Week 1 of treatment

Latisse products have just been rolled out in the UK after a massive growth in popularity in the USA. Latisse is the first and at present, the only FDA approved prescription treatment for inadequate lashes and is available on a prescription only basis.

The product works through its active ingredient; bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, which is believed to affect the anagen phase of the eyelash hair circle, increasing the length and number of hairs in two different growth phases.

The treatment is used by applying topically to the base of the upper eyelashes once a day, or as instructed by a doctor. Gradually, the results will begin to become prominent, and within around 4 weeks you should begin to see results, with full growth achieved in around 16 weeks, meaning you’ll soon be able to throw away those falsies, and have beautiful, long lashes all of your own.

When using Latisse you should ensure that you always keep your doctor up to date on your progress, and contact them straight away should you encounter any problems as it is believed that biamatropost may, in some cases, cause increased brown pigmentation in the coloured part of the eye which could be permanent. Reversible eyelid skin darkening may also occur in some cases.  You should also ensure that you never apply Lattise to your lower eyelid.

Week 16 of treatment

For more information, and to see if you’re eligible for this innovative new treatment, speak to your doctor today!

Gas Fireplaces

Gas fireplaces are generally appealing to people who like the idea of having a fire without all the mess of traditional types of fireplace. Gas fireplaces are renowned for their cleanliness and the fact that they will not need to be so painstakingly maintained. They can also be turned on just by flicking a switch or turning up a thermostat, making them efficient and hassle free.

However, the rising price in gas means that they are getting more and more expensive to run and shouldn’t be used as the primary source of heat for your home unless you want sky high heating bills.

Electric Fireplaces

Like gas, electric fireplaces are generally pretty popular amongst those who don’t want the hassle of coal or wood-burning fireplaces and there are a number of different types available in a wide range of materials. When thinking about installing an electric fireplace, you should understand that no more efficient than an electric heater and so again, you should not expect to use it as your main source of heat.

Wood Burner

Wood burners are gaining popularity fast due to their efficiency and cost effectiveness. Although they will require a little more maintenance and cleaning than gas and electric fireplaces, they are far cheaper to run, particularly if you live in rural areas where you can find cheap wood supplies. Wood burners can also be converted to heat your water too, and so can be your main heating source – again, saving you money.

If you would like to install a fireplace in your home, then you should speak to an expert in fireplace installation such as Maginlees who are experts on fireplaces in London, who can talk you through the installation process and advise you of your options. Fireplace companies will also be able to advise you further as to how much each option will cost in terms of energy costs and any savings you can make.

• When you decide to move, you should pick a moving date and stick to it. Think about whether you have any prior commitments and schedule your move around them – make sure that it is convenient for everyone in your family. Remember that removal companies will be busy around bank holidays and weekends, so you should try and schedule for a week day if you can, or if not, plan well in advance.

• Ask your friends and neighbours for advice when choosing a removals company and make sure that they are well established, with a good reputation

• Make sure that your possessions are insured for when they are in transit. Although most companies will guarantee that no damage will be done to your stuff, and will provide their own insurance cover, accidents do happen, and you will need to make sure that they are covered should anything go wrong

• Have a clear out before you move. You should get rid of anything that isn’t either absolutely necessary or has significant sentimental value. Although some people find this hard to do (one of the hardest parts of moving in fact) it will make your move easier, cheaper and ensure that the home you are moving to isn’t overly cluttered from the start

• If you have children, particularly very young children, you should think about getting someone to take care of them for the day. No matter how stressful parents find moving, children will always feel the impact more and they can become very unsettled during the process.

• Make an inventory of everything you are having moved to your new place to ensure that nothing is lost, again, removal companies will do their best to assure you that nothing will go missing, but there is room for human error, and sometimes this may end up not quite being the case. An inventory will also cover you in terms of insurance

• If your move will span more than a day, you should also make arrangements for temporary accommodation, preferably somewhere close to your new property

• Make sure that you also notify the correct authorities for tax purposes, and that your utility bills and other services are transferred to your new address.

Moving is hard. But if you follow the above guidelines, then you should be able to make the transition as smooth as possible. One of the most important things you do is to ensure that you choose a good removals company like Mini removals in London. Mini removals provide dedicated, efficient and comprehensive services to make your move go as smoothly as possible.

Tough economic times have made it absolutely vital for businesses to reduce their expenditure and overheads in order to survive. With high fuel prices which continue to rise, this is particularly true of businesses that use large fleets of vehicles such as taxi and delivery companies.

One way to minimise expenditure on vehicles is to make sure that they are properly maintained. Regular checks will mean that you will be more likely to catch a problem before it becomes too large to do anything about.

