Adult Halloween Games To Liven Up Your Halloween Party

Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. Plenty of adults celebrate the day as well. Halloween parties are a common event for many adults these days. If you’re planning a party of your own, here are some fun adult Halloween games to liven it up.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

The object of a photo scavenger hunt is to get pictures of all the items using a digital camera or a Polaroid camera so the pictures can be judged right away.

Break your guests up into several small groups and give each of them a list of items they have to find. They can all get the same items or you can make each one different if you don’t want them tripping over one another in their search.

They head out on foot or by car to find the items and take pictures of themselves with each one. I like to make them find someone to take their picture if possible – if the whole group isn’t in each one, they get penalized.

You can choose the winner by the first team to finish, the team with the most creative pictures or whatever criteria you want.

Make the scavenger hunt items fit the theme of your party. You could use a tombstone, a hockey mask, red paint or a horror movie poster for example.

Pumpkin Bowling

This one is fun for any age, really, but adults can have a lot of fun with it.

Partially fill ten 2 liter pop bottles with water to weight them down, then decorate them to fit the theme of your party.

Set them up in the standard 10 pin layout.

Have your guests “bowl” with pumpkins. The smaller gourds usually work best, or at least smaller pumpkins. Round ones tend to roll better but the ones that aren’t as perfect make the game a lot more challenging.

Pumpkin Carving

A lot of people have switched to painting pumpkins rather than carving, both for safety and for longer lasting jack-o-lanterns. But carving is still the best in my opinion. There’s nothing that says Halloween like the light of a candle flickering through the face of a pumpkin.

You can buy carving kits at most craft and hobby stores around Halloween, with small tools for more detailed carving.

They usually come with stencils as well but for this game you’ll probably want to leave it up to your guests to do freestyle.

You can judge the game in several ways – the first to finish their pumpkin, the most creative (in your judgement or the entire group’s), the scariest, etc.

And there are plenty of children’s games that are just as much fun for adults – bobbing for apples, Twister, musical chairs, etc. Don’t worry about whether it’s a “mature” thing to do – just worry about whether your guests enjoy themselves!

Cameras Systems Crude Futures

Party Supplies – What You Need For the Birthday and Theme Party

The success of a party depends on whether the host has planned out the party to the best or not. Planning will include all the necessary things needed to make the fun happen. Getting the right gears for the party is important so the rest of the article is dedicated to give you to this most intriguing question on earth.

A celebration that is simple and among closest family members will not require too much effort when compared to the one where you have to invite almost the whole neighborhood. For a massive event, you have to carefully plan because it will involve larger funds. To avoid wastage or unnecessary spending, you ought to figure out way ahead for the party. You need to identify the types of supplies you will need and make sure it varied and within your budget. This also includes catering.

Birthday parties can be a straight forward one or a themed party. They will need similar types of supplies but different in a few ways.

The birthday party supplies you need are:

- Invitations. These are strictly optional although they are pretty common at children’s parties as it adds to the excitement of an anticipated good time.

- Cake. This is the integral part of the celebrations, no matter the age. Somehow, a birthday party without a birthday cake seems incomplete.

- A party pack is something for the guests to take home. They are usually filled with delightful and adorable stuffs like hats, small toys and candies. The reasons why people are given party packs are to remind them of the great time they had at the party.

- Party props are only required if you are holding a themed birthday party. The most common props you will find are poppers, hats, confetti and streamers.

- Tableware. Whether or not to use casual or formal tableware (as in disposable paper plates and cups versus porcelain ones) is a personal choice and depends on the elaborateness of the celebration.

- Food and beverage will depend on the age of the guests at the party. You will have to decide whether your guests will be comfortable with a small buffet, sit down dinner (usually for small number of guests) or finger food served. There should always be alcoholic beverages when you are catering to adults. Never forget that you should include plain water as it helps with digestions and dehydration.

- Decoration will cover a whole lot of matter. They include ceilings, walls, entrance, tables, chairs and for outdoor parties, locations. What you will need are banners, flowers (with arrangements), balloons, furniture, plants and the list goes on.

Its easier to shop for general birthday party supplies. You need not stick to a specific theme or color. All you need to do is customize the things according to the age of the person celebrating the birthday.

Party with a theme will require you to put a little more effort into. For making Hawaiian Luau, Halloween Nights, Military Nights or Celebrity Evenings come true; you will need the other themed supplies besides the usual. You need your creativity and resourcefulness to play their part in making this party happen.

To make a themed party come more alive, the apparels should not be ignored. Hats, helmets, bell bottom pants will contribute to the air of the theme. Without apparels for a themed party, the party will seem mundane. The host can also play a part in keeping the theme alive. As a host, you can give out a few theme party supplies for the theme like pumpkins, cowboy hats or even grass skirts.

Another important theme party supply is themed decoration. No matter what the theme, the appropriate décor will make the event a success. A Hawaiian luau, for instance, will require an Aloha banner while Retro Nights will need the shiny disco ball to create the right atmosphere. This helps put everyone in the mood to really get into the swing of things.

Giving a great party is priceless. It is undeniable that decorations and party ware are important. Nevertheless there is still another thing that is more important than throwing a successful party, a safe party.

Collagen Cream

Types of Construction Equipment and Their Uses

Construction equipment range from the very heavy equipment to the portable and mobile lighter equipment, some of them with a precise description of their functions are detailed below.

