Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

Whenever you decide to look for a butterfly house for your flower garden, you first have to determine what it is you actually want. A search for butterfly houses will yield two different types. There is the type of butterfly house that contains butterflies and their nectar plants. These type of butterfly houses are actually structures created for the specific reason of providing a safe and enclosed space in which to study the butterflies.

It can vary from a playpen-size for individual study to a medium-sized net-drapped area to large green house-like structure for scientists’ study. We even have large enclosures open for public viewing, education and delight. If you find this a delightful prospect to walk in a large “cage” with hundreds of butterflies surrounding you, consult your local museums and zoos for information. This being the information age, check online too.

As part of your children’s, or your own, education, you may wish to raise some butterflies from caterpillar in a small butterfly house. Live butterfly kits are readily available and come with all you need to raise the caterpillar to a butterfly, usually a Painted Lady. Of course you may be able to collect the eggs from your own garden and raise them in your own home for your education and enjoyment. Please find a proper resource to guide you in this prospect if you should choose to do so.

You may also wish to create your own butterfly house of this type in your own flower garden. This can be done by means of mosquito netting drapped over an easily portable structure such as a light weight greenhouse structure or some type of tall stakes. Just surround whatever flowers are providing the nectar source at the present time. Don’t forget the small puddles as water sources for the butterflies, too.

The second type of butterfly house is actually a hibernation box. It is usually a tall, 6 inch diameter box mounted on a post which is then set into your garden. The front of the box has half inch slots through which the butterflies can enter the house. The front also swings open to allow you to place some twigs or, preferably, some rough bark within the house. This allows the butterflies a good gripping surface.

Place the box near some host plants for the type of butterflies in your area. This will provide incentive for the butterflies to lay eggs on the host plants in your flower garden in the spring.

The top of the butterfly house may be opened so you may observe the hibernating butterflies and record the numbers and types of your hibernating guests. If you are very lucky, on a warm winter’s day, one of your guest may actually step out of the butterfly house. If this occurs, sugar water or home-grown flowers may keep it occupied until the day starts to cool. At which time, the butterfly will make its way back into the butterfly house in your flower garden.

© 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson

Find more butterfly garden articles and gardening tips for Flower Garden Lovers at our informative website.

Some people have referred to daylilies as the poor man’s orchid. Indeed, daylilies, like orchids, are a beauty to behold. Daylilies are no longer just the muted yellow and orange plants grown in road ditches. They come in every color from white to deep purple (almost black) and in a variety of sizes.

If you don’t have a green thumb, daylilies are the perfect plant. They are relatively carefree and can turn an unused, dull area, into a stunning bed of color and texture. Daylilies flourish almost anywhere. They are also an excellent plant to use for erosion control, such as on a slope that is difficult to mow, and also as a ground cover plant.

There are indeed a lot of the common yellow and orange daylilies around. However, there are some spectacular varieties that you should keep an eye out for:

Black Eyed Susan: A real standout in the garden. This daylily has rich yellow-orange petals with a maroon and dark orange throat.

Bama Bound: This daylily has a deep reddish color giving it a satin like appearance.

Little Grapette: A miniatured sized daylily with grape-purple petals and a green throat.

Beauty to Behold: A light lemon colored daylily with a green throat. The flowers are satin in appearance. The flowers are nocturnal; the day’s flowers actually open up the night before.

Hyperion: This daylily has been around for over 80 years. The canary yellow flowers have a trumpet shape and are treasured for their delicate fragrance.

Pardon Me: A dark red daylily that is a real standout in the garden.

Stella d’Oro: A yellow daylily that blooms constantly from July until frost. Trim the old blooms back to keep the plant looking its best.

There are hundreds of daylilies available. Check at local green houses or on the internet for more varieties of daylilies. There is a daylily that will suit everyone’s tastes.

About the Author: Donna Evans is a freelance writer and website designer in Merrifield Minnesota. Donna and her husband also provide landscape design and landscape consultation services. Their website, http://www.gizmocreations.com contains a variety of articles on landscaping as well as sample landscape plans and recommended reading.

