If you have a sore throat already, to make yourself and your throat feel better there are some options you can try:-
• Drink plenty of warm liquids to keep your level of body fluids up
• Try to breathe through your nose. If your nose feels congested, inhaling the steam from a bowl of hot water will help it to clear or look for a lozenge which also offers a decongestant
• Try to avoid alcohol. The idea that alcohol 'disinfects' the throat is unfortunately a myth! In fact, drinking alcohol is much more likely to irritate than soothe a sore throat
• Swallow - it might hurt but its one of the best things you can do because saliva is a natural lubricant so it helps soothe a sore throat
• Sucking an effective medicated lozenge can help lubricate the lining of the throat further bringing real, noticeable relief. And if you choose one from the Strepsils range, rest assured that it can keep working, even after the lozenge has gone. Check out the Strepsils range to find a suitable remedy for you.
Treating your throat>>
Research shows 86% of people want to feel warm and comforted when suffering with a sore throat, so the team at Strepsils developed Strepsils Warm lozenges. The unique formulation of ginger spice, wasabi, fruity plum and soothing cream provide a comforting, warming sensation, whilst the two antiseptic ingredients (2,4 - Dichlorobenzyl alchohol 1.2mg, and Amylmetacresol 0.6mg) help relieve the symptoms of a bacterial throat infection and soothe the recovery process.
They are suitable for adults and children over six years. You dissolve one lozenge slowly in the mouth every 2-3 hours. No more than 12 lozenges per 24 hours. Do not exceed the stated dose.
Strepsils Warm Lozenges are available in pack sizes of 10, 16 and 36 lozenges.
Always read the label.
Strepsils Warm>>
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Friday, 22 October 2010
Alchemy Interactive - Top 10 points to choosing a Web Design Agency
There are lots of web design agencies out there, but how can you narrow this down to a few most suitable agencies? We’ve put together the top 10 key points to look for when choosing a new web design agency.
1. Check out the agency's track record
It’s important to always check the portfolio / case studies of the web design agencies you are considering. Do you recognise the company names? Do a Google search and check that the companies exist and have the same website that the agency designed. Do you like the website designs they have produced? Ask yourself: Are they user friendly designs? Do they represent the brand / company well? Would you use this website? Do they have experience of website design in your field? Do the website's meet their objectives?
Also, ask the web agency if they can send you references or testimonials from customers. And when you get these testimonials, make sure you check them out. Call the clients up and check that the testimonials are real.
Finally, ask how long the agency has been running. Age doesn't always matter, but it does help.
2. Availability - Ask about who would be looking after your account
Everyone has heard the stories of the ‘unavailable’ web design agency, so make sure you get a phone number not just an email address (and not a premium rate number either). Ask the design agency what the turnaround time is for responding to emails. Remember if you have urgent changes you need to be able to through to the design agency as quickly as possible.
At Alchemy not only do we have a great creative team to design your website, but we have a dedicated account management team. There is always someone on the other end of the phone who's up to speed about your website strategy who can give you a progress report and answer any queries you may have.
3. Find out how big the team is
You want your web design agency to be big enough to ensure that if your account manager is off sick or on holiday your business is not forgotten.
Do you prefer a larger, higher resourced agency or a smaller, more flexible agency? The general rule would be to find a web agency that reflects the size of tasks and projects you require. If you have 5000 employees but your actual marketing and development requirements are reasonably low, you are only likely to need an agency of 5-10 employees. If you have 100 employees, but you are heavily reliant on outsourced projects, a larger agency may be more suitable.
Ultimately, you need to find the right size company for your needs.
4. Age of agency
Age doesn't always matter, but in this industry it can be an important factor. The web has seen many changes in a relatively short space of time, if a website design agency has been in business for five or more years it have obviously been managed well. The internet has seen the boom and bust of many company's; those that live to tell the tale are obviously being run well.
5. Are the staff Approachable and professional?
It's important that you connect with the people managing your account. The best results will be created when you create a partnership with your web agency.
Do they provide you with a generic quote of do they talk to you to find out more about your business? Do they use a lot of jargon or explain things clearly? Have they taken the time to tailor their offerings to you? Are there suggestions relevant and suitable for your business? Far too often, company's try to sell you products that you don't need.
Ask if your website will be used in the portfolio on the web design agency's site? At Alchemy we ask all our clients if we can add their website to our design portfolio.
6. Check out the agency's terms and conditions
This is quite important and helps avoid problems further down the line. Ask questions such as:
• Are there any hidden costs, like set up fees or holding fees?
