In the local economy (Ocala, FL) businesses close, daily. I have the oppertunity to run my dream business & presently own a biz already that does well: I have an idea & I need advice. I can lease (& live there at the same time in this dream place) a beautiful mini-mansion, perfect for hosting weddings, events, parties, etc., & it has a basement in which my fiance can put-in his dream music recording studio. We can afford this place, however we’d be financially tight. So I thought: Use it as an all-inclusive place where events & weddings can be hosted. Offering my event planning servce; the house as location; honeymoon night in the master suite; I also have a relationship with the manufacturer of major label (Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Divinci, you name it I can get-these gowns costing thousands for only $200 or less, direct. Fiance is a chef & can do the food. Undercut everyone else; also handle floral, favors, etc. We own wedding decor, everything. He’s a notary & can marry the couple. We could handle any event. Problem: we can afford the investments & advertising but would be financially tight at first. He’s scared, but this is my dream chance. I already run a great biz that takes alot of time. I can do “All-Inclusive Events & Weddings.” I would be able to offer in this terrible economy to people, “platinum weddings,” — everything included, for $2,500.00 or LESS depending on what they want. We checked around, here the others are pricing starting at $940 and it includes ONLY the use of the location!? NO OTHER SERVICES! I think people will flock to us to do their weddings & events. It is it worth being possibly “house-poor?” Is this something people would go for? Even if we didn’t do this idea, we could afford the place but it would be tight. & this is my dream. Should I try it? The owners of the place want $1,500/mo. & will keep it the same next year if we renew. Renting a “regular” home & leasing a storefront for my idea is the EXACT SAME PRICE except I wouldn’t have a location to host the events & weddings. Should I go for the mini-masion or a reg. home & storefront or should I forget it, all together? Included in the weddings would be: gown & accessories to keep, floral, bridal bouquet, etc., decor, cake, food, location, honeymoon night in our glamorous master suite; B&B style, favors, reception location, wait staff, use of all ceremony & reception accessories, use of tables, chairs & china service, set-up & break-down, music, wedding planning & coordination services, ceremony & officiant, newlywed gift basket & 20 photos. Optional at lower cost than others are charging: video, personalized items & photo albums, special-order & color-coordinated decor, live band & anything else they dream of. I can get/offer it all at less than 1/2 of what others are charging. What should I do? Presently, I just offer my gown service.
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Technorati Tags: AllInclusive, Business., plan, Wedding

This past holiday season we saw what I consider to be a highly reactionary response to the current market correction we’re undergoing.  For the first time in my recollection Luxury brands were not immune to this volatile mindset, but at what cost to their long term brand equity?  I have several friends of mine that work at the local Movado Boutique, and I was amazed at the level of discounting that was being offered.  What didn’t surprise me at all were the consumer reactions once the season ended.

I’ll share with you a story that my friends shared with me.  Names have been withheld to protect the innocent.  A client of the boutique had purchased three of the exact same watch at the deeply discounted price over the holidays.  Several weeks after the sale had ended the client came back to the boutique to purchase a fourth watch of the exact same style.  I must qualify this by saying that the watch style in question was not a clearance item or discontinued style.  It was indeed an active SKU in Movado’s line.

Needless to say the client was not willing to pay full price for the fourth watch after being predisposed to the substantially lower price point.  The value had been diminished by the excessive discount, regardless of what legal disclaimers you use.  The Boutique management made every appeal on the client’s behalf to corporate management to no avail.  The client would have to pay full price for the exact same item they purchased at less than half the price weeks earlier.

Now I’m not advocating that you abandon discounting all together.  I’m just suggesting that you have clearly defined policies in place, and that you don’t abandon them at the first sign of trouble.  Discounting is an excellent way to liquidate dead inventory, and when done in moderation can draw in new business.

If you are simply looking to increase sales however look into customer loyalty, gift with purchase or a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) type programs.  These style programs add value to the consumer experience as opposed to diminishing the value of the brand.  That and there is a cost of entry.  The consumer receives a reward only after performing the desired action of making a purchase.

From a shear ROI perspective these programs make more sense.  Why sell a $100 blouse for $50 and cut your margins when you can include a unique accessory with a retail value of $50 instead.  We both know that your acquisition cost of the accessory is well below the $50 retail value, so you save money and have added value.  Regardless of the outcome of the promotion the accessory will pay for itself.  This will be accomplished by either increased blouse sales, or the future retailing of the accessory if you don’t use them all.

