Castle TV Show - A Breath of Fresh Air!

Castle TV Show - A Breath of Fresh Air!

Tags: Richard Castle Hollywood Movies Television TV Show Series Comedy Crime Drama Thriller Mystery Romance Actor Nathan Fillion Firefly Famous Sci-Fi Fans Actress Audience Stana Katic Detective Kate Beckett New York Police Department NYPD Cast Susan Sullivan Martha Rodgers Jon Huertas Javier Esposito Seamus Dever Kevin Ryan Molly Quinn Alexis Castle Tamala Jones Lanie Parish Penny Johnson Jerald Captain Victoria Gates Ruben Santiago-Hudson Roy Montgomery Jack Coleman Senator William Bracken Andrew Marlowe Ratings Seasons Plot Millionaire Playboy Serial Killer Books Inspiration Chemistry Characters Skills Dialogue Facial Expressions Postures Mannerisms Episode Viewer Charm Wit Successful Writer Cop Gorgeous Beautiful Powerful Backstory Alluring Mysterious Flirtatious

The television series Castle has been one of the most beloved comedy / crime / drama / thriller / mystery  / romance shows on the air. Its lead actor Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame (a cult Sci-Fi TV Show) is a much loved actor and has a huge fan following. Apart from Fillion, another lead actress who has captured the attention of the audience is Stana Katic who has perfectly embodied and brought to life the character of Detective Kate Beckett of New York Police Department (NYPD).

The show is also supported by a strong ensemble cast that includes Susan Sullivan (as Martha Rodgers), Jon Huertas (as Detective Javier Esposito), Seamus Dever (as Detective Kevin Ryan), Molly Quinn (as Alexis Castle), Tamala Jones (as Lanie Parish), Penny Johnson Jerald (as Captain Victoria Gates), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (as Captain Roy Montgomery) and Jack Coleman (as Senator William Bracken). Of course, this is only the main cast and the full cast is far longer! The show was created primarily by Andrew Marlowe and clearly, he did a fantastic job going by the show ratings especially for the first 6 seasons!

The plot of the show is all about Richard "Rick" Castle, a millionaire playboy who recently killed off his main character when a serial killer starts killing people like he does in his books. He teams up with New York police detective Kate Beckett to solve the case. He finds inspiration in Detective Beckett and starts shadowing her for his next book. Interestingly, the show was initially latched on by Fillian's fans but it took a turn when Stana Katic played out the character of Kate Beckett quite so well and brought it to life.

The audience loved the chemistry between the lead characters and that rocketed the show to fame! Further, the story telling was exceptional well into the sixth season. We liked the acting skills of the actors - acting does not always mean dialogue delivery. It includes facial expressions, postures and mannerisms. In this area, the main actors pull it off big, especially Stana Katic. Though it was a long series, it did not feel boring and in fact, it kept the viewer riveted to each episode as it played out.

For the casual viewer, it was wonderful to find a series that was sprinkled with comedy, mystery, drama and thrilling sequences. Importantly, the elements of romance were electric and nicely done! Further, there were quite a few interesting tidbits to add to our overall knowledgebase in various fields.

The show focuses on the charm and wit of Castle complemented by the grit and fortitude of NYPD Detective Kate Beckett. The chemistry between the lead characters is awesome - irresistible force meets immovable object, opposites attract, oil and water and fire and ice. On the comic element, Fillion is a perfect match for anything that the show throws at him and he brings out the best! He plays out the role of a successful writer - in fact, he even has a protective vest printed Writer when he goes out with NYPD detectives! He is obviously charismatic and an egocentric mystery writer!

Not to be outdone, Stana plays out the role of the cop to the dot! She is gorgeous (in real life too) and ever so enticing, egging Castle to match her. One wonders what a beautiful woman is doing in the NYPD - turns out that she has a powerful backstory and that is unravelled in the episodes of the show. She is alluring, mysterious and lightly-flirtatious while maintaining her ability of a tough cop who will not be cowed down by anyone! Both actors are clearly comfortable in their roles and that is one of the main reasons for the series doing brilliantly. This is a show that defies cliche and is cleverly done! If you are looking for a good show that will keep your interest alive for many seasons, then this is it!

Many of the punchlines became famous. Due credit must be given to the actors who delivered the punchlines exceedingly well. Take a look at some of them.

• Castle: When I was your age... I can’t tell that story, it’s wildly inappropriate, which oddly is my point. Don’t you want to have wildly inappropriate stories that you can’t tell your children?
• Alexis: I think you have enough of those for the both of us.

• Castle: [to his daughter Alexis] I just want someone to come up to me and say something new.
• Beckett: Mr. Castle?
• Castle: [turning around holding a pen ready to give an autograph] Where would you like it?
• Beckett: [holding badge] Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. We need to ask you a few questions about a murder that took place earlier tonight.
• Alexis: [taking the pen from him] That's new.

• Ryan: [pointing to inscription on Castle's book] From the library of Katherine Beckett.
• Beckett: Do you have a problem with reading, Ryan?
• Esposito: Yo, check it, girl, you're totally a fan!
• Beckett: Right. Of the genre.
• Ryan: Right, the genre, that's why you're blushing.
• Beckett: What are you, twelve?

• Esposito: [To Beckett] A control freak like you with something you can't control? No, no, that's gonna be more fun than Shark Week.

• Beckett: Richard Castle, you are under arrest for felony theft and obstruction of justice!
• Castle: [Smiling] You forgot making you look bad.

• Martha: It's my fault; he never had a father figure.
• Castle: Oh, that's not true, Mother, I had lots of father figures!

• Beckett: Well, guess this is it.
• Castle: Oh it doesn’t have to be. We could uh… go to dinner, debrief each other.
• Beckett: Why, Castle? So I can be another one of your conquests?
• Castle: Or I could be one of yours.
• Beckett: [extending her hand] It was nice to meet you, Castle.
• Castle: [shaking it] It’s too bad. It would have been great.
• Beckett: [stepping closer and leaning toward his ear] You have no idea.

• Montgomery: Beckett, listen.
• Beckett: Sir, he is like a nine-year-old on a sugar rush, totally incapable of taking anything seriously.
• Montgomery: But he did help solve this case. And when the mayor's happy, the commissioner's happy. And when the commissioner's happy, I'm happy.
• Beckett: How long, sir?
• Montgomery: [motioning to his door] It's up to him.
• [Beckett turns to find Castle standing in the doorway, smirking]

• Beckett: Exactly how much longer do I have to expect you to be shadowing me on my cases like this?
• Castle: Hard to say, when I’m writing a new character there’s no saying when inspiration might strike.
• Beckett: I thought I was your inspiration.
• Castle: Oh you are Detective, in so many ways.
• Beckett: Yeah well your inspiration might strike you sooner than you might think.

• Alexis: So, who got killed today?
• Castle: The nanny.
• Alexis: Do they know who did it?
• Castle: Well, apparently, in an actual homicide, they don't know who did it until the guy gets caught.

