Category: Legal Branding

Legal BrandingPersonal Branding

10 Licenses you Need to Open a Restaurant in the US

on July 8, 2022

Opening a restaurant, like any business, is a long and complicated process. Once you’ve got a solid business plan and investors, the next step is the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process, the licensing. While different states may vary slightly on the exact licenses you need to have to open a restaurant, these are some of the ten most important licenses you will need to open a restaurant in the US.

1. Business License

The very first thing you are going to need to open a restaurant or any business at all in the United States is a business license. This allows new businesses to be recognized as legal entities.

Depending on your new restaurant’s location, you may have to pay a yearly fee for this, or a percentage of your total sales.

If you are planning to sell alcohol in your restaurant, you will need to apply for both a state business license and an additional federal business license.

2. Employer Identification Number (EIN)

As well as a business license, every business in the US must obtain an employee identification number to operate. The EIN is given to every business by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and serves as a tax ID number. However, be warned that the IRS only issues one EIN each day, so be prepared for a long wait on this one.

3. Certificate of Occupancy

After your business location passes its final building inspection, your city’s local zoning or building department will issue you with a certificate of occupancy. This will legally state that the building has been built and maintained to an adequate standard.

4. Liquor License

If you want to serve alcohol at your restaurant, you will need to know how to get a liquor license. Depending on your state, you may have to apply for a liquor license as well as a beer and wine license. These applications can take months to process so make sure to start this process as early as you’re able.

5. Food Service License

wedding-invitations

You can usually apply for a food service license from your city or county health department. They will usually then visit your restaurant to ensure that all food safety regulations are being followed. Once you have successfully gained this license, the health department will regularly visit your restaurant for inspections. If at any point you are found to fail one of these inspections, you may face losing your food service license.

6. Building Health Permit

In some states, it is required that all restaurant buildings are inspected for a building health permit, particularly if you are building the location yourself.

This could be included in your business license, however, you should be sure to double-check if your state requires a building health permit too.

7. Employee Health Permit

As well as a health permit for your building, you will need to get a health permit for every employee who is handling food and beverages. There are specific training resources available from the FDA for employee health and food protection. In most cases, employees will need to complete a state-approved food handler’s course and gain a food handler’s permit. This teaches employees important food safety points such as proper sanitation practices, food handling, and food storage to ensure food safety in your business.

8. Sign Permit

Every business or storefront will want to put up a sign to market their business and attract customers from the streets. However, before you put up a sign you will need to be awarded a sign permit from your city government. Each city has its own regulations about what size, lighting, and locations are acceptable for your business’s sign. It is also important if you are renting or leasing the building your business is in to make sure you get written approval from your landlord to display your sign as well as the state-issued sign permit.

9. Music License

All good restaurants will play music to create an atmosphere and personality. To avoid any copyright infringement claims you will need to purchase a music license to cover all forms of music from a CD to streaming services to live music performances.

Playing copyrighted music without first purchasing a license could incur a fine of anywhere between $750 to $30,000 so this license is well worth the fee.

10. Seller’s Permit

A seller’s permit is something that allows a business to be identified by the state as a collector of sales tax. This is a particularly important permit in the state of California. In other states, this may be referred to as a “sales tax permit” or license. This is important for most businesses in the US, particularly restaurants and other businesses handling food and drink.

Legal Branding

What are the Key Benefits of Sales CRM for Small Businesses?

on June 27, 2022

Small businesses needlessly waste time, effort, and financial resources trying to manually manage all prospects and optimize their sales processes. Implementing a sales CRM system can make your sales processes much more efficient and effective for all teams.

A customer relationship management system is a centralized platform your teams can use to shorten the sales cycle, personalize the customer experience, and build lifelong brand advocates. But that’s just the beginning.  

In reality, there are many benefits to using a sales CRM tool over the long term, allowing you to add value to your business and minimize financial waste. Let’s talk about the key benefits of sales CRM and how it can help you take your small business to the next level.

Seamless and effective contact management

The first and probably the most obvious pain point that a good CRM can solve is contact management. Small businesses struggle to manage all their prospects, customers, and suppliers efficiently, let alone set follow-up tasks or organize the sales process per the customer’s unique requirements.

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A comprehensive sales CRM system allows you to:

  • Track and organize all prospects and customers
  • Contact them and communicate with them in a personalized way
  • Identify the stage they’re at in their journey
  • Optimize your approach according to their location in the sales funnel
  • Communicate all information with other teams to align your strategies
  • Set follow-up tasks for each contact and outline the next steps toward conversion

Efficient and effective contact management allows your teams to manage your sales pipeline as well, which is the next important benefit of sales CRM.

Enhance support and personalization with detailed reports

Sales optimization and improvement rely heavily on business intelligence. You need the right data and insights to guide your decision-making process and allow your teams to build personalized strategies for customer acquisition and retention. 

The beauty of sales CRM in a small business environment is that it provides you with actionable reports and allows you to visualize your data so that you can monitor and improve your performance. As your company grows and you continue to handle an increasing number of leads and customers, your CRM tool will be able to scale its reporting to fit your evolving needs.

