Camsdcute’s Lair

Archive for the ‘Investing’ Category

The 2009 list of Fortune 500 has been released. There are major changes in the rankings, though majority of the companies stayed in the list. The report stated that 38 fell off from the list, led by financial firms Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Washington Mutual Inc. and Wachovia Corp. It’s good to see the companies I’ve worked for stayed on the list.
Here’s the top 50 list. Complete list is in Fortune 500 site

1. Exxon Mobil
2. Wal-Mart Stores
3. Chevron
4. ConocoPhillips
5. General Electric
6. General Motors
7. Ford Motor
8. AT&T
9. Hewlett-Packard
10. Valero Energy
11. Bank of America Corp.
12. Citigroup
13. Berkshire Hathaway
14. International Business Machines
15. McKesson
16. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
17. Verizon Communications
18. Cardinal Health
19. CVS Caremark
20. Procter & Gamble
21. UnitedHealth Group
22. Kroger
23. Marathon Oil
24. Costco Wholesale
25. Home Depot
26. AmerisourceBergen
27. Archer Daniels Midland
28. Target
29. Johnson & Johnson
30. Morgan Stanley
31. State Farm Insurance Cos.
32. WellPoint
33. Dell
34. Boeing
35. Microsoft
36. Walgreen
37. United Technologies
38. Dow Chemical
39. MetLife
40. Goldman Sachs Group
41. Sunoco
42. Wells Fargo
43. United Parcel Service
44. Caterpillar
45. Medco Health Solutions
46. Pfizer
47. Lowe’s
48. Time Warner
49. Sears Holdings
50. Safeway

With the growing interest of people on accessories for themselves, home or cars, there’s a great opportunity in selling beadworks. There are many things that you can make using beads – bracelets, necklaces, bookmarks and a lot more. To jumpstart this venture, here are some information you may need.

Beads 101
Typically, a bead is a small object pierced for stringing or threading. Beads vary in sizes and design. There are thousands of unique bead designs available in your local shops. These beads are made up of different materials like glass, plastic, stone, gems, horn, ivory, seeds, clay, metal, bone, pearl, coral, synthetic materials and a lot more.

Beadwork is the art of making things with beads. The most common method used is to string these beads into a wire or a thread. Other ways include weaving the beads together using a specialized thread and sticking the beads on a surface, usually a cloth, wood or clay.

Products made out of beads
These are some items you can make using beads.

• Bracelet
• Curtain tassels
• Necklace
• Anklets
• Christmas, holiday decoration
• Door, window ornaments
• Scrapbooks
• Belt Buckles
• Earring
• Ornament covers

Beadwork materials
When buying beads for large scale production, it is suggested that you purchase from those promoting wholesale products to minimize your cost. If you’re just starting up, you can buy assorted beads that will fit your design. Aside from the various beads, these are the typical materials you need to start making your products. As you progress, you might need more complex

• Tassel cord
• Nylon strings
• Metal wires and cones
• Scissors
• Pliers
• Measuring tapes

References and Guides
For further reading, you can check on the following:

• Beading for Beginners
• Bead-Space – Social networking site for beaders
• The Complete Bead Guide
• Jewelry Selling Secrets, Start A Jewelry & Craft Business From Home
• Ultimate Bead Lover’s Guide
• Beading Supplies
• Beadworks Providence