• Police Rep: Mr. Castle, be advised: if you get injured following Detective Beckett to research your next novel, you cannot sue the city. If you get shot, you cannot sue the city. If you get killed...
• Castle: My lifeless remains cannot sue the city?
• Police Rep: Your heirs, Mr. Castle, your heirs.

• Beckett: Exactly how many times have you been married?
• Castle: Twice.
• Beckett: That’s it?
• Castle: Isn’t that enough? How about you?
• Beckett: Me? No, never been.
• Castle: Really?
• Beckett: Yeah.
• Castle: You’d be good at it. You’re both controlling and disapproving.

• Castle: You would really clean up at my poker game.
• Beckett: Right. You, James Patterson and the rest of the times best seller list. No thank you Castle, little to rich for my blood.
• Castle: We could always make it strip poker.
• Beckett: Sorry but I prefer mystery to horror.

• Beckett: Do you know the school?
• Castle: Oh, I’ve been kicked out of all of New York’s finer educational institutions at least once. The irony is, now that I’m rich and famous, they all claim me as alum and want money
• Beckett: [sarcastically] It is just so rough being you.
• Castle: My cross to bear.

• Castle: What’s the class?
• Martha: Introduction to life coaching. It’s always been my desire to make a difference, whether on stage or off. And I have had cards made.
• Castle: It says here I’m your client.
• Martha: Well of course you are, haven’t I been telling you what to do your entire life?

• [Talking to Alexis about the case while chopping onions]
• Alexis: I don’t get it. If Creason didn’t do it, then how does the rug fit in?
• Castle: Killer probably heard about the feud between the two of them and tried to shift suspicion, which is stupid, because without the rug, it would’ve just looked like a mugging gone wrong.
• Alexis: So by trying to look smart, they were actually being stupid.
• Castle: I think you just described the human condition.

• Lanie: Getting a drink with me after work instead of getting your freak on with writer boy?
• Beckett: What? He is annoying, self-centered, egotistical, and completely-
• Lanie: Fun. And take it from me, girlfriend, you need some fun. I mean, how bad can he be?
• Beckett: [answers phone] Beckett.
• Castle: [excitedly] Guess who's got a date with a prostitute!

• Castle: All right, so you and I are married.
• Beckett: We are not married.
• Castle: Relax, it's just pretend.
• Beckett: I don't wanna pretend.
• Castle: Scared you'll like it?
• Beckett: Okay, if we're married, I want a divorce.
• Apartment Guy: Are you two like this all the time?
• Castle & Beckett: Yes.

• Beckett: [following Castle across the street] Castle? Castle!
• Castle: [stops in front of a electronics shop] I’m on TV.
• Beckett: Are you having a breakdown?
• Castle: Not a breakdown, a breakthrough. And I really am ruggedly handsome, aren’t I?
• Beckett: Still waiting for the breakthrough.

• Beckett: The next time you show up at a crime scene without me, I'll show you how my taser works.
• Castle: Promise?

• [talking about a poker game]
• Judge: [to Beckett] Do us a favor, Detective. Beat his pants off.
• Castle: Yes please, beat my pants off if you dare.

• [After Castle wins the game and begins gloating]
• Judge: [annoyed] Don’t you ever get tired of winning, Castle?
• Castle: [still gloating] Yeah, you’d think so, right? But no.

• [After Sorenson leaves]
• Castle: Nice guy. I can see how it wouldn’t work, though.
• Beckett: Really?
• Castle: Sure.
• Beckett: Huh.
• Castle: Handsome, square-jawed, by-the-book.
• Beckett: And that’s a bad thing?
• Castle: Yeah, he’s like the male you. Yin needs Yang, not another Yin. Yin-Yang is harmony. Yin-Yin is…a name for a panda.
• Beckett: Any more wisdom, Obi-Wan?

• Lanie: [examining Castle after the car crash] He'll live.
• Ryan: What no brain damage?
• Lanie: If he has some, it happened way before tonight and was probably self inflicted.
• Castle: Ahh, good times.

• [A murder calls Castle away from an ad-hoc play rehearsal with his mother]
• Alexis: Take me with you!
• Castle: To a crime scene?
• Alexis: It'd be educational. Please?
• Castle: Find your own hiding place.

• [Explaining why they should continue ad-hoc play rehearsal]
• Martha: If it’s a hit, who knows how long it could run? Then I could take it on the road.
• Alexis: You mean you’d leave us?
• Martha: Well, only for nine months of the year. [noticing Alexis’ concerned expression] Oh, don’t look so sad. [noticing Castle’s dreamy expression] And, you, don’t look so happy.

• [When Beckett tells Castle she hasn’t read Heat Wave yet]
• Castle: You were all over me to get a copy of that book. Do you have any idea how many hoops I had to jump through, just so my editor wouldn’t send an armed guard to watch over you while you read it? The least you could do is to… [pauses and looks at her] Oh. Oh! I see what you’re doing.
• Beckett: I’m not doing anything.
• Castle: Oh, yes, you are. Yes, you are. You’re trying to push my buttons, but it’s not gonna work.
• Beckett: Really?
• Castle: Mmm.
• Beckett: ‘Cause it seems to be working just great. [smirks]

• Castle: What?
• Beckett: Nothing... it's just I'm so used to seeing you act like a 12-year-old all the time, it's refreshing to see you as a father.
• Castle: It makes you want me, right?
• Beckett: ...And there's the 12-year-old again.

• Castle: Does he look like a killer to you?
• Beckett: Everybody looks like a killer to me, Castle. Job requirement
• Castle: Do I look like a killer to you?
• Beckett: Yes, you kill my patience.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

The Power of Positive Thinking!

The Power of Positive Thinking!

Tags: Life Lesson Moral Management Story Interesting Power Positive Thinking Life Lives Money Trouble Motivator Destruction Self-worth Attitude Self-confidence Dreams Businessman Debt Creditors Suppliers Demand Payments Park Thought Company Bankruptcy Serious Patience Cheque Pay Warren Buffet Rich Worries Cash Safe Strength Work Hard Emergency Deals Enthusiasm Success Nurse Mental Hospital Surprise Stunned Million Dollars

Quite a few of us spend our lives feeling that if we have wealth, our troubles could be erased or mitigated. Of course, wealth is a great motivator and a wonderful way to turn our lives around. That said, if not used properly, it could lead us on a path of self-destruction. More important than wealth, is the self worth we have... our attitude and self-confidence decide how we run our lives! If we are positive in our thinking, then sooner than later, we can achieve our dreams!

Here is a wonderful story that makes an interesting point!

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A businessman was deep in debt and could not see any way out. Creditors and suppliers were demanding payments. He sat in the park, deep in thought, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

While lost in thought, an old man suddenly appeared before him and asked, "I can see that something is troubling you seriously". After listening patiently, the old man said, "I believe I can help you". 

He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque and put it into his hands saying, "Take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today... and you can pay me back at that time". Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The businessman saw in his hands a cheque for $500,000, signed by Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world. "I can erase my worries instantly" he realized.

