Category: Local Branding

Local Branding

Is Your Business Set For Success?

Is your business in a ready-set-go zone? Are you primed for unlimited and unstoppable success? Whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or seasoned small business owner, you’ll want to prepare to make sure you are set for success. 

To guarantee your business success, keep these 3 tips in mind.

  1. Get Ready for Action

We are working in new ways, in new offices, and in new workspaces. For many entrepreneurs, the shift to working from home is opening up new ideas. This is the time to create a dream workplace that is ready for action. 

But, let’s face it. You might be juggling a budget with the visions of luxury desks, chairs, and options. If you’re working from home and want to have a whole new reality, consider upgrading your office furniture.

Working off the kitchen table, checking emails from the couch, and Zooming from the crawl space under the porch is just not going to cut it. To be thoroughly ready for action, invest in yourself, your work, and your future.

The best part is, a lot of today’s office furnishings are more affordable, sleeker design, and more ergonomic than you’ve ever experienced.

  1. Get Set For Growth

With your home office ready for action, it’s time to look out and about. What kind of media coverage are you getting? Are you all set to get the most positive publicity and media coverage

Many entrepreneurs are so focused on the spreadsheets, project plans, and design details, they forget to look up and out. You don’t want to make that mistake. Instead of waiting for publicity and media to come to you, make a strategic media plan. Use your creativity to connect with reporters, do guest blogs, and offer radio interviews.

With a small investment in your media plan, you can gain a big leap forward in growing your business.

  1. Get In The Go-Zone

Home office set, check. Media coverage plan, check. Hey, you’re doing great. But don’t stop now.

There are many ways to make sure you’re in the ‘go-zone’ for unstoppable success. Among the top three most important priorities, you’ll want to lock down your dream team, invest in your energy, and find a healthy balance. 

Do this, and you’ll be ready for fast success and ongoing growth.

Hire the Best Team

As an entrepreneur, it’s vital to have the best team of creative experts at your side. You want to have people who have skills, strengths and insights that you don’t. This is not always easy, especially if you are used to being a solo hero.

As you’re hiring your team, look for people who you enjoy working with. Strike a balance. Look for people you enjoy being around – as you’ll be working together for long hours, possibly weekends and holidays. 

Also, look for people who will give you candid, honest feedback. You may not always agree on the points, but you do need to have open conversations to be truly collaborative.

Revive Your Energy

Yes, it’s true. The best entrepreneurs know how to refresh their energy, stay enthusiastic, and persist when other people give up. How do they do this? 

Many people rely on classic methods such as exercise, meditation, and getting out in nature. There is no single right way to revive your energy. Yet, there are many ways to explore so you can find the best things that work for you. 

One popular method for staying energized is called forest bathing. This ancient Japanese technique encourages people to spend time amongst tall trees such as Redwoods. In the presence of trees, it’s easier to find a feeling of balance, calm, and ease. 

If you are near a forest, grove, or natural park, you can try out this technique on your own. Track your personal experience to determine if this helps you feel creative, alert, and ready to go.

Balance Work and Play

While many professionals are married to their work, medical experts advise balance. Finding a balance between work and play can be the key to unlock more creativity, health, and ongoing success. 

If you notice that you’re living on your office couch, take stock. Having a social life, connecting with family and friends, and finding your personal balance is what makes work-and-life truly work. 

Wrapping Up

Set up your business for success. Invest in your workspace. Get good business insurance Make a media plan. Get in the healthy zone for ongoing success. With a little effort, you’ll reap the benefits of being proactive.

Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

Experts Discuss Small Productivity Tips for That Bring Big Benefits

In everyday work, there are a lot of challenges and sometimes even obstacles that prevent us to stay in focus all the time. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, manager, assistant, junior or on any else position, it is important not to lose the thread. Here you will find many useful advice on how to save your time and energy, and at the same time to make the highest productivity.

Productivity in a Nut Shell.

Our partners from Managementguru suggests “Productivity in a Nut Shell”.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Productivity can’t be better explained. Productivity is the result of a commitment to excellence, smart planning and focused effort. Remember – Effective people are preferred to, rather than efficient people as the former does the right thing and the latter does things right. Procrastination is like a credit card. It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action. Managementguru is the number one source for all things business. They’re dedicated to giving you the very best of information, with a focus on social media marketing and strategy.

Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team.

Our partner Sherene Funk from Rain Retail suggests to “Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team”.

We recently had a goal-setting session in which we determined that, in order to be more productive, we needed to be more realistic about what we can deliver as a team. It’s always best to under promise and over deliver. Realistic goals prevent overwhelm, increase motivation, and heighten the sense of achievement when projects are completed on time, or before.

Focus on time increments and small wins – Imed Bouchrika, project leader and chief data scientist at the academic research portal Research.com.

It’s easy to lose productivity when confronted with multiple tasks. Doing them all at the same will likely end up in you pouring in lots of initial work across a field of open-ended tasks at the day’s end. In short, you accomplish nothing.

Instead, focus on finishing one task at a time across increments of short periods. You can follow the Pomodoro Technique here, where you break work into 25-minute periods. Or devise your own increments. For example, divide an hour into two 30-minutes or four 15-minutes and allot a period for each task. 

The time increments allow you to tune out of the paralyzing thought of needing to finish a lot of work NOW and instead focus on a small win, something you can easily take a good shot at. Achieving small wins will add up to wrapping up the big task sooner than later.

There is a postscript benefit to increments and small wins: It helps you squeeze out more outputs past your highest productivity level in a day. After all, it’s not that difficult to add just… one… more… 15-minute task even in your last hour of work.

 

Productivity is doing more with the tools and making sure the outcome meets standard of quality.

Our partner Andrea Curry from Zenefits says that “Productivity is doing more with the tools”.

There’s a lot of buzz words that are thrown around when talking about productivity. How many Medium blog posts or LinkedIn articles have you seen about “super-charging” our workday, “hacking our way” through a project, or “tips and tricks” to increase output with minimal input? For me, productivity is doing more with the tools I have and making sure the outcome meets my standard of quality. Honing productive habits help get this done. Step one is to get organized (and that doesn’t mean having an inbox with zero unread messages, though that helps!). Projects can get messy, so be sure that you use a system that helps you keep control and look at the big picture. I love using the online tool Asana for this reason. It helps with capturing my thoughts, outlining workflow, and I can easily update deliverables and due dates. The next thing to understand is that distractions will constantly come up. It takes a lot of self-discipline not to be pulled in different directions. It’s helpful to have an understanding of what is your “north star” — aka your purpose or big picture goal. If people or other projects pop up, ask yourself if this helps you achieve your goal, or if it will derail you. Finally, remember not to burn yourself out. You won’t be productive if you’re running low on fuel. Incorporate the things that help feed your creativity and bring you joy — whether it’s exercising, spending time with family, or taking a walk outside.

Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round

Our partner Dr. Anthony Llewellyn from AdvanceMed suggest to “Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round”

Dr. Anthony Llewellyn is a successful online doctor coach. He writes about the importance of getting in control of your email.
With so many points of contact into your business, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed at times. But whilst email is now considered by many as “low tech”, the “email list” still remains one of your greatest assets. So it’s important to be able to dedicate time to your email management. But that doesn’t mean it needs to always take away your focus.
One great tip I developed sometime ago came out from a bit of frustration. You see I was getting a bit sick and tired of being included as a “CC” into a whole lot of company wide and team email discussions. It often felt like I was being included either on a “just thought you should know” basis or even at times because the email sender didn’t trust the recipient and wanted some witnesses!!
So I went through my email inbox and saw how many emails I was getting on a CC basis. And I thought to myself. Would it be that different if I just chose to ignore these emails? So I set up a bit of an experiment. I set up an email rule to divert these CC emails into another folder before I could even notice them. Strangely enough, the sky didn’t fall in and the world kept rotating. I blissfully forgot about the presence of this folder for a few weeks and then I remembered it.
So I went back in and checked all these emails and to my great satisfaction, I realized that all the issues in these emails had either been inconsequential to me or dealt with in other ways, i.e. someone had come to speak to me about the issue or emailed me directly.
I’ve since used a variety of rules with emails to cut through and focus on what is important.

Recognize Your Strengths

Our partner Lori McKnight from CSI Stars suggests to “Recognize Your Strengths”.

