Is Having a Financial Contingency Plan a Smart Business Move

Every business aims to be successful, and having a detailed financial contingency plan is a step in the right direction. It is not only a smart business move, but is a necessity for established and small businesses and for those who plan to venture into the world of business. A financial contingency plan records the course of action in times of crisis that endanger the steadiness of a company. It should specialize in resource and financial allocations specifically.

Starting a business venture is the easy part, sustaining it takes real work effort. A financial contingency plan is your safety net in a sea of risks. It is always smarter to save up for a rainy day. In your budget, set aside some funds for a financial emergency- you never know when you might need it!

A contingency plan is mandatory for budding businesses that are just venturing the market. Building a reputation is crucial for your brand’s success and there are a ton of things that can go wrong. Everything from marketing to sales and customer support requires industry experience and technical expertise.

Start-ups and budding ventures looking for some help with social media campaigns can reach out to Page Potato for assistance.

For business students, writing detailed marketing reports with a well-researched and thorough competition analysis allows them to appreciate effective financial plans and strategies. By gathering data and putting that information to use, disasters made by market competitors can be carefully avoided. With a thorough competitive analysis as part of an initial business plan, a company can avoid surprises, staying one step ahead at all times.

In fact, most B-school curriculums encourage students to draft contingency plans as part of their marketing report. This gives them an in-depth insight into how a business works in the real world. It also exposes the students to some real-world threats and risks that impact the brand.

Drafting a financial report is not an easy task. You need to organize, manage and analyse huge volumes of data. Predicting contingencies and developing an effective plan for it requires a lot of meticulous thought and action. The accounting experts at Expert Assignment Help UK are here to guide you through the process.

No matter how big or small a company is, having a financial contingency plan in place can mean the difference between the durability and failure of a company when disaster occurs. The preparedness to adapt to constantly changing market conditions and make appropriate adjustments in the event of a crisis is absolutely vital. For startups that are finding their ground, a comprehensive plan that works toward limiting the risk of financial loss can be invaluable. Instead of expecting and assuming the worst, startups can devise reasonable and effective business procedures to remain in action and avoid insolvency.

Sudden crises and operational setbacks can divert the attention from major events, with the prospective to close a business for days or even indefinitely. The Small Business Association estimated that 25 percent of businesses do not reopen after major disasters, which may scale from loss of data, employee illnesses and breaches in security to unforeseen natural calamities and electrical fires. Taking the time to plan a contingency plan can pay dividends should such disasters ever occur.

It is recommended for businesses to adjust and comply to the accounting standards in accordance to their country. Accounting standards are a technical pronouncement that set the specified accounting style for particular transactions and events. The accounting requirements affect the preparation and presentation of an entity’s financial statements. In Australia, the accountant standards that are followed are extremely well established and thorough and clearly help to deliver a precise and distinctive contribution to the development of an excellent quality of financial reporting. Corporations adjust to these accounting standards to avoid legal and financial hassles. A deep insight into these standards gives a student the ability to study and detect errors and point them out for accurate outcomes. They can cite the accounting standards and suggest methods by which the corporation can alter their financial data to avoid contingencies.

A business plan allows an individual to make the right decisions, leaves less up to chance and helps them predict the possible future of their corporation. Every element of a business plan can aid in detecting any potential mistakes before they happen. As business plans are regularly updated in a corporation, they can indicate and prevent financial contingencies that are relevant at that particular time. Formulating these business plans are mandatory for students and are an important addition in each B-school curriculum. This prepares them for the future and helps them present a frictionless pitch to investors and companies. A good business plan includes all the aspects of a business, and contingency planning is one of the many key aspects. Without one, a business could have to endure major setbacks in the event of a situation that adversely impacts a corporation’s daily operations.

Financial contingencies can happen due to a number of factors- some in your control and others not. In some cases, you may also have to file a lawsuit or take legal action against a competitor. In other cases, a consumer might sue you for any issue with your service/product.

It is important that you are prepared to handle these situations and not help them harm your business. This is why business students are encouraged to read up and crack business law case studies as part of their curriculum as well. It helps them understand the intricacies of the market and how to handle things when they turn for the worse.

Since we have established the importance of a financial contingency plan, here are some essential factors you must ensure are incorporated in your plan:

Protection from theft- A constructive contingency plan should include methods for securing and sustaining all the intellectual property of the corporation. A legal scheme should be put into place in case of a possible breach of sensitive company data. Backing up all valuable data and giving restricted access to sensitive information can secure the business in case of a security breach.

Communication- In case of an incident that affects the staff, partners and customers, it is important to be in contact with them so that they are updated with the current situation of your corporation. It is recommended to keep a list of contacts that could help with fixing the incident so that the company can be back to its original form.

Violation and Fraud – Fraud committed by staff personnel is one of the most important contingencies to keep in mind. This mismanagement can lead to negative publicity and lead to conflicts in the workplace. To prevent such problems, a plan of action which includes regular checks and procedures can be drawn up. Legal strategies can also be implemented to minimise the damage caused due to the violation.

Emergency Evacuation plan- A contingency plan must include a proper evacuation procedure in the event of an unforeseen emergency, such as an electrical fire or natural disaster. It must be published and explained to all the employees and staff so that they are aware of the way in which they can evacuate the premises safely.

Formulating a comprehensive financial contingency plan secures the future of a corporation and its personnel. It provides a sense of reassurance and protects you from any unforeseen circumstances. A good contingency plan will prepare a company and allow them to focus on taking their business to the next level.

How to Legally Pursue Cyber Crime

Cybercrime is a general term that refers to any offense that may involve internet devices. If you have been a victim, the law has provisions that may protect you. Common forms of cybercrime include; identity theft, spreading hate, hacking, and phishing. Even though it is important to protect yourself from cybercrime, it isn’t always possible. Take the following steps if you have been a victim of cybercrime.

1. Detach And Disconnect

If there is an ongoing attack on your infrastructure or computer, the first thing to do is disconnect it from the internet. It will ensure that you do not lose any more data. If you are a victim of cyberstalking or cyber bullying, do not attempt to seek legal help while connected to the internet. In case of successful phishing attacks where you have revealed confidential information or bank details, change your passwords and freeze your credit cards and bank accounts.

2. Seek Legal Help

Contact your lawyer as soon as possible. Take legal action while you try to minimize the negative effects of the crime. According to the professionals at revisionlegal.com/services/internet-lawyer/, you must include all the relevant information including the nature of the cybercrime, the severity of the damage, and the date of the attack. Provide data and documents that may be relevant to your case. Even though cybercrime cases can be complicated, do not assume that the criminals cannot be caught.

Who Should You Contact?

  • Local Law Enforcement

Your local law enforcement is obligated to help you with cybercrime cases even when you have been a victim of multijurisdictional attacks. They will get a formal report and help you contact other agencies.

  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Even though the FTC may not resolve your individual complaint, it operates the Consumer Sentinel. Criminal and civil law enforcement authorities all around the world use the database.

