#shop small and local and support marginalized groups

[jinx-aesthel]

Listen it’s real semple , don’t spent your money at company that want to cause harm to you !!!! STOP giving them money!!!! Put it somewhere that it makes a difference like supporting artists and small businesses and real humans instead of lining the pockets of ceos and billionaires!!!

[mikhailwrites]

Waiting for Connection 2 / Ghost x Soap NerdAU

Ghost is retired and plays milsim videogame. Soap is still in the force and sometimes plays that same videogame...

Previous chapter | AO3

It’s Thursday. Or maybe Friday. Possibly Wednesday. Ghost sometimes loses track of time and day. Since he’s not working anymore, the world has lost part of the human-imposed order. Time is only important if he has an appointment with his therapist or needs to go grocery shopping.

So, it’s evening, some day. Ghost touches the power button on his rig, a work of art, that is. He’s spent so much time and an unreasonable amount of money on it, but it’s been worth it. It doesn’t look like much, or rather, it doesn’t look like much to an average person, but to Ghost, it’s more art than what posh folks got in Tate, down in London.

Simon was lost after his retirement. Utterly, completely lost. He’s never had so much free time on his hands in his life. And so little purpose. On the last day, when they gave him his papers and thanked him for the service, he found several pamphlets in the folder. Support groups advertised by a bunch of people smiling, places of employment for vets, and a list of vetted therapists.

Simon didn’t use anything he found in the folder, mainly because he decided to go back to Manchester. Thankfully, he’s saved quite a sum, enough to afford him a small flat and anything he could buy within a reasonable margin, like a good therapist. Simon always thought he was not stupid, so when he started to spiral towards depression, he had enough sense in him to seek help.

The doc has suggested a hobby. Well, that was easier said than done. He couldn’t well buy a top-class sniper rifle and use it in the middle of bloody Britain. However, he did rediscover his inkling for electronics. Once he dipped his toes into the PC building and modding scene, it all utterly consumed him.

Then he got the cat, or, more accurately, the cat got him. Pretty much waited by his front doors and meowed its way into his life. Don’t let anyone tell you cats are solitary and low maintenance. Or pets. The one he’s been housing for a second year now has been a proper menace.

So, he’s got a hobby and a pet. He settled down. A barista in the café at the corner knew him by name. The bartender in the nearest decent pub as well. He went from local to regular. And his Manc accent returned, thicker than ever.

Still, he woke up in the middle of the night, heart beating – a dangerous thing with his acquired heart condition, breath short, sweat trickling down his back. In his dreams, he was chased and shot at; he was waiting or killing. And the worst, most fucked up part of it was that he missed it. If they came to him, asking him to go back for that fabled “one last gig”, he would, and he would thank them for it.

That’s when the therapist suggested video games, warning him not to overdo it because, well, overdoing things has been Simon’s thing his whole life. It’s fine, Simon tells himself. It’s not like he’s playing ten hours a day, or neglecting himself. If he’s sometimes a little too intense and serious? Well, let him have it.

Simon clicks on the “play” button, reaching for his headset, wondering what set of teenage wannabe soldiers he’s going to play with tonight. The server quickly provides him with five other people. They say hello to each other. One of them sounds a bit older than the rest. Deeper voice, with a Scottish accent to it. Interesting. Soon, Ghost connects the voice to a handle. CallMeSoap… alright.

“Everyone fine with the CTF mission?” Ghost asks since he’s the party leader. He hears mostly agreement in the noise of responses, so he chooses the mission and launches it.

[anitabyars]

Book description

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling authors Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin, comes their latest Romcom featuring a quirky cast of characters who represent the hilarious absurdity of life while making you fall head-over-heels in love. This steamy, laugh out loud, opposites-attract small town romance reminds us that we don't have to be perfect to deserve our own happily ever after!

Gemini "Gemma" McKendrick knows just about everything about everybody in Townsend Harbor. When she's not serving on one of the many civic positions or leaping headlong into another hobby, she's hosting the Sunday Stitch 'N Bitch at her yarn and craft shop, Bazaar Girls. With her quirky boutique in big financial trouble, she makes a snap decision to rent out the basement of her cozy craftsman to Townsend Harbor newcomer Gabe Kelly. A man with a past as colorful as his tattoo sleeves, who has become an urban legend since he blew into town. And who better than Gemma, Townsend Harbor's own gossip guru, to answer the rumor mill's most pressing questions? Like whether the silver-tongued mechanic is as good with his hands as he is with a socket wrench.

Gabriel "Gabe" Kelly wasn't born into a family so much as a criminal enterprise. Taught to lift, chop, and rebuild cars since before he could tie his own shoes, he's obliged to pay his debt to society before deserting South Boston for Townsend Harbor, Washington. Surely he can stay out of trouble here, right? He immediately finds the only position an ex-con with prison muscles and neck tattoos could easily find in a town like this, and buys the vintage car mechanic shop from it's retiring owner . Moonlighting as the only tow truck in a thirty-mile radius, he rescues the absent-minded hottie who runs the local yarn shop. But he quickly discovers that a toy-sized car with a dashboard lit up by Christmas isn't the only thing in Gemma McKendrick's life desperately in need of maintenance. Gabe, who is uniquely qualified to diagnose and fix complicated mechanisms, finds his sexy landlord is impossible to figure out. Looks like he'll have to take a peek at her undercarriage to find out what makes her purr before he hits the road again.

Because women of her caliber don't take home guys with his make and model...

But he knows she wants a test drive.

Order link: https://amzn.to/47rIQSV

My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the most entertaining series I’ve read in a long time! So many laugh out loud moments, sexual innuendo, secrets and with a great group of strong-willed, independent, women, who all have their own unique problems. These women have bonded together to support each other, any way they can, as they find their way through life…and love! Townsend Harbor seems to be the perfect place with its quaintness and quirkiness for all these characters to blend and live in. This is Gemma and Gabe’s story and I never saw this sizzling relationship coming!!!! And it is an eye opener! Just saying Gemma really surprised me in this opposites-attract romance!

Gemma McKendrick lives in a constant state of clutter and disorganization due to her inability to stay on task for any length of time. Thanks all to her ADHD’s delightful bonus, of body betrayals but also because she constantly overextended herself in Townsend Harbor. But when her father and sister start questioning her, regarding her quirky boutique and its profit margin, she suddenly decides to rent out the basement of her house to Gabe Kelly. The same Gabe Kelly that happened to be the most soul-crushingly beautiful man Gemma had ever met. But when her identical twin Lyra and her fiancé Harrison shows up unexpectedly, and catches her in a rather awkward position, what will her family think of her attraction to the hot bad boy? Her family surely wouldn’t approve of him, if she brought him home for Sunday dinner. But she wants so much more out of life and she was willing to finally reach out and take it.

"If experience is what you want, I'd be more than willing to help you with that. Anything you want to know, anything you want to try, anything you want do. No strings attached."

Gabe "The Babe" Kelly was an old friend of Darby's from Boston, who had made his Townsend Harbor debut in a duet on aerial silks that left neither eyes nor panties dry. A man with a past as colorful as his sleeves of tattoos. Born into a family of criminals, he’d learned at an early age to lift, chop, and rebuild cars. Gabe was full of a past filled with darkness and danger, Southie trash with a rap sheet to prove it. As an ex-con he decides to buys a vintage car mechanic shop from it retiring owner in hopes of staying out of trouble in Townsend Harbour. But when Gemma McKendrick offers him her basement to rent out, he knew he was in deep trouble. Because he hadn't been able to get the image of her out of his head, since the night of Darby's benefit. Which was exactly why he couldn't get tangled up with her. Gemma was sweetness and light, the girl next door with a heart of gold. Until she needed him!

"I'm attracted to you," she said, her voice barely audible above the waves. "Like, a lot. Like, so much that it's basically an obsession”

These two are so…HOT! Sexy, charming and totally head over heels in…lust with each other. Their relationship is so sweet and captivating, I loved watching these two opposites come together and be exactly what the other needed. With Gemma, Gabe was starting to imagine a real future together. But when trouble shows up again, will Gemma and Gabe get their HEA? Or will family cause the end of their future together? You will want to read this one to get all the spicy and sexy details!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

[williamchiu]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 /

William Chiu, better known as William (윌리엄), is a Taiwanese-American idol that is based in South Korea, and signed to Everlast Entertainment. He is currently active as a soloist and variety TV personality. Formerly, he was the lead vocalist, lead dancer, and visual of project boy group 2THE★ after placing 3rd on competition show REACH4THE★. He has gained popularity in various international markets—particularly in the United States and China—and is on a steady rise in South Korea. Most recently, he was the closing model for local designer SLING STONE at Seoul Fashion Week 2023, and is in talks to enter the Chinese market next year.

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 /

Everlast Entertainment: 2021— Debut: May 2022 (Solo); February 2018 (Group) Current Status: Active Active Years: 2018— Languages: English, Mandarin, Korean Training Period: N/A Education: High School Graduate

𝐅𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 /

William Chiu was born in Palo Alto, California, United States. His father is film director, Tony Chiu, and his mother is mogul, model, and socialite, Barbie Tai.

He was raised in Los Angeles, primarily in Bel Air.

It has always been a longtime dream of his to enter the limelight. According to William, he auditioned for many films and record labels in the USA, but was never given a break.

Deciding on a whim to submit an audition tape to REACH4THE★, he relocated to South Korea after his acceptance, and has been living in Seoul ever since.

In his downtime, he loves shopping, discovering new restaurants, going to concerts, and spoiling all of his loved ones.

He claims that his favorite types of food are Mexican food, Korean food, Chinese food, and Mediterranean food. He's not picky, so long as the meal is balanced.

When asked "what's your favorite 2THE★ song?", William responded with "Our debut, 'Can't Stop Shining!'" He claims that it's because of the special meaning it holds in his heart.

His coffee order is a sweetened cold brew latte with oat milk.