Most people are much more productive when working on things that utilize their strengths. Identify what you excel in and focus the majority of your time on those activities. If you are in the right job, these things will be what most moves the needle and delivers results. The same goes for your team. Spend time getting to know each of your employee’s strengths. It is far more productive to leverage your peoples’ strengths than fix their weaknesses.

Identifying your employee’s strengths and recognizing their contributions will drive higher employee engagement. This, in turn, will boost your own productivity as you spend less time interviewing and re-training. Consider these stats:

Organizations that excel in employee recognition have 12x better business results
High-recognition organizations have 31% less voluntary turnover

Who knows…maybe a team members’ strengths will even complement a weakness of yours!

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

Our partner Scott from Structural says that “An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload while being able to connect with others as needed will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners” which is an organizational death sentence in a world where the half-life of skills is so short.

Avoid getting caught up in the work of others

Our partner Clayton Kaufman from My Employees suggests “Avoid getting caught up in the work of others”.

“When you truly believe your work improves the lives of others, the difference you make becomes the anchor of your passion. Make the connection between the work you do and how that work makes life better for others. The decision to become a positive difference-maker for others contributes to a deep sense of purpose, fulfillment, and productivity”.

Plan your days in advance

Our partner Kelvin Mokaya from Fuzu suggests “Plan your days in advance”.

Knowing what you need to accomplish during a particular week will enable you to plan for the week. List all the tasks you’ll need to do in order of the urgency they need to be done and the amount of time it would take to complete each. This will make it easier for you to plan your calendar for the week while prioritizing the work that matters most.

Prioritize actions that will make tomorrow easier

Our partner, Fiona Adler from HR Partner, explains that prioritization is one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of productivity. Taking the time to proactively decide which tasks are most important will put you streaks ahead. One key to this is acknowledging that you can’t actually do everything – you will always have more ideas and things coming at you than can possibly be done. Once you really understand this, the significance of prioritization is obvious – if you don’t do this, you’ll never get to those most important tasks. 

But prioritization is hard, so one thing to remember when putting your tasks in order of priority is to emphasize those tasks that will make your tomorrow a bit smoother and easier. So prioritize things like; choosing a new HR system, posting a job ad for a new accounts manager, setting up a new process, or deciding on a strategic direction.

Invent your personal workflows that work best for you

Our partner Baiju NT from RoboticsBiz says it is vital to create personal workflows to efficiently manage your time and increase productivity. Productivity isn’t just all about checking boxes off your to-do list. It is about making sure you’re getting the right things done in the right timeframe, successfully and effectively. Creating a workflow enables you to train your brain and systematically get into an efficient cycle of executing tasks from the morning till the end of your day. Start the day with easy, regular, and repeatable tasks first, and then you will have more uninterrupted time blocks to accomplish larger time-demanding tasks in a day. Millions of people use productivity tools like Trello to get into personal workflows and achieve more every second.

 


Infographic provided by Food For Thought

Local Branding

How To Help Your SMB Become Green In 2021

Over the last several years, more countries and companies have pledged to reduce their CO2 emissions to combat the worsening climate crisis. And based on relevant statistics, these high-level decisions have resulted in considerable improvement, with CO2 emissions from energy consumption in the U.S. dropping from 6 million metric tons in 2005 down to 5.1 million metric tons in 2019. Nevertheless, more work needs to be done to curb carbon footprint permanently. Here are six ways to do just that:

Switch to Digital Filing and Storage

According to The Daily Green, paper accounts for a quarter of waste that ends up in landfills. If the U.S. can consume 10% less office paper, it can curb up to 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. If you factor in other office supplies, such as ink cartridges, tape, and staplers, the amount of CO2 emissions you prevent exponentially increases. Switch to paperless documents by using a digital filing system to secure your business’ data. Not only does going paperless lead to a lower carbon footprint, but it can also curb costs.

Switch from Incandescent to LED Bulbs

LED bulbs have been shown to perform better than both incandescent and compact fluorescent lights when it comes to energy efficiency and sustainability. LED lamps have been tested to convert electricity into the light 90% more efficiently than incandescent bulbs and up to 80% better than fluorescent bulbs. There is also a noticeable difference in the quality of light between LED lightbulbs and their two subpar predecessors. LEDs can generate a more focused glow, which means fewer bulbs are needed to light up a given space.

