Conversation The Carnival Cruise Ship

I was having a conversation at Starbucks with some intellectual type thinkers of various backgrounds, all accomplished in their own rights. What started out as just a conversation about anything and everything turned into a dialogue about current events and then evolved into a brainstorm of a smart new business concept to start. Amongst the candidates were all sorts of mobile smart phone apps, high-tech devices, and believe it or not survival kits in case of an asteroid, civil war, Earthquake, Hurricane, or get this; in case you are on a cruise ship that loses power and you are stuck at sea for a week. Okay so, let's talk.

The same day as our conversation the Carnival Cruise Ship "Triumph" was being towed into a port in Alabama after being adrift at sea due to an engine room fire. For four days it was without power, water flow, toilets working, etc. and it took over 3-days just to tow it to port. Obviously, those passengers by the time that ordeal was over had indeed "triumphed" over the adversity of the cruise from hell. You have to feel sorry for Carnival Cruises because that's just some awful PR. Sure, they are a solid company and will recover, but in the interim they did take a Tsunami size hit to their brand name.

This isn't the first time a cruise ship has lost all power, a year or so ago the same thing happened off the coast of San Diego, some 200+ miles out to sea. Then we all heard about the capsized cruise ship in the Mediterranean which actually had casualties. Okay so, our little ad hock brainstorming session realized that a "survival gear" pack for cruise ship patrons might indeed be a wise item to market to the public. In it would be flashlights, battery packs, fresh water, MREs, and flying toilet bags - these are bags you can go to the bathroom into and if push comes to shove you can sail them over the side into the sea as a last resort so your in-room cruise ship toilet doesn't overflow making your life even more miserable.

 How much could we market these for you ask? Well, our group decided that $29.99 would be a fair price, but a "family cruise ship survival pack" could sell for $59.99 and sustain 4 people for 4-days until help arrived to rescue the stranded cruise ship. Better to play it safe than sorry. So, if you are an entrepreneur, well, maybe this might be a decent business to start?

A Commercial Cleaning Own Starting Business

You start janitorial business.This type of business is available in almost every area but if you're willing to work hard and do a good job for the companies where you are working, you would be surprised with how many jobs you're able to obtain. In the course of this article, we are going to discuss some of the things that need to be considered when starting a commercial cleaning business. This type of business differs from a home cleaning business in numerous ways, which is why we are focusing on one over the other.

The first thing that you need to consider is the fact that you are often going to need to provide a commercial business with additional products and services when you compare it to what you would provide for an individual homeowner. As an example, industrial air fresheners may become necessary in larger commercial jobs and it may be your responsibility to provide those air fresheners on a regular basis. You might also be surprised with the other items which are required by the commercial businesses where you work. Some of them may want you to provide food service supplies or other janitorial supplies that are going to be used through the week while you are not working.

There is going to be an additional startup cost when it comes to a commercial cleaning business that you will not likely have with a home cleaning business. One of the reasons why that is the case is because you are going to be responsible for maintaining floors in the commercial location that is above and beyond what you would have to do at an individual's home. Waxing floors is going to take some specialty equipment and you may need to have both a scrubber and a buffer to make sure that the floors are maintained properly. You may also need to purchase carpet cleaning or window cleaning supplies in order to keep your customers happy.

Although there are some downsides to running a commercial cleaning business, there are also a variety of positive things that should be considered. For example, if you have several commercial cleaning contracts, that is usually work that you are going to be able to count on, week after week. You will also be more likely to receive a check on a regular basis from those businesses as well. Although it may tie you down to a certain extent because of the need to do a lot of your work on the weekends, that is going to be well worth it when you consider the amount of free time that you have during the week.

One other choice that you should make when starting a commercial cleaning business is if you are going to join a franchise or if you are going to have an independent operation.

Contact Your Customers And Solutions

It is very important for you to keep in close contact with your customers. It is likewise important for you to look for new customers who will take your business to new levels. Although there are many ways for you to be able to do this, the Internet really provides some of the most convenient and effective ways that are in existence. Here are a few tips that can help you with the process of staying in touch with your customers and getting the most out of your relationship.

Before we begin to discuss some of the electronic ways of contacting your customers, let's consider some of the old-fashioned ways that are not yet out of date. You may have contacted your customers using direct mail or on the telephone for years and found this to have a degree of success. Although it may be easier to use the Internet to contact your customers, it does not necessarily mean that those old methods of contact are outdated. As long as something is working for you and showing a profit, it should continue to be used regularly.

As far as contacting people online is concerned, there are a few ways that you can do so that we will discuss. Perhaps one of the easiest ways for you to contact people, however, is through email marketing. Although some people may tend to shy away from this type of marketing, fearing that they are going to be labeled as a "spammed" that is far from the truth. As long as you use a legitimate way of gathering email addresses and make sure that you do not abuse the service, you would be surprised with how much business it can drive in your direction. Of course, there are many different email marketing vendors that are available and you will need to choose from among the best email services to suit your specific needs.

