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somedamnfinecoffee · 1 year ago

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a wild sofa appears

more projects in progress I've failed to document, but:

cat orb approves.

My family are chair people. I've had this dumb IKEA Pöang chair for decades now, and a rotating supporting cast of others that keep breaking. (Another story there.) So for the last year I've had just a single chair in the middle of the room (the only room), and the bed in the far corner acting as an ertsatz couch.

In retrospect it's a little ridiculous to think I've gone this long with a single armchair and a twin bed as my only furniture, but I think I've got two justifications. First is that I've still been moving around things and unpacking/repacking as I work on projects, and it was hard to visualize what the space deserves. Second is that I'm exceedingly picky, and once you drop a couple grand on a piece, pay to have it delivered, and cajole a family member into dragging it up a flight of stairs, you better damn like it. Not like returning an Amazon order.

Back in February I pilgrimaged to Palm Springs for Modernism Week, and poked around the monthly Vintage Market. One vendor was selling a beautiful Adrian Pearsall style platform sofa, along with a Poul Jensen-style Z-sofa.

And the price was unbeatable. Until I saw the shipping cost to up here, which came to an additional almost 50%.

And realistically, both are a bit small. A slightly generous loveseat, or a very cozy three-seater. Perfect for my old 500SF apartment (if I didn't have all those chairs). I don't like sitting close to people. I have plenty of room, but not for a sectional.

Locally and online I wasn't seeing anything I was jazzed about for how much things were. Lots of tufts and skirts, bollard arms, pale cream upholstery. Truthfully cleanability is a major priority in, well, all of my decisions. I wanted something on legs I could vacuum under, and cushions I can remove and clean. Not really a fan of leather, being vegetarian. And vinyl is just horrible.

Oh, and I don't like sinking in to a couch. It's all about back angle and height. I like things low and upright. Hence my affinity for the platform sofas.

A few weeks ago we stopped in Kasala, a store that has the distinction of being the only furniture store in Pike Place Market, and additionally the only one I know of with a real local warehouse in-city, partly to poke around, partly to rest after a long day at the market. It was perfect. The color, the wood accent, the steel legs! A little bulky for my taste—I don't care for armrests—but could easily work with a mid-mod or min-mod style.

As I promised the salesperson, I'd go home, have a glass of wine or three, and make a decision. And I accidentally bought three. It wasn't the wine, it was the website freezing up repeatedly, I swear.

The next day I somehow convinced my mother to help, as we frantically rented a van from Home Depot, ran over to the warehouse about a block away, dropped it off across town, and returned the vehicle in the 90-minute window before extra charges kicked in. $15 for DIY delivery was a heck of a deal compared to $200 to have to dumped in the driveway.

I bought that light years ago and never found a good place for it

As for the bed: I finally ditched my deflated twin I've had since college for a full-size memory foam, selected after literally 4 hours of flopping around the IKEA showroom models. By that point my brain had turned to mush, and rather than choosing my dream danish modern bed frame, I just grabbed a basic steel platform. At least its not going to collapse on me in the middle of the night again. Despite the extra room, the cat still sleeps draped across my neck.

#personal #the bunker #furniture

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ezatluba · 4 years ago

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MAY 18, 2020

Pet food startups are capitalizing on the new shelter-in-place lifestyleBy

Cale Guthrie Weissman

Two weeks ago, over 100 people logged onto their computers to join a webinar. The topic wasn’t investing in times of crises, nor was it about business leadership skills. It was a dog webinar.

The pet nutrition event was hosted by the fresh dog food company NomNom and featured its chief nutrition officer. Attendees — all of whom were NomNom customers — could ask questions about best canine nutrition practices. The idea was a sort of experiment — something to take the place of live events. People asked more than 60 questions — which was many more than the company bargained for. NomNom considered it so popular, the five-year-old company has scheduled eight more webinars over the next few months.

It’s no surprise people have questions about related to pets. The United States has seen an influx in pet ownership and adoption over the last few months. In April, the CEO of the Humane Society that the rates of fostering increased by as much as 90% in many U.S. cities, according to Wired. Cat and dog adoption is on track to grow 4% this year, with 7 million new owners in 2020, according to L.E.K.

This means an added demand for pet supplies when big players like Amazon and Chewy can’t satisfy it. Beginning in March and extending into April, large e-commerce platforms began to see so much demand that shipping times were delayed. It became nigh impossible for many people to schedule Amazon grocery deliveries the last two months, and the company tried deal with the surge by focusing on essential items and hiring hundreds of thousands of warehouse workers. All the same, only until recently, deliveries that once took only a day or two were extended to as long as a week.

Even pet-focused platforms weren’t immune to the crunch. Chewy was also dealing with an increase in demand and difficulties fulfilling the influx of orders. “In terms of the shipping delays, yes, we are experiencing a lengthened delivery time,” CEO Sumit Singh said at its last earnings report in April.

As a result, companies like NomNom have been seeing a boom. According to CEO Nate Phillips, he had to double production in the first quarter of 2020 in order to keep up with demand.

“My guess is there are people that weren’t aware there were digital options,” said Phillips.

NomNom is not the only pet company seeing a boom. Dandy, which makes customized dog wellness treats, saw sales grow 40% from March to April and then between 60% and 70% the following month. The company only launched in late 2019, but decided to lean in on the adopting influx by using its digital reach to promote local shelters.

According to CEO Danielle Sobel, the behavioral change is somewhat nuanced. It’s not only that people are sheltering in place and don’t want to risk walking into a Petco — it’s that because folks are spending so much time with their pets, they’re becoming more tuned in to their needs. “What is happening across the board is that people are spending more time at home with their pet,” she said, that they are “recognizing they are individuals.”

Some of these brands have been capitalizing on the shortcomings of large incumbents. Dog food startup Jinx, which launched last January, has been consistently seeing month-over-month growth rates of between 100% and 200%. “So many people are buying their essentials online,” said co-founder and CEO Terri Rockovich. “For us, it’s been hard to tease out what’s working,” she went on. It could be the mad dash to e-commerce, the marketing the company has been doing or simply the product. Whatever it is, “the online shopping behavior is indexing in our favor.”