Source: www.isnare.com

If you’ve been eyeing a gazebo lately, you’ll be surprised to find out that it is very easy and affordable to install or build. One of the best things about a gazebo is that it can be incorporated into an existing deck or patio or built into a new patio depending on your requirements. You’ll find that prices range from $3,000 and up, depending of course on the quality, material, size and style. One of the first things you need to decide is where you’re going to place your gazebo. For patios that are small to mid-size, the corner is a good choice as it is going to save you space and will be accessible enough for people to use. If you have a large patio and would like to place wicker patio furniture or teak patio furniture around it, then you can put it right in the middle! This will allow you to place your patio furniture accordingly.

When it comes to selecting the right style or design for your gazebo, make sure it matches your home, patio, and other surrounding buildings. You may even want to find one made of the same wood as your furniture, if you have teak patio furniture or cedar patio furniture. You can bolt your gazebo to the surface of the patio or cut post holes in your patio and cement the posts into the ground. If you plan on doing this project on your own, it’s best if you have good do-it-yourself skills, otherwise you may want to consider having someone install it for you.

Of course, there are easier methods of installation and you can just simply set your gazebo on top of the patio, but you want to make sure that it’s heavy enough that it won’t blow away. Consult with your local building center or the manufacturer to see what they recommend. If you’re looking for the best freestanding gazebo available, metal or even wrought iron are your best choices. You may even be able to blend this in with your wrought iron patio furniture. It would make a great match! Another thing, you may want to consider is patio awnings that are permanent. They can be extended from the wall and slanted downward to allow the precipitation to drain away from your gazebo. A gazebo is a great way to stay dry and keep cool during the summer!

By Terry Price- Your one stop source for all of your patio furniture requirements: http://www.patiofurnitureitems.com/related-resources.html How about a chaise lounge chair for the kids? http://www.patiofurnitureitems.com/chaise-lounge-chairs-for-kids.html

(ARA) - ‘Tis the season . . . for turkey, eggnog, sugar plums, mistletoe . . . and holiday guests. While many homeowners will soon be sprucing up their homes in preparation for family and friends, most will concentrate on traditional areas such as dining rooms, family rooms and living rooms. However, they often overlook the one room holiday guests frequent most — the powder room.

“We all go to great lengths to give our homes a fresh look for the holidays, but the one room that gets the most traffic typically receives the least attention,” said Jennifer Rowell, senior product manager at Creative Specialties International, a leading designer and manufacturer in the bath accessory marketplace. “And because the size of the powder room is typically smaller than other rooms in your home, it allows you the opportunity to be a bit more creative in your decorating style — allowing you to tap into the warmth of family traditions and nostalgia of the holiday season.”

One of the quickest — and most simple — ways to update your bathroom’s style is by replacing the accessories. For less than $75, an entire set of new accessories can be purchased — including towel bars, paper holders and towel rings. And accessories can really tie a room together and complement any décor.

“When we talk to consumers, we find a vast majority will change the soaps, scented candles, towels and linens in their bath at the holidays,” added Rowell. “Why not complete the look by updating the accessories, as well?”

Choices Abound

In the past, chrome or polished brass were the only finish choices in the bath accessory marketplace. Fortunately, the industry has changed dramatically in the last decade, and manufacturers now offer dozens of finish and style options in bath accessories.

“The bath accessory marketplace has really come to life in the last few years,” added Rowell. “Consumers today have more choices than ever before. From unique styles in oil-rubbed bronze to contemporary designs in brushed chrome . . . dramatic wrought iron finishes and even accessories made in brushed nickel, homeowners have a wide variety of new and innovative design options for the bath.”

With all of the new options, Americans still hold true to a traditional finish. According to a survey by Creative Specialties International and Rooms of America, a consumer research organization, chrome is still the most popular bath accessory finish, but consumers’ second choice, brushed nickel, is on the rise. In addition, other finishes, such as oil-rubbed bronze and wrought iron, are also increasing in popularity with consumers. In fact, non-chrome finishes now represent almost half of bath accessory sales.

Relying on this survey, and other extensive consumer research, Creative Specialties International recently introduced four new bath accessory collections designed to reflect the styles used in today’s bath. Sold under the Inspirations brand, the Stockton, Danbury, Sage and Avery collections each fall into one of three design categories — traditional, contemporary/casual or country.

