4 Tips to Help Your Business Prepare for Hurricane Season

Hurricanes can have devastating effects. Taking steps to mitigate human, financial and operational risk before a disaster can enable businesses to sustain themselves during the event and while recovering from the impact. A weather monitoring system helps you prepare for severe weather by delivering accurate forecasts and real-time information for effective decision-making.

1.      Conduct a Risk Assessment

Assets at risk from hazards during a major storm range from potential staff injuries to the destruction of data. Evaluate the interior and exterior of the facility, noting possible environmental impact scenarios. Weaknesses may include trees near power lines or windows and potential exposure to hazardous materials.

2.      Establish an Emergency Action Plan

Put a plan in place that provides direction on a variety of critical business operations, from evacuation routes and procedures to backing up company records and individual employee duties. A comprehensive plan includes methods for reporting emergencies and communicating with specific authorities and managers.

3.      Know Your Resources

In the event of a catastrophe, many business owners do not know who to contact. Advanced preparation of a contact list in case of fire, flood or other potential disasters can help expedite evaluation and cleanup processes, allowing operations to get back to normal quickly.

4.      Have a Business Continuity Plan

Identify the systems and processes that must be available to keep the organization functioning and the best methods for maintaining them. Businesses that back up their data periodically to an off-site server are less likely to be devastated if a catastrophic event occurs.

Mitigate Risk

Preparation is an on-going process. Plans should be revisited on an annual or semi-annual basis and modified to match operational and business changes. Disaster recovery services can mitigate the financial and operational risk that results from natural and manmade events that disrupt normal business operations. Visit EarthNetworks.com for solutions and tools that enable you to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Perfect Flooring Options to Express Your Creativity

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Did you know that you can turn your floors into works of art? All that you need are some basic flooring materials from flooring the colony tx, as well as some creativity. The floor suggestions below, all courtesy of Wraps Studio, is designed to hold up quite well. They also bring a little personality to each room. Just think outside of the box and don’t be afraid to create floors that are a bit unusual, yet perfect for each room.

Distressed Flooring

If you’re a big fan of beach-inspired design or shabby chic, then this distressed flooring will work in your home. It all starts with traditional wooden planks that are then hand distressed with wire brushes in order to scrape off some of the paint. Cover the finished weathered look with some cured UV oil in order to seal in the finish.

Choose Stone Instead of Tiles

Did you know that you can install stone into your floors? Start with grout and a number of small, smooth, polished stones. Pebbles work great, just make sure that they’re polished, or they’ll be uncomfortable to walk on while barefoot. Lay the stones in the grout in the pattern that you want, and then wait for the grout to dry. You should then place another layer of grout around them to finish off the installation, just as you would with regular tiles. If you need some suggestions, this works great in bathrooms and mudrooms.

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 Stain Your Concrete

On their own, concrete floors look plain and sterile. They even look cold. It’s due to the nature of the plain concrete. However, you can change this around with a staining method. Start with a polished concrete floor and then add whichever color of stain that you choose. Follow the instructions on the label in order to produce just the right finish. Your concrete floor won’t look quite so boring anymore.

Go With Foam Floors That Actually Look Like Wood

Although foam flooring from flooring the colony tx won’t last nearly as long as real wood, it does make for a comfortable surface to lounge and walk on. Even better, this foam flooring is easy to install on your own. You won’t have to hire a professional. This makes it less expensive than other types of flooring. Just be prepared to replace it when it gets damaged, since you won’t be able to repair every issue that occurs with the foam.

Stencil Your Floors

Stenciling is a great way to add some pizzazz to your living space. Start with plain tile or wood floors. Prep them for painting, purchase your stencils, painters tape, the paint, and some finishing solution, and then get to work. The finishing solution (usually this comes in a spray can) will keep everything in place once you’re done with your masterpiece.

Now that you have some ideas, thanks to Wraps Studio, it’s time to get out there and start creating the floors of your dreams.

The New Umbrella Beats The Cost of a Pergola

Wanting to get some of the sun off the deck when we are spending time sitting outdoors for a bit, we thought of a pergola but they are very high in price- well, more than what we wanted to spend.

