Three Strategies To Get Your Etsy Store Noticed

Whether you are just looking to make a little extra money on the side, or you are trying to make selling your products on Etsy a full-time venture, without effective internet marketing, it can be difficult to get your products noticed. While there are many people on the internet looking for unique and beautiful products, there is also a multitude of people trying to sell their goods. That is why it is important to apply as many internet marketing strategies as you can to ensure that your Etsy store gets the attention that it deserves.

Below are listed three of the most effective tools you can use to get your products noticed:

Having an Attractive Store Presentation.

One of the most effective ways to catch a shopper’s attention is to have an appealing storefront. To achieve this, be sure to photograph your products in a professional and vibrant way. You want every detail of your product to stand out and to be in focus. This gives a sense of professionalism that will cause shoppers to feel good about buying the product. Another way to boost your store’s presentation is to design a logo and a recognizable theme for your business. Think about your image and what you wish to portray, and stick to this theme. Giving your store a unique ambience will cause your store to stay in the minds of previous and potential customers. Finally, make the packaging for shipping something unique that inspires feelings of excitement when it comes in the mail. Taking this simple step will keep your customers coming back for more.

Creatively Using Social Media.

Having an online store means that most of your potential clientele will be familiar with social media. However, this also most likely means that your customers will be desensitized by a constant barrage of advertisement. Therefore, it is important that you use a more personal and interesting way to use social media. One of the biggest mistakes that people make on social media is to only use their site for talking about their product. When this happens, your store becomes just another product trying to vie for attention. Instead, alternate any mention of your goods with interesting and “clickable” material. This can be anything from DIY articles, to something touching that you saw on the internet. Mix it up, and keep it fun!

Utilizing a Search Engine Optimization Company.

A Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) company, such as PlacementSEO, works with you to boost you higher in the ranking of popular search engines. Most shoppers use free browsing tools such as Google and Bing to find the product that they are looking for. The closer to the top of the page that your business is, the more likely they are to click on the link. These companies will use key words that accurately describe your business to generate more traffic to your store. You can also learn SEO yourself which will allow you to save money while helping better increase the organic traffic on your website. You can find an amazing resource here written by Link Almighty.
The most important thing is to be persistent! Building a business can take some time, but the rewards at the end are worth the effort!

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Building A Diverse Workforce

by Michelle Stedman, Vice President of Operations and Talent Management Strategist at BirdDogHR

There’s no better way to reflect the world we live through your company in than by ensuring that you employ a diverse range of staff. Whether it’s through nationality, religious beliefs, disability, or sexual preference, having a diverse workforce pays dividends for both company morale and employee retention. Nobody wants to feel like the odd person out in a sea of homogeneity – and a homogenous workforce can broadcast some uncomfortable truths, even unintentionally.

Think about this tone-deaf tweet from Huffington Post, or this Instagram post from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan – although the posts have the intent of showing an enjoyable workplace, they served more to demonstrate the lack of people of color hired by both Capitol Hill interns program, and the Huffington Post’s editor division. Diversity in the workplace needs to be intersectional, and HR and recruiting divisions must always be culturally sensitive. Lacking diversity can cause legal ramifications, but also a company’s reputation could take a hit, and employees themselves will feel far less engaged if they don’t feel properly represented in their place of work.

A diverse workforce has been shown to increase profits, and many successful companies have made it a priority to ensure that everyone feels welcome. If hiring for diversity hasn’t been on your radar yet, it’s your responsibility to bring people of all backgrounds into the fold.

Here’s why it’s important, and how to do it:

The Importance – and Priority – of Staff Diversity.

For many hiring managers, the emphasis is on finding the most qualified and talented candidates to fill roles at a company. Even if the field is large, HR and talent departments are tasked with narrowing their search down to only the best. The problem that can rise here is that sometimes in the pursuit of excellence, there isn’t enough focus being put on looking at diversity. Building a staff that includes people of multiple origins and cultures means that no one person feels left out (or singled out), as well as creating a rich workforce that puts an emphasis on acceptance.

Think about your company and what kind of business it does, and who it primarily does business with. Is your staff adequately representative of the demographic you’re serving? If the answer is no, then how are you certain you’re serving your demographic in the ways that they truly need? It’s this diverse range of background and viewpoints that make multicultural hires so important. You can’t fake someone else’s life experience for the sake of the bottom line; transparency and authenticity always come out on top, for good reason.

Unfortunately, statistics show that many companies have a long way to go to make diversity a priority. There are a number of ways that workplaces aren’t making the grade when it comes to diversity hiring, including the fact that 41% of managers claim to be “too busy” to implement diversity initiatives. There are also some pretty stark findings, such as the fact that 57% of employees “think their companies should be more diverse” and 40% of people think there’s a standard against hiring women (considering the fact that so few CEOs are women, this could be a very correct assumption).

Federal contractors in particular need to keep diversity a priority, given that there are laws in place in order to ensure that no one is discriminated against when it comes to hiring processes. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in their own words, “is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.” Federal contractors need to document their recruitment outreach and hiring processes in order to have proof that they’re adhering to the EEOC’s guidelines. These federal laws also stretch across most employers with more than 15 employees, most labor unions, and employment agencies, so it’s vital that all hiring managers comply with these anti-discrimination guidelines.

The Best Ways to Hire for Diversity.

Now that you’re aware of the importance of a diverse workplace from both a social and a legal standpoint, it’s important that you create a company culture that’s accepting of all diversities. The first step is to get out of the mindset that hiring for diversity is purely about legal obligation, or doing so just to check off the “diversity” box for your company. Instead, hiring a diverse workforce is a necessity because it brings together people of all backgrounds and cultures, which can in turn provide education, inspiration, and unique points of view.

It can start right at the beginning with the job postings your company puts online. Specifically noting that your company values diverse hiring and openly welcomes people of all nationalities, disabilities, and gender identities to apply can be a small thing with huge results. It also pays to work your company’s focus on diversity into its core values or motto, as it makes it clear that the company celebrates difference and will not tolerate discrimination. This too ought to be highlighted in your company’s mission statement across all job postings.

If you’re having a hard time finding diverse candidates in your region, there are some techniques you can use, such as employee referrals (especially if the company has moved to a region with less diversity), speaking to local institutions like colleges and cultural centers, and even looking into websites that specifically promote diversity in job candidates. Now that the internet allows for a wider job-search reach, there should be no excuses for missing out on multiculturalism in your workplace.

Training and education can go a long way in improving or repairing a workplace that hasn’t yet prioritized diversity. In order to retain employees, you need to give them the vision of a solid career path, and this can be daunting if the cultural acceptance and resources aren’t there. Instead, personnel need to be given the training required to help with any cultural differences or roadblocks that could prevent employees from moving forward. Putting together a network for socializing and communication can also help staff feel like they’re part of the team, which cuts down on both isolation and turnover.

Finally, transparency is key. Make sure your employees know that they’re not there to fill a quota – instead, they were chosen because they were the best. It just so happens that a diverse workforce is the best overall, especially when everyone is contributing their own unique skills.

Make It Multicultural.

Although it may not be intentional, overlooking diversity initiatives at the workplace can be disastrous – not only because outright discrimination is against federal law, but also because it can create a hostile or isolated atmosphere. Society is already so unstable when it comes to understanding our differences – don’t let this sort of volatility creep into the office environment. It’s time to celebrate multiculturalism and what makes us unique, especially in the workplace.

How diverse is your current place of employment? Do you think it could be better? Tell us in the comments.

 

Michelle Stedman, Vice President of Operations and Talent Management Strategist, joined the BirdDogHR team in 2012 and leads the Professional Services, Product Development and Customer Care teams. Michelle’s multifaceted background in corporate recruiting and agency staffing gives her a unique perspective into developing professional services that help BirdDogHR customers achieve talent management success. A published author and frequent presenter, Michelle speaks to AGC of America and SHRM audiences across the country.

