Busy lifestyles and longer hours are leading to a business boom in the number of professional dog-walkers taking the nation's 6.5 million pet pooches walkies,' according to online small business insurer, Insurantz.com.
Even during the credit crunch, Britain remains a nation of pet-lovers willing to spend on their pet pooches, but with time at a premium in a country which works the longest hours in Europe, many budding British entrepreneurs are seeing the business opportunity for pet lovers. Specialist dog-walking businesses and earn upwards of GBP8.00 per dog for a one hour walk.
The industry of professional pet sitting, which includes dog walking, is now one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial endeavours in the UK with the National Association of Registered Petsitters (NARP) reporting a 59% increase in demand in 2008. The market for dog-walkers has already seen exponential growth in the US, with one such business in Philadelphia grossing $650,000 last year.
The rewards may be great, but Insurantz believes many independent dog-walkers are putting themselves at risk by failing to get adequate cover for their business. In particular, all professional dog-walkers should have public liability insurance in the event a dog causes injury or damage to property while in their care.
James Pickering, Managing Director of Insurantz, commented: "Professional dog-walkers are still a fairly new phenomenon in the UK, so there's a tendency for people not to treat it in the same way as other more established professions. The reality is that dog-walkers face the same, if not greater risk as any other business and need to ensure they have adequate cover to protect them if the worst happens."
Phil Taylor of the National Association of Registered Petsitters added: "We insist that all of our members have public liability cover, but there's still some work to be done to educate the industry that setting up business requires more than a sturdy pair of shoes and a few flyers.
"We see a fair number of claims for dogs injured in fights with other dogs, and a number of our members have had to make a claim because a dog has injured another person while in their charge. Without adequate cover, these people could have faced legal bills rising into thousands of pounds."
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Great performance bedding
With a new licensee and a big new retail program. Top 15 bedding producer Lady Americana is charging ahead in a challenging year.
"The state of Lady Americana is surprisingly good at this point," said Kerry Tramel, president ofthe group, which is based here. "Like everybody, we have some licensees that are really struggling. But unlike other groups, we have a critical mass of licensees that are beating or exceeding last year's numbers."
A new program with Top 10 performance bedding retailer Mattress Giant should put even more wind in the group's sales. eco friendly mattress giant, based in Addison, Texas, recently launched Cristina Saralegui's Casa Cristina mattress line nationwide. The line, produced by Lady Americana, will be available at all of Mattress Giant's more than 360 locations.
Saralegui is a veteran journalist and TV talk show host who is recognized as an influential role model for Hispanic women.
"It is extremely gratifying that Casa Cristina hos become a line of home furnishings whose style consumers have embraced and whose quality they trust," Saralegui said. "So it was natural to partner with Mattress Giant, one of the industry's largest and most trusted retailers, to bring the Encanto and Esencia mattresses into the marketplace."
The Encanto and Esencia models feature 100% natural cashmere, silk and bamboo covers. Esencia also contains aloe vera, which is said to promote a more hygienic sleep. Both models are in Lady Americano's Eco-Comfort collection of green mattress products and bamboo bed sheets.
Lady Americana also has a new Florida licensee. Southern Dreams, which was recently acquired by bedding veteran Leo Echevenia. Southern Dreams, based in Opa Locka, begins its work with Lady Americana with production of the Casa Cristina line and eventually will add the entire Lady A lineup.
"Florida is an exceptional market with a diverse and unique taste, and we are delighted to partner with Southern Dreams," Tramel said.
"They are the perfect partner for Lady Americana. Leo Echeverria, in addition to bringing a wealth of knowledge in mattress production and design, also brings to the group one of the best reputations in the industry."
Echevenia praised the "visionary leadership" that he said Tramel has brought to the Lady Americana group.
Tramel said Lady A is benefiting from problems experienced by other bedding producers and is well positioned to capitalize on opportunities. He said the group has picked up business in a number of key markets.
"The state of Lady Americana is surprisingly good at this point," said Kerry Tramel, president ofthe group, which is based here. "Like everybody, we have some licensees that are really struggling. But unlike other groups, we have a critical mass of licensees that are beating or exceeding last year's numbers."
A new program with Top 10 performance bedding retailer Mattress Giant should put even more wind in the group's sales. eco friendly mattress giant, based in Addison, Texas, recently launched Cristina Saralegui's Casa Cristina mattress line nationwide. The line, produced by Lady Americana, will be available at all of Mattress Giant's more than 360 locations.
Saralegui is a veteran journalist and TV talk show host who is recognized as an influential role model for Hispanic women.
