According to our friends at Blossom Street, a leading software venture capital fund here in Dallas, every software company, regardless of the scope, wants to garner success in terms of clients, leads, and brand prestige. They hope to accomplish these goals, such as customer retention, increased monthly buys, reduction in waste, customer information, business expansion, and more. These plans collectively contribute to overall business health. 

According to Blossom Street, the SaaS venture capital market is expected to top $215 billion by 2025. To get noticed and be cash-positive in this rapidly growing market, SaaS businesses have to develop and ship relevant products to users while optimizing their processes and managing their own risk. The fall of the SVB proves this.

When it comes to lending to small SaaS businesses that are generating mild revenue, venture capital funds like Blossom Street seem to be the best option. They usually offer funds to support startups and SMEs that have long-term growth potential. 

In this post, we will specifically talk about VC firms that invest in US-based SaaS businesses. 

But first, let’s understand more about VCs and their interest in funding businesses. 

What’s in It for the VCs?
Venture capitalist firms have a keen interest in investing in companies that have the potential to generate excellent ROI. With the SaaS industry growing at the rate of 500% over the last seven years, cloud-based systems are likely to take over the on-premise software for good. 

VCs prefer SaaS because of the following reasons.

1. They Are Capital-Efficient

If a SaaS company utilizes the capital to develop a product methodically then its chances of gaining profitability are greater. In fact, Sarah Nöckel, seed investment manager at VC firm Northzone says it is possible to build a profitable SaaS business with funding of less than $10M. 

2. They Offer Recurring Revenue 

The SaaS business model follows a recurring pattern. It focuses on selling a monthly subscription plan to customers while providing them access to desired features. 

Further, if any customer wishes to use additional features, they can subscribe to a premium plan. 

In other words, customers are renting the software on a monthly or yearly basis instead of buying it. This ensures constant and growing revenue flow through the month.

3. They Cater to Growing Customer Demand

Instead of investing a large sum in one software and using it for years, customers are now drawn to more flexible options. The subscription-based payment model and regular feature updates make it easy for customers to have access to the latest version of the software without any hassles. No wonder, customers are preferring SaaS over traditional on-premise software.

With SaaS becoming the heart of the software industry today, VC firms have realized its potential to capture the market and earn the best ROI.

Dallas-based (or Lake Dallas, to be more precise) The Hangover Cure is back after years of hibernation. The popular hangover prevention dietary supplement drink mix was big in the early 2010's and is being rebranded now that the original owner has control of the product again. Rumors have circulated for years and it seems the relaunch is underway.

The popular drink mix can be purchased here for just $19 with free shipping worldwide. That's a pretty sweet deal for our readers. The site is predictably full of madness but we would expect nothing less. Go get em, champ. Because we've all been drinking lately.

(The Hangover Cure is a non-addictive all natural dietary supplement formulated to help with awful hangovers. Just drink before bed. We rarely do product shout outs but this one is so good and we are such long time users that I couldn't resist. The Hangover Cure is not designed to treat, prevent or cure any disease per the FDA.)

The average cost of hiring a tree service to perform tree removal in Carrollton, Texas is around $640 (range $370 to $1,310 depending on factors below). These costs and prices will vary based on issues native to your project such as: age of the tree, accessibility, condition of the tree, and size. Location in your yard can be a significant factor. Areas with a higher cost of living will be at the higher end of the range because of the complexity of the work involved.

This blog post is meant to give you a rough guess on the price to remove or prune a tree in your area. However, since costs will vary by season, we suggest that the easiest way to get an accurate price quote is to request a bid for your specific project.

Cost to cut down a tree in Carrollton in 2021
The price for such tree work in Carrollton, Texas is around $640 (ranging from $290 to $1,310). Trickier projects can cost thousands more when multiple trees are involved, or the work requires multiple crews.