Surveys also provide you with an excellent way to keep in contact with your customers and to draw attention to your business for any new customers. One of the benefits of using surveys is the fact that it is interactive and lets you get inside in the mind of your customers. If you use the right questions, you are not only using the survey to drive traffic to your website or business, you are also able to develop new products and services according to the needs of your clients. That can really help to drive your business in the right direction, if you use it wisely.
One final thing that needs to be discussed is the possibility of using social networking to attract customers to your business. The largest social network, Facebook can be used for this purpose and many businesses are seeing success by using Facebook on a limited basis. If you have a Facebook page for your business and begin to develop a following, you can build relationships with those individuals which help to foster trust.

Introduced Beverage Products Industry

Introduced in the beverage industry every year. However, only a few of these manage to become a success story. Distributors as well as retailers in the beverage industry are always looking for new products to offer consumers. However, many people make common mistakes when developing a new beverage which lead to loss of time and money. For a successful beverage, you need to realize your mistakes and take a totally different approach.

The very first mistake that many people make in beverage development is choosing the wrong distributor. You need to find distributors who are willing to sell your new product regardless of the heavy competition in the beverage industry. It is always best to focus on distributors who are specialized in selling beverages and have already established links with store owners and are likely to boost your beverage sales. However, you need to play your part by marketing your product well since most distributors will focus on a product with a viable market.

You must also come up with a perfect sales and marketing strategy which will to boost sales of your new beverage. Distributors as well as retailers will always want to find out whether you have a proper plan on how you intend to market your product design. They want to know that, you have the right approach to sensitize consumers to buy these new products.After all, the consumers are responsible for creating revenue for your business. It is important to focus on proper marketing techniques which boost beverage sales.

Additionally, never allow a company to take full charge in the beverage development process. The common mistake made by many novice entrepreneurs in the beverage industry, is allowing a third party to be the sole decision maker in the developing of a new beverage. Well, it is always important to play an active role in every step of developing the new beverage. Give ideas on the flavor, formula, marketing technique, product design and even packaging. Chip in whenever you can and do not allow other people to make every decision for you. You will only understand how you can manage the product, after it has been developed, if you participated actively in the development process.

It is also very risky to venture into the beverage industry without conducting proper research on your target market. You need to understand the kind of consumers you are targeting so that you can incorporate their demands in the product design. It is also important to research on the strategies which have worked before by researching about beverages which have been around for the oldest time.

Most importantly, avoid spending too much at the initial stages of beverage development. Cut down the spending on promotions and production.

Industrial Revolution And History

The Industrial Revolution, manufacturing companies began experimenting with ways to move large quantities of their goods at once. Skids were the first pallets ever developed, appearing in American factories along with low-lift trucks in the late 1880s. These trucks were hand operated, could only lift the goods 5 to 7 centimeters off the ground, and because they required so much manual effort from the operator, could only move the goods about one meter laterally.


Invention and Development

Even though these early forklifts were hard to operate, they quickly proved their worth, and major companies grabbed a hold of the idea and worked to make more efficient models. By the 1910s, manufacturing, shipping and machinery companies worked off each other's ideas to create a higher lift truck that could finally lift goods more than 5 centimeters off the ground. Along with this truck came the standardisation of the pallet, which is the same model we use today, allowing goods to be stacked on top of each other safely. This standardisation allowed machinery companies like Clark and Yale to produce lift trucks (forklifts) that could be used by any industry.

The 1920s and 1930s brought sophistication to the forklift. For the first time, it started looking like its own specialised machine instead of a simple tractor with a lifting attachment. Trade magazines ran advertisements for the sale of forklifts, and major forklift manufacturers made strides in the industrial market.

Wartime Innovation

World Wars I and II happened simultaneously along with the development of the forklift, and if it were not for this valuable piece of technology, feuding countries may not have been able to provide weapons and supplies to their troops at the rates needed. World War II acted as a major spark in forklift development. It was an absolute necessity for companies to load wartime goods as quickly and efficiently as possible onto loading docks to be shipped overseas. From this necessity, engineers added hydraulic technology, pallet lifts, and side movements.

Shaping History

Once the wars ended, the necessity, value and utility of the forklift was unquestionable. It was an irreplaceable piece of workplace technology, but companies were still looking for ways to improve. In the 1950s, manufacturing plants decided to focus on getting the most out of their storage facilities, stacking their goods on higher shelves and in tighter spaces. From this desire, reach trucks, lifting up to 2,000 kilograms to a maximum height of 9 meters, were developed. With their investment in industrial inventions like the forklift, western countries like the United Kingdom and the United States shaped history, establishing their leadership in global shipping.

