Digital Photography History

Digital Photography has been the bridge between the nineteenth and twenty-first century. From his first steps back in 1839, photography has served as a living document for the history of mankind.His documentary has been located in the center of visual communication, finding the land of germination, mainly in advertising, art and journalism. Today, after half a century of television, radio, Internet and new digital technologies have expanded the most of the experimentation and creative power.Back in 1839 Joseph Nicephore Niepce succeeded, after an eight-hour exposure, capturing the first image that has recorded the history of digital photography. Thus was born the picture, the wonderful invention that combined two phenomena: the camera obscura, which would capture the reflection of the image, and the various physical and chemical experiments to fix the image.The first images were the frames: silhouettes of leaves and insects, printed on a sheet of leather and fastened with phosphorus and silver salts. Then came the daguerreotype, a camera similar to the famous Polaroid, which greatly shortened the exposure time, but gave us a snapshot, in positive and that needed exposure for another copy.The image in negative-positive system (as we knew it until the arrival of digital cameras) should his invention, William Henry Fox Talbot, who also in the year 1839, published what could be considered as the first publication devoted exclusively to photography: Some Account of the Art of Photogenic Drawing, a collection of photographic positive, using paper negatives.What today is known as flash was a process that began with fine powders of magnesium, which when detonated with the spray, produced an effect of artificial light. Finally, in 1930 came the flash lamp.In less than two years (1935-1936), appearing on the market and Agfacolor Kodachrome, which were achieved with transparencies or color slides. In the ’40s perfected the daguerreotype and have the Polaroid Land.And the 60′s where all the advances are perfected: color, speed, lower prices of zinc, cadmium sulfide and titanium oxide with the use of film Itek RS.Since those early years to today’s reality, photography has appeared in countless areas, growing in the collective imagination and sociological reflection of our thinkers, the idea of society in the image.The documentary nature of photography, that is, its ability to capture on film some important facts of reality, has become an indispensable tool for science, art, advertising and journalism.In each field, and according to the look of each of the makers of history, photography has acted as the disseminator of certain ideologies and a significant agent firsthand.Science has served to medical school (remember the X-ray, MRI, stethoscopic operations), studies of biology (nature photography, scuba diving), cartography, geology, exploration, military, archeology and forensic science (the popular black light) to name a few.Photography has extended the human eye bringing it to the ranges of the infrared or ultraviolet, previously unsuspected. It also expanded the field of imagination to enable the development of film and photographic art.Who has ever seen, with the fascination of those who look for the first time, those films of Charles Chaplin or rayograms of Man Ray?In the realm of ideas, i.e. advertising, design and journalism, has been the site par excellence, since during the second portion of the twentieth century is that we have your full swing.First come to complement the print communication, putting in images what the text can not express. So we in the journalism ranks one of the most coveted: the photographer and / or war correspondent, this epic hero, that camera in hand, to capture the collective memory of the horrors of history.So will names like Robert Capa, who immortalized the image of the Normandy landings in World War II, or a thousand photographers who form the staff of National Geographic, or Sebastian Salgado’s lens, the portrait of American poverty.So too will emerge the major news agencies and the development will or photojournalism photojournalism: it is the reality of journalistic practice that attempts by one or more photos to account for reality. Among the agencies and newspapers that they deserve a prominent place for their use of photography, to my taste are: El Pais, El Mundo and Photography has been and is a document of reality in constant motion. A reality that seeks its attention span of the viewer. Certain times higher quality than others, but always forward in the meaning of our world.If before we talk of childhood and adolescence of photography, and after almost two centuries of existence, we have reached a remarkable maturity from the hand of internet and new technologies.In the ancient analog film cameras (delusions of some inveterate collectors) have jumped on the digital image and spread globally in the network. Now the standards of quality and clarity are measured in megapixels and the reach of any magic is the Adobe Photoshop.The big news agencies are raking in reading and visiting the “Picture of the day.” Has also been opened and put into discussion the documentary nature of photography through the manipulation that allow the different image processing software.

