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Venture capitalists (VCs), unlike angel investors, are professional investors that invest other people's money. Similar to angel investors, their goal is to earn a solid return on this money. In fact, VCs are judged and compensated by the performance of their investments. As a result, they are extremely rigorous in their investment decision-making process.
Here's how VCs earn returns for their investors:
1. Finding high growth companies
2. Making investments in them at favorable terms
3. Guiding and nurturing them
4. Enacting a liquidity event. This typically occurs by selling the company or taking it public.
VCs swing for the fences and only invest in companies they think can give them a "10X" return or 10 times their money back. This is because even with all their relevant experience, the average venture capital firm will lose money on half the companies they invest in and only break even on a third. Where VCs make their money is on the approximately 20% of companies they invest in that see explosive growth and provide remarkable returns of 10 times or more on their investment.
So, the first criteria when seeking venture capital is that you can offer the potential of a 10X return to them.
The second criterion is that is your company must have significant market potential of $50 million, $100 million or more. Now, you might think that if a venture capitalist invested $100K in your company and got back $1 million (a 10X return) that they would be happy. This is not the case. This is because venture capitalists like to be "hands on" on their investments and help the companies they fund (called "portfolio companies"). And since each partner in the venture capital firm can only nurture so many portfolio companies, they want to invest in fewer companies, each of which can provide not only a 10X return, but a check of $50 million or more when it reaches liquidity.
To summarize, when approaching venture capitalists, remember the 3 hurdles:
1. Their primary goal is to make significant money from investing in you
2. You need to show them how they can earn a 10X return
3. You need to show them how your company can eventually be valued at $50 million or more
Now, if you meet these criteria, you should be a good fit for venture capital. But, raising this type of funding it is virtually impossible if you don't know what you're doing and haven't done it before. So follow this plan:
1. Develop a list of VC firms.
Start by creating a list of venture capital firms.
2. Narrow your list.
Each venture capital firm invests based on particular characteristics (e.g., some only invest in software firms), so you need to make sure your list only includes VCs that are interested in your type of venture.
3. Make sure the VC is active.
Many VC firms that have websites aren't active. That is, they aren't making new investments. You don't want to waste your time contacting and talking with these firms.
4. Find the appropriate person to contact.
This is critical. Venture capital firms are comprised of individual partners and associates. If you contact the wrong one, you'll be dead in the water.
5. Send the VC partner or associate a "teaser" email.
You don't want to send the VC a full business plan or executive summary initially. Rather, you need to send them a "teaser" email to see if they are interested. You don't want to "over shop" your deal.
Once the VC "bites" on your teaser email, the next step is generally to send them your business plan. Following that you'll do an in-person presentation(s), receive and negotiate a term sheet, and then sign a formal agreement and receive your funding check.
The venture capital raising process is a lot of work, but once you receive their multi-million check with which you can dramatically grow your company, you'll agree it's worth the effort.
Suggested Resource: In Venture Capital Pitch Formula, you'll learn exactly how to find and contact venture capitalists, exactly what information to include in your presentations, and how to secure your financing. This video explains more.
Isn't it funny how doing less can sometimes be the best way to get a handle on things?
Maintaining a healthy life balance is vital; not only for your health and overall well-being, but also for increased productivity in your growing business! If you're a balanced person, you are very likely to achieve your long-term goals. Because the odds are, you're going to run into both ups and downs over time. That's business.
So what would a balanced life look like for an entrepreneur? Can you recognize when one is or isn't? How can we have a balanced life when our schedules are so overwhelming?
Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks that will help you regain balance and control of your life. When you will see the first results, you will be a lot more motivated to work hard (when it's time to work), and play hard during the time you choose to reserve for that vital part of living.
The secret lies in changing one thing at a time; you need to make small adjustments in order to see what works for you and what doesn't. Slowly but surely, you will get a brand new set of positive and healthy habits!
Here you will find 9 simple yet effective tips that will help you regain control of your life:
1. The weekend is all yours!
As soon as Friday afternoon comes, simply get away from everything that bothers or stresses you. I've heard all sorts of excuses - I know it's hard, trust me, but try to do it completely at least one day per week.
You will be amazed to see how good you will feel without the hustle and bustle of projects and to-do's. Spend some time with your close friends and family: a nice dinner, TV/movies, and even some board games will help you relax after a tensed week at work! I figure it will be waiting for me Monday, so why not tackle it in a relaxed state of mind?
[Note: if your business operates on weekends, figure out your slowest day and at least take that one day off; you need time off!]
2. Make a selection
Write a list and get rid of everything you do not need or that does not add value to your business or life anymore. Simply eliminate everything that has become a stress factor for you and is no longer worth the investment...no mercy!
3. Don't neglect your health!
Everybody knows that it is better to prevent than to treat, so make sure you pay attention to your health. Stress can have devastating effects on both your physical and mental health, and that reflects on your life. Eat healthier, sleep more than you used to, and do some kind of fun, physical activity regularly-your customers and clients will see the difference in no time!
Importantly, put your health into your routine. For me, everyday after work I head straight to the gym or go for a run outside. Because this is part of my daily routine it's easy to do, and I always do it.
4. Get rid of toxins
The term "toxins" refers not only to what we eat or breathe, but also to those toxic people that surround us. Keep an open mind and gather positive, cheerful people around you. Their positive energy is addictive!
This also includes avoiding toxic people; not always easy, but it has to be done.
5. Spend some time alone
If you have a busy schedule like I do, then you certainly know how difficult it is to spend some time on your own. As difficult as it may be, spending some time alone is of utmost importance-it not only relieves stress, but it also encourages creativity! Do something relaxing, something you enjoy doing. You deserve some time for yourself.
6. Strengthen connections with friends and family
They are the most important people in your life and they deserve a place in your busy schedule. Talk to your friends and family, invite them over for dinner, have a cup of coffee with them. Your loved ones are the constants throughout the fast changes of your growing business.
No successful person has ever told me they wish they had spent less time with their friends and family during their careers. Rather, it's the opposite, they all wished they had spent more time.
7. Treat yourself! You are important, never forget that
Get a new haircut, buy a new shirt, get your nails done, schedule a massage, or go shopping! Isn't that why we got into business in the first place...to have some perks here and there? Being dedicated to your business doesn't mean being austere. Being dedicated to your own well-being, however, will absolutely help you perform at work.
8. Expand your horizons
Leaders make better decisions when they have knowledge in a variety of fields and topics. Try to know more about the world that surrounds you-take a stroll in the park, visit a new town or country, attend a local performance, read or watch something outside of your norms. Try something you haven't done before!
9. Last but not least, remember to laugh
Laugh as loud as you can! Have fun, play or learn new jokes and you will see how beautiful life really is! Being a successful entrepreneur is a long and hard journey; you need to laugh and have fun along the journey!
Keep these nine tips in mind as you celebrate the New Year, and make them part of your life in 2013 so you achieve more and have more fun doing it!
One problem many entrepreneurs and small business owners run into is that they are simply thinking too small. I often have readers writing to me asking for help getting their business ideas off the ground. I also often hear from folks who have run their small businesses into the ground.
You may have heard of the expression "Shoot for the moon...even if you miss it you'll land among the stars." Plan big and even if you only get halfway there, you're still further than if you planned small.
Here are five key areas where it's possible to think too small - and doom your business to failure.
1. Too Small of a Niche
Is your niche too small? Finding a popular market for your business to target is critical to your success, but sometimes people narrow down their niche too much.
For example, while doggy dental products could be a wonderful niche (as almost any dog owner can attest) you could narrow your focus down to a certain type of dog (such as German Shepherds). But going for one specific breed might be taking it too far, as it would reduce the pool of available buyers by 90% or more (my best estimate on dog breed ownership percentages :).
2. Too Small of a Target Market
Is your target market too small? If you are looking only at one community or small geographic region then you may well doom your product or service to failure.
It is far too easy to saturate a small market and for any marketing mistakes to end your campaign before it gets off the ground. In today's economy, with the availability of global marketing you need to think bigger when you are planning your target market.
Even if dominating your local market is your initial goal, make sure that you're ultimately heading for something greater or you might become a big fish in an inadequately small pond.
3. Too Small of a Budget
Is your budget too small? You don't need a million dollar advertising budget, but you should have some seed money to get your business and its marketing campaign off the ground.
It is possible to build a business from nothing but it is also a lot more difficult and you might find yourself making some mistakes that cost you a lot more down the road than putting a little money up front.
In fact, when planning a project or borrowing money, come up with a figure of how much you'll need and then double it! No one wants to come back to the well later when they run out.
4. Too Small of a Schedule
Is your schedule too small? Do you have enough time to devote to your business? Starting, running, and growing a business takes time. Some people get swept up in the planning and dreaming stages and never really start their business. Other people start before they have completely planned everything out and quickly get mired down by unexpected difficulties.