Today, more than 150,000 forklift trucks for sale are purchased each year. World is modern today.

Own Business Demand But Big Responsibility

Life is busy enough running one life without the extra burden of making someone else decisions for them.
Owning a business is a great responsibility, and with it comes a great happiness. Your focus is about you being Successful on Purpose. It is up to you, to make sure your actions are pushing you towards the achieving of your goals.

Now let me ask you:

"Is 2013 the excitement you been planning for?"
As last year drew to a close did you notice that so many people are talking about how 2013 is staged to be the best year yet? Now read these questions and be honest with yourself. Remember, the only person you are fooling is yourself.

· What is the Vision you have set for yourself?

· What is the Vision you have set for your business?

· What are the goals you have put in place to ensure 2013 is the best year yet for you?

· What are you doing right now to ensure you are building your business to give you the lifestyle you want?

February is upon us, and we are heading into a year that will be unequaled.

Are you enjoying the new focus you have given yourself? It is about planning and setting your intentions for success.

This year's Success belongs to the risk takers:

· Not the ones who are playing it safe.

· Life can be perverse like that, the more security you seek, the less of it you have.

· Therefore, the more you seek opportunities for success, the more likely it is that success will be achieved and satisfy your desire for you to be successful.

There are many bookshops that have self-help books, each one of them loaded with ideas that you can use to be more successful. The fact is though:

1. It is not about advice

2. It is not about reading

3. It is not about waiting for success to turn up.

It is about motivation, however all of this is only beneficial if you can motivate yourself to take persistent, and continuous action in the direction you set with your strategic plan, which you set through the goals and your Vision.

The most important quality of success is: -

· Self-discipline: Self-discipline is the decision you make, it is the stand you take, it is using your abilities based on your character.

· It is your strength of character and will power - to do what you should do and what you know is right for you whether you feel like it or not.

Character is your ability to follow through on your promises after the enthusiasm you started with has passed or faded. It is not about what you learn that is decisive for your future. What it is though, it is knowing that you can discipline yourself to pay whatever price is necessary to complete your task and do this over and over again until you achieve your goals.

Now, if this is important to you, here is a quick exercise to move you forward if you are serious about getting the results you dream of for your business.First, identify the biggest challenge/problem you face today that stands in the way of you achieving your biggest goal.

Second, ask yourself; "What is the question I need to ask that will change the results I need to move my Business forward?"Cheers.

Positive Aspects Of A Career

It is  essentially career stagnation, and for many people, it is a very unsettling place to be. Career plateaus happen to nearly everyone at some point in their lives. While the reasons for your career stalling are varied, it is important to not allow it to over come you. Here are some ways to transform a plateau into a catalyst to propel you toward the next level of your career;

Determine the Reason

One of the first things to do when you realize you've plateaued in your career is to take some time to determine the reason. Is this a natural plateau that has occurred as you patiently wait for a promotion? Is it due to economic turns that have left your company struggling to grow? Some people even design purposeful plateaus into their career for personal reasons. One example of this would be choosing to take on less responsibility and work as you focus on raising your children. Plateaus are sometimes a necessary break in your workload to recharge and prepare for your next venture.

Many job ruts are unforeseen, however. When this occurs, they are more likely to cause deep frustration. If you have been working diligently for a long period of time and are consistently  over looked for more responsibility or promotions, it might  be time to look for other job opportunities. Regardless of the reason behind career plateaus, these quiet times can have a transformed effect on you life if you know how to take advantage of them.

Look at the Positives

If you take time to consider the positive aspect of a career lull, you'll soon see that career plateaus offer some benefits. Keep these positive aspects of career plateaus in mind to regain perspective as you move through this season in your career:

• They offer a chance to stop and consider your goals, regain strength for upcoming obstacles and change course if necessary.
• They give you time to learn and strategies to reach your next great position. For instance, when business is slow, you have time to acquire additional training .
• Career plateaus grant you a valuable opportunity to develop your own business or side venture. While enjoying the security of steady income, benefits and minimal work pressures, you can put more time and energy into cultivating your hobbies, freelance work or budding business.

Be Realistic About the Negatives

While it is important to avoid self-pity and remain optimistic about your career situation, it is just as vital to learn any necessary lessons. Look at your situation and honestly assess any performance issue that could have contributed to your career plateau. has boredom with your current position caused the quality of your work to take a nosedive? This gradual disengagement that can occur if you no longer feel challenged by your work leads to habitual under performance, which will not go unnoticed in any position.

Another possible contributing factor to consider is your embedded reputation. This is a dynamic within the company that ultimately hinders you from promotion because you are seen by your superiors in a certain way. once you have been typecast in this manner, it is difficult to break free from that image. when this occurs, your best option is to seek out better employment opportunities and break free from your mold.

