SMCICT

About the author: The online printing company Conquest Graphics provides high quality printing at discount prices, including poster printing.

How many times have you seen the large, framed posters of a giant blue whale’s tail splashing down onto the ocean? How about the poster with a sequence of shots taken of a giant wave crashing over a lighthouse? Usually there is an accompanying one-word inspirational or motivational imprint saying, for instance. “Team Work”, “Motivate”, “Energize” or take your pick from thousands of variations.

If you have nodded your head at any time in this opening paragraph because you know the posters I’m referring to then really you ought to be asking what can really be so original and inspirational about an old print and some old words? If you are looking to inspire initiative in your people don’t you really need to be demonstrating the same traits as those you are looking to imbue in others - of course you do!

With digital cameras and photo software available at very cheap prices and which will allow even the most fumbling amateur to produce great looking images, you are now free to create your own posters to motivate and inspire your employees and your business partners.

The issue will be your subject matter for the poster imagery and selecting a print partner who will be able to create poster quality prints suitable for use and being put on display.

Using your imagination in coming up with subjects to turn into a poster you should look no further than your own company to begin with. There are numerous subjects and moments which may be captured and will be eminently suitable for turning into a published poster. Look at your staff when at work or at play; look at your business location, your setting and physical impact upon your local community. If you are involved in social and community affairs, look at bringing these into the equation and don’t forget you have a stack of customers who will not likely be averse to some publicity and exposure at your expense.

You need to take a little time to think about the theme of your custom poster efforts; if your watchword if “Inspire: then you will be looking for moments when you can capture an image that helps define this character trait. For instance, an experienced employee showing a younger one how to get the job done - don’t have the two of them pose, because you’ll just get a set of posed smiling teeth - wait for the moment and let them work together so they become engaged in the matter at hand and not in you with the camera.

Your print partner will be easily able to turn your digital images into posters of any size though you should aim to stick with standard sizing to avoid expense. They will also be able to brush up your images so they stand out better - it is a simple matter for factors such as color and lighting to be adjusted and even cropping the image so you get a good subject position within the finished poster.

For the cost of a digital camera and some time with your print partner you can come up with a set of original and inspirational posters for use in your business and truly demonstrate the qualities you are looking for your people to adopt when at work.

When it comes to the leading Richmond awnings, nobody has a better selection or record of service than Capitol Awning. For more than 70 years they’ve been offering retractable residential awnings and retractable commercial awnings that provide shade and protection from the elements both at home and at your place of business. Whether it’s for your porch, patio, or office entrance, Capitol Awning is ready to help you pick out the perfect awning. After they’ve helped you pick out the perfect awning, I’m sure you’ll be glad you took my advice.

Looking at shipping label I wondered why they have to be so boring. Looking at Flickr I found quite a few customized shipping labels that were very creative. Here is one of my favorites.

and here is another one.

Rely on qualified repair and service to keep your furnace in shape. All furnaces, especially the oil-fired variety, need annual end-of- summer inspections. Burners need cleaning, oil nozzles need replacement, and often the electrodes and ignition device need cleaning and adjustment. None of these are jobs for the weekend handyman.
You can locate qualified furnace technicians through your mobile
home park operator, your fuel supplier, a list of authorized technicians in your Owner’s Warranty package, or the telephone directory.
You need a competent gas technician to convert yor natural gas system to Ip gas or vice versa. He can also see problems developing and correct them before your furnace fails. Schedule yearly furnace inspections into your budget; they may save you large repair bills and inconvenience later.
You also want dependable service fast when heating emergencies occur. For example, anytime you smell burnt oil or gas, you need a technician. Combustion should be odorless. Turn off the furnace. Open your windows. Call your repairman immediately. He’s more likely to respond quickly or at odd hours if you’re a known customer.

Maintaining an oil-fired heating system requires more work then with gas or electric. You maintain the furnace itself about the same,
but in addition you need to keep a close eye on your fuel tank and
fuel lines.
[ Ideally, an oil system operates best if you keep the fuel tank full, even during summer. Condensation can form on the walls of an empty or partially empty tank. This water has no place to go but to
r the bottom of the tank, since oil and water don’t mix. Sediment also collects along the tank bottom. To avoid heating problems, drain water and sediment from your tank at the start of each heating season. Open the drain and let it run until you see only clean oil, with no dirt or water-bubbles in it.
The fuel supply needs a filter where the fuel line runs from the bottom of the tank. Sometimes it’s a tossup, though, which is worse—sediment in the oil from the tank, or air and fibers in the oil from the filter. With your furnace technician, explore the best oilstorage method for your particular furnace.
Leaks in oil lines waste fuel, and let air into the fuel mixture prematurely. Tighten loose joints.

Electric mobile-home heating incorporates either baseboard heater units or an electric forced-air furnace. The chief difference between an electric furnace and a gas or oil furnace lies in the “firebox.” The electric furnace burns no fuel; it has powerful heating coils instead.
Electric baseboard heat generally has a thermostat control for each room. You can adjust room temperatures individually. By keeping the thermostats in bedrooms at 65° or less, you can save a nice percentage on your annual heating bills and still feel quite comfortable.
Electric heating units, whether forced-air or baseboard, need to be kept clean. Page 46 describes the cleaning of forced-air heat ducts and registers. Central air conditioning means you’ll need to vacuum those air ducts periodically, just as you would with a forced- air furnace.
To clean baseboard electric units, remove the front panel, which either snaps on or screws on. Clean the fins with the dusting brush of your vacuum cleaner. Never touch a heating element with your hands; it may be exceptionally hot. If you can’t gain access to the fins, use a crevice tool to vacuum away dust and dirt.

Look for specific maintenance instructions attached to your furnace housing. Various designs call for different maintenance procedures.
Natural gas furnaces need only simple maintenance. Changing filters regularly, plus oiling the motor and keeping it clean, make for worry-free operation. The whole furnace needs occasional cleaning. Dirt gathers in the furnace closet, around the blower, and inside the furnace housing. Vacuum these areas once a month, when you inspect the filters. Make sure the whole furnace power circuit is off before you vacuum inside the furnace or blower casement. Never use your furnace closet for storage. Remove the registers and vacuum the heating ducts frequently. Wash grimy ducts and registers with detergent.
If you ever smell gas, open the windows to vent the fumes outside. The gas range pilot may have gone out or a burner valve may left open accidentally. If you don’t find the problem there, turn off your main gas valve. Call your gas utility and report a leak. It will receive their immediate attention. Whatever you do, DON’T light match; instant disaster could result. If you live in a mobile home park, call the management too. Get that leak sealed before you use any gas appliance, even if it means eating out or sleeping in a motel day or two. Gas explosions are devastating.