Shopping For Office Furniture Online

A couple of days ago, I wrote about shopping for Office Furniture for my small office home office and what a difficult time I m facing going all over town looking for suitable pieces and finding that either the sizes cannot ft my room well or the colors clash worth the paintwork or other existing furniture pieces.
My cousin, Jasmine, who lives and works in London, read my post and told me that she never faced this problem because she shops for all her furniture online and that saves her the trouble of going all over the place physically looking for what she wants.

As an example of an online office furniture store, she showed me the website of Saxen Business Solutions at http://www.saxen.co.uk/. She said that since I am looking for home office furniture, I could just select the thumbnail on the homepage, and then select what I want from the sub-categories. She said that even a seven year old would be able to navigate such a user-friendly site.

To be frank, it never crossed my mind to shop for office furniture, or any furniture for the matter, online. I always thought that nobody in his right mind would sell furniture online because of the bulkiness and difficulty in shipping. How wrong could I be?

Now that I have tried shopping for my office furniture on the website of Saxen, I think it is definitely better than going from store to store physically.

Power Supply Repair Services

My friend, Soo, is the owner of a heavy industrial fabrication factory. He told me that with the bad tropical weather recently, his power supply has been damaged after the mains were struck by lightning. I could certainly sympathize with him. If I, a home user, cannot live without an uninterrupted power supply, it is all the more difficult for his business when it depends so heavily on power than an unfortunate incident like this has crippled his daily operations.

Soo told me that his counterparts in the United States have easy access to power supply repair like the company, ACS Industrial Services, Inc. Although I do not know much about power supply repair, he still insisted on showing me the link at http://www.acsindustrial.com/power-supply-repair.php

ACS Industrial Services, Inc. offers fast and efficient power supply repair services from business to business. What is good about ACS Industrial Services is that they offer free evaluation by one of their power supply repair service specialists so that companies can decide if it is worth repairing or beyond economical repair.

I think this ACS Industrial Services, Inc. is a very critical service as companies, especially manufacturing and services companies cannot afford even a minute of downtime.

Soo said if there is such a company here, he would not be having such a huge headache now. I guess he is going to have to send his unit overseas to repair.

It's MERDEKA!

What do you know? Time passes by so fast it's already 50 years since Malaysia gained her independence from the British.

While the rest of Malaysia has taken the weekend off, I am still hanging around at the office working. Well, if you are working for yourself, there is no "off" days AT ALL. I work during the holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. In fact, sometimes the days seem to roll into one another that I don't even know what day it is anymore.

Anyway, I am making this post today to wish all Malaysians a very Happy Independence Day today and may you have a wonderful weekend ahead. Please be careful on the road. It is better to arrive safe and sound.

And as a reminder, there shall be no shipping from CyberPartyGal's WebStore from today onwards. Shipping resumes on Monday, 3rd of September, 2007. However, as always, the Store will still be open for business during this long weekend and I will be around to answer your email if you have any questions.

*** Happy Holidays! ***

Coke Zero's Life As It Should Be

Have you ever wanted to be a director of a movie? Well, I have good news. Coke zero, the real taste coke with zero sugar, has just launched a campaign called Life As It Should Be and you can visit them at ZeroIsMore.com where you are allowed to play around with their database of movie clips and add your own text and audio clip and making your own little video.

If you have always wondered how good you are at making movies, this is your chance. Get all your friends over to vote for your clip and be the best rated clip on the site.

So what are you waiting for? Go over and make you little video clip now!

Cheap Ink Online

The other day, I was searching for compatible ink for my Epson printer. I went to my regular shop but they said they never stocked such ink before! Can you believe it?? I was forced to search other stores but then they do not have them as well. A friend told me to try searching online, which I did.

I came across Ink Cartridges Direct and boy, do they have the full range of original and compatible Epson Ink Cartridges. Besides Epson, they also have printer ink and cartridges for other popular printer brand names like Dell, HP, Canon, Xerox and Lexmark. I wonder why I never thought to shop online for my printer ink before. It would have saved me so much trouble.

Not only are these original and compatible ink cartridges priced reasonably, Ink Cartridges Direct also offers free shipping within the United Kingdom for orders above £100. My cousin lives in the London. This will surely save me money when I have the ink ship to her and she brings them home when she comes home for a holiday.

CyberPartyGal's WebStore Now Accepts HSBC

I am very glad to announce that CyberPartyGal's WebStore is now able to accept direct payment to our HSBC back account.

Just to refresh your memory, we are able to accept payment directly to our accounts with Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB, and now HSBC for buyers in Malaysia or who have a Malaysian bank account.

As for international buyers, we accept payment via PayPal or credit card via PayPal.

There are so many ways to pay for your purchases at CyberPartyGal's WebStore. If you still find difficulty in making payment then write in and we will find a way that is more convenient for you. And I am also open to feedback on other payment options!

Remember to drop by CyberPartyggal’s WebStore regularly!

*** Happy Shopping! ***

Almost Risk-free Business

I have been asked one time too often what are the products that carry the least risk. Well, I would be lying if I were to say that there is totally no risk in doing business, online or offline. However, from what I see, people are doing brisk business trading in replica Sunglasses.

I have in fact talked to quite a few people who are in this line of business and they tell me that their overhead cost and holding costs are very low because they could procure these replica branded sunglasses from a Wholesale Sunglasses importer who imports these products from manufacturers all over the world. They are able to get a low price thanks to their bulk orders and they are passing the savings to smaller retailers who are taking their supply from them.

I think that this is quite a risk-free way to start a business although I am not saying it is 100% risk-free. When you have a good product on hand, the rest is up to you to make a success out of your business.

Managing Investments Wisely

This morning, I was chatting with my sister when she told me that she is stating to invest her money. Well, she has migrated to the United States for almost six years now she should have saved up enough to dabble into small investments. She said that she has a few options; stocks, certified coins, fixed deposits and bonds. She already has a house but that is for living and not as an investment.

Anyway, I told her to read as much as she could on how to invest wisely because knowledge is power and we don't want to invest into some programs and then see it go wrong and lose the capital.

She said that she is very careful and has been reading from various websites of authority on how to better manage her small capital and to invest safely and securely. I hope that she will find success with the investment portfolio and maybe one day, I could ask her to manage my funds as well!

Looking For Used Cars Online

One of my buyers asked me where he could look for Used Cars online. Well, this is not something I would do but since he was my buyer, I will oblige him to encourage him to support my sales later. I told him about AutoGuide.com, a site that my sister has used before while she was searching for a used car.

My sister has told me that AutoGuide.com has a comprehensive database of Used Cars and there are very informative guides on the cars that are suitable for her and if the cars are priced rightly according to market price so that a prospective car buyer will not end up paying more than necessary.

So I told my buyer that this site comes highly recommended by my sister and it has a very powerful in-site guided search engine that could locate used cars locally or nationwide. It is up to him to select.

When I checked through the site, I came across a feature called Decision Drivers which I think will help any prospective car buyer make a more informed choice. Sometimes we are so fixated on a certain brand or model that we failed to listen to the opinion of a third party. Well, Decision Drivers rates cars based on feedback from owners of each particular car.

If you have been thinking of buying a good used car, you may want to check out this site too. I know I have learned something from there even though I am not looking for buy a used car. Not just yet, at least.

Totally Unamused

THIS GUY really DID make the payment of MYR10. Trust me, I am totally unamused. I am in fact very pissed of that there are so many greedy people. One of the things that I hate being in contact with people, and as an online trader I do a lot of communication, is seeing the other side of people. It's pure greed in this case.

Yesterday, I already replied to the "buyer" when he told me that he has already made payment to me. Notice that he conveniently left out the word "Free" in the item. I hate people like this for putting me in a spot.

