Category: Business

A lot of businesses today are full of technology. They rely on technology as they keep growing. Technology is good, though; it can have a huge impact on your company when something goes wrong.

Technology issues will cause cybersecurity problems, issues with customer service, and also compliance issues. These problems and more indicate that you must find a way to deal with or avoid them if they occur.

It is advisable to find an IT solution company that will help your business deal with issues regarding cybersecurity. However, how will you know if your business requires IT support services? Here are signs to help you know that your company needs IT to support services:

You Begin Experiencing Downtime

 If you start experiencing downtime in your business, it’s a clear sign that you need help from an IT support team. Your business should not experience downtime. It isn’t very pleasant and will cost you a lot of money as well as destroy the reputation of your business.

If you have a skilled IT specialist, you will not face downtime in your business. The IT support team will use proactive monitoring and identify the cause of downtime even before it occurs, helping your business to keep running.

Your IT Spending is too high and unpredictable.

If you hire your internal IT staff to handle your company’s IT, it will often be very expensive, and problems can occur anytime. You will not have enough time to deal with all the IT problems that occur in your company. They will be an expensive resource that will not handle all your IT needs.

Your staff may not know how to solve or stop long-term problems, although if you hire an IT support team, you will pay fewer wages than paying your staff. An IT support team will help fix long-term issues. They will work together with you and your staff to ensure certain issues don’t occur again.

Your Business Keeps Facing the Same Issues

Many people can get a temporary solution to IT problems online though if the same problems keep returning and affecting their business, it becomes much harder to find a solution. It is very frustrating if your business keeps experiencing the same IT problems every time.

Even if your temporary solution is very effective, it will not eliminate the problem you are facing. You only need an expert to fix such issues. An effective IT support team has the experience and knowledge to identify any IT issues and fix them completely.

Your Employees Spend Excess Time on IT.

If you don’t have an IT support team in your business, you will kill your employees’ time. You will pay them to perform their tasks, but they will waste more time solving the latest IT issues. When you hire an IT support team, they will eliminate all the issues your business can experience. You will get experts to deal with your IT sector and free up resources and time to grow your business.

Conclusion

You may not know the potential of your IT if you don’t have IT expertise in your business. Hire an IT support provider today and experience how they perform in your business. You will note great improvements that will make your business more productive.

Bill Gates said, “Automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency.”

Imagine how it would feel if you didn’t have to remember everything you had to do at work because you had a system set up that scheduled tasks, completed repetitive tasks, and alerted you about pending tasks. Wouldn’t that be amazing? That’s exactly what automation can do for you.

Automation has become a necessity. More people are now working from home because of the widespread pandemic, and organizations are looking to increase productivity and lower costs. That’s why most are adopting process automation.

Many business processes can be automated to boost productivity, like data reporting, customer support, job applicant screening, and training. When repetitive and tedious processes are automated, individuals can focus on their most important work.

Research by McKinsey showed that as many as 45% of the activities individuals are paid to perform can be automated by adapting current technologies. In the United States, these activities represent about $2 trillion in annual wages.

Although it’s often believed that automation primarily affects low-skill, low-wage roles, studies have shown that even high-paying roles–like financial management–have activities that can be automated.

Research shows that 74% of employees in the most automated companies agree that automation improves job satisfaction.

How Does Automation Increase Productivity?

1.   Fewer Manual Delays

Most work delays occur at transition points between processes. Automating processes can reduce the number of transitions, significantly decreasing manual delays. With fewer interruptions in processes, work gets done quicker and productivity goes up.

For example, in a manufacturing plant, manual quality assurance checks won’t be necessary if an automated equivalent is installed. This increases the hourly throughput. Manual delays result in the loss of time as staff must manually assess and repair problems.

Built-in technology in an automated system can perform checks in real-time. And if production is forced to halt, the disruption will be far shorter. An Oxford report estimates that automation could increase productivity in the manufacturing industry by $4.9 trillion every year by 2030.

Instead of waiting for a task to be performed, a workflow management tool assigns it to a particular person and automatically notifies the person responsible that they have a new task.

In the past, someone would have to wait for work to be sent or manually request for it. But with automation, tasks are automatically moved and relevant persons are notified. The system prompts people to take action, minimizing delays.

