#its Good Retail even. its a small business. its a fish store. And yet

[whitefangz]

i need to get out of retail man. Bashing my head into a wall

[formenis]

Likeness

Anon asked: "I really love your one shots 💖 and was wondering if you could make a one shot for Matsuda? 😅" 

*slams hands on the table* OF COURSE!

(and thank you, Anon-san~♥)

pairing: Touta Matsuda x gn!reader

warning: fluff floof maybe

requested: yes

D/N: dog name

A/N: as I always say, English is not my first language so you’ll find some mistakes in my stories. I’m sorry! ><

«The total amount is 6600¥» (A/N: something like US$ 60 or 50€ with the current exchange rate)

«Alright»

Y/N searched for their wallet and payed their groceries. That evening they wanted to prepare a magnificent dinner so Y/N needed many things to buy.

They left the konbini (A/N: a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items, they're also called "convenience store") with two large shopping bags. They were not much heavy but Y/N could already sense a slight pain on their hands.

It stopped raining few minutes ago, everything was wet and shining: cars, buildings and even the road. There was not much people around them due to the weather but the streets were congested, filled with vehicles. A freezing air hit Y/N's face and once outside the konbini they took a deep breath before leading back home.

During the walk, Y/N thought at the menu for the dinner: rice, soup and three side dishes for sure. Yes, but which side dishes? Tempura, grilled fish, hamburger steaks or something like salads and boiled veggies? Luckily Y/N brought everything in case they were unsure once at home.

Cooking was a sort of "ceremony" for Y/N. Why? First, because they liked it (A/N: sorry if you don't); and secondly, because that was how they met their s/o Touta Matsuda. But he was a detective, how could they meet? Simple (and rather cliché, Y/N admitted it): they bumped into each other in one of the aisles inside a konbini. The two of them were doing their grocery shopping when both of them aimed at the same bag of seaweed.

«A-Ah! I'm terribly sorry!» he immediately apologised.

«Omusubi I guess?» (A/N: it's another name for onigiri, a food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in seaweed).

«Yeah…I always bring them at work»

A normal conversation with a stranger would end there, they would come back at their normal life and maybe forgetting about each other the next day. But not with someone as Matsuda: he was so outgoing, chatty and…somehow cute. Y/N got along with him immediately: the initial simple acquaintance changed into friendship; and friendship turned into love. And cooking helped a lot: they would exchange recipes and tricks every time they would meet.

«Gee, I took too many Mentsuyu bottles» (A/N: it's a noodle soup base)

But back to the present. During their way back home, Y/N felt a set of steps behind her. At first they thought it was some weirdo who was following her but when they turned they didn’t see anybody. So they kept walking; after five minutes the steps became four.

When Y/N turned again, they were ready to use the shopping bags to beat whoever was following them but they saw something else instead: a puppy. Very thick, pure white double coat, two large black eyes and cute tiny ears (and no collar). Y/N opened the mouth in disbelief.  

«Oh my-a white cloud fell from the sky! Come here, cutie» Y/N kneeled down and the puppy walked closer right away. It must be hungry, it was a bit skinny…poor floof.

«Do you wanna come with me? I'm a rather talented chef, you know» Y/N asked the dog with a hint of presumption. The puppy wagged its tail in response, it must love that idea. «Then, jump in» Y/N opened one of the largest pockets of their jacket and the white floof stepped closer to it: it sniffed the cloth and once it verified there were no dangers, it jumped inside. Once it found a comfortable position, its head popped out from the pocket.

«You're so cute, just like Matsu~» Y/N took the shopping bags again and walked back home. The few people on the streets looked with cute awe at that pocket.

.

.

♰ TIME SKIP ♰

At home, the same apartment they shared with Matsuda, Y/N was cooking peacefully when a sudden thought appeared in their mind: «What if Matsu is allergic to dog fur?»

They never asked him since none of them never talked about pets. Y/N's gazed moved from the tempura to the floof: the puppy was drinking from the bowl still wigging its tail. They smiled, everything about that dog reminded them of Matsuda.

Y/N was so focused on the floof that they almost didn’t hear the front door open. «I'm home!»

In a rush, Y/N took the dog and hid it behind the armchair and put the bowl in the sink. Then they pretended to cook again. «I-In the kitchen!»

Few moments later Matsuda appeared in front of them: tired face, messy black hair and loosened dark tie. When he smelled the air his lips curved in a smile.

«Welcome back, Matsu. How was work?»

«I'm so tiiiired» he sighed walking closer to his Y/N and kissed their cheek. «Is that tempura?»

«Good nose, dear» Y/N chuckled and let him taste a piece.

Matsuda yummed in bliss and tried to steal another piece but Y/N hit him softly with the chopsticks. «You have to wait»

Touta complained but didn’t say anything else. Instead, his gaze moved to the sink. «Why did you use the bowl?»

Y/N froze. Damn, they forgot to hid it. «Uhm…I was trying a new recipe but I failed…eheh» they laughed nervously.

Matsuda could be naïve sometimes but he was a detective after all. «And you used the bowl…and nothing else? Nor a pot or a ladle?» he asked with suspect.

«As I said, new recipe» Y/N kept cooking the tempura playing it cool. However, this didn’t convince Matsuda and continued analysing the "crime scene".

He was walking closer to the armchair, Y/N was sweating cold. He almost reached the point where the floof was hiding but then, as to save the situation, someone knocked at the door. «Coming!» Matsuda yelled and ran towards the front door.

Y/N ran towards the armchair and took the little floof. It started wigging its tail when it saw them, its ears were all up. Y/N went towards the bedroom and put it down half-hidden under the bed.

«Stay here cutie, I'll come back soon» and with that, they ran back in the kitchen. In that exact moment, Matsuda appeared again.

«Who was it, dear?»

«Uhm…it was Ogawa-san. She gave us some cookies she did today»

«Really? So gentle of her» was Y/N's reply. They were mentally hoping the floof would not do noises.

.

.

.

After dinner, as usual, Matsuda was relaxing on the couch watching TV with Y/N beside him. They were watching a documentary about rainforests around the world when Matsuda started giggling quietly.

«Pff Y-Y/N…please stop»

«Uh?» they looked at him in confusion. Soon enough that giggling became a proper laugh.

«You know I'm ticklish, please~»

«I'm not doing anything-» Y/N stopped talking when, despite the slight darkness, they could recognise the floof's white fur: it was playing with the hem of Matsuda's pants and the fur was tickling his feet.

Y/N started panicking was going to grab the dog but Matsuda was faster. «A dog?» he said in disbelief. «Y/N? Why there's…a dog here?»

«Uhm…ah…well…I-» Y/N wanted to explain but no words (or good excuses) came out from their throat.

A loud sigh marked their defeat. «It was following me when I went at the konbini…I couldn’t leave it there! Just…look at it, Matsu!» they took gently the puppy in their hands so it was looking directly at the detective: tiny ears up, soft white fur and large dark eyes. The dog tilted the head in confusion and so did Matsuda.

«See? You two are so similar, so cute! Can we please keep it?»

The initial confusion of the young detective soon turned into a gentle smile: in that moment Y/N was doing the cutest "puppy eyes" he ever saw. So he was not the only one who looked like that dog. It was the main reason that made him smile.

«Did you choose a name yet?»

«Hmm…what about D/N?»

«It sounds perfect»

«This means we can keep it?!» Y/N asked happily and D/N wigged swiftly its tail as if it was even happier. A series of cute barks could be heard as Matsuda said yes.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, August 19, 2020

Welcome to my latest summary of recent ecommerce news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & Etsy! This covers articles, podcasts, videos and infographics I came across since the late July report, although some may be older than that.

Please note I am taking the next week off, starting tomorrow (Aug. 19), so I might be a little slow in replying to any comments. 

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

USPS has become the focus of investigations due to reported mail slowdowns. Some small businesses who rely on USPS to deliver are suffering. “The longer the policy has been in effect, the worse the backlog gets.” As of today (August 18), the postmaster says they will rollback the changes until after the election in November. This is a rapidly-moving story in part due to the push for voting by mail, and should concern anyone who ships to US customers using regular mail (as opposed to couriers). Meanwhile, they plan to temporarily raise commercial rates during the holiday shopping season, but retail rates will not change. 

Ecommerce sales are still up year over year. "Before Covid-19 hit the US in March, e-commerce made up roughly 12% of retail sales in the country. That figure grew as states issued shelter-in-place orders that shut stores and kept shoppers at home, creating tailwinds for a company like Amazon. But even as states have begun to reopen, e-commerce has remained elevated, according to Bank of America data."..."The Economist used Google search traffic for hints of how lifestyles are changing and found users are still searching terms related to cooking, crafts, and exercise above pre-pandemic rates. There has been a noticeable spike in interest around such products as gardening supplies, baking flour, and Crocs." The UK is still seeing a good increase despite the ease in reduction in lockdown restrictions. The growth is slowing a bit in the US, though. 

Half of US small businesses fail in the first year (and other stats on small business). 

It’s been second quarter report season, covering company performance from April to June 2020.  Here are results for major companies involved in ecommerce in some way (comparisons are year-over-year):

Amazon US: sales up 40%

eBay: sales up 26%

Etsy: sales up $146% [click the link to read my summary]

Facebook: revenue up 11%

Google: revenue down 2%

PayPal: revenue up 22%

Pinterest: revenue up 4%; active users up 39%

Shopify: revenue up 97%

Walmart [2nd quarter ran May to July]: ecommerce sales up 97%, same-store sales up 9.3%

ETSY NEWS 

Admin are now posting a monthly update thread, in case you fear you have missed anything. This is how they chose to announce that non-seller accounts can no longer post in the forum. Since those account owners can still read the forum, that doesn’t mean you can call out your customers now. 

Sadly, there wasn’t much media coverage of Etsy’s nearly-annual billing screw up, but this one did get some attention. 

Etsy continues to get good media coverage for masks, including masks for your dolls. They also apparently got a decent slice of Google ranking for various pandemic-related searches in May [scroll down to the “Protection and Prevention” section]. 

However, Etsy is getting some bad press (along with Amazon), for allowing QAnon merchandise, because “the FBI has warned of the movement's potential to incite domestic terrorism.” Etsy replied to a request for comment saying that “that product listings associated with certain movements are allowed as long as they don't violate the company's seller or prohibited items policies, which ban items that promote hate or that could incite violence. The company said it is continually reviewing items on the site and could remove items in the future if they're found to violate Etsy's policies.”

More search trends on Etsy, this time kids’ items. I love how they think tie-dye was a ‘90s thing and not a ‘60-70s thing LOL. “a 318% increase in searches for kids tie-dye items...71% increase in searches for dinosaur wall art or decor*, and a 37% increase in searches for school of fish items….we’ve seen kid-friendly crafts spike in popularity, with searches for DIY kits for kids up 336%.”

Also, the holiday trends guide is out. “With the holidays approaching, and most shopping happening online, more shoppers will be looking for your help to make the season feel special.” The report is lengthy, covering Halloween to New Year’s, and most listing categories, while pointing out the possible pandemic changes to the usual trends. There is also an accompanying podcast with transcript. 

Speaking of the holiday season, here are Etsy’s tips for shops. Note that it is a bit late, as businesses need to have their holiday items posted no later than July if they want to be eligible for most fall media coverage. Almost every point refers to an Etsy tool or feature, some of them costing you money, so use this as a very broad guideline & be careful to read between the lines. 

They are still rolling out Etsy Payments to more countries: Morocco & Israel are the most recent. Note that Etsy Payments is not yet compulsory in these new countries. 

Etsy Ads once again has graphs. Do you find them useful? (I haven’t run ads at all this year, so I can’t check.)

Sendle is the latest shipping company to have a label integration with Etsy shops. 

Etsy asked US sellers to lobby their reps for more support for small business and other initiatives in the pandemic aid package.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Google has stated that content on tabs is indexed and contributes to ranking as if it were on the page instead, but yet another test demonstrates that tabs may limit you. 