Some others do everything right in the planning and startup but once the business is running they get overwhelmed by day-to-day business and never think about ways to improve and grow their business.
Schedule some time right now to work on growing your business - launching whatever the next project is that will increase your profits and/or the value of your company.
5. Too Small of a Mindset
Is your mindset too small? You need to open up your mind's eye to see new possibilities, and continually seek new opportunities to find new customers, new potential partners, new ideas for products/services, and new marketing opportunities.
Flexibility and adaptability are key to survival in today's rapidly-changing business climate and you always need to have new ideas cooking to grow and expand your market and your business.
This means raising your head up and out of the trenches once in a while. Yes, you might need to dodge the occasional missile lobbed your way but this is the only way to see those opportunities.
If you do your best to avoid these 5 ways of thinking small, you'll have removed the single largest obstacle to growing your business...yourself.
"I always knew I'd be a millionaire by age thirty-two. In fact, I am going to be the richest black woman in America."
Oprah Winfrey said this in 1987.
And then it took her 19 years to accomplish this goal.
So, how did Oprah achieve this incredible feat and become one of the richest and most successful people in the world.
Well, the first thing she did is set her goal. Seems simple enough, but the vast majority of entrepreneurs don't have concise goals that they physically write down (or type and print out).
Do you have a written goal for your company? If not, create one now using these two guidelines:
1. Be specific. Of course you would like your company to be successful. But how successful? Do you want it to generate $5 million? $100 million? Do you want to eventually sell it? If so, for how much? And when?
The more specific you are with your goals, the more likely you will be to achieve them. And, because they are specific, you will be able to measure your progress towards achieving them.
2. Make your goals realistic. This does not mean you can't set a goal of taking your company public with a billion-dollar market capitalization. But such a goal would be unrealistic if you're running a single restaurant with no plans to develop new locations.
So, make sure your goals are realistic with respect to your business. And go ahead, be aggressive. As Donald Trump said, "As long as your going to be thinking anyway, think big."
What Next?
Once you've set your long-term goals, the key is to break them into smaller pieces that you can attain in shorter periods of time. For example, over the past year, one of my key goals was to publish my book, Start At The End. In doing so, I created a series of smaller goals including:
Completing all of these tasks took hundreds of hours over many months. But it got done, because I laid out the steps and methodically completed each one.
To do this in your business, figure out what you'd like to accomplish in the next year that will progress you towards your long-term goal (that you developed above). The key question being: what portion of your long-term goal can you accomplish in just one year?
For example, if you ultimate goal is to get to $20 million in annual revenues, what must your revenues be 12 months from now? And if you envision ultimately having 200 employees, how many must you hire and train within the next year?
Once you do this, you'll know what your ultimate goals are, and your goals for the next year. From here, you must continue to work backwards. What are your goals for the next quarter, next month, next week?
By creating your big goal and then breaking it down into smaller goals, you can ultimately figure out what you need to accomplish each and every day to move closer to achieving it. Because that's all you can control right now -- what you do today. And then tomorrow, you can control and do what needs to be done tomorrow. And so on.
As the New Year approaches, make sure you determine the ultimate goal for your business and your goals for next year. Then figure out your goal for next month. And then do whatever you can to accomplish that goal next month.
After doing that, you might adjust your ultimate and/or annual goals. That's fine. You will have made real progress, and whatever your goals, you will have moved closer to achieving them. Just like Oprah Winfrey did every day, week, month, quarter and year for 19 years.
If you'd like additional guidance on setting your ultimate goals and working backwards to create shorter term goals and an action plan for achieving them, pick up a free copy of my book, Start At The End: How Companies Can Grow Bigger And Faster By Reversing Their Business Plan.
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (called the JOBS Act) was passed with support from Republicans and Democrats alike and signed by President Obama in April 2012.
In this article, I will give you an overview of the JOBS Act and most specifically its potential for equity-based crowdfunding, and give you an update on what's occurred since April.
[And for a little trivia, the term "the skinny" as used in my title was coined during World War II. During the war and for years thereafter, military orders in the Marine Corps were copied on paper that resembled the skin of an onion. It was extremely thin and fragile, and translucent in appearance. Orders written on them were referred to as "the skinny."]
The JOBS Act makes equity-based crowdfunding much easier
The JOBS Act makes it possible to raise funding from investors and donors through certain crowdfunding sites in exchange for equity in your company.
If you have tried to raise funds in the past by going a public offering, you'll know that it's expensive. Being able to bypass this is huge, especially if you are raising smaller amounts of funding.
The passing of the JOBS Act also means you won't have to seek out accredited investors specifically (people with incomes of $200,000 or more, or a net worth of $1,000,000 or more-not including their residence). You can receive funds from people of all income ranges, which makes the pool of potential investors MUCH bigger.
What's happened since April
When the JOBS Act was past in April, the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) was given until January 1, 2013 to propose the specific terms by which equity-based crowdfunding would operate.
For example, the SEC wants to make sure standards are in place with regards to how much money individual investors can invest (e.g., what portion of their annual income), the type and amount of information companies must show prospective investors, how to monitor the amount of money raised by individual companies, measures to protect against fraud, etc.
However, with just a couple weeks left before January 1, the SEC has not come to an agreement on how things will operate.
One key event which is probably both good and bad is that current SEC chairman Mary L. Schapiro announced last month that she will step down this month. Elisse Walter, one of the agency's commissioners is expected to fill the position. The bad news with regards to this changing of the guard is that it will most likely slow the finalization of equity-based crowdfunding laws beyond January 1st. The good news is that once Walter takes the helm, we can expect the SEC to come to decisions more quickly.
Massive Spike in Crowdfunding Websites
In January 2012, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, there were less than 900 websites whose names included the word "crowdfunding" in them.
Today, there are nearly 9,000 of them. So, once equity-based crowdfunding laws are set (probably within a few months), there will be many, many websites upon which entrepreneurs will be able to raise crowdfunding dollars.
Preparing for Crowdfunding
Whether you want to raise crowdfunding today via rewards-based crowdfunding, or wait until 2013 for equity-based crowdfunding, here are some things you can do:
1. Broaden your network: the key to Crowdfunding is marketing; the more people that trust and like you, and/or who are convinced you have a winner, the more money you will raise. So continue to network both online and offline to expand the network of people who know and like you.
2. If you're already in business, keep growing it: As with any kind of funding, you will be in a much stronger position to ask for funds if you can demonstrate success in the past. So keep doing whatever you can to progress your business without funding.
3. Work on your business plan: Make sure you have a solid plan for how much funding you need, how you will spend it, and what effects it will have on your operations and revenues. You don't want to raise too much or too little, and once you raise your funding, you want to most effectively use it.
Crowdfunding is an extremely interesting and exciting new way to fund your business. It has grown dramatically as a funding source over the past two years and is poised to grow even more in the coming months and years once the JOBS Act laws are finalized.
There are several reasons why you'd want to build systems and processes in your business. The main ones are:
1. Precision and consistency. By having set processes for how tasks should be completed, you will get consistent quality results.
2. Time and money savings. When employees know precisely how to do something and do it the same way each time, they eventually become much better and faster at performing the task. This saves time and money, and gives you a competitive advantage.
3. Scalability. When you have set processes for completing tasks, it's much easier to hire and train new employees and grow your business.
4. Free your time and build business value. Developing and implementing systems allows your business to run without you. This frees up your time to focus on building your business further (and taking time off) and makes your business more attractive and valuable to potential acquirers (because it's not dependent on you and the acquirer can see how the business could continue to scale and provide value).
Each of these are compelling reasons to build systems and processes in your business, and is why building systems is one of the pillars of an 8-figure business.
Here are 4 simple steps to follow to develop systems in your business:
Step #1: Look at your current business processes
In developing your business systems, you should first look at the key tasks and processes your company performs on a daily basis.
For example, if you operate a laundry business, your business processes will include cleaning the laundry machines, managing customer drop-off orders, sweeping the floors, paying the bills, ordering supplies, etc.
Next, assess each of these processes to figure out which ones to focus on systematizing first. For example, figure out which processes, if improved, could most improve customer satisfaction, revenues and/or profits.
Step #2: Develop your business systems
Once you've identified the initial process(es) to improve, it's time to develop your business systems. In developing your systems, start with the outcome, that is, how should the task or process look at the end when it is completed flawlessly.
Then work backwards to figure out the best steps to achieve that outcome. When doing that, and comparing this to your current processes, try to look for the most efficient steps and eliminate any unnecessary ones.
Importantly, in doing this, you must write down the system on a sheet of paper. Yes, it's as simple as "Step 1, do this" and "Step 2, do that." The key is to make it easy and foolproof so any of your employees could follow it.
Step #3: Test and redesign your system
When I develop a new system, I like to complete it myself a few times in order to test it.
