Mobil Incaran Pencuri di Tahun 2011

Mobil buatan Jepang masih mendominasi dari 10 daftar mobil yang paling diincar pencuri.

JUM'AT, 16 DESEMBER 2011, 06:03 WIB

Sandy Adam Mahaputra

Toyota Venza 2009 (Autoevolution)

VIVAnews - Sedan besutan Toyota, Camry, menjadi mobil yang paling diincar pencuri di Amerika Serikat. Tidak hanya itu, mobil buatan Toyota lainnya, yakni Toyota Venza 2009 juga meraih predikat sebagai mobil yang digemari oleh pencuri di Kanada.

Berdasarkan data yang dirilis oleh Biro Asuransi di Kanada (IBC), mobil buatan Jepang masih mendominasi dari 10 daftar mobil yang paling diincar pencuri.

Di posisi pertama ditempati masing-masing oleh Toyota Venza 2009. Kemudian disusul oleh mobil buatan Honda yakni, Honda Civic 1999, Honda Civic 2000, Acura Integra 1998, dan Acura Integra 1999.

Mobil buatan negeri Paman Sam juga turut serta dalam daftar tersebut. Seperti Cadillac Escalade 2002, Chevrolet Traillblazer lansiran 2006, Pontiac Aztek 2001, dan Ford F350 truk 2006 dan 2007.

"Konsumen harus tetap waspada, dan menyadari jika kendaraan yang digunakannya itu menjadi incaran pencuri. Kami sedang fokus untuk menghentikan tingginya angka pencurian kendaraan di Kanada," kata Vice President Investigative Services IBC, Rick Dubin, seperti dilansir Autoevolution, Kamis malam 15 Desember 2011.

Berikut daftar 10 mobil yang jadi incaran maling di Kanada:

1. 2009 Toyota Venza 4-door
2. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3. 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
4. 2006 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
5. 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD
6. 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS 4-door 4WD
7. 2007 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
8. 2001 Pontiac Aztek 4-door AWD
9. 1998 Acura Integra 2-door
10. 1999 Acura Integra 2-door

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Spiritual Globalization

By Elizabeth S. Adams

To be an inhabitant of a one world is a vivid ideal for some who choose to envisage that all communities, nations and laws could exist as one harmonious system. In a new social system that would embody freedom and fairness by considering individual free will as well as the need for each to be willing to contribute to the ultimate good of the whole, we all could perhaps function happily.

That such a system could be based upon attunement to the laws of Nature regarding the profound moral issues inherent in the tenets of most religions and certainly all spiritual teachings and philosophies, offers a recipe for success. We would have simplified the rules by adopting already agreed fundamental principles. Such a simple and embracing system has the potential for success if we share the attitude that a better world or heaven could be created upon our earth.

As a people we have come to an impasse where ideas and our thinking faculties have enmeshed us in complicated considerations of often opposing and sometimes restrictive ideologies. Although perhaps indicating a potential for great intellectual skills and advancement in knowledge and its application, we must acknowledge that wisdom or the fruit of knowledge can only develop within us by experience. Fascination with complex mental matters must make way again for consideration of simpler matters of the soul.

In a drive that causes us to think 'more is better' we are driven to strive and grasp more and more to the point of greed instead of genuine need. By living this way we scorn those who have little material wealth and disregard those who have nothing. We clutch at the idea of greater and greater accumulation of intellectual knowledge as we do at material possessions.

We must surely change.

Intellectual acquisition of knowledge of the mind takes time over centuries and civilizations unlike the knowledge of the heart to which fortunately we have immediate and constant access through kind emotions.

It is time to think of extricating ourselves from the tangled thoughts that result in disturbances in our psyche and return to the heart of things and to the safety and the sanctity of our own wellspring of loving kindness and compassion. This is within, although not always obvious, at the heart's core in every human being.

In our present global system there is much confusion. We are well practised in satisfying our bodies to the detriment of our souls that remain ever hungry for true love, for knowing the reason for existence, for opportunity to demonstrate or express the finest part of our nature. We need to satisfy the eager appetite for guidance as to how to best spend our life energies and life time.

Simplicity is the key to peace instead of war. Loving relationships must replace tangled ones. Respect for natural laws instead of challenging Nature. With the addition of a sense of security regarding not only our place in the scheme of things, but feeling safe within our own nature and safe within the world outside, then perhaps we would experience the deep sense of contentment that we all yearn for.

We must gradually eradicate the habit attitude of 'them and us' to allow expansion of the vision of a future where we share the planet as 'earthlings' and consider ourselves one humanity - 'The Family of Man'.