Jinx even decided to try and make its product even more on-demand by partnering with Postmates in LA. The company had pallets of its product shipped to a ghost kitchen, and now Angelinos in dire need of dry food can use the app and get it in a few hours. “We’re really leaning into it,” said Rockovich, adding that she plans to expand it beyond just LA.

It’s not only dogs either. The feline-focused company Cat Person has been making similar moves and seeing outsized results. “We’ve increased our emphasis on delivery and convenience,” said CEO Jimmy Wu. Sales, he went on, have grown 50% month-over-month. Certain items have been out-performing too, with cat treats and toys selling at “three to four times the rate we expected.”

Cat Person, like Jinx, also only launched earlier this year, but has seen the coronavirus shift help it acquire new customers. “We’ve seen more people spending time online on our websites,” said Wu, adding that the brand has pulled back its out-of-home advertising budget and is reallocating it all to digital.

“We’ve seen a couple of dynamics play out similarly to what we observed during the Great Recession,” said Arpon Ray, principal and COO and Coefficient Capital, which has invested in NomNom. “Pet, of all of the consumer categories was the most resilient in terms of going back to normal.”

He pointed to higher-end pet food brands like Blue Buffalo that “doubled in size through the [last] recession, even though they were essentially the most expensive one on the market at the time.”

More people are seeking out more premium pet products, he said. With the influx of adoptions of late, that trend is only likely to increase. But these new brands also represent a different way of shopping for pet food. Instead of grabbing them at the grocery store aisle — or even going into a pet food store — more people are seeking out these individual names. It could be a response to big platform shipment delays and lower acquisition costs (NomNom said CAC decreased by as much as 40% over the last few months).

The real question remains whether these companies can continue to ride this wave. Some of these brands are very early, and they can only continue growing 100x for so long. Meanwhile, the Petcos will reopen while Chewy’s shipping times decrease; it’s uncertain whether these new customers will stick with the products.

Retention for some consumable brands has historically been hard, but these companies think pooches bring about a different kind of shopping and loyalty pattern. “People take pet food very seriously,” said NomNom’s Phillips. “It’s a very considered purchase.”

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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What the Rebirth of This Old Steel Center Means for Trump

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Just a few blocks from the rusted 16-story blast furnaces that once fired hulking steel beams for the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge, OraSure Technologies each day produces thousands of thumbnail-size pads made to spit on.These oral swabs, part of a home H.I.V. test kit, are products of a matrix of manufacturers, financial companies and health care institutions powering the Lehigh Valley’s $41 billion economy.The region’s success distinguishes it from onetime industrial dynamos in the Northeast and Midwest that have struggled to replace shuttered plants and vanishing jobs. While many midsize and smaller cities have lost out to the superstars — large urban metropolises that gulp up scads of employers, workers and customers — the Lehigh Valley is booming.“There’s jobs everywhere,” said Stephen Polczer, 46, as he inspected assembled swabs. Mr. Polczer, outfitted with a blue mesh apron for his beard and a head cap, started at the biomedical company less than two months ago, drawn by a $17-an-hour wage for manufacturing technicians and a four-day workweek.The economic renaissance has been more than a decade in the making in this eastern stretch of Pennsylvania, and it has much to do with location, luck and local leaders.“It’s transcended presidents and administrations,” said Don Cunningham, the president and chief executive of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership. In the last five years, employers created 26,000 additional jobs. “It began under Obama and continued under Trump,” he said.The valley’s political affinities have been less steady recently. The area includes Northampton County, one of the few counties nationwide — and among only three in the state — that voted for Barack Obama twice before giving Donald J. Trump a plurality in 2016. That pivot, in a county that a Republican presidential candidate had not won since 1988, helped Mr. Trump capture Pennsylvania by less than one percentage point. Mr. Trump’s message on trade and defending jobs resonated in the Lehigh Valley, where there are memories of how foreign competition clobbered the local steel and cement industries. Whenever the rebound began, people here are feeling more secure economically, and many credit the president. “The economy is 100 times better,” Mr. Polczer said, “and it has a lot to do with President Trump.”

Incentives for business and amenities for workers

A junction for interstate highways and rail lines, the Lehigh Valley is within an eight-hour drive of one-third of American consumers. That has helped attract an army of warehouses and distribution centers built by Amazon, Walmart, FedEx and UPS as they scramble to keep up with the explosion of online shopping.A network of nearby universities, community colleges and vocational high schools pumps out workers with a range of skills. And there is more available land, cheaper housing and lower taxes than in neighboring New Jersey, Philadelphia or New York City.Local and state officials laid the groundwork for a possible revival after Bethlehem’s colossal mills closed completely in 1998. They built industrial and office parks, and offered millions of dollars in tax credits and abatements to lure companies to Northampton and Lehigh Counties.More recent development efforts have centered on creating urban playgrounds of restaurants, bars, entertainment and culture that will attract millennial workers.The valley’s three small cities, Bethlehem, Easton and Allentown, are within 15 miles of one another. Among them, residents can find an ice hockey rink, concert venues and music festivals, a casino, arts walks, breweries, a minor-league baseball park, golf courses and new downtown apartments.Freshpet joined a growing cluster of food and beverage companies, including Boston Beer, Nestlé Purina, Ocean Spray and Just Born (maker of the chick-shaped marshmallow treat Peeps), when it took over an old dairy factory in Northampton County in 2013. Sales of Freshpet’s refrigerated meals for dogs and cats — made from giant vats of slow-cooked meat, vegetables and fruit that can be smelled before entering the parking lot — grew 27 percent in the last year.Now the company is building a $100 million facility in its own backyard that will ultimately add 150 people to the payroll. The state and county kicked in $900,000 in grants and tax credits.A couple of blocks away in the same Hanover Township industrial park, Stuffed Puffs — chocolate-filled marshmallows that first appeared in stores in May — broke ground in November on a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that will employ 134 people.The venture is backed by Factory, a business innovation center for growing food and beverage companies founded by Richard Thompson, a former chief executive at Freshpet. Hoisting up a couple of bags, he explained that the creator of Stuffed Puffs had “spent seven years figuring out how to put the chocolate inside the marshmallow.” With support from a New York hedge fund, Mr. Thompson opened the center in 2019. “I looked everywhere from Boston to Jacksonville,” he said, before choosing a site once occupied by Bethlehem Steel.Building 96, a former tool-and-die shop built during World War II, is now, after a $10 million overhaul, Factory’s airy headquarters. The site offers a sensory lab, a podcasting studio, a kitchen, a packaging center and a stage. For offices, he hauled in bright red shipping containers from Port Newark and put them on wheels that bring to mind mobile dorm rooms. There’s also a simulated golfing range and a climbing wall, as well as a gondola cabin from a ski lift and a firepit surrounded by Adirondack chairs to hang out.Just to the north in rural Upper Mount Bethel Township, Air Liquide opened a plant in 2018 to produce specialty chemicals for semiconductors, and construction on an adjoining facility has started.Tony Stump began working there over the summer in a full-time maintenance job for $26.50 an hour, plus benefits.He moved from Apollo, a former coal-mining town about 35 miles from Pittsburgh, to take the job. “It’s like two different worlds,” he said.“There’s a lot of job opportunities,” Mr. Stump said of the Pittsburgh area, “but it’s harder to make a good wage.”At his previous job, Mr. Stump made $15 an hour and had not had a raise in seven years. “There’s no way to survive,” he said.

