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The Status of Novel Places
novelbooks Tue, 07/02/2013 - 6:29pm
Prime retail position. Retailers, especially in a shopping center, want the best spot nearest the heavily trafficked area. Universally, this is closest to a grocery store. Prime retail real estate, in multi-level arrangements, is the first or main floor. This is where the shopper has direct access from the street or parking lot. A retail store won't necessarily fail upstairs, or downstairs, but sales will be lower than on the main floor. When we moved upstairs in our second year, sales became flat. They were very good, but not going up. When the antique store emptied the first floor, it gave the building the appearance of being abandoned. In spite of signs, turning lights on downstairs and other attempts to show we were open, sales and the number of customers plummeted through February into the first half of April. Comments from customers, after we moved, included surprise we were back in business, and it was so convenient being on the first floor.
Location, location, location. In our case, this was an amazing discovery. The old location was run down outside, adding to the perception the building was abandoned. A gravel pull-off in front of the store was convenient, but not attractive. The pull-off, driveway, and parking lot are gravel. Neither I, nor the landlord, had the finances to do much about it. The building was also set back from the line of buildings along that side of the road, making it difficult to spot as you drove along the main street. On top of all that, trucks and semis would park in front of the store while the drivers got food at the deli a couple of doors down.
Our new location is across the street, opposite the deli. I can see my old location from the front window as I sit at the register. We moved in May, and we've had a definite increase in foot traffic. Most say they're seeing the bookstore for the first time. Others say they noticed us when they went to the deli. Customers are coming back because the store looks so much better than the old place, inside and out. A lot are commenting on our paved parking lot, even though we have fewer spaces available. The building is newer, 1911 compared to the 1730's, and it's well maintained and landscaped. We moved barely 100 feet, and the visibility is much better along with proximity to the heavier trafficked businesses.
Establish a presence. When a retail store opens, it's important to be in a location for a number of years. You want customers to find you, and eventually become a regular part of their shopping. When any store moves, it's a challenge to get customers to follow. I've heard stories from other booksellers about moving down the block, or around the corner, from their former locations. Sales dropped before they began to recover over time. It may not be fatal, but it can be damaging. In our first year, we were on the first floor and growing. The second year, we moved upstairs, and we know we lost a number of customers, even though we were in the same building. We're starting our third year, and our sales are immediately going up in the new store. I think it is working for us because we are still too new for anyone to get familiar with our location. We also didn't travel very far in each move. There was disruption and confusion, but the current improvements help a lot.
If you're still reading through this, here's the bottom line. January sales were good, February was bad, March was dismal, and the first half of April was even worse. I was considering what I had to do to close the store, and could I arrange a means to continue running Magic: The Gathering events. Two factors kept me from shutting down.
First, it was obvious why we were failing (you did read this blog, didn't you?), and we needed new space to continue. If I didn't find a new place by the end of April deadline, I would close the store, rather than try to reopen at a later time. However, I was determined to find a new place, because I felt sales couldn't be worse than they were. The store had to do better, and if it didn't, I wanted a one year lease as a precaution. That narrowed the choices quite a bit, but there were still options. If the sale of the building fell through, and I was stuck upstairs into the summer, we would definitely have closed. Fortunately, we signed a deal with our current landlord, which beat the deadline.
Second, April was looking dim, until Magic: The Gathering announced a limited run of Modern Masters card set. Because the potential order was large, I decided to take prepaid orders. Sales soared, some records were broken, and made the transition to the new location easier. I was going to be able to operate through the summer, but this release was a bonus. On top of that, May's mystery convention Malice Domestic, is always a big sales weekend for us.
I'm not upset about the old store. I was given a break there to start my business. The building has historic charm, and circumstances were what they were. The new owner is a nice guy, and will try to open an international grocery store. I wish him all the best. There are still challenges to increase sales, but I'm optimistic about the new store. So far, we've recovered to projection levels for the year, and foot traffic is better than ever.
I want to close this blog by giving a big thank you to the residents, friends, and customers, who helped pack books, move fixtures, and sort books in two days! I was at Malice when the books were packed on Sunday. We moved all the fixtures on Monday, when the store is normally closed. The store was open Tuesday, and we had sales even though most of the books weren't moved until Thursday. Technically, we never closed, and I owe it to the dedication and loyalty of you. Thank You.
A Vision of Your Bookstore - Survey Results
novelbooks Tue, 08/28/2012 - 5:47pm
Thank you for filling out the survey. The results gave me a clearer picture of growing the bookstore. A lot of the progress lies with funding through revenue. I may need to sell more to expand more, but now there's a focused method. This post will be technical (dry), but I hope it enlightens you about the process and decisions. So onward, question by question:
1. What activities would you attend at Novel Places? Choose all that apply
|Author book signing
|Local author book signing
time for young readers
|Poetry reading
|Social activities – live music, wine tasting, singles night, etc.
I was curious to see if there was any difference between getting a local author compared to an author from out-of-state. It's possible people may have missed the difference, but it's clear author events are a good attraction. One purpose of the survey is to discover why attendance is so low at the recent author events.
The other attraction appears to be social activities, and based on the comments, mostly live music and wine tasting. We had Steven Gellman here, and he sounded great. We have his CD's in stock and, like book sales for authors, CD sales will keep him coming back. There are a number of local bands and we will try to schedule them, but I'm not sure how well it will work upstairs. The antique store is open on the first floor, and the set up prevents an open space for events. There are also local wineries that we're contacting, and would probably be combined with an author or music event. I was secretly hoping there would be interest in a singles night. After working here 6 days a week for over a year, I could use a date!
The interest in book groups is good to see, and there is interest in a number of categories. I can set times, but if people want to create a book group, please contact me. I have contact information with several people about a poetry group and will provide updates in the next newsletter.
We have a story time for toddlers and early readers almost every Saturday starting at 11am. Sara is our reader, and she includes a project activity at the end of the reading. The schedule is not consistent, because she can't be here every Saturday, but it's posted on the website. If anyone is interested in reading when Sara is not here, contact me and maybe we can work it out.
A mom's book club during the school day is a great idea, especially the part about reading young adult books to evaluate what's appropriate for their children. I'm opposed to banning/censoring books, but the young adult genre writes about controversial and sensitive topics. It's important to choose carefully. If the person who wrote that comment will contact me, I'd like to set that up.
2. What are the best times for you to attend events? Choose all that apply
starting at 6pm
|Weeknights starting at 7pm
|Saturday morning (10-noon)
|Saturday afternoon (2-6)
morning (11-1)
|Sunday afternoon (2-4)
The best options I draw from the results is Friday at 7pm, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday afternoon. I should ask if Saturday and Sunday evenings are acceptable. If I can be sure of the audience, I would stay after closing to host an event. This decision doesn't prevent scheduling at other times. Schedules will depend on author availability and other events. For now, I'm eliminating Tuesday and Wednesday nights because the Magic TG players meet then.
3. What media do you use, or prefer, to find out what's going on at the bookstore?
|E-mail Newsletter and periodic announcements
|The Clipper Magazine
|Direct Mail
I have to take the results with a grain of salt. The survey request was primarily driven through the newsletter. I did post it on Twitter and Facebook, but I admit I don't use Facebook as much as I probably should. Most of my Twitter followers are not in this area, so I didn't expect much a reply, and a lot of people may have missed the tweets.
I tried The Clipper magazine twice, with hardly any result, and this is a good indicator to avoid it in the future. I'm considering the Post Office's new targeted, Every Door Direct Mail service. The direct mail service is relatively inexpensive and reliable. I don't have to blanket half the county to send fliers through the mail. Since I hate junk mail, this is only to get community attention, not a regular occurrence.
I have a weekly Gazette ad in the Damascus/Clarksburg edition, and it is fairly expensive. I've considered dropping it, but I do use it for any upcoming event, or special sale.
One comment suggests a cancellation notice if no one says they'll come. I can create invitations and RSVP's on Facebook and the newsletter, with links on Twitter. The main problem we're having is a number of people saying they'll come, and then not showing up. I suspect it's a lack of ongoing promotion on my part, but schedules are full for most people and change often. There's a lot of competition for leisure time, even to get leisure time. I may try RSVP to see how it works, but there has to be a cutoff time for the author, and a minimum number of attendees. There's also the possibility of walk-ins making a difference.
4. If you don't hear about our events, what do we need to do to improve promotion?
|Announce event at least 2 weeks in advance in the newsletter
|Post a reminder the week of the event in the newsletter
|Post announcements in neighborhood newsletters (HOA's)
|Multiple ads in the Gazette
Again, since the survey was driven through the newsletter, this isn't much of a surprise. I did fail to list Facebook and Twitter, as comments noted, but I consider those posts as a given. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
There was a comment about a sandwich board outside for story time. Signs are a difficult proposition in the Historic District, but that's a possibility. It's also a funding issue, but we are looking for low cost alternatives.
Another comment suggested direct mail 15 days before the event. If we actually have a lot of events, that starts flooding the mail box (I hope for the day that happens), but also becomes expensive. We'll look at it with the direct mail service I mentioned. Whatever gets the best response wins.
5. How often do you shop at Novel Places?
|Once a week
|Once a month
|Once every 3 months
a year
– I don't live/work nearby
This question makes me happy. Obviously, I would love it if most people shop here once a week, but this falls within industry expectations. I'd like to increase the "once a month" percentage, but we're still new and there's more to work on.