The average cost to cut down a tree based on the height of the tree:
Cost to remove a 20 foot tree: $300 to $440
Pricing to remove a 60 foot tree: $600 to $1020
Cost to trim a tree in Carrollton (3-person crew)

Factors that Influence Tree Service Costs in Carrollton TX

When a tree company comes to your property to give you a price quote, they will consider several issues that can increase or decrease the cost. Cost for tree removal can vary based on the height of the tree and the ease of access to the tree on the site. The type of expertise needed can impact the price quote you receive also. Consider the following when thinking about price:

• You have a large tree (the bigger the circumference, the more pricey the job).
• You have a difficult yard to maintain.
• There are high voltage power lines near the tree.
• A crane must be brought in.
• The tree is in a poor or damaged condition.
• You are requesting an after-hours service.

Lower price factors:

• You have a tiny tree.
• You are requesting the service in the off season.
• Your site is easy to get to.
• The tree has already fallen over.
• The work can be done without heavy equipment.

Bids from Tree Services Near Carrollton, TX

US Tree Care Tree Service The good folks at US Tree Care are your local tree service near I-35 in Dallas. They are proud to assist residents in the Dallas / Ft. Worth Metroplex. Since 2002, they have been offering affordable, reliable and fantastic tree services for the residents and businesses of Dallas / Ft. Worth. Contact US Tree Care for a quote on your next project today!

Top Bathroom Updates for 2020

For many homeowners the bathroom is a place for escape and unwinding after a long day.  Unfortunately, it’s also a room that can become quite outdated rather quickly and lose some of that appeal.  That’s why we’ve come up with a quick list of top remodeling trends for those in need of a bathroom refresher for the year 2020.  The following ideas are sure to bring that perfect calming yet luxurious feel back to your personal sanctuary.

1. Vintage Style Stand-Alone Tubs

Up first is a continuing trend that just speaks of spa room luxury at first sight.  We’re talking about the stand alone bathtub.  Taking out the standard bathtub and adding a stand alone will create a wow factor immediately to any bathroom.  For the most part a full sized bathroom is best for this feature so that the eye is drawn to the sculptural element of the tub.  Some designers are even using bold colors such as deep blues and even black to create even more of an impact with this bathroom feature.  There is even a way to have a stand alone tub made out of sealed wood!

Additionally, some home remodelers are adding stand alone sinks to their repertoire.  Just another option to keep in mind!

2. Open Showers

While the stand alone tub has a modern vintage feel, the open shower is decidedly modern and definitely trending.  An open shower can also make your bathroom appear bigger instantly.  This type of shower is not for everyone, but there is an element of luxury involved that many find appealing.  Both the stand alone bathtub and open shower take their cues from day spa retreats and this is what many remodelers are seeking to emulate.  Whether you incorporate both concepts or just one, you will have a bathroom statement piece. 

3.   Brass and Gold Finishes

Modern vintage romance is the look, and one way to head in that direction with your personal sanctuary is with warm gold or brass fixtures and finishes.  

From faucets to towel racks to framed mirrors, these warmer, vintage inspired tones add depth and warmth to the modern bathroom, especially when paired with our next trending update.

4.  Marble and Marble look

The perfect pairing to romantic brass fixtures is the use of marble in your bathroom update.  Marble is timeless, classic, and luxurious.  Some home designers are using it floor to ceiling in bathrooms with incredible effects.  A much less expensive option is marble look wallpaper which still makes a statement, but is better suited to smaller bathrooms or half-baths.

5.  Bold and Shiny

While Marble is timeless and classic, there is a growing trend brand new for 2020 and that’s high color, high gloss tiling.  If you’re ready for a big change, then this is a great option for changing things up.  We’re talking dramatic, jewel-toned and super shiny.. On the wall, on the floor, floor to ceiling, or any way in between, these new tile options are on the rise.

6.  Bringing the Outdoors In

Once reserved for living rooms and dining rooms, plants and greenery are making a big splash in the latest bathroom updates.  Spa luxury is again the key phrase here and the use of live plants can also add the right amount of color to liven things up.   All you need to do is bring in a few potted plants, or maybe some wall mounts if you’re feeling adventurous.  This is sure to breathe some life into an outdated bathroom and is one of the easiest things you can do to transform the space.