Instead, the businessman decided to take a different path. He put the uncashed cheque in his safe, knowing that it might give him the strength to work harder to save his business and to use this only in case of dire emergency. With a changed way of thinking and a positive outlook on his life, he negotiated better deals, restructured his business and worked rigorously with full zeal and enthusiasm and got several big deals. Within a few months, he was out of debt and started making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. As agreed, the old man appeared. However, as the businessman was about to hand him back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so glad I caught him" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you much. He always escapes from the mental hospital and tells people that he is Warren Buffet". Saying this, she took the old man away.

The surprised man just stood there, stunned! All year long, he had been dealing thinking that he had half a million dollars behind him to back him up in an emergency - in reality, he did not...

➤     Life Lesson: It is not the money, real or imagined that turns our life around. It is our self-worth, attitude and self-confidence that gives us the power to achieve anything and everything that we want.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Truth can set you Free!

Truth can set you Free!

Tags: Life Lesson Moral Story Tale Fable Truth Truthful Free Lives Simple Easy Light Challenging Deceit Deception Lies Falsehood George Orwell Quote Quotation Saying Revolution Powerful Past Future Empress Children Competition Succeed Palace Seed Care Grow Beautiful Colorful Vibrant Flowers Smile Just Wise

Often truth is under-rated. One does not perhaps realise how being truthful can make our lives simpler, easier and lighter. However, given the world we are living in today, it may not be always easy to speak the truth. It can definitely be challenging! As George Orwell said aptly, “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. Yet we must remember that truth is powerful and it prevails. If you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future!

Here is an interesting short story on truth.

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An empress with no children decided to hold a competition to determine who would succeed her when she died. She summoned all the children in the city to her palace and gave each one a seed. "Plant this seed, care for it, and in one year bring back the flower that grows from it. Whoever brings me the most beautiful flower will be the next empress."

One young girl planted her seed in a pot and watered it every day, but nothing grew. At the end of the year she was devastated, but on the day set for inspection of the flowers she picked up her pot and carried it to the palace.

All the other children brought colorful, vibrant flowers, but the empress only glanced at them. She walked straight to the young girl and smiled. "All the seeds I gave you had been boiled and were dead. Only you were honest enough to bring back the original seed I gave you. You will be a just and wise empress."

➤     Life Lesson: Always tell the truth, even when it seems easier not to. That way, you don't have to remember what you said. Telling a lie requires weaving a fiction and leads you into a maze of multiplying falsehoods and forgetting the details of your original lie. You essentially trap yourself!

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

The Genie, A Magical Lamp, 3 Employees & Wishes

A Genie, A Magical Lamp, 3 Employees & Wishes

Tags: Life Lessons Moral Story Comedy Humour Funny Laughter Boss Managers Management Role Office Workplace Finance Budgeting Supplies Culture Policy Feedback Sales Representative Administration Clerk Activities Home Parent Children Mother Father Family Code Ethics Lunch Genie Magical Lamp Wish Bahamas Hawaii Speedboat Beach Masseuse Pina Coladas Love Enjoy

Quite a few of us would have or are currently working in some managerial role whether at office or at home. Many of us may feel that management activities are specifically for the workplace. Interestingly, that is not necessarily true. For example, parents play the role of managers at home with their children as they grow up. This is the glue that gives a code of ethics for children to live by when they are grown up. Typically and unarguably, the key pivot in that is the mother with the father coming in next. There are of course cases and situations wherein the pivots alternate but the usual trend is that the mother takes care of domestic managerial responsibilities in various areas like finance, budgeting, supplies, culture, policy, feedback et al.

That said, the more obvious place for managerial roles is the office. While looking up some interesting stories, we came across the below interesting tale. Some of you may be familiar with the story - if not, read on and enjoy! While reading, do remember the popular quote by Milton Berle, "Laughter is an instant vacation".

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A group of 3 individuals namely a sales representative, an administration clerk and a manager were walking to lunch. On their way, they came across an exciting find - an antique oil lamp. Initially, it appeared to them, as it apparently looked - an antique oil lamp. Out of curiosity, they rubbed it and were stunned to see a Genie present itself to them. They quickly understood that it was a magical lamp and their find was fantastic.

As is the custom, the Genie which came of the lamp spoke, "You released me! To convey my gratitude, I will give each of you exactly one  wish."

The group was going through an out-of-the-world experience and took a few moments to recover to their current situation. Amongst them, the administration clerk was the first to come to his senses or so it seemed.

He said loudly,"Me first! Me first!. I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Immediately, she disappeared in a puff of smoke probably gone to the Bahamas to have a wonderful time!

The Sales representative though outdone by the administration clerk quickly recovered his marbles and spoke out, "Me next! Me next! "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." As with his colleague, the sales representative disappeared to Hawaii to enjoy his wish.

It was finally the turn of the only remaining person in the group - the manager. The Genie called out to the manager in a high voice, "Alright, now you are up next!"

At this point of time, there was an unexpected twist to the story. The manager asked out for his wish, "I want those two people back in the office after lunch."

➤     Life Lesson: Do not forget your boss! Always let your manager have the first say or you may never get to truly enjoy your wishes...

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

BigBasket - Numero Uno in Online Groceries Shopping!

BigBasket - Numero Uno in Online Groceries Shopping!

Tags: BigBasket Big Basket Amazon FlipKart Online Offline Retail Food Grocery Groceries Shopping Shop Niche Players Portals Website Stores Products Customers Convenience Affordability Choice Furniture Baby Care Fashion Cosmetics Eyewear Jewellery Auto Accessories Hardware Home Services Wealth Rich Money Price Amount Overheads Homes Needs Channel Chain Potential Opportunity Growth Experience Successful FabMall Aditya Birla Group More Supermarkets Marketplace Market Catalogue Categorised Desktops Laptops Tablets Mobiles Apps Android Apple Operating Systems Fresh Fruits Vegetables Rice Dals Spices Seasonings Packaged Beverages Personal Care Meats Brand Cater Choices Network Advantage Traffic Commuting Parking Troubles Purchasing Browsing Order Value Instant Special Offers Discounts Cashback Coupons Savings Fuel Refer Earn Family Friends Gift Cards Search Cart Design Lists Secured Leakage Confidential Information Payments Credit Debit Cards Net Banking Wallets Sodexho Cash on Delivery COD Fast Flexible Doorstep Delivery Schedules Issues Perishable Guarantee Reimburse Quality Return Refund Replacement Queries Complaints Toll Number Email Messaging Social Media Facebook Twitter InstaGram Google+ FAQs Infestation Policy Escalation Agents

In the world of online shopping, niche players and portals are growing progressively and making a mark for themselves by enabling customer convenience, affordability and choice. Apart from general online portals like Amazon and FlipKart, today we have niche players that cover furniture, baby care products, fashion, cosmetics, eyewear, jewellery, auto accessories, hardware and home services. These vertical portals are just a sample of the endless list of niche players in online shopping. One of the key segments is online grocery shopping. Typically, the general population spends a good amount of time in shopping for groceries on a monthly basis, if not weekly. As part of the process, they expend lot of time and effort in procuring their regular groceries for their homes by shopping at brick and mortar stores. Clearly, groceries from physical stores cost more for a variety of reasons including fixed overheads like establishment rent and staff costs.