6. What option(s) would encourage you to shop more often at Novel Places?
|Better title/subject selection
or special sale days
activities – Clarksburg Day, Kite Festival, etc.
I wasn't sure if I needed to extend hours, or open Monday. I hope the response is because you all know I'm unstaffed at the moment. Monday is my day off, and I was thrilled no one wanted me to be open. I've extended Tuesday and Wednesday hours because of the Magic TG players. The store is open until 9pm, if you want to shop late.
One comment about title and subject selection had to with browsing titles. As noted, we don't have the space to stock many titles, but I do try to get all the titles in a series when I can. Unfortunately, that may mean not having a particular series you're looking for, but special orders usually take one day. In some cases, however, a series may go out of print. The other part about having a kiosk/computer for customers to search/browse titles is still a space issue, but also a funding problem. I hope to offer that as soon as possible, but in the meantime, don't hesitate to ask about using the register computer.
I want to have a shelf of recommended books by staff, customers, bloggers, etc. Even though moving upstairs allowed for more shelf space, we're still limited. I will endeavor to find a place. Also, children books are a major part of the store, and I'm always looking to grow the selection. I will order Richard Brautigan!
Discounts and special sale days are a little troubling because I can't compete with Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I do offer Loyal Shopper discounts, which is $5 off for every $200 spent. The membership club, which is still coming, will have a 10% discount along with other benefits. Teachers, police, fire and rescue (including CERT) get 10% off with their ID. I recently included active military in the 10% discount.
Currently, the website is 25% off any purchase, with free shipping over $25. That is going away at the end of August. Not many local customers were using it, and I'm planning to add used books and other items that I can't afford to discount that much. Discounts offered at the store will be applied to the website. This will make the website the title browser, stock check, preorder feature for users and customers.
I have a clearance shelf with regularly marked down books, and will be looking at special sale day options when I go to the trade show at the end of September.
We participate in Clarksburg Day, Kite Festival, Farmer's Market, and any other event in the Clarksburg community. Sometimes it's an off-site tent, in-store participation, or fliers and contributions. I'm happy to help with any event, and would like to set up more community activities at the store. We did a Halloween show on the porch last year, but it looks like the coordinator isn't able to repeat it this year. Keep an eye out for us, and we will post events in the newsletter and on the website.
7. Where do you purchase the majority of your books?
|Novel Places
|Used book store
local indie
Discount Store
This makes me super happy. Granted, since Borders closed, there isn't a chain store close by. This doesn't mean you can't stop off at B&N, Costco, etc., on the way to shopping or work. But the indication that I beat them out is very gratifying. Obviously, I'm getting whacked by Amazon, but there's no way I can beat their prices. I do offer one day delivery of books at no charge. You can ask questions about the books you buy. I can try to find books that you'll like to read, instead of a computer that guesses based on strangers buying habits. Let me stop before I get on my soap box on the "evil" Amazon.
I added used bookstore and local indie, because there is John at Inklings in Hyattstown. He's a used bookstore, but we carry different selections and used books are a random inventory. Between the two of us, we can probably find a used book for you.
Some commented that they use the library, and that's fine. They need support these days, too. We are engaged in shop local programs that show how much independents contribute to the community through participation and local taxes for schools, police, fire, etc. This is what gets me fired up about Amazon, which lobbies in the millions of dollars against paying sales tax. Sorry. Soap box again.
How you shop is based on price, convenience, and service. I can't get all of you to dedicate your shopping here, except to work hard and provide added value that may persuade you to change your habits. Basically, I always accepted there will be steep competition when I started the bookstore, and it's up to me to make it work or not.
8. Are you aware of the services Novel Places provides?
Bulk Purchasing
|Off-site book events
|Meeting space
|Gaming tournaments
|Special Orders
|School Supplies
|10% discount to Teachers, Police, Fire & Rescue, and CERT
I have links on the newsletter about e-book downloads, but haven't promoted as much as I could. It is changing at the end of the year as Google is dropping the independent bookseller contract. There is another company looking to step in and they have a very strong leadership. The company will allow downloads to any format, including Kindle (okay, I won't hate them as much), and they are planning to use independent bookstores in their distribution and marketing.
The Gift registry is primarily on the website and I haven't promoted that because it wasn't user-friendly. The webhost created a Wish List solution, and it can be used if you want to create a registry for parties, weddings, etc.
Bulk purchasing is about getting bigger discounts the more quantities of one title you buy for advertising your business. UpCounty Fine Wine and Beer bought a large quantity of Wine 101, got a 35% discount, and had their name put on the cover. It was an effective handout when they were promoting their new website. Bulk purchases are useful for training classes and seminars.
I haven't promoted the latest off-site events, since it was to provide a sales option for non-profit companies that can't sell merchandise. I can arrange similar set ups for author events, book groups, and other activities.
We have tables and chairs for group meetings, game playing, crafts, and other activities. There is no charge for the space, tables, and chairs. I don't have a food permit, but you are allowed to bring what you want for refreshments.
I don't have a lot of school supplies, basic items for elementary school, but will take special orders and will expand as soon as possible, depending on demand.
I can see from the results what I need to work harder on to promote. Thank you.
9. Novel Places has been open for 1 year, and we're working on the selection of books for you.
It's easier to summarize, instead of showing percentages. Plus, you're probably tired of reading and analyzing numbers.
New releases & bestsellers, Classic Literature, General Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Picture Books, Chapter/Elementary books, Teen/Young Adult, History, Cooking, Health/Self Help, Hobbies & Games, Humor, and Biography, all are predominantly "keep the same" and "expand". Romance was split, with about half wanting to "reduce" and "eliminate". It had the highest percentage of eliminate at 18%. Religion, Gardening, and Sports had about 33% wanting to reduce or eliminate the sections. Religion surprised me, given the number of churches in the area, and requests for religious books. Nature/Pets, Science, and Travel had about 20% wanting to reduce or eliminate those sections. Given the small size of each section, I don't plan to change them for now.
Romance is a large section of almost all used books. If there is demand for new releases, I will keep a selection in stock. I've stopped taking used romances, and will let the inventory sell off.
It looks like I'm going to need a bigger boat. Good evaluation. Thank you.
10. Novel Places is your community bookstore. Please share any suggestions to add, change, or keep, any service or merchandise we provide.
Great idea – Host a children's book exchange. Kids drop off gently used books and pick out books from the assortment from others. Bring in 2 books, pick up 2 books. That last part will ensure there are no left over books, unless a kid brings in 2 and takes 1. Maybe at story time?
More requests for specific authors. Keep them coming!
Wow. One comment basically wants another Borders-size bookstore. Someday. If you help by buying all my books! Mainly, this person is looking for a coffee/food shop where the family can sit down and enjoy magazines and books. Thank you for acknowledging the space problem, but in our small way, we do have a Keurig coffee maker with a wide selection of coffee and tea (hot chocolate in the winter). I do plan to bring in magazines as soon as possible. It's mostly a space issue. Talk to me about the selection you were interested in. We do have two comfy "leather" chairs just outside the store's entrance.
More kid activities. I would love to, but until I can afford staff, I need help putting these things together. Sara volunteers to read at story time, and I'm indebted to her.
One comment has a long list of merchandise. I already have some of them, and should be able to bring in the other items, maybe this holiday season. I could add students to the 10% discount list, and I did have the summer reading lists this year. It should be better coordinated next year.
"I'm sorry you moved upstairs." Thank you. I didn't like it either, but it has advantages over downstairs. The area is smaller, but rent is cheaper, and the space allows for more shelving and better event set up. The air-conditioning is inadequate, but we managed. I'd prefer downstairs, but there are other plans in the works down the road.
Thanks again for your support and feedback. For those that aren't familiar with small bookstore economics, margins (gross profits) from merchandise is roughly 40%. After I pay bills, taxes, fees, etc., the net profit is 2 – 3%. That's usually my salary, or improvements to the store. The average time it takes to reach a net profit is 3 years. We started out with a very small budget, and with your contributions, we're growing remarkably well. If the growth continues, we may break even next year.
What this means is, trying new merchandise is risky when it's tough to keep up with the bills. The survey helps pinpoint where I should focus my attention, and budget, to reduce the risk. The biggest task right now is getting foot traffic into the store, which is what the antique store downstairs is intended to do. It also means more word of mouth, more successful author events, more activities, and more support (from others besides you). I'm optimistic, and will do what I can to make your local bookstore a success. I'd like to see this building become a gathering place again.
I'm tired of typing. Go read something…interesting.
I Hate Trade Shows
novelbooks Tue, 03/15/2011 - 2:05pm
How can a dedicated bookseller claim to hate tradeshows? They offer great ideas to improve a bookstore, offer sessions on running stores more effectively, and compare programs with other stores. Publishers and vendors show off the upcoming books and sidelines to make a store profitable and beneficial to a community.
So why do I hate trade shows, particularly after writing about how much I love them? Because I don't have a physical bookstore. True, I had an arrangement with a coffee shop in Clarksburg, and it did very well. But it was "boutique" size, and as I was negotiating a larger partnership with the coffee shop owner, he went out of business. I couldn't take over the lease and packed up as well.
I'm a member of bookseller associations that put on trade shows a couple of times a year, and have attended some of them over the four years I've been in business. The trials and tribulations of finding affordable space in a sustainable community have been difficult in these economic times. I hated to go to the shows because I felt like I was explaining why I couldn't be in business, rather than getting into discussions about making the business better. I wanted to talk about what was working, submitting bestseller nominations, offering staff or customer recommendations, and all the fun stuff that makes bookselling so exciting and rewarding.
