About five years ago, the outlook on the optical industry was looking good. In most cases, statistics showed market growth from 1997 to 1998: retail eyewear sales jumped 2.6%, from $15.4 to $15.8 billion; the average price for eyewear rose 7.4%; and sunwear units sold (sunglasses, etc.) rose 8.6%, from 290 million to 315 million. (Source: Optistock.com)
Let’s flash forward to the current day. The Vision Council of America tells us that the vision care market is expected to be strong for the rest of 2006.
Its “Consumer Barometer” reports $27.11 billion in revenue generated by the total US vision care industry during the twelve-month period ending March 2006. That’s a 5.4% increase compared to the previous year, and an 8.3% increase over two years ago.
The same VCA article also reports that more than 95.2 million eye exams were conducted during the 12-month period ending March 2005. This means that approximately 42.7% of the U.S. adult population received an eye exam during that year. That’s a “sizeable increase” over the number of exams administered during the previous year. The article also reports that 26.3% of the U.S. adult population has indicated that they will have an eye exam in April, May or June of 2006. Right now, in July of 2006, it’s a little too soon just yet to say for sure whether the amount of actual exams administered in those months measured up to those indications. However, that such a significant portion of the U.S. adult population intended to do so tells us one thing for sure: you’ve got quite a market waiting for your eyewear products.
Just to give you an idea, VCA’s 2006 Consumer Barometer tells us that 64.4% of the U.S. adult population, or 143.7 million people, reported wearing prescription eyeglasses. According to an article at eyeTopia, 32 million people in the United States (12% of the total population) wear contact lenses. (The article quotes Joseph Barr’s “Contact Lenses 2002: Annual Report” in the January 2003 issue of Contact Lens Spectrum.) A lot of people need corrective lenses out there. (Source: Eyetopics.com)
It’s particularly worth paying attention to the older end of the adult market spectrum. As human life expectancy increases, senior citizens make up an increasing percentage of the population—and, with few exceptions, visual impairment develops with the onset of age. Here’s the statistics as given by a February 2004 MarketWatch report at Optistock (Source: Optistock.com)
“As with other ophthalmic categories, the aging population contributes to an optimistic market outlook. The number of older Americans has increased more than tenfold since 1900, when 3 million people were age 65 or older (4% of the population). In 2000, an estimated 35 million Americans were age 65 or older, representing almost 13% of the total population.
By 2030 the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 20% of Americans will be 65 or older. Prevent Blindness estimates that the number of Americans with age-related eye diseases and the resulting vision impairment is expected to double within the next three decades.”
An extremely common form of visual impairment associated with aging is presbyopia, which is the loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens, causing one’s eyes to lose the ability to focus sharply on nearby objects. Most people typically develop presbyopia in their mid-forties. As a result, they become more and more dependent on reading glasses.
As with any prescription lenses, custom-made reading glasses can be acquired from one’s eye doctor, but ready-made reading glasses can also be purchased over the counter. Since a quick stop at the pharmacy is more convenient than scheduling an eye exam and then waiting for a custom order to be filled, a lot of people take advantage of the availability of OTC readers.
VCA’s 2006 Consumer Barometer reports that 13.8% of the U.S. adult population—that’s 30.8 million people—wear them. Whether this is a good or a bad thing in up for debate, it’s a happening, and you should keep it in mind when considering the fashion eyewear market.
Children represent another important segment of the market. Here are some statistics from a September 2001 article focusing on the needs of school-age kids. (Source: EyeCareBiz.com)
• From the National Parent Teacher Association: More than 10 million children suffer from visual problems.
• From PBA: Vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children.
• From the AOA: Vision disorders are a common pediatric problem in the United States, with an estimate of nearly 25 percent of school-age children having vision problems.
A “Check Yearly See Clearly” press release from July of 2002 tells us that “More than 10 million children (one in four) in the United States will go back to school this fall with an undetected vision problem that can interfere with learning.” We hope to see this statistic drop as more parents recognize the need to get their children’s’ vision tested annually. Poor eyesight can lead to difficulties in school, which in turn can hamper a child’s education.
Meanwhile, don’t forget that portion of your market that has nothing to do with prescription lenses and visual impairment: sunglasses! Not only do they protect our eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays, they just plain look cool. According to that VCA Consumer Barometer article, plano (non-prescription) sunwear is regularly worn by 191 million people, or 85.6% of the U.S. adult population.