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Five Tips For Starting A Successful Tech Company

by Matthew Horn, Esq., President and Co-Founder of Legal Services Link

When done properly, launching a tech company can be a fulfilling and exciting endeavor. When done improperly, it can be a nightmare.

Below are five tips for ensuring your company is a success.

Tip 1: Identify and Evaluate the Competition.

Ok, you want to start a tech company. You must have an idea that forms the basis for the company. The next step is determining whether there is an actual need for that company. In order to answer that question, you need to identify and objectively evaluate the competition. Is there competition? Is the competition satisfying your potential customers’ needs? If so, how will you improve on the competition? Will those improvements lure customers to your company? If your idea involves marginally improving on the competition, that may not be enough to build a sustainable tech company, so you might want to head back to the drawing board.

Tip 2: Developing a Business Plan and Strategy.

A lot of tech companies these days only worry about getting users. They put no thought into how they intend to monetize those users. This has worked for a couple of high-flying companies that have come up with a business strategy after-the-fact, but exponentially more companies that you have never heard of have failed because they couldn’t monetize their idea. My recommendation is after you have come up with an idea and evaluated the competition, sit down and draft a business plan. It doesn’t need to be more than a few pages, but it will make you think about you intend to monetize your idea and build a sustainable, and ultimately, profitable company. Users are great, but profit is key.

Tip 3: Be Flexible.

Very few ideas and visions are perfectly executed. That said, you need to get your company as close to perfect as you can before launch. Once you launch, however, it is not time to get complacent. You need to continue adapting and refining your business to make it better—more user-friendly, more functional, more profitable, etc. Ultimately, if you do this, you will end up with a business that looks nothing like the one you initially envisioned and/or launched, which is exactly what you want, not something to be frowned upon. If you are not willing to modify your initial vision and idea, you will eventually end up with no business at all. So be flexible and embrace change.

Tip 4: Focus on Mobile.

I started a website that helps those with legal needs quickly and easily connect with attorneys—http://ift.tt/1XnwgfA. When we were developing the site, we made it mobile-friendly, but frankly, I didn’t think anyone would use the site to find and hire an attorney from their phone because it’s such an important and “traditional” transaction. I was wrong. The majority of users use the site from their phone. In fact, virtually everyone uses their phones for everything these days. So when you’re developing your idea, no matter what it relates to, make your product mobile friendly, and if it can be used as an app, get an app built too.

Tip 5: Get Help.

One of the greatest things a person can know in life is what they don’t know. In that regard, I can’t think of anyone I know that is an expert in an industry, knows how to code, has experience in sales, has experience with marketing, is a proficient accountant, and has a legal degree. If you are that person, congrats, you might be able to build a tech company on your own! If you are not that person, you need help. So get help. Help comes in many forms—partners, mentors, employees, independent contractors, and outside service providers. Identify the knowledge and skill set needed to help you create a profitable tech company, and then, accumulate that knowledge and skill set.

 

Matthew Horn, Esq. is the President and Co-Founder of Legal Services Link, a leading online platform connecting those with legal needs with attorneys interested in satisfying those needs — at the click of a button. He holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a JD from The John Marshall Law School.

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How To Increase The Safety Of Your Computer Network

There are a number of different things you will have to keep up with as a small business owner, which will require a lot of time and effort on your part. If your business relies heavily on the use of computers, then you will need to make sure that you are computing safely. With all of the dangers lurking around in cyberspace, finding the right way to use your network safely should be a top priority. Hiring reputable service providers – for example, an IT service provider in Toronto – is important when trying to keep your network safe.

The following are a few tips on how to improve the safety of your business computer network:

Know What Needs to Be Protected.

The first thing you will need to do when trying to secure your business network is to find out the data most susceptible to theft. The more you are able to find out about what needs to be protected, the easier the whole process will be for you. If you are unsure about what needs to be done, then you will need to consult with a professional in the IT world. They will be able to give you sound advice on your network and what you need to do to protect it.

Set Policies for Your Team to Follow.

The next thing you need to do when trying to get your network secure is to set forth policies for your team to follow. You need to make sure that you have policies laid out regarding downloads and web surfing due to the danger that exists in both of these area. By letting your employees know what is expected of them and what your guidelines are, you will be able to keep your network much safer in the long run.

Hire Professionals to Help.

Another very important thing you need to consider when trying to secure your computer network is to hire professionals in the field to help you out. By hiring IT professionals, you will find it easier to secure your network and implement state of the art solutions. The last thing you want to do in a situation like this is to try and handle matters on your own due to the large room for error that exists. The professionals you hire to help you will be able to get you the safety and security you are longing for.

Make sure that the professionals you are hiring have a good bit of experience in the field. You need to also make sure to check around for the best possible price for the services you need. The time and effort that goes into this process will be well worth it in the end.

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Why A Product Catalogue Can Help You Increase Sales

Your website is your digital shop window, in the same way as high street stores have actual windows through which shoppers can take a look at what they are selling and start to make decisions about what they want to buy. It’s your opportunity to entice people to your product and keep them engaged.

Most websites work best if they are uncluttered, simple to read and understand and easy to navigate. So, what happens if listing your products on your website detracts from it being one or more of these things? No-one really wants to wade through list upon list of products. If you leave your website visitors with just that option there is a chance they may decide to go and look for a simpler shopping experience elsewhere.

How using a product catalogue can help.

One of the best ways of providing all of the product information people need, while also keeping the website simple, is to design a product catalogue which people can access separately, from your website. You can include all of the product information that people find it useful to know before they purchase, as well as glossy and enticing photographs of the products.

You may want to consider providing a view of your products from different angles so that people are better able to fully visualise the product. A product catalogue gives you the opportunity to better showcase what you have to offer, thereby improving the chances of increasing your sales.

How easy is it to produce an online product catalogue?

One of the best things about using a product catalogue to increase sales is that it’s really easy to create one online; just take a look at this issuu & joomag review. One of the easiest ways of creating an online product catalogue is to upload a pdf of the content into conversion software and simply convert the pdf into an appealing flipbook.

Any visitors to your website can then simply access the flipbook catalogue and click or swipe to access the products you have to offer. We say swipe as well as click because flipbooks can be viewed across devices. This means that you do not lose out on any potential viewers from the large number of people who now regularly use a mobile device to go online. One of the really good things about using a flipbook for your product catalogue is that you can also include video content. You may want to include content from a fashion show or a demonstration of your products, for instance. This type of additional content provides more context to the items you are selling.

You can see how it makes sense to include all of the supplementary information about your products in one place. Producing an online product catalogue is simple and it’s likely to increase your sales as potential customers find it easier to navigate through the products you are offering

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4 Reasons Why Having An MBA Can Help When Launching A Startup

Building a business from the ground up is no walk in the park, as there are many aspects involved in the funding and financing of a successful endeavor. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a versatile entrepreneur needs to be multi-talented in areas related to business management, accounting, and planning. While you’ve probably seen plenty of stories about 20 somethings who went on to become millionaires without ever earning a degree, it’s important to realize that those are the exceptions and not the norm.

With that said, here are four ways having an MBA can be useful when you’re launching a startup:

1. Knowledge of How to Build a Feasible Business Plan.

Perhaps most importantly, someone who has earned an online MBA degree will be familiar with the fundamentals involved in creating a detailed, professional business plan. This is a critical stage in the early development of a company because a great business plan can be used to convince investors that your startup is worthy of their funding. If there’s one essential skill that an entrepreneur should possess, it’s the ability to draw up a comprehensive business plan and carry it into fruition. The online MBA program at Northeastern University is a good example of one of the top 5 online MBAs in the country, and they place a strong emphasis on the importance of business planning.

2. Credentials to Show Investors.

Some of the most successful startups are not funded by the owners themselves but by contributions from investors. With an AACSB online MBA you’ll be able to comfortably earn your degree from anywhere there’s an internet connection and once you have it, that one credential is going to make your résumé shine like a freshly polished bowling ball. All that’s left to do after that is knock down the pins and roll a strike with your proposal and business planning skills. Anyone can say that they know how to run a business, but when you have a degree there’s no doubting it.

