How to Start Your Own Social Media Marketing Agency

Posted on by Emma Yulini
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Thinking about starting your own social media marketing agency but don’t know where to start? 

You’ve come to the right place. 

While social media marketing is certainly a lucrative industry to work in, the competition is also tight. It’s crucial to plan your business carefully and have the right strategy so you can win more clients and grow your business. 

In this guide, we will discuss all the necessary steps to starting a successful social media marketing agency, and let us begin right away. 

1. Choose a Specialty as a Social Media Marketing Agency

A social media marketing agency is actually a pretty broad term, and you can actually offer many different services to different types of clients. 

In general, you can choose to be either a specialist or generalist agency.

A specialist agency offers specialty services in one industry or sector. For example, you can choose only to offer services to fashion businesses or sports businesses. Or, you can choose to specialize in B2B operations. 

However, you can also be a generalist aiming to serve all kinds of clients. 

Both types have their own pros and cons, but if you are just starting out, it’s typically best to start out as a specialist and focus on specific types of clients first. This can help in hiring, so you can hire people that specialize in the services you’d like to provide. 

However, being a specialist might mean it’s going to be harder to attract your first few clients, so you’ll need to focus more on marketing your business. 

2. Developing a Pricing Strategy

How should you price your social media marketing service? There are many different factors that might affect the answer. You should generally consider who your target audience is, your skill/experience level, your unique value proposition (UVP), and your overhead costs when defining your price. 

Some overhead costs to consider: 

  • Labor costs
  • Taxes
  • Business licenses/permits
  • Office expenses
  • Software investments
  • Professional/legal services

A good approach is to perform a competitive analysis and check how much your competitors are charging their services. You can always opt to charge cheaper than them in order to attract more clients, but if you are confident about delivering more value, it’s okay to charge more. 

3. Establish Your Business

Establish your business as a legal entity. 

This is often the most frustrating part of starting a business but is necessary. 

You should: 

  • Register your business. If you are going to start the business on your own, you can establish a sole proprietorship. However, we’d recommend establishing your business as an LLC or corporation so you’ll be more protected in the event of legal disputes, debts, and other issues
  • Set up a business bank account(s) to keep a separate fund for your agency and to start receiving payments
  • Find a legal help to help you in the legal aspects of the business
  • Depending on your location, you might need to get specific licenses, certifications, and insurance policies before you can start the business. Check with your local trade associations for your local regulations. 

If necessary, you can get help from a business consultant or a lawyer to make sure your business is compliant with the legal requirements in your area. 

4. Branding and Marketing: Winning Your Clients

The toughest challenge of starting a social media marketing business is landing your first client, but there are effective ways you can try to establish your credibility and attract more clients: 

  • Have a professional website: build a credible, functional website that showcases your credibility and professionalism. Publish relevant, high-quality content on your social media, and add relevant client testimonials to your website. 
  • Social media presence: as a social media marketing agency, it would only make sense that you have at least a decent social media presence. You don’t need to have millions of followers, but make sure you are using social media best practices in all your profiles. Demonstrate that you know what you are doing in the social media space. 
  • Build relationships: build relationships with other brands and relevant influencers. Network at relevant events, and make guest appearances on other blogs, podcasts, webinars, and other opportunities. Actively engage brands and influencers you’d love to work with. 

Engage with a HubSpot Solutions Partner program-eligible digital marketing firm. A HubSpot partner firm will have marketing teams that are constantly learning the newest methods for analyzing data.

5. Improving Your Productivity

The more productive and efficient your social media marketing agency is, the more clients you can work with, and the more revenue you’ll generate. 

A crucial aspect of growing your social media marketing agency is finding the right balance between executing existing clients’ projects and pitch your agency to new clients. As you can see, this can be very challenging in the long run. 

Here are a few tips on how: 

  • Create a workflow that works best for you. This is very important and might need trials and errors before you’ll get it right. 
  • Invest in the right technology. You’ll need, at the very least, social media analytics and management tools (like Buffer, Hootsuite), SEO tools like SEMRush and Ahrefs, Content analytics tools like Buzzsumo, and agency management software and tools like Function Point to maximize your productivity. You’ll also need a complete office suite (Microsoft 365 or Google Suite) and a digital asset management solution like Dropbox. 
  • Content planning. It’s crucial to plan your content in advance so you can batch and schedule your tasks to maximize efficiency. This also allows us to delegate the right tasks to the right people. 
  • Automation: implement automation whenever possible. Tools like Hootsuite, for example, allows us to schedule the posts to minimize manual labor. 
  • Outsource: If possible, outsource some of the more repetitive and redundant tasks to third-party vendors, provided it’s a cost-effective choice. 

Closing Thoughts

Starting a social media marketing agency is certainly not an easy task, but in the end, your hard work will be worth it once you’ll get a steady stream of clients. 

The key here is to really understand your client’s needs and problems and be a viable solution for them. Keep a mindset that you’ll grow by helping your clients grow in social media marketing results. 

7 Tips to Keep Your Employees Motivated in A Post Lockdown Environment

Posted on by Priya Jain
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Shared lunches, team outings, and birthday celebrations have one thing in common: they happen together. But with people confined to their homes as offices are slowly opening up, the workplace scene is likely to be quite different.

Employers have to rethink their employee motivation and engagement approaches because what probably worked before COVID-19 may no longer be feasible, especially since you have to encourage your employees to maintain adequate social distancing and follow all precautions even at the workplace. 

Shared lunches and team outings may not be as enjoyable as earlier because you would want to limit the physical interactions. 

Amidst such a scenario, employees’ motivation level goes into turmoil, and lack of motivation reduces employee engagement level, thereby impacting their productivity and decreasing employee retention. 

In this article, we will discuss a few ways to keep your employees motivated after they return to the office. 

7 Tips to Keep Your Employees Motivated in a Post Lockdown Environment

According to a report by Gallup, only 36% of employees are engaged in the workplace. With this statistic in mind, companies need to take employee motivation seriously. Here are seven practical ways of achieving it:

1. Focus on employee wellbeing

With studies showing that a wellness program can provide a return on investment, overlooking could be the difference between engaged and disengaged employees. 

Wellbeing isn’t just about physical health. It’s more about how your job, duties, stress level, and environment affect your employee’s overall health and happiness. It entails mood, cognition, and factors like a sense of purpose. 

Your employees spend most of their waking lives at the office, so businesses must prioritize employee wellbeing to foster employee satisfaction and productivity.

That’s why companies worldwide focus on providing wellbeing initiatives like health, financial and professional social, personal development, and work-life balance.

Considering the specific needs of your office location, exploring reputable commercial cleaning services in Phoenix could be advantageous if your office is set up in Phoenix.

From making lunch break mandatory, reinforcing the benefits of taking sick leaves to starting employee recognition programs, and planning regular team-building activities, these initiatives will go a long way to create a motivated workforce in such an unprecedented time. 

Interesting fact: 86% of employees prioritize health initiatives from their company, and 24% expect 24/7 access to health care professionals.

2. Offer counseling sessions

With more than one year of staying indoors and working from home, your employees will find it challenging to get back to their old schedule. 

In such a situation, it’s normal for employees to feel left out, feel demotivated, and lose interest in their work due to a changing work environment. Furthermore, with the pandemic far from being over, employees may be hesitant to join back. 

