without some serious nerfing. That leaves Marvel in a bit of an odd place right now, and I guess the coming months will show this all plays out.
Last Updated: October 22, 2018


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By: Gary M. DellaPosta, CPA
If you have enrolled for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and receive advance payments of the premium tax credit in 2015, it is important that you report changes in circumstances, such as changes in your income or family size, to your Marketplace.
Advance payments of the premium tax credit provide financial assistance to help you pay for the insurance you buy through the Marketplace. Having at least some of your credit paid in advance directly to your insurance company will reduce the out-of-pocket cost of the health insurance premiums you'll pay each month.
However, it is important to notify the Marketplace about changes in circumstances to allow the Marketplace to adjust your advance payment amount. This adjustment will decrease the likelihood of a significant difference between your advance credit payments and your actual premium tax credit. Changes in circumstances that you should report to the Marketplace include, but are not limited to:
Gary DellaPosta is a CPA and founder of the firm: Gary M DellaPosta, CPA's & Business Advisors. A graduate of Bryant University, he is a member of the American Institute of CPA's as well as the Massachusetts Society of CPA's. In addition to providing accounting, tax and advisory services to individuals and businesses, he also provides litigation support to attorneys and has been recognized as an expert in numerous Massachusetts' courts. Mr. DellaPosta serves on the Board of the Barnstable County Mutual Insurance Co., where he serves on the audit, investment and employee benefit committees. He is a Director at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod and is a former director of Eastern Bank and Plymouth Savings Bank. He also serves as the Treasurer of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod and is a trustee of Heritage Museum & Gardens.
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How Carwale.com Improves Website Performance
Website failures can have disastrous impact on the business, more so, because of the online commerce boom. Nearly 80 percent of senior executives in the Asia Pacific region reported lost sales due to poor website performance, according to a study published by Dyn Research in March 2015. The study noted, even though countries like India, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia are the fastest growing markets for online sales worldwide, 30 percent of executives didn't know how their company measured the performance of their customers' experience.
CarWale (carwale.com), an Indian online portal on car pricing and related information was looking to improve its site performance. The site, an active online community that helps buyers find the right car through reviews, news, pricing, as well as its sister site, BikeWale (BikeWale.com), provides similar resources on new and used bikes prices and values, were looking to improve the performance of the respective websites, while at the same time, wanted to focus on their core business.
On the challenges faced by the company, Rajeev Kumar, VP – Technology at CarWale, (an Automotive Exchange Private Limited company) explained, "As an online business, Internet Performance is extremely important to us. In fact, improving DNS performance was the first step we needed to take to make sure the visitor experience was the best."
It needs to be mentioned that DNS check is one vital part to our daily internet life. If it fails, businesses will be in trouble. For example, visitors would be seeing Page Not Found pretty much all day long. If it's slow, it can be extremely annoying, as technology enthusiast and writer Prita Mitra noted, "DNS is like the electricity. If it's fast, most of us probably would don't even know if it's existed."
"We want to focus on improving the CarWale and BikeWale sites rather than having to manage their underlying infrastructure. Rather than managing DNS on our own, we wanted to outsource this function," said Kumar.
The company evaluated several Managed DNS service providers, and Dyn, a cloud-based Internet Performance company emerged as a strong option. Dyn's global anycast network has over 18 points of presence (PoPs) globally, assuring high site availability, speed, DNS, DDoS, security, and infrastructure cost efficiencies for a better end user experience.
The vendor also backs its Managed DNS solution with unparalleled DNS domain expertise, extreme system scalability and a focus on customer support. The company therefore selected Dyn's solution on website performance.
On implementing the solution, the online commerce firm noticed a measurable decrease in DNS latency. "Since implementing Dyn, DNS latency has measurably decreased and helped improve site performance," said Kumar.
"Tracking latency through Google Analytics, we've seen an improvement from 40 to 30 milliseconds after moving onto the Dyn service. Our customers are able to get a faster response from the site and their overall experience has improved," he informed.
A May 2013 research undertaken by Vanson Bourne, had shown that even minor delays to website response times can have a sizable impact on customer satisfaction, page views, conversion rates and site abandonment.
Despite this, over one-third of the organizations globally do not know if their website is monitored on a regular basis, the research noted. However, companies that want to stay competitive and focus strongly on customer experience ensure that their website performance is steady.
In a March 24 article published on CXOtoday.com, Naveen Gurusiddaiah, Head-Pre Sales at Micro Focus India, mentioned, "Businesses need to ensure their websites are able to withstand high amounts of traffic at peak periods, as well as being able to perform to a standard their customer now expects."
Quoting the Vanson Bourne study, Gurusiddaiah said, "Users have very little patience with poor performing websites today as 88% of online visitors are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience."
A downtime can not only result in loss of revenue, but also hit the brand reputation in the long run. On the other hand, a solid performing website is still a competitive advantage, and that any company delivering an equally good web experience on mobile is likely to win the customer retention and acquisition battle, he added.
"Companies need a smart strategy for approaching international markets," Jim Cowie, chief scientist, Dyn mentioned as part of its research. "The only true way forward is by constantly monitoring how your assets perform for your customers, controlling outside factors like ISPs and using that information to optimize the Internet Performance experience," he summed up.