Author Archives: dzadmin

07.19.17
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SCAREDY CAT: HOW TO HELP YOUR CAT BE STRESS FREE

Unlike you, your cat can’t pick up a book, sign up for a yoga class, or sit back in the therapist’s couch to de-stress himself. Yet, your cat experiences stress and anxiety just like you. And if stress and anxiety makes you feel and act crazy, you better believe it’s also doing that to your cat.

 

If you think your cat may be stressed, don’t ignore it! Ignoring the problem will only make it worse. Also, stress and anxiety could be a sign of a bigger health issue. Stress can also suppress your cat’s immune system making them more prone to sickness and diseases.

 

Why could your cat be stressed? Well, there’s many reasons, and it’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact cause. Sometimes, it could be a combination of a few different causes. Here are some potential reasons as to why your cat may be stressed:

 

  • He is bothered by other animals in the house
  • He isn’t comfortable in a new home you moved into
  • He feels too confined/can’t see or go outdoors
  • He isn’t OK with change in his or your daily routine
  • He has fleas or worms
  • He has a physical injury
  • He is bored or lonely
  • He is afraid of something or someone in or outside the house

 

If you’re on the fence about whether your cat is truly stressed or anxiety, here are some signs your cat will exhibit when experiencing these feelings.

 

  • Urinating outside the litter box
  • Pacing back and forth
  • Excessive grooming or scratching or crying
  • Hides and isolates himself a lot
  • Loss of appetite
  • Aggression

 

These are just a few of the reasons your cat may be stressed. It’s best to talk to your vet about your cat’s behavior, and work with him or her to determine if your cat indeed is stressed/anxious or if there is some other issue going on.

 

Besides working with your vet, there are a couple other things you can do at home to make your cat calm and happy again.

  • Purchase cat trees and cat toys to put around your home so your cat has many places and things to climb and play with.
  • Schedule play time with your cat daily so he feels like he is getting attention from you.
  • Clean the litter box often so he doesn’t look for elsewhere to urinate.
  • Opt for a natural herbal calming supplement to help your stressed/nervous/anxious cat relax. Ark Naturals offers Happy Traveler capsules and soft chews for cats. This product was developed by a holistic veterinarian and PhD herbal scientist to ease anxiety and motion sickness, whether you’re bringing you cat for a car ride or if he’s unhappy in the home. You can purchase Happy Traveler here.

 

In the end, it’s up to you and your vet to determine the best steps to take to get your cat purring again.

 

At Ark Naturals, we take pride in creating products that promote health in cats so they can live healthier and happier lives. Click here to view and purchase all our health and wellness products for cats

 

07.12.17
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Qualified Project Leads in the Construction Industry

Lead Generating Companies

The other day I was driving in my truck and I hear an advertisement from a well-known company offering a place for listeners to go and check up on contractors.  Not five seconds after this commercial started to play, my phone rings.  On the other end of the line was a sales person offering me the opportunity to get QUALIFIED project leads from folks right here in my work area; all for mere pennies on the dollar!  If that is not proof positive that there is a lot of money at stake in the lead generating business I don’t know what is.

We have all heard the heart-breaking story of the single parent or the elderly that gets beaten out of their hard-earned dollars by the mean old contractor.  I can already hear some of you saying to me, “Marc, we NEED companies like that because contractors are notoriously corrupt”.   If this is your thought process, believe me when I say, you are not alone, but also listen to me when I tell you this is a bunch of hogwash!

Have you ever heard the old saying, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”?  Growing up, I heard that one and many more from my grandfather.  I didn’t understand him at the time because granny made me as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as I could eat and never charged me a penny for them (well, she would steal a kiss or two).  I learned it’s meaning as I got older.

In the referral game, a 3rd party is putting their greedy little mitts into the cash flow.  To you, the customer, they tell you it will not cost you a penny for their services, but just as my granny always managed to get her kiss on my cheek, these companies have ways of getting paid without you knowing about it….

Lead Generating Companies | Construction Quotes

Let’s say a contractor agrees to use one (or more) of these “lead generating” companies.  Finally, after driving all over 3 counties and talking to anyone that would hold a door open long enough for the contractor to say hello, they get their first “qualified lead”.  This means he beat at least 20 other contractors to the customer and the customer actually wants a job done.  So, in addition to all the gas spent driving around, and time wasted talking to all those other “customers” that really didn’t want any work done; the contractor now gets the opportunity to “bid” on a job that actually exists – with 20 other contractors!  Yea!  Oh, and let’s not forget, the contractor had to pay for that lead (and all the other bad ones).  Do you think he might be inclined to add a little extra onto your bid to help offset some of his prior losses?

This is but one method that these companies employ to get paid for their services.  Keep in mind, they got paid by EACH and EVERY ONE of those contractors that wanted that lead!

And what about that contractor that made it to your door?  How do you know they can even drive a nail into a piece of wood?  I bet you that lead generating company told you they had those contractors checked out, didn’t they?  Folks this is a topic for another day, but the short story is; don’t believe it.

