For health purposes, It's recommended that bed sheets and pillowcases
get changed once a week. More washing and drying means more wear and
tear on your sheets, so ideally, you'll have at least two complete sets
that you alternate each week. Your typical set of sheets in the
300-to-500 thread count range should be washed in hot water with regular
detergent and then dried on a hot setting. This is especially important
for allergy sufferers, because the hot temperatures help kill dust
mites. But once you're up in the 1,000-thread count range, most of which
are considered luxury sheets, the washing instructions are a little
different. High thread count sheets use cotton threads that are thinner
than regular yarns, so when they're exposed to high temperatures,
they're much more likely to break. These sheets should be washed in warm
water and dried in the dryer on a cool setting. If you prefer your
sheets to be wrinkle free, then you're probably going to have to do a
little ironing.
When washing sheets, It's important
not to overload your machine because the rinse cycle won't be able to
get all of the soap residue off. Leftover soap means your sheets won't
feel as soft. If you wash a full load, you may want to consider running
an additional rinse cycle. It's important not to use chlorine bleach or
detergents with brighteners on your bed linens because they can weaken
the fibers. If you want to naturally brighten white sheets, just add a
quarter cup of lemon juice to your load. If you use powder detergent, be
sure to dissolve it in the water before adding your sheets to the mix.
And try not to wash sheets with towels.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Laundry and Dry Cleaning Pick Up and Delivery Service
Raspberry Laundry & Dry Clean Services offer a Pick Up and Delivery Service within Pasig City ( Ortigas Center, Renaissance Tower, Goldland Millenia Tower, Riverfront Residences, Valle Verde, Hampton Gardens, The Grove, Astoria Plaza etc.).
The process is as simple as calling us on 0917.447.4068 and arrange a convenient time for us to collect and when it will be suitable for us to deliver. We are open 7 days a week (apart from certain National Holidays). If the phones are busy, please be patient or you can text us.
The process is as simple as calling us on 0917.447.4068 and arrange a convenient time for us to collect and when it will be suitable for us to deliver. We are open 7 days a week (apart from certain National Holidays). If the phones are busy, please be patient or you can text us.
Rapid turn around. Your laundry and/or dry cleaning will be
ready and delivered typically in 2 days. Express, Same Day and emergency
service is also available.
We recommend you place your items in a bag clearly labelled
with your name and instructions. We collect your order at the arranged time
slot from you or your porter, receptionist, house-keeper, etc. Please allow a 2
hour window for collection and delivery - we can guarantee our service but
unfortunately we cannot predict the traffic.
Your items will then be Professionally cleaned and delivered
back to you as per your instructions. Payment is by cash.
We provide collection and delivery either to your home or
place of work. If you wish to have your dry cleaning and laundry picked up from
work but don't know how, let us know which company you work for and let us
organize it.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Laundry Practical Tips
Over the past few weeks I was thinking of new ways to make my laundry routine the natural way using stuffs that are found in my kitchen. I had to face new ways to treat faded clothing and yellowish whites.So I began experimenting because I don't want to use chemicals on a regular basis. I still prefer using biodegradable materials and alternative solution that has proven results. I've collected empty jars filled it up and labelled each.Below are the tips you can try for yourself.
1. Keep Your
Whites Their Whitest
Do your white
T-shirts tend to go grey? White socks look dirty no matter how many times
they're washed? Try one of these tried and trusted methods for making whites
stay white.
Soak in a
solution of 4 liters water and 180g bicarbonate of soda.
Soak in hot
water in which you've dissolved 5 aspirin tablets (325mg each). Add 240ml white
vinegar to the washing machine's rinse cycle.
2. Get
Blacker Blacks, Darker Darks
While faded
and distressed-looking garments are the rage for some age groups, you may
prefer not to look as if the last time you went clothes-shopping was 1998. Here
are some tips for keeping black and dark-coloured wardrobe items looking like
new.
• For blacks,
add 2 cups brewed coffee or tea to the rinse cycle.
• For dark
colors like navy blue or plum, add 1 cup table salt to the rinse cycle.
• For denim
that will be slow to fade, soak jeans in salt water or a 50/50 solution of
water and white vinegar before the first wash. Turn the jeans inside out before
putting them in the machine and turn the temperature setting to cold.
