One of the best ways that we can get our image across to our customers is in the uniforms that we wear.  If you think of a restaurant, each person has the brand on their uniform, while at the same time the uniform allows the customer to know what our role is within the business. We take this for granted, but our customers expect it. At the restaurant, what the host is wearing immediately tells the customer what they do and what type of restaurant this will be. This goes for the chef as well whose chef shirt is critical. We all look back at the kitchen and asses the professionalism of the chef. I found a solid company that can produce these uniforms for us at www.iDbyLandau.com. Look at the chef jackets and you will see that the iD0104 projects a different statement than the equally nice iD0131. Take a look at these chef coats again, you see the difference in image and branding. You need to take the time to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. iD by Landau has put together a great site with nice images to make a sound buying decision. I appreciate the way they use models so I can get a real life idea of what my restaurant will look like. iD by Landau also has many other uniform styles to shop for. They create uniforms for small businesses, Spa’s, hotels plus they can help you withe your Logo and monogram needs! I love a site that is so laser focused. This is where business needs to be!

Traditional advertising is continuing to take a back seat to Internet marketing. Just think of the millions of English speaking people who connect to the Internet everyday to explore, learn, shop etc. If you want to get your message across in a meaningful way, it will take a professional firm to help you with web and graphic design. I found a solid portland web design firm named at www.cyphondesign.com. This firm is best known for its portland web design services working with major companies like Intel. They have a long list of Portland, OR companies that have benefited from their expertise and up to date knowledge of all the new technologies in web and graphic design. Look at their portfolio in their portland web design solutions and you will see some very professionally made designs that have helped Porland, OR companies get their message out. Other companies such as Movidis, Firefly Technologies and Strategic Contact have all used this portland website design firm to maximize their marketing efforts. They offer a multitude of services in website design including: branding, animations, flash sites, shockwave and application integration. With graphic design, they offer solutions for brochures, packaging, logos, annual reports and books. This is the kind a firm a business needs so that they can focus on their core business and let the experts take care of the technology and graphic design. Plus, this is a very easy website to use that is laid out well and easily communicates what their expertise is. Basically, Cyphon offers affordable, professional, high quality web and graphic design to any type of business be it for profit or not. Any Portland, OR firm must look at the premier design firm: Cyphon Design

Now I see that even car dealerships can get involved. The FordStory site explains how Sunrise Ford in Florida has put on over 100 solar cells on their roof to trap the suns energy and power the huge dealership. They have an ongoing monitor display to show just how much power they are producing. Even the cells themselves are from 75% recycled goods! Sometimes its hard to think a car dealer would ever have anything but sales on their mind. However, these guys have taken the initiative to show what they can do for the environment. The video clip goes on to show how the recycle the huge amounts of paper and the plastic cups everyday. Its stories like these that we need to here. We all need a break from the news and see that the world is still moving no matter how the Dow closed today or which bank failed. It is still up to each one of us to take the initiative to create work and to create a better more Green workplace. Wow, good for Ford. Not only are they not taking the stimulus money, they are also moving forward with technology that will truly separate them from all the other car makers that will soon mire in the mud!

Our family is huge on crafts these days for entertainment. Its fun and educational. We are starting out with clay projects and we need all kinds of supplies like lead free glaze pencils. We found AMACO/Brent to be the finest and most professional site to use for the unique craft supplies. For example, they make 572 different liquid glazes for both professionals and families like mine. They are then broken out for easy shopping, into categories like low and high fire glazes, under glazes and over glazes. I really like the photography they use on this site to give a good graphic detail of the items they sell. Our children like the variety of glaze chalk they have for sale. They come in delightful pastels and hues that the kids love, especially for spring! Take a look at the example image on the glaze chalk page to see what you can create with these colors. It is titled, “Our First House” which gives some idea of just how these colors stand out. Our favorite tab is the Kids and Crafts page, where you learn that they also produce modeling clay and magic mud which our children just cannot get enough of. You may be interested in downloading there 2009 catalog to get an even better idea of what they sell. I found the site to be very easy to use, with all sorts of links to more information on neighborhood clinics with a great help staff when needed. 90 years from experience speaks for itself!

I have friends who are considering a corporate move to the United Kingdom. Its hard to believe, but yes there are plenty of jobs in the world and they still need top talent and will pay to move them overseas. One of the issues that they must think about is affordable car insurance. Your local carrier in the US is probably not licensed in the UK and would it not be nice to find affordable insurance from those who know what they are talking about? The family will need specifically Van Insurance because unlike the US, they really do not drive too many SUV’s over there. The streets are much smaller and not as wide.

At www.autonetinsurance.co.uk/ they have the solutions to this problem. You can save up to 70% on your van insurance and with one click you can get a quote. What is more, you can get quotes on pet insurance, motorcycle, business, travel and caravan insurance. For us on this side of the pond, caravan insurance is RV insurance. What I love about this company is that if you find a better deal with the same level of coverages, you will get your money back. They shop 40 carrier to make sure of it. That is what shopping on the Internet is all about and few companies seem to meet this demand. Thank you www.autonetinsurance.co.uk for doing so! Further, their site is very easy to use and navigate. Just click on the type of insurance you need, click on give me an online quote or call their phone number, enter your information and receive your quote.