28Dec
New York hotels with gym

Most New York hotels have gyms. Some hotels charge their guests, while others offer free use 24/7. If a gym is a top priority on your trip to New York, you should compare hotels to see what you’re getting before you make your reservations.

Park Central New York Hotel is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan across from the iconic Carnegie Hall. You will be close to the shops of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. Other New York attractions such as Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the Theater District are just a short walk away. Find great value along with a central location. Feel free to use their latest machines in the well-equipped private gym that is open 24/7. Dine in the hotel’s Cafe New York restaurant, relax in the beautifully appointed lounge, and make yourself at home in sumptuous rooms with modern home comforts.

Milford Plaza, located on W. 44h Street at 8th Avenue, offers the best that Manhattan has to offer. The interiors are tastefully done in a classic style. Sleek furnishings and artifact-adorned walls give the space a friendly, welcoming vibe. Guests are comfortable with the hotel’s food, sundries store, and valet parking. Keep up your exercise routine or work off jet lag in the well-equipped fitness center. Walk down to discover the various dining options, the trendy shops of the Theater District, and Times Square. Rockefeller Center and the Javits Convention Center are also nearby.

Modern conveniences and a prime location in the business district make The Helmsley Park Lane a preferred choice for a stay in New York. This property is also one of the leading hotels in the world. The rooms offer views of beautiful Central Park and most of the Upper West Side. The Helmsley also offers excellent health and recreational facilities. The fitness center is free to guests and has treadmills, stair climbers, stationary bikes, and a full range of weight-lifting equipment. When you’re ready for some fresh air, head down to Central Park or take a short walk to discover the world-class shopping on Fifth Avenue.

Those on a budget will like the Days Hotel Broadway located on the Upper West Side. Built in 1936, this New York hotel has retained all of its appeal. The elegant interiors, the old world charm, the warm interior decoration convey a traditional air. To park, you will have to walk one block to 95th Street. This historic hotel has a modern gym where guests can continue their exercise routine. Antique lovers might like to head to the nearby American Museum of Natural History to make new discoveries or hop on the subway at 95th and Broadway to explore more of New York.
28Dec
Finding Hidden Gains in Your Business: 7 Strategies to Use Today

If I walked into your business and spent an afternoon, I’m pretty sure I could find several small hidden profit centers, just waiting to be tapped. Let’s talk about 7 strategies to find hidden gold in your business.

Strategy #1

Let someone else do the mopping and filing

When you “save money” by doing $8 an hour work instead of letting someone else do it, you don’t save money and actually cost your business MORE. You are robbing yourself.

What should you be doing instead? Things like keeping your existing customers, finding new customers, working on your marketing, improving your products and services, creating new products and services, training your staff, business planning, and the like. Those are the things your $8/hour teen knows nothing about.

Strategy #2

Get MUCH closer to your current customers

You do not believe me? How many companies you buy from have struggled to see what else they can do to help make your family or business life even better after they sold you the first product or service. I guess “Not many”.

I want to know everything I can about your clients. Why? Because that information is the key to discovering what else your company can offer to those customers. They already trust you, so why not offer additional products and services to help them? Each additional product and service they can trust you with will strengthen your relationship with them.

Strategy #3

SYSTEMATIC collection and use of testimonials

When you see a sign or brochure that says “We’re the Best Mortgage Broker in Town,” do you believe it? Doesn’t everyone say that, or something like it? How do you know who to talk to?

Now consider this fabricated testimonial: “Joe helped us figure out how to refinance the house even though my husband was laid off. He helped us when everyone else told us it couldn’t be done. Now my husband is working again and we are doing great. Joe believed in us as a friend when no one else would and I’ll never forget him.” -Mary Smith, Columbia Falls Montana.

Everyone feels like they are taking a chance with their business the first time they walk in. A credible testimonial from existing clients, with their full name and the city where they live, is extremely powerful. An image of the customer smiling with you is even more powerful.

Strategy #4

Measure, measure, measure.

A friend of mine is the CFO of a global wholesaler of furniture and housewares. One of his favorite sayings is “What gets measured gets managed.” Boy, that’s a mouthful.

Do you know how much it costs your business to get a new customer?

Do you know how much it costs your business to get a sale?