Know that
"new" smell of dye or chemicals that comes with just-bought sheets or
shirts? Have a teenager who thinks nothing of leaving sweaty clothes in a
locker or gym bag for weeks on end? Worse, ever have a run-in with a skunk?
Grab two old deodorizer standbys. First, add ½ cup baking soda to 1 gallon
(3.78 litres) water and presoak any smelly washable items for about 2 hours.
Then, as you machine-wash them, add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
4. Get Rid of
Yellow Stains
With time,
white cotton and linen tend to turn yellow — hardly the fresh, crisp look for
which cotton is famous. Let sodium come to the rescue by mixing ¼ cup salt and
¼ cup baking soda with 1 gallon water in a large cooking pot. Add the yellowed
items and boil for 1 hour.
5. Freshen a
Laundry Hamper
Hampers are
handy for keeping dirty laundry in one place, but they can get a little ripe
when packed with soiled clothes. Two ways to prevent hamper smells:
• Cut the
foot off a pair of old panty hose, fill it with baking soda, knot it, and toss
this makeshift odour eater into the hamper. Replace the baking soda every month
or so.
• Keep a box
of baking soda next to the hamper and sprinkle some on soiled clothes as you
throw them in the washer, where the soda will freshen and soften the load.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
DIY Stain Removal
Today I want to share with you some tips on how to treat stains using stuffs found in your home.
Below are the formula for each type of stains.
Keep in mind that you should treat each stain super fast before loading it into the washer or you will be having a tough time treating them. Untreated stains shouldn't be dried in your drier unless you want those stains permanently on your clothes.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Laundry Guide Procedures
I would like to show you the wash care tips. Follow this symbols and you won't go wrong.
Managing a laundry business is as easy as doing your own laundry if you follow the rules. I've been doing the laundry for almost eight years yet I still learned a lot each day. They say that experience is a great teacher, Well said and very true for me. I have experienced a lot when it comes to laundry such as shrinking, fading, yellowing, things left on your pockets and more.
Managing a laundry business is as easy as doing your own laundry if you follow the rules. I've been doing the laundry for almost eight years yet I still learned a lot each day. They say that experience is a great teacher, Well said and very true for me. I have experienced a lot when it comes to laundry such as shrinking, fading, yellowing, things left on your pockets and more.
So before tragedy happens to your new shirt please keep this guide. You can even use this as a wall art decoration in your laundry area.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Why Branding is Important
Branding is just as important for small businesses as it is
for big names. Indeed, many corporate brands are trying to look more like small
firms in order to appeal to consumers that prefer to support independent
brands. I would share my knowledge to help you develop your own brand identity.
Many small business owners I talk to already understand that
branding is essential to their business, but a surprisingly high number of them
don't really know why.
They recognize the link between successful businesses and
strong branding and aspire to build a brand that emulates similar success for
themselves. And they understand that branding is not just a logo or how their
business is perceived externally. But few realize that successful brands
have this branding at the heart of the business. So much so that in many ways
you could almost substitute the word brand for business.
Branding is a way of defining your business, both to
yourself and your team and also to your external audiences. It could be called
the business’s “identity”, but only on the understanding that the identity
embodies the core of what the business is and its values, not just what it
looks and sounds like. Customers of all sorts of businesses are so savvy today
that they can see through most attempts by companies to gloss, spin or charm
their way to sales.
The benefits that a strategically defined brand can bring
are the same as when people fall in love with each other. When customers
connect emotively — because they share the same values and beliefs of a brand —
it obviously leads to higher sales and better brand differentiation. It also
leads to loyalty, advocacy and can even protect your price in times when
competitors rely on promotional discounts to drive sales.
Just like with people when the relationship is strong, they
often decide to start a family. Once customers are emotively connected with
your brand it gives you the ideal platform from which to extend your offering
or range.
Here are the ten tips on how to successfully implement branding
for your business.
1. Start by defining
your brand. Review the product or service your business offers, pinpoint the
space in the market it occupies and research the emotive and rational needs and
concerns of your customers. Your brand character should promote your business,
connect with your customer base and differentiate you in the market.
2. When building
your brand, think of it as a person. Every one of us is an individual whose
character is made up of stories, beliefs, values and purposes that define who
we are and who we connect with. Our personality determines how we behave in
different situations, how we dress and what we say. Of course for people it's
intuitive and it's rare that you even consider what your own character is, but
when you're building a brand it's vital to have that understanding.
3. Consider what is
driving your business.