"It is extremely gratifying that Casa Cristina hos become a line of home furnishings whose style consumers have embraced and whose quality they trust," Saralegui said. "So it was natural to partner with Mattress Giant, one of the industry's largest and most trusted retailers, to bring the Encanto and Esencia mattresses into the marketplace."
The Encanto and Esencia models feature 100% natural cashmere, silk and bamboo covers. Esencia also contains aloe vera, which is said to promote a more hygienic sleep. Both models are in Lady Americano's Eco-Comfort collection of green mattress products and bamboo bed sheets.
Lady Americana also has a new Florida licensee. Southern Dreams, which was recently acquired by bedding veteran Leo Echevenia. Southern Dreams, based in Opa Locka, begins its work with Lady Americana with production of the Casa Cristina line and eventually will add the entire Lady A lineup.
"Florida is an exceptional market with a diverse and unique taste, and we are delighted to partner with Southern Dreams," Tramel said.
"They are the perfect partner for Lady Americana. Leo Echeverria, in addition to bringing a wealth of knowledge in mattress production and design, also brings to the group one of the best reputations in the industry."
Echevenia praised the "visionary leadership" that he said Tramel has brought to the Lady Americana group.
Tramel said Lady A is benefiting from problems experienced by other bedding producers and is well positioned to capitalize on opportunities. He said the group has picked up business in a number of key markets.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
It's so hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way
Mister Mc. told me once that his life revolved around my eyelids.
Odd isn't it.
But I guess he liked them.
Does everyone do that---claim one of someone else's body parts---or is it just me and mine? I'm convinced that no one will ever love XBFs ears quite like I do. Or Mister Mc's wrists. Or the very first boy I ever loved's chin. Or even stupid old Jacob's back hairline. For each, I can remember how they smelled, looked, tasted, felt. If I were a better poet, I'd write volumes dedicated to them.
As it stands, I'm a much better daydreamer than anything else, and not a day goes by without minutes dedicated to those claimed pieces of skin.
Odd isn't it.
In other news, I go to school with a girl that really hates to let people borrow her stuff. And I mean, I'm not talking random people here, I'm talking about us, her compatriots, the people she eats, laughs, crys, shoots the shit and works with day after day after day. Today I asked her to use her flat iron (which of course, she wasn't using. And like I mentioned, I'm no stranger, we share soda pop and stuff---I don't have cooties, and if I do, the bitch's got 'em by now!) but man, she was loathe to do it. And you could just see that she really felt stuck...she definetely did not want to lend out her flat iron, but no way did she want to look like a WHORE for not letting her friend use it, especially when she knew that her friend knew that she had it with her. There was no lying, cheating or scheming her way out. So she grudgingly let me use it, handing it to me like she really had something to say, some special care instructions, but opted for the quiet, whorish high road instead.
Annoying.
Odd isn't it.
But I guess he liked them.
Does everyone do that---claim one of someone else's body parts---or is it just me and mine? I'm convinced that no one will ever love XBFs ears quite like I do. Or Mister Mc's wrists. Or the very first boy I ever loved's chin. Or even stupid old Jacob's back hairline. For each, I can remember how they smelled, looked, tasted, felt. If I were a better poet, I'd write volumes dedicated to them.
As it stands, I'm a much better daydreamer than anything else, and not a day goes by without minutes dedicated to those claimed pieces of skin.
Odd isn't it.
In other news, I go to school with a girl that really hates to let people borrow her stuff. And I mean, I'm not talking random people here, I'm talking about us, her compatriots, the people she eats, laughs, crys, shoots the shit and works with day after day after day. Today I asked her to use her flat iron (which of course, she wasn't using. And like I mentioned, I'm no stranger, we share soda pop and stuff---I don't have cooties, and if I do, the bitch's got 'em by now!) but man, she was loathe to do it. And you could just see that she really felt stuck...she definetely did not want to lend out her flat iron, but no way did she want to look like a WHORE for not letting her friend use it, especially when she knew that her friend knew that she had it with her. There was no lying, cheating or scheming her way out. So she grudgingly let me use it, handing it to me like she really had something to say, some special care instructions, but opted for the quiet, whorish high road instead.
Annoying.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
I feel like makin DUH DUH DUUUNNN DUH DUH DOOON I feel like makin love
On the agenda for this school-free saturday is painting all my wooden furniture, which is exciting and fun in Amanadoo land because it's the little things that tingle my wingle. Goin thrifting is also in the plans, which is fun and exciting because, well, I like cheap things.
But before I get to all that exciting and fun madness, there's something I have to do first. I believe this portion of my day can be summed up in three words:
White Russians and Tequila.
