Kids Craft Kits – A Great Solution to Your Christmas Present Dilemmas

Christmas has become very commercial and if you have kids it can get very expensive; then after half an hour they are bored with it all. There is a solution; get Christmas presents which require input – kids craft kits are perfect to keep them occupied for longer!

If you want to guarantee that a present will be a success then you really do need to choose carefully. There are several area which need to be considered.

1. The target age. Once your kids are over three you can pretty much ignore the target age on some toys – however, this does not apply to craft kits. The age will define the expected level of fine motor skills required for the projects included. It will also define the tools required; such as craft knives and scissors.

2. The number of projects included. It is always worth getting a craft kits which has several projects. This means that if one is damaged there is always others to work on. It also means that if there are cousins or friends over during the Christmas season, there will be enough to keep more than one child occupied.

3. What is involved in the project? This may sound bizarre, but there are some kids craft kits which require placing moulds into the cooker to help them set – as all parents are aware there is more than one thing in demand at Christmas than a mother – it is the cooker! Equally anything which has smelly chemicals is not a good idea for a winter activity.

All in the kids craft kits are a great present, but there are always pitfalls. Be extra cautious with bargains as you may find that they are old stock and that the paint has dried out, the playdo is hard and the glue is incapable of holding anything together.

If you are going to invest in crafts this Christmas then make sure that you take a little time to think about them, this will ensure that you get the correct ones and that they are a success.

Microsoft PowerPoint – The Basic Programme For Public Presentations For a Computer Skills Beginner

We have going through the series titled: The Most Common Programmes in which I have been teaching you. We have gone through Windows X.P., Microsoft Word (the basic Word Processing programme), Excel (the basic spreadsheet programme). Today, we are going through PowerPoint. (to learn Windows X.P., Word and Excel, you may consult previous editions of this column).

PowerPoint is the basic programme for public presentations or shows. Such a public presentation could be a seminar, workshop, concert, talk, lecture, etc., in which the speaker is talking to an audience. The content of the speaker (i.e. of his lecture/talk) is usually displayed by PowerPoint on a large screen with the use of a projector. By this, the audience can follow along or easily take notes as the speaker speaks.

This technology is not only restricted to lectures/seminars, it could also be used in places like the Law court for example, to show evidence or other articles of interest to the court through the programme. PowerPoint is a very interesting application, and it always makes such occasions enjoyable to the participants. It makes the attention of the audience stuck to the content of the lecture, thereby making the speakers task/communication a lot easier. It can display graphics, animations, texts, videos, audios, etc., thus making the occasion interesting for both speaker and audience. In other words, with PowerPoint, as a speaker, your task is a lot easier, and as an audience, your time in listening is a lot more enjoyable.

Who are those who use PowerPoint, or where is PowerPoint used?
Any profession or occasion that is characterized by a speaker and a live audience is a place suited for PowerPoint programme use. Examples include research presentation/seminar (pre- or post-data as done in the institutions of higher learning), motivational speakers, programme launch, display, evaluation or commissioning (especially in the government, or national or international NGOs).

For example, in the academia, students (undergraduates, postgraduates), lecturers, professors, continually carry out research. Most research involve a target problem, it (the research) is meant to provide solution for, taking data, coming with results, and from results propound solution to the said problem(s). in my school for example, we did pre-data seminar (your proposal), and post data (your result and recommendation). The research follow almost the same procedure at all levels of learning, be it undergraduate, post graduate, doctorate, professorship, or whatever.

5 Things to Prepare for a Sales Presentation

We usually go out for a meeting or clients visit us here in the studios. In all these we prepare what we call a marketing kit and bag. Here are my tips on how to prepare for a sales presentation:

Believe and study:

Study all the products that you have, understand each benefit and its importance. Believe in yourself that you can do this and you can answer all questions. Believe in your product.

Prepare something new and engaging:

Tired of talking from start to finish and at the end of the meeting they just ask you again what you offer? Try making something new that will engage your prospective client to listen and understand what and who you are. Make a corporate video if you would like them to know about your company, make product videos to show them different products and show them the benefits, make a marketing video to tell them what you can provide and how good your services are. You have a lot of choices it you are open to new things specially the power of video.

Triple Check:

I used to check all the things the day before the meeting but I check again before leaving the office. Why? Because it helps! What if after you check somebody just borrowed something from the things you have prepared, what if something just fell off. Triple check your things and make sure its all in the bag.

Who and Where:

Make some research about the company that you are going to meet. Their goals, achievements and history. Call and ask for location map or a route map. Make sure you have the right one.

Be sure:

Before leaving for a meeting, (based on my experiences) call the person whom you are going to meet and confirm the meeting. Inform him that you are now leaving office and will be there by such time of the day. Once you arrive inform the secretary that you are there for a meeting if you are early inform the secretary that you are a little early and willing to wait. Make sure you bring everything you need before leaving office or else you may just find yourself out on a limb.