Buy Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Nowadays, there is a much more comprehensive selection of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies than ten years ago. By switching to eco-friendly cleaning alternatives, such as glass cleaners, dishwashing and handwashing soaps, laundry detergents, stain and spot removers, and disinfecting wipes, you help lower the millions tons of plastic waste that ends up in landfills each year. While there is no single provider of eco-friendly products, some labels to look for include Green Seal, Fair Trade Certified, and Leaping Bunny.

Increase Your Recycling Efforts

By being a better recycler, you lower the consumption of goods, which lowers demand and the ultimate need for people to extract raw materials from the earth. Recycling also reduces landfill waste, which means lower energy consumed to process said waste. You can start by adding more recycling bins or stations within your business or office space. The more recycling areas you have, the easier it is for you and your employees to consistently practice this increasingly important habit. You can also donate usable materials, such as wood planks, bricks, electronics, and machinery, to non-profit organizations involved in construction projects for the less fortunate.

Keep Your Equipment and Machinery in Good Shape

Immediately fix any plumbing leaks or dripping taps that may be increasing your water consumption and, consequently, your water bill. Prolong the lifespan of your business’ electronic devices by maintaining optimal temperatures at all times to avoid said devices from overheating. Protect any industrial equipment from extreme stresses and wear-and-tear by opting for forge coating, improving its lifespan and performance. You can also use a brick refractory coating to treat other industrial appliances, such as kilns, furnaces, and ovens.

Distribute Reusable Swag

Encourage your employees to switch from plastic or paper cups to a reusable metal water bottle. A reusable bottle should also supplant coffee cups in your business’ break room. Every year, the average office employee uses 500 coffee cups, all of which end up in landfills. In addition to reusable water bottles, you should also distribute reusable metal forks, spoons, and straws that are foldable and portable enough for employees to bring to and from work quickly. As a small business owner, you have the power to decide which direction your business takes in terms of its environmental impact. By adopting the quick fixes and long-term solutions aforementioned in this article, your business can do its part in helping curb the climate crisis while also gaining a boost in performance and profitability. As a bonus, by publicly showing your efforts to help the environment, you also improve your brand’s image as a positive entity within your local community.

Local Branding

Four Tips for Starting Your Own Private Medical Practice

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is on the rise. From optometry to podiatry, there has been a steadily increasing demand for skilled healthcare providers over the past few years, and that demand is only expected to grow over the next decade. Furthermore, thanks to the changing medical climate revealed in the post-COVID world, we also have learned a significant amount about how we can approach treatment. While it’s tempting to want to open your own private practice in response to this need, it’s equally important to take a level-headed approach to it.

The fact is, your time at medical school can only teach you so much. Yes, it can provide you with all of the coursework to be the top doctor in your graduating class and know how to treat your patients with expert care, but afterward? You’re essentially on your own, and you’re also competing for coveted positions in prestigious research hospitals and smaller hometown clinics. Your classes don’t even begin to help educate you on the business side of things, especially for those of you who eventually wish to open your own private practice.

If you have been considering going the independent route as a healthcare provider, it’s understandable to feel daunted by the entire process. Not only does it come with quite a formidable amount of risk, but it also comes with the alluring promise of success — both financially and in job satisfaction. While it can certainly be a major step for you, by doing it correctly, you too can join the ranks of doctors who have successfully ventured out on their own in the private practice sector.

Know What Type of Practice You Want

Before you can open your new practice, you first need to know what type of practice you would like to open. Of course, if you have a neurology degree, it’s fairly obvious that you will aspire to open your own private neurology clinic. However, beyond that, there are several other various types of private practices you may want to look into. For instance, do you want to open a solo practice, with you acting as the only provider? Or do you want to start a group practice and share space with other doctors? These are all very important considerations before you begin.

Obtain the Necessary Financing

After you determine what type of practice you would like to open, your next step is to start looking into obtaining the capital to actually secure a location for your business. You’ll want to draft a pro forma to help ensure that your practice can sustain itself. This will help you anticipate not only any expenses, but also future profits. Once you finalize that, you should then reach out to a banker to see about getting your funding to open your practice.

Speak to a Professional Consultant

Opening a private medical practice is vastly different than opening other types of businesses. Not only does it require an advanced degree of specialization, but it also comes with an elevated amount of risk, too. You do not want to attempt to do this without speaking to industry experts before you begin. Fortunately, professional healthcare consulting can help you navigate this tricky process, allowing you to avoid some of the more common pitfalls that could otherwise affect you and prevent you from achieving your goals.