Lots of jobs, but ‘not real good jobs’

Many of the jobs available are like the one Mr. Stump left behind. “They’re not real good jobs,” said Tom Sedor, 78. A third-generation steelworker on both sides of his family, Mr. Sedor sat with a group of other retirees in a small storefront office in the mall that houses the Steelworkers’ Archives, an oral history project.The rich and the well-educated techies are doing well, but the working class and the poor “are the ones that are really getting hammered,” Mr. Sedor said. “It hasn’t trickled down to them.”Although the area’s median income is more than $65,000, a new report from the United Way of Pennsylvania found that 30 percent of the households in Northampton County and 25 percent in Lehigh County could be counted among the working poor. The steelworkers, both Democrats and Republicans, who crowded into the Wind Creek office don’t like Mr. Trump, whom they characterized as anti-union. But Mr. Sedor acknowledged that a lot of other retired steelworkers voted for him over Hillary Clinton in 2016.“Hillary and the Democratic Party didn’t pay enough attention to trade,” Mr. Sedor said. Many of the men he meets for breakfast or sees in the union hall are still behind the president. “They’re adamant about it because of trade,” he said.There were other motivations as well, the group agreed. “They also loved what Trump was saying about immigrants and gun control,” said Lester Clore, a 33-year veteran of Bethlehem Steel, referring to the president’s pledge to keep out immigrants and oppose gun restrictions.In Pennsylvania, enough working-class Democrats and moderate suburban Republicans joined with enthusiastic conservative rural voters to help swing the election to Mr. Trump.Whether this coalition will form again in 2020, and turn out in sufficient numbers to return him to the White House, is the question. As the recent clash between the United States and Iran demonstrated, foreign events could quickly overshadow domestic ones. And the economy’s stable progress could unexpectedly reverse.

‘I would keep riding the horse that works’

Since the last presidential election, the Democrats have had a wave of victories in the Lehigh Valley, sweeping local elections. A Democrat won a reconfigured congressional seat in 2018 after a moderate Republican retired. In statewide elections, the Democratic governor and senator were both re-elected with hearty margins.Although it is a quintessentially purple area, registered Democrats far outnumber registered Republicans in both Northampton and Lehigh Counties. According to one recent statewide poll, 57 percent of those surveyed said they did not think the president deserved re-election.But Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown, said that across Pennsylvania, the president remained popular among those who said they had voted for him. “I don’t see an obvious reason they wouldn’t turn out to the ballot box in 2020 to support him,” he said.Walter Dealtrey Jr., president and chief executive of Service Tire Truck Centers in Bethlehem, is a registered Republican who said he and many people he knew often split their votes between the parties. He voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, and for Representative Susan Wild, a Democrat, last year.He does not care for Mr. Trump’s personal style, but he said, “As far as the economy, I would keep riding the horse that works.”Recent polling by The New York Times/Siena College found that in Pennsylvania and five other battleground states, nearly two-thirds of voters with a similar pattern — supporting Mr. Trump in 2016 and a Democrat in the midterms — said they intended to back the president.Among the more than 30 business owners, professionals and employees interviewed in the two counties, many said their votes were still up for grabs. But “Medicare for all,” free public college tuition and other left-leaning proposals championed by candidates like Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont aroused more skepticism than enthusiasm.The Democrats named as possibilities were all moderates, like former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind.; or the latest entrant, the billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg. “I think there’s going to be a strong pull for Democrats in the county to come home if they can,” said John Kincaid, a government professor at Lafayette College in Easton. But the Democrats will need to offer more than someone-who-is-not-Trump. “If Warren or Sanders is the candidate,” he said, “it’s going to be harder to bring those Democrats who voted for Trump over.” Read the full article

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kennethherrerablog · 6 years ago

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Want to Sell Goods Online? Here Are 4 Online Marketplaces to Consider

Thanks to the rise of e-commerce, small business owners no longer have to set up brick-and mortar stores to sell their goods. Now they can just sign up on a website, add their items and watch the sales roll in, right?

Eh, not quite.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing an online marketplace: What are the costs? Do they charge a flat, up-front payment or ongoing fees? Are there restrictions on who can join and what can be sold? What type of products do well? What is the overall ease of use?

Itâs a lot to consider, but this is your business weâre talking about, after all. You want to make sure the time, effort and expenses youâre putting into a platform are paying off.

Thatâs why we broke down the features of the top online marketplaces and also talked to actual small business owners to get the 411 on each.