Importantly, when doing this, I look at the most challenging and/or time consuming parts of the system and then brainstorm ways to improve it. Consider this: if you create a process that allows a task to be completed in 9 minutes instead of 11 minutes, and that task is done twice a day by two employees, that improvement will save your company 49 hours of labor each year.
Also look for routine things that can be automated, such as the payment processing. For instance, manually writing customer receipts might take a minute while an automated register could create a receipt in seconds.
Step #4: Test-run with the team
Once you're done with redesigning your first business system, now is the time to implement it. To make teaching others faster, it helps to prepare as much as you can, and to actually demonstrate or allow them to see a demonstration of how the work is to be done.
If you're there in person, show them or have them watch someone in action to model going through the system. If it's work that is done on a computer, create a screen recording so others can watch to learn it.
The best way to train employees is by having them perform the process on a real-life order or project. Then the work that needs to get done is completed, and you get to see their performance and give feedback.
Then, over time, encourage your employees to try to improve your existing processes and systems. Have your checklists and flow charts readily available so they can follow them and propose new ways of doing things. Because as more and more of your business' processes become systematized, and your systems become better and better, your revenues and profits will soar and your business will be the envy of your market.
There is a big difference between marketing and sales. The act of selling generates revenue when a product is sold. Marketing, on the other hand, is the act of attracting attention, branding a product or person, and creating a buzz that will eventually result in sales.
Peter Drucker once said, "The point of marketing is to make selling superfluous." In layman's terms, this means that if you do a great job of positioning your business in your ads and build a strong reputation, you won't have to do a lot of convincing and selling once prospects come in the door (or to your website). They will already be convinced that are the right company for them.
Below are 5 marketing strategies to use to make selling superfluous and to grow your business.
1. Improve Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Having a strong unique selling proposition (USP) is a critical element of your marketing plan. Your USP separates your product or service from your competitors. It makes your product or service a "unique, must have" item.
In fact, the USP of Domino's Pizza: "Fresh hot pizza delivered to your door in thirty minutes or less, guaranteed," has widely been credited as the reason for the company's success in a highly competitive and fairly commoditized business.
Ideally you can come up with a great USP for your company like Domino's did. But at the very least, you must be able to clearly articulate reasons why customers should buy from you instead of competitors.
2. Use Multiple Marketing Channels
Once you have the right USP, you want as many of your target customers to hear it as possible. That's why you need to market yourself through multiple channels. The key is this: the more channels you use, the more prospective customers will hear about you. Importantly, some of your target customers prefer one channel (e.g., print newspapers) while others may prefer a different channel (e.g., radio ads).
While one marketing channel may be the most profitable for you, the more marketing channels you can make work for you, the more you will be able to dominate your market.
So, which of the following marketing channels can you start using?
3. Understand Your KPIs
"KPIs" or Key Performance Indicators are the metrics that judge your business' performance based on the success you would like to succeed.
Knowing your KPIs and constantly working to improve them is critical to your marketing. For example,
The more you understand and improve your KPIs the more your revenues and profits will grow. In fact, creating and managing your KPIs is one of the pillars of an 8-figure business.
4. Make Buying From You Easy
We've all been to businesses that don't accept credit cards. Or they only accept certain kinds of credit cards. As a result of this, they lose out on some customers. So make sure you offer multiple purchase options, from credit cards to possibly payment plans.
Likewise, you can make buying from you easier by having your products and services distributed elsewhere. For example, if you offer a physical product, you can also sell it on Amazon.com or eBay among other website. These are essentially buyer search engines; people are searching them for things to buy - what a perfect place for your product to show up. Or, if you offer a service, you can develop joint venture partners who sell it to their customers.
5. Provide the Right Information to Prospective Customers
Remember how good marketing will make selling superfluous? Customers need certain information in order to make a decision.
Specifically, be sure to provide information educating your customers on how your product or service can 1) solve problems and/or help them avoid pain, 2) improve their lives and/or increase their pleasure, and 3) save customers time, as that's a growing need for customers today.
Convey this key information in graphics, articles, videos, case studies, interviews and/or any other way that your prospective customers prefer to consume information.
By following these 5 marketing strategies, you can dramatically grow your sales and profits, and not have to resort to high pressure selling.
With the 2012 presidential election wrapped up, and January's inauguration looming on the horizon, life is getting (somewhat) back to normal in the United States. But the past few months have been filled with stories of great presidents, leadership and change, and tales of how those have impacted America's direction over the course of the past few centuries.
A few good presidential examples can be used to guide a business toward success, as well. Business owners would do well to follow a few of the examples set by Abraham Lincoln, long considered one of the most respected presidents in American history. His reputation is not an accident; instead, he carefully crafted an expert team, sought leadership from multiple subordinates and cabinet members, and turned debate into his best chance for success.
And while it's true that business owners won't be fighting any wars, Lincoln's policies of leadership and discussion are a powerful way for entrepreneurs to get ahead and maintain strong footing in their industry.
You CAN Hire Others Who Disagree with You
One of the most notorious aspects of Lincoln's administration was that it was largely comprised of his rivals. One of the best examples of this is Lincoln's choice for Secretary of the Treasury. The job is typically reserved for those who agree with the president's policies, and have a strong desire to remain above the political fray while ensuring the nation's fiscal sanity.
Lincoln saw it quite differently, instead believing that the Treasury -- and every other department -- should be run by someone who was highly capable of the job, regardless of their ambitions, political viewpoints, or personal relationships with the president.
Lincoln boldly appointed Samuel Chase to the lead the United States Treasury. Lincoln did this despite Chase's well-known political ambitions, and his thinly-veiled efforts to undermine Lincoln for his own political gain.
The same pattern can be seen in Lincoln's appointment to what was then known as the War Department. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton rarely saw eye-to-eye with Lincoln on policy matters. He was the best man for the job, however, and that was good enough for Lincoln.
At every turn, Lincoln followed a basic business philosophy: hiring capability, regardless of ideology. Business owners could learn from this example, as we often expect the ideal worker or partner to look or think a certain pre-conceived way, which blinds us to possibilities.
Rather than leading without any debate or argument, and rather than picking those who merely agree with everything we, the business owners, believe, pick a team full of rivals and strong-minded professionals who will set the business up for success. All ideas will be properly debated, vetted, and implemented -- but only if they're the best ones for the business.
A business that enjoys healthy debate among its employees and leaders is one that makes the best decisions for the entire company, rather than the best decisions for the company's owner. Out of a brief ideological struggle, a commitment to sound leadership and decision-making can emerge.
Shoulder the Blame and Share the Credit
Abraham Lincoln was well-known as the type of leader who preferred to share credit with his expert cabinet members, while also shouldering the blame of the administration's failings. In fact, he often shouldered the blame for issues that weren't entirely of his own creation.
That type of compassion and leadership is often missing in business, and it creates an adversarial environment that can be damaging to the growth of the enterprise.
Small businesses need to work as a team. That team can debate (sometimes for days on end), but they must work to create goodwill at the end of the day (and individual team members cannot be blamed for problems). When everyone feels good about their coworkers, and about how their ideas are being integrated into the growing company's policies, they're more motivated to do the best job they can.
Additionally, happy employees and executives are more loyal in their positions -- preferring to stick with a business through the good and bad times, as opposed to jumping ship to a competitor or starting their own company.
Be Prepared
It was Abraham Lincoln who said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe."
Lincoln knew that before you can achieve success, you must prepare. You must know where you want to go and what you want to achieve, and then create the plan to achieve it.
Have a Commitment to Leadership
Above all else, what Abraham Lincoln showed during his time in office was a commitment to excellent leadership. It takes a very strong individual, and a very capable manager, to hire a team of rivals. After all, a lesser man or woman would find themselves overwhelmed and entirely too stressed by constant debate over company policies.
Lincoln, however, thrived on the discussion. Discussing his views was something he enjoyed; conflicting ideas helped him moderate his own views and policies, allowing him to best enact policies for the majority of a war-torn nation.
In today's business climate, it's all too easy to get wrapped up in a self-centered drive for success, especially for small business owners working mostly alone. But when that motivation is expanded to a larger team, and their conflicting viewpoints are brought in as part of the company's policies, the whole organization stands a better chance of making sound decisions.
With shared credit, proper planning, the right employees (who don't always agree with you), and an understanding leader (You!), your business can grow carefully and strategically, making strong tactical moves that set it up for more sales and profits, and continuous growth.
What is the goal of New York Giants or any football team?
The answer should be easy. This team's goal each and every year is to win the Super Bowl.
There's no question about this. Every player shows up for pre-season training with that goal in mind. Every practice drill is performed with that goal in mind. And every game is played to win, because each win will put the team one step closer to the Super Bowl.
So, what is your company's end goal? Can you answer this question without missing a beat? Do you clearly know and understand what your organization has set out to achieve? And, just as important: does every employee in your organization know what this goal is?