Acquire a Location, Equipment, and Staff

Once you have your business plan, your financing, and your consultants on call, then your final step before you open your new practice is to start thinking about where you actually want it to be located. There are several things you should consider when selecting a location for your practice, such as traffic and visibility. You may find you want to choose a more boutique location instead of a more practical one. You will also need to purchase all necessary equipment needed to open your practice, as well. Finally, you’ll need to interview, hire, and train your new staff.

When it comes to staffing, you naturally want to hire a team of physical staff, such as a receptionist and a medical assistant, to handle all the administrative tasks. But have you thought about the benefits of bringing virtual assistants into the mix? A team of virtual assistant medical staff can offer several advantages. They can bring flexibility, allowing you to scale your support without the limitations of physical space. This is especially handy for managing tasks beyond regular office hours or during busy periods. Plus, virtual assistants are often more cost-effective since you can save on expenses like office space and equipment. Integrating virtual staff into your team can enhance efficiency and adaptability, helping you manage workloads more effectively.

Also, going the private practice route can undoubtedly be extremely rewarding. Not only can you finally see all of your dreams of becoming a successful doctor come to fruition, but you can also experience the satisfaction of knowing that you are providing your patients with the highest quality of care possible, free from the constraints of working in public healthcare. If you’ve been aspiring to become an independent healthcare provider, and you’ve done the necessary prep work to start the process, then you can finally move forward with both the confidence and the knowledge to succeed in this new endeavor.

Local Branding

How To Leverage Your Shipping Strategy To Enhance Your Brand

Branding in the current landscape goes beyond product differentiation and marketing. It is more about customer experience because it goes a long way in making your brand stand apart. People who get the best experiences are bound to be loyal to your business. They tend to stay and also bring others through word-of-mouth recommendations. So you must go the extra mile to enhance their shopping experiences.
While your products, services, and interactions go a long way, your shipping strategy can also make a difference in your brand’s loyalty. Buyers expect brands to excel in terms of shipping options and fulfillment services, so you must make conscious efforts to deliver on these fronts. Here are some ways to leverage your shipping strategy for enhancing your brand.

Be transparent

E-commerce branding is all about building trust and transparency because customers do not transact with brands physically. You need to extend transparency in shipping services along with everything else. Providing clear estimates about delivery dates and sharing the tracking information with customers makes the entire process more transparent and trustworthy. It is equally important to be available if customers have any queries and concerns about their orders. Maintaining transparency around your returns policy also matters because most online buyers would review it before buying. There shouldn’t be any hidden costs for product returns, while you must also clarify whether the customers will need to bear return shipping costs.

Match expectations around speed and cost

E-commerce customers expect fast and cost-effective delivery of products at the click of a button. Your business may have the best products and pricing, but shipping speed and costs can make all the difference to the buying decision. It is vital to ensure that the shipping options you offer match the expectations of buyers on these fronts.

According to experts at Shipping Vegas, collaborating with a reliable fulfillment provider is the key because it determines the speed and cost of delivery. It becomes all the more important for international businesses because sending across products with speed, efficiency, and affordability is a challenge.

Showcase your brand

Another measure that you can implement for empowering your brand at the shipping stage is by showcasing it with attractive product packaging. For most customers, receiving a package would be their first in-person experience with your brand, so it should be impressive enough to make your brand memorable.

Including your brand logo, colors, and imagery in the package creates a consistent and cohesive experience for the customers. Custom packaging also creates brand awareness and drives loyalty and retention in the long run. Moreover, it serves as a cost-effective branding initiative as compared to other strategies that often cost a fortune.

When it comes to achieving success in the e-commerce domain, it can be a daunting challenge right now. A business needs to excel with everything, from product quality to pricing and customer servicing and support. Additionally, a strong shipping strategy can keep a brand on top-of-mind for customers in the long run because it serves as the mainstay of the experience you deliver.

Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

How to Improve the Visitor Experience in Your Retail Store

If you run a retail store, your sole goal will be to provide customers with the best experience possible while shopping. Turning potential customers into regular visitors can be a great way to expand your brand and increase revenue. After all, consumers are not going to shop in stores they don’t feel welcome in. 