This allows your teams to retain a detailed overview of all sales processes, analyze their performance and KPIs, and adapt on the fly.

Efficiently manage your sales pipeline

Successful sales teams need to be able to track all sales opportunities from the moment they become qualified leads to the moment they become devoted brand advocates. This is a long and resource-intensive process that you cannot do manually, at least not in a cost-effective way if you’re looking to incentivize business growth.

When using a sales CRM tool, your sales experts can easily track all leads and nurture them until they become paying customers. The great thing about sales CRM is that it allows you to create detailed sales opportunities and assign value to each potential deal, which is data you can use to prioritize leads, optimize your approach, and create more accurate sales forecasts.

5 Famous Rebrands and What We Can Learn From Them

Manage your workload with tasks and calendars

When leads start piling up and your sales opportunities continue to grow, your sales, marketing, and support teams will find themselves unable to effectively manage everything at once. To avoid confusion and costly setbacks like missed sales opportunities, you need a sales CRM system to manage the teams’ workload.

Pulling the data directly from your CRM allows you to schedule and prioritize tasks, making sure to maintain contact with each prospect regardless of their position in the sales funnel. Needless to say, this will also help you encourage customers to come back for more. When a marketer decides that the lead is ready to transition over to one of your sales experts, they can easily assign the task to a salesperson who will then take full advantage of the opportunity.

This ensures that no prospect is left behind.

Guide customers through the buyer’s journey

One of the biggest perks of a dedicated sales CRM system is that you can use all the data within to seamlessly guide your prospects and customers through their journey. Always keep in mind that different customers are at different stages of that journey, so your sales experts need to adapt their approach for each prospect.

If a customer is at the discovery stage, your salesperson cannot try to push an offer their way just yet. On the other hand, if a customer is ready to buy, your sales experts need to optimize their communication to finalize the deal. For instance, let’s say you provide social media services for local businesses. A thorough social media strategy proposal can be enough to get your deal over the line for leads that are more or less ready to buy. Your CRM tool will ensure they always take the right approach. 

Over to you

Using a sales CRM in your small business is one of the best ways to empower your sales, marketing, and support teams to boost lead management, conversion, and customer lifetime value. A comprehensive CRM system will allow you to manage all aspects of the buyer’s journey and optimize all sales processes to convert quickly but also build lifelong brand-consumer relationships.

Software testing
Legal Branding

What is Regression Testing: a Complete Guide

on June 8, 2022

Gone are the days when software testing was considered an afterthought. Today, it works well in tandem with the software development process. Surviving in the ever-changing world of digitalization is not easy but it’s a doable job when you outdo yourself by creating a strong, scalable, robust online presence. Fortunately, you will come across a plethora of software testing companies that offer it all right from software development to designing, software testing, QA services, migration, maintenance, and support. 

Of course, considering these types in the first place is a wise decision to make. Other than that, you should know the importance of each phase of the software development life cycle. However, since we have a limited amount of time here I won’t be able to explain it all but I can certainly shed some light on one of the crucial phases of the software development life cycle, i.e. Regression Testing. 

The following post emphasizes what Regression Testing is. Why is it important while conducting software development if you want to stand ahead of the crowd? So without any further ado, let’s begin!  

Introducing Regression Testing 

 In simple words, Regression Testing is a mere software testing practice executed by a software testing service provider just to make sure that the developed application works systematically even after there is a slight change in the code or any major updates take place. Now tell me what happens when yellow gets mixed with red by mistake? It turns orange, right? Similarly, when conducting any software development project, changes and modifications are bound to happen and one small change or tweak can make or break things to a great extent. Not to mention that it can result in heart-breaking consequences and losses. Here’s when regression testing comes to play. 

This kind of software testing is done just to make sure that no small or big change affects the existing functionality of the software. Other than keeping the software functionality intact, regression testing is done to identify and resolve bugs, these can be the ones that are newly introduced due to the change or the previous ones which have been eradicated. Now testing every time a new update is released can be pretty overwhelming and time-consuming. And maybe this is the main reason why most software developers used to skip or ignore this phase and simply test those essential functions just to ensure that everything works fine. 

In other words, regression testing in the earlier phase wasn’t given much importance. Fortunately, the table seems to have turned these days. Today, both software developers and testers are well-aware of the fact that even a small change can create a ripple effect resulting in insignificant outcomes. With Regression Testing, Different software test cases are created and re-executed to check whether the predetermined functionality of the mobile app is working as it is supposed to be and despite new changes being introduced. 

When to conduct regression testing in the software development life cycle? Since regression testing is performed to verify all the changes made. It is supposed to be performed after implementing new functionality or change in the development project. Now, whenever you conduct a  software development project, what happens is it takes several months and sometimes years to complete, so what will you do? Will you take regression testing in the end or will you keep testing parallel to the development process? Of course, testing simultaneously. In fact, it may quite interest you to know that the real logic of regression testing is to take retests again and again. 

