August 2018 - Page 2 of 10 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

August 29, 2018

Everything You Need To Know About Divorce in Australia

It is well known that relationship counselors have the busiest times in January and February. People spend the holidays with their extended families and by the time the New Year breaks they are ready to implement new resolutions and relationship goals. Nonetheless, divorce is an emotionally demanding affair. People get caught up in the arguments with their spouse that they forget to attend to the practicalities such as who moves out, who gets the kids and how they share property.

One in every three marriages in Australia ends in divorce. Divorce, in this case, means an official end to a marriage. That is to say that after the divorce is final, you can legally get remarried. The only requirement for the divorce is that your relationship with your spouse is irretrievably broken down. As proof, the court requires that you will have separated for more than 12 months by the time you file for the divorce. There also needs to be no likelihood of getting back together.

The divorce process

To apply for a divorce, you must be an Australian citizen. While your partner does not necessarily have to agree with you on the separation, they have to know that you consider the marriage to be over. Fortunately, the courts will not consider the person whose fault it is that the marriage ended. You must also be living in Australia, as your permanent home. In fact, if you constantly travel, by the time you are applying for a divorce, you need to have lived in the country for at least a year prior to your application.

You can apply for a divorce with the help of a family lawyer, and this you can do either jointly, (you and your spouse) or alone (sole application). For a joint application, you do not need to go to court unless you are unable to agree on matters such as child custody. On the other hand, you must go to court in a sole application where your children were part of a separation and are under 18 years of age. There, you can expect to pay a fee for filing.

When applying for a divorce on your own, your ex-spouse needs to be served with the application. Serving means giving your ex-partner the paperwork so that they can be aware of the court proceedings. It is important to note that you cannot serve your partner personally but you can mail them. In fact, family law courts govern the procedure and a divorce lawyer will give you court-issued forms that prove that the person in question was served. Be sure to give your ex-partner time between the filing and actual divorce date. When you finally go to the court hearing, you will receive a divorce order and it will become finalised one month after your hearing when the court issues you with a certificate.

What if I married overseas?

A common question that Australian citizens have around divorce is whether they are entitled to file in the country even if they married elsewhere. The process remains the same. However, you must regard Australia as your home or have the intention to live there indefinitely. Alternatively, you can apply for a divorce in the country if you are Australian by descent or birth or if you have Australian citizenship.

How a divorce lawyer can help

Many people fear that a divorce will be expensive and it can be if the situation is not handled correctly. One way to deal with money concerns and make sure that you do not spend more than you need to is to engage the services of a divorce lawyer. Remember that court proceedings are serious and you will need representation so that your application is drafted properly before it is brought to the court.

The other benefit of having a divorce lawyer is that they can look at your proceedings objectively. Decisions made during divorce will impact you and your ex-partners lives in the future. The stakes are higher when there are children involved. With an attorney, you can have peace of mind knowing that someone who is not as engaged in the divorce as you are will help. Therefore, if you are considering a divorce, contact a family law lawyer today to learn more about divorce and how they can help you.

August 29, 2018

4 Cost-friendly Ways to Show Appreciation to Your Loyal Customers

It’s nice to show customers appreciation

One of the surefire ways of increasing a store’s profits is by improving the number of its loyal customers. Returning customers generate more business than one-off customers—in fact, they can be worth more than 10 times the value of their initial purchase. In addition to contributing to your store’s profits, loyal customers can also offer opportunities for cross selling products, and they attract more customers to your store by word of mouth. Plus, the cost of maintaining an existing customer is more economical compared to converting a one-off customer into a loyal one.

Returning customers bring a lot to your business and it’s in your store’s best interest if you continue to pursue a mutually beneficial relationship with them. There are ways to keep them coming back, and many of these don’t necessarily cost a lot of money on your end. Here are a few of the strategies you can employ to acknowledge your loyal customers and make them feel that you appreciate their presence in your store:

Give them freebies. Free items are generally appreciated by many people, including your customers. Give them freebies and gifts that they can only get at your store, and make sure that the item has the logo of your business while you’re at it. It’s easy to order customized silicone or rubber wristbands, woven lanyards, pens, keychains, and reusable bags that you can give to your customers. The items can be given away to every customer, or you can use them as a prize for loyalty programs. Ensure the quality and durability of the items so that your customers can use them for a long time.
Get to know them. Another way to show appreciation to your customers is by getting to know them. This is similar to how most coffee shops make it a point to know the name of their regulars. You don’t have to act too friendly with them, but try to take note of their shopping habits, for example. A great point-of-sale system can help you in this task. Sign up your customers to a loyalty program and use your POS to record their engagements with your business. This way, you can get a good picture of their shopping and product preferences. You can also try sending customers discount vouchers on their birthday month, or maintain an active social media account where you can reach out to your customers.
Get their opinion on things. Getting your customers’ comments about your store’s latest promos and programs is one way of showing that you care about them. It shows that you value their opinions and that you’re willing to lend an ear to their concerns. Ask them how you can improve customer service and your ongoing loyalty programs. You can do this by posting surveys on your store’s official social media accounts and replying to your customers there, sending email surveys a few times every year, or even by casually asking them when they visit your store in person.
Offer exclusive benefits. Offer your most valuable customers exclusive perks and services once they reach a certain amount of points or level in your loyalty programs. For example, you can give them early access to holiday discounts, tier-based discounts for certain items, or more substantial freebies, if your store offers those. This not only shows that you value them, but it also encourages customers in lower tiers or those with less points to keep on purchasing at your store in hopes that they’ll reach the same levels and enjoy the same perks in the near future.

