Those who open a dollar store are always looking for new, creative ideas for their grand opening event.  They want to make their event stand out from the pack without spending an arm and a leg to do it.  There are almost as many suggestions are there are dollar store grand openings.  However, one of the important things to remember is your dollar store grand opening is a chance to let many potential shoppers know about your store.  The ultimate goal is to turn these potential shoppers into customers who come to your store routinely.   

One of the best ways to make potential shoppers into customers is to not only make your dollar store grand opening a memorable event for the adults in the family, but to also make it a fun and memorable event for the children in the family.  If you plan to hold a grand opening event when you open a dollar store be sure to focus on the children.  Start by providing some combination of balloons, pop corn and other children’s favorites.  But don’t stop there.  Put some of your dollar store merchandise to work.

Set up a children’s station during the dollar store grand opening event.  Purchase extra dollar store merchandise to support the various activities.  For example, provide an attendant who uses fake tattoos and makeup for face painting.  The kids will walk away happy.  They will remember your store and the fun they had.   They will then ask their parents to return to your store again and again.  

But don’t there.  How about a coloring contest?  You can provide a small carton of color crayons and a picture to color.  This could be an event held during the grand opening.  Even better, consider sending the picture and crayons home with a deadline to be returned.  That return visit will generate sales for your store.  It will also serve to remind the shopper about your store and the dollar store merchandise you carry.  Provide prizes for the winners of the coloring contest.  Possibly gift certificates to shop in your store would be an idea.

When you start a dollar store business your dollar store grand opening must be memorable.  While this article has focused on the children, don’t forget the adults.  There are many low cost methods to get them excited.  Use your imagination and creativity to develop a list of options for your dollar store.  Any place you can make use of dollar store merchandise reduces costs and is a silent advertisement to bring customers back for more.

To your success when you open a dollar store!

Hi my name is Ashley Hall, and I am the New Store Opening Supervisor here at Dollar Store Services, the largest Dollar Store Developer on the North American Continent. I began my Dollar store experience working in management for Dollar Tree, the largest true dollar store retailer in the nation. While working there I was involved for four years as a certified training manager in which I was responsible for training and increasing the profit levels for over 18 stores. My job here at Dollar Store Services is to work with new store owners from the very FIRST day they open for business and then for 6 to 8 weeks or until they are totally comfortable with every facet of the business. My job is to make sure you completely understand how to run the operations of a store, the suppliers that should be used, make sure the fixed cost level of the store is kept at the proper level, and to help with every single manner the new store owner has to deal with. We will be in constant communication. Together, we will track sales on a daily basis based on department so we can identify which departments to grow in order to assure maximum sales . I will teach you how to create merchandise orders and then I will review those orders to make sure you are buying from the right suppliers and in the right quantities to ensure the proper mix of goods, and at the lowest possible delivered costs so you realize the highest profit potential. Once you are comfortable with all aspects of your business I will <b>...</b>

Discovered in the late 70's, mineral makeup has only recently started gaining popularity in the cosmetics world. One of the most famous claims regarding mineral makeup is that it is actually good for your skin. Is there any truth to this claim? Read on and find out.

First of all - what is mineral makeup? Mineral makeup is made from naturally-occuring crushed minerals, usually zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxides and mica. These loose minerals are combined together in different quantities to make a variety of mineral makeup powder formulations such as foundations, finishing powders, concealers, blushers, bronzers and eye shadows. The minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in particular, act as a natural sunblock, effectively filtering UVA and UVB rays to deliver sun protection of up to SPF 20.

Mineral makeup is free of irritants like perfumes, preservatives (such as parabens), alcohols and dyes. Many traditional makeup brands use synthetic FD&C dyes in their products - however, these dyes have been identified as the one of the leading causes of allergic reactions in makeup. Most mineral makeup lines do not use synthetic dyes, instead, the colors are derived from naturally-occuring iron oxide pigments. All this makes mineral makeup very suitable for people with sensitive skin. In fact, mineral makeup has even been used after surgical procedures like laser peels, when skin is at its most sensitive.

However, not all mineral makeup lines are completely free of chemical irritants. Some brands use the bismuth oxychloride, which can be very irritating on the skin. Bismuth oxychloride is a mineral that is used in some major mineral makeup lines because it imparts a shimmery look to their makeup, and is a cheap filler. Bismuth oxychloride is also heavy, hence the need to 'buff' or force it into your skin. Mineral makeup lines that do not use bismuth oxychloride tend to be lighter in texture and easier to apply.

Mineral makeup can also be good for acne sufferers. By its very nature, mineral cosmetics are non-comedogenic, oil-free, anti-inflammatory and cannot harbor bacteria, which means that acne blemishes can be covered or concealed without further aggravating them. Mineral makeup will not necessarily cure acne, but skin has a much better chance of healing while wearing it, compared to traditional makeup. Many have also reported that they have fallen asleep wearing their mineral makeup without suffering any breakouts the following day. In fact, some mineral makeup lines even have mineral night-time treatments, which are specially-formulated mineral powders that you can wear every night to improve your skin. A good excuse to wear makeup to bed?

Crucially, mineral makeup avoids the use of talc, a known carcinogen found in a lot of traditional makeup. There are also no petrochemicals or coal-derived ingredients, common in a lot of traditional makeup. As you can see, the ingredient listing in say, a mineral foundation is much shorter compared to a traditional liquid foundation.