Let me explain by using an example – Imagine you own a software development company and the client asked you to develop a project, an app development for creating images and editing videos. So what you do is, you will come up with the first draft that comprises all the core features required. After that, you are supposed to conduct regression tests and send them to the client for their valuable feedback. 

Though the client is happy with your work but wants a certain extra bunch of features to be added. So again what you do is, your team begins developing those features into the existing app. Now do you think by making a few changes or codes, the entire app will be the same as it was before? Of course, not! One small change in code can make or break the entire app. Therefore before you relaunch the app, it is important to conduct regression testing just to verify new features and functionalities of the app. Further below I would like to mention certain benefits of conducting regression testing

Why Regression Testing Must be Considered in the First Place?

Cut-throat competition is one of the core reasons why businesses are compelled towards leveraging the power of technology. To come up with an intuitive and intimidating solution, you must consider conducting regression tests with the ongoing software development procedure. Software testing is no joke, in fact, it’s a highly technical operation requiring a professional with immense knowledge and experience. Further, I would like you to get acquainted with certain benefits offered by Regression Testing. Take a look! 

#1 High-end Software

One of the obvious benefits of regression testing is that here you are bound to receive high-end software. In the present scenario, developing software is no longer considered an innovative approach. In fact, it has become something that has to be done mandatorily. However, what’s more, surprising is that you need to come up with software that outshines its existing competitors. And this is when regression testing provides assurance. It lets software developers know which bug is causing the problem and which one needs to be modified or discarded. 

#2 Increased Efficiency 

 Do you think regression testing is supposed to be done only manually? Of course, not! Today several automated testing programs have been created that specialize in conducting precise, safer, and accurate regression tests. All you have to do is come up with some testing parameters and then allow the automation tool to do its job. The key is to allow your software to re-run every test and identify potential errors. 

These automation regression testing tools result in increased efficiency as programmers can focus on other core competencies as well. 

#3 Minimizing Risk

Software development is no easy thing to do, it takes a hell lot of time, money, and effort. Now can you tell me, how many apps and software are being developed in an hour? I am sure it’s way more than you think. And what if, after investing so much time, money, and energy, your app gets discarded after a single use by the end-user? That’s the worst nightmare, isn’t it? With Regression Testing, all the decisions taken will be well-informed and all the bugs will be avoided prior. 

When there is a need for regression testing? 

  • When you want to add extra features
  • In case of any adjusted conditions
  • In case, if the app doesn’t work well in regards to performance
  • If you want to optimize the code
  • In case of a bug repair or defect             

Final Verdict

I hope now you have realized the significance of regression testing. Some of the best tools to consider for conducting regression tests include – TimeShiftX, Skill test, serenity, TestingWhiz, Advent QEngine, Test Complete, etc. Regression testing is all about trial and error, so make the most of it! Don’t make random choices, instead find a reliable software development company around and get started! 

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Legal Branding

Why Tradies Need Workwear: 10 Benefits for Tradespeople and Business Owners

on May 3, 2022

If you’re wondering why tradies always walk around in workwear, it’s not because they know they look great! 

Tradie Workwear has many purposes and benefits for both workers on the job and the businesses employing them. 

To find out more, read our article all about workwear and why tradies need it. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide, including 10 benefits of tradie workwear.

Types of Workwear

Tradie workwear is about more than just high-vis vests, orange pants, and overalls. Workwear can range from everyday clothing to protective gear. Some people may classify Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as workwear while other people categorize it separately.

Tradie workwear includes both men’s workwear and women’s workwear, and a lot of worksite apparel is gender-neutral.

Some of the most common kinds of workwear include:

  • Polos
  • Shirts
  • T-shirts
  • Shorts
  • Trousers
  • Overalls
  • Jackets
  • Wet weather gear
  • Jumpers
  • Safety vests
  • Protective gear
  • Disposable workwear
  • Safety footwear 
  • Non-safety footwear
  • Gumboots
  • Workwear accessories, including socks, shoelaces, and boot polish 

The Top 10 Benefits of Workwear for Tradies and Business Owners

1. Durable and Long Lasting

Tradies work hard, and the gear they wear needs to work just as hard. You might be exposed to chemicals, coarse materials, or harsh weather conditions. Your clothes could also get worn down through general wear and tear and constant washing.

Modern workwear is made from fabrics that are strong yet lightweight and comfortable. A tradie’s workwear will be resistant to damage from both accidents and wear and tear. If small rips do occur, they are often prevented from spreading due to the durability of the fabric.

2. Made for Safety

Not all workwear is PPE, but most workwear can play a role in protecting you onsite. Workwear is great for tradies because it reduces the risk of injuries, accidents, and unwanted time off. For business owners, safety workwear assists with compliance increases productivity, reduce legal liabilities, and keeps your team on the job.

Workwear can protect against physical damage, chemical and biological exposure, ergonomic injuries, and a range of other safety hazards. High-vis workwear increases visibility and reduces the risk of associated injuries, while sun-protective workwear can minimize heat exhaustion, sunburn, and related injuries.

3. Complete Comfort On the Job

Tradies don’t spend a lot of time sitting around on the job or working indoors, so they need uniforms that can stand up to an active outdoor lifestyle! Workwear ensures you and your team are comfortable all day long.

