Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

What Does 2021 Mean For Your Business?

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Nothing stays the same and that’s particularly true in the business world. We’ve seen significant changes in 2020 and there will be many more going forward. The following contributed post is entitled, What Does 2021 Mean For Your Business?

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We have all been through a very difficult year. Lockdowns forced us all to stay at home, and for businesses, this has meant to possibly shut their doors for the first time in ever. Many businesses have felt the pinch this year, and whether you closed or diversified just to bring in some money during the lockdown periods, and even now when things are still hard, you need to give yourself a pat on the back and some credit for what you have all navigated. However, 2021 is on the horizon and with some positive news stories about the global pandemic it may be time to think about what you could be doing with your business moving forward. Here are some of the things to think about.

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Franchise your business

One of the first things that you could consider would be to franchise your business model. This could help you to maximise your business in a completely different way. You will be able to sell the business model, and then see that the brand message gets much more awareness. It is a fantastic way to spread the word of your business without you having the same workload. It gives you instant money as you are selling the business model, and it can be a fabulous way to make your business more expandable in a different way.

Expand your product range

Another thing that you could consider would be to expand your product range. Right now you may have diversified your business and looked at different options for it to keep going, so why stop now? You could use this opportunity to expand your range of products or even the changes in the services that you can offer. You may even want to look at manufacturing your own products, looking at getting the right tools such machinery or a silicone mold release can help. You may also think about hiring people to help you expand your business in different ways. There are so many ways to expand and next year can be a great one to consider.

Focus on a new area

Maybe your business has changed this year, and because you have had no choice but to diversify, you may want to start looking at things that you can do to keep this up. Perhaps this time has given you a chance to see where your business can move into different directions. It may not have been a choice that you have considered before, but now you may be able to focus on a different area and pursue a new direction. This can be exciting, and many businesses have thrived because entrepreneurs and business owners have had no choice but to change the way your business operates.

Go completely digital

Finally, maybe you have decided to make your business completely digital. Perhaps a shop is obsolete now, or perhaps you have worked from home so much that the changes you have made are much more flexible to make this a possibility. A digital business could save you some money for your business and it could enable you to be more eco-friendly.

Let’s hope these suggestions help you decide what 2021 means for your business.

Looking After Yourself Is About More Than Eating Well

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A lot of people think that your health is related strictly to diet. While there is a dietary component involved, there are other keys as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Looking After Yourself Is About More Than Eating Well.

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We all know that we need to look after ourselves, but some people seem to think that eating well is where this ends. As if somehow eating well is going to sort out any and all issues that you may have and keep you in the best possible health. Of course, eating well is important to keeping yourself healthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you should be doing. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the other things that you should be doing. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

You’ve Got To Exercise

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The first thing that we’re going to mention is that you’ve got to exercise. Some people seem to be under the impression that exercise is only important if you’re trying to lose weight or have some other kind of fitness goal. This is not true because exercise is essential for keeping yourself healthy no matter what. It’s not a good idea to get into the mindset that you don’t need to be active because you do. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to get up and go to the gym five days per week, completing intense cardio every time. Exercise could be anything from walking for thirty minutes to swimming for half an hour. There are so many different ways to ensure that your body is staying active, so find one that you enjoy.

Think About Your Life Path

Another thing that you need to do is think about the path that you want to be on. It doesn’t matter what path you choose to go down, as long as you know roughly where you are headed in terms of your health. For example, if you are not ready to have a baby right now, you need to make sure that you are using contraception to avoid this happening. Or, if you know that you have some kind of health condition that needs medication to keep it managed, you’ve got to ensure that you’re taking it.

Don’t Isolate Yourself

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The final thing that we’re going to mention is the fact that you shouldn’t isolate yourself. This is bad for your mental health as it can push you into feeling as though you are alone, even when you’re not. Your mental health needs to be looked after as much as your physical health does, so ensure that when things feel like they are getting tough, you seek out the help that you need. Notice the signs that you’re starting to slip and acknowledge that they are there. Don’t try to hide from them because this is only going to make things worse.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and now have a better understanding as to some of the things that you should be doing to look after yourself. Make sure that you are eating well, but don’t forget about the things on this list as well. Good luck.

Five Ways To Market Your Business

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“If you don’t currently have a marketing plan or are unsure whether you are doing all you should be to get your business promoted, now is your chance.”

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Two of the focuses my blog is Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the keys to being successful at business is your marketing. As critical it is, not everyone understands the marketing aspect of business. The following contributed post is entitled, Five Ways To Market Your Business.

