Flowing With The Tide

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Director of DTZ, Ken Bishop thinks that Royal Mail depot in Stockport is a very profitable estate as it has a 60,000 sq. ft. building spread over almost half an acre of land. The building can be remodeled according to the new owner’s fancy: it can either be repaired or torn down. Originally, the land was to have both office and a hotel.

Investors and developers also seem excited about the property, but the price for it is too high considering the current market situation. It is priced at £1.5m and currently the average rental rate in Stockport is estimated at £18.50/sq ft, which is however, less than the rents at Manchester city centre which are £28.50 more.

Bishop also said that right now Stockport town centre needs rent desk space requiring about a million sq. ft. of new land for offices, which might not be possible because of the fall in the rate of development. In the next ten years, the rate of development is expected to be less than what it had previously been and it is all due to the recent financial downfall.

BskyB has bought a 15 year lease on the 23,500 sq. ft. St. Peter’s Square project for a price of £18.50 per square foot. The project is being handled by BAM and once the work if finished; they hope to accommodate 550 workers there. This construction might also help in the commercial growth of the A6 corridor, according to the city council.

According to property agent Cushman and Wakefield, businesses looking for prime office space in Glasgow just got lucky with the availability of one whole floor at the Capella development.

This space comprises of over 11,000 sq ft of space with large sized floor plates. In addition to this, about 118,489 sq ft of Grade A office space is under construction. This space is over and above the 116,978 sq ft space that is expected to be completed under the G1 development plan at the George Square and Copenhagen Building on Hope Street.

It is worth noting that after the completion of this development, there won’t be any more developments reaching completion by 2012 and hence, this available office space offers a great opportunity for businesses looking to strike a good deal for space at around £26 per sq ft.

Presently, Cushman & Wakefield are trying to encourage tenants to make use of this available opportunity before the prime office space sets on a decline making it unaffordable for smaller businesses. According to the firm, 2010 is the time for market stabilization with respect to rentals but growth expectations would be quite low. However, the worst for the Glasgow as well as Edinburg market seems to have gotten over.

Though the growth rate in this area is quite low, according to FG Burnett, consultants, Aberdeen office market is showing a good amount of activity. The firm is certain that the rising activity in the area is a sign of recovery.

If you are looking for office space, many companies are now trying to maximise space by providing desk space rental and shared office space; click on your location, I tried desk space Brighton, to carry out a quick and easy search for 1000s of desks to rent in London and all major UK cities.

Africa’s mobile phone market is the world’s fastest growing market in the sector, though their broadband connection is very slow and expensive according to a UN report published recently.

The report that reflected upon Information Communications and Technology industries across the globe revealed that Africa and other developing countries like India have been witnessing spectacular growth in the mobile industry. The report also suggested that even in face of economic crisis, Africa has registered a 550% growth from 54 million to nearly 350 million in mobile usage over the last five years.

However, internet access in Africa is not that robust, with its poor performance attributable to the poor telecommunication infrastructure. Connections are extremely slow as was demonstrated by the carrier pigeon vs internet race held in South Africa.

Connections are expensive as well, and in places like Swaziland and Burkina Faso, the connection can be as expensive as $1,300 per month.

Torbjorn Fredriksson, Head of the ICT Analysis Section at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said that even though the broadband scenario in Africa is not so good, the astonishing growth in the mobile market is expected to keep up the positive trend, especially in light of the recent liberalization, as most handsets have become cheaper.

Fredriksson also pointed out the need for international fibre-optic cables for connecting Africa with the rest of the world’s economy. Despite a number of initiatives in this direction, Sub-Saharan Africa has been largely devoid of the mesh of such cables.

The internet has become a basic need for most of us, we like our laptops and our dongles, which offer access to mobile broadband networks whenever and wherever. We look upon broadband access as a ‘utility’; this makes the thought of people not having access a difficult concept.

When it comes to great gift ideas, I have about as much imagination as a hamster. (If they were imaginative, hamsters wouldn’t run endlessly in those little wheels). It’s odd, really. I’m what you’d call a “natural” when it comes to shopping. I LOVE to shop. Give me an entire day at Filene’s Basement and I’m in Heaven.

For the uninitiated, Filene’s Basement is one of the most famous bargain basements in the United States. Lurking beneath Filene’s Department store in Downtown Boston, “The Basement” is a place where merchandise is continually marked down and competition for the best buys is fierce. There’s even a day each Spring when wedding dresses sell so cheaply that scuffles break out in the aisles.

