Business

DIY Marketing: What Works and What Doesn’t

In this age of localization, it is now possible to watch TV commercials on nationally famous shows that relate to your immediate area. These are priced affordable to the advertiser, but are also intended to drive ad revenue for local networks that might not otherwise win over advertisers targeting only a limited geographic area.

As a result of this phenomenon, some of the commercials we see are obviously self-produced, as paying for a Madison Avenue ad agency is a bit of a stretch for small advertisers, especially in this economy. In fact, these mom and dad advertisers find paying any agency too expensive.

However, these small businesses may not realize that their commercials can run in time slots where they are surrounded by elegant big city agency spaces, making the amateur nature of their presentations even more. exaggerated.

Ironically, however, radio and television commercials that often feature testimonials or dramatizations from the actual owners of the business, as well as their children, grandchildren, and occasionally their pets, tend to be outlandish enough in a comical and entertaining way that banner ads are really visible regardless of their lack of shine. The reason for this is that the people who film, record, mix and produce these spots are true professionals – technical artists behind the scenes – who ensure that the spot is successful, despite having homemade content.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for home print advertising. While TV and radio spots have excellent technical guidance from studio engineers, print ads that are created on the desk of someone with little or no experience in composition, design sophistication, or technical understanding of where to post the ad, generally fail miserably in several of areas.

First, the design falls short, and second, the failure of the message. Image resolution and text readability complete the mess, making a hobbyist’s attempt at DIY marketing a total waste of valuable funds. And with print advertising, you have the added distraction of other visual competition on the page (unless you’ve bought a magazine back cover, for example, in which case if your ad is missing in some way, it won’t). lose a second look.)

There are many parameters to consider when creating print advertising. The type of printing process, line screens, and type of paper used greatly affect print contrast, color reproduction, and registration accuracy. Will the inverted font be absorbed by the heavy surrounding color if the wrong font thickness is specified? Will font replacement occur when submitting artwork to publication art department if fonts are not embedded or outlined, leading to copy issues? Were the images sent as RGB instead of CMYK, resulting in no color or no color display? And if the RGB conversions were done without the knowledge of proper color balance, will the portrait photos look too red, yellow, or worse, green?

Newspaper ads differ dramatically from magazine ads in both resolution and readability. An error in one medium can amount to a catastrophe in another depending on the error. Combine these difficulties with the absence of professional hardware and advanced software along with professional experience and proven expertise, and you have the makings of a true fiasco every time. There is no safe haven when it comes to print advertising. And even when you have decades of experience to rely on, the quirks in the publication’s newsroom can derail even the most professional ad, let alone one produced by an amateur.

While print remains the ultimate testing ground, one of my clients produces his own television commercials with remarkable success. A consummate trial attorney by day, he has had years of experience improvising both in the courtroom and in front of film crews as the host of a television show in our region. With a rare confluence of self-confidence and personal appeal, he exudes a sincere mix of affability and sympathy both on camera and off camera, a quality not commonly found in such a forceful person before judge and jury. Clearly, he has a gift that has resulted not only in an exemplary career but in the ability to market himself through radio and television. However, he acknowledges that his skills don’t translate to print, which he admits he knows nothing about (along with websites and, until recently, computers!) And has kept me in the mix for over 20 years. years to keep you on the right track. .

Another case of television and radio advertising in our region cannot be described in such glowing terms. In fact, on the first exposure, my skin tingled as I heard the two voices deliver their youthful message in a performance of a song, tediously screeching in this listener’s sensitive, musically trained, and pitch-perfect ears. Over the years, they opened more stores and added television to their self-marketing repertoire. A highly unlikely success story, they now enjoy great renown despite their amateur marketing or, indeed, thanks to it!

Another radio ad airs annually every summer with the same blatant mispronunciation of a common word by the shop owner, showing his ignorance in all his apparel. Am I the only one listening to your mistake? Nobody mentioned it to you … not even your wife?

It turns out that, with enough repetition, the radio commercials we are embarrassed about, whether due to poor articulation, grammatical errors, artificial voice, or obvious lack of refinement of any kind, have become acceptable in their familiarity and folklore.

Sad to admit, though, DIY print ads that are repeated over and over again in an attempt to reinforce themselves with replay continue to sabotage the advertiser after all this time.

