Are You Depressed?

Disclaimer: For serious depression issues, please consult a physician.

Depression is on the increase as people struggle with the economy’s woes. Worry about kids, jobs, illnesses, insurance benefits, and budget stressors can make the day gloomy.

What do we do about depression? For certain, today you probably won’t be able to fix the economy, and maybe many other problems you’re experiencing don’t have quick solutions. Even though today may not bring permanent answers to your day’s trouble spots, there are some things you can do about feeling gloomy.

The use of “self-talk” can be very beneficial. Practice until it becomes a daily habit. Normally, we tell ourselves all kinds of negative things all during the day and into the night. Your mental voice often says things like: “I’m stupid. Why did I do that? What’s wrong with me? I keep screwing up. No one accepts me. I look fat. I’m ugly. My hair’s a mess. I need a makeover. I’m not doing enough. My kids hate me. I’m not a good parent.” I don’t do my job right.”

We’ve got criticizing ourselves down quite well. What we need to do more of, is positive self talk that will energize us and change our mood. Not empty compliments, but really good advice. You CAN be your own best friend!

Saying things like: 

“I am good enough, today; I do many things well; I may not be able to solve all the problems I am thinking about, but I can make some improvements on one or two. (Be specific in your head.); I can break complicated tasks or problems down into many smaller steps; I can clean one room tonight. I can get the laundry done, today; I will spend 1 hour with my child tonight; I am well-groomed; I look good; I can smile; I can focus on my job today; I can help someone else; I will sleep in a dark, cool room, I will listen to soft music that fades gradually into silence.”

The more specific we can be with our self-talk, the more we will feel in control of our lives, and the more control we feel, an increased feeling of joy will come over us.  The list goes on. In fact, what we say to ourselves is endless.

Vow today, to: Lift yourself up!; Pay attention to your children!; Eat more nutritiously!; Take part in the community!; Join a club or organization!; Make time for yourself every single day; Clean the house. (A clean, organized home really does make you feel joyous!); Walk daily, just 15 minutes, in fact, start out with 10; Think of 3 new habits to develop, and begin small but begin! (i.e. do the dishes nightly; clean the tub nightly; read a chapter in an uplifting book, daily, talk to your kids individually, daily, talk to your spouse privately, daily.) 

Practice the art of pretending.  You can pretend to feel good, until you DO feel good. You’re worth it, vow to fight depression, to get that new job, to show your children how to cope with problems!

Do something different, today! I KNOW you can. Keep hope alive.

Essential Pasta Making

Trying to learn about making pasta is essential for any type of domestic or working kitchen, from the huimble housewife (or  househusband) to the master chef himself. Pasta is considered a very nutricious meal containing lots of energy giving carbohydrates. Added to this the very  real fact that almost any variety of tasty sauce could be added into the meal, you find yourself with a gastronmical fantasy. And to think you can accomplish all of this with only three main ingredients - eggs, flour and a dash of salt!

Pasta can provide a meal that is both easy to create and nutritious while still being affordable for most families, and when you take a look at the amount of meals that use pasta as it’s base dish, learning how to conquer the pasta making process will prove to be a very useful venture.

Fresh pasta that has been made at home tends to have a much richer flavour than buying commercially sold dried pasta, and for a few moments of extra time and effort, this rich flavour can be combined with a texture that will literally melt in the mouth. Making pasta is easy when you have the know how and with the three main ingredients that are flour, eggs and salt, you will probably find that making it will cost less than what it would have if you had bought it in a store.

Learning how to make pasta needs one to take a few tips from the professionals. Italy is renowned for producing some of the most delicious and mouth watering dishes in the world and following in the footsteps of Italian chefs will ensure that the pasta you make can rival that from any authentic Italian restaurant. Time and effort is vital to producing tasty pasta and trying to save a few minutes in the pasta making process will mean that your dish is not quite up to scratch.

Although authentic pasta should really be made by hand, there are plenty of pasta making machines that you can make use of to speed up the process a little and the best quality devices, such as the Imperia pasta machine can help create pasta that even the Italians would be envious of!