Hello,

You order is INVALID because it does not comply with my requirements. Please read my description CLEARLY.

The item is NOT for sale. It is a freebie in appreciation to my buyers. Therefore, it does not make a difference if you have paid me RM10 or RM100 because this item is FREE. I am NOT selling it. I have not checked my account and I do not know if you have really paid me.

If you have, please send me your bank acount details so that I can return it when the money has cleared. If you fail to inform me of your bank details latest by midnight, 31st August, 2007 then I am sorry, I would have to forfeit your money.

I am sorry if I sound harsh. I am already trying to be very civil here.

Cyberpartygal


----- Original Message -----
From: Greedy Pig
To: Cyberpartygal
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: Cyberpartygal's WebStore Order #73 Received

I have just made the bank transfer to Maybank account from Public bank in the amount of RM10.00 for the Victoria's Secret Lip Color / Lip Gloss Compact. Thank You.

I swear, the next time this happens, I am going to publish the contact information of these greedy people.

New Alive Blog Directory

Running an online store and multiple blogs, it is my part of my job to try my best to spread the word about the existence of my sites. Whoever said that it's easy job running an online store compared to a real store is mistaken! I spend the whole day trying to list my links to various business and blog directories.

One of the directories that I know of, Alive Directory, has a new section for blogs. This blog directory is very popular thanks to the established main directory. Like the main directory, there are comprehensive categories covering almost all kinds of blogs that are available, deep link submissions, latest links added and top hits page.

All submissions are subscription base, with two types of listing, yearly and permanent. Check the price packages in the SUBMIT LINK Page. The difference is prices is not wide but if I were you, I would take the permanent placement because it gives me more value for my money!

Crooked

Recently, I had the misfortune to meet a couple of crooked people, for want of a better word. I don't even know how to label them. They are not big time scammers or phishers BUT they still want to cheat a little.

You see, there have been a couple of times when my potential buyers inform me that they have already made payment to my account upon confirmation of their order. Of course, being the responsibility Seller, I check my account balance so that I can ship my item out as soon as possible.

However, there was no payment from them and since I figured that they mush have been delayed, I waited and waited, checking and rechecking multiple times in between.

Now, it looks like I have been played and yeah, I hate that feeling because, IF HE has paid for it, the amount will be reflected in my account but it was not and yet here HE was telling me that he had already paid and his insistence made me wonder if there was a glitch with the bank that my account was not updated real time.

Anyway, I think people like these hurt the industry although there may be people who had their payment delayed due to an interbank transaction.

Geo-IP Targeted Search

I recently came across a very good search engine that tries to match its search results to your IP. It does not even require you to enter your location or zip code but intuitively searches for localized results for you. This is an excellent search engine if you are looking for local information or for businesses near your home.

This distance search yellow pages at Radiux.com has just been elevated to BETA and is already open for users to try out.

This search engine currently supports searching Google, Craigslist, eBay, Amazon and Wikipedia, all the major players on the internet. I have tried it out and a rather pleased with the information I found, despite the fact that results for businesses are all American companies. I hope that they will be able to expand their local information to include more countries in the near future.

Apartment Living For A Change

Last weekend, my sister was invited to a housewarming party. Well, I think the host should call it apartment warming party as she has just moved to an apartment.

She told my sister that it took some courage moving to an apartment, which she called the unknown territory, before she actually found one that she would love to live in and be happy here.

She spent a considerable amount of time searching for her ideal apartment with the help of online resources including ApartmentGuide.com and found that the articles and professional help found on ApartmentGuide useful and helped alleviate her doubts and fears on moving to an apartment. She also did not know what to expect but was comforted by the reassurance and support given by the information she found on Apartment Guide.

She told my sister that she was glad she found such a useful resource site on moving to and living in an apartment and said that she now recommends this site to anyone who is also considering moving to an apartment.

Fake PayPal Notice From Scammer

A couple of days ago, I was checking my email messages trying to look for information that are burying by a pile of email messages when I came across this email purportedly from PayPal. This was actually made by the scam syndicate to try to cheat me for my item.

When I received that email, I was actually thinking if this could be a real email and actually signed in to see id the funds did arrive.

But of course now that I am receiving the real notification from PayPal about new funds I could compare them. Check out the screenshot. If you have a real PayPal notice, you would be able to see the distinct layout and quality.

Guess What?

Just when I was about to call up my sister for her photos taken during her Hawaiian holiday a couple of months ago, she sent me a text message joyfully informing me that she has booked a Hawaii rental house! Oh my goodness, two trips to Hawaii within two months? What a good life she is having there in the United States!

However, she said that this is her bonus given to her by her employer for the hard work this past five years and more than pulling her weight and covering double and even triple shifts when the other girls just left their jobs like that.

OK, OK, I get it!

She told me to look at the website of Hawaiian Beach Rentals where I could find useful and comprehensive Hawaii Travel Info just in case I am making a trip out to Hawaii as well. Yeah, I have promised myself this trip and I am going to JUST DO IT at the end of this year!

Whatever the case, I still want to see HER photos!

Remembering A Hawaiian Vacation

Just now as I was surfing the internet, I ran across a Hawaiian Local Travel Blog. It was a delight to read because I remember the time my sister told me about her vacation in Hawaii and how she and her boyfriend rented one of the Maui vacation homes at a very reasonable price.

I asked why she did not put up at a hotel but she said that she loves the privacy accorded at the vacation home, away from other people, waking up to the sea breeze and having the ocean view all to herself, and her boyfriend of course.

According to my sister, the charges of a hotel room and a vacation home are not that much different, taking into account all the benefits and extras that come with a vacation home. PLUS she managed to get the best deal, according to her, from Hawaiian Beach Rentals.

Oh, now that I recall, she still have yet to send me her Hawaiian vacation photos! What’s taking her so long??

Class Action Lawsuit Against eBay

Did you read about a Houston law firm taking eBay to court, representing eBay Sellers who felt cheated that they have paid for their auction to run for a certain time frame but the starting time had been delayed, sometime up to a 24-hour delay. I feel that this is unacceptable if it had been rampant.

I feel that if this happened once of twice then it could be due to a server glitch and should be allowed to slide and a class action lawsuit is too drastic. I don't know, I did not notice this discrepancy. Perhaps I am not the one paying for it.

I remember some time back when Lelong had a technical glitch which caused the site to be down for a considerable amount of time, Lelong automatically extended auction and sale time of items across the board. This is to make up for the loss in opportunity for Sellers to get higher bidders for their items. I think that eBay should also adopt this policy.

Free Marketing Resources by Profitimo

Some people think that it is very easy to run my own website. How wrong can they be? They certainly do not know the background work I have to do, including procurement, accounting, sales and marketing.

Just now, I stumbled upon a marketing resource site called Profitimo. There are so many useful articles to read up on how I can improve my online store, raising my Google Page Rank, getting a good placing on search engines for specific keywords, increasing traffic which would HOPEFULLY convert, improve site usability and user-friendliness, to name a few.

There is a forum for webmasters and users who are interested in marketing, and I am surely going to inform my fellow etrading colleagues about this so that we could all share and learn from like-minded people. The information is there and we should all benefit from it.

You can easily Get Free marketing resources here PLUS a free SEO report on your website. This report has a $25 value so you should get it while the offer is on! There are also lots of freebies like videos and ebooks all aiming to help us improve on our website.

You see, there are so many things to read up on, even on a Sunday, so who says that online trading is easy work?

Not Mobile Friendly

After using my device to go online since mid-June this year, I have visited many websites and it is disappointing to note that there are still many sites that are not mobile friendly. I wonder why since going online via the mobile phone is so much more popular than the computer. It is said that there are more wired devices like handheld devices and smart phones.