Sunglasses aren’t the only non-prescription use of eyewear as a fashion accessory. According to an article at All About Vision, “[n]early half of Americans would consider wearing eyeglasses as a fashion accessory, even if they didn’t need them. Most perceive eyeglass wearers as either smart (40%) or sophisticated (39%), and professionals associated with wearing eyeglasses include librarians (74%), teachers (71%), lawyers (56%), artists (27%) and actors/movie stars (20%).”
We’ve come a long way from the days when a kid wearing glasses would get called “four-eyes” or “nerd” on the playground. “Nerd” is barely even considered an insult anymore. It’s the information age, and that studious, bespectacled look is now 100% cool. (Source: AllaboutVision.com)
However, a note of caution is in order. Robert La Roche, who owns the eyewear design company Lunettes Robert La Roche, warns that although we’ve seen fantastic growth in the optical industry recently, he believes we may see dramatic changes in the next decade. (Source: 2020Mag.com)
“We can’t expect consumers to buy a wardrobe of frames at such high prices,” he says. “Optical needs to take its direction from the rest of the fashion industry. Look at stores like H&M [the low-priced Scandinavian clothing store]. They sell fashion at moderate prices. If eyewear were half as expensive, consumers probably wouldn’t buy twice as many frames, but at least they would buy more than one frame every four years, which is what a lot of Europeans do now.”
So if you can be the canny eyewear designer who comes up with a way to sell more quality for smaller price, now is a good time for you to prove it!
The basic charges of a wedding photographer can run from $250 on up to $10,000 or more. Some of this difference involves the package the bride and groom have requested, the location of the shoot and the reputation of the photographer him or herself.
The first portion of packages has to do with the number of prints you would like. The basic packages cover the most important and traditional portions of the wedding, but there are also the option of engagement sets and on location photo sets, which run $250 per event or location extra from the base price usually. Some upgraded packages also feature photo albums for the parents, these usually run an extra $150.
The most basic price of $250 with a new photographer will not cover the cost of insurance, lighting or a back-up camera. These are all considered an upgrade from the very lowest base price. The typical customer is going to want to have the extra camera and back-up equipment as well as professionally edited prints. The most basic package with these options should not be sold for less than $600 per wedding in the beginning. In addition to this, you should charge $300 extra per additional photographer that is requested. This is where a partner or assistant will come in handy.
Some photographers shoot by the hour, at say $100 per hour, while others include a set number of hours within their different packages. Most couples are going to want more than two hours of coverage in most situations, so be weary of these requests, as the two hours may turn into six and you will have to let them know that they will be charged extra for this. You may even want to include the option of staying past your designated time for a reasonable per hour rate.
Another trick of the trade that some established photographers use is split time wedding shoots. This refers to shooting the most important parts of the wedding yourself and then leaving the duties of the reception shots to your assistant. This opens up the main photographer to do several weddings in one day. With this type of arrangement you can give your clients a slight price break of $300 to $600. They will still be getting the highest quality shots where it counts most. The reception is vastly easier to shoot as it is mostly freehand open shots with little set-up or preparation involved.
Another package option you may want to include is color and developing options. These include sets in black & white, sepia, or the technique of black & white with various painted touch-ups. These are generally considered options and you can charge a small fee for the extra black & white and sepia prints, The paint touch-up photos is a technique that actually takes a bit of time to accomplish, as some photographers literally go in with a paintbrush and do the work themselves.
Read more about this in our Breaking Into and Succeeding as A Wedding Videographer and Photographer eGuide.
People have traded as long as human history has been recorded. It’s one of the oldest and most timeless professions around. Trade via land and sea routes connected the first civilizations in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. There is record that the Phoenicians traded overseas as early as 3000 BC.
One of the most important and most well known trade routes was the Silk Road which connected the East and West, namely China with the Roman Empire. Spices, silks, perfumes and other goods traveled along this route from 300 BC onwards. The European part of this route was first controlled by Constantinople and later by major cities in northern Italy, namely Venice.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish and Portuguese began to use the waterways to explore new trading opportunities in Africa and Asia. Through these new trading posts, Europeans began to import rare spices, foods and other exotic goods. Europeans began to set up trading posts throughout the world, which later developed into colonies.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution was having a strong effect on worldwide economies, especially the British economy. Factories, such as cotton factories, throughout Britain were quite lucrative and needed raw materials imported to be able to keep these factories supplied.
