Featuring Aardvark Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning in Victoria BC

Aardvark has been in business since 1992 and continues to grow every year.Feel free to call and inquire about your own specific needs and pricing at 250-216-1232

Using the Ninja, the worlds most popular carpet cleaning machine, Aardvark follows the guidelines set in "The Standard for Carpet Cleaning",which ensures that your carpets are left in the cleanest condition possible and residue free.

Many companies do not follow these guidelines and attempt to use a plain water rinse only. Water alone cannot rinse your carpets and leaves them in a state of high PH and also leaves in the cleaning agents used, creating the condition where your carpets actually attract residue.


ALWAYS ask your carpet cleaner if they use a instead water, not to do so is considered unprofessional by the industry and is also HARMFUL to the life of your carpets.

A proper rinse neutralizes the cleaning solutions in the fabric, balances the PH (crucial) and conditions the fibers. To not do this is extremely irresponsible and unprofessional and this "style" of cleaning should always be avoided as it can literally ruin your carpet in a very short period of time.

We only use pro grade solutions to treat your carpets and ensuring that they are left with a "soft hand" ,PH balanced and residue free.

All jobs are individually priced because most residences have different needs.
Pet stains and odors
Couches/chairs
Fabric protection available upon request
NO up selling as we have respect for our customers

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You can check out Aardvark's Facebook page and keep up with discounts, deals, and more!!
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Types of Business Organizations

In introductory accounting, we learned about the 3 main types of business organization: proprietorship, partnership, and corporation.

Each of these organizations has it's own benefits and drawbacks, and before deciding how you are going to organize your business, it is helpful to review what those are.

I'll make a very quick summary of each of the business organizations...

1. Sole Proprietorship.
This is perhaps the easiest way to start a business, and usually does not require a lot of cash up front. You are the sole owner of the business and you are liable for everything that happens with the business, including debt, losses, and profits.
Many of the local mom & pop shops, such as small clothing stores, hair salons, and spas are sole proprietorships.

2. Partnerships.
A partnership is a business with more than one owner. However, all partners are responsible for everything that happens with the business (which is different from a corporation). This means that partners are not separate economic entities, and that they may have to make personal financial sacrifices to repay the debts.

The biggest advantage of a partnership is that 2 (or more) heads are better than one, so if one person is good at one thing and another person is good at the other, then the business will be much stronger than having just one sole proprietor do all the work.

3. Corporation.
In a corporation, the owners (people who invested the money) become shareholders. They are not liable for anything that happens to the business because the shareholders' personal assets are separate from that of the corporation.


Hope this was helpful,
Yana

"Start Something with Alesse" Final Results

A couple of months ago, I took part in a very interesting competition called Start Something with Alesse.

The objective of the competition was to submit an idea that you would like to start (busines, personal project, or charity)in the near future. Then, the judges choose 6 finalists and the 2 winners are determined by online voting.

I didn't think that my idea of "YOUNight for Compassion and Fashion" would ever be chosen as a finalist because there were hundreds of entries, the chances of my entry getting considered were slim, just by the nature of probability.

The results:
I was not an official winner, and therefore first and foremost, I would like to congratulate the 2 winners, Sheyla Abdic and Sedina Fiati. Congratulations, ladies!! :)

Second, I am very happy to have taken part in the competition because I had the chance to look at some of the other great ideas that were chosen as finalists, and I think that all the finalists did a great job.

Third, although I did not win, I got a chance to talk to some great people from the local community and got to meet people that I would not have had the chance of connecting with if it wasn't for the competition.

Fourth, I believe that the fact that I did not win this does not mean that I cannot pursue the idea. The idea is for a great cause, and therefore, with a good team and a little bit of pounding the pavement, it can still become a reality.

Cheers,
Yana

Yana Hempler: Finalist In National "Start Something With Alesse" Competition

Hi everyone!

I'm very happy that you are here. :)

The campaign is called "Start Something With Alesse" where young women present an idea of a business/social enterprize/project/etc and have a chance to win $5000 to put towards the project, as well as mentorship from powerful business people.