But now, the hated part about going to a trade show is almost over. I begin moving into a store that I can call my own, or at least lease. A friend of mine, who started her own business at the same time, had to close. She owns the building and is trying to sell it, but in the meantime, I will maintain the property to keep the value up. We've worked out a great lease that helps both of us, and gives me roughly 1,300 square feet to grow. I don't have much for a budget, but enough to get open.
There's a dispute with the state highway over rights to put up a street sign, but we're working on it. Otherwise, the store is located in the Clarksburg Historic District, and the building is the original 1730's trading post built at the crossing of two Indian trails. The building expanded over the years and added a Post Office, where my granduncle was postmaster. There's a lot of great history, and the style of the store reminds one of the general stores of long ago. The style won't change and there will be a bit of a challenge to incorporate a bookstore, but it should be an unusual experience. The center of the store will have movable displays to accommodate book groups, signings, and other activities. There's a lot to do, but I expect to open at the end of April or beginning of May.
If I'm still sane, I'll be looking forward to the next trade show!
The Ripple Effect of Borders' Bankruptcy
novelbooks Wed, 02/16/2011 - 1:08pm
I'm always amazed at how much traffic is generated when a business like Borders declares bankruptcy. Most of the pundits who are flooding the media with statements and speculation have been talking about the bookstore giant for years. I suppose the facts of the debt vindicate some of the speculation, but as a bookseller, I've been weighing the economic impact of all factors in the book industry, including Borders' condition.
There's a lot of sideline speculation about the future of the print book and bookstores. E-books, online purchases, and cultural changes are important factors, but the big story today is Borders. The question I've been asked is how Borders' bankruptcy will affect independents as well as independent publishers. Simply, it's anything from great to a total disaster.
First, Borders is declaring Chapter 11, which means they will still exist during and after the process is complete, and they will still be a major competitor to the independent bookseller. The independents near a closing Borders will have an opportunity to attract those customers. The Borders near my store isn't closing, but I could be hiring an employee or two. Sadly, the employees losing their jobs will suffer greatly.
The good news for a number of independents is additional sales, but there is also the relationship with publishers. We now know the level of debt faced by some of the big publishers. They will probably get something out of the bankruptcy process, but will have to deal with those losses as well as lower distribution to a much reduced reseller footprint. I've been in the business for nearly 30 years, and my speculation for independents is that selection and distribution will not change significantly. I'm willing to bet that publishers will refocus their efforts to support independents. There's a list of independent publishers that were invested in Borders, and the amounts don't look good. If they begin to fail, I wonder if the big publishers will pick them up. There aren't as many independent publishers as I thought, but it's significant.
The basic rule of success in retail is high turnover of merchandise. That's the advantage for the independent, because the small store has to be focused on inventory and what the customer wants. In recessions, we can use the same space to sell lower priced used and remainder books, and sidelines, to maintain or increase high turnover and margin. Borders and B&N are so large, all they can do is reduce inventory. Reduced inventory means paying for unused space, and Borders tried sidelines that ultimately didn't work.
Independents will still close, not because of Borders' bankruptcy, but from the struggle of online competition and e-books. I'm optimistic. Publishers succeed by signing successful authors, and would be foolish to cut back. Booksellers succeed with a good selection of books from publishers and focusing on customer service. Those that adapt to changing times will succeed and there are opportunities for success. I believe reading will increase among all ages with the advent of e-books. Young adults are hooked into technology and I think having a book in that format will encourage them to pause their video game and texting (maybe not) to read a few pages. Some are concerned that authors will lose readers because a Borders store will close. There will be some loss, but I can't imagine people will stop reading, they will find another way to buy their books. As long as people want to meet authors, and book groups want someplace to meet, there will be brick and mortar bookstores.
I Love Trade Shows
novelbooks Fri, 01/28/2011 - 5:52pm
The bookseller conference, Winter Institute 6, is my first for this trade show. I've been to other national and regional shows, but Winter Institute focuses on education and is far more intense. Other conferences generally split time between education sessions and exhibit halls of vendors with preview books. The Winter Institute has a Galley Room of preview books (see my other blog and the home page), but the conference is scheduled with five tracks of three sessions each for the entire day. It's a lot to absorb and you miss a lot of the sessions, but you can't help but be excited about the future of bookselling. Bookselling has never been easy, but it's not impossible. This is a long blog about the sessions, so get comfortable.
Briefly, Tuesday night was a wonderful reception at Politics and Prose. Wednesday breakfast was an interview with Jim Lehrer and Karen Mills of the SBA about small business programs. This was followed by legislative meetings on Capitol Hill and a reception at the Library of Congress.
Thursday began with a breakfast presentation by Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor. His motivational speech, and antics, talked about connecting to imagination through entertaining displays and activities. The hard part is employees and getting the right personality for your store. Most of his suggestions are part of a successful store, but he was able to take ideas to a higher level. His book, The Retail Doctor, is available in April.
Thursday's education sessions:
Ideas That Work: Communications, Events, and Displays for Great Children's Departments
Getting Political: Creating the Change You Want to See
The New Reality: Alternative Business Models for Independent Bookstores
Creating Killer Events for Small Business
Saving Time and Money With Edelweiss
Edelweiss is an online interactive set of publisher catalogs that helps booksellers create a more efficient operation. It sorts book information among the publishers and allows the buyer to import the order into the store's Point-of-Sales (POS) system. Edelweiss allows the bookseller to share information with other stores and customers, as well as print a .pdf file for a display. It links with social media and has up to date information from the publisher. The order can be auto-mapped to the store's categories and locates local books and authors. I was concerned Edelweiss replaced sales reps, but it's just the opposite. Reps can leave notes about books and specials, and view the order so it cuts down on meeting time. It's a free service (a big plus) unless you want sales tracking, which is a subscription with Above the Treeline.
Lunch was speed dating with sales reps who pitched their new titles. We sat at preassigned tables and every few minutes, the gong would sound and the reps moved to the next table. It was very noisy, but lots of fun.
What Really Drives Choice In The Children's Book Market?
Linked By Passion: Growing Sales Through Local Retail Partnerships
New Business Models Through Strategic Thinking
New Adventures In Book Buying: Working with Reps Near and Far
Adding A Cafe To Your Bookstore
Bookstores looking for an additional source of revenue, typically turn to an in-store cafe, wine bar, or snack stand. While food service does provide a higher margin, there's a lot of planning and issues to consider. Top priorities are allocating space, permits, and health inspections. If you serve or sell wine, you have to follow age restrictions. Food preparation means higher workers comp insurance because of risks. Some of the tips offered were to prepare food in-house to control quality and freshness. It's also easier to do cookbook tie-ins to the menu. Cafe's also attract new customers who stop for a meal, and end up shopping for books. A signature dish, chocolates, sweets, and pastries are additional attractions. Perishable items take time to determine daily quantities to avoid loss. Offers to swap the competition's coffee for the cafe coffee is key to change customers buying habits.
Non-Book Rountable / Children's Roundtable
Frontline Booksellers Roundtable / Small & Mid-Size Store Roundtable
Large-Store Rountable / Buyers Roundtable
Event Planners Roundtable
E-Commerce Roundtable
Since I don't have a store yet, the E-Commerce Roundtable made sense. Topics included using Google Analytics and e-mail lists. Some suggested a weekly newsletter, but my customers have asked for a monthly newsletter with occasional special notices. Some of the booksellers who attended the Winter Institute had to close their stores for the conference. Their customers appreciated the special note of why the store closed and how the conference would benefit them. Posting unique merchandise and local books provides an advantage to the big box websites. Community outreach and partnerships with organizations add to the store loyalty and support. Tips included personal e-mail response and notes in the shipment, online gift wrapping service, and a "How to Buy" FAQ.
I did a quick run through the Galley Room before going to the Author Reception, then had to leave early for a dinner with fellow members of NAIBA, a regional organization of independent booksellers.
Friday's education sessions:
IndieCommerce Overview
Cost of Goods Sold 101
The Indie City Index
Exploring New Partnerships Between Indie Booksellers and Authors
Efficiency 101: Getting Your Act Together
It's more than organizing or delegating. The first topic is to track time spent on each task, including breaks. Write down processes for organization, sales, planning events, etc. Evaluate these reports to determine what can be improved, delegated, or eliminated. Google calendar and docs can make it easier for employees to keep track of ongoing projects and events. Schedule items based on your energy level during the day. The biggest issue is e-mail and how to stay on top of it. The best answer is to get rid of it quickly. Take old e-mail and put it in an archive file. If you don't access the file, delete it. I'll keep customers order e-mails in a folder for a few months in case there's a question or dispute.
Lunch was part 2 of speed dating with sales reps.
Efficiency 201: Accomplish More by Working Less
How to Sell E-Books
How to Buy Your Way to Success
Making Nonfiction Sexy
Consultation Station
This track is set up with a variety of companies that pertain to operating a store, especially for start-ups. I reserved time with Paz Associates and Anthology, but was able to have walk-up discussions with others. Paz Associates is a consulting firm that offers classes on starting a bookstore and provides services for booksellers. I showed them the space I'm planning to lease, the expenses, and current finances. We're concerned about the finances, but optimistic about the community and the store layout. Anthology is a Point-of-Sale system and I've been in talks with them for the past year. I ran through some of my final questions and gave them my latest set up. I had an opportunity to meet with Franklin Fixtures about book specific fixtures. They are the elite of retail fixtures and my investment depends on financing. I briefly talked with NACS about their list of vendors used by college stores. I met with Basil POS software that offers a much lower cost point-of-sale that is internet based. That would allow me to set up a portable, off-site, register as long as I had internet access. New decision to be made.