Due to the pandemic, Google has delayed finalizing mobile-first indexing until March 2021. (They originally announced it would be finished this September.) That means you have more time to update your website’s mobile version, ideally with responsive design. 

Site speed does matter to SEO, and Google is now asking some searchers how fast certain sites loaded for them. 

User comments on your products, blog posts and website can help you improve your SEO. The article suggests ways of getting that feedback, and ways to use it. [I’ve even had buyers give me new keywords to describe my items, in their messages and reviews.]

Getting links back to your site is important to SEO, but don’t annoy people while doing it. [sort of humour & sort of a rant, but does give some useful background on why backlinks matter.] Internal links also matter. 

There are some special tricks for food/recipe SEO, including structured data and even a WordPress plugin. 

Another WordPress plugin: submit any new or updated pages to Bing to be automatically re/indexed.

Do your keyword research before setting up your website’s sections and sub-sections, as they should serve the buyer experience, not your perception of it. Same with choosing which pages link to each other. 

SEOs are still trying to work out what happened with recent Google algorithm changes. Search Engine Journal claims that the May update was at least in part about demoting sites that had out-of-date or inaccurate information, so they suggest getting rid of the bad content on your site, or at least updating it. “Content pruning” has some advocates, but I wouldn’t worry about investing tons of time in this unless you have tons of time to spend. Just get rid of the blog posts that were wildly wrong, and the out-of-date filler. If you have a lot of sold out products, redirect those to relevant active pages. 

Meanwhile, a “glitch” on August 10 led people to think there was a massive Google algorithm update happening, but it all got fixed in less than a day. 

If you are behind on Google search news, here is a 7 minute video [with time stamped subtopics & resources links listed below], direct from Google. 

(CONTENT) MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 

It’s tough to get started in social media if you don’t know the terminology, so here’s a list of the basic definitions you can consult if you get lost when reading.  

Don’t know how to blog? There are formulas you can use; here are eight options, nicely laid out, with downloadable templates. Don’t forget to figure out what your audience wants to read. And make sure you avoid these common blogging mistakes. 

If you have an email list but do not know how to take advantage of all the bells & whistles the companies (MailChimp, Constant Contact etc.) offer you, here are 4 ways to segment your lists. You can then send different offers or newsletters to different segments. 

You can optimize your social posts for people with visual impairments; excellent tips here. 

By the time you read this, the TikTok mess will likely have changed again, but here is an article on Trump’s order to prohibit US companies from doing business with TikTok owner ByteDance if the platform is not sold by September 15. 

Instagram has released its TikTok challenger, Reels, in more countries. 

Instagram is now offering a fundraising option, although it is a slow launch with some beta testing in the US, UK & Ireland to start. 

Here are step-by-step instructions on setting up your “Shop on Instagram.”

Pinterest says that searches around self-care & wellness have spiked during the pandemic lockdowns. “Pinterest has recently seen the highest searches ever around mental wellness ideas including meditation (+44%), gratitude (+60%) and positivity (+42%) that jumped from February to May….Pinterest says that searches for ‘starting a new business’ are up 35% on average, as are searches for ‘future life goals’ (2x), ‘life bucket list’ (+65%), ‘family goals future’ (+30%) and ‘future house goals’ (+78%).” There were also some searches clearly about spending more time at home: “Productive morning routine (up 6x), Exercise routine at home (up 12x), Self care night routine (up 7x)”

LinkedIn has a new algorithm; here’s how to make it work for you. [Many of these tips also apply to social media in general.]

Spotify is now doing “video podcasts”. Apparently a lot of their podcasters already did a video version of the Spotify podcasts, but had to publish it elsewhere up until now. 

Twitter now admits it is considering offering subscriptions to shore up its revenue numbers. “Shares of Twitter rose 4% in early trading Thursday following the earnings results....Twitter's growth plans are under close scrutiny as many advertisers pull back due to the pandemic. On Thursday, Twitter reported second-quarter ad revenues of $562 million, a 23% decrease compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has also been hit by advertisers participating in an ad boycott of social media, linked to the nationwide racial justice protests.” Also, the recent hack is not helping them. 

That said, it is still possible to market using Twitter, and here are some of the basics. 

YouTube is no longer sending email updates when a channel you follow posts new content. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 

Ad spend has increased again as lockdowns end, in some cases beating last year by a decent margin. 

The Buy on Google program is ending its commission fees. Participants will also be able to integrate their PayPal and/or Shopify payment options. As often is the case, they are starting with the US first, but plan on rolling it out to more countries in the future. There are more details here, and a review here (with some of the drawbacks). 

Google Product Ads are now showing the item’s “material” on the listing card (before you click). If you are doing your own feed for your website, you may have the ability to add the attributes needed for the details to show up.  

If you find Google Ads too expensive, consider buying search ads on Bing. 

eBay is experimenting with showing ads mixed in with unpaid listings; placement would depend on the same algorithm. 

Here’s a new guide to Facebook Ads [videos & text]

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING 

Bing has launched a new version of Webmaster Tools. 

There are ways to reduce the amount of traffic that Google Analytics designates as “direct traffic”; here are 15 of them. 

Currently in closed beta testing, the Google Search Console now has an ��Insights” function, just like Google Analytics. I’ve found the GA one useful for telling me things I don’t always look at, so crossing my fingers that they release this to everyone soon. 

 ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 

Shopify helped many businesses stay open during pandemic lockdowns, giving it the boost to start competing with the likes of Amazon in ecommerce. “Shopify merchants that had previously or entirely relied on brick-and-mortar sales would later report they were able revive nearly 95% of that revenue online.”

eBay started rolling out its Managed Payments system to more sellers worldwide on July 20th. Things seem to be going slowly, with some confusion. 

But eBay is also having a 25th anniversary party for sellers on September 25th; don’t forget to register. 

Walmart is still delaying its new subscription model to challenge Amazon Prime, Walmart+. 

Amazon in the UK has launched a “Face mask store” part of the website. I haven’t seen this on other versions of Amazon. They’ve also increased some fees for some UK sellers, based on the new UK digital tax. And they are launching a site & presence in Sweden. 

The Competition Bureau of Canada has launched an investigation of Amazon’s treatment of third-party sellers. “The bureau is asking any person or business that has conducted sales via Amazon.ca to contact them if they have any insights into the issues it is investigating.���

Amazon Prime Day has been postponed to later dates this year, starting with India on August 6-7. The remaining countries will apparently be announced soon. 

If you use WooCommerce, here are a bunch of free plugins, with brief descriptions. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Buyers do not all make purchase decisions the same way; Google uses its massive collection of data and some new studies to provide some examples. “Worldwide, search interest for “best” has far outpaced search interest for “cheap.”

It’s cheaper to keep repeat buyers than it is to find new ones; here are 16 ways to do that. One of my favourites is ““proactively providing information on how to avoid problems or get more out of your product” creates a 32% average lift to repurchase or recommend.”

It seems that researchers can never produce enough marketing guides on Gen Z and millennials. 

MISCELLANEOUS (including humour) 

I see a lot of new sellers, and some older sellers, confused about the idea of a business plan. HubSpot not only explains them, but also provides a downloadable template. 

If you are thinking of changing careers, or just want to add skills to better run your current business, Google has many different courses, some of which they offer for free. 

There are ways you can increase your productivity without (usually) working more hours. “A study published by John Pencavel of Standford University found that how much employees get done takes a sharp drop after 50 hours of work in a week, and even more drastically after 55 hours. The study found that employees working 70 hours per week actually produce nothing more in those extra 15 hours...taking a power nap in the middle of the day can help you process new information and even learn new skills.”

[johnmauldin]

Capitalism Isn’t Bad, It’s Just Broken

The Soviet Union’s collapse ended the socialism vs. capitalism argument.

Semi-free markets spread through Eastern Europe. Collectivist economies everywhere began turning free. Capitalism seemingly won.

Even communist China adopted a form of free market capitalism. Although, as they say, it has “Chinese characteristics.”

With all its faults and problems, capitalism generated the greatest accumulation of wealth in human history. It has freed millions of people from abject poverty.

A few hundred years ago, the majority of people stood below the poverty line. Today, the global poverty rate is at record-low 10%. And that number is shrinking every year.

Yet now, some on the left are again embracing socialist ideas and irrationally high taxes. What drives this thinking?

Broken Capitalism

In practice, “capitalism” does indeed have flaws that justify the criticism. It is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, the worst of all systems, except for everything else.

One problem is that today’s capitalism has contracted to an extent that is hard to ignore. Competition is increasingly shrinking in key markets.

And that’s a big problem.

Competition incentivizes producers to get more efficient and reduce prices for consumers. Without competition, you end up with bloated monopolies. They may be highly profitable for the owners, but don’t serve the public.

My good friend Jonathan Tepper wrote an excellent new book on this: The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition. 

He and co-author Denise Hearn explain why this is a serious problem with world-shaking consequences.

I’ll use some excerpts from the book for this discussion.

Not Free to Choose

Like me, Jonathan respects capitalism and capitalists. He’s not a leftist shill. It’s because he respects capitalism that he wants to see the best version of it.

The book refers to Milton Friedman’s old TV series Free to Choose, then says this:

"Free to Choose" sounds great. Yet Americans are not free to choose.

In industry after industry, they can only purchase from local monopolies or oligopolies that can tacitly collude. The US now has many industries with only three or four competitors controlling entire markets. Since the early 1980s, market concentration has increased severely. We’ve already described the airline industry. Here are other examples:

Two corporations control 90 percent of the beer Americans drink. 

Five banks control about half of the nation’s banking assets. 

Many states have health insurance markets where the top two insurers have an 80 percent to 90 percent market share. For example, in Alabama one company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, has an 84 percent market share and in Hawaii it has 65 percent market share. 

When it comes to high-speed internet access, almost all markets are local monopolies; over 75 percent of households have no choice with only one provider. 

Four players control the entire US beef market and have carved up the country. 

After two mergers this year, three companies will control 70 percent of the world’s pesticide market and 80 percent of the US corn-seed market.

The list of industries with dominant players is endless. It gets even worse when you look at the world of technology. Laws are outdated to deal with the extreme winner-takes-all dynamics online. Google completely dominates internet searches with an almost 90 percent market share. Facebook has an almost 80 percent share of social networks. Both have a duopoly in advertising with no credible competition or regulation.

Amazon is crushing retailers and faces conflicts of interest as both the dominant e-commerce seller and the leading online platform for third-party sellers. It can determine what products can and cannot sell on its platform, and it competes with any customer that encounters success.

Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android completely control the mobile app market in a duopoly, and they determine whether businesses can reach their customers and on what terms. Existing laws were not even written with digital platforms in mind.

So far, these platforms appear to be benign dictators, but they are dictators nonetheless.

 Small Drives Growth

Now, to be clear, some industries need such massive scale. Thus they can only support a small number of producers.

Passenger aircraft, for instance. You have Boeing, Airbus, and a handful of smaller players that make smaller airplanes.

Most industries aren’t like that.

Banking certainly isn’t. Lots of studies show a bank’s efficiency stops improving once it passes $50 billion or so in assets.

Yet the megabanks have grown larger without growing more efficient. They have done so by killing local banks that once financed local businesses on favorable terms.

That’s a problem because we need those small, local businesses. Here’s Jonathan again:

Ever since the time of Thomas Jefferson, Americans have idealized the yeoman farmer and the small business. While family neighborhood stores are a critical part of the economy, it is important to distinguish between small businesses and the high-growth startups that Haltiwanger describes.

Small businesses like restaurants and dry cleaners create most jobs, but they also destroy most jobs. They create most new businesses, but they have the highest rate of failures. They are important, but they don’t drive productivity.

It is the small companies that become big, like the next Costco, Southwest Airlines or Celgene. All of these started small.

Geoffrey West, in his masterful book “Scale,” showed that companies are like living organisms. Just like in the animal world, many startups die when they are very young, but those that survive and grow quickly tend to grow exponentially, which leads to higher profitability and productivity.

