How Exercise and Fitness Brings Friends and Families Closer | Tony ...

How Fitness, Faith and Mindfulness Brings Friends and Families Closer

It?s Spring and that equates to a bit of craziness in the Caldicott household. Dance recitals, baseball playoffs, track meets, soccer tournaments, 1st communions, graduation ceremonies, and teenagers stressed by final exams are just some of the items that fill our calendar. I?ve noticed that over the past few weeks our family has become so focused on what needs to get done and where everyone needs to be that we?ve distanced ourselves from each other and from the outside world.

Thankfully, the one event we do together is attending our Sunday service. This morning?s service was particularly inspirational?so much so that even my teenagers
commented on the words of our priest as we exited church. Today is the Feast of
the Holy Trinity for Christians. Our priest began by talking about how we all
tend to distance ourselves from others. He joked about how difficult it is to
get a human being on the phone with you call a business and how little we tend
to know or care about our closest friends and family these days. The Holy
Trinity means God is a three-Person but one God, a Triune God on which our
faith is firmly anchored. God communicated Himself and the Trinitarian family
to mankind in a language that could be felt, touched, heard, and easily
understood. The essence of today?s celebration is understanding that He cares for us and is not a distant God. Through Jesus Christ, God also revealed his main attribute which is love. ?God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son? (Jn 3:16). Jesus further said: ?If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him and We shall?make our dwelling place with him? (Jn 14,23).

Love is the bond that unites the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus the more we
practice love, the more we live the Trinity not as an incomprehensible mystery,
but as a living, vibrant reality. Isn?t it funny then that so often when life
takes over we don?t focus on outwardly love? Simple compliments, acts of
kindness and gestures that can have a hugely positive impact on someone?s day
go by the wayside because we are so focused on ourselves.

This week, I offer some ideas to strengthen your family unit and yourself in Mind,
Body, and Spirit in celebration of the Holy Trinity.

  1. Exercise?together. (Well you know I was going to say this, didn?t you?!!) But
    seriously I have heard countless stories from couples and families who?ve told
    me that when they starting focusing on their health TOGETHER and supported and encouraged one another TOGETHER, ?they not only got great results but they became closer to one another and their love for each other was strengthened. Just this morning I heard from a friend who was inspired to go out for a run in the rain because her daughter inspired her by doing the same. Last week I heard from a couple who said their marriage was stronger than ever (and yes, the sex life too) because they?ve been doing P90X
    together and ?lost a combined 50 lbs. Even I got an hour of quality time with my 15 year-old because he joined me in doing the P90X Chest and Back routine. We joked and struggled together during that hour and as a mom of a teenage boy, you may know how precious that time was to me.
  2. Actively celebrate your faith together. Yes, there are many weeks when my
    kids will complain about taking an hour out each week to attend our Sunday
    service. Kids want constant stimulation and to be entertained, and let?s face
    it, church is not always stimulating ;) However, I remind them that it is the
    one hour per week when we can truly give thanks to God for all that we are
    blessed with and to pray for those that are less fortunate than us. Our faith
    is not just celebrated under the roof of a building with a cross above. It is
    celebrated in the choices we make and how we behave every day. It is celebrated
    by having discussions with our kids about what the scripture means and how it
    impacts our lives. It is celebrated when we are in the car talking with our
    teenager about life. My kids have many friends who don?t have a faith at all.
    They joke that they are agnostic. I truly find that so sad. Your faith, not
    matter what it is, is the compass that steers you through life.
  3. Expand your mind and learn together. This is an area that doesn?t take
    a big trip to a museum or involvement in a book club. There is a big world out
    there and especially for teenagers, their lives can become consumed by their
    studies and their after school activities. Sure, they are learning a lot in
    school, but I also feel it?s critical to expose them to things that teach them
    life lessons and help them keep an open mind. Even adults can get caught up in
    their own filters of how they view the world and judge other people and it?s
    important for us to do things that help us become more objective. We carpool
    with another family to my son?s club soccer practices and games. Often these are
    long rides in the car. When our son is riding in the car with this other
    family, they listen to NPR (National Public Radio).? They listen, discuss, debate and laugh about
    the great programs that public radio has to offer. Wow, getting your teenager
    away from a pop music station even for 10 minute is worth it!! We also love to watch the History Channel and shows that teach us about other parts of the world. Or, how about allowing everyone to take a section of the Sunday newspaper and have each person tell the family something interesting they read? Whatever you do, take the time to become closer by learning something new together.