3. Minimizing Research Burdens.

Finally, while you’re earning your MBA you’ll be introduced to a plethora of topics related to business administration, management, funding, financing, marketing, and all the other areas you’d have to become familiar with independently if you wanted to evolve into a well-rounded entrepreneur without the assistance of an AACSB accredited university. Typically, when you’re about to launch a product or service you’ll have to do weeks of research and planning regarding the technicalities involved with bringing it to market in a legal, professional, and competitive manner. With an MBA you’ll have those steps covered and will be ready to tackle the more pertinent details instead.

4. Become an Eligible Leader.

When you see the “About Us’ pages of most company websites, what is the one thing most of the leading staff have in common? They all have degrees or extensive experience, or both. With an online MBA degree, you can boost your apparent reputation and put yourself in a league of CEOs and company leaders. This makes it a great option to fall back on in the event that your entrepreneurial efforts don’t work out as planned, so even in a worst case scenario you’ll still have a nicer résumé that will make you eligible for a better job.

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E-Commerce Essentials: 5 Things You Need To Succeed

In recent years e-commerce has become so substantial to the economy the U.S. Census Bureau has given it a separate reports section all its own called E-STATS. When the government acknowledges a business trend, you know it’s relevant and here to stay.

According to the Department of Commerce, e-commerce took in $341.7 billion in sales last year. For the majority of large and small retailers, maximizing profitability means fully supporting and investing in e-commerce. Simply having a website and product listings isn’t enough to win over today’s online shoppers. Virtual customers are looking for e-commerce essentials and without them, you won’t win their business.

1. Rock Solid Payment Processing.

Money is something you never want to mishandle. Processing payments is the lifeblood of any e-commerce business. You need a smooth transaction for the sake of efficiency, operations and creating a good customer experience.

Many e-commerce business owners have no idea how many considerations go into choosing a payment processing solution. Reps from Checkout.com, an international payment processing platform, say their customers are amazed at all the options. They suggest e-commerce businesses look for three key things:

• Easy integration into your website.
• Acceptance of all major credit cards – if not you’re missing opportunities to be make a sale.
• Mobile-friendly features (lLast year 32% of e-commerce purchases were made with a mobile device).

2. Stellar Customer Service.

There are far too many options today for online shoppers to put up with sub-par customer service. Online shopping is all about convenience so if the customer service is lacking it’s seen as a serious drawback.

The easier you can make the purchase, payment processing and delivery the happier customers will be. If there is an issue, hang up or question customers should be able to get a hold of you easily and quickly. Give them options so they can pick their preference and reach out at any time of day. Customer service reps should be taught to be courteous, patient and helpful. The second they get short, salesy or condescending the customer satisfaction will immediately drop.

An FAQ section and resources section can also help customers through the process without you having to address each concern personally.

3. Exceptional Reputation.

Three words – word of mouth. Before the Internet and review sites like Yelp, a company had more control over shaping the perception of their business. Now that customers can speak their mind freely for the entire world to see, reputation management is more important than ever.

This goes right back to the importance of customer service. Unhappy customers are three times more likely to tell others about their negative experience. For every bad review, your e-commerce business gets online you’ll need 10-12 positive reviews to negate the negative effect. Those star ratings are the #1 factor consumers use to judge a business before making a purchase.

4. Friction Reducers.

Shopping at a brick-and-mortar store is reassuring to people. They see the product in-person, they’re interacting with employees and can gauge the legitimacy of the business based on first-hand experience.

This isn’t the case when people shop online. They are sending their money and inputting payment information into a system operated by people they’ve never met before and know little about. In other words, there are reasonable trust issues.

E-commerce businesses have to overcome this friction by mitigating it throughout the sales funnel. This is largely accomplished by having a well-designed website that works perfectly. A few other ways you can reduce friction include:

• Provide a free shipping offer.
• Make shipping costs crystal clear before customers get into the order process – unexpected shipping expenses are the number one reason customers abandon carts.
• Offer guest checkout so customers don’t have to create an account.
• Put trust and security icons at the point of sale.
• Include guarantee info on product pages if one is offered.

Basically, you need to nurture the sale every step of the way and build trust with the consumer.

5. Fully Functional, Intuitive Website.

The more your shoppers have to think about, the less likely they are to buy. If a button isn’t working, the next step isn’t clear or pages don’t load it takes users out of the shopping mindset. Instead of adding an item to their cart they’re trying to figure out how to navigate your website or, worse, decide to try their luck elsewhere.

It’s important to monitor problems and fix them as soon as they are discovered. Everything right down to the zoom in and zoom out tools should work perfectly in every browser and on every type of device. Remember, your website is your store. It should be clean, functional and make the shopping experience enjoyable.

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3 Ways To Revitalize A Struggling Small Business

By Doug Kisgen, author of “Rethink Happy: An Entrepreneur’s Journey Toward Finding Authentic Joy“

When a business is struggling, there are many areas where problems could be lurking. Here are a few ways to revitalize a struggling small business, namely prioritization, mentorship, and attaining authentic joy.

1. Prioritization.

Prioritization is key. When a small business is having trouble, the owner is often left to juggle a myriad of projects and responsibilities. What can be done when your to-do list gets too long? Think of the four D’s: Do it, Delegate it, Defer it, or Drop it.

It’s simple but not necessarily easy. Prioritizing in this way helps to process information without taxing your willpower heavily. Here is a great worksheet to help you out.

Do it.

Whether attempting to prioritize emails, phone calls, tasks at home, or projects that need to get done, filter the items through this list. “Do it” usually refers to something you can complete in less than two minutes. If that is the case, you can simply do it now and skip the rest of the list.

Delegate it.

If the task is something that someone else can do as well as you or better, you should delegate it. I personally take it a step further in my own application and say that everything that can be done by someone else should be delegated.

The 80% rule can come into play here. If someone else can do it at least 80% as well as you can, then you should delegate it. As a business owner or manager, your ultimate goal should be to complete projects and tasks that only you can do best.

Defer it.

Assign a date and time in the future to complete this particular task. Clearly, now can’t be the right time to do everything.

Drop it.

We all have things we want to do but aren’t necessary. These are tasks or projects that actually do not have to be done, so you can drop them from the list completely. For this strategy to be effective, you have to commit to not considering these tasks again. This tip will lead to less busywork and more productive efforts.

2. Mentorship.

Mentorship is something that might seem to have gone by the wayside today, especially where egos tend to reign supreme. Working with someone who is more experienced than you can be greatly beneficial.

Nothing great was accomplished alone. Having a mentor can help you recognize which tasks you need to do, delegate, defer, or drop. The mentor can work with you to help identify weaknesses and strengths, so you can more effectively utilize your time.

3. Authentic Joy.

Today, business is all about getting ahead, and many times it means you have to – and it is acceptable to – step on anyone who gets in the way. I believe in a different philosophy: giving of yourself to achieve authentic joy.

Authentic joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is something that comes from within, and it is present even in the darkest times of a business.

Find authentic joy by thinking about others. Doing so will not go unpaid.

How do you apply this in your business? Compliment an employee on a job well done at least twice a week. It doesn’t have to be anything big. For example, telling an employee “you did a nice job on that email I asked you to send out” or “thanks for cleaning up the conference room after our meeting” is a small gesture that can go a long way. The key to authentic joy, both in business and personal life, is putting others first.

 

Doug Kisgen is a serial entrepreneur, organizational consultant, and author of “Rethink Happy: An Entrepreneur’s Journey Toward Finding Authentic Joy“.  Doug’s current company, Kisgen Group, works with entrepreneurs and executives to help them get what they want through the use of a short survey that validly measures seven work-related traits. Follow Doug on Twitter @dougkisgen.

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Optimize Your Toolset To Tackle Today’s Network Issues

By Leon Adato, Head Geek, SolarWinds

Software defined networking (SDN) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are key technology trends sure to affect the future of networking. As such, they currently enjoy the lion’s share of broad industry attention. Now, there’s no harm in devoting time to thinking about and planning for cutting edge, on or slightly beyond the horizon trends such as these, and in fact, it’s smart to start doing so.