Examining New Precious Bedding

In some parts of the world, a second bed sheet is placed on top of the sheet that covers the mattress. This second sheet is referred to as a “top sheet.” When this top sheet is put in use, the sheet directly on the mattress is referred to as a “bottom sheet.” A sleeper lies between the two sheets. Blankets, comforters, and any additional bed covers are put above the second bed sheet.

When I shop for new sheets I always look for the ones with a thread count of at least 300. What the thread count determines is the comfort of the fabric. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the thread count number, the softer the sheets will be. How many of us at some time or another have slept on scratchy sheets or those that are so thin you can almost see through them. We spend a long time asleep during out lifetime so it’s really important to make our sleeping experience as pleasant as possible. That is what bed sheets are like.

Unfortunately, buying sheets is not quite as easy as it used to be or should be. You may go to a store wanting plain white cotton sheets but end up so confused because you have so many different types of cotton, that you may go home with the wrong one (in most cases) or end up buying something you don’t want. This is what bed in a bag sets are like.

Bed sheets have historically been white, but in modern times many different colors and patterns are available. The quality of bed sheets is often conveyed by the thread count. The thread count is the number of threads per square inch of bed sheet material. Usually, the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet is. Common materials used in making sheets are cotton, linen, blends of cotton / polyester, silk, wool, rayon, and others.

A winter just isn’t complete without warm flannel sheets. Most people exclusively use flannel sheets in the cold months, because they will become “sweaty” in hot ones. In addition, many manufacturers have begun to produce flannel comforters and blankets to match the patterns on the sheets. This is what sheets are like. Finally, a silk or satin pair of sheets is considered the ultimate in luxury. They are silky soft and will keep you from sweating in the summer. You can literally slide into bed and if you have a satin or silk pillow case, lay your head in pure luxury. The only downside to satin and silk sheets is that they tend to slide off of the bed if not fitted properly.

Working From Home

An Introduction to Home Working

Ask anyone to choose their perfect job and home working would come high on their wish list. Whether home working is an option provided by your employer or a decision you have taken yourself in starting your own business, the thought of just getting out of bed, walk over to a workstation and just start work is very appealing. No commuting to and from the office and working hours to suit yourself.

But is home or flexible working right for you as an individual, or good for your business as an employer? Well there are many advantages and disadvantages. Home or flexible working brings new responsibilities for both the employer and employee. Equally with advances in mobile technology it has never been easier to set up your own business to work from home.

An Increasing Trend

From a business point of view, allowing staff to work at home on either a full or part-time basis can bring a range of business benefits, from increased productivity, greater staff motivation to effective use of your premises. Advancements in mobile technology has contributed enormously to the increase in opportunities for working from home.

The spread of home working using the internet or telephone opens up a new range of possibilities with regards to the way a business works and structures itself. Computers, mobile phones, broadband and mobile broadband all play a role. For the individual, becoming self employed and working from home has also never been easier. If you have a laptop and mobile phone the opportunity is there, it’s just deciding what you want to do. So home working is becoming a way of life for many individuals and businesses, but what is home working?

Some employers will offer selected employees the opportunity to become a teleworker, whereby an employee can undertake their role from home utilising various types of technology, which is installed at the employees home by the employer. The employee will remain in touch with the business and other teleworkers. Some businesses, for example the utility companies who require gas, electric and meter readers, will class employees undertaking this type of work as teleworkers or outworkers.

Some individuals opt for the self-employed work life. The self-employed will operate their business from home, offering a product or service such as web development or business consultancy from home. In these types of roles, the individual can often plan their day to suit their own needs. I know one web developer who often works well into the early hours of the morning as this is when he feels most productive.

Others such as a painter and decorator, plumber or gardener, whilst providing their services away from the home, use home as the office for paperwork such as pricing future jobs and preparing invoices. I know of several painters and decorators who work Monday to Thursday, but use Friday’s to go out and price up future potential work. That is one thing to bear in mind when setting up as self employed, you need to allow time to find or prospect for future work.

