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.

5 Ideas To Help you Get Around Easier

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A key to our personal health is our mobility and ability to get around our locality, from city to city and even around the world. In some instances this may involve physically being well enough to move around, and in other instances it involves finding and using the right mode of transportation. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ideas To Help you Get Around Easier.

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Getting around and from A to B is something that we all need to do. Although, right now, you may find that you may not be going to as many places as you were before, it’s safe to say that you still need to be able to get about. And so do many others. Yet, when this isn’t usually that easy for you or you are currently without your usual mode of transport, you may need to consider new ideas. Maybe you have mobility issues and you’d like to be able to change that? Let’s take a look at some of the ideas that might inspire you.

1. Stretch Out

So, to start with, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re trying to work on your mobility more. If you know that you tend to get a bit achy after walking too much or you struggle with mobility, stretching can help. Just five or ten minutes a day can make such a difference.

2. Use Support

Now, as a step on from that, if you know that you are struggling to get around at the moment, then maybe you need to be thinking about support? This could mean looking at different canes or even an electric scooter to help you get around quickly. If your mobility is compromised, it’s definitely best to support your movement than let it get worse.

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3. Invest In The Right Car

From here, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re able to invest in the right vehicle for your needs. And this isn’t just picking out the one that is the prettiest or the one that you think sounds coolest. When it comes to being able to get around easiest, you’ll want to find a car that’s efficient on fuel or cheap for you to run. Sure, if you have the budget available, then definitely think about investing – but make sure your money counts.

4. Work Out Public Transport

Next, it could be that you just want to be able to get out and about in the most efficient way possible? When that’s the case, public transportation could be best for you. Sure, at the moment, we’re advised not to use it unless absolutely necessary and some services aren’t running. But in general, public transport could be the most efficient way for you to get to work or out and about – especially if you live in a big city.

5. Consider An Alternative

Finally, you may find that you like the idea of using a bicycle or a motorcycle instead? Sometimes, you don’t want to walk everywhere – but at the same time, you don’t want to use a car. There are many reasons why a car wouldn’t be suitable. But maybe getting a bicycle to help you get from A to B could be perfect. So think about what you can do to find the perfect movement solution that is cost effective and most suitable for your lifestyle.

Your Business’ Success Depends on the Willingness of Your Employees to Help Each Other

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what kind of business you’re operating, your employees working effectively with each other is critical. It thus falls on you the business owner to maintain a healthy work environment for your entire staff. The following guest post is entitled, Your Business’ Success Depends on the Willingness of Your Employees to Help Each Other.

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When was the last time you saw your employees laugh and bond with each other? When was the last time someone volunteered to help an intern or a new hire? Because we live in a hyper-competitive world, volunteering to help lift each other is not high in our list of priorities. But if you’re an office manager or a business owner, this is one of the things that you should focus on.

More than 35% of Americans feel overwhelmed because of their workload. Understandably, facilitative coaching is not on top of their minds. But research suggests that workplaces whose people are helpful and welcoming are more productive. They are also more cost-efficient and can increase sales effectively.

Create a Buddy System

Yes, your world is competitive. Your employees are trying to impress you. They want to be promoted on their merits and their accomplishments on the job. But this does not mean that they cannot help each other. Creating a buddy system will make them responsible for new hires and interns. Although you should facilitate an effective onboarding process, a buddy system is a great way to make the new hires and interns feel welcome. They will also have an easier time grasping the concepts of the job and what their jobs entail.

Host Office Parties

It wouldn’t kill you to treat your staff to coffee and pastries or whatever would make them happy. Why not surprise them with an afternoon of simply having snacks and bonding with each other? Your employees need a break. They will be better workers when they know that you care about their well-being.

If you see them hanging with each other and bonding over a cup of coffee, don’t try to break that apart. Your organization will stand to benefit from this camaraderie. Your people are going to help each other without you needing to push them. As a result, you’ll have a more efficient workforce.

Appreciate Everyone

No one will try to go after everyone’s throat if you can just throw little compliments here and there. When your employees know that you do not have a preference among them, they will all feel equal and safe. They won’t need to fight against each other for your attention. They will learn to share the spotlight and even help each other to make the company better. You should never be threatened by the camaraderie among your employees.

