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The Dangerous Art of Giving - by Life Coach Carole Ann Rice

2011-12-23T10:59:00.001-08:00

Which category do you fall into? Are you one of life’s givers? You’ve been painstakingly matching person and present for weeks, searching for the “just so” gift that will ignite halogen glow beams of joy. It’s not about receiving for you, in fact, a T-shirt printed with “selfless” would do just fine.

Or maybe you are near hysterical in anticipation of opening up those gifts piling up under the tree? You can’t wait to get what is coming your way. It’s nice to sit back and let others show their love for you and you’re happy to be appreciated. After all, you are the gift.
Do you love to stand in the kitchen enjoying vicariously the sounds of corks popping, the laughter bubbling and filling the house with cheer? Or are you right in the heart of the living room raising your glass and blissfully unaware of the hours of blood, sweat and tears of frustration that went into the stuffed mushroom canapés? You’re here so, hey, let’s get the party started.

Few of us would admit to being a “taker” as we know as a fundamental rule of humankind that giving to others is one of the simplest ways of generating instant happiness for ourselves. But giving and being a giver is a far more complex gesture than may seem on its festively wrapped surface.
Giving can be an act fraught with expectations. On the one hand it can be a gesture to delight others, promote cheer and help people out. But on the other the subtext can be less altruistic. To manipulate, to win favour or love, to make or score a point, to impress or shame or fulfill a reluctant duty that breeds resentment in the giver.

In her superb book The Language of Letting Go Melody Beattie comments on the complexities of bequeathal “(Giving) is a fine-lined behavior each of us must seek to understand for ourselves. It is giving that feels good and does not leave us feeling victimized”.

Healthy giving is based on a desire to do in a clean “no strings attached” way rather than from a sense of guilt, pity, shame, obligation, duty or for keeping up appearances.

In short we should not pack up our own insecurities and needs in our gift packages and ensure our intentions are clean and honest. Gratitude is a bonus not the goal. Whether we choose to give our time, efforts and energy or money, Xbox’s and Top Shop vouchers it should be giving we can afford. Emotional or fiscal bankruptcy is not an option.

If you find yourself feeling any sense of martyrdom or emotional deficit then you are dealing with faulty goods in your psyche and you need to re-think your motivation. Don’t bother with customer services.

Why not have a 30 minute free session with Carole Ann? Visit www.realcoachingco.com

Make 2012 the Year to Look After You!

2011-12-17T10:58:00.001-08:00

Do you make yourself indispensible? Are you always “there” for other people? Sometimes we can be so capable and in controlwe don’tallow other people to support and nurture us too. Maybe we feel vulnerable about letting otherpeople in or have a fear of appearing weak or not coping.

But we all need to be nurtured and we mustlearn to reach out to have our needs met too. This may mean letting go of being in control, of being a martyr orvictim and opening our hearts and allowing a new intimacy to occur throughtrusting others. Being vulnerable feelsscary but it can mean it allows others to show love and support for us andslowly and carefully it can develop into a profound new sense ofhappiness. What would it take for you tolet others in today and what is it costing you not to?

To make the changes you need to for 2012 contact Carole Ann Rice caroleann@realcoachingco.com and start your new journey.

Life Coach Carole Ann Rice - A Story of Kindness!

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hearing stories of acts of kindness thatmake a difference really seem to rock our worlds. So much so that in Arizona recently the storyof a homeless, unemployed and in debt 49year old man who returned a bag full of cash to its owner has touched thehearts of a nation. A year ago DaveTally had lost his license and was sleeping on a mat in a shelter when he found$3,300 at a local railway station.

On returning it to its owner, a collegestudent, Dave was overwhelmed by the gratitude and kindness of the youngman. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt for a longtime. Soon after donations from acrossthe US poured in and he found he was sitting on a $10,000 nest egg. He paid off his debts and and a year on hascreated a community garden and a rehabilitation programme for the homeless whovolunteer to work there.

With so much distrust and fear around it isso heartening to hear of honesty not only paying but paying back and making adifference to so many too.

Carole Ann Rice is one of the UK's leading life coaches who has literally turned around the lives of countless people who, like you, no longer wanted to waste time and money on things that don't work. Regularly featured in newspapers magazines and TV programmes her unique style of life coaching has produced some phenomenal results.

To start your new year journey to a new life, email Carole Ann at

caroleann@realcoachingco.com.

Carole Ann Rice on how to Survive the Party Season

2011-12-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

The fog of body spray, the miasma of hair lacquer and the clouds of high anxiety emanating from the Ladies loos can mean only one thing – it’s office party season. The excitement has been building for months; dresses planned, bodies dieted and de-toxed into size 10 submission and strategies devised to pull a real cracker for Christmas.
Fast forward three hours later. You’re on your third pint of Malibu and pineapple, your outfit has turned into a transvestite’s worst nightmare, there’s a hint of the Tim Burton about your make-up and suddenly Keanu from IT support is beginning to turn from duff to buff. Who would’ve thought it?

No wonder I had a frantic email from a reader who is dreading her office bash due to a mischievous genie that flew out of its bottle last year and cast a spell over her. What other evil sprite or spirit could it have been that had her telling the boss a few home truths as she was physically wrestled out of doing her Dita Von Teese party piece?

So how can you enjoy some festive cheer without losing your face or job? Of course we want to let our hair down and have fun. We want sequins, silks and feathers not hair shirts, sack cloth and ashes. But there’s a fine line to be drawn between riot and ruin. So here are a few tips on how to survive the office party with your reputation intact while still having a good time.

· Decide your drink limit before you go out. Two alcoholic drinks are fun after three it’s a slippery slope (or table top!). Keep topping up with water. As a general rule any drink coloured green purple or blue is not a good bet.

· Don’t wear revealing or provocative clothes. You need to maintain your professional reputation and you will be remembered for your sequined basque rather than your presentation skills ever more.

· With colleagues and managers do not get drawn in to gossip. Either change the subject or move away. What is loose talk over drinks could end up with you being implicated by association.

· Similarly don’t say, do or act in any way that you would not do in the workplace. The pictures passed around the office next day could mean the difference between promotion or passed over. Just one word of warning – Facebook. Enough said.

· For legless Lotharios be polite and move out of their way. Giving in for a bit of fun could mean you’re the subject of gossip the next day. Don’t go there.

· Everyone’s spirits are high at Christmas so beware the lowered defences, play safe and don’t get carried away with the moment. Allot a friend as protector too.

· Don’t assume colleagues or your manager are friends. Any gossip could boomerang back.

· Set yourself a time limit and slip away when you are ready. Also it adds to your mystique that you had “better things to do”.

· Plan ahead how to get home and either book a cab in advance or have a licensed cab number with you. Or familiarize yourself with local bus/train routes and timetables and find out if you can share the journey with someone trusted. You don’t want to be left alone, vulnerable and stranded.

Have fun, be safe and enjoy the party season with relish not regret.

Carole Ann Rice is one of the UK's leading life coaches who has literally turned around the lives of countless people who, like you, no longer wanted to waste time and money on things that don't work. Regularly featured in newspapers magazines and TV programmes her unique style of life coaching has produced some phenomenal results.

To start your new year journey to a new life, email Carole Ann at caroleann@realcoachingco.com.

Winter Sun and Fun with Encounters Travel

2011-12-08T11:43:00.001-08:00

THAILAND, Jungles & Beaches: 11 days from £725

The perfect mix of sunshine, activity and culture, this tour of Thailand begins in the bustling capital Bangkok, then heads south to explore the rainforests of Khao Sok National Park to experience river canoeing and jungle walks while staying in unique tree houses and raft houses, and ending with four nights relaxing on the beautiful island of Ko Samui.

Prices for 2012 start from £725 per person from December to April 2012 to include airport transfers from/to Bangkok, varied accommodation in hotels, tree houses, raft houses and an overnight train on a mixed-board basis, travel by train, plane, bus and ferry, all entrance fees as well as a local tour guide during sightseeing and activities.

ISRAEL, Holy Land Journey: 8 days from £800

This trip through the fascinating country of Israel spends time in modern-day Tel Aviv, the ancient town of Acre, Tiberias, Masada and Bethlehem, the divine city of Nazareth and tours the intricate alleyways of Jerusalem. Along the way guests visit many important religious sites and monuments as well as trips to the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee.

Prices for 2012 start from £800 per person to include airport transfers from/to Tel Aviv, accommodation in hotels on a bed and breakfast basis throughout, all national park entry and entrance fees, a cap, map and an expert local guide during touring days.

SUDAN, Hidden Treasures: 9 days from £1,399

For those with a real sense of adventure, Sudan offers a completely unique travel experience and is tipped to be a ‘hot’ destination for 2012. Follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations on this tour through Sudan visiting the capital Khartoum and the old souk of Omdurman before crossing the Nubian desert in search of the lost pyramids and temples of the Nile Valley.

Prices for 2012 start from £1,399 per person to include airport transfers from/to Khartoum, varied accommodation in hotels, camps and in a traditional Nubian homestay on a mixed-board basis, an experienced local guide and private transportation throughout.

Prices do not include international flights. Contact Encounters Travel (www.encounterstravel.com / 0800 088 6002). Facebook: www.facebook.com/encounterstravel/ Twitter: @encounterstravl

Newly launched, Encounters Travel offer great value, small group adventure tours to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. Whether a solo traveller, a couple or holidaying with a group of friends, the tours incorporate a real mix of culture, history and awe-inspiring sites in sun-drenched destinations that guarantee adventure this winter. Options for sun and culture include:

THAILAND, Jungles & Beaches: 11 days from £725

The perfect mix of sunshine, activity and culture, this tour of Thailand begins in the bustling capital Bangkok, then heads south to explore the rainforests of Khao Sok National Park to experience river canoeing and jungle walks while staying in unique tree houses and raft houses, and ending with four nights relaxing on the beautiful island of Ko Samui.

Prices for 2012 start from £725 per person from December to April 2012 to include airport transfers from/to Bangkok, varied accommodation in hotels, tree houses, raft houses and an overnight train on a mixed-board basis, travel by train, plane, bus and ferry, all entrance fees as well as a local tour guide during sightseeing and activities.

ISRAEL, Holy Land Journey: 8 days from £800

This trip through the fascinating country of Israel spends time in modern-day Tel Aviv, the ancient town of Acre, Tiberias, Masada and Bethlehem, the divine city of Nazareth and tours the intricate alleyways of Jerusalem. Along the way guests visit many important religious sites and monuments as well as trips to the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee.

Prices for 2012 start from £800 per person to include airport transfers from/to Tel Aviv, accommodation in hotels on a bed and breakfast basis throughout, all national park entry and entrance fees, a cap, map and an expert local guide during touring days.

SUDAN, Hidden Treasures: 9 days from £1,399

For those with a real sense of adventure, Sudan offers a completely unique travel experience and is tipped to be a ‘hot’ destination for 2012. Follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations on this tour through Sudan visiting the capital Khartoum and the old souk of Omdurman before crossing the Nubian desert in search of the lost pyramids and temples of the Nile Valley.

Prices for 2012 start from £1,399 per person to include airport transfers from/to Khartoum, varied accommodation in hotels, camps and in a traditional Nubian homestay on a mixed-board basis, an experienced local guide and private transportation throughout.

Prices do not include international flights. Contact Encounters Travel (www.encounterstravel.com / 0800 088 6002). Facebook: www.facebook.com/encounterstravel/ Twitter: @encounterstravl

How Taxing Nannies Nanny Tax and Nanny PAYE Services Help Their Clients

2011-12-08T11:29:00.001-08:00

Imagine thesituation, you are a new mum or dad, you decide to return to work aftermaternity/paternity leave and employ a nanny to look after your baby. You agree a net salary with your nanny andyou start paying her. Somewhere at theback of your mind you know you should be paying nanny taxes but you are busystarting back at work and then coming home to a baby, and matters get left.

Some monthslater it dawns on you that the nanny payroll has still not been sorted out andyou panic. How much PAYE and NationalInsurance will be owed? Will there beinterest to pay? Will penalties belevied for non or late submission of end of year returns at the rate of £100per month? Will your nanny get intotrouble? Will she be able to renew hervisa? How will I pay my nanny’s tax?

And then youdiscover Taxing Nannies.