However, taking a step back, there are much more concrete issues affecting enterprise networks in the here and now that still need addressed in order to keep business running smoothly. Specifically, the cloud, bring-your-own-device (BYOD), IPv6, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and wireless are important trends impacting networks today that most organizations haven’t fully solved.

What follows is an outline of the core challenges each of these trends presents and suggestions on how network engineers can overcome them.

Cloud.

There are three primary cloud-related challenges network engineers face today.

The first is security. It can be easy for network engineers to fall into the trap of thinking that because they’re not directly responsible for a cloud service provider’s security, they’re no longer culpable in the event of a breach related to the security of their organizations’ data traffic while it is in transit to or from a cloud provider. That would be a mistake.

That also relates to the second key networking-related challenge of the cloud — lack of visibility into data traffic’s movement and behavior once it leaves the firewall. While this has security implications, not knowing how traffic is being routed and optimized by a cloud provider also has significant network performance implications.

The third key network challenge brought on by the cloud relates to bandwidth. Planning for the bandwidth needs of known cloud services is difficult enough. For example, in the context of moving to cloud-based email services, Microsoft Office365 throttles the amount of email data that can be migrated at any one time. So, if you have three (or 300) terabytes of email data, the migration will not happen over a weekend. Even more difficult is planning for the unknown—end users leveraging online storage, file sharing and other cloud-based services without IT’s knowledge. This, of course, has security repercussions, too — free or “freemium” cloud services are becoming just as much an aspect of the shadow IT phenomenon as anything else.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any magic bullets when it comes overcoming these challenges. For security, the best thing IT professionals can do is understand and be very clear about the security risks they are most concerned about, the corporate security regulations that need to be followed and the compliance certifications that must be achieved when it comes to data security. Then they must work with their cloud service provider to jointly build a plan to meet these requirements. This might also include changing the definition of the “edge of the network,” and adding tools that increase insight into the new areas; for example, adding security logging collectors to the Internet-facing WAN connections. For performance, simulating the user experience is a good start. NetFlow and deep packet inspection can also help in certain circumstances. To stem the bandwidth (and security) issues of unauthorized cloud services, specific services can, of course, be blocked company-wide, but administrators should make sure they have management buy-in and also offer alternatives serves — after all, there is a reason end users sought out the “shadow” cloud service in the first place.

BYOD.

No longer considered an optional perk, employees in organizations of every size now expect that they will be able to connect their personal devices of choice to their organizations’ networks in some capacity. Thus, BYOD has posed a whole host of challenges to the IT department since gaining popularity in recent years.

Network administrators now must think of every employee as at least two devices connecting to company networks and systems, and likely even more, at least doubling concerns around security, overall network complexity and connection volume and density. In effect, already-complex network environments are placed under even more pressure as users access services both inside and outside the network firewall, straining resources which may not have been correctly provisioned in the first place.

To overcome these challenges, network engineers need packet inspection tools as well as bandwidth or SNMP monitoring solutions. Tracking and managing device IP addresses as well as monitoring the resources these devices are accessing to ensure applications are still performing quickly and efficiently while being on the look-out for anomalies that could be signs of a breach are important, too. Ideally, a holistic view of all these resources, also known as the application stack, is what should be sought.

IPv6.

The impending transition from IPv4 to IPv6 has been an ongoing discussion for years: the Internet is running out of IPv4 addresses, IPv4 isn’t “future-proof,” IPv6 will make managing networking services much easier, and so on. However, despite the buzz, IPv6 addresses still make up just a small percentage of today’s Internet. And adoption will likely continue to be slow — mostly due to costs associated with making the switch.

However, network administrators should not be fooled by this, as it’s highly likely IPv6 is already enabled and operational in many organizations whether they know it or not, creating “shadow networks” of unmanaged IPv6-enabled devices that can pose significant security risks — IPv6 packages remain relatively unknown and unmonitored and devices using IPv6 addresses can contain security flaws that go unnoticed by network administrators. In addition, even known IPv6 addresses can put more strain on networks by sometimes taking more — and unexpected — routes.

To overcome these IPv6 challenges, first, network administrators should try to simplify the whole process of IP address management — for both IPv4 and IPv6 — in order to eliminate network conflicts and outages, track critical assets, ensure network security and provide reports based on a wide range of parameters, including IP address status. It’s also important identify and document devices that currently support IPv6, map existing IPv4 space and proposed IPv6 space and document devices that need to be added/replaced for IPv6 support. Lastly, true application firewalls can untangle even the most sneaky device conversations, get IP address management under control and also get network equipment ready for IPv6. They can also classify and segment device traffic; implement effective quality of service to ensure that critical business traffic has headroom; and of course, monitor flow.

VDI.

The primary challenge network engineers face when it comes to VDI is the change in business data flow: physical machines are running virtual desktops, each of which is clamoring for server, email or application access, and as is the case with most companies using VDI, a softphone client is then introduced. With the addition of voice data to desktop applications, it can be difficult for network administrators to maintain correct data flow and manage traffic for employees’ virtual desktops.

When managing a VDI environment, network monitoring intersects with both virtualization and application monitoring. It’s beneficial for network engineers to know if users’ virtual sessions are running smoothly and under control. Many of the tools and techniques to tackle BYOD can help here as well; in particular, end-to-end application stack visibility.

Wireless.

Wireless is as a mature technology as they come. In fact, nobody wants to pay good money to wire up a cubicle farm anymore. The low cost to buy and manage wireless equipment makes it a no-brainer for almost any environment, but it creates challenges around adequate signal strength, managing IP addresses and channels for physical mobility. Wireless-enablement can also quickly get out of hand and that large wireless environments create their own new kind of issue.

What’s needed to tackle the challenges associated with wireless once and for all are tools like IP address management, wireless heat maps, user device tracking and over-subscribed access points. The problem is that many of these tools have traditionally been cost-prohibitive, but newer options open doors to implementing these technologies you might not be aware of.

Conclusion.

Network engineers should give thought to how and when their organizations can transition to SDN. They should also plan for how they will address IoT and the tidal wave of connected everything it brings with it. But they shouldn’t forget about the issues affecting their networks today. Most have only scratched the surface in terms of addressing the network-related challenges of the cloud, BYOD, IPv6, VDI and wireless. With the suggestions outlined here to more fully do so, their networks will be ready to take on what comes next.

 

Leon Adato is a Head Geek and technical evangelist at SolarWinds, and is a Cisco® Certified Network Associate (CCNA), MCSE and SolarWinds Certified Professional (he was once a customer, after all). His 25 years of network management experience spans financial, healthcare, food and beverage, and other industries.

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Reasons For Surge In Mexico’s Private Equity Industry

For years Mexico lagged behind a lot of other Latin America countries when it came to private equity. The country just couldn’t attract funding to this area of the financial industry and at one point, it took just 5% of the Latin America market.

Now, things have been transformed. While the likes of Javier García Teruel Avila has been a prominent figure in private equity in his homeland for years, the market means there are even more opportunities for successful private equity investors such as him to take advantage of. The market has well and truly opened up and for someone like Javier García, it’s easier to stay “at home”, so to speak.

However, what are the true reasons behind the surge in this industry? To put things into perspective, rather than owning just 5% of the industry, Mexico now has close to a third. As well as this, their private equity investments have surpassed the likes of Russia and Turkey – meaning that the nation is slowly but surely becoming a real force.

Bearing the above in mind, let’s take a look at just how all this has happened – and why the country is now becoming so welcoming in relation to private equity investment.

The government has opened doors.

There’s no doubt that the Mexican government are largely to thank for the country’s rise in private equity. Once upon a time red tape meant that it was difficult to invest in this industry, but now things have changed.

This has all come courtesy of several reforms that were announced in 2009. Realizing how private equity can provide such a boost to an economy, the government made changes to something that is known locally as Afores.