2.   Focusing on Tasks That Need Attention Rather Than Repetitive Tasks

A study found that 22% of employees’ time is spent on repetitive tasks. As a result, a lot of money is wasted on tasks that can be automated. Automation can lead to higher levels of productivity.

When processes and tasks are automated, mundane and repetitive tasks are gotten rid of and individuals have time to focus on the work that matters. It is easier to automate repetitive tasks because they are often easy for people to do. For example, an automation tool can transfer files from one format or system to another and a chatbot can automatically engage with received messages

3.   Minimize The Risk of Errors

As the famous saying goes, “To err is human.”

Humans make mistakes, especially when they are overwhelmed or tired. Automation can prevent or minimize human error if set up correctly. When a task is repetitive, the person doing it can get complacent. It becomes easy for them to make careless mistakes because they’re not concentrating. Automation can solve this problem. It allows the person to play an oversight role for the repetitive task.

If your company needs help addressing human error, automate some of your business processes. Automation may not remove the possibility of error completely, but it ensures large-scale consistency. The expectations of modern consumers are exceedingly high and keep rising all the time. Mistakes can be damaging to your company and negatively impact its bottom line.

4.   Improved Task Management

Today’s fast-paced world is highly competitive. Some companies offer same-day delivery while others respond to customers in minutes. And according to American Express, people are willing to spend 17% more on companies that offer superior customer experiences.

Workers have to complete tasks as soon as possible, and it can be very easy to miss deadlines. Those who do meet them may not offer their best work. When people have a lot on their plate, they may experience stress, burnout, or anxiety. They may be labeled unproductive, which only adds to their stress levels.

Automation can organize tasks in order of priority, ensuring people know what needs to be done urgently and what can wait. They don’t overlook important tasks and nothing falls through the cracks.

5.   Improved Accuracy and Efficiency

A past study revealed that office workers spend 69 days every year on administrative tasks, costing organizations $5 trillion a year. Automation saves companies enormous amounts of time. It frees up time for management and employees to brainstorm, strategize, analyze new trends, and plan for new ventures and opportunities. It also increases efficiency.

Employees take less time to complete tasks or do more within the same amount of time. Automation also eliminates stress, you know things will be done and you don’t have to worry about remembering to do them.

Most business processes need to be consistent and accurate. Some require exact measurements, installations, or placements. With a non-automated system, the chances are next to none that all the results will be identical and accurate. But this is possible with automation.

Accuracy is essential in today’s competitive marketplace. Automation provides companies with state-of-the-art tools to alleviate errors and ensure that accuracy is prioritized across the board. It can also help monitor unusual online activity, protecting a company and sensitive information from cybercriminals.

Final Thoughts

Business process automation can be applied in almost every sector of business, boosting productivity, efficiency, and employee morale in every department. An automated system can help you to offer better services to your customers and retain great employees.

There would have been times where you would have experienced a prolonged pain in the neck. You must have even followed treatments as prescribed by the doctors. But the probability of results always turning out unfavourable is more. That’s when your doctor will recommend you to take the next course of action, which is cervical total disc replacement surgery. Although many tend to avoid surgeries, sometimes it is necessary. You might be wondering about cervical disc replacement surgery and its success rate. Keep on reading to learn about it.

What is cervical disc replacement surgery?

The cervical spine in your body is made up of 7 distinct bones called the cervical vertebrae. These distinct bones are arranged in such a way that they form the neck area below your skull. The cushion structures between your cervical vertebrae are called the cervical discs. They are shock absorbent and help in allowing your neck to move freely. Your cervical disc or part of your vertebrae can press on the spinal cord if the space between the vertebrae is too narrow. It can lead to weakness, pain and numbness. Your doctor can suggest some nonsurgical types of treatment for these symptoms. But if there is no response, the alternative course of action is disc surgery. Cervical disc replacement surgery is when the cervical disc is removed and replaced with an artificial disc. This procedure is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The disc replacement surgery is beneficial because it creates less stress and allows more movement on the remaining vertebrae.

Why is cervical disc replacement surgery essential?

Generally, this surgery is required when the cervical discs collapse and bulge with age. It usually happens to people 60 years of age. Wear and tear or cervical degeneration are daily due to the loss of space between the cervical vertebrae.

What are the symptoms of this disc replacement surgery?

