Posts Tagged ‘Don’

Cirque Du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour” Kicks Off In October

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Anthony Jones – AHN Entertainment Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Cirque du Soleil has revealed the first details of the upcoming Michael Jackson show since it was first announced earlier this year. “Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour” will launch its national tour in October 2011.

“Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour” will begin October 2nd, 2011 in Montreal. It’ll hit 27 cities across North America, including stops in Toronto, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Houston. It’s currently scheduled to perform thru June 29th in Atlanta.

“Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour” will combine the music and choreography of the King of Pop with the performance and visual effects Cirque du Soleil is known for. The first sketches from the show were unveiled from the show Wednesday, which features imagery inspired by “Smooth Criminal,” “Scream,” and “They Don’t Care About Us,” among others.

Also seen in the sketches is the show’s centerpiece, Michael’s inspirational Giving Tree, described as “the wellspring of his creativity.” “The secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked—his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature,” the press release reads. “Earth Song,” anyone?

The show is written and directed by Jamie King, who also worked on Britney Spears’ “Circus” tour and Madonna’s “Confessions” outing. It’s his first show with Cirque du Soleil.

In late 2012, the Michael Jackson show will receive a permanent home in one of the twelve MGM Mirage properties in Las Vegas. Along with its permanent home in Las Vegas, a Michael Jackson-themed nightclub is expected to open alongside the production.

Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

2011 Tour Dates

  • October 2-3 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

  • October 7 Ottawa, ON – Scotiabank Place

  • October 12 Hamilton, ON – Copps Coliseum

  • October 15 Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena

  • October 18 London, ON – John Labatt Centre

  • October 21 Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre

  • October 26 Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre

  • October 29 Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Centre

  • November 1 Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place

  • November 4 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

  • November 9 Seattle, WA – KeyArena

  • November 18 Portland, OR – Rose Garden

  • November 29 Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena

  • December 3-11 Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center

2012 Tour Dates

  • January 6 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center

  • January 10 Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena

  • January 13 San Jose, CA – HP Pavillion at San Jose

  • January 18 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena

  • January 21 San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center

  • January 24 Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

  • January 27 Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center

  • February 10 Houston, TX – Toyota Center

  • March 2 Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena

  • March 24 Quebec City, QC – Colisee Pepsi

  • April 3 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

  • April 10 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

  • June 29 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

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Restaurant Loans – What Are Your Options?

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

Restaurant financing was once very difficult to obtain but today there are many options for financing and restaurant loans are offered by various financial institutes as well as traditional banks.

There are many factors that will come into play when looking to obtain financing for your new restaurant. For example, the size of your restaurant, your experience, how much funding you are putting up, and how much funding you need.

Money makes the world go round and it definitely makes your restaurant go round. Whether you are opening your very first restaurant, moving your existing restaurant to a bigger location, remodeling, or adding new a new bar – it matters not, all of it entails restaurant financing, and restaurant loans are much different than regular business loans.

Restaurant loans can be challenging to obtain and frustrating for you. This just isn’t an industry that the banks like, so you need to be ready for rejection to occur. The good news is that there are loans available if you just persevere. Here are some tips to help you get that financing in place.

Explore

Explore various financing options. What works for someone else might not be right for you. So don’t be afraid to spend some time online to find the right loans for you.

Commercial Restaurant Loans

You may have trouble finding conventional restaurant loans, especially if this is a new venture without a proven track record, but it’s still worth a shot. The key is to be able to prove to the bank that you are really low risk. The banks job is to have assets to cover a percentage of the amount of money they lend, so take a little time to understand how this works.

SBA Loans

SBA loans are something that many aren’t familiar with. This is an alternative to the traditional restaurant loans offered by your bank. Through the private sector loans are granted through various lenders and the SBA will guarantee up to 85% of the principal. There are actually more than 500 lenders in Canada that offer SBA loans. If you are turned down on traditional restaurant loans, you may be a candidate for an SBA loan.

Investors

There are many individuals and companies that are interested in investing in new ventures including restaurants. Unlike restaurant loans investors own a portion of the business. You determine the agreement between you and the investor.

Seller Financing

If you are purchasing an existing restaurant many times the seller is willing to finance. Don’t be afraid to ask.

