How To Enhance Your Self - IMAGE?

You can think you can, or can't. Either way, you'll be correct. This advice, generally credited to Henry Ford, focused on the overall level of our attitude, and whether, it will help, or hurt us. Another wise individual proclaimed, You are what you think. How can we benefit from these wise ideas, unless/ until, our overall emphasis, focuses, consistently, on the best way, to proceed, with the most, personally beneficial, self - IMAGE? With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, why this is such an important concept, if we hope to be, as happy, and healthy, as possible.

1. Introspection; integrity; inclinations; intentions; imagination; innovate: Give yourself, a check - up, from the neck - up, on a regular, consistent basis! Go beyond the surface, but proceed, with objective introspective, and maintain genuine integrity, to avoid the easy path, of lying, to yourself! Examine your primary inclinations, and whether your intentions, focus on the bigger - picture, or the short - term, easiest paths! Open, your mind, so your imagination, becomes your friend, and ally, and always, be ready, willing, and able, to innovate, to become, the best, you can be!

2. Motivations/ motivating; maintain: What are your priorities, and major motivations? Are these, personally, motivating, in a forward - looking, productive way? How might you maintain, an approach, which is most beneficial?

3. Attitude; aptitude; attention; actions/ approaches: Those, with true, positive, can - do, attitudes, combined with a willingness, and discipline, to enhance their skill - set, and aptitude, pay attention, to the possibilities! When they consider the best approaches, and take the necessary actions, to become, better, etc, one becomes better positioned, to become the best, they can be!

4. Greater; goals: Will you settle for good - enough, or seek something better, and greater, by taking the path, less - often, traveled? Carefully consider, your actual, personal goals, priorities, and perceptions, and be certain, they are ones, which inspire and motivate you, forward, towards being happier, more - fulfilled, and self - satisfied!

5. Energy/ energized; excellence; endurance: Doesn't it make sense, the more energized, you feel, the better, you will proceed? Will your personal energy, enhance your endurance, and persistence, towards genuine, meaningful excellence?

Those, seeking to become happier, and healthier, generally, proceed, with the discipline, and keen focus, on possessing a personally motivating, self - IMAGE! Are you ready, to care, enough, to do something, in your own behalf?

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for alternative health: http://facebook.com/althealth

How Do You Know, What's WRONG?

How can anyone, become, happier, health, and more, personally, fulfilled, unless/ until, he identifies, learns, discovers, and knows, from the onset, what's WRONG? Since, most people, refuse to give themselves, a realistic, thorough, introspective, check - up, from the neck - up, this process, is ignored, far too often! Doing this, takes the commitment, to take the time, and make the effort, to make yourself, the best you can be, which requires, identify, what might need, addressing, etc. With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means, and what must be performed, to make it, work to your best advantage.

1. Weakness; weakens; worse; what; why: Do you know, what your areas of weakness, are, and, are you willing, to address them, effectively, to be better, happier, healthier, and more, self - fulfilled? What weakens you, and what makes you, most confident, and secure? Instead of fixating, on what's wrong, and making things worse, wouldn't it make more sense, to ask, why, you are focusing on these, rather than, the best way, to make yourself, the best, you can possibly become?

2. Relevant; reasoning/ rationale; rational/ realistic; region; right/ rights: If something is not relevant to you, and your needs, focus, on things, which are! Examine, your reasoning, and your rationale, for proceeding, as you do! Consider things fully, and in a rational, realistic manner! Which region of your being, is strongest, and which, do you feel, needs fixing, the most? Know your personal rights, to make yourself, feel right, about how you proceed, and your personal strategy, and action plan!

3. Objectives; options; open - minded; opportunities; origins; original: How will you determine your personal goals, priorities, and objectives? Will you compare your options, in an open - minded manner, in order to discover the finest opportunities, for you? If something bothers, and/ or, concerns you, identify the origins of those fears, and discomforts! It's best to become the finest, original version, of yourself!

4. Needs: When you address your personal needs, objectives, and priorities, in a well - considered manner, you will become happier, and healthier!

5. Goals; good/ great: What are your goals, and, how might you proceed, to achieve them? Never accept good - enough, when great, might make you happier, and healthier!

If you want to be happier, and healthier, it's important to recognize, realize, and know, what you feel, is WRONG! Will you pay attention to your own best interests, needs, etc?