In short, these are mandatory pension funds. Previously, they were somewhat restricted. Now, the Mexican government permits people to invest as much as 10% of their assets in private equity.

Unsurprisingly, the move has been substantial for the industry as a whole. It has opened a lot of doors and those who previously couldn’t tap into private equity now can.

The country has become much “cleaner”.

Something else that previously held this part of the industry back was its reputation. For a long time there was a lot of fears surrounding corruption and drug wars – but efforts to clean up these areas mean that there is generally much more confidence amongst investors.

Brazil has taken a back seat.

This final point isn’t necessarily related to Mexico’s improvements, but there’s no doubt that Brazil’s status in private equity has aided the country.

For years it was the capital of private equity in Latin America. Now, its share is falling and Mexico has firmly overtaken it.

To put things into perspective, just five years ago Brazil had 75% more private equity fundraising. Now, it’s fallen behind Mexico – an astonishing turnaround. Even if Brazil somehow manages to recover, Mexico are now becoming so far ahead that the situation might now be irreversible.

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Five Things Business Owners Really Ought To Prepare More For

Ever since the first person made the first stone tool and someone else liked it, we have been an enterprising race. Business is something that has followed us and developed with us through the millennia. So it can be terribly frustrating to fall to what seems to be one of the more obvious problems in business.

Here, we’re going to look at someone of those potentially fatal blows more businesses ought to prepare for:

The market.

Being unprepared for the market and the market’s receptiveness seems like a reckless way to go. Still, it proves to be the downfall of many businesses. These businesses could use a few more methods of market research to make sure they know what they’re going into. Find out whether the business idea has enough worth by using surveys to find what people need. By using focus groups to determine how your business can really change people’s lives. Give your product a field trial to see how it works in reality before putting all your money into it.

Finances.

As long as business has been a thing, so has money. The two are intrinsically linked. The reason one exists is for the other. So mismanaging your finances is a big no-no. Use financial techniques like tracking your invoices and expenses and keeping them well organized. Hire accountants if you find it all too much to keep hold of.

Work interruption.

There are a lot of things that can get in the way of you doing business. Not having access to the people you need, the tools or resources can end in plenty of working hours wasted. So have a backup for every interruption. Make sure you’re well stocked in advance of whatever office or manufacturing supplies you need. Use Cloud servers to create a backup for your all-important business data. Keep in contact with any temp agencies in your area that can help you get out a pinch when you’re down on manpower.

HR problems.

Speaking of manpower, it’s the muscle of the business. You need it strong to work properly. So it can be baffling that so many companies don’t treat their employees as the important resource they are. You need to develop a proper team to retain your employees. An organized approach to sorting disputes and developing your team. A HR team, or a HR plan at least, is required to solve some of the most common disputes that can be dangerous for your company.

Growth.

It might be a surprise to some, but it just takes a bit of thinking to make sense. Sudden growth means suddenly dealing with more volume and bigger expectations. You need to reorganize distribution, production and just about every other process of the business. So pay attention to the successful companies by reading things like this news from Forbes about Hampton Creek. Prepare for scaling challenges by seeing how others do it.

We hope that this article helps. Remember to keep an attentive eye on the insides of your business if you don’t want one of these problems to prove the surprise fatal blow.

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Why Companies Hire Business Consultants

You may have often wondered, why do businesses hire consultants in the first place? Why don’t they just solve their own problems and work things out for themselves?

It can seem puzzling to the untrained eye, but read on and you’ll see not only why businesses hire consultants, but why they need them. You can use this information to either decide whether a business consultant is right for you, or even if you would like to become one.

An outside eye.

Business consultants have the advantage of looking in from the outside. They don’t necessarily have a vested interest in the firm, making them valuable at looking in on the company and pointing out any potential flaws in the setup. This is very much like how you turn to your friends and family for advice on relationship issues. You ask them for their opinion as an outsider, and this is what businesses are doing with consultants. They’re asking them for their advice as someone who doesn’t have any reason to be pleasant with what they say. The client may be so close to the problem that they can’t fully see how to solve it, and this is where a consultant would come in. A consultant would prompt their client of the obvious so to speak. It may seem obvious from the outside, whereas on the inside it’s hidden in plain sight.

Businesses aren’t just asking for any opinion, however. They’re asking for the opinion of someone who has worked with many companies and has likely come across this issue before. Someone who has encountered the same problem with another business and knows how to get around it. It’s valuable advice that sitting around a table full of insiders can’t always reach themselves. Consultants are providing a perspective based on what they’ve already seen works, and they know it can work again. It’s all about injecting something new and fresh into the company. Consultants like Dan Giuglianotti provide a fantastic insight to businesses, due to their previous experience for working on not only their own businesses but others too.

Extra horsepower.

Sometimes a business will find themselves facing a problem, but not having the manpower to deal with it. This is again where consultants come into the fold. They provide additional manpower to the business – manpower that is specifically focused on solving the issues at hand. When facing a problem, a company still has to focus on its day-to-day tasks and keep their existing teams doing what they usually do best. This opens up the market to business consultants because they can be hired in primarily to focus on the problems that small and big businesses alike face.

Many problems are a one-off project, meaning that hiring new staff just for this one project doesn’t make much sense in a financial capacity. Consultants can often provide a team of people to carry out the work necessary while being cost effective. Experts in this instance will serve as highly effective, temporary, employees of the business – expressly engaged in targeting the problems at hand. As temporary employees of the company, it is often cheaper to hire consultants than it is permanent employees. Consultants switch around companies frequently, meaning they’re used to picking up the grind quickly and know how to integrate into new teams of people rapidly and efficiently – making them, even more, cost effective. And finally, by hiring a consultant, companies can keep their regular staff doing the jobs they were actually hired to do in the first place.

Specialized skills.

Perhaps one of the most common reasons a company may choose to hire a consultant is so that they can tap into a particular, specialized, skill-set that they may not possess in-house. Specialist firms offer expertise and skills that range from design to finances, making them cost effective as well as perfect for the job. It would be more expensive to hire these people separately as opposed to a package of access to a consultancy firm who have these people ready and waiting to work for your business.

This can again be likened to your family. Your family may be able to give you advice on an individual issue, but when it comes to another issue (such as relationships), you will hire that help out to a friend. You wouldn’t be inviting your friend to join your family on a full-time basis, but would be specifically engaging them to help you with your dilemma at that point.

A safe zone.

Consultants are perfect for doing your dirty work. A business doesn’t want to get caught up in the emotions and politics of a controversial project. So instead, they hire out consultancy firms to cast an eye over proceedings and to thus do the dirty work for them. Consultants provide an unbiased perspective to a project, and allow a business to continue what they would usually do while they deal with the particular project they have been hired to do.

Consultants can be nominated for a whole range of controversial projects. Your business could use a consultant to carry out a restructuring of the company. You can trust a consultant to be both experienced in the particular task, as well as removed enough actually to carry it out. For example, in “Up in the Air” George Clooney was engaged to go around the country and sack employees on behalf of his clients. He did this because he was experienced enough to do it as well as removed enough to actually carry out the heartless terminations. This is what consultancy firms are particularly useful at doing, carrying out the dirty work so that you don’t have to.

As you can see, business consultants are particularly useful at providing a unique and specialized skill set to their employers. They’re also helpful for carrying out dirty work on behalf of the companies they represent. So, whether you wish to become a business consultant or want to hire one, this is why companies need them.

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Starting Your Business The Right Way

by Art Neill and Teri Karobonik, co-authors of “Don’t Panic: A Legal Guide (in plain English) for Small Businesses & Creative Professionals“

You’re ready to take your project to the next level but don’t know where to start.

The first, and often the most important, step in making your project succeed is to formalize it as a business entity. Making sure your business is an actual legal entity can give you a higher level of credibility amongst professionals, investors, and consumers in your target market. There are also financial benefits like access to business loans, business bank accounts, and tax incentives, as well as legal benefits like limiting your personal liability.