Note, this is not an argument against large companies. They have an important role. But the real innovation and growth starts much lower on the food chain.

So, it is a problem when small business loses the chance to thrive and prove itself.

I go fishing in Maine every summer with a group of economists. Maine has complex rules for its lakes, governing which fish you can keep or must release.

We rely on professional guides to know the differences, but the general idea is to give the younger fish from underpopulated species a chance to grow. This preserves the lakes as a resource for everyone.

We might look at small businesses the same way. Most won’t grow into big businesses, but it serves everyone to protect their opportunity.

As Jonathan points out, that isn’t happening. We’re already paying a price, and it is getting worse.

Join hundreds of thousands of other readers of Thoughts from the Frontline

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[atravelingcrescendo]

Almost nothing Like All those Neon Signs

There is practically nothing like neon signals to mild up the night time and include ambiance to your business’s visible attractiveness. Whether it is an web cafe or a very hot night time location, neon symptoms place your signage into a new dimension. Your business enterprise is no more time commonplace when you use neon to include a glitzy element that is tricky to tangibly explain, but that attracts men and women in with its heat and appeal.Large or compact, even a small cup of espresso or handwritten script will add a dose of pizzazz and WOW to your awesome little hangout. When a individual sees neon indications, they mechanically know they have come to the proper location.Very EconomicalWhat is wonderful about neon is that it is fairly inexpensive to operate. Working with fewer electrical power than you could consider, neon symptoms are inexpensive and will maintain your electrical energy bill lessen than other forms of lighted indicators may well. In addition to remaining much less costly to use than fluorescent electric powered indications, for occasion, neon indications will also glimpse far better.Worthwhile for Business enterpriseNeon has graced enterprises because the 1920′s and before. In the past, enormous neon indicators hung in entrance of corporations, specifically night golf equipment and casinos, like an in excess of-bejeweled girl, and in metropolitan areas like Las Vegas, some of the most gaudy neon symptoms ended up built, lighting up the evening and inviting gamblers and satisfaction seekers with their guarantee of entertaining and very good times.Now, extra often, neon adds accent to shop windows like icing on the cake in a window screen. The neon “Open up” indication or yet another modest display screen is frequently extra than adequate to catch the viewer’s consideration, who would in any other case rarely discover the store at all. Most points mix in, so neon provides a thing like a visual wakeup simply call to a sleepy shopper that may possibly not usually have observed your place of organization.Common in the US and WorldwideNeon signs are additional preferred than at any time prior to due to the fact they have observed their market in American and intercontinental advertising. Rather of frustrating your buyers, neon adds a welcomingly warming contact. Your firm name will glance wonderful in lights when introduced in a discreet way. Wedding Neon Signs In tune with the spirit of the occasions, neon signs condition their information and pump up the quantity to a level of including course to your business indication or logo.If you work a sporting activities retail store, a tennis shoe neon signal could possibly be suitable as a window or wall accent. A sporting items retail outlet might have a neon fishing pole, basketball or football symbol in the window so that buyers know they have arrive to the appropriate position. A image can be well worth a thousand words and phrases.The Sign’s PriceWhat could be clearer than a personal computer or a e book design in the window of your cafe? What tends to make far more sense than a crimson and blue neon Open indication to permit shoppers know that you are pleased to have them? Absolutely nothing could possibly be more unwelcoming than a shop or boutique with dimly lit lights that seems, from the outside, like it is not even open!Clients may not even bother to check to see if the shop may well be now closed with no indicator in the window – they simply just suppose it is shut. The Open up indicators apparent up the matter instantly, permitting probable shoppers know that your retailer is open up for small business.Neon is comparatively very simple to retain, while the transformers do need replace periodically. Apart from for some occasional cleaning and dusting, your neon signals are certain to last as lengthy as your store will! Permit the mutually useful romance among your shop and your neon begin. Envision a cake with out frosting. Think about a profitable boutique with out colorfully lit up touches of neon. Isn’t going to do the job, does it?In

SummaryUse neon accents and signs for your cafe, boutique, outfits shop, world wide web cafe, or coffee shop. The concept is easy – we are in small business – and you are welcome to take pleasure in our shop. When you you should not have neon indicators to strengthen this message friends may perhaps wander by wanting to know no matter if you are open up for business or not.Last Current ON: Might 30, 2018Barry Brown has been in the Signal, Banner, Decal and Show Business for in excess of 20 a long time. It is not what he considered he’d do with his lifestyle, but he says he knows much too significantly now to do anything else!He has been advertising these merchandise online because 1998, and the company he was standard supervisor of in 1998 was the to start with indication business to be listed on Yahoo!Barry is a good source for information and facts pertaining to Signals, Banners, Decals, and Shows, and is also an exceptional resource of info on how to shop on the net without the need of getting ripped off.

[pictureperfectdesign]

Nothing Like These Neon Signs

There is very little like neon indicators to light-weight up the evening and increase ambiance to your business’s visual charm. Regardless of whether it is an web cafe or a warm night time location, neon signs put your signage into a new dimension. Your company is no for a longer time commonplace when you employ neon to include a glitzy aspect that is tough to tangibly describe, but that draws men and women in with its heat and appeal.Significant or compact, even a tiny cup of coffee or handwritten script will incorporate a dose of pizzazz and WOW to your neat little hangout. When a human being sees neon signs, they routinely know they have come to the correct place.Very Cost-effectiveWhat is actually remarkable about neon is that it is fairly cost-effective to run. Making use of less strength than you may possibly consider, neon signs are inexpensive and will continue to keep your electrical energy bill reduce than other types of lighted signals could. In addition to remaining less high-priced to use than fluorescent electric indications, for instance, neon signals will also search improved.Valuable for BusinessNeon has graced organizations because the 1920′s and ahead of. In the earlier, large neon indicators hung in front of corporations, in particular evening clubs and casinos, like an about-bejeweled woman, and in towns like Las Vegas, some of the most gaudy neon indications have been built, lighting up the night time and inviting gamblers and satisfaction seekers with their assure of entertaining and great periods.Now, much more normally, neon provides accent to shop home windows like icing on the cake in a window screen. The neon “Open up” signal or yet another modest display is usually extra than sufficient to catch the viewer’s awareness, who would or else hardly notice the shop at all. Most issues blend in, so neon offers something like a visual wakeup contact to a sleepy shopper that may possibly not if not have seen your spot of business.Sculpt Neon Lights Well-liked in the US and WorldwideNeon signs are additional popular than ever before since they have uncovered their specialized niche in American and worldwide advertising and marketing. As an alternative of frustrating your buyers, neon adds a welcomingly warming contact. Your corporation title will appear excellent in lights when introduced in a discreet way. In tune with the spirit of the periods, neon symptoms state their concept and pump up the quantity to a stage of adding class to your enterprise signal or symbol.If you work a sporting activities keep, a tennis shoe neon indicator could possibly be proper as a window or wall accent. A sporting goods retail outlet may well have a neon fishing pole, basketball or soccer brand in the window so that buyers know they have occur to the right position. A image can be well worth a thousand words and phrases.The Sign’s ValueWhat could be clearer than a computer system or a book style in the window of your cafe? What will make far more sense than a crimson and blue neon Open up signal to enable customers know that you are happy to have them? Almost nothing may possibly be much more unwelcoming than a shop or boutique with dimly lit lights that seems to be, from the exterior, like it is really not even open up!Shoppers could not even bother to check to see if the store may perhaps be already closed with no indicator in the window – they simply suppose it is shut. The Open symptoms very clear up the make any difference instantly, letting likely customers know that your retail outlet is open for business.Neon is reasonably uncomplicated to maintain, although the transformers do need to have replace periodically. Other than for some occasional cleaning and dusting, your neon signals are bound to final as lengthy as your store will! Allow the mutually useful romantic relationship involving your shop and your neon commence. Consider a cake without frosting. Picture a profitable boutique with no colorfully lit up touches of neon. Will not perform, does it?In SummaryUse neon accents and indicators for your

restaurant, boutique, garments store, internet cafe, or espresso shop. The concept is straightforward – we are in small business – and you are welcome to get pleasure from our retail outlet. When you do not have neon indications to reinforce this information company may possibly wander by asking yourself no matter if you are open up for company or not.Very last Current ON: Could thirty, 2018Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display screen Company for more than 20 a long time. It isn’t really what he believed he’d do with his lifestyle, but he suggests he knows way too much now to do anything else!He has been marketing these solutions on line because 1998, and the firm he was basic supervisor of in 1998 was the initial indicator company to be stated on Yahoo!Barry is a terrific useful resource for information and facts with regards to Signs, Banners, Decals, and Shows, and is also an superb supply of info on how to store on line without the need of finding ripped off.

[joehas]

Talk To Me When You Scale: Since Big Is Now Favored Over Small, Is It Time To Ignore Startups?

APRIL 30, 2018 INNOV8RS TEAM

Apart from some exceptions, the results for corporate-startup collaboration have been generally disappointing.

But Joe Haslam believes there is hope – and his optimism comes from experience. Not only is he a professor at IE Business School in Madrid, where he teaches founders and MBA students how to scale their startups, he has co-founded and grown a number of companies including Marrakech.com, which raised over $75m in Venture Capital, and Hot Hotels, the first startup founded in Spain to be accelerated by the Techstars program in the USA.

According to Haslam we’ve paid more than enough attention to startups and enterprises, and nowhere near enough to the scaleup phase: how a startup grows into an established, sustainable company.

So what is a scaleup exactly, and what distinguishes it from a startup? And how can corporations identify and work with scaleups in a way that benefits both? At Innov8rs Tel Aviv, Haslam walked us through it.

Startup vs Scaleup

Steve Blank defined a startup as “an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.” A startup is not just a smaller version of a big company. It is an organization set up to run experiments.

“When someone sends me a business plan that looks like it’s for a big company, I send it back to them and ask them to give me a list of the experiments they are running, “says Haslam. “What’s your insight, your hypothesis? That’s really all I care about.”

So when does a startup become a scaleup? It has nothing to do with how long you’ve existed as a company, or how many products you have, or even your profitability.

You become a scaleup when you achieve heavy engagement – in other words, product-market fit – and you stop doing what’s not working in order to double-down on what is.

“People ask me to come in for a two-day workshop and at the beginning of the first day I realize they have all these products they don’t need,” says Haslam. “I say ok: you need to snip this product and emphasize the stuff that’s working. That leads to product-market dominance, and that leads to being an enterprise.”

Haslam outlined five ways a scaleup is different to a startup:

1. Startups are about putting out fires – in other words, survival. Scaleups are about lighting fires – looking for and taking opportunities. 2. Startups experiment to find out where they’re strong. Scaleups try to find out where they’re weak. 3. Startups need generalists – people who can do a bit of everything. Scaleups need specialists – people who know more about their particular area than most people in the world. 4. Startups experiment. Scaleups simplify. 5. Startups can make you famous. Scaleups can make you rich.

Growth doesn’t make you a scaleup

Uber. AliBaba. Airbnb. These companies are often brought up as examples of why corporations need to get with the innovation program. But are they the disruptive forces we’ve made them out to be? According to Haslam, the evidence says no.

“Anything that grows really fast can collapse just as fast. And when we actually look at the reality, all that’s happened with these companies is that they’ve grown really fast.”

Uber is considered the most valuable venture-backed technology company in the world; it became the world’s largest taxi company in just nine years, without owning any vehicles. But according to data compiled by Bloomberg, Uber has ‘Peter Pan’ syndrome: though it has reached a stage most startups never realize, it has yet to turn a profit. The company has long been subsidizing rides; in some markets, customers paid just 41% of the true cost of their trip. Deep discounts like this can create an artificial signal about the actual size of a market; in fact, when Uber alerted passengers that fares had doubled, usage dropped by 40%.

If customers are only using your service because it’s priced cheap, and that pricing is not profitable or sustainable, can you really claim success?

“Growth can actually be a destructive thing,” Haslam points out.

