Tips For Successful Kitchen Improvement Projects

Do you already have kitchen design ideas in mind that you want realized? You actually have two options for this – you can ask the help of professional design firms to help you do the job or you can treat it as a DIY project instead. While the former is more recommended – because you can be sure that your kitchen will look as professional as you will expect it, they can be very expensive, too. Thus, more people prefer the latter because it does not create a big dent in the pocket.The problem with building kitchen design ideas on your own is that the output will not look good, as it should, except if you already have much experience in carpentry and construction. Also, DIY projects can take time and an even bigger problem is that you may get bored with the project already while you are still halfway through. However, if you plan your project well, you may actually come out successful and with a big smile on your face.Planning is one of the most important projects for any home improvement projects. That is why you have to make sure that your kitchen design ideas are complete and detailed. You must not only think about the overall design of your kitchen but plan on the other details as well. Start thinking about a theme of the kitchen and then determine the color palette. Cabinets are important parts of your kitchen – you must determine where they should be placed, how they should look and how big or small they will be. Other things to think about are the flooring of the kitchen, countertops, appliances that need to be installed and the materials needed for the entire project. Now, this should help you determine an estimated cost for your kitchen design ideas.When you have already determined the materials needed for the project, you must make sure that you already have them once you need to set them up. This will help you save money from making trips to and from the hardware store. Doing so will also make your work more efficient, because all of the materials that you need are already within reach. Of course, some materials like wood, for example, will easily rot. So, if you do not have any place to store them for the mean time, do not purchase them when they are not needed just yet, to avoid wasting your money when they will rot.If you want to save up on your kitchen improvement projects, also make sure have your kitchen design ideas realized in one go. Do not go tearing down cabinets this month and then replacing other parts of the kitchen by the next month. Also, avoid moving appliances because reinstalling the necessary pipes can cost a lot. If you have to, be sure to do it in one go – and do not move them again! If you already have a plan, stick to it to avoid any additional expenses on your project.

21 Mistakes To Avoid When Publishing and Promoting Your Own Book

After writing and selling over 125,000 copies of Creating Your Own Destiny, spending ten years in the publishing industry, and coaching author-clients to get their books published, I have seen all kinds of errors made by new authors. Unfortunately, many errors are severe and completely eliminate the chance of the book having any possibility of success. Because of publishing mistakes many new authors never see a return on their investment and their book dies prematurely.According to the Publishing Marketing Association (PMA), 98% of authors will never sell more than 2,000 copies of their book. What are the biggest mistakes holding back this 98% from experiencing any real success with their books? How can you avoid these mistakes, end up in the 2% success category and achieve great sales with your book?1. Writing Your Book For Small Market Niche: Don’t bother writing the book if there are not 50-100 million people interested worldwide in that book’s focus Your book must have mass appeal if you are going to successfully sell it.2. Not Securing URL’s for Your Name and Book Title: No matter what, you must own the domain name for your book title, and your first and last name dot com. If you cannot get your book title as your domain, you must change the title to make that title a dot com.3. Having Your Name Somewhere Listed in Your Publishing Company: Choose a unique name for your self-publishing company to avoid the dead giveaway that your book is self-published. You want to make a publishing imprint with no relationship to you.4. Selecting a Publisher With High Printing Costs: Some publishers do not allow you to retain ownership of your completed book. They will force you to pay outrageous print costs. Your print costs should be $2-3 per book, instead of the $8-12 many print-on-demand publishers will charge you.5. Selecting Your Own Book Title: Unless you are an expert at book titles, always pay a professional to help you come up with your book title. A good title makes all the difference in the world and a professional will help you make your title appealing.6. Putting Your Own Photo On The Front Cover: Unless you are famous, under no circumstance should you place your image on the front cover of your book. This is a dead giveaway that you book is self-published. Your book is not about you, it is about your reader. Place a small photo of yourself on the lower corner of back cover.7. Doing Your Own Cover Design: As a kid we are taught not to judge a person by the way they look. In publishing this is primarily how books are judged. Creating your own cover design is possibly the single greatest error an author can make. Hire experienced graphic designers for your cover to make that stunning first impression.8. Forgetting to Include URL on Back of Book: Other than the book title, the most important information on your book cover is your domain name. Your domain attracts buyers to your site where you offer “Free Stuff” to capture email, and then you can sell your products to them for life.9. Allowing Someone to Do Foreword in Your Book: Only allow people to do the foreword if they are going to purchase a high volume of your books. Write one book, co-branding it with different companies with their individual forewords. Next, sell a large volume of these co-branded books to the company whose CEO foreword is in your book.10. Skipping The Proofreading Step: After you book has been edited, type-set, and is ready to go to press you need a professional proofreader. Hire a proofreader to read the book through cover-to-cover. Studies suggest that today’s books average at least 20 errors.11. Selling The Rights to Major Publisher: Unless you get a six-figure advance from the publisher, you give away all your profits when you sell the book rights. Big publishers used to spend money on marketing their books, now they are nothing more than a company that pays for printing.12. Relying on Someone Else for Publicity: Few people can do a better job publicizing your book than you can. The industry is full of authors who have spent big money on publicists and got little back in return. If you don’t toot your own horn, no one else will.13. Failing to Work with Major Distributors: It is important to land a book deal with a major distributor so that you can get your books in bookstores worldwide. Distributors can get your self-published book in stores worldwide giving you even more credibility.14. Focusing On Bookstore Sales: Bookstores are a lousy place to sell a book because there are simply too many other books competing. Find multiple point-of-purchase locations outside bookstores to sell your books where there are no other competing titles.15. Selling Books One at a Time: It takes the same amount of time to create an invoice for one book, as it does for 10,000 books. Focus on selling books in volumes of 10,000 at a time. There are many high volume opportunities just waiting to be created.16. Not Following Up on Sales Opportunities: The “Rule of Seven” states that it can take up to seven bits of communication between seller and buyer before a sale transpires. When you send out a review copy, follow up with the prospects frequently to sell books, land speaking engagements, and secure new coaching clients.17. Not Selling From Your Own Web Site: This is extremely important. You always want your customers to buy directly from your web site. You lose 40-60% of the profits through commissions with each outside outlet sale. Sign and ship your own books and keep all of the profits.18. Hoarding All of Your Books: Too many authors never give out review copies, and as a result their sales suffer. You should send out 5-10 review copies per day to book buyers worldwide that have the ability to buy in volume. This is the best way to sell hundreds of thousands of copies of your book.19. Leveraging Your Credibility As an Author: Once published you must also diversify into speaking, coaching, and consulting. Use your book as the “hook” to attract more clients. Your book is really nothing more than a lead-generation tool for speaking, coaching, and consulting which may become your primary sources of income.20. Giving Up and Writing Your Next Book: A successful book is five percent writing and 95% promotion. It is better to author one book that sells 250,000 copies, than have 12 books that each only sell 250 copies. When you sell large quantities of your book you will attract the attention of major publishers. If you decide to “sell out” to a publisher, you are now in the drivers seat and can negotiate a much higher advance.21. Trying to Go Solo: Study people who are successful and learn from their successes as well as their failures. Hire a publishing coach and you will save time and money. Be willing to learn from others who have already been successful selling large volumes of books, picking up coaching clients, and doing lots of keynote speaking engagements.If you can avoid these mistakes, I have no doubt you will successfully sell thousands and thousands of books. Everyone you come in contact with should know about your book. Your book cover should appear on the back of your business cards as well as on the auto-signature of your email. My best advice to you for publishing a successful book is to market it every single day and spend years and years of your time promoting it.To learn how I have sold over 125,000 copies of Creating Your Own Destiny, and to benefit from my Book Publishing, Book Promotion, and Speaker Coaching Road Map call or email me directly to schedule a FREE 30-minute, no obligation publishing consultation. Dream, Plan, Execute, and Soar!