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Photo by Serpstat from Pexels

2020 has been a year unlike any other, and with the future uncertain, it is more important than ever that you leverage your business to get ahead of the competition. If you don’t currently have a marketing plan or are unsure whether you are doing all you should be to get your business promoted, now is your chance. Whether you are a small business who has just set out or a large business, a good marketing plan is vital to keep yourself in the best position. This year might have seen you have to cut your budget or reign in your spending due to the current pandemic, but you don’t have to spend lots to get great results. Trial different techniques and find out the ones that work best for you and your company. Here are five top ways to market your business for optimal success this year.

Create a marketing plan

No business can successfully market itself without a marketing plan. With a marketing plan, you can ensure that you schedule out everything you need and have a clear direction to follow. It allows you to measure how your marketing budget is being spent and to try out every area to see which one works the best for you. You will know exactly what is going out when and can measure and track success and results. Whether you are a technologies company like Kapa Technologies LLC, a restaurant, bar, or manufacturer, your business will benefit from a marketing plan.

Sort out your website

Your website is essentially your shop front, and so it is important that not only is it functional and informative, but also that it looks good too. If people turn up and your website is slow, laggy, and looks old, it will give them a bad impression of your business and service. People can think if you don’t make an effort with your website, you won’t make an effort with whatever you are trying to sell or offer. Websites are so easy to create these days that there is no excuse for one that is poorly done. Just by searching online, asking for recommendations, or looking at local groups on Facebook, you will be able to find someone who can create you a stunning looking site that isn’t too expensive. You can also find someone who will do up your current site if you don’t want to opt for something completely new; this might save you money if you are looking for something that bit cheaper in the current times.

Focus on your SEO

If you don’t have an SEO plan, it is time to create one. SEO is vital for getting your business seen and showing up on search engines. By having a strong SEO strategy, your business will show up on Google, and you will get found by those who are looking for the services you offer. There are many ways you can improve your SEO, from improving the metadata and on-page SEO on your site to targeting specific keywords, getting backlinks, and more. This side of SEO can be quite technical, so it is worth getting in touch with an SEO company or hiring a specialist SEO agency with the experience and an up-to-date understanding of SEO needed to sort it out for you. They will have the knowledge and expertise to conduct a proper plan. If you don’t have the money to hire a specialist, you can also do research on SEO online that will show you how you can improve your presence.

Implement a Social media strategy

Social media is vital to market your business, and there are many different strategies depending on the services you offer. The important thing to remember with social media is that not every social media platform will work with all businesses, and it is best to focus on a few niche ones rather than spread yourself too thin. Think about the types of audience you are looking to attract with your service and tailor your social media to this. Twitter and Facebook are great for sharing news articles or information, while Instagram is very visual so great for sharing images of your product. TikTok is also another very visual platform but is more aimed at a younger audience. If you have a more cooperative service, consider looking at Linkedin as this is where a lot of business professionals have profiles and look for information. You can use trial and error when it comes to social media and see which platform gets you the most engagement – you might be surprised at what works and what doesn’t! Remember if you are posting similar content on all of your platforms to change them to suit each one.

Have a strong newsletter strategy

Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your clients and customers and showcase your latest news and offers. It also allows you to stay in their mind and prompt them to visit your site when they might not have done otherwise. Try not to send out too many newsletters that your customers feel bombarded, but don’t do it too frequently that they don’t bother opening them. Always be sure that your email mailing list is compliant with GDPR. When it comes to creating your newsletter, be sure that it ties in with your branding and the tone of voice of your business.

These are just some of the ways that you can market your business. In uncertain times such as this year, it is very important that you get your marketing strategy up to scratch and make it as easy as possible for new customers and clients to reach you, as well as retain your current clients. Remember, your website and your social media are the first things that people see when they come to your business and are the initial selling points. These need to be aesthetically pleasing, technically effective, and really showcase what you are about and what services you offer. Don’t be afraid to try multiple techniques, and if some don’t work as well as expected, to try something else.

Tips For Working At Home When Running A Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In today’s digital world, the tools exist to allow people to work from home. If you’re interested in starting a home-based business, this contributed post is entitled, Tips For Working At Home When Running A Business.

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Image source: Pixabay

With the global pandemic resulting in many people having to work from home, as an employer or indeed employee, it can be challenging. This is especially true if you are part of the new working from home economy. It requires a change of mindset, new habits to make it a success. Everyone will need to consider where to work from, what the boundaries are between home life and work life, and how it will impact upon family relationships.