“Edward Abbey said: growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. Innovation is moving quickly – but if it’s not sustainable, then it’s not a good thing.”

That said, Uber has caused disruption in the taxi industry. But what about Airbnb? Several years ago, everyone thought Airbnb was going to turn the hotel industry on its head, if not make it obsolete. But hotels have continued to thrive, with 2017 seeing both hotel occupancy and stock prices climbing.

Small, and want to grow? Big, and want to hold on? Get the basics right. Most companies aren’t disrupted simply because a faster moving, faster growing startup appears on the scene and they’ve failed to keep pace and innovate. In Haslam’s experience it’s bad management that kills companies, not disruptive startups.

“Most companies are disrupted because they don’t see the blindingly obvious. They fail at the general, basic management stuff.

They don’t know how many people work for them, or how many products they have, but yet they want to talk about innovation. Before you start talking about incubators and startups, you have to get your basic stuff right.”

Startups who fail to scaleup fail for similar reasons: good old-fashioned management skills. Haslam says “Everyone thinks they’re a good manager, but I despair at the number of people who just don’t learn the basics: how to interview properly, how to manage people, how to give feedback. It’s seen as a nerdy thing to be good at management.”

But if you want to scale up, you need the nerds. “MBAs generally don’t found startups, but they do generally scale them. If you look at the key moments in a lot of growth companies, generally it was a boring nerdy MBA who started to ask the basic questions. What are our R&D costs? When do we get paid? What are our capital ratios? Maybe they weren’t the person who had the initial inspiration, but they were certainly in there when the company scaled successfully.”

How to succeed at corporate-scaleup collaborations Focus on sustainability, not innovation

Haslam often sees companies, large and small, focus on innovation over sustainability – and to him, that’s completely backwards. “Sustainability, trying to work out how to make something sustainable, is much more interesting than innovation because you’re not trying to sell dollars for 80 cents, which is what innovation is for some companies. Actually applying the principles of sustainability gets you the innovation everyone’s talking about.”

As an example, Haslam cites Madrid-based sustainable clothing company Ecoalf. Founded in 2012, their goal was to create a new generation of recycled products with the same quality and design of the best non-recycled products. Along the way, they basically transformed into an R&D operation, figuring out how to make thread and fabric out of used tires, plastic bottles, old fishing nets, discarded cotton and wool, and post-consumer coffee grounds. In addition to their flagship concept store in Madrid, Ecoalf has recently opened another location in Berlin, launched both their Ecoalf Foundation and Upcycling The Oceans project, and has entered into partnerships with companies like Apple, Swatch, GOOP, Barney’s New York, and Coca-Cola.

Go in at the right time (it’s later than you think)

Haslam cautions against letting fear drive partnership or acquisition decisions. Though many think you need to get in with a startup within their first five years, in reality you need to give them plenty of room to grow – even when that growth seems potentially threatening.

“Companies make their real money in their later phases, could take ten years. Peter Thiel argues that the real value of Paypal is yet to be realized! Let these startups grow and, if they manage to get a product-market fit and hire experts, then it’s time to pay attention to them.

Let them do stuff that may threaten you so you can identify their value – there’s plenty of time to acquire them and realize that value.”

In fact, Haslam argues that startups shouldn’t be seen as a threat at all. “Some of the incubators I’ve seen were so far away from anything that was commercially viable. The most interesting companies have people with deep sector knowledge – they spend time working in an area and acquire deep knowledge that very few people have. Do most of these startups have that? Absolutely not.

That’s why the future is about scaleups. It’s about people who can get to a certain stage on their own. Let these startups go, let them prove themselves. Then you can start having the conversations.”

Embrace the era of the big…

Haslam points out that we’ve moved into a new era of exponential technology – self-driving cars, mixed reality, synthetic biology – that heavily favors the big over the small. And these technologies are not ‘startuppable’ in the same way previous innovations have been.

“This is not like Instagram, where you can have five people in a garage making filters and be worth a billion dollars. These technologies are big company things.

They require closer integration with corporates who understand regulation, who have specialists, who can put products using these technologies into their supply chain. We are starting an age where the big is favored over the small.”

…and ignore the startup hype

The shine of the startup is beginning to fade. Why? In part, because starting is so easy.

Haslam recounts how expensive it was to start his first company, Marrakesh, in 1999. As a provider of on-demand spend management solutions for retail and government they had to physically buy servers and build their own data center, and hire marketing planners and buyers. Now, you’ve got Amazon web servers, and can target people on Facebook. But while this drop in cost is good, it has been accompanied by a corresponding drop in quality.

“I thought, going back ten years, that more startups would mean more scaleups. What we’re learning is that more startups just means more startups. It doesn’t mean they’re going to be better.

In general, saying ‘I have a startup’ is about as interesting as saying ‘I’ve joined a gym’. Talk to me when you scale.”

Read this article on the Innov8rs website

[ericvick]

7 F-Rated Dividend Stocks to Avoid

Total return. That’s a combination of growth and the dividend a stock returns. The dividend is kind of like a guaranteed return, even if the stock doesn’t perform or the market rolls over.

That’s why companies that offer dividends are considered shareholder friendly. They return some of their net profits to their investors and generally back that dividend, even in hard times.

Plus, even small dividends on stocks are outperforming saving account interest, money markets and CDs. You can have your money invested at a better price than keeping it in the bank and get an added growth kicker.

InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

But that doesn’t mean you can pick any stock that provides a dividend. When times get tough, a company may cut its dividend to keep the company afloat. Now, that’s not the case in all companies that provide dividends — some have been paying and growing dividends for more than 50 consecutive years.

However, the seven ‘F-rated’ dividend stocks to avoid here aren’t in that select group. They’re in hurting sectors and are struggling to keep their stocks up, and businesses going:

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA)

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT)

Kennedy-Wilson Holdings (NYSE:KW)

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET)

CF Industries (NYSE:CF)

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NYSE:WBA)

Dividend Stocks to Avoid: Strategic Education (STRA)

text books on a desk with a chalkboard in the background

Source: Shutterstock

The name might not be familiar, but a couple of its products might stand out — Strayer University and now Capella University. Both are online and Strayer has 78 campuses around the U.S. with its original campus in Washington, D.C.

In early November STRA announced the merger with Capella, which will provide some help for both organizations in expanding enrollment around the U.S. during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

STRA’s recent Q3 numbers were down from last year, due to the pandemic. And it also recently sold operations it had in Australia and New Zealand. There’s also talk about starting a culinary school with Sur La Table.

Story continues

It’s working hard to find a way to succeed in this market, but STRA stock is down 44% year to date. And another bad quarter or two may mean the dividend could be cut, which would send the stock into freefall.

Equity Residential (EQR)

Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com

As a real estate investment trust (REIT) you would think that EQR would be having a field day right now.

The problem is, EQR is in the apartment rental market in major cities like San Francisco, Boston and New York. That means two things, neither of which is good.

First, the pandemic has been especially hard on large urban areas due to population density. And when those cities shut down, people lose their jobs. That means rent is no longer a reliable source of revenue.

Second, people that still have jobs and are working from home are starting to look outside of big cities to work. And that means rising vacancies.

This double whammy is hitting EQR stock hard.

The stock is down 26% year to date and has a 4.1% dividend. The risk here is, things could get worse before they get better given the resurgence in the pandemic.

Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT)

a person in a suit holds a tiny house to represent reits to buy

Source: Shutterstock

This REIT has been around since 1962, and it has a very good dividend record. But the problem is, while its dividend may be safe, the dividend isn’t going to help your return on the stock, since its properties are focused on locations where the pandemic is making life hard for retailers and renters alike.

FRT focuses on mixed use properties in upscale markets in significant urban centers around the U.S. The problem now is the REIT is exposed to the double whammy of reduced foot traffic for the high-end retailers (and keeping those storefronts occupied) and reduced interest from property owners and renters moving into high-density urban locations.

And with potential localized lockdowns reappearing in major cities as the pandemic worsens, this will continue to affect FRT’s ability to get back to good times. Worst-case scenario means the dividend may be at risk.

But even if its dividend remains intact, the stock is down 30% year to date, so its 4.7% dividend is cold comfort as downside risk rises.

Kennedy-Wilson Holdings (KW)

Image of a man holding a key chain with a key and house attached to the key ring over a office desk in the background

Source: Shutterstock

While KW calls itself an international real estate company, it operates enough like a REIT that it’s in the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust’s directory.

It has multifamily properties as well as commercial and hotel properties in the U.S. and Europe. That means it’s under the same pressures as the previous REITs but on a global scale. And its hospitality division is particularly under stress, since European nations are locking down once again.

There is still some optimism for KW stock in the markets, but the jeopardy levels are rising. And its current 28x price-to-earnings ratio seems a bit rich for a company with this much at risk.

Also, that P/E is after the stock has sunk 27% year to date. Given where the world is right now, thinking 2021 is going to be on track for a big, global economic recovery may be a bit optimistic. And its rich 5.4% dividend isn’t turning that red to black, and it may be in jeopardy if the pandemic has its way this winter.

Energy Transfer LP (ET)

A magnifying glass zooms in on the website for Energy Transfer (ET).

Source: Casimiro PT / Shutterstock.com

The midstream energy market — pipelines — is usually a solid place to be when energy prices are volatile, since these companies operate as toll takers for companies using their pipelines. The price of oil and natural gas don’t matter to these companies.

But what does matter is demand. And it’s looking like the U.S. is under siege from Covid-19 and at best that means people are going to stay close to home. Certainly the winter season in much of the country will increase demand for natural gas for heating, and that’s EP’s specialty.

Yet that seasonal demand is baked into its pricing and performance models. This quarter will certainly be weaker than it was a year ago.

Limited Partnerships are the energy patch’s version of REITs. They throw off dividends for investors as a percentage of their net profits. But when prices get hit, dividends rise.

ET stock is down 53% year to date, and it has a whopping dividend of 10.2%. That sounds great, but the higher it gets, the higher the risk of a dividend cut or elimination. And that would be very bad for the stock as well.

CF Industries Holdings (CF)

Natural gas pipeline through green field with blue sky above

Source: Shutterstock

This fertilizer company has been around since 1946, so it has seen some challenging markets over the years. And generally speaking, fertilizer is a pretty stable business.

CF is the world’s leader in converting natural gas to nitrogen. It has nine manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The one issue is, this sector can be cyclical. When economies are going strong, the demand for agricultural goods rises and so does the demand for fertilizer.

That isn’t the case now. While CF isn’t in dire straights and will likely get through this current challenging global market, it’s no time to bottom fish the stock.

CF stock is down 33% year to date, so its 3.7% dividend isn’t going to save it from a tough year. And there’s no knowing where the bottom is, so thinking the stock has seen its worst is a risky bet if you’re hoping to sit on that 3.7% dividend here.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA)

Walgreens (WBA) store exterior and sign in Pompano Beach, Florida

Source: saaton / Shutterstock.com

On the plus side, WBA stock has 45 consecutive years of dividend growth. On the downside, the stock has been in a significant downward trend since late 2018. Back then, it was trading near $85. Now it’s trading around $37.

Its fiscal Q4 numbers were released in October and they were solid. The pharmacy side of the business was solid if unspectacular and same-store sales were up around 5%.

There isn’t a concern that WBA is going to disappear from the marketplace. But that still doesn’t mean it’s a stock worth holding right now. It is still transitioning its $17 billion purchase of nearly 2,000 Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) stores in 2018. Given RAD’s struggles, WBA might not be able to fix some of those stores and that could be a drag on the whole company.

WBA stock is down 36% year to date, so its 5% dividend is impressive, but it can’t be the reason to rely on this stock’s ability to recover from here.

On the date of publication, Louis Navellier has no long positions in any stocks in this article. Louis Navellier did not have (either directly or indirectly) any other positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

The InvestorPlace Research Staff member primarily responsible for this article did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

Louis Navellier had an unconventional start, as a grad student who accidentally built a market-beating stock system — with returns rivaling even Warren Buffett. In his latest feat, Louis discovered the “Master Key” to profiting from the biggest tech revolution of this (or any) generation. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters.