  • IC3

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You can file your complaint online. Once you do, you will find instructions on what to do when it comes to your specific complaint.

  • A Local Victim Service Provider

There are victim advocates in most communities and they can help with your cybercrime case. Find a victim’s service provider in your area and ask for help.  

Other resources where you may file your complaint include; The United States Department of Justice, Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups, Your State Attorney General, and CyberTipline.

Collect as much evidence as you can to support your case. Evidence may include:

  • Facsimiles
  • Money order receipts
  • Canceled checks
  • Messages from social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter
  • Credit card receipts
  • Phone bills
  • Log files where possible
  • Web page copies
  • Chat Room text

3. Address the Specific Cyber Crime

The actions you take may vary depending on the nature of your attack. In case of identity theft, change your passwords as soon as possible. Use a strong password with numbers, symbols, uppercase letters, and lowercase letters. If you have any compromised or unauthorized charge or credit accounts, close them as soon as possible. Let the company know that someone may be trying to use your identity to complete unauthorized transactions. Depending on the type of theft that has happened, you may need to contact a law enforcement agency. They will give you a report to submit to your creditors, credit bureaus, or bank.

If cybercriminals have stolen your personal information following a corporate data breach, the agency or business will contact you with instructions on what to do.

On the other hand, if you believe that someone may be using your social security number to access your benefits or seek employment, contact the Social Security administration through their fraud hotline.

If you are a victim of online stalking, your actions depend on whether you know the offender. If you do, send them a clear warning letter. Let them know that their contact is unwanted. Save copies of your interaction with them to support your case. File your complaint with their Internet Service Provider (ISP). Most of them have tools that may block or filter messages from specific people. Set privacy and security settings on your social networks and change your email address

4. Inform Your Contacts

Let your contacts know that you have been a victim of cyberattacks. The attackers can steal your data and try to contact your online attacks. Social media is the most effective tool for spreading the word about it.

If you suspect that you may have been a victim of cybercrime, consider seeking legal help as soon as possible. There are provisions in the law that protect you from all sorts of cyberattacks.

Top Productivity Apps for Small Businesses

There are only so many hours in a day which corresponds to making the most of your time-critical. While there exist only two ways you can increase your output: either put in more extended hours or learn how to work smarter. The latter seems to be the wiser choice.

Being productive doesn’t necessarily require you to have an advanced degree in psychology but it does ask you to be more deliberate in how you are managing your time. As small business owners, we all have dreamt of achieving more and stressing less- of course, whilst keeping our sanity intact.

Making most use out of available resources is all it actually takes. And the good news is that there are a plethora of apps available to help you do that.

Let’s drill down the features of the top 5 productivity apps to help you take your small business up a notch

1.  DejaOffice

DejaOffice is a full-featured PC CRM tool. It is a flexible customer relations management software that helps businesses manage their leads, have a track of their contacts, and get a real-time view of the transactional and communication history of their customers. DejaOffice offers mobile CRM apps on both android and iPhone, having local databases these apps sync with USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, and DejaCloud.

DejaOffice offers a cloud plug-in, this plugin even expands the functionality of Outlook turning it into a platform for CRM with its task and contact management functionalities. The built-in Calendar makes scheduling a breeze. On top of it, the profiles can be color-coded which makes dealings easier.

➔     Pros:

➔      Flexible compatibility with other CRMs

➔      Highly inexpensive; one-time payment plus a free 14-day trial

➔      Integrated contact management

➔      Smartphone Dialing

➔      Easy-to-navigate Interface

➔    Cons:

➔      Needs regular updates

2.  ASANA

ASANA is one of the most leading project management software currently available on the market. It is a go-to tool availed by teams to organize work that is clear and visible to all involved-ultimately accelerating productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, ASANA is a flexible app that promotes visibility and can manage a variety of workflows with innovative features.

ASANA’s ‘collaboration’ is a built-in messaging platform allowing discussion and brainstorming among teams. It offers customizable dashboards and multiple workspaces. For project segmentation and prioritization, ASANA has a focus mode allowing custom-calendar, individual task lists, regular notification, and reminders. Although ASANA is web-based, it is supported on Android, Linux, and IOS.

➔     Pros:

➔      Free plan and trial

➔      Great storage security

➔      Variety of Integrations

➔      Versatile, easy-to-navigate interface

➔      Top-notch collaboration tools

➔      Customer Support

➔      Cons:

➔      Limited exporting functionality

➔      Cannot track time spent by the members working on their tasks, need third-party tracking software

3.  OneNote

Venturing on a new business idea? A handy note-taking app is all you need. Trust OneNote to keep your thoughts organized and get the most done.

Microsoft OneNote is a personalized information management app designed to help you take digital notes of all kinds in one place. OneNote allows you to share, sync, and save your ideas one Onedrive from your android devices. One of the top features, ‘Sticky notes’ go anywhere on your screen giving you real-time access to saved useful information. You can customize your notes template according to your needs which can later be used for recurring projects as well.

Custom tags, version history, and internal links ensure quick accessibility. OneNote provides office translation to decipher content into multiple languages. The cherry on top, OneNote comes with a built-in Math assistant as well.

➔    Pros:

➔      Excellent organizational system

➔      Perfectly syncs with phone and desktop

➔      Highly user-friendly interface

➔      Version Tracking

➔      Integration with Microsoft Office products

➔     5 GB free storage

➔    Cons:

➔      No integration with Google calendar or Gdrive

➔      Needs improvement in web clipping features

4.  Basecamp

Basecamp is yet another phenomenal cloud-based online project management tool. Basecamp with its internal communication feature allows businesses, specifically small businesses to get a better hang of the overall business structure by creating self-sufficient and efficient teams.

The latest version, Basecamp 3, is a system that combines all the tools that teams need to have a smooth collaboration throughout a project. The to-do list features allow users to see what needs to be done, one can assign tasks to other users with due dates. Basecamp has a Message Board Feature that provides a channel to have organized conversations, allows customizable post types, and embed images. The Check-in tool provides status updates at regular intervals.

Basecamp helps keep everyone in the loop. With a single location for messages, files, to-dos, and timeline, everyone is kept on the same page Every project has an individual schedule that shows outdated to-dos and events. Basecamp supports campfire which is a real-time group chat. It has apps for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC platforms

➔     Pros:

➔      Up to date involvement and customization

➔      Automatic check-in questions

➔      500 GB free file storage + 30-day free trial

➔      Wide range of integrations including mobile and desktop apps

➔      Fantastic customer support including multiple how-to guides and extensive basecamp manual

➔      Cons:

➔      Doesn’t offer Gantt charts

➔      No time tracking

 

5.  Focus@Will

I had to put Focus@Will in my top 5 productivity apps for several reasons. Being a music lover and a productivity freak, Focus@Will is nothing less than a sent-from-heaven tool for me.

Focus@Will is a subscription-based platform that is packed with music specifically composed, designed, and written to help you increase your focus and concentration. You can listen to relaxing music online or you can transfer these tunes to your devices. The best part is, Focus@Will is supported on all devices so whether you want to put music on iPod without iTunes, or you are looking to transfer songs into your android phones or iPhones, it has got you covered. 

