For a small business owner, the overhead costs of maintaining in-house servers are hair-raising. Not only do you have to pay for the servers themselves, but any servers need employees to support them, driving up your labor budget.
That’s why serverless architecture is an absolute boon for small business owners. The servers still exist in “serverless” architecture, but you’ll never have to deal with them. In the serverless model, you essentially pay to rent space on someone else’s server, and they take care of the backend maintenance for you.
Like any other architecture, serverless has its advantages as well as disadvantages. If you’re on the fence about outsourcing your hardware, here’s the small business owner’s guide to the pros and cons of serverless architecture.
Pros of serverless architecture
Without a doubt, serverless represents a significant edge for your IT needs. Besides numerous benefits for application development, serverless can also positively impact your workflow by cutting downtime spent on the backend.
If you’re already chomping at the bit to sever your servers, Akka Serverless from Lightbend is an excellent way to capitalize on the benefits of serverless architectures.
Here are some notable advantages of serverless architecture:
Reduced costs
One of serverless architecture’s most significant claims to fame is its low cost.
Business owners only pay for the data they actually use, eliminating the costs associated with bulky, unscalable in-house servers. You can scale up as your data needs increase or cut expenses as they decrease. Either way, you’re never stuck holding the bandwidth bag for space you don’t even need.
Enhanced scalability
The serverless architecture model allows automatic scaling of any business application.
For example, if app usage increases or the user base expands suddenly, the app will scale automatically. Users’ location doesn’t matter as serverless providers are almost everywhere to ensure no delays in the app performance.
Fewer worries
First, a business owner doesn’t have to pay for any maintenance costs. That’s because the business isn’t managing any backend infrastructure. The cloud provider takes charge of all maintenance problems.
Secondly, security is not a concern. The service provider takes care of potential hacks, patches, and updates.
Allows for more focus on user experience
Your users aren’t interested in the backend infrastructure. Users care about your app’s features, so why shouldn’t you do the same?
Now that you don’t need to worry about server maintenance, you can channel your time and effort towards enhancing customer-facing elements. Look for ways to make the user experience in your app even better and more engaging.
Cons of serverless architecture
Sadly, despite the many benefits serverless architecture brings, it has some disadvantages. Some of the downfalls of going serverless include:
Vendor lock-in
Unfortunately, handing over your server management also means handing over your data. This arrangement can make negotiating with your serverless provider challenging.
Why? The resources at your disposal are limited. In case of system downtime, undesirable upgrades, and so on, there’s very little you can do to influence what your third-party providers are doing.
Additionally, serverless infrastructure vendors make it difficult for businesses wanting to switch to another vendor.
Another risk of this vendor-operated environment is that the vendor may change the terms of service and pricing or even stop offering the services altogether. If your business can’t absorb that hit, it could be detrimental.
Read any contracts thoroughly to ensure that your vendor won’t be taking your data hostage if you ever decide to switch.
Time limitations
Serverless is not suitable for long-term tasks that require constant runtime. It may end up costing way more than what you would typically pay for reserved computing timing.
Serverless is ideal for short-term processes such as email. But tasks such as large video file uploading may require you to call additional functions.
Complex
Learning how serverless works is a daunting task. Compared to other architectures, it has small integration units. Hence, one needs more time to organize the functions to align with your data.
Versioning and deployment only add to the confusion.
Any business owner considering switching to serverless must be ready to face the rabbit hole undertaking of splitting their monolithic application into several microservices.
Wrap up
Serverless architecture might just be the extra piece your business missed. However, the efficacy of serverless strategy will depend on each business’s individual needs. If you’re on the fence, consult a few serverless providers and get different quotes.
A Small Business Owner’s Guide to the Pros and Cons of Serverless Architectures was last modified: September 7th, 2021 by Amanda Greenberg
Each year, millions of Americans are involved in rear-end collisions. Although not all of them are serious, fortunately, they can still be a complicated matter from a legal and insurance perspective.
Knowing what to do before you find yourself in this situation could improve your outcome significantly.
What to Do After a Rear-End Collision
According to the latest research, 29 percent of all traffic incidents that result in serious injury involve rear-end collisions. That is, roughly one out of every three serious crashes is a rear-end event.
Furthermore, they are responsible for seven percent of all traffic-related fatalities. In most cases, rear-end crashes are caused by one of four possible scenarios:
As one vehicle slows down on the interstate for upcoming traffic, the driver behind it misjudges the sudden change of speed and slams into its bumper.
A driver fails to notice that the vehicle in front has a turn signal on and crashes into the back of the vehicle as it slows for the turn.
A driver who is changing lanes or speeding through a changing traffic signal does not anticipate the vehicle in front will stop.
A driver assumes the vehicle in front will begin moving as soon as the light turns green and accelerates into the back of that car.
In almost every case, it is the driver coming from behind who is at fault. There are certain situations where the driver in front can share some blame, though; for example, if his brake lights or turn signals are not operating properly.
But regardless of what happens, here are some steps you should take after a rear-end collision.
1. Check for Injuries
The health and well-being of all drivers and passengers in the vehicles involved is the very first concern. Nothing else matters until it is verified that every person is okay.
Start with yourself. Just because you do not feel any immediate pain or discomfort, that does not necessarily mean You are fine. The adrenaline and emotions coursing through your system may be suppressing pain.
Check for signs of lacerations or broken bones. Continue to listen to your body during the hours after the accident.
Once you’ve verified that You are okay, turn to the others in your vehicle. If they are okay, you may turn your attention to the people in the other vehicle(s). Checking on everyone in this order ensures You are able to help as many people as possible.
If someone is hurt, call 911 so paramedics may come to the scene as quickly as possible.
2. Call the Police
If everyone seems all right, your first call would be to the police. Even in a minor fender bender, getting law enforcement officials on the scene ensures that the accident will be documented. This is vital to establish the integrity of any claims you will wish to make.
When officers arrive on the scene, provide an official statement. Give the facts (and only the facts).
This is not the time to start speculating or offering assumptions. Make your statement and then move on. You will have a chance to provide additional information in step four.
3. Document the Scene
Once the police have been called to the scene, you should start documenting as many details as possible. Pull out your phone and take pictures and videos from as many different angles as you can.
You might also open your audio recording app and record a verbal account of what occurred. If any witnesses are on the scene, gather their names and contact information.
4. Call an Attorney
This is the step where it is okay to spill your guts and explain everything that happened.
The fourth step is to call an attorney, no matter how minor the situation appears. Even if it seems insignificant to you, a good car accident lawyer will listen to the facts and give you a professional opinion.
5. Take a Defensive Driving Course
This fifth tip is optional but worthwhile. After a rear-end collision, it can be mentally challenging to get back behind the wheel. Flashbacks, fear, and anxiety are quite common.
By taking a defensive driving course you: (a) push through the fear, and (b) equip yourself with the skills you need to stay out of harm’s way in the future.
Look Out for Number One
When all is said and done, nobody is going to look out for you the way you can. You have to stand up for yourself.
That means speaking up, hiring a lawyer, and proactively addressing any challenges that arise in the aftermath of your accident. It won’t necessarily be easy, but your discipline and focus will pay off.
What To Do if You Are in a Rear-End Collision was last modified: May 10th, 2022 by Alex Sanders
You might not know this, but marketing automation is one of the most important parts of running a successful business. Marketing automation refers to the use of software and internet-based tools to automate repetitive tasks that would otherwise take up too much time and energy. It can be used for lead generation by automatically sending out emails and nurturing prospects who do not convert independently.
There are many different aspects of marketing automation that we will cover here, so keep reading!
What Is Marketing Automation?
In simpler terms, marketing automation refers to the process of using software to automate repetitive tasks. This is a handy tool in marketing because it helps save time and energy while still providing a professional image for your company.
Real-time CDP is one of the capabilities that modern marketing automation platforms offer, which enables companies to have a unified view of customer data and automate personalization across channels in real-time.
Marketing automation can be used for lead generation by automatically sending out emails and nurturing prospects who do not convert independently. You can also use it to automate follow-ups with customers who have already made a purchase. Marketing automation is one of the best ways for individuals and companies to save time, money, and energy while still providing professional results!
How Does Marketing Automation Work?
Marketing automation uses triggered emails to reach out and engage with your audience. The software will automatically send messages at specific times or after the user has taken a certain action. Through a customer data platform (CDP), companies can identify their customers’ habits, which you can use to determine what they will respond best to. With this, marketers can effectively reach out to their audience and engage with them at all stages of the customer journey.
This strategy is beneficial for companies because it saves a lot of time and money, which you spent on manual labor. Automation also increases your scalability since you will be able to do more activities without having an increased cost. Use omnichannel CDP marketing solutions to boost business efficiency and sales.