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[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

Global Health Crisis Pits Economic Against Health Concerns

The global health crisis is taking a nasty political turn with tensions worsening between governments locked down to keep the coronavirus at bay and people yearning to restart stalled economies and forestall fears of a depression.

Protesters worrying about their livelihoods and bucking infringements on their freedom took to the streets in some places. A few countries were acting to ease restrictions, but most of the world remains unified in insisting it's much too early to take more aggressive steps.

In the United States, there was clear evidence of the mounting pressure. The Trump administration says parts of the country are ready to begin a gradual return to normalcy. Yet some state leaders say their response to the pandemic is hindered by a woefully inadequate federal response.  

Trump Says Getting Close to a Deal with Democrats on Coronavirus Stimulus

At a White House briefing, the president suggested there could be a resolution by Monday

Washington state's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, even accused President Donald Trump of encouraging insubordination and "illegal activity" by goading on protesters who flouted shelter-in-place rules.

"To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing," Inslee told ABC's "This Week.'' He said it was "dangerous because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives."

Trump supporters in several states ignored social distancing and stay-at-home orders, gathering to demand that governors lift controls on public activity. The largest protest drew thousands to Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday, and others have featured hundreds each in several states. The president has invoked their rallying cry, calling on several states with Democratic governors to "LIBERATE."

A person walks by a closed business on April 16, 2020, in New York City.

Vice President Mike Pence sidestepped questions Sunday about why Trump seemed to be encouraging efforts to undermine preventive measures his own government has promoted. Inslee nonetheless likened Trump's response to "schizophrenia." Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, said it "just doesn't make any sense."  

"We're sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people, as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations," Hogan said on CNN's "State of the Union."  

Shutdowns that began in China in late January and spread globally have disrupted economic, social, cultural and religious life and plunged the world into a deep economic slump unseen since the Great Depression. Tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs and millions more fear they'll be next.  

Brazil's Bolsonaro Attacks Coronavirus Lockdowns as Supporters Take to Streets

Brazil has more cases of the new coronavirus than any other country in Latin America. On Sunday, confirmed cases rose to 38,654 with 2,462 deaths

With the arc of infection different in every nation and across U.S. states, proposals have differed for coping with the virus that has killed more than 165,000.

Restrictions have begun to ease in some places, including Germany, which is still enforcing social distancing rules but on Monday intended to begin allowing some small stores, like those selling furniture and baby goods, to reopen.  

Authorities in Spain, which had some of Europe's strictest restrictions and a virus death toll only exceeded by the U.S. and Italy, said children will be allowed to leave their homes beginning April 27. Albania planned to let its mining and oil industries reopen Monday, along with hundreds of businesses including small retailers, food and fish factories, farmers and fishing boats.

The death toll in the U.S. climbed past 41,000 with more than 746,000 confirmed infections, while the global case count has passed 2.38 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University of national health reports. The European Center for Disease Control said the continent now has more than 1 million confirmed cases and almost 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

The actual extent of the pandemic is likely to be significantly higher due to mild infections that are missed, limited testing, problems counting the dead and some nations' desires to underplay the extent of their outbreaks.

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to contract 3% this year. That's a far bigger loss than 2009's 0.1% after the global financial crisis. Still, many governments are resisting pressures to abruptly relax lockdowns.

"We must not let down our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered," South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Sunday.

In Britain, which reported 596 more coronavirus-related hospital deaths on Sunday, officials also said they're not ready to ease efforts to curb the virus's spread. U.K. minister Michael Gove told the BBC that pubs and restaurants "will be among the last" to leave the lockdown, which is now in place until May 7.  

France's health agency urged the public to stick to social distancing measures that have been extended until at least May 11 and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said people could be required to wear masks on public transportation, and suggested no one plan faraway summer vacations even after that.

The streets are empty in the shopping district in downtown Washington, DC, April 4, 2020. (Photo: Diaa Bekheet)

Trump is pushing to begin easing the U.S. lockdown in some states even before his own May 1 deadline, a plan that health experts and governors from both parties say will require a dramatic increase in testing capacity nationwide. But Pence insisted in television interviews Sunday that the country has "sufficient testing today" for states to begin reopening their economies as part of the initial phases of guidelines that the White House released last week.  

The Trump administration has repeatedly blamed state leaders for delays, but governors from both parties have been begging the federal government for help securing in-demand testing supplies such as swabs and chemicals known as reagents. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio made a direct appeal to Washington: "We really need help ... to take our capacity up," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."  

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said his state can't begin lifting restrictions until it is able to test more people daily. "Right now, we're not even close as a nation, let alone as a state, to where we should be on testing," he said.  

Trump pushed back in a tweet before his scheduled Sunday evening briefing at the White House. "I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY!" he wrote.

Economic concerns that have increasingly collided with measures to protect public health are now popping up throughout the U.S.  

Business leaders in Louisiana have slammed New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell for imposing restrictions that they say have unfairly shuttered economic activity outside the city. A full-page ad in Baton Rouge's "The Advocate" newspaper on Sunday urged an easing of lockdowns, even as the New Orleans Times-Picayune featured nearly nine pages of obituaries in a city hard-hit by the virus.

States including Texas and Indiana have announced plans to allow some retail and other activity to resume and some restrictions were either lifted or set to be on beaches in Florida and South Carolina. But in New York, where the daily coronavirus death toll hit its lowest point in more than two weeks on Sunday, officials warn that New York City and the rest of the hard-hit state aren't ready to ease shutdowns of schools, businesses and gatherings.  

Geopolitical and religious tensions stretching back centuries have further complicated the global response to the virus. But Jordan's King Abdullah II said the outbreak has made "partners" out of "our enemies of yesterday, or those that were not friendly countries yesterday — whether we like it or not."

"I think the quicker we as leaders and politicians figure that out, the quicker we can bring this under control," he told CBS' "Face the Nation.''

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[singlestoryhomesincarlsbadca]

Pacifica 55 Plus Homes

About Pacifica

If you are relocating to Oceanside and would like to live in a home where you can enjoy privacy and retreat and be in proximity to Downtown Oceanside, the beach, and amenities, you may want to consider homes for sale in Pacifica 55 plus.  

Pacifica (or Oceanside Manor) is an active adult community in Oceanside CA. It is bordered on the north by Vista Green Valley, on the east by Rancho Calevero Mobile Home Park, on the south by Lake Blvd, and by Surf Place on the west. 

Nestled about five miles from the coast, shopping centers, entertainment, and recreational sites of Oceanside, this community offers all the amenities active adult buyers are looking for. 

Its proximity to Oceanside beaches gives this community a great climate that allows active adults and retirees to enjoy and participate in outdoor activities all year long. Say goodbye to thick, heavy clothing and say hello to comfortable clothes and sandals!

Oceanside has 3.5 miles of gorgeous ocean beaches which offer plenty of opportunities for many water-related sports and activities, whether it is swimming, kayaking, boating, or fishing. If you prefer a more relaxed activity, you can also simply enjoy the sun or build a sandcastle.

Not only do you get to relax and enjoy, living near the beach is also great for your physical and emotional health. Studies have shown that living near the coast lessens depression and induces more happiness. 

As an active adult with plenty of free time and living the best time of your life, Pacifica offers plenty of activities to keep the body and mind involved. Residents in this community enjoy swimming, aerobics, biking, running, and many more activities without leaving the community. In this Pacifica Oceanside Manor, you can live the active lifestyle you've been dreaming of!

Amenities

Pacifica Oceanside Manor is a beautiful community that offers a great quality of life at an excellent value. It has a long list of indoor and outdoor amenities, all designed to let you truly enjoy the climate and community. 

At the heart of its amenities is an amazing clubhouse. Do you enjoy a good workout? This clubhouse has a well-equipped exercise room where you can exercise. 

There are also good-sized meeting rooms, best for gathering with friends and celebrations. The library is well-stocked with books and magazines that will amuse you for hours on end. The kitchen caters to special events, perfect for birthdays and special occasions. 

If you enjoy indoor sports, challenge your friends to a game of billiards and table tennis. There are also plenty of activities you can join like playing bridge, line dancing, knitting class, etc. First Friday Socials are amazing, and there are many other events throughout the year.

Do you prefer outdoor sports? Pacifica has two tennis courts, two shuffleboard courts, and horseshoe pits. Go on long walks through the lush parks with benches facing the western sunset, or enjoy biking through the walking and biking trails. 

On your downtime, you can swim in the heated swimming pool and spa, enjoy a relaxing picnic in the picnic area, or have a cookout in the barbeque area. 

Pacifica is a pet-friendly community, so bring your furry pet and enjoy fun adventures on the trails. 

Homes and Real Estate 

There are various homes in the over 55 Pacifica community. Pacifica is popular among homeowners who prefer compact yet comfortable homes. 

Are you looking for a nice single family home with a good-sized front lawn and backyard, perfect as a getaway after a long busy day? Perhaps you prefer a home in the cul-de-sac? You will find them right here in this neighborhood, and each one is unique.

This community houses approximately 223 single-story and half-duplexes built between 1974 and 1980. Their garages connect the half-duplexes.

Duplexes in this community range in size from 1,100 to 1,400 square feet of living space. They offer two to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached garage that can comfortably fit two cars. These townhomes are priced from the low to mid $400's.

Single-story homes feature two to three bedrooms and two bathrooms ranging from 1,100 to 1,600 square feet. All homes have two-car garages and patios. Some patios are open, while others are covered. Many patios offer lovely views. 

Many of the homes are well-maintained and updated. They come with desirable features like open floor plan, a cozy fireplace in the living room, vaulted ceilings, and granite countertops, wood-stained kitchen cabinets, breakfast bars, his and her sinks, and large walk-in showers. Master bedrooms are spacious and come with ensuite bathrooms. 

Single-family homes’ price starts from the high $200s up to high $300s. There is an HOA fee of $390 which covers payment for common area maintenance, exterior landscaping, exterior building maintenance, and roof maintenance. 

Pacifica Oceanside Manor is a small community so there is only a small number of homes available for sale at some given time. 

Why live in Pacifica 

There are many variables to consider when it comes to choosing the right community. Here are some of the reasons you'll love living in Pacifica. 

1. Convenience

The idea of constantly having to get in the car and drive just to get to the closest shop can be inconvenient. Fortunately, the Pacifica community is conveniently located near Costo, North County International Market, North Park Produce, and several other retail and grocery stores are within a mile radius of this community, so you can simply walk.

2. Great climate

Imagine warm and sunny days, biking, hiking, golfing — all these activities and more are waiting to be enjoyed when you own a home in Pacifica. Oceanside boasts of 263 sunny days, giving you 58 more days under the sun compared to other states in the U.S. No more aching bones in the winter!

3. Minutes away from beautiful beaches

Who wouldn't want to live near the beach? Most people love living near the ocean. If you can't get a home with an oceanview, a home just minutes away is the next best thing, and Pacifica offers that.

Enjoy long walks on the beach, waiting for the gorgeous sunrise or sunset, swimming, fishing, boating, doing all your favorite water sports just because you can.

4. A sense of community

One of the benefits of living in an age-restricted community is the opportunity to interact and form friendships with others of your age, interests, and hobbies. 

Pacifica 55+ community provide a wide option of activities you can enjoy, from swimming to knitting to aerobics and more. Feeling a sense of belonging and community happens when you find friends who share the same hobbies and passion with you.

5. Safety

Your safety and security are paramount compared to the activities, services, and programs of your chosen community. One of the benefits covered by your monthly HOA in Pacifica includes a nightly security patrol maintaining the area. 

Living in Oceanside

Oceanside is a coastal city in San Diego California. This city is well-known for Harbor Beach, Oceanside Harbor, and its many shops. It is also a great place for active adults.

People

Oceanside is home to more than a hundred thousand people. As of 2018, the latest population count is 167,086. In addition,  65% of its population is white, 35% are Hispanic or Latino, 15% are from other races, and the remaining 6% are Asian. 