Focus@Will claims that the scientifically tested technology behind it alters brain activity by shifting it towards a more focused zone hence sharpening your attention span. The best part is that all these huge claims actually work.  

➔     Pros:

➔      Perfect for public and open-office settings

➔      Exclusive tailor-made music for each user

➔      15-day free trial

➔      Built-in productivity tracker

➔      Supports on Android and iPhone

➔       Cons:

➔      Paid app

➔      Free alternatives are available

Protect your Computer with the Best Antivirus for Windows

Nowadays, no one thinks of connecting to the Internet without an antivirus. However, although we can find a wide variety of security solutions on the network, not all security programs protect you the same. Connecting to the Internet with a poor quality antivirus is almost like doing without it, since viruses, Trojans and hackers will be able to bypass your protection without much difficulty.

Next, we are going to see which are the best antivirus https://www.bestadvisor.com/antivirus-software that we can download and install in Windows to protect ourselves from the threats that are hidden on the Internet and that, in addition, do not slow down our computer.

What should a good antivirus have?

A good antivirus must offer us a good engine that is capable of detecting all types of malware before it runs on our computer. This engine, in addition to having a database that is updated several times a day with new threats, must also be able to make use of the cloud to protect against zero-day threats, and a heuristics engine capable of recognizing malware from their behavior, even though it has never been seen before on the Internet.

Of course, you must also have other security shields that protect us from other threats. An email filter, a firewall and even an anti-spyware and an anti-ransomware are, today, essential characteristics that we must look for when choosing an antivirus.

In addition, it is very important that the antivirus we choose is correctly optimized so as not to slow down the computer. Thus, while protecting us, it will allow us to take advantage of all the available resources of our hardware and extend the battery life to the maximum.

Free or paid antivirus?

When choosing security software to protect our safe computer, the first question that comes to mind is whether we choose a free antivirus to protect Windows, or we pay a license for a paid antivirus.

Is the protection of a paid antivirus better than that of a free one? The truth is that practically all of the well-known security firms and companies will protect us practically the same, since many even share the databases between them.

The main difference between a free antivirus and a paid one are the shields, or additional protection modules. The free ones are usually simpler and protect us only against malware, while the paid ones usually include a complete firewall, email protection shields, purchase protection and other additional security tools.

It is up to us to choose whether we want a free antivirus that only protects us, or a paid one that provides us with superior protection with its additional shields.

Best free antivirus to protect Windows

Getting good protection for our computer does not imply at any time having to spend a lot of money. On the web we can find a large number of free antivirus for Windows that will allow us to be protected from malware.

Windows Defender

The first of the free antivirus that we recommend is Windows Defender. This is Microsoft’s antivirus that is included by default in Windows 10 and that offers us outstanding protection in every way.

Windows Defender provides us with comprehensive protection for our Windows computer. This antivirus has a complete engine capable of detecting all kinds of threats that could endanger our computer, a firewall to protect the PC’s network connections (the well-known Windows firewall), and other additional shields to offer us additional protection. For example, it has modules to protect the kernel of the operating system, a protection shield against exploits and even modules to protect the little ones and other members of the family when they use the Internet.

Among its main advantages we can highlight the low consumption of resources and, above all, that being integrated with the operating system guarantees that we will not have problems when installing Windows updates. Something that, unfortunately, does not happen with other browsers.

You don’t have to download Windows Defender to use it in Windows 10, as it is installed by default. If we have a previous version of the operating system, we will not be able to download and use this free antivirus.

Avast Antivirus Free

Avast is one of the most popular free antivirus that we can find on the net. This offers us complete protection against malware and other threats directly from the cloud. Avast has its own engine that analyzes and protects our computer in real time, and its database is updated in real time so that we are protected against all threats from minute zero.

This free antivirus has one of the easiest interfaces to use. Thanks to it, any user, even without knowledge, can have the protection of their PC under control at all times. Thanks to the passive mode of this antivirus it is even possible to install it together with other security programs. It even has a do not disturb mode so that it does not show messages while we play or enjoy our favorite movies and series.

Among its additional features we can highlight the possibility of sending suspicious files directly to the security company for analysis, an engine to control our Wi-Fi network and prevent intruders and even an intelligent analysis system to detect security breaches in our PC or our network and help us protect ourselves.

Avira Free Security

Another of the best known free antivirus that we can find is Avira. It is also one of the simplest that we can install to protect our computer. Thanks to its efficient and powerful antivirus engine, we can be sure that our PC is fully controlled and protected against all kinds of threats.

In addition, this antivirus has other security modules that allow us to surf the Internet without worries. One of them is the shield that is responsible for analyzing the websites we visit and blocking all those that may be dangerous and hide malware that could endanger our security. In addition, it includes a password manager that allows us to generate strong passwords and save them safely, avoiding repetition and protecting our identity online.

Finally, this antivirus  also has a tool that allows us to fix more than 200 security settings so that our Windows is always as protected as possible.

What is The Difference Between React and React Native?

Hello, readership! Are you fond of software programming? Do you have a great interest in web development? or do you like app development? If you have answers to these questions you are successful. You can be informed of all the newest updates. And now, in this post, we will talk about React and React Native. In this day and age, React and React Native are among the highest used frameworks. I wanna discuss with you a major question. What actually do both of these frameworks?

So, keep reading- I’ll shed some light on all information.

What is React?


React is a library that provides elements to the JavaScript frameworks. React is especially used in creating web development apps. At the core of React apps are elements. An element can contain one or more other elements in its production. What is more, you need to know, that this library is open-source, it is created by Facebook. You will notice, it is commonly used by different businesses. One more thing that React is obstinate on is how your opinions are delivered.

What is React Native?


React Native is a framework that you can use to create mobile apps in JavaScript. This framework has possibilities and can provide you with many characteristics. The most considerable of them is the cross-platform development framework. React Native development is moderately easy, fast, and effective. The huge companies use this framework like Instagram, Facebook, and Skype. One of the main reasons to employ React Native is that a developer has to write one set of code. Moreover, this framework is excellent for business apps where the production level is quite high, and its abilities are quite to perform the necessary capabilities.

Advantages of React


Many studies have shown that there are no two similar programs or abilities in the area of coding. Of course, it has some characteristics that are various from others. As usual, this library has advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s take a look at what React has to provide.

Easy to manage

This library enables you to reprocess elements of the code as per your necessities. Furthermore, this element grows your operating range.

Brief code

You understand that writing codes may be an exhausting task. It’s not in practice when it comes to repeating specific features and elements from the written code.

Simple debugging

Needless to say, debugging an app has a very easy method. The stable prompts by React can help you create a faultless app.

No interpretation problems

An important aspect of this point is that React was developed by Facebook. This site writes that it would be much easier to provide the code using React. Its effective DOM construction guarantees that the active and huge burden software can be simply provided in React.

