Employing the aid of a professional painter can be more costly than picking up the brush on your own. However, when time and quality is a priority, it’s a great way to ensure the job gets done right. In this article, we will outline the steps to finding a quality painter.

Step 1 – Decide which areas of the home you are interested in having painted. Are you looking at a smaller job, you a renovation project to hire a painter for? These factors can play a big part in where you decide to look.

Step 2 – Look at any projects that may be worth completing prior to the paint job. This can apply to homes that require drywall repairs, molding replacement, or new doors. Having these tasks completed prior to a paint job will greatly reduce the need for revisions later on.

Step 3 – Figure out exactly which colors and the type of paint you will want to use. Paint charts can be found at most major home improvement stores and paint shops. Take the time to grab a few samples and play around with different schemes.

Step 4 – There are many ways to go about finding a painter. Try asking around to friend and family or searching online for local contractors. Read reviews, and check references. Once you have a solid list, contact several candidates and ask for quotes.

Step 5 – Have a few candidates come to the location to inspect and area and provide an accurate estimate. Be sure each is aware of the same specifications regarding the job, such as number of rooms, exterior, number of coats, etc.

Step 6 – After you’ve met with each contractor, evaluate all the information and make your decision. Base your choice on factors such as track record, price, and your overall impression. Overall, go with someone you feel you can trust, while providing the best service. You know the old saying “you always get what you pay for”….

Step 7 – Outline a contract that specifies the work that will be completed, the cost, payments, starting date, and the time it will take to complete the job. Also be sure to include the paint brands, and the colors that will be used in addition to the number of coats. Painters should be held accountable for cleanup as well. Be thorough and direct. Never simply expect anything to be included.

Step 8 – The final step is preparation. Be sure to remove any belongings such as furniture, and other objects from the areas that will be treated, and clean, clean, clean!

Since the iphone has been available developers have been beavering away with Apple’s SDK to bring us unique and better apps every day.

In the beginning, when the app store first opened its doors, a couple of thousand apps were available for download. These early apps were a mixed bunch, some free, some paid for, some good, many bad but all had a purpose, be it very useful or a bit pointless, they all did something.

The growth and consumption of apps since initial release has been phenomenal and I think this is based on 2 main factors. The first, the ability for anyone with a Mac computer and internet connection to download the SDK, start developing and then release an app has given everyone an opportunity to get an app in the app store.

The second point is how we, the consumers, have had a growing hunger for these apps since day one of the app store. Maybe you’re interested in game or news apps, social networking or entertainment, all categories are covered and there’s something for everyone.

There are of course other factors such as the relatively low cost of most apps and things would never taken off if it weren’t for the excellent, intuitive, user friendly platform Apple has created to run these apps.

But personally, I think the 2 points mentioned above are why apps are so popular and why they’ll continue to grow rapidly in the next 3-5 years.

However, with this growth in apps brings problems for consumers. How do you find what top apps are available? You could look on the app store and check out the top 25 or latest featured apps. This is great and popularity often tells us we’re onto a winner (eBay Mobile isn’t in the top 25 because it’s useless!). But I’ve discovered over the past few years that many of my favourite, most used apps weren’t in any top ten lists, they weren’t featured on the Apple site and they certainly didn’t feature in any of those Apple adverts on TV.

These apps were hunted out, stumbled upon, emailed to me or simply recommended. These are the more obscure apps, the apps that are excellent in every possible way but haven’t had the exposure they need to get noticed in the app store.

Looking at it from the other side, the rapid growth in apps makes it important to developers (especially to small, independent developers with limited marketing budgets) that they promote using all the marketing tips and techniques available. One of the most cost effective (and often free) ways of getting your apps noticed is by submitting them to app review sites. Review sites help consumers make informed decisions and get your apps noticed, especially if reviews are favourable.

You sometimes have to accept negative comments but these are mostly constructive and will help you with future app updates, helping you resolve any problems (on a major update you can even ask for the app to be revisited, potentially getting a higher rating)

Getting your app noticed will become even more of a challenge in the future. Hopefully, you’re more aware of the need for app review sites. If you’ve developed an app and want some free marketing check out iphone app reviews and find out how reviews can help get your app noticed by the people who matter.

Without a website, which usually requires the services of an e commerce website designer, there would be no place to display your company’s products or describe its services, much less sell those very same products or services. Therefore, launching a website is like opening the doors of your store for the first time.

The difference is that there are many more potential customers that are available through the Internet and it is much cheaper to maintain a website compared to a brick and mortar store. If you are familiar with HTML and/or other web coding languages, you can create your own customized website. However, it is usually advisable to seek the services of an e commerce website designer because he or she will have the experience and the knowledge on how to maximize the effectiveness of the website.

