Rewarding your employees - Hosting an amazing office party

Although having frequent parties and events at a company might give the impression that people are not working and that it is not a serious business, it is required as it will help motivate your workers, and it will increase overall productivity and efficiency levels. 

Nevertheless, make sure that parties are only used as a means for either celebrating a major event, or for rewarding your employees for their excellent work and performance. But always make the motive behind a party clear and what you want to achieve with it.

Always make sure of the party budget

It is very important that you do not rush into office party planning without knowing what your budget is, and in order to avoid any embarrassing moments, it is better to sit down and to chalk up a viable budget. 

Furthermore, make sure that you have the exact number of people going to show up so that you know how much of anything to reserve, but keep in mind that there will be those who will not be able to come at the last minute as well, or vice versa. It is better to leave room for correction in your budget estimate than to end up short with money.

Find a suitable place

In order to hold a good party, and for your employees to enjoy themselves, it will be necessary to find a good venue. Make sure though that this place is easily accessible by all, and that it is neither far away nor complicated to get to. 

Moreover, if you have a big enough company to hold the party there, it would be even better, not only do you get to save some money but your employees will not have to drive for long hours to get to the party. 

Choosing the right theme of the party

To really spice up things, and to encourage employees to mingle and enjoy themselves, it is always a good idea to pick a theme for the party. Consider holding a masked party as it can be good for those want to be really creative. 

However, if employees find themselves without a costume, they can always look up Costume One’s costumes online and either buy or rent one for the evening. Just make sure that everyone understands what the topic is and that they can have for the night. 

Entertainment for the party

Just having people to come for food and drinks is often not enough, you should ensure that there is some form of entertainment, and it is often best to have your employees play games. 

Although it might seem like party games are not meant for corporate parties, this could not be further from the truth, not only will it be great for your employees to really unwind and to have fun, but it is a good way to encourage guests to mingle and to socialize without worrying about who is which position at the company.

Make a party for the whole family

Often employees cannot leave their children alone and they will miss out on a corporate gathering, but for such scenarios, it is a good idea to organize a party which is family friendly as well. You can also organize that the daycare works longer for that event and that your employees can leave their kids and not to worry about anything. 

However, family parties are always welcome as they will encourage family fun and special bonding between families and employees as well. Just make sure that food and drinks are age appropriate.

Organizing a good party to promote business productivity and efficiency

One of the main goals for hosting a business party is to encourage your employees that they are doing great and that they can feel appreciated and respected. However, make sure that you do not hold frequent events, as it will defeat the purpose and it cannot be used as an effective method to reward your employees. 

Always make sure to include your workers when designing the outline of the party, as they will know what they want, and what will be entertaining. After all, each party should be different and more engaging than the last one.

Your Career as a Manager in 2015: Virtual Politics & Education

Technology development, internet expanding market, failed educational systems, the horrors of the recession, etc. This list could last for quite some time, so let’s cut it here and draw a conclusion: the business world suffered a lot of changes, and alterations are far from stopping when it comes to innovative approaches, new regulations, incomprehensible business models and generally underdeveloped ideas. 

The reality of the present day business world is that you have to stay industrious at all times, determined and attentive, and you have to keep learning if you want to advance in your career.

Of course, progress always depends on the level of one’s commitment, but today you can obtain a skill on Monday to find out it is obsolete on Friday. Development leaves incompetency behind, it’s elementary, but it is hard to keep up with modern business world. This is why we will focus on methods that you can commit to and attain skills that will secure your future progress in the following period. 

Virtual Office Politics

Management is all about communication, you have to understand that you are an enabler, so always keep in mind that no matter the variety of individuals that you have to communicate with on a daily basis, you have to adapt to every one of them. Use social networks, all HR leaders do, get familiar with their interests, their likes and tweets and maybe you will find a way to motivate and engage your employees.

Of course, be subtle, don’t just approach them and tell them that you’ve read their profile and found out that they yearn for a vacation. You don’t have to be misleading, it is good enough to just inform them about your decision without any further explanations, especially if it affects your employee in a positive manner. Remember, just because you are an enabler it doesn’t mean that you should enable contra productivity. Authority is still a matter of attitude, guidance and smart decisions.

Support collaborations, build a LinkedIn network and keep your employees connected at all times. If your staff has a chance to access work files and connections at their personal time, all chances are that they will do so, it is also a powerful motivator for them to stay engaged. 

If your office is not supporting BYOD policy, you should get familiar with this strategy. Younger experts especially proved themselves as more productive workers when they had the chance to feel comfortable with their working tools. 

Virtual Learning

Although modern tools will allow you to have your decisions entirely data driven, this doesn’t mean that you should stop working on your personal and professional education. 

On the contrary, you should obtain practical skills and get certification for them, and commit to that as a part of your daily or at least weekly routine. Learning without earning a certificate doesn’t make much sense, although you may hear different, a validate proof of your skill will always prevail in your benefit.

Seminars became webinars, lectures – subscriptions and videos, and your tablet is your notebook. According to your particular line of work you should also pay attention about innovation of apps, and know that cloud based software is the future of doing any form of virtual business. 