Instead of giving him gifts at fan-meets, William has asked fans to donate to charities that he, or they, believe in. He says it's best if his supporters' hard-earned money is spent on good causes, not on him.

He is an outspoken supporter of the LGBT+ community, as well as many other marginalized communities, as shown on his pre-debut social media accounts.

While he claims not to have any now, William has expressed an interest in getting a few small tattoos. He loves how they look on other people.

Ideal Type: "The most important thing to me is loyalty."

[lancebeamon22]

Crime spree? Retailers are actually overstating the extent of theft, report says | CNN Business

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Chains are using theft to mask other issues, report says

By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN

Updated 6:11 PM EDT, Fri October 27, 2023

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Target and other chains have overblown the impact of shoplifting, some analysts say.

New York

CNN

 — 

Retailers say theft is exploding, and some data from retailers along with numerous videos of violent store robberies and looting seem to support the claim.

But some retail analysts and researchers, bolstered by local crime statistics, say stores may be over-stating the extent and impact of theft. Why? It’s a useful deflection, camouflaging weak demand, mismanagement and other issues denting business right now. And it forces lawmakers to respond.

Across the country, the “actual increase in rates of theft” at stores does not “correspond to the increase in company commentary and actions” on theft, according to a new report by retail analysts at William Blair. “Retailers are increasingly vocal on the subject, in part to draw out government action,” the analysts wrote.

It’s not only NY, LA, San Francisco. Retail crime has hit a bustling Kansas metropolis

To be sure, theft is impacting retailers much more than it was before the pandemic. That’s because theft has also gotten more visible and more violent, retailers say, and has put employee safety at risk in some cases.

But a host of other issues, from inflation to rising costs, are impacting retailers, too. Theft is just one of many structural issues chains are facing, most notably the shift to online shopping and over-expansion of brick-and-mortar retail.

“Companies are also likely using the opportunity to draw attention away” from lower profit margins due to higher promotions and poor inventory planning in recent quarters, William Blair retail analysts Dylan Carden and Phillip Blee said in a report this week. Many retailers misjudged how much merchandise they needed to carry and now have a glut.

Debating over shrinkage

The analysts noted that overall shrink — merchandise losses due to external and internal theft, damaged products, inventory mismanagement and other errors — makes up just 1.5% to 2% of retailers’ sales. That percentage has remained steady for years, despite retailers sounding the alarm more than ever about theft.

The National Retail Federation said that retailers’ losses, known as shrink, increased 19% last year to $112 billion, based on a survey of 177 retailers. But shrink as a percentage of sales fell during the height of the pandemic as stores temporarily closed and grew in 2022 as stores re-opened.

This hit to profits is relatively small and fleeting — not reason enough alone to close stores according to the analysts. At nine major retailers that have increasingly cited the rising impact of theft, shrink as a percentage of sales increased just 0.4% in 2022, they found.

Stores say shoplifting is a national crisis. The numbers don’t back it up

“We believe there is a disconnect…between the expected increase in shrink and the attention it has drawn,” the analysts said.

A top Walgreens executive seemed to indicate as much earlier this year: “Maybe we cried too much last year” about theft and other losses, Walgreens finance chief James Kehoe acknowledged in January. Kehoe is no longer with Walgreens.

Alex Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College who studies policing, said business leaders had turned retail theft into a “moral panic” to mobilize a stronger police and criminal justice response.

“It shows us the way certain crimes in certain moments get mobilized far beyond their impact to play into a set of political and social debates,” he said.

An earnings call excuse?

Many chains, however, are calling theft, particularly by organized groups stealing merchandise and re-selling it online, a national crisis.

Mentions of “organized retail crime” on companies’ earnings calls increased 43% from January through August from a year ago, the Chamber of Commerce found.

“Communities and businesses across the U.S. are facing a historic increase in crime, an alarming trend requiring a robust response,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the primary lobbying group for businesses, said in a report this week.

Cities and states are passing new laws with harsher punishments for organized retail crime offenses and shoplifting. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential favorite in 2024, has said shoplifters should be shot.

Target closings

Target said last month that it’s closing nine stores in major cities specifically because “theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance.”

But Target’s recent store closures in New York, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle and Portland may be due more to the underperformance of Target’s smaller store locations. Local crime statistics also raise questions about Target’s rationale.

One analysis by journalist Judd Legum at Popular Information found that the stores Target is closing in both New York and San Francisco had lower reported theft rates compared to other nearby locations.

Why Old Spice, Colgate and Dawn are locked up at drug stores

“We believe companies like Target could indeed be using the current narrative around shrink to take broader action in lagging parts of their business,” the William Blair analysts said. “We have to acknowledge potentially ulterior, more opportunistic motives.” “Target could be using shrink to mask other issues, including poor inventory management, which came to a head in 2022 following supply chain disruption” and is closing stores to “boost overall margins.”

Target has not shared data about those store closures directly. A Target spokesperson said that organized retail crime increased 50% in its stores since 2021. The company also said that theft incidents involving violence or threats had grown.

Other retailers’ strategies, such as self-checkout and low staffing levels, have also unintentionally made shrink worse. Costco management said this year that shrink increased “in part we believe due to the rollout of self-checkout.”

Five Below said that shrink at stores with more self-checkout lanes was higher. The company plans to increase the number of staffed cash registers in new stores.

Punitive policies

Meanwhile, businesses are pushing for tougher criminal penalties on thieves and asking for police and prosecutors to crack down on theft.

They have called for local and state government to more aggressively prosecute organized retail crime, lower the dollar thresholds for theft to rise to a felony, and reverse policies to eliminate cash bail.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, 12 states have created new statutes, revised existing statutes, or created enhanced penalties for organized retail crime.

But it’s not clear that lowering the thresholds for felony theft is an effective deterrence.

In early research on the topic in 2017, Pew Charitable Trusts examined crime trends in 30 states that raised their felony theft thresholds between 2000 and 2012. Pew found that raising the threshold had no impact on overall property crime or larceny rates.

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[phoenixyfriend]

What can I do to limit Amazon’s* negative impacts without harming vulnerable communities who rely on their services?

* or any similar company that people are forced to use to survive if they are poor, disabled, elderly, rurally isolated, or any combination of the above

My post on Amazon has been circulating pretty far these past few weeks, and a lot of people keep trying to argue about what can be done right now. 

1. Contact your representatives

If you live in the US, there are several sites you can use to figure out your senators (you have two) and your representative (you have one). Call them if there’s a phone number. Email them if there isn’t. They’re obligated to have SOME form of contact. If your rep is already on your side, they can use your email as evidence for how citizens feel about the issue when Congress is in session to argue. If your rep is NOT on your side, they will see the email as evidence that a portion of their constituency is NOT willing to reelect them if they don’t play nice, and that scares them a lot. Either way, make yourself heard. Harass them if you have to.

(For more local issues, especially things like minimum wage and labor laws, you can find your representatives for your state or city government, like your mayor or governor or county rep, and contact them as well. Make yourself heard.)

Write emails in your own words about one of the following subjects:

Supporting the USPS. It’s the backbone of the US shipping industry, and major shipping companies like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon use it for overflow.

Monopolies and antitrust acts. Reference past antitrust acts leveled against oil, railroad, and telecom monopolies.

Raising the minimum wage. Reference inflation.

Enacting a marginal tax rate on high earners (re: the 1%, but phrased in a way that they’ll take seriously). Reference the marginal tax rates of the fifties.

Increasing disability benefits. Try to work something in about how stringent the requirements to qualify are, and how benefits don’t cover enough for medical care, transportation, assistive technology, and so on.

Increasing social security benefits for retirees. People pay into this fund all their lives as part of their income tax; it’s supposed to benefit them right back! (You can circle back to marginal tax rates and how the rich usually have savings and don’t need social security, but the poor often don’t have savings and rely on it.)

Enforcing corporate taxation. Find some statistics on who paid corporate  taxes in the past few years and who didn’t. Make sure to find a few big names and what their tax rate SHOULD have been. Emphasize how much extra money the government would be making.

Nationalizing the health care industry. Reference how well it works for countries like Canada, Korea, or Sweden, and how often hard-working Americans are bankrupted by unexpected medical emergencies.

Enacting or enforcing higher standards of employee rights. Did you know that minimum wage employees in Indiana don’t have the right to a lunch break unless they’ve been working at least twelve hours?

Legal repercussions for predatory pricing practices. Walmart is the best-known for this, but Amazon does it too, and they’re a fair bit sneakier about it.

Capping rent prices. Housing costs are among the highest financial pressures Americans face right now, and the fact that housing costs have risen SO much faster than the minimum wage is why it’s impossible to rent a one-bedroom apartment on a minimum wage anywhere in the US right now.

Capping upper management incomes. A CEO should not be earning several thousand, or several million, times as much money as their employees. It’s a long stretch (so argue the more achievable things first), but imagine if we could convince the government to say “actually, you can only make up to twenty times as much per hour as your lowest-paid employee.”

Banning police as threats against unions. UNIONS ARE GOOD THINGS. SUPPORT THEM.

Anything else that comes to mind! There are lots of subjects. This list is not an exhaustive one.

2. Vote

Pretty self-explanatory, I think. Vote in every election. Sometimes you won’t be able to vote for your top choice, and that sucks, but remember that our system is fucked and you have to go for the lesser evil that’s still capable of winning. So vote Blue (because ambivalence to our desires is better than glee at our suffering), and then send as many emails and make as many calls as you can to force them to recognize that, since you helped them get into office, they have to honor the deal to actually represent you now.

3. Support small businesses

Okay, so supporting local businesses probably isn’t too easy in a pandemic. You can’t just walk to your nearest mom and pop store to see if there’s an affordable option. That said, if you can afford to do so, try to see if there are small businesses in your area that are doing delivery or curbside-pickup.