For thoseclients who have been in this position, they have found Taxing Nannies to be aprofessional, personable, friendly service which puts them at ease andreassures them that the nanny payroll service can be sorted out with a minimumof fuss. We have opened PAYE schemesretrospectively, prepared backdated payslips up to date, calculated outstandingPAYE and National Insurance liabilities, and even managed to get penaltiescancelled in certain circumstances. Wewill also advise our clients what to do if they have financial difficulties inpaying their tax liabilities on time. Our clients are so relieved that theiraffairs have been brought up to date and just as importantly they feel thatthey are in safe hands, that there are individuals at the end of the phone whothey can talk to about their nanny tax and who will spend time going throughmatters.

Of course,most of Taxing Nannies’ clients do register on time and for them we provide thesame professional, highly personal nanny payroll service. Many of our clients have commented on howhelpful they find our staff following their initial conversation with our office.

We advise onthe different types of nanny share, help our clients when their nannies arepregnant or on sick leave, discuss situations regarding termination ofemployment and calculate redundancy pay and assist our clients with all mannerof employment issues. We also offercontracts of employment, for a small fee, personalised to the individualemployer’s needs and we advise our clients to ensure that the contract reflectsboth the statutory requirements and their own wishes.

Here are justa few of the many testimonials we have received:

“So thank you most sincerely for thetruly exceptional service...Taxing Nannies has been a great support and yourcustomer service is exemplary”

“Thank you so much for the service. Itsaved my sanity and you were always very patient with me! As a busy mum Ireally appreciate that. I would not hesitate in recommending you. Specialthanks to Denise who dealt with me most often!”

“Taxing Nannies have provided 10 yearsof accurate and timely work for us, removing all the problems of taxcalculations, pay slips, NI payments and so on for a busy working family”

“You have been a rock to us throughtimes that we will never forget!”

TaxingNannies is run by Sara Graff, a Chartered Accountant of nearly 30 yearsexperience and who employed nannies herself when her children were growingup. She is supported by an experiencedteam who have worked for Taxing Nannies for an average of 12 years and who allbuy into the ethos of being professional and personable. The business has been established since 1995and has helped thousands of parents through the minefield and hassle of dealingwith nanny payroll.

So if you area mum taking on a nanny who wants a friendly, professional company to lookafter your nanny tax affairs, please feel free to contact us on +44 (0)20 88826847 or visit our website www.taxingnannies.co.uk.

Explore Your Religious Heritage and Spiritual History With Elite Tour Club

2011-09-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Luxury Religious Tours From Elite Tour Club

Anyone can go on holiday, take a well-earned vacation, travel to exotic places and see the sights. But perhaps you’re looking for more this year; something more life-changing?

At Elite Tour Club, we’ve formulated four new luxury travel experiences to choose from. All will find you amid the world’s most holy places, and in lands steeped in religious heritage and spiritual history.

Whether you are Jewish, Christian or Muslim, or are fascinated by the history of the great faiths, our religious tours in the Middle East and North Africa will fire your imagination and move you closer to spirituality.

Jerusalem and Bethlehem are ultimate pilgrimage cities, and form part of our Christian Heritage Tour (8 days/7 nights) and Jewish Heritage Tour (12 days/11 nights). Jerusalem’s revered ‘Haram esh-Sharif’ or ‘Western Wall’ is the city’s oldest surviving structure and is a sturdy feature of our Jewish Heritage Tour. Another ancient and significant site is the Church of the Nativity, which is said to have been saved from destruction in 614 AD, because its ‘Magi icons’ — ‘Persia-admiring graphics’ — cooled the tempers of invading Persian hordes who descended on Bethlehem. So thankfully, this marker of the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth stands glorious and is considered to be the oldest church in the Holy Land.

Our Jewish Heritage Tour includes a walk among the ruins of Caesarea Maritima, the ancient port city that King Herod the Great named in honour of the Roman enforcer, Caesar Augustus. The city was in ruins by the nineteenth century when, in 1884, it began to flourish as a fishing village extending from the stones of the Crusader fort. Back in 22 BC, Herod the Great established its first harbour and erected Temples to Rome and Augustus, and Caesarea Maritima became a famous arena for Olympian sports, gladiatorial contests and theatrical extravaganzas beside the sparkling Mediterranean.

At Elite Tour Club, we believe we’ve planned our The Route of the Holy Family travel experience (9 days/8 nights) in the most impactful way. It focuses particularly on Egypt as a sanctuary for the Holy Family. You will trace their hurried steps to escape King Herod’s cull of male babies — his desperate attempt to cease breaking-news of a newborn Messiah.

Our Muslim Heritage Tour (9 days/8 nights) will lead you through the old Cairo mosques of Al Azhar, Imam El Hussein, Saida Zeineb, Imam El Shafi and Saida Nafisa. And among Damascus’ 2,000 mosques, you’ll visit Umayyad Mosque. Completed in 715 AD, it is thought to be the oldest place of continuous prayer since the ascent of Islam. Umayyad is also one of the world’s largest mosques, and the mausoleum of Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub lies within its walls.

Whichever of our 5-star-accommodation Religious Tours you decide to join, Elite Tour Club consultants will happily include visits to additional churches, synagogues and mosques. All will welcome your attendance at their services.

To book a set itinerary, or create your own tailor made luxury tour, call us on 0800 619 3450 or email tours@elitetourclub.com and out travel consultants will be happy to help.

Luxury Jewish Heritage Tour of Israel by Elite Tour Club

2011-09-22T04:21:00.000-07:00

Tel Aviv by night - see the sights of Tel Aviv with Elite Tour Club

The Jewish Holidays are drawing near once more, a time of reflection for Jews worldwide. If you have never visited Israel and always wanted to, Elite Tour Club can make this dream a reality.

Elite Tour Club is a luxury travel company recently launched in the UK. With many years of experience of running tours in the Middle East, we offer tours for those who are keen to explore their religious heritage.

Are you one of many in the world’s Jewish community who has yet to make it to the Middle East? Perhaps it’s fallen short as a personal Promised Land, but do you still revere Israel as the centre of Jewish culture? Do you love travel that combines luxurious accommodation and a high level of service with extensive interaction with the history, culture and people of the places you visit? If so, then at Elite Tour Club, we’ve got the absolutely essential Jewish Heritage Tour for you!

Throughout your twelve days of luxurious touring, you will be immersed in history. You’ll also gain experience of the dynamic ways Israelis live and thrive today. You’ll feel the nation’s pulse; its breathtaking diversity and complexity. At last here is Israel for real; a fertile land of innovation, creativity and adaptability.

As if you need reminding, the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Koran tell us that Jacob was a patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant. Before the birth of his son Benjamin, Jacob was renamed "Israel" by an angel, and thereafter the tribes of Israel were named after Jacob’s/Israel’s descendants. Jacob’s "Israel" name was given to mean ‘God contended’; ‘persevere with God’; ‘God rules’, or ‘God judges’. Jacob passed God’s message to his twelve sons, who eventually headed the ‘Twelve Tribes of Israel’ — the ‘Israelites’ of antiquity — and by extension; the Jewish people.

The wondrous land of Israel is your Jewish Heritage. But so is her coral marine life; culture and adventure; 5-star accommodation and sophistication, history and haute cuisine.

Your Jewish Heritage Tour begins in sparkling Mediterranean Tel Aviv, and transforms your locale to the Roman city and Crusader fortress of Caesarea. Next it’s onwards to Haifa, Acre and Rosh Hanikra Kibbutz; then to Safed; a climb of the Golan Heights, a look around Upper Galilee. And — before you tread the paths of Old Jerusalem — feel at home in Beit She’an, Beit Alpha and Gan Hashlosha.

Your ultimate pilgrimage to Israel doesn’t end until after a dramatic Judaean Desert-drive to the Dead Sea. You’ll visit the Qumran caves of ‘Dead Sea Scroll’ renown. Finally, peacefully reflect upon Masada’s plateau-top palaces and fortifications. Here, Roman thuggery caused the tragic mass-suicide of the Sicarii rebels.

Bauhaus architecture-filled Tel Aviv is a tour-opener like no other. In 1909, sand dunes outside the 8,000-year-old port city of Jaffa were requisitioned to site the then futuristic garden city. In vivid contrast, here is Caesarea Maritima, the ancient city that King Herod the Great named to honour his Roman enforcer, Caesar Augustus.

Below the foothills of Mount Carmel, the major seaport of Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel. At the northern extremity of Haifa Bay, you’ll stroll in Acre — one of the country’s oldest places of continuous habitation. You can never leave Israel without spending some time in a kibbutz, and we use Rosh HaNikra’s, which was established in 1949 by demobbed Palmachs, Zionist youth and young Holocaust-survivors.

Known as the ‘Western Wall’, Elite Tour Club’s guides will explain the history around the ancient stones in Jerusalem and take you on a journey of discovery of the richness and depth of your Jewish Heritage. Even if you are of another faith, this tour of Israel is enjoyable, informative and luxurious as you would expect from Elite Tour Club.

Visit our website and see more details of our Jewish Heritage Tour here: http://www.elitetourclub.com/israel/jewish_heritage_tour.htm or call our travel consultants on 0800 619 3450. They will be happy to personalise this trip for you and tell you more about out tailor made tours.

Katy Thorn - Part one of her video diary of the making of her album 'The Red Hand'

2011-09-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Encounters Travel Launching New Site in September 2011

2011-09-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

Encounters Travel is a new product that is being launched in the UK in late September 2011, with our first group departures starting in October 2011. Our parent company is the UK based Elite Tour and Travel Club Ltd. They also operate the ‘Elite Tour Club’, which offers luxury tailor-made tours around the world with a strong focus on contributing to local projects and charities.

Encounters Travel specialises in imaginative, adventurous, small group tours all around the world. Our brand strap-line is: ‘Your Passport to Adventure ’, and that sentiment incorporates our desire to provide fun holidays with good quality mid-range accommodation and transportation that allow our customers to see and learn about local cultures and historic sites while enjoying having fun and some more adventurous activities along the way.

Encounters Travel - Your Passport to Adventure

Follow Encounters on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/encounterstravl
And Facebook http://www.facebook.com/encounterstravel

Add caption

Katy Thorn - New Sound and Powerful Lyrics from a Fresh New Artist

2011-09-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

Look out for Katy Thorn, a new artist with a totally fresh sound. See her here on ReberbNation - http://www.reverbnation.com/katythorn

11.11.11 - Great Pyramid Gatherings with Elite Tour Club

2011-08-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

Elite Tour Club - Luxury Tailor Made Tours

Egyptian Pharaohs regarded pyramids as spiritual thresholds, Earthly corpse-preservers that allowed their souls to become heavenly immortal. Pyramids are symbols of spiritual awareness, and are magnetically attractive to travellers — including the spirituality-touched.

From pre-Dynastic eras, through to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Egypt’s spiritual significance made it a haven of pilgrimage. No wonder this land remains such an important destination for modern-day travellers, few Ancient Egyptian sites excite the soul as much as the Great Pyramids of Giza Plateau.

Elite Tour Club invites you to choose between two magnificent travel experiences this November. Both include a tour of old Cairo to marvel at Tutankhamun’s fabulous Gold Mask, the Citadel of Saladdin, and the city’s oldest area, Coptic Cairo. Join the shorter, Great Pyramids Gathering 11.11.2011 (5 days/4 nights); or the longer, Great Pyramids Gathering 11.11.2011 (11 days/10 nights).

The longer tour includes visits to Luxor and its Karnak Temple Complex, the Abydos Temple and the Temple of Hathor as well as the Pharaoh’s tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. From Luxor you will then cruise in luxury down the Nile, disembarking to view the remarkable Temple of Horus at Edfu, and the ‘double’ temple of Kom Ombo.

Eventually your River Nile cruise will lead you to the beautiful river cataracts at Aswan, and the massive High Dam which holds back Lake Nasser. The dam’s don’t look modern or brutal. The old one is old, and the High one is an earth dam and is so big it’s actually hard to pick out as a dam.

Great Pyramid Gathering 11.11.11 with Elite Tour Club

But join us especially for 11.11.11’s powerful young hours of sunrise, and you’ll experience one of Egypt’s purest, most concentrated spiritual occasions.