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for alternative health: http://facebook.com/althealth

Understanding Morgellons Disease In Detail And Possible Treatment

Morgellons disease is an unexplained and controversial skin problem. Unfortunately, this condition is not common and it is hence poorly understood. It is characterized by small particles of fibers that emerge from skin sores. Patients also feel experience a stinging feeling on the skin or feel as though something is crawling on them. There are facts you should know about the Morgellons disease.

Because MD is not understood in detail, some practitioners treat this condition as a delusional infestation. This means that patients receive cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, antipsychotic drugs or even antidepressants. Other doctors will even treat the concern as an infectious skin cells problem.

Some of the signs and symptoms allied with MD include skin sores or rashes that are extremely itchy and a crawling sensation under or on the skin as though an insect is biting, stinging or crawling on you. Patients also feel fatigued, have challenges concentrating, fall into a depressed mood and suffer from short-term memory loss. The most obvious symptom is threads, fibers or a black, stringy material on or in the skin.

MD can interfere immensely with the quality of life of a patient, mainly because of the intense itching and open sores. The results of studies conducted by different groups over decades are conflicting though multiple results have shown a possible link between MD and Borrelia spirochetes. However, the Disease Control and Prevention centers have ruled out any chances of the concern being caused by parasites or infections.

Practitioners refer to MD as an unexplained dermatopathy because the fiber samples from skin wounds are cotton. This concern is more prevalent among middle-aged white women and its signs and symptoms are quite similar to those of mental challenges that involve delusional infestation or rather false beliefs regarding infestation by parasites. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive diagnosis, guidance or treatment of this disease.

There are specially formulated salt baths that may aid in managing and alleviating this health concern. Salt baths, typically referred to as Morgellons bath can help in removing the stuff on the skin. Regular baths with essential oils could also help to accelerate healing of the sores. Fill your tub with warm water and add these products and then soak for at least one hour. This should help to remove the buildup of cysts. You can rinse in the shower afterwards.

The symptoms of MD are distressing and that is why you need compassionate treatment. Begin by establishing a relationship with a proficient and compassionate health care team and work with a practitioner who acknowledges the concern and not only devices a treatment plan, but also does thorough exams. As the patient, your patience is necessary because any ethical doctor must first consider other evidence-based treatments before considering an MD diagnosis.

Keeping an open mind is necessary if you want to find lasting relief. In certain cases, there are solid reasons for a practitioner to recommend mental health therapy. Treating concerns like anxiety and depression can help to understand the skin sores better when your thinking, moods or behavior is not influenced by mental health problems.

Sign-up for free newsletters to get a better understanding of what Morgellons disease is and how you can overcome this condition. Find out more about the use of bath salts to heal your body from this website at http://WeAllHaveMorgellons.com/.

What Is a Rapid Prototyping Service?

Rapid Prototyping or RP is new development in the manufacturing industry. For the first time, this type of machine was introduced at the end of 1980s. Nowadays, these machines serve a lot of purposes. For instance, RP machines are used to produce tiny components of high-quality. Also, some sculptors make use of this technology to make exhibitions. Let's find out more.

Rapid prototyping uses different techniques like CNC machining, Rapid Injection Tooling, RIM, FDM, and SLS, just to name a few.

Aside from this, it uses many latest processes like 3D printing and ballistic particle manufacturing. We call these processes additive manufacturing. Unlike the traditional manufacturing, RP starts with nothing and produces a completed part at the end.

Importance of Rapid Prototyping

For best scale, performance and functionality, you may want to test your concepts before you build your database and application. Given below are some solid reasons why rapid prototyping is used nowadays.

Reduce development time

Extend product lifespan

Detect design flaws

Decrease costly mistakes

Perform usability testing

Benefits of Rapid Prototyping

Quick Results: Rapid Prototyping allows manufacturers to show quick results to their clients. Actually, the prototypes work like a discussion medium between the user and the designer. So, the technology facilitates work and bring together the entire team.

Technical Understanding of the Problem: This technology allows manufacturers to get a formal approval of the product design from the client and programmers prior to the development stage.

With a functional prototype, it's possible to foresee and address the technical problems of the product design.

Collect Accurate Requirements: In case of traditional techniques to collect requirements like focus groups and interviews may not help as most people find it hard to conceptualize their desired product without seeing it first.

