Successful Selling at Christmas Craft Fairs

Successful Selling at Christmas Craft Fairs Three years ago, I accepted an invitation to sell my novels at a local gym’s mini Christmas craft fair. I wound up selling 21 copies. The experience was so positive that the following Christmas I expanded to high school fairs and sold 51 copies. This year, I sold over 80 books at more venues, all within five miles of home. Needless to say, Christmas craft fairs can be a lucrative way to sell books. To do so successfully, it’s a good idea to first visit local craft fairs at high schools, community centers, and churches. Talk to vendors and show organizers a copy of your book. Ask about registration requirements and ask to be put on a mailing list. Begin with smaller venues that charge a minimal fee. Large community center events draw larger crowds, but their fees can be $350 or more. Most craft fairs have an adjudication process and prefer only handmade goods. For this reason, even self-published books can be a gray area for judges and organizers. Although I not only wrote, but typeset my first mystery series, the professionally designed cover disqualified me at some fairs, but not at others. A third of this year’s fairs accepted my traditionally published series as well. If you’re upfront with organizers, some of them will make an exception, especially if you’ve tried both publishing options with a single series. Competition for table space at established venues can be fierce, so apply long before the deadline. If you’re accepted at several fairs, be mindful of the dates. Most fairs occur on weekends in November and early December, (fees and application forms might be required months earlier). You won’t want to double-book an event, as organizers require you to be there in person. A few days before the fair, you’ll receive rules and helpful information. High schools are especially great venues as students are on hand to help carry your stock and will watch over your table if you need a break. Once you’ve set up your table (make it festive) employ the same strategies you’d use at a book signing: stand as much as possible, smile and engage people, offer to sign copies, and bring water. You’ll also need a float, receipt book, food, (events are five to seven hours long) and bags for customers. The great thing about Christmas craft fairs is that attendees are looking for something to buy and they bring cash. Visa/debit machines are a good idea for large venues, but not worth the bank’s fee at smaller fairs. If you have more than one book in a series, sign and wrap the books in clear cellophane, add a bow and ribbon, and sell them as signed gift sets. Generally, tables are large enough to show promotional materials and an info sheet featuring review excerpts and availability elsewhere. Business cards are a must! I handed out cards to several book club members and teachers looking for guest speakers. Customers also wanted to know if my books were available on Kindle, and preferred a card to a bookmark. Christmas craft fairs are often unpredictable. Books will sell well at some venues but not at others. The following year, the reverse will be true. Keep records to analyze which fairs work best for you. If your books are set locally or have some other local slant, emphasize this, as people love to read about their own area. Above all, have fun.

Organizational Change Interview Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizational Change Interview Paper - Essay Example Schuh (2000) has mentioned the needs of differentiation strategy for successful marketing. In his opinion, â€Å"using a common product, price, distribution and promotion program on a worldwide basis--does not seem adequate considering the differences in market conditions† (Schuh, 2000). In order to realize the extent of changes happening in the organizational world, I decided to interview a top official in Coca Cola Company. One of my friends is currently working in Coca Cola Company’s marketing department and he helped me in meeting, Jack Nicholas, one of the sales managers of Coca Cola Company. This paper is written based on my interview with Coke’s sales manager, jack Nicholas. My first question was about the mission, vision, and values of the Coca Cola Company at present and in past. Jack told me that the vision and mission of Coke has changed a lot over the past five years period. Earlier, Coke had a standardized vision and mission statement for the entire world. However, Coke realized that keeping same vision and mission for the entire world is meaningless since the requirements of different regions or countries are different. Focus on needs of our consumers, customers and franchise partners, Get out into the market and listen, observe and learn, Possess a world view, Focus on execution in the marketplace every day, Be insatiably curious etc are some of the values strictly kept in the market by Coke (Vision, Mission and Values, 2011) Jack explained the above point more in detail. He told me that most of the global countries and regions are different, politically, economically, culturally and socially. In other words, the requirements and the purchasing abilities of the people are different everywhere and it is illogical to keep same mission and vision for the extremely diverse population in the world. It was difficult for Coke to operate in communist countries earlier because of the strong opposition Coke faced in those countries bec ause of its origin in America. For example, China was reluctant in allowing American companies to enter its soil earlier. However, at present China is accepting foreign direct investments with both hands. The above changing foreign policies and economic policies of China cannot be neglected by Coke. In short, political and economic climate in the world are facing drastic changes at present which forced companies to change their vision and mission to cater the needs of the changing world. My second question was about the major determinants of change in Coca Cola Company. Globalization was the major cause of changes happening in Coke according to Jack. He has told me that the business principles changed a lot as a result of globalization. Currently Coke is trying to expand its territories with the help of modern business principles and merger and acquisition is accepted as the major mode of entry to foreign countries. For example, Coke acquired ThumsUp from India as part of their busi ness expansion in India. Coke realized that local knowledge is essential for conducting successful business in a foreign market. In order to acquire local knowledge, acquisition or merger is accepted as the best strategy by Coke. Political, economic and legal climate are other major determinants of change accepted by Coke to expand its business in different territories. Jack