I tried going to blog for pay sites and they are not friendly at all that I could not reserve any opportunities. This makes me feel as if I am not using my 3G subscription to the maximum.

It is my hope that more companies would realise that they need to have a mobile version of their site so that we can access their site totally from our phone. It is high time, you know?

Early Christmas Gift Idea

This morning, I received a text message from an old friend asking me for a christmas gift idea. I was like, "HUH?" Christmas is still so far away, exactly four months away to be exact, and he already is looking for Christmas gifts! I wonder if he is going to get me anything too. hehehe

At that ungodly hour, I seriously was stumped and could not think of anything that would satisfy his requirements. I told him to send me an email with his budget and the things that he DOES NOT want to give this Christmas.

I don't know why all my friends think that I have so any gift ideas in my head just waiting for them to ask. I still need to do some research, you know? But I do shamelessly admit that I have pretty good taste!

I already have the mail waiting for me and I will help him look for an amazing Christmas gift that would blow his recipient away! I promise! So stay tuned!

Bucking Up Next Week

Last week, I was thinking of buying office furniture for my small office home office. I went window shopping in local furniture stores but still could not find anything that I like. I know I have been dilly dallying for too long already. My friends are tired accompanying me on my shopping trips and my countless questions seeking their opinion. I guess I am just too fussy already.

Next weekend, I am going one more time to make sure that I have covered all the furniture stores in town and find the best available office furniture. After getting the furniture then only can I think about getting the room decorated with lights and blinds or window curtains and art to hang on the wall. Without the furniture, I don't even know what I should get for these items in case the colors clash.

I gotta buck up next week!

I REALLY Need A REAL Digital Camera!

My friend asked my why I even need to buy a separate digital camera now that I have a camera phone, my Nokia E61i. Well, I previously had a cheapo all-in-one digital camera that is supposedly able to capture images, videos with audio, act as a webcam and a pendrive, yadda yadda yadda, the only thing it did not mention on the box was that it could definitely do all these AT A HORRENDOUS QUALITY!

But anyway, I continue to search for a reasonable priced good quality digital camera but stopped recently when I purchased my Nokia. So check this out and you will understand why I really need a REAL digital camera! *sigh*

I am utterly disappointed, to say the least!

Why no colour wan??

Rio Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

While some people would have jumped for joy for being invited to Vegas, I am pretty unhappy. I would have been perfectly fine if I was not invited at all, but now that I am, I have a new headache!

I don't know if I could spend that MYR10,000 on a trip out to Vegas. I would love to go, but my friend said that I would be foolish to go at my own expenses and teach the others to be as good as I am or even better? They have to be kidding right? My friend said that if they are paying for my trio then it would be different. I don't know, I am still of two minds, even three!

I did however, check out some hotels in Vegas while another friend told me that he had a great time at the Rio Las Vegas suites hotel and casino. The photos on their website are so inviting of course!

Now, excuse me while I go and wrestle with the devil.

Management Seminars and Courses

My uncle is a leading educationist in the country and ironically, I did not receive my tertiary education. Of course I feel inferior when I am with them but then life goes on. However, my uncle told me that I should take up one of the management courses that is in line with my work. I do have the experience and they will accept adult students, my uncle assured me.

I have been sent for management seminars previously by my company and I like the discussions that we get into but without the paper qualification, it is not easy to fish for a promotion at the company.

I heard that we will be sent for development education and training next month and I am very excited about it. I am not sure how long that will take. Perhaps after that I am going to seriously look for a management course to upgrade myself.

A Sucker Is Born Every Minute

I was discussing with my friend about all the scam that's happening and the latest was Sony Vaio For MYR1500 ONLY and he said that "a sucker is born every minute". How true indeed.

Sometimes I wonder, don't these scam victims read the papers? What makes them so gullible to all the great too-good-to-be-true deals? How was it again the story about a fool and his money?

Well, the point I am trying to make is that we have to always be alert at all times because there will always be someone trying to take advantage of our unsuspecting nature. Nobody is actually a fool but sometimes we fall victim because of a lapse in judgment.

So don’t let a scammer sweet talk you into parting with your money. I mean, a Sony Vaio for only MYR1500? C’mon! And to think that this deal is so sweet that a victim bought TWO units *sigh*

Decision On Window Blinds

The other day, my sister told me that she wanted to get faux wood blinds for her home upon the suggestion by her colleague but then she was at the shop, she saw other blinds that seem to be more beautiful. She went home to surf the internet and saw that Terry's Fabrics are offering a great range of roman blinds.

She said that the Brussels Roman blind has caught her fancy and from £14.00, believes it is value for money. Now she is really undecided because she is afraid that her colleague may be annoyed.

I told her that she should get whatever she likes and not just to please her colleague or afraid to offend her if she goes with her own decision. If her colleague does not like it that her suggestion was not implemented then it is too bad for her, isn't it?

Risk of Going Full Time

It is well known among the eBay Malaysia circle that there is a young university graduate who is a full time eBayer and doing good business too on the eBay parent site and earning PowerSeller status too.

The other day, after such a long time, I checked out the eBay forums and discovered that this particular member is no longer a registered member (NARU). Well, I do not know what happened that eBay deemed it necessary to strike him off the marketplace but from the transaction history on his feedback profile, I gather that he has been relying on a dropshipper to supply his products and it is common knowledge that dropshippers are not reliable.

Since he is a full time eBayer, the blow must be great. Moreover, he is a guy and not a girl eBaying as a hobby. To make a livelihood through eBay is very risky indeed.

I think he could continue with his business on eBay by registering an account with a different name but it's too much hassle. Also, he could set up an online store too but the traffic would be great. Not at first, anyway.

The bottom line is, it is very risky to put all eggs in one basket.

The Joys of Home Decorating

My cousin who lives in London rented a new home and she said this time it comes unfurnished and so she has a free hand in decorating the home however she likes. Her previous accommodation was completely furnished and she did not have this freedom. Her landlady was an uncompromising lady who did not allow her to change anything at all!

My cousin said although it is so much work to decorate the home, she is enjoying every minute of it. What she does is check out websites on interior decoration to give her some ideas and then try to shop for her desired items online.

She told me that she found quality yet affordable curtains from Terry's Fabrics, an online store in the UK that offers a wide range of ready made curtains and accessories like curtain poles and tracks as well as blinds, bedding, lighting, rugs and a great designer fabrics among others.

My cousin said she has yet to actually make a purchase because there are just so many beautiful designs that she needs time to make a decision!

No Need Thank You

Today, I received an SMS text message from Celcom thanking me for settling my telephone and data line subscription. Well, isn't it funny that they have to thank me like that and the way they worded it was as if I myself do not know that I have settled my bill.

Well, I do not know when they started sending out text messages like this My brother has been a Celcom subscriber for years and he certainly never mentioned about receiving such a message, neither did I receive it last month, my first month as a Celcom postpaid user and 3G subscriber.

Now, I don't see the need for them to thank me. What I want is just uninterrupted service. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I want better 3G signal in my area. All the thanks in the world would not make me continue my subscription with them after my contract expires. Don't you think so?

Benefits of Mint Credit Cards

Just this afternoon, I was discussing with a friend the many benefits of different credit cards. Really, there are so many different goodies for us from different companies all vying for our attention that it is not easy to decide which to get. Now I understand why some people end up with a stack of plastic cards. The offers are too good to resist!

My friend told me that Mint credit cards are very popular nowadays what with their credit card balance transfer of 0% until 1st October, 2008.

Moreover, this card is becoming a MUST HAVEs for shopaholics because there is no interest charged on purchases until 1st March, 2008. Another good thing about Mint credit cards is that we need not pay an annual fee and it is accepted worldwide wherever we see the MasterCard sign.