What does it believe in, what is its purpose and who are its
brand heroes. These things can help establish your emotive brand positioning
and inform the identity and character for brand communications.
4. One of your
branding goals should be to build long-term relationships with your customers. Don’t
dress up your offering and raise expectations that result in broken promises,
create trust with honest branding — be clear who your company is and be true to
the values that drive it every day.
5. Your brand should
always speak to your customers with a consistent tone of voice.It will help
reinforce the business’s character and clarify its offering so customers are
aware exactly what to expect from the product or service.
6. However, don't be
obsessed with consistency, repeating the same message in the same way over and
over again. Alternatively, aim to make your key messages work together to build
a coherent identity.
7. If you are a
small business, don’t try to mimic the look of chains or big brands. Try and
carve out your own distinctive identity. There is a big consumer trend towards
independent establishments, and several chains are in fact trying to mimic an
independent feel to capture some of that market. Truly independent operators
can leverage their status to attract customers who are looking for something
more original and authentic, that aligns with how feel about themselves.
8. Be innovative,
bold and daring – stand for something you believe in. Big brands are encumbered
by large layers of bureaucracy, preventing them from being flexible and
reacting to the ever-changing needs of their customers. Those layers of
decision-makers can make it hard for them to be daring with their branding.
9. Always consider
your branding when communicating to your customer base, especially when doing
offers. Don't lose your pride or dilute your brand positioning with
indiscriminate discounting. Try offering more, rather than slashing prices.
Promotions are an opportunity to reinforce your brand mission.
10.The old way of doing things was to simply stamp your logo
on everything that sits still long enough.
The future of branding is fluid and engaging — respect your
customers' intelligence by not giving everything away up front. Generate some
intrigue and allow them to unearth more about your brand for themselves. This
is the way to foster ambassadors who revel in telling other people what they
have discovered.
Sales Invoice VS Official Receipts
Today's article is about the difference between invoice and official receipt (OR). Probably most of us are still confused between the two receipts. With
the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) implementing a new ruling on the
receipts, it signals that they are becoming strict with their
collection and taxation.
So,
what is the difference between an invoice and an official receipt? Invoices,
more specifically, Sales Invoices, are used for sales
of goods while OR’s are used for sales
of services. Sounds easy enough, right?
Here are some examples to
show the difference.
Example 1: Food
- When
you dine in a restaurant. They will give you an OR, because they sell
the whole experience. It is not the food that you are paying for.
Official Receipts are for services.
- When
you buy your groceries and you ask for a receipt, they will give you a
sales invoice.
Example 2: Construction
- When
you buy at your local hardware. They will give you a sales invoice.
- But,
if you have your house built by a construction firm, upon payment, you
will receive an OR.
In both examples, there are
different scenarios given but you receive different kinds of receipts. To
reiterate, ORs are for sales of services, while Sales Invoices are for sales of
goods.
There are also other types of receipts, called supplementary receipts as
what the Tax Law says. Examples of these supplementary receipts are billing
invoices, delivery receipts, etc. These are what we were accustomed to
referring as “invoice”. So when we want our clients to pay us, we ought to give
them billing invoice or service invoice – not an invoice or a sales invoice.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Holiday Season Business Ideas
Do you smell Christmas in
the air? The “ber” months begins! The Philippines must be the only country
that starts the holiday season once September kicks in. It is also my favorite
time of the year since this season is the busiest time in any business.
Today I want to share with you some business ideas for the holiday season.
Here are some great holiday business ideas
that you might try this season:
1. Party Planner
The Holiday season is the season for parties.
However, many people are simply too busy or otherwise not inclined to plan
their own affairs. The Holiday season is the perfect time for starting a party
planning business. You may need to enlist the assistance of a few friends and
family members, or even hire contract wait staff, but you will likely find many
people who would be glad to pay for the convenience of a party planner this
season. Remember, most businesses have some type of holiday party for employees
and even customers. Market your new venture to local businesses, too.
2. Outdoor Lighting
and Decoration Service
Many people would love to see the outside of
their home festively decorated for the Holidays, but the task is just too much
effort for most. Start a business that will decorate yards and homes with
lights and outdoor decor. Don’t forget to offer tacking down the decorations
for an additional fee!
