U Shaped Stairs Tutorial

Subject: U Shaped Stairs Tutorial Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:56 pm

U Shaped Stairs Tutorial

These stairs do not use any cheats to make, all it takes is some careful work which has to be exactly right. The stairs work for basements and they are 'U' shaped, which means they rotate round.

http://thesims2.co.uk/pages.view_page.asp?id=453

Subject: Re: U Shaped Stairs Tutorial Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:57 pm

Basement Tutorial

Wondering how to add a basement to your game? No problem! Let Billy Basement walk you through it step by step.

http://thesims2.co.uk/pages.view_page.asp?id=452

Subject: Re: U Shaped Stairs Tutorial Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:59 pm

Entrepreneurship can be harrowing and confusing even for the smartest Sim. Business-minded Sims everywhere have asked for a no-nonsense guide to making their shops, stores, and community lots actually work. Below you'll find a guide to the basics of starting your own business. Although you should develop your own strategy, this guide should get you through setting the foundation and past all of the confusion that is inherent with starting out in the business world.

Jump to a section by clicking on one of the links below, or just browse through the guide.

The Lot: Location, Location, Location

Objects: What you Need

Stock: The Heart of a Store

Employees: Delegating Responsibility

Customers: Keeping Your Wallet Happy

Growth: Moving up in the World

Note: Each of these are affected by your Sims' talents.

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Click here for information on Talent Badges.

The Lot: Location, Location, Location

Your business has to be on a lot so other Sims can get to it, but how do you acquire a lot and how do you open your business once you have one?

You have two main options when it comes to choosing a location for your business. You can run the business out of your home, or you can purchase a community lot for your business' location. Running a business from home can be easier if your business (and your clientele) is small. If you are just learning your trade a home business is a good way to gain experience and keep comfortable on your own time. Running your business on a community lot gives you the advantage of space and a prime location in your neighborhood.

To buy a community lot:

1.
Click on a phone or computer and choose Real Estate and then Purchase Community Lot.
2.
Choose the neighborhood, then the lot that you'd like to purchase.
3.
A deed will appear in your inventory if you were able to purchase the lot.

To start a home business:

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Click on a phone or computer and choose Business and then Start Home Business.

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Objects: What you Need

Specific business types use different objects but in this section you'll find an overview of basic business objects, what they are for, and where to find them.

Open/Closed Sign

* This sign is used to tell customers when your store is open or closed, and call in or send home employees. All businesses can use this sign.
* You can buy this on a business lot by going to Decorative>Miscellaneous in the catalogue.

Cash Registers

* They must be placed in any lot where a Sim can purchase an object or item that would go into their inventory. This is how you finalize a sale in a store or shop. They are unnecessary if your business sells a service such as a salon, restaurant, or gym unless you are also selling objects.
* You can buy one on a business lot in the Electronics>Miscellaneous section of the catalogue (Shopping > Electronics if you are using Community Sort).
* There are two types of cash registers but they perform the same function. The different models are just for different looks.

Shelves and Displays

* These are used to display items for sale in an attractive and space-saving manner. The size of the item determines how many fit on a shelf, but you can fit more inventory on a shelf than on a countertop. These are not necessary (you can typically place inventory on the floor as well), but they help save space and make your products more visible (and they are much more attractive).
* There are three main types of displays: Shelving (for items), Refrigerated Displays (for food), and Floor Displays (for cars).
* You can purchase these on a business lot from Surfaces>Shelving (for shelves and refrigerated displays) and Surfaces>Miscellaneous (for car displays) in the catalogue.

Crafting Stations

* Crafting stations allow you or an employee to create items to be sold. There are three crafting stations: the Floral Workstation (for flower arrangements), Toybench (for toys), and Robot Crafting Station (for robots). A corresponding Talent Badge gives you more crafting options for that crafting station.
* Use the Make One option to create a single item of your choosing. You can then drag this item from the bench to a shelf and mark it for sale, or into the owner's inventory for use in restocking. Use the Make Many option to create a number of a type of item until you cancel that action. Using Make Many will automatically place the items in the shop owner's inventory where they can be used for restocking or dragged onto a shelf and set for sale.
* You can only restock a crafted item with the same type of crafted item; the item must be in the owner's inventory in order to restock it.
* Purchase one in the Hobbies>Miscellaneous section of the catalogue.