Below are some tips on making working from home a success.

Set up a schedule
Try your best to set your working hours and stick to them. This is important if you have a family at home too. Although don’t be too rigid as working from home can also allow the most incredible flexibility, mostly if you have outsourced work and your colleague is in a different time zone.

Get your systems set up
To ensure you and your employees are able to communicate, access files, and schedule meetings, it’s important to get your systems set up. The integration between your office and home systems will be vital to a seamless operation. This will ensure you and any employees have the necessary equipment and access to continue with the job at hand. You may require additional support to achieve this, but it will be worth the investment.

Ensure your company is seen
Your customers will want reassurance that you are still open for business. This may involve working hard on your internet presence and working to ensure SEO is optimized for your online presence. Contact your customers and assure them you are open, ready for business, and continuing to work.

Socialize
Working from home can be a lonely experience for all involved. Schedule catch-ups with staff members. Set up meetings with clients via the vast array of online platforms. These will ensure you have a strong culture of staying in touch with employees and customers. This also helps nurture relationships meaning your employees and customers will feel valued.

Be positive
Not being in an office can be difficult. In all communication with your employees and customers, have a positive outlook. Also, ensure any written communication is clear and concise. Remember, you will have to communicate in writing more, so ensure you get across the right message in the tone that you want.

Finish your work-day on a good note
As noted above, about setting up a schedule to start your day, ending your day on a positive note and routine is also a great idea. Sign off with a message to your employees and go and do something you enjoy. Ask your employees to do the same.

These are just some tips to help you if you are working from home.
Above all, find out what works best for you and your employees. Remember, you are all in the same boat. Working together to achieve the goals of the company is what you want so getting their input at what works will be vital.

Saving Storage Space In Your Business

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In terms of business, we often think of business resources in terms of money, but another one is storage space. Storage space in itself is a valuable asset and must be wisely managed. The following contributed post is entitled, Saving Storage Space In Your Business.

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Storage space in any business can be a challenging one. As your business grows, so too might it’s workforce, and the initial space you had in your building might become limited. The same goes for any warehouses that you might possess as a business. The more products you start to stock and sell, the more space you need to store them. Here are some storage tips that might help your business save on the space it has and to utilize it in the best way possible.

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Utilize Racking

Racking is a good way of building your storage from the ground up. Without having to take away any additional floor space in whatever building it is, racking can certainly be helpful. When choosing your racking, it’s important to consider what it is you are storing so that it can hold the weight and dimensions of the products easily and without causing any damage to any other products you have underneath it. Tennessee Rack is a great company to sort the racking that you need, and it’s best to use quality racking, rather than anything that could potentially cause damage or be ineffective when it comes to your storage. Utilize racking to your advantage when it comes to saving space because you have plenty of space to likely build up on, rather than having to take up any more valuable floor space.

Go Paperless

Going paperless can be a great way of saving on space because if you think about all the documents you print throughout the space of a year, it can end up taking up a lot of the room. With that being said, it’s good to look at what areas of the business that you can start converting to paperless so that you not only save on the space but your also saving money in the process. It can be a great opportunity to sort through the paperwork, digitalizing what needs to be digitalized and then making sure it all gets destroyed and disposed of properly.

Keep Your Workforce Organized In Their Areas

Your workforce is responsible for the storage space within the business. Their own workstations can be places where they can utilize the space that they have in making sure it’s not overspilling into other areas of the business. Make sure that each employee has a manager or supervisor monitoring workstations and directing employees to tidy up and declutter when necessary. The more you can stay on top of this, the less debris is going to overspill and take up more room.

Invest In External Storage

External storage is one thing to consider when it comes to freeing up storage in your office space. If your staff are constantly tripping over themselves, then why not invest in some external storage. It can be an affordable way of storing everything that is still needed without having to go to the extreme of moving business premises.

Saving storage space is key, so make sure you’re following these tips to free up more space in your workplace.

Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Technology. In our new digital world, social media and reached into pretty much every aspect of life. On top of that, pretty much every generation is now using social media. It’s fun for young kids but it poses numerous dangers as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online.

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Social networking platforms are incredibly popular and the number of users every day is growing more and more. The general feeling is about safety and security as more and more individuals flood to use them. When millions of people use social media, they have to be secure, don’t they?

In reality, just like any other website, Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Kik have their fair share of security problems, many of which have been addressed in the media. Some of the problems are due to technological issues, and others are due to the individuals using them.