The Benefits Of Marketing Automation
The benefits of marketing automation are immense. One, marketers will save a lot of time and money because they don’t have to rely on manual labor anymore. Since the software uses automated ways to reach out to your audience, you can scale up operations without cost increases. This strategy also allows companies to focus more on their buyers and provide them with personalized experiences.
Marketing automation also improves lead generation, whereby you can capture more leads in the process. This means that you can grow a larger customer base, which is beneficial to your company’s growth. You can also generate better quality leads and increase your close rates.
Marketing automation helps marketers understand their audience and improve conversions by improving the customer experience. This is beneficial because it allows companies to build stronger relationships with their customers, which will help them grow their brand awareness and market share. Finally, marketing automation increases reporting accuracy, whereby you can obtain the right data from your customer database.
These are just some of the benefits marketing automation can bring to any company. As you can see, it’s a huge value add and enables companies to improve their business operations considerably.
How to Start with Marketing Automation?
There are a lot of ways you can start using marketing automation. You can either use existing software or hire a professional who will guide and help you with your operations. The latter is recommended since it’s more cost-efficient in the long run, plus professionals have extensive knowledge about different strategies that work best for companies. They would also be able to create the best marketing automation program for your company.
There are also different types of software that you can choose from, depending on what type of results you want to achieve or how much budget you have allocated for this strategy. You can either go with classic tools that have all the features included in one package at a lower cost, or you can go for a SaaS (software as a service) offering with more advanced features but at an increased price.
The most important thing is to make sure that you can implement the software in your business operations and achieve results along the way. This will require time, effort, and dedication on your part, so it’s best to go with a strategy that you can manage.
Tips For Using Marketing Automation Successfully In Your Business
Marketing automation is not an easy strategy to implement. There are many things that you need to consider, especially if you will use this in your company’s customer operations. You have to make sure that everyone on board understands how the software works and what they should do next.
Certain tips can help you achieve better results, including:
Planning your automation strategy from start to end.
Deciding on what you want to achieve and investing in the necessary software.
Getting your team on board and making sure they follow through with what you need them to do next.
Measuring results along the way and adjusting if needed.
Marketing automation is still in its early stages, so there’s no need to worry about being left behind when it comes to this method of engaging and reaching out to your audience. With the help of professionals, marketers can improve their business operations significantly by investing in marketing automation software solutions.
What You Need to Know About Marketing Automation was last modified: August 16th, 2023 by Charlene Brown
Most of your projects will include the backend part if you work as a PM in the IT sector. Moreover, some of them may be purely backend-related. They require a lot more technical knowledge of software architecture and its peculiarities than frontend-focused projects. It’s natural, as you will focus on building business logic that hugely impacts the final result.
The first reason is that the backend serves as the backbone of any software, be it an application or a website. The second one is complexity-related: if something is wrong with the frontend, critical bugs may postpone the release for several sprints, and non-critical ones can be fixed on production afterward. If there are issues with the backend, they may require a complete do-over.
Adhering to the software development cycle and its key stages such as planning, testing, design, and maintenance is necessary. But some less apparent tips may be helpful when managing the backend projects:
Automate
The sooner you think about automation, the better. It will help you to save time for discovering and fixing issues. Another positive effect is minimizing human effort, so your team can focus on more critical tasks. Things that require automation:
QA testing. Auxiliary tools and pre-written scripts to check the code for issues will come in handy during regression, database unit testing or load testing.
Project management. Keeping templates for creating tasks and reporting, task cloning, and automatic dependencies highlights will make your life easier. There will be no need to input repetitive information manually, and at the same, you will not miss anything. Thus, you will not forget to include artifacts like docs or backgrounds for the tasks.
Keep documentation
Keeping concise technical documentation is the key to integrating new tools into the existing environment, team changes, or troubleshooting. Pay special attention to API documentation, as it’s the core of any backend. System Requirement Specification is also important to check if the functionality under development matches the business requirements. And for sure, a changelog. It will enable all the stakeholders to track bug fixes, releases, or any other change to the code base.
Communicate with stakeholders
Provide your stakeholders with timely updates such as release notes, summaries of the work done, presentations, etc. Regular demo calls to show the implemented functionality and quick catchup meetings are also of great help. This approach will help you better to understand the needs of your customer and their objectives. As a result, you will be able to come up with the best possible solution. Also, it’s a great chance to spot that you are moving in the wrong direction before it gets critical and adjust the plans according to stakeholders’ expectations.
Develop with CI/CD in mind
Keeping a copy of your back-end assets is critical for the CI/CD environment to make the releases faster and smoother. This approach will help your team quickly spot the failed build, arrange a quick roll-back, and focus on fixing before integrating other changes on production.
Back-end-oriented project management may be challenging at times; however, you can rest assured that nothing is missed with the tips above. Your team has all the assets to accomplish their part and prepare everything for the end-user’s front-end enhancements and software delivery.
4 Tips and Tricks for Backend Project Management was last modified: November 16th, 2021 by Claire Ward
Setting up your ecommerce store has never been easier, what with the range of ecommerce platform options available to you. But to run a successful business online that reaps profits and loyal customers, you need to sort through these to find the best ecommerce platform to build a profitable store.
That’s the most challenging part. How do you actually select between so many ecommerce platforms? Especially when almost all of them promise roughly the same ecommerce-specific designs, characteristics and features, and claim to be the best at quickly and easily setting up a successful ecommerce store.
Well, there’s absolutely no one-size-fits-all when it comes to ecommerce platforms, as what might work best for your ecommerce store might not work for someone else’s store.You need to see which ecommerce platform would be best for your specific business and unique store needs.
Remember, an ecommerce platform is a long-term investment. What could be worse than finding out your newly customized store is slow to load products fast, costing you valuable customers, and asking you to pay additional costs for dropshipping and integrations?
Some basic requirements many of you will have include no coding hassles, no technical skills requirement and budget-friendliness. And while there are some differences between each ecommerce platform, these minor nuances can either way create major impacts for you.
With all this in mind, here’s an overview of the top 3 ecommerce platforms that we think are best for building great ecommerce stores that help you earn revenue.
Top 3 Ecommerce Platforms for You Store
According to BuiltWith Australia’s 2021 trend research, data on the top 1 million sites shows that around 34K+ websites are using Woocommerce Checkout, 24K are using Shopify, while 11K are using Magento.
For this reason, in this article, we will talk about these three most popular ecommerce platforms that have generated revenue and success for customers around the globe.
1. WooCommerce
In 2017, Mark Forrester, Magnus Jepson, and Adii Pienaar decided they wanted to offer their customers the peak of functionality when it came to building a professional ecommerce storefront. And thus was born WooCommerce, a flexible open-source email ecommerce solution built on WordPress.
WooCommerce stands as the most powerful plugin facilitating the full transformation of WordPress website into beautiful, and functional ecommerce stores. It gives small to medium sized businesses the choice to build exactly the store they have perceived and desire.
Salient Features
We have highlighted some of the top features WooCommerce is reputed for among ecommerce store owners.
Manages Orders On the Go
Since WooCommerce is built on WordPress, it has a super smooth user interface to conveniently manage and fulfill orders. It allows automation in calculating live shipping rates, other tax calculations, and also gives an option to print labels at home. You can effortlessly update products and inventory as well. You can even use it to develop an ecommerce store mobile app for iOS and Android.
Flexible and Secure Payment
WooCommerce supports integration with all the popular payment gateways like Stripe, Paypal, Square, Amazon Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay. It also supports deposits and subscriptions and accepts all the major credit cards, checks, bank transfers, and cash on delivery.
Hosting Freedom
WooCommerce is extremely user-friendly when it comes to choosing a hosting solution for your ecommerce store. It allows you to choose from a lot of options, unlike Shopify, which places several restrictions regarding choosing a host.
If the exhaustive list of hosting providers daunts you, you can choose Cloudways as a fast and reliable ecommerce hosting provider that offers exceptional hosting options for WooCommerce as well as Magento stores.
Cloudways WooCommerce hosting offers a reliable, fast, and scalable solution that can help you set up your ecommerce store. With Cloudways, you can choose from 5 of the best IaaS providers across the globe, and set up your store with 1-click simplicity, scalability, and ease.
Besides offering managed cloud hosting, which rids you of all hosting hassles, it offers easy migration so you can easily migrate to any other hosting provider if you ever want to do that. This kind of hosting freedom is a rare find when it comes to ecommerce platforms.
Free and Paid Extensions
WooCommerce gives you near unlimited options. It offers hundreds of free and paid extensions to choose from for an advanced store in terms of features as well as functionality. You can benefit from marketing integrations, multi-channel and point of sale, and enhance your store according to your needs – all under one roof.