Some types of work are more suitable for flexible working than others, the following list is not exhaustive, but will give some guidance:

• Telesales and Marketing
• Customer Services
• Professional services & consultancy i.e. HR Administration & Accountancy
• Certain types of administration work
• Data input
• Creative/Graphics
• Writing, editing, translation and research.
• I.T. Support & Programming

Many of the above have a common theme and that is that as long as you have access to a computer and a phone, you can undertake almost all of these tasks from home.

The shift towards flexible working does not mean employees only work from home. Splitting time between the workplace and home is the most productive solution, as you want employees to attend meetings, therefore keeping them informed and involved. Continued face to face interaction within the business remains a key requirement.

With the introduction of home working regulations, employers now have to seriously consider employee requests to work flexibly from home, especially if they have parental responsibility for children under 16 years old, disabled children or they are carers for other adults with disabilities.

Employers and individuals also need to consider what equipment will be required to ensure that an efficient business operation and working environment is set up.

The range of office furniture available to suit any home working environment is vast.

The Pros and Cons

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of an employer allowing employees to work from home or use their home as a base for at least part of the working week? It’s clear there are a number of benefits to the employer:

• Staff Retention is increased
• Wider pool of applicants to recruit from e.g. disabled people who prefer to work from home.
• Productivity gains through having fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
• Reduced stress and sickness increasing staff motivation.
• Savings on office space and facilities.
• Sales staff closer to clients, rather than being based at the office which could be miles away.
• As with life if there are advantages then there are also disadvantages to home/flexible working:
• Management of staff and monitoring performance
• Possible deterioration of key skills and quality of work.
• Capital costs - training and providing suitable equipment, this could include adaptations to meet Health & Safety standards or meet the needs of disabled workers.
• Difficulties maintaining staff development and upgrading of skills.
• Information security risks
• Increased telecommunication and I.T. costs
• Sense of isolation and communication problems amongst home workers.
• Staff morale and difficulties in maintaining team spirit.
• Home working may not be suitable for certain types of jobs.

One thing I particularly miss is the Monday morning office banter about what you did at the weekend of how your football team has fared compared to others. Often the camaraderie that is unique to an office where you get to know people well over many years is also lost where flexible working becomes an option.

Are You Suited o Working at Home?

Having identified the types of work that is suitable for flexible working, the employer must satisfy themselves that employees are suited to this type of work. It’s likely they will need a number of skills in key areas to allow them to work away from base.

• Time management and self discipline
• Motivation
• Communication
• Technology

We must make it clear that flexible working is not suitable for everyone and care should be taken, because allowing one person to work from home will set a precedent that others will want to follow. Others will see an attraction to working at home particularly on a lovely summer’s day, rather than being stuck in an office. I must confess that as I write this article, I am sitting in our summer house at the bottom of the garden with the laptop on a glorious summer’s day in June.

An employer you must have a clear idea of how home/flexible working could fit in with the needs of the business. A set of house rules need to be established and maintained, i.e. priority is given to requests from parents of young or disabled children. My wife for example, plans her day around the hours of taking the children to school and collecting them later. She maintains that she is extremely focused on what she needs to achieve within those six hours in between. No distractions or idle chit-chat that will occur in an office environment.

In some cases the employer is legally obliged to seriously consider requests for home/flexible workers. Employee with parental responsibility for children aged 16 or under, or disabled children who are under 18 and receive disability living allowances can request a range of flexible working patterns from their employers, this includes the right to work from home. There are similar rights for employees who are carers of adults.

The introduction of flexible working can also lead to an overhaul to employment contract terms and conditions. In a majority of cases an employee’s place of work is listed in the written schedules of their employment contract. It’s important that when an employee starts to work from home it may be necessary to review and amend their employment contract.