I am honoured to have been chosen as one of 6 finalists from hundreds of entries to take part in this contest. My project is called YOUNight for Compassion and Fashion, and it is designed to help the homeless people in Victoria. If I win, I would like to donate some of the prize money to a non-profit organization to continue/extend their operations, as well as produce the fashion show as a fundraiser.

I am the ONLY finalist from Western Canada, which makes it even more exciting for me.


Image: Screenshot of website

Homelessness is a big issue, and many of the people who are homeless had to face terrible circumstances beyond their control.

I want to help them because I do not believe that other human beings should suffer.

Please go to the website and vote for me if you believe that helping someone live their passion while making a difference in their community is the right thing to do. Voting is open until March 4th, 2011. Voting is easy when you sign up with your Facebook account.

Thank you in advance for your support,
Yana

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed here are my own and not those of sponsor of the "Start Something With Alesse" contest.

Reader's Dilemma: Where should I go to school? Should I move?

I got another email from a reader asking me about where he should go to school.

Here is a little bit of background information on him:
*He's an average student
*His family is not rich and he has very strict parents, to the point where they abuse him
*He wants to be a writer and his parents want him to get an engineering degree (talk about conflicting interests)
*He works a lot

Here is what he wrote in an email to me:

Hello Yana,
I ran into your answer to a reader on blogger and that made me think of sending you an email question.

I am just finishing grade 12 and I'm nothing special in terms of scholastic achievement. I have average marks, but I really love writing stories and poetry. I want to publish a book one day too. Additionally, I want to move to a different province and pursue a writing career by getting an English degree in university.

Here's the dilemma though: I can't just pack up and leave, since my budget does not allow for such a move. At the same time, my parents refuse to support my writing career because they want me to do something more serious, like math and science. They suggest I become an engineer because they read a newspaper article that said engineers are in demand. They joke about my writing and want me to stay as far awy as possible from it. At the same time, I want to stay as far away from them as possible, since they are extremely unrealistic in their expectations of me.

So, what do I do? Stay in my hometown and live with my parents while going to university and studying engineering or moving to a different province, starting from scratch, working for a few years, and then going for an English degree?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Confused Guy

Here is my response to this interesting email:

Dear Confused,
It seems to me like you are in a very interesting situation. Your parents are not supportive of your career choice and you absolutely hate the choice that they've given you.

It would be cheaper for you if you endured them for the next 4 years that you have to be in university while finishing a program that you know you will absolutely hate. Sounds like fun!! NOT!

It appears like you want to get away from your parents, which is very high on your priority list. I honestly believe that you are already on your way to making a great decision and getting them to let go of you.

The main thing that you have to consider here is your personal happiness. If you are ok with starting a new life in a different province, then go for it! I can suggest a few things though: make sure that before you decide to make such a big move that you have arranged employment and housing in your new location. Then, work out a budget which allows you to pay your bills and possibly even have money left over to put in a savings account so that in a few years you could go get your English degree if you still want it. However, there is no set rule that says you "have to have an English degree in order to be a writer". I also suggest trying to do some freelance writing, which can help you improve your writing skills, gain some experience, and possibly expand your network.

Check out some local bulletin boards, newspapers, as well as look into internship opportunities for writers. There is no harm in trying and the worst thing that can happen is you get told "no". Honestly, you have nothing to lose and happiness to gain if you succeed and land an entry level writing position of some sort.
I wish you all the best in all that you do.
Cheers,
Yana

A wonderful person once told me that one should pursue what he/she loves. :)

I wish only the best for everyone who puts forth the effort to deserve it.

Reader's Email Question: "why should I care about my high school grades?"...Answered!

The other day, I was going through my emails and I received a question from a high school student (who chose to stay anonymous knowing that her question would end up here) who happened to stumble upon my blog. She stated that she enjoyed reading some of my posts about scholarships, and especially the one about making money while in university.

But then, she said...

"I'm in grade 10. I have no clue what to do with myself, and I just can't seem to wrap my brain around why I should care about my grades when I'm 2 years away from graduating. So tell me, why should I care about my grades? I'm in grade 10 and I just want to have fun! Grade 12 is where it's at."