Tradie workwear is designed to be breathable so you can keep cool while you’re working outdoors. It is also designed to move and stretch with you. This allows you to reach, lift, pull, and perform a range of other tasks without limiting your movement or causing discomfort.

4. Look at the Part on the Worksite

Presentation is important in the workplace, even when your workplace is a construction zone.

If you want to win contracts, earn repeat customers, and make a great impression on every worksite, presentable workwear is one small but effective way of doing it. First impressions are important and wearing high-quality workwear will help to create a positive impression of your business. You can even personalize your workwear, so it better represents your brand and brings your team together!

Investing in premium tradie workwear will ensure your team looks great, even after long days on the job. Premium products are designed to last longer, even in harsh environments, meaning you don’t have to keep replacing your workwear just to maintain presentability.

5. Men’s Workwear and Women’s Workwear

Comfortable, practical workwear is available for tradies of all shapes and sizes, including both men and women. While a lot of workwear is completely gender-neutral, some items will be designed for just men or women.

Footwear is often separated for men and women, with ladies’ safety footwear available in women’s sizes and foot styles. You can also get items like polos and jackets for both men and women.

Whether you’re looking for men’s workwear or women’s workwear, it’s easier than ever to find options for every tradie!

6. Remain Compliant As An Employer

Safety is one of the most important priorities on a worksite. While safety is a matter for both workers and employers, the burden of responsibility often falls on employers.

Luckily, you can get the workwear that is compliant with Australian laws, regulations, and policies. Your company might also have standards that need to be adhered to, and shopping for compliant workwear is a great way to meet those standards. Rather than relying on your team to provide their own gear, you can standardize and streamline the whole process by investing in your own workwear.

7. An Economical Option

Workwear is generally affordable to buy, but the true value comes in the long term. Tradie workwear is specifically designed for the job, meaning it will last longer, feel better, and need replacing less often. The less you need to replace your gear, the more money you will save in the long term!

When it comes to workwear, make sure you buy gear that’s affordable but not cheap for maximum value for money.

8. Protect the Rest of Your Clothes

There are plenty of great things about being a tradie, and not having to wear your everyday clothes is one of them. Unlike many office workers, you don’t need to worry about picking out your outfit for the day.

Not having to wear your casual clothes also means they will last longer because let’s face it, your jeans and your favorite shirt wouldn’t last long on a work site! 

9. Workwear for All Weather Conditions

As we’ve already mentioned, tradies often find themselves working outside. Many tradies have to work through all weather conditions, from the beating sun to the drizzling rain, cold and dark mornings to windy afternoons.

Of course, there are rules about working in inclement weather, and eventually, the site manager might call tools down. In the meantime, it’s good to know that there is workwear to keep you warm, keep you cool, protect you from the sun, wind, and rain, and keep you visible in low light. 

10. Workwear Customisation Offers a Range of Advantages

You can get custom workwear thanks to embroidery and screen printing services. These services allow you to add your logo to practically any piece of workwear, from hats to shirts to jackets.

Custom workwear offers instant branding and advertising for your business. It promotes a sense of professionalism and it’s also a great way to promote camaraderie and unity between your workers. 

Multiple companies are often working onsite at once, and workwear that’s embroidered with logos is a great way to ensure your team is remembered!

Final Thoughts: You Can’t Go Past Workwear for Your Team

There are plenty of reasons to invest in high-quality workwear and practically no reason not to! When you’re searching for tradie workwear, look for a company that covers all your needs, including embroidery and screen printing services for your custom design requirements.

Legal Branding

Why Horse Dressage Boots are Important?

on April 11, 2022

Is it important to protect the horse’s legs during schooling or flatwork? And, more importantly, do horse Dressage Boots require the same level of safety as show jumpers? So many inquiries, right! What provides the finest safety for dressage horses is what this article is all about. Boots, splints, or wraps? It’s tough to determine what to choose as a rider because your decision may be affected by look, brand, reputation, or price.

Why use Horse Dressage Boots?

Wearing boots does not ensure that your horse will completely be protected from injuries. However, studies have demonstrated that protection can also assist absorb part of the stress associated with an accident. Protection is especially critical if your horse has a lot of action in his gaits, has had an injury, or ‘interferes,’ that is if one or more of his hooves often collide with another leg during movements.

In addition, if you’ve ever witnessed a dressage horse crosses his front and rear legs laterally across the arena, you’ll understand how ‘interference’ injuries might arise.

Horse Dressage Boots is a type of boot or wrap that protects a horse’s lower leg or hooves from injury. Things like walking on uneven ground or having a different gait could cause these injuries. Horse boots protect a horse’s hoof and also help to lessen the pain when it hits the ground. In the past, have you ever seen a scab on the inside of the fetlocks of your horse? This could be because your horse has been brushed or rough-played in the field. He may need boots. If your horse often hurts the inside of his pastern or fetlock, has a more severe injury, or walks on the rough ground a lot. Therefore, boots will help keep him safe.