Well, this is really making me drool! All me think a little longer!

Finally Got Through

Well, as mentioned in an earlier post, I was trying to call collect out of the country and my calls to the number provided to me, supposedly a customer care line were not accepted. You see, it's a reverse charge line and they REJECTED my in coming calls.

I had to search for another free line and after a total of more than ten attempts I managed to get through but not to the Customer Service, though.

Although I spent more than thirty minutes on the phone talking to various people from different departments and being put on hold, I was fine with it, because the people were ever so polite and as long as they answer my phone! I finally got my account sorted out.

Now, the thing is, I will wonder if my calls were totally free. I will keep wondering until the next telephone bill comes, which will be in a month's time.

One To One SEO Phone Consultation Service

The other day, I was telling my friend that I have bought a domain name for six months already and still have no idea what to do with it. My friend suggested for me to start a blog. No way! I already have more than enough blogs to handle!

So he said that I should hang out at Dnforum.com, a place where I could learn how to make the best out of my domain name from other domainers. Well, I did not know there is such a forum before but I am interested to make something out of my purchase instead of letting it parked as it is now.

Dnforum.com is helmed by Adam Dicker, who also owns dcg.com, a search engine optimization, domain and web design services Company. Having a good website is so much more than a top level domain name and a nice layout. It also must be search engine friendly and optimized so that we could land that top spot on the major search engines for competitive keywords.

HHHmmm I must say that I have been to many such websites before but Adam Dicker is very innovative. He has this phone consultation service where he will spend 15 minutes to review your website over the phone, one to one, for only $50. What a great service offered by Adam Dicker. To have the best critique your site, I think $50 is so worth it!

Top Moving Companies At Your Fingertips

If you have remember, my sister's colleague recently left her job and moved out of state to be with her husband who was transferred to another branch of his company. I was told that her move was full of hassle and she was even over charged by the moving company.

From her experience, we now know what we should look for in moving companies. I just came across the website of Top Moving Companies. This is NOT a moving company but it acts as a middleman where we could specify our needs and movers will then quote us their best price. In such a scenario, the company which can offer the best would win our business.

Some may think that a company that charges too low may not be reliable but all companies that are on the database of Top Moving Companies have passed the stringent due diligence.

I love it that we could easily request for a quotation online by just filling out the form provided on the homepage. We just have to select the type of service we require, then enter the date we need the service and our current zip code and the state that we will be moving to.

Top Moving Companies has a huge database of various companies or services that have to do with moving storage rental and truck rental. In short, I believe that should we need to move, we should check out Top Moving Companies first to get the best prices.

Targeted Database

My colleague pointed out to me that my online store lacks a form for visitors to sign up to my newsletter and be updated on new arrivals. It is true and I wonder why it slipped my attention all these while.

I have read that it is not difficult to maintain a Mailing List yet the advantages include an increased sales volume because these are the people who WANT to receive updates and they would be happy to drop by my store when they hear from me.

I was also told that mailing list business is big time business and there are companies which specialize in compiling mailing lists according to the interest of each individual. Companies which buy such mailing lists could lay down their needs and they will be provided with a list that is tailor made for them.

Now I know why some companies are so successful in their emailing campaign. They have a targeted database of people and these are the people who are genuine in their interest in a specific product!

Sourcing For Wholesale Reading Glasses

The other day I was surfing the internet looking for a new product that is popular with the masses when I came across a Wholesale Reading Glasses supplier. To be frank, I never thought that this could be something that is saleable but after checking out this site, I remember that I have seen many stores in town carrying these reading glasses as well.

I have wondered if they could sell since they are very fashionable. I had thought that the people who need reading glasses may not find these match their taste or suitable for their sense of style. How wrong could I be!

I asked a friend of mine who also runs an online store and he told me that these are very popular indeed! IN fact, he managed to purchase Wholesale Readers at a very good cost price and his stocks were snapped up in a short time. He said that he has never experienced such brisk business before.

He was so happy with his sales that he has placed a second order and is expecting his consignment any time soon. I think I will be checking out his stocks when they arrive!

Chasing Illnesses Away With Goji Berries

My friend got fed-up of hearing me complain of how tired I am from working two jobs and not having enough rest. He told me that been taking Goji Juice for the past year and has seen an overall improvement to his health. He said he has not even consulted a doctor since taking Goji Berries daily as frequently as he could.

He told me that since the Goji is actually a type of berry, there is no harm in taking too much of it, unlike supplements that are made up of chemicals that could damage our kidneys. Moreover, he does not feel lethargic at all even though he works long hours too.

He told me that before he included Goji berries in his diet, he too was skeptical about the wonders of the berry, especially the purported health benefits but he told me that I have to try it to believe it and experience the effects myself.

If the Goji berry is as good as it sounds, I am game to try it. It is not fun feeling tired all the time!

Lelong's New Feedback System

I don't know when Lelong started its new feedback system but I had the chance to try it out a couple of days ago. While the old system was very unfriendly, the new one is worse, to me. I could not even leave a feedback to my Buyer because the item which was listed as For Sale has already ended and the listing has been archived.

I tried leaving a feedback for a few times and finally gave up.

It seems to me that we can only leave a feedback to our buyers of current For Sale items which I think is rather DUMB because our item may have ended but payment was only made a day or two later, so how could we leave a feedback, even if it is only a Neutral feedback?

I think this feedback system need to be more user-friendly. Granted, the old one was not friendly but this one is definitely not working for me at all.

Accoona’s Online Lead Generation Service

Previously, I wrote a couple of posts about lead generation and the importance of it in a business. However, real business world lead generation is not really applicable to my online business in the virtual world.

A friend told me to check out ecommerce lead generation service through Accoona, a company founded by Armand Rousso, and is an ecommerce search engine powered by artificial intelligence technology.

Accoona, like I mentioned, is perfect for people like me who are looking for ecommerce leads online. The specialty of Accoona is its focus on online-based businesses covering the United States, Europe and China. That's like half the ecommerce hub! I have been told that Accoona's focus is more towards consumer electronics retailing.

So I hope that once Accoona has successfully gone public, they would expand their services to cover more consumer products and benefit all ecommerce businesses!

When Members Are Angry - eBay Tests Free Listings Day

On Wednesday, 15th August, 2007, eBay gave sellers on their USA and Canada sites a free-listing day. Well, that is good news but was it offered because eBay knows that their members have been disenchanted recently?

From what I read on the forums, many people have quit eBaying because trading on eBay is no longer as lucrative as it once was. Moreover, Nigerian Scam 419 has totally invaded eBay and that is making life doubly hard for the Seller. I read that some people on the other hand, are unhappy with the increased fees as and when eBay likes to which effectively throws the Seller's profit margin down the drain.

While it is good to appease members' anger with something like a free-list day, will it solve the long term problem? I don't think so. It may take people's mind off the underlying problem because these Sellers would be too busy listing as many items as they could but the problems should be address at the root like steep fees, over protection for Buyers and scam.

From Barcelona To Madrid

A friend of mine has been posted to work in Europe. As part of his job, he has to fly frequently from Barcelona to Madrid. He said that when he first went from Barcelona to Madrid, he took the train because he wanted to travel like a tourist and enjoy the train ride but after a couple of times, he was so tired from the traveling that he said he just wants to hop on a plane and be done with the journey.

Can you imagine that a flight is only approximately 75 minutes while a train ride could be anything from 5.5 hours to 9 hours? I was surprised to know that it is such a vast difference!

He said that every time before he leaves for Barcelona from his headquarters, he would have booked a room in one of the hotels in Barcelona. However, when he reaches Madrid, he may or may not have a room in one of the hotels in Madrid. It actually depends on his schedule. Sometimes he gets to leave the city on the same day itself.

