ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: The snow is almost gone and spring is coming!
- 03/09/13 10:05 PM
Yes, we had a nasty few days and a LOT of snow on Friday...but, thankfully, given the warmer weather, it's almost all melted away! I was amazed at the result at the end of Saturday. Today, we sprung ahead to daylight savings time. I heard a flock of Canadian Geese yesterday too. All good signs of the warmer weather.
And, these last 2 weeks, we closed a lot of sales. I was in shock...but in a good way! Spring is almost here, and so is the spring market. I keep talking to real estate agents who are saying things are … (5 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Helping out a local Active Rainer - Sensei/Grasshopper - a bit of SEO
- 03/09/13 02:00 AM
As part of the Sensei/Grasshopper contest, I'm helping out my good friend and colleague, Joanna Cohlan. Joanna is a decoratior and has been a mentor to me for many things, so the least I can do is share some SEO learning with her.
I'm no expert, but I keep learning as I go along. Recently, Joanna got a website makeover, and she now has a wordpress site. The site is fairly new and Joanna has just started to blog on there. I'm hoping that this will help give her a boost and accelerate her web presence.
1. Key words … (10 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Westchester AR MeetUp - April 11th - White Plains
- 03/08/13 07:04 PM
Hey everybody. Yes, It's that time of the year again - Active Rain MeetUps. We will be having one in Westchester:
When: Thursday, April 11th, 6pm
Where: Uno's, 14 Martine Ave, White Plains (free parking at The Seasons 4 Martine Ave (same building). Near the Galleria and the train station.
Why? Because it's a great way to build relationships and share tips of the trade. Bonus - 1,000 Active Rain points. Why Uno's? Because it's centrally located in the county and easy to get to from many highways (we hope a few from surrounding counties will join us), easy … (7 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: I wonder what will happen when someone hits 2,000,000 points
- 03/03/13 07:20 PM
Soon, for the first time, we will probably have 2 Active Rainers with 2,000,000 points. Incredible, right?
But, I wonder what they'll do for the badges. Do you think there will be a 2 million point badge, or do you think that they will get 2 badges of 1 million? Enquiring minds want to know.
Let me know your theories and opinions. I guess we'll find out later this year. Also, it will be interesting to see who will get there first.
… (17 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: I did my first Google hangout this week
- 03/02/13 08:38 PM
I love Google + and it's been great for my biz. It's helped my website traffic/SEO, I've learned a lot about SEO/social media and I've had a lot of fun (and made/strengthened many great relationships).
But, I've been intimidated to try Google Hangouts. Not crazy about being on camera when I'm having a bad hair day and afraid the camera will put on 10 pounds, etc. I also have this additional issue...I'm not usually home or in a quiet place during the day.
One of my networking groups of professional women, tested this out earlier this week. It was … (22 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: "The house looks smaller than I remembered" - the impact of furniture
- 03/02/13 03:22 AM
I heard this same line 3 times in the last 2 weeks, all from buyers that either just closed or were about to close on their new home.
I was there to measure for the floors. It was the 2nd time that these buyers had seen the home, and I'm guessing that at least 2 months had lapsed since that visit.
All of them had furniture in there when they initially visited. One was "staged" with furniture from a professional stager, and the other two just contained the previous owner's furniture (and I'm not sure if they involved a … (16 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: To top it all off, the Chinese food delivery order was wrong
- 02/28/13 11:08 AM
Without getting into details, let's just say it was a long and stressful day.
I was glad to get home, and I was completely exhausted. I was looking forward to dinner. Of course when I opened the fridge, I realized that I forgot to get more food. And, no soda left.
So of course, I ordered Chinese Food. They are on my speed dial, of course.
Food arrived, I was on the phone, signed the credit card form. As I'm talking to my friend, I get the food on the dish and pour the soda and drink it. … (12 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: I think I'm getting spam in text msgs...very annoying
- 02/26/13 08:30 PM
I've gotten a few random text messages over the last couple of months. I forget what the others said, but this morning I got another one. It said "Confidential biz proposal. Please email [email addy with a yahoo.uk suffix] for more info.
The message came a gmail account.
Very annoying. I would love to "unsubscribe," but then I suppose they will have my email address.
… (19 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Where are all these comments coming from?
- 02/24/13 06:29 AM
About a month ago, I wrote a post called "My favorite blog posts for pets - What types of floors are best?" The post got a few comments. But, strangely, today, it got a whole bunch of comments - close to one month later.
I'm trying to figure out why. Did someone link to it in a post? Or is it featured in the daily drop? (it seems odd since I wrote it on January 27th)..and what's odder is that it just provides links to some of my other key posts; it's not even a very meaty post. Any ideas?
… (10 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Cool backsplash
- 02/23/13 08:24 AM
This afternoon, I went to one of my customer's homes in Pound Ridge. Unfortunately, the husband got delayed, but thankfully, this was my last appointment for the day, so I sat down in the kitchen with the wife. She made some awesome coffee and I admired her kitchen which looks great. Beautiful cabinets and granite. But, the coolest part of all is the backsplash, so I thought I'd share it.
It's glass, and it's installed vertically, rather than the traditional horizontal. The vertical approach is very stylish, and it's a design technique they've been featuring in higher class homes (and … (17 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: The benefits of being consistent with your newsletter - Another sale!
- 02/22/13 07:17 PM
Yesterday, I got an email from a past customer. He is from 4 years ago, and he is super nice and has great taste. His email was prompted by our monthly newsletter.