Also, around 50% of the project costs incur because of rework. With a working prototype, it's possible for the maker to show the product functionality to the client so that the final product is well designed.

Conflict Resolution: If you use a prototyping platform, it's easier for you to implement different features and then benchmark the performance. Engineers will give their opinions as to how the features should be implemented. The prototype can help resolve the conflicts and correct the design flaws before the actual product is made.

Time and Cost Saving: As said earlier, prototyping can help you save time and money. Since manufacturers can see how the final product will look like, they can save a lot of money on product development. Firms use RP services to save time and increase profits.

Time Reductions: Prototyping can save you between 60% to 90% time. Compared to the traditional prototyping methods, the estimates are quite realistic. Typically, firms that use RP save a lot of money time on the production of prototypes of different tools and components.

So, this is an introduction to Rapid Prototyping and its benefits. If you need to improve your manufacturing processes, you can give a go to this new technique.

If you are interested in a Rapid Prototyping serviceor looking for an additive manufacturing company, you can get in touch with Start Prototyping.

The Useful Existence of Parking Meters

The Parking System over the Years

Over the years, technology has dominated our world entirely. It has reached all the corners of the world. Where everything was manual a few years ago, today you will barely find people working in some areas. For instance, earlier, there would be a parking lot where you would simply park your car. Then after a while, paid parking was introduced for people. For this, some people were appointed who were supposed to stop each vehicle, note its number and take payment according to the number of hours they are parking their vehicle for. Nowadays, this job is done by the parking meter.

What is it?

A parking meter, or a parking payment machine, is the one which collects money and provides a vehicle the right to park their vehicle for a while. The charges depend from place to place and it is different for different time intervals. It has managed to increase the efficiency of parking and reducing traffic by a large margin. It can be used by municipalities to enforce people to park properly in the parking area and not on roads, which is a serious problem. The money collected is used for the management policies and taking care of the meter as well as the parking area.

The History

The first-ever mention of a parking meter was in the year of 1928. The particular patent was intended to work on power, taken from the parking vehicle, and it also required a connection of the meter to the vehicle. However, the first-ever parking meter to operate was in 1935, quite a while later. From the parking meter accepting coins in the beginning, now the payment method is much more flexible. Over the years, more and more people started to use these machines in their work buildings and soon it spread all over the world. It is still a new concept in some of the underdeveloped countries, but still, progress is being made and people all over the world are trying to invent smarter parking meters for themselves.

Parking Meters at Present

These days, there are different types of meters. The recent ones are called the multispace meters which control multiple spaces per block. They are better in performance and efficiency and they have customer-friendly features which make them easy to use. The instructions are visible on the screen which helps the people who aren't experienced with the parking meter. Most of these meters are wireless and very simple to use.

The Help they have Provided

There are still cases where people vandalize the meter, or it is harmed by thefts. But in general, the parking meters have provided a big help to everyone around the world. It doesn't take much time to park your vehicle now, where earlier it would take a lot of minutes. Moreover, some also provide the records of the vehicles entering and exiting the place, which is exceptionally beneficial for law enforcement.

Many companies build very efficient parking meterand you can find them in almost all parts of the world. One can also order these parking payment machines online and get it delivered at their doorstep in a short while.

The Threat to the Vehicle Thefts, Wheel Clamps

Parking your Vehicle

When you learn to drive a car, parking a vehicle is the most difficult and probably the most important thing. If you don't know how to park your vehicle, it will not only irritate the drivers around you, but also lead to your vehicle meeting a potential mishap. Many of the times, there have been cases when your vehicle begins to slide down the pathway where you park when the area is elevated. Moreover, one can also face an unfortunate situation if you park in the wrong area. What would that unfortunate situation be? Your vehicle's wheel getting clamped, as a punishment. How does the wheel get clamped? The answer is a wheel clamp.

What is a Wheel Clamp?

As the name suggests, it is a device which is used to prevent a vehicle from moving. It's also called a wheel boot, parking boot or a Denver boot. The Denver boot was named after the city of Denver, Colorado. It was the first county, which used them to force the people of the city to park in a sophisticated manner. The device is mainly used for law enforcement or as an alternative for the steering-wheel lock.