Types of Horse Boots

There is a lot of different kind of horse boots that safeguard your horse’s lower leg and hoof in various ways.

  • Bell Boots

This Horse Dressage Boot is made of a bell shape that covers the entire hoof and safeguards the heel too. Bell boots are also known as overreach boots. That you can use to prevent horses from overreaching, which occurs when their front heels collide with their hind feet’s toes. They are suitable for riding or for use in the paddock. Bell boots shield the hooves from the abrasive or muddy ground, as well as from colliding with a hard surface while jumping or navigating obstacles. Horses may wear these boots on either the front or back.

  • Hoof Boots

When a horse is hurt, These Horse Dressage Boots protect the horse’s sole. In addition, you can use them in place of horseshoes when the horse is hurt. When a horse can’t wear shoes for medical reasons, or when it loses a shoe, you can use hoof boots. Also, you can use it when a horse is transitioning from wearing shoes to not wearing shoes or when it can’t wear shoes. In all kinds of riding, these things protect the sole of the horse’s hoof from rough ground.

  • Tendon Boots

Horses wear tendon boots on their front legs. It safeguards the tendon area from being hit by the hind hooves when you land a jump, which can happen. This is because when a horse’s hoof brushes against the inside of the leg, it can cause injuries. Hence, you can use Horse Dressage Boots to protect your horse’s leg from injury.

Additionally, open-fronted boots allow a horse to feel a pole when leaping. Closed-tendon boots protect both the front of the leg and the tendon area. A lot of people use them at events because solid fences can be dangerous.

Conclusion

Horse Dressage Boots benefits your horses in numerous ways. It can help you to protect your horse’s leg from injury. Further, you can find them in various sizes, styles, and colors. Hence, you can choose the best for your horse and enjoy your ride.

Legal BrandingLocal Branding

How the Oil and Gas Industry Can Improve Sustainability 

on April 8, 2022

When thinking about all the environmental disasters and catastrophes going on in the world, most people blame the oil and gas industry, thinking these people are responsible for everything. While this assumption is, of course, completely untrue, people in this industry are still trying to improve their image and get rid of all that bad press. One of the ways to do that is by improving their sustainability and making their companies green and eco-friendly. Doing that might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it’s doable, and if you’re involved in this industry as well, here are a few ways you can make the entire oil and gas industry more sustainable than it’s ever been.

Recycling unused oil

This is another amazing way to take your sustainability in the oil industry to the next level, and it’s probably among the most useful ones too. Instead of dumping used and unused oil and endangering the environment, you should recycle it and give it a new purpose. You don’t have to do it yourself either, PROS Environmental team has been of great help throughout the years. Turning oil into diesel fuel, for instance, isn’t just a great way to reduce your waste but also get some new energy you can actually use.

This way, you’ll get the best of both worlds and create a circle of sustainability you can continue developing in the years to come as well. This means your sustainability factor is going to rise until it reaches the point you’re satisfied with. Finally, this is also a great idea to share with other industry leaders, inspiring them to become more sustainable themselves.

Relying on drones

Whether it’s monitoring your offsite facilities or tracking your onsite development, using drones is definitely one of the best ways to boost your sustainability. These amazing vehicles are useful in a number of ways and come with a few benefits – easier data gathering, better communication, improved safety, and faster data flow, among other things – which is why you need to consider using them as well.

The real reason why drones are so sustainable is their benefit to cost ratio. Investing money in them is something you’ll do just once, but you can continue using them in the years to come without having to spend too much money maintaining and servicing your drones. And the more you use them the more sustainable they’ll become, so don’t be afraid to invest in several drones as soon as you can.

Using new equipment

Following the latest technological advancements in the oil and gas industry means following the latest equipment on the market. These things are changing rapidly, and you’d be surprised to learn how many new devices and tools are being developed as we speak. For example, Electric Pressure Washers in South Texas are being used to clean equipment without using chemicals or wasting too much water. So, if you want to be even more sustainable and eco-friendly, finding the most sustainable equipment is a must.

Some of the most popular and useful new oilfield equipment include various rupture disc valves, drilling tools, surface pumps, and gate valves. These are all the things that can make a huge difference in your everyday production and take your company to the next level when it comes to both your sustainability and your effectiveness.

Investing in green energy

We all know that traditional energy sources are bad for the environment and as far from being sustainable as possible. That’s why avoiding them at all costs is something you need to start doing right now and look into alternative energy sources instead. Luckily, there are lots of alternatives you can look into, so finding new sources of energy shouldn’t be too hard – what’s more, a few oil companies are already doing that for some time! 

For instance, looking into solar energy, wind power, hydrogen, and a few other green energy sources might turn out to be more effective than you can imagine. When compared to traditional sources, all these ideas are quite affordable, practical, and, most importantly, completely renewable. This means you can continue using them over and over again, thus making your company increasingly sustainable every single year.

It goes without saying that these aren’t the only ways for the oil and gas industry to become more sustainable. Some of the other ideas include managing risks more effectively, avoiding small mistakes that can become fatal, using recycled water instead of fresh water, and preventing methane leaks as much as possible.