Since 1997, our planet has withstood a progression of energy-surges from its seven chakras (Sanskrit for ‘wheel’ or ‘turning’). These forces are thought to mirror our own human bodily seven chakras, our yogic energy centres. Egypt is the second of Earth’s seven ‘great energy wheels’, and the Great Pyramid of Cheops is exactly positioned to be hypersensitive to Egypt’s chakra — importantly, because its three inner-chambers are magnetically neutral.

Before dawn on the 11.11.11, you and other Elite Tour Club members will congregate and enter Cheops’ Pyramid, the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. As light begins its glimmer towards sunrise, you, like others in earlier on earlier important dates, might sense a build-up of soul-stirring energies. To many, these feel serene yet powerful — almost as if they are a direct consequence of Nile-side civilisation.

Nothing could more appropriately follow 11.11.11 than visits to Saqqara and the capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Memphis. At Saqqara you’ll witness the first pyramid of them all; the 2648 BC-completed Step Pyramid of Djoser. and to highlight your days of Egyptian antiquity, the spectacular ‘Sound and Light at the Pyramids’ illuminates Egypt’s jagged triangles against black sky like never before.

Email tours@elitetourclub.com to join either of these wonderful spiritual journeys, or call 0800 619 3450 and speak to one of our travel consultants.

Elite Tour Club Launches Luxury Travel Website

2011-08-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

Visit Egypt with Elite Tour Club

The1st August 2011 saw the global launch of Egyptian-British luxury travel andtourism brand, Elite Tour Club. A vigorous PR and social media campaign is buildinginterest in their new website; www.elitetourclub.com where clients areencouraged to ‘Step into a World ofRarefied Luxury’.

Elite Tour Club is associatedwith soon-to-be-launched Encounters Travel and is a division of Elite Tour andTravel Club Ltd., which draws on fifteen years of experience running smallgroup and luxury tailor-made holidays in Egypt, the Middle East, Asia andaround the world.

Thecompany aims to achieve huge impacts on the travel experiences of theirmember-enlisted client base. Elite Tour Club will specialise in luxurytailor-made holidays that focus on the history and culture of a destination;mainly for an affluent and informed thirty five plus age-range with interestsin the history, art, culture and religions of their destination countries.

Aswell as guaranteeing professional yet personnel client care, Elite Tour Club’s brand strap-line, ‘Step into a World of Rarefied Luxury’,expresses their commitment to provide a choice of discerningly pre-planned Suggested Itineraries , or ‘Travel à la Carte’. Either way, luxury land and watertransportation, culinary highs and five-star accommodation will be the norm—all at the most advantageously negotiated rates.

Heritage, history, comfort andthe romance of travel motivates the company’s travel and tourism consultantsand tour leaders. They originate from a multitude of nations, have travelledextensively, and have gained considerable national insight from residing inElite Tour Club’s destination countries.

Elite Tour Club is alsoinventive with their Exclusive Travel Plans that offer a range of cultural andreligious tours — together with ‘Wedding Rings’, ‘Infinite Tranquillity’,‘Family Culture Exchange’ and travel for disabled clients.

Elite Tour Club is also keen tocommunicate their commitment to “touring in a manner that is thoughtful andrespectful of the local populous, their culture and environment”, and does not“like to leave our host countries without contributing some good in return”. Thereforeeach destination incorporates ‘Contribution’ charity projects that deserve particularattention.

Elite Tour Club - Luxury Travel and Contribution

Enthusiasmand commitment to ‘Responsible Travel’ is another of Elite Tour Club’s mandatesand the company aims to support its destinations through direct financialsupport, charity donations, environmental protection, and through recruitinglocal travel and tourism employees or freelancers. Elite Tour Club alsoencourages its clients to ‘buy local’ and to make use of local services. Thecompany also offers ‘Family Cultural Exchanges’ between their clients’ childrenand host-nation families so that there is real social interaction betweentravellers and local communities. This programme includes setting up a pen-palscheme for local children to be able to forge life-long friendships with localtraveller’s families.

EliteTour Club is helmed by two principal directors. Ralph Foulds has 11 years’experience in UK travel and tourism; he has managed multiple destinations andhas a firm understanding of the travel needs of the British. Foulds said: “Everyone wants to give their travel experiences a ‘Responsible Travel’tag, but we’re endeavouring to go the extra mile and put some really significantbenefits back into our host destinations. While we know our tours and accommodation-optionsare at the high end of the luxury travel market, we’re confident they offergreat value-for-money, provide ultimate travel experiences and contribute in avery real way to our host communities”.

Ramy Nicola, Elite Tour Club’s Egypt based director,has fifteen yearsexperience of international destination management and ground handling. Nicolaadded: “I want to increase the amount we do for the disenfranchised of our hostcountries. I believe we can offer high degrees of luxury whilst inspiring ourclients to contribute a little money or time to our wide array of charityprojects”.

Tobook a luxury tour, join our exclusive members club or find out more about ourluxury accommodation offers, call us on 0800 619 3450 or visitwww.elitetourclub.com.

Damson Technologies completes merger with Catalystic to become Damson Cloud Limited.

2011-06-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Dublin, Ireland (June 20th, 2011) - Catalystic, a leading London based Cloud Computing consulting firm and leading Google Apps partner, today announced its merger with Damson Technologies, Dublin, a leading Irish Google Apps partner and Cloud technology integrator.

Damson Technologies and Catalystic, will merge to become Damson Cloud Limited and will trade internationally with business operations in London and Dublin.

The merger brings together Catalystic’s extensive Cloud Computing consulting services and network of UK clients with Damson’s expertise in custom technical implementations and wide ranging experience with Google’s Enterprise products and services. The combined strengths of Catalystic and Damson will allow Damson Cloud Limited to emerge as a leading provider of Cloud Computing solutions that will benefit from a team of highly experienced Sales and IT professionals.

“We are excited to join forces with Catalystic,” said Fintan Murphy, Managing Director of Damson Technologies. “This merger will allow us to expand our Cloud Computing and Google Apps product and service offerings into the UK market. This strategic merger provides us with with an international reach and a solid platform to take advantage of the huge projected growth and opportunities within the fast developing Cloud Computing market.”

“We look forward to combining our consulting capability with Damson’s managed services expertise,” said Rahim Hirani, Managing Director of Catalystic Limited. “Strategic business process consulting, worry-free management of cloud based services, and comprehensive support are a few of the valuable services that the combined company will be providing to help organisations get the best out of the Google Apps ecosystem.”

Commenting on the merger, David Byrne, Google Apps Channel Manager for the EMEA region remarked, "It is great to see that two of our leading partners are merging and we see this as a sign of maturity in the Google Enterprise space."

About Catalystic

Catalystic is a privately owned, UK based IT consulting company which has successfully catered to the growing demands of the SME sector over the past five years.

Catalystic offers customers definite bottom line benefits of Cloud Computing solutions combined with its recognized expertise in consulting services. We aspire to integrate best of breed Cloud Computing solutions seamlessly to your business - enabling you to reduce costs and increase productivity.

About Damson Technologies

Damson Technologies is a Dublin based technology support and consultancy firm. Formed in 2003 by Donal and Fintan Murphy, Damson Technologies is one of Ireland’s leading Google Apps Partners and has completed 100’s of successful Google Apps Deployments for our clients. Specialising in the area of Google Apps deployment, migration and cloud integration we provide Google Apps support and training to assist organisations of all sizes leverage the power of Google’s cloud infrastructure.

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Google, Google Apps, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Video are trademarks of Google Inc.

General Manager Required - Sales and Marketing Manager Travel and Tourism - Job Opportunity

2011-04-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

General Manager / Sales and Marketing Manager

Travel and Tourism

Overview

The General Manager / Sales and Marketing Manager will conduct management and marketing activities in the United Kingdom. The person will manage trade shows, conduct sales calls, generate leads and provide follow ups. The person will oversee the development and manage media for Elite Tour And Travel Club Limited. The person has the moderate authority to make decisions within the latitudes established by the Directors of the company. The person will be flexible in planning, organising and prioritising duties to the staff who are employed by the Directors. The person should be very familiar with the Middle East market, especially destinations such as Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Sudan and Syria.

Duties and Responsibilities

Developing new business deals

Establish marketing and sales goals, objectives and strategies

Develop short-term and long-range marketing plans for the business

Evaluate current business processes and systems

Organize and manage business meetings

Participate in travel shows

Assist in the social media project on an ongoing basis

Act as primary information contact to travel agents and conduct promotions and sales calls to UK travel agencies and tour operators

Arrange open days to familiarise people with the office and our products

Develop, implement and evaluate annual advertising plans aimed at increasing awareness and bookings

Prepare weekly reports with the contents of the report as specified by the Directors

Skills and Specifications

Good Impersonal and communication skills

Diplomacy and tact

Innovation and energy to drive others

Sound judgment

Competent IT skills

Strong organisational skills

Resilience to cope with long hours and pressure at peak times

Education and Qualifications

A combination of education and experience equal to 5 years in tourism, preferably in leading tour operator companies.

PLEASE NOTE: The company may at any time add additional duties and responsibilities as the company grows, as client profiles demand and as the tourism industry will require

Job Information

Job Location: United Kingdom – London W1

Job Role: Management

Company Industry: Hospitality/Tourism/Travel; Airlines/Aviation; Sales

Joining Date: Unspecified

Employment Status: Full time

Remuneration: Basic Monthly Salary + Commission + Additional Privileges

To apply, please email Monique Lester – info@londondigitalpr.com or call 07958 411653

Outdoor and Indoor Kids Playhouses With Style

2011-03-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

In 2009 David Lamolla Kristiansen, who studied Architecture at the Politechnical University of Catalunya, founded SmartPlayhouse. Inspired to create a place for his first born daughter to create and discover without the direct intervention of her parents, David created a company who designs and manufactures beautiful outdoor [and some indoor] child-sized playhouses that are inspired by modern and contemporary architecture.

The four models [the Illinois, the Forum, the Hobikken and the Kyoto] are authentic pieces of design work created to be safe and stylish environments that provide kids with a comfortable and safe space in which to develop their creativity and social skills.

Special consideration to details like methacrylate impact-resistant windows which do not chip or break like glass and door jams that don't crunch little fingers are designed following strict guidelines that exceed the European Safety Standard requirements.

All of the outdoor playhouses are built on a platform to keep the flooring from getting wet. Crafted with high quality materials [predominantly birch marine wood], that they are resistant to all sorts of weather conditions and the roof has thermal insulation and precast waterproof EPDM rubber material with a water drain pipe incorporated from warehouse, so that no welding or attaching materials is required.

The playhouses can be personalized with accessories like various door handles, different flooring and a wide range of colors to choose from. Curtains, indoor lighting, and soft pavement are also available.

The Illinois:
Inspired by mid 20th century architecture, the Illinois has sliding doors and a platform deck.

The Hobikken
A warm contemporary wood cottage available in three sizes; the mini, the junior and the maxi, as well as an indoor version.

The Hobikken Maxi:

The Hobikken Mini:

The Kyoto
Like the Hobikken, the futuristic looking Kyoto is also available in three different sizes and an indoor version:

The Kyoto Junior:

UPDATE - The two story Kyoto Maxi:
with stairs safe for both children and adults to climb and room for friends to sleepover!

The Kyoto is also available in an indoor version:

The Casaforum
Perforated steel panels with leaf designs make this outdoor garden playhouse both durable and stylish.

And the big bonus for parents is that the SmartPlayhouse playhouses are delivered pre-assembled from the warehouse and are very easy to set up.

For pricing, size and delivery options visit SmartPlayhouse.

Original Post Here http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2011/02/amazing-outdoor-playhouses-for-kids.html

Grand Designs on Children’s Play from SmartPlayhouse

2011-03-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

SmartPlayhouse has launched a new concept in children´s playhouses, inspired by contemporary architecture. They are designed as a modern and comfortable space, which help bring your child’s imagination to life, through an advanced design concept where functionality and the use of high-quality materials are key.

David Lamolla Kristiansen, the founder of SmartPlayhouse, who is half Danish, was visiting his family in Denmark in 2007, when he realised that many gardens in Denmark are equipped with a playhouse. He thought that it would be beneficial to introduce the concept of well designed and functional playhouses to Southern Europe and started to create initial designs, while continuing working with a colleague in their own office as architects.

