A brief history of e commerce trading

From the beginning
Herman Hollerith 1887 started a company that would later pioneer electronic forms of doing business in the later years of development.IBM International Business Machines

OLTP – IBM pioneers online transaction processing 1950s–1960s It was a way of handling money transactions in real time using a newly designed computer system with American Airlines.
ATM is launched,invented by a US company Docutel in 1970.It works by using online transactions made through bank computers.
AOL,Progidy and Compuserve allow shoppers to start using there home computers and telephone lines in the 1980s.
Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 invented the World Wide Web.
Jeff Bezos,1994 founds the iconic store Amazon.
Marc Andreessen in 1994 develops the Netscape Navigator web browser with a built in encryption that allows credit card transactions to be carried out securely online.
2000 the dot.com bubble bursts when over 750 online businesses go to the wall.Amazon share prices drop to less than 10% of its original value.
By 2008 ecommerce website sales represent 3.4% of total sales.
By 2015 ecommerce retail sales are at a staggering $83.9 billion.Up $51.2 billion from 2012.

2016-2017 championship fixtures list with betting tips

Opening Weekend Fixtures:

Friday 5th August

Fulham v Newcastle

Saturday 6th August 2016

Birmingham City v Cardiff City

Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City

Bristol City v Wigan Athletic

Derby County v Brighton & Hove Albion

Huddersfield Town v Brentford

Ipswich Town v Barnsley

Nottingham Forest v Burton Albion

Reading v Preston North End

Rotherham v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Sunday 7th August 2016

Queens Park Rangers v Leeds United

Here it is the long awaited Sky Bet Championships opening weekend fixtures list. And my are we in for a treat !

It kicks off with Newcastle United taking a trip to the former premier league rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Saturday welcome newcomers Burton Albion v Nottingham Forest whilst two of last seasons play off contenders commence battle at the ipro stadium, Derby County v Hove Albion.

Aston Vill will begin there life in the second tier with a difficult trip to Sheffield Wednesday who,lost out on promotion to the Premier League last season in the play-off final at Wembley.

Enthralling season predicted

With a few huge clubs relegated its bound to be a battle as teams fight to get back up in the big time or to survive in the second tier.

Early favourites are Newcastle United.They will have the biggest attendances and budget and the most famous manager former Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss Rafael Benitez.

Two more teams looking to bounce back are Aston Villa and Norwich City.With the recent new buy Roberto Di Matteo he will be looking to buy some new players and use his previous experience of this league to get the boys back up.

Newly promoted Burton Albion will be competing at this level for the first time.Wigan Athletic and Barnsley also taking part who have more experience at this level will need to make each performance count to keep the climbers at bay.

See more football tips and information on footyinformer.com

Latest salon design trends

A well designed salon can make the world of difference to your business.Looking at the catwalk influences this season,what is on trend right now ?

Top five salon trends

70S mania

The 70s is a key trend on the catwalks right now.Bohemian and vintage prints,retro style.

You can bring a hint of this era to your salon …

Soft earthy tones

Long gone are the monochrome days of black and white.Grey is the new black.

Adding gentle soothing shades of grey can ooze relaxation.

Be bold in Blue

Need a colour injection ? bold blue is set to be the shade choice for 2016.

Azure,cobalt,cerulean,pastel colours step aside.

Add a splash of colour to your salon,maybe with soft furnishings and accessories.Statement wall or even a painted floor.

Pantones marsala

Aswell as beings this years top colour in hair salons,Marsala is a tone to be used for design in salons.By adding this warm shade to your salon furniture or walls can make your salon look top notch !

Reproduction tiles are having a moment

Reproduction tiles are back,the bolder and brighter the better.Use in feature areas like centre of the floor,wash basins or waiting area.

Pale bleached washout

Anything pale and interesting goes, washed out wood like ash,maple and elm.Use it on frames flooring and shelving.

Surprise 50th was a blast.All the planning paid off.This was most definitely the party of a half century !