5 Connectivity Trends That Will Shape the Future of the Automotive Industry

Innovation is already behind the wheel of the modern automobiles. Yes, smart connectivity is now shaping the automotive sector in a never before way. While some of these technologies are already on the verge of becoming mainstream, there are other technologies that are just on their nascent state and are on the making. Most automotive management services predict that together these technologies will shape the future of the connected automobiles of the future.Here are the 5 trends that will shape the future of the connectivity in automotive industry.1. Self-driving carsSelf-driving cars that can run on the road without the intervention of the driver behind the wheel is already a reality with several automakers having come with their respective models of such cars. Already out through several successful test-runs Driverless cars truly holds the future of the automobile in the world. But according to expertise of leading automotive management services, driverless cars in spite of being already a reality, still a decade or so is required for such cars to become public and hit the road as regular vehicles.2. AI-powered car infotainment systemsThe infotainment systems of the modern cars are increasingly getting powerful and responsive and already they are all apt to respond to most regular commands including voice commands. The AI-powered virtual assistants will rule the future car infotainment systems of the cars to respond to passengers and driver in more responsive ways. AI is supposed to be introduced in the car infotainment systems of the future cars in just one or two years from now.3. Blockchain-Powered Maintenance and RepairWe all are aware how the counterfeit car parts cause performance failure and in the long run damage vehicles. But as of now, in many countries to prevent such counterfeit parts entering the market there is no trusted system in place. In this respect, Blockchain based maintenance and repair mechanism can really play a revolutionary role in authenticating car parts. Blockchain which as a distributed ledger system allows no deletion or tampering of data while offering open and widespread access to data can actually help to authenticate car parts through an easily accessible distributed ledger of car parts.4. Vehicle-to-Vehicle ConnectivityVehicle to Vehicle connectivity commonly referred to as V2V technology allows cars on the road sharing information and keeping in touch with each other. On the road, a car can share information concerning speed, traffic, road conditions, any dangerous threats, etc. Automotive management services maintains that such V2V communication not only dramatically improves car safety and security it also actively helps cars avoiding routes that may take longer to reach the destination because of the heavy traffic. Already some cars are having a better in-car communication system and there are already highly equipped fleet management systems in place. All these together will shape the fully equipped Vehicle to Vehicle connectivity system of the future.5. AR powered maintenance Augmented Reality technology which already penetrated many industries and niches because of the unique capability of integrating the digital interaction to the real world around. Just like finding the digital game character of Pokemon in a popular AR game like Pokemon Go in an AR powered vehicle repair and maintenance environment the servicemen can render their services with guidance from a digital interface showing each and every part of the car.A service engineer being able to see the entire car starting from the car seats to the interior features to the engine and bonnet can easily have a guided experience in repairing the entire car. This will help the car industry saving huge on maintenance and services. For customers also, this will ensure more precision, timely service and longer durability of the vehicle.