This is a problem for everyone, but it needs to be tackled because children and adolescents, who are especially vulnerable, make up such a large percentage of users. Fortunately, with a few simple steps, you can protect your identity and account, as well as those belonging to your teenager.

Image Via Pexels CC0

Put limits on social media use

A UNICEF study notes that ‘some time on social media is actually good‘ and that it can be positive for the social relationships of children. Given the present conditions that we find ourselves in with COVID-19, this is even more plausible. Social media gives us the chance to stay in touch with families and friends around the globe and to keep up-to – date with global events.

With the average teenager, however, spending about nine hours a day on a laptop-how much is too much screen time? The general guideline is about two or three hours in total, although it naturally varies from person to person. According to Monitoring the Future, anything more than that and social media can lead to feelings of anxiety and unhappiness.

Keep an eye on their online behaviour

There are different apps that you can use to keep an eye on what your child is doing on different social media platforms, as we mentioned above. It is a way to make sure that any would-be predators, who are very good at fooling kids and teenagers into thinking they are someone they are not, and are not grooming them. It also helps to give you an idea of whether there is any cyberbullying or other unpleasant behaviour going on. In more extreme circumstances, you can hire a hacker for cell phone to watch everything that is happening.

Talk about privacy settings

The privacy settings on many social media networks can be so nuanced that even the most tech-savvy of adults fail to get their heads around it, let alone kids. It is important, however, to do your research and check everything. The fewer details that strangers will see, the better. Discuss the data they post on social media and discourage images that reveal where they go to school or where they live from being posted.

Unfortunately, teens and kids can almost always get around using social media and get into trouble with them, so by putting these tips into effect, you will reduce the chance of this happening and keep them safer for longer.

Tips To Keep Your Staff Safe In The Workplace

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness and Organizational/Management Discussions. If you’re a business owner or in management, a key objective of yours should be to keep your employees and your workplace safe. The following contributed post is entitled, Tips To Keep Your Staff Safe In The Workplace.

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Your staff’s safety in the workplace should certainly be the main priority of yours. When it comes to your workplace, you have a responsibility to your employees in making sure that where they’re working is safe and isn’t going to bring or cause them harm in any way. With that said, here are some tips to keep your staff safe in the workplace.

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Put Safety Measures In Place

Safety measures are a great way of ensuring that your staff is being looked after and that there are precautions in place to help avoid injury altogether. This might be in the form of signs and warnings that are placed around the worksite or office, for example. You may want to introduce everyone that comes into the company with an office safety training pack or to have either your HR or operations manager train the staff member in the basics of keeping safe in the office. There are lots of different measures you can take to ensure that your staff is being looked after and it’s up to you as the employer to make sure that these expectations are being met at all times. If not, then you could be liable for legal cases where a staff member has been injured to a lack of safety precautions in place. That’s not a situation you should want to find yourself in.

Have The Right Protective Gear

The right protective gear is important when it comes to keeping safe, and with medical supplies being in demand at the moment due to COVID, this should be a reminder that our health is important. Look at what you might be lacking when it comes to protective gear not only for general work tasks but also those areas of the business where staff might be working with particular machinery that can also pose a danger.

Educate Your Employees

As much as you have a responsibility to your staff, they also have a responsibility for their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues. With that being said, it’s good if you can offer them any additional training that you think they might need when it comes to them staying safe within the workplace. There’s plenty of basic training courses that could be useful for them as well as common courses like First Aid Training, etc. It’s important you have some sort of budget when it comes to staff training.

Encourage Regular Breaks

Regular breaks are a must, and so it’s worth making sure each and every staff member is getting the breaks they need throughout the day. Be strict on ensuring they’re getting up from their desk and not spending their lunch breaks eating in front of their computer. Be the encouragement they need to take a proper break and to ensure regular breaks are also taken throughout the course of the working day.

Safety in the workplace is paramount, so be sure to check that every staff member is ok and that you’re doing all you can for their safety.

Planning A Safe Return To Work Amidst The Pandemic

A key focus of my blog is Organization/Management Discussions. Across the country, businesses and organizations of all kinds are pondering a return to workplaces. A part of the thought process is doing so as safely as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, Planning A Safe Return To Work Amidst The Pandemic.

