Community Refresh Projects - refresh your community

Latest Posts

Find that moneymaking business idea

Community Refresh Projects October 3, 2014 Businessbusiness, business idea, Moneymaking 0

Deciding to start your own business or coming up with an idea to earn more money is actually not that difficult, you just need to do your homework and source out the competition. But, with so many people setting up businesses or becoming self-employed it can be extremely hard to think of something that has not been done before, or is not very common and there is room in the market for one more…yours!

To give you some unique ideas here is a list below to get you started. Perhaps you can even add an extra take to some of the ideas just to make it your own and really deliver something unusual.

Turn your hobby into a business

There are a lot of successful businesses out there that literally started with someone who decided to make money from doing something they enjoyed most. Do you have a hobby that could be turned into a business venture? Some examples of unique companies that started from a hobby are sculpture companies that produce hand carved sculptures from iron, steel, wood and even plastic and then sell them to hotels, restaurants, casinos, libraries, theme parks and so forth. The more unusual your hobby, the better. For example, one woman from the USA was obsessed with dolls and so she set up a doll hospital to repair and renovate damaged and old dolls. She even makes unique doll costumes. Other hobbies that can be turned into a business include jewellery making, painting, sewing, writing and even gardening.

Theme your business idea

If you have always wanted to run a café, or a gift shop for example, why not put a unique twist to it and theme the entire establishment? Some of the most profitable businesses have done this. One good example is a café that themed the entire place on pigs. Everything is served on china that is either shaped like a pig or has pig images on them. The food options contain dishes such as ‘the daily trough’ which is a big portion of an all-day breakfast. The café even has chairs that are shaped at the top like pig ears. It’s a great idea and customers love the ambience and décor which makes it very popular. You can apply a theme to almost any establishment as long as you are consistent throughout. A world-wide famous restaurant with a theme has to be planet Hollywood where everything is based on famous stars, the burgers, the décor and the music. There are many shops that have used themes such as the moon, Greek mythology, animals, famous people and even simply themed on the colour where everything sold is blue for example.

Specialize using the career you have now

Another good idea is to think about what you do now, or what skills you have and see if there is a way to specialize in a certain area that could make you a bit unique. For example, a vet decided he wanted to set up his own practise but didn’t want to be simply an ordinary animal surgery so he decided to specialize in exotic animal care and not only treat the animals but also give advice on caring, handling and breeding exotic animals. He now has people traveling from all over Europe to come and see him as his services are rare to find. Another example of this is payroll services that offer a tailor-made service to companies that need help sorting out salaries for staff. There are manyways you can take your skills and apply them in such a way that you can provide a specialized service that not many other people are doing, so get your thinking caps on and come up with that great new entrepreneurial idea!

Grill the Perfect Burger At Your Next Community Cookout

Community Refresh Projects September 15, 2014 UncategorizedBurger, community, Grill 0

No other food tops the list of items people love to grill as much as burgers. The major hiccup: most burgers end up dry, under-cooked or devoid of flavors. The reasons behind this are: the kind of meat and the type of grill used as well as the amount of time for which the patties are grilled. Today, we have a number of tips for you that will help you grill the perfect burgers.

Use these tips to deliver the perfect, juiciest and tastiest burgers at your next community cookout.

Tip No. 1: The secret is in the meat.

The juicier the burger, the more fat content its meat should have. So, when you are out shopping for the right burger meat, do not skimp or go health conscious. For the best burger recipes, there is no alternative but to choose the 80/20 blends. Some experts also opt to grind their own beef in the comforts of their homes. While this is a good idea, one must make sure they know what they are doing. When using leaner meats, some amount of beef fats must be added to come closer to the store bought 80/20 mix.

Tip 2: Do not overmix

The key to the perfect burger lies in how its ingredients are mixed. Over-mixing is a sure-fire way to failure. Once you add in the eggs, breadcrumbs, onions and other seasonings, divide the meat into sections and work on each one by patting it gently. This helps the juices flow freely when you grill the burgers on the Weber rotisserie. The best time to add the seasonings to the patties is also right before you place them on the preheated grill. Give a healthy dusting of salt, pepper or other dry rub mix before placing the patties on the grill.