There is a common thread within this story, regardless of whether the DIY ads were made for print, radio, or television. Advertisers featured, whether for their talent as an actor and broadcaster, or their scripting, design, and composition expertise (or lack thereof), are all convinced of their self-made success and continue to invest endless funds to post. these announcements to the delight of the benefited stations and publications. Blinded by their egos at the lack of income generated in response, they justify their efforts by how much they have saved in the creative process, making use of their natural talents, instinctive genius, and brilliant business acumen.

While we are ashamed of their stupid attempts to reach Hollywood stardom, we nonetheless peruse their showrooms, purchase their merchandise, and most ironic of all, we remember their advertisements! … which proves one thing: sometimes you are lucky and even marketing goes wrong!

Relationship

Hopscotch Insoles – Sidewalk Delights

The game of hopscotch is a sidewalk and playground staple that has endured for centuries to become one of the most played court games in the world today. Equally in precision and physical prowess, what is an incredibly simple game on paper is actually a demanding test of stamina and skill. Perhaps it is because of its deceptive simplicity that hopscotch is still such a popular children’s game. In fact, its uniquely shaped court, which can actually vary depending on where it is played and the preferences of the players, is instantly recognized as such.

In some places, there are permanent hopscotch courts, practically etched into stone and concrete to provide a ready-to-play game or three for any group of children who are inclined to take advantage of it. Other times, children or their elders take a piece of chalk from the street and scribble a yard on the sidewalk or on the playground. Often times, this approach produces uneven hopscotch courts that rapidly deteriorate as excited boys and girls stomp on their lines. Since it’s not really worth anyone’s time to turn a sidewalk into a permanent court, there is a half-acceptable alternative: painting the court on the pavement with a hopscotch stencil. Just as stencils in general make it easy to paint smooth, sharp, professional-looking lines, a hopscotch stencil ensures that the court you generate looks stylish enough for even adults to stop and consider playing.

Hopscotch template designs range from the standard schoolyard court to novelty styles that have alternating squares in a checkered pattern, or courts that are shaped like animals, such as fish. Whichever design you select is really a matter of personal preference. If you’re a purist, go for the traditional hopscotch arrangement. However, if you want to show off a bit of variant creativity, the hopscotch court that has an alligator pattern may be a more satisfying purchase. In all cases, make sure your template is made of decent quality plastic so that it provides you, your kids, and your playmates with an indefinite number of hours of fun through repeated use.

To paint a hopscotch template correctly, first choose a flat, straight stretch of sidewalk pavement, taking care to minimize any cracks or lines that could disturb the integrity of the court. Once you’ve found a suitable area, begin sweeping the area, cleaning it of dirt, rocks, and other debris. Otherwise, you will find yourself painting over dust and rocks. Next, spread out the hopscotch template and secure it to the pavement with tape or similar adhesive. Next, spray the pavement paint or brush it over the stencil, taking care to apply the paint coat evenly. Lastly, find something else to do for about an hour, like taking the kids out for ice cream or going to the corner store for some goodies. When you return, the paint will have dried and your kids can literally jump right into action when you remove the stencil.

A good hopscotch template is a great way to bring fun and excitement to a boring sidewalk. It would be wise to have one on hand to encourage your children to seek out outdoor games.

Health Fitness

The best way to get back to normal after a day of cheating

1. Avoid rising insulin for most of the day

First, what is insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows your body to use the sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use.

(In detail) Insulin transports calories that are not burned by activity to store as body fat. As such, you want to avoid consuming foods that encourage the release of insulin when you don’t need that fuel to fuel your workouts or provide nutrients to rebuild muscle tissue and speed recovery.

Let’s take a few steps: Avoid sugar, fruit juices, and processed foods like bread and pasta most of the time, especially when your goal is to burn body fat. These foods increase insulin, lower metabolism, and make fat loss difficult.

The only thing you can do to avoid insulin spikes is to encourage them during your workouts. Because insulin is a booster for the calories you eat, it will deliver these nutrients to muscle tissue when you are training. In effect, it will provide additional energy to your muscles and provide the raw material to support muscle repair and growth when you consume protein.

Tip: You can have a small amount of natural sugar, but keep it to 20-25 grams of total carbohydrates after training. You should also avoid fats and fiber before and after training, as they will slow the absorption of the nutrients that your muscles are thirsty for. Your protein should be taken immediately after your workout. About 45-60 minutes later, we suggest taking carbohydrates like rice cakes.