The business model you select is arguably the most critical business decision you will make, so choose with caution. The choice requires plenty of research; an understanding of your business goals; and a lot of self-reflection. You have a variety of options to choose from including sole proprietor, single member LLC, a partnership, traditional corporation, non-profit organization, and a host of others each containing their own qualifiers, positives and drawbacks.

The following is a brief overview of some of the essential characteristics that should be taken into consideration when deciding the type of business entity you wish to pursue.

Sole Proprietor.

If you start a business by yourself, the default business model is a Sole Proprietorship. This is a traditional business model where the owner is responsible for everything that happens in their business. As the name suggests, you will be in charge of everything including finances, day-to-day operations, and liability if anything goes wrong. The benefit of this model is that you get to control the direction of your business and can make changes immediately if needed.

Single Member LLC.

Another option for someone looking to control their own business is establishing a Limited Liability Company. This option is very popular because it allows the owner to have the same level of control as a sole proprietor would, but with the limited liability of a corporation. This means that if you follow your state’s requirements in starting and maintaining your LLC, your personal assets will be protected from lawsuits against your business. Besides protecting your personal assets, choosing an LLC gives you the option to file taxes as a sole proprietor or as a separate corporation in addition to your own personal taxes. This model requires several procedural formalities, however, like registering with the state, and many practical formalities, like keeping a separate bank account for the business.

Partnership.

A partnership is a good option if you started the project with other people that are equally as passionate about the project. Partnerships don’t require many formalities, but most good partnerships use contracts to distribute responsibilities and profits. The agreements should address things like basic operations, resolving partner disputes, and how to exit the partnership. Keep in mind partners will usually have equal control, equal profit, and equal liability, so make sure you trust the other partners before going down this path.

Traditional corporation.

A corporation is a great choice if the owners are more hands-off, and want to hire qualified people to run the company for them. Owners of a corporation have two layers of protection against liability. First, as a shareholder you appoint a board of directors to handle business decisions, which can shield you from direct liability, and second, when hiring chief officers (CEO, CFO, COO etc.) to run the day-to-day operations you are further separated from liability. Corporations are very formal and require strict procedures, so it is advisable that you work with an attorney to help you properly form your corporation.

Non-Profit.

A non-profit is an organization whose activities focus on public benefit and do not generate a private profit for individuals or shareholders. Going the non-profit route can be very satisfying because you can put making a positive impact on society above all other goals. If you obtain status as a 501(c)(3) exempt non-profit organization with the IRS, the

big benefit is that the non-profit’s donations and income related to its mission are generally not taxable. In return for this exemption from taxes however, non-profit organizations are strictly regulated. Remember that in order to receive non-profit tax-exempt status, the company needs to be incorporated as a non-profit under that state’s laws and apply for federal and state tax-exemptions.

Once you decide the best business entity for you and your business you are ready to make the next step forward in ensuring that your creative and technical content is protected. Many types of creative and technical content are protected by one of the four types of Intellectual Property Law: copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secret. Whether you’re reusing content or trying to protect your content and ideas, it’s critical that you understand which types of Intellectual Property might be in play. To learn more about this, and other important answers to legal questions you may have about starting your business check out “Don’t Panic: A Legal Guide (in plain English) for Small Businesses & Creative Professionals“.

 

Art Neill is the founder of the legal services non-profit New Media Rights and a law professor, specializing in the areas of Internet, intellectual property, privacy, and media law. Teri Karobonik is a former Staff Attorney at New Media Rights where she worked with all manner of creative individuals on a daily basis on preventative, transactional and pre-litigation matters. In 2015 Teri was appointed as an Internet Law & Policy Foundry Fellow in recognition of her work as an early career leader in the tech law and policy space.

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Top Considerations When Selecting A Cloud Backup Provider

by Amy Anderson, principal owner at Anderson Technologies

In the past two years, 63 percent of small and medium businesses (SMBs) began using an online or cloud-based backup service.

Clutch, a B2B research firm, recently surveyed 304 SMBs who use cloud-based, online backup solutions to determine how businesses use the technology and what they think about it. Mark Anderson, Principal and IT Strategist for Anderson Technologies, was one of several industry experts to review and provide feedback for Clutch’s publication on the survey’s findings. Specifically, he pointed to three factors that SMBs should consider when selecting a backup solution.

1. Level of Service Offered.

A big name does not automatically equate to big results for your business. SMBs surveyed listed Apple iCloud as the most popular backup solution used at work, followed by Google Drive and Dropbox.

However, despite these services’ popularity, they do not have full-service offerings. They may not meet a business’s more complex backup and recovery needs.

The prevalence of these three services point to companies focused on performing more file-level backups versus “bare-metal” backups. Companies wouldn’t be able to quickly and efficiently recover an entire server this way, and depending on their tolerance for downtime, they should investigate augmenting these offerings with other, more robust options.

2. Capability to Perform Dual-Destination Backups.

Do you want to store data both on-premise and online? If so, make sure your online backup solution can perform dual-destination backups. This setup provides peace of mind in the case of total data loss.

An overwhelming majority of SMBs — nearly 90 percent — already use both online and onsite backup.

In the event of a physical disaster, backing up data to the cloud allows SMBs to get back on their feet quickly.

The ability to perform a dual-destination backup gives clients the option of quick on-premise file restores as well as cloud recovery in the case of complete office loss due to fire, flood, or other natural disasters.

Meanwhile, having the option of on-site backup can assuage fears of the cloud’s potential failures since many businesses remain wary of the technology’s ability to keep data secure.

For years, on-premise was the only option available to businesses. This history is ingrained in IT departments the world over, and the fact that you can physically control the process is very compelling. However, it’s important to consider the cloud option in parallel.

3. Cost Breakdown.

Cost is one of the top three challenges SMBs face when deciding to use a cloud-based, online backup solution as well as one of the top fears that can prevent SMBs from adopting cloud services.

The majority of SMBs spend between $250-$5,000 yearly on their online backup. The top percentage (23%) spend $501-$1,000.

There are three primary factors influencing the price tag for online backup providers:

1. The number of systems that need to be protected
2. The amount of data being stored indefinitely
3. Provision of dual-destination backup

However, the cost of using online backups should be contrasted with an SMB’s ability to provide the same level of service in-house. The security and reliability of top-tier cloud vendors’ state-of-the-art data center infrastructure and the systems they put in place will be far more robust and stringent than what a small to medium-sized business can afford.

While online backup solutions’ accessibility, cost efficiency, and security make them a smart choice for small businesses, it is necessary to consider the array of product choices carefully before selecting a service.

 

Amy Anderson is a principal owner at Anderson Technologies, a St. Louis based IT company. She started her professional career as a software engineer in the Avionics Laboratory at McDonnell Douglas and later worked for Southwestern Bell, ultimately leading a software project for their largest customer at the time – the state government of Texas. She is passionate about helping small businesses grow and use technology to better serve their customers.

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Free Ways To Use Pokémon GO To Increase Local Business Visibility

by Caitlin Kullberg, Alignable

Yesterday we at Alignable talked about how to use “Lure” in Pokémon GO to Lure New Customers. While the cost associated with this method is low, it could add up if you wanted to light up your PokéStop for hours at a time every day. It’s also possible you don’t have a PokéStop conveniently located right next door to your place of business. If that’s the case, how can you utilize Pokémon GO to boost business?

Here are a few ways without any in-app purchases:

Trendy social content!

Snap some screenshots using the built-in camera tool when a Pokémon wanders into your area (the rarer the better!). Even when there isn’t a Gym or PokéStop within range, the Pokémon are always roaming. Post your photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for content that’s topical, sharable, and free.

Refresh the players!

If you’ve got yourself a restaurant or bar, you’ve got what these Pokémon GO crazed players need: sustenance. We know that this game is getting people to walk around way more than they normally do, which means they probably need to fuel up. Use a sandwich board to let them know that you’re there for them. “Chasing Pokémon making you thirsty? Grab an ice-cold lemonade for your hunt!”

And their phones!

