Last Night In My Hotel Room

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Well, it had to end sometime. But I am ok with it. After tonight is over I will have had 4 nights in this room and it was fun and relaxing for the most part. Tomorrow my check out time is 12 pm but I plan to leave here by 11 am if not by 11:30 am. I think I will keep my alarm for 7 am or maybe that is too early? 8 should be fine. I have been sleeping long hours here, afternoon naps and waking up only by 9 am in the mornings as well.

My one complaint is that, other than some dirtiness in the decor and room and the disappointing bathroom issue, the food is bloody expensive. Rs.155 for eggs done your way (I have ordered it omelet style only so far)  and 3 slices of toast with a bit of jam & butter is Rs.180. Yet on their menu card the breakfast it corresponds to says there is much more. All the food is overpriced as well  but there is a lot of it. I couldn’t finish 3 of my meals here. My wallet will cry once I pay things up at the reception on my way out.

I also was berating myself for no bringing my USB stick as the tv in here has USB ports and I could have binged a few movies while I was here. The cable channels were crap, as most hotels have them, and I didn’t watch more than 30 minutes of tv and that too on my first day here. I had a cold yesterday and most of today so I haven’t been using the ac but the fan does the trick and I feel a bit cold if I do not use the sheet and blanket. So to bed I go and once I wake up, I will get some coffee and a bit of breakfast before I shower and shave and leave.

Cedric Signs With Arsenal On Loan

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Arsenal signed Portugal defender Cedric Soares on loan from Southampton until the end of the season on transfer deadline day. Arsenal announced the signing of Cedric on loan from Southampton until the end of the season on Friday. The 28-year-old will be out of contract in June, having made more than 100 appearances for the Saints since joining them from Sporting Lisbon in 2015.

His career started with Sporting CP, going on to appear in 93 competitive games over the course of four Primeira Liga seasons and scoring two goals. He signed for Southampton in 2015. Having earned 72 caps across all youth levels, CĂ©dric made his senior debut for Portugal in 2014. He appeared for the country at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2016, winning the latter tournament.

Born in Singen, Baden-WĂŒrttemberg, Germany to Portuguese immigrants, CĂ©dric returned to his parents’ country at the age of two. Right-back Soares, who had a loan spell at Inter Milan last season, is currently recovering from a knee problem, so his debut for the Gunners could be delayed until after the winter break.

Arsenal technical director Edu said on the club website: “Cedric is a defender with good experience of the Premier League, and of course at international level. “He is another strong addition to our defensive unit who will provide our squad with quality.” Southampton had brought in Kyle Walker-Peters on loan from Tottenham as cover. “The club would like to thank Cedric for all his efforts during his time with the club and wish him luck for the rest of the campaign,” a Southampton statement read.

Day 3 At This Hotel

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Day 3 of my stay : Well 3 days are almost over as it is now past 11pm on Thursday. How has it been so far? Well it’s been ok. I have stayed inside the hotel all this time. I have ordered in all my meals except for today’s lunch which I decided to go and eat in their restaurant for a change. Also I skipped breakfast this morning as I wasn’t hungry and I had some chocolate which I ate at around 11am.

Today I actually bothered to shower and shave. Yes yesterday as I slept in a lot, 5 hours during the day and I think 9 hours at night, I didn’t bother to shave or shower. I had the ac on all the time and it was cold so it was fine. Today morning I knew I needed a shave and a shower so I did at 11:30 am. The shower is so powerful that I had to put it at just a little more than half force. I used the hotel soap and shampoo and used their towels to dry myself. All decent options.

Unfortunately the buffet was not available today and neither is their bar open as today is the anniversary of Gandhi’s death/assassination. So I opted for an ice tea, American Chopsuey and a double scoop of ice cream. The restaurant was mostly empty except for a family of 3 in one corner and a guy who left 2 minutes after I sat down. Lunch done, I came back up to my room and took a two hour nap. I woke up and at 5pm I ordered some coffee, which isn’t very good by the way, and then have been online ever since. At midnight I will go back to sleep with more weird dreams.

2020-01-30_11-32-55

Pablo Mari Joins Arsenal On Loan

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Spanish defender Pablo Mari is set to join us on loan until the end of the season. The 26 year-old joins us from Brazilian side Flamengo, where he helped the Rio de Janeiro based team win the Brazilian Serie A title and the Copa Libertadores last year.