If you live in a more rural area, see about ordering from small online businesses for non-essentials. If you’re thinking “hey, I’d like a new scarf” or something, check Instagram or Etsy first. All faults aside, Etsy is only a marketplace, not a seller themselves, so they rely on the vendors using their site to remain in business. (Whereas Amazon tries to drive their vendors out of business to take over their market share.) You can also use Google Shopping, eBay, or Craigslist.

4. Don’t Use Amazon (or similar), but don’t shame people for using it either

Some people rely on loss leaders to survive. That’s a fault of the American economy being a horrifying mess, and I listed a whole litany of the causes above. Money talks, so avoid using Amazon unless there is NO other way to get your product, but if someone you know uses Amazon, and you know they’re struggling, keep your mouth shut. If they’re not struggling, mention your distaste for Amazon but don’t push the issue; they’re more likely to come around if they feel like you’re not passing a moral judgement on them for it.

5. Recognize that many fairly-priced products are more expensive than you’re used to

The example I usually use is fashion. We’re used to a shirt costing ten or twenty dollars, even at places other than Walmart or Target. This price is what we’re led to believe is reasonable, but it’s really a factor of incredibly underpaid workers, usually overseas. If you can’t afford it, feel free to blame the low minimum wage (I certainly do), but remember to take a step back and remind yourself that it’s not that the piece is expensive, it’s that you are underpaid, and the current system is trying to teach you to expect cheaper items as the norm so they can get away with paying even more people less than they deserve.

6. DONATE

Yeah! There are a whole lot of nonprofit agencies that focus on issues that relate to this topic. I prefer to donate to organizations that focus on enacting systemic change through legal or institutional channels, like the ACLU and AAPD, but there are a lot of options, some of which focus on more direct help, or on specific parts of the country. Figure out one that speaks to you, check it against a trusted charity rating system like Charity Navigator, and set up a monthly donation if you can afford to. Constant support can cause compassion fatigue, but consistent support is how you Get Shit Done.

7. March

Join an activist group and march. Sometimes there are other major events going on (hijacking one of the current marches against racism and police brutality in favor of one about monopolies would be in bad taste AT BEST), but there will come an opportunity to make your voice heard by showing up on the street and just yelling with a sign.

Now go forth and unleash hell.

[selenocysteine]

Traditionally Suzani refers to a wall-sized tapestry, but Americans don’t  typically decorate their walls with small size tapestries so what they’ve done is they've taken the technique and created modern products to appeal to modern buyers. Suzani comes from the Persian word suzan which means needle. Suzani refers to the large wall hangings and it also refers to the hand-made embroidery technique the needle and thread embroidery technique.

The Ozara group is the handicraft arm of the National Association of Businesswomen of Tajikistan which is an organization that does lots of work in different fields with women and entrepreneurship and they have a very important presence in the country. 

In 2011, the National Association of Business Women of Tajikistan, with help from international organizations, launched a project “Saving Our Heritage-Saving Ourselves (SOHSA)”, which has both contributed to the revival of the suzani (embroidery) tradition and provided women artisans of the country with income generating activities. The project has provided the marginalized women participating in the project with education and material support, including high quality raw materials, quality control and design, and especially promotion of handicrafts and artisans in international markets. The program has developed a large network of existing masters and artisans from around the entire country who are effectively transferring their knowledge to students through regular training.

The “Ozara” brand products are exported to the USA, England, Germany, Canada, Australia, India, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and listed on several online stores. 

Armughon Handicrafts is the handicrafts arm of the Zerafshan Tourism Development Association (ZTDA) in Panjakent, Tajikistan. ("Armughon" means "gift, a reminder of a place" in Tajiki.)  Supported by grants from the Soros Foundation and other international donors, ZTDA implemented projects on crafts in 2009, 2011 and 2013-2014, with the aim of preserving, nurturing and developing local art traditions and also improving the quality of life for women living in the Panjakenti rural areas by involving them in the local economy.   

Through these craft projects they have started to work with unemployed women from the impoverished mountain regions, and now work with several clusters of women.  In June 2013, Designer Munira Akilova of Khujand (who also has her own craft business, Arinumcrafts) began to work with ZTDA.  She was initially invited to do research on the traditional Tajik crafts of Suzani (embroidery), 

Quroq (patchwork) and carpets, and has now become the new product designer for Armughon. Munira began her career in economics and spent 14 years as a university teacher, before she decided to leave the university and spend her time on the embroidery that she loved.  Whenever she creates a new design for Armughon, she "always tries to put a part of Zerafshan into it.  It means all of products should have Zerafshani ornaments/patterns."  She also thinks deeply about how the product will be used, by whom and when, and then focuses on color.  As she explained, "Each piece has its own meaning."  

This is the process that led to the development of products that have received the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Craft, the small set "Tuppi" needlework ornaments modeled after traditional male and female hats (already offered by HoonArts under the Arinumcrafts brand), and the wall hanging  "Marhamat" (which we plan to add to our collection).  All the Armughon products are made by unemployed Panjakenti women living in the mountainous areas.

“HoonArts” is the fusion of the Tajik/Persian word for “craft” and the English word “arts,” which reflects our mission. We offer extraordinary hand-crafted gifts and accessories for the true lover of world culture, while building community and empowering artisans. Travel the exotic streets and mountain back roads of this little known corner of the world, explore the culture that reflects 3000 years of civilization, meet the people in our HoonArts community, and shop for one-of-a-kind and limited edition treasures crafted by master artisans on the other side of the globe. We are committed to Fair Trade principles in all aspects of our operations, so you can rest assured that your purchase is helping impoverished artisans build a brighter future for their families and communities. Come join us on this journey of a lifetime.

[raleighliving]

Budget Living Raleigh

Living in any city you’re gonna look at higher costs of living.  Rent, utilities, and insurance all add up before you even factor in groceries.  But just because you’re living in the city doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have nice things.

If you find all your money is being eaten by rent, and your bed is supported by the ground itself, then this article is for you; cause we’re going to talk today about bargain hunting in Raleigh and what to look for when you want a good deal on good furniture.  Maybe I’ll do this again for groceries or other such things but for now we’re just focused on general niceties.

Best part of this is it’s gonna be fairly general too.  Anything I mention here you could probably find or do in any American city or small town since the institutions are fairly ubiquitous.  

If you find yourself lacking furniture, decorations, or just general quality of life enhancers my answer boils down to two main points:  Thrifting and Resale stores.  At times they can seem similar enough but there are fine differences that separate the two using fairly recognizable criteria.

“RL,” I hear you say between fistfuls of knockoff Cheetos and self-loathing, “Of course if you want bargains  you go thrifting! Did you JUST hear about Goodwill recently?”  

Yes, in terms of hot takes this is especially dull but what I can lend to the conversation isn’t about how prices at thrift organizations are cheaper than retailers, how you should support your local thrift organizations, or even the general good they provide to low-income communities; what I’m looking at is knowing what you have and what you can expect to find when visiting.  

Take Goodwill, for instance, since everyone has seen at least one in their life. Outside of their larger outlets where you’ll find more furniture, walk into any Raleigh Goodwill and you’ll have seen all of them.  90% of the floorspace is dedicated to cheap clothes with a backwall full of knickknacks and a small bookshelf.  If you’re lucky, there may even be a sofa or two and some paintings along the wall but most of what you’ll find is cheap clothes.

Now, if that’s what you’re looking for that’s great! However, I’ve grown to have a deep distaste for the homogeneity of local GCF stores.  Customers can donate their clothes, toys, and other items to GCF at any store locations; but those items are shipped to processing and then distributed to other GCFs across the country based on inventory need and sales patterns.  What you see in one donation center/store you’ll likely see in every other with maybe the odd rare find if you’re lucky. 

GCF aside your options for Raleigh include org thrifts, mom and pop stores, and discount thrifts to provide some much needed variety in your day-to-day shopping. Each with their pros and cons, yet all sharing the glorious benefit of providing furniture and clothing for a fraction of the price of bigger brand stores.

Org thrifts (short for organization thrift stores, creative I know) are exactly what they sound like.  Thrifts run by an organization or charity, similar to Goodwill's, with a stated goal of helping others and supporting the organization financially over seeking a profit margin. 

Cause 4 Paws, Raleigh/Durham Rescue mission, and Dorcas thrift stores all provide a wide variety of products while using the store proceeds to help the less fortunate; but with phenomenal prices.  It’s not uncommon for a thrift store run by one of these organizations to have fifty cent books, clothing sold by the pound, and furniture/power tools under the $40 price tag if you’re lucky.  Plus, not to sound like a broken record but, your proceeds go towards good causes like animal adoption and feeding the homeless.  

Most thrifts of this nature are run by religious organizations, so if you’re at odds with supporting that sort of thing you might be more interested in the other two options; but otherwise this type of thrift store typically comes with very few downsides. 

|Image Credit:  Dorcas Thrift on Nextdoor

Of course, one of those other options is the standard mom and pop operation.  Not linked to any specific organization or franchise, these tend to be small businesses run by local families serving a smaller radius.  

Prices as a result tend to be a little higher than your average thrift store since it’s, y’know, a business; and the selection can be a little below average, usually consisting largely of estate sale leftovers, but this also works to their favor.

There’s no central distribution center for these businesses, so what people sell/donate to these stores comes from nearby communities typically.  So if you find one near an upper class area like Honeycutt Rd or Ebeneezer Church Rd, they’ll typically have nice furniture, art, and electronics for thrift store prices. 

There’s not too many of these, but my personal favorite is Fabulous Affordable Treasures in Southwest Raleigh.  A decent assortment of clothes and decorative pieces (and a very relaxing general environment) makes it a positive visit even when I’m just browsing. 

|Image credit:  Affordable Treasures Facebook

Finally there’s Discount thrifts.  They’re not too common, and are usually supported by an organization additionally although not all are, but if you find one check back with them regularly because it’s almost guaranteed to be worth it.

These thrift stores operate by having a degrading price scale; setting prices when the object comes into inventory, and then lowering them based on how long its been with them or the condition it was received in.  