Disadvantages of React


As with everything in life has advantages and disadvantages. So, it’s time to discuss the disadvantages. According to the React, it can be an effective choice to create web apps, but it has some cons that might cause difficulties in specific scripts.

Difficulty

You should understand that everything can’t be simple to perform all the modules and elements that are introduced in JavaScript. It is clear from the facts that you need lots of exercises and good knowledge to control any difficulties in React coding.

Certification matter

Every day new developments are being presented in React. For this reason, it may be difficult to hold up with the method of maintaining a correctly documented web app. Inappropriate corroboration builds confusion when a group of developers has to divide and work on the same plan.

Advantages of React Native

Of course, this framework has various advantages as well. Let’s have a look at them.

Third-Party Plugins

When you can see that scripts appear, cooperating with a third party to use its app with your software program is the more effective choice that you can do.

Save your money

In this day and age, everybody knows how essential it is to keep any kind of additional trip. Mobile apps are being formulated for both platforms like Android and iOS. As a result, you need to create them individually and this can cost you twice. Regardless of the fact that React Native gives you the chance to create apps that are consistent with Android and iOS and can help you save the investment expenses.

Public offer

At this moment, you know the significance of community living. Internet community that is conventional about a specific theme. It can help you to handle hesitation and mistakes that you can meet during the process of developing.

Disadvantages of React Native


As you can see, together with plus come cons as well. There are a few problems that you can meet while operating with React Native.

Educational difficulties

You must admit that it is used to create cross-platform mobile apps. You need a lot of time to be well-known with its operating and creating details.

Factor of time

There are a lot of features proposed by React Native, you need additional time to get them. I used several techniques and saw that time plays a central role in the general functioning of an app. Time can extremely and efficiently matter for an app that you are working on.

Safety

Let’s talk briefly about safety. You must know that safety is one of the most important things when it comes to creating software or an application. This framework can be failed under some difficult security positions. It may give the increase to principal problems of its users.

Differences between React and React Native

                   React         React Native
As well as possible CSS and JavaScript libraries, it additionally gives top security characteristics to create an app.With the built-in libraries, this framework suggests moderately minimum-security features.
You can use the React-router for navigation functions.2. You can make use of the built-in navigator-library.
It suggests more time effectiveness.3. It provides moderately less time and a high productivity.
   4. Virtual DOM is extra to the many characteristics offered by this library.     4. React Native API is added to the many features proposed by React Native.

Conclusion


So, it’s high time to end this topic, which I hope was useful for you. I hope this topic is “ What is the difference between React and React Native?” helped you to get some more information about this technology.

To conclude everything up, I have given you short information about React and React Native.

I hope you also understood the advantages and disadvantages of these types.  So, it will be much easier for you to pick the right platform and select your React Native Development Company which fits you the most.

Why Using Workforce Management Software is Important for Your Business?

There is no denying that the business market is getting more and more competitive with every day passing. If you own any kind of business in today’s world, then you’ve to make sure that you are agile, efficient, responsive, and lean. It is also true that you can’t achieve all these things at once. But, if you are using the right tools and technology, then you can reach your business model goals in no time.

If you want to effectively manage your business by enforcing efficient workforce management, then this blog is just the thing that you need to read. Effective workforce management is the most important thing that you need to do if you want to make sure that everything runs in order at your workplace.

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about it since many workforce management solutions promise to make your job easy for you and your business workflow seamless.

So, without any further ado, let’s dig in and find out what workforce management software is and how it can help your business. Shall we?

What is Workforce Management Software?

Workforce management software, as the name suggests, helps in managing the workforce and takes care of their different matters in an automated fashion. It means that getting a workforce management solution will help you in managing check-ins, leaves, pays late works, etc. in a very simple and efficient manner.

What are the Benefits?

If you are thinking that it is going to cost you a lot of money, then read the following benefits that it has to offer to your business and then decide if you want to get it for your company or not:

It Makes Procedures Seamless

The first and most important thing about any business is to make the workflow seamless. If there are troubles in managing the day to day tasks, then you must know that it costs your business both time and money. Getting the right management solution will help you to make everything seamless, and you won’t have to worry about things going south because it is going to take care of it.

Improved Operational Accuracy and Reduced Cost

Business operations can be very critical sometimes. The slightest mistake can make you lose business, and you may never be able to catch up with your competitors again. A good workforce management platform is not only going to improve all your business operations by minimizing the cost, but it’ll also help you to effectively manage everything in the comfort of your own room.

Helps in Lifting The Morale of the Employees

The morale of your workforce plays a very important role in carrying out any project successfully. However, if they are having trouble every step of the way, then it is going to affect their morale, and they may not find the energy and courage to do the job with all their dedication. Good management software helps lift up the confidence of the employees by taking care of all their needs and requirements at work.

Efficient Scheduling of the Tasks

If you don’t want to miss any important deadline or leave anything unattended at work, you have to get the right management software. It’ll help you make sure that you are not leaving anything alone and taking care of all the matters. Good software will play the role of your secretary by helping you with scheduling all the important tasks effectively.

Combating the Challenges of Tech in Business: A Guide

When you introduce tech to your business, it is unlikely that the entire process will go smoothly at all times. Along with the many benefits of using technology within your company, there are also many challenges. To make sure that you can combat these, here is a guide to ensuring that your use of tech and digital platforms can reach success in 2020.

Get External Support

One of the major ways that you can combat any issues with your digital transformation project is to hire external support that can help you to boost a particular aspect of your online presence and tech usage. For instance, hiring a web design agency such as ALT Agency can help you to create a secure and easy to access site that can increase your customer satisfaction levels without needing you to have the right skills yourself. This will help you to create a professional interface and will make sure that there are experts on hand at all times to help you to overcome any issues that occur with your website or online presence, such as crashes and cyber-attacks.

Stay Secure

When you are operating your business online, you expose your company to many risks that you would not come into contact with within a physical store. This includes cyber threats, such as hackers, viruses, and phishing, many of which are difficult to spot with the use of basic cybersecurity software and plans. However, you can make sure that your company stays secure online and protects its customers by creating a complex password, choosing your payment provider wisely, making sure your coding is secure, and getting an SSL certificate. You should also run security checks on your website regularly.

Get an In-House IT Team

However, to overcome many of the issues that you may face as quickly as possible, you should hire an in-house tech and IT team. When you do this, you should make your requirements and the skills that will be needed overtly clear on your job applications, and you might even be able to connect with tech schools and colleges to find the right employees. If this is not possible, you should train up the staff that you have as much as possible to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that they can contribute effectively to the running of your business online.

Introduce Tech Gradually

Using technology and getting online can be difficult to get used to. However, one of the top ways in which you can ensure that your staff and your customers can get used to tech and ensure that you can avoid common problems is to introduce tech gradually. For instance, you might start off with creating one social media account for your business, having both an online and physical store, or by running your usual operations alongside your new software. You might also want to introduce certain technologies in a couple of departments first, before making it widespread. This will ensure that you can test your new strategy and ensure that everyone is comfortable with it before you implement it business-wide.