Free for the Asking: Marketing With PR & Social Media
How to Spend Your Way to Success
Buying, Selling & Merchandising Used Books
Consultation Station, continued
How to Sell E-Books (Repeat)
My ebook sales have been very disappointing, even with the addition of Google ebooks. Marketing consists of social media, newsletters, and in-store. I've used these methods, with no benefit so far. This was an open discussion, so suggestions came from the audience as well as the moderators. The best start is in-store, becoming a resource for customers by pointing out the various devices and compatibility. Conversations in the form of store events with experts, educate the customers to ebooks and downloading on the website. Marketing ebooks can use the same techniques as print books, but it's getting the customer accustomed to using the website.
The closing reception featured authors from small press sponsors, including a signing with Ralph Nader. That wrapped up Winter Institute 6 and next year it will be in New Orleans. It was very exhausting, but I come away full of ideas and excitment over what can be accomplished in bookselling. I was especially happy to see so many people like me who are starting their stores, or planning to open soon. I "extended" the conference by visiting One More Page in Arlington, Va. who opened the same day as the conference. We were supposed to be joined by Janet from Avid Bookshop in Georgia, but she had a last minute change in plans. Janet has a website and is trying to open a store, which is my situation. Bethanne Patrick, aka @thebookmaven on Twitter, met us since she lives near One More Page. It was a fun meeting and we shared notes and experiences. Eileen, One More Page's owner, has fascinating un-conventional display fixtures, sells wine and food items, and has a well curated selection of books. It's a wonderful store, and I look forward to following her progress.
Authors at the Winter Institute
novelbooks Sun, 01/23/2011 - 9:31pm
The Winter Institute is a bookseller conference that brings publishers and authors together for a few days to talk about new books. This is similar to other national and regional conferences and trade shows, but the Winter Institute is an intense series of educational sessions for booksellers. There are five tracks of three sessions each, or fifteen sessions each day. Since I can only go to three each day, it means I have to get reviews of the other sessions from other booksellers at the breakfasts and luncheons. I should mention that the meals are also filled with presentations and publisher reps talking about their books. The Winter Institute ended Friday and I'm now coherent enough to report on the author reception after Thursday's sessions.
I had to leave early for a dinner with fellow NAIBA members, but met with a number of authors. These books are previews of releases for 2011. Some titles will display as not yet printed, others will be pre-orders, and many will be available as Google e-books. Remember to buy Google e-books through this website to have the order count for me. There were about 60 authors in attendance, so this is a long list.
David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, Penguin
Tom Angleberger, Horton Halfpott, Amulet (Abrams Books for Young Readers)
Dean Bakopoulos, My American Unhappiness: A Novel, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
I read his book before Wi6 and enjoyed it very much. I commented about it on Twitter and he remembered them and thanked me for my early support. It probably helped that I was wearing a button with my Twitter name on it. Dean is a former bookseller and professor at Iowa State University.The link to this title says it's out of print, but it will be released June 7, 2011.
Rye Barcott, It Happened on the Way to War, Bloomsbury
Sophie Blackall, The Crows of Pearblossom, Abrams Books for Young Readers
Sarah Blake, The Postmistress: A Novel, Berkley Trade
Judy Blundell, Strings Attached, Scholastic Press
Noah Boyd, Agent X, Morrow
I didn't meet him at the reception, but picked up this book in the Galley Room. The Galley Room is where booksellers can pick up Advanced Reviewer Copies (ARC's) to preview new releases.
Victoria Brown, Minding Ben, Voice (Hyperion)
Bonnie Jo Campbell, Once Upon a River: A Novel, W. W. Norton
Marcia Clark, Guilt By Association, Mulholland Books (Hachette Book Group)
I wanted to meet her, mostly for the celebrity aspect, but I hear it's a good book. I didn't get an ARC and will try to get a copy from Mulholland.
Jennet Conant, A Covert Affair: The Adventures of Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS, Simon & Schuster
Doreen Cronin, The Trouble with Chickens, Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Michael Crummey, Galore: A Novel, Other Press
Lauren DeStefano, Wither, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
The first book in the Last Chemical Garden Trilogy. Due March 2011. I managed to get a copy from the Galley Room.
Laura Duksta, You Are A Gift to the World, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Glen Duncan, The Last Werewolf, Knopf (Random House)
Carol Edgarian, Three Stages of Amazement: A Novel, Scribner (Simon & Schuster)
Jennifer Natalya Fink, Thirteen Fugues, Dark Coast Press
Alison Fitzgerald, In Too Deep: BP and the Drilling Race That Took It Down, Wiley
Even though Alison Fitzgerald is an investigation reporter in D.C., I couldn't imagine her getting involved in a story about the scandal. It sounds sexist, but the media appears, with rare exception, to assign the field investigation to men. It turns out nearly all the investigation took place through the large amount of documentation. Alison Fitzgerald won the Polk award for her coverage of the financial crisis and government rescue of the banking industry. Stanley Reed is a specialist on the Middle East and the oil industry. He's covered BP for more than a decade.
Jennifer Fosberry, My Name Is Not Alexander, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Francisco Goldman, Say Her Name: A Novel, Grove Press
Katherine Greider, The Archaeology of Home, PublicAffairs (Perseus Books Group)
Heather Gudenkauf, These Things Hidden, MIRA
Dan Gutman, The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable, HarperCollins Children's Books
I picked this up in the Galley Room, but couldn't get to the author's table. It looks like a book my niece will enjoy. I'm thinking there's going to be some controversy over ad placement and encouraging children to eat fast food. This is a story about Coke McDonald and his twin sister, Pepsi. A new series that should be as good as any of his multiple publications.
Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches: A Novel, Viking
Another Galley Room pick. This is book one of the All Souls trilogy. The second book will be out in 2012. A Discovery of Witches is a contemporary novel with history, magic, romance and suspense.
Rachel Moore Hawkins, Demonglass: A Hex Hall Novel, Hyperion Books for Children
You can tell Rachel Hawkins enjoys writing her stories. All authors do, but I'm trying to get a better understanding of young adult novels. I spent time at the reception asking these authors about age range and details of their books. Rachel had a glint in her eye that may explain why some of her former high school students thought she was a witch.
Tayari Jones, Silver Sparrow, Algonquin Books
I really regret missing her at the reception and not getting her book. I recently followed her on Twitter and wanted to talk with her about some of the conversations. She posted a great blog for those who still enjoy the bookstore experience.
Melissa Kantor, The Darlings Are Forever, Hyperion Books For Children
A pre-teen, early teen novel as told to me by Melissa. A story of three high school girls growing up and trying to keep their friendship together. It's a refreshing change from the vampire, witches, zombie stories of late.
Mark Kurlansky, World Without Fish, Workman
Alice LaPlante, Turn of Mind, Atlantic Monthly Press
Janet Lee and Jim McCann, Return of the Dapper Men, Archaia (Diamond Book Distributors)
Jim looked very dapper, and Janet used a special two-nibbed pen to sign the book. I fell in love with the book after discovering Steampunk in 2010 with Cherie Priest's Clementine. This is a beautifully illustrated book by Janet Lee, and a wonderful story for young chiildren. I mention Cherie Priest because I asked Janet and Jim if they knew any distributors of Steampunk merchandise, and they suggested I talk to Cherie. I also spent an inordinate amount of time talking with the Diamond Book rep. We've been talking for a few years about setting up an account and a grahic novel store display, if I ever open a store. That looks like it will happen very, very soon.
Tom Lichtenheld, Cloudette, Holt Books for Young Readers
A delightful story about a small cloud from an author with a big imagination. Similar to the Little Engine That Could, it's a great motivation story for young readers.
Clarence Lusane, Black History of the White House, City Lights Publishers
Kee Malesky, All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge, Wiley
So I ask Kee Malesky what knowledge is inessential, and she says it's the different way people think about facts, faith, and interpretation of history. What is essential to one person, is inessential to someone else. If that's hard to follow, I'm sure Kee will explain it in her book.
Jennifer McMahon, Don't Breathe a Word, Harper Paperbacks
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, having received it a few weeks before the conference. I made a point to meet Jennifer and tell her about it. When I first saw the cover, I thought it was young adult, but started to read it in preparation of Wi6. Jennifer agrees about the cover, but it is not young adult, given the opening pages. It's a story about a missing girl, fairies, mysteries, and suspense. The chapters switch back and forth, between the missing girl's life and fifteen later, when her brother and his girlfriend start to find clues to her disappearance.
Walter Dean Myers, Carmen, Egmont
Joseph O'Connor, Ghost Light: A Novel, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Another frustrating miss to meet an author. Joseph O'Connor, an Irish author, writing about Edwardian Dublin, which is one of my favorite settings. It's amazing how time flies when there are so many authors at one time. I did get the book from the Galley Room, but wanted to get it autographed.