Engineering equipment with a front bucket/shovel and a small backhoe in the rear combined with a tractor is known as backhoe loader. It is mostly used in small construction sites and in urban engineering such as fixing city roads.

A crawler, which is very powerful and attached with a blade, is called a bulldozer. Even though any heavy engineering vehicle is known as bulldozer, it is actually a tractor with a dozer blade.

Combat engineering vehicles are used for engineering work in the battlefield and for transporting sappers. They are mostly armoured vehicles.

A compact excavator is a wheeled or tracked vehicle with a backfill blade and swing boom. It is also known as mini excavator. The functions and movements of the machines are carried out by transferring hydraulic fluid. This makes a compact hydraulic excavator different from other construction equipment. Find more info at [http://www.construction-equipment4u.info]

To compact gravel, dirt, asphalt and concrete in construction work and road laying a road roller which is also known as roller-compactor would be used.

A motorized cultivator with a rotating blade to work in the soil is known as rotary tiller. They are either drawn behind a tractor or self-propelled.

A crane is a derrick or tower equipped with pulleys and cables for lowering and lifting materials. The cranes used in construction industry are mostly temporary structures.

Dragline excavation systems are heavy equipment mostly used in surface mining and civil engineering. The smaller type of dragline excavator is used for port and road construction. The larger type dragline excavator is used in strip-mining operations for coal extraction.

In the building industry, to make foundations, a drilling machine is used. It is also used in oil wells and water wells.

An excavator commonly known as a digger is an engineering vehicle, with a cab mounted on a rotating platform or pivot, and a backhoe on top of an undercarriage with wheels or tracks.

In untamed regions which are being reclaimed for construction, a feller buncher, a machine having an attachment, which fells trees, is used.

A forklift, lift truck or forklift truck is an industrial truck used to pick up and transport heavy material using steel forks under the material to be lifted. The most common usage of a forklift is to move materials stored on pallets.

A loader also known as a bucket loader, front-end loader, scoop loader, shovel, or front loader is a type of tractor using buckets, which can be tilted to lift and move material.

A paver is used to spread asphalt on roadways.

Hard Money

How Much Should I Charge For My Commercial Cleaning Services?

You’ve bought all your cleaning supplies and equipment, told everyone you know that you have started a cleaning business and now you are ready to start bidding on jobs and getting down to work. So your next step is to meet with potential clients and put together a bid for their cleaning services. But how do you know what to charge for cleaning your potential client’s building?

Start off by remembering that you are in business to make a profit and earn a living. Sometimes the tendency is to price our services low in order to get our foot in the door. Pricing your services too low may mean you will end up working for very little per hour. And more importantly, will have little left over to reinvest in the growth of your company. There are cleaning companies that charge more than others and have all the work they can handle and there are companies that have lower fees yet are struggling to find work! Don’t sell yourself short or you will not be able to earn a living off your cleaning business.

The rates for commercial cleaning vary widely depending upon the area you live. Hourly rates are anywhere from $15 to $40 per hour depending on the type of services that you provide, whether or not you’re doing the work yourself, and your company’s overhead and expenses. Monthly square footage rates could run anywhere from $.05 to $.20 per square foot depending on the type of building you are cleaning and the frequency of cleaning. You’ll be able to bid a higher square footage price for medical facilities versus office buildings due to more specialized cleaning needs. You’ll likely bid a lower square footage price for large buildings versus small buildings. For example, you may bid $.08 per square foot for a 50,000 square foot building versus $.12 per square foot for an 8,000 square foot building.

You will most likely be charging your customers a monthly price and you will need to figure that price by estimating how long it will take to perform the services that your client has requested. The more productive you or your employees are, the higher the hourly production rate. If you’re able to clean 3,500 square feet per hour, your profit will be higher than if you’re only able to clean 2,500 square feet per hour, so adjust your price accordingly.

It’s also a good idea to find out what the “going rates” are in your area. A few phone calls to competitors may be necessary to get an idea of the basic charges in your area. Use a script when you call so you can compare apples to apples. So what do you say when you call? Try something like, “Hi, I have a small business office that I would like cleaned once a week. It is 3000 square feet and has two small restrooms. Can you give me a rough estimate of what you what you charge per month?” The person may or may not give you an estimate. Most contractors will insist on walking through the building, but it is worth a few phone calls so you have a ballpark figure on what cleaning companies in the area are charging.

To estimate what you should charge for cleaning a building, start by doing a walk-through with the building owner or manager. Keep track of the following:

* Frequency of cleaning (once a week, three times a week, five times a week). If frequency is one or two times per week, it’s best to estimate your time and multiply by your hourly rate. If cleaning 3 or more times per week you can estimate your time by the square foot.

* Overall square feet

* Types of floor surfaces and square footage of each (carpet, vinyl flooring, ceramic tile)

* Types of rooms – general office, break room, restrooms. Also note the number of toilets/stalls and fixtures in each restroom, as well as the types of restroom supplies used.

* Any special considerations – heavy traffic areas, elevators, unusual requests, etc.

* Make note of the specific services the client is seeking such as emptying trash, dusting, restroom cleaning, mopping and vacuuming.