How To Remodel Your Kitchen: 5 Tips

Kitchen remodeling is putting your creativity in mind to work. Do not make it look like everyone else’s kitchen. Make it unique, make it stand out, unleash your true self.Although kitchen improvement is an arduous task, it’s worth the hard work. To lessen the burden, here are the things that need to be done for kitchen remodeling:Things to do:Select a theme.Of course your old kitchen theme will work just fine but since you are planning for kitchen improvement, you will have the chance to make it look better.Pick a kitchen layoutL-shapeShaped like a letter L, containing a very flexible layout design. We can place anything in any area using this layout and the space between storage, cooking, and preparation area is close enough for an efficient work space.U-ShapedLayout is shaped to form a letter “U”. It has adequate counter space, and an efficient working environment.Island OptionDesigned to meet modern homes because there are plenty of counter space and prevents traffic within the working area.Galley KitchenMost preferred layout for smaller kitchen space. Appliances are close to one another so its perfect if only one member of the household cooks.Tips:1. Keep It SimpleThe kitchen is designed to be a working area so avoid any clutter. Do not decorate furnish it with useless items as this will only hinder the efficiency of the kitchen.2. Spacious and Clutter-freeKitchen layouts are for different kitchen spaces. Choose a layout fit for your kitchen space. The Island layout looks functional and is an effective working space. But it will just be a clutter if installed on small kitchen spaces.4. Use whatever you haveOur goal is to remodel, not to construct a new kitchen. Make use of old materials like wood, metal, plastics. etc and turn it into a new one. One good example is to repaint and fix old kitchen cabinets to use with your kitchen remodeling.5. Hire contractorsAlthough it may be a good idea to do it alone, contractors still does it better. They are experienced in doing these jobs and can put your ideas into reality.Why go for kitchen improvement?Simple. For increased productivity. How can you work well in your old kitchen when you hear cracks on floors, holes in the ceiling, and a very dark room. Additionally modernization keeps us away from obsolete kitchen methods, ideas, and design to give way to a new and improved kitchen.The goal of kitchen improvement is not only for aesthetics but for improved functionality. Before you decide if your kitchen needs it, plan about it first. Will it increase productivity in the kitchen and lessen your cooking time?

Currency Trading Tips For a Beginner Trader

So you want to start trading currency but you have no idea where to begin? Well you shouldn’t feel alone as there are thousands of new currency traders who get involved each day and this trend show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If don’t know anything about currency trading then you still have a long way to go and within this short article I want to suggest to you some quick currency trading tips that can hopefully make your currency trading education easier and much smoother.When you first decide to get into currency trading the best thing you can do is first teach yourself the theoretical stuff and fundamentals before you actually go out and start trading. This can be done quite easily with all of the great free resources that may be available to you. The Internet has a multitude of websites about forex and currency trading that can easily provide you with this sort of introductory type of information, as well as even interactive knowledge bases that can give you answers to all of your questions. It is also a good idea to think about joining an online community or forum to get the latest news about currency trading. Once you have all of your best online resources outlined in front of you then you can easily delegate your time so that you can make learning currency trading fast and efficient.The next thing you should do is to speak to some actual currency traders on a one on one basis. This can help you get a feel for what trading currency is like, and it can also help you establish valuable contacts that you could perhaps use in the future. It is also not a bad idea to see if any of the traders you meet could become your currency trading mentor as many of the best forex traders get their start with the help of a good mentor.Once you have learned all you can about forex then it is time to start trading. There are some really great online brokerages that make it easy to start trading with any of their automated systems, and the majority of the time you only need to open an account, make a deposit and you’re ready to start trading. You should then start making some trades while learning as much as you can in the process. Some of the most profitable currency traders have lost much of their bankroll before making a significant amount of money so don’t get discouraged if you lose money right away. Trading currency can work if you can stay persistent so keep at it and you’ll eventually become profitable.