7.  Minimalist Storage

Streamlined compacted bathroom storage options are a definite trend for bathroom updates in 2020.  The concept is to keep things as simple as possible to create the least amount of stress in your space.  This, of course, is a trend that home builders and renovators are moving toward throughout the entire house.  But you can start with your bathroom if you dream of a clutter free inner sanctuary.  Some options include hidden cabinets and under vanity storage.


8.  Heated Flooring

And finally, a trend that comes from Japan is the heated floor.  This comes from the idea of the wet room, which is a fully waterproof room without shower doors.. The floor is sloped and heated to encourage quick evaporation and drainage.  However, modern home builders around the world are beginning to include heated floors in bathrooms as a luxury option.  No more cold feet in the bathroom!


      We hope you enjoy creating your own personal spa getaway with one or more of these great bathroom remodel ideas for 2020.

Exciting New Kitchen Trends for 2020

Most home improvement experts can agree that the kitchen is the star space of any home and also the point of interest that jumps out at home buyers during showings.  A great updated kitchen can make or break a sale.  Some small adjustments can also reinvigorate and breath new life into a home.  Such updates may just make you choose to stay rather than sell!  Here’s a look at the top kitchen updates for 2020:

Get Rid of Those Upper Cabinets!

Number one is still the removal of upper cabinets.  No one knows why this hasn’t been a trend until recently, considering how little use those “too far up to reach” cabinets seem to get.  It’s almost comical that they even existed in the first place!  Who wants to use a step stool every time you need a certain serving dish or blender.

    If you’re like most people,  you will end up finding something that you completely forgot about during a spring cleaning or move.  Perhaps you even bought more of something you already had!  The fact is, those upper cabinets are awkward and removing them in favor of smarter storage options can make a big difference in the feel of a kitchen.

   In addition to modernizing the look and feel of a kitchen, this also opens up the space and makes it appear bigger than before.  And this leads to the second most popular trend, which is:


Custom Storage!

Storage options for specific appliances and kitchen tools.  Lots of older kitchens have been built without a consideration for what exactly the storage space would be used for.  The cabinets and drawers are often too small for storing larger appliances or too wide for optimal organization of things like dishes and cups.

So design aspects integrated into a kitchen with specific kitchen items in mind is a hot and growing trend.  Appliance garages for things like coffee pots, blenders, mixers and food processors can make a kitchen much easier to organize and far more efficient.  Built in drawer dividers for cutlery and utensils, pull out racks for spices, roll out organizers for pots and pans, waste baskets and recyclables are updates that will make a kitchen feel seamless.


Here Comes the Smart Kitchen!

  Adding to this new custom feel is the move toward the smart kitchen.  Not only can you have a kitchen that takes all the stress out of organization, but how about one that tells you when you’re running low on certain grocery items?!  This is an available update for those who enjoy smart home features.  For the savvy home remodeler, there are plenty of these options.  Smart refrigerators to smart ovens that tell you when your food is perfectly cooked… These are on the forefront of the newest in home and kitchen technology.  Then of course you can wash your hands with smart sensor faucets!



Color!

  In addition to the tech savvy updates on the horizon, is the growing trend toward painted or wood cabinets and colored appliances.  This is more about the aesthetic than organization, but still a great way to revive a basic, boring or outdated kitchen.  Moving away from the classic white cabinets and stainless steel appliances, these fun and functional color schemes bring warmth into the heart of the house.  Major appliance manufacturers are bringing color into their lines for 2020.  Keep your eye out for these new designs and don’t be afraid to play with color!


Streamlined Countertops and Sinks!

On the other hand, there is a new trend in countertops toward softer, muted colors without as much veining and pattern in the stone.  Quartz is still the material of choice due to the ease of upkeep, but there is less desire for the complex veining and particulate patterns that mimic granite.  This is in tune with the continued trend toward the streamlined, modern kitchen and offsets the bold color choices of painted cabinets and colored appliances as well.

