Keeping Upholstered Home Furniture Clean and Presentable

Aside from regular cleaning, the simplest way to maintain the furniture in your home in its most presentable and serviceable condition is to use them with as much care as possible.

In households that have young children and pets, this can be a very challenging task. Chairs, couches and sofas are meant to be sat on – not stood on or jumped on. It is not a venue for rough housing with the family dog. Nor is it for wiping popcorn buttered hands on. But unless you’re maintaining a spinster lifestyle, inevitable mishaps like stains and spillages cannot be avoided.

To maintain furniture upholstered in fabric, it is best to do spot-cleaning as soon as an “accident” happens. Just spray on and scrub in a cleaning solvent on the stain and wipe off with a dry cloth or paper towel. For dust and grime that seem to settle in the fabric from normal daily use, home shampooing on a regular basis is recommended.

Leather and vinyl only need to be wiped clean with a sponge dipped in a soapy solution. Use a soft bristled brush to get stubborn grime off if necessary. Wipe off with a soft dry cloth. Leather needs to be moisturized to retain its sheen. In lieu of commercially available leather moisturizers, colorless shoe polish may be used. Apply the polish evenly, then buff and polish thoroughly. On the other hand, oil-based products should never be used on vinyl as these may cause the material to become brittle.

To avoid nicks, scratches and snags, make sure the furniture have ample space around them. Do not place them flush against the wall or other furniture unless they were designed to do so. Maintain a fair distance from heating vents and direct sunlight. Try not to eat messy, dripping food around upholstered furnishings. Otherwise, be prepared to soot-clean right after your meal.

Of course, hiring a professional cleaning service is always the best choice. Most services have a pick-up and delivery option. Some services will clean your furniture right in your home. If the cleaning required is a hefty task, like a major spill on light-colored upholstery, these are the people to call. They’ll know what cleaning agents or solvents to use that won’t damage the fabric’s design and color. But still, unless your home furnishings are the expensive heirloom type or made by a known designer, these services may also cost a paltry sum.

Last Minute Travel Plans – Any Ideas?

Phew! That’s the word most people utter or gasp when trying to arrange everything on a last minute travel plan. Haywire would be the right word. Is there any house in the real world which has properly placed items, which you can easily find, when you want them?

The answer would be in the negative, because nobody is responsible these days and just keep on misplacing the knife or screwdriver and what not. They become exasperated when it is not available at the most needed moment. When a last minute travel plan jumps right into your face, try not to panic- this is the first requirement not to muddle up things.

When you are confused, your brain will not work clearly and you may forget many important papers or things. Relax and sit for a few moments- concentrate and try to make a list of what all things you may want to take.

Take a convenient bag or suitcase which has many openings to keep your required items like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, medicines [if you are having any], towels, undergarments [plenty, if you do not have the option to wash] etc;.

A laptop is a necessity these days. EZAir is a device which will help transfer the graphics from a laptop to an HD monitor. There are no wires involved and presentations during business trips can be done very easily. There is also an extended monitor. Avail of the EZair coupon to get discounts.

If anybody has not booked a ticket for travel, telephone an agency to do so. There are many with high quality service and they will get you one, even though you may have to pay through the roof to get one just hours before travel.

Take water in a bottle because pure water is had to come by. Play it safe. Most importantly, turn off the gas knob, the electricity etc; to avoid accidents. Remove cable connections and unplug the television, computer, and the refrigerator [if you plan to be away for more than four days].

Contact your nearest neighbors if they are trustworthy and ask them to keep an eye on your house or apartment. Ask the milkman and the newspaper agent not to continue service until further notice. Tell the local police of your trip and request them to keep a watch during their rounds. Double check all locked doors and windows, if possible have a door alarm fixed [earlier though]. Check the ticket once more and have a worry free happy journey.

A last minute journey is always a pain in the neck, but if you are organized in your house, it will help you to pack instantly without any hassles as you would know where to find what.

Emergency situations can spring any moment, so being organized and arranging clothes in your wardrobe would mean less clutter and valuable time will not be wasted trying to find a dress or some other item. Most people do not arrange their clothes and just shove it in. An organized person will not be upset at sudden turn of events, so let us all try to be so. Have a nice trip and enjoy without any worry.

What Yogi Berra Can Teach Small Business Owners About Estate Planning

According to baseball legend Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” Yogi’s one liners often make me laugh, but they also make me think. His quip reminds me of the importance of having a plan when engaging in any endeavor that will impact our personal situations beyond the immediate here and now. That includes the process of estate planning. Now, I will grant you that Yogi probably wasn’t thinking about estate planning when he offered this particular slice of wisdom. Nonetheless, his words are absolutely spot-on insofar as the importance of planning for that day which we will not live to see. As important as having an estate plan is for all of us, it is of even greater importance for the small business owner. I think it is no exaggeration to say that thoughtful estate planning is an essential component of every small business owner’s overall business plan.