Stores like Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Petersons Consigning Design use this, and typically offer discounts upwards of 60% if you wait long enough.  On top of having equally large selections of product from org thrifts, they offer plenty for the savvy shopper. 

The downside is, the best possible price you can receive for any given product is a gamble.  That sweet leather armchair you have your eye on might be dropped from 40% to 50% in the next two days, but if someone finds the price acceptable where it is then that products gone forever (or at least until something similar winds up in inventory).

|Image Credit:  Petersons Consigning Design website

Regardless of which thrift store you choose though, you’re bound to find a bargain in one eventually if you check back every once in awhile.  I’ve only mentioned a fraction of the stores available in Raleigh, if you find a few favorites of your own and check back regularly, you’re bound to find something you’ll love at a price you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Of course, if you’re looking for more niche deals you could always use programs like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for people just looking to get rid of their junk.  They’re easy to use and both are incredibly active for the Raleigh area; but if you’re looking for something a little more...interesting then I’d recommend checking out liquidation stores.

There’s not many of them in Raleigh, but recently this past week a store by the name of Treasure Hunt Liquidation opened up with an interesting premise.  They buy tons of returned and opened merchandise from places like Amazon and sell them to other people on a degrading price scale similar to the thrift stores we mentioned above. 

Fridays the price-per-item is $10, and then day by day it drops till it hits $1 per item on the following Wednesdays (and they close Thursdays for inventory).  large bins full of boxed or repackaged goods line the floor with everything from car parts to 3D printing filaments depending on when you can get there. 

Additionally, you can purchase pallets of goods as well; with some of the more high ticket items ranging from $300 up to $1500; but generally containing some of the more desirable items like bikes and kitchen equipment.  

Overall, the whole experience is like a giant rotating lootbox; you’re never quite sure what you’re gonna get when you go but you’re likely to find something that at least catches your eye, even if it doesn’t come home with you.

|Image Credit:  Treasure Hunt Liquidation facebook group

You can’t find everything you’ll ever need at stores like these, but you’ll definitely be able to find affordable furniture and clothes even on a college student’s budget. Even a few dollars saved can make a huge difference though, so if you get the chance or see a store on the side of the road that catches your eye, be sure to at least stop in and see what they have for sale. 

Or, if you’ve read this and have some books/clothes/toys to donate please consider donating or selling them to your local thrift location.  These secondhand finds can make all the difference in the world to a kid who wouldn’t be able to get them otherwise.   Regardless, hopefully at the very least this article kept you entertained, and I hope everyone reading has a great day!

[tinyshe]

Story at-a-glance

Behind the scenes of many of the companies that provide the products and services you use each day are two investment firms that own more shares than other shareholders. The list includes social media, transportation, news media, food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies

Blackrock and Vanguard hold large interests in pivotal companies, and Vanguard holds a large share of Blackrock. In turn, Blackrock has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" by Bloomberg as they are the only private firm that has financial agreements to lend money to the central banking system

Blackrock also developed the software used by the Fed to manage financial transactions; one Princeton University lecturer has said Blackrock controls the Federal Reserve and has more power than most governments

Ascertaining who owns large portions of Vanguard is more difficult as it is a private company that is not publicly traded. It's important to think globally but act locally to protect your civil rights, including supporting state legislators who support your right to choose health care

Until recently, it has appeared that economic competition has been driving the rise and fall of small and large companies across the U.S. Supposedly, PepsiCo is Coca Cola's competitor, Apple and android are vying for your loyalty and Pfizer and Bayer are battling for your pharmaceutical dollars. But what is revealed in this video, using publicly available data you can check, is that this has been an illusion.

On the surface, all appears to be the same as it always has been. But the growth of a few corporations, beginning in the mid-1970s, has all but destroyed the competitive market on which America's strength has rested. As demonstrated in the video, a quick look through Yahoo! Finance shows that Vanguard and Blackrock have been the puppet masters behind nearly every large industry that affects your life.

As you can quickly discern, the global economy may be the greatest illusionary trick ever pulled over the eyes of people around the world. Without doubt, we are in a new place and facing new challenges. It will take accurate information and local action to continue to have the right to take control of your health.

Behind the Scenes, Two Companies Own the Supply Chain

As you watch the video, you'll see that most of the large corporations that supply the food, information, data and drugs used every day are controlled by a select few investment firms whose sole goal is a greater return on their profits. Of course, that's been the backbone of a competitive economy — to grow your profit margin while competing against other companies for the same market.

In theory, this competition drives innovation, advancement and price structures that benefit the consumer. However, when one, two or three large companies own most of what you use, competition becomes an illusion, resulting in a monopoly where companies can set a price and there are no other products from which to choose.

As the World Economic Forum1 and United Nations2 collaborate to "build back better," it is crucial to pay attention to how large corporations across the world may contribute to a societal shift that moves more money into the hands of billionaires and creates a new depth of poverty across the world.

One of the mandates for the Federal Trade Commission is to ensure there is competition in the marketplace. For example, in 2000, a federal judge ruled that Microsoft had maintained a monopoly with Windows and tied the company browser, Internet Explorer, to the operating system, thus gaining a greater economic foothold.3

The company barely escaped being split up, until it agreed with a settlement to curb its practices. More than 20 years later, the Department of Justice is now looking at antitrust allegations against Google's business dealings that have hurt smaller competitors.4 But the two major investors in both these companies appear to have escaped unscathed.

As you go through the list of companies in which Vanguard and Blackrock strategically hold a large investment interest, consider how the products and services provided by these companies are inextricably intertwined with your daily life.

Google

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon

Alibaba

Pfizer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals

AstraZeneca

PepsiCo

Coca Cola

Microsoft

Apple

Netflix

Reuters

Viacom (CBS)

ATT

Tesla

The New York Times

Agricultural Bank of China

FedEx

American Airlines

United Airlines

TUI AG

Zimmer Biomet Holdings

Volkswagen AG

Ford Motor Company

You may recognize many of these names and some may not be as recognizable. You can do your own search on Yahoo! Finance,5 typing in the company and clicking "holdings" in the navigation bar. The companies span a variety of aspects of daily life, including:

Social media

Shopping

Food manufacturers

Technology and software

Pharmaceutical companies

Entertainment

Communications

Airlines

Medical equipment

Transportation

Holiday companies

Car companies

World media

However, as comments on my Twitter feed indicate, it is not always apparent why this information is important to your rights as an individual.6 It may be difficult to imagine a world where your news is being manipulated. As is illuminated in the video, Vanguard and Blackrock:7

"... own the news that's been created, they own the distribution of the news that's been created, they own the lives of the reporters that are reporting the news that's being distributed that's being created on your TV screen. CBS, FOX, ABC, it doesn't matter which you're watching.

They all are using that wonderful phrase from Davos now — build back better. The point being is that you've got very few people controlling everything and that's information. Talk about information is power, well not only do they create the information, but they have all the distribution nodes to literally change the world mindset as it were."

Every Media Chain Using the Same Narrative

Davos is a ski town in the Swiss Alps but has become the shorthand for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that's held in the town.8 It is a chance for some of the most powerful figures in the world to collaborate. The meeting has been headed and organized by Klaus Schwab, an 83-year-old German engineer and economist. As you consider what you're hearing in the news, remember:9

"Everything we see on the shelves in the shops, what you buy online, who delivers it, who is making the COVID jab, who is distributing the jab, who is reporting on the jab, who is censoring alternative information about the jab, and all the rest of it. It's all the same people."

The consistency of news reporting across mainstream media should now make sense since each of them have similar major investors and those major investors have a singular focus of raising their profit margin while pushing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How can you believe what's being told in the news when every news channel is saying the same thing?

It may have been that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Nixon Watergate story in 1972, were the last investigative journalists working for a major news media company who were allowed to follow a news story to conclusion without blatant censorship.

Around the world, doctors are being silenced. At the beginning of the pandemic, medical professionals were told not to speak to the media about a lack of personal protective equipment within the hospital. Although the American Medical Association10 initially came out in support of a physician's right to speak out about the care conditions, the tables have since turned.

In the quick, six-minute video below, Dr. Dan Stock from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, speaks to the board of the Mount Vernon Community School Corporation. He provides the board with documentation to back up his claim that the way in which the community was addressing an attempt to stop the spread of infection was, in fact, ineffective.

The video went viral11 with several million views within a day of its posting on YouTube, before it  was taken down for “violating YouTube’s community guidelines.” August 11, 2011,  Tucker Carlson featured the video and Stock on his Fox show,12 where Stock said, “It seems to me that focusing on  immune system improvement whether through a vaccine or non-vaccine methods is  the more rational approach to this.”

Yet, even though Stock provides research evidence and  speaks knowledgeably about the transmission of viral illnesses, the rest of mainstream  media have not picked up on the story and this information is not being  communicated to the public. Those in power want to ensure this type of  information is not shared because it's contrary to the narrative they are  promoting.

House for Sale? Blackrock Is Interested

A recent expose in The Wall Street Journal warns, "… yield-chasing investors are snapping up single-family houses to rent out or flip. They are competing for houses with ordinary Americans, who are armed with the cheapest mortgage financing ever, and driving up home prices."13

Yet, why would institutional investors be interested in overpaying for single family homes? To gain a greater understanding of the answer, you must take a look at Blackrock's partners, which include the World Economic Forum. The company manages assets that are worth $5.7 trillion and appears to be focused on pushing the average American out of the housing market.

If most of the available housing is owned by investment groups and corporations, they become your landlord. This is one of the ways in which the World Economic Forum envisions society in 2030. It's the part where you will "own nothing and be happy."

While it sounds like it came straight from George Orwell's book, "1984," it is in fact the agenda published on the World Economic Forum website.14 In fact, Forbes15 published an article in 2016 titled "Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better," which was written by the World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, the World Economic Forum once had a link to the article on their website under "agenda," but that link is now dead,16 even though a WEF Twitter post17 touting it in 2017 is still up. The link on the Twitter post, however, is also dead. And, curiously, in February 2021, Reuters did a "fact check" which claims the WEF never had anything to do with it.