Family Food Menu Simulation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Food Menu Simulation - Assignment Example It is therefore important to note that this is a better that can help in the making of the life better by reducing the individual’s spending habits in a family and thereby making life to seem less costly (Hatmut, 2007). Another important point that cannot go without highlighting is that this paper delves on the people or families that are living in the poverty threshold. Family threshold can be defined as the minimum and the lowest level of income that is considered in a given economy. This is the lowest wage rate that is paid in a given economy and so the paper discusses how these families that are falling in this category can manage to survive and make ends meet in their normal life situation and also how they can eat healthy meals that are also nutritious for the better of their health. This paper has therefore provided reliable information concerning this and has even provided a menu that such families can use for the whole week to eat healthy meals (Hatmut, 2007). In the selection of the family profile, the profile that will be appropriate for the discussion in the paper is a profile that has four people. In this profile, it is important to highlight that the make up for the family is that there is one male, one female and two children. It is also important to highlight that the ages are that the adults, that is the male and the female are at the ages of 20 to 50 years and that the children are at the ages of 8 years and 15 years of ages. It is quite important to note that in nutrition concept, there is need for the consumers to determine their meals of consumption based on the age. This is so because of the differences in the rates of the body metabolism that they undergo in the living (Hatmut, 2007). Age is a vital factor that should always be put into consideration before the preparation of any menu for the family. It is also important to note that besides the age factor, it is also important to note that

The Communist Manifesto Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Communist Manifesto - Term Paper Example â€Å"The socialist and communist systems, properly so called†¦spring into existence in the early undeveloped period, described above, of the struggle between proletariat and bourgeoisie†(Marx and Engels, p.28). As pointed out in ‘The Communist Manifesto,’ the class struggle can be observed in the early epochs of human history. â€Å"Freeman and Slave, Patrician and Plebeian, lord and serf, guildmaster and journeyman† (Marx and Engels, p.3). These two classes were always facing each other in a feat that is characterized as oppressor and oppressed. The opening of the new market as America, The East-Indian and China gave rise to the bourgeoisie. Then, the old feudal system was not able to satisfy these markets, causing the manufacturing system to take place. Given the rise of the middle class, the bourgeoisie had turned every occupation into a wage-worker relationship and had constantly revolutionized production and expanding market causes the destructio n of local markets in old established nations. By demanding large quantity of raw materials and forcing nations to become bourgeoisie themselves and calling into existence the working class: The Proletariat(Marx and Engels, p.34). ... Under communism, all classes will disappear in the face of socialism. The proletarian in England, France and America had lost traces of national character and the bourgeois law, morality and religion had lost its appeal. The idea pertains to the destruction of all concept of individual property. This becomes a national struggle guided by the communist party. Eventually civil war is followed by a full blown revolution and the overthrow of the bourgeoisie is inevitable. Historically the serf, while serving, can rise above and become part of the commune as a small bourgeois under feudal society was able to develop into a bourgeois. As for the modern worker, instead of trying to keep up with the progress of the industry, this will only sink him deeper into poverty. Poverty can be seen to advance much faster than population and wealth. â€Å"The proletariat of each country must of course, first of all settle matters with their own bourgeoisie† (Marx and Engels, p.12). This is the m ain natural law that makes the bourgeoisie unfitted to be able to be the ruling class in a society. The bourgeoisie now may not take care of the wage-worker since it depends on the wage-worker to support it. This causes the elimination of the bourgeoisie by nature as it will not be able to define itself in the society. â€Å"The socialistic bourgeois want all the advantages of modern social conditions without the struggles and dangers necessarily resulting therefrom† (ibid, 27). The creation and augmentation of capital is at the heart of the condition for the existence of the bourgeoisie. The wage-worker is essential to create capital. It rests exclusively on competition for wage-worker. The