When maintaining your car, you should make sure that you take care of the following:

• Engine

Make sure that you keep your engine properly tuned to improve fuel mileage. Remember that a poorly tuned engine will mean that your car won’t run as smoothly or as efficiently as it could do.

• Tires

Making sure your tires are properly inflated can improve the performance of your vehicle and also improves safety. It is estimated that properly inflated tires will improve fuel mileage by around 3%

• Brakes

Ensure that you c heck your brakes regularly. Dirty brake pads and low brake fluid levels can dramatically increase the chances of accidents and should be seen to immediately in order to enhance the safety of a vehicle

• Oil

You should check your oil levels frequently, making sure that you change it when necessary.

• Other parts

To ensure that your vehicle is always in the best working order, you should regularly check on and make provision for things like drive shaft repairs. A mechanic will be able to look over this for you.

Although on the face of it you may feel like you can’t justify the costs of regularly going to a mechanic, properly maintaining your car is absolutely necessary to ensure its longevity and good performance, saving you money in the long run.

Fencing and Landscaping

Tree branches should be cut back so as to make climbing over fences and hedges as difficult as possible. Also, by cutting back thick buses and shrubs, better visibility can be created so as to expose passages ways to the side of the house or the rear of the property where someone could conceal themselves from view allowing more time to gain entry to your home. Another great method is to remove any solid fence panels and replace them with metal fencing therefore creating more visibility and removing a hiding place for any potential criminals targeting the home.

Gates

Where ever possible, garden gates and driveway gates should be kept locked when not in use to keep home security levels as high as possible at all times. Also worth considering is the fact that a solid gate does not allow visibility through it so more often than not a gate design that allows for open visibility is the best option even though it may not offer the best levels of privacy. One really popular solution to securing areas of the home requiring frequent access such a entrances to the property is to install electric driveway gates that require a pin number to be inserted into the control panel to be able to gain entry. This way you can be sure that only authorised people are able to pass through onto your property.

Trees and Shrubs

Around areas where vehicles are parked, trees and shrubs should be kept below a height of around two feet. This way you can clearly see if anyone is lurking near to parked cars looking for the right opportunity to break in and either steal the belongings inside or even steal the car altogether.

Doors and Windows

Adequate locks should be fitted to all windows and door to the home and should be checked on a regular basis to ensure they are performing to their optimum performance levels. More often than not it is the simple factor of not closing a window when leaving the home that leads to the opportunist burglar targeting your home.

One overlooked aspect of home security is the garage. With most homes having many hundreds of pounds worth of gardening equipment inside it does not make sense to leave the door unlocked or have a flimsy old garage door acting as the only line of defence. With modern door types such as sectional garage doors or roller shutter garage doors offering far superior levels of security, it could pay in the long run to make an upgrade to the garage security.

By implementing some of the above recommendations, you can increase security and reduce the likelihood of becoming targeted by criminals.

Despite the news of Britain’s entry into a Double Dip recession last week, news from all over the country has been coming in with reports that Companies House are seeing a record number of new company registrations.

Official figures last month showed that although unemployment fell by 35,000 in the first three months of this year, it remains staggeringly high at 2.65 million, down 1% from a twelve year high in the three months previous.

The massive increase in company formations would at first appear to be contrary to the current economic trends, but these high unemployment figures and uncertainty may actually be the cause of this rise in entrepreneurial behaviour. It has long been conjectured that as people find it increasingly difficult to find employment, and with redundancies becoming a more and more common occurrence, people are actually spurred on to go it alone, taking their prospects into their own hands.

There has certainly been a wealth of hugely successful companies founded during recessions. Microsoft, Burger King and the MTV Networks to name a few were all founded in periods of economic gloom.

Industries faring well at the moment are mostly based around the affordable luxuries market. Last week, Whitbread, who own chain coffee store Costa Coffee announced a thirteen per cent rise in annual profits for the chain. They are also planning to open a further 4,200 Premier Inn rooms as they have seen a substantial rise in the number of people staying at their budget hotels.

During periods of economic uncertainty, it is often easier for new companies to exploit gaps in the market that larger, already established companies fail to adapt quickly enough to and is often said that if a company can survive a recession, they will thrive in periods of prosperity.

It is also a lot easier to form a company today than it has been previously. Company Registration agents www.companyregistrations.co.uk for example, can complete the process within a matter of hours, and all paper work can be completed online, vastly simplifying what could formerly be a lengthy and time consuming process.