The Fourth Branch of Government

BlackRock not only is an investment firm, but also has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" because they are the only private firm with an intimate relationship with the Federal Reserve and financial agreements to lend money to the central banking systems. Interestingly, software developed by BlackRock — Aladdin — is used by the Fed to manage their financial transactions.18

In comparison to other large financial investment firms who have political ties to one party or the other, Blackrock "possesses a power that's more technocratic."19 The firm has a global influence as well. They were tapped as an adviser to the Bank of Canada and the European Union hired them to advise them on incorporating governing and social practices.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg,20 the company may be paid as much as $48 million a year in fees, which could cement the company's ties with powerful policymakers.

To put this into perspective, BlackRock, an investment firm, has more power than most governments and controls the Federal Reserve, Wall Street mega-banks like Goldman Sachs and the WEF's Great Reset, according to F. William Engdahl, a strategic risk consultant and lecturer who holds a degree in politics from Princeton University.21 They don't just want your house, they want your life.

But Who Owns Vanguard?

When you take a look at who owns the largest portion of BlackRock, you learn its Vanguard.22 But ascertaining who has the greatest investment in Vanguard is a little more difficult. The company has a corporate structure that makes ownership challenging to discern.

It appears it's owned by a variety of funds, which in turn are owned by shareholders. Aside from these shareholders, the company has no outside investors and is not publicly traded. As reported in the featured video:23

"The elite who own Vanguard apparently do not like being in the spotlight, but of course they cannot hide from who is willing to dig. Reports from Oxfam and Bloomberg say that 1% of the world, together owns more money than the other 99%. Even worse, Oxfam says that 82% of all earned money in 2017 went to this 1%.

In other words, these two investment companies, Vanguard and BlackRock, hold a monopoly in all industries in the world and they, in turn, are owned by the richest families in the world, some of whom are royalty and who have been very rich since before the Industrial Revolution."

Although getting to the bottom of the major investors in Vanguard is difficult, it's important to keep in mind that BlackRock and Vanguard, individually and combined, own enough shares in Big Pharma and mainstream media to have control over what is produced, shared and distributed.

This information is important because it is the drug companies and media that are driving the response to this infection. Thus far, it has all endangered rather than optimized public health and the official narrative continues to be false, leading the public further astray and fostering fear based on lies.

To have a chance of righting this situation, we must understand the central players and why these false narratives are being created in the first place. In the Global Justice Now December 2020 report entitled "The Horrible History of Big Pharma,"24 they review the shameful history of the top seven drug companies in the world.

These companies are now developing and manufacturing drugs and gene-based "vaccines" against COVID-19, while mainstream media have helped suppress information about readily available older drugs that have been shown to have a high degree of efficacy against the infection.

Think Globally and Act Locally

Just as the market collectively impacted the downfall of the Grocery Manufacturers Association,25 you have an impact in your local community. It may be overwhelming to consider how quickly the world is changing, but you can have a voice in your local community.

As you may know, after my articles have been published for 48 hours, they are no longer available to read. This means, to reference the information you need to protect your health, you must copy and paste the articles and keep them on your hard drive. I encourage you to share these with your friends and family and encourage them to share as well.

It may be inconceivable to think about making a difference on a national scale to protect your civil rights, but there are approaches you can take on a local level that will make a big difference as people across the world speak up.

Many large communities and states are forming groups to stand up for individual rights, to prevent vaccine passports and limit governmental power in a peaceful manner.26 It's also important to find a group with which to work and to support your state legislators who support your right as an individual to choose your health care.

[thatsmallwallflower]

Some Updated Tips On Effective Plans For Business Home Based Ideas

The content directly below on the subject of a Home Business Ideas That Work is absolutely attention-grabbing. You should investigate it.

Advice To Help Make Your Home Business A Hit

Home businesses are a perfect example of the entrepreneurial spirit. Home businesses let ordinary citizens create their own company. They can be their own bosses, set their own hours, and create their own pay scales. If having a home business sounds interesting to you, then pay close attention to the tips in this article.

Have another phone line dedicated just for your home business. You don't want your child answering your business phone, and you want a separate message box as well.

If you're depending on your home business for most of your income, you need to create a backup plan just in case. Have a backup plan in case your website crashes or your product shipment does not come on time. If you plan for these eventualities, you won't be stuck without an income while you try to recover. A key tip for those planning to launch a home business is to carefully research any and all legal and insurance requirements that may apply to the specific type of enterprise being contemplated. By doing so, it will be possible to avoid unnecessary future business disruptions resulting from disputes with regulatory authorities.

Working at home can make it easy to become a hermit. At times it can be empowering, but it can also be lonely being by yourself most of the time. Take time in your schedule to connect with others, and just get out of the house. Do whatever you like to do that reminds you that you are part of the world.

Always know what your products cost you to make. This is important for many reasons, but if someone should unexpectedly show interest in retailing your products, you will need to know off the top of your head what your cost is, and where you want to set your wholesale price. As a rule of thumb, the retail price is about two times your wholesale price. The wholesale price is your costs plus a fair profit margin for you.

You should try contacting a local radio station and making a deal with them to barter products for a small bit of airtime. They can use your products for prizes in contests or free giveaways and in turn, they can mention your business as the place where they got these products.

Develop a description for your home business that can explain what it is that you do in less than three sentences. If you have to spend a good bit of time explaining what it is that you do, you may not have the plan that you need to have to succeed. You need to set up a separate checking account for your home business. It is important to keep your personal finances and the business finances separate. This is so that you can show the IRS that you are not embezzling money or trying to evade paying taxes on your business. It will make for less hassle when tax time comes around.

Keep an attitude that will bring you success in your home business venture. If you go about your day thinking of your home business as a hobby, you are not going to see the success that you would if you really considered it to be your real job. Keep a business attitude even when your business is in your home.

Be forthright and pragmatic with the prospects and goals you have for your home-based business. Do you offer a great product that people will always be interested in? Do you have what it takes to run an honest business?

As was mentioned earlier in this article, a home business can be both appealing and intimidating. Hopefully you have gleaned some good information and advice from the tips shared in this article. Put that advice into action, and watch as things begin to work more smoothly for your home business.

    Business must invest in cyber for remote work: Theta Global advisors

Since lockdown was imposed in March last year, all shops in IT park have stayed closed

  THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With IT companies in Technopark here entertaining work-from-home culture since the pandemic hit, the past 10 months have been a nightmare for people running non-IT businesses inside the park. Since the lockdown was imposed in March last year, all the shops, including restaurants, in Technopark have stayed closed. The work-from-home policy adopted by the government and IT firms has hit around 50 vendors who depend on the techies for revenue.

While the government intervened and provided the vendors a three-month rent waiver from April to June last year, the Technopark authorities later asked them to either pay the pending rent or quit.“Around 50 shops, including restaurants, in Technopark depended on techies. Now, our future looks bleak,” said Tigy Tankachan, secretary, Technopark Vendors Association (TVA). “Even IT companies are promoting work from home as they are making profits and the productivity of employees is good. None is concerned about our plight,” he said. 

The Group of Technology Companies (GTech), the industry body of IT and Business Process Management organisations in Kerala, has said employees can come to office after getting vaccinated. While the decision would benefit the vendors, they are unsure about an immediate turnaround in their situation.Most of the vendors are engineers and other professionals providing support services like restaurants, automatic car wash, laundromats and tailoring shops. 

“We cater to several techies and our services are exclusively offered to employees in Technopark. We are fully dependent on them. We invested substantially in our ventures and are employing over 1,000 people in all the units, besides indirectly employing more than 3000 people. Though we reopened some restaurants in January, we could not make decent revenue,” Tigy said. Vineeth Sankar, a laundry shop owner in Technopark, said all the shops closed in March last year, immediately after the state government announced the lockdown.

“We immediately sent our employees home and paid them salaries for a few months. Now, we have no resources to pay them. Since our shops are inside Technopark, there is a standing instruction from authorities that we cannot cater to people outside. We are fully dependent on employees here,” said Vineeth. 

The TVA filed a memorandum in January before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers Kadakampally Surendran and T M Thomas Isaac, the IT secretary and the Technopark CEO seeking exemption from rent till March. However, it is yet to get a response. IT secretary Mohammed Y Safirulla told TNIE that the requests of non-IT establishments are under the government’s consideration. 

“We already gave them a six-month waiver from April 2020. They have submitted a petition now and it is under the government’s consideration,” he said. Vendors said they got only a three-month waiver.

https://www.captiveinternational.com/news/businesses-must-invest-more-in-cyber-security-for-remote-workers-theta-global-advisors-3925

    We had been brought to that editorial on Home Business Ideas Online from a good friend on a different blog. Sharing is nice. You just don't know, you may very well be helping someone out. Thanks so much for going through it.

[bookclubforghosts]

@ the people who come into my askbox, DMs, and replies claiming that supporting businesses owned by POC is the “New Racism”

1. I want you to sit and think for a second about why it makes you uncomfortable that there are lists of stores owned by POC (People of Color) on your dash. 

2. These lists aren’t saying that you should Only Shop Here. 

3. These lists *are* saying that these are Cool Small Businesses with SICK products (owned by people who are members of Marginalized Groups) and I believe these businesses deserve some support, so if you like these styles/products, maybe shop here. 

“Well, why should I shop here? I don’t see color. Why does race matter?”

1. Claiming you don’t see color erases the struggles that racism inflicts on POC as well as erasing their cultures and histories. American society has a racism problem, one that is old and deeply steeped in the way that the society is constructed (like, older-than-the-country-itself old.) Denying that this problem exists, or denying that race as a whole exists, only causes more problems. 