3. Holiday Interior
Decorator
Most families are tasked to the limit during
the Holiday season. One service most households could use is a seasonal
interior decorator to make their home a winter wonderland without the hours and
hours of effort. Offer to set up and decorate the Christmas tree, apply all
decorations and make each home a Holiday fantasy. If you create your own
decorations and crafts, you could incorporate these into your decor, too.
4. Personal Shopper
So many people consider holiday shopping a
chore that the season is a great time for starting a Personal Shopper service.
Consider charging an hourly rate for your service and you may find that you
have more business than you can manage. You may even need to hire a helper or
two.
5. Gift Wrapper
Each year, we suddenly remember just how time
consuming the task of gift wrapping really can be, especially if you like for
your gifts to have a special touch. This Holiday season, try starting a gift
wrapping business. This is another business that may just take off so much that
you need assistance from a helper or two. You can offer to come to the homes of
clients to wrap their gifts. Charge an hourly fee with an extra charge if you
supply the wrapping materials. You may even ask local retail outlets if you
could set up a table in an area of high traffic to offer your services.
6. Hand-Made Crafter
During the Holiday season, everyone wants
those special, little hand-made items, such as cute wreaths, baskets and little
Christmas towns. If you have a penchant for creating hand-made crafts, consider
selling your crafts. Offer your wares at craft shows, flea markets and
community centers.
7. Holi-Daycare
A great time to open a daycare or babysitting
service is around the Holidays. As parents need to shop for their children,
they need a safe place where the children will be well cared for during the
shopping excursion. Offer holi-daycare for parents who need some time to shop
or even those who just need to get out for a while or attend that Holiday
party.
8. Personalized Gift
Basket Service
Gift baskets are a popular gift idea for just
about anyone. You can offer to create personalized gift baskets based on the
recipient hobbies, profession and personal preferences. A personalized gift
basket is simple to create once you have an idea of what the recipient likes.
Start a business creating personalized gift baskets for your customers to give
those on their lists. You can express your creativity and make some holiday
cash at the same time.
9. Personalized
Holiday Cards
If you have any graphic design skills this one
may be for you. Imagine meeting with a family that wants to send our unique
cards to their family and friends. You can discover exactly what they want and
offer three separate design concepts. Your customer chooses the one they want
and you have the cards printed by your local printer. People will pay for
a service like this because it’s one less thing they need to be concerned
about. If you implement this idea don’t forget to triple check for typos and
have your customer sign off on the design before you send it to the printer.
You don’t want to be stuck with cost of a reprint!
10. Sweets and Baked Goods
If you have the passion for baking cookies and pastries you can turn that passion into a profitable business this holiday season. I love to cook a lot and whenever I have extra time during the holidays I make puto, brownies, cup cakes and leche plan and had them posted online for sale.
11. Christmas Decors
You can sell christmas tree and decors online like what i did every holiday season. I posted them online and I offer delivery service right at their door steps.
This sounds like fun, doesn’t it? I hope these
ideas inspire you get started on your holiday business today. I wish you and
yours a wonderful and prosperous holiday season.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Persian Kebab by Chef Emz
I love travelling and eating different cuisines and one of these favorites of mine are Korean food since their food is so flavorful. Today's article is about the Persian Food Kebab which is popular here in the Philippines. I have tried a few Kebab and Pita wraps here in Manila yet I was never satisfied with the taste. Yesterday despite our busy schedule from the office my husband and I decided to visit a former client of ours who manage a Kebab Food Kiosk located in Starmall Food Court Shaw Boulevard Mandaluyong City.
I ordered my favorite Beef Pita Wrap it was truly flavorful and delicious compared to other kebabs, not only that it's also affordable. If you are craving for something new better try this and you won't regret it! Believe me it was soooo delicious.
Beef Pita Wrap by Chef Emz of Persian Kebab
Beef Keema with Rice by Chef Emz of Persian Kebab
For orders you may call 0915.532.3687
Home Based Business Ideas for Stay at Home Moms
Being
a stay-at-home mom or full time housewife is no longer fashionable in this
present age. The reason is because the economy is getting
tougher. Nowadays both parents needs to work to sustain the needs of their
growing family. But who should look after the kids? As a mother of four it was
too difficult balancing my time for my family and business since we are having a hard time getting a reliable baby sitter. I was just lucky to have a supportive husband not just as a partner in raising our kids but in managing our business as well.
"Two are better than one, for they may well enioy the profit of their labour." Ecclesiastes, 4:9,
Having been through a lot of hardship, "I realized that when there is extreme difficulty it also comes with extreme opportunity." So now let me show you some business ideas that are suitable for moms who want to spend more time with their family while working.