However, if he does need a room, he would search on Google, Hoteles en Madrid, and he would usually be able to find a good deal in one of the local hotels.

It's so good to be able to travel and get paid! I wish I have such an exciting job as well but that is just wishful thinking!

Engaging A Website Optimization Firm

A few of my online trading colleagues got together over the weekend and we held a tink tank on getting more traffic and business to our sites. We all have been feeling the sales draught this past month and thought that we should be more proactive in getting more traffic, more sales and better income in the process.

One of us brought up the idea of engaging a website optimization firm which we all thought was a good idea indeed but we were unprepared to pay an arm and a leg for such services. This is because all of us are just small timers and not big players like other commercial entities with both an established brick-n-mortar business and a web presence.

So we went searching on the internet and asked around trying to find a website optimization firm with an impressive portfolio and yet is affordable to us. This was how we finally found Think Big Sites.

We checked out the site thoroughly and liked what we have read. It seems that Think Big Sites is very confident that their services will change the tide of traffic thanks to a better position in organic searches. That, and a more beautiful store layout would definitely do the trick in getting people to part with their money while randomly surfing our stores.

We would be requesting for a quote soon and hopefully, we could get a great deal from them!

Buildium's Online Property Management Software

I have always wondered how people who own properties manage them so well until I found out that the trick is in an online property management software. By using this web based software, the property owner is able to keep tabs of his renters, expenses and bills and a host of other associated issues that come with owning a property. The difference is that Buildium, LLC's online property management software is able to handle your property no matter if you just own a couple of apartment units or a slew of them.

Since this property management software s web based, it means that you can access your account from anywhere in the world as long as you could access the internet. This makes is easy for frequent flyers since they know that they will always be able to log into their account no matter where they are.

Buildium's property management software is especially useful to property management or rental companies or associations. And the most important factor, apart from making the job of these companies easier is the user-friendliness of the software. Everything is so intuitive!

Checking Out The Best Oregon Mortgage Refinance

I received a message from my sister asking me to help her look for the best remortgage rate. She has already made a costly mistake committing to a mortgage for her home without comparing quotes and this time, she wants to get it right so that her burden will be lessen.

I did some homework and chanced upon the website of the best Oregon mortgage refinance. According to the website, when considering the mortgage rates, we have to request for mortgage quotes from mortgage companies first. How true!

And this is what DeMark Financial Services, does best. According to the website, they are able to provide the best rates in Oregon mortgage refinance and match each borrower with the right mortgage or remortgage plan with a mortgage company. This company seems to have the personal touch as the owner will personally see that each request is understood and given clear options. DeMark Financial Services know that every borrower has unique needs and they try to match the needs of each individual request as best as they could.

DeMark Financial Services sounds like a company that could help my sister out with the best mortgage refinance but unfortunately my sister lives in Tennessee. Luckily, she has friends in Oregon whom she believes may benefit from the services offered by DeMark Financial Services.

Wedding Bells In Summer

Summer is the season where many couples choose to get married. I personally received a few wedding invitations which I feel obligated to attend. It's not that I do not want or like to attend wedding receptions or am anti-social but it's a chore to think of what wedding gift to get.

Although I could give the ladies bridal underwear, it's not really appropriate if I don't know them too well. Moreover, I don't really have the time or the mood to socialize. Besides, I asked around and nobody I know would be attending too so I would have to sit the evening out alone, unfortunately. It could get boring *sigh*

I am so stressed out just thinking of wedding gifts and I can't even imagine half the trouble the bridal couple faces to get together a wedding that everyone will enjoy and remember for a long time.

However, I heard that nowadays, bridal couple engages wedding planners to take care of the nitty gritty details. If I were getting married, I'd also engage a wedding planner but I just saw this wedding planning site, The Wedding Channel that helps people plan their wedding like a professional. There are so many tools available to use for free so maybe people now can save money from wedding planners and yet plan a really classy wedding by themselves?

Oh yes, it would be awesome if one of my Buyers invited me to his or her wedding instead!

Yahoo! Photos Official Mail

Finally, I received an official email notification from Yahoo! Photos regarding the closure of their service and the options they are providing us to facilitate transfer of photos. Luckily I was told of it a few months back and have already transferred what I want to keep to Google's Picasa.

I wonder why the mail was sent out to me only now. I have friends who received this mail a long time ago while half the world was still in the dark.

Anyway, luckily I found time to do the necessary or I would have felt pressured that I have so little time to transfer my photos and double check that all the important images are preserved. Ugh...

If you have yet to receive the official email from Yahoo! Photos, here are the details:

We will officially close Yahoo! Photos on Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 9 p.m. PDT.

Please give us your decision by Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 9 p.m. PDT. After that time, any photos remaining in Yahoo! Photos will be deleted.

19in LCD Screen Is Standard Size

The other day at PC Fair, I didn't have anything to buy but I went to check out if there were any good deals for a branded lcd monitor. Unfortunately, there wasn't. Actually there was, for 17in screens but my friend told me that nowadays, the standard size is 19in. Those who can afford it go for 22in even. That is like watching the TV already!

So although the 17in screens were cheaper, I did not buy. Now I am waiting for the price to drop for 19in monitors. My friend told me that since I use the monitor for long hours, it is better for me to use LCD screens so that my eyes would not be strained. Honestly, I feel like I have tired eyes the whole day. Perhaps it is due to me not having enough sleep, perhaps it is staring at the monitor for too long hours.

In any case, an LCD monitor would do me good. I just hope that electronic products will be displayed for easy browsing during the next PC Fair.

Resisting The Notebook

I received a brochure in my mailbox yesterday on great Dell laptop deals. It is getting harder and harder to resist buying the notebook. I may not NEED it but it is good to have around the house just in case.

My friend told me that he saw a notebook selling at RM9000 and those notebooks don't use hard disk anymore. Wow, that is like a small fortune gone already!

According to the brochure, if I were to buy the notebook at slightly more than RM3000, I would be able to receive free Dell Memory upgrade, software upgrade and even extended warranty.

That's top on my wish list! I just hope I could save up money fast enough to buy this model before it gets obsolete!

Phone Call From E*Trade

The other day, I received a phone call from E*trade in Hong Kong informing me that my account is finally opened. If I remember correctly, I applied for it sometime in May or June and I heard from then a month ago asking me if I would still want them to process my application. I said yes, despite knowing that they have amended their policy. Oh well, perhaps I'd purchase some stocks or something.

I guess it's just awful timing on my part to be caught in a policy change. However, until now, I am not sure if the current account holders would still be able to use their accounts like normal or if their accounts will be migrated to the Hong Kong administration.

What I do know is that we, the new account holders, will not be issued with a debit card. So this effectively makes my account redundant. We'll just have to see....

The Hong Kong lady asked me if I wanted the bank account details over the phone, I said I'd rather just wait for the letters to arrive. It's not easy to understand Hong Kong English. I almost told her to speak to me in Cantonese already :-) Anyway, although the account is opened and I would be having my account details next week, I don't feel elated at all. No thanks to the policy change. *sigh*

The Poker Tables Are Here!!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that my friend has placed an order for two poker tables. Well, there arrived and have been installed in the games room of my friend's house. I am supposed to go over for a game of poker but I have got so much work to catch up on that I can't possibly move my butt over to him house. Such is life.

However, I told them to set up a webcam on the table so that I can view their games over here while I work and miss my game of poker. Yes, it will be distracting, it will be torture. BUT it will make me complete my work on Friday next week so that I can go over on the weekend!

How Effective Is Hydroxycut?

