Light: Mother Nature's Mood Booster

by Susan Pfingst, Hunter Douglas

If you have any doubt about the emotional effects of light, just ask Dr. Judy. The radio call-in therapist, less famously (and more formally) known as Dr. Judy Kuriansky, stresses that light can increase your customers' energy, elevate mood and, when properly controlled, facilitate more healthful sleep patterns.

"Light has a tremendous effect on mental health," says Kuriansky, who is also an adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center.

Kuriansky encourages people to think carefully about their circadian rhythms (the 24-hour psychological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the earth's rotation). "It is important for people to feel that they have control over their environment," she says, "and some window coverings enable you to do that." Continue Reading...

Have You Gone Granite?

by Kevan Irsch

The kitchen is the new living room.  Let’s face it - as homeowners become busier than ever, families are spending less time relaxing next to the fireplace.  As a result, the kitchen has become the new family gathering area, and more buyers are seeing additional value in substantial option investments in the kitchen.  Granite countertops are one of most important features a builder can offer consumers, and can even be the selling point of a home.  Via Bertolini has become a leading provider of granite fabrication and installation by placing focus on the customer, pursuing a competitive pricing strategy, and delivering consistency in color and quality.  The company has mastered the supply chain from the quarry in Brazil to home installation, making the granite purchasing process simple. 

Purchasing & Profitability: 4 Keys

by Blair Kuhnen

Measuring performance is more than simply tracking leads and sales.  It applies to all aspects of your business.  The purchasing function has many things to be measured, but it’s more than simply trying to determine how much you might have saved buying faucets.  The biggest benefit of measurement is guiding management action to improve profitability.