1. Start a daycare center
A daycare center is one of the best businesses you can start from
home, especially if you love being around children. Operating a day care center
allows you to spend a great deal of time with your own children while taking
care of other people’s children as well. This business is a good choice for
moms and women who are already experienced in caring for children.
2. Start making novelty gifts and party favors from home
If you are a creative individual, and you have an eye for good art
designs; then you can start making party favors from home. With proper marketing,
you are sure to make a lot of money on Christmas, Baptismal, Wedding, Birthday, etc.
3. Start selling home baked goods
If you are skilled in baking and making snacks, you can as well
consider going into the business of selling home baked snacks. This business is
lucrative especially when you become a known brand within your neighborhood.
You can start by baking cupcakes, pies, cookies, homemade bread, etc.
4. Become a freelance contractor
Doing freelance jobs is another great way to earn money from home.
In fact, this business is very profitable. If you reside in countries such as Philippines, Nigeria,
Ghana, China, India, etc; then this is an opportunity for you to earn an extra
income because jobs are now been shipped out of the U.S. Example of jobs you
can do online from home include writing, typing, editing, script writing,
animated video production, etc.
5. Offline and Online Tutoring
This field no longer only caters to struggling children or those
people with learning disabilities. Rather, parents are now flocking to tutors
to help their children get ahead and learn much faster. Times are changing
indeed. Another tactical approach to this business is to take your teaching
skills online. Do you know that there are a lot of people online willing to pay
to learn English language? Do you know that the educational trend is now moving
towards online learning? Well, I leave you to your thoughts.
6. Start a business coaching service
Do you have administrative or management experience? Have you been
through trying times and overcame? Then you can become a business coach. When
the economy gets tough, business owners need all the help they can get to move
ahead. As a business coach, your duty is to empower these business owners and
managers, and help them improve their work performance; through personal
development and change.
7. Start an elderly care service
A growing population of elderly citizens means big opportunity for
non-medical home care service providers. Your task in this business is to help
the elderly people go through their daily lives. Examples of services you can
offer include house cleaning, transportation, dietary assistance, bathing, etc.
8. Start a web designing business
In today’s technology driven world, business owners are realizing
the importance of having their businesses on the internet. In fact, running a
web based business is a trend that has come to stay. So, if you have got the
technical know-how and the skills, you can build a career as a web designer
right out of your closet.
9. Start a candle and craft production
Making and selling these handicrafts is a great way to make good
money. If you are good at making attractive crafts, you can have your children
help you create these items while you market them easily from your home. You
can also venture into small scale candle production as candles are always in
demand throughout the year.
10. Start a catering service
Catering can be a good idea for that mom who loves cooking and
entertainment. Most of the work can be done in your home while looking after
your children. You don’t need to rent a space and you can only spend a minimal
time out of the house; that is if you plan adequately and have a competent
staff.
11. Start offering nanny services
Another business you can do from home is a babysitting business.
You can fulfill your dream of working from home by rendering nanny services to
busy mothers who do not have enough time for their babies, as a result of their
job or other things.
12. Publish your own book
Yes. You can become a publish author without even leaving your
home. Instead of spending your free time gossiping with other jobless
housewives or chatting online, why not write a book. You can either publish
through a traditional publishing company or you can self publish online through
Amazon and Kindle. J. K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter series became a
billionaire right from home. If she can do it, you too can.
13. Start an event planning business
Do you possess good organizational skills? Do you thrive under
pressure? Do you have a flair for putting together beautiful events? If yes,
then you will succeed as a event planner. You can even take your business
further by putting it on the web.
14. Start a carpet cleaning business
Only but a few people are willing to let their carpets get dirty
but unfortunately, they don’t have time to clean their carpet. This is where
you come in. You can help people clean their carpet and you get paid for the
service that you have rendered.
Housekeeping services is all about helping people maintain and
keep their houses in order. You can start around your neighborhood and with
time, you will get to extend your services to other areas. Extra services you
can do alongside your housekeeping service include housecleaning, lawn care,
etc.
16. Start a buy and sell business
You can start your buy and sell business by selling the stuffs you
don’t need found in your home. I used to sell unused items and turn it to cash
then used this to purchase an item which is in demand. “All i do is supply a demand” like diapers which will i buy in bulk then unsold items can be used by my kids, detergents soaps, big bikes which my husband trade for cash, furniture, gadgets and more.
