5 Basic Total Gym Exercises to Get You Started
January 28, 2012 | 
Author 
Purchasing a Total Gym can be one of the best buys of your life. However, deciding how to get started with your Total Gym exercises can be a bit tough. Spending just fifteen to twenty minutes per day three to four times per week with your new Total Gym will help you begin to see the results you desire from this product. You will find you have a new energy and a new patience with exercising. Most models offer more than sixty possible exercise combinations to get you started. The included exercise video and booklet can help you develop a program with your equipment to get started. You might also try some of these exercises.
Total Gym Exercises – Combos to Get You Moving
1. To focus on your lower abs, upper back, and lower back, try a twister. This exercise starts by sitting at the top of the board, pulley in hand. Using both arms at your maximum level of resistance, pull from one side to the other. Repeat ten times.
2. To focus on your shoulders, upper back, triceps, and lower abs, try an arm pullover. Lying on your board with your knees pulled to your lower body, grab the pulley with both hands. Pull yourself toward the top of the board. Repeat this exercise ten times.
3. To focus on your calves, hamstrings, lower abs, and upper abs, try a leg pull. Lay at the bottom of the board with your legs toward the top. Hook your legs in the pulley, and using only your leg muscles, pull yourself toward the top of the machine. Repeat this exercise ten times.
4. To focus on your upper back, trapezius, and biceps, try an seated row. Begin this exercise by sitting at the top of your board, your arms locked into the pulleys. Pull your entire body, using your arms, toward the top of the machine. Repeat this exercise ten times.
5. Start by sitting at the bottom of the board facing the top of the machine with your legs straight on the board. Grab the handles and let gravity pull your hands toward the bottom of your body. Slowly sit up, all the while maintaining the curve in your lower back. Repeat this ten to fifteen times.
Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Burns added Calories?
There is considerable controversy these days on whether a treadmill or an elliptical trainer burns more calories. Treadmills and ellipticals are the #1 and #2 most popular selling fitness equipment.
Many dedicated treadmill users are switching to elliptical trainers. The appeal is the low impact, upper and lower body workout. Although treadmills still outsell elliptical trainers. The reason being, the most common form of exercising is walking and jogging.
In my research, I came across a number of reports and studies, and in general, it appears that both machines give comparable results in burning calories. In fact, using a calorie burn calculator on http://www.healthstatus.com, I found that a workout on an elliptical gives you the same results as running on a treadmill, but you burn fewer calories if you walk or jog on a treadmill.
Calories burned in 60 minutes by a 150 lbs. user:
Walking, 2 mph – 189
Walking, 3 mph – 297
Jogging – 477
Running, 7 mph – 783
Elliptical Trainer – 774
There was a basic flaw to the results, since it allowed you to compare calories burned at different levels of exertion on the treadmill, but not on the elliptical trainer. Often I see people working out on an elliptical at health clubs, and they are basically going through the motions. The calories they burn are no more than what you would achieve from a casual walk.
So which machine is better at burning calories?
It depends on which machine will motivate you the most and push you to the highest level of exertion.
If you are a devoted walker or runner then the treadmill is an obvious choice. The treadmill offers you a more forgiving surface in comparison to asphalt or concrete. It provides you with various programs that can add variety to your exercise. But to get results you need to crank up the speed and/or incline. Without pushing yourself, you will limit the number of calories you burn.
As mentioned, the elliptical trainer is growing in popularity due to the low impact, and combined upper and lower body workout. Since the machine moves in an elliptical motion and your feet never leave the pedals, it minimizes the impact and strain to your ankles, knees and back. This is an appeal feature to the aging baby boomer generation.
In addition, an elliptical trainer workouts both the upper and lower body simultaneously. The upper and lower body exercise utilizes the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps. Studies suggest that exercising numerous muscle groups increases fat burning efficiency. The larger the muscle mass involved in an exercise, the more effective that exercise is for improving fat mobilization, burning calories and building muscle endurance in an efficient period of time.
This would suggest that an elliptical trainer would burn more calories, but there is no denying that running also efficiently burns calories.
So which machine should you purchase?
If your joints are suffering from strain or just old age, and if you would like to exercise your upper body, the elliptical trainer is a good choice. For walkers, joggers or runners you can’t go wrong with a treadmill.