The following services are specialized services and you should bid them separately, and list a per-service charge on your bid:

* Stripping and Waxing (.25¢ – .50¢ per square foot)

* Buffing/Burnishing (.03¢ – .07¢ per square foot)

* Machine Cleaning of Ceramic Tile floors (.12¢ – .21¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Cleaning (.12¢ – .25¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Spotting ($20 – $40 per hour)

* Cleaning appliances (microwave, refrigerator) – $10 – $35 per appliance

* Window Washing ($1.00 – $5.00 per pane)

Make sure you take enough notes so you can put together a realistic price that is fair to the client and one in which you will make a profit. After your first meeting with the client, go back to your office look through your notes and decide what it will cost you to clean the building. You may have to consult a production cleaning rate chart to determine how long it will take you and your staff to clean the building. Once you have an idea of how long it will take to clean the building you can put your cost estimate together:

* Estimate the time it will take by using a production cleaning rate chart or calculator.

* Determine your labor cost for cleaning the building one time.

* Determine your monthly labor cost to clean the building.

* Estimate a monthly cost for supplies. This will be a fairly low figure, perhaps 1 or 2% of monthly sales.

* Be sure to add in a profit margin!

Add up the figures and you will come up with your monthly cost. If you have access to a bidding calculator you will be able to put in a series of numbers and come up with a price. A bidding calculator will also show what profit you can expect to make. It is also advisable to add a first time cleaning charge. This is usually an hourly rate of perhaps $20 – $25 an hour. The first time you go through a building it will take longer and you may find the previous cleaning service may have left dirt in cracks and crevices that you will have to clean the first time through.

Once you have your price established, put your bid packet together. Your bid packet should specify what you are responsible for and what the client is responsible for (buying their own trash can liners, restrooms supplies, etc.). It should also include the monthly charge for cleaning services, how long the agreement is for, and the procedure to cancel the contract if either party is unhappy.

It is important to learn how to price your cleaning services so your customers know you are providing a professional service at a realistic price and so that you make a profit. After all, if you do not make a profit you won’t stay in business very long!