6 months of planning was all worth it

My idea began over a year ago initially. I really wanted to celebrate my husbands birthday in a big way.His 50th celebrations had to be unforgettable. I wanted to to show my gratitude to express my feeling of thankfulness to show how much i loved him as a husband and a father.

We had discussed a party but my husband was not keen, generally could not be bothered with the hassle which is a typical man.So i ignored his comments and thought if did all of the planning all he had to do was turn up on the night and enjoy !

The planning began, we needed to go undercover

I started to contact his friends,i actually didn’t realise how popular my husband was ! Through many years of working in the Car sales industry he had acquired many friends ,including many from other countries.

This was all top secret,i needed to make sure nobody let the cat out of the bag as they say.

Over 150 guests had been invited, including family.How exciting.

Now to plan the venue

The cheapest option was to arrange the party in our very own grounds.We had a large field that we could easily fit a marquee onto with a fantastic view perfect for a late summer evening.

I managed to book his favourite tribute act,Elvis ! I was so happy, he was going to love it.

To save the hassle of cooking i contacted a catering supplier in Birmingham. They offered a full buffet menu with hog roast and all dining equipment,no washing up ,even better.

Surprise !!

Finally the night had arrived.I had told my husband that we were going out for a family meal to his favourite Chinese restaurant.

His friends has taken him out for the day golfing so we could erect the marquee and make all relevant arrangements.

It was hard work covering the windows to the back of the house,i closed the blinds as it was a sunny evening and blamed it on the heat.

We made it, he had no idea, the look on his face was a picture. The night went so well.The food was delicious,Elvis was fantastic.

We did not stop dancing all night.Happy memories made.

Montessori education in primary years,Paint Pots and Picasso schools reviewed in London

Learning for life and living to learn,how Montessori education can thrive in the primary years

For over a century now Montessori education has been greatly valued for younger children.

The governments early years foundation stage has acknowledged that Montessori is at the heart of its view of the way children learn.

The Montessori style is to let children learn at there own pace by letting them do things for themselves and making there own choices.

Montessori is continually increasing older children with challenges of the 21st century.Encouraging self motivation and promoting free thinking and independent learning.

There education style is based on making full potential of each individual child’s capabilities.

Principal,Georgina Hood, of Paint pots and Picasso house comments,

“Many summer born babies find it very challenging for the transition to a larger formal school setting.This frustration led to the opening of our new primary school.

I was approached on a regular basis by parents who were apprehensive about sending their children to a formal school at an early age of four,so this new primary school offered a service to satisfy there worries.

Paint pots is registered to take children up to the age of 11 and Picasso up to the age of 8 years.

The classes are small and the children are involved in having a say in what they work on.

The curriculum meets fully with National Curriculum requirements and goes way beyond it in many subjects.

“Children simply love coming to school!” Mrs Tobias, Maths tutor in Birmingham

It was recently confirmed by the Cambridge review that we are sending our children to school far to early in the UK.

Montessori give parents another choice when considering schooling.

Montessori delivers many benefits for children under the age of four,it nurtures confidence,a joy in learning and high levels of self esteem.Its philosophy is based on education through understanding rather than being told what to do.

It offers a broader curriculum,it has no testing system.Just continuous observation which is recognised as a more accurate measure of a child’s progress.

Children educated in Montessori schools achieve at least as well and often better than children in other schools by the ages of 7 and 11, not only academically, but also socially.

Back to work for me,childcare in place but what do i do with the dog?

Two years off work being a mom,work was calling but so was the dog

My two beautiful boys had consumed my time over the last two years.So much had changed and grown in our household.From when i last worked full time my home was just an empty space,bare walls,clear floors,art pieces decorating the home.Looking now it had changed to walls filled with two years olds art, baby photos everywhere. Colourful rugs and not on single square meter of floor space free from plastic toys.Just to add to the chaos we added a fully dog,a crazy springer spaniel called Ted.

A busy two years,life changing i would say,experiencing real life and love.Looking back,as you naturally would returning to work,my life has changed dramatically,all for the best.I feel so blessed and lucky.