In either case, to burn calories you need to exert yourself. Both machines offer a variety of challenging program. Most now come equipped with an “Interval Training” program. You alternate between high-level exertion and cool down periods. This type of training burns calories more efficiently in less time. With proper supervision from your doctor, try to push yourself to new limits.
I’m sorry I did not offer a definitive answer. It really is up to you to find the machine that best suites your needs, and will help you achieve your personal best.
Posted in Equipment Articles | 
Tags: Calories, Detector, Elliptical, Treadmill, Twelve | 
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Stihl Chainsaw Prices – The Truth About Stihl Chainsaw Prices
Price is a big consideration when purchasing a chainsaw especially for a first time or part-time user. Stihl chainsaw prices may scare a few non-professionals off but that’s only because they are looking at the wrong models. One of the biggest mistakes newcomers make is to head for the heavy duty section and look at the biggest and most powerful machines on the market. Why? If you are intending to use it spasmodically then why not consider heading to the other end of the spectrum and looking at the smaller machines.
For use around the home, the smaller machines are extremely effective in fact, don’t let size put you off. For example, Stihl’s new MS 192 C-E model is ideal for the work-at-homer. It features the advanced easy-to-start system and is comfortable for just about anyone to operate.
Comparing Stihl chainsaw prices – at around $300, the MS 192 is ideally priced for someone not really hell bent on making a living with a chainsaw. Compare $300 to over $1500 for the top of the line models and you can quickly get a guage on the difference between between the lightweight and heavyweight models.
Stihl Electric Chainsaws
One of the best pieces of advice a newcomer can get is to compare the electric chainsaws against the noisier, more expensive gas-powered models. The ideal situation is have have both electric and gas-powered but consider how much use you are going to put your new saw to and you may find an electric model under $100 may just be the ticket.
Don’t worry though, while these electric models may be priced low, they have the necessary capability to perform well on minor jobs around the house. If you’re comparing Stihl chainsaw prices, then buying a Stihl electric is stepping up a level again. While you’ll be parting with anything up to four times the price you would for an electric saw at one of the main department stores, the Stihl models such as the MSE 220 are loaded with extra features.
What you need to decide is it could be more cost effective to purchase a good gas-powered model for the price you would outlay to buy the top electric model on the market.
How to Start A House Cleaning Business In 7 Simple Steps
One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it’s a blessing to make money doing something they love. I’m not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn’t hate it.
How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.
Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.
1) Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.
Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won’t do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.
2) Pricing your housecleaning service.
To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.
3) Workout startup costs.
For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.
Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).
Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.
Once you’ve gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.
4) Name your business.
Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, ‘Maid Brigade’, ‘All Shine Cleaning’, ‘White Glove Cleaning Service’. Please avoid using ‘Your Name Cleaning Services’. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.
5) Learn the zoning regulations of your community.
Check the city clerk’s Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.
6) Do a few free cleaning jobs.
Well you’re not actually doing them for free. You’re doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.
7) Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.
Tell everyone you know that you’ve started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.
This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.
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You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. fayolap@yahoo.com
How to Perform Radio Alignment
Radio alignment for the superheterodyne radios has always been a great ambiguity for even technicians in the television and radio fields. This has even been more mysterious than the other servicing procedures that they have encountered. For people, when it comes to finding the repair shop that is capable of knowing how to perform the job can be quite impossible. This is true even when these shops have the proper equipment. Many years before, radio alignment is not something that is viewed as very important but when television and FM became huge hits, its significance became vital. Still, most of the shops today have two reasons why they do not know how to properly align radio systems. First is that they ignore this procedure and the other is that they look for another person who knows how to perform this job.
FM as well as television alignment will require you to remove frequency signal generators along with the oscilloscopes in order for you to do the job properly. However, you may be aware of the fact that even those that are considered as a complicated AM radio is capable of being aligned with a precise normal signal generator. Remember that it is important for you to find an accurate signal generator. Most of these things today are not that correct but they are almost close. If you want to make this job a success, you will have to find one that is appropriate for your task. Most people align the IF stages or the immediate frequency by means of setting the dial of the generator to certain numbers like 455, 456 or even 460. Later, they will have to max out the IF stages. Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that the actual IF frequency is something that is not really critical. However, RF alignment is very important.