To answer your employee’s questions and eliminate their apprehension regarding joining back, it’s advisable to conduct counseling sessions. Also, work-focused psychotherapy is likely to help employees return to work, remove their fears, and prepare them to cope with the challenges they might face. 

Counseling sessions are a great way to motivate employees and help them cope up with workplace dynamics. 

Interesting fact: With every $1 a company invests in treating common mental illness through counseling and other medical processes, a company gets a return of $4 in improved employee productivity. 

3. Offer financial help

COVID-19 has made life difficult for the families of 24% of employees because these employees witnessed a reduction in their income. When returning to work after the lockdown, you would like to ensure that your employees are supported in every possible way to keep them motivated and engaged. 

That’s why providing financial assistance to your returning employees could be one of the best motivation factors. From offering debt counseling to assisting with money management, you can train and encourage employees to help them financially get back on their feet.

 Interesting fact: With one in four workers reporting that financial worries adversely affect their ability to perform their duties, providing financial guidance and help can reduce stress and increase the happiness index of your employees. 

4. Provide timely recognition

One of the easiest ways of engaging and motivating employees after the lockdown is by providing timely recognition of their work. You can also gather valuable feedback through avenues like employee satisfaction survey questions to understand how employees feel about recognition practices and ensure that they are motivated and appreciated.

Employee recognition doesn’t have to be delivered in a fancy way. Saying “Good Job” for a work done exceptionally in front of everyone is a great motivator and enhances the employee’s morale.

When you appreciate employees for their efforts, they feel worthy, and it instills a sense of gratification and belonging. Interestingly, this sense of gratification fills employees with joy and happiness, which eventually translates into the zeal to achieve more. 

Also, timely recognition of work may act as an inspiration for others. This can motivate them and inspire their team members to give their cent percent at work. 

Interesting fact: Timely employee recognition can increase employee productivity, performance, and engagement by 14%.

5. Provide a flexible work schedule

As your employees are probably returning to the office after more than 18 months, they are used to enjoying a flexible work schedule and maintaining a healthy work balance. Expecting your employees to come out of this comfort zone within a few days of joining back is unrealistic. 

Whether you like it or not, most of your employees would find it difficult to catch the unlock wagon. This is because they fear infection or are apprehensive about leaving their family at home or simply because they enjoy working remotely more than traveling to the office. 

So, to motivate your employees to join with full enthusiasm, consider offering a flexible work schedule like remote work for two days and three days at the office. 

Flexibility allows your employees to settle into their old work schedule faster and without facing any issues. These efforts from your end would gradually scale up their engagement levels. 

Interesting statistic: 40% of employees want flexible work hours, and three in five workers prefer to continue remote work post-lockdown.

6. Provide a safe environment

Another important way to boost the motivation and excitement level of an employee returning to the office is by providing a safe environment and removing their paranoia of getting infected while at work. 

If possible, describe how you plan to make the workplace safe to work. Above all, your employees have to feel safe physically and mentally. 

Apart from physical considerations, work towards creating a culture where employees don’t face the repercussions for expressing their feelings about heading back to work. 

You can achieve this by creating a safety initiative policy and communicating it to your entire team. Your policy may include details regarding physical distancing, symptom checks, PPE requirements, testing, and enhanced cleaning and sanitization of the workplace.

Some other ways to make your employee feel safe and engaged are:

  • Creating a COVID-19 response team for your office
  • Frequently disinfecting common areas
  • Installing hand sanitizer throughout your workplace
  • Arranging for safe transportation medium like providing cabs and buses for travel
  • Checking temperature of employees daily       

Such safety initiatives from your end will motivate employees to return to a safe environment. They would no longer worry about the pandemic and concentrate more on their work. 

Interesting statistic: 51% of employees expect social distancing requirements, and 45% of employees want detailed cleaning protocols when returning to work.

7. Provide your full support

Parents and guardians are trying hard to blend work and home remotely. They expect companies to provide child care benefits upon returning to the office in a post lockdown environment. 

Providing a child care benefit may prove a costly burden initially but would deliver fruitful results in the long term. A child care benefit can become a motivating factor for employees who constantly fear the well-being of their children while they are at work.

To motivate your employees and increase their engagement level without levying a dent in your financials, focus on providing these child care benefits:

  • Offer child care subsidies
  • Foster a culture of flexible work schedule
  • Provide a company-sponsored child care facility near the office
  • Include backup child care assistance to deal with issues like school closing, a spouse getting sick, or other unprecedented events
  • Offer a flexible child care spending account

Interesting fact: The job performance of 60% of employees who don’t receive child care benefits would increase if their company provides these benefits to them.

Motivating your employees

Returning to work after lockdown will be unusual, strange, and probably new. The sooner your employees adapt to this paradigm shift, the more engaged they will be at their work.

Interestingly, highly engaged employees are not those who come and leave the office on time.  They are employees who feel good about what they are doing and perform to their best capabilities to finish a task as per expectations. 

Such positive vibes will make your employees happy and replenish their motivation level. 

That’s why companies worldwide never hesitate to invest in employee engagement programs, as it does more good than harm. 

These seven strategies are a good place to start with and get back your employees in your old 

form. 

How are you planning to keep your employees motivated and engaged?

Share your thoughts with us!

Author Bio:

Priya Jain is a professional copywriter with 8 years of experience. She has an MBA and engineering degree. When she is not writing, you will find her teaching math, spending her day running behind her toddler, and trying new recipes. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter.  

What is Content Moderation

Posted on by Emma Yulini
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What is content moderation? It refers to monitoring and removing from the user-generated content the unwanted parts based on platform-specific rules and criteria. It helps ascertain whether you can use the content on the platform or not. When content such as review or feedback is submitted on a website, it undergoes a review process to ensure that it adheres to the website’s rules. Content moderation is crucial as it helps a website maintain a database of clean data.

Content moderation is common on digital platforms that rely on user-generated content (UGC). They include e-commerce websites, social media, and dating websites. Below are the benefits of content moderation.

Importance of Content Moderation

It improves your site’s search engine ranking and traffic

Content moderation helps improve your website’s search engine ranking organically. Better quality content, including user-generated content (UGC), allows you to rank higher on the search engine results page (SERP). By directing more people to your content, your website gets more traffic.

It protects your brand

Users have varying tastes and preferences. Therefore, you cannot always guarantee that all the UGC on your website conforms to your standard and community guidelines. Content moderators help protect your forum, social media account, or website from any undesirable user-generated content. By keeping your customers happy through positive engagements on your content platforms, the content moderators help maintain a good reputation and protect your brand. To ensure it delivers value, user-generated content needs to be moderated along various touchlines.

Gaining user insights

By content moderation, you understand your community better. Content moderators may go through the user-generated content to see how they are responding to your services. Companies can then use data and sentiment analysis to come up with brand-centered offers. A company can use content moderation of user-generated content not only in marketing but also in product design.

Protecting your online community

Your online community needs to feel safe from trolls, spam, and explicit content. They should be free to express their opinions on matters that concern the brand. Content moderation is essential in making your online platform from such offensive content.

Other benefits of content moderation include scaling your marketing campaigns and keeping pre-cleaned data.

There are several types of content moderation. The type of content moderation used by a specific company depends on the nature of services it offers and the volume of user-generated content. Having understood what is content moderation, what are its types?