Thus, Great Britain became the leading nation in international trade. Then, with the introduction of railways and steam ships, trade was booming. North America and most of Europe were industrialized nations by the 20th century. After the 20th century, trade was no longer dominated by primary products, but also secondary and tertiary products.
Today, trade is even more complex. Developed nations often set up their factories in developing nations where the costs of labor and manufacturing are much cheaper. Trade agreements abound and new regulations and restrictions are being introduced at an alarming rte due to security threats, whether perceived or real. International trade continues to change and adapt to the current global context. This may be your opportunity to become part of a continuum that is both historical and promising to the future of the planet.
Even though international trade has been around for centuries, in this globalized, technologically advanced age, it is bigger and more lucrative than ever. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, importing brings in a whopping $1.2 trillion in goods annually. The outlook is favorable for small startups like yours, as they dominate the market rather than the large corporations.
So why are consumers so eager to buy imports? It may because of availability. That is, there are many items that you just can’t find in your area. Maybe we’re talking about mangoes in New Mexico or lobsters in Kansas. Often, it has to do with the image. It’s much more romantic to buy French perfume, Indian textiles, or Egyptian cotton. Sometimes, it’s for economical reasons. Production costs are much less in countries like Taiwan and Mexico. Many businesses take advantage of this to provide their customers with lower priced items.
Keep in mind, though, that importing is not for the faint at heart. To succeed in this field, you need to thrive on getting the sale. You need to enjoy the art of negotiation, follow up, marketing and have a strong propensity for organization. You need to be a people person and definitely not shirk at the idea of dealing with people from other cultural backgrounds.
Learn from us. Purchase and download the eGuide on how to break into and succeeding as an importer directly here.
Do I have what it takes to become a fashion columnist?
You’ve been thinking to become a fashion columnist. It sounds more than cool, it is fascinating, but you might be thinking that you don’t have what it takes to become one. Creative writing may be a born talent, while technical writing is a learned skill. To be a good fashion columnist, having both skills would be to your advantage, but by far the most important aspect is creativity.
I’m a freelance writer, but I’d like to become a permanent columnist in a fashion magazine. How do I approach it? I don’t know any editors in fashion magazines.
This is a question that editors and publishers hear a lot. Most freelance writers prefer the steady income of a guaranteed monthly column. It is one of the best jobs that any freelancer can land.
The good news is that there are new columns opening up everyday and all one needs to do is be persistent in their pursuit to attain one of them. The best way to approach any column possibility is make sure that you know a lot about the subject matter and be prepared to prove it. Quite often, columns are filled by an editor who actively seeks out someone who they think has the talent, skill and knowledge to pull it off.
This is a good reason enough to write as much as you can, stay in touch with magazines on a weekly basis and have an updated blog to showcase your talents. Keeping up on your education and training is also important, as it goes without saying.
If you think that you don’t know anybody in the field, think again. You will really not need to know any editors of fashion magazines to get into this industry as most every one of them has an e-mail address and you can let your previous work speak for you. You do not even need to concern yourself if you do not have any published examples of fashion articles.
Be prepared, however, to write an example piece to show the editor, or better yet, have one already written to send along with your queries to give the editors an idea for your talent and specialty area. When you are keeping in touch with contacts that could get you a column, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease. But also keep in mind that an overly loud and screeching wheel will just get thrown out. Keep in touch, but never be annoying.
I have written a few fashion articles and want to become a syndicated columnist. How can I start it?
Welcome aboard those of us who have the passion and drive to write about fashion on an ongoing basis. There really is no better pleasure than writing about a true passion every week or month and have an attentive fan base to listen to our jive. And even better than this, is to have an even larger fan base all over the world, who gathers before our very words to read what advice and stories we have uncovered for the newest edition.
Many syndicated columnists are simply sought, which is why it is always important to have as much of your work out to the public as you can. If the right person happens to see it that could be the very break you have been waiting for.
However, if waiting were the only thing to do, that would not only be boring, but would not leave any room for the chase. Many syndicated columnists had to prove themselves and get noticed through countless phone calls, interviews and e-mails.