And most importantly, do you know precisely what you need to do this month, this week, and today, to make significant progress towards this end goal?
If not, then THAT is the real reason why your business is "stuck."
If you don't know precisely what you need to do beyond today, then you're thinking like a drug addict.
Let me explain. The most successful entrepreneurs in the world focus on the long-term. Sir Richard Branson. Donald Trump. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. And many more -- they all had BIG long-term visions, even when they were just starting out.
In fact, ALL successful people think long-term. These are individuals who build trees under which their grandchildren will sit.
On the other side of the spectrum are drug addicts. Drug addicts don't think at all about tomorrow. They spend all their time today looking for their next quick fix. Their only plans are to figure out how to immediately get more drugs. As a result, they never achieve success. But rather, they fall deeper and deeper into despair.
So, how do you run your business? Do you act like a drug addict and focus each day on trying to increase today's revenues and profits?
Or, do you operate like a successful entrepreneur, with a methodical plan that will BOTH build revenues and profits today AND create the necessary infrastructure for your long-term growth, several years from now?
Answer honestly.
The key is to start by creating the long-term vision of where you want to go, and then reverse engineer it.
You see, if I asked where you'd like your business to be in 5 years, or 1825 days, you'd probably be able to answer fairly easily.
But how about if I asked you where you'd like to be in 1824 days? Or 1823 days?
And what about 987 days from now?
Or 481 days from now?
Or 84 days from now?
The fact is that you COULD answer these questions for every single day from now until 5 years from now, all the way back to the present day.
And if you did that, you'd know exactly what you'd have to do tomorrow to be on the right trajectory to meet your 30 day, 365 day and even 5 year (1825-day) goals and vision!
Now, in reality, setting goals for each of the next 1825 days is not practical. Not only would it take too much time to complete, but your business and strategy needs to evolve over time. No business operates in a vacuum, and you must be flexible and willing to change.
But, you can figure out where you need to be in the next year, and figure out what you need to accomplish this month to allow you to get there. And then you could plan your days to ensure that progress is continually made.
In summary, to succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to have a clear goal and vision of what you want to achieve. Then you need to create a step-by-step game plan to get there. Because you can't go from A to Z without achieving B, C, D and so on. The key being that you must plan out and execute on the smaller periodic goals (e.g., weekly, monthly, annual goals) that you must accomplish to achieve your end goal.
For my proven methodology on how to create a step-by-step plan to build your ideal company, pick up a free copy of my book, Start At The End: How Companies Can Grow Bigger And Faster By Reversing Their Business Plan.
The REAL Reason Businesses Fail to Achieve Success
Soon after entrepreneurs and business owners start businesses, they tend to become trapped in the day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month struggles...
At some point, virtually all of us become 100% focused on the short-term and lose sight of our long-term visions. As a result, we begin to wander, and never achieve the initial vision we had when we first started or bought our companies.
Specifically, we set short-term goals and create short-term plans (if any plans at all). And as the United States Small Business Administration found after numerous studies, the #1 reason business owners fail to achieve success is lack of formal business planning.
That's right, you must have BOTH 1) a long-term vision and business plan, AND 2) a short-term vision and business plan that puts you on the right trajectory towards achieving the success you want.
So how do you do this?
The Solution is to Forget About Today And 'Start At The End'
"If you don't know where you're going, you probably won't get there."
Yogi Berra
This quote from Yogi Berra is so simple, yet so true. If you don't know where you want to go, you'll never get there. It's like driving in a foreign country without a map or GPS system.
And it's the same with your business. If you don't know where you want to take your business, how can you possibly get there? You can't.
In business, as in everything else, you need to have a clear vision of where you want to go. Then, and only then, can you create a plan to get you there. The key is to "Start At The End." Figure out where you want to go. And then reverse engineer the path to get there.
So, oddly enough, the starting point to all success is actually at the end! Now, the reverse engineering process of getting to the end is all about figuring out short-term goals.
Specifically, once you figure out what you want to accomplish by the end, you can estimate what you need to accomplish in the next year to put you on the right trajectory towards meeting your ultimate goals.
And then you can figure out what you need to complete this quarter to get on the path to your annual goals. Further, you can determine what you need to achieve this month to reach your quarterly goals. Likewise, you can figure out what you need to accomplish this week to meet your monthly goals. And lastly, you can figure out what you need to do today to accomplish your weekly goals.
Success really is this easy; it's simply constantly breaking down your ultimate vision into smaller pieces, and then focusing on completing those pieces (rather than getting distracted as most of us do).
For specific tips and strategies to envision the company you'd like to build and to reverse engineer that vision into a step-by-step plan you can follow to achieve it, pick up a free copy of my book, Start At The End: How Companies Can Grow Bigger And Faster By Reversing Their Business Plan.
Subscribe to Growing Your EmpirePrivate Equity Opportunities via Growthink


text:
London: Burley estate, a luxurious property owned by Noam Gottesman, a billionaire has prompted a council investigation because celebrities like Beyonce regularly arrive there by helicopter.
Beyonce Knowles. Pic/Santa Banta
The exclusive bolthole has now reportedly become so popular with visiting stars that the noise from the frequent low-flying air traffic has started irritating residents, the Independent reported.
Local resident Helen Carlile, who runs the WooltonHill.com site, said that they are frustrated by the regular arrival of helicopters and it was often late at night and very noisy. Carlile said that Beyonce stayed at the estate for a while and obviously on tour, so she was in and out every night.
The local resident then further added that no planning permission has been granted for a permanent helipad on the land and the locals have visited the site, met with the site and an enforcement case remains ongoing.
A spokeswoman confirmed that the estate was currently under scrutiny over two issues: a change of use to a residential property without planning permission and a change of use to a commercial property (helicopter business) without planning permission.
Photos: Ajay Devgn, Parineeti, Tabu at 'Golmaal Again' trailer launch
Photos: Dipika Pallikal Karthik oozes oomph in bikinis and sarees
Photos: Kareena Kapoor Khan's grand birthday bash
Photos: 'Dangal' girls Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh's dinner outing
Photos: Salman Khan, Daisy Shah spotted at the Mumbai airport

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello, I am new to the forum and I am looking for feedback. My of my new passions is cake decorating , one of my "old" passions - is acrylic painting. I have seen some products on line that appear to resemble acrylic painting (i.e. www.sweetstampen.com) but I would like to know if any of you have any any experiences with painting on fondant and what products do you use? I am looking for solid and rich colors, not the watercolor affect that we get with food coloring.
Any advise or recommendation on products would be appreciated! :
Happy Cake Creating!
You can mix paste/gel colors with a bit of extract or something to make paint... I've also found that sometimes certain brands of airbrush color make good paints but some are not so good.
I hand painted my cheetah cake (airbrushed background, hand painted details) and my dragon cake using the above methods...
This is something I will be trying too. There is a thread that discussed this in the past.
And here is a link that will be interesting too: http://www.jollybebakery.com/painted.html
I have done some painting on fondant with food coloring. It's really fun. What you need is the Americolor food colors and some Donna Dewberry brushes. Thin your food coloring with either alcohol or distilled water (spring water and tap water both contain minerals, and can cloud the final paint when it is dry). Tap off some of the color onto a blotting cloth or paper towel before applying to the cake.
The drawback is that, unlike the One Stroke method, you cannot go back and paint over a mistake. Both fondant and buttercream grab onto color and do not let go.
Looking forward to seeing your paintings -
Hi, I often paint on my cake covering. Use of a sponge with several layers and colours finishing with silver or gold of your choice, or lustre of your choice can look fantastic. Mix dust, chalk, pastes or liquid food colours depending on the look you are after. Colouring the fondant in a base colour will give a more solid look. Use alcohol only tomix NOT water as it will eat into the sugar in your icing. Often we paint onto a sugarpaste plaque and attach that to the cake, saves you messing up your covering on the cake. Would send you some photos, but I don't know how to load them onto this site, sorry. Hope this helps, Leonie, Brisbane Australia.
Actually I've found that if you make a small mistake on fondant, (like a splatter mark) you can take a damp finger or towel and rub it out gently...but of course you could not fix a huge boo boo.
and....if you have mistake on white fondant i found by accident of course that you could put some white coloring (do not dilute) really thick let the color sit for a couple of minutes then go back with a paper towel moisten with alchohol and gentley rub out the error......I was able to rub out a large black area on white...with no traces of the black after done...........I put on the white to try and cover but realized i only made it look worse when i went to wipe off it all cleaned ........you should have seen the look on my face.....
hiya charlene and welcome to c.c.
I have an idea for ya hun.... get some white gel or paste food coloring and mix your "paints"(gel or paste food colors) with it to the desired tint. Then use it as you would gouache.
That way you will get the opaque effect that you are looking for instead of the transparent effect of straight food colors. You might also try to add the tint to some thinned buttercream if you are looking for a more impasto effect.