 Seek professional Career Guidance

Career plateaus are a part of life. While they can cause a lot of stress and job dissatisfaction, they do not have the power to derail you unless you become internally paralyzed by them. Looking for the positives of your situation, strategies your next career move and learning from the lull will ensures you are handling a career rut effectively. If you find yourself struggling through a plateau period, consulting a staffing professional can help you create a reasonable action plan to transition out of your current position.

Your Education And Priorities Are?

 Go online and look up your college or university's mission statement. It's great way of telling what their priorities are.

Here's what  I found when I looked up mine:    

"The goal of the university is to develop, transmit, and utilize knowledge in order to provide access to quality education for diverse groups of students and to prepare citizens for a lifelong learning in global society".

Now ask yourself a question: Does your university's mission match you own for what you want from a school?

It probably doesn't shock you that you can't find the word career never shows up in the GSU mission statement I listed above. 
After all, institutions of higher learning are famous for the values of dedication to knowledge and pucblic-spiritedness.
Those are both great things, but it means that their primary goal is not to help you find employment once you walk out their doors. The school makes that your responsibility. Identifying opportunities for their students to find work in the outside world is treated as an ancillary duty, at best.


Think about it in terms of the costs involved in college and what gets invested in your job search. CNN recently estimated that it costs over #60,000 to graduate from a large public university ( and as much as $250,000 at some private colleges), but students are likely to get less than 6 hours of direct education from their schools about how to find their first out-of-college jobs.

College career do what they can, but are generally underfunded for the tasks they face, and they end up providing gifted and energized students with cookie-cutter, single-page resume formats and one-size-fits-all advice. If you're lucky, someone will look at your resume and critique it with the same advice they give to everyone else.
 
My point is not to sour you on the benefits of your education or even your campus career office. Take advantage of everything you have access to. But remember that your school sees its job as to education you and finding you a job comes in not a distant second or third but maybe fifth.
Career Accelerator exists to fill the void that develops between your university's mission and your own.

Find Destination Of Vietnam

Best place for spending vacation in Vietnam. Vietnam is an exotic country that represents every thing a vacationer could ever ask for during his or her holiday -breath taking sights, a peaceful yet beautiful countryside, and a verity of major cities with plenty of commercial establishments and attractions for visitors to enjoy.

What makes paying a visit to this tourist destination even more worthwhile is the strong spending power enjoyed by most foreigners when they buy dong using their local currencies, As of today, one U.S. dollar is worth close to 21,000 Vietnam dong notes , which basically means vacationists get to to afford themselves a luxurious holiday without having to worry about over spending.

Visitors of this gem is southeast Asia will have plenty of things to do to keep happily preoccupied during their vacations, amongst which includes embarking on a cruise along Halong Bay. These cruises within within the northern regions of the country offer panoramic views of beautiful islands plus other natural land formations as the luxury boat makes its way through its chartered course.

Commercial services include all necessities a passenger will ever need throughout the days spent at sea. While availing such an extravagant package within the U.S. would literally cost thousands, passengers on lavish Vietnam cruises should only expect to pay a hundred dollars at average.

Those looking to unwind at peaceful beaches, and experience a laid back vacation infused with a quaint, old town atmosphere are advised to head on over to Hoi An. I addition to this place being a UNESCO world Heritage Site, numerous trendy tailor shops are conveniently located throughout the area.

These establishments offer tailor made clothing at extremely affordable prices. A custom suit specially tailored to a customer's measurements can be bought for as low as 500,000 Vietnam Dong notes, which is less than $25.

Another great attraction that a vacationer would be foolish to miss out on would be experiencing the mouth-watering goodness of local culinary cooking. Foreigners from all parts of the globe have given positive feedback on the unique yet delicious tasting meals available at mediocre to premier restaurants.

Product Is You "Brand You"

Many very successful business people conduct business according to this type of model. These business professionals can be lawyers, CPA's  engineers, consultants, insurance agents or others professionals. The challenge for many of these professionals is how to stay in touch with all of their potential clients even when they are not actively engaged with them or under contract with them at that time. Also, how do they find time to look for new clients when they are actively servicing existing clients. The key is to leverage opportunities to create value with all existing clients in your domain as well as other whom  you have not engaged.

In his book Rainmaking - The Professionals Guide to Attracting New Clients, Ford Harding Clarifies that business relationships require regular and consistent contact and that employing some very simple strategies will help professionals stay in touch with existing customers and also build the opportunities to find new customers. Here are some of the tips from his book regarding how to stay in touch while creating value during these interaction. I have also added a few of my own thoughts as well.