Sell to a Global Audience
WooCommerce allows for a complete translation of your ecommerce store in 24 languages, so you can sell to a global audience and secure more sales and revenue by participating in international markets.
Secure, Affordable, and Scalable
For free security, insights, and monitoring, you can download Jetpack, a product of WooCommerce, on your store. WooCommerce is super affordable as it does not charge you beyond the initial payment. It also offers scalability and flexibility in case your orders grow and you want to expand your ecommerce store by migrating to WooCommerce.
2. Magento
Magento is another popular leading ecommerce platform that is open-source. Its gross merchandise volume is a mind-blowing over $100 billion.
According to the 2017 Internet Retailer Top 1000, Europe 500, and B2B 300 lists, Magento has gained recognition among the world’s largest brands, retailers, and branded manufacturers in both B2B and B2C eCommerce industries.
As part of the Adobe Experience Cloud, Magento enhances and integrates digital and physical shopping experiences, and offers cloud-based omnichannel solutions that grant access to top-notch order management technologies and more.
In order to provide an even enhanced digital shopping experience to your ecommerce store customers, you can choose a fully managed Magento hosting platform like Cloudways for the fastest performance, and 24/7 support for your ecommerce store.
When you have a problem with Magento design & development or Magento upgrade, Mageplaza experts will help you to solve it with Magento development services.
Salient Features
Let’s look at the best characteristics and elements behind the popularity of Magento as an ecommerce platform.
Non-Technical Features
The drag-and-drop page builder, as well as the content staging and preview feature allows you to give your customers a great brand experience. The ease with which you can build your store makes for an outstanding ecommerce experience.
Multiple Extensions
A variety of over 3600 extensions are available from Adobe Commerce technology providers for better functionality in terms of shipping, tax, payments, and more. You can find these extensions in the Adobe Commerce Marketplace.
Easy Integration
For greater customization, Magento allows easy integration with third-party tools like CRM, ERP, and marketing automation tools. This further enhances its functionality and results in a much smoother shopping experience for customers.
Scalability and Hosting Freedom
Whether your store is B2B or B2C, or both, Magento allows for fast and easy expansion. You can have dedicated stores for your brands and centrally manage them without creating other niche commerce platforms or re-platforming.
Like Woocommerce, Magento also offers the freedom to host your ecommerce store with any hosting provider. Since Magento uses cloud-based technology, it would be best to choose a managed cloud hosting solution that specializes in Magento Hosting.
Multi-Brand, Multi-Site Support and Localization Feature
With Magento, you have an added advantage of expanding into global markets, having multiple brands and sites, and integrating with popular payment gateways and global shipping providers. It supports multiple languages so you can easily localize your store in different regions, make cross-border sales and win customer loyalty. The best part is, you can centrally manage everything with just one platform.
3. Shopify
Shopify has recently gained quite a lot of attention from ecommerce store owners. It is an all-in-one ecommerce platform to start and run your ecommerce store. This means it offers storefront, store management, marketing and SEO, web hosting, analytics, and mobile app within the same platform. That’s everything you need to execute your idea and start selling online.
Shopify is comparatively more expensive than its counterparts because of the very same reason. It provides access to Shopify APIs and development tools so you can customize your store using its templates and tools along with other features.
However, there is one downside of using Shopify. Because everything falls under one roof, including hosting, it is rather restrictive and offers lesser flexibility in terms of scalability. Moreover, if you are just starting your ecommerce store, we don’t recommend using Shopify. It is expensive and meant for larger stores with a greater product range. You cannot scale it down to meet your budget if you are just beginning to sell.
If you are using Wix and your Wix store isn’t able to cater your business as you wish, you might consider transferring from Wix to Shopify. Shopify is considered as one of the best alternatives to Wix by offering fully responsive designs, support for mobile pages, product pages, multi-currency selling functionality, and
Salient Features
As an all-in-one ecommerce platform, Shopify boasts plenty of valuable features.
Branding and Customization
Shopify comes with pre-made templates and its own settings, so you can quickly build your store and customize it. Even though this could mean your store might end up looking like another Shopify merchant’s, it reduces decision fatigue for you if you struggle with creativity. It also speeds up your store building process.
Shipping and Payment
An advantage of using Shopify as an ecommerce platform is that it allows you to automatically receive shipping rates from shipping service providers like UPS, USPS, and FedEx. Moreover, it supports payments from Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express so your customers can easily complete their payments and checkout from your ecommerce store. Also, many different shipping apps for Shopify can make shipping easier.
In case of cart abandonment, it will remind your prospects to complete their purchase by automatically sending them emails with links to their abandoned cart. This way you will be able to capture lost sales easily in an automated way.
Easy Integration
The option to integrate with over a 100 external payment gateways like bitcoin, Paypal, to iDeal, and with dropshipping apps like Ordoro, Inventory Source, and eCommHub, gives store owners a variety of options to choose from when it comes to enhancing the features and functions of their ecommerce store.
Hosting Solution
Shopify offers its own web hosting, with unlimited bandwidth and a 256-bit SSL certificate for security. It even offers you to buy a domain if you really want everything in one place. However, we don’t recommend having everything combined. For security reasons, it is always better to keep your hosting and domain separate to avoid data breaches and hacking.
HTML, CSS Access and Themes
There are around 70+ themes to choose from when it comes to building your store on Shopify. Moreover, Shopify grants you full access to the HTML and CSS of your store, which allows for easy customization when it comes to setting up your ecommerce store. It also has its own CMS for a blog section on your ecommerce store so you can easily write and publish articles about your products for your customers to read.
Conclusion
When choosing an ecommerce platform to launch your store, ask yourself how big you want your store to be, how vast your product range is, and if you want to grow into multiple brands and sites. Moreover, think about your budget, where you want to sell, and how much security you will require while selling online. These questions will give you enough clarity to make the right decision. So do your homework, and choose the best ecommerce platform for your store.
You can also buy and sell entire active ecommerce businesses, if you have established you store and want to move to the next project there are steps to ask yourself about selling my ecommerce business or buying an active one. Starting from a working store with existing traffic can be a great place to start.
The Top 3 Ecommerce Platforms You Can Use to Build a Super Successful Store was last modified: July 18th, 2024 by Edward Bishop
If you want a sustainable future and a secure retirement, explore ways to grow your wealth beyond a job. Trading financial instruments is a good option, especially for those with relevant skills. Your skills are key to obtaining a futures trading account. This is one way to Get Started Now, even if you do not have a lot of funds to trade.
What is trading anyway? Trading is about buying and selling certain assets while taking advantage of market movement to generate gains. In concept, it seems like an easy task but don’t get it wrong – trading is complex and it requires a lot of experience. Before you become a trader, you need to know the basics first.
It should be obvious by now but yes, trading does require capital. If you aren’t careful, you can easily lose that capital entirely. As such, you should consider these tips that we are about to share before you get started on your journey as a trader.
Pick a Good Broker
Brokers are the trading platforms that you are going to use. These are accessible on both smartphones and computers. It’s very important that you choose the right trading platform because it can help significantly improve the way you trade – and prevent you from getting scammed as well. Here are a few tips on how to find the best brokers:
Do Your Own Research – You can easily sort out the good from the bad by doing your own research about trading platforms. You need to check out lists of the best forex trading apps and go from there. They’ll have a summary of the pros and cons of each broker, thus helping you make a better choice.
Go For Platforms With More Assets – This is really important. If you want to maximize the opportunities available to you, then you should pick a broker that offers a wealth of assets from the stock market, forex, and cryptocurrency industries.
Customer Support Is A Must – Trading platforms with quality customer support can guarantee that there’s always going to be people to heed your calls just in case that there’s a problem.
Find Platforms With Demo Accounts – Demo accounts let you trade with virtual money. It’s a safe way to practice your strategies.
Registered And Authorized – For security purposes, you should only trade on platforms that have the right licenses and authorizations. These only mean that they have been given the go signal to operate because they passed the standards with regards to security and customer protection.
Flexible Cash-out/Cash-in Options – As a general rule of thumb, the brokers that you should choose from should have low fees and low minimum deposits. They should also have various options when it comes to cashing out or cashing in funds. It’s mostly for your convenience but it can also help you trade at your fullest.
Thanks to technology, you can also automate your trading activities with artificial intelligence. These are computer programs that use algorithms and machine learning to execute trades on your behalf. Don’t be afraid to visit this website and click for AI trading bots and see how they may be of service to you. This can save you from the hassle of constantly monitoring the market and making trades manually.
Know What You Want to Trade
As we’ve said, there are a multitude of options or financial instruments that you can trade through brokers. It’s important that you focus on what you are comfortable trading with as this can help increase your chances of making good gains through trading.
