Tema: Vontade
Para que resulte o possível deve ser tentado o impossível
via @notiun
sexta-feira, outubro 16, 2015
Osho
A felicidade é a experiência suprema do seu regresso a casa, do sentir-se tranquilo e em paz com a existência, numa completa unidade e harmonia.
@notiun
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Carlyle, Thomas
Tema: Prosperidade
Para cada homem que consegue suportar a prosperidade existem cem que conseguem suportar a adversidade
via @notiun
Para cada homem que consegue suportar a prosperidade existem cem que conseguem suportar a adversidade
via @notiun
Riverrun - New ZealandEnjoying an exceptional natural setting,...
Riverrun - New Zealand
Enjoying an exceptional natural setting, close to New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka, Riverrun combines bespoke design and fine cuisine with gracious service and endless outdoor activities. Inside, aged wharf timbers, century-old railway beams, and roaring log fires evoke a sense of history and heritage, while modern amenities such as free WiFi and Apple TVs with in-house movies ensure total comfort. Overlooking the surrounding mountains and valleys, the lodge’s beautifully appointed rooms come with luxuriously comfortable beds, ensuite bathrooms, and rich complimentary breakfast consisting of fresh juices, homemade cereals, as well as cooked options.
Elma Arts Complex Luxury HotelSituated in the town of Zichron...
Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel
Situated in the town of Zichron Yaakov, Israel, Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel is a cutting-edge leisure and entertainment complex featuring 95 stylishly designed accommodations, including gorgeous freestanding cottages with private patios and dining rooms. The serene, minimalist interiors are swathed in neutral shades of white and beiges, and accented with blonde wood and patterned throw rugs. Oratorio, the hotel’s main fine dining restaurant serves exquisite Mediterranean cuisine in contemporary designer surroundings, while The Cube is the place to be for tapas, concerts, and stand-up comedy. Also on-site, guests will find a luxury spa, wonderful indoor/outdoor pools, and sensational conference and banquet halls. The complex is entirely devoted to art, so it should be no surprise that it hosts two world-class concert halls, two sprawling art galleries, and a variety of amphitheaters, artists’ studios, and state-of-the-art exhibition spaces.
SHERAKHAN YachtWith its 12 themed suites, fabulous...
SHERAKHAN Yacht
With its 12 themed suites, fabulous glass-bottomed Jacuzzi, and fully-equipped spa, SHERAKHAN is one of the most remarkable superyachts available for charter. Each lavishly appointed cabin pays homage to a famous writer and comes complete with plush king-size bed, marble bathroom, and state-of-the-art technology. Other impressive features include a 7m high atrium with dining room, a beauty salon, sauna, gym, as well as an abundance of beautiful outdoor spaces. Onboard tenders and toys comprise water-ski / wakeboarding equipment, wave runners, jet skis, a slide, and a Dutch sloep. The yacht can accommodate 26 guests in supreme comfort and is available for sale & charter in the Western Mediterranean (Summer) as well as Caribbean & Bahamas, Central & South America, and Antarctica (Winter).
Top 11 Cost-Effective Ways To Sell Your Products
Whether you run a large ecommerce site or simply sell your merchandise from home, there are a vast variety of options for effectively selling your products online. Alas, some are more costly than others and not everyone has the money to pay for the more upmarket methods, especially if they’re just starting out. Here are some more cost-effective ways you can ensure your products reach the right audience and that you sell your products.
Social Media
- Promote On Facebook
Chances are you’re already aware of Facebook and know how to use it socially, but have you tried promoting your products on the social media giant?
When you actively promote your merchandise on Facebook by sharing information, connecting with friends or followers and promoting sales and competitions you can persuade your audience to not only look into your store themselves, but also get them to share with their friends, thereby reaching a wider audience.
- Share On Twitter
Once you have a foundation of followers and a reasonable knowledge of how to utilize hashtags, you can easily promote your products to your Twitter audience. If they like what you’re selling, chances are they’ll retweet or mention you to their followers and so, much like Facebook, you’ll reach a wider audience. Using Twitter does require time, patience and effort, but once you’ve gotten the ball rolling you’ll soon see the benefits.
- Pin On Pinterest
Pinterest is a relatively new social platform compared to the others, but it’s extremely popular. You can create themed boards where you can pin images from your website and online store, which others can easily re-pin leading to great exposure. Pinterest is entirely free and incredibly easy to use, so get pinning regularly.
- Use Daily Deal Sites
There are absolutely loads of daily deal sites across the web, most notably Groupon and Living Social. These sites offer their audience deals on everything from gifts to holidays, as well as local bargains. If you choose to use a daily deals platform you should expect a huge number of sales in a short period of time, and it’s likely that many initial buyers will return if they like your product. However, make sure you have enough to sell before you place the ad, as not fulfilling orders can be bad for your reputation.