Understanding the Reasons Why Your Website is Not Ranking Well

A great website is so important for both personal and business ventures. We all spend hours and hours tweaking our websites and trying to deliver the best possible content for our visitors but for so many websites, this just isn’t enough to help them stand out in the massively crowded online world. With so many millions of websites all focusing on similar topics, it is no wonder that ranking near the top of search engine results pages is so difficult. 

Many people who don’t have much experience or knowledge of website design and building do not understand why their website, which looks absolutely amazing, does not figure at all near the top of the rankings. There are various factors that decide this, and each needs to be addressed systematically in order to give your website a boost. To help out everyone whose website is not performing as they want it to, here are the top reasons why your website is not ranking well.

1. Technical Issues

The first reason why your website may not be ranking well is because it has technical issues. Google does not like to recommend its users to websites that are not user-friendly so if its spiders detect problems like rough scrolling, delayed page loading, or broken links, it will negatively affect your website’s rankings. The SEO experts at this company explain that the first thing you should do to try and improve your website’s ranking is to put yourself in the position of your users. Try to imagine that you are visiting your website for the first time ever and check whether it is an enjoyable experience. Does your website run smoothly? Are there any links that go to broken pages or are unclickable. Google’s algorithms are very smart and they will penalize you for a technically poor website.

2. Inadequate Content

At the end of the day, a website needs to provide quality content to its visitors if it is going to be successful. You can create a website that works perfectly, has 10,000 backlinks, and is supported by every social media platform, but if your content is no good, your website will not rank well. People these days are always on the lookout for the next big thing. If your website provides boring, unengaging content to your audience, they will just click onto the next website down the list. If you want visitors to stay on your website and to return later, you have to give them something to come back for.

3. SEO Keyword Issues

Keywords are absolutely vital in SEO and identifying the common search terms which are relatable to your site is a huge part of SEO. It is what you do with those keywords, however, which has an enormous bearing on the ranking of your website. There are two major mistakes that many websites make.

The first is to not do any keyword research and so have none of the important words for the Google algorithms to detect during relevant searches. The second big mistake is to overload your website’s content with the keywords in an unnatural fashion so that you are penalized for trying to game the system.

Working with a trusted SEO agency can help you find the right balance between keyword optimization and high-quality content. Even if you have the most amazing content, it is of no use if it cannot be found by your target audience.

4. No Backlinks

One of the ways in which Google decides whether your website should rank highly for search terms related to a particular topic is the number of backlinks to your website, and more importantly, the number of backlinks on websites that Google does judge to be an authority on the subject. Backlinks are vital because it shows that your site is respected and can be trusted. No backlinks at all will stop you from registering with the algorithms whilst backlinks on poor websites will be flagged up as you have just paid for links. Backlinks should be built link by link of quality sites for maximum ranking effect.

Designing an attractive website and designing a successful website are two very different things. What most people don’t realize is that there is so much that goes on in the background which decides where your website is going to rank. Google has more than one billion websites to scan and rank and so it is vital that your website ticks all the boxes if you want it to stand out. It is important to be aware that SEO is a gradual process and so your website is not suddenly going to leap to number one once you start implementing your SEO. Make sure that you address all the issues laid out in this guide and speak to a professional SEO and website design team to help you take your website to the top.

Why Should an Invention Be Patented?

How would you feel if someone stole an idea you spent years and invested tens of thousands of dollars developing? In today’s ultra-dynamic market, piracy and property infringement issues are quite common. So, whether you’ve come up with a revolutionary consumer product or have developed a new cybersecurity business software, you might risk losing your competitive advantage as well as tons of market shares if you’re not vigilant enough. This is where patents come in handy. In the following guide, we will explain what patents are and why it is imperative to protect your newest invention by filing one at the earliest opportunity.

What is a Patent?

In essence, a patent is a type of intellectual property that guarantees the protection of a product, service, design, or process. The owner of said property is given sole ownership, meaning only they can manufacture, market, export, and sell it. Patents are essential across all industries, from automobiles to high tech. According to the business laws in effect in a state or country, a patent will be valid for a limited period, usually around 20 years, after which it must be filed for again. There are 3 main types broken down into utility patents, design patents, and plant patents.

Patent Granting Procedure

Filing for a patent is a notoriously lengthy and costly process. It can take up to two years and cost anywhere between $10,000 and $25,000. That said, these figures shouldn’t discourage you; on the contrary, acquiring a patent will do wonders for your business portfolio by showcasing your potential for innovation and creativity. Now, irrespective of the nature of your invention, it’s important that you refer to your local patent delivery authority to get a comprehensive idea of what is required, essential paperwork, and fees. Remember that, once granted, it’s an investment that will basically pay for itself.

Protection from Copycats

One of the main advantages of having your invention patented is ensuring its protection against intellectual theft. Developing a product or a service is complicated and time-consuming enough without having ill-intentioned individuals copy your idea and profit from it. When it comes to tech services, the IT experts at solutionpartner.com go to great lengths in explaining that a new piece of software, for instance, must always be patented. Information travels fast online, and it would only take a few days for your invention to be duplicated and commercialized. However, if you own the patent to said product, you’ll be able to sue anyone who infringes on your intellectual property rights.

A Sizeable Competitive Advantage

Companies and brands with patented inventions tend to fare relatively better than their unprotected counterparts, on both the commercial and financial fronts. This owes to the fact that a patent grants your business authority. With this, you’ll enjoy a far better market positioning, which will help you capture valuable opportunities to grow your customer base, bring in new investors, expand your operations, and turn a profit. This gives you a leg up over your direct competitors, no matter how niche your industry is.

Legal Protection

A common mistake many business owners make is publicizing their inventions too early. Whether it’s in a presentation or a featured article on a public forum, they risk giving off that novelty for others to exploit. Once that’s underway, there isn’t much you can do to prove that you have in fact pioneered that property. By contrast, keeping your invention under the radar until you’ve been delivered a patent places you under the protection of the law. As such, any entity that attempts to duplicate your product or service for commercial purposes exposes themselves to greater legal sanctions, from hefty fines to prison sentences.

Striking Business Deals

Aside from initial expansion, selling or licensing is often the end goal of company owners. Now, what happens to your expensive patents once you decide to part ways with your ventures? In practice, patents can be traded just as any other commodity; you can include it in your licensing deal for a fee and under certain conditions, which grants others the right to exploit your invention or sell the patent altogether at a profit. At this point, you may want to enlist the services of a specialized intellectual property lawyer to help you weigh your options and decide on a course of action.

In a world that thrives on market competition, no business owner or entrepreneur is safe from having their ideas plagiarized and hard work undermined. This is why patents are an extremely useful legal tool that you should use to protect your invention, develop your venture, and fulfill your strategic objectives.

The Advantages of Sticker Rolls

Stickers come in many shapes and sizes. Take a look around you, you will see that you will find stickers everywhere. One of the most printed stickers are stickers rolls (translation: stickers op rol). The advantage of stickers on a roll is that you can use them for many applications. Would you like to discover more advantages of sticker rolls? Then read on.