The symptoms of this surgery are stiffness of the neck, neck pain, headache, pain that travels into your arms or shoulders, weakness of the legs or arms, numbness in your arms and weakness of the hands or shoulders. Some people show more symptoms than others with cervical disc degeneration, which many medical practitioners still speculate.

How to get ready for disc replacement surgery?

You can discuss with your healthcare provider what should be done before the surgery. Hence, it is better to be more communicative.  You must inform your healthcare provider or surgeon about the over-the-counter medications or herbal supplements you consume. Then, your surgeon can recommend discontinuing any medications or drugs that can thin your blood and increase bleeding. You can also communicate about any family history of reaction to general anesthesia. If you are a person who smokes, your surgeon will ask you to stop doing it before and after the surgery. Your surgeon will give instructions on when to stop eating and drinking before the surgery.

What happens during the cervical disc replacement surgery?

Your surgeon will give you some medications or fluids to keep you relaxed or put you to sleep when under anesthesia. It is done through the intravenous line (IV). Additionally, a tube will be inserted to supplement breathing in your throat. Your healthcare provider will place monitors to check your levels of oxygen and blood pressure. A special solution will be given where an incision was made in the neck to put an end to germs on the skin. Surgical cuts are made by the surgeon on the front and side of the neck.  The neck’s vital structures are moved to replace the artificial disc into space. Once the incision is closed and a small dressing is applied to that area, your health care provider will take you into the area of recovery.

What is the success rate of cervical artificial disc replacement surgery?

Cervical total disc replacement surgery is one of the most effective treatments for cervical disc degeneration. According to research, this surgery can last for approximately 70 years. A study shows that the success rate is 87.5 per cent, whereas the FDA states that the rate of success is higher than 90 per cent.

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.

All products your brand manufactures should be distinct and different from other similar products manufactured by other brands. The simple process which helps you to do this is the product design. It blends the user’s needs with your business goals to help your brand make products that differ from others. Your brand’s name and logo are important, but to make a tremendous impact through your products, they need to be well designed and packed. Designing a product plays an important part in the brand because we live in a consumer society where we find plenty of products to choose from. All products may offer the same benefits, but the design gives them a unique identity.

Reasons to design a product

There are two main reasons for your design team to design a product. They do it to respond to an existing problem or to create something entirely new. The design process is the same no matter what initiates it. Your team needs to focus more while brainstorming to solve a problem. A good product design must be innovative and useful. The factors to consider in the design process are customer requirements, production capability, raw material availability and the cost.

Elements of product design

A successful product design depends on the understanding of the end-user customer before creating the product. Designing and developing a product from the start to finish is a huge process. The three important elements to be remembered in the design are:

• Use of the product to the customer
• The appearance of the product
• Quality of the product

You need to work on all three elements to create a successful product.

Brainstorming before designing

The first and most important step in designing any product is brainstorming. Teams do brainstorming to generate ideas that solve specific pain points of the customers. Customers buy products to use them and each product should satisfy certain criteria that include functional and aesthetic elements. The design team brainstorms to create products that solve the customer’s pain points, look good and be of high quality.

Function of a product

The heart of a design depends upon the function of the product. Your designing team should understand the expectations of the customers and how the product will meet the expectations of the customers. Throughout the design process, you must refine the product to make it as sleek as possible. Only when it is easy-to-use will more people be drawn towards it.

Aesthetics of a product

An important attraction to your product is its physical appearance. Remember the style and aesthetics while designing the product. There may be other brands manufacturing products which have the same function as your product. Customers will prefer your brand when your product is aesthetically pleasing compared to the other brands.

Cost of a product

Cost also plays a major role while designing a product. Cutting the cost with the sole purpose of making the product less expensive is not a good idea. The product should offer the same results to the customers even when the price is less compared to other brands. You can achieve success only when you improve the value, even after reducing the cost.

Balancing the function, aesthetics, and cost is a challenging task. Product designers handle the function, look, and quality of a product. They identify a market opportunity, define the problem, develop a solution for that problem and validate the solution with the customers.

Product design is very important in creating any product for customers.

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.