The Functions of a Wheel Clamp

There are many functions which can be performed by this device. As stated earlier, it can be used to punish an offending vehicle, for which the offender is made to pay a fine, charged by the law enforcement or the property owner. Moreover, it can be used to enforce the people who haven't paid their fines, to pay their dues. It is generally used by the banks, who take the car under them if the person fails to repay their loan. One of its uses is to prevent moving a disabled vehicle. Sometimes, people go to some other city or country and keep their vehicle parked at home for a long time. So to avoid getting it stolen, one can clamp their vehicle wheels. Furthermore, it can also be used by law enforcement to chase down a prosecutor and prevent them from escaping.

The History of the Wheel Clamp

People have been using different versions to avoid it from being stolen or driven since years ago. There are a variety of security devices used. Later on, in the year 1944, the wheel clamp was invented, making everyone's quest about searching for methods to secure their vehicle, finally complete. The one we use today was originally called the auto immobilizer. At that time, the device was invented to help out the police department of the Denver city in overcoming the growing parking problem. The cars which were towed by the police department were often vandalized. They come in different shapes and sizes for a variety of vehicles.

The Conclusion

The best one at present is the 'London Wheel Clamp', which was designed in London. In conclusion, it is a very helpful device used for a variety of reasons and satisfying its buyers with its strong clamp.

If one is interested in buying a wheel clamp to secure their vehicle or use it for personal use, they should go to their nearest stores to get one. These wheel boots come in various shapes and sizes to accommodate all the wheel models of the vehicles.

The Many Choices You Have For Worktops When You Extend Your Kitchen

Many people today are deciding to add an extension to their homes as a way of gaining extra space rather than moving home. Adding a conservatory gives you year-round views of your garden, and conservatories today are greatly improved on those of 20 or 30 years ago. Other people might add a home office in order to get away from the family when working from home which, with the coming of the internet, more and more people do today.

Whatever you add by way of an extension will add considerable value to your home and will save the expense of moving to larger premises if you have a growing family. It also saves all the hassle of finding and buying a new home, and then moving – which is acknowledged to be one of the most stressful things we ever do. Furthermore, moving home often entails moving away from family and friends, whereas adding an extension doesn't.

Another extension which is becoming more and more popular is a kitchen extension. Times have changed in the 21st century, and people now not only cook in the kitchen, but eat there too, and many entertain guests in the kitchen. The problem with many kitchens is that they are quite often small rooms if they are in older properties, as they were originally only for cooking in and doing the washing up after a meal. Extending the kitchen gives you the opportunity to entertain your guests the modern way.

Of course, when you add a kitchen extension there are a lot of things to consider, such as cabinetry (the more the better), where to put the fridge and freezer, and a very important matter is that of the worktops.

If you are extending the kitchen you can have an island which can be used for dining, but how do you select the perfect worktops? There are so many choices.

One very popular material is natural stone. Marble and granite are natural materials and have a number of benefits. Quartzite and limestone are also natural stones. One of the beauties of natural stone is that every piece is different. The stones come from different places around the world and will be composed of different materials. So, for example, granite, which is an igneous rock is mainly composed of quartz, mica, and feldspar, but may contain small quantities of other materials which will affect the colour and patterns of the stone. The result is that you can get granite worktops in blues, greens, blacks, whites, browns, and reds, which provide you with a very wide choice for your kitchen worktops.

Marble is largely white, but can contain greens, browns, and reds as well. It can even be totally black, as in the marble Belgian Black. Marble is a softer stone than granite, and needs a little more care, but many people love it for the amazing look of luxury that it provides.

Then there is quartz, which is composed of around 93% quartz together with polymer resins and pigments. This is what is known as an engineered stone, in that it is man-made. Quartz is one of the hardest materials known to man and is almost, but not quite, indestructible. It is completely impervious to stains and acids, whereas marble is not. If you spill red wine, beetroot juice, lemon juice, and more, on marble, it can stain, so spills need to be wiped up straight away. Quartz will just shrug them off.

A recent development is sintered stone. This is also man-made and is composed of powdered natural minerals and oxides which are put under extreme pressure and heat in order to form slabs of material. It is almost totally waterproof, and is highly resistant to scratching (except for highly polished finishes), resists bleach and ammonia, doesn't give off any harmful substances (so you can put food directly on it), and it consists of as much as a little over half of recycled materials, so it is environmentally friendly as well.

So natural stones and engineered stones have a lot going for them when used for kitchen worktops. Most people are taken by their sheer beauty, and a bonus is knowing that your kitchen worktops will be unique.

