Finding the Perfect Gift for an Individual

Everyone has given a gift to another person at some point in their lives. I have done it the wrong way until I discovered the right way. Now people around me always say, "Wow, you always seem to know how to give the perfect gift!" This statement is always followed by, "How do you do that?" So now, I will share my secret with anyone who is truly interested in learning how to give the perfect gift.

First I will tell you what NOT TO DO. DO NOT make the mistake of getting just any old gift card or giving cash. Giving a generic department store gift card or cash just says, "I really didn't want to give you anything but I felt like I had to". It would be better just not to give anything at all.

If you are serious about learning the art of giving the perfect gift consider first your motivation. Are you looking for a gift for someone because you want to or because you feel you have to? Everyone has experienced the have to situation in which you are expected to give a gift but you really don't know the person the gift is for and you have no idea what to give them. Usually people tend to just throw money at a situation such as this and trust me, the person who receives this kind of gift knows it. That results in a no win situation for everyone involved. My opinion is that this situation should be avoided no matter what and the only way to avoid it is to change your motivation. Most of us don't like being told what to do. Once we want to do something we usually can't be stopped. So, next time you have to give a gift, just decide you want to give the gift. Mentally flip that little switch in your brain and choose to give instead of being forced to give and everything will become much easier.

Once you are sufficiently motivated you must consider the occasion. Weddings, Wedding Showers, Anniversaries and Baby Showers require more specific gifts. Usually, the recipient will have registered with one or more department stores or gift shops. The gifts they would like to receive are on a list so all you need to do is contact the person giving the shower and they can direct you in purchasing the perfect gift for this person for this occasion. Other occasions such as Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day, "I love you" and "I'm sorry" gifts require a little more thought.

The next step to consider is the relationship between you and the "giftee". If you are an acquaintance then you would give a less personal gift then you would give a lover. Perhaps you are in a budding relationship and this gift would determine your attitude about the relationship. A not well considered gift would say, "I'm not really that interested" versus a thoughtful gift saying, "I really believe you are special and important to me and I want to be with you." There are quite a few people I have experienced that need to learn this simple rule. Many relationships end just because of a misunderstanding of this principle so please, carefully consider what feeling you are trying to express with this gift and act accordingly.

Now since you are motivated, you know the occasion and have an idea of what feeling you want to express you must consider the person or persons the gift is to being bestowed upon. Some people don't care how much the gift costs, monetarily speaking, so the more thoughtfulness you put into the gift the more it will be appreciated. The other type of person measures your love and sincerity with $$. If you are not sure which type of person you are dealing with then do a little research and ask your friends and family members their opinion of what gift would be appropriate for this particular person.

Based on the type of person or persons your gift is for, do you express your thoughtfulness in time or dollars? If the giftee is not motivated by $$ perhaps a gift you make yourself or just the gift of time is the most appropriate. Many moons ago, one of my friends from high school was getting married and I didn't have much money so I gave her my time. I took time off from my life (husband and 3 kids) to spend the entire wedding day with her helping her however I could. I was available to run errands, put out fires or just give words of encouragement.

If the recipient is someone you care about but don't get to spend much time with then just take a few minutes to think about the time you have spent with them. What did they talk about? If you visited their home, did you notice how they decorated or if they collected anything in particular? Where do they like to shop for clothes? Is there any specific food they like to eat? Do they have a specific hobby or interest? What do they talk about or vote for on Facebook or Twitter? When you find answers to these questions you will almost always discover your options for buying them something they will love and they will know you really thought about them and will always remember your thoughtfulness. An example I love to remember is this past Christmas when my daughter was shopping for gifts she called me to ask what my husband, her stepfather, might like as a gift. I told her he shopped regularly at a local department store and loved their selection of chocolate candy. So she went to that store and spent about $15 and bought him a variety of chocolates. My husband was so excited and happy when he opened his gift. This gift made him feel like she really cared about him. It wasn't an expensive gift but she achieved an optimal result in demonstrating her thoughtfulness and affection.