The following is a list of contractual aspects an employer should consider when implementing a home/flexible work policy:

• Stated hours of work
• Identify core times when employees undertake to work and/or are contactable.
• Extra duties or responsibilities that may need to be assigned in addition to those already agreed
• Identify the terms regarding the supply and insurance of any equipment that may be required, these should clearly state ownership and use, especially that its not to be used for personal use.
• Clearly identify what the employer will reimburse to cover additional expenses the employee may incur, its especially important to identify the calculation method when costs are shared i.e. utility bills and telecommunications
• Procedures to be put in place if either the employee or employer wishes to terminate the home/flexible working arrangement.

Allowing flexible working the employer should remember that they still have health and safety responsibilities for people who work at or from home; and you are likely to have to provide and maintain equipment for employees to use, these include:

• Workstation complete with suitable task chair
• Filing cabinet, shelves or storage
• PC/Laptop with office software, email and broadband internet connection
• Dedicated business telephone line
• Printer & fax machine
• Stationery and Office Supplies

For added luxury, executive leather desk chairs are available for the home or office working environment.

IT equipment and software can be expensive so it’s important to ensure it meets your genuine business need and is compatible with your existing systems. Technology changes almost daily and with today’s advances the establishment of virtual teams where employees work together despite working at home can be set up easily and at reasonable expense. These teams could be two employees talking over the phone or you could use more hi-tech solutions like high speed internet, instant messaging, webinar and video conferencing.

Providing all this kit and equipment it is important to ensure your business insurance cover is extended to cover home workers, as their home insurance is unlikely to cover this, however they should check with their insurer and extend their policy to include working from home.

Workers who adopt home working should check with their local council and mortgage company the position regarding using their home as a work base, and whether they may have to pay business rates for the portion of their home they use as an office. Some self employed businesses will involve use of a vehicle which will need to be parked up at certain times of the day. For example painters and decorators and builders are likely to utilise a transit van or pick up truck in the work. You should therefore ensure that neighbours will not be offended by having the vehicle parked in the street or to block light out of their homes. If you are to park a vehicle at home, let the neighbours know, it may save a lot of hassle later.

The employer needs to ensure that employees take care of business equipment and information in their possession, it’s important to establish procedures to be followed if any item is damaged or lost, especially data and intellectual rights.

We all agree that flexible working offers a wide range of benefits to both the business and employees, but it needs to be carefully managed to be successful. Procedures should be put in place for managers to monitor and assess home workers, this is the most significant managerial challenge an employer will face. It can be helpful to measure their effectiveness in terms of output rather than the hours of work. Agree set goals and deadlines for particular projects, and ensure these are being met, give feedback promptly and sensitively if things go wrong.

Ensuring home workers have access to training can prepare and help employees develop the necessary skills they need.For staff who work alone a sense of isolation is one of the main factors most likely to make home working fail, therefore it’s important to ensure procedures are put into place to make people feel part of the team, these should include:

• Frequent two-way feedback sessions about work and work related issues
• Regular scheduled visits to the workplace
• Inclusion in social activities for home based workers.
• Clear procedures to be followed and contact lists if things go wrong.

When the employees job is entirely home-based from the start, make sure their induction is undertaken at your premises, this helps the home worker focus and be productive if they have a chance to establish a clear idea of the people they will be working for.

Even for the small office in the workplace or at home office fit out contractors will advise on efficient use of lighting, space and the correct furniture.

A Brief Health & Safety Obligations Check List for Home Workers

If you use your home as your main business workplace, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment to identify any possible hazards to yourself, workers, visitors and other members of your household.

Possible hazards include:

• Using work equipment at home, including electrical appliances
• Your workstation set-up
• Handling loads
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Psychological hazards, such as stress or loneliness
• Fire
• Slips, trips and falls
• Excessive noise or vibration

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the work place. Even something we take for granted on a daily basis, such as walking up and down the stairs, should be regarded as a risk to safety. Evaluate whether a hazard is significant and if it is, whether you have taken enough precautions to make the risk as low as you reasonably can.

You need to consider:

• Your home and those who live there - including vulnerable persons, e.g. children, the elderly, and new and expectant mothers
• The work done in your home
• The equipment in your home
• Emergency procedures
• First aid provision

Five steps to a health and safety risk assessment

1. Identify any hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Assess the risks and remove them or, otherwise, reduce them as far as is reasonably possible.
4. Record your findings.
5. Check the risks regularly and take further steps if needed.