Can you tell me how many dollars you get for every dollar you spend on each of your marketing campaigns, ads, etc.?

If you can’t answer these questions, how do you know which ads are helping you? How do you know which clients are profitable and which ones are leaving you dry?

Strategy #5

Industry standards are for people who like normal results.

This is what everyone else is doing, so you should be doing it too, right? Most likely… WRONG. Industry norms are often artificial barriers, rules, or benchmarks that were placed there by those at the top of the food chain in that industry. It’s not your job to adhere to industry norms, it’s your job to make your business the best it can be.

Look at Domino’s Pizza. 25 years ago, NO ONE brought you pizza to your house. I mean, who would pay for THAT, right? Certainly no one guaranteed that they would deliver hot pizza in 30 minutes or that it would be free. Take out and eat pizza was the “industry norm”. Domino’s Tom Monaghan didn’t pay attention to industry norms back then and neither should you today.

Strategy #6

Stop trying to beat Walmart at THEIR game

Everyone knows who has the lowest prices in town every day, right? walmart.

Let’s assume for a moment that you sell lawn mowers. Worse yet, it sells the same brand that Walmart sells, but it may sell different models. Or maybe not.

Do you really think you will EVER be able to compete ON PRICE with a company that buys loads of mowers while you buy them by the pallet? PLEASE.

If you really want to make money competing with Walmart ON ITS TERMS, buy Kmart stock. That’s what I thought. Ok I got it out of my system 🙂

Chances are you can’t beat Walmart, at least not on price. You CAN coexist and make a LOT of money doing it. In fact, you might consider putting your store next to them to take advantage of the traffic.

Strategy #7

What we have here is a lack of communication.

The famous line from the movie “Cool Hand Luke”, right? Well, chances are his business is experiencing this same failure: not communicating often enough with his customers. Yes, I know. You think this is common sense, but it will never work for you because your business is different.

I’ll tell you what. Let me start the same business as yours just down the street. Keep doing what you’re doing now. In the meantime, I will start sending your customers a monthly newsletter, weekly emails, birthday cards, anniversary cards, reminders about the benefits of their frequent purchases, recorded voice calls on special occasions, short personal notes including newspaper articles. recent ones that mention them or their children (etc), and so on. A year from now, we’ll see who they spend the most $ with. If you’re still around.

Copyright 2006 – Mark Riffey. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all links active, do not edit the article in any way, credit the author’s name where appropriate, and follow all EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.
28Dec
Corporate Incentive Trips for Motivation and Creative Solutions

A few years ago, most golf tours focused on playing combined with leisure travel. But today, corporations organize incentive golf trips so that employees can be rewarded for their performance. Some companies hold meetings in exotic locations to make it unique. Travel and excursion companies help them by arranging reasonable packages and thus remain competitive.

Benefits of Corporate Incentive Trips

Most companies today admit that employees are their greatest asset. The performance of the team depends a lot on various psychological factors. They need to be motivated to work hard. A whole month of mundane routine work will make employees bored. A change is required to break the routine and refresh them. Corporate incentive travel programs will make staff happy. Trips can also be arranged to reward employees for their hard work. This will motivate them to do better. Such trips will give the feeling of being valued and traveling together will promote togetherness. The staff will have a good relationship with you and they will start to feel free in your company, which will generate camaraderie between the team and the top management. Unlike cash incentives, trips are not easily forgotten. Investing in such programs is nothing more than investing in your own company, which will bring profit.

Incentive Golf Trips

Incentive golf trips to unusual destinations are a great way to reward employees. There are several popular golf destinations to plan a trip with your staff. One of them is Cocoa Beach in Florida. This place is unique and a gift worth giving. There are more than 20 golf courses ranging from public facilities to semi-private clubs. Cocoa Beach is great because it is the only place where you can see a space launch. Playing golf at the best golf courses in Florida is a luxury. There are other major golf destinations such as St. Andrews and Ayrshire in Scotland, Pinehurst in North Carolina, Monterey Peninsula in California, Los Cabos in Mexico and many others.