Fortunately, for customers, the whole world of online shopping has transformed the shopping landscape. This is particularly true where niche or specific needs of customers are concerned like groceries. One of the key specialised players in the online segment for online groceries is www.BigBasket.com. Big Basket (Innovative Retail Concepts PVT. LTD.) is the largest player in the food and online groceries channel in the country. It was established in the October 2011 by its co-founders Abhinay Choudhari, Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh and VS Sudhakar. The portal has expanded exponentially since its inception in the online grocery space. And it has barely scratched the potential opportunity in the segment with a huge quantum of growth available to be tapped.

The portal has been wonderful to customers and it has proven itself consistently. Here are key facets of BigBasket.

1. BigBasket is backed by well experienced and trusted founders namely Abhinay Choudhari, Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh and VS Sudhakar who carry a wealth of experience in the grocery segment. They earlier managed the successful physical retail chain FabMall (a chain of grocery supermarkets) which was sold to the Aditya Birla Group and now captioned as More.
2. The website is quite well organised and categorised with a user friendly interface for customers making it absolutely a delight to shop online for groceries. The process of selection of products on the site is quite intuitive and customer friendly.
3. Customers can shop either on desktops / laptops or go in for mobile apps. The website offers apps for both Android and Apple Operating Systems.
4. The portal incorporates a wide range of food and grocery products for homes and is factually a one stop shop for customers. It has a spread of over 18,000 products in its catalogue and covers everything that customers look out for from fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Rice and Dals, Spices and Seasonings to Packaged products, Beverages, Personal care products and Meats (to name a few).
5. The portal has a rich variety of branded products mixed with in-house products to cater to the choices of customers.
6. While it is not available all over the country, yet it covers the top cities in the country with a network of over 30 locations.
7. The biggest advantage for customers of shopping on BigBasket is that they are saved the drudgery of grocery shopping from physical stores. Shopping online is wonderful. It saves time and effort that is often lost in traffic commuting, parking troubles, hopping from shop to another, long payment queues and carrying heavy bags after purchasing groceries needed for homes. BigBasket offers an easy and relaxed way of browsing and shopping for groceries from the comfort of our homes or offices.
8. Another key factor that weighs in on customers is that BigBasket offers huge discounts on the selected products going all the way up to 20% of order value through instant discounts and cashback. There are a variety of special offers and discount coupons usually available on the website through the year. Also consider the savings on fuel when we commute and buy groceries from physical stores. And of course, as the saying goes, "time is money".
9. The portal also has a Refer and Earn feature. Through this feature, you can refer family and friends and earn gift amounts to use for your own groceries.
10. Customers can also purchase Gift Cards on BigBasket for the purpose of gifting a BigBasket Gift Card to their near and dear ones.
11. If you are unsure where to find the products you are looking for on the website, then you can use the Search feature with generic name of the product. That will pull out all the branded and unbranded names for the product.
12. The Shopping Cart of the portal is designed with the customer in mind. Customers can prepare their grocery lists or add to shopping cart in advance and check out whenever they are comfortable.
13. The website is a highly secured website and ensures that there is no leakage of confidential customer information.
14. Customers have the option of completing payments for their orders through multiple channels such as Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Net Banking, Wallets, Sodexho and Cash on Delivery (COD).
15. The company offers fast and flexible delivery schedules to customers with doorstep delivery. We can choose the date and time that we need delivery of our selected products. This includes same day delivery as well and ensures that there are no issues with perishable products. 
16. The delivery cost is very low at Rs.20/- per order and is almost not noticeable.
17. The portal offers on-time guarantee of delivery of products. On rare occasions when delivery is delayed beyond the selected timelines, customers are reimbursed  certain amount of their order.
18. BigBasket is particular about quality of products. In the event that there are issues of quality, customers can return the products either for replacement or refund with no questions asked.
19. Customers can raise their queries or complaints, as the case may be, through a variety of channels like calling their toll number, sending an email or messaging on social media (Facebook, Twitter, InstaGram & Google+). Alternatively, the portal has a comprehensive FAQs section for the benefit of customers who are not well versed with online shopping of groceries.

Overall, BigBasket is an excellent portal that is a blessing for customers. From our own experience, it has saved us lot of time, effort and cost. We have mostly done away going to physical stores for our groceries. Of course, there are still times when we need to visit brick and mortar stores but that considerably come down without any compromise to our convenience and comfort. If anything, BigBasket has made our lives that much more easier.

However, there are times when there are clear quality issues with some of the products like Dals wherein sometimes infestation has been observed. Further, with some packaged items, we have noticed that they are delivered close to Best Use Date or Expired. The quality of vegetables and fruits has come down too. That is the reason we still do visit physical stores as and when required. To give credit to BigBasket, they do have a No Questions Asked Return Policy. Their delivery timelines are typically maintained. On rare occasions when there is delay, they reimburse certain set amounts to the customer.

One area where BigBasket clearly can use improvement is their escalation matrix which seems to go nowhere despite customers asking repeatedly for escalation. Their agents while fine with the typical issues are like robots when it comes to discretion or escalation and go by a set script which tires out customers. Perhaps, you can not have it all!

FirstCry - Online Retailer for Baby Products!

FirstCry - Online Retailer for Baby Products!

Tags: FirstCry Mahindra Group Venture Reputed Reputation Credible Niche Online Offline Portal Platform Segment Network Section Website Market Marketplace Retailer Stores Shops Shopping Enroll Registering Merchants Enterpreneurs Franchisee Customers Parent Baby Children Kids Care Ages Blog Parenting Guide Products Choices Price Pricing Purchases Order Placement Categorised Web Listings Pictures Zoom Domestic International Brands Collection Carter's Mattel Ben10 Pigeon Funskool Hotwheels Nuby Farlin Medela Pampers Disney Barbie Gerber Fisher Price Mee Mee Priority Vehicle Commuting Congested Jammed Traffic Parking Wastage Worries Anxiety Tension Competitors Attractive Offers Discounts Coupon Codes Loyalty Cash Facility Bookmark Wish List Search Tracking Free Shipping Quick Deliveries Secure Safeguard Data Information Payment Options Credit Debit Cards Net Banking Cash on Delivery COD PayTM Wallet PayPal UPI EMI Visa MasterCard Maestro Diners Club RuPay Wealth Channels Social Media Facebook Youtube Twitter Google+ Email Call Phone Contact Centre FAQs Queries Complaints Issues Resolve Opportunities Service Return Refund Policy

These days, the trend of online shopping is increasing by leaps and bounds. For those of us who value our time and effort, online shopping is just wonderful. Clearly, shopping online saves a lot of time that is otherwise spent on commuting through congested and jammed traffic - not to mention the wastage of effort hopping brick and mortar stores to find the products that we need. However, despite all this, it is not easy to find niche products through general online shops. This is particularly true if you are a parent and are looking for baby products. You can't afford the time and effort searching physical stores when your first priority is taking care of your children. And remember those parking worries for your vehicle! In such case, a niche portal for children like www.FirstCry.com comes in quite handy and convenient!