David says, "When my first daughter was born I knew I wanted to dedicate my time to the creation of a place just for her; where she could discover and develop without the direct intervention of her parents.
Children`s playhouses are not a new product, especially in Northern Europe where this type of construction in the garden is very common. I myself had a traditional style cabin in the garden of my family`s home in Denmark.

I decided to bring this concept to Spain, but I was sure I wanted to create something very unique. From that moment I started designing various models and part of the result can be seen on our website. I designed various prototypes in different styles, and together with my team we decided to start offering a small selection from those ideas."

In June 2009, SmartPlayhouse was born. David looked for manufacturers for his playhouse designs. The number of designs was reduced to four, still available in different sizes, which went from the drawing board to the factory. It took another year before all the prototypes were finished and the company website went online in October 2010. In December 2010 SmartPlayhouse started selling in Spain and now, in March 2011, they are entering the wider European market. The English website went online in February 2011 and in March 2011 the site will also be available in German.

Childhood is a time to explore and create and SmartPlayhouse playhouses are made for children to discover their own world of adventure. The style and design allow a child unlimited scope for creativity, engaging with playmates and self development through role play, conflict resolution and sharing. Playing in a SmartPlayhouse playhouse encourages relationship building and can help a child develop a sense of where they belong in the world. How many of us have great memories of playing being ‘mum’ or inviting our friends to join us for imaginary feasts? Soft toys become play mates; dolls come to life and all while your children are not even aware that their play is helping their cognitive development.

SmartPlayhouse playhouses encourage children to become independent and foster an integral part of their emotional growth during their childhood. Inspired by the Nordic pedagogical tradition, the playhouses offer children their own stylish space to organise themselves, share experiences and be adventurous. Children can relish having their own retreat, a place to play, hide and think for themselves. They can play with enthusiasm and abandon in a safe but free environment where there is no fear of the consequences of self expression.

SmartPlayhouse also consider safety as a major factor in the design and build of their playhouses. The main component is birch marine board, used in the air/sea industries, since it offers longevity, strength and ecological sustainability. The playhouse windows are made of methacrylate, an organic material that does not chip or break like glass and is very impact resistant. The forages, hinges, screws and the outdoor clasp are all made of stainless steel to avoid being harmed by harsh weather. All the openings have rubber gaskets to assure for permanent sealing against any air or water. The key lock is produced with aluminium alloy. All corners on the SmartPlayhouse playhouses that your children can be in contact with are bevelled to avoid injury and paints used are water-based, suitable for use in toys for children. The doors are protected with rubber to avoid little fingers being pinched and indoor flooring in the houses is non-slip.

We are living in a world where computer games and the internet have had a huge influence over how our children learn and play. Whilst there are many benefits from engaging with the world of technology, there is no doubt that the art of imaginative play is of utmost importance to our children’s ongoing development. Children love playhouses. They are magical places for fun, excitement and joy and outdoor play is often the route away from our sedentary lifestyles and towards more physical activity. This non-directed playtime also encourages team work, decision making, conflict resolution and role playing. The development of these skills encourages a child to develop an aptitude for integrating into society whilst retaining their sense of self.

There are many benefits to outdoor play which are easily catered for with SmartPlayhouse’s outdoor models. Children can run, jump, and experiment with boisterous behaviour that can be limiting with indoor play. Children learn about their environment, appreciate sensory stimulation and freedom. Parents can keep a watchful eye as their children create their own fantasy worlds and lifelong memories.

The advantages of the type of SmartPlayhouse’s playhouse construction for children are based on the culture of experimentation and development as the main factor of their growth. Children are encouraged to spend time in their own space and through playing they become capable of exploring their curiosity and creativity as well as fostering their independence. In addition, SmartPlayhouse has found the way for this environment to promote values like aesthetics, the distribution of their own space and learning the basic essentials of a discipline as relevant today as architecture. Parents and children love the visually appealing and modern designs.

Childhood dreams are made in SmartPlayhouse playhouses.

Kyoto: Design and technical Japanese Avant-garde

Of Japanese inspiration, the Kyoto follows the extreme conceptual architectural tendencies, which aim to mesh the physical and virtual world. With its futuristic style, focused on giving the architecture a solid physical presence through the use of technology, it is a dazzling and very original playhouse. Made of wood with a shiny finish, the KYOTO is an ideal space for children to develop their imagination. The outdoor Kyoto is available in three sizes. There is also an option for fun inside the home with the Kyoto Indoor.
The Kyoto Indoor is designed so that the smallest members of the family can have fun inside the home. It´s a perfect space for going in and out, storing their treasures, discovering privacy and learning to share.

Casaforum: Exquisite architecture for the garden

Of elegant and refined architecture, the “skin” of the Casaforum is applied in an impeccable manner, with transparencies, textures and patterns. It is coated with a perforated steel sheet, with the holes shaped like vine leaves and a highly shiny finish, giving it a touch of soft and elegant colour. The Casaforum is available in the following dimensions: 1.60 x 1.60 x 1.60 m.

Hobikken: The warmth and charm of natural wood

Inspired by Nordic architecture, with a predominance of wood, the colours are warm with red and dark tones. It is built entirely with Birch plywood, and has a natural finish, highlighted with vertical lines. The Hobikken is available in three different sizes, further prices on request.
The Hobikken Indoor is made with MDF natural wood, combines perfectly with wooden floors or in more classic-style homes. Created for indoor use, in this playhouse the children will learn to go in and out, store their things and share. The dimensions are: 1.05 x 1.05 x 1.20 m.

Illinois: The absence of adornment and the perfection of its details.

The outstanding feature of this playhouse is eight windows which provide a feeling of freedom and space while enjoying their surroundings. Inspired by architecture from the Modern Movement of the 20th Century, the Illinois is characterized by simple shapes. This playhouse is only available in the Maxi model, the largest of the product-line. Dimensions: 3.10 x 1.80x 1.90m.

Sterling prices and delivery costs available on request.

www.smartplayhouse.com
info@smartplayhouse.com
T +34 935 805 000
M +34 663 068 065

For interviews and photographs, contact:
London Digital PR
www.londondigitalpr.com
info@londondigitalpr.com
T +44 7958 411653

Networking Goals 2011

2011-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Networking goals 2011

The New Year brings forth promise of a bright future as torches of faith are lit to business growth and success.

The question we should ask ourselves as we are making admirable plans, are whether our actions match our goals? That is do we walk the walk and talk the talk? So, for example, do you do an adequate amount of networking and prospecting that corresponds to the amount of business you expect to come in?

Please take a moment to consider your 2011 goals to see if they match up.

Ask yourself this question....What do I want for my business in 2011? Write a figure next to the following questions:

Total projected turnover for 2011 [£££s]

Total projected value of referrals from networking for 2011 [£££s]

(portion of total prospecting activity- some get all their business from networking)

Days per week invested in networking activity [x] days

Total days per year invested in networking activity [x] days

Does the level of time investment in networking activity correspond to the value of referrals you are expecting to get? For example if your entire business marketing strategy is from networking, do you think say 12 half days or 6 full days a year is likely to bring in the level of turnover you are expecting?

Like anything there should be appropriate time spent on an activity for the corresponding return on time and money investment, so there may be a case to spend more time on networking than you currently are doing in line with your turnover goals.

Rita Hemraj is Regional Director for Athena North London, planning a Visitor’s Event March 9th 2011 celebrating International Women’s Day in conjunction with London Digital PR. For more info see http://tiny.cc/Visitors_Event

Nanny Payroll Advice from Taxing Nannies

2011-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Employing a nanny brings with it the same obligations as any business taking on an employee. By law, therefore, an employer must account for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions on the salary paid to a nanny or mothers help, whether they are full time, part time or temporary. A nanny's salary is normally quoted net of deductions (i.e. the amount she wishes to receive in her hand), and it is therefore the employers responsibility to pay over to PAYE, Employees National Insurance and Employers National Insurance to HM Revenue & Customs in addition to the net salary paid to the nanny. Expenses paid in benefits provided on behalf of a nanny in addition to her salary may be liable to a separate charge to Tax and National Insurance.

Remember that avoiding the taxman is illegal. If HMRC catches up with an employer who has failed to declare their nanny for tax purposes or has tried to maintain that she is self-employed, then they will be liable to pay the correct Tax and National Insurance Contributions and interest and penalties. There is no legal right to seek repayment from the nanny.

Nanny Tax and Payroll services like Taxing Nannies, can really make it easy for you. We help our clients by taking away the stress of calculating the tax payable on your nanny’s salary and providing payslips, as well as lots of tips and facts and we file your nanny tax return. This makes the whole process simple and leaves you free to manage your childcare arrangements, knowing your nanny is being paid correctly and so is your tax!

Our service is easy to subscribe to. Contact post@taxingnannies.com or visit our website for more information.

You mean, I’m not the only Diva?

2011-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

by Sharon Simpson

The Reinvention Diva

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at The Lipstick Lounge event, hosted by the fabulous, Jennifer Jumbe.

As a guest speaker on the bill with The Flirt Diva, we covered similar topics, I talked about Confidence and Self-Esteem within oneself, and she spoke of the same and included her take on flirting with the opposite sex.

Diva’s in the house! Hey!

Here’s a brief summary of what I covered.

Concept of The Reinvention Diva

The idea came when I was chatting with Monique Lester from London Digital PR, we were discussing rebranding my old website and talking about which direction I wanted to go in. Our conversation centred on women and we both agreed that women are constantly changing whether due to choice or necessity, often in their careers but also after marriage, children, divorce, moving overseas and recovering from illness. Women reinvent themselves.

This thought stuck in my head, a little spark that lit the flame of my interest so I began to research and investigate by firstly, asking my friends about their tales of reinvention, and found several: a friend had launched an internet jewellery business, she had been a stay at home mum of four, another friend had become an international DJ from previously being an athlete, another had morphed from a city trader to a therapist. Secondly, I began asking a wider field and was inspired by the response.

Sharon reinvents herself

My own tale of reinvention came through a desire to love myself, even just to like myself. Because when I was younger I had a terribly low opinion of myself, it was the birth of my first, then second child that gave me the kick I needed to do something about my self-esteem. I didn’t want to inadvertently pass my sad feelings to my sons.

I trained as Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neuro Linguistic Programming and Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner and began seeing clients, then decided to continue my studies and did a degree in counselling, all which helped me whilst I was helping others.

I had begun my process of reinvention, part of that process was learning that self-appreciation is a key factor in making changes.

Art of Reinvention

Reinventing yourself is not a new thing, we’ve heard of the famous doing it: Madonna, Kylie, Cher, Tina Turner. We even witness the reinvention of products on an almost daily basis washing powder, soaps, creams, hair products, which are pretty much the same just with something extra added. This analogy highlights that reinventing yourself simply means that an extra ingredient is added to that which already exists. Extra sparkle that simply enhances, adds to the already formed.

The art of reinvention involves being confident, feeling good about yourself and liking who you are, this at the core of what our magazine is all about. My great friend Mary McDowall told me once ‘we teach what we need to learn’ and that has always stuck with me, so it’s no surprise that this is my chosen subject.

Starting Point

The importance of a starting point, knowing, or having a good idea of what you want to change or improve is useful because it’s easy to mistake changing one thing in the hope that like a set of dominoes all lined up, our lives will fall into place once this thing is better.

My friend who lost loads of weight found this out after she lost 3 stone then realised it wasn’t the weight weighing her down, it was her self-esteem.

Once you have a starting point, having identified the area(s) of your life you want to change, the next step is obviously to take action to achieve it.

Like my friend above you can change your physical appearance to improve your health and self-image. Or you can get out there and be more social and get involved with your community, this will improve your sense of worthwhileness. You can also, like me, reinvent yourself emotionally, learning how to equip yourself with the tools that help you work through life’s ups and downs. Most importantly and where I believe it all begins is in our heads, by changing the way we think and reinventing yourself mentally.

Our thoughts are things

Learning to pay attention to your thoughts and changing them if necessary, is one of the fundamentals in reinvention. Our thoughts have a direct relationship with our bodies and can inform our emotions, behaviours, beliefs and values.

