Is Your Key Control a Cornerstone or Liability
Have you ever thought about how your retail organization handles the distribution and record keeping for its mechanical keys? If you have, what did you conclude? That the current system is a cornerstone of your security program or a liability? If you’re like most, you might have reached the decision that it was just too stressful to think about and simply stopped thinking about it.Whether you have hundreds or thousands of stores – the issue of key control MUST be addressed or it will likely impair the effectiveness of all your other security operations.Where do you start?By reading this far you already have started. Now let’s take it to the next level by breaking the problem down into its simplest components.A good example of a company that does it right is G & S Oil, a retail marketer of Conoco and Texaco petroleum products throughout Colorado. G & S follows each of these four steps in managing key control at its seven service stations and 6 convenience stores.G & S recognizes that there are four critical pieces you must address when looking at key control.1. The quantity of existing keys has to be controllable. Management must know the number of keys being used at each location. Five cannot turn into six without your knowledge. It’s that sixth key that was reproduced at the kiosk in the mall, the neighborhood hardware store or even by your own locksmith who forgot to document the event that will cause you problems. You have to have a system with a proven track record of restricted keys – keys that have only one way of being duplicated – with your authority.According to Jim Larkin, retail sales manager for G & S Oil, each manager at the 13 different locations is responsible for keeping an inventory of keys registered to the stores’ employees. G & S employs between six to 10 workers per location. The number of keys varies between location, from four to six.If you cannot control the number of authorized keys to that front door, your security program is virtually useless.2. Policies and procedures to rekey must exist. As a retailer, there will be times when keys are outside of your control – they’ve either been lost or stolen. And, there is the issue of key

Satin Paper and Large Format Printing - Pros and Cons
For the past few years or so now we've been creating and printing our own posters. And the best paper that I've found for this is satin paper. And not just any satin paper. The best that I've found is made by Hewlett Packard. And what works best is the 7 mil paper.Satin paper that's 7 mil thick dries quick. Even for dark prints. Cause there's enough paper to absorb the ink. Thinner paper takes a lot longer to dry cause not all of the ink isn't aborbed. So it has to just sit there and dry. Sometimes run and bleed through to the back of the paper.And the 7 mil paper isn't so thick that you can't roll it up and plastic sleeve it without any problems. Like wrinkling the print for making it too tight to get the plastic over it.So it dries quick, rolls good without sticking to itself, and is ready to ship the same day if not the next day from when it was printed. Very ideal for the high humidity climate that I reside in.I have tried other papers from other manufacturers and different thicknesses. Like glossy paper. Yeah it puts a high gloss on the print. But the ink sits on top and takes forever, like 3 days or so, to dry enough to roll and ship. 5 mil and thinner satin paper. The ink sits on top and soaks through the paper. You roll it up and gets ink onto the back side of the print. Not very professional.Plain paper is very good to use also. But it doesn't have that "Photo Finish" quality. So plain it is.I've even tried thicker satin paper from Kodak. It acted just like the thin satin paper. Or it is damaged during packaging.So for our poster prints the paper of choice is 7mil satin paper made by Hewlett Packard. It prints beautiful. Dries fast. And ships really good once rolled.

Fundamentals For Financial Success
Not Rocket ScienceBecoming financially independent is more a matter of common sense and long term discipline than anything else.The great Cambridge economist and investor John May nard Keynes, placed his funds in no more than two companies at any one time. This simplistic approach was later adopted by Warren Buffet.Invest Before You SpendThe most basic of all rules is to make sure you allocate funds into your investments first, only then spending what is left over. A good rule of thumb is to invest 30% and live of 70%.Never Lose MoneyThe Golden Rule of investing is to never lose money. You must be careful to take advice from and invest with people who have better track records than yours.A wealthy businessman I know of uses the following simple rule. Whenever approached to invest in shares or property, he simply asks to see the adviser’s tax returns for the last 3 years. If the returns are better than his (and very few are on account of the fact that he never hears from most people again), only then does he strategically invest some of his hard earned funds.Losing money translates to the direct loss of the time and therefore life that it took to accumulate in the first place. When in doubt, walk away. Remember, don't lose money !Avoid Instant GratificationMost people fall victim to what economists call ‘emotional spending’.They spend all they have and then some by getting into debt over items that keep little or none of their value over time. What have you purchased over the last 12 months that in hindsight you are getting minimal value from? What did it cost? Could you have better invested your money somewhere else?In the ‘Millionaire Next Door’, the authors Stanley & Danko conducted extensive research on hundreds of self - made multimillionaires, coming to the fundamental conclusion that all of them behave in a frugal manner. If you cannot overcome your desire for instant gratification and spend all you make, then the seeds of greatness are not in you.The Greatest Investment In The WorldPeople often ask my advice on where to best invest. Cash, shares, or property?My reply is that they first begin by investing in themselv

