Archives for November 2020

How To Turn Your Love Of Food Into A Viable Business Venture

November 24, 2020 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Everyone has a dream of their own – something that they have always wanted to do – and if yours is to turn your passion for food into a business, you might be feeling unsure about where to start with things. You might have always loved to prepare food and come up with new recipes and concepts, but that doesn’t mean that you know how to turn your interest in food into a viable business venture.

The good news is, however, that it’s actually much easier than you might think – or at least, it can be. Starting any business is always going to be hard, but there are steps that you can take to make the process a little easier for yourself, while also increasing the chances that your business will be successful.

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Wondering how you can go about launching a food-related business that has a high chance of success? Have a read of the handy guide below for everything that you need to know!

Stay on trend

One of the most important steps that you can take when it comes to launching a food-related business is to ensure that your brand concept is on-trend. What does this mean though? It’s pretty simple really – it simply means to pick a business concept that is in-line with the times and is something that will attract attention.

For example, bubble waffles are all the rage right now, and bubble waffles businesses are doing exceedingly well as a result. So by starting a bubble waffle business you could give yourself a good chance of success.

Another example of an on-trend food is raw, egg-free cookie dough served in ice-cream style containers. Cookie dough is a big business right now, especially safe-to-eat-raw cookie dough. If you were to start a cookie dough business you could increase your chances of success.

Opt to invest in a franchise

Another hack for making it a little easier to succeed when it comes to launching a food-related business is to opt to open a franchise. Instead of starting from scratch and having to build your custom up and create brand awareness, you could opt to buy into a franchise of an already established brand. You can find lots of available food-related brands to be franchised online via resources like Franchise Direct.

Did you know that a lot of well-known food-related businesses seen on the high street are, in fact, franchises? These businesses tend to do well as a result of already being well-known, making it easier for the franchise owners to make a success of their venture because consumers already associate with the brand.

Target a niche

A handy hack for making a success of your food-related business is to target a niche. You have probably noticed how successful vegan businesses have become in recent years, and that’s because there’s a call for niche vegan eateries and food-related businesses. If you can find a niche to run your business within, you can make life that little bit easier for yourself.

A great niche to move into is allergen-free – there’s a bigger call than ever before for allergen-free foods and eateries. Ice cream brand, Yorica proves that – the brand launched a top 14 allergen-free dessert shop in London, selling waffles, pancakes, and ice cream. The store was so successful that the brand turned their products into supermarket items being sold in Waitrose.

There you have it, a few useful tips to help you turn your love of food into a viable business venture.

4 Tips for Managing Remote Teams

November 20, 2020 by Keith Coppersmith Leave a Comment

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Remote work has become increasingly popular over the last few years. The main reason is that companies can now expand their search for talented employees on a global scale. Fast internet and stronger computing power made this trend possible.

Having teams of remote employees doesn’t just help your company lower the overhead costs, but it also helps you tackle international markets with more efficiency. Although remote work has great advantages, it’s not without challenges.

Remote workers are separated from the main office where the majority of employees and managers are. This can lead to a decrease in productivity, efficiency and more because remote workers will sooner or later feel disengaged and neglected.

As a result, companies that don’t take care of their remote workers the right way face increased turnover rates. This is why you must manage your remote workers if you want to keep them. With that in mind, here are a few tips for managing remote workers.

Proper onboarding

Every new employee, even the remote ones, should be welcomed properly. That said, every company should have a well-designed onboarding process. As you may already know, an onboarding process doesn’t just welcome new employees but it also helps them learn the ropes and get adjusted to the company’s culture. This process can also drastically reduce the turnover rate among remote employees.

Managers can, therefore, focus on remote employees and help them get adjusted to the new work environment and conditions. Moreover, it will show remote workers that you actually pay attention to their needs and that they won’t be neglected in your company.

That way, you will ensure that they feel like a part of the team, a vital one. In addition, around 69% of new employees who are satisfied with your onboarding process are more likely to stay with your company for three years or more.

Communicate often

Communication is the key to a healthy relationship between employees themselves or between managers and employees. By regularly communicating with your remote employees, you’ll be able to get a sense of how they feel and whether or not things are going well for them. This will not only keep them engaged, but it will also help you notice any signs of distress.

You can, therefore, do something before a remote employee decides to leave your company because of the issues that weren’t properly addressed on time. However, don’t simply dump this task on the HR department.

As good as they may be, remote workers know that HR reaching out to them is just a part of the company policy. If you’re a manager, then communicate with them yourself every now and then. This will show remote employees that you actually care.

Perform regular check ups

Checking up on your remote teams should be one of your priorities. Of course, managers are busy people with a lot of tasks on their plates every day. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect important obligations. Remote employees are essential, even though they aren’t present in the office, and if you don’t check up on them, things will soon go sideways. Fortunately, modern technology provided a seamless solution that will make this task as simple as possible.

For example, you can opt for time and attendance software from Australia; this will not only help you check up on your remote workers regularly, but it will also allow you to provide convenience for them by allowing them to clock in seamlessly. With the right tools and technology by your side, you’ll no longer have to deal with common challenges related to remote work.