Sometimes an agent can be brought into the picture if you do not have enough time to devote to this purpose as you would like. This will all be explained in Section Five. But making it to the top would never be as sweet if it were easy, so as long as you are determined to get that syndicated column and you have its vision planted clearly in your mind, there is no reason you won’t achieve that.
Read more about becoming a fashion columnist and get syndicated here.
Odds are, you’ve heard about going green. You may wonder, though, exactly what it means to go green.
Green refers to environmental awareness. It means understanding the role that each of us play in the future of the planet. It means learning as much you can about the environment and making the decision to do something about it. It’s easy to go through life with the blinders on, to pretend that you are not part of the problem. Going green means standing up and taking responsibility for the mark you leave on the planet. But it doesn’t stop there. It also means becoming part of the solution.
When you decide to go green, you vow to live more in harmony with your natural surroundings. You are investing in the future of your children and grandchildren. You are cutting down on greenhouse gases, garbage, and energy waste. You are cleaning up your act and the planet.
Now let’s take a look at what it means to be a consultant. A consultant is someone who gives expert or professional advice. A consultant often offers his or her services to other professionals to create a more balanced final product. As a green consultant, it will be your responsibility to offer your knowledge of the environment and sustainable practices to professionals, homemakers, children, adults, or to whoever your client may be. You will choose your potential client pool and become an expert in that area.
So why would anyone hire a consultant anyway? Entrepeneur.com has the answers. Here are just five of the ten answers cited from Entrepreneur.com,
1. Expertise: A lot of people want to hire someone who has a lot of expertise in the given area. If you have a proven track record, people will be more willing to spend money on your consulting services.
2. To identify problems: Often, employees inside the business are not able to see what the problem is. That’s when it’s necessary to call in a consultant, someone who can objectively identify the problem and figure out what to do about it.
3. To supplement the staff: Some companies prefer to hire consultants on a contract basis rather than hiring long-term employees. You will fill a gap for a time and then move on to your next project.
4. To act as a catalyst: Some people and especially businesses are resistant to change. The consultant can come in and help institute change without worrying about employee moral, offending anyone or any other issues that may keep a company from making the changes necessary to its growth and betterment.
5. To teach: As a green consultant, you can teach companies how to go green and, more specifically, teach employees how to be sustainable. You can teach schools, teachers and students how to go green. You can teach mothers, fathers or any other group of people that could benefit from your knowledge and experience.
A green consultant has become an invaluable member of today’s society. At a time when we are more aware than ever of the dangers of global warming, pollution and poor urban planning, more and more people are ready and willing to change their lifestyles and make a positive contribution to the planet’s health. A lot of these people, though, do not know where to begin. That’s where you come in. Whether you are assisting business professionals, homemakers or designers and builders, you are there to guide, to teach, to be an activist and to help make our surroundings just a little cleaner, healthier and brighter. There has never been a more lucrative or a more crucial time for you to take the plunge and become a green consultant.
Read more about how you too can become a green consultant.
The fashion industry employs about 4.70 million people; 3.6 million in retail sales, 470,000 in textile production and 573,000 in apparel production. New York has been the nations fashion capital, employing an average of 100,000 New Yorkers every year.
The entire retail industry itself is responsible for 11.6 % of all U.S. employment with almost 16 million people gainfully employed. Unemployment is currently at 5.4 %, just .3 % up from the nations total as a whole. The 10 year employment outlook for the entire retail industry is projected to increase at least 11 % from its current standing.
Retail fashion sales have been on a steady incline since 2003 when the total U.S. apparel sales reached an impressive166 billion dollars. Then in 2004 the U.S. grew to 173 billion and finally in 2005 had an all time high of 181 billion; a four % increase over 2004. (Source: NPD Group)
Many experts believe that part of the increased sales has been predominantly in a slight change of men’s attitudes towards fashions; tailored fashions to be exact. It seems that in 2005 men were dressing to the nines in designer/tailored suits and accessories; up seven % from previous 2004 sales. Most of these well dressed men were of younger demographic group, which gives some future foresight of trends to be on the lookout for the next couple of years.
Employment in the PR industry is staged to be at an all-time rapid increase, but the competition for the best jobs will be competitive and fierce to say the least. Advertising, marketing and public relations managers held around 500,000 jobs over the past few years in the United States. The median average earnings for those in the PR industry are $55,000, with the opportunity of bonuses that can equal as much as 10% of their salaries for a job well done. The median annual earnings in the PR industry for May 2004 according to the U.S. Department of Labor were:
Advertising and related services $50,450
Management of enterprises $47,330
Local Government $44,550
Universities and professional schools $39,610
Labor, political and professional business $45,400
Of course the lowest 10% earned less than $25,750 and the top 10% earned $81,120 and higher, so there is quite a large spread between these medians. But this is usual for most any business.