Ug-No-More Makeover Station

* These are the only object required for running a salon although they look much better with decor such as mirrors, and sinks to complement them. These allow you to give makeovers and sell makeovers to customers.
* The corresponding Talent Badges increase your chance of a good makeover.
* Purchase these in Comfort>Miscellaneous in the catalogue.

Electrono-Ticket Machine

* Electrono-Ticket Machines are a way to make money based on Sims spending time on your lot. You can use it to make money off a lot like a Gym or Library (where nothing is for sale) or use it if you have a store that also includes mood, motive, social, or skill affecting objects for Sims to use.
* Use the Set Price option to choose how much a Sim has to spend to visit your lot (base the price on how much fun or useful your lot is to a Sim's mood and needs). Use the Start/Stop Charging Customers option to turn the Ticket Machine on or off.
* You can find this object in the Electronics>Miscellaneous section of the catalogue.

Podium

* Restaurants require a podium. This is where Sims go to be seated by the host and their restaurant experience can begin.
* Placing the podium near the entrance of the restaurant area helps Sims get to it without cluttering the eating area.
* You can find both podium styles in the Miscellaneous>Miscellaneous section of the catalogue.

Other Objects

* Stores can benefit from a number of items (even if they aren't related to the business). Think about the need based on your business and your customers or employees.
* If customers and employees have places to keep their mood up, they will stay longer and be happier with your store. Bathrooms are a very basic but important addition to keep Sims from leaving when they have to answer the call of their bladders. Chairs for comfort, a chess table for fun, and other non-business items can keep everyone on the lot happy and refreshed without the need to leave.
* Make sure the items you might use anyway are the best you can afford. This will help make Sims happier while they are doing whatever you designed the lot for anyway. A restaurant with very comfortable chairs, or a store with very nice decor, doesn't change your layout, but it does change the perception of your lot.

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Stock: The Heart of a Store

If you want to sell items in your business you need Stock. Stock may just be another word for 'stuff on the shelf' but knowing what to stock and how to restock it will keep you in business. There are two types of items that you can sell: wholesale, and crafted.

Selling wholesale items means that you are buying a pre-made item at a wholesale price and then marking that price up so that when you sell it, you make a profit. When you restock wholesale items, you just buy that object again at wholesale price. Selling crafted items means you paid for materials, created a unique item, and then set a price for it. When you restock crafted items, you must have the same type of crafted item in the shop owner's inventory in order to replace it. You can sell any combination of wholesale and crafted items.

The first step is to place the initial stock in your store (this is how you set what you want to sell and the price at which it sells).

To stock wholesale items:

1. Click on the Business Build Tools button on the Business Menu at the top right of the screen.
2. Choose a price to place the objects for sale.
* The prices are marked as a percentage over what you pay for them.
3. Click on the Wholesale Mode Toggle button to change the catalogue to wholesale mode (items that can be sold will be highlighted in yellow).
4. Click on an item you'd like to sell and place it in your store (just like buying from the catalogue normally).
5. The item is now set for sale at the price range you chose.

To stock crafted items:

1. Use a crafting station (or kitchen objects for making food) to create an item.
2. Drag the item from the owner's inventory or the station to a shelf where you would like it to be displayed.
3. Click on the Business Build Tools button.
4. Choose a price range for the item from the Place Objects for Sale At section.
5. Click on the For Sale Tool button and then click on the object to set for sale.
6. The item is now set for sale at the price range you chose.

Subject: Re: U Shaped Stairs Tutorial Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:59 pm

Now that your stock is setup, you need to restock it when Sims buy things. You can restock an item by clicking on the Out of Stock sign and choosing Restock, or by assigning an employee to Restock. When you restock a wholesale item, you will be charged the wholesale price and the item will be replaced with a new one.

When you restock a crafted item, however, it will be replaced with the same type of item from the shop owner's inventory. If the shop owner does not have that type of item in their inventory, the item cannot be restocked. Keep the following in mind when selling crafted items:

* You only need the same type of item in the shop owner's inventory to restock. A white Daisy Bouquet in a blue vase can be used to restock any color combination of the Daisy Bouquet object.
* If you choose the Make Many option, any items completed are automatically put in the owner's inventory.
* If you choose the Make One option, or Resume, the finished product will stay on the crafting station surface or counter. You must place the item into the owner's inventory manually if you want to use it for restocking. To do so, click on the owner's Inventory icon, click on the crafted item, and then click in the inventory to place it there.