Australia is a remarkable country where people like taking bike rides. Bicycling has been increasingly fashionable in recent years, while many of the leading bike brands are now producing high-quality bicycle accessories in Australia. Besides, Australia has a great deal to offer to cyclists in terms of scenery and terrain. On the other hand, when it comes to their bike options, riders have a vast range of possibilities to choose from. As a result, bicycle accessories are an essential part of each journey, whether short distance or a long ride across the countryside. So, here are five essential bike accessories for your rides:

1. Helmet

The following bike accessories are all necessary. This one, on the other hand, is simply non-negotiable. You must protect your head, even if cycling without a helmet is legal in your city. And not to mention that you do not influence the decisions made by automobiles, pedestrians, or animals you come across on your journey.

2. Gloves for Cycling

Gloves are essential bike gear for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they protect your hands in the event of an accident. Second, they keep blisters and friction at bay. Cycling gloves also protect your ulnar nerve, which is a lesser-known benefit, and the palm of your hand accommodates this nerve. So, check the webbing between the forefinger and thumb when buying bike gloves, as it should let you comfortably grip the handlebar without any fabric scrunchies.

3. Hydration Pack or Water Bottle

Hydration gear is a must-have bike item just for the sake of staying alive. If you have no water in the middle of a ride, it is inconvenient and dangerous. Also, it’s especially true when you’re seven kilometres into a mountain trek. So, have an insulated water bottle and a water bottle cage if you’re a casual rider. And if you’re going mountain biking, bring a large one with you.

4. Pumps for Bikes

When it comes to unexpected tire disasters, a pump is essential. Maintain your tire pressure by keeping a track pump at home and using it every week. One can avoid punctures on the road with proper tire pressure. Besides, taking a handy pump with you on your rides is also a good idea. And, although long-term maintenance requires more than a pocket-sized pump, a tiny pump will bring you home if you get a flat tire while on the road.

5. Chain Lubricant

A proper chain lubricant maintains your safety as well as the chain’s longevity, saving you money over time. Also, knowing which oil is ideal for your local climate and regular rides is the key to chain lube success. A wet lubricant is oily and difficult to remove with water, making it an excellent choice for rainy days.

If you’re riding in a dusty, dry region, you can forgo the wet lubrication. This is so because the oily lubricant retains dust and grit, resulting in a clogged chain. So, in this situation, a dry lube is a better option, and it should be applied wet and left to dry before riding. In wet conditions, it washes off quickly, but it keeps your bike chain cleaner for longer.

This is a relatively simple list of things to think about if you ride a bicycle. They all last a long time, and the majority of them have a lot of use. So, invest in high-quality bicycle accessories in Australia to ensure your long-term safety. While a helmet is essential for every ride, the rest of the items on this list are also necessary to guarantee that you have the best riding experience possible!

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.

You did it! You’ve built your personal brand or company, and your business is thriving. The question now is, how can you capitalize on this momentum?

You can start by listing your business in the most relevant and visible online directories and social media platforms. These five platforms described below are especially useful for many businesses. However, you should assess your unique needs before you allocate too many resources to any one platform.

1. Crunchbase

Crunchbase does double duty. It’s a simple repository of up-to-date information and stats of both companies and professionals. It’s also increasingly used as a great place to highlight key employees. It’s particularly useful for busy serial entrepreneurs as well as seasoned financial professionals.

2. Merchant Circle

MerchantCircle is a top-ranked directory site on the internet. Although it’s certainly not as well-known as Yelp and similar sites, more than 100,000,000 consumers pass through its virtual doors each year.

MerchantCircle is also a great tool for businesses that deal with consumers. Verticals such as Real Estate and Arts & Entertainment can offer amazing deals. A super-easy local search feature connects businesses in discrete geographic areas with potential customers.

3. Facebook

Facebook is so well-known that it doesn’t need to be introduced, and most businesses don’t need any encouragement either to create and manage their own Facebook pages. However, it is not easy to use the most popular social media platform in the world efficiently. For some companies, Facebook can even be used to replace or substitute for your company’s main website. This isn’t necessarily advisable, as most professionals and businesses these days do need a well-designed and well-operated flagship site of their own.

4. LinkedIn

While not as popular as Facebook, LinkedIn is another huge social media platform that you not only will have heard of, but that you probably already use. And it’s another platform that does double duty. It serves as a central hub for B2B marketing and, what’s more, prospective employees can connect with companies looking to hire. (And given the current economy, companies desperate for scarce employees are actively searching profiles for their next hire.) You’ll also find LinkedIn a great place to network and find both new customers and professionals to partner with.