Easy To Make Money Online – The Myth About How To Make Easy Money Online

When people new to the internet think others are making easy money online, they naturally want to make the same kind of easy money too.When people who have lost lots of money chasing the easy money dream online, still continue to lose money still chasing the easy online money dream, then somebody needs to grab them by the shoulders and shout at the top of their voice… “STOP!”That’s what I’m hoping to do with this article.So if you fit into any of the above 2 categories…”STOP!”The simple fact is, there is NO easy way to make money online.Some methods are easier than others, but none is easy.They all require vital ingredients, namely work, work, and more work.Throw in persistence, perseverance, and elements of inspiration, and you are getting closer to the real chance of making money online.Shame is…People just don’t want to hear that, do they?So what do they do?Look for the next person promising them the “easy to make money online” dream.Now don’t get me wrong, once you have put in the hard work, and put it in consistently over a period of time, it becomes increasingly easier to make money online.But hard work is what it takes.And lot’s of it.Now I can make this generalization, risk-free.Because it doesn’t matter what kind of product or service you are offering online, you won’t make a LIVING online easily, until you put in the hours of hard work over weeks, months, and sometimes years to get you to a comfortable and consistent level of earning.However try telling people that.At a deep-root level, I guess most of us know this to be a fact.Why do we still continue to believe then that there is an easy fix?Here’s the news…There isn’t.Really… There isn’t.Sorry to disappoint but wouldn’t you rather, for once in your lifetime have someone tell you the truth, rather than sell you the next easy to make money online dream?Now I sell resale rights products.And I can make thousands of dollars from a single email sent out to my subscribers.Most people will say, “Yeah, that’s the kind of easy money I want to make!”And here is the reality…It’s taken me hours upon hours, days upon days, weeks upon weeks, months upon months and years of work, day and night to get to a stage where I can start to enjoy some kind of reward for my efforts.Guess what…The effort doesn’t stop.Just as much time goes in now, sometimes even more than when I first started out.Except now it’s a lot more fun and a lot more rewarding.I am creating a website dedicated to teaching people how to make money online with resale rights. [http://www.ebook-and-software-master-resale-rights.com/make-money-online.html]And hard work, persistence and motivation is required every step of the way for those that will benefit from the advice on the website.I might add, that the website is free, as is all of the information I will be putting on it.But the fact remains, that you can teach a man to fish, but he still has to go out and do the fishing.You can’t stand there and fish for him.And to catch the fish is going to take time, effort, and the next day he will have to repeat it all over again if he wants to keep feeding himself and his family.If you are looking for ways to make easy money online, and aren’t prepared to put the consistent hard work and effort in to create a profitable online business then take my advice.Stop before you even start.You’ll save yourself a lot of money if you do.On the other hand, if you are prepared to put in the hours, put in the work and stick to ONE THING without getting side-tracked and distracted by the next easy money making scheme that crosses your path, then you, almost by necessity will start to see the rewards for your efforts.How you decide to make the money online is irrelevant.If something is making money for lots of other people online, it will for you too
but only with dedication, hard work and effort.So the bottom line is this.How hard are you prepared to work to earn easy money online?Because without hard work, to make easy money online is a myth.

Financing For Home Improvements

Financing for home improvements can also be considered housing costs. Housing costs is the term used to describe payments relating to your home improvement, which the financial institutions loan on the basis of your income statement. Not all of your housing costs will be met. Usually you will only be paid a standard rate of interest on mortgages, including second mortgages or other loans, which you are liable for and which were taken out in order to purchase or maintain your home.You will not get any help with capital repayments or the cost of associated insurance premiums, including the insurance element of an endowment mortgage. If you have an endowment mortgage, it may be worth considering changing to a capital repayment mortgage, but you should seek advice first from one of the agencies. These agencies may also help you negotiate terms with your lender if you are unable to meet any shortfall between the payments due on your loan and the housing costs paid with your benefit.The current rules on housing costs are far more stringent compared to previous years. However, if you have been claiming income-based finance continuously (apart from breaks up to 12 weeks, which are ignored) since then, your housing costs may be calculated in a different way. This is because of the fact that you may have been entitled to some transitional protection when the previous and more generous scheme was replaced.The main change is that there is now a far longer waiting period before your full housing costs can be paid. Other significant changes include a standard rate of interest. Interest on arrears of interest, which accrue during the waiting period, or deferred interest accumulating under the terms of a low start mortgage, can no longer be met.

Yahoo! Finance – What Sets This Finance Website Apart?