Easy as 1-2-3

Once you have selected the right style of accessory to match your bathroom décor, installing the accessories is a snap!

First, position the assembled unit, such as a towel bar, on the wall where desired. Lightly mark the outline of each base. Next, center a mounting bracket within each base outline and mark the hole locations of each mounting bracket.

Attach each mounting bracket to the wall, using mounting bracket screws and wall anchors. A special tip, according to Rowell, “While it’s not necessary to mount accessories into wood studs, we highly recommend it. It makes for a more secure connection and will hold weight more evenly.”

Finally, mount each base on the corresponding mounting bracket, making sure that the base set screw hole(s) are facing down. Assemble a set screw to each base and use an Allen wrench (included in most accessory hardware kits) to tighten each set screw and secure the assembly to the mounting bracket.

To ensure an accessory is mounted in the proper location, some manufacturers, such as Creative Specialties International, offer templates with each product. The template can be hung and taped to the wall, giving the consumer the exact location of where the accessory should be mounted.

As for final words of advice, Rowell added, “The powder room isn’t the first on the list when we think of entertaining, but it can leave quite an impression with guests. Remember to continue your holiday spruce-ups into the bath and you’ll be surprised at the compliments you receive.”

For more information on bath style trends, or accessory products available from Creative Specialties International, write 25300 Al Moen Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070-8022, call toll free (800) 882-0116, or visit www.moen.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:

Courtesy of ARA Content

Most people know very well about the rules and regulations to keep your plants to grow healthy in your garden. For getting sustainable growth from your garden plants, they do require good soil quality, sun light and sufficient water. Although these items have been gifted by nature, gardening tools are necessary to upkeep your garden. Good gardening tools will assist you in taking care of your plants as well as cultivating good growing conditions, thus having a positive effect on your plant’s health.

Defective gardening tools can be detrimental to your garden and to you. Defective gardening tools can cause injury to your plants or injury to yourself. Gardeners should find the best quality garden tool that they can afford. Once you have labeled your garden tool as “the best”, it implies that the tool provides quality work for which it was designed for and with the least labor possible.

Below is a list of some common garden tools and their uses.

Lawnmowers
Luxus Push Reel Mower rated as best by the gardening aficionados provides large top cover that protects overhanging flowers and shrubs. Another special gardening tool called American Lawn Mower Deluxe has also been accredited as best, which will be helpful to operate on elbow grease alone and causing no pollution. However, this is not conducive for too tall grasses.

Garden Shredders
In general, all garden shredders have a high watt motor and come with silent crushing system. This kind of gardening tool accelerates your shredding activity. Gardening shredders with an electric shredder are easy to assemble and aids in tree pruning with maximum of 40 mm. The garden shredder also aids in shredding debris from punning your hedges. This gardening tool is considered the best among all the garden shredders since it is available with a plunger for increased portability and built-in wheels.

Cultivators
These modern gardening tools are available with patented tines to help in cutting the hard compacted soil smoothly. Cultivators are available with a free border edger. It is perfect to use in cleaning the moss, aerating and in thatching. This garden tool helps extensively in preparing vegetable plots, flowerbeds, etc.

Leaf sweeper
These gardening tools are extensively used for smaller lawns. It is having an infinite height adjustment with 200-liter collector.

Edge Trimmer
The gardening equipment reviewers have also accredited this gardening tool as important equipment. This aids in trimming the hedges and aids in plant pruning.

Spading fork
This is a wonderful gardening tool used for aerating and transplanting. By using this gardening tool, it is possible to perform splitting grasses and perennials. In addition, this garden tool can be used as a manure fork, mulch fork, and sorting hay.

Mattock
Mattock is an important gardening tool for breaking up the clay soils and working around established trees with the roots. There is no need to have a pick and a hoe, if you have a mattock.

Before you leave the garden center, it is highly advisable to have a look at this checklist of gardening tools and confirm if you have all the gardening tools you need to make your garden picture perfect.

For more information about garden tools, visit Garden Tool

You can do your own tropical flower arrangements and add life to your office or home. Tropical flowers are generally much hardier than their softer cousins. They are brilliantly colored and have a longer shelf life especially if you care for them properly.