Along with a more streamlined look for countertops, is a trend toward inset sinks of the same material as the countertops.  This lends itself to the refined look of the kitchen as a whole.


Beautiful, Yet Functional Flooring!

And last but not least is flooring.  Although wood flooring is still a hit with homeowners and buyers, we’re seeing a move toward ceramic tile flooring for 2020.  And of course this is in line with the desire for ease of use and modern simplicity in the kitchen.  


While wood flooring is certainly beautiful, ceramic tile is just the easiest to clean and keep free of bacteria.  Plus there are seemingly infinite options for color and style, including ceramic tile that looks exactly like hardwood but is far easier to keep clean.

These are just a handful of trending remodel options for the modern kitchen of 2020.  Whether you choose one update or many, your kitchen will look and feel refreshed and is sure to be a hit on the market or with friends and family. Bon Appetit! 

Quick hit - this site is expanding into offering resources for phone screen repair. Our first two zip codes are 75214 and 75205. If this mini-launch is successful, we will consider adding similar offerings in other areas of Texas.

Comfort
You’ll be more comfortable on a patio where adjustments have been made for particular climate problems.  Getting and maintaining a comfortable patio “room temperature” often depends on using the right combination of design elements (location, overheads, vertical screens) to modify strong prevailing winds or excessive summer temperatures.

Flexibility
Good patio design should accommodate and adjust to your family’s varying activities-- casual gatherings, children’s games, reading, outdoor dinners, barbecues, and so on.  A good way to achieve flexibility is to give design elements multiple jobs: built-in benches that store sports equipment, fire pits that double as low tables.  Creating access to your patio from more than one of your main indoor living areas also makes it more flexible.

Safety
Make it a point to learn about the properties of various patio building materials-- and avoid using any that might encourage accidents.  For example, some paving materials become slippery when wet; others are too uneven for children’s games, and some deck railings, though architecturally appealing, are not substantial enough to be safe.

Plan for safe traffic patterns between your house and patio and your patio and garden, and provide good lighting at steps along garden paths.

Beauty
Well put-together patios are successful because they achieve a certain balance-- both architecturally and aesthetically-- in the overall garden scheme.  Materials used in patio construction blend with those used in the house, and colors and textures harmonize in the patio plants and decorative touches.  Attention to construction and decorative details will contribute greatly to your patio’s overall atmosphere.

Getting Started

The first thing to do is decide what functions you want a patio to serve.  Then you can examine your landscape to see what you have to work with and where you want your patio to go.

Evaluate your needs

Your first thought should focus on your family’s needs and habits.  Considering the way you live, make a list of what is most important to you (if you have children, get their input too); then, if you need to compromise, you can compromise on the less important things.  

Here are some questions to consider:

Do you like to entertain with frequent outdoor dinners?  Do the neighborhood kids like to play in your yard?  Do you like to garden?  How much time do you have to keep your patio in good condition?  Do you prefer formal or casual living?  Will your pets damage fragile patio plants or furniture?  Your answers to these questions will determine some basic design elements for your patio. 

Sizing up the Landscape

Next, take stock of your yard’s assets and liabilities.  Even if you plan to enlist the services of a landscape architect, architect, or landscape designer, you should have a good understanding of your existing landscape.

Can your patio plan capitalize on a fine view?  Is your property bounded by woods?  Perhaps your design can take advantage of a sunny southern exposure, a mature garden, or an impressive tree.
Consider also your yard’s handicaps-- is your lot on a steep slope?  Is much of the lot exposed to traffic? 

Is humidity a problem in summer?  Does your present patio open off the wrong room, get too much sun or shade, or lack sufficient space?  You’ll want to plan a patio that minimizes your special problems.

Choosing a patio location

Where your patio goes will depend largely on the size of your lot, the way your house sits on it, the uses you have in mind for the patio, and your climate.  Even if you’re stuck with a slab of concrete off the wrong room, you can still remedy a poor patio location.