There you have it – restaurant loans are readily available, perhaps just not in the traditional form that we are so used to, but certainly in many other forms.

Author: Gordon Petten
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty

Business Etiquette – Dinner With Investors

Monday, March 1st, 2010

If you have potential investors flying in from another part of the country, you are likely to have them for dinner. Meals can be a pitfall in any relationship, either business or personal. Many people judge your ability to select a restaurant, pick wine, and sit through a meal as a proxy for how you conduct your life. If you are unable to do these things with appropriate acumen, you will likely be judged unfit to receive funding, especially if the investor is on the fence about your company.

Manners are about making other people feel comfortable and behavior that is seen as disrespectful, discourteous or abrasive is usually unintentional.

Here are some basics to get through a dinner with an investor.

  • Pick a mid-level restaurant with good food. Select a restaurant that has a variety of choices on the menu including a vegetarian selection.
  • Make a reservation. If the restaurant you pick doesn’t take reservations, pick another restaurant.
  • Dress to match the dress of your guests. If they are wearing suits, wear a suit. If they are wearing jackets, wear a jacket. Err on the conservative side. Regardless of the dress, be neat, clean shaven, and wear unwrinkled clothing.
  • If the guests are coming in their own car, make sure they have good directions. Arrive a little early – always make sure you arrive before your guest.
  • Allow your guests to select their own seats, but encourage your team to sit between the guests to facilitate better conversation. If you have two people who are better conversationalists, have them sit on opposite sides of the table to keep conversation flowing. Arrange this before you arrive at the restaurant.
  • If you are expected to pick the wine, be prepared. If you are not a wine connoisseur, call the restaurant ahead of time and ask to speak to the sommelier. He or she should be able to give you some good mid-range wines in both white and red.
  • When you site down, remember that your bread plate is on the left and your drinks are on your right. During the meal, use your flatware from the outside in. Put your napkin in your lap. If you would like bread, salt and pepper, butter, etc., as for it to be passed, don’t reach over someone for it.
  • When selecting your meal, pick one that is easy to eat and does not have a tendency to leave distracting bits of food in your teeth. Take a bite of food and put your flatware down before chewing and swallowing. Don’t talk with any food in your mouth.
  • Don’t drink too much.
  • Some business talk at the table is okay, but don’t let it overwhelm the conversation. Stay off of topics that may be sensitive, sex, politics and religion are good ones to avoid. A good way to avoid saying something stupid is just to ask a lot of questions and let your guests do all the talking.
  • If none of your guests order coffee or dessert, then you should not either. If they do, then at least one or more of your team should do the same. This can be tricky because they may not want to order first. In this case, you should judge how you think they feel and follow that instinct.
  • Pay. They are your guests, you are expected to pay.

In general, good business etiquette is about making people feel comfortable and valued. If you provide a nice meal with good conversation, then you have succeeded even if you accidentally use the wrong fork.

Author: C. Worrall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Import duty tariff

Tips for Writing a Restaurant Menu

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

The restaurants in Leeds is a very important part of any restaurant as it lets the patrons know what you have to offer in the restaurant and its rates. On taking a look at the restaurant’s menu, patrons will know what type of a cuisine you serve, and thus, the menu is something that should not be written in a hurry. As it can be considered to be an advertising or marketing tool, lots of thought and consideration has to be put into writing a restaurant menu.

The restaurants in Leeds consists of three important parts, its description, format and prices. Though the description is what helps a customer know about the type of dishes you have to offer, it has to be short and sweet as not many people are patient to read through long descriptions.

At the same time, the description shouldn’t be monotonous, but interesting enough to make the customer’s mouth water. You could include the dish’s major ingredients and use ethnic names for befitting dishes to make the menu more authentic.

Avoid using technical jargon

Don’t add too much of technical jargon in the menu as not all patrons will be able to read, and understand all this. Never mention numbers in your menu as it only makes it difficult for you to make adjustments in your portions.

At times, you may have to serve fewer pieces than you usually do; and if you mention the number of pieces in the menu, doing this will only make the customer feel that you have cheated on them.

Regarding the format of the restaurants in Leeds, the most important thing to note is that the colours you use in it has to match your restaurant concept and location. Like if you have a Mexican, French or Italian restaurant, preferable colours for the menu are vibrant colours like purple, red, turquoise and green.