Take Ownership When Someone Fails

For a change, it would be nice for your employees to know that you have their backs if they fail in a task or assignment. Do you really need to shout at them? Do you need them to point fingers? You are only going to break their teamwork. Instead of letting your employees blame each other, take ownership for not facilitating the completion of the project more successfully.

Finding the time to help your employees takes a lot of humility. As a leader, this will help create a positive environment in the workplace. When your employees see how you treat them, they will be better colleagues, too. And what will benefit when your employees are contented, happy, and working well together? Your business, of course.

Bucket List Holidays That are Within Reach

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. A key part of our personal health is taking vacations. Vacations not only renew our personal health but in many instances the destinations are lifelong dreams. The following contributed post is entitled, Bucket List Holidays That are Within Reach.

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Image credit – Pixabay

We all have a list, either written down or somewhere in our minds – what we would do if we won the lottery, if that big investment comes through, if we are suddenly gifted with a huge inheritance from a long-lost relative. It will be different for everyone, but top of many people’s lists is a fabulous holiday. Well, it might be time to seize the day. Below, we’ve listed some top, bucket list destinations that might be within reach even before you make it big. Read on to find out how you can enjoy a luxury vacation without breaking the bank.

1. Yachting

If you’re dreaming about turquoise waters, hopping between islands that look like paradise, being brought champagne on ice whilst enjoying the sunset over the ocean, then a corporate yacht charter is the dream holiday for you. If sunbathing on deck whilst sipping on a cocktail and enjoying the open water is your idea of heaven, then look into a yachting holiday for your next escape. There are some excellent value-for-money packages – which doesn’t mean scrimping on quality one bit. You can enjoy the Rockstar lifestyle, cruising between tropical islands. The ultimate celebration of a lifetime.

2. Safari

There are plenty of reasons a safari is top of so many people’s list of dream holiday destinations. Experiencing an entirely different way of life and seeing animals that you’ve only encountered before in zoos or onscreen. If you love travel and wildlife, then an African safari is the perfect getaway for you. You will be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, and doing so surrounded by spectacular landscapes and animals in their natural habitats. Even if you just want to relax in nature, you can do so, and there are plenty of safari options to suit every budget.

3. The Pyramids

If you are looking for an experience on vacation that will take your breath away and is truly stunning, then look no further than a trip to explore the Egyptian pyramids. There’s a reason these huge stone monuments are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – seeing the feat of human building and engineering in a time before machinery is truly awe-inspiring. There is so much history in the stones and it’ll be an educational trip for kids as well. Do your research and find out whether an Egyptian adventure is the perfect vacation for you (with or without the kids)!

4. Blue Lagoon

Swimming in the bluest lagoons you’ll ever see in Iceland is an unforgettable experience. The water is heated so, although you’ll be surrounded by snow and ice, you can relax and unwind in the warm water, looking out over the unspoilt, snowy landscape. Not only that, but while you’re in Iceland, you can catch another natural phenomenon that makes it onto many people’s bucket lists – and that’s the chance to experience the Northern Lights. Many people dream for years about standing beneath the curtains of light in the sky so, if that appeals, take the opportunity and book this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Machines That Fast-track Production

Three key focus of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A term not commonly know right is that of “Cobots”. Cobots can make normally arduous and mundane tasks more efficient and profitable. The following guest post is entitled, Machines That Fast-track Production.

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Human beings are made of flesh and blood. We need different kinds of food and drinks as fuel sources, and our inner workings are complex. The balance to achieve optimal health through exercise and diet can be challenging for some, but we can still be productive. Many jobs require a human’s physical strength and mobility, and some require analytical thinking. But we also have our limits.

There are heavy objects that even the strength of several men would not be able to lift. Market demand can reach a high fever pitch that even the fastest workers would not be able to keep up with. This is where collaborative robots, or cobots, come in. But what are cobots used for?

As their name suggests, they are robots that can provide help to improve processes. For example, imagine that you work in a toy factory. You can have people assemble the larger parts of a high-tech toy car, like the frame and outer body. But when it comes to tasks that require precision, they can turn over to a robotic arm to plug in the little microchips to the circuit boards.