My sister has migrated to America for five and a half years already and she noticed one thing. There are far too many Americans who are overweight. When she first moved there, she had this fear that she would also grow fat because she thought it must be the diet of the Americans that is making them fat. Well, it could be that or it could be due to lack of exercise.

My sister told me that now, there is a very popular supplement called hydroxycut that many of her colleagues are taking. This product is also heavily advertised and she could see it on popular time on TV.

According to the manufacturers, hydroxycut is a nutritional supplement that helps people lose weight fast and effectively. How effective, I am not about to find out because thank god I do not need them!

A Heartwarming eBay Story

I have read so many negative stories about eBay especially Nigerian scams and fraud that happen almost everyday that it is disheartening to be a Seller. And not only are all these negatives disheartening, they re also driving away Buyers and hurting the business of genuine Sellers.

While some people argue that Buyers who are not greedy would not be a scam victim I say that if there are no scammers setting traps all over the internet, there would be no victims and hence, everyone would be happy.

It is with delight that I read this heartwarming story that happened on eBay that a young man sold himself for the weekend and the winning bidder turned out to be a very good lady who took care of him like her own son.

I dare not imagine what would happen if this had happened in Malaysia. I am quite sure that a pimp would have won the bid and sold off his purchase into prostitution.

So boys and girls, never try this "at home"! To read the full story, check this news article!

August: A Month Of Fashionable Gifts

August is really a bad month for me. This is the month that I will have to spend too much money on gifts as my father and brother will both be having their birthdays in August, not forgetting a few of my past and present colleagues and also the mother of my good friend. There are easily ten sets of gifts that I have to buy. I hope that none of my future friends will celebrate their birthdays in August!

Going over budget on gifts is only part of the problem. The other part is to figure out WHAT to give. I usually solve this by thinking up something and then get everyone a gift from this theme. In the past, I have given gift vouchers and domestic travel packages, books and media and even cheap jewelry.

This year, after reading the Belisi Fashions Press Page on Belsi's fashion blog, Being Belisi, I am inspired to get each one of them birthday boys and girls designer fashion wear.

Men's clothing is quite tough because there's not much flexibility. Safe bets are neckties and cuff links. These two are evergreen gifts that never go out of style. Now I just have to figure out the colors for the ties!

Getting gifts for the ladies is a whole lot easier. I could either get silk scarves, leather purses and handbags or fashion accessories. However, I don't think I would get them women's clothing because they may find it troublesome to get an exchange should the clothes not fit well!

I got some ideas by reading The Divas Dreams, a blog by Belisi for independent and talented women. I think the birthday boys and girls will be in for a pleasant surprise this year!

Spend More With Coupons

I read an article in a recent issue of Money Magazine. According to the article, shoppers who shop with coupons tend to spend 8% more than those who shop without coupons. I don't know about you but I know I do buy more when I know that I have saved some money from an earlier purchase. However, I don't think I spent up to 8% more.

Of course this is good news to merchants. If you have an online store, perhaps you would want to offer discount coupons to shoppers. Stores with discount coupons or free shipping tend to receive a higher percentage of shoppers who would spend in the store, because psychologically, they really think that they have saved money. Indeed they have but they just used whatever they saved on another item, which they did not intend to purchase in the first place. Thus, they unwittingly spent more money IN YOUR STORE.

If you offer coupons on your products, no longer do you market your store, but your coupons. Shoppers will flock to your store like bees to honey if your deal is attractive enough!

Off To Orlando Again

My sister just called me up to let me know that she has booked a vacation to Orlando, Florida and my only reaction was, "AGAIN??" You see, she has been to Orlando for a vacation for almost ten times now for the past couple of years. I did ask her if she would ever get bored with the city but she said that the attractions change so fast there is no chance to get bored at all.

Moreover, she found an orlando discount hotel this time through Orlando.com and according to her, it is a deal too hard resist.

My sister told me that Orlando.com comes with an in-house Orlando travel guide who knows the ins and outs of the place so she could get her travel tips easily.

With a deal offered by Orlando.com, I too would be packing my bags as soon as possible!

eBay Education Specialist

A couple of days ago, I noticed that a few Malaysians are now eBay Education Specialists. So I went to check out the programme at the eBay University and it looks like it is now open to Malaysians. The programme is only US$149 but it is only open to eBayers who meet the following criteria:

1. Have been registered with eBay for 90 days or more
2. Be a seller in good standing on eBay with a minimum of 30 feedback
3. At least 15 feedback must be from selling items

I meet them all but I am too lazy to study. However, I think that even if you do not want to "cari makan" with the certificate, the knowledge gained will be invaluable to your own eBay sales.

Anyway, I don't see the point why there should be so many Education Specialists in small Malaysia so I think that opening up the program to us is not that important. It is much more important to open up PayPal to us. Having said that, with so many Education Specialists, the value will drop and if they decide to conduct classes, no longer can they charge over a thousand dollars for a few hours.

For those who are interested, you may check out the

The Law Of Attraction Home Study Course

I read a recent article that many people have failed to find success in life. This is a reality of life and statistics show that up to 85% of us are in debt because of failing to achieve what we want.

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post on the DVD called "The Secret". I was told that some people still failed to find the path to success after watching it. With this in mind, born the Law of attraction videos. This is a home study course which has detailed instructions on what to do to find success in life by setting goals and meeting them. It does not matter what our goals are because the same principles apply.

Personally, I have also watched many self-help videos and read many books on this topic but frankly, there have been times when I felt that I have wasted money buying them because I could hardly implement what I have read into my life. The requirements needed to achieve my goals were rather unrealistic.

I read that The Law of Attraction videos have way simpler instructions on goal identification and address the problems that may have impeded our success all these while in easy to understand video presentations.

Before I go further, this home study course that comes with three hours of videos and other bonuses is $47. The good news is that you can claim a refund if you do not see any results within six weeks. This guarantee shows that they are very confident that their course WILL make a difference to your life.

Also, I would like to mention that should you enroll in this course by 30th August, 2007, you will be eligible for a free upgrade to Gold membership status at http://subliminal-audios-and-videos.com/

This course really sounds interesting. Would you like to try it?

PayPal: Limited Account Access Appeal Denied

Today, I received an email from "PayPal" that says that they are going to terminate our relationship because my business is too risky. You see, I have received so many kinds of phishing emails that I do not open them but to straight away log into my PayPal (or eBay) account as soon as possible to see if everything is in order.

However, with this email with such a subject title, I really needed to open to check out the contents. Click on the image to enlarge. Look at the link. It looks legitimate, though I am not going to try clicking on it!

What do you think??

Study To Be A Massage Therapist

I remember a long time ago when we graduated from high school, a friend of mine wanted to join the healthcare workforce. There was only one school for her to attend. On the other hand, people are luckier now in the sense that there are so many higher learning institutes that one could study in now.

I came across a website that is rather comprehensive in their listing of health care, medical and dental schools. These are accredited higher learning institutes where one could obtain degree training in these fields.

I was rather surprised that one could study to be a massage therapist now. I am surprised twice over to learn that there are more than eighty different massages! I certainly never heard of a school that offers this course back then, let alone eighty different massages, or I would have enrolled!

If you have such an ambition to serve the people, then you should check out Guide To Healthcare Schools. There are so many schools offering degree training in healthcare that you can be sure the information is readily available on the website. Compare all the programs first and ask yourself if you want to serve people before you make a decision.

The Birth of LilaGuide.com

While surfing the internet just now, I came across a new community site that is specially catered to American parents. I have a couple of friends who live in the United States and they just had a newborn baby so this site would be perfect for them.

Members of LilaGuide have formed local communities to share and provide information on all things baby like where to buy the best baby products like strollers and highchairs, baby fashion, pediatrician and many more.

