Friends as Business Allies

In the cynical world of business, it is easy to forget that business and friends can go hand and hand. Turning friends and family into paying clients can seem a little daunting, but it could just open up a whole new market to you and allow you to spend more time with your nearest and dearest. Having friends as clients can have many benefits – they already trust you, they believe in you and their happy to support you.

The other main return is the run-off effect. Of course there is a run-off effect with all clients, but the run-off effect that you will experience with a friend who is a client is usually ten-fold. Customers who have good purchasing experiences are known to tell at least three people about it. Just imagine how many people your friends will tell about you and the great experience they have had because they already know and trust you. This could open up more doors than you could possibly imagine, not to mention grow your network of clients considerably.

Mixing business with friends

They say that mixing business with friends can be messy...it can be, but there are some tactics you can take to make sure that you preserve both relationships.

1. Acknowledge that they are a friend first – this is extremely important. I always give my inner circle of friends 10% off all products and services to ensure that they continue to feel special. Equally important is letting them know that you are giving them 10% off because they are such a close friend – this is code for, I won’t be giving all of your friends discounts too. If they refer a friend, it is always a nice touch to give them a freebie, a gift basket of products or an even bigger discount when you next see them under ‘business circumstances to let them know how much you appreciate it and to encourage them to continue spruiking you. You should also put them on your mailing or contact list to let them know about special promotions and deals.

2. Make sure you treat them like a client when you are doing business with them and as a friend when you are hanging out socially. A lot of people sub-consciously blur the two and give their friends the ill-service of a sub-standard job. It’s also good practice not to bring up business on social occasions unless they start the conversation. Be honest about your schedules, their expectations and the conditions – grey areas can treacherous so don’t let there be any - discuss everything upfront.

Your friends can be your biggest support and trusted allies when it comes to building up your business’ client base so don’t be afraid to give them business cards and promotional material to peruse and pass on.

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Capturing Your Moments with Photo Booth Rental Denver

When it comes to photo booth, what do you have in mind? Are you still thinking of a box with pointed edges and dark exterior? Let me introduce you to the innovative kind of advanced photo booth from Capture Pod. With functional but still attractive and elegant design, the Pod –that’s how they call it in Denver- is completed with qualified photography equipment. The professional quality camera, lighting, and printing ensure you the great results.

Perhaps you’re wondering how you can find the Pod. The answer of your question is even better; you can rent the photo booth to add excitement in your special occasion –whatever the event is!

Are you going to hold a special event in a short time? Many people love to celebrate and share their happy moment, right? Let’s say that you will become a host of your own wedding anniversary party. You want to invite many friends and relatives to your party. Since you want to please all of your guests and give them unforgettable moments, renting a photo booth rental Denver in your party would be a great idea!

You don’t need to hire a photographer anymore, a photo booth in your party will surely can capture greatest moments for everyone perfectly. Every guest can take home the photos and as the host; you still can keep a copy of all the photos. The advanced photo booth allows you to customize almost every item, including the props, the downloaded music, the lighting, the text in photos, and many more.

The Pod won’t only give you great photography results, but it also becomes best entertainment in your party. Everyone will come home with wonderful memories of your party. Even in the future, anyone who attended your party still can see the photos and smile while remembering the fun moment inside the photo booth.

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Avoid Big College Debts with Student Scholarships and Grants

There is nothing unusual that students are often required to owe debts to continue their education; especially higher-education. A recent survey on American college students has revealed that about 75% of the respondents are in extreme debt. Moreover, debt settlement advice can’t help them getting out of student debt. Therefore they need to look for some alternatives to owe a debt.

College students are snowed under high interest debts
America’s expensive education system is the main reason that thousands of students are knee-deep in debt. Present economic downturn has major contribution in creating such an alarming situation. Rising tuition fees also have responsibility towards the situation. Although, federal government is trying to reform the system, especially at the primary level, yet there is no effective reformation at the college level. Therefore, students need to borrow money to study further.

Ways to get out of besieged student debt
The only feasible solution that may help students continue their studies is getting scholarships and education grants. Scholarships or educational grants are the financial aid given to the students to continue with their education. Students are often awarded with scholarships for various reasons. Whether studying online or on-campus, a student is always entitled to apply for a scholarship or an educational grant; provided he has to meet certain eligibility criteria.

Who offer scholarships or grants?

Most colleges in America offer scholarships and grants to the eligible students. Federal government offers educational aid to the qualified students from every part of the country. Every U.S. state has its own fund to help students from the respective state, through scholarships or grants. There are some private organizations that also offer educational aid to the students across the country. Still thousands of students remain in debt, because every student is not eligible for getting a scholarship.

How to apply for a scholarship
The eligibility criteria for each scholarship differ from the other. Some scholarships and grants require the students submit essays; some require the student to serve for the community or take part in different activities. However, there are a number of educational grants that are available only to the talented and meritorious students. Students need to visit official websites of the institutes or organizations that offer grants and know about the eligibility criteria, and apply accordingly.