Simplicity could be our saving grace and could lead us all to the ultimate realization of a Peace experienced internally by the individual and externally in the world around us.

This would seem to be the magical, true spirit of Globalization.

Elizabeth S. Adams is known for her published "Forgotten Dreams - a collection of Poetry" with additional interests that extend to Astrology,Astronomy and mystical subjects that help us understand who we are and our place in the Universe. Astrology when applied to self understanding of our personality and deeper soul potentials is a great practical starting point. We also need assistance to unveil the special inner talents of our soul so we feel confident to offer our contribution to the world. Astrology is such an aid.
Visit her site http://www.spirit-of-astrology.com

What Can Display Graphics Say About Your Brand?

By Jamie Simpson

Smart advertising is the most effective way of getting your business or brand noticed by potential customers. Moreover, advertising is a major factor in the success of any business or product. Wise investment and placement is the key to making your advertising campaign work. Below we will look at several options which you can use to reach potential customers and help you reach your business goals.

Types of Advertising

When it comes to banner stands, billboards, bus stop advertisements, or pull up banners, it is endless as to what information can be applied to them. You may wish to place an ad for your business with your business address, or you may wish to advertise a product for which you sell. You can also apply both pieces of information on any of the aforementioned advertising mediums.

Moreover, the design and size of the lettering used can be advantageous where the size of the banner is concerned. The proper ad would cause the information to jump out and catch the eye of prospective customers. The colours used in the ad would also be an important consideration. Many times, these advertisements will use multi-coloured lettering that stands out well from the background colour of the advertising medium.

The Best Ways to Advertise

Though advertising can be an expensive endeavour, it is necessary to increase sales and thus grow your business. Researching the best ways to advertise is recommended. Display graphics is a great way to advertise your business or product. Many businesses utilise display advertising on the internet as well as other advertising methods. Many different types of images, video, and copy can be placed in display type advertising. Placement possibilities on the internet are endless and profitable.

Outdoor billboard advertising is available in many forms with large roadway billboards being one of the most prominent. The two main types of billboards available are digital outdoor billboards and non-digital outdoor billboards. Non-digital billboards have a long track record of success and should be used in any advertising campaign. However, digital billboards are becoming a very popular method of advertising because they are more interesting to the consumer. These billboards are high-tech and can have a moving display containing much more information, thus allowing you to advertise much more effectively. You can apply your business name and location, what products you sell, and you can even highlight certain products. The amount of information one can place in this type of advertisement is endless.

Bus stops are always great locations for advertising. This is a high traffic area with people waiting for a bus, and they often have time to take in the advertising that is displayed. Additionally, because of the proximity of the advertisement to the potential customer, they can't help but see and be drawn in by the ad.

Business owners in the know, use banner stands as a cost effective way to advertise and promote their business. This type of advertising is prominent at trade shows and takes advantage of roll up banners along with twist banner stands to draw the attention. Printed on these banner stands and pull up banners is information about your business, or products that you sell. Vivid colourful graphics give the passersby a reason to scrutinise your ad and they usually will stop for a visit to inquire about what is advertised. Prospective customers will come to see what your business has to offer by way of products and services.

How to Plan Out Your Exhibition Stall

By Sunidhi Iyer

Many exhibition stall creation businesses deal with just the creating the stall design, 
whilst the task of fabricating the stall stays with other stall fabrication entities. 
Prior to finalizing the project, it's vital to understand the duty of each company. 
Some businesses provide you with totally fabricated stalls that occupies your 
approved area whilst other businesses just provide you with the area and ask you 
to build the stall by yourself. The latter choice tends to make the job much more complex 
and in addition it produces lot of issues regarding coordination. The secret of creating 
an amazing exhibition stall lies within the optimum publicity of every participant. 
Visitor movement is planned to circulate via all the exhibition stalls to make sure all 
participants get ample publicity.

A good company providing exhibition stall designing services will have expertise that what is best and what is not, so it's really worth employing a partnering organization a couple of months prior to the exhibition dates. This is required so that you are able to have sufficient time for modifications and tweaking needed within your stall's design.

In real perception the exhibition stall is really an area exactly where branding materials are positioned to be able to entice the attentions of viewers and visitors.

The look of an exhibition stall must be simple and by no means complicated. The stall should be created to provide on-spot communication targeted at visitors. The branding, print collateral and also messaging content must be distinct and enticing. The exhibits should put into perspective, the principle goals corresponding to specific merchandise and goods, newer goods and special offers. Each one of these factors of generating curiosity should be made more elegant by means of attractive lights, colorful construction and position of the stall itself.

