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.

Technology To Keep Your Home Secure

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. For individuals who own their homes, their primary residences are their largest investment. As such those investments must be protected and their ways to use technology to do so. The following contributed post is entitled, Technology To Keep Your Home Secure.

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Keeping your home secure and safe has always been at the top of many people’s priorities. It is just as important as ensuring the security of your business. We all know that it is important to close your windows and lock your doors before you go out, but as technology develops, there are more and more gadgets and tools that we can use to improve our home security. Many of the security items will be familiar, but they now have added technology that can help to make your home safer than ever:

A doorbell with a camera
No longer do doorbells just alert you to the fact that somebody is at the door, they can now show you who is at the door. This is useful for those unexpected house callers, as you can talk to them to find out who they are before you open the door. The camera doesn’t usually run all the time; it triggers when somebody comes to your door. There are even doorbells that allow you to connect to your phone so that you get alerts when there is someone at the door, and you can talk to them, even when you aren’t in the house.

A secure padlock
Padlocks are known for making things secure and safe by preventing people without a key from opening whatever you have secured. However, they have become even more secure with the invention of the biometric padlock. Biometric padlocks allow you to use your fingerprint, smartphone, or a password to unlock. No more losing keys, or getting your lock picked!

Home security systems
Home security systems are a great way to deter burglars and alert others if there is an intruder around. Many alarm systems set off an alarm when movement is detected in your home, but now there can be much more to home security systems. Many come with security cameras, some with excellent night vision. If your camera detects that someone is there, some will send you an alert and image of the person. This allows you to decide what to do if there is someone you don’t know outside. The alarm will still go off if someone breaks in, but this extra level of security acts as more of a deterrent and will provide authorities with an image of the perpetrator if anything happens.

Online security
Breaking into your home is no longer one of the only ways people can find your personal details and steal from you. There are now many cybercriminals out there that will try to do this online. You can put things in place to prevent any breaches of data from happening. All the passwords that you choose should be complexed and include numbers and special characters. Make sure that your device and the software on your device is regularly updated, encrypt anything private, and install effective firewalls. If you run a small business, it may be a good idea to get some advice from an IT professional who specializes in cybersecurity so that you can be sure everything is secure.

A Guide To Starting Your Own Successful Crossfit Gym

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. A lucrative business to start is a Crossfit gym. There individuals who are hypervigilant about their health and want to challenge their bodies like never before. The following contributed post is entitled, A Guide To Starting Your Own Successful Crossfit Gym.

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Have you always wanted to start your own business? Are you interested in fitness? If so, you might have considered combining the two. If you’ve ever been to a crossfit gym and loved the atmosphere, maybe you’ve even thought about what it would be like to open your own crossfit gym (or box, as they call it). This guide will tell you what you need to know about starting your own successful crossfit gym so you can decide whether it’s for you. Opening one of these gyms requires specific licensing and training, but that’s not all. You’ll also need to take into account the following things:

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Choosing Your Name And Business Entity
You’re going to need to make it clear that you’re opening a crossfit gym, so consider this when coming up with a name. This might be descriptive of the location as well as the fact that you are focusing on Crossfit, for example. Just ensure that the name is available in your state and that you will be able to get the correct social handles and domain names to go with it.

A business entity will also be required. Usually, you’ll want something that provides you with protection from liability.

Create A Business Plan
A business plan is the most important part of any business, so this is something you really want to take your time with. Using a ready made business plan template will ensure you have covered all of your bases and that you’ve not missed anything out.

This will usually take a lot of work, but you’ll be glad you did it when it comes time to find investors or apply for loans. They will want to look at your business plan to ensure you have everything planned out and be assured that they will get their money back. This also means doing plenty of research beforehand – who are your competitors in the area? Are there any crossfit gyms nearby? You need to be sure that there’s a market for your services!

Get Certified
Before you begin, you’ll need to get some certifications. Being a level one trainer is key to opening your own box. You’ll need to learn how to safely perform and teach workout techniques. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to be prepared to pay yearly licensing fees to Crossfit. If you want your gym to be an official affiliate, then you will need to budget for these fees annually.