The positive claims of mineral makeup cannot be applied to all mineral makeup brands or all people. Some will have different reactions compared to others. It is always good to research first before you buy.

Erin Kelley

First off Revlon and Almay have the same parent company! Thus the same or similar packaging but NOT THE SAME PRODUCT!!!!! * Im not paid by any company and i bought this product with my own money Its a good "powder" for after you conceal or after you put on foundation. if your out of foundation and are looking for a product for good coverage or concealing this isnt what that should be used for. It doesnt have amazing coverage for blemishes! BUT i think you should think of this as a powder for after your foundation or for after you conceal. they just need to remarket it as such because people are disappointed with it thinking of it as a foundation. Also it feels cool and wet and youll think the brush is wet...its not :) It does have shimmer or a highlighting effect....it will make your skin look healthy with a healthy sort of glow but up close youll think you look waaay to glittery but in person you dont. My fiancee even said i look pretty :) he said i looked bright and healthy. FOR OILY SKIN MY ROUTINE IS: I use my clean and clean matifying moisturizer for oil control Then i use my dream matte mousse and conceal pen for blemishes that arent covered THEN i would use this on top sounds like alot but its really not and not heavy and for oily skin its a perfect routine. I also carry face wipes and dab my T zone and nose throughout the day to help look fresh. ONLY dab so you dont wipe off your coverage

If you've ever visited Santa's Workshop in the North Pole you'll know that Santa has many elves helping him to prepare for Christmas. But I bet you didn't know that not all of the elves stay in the workshop all year round. Each and every year Santa sends some of his magical elves on a special assignment. To visit the homes of little boys and girls the world over, to spend time in their homes and with their families, and to report back to Santa about their behaviour in the run up to Christmas.

Santa's Elf is designed to make Christmas a magical one for your children. He's the perfect interactive tradition for families and school classes. Do you have young children who would like a visit from Santa's Magic Elf this Christmas? Then read on and find out how to bring a little Elf Magic into your home this holiday season.

This magical elf is very mischievous and gets himself into all manner of unlikely places as he carries out Santa's investigations. Your kids will also want to take him to visit friends and classmates so he needs to be sturdy. If you are creative you could make your own Magic Elf using material scraps, other wise you can pick one up from a store.

Your Magic Elf will need a name, a letter from Santa explaining the reason for his visit and a small notebook or journal in which he will write his Elf Report. The premise here is that Father Christmas has sent this little elf to visit your family to report back to Father Christmas on the behaviour of your children. Santa will return to collect the Elf on Christmas Eve and if they have been good he will leave gifts before whisking the Elf home to the North Pole.

You'll need to decide on the best time for him to arrive into your house. This could be during Thanksgiving, a couple of weeks before Christmas, or even on the day you put up the Christmas Tree. Choose a day that suits your family best. You might want to put the elf in a basket along with his letter and notebook, or hide him in the Christmas Tree. Use your imagination to introduce him to your kids with a little fan fare - he is an important guest after all!

Once the Elf is settled into your house he will need to spend the evenings carrying out his research, once the little ones are sound asleep you can hide him in cupboards or behind the sofa. Carrying out Santa's investigations is tiring work and this little elf can be known to fall asleep on the job. The kids will have to search for him in the morning to find out where he fell asleep this time.

Oh and did I mention the Elf Mischief? Yes, he has a mischievous streak and is known to take all of the pots and pans out of the kitchen cupboards, hide the remote control for the television and leave candies in coat pockets -- all while the kids are fast asleep!

Come December 24 your visiting elf will need to be packed and ready for his trip home to the North Pole. Make sure you bundle him up warm with his Elf Report and place him near the chimney or window so that he can let Santa into the house. Your children might want to send him home with a letter that they have written to Santa. They'll probably want to tell him all about the mischief that the elf got up to, how much they enjoyed his visit, and of course extend an invitation for next Christmas!

Clare Swindlehurst

( IF YOU CAN'T READ THE LYRICS) rated and comment In a magical land, in a magical town Santa and his magic elves were hanging around Building magical toys for girls and boys To deliver to the world to bring Christmas joy The reindeer were snug in their snow covered stable While Santa puts Turkey on the dinner table But a mile away, hubbled in the snow Gary sits scared as the Arctic Winds blow Alone on his own, forgotten and lost Surviving on roots and the permafrost Dreams of joining Santa's team filled Gary's head And he'd walk by the stable when they all had gone to bed He'd tap on the glass, the reindeer would laugh Cutting Gary's self-esteem painfully in half He was Rudolf's half-brother, unplanned, unwanted By his father's indiscretions he would be forever haunted Gary the Green Nosed Reindeer was of unexpected birth But one day he saved Christmas and he proved to them his worth All of the other reindeer used to laugh and make him cry They never let poor Gary fly with them up in the sky In a big dark castle on the other side of town Osama Bin Laden was wearing a frown With a bat on his shoulder decked in a black cape He devised a new plan to make America shake He said, "I'll destroy Christmas, here's what I'll do: I'll kidnap poor Rudolf as 9/11 Part 2 The West will quake when their holiday is gone Then I'll rule the world like my name is Exxon!" He snuck into the stable so he could steal Rudolf and he left in his Jihad Mobile Santa found out the news and he said <b>...</b>