Our local hardware store had a 10' spread umbrella that worked so much better on sale for $100!

Your Opinion Counts

I was looking back on some old posts and saw I did  "Your Opinion Counts" posts in the past, to compliment, complain and just plain ole share my opinion about products with companies, as well as request coupons from them.
Well, I'd like to bring that back again.

So today I chose 3 products that I called companies about today:

Jif peanut butter-We picked this peanut butter up while in the US. Called and made comments and asked for coupons- so will be getting free product coupons and other coupons from Smuckers Co. ( Please note this was from US company)

Nestle ice cream- No longer sends out coupons but have available different coupons on their web site @ Nestle

Robin Hood flour- No coupons to send out but they are sending some recipes out for me and said their coupons are from time to time on Save.ca.

Also be sure to get your FREE cookie when getting your Subway order.  Take the 1 minute survey after you do get home @ TellSubway.com.
I was told today at our local Subway that I MAY be one of the only ones that brings my code back in for a FREE cookie!


** Update on post.. I was told by a few places already they no longer are sending out coupons and work with alot of online companies for printing coupons out so I guess unless I have a problem with a product, I wont be calling them.

Here is Everything You’ll Need to Start Your Own Business

Starting a business is an exciting process, but it's not something that should be taken lightly. When starting your own business, there is a lot of planning to be done and many forms to fill if you intend to go about it correctly. So much so that it's easy to get overwhelmed by just how many options you have, but with the right information, you can get your business off to a strong start.

The first thing you need to start your own business is a business plan. This is an intimidating task for most people to get involved in, but all you really need at this moment is a piece of paper that answers the who, what, when, how, and why of your business plan. In other words, who is going to be a part of your business?

#1 The Who

If it's just going to be you, you'll probably opt for a single-member LLC (see the LLC forms) or even a sole proprietorship, the latter of which requires no special registration whatsoever. Rather, at the end of the year, you'll just report your business related income or loss as self-employment income. A single member LLC may function similarly as it will be disregarded as a pass-through entity. That's a fancy way of saying you'll report the business income as self-employment income as well in the same way you would income that results from a sole proprietorship.

If you are going to have other people in this business with you or if you are going to have employees, it is worth looking into other structures. You can have a multi-member LLC, for instance, or a corporation. In any case, with multiple people and/or employees involved with your business, you will probably want to apply for an EIN using a tax ID form, which will mean your business gets its own SSN of sorts, allowing you to separate your personal credit and finances from the business.

#2 The What

The next step in starting your business is figuring out the what. In other words, what will you be selling or what service will you be offering? What sets you apart from your competitors? When thinking about this question, you are really seeking to ask: What is going to make your business money?

You might be offering a service, selling a product, or a combination of the two. You might also be acting as an affiliate, promoting someone else's service. Think about what is going to make your business money, and then continue on with your plan.

#3 The When

Figuring out the when of your business can be effected by many different things. If it's a seasonal product or service, you probably want to enter when the market is strong. Likewise, if you are struggling to handle your finances right now, it might be best to wait to start your business at a time when you have a  bit more disposable income to cover the expenses that go along with forming a business.

Figuring out when the timing is right for your new business is really going to depend on a lot of different things.

 #4 The Why

Why do you want to start a business? This is a question that most people will simply answer with "money" but it should really go far beyond that. Do you want to offer something that no one else is? Do you want to improve upon your competitor's way of doing business? Figure out a viable why that will inspire you to keep working hard in your business from this day forward, because it really is a full-time job and then some.

You have to be fully invested in your business and the idea behind it. And, more importantly, your customers have to have a reason for choosing your business too, and that's when you need to ask: Why will customers want to do business with me? Maybe you have better service or better offerings than your competitors. Above all, seek to offer more value rather than a lower price as that's the only sustainable way to long term success.

#5 The How

The how is going to bring together all of the above in an easy to follow plan that you can put into action. How are you going to make money? You have the who, the what, the when, and the why, now you just need to make a process that you can begin following to get you customers and ultimately begin generating profits.