Types of content moderation

Pre-Moderation

In this method, all the content submitted by registered representatives or users is given to the verification team. The verification team uses various criteria to detect any infringement that the content may contain. Therefore, in pre-moderation, the offensive or inappropriate content is removed before it is visible on the website. Pre-moderation is an ideal choice for the online communities that cater to high-risk users, like children, to prevent bullying and sexual advancements. A good example is Facebook and online gaming platforms.

Post-Moderation

From the user-experience view, in online platforms that require moderation, post-moderation is better than pre-moderation. The content is posted on the site but replicated in a queue to be examined by a moderator later. It allows conversations to take place immediately within users. The platform operator becomes the legal publisher of the content as the community grows. Unfortunately, for some communities like celebrity-based news, this can be a risk.

Reactive moderation

In this type of moderation, a company relies on the users to flag that they deem inappropriate or in contravention of the company’s rules. It acts as a safety net to the unsuitable content that gets past the moderators when used alongside other types of moderation.

Automated moderation

This type of moderation uses technical tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for content processing and moderation. It applies predefined rules and natural language processing to approve or reject user-generated content. A word filter is the most commonly used tool in automated moderation. A dictionary of banned words and the tool either replaces, flags the word for review, or rejects the post entirely. In addition, the captcha system is used to establish if a user is a human or a bot.

Other types of automated moderation

  • Block keyword – The system rejects any post containing a specific word
  • Image filter – Here, the tool removes all posts having banned images such as violence or nudity.
  • Block user – Auto-moderation rejects a specific user’s all incoming content.
  • Whitelist User – The system approves all the incoming posts that belong to a specific user. They bypass the moderator’s queue.

No moderation

Though an option, choosing not to moderate content in the current age can prove fatal. With the advent of online stalking, cybercrimes, and hate crimes, businesses and companies have grown serious about content moderation.

The Do’s and Don’ts of content moderation

The Don’ts of content moderation

Wait long before starting to moderate your content

Do not wait for long before starting to moderate your content. As your platform grows, you need to have a scheme for creating user-generated content moderately.

Misinterpret a good content

Quality content is essential in creating user confidence and achieving a robust user experience on your platform. Avoid misinterpreting good content that you end up dismissing user-generated content merely because it is negative.

The Do’s of content moderation

Moderate all content

To see to it that there are fun interactions on your platform, ensure that all the content is moderated correctly, be it photos, text, or videos.

Have clear rules and guidelines

Your content moderation rules and guidelines must be transparent to all those who engage in content moderation on your platform.

Need fitting moderation form

What is the kind of content, and who are the users on your platform? This creates a picture of what criteria for moderation and configuration to use.

Outsourcing Content Moderation

If your company needs professional content moderation, you should outsource it. The benefits of outsourcing rather than hiring in-house include:

It frees you from hiring and training new content moderators

Form a team of professional content moderators takes much time. This involves hiring, training, performance feedback, and monitoring. Instead of going all through this, why not just outsource? This way, you get to concentrate on the core functions of your business.

Expert content moderators

Through Oworkers, you get the help of expert moderators. Outsourcing companies keep a roster of professional moderators who will give you quality moderation support for your platform.

Necessary tool and ready knowledge

Outsourcing companies ensure that all the tools, workforce, and processes are available before offering a business solution. By outsourcing your content moderation, you avoid the costs of setting up new offices, getting resources, hiring and training a new team. Therefore, you do not need to buy tools or hire and train your content creation team.

Bottom Line

To ensure fun and exciting interactions between the users of your platform, content moderation is vital. Additionally, moderating your content using any of the above techniques has many advantages. Outsourcing your content moderation needs saves you time and money while offering you the highest quality services.

Fleet Management: 4 Key Tactics To Improve Efficiency

Posted on by Charlene Brown
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Fleet Management is an important aspect of any business. With the introduction of autonomous and electric vehicles, fleet management will only become more complicated in the years to come. There are many things a company can do to improve efficiency with their fleet. The following article discusses four key tactics that can improve efficiency in the fleet management process. 

1. Monitor Fleet Performance & Utilization with GPS Tracking

GPS tracking is an effective way to monitor performance and utilization. A GPS tracking system allows you to get real-time information on your vehicles, including driver behavior.

Vehicle data is also recorded by trucking GPS, including driver location and driving habits. This can be useful when reviewing vital data to improve efficiency, as well as in the event of any fleet insurance claims. It also helps you monitor how often your drivers are visiting locations that may be a safety hazard, which can help you identify any potential motor vehicle accidents. 

Managers can use this information to their advantage by analyzing data from the time of day and times of the year to understand what areas pose safety risks for drivers. Additionally, the GPS tracking system records vehicle data such as speed and braking to help monitor how efficiently your drivers are operating their vehicles. GPS tracking is also necessary when it comes to driver physical fitness. A GPS tracking system allows you to track pedometer steps throughout the workday, as well as monitor all maintenance records in order to ensure that all vehicles are being maintained at optimal performance levels.

2. Use Route Planning Software

Route planning software uses advanced algorithms to help organizations plan and arrange multi-stop delivery routes in the most effective way feasible. Routing and scheduling software, or route optimization software, is another name for it. UpperInc is vehicle routing and scheduling software.

It’s no surprise that software-assisted route planning are significantly more accurate than manually planned routes when all the relevant factors are included, as well as the amount of possible permutations. As a result, you’ll be able to consistently deliver things to clients when you say you would, resulting in happier customers. When you do it day after day for months or years, you acquire the loyalty and repeat business of those consumers.

3. Use The Latest In Telematics To Monitor Driver Behavior

GPS fleet management telematics technology can also be used to monitor driver behavior in real-time, including speeding and harsh braking. Managers can receive alerts whenever a driver violates safety regulations, as well as drivers that make frequent stops without letting the vehicle idle. Managers use this information to hold employees accountable for their actions in the workplace. Telematics technology is extremely useful when it comes to making sure all employees on your team are adhering to company policies. According to the experts at FleetOptix.com, a fleet dash cam system can provide you with real-time information that is one of the most important factors when it comes to improving efficiency. Management software used by businesses provides real-time data on drive times, speed limits, vehicles maintenance records, and potential hazards and safety concerns along routes. This allows you to have complete control over operations, as well as be involved in the day-to-day maintenance of vehicles. 

4. Monitor Fleet Maintenance Records

Fleet managers should be aware of any trends or patterns that may be impacting their fleet’s performance or causing vehicle damage. Management software can also help monitor maintenance records to ensure all vehicles are being properly maintained at optimal operating levels. Using this information, you can make adjustments as necessary to ensure your fleet is performing at its full potential. Managers can use the information from management software to make sure all vehicles are being properly maintained and adjust routes to manage safety concerns. Maintenance records can help shed light on any problem areas that may be affecting vehicle utilization or overall performance. The maintenance records can also help identify any problems with employees that may be causing problems in your fleet. Once you’ve identified the problem areas, you can take steps to improve efficiency. 

5. Use Your Fleet Operations Manual To Reduce Risk

It is extremely important for managers to continually track and update their operations manual with current regulations and best practices within the industry. Fleet management software uses GPS tracking data to monitor driver behavior at all times, including potential infractions such as speeding and harsh braking that violate company policies. Continually reviewing your operations manual can help you take the necessary steps to reduce risk and increase efficiency. Ensure that your manual is up-to-date with current regulations and best practices, as well as any pertinent safety information for driving in your area. Operations manual best practices include maintaining a fleet that is always at optimal working levels, as well as providing regular maintenance to ensure vehicles are running at their peak performance.