Doing Business in the U.K. Essay Example for Free

Doing Business in the U.K. Essay Business Etiquette UKThe United Kingdom (UK) is comprised of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It is important not only to be aware of these geographical distinctions but also the strong sense of identity and nationalism felt by the populations of these four countries. The terms English and British are not interchangeable. British denotes someone who is from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. English refers to people from England. People from Scotland are referred to as Scots. People from England are not likely to take offence at being called â€Å"English†, whereas a Welsh, Scots, or Northern Irish person will. Cultural Diversity Formerly a very homogenous society, since World War II, Britain has become increasingly diverse as it has accommodated large immigrant populations. The mixture of ethnic groups and cultures make it difficult to define British as looking or acting in one particular manner. People may sound British and retain the cultural heritage of their forefathers while others may become more British than someone who can trace his/her lineage to the 5th century. The fact that the nation’s favourite dish is now a curry sums up the cultural mish-mash that is modern day Britain. Doing business in the UK The British are rather formal. Many from the older generation still prefer to work with people and companies they know or who are known to their associates. Younger businesspeople do not need long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people and do not require an intermediary to make business introductions. Nonetheless, networking and relationship building are often key to long-term business success. Rank is respected and businesspeople prefer to deal with people at their level. If at all possible, include an elder statesman on your team as he/she will present the aura of authority that is necessary to good business relationships in many companies. British communication styles The British have an interesting mix of communication styles encompassing both understatement and direct communication. Many older businesspeople or those from the upper class rely heavily upon formal use of established protocol. Most British are masters of understatement and do not use effusive language. If anything, they have a marked tendency to qualify their statements with such as perhaps or it could be. When communicating with people they see as equal to themselves in rank or class, the British are direct, but modest. If communicating with someone they know well, their style may be more informal, although they will still be reserved. Business meetings Punctuality is a very British trait. It is especially important in business situations. In most cases, the people you are meeting will be on time. Always call if you will be even 5 minutes later than agreed. If you are kept waiting a few minutes, do not make an issue of it. How meetings are conducted is often determined by the composition of people attending. If everyone is at the same level, there is generally a free flow of ideas and opinions. If there is a senior ranking person in the room, that person will do most of the speaking. In general, meetings will be rather formal and always have a clearly defined purpose, which may include an agenda. There will be a brief amount of small talk before getting down to the business at hand. If you make a presentation, avoid making exaggerated claims. Make certain your presentation and any materials provided appear professional and well thought out. Be prepared to back up your claims with facts and figures. The British rely on facts, rather than emotions, to make decisions. Maintain eye contact and a few feet of personal space. After a meeting, send a letter summarising what was decided and the next steps to be taken. Basic British Etiquette Tips: Business Dress * Business attire is conservative. * Men should wear a dark coloured, conservative business suit. * Women should wear either a business suit or a conservative dress. Greetings * Shake hands with everyone at a meeting upon arrival. * Maintain eye contact during the greeting. Titles * Only medical doctors and the clergy use their professional or academic titles in business. * Most people use the courtesy titles or Mr, Mrs or Miss and their surname. (Mr and Mrs are words in the United Kingdom and do not require a period after them as they are not abbreviations.) * If someone has been knighted, they are called Sir followed by their first and surnames or Sir followed simply by their first name. * Wait until invited before moving to a first-name basis. People under the age of 35 may make this move more rapidly than older British. Business Cards * Business cards are exchanged at the initial introduction without formal ritual. * The business card may be put away with only a cursory glance. Business Gifts * Business gift giving is not part of the business culture. * If you choose to give a gift, make certain it is small and tasteful. * Good gifts include desk accessories, a paperweight with your company logo, or a book about your home country. * Inviting someone out for a meal can be viewed as a gift. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-uk.html http://books.google.com.my/books?id=1ccPcVjaRGMCpg=PA30lpg=PA30dq=how+to+bargain+with+britainsource=blots=FB64L7Wk6Fsig=6QVjUrzk4AcQ2OuUezZuyL64Mlwhl=ensa=Xei=2kALUeu0BcKPrgfjooH4Cwved=0CHAQ6AEwCA#v=onepageq=britishf=false