With this plan drawn up, it's time to begin getting the legal processes moving along as that's definitely one of the more difficult and time consuming parts of launching your business. Gov Doc Filing can help you get started with it right away so that you can put your business plan into action.

Review: Welcoming Tree Time Back To Our Yard!

Three years ago we did a review for Tree Time, for a hedge/shrub we wanted for the front yard.

Well we wanted to update everyone to show that the hedge is coming along wonderful, although would liekt o see the front ones sprout a bit higher this summer. They are adding some definition to the front yard and we are quite happy with them.

Tree Time is a wonderful company in Canada that offers the largest source for trees, shrubs, fruits and berries with exceptionally good prices, and delivery to your home.

Spring and Summer are wonderful times to see the yard come back into full circle again.We love spending time outdoors in the backyard and as well enjoying our trees in the yard, which not only offer beauty and privacy, but also welcome birds, squirrels, butterflies and the like.

This year with a collaboration once again with Tree Time, Gerry planted their Double Delight and Souris raspberry 1 year old plants, adding to our other raspberry bushes in the yard.

It will be nice to see these grow and produce. We love healthy berries growing in our own back yard!

Gerry also planted around the yard, their Smoky Saskatoon seedlings around the yard.

We look forward to their growth as well and their producing of berries!

If you'd like to order YOUR trees for the season the last date to order is June 13th- and the 2019 season will start November 2018. Big sale too- so head over to Tree Time for your trees, shrubs and berries! 

5 Pro Tips to Take Your Gift Card Sales to the Next Level

Right from general retail stores to businesses that provide services such as home cleaning and repairs, everyone needs to gear up to cash in on the holiday season. Among other things, gift cards are a hot-cake item. Considering there has been a steady increase in gift card sales in America, overlooking gift cards is like turning down money. The pressure of buying something for a long list of family members and friends encourages US consumers to hit the stores looking for great gift card deals. If you play your “cards” right (pun intended), you can capitalize on this shopping mayhem. While there is a definite opportunity, success with gift cards often depends on several factors. Following are 5 pro tips to get the most out of your existing gift card campaign.

Supplement your Plastic Gift Card Campaign with E-gift Cards:

While a lot of people visit stores to buy gift cards, many of them do not. Much like everything else, buying gift cards online is steadily growing in popularity. There are plenty of online gift card stores you can collaborate with. Just like Amazon and other ecommerce sites, they feature your store gift cards and E-gift cards and take a commission for each successful sale.

Go All Out, Order Gift Cards in Bulk:

A lot of store owners underestimate their gift card sales potential and order fewer gift cards than they should. It’s very important to trust your marketing strategies by stocking up on gift cards. When you buy custom gift card in bulk, you give yourself the opportunity to go all out in order to sell them. Remember, even if you have a few hundred left, you can always sell them next season.

Time it Right:

When promoting the gift cards, it’s important to start promoting at the perfect time in order to draw in the holiday shoppers. Starting to promote too early may cause customers to overlook the offers. On the other hand, if you are too late to put up those banners, you will lose half of the customers who are already done with their holiday shopping. If you are planning to target the Christmas crowd, start promoting your gift cards immediately after Black Friday.

Employ Decorated Holiday-Themed Display Stands:

A huge chunk of the customer base decide to buy gift cards when they are at the store. This is why it’s essential to trigger their shopping impulses by putting out a few gift card display stands. Apart from other locations in the store, make sure there are display stands near the POS counter.

Adopt the Three-Pronged Promotion Strategy:

What’s the three-pronged marketing strategy? It’s social media, banners, and word-of-mouth. Go to your store’s social media pages and start promoting the gift cards. Right from contest to funny posts, employ everything to get people involved. When we say banners, we mean printed advertisements. It can be banners, posters, danglers, or standees. Make sure all the offers are visible from outside the store. Also, consider putting up banners and posters in nearby locations. Word-of-mouth marketing happens when people start talking about your gift card offers. Speak to loyal customers about the deal and request them to pass the information on to their friends and family members. Also, mention the gift card deals to every customer who walks in.