16. Start a laundry business at home
You can start your laundry business at home. I started my own laundry shop from home with a little capital because everything i needed to run this business was found in my own laundry room. Starting a home laundry service is a great way to make money without having to sacrifice a lot of your time.
Raspberry Laundry Capri Oasis Renovation
From the typical blue and white interior paint now Raspberry Laundry in Capri Oasis has its new look.
We paint the walls in ocean blue, rose pink and green semi-gloss finish.
We retain the counter in blue and white laminated finish with blue cove lighting.
The laundry cabinet is painted in white ducco finish.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Donardo's Chili Garlic Sauce Anghang Sarap!!!
Chili sauce is an incredible condiment that adds spice and flavor to a wide range of dishes, from Asian recipes to Western favorites. It can be used as a wonderful dip for finger foods of all kinds, a side condiment to add more spice to your food (just as you might add salt & pepper), or even as a handy cooking ingredient (a great substitution for fresh or dried chili!). In most Asian countries like China and Korea, no table setting is complete without a bottle or jar of spicy chili sauce!
The Advantage of Asian chili sauce is that it can be used with nearly anything you might be eating or cooking, including western dishes like hot wings or spicy pasta dishes. I cook a wide variety of international foods at my home, but keep only one or two chili sauces on hand which work wonders with all types of cuisines. Try our very own Donardo's Chili Sauce Proudly Philippine Made!Donardo's Chili Sauce is available at all leading supermarkets nationwide like Puregold, The Landmark, Shopwise and more.
For more details you may call (+632) 366.23.81
The Advantage of Asian chili sauce is that it can be used with nearly anything you might be eating or cooking, including western dishes like hot wings or spicy pasta dishes. I cook a wide variety of international foods at my home, but keep only one or two chili sauces on hand which work wonders with all types of cuisines. Try our very own Donardo's Chili Sauce Proudly Philippine Made!Donardo's Chili Sauce is available at all leading supermarkets nationwide like Puregold, The Landmark, Shopwise and more.
For more details you may call (+632) 366.23.81
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Entrepreneur's Guide to Hiring Employees
Hiring staff can be
time-consuming, but if you cut corners, there's a good chance you won't get the
right employee. Today I want to share
with you some vital tips to recruiting a good employee which I learned from the
book "The Mafia Manager". If you have not read the book “The
Mafia Manager”; then you are definitely missing some unconventional business
lessons. If you are ready to learn, then please read on.
1. It
is not necessary to have a large family with many soldiers and button men. In
fact, the fewer employees you have, the fewer betrayals or disappointments you
will experience. Many employees, many betrayals, many disappointments and also
higher overhead.
2. Your
staff must be of the highest possible quality in critical positions. One good
man is, of course, better than a hundred fools.
3. For
a truly responsible job involving others in its performance; don’t hire
someone just out of school, no matter how impressive his record. Hire the
person who already has demonstrated an ability to work with others.
4. For
jobs less critical to the success of your organization, you will want to hire a
good attitude before experience. Attitude reveals itself in a number of ways.
For example, if an applicant asks about salary early on in his first interview;
his is a bad attitude and moreover, he is stupid.
5. For
a truly vital job, don’t hire a high powered expert; no matter how impressive
his credentials. Experts care only about their credentials and their fees; and
their caring never stops.
6. Don’t
hire more than two members of a household (except possibly your own) and never
hire lovers or husband and wife; no matter how necessary their individual
skills may be to your organization.
7. Before
you hire, you will interview. Knowing what skills and performance you want from
the person you will hire give applicants time to think about your questions on
those matters.
8. Be
specific in your questioning. Generalities begat general (thus useless)
responses. Require applicants to be specific in their answers. Use the
questions “why” and “how” to follow up responses.
9. As
for the interview strategy itself, seat applicants beside you if possible;
rather than across the desk from you, in order for you to better gauge his
reactions. Pick up his/her resume, frowning every now and then as if pondering
on something. When this bit of play acting is finished; and the applicant
suitably is unsettled by it, begin by asking the applicant why he wants the
vacant job and why he feels qualified to do it. Let him sell himself as much as
he wants to; interrupting only with specific questions. Finally, if the
applicant is presently working, ask him why he wants to change jobs.