Whether you’ve recently launched your store, or you’ve noticed a decline in foot traffic, here are some of the best methods to improve the visitor experience in your retail store.

Offer a Unique Experience

No matter what kind of retail store you run, there will be many others who sell similar products to your own. If you operate in a city, your store needs to stand out for all the right reasons over competitors. Researching the typical shopping process customers go through can help you create a unique experience for your store. Whether it’s engaging with your products in an unexpected way, playing different music, or investing in modern lighting, how your retail store looks can say a lot about your brand and whether consumers want to use your services.

Begin with Your Team

For your retail store to thrive, you need to deliver excellent customer service to everyone who walks through your door. If your team isn’t going above and beyond their duties, customers may not feel valued and appreciated. It’s your job to hold regular training for your employees, which can be a great way to keep them in the know of the latest developments in your business, as well as new tactics to bring in new customers. Regular training can be a great way to identify your employee’s strengths and weaknesses, and what changes need to be made.

Create a Child-Friendly Atmosphere

Many shoppers bring along their children for convenience. If you’re a parent, you will know how stressful the experience can be. So, making your retail store child-friendly by adding things for children will mean they stay entertained, as well as not throw a tantrum out of boredom. A television, a train set, or a chalkboard will keep kids occupied, meaning the parents will spend more time in your store and purchase products. Also, having staff who know how to interact well with children can help you build a reputable brand.

Make Your Store COVID-19 Secure

In unprecedented times we find ourselves in, the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the way retail stores operate. If you have stayed open, you need to make sure that you’re following government guidelines to keep customers safe and protected. Whether it’s by having hand sanitizer stations, reducing capacity, or installing glass shields, customers will appreciate the measures you’ve taken to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus. 

Your customers are the people who keep your retail store afloat. When shoppers step through the entrance, you want them to feel relaxed and enjoy the whole experience. So, using the right methods can transform how your retail store operates, helping to build a loyal audience who will stick with your brand.

Local Branding

Get The Branding Edge- Switching To Mac Is a Good Idea For Businesses

Whether you just start your business or want to give an existing one a branding edge, you cannot deny the value of excellent infrastructure. When employees handle client meetings and presentations with Mac devices, they can surely get across a good impression. Thanks to the amazing look and feel of Macs and the premium brand value of Apple, it is easy to win attention with these devices. But switching to Mac from the conventional PCs takes some work. Let us explain how you can make this transition effortlessly.

Ensure that macOS supports the apps you run

When you use computers in corporate settings, the users need to run a variety of applications. These may be the standard cloud-based apps or custom ones that are specifically tailored to your business. The first step toward making a seamless switch is to ensure that the apps you use, are available on the OS. This should be done with a methodical process that lists all critical business software that you currently use and marking the ones that will be available. For the others, you will need to look for alternatives so that you don’t end up compromising business continuity.

Research MacBook options

Once you are sorted out with the software apps, the next step would be to buy the devices for the team. Fortunately, Apple comes with a simplistic device lineup which makes it easier to choose the models that would be ideal for your needs. You may have different considerations in mind, such as the weight, the display features, memory, and look, depending on the usage objectives. Pick one wisely considering all the factors, along with your company’s budget.

Train the users

The key to capitalizing on the premium value of these devices lies in training the users to ensure that they can use and manage them effectively. Essentially, Mac training should enable them to use the best productivity features that the devices have to offer.

For example, provide a list of keyboard shortcuts and make sure that they practice them in routine usage. Another good thing about Macs is that these devices are easy to maintain. Educating the users for performance enhancement is a great idea and you can use these basic tips for their explanation of the process. Once the users are able to get the best from Mac, you will experience considerable benefits with the switch.

Give people time to adapt

Even the savviest of Windows users may need some time to get accustomed to Mac devices. Give them enough time to adapt to new apps and features so that they can leverage them to deliver the highest levels of productivity for the business. The interface is quite different, even the steps for common tasks such as starting up and shutting down can leave them baffled. Expect a minimal period of adaptation and be ready to provide the support they will require.

Although Mac devices are expensive as compared to PCs, a switch may be the smartest move from the branding perspective. But make sure that you do it when you are adequately prepared.