• Can you make staged payments for your web project?
• Are updates and maintenance included in the website design fees?
• Are bug fixes charged for?
• Will you get a copy of the source files?
• Who owns the source code?
• Are the files back-up?
At Alchemy we believe you should be able to see exactly what it is you are getting when you commence your project. That’s why all or costs are itemised and we give our clients the source files to their websites.
7. Capabilities
Find out what the capabilities of the agency are. Often, it's helpful to get the CV's of all staff employed. Quite often, agencies will have a bias of some kind. The best agencies will have a balance of online marketing, development and creative.
If you have specific requirements - make a list and ask the agency what their proficiency is in the specific skills.
8. Do they outsource their work?
Check to see if your project will be developed in house or if it will be outsourced. Ask to meet the design or technical team. If work is going to be outsourced, find out where, are you able to contact the team? There are many cases of company's who have an account management team, and an outsourced development team. The problem with this scenario is the quality of the work produced. Does the account management team check the back end code? Does it meet current guidelines and legal requirements?
At Alchemy we will provide you with a dedicated product team who will look after all your needs. You can meet everyone who will be working on your project, so you can be assured they understand the needs of your web project. We complete all our work in house and have tight quality control regulations so you can be assured of top quality website design, development and online marketing.
9. Do they provide balanced approach to online marketing as well as web design?
What other services to the web design agency offer? Do they have experience of search engine marketing? Will they build the site to maximise search engine performance? Have they done online marketing before?
Alchemy have been running search engine marketing and online marketing campaigns since the company was founded in 1998. We are familiar with all the tried and tested techniques and are at the cutting edge of new trends.
10. Is their work coded to the best coding standards?
Does the site meet the W3C guidelines? What browsers does the web agency test their work in?
It’s important that you’re site be developed to the best possible standard, best practice is to ensure all sites are DDA compliant and built to W3C guidelines, meaning your site will be accessible to all.
Gone are the days of one browser, there are now a plethora of internet browsers available, including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Fire Fox, and Safari. It’s important to ensure your site can be viewed properly in all of these browsers.
At Alchemy we ensure all of the websites we build are DDA compliant and we offer cross browsers support, so the way you see your site is the way your users will see it, regardless of the browser they are using.
AlchemyUK.com>>
1. Check out the agency's track record
It’s important to always check the portfolio / case studies of the web design agencies you are considering. Do you recognise the company names? Do a Google search and check that the companies exist and have the same website that the agency designed. Do you like the website designs they have produced? Ask yourself: Are they user friendly designs? Do they represent the brand / company well? Would you use this website? Do they have experience of website design in your field? Do the website's meet their objectives?
Also, ask the web agency if they can send you references or testimonials from customers. And when you get these testimonials, make sure you check them out. Call the clients up and check that the testimonials are real.
Finally, ask how long the agency has been running. Age doesn't always matter, but it does help.
2. Availability - Ask about who would be looking after your account
Everyone has heard the stories of the ‘unavailable’ web design agency, so make sure you get a phone number not just an email address (and not a premium rate number either). Ask the design agency what the turnaround time is for responding to emails. Remember if you have urgent changes you need to be able to through to the design agency as quickly as possible.
At Alchemy not only do we have a great creative team to design your website, but we have a dedicated account management team. There is always someone on the other end of the phone who's up to speed about your website strategy who can give you a progress report and answer any queries you may have.
3. Find out how big the team is
You want your web design agency to be big enough to ensure that if your account manager is off sick or on holiday your business is not forgotten.
Do you prefer a larger, higher resourced agency or a smaller, more flexible agency? The general rule would be to find a web agency that reflects the size of tasks and projects you require. If you have 5000 employees but your actual marketing and development requirements are reasonably low, you are only likely to need an agency of 5-10 employees. If you have 100 employees, but you are heavily reliant on outsourced projects, a larger agency may be more suitable.
Ultimately, you need to find the right size company for your needs.
4. Age of agency
Age doesn't always matter, but in this industry it can be an important factor. The web has seen many changes in a relatively short space of time, if a website design agency has been in business for five or more years it have obviously been managed well. The internet has seen the boom and bust of many company's; those that live to tell the tale are obviously being run well.
5. Are the staff Approachable and professional?
It's important that you connect with the people managing your account. The best results will be created when you create a partnership with your web agency.
Do they provide you with a generic quote of do they talk to you to find out more about your business? Do they use a lot of jargon or explain things clearly? Have they taken the time to tailor their offerings to you? Are there suggestions relevant and suitable for your business? Far too often, company's try to sell you products that you don't need.