5. Twitter

Twitter is yet another platform with high authority that is great for businesses who want to increase their digital visibility and connect directly, provided they can filter out all the noise.

A good use case is “pinned tweets”: these are used to communicate critical, non-sensitive information to consumers and other interested parties.

What’s your Directory Footprint?

It’s a huge digital world, and it’s always changing and expanding. While The above online directories aren’t the only ones that you should consider, they’re a good starting point. You may decide that depending on your business’s nature and the composition your core buyer groups are, you should focus on other properties (like Instagram or Pinterest, for example), or that it is not worth the effort.

It’s your choice. You should know where your current clients are, which prospects you have in mind, and who is looking for value to add to your sales funnel. Convincing them to convert is the creative part.

ORIGINAL

5 High-Visibility Sites for Building Your Brand in 2021

Congratulations! Your company is on the move. Now, the question is: what are you going to do to capitalize on its momentum?

Start by creating detailed, accurate listings at the most visible, relevant business directories and social media platforms on the web today. These five are particularly fruitful for a particularly wide array of businesses — though you’ll want to assess your company’s unique needs before allocating too many resources to any specific platform.

1. Merchant Circle

MerchantCircle is one of the web’s top directory sites. It’s not quite as widely known as Yelp, perhaps, but that doesn’t stop more than 100 million consumers from passing through its virtual doors every year.

MerchantCircle is especially useful for consumer-facing businesses; verticals like Real Estate and Arts & Entertainment harbor deals galore. Another perk: a super-easy local search feature that connects businesses serving discrete geographies with prospects in their backyards.

2. Crunchbase

Crunchbase pulls double duty as a no-frills repository for up-to-date corporate data (including funding stats, if you’re keen to share) and an ideal place to showcase key employees. It’s particularly useful for serial entrepreneurs with multiple irons in the fire as well as seasoned financial professionals.

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another “double duty” platform. It’s a great nerve center for B2B firms’ marketing apparatuses and a fantastic place for key employees to connect with potential partners and establish thought leader cred. For bigger, geographically dispersed firms, there’s tremendous value in the ability to quite literally connect prospects with the most relevant roleplayer available. As an (overwhelming) example, computing giant Dell’s LinkedIn page connects to roughly 125,000 employees’ personal LinkedIn profiles.

4. Facebook

Facebook needs no introduction, nor do most businesses need any encouragement to set up and populate Facebook pages of their own. Using the world’s most popular social media platform efficiently is another matter entirely, however. Under the right circumstances, Facebook is versatile enough to stand in for — or even replace — your company’s main domain. Not that you’d want it to, necessarily; it’s just nice to know what’s possible.

5. Twitter

Twitter is another high-authority platform that’s great for businesses looking to burnish their digital visibility and connect directly with prospects (assuming they can filter through all the noise).

One use case worth exploring: using “pinned” tweets to convey critical, non-time-sensitive news and information to consumers and others who might want to know. Digital engagement platform Marketo’s Twitter handle has a great example touting the company’s strategic partnership with B2B sales platform Clari.

How’s Your Directory Footprint?

It’s a big digital world out there. And, as you’re well aware, these aren’t the only five online directories and social platforms that draw crowds. Depending on the nature of your business and the composition of your core buyer groups, you may well conclude that you need to focus on other properties — and/or that some of these properties aren’t worth the trouble.

That’s up to you. After all, you should know better than anyone else where to find current clients, promising prospects, and curious seekers of value ready to enter your sales funnel. The fun part is convincing them to convert.

It is an undisputed fact that clean facilities make for safe and productive work environments. But manual cleaning is both time and cost-intensive. Businesses typically reduce cleaning time by about 80% when they shift from manual to automated floor cleaning. Cleaning equipment like floor scrubbers, sweepers, and washers consistently provide a higher quality of cleaning.

If you are on the lookout for a floor scrubber, here is a comprehensive guide that can help you choose the right equipment for your needs.

Functionality:

A floor scrubber cleans and dries your floor in one go. It uses water, a cleaning agent, and a brush to clean. Then, it follows up with a squeegee to dry the surface. There are three main cleaning components to accomplish this task.

The Automatic dispensing system dispenses a controlled amount of cleaning solution or water from the tank onto the floor. You can even choose a water-saving mode to reduce water consumption.