I prefer my shopping nonviolent. But still, the prospect of a great big store full of unexplored “stuff” is more exciting to me than a giant Easter Egg hunt is to the average five year old. I know I’m going to find Easter Eggs (i.e., “hidden treasures”). I just have to uncover their secret little hiding places. That’s part of the fun!

I have one small problem, though…

Shopping is only fun if I’m not looking for anything in particular. As soon as there’s a “list” involved, it starts to feel like work! Add in the idea that I’m looking for some very special (yet unspecified) item for someone else, and the pressure’s really on. If someone says to me, “You must go forth and find something for less than $100 that will make your mother-in-law ecstatically happy”, it stops me cold. I become as helpless as a man (Sorry guys!).

Gift Shopping. Arrrghh!

“What”, I ask myself, “is my Mother-in-Law’s version of an Easter Egg ?” Where are all those clever gift ideas when I need them? Where are they ever?

Panic sets in. Procrastination comes next. Pretty soon I’ve buried the whole thing in my subconscious, hoping it will “just go away”. It doesn’t, of course. Like school exams and work deadlines, gift-giving occasions keep on coming — inevitably and way too often. And those great gift ideas remain as elusive as ever.

So what’s a person to do?

My answer was always to get a big pot of coffee and pull an all-nighter.

Umm, I mean, I’d wait until the last minute and then shop until the stores closed. Sure, I’d manage to come up with a few decent gift ideas and some passable gifts. But it’s no way to live. And I always knew I could have done better.

I knew things had to change. I knew I had to uncover the secrets possessed by the expert gift-givers…

You know the type. They’re the people who smugly announce that they’ve been done with their Holiday shopping for weeks, when you haven’t even started yours — much less given it any serious thought. They’re never at a loss for great gift ideas and they can produce the perfect greeting card at a moment’s notice. You won’t catch them dashing out to the Quickie Mart for wrapping paper or ribbon; and they have an uncanny knack for finding gifts that are clever, original, and appropriate for any and every occasion. Most distressing of all, their gifts are always heartwarmingly thoughtful!

I pondered my situation for a long time (years), and finally I knew what I had to do. My mission was to transform myself into the sort of magician who could produce great gift ideas and fabulous gifts at the drop of a hat.

It’s been a long and painful journey, but I’m happy to report a measure of success. Finally, I can look a gift-giving occasion straight in the eye and say, “Hah!! You’re not so tough!”

My two most formidable weapons are my “gift closet” and my “little black book”. The gift closet is stocked with a variety of gift boxes, gift bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper, and colorful ribbons and bows. There are plenty of little gift cards, as well as greeting cards ranging from Holiday themes to Sympathy to New Baby. Additionally, I’ve amassed quite an assortment of gifts-for-any-occasion. Some are purchased with people in mind and others because I know they’d be perfect for something.

The “little black book” is just what it sounds like, only it’s not filled with phone numbers. Instead I jot down brief notes based on what I learn about people. If someone mentions a hobby or collection, it goes in the black book. If they hint at something they’re just dying to have, it goes in the book. If I notice a fondness for a certain type of jewelry or style of dress, I’ll make a note of it. Sometimes I even ask leading questions, waiting for a moment when the future “giftee” is distracted, and therefore unsuspecting. I might even ply the giftee’s friends for information, admitting only that “I’m curious”. All of this has turned me into a bit of a detective — a secret agent, if you will. And it’s actually kind of fun.

In fact, I think I’ve found a whole new kind of Easter Egg hunt. The hidden treasures are now the little pearls of wisdom I pick up by spying on the experts, and the tidbits I gather on “giftees” during my covert operations. Once I’ve gathered enough “eggs”, I’m armed and ready. I know exactly where to go and what to do.
So now, when everyone else around me is in a panic over gift ideas for the coming holiday season — or for tomorrow’s office party– I’m one of the smug ones. It’s a wonderful feeling. And it sure beats running in that little wheel.

© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Carolyn was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. Check out “The Dog Gift Shopper’s Guide for Dog Lovers” at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/guide , where you’ll learn to hone your skills no matter what you’re shopping for. If it’s jewelry, stop by http://www.thejewelrymine.com and if you like great bargains, visit http://www.netbrainer.com to learn how to find great deals on eBay.