Recognized Travel Tours for Corporate Travel

A reputable and trustworthy travel company should be selected for corporate incentive trips. The company must have experience in organizing golf trips. They must be able to provide various options for the trip. Whether it’s a corporate meeting at a golf destination or a trip to congratulate employees, the travel company should be able to customize it to fit your budget and requirements. They offer luxury golf trips and packages. Travel companies also plan and execute everything from meetings to activities, leading to creative solutions and lasting motivation.
28Dec
Growing Japanese Maples From Seeds: 5 Simple Steps To Success

Growing your own Japanese maple from seed is a very rewarding experience. What could be better than watching a seed sprout into a tiny twig, and then grow into a beautiful tree? The secret to starting your own tree from seed is something called layering. This is where you trick the seeds into thinking they’ve gone through a freeze/thaw cycle; also known as winter. Here are 5 simple steps to get you on your way:

  1. Start with fresh seed. Fresh seed increases the likelihood that the seeds will be viable. As the seeds age, the chances of them germinating decrease. Collecting seeds from a local tree is a great way to ensure you start with fresh seeds, but be sure to ask permission first! When the seeds have turned reddish-green, they are ready to harvest. One thing to remember with ANY Japanese Maple seed: there is no guarantee that you will get the same color from the tree from which the seed was collected. A seed from a red Japanese maple will usually be red, but there is also the possibility that it is a cross between a red and a green tree, which can produce a tree that has traits from both parents. But this is the exciting part; your tree will be unique! You can also buy small quantities of seeds on Ebay, but be sure to confirm that they are the current year’s crop.
  2. Determine the “last frost date” for your area. This is the day in the spring that it is generally safe to start planting gardens. In Maine, it is usually right after Memorial Day. Now count down 120 days. This is the approximate number of days the seeds will need to germinate. This is the date the stratification process will begin. Some seeds may not germinate until much later than 120 days, but be patient, some seeds only bloom late, or are they germinating?
  3. On or around the date you determined in step 2, fill a cup with hot water from your faucet, but do not use extremely hot water. If the hot water is steaming when it comes out of the faucet, it may be too hot. Just set the temperature with cold water. If the water is too hot, it will kill the seeds. Don’t overfill the cup, you need room to add the seeds. Pour your seeds into the cup and let everything sit for 24 hours.
  4. Most of the seeds will now be at the bottom of the cup. The seeds have absorbed water and have now started the germination process. Remove these seeds and place them in a small bag containing moistened sand, peat, vermiculite, or a combination of these. The exact mix isn’t extremely important, just make sure it’s moist and not wet. I personally have had better luck with vermiculite, and it’s easier to find the seeds when planting, but go ahead and use whatever is easiest for you. Poke a few holes in the baggie with a fork to allow air to circulate. Place the bag in the refrigerator. I put mine on the door, or in the drawer. Be sure to put them somewhere where you can see them. You’ll need to check on them from time to time, and if they get pushed behind something, you might forget about it. Check the bag from time to time to make sure the sand, peat, or vermiculite is still wet, and add water if necessary. When you open the bag to check for humidity, the air in the bag is also exchanged, which helps kill mold and mildew. If mold or mildew is present, don’t panic. Simply rinse the seeds with a 50/50 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide, and place them back in a baggie with fresh, moist sand, peat, or vermiculite.
  5. As the seeds begin to sprout, you will see little white “tails” coming out of the seeds. You are getting closer to growing your tree! You can choose to plant the seeds outside after the last frost, or use whatever method I have found works best for me. Either way it works, but I’ve found I don’t have much control over the weather and it’s uncooperative at times. There have been times when my seeds were ready to plant outside, but the ground was still frozen. He couldn’t do much about it! I decided to plant the seeds in individual peat pots. You know the; the ones that swell when you pour water on it. Poke a hole in the top of the pot with a pencil and place the seed in the hole. Keep the pots moist, but not wet. This method gives you a little more time for the weather to cooperate. Be sure to give the plants plenty of light when they start to develop leaves. I use a fluorescent light suspended above the plants, but a bright window works just as well, and be sure to rotate the plants if they start to bend toward the light. Another thing to keep in mind is something called damping. This is when the plant dies and rots near the soil line. It is caused by a fungus that lives in the soil and is usually due to lack of air circulation and excessive watering. If I find seedlings showing wilting, I remove them from the area to reduce spread, adjust airflow with a fan, and reduce watering frequency. When you can work your soil outside, simply plant the pots in the ground. I plant mine in a bed I made to grow the plants for a while until I can transplant them to sell. For seeds that have not germinated, plant them in a shaded bed about 3/8 deep, watering occasionally. Leave them for next year, and see if any have sprouted.

