A Little History About Zap Skimboards

Zap skimboards has become a powerful force in the skimboarding world. The founder of zap skimboards is Bob Smetts. Bob is from Venice Florida. He created his first skimboard in his backyard back in 1983. Back at that time Smetts was building custom surfboards and sailboards. Having grown up in Venice, and this being where he began skimboarding at the mere age of 7 on some home brewed plywood slabs. And just at the young age of 15, Bob made his very first surfboard. Then in 1975 he moved to the North Shore of Oahu so he could hone his surfing skills and board building skills. He later returned to Florida back in 1981 and married Karla Smetts and started a family. Bob said, “we had five kids and built a lot of great memories.” He was still continuing to build surfboards and sailboards under the name “Smetts”, and “Windflight”.

Here’s a quote from Bob, “The first Zaps were built to supplement my surfboard building income. At first it was simply economics, but over time the skimboard design and construction process began to develop and mature. Skimboards became our only business, I call it Zapology.” The manufacturing process for zap skimboards included many of the tools, molds, and equipment that they use now and were designed right there and Zap grew to be the national and famous brand that it is now. And by the early 1990’s, Zap found it’s way to the beaches and in the hands of skimboarders in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and the Caribbean.

What started out as a supplemental income building boards for beginners and the entry level consumer market has turned out to be one of the biggest and most respected names in the skimboarding industry. Zap was just struggling to fill a product void in an expanding sport on a tiny budget. Now every skimboarder in the world knows Zap. They have also become a major force in Asia and continue to expand their boards all over the world. Their boards are also proudly made in the USA.

Yellow Balau Its Remarkable Properties

Decking supplies in Melbourne have a vast selection of high quality timbers. One of the quality timbers in Melbourne is the yellow balau which is proven to be 50 per cent stronger than oak. It is also known for its outstanding flexibility.

After the yellow balau tree is cut, the woods takes a long time to dry. Its strength increases when it is dry.

The main factor for its longevity is its strength. A certain specie of the yellow balau, the Shorea maxwelliana was found to have lasted for more than one decade. The untreated yellow balau wood was used in a graveyard. It is a quality wood because it has a high level of resistance from pests and weather. This wood is also resistant to any preservative treatments. Otherwise, it could last for, may be more than 20 years.

This is a wood found mostly in different regions of Asia like the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, India, and Malaysia. This timber is commonly used for the construction of bridges, staircases, door and window frames, cabinets and heavy duty furniture, and some parts of automobiles.

Its appearance is yellow-brown that is why it is named yellow balau. During its growth stage, its first layer is yellow or grayish brown, while the outer layer is light yellow. The outer layer will turn silver or gray after a long time of exposure to air and water. When the heartwood is also exposed to the elements, its yellow or gray color turns dark brown.

Since the yellow balau is naturally strong, it is therefore very difficult to cut it unless it is freshly cut. But the smoothening and the flattening of this woods is relatively easy when done before the wood dries. Drilling holes on the wood should also be performed when it is freshly cut.

However, since the yellow balau dries slowly, it tends to have some cracks on its surface. The outer layer of the wood is also susceptible to fungus and other beetles. It also tends to acquire some molds. However, the heartwood is extremely resistant to pest invasion and other infections. Old yellow balau trees are not highly recommended for construction supplies because their heartwood are soft making them vulnerable to damages. This is why yellow balau trees that are a bit younger are best since their heartwood are undamaged.

In spite of that, the yellow balau retains its image to be one of the best timbers in Melbourne.

Popular Business Trend In The Philippines

Franchising businesses had gained a lot of popularity in the Philippines when many Filipinos had started to go for this business rather than starting their own business from scratch. According to many experts, the reason why franchising became a popular trend in the Philippines is because of the many new franchising businesses which made it easier for many Filipinos to start their own business. This is when food-cart and food-stall businesses had been introduced in todays franchising industry.

Popular Business Trend in the Philippines
Franchising had been practiced in the Philippines for many years. However, it was only recently in which these types of business process had gained a lot of popularity and demand in the market.

The reason why is because of many new franchise businesses which was made available to provide Filipinos with the opportunity to start a profitable business. This is when food-cart and food-stall businesses were introduced in the Philippine market.

Advantages of Small Franchise Businesses
The advantage of small Franchising business Philippines, such as food-cart and food-stall businesses, is its cost, which is significantly lesser compared to larger franchise businesses. Because of this, many Filipinos were able to acquire a franchise compared in the past in which the only the wealthy were able to acquire a franchise.

In addition to its lesser expensive franchising costs, these small franchise business in the Philippines normally doesnt require any proof of managerial experience or any MBA certifications, which are usually, required for larger franchise businesses. This allows many Filipinos, even for those who have no experience in handling a business, are given the opportunity to start a profitable business. This is also serves as an important learning process for many entrepreneurs.

Significant Impact of Franchise Businesses in the Philippines
According to the PFA, or the Philippine Franchise Association, the growth of franchise businesses in the Philippines had contributed largely to the growth of the Philippine economy.

Due to the growth of demand for franchise businesses in the Philippines, thousands of enterprises were created to accommodate this demand, in which this growth had also led to the generation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, making franchising an important tool in the countrys economic growth.

It was also because of the growth of the franchising industry of the Philippines that gave entry for Filipinos to introduce their brands and concepts in the world market. Another is that the growth of the Philippines as the franchise hub of Asia when it comes to the development of franchise concepts