RF alignment unlike the IF had been done by making use of broadcast stations rather than the generator. One would never know that the stages of immediate frequency can be higher than what it is actually designed fro. For instance, you have one that is designed for 456 kHz. This can actually be 461 kHz. Many professionals that are keen on radio alignment utilize different frequency standards so that they can calibrate their equipment. An example of this is the crystal controlled values and a station which uses a shortwave receiver. This will enable a person to check the alignment of the radio if it is done properly.
Another radio alignment method is much easier. You can employ the signal generator and set it to the preferred IF frequency. Then, you will have to use the audio modulation frequency which can be 10 kHz. Most of the signal generators that are used today contain an internal audio generator that can go up to 400 Hz. However, they are required to have an external audio signal as well. An audio oscillator will then be set at the preferred frequency and then it will be connected like the external resource. Remember that in radio alignment, you will need to keep the output of the signal generator down.
Checklist For Starting Your Janitorial Cleaning Business
So you’ve decided you’re ready to take the plunge and start your own janitorial cleaning business. You can succeed and have a profitable cleaning business if you take the time to plan out your business strategy before signing that first client.
The first step is to prepare a business plan. This does not have to be a long document, but should be fairly comprehensive and address the following points:
*The company name, address, phone number, owners/corporate officers and statement of purpose.
*Description of the business, products and services you intend to sell.
*The legal structure, business management, employees, support personnel, insurance and financial considerations.
*A look at your competition and your marketing plan.
*A three to five year financial plan with documentation including a cash flow worksheet, balance sheet, and income statement.
Put together a support team including an accountant, attorney and insurance agent. If you are not comfortable doing bookwork and administrative tasks you might want to also look for a part-time bookkeeper or virtual assistant who can help with these duties.
Other start up tasks include:
*After deciding on your business name do a trademark search and assumed name search to make sure the name is available. Most states have web sites that allow you to do an online search.
*Decide if you are going to work out of your home or lease office space.
*Apply for any necessary licenses, get your federal tax ID and file assumed name.
*Contact your local small business center and get a copy of your state’s small business start up guide. Each state has their own individual requirements and will have fact sheets or guidebooks that will indicate if there are specific licenses, permits or forms you need to file before starting your business.
*Open bank accounts in the business name.
*Obtain the appropriate insurances.
*If necessary, secure financing.
*Set up a system for accounting and payroll.
*Obtain business tools, computer, fax machine, and office supplies.
*Purchase cleaning equipment and supplies.
*Obtain a logo.
*Order or create your business stationary – business cards, letterhead and brochures.
*Have signage created.
*Create an operations and employee manual.
*Hire employees.
*Set a start date.
*Send out press releases.
*Join trade associations, the local chamber of commerce and local networking groups.
*Check on domain names and develop a website.
Begin marketing your business. Your business plan includes a marketing plan so use this as your guide. Your initial marketing may include direct mail pieces, ads in the local paper or radio, and perhaps a banner ad on a complimentary website. Think about developing alliances with other local businesses. Make sure that everyone you know realizes that you have a new business. Send out postcards or letters announcing your new business to friends, family and business acquaintances.
Have realistic goals for the first year of your business. Do not expect that clients will come knocking at your door. You have to convince prospective clients that you provide the services they need at an acceptable price. Once you have a few clients on board, get testimonials from them that you can use to convince other prospective clients that they need your services.
Starting your own cleaning business is a path you must be patient with, but can be extremely rewarding and profitable. Taking the time to plan, organize and understand your competition will help you to become aware of how your cleaning business can best serve the needs of businesses in the area. Taking the time to do things right before getting the first client on board will help to make sure your business is successful.
Posted in Equipment Articles | Tags: Business, Checklist, Cleaning, Janitorial, Starting | No Comments »
Temporary Staffing Agency – How to Start
The temporary staffing industry continues to expand, with yearly double-digit growth being commonplace. Companies find it convenient and cost-effective to work with a temporary staffing agency to fulfill unforeseen demand, fill short-term vacancies, and assist with changing workloads due to restructuring or mergers. Additionally, employers are enticed by the idea of “test driving” new employees to minimize risk and ensure a good match for permanent positions.