Register Your Business
Now it’s time to register your business and get your employer identification number. This is going to make paying your taxes possible and obtaining business loans far easier.

Get Funding
You may not have enough money to start this venture all on your own. You not only have the cost of opening the gym to think about, but the certification fee, licensing fee, rent, equipment costs, taxes, employees, and more. You’ll want to have more money than you think you need for the startup costs.

Find Your Gym Space, Purchase Equipment, And Everything Else
Once you have funding in place, you can find your gym space and get permits. Make sure you are happy to pay the specified rent before you sign on the dotted line. Don’t forget about business insurance, as this will protect you from many risks that come with opening a business like this.

You can then purchase all of your equipment, install gym turf, and hire employees (if you need to).

The community aspect of Crossfit makes it attractive to most people. Make sure you build this sense of community in your own gym so that people want to join. This is how crossfit becomes a lifestyle for many people!

Key Considerations For A New Business Base

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key aspect of your business is where it’s located. You can’t just set it up anywhere and need a prime location. The following contributed post is entitled, Key Considerations For A New Business Base.

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If you run a business, it’s essential to find a base that caters to your needs. Whether your firm is established, or you’re preparing to launch a startup, it’s wise to take your time finding the right premises. Here are some key considerations if you’re on the hunt for a new business base.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/conference-room-table-office-768441/

Your finances
The first step in any property search, whether you’re looking to rent or buy, is setting a budget. You need to ensure that you can afford to cover your rent or mortgage before you make any offers or submit any applications. Figure out a maximum budget, and think carefully about how much you want or need to spend. Your decision should be based on the requirements of the business. Location is key for many companies, for example, but there’s no point in paying over the odds for office space in the city center if you don’t need to occupy a prime slice of real estate. It’s best to avoid overstretching yourself, especially if you’re in the early stages of the entrepreneurial journey.

Location
For some businesses, location is the most crucial aspect of a property search, but this is not the case for every company. If you are reliant on footfall, you need easy access to a local workforce or infrastructure, or you could enhance your brand image and reputation with a sought-after address, it’s worth narrowing down your search area. If you don’t depend on passing trade, you have a small team of employees and you don’t need to be close to road and rail links, it’s worth considering premises in the outskirts or suburbs and exploring up and coming areas. Evaluate the needs of your business, carry out research to gather information about the areas on your shortlist, and compare prices. It’s critical to take time to understand what is available within your price range.

Space, scalability and development
Many businesses need a certain amount of space to operate, but if you’re a new venture, or you have plans to expand in the future, you might not need vast premises at the moment. If this is the case, you could consider renting with a view to buying further down the line or investing in a site that could be developed when you’re ready to grow the business. It is important to remember that there are restrictions when it comes to building and development, and you may need to work with a team of experts that includes builders, architects and specialists like a heritage consultant depending on the location you choose. If there is a good chance that you will want to add to the existing blueprint, it’s beneficial to seek advice before you proceed to make sure that your plans are viable.

Commuting and accessibility
One of the most significant points to consider for business owners who employ teams of staff and serve clients on-site is accessibility. If you welcome customers to a store or an office, for example, and you have several employees that travel to your base every day, it’s wise to opt for a location that is easily reachable. Being close to major roads and highways, train and metro stations and bus routes can be beneficial for staff and clients. It’s particularly important to think about transport if you employ a lot of people and your business premises are not located in the heart of the town or city.

Parking
As a business owner, you need to think about the requirements of your staff and customers before deciding where to locate your new base. Parking is widely available in most out of town developments and industrial estates, but it comes with a premium price tag in city centers. If you are looking at urban real estate hot spots and you expect some staff and customers to drive to your office, it’s worth looking at parking capacity and comparing premises. If you choose to rent additional spaces, make sure you factor in the cost. You might find that it makes financial sense to look at more expensive premises that have the spaces you need already. If you find a site that suits, but there’s a shortage of parking, it may be possible to come to an arrangement with another business or a parking site owner.