“What Obama Must Say Tonight,” “10 Tax Moves to Make in 2010,” and “Ailing Banks Favor Salaries Over Shareholders,” are all examples of the dozens of articles that could be found today at Yahoo! Finance. Yahoo! Finance is a finance website that offers lots of free information and tools all related to finance. There are many websites today that offers resources and tools related to personal finance and investing, so what does Yahoo! Finance have to offer?*Free- Although there are some services available for a fee, accessing the Yahoo! Finance website is free and so is the use of many tools.*Personalized Updates- If you choose to set up an account, you can get personalized updates when you log on about stocks or companies that you’re interested in.*Up to Date- This is one of the best things that sets Yahoo! Finance apart. Market indexes and updates are updated frequently and the “news” is fresh.*At a Glance- You can see Market index averages for the day including the DOW, NASDAQ, S&P 500 and more, as well as graphs showing the trend in these averages for the most recent working day.What’s Up at Yahoo! Finance?In addition to the Yahoo! Finance home page, you can find helpful pages on:-Investing-News and Opinion-Personal Finance-My Portfolios (if you choose to organize your financial information here)- A Tech TickerOn the Investing Pages at Yahoo! Finance:Find out about “Today’s Markets,” including recent earnings statements, recent stock splits and more.Mutual Funds, Stocks, ETFs, Options, Industries and Currencies are all explored furher. Find research, converters, calculators, articles and more.You can also learn more about world stock index levels, world news and exchange rates are under “International.”"Research and Education” offers a business term glossary, personal tutorials on finance and investing and more.Of course Yahoo! Finance also offer “Community,” a section where you can chat, ask questions or join groups.On the Personal Finance Pages at Yahoo! Finance:Get your personal finances organized at “Banking and Budgeting.” Free trials of online bill pay are available. Frequent offers include free for 6 months and $4.95 thereafter.More under Personal Finance…*Insurance*Taxes*Loans*Real estate* Family and Income*RetirementOn the News and Opinion Pages at Yahoo! Finance:Look for articles on…*Industry news*New technology*Top picks by expertsCreating a Yahoo! Finance Account:Creating an account at Yahoo! Finance is easy and free. Once you’ve created an account, you can personalize your logon so that the information that is important to you will be displayed including stock prices and relevant news pertaining to companies you are interested in.The Perks of Yahoo! Finance:Yahoo! Finance visitors and members enjoy that there’s so much financial information in one place and that the articles and financial charts on Yahoo! Finance are kept up to date. They also like that so many of the services available are free. Visitors also applaud Yahoo! for having limited ads.Popular Tools at Yahoo! Finance:There are rate charts and calculators for Mortgage, Home Equity, Savings, Auto Loans and Credit Cards for fixed loans and ARMs. You can see rates across the country as well view rates in your area.What’s not to love about Yahoo! Finance?While many users like the non-nonsense format at Yahoo! Finance, others find the finance web sites look to be drab, boring and unexciting with little more than two colors, black and blue, a limited photos.Still, Yahoo! Finance is recommended as a finance website that has a lot of helpful tools and resources that are well organized, up to date and more than not, free.