Here are some things you can do to maximize their life:

1) Every type of fresh cut flower will produce a certain amount of ethylene gas during shipping but this can be taken care of by immediately unwrapping them and submersing them completely in a room temperature bath or large tub of water for 10 to 20 minutes. This applies to almost all the tropicals except for the fuzzy protease and most orchids.

2) Cut the stem of your tropicals about an inch from the bottom at about a 45-degree angle. The slant ensures that the stem will draw the maximum amount of water. Do this several times during the week and you will extend their life.

3) Tropicals grow in warm rainy climates and they enjoy being wet. For this reason keep your tropicals away from drafts and cool places and direct sunlight. Spray mist them daily to keep the moisture content up. In nature tropical blooms have pods facing upward, as they like to pool water in them. You can also do this with your fresh cuts.

4) If you find that the water gets cloudy then put a few drops of bleach in the water. This helps to prevent bacteria from growing and this will not hurt the flowers.

5) Make sure that when you design your flowers in a vase that you do not have any greens below the water line. This will rapidly decay the rest of the arrangement.

6) If you have purchased bird of paradise for your arrangement and they are not open, you can gently ease them apart by taking your index finger or thumb and slowly push your way at the base of the flower and force the blooms up.

Most tropicals will last between 7 to 14 days if properly taken care of. I have seen cymbidium orchids last as long as 3 weeks. So enjoy these vibrant exotic flowers in your home or office.

Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist, for Art Inspires, Inc. Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at www.artinspires.com

Concrete resurfacing is a method of repairing concrete sections when they are cracking or discolored. This usually happens over time and concrete resurfacing will help restore the look of the area to one that is much more attractive. There is also decorative concrete resurfacing which still restores the look of the concrete but also adds a decorative touch to it. This can include color and designs that can get very elaborate. Some refinishing projects are like works of art and are very beautiful. Prices for concrete resurfacing vary depending on the type of project you want and how elaborate you want to get in your designs. Typically, though, it starts off at approximately three dollars per square foot and can increase to over seven dollars per square foot.

The first thing that is done in concrete resurfacing is the cleaning of the area. This is usually done with a pressure washer to ensure all built up dirt and debris is removed. Next, there are several steps in repairing the cracks that may be found in the concrete. Cracks are first primed then filled with crack repair material. Then, they are reinforced with fabric and then a base coat is painted over the fabric. Polymer concrete is then smoothed on to the surface over the crack and ground down once dry until it is smooth and even. After the cracks are repaired, any holes that are in the concrete will be filled with epoxy mortar. Now that the concrete is thoroughly repaired, it is time to start the concrete resurfacing.

The prime coat and granule broadcast will be applied now that all the cracks and holes are repaired. A texture coat will be added next. First you will need to mix it according to package specifications. Then the mixture will be sprayed over the area using a special type of spray gun. Once complete, the surface should be run over with a trowel to ensure an even surface. You should work from the top and go backwards down the area for this. The color coat is next, adding the particular color you want for your area. Then a sealer is used to finish off the project.

A multitude of tips, tricks and techniques are shown for reparing concrete and concrete resurfacing.

Don’t be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looked terrible.

If you make a mistake pruning, don’t worry about it. It’s like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I’ve written on pruning.

Along with summertime comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don’t water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down on the chance of fungus being a problem.

One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn’t extremely harmful to the plants, it’s just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you’d like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.

If you have Perennial Rye Grass in your lawn, and you probably do if you’re in the north, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as Pythium Blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass.

If you have problems with Pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and fill in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue Grass.

You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is wet if you have been watering. To prevent Pythium blight water as early in the day as possible.

Another nasty little blight that likes summertime is Fire Blight. Fire Blight attacks ornamentals, especially Apple trees, Crabapple trees, Cotoneasters, and Pyracantha. You know you have Fire Blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the affected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.

Fire Blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.

Unfortunately, I’ve got one more summertime culprit to warn you about. It’s a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specks. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn’t that a cute name?

These tiny little brown specks will fly as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house? I know what they are. It’s from the mulch!” Tell me I’m wrong, but I know I’m not.

A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don’t know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specks on the house that look like paint. So far they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.

There’s not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don’t just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it flat it will look like you’ve just mulched. Mulch is great, just don’t let it get packed down hard. Loosen it up at least once a year.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by gardening-articles.com

If you’ve done any reading on the subject of marketing, you’ve certainly heard the term “Unique Selling Proposition” or “USP.”