Mari made 22 appearances for Flamengo after joining them last July from Manchester City, where he had been since 2016. The left-footed central defender had three three different season-long loan spells during his time at City – in Spain with Girona for the 2016/17 season, then to the Netherlands with NAC Breda in 2017/18, before returning to Spain for the 2018/19 campaign with Deportivo La Coruna.

Mari developed his youth career in Spain with RCD Mallorca, where he made his La Liga debut at the age of just 17. Three years later in 2013 Mari joined Spanish side Gimnastic, where he made nearly 100 appearances in his three seasons with the Catalonian club. We have an option to make the deal permanent in the summer.

Technical director Edu said: “Pablo is an experienced player who will provide us with additional defensive quality. We have been monitoring Pablo’s career for a while and we are very pleased to have reached agreement with Flamengo for him to join us initially until the end of our season. Together with Mikel and his coaching team, we are all looking forward to seeing Pablo in an Arsenal shirt.”  The deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.

5 Board Games That Will Make You Smarter

Posted on by Roshan 1 Comment

There are lots of great reasons to play more board games. As well as being a fun form of entertainment, they can be a great way of getting kids away from the screen while also encouraging family bonding time. On top of this, playing board games could also help to boost brainpower. Here are just five board games that could help you to become smarter.

Chess

Chess is one of the oldest board games still in existence. It’s the perfect game of strategy – players must use problem-solving and forward-planning skills to try and outwit one another and take each others’ pieces. Chess also boosts memory – each player is constantly having to keep a mental record of which moves they can and can’t make. It’s only a two-player game making it unsuitable for a family get-together, but it could be great for one-on-one time with friends and family.

Scrabble

Scrabble is a word game in which players must compete to build the highest scoring words using a jumble of letters randomly chosen from a bag. This board game teaches all kinds of skills. It’s firstly a great game for expanding vocabulary – with the help of an anagram solver, you can discover all kinds of new words. Scrabble also teaches problem solving and also requires some mathematics in order to add up scores. It an all-round perfect board game for making you brainier.

Monopoly

Monopoly is the best game for teaching financial skills. It’s a game of budgeting and investment in which players must take risks and conserve their cash. Players each compete to buy streets in which they can then place hotels and houses on in order to collect rent from other players. There are lots of different versions of Monopoly out there to choose from.

Trivial Pursuit

In Trivial Pursuit, players must answer questions successfully in order to win pieces of pie. The first player to collect all the pieces of their pie wins. The questions in Trivial Pursuit are general knowledge and are themed around various colour-coded categories. You’ll constantly be learning new facts while playing this game, making it great for boosting brain power. Some boards come with separate kids questions.

Cluedo

Cluedo (or Clue as it’s sometimes known) is a classic murder mystery game in which players must solve the details of a murder including who did it, which weapon they used and in which room they committed it. By asking other players questions, you can slowly deduce the details of the murder. All in all, it’s a great test of memory and problem-solving skills.

All Settled In

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Well I am here. Ok so the hotel is quite near to my apartment, in the same city and just 20 minutes away. Like I said, I needed a few days away from my family and work and to just chill and forget about everything else. I don’t plan on going out, although I might step out for an hour or so tomorrow to get a USB stick if I can find one nearby.

I had wanted to check in at 12 pm, which is from when I am allowed to but we had a power outage at home and this led me to wait for a while before I left. I already had most of the things ready on my bed and by 11:20 am I went to shower and shave and then waited for a while. Finally I got ready and put all the things inside my bag. I left the chargers for my phone and my laptop for the last, which went into my laptop bag along with the HP and my mouse and my medicines.

IMG20200128201442

There was a large traffic jam in the city which led me to be being late and I reached here at the hotel only by 1:15 pm. I checked in and the bellhop took me to my room. It’s a basic room; they have an upgrade available and a suite too. But who needs that? I asked for the wifi password and then by 2pm I ordered a mixed grill and 2 Heinekens. The dish was too much for me – it was a lot of chicken, pork, beer, veggies, French fries and bacon! And a fried egg on top of that. Whoa!