Cobots may be an advanced way to hasten an assembly line, but there are mechanisms that serve a similar purpose. These are machines that help eliminate slow manual labor to improve on it, so much that it hastens output productivity.

Mixer

If you have ever worked in a bakery, you will remember seeing people carrying sacks of flour and then pouring them onto a giant mixer together with the other wet and dry ingredients. Initially, little force is needed to mix them. Then the chemistry kicks in, and you will see that the mixture has thickened up due to the stronger bonding of the ingredients. You will then notice that it is slowly shaping up to become a dough. Making this with human hands and arms would be exhausting, and a mixing machine would take that whole load off of them.

Circular Saw

Those who have dabbled in carpentry could relate to their hardships when they started to learn how to saw. If you are imagining that you can make a clean cut the first time you do it, you will be disappointed. The amount of strength that you have to exert is higher than expected, and it is tricky to position the saw in a straight line.

But once you get a groove going, it gets easier. A quicker way to cut wood is with the use of a circular saw. It can either be handheld or mounted onto a table. The latter lets you be more precise with your cuts, as it lets you use guiding brackets and rails to move the piece of wood towards it.

Nail Gun

Much like its relative, the saw, using a hammer requires a bit of strength and dexterity. Lining up a nail and driving it straight down is no easy feat, and you always run the risk of hitting your fingers along the way. A nail gun eliminates a lot of these problems. In lieu of arm strength, air pressure pushes the nail deep into its target surface. Plus, you would not be bothering your neighbors anymore with your incessant pounding.

It is funny to think about how the times before these were invented. You can trust these machines to help you build what you need in the quickest times possible. Fast-tracking production is now a piece of cake.

How To Use SEO For Your Business During Covid-19

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 has for changes on businesses that no one saw coming, forcing those who can to adapt and potentially those who can’t to go into extinction. A major factor in doing business now is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The following contributed post is entitled, How To Use SEO For Your Business During Covid-19.

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It’s safe to say that a lot of businesses are struggling due to the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19. This is an impact that is not just happening nationally but globally. However, as many countries are in lockdown and have been so for a little while now, businesses are taking different directions in how they go about spending their money. Some are waiting it out, some are spending more, and some are spending less. SEO can be a great way of continuing to sell the business and to play the long game in the hopes it pays off after this virus blows over. Here are some tips to use SEO for your business during Covid-19.

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Get Professional Assistance

When it comes to working on SEO, not all businesses are going to have in-house staff who can continue to provide support in this area of the company. So with that in mind, it’s worth seeking some professional assistance by outsourcing it with whatever budget you can provide. Some may try to offer a discounted rate of their services due to a lack of budget with their other clients. This is just as great as an opportunity for you as it would be for them to have some income coming in. Check out companies that help with manufacturing seo and can give you the best guidance and practices to make the most of this down time where you can work on improving the search engine optimization of your site.

Work On Generating Organic Content

Organic content is more relevant now than ever before. That’s because when you’re creating content for your own website, it’s not going to go anywhere because you own the site and unless you decide to close down your business and pull the plug on the website, it’s there forever. However, if you’re producing content for other sites and not creating any organic content for yourself, then once that paid advertising stops because you run out of funds or those websites close down, you’re left with less exposure. Organic content is important, so start doing more of it.

Promote, Promote, Promote

Promotion is key for any business, and if you’re not shouting about your company from the rooftops aka, on your social media channels, then you’re missing out on some great opportunities to get your brand out there. Use this time to continue plugging content, throwing it back to old campaigns and to continue that interaction with your customers. It’s important to do so in order to keep your company relevant.

Invest In Backlinking Opportunities

Backlinking as mentioned previously is one good way of getting your brand out there. Backlinks work by paying for content to be created on another website. Either that or you create the content yourself, perhaps in exchange for that website to create content for yours. The more backlinks you have, the better you look to the Google search engine. And that’s essential to ranking higher on searches.

Hopefully, we can come out of this time in our lives without too much damage to businesses. Use these tips to help yours thrive and survive.

The Remote Mistakes You Didn’t Even Realize You Were Making

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19, many businesses, companies and organizations have shifted to have their work forces work from home remotely. Working remotely is a new concept to some and there are some keys to it. The following contributed post is entitled, The Remote Mistakes You Didn’t Even Realize You Were Making.