2. Try intermittent fasting (the best way to lose belly fat)

It is less useful for people looking to increase muscle mass, and especially for those who already have a fast metabolism.

There are many different ways to do intermittent fasting (don’t panic), consume all of your calories within a few hours each day, and avoid calorie foods for the rest of the day. This window can be quite long, such as up to 12 hours, or rather short, such as six hours, depending on how your body feels with a limited calorie intake.

Choose the time that best suits your needs, but be sure not to break your fast with foods that increase insulin. Start with slow-digesting protein sources, foods high in fiber, or those that are moderate in dietary fat.

You should do a weight training session in your food window, so that you can get a good performance during your weight training workout and recover afterwards. And finally, after your workout, have a high-protein snack, like casein shakes, about two hours before jumping into bed to sleep.

Legal Law

Illegal immigrant workers

Migrant labor is an issue that receives increasing attention. It has become an issue of growing importance, as various factors, including rapid population expansion and higher rates of urbanization, lead many people to seek better economic opportunities in other countries.

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are currently approximately 96 million migrant workers and their dependents in the world. Some experts predict that the number will double in the next twenty years.

In the United States, there are 6.3 million illegal workers in the United States, according to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center. About half of them are from Mexico. These illegal Mexican immigrants are at the center of an ongoing debate about how the United States should handle illegal immigration.

A common belief is that Mexicans emigrate to the United States to find work. But according to a study carried out by the center, the lack of work in Mexico is not one of the main reasons why immigrants arrive illegally in the United States. Rather, immigrants are expelled from their home country due to low wages in Mexico, poor quality of work, and a lack of long-term prospects and opportunities.

The study results were based on interviews with 4,836 men and women who applied for Mexican identification cards at the consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Fresno, Atlanta, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

The study found that only 5% of Mexican immigrants who have been in the United States for less than two years were unemployed in Mexico. In fact, the vast majority of the undocumented immigrants interviewed were in paid employment before leaving for the United States.

The study also found that immigrants have little trouble finding work in the United States, despite the lack of legal rights to work. After six months in the United States, only 5% of immigrants reported being unemployed. This statistic reveals how important these immigrant workers are to the United States economy, because they perform jobs that few others are willing to do.

And they do it for low wages. Immigrants generally earn poverty wages in the United States, or about $ 300 a week. Although surprisingly low, these wages are twice what workers in Mexico earn.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center study, Mexican immigrants provide many types of labor needed across the country, including construction in Atlanta, Dallas and Raleigh; hospitality in New York; manufacturing in Chicago; and agriculture in California. These four industries employed around two-thirds of the respondents.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington DC, says it is not news that there is a demand for low-wage labor in the United States. But instead of establishing guest worker programs or amnesty for illegal immigrants, Krikorian advocated gradually pulling immigrant workers out of the economy. In his view, this, among other things, would improve the wages of American workers.

Despite a seemingly steady stream of immigrant workers, California farms and other businesses are having a hard time finding enough people willing to work for low wages. Many immigrants are choosing to work in the riskier but higher paying construction industry. And the government and civilian border patrol groups like the Minutemen are stepping up their efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, making it harder for immigrants to enter.

Government officials, including the president, want to enact new legislation that will enforce immigration laws more strongly.

In January 2004, President Bush outlined a plan to renew the country’s immigration laws and allow some eight million illegal immigrants to obtain legal status as temporary workers, saying the United States needs an immigration system “that serves the economy. and reflects the American dream. “

Illegal immigrants already in the United States can apply for the temporary worker program only if they already have a job. The special status would last three years and could be renewed once, for a total stay of six years. If temporary workers did not stay employed or violated the law, they would be sent home.

Bush said the new legal status would allow illegal immigrants to travel back to their home countries without fear of not being allowed to return to the United States.

The reason for the reform, Bush said, is to confront “a basic fact of life and the economy: some of the jobs that are created in America’s growing economy are jobs that American citizens are not filling.”

Currently, about 140,000 “green cards” are issued each year to people who want to migrate to the United States. Bush has asked Congress to increase it, but gave a specific number.

Bush described the immigration proposals as a national security measure that will help the United States exercise more control over the borders. “Our homeland will be more secure when we can better account for those who enter our country,” he said. “Instead of the current situation, in which millions of people are unknown … the police will face few problems with undocumented workers and will be better able to focus on the real threats to our nation from criminals and terrorists.”

