How Your Facilities Reflect on Your Business

Your facilities most definitely reflect on your business. No matter how well run your business is, how great your products, and even how well priced, if your business facilities are untidy or under par they will negatively impact your business. Appearances count, so do first impressions. Big time! 

So what do you do if your business facilities aren’t quite up to scratch and you really can’t afford to upgrade them? What if you only have clients intermittently, so you can’t justify the expense of upgrading your business facility? There is a solution. Servcorp Australia are available from companies like Servcorp, either as part of a virtual office service, or for one-off use for that especially important business meeting. You can impress your clients with beautifully appointed meeting rooms, boardrooms and fancy foyers.
What You See Is What You Get

Human nature being what it is; we are hardwired to absorb visual information and form mental judgements based on what we see. If we see a shabby office we will unconsciously interpret that visual into an assessment that the company inhabiting the facility is also shabby; believing automatically that they probably offer shabby service and shabby merchandise. We really do believe that we see is what we will get. So if you hold that important business meeting in a less than adequate facility, chances are you will not clinch the deal – no matter how whiz bang your presentation is. Shabby does not say successful and it is not likely to engender a response of – I just really want to partner with this company. 

Colours and Layouts Create an Impression

When you are fitting out and painting your facility you really need to consider the impression you are trying to create. Colours and office layout will play a major role in how clients perceive your business, so think about what impression you want them to take away and set about creating it. For instance an open plan layout and shorter office partitioning will create a sense of communication and openness – the right look and feel for an ad agency, but highly unsuitable for a legal office where confidentiality is important. 

Get an Outside Opinion

Because we spend so much time at work, we get very used to our surroundings at work. Just because you are used to the look and feel of your business facility, and feel reasonably comfortable with it, does not mean it will create a good impression on clients. It is a good idea to get an outside opinion when trying to assess the adequacy of your business facility. Ask a number of people, friends and family, business associates and also an expert – an office designer for example. Getting a good cross-section of opinions will give you the best chance to get an unbiased opinion of your facility. They will help your see your space with fresh eyes.

First impressions are vitally important and nowhere more so than in the office where visitors will decide whether or not to do business with you based on what they see.

The High Cost of Living and How to Deal with it

It’s a given fact of life that day follows night and prices increase on a regular basis. For most people in the country, the cost of living is rising far more quickly than wages and pensions.

Insulation

If you look at your gas or electricity meter and it seems to be eating up money more quickly than you can earn then you need to see if there is any way that you can rectify the situation. Double-glazing is an effective way to cut down on drafts that come through the window and the current choice of double glazed windows doesn’t just restrict you to plastic. If your home hasn’t been insulated then see if there is some form of government

help through one of its ‘Green Deal’ schemes. Most of the UK’s energy suppliers also operate charitable trusts where you can apply for assistance. Some companies also include recommendations on their website for the construction of energy efficient commercial buildings, including Colorcoat-online. A badly heated workplace can be just as depressing as a draughty and cold house.

Shop around

Take a look at some of the money saving websites and see if you can find any good deals. Remember, to read all the Ts & Cs, this may be boring but it’s even more tedious to discover that you’re locked into a lengthy phone contract, for example, just because you couldn’t be bothered to read all of the small print. The current advice from the experts at EnergyHelpline is to try and source a long-term deal rather than a short-term contract. Alternatively if you’re trying to save money on food you should also try and shop around but you should weigh up if this is going to cost you more in petrol than the saving you hope you’re going to find.

Holidays

Holidays are absolutely essential to many people, but there are different ways of trying to get a good deal. You could always try and get a cancellation flight discount and as long as you are free to travel at short notice, this is a good option. If you try and book your holiday for a time other than children’s school holidays you may be surprised at the choices on offer.

Some people like taking long weekends in wonderful country house hotels, thanks to the sluggish economy you’ll see that most of these are offering wonderful reductions from their normal prices. If you can’t find a good bargain then ring up the hotel, offer to pay over the phone and haggle. It’s surprising how dew people use this option, but it is invariably successful.

Eating Out

Instead of having a three course a la Carte menu, opt for a taster menu. An increasing number of restaurants offer this choice and it’s a great way of sampling all the dishes on the menu. If you’re ordering dishes that you’ve never sampled before so much the better. The increasing popularity of gastro-pubs means that meals at these venues are first class, and often a lot more competitively priced than restaurant fare.

Bargains do still exist, you’ve just got to use your imagination and employ a spirit of adventure and then you may well be rewarded.

Eight Tactics to Increase Millennial Productivity at your Business

With each business that we have today, a merchant account is required to get the debit/credit card processed. Once the six month trial period is over a reserve amount is returned to the business owner and they transition into what is known as a merchant account with no reserve. Congratulations on making it past the six month trial time. 

Like all businesses, we all transition day in and day out, and in order to do that, we have to adapt. Some of the most intelligent kids of this generation are facing challenges with business and personal issues, and in order to move forward to accommodate this challenge, eight tactics to increase Millennial productivity at your business must come into play. (A millennial is a person born sometime between 1982 and 2000 or there about. They have been dubbed some of the most productive of any generation, but only because of the machines they have had in their upbringing and adult life. Most face many challenges balancing their social media life, family life, and keeping healthy lifestyles.)