Joe Dispenza in his book Evolve Your Brain, goes into great detail on this subject, he talks about the scientific operations of your brain and how you can literally think yourself into a new person.

Choosing your thoughts and learning how to interrupt and even stop destructive thought patterns will start you on a path to improving your confidence and self-esteem.

Reinventing yourself is a wonderful endeavour to make in your life, it’s a process, a journey, one that has it’s ups and downs, ins and outs, trials and tribulations. It can be a satisfying personal growth odyssey.

Stay tuned.

Love

Sharon
The Reinvention Diva

Premier B2B Finance - Quality Service and Results

2010-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Over 40 years of combined expertise

ALTERNATIVE COLLATERAL FINANCE
ASSET BACKED FINANCE
BRIDGE FINANCE
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Special expertise with Contractors and Developers
Wide range of opportunities for Importers, Exporters and Traders

Premier B2B Finance

E-Mail first, a summary of your needs to Carl or Hanna

Email: PB2BF@hotmail.com

Tel: 0844-344-8262

4 Woodstock road NW11 1JR, London UK

Employing a Nanny the Stress Free Way With Taxing Nannies

2010-12-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

Taxing Nannies was established in 1995 as one of the original specialist payroll agencies for employers of nannies. They have since helped thousands of parents through the nanny tax minefield. No longer do you have to worry about issues such as calculating tax and national insurance, how to write a contract of employment or what to do about Statutory Sick Pay or Maternity Pay. In fact, you need have hardly any contact with HM Revenue and Customs at all. The nanny tax and nanny PAYE service handles the whole thing for you.

Taxing Nannies currently has an all female team which is led by Sara Graff, a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor for over 25 years. Sara is a mother who has previously employed nannies and so understands the needs and concerns of her clients.

Sara Graff qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1982 and has spent much of her career in private practice. For several years she worked as an Audit Manager for medium sized firms of Chartered Accountants and subsequently moved to a small firm where she acquired a portfolio of clients who were individuals and small businesses, and this became an area of expertise. Sara set up her own practice Sara Graff and Co in 2002 to run alongside Taxing Nannies, where she has continued her work as a small business specialist.

Sara offers a personal touch. Her approach to business is that she wants to make it as easy as possible to employ a nanny and not have to worry about the potential tax issues. Sara says, “Nanny tax can be a real nightmare for parents. It’s challenging enough working out all the other issues around successful childcare; we take the tax issues off of your hands”.

Sara remembers only too well the juggling and the planning around childcare. She set up the nanny tax and payroll service to take the stress out of the paperwork around employing a nanny, though the service works just as well for housekeepers, gardeners, butlers, drivers, cleaners and other domestic staff. Taxing Nannies already run payrolls for a range of nurseries and other small businesses.

The team prides themselves on providing a highly personal service for their clients and have earned a reputation for being an extremely responsive, efficient, professional organisation that still has the time and inclination to talk to and listen to our clients’ queries and concerns. Be it end of year accounts for a business owner, or setting up a nanny payroll, Taxing Nannies’ staff are there to listen to their clients. The website has recently been updated and contains plenty of free tips and information for current and prospective clients.

Sara Graff and Co and Taxing Nannies work nationwide and client locations include Scotland, Wales, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, London, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire.

Sara and her team are always happy to help and can be contacted at +44(0)20 8882 6847 or email info@taxingnannies.co.uk.

What is the best answer for Business Finance? Premier B2B Finance!!!

2010-12-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Premier B2B Finance - Quality Service & Results

Over 40 years of combined expertise

 ALTERNATIVE COLLATERAL FINANCE

 ASSET BACKED FINANCE

 BRIDGE FINANCE

 CAPITAL INVESTMENT

 CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT

 INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCE

 IMPORT / EXPORT FINANCE

 MEZZANINE CAPITAL

 PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE

 SELECTIVE INVOICE FINANCE

 FINANCE STRUCTURING

 TAX PLANNING SOLUTIONS

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 Wide range of opportunities for Importers, Exporters & Traders

Premier B2B Finance

E-Mail first, a summary of your needs to Carl or Hanna

Email: PB2BF@hotmail.com,

Tel: 0844-344-8262

4 Woodstock road NW11 1JR, London UK

Why Blogging is Good For Your Business.

2010-11-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

Blogging is a wonderful business tool – if you are not doing it it’s never too late to start!

Three blog sites which are commonly used are Blogger, Wordpress and Typepad but there are many more options for blogging such as forum sites with blog functions, Posterous, Live Journal and many more. Blogger and Typepad are very simple to set up. Blogger is Googles blogging tool and has many widgets and applications though is not as versatile as Wordpress, which many businesses are using as a fully functional website and not just for blogging. All of these blogs allow content sharing via social media.

If you have a website and you are tech savvy I suggest adding a Wordpress blog to your website. You can then input content directly onto what looks like another page on your site, which can be very useful. It’s especially valuable with e-commerce sites which do not necessarily have a lot of content elsewhere.

Google has recently fundamentally changed the way search engines work and key word searches have become much more localised. There is such a vast amount of information on the net that getting your site to stand out is a totally different task to that of even six month ago.

Keyword rich content has become the way forward. Using streamlined, well written informative and keyword rich content is a great way to get your business noticed online and search engines are still ranking pages for good content. This is especially important with Google’s new Instant search and preview. Your content may be picked up because of a long tail keyword strings as well as short phrases. These are terms which are used not as often as the main search terms but are driving traffic. With the huge amount of information online, this has become even more important. Do some research into what keywords matter for your subject before you start writing.

Business blogging is just one online marketing strategy but the reason it works as a marketing tool is because you are topic focussed. Use your blog as a way to offer valuable information and discussion about your business or organisation which will capture search engine traffic.

Don’t be too ‘salesey’ on your blog – write content that readers will find useful and valuable and want to share, but use it to link back to your main website.

Blog content should use keyword rich content to capture traffic which then leads people to your website. If you are worried about creating content, then do it when you are not under pressure to have to. Have a few document folders where you save finished articles, ideas you are working on and great titles. That way you will always have work in progress.

It’s OK to mix press releases, articles, product launches and information but make sure you tell your readers you are announcing a new product and don’t make the content a huge sales pitch because it is likely to be off putting for your readers.

Keep it business like but personal – we are all used to networking and speaking about ourselves at business meetings. A blog needs to contain the sort of material you would be happy to discuss at face to face meetings. If you have a passion for politics or something not business related, keep it separate and blog about this elsewhere.

Use articles of about three hundred to five hundred words and break it up into paragraphs. Longer is fine of you feel that the reader will positively benefit from what you are writing. Add an image for interest and tag the image with a relevant key word string.

Give no more than three of four tips at a time because if you do, then the likelihood is your keywords will not do as well. Use analytics to measure your traffic and see which pages or posts have had the most hits. If you can see that some posts are getting better traffic than others or you are getting none at all, then you need to change the way you are writing.

Don’t expect instant success – like everything internet marketing related it takes time. Link your blog to your other social media sites, so that it becomes a hub of your online social activity.

There is also no shame in monetising your blog and if it has a great flow of traffic by adding Adsense or affiliate gadgets which can bring in revenue. Be aware though that there is no choice about which Adsense ads end up on your site and Google will pick keywords which match your site – so you could even end up advertising a competitor!

Offer good quality free information and remember that people buy from people they like. It’s OK to make your posts heartfelt and leave the serious business for your website.

Blogging makes us all into authors so enjoy it and your readers will feel it. Here’s to your business blogging success!

Save the date: Monique Lester of London Digital PR and Shelley Fishel of The Training Surgery will be running workshops on Blogging and Writing Newsletters for Business in Word on 8 March 2011. Places are very limited. Email info@londondigitalpr.com for more details.

Take Back the Tech - Preventing Online Violence Against Women

2010-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Watch and pass on. This is just great! Cybercrime and cyberstalking is serious and very often there is not enough done to catch the criminals.

Original post at http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/11/29/take-bach-the-tech-to-eliminate-violence-against-women/

Dip Don’t Dazzle is the Key to surviving the Christmas party says Life Coach Carole Ann Rice

2010-11-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

The fog of body spray, the miasma of hair lacquer and the clouds of high anxiety emanating from the Ladies loos can mean only one thing – it’s office party season. The tension and excitement has been building for months; dresses planned, bodies dieted and de-toxed into size 10 submission and strategies devised to pull a real cracker for Christmas.

Fast forward three hours later. You’re on your third pint of Malibu and pineapple, your outfit has turned into a transvestite’s worst nightmare, there’s a hint of the Tim Burton about your make-up and suddenly Kevin from accounts is beginning to turn from duff to buff. Who would’ve thought it?

This wasn’t the high gloss Vogue shoot you imagined this glittering occasion to be and with defences down and spirits up it can also be a place of high voltage danger and regret. You may be in the festive spirit with your colleagues and partying like there’s no tomorrow but you can be sure that your boss will on sober as the day they interviewed you.

Similarly with family and friends it’s wise to beware the potentially toxic cocktail of excess alcohol, heightened emotions and unrealistic expectations that can turn any situation incendiary.

Tempers, tears, tantrums and torrid gropes could lose friends, alienate people and could well end up all over Facebook the next day.

Of course we want to let our hair down and have fun. We want sequins, silks and feathers not hair shirts, sack cloth and ashes. But there’s a fine line to be drawn between riot and ruin. So here are a few tips on how to survive the office party and seasonal gatherings with your respect and reputation intact while still having a good time and happy memories thereafter.

· If it’s the office party decide your drink limit before you go out. Two alcoholic drinks are fun after three there could be loss of control so don’t risk it. Keep topping up with water. There’s no need to tell colleagues what you are doing. They may try to force your hand.

· Don’t wear revealing, trashy or provocative clothes to the office “do”. You need to maintain your professional reputation and you will be remembered for your sequined basque rather than your presentation skill ever more.

· If out with family and friends and you want to razzle dazzle them also consider how your outfit will look when you dance, have had a few drinks, travel on public transport, have a curry etc. Will it hold up to the wear and tear of the evening?

· With colleagues and managers do not get drawn in to gossip. Either change the subject or move away. What is loose talk over drinks could end up with you being implicated by association.

· Similarly don’t say, do or act in any way that you would not do in the workplace. The pictures passed around the office next day could mean the difference between promotion or passed over.

· For legless Lotharios be polite and move out of their way. Giving in for a bit of fun could mean you’re the subject of gossip the next day. Is it worth it?

· Even if you have a secret crush on a colleague don’t let on. Some companies operate a no-fraternisation policy so watch out.

· Everyone’s spirits are high at Christmas so beware the lowered defences, play safe and don’t get carried away with the moment. Allot a friend as protector too.

· Don’t assume colleagues or your manager are friends. Refrain from giving away personal details or grievances about the job in this seemingly relaxed environment. It could boomerang back.

· Do however keep your ear to the ground for information about staff morale and office politics.

· For the office party or family/friends gathering remember you don’t have to stay until the bitter end. Set yourself a time limit and slip away when you are ready. Also it adds to your mystique that you had “better things to do”.

· Use office parties an as opportunity to network, introduce yourself to people from other departments and learn insider knowledge. This can give you a competitive edge.

· It’s very important that you plan upfront how you are going to get home and either book a cab in advance or have a range of licensed cab numbers with you. If your budget doesn’t extend to a taxi then familiarize yourself with local bus/train routes and timetables and find out if you can share the journey with someone trusted. You don’t want to be left alone, vulnerable and stranded.

Have fun, be safe and enjoy the party season with relish not regret. Happy Christmas!

Carole Ann Rice is a life coach. Find out more www.realcoachingco.com

Coaching For Success - Life Coach Carole Ann Rice Looks at the Agony of the Comfort Zone

2010-11-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Ever heard yourself or a colleague or friend sigh “I just sort of drifted into this” when taking a rain check on their career and where they’re headed? Unless you were one of those totally weird kids who at the age of six who knew they wanted to be an accountant, the majority of us strayed from the path of our dreams of being astronauts, vets or famous novelists and, like rudderless ships, “drifted” into our current situations.

How or why we ended up so carelessly sleepwalking into something that could well keep us shackled and unhappy for over 40 years of our working lives, should be viewed as a wreckless mistake instead of a common norm. Studies have revealed that students with clear set goals of what they wanted in life were more likely to achieve them than those who drifted without focus at the whim of fate.