New Japanese maples should be shaded for the first year or two to minimize the chance of sunburn. For small numbers of plants, you can build a small lattice cage to provide shade. For larger numbers, a trellis suspended over the plants on a wooden frame or cinder block is an option, but shade cloth may be a better option. After the plants have grown for a few years, they can be transplanted into their permanent home. Be sure to dig up and transplant the trees after they are dormant to ensure their survivability.

Congratulations! You now have a beautiful Japanese maple tree that you can enjoy for years to come, and you can even tell everyone who comments on it that you grew it yourself!
28Dec
Honor Snack Boxes: Top 11 Reasons To Get Into The Business

1-Snack box operators enjoy the friendships that are made on a daily basis. This is one of the things I enjoyed the most about the business. I was taking off in the morning and as I was driving I was thinking about one of my clients that I wanted to see. Usually he was someone I had a connection with in the sense of something we both enjoyed. In my case, a lot of the time it would be racing as at that point in my life we ​​had our son involved in go-kart racing.

2-Start-up cost is the reason I got into the snack box business. The prices have gone up since the day they sold out, but even in today’s world you can fit a box for about $40.00. When you stop to think about this, it sheds light on why this is a great business to get into.

3-Seriousness of the business. This is a business that is based on impulse buying. Can you think of any other items that would grab people’s attention like a bag of chips or a candy bar? These items are sold every day to people on the go who, for whatever reason, find the need to reward themselves or grab a bite to eat on the go.

4-Being able to travel was one of the reasons I got into the snack food business. I like to go out with people and make friends. The snack box business is a commercial relationship. If people like you, they will help you keep your honor snack box honest. I have friends all over the southern half of Iowa, where I built my business.

5-Limited amount of product needed to fill boxes. The snack box business differs from most forms of vending business in that it only takes thirty to forty different items to fill a box. This in itself is a great advantage for a start-up business. You won’t need a large warehouse full of many different items tying up large sums of money in your new venture. As I’ve said before, my wife and I started our business while living in an apartment.

6-20% Shortage: You wonder how this can be an advantage in starting a snack box business. Keep in mind that with vending machines you will have about $2600.00 tied up in one vending machine (other vending machines can cost up to $8000.00 each). And after tying up that much money, your account will often want a piece of the stock, which can be as high as 30%.

7-The shelf life of the product is another advantage of starting a snack box business. Most of the items you will sell will have a good working life. Chocolate bars in many cases have a year of life. Chips will have the shortest life, and in most cases will be 6-8 weeks old. Tokens have a very good markup and are one of the items you’ll want to have in abundance in your boxes.

8-Limited number of providers. If you’re starting with limited funds, you may need to start with a couple of local vendors, but it doesn’t take that long and you’ll be able to buy from a company like Jones in St. Louis or Vistar, which is a national company. .

9-Vehicle Expenses-I started out driving boxes from the back seat of a 1979 Chevy Impala. This car had a 3 speed manual transmission, am radio and had no power steering or air conditioning. Let me get back on topic and what brings back good memories. My point is, if you’re just starting out, you can start in almost any type of vehicle. Once you’ve made a bit of money, of course, you’ll want to move up to a full-size truck, like a Ford E150 Cargo Van or any other equivalent make and model.

10-Start part time: When you are starting out, this is a business that is very easy to own and operate part time, but do not go into this business thinking that it is just something to do on the side to make a little extra money. to spend. If that’s what you plan to do, you’re only limiting your own future. My wife and I make a very good living out of snack boxes and so can you. It just takes a little dedication and willpower to follow your dream.