I ate a lot of it but still left a lot behind. I had one beer and having gotten very little sleep due to watching a football match and Eddie Murphy’s Delirious (on Netflix) I was tired. I napped for 2 hours. BY 5:30 pm I was up and ordered some coffee. I have a lot of chocolate with me so I plan on using that as desert. I have been binging on Youtube videos. I might try to read after dinner but I will most probably sleep early. I feel relaxed.

Checking In Tomorrow

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

SO there is nothing much left to do but pack and wait for tomorrow morning. I will shower and shave and then get dressed and hail a cab by 11 am or so and head to the hotel. And then 4 days of bliss. I want to soak it in and relax and chill for those days. I do not want to waste one minute of it. Check in time is 12 noon as is check out time as well.

I have 4-5 shirts that are ironed and folded and 1 pant that is folder. I need to get 2 pairs of socks to go with the 1 will be wearing tomorrow. I need 4 pairs of underwear, a towel and a fresh lungi to wear in the room. Oh I know they give you towels and other stuff but I always like to keep my own. I checked – they list shampoo, body wash, soaps, towels, slippers, comb & brush and a dental kit. Ofcourse they have an electric kettle with complimentary coffee, tea, sugar and sugar free alternatives stocked in the rooms. They have a restaurant, a coffeeshop and a bar.

I will check out the buffet, the coffeeshop and the bar while I am there but mostly I just want to be left alone, other then the guy bringing my room service food and drinks. Temporary peace!

The Offer You Should Have Refused: Tips On Avoiding Home Buyer’s Remorse

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Standing in your new property, you quickly realize that you took up an offer you should have refused.

The seller didn’t tell you about those hidden maintenance problems that are now causing you both a literal and a financial headache. They didn’t tell you about the neighbors next door who are clearly fond of the party lifestyle. And you didn’t ask the right questions to your realtor, meaning that you are only now facing the consequences of your impulse decision to buy.

In short, you are now feeling that all-too-common sense of home buyer’s remorse! Well, that could be the case for you. But let’s rewind to the moment before you take up the offer that the seller makes to you. Let’s rewind to that moment when you still have the opportunity to look elsewhere on your property search. Let’s consider the things you need to do to avoid making a mistake with your purchase.

#1: Walk around the location

The right home is clearly important, but never underestimate the location you move into. If it has none of the amenities that are useful to you, and if you can’t commute to and from work easily, then you might want to reconsider a move into the area. You might also want to reconsider if the area is akin to a crime-zone, if there are no opportunities to take part in potentially life-changing hobbies, and if the neighbors are loud, noisy, and clearly unwilling to look after their properties. So, walk around the location to get a good impression of the neighborhood, and then run in the opposite direction if it doesn’t take your fancy!

#2: Bring in a home inspector

Home sellers are very good at disguising problems in their properties. When you attend the viewing, they might distract you away from certain rooms in the house. They could fill the property with sweet aromas to stifle any unwelcome smells of damp. And they could hide any problem sounds with music and chatter. You then leave with a positive impression and only later discover you have moved into a money pit after receiving the keys to move in. So, when you have found a house you are interested in, bring along a home inspector. He or she will assess the property for any maintenance problems and will guide you as to the viability of the purchase.

#3: Create a list of questions

To ensure you don’t forget to ask anything vital to either the seller or the realtor, create a list of questions to ask in advance. So, you might want to review your wants and needs and include them in your questions. You might want to ask about the financial aspect of the property, including information about utility and property tax prices. And you might want to ask the seller why they are selling, as if you can pick up any unhappiness in their reasons for wanting to move, you might want to think twice before buying. Here are just some of the investigative questions you might want to add to your list, but be sure to take the time to add your own.

So, don’t run the risk of home buyer’s remorse. Don’t make a decision that you will later regret. Follow our suggestions, and commit to as much research as you can before taking up an offer that you should have refused.

Searching For The Right Luxury Home Takes Patience

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

The most luxurious homes in the world are not without their quirks and blemishes. For a price tag ranging close and above the million mark, you will want to know the home is just right for you before signing on the dotted line. However, searching for your ‘dream home’ comes with a lot of tests. You’ll need to be patient, skilled in the art of negotiation and have the confidence to demand certain things from the real estate agent. Don’t be afraid to by a little strenuous for detail. You have every right to be picky about what kind of home you’re going to buy, especially one so expensive. Luxury homes are in a class of their own. Normal 3-bedroom family homes are not the same, so you have to approach them in a different manner. Here is a long list of factors you need to consider.