The US Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Labor and other agencies, would administer the new program.

When Bush announced his ideas in early 2004, some Democratic party leaders expressed suspicions that he was trying to increase his popularity with the Latino contingent as the 2004 campaign began. Senator Kennedy said: “I certainly hope that the long-awaited re-entry of the administration into this fundamental debate is genuine and not because of the election year conversion. The immigration status quo is outdated, unfair and unacceptable.”

Many senators also have ideas about how to reform immigration law. Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona propose a program that would allow immigrants to work in the United States for two years, followed by a one-year hiatus. This pattern could be repeated a total of three times before the worker had to return to his country of origin permanently.

Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., And Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Support legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to work in the United States for up to six years without obtaining any permits or paperwork. After six years, workers would have to be in the process of obtaining legal residency or returning to their country of origin.

And Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel proposed granting legal status to illegal immigrant workers if they pass criminal background checks, have lived in the United States for at least five years, pay taxes, have a working knowledge of the English language, and pay a fee of $ 2,000. Before this program is implemented, Hagel wants border security to be strengthened.

But efforts to stem the tide of migrant workers entering the United States appear to have stalled. Many farmers do not want to change the system that provides them with much-needed labor. And conservative anti-immigrant groups like the vigilante group Minutemen are critically opposed to reform that would somehow encourage immigration.

“Guest worker programs are worthless,” says Minutemen President Chris Simcox. “We can’t even talk about it until there is a real government enforcement at the border.” The Minutemen is an organization of fully voluntary citizens who oppose illegal immigration. Members patrol the US-Mexico border looking for illegal immigrants trying to cross.

“This is a direct challenge to President Bush,” Simcox has said. “You have continued to ignore this problem. Our state officials, senators and congressmen will do nothing. So this is a last-ditch effort to roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves.”

The Minutemen and others believe that illegal immigrants are bad for America, an economic drain and a threat to security. Immigrants often require assistance from government and social service agencies, but due to their non-legal status, they often do not pay the taxes that fund these programs. Groups like the Minutemen claim that immigrants are a threat to national security.

Many businesses and industries are also opposing the new immigration legislation, fearing it could further reduce the pool of available workers they need. Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, says that most Americans are unwilling to do forced or agricultural labor. Immigrants are willing and cheap, so their presence is a matter of economic importance.

Those in favor of new legislation on immigrants can get away with it. A 2004 poll by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government found that Americans are less negative about immigration than they have been in several years. However, nonimmigrant Americans surveyed felt that the government has not been tough enough on immigration. They would like the government to spend more to narrow the borders.

According to http://www.census.gov, Florida has between 243,000 and 385,000 undocumented immigrants. But the numbers are likely even higher, because experts say illegal immigrants often avoid government polls. The 2002 census survey included both legal and illegal immigrants.

In the Tampa Bay area, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have seen foreign-born populations grow faster than the general population. Of the more than one million residents of Hillsborough, 13% are foreign born. Census data shows that Hillsborough’s foreign-born population grew more than 80% during the 1990s, four times the growth rate of the general population.

In Pinellas, the proportion of foreign-born residents topped 10% for the first time in 2002, according to the Census Bureau. The foreign-born population grew by 45% during the 1990s, almost six times the growth rate of the general population.

Lifestyle Fashion

Are you empathetic? Resources for emotionally sensitive people

Empathic They have a natural ability to feel not only their own, but also the emotions of others. This innate ability can be observed in babies. This ability generally disappears in childhood as we learn to focus more on verbal signals than emotional ones.

But for some people, the flow of emotional information keeps coming. This can lead to powerful internal conflicts as they pick up incoherent verbal and emotional messages from people (such as when someone is lying or holding back anger). It can also quickly become overwhelming in social settings where the large amount of emotional information can be too much to handle.

Emotional intelligence it is defined as “the ability, capacity or ability to perceive, evaluate and manage the emotions of oneself, others and groups” (Salovey and Mayer, 1990). Developing your emotional intelligence means you have tools and processes to manage these emotional data.

Are you empathetic?

  1. Do you feel anxious or nervous in a crowd (4+ people)?
  2. You mood vary seemingly randomly (get angry or sad for no apparent reason)
  3. Do you feel a change in your physical energy level when you’re in a crowd (tired, hardwired)
  4. You have a hard time fall asleep before midnight or do you put off going to bed?
  5. Do you have Physical symptoms hearing related (ringing, popping, itching in the ear)?
  6. Are you emotionally uncomfortable when someone keys or is it close to you?