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The reopening of businesses around the world after the COVID-19 lockdown has been much awaited by many, but there are many important precautions that you must take to ensure that you can keep yourself, your staff and your customers safe. Luckily it needn’t be as difficult as you might think to plan a safe return to work, as there are a few key areas in which you can focus your efforts to ensure every individual is out of harm’s way. So, if you would like to find out more, then read on to uncover some of the best top tips and tricks that you can make the most of today.

Image Source – Pexels

Deep Cleaning

The first step that you must take when opening your business post pandemic involves a thorough deep clean. It’s absolutely vital that you can enlist the support of trusted decontamination services to create a clean and hygienic space in which the virus has no means to flourish. Deep cleaning involves the use of chemicals in order to kill bacteria, so this has to be carried out by an experienced specialist who knows exactly how to handle them. You’ll have ultimate peace of mind when heading back to work knowing that the entire place is spick and span, so it’s a worthwhile investment to undertake.

Social Distancing

Group work, crowded offices and many more socially diverse activities are now a thing of the past, as social distancing measures now require people to maintain a 1-2m distance between one another. This may mean that only a small percentage of your workforce is able to safely return to work, as you should remove furniture such as desks that are connected to be replaced with better suited socially distanced alternatives. It’s a good idea to utilise some kind of floor sticker system that signals to staff when and how to keep their distance, such as 2m markers in the lunch queue that encourage your team to stay safe and separate.

PPE

One recent focus of a risk reduced working environment is PPE. PPE, or personal protective equipment, involves any item that exists to help keep an individual safe. For example, disposable gloves that can be used once and thrown away, face masks for densely populated areas, or alternative face shields for those who find it difficult to breathe in such an accessory. Evidence points towards these PPE items being somewhat effective, so you may find it beneficial to implement these strategies. If you use a pair of disposable gloves or a disposable mask, then always ‘dispose’ of your item after one use. One use is the maximum that you can get from a ‘disposable’ item, and it can even put you in danger if you choose to use it again.

Planning the safest possible return to your workplace for you and your colleagues amidst the ever changing nature of the pandemic has never been so simple when you are able to utilise the top tips and tricks detailed above!

Stop Being Tired: Making the Right Fixes

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. With our increased technology and more efficient lives, many people are neglecting sleep which is a key component of our person health. Without proper sleep, our bodies open up to a host of maladies. The following contributed post is entitled, Stop Being Tired: Making the Right Fixes.

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Despite the pandemic that everybody is living through, there is still something that we all appear to suffer from which is impacting most of our lives, and it seems it’s always been there. Being tired, exhausted, or fatigue are all aspects that every single one of us suffers from on occasion, or more likely, is endemic through our lives. It seems that learning to prioritize sleep is very low on the agenda. And it is hardly a surprise because there are so many people that are told they have to prioritize their jobs or they worry about so many different aspects of their lives, sleep is very low on the agenda. We need to prioritize this but what else do we need to consider when we are learning to overcome any form of exhaustion?

Reducing Use of the Dreaded Mobile Device
It’s something that we all need to use at arm’s length. It’s something that is hardly out of our peripheries. When you consider road accidents fatalities in the US in 2018, 2.1% of drivers were visibly manipulating hand-held devices while driving. If it’s such a priority to use your phone while you are driving, this says a lot about your relationship with this device. There’s a lot to be said for what a mobile device can do for us in our lives but we can’t seem to remove it from our lives at all.

Because there are so many issues associated with excessive mobile phone use, not just depression or anxiety which can impact sleep, but also the fact that the blue light interrupts our sleep hormone, melatonin, we need to figure out a way to improve a relationship with this device. You could take inspiration from the former leader of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, who completely bans her phone from the bedroom, or you can find the right balance.

When we compare the happiness of people in the modern-day to 20 years ago, the one major difference is that mobile phones were not widespread. Now, they are everywhere and depression is creeping up, especially in younger people. Removing the device from your life is hard work, but it is possible to have a good working relationship with this device. But much like any addiction, you may need to go cold turkey first.

Addressing Your Attitudes to Stress
When we feel tired constantly, we’ve got to address fatigue in all of its forms. When we feel tired in every aspect of our lives, it’s not just about energizing ourselves but it’s about looking at the habits we undertake that exhaust us. Rather than focusing on one big habit, it may very well be a combination of factors that make you feel tired physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is why we’ve got to prioritize stress reduction as a daily habit. It could be through incorporating breathing exercises or meditation, but it may also be about learning how to not sweat the small stuff. This goes back to what our phones do for us.