Even when you possess only little space for your exhibition stall, you will be able to draw the focus of visitors by exhibiting the goods in an obvious and in a beautiful manner. The primary query is how you can create a little exhibition stall that is presentable and can receive optimum walk-ins. You can accomplish this by handing your exhibition venture to professional stall designers as they would help you in obtaining most from your stall area and spending budget.

If you would like to locate an authority exhibition stall design business, you should search directories within your locality or where the exhibition is being held. On the other hand, you may also look for an organization in your country of location that offers the exhibition solutions globally. In an exhibition or perhaps an exposition it doesn't make a difference if your booth is small or large, a much more essential factor is the way in which you display your goods and solutions. The guests ought to be in a position to know your offerings once they enter your booth.

Discovering the right expert exhibition stall partner will definitely enhance your results.

As soon as you decide on the look of your exhibition stall, the fabrication company will begin the fabrication at their premises. Most of the times, the exhibition organizers allocate stall area ahead of time. This to ensure that fabrication may be carried out at the stall location. The allocation of stalls is carried out by marking the area of the stall. If you can receive the stall area ahead of time, it's a great idea to begin fabricating the stall at the location or else the stall fabrication company will need to transport the semi fabricated stall components from their warehouse and put it all together at the location.

Choosing The Right Position For Your Exhibition Stand

By Jack Alans

The most stunning, innovative and spectacular exhibition stand in the world will not be effective unless visitors actually get to see it. While many companies invest significant amounts of time and money into producing an eye-catching display, they often overlook the importance of choosing the right location in the first place.

Experienced exhibition stand contractors won't just design and build your display, they will also be able to advise you on exactly where it should be situated within the venue in order to attract the maximum amount of traffic.

Newcomers to the world of exhibitions are often tempted to secure a stand close to the entrance on the basis that this is a prime spot, but studies show that a significant number of visitors do not engage with the exhibition until they are much further inside the venue.

While it is usually beneficial to be positioned along one of the main aisles of an exhibition, choosing a location close to a refreshment stand, seating area or even the toilets can lead to additional visitors, as these are places where crowds tend to congregate and some people use such landmarks as meeting points.

Corners and intersections can also be a great spot as this brings traffic from multiple directions and visitors tend to pause as they work out which way to turn, giving your staff the opportunity to engage with them. Corner stands also create a great sense of space which can make them far more welcoming than smaller, overcrowded stands that make guests feel as though they are entering a cave.

Some small exhibitors get concerned if they find themselves next to a major company as they worry they will be overlooked, but this sort of position can actually be an advantage. Being in a high traffic area will increase your visibility and if the neighboring stand becomes crowded, visitors are likely to browse through your exhibit while they are waiting.

If you are still concerned about being dwarfed by a large neighboring stand, a professional designer can provide you with plenty of tips and tricks that will make your own display stand out, even if it is far smaller. This could involve extra artwork or the addition of a feature piece or even a small hospitality section. You can also try having more staff on hand to make the most of the passing footfall by approaching people to get them interested in your product.

Equally important as the placing of the stand within the exhibition is the position of the elements within your stand itself. Make sure that people can move around to view the graphics and products without have to dodge around equipment and furniture. If you have a particularly large stand, break it down into smaller elements to make it easier to control and ensure you have plenty of staff around throughout the entire day to answer any questions and provide further information.

Ideally, you want to retain an element of flexibility so that you can adapt easily if you suddenly attract a large crowd. Good exhibition stand design can ensure that your spot still looks inviting even if it is mostly empty.

The Amazing Exhibitionists are exhibition stand contractors with over 35 years of experience within the industry including the conceptualisation, design, construction, management and transportation of exhibition stands. For more information on them or their services

How to Use Store Design to Improve Your Brand Image

By Romeo Cliff Richards

Why Do You Need to Apply Image Selling?

The retail business is showbiz. It is all about image, brand and style. It is about customer's perception of your brand and what it represents. The Body Shop in most people's mind represents ethics, Harrods represents class and Victoria Secret represents love.

When people enter a Body Shop store, they do so because they want to feel ethical. Products in the store were not tested on animals therefore certain individuals feel that by using products from there they are swaying their conscience.

Many of the products found on Harrods shop floor can be found in many other stores in the UK. However, people shop at Harrods even though it might be two or three times the price of other stores because it gives them the feeling of elegance.

When women want to go for a special date or when they want to surprise their significant other they shop for their special bedroom lingerie at Victoria Secret. Wearing lingerie from Victoria Secret gives them confidence.