However, we all know that there are people in our lives that evaluate our love for them with $$. You could give them an entire month of human servitude and they still wouldn't appreciate it. This type of giftee requires dedication on the part of the giver but remember they will never know if you bought their present at full price or at 75% off. A little planning will result in spending your time instead of your money. Consider how they spend their time and money and use online research, holiday specials, closeout sales, store liquidations or Craig's List to find these items they desire. Planning ahead can give you the optimal result without a huge monetary sacrifice.

If, after you carefully apply these principles I have described, you still can not decide on a gift then a gift card may be your best bet. When determining what gift card to give consider whether the object of your gift giving collects certain items, such as fairies for example. Since they collect fairies do some research and give them a gift card from a shop that specializes in fairies. Other gift card considerations would be their favorite restaurant or their favorite store where they buy their clothes. Just a little bit of thought and planning can go a long way in giving the perfect gift every time. For more information, please visit this articles web page.

What Is the Relevance of Technology?

"Technology in the long-run is irrelevant". That is what a customer of mine told me when I made a presentation to him about a new product. I had been talking about the product's features and benefits and listed "state-of-the-art technology" or something to that effect, as one of them. That is when he made his statement. I realized later that he was correct, at least within the context of how I used "Technology" in my presentation. But I began thinking about whether he could be right in other contexts as well.

What is Technology?

Merriam-Webster defines it as:

1

a: the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area: engineering 2 <medical technology>

b: a capacity given by the practical application of knowledge <a car's fuel-saving technology>

2

: a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge

3

: the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor <educational technology>

Wikipedia defines it as:

Technology (from Greek τχννη, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λοί¯α, -logia [1]) is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems , and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input / output relation or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include construction technology, medical technology, and information technology.

Both definitions revolve around the same thing - application and usage.

Technology is an enabler

Many people mistakenly believe it is technology which drives innovation. Yet from the definitions above, that is clearly not the case. It is opportunity which defines innovation and technology which enables innovation. Think of the classic "Build a better mousetrap" example taught in most business schools. You may have the technology to build a better mousetrap, but if you have no mice or the old mousetrap works well, there is no opportunity and then the technology to build a better one becomes irrelevant. On the other hand, if you are overrun with mice then the opportunity exists to innovate a product using your technology.

Another example, one with which I am often familiar, are consumer electronics startup companies. I've been associated with both those that succeeded and those that failed. Each possessed unique leading edge technologies. The difference was opportunity. Those that failed could not find the opportunity to develop a meaningful innovation using their technology. In fact to survive, these companies had to morph oftentimes into something totally different and if they were lucky they could take advantage of derivatives of their original technology. More often than not, the original technology wound up in the scrap heap. Technology, then, is an enabler which ultimate value proposition is to make improvements to our lives. In order to be relevant, it needs to be used to create innovations that are driven by opportunity.

Technology as a competitive advantage?

Many companies list a technology as one of their competitive advantages. Is this valid? In some cases yes, but In most cases no.

Technology develops along two paths - an evolutionary path and a revolutionary path.

A revolutionary technology is one which enables new industries or enables solutions to problems that were previously not possible. Semiconductor technology is a good example. Not only did it spawn new industries and products, but it spawned other revolutionary technologies - transistor technology, integrated circuit technology, microprocessor technology. All which provide many of the products and services we consume today. But is semiconductor technology a competitive advantage? Looking at the number of semiconductor companies that exist today (with new ones forming every day), I'd say not. How about microprocessor technology? Again, no. Lots of microprocessor companies out there. How about quad core microprocessor technology? Not as many companies, but you have Intel, AMD, ARM, and a host of companies building custom quad core processors (Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm, etc). So again, not much of a competitive advantage. Competition from competing technologies and easy access to IP mitigates the perceived competitive advantage of any particular technology. Android vs iOS is a good example of how this works. Both operating systems are derivatives of UNIX. Apple used their technology to introduce iOS and gained an early market advantage. However, Google, utilizing their variant of Unix (a competitiveness technology), caught up relatively quickly. The reasons for this lie not in the undering technology, but in how the products made possible by those technologies were brought to market (free vs. walled garden, etc.) and the differences in the strategic visions of each company.

