Tips for Choosing a POS System Best Fit for Your Business

With the wide variety of POS systems available for businesses, it is important to choose the one that best fits your business needs. Take a look at some tips for choosing the right system for your business so you can move forward with confidence.

Reputation of Provider
It is very important to be sure that the provider you choose for your POS system has a good and trustworthy reputation. One sure way to find out whether or not you can trust the provider is to check with the Better Business Bureau, read reviews from other customers, or talk to those customers first hand to find out more about their experiences with the provider. When doing your research on providers, keep in mind their grade from the BBB, as well as how they treated or supported the other customers who have used them as well. This will give you a better idea of whether or not the provider is the best choice for your business.

Support Options
Another tip when choosing a point of sale system for your business is to find out what type of support is offered from the provider. It is important to choose a system and a provider that will offer support when needed after the sale is complete. Some information to gather when searching for your system and provider is whether or not they offer one on one training, if they offer training materials or instruction manuals, and if they offer technical support once the setup is complete and for the life of the system’s use. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a problem you can‘t solve and have no support offered from the provider.

Performance
Another factor to consider when choosing a POS system or merchant services credit card machine is the performance factor. Be sure to choose a system that offers you the full capabilities that you are looking for, no matter the cost. This will be essential to the functionality of your business in the future. Performance and quality of the POS system is what will keep your business running smoothly.

The Fresh Market’s grab-and-go “Little Big Meal” program for June 2017

The Fresh Market makes dining at home delicious and affordable with inspiring meal solutions each week.

WHAT/WHEN: The Fresh Market is taking the guesswork out of preparing a deliciously different meal each week with its “Little Big Meal” program.  Available at all of the grocer’s 175 stores nationwide, the grab-and-go meals offer satisfying solutions to the perennial “What’s for dinner?” question.  Guests may simply stop by the “Little Big Meal” display every day of the week to choose from a variety of fresh ingredient options to help make every day eating nothing short of extraordinary.

Each “Little Big Meal” recipe is tastefully curated with the finest quality, hand-picked ingredients of the season and offers a quick and easy wholesome meal for four – available throughout the month for $25 or less!  Guests can visit The Fresh Market any day of the week in June to pick up the following simple and delicious meals:

May 31-June 6 – Roasted Chicken Roll Ups ($20)
The Fresh Market’s Roasted Chicken Roll Ups with Vegetables are available in four flavor-packed combinations –parmesan, portabella, venezia and cordon bleu. The meal also comes with a roasting kit including farm-fresh broccoli, red potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini and thyme. To round out the delectable dinner, choose between pesto or honey-lemon bowtie salad and a variety of freshly baked, eight-count cookies from the bakery for dessert.

June 7-13 – Summer Pasta ($25)
Choose between the finest quality of sirloin steak, chicken strips, shrimp or portabella mushroom caps for The Fresh Market’s Summer Pasta Little Big Meal. Round out the recipe with a primavera vegetable kit and a choice between four varieties of Garofalo noodles. Top off the seasonal pasta with Brianna’s asiago Caesar, buttermilk ranch, Dijon honey mustard, ginger mandarin or poppy seed dressing. The meal also includes crusty Italiano bread and a choice between 12 flavors of Graeters ice cream.

June 14-20 – Chicken on the Grill ($20)
Fire up the grill for The Fresh Market’s Chicken on the Grill Little Big Meal! Choose between all-natural marinated chicken cutlets with teriyaki, barbeque or Anything Goes sauce to cook alongside The Fresh Market’s hand-picked vegetable grilling kit. Round out the meal with Lundberg’s organic Spanish rice or basil bell pepper, rosemary or Spanish style quinoa and rice mix. As a sweet treat, choose between lemon, fudge or cream cheese brownie bars.

June 21-27 – Kabobs ($25)
Select from The Fresh Market’s hand-picked kabob ingredients to cook up barbeque or teriyaki pork or chicken skewers accompanied by seasonal vegetable or tropical fruit skewers. The meal also comes with pita pocket bread, a Mediterranean pasta salad and a choice between five Yasso Greek yogurt bars. Perfect for any porch-side night, The Fresh Market’s Little Big Meal Kabobs are bursting with flavor – without the stress or mess!  

WHERE: The Fresh Market’s 175 store locations nationwide

For local store information, please visit thefreshmarket.com/your-market/store-locator.