Here are some things to help businesses with their millennial generation.

1. Nose to the grind stone. Keep this generation busy and teach them the techniques that will help them become stronger intelligent adults that have a wonderful work ethic.

2. Have their job lined out for them. Give them assignments and their requirements for the job. If they know what is expected of them, likely they will have no issue getting the job done.

3. Have creative projects for them. More than any other generation, the Millennial’s know how to express themselves. Better to help them release their creative energy, than to read about it on Facebook with a negative review of your workplace.

4. Don’t punish them. Find a reward system that will increase their productivity and get them goal oriented. The more they reach their goals, the more you get done.

5. Reward them for their work. As stated above, they are more likely to increase their work if they love what they are doing. If it’s not fun anymore, they have no problem moving on to the next job.

6. Training. Make sure that when you train them, you get them to understand that they represent you on the job and they need to be polite and courteous.

7. Remind them to say thank you. A lot of this generation has forgotten their manners. As a constant reminder, say ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’. Remind them it’s quite alright to have a pleasant demeanor.

8. Gadgets. Have the most advanced gadgets available to them. They will love you for it, and their productivity will continue to soar, as they are the ones that integrate with this kind of technology.

So, now that you have grown your business beyond the probation period, it means you survived the six month period and your company is growing. You have the new generation to train with their hyper and super brains, let’s hope the list helps out a bit and great things are to come your way.

About the Author:


Blair Thomas is an electronic payment expert, who loves all things finance and planning. He is also the co-founder of eMerchantBroker.com, the #1 bad credit merchant account company in the country. But when he’s not running his business he’s more than likely exploring his other passions; music, mountain biking and camping. If you would like to see what he's up to, check him out on Facebook.

Understanding What It Means To Be Eco-Friendly: What To Look For In The Products You Buy

One of the biggest buzzwords of the twenty-first century is “eco-friendly”. Companies of all kinds are trying to tap into the market of those people who care about the environment, but consumers can be taken advantage of if they do not know what they are looking for in an eco-friendly product. If you want to start shopping green and reducing your carbon footprint, then there are several things you should be looking for in any product that claims to be “eco-friendly”. Consumers are learning what concepts like eco-friendly, renewable, sustainable, and eco-conscious really mean in today's world, TD Friends of the Environment donations go a long way to educating people committed to protecting the environment.

Materials

The most important thing to consider is what the item is being made from. There are basically two types of materials that you should look for when you are making an eco-friendly consumer purchase. The first of these is renewable materials, or materials that will come back when they are used. When companies make plastic for a phone case, the oil that is the raw material for the plastic is non-renewable, as it does not come back when it is used. On the other hand, a wooden or bamboo phone case is considered renewable since those items will grow back on their own. Related to the idea of renewable resources is sustainability, the other thing that you should be looking for. Sustainability means that companies can continue to use the materials and processes at a reasonable level for a long period of time without causing damage to the local environment. Clear cutting forests for wooden furniture meets the criteria for renewable resources, but it fails the sustainability check because the companies are cutting down the trees faster than they can regrow.

Durability

The next thing that you will want to look at in the products that you buy is the durability of the item itself. As an eco-conscious consumer you want to protect the environment, but you also want to make sure that the items you purchase will last you a long time, and they will be able to stand up to the wear and tear that you will put them through. Too many times eco-friendly products are made with renewable and sustainable materials, but those materials fall apart with heavy use and you wind up buying that product over and over.

Manufacturing

Finally, you should consider the way that the items are manufactured, if you want to be a true eco-friendly shopper. Most of the chemicals that are causing global warming can be attributed to power production and manufacturing, so you want a manufacturer who works hard to offset this issue. In eco-friendly terms these companies are called “carbon neutral” because they use renewable forms of energy for production, or they take actions, like planting trees, to balance the amount of carbon dioxide they are putting into the atmosphere. While there are many companies that are striving for carbon neutrality, most of the companies that you will have ready access to are not totally carbon neutral. With all other things being equal, if you want to be an eco-friendly consumer, go with the company that claims carbon neutrality or claims to have a lower carbon footprint.
Shopping in an eco-friendly way requires more time and more work than shopping without thinking about the environment; however, once you find those manufacturers that you like, shopping is a breeze. The important thing about eco-friendly shopping is to remember to look at the label and read carefully so you know exactly where the product is coming from.

I am Lindsay Barlow, and I am an eco-conscious shopper and an environmentalist. Sites like Bambooki are great for finding eco-friendly products that are perfect for all of your home needs.

Information is Key with Trade Finance Products

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

There are numerous definitions for trade finance that can be found. Essentially, it is a term that covers several activities. There are a number of tools that are used by financiers that determine how credit, cash, investments as well as other assets are used for trade. 
In a simple form an exporter will require an importer to prepay for items that are shipped. The importer wants to reduce his risk by asking the exporter to create a document proving the goods were shipped. The importer is assisted by the bank, which provides a letter of credit to the bank of the exporter or to the exporter directly. This statement proves that a payment will be made when certain documents are presented. 