All in all, these new reports point to positivity and of confidence in certain markets.  Brian Brady, co-owner of new designer hand bag store Zatchels in Leicestershire said: “There is so much business out there. People are thinking if there aren’t many jobs to be had, then they have to push to start something themselves…It’s also so easy to form a new company now”

By and large, people tend to look at a garden’s size when looking for a property. Large spaces are often more appealing, but huge, untamed areas can be off-putting. Because of this, you should ensure that you utilise your space as best you can. If you have a large garden, then you should think about breaking it up into sections and making it seem more manageable. Conversely, for smaller gardens you should steer clear of anything that will make the place look cluttered and keep things minimal, choosing garden furniture that will give the illusion of space.

When re-developing your garden, you should think about what kind of buyer you are looking to attract; for example, if you have a four bedroom house in the suburbs, you will be likely to attract families who will want a garden in which they can play whereas if a two bedroom house in the city is likely to attract young professionals who will want somewhere stylish to relax and entertain their friends.

Try to source materials locally to ensure environmental sustainability and be careful to consider any potential hazards to local wildlife.

Outdoor Seating Area by Earth Designs London

Effective garden design is particularly important in big cities like London. Adding plants and shrubs to gardens will improve the air conditions around the property by filtering out pollutants, and an outdoor retreat in the city is a pleasing proposition to all, particularly if you add outdoor living accommodation to smaller properties. www.earthdesigns.co.uk have been specialising in London garden design since 2003, and understand the importance of this. This is why they undertake a whole range of gardening work which adheres to the principles of style, sustainability and practicality.

Unfortunately, with the UK’s economy reaching it’s lowest point in decades, people are finding they have more financial concerns. Rising unemployment and the lack of available support from banks has meant that people are having to free up their assets in an attempt to free themselves from debt.

Relocation for work or family purposes is another major factor in the need to quickly sell a home. Moving abroad and having a property on the UK market can be very problematic, and those trying to sell will be solely dependent on Estate Agents.

Fortunately there are companies out there to who will happily buy your property from you, even if it is in need of extensive renovation work – speeding up the sales process and freeing you up to move on. If you are suffering from financial difficulties and need to free up your assets without having to move, companies like UK Property Buyers will buy your property from you and rent it back so that you don’t have to go through the upheaval of moving. If you decide to go down this route, UK Property Buyers will also give you a buy back option, meaning that once your circumstances have changed and your finances are looking healthier, you can buy back your property at a fair price.

Although this type of company has been criticised in the past, they provide an easy option to generate cash, free assets and shift problematic properties at a time when the market is at a stand-still, offering fair prices and, more importantly, the opportunity to move on with your life.

Modular buildings have become more and more popular recently. Although many people wrongly perceive modular buildings as the strero-typical grey cabin on a building site, they have been developed in such a way that they can now cater for almost every kind of specialism and come fully equipped with everything you need including plumbing and electricity.

Modular Buildings Company Wernick are at the forefront of the industry and have a wealth of experience when it comes to erecting buildings for specialist purposes including setting up a veterinary surgery for Mole Valley Farmers. The surgery is fully equipped with digital x-ray facilities and has on site surgical facilities as well as a pleasant waiting area. On his build, the customer commented;

The surgery at Mole Valley

“When I looked into the different options I was surprised how quickly a modular building could be built. The building was delivered and installed on the site in one day, completed externally and internally in just under a month. We were trading within 9 weeks from start to finish! I also liked the fact that a modular building could be clad in a number of finishes to suit almost any style. Gone are the days of modular buildings easily identifiable in their battleship grey”

Clearly, modular buildings are a sound choice when it comes to business accommodation. Environmentally friendly and quick and efficient to erect, they offer an opportunity to begin trading in your own building in a matter of months. Brick skins will also give your building a more natural look, and blend in well with the rest its surroundings.

If you would like to buy, but cannot afford to on the open market, then you might want to consider buying a home at auction. Auctions are a great way to find a home at a good price. However there are a few things to consider before trying to win a house. Good houses will inevitably attract more interest and because of the nature of the homes up for sale, you could find that you will have to undertake extensive renovation works to get it up to living standards.

Before you take the leap and start bidding, you should have a clear idea of what you want, how much you are willing to spend and what you want to achieve with your property – are you looking to purchase a family home, buying to sell or buying to let? You must always take future prospects into consideration before you start to consult auction house catalogues. These catalogues are now widely available online but  you can find print versions in your local offices. You should also check your local newspapers and internet listings.

Once you find a house that you are interested in, make sure you visit open days and ask questions about the property to gauge how much work you will have to do to it. If you are still interested, consult your lawyer and have surveys and reports prepared. These surveys will be vital if you are to work out a  price that suits your pocket and the property as you will need to factor in any building work to your final costs.

At auction, always have an absolute maximum price in mind and never exceed it. Although it is very easy to get carried away, you have to maintain a cool head – there will be more houses available in a short period of time, and even if you think you have found your perfect property, paying too much will negate your investment and you will find it very difficult to turn over a profit in the future.