Nothing in a house gets more action than the windows and doors. If they don’t fit exactly as they should, then they’ll catch on the jamb or threshold and suffer the consequences. And windows and doors that are made of wood are always changing their shape slightly, getting bigger in the summer and smaller (because drier) in the winter. Carpenters account for this variation in standard construction technique, but if the house has gone out of square, or if the hinges and related hardware are not in good order, then the built-in tolerances won’t be adequate.
Unfortunately, most older houses’ doors show their age. They’re either too drafty or too tight. They typically display the ravages of several attempts to get them to lock better with a variety of bolts, latches, slides, chains, and the like. One of the worst old front doors lever saw was on a farmhouse that our “This Old House” team once renovated. The door had nearly lost its threshold through wear. The sidelights, which had once been a nicely multipaned decoration, had been stuffed with cardboard and covered with Plexiglas in a struggle against the oil cartel. The door’s glass panels were cracked. The knob hung loosely from the broken lockset. The jamb was splintered. The leavings of several failed attempts to weather-strip the door were evident.
I knew we were in for trouble with this one. You can’t just replace what’s missing or broken; you often have to restore it, not just for aesthetic reasons but to make the door work right. When a pair of hundred-year-old sidelights has to be replaced, you go to a mifi with your specs, prepared to wait a long time and pay a big price.
We sent the door itself off to the stripper, who for a hundred dollars removed all of its many layers of paint. The stripping process is very hard on doors. The whole door is dipped into a solution of caustic chemicals, which is terrific for getting rid of the paint but also makes the door’s various joints swell up. Then, after the door is rinsed in another solution and dried under heat, it shrinks, and this causes the joints to separate. Fixing the resulting mess requires glue and clamps.
Once the door is back on its hinges, the next step is to “dutchman” its holes and splits — the wounds left by previous owners in their various attempts to install locks and chains. To dutchman is to insert pieces of wood to fill in the voids, the objective being to make the repair invisible once a new coat of paint is applied over the patch. It should be done only by those who understand chisels, knives, and other woodworking tools.
After a great many man-hours, our old door was working just fine, with a new lock, new weather stripping, a new storm door, and, of course, new sidelights. With a new oak threshold and some new molding, the door looked as if had been there forever. And the whole job cost about $1,500.
Moral: entrance doors that don’t work cost lots to fix, and there’s no walking away from a door that doesn’t work.
Patio doors. These have been causing problems since they were introduced at least fifty years ago. The earliest versions were constructed of aluminum frame and “thermal” glass — that is, two pieces of single-thickness tempered glass, or “lights,” with an air space between them. This air space creates a measure of insulation, but the seal can break. When that happens, moisture gets into the air space and condenses, causing streaks that cannot be removed. Another problem is that the aluminum frame is an excellent conductor of cold. Such doors are cold to the touch and can actually frost up on cold nights. Newer patio doors use wooden frames to overcome that problem, as well as an improved glass sandwich to keep out the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. The down side is that installing such doors is not cheap.
In your tour of each dwelling, you’ll look at a lot of broad, flat surfaces. You’re looking for cracks, stains (an indicator of leaks), and peeling paint.
If you have small children, peeling paint is of medical as well as aesthetic concern because of the danger of lead poisoning (see the final section in this chapter, “Toxic Environments”).
If there’s wallpaper, is it in good condition? Is it a color and style you can live with, or wifi you want to get it off the walls as soon as you take possession?
If there’s wall-to-wall carpeting, can you stand it? Will it last a while, or does it really need immediate replacing?
If there are area rugs, look under them to check the condition of the floors. Look behind paintings as well, to see if they’re covering holes or water stains. I know that doesn’t seem terribly polite, but you’re not trying to win a popularity contest; you’re trying to find out as much as possible about the home you’re considering investing a lot of money in. You should be a lot more concerned about avoiding a costly mistake than about offending the seller. Of course, before yanking back the throw rug, you might first ask, “Do you mind?”
A nation’s size, per-capital income, and stage of economic development determine its prospects as a host for international business expansion. Nations with low per-capital incomes may be poor markets for expensive industrial machinery but good ones for agricultural hand tools. These nations cannot afford the technical equipment that powers an industrialized society. Wealthier countries may offer prime markets for many U.S. industries, particularly those producing consumer goods and services and advanced industrial products.
In India, for example, the median annual household income is only $480. Economic reforms have improved the country’s standard of living somewhat, but most Indians have very few Western conveniences. Only 2 percent own cars, 4 percent have running hot water, and 7 percent have phones. Color television and refrigerator ownership run a bit higher at 12 percent.