Fleet management is a key factor in keeping your business safe along the road. Managers should be aware of any trends or patterns that may be impacting their fleet’s performance or causing vehicle damage. Management software can also help monitor maintenance records in order to make sure all vehicles are being properly maintained at optimal operating levels. Using this information, you can make adjustments as necessary to ensure your fleet is performing at its full potential. 

How to Launch Your Career in Project Management

Posted on by Devika Ohri
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Regardless of what field you are working in, project management will be an integral component of your organization. By employing project management strategies, you can ensure accuracy and quality in your projects and meet the expectations of your customers. However, starting a career in project management is not as simple as it sounds. Read on to learn how you can launch your career in the field of project management:

Requirements

Anyone can pursue a career in the field of project management. However, there are certain qualifications that can give you an edge over your competitors. If you have any of the following qualifications, your career path will become a lot easier:

  • A bachelor’s degree in business or management
  • A master’s degree in business management of project management
  • Certificate in project management
  • `Relevant work experience

If you work in a management domain or obtain a degree in project management, you will be able to gain the skills needed to succeed in this role. Another option is pursuing a curse that allows you to obtain the skills you need. Here are some skills that you will need in order to be a successful project manager:

1. Strong leadership and analytical skills

As a manager, it is your responsibility to lead large teams and analyze business decisions. With strong analytical and leadership skills, you will be able to improve your team’s productivity and be more efficient.

2. Risk management skills

When you are a manager, you also have to look out for potential risks and issues and develop strategies on how you can mitigate them. You will need risk management skills for protecting your company from potential crises.

3. Patience and perseverance

To be a good manager, you have to be patient with your team employees. Also, in case any process fails, you have to continue and not give up. Most importantly, you should know how to analyze mistakes and make sure that they aren’t repeated.

4. General business skills

You must have a basic understanding of business skills like negotiation skills, delegation skills, and diplomacy. This will ensure that you are able to manage each project effectively. Most of these skills can be learned and the right online negotiation course can teach you more about one-on-one or group negotiation techniques.

5. Basic technological skills

Today, every business has a technological aspect. As a manager, you will need basic technological skills for making sure that your business has seamless management.

6. Communication skills

As a manager, you will need excellent oral and written communication skills for avoiding any misunderstandings and confusion.

7. Time management skills

Time is money. That is why, as a manager, you are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of punctuality and time management. You have to make sure that all the projects are finished and timely delivered.

Launch your career

Here are a few steps that will help you launch your career in project management:

1. Networking

Before you take on a new career, the first thing that you have to do is find out about the field as much as you can. To do this, you can talk to professionals who have experience in project management. They will help you understand the fulfilling aspects of the field and the challenges you might face.

2. An online course

There are several online courses on project management. This is a time-saving approach that will help you start your career as a project manager. It will give you an introduction to the subject and get an understanding of the basics so that you can deal with the challenges.

3. Pursue a degree

Once you have a basic understanding of project management, you can go for a higher degree like an MBA to become an expert on the subject and get a more in-depth understanding of the subject. A degree will also improve your employability in the field.

4. Gain certifications

As a project manager, you have to keep updating your skills and the best way to do that is through project management certifications like PMP. A Project Management professional training program will help you stay updated on the latest trends in the field.

Conclusion

So, these were the skills you need to obtain and the steps you need to follow for launching your career in project management. Once you do this, you will have a multitude of opportunities waiting for you.

5 Tips to Prevent a Data Breach

Posted on by Tanzeel Ur Rehman
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Data violation is a threat that can influence your life and business which can be far more than a temporary danger. When it comes to the information breach, any kind of company, specific and even federal government can deal with such dangers as well as you can deal with big problems if your delicate data or individual details are leaked. A data violation can have a great effect on your service if your sensitive information is leaked or a person obtains access to the business secrets as that can influence the credibility of the firm. Numerous firms have been a victim of the data breach.

Hackers or cybercriminals can reach you with different means like they can access your device via Bluetooth, SMS message, or the web that you are using. Internet is a platform on which every person is doing something, some are obtaining internet service for entertainment functions, some obtain internet service to do video gaming and after that, some get internet service for work objectives. If a person obtains access to your device, your identification can be stolen. Hackers usually access your device via the internet and you deal with the consequences afterward.

If one does not take data breaches seriously, it can be really harmful. You need a secured internet connection so no person can quickly access your data. If the data is not encrypted when you do streaming online or do any kind of work, the data on your devices would be easily available to hackers or unauthorized people and they can get access to your device or your computer system and your sensitive information can quickly be revealed. We are most likely to speak about how data breaches occur as well as what preventative measures we can take to avoid data violations.

How Does a Data Breach Happen?

Data breaches occur by various techniques used by hackers to enter into your device or system to access your sensitive information. The following are a few of the techniques used by hackers.

Phishing Attacks

Hackers usually trap internet users into clicking links that are not secured and then once you open up the link, they will get access to your system or device. Normally, hackers send phishing emails to enter your system. They use this method to obtain access to your personal data and also you can have a huge loss.

Public Wi-Fi

Using a public Wi-Fi hotspot is so typical in the U.S. state as there are different areas where public Wi-Fi hotspots are available. Making use of public Wi-Fi can cause a data violation as the data is not encrypted and also once your tool gets linked to the Wi-Fi, any person can conveniently access your data and also can mislead you right into clicking unprotected web links.

Weak Credentials

Most of the data violations occur due to the fact that people don’t pay attention to their credentials. They always leave a pattern while setting up their credentials and that benefits the hackers to enter your system and your account.

What to Do to Protect your Business

Following are 5 really important tips that help prevent data breaches and help in protecting your personal information and systems.

Get an Internet Security Suite

While getting internet service, make sure to get an internet security suite as that will help in securing your data and it will not be simple for hackers to obtain access to your personal information. Getting an internet security suite will certainly be beneficial for the business or even for individuals. There are several internet service providers like AT&T internet that provide a web security suite. You can take a look at the AT&T internet packages and can see how you can get internet security in addition to internet service. This suite will secure your data and will also protect your devices from unsecured web links and also phishing attacks.

Perform Regular Vulnerability Assessments

Companies must do routine vulnerability assessments to make certain that everything is protected at their end. Companies must have a department that analyzes on a normal basis instead of doing it once a year or a month as that gives the hackers time to find out the new patterns you adhere to.

Educate Yourself as Well as Your Employees

Firms need to educate their workers on safety to make certain that the devices they are using are secured. You need to inform on your own and also your children about internet safety due to the fact that the majority of data breaches occur because people generally do not take this seriously which causes data breaches, and afterward, you face the consequences. Your identification can be stolen and your firm’s secrets can be exposed.

Beware of Phishing Attacks

A lot of the violations happen due to human mistakes. You should beware of phishing emails and also web links and also must never ever click any web link which you are not aware of. Never ever open any kind of email that you receive from an unknown individual as that will certainly be the reason for data breaching. Immediately report to your security team regarding such emails as well as internet links so that they can take action promptly.

Backup and Encryption

Make sure that your tools are encrypted as well as you are doing a backup of your data by utilizing the cloud solution so if by any chance someone hacks your systems, your data continues to be safe.

Conclusion

Information breaches can have a great effect on your business’s reputation if the company’s personal data gets leaked. We have numerous examples of the damages brought on by data breaches. Ensure that you take all the safety precautions so you do not end up being a victim of it.