Man, does this game drain your battery. You can turn on “battery-saving mode” in Settings, but still, users are bound to need a charge if they’re on the prowl all day. If you’ve got accessible outlets, offer them up to customers who play.

Giveaways!

Incentivize people to share! Whether they’re existing customers who play or Pokémon GO players who found their way to you, they’re much more likely to tweet about you and your Pokémon population if they might get something out of it.

Pick a team!

Once players reach Level 5, they can enter and battle at Gyms. The first time you do this, you’re instructed to pick a team: Team Mystic (blue), Team Instinct (yellow), or Team Valor (red). Feel free to choose sides and reward customers on “your team”. Maybe you run an electrical company so naturally you side with Team Instinct, led by Spark and represented by the Pokémon Zapdos (electrical type). Offer players on Team Instinct a discount. Because players can’t switch teams once they choose, you won’t have to worry about people switching teams just to snag your discount.

The possibilities are endless.

 

Caitlin Kullberg is a Growth Marketer at Alignable, a Boston-based social network for local business owners to connect. She’s a graduate of Northeastern University from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Caitlin is passionate about small business marketing and strengthening communities.

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Office Working Conditions For Business Success

What is the most important factor to create a successful company? The answer is simple: you need happy, motivated and productive employees, who instead of counting minutes to leave, would actually love coming to the office every day. This can be reached by maintaining a suitable work environment.

Firstly, we need to know what an office is. The Cambridge definition of an office is a room, set of rooms, or building, in which people are doing business or professional activities. The systematic arrangement of office equipment (e.g. desks, chairs, cupboards) within the available floor space, providing the best opportunity for efficient work flow, communication and supervision is called office layout. The office layout must be professionally planned and designed, because it has a big impact on the staff’s concentration, productivity, mood, and health.

Management should make sure that the workplace meets these mandatory conditions:

Spacing.

The room must have enough working and storage space, and must allow employees easy access to equipment

Suitable equipment.

Employees should be able to use the correct facilities and be provided with desks, chairs, storage units, required devices and other office supplies

Lighting.

Too dim or too harsh lighting may save money for electricity but simultaneously reduce employee productivity

Ventilation & temperature.

The right temperature and good ventilation system which provides enough fresh air in the room can improve concentration and reduce stress levels

Restrooms & toilets.

Right amount of toilets and sanitary products (easy to order at Janitorial Direct).

Changing rooms.

In cases where offices are connected to manufacturing halls, offer special changing facilities. Ensure that office employees are entering the manufacturing halls wearing safety shoes. Engelbert Strauss offers a large section of safety shoes & clothing.

Beverages.

Water, coffee, and tea, as well as basic kitchen equipment such as dishes and utensils, coffee machine, fridge, and microwaves should make employees feel comfortable and belonging to the company.

For more requirements, check Unison (UNISON is one of the UK’s largest trade unions; they serve more than 1.3 million members in the United Kingdom).

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Democratization Of Energy – Where Josco Energy Gets Their Power

With a city as large as New York, power has to come from many different sources. A distributor such as Josco Energy is only able to keep their prices low by receiving their energy supplies from many different sources. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the largest sources of energy for the New York Market.

Because there are so many people in New York, the power use can fluctuate wildly. Systems need to be in place so that electrical need can be determined, and power can be turned on or off as needed. This is known as supplemental electricity. Most of this type of power comes from highly reliable natural gas generators spread throughout New York City. One thing that is unique about these generators is that they can be modified to run on other types of fuel. This allows for the generators to still continue to run, even in the event of a natural gas shortage.

Although natural gas generators can be turned on and off, they are not always the eco-friendliest. That’s why New York has several sources of renewable power. One of the largest is the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Plant. This place is the fourth largest source of hydro-electric power in the world! The year this plant was opened, New York had produced more power than any other city in the United States.

The next largest source of power for New York citizens comes from the Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclear is not commonly considered an alternative energy, bud did you know that it is carbon neutral? The only byproduct from nuclear power is heat and spent fuel rods. For an area like New York which is unable to experience an earth quake, this is a very safe and stable source of power.

Within the last 10 years, New York as built several biomass generating stations. Biomass is a very unique way to generate energy in an environmentally sound way. What they do is take a large amount of waste water, and add some small organisms. The organisms feed on the organic material in the water, purifying it. The byproduct of the bacteria’s reaction with the waste in the water releases methane. The methane can be siphoned off and used to operate a generator, while the water is automatically purified.

As New York’s energy needs continue to grow, more sources of power will be built. The economy is swiftly moving towards alternative energies. In 2017, you can expect to see 50 billion BTUs worth of solar power added to the existing grid.

Although New York has a very diverse power market, it’s important to select a supplier to make sure that you are getting the best deal at all times. Electricity comes from many sources, and the price can fluctuate on an hourly basis. Fortunately, dealing with all of the different power suppliers is not something that most consumers need to do on a daily basis. By leaving this part up to the distributors, we are slowly incentivizing the creation of green energy sources.

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Financial Techniques Your Business Can Use Today

There are a lot of financial obligations you face as a business owner. And, there are a lot of techniques you’re going to have to use to keep on top of your finances. Take a look at the suggestion on this list, and try to use them to help you. There are a lot of things you’re going to need to get right to ensure your company has financial security.

Take Care of Invoicing.

You are now responsible for billing your own clients, and you need to do this properly. If you don’t get this part right, you’re going to have problems with being paid on time.

Try to work out some sort of invoicing system with them, and make sure you have a template to follow. Always keep the invoice professional and detailed, and make sure you avoid mistakes as much as you can. It’s also vital you send it at the same time each week or month. This is important for ensuring the business is paid and that you remain financially comfortable.

Use a Collections Team.

There may come occasions where you have people who haven’t paid. This happens more than you would think in business, and you need to be ready. Bear in mind, you have to run a company and make a living as well. So, it’s important to make sure chase these up and get the money that you are owed. The best way to do this is to employ the services of a collections team such as the ones at tsico.com. This is important for making sure you get the money you’re owed to give you greater financial security.

Hire Accountants.

Everyone needs help and assistance of some sort when it comes to their finances. And, businesses will benefit from it more than most. This is because there are large amounts of money needed to run a business. And, there are a lot of areas that need to be financed as well. So, it’s important to hire accountants who can take care of all of this for you, and help the business thrive financially. They can take charge of everything important, and make sure the company is dealing with it effectively.

Projected Costs.

It’s important that you try to sort out the projected costs for the business. Each year you’re going to need to estimate what you think the future costs will be. It’s important to have estimates for income and expenditure because this is how you plan for success. Having an idea of your financial status going forward is really important, and will help keep you on the path to success. So, this is something you need to try to make the most of when it comes to your business finances.

As a business owner, you will be aware of the financial issues companies face. It’s very expensive to try to run a business in an effective way. So, you need to do what you can to improve, and take control of, your business finances. And you can use the techniques on this list to help you with that.

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5 Reasons To Avoid Loans For 2 Years After Launch

by Priyanka Prakash, Fit Small Business and Fit Biz Loans

Every small business is different when it comes to the need for financing. Some entrepreneurs can’t start their businesses without taking out a loan. Others completely bootstrap their businesses without borrowing a cent. If you think you’ll need a business loan, there are benefits to waiting at least a couple years after launching your new business to apply for financing.

In this article, we’ll explain 5 reasons to wait a couple years to secure a loan for your business:

1. Most loan products are available only to businesses over 2 years old.

One of the most important factors when applying for a loan is the age of your business. Businesses that are under 2 years old will have a much tougher time getting a loan because they don’t have a financial history or a track record of success yet. Without these, the lender cannot really evaluate your business’ profitability and will therefore be less likely to give you a loan.

There are some startup loan products available for those with excellent credit scores, but the widest range of loan options opens up to you once your business hits the 2 year mark. At this stage, you can more easily qualify for low-rate SBA loans, conventional bank loans, and marketplace loans.