Involve them

As mentioned before, remote employees can easily become disengaged if you neglect them and their needs. If you want them to remain at your company or even ensure they become loyal, you’ll have to involve them in company activities as much as possible.

Again, modern technology is here to aid you. For example, you should consider relying on proper video conferencing software. That way, you can involve remote employees in important company meetings and other similar activities.

Aside from that, you can also leverage various collaboration and communication tools to include remote employees in everyday tasks. Remote workers must be able to interact with other employees and feel like a part of the overall team so that their productivity and morale are always at optimal levels.

Remote work brings numerous advantages to companies around the world. However, there are still a lot of unexplored possibilities regarding remote work, which creates unique challenges and obstacles. One thing is for certain, if you manage your remote employees well and cater to their needs, there are good chances that everything will go smoothly and that you won’t encounter any problems whatsoever.

Want to Boost Memory? Try this Technique (Tips for Seniors)

November 20, 2020 by Curtis Dean Leave a Comment

Have you been forgetting a lot of things lately? This is something that must be expected when people start aging. There are different reasons for this. As a person ages, the system also degenerates. Some people experience a lot of changes in their physical and mental stage as they approach senior age. As your vision and skin changes, so will the mental functioning.

A psychiatrist from John Hopkins University School of Medicine noted that people who are over 50 experience difficulty in recalling. They may have difficulty recalling names, movies and even book titles they just read. This is a common experience among people who are aging. This is not really something that is related to a serious health problem. But if you are already forgetting familiar places and people, you may need to see your physician.

To help you boost your memory, here are some techniques you can consider:

Meditate

It has been proven that your emotions can affect your physical and mental health. One of the things that cause memory loss is stress. This is why experts are prescribing meditation as part of an older adult’s regular activities. There are different ways on how you can meditate. As you age, you have to maintain a healthy mind and body connection. This is something that you can do not only to maintain a strong memory but also to strengthen your immune system.

During this stage in your life, your mental well-being is very important. To be able to have an active and positive state of mind must be one of your priorities. You can join a yoga class or just do any activity that will help quiet your mind. This is how you can improve your mood, mental and cognitive well-being, and your emotional resilience.

Mental Exercise

When you are awake, mental activity also takes place. Every day, you will be able to train your brain. This is one way on how you can boost your cognitive ability. There are different techniques that you can do to be able to exercise your brain. Here are some of the mental exercises that are proven effective:

Play crossword puzzles or play board games like chess
Learn to play a musical instrument or take music lessons
Read aloud and listen to yourself
Look for a foreign language that you think is interesting and try to learn it
Try to memorize phone numbers
Consider a craft hobby like painting, drawing, knitting and others

Focus on Brain Food

What you eat can also affect your memory. If your diet is composed of fried foods, foods that are rich in trans fats and high cholesterol, you may experience some long term effects. If you want to reduce the risk of memory loss, you need to look into your diet. As an older adult, you have to focus on eating fruits, nuts, fish and oil, vegetables and other foods that contain good cholesterol. This will help you in preventing clogs in the blood vessels. This way, you will be far from the risk of stroke and memory loss.

Keep Challenging Yourself

You have to stimulate your brain. If you are only focusing on what you already know, you are not giving your brain enough challenge that it needs. This is why you have to be open in learning new things. There are exercises for the brain that you may want to try. This way, you will be able to introduce a new challenge to yourself.

As an older adult, you can enhance your memory by looking for hobbies and activities that you can engage in. Look for those that are interesting and those that can help you build new skills. You can start cooking meals, doing research or playing a new musical instrument. Get out of your comfort zone and do something that is completely different. Here is a list of foods that are good for your brain:

Cherries and berries
Dark chocolate
Coffee
Dark leafy greens including spinach and kale
Walnuts and almonds

Stay Social

Memory decline can also result from social isolation. Remember that a human being is designed in such a way that they need to socialize. We need to communicate and build relationships. This is why you also need to spend time with your family and friends. Being with these people on a regular basis is good for your mental health. Whenever you spend time with people and do fun activities, you are also getting some cognitive benefits. Here are some other ways on how you can enhance your social circle:

Join classes and organizations with people whose interest is the same as yours
Attend or host creative parties
Travel with your friends or go for some exciting outings
Volunteer and help people
Join sports or play games

Get Seven Hours of Sleep

Your sleep pattern is another important factor that can help enhance your brain. Lack of sleep is connected with difficulty in remembering things. This is why you also need to prioritize your sleep. Make sure that you are getting seven hours of sleep and make it a habit. If you are experiencing difficulty in sleeping, here are some of the things that you can do:

Design your bedroom in a way that it will be more comfortable, cooler and darker
Have a sleep schedule and stick to it
Reduce your intake of coffee during afternoon and early evening
If you are a light sleeper, you can wear earplugs
Turn off the TV or computer an hour before you go to bed
Lessen your exposure to devices and screen after dinner
Relax and always find time to free your mind of worries before you go to bed

Cognitive functions are very important. Forgetting things may occur as a result of some outside factors such as stress but you can always do something about it. Above all the reminders that are given here, one should be able to recognize the importance of relaxation and happy thoughts.