1. FirstCry is a joint venture with the well known Mahindra Group. 
2. It is a niche retailer and has a huge collection of products catering to kids of various ages. 
3. For the convenience of the customer, the portal has an app as well for both Android and Apple Operating Systems. 
4. The website sources products from reputed international and domestic merchants and makes them available to its customers. These include brands include Carter's, Mattel, Ben10, Pigeon, Funskool, Hotwheels, Nuby, Farlin, Medela, Pampers, Disney, Barbie, Gerber, Fisher Price and Mee Mee.
5. The portal offers pricing that is unique and quite reasonable. There are regular regular offers, discounts, coupon codes and card discounts on its website which makes prices quite attractive to customers. Additionally, if you are a new customer registering yourself, then you get certain special offers and coupon codes too. 
6. Further, for selective products, you get to earn loyalty cash for any purchases that you make which can be used to offset price of your future purchases. 
7. The products of the website are systematically arranged and categorised so that it is easier for customers to browse the portal. 
8. The web listings are propped up with product pictures and are fitted with a zoom feature. The listings are also detailed making it easy for the customer to make his choices. 
9. For those customers who know exactly what they are looking for, there is a Search feature to locate the products directly. 
10. One another feature of FirstCry is that you can have the products gift wrapped at the time of order placement if you wish to gift certain products to your near and dear. 
11. Unlike many of its competitors in the online and offline market, FirstCry is special since it has a presence not only in the online segment but also in the offline space. It has a network of brick and mortar stores spread across the country allowing customers a 'touch and feel' shopping. 
12. The portal offers free shipping and quick deliveries across the country though there are occasions when there are delays. 
13. As with any shopping portal, there is a tracking feature for customers to know where exactly their products are at any given point of time.
14. In case you are looking to purchase selected items at a future date, then you have the facility to bookmark or wish list your choices. 
15. Shopping online on its website is also a seamless experience. It facilitates multiple payment options to suit different classes of customers like Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Net Banking, Cash on Delivery (COD), PayTM, Wallet, PayPal and UPI. EMI facility is also provided. Further, it supports multiple type of cards like Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Diners Club and RuPay.
16. For any online portal to be credible, it needs to be secure. FirstCry is just that - it is equipped with high levels of security to safeguard customer data and payment information. 
17. FirstCry also has a FirstCry blog and 'FirstCry Parenting' guide wherein there is a wealth of information for parents to care better for their children. 
18. Even with the best of online shopping portals, there are times when there are issues with the products. That said, for those rare occasions, FirstCry has an effective return and refund policy. 
19. The portal is also equipped with prompt customer service to address any queries or complaints that customers may address to it. You can email or call the Contact Centre of FirstCry so that your issues can be effectively addressed. 
20. The website also has a good presence on Social Media like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Google+ which can also be used as channels for customers to raise their queries or complaints. You can also prefer to look at their FAQs section which could potentially resolve most of your queries. 
21. Given that FirstCry is a marketplace, it provides opportunities to entrepreneurs to enroll on their platform or opt for becoming their franchisee.

From our own personal experience, the FirstCry portal is an excellent marketplace for baby care products. We have made purchases on it for our personal requirements and they have essentially turned out well. The pricing complemented by the discounts has been quite competitive vis-a-vis both online and offline competitors. It has an effective return and refund policy when customers are not happy with the products.

However, it must be noted that there are times when the prices of the products are falsely printed at higher cost and then a discount is offered thus misleading the customer to think he is getting a great deal (when that is not the case)! Once in our experience, we purchased a school bag from FirstCry around Rs.900/- post discounts which appeared to look considerable. Strangely, when we received it, we found a DMart label on it wherein the MRP was below Rs.700/-. This indicates lack of scruples in inflating prices, misrepresenting information and then misleading the customer. That is not a good approach to follow.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Wisdom from Warren Buffet, The Oracle of Omaha

Wise Investing

Tags: Warren Buffet Famous Oracle Sage Wizard Omaha Berkshire Hathaway Conglomerates Purchased Taxes Rich Wealth Successful investing Investors Investment Gurus Business Holdings Media Insurance Energy Food Beverage Industries Net Worth Forbes Donating Pledging Charitable Foundations Celebrated Philanthropist Inspiring Insightful Quotes Quotations Wise Widsom Saving Earning Income Spending Buy Sell Opportunities Ideas Risk Expectation Expensive Cheap Fear Greed Euphoric Problem Solution Hyperactive Stock Market Enterprise Prediction Thought Long Term Mistakes Extraordinary Events Projections Research Price Action Momentum Volume Companies Profitability Loss Dominant Franchise Index Fund Outperform Professionals Cash Happy Money Diversification Concentration Reading Value Work Appraised Debt Interest Rates Flows Assumption Commodity Competitor Overheated Results Reputation Associates Behavior Fair Corporation Fluctuations Attractive Equities Sinking Reports Equations Intelligence Economy Elections Schools Effective Intrinsic Bargain Growth Transfer Turnarounds Wall Street Rolls-Royce Forecasters Bubble Leverage Balance Sheet History Learn Management Poor Fundamental Economics Quality Assets Liabilities Insider Information Right Wrong Distress Reasoning Facts

Warren Buffet needs no introduction. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world today - that is despite donating and pledging a large part of his wealth to charitable foundations. He is popularly known as Oracle of Omaha / Sage of Omaha / Wizard of Omaha and is one of the most successful investment gurus and respected business persons of the world. He was born in Nebraska on 30 August 1930. He first purchased stock at the age of 11 and filed taxes at age 13. He is synonymous with Berkshire Hathaway which he assumed control in 1965 and was pivotal in its expansion into one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Today, the organisation has holdings in media, insurance, energy, food and beverage industries. His current net worth is estimated by Forbes to be approximately US$ 89 Billion.

Apart from his meteoric rise to one of the richest and most celebrated philanthropist men in the world, Warren Buffet is also famous for his inspiring and insightful quotes in the world of investing. Each of his quotes is a pearl of wisdom for potential and existing investors on wise investing. Here are some of those wonderful quotes.

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• Saving: “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.”
• Earning: “Never depend on single income. Make investment to create a second source.”
• Spending: “If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.”
• Investment: “Do not put all your eggs in one basket.”
• Success: “You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.”
• Risk: “Never test the depth of river with both the feet.”
• Expectation: “Honesty is very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.”
• Humanity: “If you’re in the luckiest 1 per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent.”