Disclaimer: This checklist is not a diagnostic or treatment tool. Some of the characteristics of empaths can be diagnosed as ADD, agoraphobia, or clinical depression. Contact your healthcare professional if you have any questions, need a diagnosis or treatment for a mental health problem.

Empathy resources

Fortunately, more and more online resources are available for empaths. Unfortunately, most of these resources suggest a process that is likely to make things worse for you. Any kind of “protective mental shield” is based on the assumption that emotional information is threatening. If you go down that path, you will have to “fight back” for the rest of your life. How exhausting does that sound?

My work is based on results – if it works, keep doing it! As an empath, these are the 3 tools that I find most effective in managing the flow of emotional information that I constantly receive. Give them a try and see for yourself which one works best for you.

  • Be transparent:

When we feel threatened by our environment, we physically tense up and our energy field (the magnetic field that envelops our body) becomes dense and constricted.

When you notice this tension, imagine your energy field expanding, like a gas. The particles are becoming more and more spaced, making their energy field thinner and much larger. As your energy field loosens, emotions rush through you, like a rock falling into water. Instead of being trapped in your dense energy field, the emotions of others simply flow through you.

  • Adjust the volume:

Sometimes the noise of other people’s emotions gets so loud that we can’t hear ourselves thinking! We get confused, we doubt, we frustrate. Close your eyes and imagine two volume dials in front of you that go from 0 to 10. One says “Me” and the other says “Everything else.” Turn the “I” dial to 10 and the “Everything else” dial to 0. Instantly, your mind will respond to this request and the talk will calm down.

  • Progressive affirmations:

Progressive affirmations can help you get to where you want to be. Keep in mind that affirmations must ALWAYS feel good to be effective. So start with the “easier” statement and say it for a few days. When you feel ready, go to the next level for a few days until you can say the “higher” affirmation while feeling good.

  1. “I am willing to master my empathic skills”
  2. “I am ready to master my empathic skills”
  3. “I choose to master my empathic skills”

Keep in mind that practice makes perfect. Try to do it mentally before getting into a difficult situation (like a mall or a party).

Once you are comfortably managing your empathic skills, you are ready to move on and develop your Emotional Intelligence by productively using emotional data in your daily life.

Pets

Bichon Adoption Guide: The Right And Wrong Way To Adopt

Adopting a bichon is a great way to rescue a puppy or dog that has had a difficult life thus far. It is gratifying to know that you have saved a puppy and now have a special dog to raise as your own. Unfortunately, there are some downsides to bichon adoption and rescue. These include certain behavioral and health problems. In this article, we’ll go through the adoption process and discuss the steps you can take to find a great puppy for you and your family.

The first decision you need to make is whether you want to adopt from an animal shelter, a general dog rescue group, or a breed-specific rescue group. Rescue groups specific to the Bichon breed tend to be few and far between, but they are the best place to adopt. If you have a bichon rescue group in your area, we highly recommend this route. At the same time, most areas have some kind of animal shelter or general dog rescue group. These places can be just as good to adopt, but since they are not breed specific, you may have to wait a long time before they have a bichon for you.

Once you have found a bichon (either in a shelter via a rescue group), you should investigate the facility to make sure it is not a puppy mill disguised as a shelter. Buying from a puppy mill can have very negative results. Mother dogs are often overbred and the puppies are not very well cared for. This can get you in a lot of trouble once you bring your puppy home.

There are a couple of ways to decide if the facility is a puppy mill. The first thing to do is do a little research on the Internet about the organization. They must have a website with basic information. Look for adoption fees ($ 100- $ 200 is normal, more than $ 300 is a bit shady), any signs of membership in professional associations, and anything that might speak to their reputation as a quality group. Also, find out if the shelter is a non-profit organization. This is one of the best ways to ensure that it is a quality site that operates to rescue dogs and not just to make money.

You must then request to tour the facility and see all the dogs. This is a great way to get acquainted with the atmosphere and general conditions, and most lodges will be happy to show you a bit. If you see something that doesn’t seem right to you, ask about it. Sometimes they may have a reason to deny this, but if they flatly deny and offer no excuse, this should sound the alarm bells.