Hope this helps.
P.S. by the way.... my avatar is one of my paintings
Hi Charlene,
Yes our gel pastes are used to paint on cakes. To our knowledge, our chef, Laure'l Silverberg was the first to try this and teach it.
The kit we carry is made up of Americolor's Gel paste colors and we recommend lots of white to blend the colors well. We have also recently discovered you can use this same technique on white chocolate by first brushing it with Americolor's Flo Coat. We also carry this but it's not up on the web yet.
Do please use new brushes and keep them with your kitchen tools.
Good luck and don't hesitate to contact us should you have questions.
Sweet Stampen
i have been trieing to paint on the cakes. you could buy a bottle of bright white food color and then add any color to it to paint.
If you use bright white mixed with other colors the paint feels like real and you can paint on colored fondant without any problems.
Another tip is not to paint on a cake immidiately. let the base dry for a few hours and then do your painting.
Painting with luster dust is lots of fun,too. Just make it wet with lemon extract. It really gives a nice effect. I've done several cakes this way
Thanks for teaching me how to "erase" boo-boos.
I have the Wilton brush on colors...I made some fondant "birthday boxes" and painted them using the brush on colors, very intense color. I wanted more of a pastel but we all learn from trial and error. When I experiment again I will use piping gel and a whitener to the brush on colors...in my mind it would be the same type of technique as using blending gel or floating medium to acrylic paints. CC is such a treasure to me, I am very new to decorating cakes, although I have been baking cakes since I was 7, ( I will be 59, yikes!) I always just frosted them. Bank account is suffering from all the gadgets and supplies I've bought lol. Many thanks to all these talented decorators for their wisdom and helpful suggestions.
Thank you to all of you for your information!
Can you paint on crusted buttercream this way too? I have painted with acrylics on wood and glass in the past and would love to paint on my decorated cakes.
You could but I would use very soft brushes and my "paint" would be thinned down quite a bit. I was thinking (omg) If you could get some food grade glycerin you could use that to extend the open time on your "paints". I have used glycerin in the past to keep my acrylics from drying out too fast and it's more like painting with oils.
Thanks Chaptlps, Will have to see if I can discover some food grade glycerin somewhere. I have a package of soft brushes just waiting for me to use. Oh how my imagination is starting to bubble.
Connie, I don't know where you are, but Wilton had their own brand of food grade glycerine. If you have a store near you that sells Wilton products, then they probably have it on the shelves.
You could but I would use very soft brushes and my "paint" would be thinned down quite a bit. I was thinking (omg) If you could get some food grade glycerin you could use that to extend the open time on your "paints". I have used glycerin in the past to keep my acrylics from drying out too fast and it's more like painting with oils.
I use my gel colors thinned down with vodka to paint on crusted BC all the time. Yes, soft brushes and good quality ones are key. Wilton does have glycerin to help save gel colors--after they have been sitting for a while and get tacky. http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30D7C6-475A-BAC0-5C1871D06AA33E91
Yeah, I want to get into painting peeps portraits on cakes. That would be sooo kewl. Dontcha think???
Theresa, I live here in IN and I have a Walmart just 12 miles down the road. When I can pull myself off here, I go over and get some. I have some sugar cookies I iced this morning with left over bc from a cake yesterday. Now I can't wait to play. Thanks so much, Connie
Hey, Connie, don't forget...
We wanna see'em!


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6 - 7 September 2013 09:30 - 18:00 | International workshop
mobilities : immobilities
Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen
It is a truism that refugee research is either lacking theory or lacking theoretical sophistication and in many cases has become overtly legalistic or mechanical. In recent years, the main theory development has moved from the traditional "refugee studies" to the broader category "forced migration studies", a shift that some deplore and others see as invigorating the discipline. This workshop examines contemporary forced displacement theory and practice along three dimensions: 1) "dis-placement", 2) "en-campment" and 3) "re-return".
The workshop is by invitation only.


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What separates over 46 000 awaiting-trial prisoners from Oscar Pistorius (or Glenn Agliotti and J Arthur Brown) is that they cannot afford to pay for lawyers, says Nathan Geffen.
Johannesburg - Oscar Pistorius's bail application supposedly showed how the justice system works. But actually, his hearing and release on bail were exceptional.
Compare Pistorius's case to Dudley Lee's. Lee was charged with fraud and counterfeiting. He spent four years in Pollsmoor as an awaiting-trial prisoner. After about 70 court hearings, he was acquitted and released. In prison, he became ill with TB and lost his life savings. Today, he survives on a state pension of R1 260 a month. This is not unusual. There are over 46 000 awaiting-trial prisoners, at least one of whom has been behind bars for over nine years.
What separates them from Pistorius (or Glenn Agliotti and J Arthur Brown) is that they cannot afford to pay for lawyers or bail. Lee was represented (the constitution guarantees that right), but only for a few hours here and there by lawyers paid mainly by Legal Aid South Africa.
In the 2012/13 financial year, Legal Aid South Africa had a budget of R1.4 billion. It covered the legal costs of over 430 000 people, 87 percent of whom were facing criminal charges. That works out to about R3 200 per client, without taking into account Legal Aid South Africa's other costs. But here's the key problem: that's equivalent to about three hours of a junior attorney's time at a typical law firm.
If a case is appealed and Legal Aid South Africa continues funding the defence, costs go up dramatically because advocates have to be hired. Legal Aid South Africa's rates for senior counsel start at R11 000 a day.
Gaining access to legal representation in civil matters is even more difficult. The first port of call for a person needing help is an attorney's office; a member of the public can't hire an advocate directly. The big firms typically charge R4 000/h for a partner's time, but the top attorneys in the country can fetch R6 000/h. For the lowest-ranked qualified attorney you're looking at R1 500/h and candidate attorneys are charged out at a bit under R1 000/h. Even at small and medium firms, you should expect to pay about R900/h.
But it is when a case goes to court that the legal costs become stratospheric, even more so when senior counsel is brought in.
The court papers in Dali Mpofu's attempt to get the state to cover his legal team's fees at the Marikana Commission are illuminating. Mpofu asked for the top end of Legal Aid South Africa rates, R17 000 per day for his services or R340 000 a month. The police and Lonmin lawyers earn even more. If the commission proceeds for a year, it will cost over R100 million in lawyers' bills
George Bizos, by contrast, has set an example throughout his career. He is paid a salary by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), equivalent to billing about R3 000 a day.
Legal Aid South Africa rates are a fraction of what the highest-earning advocates in the country make. Jeremy Gauntlett, consistently identified by lawyers interviewed for this article as one of the top two or three earners, charges in the region of R40 000 to R60 000 per day.
An advocate at the Cape Bar says this is what the market will pay. But the market justification doesn't wash. The Bar (the advocates' union) is closer to a guild than an open members' association. Only those it chooses to admit, after stringent pupillage and exam requirements, are able to compete with existing members.
A senior counsel who does many human rights cases for nothing (pro bono) said: "The fees are generally absurd, and they get ratcheted up all the time through a process of 'competition'. The amazing thing is that clients pay them, sometimes believing the more you pay, the better the advocate. There is an interesting question as to if and how fees should be regulated. But limiting the fees at the top end of the scale will do little to promote access to justice. Poor people in any event can't afford anything like this sort of money."
Advocates have to do a minimum of 20 hours a year pro bono. But the definition of pro bono is broad, and many get around this not by representing poor people, but by allocating their pro bono time to committee activities they would have done anyway.
This picture of greed is obviously not the whole story. Many advocates, including some top earners, dedicate some of their time to human rights cases and to representing people for free or at heavily reduced fees. Another form of service, which has becoming increasingly popular, is to act on the basis of payment-for-win only (contingency fees).
There are also about 40 public-interest law firms across the country. Collectively, they handle thousands of clients a year. They employ excellent lawyers at a fraction of what they could otherwise earn. One explained: "I do the job because it's the best and most interesting work." The LRC employs junior advocates who ordinarily earn from R400 000 to R700 000 a year.
Still, the need for legal services far exceeds what the public interest law firms or legal aid can offer. So what has to be done?
Even if all lawyers charged Bizos's rates, poor people would still not be able to afford them, though the public-interest law firms would be able to take many more cases. One lawyer told me we should start by protecting the public-interest law firms. These are funded mainly by international donors, but in recent years, donors have reduced support for South African projects. "We don't have a culture of individual giving in South Africa like there is in the US. The American Civil Liberties Union has an annual budget of over $100 million (R1bn), much of it from individual donations," said the lawyer.
Another suggestion is for law schools to train more practitioners. The system of paralegals has worked well in the US and UK. They are legally trained, but haven't qualified fully. At much lower cost, they can do some of the work the specialist practitioners do. A further proposal is that graduating law students should do a year or two of community service.