Locations and lot sizes
If your house sits on a small lot, you probably have room for only one patio, most likely in a conventional spot off the living room, dining room, or kitchen.  For an L or U-shaped house, however, a single patio can link and expand two or three interior rooms without consuming additional space.

If most of your yard space is in the front, perhaps your patio belongs there, protected from street traffic and noise by a screen of shrubs or fencing.  And don’t overlook a narrow side yard or a garage roof-- you may be surprised how a little imagination can transform dead space into a cozy outdoor room.

If your lot is steep with no ground room for a patio, plan a wood deck constructed above ground.  It can relieve horizontal claustrophobia by extending one or more rooms to open up the whole interior.

Homeowners with generous lots often find that several related patios suit their needs better than a single large one.  If your lot is large, consider breaking up the space with two patios, one close to the house, the other at the far end of the garden.  With patios at different spots in the yard, you can take advantage of their different exposures to sun and shade.  

Separate patios off the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom-- planned for entertaining, informal outdoor dining and solitude-- provide alternatives for a family’s changing and sometimes conflicting needs.


Remedies for hand-me-downs
If you’ve inherited a poorly planned patio along with your house, you can renovate it to suit your landscape plan.  Try enlarging it, resurfacing it, or connecting it to a new patio by a garden path.  If you’re leaning heavily toward changing the patio completely, it’s wise to remove the old patio and start with a totally new design.

Many people spread landscape fabric, also known as weed cloth, over the excavated area before adding gravel. While the fabric can keep gravel from sinking into soggy clay, it is no panacea for stopping weeds.

Landscape fabric blocks only sprouts and runners that might come up from below: it doesn't prevent seeds that land on the surface from sprouting. You can prevent weed growth just as effectively by building your path thick enough to block sunlight from the soil - and keeping the path clean of leaves and needles. 

Without decaying organic matter to nourish them, any seeds that land on the gravel and sprout will probably die on their own. If they don't, pull them by hand while they're still small. Otherwise, loosen the gravel with a pick and remove the weeds, roots and all.

Adding edging:

Gravel paths require edging materials, and most other stone pathways benefit from it as well. Besides helping to lock the paving into place, edging material often contributes to the overall appeal of a path. Some edging is barely noticeable - a good choice if you want to create an illusion that your path is winding naturally across a site.

Plastic edging is available at any masonry supply store in several styles. For gravel paths, get rolls with a wide, rounded top edge. For stone paving, look for the type designed for brick paving. An electrician can also install outdoor lighting to complete the look.

Bricks provide a traditional touch that's equally at home in a formal garden or one with a cottage feel. This product is also available at a masonry supply store. A fence stain is another consideration to give your landscaping a distinct feel.

Special thanks to Dallas Stain Pros, DFW Landscaping for contributing their thoughts.

To some people a space for outdoor living means a quiet oasis, a small green world where they can refresh themselves; to others it is a free-swinging activities area, a place to swim or practice chip shots.  

One golf fanatic I know has a regulation sand trap just off his patio, and I once visited a railroad buff whose back yard was overwhelmed by an operating signal tower.

But most outdoor spaces are intended for much the same kinds of activities as indoor ones-- relaxation, eating, entertaining, games-- and it is helpful to think of them in those terms.  Such an outdoor living space is like an indoor “family room,” one of those flexible and durable places designed to accommodate everything from family meals and informal dinner parties to messy projects and impromptu games.  

An outdoor family room can perform many of the same functions, as well as some strictly outdoor ones, if it is designed as a similarly flexible, all-purpose kind of space, adaptable to changing needs, easy to maintain, and, where necessary, sheltered from sun, wind and the neighbors’ eyes.

To function this way, an outdoor room must have the same basic elements that its indoor counterpart has: floor, ceiling and walls.  They will not be as all-enclosing as the floor, ceiling and walls of an indoor room, but they will perform very much the same tasks.  

And because they form the basic structure of the outdoor room, those parts of the elements that already exist must be taken into account during the planning stage.  The house itself, for example, provides some of the walls for the outdoor living room, and generally little can be done about changing them.  