Members also provide support to new parents on baby care and breastfeeding among others. Being a new parent can be daunting but with the help and support of parents who have been there done that is very reassuring.

Although I am not a mother, I checked out the site and what I like is that mothers get to review the latest baby products and other members can vote for the product too. This ensures that fellow members make an informed purchase or possibly avoid it.

If you are an American mom or dad, do check out LilaGuide. I think you should register yourself too!

The True Colloidal Silver

After reading my blog post on colloidal silver not too long ago, a reader of mine bought a bottle to try it out. She said that it is tasteless like water, after all, true colloidal silver is made up of only pure water and pure silver. That means, she could not taste the silver particles :-)

My reader told me that taking colloidal silver regularly as a supplement, she noticed that she no longer suffers from minor ailments now and then like she used to. Also, she was surprised that colloidal silver could fight the flu bug too.

She read my post about Mesosilver, the true colloidal silver and said that this was what she got. Why would she spend money on some other colloidal silver that is not effective at all? Also, before taking colloidal silver, she made sure that she read as much as she could on the product on the internet. She said that she is lucky she does not suffer from allergy to silver and could reap the full benefits of true colloidal silver.

She was happy that she first heard about colloidal silver from me.

Modern Furniture Online

I told my friend that I was looking for furniture to set up my small office and he asked if I will be buying online or from a local furniture retailer. I told him that I have visited quite a few local shops in my area but could not find something that I fancy.

He said that he has been shopping for furniture online and one of his favorite online furniture stores is A2Z Home Center. According to my friend, the modern furniture offered here really suit his taste and he has no problem with his orders before. Moreover, prices are very attractive and his orders are always ship fast. This is due to the fact that they are in stock in their New Jersey branch.

What sets them apart is that they only charge a flat shipping rate to anywhere across the United States no matter what order size. This means that the more the buyer buys, the more he saves.

I checked out A2Z Home Center just now and I must say I find their designs really contemporary and eye catching. I wish I could get them for my home too.

Shopping In The United Kingdom

My cousin just returned from a shopping trip to Manchester. I was surprised that she has to go to Manchester when she lives and work in London and I thought that London has everything. However, my cousin told me that only Manchester has Top Shop Shoes and Virgin Brides stores. What a surprise that was! She put up at a Manchester hotel for one night only, though, because she was not able to take time off work.

My cousin told me that she will be making a shopping trip to Birmingham later this year but plans to stay longer. She is currently checking for cheap accommodation at a Birmingham hotel.

I read that Birmingham has a shopping centre called Bullring with more than 160 shops to buy from. What a lucky devil she is!

My cousin said that I could join her too but stop at London for a vacation first. London is a shopping haven as well where international tourists flock to shop! Unfortunately, my cousin told me that I would have to put up at a London hotel as she has no place for me at her studio apartment. Bah!

Information On Debt Relief and Credit Card Consolidation

It is very surprising that consumer debt is reaching higher levels than before. Perhaps it is due to all the easy credit card applications and approval and also the ease in applying for loans even though a person may not be able to service it on a monthly schedule. We all know that when we default in repayment, our interest will snowball.

Personally, when I have easy access to cash on my credit card, I have the urge to charge my card without a second thought. I have caught myself many times trying to LOOK for something to BUY. Thankfully, I still have that little bit of control over myself and now I try to restrict myself to using my debit card when I want to shop.

Many of my friends are in debt, unfortunately. Do not be surprised that nowadays, younger people are the ones bogged down by debts. Some of the smart ones seek debt relief solutions.

There are a few options for debt relief, of course, and the most common ones in the case of my friends is to get credit card consolidation. Ironically, most got into debt due to credit card charges!

I must say that due to the wealth of information on debt relief and debt consolidation readily available on the internet, many people who are in debt can seek out options and take the route most suitable for them to get out of debt.

The Internet Pet Emporium

As the owner of two pet dogs, I can't help myself from searching for pet supplies and accessories for them. They are already 12.5 years old and I figured that I can only pamper them so much longer.

The other day, I went to my local pet supplies store to look for dog stairs. You see, my dogs are senior dogs and one is suffering from arthritis. They are not as agile as before and being indoor pets, they have naturally claimed the settee as their own but it is pitiful to see that they can't hop up on it as they used to.

I read that pet stairs would help them but unfortunately, these are too advanced for the pet supplies store in my cow town. I had to search for it online and found that they are available on the Internet Pet Emporium.

The Internet Pet Emporium is dogs and cats. I was definitely surprised that they even have pet strollers! Can you imagine the look of surprise when people on the street find out that it's a dog or a cat in the stroller and not a baby? That would be really funny.

Anyway, I would have to discuss with the family which dog stairs to get since there are three to choose from!

Losing Business Due to Technology

A couple of nights ago, I went to a shop as I wanted to buy something. I reached the shop at 8.30pm as I thought that they are closing at 9pm but little did I know that they open up till 8pm only, which is very early. I specifically went there to buy something as they were having a sale for three days from 3pm onwards.

When I reached the shop, it was already closed but there were plenty of staff inside, maybe they were wrapping up the days' earnings.

So I called them on the phone and told them I wanted to buy something and asked if they could open up for me. They said they can't because the cashier is already closed and to come another day.

You see, back in the old days, a customer is a customer no matter what time he turned up and a transaction would have been done. Everything was done manually and receipts were issued by hand. There was no such thing as the cashier closing because the boss was the cashier!

But now that business is more advanced and everything is done electronically, they can't even do business once the cashier is closed for the day. Where is the logic?

Unique Animal Jewelry

While searching for wholesale jewelry supplier, I stumbled upon a very unique online store just now. This store only sells animal jewelry. By animal jewelry, I do not mean jewelry FOR animals but the jewelry were crafted in the shape of animals. ALL SPECIES OF ANIMALS. I was impressed to say the least.

I checked their index and oh my, they do have items for ALL animals in the animal kingdom, from the smallest animals to the largest and insects and bugs too.

If I told you that they have almost everything for these animals, you would not believe me until you check the store out for yourself. Do you know, they even have a small rubber stamp of a fly! I wonder if there are buyers for this or not, though!

The Reception Of Diamond Jewelry Online

Just now, I was surfing the internet when I came across an online jewelry discount house. The jewelry pieces are simply dazzling and the prices are reasonable too. I wonder if the jewelry would be well received in Malaysian online market because they offer wholesale prices if we buy in bulk and it would be awesome if I could expand my business to include jewelry besides lingerie.

According to the website, there is a difference between discount, wholesale and clearance jewelry. I did n even know that. I always thought that these three means LOW prices. But now that I know the difference, I would certainly pay attention to this the next time I buy jewelry.

A Game of Poker Or Two

My friend invited me to his house next weekend because he has ordered two poker tables that are expected to arrive within the week and he intends to install them in games room of his house.

I am very excited because I can finally get together with the guys after such a long time and to play poker too! I have been trying to learn to play a mean game of poker but haven't found success. Nobody wants to teach me because they think it's not appropriate for a girl to play poker.

Well, there ARE professional poker players who are female. Anyway, I hope the invitation to play poker is the regular poker game and not strip poker. Bah!

Selling Handcrafted Jewelry Online

The other day, I wrote about handcrafted mod jewelry that my friend makes and then sell online. Well, I am happy to say that her business is flourishing. When she first started making them, she wasn't sure if there were anyone who would be interested since she has to sell them a little more expensive than costume jewelry from the shopping mall.

I encouraged her and told her that since these are handcrafted and no two pieces will ever be the same, people who are looking for a touch of uniqueness in their jewelry would appreciate the beauty of her creation. True enough that there are buyers for them. Of course, the business started slow but then she's doing well now. If you have a skill like hers, perhaps you would like to try making your own jewelry.