My response to her was along the lines of the following...

Hello dear (sender's name),
I understand exactly how you feel about high school, and not knowing what you will do for the rest of your life. It is a common thing that almost all young people worry about.

However, I can tell you this. Worrying about what you will do in the future will not bring you the success that you are hoping for. For now, focus on doing the best that you can while you are in Grade 10, and young and have a long road ahead of you. Do not take this as "advice to not care about your future", but you have to know how to balance between "caring vs. worrying yourself to death".

While in high school, you have to care enough about what you are doing so that whatever you choose to do after graduation becomes more of a choice, rather than "Oh...darn, I did terrible in school, couldn't get into university, and now I'm stuck working this minimal wage job that I did not choose". I am not saying that if you do bad in school that you won't be successful, but I AM saying that your chances of success decrease the worse you do at school.

And finally, the long awaited answer to your very last question about why high school grades matter, even early on. Considering that most universities primarily look at your grade 12 marks, I can see why you would be asking this. However, a habit is a habit. If you get into the habit of being organized, getting your homework done and having a good work ethic while you are in grade 10 (or younger), then you are more likely to carry those good habits with you to university and into the workplace. In addition, some of the higher caliber universities DO look at your grade 10, 11 and 12 marks, especially when they see your transcripts. It is better to be safe than sorry. :)
Thank you for your question, and I will you all the best in all your endeavors!

That's kind of interesting for me to get readers' questions. I love to answer them! :)
So, if you have a question you can email yhempler@gmail.com or simply post a comment here. Please state if you would like to be anonymous, since I want to protect the privacy of my readers.

Yana Hempler Reviews StudentAwards.com

StudentAwards.com is a resource site for college and university students. It is a site where they can find information on scholarships, awards, cash prizes and grants, which will help them finanace their education.

When signing up for StudentAwards.com, you are asked to fill out a profile with your interests, work experience, volunteer experience, as well as your intended area of study/career objectives. Other bits of information that you are asked to provide are: contact information, biographical information, parental background, memberships/affiliations, activities, religion, cultural background/heritage, hobbies, important criteria and circumstances, and much more.

The reason you are asked for all the personal and private information is so that you are matched with scholarships that best suit your criteria. Therefore, StudentAwards.com is much better than many scholarship info sites because it matches you to scholarships on a much deeper level.

Some of the scholarships are available only to people who are of a certain ethnic/religious background or have afilliations with certain clubs. Therefore, it is very important not to leave this information blank.

Here are some tips for using StudentAwards.com:
1. Fill out your profile accurately and completely. Do not leave blanks, because the more honest and detailed you are the higher the chance that you will be matched with a scholarship that you can win because you are eligible.

2. Check StudentAwards.com often, at least once a month. I missed quite a few scholarship opportunities because I was away from the computer for a while and realized that the deadlines have passed. :( Don't let this happen to you.

3. Check the scholarship deadlines. Sometimes StudentAwards.com posts expeired scholarships into your "awards inbox", so keep that in mind.

4. Make a printout or a list of scholarships that you have to apply for and their deadlines as well as what you are required to include in your application. For example: are you asked for reference letters from 3 people? do you have to have your official transcripts? etc. Make sure to get those well ahead of the due date, so that you do not put together an application package in a rush and end up missing deadlines or risk having your application rejected because you do not have everything they need.

5. Keep your profile updated. If you got a new hobby/interest: fill it in. If you've changed your career objective: edit your profile, etc. It is very important!

6. Take advantage of the Uthinkonline surveys that StudentAwards.com forwards to your email. After filling out a survey, you are always entered into a draw where you can win cool prizes, cash money, and much more. Those surveys usually take anywhere between 5-30 min, and ask basic questions about stuff that you are most likely doing anyways. They are easy and who knows, you might get lucky!!

So I definitely suggest that students check out StudentAwards.com and sign up. My experience with them has been quite good. The site is easy to navigate, well worth it.
Good luck!! :)