More interesting Blogs....

Damian Mulley is one of the head guys that organised the recent Blog Awards and is a very respected figure on the irish internet scene. Has some very interesting and regularly updated blog posts.

Defo worth a regular read...

Niall Haribson and iFood.tv

One of the more recent blogs I have started to read is the blog of Niall Harbison - You might remember him from the UK version of Dragons Den and the investment they received for their online video receipe company iFood.tv. The company has recently rebranded, on advice of the dragons, to now be called LookAndTaste

There is some very interesting posts and video advice on his blog especially for entrepeneurs like him. His blog post "Go with what your heart says not your head" poses some very interesting points about business and business decisions.

My favourite one is "How to make yourself more likely to succeed" - in order words work on any weakness that you have and build those up. I too am a strong believer in this ethos be it in business, sport or living in general

However there is a book named Now, Discover your strengths that tries to presuade you to do the opposite - Read their book, do an online test to discover your five greatest strengths and work on making these better. Alot of US multinational companies are starting to adapt this strategy also - for any project, group a team together with a combination of all necessary strengths to make the project work - Harmony, Focus, Responsibility, Organiser etc.

It is an interesting concept.

Anyway, Niall Haribson has an interesting blog with a good array of subjects. Well worth checking out.

perfumeireland.com and giftvouchers.ie create partnership

perfumeireland are delighted to start working with giftvouchers.ie

Giftvouchers.ie is an Irish online store selling Luxury Branded Gifts and Gift Vouchers from all local businesses. From Stag Partys to outdoor activities there are loads of gift ideas on the site. New businesses are been added everyday.

Perfumeireland currently has a small range of our specials on the site but we will increase our range with time. We look forward to working with Sian and her team.

Home Energy Savings Scheme

The minister for Energy, Eamon Ryan recently announced a €100 million national insulation scheme open to all homeowners. It is a stepping stone to re launching the economy and building trade and is hope it will benefit 50,000 homes in 2009.

So what is it all about and what do the grants cover?

Basically the scheme is open to all homeowners. However, applications cannot be made until a full list of SEI registered contractors have been released. This will be released by Sustainable Energy Ireland in the near future. In the meantime, you can register your interest for the scheme by emailing them on hes@sei.ie or phoning 1850 927 000

Basically speaking the grants include insulation upgrades to roofs and walls. This includes either cavity wall, internal dry-lining or external insulation. Grants are also available for Heating Control Upgrades and Building Energy Rating Assesments.

Before you can do any work you need to have applied for the grant and received approval from S.E.I.
You are advised to get a Before BER and After BER assesment done - The Before BER assesment can be done prior to grant approval. People that are unsure about their options might find this very benefiticial. Once your grant is approved, you need to use a contractor from the SEI`s Registered List.

For more information vist the SEI website

Clinique Skin Supplies for Men

In the last few years the amount of money Men spend on skincare products have increased rather significantly - Clinique was the first company to make a venture in mens skincare products in 1976. Basically their products provide a simple wash, tone and moisturise routine for men thus helping to remove blemishes, red patches, open pores, blackheads, dull looking skin.

Clinique Skin Supplies for Men range is one of the most popular out there. The three most popular products are as follows:

Clinique M Face Scrub
This is a great pre-shave scrub. It helps revives and smoothes the skin, while removing dead skin and the build up of oil therefore clearing the way for a closer shave. It is also reccommended to help stop the growth of ingrown hairs.

Clinique M Daily Eye Hydrator

This oil-free hydrating gel immediately soothes and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and shadows. it works to firm and strengthen eye-area skin and therefore helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It is advised to apply daily to clean eye area, both over and under eyes and can be used day and night.

Clinique Maximum Hydrator
This hydrating cream triggers your skin's ability to build and retain moisture. It minimises the look of fine lines, while helping to rehydrate and firm any dry skin. For normal and dry skin it is best to apply this in the morning and evening or after shaving.

Sitepoint - The Bushfire Relief Sale

I have used Sitepoint for years. It is a huge source of information for anything to do with web development, web design and ecommerce in general.

Two days ago they launched a promotion whereby users could buy 5 of their books for the price of 1. Granted that they are in PDF format, their books provide some great resources of information - PHP, CSS, Javascript, Project Management. All proceeds of sales are going directly to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal

Already the have raised $75,000 which is a huge amount and are aiming for $100K.

It is a very worthwhile appeal and a chance to pickup some quality material at 1/5 of the price

Details here

perfumeireland on Ebay

I have always had an interest in buying and selling on ebay. It is a tough market to crack though as it is very competitive and takes alot of time and investment to get your products selling.

I have sold everything from GAA programs, Hurling helmets, Skiing Goggles and even a set of VW Golf Hub Caps.

Recently though Ive started to sell some of my products on it. I sell some on a "Buy it Now" and others on an Online Auction. I cant say Ive made a lot of money yet, but the general idea seems to be to get a niche market and sell those items.

I sold Hurling helmets about 2 years ago - I brought in 25 of them from a contact I had in the USA. They were the Cooper type helmet that were unavailable in the shops and are still very hard to source today. I made about a 50% margain on them, and took a chance in buying all the stock that the contact had. Since then though Ive been struggling to get a niche product - but the search continues.