Ecommerce Stores
- Start A Store On Spaces
Also known as Go Spaces, ecommerce platform Spaces is a relatively new site having been originally thought up back in 2013. You can sell clothing, jewelry, digital downloads such as eBooks, and a whole load of other products on your own customizable store page (or ‘Space’), all for free. There is no limit to the amount of Spaces you can create or products you can sell, and they’ll even take care of all the boring payment stuff behind the scenes.
- Sell On Shopify
Like Spaces, Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that allows you to set up your own online store without having to build your own site or pay someone else to do it for you. Your page is easy to build and thoroughly customizable, so you can ensure your brand and page use similar color schemes and create the same atmosphere. Shopify isn’t entirely free, but there are various pricing plans you can choose from and the exposure you’ll receive will probably outweigh the costs.
- Make It Big On Big Cartel
Big Cartel aims to promote products from clothes designers, jewelry makers, bands and other such creative entrepreneurs. They offer customizable pages and take absolutely no percentage of your sales, making this perhaps the best method for beginners and smaller businesses operating within specific markets.
Other
- Sign Up For Google Shopping
If you’re selling online, it’s crucial that you’re listed in Google Shopping search results. To do this, you must first sign up to Google Merchant Center and upload information about your products. After this is completed, your products are likely to appear with relevant search queries, leading to more business and website traffic, especially if your products offer better value than the competition.
- Make Product Videos
Sites like YouTube have an absolutely massive audience; so tapping into their site will probably get you at the very least a small percentage of their views. Consumers are likely to search for all sorts of media relating to products they wish to invest in these days, as they often don’t have access to the hands-on experience of checking out the product in person before making the purchase. By creating thoroughly planned, informative, good quality videos displaying and explaining your products, those who come across them will be more likely to delve further into discovering the wares you have on offer.
- Write Reviews
Review sites such as Review Centre and The Best Of can make all the difference, as good reviews will encourage those who would otherwise shy away from the lack of information and personal experience available to them when buying online. Ensure you’re listed on as many review sites as possible so that your customers can share their positive experiences with you and your products. When others see you have happy customers, they’ll most likely want to become one of them too.
- Send Emails
Email may be one of the oldest web methods of selling products available, but it’s still incredibly effective. Email accounts are still a hub of information for many of us online as it’s where all of our social media notifications, shopping receipts, newsletters and personal information is sent and stored. So, if someone’s willing to give you their email address, chances are they’re interested in what you’re selling. From then on you can share highlights, news, special offers and sales right to their personal hub.
Featured photo credit: IPhone, Visa, Business via pixabay.com
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5 Alternatives to Pay Per Click Advertising Your Brand Should Consider
The foundation of Internet advertising is the banner ad, with the pay-per-click model following closely behind. Google was the first company to make PPC (pay per click) huge, and it works out pretty well for both the advertiser and for the company charging them for the clicks. It’s a win-win for sure, but sometimes you have products or services that don’t seem to work with PPC advertising or you just aren’t getting the response that you used to. What you need is a fresh new approach and that’s why you should consider one or more of these five alternatives to PPC.
We discussed the lay of the land and several alternatives to the PPC with five industry experts to find out what they recommended. Read on to see some of their valuable insights.
1. YouTube Pre-Roll Ads
YouTube has been doing better and better when it comes to their advertising policies and now, with new rules in place for the pre-roll ads, advertisers aren’t going to have to pay for advertising that doesn’t net them any actual results, like the five seconds of an ad that plays before the viewer hits the “Skip” button.
Aaron Hocket, Partner & Sales Team Leader at AltaVista Strategic Partners was the first expert we conversed with. He believes that YouTube’s “True View” will benefit them even more now that advertisers only pay for completed views, and actively encourages their clients in the construction industry to use YouTube instead of PPC.
He goes on to illustrate how YouTube ads can work as a better alternative to PPC for some a number of specific services, while offering value at the same time:
“One example of how we are using YouTube as an alternative to PPC: Working with a plumber, we will create branded “how to” videos related around multiple residential services such as fixing a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink or unclogging a bathtub drain.” He explains. “Using an exact match keyword strategy within targeted zip codes, we will run the appropriate ads correlating to the search query. A user searches “How to unclog a bathtub drain” and clicks on the first video where we run an ad that starts “The first step to unclogging a bathtub drain.” and are able to capture and 4 minute video completions as we are fulfilling the user’s needs. We end the ad with a powerful call to action.”
2. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great form of advertising that has quite a few different benefits. Email marketing is definitely more personal than some of these other alternatives and it makes the person think that you are talking directly to them, even if they know deep down that they are one of many. Brad Owen of Never Bounce says that you should be using it as something extra, not as a sole way to advertise.