Marble & Granite of Hatfield is a leading manufacturer of kitchen worktops in a wide choice of natural materials including quartz, sintered stone, granite, marble, quartzite, and limestone.

Why do Tech Start-up Companies Love the Triangle?

Durham and the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) offer several unique-to-the-area and appealing benefits to their residents and tech start up companies that make the area stand out. The diverse community and combination of city-living and easily accessible surrounding nature are high up on the list of benefits. The area, which used to thrive on Southern Tobacco has now built itself into a thriving metropolis with plenty to do and ample space and resources for tech companies that have come to call the Research Triangle home. 

All throughout the triangle, tech start-ups can find a variety of office spaces and resources to help them succeed. Every city in the triangle has office spaces that are perfect for tech start-ups. American Underground built its image on the American Tobacco Campus and has become an essential tech hub, branding itself as the "Start-up Hub of the South", providing the essential resources and support needed by tech start up companies. HQ Raleigh, a similar company, but situated in downtown Raleigh provides ample space for over 230 companies in the Raleigh area. Industrious Raleigh, another Raleigh-based company hosts events and plenty of office space in its beautifully designed building downtown. The third point to the Triangle, Chapel Hill, offers office spaces and resources through Launch Chapel Hill located downtown. These spaces make it easy for growth and success from entrepreneurs, tech start-ups, and several other businesses.

Tech start-ups in Research Triangle Park NC are intrigued by the Park’s close proximity to the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill downtowns, their housing developments, easy transportation– with a short distance to the Raleigh Union train station, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and Interstate 40. RTP was created with the goal of preventing university students from transferring to different states and regions after graduation for better job opportunities in technology and engineering fields. The effect of RTP has been quite drastic; not only do university students from the area find jobs in the Triangle, but young entrepreneurs and tech start-ups, and even larger corporations from all over flock to the Triangle to build their businesses and utilize the area’s expansive resources. 

The cost of living in the Triangle is substantially less than other large technology-dominated cities, including San Francisco or New York. Younger entrepreneurs are able to grow and expand without paying a fortune on living expenses; Searching for Durham NC Real Estate on Zillow shows how affordable housing can be in the area when compared to other cities. The flow of young entrepreneurs is quite constant with the Triangle being home to 3 major universities: UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, and NC-State. College graduates are able to find mentors and jobs in the area and add value to the evolving region. In 2017, Nerd Wallet recognized Raleigh and Durham for their ability to supply opportunities for tech workers on top of their relatively low costs of living. The Triangle, though always adapting, appeals to all ages with ample opportunities for college graduates, plenty of great schools–from magnet elementary programs to nationally recognized high schools, such as the North Carolina School of Math and Science, to top universities– for prospective families, and plenty of benefits, including the low cost of living, for people in retirement, with North Carolina listed as the 6th best state to retire in. 

While Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh are able to supply several of the amenities of larger cities, their close proximity to non-metropolitan areas adds to their appeal. Tech start-ups and biotech companies in Research Triangle Park NC can find well-designed spaces for their business, while the Triangle provides plenty of activities, within the downtowns or further out in nature, that make the area enjoyable during work or free time. The proximity to trees and greenery is what makes the Triangle such a desirable area compared to other large cities. There are several homes for residents in nature or within the cities that can provide something for everybody. The diversity of property types is clearly shown when searching for Chapel Hill, Raleigh, or Durham NC real estate on Zillow. 

When browsing for Durham NC real estate on Zillow, one home in downtown Durham stands out. Downtown Durham is a well-populated and highly desirable area. 211 Mallard Ave, Downtown Durham, a house that just recently surfaced on the market, stands in close proximity to all the amenities downtown Durham has to offer, with the downtown being a walkable distance to the home. This home, a modern and uniquely designed smart home, features a thoughtfully crafted custom iron catwalk and loft area, 5 bedrooms, 3 ½ bath, back patio with a hot tub & pergola, large custom barn door that converts media room to 5th bedroom, top floor bedroom vaulted ceiling and loft area, spacious master ensuite, metal rods surrounding the stairs, and several energy-efficient aspects. A Must See! The technologically savvy and modern home enthusiasts will love this unique property!