As the PR fashion industry is concerned much with media and the best sources to promote their clients, it is helpful to take a look at where most of these clients are spending their dollars towards advertising. According to the Advertising Age 2006 Fact Pact, it would appear that direct mailing, newspaper and network television are the highest paid media sources in the industry.
The complete list of advertiser spending dollars (in USD millions) is as follows:
1. Direct Mail $52.19
2. Newspaper $46.61
3. Broadcast Television $46.26
4. Cable Television $21.53
5. Radio $19.58
6. Yellow Pages $14.0
7. Consumer Magazines $12.25
8. Internet $6.85
9. Out of Home $5.77
10. Business Publications $4.07
Of the top media companies, Time Warner appears to have the most sales and revenue (in USD millions) generating from advertising. This is also shown in the Advertising Age 2006 Fact Pack:
1. Time Warner $37,008
2. Viacom $21,473
3. Comcast $20,103
4. Walt Disney $17,408
5. NBC (General Electric) $12,463
6. News Corp $11,405
7. Direct TV $9,764
8. Cox Enterprises $8,579
9. EchoStar Communications $6,677
10. Clear Channel Communications $6,490
As a PR specialist you will be working side-by-side designers in the fashion industry, so it is helpful to be aware of a few statistics available about designers themselves in the industry. The jobs of fashion designers are expected to rise over the next six years as much as 12%.
The Princeton Review has found that by the second year of business, 8% of fashion designers have quit their line of clothing. By five years, almost 50% of designers have dropped their line and left the fashion business all together. So as a fashion PR it is be important to be on a constant look for new clients, as many of them will come and go and need to be replaced on a rolling basis.
Many fashion publicists gloat over the signing of a very prospective designer and often project a year’s income based on assumed jobs performed for that client. However, each job is of a single contract oftentimes and you never can be sure where your next paycheck is going to be since the world of fashion is constantly changing and very fast paced. Always keep your eye out for the next up and coming designers; most of their short-lived careers are as fleeting as a summer day on the North Pole.
Modeled by Japanese supermodel Yuri Ebihara.
Being a columnist, syndicated or otherwise, is in some ways easier than straight journalism. You don’t have to strive to keep the mask of non-bias between you and the audience. If you have an opinion, you can let it all hang out. As a news reporter, you would have to stay as invisible as possible, using as little narrative as possible to convey “just the facts” to the newspaper’s readership. But a columnist’s personality is a great part of his or her stock in trade, whether the column itself is political, social, or technical. You don’t have to pretend to be an unemotional android spitting out data and quotations; you can be you.
But it’s not quite that simple. Jeremy Wagstaff, technology columnist for various Dow Jones publications, cautions columnists against getting too free-for-all.
“Columns are about opinion and style. In some ways they’re the opposite of old fashioned journalism, which is free of bias and adheres to the house style… but a columnist still needs to understand those conventions to function. If you have an opinion, you should be aware that it is an opinion and not the truth as everyone sees it. Similarly, to cultivate a style you should be aware of how to write without a style–straight factual reporting.”
But isn’t the atmosphere growing more relaxed in the digital age of chatty blogs and abbreviation-rich text-messaging? Well, yes and no.
“With blogging, etc., these rules are changing–the blogosphere is full of great writers who don’t have formal training or journalistic experience–but gradually everyone is beginning to realize that you can’t ‘defy the laws of gravity.’ Bloggers are finding that they still need to understand balance, accuracy, conflicts of interest, etc., and that these principles evolved for a reason. A columnist just chooses to emphasise some facts over others.”
This is important, and growing more so as the political climate here in the United States heats up as we enter the 2008 election season. Editorials, opinions, and political columns can be stuffed to the gills with opinion, and opinion is manifestly not fact, true–but what they cannot ethically contain are lies. The columnist can, as Wagstaff says, focus more on some facts than others, but actually endeavoring to deceive–or, less maliciously but no more ethically, endeavoring simply to cling to a comfortable ignorance–should be taboo. Opinion should be educated, that is, based on fact.