Best Free Online Movie Websites 2021 (Safe and Legal)

Posted on by Hamza Razzaq
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From the beginning of time, acting, plays, and movies have been the best source of entertainment for people around the world. Ever since quarantine life with the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us have been hooked to watching and re-watching tons of movies online. This gave a significant boost to online paid streaming websites.

But not everyone can afford the luxury of watching movies streamed on paid websites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Luckily, there is always a loophole on the world wide web for almost everything. So if you have been to the ends of the internet looking for free streaming movies websites that are both safe and legal, your search is about to end here!

For those of you looking for the ultimate selection of free movies online, we’ve compiled a list of the best five free online movie streaming websites for unlimited streaming of the latest and classic blockbusters.

Not quite sure about the authenticity of the websites? Don’t worry! The websites we have listed are not only absolutely legal but are also absolutely safe to access. Malware or virus from illegal streaming websites should be the least of your worries with these sites. So, let’s start exploring them one-by-one.

1. Samsung TV Plus

With its initial release, Samsung TV Plus was only limited to the company’s own smartphones, smart TVs, and tablets. However, recently, Samsung TV Plus has expanded its portfolio, including local website access as well. Surprisingly, it’s absolutely free to use for all those living in North America and Europe.

Samsung TV Plus brings you the chance to access hundreds and thousands of movies from across the world. Be it Hollywood, Bollywood, or similar others, Samsung TV Plus has got it all. You can easily browse through the website’s huge movie library and pick out your favorite movie genre to binge on. The interface is extremely easy to use, housing a list of hot blockbusters to help you get started.

The best part? No extra plug-ins, payment options, or software installation. Simply type in the URL and stream your favorite movie for free.

2. Crackle

Crackle, sponsored by Sony, is another extremely popular free streaming movies site for streaming high-quality movies all day long. Since the platform offers free movies, you might have to watch a fair few advertisements. However, they are usually pretty quick and short.

Crackle has an incredibly wide selection of movies, ranging from classics like Gone With the Wind to 90s most popular erotic thrillers like Eyes Wide Shut and even contemporary horror thrillers like The Conjuring Series. We can clearly say about Crackle that you will never run out of options when you browse for movies from its extensive database.

3. PlutoTV

PlutoTV was one of the first platforms to introduce independent movies and contemporary content. Made with the intentions of helping people discover some of the best amateur content on the internet, PlutoTV’s popularity grew immensely over the past few years, assisting the platform in hosting various content genres.

At the current, you can watch anything and everything on PlutoTV, from A-List movies, top chart blockbusters, and independent movies, to broadcast network movies, foreign movies, and web series. Think of browsing on PlutoTV as a source of a free cable network, where you can watch endless movies of different genres, ratings, and languages.

4. Vudu

Vudu lets you easily browse through different genres of endless movies without any hassle at all. The interface is extremely easy to use, suggesting movies that fit your preferences based on your searches. If you want to interrupt the movie and watch it later, the movie restarts from exactly where you left off, giving you a wholesome entertainment experience.

As of today, Vudu is playing almost all the latest movies you can think of! From new chartbusters, including Black Widow, The Conjuring 3, and Oxygen to classics from the 90s like The Game, Indecent Proposal, and even Deep Impact. In short, the website offers quite a variety of movie genres. Moreover, Vudu also gives you the opportunity to get a paid account for a premium subscription, giving you the ability to stream, buy, and rent ad-free movies.

5. Popcornflix

Over the past few years, Popcornflix has witnessed immense growth in its viewership, becoming one of the leading free streaming movies websites worldwide. It not only lets you skim over some of the greatest Hollywood movie releases of all time but ensures that you can appreciate independent art and talent through C-list movies as well. The diverse portfolio of free movies at Popcornflix does not disappoint anyone.

All you have to do is go to the Popcornflix website, type in the movie you are looking for, and stream the content for free! Although the endless advertisements you have to go through to reach your content might put you off a bit, still it’s worth the wait to stream content on a safe and legal website.

6. Other

With online streaming becoming the preferred TV choice of many viewers, new streaming platforms are being created all the time. One we found was 123movies, which has a large collection to choose from of all movie genres.

Wrapping Up

Watching free movies online without the constant scare of inviting unwanted malware to your beloved device is truly a privilege we shouldn’t let go of, even if it means having to sit through mundane advertisements! We can ensure that the above list of 5 free streaming movies websites are totally safe and loaded with uncountable movie choices. Get your tv for pc monitor and grab your popcorn, get cozy in your best, most comfortable pajamas, and call it a day with a free streaming movie website.

Receipt Scanning is now Essential for Your Expense Management Software

Posted on by Hannah O'Connor
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All innovative companies, no matter the size or industry, depend on expense management software to carry out monotonous book-keeping tasks. However, despite developments in ML and Natural Language Processing, a substantial number fail to provide the necessary features such as invoice data extraction and accurate receipt scanning.

This is a huge disadvantage for these expense management software or accounting companies, as their customers are directly disadvantaged.

Businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways to increase speed, accuracy and automation. As receipt scanners provide this, with added benefits such as minimizing the risk of losing receipts, it is among the top features a customer searches for when selecting an expense management software solution

It is clear that excluding an automatic receipt data extraction feature is damaging to the success of this software company.

Does this resonate with you? Does your software also lack the ability to scan receipts and invoices correctly and reliably? If the answer is “yes,” then you’re in the right place. Fortunately, you can swiftly fix this issue by integrating a receipt OCR API within your software.

In this guide, you’ll also uncover six reasons why your expense management software must have a receipt scanning feature.

But first the basics…How does a receipt OCR API actually work?

The receipt OCR API lets your users upload an image of their receipt or invoice in your software.

Next, it scans through the image to identify data fields, such as the vendor name, price, and place where the receipt or invoice was issued.

Subsequently, the data extracted is transformed into a format that your expense management software will understand.

Reasons to integrate a receipt OCR API in your expense management software.

1. More Accurate receipt and invoice data extraction.

Unlike standard OCRs used to capture data from contracts, reports, and other files, a receipt OCR API is designed to extract information from low-quality prints, with high accuracy.

Receipt OCR APIs can also recognise specific data fields on invoices and receipts, irrespective of its format.

This is vital, as suppliers and vendors have different layouts for their receipts and invoices. Even when two stores are in the same city, their receipts can have completely diverse formats.

Furthermore, you can increase the accuracy of your receipt and invoice data extraction through adding a parameter in your receipt OCR’s to identify where the invoice or receipt were created.

Something worth knowing is that most receipt scanning and invoice data extraction APIs are polyglots.  The consequence of this is that they can instantly comprehend and translate what’s written on the receipt or invoice, even if it’s in a distinctive language or dialect.

2. Streamline your customers’ Accounting Processes.

One of the most time-consuming and tiresome tasks that employees encounter is filling in expense forms and submitting them to your accounting department.

Integrating a receipt OCR API within your expense management software naturally accelerates this process for your customers.

Your customers can now take a picture of the receipt or invoice and then upload this to your expense management software immediately.

This removes the hassle of saving all of the physical receipts and invoices they need. 

The receipt OCR API then obtains the crucial details needed to create an entry in an expense form. You can also customize your receipt OCR code to allow it to group the data collected into expense categories, further streamlining the process for your users.