Traditionally, trade finance occurs in the short or medium term and involves three activities; financing, payment facilitation and risk mitigation. These are the core components of trade finance, no matter what type of transaction is being completed. 

Credit Based Products

Currently, credit based products are mere commodities mainly due to the current levels of liquidity available throughout the world. Most large corporations are mostly interested in distributing the risk options and information through their international transactions and throughout their global chains of supply. 

Large corporations, including global retailers, currently have logistics capabilities and supply chain management that is similar to those in place for advanced military units. These are the retailers that drive the trade volume and help to define the expectations in the market that are related to trade banking services. 

Trade Banking

There are many opportunities for trade bankers in today’s markets. Almost every company relies on correspondent banking relationships in order to verify the legitimacy of a trade counter party. Trade banks may also be called upon to provide information to the overseas party because of increasingly stringent compliance levels. 

Consumers are now demanding and expecting real time tracking of all shipments, as well as the shipping documents and the financial flows that are related to the shipment. Taking a couple of days to check with a foreign bank and then get back to the customer is no longer an option.

In order to be this responsive there is a need for the appropriate technological investment. This includes investment in the backend of the business for transaction processing, as well as the side that faces the client. Web enabled solutions provide a number of information-rich reporting that is customisable. More and more clients demand to be able to see their portfolio at all times and to be able to view their trade transactions, across all financial institutions. 

Information Quality

When it comes to trade finance the quality of information provided by the company is becoming increasingly more important, as this is being demanded by consumers. It is now possible for financial institutes and trading companies to offer accurate and timely information regarding the exact status of the product and financial flows that are related to the imports and exports. This allows for quick identification of points for financial solutions, any risk mitigation options that are available, as well as advisory services that can be offered to their trade clients. A trade finance company with international experience is going to have the best data, information and choices available to its clients.

Trade finance and banking is a field that is being changed by technology. The best companies provide their customers with a plethora of information about the trade operations that they are involved with. This information can be the driving force of fundamental decisions that are made regarding whether or not services or products should be outsourced or if a company should maintain internal control. Information is the key to success when it comes to the world of trade finance. 

Ghosts and Graves: Boston's Infamous Haunts

No matter the time of year, people enjoy being frightened. With the booming popularity of ghost hunting shows, more people than ever before are looking for exciting haunts. Whether you live in Boston, are moving there, or are just a tourist, the city has some of the most fantastic ghost sites in the nation.

1.Boston Athenaeum Library

This library may be one of the most haunted private libraries in the country. Founded in 1807, ghosts have been rumored to roam the halls since the 1840s. Take a walk through the library and see if you catch a glimpse of Thaddeus Mason Harris reading the “Boston Post” as he did in life. You can also walk through the Boston Public Library if you’re looking for a scare. Hang out near the restrooms in the basement and see if you don’t get a shiver up your spine. 

2.Omni Parker Hotel

Many guests report having experiences in this quaint hotel. The hotel is so haunted, in fact, that the staff at the front desk has comprised a list of all of the sightings, and they will happily share the list if you ask. If you want a ghastly experience of your own, ask to stay in the single room that is purported to be haunted by a cigar-smoking entity. If you don’t experience any hauntings, don’t worry, the hotel is still full of history. JFK proposed to Jackie O at this hotel, and Malcolm X worked the floors as a bellman.

3.Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

If haunted cemeteries are to your liking, you’ll fall in instant love with Copp’s Hill. The spirits seem to roam free across the graveyard, especially at night. Visitors have caught ghostly apparitions on camera, particularly an elderly woman in Victorian dress. Established in 1659, the cemetery is the oldest in Boston and is no longer used for burials. Just because the burying ground isn’t welcoming any new guests does not mean you won’t be bumping into any of the old ones. 

4.George’s Island

If you travel the Boston Harbor, be sure to make a stop at George’s Island, or at least pass by. Keep your eyes peeled for the Lady in Black, a young woman dressed in black robes that wanders, or floats, across the grounds. The woman is said to be Mrs. Andrew Lanier, the wife of a soldier who was imprisoned on the island in 1861. During a prison break gone bad, the male Lanier was shot, and the Mrs. was subsequently hanged for the crime. 

5.Boston Commons

The Boston Commons was an area for a family-friendly walk, or a public hanging, given the day. The historic oak tree on the grounds was the site of many a hanging until the gallows were erected. Also located on the grounds is a central burying plot where some 900 bodies are said to be at eternal rest. If you’re looking for an authentic, ghostly experience, Boston Commons may, or may not, deliver. Visitors have reported seeing several apparitions, while other visitors have reported being let down.

The next time you’re looking for a thrill, take part in one of the many ghost tours available in Boston or, if you’re feeling adventurous, strike out on your own. One of the most haunted cities in the country, Boston doesn’t disappoint. If things that go bump in the night are right up your alley, visit any of the spots on this list.

Robin Knight is a movoto blogger. Check out the latest updates on Boston Real Estate and more about living in Boston.