Many a job seeker has reaped great rewards from temporary staffing. Skilled but yet-inexperienced workers are able to get a foot in the door at prestigious companies, where a weak resume would have made it very difficult to be considered. Similarly, “drifters” (those who tend to rapidly drift from job to job) may be plagued by an overly-long resume. Temporary staffing services can be ideal for drifters, as they have the opportunity to work on short-term projects and move on without the negative repercussions. Retirees and college students are also very common candidates. A retired nurse may find enjoyment and extra income from a temporary medical staffing firm. A computer science major can gain valuable experience working with a technical agency.
Only a small number of personnel is required to handle recruiting and clientele. Even the largest international firms tend to function with small, mostly-independent branch offices serving specific regions. This modular structure means it is quite possible for a one-office temporary staffing agency to compete effectively with established firms.
Overall, the triple-benefit to clients, associates, and entrepreneurs has contributed to the phenomenal growth of the temporary staffing industry. Because of these advantages, it will remain an integral part of the employment process through good times and bad.
Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:
$5,000 to $25,000
The startup and operating costs of a temporary staffing agency are much lower than many other businesses. The basic requirements are a small office with the typical supplies, a computer system with general accounting software and database software for organizing contracts, and the people skills to work with clientele and associates. It would not be impossible to start a temporary staffing agency on a shoestring budget of a few thousand dollars.
The largest business expense is payroll. It is common for associates to be paid by the agency before the agency is paid by the client. An account must be maintained with sufficient funds to cover payroll costs until bills are paid by the clients.
It is difficult – but not impossible – to get help from venture capitalists in covering part of the costs of setting up a temporary staffing agency. A well-researched, forward-looking business plan is essential.
Pricing Guidelines for Service:
Associates are paid by the hour, and the agency covers its costs by charging a premium to the amount billed to the client. The exact amount of the premium differs from case to case and can vary from 5% to 50% or more. Some associates are willing to work for less and some clients are willing to pay more, which when properly matched can result in very decent profits for the temporary staffing agency. The contract usually spells out a flat fee to be paid to the agency in the event that a client decides to permanently hire an associate.
Advertising and Marketing:
A competitive hurdle for small startups is that larger agencies already have established reputations and brand recognition. This is actually a minor obstacle because of the localized nature of the business. It is not necessary to wage a national marketing war to gain exposure for a new agency. An inexpensive and well-directed marketing campaign can quickly build a valuable reputation within the local operating region of the startup.
Essential Equipment:
An office (perhaps a home office) should be equipped with the standard office supplies and at least two telephone lines.
At least one computer system with accounting software and a database for keeping track of projects is mandatory. A printer is used for printing invoices and job listings, and a high-speed Internet connection connects the agency with online job search sites.
Many temporary staffing services have computers with tutorial software available to help associates to train their keyboarding and basic office software skills. These computers are also used to test the skills of applicants.
Income Potential:
Many billions of dollars are spent on temporary staffing services each year. A small, single-office agency can earn profits in the tens of thousands of dollars. The large, international firms rake in millions every year.
Target Market:
A temporary staffing agency is the middleman between two distinct markets: clients and associates.
It is usually not a difficult matter to reach hundreds of applicants with simple help wanted advertisements. More focus will probably be placed on connecting with client companies and convincing them that your services will help their businesses.
Certain industries seem more receptive to temporary staffing. Financial institutions and other office-centric companies are constantly seeking qualified office support staff. Factories frequently need labor for light industrial work, product assembly, and shipping and receiving tasks. Hospitals and clinics use temporary medical staffing to hire transcriptionists, certified nursing professionals, and other support staff. Increasingly, high-technology companies hire computer programmers, database specialists, and systems engineers on a temporary basis through agencies specializing in technical placements.
Tips for Success:
Develop a niche!
In larger markets, providers of temporary staffing services have found it useful to branch into niches such as temporary medical staffing, legal, financial, or technical fields. The focused nature of these agencies allows recruiters to build a pool of highly-educated, trained, and experienced associates who are able to provide the best service to clients within a particular industry.
A hospital executive would feel more comfortable contracting nurses from an agency dedicated to temporary medical staffing than from a one-stop-shop that also places welders, janitors, and filing clerks. This confidence also helps associates to command better wages than they might otherwise receive through a general-service temporary staffing agency.
Automate!