My Weekly Accountability Plan to You

My Beachbody 21-day Reset ended last Tuesday. I?m still eating clean and continue
to make many of the recipes I discovered through the Reset. Here is my workout report
from last week and workout plan for this week:

Wednesday: P90X Chest and Back, 5am?DONE

Thursday: 3 mile run at the track, 8 100
yard sprints and 10 sets, 15 each ab work, 6pm?DONE

Friday: P90X Plus Upper Body Plus and Abs Core Plus, 6pm?DONE

Saturday: Hot Power Yoga, 10 am?DONE

Today: Insanity Pure Cardio, 7 am?DONE

Monday: TH One-on-One Series 30/15 Routine and P90X Ab Ripper, 7 am

Tuesday: P90X Plus Intervals, 5:00 am

Wednesday: P90X-2 Shoulders and Arms, 5:00 am

Thursday: Insanity Plyo Cardio Circuit or go
for 4.5 mile run, 5:00 am

Friday: P90X Legs and Back and Ab Ripper, 7:00 am

Saturday: Bikram Hot Yoga, 8 am and potential UML workout at Boston P90X Certification

?

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Kent St edges Kentucky 7-6 in 21 innings in NCAAs

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Home electricians london Improvement Tips That Can Make A Big ...

Home electricians london Improvement Tips That Can Make A Big Difference

You don?t have to improve your house like a serious professional to fully enjoy it. No, not at all! You can do simple little improvements. If you do not have a clue how to start with this endeavor, then try taking a gander at the tips below. They can give you some helpful advice.

Store your paint cans upside down. A skin forms inside used cans of paint. When you open the can it?s a mess to remove. One solution is to put the used paint cans in your storage area upside down! That way when you turn the can over and open it, the skin is underneath the paint where it can?t cause a problem.

When painting trim in your home, choose a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint, especially in areas that see a lot of traffic. People naturally touch door frames and trims, and glossy paints are much easier to wipe clean than flat paints. As a bonus, using high-gloss trim paints will provide some contrast to flatter wall colors.

To help improve your home, try installing a new kitchen. Some quick fixes include replacing or repainting your cupboard doors, units, or work surfaces. Also try installing new worktops for a new looking kitchen. All the furniture can be painted, glossed, or upholstered to help it look new or different.

If you have extra paint left over from a recent project, store it in a glass jar rather than leaving it in the paint can. You will be able to instantly tell what the color is without going through the messy ordeal of opening the lid of the paint can.

It is amazing sometimes how people settle for the existing paint schemes of the rooms in their homes. On the other hand, they choose schemes themselves through lack of experience that do basically nothing for the value and feel of their home. Choose some brilliant paint schemes today and see just how far painting a room can go with helping electricians in london the value and feel of your home.

Take advantage of a small bathroom space by getting great deals on remodel materials. For example, your limited countertop and flooring needs translate to a higher likelihood of you finding both countertop and flooring remnants that will work at your local DIY, bathroom or carpet store. These remnants are still brand new but come at a steep discount thanks to their fixed dimensions.

Make changes as you go. If you are doing a home improvement project yourself, there is no reason why you should keep moving forward on something you dislike. Changing it up can add to expenses, but it is much better to spend a little more now, than to have to re-do something you hated in the beginning.

Home improvement starts with having a plan and the right tools. Make sure you purchase everything before hand and have the appropriate measurements for your project. This will not only save you time, but the hassle of having to go back and forth from the hardware store, thus saving you plenty of headaches.