The bar used to set tariffs for counsel but this was stopped because of concerns that it was an anti-competitive practice. There are, however, set tariffs for what losing parties in court cases can be charged when costs are awarded against them. Unreasonable fees can be, and often are, challenged at bar councils. In a case that went to the Constitutional Court, Camps Bay's ratepayers succeeded in having a legal bill reduced from R700 000 to R300 000.
The court wrote: "We feel obliged to express our disquiet at how counsel's fees have burgeoned in recent years. No matter the complexity of the issues, we can find no justification, in a country where disparities are gross and poverty is rife, to countenance appellate advocates charging hundreds of thousands to argue an appeal."
Parliament has been debating the Legal Practice Bill. It will establish a Legal Practice Council, one of whose aims will be to ensure fees are reasonable. But efforts to reduce lawyers' fees will likely meet opposition. Also, there are genuine concerns that the bill reduces the independence of the legal profession.
Some lawyers told me their earnings are fair. They suggested I ask the same questions of doctors, but on average doctors earn much less than lawyers. Legal Aid South Africa is essentially all the state provides for poor people when it comes to the law, and it doesn't compare in size to the public health system and many of the best doctors in the country work in the large public hospitals for good, but far from obscene salaries.
Section 34 of the constitution says everyone has the right to their day in court. Perhaps, the state should offer legal services on the same scale that it offers health services. But unless legal fees come down dramatically, there is no chance of this being affordable.
* Nathan Geffen is the editor of GroundUp and former treasurer of the Treatment Action Campaign. Go to www.groundup.org.za.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
The Star


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Relatives of the Stardust victims are renewing their calls for a fresh investigation into the disaster, which claimed the lives of 48 people on St Valentine's Day in 1981.
At a press conference today, it was claimed that evidence not considered by the last inquiry into the disaster supports the view that the blaze started in a store room situated on a first-floor level.
Fire safety consultant Robin Knox said a letter written by a Garda Superintendent to a State Solicitor in 2008 insists the original garda map was correct and that the store room and lamp room were over a basement.
The families have always contended that there was no basement in the Stardust complex and that the store and lamp rooms were on a first-floor level.
They believe it would support their contention that the fire started in this upper area and not some distance away in the west alcove, as found by the original tribunal of inquiry in 1981.
Mr Knox today also referred to claims that eyewitnesses outside the Stardust saw flames on the roof when inside the building the fire was contained to just one chair in the west alcove.
An investigation by senior counsel Paul Coffey in 2009 criticised the original tribunal's finding that the fire was probably started deliberately. The public record was amended.


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When Delano goes to Rockford for a clash of local wrestling teams, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, two state champions will be in action.
Rockford's Ty Griffin captured the state title at 120 pounds as a sophomore two seasons ago and Delano's Tucker Sjomeling rose up last season to become the school's first state champ as an eighth-grader.
Both teams have more than one state entrant returning and both have many young newcomers in the programs. One new face is Rockford head coach Larry Hunter, who replaces Nick Peterson.
Hunter wrestled for Little Falls from 1985-88 and this is his first job as a head wrestling coach. He currently is the head varsity lacrosse coach at Buffalo.
"I hope to build a strong program by creating an atmosphere of fun combined with a lot of winning," said Hunter. "We have 21 wrestlers and are still growing. Right now we have enough wrestlers to fill the varsity squad. However, some are too green to throw out on the varsity mat."
Griffin returned to state last year at 126 pounds before losing in the semifinals and finished fifth. The senior was slowed by injury early in the season, taking an 18-5 record to state as the section champion.
Senior Brad Johnson will seek a return trip to state after advancing for the first time at 132 pounds. He had a tough draw in the first round by facing Brody Berge of Kasson-Mantorville, who was 41-1 at the time. Johnson did not get to enter the wrestle backs. Johnson won three tournament titles last year and cleared the 100-win milestone for his career.
Both Griffin (138) and Johnson (145) placed second at last week's Melrose Invitational to start the season. Senior Dylan Graunke placed third at 152 pounds.
"I plan on Ty and Brad returning and placing in the state tournament," adds Hunter. "The team is raw and needs plenty of extra-curricular work. I will rely heavily on Ty and Brad to set the mood and establish a standard of excellence."
Other varsity leaders are expected to be eighth-grader Lucas Klonne (106); ninth-grader Colton Weber (126); sophomores Austin Johnson (220), Griffin Ekberg (132), Fordy Thorson (152) and Nick Selly (195); junior Duqueiro Cano and seniors Eric Dahl (170) and Max Gulsvig (285).
Rockford will enter the Maple Grove Invitational, 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, before hosting a dual meet against Watertown-Mayer Dec. 12.
Delano coach Jeff Olson returns two state entrants in Sjomeling and sophomore Kevin Kneisl, who was a surprise qualifier at 220 pounds. Kneisl lost the first round to Preston Woods of South St. Paul, who ended up in second place. He next pinned Colton Hines, ranked third in the state, before losing to the fifth-place finisher.
"We had an exciting finish to last season with a lot of guys putting out great performances at the end," notes Olson. "Our focus will remain on what we can control, our attitude and our effort, both in the practice room and in competition."
Sjomeling won four straight matches at 106 pounds at his first state tournament, defeating No. 1 rated Trevor Schultz of Fairmont/Martin County West 5-2 in the title match. Sjomeling finished with a 36-8 record, three defeats coming against Jacob Jewett of league and section rival Glencoe-Silver Lake/Lester Prairie.
Olson called the state title by Sjomeling "an unbelievable accomplishment. He keeps his head in matches and does not get rattled. Nobody out-works Tucker, who has a great work ethic and is a quick learner."
Others returning to varsity for Delano are eighth-grader Camden Tschudi (106); ninth-grader Walker Russek (285); juniors Cole Paskach (120) and Aaron Wagner (195) and senior captain Zack Linden (152).
Key additions include sophomores Colton Christiansen, Kameron Anderson, Zach Knight, Sam Oeffling and Marty Soderberg. The new juniors are Sawyer Nelson, Jack Schweiss and Seth Streachek.
Olson said prospects to keep an eye on include sophomores Harrison Bolzer and Carl Schaefbauer; eighth-graders Steven Hajas, Jacob McDonald, Matthew Snidarich, Derek Spencer and Judah McNeilly, plus seventh-graders Tanner Kroells, Ethan Quast, Reier Sjomeling and Samson Streachek.


text:
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It was registered by domain manager , who can be reached at . The site is owned by Dr.Mailing.. Registration details show that it was registered on 08 Jan 2016 through vautron rechenzentrum ag and will expire on 08 Jan 2017.
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text:
Aperture Foundation
In this clip, Thomas Ruff answers questions from writer Philip Gefter on his association with the Düsseldorf School of Photography and his reflection on the photographic medium. After their conversation, Ruff answers questions from the audience.
The full version of this talk is available on vimeo and on our multimedia section, divided in four different clips.
Aperture and the photography department in the School of Art, Media, and Technology at Parsons The New School for Design presented this conversation between artist Thomas Ruff and writer, former picture editor, Philip Gefter, on February 12, 2010 at Aperture Gallery.
Thomas Ruff is among the most important international photographers to emerge in the last fifteen years, and one of the most enigmatic and prolific of Bernd and Hilla Becher's former students, a group that includes Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Candida Höfer, and Axel Hutte.
In 2009, Aperture released the first monograph dedicated exclusively to the publication of Ruff's remarkable series: JPEGS. In 2007, Ruff completed his monumental Jpegs series in which he explores the distribution and reception of images in the digital age. Starting with images he culls primarily from the Web, Ruff enlarges them to a gigantic scale, which exaggerates the pixel patterns until they become sublime geometric displays of color. Many of Ruff's works in the series focus on idyllic, seemingly untouched landscapes, and conversely, scenes of war, and nature disturbed by human manipulation.


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La Jolla lifeguard tower rife with cost overruns
Baby bird, seal-pupping, and bad waste pump blamed for budget surprises
Matt Potter 4 p.m., Sept. 21
(Page 2 of 4)
Pamplemousse Grille, 514 Via de la Valle, Solana Beach, 858-792-9090. Chef Jeffrey Strauss's three-course dinner with choice of entrées (free-range turkey includes light and dark meat), $55, kids' price variable, 2:00–7:00 p.m.
Park Hyatt Aviara, 7100 Four Seasons Point, Carlsbad, 760-603-6800 for all restaurants. Brunch buffets at Argyle Cafe (on golf course), 10:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. and California Bistro 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., $85, kids $42.50. Argyle dinner (including turkey breast and stuffed leg roulade), 5:00–9:00 p.m., $38, plus $9 dessert. (À la carte menu also available.) Vivace Restaurant, deluxe four-course menu, $75, kids $38, 5:00–800 p.m.
Rancho Valencia, 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe, 858-759-6216. Four-course meal in beautiful setting, with several entrée choices including turkey, $68, kids half price, 11:00 a.m–9:00 p.m.