From:babytime.blogware.com

A baby shower is a merrymaking or festivity that comes about some months prior to the birth of a new baby. The party is characteristically set by a best friend, close family member, or co-worker of the expecting mother. Nearly all visitors bring gifts and money for the mother and baby. While the vast majority of baby showers are attended by women, a small percentage of men do go to or have their personal men’s only “daddy showers” of their own. Customarily, baby showers have been for the first child only, but a few parents decide to have baby showers for second and even third babies.

Seeking Ingenious Baby Shower Gift Plans-n-Ideas

A baby shower gift can be the simplest mode for you as the gift donor to be ingenious, and prove the individual you’re giving it to the extent you think about about them. In place of one big gift it’s better to shell out a surplus of trinkets, toys, and other pleasurable items, wrapped together in a beautiful package which, in itself, due to can be a dazzling thing to receive. A trendy idea whilst purchasing a baby shower gift basket is to make the company who makes it fashion the wicker basket as a bassinet, within which are all the things you want to bequeath upon the new child, turning your gift twice as solicitous and apt. On top of it, there are so scores of companies proficient in manufacturing such commodities; therefore, albeit you’re not precisely a connoisseur yourself, an unknown craftsman will make it appear awesome.

You’ll, for good, want to contain the nitty-gritty, those simple bare requirements in the baby shower gift basket- teddy bears and or dolls are certain, as any parent will know a young child can never have a sufficient amount of teddy bears. If you desire to be gender specific, you can gift the standard pink or blue shades to please a baby girl or a boy respectively, but many persons currently are avoiding such black and white notions of sex, hence the best way is to be as neutral as possible. This also means that you can go loony and embrace almost everything to be termed as a toy that you want to gift to the baby. Superman toys-n-mannequins no longer imply a boyish toy only. Similarly, so many brats can be seen playing with a Barbie doll toy. Consequently derive gain of such autonomy in creating a truly unique and baby shower gift. The ideal way is to contain both the practical in addition to the sentimental. In other words the gift must be able to please both parents and children alike.

You would like your website to be at the top of the search engines result page, that way, you can get some free targeted traffic, and save money on advertising. However, this has been more difficult than you would like it to be.

Google’s pay per click advertising is an excellent alternative, except, It can be costly, depending on your keywords.

There is however, an even better, and affordable option: E-zine Advertising, that is, advertising in on-line magazines.

Let us do a comparison: suppose you ran an ad in an e-zine with a readership of 20,000 and that ad cost you $30.00.and only 5% of the readers click on your ad which is 1000 clicks (I am assuming you have written a compelling ad. If not, no form of advertising will help!) In terms of cost per click it would amount to 0.03 cents per click.

Now, compare that to a pay per click ad in google or yahoo, where you would have to bid the highest for the keywords that will trigger your ad to display before the searcher/potential customer. Lets say you bid on a keyword like “exercise equipment.” To get a realistic display you would have to bid at least 10 cents or more per click. If 1000 people clicked on your ad like they did in the e-zine ad. you would pay $100.00 or more for a pay per click ad in google or yahoo.

Which would you rather pay $30.00 for a e-zine ad or $100.00 or more for a pay per click ad, for the same amount of clicks?

Another thing to consider is this, when you disable your google ad, the flow of traffic from that source stops. But, when it comes to e-zine ads, many e-zine publishers archive their past issues. If someone request an issue from a few weeks ago, and your ad is in that issue, that will be additional exposure for your website without you paying extra money for it. This is not be done with P.P.C. advertising. Couple this with the use of an auto responder and you will save even more money in the long run.

To make it quick and easy for webmasters to find on-line magazines to advertise in, “The Directory of Ezines” has a database of e-zines with a wide range of topics, so they can find the right one to advertise in for their particular product or service. If you had to gather this information on your own, it would take you a very long time.

With stiff competition in S.E.O. and P.P.C. advertising. It’s good to know that e-zine advertising provides an affordable, targeted and effective alternative for website owners, and affiliate marketers to reach more customers and earn more money.

P.S. If you would like more information about the affordable alternative of advertising in e-zines to get more qualified customers and earn more money, go to: http://www.doe.myincometoday.com
Paul Ranger owns http://www.e-marketreview.com/newsub a website that reviews home based business opportunities, business tools and software, and has a free newsletter.