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store

Leaf Blower

113 Facts About Animal Cruelty

Animals caught in traps can suffer for days before succumbing to exposure, shock, or attacks by predators.
Traps often kill “non-target” animals, including dogs and endangered species.
To cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth.
Crowding and confinement is especially distressing to minks- solitary animals who occupy up to 2,500 acres of wetland in the wild.
The frustration of life in a cage leads minks to self-mutilate- biting their skin, tails, feet- or frantically pace and circle endlessly.
“PETA investigators witnessed rampant cruelty to animals. Workers beat pigs with metal rods and jabbed pins into pigs’ eyes and faces.”
Snakes and lizards are skinned alive because of the belief that live flaying makes leather more supple.
Piglets are separated from their mothers when they are as young as 10 days old.
Once her piglets are gone, the sow is impregnated again, and the cycle continues for three or four years before she is slaughtered.
Approximately 3 to 4 million cats and dogs- many of them healthy, young, and adoptable- must be euthanized in animal shelters every year.
Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans do- to nourish their young – but on dairy farms calves are taken away at 1 day old.
1 day old calves are fed milk replacements (including cattle blood) so that their mothers’ milk can be sold to humans.
Animals can suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs.
Each year, approximately 10,000 bulls die in bullfights.
Most cows are intensively confined, unable to fulfill their most basic desires, such as nursing their calves, even for a single day.
Cows are fed unnatural, high-protein diets-which include dead chickens, pigs, and other animals.
Overall, factory-farmed animals, including those on dairy farms, produce 1.65 billion tons of manure each year.
Kid goats are boiled alive to make gloves.
The skins of unborn calves and lambs – some aborted, others from slaughtered pregnant cows – are considered “luxurious.”
About 285 million hens are raised for eggs in the US. In tiny spaces so small they cannot move a wing.
The wire mesh of the cages rubs off hens feathers, chafes their skin, and causes their feet to become crippled.
Before 1986, only four states had felony animal cruelty laws.
Glue traps cause terror and agony to any animals who touch them, leaving them to suffer for days.
In one study, 70% of animal abusers also had records for other crimes.
Sealers often hook baby seals in the eye, cheek, or mouth to avoid damaging their fur, then drag them across the ice to skin them.
Arsenic-laced additives are mixed into the feed of about 70 percent of the chickens raised for food.
Every year, nearly a million seals worldwide are subjected to painful and often lingering deaths, largely for the sake of fashion.
Scientists estimate that 100 species go extinct every day! That’s about one species every 15 minutes.
Every year in the US, 50 million male piglets are castrated (usually without being given any painkillers).
More than 15 million warm-blooded animals are used in research every year.
The methods used in fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits, almost always at the expense of the animals.
To test cosmetics, cleaners, and other products, hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed every year.
In extremely crowded conditions, piglets are prone to stress-related behavior such as cannibalism and tail-biting.
Farmers often chop off piglets’ tails and use pliers to break off the ends of their teeth- without giving them any painkillers.
For identification purposes, farmers cut out chunks of young pigs ears.
Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages.
For fur, small animals may be crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck.
Engine exhaust is not always lethal, and some animals wake up while they are being skinned.
Larger animals have clamps attached to or rods forced into their mouth or anus so they can be painfully electrocuted.
Bird poisons attack birds’ nervous systems, causing them to suffer seizures, erratic flight, and tremors for hours before dying.
If you drink milk, you’re subsidizing the veal industry.
Male calves are often taken away from their mothers at 1 day old, chained in tiny stalls for 3-18 weeks, and raised for veal.
After they are taken from their mothers, piglets are confined to pens until they are separated to be raised for breeding or meat.
Although chickens can live for more than a decade, hens raised for their eggs are exhausted and killed by age 2.
More than 100 million “spent” hens are killed in slaughterhouses every year.
Forty-five states currently have felony provisions for animal cruelty. (Those without are AK, ID, MS, ND and SD.)
Dogs used for fighting are chained, taunted, and starved to trigger extreme survival instincts and encourage aggressiveness.
Dogs that lose fights (or refuse) are often abandoned, tortured, set on fire, electrocuted, shot, drowned, or beaten to death.
Cows on average product 16 lbs of milk per day. With hormones, antibiotics, and genetic manipulation? 54 lbs a day.
Humane treatment is not a priority for those who poach and hunt animals to obtain their skin.
Alligators on farms may be beaten with hammers and axes, sometimes remaining conscious and in pain for 2 hours after skinning.
Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family in trouble.
A Canadian Police study found that 70 percent of people arrested for animal cruelty had past records of other violent crimes.
Dog fighting and cock-fighting are illegal in all 50 states.
Hoarding of animals exists in virtually every community. Well-intentioned people overwhelmed by animal overpopulation crisis.
The consequences for hoarders, their human dependents, animals, and the community are extremely serious- and often fatal for animals.
Declawing is a painful mutilation that involves 10 amputations – not just the nails – but the ends of toes (bone and all).
The long-term effects of declawing include skin and bladder problems and the gradual weakening of cats’ legs, shoulders, and back.
Declawing is both painful and traumatic, and it has been outlawed in Germany and other parts of Europe as a form of cruelty.
Kangaroos are slaughtered by the millions every year; their skins are considered prime material for soccer shoes.
Across the US, 6 to 8 million stray and abandoned animals enter animal shelters every year, and about half must be euthanized.
In California, America’s top milk-producing state, manure from dairy farms has poisoned hundreds of square miles of groundwater.
Each of the more than 1 million cows on the state’s dairy farms excrete 18 gallons of manure daily.
Every year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals and tans their skins and hides.
Elephants who perform in circuses are often kept in chains for as long as 23 hours a day from the time they are babies.
Every year, millions of animals are killed for the clothing industry.
An immeasurable amount of suffering goes into every fur-trimmed jacket, leather belt, and wool sweater.
Neglect and abandonment are the most common forms of companion animal abuse in the United States.
On any given day in the U.S., there are more than 65 million pigs on factory farms, and 112 million are killed for food each year.
Every year, dogs suffer and die when left in a parked car- even for “just a minute” – parked cars are deathtraps for dogs.
Dog owners: On a 78 degree F day, the temperature in a shaded car is 90°F, in the sun it can climb to 160°F in minutes.
98% of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family.
For medical experimentation animals can be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged.
Regardless of how trivial or painful animal experiments may be, none are prohibited by law.
When valid non-animal research methods are available, no law requires experimenters to use such methods instead of animals.
On average it takes 1,000 dogs to maintain a mid-sized racetrack operation. There are over 30 tracks in the United States.
Female cows are artificially inseminated shortly after their first birthdays. Happy birthday!
Birds don’t belong in cages. Bored, lonely, denied the opportunity to fly, deprived of companionship…
Many birds become neurotic in cages – pulling out feathers, bobbing their heads incessantly, and repeatedly pecking.
According to industry reports, more than 1 million pigs die en route to slaughter each year.
More than 100 million animals every year suffer and die in cruel chemical, drug, food and cosmetic tests, biology lessons, etc.
Approximately 9 billion chickens are raised and killed for meat each year in the U.S.
The industry refers to chickens as “broilers” and raises them in huge, ammonia-filled, windowless sheds with artificial lighting.
Some chickens spend their entire lives standing on concrete floors.
Some chickens are confined to massive, crowded lots, where they are forced to live amid their own waste.
Neglect/Abandonment is the most prevalent form of animal abuse (approximately 36% of all animal abuse cases.)
Cows are treated like milk-producing machines and are genetically manipulated and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones.
Foie gras is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of ducks and geese who have been cruelly force-fed.
The best way to save cows from the misery of factory farms is to stop buying milk and other dairy products. Discover soy!
A typical slaughterhouse kills about 1,000 hogs per hour.
The sheer number of animals killed makes it impossible for pigs’ deaths to be humane and painless.
Because of improper stunning, many hogs are alive when they reach the scalding hot water baths.
13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence.
Animal cruelty problems are people problems. When animals are abused, people are at risk.
Instead of improving conditions for animals, the dairy industry is exploring the use of genetically manipulated cattle.
More than half the fur in the US comes from China, where millions of dogs and cats are bludgeoned, hanged, and bled to death.
Millions of pounds of antibiotics are fed to chickens, who metabolize only about 20 percent of the drugs fed to them.
The 3 trillion pounds of waste produced by factory-farmed animals every year is usually used to fertilize crops.
Chaining dogs, while unfortunately legal in most areas, is one of the cruelest punishments imaginable for social animals.
Tens of thousands of horses from the United States are slaughtered every year to be used for horsemeat in Europe and Asia.
Since the last horse slaughter plants in the US were closed in 2007, thousands of horses have been shipped to Canada/Mexico.
Abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse.
There are no federal laws to regulate the voltage or use of electric prods on pigs.
Forty-one of the 45 state felony animal cruelty laws were enacted in the last two decades.
In the United States, 1.13 million animals were used in experiments in 2009, plus an estimated 100 million mice and rats.
As a result of disease, pesticides, and climate changes, the honeybee population has been nearly decimated.
Many studies have found a link between cruelty to animals and other forms of interpersonal violence.
Cows have a natural lifespan of about 20 years and can produce milk for eight or nine years.
A fur coat is pretty cool- for an animal to wear.
Eighteen red foxes are killed to make one fox-fur coat, 55 minks to make a mink coat.
Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available: suffocation, electrocution, gassing, and poisoning.
In addition to diarrhea, pneumonia, and lameness, calves raised for veal are terrified and desperate for their mothers.
During Canada’s annual commercial seal slaughter, as many as 300,000 seals are shot or bludgeoned.