11-Freedom of self-employment-This is the illusory dream that many people are never able to achieve. I’m not here to promise you the moon and the sky. What I’m here to do is take the person who has the willpower and the drive and help them achieve great things in their life. My question to you is, “Are you one of those people I seek to help, and are you a dreamer with the drive to make great things happen in your life for you and your loved ones?”
28Dec
Four innovative ideas to inspire playability among children

As more and more kids get sucked into gadgets, it’s no less than a challenge to come up with creative ideas to encourage outdoor play among them. Playing and healthy physical activity is important for your children’s creativity and overall development.
It is important to expose your children to natural sunlight and outdoors to get some rest from the artificial light of their devices. There can be different ideas to inspire playability in children, such as building innovative outdoor playground equipment and promoting play. We need gameplay more than ever to counter the threat of devices.

Here are four innovative ideas to encourage playfulness among children:

1. Create a child-friendly space

The most important action to take would be to create a child-friendly space around your home, in your community, and around church. Big cities have this problem, but we have to think outside the box. Make the most of every piece of land available to the kids. You can also transform the alleys into a game court. Building a tree house or installing a tire swing in a small space can bring lots of kids together to play.

2. Build playgrounds

Nothing would inspire gameplay like a safe and fun place for kids. Playgrounds need to be carefully planned to be an attractive place for children. Installing outdoor playground equipment is the best way to transform playgrounds for kids these days. Not only are they safe, children love to play different games with them. Some of these playground equipment are designed for team play so children learn to make friends. Community members should seek government or organizational grants to build and improve play spaces.

3. Make it colorful

You can play with different ideas to make the environment colorful and attractive. You can brightly color educational paths from school to playgrounds. You can mark the hopscotch in the school yards. It might be a great idea to take kids out who don’t like mud. Similarly, you can paint quotes, puzzles, maps, and animals. There can be endless possibilities for making the world around your children a fun place to go. Students can also be encouraged to create walkable murals. Anything that unites play, learning and culture is beneficial for all.

4. Encourages the elaboration of nature.

Crafting from nature is not only fun, but inspires creativity. There is no limit to what you can create if you have a toolbox with a pair of scissors and some natural things. Kids can make little people like ‘stick man’. Some of the accessories can be assembled in as little as 10 minutes. This small investment of time and effort can help children inspire more creativity and bring them closer to nature. Imaginative play can polish their artistic traits.
28Dec
A contactless trash can – Advantages of choosing one

The touchless trash can is considered a futuristic trash can design. It has AS technology, which recreates the standard trash can with newly designed enhancements. One of the main advantages of this type of trash can is its germ- and odor-free environment, which allows for fewer infections and illnesses from trash contaminants. Another advantage is that touchless trash can outlast standard hand- or foot-controlled trash cans, lasting up to 10 years, depending on how many times it’s opened and closed per day.

This type of trash can has a waterproof sensor guard so trash or spilled liquid won’t stain the sensor or the surrounding area. Combined with a dirt-resistant lid, which collects very little dust, and effortless trash bag removal, the touchless trash can design is an excellent choice for nursing homes, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics or residences for the elderly. Accidental spills can’t happen because of the touchless trash can’s sensor’s sensitivity, which helps keep the surrounding area free of contamination. A person’s hands are saved from getting dirty, as could happen if you need to lift the lid of the trash can with one hand while placing the trash bag with the other. Another advantage is that children of all ages will find it fun to empty the trash now and they will be happy to do this job.

There are two modes of the touchless bin, the touchless mode that opens and closes the lid automatically, and the general mode, which allows you to press a button to open and another to close it. Which mode you choose is a matter of personal preference. Many people appreciate the size and design of these models, which allows them to fit into tight spaces and not look like an ordinary trash can. The touchless trash can can run on battery or AC power, and the AC adapter is an additional purchase.

If you prefer, there is the option to purchase a power cord. When using one of these models, it is best to turn it off before replacing the garbage bag and not force the door open or close, so as not to spill any chemicals or chemical-based ingredients on the sensor, especially those that are covered in plastic. . The best place to locate a touchless trash can is in a location where the sensor will not accidentally trigger to turn on and off all the time.
28Dec
The Dos and Don’ts of Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Coach

There are plenty of exercise programs out there. Turn on the TV and endless infomercials will stream across the screen, muscle men and women using weird-looking exercise devices or dangerous-looking machines for obscure reasons. People who march, jump, bend over promise unlimited benefits if you just stick with their latest workout routine. Some of them even seem legitimate, while others clearly make misleading claims. The question is: how do you know? One such program that requires a bit more scrutiny to make sure it’s not too good to be true is Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Trainer, which claims he will provide initial results if he follows through with 10-minute workouts. Real or fake? We’ll see.