As a reminder, your USP is what positions you in the marketplace — are you, or what you sell, the best, the cheapest, the fastest, the easiest, the longest lasting, the most reliable, the most prestigious? Your USP is what makes you distinct from your competitors, but it’s often the thing first-time business owners don’t fully understand.

Lara and I just started working together last month, and one of the first things we had to tackle was her USP. As a web site designer, she is part of a well-developed marketplace often competing with several other companies for every job.

“I really don’t know why they keep picking the other guy. It’s so frustrating after I’ve worked so hard to get in the door in the first place. The only way I feel like I can get the job is if I underbid it, but I’ll never be able to keep my business running that way.”

“Well, you’re right,” I replied. “You shouldn’t have to lower your prices just to get every job. There are certainly web designers out there who are charging less than you, but there are probably an equal number of them that are charging more. So, if we assume that there are companies hiring your higher- priced competitors, then maybe price isn’t what every prospect bases their decision on.”

“It sure has been for me. That’s always the reason they say they didn’t choose me. It makes me think that I’m going to have to lower my prices in order to get any work, but like I said, I’m not charging anything out of the ordinary. My hourly rate is at the market average as far as I can tell.”

There were a couple of issues that we explored during the rest of the conversation, including her pricing, her competitors, her target market, her mission, etc. But the one that really hit home was her USP.

Up until this point, Lara didn’t realize that she was the one forcing her prospects to make their decisions based on price. She was marketing using the Competition Model instead of the Distinction Model.

In the Competition Model, your prospects see you as offering the same service as your competitors. In their mind, there is no delineation between what you and your competitors offer and how you offer it. So the only decision-making factor they are left with is price.

If they think all web designers offer the same level of web site design, can complete it in the same time frame and will be equally professional, what’s left? That’s right … price.

Think about how you make buying decisions. If you are getting your clothes dry-cleaned every week and you think that the three local dry cleaners all do a decent job, will have your suits ready in two days, and are equally friendly or disagreeable, aren’t you going to go with the cheapest one?

But some dry cleaners pick up and deliver don’t they? Some offer tailoring and mending services in addition to dry cleaning. Others set up shop inside large grocery stores, so you can knock out two errands in one stop.

These things make them distinct from their competitors. There are people who will pay a little more in order to have their dry cleaning picked up. There are others that will pay a little more to be able to drop it off and pick it up at the same time they are buying their week’s groceries.

If you don’t want to compete strictly on price, you’ve got to be DISTINCT from your competitors. That way, your prospects have something, besides price, to base their decision on. By emphasizing that distinction in your marketing efforts, you will naturally attract those prospects who value your distinction.

And when you are Irresistibly Attractive, the sales pressure is off. You just go out there, show them who you are and what you can do, and they come to you!

So how do you make you and your business DISTINCT and, therefore, Irresistibly Attractive? By creating your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

What makes you different than your competitors? Are you faster? Do you deliver better quality? Are you more responsive to their needs? Are you closer in proximity? Do you specialize in a particular industry?

Take a moment to put yourself in the mind of your prospects. If you were hiring someone to perform your kind of service, what would you want?

You can practice by thinking about your own buying decisions. If I was hiring someone to clean my house, I would want them to:

• do an impeccable cleaning job
• show up on the scheduled day/time
• avoid breaking/taking things
• smoke outside of my house, if they smoke
• charge $100 or less

If I could find someone to do these things for $65, I would hire them. But, if I would have to sacrifice the quality of their work or their reliability in order to pay the lower price, I would go with someone else. It’s important to me to have a clean house and to know that I can count on that person to show up on Thursdays before I have guests arrive on Friday.

So, here’s the process:

1. make a list of the things you would look for if you were a prospect hiring someone to do your service
2. put that list in priority order
3. gather all of your sales materials together (e.g. printout of web site, business cards, letterhead, brochures, email signature lines, proposal, trade show displays, newsletter, sales letter, direct mailers, cold calling script, elevator speech, etc.)
4. set aside 1-2 hours to review all of your materials to see what message you are sending to your prospects
5. revise your materials as needed

When you review your materials, try to look at them with fresh eyes as a prospect would. After going through them once and making notes about the impression they set, go through them again specifically looking for the top two distinctions from your list.