At this point, you should have a good indicator of the quality of the group. If things don’t feel right, don’t buy from them. It can be tempting to buy them a dog because you feel like you must try to “rescue” the dog from the poor conditions of the “rescue center.” Whose! Although you may be rescuing a dog, you are also supporting this illegal operation by paying them. The best thing to do at this time is to contact local authorities and human societies and alert them to the problem.

The hassle of dealing with illegal and unethical puppy mills is tragic. Fortunately, there are many high-quality rescue groups and animal shelters that will be happy to work with you to find a bichon. Rescuing a dog like this is a great experience that you will remember forever. Just remember to use the guidelines above when adopting from a rescue center and you and your bichon will certainly have a happy life together.

Real Estate

Mobile Home Roofing Materials Guide

You go shopping at the market to buy groceries and you check it three times if it is okay or not. You have the right to check anything before you buy, but if it is bad or substandard, you feel sorry for losing your money. There is talk of a small investment. When you talk about RV, it is a great investment and you can take anything without searching and checking. You know that these expenses cannot be affordable at all times, you must be very careful to spend well and choose well.

Single Layer TPO Mobile Home Roof For house roof over white, single layer TPO membranes are a very popular choice for homes.

These are considered best with flat or low-pitched roofs. Mobile home owners are beginning to adopt rubber mobile home roofs for their homes. A rubber membrane stretched over the existing roof offers protection against natural calamities. The elements of Mother Nature are usually more powerful than her precautions, but it is the best that has proven its effectiveness. Quite challenging for all extreme weather and temperature swings, it maintains its strength.

Mobile home supplies can be installed by the average hobbyist. Once the rubber membrane is spread over the roof, the holes and damage disappear over the next decade. But for DIYers, installing a seamless rubber roof is the best way to protect your RV’s roof.

Careful installation preparation is the long-lasting seamless rubber roof. Do you know the secret of motorhome trips saving your roof from leaks? A bad roof can be one of the scariest problems you may have to deal with while traveling. Rubber roofs come in many different varieties. Many people have applied different things on the ceiling, but our preferred home supplies because of the high quality.

The features and benefits of Plenty are reasons to choose it. With mobile home roofing in mind, a rubber roof especially avoids roof replacement. Save money and time by a big difference and as a DIY, save labor cost. It has a durable and waterproof substance that consists of a base, producing a hard and brittle surface that resists the heat of water, fire and everything that could be detrimental to your safety under the roof. Fix leaky motorhome roofs with it and free yourself from leaks for decades. Your confidence can make your trip more successful and beneficial. Mobile Home Roofing can change the scene instantly. You may be more successful and more profitable.

http://www.epdmcoatings.com/rv-roof-repair.php

Shopping Product Reviews

Lead management: turn Google’s Gmail into CRM

Today’s internet it is clear that Google plays an important role in the development of some of the best software programs. Google continues to distinguish itself as a software innovator. If you’re looking to accomplish a personal productivity task, Google likely has or is working on a solution. The growth of email over the years has brought out the good and bad of the features we like to see when we use our email. Google’s GMail is an excellent example of leading the way and being one of the top choices for many users today. Google ‘GMail has taken a very mature technology in our email and made us see how we process, manage and retrieve our electronic communications.

Taking a closer look at a key feature that GMail has potentially touched on is its versatility in creating custom management strategies or processing questions. This flexibility is what makes GMail an ideal platform to use as a personal contact management system or as a simple CRM.

GMail as contact management?

Contact management is primarily a system that helps a salesperson quickly identify new prospects, make contact, and manage follow-up.

Inherently you get the communication tool, email. Leveraging the power of Google’s search, tagging, and filters, you gain management of those communications. You are most likely using a CRM, like ACT! or Goldmine, you are using a lot of email-like features, but you still have to leave that app to use email as well.

Time is money, so you don’t want to waste time bouncing between multiple apps. So why not stay in your email app?

Import and manage contacts

One of the critical roles of your CRM is capturing and managing your contacts. Your sales system needs to easily get your prospects and customers into the system, refer back to them quickly, and manage updates efficiently.

GMail does each of these tasks exceptionally well. Whether you’re exporting contacts from Outlook, Apple Mail, or uploading a contact spreadsheet, GMail makes it easy for you. If you already have your contacts in an email or on a social networking system like Yahoo! Mail or LinkedIn is even easier just log in and click.