First of all, there are stocks and foreign currencies. These are good options because they are more stable and it’s a lot easier to trade them as well as their prices are a lot easier to predict because of news updates. These have been around for years and they’re more forgiving to newcomers.
Cryptocurrencies on the other hand, are new and a lot more volatile. However, you can make significant gains in a short time through crypto currency trading. Just make sure to be careful as this industry is still relatively young. The prices are very unpredictable to say the least.
Do Not Be Afraid To Learn
The good news is that it’s very easy to begin trading because of the wealth of options with regards to tutorials and classes online. Don’t be afraid to learn more about the craft. In fact, you should invest in your growth and begin taking up classes on trading as well.
This will allow you to become a better trader in no time. Such classes teach you strategies and tips on how to become a better trader. It’s a lot less better as compared to growing purely through experience only.
Set Limits
It’s very important that you set your limits. Be it on gains or losses, setting your limits will allow you to mitigate the risks that you face while trading. It’s very easy to get too greedy or too pessimistic while trading. These result in poor growth for you as a trader.
By limits, you should set a bar for how much you want to earn during a trading session. Once you reach this limit, stop and back off. Don’t get too greedy as you can end up losing all of your gains when doing so. The same goes for losses, once you lose a certain amount, back off so you don’t lose more.
Do Not Be Emotional
There are many traits and attitudes that you should have as a trader. One of them is that you shouldn’t be emotional when it comes to trading. Being emotional will force you to make careless trades that result in heavy losses. You need to stay calm and reasonable at all times.
A good example of an emotional trader is when people go on a good streak of gains while trading. Because of the momentum and the hype, they get carried away and start trading larger digits. However, because of their emotions, they end up losing their gains and more.
The same goes for continuously losing. You don’t need to be sad about losing your money. The right mindset would be to know that eventually, you are going to get back what you’ve lost and then some.
With the right skill and knowledge, you can become an excellent trader in no time. You should consider taking these tips to heart as they can help you get a huge momentum on your time as a trader. After practice, you’ll be able to become an expert trader very quickly.
Interested in Trading? Here’s a Quick Guide To Get You Started was last modified: May 15th, 2024 by Francis Brown
Real estate is real estate, right? Not exactly. Commercial real estate refers to specific types of properties – those used for commercial purposes. Before getting started it’s important to understand the potential upsides, the risks of commercial real estate investing, and everything in between.
How Commercial Real Estate Differs From Residential Real Estate
Commercial real estate requires a different strategy than residential real estate. Instead of having tenants who live on the property, you’ll typically have business owners using the space to run their business, whether it’s collecting white-collar workers together in an office building or producing goods in an industrial application.
Several types of properties fall under the “commercial real estate” umbrella, including warehouses, office buildings, and more. Commercial real estate investment companies have the ability to earn you extra income in safe way.
The Pros of Commercial Real Estate Investing
What are the advantages of commercial real estate investing?
1. Total income potential
First, the total income generating potential of commercial properties tends to be higher than their residential counterparts. There are several reasons for this. For starters, commercial spaces tend to be inherently more valuable than residential spaces, since people use them for business purposes. The website incomeholic comes up with more guides you can read.
On top of that, many commercial properties are large or capable of hosting multiple tenants simultaneously, multiplying your income potential. With this kind of financial opportunity, it’s no surprise that many people opt to start a real estate business – especially since the value of land will only rise with time.
2. Professional tenants
You’ll also enjoy the benefits of having more professional tenants. Since most of your tenants will be business owners and executives, you won’t have to worry about them failing to pay rent or damaging your property – at least, not as much as you would a residential tenant.
Foreign nationals can help secure dollar-value income from real estate investments. This portfolio diversity can minimize currency risk. Investment in a growing economy can be a boost compared to investments in a declining economic zone.
3. The public eye
Many commercial properties are in the public eye, incentivizing tenants to take good care of the property no matter what. They want to keep their storefronts clean and undamaged, which helps to keep your property in better condition.
4. Emergency interruption potential
Most businesses have limited hours of operation, such as working 9 to 5. This means you’ll receive fewer emergency notifications in off-hours; in other words, with commercial real estate, you’ll get fewer late-night calls if something goes wrong.
5. Logical, steady pricing
Business owners tend to make more rational financial decisions, focusing on economic logic and profitability rather than conforming to the whims of the market. This helps to keep the prices of commercial real estate a bit more stable and predictable, especially when compared to residential real estate.
6. Triple net leases and decreased expenses
In commercial real estate, many of your arrangements will bewith a triple net lease, meaning the tenant will be responsible for all the expenses associated with the property, including real estate taxes and maintenance. This can greatly reduce your cost basis and help you make more money (with fewer responsibilities).
7. Flexible terms
Terms of commercial leases tend to be much more flexible than those in residential leases. Accordingly, you can create lease agreements that are much more closely aligned with your personal goals and negotiate with tenants to find something mutually beneficial.
8. Flexible buying options
In the realm of commercial real estate, there are many different types of properties you can buy. For example, you could invest in factories, warehouses, office buildings, storefronts, or even mixed-use buildings that serve a residential purpose. This makes it much easier to diversify your holdings, thereby improving the consistency of your earnings.
The Cons of Commercial Real Estate Investing
There are also some risks and downsides associated with commercial real estate, including:
9. Time requirements
Commercial real estate requires more due diligence than residential. You’ll need to become familiar with local laws and regulations and inspect properties thoroughly before buying. It often means spending much more time on commercial real estate.
10. Monetary requirements
Commercial properties tend to bemuch more expensive than residential properties, representing a bigger barrier to entry. Even if you take out a loan, you’ll still need to provide a down payment – which can be a problem if you don’t have a lot of capital on hand.
11. Risks
There are also bigger risks associated with commercial real estate. More money’s at stake, you’ll be working with bigger, more important tenants, and there’s always the possibility that a commercial area faces plummeting demand.
12. The need for professional advice
Most commercial real estate investors feel the need to consult with others for advice and direction. Commercial property management companies are incredibly valuable, but they do represent an additional expense.
Summary
If you’re new to the world of real estate investing, commercial real estate can seem intimidating. It’s not always favorable to newbies, due to the high capital requirements and risks involved. However, with the right team of advisors and managers on your side, almost anyone can enter the game and reap the rewards.
The 12 Pros and Cons of Commercial Real Estate Investing was last modified: June 14th, 2024 by Alex Sanders
Recovery from addiction can be very hard, especially if you’re prone to anxiety, stress, or do not have the right support. Those who are going through this process are frequently afraid that things may not turn out as expected.
What does it mean? It means that they’re scared of relapsing which means experiencing the same issue all over again. Unfortunately, that’s something that can happen to literally anyone, even with the best intentions.
No matter how optimistic and enthusiastic you are about it, at times, it takes a lot more than strong willpower to prevent relapse from occurring. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help yourself, which is why you should pay attention to these useful tips.
1. Determine Your Personal Triggers
Once you’ve successfully determined them, you should develop a plan that is going to help you prevent them. The most common triggers involve things like stress, people who are still using drugs, emotional distress, financial or job issues, relationship problems, etc.
A huge part of avoiding relapse is to understand all about your potential triggers, which normally include various places, people, situations, negative thoughts, things, and many other things. If they can be linked to your substance use, then you should definitely identify them.
If you are sober and then relapse, there are steps you can take to get back on track. First, acknowledge the relapse without self-blame. Reach out for support from friends, family, or a support group. Call an alcoholic hotline for immediate help and guidance. They can provide resources and connect you with local support services.
2. Consider Having Suboxone
Those who have heard about it, perceive it as some type of detox aid that is going to help them reduce the discomfort associated with withdrawal from various hazardous opioids. This is probably the most common misconception. Even though you can utilize it as a detoxification aid, that’s definitely not its primary purpose. In fact, it would be recommendable to use it for a longer period of time during your recovery process.
Fortunately, you can easily obtain it. If it seems like a good option for you, just search for how to get Suboxone today to see where you can purchase it. Some studies have shown that patients who have been using it for more than six months actually have the best outcome when it comes to their recovery in comparison to those who haven’t used it.
3. Focus On Your Mental Health
Generally speaking, everyone must prioritize their mental health, especially individuals who are going through this process. Namely, this is of huge importance since precisely mental health can have a big impact on addiction. It can potentially cause you to continue utilizing harmful substances, even though you know you’re not supposed to do it. Furthermore, alcohol and drug addiction are often connected to various mental conditions. That’s precisely why you must never neglect your mental health because if you do so, you are increasing your chances of relapsing. So how are you supposed to take care of it? For instance, you can always go to a mental health treatment center where there are a plethora of experts who can help you stay sober.
In these types of situations contacting a healthcare provider is very important, along with a substance abuse professional. These people can help you find the best possible mental health treatment.