Technorati Tags: Avoid, Brand, Damaging, Discounts

Old Age , I decided , is a gift

I am now , probably for the first time in my life , the person I have always wanted to be. Oh , not my body! I sometime despair over my body , the wrinkles , the baggy eyes , and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!) , but I don’t agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends , my wonderful life , my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I’ve aged , I’ve become more kind to myself , and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend.

I don’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie , or for not making my bed , or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn’t need , but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat , to be messy , to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70’s , and if I , at the same time , wish to weep over a lost love .. I will.

I will wal k the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body , and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to , despite the pitying glances from the jet set .
They , too , will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again , some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure , over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one , or when a child suffers , or even when somebody’s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray , and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed , and so many have died before their hair could turn silver

As you get older , it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So , to answer your question , I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever , but while I am still here , I will not waste time lamenting what could have been , or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)
What do you think of this?
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Ok so this is a really long and confusing story but il try to keep it short lol. I would like some advice. Im 22 years old, my current bf is 23 and my ex is also 23. It’s long, but bear with me

About 2 years ago, I met a man over World of Warcraft (Go ahead start ripping on me lol). I did not think much of it, but soon it turned into more than just chatting and playing together every now and then. We talked daily. and had a huge connection. Only problem was – he lives in Florida, I live in Canada. About a year later, a friend wanted me to go with her to Florida to visit her grandparents, so we looked at it as a short opportunity to meet up. He drove almost 4 hours to meet me, and the moment he got out of his car my heart skipped a beat. We had such an amazing time together, he took me everywhere, we did the whole romantic beach thing. Well it turns out near the end of my stay with my friend, me and her got into a fight and were not speaking. Again, he drove 4 hours to come get me to bring me back to his place so he could buy me a plane ticket home about a week later. We decided we wanted to start “dating”.Things seemed great. I went to visit him again a few months later and it was bliss. We even spoke of marriage for me to move down there. Everything seemed fine until we got into a couple stupid fights, which progressed into more, then one night I decided to end it because it was too stressful with us fighting all the time. I slowly started talking less and less to him for the next 5 months, even though he tried to contact me daily.

I just recently started talking to him again about 3 months ago, only by this time…I was in a relationship already. I know, too fast. My current boyfriend iv been with for 6 months, and I moved an hour away from my hometown to make it work to be in his city. He is a very loving guy, fun to be with, hilarious, we get along great. I love his family and they love me. Since iv been here, it’s been nothing but a downward spiral – Iv been unemployed for 5 months because getting a job out here is like digging up gold. Thus it has ruined my credit, and got my cellphone disconnected. Heres where the trouble starts – he has a very good job and makes alot of money. Since he still lives at home, lets just say he has no finnancial woe’s at the moment. Big screen tv, motorcycle, car. You get the point. I have been struggling beyond belief and had to go on finnancial assistance to live. He has lent me alot of money to help me…but he is very selfish. I have no problems with the idea of loaning money to your bf/gf whatever and expect to be payed back but he does it for almost everything. I needed cookware – he wants the $30 back for that, I needed medication for my fish – he wants the money back for that, We went out for dinner with a large group of his friends – he bought me some fries (this was a day after my bday…got no bday present) as I watched all the other men buy their gf’s drinks and food galore. When joking asked him for a bday shot – he claims he’s not made of money. This x-mas, I used my financial assistance money to get him a small gift. What did I get? nothing. After I even mentioned that even a card would be wonderful. The way I look at it, I gave up my family, my friends, my job, my credit is SHOT, my cellphone is gone…I owe over $1,000 on my cellphone alone. So him being selfish like this really, really bothers me. Aside from that, I caught him texting his ex to meet up with her while she was in town not too long ago after he promised me before I moved he wouldnt talk to her anymore. Now because of getting myself into debt up to my eyeballs and I got evicted from my room im renting because he slept over one night I am pretty much forced to move back to my old city to live with a friend. He is very upset over the idea. He works ALL the time so we would never have time to see eachother.