Local BrandingPersonal Branding

4 Visitor Management Tips That Keep Everyone Safe

Back-to-work season is on the horizon if you haven’t already zoomed past it. Either way, visitor management plays a crucial role in your reopening. It helps you tightly control the safe flow of guests in your space, making sure only authorized visitors may access your facilities. 

It protects your business and employees, but it also signifies to visiting delivery people, contractors, and clients that you take their health and safety seriously. 

Learn how you can streamline your visitor management system to help you welcome guests back into your spaces safely. 

1. Communicate Your New Check-in Process

Your check-in process may need a total overhaul to uphold safe social distancing. Make sure these changes are clearly communicated to your guests in the form of signs throughout the building. 

Don’t hesitate to use floor decals, ropes, and other tools to clarify where they need to stand. This signage clearly explains why they may be experiencing a delay or unusual check-in process, while also indicating what they have to do to move through your facilities safely.  

2. Minimize Shared Surfaces

Gone are the days when your visitor check-in process can be a sign-in booklet. This old-fashioned technique increases how many surfaces your staff and guests touch, increasing the risk of spreading the virus, as well as other illnesses. 

Visitor management technology can eliminate the need for physical proximity when your guests arrive. Some cloud-based services let your visitors use their smartphones to sign-in to your facility, requiring absolutely zero contact.

There are also card printer systems that produce proximity cards or smart cards. These ID badges rely on RFID technology to allow for contactless entry to authorized facilities in a quick and convenient way. You can check out the latest visitor pass solutions that include a smart card printer or prox card technologies to see what you need to upgrade. 

3. Introduce Screening Questions

Screen your guests by asking the right questions before you allow them any further into your building. Here are some examples of great questions you can ask:

  • Have you traveled out of the country in the last 14 days?
  • Do you have a fever or other flu-like symptoms?
  • Have you come into contact with someone who has a fever or flu-like symptoms?

You have the right to deny entry to visitors who answer “yes” to any of the above questions. This is an efficient way to keep high-risk individuals out of your building. 

4. Disinfect Check-In Tools 

A regular cleaning schedule will help mitigate the risk that shared surfaces will spread the virus. You can instruct your staff to wipe down desk spaces, pens, and other items between each guest.

What becomes more challenging is when your check-in process revolves around technology. iPads, tablets, and other mobile devices need to be cleaned carefully to prevent damage.

In light of the outbreak, Apple has released this guide to safely cleaning its products. They recommend using a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution or Clorox wipes to disinfect keyboards, displays, and other non-porous surfaces.

Bottom Line

The coronavirus pandemic has made it necessary to reduce human-to-human contact as a way to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. 

This does make it challenging to welcome guests back to your business, but not impossible. Use these tips above to help change how your reception operates, and make sure your visitors (and staff) know their health is your priority. 

Hunt for ginseng
Local Branding

How To Hunt for Wild Ginseng: 3 Steps

If you’ve already done your research on Ginseng, you know how popular it is becoming all around the globe. But for someone who doesn’t know, Ginseng is an herb that’s doing wonders at the moment. Yes, you read that right! The traditional Chinese used this herb in their medicines, but now is the time when all the world knows what this herb can do alone and how beneficial it is.

Ginseng is also referred to as “Panax” which means “a cure to all” and well, this is true about this herb because it is a cure to almost all the medical conditions. Whether you are suffering from diabetes, cancer, or from other issues such as obesity or something, this herb can be the best thing you will ever buy and use.

It’s not necessary for you to be a victim of some disease to use this herb; in fact, even if you want to improve your general health, you can do that using Ginseng.

Harvesting panax

Keeping in view the popularity of this herb, there are several businesses making a profit out of Ginseng. Especially if you want to buy quality Ginseng, then opt for Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises Inc. They’ve got the best one available, and it will bring you all the health benefits that you are expecting.

Other than this, if you want to hunt wild Ginseng then these are the 3 steps that you need to follow;

Step 1. The Right Season

Ginseng panax with berries

There’s a season to hunt wild Ginseng, so it’s better to head to the forest during that specific season if you want quality Ginseng. From September till November, you can go hunting wild Ginseng anytime, but don’t go during the other months because if you do so, you won’t be able to get mature Ginseng that has all the benefits in it.