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Employees: Delegating Responsibility

First, know that not all businesses need employees. Most small businesses and social-type lots can go quite awhile without the need for any employees (besides the lot owner, of course), but as your business grows, or you want to take a break from doing everything yourself, you may want to hire others to carry some of the burden.

Employees can clean, make items or food, sell items, restock items, tend a bar or espresso machine, wait on customers, give makeovers, and ring up customers. This means they can be very useful, but not all employees are equal! Sims have different skills, talents, and personalities. It's a good idea to hire a Sim with good skills and Talent Badges, but you'll have to pay them much more than an unskilled Sim. Conversely, a Sim who slacks off despite your attempts to make them happy may need to be fired and replaced.

To hire employees over the phone or computer:

1.
Click on a phone or computer and choose Business and then Hire Employees.
2.
From the list you can check the available Sims, their current job, their skills, their badges, and their required starting pay.
3.
Choose the Sim you want to hire and click the Hire Sim button.
4.
When you can done this for each Sim you want to hire, click the check mark button.

You can also hire Sims off the street by clicking on them and choosing the Hire option. You may first want to talk to them, assess their personality and use the Ask option to check their skills. You can interact with an employee by clicking on them and choosing one of the many options (most business options are under Manage ).

Once you have employees there are a few things to keep in mind:

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Employees that gain skill or Talent Badges should be given raises to keep them happy and reward their work.
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Employees have a circle above their head to show their mood. They usually start green (happy) but as their needs wear down they will turn yellow (or worse).
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Give your employees breaks when they need them. Breaks are only productive if there are objects on the lot they can use to replenish their mood. If an employee is really worn down, send them home for the day.
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Once employees work a shift, you cannot call them back until they have had at least six hours of rest.
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Employees are more productive if they have an assignment. Click on an employee and choose Manage and then Assign to give them an assignment.

You can check on your employees by clicking on the Employee Information button in the Business Menu.

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Customers: Keeping Your Wallet Happy

Your business wouldn't make a single Simoleon, wouldn't gain rank, and you wouldn't gain perks without customers, so you need to keep them happy, and you need to keep them coming back. A customer's desires are simple. They want quality goods, a nice lot, and good service. Although you'll develop your own strategy based on your business needs over time, here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to customer service:

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A customer's mood makes a big difference. Some Sims will come to your lot and they'll be unhappy. They'll resist your sale pitch, dislike something, and just be angry. You can't always fix this, but having good decor, a variety of products and prices, and objects they can use to keep their mood up will help warm them up to your business.
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An employee's mood makes a big difference, too. A customer will not like dealing with you or your employee's if you are in a bad mood. Keep everyone in the green!
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A customer who takes notes is a secret shopper business critic! They write a review of your store that affects whether or not Sims want to shop there. Give them your best and you may boost your business.
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Watch what your customers buy, what they look at, and what their thought bubbles tell you. You can update your store (or employees) based on what they like.

You can check on what your customers think of your business by clicking on the Customer Loyalty button in you Business Menu.

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Growth: Moving Up in the World

Once all the basics are in place the point is to make money, grow, and thrive. You'll learn how to do this through experience but there are some basic things to help you on the way.

Cash Flow

The point of a business is to make money, but it's harder than it seems. You have to keep a close eye on prices, inventory, and customer happiness to make adjustments for profit, but you can use the Cash Tracker button (to show money spent versus money earned) and Business Information button (to show your lot's overall value) in the Business Menu for more information.

Perks

As your business gains Rank, you will be able to unlock Perks. You can access the Perks menu by clicking on the Business Perks button in the middle of the Business Menu. Perks come in five categories and each category has five Perks that get better the farther they are up the list. Some Perks allow for cash bonuses, wholesale discounts, or special abilities to use on other Sims. These can be very useful, but be careful of Perks that you can use on other Sims if your aspiration and mood are not high enough!

Managers

A Sim who gains enough skill and Talent Badges can be promoted to a Manager. A manager can open the store and assign tasks without you being on the lot. If you've created a successful business, a manager can allow you to move on to managing multiple lots with minimal interaction. Don't lose touch, though! Use a phone to check on your business and visit every once in a while to make sure everything is in order.

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Now you are ready to be a Sim entrepreneur!

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