Articles by Aaliyah Dana

She enjoys writing about the lifestyle and all things related to the world. She is also an avid gamer who enjoys playing games on his PS4. Aaliyah has been writing for over 5 years and has had articles published on such sites as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Mashable, and more.
Promote and Market Your Brand Face-to-face

4 Ways To Promote and Market Your Brand Face-to-face

We live in an age where internet and other “non-in-person” types of communication are on the rise and becoming more and more important for your business and your brand. However, there are still businesses that can do very little or even nothing online and for whom the more traditional brand promotion and marketing are a must. Here, you will find 4 traditional face-to-face ways in which you can promote and market your brand or business, whatever it might be. These are crucial and you need to keep them in mind.

1. Go Out for Drinks/meals/events with your Partners

This harkens back to the good old days of overweight business owners in half-sweaty shirts and pants that are just a bit too tight, going out for bourbon and steaks and making deals. Well, the truth is that these days, even though the business-owners are a bit less sweaty and bit less likely to drink bourbon, this still works and this is still the very basic way of doing business, something that you also need to do. When you meet with your partners or important clients face to face, you can establish a connection that will be more than just providing a service or a product. You become “friends” and this can only be beneficial for your business.

2. Visit/exhibit at Trade Shows

When it comes to trade shows, it is important not to listen to all the doomsayers who are saying that trade shows are dead and that there is no reason to visit them, let alone exhibiting at trade shows. In fact, more than 80% of people who visit trade shows have buying authority and even if are not interested in exhibiting at your own exhibition stands, just attending and networking at trade shows is a smart thing to do when it comes to promoting your brand or business. You will find people from your field there and you will be able to expand your network of contacts immeasurably.

3. Work Your Local Media

Your local media might have a very small base of viewers/listeners/readers but it is still your community and these are the people that you are most likely going to be doing business with. Also, you never know which local story could go regional or even national. This is why you should always stay in touch with the local media, offer them your expertise and not even ask for a quote. Just be a helping hand from time to time and in time, you may actually become the expert that they call on to when they need a comment or advice.

4. Organize Your Own Events

When people start thinking about organizing their own event, they tend to go too large and they get discouraged. The fact is that you can organize a perfectly effective and attractive event even if you do not spend too much or go totally epic with it. For instance, you can invite your clients and your partners for a Saturday in your local park; organize some snacks, a pickup game of something or something small and cute like that. The important thing is to keep it casual and relaxed and people will start associating your brand with good times.

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Paris with Dior

It’s truly any girl’s wildest dream come true to visit Paris with Dior. A breath-taking city full of history, romance and culture; and a world-famous fashion house who has helped shape the sartorial world as we know it. Last month I got to live a Cinderella fairy tale come true and travel to Paris with the DiorBeauty team to attend the Addict event in celebration of the launch of their new lip product, Dior Addict Lip Fluid.

Upon arriving in Paris (hello 15-hour flight) we were greeted with a major Dior care package and a beautiful room in the heart of the city. I rushed over (dirty airplane outfit and all) to make it to my fitting at the Dior headquarters. I can’t imagine any place where I’d hope to be looking my most put together, but they accepted me anyway.  Begging for the forgiveness of my dishevelled look “I just got off the plane”, the fabulous Dior team whisked me away into a white room full of beautiful dresses, mirrors, windows and views of the whole city.

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“Pick what you want to wear.” Usually opting for black- I found myself in a room full of femininity, colour, and glamour. I tried on a myriad of dresses and ultimately opted for a simple, classic, elegant electrifying red.

Exhausted but full of excitement I forced myself to attend the dinner at the fabulous Hotel Costes. The place to see and be seen- if you can get a reservation, but when you are with Dior, it seems like nothing in Paris is a problem. We laughed, drank wine, had escargot and beef tartar–things you couldn’t have paid me enough to eat when I was younger, but in Paris, it feels so right. Dior dress, Dior makeup and Dior sunglasses, just incredible!

The next day after spending the morning shopping around the city I had to arrive early to the event for hair and makeup. I never expected I would be getting my makeup done by one of the best makeup artists in the world. Usually the beachy, no make-up type, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and went for an “old Hollywood glam look.” After it was all complete I barely recognized myself. I felt like a true vision of elegance and glamour.