     Request Advice on a project that you are
     working on (such as writing an article or book)
     Thank someone for referring business to you
     Congratulate or promote someone
     Request the name of a vendor
     Refer a possible job candidate
     Thank you for their payment for services
      rendered
     Offer free consultation
     Provide assistance on a professional  association
     project
     Provide information on a potential customer
     Call about a new lead or business opportunity that
     you have become aware of
     Request coaching on a prospect or lead development idea
     Forward an article that you think might be of value to the client
     Recommend a vendor who provides excellent service
     Invite to a workshop or webinar
     Forward a blog post to them
     Notify them when you or your firm posts a press release
     Notify them regarding trade events
     Invite them to sporting events or group activities
     Offer to meet this person over lunch to discuss any of
      the above
     Offer to share your contact list with that person to help
      them develop business
     Use Social Media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and
      twitter to stay connected to your network

By staying in touch with your Clients and engaging them, you will be able to build "Brand You" more consistently and effectively.   

Colourful Home Decoration With Unique Colours

Is' 70's Australia. Our family went on a trip to Melbourne for month. While we were away, members of the family decided to give my mother a surprise by re-decorating our home. Our house was a charming turn of the century cottage, with a red tin roof, turned post verandah, glorious stained glass lite window with red roses that meandered over the front door and there was a huge old lily pile tree in the front garden that had been planted when the house was built. Inside was full of wonderful memories of hearth and home. Beautiful, romantic, homely.

Now I understand that the family's heart was most definitely fixed in the right place! But what we came come to was to say the least, a surprise! The timbers of the house had been painted Mission Brown, (remember that?) and white. Inside was what can only be described as a plethora of 70's psychedelica! Crazy over the top patterns in lurid oranges and blues. They even pulled out the old claw foot tub and replaced it with a shower in blue mosaics. Suddenly the soul had gone from the house.

Do you see what I'm getting at? I actually adore 70's colours and patterns, but not in a 1900's cottage!

Remember, even the designers of contemporary homes of today will have taken inspiration from another style in one from or another. Learn what that style is and you are half way to choosing the right colours for your home! Don't follow trends! They come and go like the wind and the integrity of your home will suffer.

A word of caution: A modern home built in a traditional style is still a modern home. Don't go overboard trying to re-create the past or it will end up looking 'twee'!  

If you are lucky enough to own an older home, ( I'm very biased towards older homes !!!) you have a choice. You can either go with a traditional colour scheme, eg. Federation red green and cream, or steer away from this altogether and go with a more contemporary colour selection as long as you are sympathetic to the style and keep the original features of the house, picture all white!

As in the case of my childhood home, following the current 70's trends sucked the character out of the house, ( unless you like styles that clash like 2 raging bulls, in that case go for your life!). Rather, restoration would have been the way to go.

So take the time to learn a bit more about your home Does it have a history? Is it a new home inspired by an historical style/ It's actually a fun and enlightening Journey to make!

Colour Isn't Just on the Wall!

A comment that really annoys me, and I here it all the time is, "You can always paint over it!" It's easy to change a paint colour, yes. But, that doesn't make picking the perfect colour any easier!

People agonize what colour to put on the walls without giving any consideration to the other elements in the room, all of which are colours in their own right. Here what I mean...

Don't Ignore the Floor!

The floor is sometime referred to as the 5th wall, because whatever you put on the walls needs to relate to whats on the floor. When I worked as an in-store colour consultant for Wattyl, helping clients with choosing paint colours, I'd ask them what colour is your floor, and the answer would inevitably be "wood colour". But what sort of wood. Green walls will give a totally different fell against a jar rah floor the will against a pine floor. The colour you choose will only look good if it relates to the colours in your floor.

A good tip is to hold  your colour sample next to the floor, rather then in the middle of the wall, to see whether the colours complement each other. This applies to any type of flooring.

Be Inspired by Your Art

Look at all the art you have in your room, pick a colour and find a match. Bingo! Instant colour scheme!

Co-ordinate The upholstery.

When you have to work with what already exists, eg, a large sofa that you're not enamored with, don't add wrong to wrong by trying to overpower it with a contrasting colour. Pick colours that complement what you already have, the overall look of the room will be balanced, and the sofa won't stand out.

When To Go Dark, When To Go Light.

If the room in question is dark an boring, you'll get a much more dramatic and chic look if you go for a bold grey, like charcoal. Painting a dark room in a bright colour only adds to the gloom because it emphasises the fact. use good lighting and bright accessories to lighten the mood.

If you have a room that is light and bright you can't really go wrong using any colour, especially when the space has great architectural features.

Colour and Mood

As we talked about earlier in these articles, it's never wise to follow trends, and this includes colours.
Putting your stamp on your home means going with colours that appeal to you personally. The trick is using these colours in a way that result in a balanced combination.

Choose Carefully!

If possible, when deciding on a colour scheme, choose things like carpets, tiles and furniture First, because these come in a much more limited range then paint.

Ask yourself these questions- "What mood do I wish to create/"

"Which colours achieve that mood?"