Ask if your website will be used in the portfolio on the web design agency's site? At Alchemy we ask all our clients if we can add their website to our design portfolio.
6. Check out the agency's terms and conditions
This is quite important and helps avoid problems further down the line. Ask questions such as:
• Are there any hidden costs, like set up fees or holding fees?
• Can you make staged payments for your web project?
• Are updates and maintenance included in the website design fees?
• Are bug fixes charged for?
• Will you get a copy of the source files?
• Who owns the source code?
• Are the files back-up?
At Alchemy we believe you should be able to see exactly what it is you are getting when you commence your project. That’s why all or costs are itemised and we give our clients the source files to their websites.
7. Capabilities
Find out what the capabilities of the agency are. Often, it's helpful to get the CV's of all staff employed. Quite often, agencies will have a bias of some kind. The best agencies will have a balance of online marketing, development and creative.
If you have specific requirements - make a list and ask the agency what their proficiency is in the specific skills.
8. Do they outsource their work?
Check to see if your project will be developed in house or if it will be outsourced. Ask to meet the design or technical team. If work is going to be outsourced, find out where, are you able to contact the team? There are many cases of company's who have an account management team, and an outsourced development team. The problem with this scenario is the quality of the work produced. Does the account management team check the back end code? Does it meet current guidelines and legal requirements?
At Alchemy we will provide you with a dedicated product team who will look after all your needs. You can meet everyone who will be working on your project, so you can be assured they understand the needs of your web project. We complete all our work in house and have tight quality control regulations so you can be assured of top quality website design, development and online marketing.
9. Do they provide balanced approach to online marketing as well as web design?
What other services to the web design agency offer? Do they have experience of search engine marketing? Will they build the site to maximise search engine performance? Have they done online marketing before?
Alchemy have been running search engine marketing and online marketing campaigns since the company was founded in 1998. We are familiar with all the tried and tested techniques and are at the cutting edge of new trends.
10. Is their work coded to the best coding standards?
Does the site meet the W3C guidelines? What browsers does the web agency test their work in?
It’s important that you’re site be developed to the best possible standard, best practice is to ensure all sites are DDA compliant and built to W3C guidelines, meaning your site will be accessible to all.
Gone are the days of one browser, there are now a plethora of internet browsers available, including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Fire Fox, and Safari. It’s important to ensure your site can be viewed properly in all of these browsers.
At Alchemy we ensure all of the websites we build are DDA compliant and we offer cross browsers support, so the way you see your site is the way your users will see it, regardless of the browser they are using.
AlchemyUK.com>>
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Itchfreepet.com launches a new pet health site which offers skin allergy advice for dog owners.
Itch, itch, bite, scratch, chew... sound familiar?
http://www.itchfreepet.com
It's miserable owning an itchy dog. So Itchfreepet have launched a site which will give pet owners access to information about what causes dogs to itch and, most importantly, what to do about it. You can help your dog feel comfortable again.
One of the most common causes of itching in dogs is a condition called 'atopic dermatitis' which is similar to eczema in people. The first signs of atopic dermatitis are that you may notice that your dog is scratching occasionally, or has red areas of skin. Over time the scratching becomes worse and skin damage starts to appear. This is often on their face, around their mouth, eyes and inside their ear flaps. They also start on their feet, in the crooks of their joints, 'armpits' and around their groin area.
A common sign is brown saliva staining of the hair, especially on the feet and around the joints such as front of elbows, caused by the dog's licking. In some dogs the only sign is repeated ear infections.
Eventually, the scratching becomes constant and your dog may even start to hurt itself - as s/he claws and scratches at their skin, they cause wounds and start to develop bacterial and/or yeast infections. As time passes your dog may start to lose its hair, and the skin may get leathery looking and discoloured.
You can view pictures of dogs with typical symptoms of atopic dermatitis on the site.
Gallery>>
You can read in more detail about this condition, view pictures of other dogs with atopic dermatitis and even try the quick Atopic dermatitis test before you visit your vet.
Itchfreepet have also included a Treatment Journal on their new site. The first few months of your dog’s treatment are vital for developing a successful treatment plan. The Treatment Journal is a useful record of what treatment your dog is receiving and how it is responding.
You can register to start your dog’s Treatment Journal. Then complete the information required for each visit to your vet, remembering that photographs of your dog as it goes through treatment are particularly helpful.