“The other part of it,” Wagstaff says, “is that someone who has actually been out there in the world is likely to have more factually based opinions than someone who goes straight into writing a column.”
Which is not to say that, for the sake of holding an educated opinion, you shouldn’t start writing a column until you’re 40 years old and have completed your journeyman training in whatever technical field you’re writing about, or have traveled the world and lived for ten years inside the culture you are passionate about documenting. However, you should never be satisfied with your current level of skill, knowledge, and experience.
Whatever your passions are, if they’re compelling enough for you to write a column about them, you should be eager –anxious, even, to continue your education in that field. If your column is about the Israel-Palestine conflict, don’t sit on your laurels; interview people who have been in the middle of it.
Go there yourself, if possible. Seek out new perspectives on the subject. Similarly, if you write a knitting doctor column, don’t just wait for the questions to roll in and then research them if they’re beyond your level. Always learn more. Pursue the title of Master Knitter. Learn all you can about the craft’s history, being careful to separate fact from false assumption. Visit an alpaca farm and learn where your yarn is coming from.
In any field of expertise or deep abiding passion, challenge yourself and the assumptions you hold. Never be satisfied with what’s already in your head. Go out seeking more. Your column’s quality and usefulness to its readers will grow by leaps and bounds.
Read more about how to become a syndicated columnist here.
It’s hard to obtain any real facts as to the origins and history of palmistry. There are many who claim that palm reading has existed in many, if not all, cultures throughout the world at some time or another. However, most serious scholars agree that such claims are impossible to substantiate.
What is known, though, is that there are references made to palmistry in religious texts as ancient as the Bible and the Vedas. As history progresses, important figures such as Aristotle and Julius Caesar are associated with palmistry. Many kings and queens also hired their own palm readers and astrologers. As time has passed, palm reading has taken on less of a mystical and more of a practical approach.
If you are interested in learning more about palmistry’s origins and history, Johnny Fincham is one of the most recognized scholars on the subject. The Web site also contains information on his book The Spellbinding Power of Palmsitry: New Insights into the Ancient Art, general palm reading texts and a listing of the workshops he offers. Also included on the website are the findings of Christopher Jones.
There are three main aspects of palmistry: chiromancy, chirognomy and dermatoglyphics. The combination of these three aspects is called chirology, sometimes written as cheirology.
While palm reading is a general term that refers to numerous ways to interpret the hands, chiromancy refers only to the divinatory use of palm reading. Interpreting the lines in the palm was, for many years, the only known form, or at the very least, the most well known form, of palmistry. As this section continues, you will see how this practice has grown and now includes a number of different techniques and branches to be used not only for divination, but also for more practical means.
Chirognomy was introduced in France in the 1700s by D’Arpentigny. He realized that hands could be grouped according to their shape and size. He created the following classifications: square, spatulate, psychic, knotty, and philosophic. The many hands that do not fit into one classification are considered mixed hands. He also realized that people who share hand shapes also share many personality qualities. He paved the way for a whole new system of palm interpretation. Other palmists have since included skin texture, color, finger length, nail quality, etc. as a means to more accurately interpret a person’s palm.
Dermatoglyphics is a relatively new study, having only come about in the 1900s. It involves the study of the lines and skin patterns on the hands and feet and their relation to our genetic makeup. Because skin ridges form in the first months of fetal development, many scientists believe that they may contain information on possible chromosomal abnormalities.
Scientists have been able to link skin ridge patterns with genetic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, schizophrenia, Down’s syndrome, rubella, behavior problems and autism. Often called the “Father of Dermatoglyphics,” Harold Cummins has paved the way for this new branch of science.
Chirology, often spelled cheirology, is the combination of all these techniques: chiromancy, chirognomy, and dermatoglyphics. Many palmists prefer this term to the term “palm reader” as palm reading is still associated with only the divinatory history of palmistry.
So if palm reading is not just fortune telling, what is its purpose? People have many different motives for seeking out a palm reader. Often, they do not want to know what will happen to them, but are simply wanting to know themselves better, are in need of a little direction, or maybe they are searching for answers to their physical ailments and haven’t been satisfied with those of allopathic medicine. Each person is looking for something different. As the facets of palm reading are many, an experienced reader will be able to provide his or her client with just what he or she needs.
Read more about breaking into and succeeding as a palm reader.