There is so much information about the psychology of colour available on the net I won't worry about going into depth. What I would say is, give consideration to what emotions certain colours bring out in you and your family. For instance, you might want to paint your bedroom a luscious bohemian red, it makes you feel exotic and adventurous, but if red makes your partner irritable, it kind of defeats the purpose!

Once you find something you like, stick to three colours for the scheme, any more takes a seasoned eye to pull off and if done badly ends up looking cluttered.

Colours behave in three basic ways: active, passive and neutral. Light colours are airy and make a room feel larger and brighter, dark colours are sophisticated and intimate.

Don't forget the ceiling! It doesn't have to be white. 'Lowering' a ceiling using colour might sound claustrophobic but it can actually bring a real sense of intimacy to a room.
   

Biogas Plant Or Methane?

A biogas plant is actually methane, which is the main component of a biogas mixture. It is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas, so it has properties that makes its detection problematic. At high indoor concentrations when atmospheric 02 is displace, it acts as a suffocate gas. Even though, this is extremely rare due to the fact that it is lighter than the air.

In a complete combustion reaction methane produces only water vapor and carbon dioxide, according to the following equation CH4 +2 02 - C02 +2 H20

Methane flammability limits very between 5 to 15%. So when the gas content is less than 5% it cannot be burned, as if the content exceeds 15%.

Additionally, methane ignition requires temperature above 600*C (which is called ignition temperature). During combustion, the theoretical exhaust combustion temperature (exhaust gas temperature with no losses) is 1950*C.

As methane is lighter than air it accumulates under roofs with the risk of creating an explosive mixture. Thus the methane can displace the whole or part of the air in a confined space. The risks posed by this phenomenon may vary greatly. A 10% replacement of the air in a methane gas mixture does not create asphyxiate problems but it poses a significant risk of explosion (since the air -methane mixture is within its flammability limits). On the other hand, by replacing 90% of the air of methane gas mixture it creates an intolerable breathing situation but without the possibility of explosion or ignition.

On this basis, naked heaters should not exist in a digester and the required electrical equipment should be "explosive" type. Also, any sources of ignition, such as iron or steel tools, electrical machinery, electrical switches, etc, should be avoided nearby the digesters.

Other gases

Carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are heavier than air and tend to settle and accumulates in low height. Ammonia (as methane ) is lighter than air and concentrates under roofs. Ammonia is both irritating corrosive. Hydrogen sulfide is poisonous (toxic ) and has the characteristic odor of rotten egg.

The concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the biogas is variable, depending on the substrate used and cannot be easily predicted. Exposures to sulfide concentrations above 1.000 ppm is fatal. Concentrations between 10 and 20 ppm cause eye and lung irritation. At concentrations close to 150 ppm it can be detected by the sense of smell.

Carbon monoxide (Co) can be present in the exhaust system of an incomplete biogas combustion process. Carbon monoxide is formed due to the lack of the required stoichiometric oxygen amount during the combustion. Co is tasteless, colorless, odorless, with a density slightly less than air. It is highly flammable and toxic. Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms begin with headache, tachycardia, dizziness, nausea, and can lead to unconsciousness and death.

Advertising Media Can Influence Your Customer More Effectively

More effective and good result from TV, Radio and print advertising? ever feel like you aren't getting the bang for the buck you envisioned?

Maybe it's time to rethink you media mix. The concept or an advertising media mix is straightforward: since no one magazine, newspaper, website, or broadcast outlet is likely to zero in on your target customer, choosing a variety of media based upon their ability to reach your desired demographic is more effective.
At leading advertising agencies, building the right media mix has become a near science where days untold time is spent honing, polishing and refining media selections to create a mix with sufficient reach and frequency to deliver. Gaining a thorough understanding of their client's product and universe of customers, analyzing ratings data and circulations statement, and weighing certain intangible benefits each media candidate brings to the table, are but a few of the steps necessary to build the right media mix.

While the process has proven itself to be highly effective over the years, change in technology that give consumers mix. Armed with remotes and digital video recorders, TV viewers easily circumvent commercials. Newspaper and magazine readers are now just a click away from the same content on the Web sans the full- or fractional -page ad adjacent to the article they used to pore over on the printed page. In effect, the technology is short circuiting the rather simple media equation that implicitly promised advertisers the attentions of customers as they consumed the content their medium had to offer.

Consider the impact of digital video recorders and remotes on the effectivenesss of television advertising. A Nov, 13, 2012 AP article in USA Today reports that an estimated 45 percent of all households in the United States are equipped with digital video recorders (DVRS). If that weren't enough to give pause to TV advertisers, another article from the New York Times reports that estimates hold "that 50 percent to 70 percent of viewers playing back shows zip through the commercials."