Tip 3: Tips to avoid shrinking and swelling of burgers

Burger patties tend to shrink after being placed on the grill. So make sure you account for this loss and form the patties to a size that will fill the buns just right. (None of your guests want to end up eating more bread than the actual meat). Also, once you place the patty on the grill, make sure you make an indentation with your finger in its center. What this does is, it helps prevent the swelling up of the patty owing to the heat of the grill.

Tip 4: Cleaning and preheating the grill

Poorly pre heated grill is sure to either burn the burgers or leave them undercooked. Therefore, preheating to the right temperature is a must. Experts recommend placing the coal only on the sides of the grill so that the center temperature reaches an optimum 400 F. Then you can place the patty near the 2-zone fire for the initial searing effect and later move the patty to the cooler end to cook them in the center. Also make sure that the grill is devoid of any remnants of the previous cookout, as nobody likes a patty bedecked with older crumbs. For this purpose, heat the grill and when it is hot enough, dip some paper towels in oil and wipe the grill plates clean.

Tip 5: Temperature: how much is too much?

According to experts, the right temperature for cooking ground beef thoroughly is to ensure it reaches a temperature of 160 F. Do not flip the burgers too early; let each side cook for at least 4 minutes ensuring that you also press the patties down from time to time.

Once cooked well, allow the burgers to rest for a couple of minutes before assembling them in the buns. These tips will surely give you perfect burgers every single time.

The Many Benefits of Property Mentors

Community Refresh Projects September 7, 2014 UncategorizedBenefits, Property mentors 0

As the recession continues to ease up a bit, now is the perfect time to invest in properties. By using property mentors, you can find great investment properties to help you earn an extra $300 to $1000 each month.

Buying property is very much like driving a car: you choose your final destination, you could take the most scenic route along the way or you can even stop occasionally to admire the view. When done right and passionately, property investment can give you total financial independence. It can be an added source of income which lets you earn even while you learn or do a 9-to-5 job. In many cases, successful real estate investors have taken the reins of their destiny completely in their hands by earning great passive rental incomes. Many have even quit their day jobs as they have arrived at their ‘final destinations’.

All this can be achieved easily with the help of property mentors. Property mentors can be considered as traffic police who help you ‘drivers’ as you face road blocks or traffic jams along the property investment highway.

Here are some of the key benefits of using property mentorships .

1. Mentors show you easy-to-follow investment strategies

Property mentors show you strategies specifically designed to help you profit from the current market conditions. They are targeted to help you make the most of the economic recovery. They show you how to seek low property prices, so you can buy real estate for less. And on the basis of these, you can earn between $300 and $1000 per property, each month, within months of purchasing.

2. Property mentorship is for everyone

Almost everyone can benefit from property mentorship. Whether you are 18 or 80, student or businessman, experienced or inexperienced, full time or part time worker, it does not matter. Nor do you need any prior property investment experience.

3. Property mentors are investors with experience

Ask any successful real estate entrepreneur the key to his/her success, and the answer would likely be “a good mentor”. A property mentor can help you get on the right path. S/he has successfully invested in property portfolios for self as well as others.

4. Property mentors guide you on legal matters

These experts are well versed with all legal aspects of investing in real estate and you can trust them to look after all your conveyancing and legal matters.

5. Property mentors help in financial matters

The property experts also show you tools as well as simple tried and tested systems that they themselves have used in everyday life to buy properties. They can help you come up with financial strategies to ensure that your assets remain protected.

6. Property mentorship lets you in on the secret golden rules of real estate investment

Property mentors live by certain golden rules-standards they themselves follow while investing in properties. These include seeking real estate which is bound to give long term capital growth, buying properties close to cafes, parks, or those within walking distance of public transports, as well as those which are in line with the dominant architectural style of the location. These and other secrets are at your disposal.

Just like anyone can drive a car, provided one fulfills the legal requirements, property investment is for everyone, men or women. Property mentors aim to help you in the world of property investment, no matter what your current location is. Whether you think your “little investment car” is stalled, or in state of repairs, property mentors can give you the necessary push so you can be on your way.

For more advice on property investment and finding a mentor, click here.