Here Are Four Online Marketplaces to Consider

Amazon

Letâs go ahead and start with the biggest player in the online selling scene: Amazon. Maybe youâve heard of it.

The online bookstore turned e-commerce goliath has become a one-stop shop for practically any item your heart desires. That means that, as a small business owner, regardless of your product, you can probably peddle it on Amazon (although, some categories require prior approval).

A perk of selling on Amazon is the sheer number of people visiting the site, which could potentially mean more customers seeing your product. But at the same time, youâre also competing with a lot of other sellers. Itâs a small fish, monstrous pond scenario.

Jennifer Boaro, owner of The Cat Ball, sells on multiple platforms: Amazon, Etsy and Shopify. The huge audience is a big reason she likes Amazon, but she says itâs one of the more difficult ones to learn, especially if youâre not particularly computer-oriented.

âIf you have never done this before and suddenly youâre faced with that interface, it can be daunting,â she says. âHowever, Amazon does have an easy-to-use self-search help tool.â

Pricing and Features

Amazon offers two selling plans, Individual and Professional, with varying fees depending on your product.

The individual plan is for people who plan to sell fewer than 40 items a month. It doesnât have a monthly subscription fee, but sellers pay 99 cents per sale, plus the other selling fees. For those selling more than 40 items a month, thereâs the professional plan. Itâs the opposite of the Individual plan: There are no per-item fees, but there is a $39.99 monthly subscription fee â plus the regular selling fees.

So what are these mysterious selling fees? First, youâve got the referral fee, which is a percentage of the total price of each item sold. It varies by category but typically ranges from 3% to 45%, and almost all categories have a minimum referral fee of $1.

Other costs that can factor into your Amazon selling are closing fees, high-volume listing fees, refund administration fees and shipping.

Amazon sellers can either handle shipping on their own or use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which of course will add more costs to your list.

Boaro uses FBA for some of her products and thinks itâs worth the price because customers who see the Amazon Prime logo are more inclined to buy â gotta have that free two-day shipping, baby!

Another reason she likes the FBA option is because it just makes her day-to-day life easier.

âIt also allows me to get items out of my garage and into their warehouse,â she says. âItâs less work for me to send one box of 10 than send 10 shipments.â

If youâre torn, Amazon has a nifty revenue calculator to help you out.

Itâs also important to point out that there are technically two different platforms for sellers: the standard Amazon site and Amazon Handmade.

Amazon Handmade requires approval to join, and all products you sell must be entirely made by hand, hand-altered or hand assembled. For Handmade, the company waives the monthly subscription fee, but there is a 15% referral fee for each item sold.

One caveat for Handmade: When consumers search for a product on the regular site, Handmade items wonât be listed unless they specifically choose that category.

Some Standout Features:

Itâs one of the worldâs largest online retailers, with reportedly 44% of online shoppers starting with Amazon before anywhere else.

Fulfillment by Amazon can alleviate day-to-day business tasks.

The Amazon Prime feature can draw in more buyers.

Etsy

If your small business is in the, er, business, of handmade or craft goods, consider selling on Etsy.

Etsy is similar to Amazon Handmade, but itâs more of a niche marketplace for artisans looking to sell their wares. One notable difference: Etsyâs requirements are less stringent. Sellers can list goods that arenât necessarily handmade, such as craft wares or vintage items.

The platform is particularly popular for unique and quirky things you wouldnât find elsewhere, such as jewelry, artwork, home decor, costumes and gift-type items.

Katrin Lerman owns a handmade jewelry shop called Frosted Willow and started selling on Etsy nine years ago. In the years since, she has started selling through Amazon Handmade and Shopify, but Etsy is her favorite.

The majority of her business comes from the site, she says, because Etsy customers tend to come with more intention to buy a specific item than Amazon shoppers. She also thinks Etsy is the easiest platform to use and the least expensive way to start out for small business owners.

âEtsy really caters to the handmade,â she says. âThey understand [handmade] better than Amazonâ¦ [which] is very strict with all of the rules.â

Pricing and Features

There arenât any monthly subscription fees to sell on Etsy, but of course there are the various selling fees.

Sellers pay a listing fee â 20 cents per item â and listings will be active for either four months or until they sell. Lermanâs shop has over 700 items, and she stresses that strategic keyword usage is imperative for getting eyeballs on your store.

Then there is a fixed transaction fee, 5% on the sale price of each item you sell, not including shipping. Finally, the Etsy payment processing fees come out to 3% of the the total sale price, plus 25 cents.

When you sign up to sell on Etsy, you get access to free tools that can help you manage and grow your business. Some examples include the Sell On Etsy app, advertising tools, access to discounted postage and the option to promote sales or coupons.

If you like the free resources but youâre willing to fork over a little extra dough, you can sign up for the Plus plan at $10 per month. Youâll get access to extra marketing materials, discounts on custom shipping boxes, more options for customizing your shop and the ability to email customers when you restock an item.

Some Standout Features:

No monthly subscription fees.

Caters specifically to the handmade/artisan community.

Free promotional and advertising tools made available to vendors.

Shopify

A relatively new e-commerce platform, Shopify is a good option if you want a little more control. Instead of just listing your goods on aggregate selling sites like Etsy and Amazon, Shopify gives you the means to have your very own online store.

Shopify started as an online store itself before transitioning to an e-commerce platform, and it now hosts over 600,000 businesses around the world, earning its spot as a top online marketplace.

One is Permafrost Beards, an Alaska-based company owned by Nick and Courtney Adkins.

The couple browsed other platforms such as Etsy but ultimately didnât feel like the others were a good fit for their beard care products. Plus, a friend and fellow small business owner recommended Shopify, so the rest is history.

Pricing and Features

Shopify has three plans â $29, $79 and $299 per month â and lets sellers try the platform for free for 14 days. Obviously, your plan choice will depend on your needs, but the basic $29 plan is likely enough for most small business owners. (Itâs the one the Adkinses use.)