Even the font you use in the menu should match your restaurant concept. Whilst classic script fonts are great for a French restaurants in Leeds, if you have a sports bar or any similar casual restaurant, it is better to use a less formal font. No matter which font you use, make sure they are readable, and not too difficult to read.

How to price your restaurant menu

The pricing of your restaurant menu should be dependent on food cost and production control. Whilst you should earn a profit in your dishes, your prices should not be much more than the local market prices. In addition to this, you can earn a profit in your menu by striking a balance between cheap and expensive dishes.

Besides your regular menu, you could create special restaurant menus on holidays and festivals. These menus commemorate the holiday or festival, and let you introduce new items to the menu.

Whilst designing your menu, make sure you don’t add any clip art to it as it only makes the menu look unprofessional, and that it was made on your home computer. Instead, use the help of a graphic designer to create pictures that make your restaurant menu look special.

For more information and resource on starting and running a restaurant, please visit http://www.yorkshirefoodguide.co.uk

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/restaurant-reviews-articles/tips-for-writing-a-restaurant-menu-1372141.html

8 Tips to Start a Restaurant in Leeds Business

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Starting a restaurant in Leeds is no joke, and has to be done only by someone who has sufficient patience, knowledge, experience and determination. With their right hard work and entrepreneur, it is possible for the restaurant to get popular within a few days of starting the restaurant. So here are some tips to start a restaurant in Leeds business.

  1. The first thing you have to do is of course to find the right location. Make sure the spot is easily accessible so that it is easy for customers to patronise your restaurant. Also ensure that it follows fire and building codes, so that you are ensured correct disposal, sanitation and ventilation of the restaurant.
  1. Even the licensing regulation of the spot should be up to date, so that you have no problems in making modifications and changes to the kitchen in the future.
  1. An important part to start a restaurant in Leeds business is buying the right kitchen equipment for it. No matter what type of restaurant you intend to start, you have to buy and use the right gadgets and appliances. The equipment you buy should match the interior and requirements of your restaurant.
  1. Besides spending time on choosing the right kitchen appliances for your restaurant business, you also have to buy the right food service equipment.

You will find it easier to make the choice if you consider the different types of cooking you intend to do in the kitchen. However if you still don’t get ideas, it will always be better to ask, and consult a professional about this matter.

  1. Investing in commercial kitchen equipment can be rather high when you start a restaurant in Leeds business. It would be better and cheaper for you to buy your equipment from dealers who sell the equipment at subsidised rates. There are many online sellers who sell this equipment at subsidised rates, helping you save a lot of money in the process.
  1. Whilst looking for your kitchen equipment, you will find lots of interesting, and exciting appliances to choose from. Don’t buy the first thing that you find; buy only the appliances that you will need in your restaurant. Consequently, buying insufficient appliances will also hamper your restaurant productivity; so buy your appliances after lots of thought and consideration.
  1. Just like you have to pay lots of attention to your restaurant kitchen equipment, you also have to create the right interior decoration for the restaurant.

Furniture, electrical fittings, painting and plastering all have to follow, and merge with the theme of your restaurant. If you are starting a restaurant business with a Chinese theme, you could hang lanterns and fans in addition to the preferred red colours for your furniture.

  1. Last, but not least, when you start a restaurant business you have to get and hire the best cooks who are capable of serving delicious food in your restaurant. No matter how elegant your interior decoration and restaurant may look, you cannot expect customers if your food is not up to expectations.

With all these tips in mind, you will find it much easier, and stress free to start a restaurant business.

For more information and resource on starting and running a restaurant, please visit http://www.yorkshirefoodguide.co.uk

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/restaurant-reviews-articles/8-tips-to-start-a-restaurant-in-leeds-business-1346517.html

Customers Who Rave About You and Your Service

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the world, here are the following qualities, which must be present in your life and your business in order to develop raving fan customers who are not just satisfied but completely loyal to you over the long haul.

1.  People want you to show an interest in their lives.   
You not only know about their business, you know about their families, the hobbies they enjoy, and their life experiences.  You know when they have had a win or a wow in their business, the birth of a new child, or a milestone celebration around the corner.