Pearl Rings Skin Oil

Assertive Communication – 6 Tips For Effective Use

Equipment Supply

What IS assertive communication?

Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions without judging or blaming other people. And it allows us to constructively confront and find a mutually satisfying solution where conflict exists.

So why use assertive communication?

All of us use assertive behaviour at times… quite often when we feel vulnerable or unsure of ourselves we may resort to submissive, manipulative or aggressive behaviour.

Yet being trained in assertive communication actually increases the appropriate use of this sort of behaviour. It enables us to swap old behaviour patterns for a more positive approach to life. I’ve found that changing my response to others (be they work colleagues, clients or even my own family) can be exciting and stimulating.

The advantages of assertive communication

There are many advantages of assertive communication, most notably these:

It helps us feel good about ourselves and others

It leads to the development of mutual respect with others

It increases our self-esteem

It helps us achieve our goals

It minimises hurting and alienating other people

It reduces anxiety

It protects us from being taken advantage of by others

It enables us to make decisions and free choices in life

It enables us to express, both verbally and non-verbally, a wide range of feelings and thoughts, both positive and negative

There are, of course, disadvantages…

Disadvantages of assertive communication

Others may not approve of this style of communication, or may not approve of the views you express. Also, having a healthy regard for another person’s rights means that you won’t always get what YOU want. You may also find out that you were wrong about a viewpoint that you held. But most importantly, as mentioned earlier, it involves the risk that others may not understand and therefore not accept this style of communication.

What assertive communication is not…

Assertive communication is definately NOT a lifestyle! It’s NOT a guarantee that you will get what you want. It’s definately NOT an acceptable style of communication with everyone, but at least it’s NOT being aggressive.

But it IS about choice

Four behavioural choices

There are, as I see it, four choices you can make about which style of communication you can employ. These types are:

direct aggression: bossy, arrogant, bulldozing, intolerant, opinionated, and overbearing

indirect aggression: sarcastic, deceiving, ambiguous, insinuating, manipulative, and guilt-inducing

submissive: wailing, moaning, helpless, passive, indecisive, and apologetic

assertive: direct, honest, accepting, responsible, and spontaneous

Characteristics of assertive communication

There are six main characteristics of assertive communication. These are:

eye contact: demonstrates interest, shows sincerity

body posture: congruent body language will improve the significance of the message

gestures: appropriate gestures help to add emphasis

voice: a level, well modulated tone is more convincing and acceptable, and is not intimidating

timing: use your judgement to maximise receptivity and impact

content: how, where and when you choose to comment is probably more important than WHAT you say

The importance of “I” statements

Part of being assertive involves the ability to appropriately express your needs and feelings. You can accomplish this by using “I” statements. These indicate ownership, do not attribute blame, focuses on behaviour, identifies the effect of behaviour, is direcdt and honest, and contributes to the growth of your relationship with each other.

Strong “I” statements have three specific elements:

Behaviour

Feeling

Tangible effect (consequence to you)

Example: “I feel frustrated when you are late for meetings. I don’t like having to repeat information.”

Six techniques for assertive communication

There are six assertive techniques – let’s look at each of them in turn.

1. Behaviour Rehearsal: which is literally practising how you want to look and sound. It is a very useful technique when you first want to use “I” statements, as it helps dissipate any emotion associated with an experience and allows you to accurately identify the behaviour you wish to confront.

2. Repeated Assertion (the ‘broken record’): this technique allows you to feel comfortable by ignoring manipulative verbal side traps, argumentative baiting and irrelevant logic while sticking to your point. To most effectively use this technique use calm repetition, and say what you want and stay focused on the issue. You’ll find that there is no need to rehearse this technique, and no need to ‘hype yourself up’ to deal with others.

Example:

“I would like to show you some of our products”

“No thank you, I’m not interested”

“I really have a great range to offer you”

“That may be true, but I’m not interested at the moment”

“Is there someone else here who would be interested?”

“I don’t want any of these products”

“Okay, would you take this brochure and think about it?”

“Yes, I will take a brochure”

“Thank you”

“You’re welcome”

3. Fogging: this technique allows you to receive criticism comfortably, without getting anxious or defensive, and without rewarding manipulative criticism. To do this you need to acknowledge the criticism, agree that there may be some truth to what they say, but remain the judge of your choice of action. An example of this could be, “I agree that there are probably times when I don’t give you answers to your questions.

4. Negative enquiry: this technique seeks out criticism about yourself in close relationships by prompting the expression of honest, negative feelings to improve communication. To use if effectively you need to listen for critical comments, clarify your understanding of those criticisms, use the information if it will be helpful or ignore the information if it is manipulative. An example of this technique would be, “So you think/believe that I am not interested?”