The Scrubbing system is a floor pad or brush at the bottom. It works with the cleaning solution to remove dirt and soil from the floor. It also buffs out scuff marks.

The Solution recovery system uses a squeegee and vacuum pressure to remove the used cleaning solution (the dirty slurry) from the floor. The slurry is stored in a separate recovery tank.

Cleaning heads:

Disk-type brushes use circular motion along the floor and are best suited for smooth floors. You have to sweep the floor clear of large debris before scrubbing.

Cylindrical brushes rotate across the floor and collect any debris into the receptacle behind them. They can clean uneven surfaces as well.

Square pads clean smooth floors with a to-and-fro motion. They are well suited to clean corners and edges.

What size do you need?

An upright scrubber is apt if your facility is sized between 500-1200 square feet. Its advantage is that you can manoeuvre it around corners and beneath the furniture.

A walk-behind machine is suitable for bigger spaces. It comes in a wide range of path widths to suit your needs. The ideal machine should fit in the narrowest open path and cover the largest possible area in one go. Walk-behind scrubbers are easy to manoeuvre. If you would like to reduce the manual labour involved, you can go for the self-driven variant, which can be moved with relative ease.

You can use a ride-on version on open areas larger than 15000 sq ft. They come with large tanks and require very few refilling breaks. These require the least amount of effort to use.

What power source suits you?

Scrubbers are either cord or battery-powered. Cord-powered scrubbers have cables about 50 feet long. Battery-powered scrubbers can be used anywhere between one to seven hours per charge, depending on the model. The latter is suitable where cables spread on the floor can pose tripping, electrocution, or other hazards.

What are your purchase options?

You have the option of buying new or pre-owned scrubbers. Cleaning equipment suppliers also offer scrubbers on hire. Hiring periods vary from 1 day to 60 months. This way, you save up on capital and maintenance costs. Do consult your supplier to understand your hiring options.

What after-sales service do you get?

You can schedule periodic maintenance visits from experts. Suppliers also offer pick-up and delivery services for equipment that require repair. Be sure to inquire about replacement floor scrubbers while your machine is undergoing upkeep.

A clean space leads to a happier, healthier, more productive workforce. Investing in quality cleaning solutions will improve your business outcomes manifold. Consult your cleaning equipment expert to know what solution best suits your needs.

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.

Be it your home or workspace, ensuring that your place offers you ample reasons to be productive, chill and secure is indeed an ideal scenario. And while there are several ways in which you can elevate your space and make it into a perfect hub for you, nothing beats the magic and importance of blinds. You can select from a range of vertical blinds or get custom-made panels to add functional features and charm to your spaces.

Here are five types of blinds you can choose from:

Zebra Blinds:

Rendering a perfect mix of aesthetics and functionality, zebra blinds are your best bet if you’re yearning for a touch of sunlight and the fresh air without compromising your privacy. They can be great fits at work or home and allow you to enjoy the best of both- indoors and outdoors. You can navigate insulation and ward off dust and bugs just by pulling a simple chain attached to these types of blinds. And guess what? Cleaning or maintaining them won’t cost you much time or pennies too!

Roman Blinds:

Representing elegance and style, roman blinds take the whole ‘chic meets utility’ experience to the next level. Like zebra blinds, they too offer a splendid blend of privacy, protection along with peeks into the outsides, albeit a touch of taste. And that is precisely the reason why roman blinds are relatively expensive. Every blind is crafted to perfection by incorporating the best in design, functionality, fabric, and craftsmanship. If you’re looking to elevate the vibe of your space with a practical addition, roman blinds certainly make the cut.

Honeycomb Blinds:

True to its name, a honeycomb blind is essentially a pleated blind that is often used to cover large doors and windows. For the area they cover, these blinds offer complete privacy without robbing you of the perks of natural light and fresh air. And when used completely (rolled from top to bottom), they help trap the moisture and insulate the room. Available in different fabrics and colours, honeycomb blinds are a perfect fit if you’re keen on functionality, energy efficiency, and complete blind control to suit your needs.

Panel Blinds:

Panel blinds offer ideal solutions for huge spaces. They not only add functionality but are widely

used as ceiling-mounted room dividers and valuable adornments. Besides, they are known to lend a simple and uniform look throughout the space. Their sliding variants can be a real boon to cover patio areas and spacious doors and windows. Considering their size, you may tend to think that cleaning such massive panels may be a considerable task. But that is not true at all. Their gliding feature and material ensure that you don’t have to incur any overt additional costs or hassles.

