Take
A Tour, Quickly Learn More
This
month we would like to invite everyone to take a look at our
online tours section on our website. For those who haven't
seen this section yet, these tours are informative video clips
that show the viewer exactly how our software helps increase
productivity and save time. The tours show how Cyrious Software
helps you to easily create consistent estimates, give you
the tools to increase your sales and productivity, and make
your shop management become much easier to handle. Click
Here To Start Viewing the Tours Today!
For more
information on using Cyrious software to increase sales, we
recommend that you contact Cyrious Software at 800-552-1418
(U.S.) or 001-225-752-2867 for international callers, or by
email at info@cyrious.com.
Economic
Outlook
The hiring prospects
for the first-quarter are much brighter than a year earlier,
according to a Manpower survey released Tuesday.
Twenty-four
percent of the 16,000 employers surveyed said they anticipate
an increase in hiring during the first quarter, according
to the survey. Twenty-eight percent of employers had said
they would boost their staffing in the fourth quarter and
a year earlier about 20 percent of companies said they would
increase their payrolls.
Seasonal hiring
trends account for most of the drop-off in hiring from the
fourth quarter, Manpower said. Adjusting for those factors,
the first-quarter outlook shows employer confidence is rising.
"The job
picture moving into 2005 is decidedly more upbeat than it
was at the start of 2004. For the past three quarters, employers'
hiring intentions have been steady and strong," said
Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman & CEO of employment services
firm Manpower Inc.
Ten percent
of employers said they were planning to decrease their staff,
down from 13 percent a year earlier, according to Manpower.
Fifty-nine percent said they foresee no change in first-quarter
hiring and 7 percent are unsure about their hiring plans.
Employers in
four of the 10 sectors covered by the survey expect hiring
to pick up. Hiring in five of those 10 sectors is expected
to remain on par with the fourth-quarter. Employers in only
one sector, education, said hiring would slow.
The Finance/Insurance/Real
Estate sector is expected to be among the leading hirers,
with employers expecting to increase their staffing levels
by a seasonally-adjusted 24 percent.
"Nearly
25 years have passed since employers in this sector were so
eager to take on additional staff," said Joerres.
Let's get
regional
The South wins
in terms of strongest overall hiring gains on a seasonally
adjusted basis, while the Northeast had the smallest gains.
In the South,
23 percent of all employers to plan to hire more workers.
Employers in six of the 10 sectors covered by the survey,
including construction and public administration, were more
positive about hiring in the first-quarter than in the fourth.
The education sector, however, predicted a sharp fall-off
in payrolls.
In the West,
22 percent of firms foresee increased hiring. Hiring will
be particularly robust in mining, education, wholesale/retail
trade, and finance/insurance/real estate. Manufacturing, construction,
and public administration will see fewer job gains.
In the Midwest,
19 percent of all employers say they will increase their payrolls.
The largest percentage of firms expecting to boost hiring
are in mining, finance/insurance/real estate, public administration,
and services. Job prospects in transportation/public utilities
and education are expected to soften.
In the Northeast,
18 percent of all companies predict an increase in hiring.
The construction, public administration, and mining sectors
are expected to strengthen in the first-quarter, while hiring
prospects in manufacturing and transportation/public utilities
are expected to pull back.
Manpower Employment
Outlook Survey, conducted quarterly, measures employers' intentions
to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce
during the next quarter. The next survey will be released
on March 15 to report hiring expectations for the second quarter
of 2005.
Digital
Print Pricing
This
article will discuss techniques commonly used in pricing electric
signage such as illuminated box signs, channel letters, pylon
signs, and neon. While some smaller companies will use area
(a.k.a. rule-of-thumb pricing), the vast majority of electric
sign companies all use the same technique: Cost-plus pricing.
Click
here for full story
Humor
Mill: Joke of the Month
- This
Months Humor Mill entry comes to us come from ahajokes.com
10
Things to Say About Gifts You Don't Like
10. Boy, if
I had not recently shot up four sizes, that would've fit.
9. It would be a shame if the garbage man ever accidentally
took this from me.
8. Perfect for wearing in the basement.
7. Well, well, well...
6. I really don't deserve this.
5. Gosh, I hope this never catches fire!
4. I Love it, but I fear the jealousy it will inspire.
3. If the dog buries it, I'll be furious!
2. Sadly, tomorrow I enter the federal witness protection
program.
1. To think I got this the year I vowed to give all my gifts
to charity.
Think
you have the next "Joke of the Month"?
If your joke
is selected, you win $50 off your next purchase. All you have
to do is click the link and e-mail us your name, e-mail address,
and name of your business to enter. Submit
your jokes here.
Health
& Fitness
Just
like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated
on a daily basis. The following is a guide to daily tasks:
1.
Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run or jump for
a minimum total of 20 minutes a day.
2.
Take a multi-vitamin
3.
Protect your skin. Sun block should be applied on face, neck,
arms and hands even in the dead of winter. It protects against
climatic toxins too. Moisturize skin daily.
4.
Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products and
small amounts of protein. Avoid sweets and other processed
foods.
5.
Meditate or spend a minimum of five minutes daily in quiet
time.
6.
Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises
your level of consciousness, motivates you, and satisfies
your soul.
7.
Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems, and learn
new skills. As does the body, the brain atrophies with lack
of use.
8.
Hug somebody.
Serious
Problems / Cyrious Solutions
Each
month, we will raise one common problem in the sign and graphics
industry, and demonstrate how Cyrious Software directly solves
this problem:
Q:
Are you using multiple different software packages for estimating,
invoicing, customer management, target marketing, and job
tracking?
A:
With Cyrious Software everything you need out of a business
management solution is built right into the software. Quickly
create estimate in minutes. Convert estimates to work orders
within a few clicks of the mouse. Export all you accounting
information quickly and easily. Target market to customers
by region, products frequently purchased, or any other specific
category you desire. With Cyrious you will never again miss
that chance to increase your profitability!
Quote
Of The Month
"There
can be no economy where there is no efficiency."
-
Benjamin Disraeli