The Four Political Parties Of Canada Essay -- Canadian Politics Politi

The Four Political Parties of Canada   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a country as vast and as culturally diverse as Canada, many different political opinions can be found stretched across the country. From the affluent neighbourhoods of West Vancouver to the small fishing towns located on the east coast of Newfoundland, political opinions and affiliations range from the left wing to the right wing. To represent these varying political views, Canada has four official national political parties to choose from: the Liberals (who are currently in power), the Progressive Conservatives, the New Democrats, and the Reform Party. What is particularly interesting is that none of the latter three parties compose Her Majesty's Official Opposition in the House of Commons. The Bloc Quebecois, a Quebec separatist party who only ran candidates in the province of Quebec in the last federal election in 1993, won 54 seats in that province, and claimed the title of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition over the Reform Party, who garnered only 52 seats. Because the Bloc ran candidates only in Quebec, it would be difficult to think of them being a national political party, even though they hold a significant number of seats in the national legislature. This paper will examine the significant early history of Canada's four main national political parties, and then will analyse their current state, referring to recent major political victories/disasters, and the comparison of major economic policy standpoints, which will ultimately lead to a prediction of which party will win the next federal election in Canada.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting on the far left, there is the New Democratic Party of Canada. Today's modern New Democratic Party was originally called the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and was founded in 1932. Originally led by a man by the name of James Shaver Woodsworth, the CCF was formed by several radical farming groups who found out that they had more similarities with each other than just their destitution. The 1920's had been a dark period for radicals and unions within Canada; poverty and significantly lower wages for workers were prevalent, and apathy regarding these issues was rampant. When the depression wove its destructive web across Canada in the 1930s, proponents of capitalism were staggered, but their left-wing opponents were too busy coming to the aid o... ... into the 21st century, however, will be made in the soon-to-be- called Canadian federal election. Democracy will speak out once again. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1996) A Fresh Start for Canadians [Online]. Available: http://www.reform.ca/FreshStart/summary.html [1997, Feb.25]. Guy, John J. People, Politics and Government. Scarborough: Prentice Hall, 1995. Harrison, Trevor. Of Passionate Intensity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995. (1996) Liberal Party of Canada [Online]. Available: http://www.liberal.ca/english2/policy/red_book/chapter1.html [1997, Feb.25]. Macquarrie, Heath. The Conservative Party. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1965. McMenemy, John, Winn, Conrad. Political Parties in Canada. Montreal: McGraw- Hill Ryerson, 1976. Morton, Desmond. The New Democrats, 1961-1986. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., 1986. (1996) New Democrats of Canada [Online]. Available: http://www.fed.ndp.ca/fndp/fairtaxnow.html [1997, Feb.25]. Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Designing a Blueprint for Canadians. Ottawa, 1997. (1996) Progressive Conservative Youth [Online]. Available: http://www.openface.ca/PCU/library4.html [1997, Feb.25].

An It Proposal for Network Management of the College of Computing and Information Sciences(Makerere University, Uganda)