The Shopping Cart

An e commerce website designer knows what kind of tools is required for your site, depending on the type of business that you have. An important and common web technology for e commerce sites is the shopping cart software. This is a script program that the e commerce website designer can assist in selecting or even develop for you if needed. Its purpose is to keep a record of the items that a site visitor has ordered so that even if he or she wanders off to the other parts of your website, the list is kept intact so that the client would not need to enter them again.

Content Management System for an Affiliate Site

Your e commerce website designer does not have to provide you with a shopping cart if you have chosen to run your business as an affiliate because all you need to do is drive traffic to the merchant’s website. Instead, you will need to provide a content-rich site, which means that you will need to post a lot of content on your website that is relevant to the products or services of the merchant. This means that the e commerce website designer will have to establish the structure for an interesting and very informative website and a content management system (CMS) that will make it much easier for you to publish new articles on your site.

Accepting Payments

For the regular business site, the e commerce website designer will need to include the web systems necessary for accepting payments from clients. There are various e commerce technologies for handling payments, such as digital payment systems, the e-wallet and the payment server. The website designer can advise you on what technologies to implement on your site.

The common methods for payments are, of course, through credit cards and
PayPal. While the e commerce website designer will be responsible for the shopping cart and payment scripts, you will have to get a payment processor and a merchant account. You will also need to ensure that your chosen solutions can comply with the requirements of the PCI Data Security Standards.

You may also use a third-party processing service, such as PayPal, if you are still starting out. You may wish to request that the website includes a way to accept checks or money orders as well. Offering various payment methods will minimize the possibility that your potential client will change his or her mind about buying from you.

Security for Your E commerce Website

Finally, you will have to ask your e commerce website designer about security systems, such as intrusion detection software and firewalls. These will protect your website from mal-ware and computer hackers who might want to steal information and use it for identity theft or other crimes. Potential customers need to be assured that their confidential information is safe when they use your site and your professional designer can also help you.

The Ping Anser Forged Irons were a massive hit when they were released in Japan last year. Combining an 8620 steel body with a dense tungsten sole, the Anser offers unequaled forged-iron performance. A hollow-sole cavity enhances the Anser’s soft feel and pushes the CG low and back for higher-launching iron shots. More details are as follows.

Backgroung Information

Now you might think this is the first forged iron Ping ever made but actually it’s not. The first forged irons ever produced by ping (1961) were actually forged blanks that Karsten milled cavities into. They were his first cavity back irons and only a couple hundred were produced before he turned to investment casting that would revolutionize the industry.

As far as we know when they were released in the US in the Fall they soon flied off shelves.  I feel it was the next logical step for Ping to make…although when we heard the rumors about this a few months ago I was shocked to hear about it.  That is because Ping had stuck to their guns for so long when it came to casting there clubs…and the quality of their castings were done so well.  But this allows them to grab a piece of the market that they might not have been able to in the past and will open more doors down the road I feel.

Look – Thinner Top Line

The looks are similar to the Ping i15′s and when we tested the i15 irons there was not much you could say bad about them really. The only way they could improve on them might be the feel and the 8620 forged version will surely improve on that.  Even though Ping’s castings are some of the best in the business when it comes to feel already.

The Irons is smaller than the Rapture V2 which had a much wider sole and slightly thicker top line.

It is more along the lines of the i15 in both size and shape. Ping has noted that the Anser Forged Iron uses progressive offset going from more to less as the irons get shorter. This creates more ease of use in the long irons, allowing the player to square the club face easier.

Design – 8620 Carbon Steel With A Partial Tungsten Sole

The Ping Anser 2010 irons are made of 8620 carbon steel with a partial tungsten sole.  They have a larger than average sole width and offset as well.  So you might ask why forged and why now?  Well the Japan market prefers forged irons and this will in our opinion dramatically grow their market share in that market.  And why the wide sole and offset on a forged iron…well the Japan market prefers this style a little more then a pure blade as well.  I also feel that they will eventually come out with a more traditional forged blade in the US in the coming years.  Well as long as they feel it will improve on the other blades on the market.  Because that is what Ping is all about. Its hollow-sole cavity softens feel and positions the CG for higher-launching shots. The progressive set design offers long-iron forgiveness and short-iron control.

Summary

Overall, the forged, multi-metal design, of the Anser Forged Irons combine an 8620 steel body, a dense tungsten sole, and machined grooves for unequaled forged-iron feel and forgiveness. As the new irons are made to maximize playability, they will allow you to show the best perfomance on the court.

In the prior article, I covered what I refer to as the basic steps to take in order to own and operate a small retail business. These are the steps that take you to the point in the process where it’s nearly time to open your doors to the public. Now it’s time for the next stage of the process, or what I call Advanced Basic Training. This is the stage that requires even more due diligence than the basics as a lot of key financial issues are discussed here.

