Contributed Post | Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

Is It Time You Moved To Newer Business Premises?

January 7, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Is it time you moved into newer business premises? Despite the expense and the stress involved in making the move, you probably should if any of the following apply to you.

a) Your premises are no longer fit for purpose

Your premises may have been perfectly functional a few years ago, but if they no longer live up to your requirements, then a change may be in order. You may have taken on extra staff, for example. Or perhaps the cost to make repairs is more expensive in the long-term than buying or renting somewhere new. Whatever the case, if you know your premises no longer hold the same functionality as days gone by, then it’s probably time to move.

b) Your premises are too expensive to run

So, the cost of repairs is one thing, but then there are also such things as rising utility and insurance costs to consider. You might also be paying out too much money on fuel expenses, on both a work and personal level, if your premises are far from employee’s homes and places of business meetings. Downsizing might be the best thing to do if you don’t need somewhere with a lot of space, as this is a practical way to cut costs, and moving to a cheaper locale might be in order to reduce taxes, etc.

c) People can’t find you

Are you in the right location to attract customer and client footfall? Are people forever turning up late for meetings? Are you a walking and talking satnav, forever having to guide people to your business? If so, you might want to move to an easier to find location, for everybody’s sake!

d) Your business keeps getting broken into

If crime and vandalism are rife in your area, then you may be a constant target for those people who want to either steal from you, or create havoc in your life. There are ways to secure your business premises, but it might be in your long-term interests to move into an area that is relatively safe from thieves and vandals.

e) Your tenancy is at an end

This is the perfect excuse to consider moving somewhere new, especially if you can find a cheaper tenancy elsewhere. And especially if the other issues on this short list are relevant to you, then what are you waiting for? The move could be beneficial for so many reasons, so take it into serious consideration.

f) Your premises is vulnerable to natural threats

It’s possible that your business premises may be vulnerable to natural threats such as flooding, sinkholes or earthquakes. Any damage caused by these natural disasters could be expensive to repair and it could be a safety risk too. There may be solutions such as adding porous paving or diversion canals to reduce flooding that could prevent you having to move. However, if such options are not possible or out of your budget, you may have no choice but to relocate.

And finally, if you do decide to move…

If you do decide to move, there are a few things you need to do during the process. Before moving into your new facilities, you need to ensure everything is in place for your business to commence, including phone lines, broadband connections, and electrical supplies.You might also consider using one of these prefab metal building kits to take care of your storage needs while you’re in the process of moving. And finally, remember to let people know of the change, updating them with your new address information by sign, on social media, and through your website. With all of that done, we hope that your move, if you do decide to migrate, is a big success!

Thanks for reading!

Two Crucial Things You Need To Set Up Your Home Office

January 4, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

When working from home it is always best to have a designated workspace so you are comfortable and have quite surroundings to get your work done. When setting up your workspace there are a couple of things you should have and set up to make sure you are comfortable when working. Here are two items to get your office setup for comfortability to help you work as hard as possible.

A Suitable Desk

A crucial part of your office will be getting the right desk. You need to decide on how big a desk you will need based on what you will put on it and also how long you will be working at that desk. There are desks out there that you can use for standing so if you have been sat to long you can move the desk up to allow you to work while standing. When choosing a desk you need to make sure you are getting one that fits in the room you have chosen for your office, if you need a large desk and have a fairly small office then it is best to get a corner desk so you have space and it fits in the room.

When choosing your desk you also need to make sure that it is right for the computer you will be using so if it’s a laptop then it is best to have it lower as the keyboard is built in and if it is a desktop PC then think about getting a desk with a pull out shelf for the keyboard or enough space for the PC and the keyboard on it without it being cramped.

The Right Chair

Picking the right chair may sound unnecessary and any chair will do the job of being sat on but when you think about it, you will be in that chair for large portions of your day and if it isn’t comfortable then you are going to end up with a backache and shoulder pain from the posture you are being forced into. There are different types of chairs you can get for your office, some have cushions built in and others don’t, some recline and some are rigid. There are many to choose from so it firstly comes down to budget as with many things, if you want comfort then you will need to pay for it. It can be hard choosing the right chair and knowing that you are parting with your money for the right product, there are a few sites that can help you decide on a back-friendly executive chair and break it down to compare costs and also attributes of the chair to make sure you come away with the right one.

Once you have decided on these two main items for your office then it is about making it a comfortable space to work in, so make sure you decorate it right and put in the right things to keep you motivated but not distracted. Making sure you are comfortable is the main thing when setting up your office so with these tips you should be well underway to having your office setup.