Im sorry this is a novel, but im almost done!. My ex from Florida..since iv been feeling so down about eveything, yet again those old feelings are creeping back in a big way. Aside from the pointless fights we had near the end he treated me like a princess. He told me he loved me everyday, anything I wanted to do we went and did. My current bf always calls me sexy…he calls me beautiful and tells me he adores me. He tells me im his everything, and he would give anything to be with me again. He does not know im still with my current bf, and he wants to pay for a plane ticket down there to go see him and relax for a week. Since im pretty much being forced to move back to my old town im so unsure of what to do it’s retarded. I have a hard time making decisions due to me being bipolar so everything I do – especially when it comes to big choices like this – feels like a mistake. Whats your opinion…try to make this work or break up with him for a chance to move 1000 miles away for the man I obviously still have deep feelings for.
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During my life, I’ve tried to engage in productive activities. I would like to be a part of the upward bound program because it would open doors to new opportunities for me to excel in my studies. It would also give me a chance to experience and explore the benefits of attending a college. Being a part of the upward bound program would mean everything to me. I believe it would help me to become a better leader and person in the near future.
There are many answers to the question of a person , Which makes each of us unique beyound the genetics and DNA.Who am I?I am (the one people ask for help). I am (the shy one in the corner),but yet very competitive, ambitious, commanding, and organized. I have an inquisitive and adventurous spirit. I do not like to be confined by strict rules or limitations on my freedom.I tend to become frustrated with people who are less motivated than I am or who fail to accomplish what they say they will.I naturally find innovative ways to improve processes and outcomes.I am a driven, daring, and competitive learner, who enjoys determining how new concepts fit into an existing theory,enthusiastically pursue new ideas and dream.I am UNIQUE.Although there are many factors concerning me in life, the one that stands out to the most is global warming.Global warming has a big impact in everyone’s life, but many of us cannot understand .The ecological aspect of the earth and the benefits of keeping the earth clean are tremendous
. The way we live would be benefited and the animals would become healthier than what they may become in the future. It also affects me because the earth in which we live in may not be here in a few decades. We need to lay down a better foundation for our future children and grandsons. Global warming is real and we need to take to an account to what we have done to this beautiful planet and fix it.
Two most important people who have greatly influenced me in my growth and development would be my mother, Renee Robinson and my friend, Chelsea .My mother has helped me all through life. She taught me the benefits of having a brain and using it. She always says, “One thing you will always get for free and will help you is your intelligence. Knowledge is power”. My friend, Chelsea Oglesby, has also had a great impact on my life. She has helped me plan for the future and has given me hope .These people have shaped me ,and my personality.
There are many definitions for education because of its value .Education is a gift and not just a gift some of us get. It’s a gift given to everyone .Education is the ability to learn, help, and teach. Education is important because without it, you can’t progress in life .I believe my education also shapes my personality and gives me courage .To me education is life and a door to new opportunites, a chance to forfill my curiosity.It’s a piece of hope that we can achieve and hold onto for the rest of our lives.
My future goals after high school are to attend Hofstra University and double major in law and English. These are both passions of mine that I plan on pursuing through my career. Law is something that I feel as if I could make a difference through. English, on the other hand, is my niche that I’ve always found as a good outlet to express myself. I also hope to inspire other teens in my lifetime to make a difference and start up local programs by possibly starting one of my own. My standards are set high and my dreams big, but I know that with hard work and perseverance I can accomplish all of which I have set out.

Okay Im trying to get in a program over the summer for high school students .We attend college for the summer and on weekends .I really want to be in the Program we have to write a essay bout the following …..Why you want to become apart of the upward bound and what it means to you?who are you and the important factors concerning you and you enivorment ,Discuss two of the most important people who have influenced you in your growth and Development.Discuss your definition of education and why it is important.Diasuss you future career goals.

p.s i have not add the who are you part i am still working onn it what do you think and be critical and please give me tips on how to make it better
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Technorati Tags: advance, answer, best, Please, points, read, Thanks