5 Reasons to Choose St. John for Your Honeymoon

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Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but the thought of a relaxing honeymoon after the big day is what aids a lot of newlyweds through the stress. Because of this, many newlyweds set out immediately after the wedding to an idyllic destination that amplifies the excitement of the big day (and the joy of the planning being done).  The idea is to head to a place that’s both intimitate an exciting, and for many, that means heading to a tropical island paradise.

Fortunately, there is one wedding planning decision that’s easy to make, and that’s to choose the Caribbean island of St. John for your honeymoon. A multitude of lavish St. John homes for rent make it easy to choose a home away from home that’s guaranteed to create lasting memories, and the picture-perfect surroundings create a romantic yet adventurous atmosphere that’s impossible to resist.

These are five reasons why you should choose St. John for your honeymoon. Trust us - you won’t be disappointed.

It’s Easy to Reach

You’ll probably want to fly to your honeymoon destination (driving long-distance is no way to start a marriage), and St. John is an easy island to access considering its secluded, deserted-isle feel.  The Cyril E. King Airport is a public airport found just 2 miles west of the Charlotte Amalie business district on the nearby island of St. Thomas. Once you arrive at Cyril E. King Airport, you’ll be able to take a pubic ferry or private water taxi to the gorgeous island of St. John. This is where you head out to sea, leave the wedding stresses behind, and truly begin to enjoy married life with your new husband or wife.

Luxurious Hotels and Villas

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/st-john-virgin-islands-tropical-3002300/

While on your honeymoon, you will demand the best, and St. John offers some of the most lavish resorts, villas, and eateries in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The esteemed Gallows Point Resort is one of the hotels that will spoil you with all of the amenities you desire, including a sumptuous suite with oceanfront balcony, snorkeling at your doorstep, a relaxing pool, tropical gardens and more.  

Or, you can opt for an over-the-top villa, like The Latitude in Great Cruz Bay, which includes a private pool and hot tub overlooking the turquoise waters of the bay.  Wherever you stay in St. John, you’re bound to enjoy quality services, whether you’re seeking award-winning cuisine, exciting ocean activities, or even private butler service at your room or villa. There are so many sumptuous places to stay -- for every budget -- that you simply can’t go wrong when planning your trip to St. John.

Vacation Rentals Too

Many honeymooners are seeking even more privacy, and the best way to enjoy a place entirely to yourself is by booking a vacation rental. The island is full of vacation rentals offered by real estate companies and individual home owners to give you a luxurious yet local living experience. Whether you’re searching for a smaller, more affordable home in a local neighborhood or a lavish rental with balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea, you can find the vacation rental you’re seeking. Luxury Retreats is a helpful booking site that will connect you with your dream vacation home away from the distractions of overly-crowded resorts and fellow tourists.  

Unbeatable Views and Landmarks

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/boats-sailing-travel-vacation-sun-367590/

As newlyweds, there’s no doubt you’re craving a place that will provide the peace and tranquility of untouched natural beauty.  The Caribbean island of St. John is full of breathtaking landmarks and sights, determined to spruce ignite your honeymoon. For instance, a tour the Coral Bay is an experience that you and your husband or wife will remember for decades to come. In addition to Coral Bay, the white sand beaches of Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Park, and even Honeymoon Beach (aptly named) are just waiting to introduce you to the breathtaking natural wonders of the Caribbean. While you may want to relax in the comfort of your lavish hotel room or villa, there’s no doubt you should get out and experience the beaches and waters that surround you.

Water Sports Abound

Because St. John is a tropical island, most of the adventure activities you can enjoy there in involve beaches and the sea. Some of the most sought-after water activities on the island are kayaking the pristine Caneel Bay, the Hanley Cay Adventure tour, snorkeling at Cinnamon Bay, taking a day trip via boat to St. Thomas, embarking on a private sailing excursion, or diving among the brightly-coloured corals and sea creatures that call this area home.

And when your skin is too pruned to spend another day in the sea, you can spend a day exploring the historic Annaberg Sugar Plantation, hiking the Lind Point Trail, exploring Bordeaux Mountain, or shopping the galleries and stores of Cruz Bay and other popular tourist areas. Choose the activities that appeal most to you and your love, and you’re guaranteed to create lasting memories.