Places

Oceanside may be popular for its beautiful beaches, but there’s more to this coastal town. Here are a few must-see places:

Oceanside Beaches

Oceanside is home to seven beaches stretched out on three miles of beautiful sand and stunning scenery. Though the beaches are connected, each one is different. 

If you are seeking action, Harbor Beach is the one for you. This is the largest beach in Oceanside and offers many amenities and shops. Fishing, whale watching, kayaking, and swimming are just some of the activities you can enjoy in Harbor Beach. There are also three lifeguard towers, parking lots, picnic tables, barbecue grills, showers, snack bars, and more. 

For surfers and volleyball players, Breakwater Way Beach is a great choice. This beach has a volleyball court, several showers, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and a paid parking lot. 

When you want to relax in a much more spacious beach with a lot more sand, Pier View North is where you should go. This beach has two lifeguard towers, several volleyball courts, picnic tables, grills and benches, and a small parking lot. 

Interested to watch surfing and body board surfing contests? Head to Pier View South, Oceanside's most popular beach. This is a good beach if you enjoy being in a large crowd. 

Pier View South Beach has picnic tables, benches, barbecue grills, fire rings on the sand, restrooms, showers, vending machines, and more. Another beach that's perfect for picnics is Tyson Street Beach. 

When you want to get away from the crowd and enjoy some privacy, head to the least frequented Wisconsin Street Beach, or try Buccaneer Beach, Oceanside's smallest beach. This beach has a large grass area, basketball court, picnic tables, barbecue grills, restrooms, and shower. 

Oceanside Golf Courses 

Aside from beaches, Oceanside also boasts of its golf courses. Oceanside Golf Course, Emerald Isle Golf Course, Arrowood Golf Course, and Goat Hill Park are some of the best golf courses in the area. 

Oceanside Pier

Stretching 1,954 feet into the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, Oceanside Pier is a historic icon. This pier is one of the most popular places in the city. From this pier, you can watch surfers riding the wave, fishermen out on the sea catching the fish, and even dolphins swimming. The popular Ruby's Diner is at the end of the pier, waiting for hungry visitors. 

Oceanside Museum of Art

This museum opened its doors in 1997 and over the years has established itself as a cultural hub of Oceanside. Today, it is recognized as a premier regional art museum and a leader of arts and culture in San Diego. 

This museum has held art exhibitions, concerts, films, culinary events, and more. It is interactive, the admission fee is reasonably-priced, and displays thoughtfully curated work. 

Old Mission San Luis Rey

Old Mission San Luis Rey is a National Historic Landmark. This mission was established in 1798 and is the largest of all the missions in California. If you love history, this place is a definite must-see. 

Guajome County Park

When you have an affinity for the outdoors and enjoy an occasional rustic environment, you'll love this park. Guajome County Park offers 3.5 miles of trails, picnic pavilion, playgrounds, basketball court, and picnic area. There are 33 single-family campsites in a wooded, park-like setting. There is a rustic cabin available for rent. 

Buena Vista Audubon Society & Nature Center

Interested in San Diego's natural history and taxidermy? You'll find a wealth of knowledge waiting for you in Buena Vista Audubon Society & Nature Center. This 3,500 square foot facility features a series of displays featuring local wildlife, a natural history library, small gift shop, and meeting rooms. 

Farmers Market

Located in Downtown Oceanside next to the Civic Center Plaza, this market offers a variety of fresh local produce, flowers, and more. But it's more than just a typical farmer's market. Oceanside Farmers Market also includes baked goodies, organic food, jewelry, soap, seashell, paintings, photography, and more. Prepare to delight your senses in the wide variety of tastes and sounds in this market. 

Medical Facilities

Healthcare is an essential component of a community and Oceanside offers several top-notch health facilities to ensure its residents' health. Scripps Coastal Medical Center, NCHS Oceanside Health Center, and North County Health Services are just a few of the healthcare facilities in Oceanside. 

When you want a home in an active adult community that combines the most pleasant of climates with terrific amenities that will keep any active adult happy and busy, you should be looking at Pacifica over 55 homes for sale.

Ready to find a home in Pacifica? Call me, Dennis Smith, at (760) 212-8225.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk6XYvyc_4o&list=PLrqjhrooZLtp-wCD9Ol6gsyF1HACDe-gZ&index=15&t=0s

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/business/should-google-amazon-and-facebook-fear-this-woman/

Should Google, Amazon and Facebook fear this woman?

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren thinks the tech giants have become too powerful

US presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren says she’d consider dismantling the tech giants should she ever get the top job. But is this really necessary or even possible?

A growing chorus of people think the big beasts of the tech world – Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon – are getting too big for their boots and should be dismantled.

But as Prof. Harry First, an expert in competition law at New York University, says: “Breaking up is hard to do”, recalling the old Neil Sedaka song.

So what should be done?

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Is the dominance of Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon good or bad for us?

Critics say these US-based behemoths dominate the marketplace, use their hugely popular platforms to prioritise their own products and services, and seem perennially able to evade the discipline of most regulators.

Concerns are growing that social media platforms such as Facebook and Google-owned YouTube are becoming havens for malicious users spreading illegal, false or terrorist-related content.

And the European Union (EU) in particular has criticised big tech firms for not paying enough tax.

In March, the EU hit Google with a €1.49bn (£1.28bn) fine for blocking rival online search advertisers. It’s the third large fine the EU has handed Google in two years. The total bill now stands at more than €9bn.

Skip Twitter post by @BBCSimonJack

Google now been fined a total of over EUR 9 billion in last 2 years by the European Commission. That’s very nearly the UK’s annual net EU budget contribution.

— Simon Jack (@BBCSimonJack) March 20, 2019

End of Twitter post by @BBCSimonJack

But, as many point out, even if Google ever pays the bill, it’s a relatively small slice of the company’s cash reserves, which currently exceed $100bn (£76bn).

Those who advocate breaking up big companies argue that smaller firms competing with one another on a relatively level playing field will give consumers more choice. Increased competition, the argument goes, also makes firms less inclined to behave badly.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager recently imposed another big fine on Google

Take supermarkets as an example.

Price competition is fierce, consumers can shop around for good deals, and new players can enter the market – think of Lidl and Aldi when they arrived in the UK.

Competition authorities don’t like it when big companies merge to the detriment of consumer choice, which is why Sainsbury’s and Asda are finding it so hard to get their proposed tie-up past the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.

Big tech, however, is a different kettle of fish.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption The Sainsbury’s Asda merger isn’t yet in the bag, but tech firms aren’t like supermarkets

“As it stands, it is difficult for users to switch between platforms,” notes the MIT Digital Currency Initiative and the Center for Civic Media, “and most mega-platforms do not interoperate”.

In other words, once you’ve bought into them, you’re stuck.

And then there’s all the data they’ve collected – gargantuan stores of information about our likes, dislikes, shopping habits, music and entertainment preferences, search habits and so on. It’s a hugely valuable resource to which few have access.

Meet the data guardians taking on the tech giants

Some think mega companies become “too big to innovate” and simply snaffle up ground-breaking start-ups.

“This is why Facebook couldn’t invent Instagram – they needed to resort to buying them up,” says Prof Howard Yu at IMD Business School in Switzerland.

Alphabet – Google’s parent company – has bought more than 200 firms, for instance.

And Simon Bryant at market research firm Futuresource says he often has conversations with smaller companies who regularly see their ideas repackaged by the giants, who of course already have access to a large consumer base.

“On the one hand they want to work with them, on the other hand they find it very difficult to compete,” he says.

Amazon is often cited as the bogeyman of the traditional High Street, responsible for book, fashion and music shop closures.

But Sam Dumitriu from The Entrepreneurs Network, a think tank, argues that tech disruptors can shake up established markets to the benefit of consumers.

For example, when Amazon bought Whole Foods, the bricks-and-mortar grocery business, retailing giant Walmart was forced to rethink its home delivery strategy as a result – teaming up with Uber, Lyft and Postmates, for example.

“Suddenly users in the US had better access to home delivery of foods,” says Mr Dumitriu: “It benefits consumers.”

But even if you do think breaking up big tech is the way forward, Prof First says your options are sorely limited.

US competition law makes it very hard for courts to find a legal basis on which to justify splitting up a large company, he explains. If there is evidence of bad behaviour then a judge could conceivably make such a demand. But companies can promise to “fix” the bad behaviour and move on.

That’s more or less what happened 20 years ago, when a US judge ordered that Microsoft be split in two. It never happened. Partly because Microsoft agreed to make changes so that competitors could more easily integrate their software with Windows.

Image copyright New York University

Image caption Prof Harry First warns that breaking up the tech giants could be harder than Ms Warren thinks

“Trying to fix them may be better than not trying, but you can’t go into this thinking we have some sort of magic wand,” says Prof First.

He argues that making the tech giants’ data available to competitors might be one way to curb their increasing power. Google’s huge map databases could be licensed to other companies seeking to make their own map-based apps, for example. These start-ups might fail, or come up with something significantly better and more innovative, he says.

This is a similar approach to that recommended in a recent UK government report on competitiveness in the digital economy. Rather than advocating the break-up of big companies, its author Jason Furman suggests that they be forced to allow consumers to port their personal data to competing firms.

Don’t like how Facebook is running things? Simply request that your data be ported to your new social network of choice.

More Technology of Business

And Prof Yu has another idea.

In a region like Europe, which is well placed to apply some investigative pressure to foreign companies, why not subject big tech firms to audits of their algorithms, a bit like how banks’ accounts are audited regularly?

Prof Yu says that there are plenty of capable data scientists in the EU who, were they allowed access, could make sure that big tech wasn’t unfairly prioritising its own services within its platforms, or locking away and misusing people’s personal data.

“It’s not really breaking them up, you just scrutinise them,” he says.

So, like a doctor dealing with a nervous patient, the regulator could firmly insist: “Don’t worry, it’s for your own good.”

And, indeed, for ours.

Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter and Facebook

[mypetcareguide]

New Post has been published on My Pet Care Guide

New Post has been published on https://mypetcareguide.com/articles/paw-pets-the-unique-health-wellness-centre-for-pets-in-south-africa/

PAW PETS - The Unique Health & Wellness Centre for Pets in South Africa

PAW PETS is a unique health and wellness centre in Sea Point Cape Town, South Africa that exceeds international standards!!!

If you have visited the Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town lately, I am sure you have noticed a new shop front on corner Milton and Main Road, Sea Point.

Although there has always been a Grooming Parlour based there since 1995 – something VERY special has happened.

Firstly, there has been an entire store revamp, rebranding and the business has even expanded to the shop next door. It might seem small from the outside, but I assure you there is a lot going on in this place!

Named after Pugsley and Wednesday, the store owner’s beloved dogs, PAW Pets came about in part because he couldn’t bear to leave the pair at home when he headed to work.

While the parlour was originally started many years ago – operating under a different name – most of the same grooming staff remain in the business, maintaining their optimum experience and overall passion for what they do.

What was once was your typical grooming parlour (which are common in in the area; and in my opinion often substandard as I shall mention later) there is now a beautifully designed health and wellness centre containing:

A customer complimentary coffee machine and reception area for guests to relax (containing books to read and comfortable seating whilst they wait/visit)

Deeply defined finishes ranging from a scent machine in the front to a place to park your dog outside the store

Exclusive Doggie Daycare, which was previously not available

A new grooming area which scores a 10/10 in my opinion

Top retail products and premium brands for purchase, whereas the suppliers in the past would not allow their stock to be sold in the shop due to its dingy state; but are now ALL available in store.

An aquatics centre with a central pool for display for enthusiasts who wish to pop in for a visit or buy fish related products

As well as so much more… this is just naming a few minor things and there is really SO much more

Attention to detail was the first thing that caught my eye as an animal enthusiast and travel writer. I also found products in the store I have never seen before and clearly cannot be purchased elsewhere.