Your Own Sticker Rolls

The biggest advantage of sticker rolls is that you don’t have loose stickers everywhere. Stickers rolls are easy to store and are always at hand. In addition, the sticker rolls fit in dispensers and labeling machines. This makes it easy to remove the stickers from the roll and stick them on.

Sticker rolls can be used for many different applications. For example, the sticker rolls are often used in the kitchen of large companies and the hospitality industry. They are ideal as preservatives stickers. You can also use them for safety reasons such as inspection stickers or warning stickers. Another way stickers on rolls are often used as labels on products or packages.

Stickers on a roll are available in many different varieties. So you can choose the material, the finish and the shape yourself. For example, round stickers on a roll are often used as closing stickers for parcels. And rectangular stickers on rolls as name and address stickers. You can also have the shape cut to your liking, such as the shape of your logo.

Create Your Own Stickers

Would you like to make your own stickers (translation: stickers maken) for promotional purposes? Stickers on a roll is just one example of the many existing sticker products. You can have stickers printed on floors, windows, cars and walls. You also have a choice of sustainable variants if you want to make an environmentally friendly choice. 

Logo stickers are always handy to have at home. They are multifunctional, because you can stick them on anything. With logo stickers you can easily and inexpensively promote your brand. Stick them on packaging, laptops, notebooks and other objects where your logo should not be missing. Besides that logo stickers are a nice and inexpensive give-away at fairs and events.

This includes bumper stickers and stickers that people use to paste on computers and books at school. You can carry your brand image on custom stickers and that increases awareness of your product and service.

Stickers are also very suitable to convey a temporary message. This is useful if you want to promote a temporary campaign or discount campaign. For example, you can have window stickers made with a discount percentage and stick them on your store window. In this way (future) customers walking down the shopping street can see that there are sales.

Do you already use stickers on rolls or other stickers within your company?

The Importance of Observing a Work-Life Balance

What “Work-Life Balance” Means

Having a work-life balance is an idea that’s been thrown a lot around the lifestyle scene, especially with the current “work-from-home” arrangements some of us are facing. The new workforce comprising of millennial workers seems to hold this aspect as a core part of the work environment.

How to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

To maintain this work-life balance, you need to separate your work and life responsibilities from each other. Let your work worries stay in the office, and let your worries stay at home, with none of them encroaching on each other. This new shift towards maintaining this balance can benefit workers by cutting down on their stress and lessening the chance of burnout.

Stress is the 5th biggest killer in the United States, with a quarter of Americans saying that the jobs they have are their 1st and foremost source of stress. Healthcare software development by companies like this have produced lifestyle apps that can help you rein in the body you want. This might come from their heavy workloads, or maybe an internal feeling of having no control over their work-life balance.

Setting Priorities, and Learning Your Strengths

When balancing your work and life, you need to set your priorities. Find what things are truly important to you, and stick to them. Drop anything that might add unneeded pressure onto your already busy lifestyle. Plan out what your career path is, and take steps towards your end goals. Lastly, simplify any part of your life, and find whatever part that you can change for the better.

Playing to your strengths can also be a great move towards a better work-life balance. Instead of focusing to become everything, focus on the few things you know you can do confidently. Use your skills to find a workflow that you can use. This will save you from headaches later on.

Stay Realistic and Grounded

While you chase the career goals you’ve set for yourself, it’s important to keep yourself grounded in reality. A little self-analysis can go a long way when planning for the long-term. In the face of a problem, ask yourself what caused it and what you can do to prevent it from happening next time. Ask your friends and peers for help in managing yourself and your time. Ask them what you could do to better yourself. Remember that life in itself is a learning process, and we can only know what we’ve learned. 

Take Breaks When Needed

Take time for yourself, even when it’s tempting to take on your work with everything you’ve got. The people you give your time to can be a great support when you experience hardships in your work. It’s crucial as well to look into your health, and the steps you can take to make sure you’re in top shape. Take time to exercise, and make sure to prioritize it. A healthy mind and body can be an amazing tool in landing the deals that you want.

Use Health Management Applications

With today’s technology, you can use applications to help in managing every aspect of your life. Management apps can help to plan out your day in the most efficient way possible. Lastly, messaging apps can get your word across to clients all across the globe and help you create a network. It can even help you stay close to the friends and family members you hold dear.

Manage Your Mental State

Last, manage your mind and your mental state. You can do this in a variety of ways, whether that’s through a hobby or maybe a long-needed vacation. When anxiety creeps into your mind, do some exercises to reassure yourself that you can achieve what you set out to do.

The Effort to Change

This will require a massive effort to change up what you’re already used to, but in the end, it’ll be worth it. Work-life balance isn’t just a matter of managing your time; it’s about managing your mindset around it as well. Some people can be immersed in work so much that they spend less time on themselves. At that point, anyone would want a change in their lives.

Work-life balance is about finding a purpose and meaning in living your life. It means to be confident in yourself and to have peace of mind with regards to how you spend your time and energy.

Tools That You Need to Master if You Wish to Sell on Amazon

Amazon is one of the most reputable e-commerce platforms available in the digital world. The success of Jeff Bezos is undeniably legendary for creating such a major hub for online purchasing, selling, and shipping. Anyone can sell products online, but not all of them can say they master the process. Selling on Amazon needs patience, consistency, and reliable tools that streamline every step effortlessly. If you want to start selling on this platform effectively, then read on to know more about some of the tools that you must master.

Brand Gate Checkers

Using a brand gate checker is highly convenient for researching keywords and product development. You will have a tool that is designed for optimizing listings effectively with minimal mistakes. Strategically and consistently generating long-term sales will always be beneficial, increasing your monthly profits using Amazon tremendously. Using a brand gate checker tool will help sellers leverage the specifics surrounding optimization, making it easy for them regardless of the scope of their plans. The most convenient aspect of tools that provide these features is that they’re versatile and a great value for their money, increasing ROI levels significantly. Another competitive advantage of a brand gate checker tool is that you get to monitor the rest of the industry. It allows you to research what your competitors are doing to be one step ahead of them.  

Niche Hunting Tools

The idea of effortlessly streamlining product research is quite appealing, and you can do it with a nice niche hunting tool. You can use these tools to your advantage to find the optimal sale opportunities on Amazon, making the process tremendously easier than traditional methods. Advice from the fulfillment by Amazon specialists at Infinite FBA suggests that taking a seller’s business to the next level is achievable by utilizing features that find top-rated niches and products. This tool helps you find the rankings of bestsellers, reviews, and price points of a specific niche product. 

When you’re able to find how lucrative and marketable a certain product can be, you can use that to your advantage and get a piece of the profits by selling it too. Whenever you feel hesitant or doubtful of a specific niche, an FBA revenue calculator tool helps you track and gather the sales data with one click. This is possible thanks to due diligence steps that allow you to review and confirm specific facts about that product. When you examine that data, you will have all the proof you need that this niche is a great choice to make some money. 