Picture from https://pixabay.com/photos/office-sitting-room-executive-730681/

If you’re looking to move your business, or you’re searching for a base for a new venture, it’s important to think about your needs and preferences carefully before making a decision. Research different locations, set a realistic budget, think about scalability and development potential and make sure your business is accessible for employees and customers.

Use the Lockdown to Help Expand Your Knowledge, and to Learn and Improve

Three focuses of my blog are Current Events, General Education and Professional Skills/Development. Sometimes there are blessings in disguise. While the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic/Crisis has forced a nationwide lockdown, it has inadvertently created spare time for vast numbers of people. If the time is used wisely to learn new things for example, you can come out of this crisis better off on the other side. The following contributed post is entitled, Use the Lockdown to Help Expand Your Knowledge, and to Learn and Improve.

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During the lockdown, many people are finding themselves off work for the foreseeable future. Now, this can be tough, but it is also a great opportunity to be able to learn more and improve your knowledge and skill set. This is something you are going to need to get right as much as you can, so try to make the most of this moving forward, and come up with ideas that are going to help you in this regard.

You have plenty of free time here, and it is important to make sure you use it as best you can. There are a lot of options you need to consider here, and it makes sense to use this time wisely to work on improving what you know and trying to learn more in the process. So, here are some of the ideas and tips you can use to help you expand your knowledge and improve your life in the process right now.

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Learn a Language

There are a lot of things you can do to help pass the time during this lockdown, and this is something to think about. Learning a new language can do a lot to help you improve your brain power, increase your skills, and give you fresh cultural experiences. There are so many things you can use online, just like this tutorial on how to learn German, to help you learn a new language, and this would be a great way of passing the time during the lockdown process. Make sure you focus on doing as much as possible to learn a new language wholly and enjoy the benefits this can bring.

Find Out New Things

Make sure you do as much as possible to try to find out new things and use the internet as the ultimate resource for this. There is so much information out there, and no matter how obscure it might be, this is a great way of learning about the world and finding out new things. Whether you’re wanting to know about the trend in the lattice energies, or you’re thinking of learning about history once again, there are so many opportunities.

Master Something

It has often been claimed that it takes around 10,000 hours to master something, and this is a good challenge for you. Of course, nobody is expecting you to complete a full 10,000 hours of practice at something right away. However, this is something that you need can certainly make some headway into during the lockdown process. There are a lot of things to think about here, and choosing what you are going to attempt to master is something that deserves some thought and consideration. And you might like to uncover the benefits of using articulated speech as much as possible.

Reading is something we never seem to do enough of, and this is the perfect opportunity to be able to read more and expand your knowledge in the process. Whether it’s in paperback, hardback, or digital form, the lockdown has certainly freed up enough time to read more and discover new worlds and adventures as a result.

As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your knowledge and boost your skills during the lockdown process. This is something you are going to have to make the most of right now, and it is something you should certainly consider. There are a lot of elements that you are going to need to keep in mind here, and learning and improving can certainly enrich your life in the process.

5 Ways To Facilitate & Improve Lean Manufacturing Processes

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re in the manufacturing sector, you want to optimize your operations as much as possible. Doing so will maximize your production and efficiency. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Facilitate & Improve Lean Manufacturing Processes.

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Lean manufacturing

Lean manufacturing refers to the improvement of production processes to enhance efficiency and reduce waste. During the production cycle, waste has many different definitions. Waste might occur due to inappropriate equipment; downtime between process steps; transport problems; mistakes or errors; inefficient use of staff; or overproduction. A lean manufacturing process includes ongoing improvement, automation, and pull processing, as well as general waste elimination.

Lean processes should bear in mind the lean manufacturing cycle. The early stages of the cycle involve defining the consumer’s end values and creating a flow to ensure the steps are compact. The mid stages include encouraging a ‘pull for the product’, meaning that people desire it. Lastly, the end stage involves perfecting the product as much as possible. There are many ways that businesses can seek to facilitate and improve lean manufacturing processes.