Successful marketing in India requires an understanding of how the economy affects Indian consumers. Both rich and poor Indians practice frugal buying habits and spend as little as possible at one time. They prefer small packages with low prices, even though larger packages may offer more economical purchases. Even the wealthy are price-conscious consumers. Nestlé S.A. improved its market penetration in India by reducing package sizes and then pricing more than half of its food products under 25 rupees (about 70 cents). For example, sales of Maggi instant noodles tripled after Nestlé reduced the price from 19 cents to 14 cents a package. Recycling, a way of life for many Indians, is another issue U.S. marketers must keep in mind before entering the Indian marketplace. Although that country is the world’s largest market for razor blades, disposable razors sell very poorly because the idea of throwing them away mystifies typical Indians.20
Another important economic factor to consider when planning to enter a foreign market is a country’s infrastructure. Infrastructure refers to a nation’s communication systems (television, radio, print media, telecommunications), transportation networks (paved roads, railroads, airports), and energy facilities (power plants, gas and electric utilities). An inadequate infrastructure may constrain marketers’ plans to manufacture, promote, and distribute goods and services in a particular country.
People living in countries blessed by navigable waters often rely on them as inexpensive, relatively efficient alternatives to highways, rail lines, and air transportation. As Figure 3.5 shows, Thai farmers use their nation’s myriad rivers to transport their crops. Their boats even become retail outlets in so-called floating market like this one located outside Bangkok.
Marketers expect developing economies to have substandard utility and communications networks. China encountered numerous problems in establishing a 21st-century communications industry infrastructure. The Chinese government’s answer was a huge investment in wireless technology. By 2001, over 60 million Chinese had their own cell phones, and the number will grow to 200 million subscribers by 2010. Unlike the high phone rates paid by their Japanese neighbors, Chinese consumers pay only a nickel a minute, one of the cheapest rates in the world.
Changes in exchange rates can also complicate international marketing. An exchange rate is the price of one nation’s currency in terms of another country’s currency. Fluctuations in exchange rates can make a nation’s currency more valuable or less valuable compared to those of other nations. In Europe, a new currency was introduced—the euro—to eliminate problems associated with exchange rates. Before the euro, prices for the same goods and services varied between 30 percent and 100 percent among European nations. In the first year of the euro, price differences fell to only 28 percent and continue to drop as the euro becomes the dominant currency in Europe. ByJuly 1,2002, national currencies will no longer be legal tender for countries in the European Monetary Union.
Russian and many eastern European currencies are considered soft currencies that cannot be readily converted into such hard currencies as the dollar, euro, or Japanese yen. Rather than taking payment in soft currencies, international marketers doing business there may resort to barter, accepting such commodities as oil, timber, or even alcoholic beverages as payment for exports. Needless to say, U.S. currency is a hot commodity; in fact, demand for American dollars is higher than ever. About 60 percent of the new $100 bills printed last year were sent directly overseas. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, signifving the end of the cold war, U.s. dollars flooded former Soviet-bloc countries. In response, many regions, including much of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, have placed restrictions on currency trading.2
The most important rooms in any house, as most people come to agree, are the kitchen and the bathrooms. Studies have shown that for most people, a well-designed kitchen with plenty of cabinets and counter space and a bathroom with luxurious appointments can compensate for a great many shortcomings in other departments. Even if you now tend to think of a kitchen as an unnecessary waste of space that might better go toward a studio, look carefully at what it offers. Is it large enough to put in a table with a few chairs? Is there good work space that’s conveniently located relative to the stove, the refrigerator, the pantry?
What about the appliances, built in or otherwise? How old are they? Do they work? Are any of them still under warranty? Is the owner planning to take any of them out? Is the lighting what you need?
Check the bathrooms with equal care. Are the fixtures in good condition? Are there showers and bathtubs, or only showers? Does it matter to you?
The source of heat in the bathroom is not a trivial matter. Some people may like the idea of stepping out of a hot shower into a cold bathroom in the dead of winter, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to find out how well heated the bathroom is.
Never fail to check the water pressure at every tap. If this is a house you’re beginning to think seriously about, turn on all the taps, upstairs and downstairs, and let them all run at once. Make sure the pressure remains strong at each of them. Check under the sinks in the bath and kitchen for leaks and for water stains, evidence of past leakage.