Digital
Legal BrandingSaaS Branding

Back to the Office: How to Accelerate Your Retraining Programs

on March 8, 2022
Businesswoman
A businesswoman is pointing with her pencil while holding the tablet in her left hand

Getting used to post-pandemic changes at the office

A lot has changed since we were all ‘at the office’. As we all return to working at the office (at least some of the time), most of us will return to a new environment, with new ways of working and new policies to follow. This can easily leave staff feeling wrong-footed, and re-training becomes a priority – to ensure that all staff is on the same page.

Re-training is often more challenging than training new recruits because you have ingrained patterns to overcome and re-write. Training sessions also need to require minimal investment, both in terms of budget and time spent. Today we have incredible digital storytelling technologies that can enable faster training programs, with better retention. 

Fully immersive experience rooms are a prime example of these kinds of technologies. Their role in keeping all staff aligned when circumstances change is an important one, and all companies should include these technologies in their training schemes.

How digital storytelling can quickly get new staff up to speed

New recruits today are different. Many of the university graduates entering the workplace today have spent the last few years in virtual lessons and may have never spent time in an office. This is a steep learning curve, and human resources professionals have a duty to help this cohort get comfortable in their new setting as quickly and efficiently as possible. Digital storytelling can help achieve this because it uses the familiar on-screen interaction that the new recruits will know well. 

It also helps the participants to really engage with the training, and it can be personalized to match specific situations. 3D content and virtual training programs can also help to cross ‘the experience gap’ by giving new recruits a more lifelike training experience. This is especially useful when access to those ‘real-life’ training resources or equipment is costly or limited.

Using digital storytelling to re-train existing staff on new methods, safety protocols and policies

The experienced staff brings incredible value to a company, but when circumstances change it can be hard to erase old habits and working methods. Re-training this particular group of employees can be a significant challenge – unless you have a secret weapon up your sleeve. 

Digital storytelling brings something special to training programs because it encapsulates new ideas and methods in a ‘wrapper’ – the story. 

Stories are how our brains process and retrieve complex experiences, and it enables us to pack a lot of data into something that seems entirely natural to us. When we use digital storytelling to re-train existing staff, it helps them to cement their memories better than if they were just told the same information. It’s an experience they can relate to and recall later with incredible clarity.

Experiential learning is the key

What makes digital storytelling especially good for training programs is that it’s a form of experiential learning. Storytellers around the world have known for millennia that stories are compelling because the listener projects themselves into the story, often by resonating with a particular character. As a result, the listener is actually a participant – because they are actively involved with it as an internal experience.

The fact that we experience stories is what makes them so memorable – it’s why mnemonists use narrative structures to memorize large amounts of entirely abstract data (like long strings of numbers, or a series of playing cards). When you deploy your training programs in the form of a digital story, you turn them into a kind of experiential learning. Not only are the participants more involved in the material, they also retain it for longer. In this way, digital storytelling gives people an experience to learn from.

Ways to deploy digital storytelling for (re)training

There are numerous ways that companies can deploy digital storytelling for training programs. It doesn’t take a huge investment – however, a chief value of these storytelling technologies is that they can be used for many different end-purposes. It is quite possible that your company may already have an AV setup that is capable of being used in this way. The key is the digital storytelling software that powers it – if it is powerful enough, it can enable your company to use the same equipment in an infinite number of ways.

The most effective digital storytelling technologies for training are:

Immersive Experiences

These can be fully-immersive rooms that envelop the audience, or a wrap-around screen that fills the visual field (typically 240 – 270°). The effect is that the audience is totally drawn into the experience, and this is further enhanced when these can be interactive. Touch-capable screens mean that participants become architects of their own journey, drawing them in even further.

Individual consoles and interactive signage

Interactive signage can be a versatile way to do training programs. Using an interactive screen, the participant has their own console that they can use to navigate their story. They can make choices that ensure that their training experience is as personalized as possible.

Video walls (interactive)

Without being able to fully enclose the audience in an immersive experience, a large screen or video wall is perhaps the next best thing. Using touch-capable screens will ensure that the training experience is as interactive as it needs to be. Participants can learn from their own choices and actions, as well as vicariously – by watching and learning from the actions of others.

The digital storytelling software that makes it work

Meeting
Coworkers are discussing with each other while taking the notes

Without digital storytelling software, a screen is just a screen. An immersive experience has very limited value if it cannot be regularly updated and customized to meet current needs. To get your AV setup to deliver real value – and keep delivering it – your digital storytelling software needs to be up to snuff. There are several options out there, ranging from relatively limited software up to enterprise-grade solutions like the Hyro platform.

It’s easy to look at the software component as a secondary concern, but it actually has a critical impact on the success of your digital storytelling enterprise. With a sufficiently capable, enterprise-grade solution, you should be able to easily adapt content without needing to hire a creative agency or specialist to do it for you. When you have the ability to adapt and create freely, your training programs can be rolled-out faster and have more immediate results. It also means that your AV setup has a higher utilization rate because there is a shorter interval between concept and finished storytelling experience. This ensures you keep attaining the best possible results for your team.