As if that all weren’t enough, next we were presented with a maze of photoshoot sets, the creations of different artists whose works of art were projected onto different backgrounds to create the photos you see above. Hope you enjoy them!

My experience with Dior in Paris was truly a once in a lifetime moment and a memory I will cherish forever. A million miles away from the small town girl who grew up in a city with not even one clothing store. Thank you to everyone, and especially the whole Dior team who made it such a memorable event!

All hail the Ditch Warrior. Or Metro as it was officially called.

There are many cars of which you could say, cometh the hour cometh the car. The E type Jaguar launched just when the country was starting to want a car that was bit more modern and a bit stylish or the most famous being the Mini, a car that was interesting, cool and debonair despite its size and power. They were perfect for the time and in the late 70’s and early eighties British Leyland MG needed a car like that. It had to be good to keep the ailing car manufacturing industry in the country alive. Therefore, it needed to be economical capture the public’s imagination and most importantly their pound notes plus those foreigners too. It was asking a lot of the designers, but they were going to give it a go and they even looked back to the Mini for a little bit of inspiration.

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So, with sweat, toil and hope they created the car that was going to save them all. They came up with the Metro. It may not be the first choice that you would put on a Car lap tray, which are great little items by the way and make great gifts, but you can be safe in the knowledge that there are plenty of choices out there for you to choose from just have a look at https://personalisedlaptrays.co.uk/ for a few ideas.

The Metro was launched to great acclaim and a very high-profile advertising campaign, this involved a fleet of the colorful fun cars driving pell-mell towards the White cliffs of Dover. Leyland were desperate, their cars from the nineteen seventies were ugly, shoddy, poorly made and badly received. They badly need a success to continue Government funding and to get something that could compete with the cheaper and better models coming in from the continent.

The initial reaction from the public was one of great interest for this relatively cheap and affordable car. This finally looked like this was a car that Leyland MG had made that could work. Reviews were mainly positive. It was noted that the engine was an A or at least A+ series even after all these years but this was forgiven as it was pointed out this made repairs and maintenance work easier.

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Lamentably this was not to last. It soon became clear after a few years ownership that some corners had been cut. The car collected water with ease and rusted, especially the wings remarkable easily. The distributor cap was pointed down low so that any degree of collected water could see it cut out. The manual choke was also twitchy and difficult to deal with. As the years rolled by it became clear that despite up grades and turbo versions the car was just not good enough to maintain the industry and provide the shot it needed when compared to the success of the Fiesta, or the Renault 5.

Why was it called a ditch warrior? No matter what it always pulled to the left a little bit so that the ditch was never far away.

How to fix window problems

Nothing worries a homeowner more than the sight of emerging DIY problems. Luckily, we have a useful guide to help you diagnose and fix any issues that emerge with your windows.

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Draughty windows

You’ll immediately know if your windows have a problem with a draught, as you’ll feel the temperature change or see the curtains move. The causes are likely to be weatherstripping that has come loose, or the window design itself. The best solution is usually to choose a modern insulated window or to replace damaged weatherstripping and replace it to reinforce the airtight window seal.

Leaking windows

These can lead to real damage in the house if they aren’t fixed. Water can come in behind the drywall without you even realising, leaving signs such as wallboard discolouration along the sill, paint peeling off the window frame, rotting wood and mould growth. The solutions here will most likely require a window replacement, but in the meantime, you can run a humidifier to take excess water from the air. New caulking around the window exterior can also provide a temporary fix. Make sure you check the window’s warranty in case you still have cover.

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Failing window cranks

Most windows that use a crank handle will do so without issue, but very humid summers or severe winters can lead to problems with over-tightening. Use the crank handle sparingly and don’t force the window to shut tightly if it seems to be resisting. Instead, leave a little gap and apply grease lubricant to the mechanism after cleaning the window track itself. Otherwise, you may need to replace the crank entirely, but this shouldn’t be expensive.