Community Camping Trip

Community Refresh Projects September 5, 2014 Community Projectscanoeing, headlight 0

If you’ve been thinking about trying to find something to do for your next community activity, why not try a community camping trip. Many people love camping trips and it can be a great thing to do after doing a cleaning project to “enjoy” the area that was just cleaned. There are many other reasons to have a community camping trip as your next refreshing community outing.

It’s An Eco Friendly Activity

A classic camping trip is one of the most eco-friendly social activities. When you are out camping you are just enjoying the outdoors in its natural state, burning firewood, telling ghost stories over a fire, playing out in nature, all of these are activities that don’t harm the environment. Many companies know how eco-friendly camping can be.

When you are out camping, just make sure that everyone picks up their trash and cleans up the camp area when they are finished.

It’s a Great Bonding Activity

When people are out camping, they are not quite as likely to pull out their cell phones and start texting their BFFs. Instead, they are likely to put their phones down (possibly because they don’t have any signal) and just look around to enjoy the natural wonders of nature. As they do this, people will naturally start talking to pass the time.

This won’t go for everyone of course, a few people might just be content passing time watching nature, and that is just fine, but others will start to talk and learn more about each other.

Simple activities, such as cookouts, hikes, or night time ghost stories, during the trip, can be a great way for people in the community to spend time with each other.

Watching sunrises, sunsets, or the stars at night can be a great way to rekindle the romance in a marriage, or a peaceful way to spend time with the family.

Just remember that if you have young children, bring some lighting along with you just in case they get scared during ghost story time or at night. Try choosing a flashlight or choosing a headlamp, as they make great sources of lighting.

It Provides Opportunity for a Great Workout

If you have heard other members of your community complain because they have put on a few extra pounds, a camping trip might be a great community activity. There are many things that you do during camping trips that provide an opportunity for a workout. Pitching tents, going on hikes, riding bikes, and gathering firewood, aren’t sedentary activities. They require you to get up and get a workout. This is why many support groups that are dedicated to weight loss go on camping trips as rewards for achieving some goal.

A community camping trip can be a great bonding experience for the entire community. It can teach children about the importance of teamwork, and being thankful for family and all of the things you have. It can also be a great way for overworked businesspeople to get away from technology and enjoy all of the great things nature can provide. Either way, a camping trip can be a great experience that can be remembered by all for years to come.

Postmenopausal Women and Osteoporosis Prevention: Can Community Exercise Help?

Community Refresh Projects September 4, 2014 Fitnessexercise, women, workout 0

Women often juggle many roles including work, family and community involvement as a result of which, their exercise takes a back seat. It is seen that rigorous exercise regimes can be even more difficult for women in the post-menopausal age, particularly for those who have always led sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, more studies are necessary to see if it would be possible to develop community based exercise routines to improve bone health in women in their 50s and 60s. These community workout routines for women could perhaps prevent osteoporosis, incidences of which are on the rise, apart from general improvement in physical and emotional well being.

Components of community based workouts for osteoporosis prevention

Certain studies have shown good results in prevention of osteoporosis with the help of supervised community exercise sessions lasting for 60 to 75 minutes three times each week. These exercise routines typically include following components:

5 to 10 minutes of warm up- including walking.
25 minutes of weight training- Stepping and stair climbing
40 minutes of resistance exercises for small and large muscle groups-Back extension, leg press, rotary torso, seated one-arm dumbbell military press etc for larger muscle groups and the use of 1-3 pound dumbbells as well as exercises on physiotherapy ball for small muscle groups. .
5 minutes of Abdominal exercises including pelvic tilts, heel and foot lifts, knee ups, and leg slides (done in 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions). Ankle weights can be strapped for increased resistance.
5. 5 minutes of balancing and stretching including wall presses, single leg balancing, etc.

Naturally, for the success of such community exercise programs, it is essential to have excellent exercise facilities that offer proximity to participants’ homes, have the necessary training equipment, walking tracks and stair climbing availability etc. The facilities might offer free annual membership to participants and could also have administrative areas for the trainers.

Incorporating other social and community support in the exercise sessions

To incorporate other kinds of social and community support, the study encouraged following events which helped women adhere to the program and also form friendships and alliances that went beyond exercising.