The story isn't any better in the print world. "The State of  the News Media 2012" from state of the media. org puts it bluntly: "News websites saw the greatest growth, while print audiences stood out for their continued decline, which nearly matched the previous year's 5% drop."

We might ask at this point if Americans lost their stomach for news digestion, or have they simply changed their diet? A Pew Research report states that the later is the case. For example, the transition to a full-on digital diet is changing consumption patterns dramatically. More than three-quarters of US adults own a computer. Additionally, about 44% now use smart phones and tablet adoption among adults is hovering around 18%. According to PEJ research, nearly one quarter of the US population gets its news on multiple digital devices. In other words, our digital diet has become a full-course meal.

However, there is a bright spot on the horizon if you have something to advertise, especially for those who are willing to rethink what makes up the media mix. An emerging technology that brings together dynamic display and media control at the point of purchase may be just the ingredient advertisers need to reinvigorate their media mix.

This dynamic medium is referred to most often as digital signage by the industry; however, it goes by different names. In the retail environment, it's called In-Store Digital Media (ISDM). At hotels and resorts, it's known as digital reader boards. In public venues, like a sports arena, it's often called "TV" if the screen is small and "Jumbo tron" if it's large. But regardless of what you call is, advertising to people when they're away from home, _often at the point of sale or somewhere close to the product- is where you may find the most bang for you advertising buck.

"Digital signage is the next evolutions of multi platform advertising, " according to Rank Dickson, Chief Research officer with Multi Media Intelligence. "The integration of IP-based network management allows entire screen deployments to be centrally controlled, allowing for dynamic and simultaneous control of text, video and graphics."

And it's not about advertising. Digital signage advertising adds value by providing additional information that interests consumers; it can enhance retail ambiance, provide interactive experiences that engage shoppers and provide a better experience.

Regular Work Hours And Overtime, Tax Season

For lot of people, this means work outside of a normal 40-hour work week, but for household workers, this might be different. A household worker might refer to a maid, nanny butler, caretaker, chef, gardener , or anyone who works individually for a homeowner. For these workers, overtime might be determined differently, since a 40-hour work week might not apply to them. However, its basic definition still holds true, so any work that is outside of a person's regular work schedule will have to be compensated by overtime pay.

When it comes time for tax season and filling taxes with the IRS, employers and employee will have to take overtime pay into consideration when filling. If , for whatever reason, overtime pay is overlooked or forgotten during filling, then the IRS may become aware of the mistake and filing an action against you or your employee. This is a common mistake, but many people can actually avoid it with a little help during the busy tax season.

Basics of Including Overtime 

It's understandable that busy homeowner and others may not have all of the time in the world to devote to tax filing, which is way getting help with household worker or nanny taxes is always a good idea. Tax help from an expert, one who is familiar with the IRS stipulations regarding household workers and overtime compensation, can help guard against troublesome tax errors. Some of the basic elements of overtime compensation that have to be considered when filing taxes involve:

                 exemptions and non-exemptions for different employees
                 defining "overtime" and establishing pay rate for this time worked
                 differences between live- in employees and other employees and other employees
                 salary v. hourly employee tax rates and overtime pay
                 understanding consequences of a wage dispute

These basics, a long with many other more detailed employee-specific tax laws, are sometimes confusing, but if you do not understand them, it/s important that you get help because the last thing you want is an error in filling your taxes.              

Accounting And Auditing In Thailand

Tremendous economy growth rate in Thailand from 1982 to 1996. During the period of 1065 to 1996, the economy of Thailand grew by an average of 12.2.% annually. But, it had also seen the crisis that has changed its processes of industrial growths. In current years, Thailand has been emerging as a great industrial hub which would cater lots of opportunities to people an industrialists. And to enhance the process, it needs quality accounting processes to record its growth. Currently, Accounting and auditing standard in Thailand are developed by ICAAT which stands for institute of certified accountants and auditors of Thailand. The accounting and auditing guidelines for preparing financial statements or government taxes follow ICAAT standards. However, the accounting in Thailand is different from other countries, but the process that are utilized are similar to GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) of united States of America.

Till now, ICAAT has issued over sixteen accounting standards which govern accounting policies, EPS (earning per shares), Income statements, government taxes and various accounting changes which have been evolved in current years. Accounting in Thailand is governed by  the board of supervision for auditing practice. The board controls the accounting and auditing standards of Thailand and makes changes once it sees some types of improvements in existing auditing and accounting polices.

Therefore, let us have a quick look at accounting processes of Thailand:

1.  Corporate and the personal income tax in Thailand comes under the direct tax.

Unlike other countries, accounting in Thailand is a little bit different from other countries. In Thailand, both CIT (corporate income tax) and PIT (personal income tax) are parts of direct taxes. The corporate income taxes are levied on any company or partnership firms which are formed under the Company Act of Thailand. The rule are same for the companies even if they are from foreign countries. However, there are a few differences of accounting in Thailand for the companies which do have their origins in other countries e.g. the foreign companies need to fill up quarterly profit and loss statement, and they need to submit it to the governing bodies of Thailand.