Anyway,back to reality,a tough decision,this ever growing family needed money,so i had no choice but to return to work.

Finding a good nursery was difficult.I took my time in looking at all local nursery’s and meeting the staff and getting a feel for the care they provided.

My favourite nursery was an easy decision,so much space and a beautiful outdoor play area,my boys loved it and they really warmed to one particular lady,Sarah,she really clicked with them.Almost instantly.

It was fantastic and such a relief ,i now knew i could return to work without worrying i had made the wrong decision and leaving my children unhappy.

One slight problem, but no money spare,i needed to think quick

Ted ! Spending so much time thinking about the children i hadn’t even considered Ted.

My hours would be 9am – 4pm , by the time i had picked the boys home it would be 5pm.

That was a very long time to expect Ted to not go to the toilet.

After a few enquiries,dog day care i found was very expensive.

Almost on par with childcare,this was most definitely an option.

My husband need to get his DIY thinking cap on.All we needed was a run for Ted,he needed outside access for fresh air and to able to go to the toilet.

It was quite easy,we fitted a dog flap onto the back door,then my husband built a long dog pen that ran down the length of the garden. This would give Ted sunshine and shade throughout the day. We purchased the wire mesh quite cheaply and it was very easy to assemble.

Brilliant,i think,no excuses now to start my working career and juggle home life around it.

Off to work i go !

A Birmingham based demolition company goes from strength to strength at the world annual demolition award ceremony

Coleman demolition have wiped the board clean with awards in this years World Demolition Summit.lets look at a brief history of where they started and how there professional services have helped them climb the ladder to success.

World demolition awards 2015

98 companies

19 countries

270 high quality delegates

With the 2015 awards taking place in Amsterdam the venue was packed out with over 300 successful businesses within the construction and demolition industry.

A Birmingham based company Coleman were the talk of the crowds,taking 4 awards home i wanted to get behind the scenes and find out a little bit of history behind this rapidly developing demolition business.

Coleman & Company est 1962

Started in 1962 by John Coleman as an excavation business initially,two generations on the company remains wholly independent and has evolved into an international award winning group of companies “The Coleman Group”. How can a demolition company in Birmingham make it worldwide ?

They are experts in :

Earthworks

Land regeneration

Demolition

Asbestos removal

Specialist cutting

They provide services in the following sectors :

Industrial

Education

city centre regeneration

Healthcare

Utilities

From the 1960’s they have achieved way beyond there expectations, winning a numerous amounts of awards across the board.This has been achieved through hard work,persistence and determination to succeed .

Ideas on how to design and build your cat run.

Location,location,location..

Most importantly and firstly before make any plans on design you need to decide on the loaction.Think about the sun and its position,you need your cat to have a mix of both.

Think about the height of the run if it is being attached to the back of your building,it needs to be able to fully swing open within the cage.

Free standing cages have to be secured and also protected from the wind and the sun. Half solid and fully solid units are available aswell as windbreak netting.

Now the creative bit ! Start your design.Add levels,dens,toys and beds.

Cats love to climb and be adventurous,make it interesting.

Cat run inspiration ….

How much can they cost ?

You can tailor any cat run to suit your budget. You can buy the run panel by panel and slowly build and develop it over time.

Each panel starts from as little as £30 for wire mesh,which is very sturdy and accident proof.

On average for a basic free standing cage type unit you would pay around £150.

Then you can go to the more sturdy and permanent type which attached to your house starting at £300.

To make it fun for your cats and comfortable you can add various ladders,boxes and beds.

You can really go to town on some cat runs and be luxurious and extravagant to really spoil your cat ..

I love this one ! So many snug hiding spaces for your cat,they would love spending time in this.

Hope the tips and designs have given you enough inspiration to start building your cat they’re dream home.

Choosing the best type os mattress to suit you to get the best out of a nights sleep

Memory foam,pocket sprung,latex,open coil …

There are four main types of mattress you can buy.There are various processes and prices can vary drastically.

Bust most importantly you need to find a mattress that suits you and is most comfortable.

Various sizes need to be considered aswell to suit your comfort from single,double to kingsize mattress.