Evolutionary technology is one which incrementally builds upon the base revolutionary technology. But by it's very nature, the incremental change is easier for a competitor to match or leapfrog. Take for example wireless cellphone technology. Company V introduced 4G products prior to Company A and while it may have had a short term advantage, as soon as Company A introduced their 4G products, the advantage due to technology disappeared. The consumer went back to choosing Company A or Company V based on price, service, coverage, whatever, but not based on technology. Thus technology might have been relevant in the short term, but in the long term, became irrelevant.

In today's world, technologies tend to quickly become commoditized, and within any particular technology lies the seeds of its own death.

Technology's Relevance

This article was written from the prospect of an end customer. From a developer / designer standpoint things get murkier. The further one is removed from the technology, the less relevant it becomes. To a developer, the technology can look like a product. An enabling product, but a product nonetheless, and so it is highly relevant. Bose uses a proprietary signal processing technology to enable products that meet a set of market requirements and then the technology and what it enables is relevant to them. Their customers are more concerned with how it sounds, what the price, what's the quality, etc., and not so much with how it is achieved, so the technology used is much less relevant to them.

Recently, I was involved in a discussion on Google+ about the new Motorola X phone. A lot of the people on those posts slammed the phone for various reasons - price, locked boot loader, etc. There were also plenty of knockouts on the fact that it did not have a quad-core processor like the S4 or HTC One which were priced similarly. What they failed to grasp is that the manufacturer used 1, 2, 4, or 8 cores in the end makes no difference as long as the phone can deliver a competitive (or even best of class) feature set, functionality, price, and user experience. The iPhone is one of the most successful phones ever produced, and yet it runs on a dual-core processor. It still delivers one of the best user experiences on the market. The features that are enabled by the technology are what are relevant to the consumer, not the technology itself.

The relevance of technology therefore, is as an enabler, not as a product feature or a competitive advantage, or any myriad of other things - an enabler. Looking at the Android operating system, it is an impressive piece of software technology, and yet Google gives it away. Why? Because standalone, it does nothing for Google. Giving it away allows other companies to use their expertise to build products and services which then act as enablers for Google's products and services. To Google, that's where the real value is.

The possession of or access to a technology is only important for what it enables you to do - create innovations which solve problems. That is the real relevance of technology.

How to Save Money on Beauty Products

One look at the makeup aisle and you find yourself automatically drawn to the mystical fragrances and vibrant packaging. Before you know it, you are walking out with new products and a hefty bill. We know you love your beauty products and deserve to be pampered. But do not worry here are some tips that let you be the beauty queen without breaking the bank!

1. Watch out for Sales!

Black Friday deals are great, but you can find huge discounts on your favorite brands all year long! Most of the stores have a newsletter in which they announce discounts and sales, often giving you a special online discount that's not available in the store. So go to your favorite beauty store's websites and sign up for their newsletters.

2. Let your multi-tasking talents shine

You may not realize it but most of your beauty products can serve more than one purpose. Dab your liquid lipstick on cheeks and blend to save money on the blush. Instead of pressed highlighters invest in liquid highlights, mix a few drops with your foundation or bb cream for dewy finish when the matte finish is out of style. Get creative and save money. This is the perfect gift for girls.

3. Go to the drugstore

To someone who's addicted to high-end brands buying makeup and skincare at a drugstore may sound horrible, but most of the drugstore brands are priced at a fraction of your beloved high-end brands and offer products with amazing quality. Avoid investing in high-end products which you must replace very frequently like mascaras, eyeliners, and compacts, or products you want a lot of variety in like lipsticks.