The key features

The process of buying a luxury property is arduous but you have to remember one thing. You have every right to demand and expect utter excellence. It’s incredibly important that you acknowledge this and approach the process with this in mind. The real estate agent that works in this field will know it too. The owners selling the property will be well aware that they need to meet the seller’s expectations too. Rest assured, you are in the driver’s seat. You’ve worked hard all your life, you’ve saved up and now you want to buy a dream home which could potentially be the last home you ever purchase. Don’t be meek and shy, be forthright with your expectations.

The key features of any luxury home must include these things. An open landing, one which is a little far from the staircase. Large open rooms with more than one door so you can enter from different rooms. Hardwood flooring is a non-negotiable feature, it must have pristine yew, rose walnut or mahogany wood flooring. The kitchen must have an island and it should be made from a high-end material such as marble or granite. You should expect to have some kind of water leisure features such as a jacuzzi or swimming pool; outdoor and indoor. A twin staircase is more attractive and leaves the hallway open and we also want stylish windows. Acres of land to yourself is another non-negotiable must-have.

An impeccable location

The location itself should be worth half the asking price. You are buying not just a property, but a new life. Luxury homes offer residents some of the best places to live, in the world. However, luxury homes are usually part of a luxury neighborhood. You don’t often find a single luxury house standing on a hill, on its own. So the types of locations you must expect are as follows.

Lakes are massively popular locations as they offer a waterfront view and plenty of water activities without intrusions from other people from outside the area. Speak to a lake real estate agent to see what the exclusive benefits are to buying a lake property. In Smith Mountain Lake, you can gold all-year-round. You will enjoy boating in front of your own home in an exclusive patch which comes with some properties. You have exclusive rights to fish in the lake as well. When there’s wind across the lake, feel free to set sail to enjoy a calming ride on the water. There are also water sports of all kinds.

Villas are often on high ground, such as around the elevated parts of the coastline. That’s why the south of France often gets the most lucrative sales in the business. Mediterranean villas are a hot commodity in the luxury home world. They provide a sea view and plenty of sunshine. Due to how many of them are designed, the gardens have tall privacy trees, giving you plenty of time to yourself to sunbathe and swim fully unclothed in your pool and garden.

Country manor houses are known for their exclusivity because they have many acres of land attached to the property. This gives you plenty of space and freedom to live comfortably and privately. However, they are in the countryside so you will feel a little wind chill every now and again.

Hillside luxury homes are quite a design accomplishment. The Hollywood Hills homes are one such example of luxury homes that are in pristine locations but also have their challenges. Landscape erosion is a concern but it’s something that the local authorities pay close attention to.

Beware of the challenges

Luxury homes are no exceptions when it comes to property depreciation. Even large homes can suffer horrendous price drops in the market. They’re usually foreseeable and are due to something being wrong with the property itself. You must realize that the maintenance of a large property is expensive and has to be done every year. Beware of your land become dry and or damaged by wildlife. If you live out in the country, you will be surrounded by nature and wild animals. Moles and gophers can do a lot of damage to your flat lawn and flowerbeds.

It’s also important to maintain your swimming pool and other water leisure structures. The worry is that there could be a leak that damages the surrounding land and or home itself. The repairs would be gargantuan and they wouldn’t come cheap. Property depreciation can also occur when natural disasters strike. More often than not, luxury homes are in locations that are right in the path of flash floods and other weather phenomena such as tornadoes. Since you’re living in a remote area, power cuts are something you will need to get used to. Major cities might not even notice there was a power cut because emergency power from the grid is given to them as a high priority. Those living in remote areas will have to be some of the last homes to receive their power back, whether in a luxury home or not.

The location is perhaps more important than the property itself. Waterfront homes are highly prized because they offer plenty of leisure activities and privacy at the same time.

Humbled

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

My place of employment, which is a big MNC / BPO, has this program where they contribute to the community is various ways. It can be getting items for an orphanage, an old age home or conducting sessions for institutes which help out young people from lesser income families, those who have some disabilities etc. I have always had some problem with going for these events and I felt that I would feel uncomfortable and not do a good job.