On top of the monthly subscription, Shopify also charges various payment processing fees â all of which decrease with each plan upgrade. Each plan also gives access to shipping discounts with the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and DHL Express. Similar to the payment processing fees, the more expensive your plan, the bigger the discount you get.

Upon signing up, youâre given a free myshopify.com domain name. Alternatively, you can use a previously purchased domain name or buy one through Shopify that doesnât include the âmyshopifyâ part.

Now for the fun part: building your website. Shopify has over 100 free, customizable themes and templates to choose from. And the best part is, the user interface is pretty easy to pick up even if youâre not particularly tech- or design-savvy.

When Nick Adkins retired in 2016 after serving more than two decades in the Army, he barely had experience with smartphones, let alone building a website.

âIâm OK with computers. Iâm not amazing,â he says. âBut [Shopify has] some of their own videos to tell you how to do things.â

He and his wife sat down, did some research and watched some videos, and within eight hours had the Permafrost Beards site up and running.

A major selling point for Shopify is the amount of free resources it offers. There are guides covering topics such as analytics, marketing and fulfillment and tools like a pay-stub generator and gift-certificate templates. But one drawback is the lack of an easy way to print invoices, according to Nick Adkins.

As far as expenses go, weâve only talked about the subscription and payment processing fees, but itâs worth mentioning that an app store exists within the platform, with both free and paid versions.

Permafrost is currently using two paid apps, Parcelify for shipping and Pop-Up Window, which asks visitors to join the mailing list and alerts customers when theyâre on vacation. Each costs about $5 per month.

âDepending on what youâre doing, these fees can add up,â Nick Adkins says. âAs you get different apps and want to do more thingsâ¦ youâve got to assess the value.â

Some Standout Features:

User-friendly interface with hundreds of free website templates.

A built-in app store to add features to your site.

Free marketing, promotional and analytics resources.

Squarespace

Similar to Shopify, Squarespace is a platform worth considering if youâre interested in having your own online store instead of listing on a third-party selling site. That was a big reason Blake Wingard, owner of Glass By Blake, has stuck with the platform after trying a few others over the years.

Currently, Wingard has a Squarespace website and an Instagram page, which features a link to his Squarespace shop. He used to have an Etsy store as well, but didnât stick with the platform for long.

A glassblower by trade, Wingardâs pieces typically range anywhere from $100 to $1,000. He felt that the prices he was selling at didnât quite mesh with the audience visiting his shop on Etsy. People werenât buying, so he decided it was best to stop funneling money into a platform that wasnât paying off.

Pricing and Features

Like Shopify, you get a free 14-day trial.

Squarespace offers four plans broken into two categories: websites and online stores. (The basic website plan is the cheapest, but itâs just a personal site without e-commerce capabilities, so weâre going to skip that.)

The other website option is listed as a âbusiness planâ and includes a free custom domain name, fully integrated e-commerce and an unlimited inventory option. It costs either $216 annually or $26 month to month, and also charges a 3% transaction fee per purchase.

Alternatively, you can opt for an online store plan. The basic plan is $312 annually or $30 month to month. The advanced plan is $480 annually or $46 month to month.

Both plans come with everything you get from the business website plan and then some. Extra features include integrated accounting, access to business metrics, label printing and the ability to sync your listings with Instagram. Also, that 3% transaction fee is waived from the online store plans.

Squarespace integrates Stripe, PayPal and Apple Pay for payment options, and youâll have to pay those processing fees, which are typically 2.9% plus 30 cents.

The platform also offers marketing tools, such as email campaigns and search engine optimization assistance. Wingard says he pays an extra $10 per month so his page ranks higher on Google searches.

Wingard acknowledges that Instagram is the biggest player when it comes to his sales, and the majority of his website traffic comes from his followers rather than straight from Google. But he says the Squarespace website gives his business a professional look and doesnât foresee leaving it behind anytime soon.

Some Standout Features:

Free two-week trial period.

Four different plan options offer business owners flexibility.

Free custom domain name.

Kaitlyn Blount is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

Want to Sell Goods Online? Here Are 4 Online Marketplaces to Consider published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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smartwebhostingblog · 6 years ago

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My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://cyberspace2k.net/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

In a Forbes article last year, I explained that “over the past three decades, corporations have been increasingly executing sale/leaseback transactions – usually to better allocate capital, but also in many cases to manage residual real estate risk.”

Remember that in a sale/leaseback transaction, the owner-occupant of a commercial property sells the asset it owns and occupies by executing a long-term lease with a real estate investor. This structured financing alternative has evolved into an attractive strategy for many corporations to unlock the value of their real estate assets.

Many corporations earn a higher return on their core business as compared to investing their capital in owned real estate. This off-balance sheet alternative provides the occupier 100% of the value of the property compared to traditional mortgage financing, which is usually around 65% loan-to-value.

In the same Forbes article, I explained that “the spigot of capital flowing into corporate machinery and equipment will serve as a catalyst for the Net Lease REIT consolidators that have the strongest management teams and lowest weighted average cost of capital.”

Current economic indicators are very favorable for the U.S. industrial real estate sector due to (1) rising GDP, (2) rampant e-commerce growth, (3) limited new construction since 2010, and (4) manufacturing growth.

The entire retail industry has been shifting its focus from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce platforms which has led to significant demand for large, modern industrial distribution centers. In the U.S., e-commerce sales are expected to increase to over $500 billion in 2018. Excluding food, fuel, and auto, e-commerce represents approximately 16% of total U.S. retail sales.

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Morningstar Credit Ratings, a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc., assessed the industrial sector in “an expansionary mode,” well-positioned, reporting, “Trends driving strong demand for warehouse space-primarily the growth of e-commerce and an expanding manufacturing sector-continue to drive low availability of space and encourage developers to build more.“

Their Chartbook report suggested with strong demand and low vacancies, industrial REITs in the first quarter easily increased rental rates. And while primary threats to these positive trends are a drop off in manufacturing activity (if escalating tariffs led to an outright trade war), or deceleration in e-commerce trends (very unlikely), the silver lining is: during the downside of previous cycles, the industrial sector “can turn off the new supply spigot relatively quickly, allowing supply and demand to more rapidly return to equilibrium.”