Let’s examine the basic premise. The 10 Minute Trainer makes the following claim: “The secret is SUPER STACK. You get a cardio workout, upper body resistance, and lower body and abs strengthening all at the same time. It would have taken you 30 minutes to an hour to do this with traditional workouts. In the “Getting Started” section, the program lists three main areas to focus on:

  1. Do resistance training two to three times a week, preferably not two days in a row, concentrating on the same body part.
  2. Do cardio at least two to three times a week
  3. Watch your eating habits and portions. You don’t need to starve yourself, but you do need to eat a little less than your body can burn each day.

That all sounds sensible enough, but is it doable? Can you get good results if you do ‘Super Stack’? At first glance, this sounds like a doable proposition: If you combine squats with a military press, you’re doing two exercises in half the time. Any standing exercise can be augmented with squats, just as a series of abdominal exercises can be complemented with chest flyes or presses. So yes, I think you can save a huge amount of time if you combine the exercises carefully and smartly so that you get the benefit of both in much less time.

In addition, the foundations described in the three principles above seem to adhere to solid, basic principles. Nothing revolutionary and out there. Combine cardio and resistance training, and be careful but not radical with what you eat. That’s the kind of basic advice that is given to any beginning fitness enthusiast, and therefore seems above par.

The question then is: can you get good results in 10 minutes, even if you combine exercises? That’s where the quality of Tony’s exercises comes into play. Given the great amount of grudging respect and admiration his other workout routines, like P90X, have earned, it seems clear that, at least, it’s not a gimmick. Therefore, perhaps the best way to examine this program is not to ask yourself if it is the best training program out there, but rather if it is an effective program for those who do not have the hour or so needed to exercise every day. Seen in that light, and given the sound principles on which it appears to be based, the answer is that it’s clearly better than nothing at all, and probably sound in its own right.

If buying 10 Minute Trainer makes people who don’t think they have time to exercise do exactly that, especially if Tony Horton is walking them through solid, basic practices that have been ‘stacked’ to fit the shorter period of time. , so I don’t see what I don’t like. Myself, I prefer to spend more time on my exercise regimen, but if I were a busy mom, business professional, or anyone else with no time, then I would definitely turn to Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer as a possible way to work out as efficiently. possible.
28Dec
The 5 Best Types of Blinds – Outdoor Canvas Shades

Blinds refer to a hard treatment constructed from slats or vanes that are adjustable via a manual pull cord. However, blinds are also used to describe window coverings in general. They include almost all types of window coverings, such as roller blinds, blinds, and shades.

Below are the most common and trending types of blinds.

1. Venetian blinds

These types of blinds are by far the best known and used. Venetian blinds have horizontal slats placed one on top of the other and attached with a cord. When turned, the slats move in sync. It is this rope cord mechanism that allows the blinds to be fully closed, partially opened, or fully opened. Venetian blinds are usually made of plastic, but they also come in aluminum and other metals. They are very versatile and can work well in any room.

2. Vertical blinds

Vertical blinds work the same way as Venetian blinds, only instead of a horizontal pull system, it offers a vertical pull system. Vertical blinds are ideal for windows and doors that open to a slider patio or large windows. They also offer the same amount of light control as venetian blinds. Vertical blinds also collect less dust and are easy to clean.

3. Wood and faux wood blinds

These types of blinds are basically wooden or imitation wood Venetian blinds, so they also use the system of slats and ropes to open and close. Wood and faux wood are gaining in popularity due to their visual impact. Wood or imitation wood gives a clearly rustic atmosphere to the interior of the house. Plus, faux wood is also less expensive and susceptible to moisture problems, making it a better choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

4. Cellular/Honeycomb Screens

Cellular blinds are best known for their ability to keep a room insulated. When viewed from the side, you can see that these blinds are diamond-shaped cells commonly made of a lightweight, cloth-like material. However, with this type of blind, you can only get a full view of the outside when it’s fully raised. Unlike venetian blinds, honeycomb blinds do not have adjustable slats. However, it still allows a comfortable amount of natural light in while providing privacy for homeowners.