We are exposed to other people’s lives constantly and our thoughts can get carried away with us, especially when we think that we are not leading our best life. When we start to compare ourselves unfavorably to others, or we think that we should be doing more, this emotional and mental fatigue clouds our lives. It can manifest itself in other ways, not just tiredness. You may very well think that you’ve got an allergy to something or you may mistakenly assume that you are tired for a completely different reason.

Because mental fatigue is something that can stay with us for a long time, it becomes a part of who we are. Therefore, we don’t necessarily notice that we have any problem. The best thing that we can all do is understand what stress is doing to us as individuals. This means we’ve got to check into ourselves and begin the process of either removing stressful components from our lives that we didn’t consider to be exhausting or realizing that there are habits we do without thinking they are bad for us. This is something we may consider just to be associated with feeling physically tired, but this is a problem that can compound as we get older. Being tired is not necessarily a bad thing, but when we feel like it constantly, this is when it is imperative that we address the fundamentals underneath it.

Being tired isn’t a way of life, yet so many people constantly talk about feeling like this. While you may think it’s about making the right fixes, it’s also about addressing what is underneath this.

Successfully Manage Your Suppliers With These Tips

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business you’re running, you will be interfacing with suppliers which are critical to your operations. You further want to protect and manage your supply chains at all costs. The following contributed post is entitled, Successfully Manage Your Suppliers With These Tips.

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When you are running a successful business, you need to have positive, reliable and loyal suppliers working with you to get the best out of your business. Successful supplier relationships aren’t always easy to build, and there is communication and trust required to make it work. You have to treat your suppliers with respect, whether they are supplying packaging, IT services or equipment, and you have to respect the contract that you sign.

As a business owner, you need to consider that you want to get the best for your business to run smoothly. Assessing the suppliers out there will get you started, and managing your current supplier relationships is just as important. If you are looking for help in managing those same relationships, we’ve got all of the tips that you need below.

Image Source: Pexels

1. Understand Cost & Value. The supply chain is one that needs to run as smoothly as possible for your business to work well. You need to understand every single cost that you are paying, how it affects the product or service that you deliver, and what value is provided to your customers. You need to know how your suppliers are offering you value, and a true partnership involves you both understanding the cost of the service and the value it provides at the same time.

2. Focus On What You Do For Your Supplier. Your printer and copier dealer is working for you to get you the best deal, provide you the best equipment and more. But what are you doing for your supplier? You have to realize that this relationship goes both ways and you have to be in charge of the way that you behave in this relationship. If someone is going out of their way to offer you an excellent deal, then you need to go out of your way to pay your bills on time and turn to your supplier when you need an upgrade.

3. Plan Efficiently. All businesses, including yours, have to plan properly with their suppliers. You have to accept accountability for your needs and order what you need in good time. Piling on the pressure on your supplier to deliver when you haven’t given them the correct time frames is not the way to go. If you need to push through emergency orders, you’re going to be managing your business in a sloppy way, which is not what you need. Lack of thinking on your part does not constitute an emergency for your supplier.

4. Establish Service Levels. It’s so important that you incorporate the right service levels into your relationship with your suppliers. You can’t just base a relationship on a handshake, so both parties need to talk about their expectations and agree on it all.

5. Agree Your Contracts. Before you sign anything with your suppliers, you would have agreed terms for all of you to stick to. You agree on your payment terms and you need to uphold those terms. Your suppliers will give you the best discounts and deals, but you should spend time ensuring that all sides of the contract are agreed in advance!

6. Communication Counts. If there is a problem with a supplier, you need to share that with them as early as possible. If there is any information that you need to share, you need to do so as early as possible so that they can fix the problem. If you contact your supplier to tell them something has broken down, do it the moment you know that there is a problem. By communicating a problem, you can also communicate the good things. This will keep your relationship steady and working well.

7. Keep Planning. You want to manage these relationships well, and that means planning for the exceptions and not always the rules. Emergencies happen and in complex supply chains, you need to let them know ahead of time how the emergencies will be handled. It’s up to you to analyze why they happen so that you can minimize the number of emergencies possible. Every single strategy with your supply chain takes planning, and you need to agree a solution for emergencies with your supplier. If a copier breaks down and you work in reprographics, it would help to know what you should do in those circumstances.

8. Expect Honesty. You can expect your supplier to be honest with you, so you should offer the same in return. Mutual respect is so important with your suppliers, so make this happen!

9. Make It Work. Your relationships with your suppliers have to be meaningful at all times. When you meet, make a grand gesture! When there are issues, talk about them. Make it work and offer respect!