The staff hospitality is outstanding, and all animals are offered a complimentary treat as they arrive (along with their owners’ free coffee) … it is a totally unique feel with the intimacy of a business you seldom find today.

Furthermore, there is also a touch of modernism when looking at the Daycare specifically as it scrupulously feels as the type of place you would come across whilst walking down the streets of cities like New York or Tel Aviv.

Dogs have their privacy but are still slightly visible in areas from the outside glass, they enjoy numerous walks throughout the day and constant stimulation from their handlers – all from a visible indoor Daycare.

One of my favourite parts of this business is how it has made such an effort to not compromise on hygiene and operational standards – which really says a lot in such a poorly regulated industry.

All you need to do is look at some of the surrounding similar businesses to notice the difference.

It is chalk and cheese – as I mentioned earlier, if you are still sending your dog to your run of the mill grooming parlour with hair/dirt flying everywhere, lack of aesthetics, poor service and too be honest inherent risk of disease and/or damage to your animals… you clearly don’t want the best for your pet.

Just because there is no governing body in the Grooming/Daycare animal sector should not mean customers should be satisfied with these types of operations, regardless of how long they have been using these companies unfortunately. However, don’t take my word… go look for yourself.

Speaking to the management I learnt how they have had paid vet assessments, whom they work closely and consistently, to make sure the animals are in good, clean and safe care throughout their operations and experiences… as well as previously utilising the services of an animal behaviouralist to assess the environment and train all the staff before re-opening – this shop has even gone as far as obtaining animal first aid certification!

The grooming parlour will not even allow dogs without the required vaccinations into the grooming area – which you would think is common in the industry, but it is not. They are also the only parlour in the area that allows walk ins without bookings.

With all that being said, in my experience with these types of businesses, they are clearly offering a premium service… yet they are competitive and, in many instances, even more affordable than some of their counterparts! This on its own I find a massive achievement. If I lived in Cape Town, I think I have made it clear where I would take my animals – but I view mine as family and these things are important to me.

PAW Pets also participates in many sponsorships and community events, and in totality takes a clear ethical stance towards pet ownership. They believe in providing the best resources available to customers, so that they can create happy experiences and lives for the animals that love them.

Their van is also always noticeably driving around doing collections and drop offs – anyone living in surrounding areas must have at least seen it once – but if you haven’t yet or if you haven’t visited them yet:

THEN I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO – if foreigners are blown away by what they have created I am confident they will enjoy the support of the locals… This is a place I strongly recommend and what a win for Sea Point and Cape Town… if only we had more businesses like this around the world.

Well done PAW PETS. I hope you receive great support from your community! I don’t see why you wouldn’t. This must be one of the most unique boutique pet centres I have come across.

Plus, your first groom and/or day at Daycare is free apparently according to their loyalty programme 😊

More information available at www.pawpets.co.za

[newstfionline]

From the A&P to Amazon: The rise of the modern grocery store

By Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, June 16, 2017

The history of grocery stores--from the A&P to Amazon’s surprise purchase of Whole Foods--can be traced back to a common kitchen product: Baking powder. Really.

Back in the late 1800s, the proprietors of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company faced a problem. The tea industry they had controlled for decades had become widely available. Prices fell. It appeared Great Atlantic & Pacific would too.

The Hartford family, the owners of the company, decided to diversify. They added a controversial product: baking powder. Housewives loved the stuff, which made bread rise faster. Baking powder became so popular that unscrupulous producers, in rushing the product to stores, weren’t exactly delivering the real deal. Also, the prices were high.

The Hartfords decided to make their own baking powder. They even hired a chemist. And then they packaged the powder in red tins, labeling it A&P--leveraging the company name to denote quality.

“A&P Baking Powder was an important product in the history of retailing,” Marc Levinson wrote in “The Great A&P,” a history of the company and grocery stores. “With it, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, and many of its competitors, began a transition from being tea merchants to being grocers. It was a transition that would dramatically change Americans’ daily lives.”

The branding of baking powder was important because most merchants back then were just essentially selling, as Levinson wrote, “generic products indistinguishable from what was for sale down the street.” And in selling their powder in a tin, the owners were ahead in another important way--packaging.

The invention of the cardboard box changed everything.

The company could now make, brand and sell its own condensed milk, butter, spices--just about any staple of the kitchen.

“By the early 1890s,” Levinson wrote, “Great Atlantic & Pacific was making the shift from tea company to grocery chain.”

Its name: A&P.

There was difficult, transformative work ahead. The company needed to upend an entire culture of shopping built around neighborhood stores, a history detailed in a fascinating 2015 paper titled, “The Evolution of the Supermarket Industry: From A&P to Walmart,” by Paul B. Ellickson:

Before 1900, American shoppers purchased their groceries through a wide array of specialty shops and general stores. Meat was purchased from a butcher, fish from a fishmonger, bread from a baker, and produce from a vegetable stand. Mostly sole proprietorships, these stores were often run in a haphazard manner with little use of modern accounting practices or scientific management principles. There were certainly many stores, likely well over half a million, although accurate historical statistics do not exist for this period. Because most people arrived on foot, grocers needed to be close to their customers, so the stores were small and ubiquitous. They often delivered what was purchased and sold many goods on credit. The small sales volume of these tiny shops led to high costs and sizable markups.

A&P built big stores, stocking as many products as possible, many made in their own warehouses. Products were stored in shelves, not behind a counter for an employee to distribute. No credit--cash. Manufacturers liked the model, selling products directly to the company, not through wholesalers. This kept product costs down for A&P, which passed those savings on to shoppers.

The company became obsessed with prices. In the early 1900s, its profit was 3 percent of revenue. This was too high. A new profit goal was set: 2.5 percent.

“If the company’s profit margin widened,” Levinson wrote, “it would be not a good sign but a bad one, an indication that A&P was forsaking the cost discipline that would lead it to domination of the grocery market.”

A&P’s business model began to sound a lot like the one pursued by its retail descendants--Walmart and Amazon--though it would later fall prey to mismanagement and two bankruptcies that shuttered hundreds of stores.

“Their basic strategy was so extraordinarily simple it could be captured in a single word: volume,” Levinson wrote. “If the company kept its costs down and its prices low, more shoppers would come through its doors, producing more profit than if it kept prices high.”

Amazon’s tea was books. Then it diversified. On Friday, Amazon disrupted yet another sector of retailing with its $13.7 billion deal for Whole Foods--linking the Internet retailer to the baking powder purveyor that started it all.

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I as if dating my pals and also socializing over dinner or at a local area coffeehouse or Starbucks. In the spoof the main role suffers his monotonous job like a dog store owner or even Hairdresser. Yet another important part concerning ways to come to be a dress shop manager is understanding ways to create enjoyment regarding the outlet that you level. Blue Nile possesses a few of the greatest quality standards in the business as well as gives 1000s of independently graded diamonds as well as great fashion jewelry at costs substantially listed below standard retail. The upcoming time you see American Pickers, take note of the gorgeous tattooed lady responsible for the counter in the store. The concern is that fish outlet performs certainly not enjoy fry, due to the fact that they intend to sell adult fishes. The outlet will definitely be open off Sunday to Wednesday, so folks may introduce their excess holiday gifts and also figure out just how much they're worth in Skittles. In fact, tackling a person's favorite team is practically as negative as contacting their little one unsightly. When you buy trellises, you may be actually amazed at the substantial array from shapes, types and materials available now. Thanks, Nancy and also good morning, and also welcome to Blue Nile's 2nd one-fourth 2015 revenues teleconference. If you comply with these economical factoids as well as aren't terrified to shop in a handful of non-traditional locations for furniture as well as other products, you'll have simply click the up coming webpage capacity to furnish your whole entire home on a small budget plan. The majority of various other major United States areas have identical stores; walk into a store if you like carry out a little bit of digging. An employee that responded to the phone at Banh Store on Sunday mid-day, but declined to offer her title, mentioned the dining establishment had actually been active until now. Don't allow the label prom, mommy from the bride-to-be or even formal dress stop you coming from transforming the reddish outfit from your desires right into the most recent in wedding ceremony dress fashion trends.

Virtually any sort of vehicle repair shop within the area could conveniently aspire to come to be improved to an ASE credentialed auto repair shop qualified to showcase the signage through making certain that this has hired a minimum of one ASE qualified auto solution specialist or even professional. That is vital to match the footwears to the outfit, although a red outfit carries out certainly not always indicate red footwears are actually a must. After that this probably are going to certainly not operate as effectively or even in some situations it will definitely certainly not also work at all, if you select the incorrect rod.

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Global Health Crisis Pits Economic Against Health Concerns

The global health crisis is taking a nasty political turn with tensions worsening between governments locked down to keep the coronavirus at bay and people yearning to restart stalled economies and forestall fears of a depression.

Protesters worrying about their livelihoods and bucking infringements on their freedom took to the streets in some places. A few countries were acting to ease restrictions, but most of the world remains unified in insisting it's much too early to take more aggressive steps.

In the United States, there was clear evidence of the mounting pressure. The Trump administration says parts of the country are ready to begin a gradual return to normalcy. Yet some state leaders say their response to the pandemic is hindered by a woefully inadequate federal response.  

Trump Says Getting Close to a Deal with Democrats on Coronavirus Stimulus

At a White House briefing, the president suggested there could be a resolution by Monday

Washington state's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, even accused President Donald Trump of encouraging insubordination and "illegal activity" by goading on protesters who flouted shelter-in-place rules.

"To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing," Inslee told ABC's "This Week.'' He said it was "dangerous because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives."

Trump supporters in several states ignored social distancing and stay-at-home orders, gathering to demand that governors lift controls on public activity. The largest protest drew thousands to Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday, and others have featured hundreds each in several states. The president has invoked their rallying cry, calling on several states with Democratic governors to "LIBERATE."

A person walks by a closed business on April 16, 2020, in New York City.

Vice President Mike Pence sidestepped questions Sunday about why Trump seemed to be encouraging efforts to undermine preventive measures his own government has promoted. Inslee nonetheless likened Trump's response to "schizophrenia." Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, said it "just doesn't make any sense."  

"We're sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people, as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations," Hogan said on CNN's "State of the Union."  

Shutdowns that began in China in late January and spread globally have disrupted economic, social, cultural and religious life and plunged the world into a deep economic slump unseen since the Great Depression. Tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs and millions more fear they'll be next.  

Brazil's Bolsonaro Attacks Coronavirus Lockdowns as Supporters Take to Streets

Brazil has more cases of the new coronavirus than any other country in Latin America. On Sunday, confirmed cases rose to 38,654 with 2,462 deaths

With the arc of infection different in every nation and across U.S. states, proposals have differed for coping with the virus that has killed more than 165,000.

Restrictions have begun to ease in some places, including Germany, which is still enforcing social distancing rules but on Monday intended to begin allowing some small stores, like those selling furniture and baby goods, to reopen.  

Authorities in Spain, which had some of Europe's strictest restrictions and a virus death toll only exceeded by the U.S. and Italy, said children will be allowed to leave their homes beginning April 27. Albania planned to let its mining and oil industries reopen Monday, along with hundreds of businesses including small retailers, food and fish factories, farmers and fishing boats.

The death toll in the U.S. climbed past 41,000 with more than 746,000 confirmed infections, while the global case count has passed 2.38 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University of national health reports. The European Center for Disease Control said the continent now has more than 1 million confirmed cases and almost 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

The actual extent of the pandemic is likely to be significantly higher due to mild infections that are missed, limited testing, problems counting the dead and some nations' desires to underplay the extent of their outbreaks.

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to contract 3% this year. That's a far bigger loss than 2009's 0.1% after the global financial crisis. Still, many governments are resisting pressures to abruptly relax lockdowns.

"We must not let down our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered," South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Sunday.

In Britain, which reported 596 more coronavirus-related hospital deaths on Sunday, officials also said they're not ready to ease efforts to curb the virus's spread. U.K. minister Michael Gove told the BBC that pubs and restaurants "will be among the last" to leave the lockdown, which is now in place until May 7.  