Fogging glass

If the seals on your insulated glass fail, then condensation can build up and make your bay windows cloudy. Over time, this will lead to rotting. If your windows are still in warranty, contact your window installer for a possible replacement. Find out more at: https://www.firmfix.co.uk/windows/bay-windows/.

Rotting frames

Wooden windows look beautiful and will perform extremely well when installed correctly and maintained, but they can rot if they aren’t looked after. You may be able to replace a rotting section of wood if you are handy with DIY, by cutting out the rotting section and adding a new patch section. Otherwise, get the entire frame replaced by your local window company for a long-lasting finish.

Why you need cold room shelving in your business

One of the most important pieces of storage equipment that those within the food industry will invest in is undoubtedly a refrigeration unit.

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These days many caterers and retailers are opting to use commercial cold rooms rather than traditional fridges or freezers. An article in Green Cooling suggests that the benefits of a cold room include increased space, lower cost and better energy efficiency. Cold room shelving can also be purchased at an extreme level suitable for huge retailers such as supermarkets to store large volumes of chilled foods. But what are the other benefits of investing in this sort of cold room shelving?

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Avoid cross contamination

One of the best things about a cold room is the increased shelving space that allows for a better organisational system than a normal fridge or freezer. This won’t just help you to maintain an efficient layout but it also reduces the risk of cross contamination which is caused when bacteria from certain foods (mostly meat) is transferred onto other food products.

Mobility and construction

Cold room shelving is very easy to construct and many units come with wheels attached to the bottom making them easily mobile. Moving shelves around to suit your needs is far easier than having to re-arrange all of your stock. Many modern shelving units are also height adjustable which makes customisation to your needs even more achievable,

Maximise storage

A cold room is generally a lot larger than a fridge or freezer and this additional space comes with a number of cost-effective benefits. It means that you can order food in bulk to store, which usually means you will get a cheaper deal. Running one large system is also often a lot more cost-effective than running several smaller units in terms of energy and repair costs.

Large establishments such as major hotels, restaurants and supermarkets often have little choice but to install a commercial cold room (https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/cold-rooms/integrated-cold-rooms) but even smaller businesses may learn to appreciate the space and money saving benefits that they can offer.

Easy to clean and maintain

Spillages and mess can easily occur with so much perishable food present. Thankfully, cold room shelving is often made of very easy-to-clean material such as stainless steel. This durable material is also resistant to the extreme temperatures of a cold room.

 

Five more hot cuisines from afar that you need to try

When it comes to cuisines from overseas, us Brits are becoming increasingly more confident and adventurous in both eating and cooking them ourselves. While curries and pasta dishes have been popular for many decades, these days we are becoming bolder and looking for more flavoursome, exciting and challenging cuisines to either cook at home or try while dining out.

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But what hot cuisines from afar do you need put on your bucket list?

Greek

A Mediterranean diet has long since been hailed as the key to a long and healthy life. Greek cuisine manages to combine good health with fresh, zingy flavours such as hummus, tzatziki and yoghurt based dressings adorning meat and salad dishes. Greek cheeses such as feta and halloumi are also rocketing in popularity with consumers.

Korean

Korean food places emphasis on using fermented ingredients which, at first glance, might not always sound too appealing. However, the rich, decadent flavours in dishes such as kimchi are undeniable and also extremely good for friendly gut bacteria. The combination of oriental food and spices along with toppings such as eggs and rich sauces is unusual but delicious. So give Korean food a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

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Middle Eastern

Food from Persia, Syria, Jerusalem and Iran tend to combine warming spices with a hint of sweetness. Meatballs and lamb with chickpeas and freshening herbs like mint and coriander are commonplace.

Moroccan

Packed with warming spices and often in easy-to-cook one-pot dishes, Moroccan food could be a perfect thing to try now that the weather is turning. Moroccan food often favours a long, slow cooking process with foods such as stews or tagines which makes for succulent meat and rich flavours that are easily achievable at home or in commercial combination ovens (https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk/catering-appliances/commercial-ovens-and-ranges/combination-ovens ). A report in Health and Fitness Revolution also highlights the health benefits of several ingredients used widely in Moroccan cooking such as chickpeas, dried fruit and couscous.