Treatment Journal>>
http://www.itchfreepet.com
It's miserable owning an itchy dog. So Itchfreepet have launched a site which will give pet owners access to information about what causes dogs to itch and, most importantly, what to do about it. You can help your dog feel comfortable again.
One of the most common causes of itching in dogs is a condition called 'atopic dermatitis' which is similar to eczema in people. The first signs of atopic dermatitis are that you may notice that your dog is scratching occasionally, or has red areas of skin. Over time the scratching becomes worse and skin damage starts to appear. This is often on their face, around their mouth, eyes and inside their ear flaps. They also start on their feet, in the crooks of their joints, 'armpits' and around their groin area.
A common sign is brown saliva staining of the hair, especially on the feet and around the joints such as front of elbows, caused by the dog's licking. In some dogs the only sign is repeated ear infections.
Eventually, the scratching becomes constant and your dog may even start to hurt itself - as s/he claws and scratches at their skin, they cause wounds and start to develop bacterial and/or yeast infections. As time passes your dog may start to lose its hair, and the skin may get leathery looking and discoloured.
You can view pictures of dogs with typical symptoms of atopic dermatitis on the site.
Gallery>>
You can read in more detail about this condition, view pictures of other dogs with atopic dermatitis and even try the quick Atopic dermatitis test before you visit your vet.
Itchfreepet have also included a Treatment Journal on their new site. The first few months of your dog’s treatment are vital for developing a successful treatment plan. The Treatment Journal is a useful record of what treatment your dog is receiving and how it is responding.
You can register to start your dog’s Treatment Journal. Then complete the information required for each visit to your vet, remembering that photographs of your dog as it goes through treatment are particularly helpful.
Treatment Journal>>
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Direct-to-card printers - Databac is now an authorised reseller for Datacard and Zebra and an International Dealer for Fargo
Databac has six main card printing manufacturers, and their products, available on their site Databac Printers>>> These are Datacard, Magicard, Evolis, Zebra, Fargo and Digital Identification Solutions.
• Datacard desktop card printers offer a reliable, secure and easy way to issue and encode personalised ID cards. Databac is an official distributor of Datacard printers and an approved service centre. The Datacard printers available through Databac are; SP25 Plus, which is a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; SP35 Plus, a desktop direct-to-card printer; SP55 Plus, a single or duplex desktop card printer / encoder; SP75 Plus, which is a desktop card printer / encoder & laminator; SR200, a single-sided, over-the-edge retransfer printer; SR300, a Dual-sided, over-the-edge retransfer printer and RP90 Plus E, a single or duplex retransfer printer. They also stock a whole range of printer ribbons, consumables and accessories.
Datacard>>
• Magicard print full-colour secure cards and can uniquely use Magicard’s patented HoloKote security feature for highly-secure ID cards. HoloKote is an anti-copying watermark printed across the entire card surface. The Magicard printers available include ; Rio 2e, a secure, single sided ID card printing; Tango 2e, a secure, double sided ID card printing; Tango +L, a secure, double-sided card printer and laminator; Prima 3, a reverse-transfer printer for high-volume personalisation; Enduro, a field-upgradeable single to double sided printer; Pronto, a single-feed ID card printer for on-demand applications and Tempo, and easy-to-use, low-cost colour card printer.
Magicard>>
• Evolis has a range of plastic card printers which combines ease of use and speed with flexibility and security. Evolis printers produce cards with a high-quality print finish, with a standard resolution of 300dpi. The printers available in this range are ; Tattoo, a desktop direct-to-card printer for SMEs; Tattoo Rewrite, a desktop monochrome rewritable printer; Pebble, a single-sided desktop card printer; Dualys, a double-sided desktop card printer; Quantum, a high-volume industrial card printer and Securion, a duplex printer/ encoder and laminator.
Evolis>>
• Zebra printers can enable you to personalise and laminate virtually every type of media including blank PVC cards, smart cards and key tags. They come in a range of performance options to address a variety of business needs and can be customised to adapt as your business grows. The Zebra printers available include ; P100i, a value-priced single-sided desktop card printer; P110i / P110m, an affordable single-sided desktop card printer; P120i an affordable double-sided desktop card printer; P330i / P330m, a high-performance single-sided desktop card printer; P430i, a high-performance double-sided desktop card printer; P630i / -LC, a duplex printer / encoder with single-sided lamination and P640i / -LC, a double-sided printer / encoder / laminator.