France's health agency urged the public to stick to social distancing measures that have been extended until at least May 11 and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said people could be required to wear masks on public transportation, and suggested no one plan faraway summer vacations even after that.

The streets are empty in the shopping district in downtown Washington, DC, April 4, 2020. (Photo: Diaa Bekheet)

Trump is pushing to begin easing the U.S. lockdown in some states even before his own May 1 deadline, a plan that health experts and governors from both parties say will require a dramatic increase in testing capacity nationwide. But Pence insisted in television interviews Sunday that the country has "sufficient testing today" for states to begin reopening their economies as part of the initial phases of guidelines that the White House released last week.  

The Trump administration has repeatedly blamed state leaders for delays, but governors from both parties have been begging the federal government for help securing in-demand testing supplies such as swabs and chemicals known as reagents. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio made a direct appeal to Washington: "We really need help ... to take our capacity up," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."  

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said his state can't begin lifting restrictions until it is able to test more people daily. "Right now, we're not even close as a nation, let alone as a state, to where we should be on testing," he said.  

Trump pushed back in a tweet before his scheduled Sunday evening briefing at the White House. "I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY!" he wrote.

Economic concerns that have increasingly collided with measures to protect public health are now popping up throughout the U.S.  

Business leaders in Louisiana have slammed New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell for imposing restrictions that they say have unfairly shuttered economic activity outside the city. A full-page ad in Baton Rouge's "The Advocate" newspaper on Sunday urged an easing of lockdowns, even as the New Orleans Times-Picayune featured nearly nine pages of obituaries in a city hard-hit by the virus.

States including Texas and Indiana have announced plans to allow some retail and other activity to resume and some restrictions were either lifted or set to be on beaches in Florida and South Carolina. But in New York, where the daily coronavirus death toll hit its lowest point in more than two weeks on Sunday, officials warn that New York City and the rest of the hard-hit state aren't ready to ease shutdowns of schools, businesses and gatherings.  

Geopolitical and religious tensions stretching back centuries have further complicated the global response to the virus. But Jordan's King Abdullah II said the outbreak has made "partners" out of "our enemies of yesterday, or those that were not friendly countries yesterday — whether we like it or not."

"I think the quicker we as leaders and politicians figure that out, the quicker we can bring this under control," he told CBS' "Face the Nation.''

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There are people who love to hunt over dogs and then there are people who LIVE to hunt over dogs. Bird hunting, especially upland, has a special niche carved into the outdoor industry. It’s in this niche that we find a truly special combination of hard-running dogs, flushing birds, and the camaraderie of shotgun-totting hunters. This lethal combination sinks its teeth deep into you and doesn’t let go. We’ve met one such individual and he just happened to start a business that’s thriving in this beautiful sport we call upland hunting.

Introducing, Anthony Ferro, founder and mastermind behind the Fetching Feathers brand. Fetching Feathers is a newly-minted upland apparel company that is quickly making its mark on the hunting world. It was extremely apparent to us that Anthony displayed such a fiery passion for the sport and lifestyle of upland hunting that we decided to reach out and really get to know him and his brand.

This is quite a long interview, but we believe it is extremely inspirational and informative to see how one balances the hunting and entrepreneurial spirit. Enjoy the interview below:

Tell us a little about yourself, your dogs, and your lifestyle. How do you carry that into Fetching Feathers?

I grew up South of Kansas City in the suburbs of Johnson County. With no influence in the hunting realm associated with my family, there was a strong dose of fishing, camping and lake life. By the grace of God, I was gifted some friends who introduced me to the hunting world and the rest is the man who stands in front of you today. Really diving into turkey and the uplands in my early college years, my purpose started to reveal itself. 4 years later, hundreds of ducks and upland birds, coupled with 3 mature Eastern Gold long beards, the hooks dug deep in my soul. Come my 5th year of college AKA “Victory Lap,” I purchased my first bird dog, Gnarli!

Not growing up in a country family or being blessed with land ownership, my passion guided me to the publics lands of our great nation. To this day, I have hunted and harvested birds in 8 states – all on public land. I have never been to a game preserve or paid for a kick and shoot type scenario, it’s not a knock on you, it’s an atta boy to me. I take great pride in harvesting public land habitat and public lands alone. It’s who I am and what my passion and business are created upon. Currently owning 3 German Shorthaired Pointers, the team is strong and we show up to go to work. I couldn’t imagine living any other life.

How did you get into upland hunting and what do you think sets it apart from any other type of hunting or outdoor activity?

I was introduced to the uplands and gun dogs my freshman year of college. I am a member of Fiji; one of many great fraternities at Kansas State University. It was there my heart would reveal itself to me, on my first opening weekend of pheasant season in Western Kansas. It became an annual hunting trip I cherished for the following 5 years at KSU.

For me, the journey of the uplands set it apart from other species and forms of feather fetching, assuming of course we are placing the companionship of our dogs at the top of this list.

The places my feet have taken me and the sunrises and sunsets I’ve shared with my hounds and good friends, nothing else can compare.

Waterfowling, you scout for the x, set up, and lay them down – what an absolutely magical experience. To scout them, call them off their migration path, decoy them and drop the hammer…. GET SOME! Furthermore, wild turkey hunting is what got me really hooked in the hunters life, but again the journey is somewhat limited.

Scout for the roost, set it up and watch the show. Granted, if you own the land you can really run and gun, but again public and private land has property lines. The journey feels limited in this regard. I live for the subtleties of that mother nature provides, those moments that most don’t recognize, and that the majority of hunting shows aren’t capturing.

How did Fetching Feathers come about? And what drove it to fruition?

Other than the moments and the palpitations we all chase and day-dream about in the off-season, Fetching Feathers was really put into motion due to the current apparel and gear available to the upland hunter. I was so sick of walking into every outfitting store (Cabelas, Bass Pro, Gander…) to discover a bleak section of drab, non functional, unflattering upland gear.

The standard tan and orange shooting shirt, made of the industries most non breathable fabric wasn’t cutting it for me so I decided to do something about it. You see, I’m a bird hunter first and an apparel entrepreneur second – opposed to the occasional hunter whose primary focus is business. The difference is really quite simple, I can’t live without bird hunting, but could easily let go of the business. I decided to create a brand based on the passion, campfire stories, and moments that are shared and experienced.

I began to ask my friends what they knew about the owner of the brand name products they were wearing or using, Carhartt, Nike, Benelli, Primos, etc., The answer as one could assume was nothing, yet they spend 100’s to $1000’s of dollars on those products annually.

When working with Ray Wolfram of Wildrum Media on building my website, it was imperative my website reciprocated MY vision, it’s like no other clothing or retail website you’ll ever visit. I take the viewers on a journey with the first 5 tabs/headers of my personal background as well as my dogs, a blog, the Journey and what FF is, photo gallery and more.

In fact, the very last tab and the least of my concerns – is the apparel and gear. The point is to make you feel something, I want to provoke the emotion of the hunt, hunters and the reader. If you so happen to “feel” the journey there just so happens to be a tangible product that reciprocates the passion of the hunt – do indulge, you wont regret it.

What are you currently working on? And what is your goal for the next year for Fetching Feathers?

There is always a slew of ideas in my head and less than a lot of money to fund the dream. That being said, the future is bright and 2017 is chalked full of greatness. I am currently working with American Bird Dogs and the K9 Joint and Recovery supplements. I have recently added them to the website and I’m excited to push a quality product for our best 4 legged friends.

Jeb Choke Tubes and I are getting ready to join forces, as I will be selling them on the website, and will be representing as their first upland ambassador. Garmin and I did some turkey hunts together this season and are on the verge of joining up and pushing the upland line of product. I’m extremely humbled to be having conversations and sharing a blind with such an awesome brand and group of guys. Last but not least, I’ve got a few more blogs to write for Project Upland and we will be teaming up this fall for quite the visual project.

As for the clothing and the business of FF for the next year, hang on tight. I am currently working on exiting the graphic-tee market, as it’s not profitable nor the long-term future of the business.

Look forward for leather goods for both humans and dogs, shooting shirts, tight clean plaids, chaps, boots, vest, and so much more.

Please let me remind everyone, the success of this business isn’t based on the revenue on product. The true future of this business is the continued passion of storytelling.

More writing, video content for training and such, but most of all I aim to dive into more short films. For me, film provokes the emotion I aim to convey,  it the best way to share the true experiences of the journey.

What or who is your biggest inspiration? And why? How does it help your business?

I wasn’t always this emotional wanderlust rambler you read about today. In fact, I was emotionless. I was lost, angry, vengeful and substance-less. My number one inspiration in everything I do today is Jesus Christ.

My success is his success, I aim to make a difference in his glory – not mine. Mother nature has a way of touching even the most stubborn of men, I feel obligated to share such a forgiving pastime.

Aside from our Almighty, there are a handful of gents that have made a large impact on my passion and my success. Ray Wolfram of Wildrums Media, built my website and continued to reassure my direction well before it was tangible. Ken Barentsen has been not only an invaluable teacher of the uplands and field management, but a father figure that every young man seeks.

I’m not very influenced by “famous” folks on tv or public figures of the 2017 social media streams.  I relate to the “nobodies” of the world. Small time, small social media following with big passions and dreams! I think that makes me real and relatable.

I write about my hardships and failures of the hunt and shy away from the pile of dead birds.

Everyone is a hunter when they experience the peaks, but the real hunters and harvesters, they are made in the valleys.

Any tips for the aspiring hunting, fishing, and outdoor entrepreneurs out there? What would you do differently or not do differently?

I have so much advice to give, but I’ll stick to the meat and leave out the taters… STAY TRUE TO YOU! Make your logo how YOU want it, sell the products YOU want and don’t ever sell out for the “Pro Staff” title or the fame.

Don’t stage your photos of fake shooting at birds, fake drawing your bow in a stand or blowing your duck call at the clouds. Don’t worry about your hair, your gear, or your make up. Sell the passion, sell the campfire stories, and sell the ideas you think about in your plaid pajama pants with your hound on the couch.

There is so much fake in the world – in this industry in particular. Always be a person of substance, grit grind and good old-fashioned hard work.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned since starting Fetching Feathers?

Everyone has an opinion and most people don’t want to see you succeed. I read a quote recently that went a bit like this:

“ Support your friends business’s like you do the one you didn’t grow up with”

You will quickly learn who is in your corner and who talks about you at night in bed with their spouse. Pay attention to those who don’t clap when you hit a home run, it’s an eye-opening experience.

Adversely, I have learned just how many like-minded supportive people are out there. I’ve learned the power of sharing my passion and it goes much further than selling some hats, but changing lives.  I’ve learned we have the ability to affect people with our words both good and bad. Choose to make a difference on the good side of things and leave the bad for the rest. Lastly, I’ve learned that there is no mistake in chasing your dream, and that if you truly want something you can work it into fruition. GET SOME!

In your opinion, What’s the biggest problem facing the hunting and fishing world today? And how do we solve it?

What does the majority think about when they hear the word Conservation, land management, and rehab? Game species and population management? I think the biggest problem we are facing is the idea and lack of sharing this passion and replacing yourself.

This idea of “that’s my hunting spot” is ruining the progression and longevity of our beloved sport. In my opinion, there is no greater task asked of us in the world of conservation – than replacing yourself.

The other obvious issue I see is this social media famous facade that we are experiencing. The staged photos shooting at nothing, the idea of pro staffing everyone to grow your brand, and the continuous idea of showing skin to sell a product and produce likes is disturbing. We need more emotion and reality of the hunt and less Uncle Benny Fish stories.

  Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Anthony. Good luck out there this fall!

Follow Anthony and his pack of GSPs at

@fetchingfeathers

  Check out our interview of Anthony Ferro, founder of Fetching Feathers, LLC. Fetching Feathers is an upland apparel company based out of Colorado. We'll definitely see him in the field this fall! There are people who love to hunt over dogs and then there are people who LIVE to hunt over dogs.