Remember in the first article that we named our business, stocked and priced our shelves and sales floor, and established our hours of operation. So now it’s time to move into final three stages, which are:

o Guidelines for staffing

o Wages and benefits issues

o Developing an effective marketing plan

In the basic steps I discussed in the first article, I tried to focus on some of the pitfalls you are apt to encounter during each stage. I made recommendations on the positives and negatives in this process based on my own personal experiences with various endeavors. And I’ll be doing the same with the above three steps as well. The big difference this time is that the financial aspects of your business really come into play in these three steps.

Guidelines for staffing

How many people will it take to staff your business? This is difficult to calculate when you’re initially starting. My biggest headache was always hiring the right people that would benefit the business. Let’s face it folks, the “employment pool” as I call it is pretty damned shallow — not a lot of talent to choose from like there used to be. The hiring process is still a pain for most business owners, and it’s going to be even tougher for you as a rookie business owner, especially if you are lacking the experience in this area. But don’t fret, here are some recommendations that will help you get through this process.

Don’t be overly judgmental of a person based on their appearance. Boy, this is really the tough one and I feel it is the single most important recommendation of the bunch. Good looks, proper hair length, and the person’s physique are not always quality factors; in fact you might even say that perfection in these areas constitutes a minority of individuals in society today. Not every person out there is photogenic enough for the cover of People magazine, longer hair has become an acceptable standard today, and most people today need to lose a few pounds anyway. If a person appears neat and clean in the hygienic aspects of grooming, this is an indication that they care about themselves and how other people view them. So flush that mentality before you find yourself running your business from open to close seven days a week all by your lonesome.

Can the job applicant carry on a reasonably intelligent conversation? Don’t laugh; this is a very critical factor in the hiring process as well. If they can’t talk to you, do you think they’ll be able to talk to your customers? I look for a few key “hot spots” such as how well they maintain eye contact during the interview, are they too fidgety when trying to respond to your questions, do they lack self-confidence in their answers, are they overly confident to the point of bragging — just to name a few. You can safely construe these as warning signs and reasons to shy away from these types.

Trying to find someone with experience is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Are you ready to be discouraged? Then this one will definitely do just that. I have discovered over the years that this can be very frustrating. It’s not necessarily that hard to find someone with retail experience; but it’s difficult as Hell to keep them. Let’s face it, the only jobs lower on the wage scale than retail is flipping burgers for Ronald McDonald or working in Guy Patterson’s father’s appliance store. Remember the movie “That Thing You Do”?

Look for an individual that you and your business will benefit from. During your interviewing process, get into the habit of always asking the job seeker this question – “Why should I hire you instead of another applicant?” Again, listen for some of those key hot spots (see the paragraph above about intelligent conversation) when they respond to this question. Here’s another helpful tip. Listen for the key words customer service in the conversation; it means that they are a “people person” and will relate well with your customers. This is a must in any retail business.

Employing the use of a good labor matrix (or labor formula) enables you to staff the operation properly, and helps you reach a level of profitability within that 12 month parameter. What does it take to develop the right formula? Here are the variables you need to consider:

o Fixed and variable expenses (wages, rent, utilities, advertising, cost of goods)

o Coverage (i.e., the number of bodies needed for sales, customer service, shipping and receiving, store sanitation, merchandising, point of sale issues)

o Average monthly cost of inventory (this of course varies with sales volume)

When you’re just getting started, you need to calculate the total of the first item above so that you can calculate what it costs you daily to keep your doors open. Once you’ve established a rough idea on this then you’ll have a better idea on how to start controlling this part of your overhead. The key here when it comes to adding additional employees is the customer service factor. When you can no longer handle certain aspects of store operations (e.g. customer traffic, customer service, shipping and receiving, stocking and merchandising), then it is time to think about hiring another employee.

Wages and benefits issues

What does it take to find and keep good employees? The immediate consideration is a decent wage package at each level of employ. If you study the retail industry nationwide, most successful companies are multiple location types of operations or chain stores. Managers are usually salaried and receive an override based on a percentage of the total sales volume. Additionally, monthly or quarterly bonuses are sometimes paid based on net dead profits of the store.

Assistant Managers are salaried or hourly depending on the company. Sometimes they are afforded a smaller percentage of the profits as a monthly or quarterly bonus, but this is rare. Most salespeople are paid an hourly wage and on rare occasions afforded a small commission on their sales as well. Warehouse personnel are paid an hourly wage.

Initially, you will not only be the owner, but the store manager as well since you probably won’t be able to shell out management wages to begin with. However, it would be a good idea to hire and train someone that you could trust running the store in your absence. And you’ll need to pay them a bit more than your regular employees. So keep that in mind, unless you feel like being in that store seven days a week testing your sanity levels.