Community meals - Participants often met twice a month over meals which could be held in local parks or restaurants. Potlucks were also encouraged where each woman bring in her favourite meal.
Educational guest lectures and forums - Psycho-social concerns of post menopausal women were addressed through meetings with expert doctors or annual forums.
Follow ups through emails, newsletters and phone calls - If participants were staying absent from the community exercise for post menopausal osteoporosis prevention, then follow-ups were done by the active members through emails and phone calls.
Community photo books - Annual photo books showcasing the pictures or videos of exercise sessions along with supporting educational articles, inspirational poems and workout timetables were printed along with important phone numbers.
End of year party - This was an important social support for the test programs as they helped the community acknowledge accomplishments of the group. Certificates of excellence or participation were also distributed for further encouragement.

Naturally, the success of such community exercise programs mainly depend upon participants concern related to risk of developing osteoporosis. It is also important that trainers provide individual attention, constant feedback and ongoing motivation and support to the women. Removal of barriers like suitability of trainer hours could help increase the participation in the program. Finally, the community and training staff should create an atmosphere of fun as well as an enjoyment factor to encourage participants to show up for each training session.

For more information on developing community based workout routines for women in the
post menopausal age for osteoporosis prevention as well as the efficacy of the program, click here.

Heating Up Your Community

Tim Mechling September 1, 2014 Community Projectsbest space heaters, space heaters 0

If your community has open spaces, say a park or a public ground for meetings, then you’ll know all about the hazards of standing around in the cold. Especially as the winter nears, it’s important to remember to stay warm, and a space heater is a great way to do that. If you are planning any open air events in your community, a space heater can help to keep people warm, and while most of us have jackets and scarves, it’s a nice little touch to keep the elderly or young warm when they need it the most. If you’re looking into getting one, but don’t know which one to go for, check out these space heater reviews at http://www.spaceheatercenter.com/.

– Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater with Digital Display and Remote Control

The Lasko is a good sized, affordable space heater that comes with a remote, digital display, various settings and an automatic overheat safety feature. It’s a great way to keep a crowd warm and you can find them for around fifty dollars.

– Lasko 5812 Automatic Air-Flow Heater with Temperature-Regulation System

Another Lasko, though this time a different model. This one is wider and shorter than the one before so it works well in small groups of people. If your event has people sitting around, then one or two of these dotted around the place will work a charm. It’s a little more expensive and can be found for around seventy dollars, and it uses an analogue knob rather than a digital system.

– Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane Heater

If you’re going to an event and just want a heater for yourself then this heater will be a lifesaver. It’s easy to carry around and uses gas to heat up a large space. The initial cost can be quite high, over a hundred dollars, but it can be found for around seventy. Keep in mind it will need gas to fire as well, which adds to the cost. But it’s portable and effective and won’t let you down if you need heat.

– Dimplex DFI2310 Electric Fireplace Deluxe 23-Inch Insert, Black

If you’re looking to really splash out and show off, then this heater will be excellent for you. It can stay in the back garden and heat everyone up when you have friends and family over for drinks or a barbeque. It’s aesthetically pleasing, and looks like a real fire, but it does cost almost three hundred dollars and isn’t portable.

All of these Infrared Heaters have their own special features. Click here to check out some more heaters.

Handcraft Work from Home: A Way to Help Your Community

Community Refresh Projects August 31, 2014 Community Projectsbraceletes, handcrafted 0

Community-based projects are an excellent way to bring out positive changes in your community. Whether it’s redesigning artwork for your street or clearing trash from an alley, it can provide even a small positive change.

However, improving your community will only work best if there is an active participation of the residents. As I noticed, a lot of people are very eager to help their community, but only few are really active. It’s either they don’t have the money or the time. So despite the deep aspiration to thrive, many communities across the country are still struggling.

Community Participation

But it’s important for you to know that making a positive impact in your own community doesn’t necessarily need a heap of money or loads of time. In fact, even while you’re just at home watching your favorite TV show, you can still make a difference. Simply think of great ideas, use your skills, and share them with the others in your neighborhood.

One effective way to do this is to encourage your neighborhood and involve them in handcrafts or DIY projects. Doing handcrafts from home can be enjoyable and fun. Not only that, it’s also satisfying and financially rewarding. People in this age are looking for unique gift ideas for birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations, as well as special accessories that they can use for everyday wear.