Getting Involved in the Food Industry

January 3, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Increasing numbers of people are opting to set up their own business rather than remaining employees for the rest of their working lives. Now, there are benefits to being an employee – you get annual leave, sick pay, maternity leave, and contracted hours of work at a fixed rate. But setting up your own business provides you with the opportunity to work towards your own dreams. You can specialise in your a chosen area of interest and direct your career in the direction that you want it to go. You don’t have to answer to anyone other than the consumer market and you can set your own working hours. What’s not to like? But for some reason, when people consider setting up their own small business, they automatically think of retail. Sure, retail is a lucrative area to consider working in. But there are other options out there. If you haven’t yet come up with an innovative product that can fill a hole in the market, why not try your hand at specialising somewhere within the food industry? Here’s a little more information on the subject to get the ball rolling in the right direction if this is something that interests you!

Providing an Experience

In the past, consumers wanted something to hold and use for their money. This hasn’t changed. But millennials are tending to spend more money on experiences that can be shared with others than products that they can enjoy alone. This may be why people are still dining out on a regular basis, despite increasing costs in almost all areas of life despite wages and salaries not rising in line. One of the best, and lowest cost, ways of bonding and spending time with others is over food. We all have to eat, so why not make it a social occasion? By getting involved in the food industry, you can bring people together as well as provide them with a satisfying product that they can quite literally consume.

Coming Up With a Concept

Like retail, you are going to have to come up with a new and stand out idea. You need to provide food or a service that others aren’t already providing or you’re going to have to offer a similar food or service of a better quality than others are providing. Let’s face it – if you’re planning on setting up a fast food chain that sells burgers and fries, you’re placing yourself up against some big competition that can offer this for a lower price than any small, independent company is going to be capable of offering. So, try something that isn’t quite so prevalent. Set up a street food van, open an ice cream store, or create a new dining concept. This will help you stand out from the other options out there and bring more customers through your doors.

Conducting a Little Market Research

While you may feel like the pressure is off once you’ve come up with a new concept, the hard work really isn’t over. You can’t just assume that your idea will definitely be a hit with customers. It might not go down the treat that you expected it to. So, it’s better to get an idea of how people react to your concept and whether they’d be interested in it before investing a whole lot of money into it. You can achieve this by carrying out market research. This can be done yourself or it can be outsourced through an agency. Either way, you will have to come up with set questions to ask individuals in your target demographic. This will help you to determine whether there’s interest in your brand, how you should price your dishes, where your company would best be located, and a whole host of other information that you could use to your advantage.

Getting the Money Together

If you receive confirmation that your ideas are sound, you’re going to need to get some money together to get things started. After all, you’ll need money to rent a commercial premises, to invest in furnishings, to hire staff (such as serving staff and chefs), to purchase ingredients, to take out relevant insurance, and to generally get everything off the ground. If you have savings, great! If not, you’ll have to source money from somewhere else, unless you believe you have sufficient time to wait and save. You could consider crowdfunding, pairing up with an investor, or even business loans. Seek professional financial advice before spending anything that is not your own though!
As you can see, getting involved in the food industry does take a whole lot of hard work, time, effort, and financial investment. But if it’s a sector you’re interested in exploring and you have a good enough idea, you could set up a business that flourishes

Using The World’s Chaotic Economy To Your Advantage

December 27, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

photo of spiral yellow and green illustration

Wars, political unrest, and depleting resources have all contributed to a very chaotic couple of decades of the world’s economy. Currencies are raising and falling in value all the time, and a lot of people are finding it hard to feel comfortable with the way that world finances are being handled. Of course, though, like most events which impact the worldwide state of money, this is something which savvy people can take advantage of. To give you an idea of how this works, this post will be exploring one of the best ways to make the most of financial disruption.

What Is Forex?

Before you get started with something like this, it’s always worth learning about the system you’ll be using. Forex stands for foreign currency exchange, and is the process of buying and selling currencies in an attempt to make a profit. Investors will only buy money when the exchange rates make it very cheap, selling it on once prices go back up, resulting in profit being left over at the end. In the past, systems like this used to be very complicated for normal people to get into, but the internet has changed this, opening the doors for new investors to get started in this challenging environment.

Using The Chaos

Once you have a good understanding of forex investment, you can begin to start looking towards using the current economic climate to your advantage. When a politician makes a big announcement, the country which they represent will often see a spike or a drop in the value of their money. If something happens which causes a drop, being quick to start buying is usually a good approach to take. Dips like this are usually only temporary, and the currency will begin to climb back towards its old spot very quickly, making it a great window to be able to make some money out unrest.

Balancing Risk

Of course, when you’re putting your money into something like this, there are a few risks which need to be considered. If the price of a currency doesn’t go back up, you will lose the money you’ve put into it. While this can happen with most financial products, forex can present larger risks than others, and this is one of the things which can make it so rewarding. To make sure that you’re prepared for this, it will be a good idea to keep some of your money aside to be used as savings. Alongside this, reading resources like an Avatrade review will give you insight into the best tools to use. This will ensure that you always have a fallback in place if your investments don’t go as you planned.