Tea Obreht, The Tiger's Wife: A Novel, Random House
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business, Wiley
I haven't read his book, but he gave a presentation at one of the Wi6 breakfasts and it was incredible. A lot of common sense that people tend to forget, and some great tips to improve the customer experience at a store. I could blog on this alone. I took a moment to get Bob to sign my book, and told him about a marketing idea of mine, which he loved and wants to hear the results. He was also kind enough to answer a display question I've been mulling over. I'm looking forward to reading his book.
Hannah Pittard, The Fates Will Find Their Way, Ecco Books
Beth Revis, Across the Universe, Razorbill (Penguin Books for Young Readers)
I picked the book up in the Galley Room, and didn't get to the author, but I regret that now. Some of my friends on Twitter were talking about a preview of this book, and I reviewed it for them. It seemed a bit confusing at the beginning about how old Amy, the primary character was, but the general story didn't seem significantly different from other space travel novels. My review turned off a few of my friends, and I forgot about it until I came across the book at Wi6. I wish now I talked with her to get a better feel for the story, but I will read it. If I'm wrong, I'll do a hard handsell and apologize to Beth. This is her first novel.
Nina Revyor, Wingshooters, Akashic Books
Veronica Roth, Divergent, Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Jennifer Sattler, Chick 'n' Pug, Bloomsbury Children's Books
John Sayles, A Moment in the Sun, McSweeney's
Gary D. Schmidt, Okay For Now, Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Daniel Seddiqui, 50 Jobs in 50 States, Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Caitlin Shetterly, Made For You and Me, Voice
Rachel Simon, The Story of a Beautiful Girl, Grand Central Publishing
Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ladder to the Moon, Candlewick
Curt Stager, Deep Future, Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press)
John Stephens, Emerald Atlas, Knopf Books for Young Readers
John Milliken Thompson, The Reservoir: A Novel, Other Press
Jon and Pam Voelkel, The Jaguar Stones, Book Two: The End of the World Club, Egmont
I had to stop at the table and meet this couple. For one thing, they were dressed in safari clothing. Secondly, they had a pair of authentic pith helmets sitting on top of the books. Jon explained how and why pith helmets were created. These young reader books sound adventurous and fun. I was able to pick up the first book in the series, Middleworld. When they sign their books, Jon stamps it with an Aztec symbol of their names. I might be able to get them from Vermont to D.C. for a signing.
Binyavango Wainaina, One Day I Will Write About This Place, Graywolf Press
Tim Wynne-Jones, Blink & Caution, Candlewick
Black Friday Mania & Rebate "Scams"
novelbooks Fri, 11/26/2010 - 8:58am
November 26, 2010. This is the first time I ventured out on a Black Friday. My brother saw some great deals at Pep Boys and I needed some of the items for my car. 6:30am and we hit the shopping center that has a WalMart, Target, Home Depot, Borders, etc. It was like those scenes of power outage lootings. We worked our way to Pep Boys to find a crowd there also. The free spotlight (a bonus for me) was already gone, as were the free spark plugs. Bummer. But I did get oil, filters, and wiper blades I needed for the car. Free, almost free, and home by 8am.
I've never liked Black Friday, and now Cyber Monday, because it promotes manic consumerism. Items that people would not normally buy are wisked off the shelves by a mob (non-violent) at ridiculous prices. I realize this is a great marketing tool for retailers looking to make their year on the busiest part of the shopping season. The idea is to present loss-leader items at or below costs, with manufacturers offering rebates to compensate. Stores attract customers with these deals in the hope that you'll buy more profitable merchandise as well. I could compare the type of shoppers, but that's another separate topic. What bothers me about this particular weekend is the rebate "scam".
Rebates are offered year-round, but are an integral part of this madness weekend. It's technically not a scam and all rebates are legal offers, but there's a reality to why it profits manufacturers. Instead of discounting the price, a customer has to pay full price and mail-in a rebate to get their money back. Manufacturers quickly discovered roughly 8% of rebates were redeemed. That means 92% of customers paid full price and never realized the bargain, leaving full profit to the manufacturer.
Recently, the redeem rate has gone up. Now, there are complicated conditions on the rebate coupon in order to reject your submission. Take Pep Boys as an example. A good company and reputable in my opinion. I bought 2 sets of oil and filters, as described in their ad. The rebate coupon states, if you read it carefully, you must have an original coupon AND original receipt for each purchase to qualify for the rebate. The customer and cashier need to be aware that multiple receipts have to be printed. This is possible with computer registers that store recipt information, even after the transaction is complete.
We arrived an hour and a half after Pep Boys opened, and the cashier and manager didn't know about the consitions. Imagine how many customers don't know their rebate won't qualify. If they notice, they can go back and have additional receipts printed. I don't blame Pep Boys completely, but they will have to deal with the customer, not the manufacturer. They printed two receipts for me, and the manager had to go to an unused register to print six receipts for my brother.
If you're out there today, be careful of traffic, be patient and realize you won't get all the items you want, and recognize the sale is based on rebates with varying conditions. The sad part of all is that small businesses are left out. This is big chain marketing. Small Business Saturday has been created this year by American Express. Support your local business this weekend, and especially this Saturday. We're the character and support of your community.
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You may have seen the Elephantastic trails in the town centre over the summer.
Lots of local businesses and groups took part, designing an elephant for you to find.
All of this was organised by The Rotary Club of Horsham together with local charity, Born Free, who do fantastic work in the conservation of wildlife.
Born Free's current campaign is to create an Elephant Sanctuary in Europe, therefore, the Rotary Club invited local primary schools to design their own Elephantastic elephants with the theme 'Loving Life' to gain the chance of winning some amazing prizes.
The winning school would get to paint their design on a HUGE elephant and see it sold at auction with 90% of the proceeds of the sale going back to the school.
Also, Born Free would give the winning school their very own personalised, wild elephant adoption! 25% of the overall proceeds of the event would go to Born Free, so we are helping a local charity raise funds just by taking part!
So Year 4 at St Mary's C of E Primary School in Horsham had their very own class competition. All of the designs were fantastic, because so much thought and hard work had gone into each one.
It was a very difficult decision when deciding on the winner. Mrs Dutson, our head teacher, made the overall decision. Our runners up were Millie Boulter and Regan Vind and our winner was Rhys Slee! Rhys' design was so detailed and he had really thought about the theme very carefully.
Rhys had included elements such as family, love, seasons, space and God. The prize for these children was to paint their design onto a cardboard elephant with the winning design being sent off to be part of the larger competition.
It was a tense wait, but on Monday September 28 it was announced that Rhys' design had come runner up in the community Elephantastic competition!
Year 4 were so pleased for him. Unfortunately, the prize of adopting an elephant was only for first place, but as Year 4 had been so excited at the prospect of this Miss Fandrejewski (Year 4 teacher) decided to adopt an elephant for her class using some of the HAS (Home School Association) money raised for Year 4.
Since adopting Jubilee, a baby elephant who lost her mother when she was very small, Year 4 have planned to use non-fiction books and the internet to carry out research so that they can become elephant experts and write to their newly adopted member of the class, as well as potentially raising some funds for Sri Lanka's Elephant Transit Home who rescued and are now caring for little Jubilee who needs dozens of pints of milk every day! One day, when she is ready, Jubilee will return to the wild.
Thank you Born Free and the Rotary Club of Horsham for allowing Year 4 this amazing opportunity.
Report and picture contributed by St Mary's C of E Primary School.

subset: commoncrawl


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Synopsis and official image from the new 007 film Skyfall
Sony Pictures has released the synopsis and an official image of Daniel Craig from the upcoming 007 entry, SKYFALL. The synopsis is fairly vague, but gives enough detail to merit some interest, especially in M's character. Read on:
Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
It sounds like M may have a meatier role in this one, which could be pretty cool. Judi Dench is great in the role, but so far all we really know about M is that she likes fancy clothes and always rides in limo's.
Perhaps this will be like STAR WARS: EPISODE 2 when we finally saw Yoda kick some ass. Only for SKYFALL it'll be a little old English lady with a tidy hairdo and judo chops.
The official image is rather underwhelming as we've seen enough of Craig in a bathing suit. We get it, Craig is in great shape! We don't need an image of his coin slot! Skyfall sails into theaters courtesy of cool gadgets and half naked girls on November 9th, 2012.
|Extra Tidbit:
|Anyone else a little uneasy about Sam Mendes directing this? I mean, he knows drama (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), but he's never done anything even close to an action film. What say you?


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Ding: Walmart Employee KO's Manager After Being Confronted!
"After an employee feels disrespected about an incident the night before, He confronts the manager and calls him a racist. The manager and the associate exchanges words" - Del
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I am so surprised at how many of my fabrics have pink in them, it isn't until I go out to specifically make a boy quilt that I notice.
I know boys can have a bit of pink - my older boy actually likes pink.
Its just when its a new born baby - I'm always conscious of "boy" colours and "girl" colours.
Its a little awkward when some one takes a peak in the pram and says "oh isn't she a beautiful girl, look at those eyes" and its a boy. I speak from experience.
Anyway needless to say my new born baby quilts are always very stereo typical in gender colour selection.
Fabric choices have improved substantially - even over the last year. Maybe its a trend thing? thankfully there are lots of great graphic prints out that are perfect "Boy" quilting fabrics. The text print I used is one of my own available on Spoonflower


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Library-goer with drink problem stole phone in 'opportunistic' theft
A library-goer with a drink problem stole another man's phone when he put it down on a desk, a court heard.