“If you’re not using a direct form of communication in conjunction with your PPC campaigns, you’re leaving big money on the table.”
“While PPC boosts your traffic needle, unfortunately it does very little for your overall conversions; that’s all up to you and your on-site marketing strategy.”
Brad adds that the average user will require six touches prior to completing an action. Although PPC can bring users to your site, that’s only one “touch.” Email marketing then can account for many more “touches” at once with a great autoresponder sequence.
“Organically growing and nurturing your customer email list is the core to continuous engagement with your customers.”
3. Influencer Marketing
Advertising with an influencer isn’t anything new. In fact, companies have been relying on influencers for hundreds of years, but these days, there are some very specific people who are having an impact on what consumers buy and anyone who wants to get their message heard should be focusing on them.
“We all know that social trust is key in the future of marketing,” says Noah Everton, a growth strategist at ShoutOurBiz. ”But for a brand to truly succeed and get a head, they should be looking to influencers within their niche. When I consult marketing teams, I always tell them ‘your competition is already reaching out to influencers, how do you plan to stay ahead of their game?’ And usually I’m met with a blank stare.”
Companies like ShoutOurBiz and FameBit help companies stay head of the competition because they are the meeting place between influencers and the brands that want their vote of confidence.
4. Content Marketing
One of the biggest trends when it comes to Internet marketing is the rise of content marketing. At first, only a few were seeing value in this activity, but now even the smallest businesses know that content marketing is necessary and effective.
Christopher Martin, Digital Marketing Manager at Flex MR, believes that PPC advertising is currently suffering through an “image problem.”
“Ad fraud and blocking have been hot topics amongst online marketing specialists throughout 2015.” He points out. “To make sure you aren’t wasting your 2016 marketing budget, consider investing in an effective content marketing plan instead.”
5. Reputation Marketing
Finally, reputation marketing is absolutely vital and cannot be ignored by any business large or small. In the old days, if you had a few dissatisfied customers odds were they wouldn’t influence any of your other customers. Now, those naysayers might end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars or more because they have a pulpit to preach from. Lauren Edvalson is the CEO of Edvalson Marketing and says that the best online partner for your PPC campaigns is reputation marketing.
There are tons of reputation marketing companies popping up. Organic search results are not showing websites, they are listing companies with five star reviews on review sites like Yelp or Angie’s List. It’s so important to put a strategy and budget to creating customer advocacy programs. Each person who works for your company then becomes aligned with your marketing efforts by asking customers to provide feedback about their experience. Taking it a step further, if you are a sales driven business, incorporating great customer service into the way you measure employee performance will keep your sales people honest and protect your reputation.
Featured photo credit: Josh MacDonald via joshmacdonald.net
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3 Simple Productivity Hacks From Prison Inmates
What’s your first thought when you think of a prisoner?
Often, people have a negative perception of those doing time, even if the person was convicted of a victimless crime. That’s one reason why former convicts have such difficulty finding work and forming new relationships once they are released from prison.
However, it’s important to remember that ex-cons are people — and no less human than someone who has never done any time. In fact, you might be surprised what you can learn from those who have been incarcerated.
We are students of this experience called life. The truth is that we can learn from everybody. After speaking to a number of prisoners, I learned a lot.
Here are two of the most important lessons:
- Most prisoners have developed remarkable mental strength. (Many of their habits are described in this article.)
- Time spent in prison can be productive or unproductive. Despite their limited resources, inmates tend to get creative and at times are even more productive than those who are not limited in resources.
So, what can we learn from prison inmates that will make us productive in life?
1. Write Every Day
Prisoners typically have three mealtimes and a recess period every day. Unless one has a job in prison, the other 19 hours are spent in their prison cell. 19 hours is a long time to sit and be unproductive. What would you do if you were confined to a room for 19 hours?
Prison inmates frequently write to pass time. Some write song lyrics. Others write daily entries in a journal. A few even write a book: Andrew Medal wrote Hacking The Valley during the time he spent in prison.
Medal’s advice: It’s better to spend your time being productive rather than sitting there doing nothing.
2. Read Every Day
Besides writing, reading is one of the other activities that prisoners do a lot of. Since inmates do not have laptops and WiFi, they use those 11 to 19 hours to educate themselves the old school way — by reading books.
Inmates often have family and friends who bring them newspapers, magazines, and books from the outside. Having such resources allows prisoners to educate themselves and stay informed about the trends happening in modern society.
Unfortunately, for many who have access to the internet, things like video games, music channels, and social media become distractions to the point that they cannot focus on the resources they need to reach the finish line.
Getting a magazine subscription or joining a book club is a good idea. I like to follow the reading list of successful people in my niche. Peter Sage (commonly known as The Extreme Entrepreneur) is one example of people that I follow for reading recommendations.