Adopt 5S

The 5S process involves five key steps:

1 . Sort: the first stage of the process refers to eliminating everything that you don’t need. For example, remove outdated materials, including both equipment and computer files. Give your equipment classifications that determine how frequently these items are used. You can use such classifications to store everything appropriately.

2. Set in order: next, you should put your resources in order to keep your business organized. Never underestimate the importance of adequately organized storage to save time and improve your processes. Assign set quantities and spaces for everything.

3. Shine: the ‘shine’ phase means ensuring that everything is clean and tidy. Determine the main cause of the mess and dirt, and change the associated processes to make things better. Cleaning charts are useful to assign tasks and keep a record.

4. Standardize: seek to standardize the best practices for an orderly workspace. Make these standardizations visual and clear to all. All critical areas should remain consistent across the whole business.

5. Sustain: lastly, it’s important to sustain the above processes, and seek to create lasting habits and behaviors which make it easy to do so.

Manufacturing Software

Implementing the right kind of manufacturing software can be beneficial to improve lean processes. For example, Aegis FactoryLogix MES is a great piece of manufacturing software, suitable for use across industries such as industrial, automotive, electronics, and aerospace. The software is designed to complement modern manufacturing and the associated business-critical systems.

Kaizen

In lean manufacturing terms, Kaizen refers to continuous improvement. It’s necessary to review the performance of your processes to encourage development consistently. Facilitating growth is possible at every stage of your operations, starting with the raw materials you use. When was the last time you updated your machinery parts or equipment? Perhaps you’re not using the best solutions for the job, yet remain unaware. It could be switching from nickel alloy to a monel alloy for your heat exchangers, or merely eliminating any single-use objects. No matter how you approach improvement, seek to do so consistently.

JIT Production

JIT stands for ‘just-in-time,’ a management strategy that’s often adopted to adhere to lean processes. The JIT management process aligns production schedules with material orders from suppliers. Businesses use this inventory process to decrease waste, by receiving the goods when they require them only. Consequently, inventory costs are also reduced. With JIT you work to meet an order, and no more than this so that excess is eliminated. This particular system is also referred to as the ‘Toyota Production System.’ The car company was widely associated with JIT origins in the late seventies. The JIT system can be immensely improved through the use of the Kanban scheduling system, as these two systems go hand in hand when it comes to implementing effective lean manufacturing processes. Kanban is such an innovative and creative option to explore, as you can appeal to your team in a different way by representing your workload in a visual form on a board. The 20 best Kanban boards each have their own advantages and disadvantages that may suit your individual needs, so take the time to investigate how you can begin implementing the Kanban method today for the sake of your expert lean manufacturing efforts.

Build Quality In

Another popular lean manufacturing principle relies on the idea of ‘Building Quality in.’ The concept involves automating processes which are prone to human error, tedious or repetitive. With BQI you can ensure error-free value streams and reduce the wait time. Lean manufacturing achieves quality using various methods, for example, using ‘test-driven development.’ This involves designing a set criteria for a product before actually creating it. Adhering to a predetermined criteria ensures that the product will meet business needs precisely. Some companies also use ‘pair programming,’ which involves utilizing two developers’ skills as opposed to one.

The Takeaway

These are just a few of the strategies that your business can adopt to facilitate and improve lean manufacturing procedures. Further methodologies include one-piece flow and heijunka. When you are looking to enhance your lean processes, prioritize your staff as you use the above approaches. Ensure that your team receives adequate training to support these lean processes. Review staff progress regularly, and ask for personal feedback. With the hard work of your team and these five procedures, you’ll fast improve the efficiency of your projects.

Areas of Your Business to Focus On

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what kind of business you’re running, there are some key areas that you want to focus on. Focusing on these areas will all but assure your success. The following contributed post is entitled, Areas of Your Business to Focus On.

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Running a small business is by no means an easy feat. There are so many different areas that you need to focus on to keep things up and running and to have items that you can sell to generate a profit. That’s before you even consider making sure the public are aware of your brand and actually want to buy into it! So, if you’re just starting out, or if you’re already established and want to pay sufficient attention to each area of your business’ operations, here are a few different areas you might want to consider and pay attention to within your business.