For more information click here https://www.carljohnsonrealestate.com/featured-listing-8819.htmlor call/text/email Carl Johnson 919-880-0904 Carl@CarlJohnsonRealEstate.com

Private vs public education

Many parents around the world turn to private schools as ever-increasing cuts in provincial funding to the public schools and emerging criticism of the overall public system. It is the appropriate time to find the main differences between the private and public schools. You have to decide on the right education system for your child at this time. You can visit http://www.prestigeprivateschool.ca/ and take note of remarkable facilities offered by this popular private school. You will be eager to visit this school and get an application to join your child in this school. 

Individuals who explore the overall quality of education in the private school in Toronto nowadays get 100% satisfaction and confidence about the private school system. The average range of the cost is from $4000 to $26000 per year for schooling in the private school in Ontario. Some private schools require their students to pay extra for textbooks and special resources like computers. 

Almost every private school in Richmond hill in our time provides an alternative method to education. On the other hand, public schools are designed to cater to all students. The Montessori model in the school focuses on the overall respect for the student and aid in the development of various skills such as the self-confidence. A holistic method to learning emphasized by the Waldorf model is helpful to students to learn without difficulty in any aspect. Alternative education trend nowadays is very popular and almost every parent can choose the learning philosophy designed to meet the educational needs of their child.

Every student in the private elementary school nowadays feels comfortable, confident, happy and secure. Public school boards need the stringent qualifications and the best testing on a regular basis for teachers. Teachers in the private schools do not have the required education degree, but hold the higher educational qualifications. Private schools these days have the complete freedom to hire qualified persons for the jobs. 

Parents who choose the private high school these days get loads of favourable things like the individualized attention to their child, small class size and openness to the parental involvement. 

If you focus on and make certain about everything associated with the private middle school facilities in detail, then you can make a better-informed decision to choose the middle school for your kid. Almost every leading private school in the nation offers students a clear value system which is not possible in the public schools. These schools shape students into well-rounded people and make certain about the academic success of every student. Boarding schools are known by their efforts to develop the life-skills, self-confidence and independence to all students. 

Private schools are more university oriented than public schools. Parents consider the post-secondary destinations of every graduating student and the acceptance rate before choosing the private school. As per the latest study by the Fraser Institute, students at private schools get lower incidences of theft, drug use, fighting, bullying and racism. This is because private schools choose students with interviews and entrance exams.

http://www.prestigeprivateschool.ca/; http://www.prestigeprivateschool.ca/programs/elementary-school-1-8;http://www.prestigeprivateschool.ca/programs/high-school-9-12

Some Of The Different Types Of Curtains Used In Theatres

When most people think about theatre curtains, they probably only think about the ones that they see at the front of the house. That is because it is a very large curtain indeed and they are sitting facing it before the production begins. It is the focal point. 

For this reason, the front of house curtain has to have a dramatic impact. It is usually made of a very heavy material and needs to be fire retardant, and the standards can vary from one country to another. In Europe and Australia, the front of house theatre drapes fire-retardant standards that are most accepted within the theatre industry are the British, French, and German standards. In the UK, the standard is BS 5867 part 2B. the test method consists of the material being held vertically and a small flame applied to the front of the material. For type B the ease of ignition is observed, and whether the flame reaches one of the edges of the specimen, and if any flaming debris falls down.

The test fabric has to be tested both before and after washing. For type B, it has to be washed with 12 cycles of BS EN ISO 10528 (Standard Washing Procedure) at 75°C, after which it must be line dried. There is also a type C procedure which requires 50 cycles of BS EN ISO 10528 (Standard Washing Procedure) @ 75°C and then low heat and tumble drying.

Front of house drapes are also known in the UK as front tabs and can be sewn flat or they can be pleated. The pleated effect gives more fullness and helps to increase absorption of light and sound and also gives more depth to the curtain. There are several different styles of pleat which can be used, such as a rippled pleat, butterfly pleat, shirred pleat, full box pleat, and pinched pleat, in addition to the flat curtain. 

Obviously, the price of front of house theatre curtains can vary enormously, depending on how big they are, the type of material, and how much material is used. All of the pleats will take up more material than a flat curtain, but some will use more than others. The very thick velvets will obviously be most expensive, but you can get budget-priced velvets as well.

Front tabs can be made of mohair stage velvets, and these are the most luxurious and heavy materials. They have excellent colour clarity and good sound absorption. The material has a long upright satin pile and it is extremely hard-wearing. These curtains can be made to include your own patterns and logo embossed into the material.