Vertical Blinds:

If you’re looking for a no-frills functional addition to your workspace or home, vertical blinds are the thing for you. Characterised by vertical louvres, these blinds offer better light and air control and let you decide the extent of privacy too. Ticking all the right boxes, these blinds are perfect if your mind screams functionality without burning a hole in your wallet!

When used appropriately, blinds are capable of doing so much more than just ‘blinding’ or letting in sunshine and air. They can change the premise of your space and create a desirable mood for cherished times.

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.

SEO has the power to modernise your business. It will improve your visibility on Google, and if regularly updated, it has the power to become an essential tool in the long-term development of your business both locally and online.

But how, you ask, can I reap the benefits of something I have limited knowledge of? Easy, we can help, our experts have been trained to understand the intimate methods to best utilise small business SEO and we can ensure your business takes full advantage of digital advertising opportunities at their disposal.

Will SEO Add Value to My Small Business?

All small businesses can benefit from strong SEO, if you rely on word of mouth and little else, your business will likely struggle to attract new customers. However, if you combine word of mouth and strong web search SEO, you will be increasing the likelihood of your product being viewed by people in your local area and further afield, therefore improving the opportunity for increased revenue.

Before launching into a frantic, misguided, and costly SEO for small business  campaign, first ask yourself, what aspects of the business are you wishing to improve? More local customers? More online customers? Perhaps improved visibility online? SEO if harnessed correctly has the power to improve them all.

What is SEO? And Why Do I Need It?

The Wikipedia definition of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) “is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic, to a website or web page from search engines.”

Simplified this means the better a product performs in a Google search (other search engines are available), the closer it’ll be to the top of the web page. Internet search engines function almost exclusively on SEO, the more popular a product the better the Google search results.

It continues; “SEO targets unpaid traffic (known as natural or “organic” results) rather than direct traffic or paid traffic. Unpaid traffic may originate from different kinds of searches including image search, video search, etc.”

This means that search engines will look preferentially upon natural SEO, rather than paid for campaigns, for your business to reap the benefits of SEO it must be developed naturally.

There’s no quick fix for boosting your SEO, however using techniques such as regular social media posts, blogging, email campaigns, etc. With patience, enthusiasm, and a quality brand, you can secure and improve the long-term health of your business.

Is Improving My SEO Worth the Hassle?

Improving your SEO is 100% worth the hassle, by increasing your online presence you open your business up to new opportunities, connect with customers, easily update business details and provide client information. The more effort you put into your SEO and social media presence, the better your online profile.

However there’s no quick fix, it’s something you’ll have to work on regularly, think of it as an easier way of promoting yourself and reaching out to customers, as with all business you still need to earn the sale.

Relying solely on SEO will be a financial burden, however, with the bonus of regular social media posts, blogs, and online promotion, you will notice an increase in website leads driven by improved SEO. Along with improving your SEO, you should consider updating your website and online identity, your website is effectively the first point of contact for any new customer or client.

SEO or PPC: What’s the Difference?

Ambition and hard work breeds success, and should always be commended, however, smaller businesses simply don’t have the same marketing budgets as a million-dollar competitor, so smaller start-ups have to use their budgets wisely.

SEO and PPC (pay per click) both have pros and cons, SEO gradually builds your presence online ‘organically’ but it can take time, whereas PPC commonly encourages instant clicks and traffic through search engine advertising. (An advert at the top of the Google search page).

However, PPC can be very expensive and doesn’t offer the same long-term growth that SEO does. For more established companies (with larger budgets) a PPC campaign can be far less time-consuming than chipping away at online SEO, instead, they can rely on brand awareness to encourage page clicks, however, smaller start-ups can’t rely on the comfort of deep pockets and inflated marketing budgets.

Before you begin your marketing campaign, remember to ask, what goals are you hoping to achieve from it? Instant brand awareness or long-term brand confidence? PPC or SEO?

Can I Build Trust and Credibility Through SEO?

SEO when carried out correctly will build confidence, increase awareness and improve your online credibility. It’s now considered an essential factor for any modern brand or business, the more effective your SEO, the more credible your brand will appear online.

