Upcoming review: NeatReceipts
Last week I came home from BlogHer ’10 with several hundred business cards. That’s right, several hundred. I had the task of extracting data from them to use for networking purposes. I had been wanting NeatReceipts for a while, especially since I not only have receipts to organize, but a lot of paperwork relating to Ryan’s autism diagnosis and the resulting behavioral and educational services we have in place for him. Needing it for work purposes only sweetened the deal, since I would then be able to write it off come tax season.
NeatReceipts is a mobile scanner that can scan, digitally read and organize documents, tax papers, receipts, business cards, and much more. It’s powered off of a simple mini USB connection (no dedicated power cord to lug about), and is slim and small enough to fit inside just about any laptop bag or large purse.
I haven’t had the chance to really use NeatReceipts to its fullest potential, but so far I’m liking its ease of installation and auto-feed process. Once I’ve had the opportunity to really try it out with several types of documents, I’ll publish a full review.
You should never forego insurance
The purpose of insurance is to provide you with financial assistance or direct funds should you get into an accident, acquire an injury, or lose property or an investment. There are many types of insurance besides the standard health insurance, home insurance and vehicle insurance that we’re all familiar with. You can have insurance on motorcycles and other specialty motor vehicles; there are insurance plans for your pets; you can even insure certain types of furniture and non-building properties. Having accident cover is great if you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, but what good does vehicle insurance do you if you should become ill and be unable to work, or — heaven forbid — become deathly ill and pass away?
In certain areas and countries, there is such an insurance as guardian income insurance. Guardian income insurance provides you with income should you become ill or injured and subsequently unable to work. Income insurance usually provides enough replacement income to equal what you’re missing out on from regular employment.
Then there’s funeral cover. Funeral coverage insurance provides benefits for your loved ones to use in the event of your death. Funerals, even simple ones, can be quite pricey, and many families simply don’t have the finances necessary to pay for one on their own. With funeral coverage, you can make sure that your basic post-mortem needs are met, and your loved ones are protected from any resulting financial burden.
To learn more about these and other types of insurance coverage, visit guardianinsurance.com.au. The site is geared for residents of Australia, but the information applies to just about anyone living anywhere.
How to keep customers in your restaurant
So you’ve set up a restaurant, you’ve got a great looking establishment and delicious food. Now, how do you make it so that people come into your restaurant and subsequently stick around for a while? Well, you’ll want to make sure you have the right atmosphere. Comfortable, cozy booths and tables are a great start. Pay attention to the ambiance of the place — the right colors, lighting and decor can all make a big difference. Research has shown that certain color palettes and types of decor not only attract business, but retain it for significant periods of time. Translation? The longer people are in your restaurant, the more money they’ll spend on food and drinks!
Once you’ve gotten the ambiance thing down, think about entertainment. In the past live entertainment and music was all the rage. Now? It’s all about television. Tune in to the current big football, basketball or baseball game; put on live concerts; or even order hit Pay-Per-View movies for your customers to enjoy along with their food. Of course, you can’t just have any basic cable service serve your restaurant. You’ll want to look into commercial satellite tv, which offers special packages just for restaurants and other businesses.
With direct sat commercial direct tv, you’ll be able to pick the channel lineup that makes the most sense for your restaurant. If you run a sports bar, for instance, you won’t need Lifetime, HGTV or Nickoloden, but you’ll definitely want the sports channels and the “guy” channels, like Spike and Fox and G4. Likewise, if you have a more “sophisticated” establishment or a family-friendly joint, you’ll want to check out Dish business and see what other channel packages and specials they have to offer.
Winner of The Glamour of Grammar giveaway!
The winner of The Glamour of Grammar review + giveaway is…
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Soap.com
While I was at BlogHer ’10, I got the opportunity to check out some of the sponsors. There were ones I recognized and ones I didn’t; one of the new ones I came across was Soap.com (in conjunction with Diapers.com). I got to spin a wheel an won a prize — a coupon code good for $20 and free shipping! The coupon originally expired on August 14th, 2010 (but has since been extended for another week due to a lot of BlogHer attendees not receiving their FedEx-shipped swag), so when I got home last Sunday night, I set it out on my desk so I wouldn’t forget to use it. And I didn’t. On Tuesday, I ordered three ORLY nail polishes in Glam, Green with Envy, and Red Carpet. I had to kick out $2.50 to cover the difference between the cost of the nail polishes and the $20 coupon code, but all in all, $2.50 for three nail polishes was an awesome deal.
Also? The order arrived on Thursday — that’s just two days after I ordered! Talk about fast processing!
Are you interested in trying out Soap.com or Diapers.com? Use coupon code BLOGHER2010 to save 15% on your order. It’s good until September 20th, 2010, so get ordering!
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Blog Advertising Store AKA Paying Post still hasn’t paid me
It has been three months since I wrote Blog Advertising Store AKA Paying Post is a scam, and I’m updating everyone to report that despite multiple blog entries, Blog Advertising Store AKA Paying Post still has not paid me. They have ignored dozens of email requests and PayPal requests from me, and continue to go on duping new bloggers who are ignorant of their scamming ways.
It has been three and a half months since I have been due $109.00, and I have not seen a penny of it.
Whether you’ve been personally burned by Blog Advertising Store AKA Paying Post, or are simply commiserating with me, PLEASE re-tweet, Stumble, Digg, whatever, to spread the word. Protect other bloggers from being scammed, and make sure this company goes down.
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Upcoming review: Leslie Tyler Cosmetics Liplicious Gloss
I was recently sent a Liplicious Gloss in Spellbound from the Leslie Tyler Cosmetics line. Leslie Tyler is a Houston-based mother and wife, and recently took her girly girl style and developed it into a full line of cosmetics that even A-list celebrities love. I haven’t had the opportunity to try out any of Leslie’s other products, but I can tell you that this lip gloss looks very promising, and I can’t wait to review it!