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1. “A climate of fear is your friend when investing; a euphoric world is your enemy.”
2. “A great investment opportunity occurs when a marvelous business encounters a one-time huge, but solvable problem.“
3. “A hyperactive stock market is the pickpocket of enterprise.“
4. “A prediction about the direction of the stock market tells you nothing about where stocks are headed, but a whole lot about the person doing the predicting.”
5. “A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”
6. “Always invest for the long term.”
7. “An investor needs to do very few things right as long as he or she avoids big mistakes.“
8. “An investor should ordinarily hold a small piece of an outstanding business with the same tenacity that an owner would exhibit if he owned all of that business.”
9. “Anything can happen in stock markets and you ought to conduct your affairs so that if the most extraordinary events happen, that you’re still around to play the next day.“
10. “As Buffet said in the speech, “He’s not looking at quarterly earnings projections, he’s not looking at next year’s earnings, he’s not thinking about what day of the week it is, he doesn’t care what investment research from any place says, he’s not interested in price momentum, volume or anything. He’s simply asking: What is the business worth?”
11. “Buy a business, don’t rent stocks.”
12. “Buy companies with strong histories of profitability and with a dominant business franchise.”
13. “By periodically investing in an index fund, the know-nothing investors can actually outperform most investment professionals.”
14. “Cash never makes us happy, but it’s better to have the money burning a hole in Berkshire’s pocket than resting comfortably in someone else’s.”
15. “Chains of habits are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
16. “Diversification is a protection against ignorance. It makes very little sense for those who know what they’re doing.”
17. “Diversification may preserve wealth, but concentration builds wealth.”
18. “Do a lot of reading.” – on how to determine the value of a business
19. “Enjoy your work and work for whom you admire.“
20. “For some reason, people take their cues from price action rather than from values. What doesn’t work is when you start doing things that you don’t understand or because they worked last week for somebody else. The dumbest reason in the world to buy a stock is because it’s going up.”
21. “Great investment opportunities come around when excellent companies are surrounded by unusual circumstances that cause the stock to be misappraised.”
22. “I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.“
23. “I am a better investor because I am a businessman and a better businessman because I am an investor.”
24. “I do not like debt and do not like to invest in companies that have too much debt, particularly long-term debt. With long-term debt, increases in interest rates can drastically affect company profits and make future cash flows less predictable.“
25. “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.”
26. “I don’t measure my life by the money I’ve made. Other people might, but certainly don’t.“
27. “I have pledged… to always run Berkshire with more than ample cash… I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits.”
28. “I knew a lot about what I did when I was 20. I had read a lot, and I aspired to learn everything I could about the subject.”
29. “I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for ten years.”
30. “I never buy anything unless I can fill out on a piece of paper my reasons. I may be wrong, but I would know the answer to that …I’m paying $32 billion today for the Coca Cola Company because… If you can’t answer that question, you shouldn’t buy it. If you can answer that question, and you do it a few times, you’ll make a lot of money.“
31. “I really like my life. I’ve arranged my life so that I can do what I want.”
32. “I try to buy stock in businesses that are so wonderful that an idiot can run them. Because sooner or later, one will.”
33. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”
34. “If a business does well, the stock eventually follows.”
35. “If at first you do succeed, quit trying on investing.“
36. “If you don’t feel comfortable owning something for 10 years, then don’t own it for 10 minutes.”
37. “In a commodity business, it’s very hard to be smarter than your dumbest competitor.“
38. “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”
39. “Investing is laying out money now to get more money back in the future.”
40. “Investors making purchases in an overheated market need to recognize that it may often take an extended period for the value of even an outstanding company to catch up with the price they paid.”
41. “It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.”
42. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
43. “It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”
44. “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.“
45. “It’s not debt per say that overwhelms an individual corporation or country. Rather it is a continuous increase in debt in relation to income that causes trouble.“
46. “It’s us fun being a gorse when the tractor comes along, or the blacksmith when the car comes along.“
47. “Look at market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.“
48. “Money is not everything. Make sure you earn a lot before speaking such nonsense.”
49. “Money to some extent sometimes let you be in more interesting environments. But it can’t change how many people love you or how healthy you are.“
50. “Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can’t buy what is popular and do well.”

Wise Investing

1. “Never count on making a good sale. Have the purchase price be so attractive that even a mediocre sale gives good results.”
2. “Never give up searching for the job that you’re passionate about. Try to find the job you’d have if you were independently rich. Forget about the pay. When you’re associating with the people that you love, doing what you love, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
3. “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.”
4. “No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”
5. “Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”
6. “Only those who will be sellers of equities in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise.  Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.”
7. “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.“
8. “Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it’s the lack of change that appeals to me. I don’t think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That’s the kind of business I like.”
9. “Our favorite holding period is forever.”
10. “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
11. “Read Ben Graham and Phil Fisher read annual reports, but don’t do equations with Greek letters in them.“
12. “Risk can be greatly reduced by concentrating on only a few holdings.”
13. “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”
14. “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy.”
15. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
16. “Stop trying to predict the direction of the stock market, the economy, interest rates, or elections.”
17. “The best business returns are usually achieved by companies that are doing something quite similar today to what they were doing five or ten years ago.”
18. “The business schools reward complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.“
19. “The critical investment factor is determining the intrinsic value of a business and paying a fair or bargain price.”
20. “The fact that people will be full of greed, fear, or folly is predictable. The sequence is not predictable.“
21. “The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.”
22. “The investor of today does not profit from yesterday’s growth.“
23. “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”
24. “The stock market is a no-called-strike game. You don’t have to swing at everything – you can wait for your pitch.”
25. “The Stock Market is designed to transfer money from the Active to the Patient.”
26. “Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.“
27. “Turnarounds seldom turn.“
28. “Unless you can watch your stock holding decline by 50% without becoming panic-stricken, you should not be in the stock market.”
29. “Valuing a business is part art and part science.“
30. “Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls-Royce to get advice from those who take the subway.”
31. “We don’t get paid for activity, just for being right. As to how long we will wait, we’ll wait indefinitely.”
32. “We have long felt that the only value of stock forecasters is to make fortune-tellers look good.”
33. “We like to buy businesses, but we don’t like to sell them.“
34. “We will have another bubble, but usually you don’t get it the same way you got it before.”
35. “We will only do with your money what we would do with our own.”
36. “We will reject interesting opportunities rather than over-leverage our balance sheet.“
37. “What we learn from history is that people don’t learn from history.”
38. “When a management team with a reputation for brilliance joins a business with poor fundamental economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.”
39. “When asked how he became so successful in investing, Buffett answered: ‘we read hundreds and hundreds of annual reports every year.”
40. “Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.”
41. “Why not invest your assets in the companies you really like? As Mae West said, ‘Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
42. “Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.”
43. “With enough insider information and a million dollars, you can go broke in a year.“
44. “With few exceptions when a manager with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for poor economics, it is the reputation of the business which remains intact.“
45. “You do not adequately protect yourself by being half awake when other are sleeping.“
46. “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ.”
47. “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.“
48. “You ought to be able to explain why you’re taking the job you’re taking, why you’re making the investment you’re making, or whatever it may be. And if it can’t stand applying pencil to paper, you’d better think it through some more. And if you can’t write an intelligent answer to those questions, don’t do it.“
49. “You shouldn’t own common stocks if a 50 per cent decrease in their value in a short period of time would cause you acute distress.“
50. “You won’t keep control of your time, unless you can say ‘no.’ You can’t let other people set your agenda in life.”
51. “You’re neither right nor wrong because other people agree with you. You’re right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right – that’s the only thing that makes you right. And if your facts and reasoning are right, you don’t have to worry about anybody else.”