Legal Branding

5 Proven Hacks to Scale Your Small Business in 2022

on February 14, 2022

Scaling a small business is daunting because such organizations run short of budgets and resources. A lack of experience is another reason for entrepreneurs falling short of the targets and timelines they visualize at the start. External factors like market uncertainties and competition can make the challenge more daunting. But you will expect to grow down the line, no matter what it takes. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve growth despite constraints and limitations. All you need is the right approach and mindset, and you can get ahead of your competitors. Here are some proven hacks you can follow to scale your small business in 2022.

Keep realistic targets

The secret to growing your small business successfully and sustainably lies in keeping realistic targets. You cannot expect to jump from being a small company to a multi-billion conglomerate in a couple of years. Think realistically, and project achievable targets and timelines to scale. You are more likely to succeed and keep the momentum going with this approach. 

Build the right team

Most American entrepreneurs realize the value of building strong teams. Employees are critical to the success of an organization, so you must hire the best people from the start. Invest in a team of people with multidisciplinary skill sets and diverse talents. They are an asset for a startup and support your business as you scale eventually. They can adapt easily and step into new roles effortlessly. 

Embrace technology smartly

Computer

A man is using innovative software on his laptop to help the development of the business

Innovation is the mainstay of growth in pandemic times. If you want to keep your business on the right track, you must embrace technology. Investing in software applications can help you sustain and thrive. But you cannot hire an in-house team to create one, considering your tight budgets. Fortunately, you can pick the outsourcing model for it. Most American companies opt for Software Outsourcing LATAM to fit development costs in their budget. Find a reliable partner to help you scale with technology smartly.

Make sure you are ready to scale up

Scaling up is never easy, as things can begin to creak. Your flaws may keep you from adapting to the needs of growth. Flaws may surface in your IT system, processes, team, and cash flow if your business is not ready. The best way to prevent such problems is to fine-tune things before beginning the transition. Make sure your systems and processes are robust, and people are trained to bear the load of the change. 

Retain your values

Things often change massively during the growth stage. As a business owner, you may have to focus your time and attention on many things. It is easy to overlook your values, such as focusing on customer satisfaction and looking after your employees. However, these factors make you stand apart, so you must stick with them. Your values should not suffer even as you scale. 

Scaling your small business is not as challenging as you think. You need to pick the right path to growth and success and stay true to what your business stands for. Build a great team, and you have the perfect mix for growth in 2022 and beyond. 

 

Author Bio:

This article is improvised by Keith Edwards. He is a professional writer and contributes his experience to Submitcore. He has worked with different companies and is passionate about his work. His expertise includes IoT and Business along with industrial technologies.

Legal Branding

Ways to Inspire Company Culture Even Remotely

on January 17, 2022

It takes a lot of effort to build a workplace culture. Even as companies continue to embrace a hybrid working model that is a blend of remote working and office-based work, it should not be a factor to dilute your corporate culture. 

Maintaining workplace culture in a hybrid work setting should seek to establish a virtual environment that enables members to feel connected and protected. Your team needs to feel that they are all working hard and staying productive and that their opinions matter. 

Maintaining corporate culture when people aren’t actually in the office can be a real challenge. You might find it difficult to conduct the usual team-building and collaborative activities, and connections among employees might weaken.

The Importance of Maintaining a Company Culture While Working Remotely

Purpose

Working from home is a brand new way of doing things. Whether your team is working remotely or not, chances are your customers are working from home. Maintaining company culture establishes an environment that keeps you connected with your customers. 

Employees who feel disconnected at work tend to have lower performance, lower productivity, and can even quit. Work culture creates opportunities for everyone to feel connected and work with happy and productive teams.

Your remote team needs the motivation to stay productive. A company culture maintains trust among teams and leads to motivation. Motivated employees are highly adaptable to change, have a positive work attitude, and are free to approach you with any work-related problem. 

Maintaining corporate culture ensures that your team knows what to do and when to do it. Leading a remote team comes with challenges. However, company culture can help you manage expectations and equip you with the battle gears to navigate change. 

There are many ways to encourage this culture, such as:

1. Focus on the Culture You Want to Keep

Your company culture is a combination of your business’s values, mission, and goals. Define behaviors that can support company values to enable your team to live the culture you want to keep. Instil culture into your management team because managers are responsible for creating and communicating a consistent company culture.

2. Trust Your Employees

emotion

When you treat your employees with respect, you get it back. Trusted employees feel valued and feel obliged to be engaged in their work. Don’t over-monitor your team because without trust there will be less innovation, less collaboration, and less creative thinking.

Use tools such as project management apps to interact with your remote team efficiently. A project management app comes with the feature to help you plan projects with your team effectively, manage available resources, respond to problems, and keep all stakeholders involved.

3. Embrace Transparency

Community

Transparency is essential for business success when working with remote teams. It ensures visibility into the performance of your team and guarantees a seamless workflow. Make your employees your friends, offer a platform for feedback, and allow them to speak to you openly. 