Traditional cotton theatre velvets have a directional pile and a matte looking finish. They come in a choice of weights. Cotton velvets have to be chemically treated in order to make them flame retardant. However, IFR polyester velvets are made using materials that are permanently and inherently flame retardant. so they do not need treating. IFR polyester velvets are more resistant to creasing and moisture than other kinds of stage velvets, and they are extremely low maintenance. 

Of course, there are several other types of theatre curtains in use such as cycloramas which are large flat curtains hung at the back of the stage. These can be used with lighting effects to create all sorts of different results. You can use them in conjunction with a gobo, which is a template placed in front of a light source to control the shape of the light emitted. You could also leave the cyc blank and use side lighting to enhance the performance on stage. 

A backdrop, as the name suggests is a curtain that hangs at the back of the stage and can be painted so that it is part of the scenery. So, for example, you could have a field of cows or sheep at the back of the stage, or tall buildings if you wanted to give the impression of a city outside a window. 

A scrim is another type of curtain that appears opaque when viewed from the front but when lit from behind becomes transparent. This means that you could have action going on behind the scrim that complements what is taking place on the stage.

Cameo Curtains is a leading UK manufacturer of theatre curtainsand can supply and install them complete with tracks and everything else required for venues anywhere in the country.

5 Steps to Sync Sales and Marketing Teams

According to research conducted by Aberdeen, properly coordinated sales and marketing teams show a 400% higher annual growth compared to other teams. Marketing and sales are two major revenue drivers for a company. If a company was a human organism, marketing would be the brain, while sales would be the heart. Marketers build fame while the sales teams gain trust, and loyalty. These two departments are interrelated, yet function separately. Misalignments between sales and marketing result in poor strategy execution and frustration.

This article will reveal the five steps which align sales & marketing teams and also explain how CRM could streamline communication across both teams to drive better results to your business. Step 1. Define Company Strategy & Goals 45% of businesses work without a clear digital strategy which means they don’t fully recognize their competitors, users or market share. Both the sales and marketing departments aim for company growth but they use different means. Sales teams do monthly revenue plans and usually set up short term goals that drive immediate results. The marketing teams build an evergreen pipeline of quality leads that won’t be affected by season, holidays or any other external factors. And their relationships directly affect your marketing strategy:

The company leader should define one revenue plan for the company, while the marketing team with the assistance of sales should create buyer personas to help both teams speak the same language. Step 2. Develop Common Language When it comes to basic department needs, speaking the same language directly affects both marketing and sales efforts. Marketing should provide the sales team with full information on the channel where the leads have interacted with the product, and the touchpoints they’ve had. Hence, the sales team would provide potential buyers with a truly tailored experience.

Sharing information between the marketing and sales teams should be done in a common space. This communication chain will allow both teams to stay on the same page by organizing data about marketing channels, leads and navigate through tons of information.

The catalyst that will align the sales and marketing team could be the CRM software. Integrating the CRM system will enable both teams to work with the same data, share updates and create comprehensive reports. Perfectly organized data would improve customer service and increase the number of loyal users:

Step 3. Integrate CRM System CRM helps the marketing and sales team store optimization and feedback loops, see the top-performing digital channels and is a better way to communicate with the customer. If your team works primarily from Gmail, you could start with the Gmail integrated CRM.

The Gmail CRM can work in the form of a Chrome extension in your Gmail account and is the perfect place to keep all your correspondence in one place. CRM for Gmail is a software which is fully integrated into your account after installation. It helps you manage your pipelines, centralize your communication & send tailored bulk emails to customers.

Sales teams сan keep customer records in one place using the Gmail CRM. This workflow automation helps reduce up to 40% manual work and helps dedicate more time to customers, and less time to routine. CRM also helps evaluate the deals at an earlier stage and also withdraws from inefficient ones at an early stage of the sales process. Sales reps can set up reminders and schedule follow-ups to support efficient communication with their customer. The graphic below shows which tasks take the most time for a salesperson (spoiler: not selling).

To marketers, Gmail-integrated CRM is a source of deep insights into customer behavior. By analyzing the workflow, they can dig deeper and find the downsides of their strategies, discover customer pain points and re-think their strategies way before it’s too late.