4. Get beauty box subscriptions

You can save a ton of money with beauty box subscriptions especially if you opt for the ones who offer full sized products instead of samples. Samples boxes can not provide you with the same value for money as boxes with full sized products can.

5. Use Coconut as makeup remover

No need to waste your money on expensive makeup removers and wipes. Coconut oil can remove the stubborn waterproof makeup easily. It's not only a pocket-friendly option but is also good for your skin, eyebrows, and lashes.

We hope these tips help to give your wallet some TLC and make you look as glamorous as ever without going north of your budget plans. Subscribing to a beauty subscription box is the way by which one can get all the products in a very small amount. This is perfect for those girls who do not want to use one product for many uses.

How to Pass the ICC Structural Masonry Plan Examination

A Structural Masonry Special Inspector is a member of the construction project team who ensures that the masonry segment is constructed based on the approved structural plan and specifications. Special inspection of masonry is being conducted due to the requirements of the building code and also to report the safety and reliability of the building structure. Anyone interested in being a special inspector can be part of the inspection team provided that he or she complies with the requirements mandated by the International Code Council ( ICC ). One of the requirements of ICC is for the interested individual to pass the ICC Structural Masonry Examination. Successful candidates are expected to secure the integrity of the building code and uphold the provisions of the 'Code of Ethics.'

Ways to Pass the ICC Structural Masonry Plan Examination

The passing score of ICC Structural Masonry Plan Exam can be easily achieved if you come prepared for the exam. If you think your knowledge on the subject is not yet enough to successfully pass the test, you can increase your chances of getting your target passing score with the following tips:

• The exam is conducted at a third party testing area. Read the 'Candidate Bulletin' and comprehend the information stated therein. The bulletin will tell you important details regarding the exam including the things you need to do before and after taking the ICC Masonry Plan Exam.
• A Structural Masonry Special Inspector has a number of duties and one of them is to ensure that the contractor strictly implements the approved materials, such as the reinforcement being placed as per the plans properly. A candidate should be familiar with the tools and steps that will be found in any set of plans and also used not only in the field but at this important time, during the examination.
• In relation to that, the exam is an open book type so examinees can take pertinent materials with them such as the 2009 International Building Code and the 2009 Masonry Codes and Specification Compilation. Familiarize yourself with these references along with other prescribed reference materials to build navigational skills.
• A special inspector is also expected to understand important terminology related to the masonry construction industry. Therefore, a candidate must improve his or her memory ability and learn how to interpret and decide which the proper use is. By doing this small step it will increase your chances of passing the exam.
• Part of the exam is to identify symbols and abbreviations found on building plans so candidates must know these symbols to get the passing scores.
• You would also need instruments such as a calculator and a magnifying glass to help you figure the required bed joint size and also read the plans to answer the questions more competently.

In closing, learn how to manage your time. Examinees are given 3 h hours to complete the exam. 2 hours should be attributed to answer questions related to building plans. If you find yourself in need of guidance to make sure you are able to do this often overlooked step.

Best of luck on the examination ...

Daily Bible Readings - How To Get Invested Into Reading The Bible Everyday

Christians should be reading the Bible. It is not a rule set in stone, nor do you have to read the Bible in its entity. But it goes without saying that as a Christian, as a believer of Christ and his sacrices, Christians should at least care enough to read bits and parts of the Bible on their free time. You do not have to specifically set aside time for it. You just have to sit down and pick up the Bible on your spare time, at least once a week.

But I know, it's hard to get concentrated on the Bible these days. It's hard to put your focus on some of these old stories, when they tell about seas being divided in half and bread falling from the sky. But let me tell you this: it's only in the beginning. Once you begin to understand and appreciate the stories of the Bible for what they are, you'll grow to become a better Christian.