Price does not mean you are buying the best mattress to suit you.

Pocket sprung mattress

In pocket sprung mattresses each spring is sewn into individual fabric pockets.These are the most popular of all mattresses.

They do not mould to your shape in the same way that memory foam can

but that does not necessarily mean that they offer any less support.

Most definitley not as warm as memory foam but this can help if you always find yourself getting to hot in the night.

Continuous coil mattress and open coil mattress

These are the most reasonably priced mattress out of all of the styles.

They are made from a single looped wire and open coil mattresses are made from single springs fixed together by one wire.

They do not have a long longevity as the springs end up rolling together and making the bed lumpy and patchy.

Latex mattress

$latex bed$

Latex is the least common type of mattress that people choose.It features a core made up of layers of springy latex.

They are quite pricey but manufacturers claim that they are far more resilient than other types.

Memory foam mattress

Also known as memory mattresses,these are topped with a layer of temperature of sensitive viscoelastic material.

Can be expensive but very comfortable.The mattress changes to the shape of your body and can make you feel warm and cosy when you sleep.

No time to move offices ? Using a removal service with packing included takes the stress out of your move.

Bigger and better things

Our business is based in the heart of London,we have been trading for over ten years now and has grown and expanded beyond all of my expectations. We started with just myself and my business partner and now have over ten staff. We had most definitley out grown the space and needed to move but with such a busy schedule to find the right time was never going to happen.

No time better than the present

The serious lack of space was becoming a big problem and causing friction in the office with staff,so it was time to bite the bullet and find a larger work space to please all.

Wished i had done it years ago !

The moving process couldn’t of been easier,through searching the internet we found a service that a man and van London could provide.They offered a full removal service that included all packing/unpacking.We literally had to nothing but advise the guys on where to put the furniture. Our desks and computers were all exactly as we left them.Even the drawers and stationary were not out of place. The move was completed within our working day.

It has made such a difference to our day to day business,having a happier,spacious environment can make such a big difference !

Top three best pet birds for kids

Top three birds

Listed below are the top three voted pet birds taken from the RSPB . These birds are all available at a small expense and make a fantastic pet for you children to learn and grow up with.

Cockatiels

Known for there charm and affection.Inexpensive and perfect for first time bird keepers.

Grey african parrot

Known for its intelligence,sensitivity and affection.Not to large to easily handle.

Budgerigars

The most playful of pet birds, easy to care for and inexpensive.

The best way to keep your birds

An aviary is the most preferred way to home your birds.The smaller of the species can be kept in smaller cages with regular intervals of opening the doors to give the bird freedom .

Outdoor avery panels are one of the best ways to keep your birds,they are available in various sizes to suit the bird and the quantity you may own.

Replacing the Roof

After storm Katie hit the United Kingdom, we all saw the drastic effects it had on some areas of the country. I am unfortunate enough to live in a coastal area of the South-West, the was hit very hard by the storm.

Not only was there bad flooding in many surrounding areas, the huge force of the winds took its toll on many of the houses and buildings, including our own!

We woke up to find water downstairs, and to make things worse, a hole in our roof. We contacted our home insurer who was extremely helpful from the off and they set about arranging for a team to come and sort out the roof and help deal with the flooding.

The next day a five man team arrived to begin work on fixing the roof. They were fantastic from the off. Luckily a friend of ours was able to help out with an operated cherry picker to allow the workforce easy and safe access to the roof area of the house, as the way the property is situated makes it almost impossible for scaffolding to be used.

Within a week all of the work is complete and we can now hopefully return to normal. I couldn’t thank Aviva insurance enough for their help on the matter from start to finish!

Let’s hope there’s no storms in the near future.

Big in Ink: Testimonial

Big in ink Printers in birmingham are the ones to use that give a good service and not let you down. A huge amount of their customers are always happy with their work, a testimonial from one of these long term customers will be see below:

My name is Dan Smith. I have been using Big in Ink printers for years now. They have been printing leaflets, business cards, pens coasters and such to promote my business. Because of them I have found my business has grown a great deal. They always give the best quality of products that people love. They make us look a lot more professional and have made us a very happy company. We will continue to use them until the day this business dies! I owe a lot of my customers to Big in Ink and I always let them know I love them and their business!!