As a white person, I will never know what it feels like to be judged based on the color of my skin. I could claim that I “don’t see color” and ignore these issues completely because they don’t impact me, but that’s the wrong move to make. Just because I haven’t experienced it, doesn’t mean it’s not real. For example, that’d be like saying I don’t believe in Sweden because I’ve never been there. That statement erases a whole country and that country’s history because I would be claiming not to believe in/acknowledge it. 

2. Shopping Black-owned/POC-owned in general is like voting with your dollar, as well as often (but not always) supporting small businesses. How and why?

Shopping POC-owned (esp. Black-owned) helps close the racial wealth gap, a gap that has been forcibly constructed since the before our country began because of slavery and then because of Jim Crow laws and other oppressive moves made by racist governments. 

(image source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/03/26/the-racial-wealth-gap-why-a-typical-white-household-has-16-times-the-wealth-of-a-black-one/#3c7a2a091f45 )

Choosing to buy from a small business helps boost Local Economies and foster job creation. The more $$ you spend at a POC-owned small business (either in your community or online), the more $$ goes back into that economy. It also means that $$ isn’t going into the pocket of a billionaire CEO who got there through labor exploitation *cough Jeff Bezos cough*. It helps create jobs in this local economy because the more $$ a business makes and the more demand for their product, the more the business can expand and the more people they can afford hire.

Choosing to shop POC-owned also sends a message aka voting with your dollar. When you choose to support a Black-owned alternative brand over a brand like Dolls Kill (repeat offender as far as racist statements, products, & actions of the business owner), you’re taking your business out of the racist company, telling them that when you do racist things you lose money (which, it shouldn’t take $$ to make someone realize that racism is bad, but for some people it does unfortunately). A lot of large companies will vocally support minorities while their practices do the opposite. Additionally, while sending this message to the racist companies, you’re also empowering the smaller companies and the community around them.

Shopping from a POC-owned brand also celebrates the culture that person is from, as opposed to appropriating it. For example, Scrumptious Wicks is an Indian-American-owned business. The creator says she takes a lot of inspiration from her culture and her home growing up when creating her candle scents. Another example is buying from an Indigenous person directly and supporting their tribe and their tribe’s culture, as opposed to buying something mass-produced and inaccurate and claiming it’s “Native Chic” (ex. mass-produced Dream Catchers vs buying from the Ojibwe people).

3. Finally, let’s talk about visibility and representation. Think for a second. When you think “entrepreneur” or “business owner” what do you picture? Chances are, you picture a white person, probably a white man in a fancy suit holding a clipboard or standing in an office or something. Marketing is overwhelmingly white-centric. I don’t have to work hard to find people who look like me in media, including the commercials/ads for shops and the businesses in my area, and that is an example of white privilege. Uplifting People of Color and increasing representation means boosting their voices, creations, and businesses.

If you read all this and you’re still gonna complain about the business lists, I will take your Target privileges. You may no longer go to Target. Are you still complaining? I’m taking your Whole Foods privileges too.

[space-blue]

Who Criminals Pray To

Third competition win.

"Won't you stop shaking that fucking leg of yours?" Mike mutters behind ground teeth. "I'll cut it off if it bothers you that much."

"Look at that bunch of street punks," I whisper back without trying to bring my leg under control. "Just look at them, so little respect, no gravity."

"It's your damn job to groom the newbies Sean."

"I didn't make the timetable. Go figure why the boss felt like we should introduce them to the God this session. Certainly wasn't my idea."

"Can't blame the runts for being excited though. What kind of crazy rotten luck is it to be here same as the Dons of all people?"

"Want me to call them off?"

Mike chews on his lips, purple and split from a bout in whatever hovel he decided to cool his temper in this weekend. Being second in command in the Phobos family isn't exactly a relaxing job. Mike likes to go out with the grunts, rough up some locals late on payments or little dealers trying to cut corners. I find my own releases elsewhere.

"Nah. Good test of character, this."

I'm not so sure. I look up at our five new recruits, mingling with four counterparts of the Don family, jabbing fingers in puffed up chests and engaging in sharp banter. I assume many first met in the streets. All our new boys were urchins not even a year ago. I read their small, single-paged files, hastily written by the people in charge of them throughout our organisation. I talked to them, tried to educate them as much as I could, grinding rituals in their skulls. At the end of the day I don't think they really understand what we're doing here. After all, urchins have no God. Raised around the ovens of a small bakery, I was brought up pious. If object have spirits, places guardian gods, concepts emanations and trades patron saints, it only makes sense to know how to mind your manners and deal with the deities that rule your life. My mother taught me to keep household spirits happy before I could walk, and my father saved our nicest breads and pastries as offerings. He brought me with him whenever he went for donations. The God of bakers loved us like we loved him, and our dough rose high, our pastries stayed crisp and I never saw a mouse in the shop. When I went to school, I paid monthly tributes to the God of students and emanation of knowledge and curiosity. So when I became a gang member and joined the Phobos family, I paid just as scrupulous respects to the God of criminals. I understand the concept in a manner our former-urchins-turned-street-thugs can't. To them the God is a boss on top of the boss, too high up the hierarchy to care about them. But they're criminals now, and their success in that new line of business will depend on proper devotion.

"What is the boss doing?" I ask Mike for the tenth time this evening, not trying to hide the worry in my voice.

"Can't be long. The Dons are waiting too, see. Maybe Phobos is busy cutting that fat fuck's fingers right outside?"

Mike smiles lopsidedly at the images that conjures, but it's unlikely. You don't misbehave like that around your God's place. You're not late either. It goes without saying that you don't get in arguments or fist-fights in the ante-chamber, which I'm starting to worry our boys might have forgotten. I look up across the small waiting room to where another collection of rickety chairs hold equally anxious higher-ups from the Don family, also waiting on their boss so that the ceremony of Gift-giving and Induction can begin. There is Franky, the Don's son and right arm, and Tilda, a cold-eyed woman you really don't want to meet on the other side of a negotiation table. The man glancing back at me over his glasses is Charles Morrow, a fine fellow with a blade of a face who holds a similar position to mine in his own gang. He raises his eyebrows in silent acknowledgement. I close my eyes and sigh. Let's hope the God is in a forgiving mood.

A bang and a yelp snap me back to attention. Phobos slammed the door into the men and is storming through, a package under his arm and a puffing, angry red Erzo Don on his heels, still biting on the last words of whatever argument they were having. Each group folds over their boss and everyone pays last minute attention to the gifts they brought and the fine clothes they wear. Phobos is a tall man, sharp and well cut, just like the black suits he favours, and known as the coldest mobster on this coast. He exchanges quiet words with Mike, and pats my elbow briefly. The man's way of making up for the stress he knows he's been giving me. Activity dies down as a servant enters the room to unlock the inner chamber's doors. We shuffle to our positions by hierarchical order and I glance at my charges one last time.

"Remember, don't react, keep it all in!"

They nod, worry finally settling on their young faces as the solemnity of the event dawns on them. For such a bunch of misfits, they do me proud. All I can hear is sharp intakes of breath as their eyes fall on the deity who will soon learn their name and hold their fates in its heart. The God of transgression, patron saints of criminals and emanation of rule-breaking, looks like a child and a monster. Five years old if you had to put an age on it, with sandy blond hair parting around little horns that poke from its forehead and the crown of its head. Some are black and keratinous, some the off-white of ivory. Its skin is unhealthily pale, cheeks oddly flushed. Its pinched, lipless mouth betrays no feelings. But the real unease comes from the eyes. One dark and filled with odd lights, the other white and full of colourful swirls, both huge and sparkling, somehow. Alien. The child-like being sits on a large pillow atop a carpeted dais, its servants kneeling behind it. Like the building, they are paid for by donations, one of the many ways we show our love to the God.

"Greetings!" Don booms, stepping up to deliver his offering. "I present you with these gifts, my dea–"

Don's words die in his throat, silenced by a small hand, raised palm out.

"Erzo Don, what do you think you are doing here?"

The God's voice is high as a child's but its inflections are nuanced, its tone menacing.

"Well... We've come to presen–"

"You annoy me."

The pressure rises in the room and I feel goosebumps all over my skin. The God stands, face as blank as marble.

"I am the God of criminals, Don. I patron thieves, liars, racketeers, yes. People who live on the margins of the larger society. But if there is one thing I don't condone, it is lying to me."

The God steps down towards Don. I see the sweat drenching him, Morrow's bloodless face, Tilda's hand all white-knuckled around Frank's wrist and their new men's confused expressions. What have they done?

"You can't go and grovel to the God of killers and murderers thinking I wouldn't know about it. Did you not think of your family? Of me?"

"God, but it was only a sid–"

"Go."

Silence hangs over us like a corpse at the end of a fraying rope. There is nothing to do but to obey. One word that ends a whole family business, maybe a fifth of the local territory, suddenly up for dispute. Chaos will engulf them, they will have no divine support.

I'm still thinking of the consequences as the door closes behind the last of them and Phobos steps up, offering the content of his package like nothing happened. It's two hands sawed at the wrists and held together by handcuffs. Charming–and it makes the God smile. Mike is next, showing his split lips and telling his tales. The God nods along, used to the urban-outlaw-cowboy style of our second-in-command. And then it's me, embracing the being my success in life depends on. He's done me good and I love it like I loved the pudgy God that ate our bread and blessed us for it.

"What have you for me Sean?" The child-God asks as I cup its pallid face in my scarred hands.

"A secret," I murmur in its ear. "The cops are coming to crack on the riverside locations. I tipped them to great profit."

The God chuckles, looking up at me with the same adoration I feel for it. It squeezes my hand and waves for me to introduce our new members. What's a spy to the emanation of rule breaking? Nothing more than a good devotee.