John Murphy (41) snatched the unattended phone but was later tracked down through CCTV footage and library rec-ords.
Judge Bryan Smyth ordered the defendant to pay compensation and adjourned the case at Dublin District Court.
Murphy, of Howth Road, Clontarf, pleaded guilty to stealing a man's smartphone worth €250.
The theft happened at Rathmines Library on Lower Rathmines Road last May 18.
Gda Aaron Lawlor told the court that the accused entered the library and took the phone, which had been left at a computer desk.
Murphy saw it, took it and placed it in his own bag before leaving the library.
He was identified from security footage and a search of the computer log at the library.
Murphy was co-operative with gardai when he was later arrested and charged, said his solicitor, Michael Shanley.
It had been a "somewhat opportunistic" theft, he added.
"It would appear to be, from the CCTV," the investigating garda confirmed.
Murphy had 30 previous convictions for offences that were mostly drink-related, the court heard.
Letters presented to the court stated that he was detoxing from alcohol.
The accused had a "huge drinking problem" but was taking steps to address it, Mr Shanley said.
Murphy had been homeless and staying in hostels previously but had been working for two years and was due to start a course in security.
Although he had initially pleaded not guilty, he had informed the garda of his change of plea and the victim did not have to attend court, Mr Shanley said.
He asked the judge to bear in mind the fact that Murphy had a very low income.
"I am also thinking that the injured party has been without the phone since May," Judge Smyth said.
"I'm sure anybody who has lost a phone or who has had it stolen knows it can cause quite a bit of inconvenience."
Mr Shanley said the accused would pay compensation.
Judge Smyth adjourned the case to a date in April. He said that if the compensation was paid by then, he would impose a fine.


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All your notes, linked into your contacts' history. There's no manual tagging of notes or changes to the way you use Evernote. Cloze analyzes the content of all your notes to find out what people and companies a note refers to, so it can automatically link the note to the right contact.
With Evernote Premium and Evernote Business, if you take a picture Cloze finds references to contacts within the contents of the picture, so it can automatically link the picture to the right contact.
You can also:
Cloze automatically shows the calls you make and receive in your contact history, so you know every call you've made to anyone.
Because Cloze talks directly to your mobile phone carrier, not to your phone, you can use Cloze on your tablet or desktop, and still get your calls logged automatically.
Cloze currently supports AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile USA, Sprint, RingCentral - with more carriers coming soon.
Cloze can alert you when a recipient opens an email you sent, or clicks on a link in the email. Cloze also can tell you whether they opened it on a desktop or mobile and where they were when they opened it.
Set reminders to follow-up on important messages you send or receive so you never miss a follow up again.
Reminders can be set to always alert you, or only alert you if no one responds.
Cloze can automatically remind you when to reach out to key people.
There are 3 types of keep in touch reminders:
For every meeting on your agenda, Cloze creates a briefing document about the attendees.
Cloze shows you every email and document you've exchanged with attendees, notes about them, upcoming meetings and action items, as well as what they are saying on social media.
Cloze highlights recent changes to the attendee list or attendee status so you don't miss when key people back out or get added to your meeting.
Cloze currently supports Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo - with more types of calendars coming soon.
See your complete history with a company without any setup. Cloze automatically builds company profiles for your contacts' companies, so you can look at your overall relationship with a company.
Automatically keep track of all the activities, notes, and follow-ups for your projects, deals, and other deliverables in one place. Sort and group your projects and deals by stage, deal value, end date, next steps, and more.
Add Next Steps to help you keep track of what you've done and what you have left to do. Think of Next Steps as repeatable checklists that you can write once and reuse.
For example, you might have specific steps you walk through for each active project. Or in sales you might follow a specific sales process for potential customers.
Set these up as Next Steps and you'll always know what steps are done, and you'll be reminded to follow-up on the next thing you have to get done — automatically.
Add to-dos to contacts, companies, and projects to keep track of all the one-off things you need to get done that don't fit into your Next Steps.
You can draft an email and schedule Cloze to send it at a later date or time.
Beyond Cloze's native contact support, you can bulk import contacts from other applications in CSV or vCard format, and organize them into lists for follow-up.
Once imported, Cloze will automatically enrich the contacts with information from social media and other sources.
See who on your team last talked with any person or company.
You'll never have multiple people reaching out to the same contact without realizing it, and you'll always know where things last left off and who can give you a warm introduction.
Assign one or more people to own a deal or project.
See all of their activity - emails, calls, meetings, documents and notes - together for a complete picture of the project or deal.
Keep a central database of all company contacts.
Send contact information to coworkers or save it in the team so that everyone has access to it even if employees leave.
Bring close partners into projects and deals on a case-by-case basis.
Cloze Business lets you invite them into a project team so you can see all their interactions with the client - without giving them access to anything else.
Assign tasks and to-dos to people on your team for follow-up.
You're always able to see what's outstanding and who's responsible.
Make sure sensitive messages stay private.
Some conversations end up moving from normal to private, personal, or highly sensitive. Conversations and details that the rest of your team shouldn't see can be selectively filtered out.
And, with broadcast delay, you have time to mark the conversation private before the rest of the team sees it.
Personal information always stays private.
Cloze lets people on your team connect all their accounts (personal and work) so they can have the complete picture at their fingertips - including past interactions they've had with contacts at previous jobs, and conversations with their personal network.
Cloze gives them a clear separation between what's theirs and what's the property of the company, so they never have to worry about their privacy and never feel that they need to keep a "second set of books".
Manage your users from one central console.
Manage the roles and rights of team members as a group, or individually. Manage invitations and self-service onboarding. Cloze automatically updates your billing as team members come and go.
Share email templates across the team.
Create email templates and share them with everyone on the team so everyone can consistently communicate with your customers, clients, and prospects.


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Design Actions to improve up Website Visibility
Marketing and advertising is described in several various techniques foundation reduction on who you request, nevertheless all responses usually fit in with exactly the same solution: advertising is just a mixture of all the duties you execute or take part in which help market, brand, and market you product, support, or company.
Ads and function elements
Several small businesses sense revenue may be their company's much important section houston web design. Revenue are hardly unimportant, picture, however your brand, in addition to, fundamentally, marketing and advertising determines development of one's organization as well as your customer dedication. The foundation is established by advertising site layout Houston for the sales technique as well as just how revenue will undoubtedly close.
Advertising strategy
Small-company homeowners are faced ever with pitches for numerous expensive advertising actions before evening. Advertising is seen by several regional business people like an expensive industrial part-they simply can't handle. This is false. Actually, smaller businesses can't for to neglect marketing pay, also it doesn't have to strain the checking account both. Among marketing's best types that are really affordable is just a skilled in addition to constant image. Also an informative as well as dependable website, and classy cards letterhead are only a few components of a small company' gadget container that may perform a much more than the usual large-money advertising campaign.
Website design ads that are qualified
The first stage a business will definitely produce is just a title. This is actually the preliminary item, although you will find plenty of actions before this element. Nearby business people usually put the remainder of the fundamental blocks off until they might put it off say farewell. Subsequently, confidence and professionalism and uniformity venture the screen in support of a quick reaction out.
Improvements and function methods
The right way to strategy this problem would be to make about the front-end. Complying using company logo stage as well as the title, the neighborhood business proprietor must drive on. Produce top quality site, as well as the right business-card, fashionable letterhead, useful revenue pamphlet. By creating each one of these factors in the stage within the startup process, the fundamental parts of your advertising all become effective, expert, and constant. The improvement is recognized as to become the most crucial and there's many choices provide as well. This problem ad and a significant part play in a higher level. A sizable significance will be generated by the uses of online within a method that is exemplary.


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This article is from the WSSF 2011 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.
Colors & Coats
By Karen Robbins
Jack Garcia, Jack's Mousery, KY, e-mail
Q Let me preface my email by saying I know very little about rats, but I thought you're the best person to ask. I was talking to a friend in Colorado who was interested in showing rats, and she showed me some pictures. One of the rats had what seemed to me to be really long guard hairs.
I know that in mice, show animals in standard coat have a very sleek, close-to-the-body coat and that if this were a mouse, the long guard hairs would be a bad thing (not to mention the other faults the rat has).
I know the AFRMA rat standard in the "condition" section references male rats having "somewhat longer and coarser hair." Is this what it means?
My eyes aren't trained for rats at all, but thinking about it, I have seen quite a few rats with longer guard hairs like this, hairs that are too long to ever be OK on a mouse.
I'm curious now. How does this all figure in when showing rats?
A Ideally we don't want the coat to be long in rats, but a lot tend to have longer guard hairs (you can see it on some of the rats on our Standards page www.afrma.org/stdsrat.htm). The rat in the photo looks like a poor Rex with the coat looking very coarse and sort of curly in spots. If not Rex, then he? looks like he has a very coarse coat and this is not what a Standard coated rat should look like. I can't tell if the whiskers are curly which Rex rats will have. Males will have a coarser, longer coat than females but not like the one in the photo. Our Standards page shows several examples of male vs. female coats. Long coats are considered a fault in rats. My guess the rat in the photo is a poor Variegated with a white blaze that covers most of his face. His ears don't look like they have creases or folds in them which is good. Of course, photos of side views give a better idea of the rat overall.