Online Casino Rules and Percentages Explained

Online casino reviews are the best place to start looking when selecting the right casino. You will find a lot of useful information on these sites which will help you in making a decision before you deposit. Many readers do not understand the information on each of the casino websites, however, I will be able to explain what each of them means.We’ll start with the basic concerns that you should be aware of when selecting a casino.Is this internet casino available to your country?There aren’t many online casinos accepting US players, but if you look around you will find them. Being an editor, I will only pick ones who are 100% friendly to US residents and accept Visa & Mastercard to be listed on my review website. You will discover this shortly after you try to deposit money. Some tell-tale signs are unknown deposit methods, such as “Skrill” or “Moneybookers” or “Eurocard”. You should look for the more familiar logos like Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Pick one that you are comfortable with. There’s no need for you to jump through hoops, or lose your money to some swindling scam sites. Take your time and pick one that is right for you.What is a welcome bonus?You should consider taking a healthy welcome bonus from online casinos when one is offered. Why not, it’s free money, take it! If you read the fine print, pay attention to the details on these, as some may have higher restrictions than others for claiming your welcome bonus. A good welcome bonus is anything over $7,000. Most will say that the bonus is spread out across your first 2 to 5 deposits. The higher the bonus, the more payments it will be spread across. But remember what bonuses are for, they are to make you feel more comfortable in the event you are careless with your money, as most players are when it comes to gambling. If you play right, and spread your money around to games you know you have an edge on, this welcome bonus can turn into your winnings.What is an online casino percentage deposit match?Let’s say you deposit $1,000 to your favorite casino, and the terms are 400% deposit match on your first 4 deposits, up to $8,000. You would see a total deposit of $4,000 in your account. If you do the math, that’s $1,000 x 4. You will not be able to exceed $8,000 in matchups, so you could do the $1,000 deposit 1 more time to reach $8,000. This is how percentage deposit-matching works. Be sure to read the fine print before depositing your money to ensure you receive the highest match as possible. You will need all the money possible to leverage yourself when the odds turn against you, so you can have time for the odds to be in your favor.What is an online casino payout percentage?Not to be confused with withdrawals, this is the percent of wagers paid out to the winners, while the remaining percent goes to the casino. An acceptable payout percentage would be above 97%. This means that the online casino will keep 3% of all wagers made. If you were to find one above 98.5%, this would be ideal. Each online casino website will disclose their payout percentages. You can find a lot of this information as well in online casino review websites.What kind of support and customer service options is available?This is actually very important to consider. What happens if you deposit money and some or all of the games are not working? You will need to be able to contact someone at the online casino by phone or live chat to discuss the problem. It might be a good idea to hit the “Live Chat” button on the online casino’s website and see who answers! Find out what kind of options their casino offers, and how helpful they are with troubleshooting. Make sure the casino you choose is 24 hours, since not all online casinos are run in your time zone.What kind of game selection is there to choose from?You should check to make sure there are plenty of games. Pick ones you are familiar with. If you want to learn to play, then you should choose the “Fun” option when using the casino’s software or website portal. I find that playing blackjack, poker and other games where more strategy is involved will make my winnings more of a reality. Many people have fun playing slots, but I want to earn a quick buck, not spend all day pulling on a lever for random chance. You can get lucky with slots, but if I wanted to play just for fun, I would play in “fun” mode! Play something that you can at least feel dignified in the event you take a loss.How are online casinos rated?Online casinos are rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Some review sites may rate them on a star system of 1 through 5. To make it easier think of 1% to 100%.The Total Rating on a scale of 1 through 10.
This is the final score based on all of the listed factors below.

Software Rating:

Game Selection (1 – 10)
Graphics & Sound (1 – 10)
Payout Percentage (1 – 10)
Speed (1 – 10)

Trust Factor:

Security (1 – 10)
Certificates (1 – 10)
Fair Play (1 – 10)
Customer Support (1 – 10)
Deposit Options (1 – 10)
Withdrawal Options (1 – 10)

Bonus and Promotions:

Promotions (1 – 10)
Max Bonus (1 – 10)

If you are looking for an online casino review website, trust that we have everything you need before choosing your first or next deposit landing.

Home Improvement Tools – Are You Equipped With the Right Tools to Take Care of Your Home?

You can add value to your property by undertaking extensive home improvement projects which include getting your house re-painted, renovating bathrooms, revising design of your kitchen and construction of terraces and balconies. Even after completion of these projects, you would require a number of home improvement tools to maintain your house.

From trivial repairs to major overhauling, a number of maintenance challenges will come your way as a home owner, but if you have all the gear in the bag, you can afford to relax. If you are planning to buy some home improvement tools, you better read a brief description of what type of equipment you may require.

Cutting:

Cutting tools are meant to cut different types of materials and need to be manufactured with strong materials. Cutting tools form an essential part of your home improvement tools kit. A utility knife is perhaps the most popular cutting tool as it can cut a number of materials such as paper, wood, plastic and metals in half. The fact that it is easy to handle makes it an essential tool for your home improvement projects. Another useful tool is a hacksaw, which can be useful in cutting wood, bones and hard materials. It consists of a saw with delicate yet very sharp teeth and a blade framed in metal. A tile-cutter tool can also be of your utility if you have plans of changing design of your bathrooms. This tool helps shape ceramic tools in whatever way you like and is a necessity when it comes to bathroom improvement projects.