3. Improve your clients’ Resource-use Efficiency and Business Decisions

Unfortunately, as human beings, human error is inevitable.

Even the smallest mistakes, such as uploading duplicate receipts and invoices, can cost businesses significant time and money to amend (conditional on the situation, of course).

With receipt OCR, you can easily solve this issue by customizing the code to incorporate parameters to flag and notify your clients of duplicate entries and invoices with dodgy data.

Your client’s accountant can then quickly acquire the flagged entries and review them before they’re finalized. This saves your client precious resources in time and money, thus improving their user experience with your software.

As expense tracking is one of the most crucial operations in any business, expense reports generated by your expense management software is critical in their decision-making activities These activities are also what certifies companies file the correct taxes and avoid getting penalized.

All these are dependent on one key ingredient: The accuracy of the data they entered in your expense management software.

If your expense management software isn’t equipped with a receipt OCR API, that’ll mean your clients must carry out data entry manually.

The issue with inaccurate or incomplete data in this case is the chain reaction that’ll ultimately result in your clients making poor business decisions.

4. Provide Financial Data Privacy and Security. 

Receipt OCR APIs don’t only decrease complications for your clients to update their expense reports. Another benefit exists in the realm of financial data security.

Supplementary parameters can be included within the receipt OCR API code to reinforce security measures when retrieving financial data. For example, generating a password protocol.

Including these security structures will guarantee that only authorized personnel can access their financial data. This is imperative for your clients.

5. The Power in Multiple Programming Languages.

Receipt OCR API developers are aware that companies develop expense management software and apps in an assortment of programming languages.

Companies like Taggun, for example, provide software developers like you their receipt OCR API code written in Node.js, C#, .NET, PHP, and Python.

You can therefore integrate the code into your expense management software, enabling you to rapidly launch this feature to your clients.

6. The Competitive Edge

Even some of the most popular accounting and expense management software available today don’t provide a receipt scanning and invoice data extraction feature.

In this question posed in Quora, we can also see that that those do struggle with the accuracy of the data they extract.

https://d7pdsiqo9rcig.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Receipt-OCR-Quora-1.png

Because of this, users must search for a third-party tool such as Zintego Receipt Maker to integrate into their current expense management software.

The Solution

A Receipt OCR API in your expense management software equips you with the means to meet what your clients wants and needs.

This provides you with a compelling and unique selling point to share with your potential clients and customers.

Additionally, clients will be convinced to switch to your software when you’re able to provide something novel, something that their current platform doesn’t.

The receipt OCR API is the game-changer to your expense management software. 

It provides your clients with the necessary functions to stimulate and accelerate growth.

You can start providing that to your customers today by choosing a receipt OCR API provider, embed the code in your expense management software program, customize it, and launch!

How to Set Up an Efficient Business Office

Posted on by Bernadine Racoma
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To have an efficient business office is the key to being productive. There are probably many things that may come to your mind when setting up a business office – the location, the equipment needed, and how comfortable you will be in the workplace. Equipping your office will require you to buy different items.

Here are some of the things you need if you wish to set up an efficient business office.

The computer

It’s impossible to complete the work without a computer. If you wish to have an efficient office, make sure that you invest in high-performing computers that have a longer lifespan. Do some research and choose the computers that would fit your specific needs. If some of your employees are doing fieldwork or their task would require them to be out of the office from time to time, consider buying a laptop for them. Remember, always go for quality over price when purchasing computers.

A projector

A projector is also an important thing that you should have in your office. It can help you discuss and present things clearly during business meetings. In addition, having a projector on ceiling is an excellent idea because this can help you get the best brightness possible from the unit. Another advantage of this is that it keeps the projector out of the way, and everyone can freely walk without blocking the light from the projector.

Fast and reliable internet access

A reliable and high-speed internet connection is now essential in every office. There will be a possibility to decrease productivity inside your office if your internet is slow and unreliable. A fast internet connection can make your employees work efficiently and help them finish their tasks on time. The faster the speed of your connection, the more productive your team will be.

A multipurpose printer

Another piece of equipment that you should have in your office is a printer. Whether you choose to go paperless or not, you must have a printer installed in your office. Good thing, there are now printers that offer other features like a scanner and a photocopy machine at the same time. So you can easily print or get a copy of an important file if you have a multipurpose machine inside the office.

Filing cabinets

The best way to make your business office efficient is to keep it clean and clutter-free. So be sure to have enough, or should we say plenty, of filing cabinets in your office to keep everything intact. It’s where you can keep your essential documents without making the workplace look messy.

Creating an efficient workplace can be a daunting task, but it’s the best thing to do if you wish to increase employee efficiency. When your team members have everything they need, they can finish whatever task you give them faster. However, an efficient office does not only rely on how good the equipment your employees use. It’s about how happy they are at what they’re doing and how well you treat them. Always prioritize work-life balance if you want them to stay efficient and productive.

How to Migrate from PrestaShop to WooCommerce. A Safe and Simple Guide for 2021

Posted on by David Brown
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Do you have an existing Prestashop eCommerce internet site that you want to broaden? WooCommerce may be your selection as it has shown itself every so often as an ample eCommerce system. In this tutorial guide, I am going to explain the basic steps to migrate from Prestashop to WooCommerce.

Prestashop is an open resource CMS that is one of the most effective eCommerce platforms. It allows site owners to offer their products with out-of-the-box attributes as well as expand their organization. Currently, it powers over 270,000 online stores globally. In addition, it has an exceptionally instinctive user interface to manage your online shop quickly. Moreover, the open-source platform is clearly cost-efficient. On top of that, it uses some vibrant as well as vibrant themes to develop an internet site that mirrors the nature of your business. In fact, systems like TemplateToaster offer Prestashop style makers to develop one-of-a-kind looking on the internet stores.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is among the fantastic WordPress plugins as opposed to a stand-alone ecommerce platform. Yet wait, it is a great advantage. We understand that WordPress includes endless themes and also plugins. For that reason, you get accessibility to all the styles and plugins with WooCommerce. First off, WooCommerce is a totally free plugin which means it is cost-efficient. Secondly, it efficiently streamlines the entire eCommerce site advancement procedure to offer you a functional on the internet store. Finally, the extensions, as well as functions, offer reputable scalability to expand your on-the-internet store. On top of that, it includes some out-of-the-box marketing functions like the capability to add customized item tabs. In a similar way, you can develop a custom-made WooCommerce style to offer a personal touch to your online site.

Why move from Prestashop to WooCommerce?

Prestashop is a fantastic platform unless you need to expand your business and also require a lot of website traffic on your internet site. Both WooCommerce and PrestaShop are complimentary platforms/plugins but Prestashop mainly supply paid modules that can cause a very costly scaling. WooCommerce, on the other hand, provides fantastic scalability as well as store improvement attributes within a set budget. In addition, WooCommerce has actually managed to incorporate all the good things of WordPress CMS while bringing great marketing functions with the WooCommerce plugin. Additionally, you can increase your online organization with a lot more 360 methods utilizing WooCommerce. Right here is a listing of the best PrestaShop hosting suppliers as well as Woocommerce CRMs. You might additionally find out exactly how to quicken a Woocommerce store.

Pre migration process

Prior to you beginning the migration process, you need to make some advanced plans to make certain whatever goes as intended. And if anything goes wrong, you have a way out. As a result, right here are some things you need to take care of-.