Portuguese

Portugal is a popular holiday destination with Brits so it’s unsurprising that many holidaymakers are bringing their favourite recipes home with them. Portuguese cuisine is a real treat with smoked sausage, rich desserts and deli-style platters full of cured meats and tasty cheeses all being very popular. Coxinhas are also a must-try dish.

 

Which foods are in season in October?

As autumn gets well underway and a noticeable chill appears in the air, the natural inclination is to shift to heartier meals to sustain you. Luckily, there are plenty of satisfying seasonal ingredients available that will taste their best at this time of year. Even better, choosing food that is in season allows you to be more environmentally aware.

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Game season

Various types of game are in season in October and these can form the base of many tasty meals. Pheasant can be roasted and accompanied by a range of root vegetables, or turned into a terrine. Grouse and partridge may also be at their best at this time of year.

Vegetables

With Halloween fast approaching, there is no doubt pumpkins are one vegetable that experiences a surge in popularity at this time of year. Pumpkin can be used in sweet or savoury dishes, from a soup starter to the American favourite of pumpkin pie. Its cousin, butternut squash, is also in season and can make a tasty accompaniment to a variety of dishes when roasted.

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Celeriac might not look like it, but it is closely related to celery and has a similar taste. Try roasting or mashing it. Other vegetables in season at this time of year include radicchio and its cousin chicory, beetroot, Swiss chard, cabbage, kale, swede, turnip and a wide range of different wild mushrooms.

Fruit

If you want something to accompany the seasonal meals you provide in your restuarant or bar, post mix suppliers such as https://empireuk.com/ can supply a range of draught soft drinks. You may also want to try fruit juices based on those fruits that are in season.

Summer berries may have faded, but others fruits are just coming into their prime. Apples can be eaten fresh from the tree, used as an accompaniment to pork or added to a fruit crumble. Quince also flourishes from October to December, and plums are another versatile fruit that can be used in anything from a jam to a dessert.

Elderberries are not a good fruit to eat undercooked, let alone raw, but they can be added to muffins and puddings. This kind of cooking can reduce their flavour, but their colour can add a bright spot to pickles and chutneys. Other berries that are available at this time of year include blackberries and cranberries.

 

This New Mobile Wearable Is Helping Clinical Trials

One of the most important aspects of any clinical trial is ensuring the safety of participants. This means there must be clear channels of communication between clinicians and patients. A new mobile technology aims to assist in this process and more generally improve the speed and efficiency of clinical research.

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New Technology

Parexel International Corporation is a biopharmaceutical firm based in Boston. It is currently looking to develop mobile and wearable technology to assist with clinical research and drug development. Recently, it announced a range of new products as part of this endeavour, all based around the Perceptive Cloud platform.

One notable new product utilises Microsoft’s Azure App Services. It will allow clinicians and healthcare teams to receive data from patients in a quicker and more efficient manner. This in turn should alert them to any immediate threat to the patient’s safety, and therefore reduce the possibility of serious injury or death to patients. As there are strict rules around the conducting of clinical trials in the United Kingdom to ensure patient safety, this is an important step.

Other technological improvements include an expansion of Parexel’s available platforms. Both Clinphone and DataLabs (an electronic technology for data capture) will be able to connect with Parexel’s patient sensor. Artificial intelligence may also be able to help the sensor transfer data and predict patient adherence during trials. Any technology that can assist in adaptive phase 1 clinical studies, such as those carried out by https://www.richmondpharmacology.com/specialist-services/adaptive-phase-i-studies, will be a welcome way to improve research quality.

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Other Research

Another way in which Parexel has researched the potential of wearables in clinical trials is in collaboration with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi. They aimed to combine their expertise, whether clinical, logistical, regulatory or technical, to study how wearables could speed up the drug development process.

Digital technology is becoming an important focus in life science research. Parexel is not the only company to experiment with mobile and wearable devices or artificial intelligence. One start-up at UC Berkley recently announced a collaboration with Sanofi to use artificial intelligence to search through studies and find those that are most relevant to pharmaceutical companies and their stakeholders.

At the Bio2018 Conference, many experts expressed the hope that collaborations between life science companies and digital companies could lead to further improvements in data collection and study efficiency.