Garden:

A house with a beautiful lawn looks very attractive, but it takes a number of garden tools to maintain a lawn. Garden tools serve the purpose of planting, cutting grass and other related agricultural works. You will find garden tools in two types, namely, manual tools and power run tools. As part of your home improvement tools kit, you should buy garden tools such as a lawn mower, a spade, a garden hoe, a garden fork and a rake.

Moving:

Moving heavy objects around is often a troublesome stage in home improvement projects. For a smooth sailing during this particular stage, you would require moving tools which are designed to move objects. Some common moving tools include a hammer, a screwdriver, pliers and a wrench. A furniture dolly can be very handy to move heavy objects like boxes and furniture as you can place the object on its flat wooden surface and wheel the dolly to transport the object. Another very useful tool is a stair-roller that helps move objects up or down the stairs.

Transforming:

Large-scale home improvements often require the services of transforming tools. Common transforming tools include blow-torch and chemical sprays with solvent properties. While a blow-torch is used to bend and shape metals by producing extreme heat, chemical sprays change objects through chemical reactions.

Measurement:

Home improvement projects include accurate measurements which are impossible to take unless you use measurement tools. The most popular measurement tool is tape measure that comes in various materials such as cloth, optical fiber, plastic and metal. With the help of this useful tool you can make sure that windows and doors have accurate and equal dimensions. A few other measurement tools that you may be interested to include in your home improvement tools are rulers, calipers, squares, a theodolite and spirit level.

Shaping:

When it comes to giving final touches to an object during home improvement, you will require shaping tools.These tools are used to give shapes to objects such as wood and other materials. Chisels, trowels, moulds, sanders and jigs are some common shaping tools that you may need in your tool kit.

Fastening:

Unlike the cutting tools, fastening tools are used to join objects. With the help of specialized tools such as rivet guns, glue guns, wire tackers and staple guns you can join two objects, irrespective of whether they are made of the same material or not.

Power Tools:

Power tools are power-driven with the help of electric motors, air motors or combustion engines which are inwardly operative. Home improvement on a large-scale requires a number of works to be done with the help of power tools. Common power tools are drills, electric sanders and lathe. There are broadly two kinds of power tools, namely, static and mobile tools.

After finding out about the most frequently used home improvement tools, you are in a better position to buy the best equipment that can take care of your home maintenance. A good way to go about shopping for home improvement tools will be to go online.

Opening a Small Business – Top 7 Steps to Success

Opening a small business is both challenging and rewarding (if you do it right). It takes a lot of planning, organizing and drive. There is no guarantee for business success but certain things you do will increase your opportunity for success.

To-Do List for Opening a Small Business:

1. How do you want to structure your business? Do you want to set up as a sole proprietorship, or in a partnership or do you want to incorporate your company and limit your liability? These are questions you need to answer before you startup your business. Talk to your local government small business agency; they can help you investigate what option best fits you and your business. Before you make your decision, ask for legal advice and tax advice; talk to a business lawyer and a tax accountant.

2. Once you’ve decided what your business structure will be, you will need to create a business plan. First, develop a business plan outline that includes the areas of a plan that are specific to your business or your industry. For example, if you are planning to go into manufacturing you will need to build an operations plan, a new product development plan, your human resources plan (including a workforce plan) and safety checklist plan; include your capital expenditures budget. The objective is to focus your plan on the manufacturing aspects that are unique to your business. Other businesses with an inventory focus, or retail focus, or services focus will need to adapt the plan to be specific to their needs. All businesses will need to include your long term mission and vision statements, your business goals and objectives, a marketing plan, sales plan, business financials plan, exit plan, business continuity plan and the business strategies necessary to be successful.