Conclusion

With advancements in mobile technology, working at home has become far easier to do. It can offer a very balanced way of life and the rewards can be significant. In the current economic climate, many who have been unfortunate to suffer redundancy or reduced hours are considering setting up their own business to work from home. Having worked in the corporate world for over twenty years and just suffered redundancy, it is certainly an option to consider.

But working from home needs to be considered carefully. Is it right for you? Is it right for your employer? What impact will it have on your homelife? Many advantages, but also many disadvantages and bear in mind the health and safety requirements and risks. Your health is important so choosing the correct office furniture to meet your needs is a must for any home worker to ensure you have the proper facilities for home working.

Another thing to consider, which is often overlooked, is that once you have got your work into your home, how do you get away from it?

If you are lucky enough to really love your work the temptation can be to do it all day long. Eventually this can lead to burn out and can also take away some of the pleasure of working, even if it is something you really love. Therefore it is important to have balance in your life, even more so when you work from home. Some suggestions to help to achieve this are to make sure that when you have lunch, for example, remove yourself from the work space and don’t eat at your desk, get some separation from the work when you are not doing it.

Remember that just because you work from home it doesn’t mean that work has to take over your life either.

Leeds Restaurants

You may know the city of Leeds in the near Bradford is a great place to stay and visit. It has the finest selection of restaurants serving great food with excellent friendly service, whatever your preference restaurants Leeds have beautiful dining areas or pub restaurants with cozy fireplaces that are relaxing. You will find friendly, waiters and waitresses which serve you with a smile and provide good value and highly exceptional service.

Some of the best Leeds Restaurants are:

•The Crown Inn
The Crown Inn of Monk Fryston which is only a short travel from Leeds serves great British food daily. Their food service schedules are 12 Noon – 9pm from Monday to Saturday and 12 Noon to 8pm on Sunday and Bank Holiday. It offers different menus from main winter menu to buffet menu as well as menus for special occasions like Valentines Day and Christmas Fayre.

•La Brasserie’ at Cedar Court
The Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield, West Yorkshire offers excellent dining for everyone in their fine dining brasserie restaurant. It has a total of 20 skilled chefs offering fresh seasonal, best ever menus for every customer in a very relaxing atmosphere. Plus you can totally relax in their ground floor lounge for a casual drink with or with out meal.

•Toby Carvery Newmillerdam
The Toby Carvery Newmillerdam is one of the finest restaurants they are just south of Leeds. It offers fresh roast food at its best so everyday day is like Sunday best when you are in Toby Carvery! They serve the best cuts of tender roasted meats accompanied by a selection of fresh, seasonable vegetables for everyone to choose from.

•Valentino’s
For great Italian dining, everyone is welcome to visit and enjoy the great Italian food and very relaxing surroundings at Valentino’s! It offers different kind excellent Italian food, great service and an extraordinary Italian atmosphere that every customer would always look forward to.

•Thai Palace
If you are looking for a great Thai food and exceptional service from your local restaurant, and takeaway in Wakefield then visit the Thai Palace! Loads of their customers enjoy the advantage of being a Thai member. The restaurant offers FREE membership for the first 250 costumers. This free membership entitles the customer to avail 10% OFF for their entire restaurant bill in each night of the week. Sounds great, right?

So come visit Restaurants Leeds now and experience the fun of tasting great food accompanied by excellent service!

Disabled persons can use a stairlift as help to reobtain mobility in their home

A staircase lift is the right solution for old and disabled people who want to stay independently in their own house. The staircase lift has been a well-established product in most industrialized countries for many years. There are several suppliers offering chairlifts for stairs in those countries. If you are looking for a stair lift in Germany, I can recommend the following site, which gives some essential info on German sellers: Treppenlift in Hameln.