4. Find An Inner Balance
If you want to make sure you are going to break all your addiction habits, then you should assess your old patterns and do everything you can to make some adjustments. So what can you do? Instead of going out to drink with your friends, do something that’s more beneficial for you and definitely healthier. You can either go to the gym or find a hobby that’s creative and engaging.
These things are going to occupy you in every way and are going to embellish your life. Having any form of physical activity is recommendable because it is going to help you combat your cravings because natural endorphins alleviate stress and make you feel great.
If you’re looking for something that is going to help you find your inner balance, then both yoga and meditations are great suggestions. Moreover, these activities help people accomplish self-control, as well as, internal balance. Maintaining sobriety is all about eliminating old habits and developing healthier routines.
5. Find A Way To Relax
Tension and stress are never welcome, hence, you need to find ways to eliminate them as often as you can. Whenever you start feeling overwhelmed or anxious, then it’s a sign that you immediately must find something to relax.
Nobody can tell you what to do in these types of situations. That’s something you have to figure out on your own. To a lot of people, things like reading a book, listening to some relaxing music, taking a walk, taking a bubble bath and breathing exercises are of huge help. Maybe you should give them a try to see if they will work for you as well.
6. Prepare Yourself For PAWS
What does this term represent? It stands for post-acute withdrawal syndrome which can last from a minimum of six months and up to two years after you stop utilizing drugs. There are many symptoms that can potentially be experienced which is why you need to prepare yourself for them. They typically include sleep issues, depression, irritability, and intermittent anxiety. Unfortunately, at times these symptoms can negatively affect your recovery process, which is why it’s crucial to get yourself familiar with them so you can be prepared.
If you manage to do so, you will be able to recognize them on time and seek help as soon as possible. In case your PAWS is too severe, then it would be recommendable to seek medical help to see how you can overcome this whole situation and stay in recovery without relapse.
7. Focus On Relationships With Your Family And Friends
Family members and friends who are closest to you should definitely be involved in your recovery. Sometimes, family dynamics is the reason why a person turns to alcohol or drugs for that matter.
On the other hand, if you’re having a great relationship with your family members, then they can be of huge help during this journey. If you feel like family counseling is a great choice, then you should also give it a try. What’s important in this situation is that people who are surrounding you are not enabling you in any way without even knowing it. Therefore, therapy is a great choice because it can help you feel more comfortable talking about the things you normally wouldn’t.
Once you work through your issues with friends and family, they are going to become much more supportive during your recovery process. Now, if you have a feeling like both family members and friends are not being supportive enough, then you can always turn to various support groups that can help you learn more about this journey and how to prevent relapse, plus out there you will get the opportunity to meet new people who could eventually become your friends.
8. Eat Healthy
Besides having any form of physical activity, another healthy habit that you should start implementing is healthy eating. You shouldn’t be focused on what you eat only, but also on how much you eat as well.
You should never allow yourself to be hungry because if you do, you are going to increase your chances of experiencing cravings. That’s why you shouldn’t be having imbalanced nutrients but instead, focus on having a high-quality meal.
Besides that, having healthy snacks is also a great idea because they are not going to allow you to be hungry and will help you stay sober. Another thing worth mentioning is to avoid foods that weigh you down and increase your cravings. Instead, you should pick foods that provide you with the necessary energy and keep you healthy.
9. Focus On Building Healthy Relationships
Even though we’ve mentioned family and friends, these aren’t the only relationships you’ve had during your life. If you want to stay sober and happy, you should think of all the recent relationships that you’ve had. It can be with friends, family members, partners, colleagues, neighbors, etc. Those who’ve appeared to be toxic for you and made you feel miserable should be immediately eliminated from your life.
Relationships that usually bring people down, make them feel worthless, and potentially lead to relapse or drug/alcohol use are the co-dependent ones. It can be with practically anyone, starting with your employer, colleague, partner, friend, or family member.
At times, people are hurting you without really knowing it. Many studies have shown that precisely these sorts of relationships can cause relapse, which is something that you do not want to experience now that you’re trying to stay sober.
As we previously mentioned, if you get a feeling like you are not receiving enough support from your beloved ones, you can always turn to support groups or forums where there are people with the same issues. Furthermore, these people do not necessarily have to become your best friend right away, however, they are going to be there for you and will help you develop a healthy lifestyle.
Have you ever wondered, how much do online therapists make? Once well on your road to recovery, you may also find it fulfilling to help support others on their addiction recovery journey.
No one has ever claimed that this whole journey is easy. It’s far from it, however, as you can see, there are so many things that you can do to help yourself. No matter what happens, remember, you are not alone.
9 Helpful Tips For People Going Through Recovery From Addiction was last modified: July 12th, 2024 by Allen Brown
Your data is the most valuable information you create and store on your devices, like smartphones, laptops, etc. Data is mostly unique and sensitive that if accessed by unauthorized persons or it gets lost, the aftereffect can be devastating. Whether the data belongs to private individuals or corporations, it is typically sensitive and confidential.
A company’s data includes special documents containing trade secrets, employee and clients’ personal information, financial information of the company, and so on. In the case of private individuals, your phones, laptops, and other devices contain sensitive information about you. Your bank account, social security number, credit card details are some of the information these personal devices contain. If accessed by unauthorized people, it may aid in identity theft, and so on.
Securing your data is essential for you to protect against data loss and data leakage. You would think it is such an overwhelming and complex process – thankfully, it is not.
Here are some simple ways to secure your data to prevent data loss or leakage:
Allow software updates on your devices, from the operating systems to every other application on the device. Software companies regularly put out updated versions of their software, usually in response to detected bugs and vulnerabilities in the software.
Failure to update your software when the software company releases an update means using the previous version. The old software version is usually prone to data breaches and other data loss and leakage forms.
2. Create A Password And Protect It
One of the best ways to secure your data is by creating a strong password for your devices, software, etc., to prevent an invasion of your digital devices and act as a disaster prevention plan and it is also best practice to use unique passwords for each device and software; passwords shouldn’t be hard for you to remember. You may use password trackers to track all of your passwords, so you don’t forget them. This will allow you to go all out to create a strong and unique password for each of your devices.
3. Protect Your Browsing
Make sure your browsing is protected and secure. Let’s say you use free public WiFi; you will need to protect your data from being accessed by unauthorized third-party organizations or individuals. Free public WiFi networks are generally unsecured, so your personal and sensitive information may easily be exposed to other people using the same public network. You should use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect your device network and your browsing on the free public WiFi.
You just need to ensure the VPN service is trusted and legitimate.
4. Keep Your Data Encrypted
Encryption codes your data into ciphertext to make the data inaccessible by unauthorized persons. Encryption is useful for protecting data, from email to the messages on your phone, computer, and other personal devices.
When you encrypt your data, the data becomes scrambled and appears meaningless without the key to the encryption, called ciphertext.
This will make it impossible for unauthorized persons to gain access to your personal information, thereby preventing data loss or leakage.
5. Back Up Your Data
Make sure to have backup storage for the data you have stored on your devices and networks. You may lose all of those data or any of the data if something happens to your devices or networks. Backing up the data is a trusted and reliable way to ensure you don’t lose your vital data.
Let’s say you lose your computer and all of the information/data stored on the computer network, and you can simply restore the data if you have backed it up before.
You can secure your pictures, documents, etc., from hackers, ransomware attacks, and other forms of data loss or leakage by simply backing up your data.
To ensure optimum protection for your data, you can backup using online services and external hard drives, but you can use either of the two backup storages.
Some of the popular causes of data loss include:
Fire damage or water damage to your device.
Virus and other malware attacks on your device networks.
You may accidentally delete your data.
Although data loss and data leakage are not the same as a data breach, which is typically an intentional attack on your network to steal your data for malicious purposes, they are just as bad since both involve data reaching the hands of unauthorized recipients and loss of your data.
Your personal and sensitive information or data are typically essential data that you cannot afford to lose, especially in the hands of unauthorized persons. So, it is only reasonable for you to keep the data secure to prevent loss of data and data leakage.
How To Perfectly Secure Your Data From Any Loss Or Leakage was last modified: August 12th, 2021 by Charlene Brown
The credit repair industry is flourishing, and starting your own company is a great idea. This is a highly scalable model — you can even run the business from your home. The initial costs are modest, and the profit potential is undeniable. One in five Americans has problems with unfair scores, so the demand is guaranteed. Here are the basics of starting a business in this niche in 2021.
Look at the Top Performers
The top credit repair services allow clients to remedy their scores in the most convenient way. All the tasks, from analysis to disputes, are delegated to professionals. For $79-$129 per month, these firms communicate with lenders, bureaus, and collection agencies to achieve a boost as soon as possible.