So if you need a printer company in birmingham then Big in Ink are the way forward! They are quick, easy, cheap and professional! Always better to use the best!

Home improvements that give your home a higher value

If you are considering selling your home and need to boost the value of the house before you start anything then here’s a few tips on how to make the house getting a higher price with some great home improvements:

Start by making the home just genuinely look nicer. Give your appliances a little help, make them look new again and help them out with a serious clean and get them checked out to see if they are still working right.
The entry of your home is the first thing people will see when they turn up, so make it nice and welcoming. Take off that older door knob and old door knocker and spruce it up with nice knew ones.
Renovate a few rooms. Get in some new cabinets for the bathroom, a new bathtub maybe and a nice new fresh toilet seat. People love a nice cute bathroom.
Get some new lights in to brighten the place up! Maybe even add in a few flashy lamp shade here and there.
The kitchen is alway the biggest seller. It’s the heart of the home and a fresh new kitchen will up the value dramatically! Something modern and nice will always be a winner! Something like this style below…

Go Greener with Solar Energy

More and more people are looking to improve their homes in a way that can benefit their bank account and the environment. By developing your home to go greener you can do both of these. Solar panels are always the best way forward with this. Solar panels can save you up a great deal of money on energy bills. Solar panels are both aesthetically and environmentally nice. They stop unnecessary toxins being put into the atmosphere. It’s also a lot safer for you and your home. Solar panels can’t link out dangerous gases that can harm you and your family. The best thing about solar panels as well is that they don’t need much maintenance, and the sun won’t charge you for energy so say goodbye to those expensive energy bills.

Going greener can positively change your life and your home. It’s something that you should definitely consider doing when improving your home. Loads of people are switching to solar energy now rather than other less environmentally friendly energy sources. It’s the best option and you should definitely go ahead and invest in some solar panels!

Loft Conversions in Birmingham

I Used Buckley Loft Conversions in Birmingham

I started at the top when improving my home. I gave myself the time to save up and then I got my self a loft conversion. I found Buckley Loft conversions under the google search, ‘Loft Conversions Birmingham‘. I think that getting a loft conversion really transforms your home. It’s a whole new room and gives you so much more space. If it’s a bedroom, a game room, a study – either way it will give you that extra space that you need.

My Loft Conversion

I had my loft converted into a games room for my boyfriend as I was fed up of his Xbox and PS4 constantly making a mess in the living room. Now though the space downstairs is amazing and I actually have the TV to myself most of the time.

How did Buckley Loft Conversions do?

It was such a good decision and has changed my home a great deal. Buckley did a great job and it looks amazing. It’s crazy how much bigger your house seems when you realise all the space you have in the loft. I have so much more storage space and never let the house go messy now that we have the extra space. It’s such a great way to improve a home and I would recommend it to anyone who needs that extra bit of space in their home.

Best Improvements – Underfloor Heating.

What is Underfloor Heating?

If you are thinking of improving your home then why not start underneath the floors? Underfloor heating is the coolest way to heat the house and it doesn’t cost loads or look as unappealing as radiators and central heating. There are so many more pros to getting underfloor heating compared to conventional heating!

What are the benefits of underfloor heating?

Underfloor heating can save you up to 30% on your heating bills. This being because the heat rises right from the bottom of the house and not half way so it’s easier and quicker for the house to warm up. It’s efficient and renewable energy sources making them so much environmentally friendly than a central heating. It also makes a good alternative to radiators as it gives more space for decorating and it stops from dust and dirt getting built up in the hard to reach places behind the radiators.

Do people love underfloor heating?

A lot of people have already chose underfloor heating over central heating and loving the change. They have all been so thrilled with how much it changed their home in a good way. It isn’t something that you should just consider if you are thinking of improving your home – it’s something you should do!

From the beginning