People think their house will sell for more if they install a new central vacuuming system or underfloor, radiant heating. Meanwhile, they forget to paint the home?s exterior or repair the shutters that hang crooked. Buyers will register these things and think the home is a fixer-upper. Remember, first impressions also matter with your home.

When it comes to home improvement, the lowest bidder for your project will not always translate to be the one who does the best work. Many times, a quote that is too good to be true is just that, due to poor work quality or hidden costs. Be sure to check with any agencies that provide feedback about contractors before hiring them.

How sustaining is your house?s insulation? Maybe your attic has never been insulated. Insulation has everything to do with energy cost and efficiency. Fully insulating local electrician your home significantly adds to the value of your home as well as reducing the operating costs. Have an insulation check done, and improve the areas that are not fully insulated.

Improving your home with an upgrade to outdated appliances can be a beautification to your home as well as a money saver over time. Energy efficient appliances can save you hundreds of dollars a year, and that can pay for the upgrade in less time than you might think.

Throw out that nasty carpet and expose the old floor planks! Often in an older house you?ll find beautiful planks under that old shag carpet! You can leave the old flooring as is, sand and varnish it, or paint it any color that you choose. The old planks add to the personality of an old house. Why cover them?

Be creative with your home improvement ideas, coming up with things that are new and exciting. You don?t have to follow the book when it comes to home improvement, as the key here is improvement and the improvement is based on your preferences. If you can put your mind together to create some neat new addition to your home, even if it has never been tried before, you could find it to be a fun and very exciting project to take on.

Professional Electrician

Unless you are an experienced electrician, don?t try and do the electrical work yourself. You may be tempted to run a bunch of extension cords, or change the number of prongs on an outlet, but you shouldn?t attempt it because it can be dangerous if you do it incorrectly. For safety, hire a professional electrician to do all of the electrical work.

See, improving your home is more than just huge home improvement jobs. It really can be any kind of endeavor you want it to be. If you could only do large projects, there wouldn?t be home improvement stores open where you buy supplies. You should feel ready to get started and use your new knowledge of the endeavor.

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Mohamed A. El-Erian: Investors Brace for Global Slowdown

The insufficient job creation, stagnant earnings and alarming long-term unemployment highlighted by May's disheartening jobs report underscore America's persistent unemployment crisis. The numbers also speak to a synchronized slowdown that is now taking hold of the global economy -- a phenomenon that is being signaled by virtually every other data release out of Europe, the U.S. and emerging countries.

The realization of lower global growth, together with increasing financial instability in some parts of the world (particularly Europe), is an important driver of the recent sharp selloff in equities and other risk assets. It has also turbocharged the collapse in yields on higher quality government bonds, with the 10-year U.S. bond at a record close of 1.46 percent on Friday (and Germany even lower).

To state the blatantly obvious, the best investor positioning for the last few weeks was an across-the-board defensive, "up in quality" one. The much more difficult (and urgently relevant) question on many people's mind today is whether this still makes sense -- particularly in view of the dramatic valuation moves.

Already, several analysts have come out recommending that investors react to the recent selloff by significantly adding risk assets to their portfolios now. And those who favor this "mean reversion" approach, a theory that assumes highs and lows are temporary and that prices will eventually move back toward the mean or average, cite historical levels to support their recommendation. They see enticingly cheap price-to-earnings ratios for stocks to unsustainable low yields for government bonds.

They would be right if history does indeed provide a good guide to what constitutes "fair value" at this moment in time. And in extrapolating from what has been to what is and will be, investors are advised to consider four issues as they confront one unthinkable scenario after another.

Europe, the world's largest economic zone and a highly interconnected one, is stumbling from bad to worse. The fundamental issue here goes well beyond the usual questioning of whether the euro zone will have an ugly recession (it will) and policy makers will intervene again (they will).

The construct of Europe is in play. This adds meaningful risk by supplementing the usual credit, intertemporal and policy components with convertibility, settlement and complexity risk premiums.