It is very useful to get as many aspects as possible before making a final decision because a stair lift is a pricey investment. Here are some more aspects to think about and some major advantages which arise from the use of a stairway lift:

Not only is a stair lift a fantastic help for you to reach upper floors, but you can also use it to transport food, drinks and other stuff upstairs. When looking for the right provider, you should not only consider the rate but also think about other factors like if there is quick service available in case of breakdown. With a stairlift in your domicile you can get back mobility and easily reach every floor of the house. This is interesting not only for house owners but also for tenants of apartments with more than one story. More info on some important German manufacturers can be found here: Treppenlift in Cuxhaven. The most important vendors of stairlifts provide a statewide service and distribution system. They should be able to show you an already installed stairway lift at another customers home not far away from your location. Always ask if the first consultation is free of cost.

Many old people with physical disabilities can stay in their homes and familiar surroundings with the help of a stairlift. Some of those people would have to leave their homes if such technical devices were not availabable. Each chair lift for stairs must meet very specific requirements and must be manufactured and installed accurately. It is important to know whether you have a straight staircase or curved staircase. In case of a curved staircase, the whole project will be more expensive. It is recommended to choose one of the best providers with many years of experience. They will not only provide good service but may also offer a payment plan. People, whose ability to climb stairs is reduced for example by illness, accident or disability, will greatly benefit from a stairlift. It is wise to consider reduced bodily ability, which might come with increasing age, and plan the installation of a stairlift early enough. So you should collect sufficient information and ask your children or grandchildren to help you.

The Forex Megadroid Review You Need

This Forex Megadroid review takes a close look at the expert advisor software that claims it is “seeing into the immediate future with 95.82% accuracy”. Artificial intelligence is one thing - predicting the future is another. So how does the ‘droid measure up in practice? Can it really foretell the movements of the markets?

How It Works

Developed by John Grace and Albert Perrie from out of 38 years’ combined experience in the forex markets and launched in the spring of 2009, Forex Megadroid uses what is called ‘market adapting intelligence’ to make it flexible enough to achieve a high level of accuracy in a fluctuating market.

The criticism thrown at most automated forex software by many traders is that the robots can only make money if the markets are consistent. The old style of robot that was based on inflexible rules was not able to cope with major changes in the patterns of market fluctuations.

However, the new market adapting intelligence, as you might guess from the name, allows a new generation of forex robots to learn from these changing patterns so that they can adapt to a certain amount of inconsistency in the markets and refine their trading rules to fit. This gives your funds a much better chance of surviving when things become more than usually volatile.

Of course we are not talking about long term predictions. Forex Megadroid’s ‘reverse correlated time and price analysis’ (RCTPA) aims to predict market movements in the next 2 to 4 hours.

Results

At the time of writing, this EA has only been out for about 6 weeks so it is early days, but reports from users on the foreign exchange trading forums are very good. Many people are seeing 90% or more successful trades.

The bot needs to win 5 trades for every loss so a ratio of 90% will make good profits. Keep in mind though that this does not mean always 9 wins followed by 1 loss. You could have a couple of losses in short succession which will eat into gains and could frighten off beginners. Experienced traders know that losses are part of the game and you must be prepared for them.

In terms of percentage gains, users report 10% to 20% increase on live accounts over one month. That is a healthy profit.

Disadvantages

Users report that the Megadroid did not at first make as many trades as they expected. People were only seeing 3-4 trades a week. This meant that unless you wanted to risk large sums, you would not have a chance to make a lot of money in a short time, which many people starting out in forex want to do. So this was frustrating for many users.

However, a slow and steady approach is much more likely to lead to long term growth. If this software teaches beginners to look to the long term instead of trying to make a fortune overnight, it will be doing us all a service. So have patience while your bot is sitting there waiting to trade.

Anyway with the recent release of version 1.1, long gaps between trades do not seem to be so much of an issue and users are reporting up around 10-12 trades a week now.

Price

Given all that it does and the research and development that has gone into this, I was expecting it to cost more than the average forex robot. But it doesn’t. At the time of writing it is available for just $97 and even if you miss that price it is worth plenty more.

Guarantee - 100%

There is a 60 day 100% refund guarantee and you can claim this from the vendor Clickbank. You do not need to contact the product developers.