Brands overtly reliant on PPC campaigns will struggle to convince the market and clients of their value. Ask yourself this question, when you last used Google did you even read the top two sponsored ads? Consumers are now far more aware of the techniques companies use to sell products and are less likely to click on the Pay Per Click ads as a result.

If you can encourage clients to visit your website via a strong online presence while avoiding the overuse of PPC campaigns, brands are far more likely to earn the trust of consumers.

As long as you provide a quality service, can offer what you sell and your brand profile is relatively modern, SEO has the power to add value to your business.

Improving The User Experience Using SEO

Although SEO has the power to improve your brand awareness, you will struggle to feel any benefit if other aspects of your online presence let you down. Consumers are a fickle bunch, and with fibre optic broadband and 5G data speeds industry norm, people now expect websites to load almost immediately and will be quick to jump to another page if it doesn’t.

The online user experience is a key component in ensuring customer satisfaction and according to The Drum slow loading times can wipe out any benefits you might experience from strong SEO.

If you need a comparison on web times, look at the load times of the world’s biggest brands and websites, Facebook, Google, Apple, etc, it’s best to remember that all visitors to your website are impatient, important, and a potential source of revenue.

How Do I Invest in SEO

That’s where we at ObenInc can help, we offer advice on building an individual SEO strategy, improving your online presence, increasing brand awareness, and rest assured we’re always looking out for you, our client.

When you succeed, we succeed.

If you would like to chat with one of our SEO experts, or would rather we called you back at a time of your preference get in touch here.

Opening a new nail salon is exciting! You’re going to need a lot of time and patience for this as there are plenty of things to do on your checklist. This includes sharpening your nail techniques, photographing any new nail designs you work on, and gathering the necessary tools for your new workspace.

Here is a list of supplies you’ll need for your new nail salon.

Nail Designs Photo Book

Much like the books we find at hair salons so clients can get inspiration for their haircuts, nail salons use their own versions of these books. For your new salon, you may want to purchase a couple of these or simply create one from Shutterfly. They sell the best photo books on the market. Their custom photo books have high print quality and are fully customizable, from their sizes to their content.

At Shutterfly, their photo book services include customization options like printing, templates, layout options, captions, and clip art. Additionally, you can choose between softcover and hardcover photo books, depending on your business needs. Order your Shutterfly photo book before opening day!

Nail Desk

Your new workspace is where you’ll spend most of the time with your clients, so it’s important it’s comfortable and the perfect fit for your office space. They are sold to remain in place or portable in case you feel like changing your layout or redecorating. Additionally, you can purchase a nail desk that has drawers or hooks to keep your tools handy and safely stored.

Table Lamp

Your workstation needs to be fully prepared before taking your first customer. This means you need to have good lighting to be able to see the details in your nail designs. For this, you’ll need a good desk lamp. This desk lamp can have a movable neck and even a magnifier glass to make your life easier. It will also greatly help you when working on cuticles, for example.

Nail Files and Buffers

To give your clients the best nail service, you’ll need to purchase nail files and buffers in bulk as these are not reusable in most cases. While nail files will help give your clients their preferred nail shape, a buffer will make the nails look smooth and polished. These two tools are essential in nail salons, so be sure to always keep them in stock.

Manicure Set

When we think of nail salons, most people will almost immediately think of manicures. So if you’re planning to open a nail salon, be sure you have the right tools to successfully give your clients the best manicure they can get. These tools are sold together and include nail clippers, cuticle nippers and shearers, ingrown nail files, and nail trimmers. Be the ultimate nail salon guru with a full high-quality manicure set of tools.

Nail Drills and Bits

Nail drills and bits are another essential for your nail salon. They will help do the work of three nail artists in one. Nail drills help grind, carve, cut, polish, and remove gel polish and cuticles. With drills, you can do 30-minutes worth of work in a fraction of the time.

Nail Polishes

Nail polishes can make or break a nail salon. If you have cheap nail polishes that can easily be removed or chipped, your clients might look elsewhere for their nail needs. It’s important you research the best nail polish brands and test them out first to guarantee you get the best ones. Additionally, you can offer your clients custom nail designs like stick-on nails and gels.

Now that you’ve gone through the whole list, be sure to properly research the brands you need and start stocking up on supplies for your inauguration day.