Image via Wikipedia

Quite some supermarkets (in The Netherlands) are into e-commerce for retail, as at Albert Heijn (AH) it is possible to order online through Albert.nl and get the groceries delivered in the kitchen. In the UK, Tesco, Asda and other supermarkets, this also is possible. Or they have a handy app for smartphones where you can collect your shopping list (manually or using the bar code on the articles) and go to the traditional supermarket and get the items sorted in the order you can find them in the aisles so you can do the shopping efficiently.

So – looking into the app market (Android, but also on Apple’s iOS they are available), the traditional wholesalers like Sligro, Makro, Hanos and Hocras where time is money is even more important (and where the lay-out is not always as clear) don’t have such apps. And the professionals are even more dependent of ease of mind when collecting the articles they need – and more importantly: not forget them when they are in the store.

I think these businesses are missing the point here. This is a way of keeping their clients hooked, help them in their processes and more important: make them return. They all are mailing round (paper booklets on a weekly basis AND e-mail) including recipe ideas for the owners of pubs and restaurants. That’s also content for their apps. And a convenient way to be involved in another e-commerce activity. It will be appreciated and needed.

Related articles

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• Amazn Attacks Brick-And-Mortar -In their own Stores (lehsys.com)
• Price Check! Amazon App Takes Aim at Brick-and-Mortars (businessweek.com)
• 14 shops shut down in High Street every day (thesun.co.uk)
• Supermarkets halt online orders (premierlinedirect.co.uk)
• Mystery shop: Tesco v Tesco Express (confused.com)
• Number of the Week: Five Cents of Every Retail Dollar Spent Online (blogs.wsj.com)
• Amazon’s Flow app is augmented reality shopping goodness (tuaw.com)
• Are Brick-and-Mortar Stores the Next Big Thing in Digital? (5min.com)
• Spotify Gift Cards now available in Albert Heijn stores (spotify.com)
• How to Make the Best Grocery Shopping List (foodonthetable.com)
• Walmart Offers iOS App (solsie.com)

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Image via Wikipedia

The last what you like to experience is being in a plane with pilots who are too tired. It’s a kind of obvious that this may cause accidents, however, there is not a scientific proof of the link between pilot fatigue and planes crashing.

The problem of the profession is the irregularity of the job. It looks like pilots (and other airline crew) have a great relaxed job flying all places and enjoying the time over there. Actually, the flight schedule may look like hard working. For example three flights of a couple of hours, sleeping somewhere else, starting the service very early or late – or worse: being standby but need to fly at the end, for a full scheme of another pilot that was sick or did not turn up for another reason. Examples of pilot’s schedules give an insight in this.

And then, there is the issue of jet lag, which is added to this – however this is often in control as most pilots are aware of time differences that they have or will have and anticipate on it.

Emirates aircrew in Thailand. Image via Wikipedia

Is it really needed to complain about changing regulations? What about doing something about it? We have some food sources that may be worth considered trying. We know from our experience we really get over a jet lag (and other fatigues or lack of concentrations) using Winrgy. Also stewardesses already are using it on long haul flights, reporting they feel better when using it (when we are asleep). In the first reference, there’s also a mention of the importance for pilots and other airline staff to have a good quality sleep – getting in the Rapid Eye Movement stage (REM sleep) so the body recovers well. Also a product Sure2Endure (energising and optimising oxygen intake which is important in the cabin where the oxygen level normally is lower than ‘on earth’). We experience this using Sleep-tite, and pilots can use these as well when staying overnight. These basically are nutritional products, on a natural basis. The ingredients have track records – I will suggest them for a try!

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Common culinary fruits, used in Western kitchens. Image via Wikipedia

A good upbringing in UK food habits in these days used to be that ’3 fruits 2 veg’ are needed to be well-fed. In the supermarkets however, more signs are showing that actually, you need more apples, nectarines, bananas to qualify for the nutritional values of the fruits. This now is supported by research, however this is not new at all. Earlier research, even in the nineties, showed that the values are declining dramatically (follow the link below for a PDF with the tables).

Nutritional values Research

I find these values shocking and anybody claiming that he or she is eating enough ‘from the grocery’, I really doubt if they are getting enough nutrients. The figures tell enough. And the result of people adding nutrients using WIN products, feeling more energised and in the end bringing their bodies in a better balance.

And then, I am even not calling to athletes, who should use even more vitamins and minerals, due to the energy the activities are requiring from their bodies.

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Image via Wikipedia

Today was in the news: 60% of the men in The Netherlands are too heavy and 44% of the women. One out of seven is so heavy that there’s a serious health concern. Talk to those people and you will hear without exception that they have the opinion they eat a reasonable diet and they think they don’t need to get their bums in gear. These figures should make them think! Especially visceral fat is dangerous, as this is directly in contact with the vital organs of a body. Fifteen years ago, this was too high for one out of seven women in the age between 30 and 39 years, now it is one out of four. ’nuff said.

On the other hand, dieticians are put under a financial regime. They are scambling to save the bit of income they got. Would they like to do something about that? To create their own market of people wanting to improve their health by creating a better balance in their bodies, getting healthier and at the same time build a new source of income with in this time a big potential? Do you know of these kinds of dieticians that want to achieve more than just weight loss for people? That’s the market we are in. Improving health, more importantly: making people less dependent of other people’s and governmental decisions, creating a new income whilst helping other people to improve quality of life.

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Image via Wikipedia

How to solve this?