AN IT PROPOSAL FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT OF THE COLLEGE OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SCIENCES(MAKERERE UNIVERSITY,UGANDA) Introduction The College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS) Makerere University in Uganda was established on 13th December 2010. It is made up of the School of Computing and Informatics Technology (CIT) and the East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS). COCIS is one of the largest computing and ICT training, information science, research and consultancy colleges in Africa.It cuts across as a world class College and has maintained its place as an icon of excellence on the continent. It is committed to delivering excellent services in the area of Computing, Library, Records and Information Sciences and attracts both local and international students. COCIS boasts of the state of the art infrastructure including lecture theaters, giant computer laboratories, specialized computer laboratories and a college library.The established academic staff strength of the College is about 300 teaching staff including 30 visiting and local professors. Over twenty of these staff members hold doctorate, with many others in advanced stages of completing their PhD studies. This merger has seen a pool of resources and facilities like computer laboratories, specialized laboratories, book libraries, journals, cameras, and personnel both administrative and academic staff.To maximize productivity and efficiency, the college of computing and informatics technology(CoCIS) routinely relies on the network to support its operations ranging from E-learning activities on the E-Learning environment(Muele) to support services offered to students and staff ,services like access to wireless internet, access to the internet through the Domain(CoCIS domain) The network topology used by the college is an extended star LAN that is used with network devices that filter frames or packets, like switches, and routers.This topology significantly reduces the traffic on the wires by sending packets only to the wires of the destination. This network is managed by only four people or staff. This network is also being managed using tools like Nagios and solar winds for monitoring devices. Problems identified affecting the network Insufficient resources Under this there is limited human resources which include support staff and network administrators . there are only four network administrators for the whole college of which some of the are incompetent or not always available.Limited number of Computers, most of the computers in the labs at the college are dwindling in numbers due to technical problems, a few switches and insufficient number of Ethernet cables of which some don’t work, one of the servers at Block A has issues and It has really disrupted the network mainly during the access to the domain by the students. Low bandwidth The bandwidth that is provided for the college by the service providers (UTL) is not enough to cater f or the students and staff that are the end users of the network.Delayed Service delivery and network instability There is slow network connectivity in the labs and other areas of work in the college for example these days lecturers rarely access Muele(Makerere E-Learning environment) to upload Notes for students due to this problem. Network intrusion / unauthorized usage There is increased network access by unauthorized users on the Wireless network that increases the network traffic and hence slowing down of the network which deprives the rightful users who are the students of the college from fully utilizing this resource.Security issues The College faces security problems which include theft of network devices like cables, mouse, keyboards et cetera. Also to note that much as there are measures for security like cameras in some labs and strategic areas of the buildings, security men for the two blocks; they are not enough Proposed Solutions to the above mentioned Problems at CoCI S Network management being a complex and broad component in networking, it can be achieved through a number of networking frameworks.So we recommend that if this college can use the following approaches, its network management can be eased and improved tremendously. Fault management The college network administrator should be able to identify all the network faults like no connection or slow connection , locate where the fault is ,restore the service ,identify the root cause of the fault and then find a resolution for the problem. This can be done proactively or reactively. Hence the network downtime is minimized highly. Configuration managementThe network administrators of the college should be able to capture network and system configuration information of all network elements. (local, remote, automated and manual) ,Map the network topology, Set up configuration parameters in management agents ,track and document what changes are made to the network, where they are made and why th ey are made , Identify where upgrades need to be made so as to manage the network efficiently as they curb problems of delayed Service delivery and network instability (physical and logical configuration).Accounting management Since there are limited resources like computers, human resources that is to say administrators of the network ,distribution of these resources can be done optimally and fairly on the college so as the network is managed well . This makes the most effective use of the systems available, minimizing the cost of operation. Security Management Security measures should be adopted so that the network is protected against unauthorized users, and physical or electronic sabotage hence mitigating issues of network intrusion.The security systems should also allow network administrators to control what each authorized student or staff can and cannot do with the system. Other security measure to adopt can be: -Physical security This can be done by providing enough security cameras in all the labs and other areas in the buildings of Block A and Block B, locking the computer labs and mounting servers on cabinets or racks that have locks.Proposal to the top administrators to purchase enough Bandwidth to suit the growing numbers of users at the college. If there’s enough bandwidth provided, it will cater for the slow connections on the network as earlier indicated. Purchase of needed network equipments like extended servers, routers, better tools for monitoring the network should also be done to stabilize the network infrastructure. CONCLUSIONThe college of computing and information sciences needs to aim at putting the above mentioned measures into consideration and practice where possible so as to enable full utilization of resources which minimizes redundant resources, gives higher chance to students and staff to access resources on the network without inconveniences, quick service delivery for the students and staff will be guaranteed reducing on the downtime experienced on a slower network and also curbing time delays in all the network operations.References CIS. (n. d) Retrieved from Cis. mak. ac. ug:http://cis. mak. ac. ug/about-cocis/history-a-facts/the-college. html Makerere E-learning Environment (n. d) Retrieved from Muele: http://muele. mak. ac. ug/