The first thing to consider when you move inside the house is the number of moms it has, and whether they are adequate for your needs. Are there enough bedrooms and baths? How are the rooms laid out? Will you be happy if you have to walk through the master bedroom to get to the kitchen? If it’s a two-story house, what’s upstairs and what’s downstairs? Don’t underestimate the inconvenience of a two-story house that doesn’t have even a half-bathroom downstairs.
Pay careful attention to the size of the rooms, and don’t just rely on your general impression of how large they are. Get out your tape measure and write down the actual numbers. This is the time to figure out whether your grand piano will fit in the living room, not when the movers are glaring at you with the thing on their backs.
Also, try to imagine these rooms filled with your furniture, not with that of the people living there. Your Salvation Army surplus may not set off the fireplace and bay window quite as nicely as does the current residents’ Danish Modem living-room set.
Another general point about the floor plan: as you go through a house, develop an overall impression of whether its rooms tend to be bright or dark. Bright, airy rooms with lots of windows can be a definite plus, especially if you envision filling them with plants. Darker rooms offer other possibilities — a cozy study, for example, or a well-lit work area. Consider every detail of the house in terms of your life-style and your family’s needs for space, privacy, and an appropriate layout.
If the existing space does not seem adequate, then your next question is whether the house has expansion possibffities. An unfinished basement or an attic could become that additional room you have to have. A large lot may give you room to expand to the side or the rear.
If you are considering an unfinished basement or an attic for extra living space, make sure it’s dry. That’s something you have to ascertain in any case, whether you intend to use it for conversion to a new room or for storage.
Be honest with yourself about the extent to which you can bend your needs to fit the limitations of the house. The house may be charming and well located but wrong for you. If it has only one bedroom and you need two, you cannot learn to be happy with it. Be realistic about what you need, what you can concede, and what you can afford to do. Adding two bathrooms, raising the roof, and digging out the basement might make the house “perfect,” but you might be better off waiting for a house that comes closer to meeting your needs without all that work.
If you decide that expanding an existing structure (by building up or out) would be essential before you could live in it, and if you are certain that you can afford the needed renovations, wait one more minute before you sign the contract to buy it. Check the local zoning and building codes to be sure you won’t run afoul of setback requirements — the distances that must be maintained between your house and the street and your house and those next to it. Would you need a “variance” from those rules in order to build an addition? If so, are you positive you could get it? It’s not always obvious what changes to your own property you have to get other people’s permission for. In many areas neighbors are given a legal right to object to any request for a variance. If you need to do something to the house that might raise a zoning-related issue, you should discuss your plans with your potential new neighbors to see how they’ll react. A zoning dispute is not the best way to meet your neighbors.
Ever since my dad started to work at an international company, he is always been sent to other countries on business trips. He has been in the US for countless of times attending seminars and meetings. This time would be different; my dad was going to Russia. Russia was territory he was unfamiliar with, of course he knew the geographic location, and other general information that can read on books and watched on television. Obtaining a Russian visa is not easy, but since he was going there on a business trip, he was getting a russian business visa. He need not worry about getting an invitation letter, his company, had taken care of that, and also the expenses.
My dad, when going somewhere for the first time, does a little research about it, since he was heading to Russia, he read about various tourist attractions that can be found in Russia, he even read about the magnetic north pole heading towards Russia, their culture and of course, about russian food, delicacies and drinks, and he could wait to taste the different kinds of Russian soups.
When you are planning for a party make sure your guests are invited at least 2 weeks before the event so that they can be able to make it. It will be more elegant if you invite them by sending beautiful cards. The picture and illustrations on the card should match the occasion and the desired theme of the event. If you want it to make a formal dinner party then the card should be designed accordingly. There are many card makers available in the market making beautiful and eye-catching printable cards that your guests will surely love. In recent years Paper So Pretty has emerged as a reputed brand for stylish, elegant and funny invitation cards. The journey of SanLori invitations cards began in the year 1996. This is a nationally recognized company which creates various exciting invitation cards for all occasions. For an unforgettable and exciting birthday party you may try Stacy Claire Boyd birth announcements cards. The owner of the company is Stacy Claire Boyd herself. She started this company in 1985. Her design became so popular that she created many birthday invitation cards for celebrities including the birthday of Caroline Kennedy and Kathy Lee Gifford. If you want to buy the unique and nice-looking invitation cards from online card retailers then you will have to place the order through their website. The order will be sent to your house within few days. For personalization on the cards an additional charge will be included with the basic price.