So if you are a community group or an individual seeking to create a wonderful project, making handmade items is a great option. There are hundreds if not thousands handcraft ideas to choose from. And one of the popular ideas is making bracelets, particularly leather bracelets.

Why Leather Bracelets?

Leather bracelets are so on trend right now. Leather is a very durable material and owning an item that is made from it is supposed to be a status symbol. For many years, it has been one of the best choices of popular and not-so-popular individuals when it comes to accessories. In fact, even in today’s modern generation, it’s still considered one of the best choices of fashion conscious people.

Aside from the quality of the material, people wear leather bracelets because they provide an undeniable sexy and enigmatic appeal. Furthermore, leather bracelets work well for any kinds of wardrobe. If you’re wearing a casual suit and want to add some sense of formality, just wear a leather bracelet and you’ll instantly get that smart tailored appeal. And if you’re wearing a simple shirt and jeans but want to get some creative or rocker look, just wrap around a leather bracelet on your wrist and you’ll acquire that cool charm you’re looking.

Leather continues to be an in demand material in jewelry fashion, so it’s definitely a great idea for a new community-based project. The process is easy that it requires almost no tools. The best thing is it can even be done by beginners. It’s an easy step to encourage your neighborhood, even the students, to participate in the improvement of your community.

As we all know, people in today’s society are always busy and focused on things that don’t have any connection with the community at all, especially the youth. So helping the young generation experience community service provides them an opportunity to not only fill their resume for school or job applications, but also give back to the place that helped raise them. As anyone who has been part of a community service knows, the fulfillment that comes from helping others can be meaningful and life changing.

So what are you waiting for? Get ready your stuff and make some handcraft materials for your community. Make sure that everyone in the neighborhood knows your plan, particularly the chairman of your community to be able to run a successful program.

Are Upright Vacuum Cleaners Still In Demand Today In Your Community?

Community Refresh Projects August 20, 2014 Community Projectscleaning, vacuum cleaner 0

In the US and particularly in California, upright vacuum cleaners are probably still in demand though the models still in use can be relatively old. This is because there are so many other types and brands of household vacuum cleaners that you can already buy within your community. The value of upright vacuum cleaners is that they allow you to clean your home or office (or even your home office) without having to stoop or bend awkwardly. However, the advent of other types of vacuum cleaners might signal a shift to more convenient types of these machines by the public.

Vacuum’s in California Communities

In California communities, vacuum cleaners are an important household helper because the dry weather means that dust tends to settle on carpets and flooring easily. Upright vacuum cleaners allow you to clean carpets without having to get on your hands and knees. This makes them handy especially when carpeting in California homes and offices tends to span from wall to wall. Since often carpeting does not get peeled off the floor and cleaned outdoors, the next best solution for cleaning is to use a vacuum cleaner. Some may do away with carpeting in their home or office to show off great floors (especially wooden floors that have been sanded and varnished to a nice shine) but carpets are important to some because of the design and style of the carpet or because the carpets can absorb sound which is great if footsteps tend to be distracting.

Downside of Vacuum Cleaners

One downside to using vacuum cleaners is that they use up quite a lot of electricity, especially the more powerful ones. Generally, the more powerful the suction power of the vacuum the more electricity is required to make it run. Not surprisingly, in the less affluent California communities you might not see people cleaning their homes with vacuum cleaners so much – but then in such communities you probably would not find wall to wall carpeting either. So these less affluent California homes and businesses probably don’t use vacuums, to keep their electric bills down to affordable levels. By the same principle, homes and businesses in the richer California communities which probably do have carpets (and high end carpets at that) would also most likely have vacuum cleaners to clean inside their carpeted rooms, because they can absorb the cost.

It is not surprising that some people hesitate to buy vacuum cleaners due to the cost of electricity in California. If you are worried that your budget for electricity will be trashed if you switch to using vacuum cleaners you may want to check out online calculators to compute your electricity consumption right now and your potential electricity consumption should you switch to upright vacuum cleaners (or any vacuum cleaner for that matter). Incidentally, the frequency by which you use vacuum cleaners is just as important as the power of the machine that you use for cleaning. Keep a record of your monthly payments for electricity as well so you can monitor the rise and fall of your consumption during the period when you use vacuum cleaners regularly.