3. Bootstrap
Life in prison can be expensive for the majority of inmates, especially when money is low. But borrowing from a bank or investor isn’t really an option.
For many Americans, the financial situation also looks bleak:
50% of Americans make no more than $28,013 a year.
Only 40% of Americans with student loans are paying them back.
22% of American children are living below the poverty line.
So how do you move forward with your idea or goals when the situation is so bad?
Bootstrap.
Likely, no matter how dire your situation is, someone is surviving with less. Bootstrapping makes you productive because it forces you to be more resourceful. It is a skill that inmates develop in prison, and it can be just as helpful for people who live outside those four walls.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to serve any time in the big house. But for those who do, it can be a huge learning experience — leading to extreme productivity.
Why not take a few moments, and see how you can incorporate their hacks into your life?
Featured photo credit: diegoattorney via pixabay.com
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How Can You Convert A Wood Fireplace To A Gas Fireplace?
People love fireplaces in their homes. They generally make a home more marketable even in warmer climates. Living rooms with fireplaces give a homey feeling to people looking to buy the house. Some like both wood-burning and gas fireplaces, but others prefer gas to wood. If you are someone who wants a gas fireplace, you can purchase a home with a wood-burning. Just same extra funds to convert the wood-burning to gas.
Why do people prefer gas?
1. Convenience
It is easier to flip a switch and have the gas fireplace light. You don’t have to worry about getting the firewood, kindling and paper. You don’t have worry about what to do if it doesn’t start. Although some gas fireplaces have a turnkey and not a switch, it still is easier than building a fire the old-fashioned way.
2. No mess
Wood-burning fireplaces create a mess. They get ashes and soot in your living room that you will have to clean on a regular basis. You also have to pick up bark and pieces of wood from the floor when you are bringing in the wood from outside the house. These get into your carpet and dirty your carpet. Gas fireplaces don’t require wood, so you don’t have the mess with ashes or wood chips. However, you will have to clean the mantle and walls after you use your fireplace.
3. Less expensive in many cases
Although there are instances where it would be cheaper to use a firewood-burning fireplace, generally, gas fireplaces are cheaper to run. They do use gas and will increase your household heat bill, but they aren’t that much extra. If you use only the gas fireplace and not the heat, such as in late spring or early fall, you will not have to pay a lot for the gas usage. Most people with wood-burning fireplaces have to purchase the wood. This can be costly. If you live in a mountain or a wooded area, you might be able to feed your fireplace without spending money. In this case, the wood might be cheaper.
4. No warmth
According to the Energy Department, a wood-burning fireplace brings in as warm, inside air, but it goes up the chimney.
5. Less hard to breathe
If you’re using a traditional wood fire, you are being exposed to toxic byproducts, such as respiratory irritants, carcinogens and deadly carbon monoxide. The Environmental Protection Agency warns of other health dangers, namely asthma, reproductive issues and birth defects.
6. Less air pollution
Wood smoke is a large contributor to air pollution. Sometimes, cities will ban fireplace burning if the air quality is low.
7. Dangers to the home
Your house is in danger should the creosote, a tarry byproduct of wood smoke, ignite in your chimney. Chimney fires are the cause of over 25,000 house fires a year.
What do you need to convert the fireplace?
To make the conversion, you need vented gas logs and a gas fireplace insert. These are important to make sure the new fireplace works the way it should. Because gas fireplace inserts function as heaters, they give off significantly more warmth than wood-burning fireplaces. When you use vented gas logs; you can buy the ones that allow you to adjust the flames. In this case, you would reduce how much heat you want or how much you don’t want. They can be quite energy efficient,
You want to avoid using vent-free logs. Unvented gas logs are not recommended because they release air from the fireplace back into the room with no exterior ventilation, potentially causing serious health problems, and they are banned in many areas. Even though gas fireplaces do not produce smoke, they still create pollutants, including carbon monoxide, making venting essential.
Keep safety in mind when converting
This is not a project you want to take on yourself. You should hire professionals who will understand the pitfalls during conversion. They will know the procedure and how to keep your home safe. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning professional will make sure your gas is feeding the fireplace correctly and not letting harmful gases into your space. You’ll also need to deal with a construction company and a structural engineer who will ensure the chimney and fireplace doesn’t harm other parts of the home. They all will make sure they keep you safe, the workers safe and the home safe.
Find three companies and get quotes. Work with the company that makes you feel the most comfortable. After all, it’s your home. You have to live with the result and live in the home during construction. Look for reviews for the company you choose. Go with the one that has the best reputation and history of doing these projects.
Featured photo credit: Convert a wood fireplace into a gas fireplace via google.com
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