What Are You Waiting For?

Every wonderful wedding is completed with an unforgettable honeymoon. And we suggest you enjoy your honeymoon in one of the most picture-perfect places in the world -- St. John. Splash in the crystal clear Caribbean waters, sink your toes into the powder white sands, and lay in bed for hours simply feeling the warm sun and salty air on your skin. St. John is truly paradise on earth.

How To Handle Pest Outbreaks on a Family Vacation

You deserve to get out of the city from time to time on a wonderful family vacation. However, you do not want your trip to be hampered by encountering bed bugs. Miami exterminators can certainly help you if you bring pests back home with you, but the best thing is to avoid carrying bed bugs when possible.

Be Cautious of Where You Stay

You should conduct plenty of research on the hotel you want to stay at well in advance. Be wary if there are a lot of reviews from people saying bed bugs are present. A good hotel will shut down operations entirely for a day or two while the building is fumigated if bed bugs get inside.

 Inspect the Hotel When You Get There

Before you unpack when you arrive at the hotel, you should conduct a thorough inspection around the bed. In the event you find bed bugs, you should bring it to the attention of management. They should be able to refund your visit. However, if the management is difficult, then it may be best to spend your own money to book another hotel room. It is preferable over having to deal with pests.

Avoid Cloth When Out and About

While hotels are breeding grounds for bed bugs, you can actually encounter them virtually anywhere. The pests can latch onto people’s clothing, and they can bring them with them on buses and movie theater seats. Avoid placing a bug or purse onto any carpeted or upholstered area. You should also avoid walking around in shoes made out of canvas or cloth. You can always contact  a best in country exterminator if you need help determiningif you do indeed have them.

Isolate Belongings

In the event you discover the presence of bed bugs among your belongings while you are still on vacation, it is paramount to isolate the clothing. That is why it is recommended to carry a few plastic bags with you on your trip. You can separate the clothing from everything else, and you can try to kill the bed bugs by tossing the bag in a laundromat dryer for one hour.

Check Belongings When You Return Home

Before unpacking back at your house, you should inspect clothes to see if bed bugs are present. You do not want to hang anything up until you do this. You may need to send the clothing to a professional who knows how to exterminate pests without damaging the fabric.

Contact an Austin exterminator immediately if you are concerned about bed bugs in your home. Most people catch them after they travel, so have fun on your next vacation, but also be cautious. 

5 Legal Self Defense Weapons

Getting attacked is something nobody wants nor should anybody get to experience. However, it’s common to hear about an acquaintance getting mugged while on the way to the parking lot or passing by a dark alley. If this unfortunate event happens to you, are you prepared to defend yourself? There are a lot of nonlethal self-defense weapons that you can safely carry around no matter where you go.

It’s best that you’re prepared for any untoward incidents that can cause you your personal belongings or even life. Here are some items you should consider:

1. Electric Stun Gun

This is arguably the most popular choice of a self-defense weapon. They are non lethal yet they are able to neutralize the attacker for a minimum of five seconds. When you’re in a dangerous situation, this amount of time is sufficient enough for you to get out of the situation and find a safe place.

It is said that being hit with an electric stun gun is similar to having a force beyond description grab you by the spine and being shaken for what seems like the longest five seconds of your life.

2. Tactical Pen

This inconspicuous item will provide maximum benefits as it is very useful when defending yourself. Just imagine how Jason Bourne was able to use this in neutralizing an attacker and you’ll understand.

3. Batons

This item can definitely injure the attacker and can buy you time to escape. They are very mobile as they are collapsible, easy to use, and lightweight so you can carry them anywhere.

4. Keychain Weapons

They come in all shapes and sizes but their usability is something you can’t neglect. You can either opt for a knuckle weapon, panic alarm, or expandable steel. There are also keychains that work as a pepper spray or stun gun.

5. Pepper Spray

One of the most used self-defense weapons is the pepper spray. They are easy to carry and use, very effective, and can cause considerable injury to the attacker.