Zebra>>
• Fargo printers combine ease of use, versatility and reliability. With options like encoding modules and laminators, they can be configured for a range of applications, from photo IDs to biometric smart cards. Fargo printers available through Databac are; C30e / M30e, a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; DTC400e, a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; DTC550 / -LC, a single or duplex desktop card printer / encoder; HDP5000 / -LC, a desktop card printer / encoder & laminator and HDPii, an instant financial card printer encoder.
Fargo>>
• Digital Identification Solutions- a high-performance line of printers which are designed for demanding ID applications including smart card encoding. The inline lamination unit (ILU), and overlamination modules (OLM), protect cards from tampering and damage and extend card life. DIS printers are; DCP 360i, double-sided card printing and lamination; XID 560ie, retransfer printer with single-sided lamination; XID 570ie, a high-speed printer with double-sided lamination and XID 580ie, a high-performance printer with double-sided lamination.
Digital Identifications Solutions>>
The latest printer updates
Fargo HDP5000, ideal for printing onto technology-rich cards.
Datacard's new over-the-edge retransfer printers.
Magicard HoloKote anti-forgery card protection.
• Datacard desktop card printers offer a reliable, secure and easy way to issue and encode personalised ID cards. Databac is an official distributor of Datacard printers and an approved service centre. The Datacard printers available through Databac are; SP25 Plus, which is a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; SP35 Plus, a desktop direct-to-card printer; SP55 Plus, a single or duplex desktop card printer / encoder; SP75 Plus, which is a desktop card printer / encoder & laminator; SR200, a single-sided, over-the-edge retransfer printer; SR300, a Dual-sided, over-the-edge retransfer printer and RP90 Plus E, a single or duplex retransfer printer. They also stock a whole range of printer ribbons, consumables and accessories.
Datacard>>
• Magicard print full-colour secure cards and can uniquely use Magicard’s patented HoloKote security feature for highly-secure ID cards. HoloKote is an anti-copying watermark printed across the entire card surface. The Magicard printers available include ; Rio 2e, a secure, single sided ID card printing; Tango 2e, a secure, double sided ID card printing; Tango +L, a secure, double-sided card printer and laminator; Prima 3, a reverse-transfer printer for high-volume personalisation; Enduro, a field-upgradeable single to double sided printer; Pronto, a single-feed ID card printer for on-demand applications and Tempo, and easy-to-use, low-cost colour card printer.
Magicard>>
• Evolis has a range of plastic card printers which combines ease of use and speed with flexibility and security. Evolis printers produce cards with a high-quality print finish, with a standard resolution of 300dpi. The printers available in this range are ; Tattoo, a desktop direct-to-card printer for SMEs; Tattoo Rewrite, a desktop monochrome rewritable printer; Pebble, a single-sided desktop card printer; Dualys, a double-sided desktop card printer; Quantum, a high-volume industrial card printer and Securion, a duplex printer/ encoder and laminator.
Evolis>>
• Zebra printers can enable you to personalise and laminate virtually every type of media including blank PVC cards, smart cards and key tags. They come in a range of performance options to address a variety of business needs and can be customised to adapt as your business grows. The Zebra printers available include ; P100i, a value-priced single-sided desktop card printer; P110i / P110m, an affordable single-sided desktop card printer; P120i an affordable double-sided desktop card printer; P330i / P330m, a high-performance single-sided desktop card printer; P430i, a high-performance double-sided desktop card printer; P630i / -LC, a duplex printer / encoder with single-sided lamination and P640i / -LC, a double-sided printer / encoder / laminator.
Zebra>>
• Fargo printers combine ease of use, versatility and reliability. With options like encoding modules and laminators, they can be configured for a range of applications, from photo IDs to biometric smart cards. Fargo printers available through Databac are; C30e / M30e, a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; DTC400e, a desktop direct-to-card and rewritable printer; DTC550 / -LC, a single or duplex desktop card printer / encoder; HDP5000 / -LC, a desktop card printer / encoder & laminator and HDPii, an instant financial card printer encoder.
Fargo>>
• Digital Identification Solutions- a high-performance line of printers which are designed for demanding ID applications including smart card encoding. The inline lamination unit (ILU), and overlamination modules (OLM), protect cards from tampering and damage and extend card life. DIS printers are; DCP 360i, double-sided card printing and lamination; XID 560ie, retransfer printer with single-sided lamination; XID 570ie, a high-speed printer with double-sided lamination and XID 580ie, a high-performance printer with double-sided lamination.
Digital Identifications Solutions>>
The latest printer updates
Fargo HDP5000, ideal for printing onto technology-rich cards.
Datacard's new over-the-edge retransfer printers.
Magicard HoloKote anti-forgery card protection.
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