Red Tracton's, 550 Via de la Valle, Solana Beach, 858-755-6600. Reserve early — fills up! Traditional Thanksgiving dinner $31 per person (including dark meat), whole turkey carved at table for $36 per person ($27 kids) for tables of four or more (reserve five days ahead), seatings 2:00–7:00 p.m.
Savory, 267 North El Camino Real, Encinitas, 760-634-5556. Chef Pascal Vignau's three-course meal with choice of entrées, $39.50–$46, 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., including dark and light meat rosemary-roasted turkey and trimmings (e.g., artichoke-andouille stuffing), or beef tenderloin; à la carte regular menu with holiday specials available 5:00–8:00 p.m.
333 Pacific, 333 North Pacific, Oceanside, 760-433-3333. Three-course prix-fixe, $50, kids $14, stuffed turkey breast and five other choices. Seaside view, 1:00–7:00 p.m.
North Inland
Bernard'O, 12457 Rancho Bernardo Road, Rancho Bernardo, 858-487-7171. Tasteful live music, lovely room, à la carte menu ($20–$28 entrées), 12:30–7:30 p.m., three-course prix-fixe menu $29.50.
Rancho Bernardo Inn, 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive (at Rancho Bernardo Road), 858-675-8500. Aragon Ballroom buffet brunch, $55, kids $25 (including free pony rides and petting zoo!) to age 14, a famously lavish spread, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Veranda Bar and Grille, 858-675-8555, three-course meal, dark turkey by request, $46, kids $25, 11:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m. El Bizcocho, four courses, $75 adult, $110 with matching wines, kids $25, 2:00–8:00 p.m.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Nairobi Pavilion, 760-738-5055 (call 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.). Buffet dinner $40, kids $15 (ages 3–11), seatings at noon and 3:00 p.m. Reservations required. Free entry for members; non-members pay regular park admission.
La Jolla and Golden Triangle
Adobe Restaurant at Estancia La Jolla, 9700 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 858-550-1000. Brunch buffet, $22.95, and à la carte, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., with optional free-range turkey entrée. Prix-fixe three-course dinner, $52, kids $25.50, 5:00–10:00 p.m.
A.R. Valentien, Lodge at Torrey Pines, 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 858-777-6635. Chef Jeff Jackson's three-course holiday dinner with options for every course (including dark meat), beautiful setting, $75, kids $30, noon–9:00 p.m. Golfer's Grill, three-course meal $45, 4:00–10:00 p.m., also lunch à la carte.
George's at the Cove, 1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla, 858-454-4244. À la carte menu of chef Trey Foshee's seasonal specials in the dining room, entrées $28–$48 (including free-range roasted breast and braised leg), 1:00–9:00 p.m.; casual, moderately priced menu (including gobbler) in George's Bar, 4:30–7:00 p.m.
La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect Street (at Herschel), La Jolla, 858-454-0771. Mediterranean Room buffet, seatings 1:00–6:00 p.m., $75 adults, kids $38. Sky Room, four courses (many choices) $95, no kiddie price, 3:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Marine Room, 2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla, 858-459-7222. Chef Bernard Guillas's à la carte holiday menu with a closeup ocean view and adventurous cuisine; turkey breast entrée $31, noon–7:00 p.m.
Nine-Ten, Grande Colonial Hotel, 910 Prospect Street, La Jolla, 858-964-5400. Chef Jason Knibb's three-course Thanksgiving menu with a choice of entrées including turkey leg, $55, kids $18, 3:00–8:00 p.m.
The Shores, 8110 Camino del Oro (at Avenida de la Playa), 858-456-0600. Newly upgraded food and wine (overlooking beach), with buffet $41, $20.50 kids 6–12, or $2 per year under age 6; optional kids' station buffet, 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Torreyana Grille, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 858-450-4571. Lavish holiday buffet, $67, including glass of champagne, kids $19, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Beaches and Bays
Atoll at Catamaran Resort, 3999 Mission Boulevard, Mission Beach, 858-488-1081. Brunch buffet, live music, $43 adults, kids $21, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. with free sternwheeler cruises until 5:45 p.m. Café offers à la carte dinner with seasonal dishes, 5:30–10:00 p.m.
Bahia Resort Hotel, 998 West Mission Bay Drive, Mission Beach, 858-539-7635. Champagne brunch buffet and live music in Ballroom, $40, kids $20, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., with free sternwheeler cruises. Café Bahia offers à la carte dinner with seasonal dishes, 5:30–10:00 p.m.
Baleen, Paradise Point Resort, 1404 Vacation Road, Mission Bay, 858-490-6363. Buffet in charming indoor-outdoor resort bedecked with monkey-theme decor, bayside firepit (s'mores, anyone?), $50 (including glass of wine), kids $23, noon–7:00 p.m.
Bo-Beau, 4996 West Point Loma, Ocean Beach, 619-224-2884. The Cohn Restaurant Group's remake of Thee Bungalow offers roast turkey breast or braised leg in a three-course meal for $40, $13 kids. Call for hours.
Humphrey's by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island, 619-224-3577. Champagne brunch with a marina view and live jazz, $50, kids $17, hours TBA.
Island Prime and C-Level, 800 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island, 619-298-6802. Chef Deborah Scott's three-course menu in scenic seaside setting, six choices (including turkey breast), $50, kids $13, 1:00–7:00 p.m.
Jordan (JRDN), 4551 Ocean Boulevard, Pacific Beach, 858-270-5736. À la carte brunch 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; indoor-outdoor ocean-side dinner, three courses, $45, kids $20–$24, 3:00–9:00 p.m.
Red Marlin, Hyatt Hotel, 1441 Quivira Road, Mission Beach, 619-221-4810. Buffet $45, kids $22, $3 for age 4 and under, in scenic indoor-outdoor waterside venue, 4:00–9:00 p.m. Ask for parking directions when reserving, or face long walk from front entrance.
Mission Valley and the Mesas
94th Aero Squadron, 8885 Balboa Avenue, Kearny Mesa, 858-560-6771. Traditional buffet including one glass of champagne in a fab faux-farmhouse with airport view, $29, kids $14, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Metropolitan San Diego
Bertrand at Mister A's, 2550 Fifth Avenue, uptown, 619-239-1377. Spectacular view, and a three-course dinner with many choices including roast Diestel natural turkey, $55, kids' menu $20–$25, 1:30– 8:00 p.m.
Cosmopolitan, 2600 Calhoun (at Juan Street), Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, 619-297-1874. Three-course feast in restored stately hotel with huge patio, fire-pits, $49, kiddie menu $5, 5:00–9:00 p.m.


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Wings of War - PC
- Genre: Flight
- Publisher: Gathering
- Developer: 2K Czech
- · Official Site
Wings of War puts gamers in the cockpit of over 25 Allied and German aircraft in massive air battles and bombing runs across the vast landscape of war torn Europe. Players will take on hordes of enemy aircraft in detailed planes or take control of anti-aircraft guns mounted on trains, zeppelins, boats and more. Wings of War features more than 70 stages of gameplay across 13 unique levels featuring a vast array of missions, including action-packed military assignments as well as additional, "non-regulation" quests.
- Readers rate it: 0% ·
- Reader ratings and reviews ·
- Reader gameplay tips


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US forest service goals is to protect land and forestry. Purchasing trees from this organization is not possible. There are other organizations that support purchasing trees for landscaping and sustainable communities. Most of these operate as non-profits and will include free trees with memberships.
USDA Forest Service and State Foresters
The USDA Forest Service manages forest issues in fire protection and fuels. They also research the impact of recreation on managed lands such as water sports, fishing, and hunting. Consult your local state forester to walk the land that you are considering landscaping or planting trees. Ask about invasive species and get referrals to local tree farms. Research the native species at the nearest university, or extension office to discern the type of trees which are already growing on the property in question.
Arbor Day Foundation
Trees provide clean air, shade and prevent soil erosion. The arbor day foundation supports planting trees on your property to assist with ecosystem balancing. Do not underestimate the value of trees that are dead on the property. Dead trees provide homes to insects, birds and small mammals.
Access to town or city utilities on the property requires you to be aware of things like gas lines and telephone poles when digging to plant a tree. You might need a permit in order to make extensive changes to the property. The local State Forester can best inform you of what is likely the greatest good for long term capital investment and stewardship.
Growing and Caring for Trees
Your state forester can tell you about how to prevent deer browse, or insect infestation of newly planted trees. They can also give you advice on the type of soil nutrients needed for certain trees to thrive and the synergy of diverse landscapes. While waiting for the trees to reach maturity, take note of water resources, light levels and any interesting habits of wildlife as years go by. Timber and logging may be a primary objective in planting trees, as wood products could be considered a renewable resource to replace fossil fuels with further research into cellular and genetic seedlings.


