Do you save dates, information, tips, words of wisdom, ideas, etc., from every walk of life not knowing where it will all fit in?

Me too.

Here is what I want to do...I want to put them in this post in a haberdasher order so I can finish clearing off my desk. Deep down I know I cannot toss them yet until they are recorded...maybe not so much for my own use...but possibly for SOMEONE else's use? 

Thank you for humoring me! This might even be a good post to pin your notes to while clearing your desk. You can use sign generator to use these nifty gadgets like these note pads, buttons and signs.

March

• 27-29: International Window Coverings EXPO; Georgia World Congress Center; Atlanta, GA 651/293-1544 www.windowcoveringexpo.com.
• 28-31: Miami Spring Home Design and Remodeling Show; Miami Beach Convention Center; Miami, FL; www.homeshows.net
• 28-April 1: Color Marketing Group International Spring Conference; Montreal, QB, Canada; www.colormarketing.org

April

• 7-13 High Point Market; Runs: High Point, NC; www.highpointmarket.org.
  
• 8-10 Material World: Miami Beach Convention Center; Miami Beach, FL; www.material-world.com
• 11-13 K/BIS: Kitchen & Bath Industry Show & Conference; McCormick Place; Chicago, IL; www.kbis.com
• 19-20 Love Your Home Show; Sandown Park; Esher, England; www.loveyourhomeshow.com

May

• 8-11 Luxury World Exhibition; London, England; www.luxury-world.co.uk
• 15-17 AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition; Boston Convention and Exihibition Center; www.aiaconvention.com
• 20-22 Green West Expo & Conference; Los Angeles Convention Center; Los Angeles, CA 222.greenwestexpo.com
  

Good Advice:

An excerpt from and article written by Paul and Sarah Edwards: lifestyles for the millennium - "Practical ways to get people to your Web site include discussion boards, streaming news, survey and polls, contests and sweepstakes, classified ads, social networkings sites and RSS feeds".

They also advise that business owners take an active role in managing the marketing efforts on their Web site, interacting and following up personally with visitors.

In the new book, The Compassionate Samurai: Being Extraordinary in an Ordinary World, international consultant, speaker and author Brian Klemmer states, "You can be rich and spiritual, wealthy and giving, a warrior in the marketplace, yet a strong-willed, compassionate friend to many." Here are a few of his tips on how a business owner or CEO "can improve the bottom line while contributing to humanity."

1. Honesty Tell employees what you are working on in yourself.
2. Contribution Set aside a percentage of the company's profits to give to humanitarian causes, ones the employees help pick.
   
3. Courage If your employees get a percentage of the profit as a bonus, tell them at the beginning of the year the minimum profit you are committed to or what embarrassing thing you will do if you don't achieve it, such as having to wear a chicken costume for a day.
   
4. Trust/honor Ask employees their viewpoint or opinion on something and take their advice.
5. Abundance/honor Use a portion of the profits for gifts.

Free events for small businesses, click on this link: www.score.org/open_Events

WINNING THE BID - The art of capturing new business by Peter Fretty:

• Research opportunities - Identifying exact requirements lets you proceed with confidence. Asking peers about their experiences can provide insight into the potential client's typical expectations and behaviors. The key is to go in prepared. Always ask the client for as much information as possible regarding unusual stipulations or any other aspect before making the bid/proposal/offer.
• Cover the costs - It is crucial to understand all of the costs - wages, supplies, incidentals, etc., before presenting any bid
  
• Write the document - Formal bids should be solid documents that call out all of the included products and services. Also remember that the best quotations are not offers to haggle. While some companies submit their highest numbers, hoping to negotiate further, presenting the best deal as the bid represents a high level of integrity.
• Deliver the bid - Make the presentation as memorable, tasteful and professional as possible. However, the bid presentation does not complete the process. While there is a difference between following up and pestering, staying in contact demonstrates attention to detail as well as willingness to meet expectations. The bid and the follow-through combined often craft the prospective client's first impression
  
• Embrace consistency - Successful bidding is best accomplished when one person with an established routine completes the bids each time. Having a bidder's checklist customized to a particular project can plan a key role in establishing consistency. Once a fine-tuned checklist is in place, it is much easier to additional team members to have a role in bidding.

Recycling tip:

Recycler TechTurn Inc. estimates that 600 million to 800 million personal computers are sitting unused in the United States. They contain substantial amounts of lead, among other toxic metals. Costco has a Trade-in & Recycle Program which allows members to recycle computer, LCD monitors, digital cameras, camcorders, game systems and MP3 players free - and in some cases receive a Costco Cash card for any estimated trade-in value.

Important statistics if your going to sell your home:

Invest in bigger improvements. The National Association of Realtors found in 2007 that 59 percent of home buyers remodeled or made improvements to their homes within three months of purchase. Forty-seven percent made improvements to the kitchen, another 45 percent remodeled or improved a bathroom and 43 percent remodeled a bedroom.

In other words, these are the key rooms when you're preparing to sell. Focus on fixing up those "make or break" rooms.

Check www.ofheo.gov which is the Web site of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, for quarterly reports on house price appreciation trends in 275 markets...many markets are doing just fine.

Did you know the breaking open of a sake' barrel is a tradition when opening a new business in Japan bringing harmony and good fortune? Now you do!

Things to ponder... It is recommenced to have 5 servings of fruit a day and less than 17% of the population does. Why are we sick? Let me see...hmmm. Oh, and another thing; the Amazon provides 20% of the earths oxygen! Wow!!!