The second factor involves the unusual level of political dithering and bickering which, in some countries (e.g., Greece), has led to heightened disillusionment and rejection on the part of citizens. This serves to undermine responsive policy making and exposes economies to new threats.

While Europe is again the most obvious example, it is far from the only one. America's unusual level of political dysfunction/polarization has resulted in policy paralysis; it will also expose the country to the possible disruption of a "fiscal cliff."

Third, with some segments in the global economy still highly indebted and not growing properly, ugly deleveraging dynamics are re-imposing themselves. The longer this persists, the lower the probability of a much-needed "safe delevering."

Central banks could once again intervene through their experimental combination of exceptionally low policy rates, unusual policy communication and additional balance-sheet purchases. But there is growing recognition that this policy bridge is only effective if other policy-making entities are both able and willing to get off the sidelines. Regrettably, there is little evidence that this will happen any time soon.

Finally, the risk of a synchronized global slowdown requires a coordinated global response. Yet there is no conductor to speak of. The U.S. has lost an important part of its global leadership role. The G7 and IMF lack legitimacy and credibility. And the G20 is still working on its operational effectiveness.

All this speaks to continued uncertainty and volatility -- economic, financial, political and social. Since the world starts naturally long risk assets, we could well see more investors seeking less risky asset allocations, including cash in what they deem as "safe jurisdictions." In the process, valuations -- for bonds, commodities, currencies, and equities -- could well diverge for a while from what many deem to be historically fair valuations.

As Will Rogers is said to have observed decades ago, investors should be concerned with the return of their money and not just the return on their money.

For more information, including the analysis and findings, please go to http://media.pimco.com/Documents/Secular%20Outlook%202012_Global%20Final.pdf


Cross-posted from CNBC.com.

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Twitter finds footing in advertising, projected to generate $1 billion in ...

Twitter payola

Swapping 140-character messages is big business. After a long road to monetization, Twitter may now be on track to rake in $1 billion in 2014, far earlier than analysts have predicted.

Despite earlier forecasts that Twitter would generate over $1 billion in revenue by 2016, a new report by Bloomberg reveals that according to its source, Twitter is expected to rake in over $1 billion much earlier ? 2014. If the rumors are true, Twitter has been a hit among advertisers and its days of hunting for revenue are over.

Until Twitter acknowledges the forecast, the forecast remains only a rumor, but it?s a plausible figure. In 2011, Twitter generated $139.5 million in revenue, much of it due to adverting. That?s a far cry from $1 billion in a matter of three years, but the company has been particularly aggressive in 2012 with the promotion of its advertising business.

Following in Facebook?s footsteps, Twitter recently introduced a beta release of its self-serve advertising program for small businesses, and followed up this move with two strategic hires to head up its expansion into international advertising. The new hires are ex-Google employees, Shailesh Rao, who serves as Twitter?s vice president of international revenue, and Stephen McIntyre, its director of international and online sales and operations.

Twitter?s international efforts could significantly contribute to it advertising revenue in the near future, but its small business advertising program is in its infant stages and was released to only a select number of merchants. The small business program has had little to do with its performance to date.

Instead, much of its advertising revenue should be attributed to its crucial corporate partnerships with companies including ESPN, American Express, and more recently, its music-inspired brand partnership with Pepsi. You may have noticed the promoted Pepsi hash tags and Pepsi?s integration of Twitter?s real-time data to create original Web programming on the latest Twitter trending artists.

Now six years old, Twitter?s 2012 revenue is likely to pale in comparison to Facebook?s multi-billion dollar display ad revenue and Google?s $10 billion ad revenue in 2011 alone. To put Twitter?s competitor?s performance into perspective, according to Bloomberg, Facebook took six years to generate its first $1 billion in yearly revenue, while Google made its first $1 billion in five years.