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Gonzaga University has a wide range of graduate programs to choose from – check out Gonzaga's Graduate Programs A – Z page for more information and application requirements! Prospective international students must apply directly to their program of interest, and once accepted, the ISSS office will contact you regarding immigration documents, arrival, orientation, etc. Please contact us if you have questions:email@example.com.
International Students & Scholar Services
Schoenberg Center
Spokane, WA 99258-0088
Toll Free: (800) 986-9585
Ext. 3648
Phone: (509) 313-3648
Fax: (509) 313-5814
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Contact InformationG & W Precision Inc
199c Long Plain Rd
Whately, MA 01093
Other InformationEntity Status: Active
Type of Entity: Domestic Profit Corporation
Entity Creation Date: Feb 25, 1994
Days in Business: 8609 days
Company Description
G & W Precision Inc is located in Whately, Massachusetts and is listed as an active Domestic Profit Corporation. G & W Precision Inc was started on Feb 25, 1994 which was 8609 days ago.
EmployeesGary Stone: President
Gary Stone: Treasurer
Gary Stone: Secretary
Gary Stone: Director
Registered AgentGary N. Stone
199c Long Plain Rd.
Whately, MA 01093
Edit ProfileEdited: 12/1/2011
To edit this profile, please click here. You will be able to add a custom description, social networks, website, phone number, and many more features to your ISHCC.org profile.
Reviews0 Reviews
To add a review, please click here (you must be logged in to add a review).


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My Dragon's Crown experience had two sides at E3 2013. I not only got to experience the PS3 version at Atlus' booth, but I also experienced the Vita version at Sony's booth. Call me crazy, but I had to try out both. I'm a VanillaWare nut and have been anticipating this game, so I wanted to see as much as possible. Both demo's content was the same, the heroes are journeying through a dungeon to eventually reach and slay a Harpy, but the experience was different in both.
I'll start with the PS3 demo, since that was my first experience with Dragon's Crown. In this case, I was cast as Kerling, the female, elfen archer, while I played with four other people, who were placed in roles of a knight, sorcerer and sorceress over local co-op. After a brief tutorial, in which we were taught how to jump, use strong and weak attacks, and pick up items, we were sent into a dungeon. Though, admittedly, a good part of that familiarizing was spent with the four of us beating each other up.
Kerling is interesting, in that she is a long ranged character who has a limited number of ammo. She has 15 arrows, and once those are shot off, she must reclaim them by grabbing them off the ground to fire more arrows. She does have a kick attack that can be used in a pinch, but she isn't as strong as the other characters and can't really take a hit very well. It was an interesting experience, especially in co-op, as I really had to sit back and assist other characters, rather than charging into the fray. When it comes to brawlers, I go for in-your-face characters, so I had to completely adjust my approach.
In the Vita demo, I ended up playing as another long-range character, Dragon's Crown's sorceress. She has a MP number of 300, and using her spells will lower that number. Say I send off an energy blast or spawn a tornado. That uses MP. If she runs out, I had to either hold down a light attack button to recharge, or attack enemies short range with that same light attack to refill her MP. The mechanic seems practical, and is definitely a balancing move. Actually, I can say that for both characters. If Kerling and Gerda didn't have arrows and MP, then I could easily see people going for those two and the sorcerer for their awesome long range capabilities.
In addition, the Vita Dragon's Crown demo was a solo experience. Despite that, I wasn't alone. Gerda was aided by the sorcerer character, who was controlled by the computer. The AI seemed remarkably competent, as he only died during the Harpy boss battle. I can't fault it for that though, as I nearly died during the Harpy boss fight as well. I also came across body of another fallen hero in the dungeon, and learned if I "rescued" him, it would allow me to request his aid.
In both Dragon's Crown demos, I learned that Randy the thief tags along with the party. He isn't playable, but instead comes in to unlock treasure chests or doors to additional paths. In the PS3 version, using the left analog stick directs him to a chest or door to unlock, while the Vita version uses the touch screen for this function.
I have to say though, Vita won in one respect when it came to the Dragon's Crown demos. The game looked much prettier and more vibrant on the handheld. I did like the bigger picture on the PS3 demo, but it seemed so much deeper and detailed on the Vita. I suppose that's the trade-off. You get a smaller screen, but it will look great on it.
Dragon's Crown comes to the PS3 and Vita on August 6, 2013. The PS3 version is $49.99, while the Vita version is $39.99. Either way, it could end up being the new Guardian Heroes of our generation, and that isn't a bad thing.
Just have a sense of humor if you play as the sorceress. Especially since, when she runs, she holds her hands on top of her head and leads with her bust. Honestly, I found it more comical than offensive, but some people may not like seeing that degree of fanservice in their game.
Site [Dragon's Crown]


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While pet bird owners are not blessed with gorgeous feathers, we do have some luscious locks. This month, BIRD TALK found bird-inspired hair accessories that will certainly turn some heads. Turn your hair into a real "bird's nest" with these birdie clips, bows and sticks.
Belle's Bowtique specializes in handmade hair bows and accessories. This bow features a bright duck design complete with eyes and beak. The 3-inch boutique bow is attached to a 11⁄2-inch barrette. Contact: Belle's Bowtique, www.bellesbowtique.com.
Cute, little "fat birds" sit atop these hairclips from Sweettooth Bags ?home for chic handbags and other accessories. These hand-painted birds are made from tree bark and foam and come in a variety of colors and styles, such as blue and lilac. Contact: Sweettooth Bags, www.sweettoothbags.com
Sweettooth Bags, an online accessories store, features a variety of birdie hair accessories, including these bird barrettes. They come in several colors including yellow-capped birds and yellow birds. The birds are made from tree bark and foam and are hand-painted. Contact: Sweettooth Bags, www.sweettoothbags.com
The Chinese Cloisonné parrot hair clip from Crystal Mood (left) features a brightly-colored, perched parrot. Cloisonné is an ancient metalworking technique and a process using multiple steps to make jewelry and other decorative objects. Crystal Mood's handmade Miao ethnic tribal hair stick (right) has an intricately outlined bird designed at the end. The hair stick measure approximately 6-inches long and features a hanging tassel. A pair of "lovebirds" is prominently displayed on this handmade Miao ethnic trial hair stick (center). The pair sits on a precious stone with inscriptions running down the stick. It is made from Miao silver ?a combination of nickel and copper. Contact: Crystal Mood, www.crystalmood.com


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My very own Eden project
In some ways I love this time of year. There is light in the evenings, the flood waters have subsided and the cuckoos are cuckooing.
However, there is one aspect of spring that I find difficult. All winter I have looked out of my kitchen window onto my garden. I say garden — I don't think Alan Titchmarsh would recognise it as such — but the lawn was neat and tidy and the squirrels and pigeons seemed to enjoy hanging out there.
But now scary things have begun to happen. All manner of plants have sprouted. There are things I recognise, like grass and dandelions. There are quite pretty blue flowers which are actually weeds even though they don't deserve to be, and there are other weeds which look exactly like, er, weeds.
Last weekend I intended to do something about this encroachment of nature. But Saturday is a day when Jews are specifically commanded not to garden, and on Sunday the forecast was for showers. Although they never quite materialised it seemed too much of a risk to go outside.
But eventually I decided to grasp the nettle — literally. I drove to my local branch of B&Q. I don't often go there because DIY centres are scary places for a Jew. Not all Jews of course — my father loved fixing things and putting up shelves and he would happily spend all day gardening. But I seem to have reverted to the shtetl template — hours spent inside studying, reading and writing and only occasionally popping outside to expose my skin to the harsh rays of the April sun.
The garden problem was not going away, so I wondered if there might be some kind of machine which could cut the grass and weeds down to size. At B&Q I discovered that special mechanised threshing machines did indeed exist — they are known as lawnmowers. I also discovered that there was a separate device to trim, or to use the technical term, strim, the hard-to-get-to bits round the edge.
I purchased both and headed into the garden with grim determination. The strimmer advanced onto the lawn, but like a soldier at the Somme it lasted only minutes, confronting the Japanese knotweed briefly before falling bravely in battle. Next, the lawnmower trundled into no man's land and I managed to fashion a clearing in the forest.
I rushed inside to tell my daughter Lucy, 11, the exciting news that she now had an outside space where she could play with her brother Alex.
"We have a garden?" she asked, possibly with a hint of sarcasm.
She wandered outside blinking and yawning, just long enough to grasp the enormity of my achievement, before returning inside to do vital social networking.
OK, my efforts may not qualify me for a plot at the Chelsea Flower Show. But now I have a taste for it. I could fashion some space to plant flowers – a flower bed if you will. Then I could perhaps construct a water feature, a rose garden, some hanging baskets, a vegetable and herb patch... In my enthusiasm I rushed to search online for everything I would need for my new project. I found the answer I was looking for. They deliver the Astroturf next week.
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