Certified experts perform painstaking investigative work to collect evidence and avoid redisputes. Well-established brands like Lexington Law remove a wide range of information, from late payments to Chapter 7 bankruptcies. Consumers pay for their services even when they could manage the disputes by themselves. Speed, convenience, and efficiency are the biggest selling points.
you are not allowed to charge any advance payments;
all the contracts must be in writing, and they must be signed before any services are rendered;
every client must have an opportunity to cancel the contract;
you are not allowed to use misleading marketing methods.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act is what makes this industry possible. Every nationwide bureau is obliged to report only accurate and verifiable information. Any mistakes must be removed through a formal dispute procedure. This is what your company will handle on your clients’ behalf.
Study the regulations in your state. Registration and licensing requirements vary. You will also need to obtain a surety bond. This provides client protection if your company’s actions result in negative consequences. In the event of misconduct, the clients receive compensation.
Get Education
No formal requirements in terms of education exist. Still, qualifications are essential for trust and credibility. Get some formal training to become a certified professional.
Prepare Your Business Plan
Your business plan must cover all the essentials of launching and running the business. Pay attention to the following elements:
An executive summary highlighting the market opportunity — the audience in need of repair. This section must include your mission statement.
Business description giving a snapshot of the market situation. Define the problems your business will solve, and describe the different types of services you will offer.
Market analysis showing how your company should position itself to stand out from the competition. Conclusions must be backed by quantifiable data.
Competitive analysis showing the main weaknesses of your arrivals, and ways you could fill those gaps to serve the customers better.
Operations and management description explaining how the business will be structured, what types of expenditures you will incur and who will be responsible for different operations.
Goals, which may be organized as phases of business development, from launch to expansion. Include the services offered at each phase and the milestones you should reach.
Get the Best Software
Successful companies are unimaginable without efficient and versatile software. It streamlines different aspects of operations and interaction with customers. You should manage events and contacts easily, capture leads, organize clients and track progress on each case. Export of contacts for mail marketing should be effortless.
Promote Your Company
Obviously, the digital space is the primary channel of promotion. Devise a multifaceted strategy to engage different dimensions, and build a professional website to showcase your work. Here are a few suggestions:
Create a business profile on Instagram and use the full spectrum of tools: post helpful content with relevant hashtags, create fun and engaging stories, IGTV, and Reels. Pay for ads to gain exposure more quickly.
Use Facebook communities to spread the word about your company implicitly. These groups are organized by your competitors, so become a valuable member to attract attention to your profile. Participate in discussions and give useful advice to the members, so they get curious and check your bio. Make sure your profile looks professional and includes a link to the site.
Create a YouTube channel with helpful content related to repair. Ideally, your videos should not last longer than 10 minutes.
Use the search feature on Twitter to find users discussing repair, and provide valuable tips. Engage local financial affiliates to expand the prospective audience.
Use LinkedIn to reach a vast audience of professionals. Post case studies, white papers, articles, and other information to catch their attention. Referrals from financial pros will help you grow your audience quickly.
The Bottom Line
To establish a successful company, you should navigate the legal landscape and learn from the experience of well-established brands. Start with a home-based business and let your company grow gradually. The Internet offers a wealth of proven promotional strategies. Efficient software will streamline operations, helping you provide excellent services and promote your brand through word of mouth.
How to Start a Credit Repair Business was last modified: August 9th, 2021 by Victoria Blake
Why Companies Compete Better with Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM Integration
Microsoft Dynamics NAV makes for remarkable enterprise resource planning (ERP). Using such a tool, you can automate and manage all kinds of core operations including sales and stocks or accounting and purchasing. Then, a CRM like Salesforce helps you stay in touch with customers and stimulate sales according to trends, feedback, and records. When you choose NAV CRM integration for your company, the abilities multiply.
Those who have never seen the impact of integration may wonder at first what makes the connection between siloed databases so powerful that they can propel business simply by sharing and replicating data. They may be used to the idea that integration is a costly, complicated, and inconsequential course of action for an in-house team. Nevertheless, the benefits show themselves when you turn to a partner for your integration solutions.
These benefits of integrating your Microsoft Dynamics NAV database with a CRM shine clearest with a third-party solution that cuts costs and downtime. When you’re familiar with its boosted productivity and empowered work, you can choose between your integration options. Then, entry errors, duplicate entries, missing items, and incomplete records will be resolved, permanently.
Cohesive data supports your strategy.
More than any other factor, the availability of the right data at the right time can make a decision. At the same time, a lack of information and a blindness to the trends in the numbers can spell disaster for an organization making important, tactical decisions. For leadership, making these decisions relies most on clarity and completeness.
Siloed systems, unfortunately, have a short supply of any clarity or completeness. They contain errors that frustrate analysts and decision-makers; they require manual data entry that’s expensive; and, they ultimately don’t give the full view of what is going on in the business, throughout the market, or with the customer. The result, of course, is that leaders have to make choices based on their feelings about the action or strategy, causing a trial-and-error relationship with the industry.
By comparison, integration brings things into focus to clarify and correct your stored information and working databases. The outcome of this crystal-clear view of your business is a guiding hand as you make decisions and purposefully march toward success. You become backed by evidence and increase your chances of corporate success. Beyond this, you can cut away some of the difficulties involved in the process.
As you develop your next plan of action, you’ll no longer need to worry about jumping through hoops or struggling with access when you integrate. Too often, companies find themselves struggling with the forest of permissions, accounts, databases, and records. After integration, the process is smoother, simpler, and more successful by taking on a fresh structure and relationship between tools.
Pre-configuration streamlines processes.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV and your existing CRM are designed to make the process of running an organization more manageable with fewer surprises. They help companies save money while leveraging automation, reports, and more. All of this steers the organization to shorter task completion times by liberating them from work that is better performed automatically or stored dynamically.
Integration is the next stage in an organization’s quest for saving time, effort, and expense. After connecting tools like Microsoft Dynamics NAV and their CRM, companies cut labor wasted on manual data entry and duplication of records while bringing teams the data they need more readily. The process of running a business regains the coordination that makes employees and customers feel confident in the company.
Cloud solutions secure data assets.
Threats and malicious attacks on your company are likely to increase as it scales, spending more time and money on preventing breaches and broken security events. Businesses of all kinds expend enormous resources in order to reduce the likelihood of losing sensitive data and customer information.
While it combines and houses your data in centralized storage, integration also brings in an additional layer of protection against data threats. Third-party and cloud-based solutions like RapidiOnline bring the assurance that your data is housed under the watchfulness of some of the highest international security measures. More than this, you reduce the points of entry that open you to attack when you choose to integrate and center your databases.
Try NAV CRM Integration through RapidiOnline
Rapidi uses pre-configured, custom templates to help clients integrate and enmesh disparate databases into streamlined ecosystems. You can skip the downtime, bugs, and frustrations that come from in-house development by choosing them as an integration partner. Learn more about Rapidi’s solutions.
Game-Changing Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM Integration was last modified: August 3rd, 2021 by Aliza Betha
Do you want to increase your productivity at work? Do you want to get more done in a day? If so, then it is time for you to make some changes to your office.
All the people who have succeeded in business know that office design and layout is one of the most important parts of it. It can help employees organize their work and make it easier to find things. However, not all companies understand how big of an impact this can have on their employees’ productivity. It can get tricky if your employees have to focus a lot of their time on finding which tasks to do. It might lead to difficulties in executing tasks and affect overall productivity. There are some task management tools that can help maximize productivity at work.
It’s not just about how much space you have, but about how you use it. In this lesson, we will explore some of the best office design tricks that will help increase your productivity at work.
1. Consider Your Layout
The most important thing to consider when designing your office is the layout. Company culture is deeply rooted in the office’s design. In order to create a positive, productive environment, it’s essential to have an office layout that employees are happy with.
The first step in deciding where your office should be is figuring out what type of business you’re operating and the amount of space you’ll need. Whether it’s a simple laptop setup or a large warehouse, the type of business will dictate what type of setup is needed. If you’re just starting up, then we recommend looking for an affordable place that has enough space for all your equipment and furniture. If you know exactly what kind of office space you want, then there are websites that can help provide these quotes from facilities.
As you map out the necessary office space, also think about the placement and quality of essential features like restroom partitions. This detail not only affects privacy but also the overall functionality and comfort of your workplace, enhancing the daily experience for everyone involved.
2. Keep Things Comfortable
One of the most important things for your employees is a comfortable office space. To keep your employees happy, you should make sure they are comfortable in their work environment. It is important that they are protected from environmental factors that could impact their performance and productivity at work.
There are many factors that make a comfortable office space. Temperature, lighting, noise levels, proximity to coffee shops and lunch spots and more all need to be taken into account when you’re designing your office layout.