There were skills enhancement sessions for some young folks who had were speech and hearing impaired and I wasn’t sure how I would be able to contribute to conducting a learning session for them. They required some help to get regular jobs with decent salaries and they mostly studied in poorer areas of the state. I do not know sign language and would ofcourse be reliant on the translator who would be coming from the institute. I was quite nervous but as the day came closer I was hoping that I would do well. This was setup for yesterday. Well, instead of the hearing & speech impaired folks it was about 20 individuals, mostly young, who had various motor impairments and 3 who were visually impaired.

Nervous as I was, I was unprepared to meet these wonderful people who just want a chance to earn a decent pay check and get a good job. They were eager to learn and very respectful and earnest. I felt humbled and I also felt like a fraud. Who was I to not want to help them? These people brightened my life just by their presence. It’s because they were brave souls who went on with the harsh conditions that life chance upon them and weren’t complaining. I need to do more. I hope to find various ways to do just that.

3 Reasons Why It’s Worth Having Non-Digital Hobbies

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

We live in an extremely digital age, and it’s all but normal now for the majority of people to spend virtually every single moment of their waking time in front of some type of screen – whether that’s a computer (and a social media feed), or a TV streaming the latest hits from Netflix.

As things stand right now, you’ve really got to work to get “non-digital” hobbies off the ground – but whether those hobbies are things like creating the perfect fishpond in your garden and identifying the best pond stocking company, or whether they are more along the lines of stamp collecting; it’s well worth having some “old school” hobbies after all.

Here are just a few reasons why it was having non-digital hobbies.

Because constant digital stimulation literally overloads your brain

You could be forgiven for assuming that scanning the web all day doesn’t really do anything much to your consciousness, nevermind your brain. But, according to a growing wealth of evidence, you’d be wrong in that assumption. The writer Adam Alter revealed, in his book “Irresistible”, just how much social media companies and other tech giants utilise essentially exploitative techniques from the gambling world, in order to ensure that you stay hooked on their services.

Another writer, Nicholas Carr, showed that constant digital stimulation literally “overloads” and “rewires” the brain, thereby significantly reducing the ability of the person in question to concentrate on anything at all for a prolonged period of time, or in an in-depth way. Your digital technologies should be viewed, first and foremost, as tools. Make them work for you, not the other way around.

Because there is something deeply fulfilling about active hobbies

There’s something truly ancient and fulfilling about creating, or repairing, things with your hands – whether that means painting a piece of art, or working on a vintage era old motorcycle of yours. As mentioned earlier in this article, passive entertainment forms are now more the order of the day, and it can be too easy to get caught up in a habit loop of never really doing anything very “creative,” yourself. On some level, we all get a sense of fulfilment from actually “doing stuff.” So, get a non-digital hobby that requires you to “do stuff.”

Because, these days, it will make you a more interesting person

Everyone wants to stand out in some way (some positive way, at least), and we all like the idea of being interesting people with interesting stories to tell. If you are engaged in non-digital hobbies and pastimes these days, that already makes you slightly out of the ordinary, and a bit more of an “interesting” person, at least in some ways.

Of course, the specific extent to which someone finds you more “interesting” because of your hobbies is bound to vary. At the very least, though, you’ll definitely be a more “well-rounded” person as a result of doing more stuff, in a broader range of different areas. According to the book, “Range,” the broader your skill sets, interests, and experiences, the higher the likelihood that you will actually succeed and feel fulfilled in life, in general.

How To Help Pick Out The Right Phone For You

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Picking a phone from today’s selection of makes and models can feel like a pretty impossible challenge. There are so many to choose from, so it’s good to have a few tips on how to help pick out the right phone for you.

Have A Budget

A budget is a great place to start because as soon as you walk into a phone shop, you’re likely to be approached by a salesperson whose aim it will be to try and sell you the pricier options. So knowing your budget before you go shopping is important. That means that you’ll want to think about how much you can spend on your phone per month or paying for the whole phone on the day. Think about your insurance and other accessories that you’ll also likely add onto your phone too. This could end up raising the cost, especially if you like to have add-on options for your phone. Don’t try going above what you can afford and what you’re paying now is probably a good indication of whether you can afford the latest phone or whether you might only be able to afford so much for a version of that phone that’s likely to be slightly older. Newer models are always going to be costly.