Feedback Tracker 

Another tool that can be quite useful to master is a feedback tracker tool. It compiles every customer review and feedback into one spot for you to check, getting more info on how good a specific product really is. The importance of customer feedback is vital to your sales goals because analyzing the data you get will help you determine which products are loved the most by customers. These tools also have features where they can help you with your own sales and product choices, allowing you to create custom and personal emails to those customers. This approach will help you get more context from customers, fixing any negative feedback, and solving people’s problems with orders. This tool helps you increase customer satisfaction levels, allowing the products you sell to get more positive feedback to generate more sales.

PPC and Competitor Analysis  

Using PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and competitor analysis tools will help you determine which products are profitable and lucrative based on the number of clicks it got. It allows you to analyze sales data of every competitor in the market that sells the same product or targets the same niche. This tool is convenient for beginners because it allows them to calculate fees, making the process easier if they don’t have a high budget. It helps sellers avoid products that will be difficult to maintain on the listings page. Also, categorizing the sales data of specific products by seasonal periods is convenient for choosing the right time to list something.

Making money online is possible when you have the right tools in your arsenal. Researching and finding the right steps to reach a point of excellent returns is worth the effort and time spent. All you need is a computer, laptop, or even a smartphone to start your ecommerce journey right. Evaluate the market, choose the best sellers, and capitalize on the opportunities for more sales. Product research is key, especially if you’re planning to dive into the e-commerce world full-time. Focusing on bankable or best-selling products will always increase your profits tremendously. Consider using these tools to make your money-making goals a reality.

6 Processes That CRM Software Can Automate

Being an entrepreneur and running your own company seems like a rather fun experience. A lot of business owners would agree. However, it’s also a challenge. There are many different factors involved, and a business owner has to deal with many tasks on a daily basis. Some of those tasks require creativity or problem-solving abilities, while others are pretty mundane and boring. Those brainless tasks usually kill productivity in the office. No one likes to do them, but they still have to be done. This is exactly why you need automation.

One of the best ways to automate specific processes in your company is to utilize the power of the Customer Relationship Management system (CRM). Having a good workflow in the office is paramount if you want to be successful, and this software can help you achieve that. Here are the six processes you can automate with CRM.

Data Entry

It doesn’t matter what line of work you are in and what your company is about; data entry is definitely a significant aspect of your day-to-day operations. Unfortunately, entering data and keeping track of important daily numbers can be a bit tedious. More importantly, it takes a lot of time to do, and it usually leaves you exhausted. This can be a problem, especially if you don’t have enough human resources, and your primary job requires creativity. Fortunately, this is where CRM can come to the rescue. As experts from https://crm.webfletch.co.uk/ say, the automation of the data entry process can save you a lot of time and money. Leave the boring jobs to your computer. This way, you can work on creative tasks in your company, and the machines can crunch data.

Email Marketing

Even though email marketing should be personalized, especially if you don’t have a lot of customers, some aspects of it are generic. For example, promotions, limited offers, and follow-up emails can be automated This will save you and your employees a considerable amount of time on a daily basis. The time that can be spent on improving the company.

Customer Support

Conversations with customer support agents regarding complex problems can’t be automated, of course, but simpler issues can be fixed with things like chatbots, for example. If you are selling a product or offering a service to your customers, you will probably answer thousands of similar questions every day. This can be frustrating, but more importantly, it can be rather time-consuming. Therefore, if the customer doesn’t have a complex problem, it’s a good thing to leave a computer to provide a user with an answer. If you want this method to provide you with good results, you have to know what the most frequently asked questions are and make sure you have the answers to them. 

Reports

When you own a company, you have to deal with a lot of different reports on a regular basis. Every time your employee makes a sale, every time you get a new client, and every time you pay your workers. Filling those reports can be rather boring and exhausting, especially if you have other work to do. This is one of the mundane tasks CRM can help you with. If you have a lot of reports that don’t require detailed analysis and checking, make sure to automate them. Automated reports are one of the best ways to save time and resources.

Documentation Management

It doesn’t matter what you are selling or what kind of service you are offering to your customers; if you want to keep things in order, you must have proper documentation. Every sale and every payment has to be documented. This means there will be a lot of files like invoices and receipts you have to enter every single day. This is a lot of work, even if you have a good accountant in your office. However, a good organization and automation can make this process simpler and easier.

Appointment Scheduling

If you are meeting with clients and customers on a daily basis, the receptionist in your office probably has a lot on their plate. However, if you are a small company, you probably don’t have a receptionist or a personal assistant to take care of your appointments. Doing this yourself can be time-consuming. Therefore, your best option is to automate this process. It will save you a lot of time, and you definitely won’t forget a meeting.

Summary

Being an entrepreneur is not a simple thing to do, especially in today’s competitive market. If you want to find your place and succeed, you must find a way to organize your workflow better and save time. Using the right CRM Software can help. Automating your key tasks will definitely help you achieve better efficiency.

Most Effective Ways to Make Your Workspace Focused and Productive

Productivity has become a hot button topic. People are making crazy amounts of money by writing guides for productivity for people of all ages (some starting as young as middle school). While finishing the tasks you want to is an admirable goal, we have found that often it is the smaller, quieter things that most influence productivity.

A new area of research called environmental psychology has emerged and has been finding very interesting results. Consistently, studies are showing that people’s environment affects their mood, creativity, focus, and, you guessed it, productivity. You might not need to force yourself to sit and do things that you despise. You might just need to tweak up your space a little bit so that it is more encouraging for productive work. The following will explore some of the things you can do to your workspace to make sure that you can get your work done when you need to.

Clean Up Your Room Or Workspace

Not to nag you, but maybe you should clean up your workspace. Studies have found that people are far more productive in clean spaces than in messy ones. Beyond productivity, a messy room has been shown to correlate with depression. Clean rooms reduce allergies, boost your self-esteem, and build a sense of productivity within you that makes you feel excited to feel more productive. This seems like a very small point, but it can make a huge difference regarding how much work you get done and how easy it feels to get it done.

Take some time to pick up anything that isn’t where it should be. Change the garbage. Wipe down your surfaces. Vacuum or mop and, if you are able, let in some fresh air through the windows. While you’re cleaning, consider how much clutter needs to be out on display and which items you can put away for a sleeker feeling.

Make Sure All Your Tools Are Within Reach

If you keep all the things you need to finish your work nearby, let’s say at your desk, you minimize the number of times you need to get up and go looking for something that you need to finish your work. If it’s schoolwork we’re talking about, you’ll need your class notes, your textbooks, and some pens or pencils. If you’re working remotely you’ll need your computer or laptop, your mouse, and keyboard. Check out Emeril pressure air fryer reviews to make healthy snacks so you can focus on productive activities.

If just thinking about all these items makes you want to run in the other direction, consider adding a bit of fun to them. Maybe you find a book cover with your favorite anime character on it to ease the dread of opening that textbook. Maybe you could find a custom playmat for your keyboard and mouse. For some people, all it takes to lighten the work mood is their favorite type of pen with colorful ink. Figure out what little joys you can hide in your daily work.