The Marketing team, on the other hand, can get deep insights into the best-performing marketing channels, customer behavior, and user journey. Gmail CRM software is fundamental to your company strategy but is useless if a strategy hasn't been thought out yet. CRM is a handy tool for nurturing your customer relations, automating your work routine and keeping track of your inbox so you never lose a single incoming email again.

One of the most popular solutions for small and mid-size companies is Nethunt CRM. It is easy-to-use software which can be integrated into your Gmail account. According to G2Crowd reviews, NetHunt is proven to be one of the most popular and trusted CRM solutions for both marketing and sales teams.

We needed an easy solution to use in our sales and marketing departments and found that the NetHunt Gmail integrated CRM worked best for us. The pricing plan is more than affordable, and the support team is just amazing! They helped us to fully integrate CRM in just 2 Skype sessions.

NetHunt tracks performance and keeps all the info about closed deals and revenue. It has been perfect for us so far. — Nina Bohush, Digital Marketer on G2Crowd

Step 4. Measure & Evaluate Choosing the metrics to track is the first step to measure your CRM return on investment. Sometimes, in the rush for pro-features, you might forget that you only have a small company of ten people who won’t use it in their daily routine. Start small: define the vital stats to track and add new metrics as your company evolves.

CRM systems utilize the variety of performance metrics which help the sales & marketing teams optimize their activity. After integrating the CRM software, you don’t need any complicated metrics to track. Start with the basic performance indicators and move on to more complicated ones as your company grows. 

This list of basic СRM metrics will help you get insights on what’s working and what’s not, in order to further optimize your activity:

Conversion rate shows the number of conversions in relation to the total number of visitors. According to CRM, it’s the number of leads who converted into clients. See how it looks in Nethunt CRM:

  

Customer Retention Rate is the percentage of loyal customers a company has retained over a certain period of time in your CRM. Keeping up with the great relationships between existing customers can cost you 7x less than customer acquisition.

Churn Rate the percentage of clients that your company lost over a certain time period.

Winback Rate shows the percentage of bounced or inactive customers, who purchased your product/service over a certain period of time. To keep the winback rate high, use remarketing in your ad campaigns and offer inactive customers bonuses or discounts in your emails.

The team lead can also find useful performance metrics to track the efficiency of the sales team:

The number of emails sent helps you evaluate the sales activity over a given time period.

Email open rate is the percentage of your email list subscribers who opened an email campaign. You can easily schedule email campaigns and follow-ups in your Gmail CRM, which is proven to show a higher open rate than a third-party solution outside of Gmail.

The number of new contacts added weekly/monthly. A growing user base is crucial for company evolution. CRM helps understand the dynamics of the user base and avoids duplicates.

The number of monthly deals closed shows how many new deals salespeople close in a month and shows the revenue generated. We all know the end-of-month time crunch, when the sales team is rushing to close as many deals as possible. CRM software helps evaluate these deals and calculates the win rate.

Step 5. Review & Improve According to a recent study, CRM helps to improve productivity by 50%, while sales productivity improves by 65%. The myth of the complexity of the Gmail CRM adoption will vanish as soon as you start implementing it to align your sales & marketing teams. 

If you aim to improve your revenue by 20%, your marketing team should work on the acquisition channels. While the sales team needs to either increase the average check, or close more deals. The relevant metrics then would be conversion rate, deal size and more.

Gmail CRM software automates the daily routine, reduces manual work, and keeps all the massive data organized. Start small: download the Gmail CRM Chrome extension and use it for business goals. The sales team can benefit from perfectly organized customer records stored inside the Gmail inbox: client profiles, all deals, email tracking, easy bulk email campaign setup, and much more. The marketing team can use CRM to improve their marketing strategy, re-think marketing channels and drive quality leads to the sales team.

According to Capterra, 24% of users consider CRM functionality the most valuable factor in their purchasing decision. NetHunt CRM for Gmail brings extensive customization capabilities to your workflow: you can adjust every CRM aspect to your specific business needs and be sure that our support team will help you on every stage of the CRM integration.

Competitive strategy combined with powerful and easy-to-use CRM minimizes the risk of losing track of leads. "Implement, tailor, test, measure and repeat" is the golden rule for every company aimed at becoming an industry game changer.

Eager to learn more about NetHunt CRM? Discover the full list of NetHunt CRM features for your business or schedule a demo with our team to find out more!