Kandice Hobbs, CellarDoor Rattery, IN, e-mail
Q I had a question on rat coats. We keep producing rats with wire coats. Some of them stand up similar to a Rex and others don't but they feel like a wire-haired dog. I wasn't sure what was going on with these guys. Some of the rats were sired by Rex fathers and Rex mothers and some have came from straight haired rats.
A Could be a number of things—either you have Rex rats with a very harsh coat, regular rats with a very harsh coat, one of the other curly haired genes, a combination of genes, or something new. Do you have photos? How many in a litter have this coat? Are they all related from the same family line? When can you tell they will have this coat? Do they retain it throughout life? Is the hair curly at all? Does this coat cover the entire rat or just in a certain area? Do these rats have normal hair coverage or thin and bare in areas? Do they have an undercoat? Are they normal size rats or smaller than normal? How long do they live? Do they have health problems? We need more information please.
Rex x Rex breedings can produce all kinds of different hair coats from short, even, thin coats, to very bare rats with hair just in certain areas, to having patterns. The Rat Behavior web page tells more about the different coat types. I've seen both Rex rats with a very harsh curly coat and regular rats with a very harsh straight coat. The regular rats with the harsh coat were just within a family line that produced it.
Alyssa Turney, e-mail
Q I've been reading all sorts of articles on the AFRMA website, and it's great. All the information on genetics and coats had me wondering if you could solve a question I've had for some time.
My question refers specifically to Rex genes. Back in March I adopted 4 rats that a family no longer wanted. One of them was male, and so one of the females was very pregnant. I found the male a good home to prevent this happening again. It turns out that another female was pregnant, but she just didn't show. She managed to keep her single boy hidden from me for about two weeks until I cleaned the cage and found him in one of the nesting boxes. He was such a pretty little boy! His eyes were open, unlike the other litter, which meant to me he was older. The weird thing was that even though the other litter already had a nice coat started, he was barely fuzzy. A week later, he had velvety soft, wavy hair that clung to his body like a Cornish Rex cat. His whiskers were straight. He started growing in stiff guard hairs with his adult coat, and his velvety waves shrunk down to just his head and were eventually obscured by more guard hairs. I have read practically everything I could find on Rex rats and haven't found a mention of it. Neither of his parents were Rex, either. If anyone could shed some light on this mystery, I'd appreciate it.
A There are several curly haired genes—some dominant, some recessive. Since neither parent was curly haired, then it sounds like your rat could be one of the recessive curly haired genes. This web page tells about the different known curly haired genes in rats www.ratbehavior.org/CoatTypes.htm. There is also the possibility that some of the pet rats have unknown curly haired genes. Do you have a photo of your rat? Are the guard hairs curly or straight? Does he have an undercoat or just the guard hairs? Does his coat change with each molt? Have you tried to breed him back to mom to see if you get more like him?
Sorry we can't be more specific on what you have. We'd like to hear more about him!
Kendra Neitzel, Ratscallions A Merry Mischief, CA, e-mail
Q I have a question or two for you regarding curly coats. One breeder decades ago was breeding "Rex" rats. According to her, they would produce very tightly curled homozygotes, not those awful patchwork rats. She outcrossed to a standard coated Downunder and lost whatever genotype produced the original tight curls. Since then, she gave me what was left of the line and I've been trying to figure it out.
Based on Roy Robinson's rat genetics, there are several different curly genes that are recessive and in different combinations can make nice curls. Can you help me figure out what I've got?
A Yes, there are several curly coat genes, but unfortunately not different enough to easily tell apart. Also, since Rex can vary so much in curl and coat, you can have bad Rexes that would match the description of other genes. Have you read the article on the Rat Behavior & Biology page on coat types? Do any of these sound like what you have? Also, read our Rex rat articles www.afrma.org/rexrat.htm, www.afrma.org/c-c_rexdoublerex.htm, and www.afrma.org/rexbreeding.htm (these are also in our Rat Genetics book). You might contact Amy in Colorado (Camarattery) as she has curly rats that when bred together don't lose their hair.
Don't know how much I can help. Are yours dominant or recessive? Have you done a test breeding with a Standard? That will help narrow it down to what genes you might be working with whether it is dominant or recessive. Also, we found that certain colors in Rex have a better curl than others, i.e. Agoutis having the better coats where Blacks normally don't. My mom (who had the best Rexes around for years) had the really good ones all in Agouti. When she outcrossed to make Rex in other colors, she lost the curl.
Nichole Royer's "Teddy Rex" young male rat from a pet shop in 1997.
Nichole Royer found some curly rats in a pet shop years ago. She said the coats were short, very plush, and kinky with wavy whiskers similar to Teddy cavies and was calling them "Teddy Rex." She describes them as "They really kind of felt like a Teddy Cavy. A thick, almost cottony texture. Their guard coat was coarse enough and stood straight up, but I don't remember them as feeling particularly coarse or harsh. But they weren't really 'soft' either. It was just kind of like a normal rat coat stood on end and shorter." When bred together, none lost their hair and she got "Teddy Rex" and Standards. When bred to known Rex, they did not produce any with hair loss either. This cross produced those that looked like Rex with the curly whiskers and coat, and "Teddy Rex" with more of a plush kinky coat and wavy whiskers, and Standards. She didn't pursue any further test breedings since it was not distinct enough from Rex. Also, Rex can vary on the type of curl their whiskers have from very curled around towards the nose to kinky wavy curled out to the side.
I know there are some breeders who say they have the Cu1 (Velveteen) but the two examples I've seen/touched are not even close to the standard/gene for them which calls for a very soft coat—these had a very harsh coat. Also, in talking with one breeder in the past, she said some people got her stock and later were calling them Velveteen when she only ever had Rex, so some of these curly rats out there may just be Rex and not Velveteens like is being labeled.
Keep us posted on the progress of yours. You'll have to bring some to a show so we can see them.
Q Update: Yes, I've read all those articles. They were helpful, but not so much that I was left without questions (I had more questions).
I have done multiple test breedings; here's what I've done:
Here's where it gets interesting. There are at least two different curly genes here. One produces the scenario above. The second produces a tight, super soft coat with no guard hairs, even on the females. They don't seem to lose either their coat or curls with age and molting. Unfortunately, I have only been able to breed two of these animals. The male was culled as he was extremely rat aggressive. The female produced two litters and none of the babies have her coat. I'm going to try to breed siblings together (mom is dead) to see if I can get more.
Back to my test breedings. I also took the second curly coat (soft one) and bred it to a Standard and got 50% Standard, 25% like the ones described above, and 25% super soft and curly.
So, what's next? I have kept an obscene number of these animals and plan on doing all sorts of breeding with them shortly. Kendra
A Sounds like you could possibly have the Cu1 (called Velveteen with very soft curly coat) gene and something else. Or they could just be different versions of the same gene—it's hard to say. It might be helpful if I could see them in person. You will have to bring some to a show so we can at least see the coats.


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|In the Matter of
|Francis T. Phalen, CPA
On October 2, 1996, Francis T. Phalen, CPA ("Phalen") was suspended from appearing or practicing as an accountant before the Commission as a result of settled public administrative proceedings instituted by the Commission against Phalen pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 102(e)(1)(iii) of the Commission's Rules of Practice.1 This order is issued in response to his application for reinstatement to practice before the Commission as an accountant.
During its 1993 and 1994 fiscal years, Aura Systems Inc. ("Aura") filed with the Commission annual and quarterly reports that described, in false or misleading terms, its success in developing new commercial markets for products using its proprietary electromagnetic technology. At all relevant times, Phalen was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Aura, and was thus responsible for the preparation of Aura's financial statements which were filed with the Commission.
For its 1993 and 1994 fiscal years, Aura recognized material amounts of revenue on two transactions that were unrelated to its proprietary technology, which, prior to 1990, generated substantially all of Aura's revenues through contracts with the U.S. government and military defense contractors. These transactions accounted for approximately 22% and 11% of Aura's fiscal 1993 and 1994 revenues, respectively. In the footnotes to its fiscal 1993 and 1994 financial statements and in the management's discussion and analysis sections of Aura's related Commission filings, Aura included no meaningful discussion of these transactions, and created the false impression that its revenues, and the related increases in such, involved sales of products manufactured by Aura or products that incorporated Aura's proprietary technology. Furthermore, the lack of substantive disclosure created the misleading impression that Aura was succeeding in its strategy to develop expanded commercial markets for its products and services, in light of declining military demand for such. Phalen was responsible for and participated in drafting the narrative portions of Aura's financial statements and Commission filings, and, therefore, was responsible for the false and misleading disclosures included therein.
On the basis of information supplied, representations made, and undertakings agreed to by Phalen, it appearing that Phalen has complied and will continue to comply with the terms of the order suspending him from practice before the Commission as an accountant, that no information has come to the attention of the Commission relating to his character, integrity, professional conduct or qualifications to practice before the Commission that would be a basis for adverse action against Phalen pursuant to Rule 102(e) of the Commission's Rules of Practice, and that Phalen's offer to condition his reinstatement on his undertaking that, if reinstated, he will comply with the terms of the October 2, 1996 suspension order in his practice before the Commission as an accountant, is fair and in the public interest, it is accordingly,
ORDERED pursuant to Rule 102(e)(5)(i) of the Commission's Rules of Practice that Francis T. Phalen, CPA is reinstated to appear and practice before the Commission as an accountant.
By the Commission.