10. If
the applicant should frown, squirm or stroke his cheek with apparent concern
while you are outlining the job difficulties; you should begin kissing him off.
In polite language, let your feelings be known to the applicant. Unless the
applicant tries to sell himself back into contention, do kiss him off. Tell him
you have others to interview and you will let him know, one way or the other in
a day or two.
11. Also kiss
off any applicant who is full of questions about his career’s
future with you.
12. In
any case, close interviews when you have found out all you need to know;
whether this takes five minutes or fifty.
13. When
an applicant seems worth another look, check out his business references and
employment history. Forget about personal references; he’s not going to list
someone who will bum rap him. If you happen to know one or more of his personal
refs, a call or two may get you some useful inside info.
14. Bring
in the most likely candidate for a second interview, preferably at lunch and at
this meeting; zap him with whatever you may have turned up bogus in his
business references or employment history. If those doubts; real or imagined
are resolved to your satisfaction, sell the job to the applicant.
15. Sell
the job; make no promises of future raises, promotions or broadening of
responsibilities. What the applicant gets is what he gets; nobody, not even you
have the crystal ball that works. Let him do the job applied for and we’ll see
what happens.
16. Following
your selling of the job, pose a few hypothetical problems the applicant may
encounter on the job and ask him how he might go about meeting them. If the
applicant passes muster; make an offer and hire him. If not, back to the office
to schedule a second interview with the next most likely candidate.
And lastly, never
you hire someone of the opposite sex in hopes of future erotic reward. It might
be the beginning of the end for your business.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Food Cart Business
Food
is one thing that will never cease to be in demand as long as life is in
existence. Food is needed at every point in time or country and food cart is
one of the easiest way to make food readily available. It is also one of the
affordable ways to enter into the food business.
One of the greatest advantage of
this business is that it is mobile and you tend to sell faster because you are
taking the food right to the door step of your customers. Another advantage is
that if you find yourself in a poor location, you can easily move your cart to
a better location where you will be able to make better sales. From an entrepreneurial
standpoint, kiosks and food cart have a lower overhead than restaurants and can
be moved if one location does not generate enough business. Rather than having
to determine where to open a restaurant and worry about the old real-estate
adage "location, location, location," the owner can actually drive to
a new location if business is poor.
The
third advantage is that the start-up cost for this business is cheaper than a
restaurant. So, if you are planning to start a small business but don’t
actually know which business to start, you can as well give food cart business
a trial. But before you start, you have to start off on a good note, here’s how
to start a food cart business.
1. Conduct a feasibility research
The
first thing to do before starting a food cart business is to conduct a research.
The research should include your start-up cost, projected expenses, revenue
projection, marketing strategies, human resources and a list of the challenges
the business will have to overcome to achieve success.
2. Decide on your business location
Areas
of high traffic such as schools, malls, large commercial areas, busy
intersections, terminals and supermarkets are good locations to operate your
food cart business. But make sure you carry out a thorough research in the area
of your location because it is your location that determines the level of sales
that you will make.
3. Register your business
In
other to ensure an easy and undisturbed running of your food cart business, you
have to register the business with certain government bodies like DTI for sole
proprietorship or SEC for partnership, bureau of internal revenue, food
regulatory authorities, etc. You have to also get a clearance from the
department of health.
4. Construct your cart
For
a start, go for an affordable but admirable cart but before constructing your
cart, you need to consider the type of food you want to sell. If you intend to
sell burger or other foods that requires you prepare it on set, you might
require a larger cart.
5. Brand yourself
After
getting your cart ready, the next step is to brand your food cart with your
business logo or business name. Consult a graphic designer to help you in
designing your logo or color scheme on your cart.
6. Get Connected
Running
a food cart business is not all about vending food on a mobile cart during
lunch hours in a crowded area. You may need to advertise yourself both online
and otherwise. By so doing, you get to connect your business to vast corners of
the world. So many food cart business owners make their money by catering
special event and cooperate functions.
7. Hire highly motivated personnel
Great
care must be taken when hiring the right employees to help run your food cart
business. You need to hire a hardworking and trustworthy person with a good
hygiene. You must ensure the applicant is good in simple arithmetic. Lastly, a
cheerful attitude and a presentable appearance is important to draw customers.
A
food cart business is an easy business venture and it is advisable for young
entrepreneurs. This is because it requires little capital and it is easy to run.
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