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In recent weeks more than ever, businesses have had to test whether they truly are prepared for any situation. Not only have marketing drives had to altogether change direction, but companies have also had to face the sudden reality of remote work.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. You’re past the worst of this working shift, and that’s a considerable achievement. But, you might not want to pat yourself on the back just yet. After all, you’re still a long way from being able to call yourself an established remote front-runner.

In fact, it’s possible that you’re still stuck making a few rookie mistakes which are preventing you from truly making a go of things. That’s bad news as it means that you’ll continue to struggle through the pandemic, and may even fail to maintain the remote processes you’d like once things return to normal.

To make sure that isn’t the case, keep reading to find out what mistakes you may be making, and what exactly you can do about them.

Too much of the personal

As they choose their own hours and settings, processes are inevitably going to become more personalized to your team. This is fantastic for productivity and is something you should be sure to encourage. What you definitely don’t want to encourage, however, is the use of personal phone lines/internet connections. Remember that, amidst all this madness, you still have a responsibility to keep consumer data safe. Personal connections like these simply don’t offer that. Instead, aim to implement business-based VPNs and even cloud phone services like those provided by lighthouseit.us. That way, you can guarantee that no unwanted listeners or unaccounted risks crop up along the way.

Washing your hands of the need to provide tools

Providing employee tools is essential in an office setting. It’s down to you to supply computers, office chairs, and desks at the very least. And, don’t think this responsibility is altogether over just because you’ve gone remote. While your team will need to use home desks/computers, you should still ensure they have everything necessary to complete tasks. In this instance, that primarily comes down to software tools like those outlined on https://www.proofhub.com. At the very least, this continued assistance on your end will keep employees happy. The chances are that it will also do a great deal to boost results.

Image by Christina Morillo: CC0 License

Too much trust in your employees

Lastly, you may well be putting too much trust in your employees to work hours whenever it suits, or even to get on with tasks without your oversight. Sadly, this often leads to even the best team members letting you down, and it’s something you need to avoid by remembering to do your fair share of managing. That means hosting meetings at set times, and always checking how things are progressing once a project is underway. Only then can you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that your team is continuing to work as well as they would have in the office.

Making Sure Your Business is Prepared for Any Situation

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Having a good idea or answering an economic need is not the only key to succeeding in business. Those running the business must also anticipate breaks in income and other potential financial hits to the business. The following contributed post is entitled, Making Sure Your Business is Prepared for Any Situation.

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We’re living through a rather surreal time where businesses are being hugely impacted by a worldwide pandemic. As people are being encouraged to only stay at home and only buy essentials, many of us are struggling and finding it difficult to generate a profit, keep staff on board and, essentially, keep our heads above water when it comes to business operations. So, it’s not all too surprising that many of us are beginning to open our eyes to the fact that everything isn’t always stable and guaranteed and that in order to keep our businesses, our profits and our incomes as safe as possible, we’re going to have to put some preparatory work in. Here are a few areas you can focus on for now.

Having Savings

Savings are essential in our personal lives. We’re all advised to have six months’ worth of living costs put aside for emergency or unfortunate situations. We should try as best possible to apply this thinking to our businesses too. Sure, now might not be the best time for saving. But in the future, when your sales are pouring in and your business is flourishing, put some thought into being safe and securing your business. Keep a certain percentage of your profits aside for times like those we’re going through now. Businesses should save too! You can open up a special business savings account for this purpose.

Consider Alternative Ways of Working

It’s easy to fall into the mindset that set staff complete set roles in set ways. But flexibility is key to being able to overcome hard times. Always be ready to be flexible and figure out new ways that tasks can be completed should people suddenly be unable to work from the office or their usual location. Invest in software that will increase communication while people are working from home. Train staff across different roles, so if someone is suddenly unable to work, someone else will be able to temporarily cover their important roles and complete their essential tasks on their behalf.

Have Emergency Equipment

You never know when problems may arise, so try to have as much emergency or back up equipment as possible. One example could be having spare tyres, spark plugs and a portable fuel transfer pump (like those found at http://gpi.net/gpi-g8p-portable-fuel-transfer-pump/) in your company car. Then, if someone is driving it and breaks down, they’ll be able to get back up and running as quickly as possible.