Manufacturing

If you’re selling products, chances are you’re going to have to make use of some sort of manufacturing process at some point or another. Now, there are multiple options when it comes to manufacturing. Generally, people start by outsourcing their manufacturing. This removes the need to invest in expensive equipment, hiring staff and train staff to use the equipment properly. However, when your business begins to experience success and increased demand, you may begin to find that manufacturing in-house may well be more cost effective in the long run. Which option will best suit your company will entirely depend on its size, the amount you can afford to invest in manufacturing in the short term and whether you see yourself producing the same products for the foreseeable future or not – you don’t want to invest in specialist equipment for a product that doesn’t have much proven demand or may be discontinued soon.

Your Website

Nowadays, your website is essentially your store. Sure, there are still a number of businesses with traditional brick and mortar stores, but many are struggling and there’s a general consensus that online operations are the way to go. So, your website needs to be top quality. It’s where you’ll showcase your goods. It’s where you’ll make sales. It’s where you’ll build brand image. It’s where you’ll secure customer loyalty. Generally speaking, it’s best to bring in a competent web developer and web designer who can collaborate to make sure that your website works properly at the same time as looking good. You can pick up bits and pieces yourself too. Take a look at Science in Asylum for information on how to video edit content for your website.

Your Staff

Most people take their employees for granted. They turn up. They get the work done. They go home. But remember that these individuals are the backbone of your company. They keep the wheels turning. They push you forward. They secure your sales and generate your profit. You want to make sure they’re satisfied in the roles and happy in their workplace in return. Put out anonymous surveys so they can give honest feedback. This will help you to make changes to continually improve on their experience working for you.

These are just a few different areas you might want to focus on. Paying them attention can improve your company and boost sales, so it’s more than worth your time and effort!

Coronavirus Lockdown Doesn’t Make You Powerless. It’s Your Opportunity To Take Control

Two of the focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic/Crisis has created unprecedented and complex circumstances for everyone. While the situation sorts itself out, you don’t have to let it be the end of your world as there are potential opportunities to better your life in the meantime. The following contributed post is entitled, Coronavirus Lockdown Doesn’t Make You Powerless. It’s Your Opportunity To Take Control.

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How are you, dear reader? It’s okay if you need a moment to answer that question. Like the rest of us, you’re likely dealing with a completely different paradigm in every aspect of your life and work. Your day to day is likely far removed from what it was even at the start of this year. You may be grappling with unforeseen expenses potentially combined with a loss of income. You may have either or a lot less free time on your hands. You may have assumed the role of teacher as you homeschool your kids using resources provided by their school. You may be sleeping a lot less easily, even if you’re lucky enough not to have been directly impacted by the virus itself or lost anyone to it.

Image by Julia M Cameron via Pexels

You may feel as though life has spiralled out of your control right now. But fear not, dear reader. This may feel like the end. But it’s actually just the beginning…

Lockdown liberation

While in lockdown you may feel isolated. You may be cut off from the people, places and and activities that bring you meaning. But look at this not as an incarceration but a liberation! No longer do you need to define yourself by the places where you shop or the products you own. You’re no longer the clothes you wear or the car you drive. This can be a very liberating opportunity for you to redefine and reinvent yourself. Whether it’s by giving your business a new marketing push or re-engaging with new hobbies or interests. Now’s the time to pare down the distractions and focus on what really matters.

Cut unnecessary costs and take control of your budget

Now’s the time to start thinking about all those wasted costs that quickly added up in your pre-lockdown life. From the monday morning latte to the beers with the team after work on Friday. Necessity is the mother of invention. Now’s the time to make budgeting your new best friend. See how much you could save on auto insurance with a pay-per-mile company like Metromile. Invest in preparing, cooking, freezing and reheating more homemade meals. See if you can save money by switching your energy, phone or broadband providers. You might just learn that you have more control of your household budget than you thought.