5. Negative assertion: this technique lets you look more comfortably at negatives in your own behaviour or personality without feeling defensive or anxious, this also reduces your critics’ hostility. You should accept your errors or faults, but not apologise. Instead, tentatively and sympathetically agree with hostile criticism of your negative qualities. An example would be, “Yes, you’re right. I don’t always listen closely to what you have to say.”

6. Workable compromise: when you feel that your self-respect is not in question, consider a workable compromise with the other person. You can always bargain for your material goals unless the compromise affects your personal feelings of self-respect. However, if the end goal involves a matter of your self-worth and self-respect, THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE. An example of this technique would be, “I understand that you have a need to talk and I need to finish what I’m doing. So what about meeting in half an hour?”

Conclusion

Assertiveness is a useful communication tool. It’s application is contextual and it’s not appropriate to be assertive in all situations. Remember, your sudden use of assertiveness may be perceived as an act of aggression by others.

There’s also no guarantee of success, even when you use assertive communication styles appropriately.

“Nothing on earth can stop the individual with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the individual with the wrong mental attitude” W.W. Ziege

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Top 10 Meeting Ice Breakers

Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?

For meetings in a business setting in which participants are professionals, ice breakers that require actions not normally associated with day-to-day behaviors in the office generally make people uncomfortable. Successful ice breakers for these type of groups generally consist of having attendees share memorable information with each other, create innovative ways to get people to introduce themselves to each other, or have group members collectively work on a problem where everyone has to contribute.

We’ve selected our top ten team meeting ice breakers that are sure to get your meeting participants relaxed and ready to focus on your agenda as well as to connect with others in the group.

1. Brainstorm!:Break the meeting into teams of four or five. Give each team a topic. Pick topics that are fun and simple like, “What would you take on a trip to the desert?” or “List things that are purple”. Give your teams two minutes, no more, and tell them “This is a contest and the team with the most items on their list wins.” Encourage the teams to write down as many things as they can and not to discuss anything, just list things as quickly as possible. At the end of two minutes, the team with the most items on their list wins! This helps people to share ideas without fearing what other people will think.

2. Same or Different:

Divide the meeting into teams of three or four and give each team a large sheet of paper and then give each person a different colored marker. Have each person draw a large oval such that each oval overlaps with the other ovals in the center of the piece of paper. Give the group or groups, a theme that pertains to your meeting objectives. Ask the participants to write down at least five or more entries in the non-overlapping and mutually overlapping areas of their ovals. Give them five minutes, no more than that, to talk about their similarities and differences and write them in their own ovals on the paper. If there is more than one group, compare results and identify common themes in both parts of the diagrams and what light these similarities and differences shed on the purpose of the meeting. This helps team members develop an understanding of shared objectives and in a non-confrontational way learn how their views differ from others in the group.

3. Fact or Fiction:

Have everyone write down three surprising things about themselves, two of which are true, and one of which is made up. Each person, in turn, reads their list and then the rest of the group votes on which “fact” they feel is the “false” one. If the group does not correctly pick a person’s made up “fact”, then that person wins. A group can have more than one winner. At the end, the whole group votes on which of the “winners” of the final round, had the most deceiving “fact”. This helps people get to know and remember their colleagues.

4. Free Association:

The object of this ice breaker is to have small groups generate as many words or phrases as they can that are related to a particular topic that focuses on the objective of your meeting. Give the group or groups a key word you want them to associate with and then give them two minutes to list, as quickly as possible, as many words or thoughts that pop into their heads. For example, if your company is trying to decide on whether to reduce travel and increase the use of teleconferencing, you might use the word “teleconferencing” and have people list as many words or phrases they can that they associate with the key word. For example they might say: “saves money”, “saves time”, “impersonal”, “need to see other people”, “get distracted”, “sound quality”…. This reveals what people are thinking, similarities in viewpoints, and possibly even problem areas or topics that need addressing or further discussion.

5. Nametags:

Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps participants get to know and remember each other.

6. Desert Island:

Group people in teams of five or six and tell them they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30 seconds to list all the things they think they should take and each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. Have the person who suggested each item on the list tell why they suggested it and defend why their item should be one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how each of them thinks, get to know each other’s values, and how they solve problems.

7. Commonality Plus:

Group your meeting participants at tables. At each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have anything to do with work. One person at the table should be tasked to make their list. At the end of your time limit have the group share their list with all meeting members. This is a great opportunity for your meeting attendees to learn about each other’s hobbies, families, and common interests.

8. Line Up:

As people enter your meeting hand each one a piece of paper with a different number written on it. Ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order without using their voices, hands, or showing their number. This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate with each other and to work together to achieve a common goal.

9. Meet and Greet Shoe Pile:

This works great in large groups and is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. Have each group member pick up a shoe and walk around the meeting room greeting other people as they try to match their selected shoe to the one another team member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to meet several members in a group.

10. First or Worst:

Have each member tell the group their first or worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark conversation with each other and to have some fun commenting on the jobs that they have each done. Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.

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Performance Measures in Manufacturing – On-Time Delivery in the Supply Chain

Of all the factors that influence a customer’s desire to remain loyal to a manufacturer or job shop, the greatest of all is, perhaps, consistent on-time delivery of their orders. Throughout the supply chain, on-time delivery is vital to the continuation of the manufacturing effort–should one domino in the system go down, the rest are sure to follow in suit. However, today it is not enough to merely know you are on-time, but it is also important to know just how much you are on-time. Indeed, supplier performance has never been more crucial to manufacturing success than it is today. Factors such as outside processing, sourcing from suppliers in low-cost countries, extended supply chains due to globalization, unstable supply markets as well as a general supply risk, all conspire to impede on-time delivery.