Do your sales materials/tools really bring your message home? Are your top 2 distinctions clearly emphasized in your materials? Are there things you need to add, omit, or revise in order to create your distinct impression on your prospects?

Once you are communicating a very specific and consistent message about yourself and your business, you will find that you no longer have to sell. Business comes to you – and it’s the kind of work you like that pays you what you deserve.

About The Author

Kimberly Stevens is the author of the ebook series, *The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Service Business*. Download Sample Chapters & get her free MiniCourse, *The 10 Most Common Mistakes Business Owners Make & How To Avoid Them* at: http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm

kim@askthebizcoach.com

Being in the appliance trade can be very interesting. Every day there is something new.

What will manufacturer A offer to the public this year to increase their market share? Will manufacturer B counter with something similar, or a product that is bigger or fancier? Will the industry follow its own marketing strategies or branch off into the realm of the unusual? Will consumers turn their back on the contemporary this year in favour of the overly stylized? Is the public going to buy white, bisque, stainless steel, or pebble finished appliances next year?

All these are questions that give marketing executives gray hair.

Something unusual ——————-

Generally the products offered by appliance producers are fairly conservative in design. But every now and then something unusual appears on the market. Right now it is the internet refrigerator. A refrigerator that you hook up to your telephone line so it can do its magic.

One of the first to introduce this concept to the public was LG Electronics. A Korean based company now distributing appliances all over the world. They have been the innovators of many changes to the appliance industry.

They have recently introduced a refrigerator with a television in the door. It allows you to watch your favourite programs while getting supper ready. Also, messages can be left on the screen for family members to see later.

The Future ————————–

Manufacturers have been contemplating an internet refrigerator that has a bar code scanner built into the door. So every time a package is added to, or removed from the refrigerator it keeps track of it. That means that you would know what is inside the refrigerator with the simple touch of a button. The refrigerator would never lie.

I can see the scenario now: “Mommy where did you hide the Popsicles? The refrigerator says there are two left”.

Perhaps, the question should be, ”do you really care what is inside your refrigerator”? Personally I would say no. But, I can see situations where it would be advantageous if these refrigerators progress beyond where they are today.

The frig says we need more milk —–

Perhaps you are disabled and cannot access the refrigerator interior. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to know you only have one quart of milk left? You would access this information via a computer screen on the outside of the door that says it’s time to buy more.

What if the same person is able to push a touch pad on the computer screen and get a read out (or a printout) of all the contents? It would certainly make their shopping easier.

Or, what if the refrigerator were hooked into a service that delivers food to the home. If the refrigerator can keep track of the contents, it will also know when you have run out of something. So every week it could total your contents, connects itself to the Internet, and places an order with the grocery store. Later that day the delivery truck arrives with what you require. All you have to do is put it into the refrigerator and pay the bill. No grocery store parking, no lineups, no trying to remember what you did with your grocery list. Ah, the joys of the modern age.

Not there yet ————————

Well we’re not there quite yet. The Internet refrigerators we have today can be connected to the web, but only for service. Say it starts making funny noises and you want to know why. Connect it to the telephone outlet, dial a service centre number, and the refrigerator will self-diagnose, offering you suggestions as to the cause of the problem.

So the question we all have to ask ourselves is, “is it worth the extra cost”. Would an Internet refrigerator be helpful – or is it only marketing hype. As usual the consumer will make the final decision regarding that query.

Customers I have mentioned this refrigerator to are generally intrigued by the idea – at first. Then they usually tell me they think the world is already too fast paced. A lot of people work with computers all day and just want to get away from them at home. They already think computers are ruling their office, they don’t want them ruling the kitchen.

To my customers this type of product is only one more thing that would add to their stress level. So unless you have a specific need for an Internet refrigerator I think it is something that the general public is not yet ready to embrace.

About the Author: Copyright 2005 by Donald Grummett. All right reserved. In the trade over 30 years as a technician, business owner, and technical trainer. For more information about appliances including FAQ, Stain guide, and Recycling visit http://www.mgservices.ca

Source: www.isnare.com