Let your team know that they can trust you because it’s easy for the remote teams to veer off track and fail to keep up the punctuality and efficiency you expect from them. Instilling transparency in remote working ensures smooth communication and enables you to stay on top of everything.

4. Enhance Flexibility

Flexibility can make your team versatile, resilient, and responsive to change. Flexibility means the ability to adapt to changes such as sudden surges in work or urgent problems. Create organization within your team and ensure that employees do not overwork themselves. 

Flexibility is also good for you as a leader. Be in a position to modify your style of leadership and revise your plan to incorporate innovations and overcome challenges. Recognize situations in which your old way of doing things isn’t working and adopt new behaviors for the current success. 

5. Address Mental Health Issues

Consistency

Remote teams are likely to experience negative mental health impacts which include isolation, loneliness, feeling left out in company conversations, and finding it difficult to get away from work at the end of the day. Make your employee’s mental health a top priority to create a great employee experience. 

Encourage strategic discussions on managing anxiety and depression in dedicated avenues such as a group chat channel. Create an environment where your team can easily talk about their mental health and support mental health leave days. 

Inspire Your Team to Succeed

Value

Despite the flexibility that comes with the work from anywhere model, employees still experience downsides of this approach such as feeling alone, isolated, and left out of important company organizations. To help your remote team stay connected, consider keeping communication going, encourage informal meetings, synchronize work schedules, celebrate important dates and milestones, and rethink your collaboration methods, and tools. 

 

Monetize a digital brand with these strategies!
Legal Branding

How to Set up Quality Lighting Fixtures at Your Home

on January 11, 2022

If you are thinking of making your home as attractive as possible, you should make sure that you choose the right lighting fixtures for your home. Remember that your choice of lighting fixtures will really affect how your overall home design turns out. Here are some of the best light fixtures that you should use. 

1. Choose Lighting Fixtures According To Your Home

When choosing your lighting fixtures, it is important that you choose your lighting fixtures according to your home. Remember that your home has a specific style, and you should make sure that you use the right lighting that will fit your home’s overall aesthetic.

Before you choose your lighting fixture, you should take the time to check out your home. What part of your home do you add lights to? What parts need further illuminating? How will you be able to enhance your home’s overall aesthetic with lights? By being discerning of your lighting choice, you will be able to choose the best lighting options possible.

2. Choose The Right Lighting Fixture For Every Room

When you choose your lighting for a specific room, it is important that you use the right lighting. Remember that you will need to make all of your lighting fixtures work for every room.

For example, the room that you need to light up is the living room. If you are going to light up your living room, you should choose lighting options such as ceiling lamps for chandeliers. They cover more space, especially if you put them at the center of the room.

3.Utilize The Right Lighting Colors

Aside from the type of lighting fixtures, it is imperative that you choose the right lighting colors. Remember that your choice of lighting colors will affect how your overall lighting effect will turn up. For example, you want your home’s overall ambiance to be as cozy as possible. This means you should avoid lights that are too bright or glaring. You could also invest in lights that are easier on the eyes.

4. Be Consistent With Your Lighting Concepts

If you choose a lighting design for your home, it is important that you stay consistent with your lighting concept. Remember that you should aim for a certain aesthetic for your home. If you choose a lighting design, you should make sure to stay consistent with the design. For example, you are going to create a cozy ambiance for your home. You could achieve this in many ways. You could use low lighting, punctuated by warm-colored bulbs that will accentuate your home’s cozy feeling. You could also use hidden lights behind your mirrors, to create a sense of closeness in your home. Whatever you choose though, what’s important is that you stay true to your overall lighting strategies.

5. Choose A Good Lighting Provider

An important factor when it comes to choosing to light for your home is your choice of lighting provider. Remember that your choice of lighting provider will affect how your lights will function in the long run.

If you want to use a good quality addressable led strip for your home, you should try out Elstar. The company is more than capable of creating beautiful lighting options for your home.

If you want even further led import from china, you should try out Matchsourcing. The company is more than capable of providing you with other great lighting options at the best prices possible.

6. Choose A Great Focal Point For Your Lighting

If you want your lighting to be as efficient and as aesthetically pleasing as possible, you should make sure that you choose the right focal point for your lighting. Don’t just install lights all over your home. You will need to be strategic. Take the time to check your home. Choose which parts look good enough to highlight. After choosing, you could utilize your lights to shine the spotlight on these spots.

7. Think Outside Of The Box For Your Lighting

When you set up your lighting for your home, it is important that you think outside the box. While you should follow a set concept for yourself, this does not mean that you should follow cliche designs for your home. Be adventurous when it comes to your lighting options. Try various lighting combinations. You could even mix and match certain lighting fixtures such as fairy lights and lanterns. What’s important is that you think up new lighting concepts and that you are adventurous to try these concepts out. Just remember to wear rubber gloves when you install your lighting features.

Conclusion

If you want to make your home as beautiful as possible, it is important that you choose the right lighting fixtures for your home. Remember that the better your lighting options, the better.  Here are some key tips for setting up lighting fixtures at your home.

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