Much of the work of running a temporary staffing agency can be automated by computer software. Well-designed database software can ease the process of matching qualified associates with appropriate job openings. Accounting operations can be very heavily automated (but working closely with a good accountant is still advised). With these tools in place, just two major tasks remain: finding clients and finding associates.
Use your own services!
As the business grows, it will become necessary to add staff to handle the recruitment and marketing. That should never be difficult, since typically dozens or hundreds of qualified candidates are already in contact with the agency!
Training, Skills or Experience Needed:
Recruiters are at an advantage with a background in human resources, business management, and marketing. A degree is not essential for starting the business, but the knowledge gained through a business management program is immensely helpful. People skills are important, and can be learned through experience and self study. Numerous books have been published, specifically addressing temporary staffing as a business opportunity.
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Starting a Coffee Shop – Equipment Needs
So you have decided on starting a coffee shop! Congratulations! In my coffee shop business plan package, I go into more detail regarding equipment but due to space here, I am only going to give you some basic ideas of what to consider when looking at your equipment needs.
First of all, do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy any used equipment unless you know the exact age, where it came from, who used it, and that maintenance records are verifiable. I am only referring to anything with a motor or compressor. Used sinks, tables, counters, etc are fine as long as they are in decent shape. All other equipment, be VERY careful!
Even if you get it from a friend, you might be assured by them that the equipment was maintained properly and often, however did they get it used and can they get that guarantee from whom they bought it from? And how old really is it?
As you may have guessed, I fell into this trap and had things breaking down when I did not expect it shortly after I opened my coffee shop. Yes even my espresso machine. I was in a bad spot then! Luckily I had access to a one group machine for backup and a local guy was able to fix the other fast but you may not be as lucky.
I eventually upgraded to mostly new equipment when, but this can be avoided by getting new equipment at the start. You will be glad you did it, trust me!
Equipment Needs
Cash register or POS computer? – A computer POS (point of sale) system is good there is no doubt about it. These are the ones that have the touch screen monitors and such. However, they are probably (and arguably) best for analyzing your sales and inventory only, and not much more. They do not speed up your customer line.
If you want one of these guys, be prepared to pay about $5000 for a base system. The price goes up for multiple terminals and printers, monitors, a kitchen printer, etc.
In my opinion though, a POS fast food register that has price look ups (PLU) and department categories is sufficient for most coffee shops. Try to get one that allows you to download the information to your computer. Most have this feature today. It may, however increase your manual inventory and sales tracking if you have to put this info into your accounting software and spreadsheets manually but it can be a big money saver. If you get in the habit of entering the figures daily, you will not have a huge amount of data entry to do at month’s end. You can usually get these types of registers for about $800 or so.
If you end up opening other stores, I think the touch screen computer POS may be the way to go then because it will make your management and inventory control much easier, and you can link all of your stores together and control them from one place.
Espresso Machine
This is the Mack daddy of the whole business, your life blood. DO NOT SKIMP ON IT! However, having said that there is the line of overkill you do not need to cross either. I say, two group maximum, if you need more power or want a backup, get a one group as well.
The feasibility of a three or four group is great but it’s difficult to get more than one person working on them due to spacing of the group heads, etc. Ordinarily, you do not need more than one person pulling shots and making the espresso beverages anyway. It is almost impossible for one barista to use all four groups at one time so you be the judge! However that may be up to debate if you get REALLY busy. However, a two group is always my choice.
There are three basic types of espresso machines: Semi-Automatic, Automatic or Super Automatic. Well My choice is always the automatic because you can program them to cut off a shot at 23 seconds, or whatever you choose but still do it manually. The semi-automatic requires manual shut off by the operator.
The super automatic machine will grind the beans, tamp, pull the shot, shut it off and even discard the used grounds. Yes, I am serious. I believe you lose a lot of ‘art’ when you use one of these. You’d be surprised at the amount of people that love to see a barista set up and then pull a great shot. These super autos are also big bucks. But if all you want to do is move your cattle call through the line, this is the machine for you!
The boiler capacity should be large enough for a big rush, 9-14 liters should be sufficient. You do not want to run out of steam or hot water in a rush and with a smaller boiler that will happen! Trust me on this from experience!
Buy a machine based on the availability to get parts and service locally. Do not buy based on price alone, or ‘coolness’ or ‘features’ of a machine. They are all good these days. Features will not mean anything if you cannot get local service on your machine.