In a REIT.com article, Charles Keenan explains, “there is no doubt that one of the trends that has had the biggest impact on the real estate industry over the past decade has been the growth in e-commerce. While the rise in online shopping has clearly posed challenges for many retail real estate owners and tenants, it has been an absolute boon for other sectors-including industrial REITs.“

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Monmouth Real Estate (MNR) is just a few years older than FedEx (NYSE:FDX) (Monmouth is in its 49th year as a public REIT), and the Industrial-sector REIT has also enjoyed a long-standing real estate relationship with the global shipping giant.

Monmouth operates a property portfolio that consists of 109 industrial properties, representing approximately 20.5 million square feet. The geographically diversified portfolio is from coast to coast across 30 states.

The portfolio is highly concentrated with FedEx; the remaining portfolio is balanced with high-quality tenants such as Siemens (OTCPK:SIEGY), Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Kellogg (NYSE:K), Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW), United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ:CBRL), and others.

MNR began investing in properties leased to FedEx in 1992, and recent acquisitions include six properties consisting of an additional 1.8 million square feet leased to FedEx. Fourteen total expansion projects were recently completed, increasing the rent and lease terms of these FedEx facilities. FDX and its subsidiaries represent 55.5% of annual rent and 46.0% based on square footage.

Monmouth leases from FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, and FedEx Supply Chain Services – all unique operating subsidiaries that enjoy the parent S&P rating of BBB. On the Q4-18 earnings call, FedEx’s EVP, Raj Subramaniam commented:

“The economic outlook remains very favorable. The U.S. industrial sector has shifted into higher gear and capital spending is expanding. Consumers are benefiting from a strong labor market and tax cuts are supporting incomes.

Overall sentiment remains near multi-year highs. Globally, the structured three-speed world is becoming visible again after a couple of years of synchronous global growth. While the U.S. accelerates, the Eurozone and Japan are slowing and the emerging world continues to post the fastest rates of growth.

On balance, we expect another year of strong global growth as economic momentum runs through a healthy pace. Sound fundamentals remain in place to underpin sustained growth in global manufacturing and business investment.”

Photo Source

As you can see below, MNR also has substantial exposure to the East Coast, and that’s another important characteristic since the company should benefit from the Panama Canal expansion that was completed in the first half of 2016.

Each of MNR’s FedEx locations has become a highly coveted foothold for large businesses. Major retailers are drawn to FedEx locations, so they can get their goods delivered to their customers as fast as possible.

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Note that the leases are well-balanced, so there is no fear of expirations that could impact MNR’s reliable rental income. Monmouth’s average lease maturity as of the latest quarter increased to 7.8 years and the average annual rent per square foot is $5.89.

During the latest quarter, Monmouth acquired two brand-new Class A built-to-suit facilities. These acquisitions contain a total of approximately 762,000 square feet and represent an aggregate cost of $64 million.

One of these acquisitions is leased to B. Braun Medical for 10 years and the other facility is leased to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) for 11 years. From a run rate standpoint, Monmouth expects these two properties to generate a combined total annual rent of approximately $4.2 million, representing an initial unlevered return of 6.6%.

Photo Source

Monmouth financed both of these properties with two fixed-rate mortgages totaling $38.5 million with a weighted average interest rate of 4.2% and a weighted average debt maturity of 14.5 years. The B. Braun Medical facility located in Daytona Beach, Florida, near the tenant’s new manufacturing facility and is in close proximity to the Daytona Beach International Airport and Interstate 4.

The Amazon acquisition is located in Mobile, Alabama, and represents Monmouth’s second property leased to Amazon. The Port of Mobile has been experiencing substantial demand as a result of the recently completed Panama Canal expansion. With two interstate highway systems and five Class-1 railroads serving the port, this region is very well situated to benefit from meaningful long-term growth.

Photo Source

Thus far in fiscal 2018, Monmouth has acquired five buildings for a total purchase price of $174 million. Through the first three quarters, Monmouth has generated 9% growth in gross leasable area and a 15% increase over the prior-year period.

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

To take advantage of today’s attractive interest rate environment, Monmouth has already locked in very favorable financing for all four acquisitions. The combined financing terms for these four acquisitions consists of $142.1 million in proceeds, representing 64% of total cost, with the weighted average interest rate of 4.1%.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

Thus far during fiscal 2018, Monmouth has fully repaid four mortgage loans, totaling approximately $8.6 million with fixed interest rates ranging from 5.2% to 6.8% associated with these properties. These newly unencumbered properties generate over $2.6 million in net operating income annually.

As of the end of the quarter, Monmouth’s capital structure consisted of approximately $815 million in debt of which $657 million was property level fixed-rate mortgage debt and $158 million were loans payable.

Around 81% of total debt is fixed rate, with the weighted average interest rate of 4.1% as compared to 4.2% in the prior-year period. Monmouth also had a total of $277 million in perpetual preferred equity at quarter-end. Combined with an equity market capitalization of $1.3 billion, the company’s total market capitalization was approximately $2.4 billion at quarter-end.

From a credit standpoint, Monmouth continues to be conservatively capitalized, with net debt to total market capitalization at 33%, and net debt plus preferred equity to total market capitalization at 45% at quarter-end.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

At quarter-end, Monmouth’s $167.6 million REIT securities portfolio represented 9.2% of undepreciated assets. Additionally, the company had $90 million available from the credit facility as of the quarter-end, as well as an additional $100 million potentially available from the accordion feature.

The Latest Earnings Results

Monmouth’s core funds from operations for Q3-18 were $18 million, or $0.23 per diluted share. This compares the core FFO for the same period one-year ago of $15.4 million or $0.21 per diluted share, representing an increase of 10%.