Rethink your diet

Speaking of home cooked meals, the long lines and bare shelves at the grocery store might just be the shot in the arm that you needed. Now that access tro sugary, salty and fatty processed foods is restricted, it’s time to take control of your diet and start making good on those health and fitness promises you made yourself at the start of the year.

Rediscover your creativity

To paraphrase a fictional character… You’re not the car you drive, the clothes you wear or how much money you have in the bank. You are the sum total of all the things that bring your life joy and meaning. If you’re able to get that in your work, fantastic! But if you’re not, it’s time to re-engage with your old interests and rediscover your creativity. Pick up a paintbrush, dust off that manuscript you were working on or get together with some friends over video chat to make a podcast.

Whatever brings you happiness or meaning, the COVID-19 lockdown isn’t going to remove your control over your life… it might just be what hands it back.

Guaranteed Ways To Improve Your Business Day

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Professional Skills/Development. In an office setting, what separates individuals who put on a stellar work performance from those who are average and less than satisfactory. The exceptional workers actually do the things the others don’t. The following contributed post is entitled, Guaranteed Ways To Improve Your Business Day.

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(Pixabay Image Licence)

Let’s face it; we don’t always enjoy our time at work. We don’t always walk into our office spaces with big smiles on our faces and feelings of joy within our hearts. Sometimes, everything can seem like a real effort, and our attitudes can border on the negative rather than the positive.

We’re sure you can relate to this, and if so, you might consider the following ways to improve your business day.

Go to bed at a decent time

If you burn the candle at both ends and make little effort to get the required amount of sleep you need, you are more likely to wake up in a bad mood and experience the effects of low productivity during the day due to tiredness. If you go to bed at a decent time, on the other hand, you will wake up in a positive mood, have more of a swing to your step when you head to your business, and have more energy to get work done. You will then feel happier when you leave for the day, partly because you will have had a better day because of your positivity, and because you should have less need to work overtime. So, follow these tips for a better night’s sleep, and experience the benefits at work.

Walk into a cleaner office space

Not only will you feel the boost to your mental state if your office space is clean and tidy, but you will be more productive too, as you won’t have to waste time looking for the things you need if your desk and room space is organized. So, before you leave work for the day, have a good clear up beforehand in preperation for the following day. Alternatively, create a cleaning rota for your employees to follow, or hire a commercial cleaning service to do all of the hard work for you. Here’s a link to one such company if you are interested in this idea: https://mcjanitorial.com/commercial-cleaning-services/office-cleaning-services/.

Reduce your workload

Oh sure, there will be things on your to-do list that you have to do yourself, but do you have to do everything in one day? Could you spread your workload across the week to give yourself less of a headache each day? If so, schedule your time wisely, and give yourself a little less to do. Then think about the tasks that don’t have to fall into your remit. Could you delegate some of your to-do lists to others? You might want to embrace outsourcing, for example, especially for those tasks that you despise. Alternatively, delegate to some of your employees, especially if their skills in certain areas are greater than yours.

Follow healthy habits during the day

A healthy breakfast in the morning, and a nutritious lunch, will do much to boost your energy and improve your overall mood state. And if you exercise during your break times, you will have the opportunity to relieve yourself of stresses and reward yourself with instant feelings of happiness. So, be good to yourself during the day by following healthy habits because you will then have a greater capacity to get work done, and have the improved ability to rise to the challenges that are set before you.

We hope you have a wonderful day!

How To Improve Your Career Prospects

Three focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, General Education and Professional Development/Skills. From the time we start our education to the time we retire, we’re always thinking about our improving our career prospects. Some of this involves formal education while other parts involve the cultivation of things like soft skills and then mentoring as well. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Improve Your Career Prospects.