2.  People want you to be quick!
People want their products and services yesterday, not tomorrow or 3 – 4 days down the road.  In today’s fast paced world, if you take more than 24 hours to respond to a request from a client, there is a very likely chance that he/she will find someone else to take your place.  These are no longer the days of the Pony Express.  These are the days of overnight service by Fed Ex, Palm Pilots that call personal messaging systems, high speed internet connections, and fax machines galore.  Be quick and be energetic, or you will fall behind in a flash.

3.  People want you to be very available.
People are tired of automated message machines or the words “Press 1 for Bob Smith, press 2 for customer service, press 3 if you speak Spanish…press 4 if you want to hire another company!”  There is very little excuse for not being available.  Provide your customers with your business phone, mobile phone, fax machine, e-mail address, and your physical mailing address.  If you live alone, work out of your home and don’t want to share your home office address, then get a P.O. Box.   Your customers want to know that they can reach you when there is a problem or a concern with their product or service.

4.  People want a friendly voice and a warm smile. 
The first rule of customer service when you meet any person or when you answer the phone is to grin from ear to ear.   If you are not smiling, this will come across over the phone and will definitely be seen and noticed in public, so get busy being happy when you are out and about and when you are engaging in a phone conversation.  If you have a virtual company, put a fun photograph or a 5 x 7 card on your desk that says, “Smile…Today is a great day.”

5.  People would rather you under promise and over deliver.
Customers never forget a mistake or your delaying their product or service.   If you promise something on Friday, and you deliver it the next Tuesday, they will tell the world about you…in reverse referral.  They will tell the whole city that you were late, and there won’t be one thing you can do to reverse the negative publicity around your delay.  Do not make promises that you cannot fulfill.  Let the customer know that you will get them their product or service beyond the time that you know you can actually make it happen.  When they receive it early, they will be pleasantly surprised, and will tell the world how wonderful and quick you are!

6.  People want you to help them…they don’t want to be sold. 
Hey folks…people do not like pushy people.  Your job as a business owner is to continue to add value to the lives of your clients without pushing a new product, service, or extra fee on them before they are ready.  The bottom line:  Don’t be a pushy pest!  It will drive folks away in a heartbeat.

7.  People want to hear you say, “Yes, I can do that.”
People don’t want to hear dumb excuses.  Customers and clients of today are smart and savvy, and when they call for help, the last thing they want to hear is: 
“That’s not my job.”
“I can’t answer that, because I don’t know the answer.”
“Can I put you on hold?”
“My policy does not allow for that.”
“I’m sorry…that is the best I can do. I am only human.”
And the frustration begins to build. 
People don’t want to hear your problems.  They want their problems fixed.  There is always some sort of solution, even if you cannot fix the problem!  You will win points forever with comments like:
“You are absolutely right.  I will get the answer to your problem by the end of the day.”
“I thank you for your concerns.  I am going to incorporate your idea as a way so that it works for us all.”
“This is Sally Jones.  How may I help you today?”
“I do not provide that service, but I have 15 people on my team who do work with that.  May I refer you to one of these men or women?”

8.  People want to know that you are highly trained and skilled.
Are you continuing your training?  Are you working with a coach?  If not, your customers will know it in a heartbeat.  Your clients want to know that you are on the cutting edge and that you are constantly devoted to the highest level of learning and training made available.  To begin with, get the training…incorporate training monthly, then let your clients know what you are learning.  You can show your clients how you continue your training through monthly announcements in your newsletter, e-mails about your schedule, and through blogging. 

9.  People want you to drop the “nit picking.”
If you are charging nickels and dimes for added extras such as an additional ten minutes on the phone or for each document you send a client, you will be viewed as “cheap,” and this will leave a bad taste in the mouths of your clients.   Remember…these nickel and dime expenses can add value to the lives of your clients and will create walking billboards for your business. 

10.  People want to hear the magic words “Thank-you.”
This is music to a client’s ears.  Say it with sincerity, and say it often.  Your clients are allowing you to own and operate and business and to earn money doing it, so thank them again and again for what they add to your life.

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Oli works full time as a Market Analyst.He can help you to grow your computer consulting.
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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/customer-service-articles/customers-who-rave-about-you-and-your-service-1297024.html


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