Its the truth, for millions of year before the humans even existed, Marijuana has been around. Our ancestors have tasted, seen, smelled, and felt the magic of the wonderful plant without worry. Without panic, without fear. Its been passed down our generations for thousands of years, each one of us effected by the minds of our ancestors high. Our body’s crave it, our body’s want it, our body’s need it. Its a simple plant, a plant that it caused by nature itself, and yet here we are in this time, fighting whether or not nature is a crime. Our bibles rewritten, father’s stories retold, the media telling lies, people raving attacks on nature. Let me tell you something, Nature gave us life my friend, it gave us hope, fear, happiness, it gave us the chance to live, to smell, to taste, to hear, to see, and most of all to feel. The sad part is that we repaid nature with death, we gave it no chance to live. Cutting down trees, building Cooperations, tearing down the simple gift we have been give. Now we’re going to sit and watch our world die from our mistakes, you wonder why Greater Power has not shown Their face to us, their ashamed of the outcome. He made to protect the Earth, not harm it. And Yet we sit around and let Governments destroy everything we’ve been given, tell us what we can’t and can do. We face our greatest fear and yet we turn around and walk away like cowards. The government has made nature a crime, and for the Ganja plant to be illegal, you might as well just make all fruits and vegetables, water, rocks and anything else illegal too. For one thing to be outcast, it all should be. The plant has never done any harm to us, but bring us a peace of mind. Give us comfort we never felt before. This plant, this miracle that nature has given us is far less harmful than anything out there. Love for example can be more a unpredictable, harmful substance than marijuana. It causes us to go beyond our normal routine, and inflict consequences we’ve never dealt with before. Though love is always a great thing to feel, I encourage it strongly. Marijuana on the other hand is nothing but a good time. A time to wonder, a time to go on a adventure, a time to feel, like love, more than life. It gave us nothing but happiness, no sorrow, no fear, no nothing. The only reason that we feel paranoid or fear when we’re high is because of we’re afraid of the cops, or parents or anything else to put us in jail for a simply enjoying the fruits of life. So I encourage everyone to put down the alcohol, the drink made by men to feel good, that only inflicts violence and suicide, and pick up a joint and remember who you are. Peace will only come when our generation decides to remember who we are. Humans, we are animals, simple but complex animals, that should rethink the way we live, our society is run, and the way we view nature. We cannot continue to cut trees, and make the forest bleed anymore. We have to start respecting our planet, and respecting the simple things in life that come free. All the emotions, all the memories. We shouldn’t live our life worrying about our future, we should just enjoy our present. Schools should stop teaching lies, and The governments should just present itself as its true title: The destroyers. If I had one wish, just one wish, its for the entire world to just forget everything, all the violence, all sadness, all the worries about what country is more armed and more deadly, and just relax and get together and have a great time. Their should be no more leaders, no more power. Power has created evil, and evil has shown the the darker side to nature. Our world is sick, and we need to give it its medication. No more hate, no more sorrow. For one day, just look at the person you always wanted to kill, and say to yourself, I’m over it, why should I feel so much hate, when I can just simply forget all that you’ve done to me, and move on with my life, have a few laughs with some friends. If you start feeling hate, just simply love more instead. Guns and Greater weapons should be banned, not plants, and nature. Those believing that marijuana is a gateway to more hardcore stuff, I ask you this, why? Marijuana, as always and will always be nature, the more hardcore drugs are man made. For one day, look at yourself in the mirror and remember who you are. Stop making those drugs, stop putting it out in our society, it does us a lot of harm, put down the crack pipe, and pick up the joint. Its only believed to be a gateway drug because some evil spilled out. Someone wanted to experience getting higher, but they never came to their senses to believe and if its not natural, then not experiment with it. I ask you to forgive yourself, and let go. Believe in nature, and it will believe in you. Be strong, be whole, be yourself. If rebellious is in your blood, then if you follow the course of nature, if everyone did, then rebellious wouldn’t be a problem. Face your inner demon, and don’t let it have control. Free your
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Technorati Tags: around, been, earth, Ganja., peace, solution, thousands, Years.

Hi I an haveing a yard sale in a couple days and i recently came across some really old books i was just wondering if they are worth holding on to or if i should just get rid of them. there are 5 books total. i will list all of them and there condition.

BOOK ONE: The Wrong Twin by; Harry Leon Wilson
copy right of 1920, 1921
The cover of the book is in good condition
very little frying on the edges
the pages inside have less then 10% of folding
discoloration on all pages due to age
less then 10% of pages soild
there is small writting in less then 10% of book
there are no torn pages
dark blue in color

BOOK TWO: The Hermit of Far End by; Margeret Pedler
Copy right 1920
The cover of book is in good condition
very little frying around edges
book was givin as a gift in 1924
has a note on inside descibing how it was from and too.
pages are discolored from age
no soils, folding, or torn pages
a brown color of book

BOOK THREE: Daily English Lessons Book Three by; Willis H. Wilcox, Ph.M.
Copy right 1915
outside of book in good condtion
very little frying on edges
writting in about 30% of book
looks like someone was writting down notes to study by.
pages are slightly discolored from age
no soild, folded, or torn pages
Color of book is a yellow/brown

BOOK FOUR: The Rainbow Mother Goose By;May Lamberton Becker
Copy right 1947
Outside of book is in fair condition
there is medium frying on edges
pages are slightly discolored from age
there is about 10% soild pages
there is about 10% folded pages
there is no torn pages
Book is yellow and orange in almost a checker pattern

BOOK FIVE: Whittier’s Complete Poems By; John Greenleaf Whittier
Copy right(last date) 1904
Outside of book is in poor condition
there is medium freying on edges
there has been water damage to outside of book on bottom right corner
water spot on cover top left corner
book seems to be signed, has a legal seal on three pages and has a protective page that covers the signature
pages are discolored due to age
less the 5% of soiled pages
no torn pages
no folded pages
book is blue in color with a gold wreath decoration in all corners as well as the name Whittier on front