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Quick Thinking & Excellent Presence of Mind

Quick Thinking & Excellent Presence of Mind

Tags: Life Lessons Moral Inspiration Management Stories Quote Quotation Anecdote Value Excellent Interesting Presence Mind Quick Thinking Wise Wisdom Idea Innovation Famous Personalities Albert Einstein Science Scientific Work Theory Relativity Equations Frontiers Comic Illustration New York Times Hot Stove Nice Pretty Girl History Concept Secretary Interviewers Factual Fiction Validate Presentations Car Driver Annoyed Compliment Skills Ability Happy Knowledge Media Industry Venue Clothes Questions Answers Dilemma Poor Impression Stunned Amazed

Albert Einstein is one of the most famous men in history for his many path-breaking scientific theories. One of his most publicised scientific works is the Theory of Relativity that is world famous and will be probably remembered for a long time to come. In fact, stripped of its equations, the concept can be understood even by laypersons. Einstein was asked to explain his abstruse theory many times. In that context, there is a famous quotation and anecdote attributed to him which was comically illustrated in the New York Times in March 1929 involving a hot stove and a pretty girl.

It is believed that the anecdote originated when his secretary who was a girl, wanted to know what Relativity really meant as she was frequently bothered by inquisitive interviewers. He explained it thus - "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

Anyway, here is another anecdote relating to Einstein which is not factually validated but without doubt interesting.

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When Einstein's Theory of Relativity broke many scientific frontiers, he was invited frequently to give presentations of his theory. For all his presentations and work, he always went by a car accompanied by a driver. During his scientific presentations, Einstein's driver used to be seated in the last row listening to him.

One day, while Einstein was on his way to a presentation, his driver remarked, "Sir, I have heard your Theory of Relativity so often presented by you in simple terms that I feel even I can give a presentation on it. In fact, I remember every word that you say to present your theory." Hearing this, Einstein was not annoyed - instead, he took it as a compliment on his presentation skills and his ability to make even laypersons understand it so well. He was quite happy that even his driver understood his theory though he did not have any practical knowledge of Science.

Apparently, during those days, media was not a booming industry and people were not very familiar with Einstein's looks. Keeping this in mind, Einstein told his driver, "For next presentation, I would like you to present the theory." His driver was excited and agreed. When both of them reached the venue of the presentation, they changed their clothes with the driver as a scientist and Einstein himself dressed in the garb of a driver. Then they went inside the hall.

As agreed, the driver went on the stage and began the presentation. His presentation went so well that no one even doubted him. Then came the questions and answers round before the presentation closed. The driver sailed through most of the questions in the round as he had heard Einstein answering those questions in the earlier presentations.

However, there was one question towards the end of the session that the driver was unable to answer. He was stuck and in a dilemma. However, he realised that if he did not do something, then it would leave a poor impression on people if they got to know that it was Einstein's driver who had given the presentation.

So he thought a while and responded quickly on his feet. He said, "Your question is quite easy - even my driver can answer it. He is sitting in the last row. You can clarify it with him." Einstein was both stunned and amazed at his quick thinking but took the question and answered it without any problem.

➤     Life Lesson: The anecdote may be fiction. However, it proves the value of quick thinking and an excellent presence of mind that can get you out of difficult circumstances.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Growing Wealth Wisely with Hard Work & Passion!

Growing Wealth Wisely with Hard Work & Passion!

Tags: Moral Inspiration Motivation Management Stories Wise Wisdom Investment Business Sense Wealth Riches Money Amount Expenses Strategic Risk Hard Work Perseverance Passion Greed Family Farmer Father Daughters Bag Wheat Grains Chance Lottery Win Testing Assessing Village Acreage Land Success Marriage Happy Property Capabilities Responsibility Farmland Idea Meeting Possible Home House Celebration Rejoicing Progress Discussion Flock Birds Sacred Food Service Question Reply Safe Confident Positively Surprise Bullocks Men Laughter Listen Wondered Confused Smiled Sowed Good Crop Carts Life Lesson Vision Progressive Assets Intelligent Decision Making Results

We have heard often how men with no money worked hard with passion and made their wealth. When we look at their current status in society, it is common to look at their wealth and perhaps overlook how they got there. Simply put, people love a rags to riches story and forget the hard work and time such people put in to get where they are. While we may love rags to riches stories, yet such things are not possible overnight when we rule out games of chance.

Even with games of chance like lottery wins, the money thus received gets spent faster than you can replenish it if you are not wise and re-invest carefully. Therefore, the key is to invest wisely however small the amount and make it grow with time and through perseverance. While in that process, it is necessary to keep expenses low and relevant. Equally important is to take a fair bit of strategic risk that improves the returns on your investments. It may take time but hard work and passion can grow your investment though greed can take it down faster.

Here is one short story of a farmer assessing his daughters for their business sense.

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There once lived a rich farmer in a village with his four daughters. He owned and tilled a large acreage of land successfully with good returns from it. He had married off all his daughters and they were living their lives happily too. As time passed, the farmer got older. As all his daughters were married, he had no one else to look after his property. So he came up with the idea of testing and assessing the capabilities of his daughters basis which he could entrust the responsibility of taking care of his farmland to the chosen daughter. Once he firmed up with his idea, he called a meeting with his daughters and gave each one of them a bag of wheat grains. He asked them to use the bag of grains in the best way possible and then meet him after one full year.

One year passed. As agreed, all the daughters returned to the farmer's home. The farmer was happy and welcomed them all back with a grand celebration. After the rejoicing was completed, he began meeting with each of his daughters to understand the progress they had made with the bag of wheat grains given to them.

The eldest daughter was the first one to join the farmer in the discussion. He then asked her what she had done with the bag of grains that was given to her. The eldest daughter then replied, "Father, I saw a flock of birds on my way back home. I fed the grains to the birds." The farmer listened to this but made no comment.

He then called his second daughter and asked her the same question. She in turn replied, "I believed those grains that you had entrusted me were sacred. So, I mixed those with other grains kept for community food service. That way, everyone can could have it.”

It was the turn of the third daughter and the farmer repeated the same question. Pat came the reply from her, “I have safely kept the grains that you gave. As you asked me to meet you after 1 year, I bought them back as they were.”

The farmer was not enthused by the responses he had received from his first 3 daughters. He finally put the question to his youngest daughter, unsure what response he would get and not very confident that it would be positively different from the answers given by his elder daughters. To his surprise, the youngest daughter replied, "Father... I do not have those grains with me now but I need 2 bullocks and men to help me get the grains back here."

Her sisters were also present when she gave this answer. They broke out with laughter after listening to her. They wondered why she would need bullocks and men to get the bag of grains back home. The farmer was equally confused and asked her, "Why do you need men and bullocks to bring wheat here?” The youngest daughter smiled pristinely and said, "I sowed the bag of grains you gave me. Now, after a year, I have grown a good crop with them. That is the reason, I need men and bullocks to harvest them in the fields and bring the wheat back to the house in carts."

Listening to her answer, the farmer was ecstatic. He immediately understood that she was the wisest of all his daughters. He handed over his responsibilities for her to take care of the farm and grow it further.