~~ June 2017 – Theme : Gangsters and Crime Lords

[genius-with-a-j]

I have had a Sanders Sides college AU bouncing around in my head for a few weeks and the gremlins have been begging for me to let it out so here is some of it:

Virgil:

Sophomore

Undecided major (will eventually go with psychology major and creative writing minor)

Purple hair, very pale (actually has celiac and diabetes and struggles with eating enough)

Actually has a lot of health issues but was still determined to go to college

Skinny boi, into the emo scene still, has purple hair

Has severe anxiety (social and otherwise) and mild to moderate depression

Goes to on-campus counseling

Has an emotional support black cat named Gerard (yes after Gerard Way)

Has okay grades, like a B-/C+ student

Lives in a dorm that’s basically apartments, everything is very separate and it’s mostly grad students there

Not super into extracurriculars because anxiety but does volunteer at an animal shelter

Is reluctantly a barista in like a very indie coffee shop off-campus

Went to a really big high school where he felt very ignored and lost in the crowd

Logan:

Senior

Mechanical and electrical engineering double major with an artificial intelligence emphasis and a computer science minor

Has also considered picking up a math minor or expanding to a double degree

Dark brown hair that’s always just a little messy, tan skin

Angular features, half-Korean and half-Hispanic

Speaks several languages, all weirdly perfectly

Korean, Spanish, English, some Mandarin and some Japanese

Has major depressive disorder and autism

4.0 with ease

Apartment coordinator who was an RA for two years and hall gov president before that

Involved in the robotics club, chess club, head of the engineering society

Went to a large high school, was a standout, won many awards and was valedictorian with like a 4.3 GPA

Patton’s boyfriend, they’ve been together for like 3 years at this point

Patton:

Super senior, this is his 5th year

Changed major a lot, has finally decided on animal science, wants to be a vet tech

Curly, blonde hair and lots of freckles

Chubby, very soft and huggable

Jewish

Genderfluid! Is fine with any pronouns and wears whatever he wants (normally big sweaters and ugg-style slippers)

Struggles with depression and a touch of OCD

Dyslexic

Super empathetic and frequently gets compassion fatigue

Solid C student in most things, but is SUPER good at animal-related classes and pretty bad at math (so Logan helps him)

Lives with Logan even though technically they don’t want apartment coordinators to have roommates but Logan is really good at his job and was basically like “if he goes, I go” so they allowed him to live there for free too

A very good baker and involved with a baking club on campus

Works at an animal shelter (yes that’s how he met Virgil)

Went to a small high school (20 graduating class) really struggled with being bullied, is glad to be away from his small, oppressive hometown

Logan’s boyfriend

Roman:

Junior

Theater and vocal double major with a creative writing minor

Obsessed with love stories, writes love-based plays and love songs, etc.

Plays piano, guitar, and trumpet because he was forced to learn a wind instrument

Black hair basically styled like a Disney prince

Mexican (is actually a DACA student)

Speaks fluent Spanish and English

Has complex PTSD from years of emotional abuse before ending up housed with Abuela

Depressed but going constantly, can’t stop because that’s how the feelings catch you

ADHD but doesn’t know it because he hasn’t been tested, his parents didn’t believe in it

Straight-A student in subjects he cares about but barely scrapes by in the required common core type classes because he doesn’t care and therefore is Unable To Learn

Lives with his brother in an off-campus apartment because Abuela asked that they live together so when she helps pay it’s just one rent payment for the two of them

It’s a bad apartment, it’s basically falling apart but it’s what they can afford

Delivers pizza so he can afford to live

Involved in the choir, jazz band, super active in the drama program, and has starred in multiple roles on the student-run TV network

Went to a small-ish high school (80 graduating class) and was a big fish in a small pond; he and his brother were very well-known

Remus’s identical twin

Remus:

Junior

Creative writing and theater double major with a criminal justice minor

Writes horror, also likes to write poems that seem sweet but are very dark

Majors in theater for the writing aspect more than the acting aspect

Criminal justice minor is because he loves true crime and wants to write accurate criminals in some of his horror stories

Black hair is normally spiked, has a white streak in front

Has that gross rat stache most of the time but will shave it off for a play or the like

Mexican (is actually a DACA student)

Speaks fluent Spanish and English

Has complex PTSD from years of emotional abuse before ending up housed with Abuela

Also depressed, but instead of avoiding his problems embraces them in a way that’s pretty uncomfortable, can be a little too open sometimes

Has OCD that really messes with his head but tries to embrace the intrusive thoughts and blurt them out because he thinks that’s how he wins even though it doesn’t quite work that way

People thought he had Tourettes because of it, but he doesn’t, he has control over what he does (besides the OCD compulsion part of it but that’s different than a tic)

ADHD but doesn’t know it

An impressive writer and excels in his creative writing and theater-based classes but is just awful at other classes because he gets bored and ends up making games out of assignments like trying to freak out his professors or spelling out messages down the side of the page with the first letter of every line

Lives with his brother in an off-campus apartment because Abuela asked that they live together so when she helps pay it’s just one rent payment for the two of them

It’s a bad apartment, it’s basically falling apart but it’s what they can afford

Writes smut for money online

Super active in the drama program, often directs or writes the screenplays, has also written for the student-ran TV network, wrote a whole Twilight-zone-ish show that was pretty popular, enjoys poetry slams

Went to a small-ish high school (80 graduating class) and was a big fish in a small pond; he and his brother were very well-known

Is kind of dating Dee, they’ll both tell you it’s complicated and they like it that way

Roman’s identical twin

Dee:

Freshman

Political science major with a criminal justice minor

Wants to be a lawyer or politician to make changes for marginalized groups

Indigenous

Has vitiligo, it primarily affects the left side of his face (even his left eye is almost hazel instead of dark like his other eye) and also his limbs and his stomach

It started in high school and he was teased pretty bad for it, was afraid college would be the same way

He wears gloves to hide it because he’s kind of ashamed of it, he feels like people think he’s gross-looking

Has very thick, dark hair that’s always a little shaggy, wears a lot of hats

Depressed

Very defensive and guarded, doesn’t want people to know who he truly is

Not a pathological liar, but he does lie to protect himself

Was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder because of his fear of losing people and his lack of emotional regulation

Was raised in a really turbulent household and has trust issues because of it

An honors kid

Nearly has a 4.0, is really good at writing and arguing and history, only struggles with science

Lives in the honors kid dorm, is involved in hall government

Works as an intern (paid) with a local firm

Involved with Model UN and debate team

Went to a medium-sized high school and was very good at blending in

Is involved with Remus

So yeah!!! That’s most of it, I plan on writing stuff about it, feel free to ask questions if you have any, I’d love to answer

[beantrice-the-healing-brownie]

So now my most popular thing is about a stupid drag look I did.

Anyway, buy your educational books for these times Not From Amazon, because supporting exploitation of any kind is a no go especially when you’re try not to support exploitation. Instead may I suggest...

https://bookshop.org

Bookshop supports small independent bookstores of all kinds, which is important for all kinds of marginalized groups and for communities. They list all sorts of shops near you and they have great curated lists too.

Please reblog!

[studywmax]

Things I wish I knew before starting Sixth Form College

1 - How stressful it can be if you put off work for even a day.

2 - The workload and markscheme you get is so different at GCSE level, but you get used to it very quickly.

3 - You’re never completely finished with all your work.

4 - You gain weight during your time there; the cheapest food is the most unhealthy.

5 - Some of your friend’s from secondary school may not stay as close to you during college.

6 - The amount of new people you meet at the beginning of Sixth Form can be overwhelming and tiredsome.

7 - You have to teach yourself some of the content of the subject.

8 - How much time you spend in subject workshops and extra study lessons.

9 - There might not be enough time for you to get a job.

10 - If your main reason for you to do something is because it “looks good on your cv”, it’s most likely not going to be worth it. Especially if you’re sacrificing your grades for it.

11 - If you have the opportunity to change a subject you really dislike, take it. It’s not worth the struggle in the long run.

12 - There are still going to be those annoying back-row kids; not everyone has fully matured, sadly.

13 - It’s not worth going down to the local shops and restaurants every single time you have a free period.

14 - If you don’t do maths/science a levels, you will probably forget how to do the basics. It becomes a challenge to count up your money sometimes. I even know some people who actually do further maths and they do a lot of silly errors like writing 1,2,4,4 in the margin of a test.

15 - Little things can distract you so easily.

16 - Your seemingly “super-chill” friend you hang out with isn’t always “super-chill”. Make sure you support them, as well as any other friend.

17 - If you suddenly find yourself relaxing a lot more, you’re probably forgetting one or two pieces of work (as I say now, whilst doing my sociology reading I forgot to do at 29/1/2019)

18 - How much your friends and classmates can unintentionally distract you while you’re trying to do work.

19 -Its worth revising that small thing you think wont pop up in the exam.

20 - How soon your exams are... (1/3/19 it’s so soon!!)

21 - Silent study will always have that one or two annoying groups of people talking about what’s going in there lives. I always have to give them a glare to shut them up.

22 - Some people may be wondering why you’re studying “so early”, maybe even make fun of you for it. But ignore them, focus on your own grades and own improvement.

23 - Worrying about how other people think of you is NOT worth your time, you’ve got more important things to think about.

24 - It really is beneficial to do that extra reading on your subject before taking it; it saves a lot of effort in the long run.

25 - It’s really not as intimidating as the teachers hype it up to be.

Good luck to anyone who will be joining Sixth Form/College in September!

[johnjacobsus]

How To Convert More Leads Into Plumbing or HVAC Clients?

HERE IS HOW TO CONVERT MORE OF YOUR Plumbing and HVAC LEADS TO PAYING CLIENTS

Below we offer a few tips and some of our services that will help you accomplish these goals…

DETERMINE THE VALUE OF EACH LEAD

Client Lifetime Value is the single most important metric for understanding your clients. CLV helps you make important business decisions about sales, marketing, service offering, and Customer Support. CLV tells companies how much revenue they can expect one client to generate over the course of the business relationship. The longer a client continues to purchase from a company, the greater their lifetime value becomes.

Basically, It refers to the total amount of money that you expect a consumer to spend in your business during their lifetime. Although CLV may not sound significant, failing to calculate it can put you behind your competitors.