Back up your Prestashop Shop.

First off, back up your data. It protects you from shedding information and also essential cases. Indubitably, it is not compulsory data but it is crucial for your own safety and security. Typically, supporting the Prestashop process involves two significant steps, as mentioned listed below.

Supporting Prestashop Database: Locate your database supervisor as well as inspect all the tables as well as select the Export option. It will produce an SQL file that is more exportable. Conserve the ‘. sql’ on your neighborhood device to effectively produce a backup of your data source.

Supporting Prestashop data: After backing up the data source, it’s time to back up all the documents as well as folders of your Prestashop site. Attach to the public_html folder of your data through the FTP client you make use of. I’ll cover the actions using FileZilla for this overview. First of all, duplicate the folder having your site’s data and paste them on your local device. That’s it.

Install a brand-new WooCommerce shop.

Before you begin the migration process, you require to have a useful WooCommerce site first. In other words, you need a WordPress internet site, a domain name, a WordPress organizing provider, to set up your WooCommerce site. We recommend Bluehost for WordPress and also Woocommerce as it is officially backed by WordPress projects. Here is a thorough overview.

Below is an introduction of basic steps involving WordPress installation-.

  • Download and install and unzip the WordPress zip file.
  • Create the database as well as the admin.
  • Submit your website data on your webserver.
  • Run the WordPress setup wizard.

When you have your WordPress internet site up and running, go to your WordPress admin location. Navigate to Plugins > Include new as well as situate WooCommerce. Click Trigger to include the WooCommerce plugin to your WordPress site. That’s it, you have actually efficiently mounted a WooCommerce shop.

How to Move from Prestashop to WooCommerce:

There are two means to move from Prestashop to WooCommerce: Making use of a plugin and hands-on way. The hands-on method is the prolonged way which takes permanently to complete. Additionally, it is appropriate for tech-savvy customers only due to the fact that it is rather complicated. If you have chosen to move from Prestashop to WooCommerce using a plugin, there are various plugins that can help you do that. We suggest the Cart2Cart service since it makes it possible for a quick as well as hassle-free movement process.

Adhere to steps to move from Prestashop to WooCommerce.

Step 1.

Both Prestashop, as well as WooCommerce, are self-hosted platforms which means the activity formula is the same. It indicates you can use the Cart2Cart solution and also get all your shop products moved from PrestaShop to WooCommerce without the assistance of a designer.

Step 2.

The following step is to choose the source and target platforms (PrestaShop and WooCommerce accordingly), pick the information kinds you intend to move from Prestashop to WooCommerce along with the added movement options. The service will do all the rest.

Post movement process.

Now that you are done with the moving process, there are a few things you intend to inspect to guarantee that your WooCommerce online shop is working fine-.

Inspect your new WooCommerce shop for random mistakes like the right classification of items, visibility, perform a couple of searches, inspect web links, etc.

Inspect your WooCommerce store and also install all the necessary expansions to make your shop have all the attributes you need that are not included in the customized version of WooCommerce.

Update to the current information migration service which will certainly reroute your visitors to your brand-new WooCommerce website if they still visit your old Prestashop LINK.

Moving from Prestashop to WooCommerce – Verdict.

Both are self-hosted, free eCommerce systems that come with some extraordinary sales attributes. Furthermore, the variety of automatic migration plugins make the entire moving process smooth and very easy. Utilizing a prominent and relied-on solution like Cart2cart makes certain a complexity-free, smooth migration process. This is all you need to recognize in order to carry out an effective migration from Prestashop to WooCommerce. With any luck, this guide will help you recognize the movement process of Prestashop to WooCommerce.

How To Ensure That Your Remote Employees Are Actually Working

Posted on by Charlene Brown
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If you operate a business where your employees work remotely, you need to trust that they are performing their tasks as expected. However, it may be challenging to track the remote workers’ activities without reliable data. The good news is that with today’s technology, there are different ways that you can use to make sure that the employees are doing their work. Read on to learn everything you want to know about how to ensure that your remote employees are working.

Set Measurable Goals

It is vital to set measurable goals that are also easy to achieve. You need to involve the workers in the goal-setting process, so they can also share the same vision of the company. Workers who are treated as important are productive. They are also determined to ensure that they attain short and long-term goals. It is essential to see if a worker can complete different tasks assigned to them. If some members are failing to meet their target goals, it means that you may need to make necessary changes. You can easily monitor the performance of remote employees if you set realistic and attainable goals. 

Workers will be more focused on their tasks if they know everything that is expected of them. Make the work simple and also set deadlines. Supervising employees who work remotely is not feasible. Therefore, talking to your employees is vital when you give them feedback and acknowledgment for completing their tasks. You must position yourself as an effective team leader who is ready to listen to the concerns of the members. Define all the processes that can help each member to meet their tasks. Without smart goals, your employees will be doomed. You might also want to check Develop Good Habits to learn about smart leadership goals.

Track Productivity

For a purely digital company, it is possible to monitor the activities of each employee every minute. You can achieve this by using employee monitoring software that helps to track the time every employee spends doing different tasks online. For instance, with this software, it is possible to track the time spent by every worker doing productive work or browsing social media. The main advantage of this employee time tracking software is that it helps track the overall productivity of each worker. You can detect people who are doing unproductive things during work time. This will help you contact them directly and remind them to focus on their work. 

You can use the software to evaluate the overall performance of remote workers. If you realize that the majority of workers are not productive, you can discuss with them to address the issues. If the employees know that their activities will be monitored, they will put more effort to increase their productivity level. Even if someone is working in a distant area, they will turn into an active worker.

Schedule Check-ins

Check-ins provide you with real-time data about what each employee is doing at a specific time. For instance, all the workers must check-in their time for short breaks or any other activities that are not job-related. If you get this kind of system, you can track your workers and know what they are doing at any given time. You will also be able to use real data to ensure that all the employees are on track to finish their tasks. It is vital to check if employee productivity is consistent or fluctuates. Every worker needs to put more effort into their work.   

Allow Workers to Make Decisions

When employees work remotely, they rarely interact physically with the managers, who in most cases are decision-makers. However, there are chances that remote workers are likely to encounter some challenges in their job. Instead of waiting for the manager to solve the problems that may arise every time, it is good to give the employees the autonomy to make decisions that can affect their work. This will also motivate the workers to develop a sense of belonging to the organization if they are treated as valuable assets. They will put the optimum effort into their job if they are happy about the treatment they get.    

We are living in changing times that are affecting almost all facets of life. New technology has introduced a new concept of working remotely. With the COVID-19 global pandemic, remote working has spread to several sectors now. To ensure that the workers are paying attention to their work, it is crucial to set realistic goals. You also need to use remote employee monitoring software to track the activities of each individual. It is also a good idea to schedule check-ins and track productivity.

Game-Changing Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM Integration

Posted on by Aliza Betha
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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.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM integration helps leadership plot strategies, employees serve customers, and customers experience delight.

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.

5 Design Tricks That Will Increase Your Workspace Productivity

Posted on by Kanti Kashyap
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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:

  1. Keep the mood light with bright colors that suit your company culture
  2. Allow employees to listen to music, as it increases focus and productivity
  3. Offer food options for employees who need them
  4. Encourage breaks by giving them plenty of space for their lunch breaks or coffee breaks
  5. Set up a designated workspace for naps
  6. Offer ergonomic chairs and desks

3. The Psychology of Color

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.