Creation of a sales prospecting system

Now that you have all your contacts on GMail, Google search becomes a powerful prospecting tool. Are you looking for a person in a particular company? Do you need all the Senior Vice President or Senior Marketing Executives? Do you need everyone in the healthcare industry? All of these types of prospecting questions are easily answered and your database is segmented using GMail.

Most importantly, using GMail as a contact management system puts all of these prospects at your fingertips and ready to contact.

Real-time internet lead generation management

GMail also has great features for managing internet lead generation in real time. Combining the power of filters, tags, and actions, you can immediately prioritize and queue leads as you see fit.

Filters allow you to create complex rule sets for specific types of emails. This can allow you to:

* Highlight (i.e. highlight) emails that come from potential customer sources

* Tag different sources of leads

* Filter them into specific groups for tracking

You can take this contact prioritization and management system one step further by using GMail’s latest multiple inboxes to create sales channels and queues.

Prioritize with GMail’s New Task List

Of course, no sales management system would be complete without a to-do list. GMail has a simple but elegant to-do list. Not only can you create your to-do schedule, but you can also turn emails and correspondence into to-do and follow-up reminders.

Also, don’t forget to use the Google calendar to schedule and keep track of your appointments.

Integration of social media tools

Finally, sales have to do with commitment to people. Few technology concepts have helped sales engage customers as directly as social media.

With Google’s robust GoogleTalk built into GMail, you can embed all of your social media feeds as well as your email conversations. Again, turning all of this communication into a searchable prospecting database.

There is no doubt that GMail’s functions to use as users are much more than just an email application. GMail can be your personal Google contact management or CRM software.

Sports

How many calories do you burn when you walk?

The calories you burn while walking depend on two factors: your weight and the distance you walk.

Ideal for people of all ages, walking is kinder to your joints and most people can comfortably walk for a longer period of time than if they were going for a run.

Also remember, the heavier you are, the more calories you will burn doing any activity, even sedentary ones.

Based on your weight in pounds and walking at a speed of 3 miles per hour (20 minute mile), you burn calories at the following rates:

130 to 140 pounds: 3.5 calories burned per minute or 70 calories per mile

145 to 155 pounds – 4.0 calories burned per minute or 80 calories per mile

160 to 170 pounds – 4.5 calories burned per minute or 90 calories per mile

175 to 185 pounds – 5.0 calories burned per minute or 100 calories per mile

190 to 200 pounds – 5.5 calories burned per minute or 110 calories per mile

205 to 215 pounds – 6.0 calories burned per minute or 120 calories per mile

So, for example, if you weigh 150 pounds and walk at an average speed of 3 miles per hour, you burn about 4 calories per minute. Walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week burns 120 calories a day and 600 calories a week.

If you fall outside this range, for every 10 pounds add or subtract 0.5 calories. For example, if you weigh 235 pounds and walk 3 miles per hour, you will burn 7 calories per minute. Walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week burns 1,050 calories a week.

Expressed as calories burned per mile from walking:

weight in pounds 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 250 275 300 pounds

2.0 miles per hour 57 68 80 91 102 114 125 142 156 170

2.5 miles per hour 55 65 76 87 98 109 120 136 150 164

3.0 miles per hour 53 64 74 85 95 106 117 133 146 159

3.5 miles per hour 52 62 73 83 94 104 114 130 143 156

4.0 miles per hour 57 68 80 91 102 114 125 142 156 170

4.5 miles per hour 64 76 89 102 115 127 140 159 175 191

5.0 miles per hour 73 87 102 116 131 145 160 182 200 218

If you work with metrics:

2.0 miles = 3.2 kilometers

2.5 miles = 4.0 kilometers

3.0 miles = 4.8 kilometers

3.5 miles = 5.6 kilometers

4.0 miles = 6.4 kilometers

4.5 miles = 7.2 kilometers

5.0 miles = 8.0 kilometers

Walking 3.0 miles per hour is known as a 20 minute mile

Walking 3.5 miles per hour is known as a 17-minute mile

Walking 4.0 miles per hour is known as a 15 minute mile

Walking 4.5 miles per hour is known as a 13-minute mile.

The reason you burn more calories per mile at very low speeds, “walking in the museum,” is because with each step you stop and start without momentum propelling you forward. At the other end of the spectrum, walking at very high speeds of 4.5 miles per hour using a running step and arm movement puts more muscle groups into play, resulting in burning additional calories with each step.