These retailers have carved a place for themselves in the hearts of shoppers making them to associate their brand with those images. The images cultivated by those brands have been responsible for their phenomenal success in the retail industry.

Image selling is very essential for the success of any retail venture without which most retail businesses struggle.

What is Image Selling?

Image selling is basically selling the identity of your product or retail organization. Take for example Home Depot; the familiar name gives you a very simple idea of the quality of service and product. Image selling is the ability to market an idea that people cling onto which in the end creates a positive perception in their mind about a particular retail organization.

How to Apply Image Selling:

Image selling is required from the start as retail organizations needs to identify what they stand for or against. Are they going to be like The Body Shop and represent ethics, or like Harrods and represent class?

The image that is projected could be that of the philosophy of the founder. Maybe your retail store could represent fun, love or passion for life - it really does not matter but it is important that your brand is associated with something. To maintain that image, your store design should reflect that.

If the image you want to project is that of a fun-loving retailer, your stores need to be bright coloured and designed in a trendy and funky manner. If you want to project the image of an environmentally conscious retailer, then your store needs to be designed with green colour and all your fixtures need to be made from recyclable materials.

How to Implement Image Selling?

Follow the steps below to effectively market your image:

Step 1- Identify the image you want to be known for. It can either be the philosophy of the founder or the organization as a whole. It first needs to be identified along with an explanation of why you will want to be associated with a particular image.

Step 2- Communicate that image to your store designers in order for it to be incorporated into the store design blueprint.

Step 3- Design the store to reflect that image and every fixture, lighting and décor in the store needs to be congruent with that image.

Step 4- Ensure store managers and store associates are educated on your brand image. Their uniforms, actions and interactions with customers need to reflect your projected image.

How to Make Effective Use of Visual Merchandise Technologies

By Romeo Cliff Richards

Visual merchandising is the art of displaying merchandise in a manner that is appealing to the eyes. As the saying goes "First impressions last", this is also true in the world of merchandising display.

Visual merchandisers use season based displays to introduce new products arrival to customers. The arrival of summer, winter, holiday seasons such as Christmas, Easter and other special events are displayed on season based displays systematically and stock related to those seasons are displayed during those periods to increase conversions.

By using creative visual displays, the core strategy of visual merchandising, you make a positive, long lasting, visual connection with potential buyers of your product. For example, retail stores display discounted products or those advertised as buy one; get one free. Displays can also be used to promote products that are overstocked.

Why is Technology Good For Merchandise Display?

Visual merchandising display technologies attract attention, stimulate customer's senses and provide a wonderful shopping experience resulting in return purchases and customer loyalty.

The following are the most widely used merchandise technologies:

• Planogram Software

The planogram is a visual diagram or drawing that provides visual merchandisers with details of the location of every product to be displayed in a retail store. These schematics not only present a flow chart for the particular merchandise departments within a store layout but also instruct on the specific aisle and shelf an item is to be displayed.

• LED Lighting

Light quality is vital for a retail store. LED lighting ensures products are seen in their actual colors and quality. LED lighting is not solely known for their energy saving and appealing ambiance but they also creates a warm welcoming atmosphere.

• Window Displays

Used to display merchandise for sale in the store, window displays show potential customers items that are on sale inside the shop in a bid to attract customers and entice them to enter the store.

The Benefits:

The following are the benefits that a retailer can gain from using visual merchandise technologies:

Planograms:
• Makes inventory work much easy.
• Provides information on product location and quantity
• Tells what should be stocked and the sizes/colors that works best for particular shelf.
• Encourages customers to buy and help them to be sold on your products.

LED Lighting Technology:
• LED lighting is digitally programmed to produce the exact color light required in each area.
• This gives the products a more emotional appeal to shoppers enhancing the freshness and glow.
• It consumes less energy than fluorescent lighting.
• It can be focused exactly where it is needed and in the right color; enabling more sophisticated lighting set up.
• Help retail businesses that are hinged on creating a harmonious mood with decor and lighting.

Window Displays
Below are tips for creating a good merchandise window display:
• Create a simple but effective window display; less is more.
• Ensure the products stand out.
• Use good lighting to highlight products.
• Arrange merchandise in a pyramid form or stack them.
• Make creative use of mannequins.
• Tell a story with your display.
• The theme of the display needs to be clear to the customer.
• Use visual effects to make the display more attractive.
• Use display monitors and other window display technologies to enhance your display.

Romeo Richards is the CEO of The Business Education Center,  the consultancy division of Richards International Group. The Business Education Center provides the most in-depth and comprehensive business coaching and training to professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, business consultants, private security firms and retail executives.