How to Calculate CLV

Several methods exist, which you can use to calculate CLV. The calculations can either be predictive or historic. This implies that you may want to calculate CLV based on your prediction of what clients will spend or based on the actual purchases over the years. Regardless of the method selected, it is imperative to know the client acquisition cost, which is the amount you spent to get the clients, the average profit margin for purchases, and the duration of your relationship with the client.

When calculating CLV, get the average purchase amount and multiply with the average buying frequency rate to determine the value of the client. Then multiply the average client’s lifespan by the value of the client to decide CLV.

Here is a stepwise process that you can follow:

Determine the mean purchase value: you obtain this by dividing the actual revenue of the business in one year with the number of purchases over that year. It does not necessarily have to be one year; you can choose any period depending on your business.

Determine the mean buying frequency rate: divide the number of purchases within a specified time by the number of clients that made purchases within that period.

Determine the value of the client: you calculate this by multiplying the mean purchase value with the mean purchase frequency rate.

Now, determine the mean client lifespan: you can get this by determining the average of the number of years that a client continues to buy from your business.

Now, calculate LTV: multiply the mean client lifespan with the client value. The answer is an estimate of the amount of revenue to expect an average client to generate for your business.

Once you get the CLV, you can calculate the possible profits the business can make. It is also important to calculate CLV so that you can focus more on retaining existing clients than incur a lot, trying to identify ways to attract new clients.

Now that you know your client lifetime value, use it to express to your team how important every lead that rings your phone or pings your email is… For example, let’s say you calculated your client value to be worth $5k, you need to treat every phone call like that is $5k calling you.

OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR CONVERSIONS

When clients land on your webpage, they have expectations and expect to find some basic elements.

Make your CTA a Phone Number

Most businesses should display their phone number so that clients can contact them. Users often make a note of a phone number on a site and use their mobile phones to call the number. Clients may have questions concerning the product or methods of purchasing, and mobile phones are by far the best way to obtain this information quickly. Moreover, mobile phones have become increasingly popular, and with the advancement of the internet, people use them to search for the business.

A report by BrightLocal shows that 61% of mobile users to contact a business with a mobile site. If you want leads on your business, the decision of a mobile number on your CTA is no longer an option.

Include the Number in a Site-Wide Sticky Header

Site-wide sticky headers stay in place when a client scrolls, and they are a popular element of website design. They help the client to navigate without the need to scroll up and down. Therefore, the phone number will remain visible as the user navigates through the page. A user can always contact you anytime they decide because the number remains visible as they scroll.

Display Local Phone Numbers

When shopping online, we all go for something close to where we live. Wherever possible, use local phone numbers on the website to attract nearby clients. Local phone numbers act as leads and can give you profit. It is easy for someone to contact you with local phone numbers. Well, there is the advantage of familiarity as well as low costs compared to international phone numbers. Moreover, using local phone numbers shows the client that your business is trustworthy and easy to contact.

MAKE SURE YOUR OFFERING WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR

In your marketing

You run Facebook ads, Google AdWords ads, and maybe other types of pay-per-click ads too. Your ads will most likely have a headline, to capture attention, text that will dive more into the details of your offer, and then maybe a small image.

Now, what happens when someone clicks your ad? They get redirected to a webpage.

And here’s the question you have to ask yourself: Is your landing webpage consistent with your ad? Your ad has an offer, a specific message that it conveys, so will someone who clicks on your ad find the same content once they land on your landing page? In 90% of the cases, I see, nope.

This problem is called the message match problem. It happens when your ad does not precisely match the end offer on the landing page. It’s a total mismatch in terms of the message being conveyed. Chances are most people who clicked on the ad or listing did because of the advertised sale or service, but when they arrived at the destination and saw nothing mentioning the sale or service they wanted, so they left.

Message match and scent match problems are easier to avoid that you would think. The concept is pretty basic: Your ad should look and feel like your landing page, and the message and offer should be the same. Voilà. Simple, eh?

Now, the best way to obtain a perfect scent/message match is simply to create a specific landing page for each variation of your ads or service.

In your Customer Service

Offering what consumers are looking for means that you are meeting their expectations. Ensure that you know your clients by gathering adequate information about your clients. It is crucial to determine what clients frequently buy, why they opt for that product, and the frequency of their purchases. When you are determining the needs of your clients, it is vital to know details such as their interests, occupation, and lifestyle. Also, include any potential clients that have previously inquired about your products. You can find out more about researching clients here.

Every client has a unique need and holds different views and opinions concerning Customer Service. Therefore, you must know the needs of the client to provide what they are looking for and, as such, provide excellent Customer Service. Make sure you identify ways that the clients expect you to meet their needs. This involves undertaking thorough research on your target market and the marketplace to understand what the clients are looking for in your business location.

Your level of service should meet the expectations of the clients. Go beyond to make the client say ‘wow’ after receiving your products or services. Some ways to know whether you are offering what clients are looking for is to undertake a client survey, client focus groups, or use the suggestion box. You can obtain a lot of input from such activities. If you have an online page, use add-ons, such as “Would you like computer monitors as well?” The message match problem is one of the most cited by marketers. The problem occurs when your ad fails to match with the end offer on the landing page. As such, a user clicks on the ad but does not see anything mentioned when they land on the site. Ensure that your ad looks like your landing page.

NURTURE YOUR LEADS

Nurturing leads is the process of creating a relationship with clients at every stage and throughout their journey. It involves focusing on communication and marketing efforts on listening to the needs of clients and providing them with adequate information. To develop leads effectively in today’s marketplace, you need to establish and nurture client relationships with a thorough content marketing plan.

Normally, most clients will not take a step in the client life cycle, unless they hear from you or feel engaged with your content at least more than seven times. This is very important, especially in this age of constant information and competitive advertising. Just having a webpage will not do it. To reach clients, you must diversify your message to communicate both when and how leads would like to hear from us. It is crucial to nurture your leads towards sales. Therefore, you will have to use more than one medium such as email, retargeting ads, social media messaging, and SMS, among others. When your Plumbing and HVAC company creates mixed media messages that have highly engaging content, your business will garner more leads and generate consistent sales.

When you venture more into business, you will start realizing the vitality of having an effective nurturing strategy. Research by Forrester shows that marketers experience a mean of about a 20% increase in sales opportunities from nurtured leads compared to those who use non-nurtured leads. The same report shows that companies that nurture their leads have a 33% lower cost and 50% more sales.

ONCE THEY CONTACT YOU, SHOW THEM YOU ARE THE RIGHT CHOICE

The fact that your phone is ringing constantly does not mean that you have hit the jackpot yet. You may have leads, but the main issue is converting those leads into sales. This process requires effective Customer Service and the ability to convince clients to purchase.

Tip 1: Capture the Lead Right Away

The way that you present yourself to a client matter a lot. When the phone rings, use a kind tone and take time to listen first without responding. Once you understand the query, portray a willing spirit. It is crucial to collect the lead info early on like the name of the caller, their phone number, and their address and anything else you need- without this, you may not have a second chance.

Tip 2: Develop a Relationship with the Caller

You want the caller to feel comfortable so that they can talk freely, and to achieve this; you have to establish rapport. You should act very professionally. Remember that you are representing a Plumbing and HVAC company. Therefore, your tone of choice and how you tackle the issue matters a lot. The client will perceive the value of your Plumbing and Heating & Air services based on these things. In the opening line, mention the name of the company and be at service for the client. Show your willingness to help.

Use excellent listening skills by giving the caller time to explain the issues and ask follow-up questions that can help in clarification ensure that you focus on the problem presented by the caller in the best possible way. Doing this will leave the client satisfied.

Always assure the caller then you can solve the issue. You do not want to start creating doubts or suggesting incompetency in your Plumbing and HVAC company. Assure the caller that is the specialty of your Plumbing and Heating & Air service, and you will handle it immediately. If it is something that your department cannot solve, tell the caller that you are transferring them to an individual department that can help them better.

Tip 3: Book the Appointment

During the call, one of the things that you do is understanding the needs of the client. Once you know these needs, proceed to book an appointment. Book an appointment as early as possible to encourage the client to look for your Plumbing and Heating & air services. Before calling you, the client may call two more companies to make informative decisions. Book that appointment if you want to convert your calls into a sale. You can convince a client to purchase by giving them an attractive incentive such as a discount or wave if they book in the next ten days. Try to sell your company by convincing the client that you offer the best services compared to competitors. Once the client schedules an appointment with you, you can be sure that they will come to purchase. Ask them to choose a day that they will be free to book and send them a message reminding them of the appointment.

Tip 4: Regularly Audit Your Call Handling Team

All call handlers need training. If you check well, you may find that there are one Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) in your Plumbing and HVAC business who does not represent your company well to the clients. You must undertake frequent auditing. Auditing does not focus on punishing or sacking an employee.

On the contrary, it helps you to check drawbacks and train employees to represent the company well. You may need to incur a little amount on training whereby employees can learn how to talk to clients can convert your leads to sales. During auditing, it is also vital to commend your staff if they are doing a good job. Never underestimate the power of motivation. You can do verification by listening to call records when made and correcting later. Alternatively, you can encourage employees to listen to each other’s calls and help to improve each other’s skills. Employees with excellent call handling skills can mentor others.

One way to do this is through BlackStorm’s phone call tracking and tagging services (our BEST clients fully embrace this service). With our phone call tracking software, you can monitor all the calls that are coming into your Plumbing and HVAC business and be able to determine precisely where there are holes in your conversion process. You might think your call staff is doing a great job, but how would you know unless your sitting right next to them while they answer every phone call, well with us, you can listen in on every call that you wish.

READY TO BOOK MORE APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR Plumbing and HVAC BUSINESS?

Do not wait long to book an appointment to grow your Plumbing and HVAC business. After going through the above tips, you should be feeling motivated and ready to generate leads. Just follow the steps slowly and ensure that you nurture leads to create sales. In every step that you take, remember that the goal is to convert leads to purchases. Start today.

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