Existing trees must usually be counted on for part of the ceiling;  which ones-- if any-- ought to be cut down will have major influence in determining layout.  But other elements need not be considered until later.  

The furnishings of the outdoor space-- the purely decorative plants, flowers, pools, lighting, statuary or whatever, as well as the actual outdoor furniture-- are, like the furnishings of a house, concerns to be taken up after the basic plan of the room has been worked out to the satisfaction of the prospective users.

The Outdoor Room

A well-designed outdoor room can be a single area behind the house, but more likely it will be divided into two areas:  one for intensive use-- generally a paved terrace near the house for sitting, dining and some children’s play-- and a larger adjoining area that gets lighter wear but can be used for almost anything-- an occasional game of catch or badminton with the kids, an overflow of guests from the terrace during a party, or just looking at to enjoy the feeling of spaciousness it gives.

The layout of these areas depends partly on the design of the house interior.  The outdoor room must be easy to reach from indoors-- ideally, it will be a physical extension of indoor living spaces.  If you have to go out a front or side door and then around the house to get to it, or if you have to go through several rooms or lead your guests through the kitchen to find it, the outdoor room probably will not be used very much, even if you spend a fortune on it.  

So if your yard is not an easy step or two from the living room, dining room or back hall, it will almost certainly be worth the expense, generally a modest one, to convert a rear window into a door.

The location of the access to the back yard usually determines the location of the terrace section.  If this space is kept close to the kitchen, meals and drinks can be served with a minimum of walking back and forth.  

Of course there are exceptions to the rule requiring the terrace to be close to the refrigerator; if by walking to another part of your property you can gain a much better view, say of a lovely river valley, it would be silly to ignore that location and build the terrace next to the house simply to have it handy to the kitchen.  

Or, if you happen to be blessed with a magnificent old shade tree that is not right near the house, a path to a terrace there might well be worth the extra steps.

It is easier to be explicit about the size and shape of a terrace.  For convenient use by a few people-- say a party of six or eight-- it should be at least 12 feet on a side, preferably 15 feet, and more square or round than oblong to allow for natural furniture groupings and room to move around in.  

A terrace that is 20 or even 30 feet across is still better; it will permit the entertaining of a large group on a summer evening, and it will also be roomy enough to do double duty as a children’s play area, one that is easily supervised from windows of the house.

For the larger open space beyond the terrace the main criteria are just that-- large if possible and in any case open.  A yard dotted with trees and shrubs at random becomes an obstacle course that is difficult if not impossible to play touch football or croquet on and, if planted in grass, an eternal nuisance to mow.

Balance in patio planning comes when design elements are combined artfully to produce the same visual “weight” (not symmetry) on either side of a center of interest.  If your patio is shaded on one side by a mature tree, you might balance the tree’s “weight” with perimeter benches on the other side.  

If your patio is small and enclosed, but equipped at one end with a garden pool, you might balance the pool with patio furniture and accent plants.

Do-it-yourself design/construction

How much of the patio design and/or construction you can do yourself depends largely on your time, energy, skill, and experience you can give to the project.

If you have a knack for design, there is no reason why you cannot develop a good patio design, though its a good idea to at least go for an hour’s consultation with a professional landscape architect.  He or she can give you general parameters of good design and apply them to your situation, perhaps with a few rough sketches.  

If you are a skilled weekend carpenter you should have no serious problems building a simple deck or patio overhead.  If you aren’t handy with a hammer, almost every remodeling project has a few easy, do-it-yourself opportunities.  You can work on the parts of the job suited to your talents and temperament, leaving the difficult work for the specialists.

If you decide to tackle the entire project-- from design through construction-- be sure you have the time and energy for it.  Regulations governing building and remodeling can be exasperating-- and your design must accommodate those that affect your neighborhood.  

Learning new skills may seem intriguing until you run into complications that call for an expert’s judgement.  Estimating and buying the exact materials and tools you’ll need can seem frustrating, especially when material prices change from week to week.

In other words, be realistic.  Be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do well, and operate within that framework.