Little wonder then that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in a survey published last year revealed that only 35% of employees actually engaged with or felt a passion for their work. Great chunks of lives spent biding time, making do and putting in the hours simply to get to retirement with some sort of pension and nest egg to make up for the lost years of youth, energy and passion.

Sorry to depress you but if this sounds like I could be reading your mail then it’s time to wake up and smell the nursing home.

Golden hand cuffs such as pension schemes and private health insurance do go some way to add security. But safety nets soon tie boulders around your dreams if your heart yearns for a high wire act or the trapeze when it comes to your career. Suddenly what was the comfort zone is feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

There are many ways in which coaching can help people re-engage with where they are now even if the position they hold only partially meets their intellectual capabilities. Taking more risks, learning to be more confident, devising and stategising new goals within the organization or within a sales context can breathe new life and new possibilities into an established role.

Often after you have been established within an organization for some years it can seem like the grass elsewhere is always more verdant and the need to move on becomes a burning issue. Sometimes the desire is simply to establish whether or not you would “make the grade” in another set up and this could lead to the out of the frying pan into the fire syndrome.

Coaching can help get to the heart of the discontent whether it is to truly pursue a long held dream and completely re-train and turn your life around or simply make more of where you are now, what you are doing and how to maximize your potential within that established framework. You go from drifting to directional, sleepwalking to nowhere to slip streaming success. You may not remember why you got to where you are but you will definitely know where you’re heading.

Carole Ann Rice is MD of The Real Coaching Co. Book a free 30 minute session now www.realcoachingco.com

Meet and Link Envision! Video Business Networking

2010-11-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Meet and Link have introduced Envision - online business networking. Developed to allow up to twenty four people in a video meeting at one time, business networking can now comfortably take place at your desk.

Simon Posner, Managing Director of Meet and Link says, “We found one of the biggest gripes about business networking today, is the time spent getting to a meeting and the stress involved. Envision changes all of this”.

The whole networking experience with Envision is designed for efficiency. An hour at your computer can create as many business opportunities and new contacts as a four hour slot out of your day, spent getting to and attending a traditional business meeting.

Alan Tanaman, the man behind the technological development of Envision, is also confident that the concept will change how we think about business networking. “There is and always will be a place for face to face meetings, but the way we have set up our meetings means it is just as efficient, and bearing in mind the time saving, even more so”.

To participate, Envision requires an audio headset and video camera.

http://www.meetnlink.com/envision

As published in NLB-Connect Magazine in the Nov/Dec Isssue:
http://www.nlb-connect.co.uk/#/6/

The KISS Rules for Online Marketing From London Digital PR

2010-11-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Online Sales and Marketing Advice from London Digital PR

Online PR and marketing is all about relationship building, much like face to face networking, except there is more of it! Not only is the online word vast but it is all happening in real time. In cyberspace, discussions about brands, products and organisations are constant.

If you are a running a business you may have already learned that online PR and social media tools are the way for consumers and businesses to connect and exchange ideas and information. Consumers simply used to listen to what businesses had to say and there was little conversation but the tide has turned. Gone are the days when we rely solely on the information given to us in a magazine or a newspaper.

The power of the conversation is now in the hands of the consumers who engage directly with businesses on blogs, forums and social media sites. The consumer has far more influence and it is all happening in front of our eyes. We are all ‘journalists’, and everyone, if they choose, has a voice. The advantage is that the online conversations have more meaning and depth than ever before.

Digital PR and the world of social media are constantly growing and evolving. The only way to be efficient if you manage your own PR online and marketing is to streamline your efforts so that you are making the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.

So here are some of the ideas we think it is possible to put into practise so that your business or brand can maintain a presence online without the overload:

1) Decide on your marketing strategy.
Ideally you will be combining any offline advertising and marketing with your online efforts. Make sure that at the start of each month you decide what your messages are and who you are targeting. Use search engines to see what your competitors are doing and who they are trying to influence.

2) Make your marketing a priority.
Make time in your diary every day to follow up on what has been said about you online, to reply to enquiries and to update your online content. No time for marketing? Outsource!

3) Be time-efficient with social media.
If you have time constraints and are running your own online PR and marketing campaigns, use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at least and set up a YouTube channel for video marketing. Make sure there is a blog on your company website and post valuable informative content. It’s easy to get carried away when working on line and lose track of time, so stay focussed on what you need to say and where.

4) Plan your content.
Have informative, valuable and relevant articles and news releases ready to send out on a regular basis. Keep your social media and PR presence fresh. If you want your followers to engage then use your content to keep them interested. The same applies to your Tweets. You can automate your Tweets using this tool and time when they are to be sent out. Whether or not you automate your Tweets, if you are running a business and care what your followers are saying then check in. Pay attention to those who replied to you or connected. Man does not replace the machine!

5) Use Facebook Pages as an extension of your website.
Ask your followers for an opinion. Facebook giveaways are a great way to keep your followers coming back for more. Make sure that you are linking all your posts back to your website.

6) Link all your social media accounts.
Connect your Facebook Page and LinkedIn account with Twitter. This is a real timesaver. Most social media sites now give you the option to connect to other sites so that your content or updates are shared automatically.

7) Use Tweetdeck, Ping.fm, Hootsuite or one of the many other integration tools to update all your social media accounts at once.
If you want it even simpler, use Google Chrome browser extensions such as Chromed Bird, where you can see your real time updates on Twitter. You can reply and re-Tweet without being signed into your Twitter account.

8) Use free tools like Google Alerts, Addictomatic and Twitter Search to see what is being said about your business in cyberspace.

9) Reply to enquiries and follow up!

Using social media tools efficiently and making the most of your resources can be of great benefit and provides a real return on investment of your time. You choose what you want to say about your business or organisation and how you want to say it. Just one Tweet or article in the right place at the right time can be a deal maker. Be consistent, be open and approachable and keep it smart and simple.

If you want more details on any of the above points or a great PR sales and marketing agency to do it for you and make your website a business sales tool, contact us at info@londondigitalpr.com

How to Market Your Business Using a Facebook Like Page - Some Easy Tips

2010-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Marketing Using Your Facebook Like Page

Is this what they call Customer Service?

2010-10-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years Taxing Nannies have been fortunate in having a designated tax office and team to deal with all our clients. HMRC, have in their infinite wisdom, decided to move all our clients to a central office which will house the payroll details of every employee in the country. This office will have no telephone contact and we will have to telephone the Employer Helpline, a general call centre, which will not be able to deal with individual queries.

They will send an email to a Revenue officer who will then ring us back which could be up to a week later. Up to now it has been largely up to payroll agents to sort out the Revenue’s mess. Our hands are now going to be tied. It will be our clients and their nannies who will suffer. Haven’t HMRC made enough mess with employees’ tax affairs?

To find out more about Taxing Nannies and subscribe to their Nanny Tax and Payroll Service visit http://www.taxingnannies.co.uk

Using Facebook to Create Business Success - FREE Webinar

2010-09-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Event Details

Using Facebook for business but not sure how best to set up a presence for your organisation?
Do you wonder what the difference is between a Facebook Profile, Page and a Group?
How would you like to know more about functionality of groups and pages?
What about growing your following? How do you connect with people on Groups and Pages to get them talking about your product or organisation?

Join our FREE webinar on the ins and outs of Facebook Marketing tools and see how you can increase you following and awareness online.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010 from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (GMT)

Monique of London Digital PR will show you the difference between a Page and a Group and what may be best for your business.

Tamara of TJConsulting Virtual Assistant will talk you through the technical aspects of Facebook Page and Group set-up so that you can get yours done straight away!

Here is your chance! Book here now!

Time to make the end of 2010 mean BIG business! Facebook is one of THE tools of the Twenty First Century.

As a thank you for attending our e-course, you will receive these great FREE bonuses:

A recording of the Webinar to remind you of the tips and tricks you will learn.
A free e-sheet of Facebook marketing ideas from Monique for creating winning marketing campaigns that win new business.
2 weeks technical email support from Tamara with set up of your Facebook pages.
A separate video guide on how to set up a PPC adverts on Facebook from Tamara.

You will learn how to use Facebook Marketing to get the best from your business, to really engage with your clients and potential clients and keep them as loyal followers of your company or organisation. You will know how to connect your Facebook page to other sites you are using so that your Facebook page becomes a hub of business success!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Tamara and Monique

Online Video Networking from Meet and Link

2010-09-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Networking for the 21st Century!

http://www.meetnlink.com/envision

New Denim Stylist Service from I Love Jeans Takes the Stress Out of Jeans Shopping

2010-09-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Love jeans but hate jeans shopping? Finding a good fitting pair of jeans can be an enlightening experience. Knowing where to look starts here.

Searching for that perfect pair of jeans can be an emotional business when you’re not looking in the right places. With our expertise and experience in denim styling we understand the importance of dressing for your shape and listening to your denim needs.

The ilovejeans Denim Stylist is experienced in successfully finding jeans for all shapes and sizes. Book a two hour styling session and get educated in which styles and brands are fantastic for your shape. Your denim journey will be mapped out before you meet the stylist so time is never wasted, only time for you to indulge in denim.

Why Shop With The Denim Stylist?

Concentrates on styles specifically for your body shape.
Educates you on how to choose the perfect pair and the tricks of enhancing your figure.
Suggests how and what to wear with your perfect fitting jeans.
Enjoy discounts or special offers with selected denim boutiques.
Leave confident and feeling great about you and your perfect fitting jeans.
After service- email/text updates on jeans for your body shape just in.
What’s The Cost?

2 hour denim styling for 1 person -£95
3 hours denim styling for 1 person. - £135*
*Accessory/ outfit styling can be included in this session if requested.

Enjoy your time with a friend or loved one and experience the VIP denim styling service for 2 people (£125 per person -3 hours) - £250 * only available in London.
*Champagne & cupcakes available for special occasions, please ask for a price when booking VIP service.

The Denim Stylist Service is now available in London and Manchester.

To book this service please contact the stylist in your area.

London Stylist: Rebecca Wine - mob: 07947 133060 email: rebecca.denimstylist@live.co.uk
Manchester Stylist: Martine Alexander – office: 0161 777 9266
email: info@martinealexander.co.uk web:http://www.martinealexander.co.uk
For more general information about the service please contact info@ilovejeans.com

Bookings:

Full payment will be required by the stylist to confirm your booking. All bookings must be made at least a week in advance to avoid disappointment. To make an appointment please call or email the stylist in your area with preferred dates.Following your booking a confirmation email will be sent to you with a style questionnaire. We ask this to be filled out and promptly emailed back by return. This is for the stylist to be able to plan your denim styling session.

Cancellations:

If for any reason you are unable to make your appointment, you must inform the stylist you have your booking with of the cancellation by phone at least 48 hours before the scheduled time. If less than 48 hours notice is given, 50% of your fee will be forfeited. If more than 48 hours notice is given we will deduct a £30 admin fee when refunding the fee.

Rescheduling:

There may be situations when rescheduling a confirmed booking by a client is necessary. Again we ask for 48 hours notice by phone to your stylist to reschedule your appointment. If a client does not turn up to a booked appointment the fee is non refundable.

To celebrate the launch of the Denim Stylist service at ilovejeans.com, we are offering a complimentary 'VIP Denim Stylist' session, worth £250, for you and a friend to enjoy the ultimate indulgent pamper session.
Prize includes:

Expert advice from the Ilovejeans Denim Stylist for two at London's Designer Denim Boutique -Donna Ida.
Champagne, cup cakes and 20% discount at Donna Ida on purchases made on the day!
To enter the competition simply join both ilovejeans facebook fan page & Donna Ida's fan page and be sure to include you and your friend’s jean sizes.

The winner will be picked at random October 7th 2010.

Spread the word, spread the luxury!

Donna Ida - http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Donna-Ida/75610815449?ref=ts

ilovejeans http://www.facebook.com/pages/ilovejeanscom/282591963656?ref=ts

Coach Carole Ann Rice Imparts the Esoteric Secrets of Nifty Networking

2010-09-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

It’s Not All Business Cards and Sell, Sell Sell.

It takes both nerve and verve to network well. To work a room with the oiled ease of consummate pro takes some practice. I have known top CEOs bolt for the door as soon as they see the crowds, the business cards and an atmosphere about as welcoming as Colditz; such is its scare factor.