We have developed a business model that can be applied to a wide variety of sports clubs. It is based on the fact that fans, players and other people with links to the clubs can replace a category of products they already are using – but order them online through the club. Via dropshipping using a facilitating company the additional efforts are minimal but they will be paid out on the margin. The bigger the club, the bigger the potential is. By involving business partners (that could be members of the current business clubs, sponsors or local and regional businesses – or other clubs), an additional income potential can be released. It’s simple and has a huge potential. More important: it doesn’t require difficult contracts, every year chaising or praying the relationship will be continued. The potential is there. Just pick the fruit and contact us for more information.

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Image by DonnaGrayson via Flickr

Today, I was working on an informal contribution on a blog emphasising the significance of Valentine’s Day for IT and Internet professionals (I understand we can talk about geeks here). The concept was how to make 14th February special, for some-one special. I’m of course not getting into the details as this will spoil the fun for the writer. But at the end, the best tip shared by the readers on Twitter will be rewarded with a present.

LovPil - do you think of that for Valentine's Day?

We are marketing a lot of health products, aiming to improve the body balance and functioning – and around Valentine’s Day, I think that LovPil is excellent for this occasion. Tacky? Not at all. It does what the name implies, for the physical side at least. It’s not fast, but a long-term nutrition of the lower back which optimises… everything. Or should I be a bit naughty and add this as a Valentine suggestion to the blog post?

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Tim Cook (2009). Image via Wikipedia

Making long days seems to be a characteristic of successful people. We imagine those people leaving late, having no evening at all. However, quite a number of CEOs are creating success by not working late, but exactly the opposite: by getting up early. Examples are Dan Akerson (GM), David Cush (Virgin USA), Tim Cook (Apple), Robert Iger (Disney), Jean Martin Folz (Peugeot), Paul Polman (Unilever), Jon Corzine (Goldman Sachs). Some of them then get things done before anybody else is interfering in their day rhythm, others are making use of it to get in touch with colleagues from the eastern part of the world. There are many business people getting up early to exercise, either by running or in the gym. This gives them the energy to accomplish more in the day.

What are you doing? Working late? Or getting fit in the morning? Do you have a secret?

Related articles

• 23 Successful People Who Wake Up Really Early (businessinsider.com)

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Image by didkovskaya via Flickr

More than half of the employed people in the Netherlands has the ambition to start a business complementary to a fulltime or parttime job. Research from Jobtrack.nl shows this fact. Especially for younger people, under 34 year, this ambition is moving them. Higher-educated people are more likely to develop this entrepreneurial spirit than professionals with lower education. The first group is more likely to change jobs frequently and aim to build something for themselves. Also their resume shows variation which makes it unique, an asset in this time of crisis.

There also is a higher level of flexibility. The ‘portfolio man’ which is sketched in the past as a new economical model where people are not anymore caught into a cage but have several activities which they fulfill in combinations. It matches with the new ways to work, added to remote working and flexible timings.

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• Intrapreneurship makes a comeback (business.financialpost.com)
• Hiring rose in November, but job openings dipped (newsok.com)
• Why More Boomers Are Starting Businesses (huffingtonpost.com)
• Want a Makeover? Just Lose Your Job (bellasugar.com)
• Weaker jobs outlook ahead (americablog.com)

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Willibrordkerk on the 'mountain' (=berg) of Nederhorst den Berg. Image via Wikipedia

As it is a Sunday, I went to the Willibrordkerk in Nederhorst den Berg. A very pleasant experience as we were welcomed by organ music by Hugo de Graaf, accomanied by his daughter Nicolien playing the flute. We prayed and read (Isaiah 60, 1-9 and Matthew 2, 1-12 if you are interested in these details) as every day. That for the spirit part… The best news was announced at the start of the service. Every year, the community sells oliebollen for New Year’s Eve and this time, about 100 volunteers raised nearly 8600 euro. That’s a lot – knowing that a part from the bakery this is more or less the supply for the whole town. This operation normally takes four days with the emphasis on 31st December, when the baking, selling (when they are not ordered beforehand) are taking place. For the church work, this money is significant on the balance sheet, you can image! And I am convinced, that there is a great potential, for every church, to increase their finances when they work with community sourcing. Our church also has a wine subscription and some other options open. It is about starting a repetitive stream of income. What do you think of a church, directly or indirectly supplying something that is good for the community – and the balance sheet? I’m curious to see your reactions!

Related articles

• who’s in charge of the church anyway (eatinglocusts.wordpress.com)
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• SPECIAL OCCASIONS – Oliebollen (gastrotourismo.wordpress.com)
• Friday, January 6, 2012 @ Isaiah 1-6 (phyllisbenigas.wordpress.com)

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Top New Year's Resolutions in DutchNews

I find it fascinating to see what people every year want to achieve – and keep that for the first week. Expats in the Netherlands who are visiting DutchNews have filled in a poll – and you see the results at the side of this post.

A lot of people don’t make any resolutions – fine. If you don’t have a goal you aren’t going anywhere. Then: find a new job (guess what the motivation will be?) followed by lose weight (obvious), achieve or do something that I always wanted to achieve (would this be linked to the ‘Find a new job’ if you can contribute that to a medium to get to the achievement?) – and get fit (linked to ‘lose weight?). The find true love is different if you read between these lines! The number of 970 people so I would say this poll is quite saying something! What if you can get another thing to do in life, lose weight, get fit and achieve something that you want to achieve – all at the same time? Would you be interested if this all was possible in a combination?

Getting fit is a popular New Year's Resolution. Image via Wikipedia

This list is different from the top-10 New Year’s resolutions list Suzanne Duffy composed on Squidoo.com. The top-3 is stop smoking, followed by the get fit and lose weight combo. It looks like smoking is more prominent in the States than it is among expats living in the Netherlands! If you look at it, quality time and quality of life are valued here as well.

So… how are you getting on with your New Year’s Resolutions?

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