It’s the 21st century, have you refreshed your community to go green and eco-friendly yet?

Tim Mechling August 18, 2014 Community Projectscatering, catering supplies 0

Seems everywhere you look you see and hear the words green and eco-friendly. It’s a good thing coming together worldwide for a cleaner environment to live in. That’s the world, now how about your community? Are you seeing changes towards living in the environmentally friendly world of today or are you still not on the path of change yet? Maybe it’s time to come together with your neighbors and start making changes towards refining your town locally to jump on the bandwagon and refresh your environment.

You don’t have to jump tall buildings in a single bound or run faster than a speeding bullet and make changes overnight. Nor do you have to start off with a huge project either. Start with the small stuff and make changes gradually. Work together and as a community make decisions to catch up with the ways your community can be eco-friendly and green too along with other communities, towns and cities around you that have started. See what they’ve been doing and gather ideas as to how you can make it work for your locale.

Maybe start and see if your town can get some recycling bins placed somewhere convenient where you can have a specific place to bring plastics, metals, and other recyclable materials to be shipped off and transformed back into usable products. With one area to do recycling in, it makes it convenient to store up and take a trip to the bins and dump off all your recycling that needs to be done all in one place. Talk to your city or town and see if they have interest in putting a plan for recycling into action and what steps you need to take. Get a petition going around signed by people who support recycling bins so the city knows you’re good and ready to put it into action and make it work.

Another small step is to place doggie bins in the park. They are barrels with biodegradable plastic bags attached to them that you pick up your doggie doo with and dispose of in the bin. Later the company comes and picks up and empties the bin, replaces bags and takes it off to compost. It also is great because then you can go to the park and not have to watch every single step you take so that you don’t step in doggie doo because someone just let their dog do their duty and left it laying there. This way the owner responsibly picks up after Buddy when he does his business and disposes of it properly. See at your next town meeting if this is an option to look into and push for it.

Hold a meeting between the locals to talk about some ideas and where to take them. Have a get together over a barbecue while it’s still pleasant weather and discuss steps. Don’t forget to clean up after and recycle any of GotStocks range of wholesale catering supplies that you got for the BBQ. That way you’re starting your recycling from the get-go. It’s time to refresh your community’s environment and make it happen.

Keeping Care of Your Neighbourhood’s Electricity

Tim Mechling August 11, 2014 Community Projectscommunity life, taking care of your neighborhood 0

Electricity is all around us these days. It powers our phones, our internet, our refrigerators and even some of our cars. Of course, it also powers out street lamps and our shops and businesses. If you live in a neighbourhood then you probably have a generator. All the electricity running to the grid will come from here, and each house and business will use it. It’s not a bad idea to make sure this, and individual houses, are running smoothly, as even a small electrical problem can cause havoc to a community. If you are in the California region, then you should look into an electrical company in San Diego.

– Why Bother?

Electricity is too fickle a force to be left to its own devices, and local governments aren’t always up to scratch. If you’ve ever noticed that your wiring is dodgy or that when you turn on one device another one turns off, then you may have an issue. Sure, it could be small now, but if left to grow it could potentially evolve into a very real, and very expensive issue. Even if you’re not sure if there’s an issue, there’s no harm checking it out. These companies do a free evaluation, so you have nothing to lose by being precautionary.

– What Happens?

Getting an electrician is a two step process. First they do a survey, checking out what they think is the issue, and then they get down and fix it. If you’re hiring a San Diego company you know you’re getting quality and professionalism. How long the job will take and how much it costs depends on what needs to be done. It could be a simple or complex, you may need only a new wire, or perhaps an entire upgrade. You don’t have to worry about them scamming you as these guys are the best in the business.

– How Can I Trust Them?

This is a company that’s been around the block for over twenty years. They’re well known for their quality and professionalism. Of course these days you can hop online and found out for yourself, or ask around and see if they meet your needs. If there is an electrical system issue in your area, you really can’t afford to wait around. Think about hiring in a company today and getting that system repaired.