Being a college student, if you owe huge student debt, get out of it as early as possible. Debt settlement USA agencies can’t help you in this matter; you have to do this by yourself. Try to get a scholarship or grant, so that you can continue your education without a new debt.

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Fast and Easy Way to Find Your Next Home

For the work reason, my friend will move to Alberta, Canada. He must find a new apartment immediately. Since he loves Edmonton beautiful scenery, he’s interested to search for Edmonton apartments for rent. Finding a new place to stay seems exciting, but if you don’t use the right resource, it can become your nightmare.

If you still don’t know the proper resource to find Edmonton rentals, you’ll have to look for it through local newspapers, call several people, and visit every offered apartment. Can you imagine how much time, money, and energy that you must spend to find an apartment that suits your requirements?

I’ve told my friend that the better way to discover rented Edmonton apartments is in the internet. It really can save time and money. You don’t need to face hassles anymore; that’s why many people prefer to use the reliable property rental websites such as RentersOnline as their reference.

In our last conversation, my friend told me the reasons why he wanted to stay in Edmonton. Situated alongside the North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton is famous for its interesting natural farmlands and prairies. Not only the fascinating landscape, Edmonton is also well known of its West Edmonton Mall -one of the largest shopping and entertainment centers worldwide- and the Fort Edmonton Park, the biggest living history museum in Canada. It seems a nice place to live, right?

The majority of apartments in Edmonton are located close to the nearest cities such as Calgary, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat. My friend said that if he can’t find an apartment in Edmonton that he can afford, he’ll search rented Calgary Apartments as the alternative.

Let’s say that you and your family will move to Calgary in a few months ahead. Since you prefer your family to live in a house, you should start searching Calgary houses for rent. The property rental website will help you a lot. Before moving to further step, you must first make a decision on the price range that you still can afford. The bigger size and the more strategic location of the house will effect to the higher price!

At the competent property rental website, you can discover updated listings of Calgary rentals for free; each listing is completed with informative property details. You can use the photos and information to find a house that suits your family needs. Before choosing a house, you should also consider the location, the neighborhood, and the size. Make sure that the house is close to schools, it has safe environment, and its size is big enough to accommodate your whole family members.

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How to Help Your Children Develop Math Skills

Mathematics is one of the few things that adults will openly and comfortably say that they are not good at. It is an understandably difficult subject which is dominated by rules and which stifles creativity through its very nature. Mathematics is, however, one of the most important core subjects that we learn in school and it can lead to great wealth and success. Research demonstrates that children learn best through imitation, games and examples. Here we’ve created a brief guide for helping to develop mathematics skills in children, with these principles in mind.

1. Music lessons
Music lessons may seem like a very bizarre way to teach maths. It has, however, actually been demonstrated that the brain development connected with playing a musical instrument is beneficial to mathematic success. This trend is also continued through later development and those who have musical experience tend to perform better in exams than those who don’t.

2. Visit teaching storesTeaching supply stores are not just for teachers. Take your child with you to look at a teaching store and spend some time browsing the activities that you could complete together. Teaching resources can suggest very fun ways to learn and greatly benefit your child at the same time.

3. Recognising Maths in everyday life

There are endless opportunities to point out the usage's of maths in everyday life. Whether you point out the use of measurements on a cereal packet or talk your child through the abbreviations for volumes on the side of groceries, every fraction of exposure to mathematical vocabulary is beneficial. Opening a bank account for your child and showing them how to deposit money can help to improve their maths skills and teach them about the importance of saving at the same time.

4. Cooking
Cooking is all about measurements and mathematics. There is lots of fun to be had when cooking and it provides the perfect opportunity to throw in a special educational ingredient. Just a pinch of maths can go a long way. Get your child to read the recipe for you and try some of the following to intensify the mathematic factor:

· Halve or double the required ingredients and have your child work out the correct measurements.

· Discuss what the measurements mean with your child. Tell them how many pounds are in an ounce, for example.

· Get your child to set the table and use multiplication to work out how many utensils are needed. eg. ‘If 4 people eat with 3 utensils each, then how many utensils are there all together?’

5. Always be positive

Positivity is essential with regards to all education. Your child will likely say something like; ‘but I’m no good at math,’ at some time during their education. Responding in a negative way will reinforce this belief. Instead, it is vital to buoy their spirits and suggest that it will get easier over time.

6. Mathematic Vocabulary
Mathematic focus is almost always placed on numbers and equations. For this reason it’s common that children remain underexposed to mathematic vocabulary. As with all learning, repetition is the key, but schools rarely focus on the repetition of mathematic vocabulary. The principle of a Venn diagram may well be grasped but the vocabulary is very often forgotten. Purchase a maths dictionary and use it to introduce your children to the print vocabulary of the complex meanings they are being taught. Some mathematic terms are often far more complicated than other elements of literacy that are taught to children of the same age. For this reason it is significantly important that children are aided in the understanding of these terms.