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

Rental and reimbursement revenues for the quarter were $36.2 million, compared to $28.6 million, or an increase of 27% from the prior year. Net operating income increased $4.8 million to $28.8 million for the quarter, reflecting a 20% increase from the comparable period a year ago.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

Monmouth’s end of period occupancy decreased 20 basis points from 99.8% in the prior-year period to 99.6% at quarter-end, and was up 40 basis points sequentially. As referenced above, the weighted average lease maturity as of the quarter-end was 7.8 years, which remained unchanged from the prior-year period.

With regards to Monmouth’s same property metrics for the current nine-month period, the same property occupancy decreased 30 basis points from 99.8% to 99.5%, while same property NOI remained relatively unchanged.

Monmouth has maintained or increased its common stock dividend for 26 consecutive years, and also increased AFFO per share by 16% over the prior-year quarter and by 18% year over year for the nine-month period.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

“With a very conservative 77% AFFO dividend payout ratio this quarter, we remain confident about continuing to provide our shareholders with the high-quality, reliable income streams we have delivered for over a quarter century. This quarter represented our 10th consecutive quarter with an occupancy rate above 99%.”

The Key Differentiator

It’s important to understand that while Monmouth is considered an Industrial REIT, the company has longer lease terms than many of the peers. Most industrial leases are 5 years (with options to extend), but Monmouth invests in newer buildings that were build-to-suit for companies like Amazon and FedEx.

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

Considering Monmouth’s growing portfolio of high-quality properties, I consider the dividend yield attractive. Remember that the payout ratio is now 77% (based on AFFO) that provides a nice cushion and attractive margin of safety supporting continued acceleration of dividend growth. Now consider the P/FFO multiple:

As you can see, many of the Industrial REITs have benefitted from the boom, but Monmouth continues to trail the 4-year P/FFO average. Currently, Monmouth trades at 18.8x, around 4% below the 4-year average.

What about growth?

As you see, Monmouth is forecasted to grow FFO/share by double digits in 2018-2020. There aren’t many REITs that can move the needle by double digits unless you are in the cell tower or data center sector.

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

I am upgrading Monmouth from a BUY to a STRONG BUY and including this REIT in my “New Money Portfolio“. Essentially, this means that I believe Monmouth could generate total returns of around 25% per year during 2018 and 2019. For more information on the New Money portfolio, subscribe to The Intelligent REIT Investor or the Forbes Real Estate Investor newsletter.

Note: Brad Thomas is a Wall Street writer, and that means he is not always right with his predictions or recommendations. That also applies to his grammar. Please excuse any typos, and be assured that he will do his best to correct any errors, if they are overlooked.

Finally, this article is free, and the sole purpose for writing it is to assist with research, while also providing a forum for second-level thinking. If you have not followed him, please take five seconds and click his name above (top of the page).

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

Each week, Brad provides Marketplace subscribers with actionable REIT news, including (1) Friday afternoon subscriber calls, (2) Weekender updates, (3) Google portfolios, (4) Real-time alerts, (5) Early AM REIT news, (6) chat rooms, (7) the monthly newsletter, and (8) earnings results in Google Sheets.

Marketplace subscribers have access to a wide range of services, including weekly property sector updates and weekly Buy/Sell picks. We provide most all research to marketplace subscribers, and we also provide a “weekender” report and a “motivational Monday” report. We stream relevant real-time REIT news so that you can stay informed.

All of our portfolios are updated daily, and subscribers have access to all of the tools via Google Sheets. REITs should be part of your daily diet, and we would like to help you construct an Intelligent REIT portfolio, utilizing our portfolio modeling strategies. Brad reminds all subscribers and prospective subscribers that “the safest dividend is the one that’s just been raised.”

Disclosure: I am/we are long ACC, AVB, BHR, BPY, BRX, BXMT, CCI, CHCT, CIO, CLDT, CONE, CORR, CTRE, CXP, CUBE, DEA, DLR, DOC, EPR, EQIX, ESS, EXR, FRT, GDS, GEO, GMRE, GPT, HASI, HT, HTA, INN, IRET, IRM, JCAP, KIM, KREF, KRG, LADR, LAND, LMRK, LTC, MNR, NNN, NXRT, O, OFC, OHI, OUT, PEB, PEI, PK, PSB, PTTTS, QTS, REG, RHP, ROIC, SBRA, SKT, SPG, SRC, STAG, STOR, TCO, TRTX, UBA, UMH, UNIT, VER, VICI, VNO, VNQ, VTR, WPC.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

0 notes

awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://cyberspace2k.net/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

lazilysillyprince · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://cyberspace2k.net/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

petnews2day · 6 months ago

Text

A Utah couple accidentally shipped their cat in a Amazon box to California | CNN

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/aY3AS

A Utah couple accidentally shipped their cat in a Amazon box to California | CNN

CNN — The Amazon returns employee wasn’t at work the day one of her colleagues at a California warehouse found a small, furry stowaway in a box mailed six days earlier from Utah. But Brandy Hunter got the call anyway. “Everyone knows I love cats,” she recalled. “I was not on shift but went to the […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/aY3AS #CatsNews

#Cats News

0 notes

hostingnewsfeed · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://cyberspace2k.net/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