Well those are my books..If some one could get back to me with just a general worth it would be great. I am not looking to make a fourtune but if they are worth something i would like to save them for my kids.
thanks very much.

the books are old they have no ISBN numbers
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Technorati Tags: much, SALE, sell, should, them, These, worth, yard

There was an episode of a sitcom where the bride discovered that the engagement ring was a cheap designer “knock off” purchased at a discount place. She threw the ring away. Honestly, if any of you discovered the engagement ring was a designer “knock off” made to look like a more expensive ring but purchased at a discount, would you care? Would you throw it away? That always seemed absurd to me.
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Technorati Tags: bought, Discount, Discovered, engagement, Gift, place

Im 14 years old. Im an expeirenced bodybuilder. But I have recently fell into a deep depression. Now I feel like my gains arnt as big as they are ment to be. While im physically fit I keep thinking im not anymore. I used bodybuilding as a way to burn off my anger. It helped but as the months progressed I began to sleep less and dam.

basically does mood affect testorone levels? Right now I skipped out on school because Its just too much for me to take. My performance in school is shit,my mom rages on me when She can’t appreciate shit. I get A’s and recently have gotton B’s. I help my brother and sister with her homework I clean A large portion of the houe everday, I don’t watch tv im always listening to a music channel.

I have recently moved to n.y last year and went to a new school. Im very atheletic. When I play sports i feel so happy its like a high I get. I moved away from florida because of the many problems. I Go out with my friends at school and I have a good time. But its not the same. My friend That I have met since the 4th grade called me to meet up with him again. I said yea we loved to play sports and we had a whole possy . I declined his invitation by not going.

Its alot of shit. I have to take depression pills but I want to get off them I know I can. I love my parents and my family. I know from expeireince the stupidities many kids do at my age. Lots of people say im mature and its great to feel unique and have people like you. I always loved helping people because to me i get the best feeling like no other. Its me but when im down in the dumpster I affect all the people around me. I become an outcast and produce a bad aura of negativity.

I think my problem is moving to a new state leaving my good friends and memories,I loved playing sports people dont have that motivation to play sports like I do (I like playing sports alot),I’m a great person and had good reputation and now im the depressed kid that has a dead face on, I don’t know much people who are into bodybuilding,My parents dont appreciate the grades I get or work i do, and I want to become part of a group of people who understand me.

As a result this has radically affected my bodybuilding/athletic performance.
My mood has affected my sexuality a little bit. I’m straight but I think Im losing interest in girls meaning I feel what people would call(asexual) and my school grades.

People say I’m great and that I’m very knowlodgeable. I like the attention but at times bieng unique you feel like even so you need those people that have at least most interests similar to yours. Because you can both discuss the greatness and you know there is someone that knows how it feels. As a result I have lowered my school performance, slack of in class, get in trouble. My grades are in the middle to low B’s now and I want to get into a Highschool that only accepts top class students which further depresses me.

My parents say they appreciate me but i think its just to make me feel better. The times I show them my grades that are 94% or 100%s when the hell do you here thats at least good? I was in advanced placement classes but this new school doesnt have any gifted classes(which i was going to be placed in next year in florida)

And when the hell do you hear of a 14 year old asking there parents if they want anything to eat after they come from work? The FUCK i dont here none of that shit but a bunch of crackers my age that like to smoke,drink, or only care about themselves. As a result I decided to not give a shet about them and only care about myself.

I suffer from axiety which I am able to cope. Deppresion follows but it is hard to cope with. I have suffered from it for 2 years now. I don’t have a big ego but If I have great qualities and the only people who can really help are the ones in my family which know what has been going on you feel horrible.

I like discipline,respect,potentcial,motivation,and effciency. I have became a great figure but when you have no one that feels the way you do you have nothing to do but give in to the public opinion and become just another.
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Technorati Tags: affect, levelsHelp, mood, testerone

So I’m a freshman in high school, and my birthday is coming up. I’m throwing a bigger party (about 200 people) and have a few questions:
How do I make it amazing? I have a great DJ and a good location, but what do I need to make it fantastic?
Any dress ideas? It’s going to be a casual party, but I still am going to wear a dress. Wtih stores, I like Saks and Neiman Markus. I have bigger boobs, and a small waist. Most colors work for me. Less then $500, if possible please!
What do I put in the gift bags? I want it to be kind of spring-y (the party is the night of the last day of school before spring break). I don’t want them to be super spendy, though; I have to make 200 of them, so the cheaper the better.

Thank you so so much in advance!
ktvol – It’s useful, not use full. Try spending your time getting an education, not critiquing my spending habits.
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Technorati Tags: 14th, birthday, Party