You will probably start out as a 3 or 4 person operation, depending on size of the store, breadth of your product assortment, and your customer flow. If you start off as a 3 person operation, there are you, that assistant I urged you to hire, and a combination person. By combination, I mean someone who can work shipping and receiving, merchandising, and customer service. If you can afford to be a 4 person operation, there are you, the assistant, a floor person who can help customers and assist your warehouse person when needed, and a warehouse person.

With all this being said, I would urge you to formulate job descriptions for each level of employee in your store, yourself included. This way, you’re not babysitting people all the time, and can attend to your own duties as well. Heck, you may even be able to take a break once in a while, take the wife out to lunch, or even take a day off. And trust me; at some point in time, that day off idea will look pretty tasty when you start examining those sanity levels I spoke of.

In addition to the job description sheets, here are a few more strong recommendations. First and most importantly, drug test everybody that you decide to hire. This one aspect will save you countless hours of grief down the road. I hate to be stereotypical, but 9 out of 10 “druggies” are not in control of their lives — the drugs are. Theft has the tendency to become an issue as well.

Secondly, without fail, investigate their prior employment history. Believe it or not, people are not always honest on their applications, and they can really massage a resume so it sounds exactly like what you want to hear (oh, say it ain’t so). Pick up the phone, call that former employer, and remember that legally there are only 3 questions you can ask, and these are:

1. How long was this person in your employ?

2. What was their wage or salary?

3. Would you consider hiring this person again? (This is the biggy. If the person you’re talking to says “no”, you cannot ask them why. However, it is safe to assume that there is a valid reason for that employer not rehiring that person. On the other hand, if they answer “yes” you can ask the next question.)

4. How would you describe this person’s performance?

Does this help? I sure hope so. I am telling you all this from past experience, and believe me, you want to take all these things into consideration. The livelihood of that new business is dependant upon these issues. So please save yourself a lot of headaches and nightmares and reread through this part again.

The next topic here is benefits, and there’s a good possibility that the only one who will have medical, dental, and vision coverage is you. At some point in time, once the business is deemed profitable and successful, a benefits package needs to be considered for full time employees, with part time employees being included with medical benefits. In most instances, benefits are considered more critical than wages if you want to entice and keep good employees for any length of time. A well-rounded benefits package usually includes the following:

— Health insurance including dental and vision plans (after 90 days)

— 401k or some form of retirement plan (after 90 days)

— Vacation pay (after one year of employment)

— Sick pay (after 90 days)

Bear in mind that your employees are insured through your Workman’s Compensation Insurance, but that only covers them if they are injured on the job. And you are required by federal and state law to have this.

Developing an effective marketing plan

“The man, who on his trade relies, must either bust or advertise” was a quote that came from the 1700′s at the onset of advertising in this country. And there is no greater truism where marketing your business is concerned. I want to say that the quote comes from Thomas Payne, but I wouldn’t swear to it. But, it had such an impact on me when I first became interested in the advertising and marketing industry that I have never forgotten it.

This is the area of the six step process that I always enjoy the most and have a lot of fun with, not from a comical standpoint, but because this is my primary focus of financial endeavor. I’ve been around the advertising and marketing sector for over 17 years now and have really gotten my feet wet in the three major media, (i.e. print, radio, and television), and now I’m becoming well versed in the online sector as well — and not because I’ve wanted to, but because I have had to.

Once it is public that you have opened (or are opening) a new business, be ready for another one of those shark attacks. You are about to be bombarded by reps from every media imaginable, telling you that their’s is the best avenue of advertising in the world. (There’s this word that starts with “bull” that oftentimes comes to mind here.)

Here are a few suggestions when considering where to advertise. At the outset, only look at print advertising, such as your local newspaper and telephone book. Realize that for the time being, radio and television advertising may not be affordable, so you may want to put those media on the back burner. As far as the phone book is concerned, stick with a liner ad in the white and yellow pages (categorized).

When you’re considering placement for your ad in the newspaper, think about the different sections in the publication and where your business fits the best. You can start with a sixth or eighth of a page ad for three months and do just fine. But don’t think that you can advertise a month or less and start doing a land office business. In most instances, it ain’t gonna happen. Here are some things to consider when it comes to spending your money on advertising.

Advertise for a minimum of 60 to 90 days. It will take that long for the buying public to get used to your business being there. And once they know you’re there, you need to keep your name visible. It’s called “market awareness”.

Change your ads often. Run a different special each week, otherwise your ad gets stale and people won’t pay attention to it any more. Remember variety is the spice of life.

Advertise heavier when business is slow. What??? Am I ought of my mind??? Absolutely not. The typical mindset amongst business owners is that advertising is an expense, not a necessity. So when times get tough, that’s one of the first things they pull the plug on. Here’s a tip, if most of the retailers out there do that, and you keep advertising, it looks like you’re still in business when the other ones have flown the coop. Gee, what a concept — market awareness. You have to keep your name out there.