MORE INFO: For more information on the “Little Big Meals” program, ingredients and recipe ideas, please visit thefreshmarket.com/specials/little-big-meal and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Can A Person Die From Too Much Caffeine?

Too much caffeine caused the death of a 16-year-old high school student from South Carolina who collapsed during class last month, according to the county coroner. Davis Allen Cripe died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body, and lack of blood flow affects the brain, heart and other organs. The teen consumed three caffeine-laced drinks -- a cafe latte, large Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink -- in a two-hour period before collapsing in his classroom at Spring Hill High School on April 26, Watts said. (Source: CNN) So where does this tragic news leave adult java lovers?

How much caffeine can I drink a day?

"Most people can safely take in about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily or about 4 cups of coffee," says Dr. Christopher Calapai D.O., a New York City Osteopathic Physician board certified in family and anti-aging medicine. He adds that, “the limit varies from person to person.” It’s difficult to assign an exact amount for everyone because people can have different sensitivities or reactions to caffeine based on age, medical history, and tolerance. However, there is enough research available to make a recommendation based on an individual’s weight.

To keep it safe, health experts recommend a maximum daily dose of 400 mg. To see what this means for you, check out the caffeine in some of these common drinks:

Starbucks Coffee (16 fl oz): 320 mg caffeine
5-hour energy (1.93 fl oz): 207 mg caffeine
Dunkin Donuts regular (16 fl oz): 203 mg caffeine
Starbucks Latte (16 fl oz): 150 mg caffeine
Coffee, brewed (8 fl oz): 133 mg caffeine
Red Bull Energy Shot (2 fl oz): 80 mg caffeine
Red Bull (8 fl oz): 80 mg caffeine
Tea (8 fl oz): 53 mg caffeine

But how, exactly, can the world's most popular drug kill?

Like other stimulants, caffeine raises blood pressure, boosts heart rate and temporarily shrinks blood vessels. Dr. Calapai explains that, “In excess, the effects can be deadly by causing a heart attack, stroke or other cardio-vascular-related problem. Researchers think daily caffeine intake can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, but the results so far have been inconclusive.”

It’s also important to realize that medical conditions can affect sensitivity to caffeine. “If you have anxiety, panic disorder, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, diabetes, take medication or have any sort of medical condition, then you may tolerate less caffeine and should speak to a doctor,” says Dr. Calapai.

There are “caffeine overdose symptoms” that are important to watch for. These include:

Jitters, Restlessness, and Nervousness
Increased heartbeat
Nausea
Anxiety
Heart palpitations (cardiac arrhythmia)
Insomnia
Sweating
Dizziness
Vomiting
Cardiac arrest

This guest article is from: Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed as the "The Stem Cell Guru" by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer's, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson's. He has worked with Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Fox series Gotham's, Donal Logue; he was a medical consultant for the New York Rangers. Connect with him via twitter @drcalapai or at www.drcal.net

Natural stimulants: How to Feel Alert and Fabulous sans Coffee

The mere mention of the word “coffee” is enough to jolt me awake. Just kidding! How I wish that’s for real, but here I am sipping my third cup. I must admit that there were nights when I lose sleep thinking over how I can ditch my caffeine habit. I drink more coffee as I haven’t slept much the night before. Then the next day I’ll be too sleepy, so I’ll bring crank up my coffee just a bit. The cycle goes on and it’s so pathetic! Sounds like you?

Caffeine Junkie Anonymous

Coffee is life. You are not your usual self until you gulped your morning cup. But what if you are taking in too much? How will you know that you are suffering from caffeine addiction? Your coffee habit is ruining your life if you were having bouts of insomnia, irritability, anxiety, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches and occasional migraines.

You have already built-up caffeine tolerance, so there is days when you’ll reach for your third, fourth or fifth cup. You are rushing the day, but there are just moments when you are feeling so tired. You might have already tried other caffeine-containing beverages such as energy drinks and cocktails. You even tried to cut back your coffee intake, only to get attacked by a headache the next hour. Sounds like an addict in coffee withdrawal? Since this is also my dilemma, let me share how I worked around my caffeine habit.

Natural Ways to Feel Awake without Coffee

Addiction treatment experts might say that the first step to healing is admitting that you have a problem. OK, you are hooked on caffeine, so it’s not that big of a problem, you are right. Our “addiction” is not as severe as say, drugs or alcohol or sex but hey, it’s still addiction! Our chronic caffeine habit will put us at a greater risk of having brittle bones and heart disease later in life. We must cut back on coffee before it’s too late. How?