I think of a successful small business owner as someone who recognizes an opportunity to provide a needed product or service, and then invests the time, devotion and energy to developing and implementing a plan to seize that opportunity. I admire those thoughtful risk takers who harness their vision, business acumen and moxie in order to create, nurture and guide a sustainable business venture. I have found the small business owners I counsel to be thoughtful, deliberate and attentive to detail in how they go about the work of managing their businesses; i.e., they plan for the future. However, what I have also noticed from time to time in otherwise prudent and successful small business owners is a lack of any plan for their business when they die or are otherwise unavailable to manage it.

It is easy to understand how even successful small business owners who are otherwise consummate planners might prefer to avoid estate planning as it concerns their business operation. In at least one respect, these successful business owners are a lot like most people; that is, they are not accustomed (or inclined) to ponder their own mortality. It is a subject, even if not loaded with angst, which easily lends itself to defer consideration for “another day.” Yet, the stubborn reality remains that absolutely none of us will get out of this life alive. For the small business owner, Yogi’s wise counsel merits some thought, and action.

If you are a small business owner and have yet to start the estate planning process, let me suggest some relatively easy first steps to get you started. First, locate and then review your company’s organizational and governing documents. If your business is incorporated, these would include the corporate bylaws, shareholders’ agreements and those other documents your lawyers drafted when the business was getting started. If your business is a limited liability company or partnership, you will want to look at the company’s operating agreement or partnership agreement. Review these documents with the following questions in mind:

- How will your death (or permanent incapacity) affect the company’s existence?

- How will your successor be chosen, by whom and how much say do you presently have in that decision?

- Will your death trigger a buy/sell provision by which a co-owner, or the company itself, is allowed to purchase your interest in the business, notwithstanding the wishes of your own family members?

A brief review or discussion with your lawyer of questions like these may then prompt you to begin thinking about your vision for the company’s future when you are no longer able to guide it. A next step might be to consider how you would want the business operated in the event of your temporary incapacity or unavailability. A durable power of attorney will allow you (as the “principal”) to designate someone else (the “agent”) to make business decisions during your incapacity, while allowing you to retain the ability to withdraw or revoke the POA when you are ready to resume control of the business.

The POA itself might serve as the genesis of a comprehensive succession plan, by which you map out a plan to reduce your own involvement in the business and allow others to assume greater management and decision making responsibilities. An orderly transition plan is apt to increase the company’s odds of survival when you are gone. And, such a plan may help you to “let go” of control and devote more efforts to mentoring those who will eventually run the business you created.

Ultimately, you will want to focus your planning on what you want to happen to the business when you have died. Here, a well-designed trust agreement will allow you a great deal of flexibility, both in terms of retaining a degree of control while you are alive, and identifying your intentions with respect to the business after you die. The trust agreement enables you to select those who will administer your stated intentions when you are gone. You can, for example, provide for the sale and/or dissolution of the business over time, or provide for its eventual transfer to one or more family members. A trust agreement allows the owner a great deal of flexibility and for that reason makes it an extremely helpful tool in the business owner’s estate plan.

The bottom line is that you, as the small business owner, have the ability to ensure that with careful planning the company you created will survive your passing. This is a process that can be tackled incrementally over time. Given the uncertainties of life, however, the estate planning process should become a component of your overall business plan. There is no time like the present to start this process. Don’t be lulled into putting this task off for “another day”. None of us know how much of a future we will have. Or, as Yogi puts it, “It may be getting late earlier than you thought.”

© 6/16/2015 Hunt & Associates, P.C. All rights reserved.

The Essential Requirements In Pursuing An Online Education Degree

People who holds a graduate or master’s degree of education can expect a higher salary compared to the ones who only finished high school. A graduate degree holder can increase its income each year. That is why there are many people who strive to pursue their education as a solid investment. Online education enables busy working adults to achieve a higher education while maintaining employment to earn a living.

There are many options for you to begin a career that suits your interests from many online degrees. Education factor grows intensely as the world wide web expands. Each year more and more accredited and well known universities and colleges develops online programs as they join the craze of Internet education. With the vast number of Internet education sources, learning is can easily be attained.

Online education degrees can be the best option in acquiring higher education than enrolling to traditional universities that are hard to get accepted to. Most of the instructors online have unlimited students all around the world so you have a lower chance of being turned away. You can achieve your goals in life without obstacles such as acceptance by considering yourself being enrolled in an online education.

Pursuing an online education degree have essential requirements. Students need to be well-organized who can manage their time efficiently. Reviewing course material independently and effectively is also needed. Students should have a full access to computers with an Internet service and virus protection for the online classes. With the advancement of technologies used, students must be computer literate for them to be able to use email and basic Internet functions. Those technologies are essential because they are used to communicate with instructors and taking or online exams and assigned tasks. For the convenience of students, online education degree programs are transferred or delivered in a web-based format that is available 24/7.

Online courses were developed to cater the needs of people with hectic schedules who wants to continue their education while taking responsibilities at home, workplace and community. Online education was designed with the same rigor as the traditional way of teaching. It follows the same criteria at those achieved at traditional university campus.

This mode of education is more affordable than attending a physical university campus because there are no cost fro traveling or housing. You can choose the most convenient place and time of your learning experience. Pursuing a virtual education a clear view of a wise decision. You will have all the ease of achieving a higher degree online that eventually improved your financial status.