2. You can improve your personal credit score over time.

Even after reaching the 2-year mark, the best loan rates and highest amounts of capital are available to people with excellent credit scores. If your personal credit score isn’t that great at the moment, time can work in your favor.

You can develop better financial habits, such as paying all your bills on time, to increase your credit score. You won’t see a change in your credit score overnight however. Changes in how you handle your finances can take months to make a difference.

If you have a negative item on your credit report, it can also help to wait for a few years before applying for a loan. Collections, delinquencies, and bankruptcies stay on your credit report for up to 7 years, but their impact lessens over time. Most lenders will only disqualify applicants who have had bankruptcies in the last 2-3 years.

3. You can build business credit over time.

While personal credit measures how responsible you’ve been as an individual in paying your bills, business credit measures your business’ ability to pay its bills. Having a good business credit score can also help you qualify for business financing more easily and at the lowest rates.

Building business credit takes time. In order to maximize your business credit score, there are a number of steps you must take, including opening a business banking account, obtaining and using a business credit card, and getting trade references from suppliers. These things can take at least a few months, so if you want business credit to work to your advantage, it helps to wait before you apply for a loan.

4. With time comes better knowledge of your business’ operating costs.

It’s often hard to predict the true costs of running a business until you’ve been at it for a few years. There are both startup costs, such as getting requisite licenses and supplies, and operating costs, such as inventory and employee salaries.

Knowing your biggest expenses will help you determine what kind of loan to get. For example, if equipment is very important to your business, you may need an equipment loan or lease. If your inventory is flying off the shelves, then an inventory line of credit may be in order. If you need general working capital, SBA loans or a marketplace loan may be the best option. Determining what kind of loan you need is easiest after you have some experience running the business and understand what your costs are.  

Over time, you can increase your business’ revenues and decrease dependency on financing.

Just as you will have a better understanding of costs after a few years, you will have a better grasp of your business’ revenue over time as well. Your revenue sources can include the sale of goods or services, income generated through selling a portion of your business, or other income from business investments.

Once you pinpoint your main revenue streams, you may be able to make adjustments to your budget to increase revenue. This in turn will decrease the amount of money you have to borrow, so waiting to get a loan can actually reduce your dependency on financing.

Bottom Line.

Sometimes, it’s unavoidable to get a loan when starting a new business. As an entrepreneur, you need to consider your own situation to decide when the time is right. If you can hold off for a few years though, there are a lot of benefits to waiting.

 

Priyanka Prakash is a business analyst and writer at Fit Small Business and Fit Biz Loans, with a focus on small business finance. Her areas of expertise include small business lending, credit cards, credit scores, and other aspects of small business finance. Before joining Fit Small Business, Priyanka served as in-house counsel at a startup. Email her at pprakash@fitsmallbusiness.com or tweet at @writepriy.

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Use A Bad Debt Car Loan To Improve Your Credit Rating

by Tom Caesar, Managing Director of Positive Lending Solutions

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who manage to obtain financial backing to start your new business venture, chances are you’re going to be borrowing money to get your ideas off the ground. Going into debt isn’t necessarily bad for businesses, in fact there are certain advantages to doing so, but the type of debt and your options for finance can be limited by your credit rating. Despite being upstanding citizens with a desire to start their own business and make a difference in the world, some people manage to develop a bad credit history. This could be for a number of reasons such as a poor instance of repaying a past loan, submitting multiple loan applications in a short period of time, or simply having a limited borrowing history.

Whatever the reason, for SME’s and startups, a lender is always going to look at the credit history of the business and the personal credit history of the owner(s). This will have an impact on the number of loan options you have, and the interest rate you’ll be offered. If you have a good credit score the number of lenders available to you will be high, and because they will all be competing for your business, the interest rates offered will be low. Conversely, if you have a poor credit score, the number of lenders available to you will be limited, and because you’re considered a risk, the interest rates will be higher.

What to do if you have a poor credit history.

You can’t run away from credit ratings because they follow you everywhere you go, so the best thing to do is accept the position you’re in and devise a strategy to improve it. After all, that’s what business owners and entrepreneurs do! The best way to improve your credit rating is to prove your ability to repay debt and show that what has happened in the past is exactly that, in the past.

One of the most common expenses for businesses in the startup phase are vehicles. They can be critical components for the early success of a business, and without one life will be incredibly difficult. If you need car finance for your business, and you have a bad credit history, you should consider applying for a bad debt car loan. You may have to accept that the interest rates will be higher, but a good quality bad debt car loan broker will find the best deal available to you given your current set of circumstances. And while you may have to pay a little extra in your monthly loan repayments, the benefits have the potential to far outweigh any negatives.

1. You’ll have a car for your business.

This is the reason you want the loan in the first place, right? If having a car gives you the best chance of being successful and turning your idea into a profitable business, then doing what it takes to get the car should be priority number one. That doesn’t mean you should accept any bad debt car loan, after all it has to be affordable and not put you under financial stress, but the car is the goal and that should stay front of mind.

2. It will improve your credit rating.

By making all of your repayments on time and in full throughout the life of the bad debt car loan, your credit rating will automatically improve. Also, just because you’ve signed an agreement doesn’t mean it isn’t negotiable at various stages throughout the life of the loan. If you’ve done a great job making repayments for 12 months, the lender may be receptive to a conversation about lowering the interest rate. After all, they want a happy customer so that you go back to them for future loans.

3. Better interest rates in the future.

Speaking of future loans, because you’ve now serviced a bad debt car loan, and in the process made significant improvements to your credit rating, you’re more likely to secure future loans at much better rates. Most businesses require loans throughout their history to grow and expand, so accepting and repaying a bad debt car loan with a slightly higher interest rate will hold you in good stead for the future.

How to maintain your good credit rating.

It’s human nature to get into debt and buy the things we want, and that has the potential to get us into trouble. When we use our hearts to overrule our heads, we can find ourselves in a financial situation that we start to lose control over. Being unable to make loan repayments has a detrimental affect on our credit score, the knock on effect being our ability to secure loans in the future is compromised. To ensure you don’t get yourself into a situation like this, there are certain strategies you can employ:

• Before accepting any loan offer, complete a spreadsheet on your income and expenses for the previous three months and find out how much disposable income you really have. If the loan will put you under financial stress, don’t accept it.
• Ask yourself “do I really need to be buying this”? Impulse and emotional buying has a habit of getting people into trouble, so before signing on the dotted line, take the time to think about whether you really need it or not.
• Whatever financial obligations you have, such as credit cards, loans, rental payments, etc., set up an automatic payment system. That way accidentally forgetting to make a repayment won’t affect your credit history, and you can concentrate your efforts elsewhere, such as growing your business!
• If you have multiple debts with varying interest rates, and you’re finding it hard to keep up, consider consolidating your debts into one. This may reduce the amount of interest you pay, and it’s easier to remember and service one debt rather than many.
• Whatever you do, don’t let your debts get so bad they end up with collectors. This does not look good on credit history reports. If you’re in trouble and finding it difficult to make repayments, bite the bullet and call the businesses you owe to arrange a repayment plan. Hiding and hoping it all goes away rarely works!

Be smart with your financial commitment choices.

Credit history reports are available online, most of the time for free, and will provide you with a clear picture of where you stand in the eyes of lenders. It’s a great idea to monitor your credit rating to ensure it accurately reflects your history, after all we’re human and mistakes can be made. By fully understanding your credit history, when it comes time to making decisions about whether to accept a loan or not, you are more likely to make a decision with your head and not your heart. You never know when you’ll need to secure an important loan for your future, such as starting your own business for example, and the last thing you want are past loans that you really didn’t need catching up with you at these vital moments in your life.

 

Tom Caesar is Managing Director of the Positive Lending Solutions, a group of financial services companies offering a broad range of finance to clients. With over 10 years’ experience in the industry, Tom’s drive to enhance the business through diversification has seen Positive Lending Solutions evolve to where it is today, a financial group highly focused on customer relationships. The group assists clients in the areas of vehicle finance, mortgages, insurance and wealth management.  

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