1. Plan and sleep
It’s possible to plan your day so you can have more sleep hours. There are days when I just go bum all day only to hurry up and finish my to-do at night. It’s not healthy. It’s super stressful. Don’t cram your activities; instead, plan it. Coffee might make you work fast, but it won’t help if you are inefficient. Plan your day, maximize your hours and get some sleep.

2. Drink water
Before you go about and reach for another cup, drink first at least two large glasses of water. Why water you might ask? Well, you are feeling sleepy but it might also because you are dehydrated. Clogged body equals to fuzzy brain. Drink water to flush out all those toxins. Don’t drink soda as caffeine is usually included on most sodas. Your brain is made of 73-77% water so just a glass of water every two hours during working hours is enough to keep you on your toes and awake.

3. Eat green
Meat can weigh you down. Meat can make you sleepy and less attentive. If you are particular about your brain health, I suggest that you go vegan. If that is not possible, set aside a few days as no-meat days. Eat light, don’t stuff yourself too much. Eat in such a way that you are neither feeling full or hungry. Minimize sugar intake as it can only make you crash and burn in a few hours. Eat a light lunch and munch on small snacks such as apples, nuts, carrots, celery, sweet potato and salad.

4. Drink tea
If you can’t take coffee, go for green tea instead. Green tea has natural caffeine that can make you calm and awake. Tea is effective in keeping you focused without tiring you out.

5. Buy a small cup
The best way to cut back on caffeine intake is to buy a small mug. Water down your coffee gradually and use sugar sparingly. This is also the reason why fitness experts may sometimes advise us to eat meals on a smaller plate.

6. Keep calm
Maintaining ideal temperature can significantly affect an individual’s performance. The summer heat can make us feel sleepy so better invest in a good air conditioner. Turn on the lights and crank up your AC for the sake of productivity.

7. Take small breaks
Stretch your muscles throughout the day. Walk around the office after every hour of intense computer activity. Chew gum during your most sleepy time of the day. Do some jumping jack and jog in place. If you are barely holding up your eyelids, walk a bit around the office. You can also do some eye exercises to keep your eyes awake and alert.

8. Listen to music
An excellent way to keep your blood pumping is the listen to some upbeat music. Avoid sweet songs as they can just lull you to sleep.

Conclusion
If you find yourself reaching for coffee throughout your working day and if you use coffee to feel motivated, then you have a problem. If the challenges of your work are not enough to keep you awake daily, then you don’t need a cup but rather a new job!

Thanks to Sarah M. for this guest article

How Quickly Does A Tulip Poplar Grow Yearly?

Lately, we have been in a planting frenzy over at the Ismail home. We had all of our old, overgrown trees removed about two years ago. It was both a smart and dumb move at the same time. You see, we didn't think ahead about the fact that we would have zero shade in the hot summer months. Since having the trees removed, we have replanted new ones. We did a ton of research beforehand to ensure we got what would work for our zone and hopefully grow quickly enough to enjoy the shade before we become senior citizens.

One of the dozens of trees we decided on was the Tulip Poplar. We purchased two of them, one locally and the other from on online nursery located in our state. This tulip tree pictured below was planted late last summer and started off between 2-3 feet in height. So far since the spring completely sprung, it is now at 5 feet tall and climbing! There is still a lot of time left in the growing season so we are hoping for another few feet. This tree and the other one we bought seem to be growing overnight. I have read reviews where some people said they saw 8-10 feet of growth each year.

As you can see, the leaves are huge and they grow in dense clusters. When I was researching this tree, some people said the leaves get as large as full-size dinner plates. This is a good sign that in time, it will provide tremendous amounts of shade here in the 'Famously Hot' city of Columbia.

Something we learned along the way is to be super careful when watering your tulip poplar. You can't over-water, because it will completely drown out the roots and kill the tree. Ask me how I know this *ahem*. We only give it water once a week if it has not rained and the temperatures are over 90°. Also, we put down some fertilizer pre-spring and will probably do it again later on in the summer. The birds seem to be enjoying the trees and love to retreat from the heat among the dense foliage. Next up will be a couple bird baths to place next to each of our poplars. 

I'll be sharing more about our gardening adventures and some lawn care tips in upcoming posts. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you have planted this year. Do you have any wishlist plants or trees you would like to get in the future? Please share in the comments. Have a great weekend! 

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