If you are looking for apps that could make your day more productive and well organized, get familiar with the best of them here. Make your device your personal assistant and let reminders keep you attentive and diligent, today staying in touch with the latest technology is crucial for any line of work.

These are guidelines that you can apply no matter the field that you work in, but they are far from suggestions. If you don’t take this matter seriously it could have a negative effect on your future career. 

Keep an innovation-friendly point of view, connect and share your knowledge, and you will have no problem with leading a successful business in 2015.

5 Easy Steps to Increase Stock Trading Profits

Being an investor, your primary objective is to earn profits. Whatever the form of your trade – day, momentum, short-term or long-term - making higher profits from each trade is an important goal. The higher the returns on each trade, the higher the rise of your net earnings.

Professional traders boast 80-95% success rates on each trade. Retail traders on the other hand enjoy a success rate of 50% or lower. This means that often their profits are soon lost, and this change prevents them from earning as much as professional traders in terms of Rate of Investment. 

However, with consistent success, retail traders’ profits grow, ROI improves and capital bases rise. The more funds you have at your disposal, the more opportunities you will find to trade and the lower the trades will go. To help you to do that, here are 5 tips on how to improve stock trading profits:

1. Study charts: Developing your trading skill depends much on studying charts and reading indicators. Instead of focusing on the profit, focus on the stocks you are going to trade. Improving your technical skills will improve your chances of getting higher returns.

2. Wait after the market closes: Wait 20-30 minutes after the market closes to make sure that all of the solidified ticker data is in the charts. Waiting allows you to obtain all the data from the daily trading activity. 

Since there are now over 50 Dark Pool Alternative Trading System venues, dozens of Electronic Communication Networks, over a dozen stock exchanges and many other Over The Counter platforms, it takes time for every order to pass through the National Clearing Houses, be recorded, documented and transfer of title even if the transaction took place on the High Frequency Trading millisecond. 

All of this means you should wait after the market closes to improve your chances of getting higher returns.

3. Observe the market condition: Being unable to find suitable stocks might make your regular trading strategies desolate. One of the main reasons retail traders suffer losses is because they try to force the market to trade their way. Instead, be adaptable and learn to go with the flow of the market.

4. Practice intermediate-term trading: Weak stock indicators result in the trade being weak as well. Learn to trade not only in the short-term, but in the intermediate-term as well. 

Many traders suffer losses due to the intermediate-term affecting the prices in the short-term trading. Learning to trade in both terms improve your chances of generating higher returns.

5. Identify actively trading Market Participant Groups: There are 9 distinct MPGs. Each have their own specific order processing system and venue, types, size of lot order and trades at specific times of the day or specific market conditions. 

When you know the Group you are trading, you can identify how price moves, volume behavior and lot sizes of the Group.

Every trader should know these basic pieces of information. Dream big, and following these simple guidelines will see you generate higher and higher returns.

Top 5 Government Programs to Assist Veterans Financially

As a thank you for their service and dedication to excellence as a member of the military, the United States government maintains a number of different programs that offer financial assistance to veterans. Whether the assistance be for college, housing or for simple necessities, military veterans deserve as much help as they can get.
The following five government programs offer extensive financial assistance to military veterans who are in various stages of life.

1. Federal Student Aid from the Department of Education

Veterans and current military members who are seeking a college degree can receive financial assistance from the Department of Education.

Veterans are eligible for a variety of levels of benefits depending on how long they served and whether or not they are currently active. In a large number of cases, veterans are eligible for full college benefits meaning that the Department of Education and the Department of Defense will pay for their entire college education in full.

Those who might not be eligible for enough military grants to cover their college education can apply for specialized college loans that are deferred and offer significantly reduced interest rates when compared to other types of loans. 

2. VA Home Loans

VA home loans are perfect for military veterans and their families who wish to purchase a home.

VA home loans from institutions like Low VA Rates are specialty loans that are insured by the federal government. Unlike other federal mortgage insurance programs, these loans often require little to no down payment, and borrowers don't have to purchase mortgage insurance as part of the process.

The Office of Veterans Affairs can assist with getting these types of loans and with other financial issues that veterans experience after being discharged from the military. 

3. Local Property Tax Offices

While many veterans may not be aware of this, anyone who has served in the military is eligible to receive property tax exemptions. 


These types of exemptions are for veterans who own homes in certain county jurisdictions across the United States. To take advantage of this exemption, veterans need to contact tax assessor's office and file a property tax exemption form. Veterans who are disabled are eligible to receive an increased exemption amount based on their property value and annual income. 

4. Blind Annuity

Veterans who have become legally blind are eligible for yearly financial assistance of up to $1,100.

To qualify for this financial assistance, veterans must have served at least 90 days in the military beyond their specified training period. Most counties across the country currently offer one similar to the program that is being run by the County of Albany in New York. 

5. Veteran & Dependent Burial Benefits

The National Cemetery Administration assists veterans and their families with the cost of funerals and other expenses that occur when a loved one passes away.

From burial allowance to headstones, burial flags and more, veterans can sign up for these services early on in life to help them prepare for the future.
The United States government provides billions of dollars every year to veterans who are in need. From buying a home to seeing a doctor and attending college, veterans have a number of options to choose from for financial assistance on a lifelong basis after they've been discharged from the military.