Types of Drywall in Home Foundation and Construction

For the past 50 years drywall has been a common type of material used in the construction of homes to make interior walls and ceilings. It covers insulation, wiring and the structure’s frame. It is also used to create separations in buildings requiring fire-rated materials.The reason for drywall’s extensive usage and popularity is its low cost, ease of installation and durability.Drywall is also known as wallboard, plasterboard, gypsum board and Sheetrock (a brand name). It is made of gypsum (powdered rock) plaster that has been pressed between two sheets of extremely thick paper.Gypsum is a soft, fine-grained white mineral. In addition to drywall, it is used as a fertilizer and for blackboard chalk. Gypsum can even be made into blocks similar to concrete blocks, and mortar. In Asian cultures, it is a source of dietary calciumStandard drywall sheets are 4′ x 8′. You can also purchase drywall that is 10 and 12 feet long. The drywall used for ceilings is 5/8 inch thick and the drywall used for walls is typically 1/2 inch thick. You can also purchase drywall that is 3/8 inch thick.In addition to size and thickness variations, drywall can also be square edged, taper-edged, moisture resistant, soundproof, fire-resistant and foil-backed. Deciding what type of drywall to use will depend on your project.Water-resistant drywall (greenboard) is needed in areas where there is moisture, such as kitchens, bathrooms, or regions with a humid climate. In many cases, the greenboard will also need a waterproof membrane to prevent water penetration. Another option for areas exposed to water is cement board. A cement board is fiber reinforced cement. It does not have outward facing paper.You can also buy drywall that is mold-resistant. Drywall that is mold resistant typically has paperless backing and a special coating to prevent mold.Fire resistant drywall is for walls or ceilings that require a fire-rating beyond 20 minutes. To create this type of drywall, strands of fibers are added to the gypsum. This increases the ability of the drywall to withstand fire for a longer period of time.If you are planning to install drywall in high traffic commercial areas, you may want to consider impact resistant drywall. This type of drywall is made by adding fibers to the gypsum as well as increasing the thickness of the paper.Soundproof drywall (quiet rock) has viscoelastic polymers added to the gypsum, The polymers convert sound energy to heat energy.You can even purchase lead-lined drywall for drywall jobs in areas such as x-ray rooms. Lead-lined drywall is made by adding 1/16″ layer of lead between the gypsum and paper backing. The lead blocks the x-rays from penetrating the wall.If your drywall job involves the use of veneer plaster, you will need blue board, a type of drywall covered with a special coating. The coating makes it easier for the plaster to adhere to the drywall.When it comes to installing drywall, hire a general or foundation contractor. A professional will know what type of drywall is needed for your project. You will also have peace of mind knowing that the drywall was properly installed and can pass a foundation inspection.