But credit should be given where it?s deserved. At its #Twitter4Brands event in New York City, a presentation to promote Twitter?s suite of advertising offerings, Twitter revealed the following impressive statistics:

? Twitter has more than 140 million active users.

? 55 percent of users access Twitter on mobile, with 40 percent growth quarter over quarter.

? Twitter users create over one billion Tweets every three days.

? 60 percent of Twitter users tweet; 100 percent are listening.

? 79 percent of people follow brands to get access to exclusive content.

? During this year?s Super Bowl, one in five commercials contained a hashtag.

? Promoted Tweets get an average engagement rate of one to three percent.

The micro-blogging platform is a far cry from its older self, when the company was offering enterprise suites and analytics, before realizing that the bigger bang for the buck was in advertising. Twitter has found its groove, and while its advertising programs are in its early stages, it?s beginning to establish itself as a crucial platform for businesses.

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Guest Post: Third Culture Kids - Expat Teens Talk - Yes

Greetings!

From time to time, we invite others to submit articles for us to post on our blog. For today's blog, we are posting an article submitted to us by Malte Zeeck, the founder of InterNations (www.internations.org). InterNations is "the first international online community for people who live and work abroad." We thank Mr. Zeeck for submitting this article, and we invite our readers to check out the InterNations website for more information about an InterNations community near you. Please note that all information included in guest posts is independent of Expat Teens Talk and may not represent our views or opinions.

Third Culture Kids - Create Your Own Culture!

Third Culture Kids ? countless articles, books and blog posts have been written on or dedicated to them. There are films exploring the Third Culture Kid experience, and numerous videos circulating on the internet. And yet it seems impossible to satisfy the market! Every new, well-written and well-researched book dealing with the subject is received enthusiastically by worldwide audiences. Why is that??

?

In the 50+ years since it was coined, the term Third Culture Kid has become commonplace among expats. It is widely used to refer to expat children and teenagers in general ? children who have grow up in many different countries and cultures and are united by one failing, so to speak: their inability to answer the question ?where is home??. In its original meaning, the ?third culture? term itself hinted at the fact that Third Culture Kids had to create their own, ?third? culture, because they were neither rooted in their parents? culture, nor did they have the opportunity or the time to really adapt to the culture of the country they were staying in.?

?

This was because in the 1960s, when the term Third Culture Kid first entered public consciousness, most expat kids were so-called ?military brats? or the children of foreign correspondents or diplomatic staff, who moved country every couple of years with their parents. They were often not given the chance to integrate into their host culture ? they did not attend local schools, they did not mingle with local children or teenagers, etc. Their peer group consisted mainly or exclusively of other expat kids from various different countries. Their common language was English, but for many of them this would not be their mother tongue, so they were communicating in a language that was neither their own nor that of the country they lived in. They attended international schools where they were exposed not to one single foreign culture, but to many. As a result, these expat teens created their own, ?third? culture.?

?

Today, things may have changed slightly. There is a tendency for expats to encourage their children?s integration into their host culture, especially if they are planning to stay in the country longer. Most international schools offer lessons in the local language, and it is not uncommon for (younger) expat children to even attend local schools. There are more and more ?non-traditional? expats, i.e. people who go abroad out of their own accord and look for work independent of intra-company transfers of big multi-national corporations. Nevertheless, the traditional expat family that moves from posting to posting and from country to country of course still exists.

All these people define themselves over the term Third Culture Kid. It provides them with an identity ? almost as an alternative to the national identity they lack. And Third Culture Kid doesn?t only refer to children or teenagers: many adults still identify with the term TCK ? somehow the term TCA (Third Culture Adult) just never caught on. Being a Third Culture Kid has had such a profound impact on their lives that it never left them, and many of them have simply continued the life style they?ve known as a child. They are still moving from country to country, now raising their own Third Culture Kids.?

?