Forex Megadroid Review Summary - 5 stars

Automated forex software is constantly evolving but this one does genuinely seem to be the leader of a new generation. While there are others that use the same approach, Forex Megadroid seems to be getting the best results. With 60 days to play with it before you have to decide to return it or keep it, you can try it out without risk. Go for it.

Writing Customer Satisfaction Surveys that Work

Why should you bother?

The life blood of any business is good customer service. New customers are important but good customer service will help generate customer loyalty and repeat business. With every satisfied customer your business is likely to go on and secure many more customers through recommendations and if you do not take proper care of your customers there is probably a competitor waiting in the wings that will.

A customer satisfaction survey will help by not only identifying problem areas but will also demonstrate to your customers that you care and are proactive in looking for ways to improve the service that you provide.

Where to start?

Objective - Before you start compiling your survey consider what the objectives of the survey are, in that way you will remain focused and find it easier to decide what questions to ask.

Analysis - Once the survey has been completed consider how you will analyze the answers.

Keep in mind that ‘closed’ questions (where a respondent is asked to choose from a limited number of responses) are much easier to analyze than ‘open’ questions (where the respondent can reply in anyway they want).

A great deal will depend on the predicted volume of respondents, the higher the volume the more important it is to have an easy method of analysing the results.

Opportunity – As well as obtaining valuable market research data keep in mind that customer surveys are also a good way to advertise areas of your service that your customers may not be aware of.

Before you publish the survey confirm that the questions you have asked will provide you with market research data that when analyzed will help you make informed decisions.

Then, from a marketing view point read through the survey, confirm that you have phrased each question so that every opportunity has been taken to promote your business?

The ideal question will perform the following three functions:-

• Market research - provide valuable feedback to help you improve your customer satisfaction levels and in turn your business
• Marketing - promote aspects of your business
• Information/Education - advertise a service that you provide that your customers may not have been unaware of

For example:- Do you find the in-store baby changing facilities useful?

In asking this question the store will hopefully not only receive useful feedback on the baby changing facility but they will also promote the store as being child-friendly even beyond the customers who actually require the facility.

Warts and all – to benefit most from a customer survey you need to be prepared to dig deep and accept the worst.

A customer satisfaction survey should be designed to highlight problems so that they can be addressed; regular customer satisfaction will prevent complacency and will also give early warning on where your competitors initiatives may be losing you business.

What questions should you ask?

Each business is likely to have unique factors in relation to providing good customer services however there are common areas that are going to be relevant to all businesses be they a physical store, online store or a service industry. The following are some key areas to providing good customer service.

Communication - Do customers find it easy to communicate with you?

When customers telephone are their calls answered quickly; are their enquiries about products or services handled properly? A good business will make every effort to ensure that whatever the customers query it is resolved by the right person, politely, quickly and fairly.

If there are reported problems that cannot be resolvable immediately do you promise to respond in a given time period and do you deliver on your promise?

Use a customer satisfaction survey to ensure that all your staff are considered by your customers to be courteous, helpful and knowledgeable.

Location – Do your customers find it easy to visit you, if a physical bricks and mortar store, is it conveniently located with good access?

Making it pleasant, making it easy - For a virtual business it is important to ensure that your website is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing.

Regardless of the store being a bricks and mortar or purely an online internet store, is the store properly laid out, can your customers find what they need and is there sufficient information and help on hand to explain how a particular product works?

The right quality products – You should not only measure the quality of the service that you provide but you should also monitor that the products and services that you market are what the customer wants and closely match their expectations.

Value for money – Cheap or expensive is rarely a good measure, value for money is.

Do your customers consider your business synonymous with value for money, if not, why not?

Speed and attention – Regardless of the type of business most customers will want to be dealt with quickly but attentively.

Are you doing everything you can to avoid delays?

A good business will try to treat each customer as an individual, does yours? Attention is appreciated but it needs to be followed up with a quick and satisfactory resolution to the query.

Demographics and Specific issues – Take the opportunity to profile your customers, for example what is their age group and where do they live?