Vespa Korban Putus Cinta

Vespa milik sang kekasih jadi sasaran utamanya.

RABU, 14 DESEMBER 2011, 16:19 WIB

Sandy Adam Mahaputra

Vespa korban putus cinta (Dailymail)

VIVAnews -  Setiap orang tentunya memiliki cara tersendiri untuk melampiaskan kekesalannya, ketika harus menerima hubungan asmara dengan kekasihnya kandas. Mulai dari menangis hingga curhat.

Tapi cara tersebut nampak tidak berlaku bagi seorang wanita asal Inggris yang tidak disebutkan namanya itu. Ia bahkan meluapkan kekesalannya dengan mencoret-coret Vespa sang kekasih yang baru saja memutuskannya.

Seperti dilansir Dailymail dan Visordown, Rabu 14 Desember 2011, Matt si pemilik Vespa itu, tak menyangka jika bodi skuter kesayangannya itu dipenuhi grafiti. Tapi ini bukanlah gravfti yang menambah keindahan desain, melainkan sebuah coret-coretan atau perusakan (vandal).

Bahkan kata-kata tak senonoh terulis di seluruh bagian bodi dan jok Vespa berwarna biru. Mulai dari kata 'pembohong','selingkuh', 'Karma pasti akan datang'. Dari coretan yang berisi kekesalan itu, membuat Matt sadar siapa pelakunya. Ya tidak lain adalah mantan kekasihnya, yang baru saja ia putuskan.

"Motor itu seperti sampah dan terbuang begitu saja. Mungkin ini membuat pria itu memikirkan lagi apa yang sudah dia perbuat," kata Chris Thomson, pria yang memotret motor tersebut. Kini motor Vespa malang itu teronggok di pinggir jalan London Utara. (eh)

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Animator Indonesia Ikut Garap Film Tintin

Dia menggarap adegan paling banyak, 70 shot.

RABU, 14 DESEMBER 2011, 13:38 WIB

Denny Armandhanu, Indrani Putri

The Adventures of Tintin : The Secret of the Unicorn (us.movie.tintin.com)

VIVAnews - Film animasi 'Adventures of Tintin: Secret of The Unicorn' menuai sukses besar setelah ditayangkan di berbagai negara. Siapa sangka, salah satu animator yang ikut membidani film ini ternyata seorang wanita asal Indonesia.

Wanita bernama Rini Sugianto ini mengaku, kecintaannya pada Tintin membuatnya rela meninggalkan rumahnya di California untuk pindah ke Selandia Baru begitu mendapat tawaran. "Sayagrew up dengan Tintin, sewaktu masih kecil baca Tintin terus. Akhirnya saya tak bisa menolak dan pindah ke sini tahun kemarin," kata animator WETA Digital Selandia Baru ini, seperti diberitakanVoice of America pekan lalu.

Dari beberapa animator yang terlibat dalam proses produksi, Rini adalah animator yang menggarap adegan paling banyak, sejumlah 70 shot. Sebuah pengalaman yang menyenangkan buat Rini, yang baru kali pertama terlibat dalam penggarapan film layar lebar Hollywood.

Walaupun Tintin disutradari oleh Steven Spielberg, Rini mengaku belum pernah sekalipun bertatap muka dengan sutradara kondang itu. “Seminggu sekali, ada director review lewat video conference. Jadi melihatnya hanya dari video saja,” kata pemegang gelar Master dari Academy of Arts di San Francisco, California.

Walau bukan penikmat film, namun Rini berujar orangtuanya bangga menyaksikan nama putri mereka muncul di akhir film sekaliber Tintin. Selama ini, orangtuanya memang mendukung penuh dirinya dalam karir dan kehidupan.

 “Mereka mendukung sewaktu saya sekolah dan waktu saya ngambil keputusan untuk sekolah lagi di bidang animasi, dan orang tua saya waktu itu sama sekali tak mengerti animasi itu apa. Tapi, mereka percaya kalau pilihan Rini akan membuat Rini bahagia. Mereka mendukung penuh mulai dari bayar sekolah sampai mencari pekerjaan,” ceritanya.

Saat ini, Rini sedang menggarap animasi untuk film Hollywood lain, The Avengers. Ia berpesan bagi animator lain di Indonesia untuk tidak pernah putus asa dalam menggapai cita-cita karena lama-lama akan terbuka peluang jika mau terus belajar. (eh)

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Could Modern Anti-Psychotic and Antidepressant Medications Steal a Society's Passion for the Arts?