Logo Design - Facilitating The Creation of a Powerful Brand
An organization might not have been in the business for many long years, but if it has started off by investing in building a brand identity with a good logo design, the word "success" is not far away from it. Most business ventures start with negligible market share; it is only through the application of good marketing strategies, smart management decisions and constant dedicated effort at all levels that a small business eventually turns out to be a big brand. For a new business start-up or a small business, a well-planned marketing strategy is perhaps a prerequisite from the day one itself. The business logo design forms an indispensable part of a good marketing strategy and the first step towards the making of a powerful brand.A good first impression is what a new business firm needs at the very beginning to subsequently popularize their brand. A memorable logo design can very well serve this purpose. Most people tend to remember what they see than what they hear, so a meaningful and attractive logo design certainly leaves a long lasting impression among the viewers. A logo helps the potential customers/ clients to relate with the company in a better way. A company without a logo is just as good as a faceless entity.The “look and feel” of a company is one of the aspects that induce the customers/ clients to opt for its products/ services. A company may have a limited physical presence but its logo can make its presence felt worldwide. A professional logo design facilitates the viewers in having a good perception for the brand. Such positive perceptions, later on, translate into better business returns.A logo design is an essential marketing tool for the businesses venturing into innovative avenues or dealing in uncommon products/ services. It helps the new business to convey an overview of their line of products and services. A logo is the simplest and the quickest way to spread brand awareness.A well-designed logo adds to the credibility of a business that further helps in building up a relationship of trust with the customers. It makes the company look focused, professional and trustworthy. A business logo design that coveys these attri

Nursing Resumes
What to Include in Nursing ResumesNursing resumes are slightly different from every other resume that you would send out. Being that nursing is a specialized profession, you need to remember a few things when putting together your first resume. Nursing resumes can be difficult to write because they will not include the same information as a standard resume trying to secure an office position. Read through the tips below before you start sending out your resume to potential employers.First off, remember that nursing resumes will not include all past work experience. When applying for an office job, you usually show all of your past work experience, no matter how irrelevant it may sound. But remember that nursing is a specialized profession. You want to make sure that you put down your experience relative to nursing and downplay the rest of your work experience. This is not to say that you cannot include other work experience on nursing resumes, just be sure to not let those jobs overshadow your nursing experience.Remember to include all nursing related experience on your resume. Anything that pertains to nursing, or caring for people should be highlighted on your resume so that it stands head and shoulders above the rest. This can include any volunteer work that you may have completed, or any nursing work that you did while in college. Nursing resumes often include information about the rotations that you did while completing your degree. This shows that you have experience in the field and are capable of working full time.Nursing resumes should always include your educational achievements as well. Be proud of what you accomplished. If you were elected into the National Honors Society for nursing majors be sure to include this information. If you had a high GPA, include that also.Nursing resumes may be difficult to write, but if you follow the tips above you will be able to put together an intriguing package for hiring managers. Sample nursing resumes can also be found on numerous online sites.

Acquire New Business
A major part of keeping profitable and growing your business is maintaining a focus on business development. Even when you've got the right mix of work, clients and employees you should be looking for new opportunities. You could establish a process to do this whilst ensuring your existing customers don't get neglected. The process helps you manage new business opportunities in a cost- and time-effective manner.Generate leads Identify the types of companies you want to work with and a realistic number of companies you want to target over a given period of time. For example: an accountant with experience in the marketing industry might decide to target five opportunities per month focussed on marketing consultancies.Finding potential clients and identifying new opportunities can be done through networking events, tenders listed in newspapers and industry magazines and headlines in newspapers about new projects and industry seminars. Keep an eye on your industry and stay aware of new developments.Track the companies you approach in a database ( you could use Microsoft Excel or Access). Tracking should cover the obvious things (company contact details etc) as well as details of what was discussed, potential works, actions and more.Qualify the leads Once you have a list of identified companies you must review to ensure they are realistic opportunities. Some areas to think about include:• Do you have the right contacts to get started?• Do you have the right services to offer them?• How can their website help you understand them better?• Do you have any conflicts of interest in pursuing this company?• Does this client have growth potential or would it be a quick job?• Who makes the decisions? How can you reach them?3. Raise your business profileBy raising your company profile (no matter how small you are) you'll be able to generate new business with less effort. As a leader in the industry new business will come to you. There are many ways to raise your profile; you could try sponsoring events, adver