Here are some tips on a how to get better connected with the Bible:

For males:

Men love stories of heroism. Men like to listen to - or read - stories one incredibly person rising up from the ground to conquer evil. Which is why Christian males should be reading the Bible in the first place - the Bible is filled with wonderful stories of heroes and trials and great sacrifices.

For example, there's the story of Abraham, an ordinary man God used as an instrument in order to do extraordinary things. God showed His plan to Abraham and through extreme acts of faith Abraham was able to fulfill all the tasks God had given him.

The story of Abraham shows us that if we trust God and appreciate him, we'll be rewarded for all our work in this life.

For females:

Women like to read about stories they can refer to. For example, there are a great many stories in the Bible that can guide a woman in her work, life and relationships. For God, every woman is unique and serves a great purpose in helping a man discover his destiny. As a Christian woman, you should take time to look for guidance in the Bible.

Whether you're a Christian man or woman, you should always find time-if you can not find time, make time! -To read the Bible every time in a while. It will definitely help enrich your relationship with God.

Choosing a Web Designer

Many small business owners struggle with deciding on how to make the right choice for designing their website. They search the web for help with their website and find that the choice is harder than they thought. Currently there are (literally) millions of websites who claim to be professional web designers. However, one must be careful in choosing the right person or people in which to trust their company image. In this article, I will attempt to categorize web designers into manageable groups, and teach the reader the difference between the types.

Web designers fall into four general categories: freelance amateur, freelance professional, Web Design Company, Web Development Firm.

Freelance Amateur

The majority of web designers you will come across, especially searching the Internet, are freelancers. That is, individuals who do web design but are not employed by a web design company. Some are self-employed professionals but most of these freelancers are amateur-hobbyist types. They find a copy of FrontPage™ came with their MS Office™ Suite. They discovered how fun it could be to make web pages so they started telling their friends that they could "design" web pages.

The "pros" of using an amateur is that they are very cheap. The "cons" are too numerous to mention, but I'll point out a few. They have no training; they have little knowledge of what makes a good website work; they do not understand HTML code or CSS but only FrontPage point and click; they do not understand general design and layout concepts and they have little real experience. The biggest reason they should be avoided for the serious businessperson, is that their work looks amateurish, which makes your company look amateurish. Who wants that?

Freelance Professional

A professional is often defined by simply being paid. People think that if you are paid for something, then you are professional. Maybe that's true in the Olympics, but for the business services world, you are not a professional until you are established and respected as one by your clients and peers. Freelancer professional web designers are a giant leap from the amateur in that they have established a portfolio of respectable work. They have some sort of qualified training and experience and they have credentials that can be verified by contacting references. They have a good reputation with their clients and other professionals. In general, a good freelance professional web designer can be good person to have doing your site. But they are hard to distinguish from the amateur when you are just searching the web.

The upside is, if you find a good one they are significantly cheaper than a web design company. But that is usually the only upside. If the budget limits you, then a freelancer will do for a small project. But anything seriously important should be left to a professional company.

Some downsides to using a freelance pro are that they are usually part-time, meaning they are limited in how much time they can devote to your project. They are also limited in what they can do for you. Most freelancers are specialists in one area and generalists in everything else. Some have no skills in anything except their one specialty and often you will have to find others to fill roles. In addition, freelancers are not always cheap although many of them are aspiring to create their own company; some are highly sought after and charge $100 per hour or more for their work. My advice here is, if you have that much to spend, go with a company that has a team of professionals to get the job done in a timelier manner.

Web Design Company

This is the next step beyond a freelance professional. The web design company offers the "whole show". They provide real project management and have pulled together a team of web experts to get a wider range of jobs done. A company can provide a much higher level of expertise in web design, programming, content development and more.

Such a company is usually very small, yet large enough to handle larger scale projects. Compared to the most highly qualified freelancer, a company has a diversity of talent and collaboration working for them. The end-result is usually a much higher quality product.