Step 2. State Permission

Getting permission to harvest Ginseng is the most important thing that you need to do first. You should know that hunting Ginseng is not allowed in all the states, and if you want to do that, you first need to take the permission of the state. Not getting permission and hunting without any legal notice can lead to some serious legal action. So, if you don’t want to end up in serious trouble, make sure to take a permit from the state that you are planning to hunt in.

Step 3. Identification

Hunt for ginseng

The first thing you need to work on is learning how to properly identify this plant. Ginseng can be very confusing, and if you don’t want to hunt the wrong herb, then make sure to study this plant on the internet as much as you can. For those who want some idea of what to look for, Ginseng comes with at least five leaflets on each of its leaves, and if you want to hunt down the mature plant, then know that the mature one will always have red berries grown on it.

Final Words About How To Hunt Wild Ginseng

These are some of the things you should know about hunting wild Ginseng. We hope the process is now all clear to you, and you know what to do next. In case you want to use Ginseng to consume it for better health, know that you can always buy it from your local market as it’s easily available. Just buy Ginseng from a reputable brand because you are supposed to get all the benefits that you should for the money you are paying. Using Ginseng regularly can bring marvelous health benefits, and within a short time, you will see the results on your own.

Office photcopy
Local Branding

Tips To Save Tons of Money on Printing

We may never really think about printing costs, but these can create economic strain for a company. If you actually start calculating how much you are spending on paper and ink, you may be taken aback and start looking for ways to save on the cost of printing that go beyond buying a cheaper printer. The best thing is to introduce some initiatives that can help to save money on printing form reduced supplies, labor, and environmental impact.

Some companies try to get around printing costs by having a goal to be “paper-free,” but this doesn’t always work as planned. People love their copies. Why?

  • A paper in hand has a feel and authenticity to it that information seen on screen sometimes does not.
  • Paper inspires a level of trust that doesn’t come with digital documents.
  • Sometimes, a paper document may be easier to manage when the content is detailed or needs to be studied repeatedly.
  • In some cases, having a hardcopy is very much a requirement.

Printer cartridges

How to Save Money on Printing

As a result, even companies that strive to create a paper-free environment still keep printers and copiers at the workplace and end up using them way too much.So, there are few tips that can help you a lot with saving money on printing. Reducing printing costs starts with changing attitudes about printing.

1. See if printing is really necessary

Online documentThe first step to the paper-free environment is to encourage your employees (and yourself) is to ask themselves before printing if this document really needs to be printed or will the email or digital file suffice? By motivating your employees to use the electronic version of the document and only print what is absolutely necessary, you can reduce the unnecessary prints and it will save you a lot of money on your total printing cost.

2. Add a green message to your printing

Adding a line such as “Please consider the environment before printing this email” or “think first” to the end of your emails or other electronic documents shows how much your company cares about the environment by discouraging unnecessary printing. This gives out a positive impression of your company as environment-friendly and can also serve as a reminder to recipients and employees alike to avoid any unnecessary printing.

3. Rent your printing equipment for large printing requirements

Officer printer -copierThis has also become a really cool way to save money on printing. If you ever need to do some excessive printing and you usually don’t print that much, the best bet is to rent the printing equipment for that while and just generally avoid keeping printing equipment at your office. You can find places to rent a printer and copier in Singapore.

4. Require an ID number

Sometimes employees regard free copying as an unofficial employee benefit. You can reduce unnecessary printing if any of your employees who needs to print something will provide his/her ID number before printing a document.

5. Consider the economics of big jobs

Office photcopyOccasionally, your company may need a big printing job to produce training materials, sales reports, employee handbooks, or the like. In these cases, the first thing to consider is whether doing printing in house is more economical having documents printed at a copy service.

Using your office printer supplies may sound like it would be cheaper than going to a printer, but that can cost you a lot more. You will have to buy new cartridges, which are often very expensive. You may not even know the paper you exactly need and end up experimenting with different kinds, only to buy the wrong paper. Printing can take up a lot of employee time for the basics; in addition, your employees may not be able to provide the finishing services such as binding that a printer offers. So, the best advice would be to not waste any money if you aren’t exactly sure about what you are doing.

Final Words

Printing costs can easily be controlled and cut down with the above tips, but  isn’t even solely about the money. Printing takes its toll on the environment so keeping it to the minimum is good for the plant too.