No wonder then, that there is such a high demand for literature on that topic. Expats are a distinct social group, no matter which country they come from and where they live. They have one thing in common ? being an expat ? that connects them across cultural and geographical borders. Expat children and teenagers are part of this group, but they must not be allowed to disappear within the ?expat masses?. They have their own problems and needs, they face their own challenges, and they have huge development potential. That?s why they deserve our special attention, and that?s why books such as Expat Teens Talk are so popular and important.?

Note from the Authors of Expat Teens Talk:? Within the article you just read, there was a reference to "Third Culture Adult." While that exact term has not been pervasive throughout literature, the term "Adult Third Culture Kid" or ATCK was introduced several years ago by David C. Pollock and Ruth Van Reken in their book, "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds." We encourage all readers to TALK to us and let us know what's on your mind...?

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Using franchising as a growth vehicle ? Australian Business Solutions

By Phil Blain.

Franchising is undoubtedly a massive success in Australia; fourteen cents in every dollar spent now passes through a franchised business, with Australia and New Zealand being the most franchised nations per capita in the world. Consequently, any organization looking for an expansion strategy would be very short-sighted not to consider franchising.

Franchising is not the right model for every business, so the starting point must be to ask the question, how do I qualify?

  1. Your business must be proven. All too often I see people who have some wonderful ideas but the concept has never been tested and it is uncertain how the public will accept the concept once it comes to fruition. Generally, the business should have been running for at least a year and preferably longer, or seasonality impacts are unknown and, probably, all of the bugs have yet to be ironed out.
  2. Your business must be profitable. This sounds obvious, but franchising is not a way to hive off unprofitable businesses or sections of business. Nor it is the answer to establishing a quick route to market rather than employing a sales force.
  3. Your business must franchise for the right reasons. Franchising is not about selling fifty franchise units at $50,000 each and riding off into the sunset with the resulting $2,500,000! The fact of the matter is that by the time all costs are taken into account, the upfront franchise fee is far from being a major profit source.
  4. Your intellectual property must be protected or there is nothing to franchise. Are names, logos and companies all registered with the appropriate authorities? Irrespective of the decision to franchise, these are essential for any business.

So if you think your business qualifies, what exactly is a franchise? There are numerous legal definitions but, in very simple terms, franchising is a method of getting a product or service to market. The franchisor (whose business it is) grants rights to franchisees for the use of the intellectual property for which they normally pay an ongoing fee. Not rocket science really is it?

The area of law that covers franchising in Australia is the TPA (Trade Practices Act), which most businesses leaders have some familiarity with. Within the TPA is the Franchising Code of Conduct that is administered by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) which lays down four key points to decide if a business is a franchise and thus must comply with the code:

  1. There is a written, oral or implied agreement.
  2. The business supplies goods and or services under a system or marketing plan.
  3. The business is substantially associated with a trademark, advertising or commercial symbol.
  4. The franchisee pays a fee, directly or indirectly.

Upon this self-examination many businesses realize they are already a franchise but do not comply with the code and as such could be in breach of the TPA, transgressions for which can incur horrendous fines. If in doubt, you should immediately seek advice from a franchise specialist solicitor. They are easy to locate, as those that practise in the sector advertise on the Franchise Council of Australia?s Franchise Directory. This is also a useful reference point to see if there are already franchises in your field and possibly what they cost (see www.franchise.org.au).

Businesses normally franchise for one, or sometimes all of three, main reasons:

  1. They have a special product or unique selling proposition or market edge over competitors which necessitates the need for rapid growth to gain first mover advantage in a market. Franchising facilitates this growth and increases brand exposure.
  2. They are totally sick of staff who let them down and do not perform to the maximum. Franchises consistently outperform company-owned units through the sheer tenacity and enthusiasm that a franchisee brings to the table.
  3. They lack capital for expansion which the franchisee provides. This capital investment also makes the franchisee incentivized to go the extra mile because they have ?hurt money? invested in the business.