Show your customers that you genuinely value their business by coupling these strategies with excellent customer service. This way, you’ll not only encourage them to keep on coming back to your store, but you’ll also have an easier time converting one-off customers.
Related:
Business Series: 5 Useful Products To Promote Your Business
5 Online Businesses You Can Start With No Money

August 29, 2018

Can You Remove Red Wine from Your Carpet

Remove Red Wine Stains: Probably the worst kind of spill you can imagine for your carpet is red wine.

Yet, it happens to everyone, and we just have to deal with this reality. Some people will tell you that it is futile to try and clean it and that you can just get rid of your carpet or try to hide the stain.

However, experts at Maids of Jacksonville have a lot of experience with cleaning and they offer some tips about cleaning red wine stains from any surface, including your carpet.

Act Quickly

Even though the appropriate reaction to spilling red wine is shock and freezing, you need to fight this urge and ac quickly if you want the best results.

The lighter the color of your carpet, the faster you need to be if you want to remove the stain completely.

Light Stains

If the spill was not a major one and the stain is not big, it will likely be easier to clean.

However, don’t disregard the urgency just because the stain is minor, act just as quickly as you would for a huge one.

Grab some club soda. Yes, club soda is actually really good for this kind of a mess. It has been used forever and that’s because it works. You will also need a few dry and clean cloths for this procedure.

Blot the wine with the cloth, and then pour some club soda on the stain. Give it a few seconds to react and then blot it again, with a cleaning cloth or a part of the cloth which you haven’t used before.

Do this until the stain has been fully removed.

More Severe Stains

If the stain is bigger, and you’ve spilled more wine, club soda might not be enough.

However, you can make a cleaning agent in a matter of seconds with just the things you have in your home – and dish soap.

A spoon of dish soap, two spoons of and some warm water should be mixed in together and used in the same way club soda from the previous remedy. It is important to use a white cloth only because the color of the cloth might affect the color of your carpet by the time you’re done.

A Slightly Risky Solution

If neither of the previous two solutions didn’t work, or if you don’t have them on hand, you might want to use hydrogen peroxide, but you should be aware that there might be some discoloration on your carpet due to the abrasive nature of the substance (it is used to bleach hair).

If you want to be sure, check it on a smaller, hidden patch of your carpet.

Store-Bought Products

There are some readily available products specifically created to clean wine stains. However, if you don’t drink too much wine, or you are not prone to spilling, chances are that you don’t really have them at hand.

Some of these products promise to even remove the dried wine stains, but don’t pin all of your hopes on that. Try these quick and tried methods first. Even if they fail, you can try those products the next day and see how good they really are.

Even though wine stains are difficult to manage, there are tricks home cleaning services have in their sleeve, and now you can try them as well.

August 29, 2018

5 Unconventional Tips to Get Rid of Stuffy Smells from the House

Cold weather often forces us to keep the doors and windows shut. This is especially true in winter when temperatures drop significantly. While shutting the doors and windows keep us warm, they do have the undesirable side-effect of producing stuffy smells. This is usually caused by the buildup of mold and mildew, resulting from moisture, and a lack of enough ventilation and sunlight.

Though every house owner prefers to use the best canister vacuum cleaner for their home, sometimes the vacuum has some little effect. So, these following 6 unconventional tips and related natural substances will get the job done.

Vodka

As outlandish as it may at first sound, vodka is actually a great remedy for many problems around the house. Vodka can be used to disinfect and deodorize, as well as to clean jewelry. According to Snap Clean, when it comes to a stuffy-smelling house, vodka is a great solution when you find that damp source of the smell. All you have to do is sprinkle a little vodka on the area, and let it dry.

Vinegar

Vinegar, also known as acetic acid, is another multi-purpose liquid that can help a great deal in riding a house of bad smells. Vinegar usually contains about 5 to 20% acetic acid, which kills a wide variety of germs, including bacteria and viruses. Vinegar also acts as a deodorizer and grease remover. Simply mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts of water in a spray bottle, spray on the damp, smelly areas, and allow to dry.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is usually available as a white powder. Scientifically known as Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), baking soda has a wide variety of uses in the home. As with the previous 2 remedies, you need to find the origin of the odor, simply sprinkle some baking powder on it, and allow it some hours to work its magic and stop the foul smell. If there are smells originating from the refrigerator, just put a pack of baking soda in it. It should last for a year.

Zeolite

Zeolite is a powerful desiccant. It is a naturally occurring mineral that absorbs the odor from its environment. Simply leave the Zeolite in your problem area and it will start to absorb the stuffy smells. It lasts for about 6 months but can be recharged by simply being left out in the sun for a day or two, or in a very hot oven for about 30 minutes.

Ground Coffee

Ground coffee is another very effective substance that can be used to get rid of stuffy smells. To use ground coffee, you will need old socks. Fill the socks with the ground coffee and hang in stuffy spaces. Given some time, the ground coffee will absorb the odors. The only down-side to this remedy is having your guests see the socks that you have hanging around.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is a special form of carbon that has a very high capacity for removing odors. It is often found in many odor removal products. To use this method, fill a plastic container with activated charcoal and leave it to absorb the odor. The down-side here is that this process takes up to a week. Secondly, charcoal can cause quite a mess, so handle with care. The third downside is that charcoal is not reusable once its effects wear down. On the other hand, it is very cheap.

Conclusion

With the 6 tips above, you are sure to get rid of the stuffy smell in your home, using any of the methods of your choosing. One more thing to keep in mind though is that mold and mildew can be entirely avoided, by regularly arranging and cleaning the house, vacuuming, dehumidifying and frequently airing it.