By Don V Standeford

Would modern mental health medicines have robbed us of our greatest works of literature had they existed hundreds of years in the past? This thought causes a chill to travel up the spine of most literature lovers. You get this feeling that all of history exists on a long thread that extends from our lives at this moment to five-thousand years ago. One small mess-up could snap that thread, kicking us back into the stone-age.
On the surface this thought seems logical. Take, for example, Walt Whitman. That remarkable poet lived his whole life at the very edge of a precipice. From that high point he could view whole worlds and shout back to us in poetic verse the wonders he saw. That same strange communication with nature showed itself elsewhere in his family. It unfortunately spiraled out of control in his brother, taking him past that breach that separates the sane from the insane. Walt Whitman's brother had to be locked up in a special room of the house to keep him from hurting himself or others.
So what if you take Walt Whitman and give him an anti-psychotic? Maybe he sits by the window all day and internalize nature's wondrous beauty but never lifts his hand to pick up a pen. He may be more interested in keeping track of his finances or cultivating friendships. He may even set his mind on developing connections with people in high places who could give him a hand up into high society and big business. He works hard to get rich then disappears from history, only to reappear here and there as a drone. Is his famous book of poems, 'Leaves of Grass,' ever written? These verses never had a chance to be formed except in his mind. Thank modern medicine. Now it has punctured a hole into history.
So is the theory proven? Surely Mother Nature can put up more of a fight than that. Perhaps she can fight back through this scientific principle called 'displacement.' We see displacement at work in nature on a daily basis though we may not recognize what is at work behind the scenes. Ever wonder what happened at your place of employment after you quit and moved on to another company? You might have thought you were irreplaceable, but chances are they found another competent worker to fill your position. This principle of displacement is at work everywhere. You get up to refill your plate at Thanksgiving and another relative is there to steal your seat. If you were to be incinerated, a rush of air would quickly fill the ridiculously small vacuum you left behind.
So maybe Walt Whitman wasn't around to write 'Leaves of Grass.' But say he feels sorry for his brother and makes an extra trip to the pharmacy to fill a prescription for the poor guy. Excited about the new status of his mental health, he's ready to heal everyone. Or maybe he just doesn't want to be saddled down with a crazy brother that can't take care of even his own basic needs. So he starts popping these wonderful anti-psychotic pills into his brother's babbling and foaming lips each night before he goes to sleep.
The anti-psychotic pills normalize Walt Whitman so he doesn't write poetry. Now he is just another cell in the anonymous wall of humankind. Walt's brother is far sicker than Walt and can't normalize from the pills completely. He does normalize enough to be let loose from his prison. This once insane man, who we will call 'Walt Whitman II,' is apt to still be sick, but not near as sick as he has been his whole life.
So the original Walt goes on his merry way, happy to live a peaceful and normal existence. His brother though shaves off his toe-length beard while he draws little pictures on his foggy mirror. He also jots down little observations that fill him with curiosity. He picks up one of his brother's notebooks, dusts it off, and starts to record his unique view of nature in a rambling and friendly literary voice.
So Walt Whitman II steps into Walt Whitman I's shoes. Walt Whitman I just disappears into oblivion. He's more concerned with his job, house and significant other than etching poetry onto the word pressed leaves of his diary. Bingo! This is cause-effect watching its own back. History and the integrity of literature are saved.

Why Is It Important to Understand the Retail Marketing Merchandising Definition?

By Joshua See

What is the retail marketing merchandising definition and why is it important for every professional retailer to be familiar with it? Understanding the concepts of retail marketing and retail merchandising is vital to ensure the success of any retail business since it involves not only choosing the right types of products to sell but also how to promote them to your customers.
Retail merchandising involves the whole process of conducting retail sales, starting from choosing which products will appear on your store's shelves, deciding how best to market these to consumers as well as pricing decisions. Retail marketing, on the other hand, focuses only on how best to reach the target customers in order to interest them in buying your products and can involve processes such as product promotion.
Once you have a clear idea of what is the retail marketing merchandising definition, you can start applying your understanding of these concepts to create specific plans to achieve your retail goals. For example, you can draw up a merchandising plan by first doing a study of what products are available on the market that may be appropriate to be sold in your store and then establishing relationships with the suppliers of these products to get the most favorable price based on the volume of goods you will buy. Once you have arranged a regular supply of products to sell, you will have to determine the unit price you will sell them for that will ensure that your store makes a profit. There are a number of ways of setting unit prices, including adding a certain percentage above the unit acquisition price to looking at the demand for the product vs. the supply in the immediate area and setting the price accordingly.
Once you have determined the unit selling price and have the products on your shelves, it is time to promote them to your customers. This can involve moves such as initially offering the product at a lower price as an incentive for people to try it out, setting up attractive displays in the stores to make people aware of the new product and its benefits and favorable placement within the store. An example is if the product may be placed near the checkout counters so that people would impulsively add it to their purchases as they are checking out. All of these plans are an important part of the concrete application of the retail marketing merchandising definition in a real-world retail setting.