Franchising also provides consumers with consistency of delivery and franchisors with the control measures necessary to install this into the system. I always relate to this by saying every time I buy a McDonalds hamburger I know I have to remove that green pickle before I can enjoy my meal. But I know what I am going to get before I make my purchase decision. Spotless premises, high food-hygiene standards, quick service, value for money and an acceptable quality meal. This does not happen by accident in McDonalds or any other quality franchise. The franchisees and staff are highly trained people who are supported by detailed systems and operations manuals that cover every possible scenario. So there lies a lesson for any business ? document everything. Nothing must be left to chance and, in food businesses, this is incredibly important. I see too many businesses that will simply fail if the owner is incapacitated, disabled or absent from the business for any length of time. It is all in the owner?s head and he assumes everyone knows how to do everything. Start writing everything down ? eventually you will have an online operations manual, which will add considerable value to your business.

This consistency of delivery means that compliance with the system must be strict to achieve it and, as such, everything can and must be minutely controlled. If a franchisee consistently strays outside of the set boundaries they can be terminated in order to protect the brand and the business of the franchisor, and indeed all the other franchisees.

Done professionally, franchising is an extremely safe expansion method. There are some very good consultants in Australia, but like every other profession, sadly there are some very poor ones too. Make sure you establish how long the advisers have been in business, who they have worked for and what qualifications they hold. The better ones are at least franchise diploma qualified and possibly hold Franchise Council of Australia qualifications such as fellowships. Do not attempt to try and franchise your business without the correct advice, as that is sheer folly. Specialist lawyers, consultants, demographers and accountants who practise in the field will set the fundamental
structures and processes that will take your business to new heights, and they could save you literally hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

It is imperative that, as a potential franchisor, the executives understand the relationship management aspect of a franchise. The culture of the business is crucial to its success. Franchising is about working together for mutual gain; it is about family; sharing and caring; being firm certainly, but fair also. So if your culture is one of a dictatorship ? do not franchise. However, if you are prepared to encourage, cajole, assist and guide your business ?partners? ? your franchisees ? then success is more likely.

As in all business situations, it is just as important to know when to get out of business as it is to know how and when to get in. Franchisor businesses are attracting very high multiples of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) when they are sold. Why? Because they hold contracts with franchisees that guarantee incomes far into the future, making them prime takeover targets. Not a reason to franchise initially, but a wonderful reward at the end of the journey for those that do it well.

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Phil Blain ? Fellow FCA, AFE, MIMC, Dip Bus (Franchising)?Principal, Business Development Company, Franchise Division.

Phil has been a Franchisee, Franchisor and a highly respected franchise consultant for the past two decades. He now heads up the National Franchise Division of Business Development Company Pty Ltd., commonly known as BDC Franchising.

Phil has been a National Director and State Chapter President of the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) He holds a Business Diploma in Franchising and the Accredited Franchise Executive qualification (A.F.E.) and is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants.

Phil has a broad knowledge of franchising in Australia and experience with most of the key systems and people in franchising.?Phil can be contacted direct on 0419 044 862.

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Helping Newbies Understand Social Media

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Helping Social Media Newbies Understand Social MediaToday?s guest post is from Liz Jostes.

For so many of us in the online and social spaces, navigating a brand new social platform for the first time is rarely confusing or difficult. Our past experiences and exposure means that we intuitively work through set-up screens, never flinch at app approvals or username questions, and immediately look to make connections on a new platform based on connections we?ve already established on all our other social media platforms.

For those of us who teach others how to properly use a social media or web publishing platform, we frequently have to ?go back to basics? in order to help our clients get started. But our clients? individual backgrounds and ? often ? ages can greatly impact how we approach and conduct our training.

I recently had the distinct pleasure of helping my 65 year old mother join Facebook, which puts her in the 2nd biggest year-over-year growth age category seen by Facebook. What made teaching my mom that much more of a challenge is her complete lack of internet and tech knowledge. To best put this in perspective: my mom still signs into the AOL program to access her email (though they do have high-speed internet in the house), and of the handful of texts she?s ever sent me, my favorite read:

?icantextbutdontknowhowtospace?