The “roar behind the door” is the nightmare scenario networking novices face when standing outside a conference hall hearing the deafening chatter and wondering how to penetrate this cold front of possible rejection.

But networking can be easy and exciting as long as you know what you’re doing. Remember your ears will never get you into trouble so decide to listen and learn about other people; let them do all the work as you pick up clues as to how you can help them or they help you or connect them to a strategic alliance.

Sounds good but how do you break the ice when all you’re armed with is a cocktail sausage?

Here are some tried and tested openers that you can use once you’ve smiled broadly, introduced yourself and prepare to dazzle with your ardent interest. Have one or two of these up your sleeve and pay attention

• What do you love about your business/what you do? (See their passion)

People will warm to you for asking this and you will find out who they are.

• How did you get started in that line of work? (Their life story)

Learn about their history, maybe shared experiences and why they do what they do now.

• What separates your business from your competitors? (Their USP)

Let them brag and reveal what they excel at. Nod, smile and look impressed. You’re learning useful things.

• What’s changed in your industry over the last few years and what do you see happening in the future? (Their challenges)

This allows the person to show their knowledge and expertise. Could you use this information for follow up?
• So what’s next for you? (Their Big Dream)

World domination, beach or boardroom or simply a “nice little living” – whatever they want now you are privy to their big goal. How could you help get them there?

• How would you like to be described by the people you work with? (Who they are)

Again allow the person to feel good about themselves. Is there anyone you could introduce them to?

• What is the most satisfying and successful way you win business/influence? (Pick up their tricks)

Learn from their processes. Could you and your business become part of this process?
And finally ask

• What’s your ideal type of customer/client?(Who they are looking for)

Now you know if you can help them, pass on leads or offer referrals.

Swap cards, email them the next day to say how nice it was to meet them and suggest follow up. If you are stuck with a crushing bore, say you’re looking for someone, smile and glide on.

Carole Ann Rice is a coach and author. Find out more by visiting www.realcoachingco.com

Argan Oil is the Year Round Skin and Beauty Tonic With Diar Argan UK

2010-09-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

We hope you all had a wonderful summer!

Of course, the excesses of staying too long in the sun during those lovely days spent on the beach (for those of us lucky enough to have done so!) can play havoc with our skin.

Having worked so hard on your suntan, you will of course want to maintain it for as long as possible and moisturisering is essential. Argan oil is perfect for not only maintaining your suntan, but also for restoring your skins PH balance, helping to keep away those blotches and fine lines that the sun can cause. For this we at Diar Argan UK recommend our latest products, the anti-ageing oil with cactus seeds, the argan balm with honey, body moisturiser with aloe vera, as well as our best sellers, the pure cosmetic oil; which is now available with apricot essence and the serum oil; now available with neroli.

Argan oil is becoming increasingly popular in the United States therefore you will be seeing more and more companies popping up that claim to be selling 100% Organic Argan Oil or even adding the oil to their products; as many already claim to do.

Don’t get ripped off. Never go for low price. Why? Argan oil is the rarest and most useful organic oil you can find. The constant demand for Argan oil in Europe is causing this great Argan tree to become in danger of extinction. You should know that in cases like this, with such demand for the product, the price would never be low.

When comparing prices for organic Argan oil, remember to look at the size. I purchase Diar Argan Uk Ltd Cosmetic Argan oil in a 50 ml bottle for £14 and only have to reorder about every 4 months. How long it lasts depends on what you use it for. Some people use it for skincare, nails, body and hair so in that case you may have to reorder more often.

Buy only from a reputable company and if looking at Argan oil on Amazon for example, read every ingredient closely. If other ingredients are top on the list, especially fragrances and parabens, the product is not organic Argan oil. Make sure it says 100% pure Argan oil. I have read that people are finding a huge difference in the benefits from one brand to the next and I can only say that if you are not seeing any benefits at all, you may not be purchasing the pure product. If it doesn’t say 100% pure Argan oil, don’t take a chance.

Argan oil is obtained from the kernels of the argan tree, which is indigenous to Morocco. Argan oil is known for its nutritive, cosmetic and several medicinal properties. Commercially available argan oil is very expensive as compared to olive oil, because one liter of argan oil takes around 12 - 20 hours of hand processing. It's a laborious job but the local Berber women are expert in extracting oil from the argan seeds. These days, the oil is processed with machines in a more clean way. Let us take a look at what argan oil reviews say...

Argan Oil Reviews
Considering the argan oil benefits, numerous products have been launched in world markets which are advertised as being excellent for hair care, massage and skin care.

Most people accept the fact that the smell is not very pleasant but it disappears while you make it penetrate into your skin. They agree that if you massage your skin with argan oil, it makes it soft and healthy. Argan oil is a good natural anti-aging product as it is packed with alpha tocopherols (vitamin E), phenols and phenolic acid. Just a couple of drops are required per day.

Pure organic argan oil comes without harmful and irritating chemicals. Argan oil works great for hair loss and you can enjoy thick and soft hair. It penetrates the hair shaft and repairs the damaged hair follicles. The omega 3 and omega 9 unsaturated fatty acids from argan oil strengthen your hair. According to the argan oil reviews, argan oil for hair is the best option as it provides the essential nutrients to your hair. Argan oil hair treatment is suggested for taming frizzy, dry or unmanageable hair. It is also considered best for getting rid of dandruff. Along with hair, argan oil strengthens your nails too.

If you want to consider argan oil for skin, you would be happy to know that, besides offering you a glowing skin, it acts as a shield from the harmful UV rays and protects the skin from environmental pollution. It is a natural anti aging product and makes your skin feel great. Argan oil is a good skin moisturizer and it does not feel greasy on your face.

Argan oil helps preserve the pH balance of the skin excellently, and has the power to reduce the unsightly appearance of the scars left behind by various skin problems like acne, chicken pox and even in cases of skin injuries caused by burns. The concept of using argan oil for acne is gaining more and more popularity. It is a fact that excess production of sebum is responsible for acne growth. But you can easily get rid of acne with argan oil because argan oil prevents sebum from being produced in excess amounts. Regular or daily use of argan oil helps to reduce scars and also makes your skin soft and supple.

Argan Oil Products
A number of argan oil products are now available worldwide and more and more cosmetic companies are using argan oil in manufacturing of various anti wrinkle skin care products and other skin creams and lotions. You should check the labels carefully as many products may contain only traces of argan oil. Buying 100% pure organic argan oil which contains only argan oil and nothing else, is obviously more beneficial.

Argan oil is recommended for internal use also. Since it is free of cholesterol, it can be considered suitable in the context of any cholesterol-free diet. It protects your cardiovascular system. Another point to note is that, you can mix argan oil with other oils like jojoba oil, tea tree oil, rosemary and lavender oil, and apply the mixture to your hair or skin. As I went through argan oil reviews, I came across innumerable benefits of argan oil. Almost all the reviews were in favor of the oil. Very few people disliked it because of the smell or due to the difficulty in pouring it from the bottle, otherwise it is excellent for the skin and hair.

Email: nacera.diarargan@yahoo.com

Website: www.diarargan.com

How to Make the Best of Team Building - Carole Ann Rice

2010-08-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

For the singleton it’s an opportunity for romance or expense account booze up and for those with kids it’s a nightmare of childcare arrangements and disgruntled partners. The team away day or residential development event can build morale and create an inclusive, motivated workforces or it can simply divide, disengage or downright disillusion the reluctant team player.

From solving faux business dilemmas to psychometric testing, where individuals are divined as either Earth Mothers or Warriors, the away day can be a minefield of bruised egos and battered expense budgets. When a team is pulling in different directions, blame and scapegoating is the culture and there seems to be an issue around shared goals and outcomes, time out and training can solve the issue.

But how many times have you seen folk return from these events flying high and geared up for change to find it dissolves into the same old routine?

Donna from sales may have been the high wire heroine abseiling her way to team glory in the badlands of Shropshire last week, but is back to being as obstructive as ever as soon as her heels hit the office Axminster. Something appears to have been lost in translation from away day to work day.

To ensure that a team away day really does do more than bond a disparate group of people but have real and sustainable effects it might be worth considering these pointers.

• Be very clear from the outset what the desired intention of the event is. What exactly is it you want to achieve? How will that be done? What needs to be in place? What benchmark with you use to know you’ve got there?

• Make sure you will be able to measure results and take away accumulated data (contributed by the teams) that you can use effectively thereafter.

• Don’t assume everyone wants sporting terminology and Will Carling-esque motivation exercises; that people like to be physical, extrovert or do things that get them out of a comfort zone and straight into the psychiatrist’s chair.

• Inform the team what you would like them to get out of the event and invite them to make suggestions to as to what they would like to achieve, learn and contribute to the exercise.

• Use psychometric tests from the outset so that they can identify theirs own strengths and weaknesses and learn about the qualities of their colleagues too and how best to work and interact with them.

• Work, rest and play – make sure the event has its highs and lows and at the end there is a social time in the bar or restaurant to socialize, de-brief and consolidate what has been learned.

• Check in with the team a week later to see if what they have learned has been useful and put into practice.

• Avoid death by away day. Too many psychometric tests and physical challenges could lead to confusion and burn out. Remember, this is training and development not the Apprentice.

Find out more about Carole Ann Rice www.realcoachingco.com

Welcome to the new age of business networking!

2010-08-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Want to connect with more people faster, more effectively, and more efficiently?

Then Envision is probably for you!

Welcome to the new age of business networking!

The Envision Launch Party is happening on Thursday 16th Sept 2010 – Put the date in your diary NOW!

We’ll provide a top venue and an opportunity to network! Just bring along plenty of business cards and a big smile!

For more details and to register Here!

Places are limited and filling up fast – only first 80 people will get in!

Plus - check out event details for a fantastic prize draw!

21st century business networking!

The Meet and Link Envision Party is on!

2010-08-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

by Nitzan Marinov, 17 August, 2010

The Envision Launch Party is happening on Thursday 16th Sept 2010 – Put the date in your diary NOW!

We’ll provide a top venue (The Free Masons Arms in Hampstead) and an opportunity to network! Just bring along plenty of business cards and a big smile!

This is what you will get when you come to the Meet & Link Envision launch party:

1. The opportunity to network with 80(!) other business owners

2. To be one of the first to learn about the first multi-participant video conferencing tool for business networking

3. The chance to learn first hand about the exciting new Envision business networking tool

4. A chance to be one of 3 people to win great audio-visual equipment

5. Up to 60% discount on future Meet & Link membership

6. A free drink (if you’re one of the first 20 people to arrive)

If you haven’t booked your place yet, do it NOW! Places are limited – only first 80 people will get in!

Cost: your drinks at the venue.

So Join Us!

If you didn't book yet for the Envision Launch Party in London, now is the time! http://tinyurl.com/MeetnLinkEnvisionParty

Orbital Dreams become reality For Mike Puskas and The Dream Vampires

2010-08-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Music is what makes Mike Puskas tick. Speaking with him, it takes very little time to see the passion he has for what he does.

Mike has thirty years in the international entertainment industry and is now the CEO and owner of Astral Records and Music, Dead Famous Artists and Sugar Filly Entertainment in Australia and around the world.

The Dream Vampires is a collaborative project based on a long standing relationship between Mike Puskas and a talented bunch of musicians, vocalists and producers who all came together five years ago, to realize a creative vision. Using a multitude of musical styles fused together with high energy modern production and strong identifiable lyrics they became the ultimate studio band with no intention to ever go out and take it live.

From time to time new songs were written, produced and added to an assortment of online websites promoted by the label to spread the word about this highly fresh and unique musical outfit. Puskas says “The concept focuses on a vision that the “Dream Vampires” are a representation of those in the world who unwittingly suck our creativity dry. They feed off creative people as they have no drive of their own which makes them jealous…a very dangerous emotion indeed.”
The Dream Vampires project is a labour of love and five years in the making and is dedicated to anyone who has felt the sting of creative jealousy, something Puskas has had experience of during his long and varied career.

As well as his creative song writing talent, Mike Puskas has a talent for understanding where the music industry has headed over the last few years. There is a tendency for the media to create hype around celebrities which leaves them in a place which in inaccessible to the fans, the people who helped get them there in the first place.