5. Solar/roller blinds

These indoor blinds are a one-piece design built on a metal pole that is powered by a side chain. This design completely blocks sunlight when closed and allows all light in when open. It protects the room from harmful UV rays and gives it a stylish and contemporary atmosphere.
27Dec
Library Distribution: The Sweet “Shhhh” of Success

When you write a book, getting the book distributed is an important component of publishing success. Getting the widest possible distribution for your book should be your primary goal. Once you’ve taken the trouble to write down your best ideas and post them, you want as many people as possible to get involved with you.

As a publisher, several of the authors I train come to me with many misconceptions about book distribution. They think that all they need to do is publish their book on Amazon Kindle and they will have a bestseller on their hands.

Actually, Amazon represents a fraction of the book market. Of the dozens of methods to distribute your work, online retail is just one of them. Likewise, there are many lucrative derivatives for your work. Ebook sales included only a fraction of the revenue you can earn when you publish smart.

Having a publisher on your side will help you navigate the maze of details involved in getting your book to market. A good assisted desktop publishing company will have access to hard numbers that you may not have even considered before as an author. They will also have internal connections that you simply cannot take advantage of in any other way.

Shhh! Libraries Are Publishing’s Best Kept Secret

When you publish your book, one of the best ways to ensure that you have a captive audience is to distribute your book through the public library system and a network of corporate libraries. For you as an author, this could mean having a printed volume of your manuscript available in every town and city across the country. There’s nothing sweeter than that sweet “Shhh” of success when you show up for the book signing.

Libraries provide vast amounts of books all the time. Why not yours? To get started, you’ll first need to understand how they shop and what influences them to make those buying decisions. Once you know this, you can sell untold volumes of your book (pun intended, sorry).

The reality of this distribution tactic depends on how popular your book is to begin with. Unless you have a team of vendors promoting your book to libraries through their own catalogue, your book will need to be immensely popular to stand out above the noise of the crowded book market.

On the other hand, having a sales team promoting for you is not a pipe dream, as many might expect. For the authors I work with, it’s a reality.

Almost everyone agrees that the library layout sounds like a great idea. But how do you actually make it happen? To get the answer, let’s take a quick look at how today’s libraries got into their current circulation system.

How to get your book to libraries

At one point, Andrew Carnegie was the richest man in history. He made enormous amounts of money in the steel industry and became famous as a philanthropist. In fact, he spent the first half of his life earning money and the second half giving it all away.

Carnegie was influential in promoting lending libraries in the US The story goes that he would approach cities and towns, chambers of commerce, and local fraternal organizations with an offer to help them build a library. He would put up half of the money for the library if the townspeople contributed the other half through taxes or other fundraising. This meant a boom for the existing library system, and the result is what we see in the US today.

To put books in the branches, committees discuss the topics and authors that people most want to read. The library commission meets regularly, usually once a year, to decide generally what should go into the library. Libraries can request books for their patrons and often keep track of the most requested books.

There is also an interlibrary loan system. If you order a book from your local library in Seattle, your treasured volume may come to you from as far away as Boise, Idaho. The internet has changed a lot in the way libraries work, including speed, but the concept of lending remains the same.

Each library has a procurement officer who decides which books to purchase to shelve locally. If there is enough demand for a book and they have the budget, they will buy it.

On the other side of this equation, publishers have sales teams that meet book buyers at libraries and library conventions, convincing them to order the books in their catalogs.

Many libraries will only work with a restricted number of catalogs. This means that if you’re a lone wolf trying to get your foot in the door of your local branch, you may have a bit of a hurdle to overcome. The place to start is the purchasing office at district headquarters.

An author created a children’s musical play to promote his children’s book, complete with 5 actors and dancers. The author took his troupe on tour to local bookstores, libraries and schools to present a live musical featuring characters from his book “The Boy with the Red Mustache.” Parents of children who attended the show lined up to buy his book, as did librarians who organized his events.

Having a publisher do the legwork for you is ultimately the easiest option for increasing your book’s distribution. This is true not only for getting your book into libraries, but also getting it into many other outlets that are clamoring for new books to lend or sell.

With the right kind of nudge, you could be hearing the sweet “Shhhh” of the hit!