You can also increase work quality and employee happiness in your office without spending a ton of money. Here are some simple tweaks you can make around the office that will do just that:
Keep the mood light with bright colors that suit your company culture
Allow employees to listen to music, as it increases focus and productivity
Offer food options for employees who need them
Encourage breaks by giving them plenty of space for their lunch breaks or coffee breaks
The colors that we design our office spaces with are not just for aesthetics; they can have a major effect on the productivity of our employees. For example, when the color blue is used, it stimulates employees and helps them focus. On the other hand, red stimulates people to move and be more active.
Studies show that people feel safer, more creative, and more productive when they are in an environment with warmer colors (like reds and oranges). For example, one study found that participants who were in a room painted in red were more productive than those who were in a room painted blue.
There are many ways to implement color into the workplace: changing the office colors, adding accent colors to certain furniture or objects, or painting the outside of the building.
4. Improve the Lighting
Improving the lighting in your office is one of the easiest things you can do to boost productivity. A study found that those who spent their entire day under artificial lights were twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety as those who had access to natural light all day long.
There are a number of ways you can do this, but most have a similar effect. You could move your desk to a room with more natural light, use lamps or soft light bulbs that mimic natural light, or by some form of daylighting system. The benefits of these changes are clear and well documented.
5. Nail Your Desk
The ergonomics of a workstation can dramatically affect your mood and productivity. Proper ergonomic setups are essential to long-term success in the workplace.
A study by the Ergonomics Society found that over 30% of office workers experience lower back pain, while 25% experience neck pain. These adjustments can help alleviate some of these symptoms and make co-workers more comfortable in their workspace.
Employers should consider these quick ergonomic checks to make sure their employees are comfortable and not distracted by discomfort. You should have a desk set up that is appropriate for their needs and takes into account their body type. This includes height and depth adjustments, placement of monitors in the correct position, chair height and armrests if they use them, as well as adjusting monitor tilt angle to avoid glare from lights or windows.
Final Words
Effective workspace setup and organization can make all the difference to one’s productivity. The way that your workplace is set up could be affecting how productive you are on a day-to-day basis. Minimizing distractions and maximizing space can help increase workplace productivity.
If you have any concerns about this guide or have more ideas for a new space, feel free to comment below. We’ll be happy to hear from you.
5 Design Tricks That Will Increase Your Workspace Productivity was last modified: May 14th, 2024 by Kanti Kashyap
Pre-Sale Renovations: 3 That Add Value And 3 To Avoid
Selling your home is a lot of work, but the challenges that come with the process are more significant than that. No, on top of the work of packing and staging, finding an agent and organizing listings, in order to sell your home fast you will likely need to make some improvements, a process that takes time and money and, most of all, understanding of the market.
Which improvements are worth the cost and which are ultimately money pits? Here’s the inside scoop on which improvements will attract buyers and which will cause your property to languish on the market.
Do: Perform Exterior Upgrades
When selling your home, you’ll likely hear a lot of buzz about curb appeal. This refers to the elements outside your home that make people want to stop and look more closely, and if you fail to factor in curb appeal, people may pass over your home without learning anything more about it, it can be hard selling a house in poor condition.
In my experience at Asphalt Industrial, we’ve seen a significant increase in property value for our clients who have invested in exterior upgrades. Curb appeal is crucial in catching buyers’ attention and generating interest in your home. Driveway paving, roof repairs, and landscaping can make a huge difference in the marketability of a property.” – Kevin, founder and CEO of Asphalt Industrial.
Still, curb appeal is more than just tidying up the lawn and planting some flowers. It may have a functional role as well.
Unless replaced in the last few years, there’s a good chance you’ll want to ensure your home’s roof has been restored, and siding replaced. These elements will make your home look better, but these are also reassuring repairs for potential buyers.
In fact, these upgrades are so desirable that roof repairs are known to recoup 100% or more of the cost that went into them.
Do not: Go Bright and Bold
It’s fine to paint your bedroom teal, wallpaper your bathroom, or add creative tile stylings to your kitchen when you plan to stay in your home for a long time, but these types of features are a no-go when you’re preparing to sell.
Bold colors and unusual design choices do not just turn off buyers who do not want to deal with changing the entire home’s design, but it makes it harder for people to imagine themselves in the home in the first place.
Sure, you might luck into a buyer who loves your personal style, but in most cases, you’ll lose money when your home is styled in this way. Instead, where possible, spruce up your home with neutral-colored paints and other basic styling choices that will attract a wider array of potential buyers.
Do: Light it Right
Both in terms of day-to-day function and in regards to the specific process of selling your home, lighting is critical. In fact, your real estate agent will probably bring in special lighting when they photograph your home to ensure that it looks its best, but that lighting won’t be there when potential buyers actually do a walk-through.
With that in mind, there are a handful of lighting upgrades you can make that will make your home more appealing.
According to The Kay-Grant Group, before you put your home on the market, you’ll want to replace light bulbs, add additional lighting in dim rooms, and consider changing some of your lighting fixtures to make them more modern. You should also pay attention to any curtains or blinds in the home; make sure they’re clean and tidy and draw them back before showings to maximize the natural light in the space.
Do not: Invest in Luxury Appliances
Not that many years ago, people became very interested in creating high-end kitchen environments, including fancy appliances, marble countertops, islands, and a variety of special features, and this trend is on the rise again because of how much more people cooked during the pandemic. Unfortunately, luxury kitchens – and other rooms like bathrooms – cost a lot of money to design and outfit, and interest in them is relatively limited.
It just doesn’t make sense to spend tens of thousands of dollars installing luxury appliances when most people only want or need the basics, so if your kitchen or bathroom needs an upgrade, stick to standard choices. Luxury appliances do not make back their cost on sale when your home goes to market, or anything close to it. And, similarly to other niche renovations like the quirky colors and styles highlighted above, the majority may even drive away buyers by making the property seem cumbersome rather than desirable.
Do: Doll Up Your Doorways
Much like roofing upgrades, replacing your exterior doors and even your garage door can make your home more appealing and is quite inexpensive to do. You might also consider replacing interior doors, or at least changing out the doorknobs for newer styles, or applying a fresh coat of paint.
When upgrading your entryways, one door you should particularly pay attention to is your storm door. These lightweight exterior doorways tend to get warped and damaged easily because they’re typically made of aluminum, and the closures can be fussy.
Replacing your storm door won’t cost much but it will remove a little friction from your entryway while making your home look nicer.
Do not: Eliminate Bedrooms
With so many people working from home recently, we’ve all been setting up shop wherever possible. If you’re preparing to move, then, it can be tempting to offer a home office as a kind of upgrade, but that’s a bad idea if it means sacrificing a bedroom.
Not only will you need to make some substantial changes, like adding extra outlets, but people will happily welcome an extra bedroom even as a guest room or see that spare room as multi-purpose if they do not need it. On the other hand, for those who do need the bedroom, having to switch the space back from an office can seem inconvenient and cause them to ditch your property for other options.
Depending on the state of the market, any renovation can be risky, and the majority of home upgrades won’t make back their full cost when your house hits the market, but not making any improvements is an even dicier move.
After all, your home needs to look nice if you hope to sell. Some improvements are necessary, but they need to be judicious. With a little research under your belt, though, you’ll be able to make wise choices and get your home ready to sell.
What are the Best and Worst Value Property Renovations? was last modified: January 15th, 2024 by Alex Sanders
Whilst many industries seemed to have soared ahead as a result of the tech boom we have seen over the last 20 years, not all required the boost that software developments delivered. With regards to floristry, for example, this still has something of a traditional feel about it. Flower deliveries after all have taken place for decades, and the only thing which really changed has been the emergence of online ordering. With this being said, however, and much like many small businesses, the software can be used to make things better for those running a floristry business.
Large scale businesses in this field such as Pearsons Florist, rely on powerful software to manage their operations. Smaller businesses can learn a lot from these kinds of businesses, and use the same software to deliver increased productivity and better service to their customers. Here are some examples of software that florists can use.
Details Flower Software
This is one of the finest software suites for any florist, whether you are a Fort Lauderdale florist or a Texas florist, and it is a purpose-built platform that provides a wealth of solutions to large and small operations. Flower shop owners can use this software to do simple stuff such as tracking sales and managing costs; they can also perform high-level tasks like managing inventory, working out margins and dealing with international sales. The team at Details has worked with some of the big hitters in the florist industry in order to design software that worked perfectly for those in the sector.