3. The next step is to do a financial analysis of your business idea and business plan. Can you make a profit (and once you’ve earned a profit, can you maximize your profit) in your business? How long will it take to make a profit? Can you fund your business growth and survive until you make a profit? What are your cash flow needs and projections? Will cash flow management be a struggle? Can you finance the business and survive?

Your objective in conducting a business financial analysis for opening a small business is to be realistic. Do not under-estimate your costs and over-estimate your sales. Develop a list of expected startup costs. For example, startup costs might include your legal and accounting costs to set up your business; a business license fee, furniture, computer hardware and software, property insurance; trade-marking your product (if applicable); inventory and/or materials; and more.
Once you’ve identified your startup costs, develop a list of your other expenses (from daily expenses to annual expenses). For example, business space rent, your monthly utilities (such as heat, phone, etc.), membership in trade associations, office supplies, contract employees, wages and benefits (including yours if you expect to take a salary out of the business). For simplicity, put all the data into a spreadsheet and verify that you haven’t forgotten anything (check out online examples income statements – they show expenses and revenue).
The next step in your financial analysis is to do a sales forecast for the same period as the expenses (usually banks or other lenders want to see a three year plan in annual increments and a monthly cash flow plan for the three years). Make sure to include the assumptions you are using in your sales plan and in your financial plan (for example, interest rates, dollar exchange rates, gross domestic product rates, political environment, and more).
Put together a worst case scenario (expenses high, sales low); a best case scenario (expenses low, sales high) and an average case scenario (expenses and sales on target). Test the sensitivity of your projections. What would happen to your financials if you didn’t ‘win’ a large account? What would happen to your financials if your key supplier increased the cost of materials by 12%? Make sure you have a plan to address those issues.
Try to find industry information that will support your financial plans and include them in the financial section. For example, talk to your industry’s association and see if they can provide average data for financial ratios, revenues, costs, salaries, benefits, etc. within your industry. Compare that data to your financial plan and see if you are ‘in range’; if you are not, you will need a good explanation for the variance.
Run your financials: total your expenses (outgoing) and your sales revenues (incoming). According to your financials, will you lose money or make it? If you are losing money in your plan, how much are you losing? And how much cash do you need to survive before your plan starts showing a profit? Be realistic.
4. Now consider where you are going to get your startup financing from. Are you independently wealthy? Have you won a lottery? No? Then you need to borrow money or find a way to get some cash to startup. Traditional methods of financing a startup business are bank business loans, government loan programs, borrowing from family and friends, selling a share of the business to a partner who will invest in the business, and re-mortgaging your home. Less traditional methods (also known as bootstrapping), are using personal credit cards, selling assets, such as your car, furniture, your house; continuing on in your day job or taking a second job for additional income. If you believe in the business you want to start, you will find a way. Choose the lowest risk, the best value and the lowest cost financing for your business startup. But be realistic; it can be very difficult to do this. If your business cannot succeed or if you over-inflate sales and under-forecast expenses, you will go out of business and likely owe a lot of money to a lot of people.

5. If the decision is to proceed with your plan for opening a small business, and you obtain the necessary financing, then you must now focus on your product or service plan. Define your service or product. What differentiates it from other services or products? Where is the product or service in its life-cycle; in the introductory, growth, mature or declining phase? How will you position your product or service in the market? Develop your service or product plan and then define your marketing mix for your service or product. Focus on the features and benefits of the product or service. Develop your pricing strategy. Develop a strong promotional program. Define how you will get your product or service to the market (ensure that if your product is inventory-based, that you have enough inventory before starting up).

6. Ensure that you plan your workforce needs and hire the employees needed to open your new business and consider the advantages of outsourcing, particularly in the early days of startup when you might not need full time employees.

7. Finally, open your new business and launch your product or service. Use your promotional program to support the launch. Measure your results continually. Talk to customers and potential customers. What do they like or dislike about doing business with you? Is the product or service meeting their needs? If not, why not? Do this research even if the products are flying off the shelves, you want to know what customers are thinking at all times; the good and the bad.