The only real drawbacks are on the one hand, the web design company is more expensive than a freelancer because there are many more people on the job. However, you get what you pay for rings true. On the other hand, for very large projects or long term development, web design companies may be too small and usually do not have the human recourses to accommodate that $500,000 contract. In the end, for serious business people looking for quality and professionalism and who can't afford the big firm, this is the way to go.

Web Development Firm

As the title implies, a web development firm is like any traditional company. They have a staff of office workers, they have owners and officers, and they have a team of talented professionals who are paid a good salary for their work. They often have a sales force that do inside and outside sales. The quality of their work goes without saying, as you could not be so well-established by doing shoddy work. These firms offer teams of very talented professionals who work on your project and get the job done in a timely and extremely efficient manner. Additionally, they usually cover all aspects of website development including marketing and advertising. They may have teams of specialists that they can deploy to your location and work in-house under a temporary contract. The possibilities are endless.

If price is not an issue and the highest quality work is necessary, then this is who you want to do the job. For smaller budget businesses, a quote from an established web development firm might knock you off your chair, but know that companies who have project requirements that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars know the score. Thus, the only real drawback for a web development firm is that they are usually very expensive. Then again, cost is relative and bigger companies like to work with bigger companies.

In summary, the choice is yours. I would recommend for the serious businessperson, that you budget a decent amount of dollars to properly design and execute a professional website. I would avoid the amateur and outsource to an individual or company with good experience and reasonable rates to create my web presence. If money were no object, then I would only deal with established firms and pay the big bucks to get the job done right and done well.

Money Making Equation

There are 4 sides to my money making equation.

Let's break them down like this ...

A = You.

Without you there would be no business. You have to decide to start the business. You have to decide what you want the business to be. You have to decide all the details. (Ads, hosting, design, content, your initial investment) Many products will tell you that you do not have to be involved. They will set it up, run it, advertise it, and supply the entire product you need. All you have to do is pay this "investment fee" and you will be reaping all the benefits in no time.

Have you ever seen any profits from those programs? I never have and I have tried plenty!

Who is making the money in this situation? NOT YOU!

B = Time

Many of us not only want, but willingly need to make money fairly quickly. Unfortunately, unless you are that one in a million business owner who just happens to have the right product at the right time being marketed to the right people, you are not going to be flooded with more money than you know what to do with. There are programs that promise you will have money flooding your account automatically overnight. These are usually the same programs that claim you do not have to do anything but sit back and check your bank account. Once again the money is not being made by YOU. It takes time and knowledge to grow your own money tree.

C = Your Plan

Before you sit down at the computer to build your first business you need a game plan. Part of knowing what you need to accomplish your goal of success and profits comes from taking the time to get knowledge and information about what it is going to take. You need to know all those details like:

o Where to host your site?

o How much will it cost?

o Do I want to start off with a free host or pay for hosting? (I suggest paid hosting. There are many affordable hosting companies who will also help you to some degree selecting and paying for your domain name and the design / setup of your pages.)

o Where will I advertise?

o How will I advertise?

o Am I providing the product / s?

o Am I reselling, providing a service?

o Am I referring-otherwise known as affiliate or network marketing?

There are probably many other questions that you can think of. Some of those questions will need to be answered before you start. Others you will not even think of until you have gotten started and run into a glitch in the plan.

The point is: Do not start a business before you know what you are going to do. You will spend more money than you want trying to make is successful.

D = Success!

Do I really have to explain that one?

A + B + C = D

Without all parts of the equation working together you will never reach your goal.

Do not worry if you have already started your business. Put it on hold while you step back to refocus your plan or make one if you did not have a plan to start out. Make decisions and learn, learn, learn! All the problems you've been experiencing have a solution. You need to determine the best solution for your business.

"Wait! How will I make money if I put my business on hold?"

Have you made any yet? No? Then you are not missing anything.

You have to change your current path to change your destination.