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There can so easily come a point in which you no longer feel comfortable with the employment that you are able to gain, whether this be down to the lack of responsibility or a low level of challenge that you are currently offered. Luckily, improving your job prospects needn’t be as difficult as you might think, as there are several different simple steps that you can follow which will help you to meet your employment goals in no time at all. So, if you want 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

Head Back To School

One of the best things that you can do to improve your career is to head back to school to gain some extra qualifications. Doing something like this shows that you are committed to improving yourself, as well as increasing your skills and experience at the same time. There are so many different courses on offer which can fit around every lifestyle, from those which are full time on campus to those which are wholly online offering far more flexibility. Finding the right course for you can allow you to succeed in your quests, as it’s important that you can meet your goals and utilise the opportunity to advance your career. Making the most of your course is simple – ensure that you invest in all of the right equipment and resources such as GMAT prep books and a high quality laptop, and always try to commit yourself wholeheartedly to each project that you complete. The higher the grade you achieve, the higher your chances of gaining a much better job.

Present Yourself Properly

It’s absolutely vital that you are able to present yourself properly whenever you head out to a meeting, interview, or conference, as the first impression that you give off is often the most important contributing factor during any professional event. If you arrive to an interview wearing casual clothes (jeans, untucked shirts, even creased or dirty clothing) you are telling your potential employer that you simply are not taking the experience seriously; whereas making an effort to invest in professional clothing such as a suit with a tie will show that you have put thought into your outfit to give off the best impression. Body language is also a very essential feature, as even the smartest clothing will not cover up a negative aura. You must be confident and hold your head high, rather than slump down and hide yourself – self assurance is a key attribute for those of you who are searching for advanced managerial roles with more responsibility.

Improving your career prospects has never been so simple when you are able to make the most of the top tips and tricks detailed above! Start off by researching some extra qualifications that can fit around your current schedule, and always remember to make an effort to present yourself in a professional and confident manner.

4 Signs That Alcohol Is Taking Over Your Life

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Though it’s not normally thought of as one, alcohol can be a drug of abuse which can ravage the life of the abuser and their family. Some people don’t know once alcohol has taken hold of their lives. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Signs That Alcohol Is Taking Over Your Life.

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Alcohol dependency, addiction – call it what you want, it’s a serious health issue to worry about. People with an alcohol problem are usually one step away from falling down a deep and dark path that leads to a host of health and social issues. The biggest problem with alcoholism is that it gradually bleeds its way into your life. Many people are living with alcohol problems and they don’t even realize it.

Consequently, here are some telltale signs to be wary of that show alcohol is taking over your life:

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You’re spending way too much money on booze

Take a look at your bank statements or have a look in your fridge at home. Do you see loads of transactions in bars or loads of money spent on alcohol in grocery stores? Is your fridge full of alcohol, and your bins packed full of empty bottles? This shows you’re buying way too much alcohol all the time. It’s an early warning sign that you’re becoming dependent on the substance. You need it in your life, and you feel compelled to have some around you to drink every single day.

You’ve been given charges for drink driving

In terms of clear warning signs, they don’t get much clearer than this. Driving while intoxicated is a terrible thing to do. If you get caught doing this, then it impacts everything from your car insurance to your livelihood. Some companies may fire you if you’re caught with a charge for a DUI, particularly if you’re caught while you’re working or if you’re still wearing your work uniform. To get to a state where you think it’s okay to drink and drive, you must have some sort of dependency on alcohol.

You wake up with a hangover every day

Do you wake up with a pounding head, dry feeling in your throat, and a feeling of slight nausea? If so, then you’re exhibiting the signs of a hangover. This happens when you drink a lot of alcohol, and it’s normal to experience this after a night out with friends once a week. But, if you have a hangover every day, then it shows you’re drinking far too much alcohol every night. Also, the signs of a hangover can also be something entirely different. It may be withdrawal symptoms from not drinking. If you start drinking and feel better, then that’s another bad sign.

You’re becoming a recluse

Are you spending less time with friends and family? Have you got into arguments with the people you care about? If so, then you may have an alcohol problem. Alcohol abuse can be damaging to your mental health, as it changes your mood. In turn, you shut yourself off from others and decide to stay inside or be by yourself. You can get annoyed easily, pushing away those you care about. If this sounds too familiar to you, then you have a problem on your hands.

Be mindful of these signs as they show that you have a genuine drinking issue. It’s important to seek out solutions right away as this can have a negative effect on your mind, body, and personal life.