To help ensure that you, as a link in the manufacturing supply chain, are doing everything in your power to produce on-time delivery, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is developed to easily and instantly process several layers of production data for the improvement of performance. In a highly competitive marketplace such as that faced by manufacturers, supply chain optimization is a key operating benchmark of the truly flexible, adaptive company. In addition, with nearly 80% of the cost to manufacture flowing through the supply chain, a manufacturer or job shop cannot ignore the value of supply and they must constantly resolve any weaknesses in their own on-time delivery performance.

A key metric for a company looking to enhance their on-time delivery is the daily visibility and measurement of the several factors affecting performance. These include:

Material Lead Time: What is the history of vendor shipments to you? How much time must you allow to build in tolerances for parts and material delivery that may take longer than usual? Is the material subject to delays due to unstable supplies?

Process Time for Each Step: How does the job fit into the various jobs that surround it in the schedule? How long will the breakdowns and set-ups take to perform, and then how long will the processes take in actual production time?

Outside Processing: Are there any off-site processes that must be made in the production sequence, any outsourcing that must be completed before the job is finished? What is the delivery performance history of the outsourcing operation?

Shipping Transit Time to Customer: Are there any special packaging/pallet requirements that must be prepared for the shipment? How reliable is the shipper being used for the delivery and what is the standard transit time?

With this information input into an ERP software system, productive analyses can be made on a daily basis regarding on-time delivery performance. As a result, the enterprise can be adjusted to allow for any predictable (or even unexpected) delays in process, and in turn produce more consistently reliable promised delivery dates. Ultimately, by following stringent observation of both internal and external performance measurements, your own performance in as a link in the supply chain becomes a source of pride, rather than a source of excuses.

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100 Creative Presentation Ideas

Creative Presentation Ideas – It’s Showtime!

Listed below are just 3 of the 100 creative presentation ideas you can use to make your presentation unforgettable. You may use these creative presentation ideas when speaking to potential investors, at management forums, conference lectures or with your colleagues, employees, or any other presentation you have to make.

Each creative idea is described in the following format:

Basic description of the creative presentation idea

What for? major benefits of the idea, or how it may be used

Variations on the creative idea: how you can adapt the idea to different settings, goals and audiences

Comments: things you should pay attention to when using the creative idea

Well, here comes the first creative presentation idea:

Creative Presentation Idea #1:

Description: Do not use titles in your slides

What for?

Tell the viewers that you left out the presentation titles intentionally in order to see if you could deliver your main points clearly
When using the presentation as a learning aid in a workshop, if your audience is required to complete the titles, they will have to think about what you are teaching and actively participate in the discussion

Variations:

Leave the titles out for only some of the slides – perhaps the ones that will be used for a review of the presentation so far, or to trigger a discussion on a controversial issue
Write only half of the title, and ask your audience to complete it

Comments:

You can use a printed “complete” version of the presentation for yourself, so you can see the titles you meant to use

The creative ideas I suggest are of different kinds and levels. Some are crazier than others. You should choose the one that best suits your presentation needs. Do you want to make a really bold statement? Here is a more outrageous idea:

Creative Presentation Idea #75:

Description: Present the presentation blindfolded!

What for?

You could definitely demonstrate your knowledge of the subject and a good memory skill as well as self-confidence by using this idea
Use it to add some humor to your presentation: after you put the blindfold on, intentionally make some funny mistakes when referring to the slides, and only then show them that you know what you’re talking about…

Variations:

Put the blindfold on for just a short part of the presentation, when you want to make a dramatic effect
Provide blindfolds for the participants, so their sense of hearing will be heightened and you could test their memory after a few slides!

Comments:

Take care not to offend people with disabilities (e.g. blind people, etc.). Use this technique when you are certain you can do so tactfully and with good taste

As you might have noticed by now, these creative presentation ideas do not rely on an incredible knowledge of Power Point, or on unreasonable production expenses. Actually, in some of the ideas you don’t even have to use Power Point at all!. Here’s one:

Creative Presentation Idea #31:

Description: Have a painter/caricaturist assistant -

drawing images/cartoons on a flip chart as you explain

What for?

This would make your presentation “live” on the go. Instead of using slides, the sketches would visually convey the major points you are trying to get through. For example – when you talk about the tough task lying ahead, a simple drawing of mountaineers climbing up a steep mountain would etch that image in the viewers mind.
A caricaturist could add a touch of humor to your presentation with funny images and hints

Variations:

If you have the talent – you could draw the sketches yourself as you speak.

If there’s an electronic drawing pad – you could use it and show the drawings on a screen as they are drawn.
Alternatively – ask some of the participants themselves to help you and draw those images on the flip chart as you speak.
You could prepare and give the participants a comic book with the important things you talked about.

Comments:

Make sure there are enough flip chart pages you could use, and that everyone can see them well.

Rehearse the presentation with the painter and the list the major subjects you are going to talk about so that s/he would have time to think about how to make meaningful and relevant drawings.
Here are a few pointers on where to find the person to draw for you: look for high school or college art students who wish to practice and demonstrate their talent for a small fee or free of charge; ask around for other employees that have that talent and are willing to give a hand. Of course, if the presentation is worth the investment, you may always hire a professional caricaturist.