You must learn more about Online Marketing and other top ways of developing your Personal Marketing Strategies in order to benefit from the understanding of Retail Marketing Merchandising Definition.

Retail Point Of Sale Systems Allow Absolute Control Over Sales And Inventory

By Sarah Shore

Setting up a retail business, be it a single store or a multitude of them, needs proper operations and management to make it work. This means setting up a system that will make the management tasks easier for both the owner and the employees. Two of the most demanding tasks in any type of business involve keeping track of the sales and inventory.
Traditionally, store owners tasked their employees to daily monitor the sales made and counter check the rest of the inventory left on the shelves and storeroom. Most times there was difficulty in the monitoring. Getting the numbers balanced is a difficult thing to do, especially when there are sales that have not been entered or the number of items sold does not correspond with money in the register. Sweating it out is no longer an option. The best thing to get the operations run smoothly and efficiently is to invest in software that will make easy work of this issue.
Automated Sales and Inventory Tracking
Today, the most efficient retail store, no matter if the store sells pink or green widgets, is one that uses an automated system. Usually the software is installed into the current system that the store uses. This system is then linked with all of the other important systems in the store, like the cash register.
Every time a customer lines up to pay for their items, the machine will automatically register the number of items sold and automatically calculate the inventory. This means that all throughout the day, the machine continuously keeps track of both the sales and the inventory tasks. All the management team has to do now is to eye-ball the items left on the shelves and storage to find out if the numbers balance out.
Automated Tracking Means Less Pilferage
One of the worst offenses in a retail shop is pilferage. This can be easily done if there is no automated system to rely on. For one thing, it takes a lot of man hours to keep track of all of the sales and inventory. The delay in the manual tracking will allow more and more individuals to pilfer what is on store. With the automated system, the tracking is instantaneous and the man hours spent on the tracking can be dropped to as much as 70%. This is great savings and will result to a more efficient work space. This will also result to instantly have information if the numbers do not add up.
Innovation Technology And The Internet
For the store owners who have more than one store, this system can also be of full use. Using a software that can handle multiple stores and internet tracking, the store owner does not have to be physically present in their stores to track the sales and inventory. In fact, they do not even have to be in the same country for the internet will make it easy for them to track their stores. All they need to do in click on the specified option, key in their password and they immediately gain access to their individual store records, on real time. The internet has made the lives of store owners and managers more flexible, giving more time to focus on the marketing of their stores to attract more customers.
This system is also highly efficient for the online store or multiple stores. All the web owner has to do is click on the system and they track their online stores and their respective sales and inventory tasks. At the push of the button, they can see for themselves what is going on in terms of sales. With a click of the button, they can immediately identify if they need to order in more supplies to keep their inventory up. This makes the operations and management of the stores efficient and smooth like a well-oiled machine. When looking to invest into a retail point of sale software, it would not matter if it deals with a single shop EPOS or a multi site EPOS, what is important is using the right tools and knowing how to use them.

Documentary Budgeting Basics: Three Easy Steps For Creating Your Documentary Budget

By Faith Fuller

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Creating a documentary budget is great way to think through every aspect of your film. Even though you may be eager to get started shooting your documentary right away, creating a budget can often be an enlightening experience, revealing factors that may otherwise slip under the radar. A budget forces you to think through every detail and can save you the agony of an unexpected surprise down the road.
In addition to being a great tool for the filmmaker, a documentary budget is essential if you hope to raise money for your film. A budget is usually a must-have item along with your documentary proposal when pitching your documentary idea to potential funders or supporters. A documentary budget provides an important snapshot of how you plan to shoot your film, the locations where filming will take place, how many people are involved in the project, what kind of equipment you're using and your distribution plan among other things.
Whereas your documentary proposal describes the story and vision for how your documentary will look on screen, the budget is your nuts and bolts plan behind the scenes.
Here are the three primary steps in creating a documentary budget:

1. Research - This is THE most important aspect of creating your budget. Without research, you have a blank slate. This is where you need to make phone calls, search the internet and ask for advice. You'll need to decide such things as what kind of insurance (if any) you need, how much a van rental will cost in the city you'll be shooting, how much your cameraman charges for three days of work, what's the cost of renting a lighting kit, what does the animation guy charge, will you need to pay copyright fees for stock footage, etc.