Another “saying” that my grandfather had was, “you have to do your own work”.   Most customers like the lead generating idea because someone else is supposed to be doing their work for them!  Checking out the contractor to make sure they have proper licenses and insurances.  Sending out a quote form for a job and getting the estimates back and maybe they will even offer to come and wash your car on Friday.  Point is, don’t believe everything they say.  You can do each of these things yourself; here’s how.

How do I research a construction company?

License and Insurance Requirements for a Contractor

Licensing:  In the state of Florida, all state certified contractors will be listed on the State’s web site under the department of business and professional regulation.  Simply go to http://www.myflorida.com/directory/ and click on the link to “business and professional regulation” and on the next page click on “verify a license”.  At this point it’s going to ask you for some information about the contractor; Company name, phone number, the city or county they work in or the license type. If you don’t know the answer to one of these search options, call the company and ask them.  Any reputable contractor will have no issues giving you the information.

NOTE:  This same process can be done for contractors that hold “local” licenses, however, the process may not be available online.  You may need to call the local government agency for verification.

Insurance:  This one is the easiest of all.  When you have selected your contractor, ask them to provide you with a copy of their General Liability and Workman’s Compensation insurance policies.  Folks, we must have these insurances to do our job.  I can have copies of these certifications sent to you within a few hours.  And make sure you don’t fall victim to the contractor that tells you they are exempt from having workman’s compensation insurance (once again, another topic for discussion)!  If you have questions, call your insurance agent and ask; If they don’t know, chances are they know someone that does.

Project Quotes:  Now things get a little trickier.  For me to provide you with a project quote I’m going to need a bit of information.  Which means I’m going to be asking you questions about your project.  Which means you need to have spent some time thinking about your project.  And, you should spend some time talking to your spouse about your project; I definitely will.   The more you know about your project the easier it will be for me to assemble the needed information and provide you with a firm fixed price quotation.

What does a contractor need in order to provide you with a firm fixed price quotation?

  • First off, they need to know what you want to do; be specific.
  • Secondly, they need to know when you want the job to be done.
  • Third, they must know who will be making the buying decision.
  • And finally, they need to know what your investment budget is for your project.

I will address each one of these in more detail in later blogs.

When you provide me with definitive answers to these questions, I am happy to provide you with a rough estimate to complete your project.  If you want a firm fixed price quotation, we would move to the design agreement which will get plans drawn up by an engineer or architect.  I use those plans to prepare a detailed takeoff, solicit bids from subcontractors and material suppliers and get answers to any questions I may have with the building department before construction startsl.

As you can see, there are many steps involved to arrive at the firm fixed price for your job.  You have work you need to do and I have many questions that need answers.  You should not push this work off to a lead generating company whose only interest is adding more zeros to their bottom line.

When you take the time, you will find there are many qualified contractors out there waiting for your work.  I hope you will take that time to look for them because I like to see the good guys (and girls) win.

My best to you all,

The post Qualified Project Leads in the Construction Industry appeared first on Sunset Builders.

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07.12.17
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P.U.: WHY DOES MY DOG HAVE BAD GAS?

Ugh! What is that smell? Aw man, it’s the dog again! Her farts are lethal! Does this sound familiar to you? Dogs are animals, so it makes sense they can be stinky. However, excessive flatulence isn’t too pleasing on your nostrils and it may be a sign of something going on in your pup’s digestive system.

 

There are many reasons why your dog can have excessive and extra stinky farts. Some reasons for your dog’s gas may include:

  • A diet with high fat
  • Foods that are too hard for your dog’s body to digest.
  • Your dog is overeating.
  • Your dog eats too fast.
  • Your dog lacks exercise.
  • A change in her diet
  • A gastrointestinal disease or virus
  • A diet filled with beans, soy, milk, wheat, spices, or high-fiber

 

So, what can you do to get this rotten smell out of your home, or at least down to a minimum? Passing gas is natural after all! Before you do anything, bring your dog to the vet to rule out anything serious like irritable bowel disease or a virus. Once you and your find figure out the potential culprit of your pup’s gas, you can begin to change things in her daily life that will hopefully reduce the number of farts your smelling or hearing per day! Some things you can change are:

 

  • Keep the fat in her diet low
  • Purchase dog food that has ingredients that is easier to digest.
  • Schedule exercise time with your dog daily.
  • Make sure your dog isn’t stressed when eating, so she will slow down (less air gulped in the stomach).
  • Serve her smaller portions and monitor her intake.
  • Make sure she doesn’t have an allergy or sensitivity to certain meats or dairy products.
  • Purchase a probiotic to help your dog digest food easier. Ark Naturals sells Gentle Digest capsules and soft chews, which promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria by helping to aid digestion by breaking down food into nutrients that can be easily absorbed. To purchase Gentle Digest, click here.

 

It might take some trial and error to determine the cause of the gas, but it’ll be worth it when the stink is gone! Remember, changes in diet or taking probiotics are great if they work, but if your dog doesn’t get better, you’ll have to have another conversation with the vet.

 

If you’re looking for other wellness products for your dog, Ark Naturals also offers products for joints, grooming, dental and more! Click here. Click here to view and purchase all our health and wellness products for dogs.