Jonathan G. Katz
1 See Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Release No. 839, dated October 2, 1996. Phalen was permitted, pursuant to the order, to apply for reinstatement after three years upon making certain showings.
|Home | Previous Page


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Review : isf Charm Eyes Selfie Ring Light9:35:00 PM
|isf Charm Eyes Selfie Ring Light
|ISF Charm Eyes Selfie Ring Light comes in a white square box (i still keep mine in the box btw! Seems safer this way hahaha)
|Its def made in China haha
|Err. Can't read Chinese characters. Not sure if the Hong Kong address is their manufacturer or the company (pretty sure it's the latter)
|When you take off the cover, you'd be greeted with the black velvet pouch covering your selfie ring light
|Like you already see before, it comes with a black drawstring velvet pouch to store your selfie ring light in case you want to bring it out
|Honestly after seeing this photo only i suspected the name of the brand to be isf :p. No idea what's written in the card, prolly just some promotional thingy
|Comes with a charging cable (yep, of course it's recharge-able. Gone are the days when portable things need nuisance AA batteries :p)
|The ring light itself is made of good quality, quite light weighed plastic material
|Since it's a portable/selfie/mini ring light, the size is not very big. It can be brought everywhere you go... if you want to, provided your bag is not the mini kind. It is 12.5 cm in width and 14.5 cm in height
|isf logo at the back
|There's a small button on the back that you have to press a few seconds to turn the ring light on (same method for turning it off). It has three different setting- this islevel one with the least amount of lights turning on
|Level 2
|And level 3-which is the brightest. I personally prefer to use level 3
|Left : No isf Ring Light, quite blur and you can see how dark my face looks due to shadows falling off on it
Right : with isf Ring Light level 3, everything looks brighter, sharper and cripser!
Both photos using Samsung Galaxy Note 5 front camera
|The result of the 3 different settings
|I personally think this selfie ring light totally up my selfie game *LOL*
|It is perfect for close up photos-which is heaven sent for beauty bloggers to take their makeup photos!
|It also works for product photography! You can see how much of a difference a selfie ring light makes on the right photo! If you want to see how the selfie ring light helps me with products photography, check out this post coz i took all of the pictures using phone camera and this ring light
|isf Selfie Ring Light comes in four delectable pastel colors, so cute!
12 comments
Bagus ya hasilnya pake ring light ini. Warna lampunya nggak biru. Jadi mupeng.ReplyDelete
Iya lumayan lah Be, kalo belom mau beli yg proper gt heheDelete
Hiii nice review, btw kamu beli dimana ya ? Jadi pengen beli hehe..ReplyDeleteReplies
Beli online, di Instagram banyak yg jual kok...Delete
ci min.. ini emang bikin mupeng banged.. tp mahal yaakk.. msh bingung antara pengen yg kaya gini or yg dijepit itu ya?ReplyDeleteReplies
Iyah, lumayannn nih Hisafu... Tp mnrtku worth it kok. Yg di jepit itu aq ngga tau jdnya bagus juga ngga sihDelete
Untuk foto product jadinya kece ya ceReplyDeleteReplies
Iyo jd kelihatan lbh prof fotoe hahahaDelete
thanks for the review, very useful :)ReplyDelete
Thx for reading!Delete
wih keren banget hasilnya, pertama kali liat nikkietutorials pake ini di videonya, next wishlist :)ReplyDelete
Nikkie kayaknya pake yg model jepit, itu malah lebih murah sih ^^Delete


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In recent years there has been a definite move away from traditional marketing. This has been partly driven by the fact that television and print advertising has become increasingly expensive, and thus often lies outside the budget constraints of many companies. It is also because consumers now pay less and less attention to commercials and magazine spreads.
People now spend the majority of their time online and therefore it is in this arena where the most gains can be made in terms of reaching a wider audience. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through content marketing.
What Is Content Marketing?
When consumers are looking to purchase products and services they are initially looking for information and usually have a list of questions. Content marketing seeks to provide the answers to these questions and in the process to build trust in the expertise of the business.
Content marketing is not about selling, it is about communication with your reader and building a relationship. If consumers see that the content you offer them provides value, they are more likely to consider your business when the time is right for them to make a purchase.
Here are some awesome examples:
- http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/the-30-most-genius-content-marketing-examples-of-2014-so-far/
- http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/12/content-marketing-rocked-2014-examples/
- http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/10-examples-great-content-marketing-0942616
- http://www.b2bmarketinginsider.com/content-marketing/20-amazing-examples-branded-content-marketing
Who Does Content Marketing Work For?
Content marketing can be used by any size firm, regardless as to whether you sell products or services. What is key is that you provide information highly relevant to your target market.
Let's look at two strong examples of content marketing, or what is alternatively called power pages. The first is an accountancy glossary created by Arnold Hill and Co, an accountancy firm based in London. This glossary will be highly relevant to many of their potential clients, namely business owners who may be looking to gain a better understanding of finance and accountancy terms.
The second example is a guide to living in London which features on the website of the Tti School of English, which is based in Camden. Overseas students who wish to study in the capital will be seeking out local information and thus if they come across this content online it gives them an opportunity to learn more about the school.
However, creating valuable content is only one part of the equation. You also need to optimize it effectively so that you can rank in the search engines and get in front of as wide an audience as possible.
Optimizing Your Power Pages
Business Insider goes into further detail about the effectiveness of power pages and the long term rewards of building them. It also delves deeper into the full process of creating them but here we will just outline the five essential steps.
1. SEO Research
Keyword research is important in order that you build your content around what your audience is potentially searching for. Long-tailed keywords will help you to rank in those niches where competition is fierce.
Here are some great tools to help you with that:
- https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner
- http://keywordtool.io/
- http://www.wordtracker.com/
- http://www.wordstream.com/keyword-research-tool
2. Create Your Content
Your content needs to be well written and SEO optimized to have the most chance of reaching your target audience. This means utilizing the keywords from step 1 strategically throughout your content so search engines can catalog it correctly.
3. Spreading the Word
Once you have created the content the next step is to publish it on your own website so that readers are drawn back to your site and in the process have the opportunity to learn more about what you offer. If the content is well optimized then it should start to be found organically in search. However, the search engines also set store by how popular it is and thus you also need to spread the word about what you are offering through social media marketing. It's not a build it and they will come type of scenario. You have to leverage the content once you have it.
4. Get Your Readers involved
Search engines also love content that is well received so the more you can encourage your audience to comment, share and like your power page the more this will support its rise in ranking.
5. Check Your Analytics
The final piece of the puzzle is to regularly check your analytics to understand what is working well and what needs more attention. Always be willing to refine both your content and your marketing efforts. This will ensure you tap into the true potential power pages can offer your business.


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Sunday, Nov. 17.
Appleton Chapel, 7.30 p. m. Rev. Endicott Peabody, S T.B., of Groton. Rev. Endicott Peabody will conduct morning prayers from November 18 to November 22, and Rev. Professor Francis Brown, D.D., from November 23 to December 2. The Preacher conducting prayers may be found at Wadsworth House 1 every week day during his term of service.
Read more in NewsJunior Class Meeting.


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Here are some pics from the Butterfly and Monster party we did for the kids:
|Monster Marshmallows, dipped in dark choc and blue coloured white chic, then dipped in 100's & 1000's and candy eyes added randomly.
|Brownie shaped into balls, dipped in white choc with dark choc drizzled over the top. I have a foot choc mould that I made the feet with and attached with some more melted chic.
|Monster cake - white choc mud cake. The eyes are brownie balls with green icing iris and melted choc dot pupils. The mouth is white choc and the teeth are fondant. Love the multi-nozzle tip for icing 'hair'.
|Butterfly cake - choc cake with raspberry buttercream icing. The butterflies were my first attempt at marshmallow fondant and turned out OK (but not fantastic).
|'How long until we can eat it!'
|Found a butterfly
|Looking for more butterflies with her net


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Garden Village Condos For SaleView all the MLS listings for 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos, apartments, lofts, penthouses, properties and real estate for sale in the Garden Village area of Burnaby South, BC. You can browse through other areas or dwellings by clicking the menu above. Call Deepak Jagpal today at 604-837-3526 to view any of these listings.
We couldn't find any listings.


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I split the cakes and filled them with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. I then put a milk chocolate glaze on top and decorated with strawberries.
Here it is on my new cake plate and dome. The cake dome was a total score at Target for $36 on sale. It's made by Libbey which is an American brand of everyday glassware.
We really, really enjoyed this cake. A lot of the time I can be a bit "meh" about cake, but this was moist and delicious. The berries and cream filling was perfect.
The cake recipe
The full recipe makes a relatively tall one-layer cake that can be sliced horizontally into two or three layers, while the half recipe makes a cake which can be used whole or sliced into two layers.
>makes one 9-inch cake (23cm)
212g (1 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
156g (11 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
61g (2/3 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
320ml (1 1/3 cups) warm water
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 165C/325F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3-inc springform pan. Dust the pan with flour (I just used a normal cake tin which I lined bottom and sides with baking paper)
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk until well blended, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until the mixture is pale and well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat at medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes for the full recipe, 25-30 minutes for the half recipe, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the side of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the bottom of the pan and let the cake cool completely.
Store: at room temperature, wrapped in foil, for up to 5 days.
Now for something completely different....
A baby blanket for a friend's recent arrival. Normally I would hand embroider the name, but I can't find my embroidery threads!
Now if I can manage to take photos of the three tops that I made myself last week, I can share those!