2. Build Your Budget - It's highly recommended that you use a spreadsheet program such as Excel or get your hands on a documentary budgeting template. You can certainly jot down your budget items using a plain text document, but this is not a professional (or efficient) way to do a budget. Having a spreadsheet with formulas allows you to make changes to individual items and it automatically updates the totals for the whole budget. As you conduct your research, begin inputting the various budget items including crew salaries, production equipment rental, stock footage fees, administrative costs, etc. Input everything you can think of!


3. Refine Your Budget - Once you've created your budget, you will surely be shocked by the final total cost. At this point, you will need to refine your budget to come up with a realistic final cost. Ask yourself the amount of money you realistically believe you can raise for your project? If you think you can raise $10,000 and your budget came out to $250,000, then you will need to make some hard decisions. Is there anything in your budget that is not an absolutely necessity? Or is there a way to get some items donated?

Creating your documentary budget is not a one-time event. The budget will need to be constantly updated and modified as you go.
One item you'll want to include in your budget is a contingency (usually 8-10% of your total budget). This is especially helpful if you're new to budgeting. A contingency provides a buffer in case items in your budget end up costing more than you expected.
In summary, if you are pitching your documentary idea to potential funders and trying to raise money for your film, you will more than likely need a detailed budget. It's absolutely critical that you create a budget that is as realistic and accurate as possible. Since many of your funders will be business-minded individuals, they will know if you fudged on your numbers. So do your research and put together the best possible budget that you can. As the filmmaker, you are probably eager to start shooting and making your film, but taking the time to think through every detail of your budget will pay off in the end.

Growth Strategies for 2012 and Beyond

By Janet Boulter

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Now is the time to develop (or update) your strategic growth plan. While nobody has a crystal ball, positioning your company to be flexible and ready to capitalize on strategic opportunities, while growing your primary business sector is the key to succeeding in 2012 and beyond. The two most important strategies are flexibility and adaptability. In order to create both, consider the following suggestions:
• Focus on your company's vision and mission. Are your company's growth projections in alignment with your vision and mission? Do your leadership team and your employees understand your organization's commitment to realizing the goals? If you are not 100% confident, re-energize your team to get focused and get back on track.
• Review your company's core values and perform an integration analysis. Are your business practices in alignment with your company's values? Does your company live those values with your customers, employees and vendors? If yes, celebrate and if no, work on getting on track quickly.
• Develop several business scenarios that could be realized during the next three years. Focus primarily on the economy, globalization, technology, workforce and financing. Use these scenarios during your strategic planning sessions.
• Create a strategic plan (with realistic assessments) of where your company is and where you want your company to be in the next three years. Include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in all primary facets of your organization. Consider getting a wide variety of feedback and input from various audiences. Review the feedback, decide which you want to integrate, what you will put on the shelf and discard the ones that don't work for your organization.
• Re-assess your company's goals against your strategic plan and create quarterly milestones to achieve those goals. Primarily focus on financials, operations, performance, employee engagement and customer retention.
• Perform a competitive analysis, looking at traditional and upcoming competitors as well as possible disruptive threats. Unlike traditional advisors, we advocate using your competitor analysis more from an industry perspective rather than copying or stealing from your competitors.
• Commit to innovating your product and services. Target a few key areas to improve and be sure there is measurable value in your improvements. Changing for the sake of changing without realized benefits will only derail your plan and de-motivate your employees and your customers. What can each person/group/profit center do to "stretch" beyond the norm? Create an action plan, measure the results and celebrate your accomplishments. Then commit to tackling the next area of be improved and developed.
• Create specific action plans, develop metrics and implement accountability processes to strengthen your weaknesses, bridge the gaps, manage and capitalize on the risks, and take advantage of the opportunities and strengths that both your company and the economy offer!
We are all learning to live in and succeed in this new world order. Concentrate on how you can organize your staff and your operations, to be energized and responsive to the fast-paced opportunities as they arise (or you create them).
Remember, the key to capitalizing on opportunities is to be prepared, the more planning, the more preparation the greater your company's chance of success. Start planning now for how your company is going to grow and succeed!

As business advisors, Center Consulting Group specializes in working with businesses and organizations focused on improving their business practices. Proven results include increasing profits, reducing employee turnover, increasing client retention, and improving quality and productivity through strategic initiatives. Services offered: consulting, training, seminars, and keynote speeches.