American Tattoo Machines Making Their Mark

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tattoos

Love them or hate them, tattoos are as popular now as they have ever been, and people are constantly finding new and creative ways to produce unique ink designs that will last a lifetime. However, did you know that the tattoo machine itself is not only another American invention, but it also shares an inventor with one of the most iconic breakthrough inventions of all time?

The creator of the first electric pen, intended to be used for duplicating designs, was invented by none other than Thomas Edison, creator of the modern light bulb, in 1876. Four years later, it was discovered that modifying the pen allowed it to inject ink into skin to create a tattoo. Although similar experiments had been done already by tattoo artists, businessman Samuel O’Reilly patented the necessary modification for the first time and began a successful tattoo business in New York in 1891. Continue Reading →

Designer Kids’ Clothing Goes Global

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The biggest names on fashion including Gucci, Fendi and many more started bringing designer labels to the childrens’ clothing market less than ten years ago on a large scale, but already that trend has exploded in both the US and the UK. Some of the most popular ranges in the UK now are Fred Perry and Lacoste boys polo shirts, Replay jeans, Scotch Shrunk kids’ clothing and Lamborghini footwear, plus at the highest end of the market you still have the likes of Versace, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. These are all readily available in popular online stores like Papillon Kids Clothing.

Not much originates from America on this list, but that’s not necessarily where the connection comes in. Although most of the most famous high-end fashion houses are European, it’s often the American market that gets the new trends first as the biggest retail giants in the US get exclusive deals and market new ranges worldwide. This started happening a few years ago when the high profile fashion outlets of New York City’s famous Fifth Avenue started launching new designer ranges for kids and putting massive marketing budgets and celebrity endorsements behind them. Continue Reading →

Multi-Level Marketing Going Multi-National

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Multi level marketing

Multi-level marketing is a specific style of marketing that is usually referred to as a different form of direct selling. Also known as MLM, the process has been around for decades and its origin is disputed, but it has existed since the 1920s in various forms. In modern times there are a wide range of MLM business opportunities out there in both the UK and the US thanks to the creative initiative taken by American firms nearly 100 years ago.

The California Perfume Company was one of the pioneers of the business model, although we know them better today as Avon. Originally, the famous “Avon Ladies” would only have earned their profits from the sales they made personally. Working for the company but not given a salary, instead they would have been entirely dependent on the products they bought from Avon and sold on at a higher price to buyers in their homes or elsewhere. Not a huge amount has changed about this, except that now not only would the representative of the company earn profit from their own sales, but also a cut of the sales made by anyone they recruited to join the business. Continue Reading →

5 things you didn’t know originated in the US

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There are a whole host of inventions that come from America and we love to celebrate them all as well as the impact they’ve had in the UK and all around the world. However, even if you’re a seasoned reader you might not realise some of these are actually US-made.

1) Fortune cookies

This might actually be an obvious one to many people, but fortune cookies are so closely associated with traditional Chinese style food in the US (and also widely known in the United Kingdom) that most people assume they were created there originally. In fact, a Japanese-American immigrant named Makoto Hagiwara invented the modern design of fortune cookies in 19th century California. Chinese people think Americans are crazy for having these as part of their culture and generally have no idea what the basis for them is supposed to be. Continue Reading →

Should more army uniforms be made in the UK?

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Recent figures suggest that only a small percentage of British army clothing and uniforms are actually made in the UK, which has been a surprise to some. Producing official kit used in real life combat by the army costs over £80 million in an average year but only around £5 million is spent actually within the UK. This is in stark contrast to the US, where the law dictates military uniforms have to be made in the country by domestic firms. The question is, does this matter?

There is an argument for doing this like the Americans, firstly because there is nothing more patriotic than supporting the military. Right or wrong, many people in the US feel strongly about supporting military action around the world and trying to ensure that peace is kept and allies are defended, but many of these people are also unable to help directly. That’s why many people feel it’s important to support the military in any way possible, including through the production of uniforms and kit domestically. Continue Reading →

Fast food: from America to the UK and back again?

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McDonald’s is the definitive icon of fast food around the world, and having started in the 1950s and maintained this image for so long, there is no sign of it changing any time soon. However, there have been many subtle changes in its branding over the years, and this has only been made possible through its different methods of developing in different countries.

The iconic yellow M logo may remain the same in every country around the world, but there isn’t much else that’s set in stone for McDonalds’ branding. In Asia and Europe especially the incarnations of the brand are quite different to the famous imagery we see from America, and this is due to the company recognising the need to adapt to each very different market it has entered. Continue Reading →

American-style beds and bedrooms coming to the UK more

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American-style homes are known for being big in every sense. Visual style is very important and there is the classic image of a massive open plan house that just isn’t seen widely in the UK. However, all this is gradually changing as US style beds and bedrooms are being increasingly favoured by UK home owners looking to add something different to their home.

Firstly there is the issue of space which continues to be a problem. Homes in the UK are physically a lot smaller than those in the US, with less land available and a higher population density even in suburban areas. There isn’t much getting round this, but for those people who do have some extra space available they tend to want to make the most of it more and more. Having more space and an open plan design for rooms indicates luxury and for many people it’s worth investing more in your bedroom above all else because it’s going to be the room you spend the majority of your life in. We sleep for a third of our entire lives on average, so why not invest in quality bedroom design and beds? Continue Reading →

American business trends coming to the UK in 2016

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America is known for being the home of many of the world’s biggest brands, and is of course a massive test market that the rest of the world can look to for ideas about what might dominate global business next. There are a few emerging trends that we expect to see more of in the UK as they grow in popularity across the Atlantic.

1) Having everything for nothing

There is certainly a growing trend for on-demand services of all kinds, something that has been seen in America for some years now but only recently begun to catch on in the United Kingdom. For example, streaming services like Netflix and the newly launched YouTube Red are redefining the rules about how people pay for their entertainment – music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal are doing the same in their market.  Amazon has also been experimenting with food and drink delivery within hours, something they may be able to roll out to their whole product range within years. Everything is about paying a set fee for something and getting an unlimited amount back for your money, and since this is based around convenience and making life easy, people are increasingly getting on board with this. The idea of paying yearly subscriptions for music venues is something we expect to see launching within the next year, for example. Continue Reading →

Some of the most important American inventions – Part 2

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Welcome back to our summary of some of the key inventions of the last few centuries that came from the United States. We have so many important ones to mention we have to make this one a double bill.

Airplane

Many inventors were determined to be the first to perfect a flying machine, and over the years there were many disastrous attempts, with the first major breakthrough being made by the Wright brothers in 1903. Their biplane was built in North Carolina and soon transformed the future of aviation, having great implications for the military and commercial travel within a few short decades. Continue Reading →

Some of the most important American inventions – Part 1

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America may have a relatively short history compared with the UK and other countries, but a whole host of vitally important inventions and innovations have come out of the US in that time. Here is a roundup of some of the most crucial.

Light Bulb

Probably one of the most famous American inventions, the light bulb is the defining legacy of Thomas Edison who also brought us a number of other brilliant innovations. It was actually dreamt up by several before him, and was the end result of decades of experiments. Obviously the impact of this invention was massive and we still use products that very much resemble the original design Edison created. Continue Reading →