My list of top take-aways from helping my tech-challenged mother join Facebook are below:

  1. Privacy is a huge issue ? Not that any of us should take our online privacy for granted, but as soon as she made a few Friend connections, she immediately panicked over a couple of them knowing she was out of town and visiting me for the weekend (She lives in Chicago and was visiting me in Memphis). Her fear was that one of them would post something about her visiting me out-of-state, a thief would read that, and her house would be burglarized.
  2. Making decisions about default profile settings requires more analysis than choosing your retirement plan -? This may have been the most tedious part of the process. There are so many choices within your personal Facebook profile, plus options for each status update. Also, each decision seemed to spark some other type of worry: ?Why would people share this with the world?? and ?Don?t people worry about who is seeing/reading that??
  3. Notifications can be stressful After our initial profile set-up and her asking to be friends with a dozen or so people, she opened her email to a flurry of Facebook notifications. I sensed real urgency from her as she sorted through them, along with a feeling of her being overwhelmed. Because of this, I told her that all these notification emails are set up by default, but she can uncheck several boxes to only receive notifications for the activities that matter most to her.
  4. Words like ?feed, ?stream? and ?wall? mean nothing Even the most basic of terminology needed to be explained. She kept asking me, ?So where?s this ?wall? you keep mentioning? Show me my wall!?
  5. If all they know is email? That?s all they have to compare social media to. My mom kept asking me how people ?send? her news and photos. It took a few conversations until she grasped that her Friends are posting updates for her to read if she chooses; but no one is actually sending anything to her.
  6. Engagement is a two-way street Those of us who live and breathe social media understand the ?how? and ?why? to proper engagement. But users like my mom can have a hard time grasping the need for the posting of updates in order for news or photos to be spread. I received a handful of, ?Well, why am I not seeing any updates by Sandi?? type questions. I also made a point to explain that she needs to post something every once in a while, too, if she ever wants any of her family or friends to hear from her.
  7. Friends who are active can seem overly chatty We all know that it takes some time for your social connections to grow. So in the mean time when you have something like 25 friends, you?re going to want to tell Cousin Bob to shut the heck up because his thrice-daily posts comprise 80% of the content on your wall.

Educating my mom about Facebook is just one example. It could be Twitter or Pinterest or blogging. And it could be assisting a 40 year old man or someone who considers MySpace to be cutting edge and hip. Training others to use and thrive in the online world requires seeing it through their eyes (and often a great deal of patience, too).

I?m proud to say that my mother is now on Facebook and signs in at least a few times a week. Sure, she still may be lacking a profile photo and the posting of any status updates of her own. But for someone who still asks me to open her .docx files for her because she can?t access them with her severely-outdated version of Word, I consider this to be a huge success.

What are some challenges you?ve faced educating clients on how to go social?

Oh, and Liz?s post reminded me of this video which made the rounds online last year. Enjoy!

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Liz Jostes

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Liz Jostes is a marketer and consultant with Eli | Rose Social Media. Originally from Chicago and currently living in the land of Dixie, she relishes in the flavor of fried pickles and BBQ, but longs for deep dish pizza and a proper Chicago dog.
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The New Handmaids

In Dan Wells? action-filled Partials, another trilogy opener, a virus is once again to blame for America?s destruction?well, a virus and the Partials, a race of engineered supersoldiers who turned on their human creators after the Isolation War with China. A small population of survivors has made Long Island into their stronghold, and it?s there that 16-year-old Kira investigates why babies with virus-immune parents all die within days of being born. The clock is ticking for Kira; all women must try to conceive by age 18 and keep having children as long as they possibly can, according to the Hope Act. (Why not the Pregnancy Opportunity Act?) After Kira undertakes a desperate journey into kudzu-covered, derelict Manhattan, hoping that the Partials can help her find a cure for the virus, the Hope Act age is lowered to 16.?We?re talking about the government taking full control over your body,? a friend tells Kira. ?What it?s for, what you do with it, and what other people can do to it.?

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