Think About Colors

The color of the walls around you or the color of large items like rugs, curtains, bedding, and furniture, can have a big impact on your mental state. Take a few moments to read about color psychology and you’ll begin to understand how influential colors are on the human mind. Studies have even found that the color of a placebo pill (a sugar pill designed to do nothing to the body) alters how effective people feel the pill is. During sports matches, the team wearing a black uniform is more likely to be given penalties. People driving red cars are given tickets more often than people driving cars of other colors. It may seem a little strange to start looking at the impact of color, but it can be incredibly helpful not only when you’re designing a space ideal for productivity, but when you’re choosing outfits for dates or job interviews or icing for your friend’s birthday cake.

Add A Houseplant

House plants are pretty, and often require minimal work for maintenance. Beyond this, they have been shown to increase the levels of oxygen in the room (this can help with focus and concentration) and they reduce stress and anxiety (which are two of the big inhibitors to productive work). Studies have found that indoor plants boost productivity by up to 15%. That’s a big improvement for such a little alteration!

The above tips should help you set up a workspace that helps you finish the work you need done. Of course, it is important to make sure that you are not pushing yourself too hard. Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep and eating high-energy foods. All the employee productivity advice in the world isn’t going to help you battle exhaustion. Your life is about far more than what you can get done in a day.

How to Run Virtual Machines from External Drives

There are countless reasons you might be interested in hosting a virtual machine. Depending on the work you do and the tasks you need to accomplish with your computer, you might want a separate operating system just for certain activities. Suppose your work involves interacting with malware or computer viruses, for example. In that case, you don’t want to risk your own operating system while working, so a virtual machine makes perfect sense for you.

A virtual machine is, in a sense, just another file located on your computer. Because of this, you can store the virtual machine on an external drive, just as you would any other file. The following will explore how you can store and run a virtual machine from an external hard drive, as well as the pros and cons of choosing to keep your virtual machine external. 

What Is A Virtual Machine

In the broadest sense, a virtual machine is a file (often called an image) that acts as if it is a computer. It is a computer within another computer. Like most other programs, it will run in a window, giving you the same basic experience that you would have if you were using the host operating system in a non-virtual sense.

It is important to note that the virtual machine is kept separated from the rest of the computer system. This means that you don’t need to worry about the software within your virtual machine influencing the computer itself. Because of this, many view virtual machines as excellent grounds for testing beta releases of operating systems, working with data that has been affected by viruses, creating backups, and using software or applications on operating systems that they were not designed to work with.

When people speak about virtual machines, they sometimes use the term guest to refer to the virtual machine and host to refer to the machine that the file is being run on. More than one virtual machine can exist within a host at any given time.

How To Get Your Virtual Machine On An External Hard Drive

To begin, you are going to want to make sure that your virtual machine is shut down. Once this is done, locate the virtual machine on your device. By default, on Mac, virtual machines are often saved to Documents/Parallels within your User folder or in /Users/Shared/Parallels. This being said, you may have chosen a different location to store your virtual machine in. If you are unsure where your machine is located, you can search for files with a .pvm extension.

Once you’ve found your virtual machine file, you can copy or move the file to your desired location. The location you choose to store the file in will have an impact on how quickly the virtual machine can function. It wouldn’t hurt to do a little research on the best external hard drive for your purposes to make sure you’re not slowing yourself down unnecessarily. Once the file has been moved over, you’re done. Any time you wish to use the virtual machine, you can connect the hard drive to your physical machine and open the file. It is as simple as that.

The Pros Of Virtual Machines

You might be wondering why someone would be interested in using a virtual machine. There are many factors to consider, but one of the main reasons an everyday consumer might be drawn to the prospect of hosting a virtual machine is because this will allow them to use multiple operating system environments on a single computer. Additionally, virtual machines are easy to access, manage, and maintain. They can easily be moved from one server to another (even while they’re running) and can be created quickly via cloning. Virtual machines also offer disaster recovery options that many find appealing.

The Potential Drawbacks

While internal or external locations for your virtual machine make nearly no difference, there is one factor you might want to keep in mind depending on why you are running a virtual machine from your external drive. Because external hard drives are typically connected to your machine via USB interfacing, the speed of your virtual machine will be affected. This being said, if you’re using the virtual machine for basic operations, this change in speed is not likely to be too noticeable.

With the above information, you are well on your way to running a virtual machine from an external hard drive. As with all technical advice, it is important to remember to complete regular backups of your devices. This includes your virtual machine. Some conditions can result in damage or data loss.

5 MS Teams Apps You can’t Live Without

Introduction

Workforces around the globe have hailed Microsoft Teams as a force for collaborative good. In April 2020 MS Teams recorded a user base of 75 million users daily, meaning it must be doing something right. One of the things the communication platform has done incredibly well is its application integration. By allowing such a level of integration with third-party applications we have seen an astronomical rise in said applications. What follows is a brief list of the top applications for improving workflow and the work environment.

Planner

There are several third-party project management apps that integrate seamlessly with MS teams, however, one of the easiest to get the ball rolling is Planner. When scouring the Internet for the best teams apps, Planner has the advantage of already being integrated with MS Teams by default and is a lifesaver when working with multiple teams. Each team will have its panel and navigating between panels is just as easy as creating a new one. Onboarding teams is also a simple task making sure everyone is on the same page.

ScrumGenius

For development teams who apply agile scrum methods to development cycles sometimes post it’s on a whiteboard just doesn’t cut it anymore. These minefields of neon colors can be just as confusing as the jumbled meeting schedule. ScrumGenius is an app that looks to clear up the whiteboard mess and allow team leaders to automate meetings and recurring tasks. Further, this higher level of automation can be used to help take minutes during those daily meetings.

Polly

This app is as simple as it is brilliant. Polly allows for the creation of polls within Teams channels. The upside of this is that it allows teams to quickly decide on a wide range of things from the more mundane like lunch orders, or quickly deciding on what documentation to send stakeholders without the need for taking up valuable meeting time.

Health Hero

The global pandemic has thrust health, mental and physical into the spotlight. With many employees now working remotely, keeping tabs on the well-being of staff has been harder given that they barely physically see each other with their own eyes. An app that looks to improve the health of teams is Health Hero which allows the linking of health-tracking devices to the app as well as providing challenges and leader boards designed to help keep your team healthy.

Mio

Not all projects can be assigned to one team within one company, often projects can span multiple partners who invariably use different platforms to communicate. Mio looks to help connect teams using MS Teams with others using Slack or Cisco WebEx Teams, for example, helping ensure communication and collaboration by preventing teams from working in bubbles. This has a nasty habit of generating problems that are thoroughly preventable and deadlines being missed.

Conclusion

This is certainly not a comprehensive be all and end all list of apps to improve your MS Teams experience, it certainly shows a wide range of applications that can be tailored to a team’s needs without a massive outlay of capital.