FloristWare
FloristWare is a great option for small florists around the country. This is a low-cost piece of software that actually packs quite a punch for both online and offline sales. At the heart of this software is a Point-of-Sale function that enables the digitalization of everything that goes through the business. Additionally, however, users can count on a pretty impressive Customer Relationship Management feature, which helps companies stay on top of customer care. This software focuses less on the numbers side of things, and more on helping you to increase customer relations and drive more sales to the business.
Floranext
Floranext will help you to maintain and improve your online presence, as well as helping you to seamlessly integrate what is sold in the store, with the information which you keep online. For those florists who are looking to add a level of E-commerce to the business, this is the perfect option for you. Floranext is built by florists and it is designed to help any business launch online and manage its sales through a well-built E-commerce platform.
BloomNation
BloomNation is yet another one-stop-shop that will take care of all of your daily needs in the business. This software package offers a POS portal, an E-commerce management platform and it can also be integrated with other software so that you can manage inventory and track orders coming in and out of the business. The target market of BloomNation is very much small businesses, and each aspect of the software package has been created with those florists in mind. This is a software suite that is updated on a regular basis and which has a dedicated team that is always looking to add tools and features to the package to help its customers be the best they can be.
There are many software choices to choose from and these are the top picks for us. The choice will come down to what you are looking to spend like having a flower subscription Melbourne account and where your business fits within the floristry landscape, in terms of size and customer base.
Powerful Software to Increase Productivity in Your Floristry Business was last modified: February 16th, 2023 by John Guevara
The Pandemic has meant a significant switch in lifestyle and even career. Many people decided that this is the perfect time to pursue that small business idea they’ve always flirted with.
Despite the comfort of running a business while sitting in pajamas, there are still a million things pulling business owners in different directions. For example, security isn’t always a top concern and sometimes goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. But it is a crucial element. Keeping up with cybersecurity basics for a business can prevent irreparable damage and more than $25000 in losses.
So it’s time to get those ducks in a row before something happens! Here’s a short guide to the best steps business owners can take right now to protect their home-based businesses.
Set Up Admin Access Control
Access control is one of the most important things any business can do if it has any employees. It’s crucial for anyone who works remotely or with freelancers. This goes for online accounts, internal systems, and work accounts that are used by many people.
Access control is a security technique that regulates who can view or use certain accounts or data. For example, if the business has a website on WordPress, then the owner can control who gains admin access to the site and what they can do.
This prevents people from gaining full control over the website. And if their login details get stolen or their account hacked, the hackers will also have limited access. The same goes for data and account sharing. Give people access only to that information they need to perform their duties.
Keep Those Passwords Secret
There will be some preaching about passwords on a list like this because passwords are that important.
With passwords, it’s best to stick to the advice of cybersecurity experts, which are reiterated in such trusted sites as Wired, TechCrunch, and Forbes. The standard best practices stay the same:
– Use a unique password for every account.
– Make passwords long, with multiple characters, numbers, and symbols.
– Don’t share passwords on unencrypted chats.
If it’s hard to remember all those passwords, then it’s best to make use of a password manager. Also, always enable two-factor authentication on accounts. If you own an iOS device, you should always try and share Wi-Fi password with iPhone.
Perhaps this sounds like a luxury you can’t afford, but here’s why you should make cybersecurity insurance a must-have, despite the fact that cyber insurance rates are rising.
Keep Off-Site Data Backups
A lot of businesses are not prepared to deal with the consequences of having all their data stolen in a cyber-attack or locked away by ransomware. Not only do many not have up-to-date backups, but those that do often make the mistake of storing them on the same premises. Sometimes even on the same devices/servers. That doesn’t help anyone.
Backups should be stored on encrypted hard drives in an off-site location that isn’t easy to access or on a secure cloud server. The second usually costs a monthly or annual fee, but the upside is that it can’t be lost or destroyed in a fire. Both of these off-site data protection options are essential if you want to safeguard your business from a data disaster.
The downside of using cloud servers, however, is that they aren’t infallible. Hackers have managed to break through in the past.
Use Encryption Tools
Encryption is a method of changing the original plaintext of computer code into a different, undecipherable code. This code can only be decrypted by the person that has the key (app). Everyone else sees scrambled nonsense.
So, there are apps and software that can encrypt hard drives, emails, and even network connections. Even messaging systems like WhatsApp use end-to-end encryption to keep messages private.
Look for encryption apps and software that have received good reviews online. Make sure to encrypt any files and drives on devices used to run the business. Also, use a secure email provider that encrypts emails and a VPN to encrypt the network connection.
The last is important because hackers can use digital devices to gain access to the home’s network and infiltrate the business’ accounts. There are even VPNs for Fire Stick for watching shows in the background while getting work done (it’s okay, we don’t judge).
Keep in mind that this advice goes for any employee as well.
Conclusion
It’s obvious that a lot of work could be done from home. That’s why people switched to running their businesses from the home offices. But it’s important to remember that this comes with a number of cybersecurity risks as small businesses are big targets for hackers! It’s much easier to do a little preparation now than having to deal with the consequences of a cyber-attack later.
Best Cybersecurity Tips for your Home-Based Small Business was last modified: September 2nd, 2022 by Tom Minton
When Guglielmo Marconi began research into long-range radio in the late 19th century, the scientific community was skeptical. That he succeeded in transmitting radio signals more than 2000km met with much astonishment. What he had unwittingly done was discover the ionosphere, a layer in the atmosphere that is ionized to a degree by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
This affects radio waves and reflects them to earth, which bounces them upwards again. This repeated sequence enables us to transmit radio waves around the world. So, if radio waves can’t penetrate the ionosphere, what else will hinder them? Let’s look at what radio waves consist of, and then we’ll talk about their ability or otherwise to pass through certain materials.
Radio Waves Explained
Developments in radio technology have brought us a long way in the past 100 years and more, but how do radio waves work? Before Marconi’s discovery, scientists believed that radio signals could only travel a straight line, as they were known to do in free space. Hence, there was a necessity for tall towers from which to transmit signals. A 100m high tower, for example, could send a signal up to around 30km, the limit set by the curvature of the earth. Marconi showed that radio waves could be bent and bounced by the ionosphere.
Radio waves form a small part of what is known as the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). This consists not just of radio waves but also other forms of electromagnetic radiation such as gamma rays, microwaves, visible light, and more. Radio waves have among the longest wavelengths on the EMS. Imagine a rope held between two people. Move the rope up and down at one end, and a waveform moves across the rope.
This is what a radio wave would look like if we could see it. The wavelength is the distance between two ‘peaks’ in the wave. We also have to consider the frequency, which the number of waves that pass a given point in a set time. This is vital to understand so that different transmissions do not interfere with each other.
Television signals are radio waves, but they are broadcast in a different frequency range to the radio.
What has this to do with the materials that radio waves can and cannot pass through? Let’s look more closely at this.
What Can’t Radio Waves Pass-Through?
We’ve already seen that radio waves do not penetrate the ionosphere. We should explain that this refers to radio waves of up to 40MHz, the highest frequency bounced off the ionosphere. Why do radio waves bounce back?
As we mentioned, the ionosphere is partly ionized.
This is because the UV light from the sun causes electrons to shake free from atoms, leaving a large proportion of free electrons hanging about in the ionosphere. When a radio wave hits the ionosphere, the energy created by the free electrons, as a result, causes the radio waves to be repelled or reflected.
So, we know that radio waves up to 40MHz won’t pass through an ionized layer in the atmosphere. Remember that we explained the perceived limitations of radio transmissions before Marconi’s discovery. A line of sight was necessary, without obstructions, for successful transmission.
In some radio transmissions, interference can be caused by the waves being blocked by materials that they cannot penetrate. While radio waves can move through wood, bricks, and concrete to a certain extent, these materials can still cause interference. This is because radio waves meeting such objects can be reflected from buildings and other large structures, just like the ionosphere. This explains why the reception of radios and other radio frequency devices such as smartphones vary between locations.
For the record, as it covers a large bandwidth necessarily, television signals need to be above 40MHz so they cannot be bounced off the ionosphere, hence the tall towers in high locations used for TV transmissions.
Radio waves will also be adversely affected by metal and water, which they cannot pass through. That is because water and metal are both electrical conductors. Like the ionosphere, metal and water contain many free electrons, which will vibrate when a radio wave hits the surface, and the wave will bounce back.
Summary
To summarize, we now know that radio waves are affected by free electrons in electrical conductors such as metals and water and cannot pass through these materials.
We have discovered that they can pass through non-conducting materials quite well but are losing propagation power with reflecting surfaces such as water, metal, and other materials. Furthermore, worldwide radio transmission is made possible by the radio waves being reflected by the ionosphere and the earth in a continuous sequence, allowing for transmissions to be made across great distances.
What Radio Waves Can Travel Through and What They Cannot was last modified: July 8th, 2021 by Pankaj Budhija