Helping your child to develop their mathematical skills early is important and doesn’t have to be a chore for you or your little one. In fact, by participating in activities you both enjoy, learning maths can actually be made fun!
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Top 10 Healthy Foods for Growing Kids

The best way to get kids to eat healthy foods is to serve them a healthy diet from birth. Although it may seem difficult to come up with healthy foods that kids will like, here is a list of ten foods that most kids enjoy. These foods are high in fibre, low in saturated fats, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals that will help them to grow up strong and healthy.

1. Milk – From birth, babies and toddlers love milk. But as they get older, many kids drink less milk in favour of sugary soda or juice. But milk is a healthy source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein that helps them build strong bones. Unless they have a milk allergy, kids should have at least 2 glasses of milk a day – for example, one with cereal and another to complement their lunch or dinner.

2. Apples – Apples are a great healthy snack, full of vitamin C and fibre. Kids love them because they are juicy and sweet, yet they are low in calories. However, don’t be tempted to replace a whole apple with applesauce or apple juice, as these can contain more sugar and less fibre.

3. Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is a good source of protein that can go in a sandwich or serve as a dip for apples or celery. Although it is high in fat, the fat found in peanut butter is unsaturated, which isn’t as bad as the saturated fats found in many processed foods. You can also purchase peanut butter with reduced fat or added vitamins.

4. Yogurt – Along with milk, yogurt is another healthy dairy product that kids love. Avoid yogurts targeted at kids, because these often contain extra sugar. Instead, choose low-fat yogurt with “love active cultures” to help your children’s digestive systems.

5. Tuna Fish – Tuna fish is a good source of vitamins, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help brain development. Although some parents may be concerned about mercury contamination, tuna fish is fine to eat in moderation – perhaps once or twice a week.

6. Cereal – Breakfast cereals can provide your children with many vitamins and minerals to start the day. Instead of sugary cereals, choose cereals that are made with whole grains. You can even add some chopped fruit to your child’s cereal for extra nutrition.

7. Eggs – Eggs are another healthy breakfast choice. They contain lots of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Although they do contain cholesterol, they are not high in saturated fat, which is the main factor that raises cholesterol levels. Eating eggs every other day is a healthy choice.

8. Carrots – It’s hard to get kids to eat vegetables when they’re young, but many kids like carrots because of the fun colour and sweet taste. They are also high in fibre, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

9. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a good breakfast food and a healthy snack ingredient. It’s best to have traditional oatmeal rather than the quick-cook kind with added sugar, as it contains more fibre. You can always add honey, peanut butter, or fruit to a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal can also be used to make healthy cookies or snack bars.

10. Sunflower Seeds – When kids are old enough to eat seeds without choking, sunflower seeds are a healthy snack for them to enjoy. They are high in fibre and contain lots of iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E.

Cathy Norton has worked as a Registered Nurse in various hospitals for over 20 years. She also owns the site Becoming a CNA which offers resources for those looking to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.

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Stretch Marks - Get Rid of It!

I believe that there’s no one like to see stretch marks on their bodies. Like wrinkles and age spots, stretch marks are one of annoying skin problems for many people, especially for women. Factually, stretch mark is a common phenomenon as it occurs to nearly 80 percent of women in their life. So, you don’t need to worry much; you’re not alone here! But since there’s a pressure in society on women to keep their nice look, many women really want to throw away their stretch marks.

Is it the most effective way on how to get rid of stretch marks? Perhaps it has been becoming most frequent question that asked by a lot of women who need proper answers. It’s so understandable that your concern is to get rid of your stretch marks, but you should know first why you experience it.

For your information, stretch marks are further than the skin that’s been over stretched. You’ll experience stretch marks only if your body produces glucocorticoid hormone. This hormone grows actively due to pregnancy, puberty, fatness, or extreme weight lifting exercise. The hormone presence affects the reduction of essential collagen and elastin that needed for smooth and healthy skin. The loss of collagen and elastin is harmful; since it will develop stretch marks on your skin.

When it comes to get rid of your stretch marks, there are different methods and treatments that you can try. The result can vary, depends on your stretch mark stage, your age and skin condition. Before you choose any treatment, you must realize that it will be hard to perfectly remove your mark and get back your original skin condition. At least, the proper treatment will heal your skin and smoothen the mark.

If you ask me, I prefer to try the natural way first. The other treatments are applying medical products and surgical procedure. In natural cure, you can take aloe oil, cocoa butter and a sort of vitamin products to avoid and manage your stretch marks. It’s much recommended to regularly consume skin-friendly foods that are rich in vitamins A and C, zinc, and protein; such as milk, eggs, nuts, carrots, and salmon fish. These kinds of foods will decrease the development of stretch marks!

Nowadays, there are already available various quality stretch mark cream products in the market. Most of them use various natural ingredients, so, it’s safe enough for you to try. If your stretch mark is a severe one, perhaps the surgical method –for instance laser surgery, chemical peels and dermabrasion- is the right treatment for you. Whatever your chosen treatment, make sure that your decision is based on your doctor’s suggestion!

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