Puskas feels the music is about the fans and everything the Dream Vampires do is about interaction with the people who support the band. The Dream Vampires, thanks to this rapport with their fan base and the feedback the received from their first album, are now working on their second album ‘Orbital Dreams’.

The success of the Dream Vampires has been down to the music which is a mix of ambient rock, orchestral landscapes and clever lyrics and the fact that The Dream Vampires learned something that many bands have failed to recognise. The fans make the band!

Puskas has moved with the times. Social media and digital marketing can be used to really make the connection with the fans tangible. The Dream Vampires’ Facebook page is testament to this. Puskas himself personally thanks fans for their support and engages in a way that many bands are told to avoid to keep up the mystery.

For The Dream Vampires there is no mystery, only interaction. Their whole ethos is about connecting with fans, exchanging ideas, listening to feedback and making music the fans will want to buy and recommend. Thanks to the feedback for the people who have been with the Dream Vampire since the inception of the idea, the new album is becoming a reality.

The Dream Vampires have teamed up with Pledge Music in the UK, who match the fans to the music. They are encouraging new fans to pledge to help raise money for the production of ‘Orbital Dreams’ and also to support their chosen charities. The pledges start from as little as $10 for a project download right up to $1200 dollars to watch the band perform live in the UK next year. Every single fan who pledges becomes part of The Dream Vampires extended family and is offered free exclusives and updates about the progress of the project.

Mike Puskas was recently interviewed by a local rock show in Melbourne, who broadcast nationally and also in New York City. He says on the show, “The Dead Famous label was developed to get back to what is missing into today’s music industry; and that is the fans. Without the fans we are nothing.”

Dead Famous Records has now released music from twenty plus artists worldwide and is always looking to work with new talent. The idea is the fans plug in to the careers of the artists, take part in the musical journey with them and receive free exclusive downloads and opportunities to connect with what the artist is doing.

With platforms on all the social media platforms promoting musical talent, Puskas has got it right, with a mix of updates, promotion and interaction keeping the fans coming back for more.

Pledge your support for the band here!

Coach Carole Ann Rice looks at how to get unstuck from PVA – Pre Vacation Panic

2010-08-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

You’ve made those guilty impulse buys in the soar away sales; packed a suitcase the size of the Empire State and triple checked the tickets, passport and money situation that it’s almost become pathology. So why are you feeling stuck in PVA – that’s Pre Vacation Panic?

Preparing to leave the workplace for a fortnight in a palm-fringed nirvana should have you kicking back and living in margherita time up until the departure lounge. But instead a dread-like fear has entered the equation making you even question why you booked a holiday in the first place.

There’s so much to prepare, loose ends to tie up, people to inform and work to complete before you leave, and you just know you’re working yourself towards a fortnight on a drip in a foreign hospital.

Will they cope without you? What if they cope too well in your absence? Will or wont you be missed? Will your clients move to a competitor?

And what about that Machiavellian newcomer waiting in the shadows for the ideal time to “cover” for you while you’re away? What if said wanna-be does a better job at it too, become the blue eyed Next Big Thing and you’re out of the picture before you can say P45?

No wonder we have to pay a king’s ransom to throw yourself to the furthest corner of the world to get away from it all. We live and work in environments dominated by emails, voice mails, deadlines and targets and all with demands on our time that expect a five minute response and turnaround.

Lunches are for working through, commuting is catch up on the laptop time and evenings are for preparing for the next day. Weekends? What weekends?

The idea of taking the Blackberry to the beach and a few work files to glance through on the plane is becoming increasingly attractive but that way madness lies.

Coaches often work with executives close to burn out working to the mistaken belief that they are indispensable.

They are perhaps failing to trust their own value, have forgotten the meaning and purpose of what they’re doing and think that work/life balance means having a half a day at the weekend in which to sort the laundry.

Some self coaching questions at this time could include:

• What can I do, dump or delegate in the time remaining?
• What do I need to believe in order to leave work happy and contented for my holiday?
• How have I created this situation of ……….
• What unhelpful thoughts do I need to let go of here?
• Is the fear real or my imagination?

None of us can ever truly predict the future and trusting that all will be well in our absence takes a leap of faith. But with the right amount of preparation, trust and a reasonable assumption that the world wont come crashing down as soon as you wave “adios” to your colleagues, you can have the holiday you deserve and return refreshed to the situation you left a fortnight before.

Carole Ann Rice is MD of The Real Coaching Co. Find out more at www.realcoachingco.com

Meet & Link Envision the Business Networking of the Future

2010-08-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

There has never been a better time to use the power of the Internet combined with offline networking to build your business. Social media and online interaction have become uppermost in making new connections and building business strategy for everyone; from small business to large corporations. This is a concept that three London based business people, Simon Posner, Alan Tanaman and Nitzan Marinov understand well.
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Last year saw the launch of their online business networking site Meet & link, with offline meetings being held in Central and North West London and an online business portal which is beginning to see a global following. Why is there room for another online business networking site and why is Meet & Link working?

Having attended Meet & Link meetings myself, I can honestly say that the guys running the show did so in a very refreshing way. The aim of the game for Meet & Link is to make business networking fresh and fun and easy.

The focus is always on making sure that the participants of meetings gain from the time they spend networking. Simon Posner says, “How many of us have been to meetings and come away feeling that it was a waste of time? At Meet and Link the people you meet all have the same aim; to connect with people who will help them grow their businesses.”

Using their own optimised profiles, members of Meet & Link can network globally if they wish, or attend the meetings so that they get to see the faces behind the profiles. With less of the pressure of the standard breakfast meeting and more focus on connections and rapport building, the groups look set to grow fast.

Moving on from the usual networking format, Meet & Link is about to develop a new generation of business networking, with the launch of Envision, a fresher easier way to build your business.

To find out more, come to the Envision London Launch Party, at the Freemasons Arms, London NW3, from 6.30pm. Places are strictly limited to eighty and very much on a first come first served basis, so book now to be one of the first to discover Envision.

Book here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102962853095277&ref=ts

Or call +44 (0)7712 609938

Mike Puskas and Sarah Hewett in the Studio

2010-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Meet and Link - Exciting New Concept in Networking Launching in London

2010-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Have you invited your friends yet to the Envision Launch Party?

If not do it now! Only 80 places!http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102962853095277&ref=ts

If you are a London Networker, this is not to be missed.

Meet & Link is a new and exciting concept in online social and business networking

Start networking efficiently:
• Optimise your profile to be found on Google
• Link your profile with other social media platforms
• Get active and appear on the home page
• Give and receive referrals from trusted fellow networkers
• Share & grow your business knowledge
• Get involved with other entrepreneurs and find the next great thing
• Position yourself as an expert by publishing your articles on the site

But that’s not all!

The coolest and most innovative feature is currently under development!

It promises to change the way networking is done forever.

The future is here, and we will make it work for you!

In the meantime you can join us and the rest of the members for free on www.meetnlink.com and start taking advantage of the existing benefits.

Meet and Link - The more exciting business/social network!

How Do We Actually Do It - What goes in to A Dream Vampires Track

2010-08-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

By Mike Puskas

29 July 2010

The Recording Process – School 101

A few of you have asked what is going on here. Let me explain if I may. Every song that I write starts out as a scratch on an acoustic guitar with my own way crappy vocal. The only saving grace is I can actually pitch. Once the scratch has been demo’d it’s sent to either Nick in Phoenix or Dave in Oklahoma to produce the track bed which is based on various scratches that I send over which may be a string arrangement played on guitar or a load of colors to enhance the mood and feel of the song also recorded on guitar and sent over. Once the bed is done, it’s sent back to me in Aust and I then record a scratch vocal over it and this is designed to show how the phrasing of the song will work in the arrangement. The next step is to pitch the song in that form to a number of vocalists in the team to both male and female to see who likes it and who would be the best fit. We then record those vocal files with the artist in the studio and then they are uploaded to our server and sent via ftp site to the producer mixing it. Sometimes we may record the lead vocals here with Sherri or Sarah and then do the harmony’s and the backing rounds in the US and then fuse the two together before allocating the team for the mix. Once mixed, the song is sent back to me for final review and or any adjustments and then we allocate a mastering studio and engineer to take the production to the highest level before we post it and generate feedback on the tune.

Choosing the right team for the job – School 101

Choosing the mastering engineer or studio is all important and we are lucky to have a nice bunch of options to choose from. We have Drew Lavyne who just re-opened his NY mastering studio, All Digital after being at the infamous Sterling Sound for the last year. This gives us a very high end option for getting the track or album to sound very American sonically. We also use the amazing talents of Maor Appelabaum who gets us that big European Sound and is now based in LA. If it’s big beats and more production sample based then we turn to Ed Farris also based in LA who can tweak an incredible master out of limited outboard and a load of limiting plug ins. We also can master with Brian Gardener at Bernie Grundman in LA or Julian Lowe at Abbey Road in London and finally if it’s a homegrown situation then we turn to the talents of Matt Lefroy who like Ed uses a mix of both outboard gear and plug ins to create that perfect balance of radio friendly and organic sounds to create the mix. So that’s how we do it.

The Review Process before Marketing – School 101

Now once the master track has been created the nexct step is to road test the tune with people outside of the music industry first and then once we get the relevant feedback in from the FANS we then turn to the professional industry to help us nail it and get it right. So we set up an account with Slice The Pie in the UK and on our profile page we can upload NEW tracks to our scouting rooms and there the average everyday music lover get’s a chance to listen and review the track. Once 70 reviews or so have been generated we get an email saying that we have unread reviews on the site and that we can log in and download a full report. I circulate a copy of the report to all the players in the team for their input and thoughts. From this report alone we can ascertain by the song score and the tone of the reviews if we are on the right track here. Once we all agree that we are we then pay US50 to have a Soundout Report generated by Industry pro’s by a very well established A&R Review Commitee. About a week later we get the said report and from that we decide on how we will go about promoting the track to stimulate sales on our Online Store Platform and encompassing websites. At this time we will also generate what are known as Musix X Rays which are mini EPK’s or RPK’s for the song that are sent to industry pro’s in the game for a fee. As part of the payment process the Industry Pro has to do two things no matter what.

1. They must tick a box which notifies us that the submission has been received

2. They must rate the song on (5) levels and these are: Composition, Arrangement, Performance, Production, Hit Potential

If you pay between $20 and $50 you can get a full written critique of the song from the industry pro and this will detail where it’s right and where it’s also going wrong (very good tool to use)

Viral Promotion & Marketing – School 101

Now we know we are on the right track it’s time to get the song out there and generate some revenues. So how do we do that? Well first of all we go to our Jango Radio account and allocate a 1,000 paid spin campaign. This is where the FANS and people who like similar music are introduced to the new song and have the option to add the song to their custom players, leave a comment or subscribe as a new FAN. We will also add the song to our Reverbnation profile, IAC Music profile, Facebook band Page, My Space site, iLike Artist Page, Our Stage profile, Reputation Music profile, Official website in the FAN section (where you are now) and Australian Internet Radio as well as IAC Homegrown radio stations on which we are featured on around 30 plus stations.

We also add the song to our Reverb store as well as earmark it for digital distribution as part of an album project. All our digital distribution is handled by Reverbnation Digital and that gives us (4) week turn around to the premium music sites and these are without exception: iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, EMusic, Napster, Spotify and Zune. At this point to push the pending release we will add the song to our, Our Stage profile and enter it into one of the genre based monthly competitions to see it compete with other great songs to try and get into the top 10 and win some great prizes.

We will also blog, bulletin, email blast and press release the track and it’s story and in these we will embed links that take a FAN to a FREE download page where they can get a NEW song, a demo, an unreleased track or even a scratch vocal track. We also compile a number of songs on a specially designed, Sugar Filly / Dream Vampires USB Stick and we run competitions to win these and we also will produce them in mass and give them away at rock festivals and specialist shows and parties. In short we look at every FAN based angle we can to generate exposure and stimulate sales. Finally and now most importantly we have linked with Pledge Music to help raise money for NEW projects as well as support charities that we are truly passionate about and that gives us a good community feeling that we are out there and doing our part.

Pledge here for our new album exclusives http://www.pledgemusic.com/artists/dreamvampires