By understanding your customers more, the better your chances of correctly targeting your business.

As part of the survey allow your customers the opportunity to highlight any problems that they may have and provide you with contact details so that their problems might be later addressed and their concerns followed up.

What is next?

Analyze the results once the survey has been completed.

Trends – Look for common and specific areas where the customer service is found wanting.

Ask yourself if any criticism is valid, be honest to yourself, is there anything that can be done to properly resolve, or at the very least, minimise the problem?

Training – Are the staff properly trained and do they have sufficient knowledge?

Where employee training programmes have been implemented have they made a positive contribution to the business and improved the customer service?

Follow-up – If a customer who has completed a survey has raised a specific issue do all you can to ensure that their complaint is addressed.

Do not lose the opportunity to resolve a problem and keep a customer.

Continuously Monitor - Make changes based on the survey results and then re-measure by issuing further surveys.

If you are concerned about customer satisfaction and would like to view a sample survey for a store that will demonstrate some of the above advice please view the Sample Customer Survey

Exercise Mats Are Indispensable!

Exercise mats are amongst those forms of exercise equipment that people need but do not really pay attention to. We seem to take it for granted that it is there when we sit on it at the gym to do our sit-ups or stretches. But when compiling your own home gym, exercise mats are indispensable, especially if you do not have rugs installed in the room. They help protect your body from getting bruised by a hard floor and give your back and body adequate support when performing exercises on the floor. Uebung

Do you need to purchase exercise mats? Whether you are buying them for a home gym, professional gym, a yoga studio, or a dance studio does not matter. What matters is that you find the highest quality mats out there for a good price. Mats vary in quality and in style so it is a good idea to do a lot of initial research before you make the purchase. Muskelaufbau

Determine what you need the exercise mats for. Exercise mats for yoga or Pilates will be a lot different than exercise mats designed for crunches and other exercises. If you need to do a few things on the mats, consider looking for a style that will accommodate a wide range of activities. Otherwise, you will need to purchase different exercise mats for different purposes. Another thing that will affect your purchase choices is whether or not you will be placing the exercise mats on a rug or on a harder surface. This will affect the type of mat you buy as well. Gesundheit

Exercise mats provide you with a good way to make sure you are exercising properly. It helps align your body and prevent you from hurting yourself while doing the exercises. If you try to exercise without a mat, you risk injury, especially if you are doing the exercises on a hard surface such as cement or a hardwood floor. If you need help trying to figure out which mat to purchase or use, you may want to contact an expert such as a personal trainer to help you out. With the right form and the right exercise mats, you can get the positive results from the exercises that you want without injuring yourself.

Useful Bits Of Purchasing Trendy Comforter Sets

Most of us dream of have a beautiful and stylish bedroom which looks like a professional designer was hired to create the look. The right comforter set is one of the key elements of a stylish bedroom. There are a few different ways of getting the perfect comforter set in your bedroom. 
 
One idea is to buy the comforter set you love the most and then design the rest of the bedroom to coordinate with in. Another way to go is by selecting a comforter set which works with the décor you already have in your bedroom. If your bedroom already has a design theme you will need to keep this in mind while shopping for a comforter set. 
 
For bedrooms with a rustic décor consider a comforter set in a classic plaid or moose print. For a more upscale design scheme look at brocades and silks for your comforter set. Color is just as important as style when buying a new discount comforter set. If the rest of the accessories in your bedroom are in pale pastels then look for a comforter set to match. 
 
If you have wallpaper or rugs with colorful patterns it is best to stick with a solid color for the comforter set. If, on the other hand, your walls and rug are solid you might want to bring some style to the space with bold colors and patterns on the comforter. For those who want to design the room around a comforter that they love the first thing you should do is go comforter shopping. 
 
Find a comforter that is the perfect match for your style and personality and use those colors and patterns throughout the bedroom. If this is the best strategy for you don’t forget to look at the color of your flooring and walls unless you want to paint or recarpet. Don’t forget to look for a comforter set that is of high quality. It should use good materials and be well made.