As far as water softeners, the choice to get a whole water system softener is going to depend on where you are located. In central Texas, the water is VERY hard but I chose to not soften my whole water system, just for the espresso machine. If you are not familiar with hard water, this is what causes lime build-up. It’s a white, crusty looking build up that will kill your $5000 or 10,000 espresso machine. It clogs up the piping that in time, builds up to the point of the water not being able to get through. Then your machine needs to be completely taken apart and de-limed. Not pretty and not cheap!
You will most likely have to have a complete de-liming performed several times over the life of your machine, however if your water is very hard and you do not soften it for your espresso machine, you will most likely have to have it de-limed at a minimum of once per year. This will get time-consuming and expensive, even if you learn to do it yourself. I had my one group de-limed for about $900 so do the math. Avoid lime scale build-up by getting a water softener.
Espresso Grinders
You will need one for decaf and one for regular espresso. There are several manufacturers and models. I will tell you though to be sure it’s automatic and has a doser/coffee hopper. They make a doserless model that grinds right into the portafilter and though this is freshly ground espresso, it does not work well in a rush! The units with a hopper allow the hopper to fill with ground espresso and have a lid to keep out the air. The bigger units have a bigger hopper and vice versa. Also, these have a bean hopper that you can get about 2 lbs of espresso beans in.
Bulk Coffee Grinder
These are the types you see in the food store bulk coffee aisle. Be sure to get the full scale version, not the shorter one. The only difference I can see is the taller one is easier to get a bag under to grind beans for customers. The shorter one is not! Try to have one grinder for regular and decaf, and another for flavored coffee if you will serve it. Using the same for all three will make the regular and decaf coffee taste like the flavored coffee. This grinder will need proper maintenance and burr replacement after so many hours as well. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on this.
Coffee Maker (drip)
Be sure to buy for your volume. Automatics are best as they are plumbed to a water line. Pour over units will you need to fill manually! The air pot brewers are the better fits because they brew the coffee directly into the air pots. There are single unit models and double unit models. You will save a lot of time especially in a rush, with a double brew unit.
Pastry Case (refrigerated and non)
There are several different sizes. Take your floor space into consideration but also buy for capacity and visual display. A nice, attractive unit that holds and displays a nice array of pastries is key for merchandising. Dual zone cases are a good idea because they let you have part cold, and part room temperature (dry case) pastries that do not need to be refrigerated.
Blender
There are several models to choose from but some have features you just won’t need. Be sure to get a commercial blender. Consumer units do not have the heavy duty types of motors that commercial units have. That means they will break down a lot faster than a commercial one! I would suggest you give Vitamix a look here.
Sandwich Prep Unit
These come in single, double and triple door units. Of course, plan for your overall room but your needs as well. The larger units have more capacity inside the unit, but the bigger plus is the prep top area that has more compartments to put meats, vegetables, etc in. If you are planning on a regular deli and Panini service, I would say the double door unit would be good. You may even get away with the smaller one!
Under Counter Refrigerator
Do yourself a favor and get a double door unit. These are basically like the sandwich prep units but without the top compartments. The inside capacity should be big enough to hold a good portion of your dairy, as well as opened soy cartons, smoothie mix, bottled water and soda (if you do not have a larger unit or merchandiser for water and soda. Plan accordingly.
Storage Refrigerator
This is for the back of your shop. This will be your commercial refrigerator in the back area to house your back stock of refrigerated items such as milk, as well as your baking ingredients, food items, etc. There are double and single door units.
Ice Maker
Getting an ice maker that can make an average of 600-1000 lbs per day is good. It will give you enough and still be able to make more within 24 hours. In a busy shop, you’d be surprised how much ice you can go through: sodas, fruit smoothies, frappes, frozen chai.
Freezer
You will need one of these to keep your ice cream, and other food ingredients that can and need to be frozen.
Oven
Get this based on your baking level. A 1/4 size may be too small and a full size may be too big. The median unit is a 1/2 size and has 3 racks.
Convection oven? Most pastries, pies and other baking can be done well in a convection oven. That is an oven that has a blower wheel that disperses the heat evenly and faster throughout the oven. Therefore your baking time is usually cut in half.