noisilyghostlystudentworld-blog · 7 years ago

Text

10 Small Business ideas for Women

This list contains the businesses that I’ve seen women do exceptionally well with. As an added little bonus I’ve included some amazing women you can learn from no matter which business best suits you! (And remember these are women just like you and me. They’re not celebrities, they’re not part of a get rich quick scheme. If they can build up amazing businesses you can, too!) Amazon FBA Amazon FBA is a program that allows you to send the stuff you want to sell on Amazon directly to an Amazon warehouse. When one of your items is sold Amazon will pick, pack, ship, and deal with customer service for you (for a fee, of course.) This is an amazing program for anyone who is wanting to sell online without spending countless hours dealing with shipping. I tried Amazon FBA earlier this year and have now got my Dad’s store set up with it. If you can find products on clearance or through wholesale contracts you can make some serious cash! Just like any other type of successful money making endeavor you have to treat this like a business! (Which I wasn’t prepared for.) Learn from some who is extremely successful instead. Blogging Making money through blogging is seriously like the best thing ever. It’s a wonderful feeling to get paid for your words and ideas. To be honest, I recently just reignited my blogging spark after taking Elite Blog Academy (the best course EVER!! More on that later this month.) And since then my traffic has doubled and my blogging income is on a steady rise too. As of February 2016 I’m now making a full time income from this blog (at this time it hovers between $7,000 – $10,000 per month.) Freelance Writing Freelance writing is how I got my start in the online income earning world. Freelancing is the best way to make money FAST. (Here’s a complete guide on getting freelance blogging jobs.) But as with every money making opportunity goes – your own mileage may vary! Learn from someone who is now making good money from freelance writing and blogging services. Software Development Think software development is just for men? Think again! If you have a great idea for a piece of software or even an App you can bring that idea together by hiring a developer to do the work for you. Some of the most creative ideas come from women. (And I just love the one featured below!) Online Courses I mentioned earlier what a HUGE impact Ruth Soukup’s Elite Blog Academy has had on my blog in just one month. (And I’m not exaggerating – at all.) Ruth has seriously created the best online course for blogging or writing that I have ever taken. And I’ve taken a lot of courses! (Remember that expensive $600 writing course I took a while back? It doesn’t even TOUCH Ruth’s course and was more than twice the money!) If you have something to teach get that idea out to the world. Create a membership site and start an online course. Learn as you go! Affiliate Marketing/Niche Sites Niche sites are simply websites that are focused on a particular topic and are monetized, usually through affiliate sales. (When you make an affiliate sale you earn a commission from the company you’re promoting.) I’ve tried my hand at affiliate marketing with niche sites a couple times and miserably failed! That’s not to say it isn’t an awesome business idea. It is! And it’s also fun. While my niche sites didn’t work out (read about that here) I still had so much fun building them and it was an amazing learning experience. Website Management Website management is a very diverse business and is actually something that I’ve ventured into rather than only freelance writing. When it comes to website management you can do everything from sell ads, edit and schedule content, hire writers, promote on social media and more. Since this is such a diverse area I wanted to highlight two women who are successful website managers but make their money in very different ways. MLM/Independent Sales Rep Looking for a small business idea? Here's a list of ten ideas as well as links to female entrepreneurs who are CRUSHING it in their respective business niche. Does the phrase MLM (multi-level marketing) put a bad taste in your mouth? When done in a sleazy way it definitely can. But what if you’re completely in love with the product you’re selling and confident that it helps other people? Well, in that case you make a lot of money promoting a product you truly love. There are many companies who hire independent sales rep – Avon, Scentsy, Beach Body, and a whole lot more. Some of these companies require you to host parties and make commissions directly off of your sales. Other companies will influence you to get people to sign up as coaches underneath you and you’ll receive a percentage of their sales. In short that’s how MLM works. Pet Sitting I’m a total dog lover. (Sorry, cats.) If you are too you can start a pet sitting business. To be honest I never really understood how a pet sitting business could be profitable until following Crystal’s journey. And let me tell you, she is doing pretty awesome with the pet sitting business! Thank U !!

0 notes

awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://businesswebhostingproviders.com/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

lazilysillyprince · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://businesswebhostingproviders.com/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

hostingnewsfeed · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://businesswebhostingproviders.com/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes

awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat · 6 years ago

Text

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

New Post has been published on http://rentts.org/my-oh-my-another-strong-buy/

My Oh My, Another Strong Buy

Global consumer habits continue to change resulting in ever greater market share taking place online. Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise to $2.4 trillion this year.

Photo Source

Monmouth Real Estate: An Overview

Photo Source

MNR’s FedEx Ground locations have become the nucleus of today’s logistics clusters. The company has focused investments on assets that are mission-critical to its strong tenant base.

Photo Source

Additionally, during the quarter, Monmouth sold two properties totaling 156,000 square feet for net proceeds of approximately $11.6 million, resulting in a net realized gain of $2.1 million.

The Balance Sheet

Monmouth’s acquisition pipeline contains 1.1 million square feet, representing $221.4 million, comprised of four acquisitions scheduled to close over the next several quarters.

Each of the four financings are 15-year, self-amortizing loans and these acquisitions will result in a weighted average loans return on equity of approximately 13%.

In addition, Monmouth’s net debt less securities to total market capitalization was 26% and net debt less securities plus preferred equity to total market capitalization was 38% at quarter-end.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, Monmouth’s fixed charge coverage was 2.4x, and net debt to EBITDA was 6.6x. The ratio of net debt less the REIT securities portfolio to EBITDA was 5.2x.

From a liquidity standpoint, Monmouth ended the quarter with $6.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and held $167.6 million in marketable REIT securities with $8.4 million in unrealized losses.

The Latest Earnings Results

Adjusted funds from operations (or AFFO, which excludes security gains or losses) was $0.22 per diluted share for the recent quarter, representing an increase of 16% over the prior-year period.

This increase was due to the additional income related to the 10 properties purchased during fiscal 2017, and the 5 properties purchased during the first three quarters of fiscal 2018.

As Monmouth’s CEO, Mike Landy points out:

The Key Differentiator

These newer buildings make Monmouth more like a Net Lease REIT than an Industrial REIT, and this means there is less cap-ex and releasing costs (compared to the industrial REIT peers).

So there is value in Monmouth’s highly predictable cash flows that are less influenced by tenant rollover and retention risk. Now consider Monmouth’s attractive dividend history:

As you will see, Monmouth has not excelled at dividend growth, up until recently. However, it’s important to note that the company has never cut its dividend.

Now let’s compare Monmouth’s dividend yield with the peer group:

What about growth?

Wait… Monmouth is in the e-commerce sector and that’s precisely what is fueling the strong performance.

So why has Mr. Market ignored the catalyst?

I can’t speak for Mr. Market, but I can for myself…

Sources: F.A.S.T. Graphs and MNR Investor Presentation.

0 notes