The world is in a very tenuous position when it comes to money. The state of the world’s economy is evolving each day, and this is causing a lot of chaos in the world of finance. Of course, though, this doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Instead, as long as you’re able to put the time into it, you should be able to start making real progress in this area.

Saving or Investing: Which Is Best For Your Money?

December 20, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

If you’re trying to decide whether you should save or invest your money, you need to have a look at your goals and your financial situation. There are so many options when it comes to money, whether it’s building up your savings or where and how to invest your money – do you want short-term savings or long-term investment?

Putting money aside bit by bit so that you have some put by for when you need it either for a big purchase like a holiday or to cover yourself when emergencies crop up is relatively easy to do, you don’t need to learn much apart from looking into which savings account will earn you the most interest.

Investing needs a little more work, choosing the right thing to invest in such as property or stocks can be tricky and risky, however, if you choose right, the rewards are great, and your money will grow.

If you’re not sure how much you spend every month, then use a Budget planner to get a clear picture of your finances and work out where you might be able to cut costs. It’s a good idea for everyone to have an emergency savings fund and if you can then a general rule is to have three months’ worth of living expenses saved up in an instant access savings account. This should include rent, food, school fees and any other essential outgoings which will give you financial security if something goes wrong. Once you have your emergency fund, try to save up at least 10% of your earnings each month if you can afford to and set yourself savings goals. Put away enough to buy what you want whether it’s a deposit for a house, your dream wedding or around the world trip – don’t think anything is out of reach, it all adds up. You can then start to think about investing your money.

Investing your money really depends on your goals, are they short, medium or long-term goals? Do you need/want money in the next five years? Five to ten years? Or is it more like over ten years?

If your goals are short-term then generally, saving into cash deposits, like bank accounts are the best option. If you’re investing, the stock market might go up or down in the short-term, and if you invest for less than five years, you might make a loss.

For the medium-term, cash deposits are still a good option but investing could be the answer if you’re willing to take a risk to achieve a higher return on your investment. If your goal is to buy a house in six years time and you know you’ll need all your savings as a deposit and don’t want to risk your money. It might be safer to put your money into a savings account. However, your savings will still be at risk from inflation if the interest you earn on your savings doesn’t keep up with the rate of inflation.

However, if you can be more flexible and prepared to take some risk then investing your money will see a higher return on your investment than would be possible by saving alone.

If you’re looking at saving for your retirement or something else further away then investing is probably the way to go. Inflation can seriously affect the value of cash savings over the medium and long-term, but the stock market tends to do better than cash over the long-term providing an opportunity for higher returns on any money invested over time. You can also reduce the risk when you invest by spreading your money across different types of investments.

What should you invest in?

When it comes to investing there are plenty of different types of thing you can put your money into such as gold, real estate, bonds, and stocks and there are positives and negatives to all of them.

Gold is a commodity so if you’re investing in gold, be aware that the price may drop. Remember that commodities are usually just betting.

Investing in housing and real estate is a good idea. Try and get a house that is 50% off of what it’s worth so you can make a decent return. However, it might be easier to invest in the stock market and make the same returns or better rather than having to have loads of rental properties to take care of. There are other options such as HDB BTO 2018 which are built to order flats in Singapore. Choosing locations which are going to grow or up and coming towns or villages is a really good way to see your investment increase too.

Safe and low-risk bonds are another option, however they might only give you a 3% return on your money over multiple years meaning that when you take your money out of the bond, you’ll have less buying power than when you put it in because the growth rate could even keep up with the rate of inflation.

A mutual fund is a pool of funds from many investors that are diversified into many different things including, stocks, bonds, and other assets. These are operated by money managers who invest your money for you and attempt to get good returns. This sounds great. However, there are many downsides such as they don’t actually make positive returns, but you still have to pay the money manager a percentage of your money.

If you want to put some more time into it and get it right then learning about the stock market and how to invest in individual companies or stocks is a really good way to make money. You’ll need to study it and learn how to invest, but if you start by looking at companies that you like and you understand how they work, then you can make better returns in the stock market and retire a lot faster than with any other investment type.

Finally, things that you should avoid investing in include a new car, your TV, a sofa or a bed. These items lose value over time from you owning them are not considered investments.

When it comes to both saving or investing, you shouldn’t do either if there are more important things you need to do with your money – for example, if you are in debt then sorting that out needs to be your priority.

You could do both saving and investing depending on your different goals, so it’s really important before you do anything that you make a plan. Establish what you want, write it down and work out the best way to get each one.

Before you do anything with your money though, shop around, do your research and take your time. Find out about the different banks and savings accounts they offer. Do your research on anything you want to invest in. Find out as much as you can, ask around, speak to other investors and educate yourself – you will thank yourself later.

As for saving, do it anyway. Get your emergency fund set up, so you feel secure and ready for anything. You never know what’s around the corner, so it’s good to be prepared for any eventuality. Set your goals and work toward them, remember it all adds up, and nothing is out of your reach.