Panini Grill
Cast iron (non-ceramic) with ribbed plates are the better units. With the ribbed, rather than flat plates you will get the ‘grill marks’ on the bread and that always looks impressive. I recommend a double plate unit so you can effectively grill up to four Panini at once if you have a large order.
Three Compartment Sink
This will be essential per most health departments for wash, rinse and sanitize. If you have a commercial dishwasher, it usually overrides the 3 bay sink. However, most restaurants have both. You don’t need a big one, just one big enough to get your biggest ‘washable’ piece of baking or cooking hardware into.
Hand Sink(s)
Check your health department requirements because you may need a hand sink every so many feet or based on how many employees you have, or based on your floor plan. These are sinks only big enough to wash your hands in and that is it. That is why they are so small.
Furniture
Pick and choose what is in between comfortable and not. This will help you avoid squatters that love to stay all day. Ordinarily, people in your store is a good thing but not if they are taking up space and just being comfy! This will include your tables and chairs, as well as couch, wing hairs, etc. If you are an eclectic coffee house, good finds can be had at Goodwill and other resale shops.
Phone
Just get one that you can hear when it rings! A cordless phone is a great idea.
Radio System
If u can, get extra speakers and have one in at least all four corners for best sound quality.
Credit Card Machine
This is the swiper w/pin pad – If you accept credit and debit cards, this is essential. Usually they are purchased from your credit card processor. Leasing one of these is usually a rip-off. Try to buy it outright.
Prep Tables
These are stainless steel or aluminum and great to make a kitchen prep area. They clean easily too. They come in various heights and widths, with or without a backsplash and usually have a shelf underneath.
So there you have some information to get you started on planning your equipment needs for staring a coffee shop. Be sure you take your floor space into account when figuring the sizes of your equipment. Also be sure you account for your anticipated customer volume. Early planning is key to having the right equipment to begin with.
Does Learning by "Osmosis" Really Work?
What do I mean by learning by “osmosis?” Osmosis is really a scientific term relating to the flow of fluids through a semi-permeable membrane. With respect to learning, it means a gradual, often unconscious process of assimilation. The term has been applied to “sleep learning,” but I’m using it in a broader sense here to refer to “unconscious learning.”
When we first learn how to speak, we learn from being around other people and simply picking it up by repetition–by osmosis–from people who already know how to speak. Most of us do not have to go to school to learn our native language. We simply pick it up because it is all around us. It doesn’t matter what the language is: English, French, Chinese…if it is what everyone else is speaking, we automatically pick up the basics when we are children.
The same is true about other things in our environment. It’s often how effective marketing campaigns are created. Companies will find celebrity opinion leaders and pay them to use their products. A classic example: Tiger Woods. You almost never see a picture of him without his Nike hat or shirt. Their logo is all over his equipment. Nike has paid Tiger, millions of dollars for his “endorsement” of their products.
Companies will also pay a hefty fee to have their products used by characters in a movie. Why? Because that will plant a subconscious suggestion in the minds of a certain percentage of people to want their product. A blatant example? When James Bond traded in his Astin Martin for the BMW convertible.
Have you ever been walking down the street only to find a song playing in your head? In this case, a song that you didn’t purchase, but one that happened to be playing in a store you were recently in. Or that you happened to hear on the radio or a television show or in a move. That “afterglow” is an example of the type of “osmosis” I’m referring to.
How does this apply to the use of Power Affirmation recordings? The application here is to find various ways to add positive thought to your every day environment. For example, you can do that by listening to various audio self-help books, putting up posters of positive statements, or by listening to Power Affirmation recordings. I like to let the recordings play in the background while I’m doing other things. Often, I’m not even paying full attention–it’s just “white noise” in the background. This is different from “subliminal learning” because the words can be clearly heard. I find that by doing this consistently, the Power Affirmations positively influence my thoughts so that the ideas are automatically there when I need them.
This is just one example of how I use my Power Affirmation recordings. There are also times when I actively participate in the affirmation. The point is, there are multiple ways to use them. The more you listen (even when you are not really paying close attention), the more they will help you. The more good “stuff” you put in, the more good “stuff” will come out.
The Evolution of Man – The History of Hunting
Perhaps one of the eldest activities on the face of the planet is hunting. The history of hunting, as a result, is also one of the most diverse. Hunting for food has always been something that human kind has had to do, dating back to the beginning of any civilizations known to man.