What are the Best and Worst Value Property Renovations?

Posted on by Alex Sanders
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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.

Can your Employees Spy on you using AirTag or Tile Pro

Posted on by Hamza Razzaq
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The world constantly shifting and technologically advanced devices are helping us do our daily activities more conveniently. This comes as a cost to privacy. AirTag and Tile Pro belong to such technological advancements that help in keeping track of our important items, such as wallets, keys, bags, etc. But just like vulnerabilities in other technologies, there is a perspective that these gadgets owing to their small size, can also be used to spy on other people, just like your employees spying on you. So, how true is this narrative, and if it exists, then what are possible ways to avoid it? This blog will help you clarify this concern. So, let’s get started.

AirTag and its Security Measures

Apple has recently launched AirTag on April 30 and presents it as a cost-effective and attractive small-size tracking equipment. AirTag gets linked with your Apple device and then can be placed on any item that you want to keep tracking.

What if you lose your AirTag?

Once you lose the AirTag, you can use the “Find My” app to find it. If it is under the Bluetooth connectivity range, it will generate the sound so that you can find it. If it is not in Bluetooth range, then billion of Apple devices are here to rescue. For example, if you lost your item in the bar and turned on the lost mode when you came back home, then the other Apple devices such as iPhones near to your AirTag will sense it, and the app will notify you about the location.

What if you find a lost AirTag?

If you find an AirTag on the roadside, then you can help the original owner to get it back. To do that, bring the AirTag close to your iPhone or Android phone (NFC-enabled) with the white side of the AirTag facing you. As AirTag includes an NFC chip, so it will take you to the web page that contains the data of the AirTag with its serial number. In case the original owner has set that AirTag in the lost mode, then you will probably see the message and contact details. This way, you can reach out to the owner and help him/her get it back.

Are there any Security Concerns with AirTag?

Yes, AirTag does have security concerns that can be exploited to spy on someone else. Although Apple has tried its best to reduce the possibility of its unethical use, there still exist ways to exploit it. All demands on what mobile operating system the targeted person is using. For example, if you are using an Android device, then you won’t get immediate notification if some unknown AirTag is present in your belongings.

Apple claims that an AirTag left away from its linked device for three days will start generating sound. This means that you will only get a chance to know about the existence of an unknown AirTag once three days have passed. During this time, the spying person can declare its AirTag lost and use the help of the Apple community to continuously get updates on where it is being carried with you. In case you own an iPhone, then chances of getting tracked are minimal, as you will get notification of an unknown AirTag near you. In a nutshell, your employees have the chance to spy on you for a short time frame using AirTag if you own an Android device.

Tile Pro and its Security Measures

Tile trackers are not the new product in the market. They have been in the market for years and are considered the leaders in this sector. Tile Pro functionality is a bit similar to AirTag. You get the app that links your Tile Pro and can be used to track it.

What if you lose your Tile Pro?

In case you lose your Tile Pro, you can use the app to turn on the lost mode. If it’s within the connectivity range, it will start generating sound. In case if it’s not in the range, then the big Tile community will help you in finding its last known location, just like the AirTag Apple community. But since Apple has billions of users, so it’s more effective in finding lost AirTag.

Are there any Security Concerns with Tile Pro?

Tile Pro is a much older product compared to AirTag, so it does not provide enhanced security practice as seen with AirTag. In case your employee slips a Tile Pro in your stuff, then there is no three days later buzzing or notification possibility that can help you locate that Tile Pro. The spying person can declare that Tile Pro lost and use the Tile community to keep getting your location updates. The only plus point with Tile Pro is its size. The size of Tile Pro is a bit larger than AirTag, so the chances of its visibility in your stuff are greater.

What to do to avoid getting tracked by Others via AirTag or Tile Pro

It is clear that there are chances of getting tracked via AirTag or Tile Pro, but there are some measures that can reduce such chances. So, if you expect to be get tracked, then the following two measures might keep you on the safe side:

  1. Make sure you are aware of what’s in your belongings because you can find AirTag or Tile Pro if someone has hiddenly put it in your stuff.
  2. Pay attention to the buzzing sound AirTag might be generating. Because once the three days are passed, it generates the sound to let the other person know about it.

Wrapping Up

New tech developments, especially from big tech giants, open up huge debates about their pros and cons. The same is being done for AirTag, while it’s also getting compared with Tile Pro and other similar products. But it is right to debate about security concerns associated with such tracking gadgets because that matters a lot in present times.

From the above discussion, it is true your employees have the chance to spy on you using AirTag or Tile Pro for a short period, but that cannot last for long and can be detected in minimal time. Here AirTag leads the competitors, as it has made more efforts to reduce such unethical practices. We live in a world full of decreasing privacy. Stay safe and keep a low profile.

Personal Qualities Section in a Resume Summary. What to Write?

Posted on by Elizabeth March
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What do you write in the “Personal qualities” section of your resume, and how seriously do you approach the filling of this particular section? It is possible that the qualities you point to are indeed your key benefits. But before you send your resume next time to your employer, make sure it doesn’t list the same as hundreds of other resumes.

Finding out what others are writing is very easy. On the job site, look in the “Resume” section, and not in the usual “Vacancies”. According to the observations of employees of HR services, about 90% of applicants write the same thing about personal qualities – based on what the employer wants to see in the applicant for the position. In addition, when many people say that they are executive, proactive, have excellent communication skills, a kind of devaluation occurs, and employers stop taking this section of the resume seriously. You can trust resume writing services to do this.

So What Should You Write?

The main thing is not to try to excel just to get attention. The list of personal qualities-advantages should:

a) reflect the characteristics of your character and style of work, which you consider to be your strengths;

b) take into account the specifics of the vacancy. For example, honesty is important for the cashier, attentiveness for the air traffic controller, and for the sales manager the ability to tell about the product so that there is a line for it.

What Qualities can be Noted as Strengths in the Resume?

Systems thinking

We mean by this the ability to see the situation as a whole, to understand what link you, as a specialist, occupy in the general process of production or sale of goods and services. And this is important not only for people applying for leadership positions. It is also useful for the seller to understand what customer demand is and why promotions are held. Systems thinking allows you to make more informed decisions, see the future, be able to determine priorities when making decisions.

Ability to maintain high productivity throughout the working day

It is important for an employer to understand that you radiate energy not only in the morning after a cup of coffee, and not only when you have a brilliant idea. Much more important is consistently high labor productivity, which does not fall after stressful situations or too nourishing lunch.

Ability to adequately perceive criticism and respond to it

This is actually an important quality, and the employer will appreciate if you really have it. The workflow is much more productive if you can listen to criticism and learn from it.

High concentration of attention and the ability not to be distracted by personal affairs during the working day

The employer is unlikely to make the employee happy with the bonus, who now and then speaks with family members on a cell phone or tweets and posts on social networks. Emphasize that at work you are only doing work – and you will benefit.

Ability to provide information (proposals, reports, results of analytical work) in an accessible and visual form.

The leader has to look through many sources of information, and how much information is presented in them determines how much time the leader will spend to study the material and see the “grain” in it. Therefore, the ability to present information, to present it in a structured manner, without “water”, using diagrams, pictures is an absolute advantage.

Summary

Do a little self-analysis and look for the answer to the question: «How do I compare favorably with the specialists of my profile? What special qualities do I have?» Writing a resume, and let it work for a successful job search!