Let me explain how easy it is to apply for payday loan with fastcashonline.com. I applied on their site online, and within a few minutes, I got approved. I was so surprised and thought there could be a gimmick. No, absolutely not! The next day, my requested loan amount sat nicely on my bank account. I still couldn’t forget the moment when I went to my payday loan agency to pay my account off yet without the need to re-borrow again. Now, I would only need to serve a single loan and that’s my payday loan online at fast cash online. I would definitely recommend fast cash online to all my friends since it makes a world of difference to me now.
Leasing, rather than buying, is a hot trend. In fact, nearly 40 percent of light trucks are leased these days. But is it really for you?
That depends. The big problem for hunters and fishermen is that at the end of the lease (typically 24 months), the lessee (that’s you) must pay for any “excess wear and tear” when the vehicle is returned. Given where we drive our trucks when we hunt and fish, you may find that your truck has a number of scratches or small dents.You will pay handsomely for this. You also may not be able to personalize the vehicle, if you want to add a roof rack, brush guard, auxiliary lights, an electric winch, and other bolt-on accessories, you need to find out whether the lessor (the finance company that owns the vehicle) will allow you to make modifications.
In some ways, leasing is a more complicated procedure than buying. There are many fmancial pitfalls, so you better do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. But a quick way to figure out if leasing may work for you is to answer the following questions:
Leasing may work for you if:
1. You prefer to drive a new, rather than old, truck;
2. You don’t mind making monthly payments;
3. You put less than 12,000 miles a year on your truck;
4. You don’t expose your truck to “excess wear and teat”
Leasing probably won’t work lbr you if:
1. You prefer to pay off the loan in frill and then drive the vehicle for several years thereafter;
2. You drive more than 12,000 miles per year;
3. You routinely drive into areas where brush, rocks, and other hazards can damage the vehicle.
Federal, state, and local governments have established regulatory agencies to enforce laws. At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wields the broadest powers of any agency to influence marketing activities. It has the authority to enforce laws regulating unfair business practices and can take action to stop false and deceptive advertising. The Federal Communications Commission regulates communication by wire, radio, and television. Other federal regulatory agencies include the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the Federal Power Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The FTC uses several procedures to enforce laws. It may issue a consent order through which a business accused of violating a law can agree to voluntary compliance without admitting guilt. If a business refuses to comply with an FTC request, the agency can issue a cease-and-desist order, which gives a final demand to stop an illegal practice. Firms often challenge cease-and- desist orders in court. The FTC can require advertisers to provide additional information about products in their advertisements, and it can force firms using deceptive advertising to correct earlier claims with new promotional messages. In some cases, the FTC can require a firm to give refunds to consumers misled by deceptive advertising.
The FTC and US. Justice Department can stop mergers if they believe the proposed acquisition will reduce competition by making it harder for new companies to enter the field. In recent years, these agencies have taken a harder line on proposed mergers, especially in the computer, telecommunications, financial services, and health-care sectors.
Removing regulation also affects the marketing environment. Deregulation of the telecommunications and utilities industries has changed the competitive picture considerably. No longer do utilities have the exclusive right to operate within a territory. As Figure 2.5 reveals, natural gas utilities like Mobile Gas compete with the local electric company in supplying homeowners and businesses with energy needs for heating, cooling, and preparing meals. Because of deregulation, they also compete with other gas companies. Since 1993, natural gas distributors have been able to send gas through local pipelines, similar to the way long-distance phone companies use local lines and compete with other companies around the country. The Archdiocese of Chicago saved $8 million by purchasing gas from Houston’s Enron Corp. rather than its local utilities. Customers of KN Energy in southeastern Wyoming can choose from among 12 competing gas companies.
This kind of restructuring in the utility industry after 90 years of monopoly will affect many different sectors. If power costs drop the expected 20 percent due to deregulation of the generation process, businesses and individuals will have more money to spend on other things. Competition will improve efficiency in what had become a complex and inefficient market. Consolidation of the industry will increase due to mergers between utility companies.
The latest round of deregulation brought the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This law removed barriers between local and long-distance phone companies and cable companies. It allowed the seven regional Bell operating companies and GTE Corp. to offer long- distance service; at the same time, long-distance companies—such as AT&T, WorldCom, and Sprint that control over 90 percent of this market—gained authority to offer local service. Cable companies can offer phone service, and phone companies can get into the cable business. The change promises huge rewards for competitive winners. Just capturing 20 percent of the local calling market, for example, is worth $15 billion to $20 billion per year to AT&T.