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Temporary Staffing Agency – How to Start

The temporary staffing industry continues to expand, with yearly double-digit growth being commonplace. Companies find it convenient and cost-effective to work with a temporary staffing agency to fulfill unforeseen demand, fill short-term vacancies, and assist with changing workloads due to restructuring or mergers. Additionally, employers are enticed by the idea of “test driving” new employees to minimize risk and ensure a good match for permanent positions.

Many a job seeker has reaped great rewards from temporary staffing. Skilled but yet-inexperienced workers are able to get a foot in the door at prestigious companies, where a weak resume would have made it very difficult to be considered. Similarly, “drifters” (those who tend to rapidly drift from job to job) may be plagued by an overly-long resume. Temporary staffing services can be ideal for drifters, as they have the opportunity to work on short-term projects and move on without the negative repercussions. Retirees and college students are also very common candidates. A retired nurse may find enjoyment and extra income from a temporary medical staffing firm. A computer science major can gain valuable experience working with a technical agency.

Only a small number of personnel is required to handle recruiting and clientele. Even the largest international firms tend to function with small, mostly-independent branch offices serving specific regions. This modular structure means it is quite possible for a one-office temporary staffing agency to compete effectively with established firms.

Overall, the triple-benefit to clients, associates, and entrepreneurs has contributed to the phenomenal growth of the temporary staffing industry. Because of these advantages, it will remain an integral part of the employment process through good times and bad.

Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:

$5,000 to $25,000

The startup and operating costs of a temporary staffing agency are much lower than many other businesses. The basic requirements are a small office with the typical supplies, a computer system with general accounting software and database software for organizing contracts, and the people skills to work with clientele and associates. It would not be impossible to start a temporary staffing agency on a shoestring budget of a few thousand dollars.

The largest business expense is payroll. It is common for associates to be paid by the agency before the agency is paid by the client. An account must be maintained with sufficient funds to cover payroll costs until bills are paid by the clients.

It is difficult – but not impossible – to get help from venture capitalists in covering part of the costs of setting up a temporary staffing agency. A well-researched, forward-looking business plan is essential.

Pricing Guidelines for Service:

Associates are paid by the hour, and the agency covers its costs by charging a premium to the amount billed to the client. The exact amount of the premium differs from case to case and can vary from 5% to 50% or more. Some associates are willing to work for less and some clients are willing to pay more, which when properly matched can result in very decent profits for the temporary staffing agency. The contract usually spells out a flat fee to be paid to the agency in the event that a client decides to permanently hire an associate.

Advertising and Marketing:

A competitive hurdle for small startups is that larger agencies already have established reputations and brand recognition. This is actually a minor obstacle because of the localized nature of the business. It is not necessary to wage a national marketing war to gain exposure for a new agency. An inexpensive and well-directed marketing campaign can quickly build a valuable reputation within the local operating region of the startup.

Essential Equipment:

An office (perhaps a home office) should be equipped with the standard office supplies and at least two telephone lines.

At least one computer system with accounting software and a database for keeping track of projects is mandatory. A printer is used for printing invoices and job listings, and a high-speed Internet connection connects the agency with online job search sites.

Many temporary staffing services have computers with tutorial software available to help associates to train their keyboarding and basic office software skills. These computers are also used to test the skills of applicants.

Income Potential:

Many billions of dollars are spent on temporary staffing services each year. A small, single-office agency can earn profits in the tens of thousands of dollars. The large, international firms rake in millions every year.

Target Market:

A temporary staffing agency is the middleman between two distinct markets: clients and associates.

It is usually not a difficult matter to reach hundreds of applicants with simple help wanted advertisements. More focus will probably be placed on connecting with client companies and convincing them that your services will help their businesses.

Certain industries seem more receptive to temporary staffing. Financial institutions and other office-centric companies are constantly seeking qualified office support staff. Factories frequently need labor for light industrial work, product assembly, and shipping and receiving tasks. Hospitals and clinics use temporary medical staffing to hire transcriptionists, certified nursing professionals, and other support staff. Increasingly, high-technology companies hire computer programmers, database specialists, and systems engineers on a temporary basis through agencies specializing in technical placements.

Tips for Success:

Develop a niche!

In larger markets, providers of temporary staffing services have found it useful to branch into niches such as temporary medical staffing, legal, financial, or technical fields. The focused nature of these agencies allows recruiters to build a pool of highly-educated, trained, and experienced associates who are able to provide the best service to clients within a particular industry.

A hospital executive would feel more comfortable contracting nurses from an agency dedicated to temporary medical staffing than from a one-stop-shop that also places welders, janitors, and filing clerks. This confidence also helps associates to command better wages than they might otherwise receive through a general-service temporary staffing agency.

Automate!

Much of the work of running a temporary staffing agency can be automated by computer software. Well-designed database software can ease the process of matching qualified associates with appropriate job openings. Accounting operations can be very heavily automated (but working closely with a good accountant is still advised). With these tools in place, just two major tasks remain: finding clients and finding associates.

Use your own services!

As the business grows, it will become necessary to add staff to handle the recruitment and marketing. That should never be difficult, since typically dozens or hundreds of qualified candidates are already in contact with the agency!

Training, Skills or Experience Needed:

Recruiters are at an advantage with a background in human resources, business management, and marketing. A degree is not essential for starting the business, but the knowledge gained through a business management program is immensely helpful. People skills are important, and can be learned through experience and self study. Numerous books have been published, specifically addressing temporary staffing as a business opportunity.

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