As a result of this, there have been thousands of weapons and devices used to hunt. The history of hunting is far more complicated than any other history in the world, as it stretches so far into the past. In order to understand this history, you need to break down and study each era where hunting has been a major part of life. While there are exact time lines of when certain guns or weapons were produced, understanding the importance of hunting should be done on a far broader scale. There is much more to the history of hunting than when the gun was created.
The First Era, Pre-Civilization
In this time frame, from before great cities to the first starts of basic civilization, the human race survived on their skills of scavenging and hunting. In cultures similar to those of the first era and pre-civilization, women had the roll of caring for the home and preparing the food brought in by the men. Some portions of modern day Africa have conditions similar to this, where they do not have a great deal of money, and a similar style of hierarchy. The men all learned how to hunt, and they held these hunts daily to feed themselves. Unlike today, all hunting was for survival, and none of it for sport. All of the materials from the killed animals was used, from the bones to the pelt. Hunting was also a method of determining who was the bravest warrior. The bravest would hunt the ferocious creatures that lived nearby their homes. These kills were a vital part of the early hierarchies.
A wide variety of different weapons were used during this era, from slings to spears crafted of wood and stone. For large prey, the hunters would work together in packs, similar to how a wolf hunts to bring down their quarry. The only trophies kept were antlers and teeth. Occasionally the skulls would be kept as decoration or as symbols of the clan or family group. This oldest form of hunting was the basis in which the present was formed.
The Second Era, Growth of Civilization
As people gathered together and civilization really began, the role of men as hunters changed as well. Cities, by their very nature, require a variety of people with a lot of skills. There needed to be craftsmen and weavers, animal handlers and other trades so that everyone could have access to everything they needed. Instead of the split between men and women, hunting became the task of those most suited for hunting. These were usually always men, as it was looked down upon for women to participate in this line of work.
This was also the turning point where hunting becoming a sport. Civilizations, such as the Babylonians, the Egyptians, and the Romans all had their hunters and craftsmen. The Romans, took hunting as a sport to a whole new level, capturing prey alive for sale or gladiatorial competitions. Only certain individuals were hunters, allowing the select men to feed those in their community.
The Third Era, The Middle Ages
Perhaps one of the most interesting times in the history of hunting, is the middle ages. This is the period in time where hunting for food was a vital part of life for many, though restricted. Rules on hunting, such as no hunting in the King’s Forest, was the first real restrictions on hunting present in the world. Only the rich prospered, and the surf classes hunted whatever they could, when they could for survival. Hunting, from boar to deer to fox hunting, became primary sports for the nobility of the time frame. This started the trend of organized hunts for sport.
Colonists to the New World required as much hunting skills as possible, during this period of time, although they progressed quickly from relying on scavenging and hunting to creating farms and plantations. Popular weapons for use in hunting during this time period was forms of archery, slings and throwing spears. The gun was also used, although it had not quite yet reached full levels of popularity.
The Fourth Era, The Industrial Period
On the heels of the Middle Ages was the Industrial period. This era stretched from beyond the 1700s until just after the start of the 1900s. The evolution of machines brought about great changes in hunting. Large farms became very popular, where livestock was raised instead of the practice of hunting wild animals, downgrading hunting to only become a past time. Guns, ranging from muskets to rifles, were being to be used extensively. Archery was downgraded to sport use only, though it was very popular for tests of skill.
Present Day
Through these stages of the history of hunting, humans have perfected this activity, with a wide range of weapons. Archers, for example, have many types of bows to choose from. Arrows are just as plentiful as bows, from metal to wood, with many different types of tips. Guns have evolved the same way, with many types of bullets and guns for different types of hunting. Special guns and equipment designed for moose hunting, for example, wouldn’t be the same as deer hunting supplies.
Competitive hunting, such as fox hunting, is still greatly enjoyed by many people who prefer a little more action to their hunting. In the modern world, safety and skill are the requirements for hunting, and it is open for anyone who is willing to learn proper weapon handling and obtain all of the documents necessary to hunt. Regulations on guns and hunting have been developed to prevent species from going extinct. While hunting is still very popular, the modern day has a lot more restrictions that in any other era in the history of hunting.
Each of these eras of the history of hunting have done a lot for the sport and trade, giving it a rich heritage that shouldn’t be forgotten.