When you start out and want to burn as many calories as possible, gradually walk more, instead of walking faster.

When you feel ready to work on your speed, for optimal fat burning, walk for 30 minutes at a pace where your breathing is noticeable but you can carry on a conversation in complete sentences. This would be 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.

If you want to increase your pace even more, learn to walk in races. The unusual gait allows you to walk at speeds in excess of 5 miles per hour, which builds well-formed muscles (especially your butt and legs), which causes you to burn more calories even when resting.

Many people, including cardiologists, say they burn the same number of calories running a distance as walking; the only difference is that the runner would do it in less time than the walker.

Runner’s World reports differently. They say that according to their tests, running is more difficult and burns more calories than walking at speeds less than 12 minutes per mile. But at 5 miles per hour and faster, walking burns more calories than running. The reason for this is likely because walking at very fast speeds forces your body to move in an inefficient and unnatural way, increasing your heart rate, oxygen consumption, and burning calories.

Whichever option you choose, walking is a great form of exercise. Do it regularly, most days if possible.

Both obesity and inactivity are growing problems. Walking five or six days a week improves your aerobic condition, strengthens your bones, helps fight disease, improves your psychological well-being, reduces stress, increases your metabolism, strengthens your muscles, increases your flexibility, improves your respiratory function and helps your concentration and memory.

Regardless of your weight and age, when walking becomes a habit, it clearly improves the quality of your life.

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5 Tips for Choosing the Best Urgent Care Center in Maui

1. Find the right partner

Finding the right place for your medical needs is a lot like finding the right primary care physician. Feeling comfortable with your doctor is a critical step in choosing the right Maui Urgent Care Center. Before you walk in the door, call and ask if you can speak to an available doctor. Ask questions about how they manage medical conditions – for example, do they take a more traditional approach or recommend alternative treatment options? Once you are comfortable with your style of care, you will feel more confident that you are choosing the right medical provider. In addition to the style of care, you should also ask how long your doctor has lived in Hawaii. The islands are home to very unique organisms that visitors can be allergic to, including flowers like protea, foods like poi, and marine life like Potters angelfish and sea fan coral. This rare flora and fauna only exist here or in some remote areas of the world, so visitors are unlikely to have had prior contact with them. That’s why a local doctor who understands what to look for and the right questions to ask is crucial in making the correct diagnosis so you can get better faster and get back to enjoying your vacation.

2. Accessibility

Maui, and in particular the east side of the island, has many remote areas that are popular destinations for visitors, but far from the shopping malls where most urgent care centers are located. For example, if you were staying at the Travaasa Hotel in Hana, Maui, and you needed to visit the nearest urgent care clinic, you would have to drive 4-5 hours to get there, causing you to miss an entire day of your vacation in paradise. In many cases, finding a Maui-based urgent care center that offers telemedicine visits is the best option for accessing medical care. Having the ability to see your Hawai’i licensed doctor from your computer, tablet, or mobile device can save you time and help you quickly decide if you need to take a trip to the nearest urgent care center or hospital. In most cases, your doctor can fax or call the nearest pharmacy, saving you hours of travel.

3. Affordability

When looking for the right urgent care center in Maui, it is important to ask about coverage and payment options. Many urgent care centers offer only local insurance that includes coverage from HMA, UHA, HMMA, or Kaiser Your Choice which can result in a higher out-of-pocket cost for visitors. Calling and asking about coverage before you show up can save you time and money. Uninsured? Don’t worry, most walk-in clinics offer a fee for the uninsured, but you’ll want to know what those costs are in advance so you can make the most informed healthcare decision.

4. Ask the experts

Your hotel or timeshare concierge provides a great place to begin your urgent care search. They deal with hundreds of visitors and are very familiar with activities that can result in injury to the unprepared or unprepared, such as ocean dives, surf schools, and day hikes in more rugged areas. Consequently, they maintain relationships with the nearest emergency centers. As soon as you determine that you need care, make your concierge the first stop on your journey to feel better.

5. Dig deeper

Once you have a few walk-in locations in mind, go online and read about the experiences other visitors have had. Check sites like Yelp, Google Places, Facebook, and urgent care center websites for customer testimonials and star ratings. Choosing a place that has good reviews and clinical images will help reduce your anxiety, make a more informed healthcare decision, and result in a better overall healthcare experience.