While we have been extremely busy, I was lucky as one of my appointments was shifted to next week and I had a free opening and drove over to Stamford. My customer is so nice, and he was showing me all the improvements he made to his home over the last 4 years. It was fun. Last time, we did carpet for the first floor of his townhouse. … (27 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Sounds like it's a really good deal, right? Ahhh...No...I would run
- 02/18/13 08:57 PM
I was in shock yesterday when I went to an appointment for Refinishing hardwood floors in Westchester. My customer seemed nice, and he was asking the right questions (e.g. water based vs oil based poly, what sheen level to use, etc). He had checked out our online reviews, too.
I gave my estimate, and he said that sounded high. This is not the typical response I get. Usually, I hear, "That sounds reasonable." Most of my customers get 3 estimates and I probably win around 60% of the jobs. Yes, there are times where someone does come in lower...but usually, … (115 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Why is my GPS so messed up near the Sprain Parkway?
- 02/16/13 07:49 PM
It happened again yesterday...my GPS brought me to the wrong address. This always seems to happen near the Sprain Brook Parkway near 3 zipcodes - Elmsford (10523), Hartsdale (10530) and Greenburg (10607). I was looking for 103...and of course I get to a dead end at #159 and the street doesn't go down any further...instead, there is a big highway (6 lanes) - The Sprain Brook Parkway.
Of course, my customer's house is on the other side of the highway, and I have to go around (which takes 6 minutes). Not the end of the world, but super annoying...as it … (17 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Who was your first subscriber? Here's how to find out!
- 02/15/13 09:18 PM
Do you know who your first subscriber was? Your early subscribers probably made a big difference to your experience here on Active Rain by providing encouragement.
For the longest time, our subscriber list was all random...so it made it challenging to figure out who recently subscribed as well as those early subscribers. But a few weeks ago, they finally fixed that. (Yay. Thank you Active Rain).
Here's how you find your subscribers.
Go to your home page. On the left, under your picture, you can see how many subscribers you have. I currently have 346. (BTW, I almost … (43 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: I'm glad I'm not on that Carnival Cruise Line Ship
- 02/13/13 07:14 PM
Gosh, talk about a nightmare and a PR disaster!
I had a bad day yesterday...but nothing compared to what those passengers are going through on that Carnival Cruise Line ship that lost power. (it really puts things in perspective). I can't imagine being trapped there with no power. I think the worst part is the sanitation and smell - it sounds disgusting and unsafe. People are sleeping outside, that's how horrible it is...but apparently on the last hours, there's going to be cold rain. Lovely.
Food is limited and apparently, they have been waiting hours just to get a … (66 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Purina vs. Meow Mix. Which will win the taste test?
- 02/09/13 06:51 AM
I've been feeding my 2 cats (Jackie and Blackie) Meow Mix. And, they've been very happy with it.
But, lately, I've gotten very annoyed at my Grocery store...they stopped carrying the right size bag - the mid sized bag. So, I've been forced to buy a smaller bad 3 pounds or a very large bag 13.5 pounds...too heavy for small me ,and doesn't fit well in my car or small kitchen (I live in an apartment).
So, I buy the small bag. I get annoyed that I have to pay more per oz or pound or whatever. But, … (8 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Morris County Home Stager - Kristine Ginsberg - Elite Staging
- 02/08/13 05:37 AM
Are you looking for a Home Stager in Morris County? Well look no further because Kristine Ginsberg, the owner of Elite Staging and Redesign is the best!
The importance of hiring a Home Stager for your Morris County home If you are looking to sell your Morris County home, Home Staging is a critical component to making sure it sells faster and at the optimum price. Why? Because Staging helps you sell your home at it's best! A talented Home Stager like Kristine Ginsberg can make a tremendous difference on how quickly your hone sells. She knows where it makes … (9 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Chappaqua Interior Decorator | Joanna Cohlan-Fresh Eyes for your home
- 02/07/13 10:00 PM
Are you looking for an interior decorator in Chappaqua? Well look no further because Joanna Cohlan, owner of Fresh Eyes for your home, is the best! I have seen her work, and I have seen her customers RAVE about her like no other decorator I've ever met. There's a reason her clients come back to her for the next project and recommend her to their friends. It's because she is amazing at what she does and she makes the process fun.
Hiring a decorator for your Chappaqua home is a smart investment. With someone like Joanna Cohlan on … (13 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: Can you help me win Best of Westchester? I can use your vote.
- 02/03/13 06:36 PM
There are still a few more days left for voting, and I really really want to win this as it will help my business.
I can REALLY use your vote for my business. They are doing the annual Best of Westchester for the prestigious Westchester Magazine. I was nominated last year, but didn't follow through to get votes.Can you please help me??Just click on below link, fill out your info and then scroll down to Home and Garden category, and then it would be great if you can add "Floor Coverings International" in both the carpet and flooring store categories.
Very … (16 comments)
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ramblings from a westchester flooring store shop at home: I may actually get to the first page of the leaderboard
- 02/02/13 07:13 PM
I blog mainly to build my business, and believe me, it has...in fact, I'm so busy, I'm hiring another person in a month. (Can't wait).
The points coming along with the blogging, and I have to admit they are fun. When I first started, the points really motivated me. Now, they are more of an accountability tool. And, after they announced free membership at 500,000 pts, I really strove for that.
When I saw how many people there were w/ so many points there were, I figured I would never make it to the first page, and I did … (20 comments)
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Yes, we had a nasty few days and a LOT of snow on Friday...but, thankfully, given the warmer weather, it's almost all melted away! I was amazed at the result at the end of Saturday. Today, we sprung ahead to daylight savings time. I heard a flock of Canadian Geese yesterday too. All good signs of the warmer weather.
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