Children Need Insurance Too

Yesterday, I went out to yumcha with my insurance agent friend to ask him more about term life insurance. He told me the various insurance that he sells and I was surprised that there is something called children insurance. I did not know that even children could have their own insurance, unless it is for education.

Come to think of it, I remember my cousin sister buying insurance for her children when they were only toddlers but I do not know what sort of insurance that was. I would ask her but unfortunately she is not around anymore.

I am not even sure if the husband is still paying for the insurance or not. It’s a pity if he isn’t.

Message From An Old Friend

Just now, out of the blue, I received a message from an old friend. He found me again through my blog. He said that he has relocated to Branson Missouri due to work, I was surprised as he was always complaining how bad his job is and how sick he is of office politics and back stabbing but I am glad that rose above all that and performed well enough that the company decided to promote him and sent him to Missouri where the headquarters is.

I guess now he has no cause to complain anymore since his family is there with him and he is drawing an expatriate salary. I am glad to see how far he has come considering that he almost quit his job last year. Way to go!

PayPal Required

Well, I've got news that PayPal is required by Sellers who are listing on selected categories on eBay UK. This is because for those categories, the Seller has to offer PayPal as the only payment mode or a payment mode along with other approved payment options.

According to eBay, this is to help reduce fraud cases and to protect both the buying and selling parties.

The categories are as follows:
Video Games
Health & Beauty
PayPal will need to be the only payment method on sales in the following category.

Video Games: Consoles
If you would like to sell in the categories affected, please sign up for a PayPal account if you do not already have one.

I am not sure if doing so would reduce fraud cases when PayPal is not the safest mode of payment for some people. Many people are nervous using PayPal no thanks to the sucky website. People have been advised not to keep too much money in their PayPal accounts and that is said with a reason.

What Type Of Blinds To Get

A couple of days ago, I was at the interior decorators as I wanted to spruce up my bedroom. I wanted to get some blinds but could not decide if I should get wood blinds, cellular shades or even faux wood blinds.

I asked the sales lady but she said it's all up to me. Duh! I could not decide and I needed a third party opinion on which is better but then she said that I should get one that matches the overall look of the room.

Oh well, I need to get a new coat of paint and a some furniture like a desk and cabinets and also curtains so perhaps blinds shopping should be the last item on my To Do list?

Saving For A Housewarming Gift

I have been invited to my friend's housewarming party at the end of next month. Actually, I received the invitation some time back and since then, I have been thinking what I should get him. I was told that I need to get something for the home and not a personal gift so I thought that I'd get either Berndes cookware or some decorative items.

Which is better? I believe the cookware will cause a larger dent on my budget, but I really would like to give something that they can use for a long time and Berndes is a very popular brand name in Germany.

I guess I will have to start saving now!

Where To Look For A Personal Injury Attorney

Often times, when we need help information on something, we have to depend on family, friends and co-workers, but now that there is the internet, I tend to turn to the World Wide Web more often than not.

A couple of days ago, I was looking for information on behalf of a friend on engaging a personal injury attorney and I came across An Attorney For You. This is a non commercial consumer service website which matches the client with the right personal injury attorney.

You see, my friend is new in town and has no one to turn to. He also does not have contacts with any attorney who could recommend a good personal injury attorney so I suggested that we look for the attorney online.

It is fortunate that I came across the services of An Attorney For You. Just by filling out the simple form on the site, the personal injury victim will be contacted by personal injury attorneys competing for the case. This will also help to keep the cost down when there is competition among the firms.

If you know of anyone who requires the services of a personal injury attorney, you should tell him about An Attorney For You. The site helps him to reach out to the right attorney.

Relationship Between Supplier and Seller

The other day, I was randomly browsing the various popular auction marketplaces and I noticed a trend in replica products. People are willing to pay the price for it because it is a fraction of the price of a brand name item. While some people are not comfortable with replica products, there are thousands more who prefer to wear replica products like watches and sunglasses because they are cheap yet they can look smart and keep up with the fashion trend.

I noticed quite a number of Sellers who sell replica shades and I believe that they bought these wholesale sunglasses at a very competitive price because they could sell at a lower than normal price and yet make a tidy profit.

In business, no matter if it is a small or large business concern, our source of products is very important. We need the products to be cheap yet of good quality and most of all, we need a honest and reliable supplier. And once we have struck a relationship with our supplier, we could then focus our energy into building our buyer database while our supplier keeps feeding new designs to beef up our inventory. Having fresh products at regular intervals is important to keep the interest of our buyers. Don't you think so?

YAZZII’s Total Storage Solutions

Well, last night, I was searching for jewelry or watch as a gift for my friend but I found that I was actually out of budget. So I thought I'd look for small organizers for her jewelry. It would be a gift she needs because she is one of the most disorganized persons I ever met.

I chanced upon the online store of YAZZII, a company that provides Jewelery Storage solutions. I find that they have very innovative ideas for their vast array of storage solutions not only for jewelry but also arts and crafts. You know, those small objects that crafters always have lying around sure would be better if they have their own little storage place.

According to the website of YAZZII, the designers work closely with crafters so they do know what crafters actually want in their storage solutions. Apart from storage for jewelry and craft items, YAZZII also has products for make-up and baby items.

I think these make great gifts because they are lovely and they are very practical. Most important of all, they are not too expensive!

Radiux Online Yellow Pages

Do you remember the days of flipping through a thick Yellow Pages directory? Well, that seems to be history already because I don’t even have it at home anymore. Nowadays, whenever I want to search for information, I rather use the Internet Yellow Pages as it is so much more convenient. However, due to the ease of listing in such directories, many entries are not verified and that makes it a waste of time for the information seeker.

Last night, I came upon Radiux Online Yellow Pages which has a listing of almost 14 million US businesses and enterprises and to be listed, the company has to provide a valid US phone number. This helps to eliminate fake listings.

What's great about this online yellow pages is that once a suitable company is found, we can dial the number directly from the website by just clicking on a button. I did not try calling though!

It looks like many enterprises have already benefited from listing in this free online yellow pages based on the speed the website climbed in website popularity. If you are seeking information on a US business, you should search for it on Radiux first. It is more probably listed here.

NoFollow

My friend read my post on No More Free Buzzes and gave me a tip. He said that next time, when I am mentioning a company for free I should place the "nofollow" code. He doesn't see why I must provide free links to ungrateful people, people who don't even have the decency to acknowledge my deed let alone say thank you.

By placing "no follow", I could write and share whatever I like with my readers without sharing link juice to the link owner.

My friend should know. He owns the most comprehensive online directory for Malaysian commercial websites, organizations and governmental bodies and he told me that all how opted for free listing have the nofollow attribute while those who paid for premium listing does not.

Personally, I think this is a good idea. I may just implement it.

New Generation Shopping Comparison Site

As someone who runs an online store, I advocate online shopping for its convenience and I do shop online regularly as well. While I think that I could save quite a hefty amount by shopping online and using coupon codes, I still believe that a smart shopper would do comparison shopping before making a purchase.

Just now, while looking for Jewelry and Watches, these are great as gifts, by the way, I chanced upon a new generation comparison shopping site called Shogging.com

This is not your usual comparison shopping site because apart from the ability to compare prices on a million and one items it has its very own shopping blog for every item where members can post on. No longer is a short review sufficient. We now need a dedicated blog!

If you are thinking of making an online purchase, do check out Shogging.com first. There are many special offers and deals, you just need to hover your cursor over the link. This makes it so much easier to compare and shop, without having to make extra mouse clicks!

Although there are many items listed, browsing through the site is fairly easy and the search engine is efficient too. Once you have used Shogging.com, you would wonder why other comparison sites never thought of these features.