My current listings are here

perfumeireland team up with YourLenses

We recently agreeded to start working with YourLenses to offer a full range of contact lenses on perfumeireland.com

Yourlenses is one of the biggest and cheapest online lense companies in Europe. They guarantee that they offer the lowest prices because "We monitor our competitors’ prices on a daily basis, and update our own prices continuously to ensure that they remain lower. Thanks to our low price
guarantee, we can ensure that the lenses you buy cannot be bought at a lower price."

IGOPeople - Whats it all about

I recently signed up to IGOPeople. Its social networking with a difference. Firstly its an Irish site and secondly its a social and business networking site. People can sign up and have a profile as an Individual, Group or Organisation. Interaction with other users is the main aim of the site and it is starting to become very popular and contain quiet alot of valuable information for individuals and companies. Lots of the bigger Irish companies such as Vodafone, O2, Eircom etc have already signed up with this site. There are plenty of small ones too such as puddleducks and worldwidecycles.com. It is still in Beta testing but it is a site that has a great future so keep an eye out for it.

Valentines Day - What do I reccommend

Im not a big fan of Valentines day. It was blown out of context over the last few years. Florists, Restaurants etc. ripping you off with inflated prices etc. Valentines has never meant a huge increase in sales with me, however there is always a few emails of what Id reccommend to purchase for a loved one.

For Her:
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Spray
This was by far the most popular perfume over Xmas and was very hard to get in alot of high street stores. Described as "A feminine and sexy, young and exciting interpretation of the irrepressible spirit of Coco Chanel. COCO MADEMOISELLE is a modern oriental fragrance, fresh and sensual. " - It is available in 50ml and 100ml bottles

Vera Wang EDP Spray
An old favourite and highly popular. It has a fabulous long lasting smell and yet isnt too strong. Described as leaving "you a wonderfully romantic & luxurious feel", it is surely an option for Valentines.

For Him:
Calvin Klein In2U Him EDT Spray
Launched in 2007, this was Calvin Kleins newest attempt to recapture the youth market they had with their fragrance CK One. Described as "pink grapefruit, bergamot, currant leaves, sugared orchid accord, white cactus, neon amber, vanilla souffle and red cedar."

Issey Miyake EDT Spray
Another old favourite and still a very popular scent. Described as been reccommended for "romantic use" this fragrance notes are juniper, bergamot and lavender. I would describe it as an everyday fragrance - not too sweet and not too spicy, just classy!

SEO on your website - where you should begin!

I wrote this entry on IGOpeople last week:

Almost every person that owns a website has an interest in SEO and wants their site to appear high in Google. SEO is a pretty big area, however there are many small things people can do with their sites to improve their Google rankings.

Page Titles are one important factor and people should consider the following. Most websites sell a varity of different products e.g tvs, laptops, mp3 players etc. If you have a separate page for each different kind of product you sell then you should include relevant keywords in each of those page titles.

So on your Sony TV`s page for example your page title could be:

"Buy flatscreen Sony TV"

and on your Toshiba Laptop page the page title could be:

"Buy 13" Laptop from Toshiba"

The important thing is to get repevant keywords into your page titles. Most sites have the same pagetitles on each page. Page Descriptions and Page Keywords should also be individualised.

Remember this technique alone wont get you on top of the first page in Google but it will help - Having relevant keywords with an attention grabbing message might entice people to click your link even if you are not at the top.

What a Weekend

Over 79,000 crammed into Croke Park on Saturday for what must be described as one of Irelands greatest victories over the past few seasons of the 6 nations. I think peope were afraid to talk about the game. The media were quiet and after a lack luster set of Autumn Internationals, the irish public needed a lift. And by god did we get one.

Ireland are not a bad rugby team. No matter how good a team is if they dont believe in themselves and their own ability then they will not perform at their best. Ireland had a poor series of Autumn Internationals, a lack luster 6 nations in 2008 and a dreadfull World Cup. Confidence was at a low eb. Brian O Driscoll was finished. Gordan Darcy was injured.

Roll forward to Saturday Feb 7th 2009. Munster heart mixed perfectly with Leinster pace and what a resounding result. Jamie Heaslip and Brian O Driscoll weaved in and out of French tackles to score two magnificiant tries. Darcy`s was the iceing on the cake. Roll on next Sunday and the Italians.

My first post

Feb 9th 2009 - Start a blog they said, it will help no end.

So here it is. I havent really thought alot of what Im going to Blog about. Yes it will be associated with perfumeireland and advice on what to buy, whats popular and all our latest deals and sales. I hope to also hit on other items that interest me - Web Development, ECommerce, SEO, Making Money, Cars and of course the GAA and sport in general.

I also hope to add a list of sites and other blogs that I reccommend.

So call back soon, call back often and make sure and email me or leave a comment if you have any questions.

What we do:
Perfumeireland.com offer you a comprehensive range of Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare and Makeup products at prices to suit your budget!. Choose from products from different brands. Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare and Makeup with FREE delivery directly to your door.