➤     Life Lesson: It is vital to have a vision and back it up with hard work. Always be progressive and build on the assets you already have with intelligent decision making. This is bound to produce positive results.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

Tags: Internet Website Portals Platform Amazon FlipKart Pepperfry Online Offline Etailers Advertise Market Shopping Curated Products Brands Purchases Orders Free Fast Shipping Transport Tracking Rental Consultations Modular Solutions Kitchens Wardrobes Customised Studios Installation Services Home Needs Decor Furniture Electrical Goods Hardware Art Clocks Vases Planters Collectibles Candles Lights Fragrances Lamps Lighting Bed Sheets Blankets Quilts Table Linen Cushions Pillows Towels Curtains Carpets Mattresses Cookware Cookers Chimneys Blenders Beverage Sandwich Snack Makers Juicers Choppers Slicers Dish Washers Refrigerators Mixer Grinders Ovens Gas Stoves Water Purifiers Geysers Rates Prices Cost Amounts Coupons Discounts Offers Budgets Payments Debit Credit Gift Cards Net Banking Wallet Paypal EMI COD Secured Information Customers Experience Quality Positive Negative Feedback Responses Defective Problem Complaints Return Replacement Refund Policy Escalation Selling Merchants Program

The online segment is heating up these days with a variety of products aimed at customers. You name it and and you find it offered online on one of the many shopping websites. In this area, the furniture market is gaining prominence. It is now peppered with many furniture etailers. While there are many online portals dealing with furniture like Amazon and FlipKart, yet they are not niche players. That is where niche players are carving out a place for themselves. Pepperfry is one of the topmost brands now that has established itself as a niche furniture etailer! If you are looking for anything in furniture and home decor, then you will definitely find it on www.pepperfry.com. The etailer was one of the earliest startups in the furniture ecosystem that went into online portals.

Here is a look at what makes Pepperfry special in the niche online furniture segment.

1. Well defined website with user friendly interface. Images optimised and loads fast on a range of devices and varying internet speeds without any drag.
2. The portal has categorised its products systematically making it easy for customers to choose from a range of products.
3. It has clear presence in social media viz., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+. The advantages of social media presence is that customers can bookmark their selections easily for later reference. Further, if you wish to provide positive or negative feedback, that becomes easier and faster as responses are also quicker.
4. For those who are comfortable using mobile devices, Pepperfry app is available for Android and Apple Operating Systems.
5. Quite a few of us are used to do window shopping and deferring our actual purchases to a later point of time. In such cases, the website has a user friendly feature to bookmark your choices or Wish List them in your online Pepperfry account. 
6. The website offers well known domestic and international brands on its platform at competitive rates that are not so easily available elsewhere.
7. While Pepperfry's core product line is furniture, yet it also deals with many other products other than furniture from a home needs perspective such as wall art, wall hangings, clocks, vases, pots, planters, collectibles, candles, tea lights, fragrances, lamps, lighting, bed sheets, blankets, quilts, table linen, cushions, pillows, towels, curtains, carpets, mattresses, cookware, cookers, chimneys, blenders, beverage makers, sandwich makers, snack makers, juicers, choppers, slicers, dish washers, refrigerators, mixer grinders, ovens, gas stoves, water purifiers, geysers, hardware and other electrical goods. The list is rather long but suffice it to say that you will find almost all of your home needs requirements here on Pepperfry.
8. In large number of cases, Pepperfry also takes care of your installation needs for any of your orders purchased through it though this feature is limited to only few cities and is not universally available. In locations where installation services are unavailable, customers will need to make their own arrangements.
9. Additionally, the portal also offers consultations for modular solutions for your home such as modular kitchens and modular wardrobes. Through this feature, you can get customised modular furniture for your home. Again, the only flipside is that it is available only in few cities.
10. Understandably, many of us still hesitate to purchase directly through online portals especially if the order value is high. While penetration of online shopping is on the increase, yet it still has a long way to go. For such kind of people, Pepperfry has the options of brick and mortar Pepperfry Studios that are located in key cities wherein customers can check their needs in person through touch and feel and make their purchases. Unfortunately, this is a feature limited to few select cities. For the rest of us, we still have to purchase online directly through Pepperfry or its peers or go to a brick and mortars store if we are not prepared to do so.

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

11. Customers can avail of free shipping where their order value is a minimum of Rs.999/-.
12. One key differentiator between Pepperfry and its competitors is that it offers faster shipping.
13. There are also tracking features available for your shipped orders so that you are apprised of its movement.
14. The latest trend is to opt for rental furniture. This is gaining traction these days as it is targeted at people with high mobility who move frequently between cities on account of their work schedules and therefore, do not wish to purchase furniture as it will be a hassle to keep spending on their transport. For such groups, Pepperfry offers furniture rentals on selected goods. However, this feature unfortunately is limited to some cities only.
15. Offers range of discounts through the year and on special events suiting the budgets of different groups of people. In fact, there are deeper discounts if you are new customer registering for your account first time. You are issued coupons with limited time frame that you can apply on your selected products and avail discounted prices.
16. Multiple payments options are available for customers such as Debit Cards, Credit Cards, Net Banking, Pepperfry Gift Cards, Wallet, Paypal and EMI. A variety of Credit & Debit Cards are supported including International Cards. COD is available on orders basis certain parameters. The portal offers No Cost EMI as well. All the payments are secured so that there is no leakage of confidential information.
17. From a customer service perspective, customers can reach out to agents through eMail, Chat, Phone or social media. Sadly, call-in number is not toll-free and customers will be charged on their calls by their respective telecom provider. There is also no direct email address that you can address your complaints - instead, you would need to fill-in a web form. Apart from this, it has a comprehensive FAQs section on its website that customers will find very helpful.
18. The portal has a clear escalation matrix defined for customer complaints. In case there are any issues, customers can opt either for replacement or refund of the product to their original source of payment. 
19. If you interested in selling your products on the platform, then there is a merchants program on Pepperfry that facilitates and promotes merchants on its portal.

We have not yet made purchases of substantial amounts on the portal. However, we did have a smooth experience with the few purchases we made till date. The feedback we have received from family, friends and acquaintances has also been essentially positive. However, do remember that their return and refund policy on large value orders may sometimes get tricky. So please be cautious that your choices are well made. Further, a good number of features like Furniture Installation, Pepperfry Studios, Furniture Rentals and Modular Consults are limited to few cities only. So if you are not in those cities, then it is going to be a flipside for you.

Sometimes, we have heard that they are not very open to negative feedback. For example, it has been noted on internet that their products are not thoroughly curated in which cases what you receive may not be as it was advertised or may be defective or not qualitative. This becomes a serious issue when the orders are of large value. When some customers reverted to them, they were surprised that their feedback was not well received and their accounts were blocked. Also, be it noted that the price that is displayed on their website including coupon discounts does not include shipping cost (if any) and taxes. You get to know the final price only when you are completing the payment.

That said, every portal has its pros and cons. The trick is to be fully aware and make cautious choices that suit your requirements. From our perspective, Pepperfry has worked out for us as it has one of the most comprehensive product ranges in the online or offline market. Moreover, sometimes, if the order value is less and you have a problem, they are generous and they just refund the amount without even bothering to pick up the product. This is a rarity and we have not seen this with any other online shopping portal.

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