Have a Backup Plan

Make sure your business doesn’t rely on one sole product. Instead, have a range that people can pick from. If you find that your sole product goes out of trend or falls out of favour, you could quickly find yourself struggling to get by.

Sure, we always like to keep positive. But it’s important to always be prepared for situations that you haven’t planned. Hopefully, the above advice should help you to achieve this!

Here are some of the Top Signs that it is Time for a Career Change

Two of the of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. When launching a career, there are instances where we burn out and seek a change of some sort. Many people don’t know how to adjust once that time comes. The following contributed post is entitled, Here are some of the Top Signs that it is Time for a Career Change.

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It’s not always easy to find a new job to say the least, but the whole concept can become even more challenging when you actually want to change the career path you are on. If you aren’t sure if you need to change your career or not, then here are some tips that will help you out.

Body Breakdown

If you feel drained and tired at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day then this would indicate that it is time for you to make a change. You may feel as though all you want to do in the evenings is flop, and that you dread the day ahead. Another sign is if you feel as though you are getting sick more often and that you feel cold all the time. The physical signs of not being happy really are obvious when you know what to look for.

Busy Brain

Everyone gets Sunday blues from time to time, but if you feel as though the whole cycle is just never-ending then this would indicate that now is the time for you to make a change. You may find that your thoughts are exhausting you and that you always wake up in the middle of the night and dread looking at your alarm clock. Believe it or not, this isn’t normal and it is a sign that something needs to change. If you don’t act soon enough then you may find that things only get worse and this is the last thing that you need.

Source: Pexels (CC0 License)

Your Confidence is Suffering

You may even start to wonder if the problem is you. If you feel as though you don’t fit into your place of work then you may feel awkward and even uncomfortable at times. It may even get to the point where you don’t feel as though you are doing as good a job as you could be doing, and over time, this will wear you down. If this sounds like you then you need to make a change, and fast. If you don’t then you may find that things get even worse over time and that you also struggle in the long-term.

Money Issues

You may tell yourself time and time again that if it wasn’t for the money, you would have left by now. Sure, the paycheck might pay the bills and you might even have responsibilities too, but at the end of the day, you also need to make sure that you are concentrating on your own happiness. If you don’t then you may find that you end up being miserable for most of your life. You have to remember that if you do make the decision to go for a new career, you might end up with even more money as a result, so it’s worth exploring your options right now. You don’t even need to tell your boss that you are thinking about leaving either, so just look around and see what is available to you. You can even train for another role if you want. Click here if you want to try and get into a trade.

Don’t Self-Medicate

Self-medicating can include buying more than you need, buying an extra round at the bar or even watching an extra episode of a TV show. It’s a way of making yourself feel better when you just don’t feel like dealing with whatever lies ahead. This is a normal way of dealing with things sometimes, but if you find yourself doing it far more often than you should then this can really be bad for your health. If you want to stop this from happening, then you need to deal with the situation at its source. You need to make sure that you stop finding ways around it and that you also really take the time to find out what is making you so unhappy. If it is your job, then you know what to do.

You Don’t Like to Talk about your Career

Whenever you go to a party, you may dread the question “what do you do?”. This shouldn’t be the case. You should be proud of what you do and you should also be happy to talk about it with other people as well. If you don’t feel as though this is the case, then now would be the time for you to try and make a change if you can. If you do, then you will soon have the confidence you need to feel happier about yourself in general.

How To Grow Your Home Care Agency

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. As significant percentages of the population age, home care agencies are going to take on a greater importance. If you’re in this type of business/sector, there are keys to growing your business. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Grow Your Home Care Agency.

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As the population ages, there are more and more people in need of care, whether in retirement homes or with in-home care. This means the time is ideal for those with a home care agency to grow their business and find plenty of new clients. Here’s how to grow your business so yours is the agency that stands out.

Image – free for commercial use

Offer Longer Visits
Many people worry about their elderly relatives not getting a good quality of care, due to rushed workers not having enough time to spend with each person they see. To make your agency stand out, try to strike a balance between the numbers of staff you have and how many clients they visit each day so each client gets a suitable length of visit to make sure they’re getting good quality care.