Evidently some people can't handle 2 white russians followed by 2 [yeup, just two] shots of the good stuff. SOOO, since the kind of people that can't handle such a delicious combination are also the kind of people that aim for the ground outside MY car and miss, I will soon be wrist-deep in vomit at the car cleaning place.
Next time, we take someone else's car.
But before I get to all that exciting and fun madness, there's something I have to do first. I believe this portion of my day can be summed up in three words:
White Russians and Tequila.
Evidently some people can't handle 2 white russians followed by 2 [yeup, just two] shots of the good stuff. SOOO, since the kind of people that can't handle such a delicious combination are also the kind of people that aim for the ground outside MY car and miss, I will soon be wrist-deep in vomit at the car cleaning place.
Next time, we take someone else's car.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Stop staring at her sideburns!
Derik, man, why are you scared?
The more important issue on the floor this evening is what in the HELL is biting me. I've got these wicked patches of rash all over my legs that itch like bug bites. So I scratch and I scratch 'til I bleed.
I know, right. Too much information. But it's buggin the crap out of me. It's not an allergy and I've washed everything so the only explanation I can come with is that there are some kinda mites or something in my house.
Ick.
Anyway, I won't have to deal with them much longer if there are mites here. 'Cause I'm moving! Yay. Dec. 5 is the day. No, still no job. Yes, I realize how totally idiotic it is to move without a job.
Jump off or start ridin bitches!
Spent the night with David last night, and I'm way tired. Sorry for the lame-o post.
Keep on rockin in the free world!
The more important issue on the floor this evening is what in the HELL is biting me. I've got these wicked patches of rash all over my legs that itch like bug bites. So I scratch and I scratch 'til I bleed.
I know, right. Too much information. But it's buggin the crap out of me. It's not an allergy and I've washed everything so the only explanation I can come with is that there are some kinda mites or something in my house.
Ick.
Anyway, I won't have to deal with them much longer if there are mites here. 'Cause I'm moving! Yay. Dec. 5 is the day. No, still no job. Yes, I realize how totally idiotic it is to move without a job.
Jump off or start ridin bitches!
Spent the night with David last night, and I'm way tired. Sorry for the lame-o post.
Keep on rockin in the free world!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
One last lie
Your sweet Amanadoo is rather pungent lately. I've taken to Chai tea (though I still can't get it right at home...the various coffeehouses do it just right for me) and smoking chives. Add that to the religious zeal I have for my perfume of choice, the baby powder I constantly put in my hair, and it's a pretty smellicious situation. But my friends say they wouldn't have me any other way .
In other news, I am moving!
Cue angels, harps.
S and I found a great place one town over. It's smack in the middle of the various places we go...her boyfriend's house, our respective schools, friends houses, parents, and her work. Which, of course, brings up my biggest concern. I'm moving out this weekend and I don't have a flippin job.
Why don't you just wait Amanadoo?
Well, cause. That's why. See, S is about to get thrown out of her house (crazy parental situation there). And since this is what we've wanted to do since for-freaking-ever, we decided to be ahead of the game and do it now. And if by some freak alligning of the stars I don't get a job soon, we are...well, we're pretty much fucked.
So there's that.
I've found myself in the middle of an envious predicament. Envious if you're anyone but me. Allow me to break down the essentials...
2 boys (well, 1 boy, one man if you wanna get technical)
1 fuckbuddy
1 friend-with-benefits
The fuckbuddy is XBF and it's all fuck and no buddy. Fucktotaldumbass is more like it.
The friends-with-benefits is David and it's all friend and hardly any benefits.
Is there a reason I can't have 1 person that I can be friends with and cuddly with and screw...all at the same time!?!
I mean, really.
In other news, I am moving!
Cue angels, harps.
S and I found a great place one town over. It's smack in the middle of the various places we go...her boyfriend's house, our respective schools, friends houses, parents, and her work. Which, of course, brings up my biggest concern. I'm moving out this weekend and I don't have a flippin job.
Why don't you just wait Amanadoo?
Well, cause. That's why. See, S is about to get thrown out of her house (crazy parental situation there). And since this is what we've wanted to do since for-freaking-ever, we decided to be ahead of the game and do it now. And if by some freak alligning of the stars I don't get a job soon, we are...well, we're pretty much fucked.
So there's that.
I've found myself in the middle of an envious predicament. Envious if you're anyone but me. Allow me to break down the essentials...
2 boys (well, 1 boy, one man if you wanna get technical)
1 fuckbuddy
1 friend-with-benefits
The fuckbuddy is XBF and it's all fuck and no buddy. Fucktotaldumbass is more like it.
The friends-with-benefits is David and it's all friend and hardly any benefits.
Is there a reason I can't have 1 person that I can be friends with and cuddly with and screw...all at the same time!?!
I mean, really.
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