How To Navigate Location Problems As An Online Business

November 20, 2020 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Moving your business online is one of the safest approaches to navigate the challenges of a pandemic market. However, the online sphere is crowded. With over a billion active websites, you need to focus on strategic upgrades and activities to get noticed, from social media campaigns to informative and engaging blogging.

However, does being an online business eliminate the dilemma of a physical location? The idea that your content is accessible all around the world implies that a physical address doesn’t matter. However, your online presence also defines your preferred target. Indeed, your social media presence, for instance, is designed to get the attention of your customers. However, social media activities tend to be stronger at the time your audience is active. In other words, while everyone can check your updates, you’re most likely to publish at times where your “local” audience is online. The bottom line: Your HQ location still matters, even when you run a digital business.

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Paying your international suppliers

How do you choose the best suppliers for your business? Cost, availability, and business culture play a significant role in your choice. Depending on what you need, the best supplier may not be in your hometown. Working with international suppliers can be advantageous, as some goods and skills are cheaper abroad. However, it can be tricky to establish quick and effective transactions. An international bank transfer can take time, and it also comes at a cost. But if you’re going to send money to the Philippines or Japan, for example, you need a banking solution that lets you pay like a local. Conversion and interbank exchange rates can add unnecessary transaction fees.

SEO rankings have local preferences

Google loves a location. That’s precisely why Google My Business pages are so useful to boost local SERPs. However, as an online business, the last thing you want is to draw attention to your location. You may not be familiar with GMB profiles that don’t show your location. Ultimately, a Google My Business page can help boost your ranking performance. But you can still support your local target by letting Google know where your HQ is. You can choose not to display your location on the map, but instead, create a list of the main areas you wish to target. Google will boost results for searches in those locations.

Additionally, you can also use local SEO strategies to ensure international customers can engage with the website. Local subdomain, for instance, can make a huge difference, such as using .co.ok for the UK and .es for Spain. You can also use optimized content and geolocation tags on individual subpages to tackle specific locations.

Working closely with remote teams

We live in an online world. Therefore, your remote team could be based anywhere in the world. Reaching out to international talent can transform your approach to individual local markets. Indeed, customers all around the world can receive real-time support, rather than trying to reach you during your opening hours.

Online businesses are accessible from anywhere in the world. However, that doesn’t mean that location is irrelevant. On the contrary, most online businesses are limited by their physical location, in terms of transaction fees, SEO rankings, and customer interactions. However, bridging the gap between your home office and global markets can elevate your business presence and ensure balanced global reach.

3 Awesome Futureproof Careers For 2020

November 9, 2020 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

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If you are reassessing all of your priorities for 2020 because the global pandemic has forced you to adjust to a new normal, you need to consider your career. Many people slip into their roles after graduating from college. You simply take a desk job, get settled in an office, and complete your nine to five. Sure, you might have a decent salary, but do you feel professionally and personally fulfilled? Now, that we are working out the important things in life, you might want to move to pastures new. Don’t feel like you are shackled to a career. You can change your job and do something more satisfying with your days. If you want to futureproof your career, take a look at these awesome ideas.

Do Something Online

The world is becoming more technologically advanced than ever before. If you currently work within a manual environment or your tole isn’t very tech-oriented, it might be time to make a change. If you want to be forever on the cusp of new developments, getting into a career that is predominantly online could be just what you are looking for. Companies across the globe are keen on securing excellent search engine optimization services to help them to leapfrog the competition. By getting to know keywords and meta tags, you can help businesses market their wares to a global audience. You will enjoy getting to know a brand, honing a company voice, and getting maximum exposure through your online savvy skills as possible.

Cybersecurity

As the world becomes more interconnected, the need for cybersecurity professionals is increasing. You can retrain to become an expert in hacking, malware, and cyber secure strategies to protect business assets and sensitive data. This is a career that is totally futureproofed as the need for cybersecurity professionals will only increase during the twenty first century. You can head to offices and train up staff regarding passwords, online conduct, and cybersecurity policies. Designing firewalls and protective online safety nets for companies can allow you to get creative with coding and generate the finest protections for conglomerates across the world.

Artisan Craft

For those of us who cannot bear the thought of spending another day in front of a laptop, you might want to hark back to your creative flair. People are becoming more savvy than ever when it comes to their retail habits. As the pandemic has hit the high street, more shoppers are returning to a smaller, more local approach to their shopping habits. They want to know where their products come from, how sustainable they are, and who made them. If you enjoy upcycling, gardening, or craft, think about turning your hobby into a business. Gain a loyal following online and you could find that your money making venture takes off and helps you to earn a living.

If you are keen to wave goodbye to your current job to find a role that is more fulfilling and satisfying, follow this guide and explore your career options.