Consider Your Current Phone

Your current phone is worth considering as part of any new phone you buy. Firstly, you want to check that the phone has gotten to that point where it’s not functioning for you properly, or you’re finding that it’s slowed down or lacking the apps and technology you now need. There are always opportunities for you to trade in your old phone for the new phone, which means you’ll likely save a bit of money on the cost of your new device. This might be a couple of hundred dollars so it could make a big difference to the type of phone you can afford. When considering a new phone, think about what your current phone has and what improvements you may have made to make it better. Maybe you want a better camera quality or perhaps a more prolonged battery life would suit you more?

Shop Around

When shopping for your phone, don’t just stay in one phone store or a place that sells phones. Make sure you’re browsing in different shops and don’t forget to look online. There are plenty of different deals and options out there to choose from as well as all the accessories like the Reiko Phone Cases that you’ll want to get for your phone. So don’t just rush and buy the first phone you see because you might not be getting the best deal for your money. Start taking down ideas and then compare them before you go giving anyone any money or signing any contracts.

Contract Vs Pay As You Go

Speaking of contracts, the next thing to think about is what type of payment plan are you after? Contracts are good for those who’d like to stretch out the payment of the phone in easily managed chunks per month. Pay as you go is where you’ll buy the phone for the full amount and then have a separate pay as you go plan where you’ll likely spend a lot less on the phone per month, and you’re not tied into any time frame of how long you should keep the phone. It all depends on your financial situation and what you can afford. If you’d rather skip the interest that comes with contracts, then it’s better to go with a pay as you go option. Look at what you’re currently paying now and how much money you have available right now to put towards the cost of a phone. Some contracts will supply the handset for free where others might charge a certain amount which ends up making the contract cheaper.

Remember The Insurance

And finally, remember that like anything costly and something you’re using daily, it’s good to have insurance. This can cover you for damages to your phone if you find that you’re someone who often damages their belongings or maybe a little clumsy with where you leave things. Get the best insurance for your phone so that whatever happens, you can always get yourself a replacement or temporary device while waiting for yours to be fixed.

Picking out the right phone is important, so make sure you choose the one that’s going to see you through for the next few years.

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Arsenal showed the “togetherness and leadership” that Mikel Arteta is demanding as they overcame David Luiz’s red card to twice fight back and share the spoils in an eventful London derby. Luiz was sent off against his former club for shoving Tammy Abraham in the penalty area as the Chelsea striker looked set to score following a terrible backpass by Shkodran Mustafi when the game was goalless. Jorginho scored from the resulting spot-kick before 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli scored a brilliant equaliser after a slip by N’Golo Kante only for Cesar Azpilicueta to restore Chelsea’s lead late on. Yet 10-man Arsenal capped a spirited display when Hector Bellerin marked his return from injury with a dramatic equaliser from the edge of the penalty area.

Arsenal remain 10 points off a Champions League spot and, despite this battling performance, they have won just one of their last eight Premier League games. They also face the prospect of finishing outside the top six for the first time since 1994-95. In addition, Arteta remains without an away win since taking charge in December yet he witnessed a gutsy response from his side, who played better with 10 men than they did with 11. Luiz, who has given away three penalties in the Premier League this season – more than any other player – was left with little choice after Mustafi’s under-hit pass let in Abraham. Mustafi made up for his error with a clearance from a Chelsea corner which allowed Martinelli to burst forward and, after Kante’s slip in the centre circle, produce a sublime finish under Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea looked like they had secured a first top-flight double over their London neighbours in four years when Azpilicueta restored their lead in the closing minutes but Arteta’s side were not done. Having dropped 13 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, they showed a determination that has been missing and, with just their second shot of the game, Bellerin rifled in an equaliser to seal a fourth successive away league draw. Bellerin’s goal for Arsenal was his first in the Premier League in 737 days, since netting at Bournemouth in January 2018.