Embrace Technology
Technology has become a big part of many areas of healthcare, including home care for the elderly. Use tools like SwyftOps to schedule care tasks, and allow the family to track what tasks have been done when, offering greater efficiency for you and peace of mind for your client and their loved ones.

Be Flexible and Responsive
One of the main reasons that people resist help from a carer is that they feel they have lost control over their own lives. By offering a service that is responsive and flexible, you can better adapt to the individual client, so they feel respected and listened to. For example, don’t have a set schedule that you apply to all clients. Try to adapt to their own preferences around things like meals and sleep.

Think Personal
It can be easy for a rushed careworker to concentrate on just ticking over their tasks as fast as they can so they can meet their targets. Allow them time to treat each client like a person, not a task to be ticked off. This means they’ll be able to talk to them and get to know them, offering a much more personal level of service that clients will like.

Offer Support For Relatives
When your workers aren’t there, care falls to your client’s relatives. Their relatives may not always be sure how best to support them, especially in the case of conditions like dementia. As well as caring for your client, try to offer support for their relatives too while you’re there. Answer their questions, listen to their concerns and worries, and try to offer useful advice for caring for the loved one when you’re not there.

Ask For Feedback
You can’t improve your service if you can’t identify the problems. Regularly ask for feedback from your clients and their relatives. This will help you to find any common issues that are concerning people, allowing you to correct them and keep your clients happy.

You should also make sure to offer your staff frequent training to make sure their skills and knowledge are up to date. Use the feedback to find the gaps in their knowledge that would benefit from further training.

How To Look After Your Vehicle To Make It Last Longer

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. Financially, transportation is considered to be one of the ‘four walls’, food, shelter and clothing being the other three. Owning a vehicle is something you can wisely manage or you can end up blowing a lot of money. Understanding how to take of your vehicle can save you money and extend its life. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Look After Your Vehicle To Make It Last Longer.

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Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash

Most people couldn’t do without their cars. They’re our ticket to freedom, our transport to work, they carry around our family, but we aren’t very good at taking care of them.

A little bit of regular care and attention can go a long way towards reducing running costs and avoiding costly repair bills. In addition to your regular servicing, which you should do in line with the manufacturer’s recommendation, here are some top tips on how to keep your car running smoothly.

Repair Any Bodywork Damage

Not only do dents and scratches look unsightly but even small areas of damage to the bodywork can lead to rust which, if left, can affect the structural integrity of the car. Visit somewhere like The Collision Center to get these things taken care of before you end up with a much larger repair bill.

Change Your Filters

Oil and air filters need changing regularly to keep your car running efficiently. On most cars, this is easy to do yourself. Make sure you buy quality replacement filters rather than cheap alternatives, they are a false economy and can do more harm than good.

If you get your car serviced regularly, they should be changed as standard during the service.

Top Up Fluids

Checking and replacing your car oil, coolant, and screenwash can save you a fortune on repair bills should you let them run out and cause damage to the car.

Some modern cars will alert you automatically if you’re running low. If you don’t have one of these cars then you’ll need to check once every few weeks.

Replace The Spark Plugs

Replacing spark plugs and tension leads is another one of those little jobs that you can do yourself.

When checking the plugs, make sure there are no signs of damage, melting or deposits. If you find you’re replacing spark plugs more often than your vehicle manual recommends, you could have another issue with your engine.

Check Your Tire Pressures

Having properly inflated tires is important for handling, fuel consumption, and safety. You should check them once a week and make sure the pressures fall within the recommended guidelines in your car manual.

Having your car’s wheels professionally aligned may reduce tire wear, too – with the added benefits of improved steering response and handling.

Clean Your Car

It’s great to have a nice clean car inside and out. Not only will it get admiring looks on a commute, beyond the superficial aspects, regularly cleaning the bodywork of the car will remove any residue and dirt that can damage the paintwork, causing dullness, cracking and rust.

Use a protective polish or wax every six months to keep the paintwork vibrant and protected.

Get Rid Of Excess Baggage

People store a lot of unnecessary items in their trunk. Driving around with all that extra weight can have a huge impact on fuel economy. It will also affect the brakes and suspension.

Keep the emergency essentials that you need in there, and ditch the rest.