2.  All the companies which operate in Thailand need to prepare records of transactions. These transactions can be any type e.g credit transactions or debit transactions. Also, all the companies need to prepare a list of transactions which are done to buy things from other countries. These rules are also applicable to any type of business entity that operates from Thailand e.g. limited companies, partnership firms, registered offices, regional offices and even for proprietary firms.

3.  All the records need to be checked by accountants.

All the transactions and business obligations are needed to be clearly monitored by professional accountants to rectify any type of error. Also, all the records should be submitted within four months after the end of a financial year.

4.  Accounting in Thailand for a company which is just incorporated.

Thailand companies very successful and management excellent department.
 

Investment In Long-term Treasury Bills

Now Remember the saying that those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it. Fortunately, some of you who read this article will recognize that your investment in long-term treasury bills can become your personal blind spot, even your personal million dollar blind spot for wealthier readers.

Consider the parable of the frog which falls in the pot of water, whose water is slowed raised until it boils and the frog become part of soup.

Just like the frog gradually boiled as the water slowly and consistently got hotter, longer-term supposedly safe treasury bills with minimal interest rates can generate huge personal losses, when rates turn up again. Historically periods of sustained low-interest rate on bonds like we now are experiencing, are followed by period of rising interest rates with dramatic increases in interest rates.

Check out the logic of my statement by performing a Google search with the phrase-bond losses 1994. The results will show headlines like: the great bond massacre, 1994 bond market crash, bond market disasters.

Basically, financial blood ran in the streets for bond holders who had to sell bonds in 1994.

Most people do not appreciate that a rise in interest rates means a drop in the value of long-term bonds which are yielding prior lower interest rates. The longer the remaining maturity of bonds, at a time when interest rates rise, the higher the loss can be on the bond.

Rather than be unpleasantly surprised from hindsight, do some more research to understand better how experts warned you and rather than not see or ignore this Treasury bill blind spot.

The professionals recognize the 800 pound gorilla issue of bond interest rates versus maturity. They employ strategies which keep their investments in shorter-term maturities and ongoing monitoring of longer-term maturity bonds to see when to get out of the market.
 
In essence, they are exploiting their understanding of this million dollar blind spot which you may not see or choose not to see. Appreciate why the professionals do that and apply that insight appropriately for your personal situation.

The analogy of this situation is that most people in America are actually on a fiscal slope and do not notice the decline until it is too late. It is not the cliff we have to worry about because that is sudden death . It is the slope and the hemorrhaging of personal equity that creates real urgency to examine our blind spots.

Whether this analogy seems most appropriate to you in your personal life or your business, recognize the risk exists, determine how the risk occurring would impact you, and then monitor it appropriately.

Money Earning Online Business

Millions of peoples run online business full-time job in a bid to extra income. However, the vast majority of online businesses fail to achieve the expectations of their owners. Beside, there are an almost countless plethora of dormant business websites, where the owner started full of enthusiasm but gave up after up awhile.

One of the issues withe running a business is personality. There are some people who are cut out to run their own online business - and other who simply will find it more difficult.

Research  on self -employment or running a home-based business has been fairly consistent over the years. Ultimately the studies find that there is no single personality type associated with self -employed business success. There are lots of different types of people who seem to make a go of running their own business.

However, there are few characteristic which do seem to be quite important.

1.  Curiosity

 People who are curious tend to stick at self-employment for much longer than those who are not always poking their nose into things.....!  The problem for the curious individual and the online world is that curiosity can take you off track; you'll get side-tracked into fascinating blogs and social networking discussion. So curiosity can help you run your online business for longer than people who are not so curious, but it can be a negative influence on the success of your work because it helps you lose focus.

2.  Independence

The individual who has a strong sense of independence is the kind of person who sticks at self -employment for longer. In fact, an independence streak makes it much more difficult for people to be employed. They dislike being told what to do, they don't want to follow a set pattern or rules and they want to be in control. None of that makes it food for them to have a boss... ! But independence online can also be a problem;  Instead of doing things the way that works, independent people frequently want to do things "their" way, which means a lot of "re-inventing the wheel" happens, wasting time of the self -employed person.

3.  Tenaciousness

The self -employed person who succeeds tends to have tenacious streak. They don't let go or give up easily. This is essential for someone running their own business because it means they keep "at it " until they succeed. But once again this can also be a problem for the online business owner who ends up being so tenacious trying to get some piece of online software to achieve something they spend fruitless (and wasted) hours in their attempts.

These are the three key characteristics which research shows will help you succeed in self -employment.