Wonderful Ways to Stand Out as a Wedding Supplier

Posted on by Roshan 1 Comment

Being in the wedding industry is hard work; you work long hours, weekends off are a myth and you can’t always guarantee clients at all. You are always looking for ways to stand out from your competitors, but your ideas so far haven’t quite played out as you’d like them to. You may be planning on heading to a wedding exhibition or fair, but you know that you’re going to need to be prepared. There are so many stand out suppliers in your industry, so here are a few worthwhile tips to take on board.

Head to Wedding Showcases and Fairs

One of the best ways to stand out in the wedding industry, is by attending wedding showcases and fairs at local venues. Choosing local ones rather than huge national shows can really play in your favour. People want to see suppliers that are close to them geographically as it builds more trust. If you are in any doubt about standing out then you should definitely consider 10×10 trade show booths. If you have your brand name, your color scheme and your range of products on display, there is no doubt that potential passersby will spot you.

Network With Other Industry Professionals

Whether you’re at a wedding fair or at home, there are so many ways you can network and build those all important contacts. Join a Facebook group for local wedding suppliers and talk to people who are in the same boat as you. You could even collaborate together on a styled shoot to showcase each other’s work. Building others up instead of feeling like you’re head to head with them can often play in your favour.

Observe Your Competition 

You don’t necessarily want to copy what your competitors are doing, but you do need to keep a firm eye on their strategies. If you see that something is working really well, then you need to go ahead and try it for yourself. Market research will also help you to stay in tune with what your clients are looking for; the market will be changing constantly, so it’s good to stay across this as often as you can.

Hire a Copywriter to Assist With Your Blog

There are a number of specialist writers out there who have a tonne of experience in writing for wedding industry professionals. If you don’t have the brain power or time to start up a blog, there are excellent writers who can help you. Blogging not only established your authority in your industry, but it also helps you get discovered on Google too!

Becoming overwhelmed as a wedding supplier is completely natural; not only are you trying to book clients but you’re also super passionate about what you do. Creating something beautiful for a couples’ wedding day is what you love doing, so it can be disheartening when you don’t get that booking you have been eagerly anticipating. If you take some of these ideas on board, you will soon have your own, workable strategies to keep you motivated. It may take time to see the result you’re looking for, but you will get there in the end.

Branding Ideas That Will Impress Your Industry

Posted on by Roshan 1 Comment

As an entrepreneur, you most likely know that your company’s brand is important. That isn’t news to you. Every business owner knows this. Yet, some businesses have much better brands than others. And if your company is struggling, you might be wondering what improvements you could make to your business. The goal is to build a better reputation for your company. This is how to turn heads in your marketplace. As a result, you’ll be able to gain customers and grow your business. These are some branding ideas that will impress your industry.

Give something back to your community.

Giving something back to the community could really benefit your brand. It would show that you and your team members care about more than your company’s profit margins. It would show that you care about other people, and this would remind your industry that your business is comprised of people with caring ideals. The goal is to add a human element to your company’s brand identity. Maybe you could donate to charities which mean something to you and your employees. That would demonstrate the human side to your business and its brand.

Care for your employees.

You should care for your employees, too. That goes without saying, obviously, but you could always take things further to impress your industry. A company that takes care of its workers will create a team full of motivated employees who want to deliver a kind and charismatic service to their clients. Additionally, your business will get a name for itself as a company that looks after its staff members. So, caring for your employees will help your brand on many levels. You could take inspiration from businesses such as Cynthia Telles. They have great benefits for their Latina workers. It’s about more than adhering to workplace laws regarding equality; it’s about caring for each of your employees and making them feel valued.

Conduct extensive research.

One of the most important ways in which you could make your brand better is by conducting extensive research. If you want to develop an identity for your business that impresses your industry, then you need to know your industry. Market research will give you the information necessary to develop solutions which appeal to your current and potential clients. You should aim to find out what your target market is missing by talking to consumers in your marketplace.

You should talk to your customers about their opinions on your service. Request feedback, and come up with ideas which solve the issues in your market. You might want to post polls on social networks, such as Twitter, to get a general consensus on each aspect of your products and services. Once you know what your current and intended customers like and dislike about your business, you’ll be able to make the right improvements. This will help you to catch the attention of your target market. By listening to consumers, you’ll also get a reputation as a kind and caring company. That should help your brand name, too.