Big Words start conversations and open doors to new places.
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.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Professional Development and Skills. No matter what kind of organization you’re in, a key skill to have is project management. The ability to effectively manage projects will assure that your operations continue to run smoothly it will likely assure that you’ll advance in your career. The following contributed post is entitled, Five Stages Of Project Management.
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When it comes to getting your project just right, there are a few phases that you will need to be aware of. Project management isn’t just about managing people – it is about all of the details too. You use tools, skills, people, and techniques in your specialty to bring the project to life.
The start of the project can often be messy, but the goals will now be defined at a broad level. There will be a lot of research to decide if the project is actually possible. There will be some feasibility testing done here too.
All of the critical decisions makers like stakeholders and board members will do their own due diligence to decide if the project will go ahead too. If everything seems to be okay, then there will be a project initiation document drawn up that will outline the purpose and requirements.
Project Planning
Many project managers find this to be an enjoyable stage. Developing a roadmap for critical players to follow. There are a few options that project managers will consider the best goal setting methods. SMART and CLEAR. Here is a breakdown:
The full scope of the project is now clear. The roles and responsibilities are noted, and everyone will not be accountable for their parts. The scope statement, Work Breakdown Schedule, Milestones, TimeLine, Communication Plan, Risk Management Plan will all need to be written up.
Execution
The deliverables are now developed and completed. These will be a lot happening in this phase, many meetings, status updates, performance updates. There are a lot of moving parts in this phase. Here are a few:
Develop a team: if you need to hire in contractors here is where you will do it. Depending on the project, you’ll need designers, government contractors like Salt3, extra assistants, and other skilled workers.
● Resources being assigned
● Execute the project management plans
● Procurement if required
● Tracking
● Status meetings
● Continuous updates of the project status
The execution phase and the performance phases will begin to overlap.
Performance
This will have been running for a short while by now, and it is time to take note of the progression and the performance. This phase will have a heavy focus on the KPIs that were outlined in the first stages. There are several ways to check on project performance, here are a few:
There may be some minor (or major) adjustments to the schedules, and some movement of the resources were required to keep things on track.
Closure
This phase is pretty much what it says on the tin. Contractors who have been hired will now be terminated. The key players in completion will be recognised and celebrated in most cases. There will be an evaluation about what went well, what didn’t, and where there is room for improvement for further projects. A project manager will now also create a plan for the company to follow, a final budget and final report too.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Staring a business is not easy and it’s important to grow your confidence as proceed. The are a couple of key pieces to growing your confidence in the business arenas. The following contributed post is entitled, The 4 Pillars Behind Your Confidence To Grow.
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For many professionals, starting a company is the first reaction to the dullness of an everyday job that didn’t offer them room for growth. New entrepreneurs approach their journey with enthusiasm and the dream of a better tomorrow. Finally, a brand new satisfying career is in reach!
However, there is a big difference between launching a company and being able to grow a steady and profitable business. More often than not, your business idea is no guarantee that you’ll be able to turn the company into your dream career. You need to build the foundations of your growth from Day One. Indeed, a lack of personal development and opportunities encourages people to embrace an independent career. However, if you fail to create a base to support your ambition, you are unlikely to find any entrepreneurial satisfaction.
First of all, as evident as it might sound, too many enthusiastic business owners fall after the first hurdle because they fail to plan. Your business idea, however brilliant you think it is, is not enough to launch a company. You need a business plan to guide you through the journey. Your business plan connects the dots between your idea and your audience, making sure that you understand how to set up your processes and budget to achieve your goals. It’s a data-based document that highlights how to navigate your business in your current market and with your budget.
#2. Knowing that not everyone is a friend
Nowadays, you can’t expect to grow a company without relying on digital technology. Indeed, your online presence is indispensable to stand out in a crowded market. However, you have to consider building cyber resilience to protect your business from cyber threats. Indeed, your data and processes are too precious to risk exposing them to hackers, corrupted networks, and other digital issues that could ruin your activities.
#3. Understanding how to make friends
While the digital world can be threatening, it doesn’t mean that your business will thrive in isolation. On the contrary, you need to make networking a priority. Networking events are essential to meet like-minded business owners and suppliers. Not only could you build helpful and mutually beneficial relationships, but you can also find inspiration for future projects, for instance. Additionally, supportive contacts can also help you to get noticed in new niches and audience groups, as they can introduce your brand to potential clients and partners. While it can be tricky to learn how to network – and it’s not a natural environment for many professionals –, it can be a significant difference to your survival on the market.
#4. Knowing what the audience wants
The market is continually growing and changing. As a result, you need to keep up with the changes to tackle new trends as they appear. Indeed, what your audience wanted yesterday may not be the same today. Conducting regular market research is essential to gain a better understanding of your customers and identify potential new customers.
Giving your business room for growth is a delicate art to master. Indeed, you need to develop an understanding of threats and opportunities around your company. Whether you work with a business plan designed to maximize your strengths or you protect your company against cyber risks, the pillars of growth are all about strategic thinking.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. Everyone wants to advance in their career at some point. Depending upon the sector you’re in, there may be some specialized steps that you must take while there are some universal steps as well. The following contributed post is entitled, How You Can Level Up in Life and Career in 2020.
As we move towards the end of the year, now is a good time to start reflecting. To consider where you’re at currently with your life and career, and where you want to go in the year ahead. Rather than waiting until new years eve and scribbling some meaningless resolutions, have a think now and really consider where you want your path to lead. In some cases you can start planning now so that when 2020 rolls around you’re ready to get stuck right in. Here are some examples of how you can level up next year.
Take on some further education One of the best ways any of us can level up in life is by taking on more education. These days you don’t even need to quit your day job and go back to university full time, there are courses in every subject imaginable that can be studied from home and in a flexible way. Further education could help you to reach the next rung of the career ladder or secure a better job, or it could help you change careers if you want to do something completely different and not have to start right from the bottom. It could help you be a more clued up business owner, preventing silly mistakes being made. Education can just be good for your own satisfaction, as humans we’re curious creatures and often at our happiest when we’re learning new things. Once we finish our formal education in our teens we tend to get into a rut of working and stop expanding our minds. But this doesn’t have to be the case, have a think about what you’d like to study and find an establishment that offers the course. With lots of courses you may be able to start right away, but others will have September and January enrollment dates like traditional universities and colleges. That’s why it’s worth thinking about it now, as if you want to get started in January
Travel for (or while) you work Travel is never a waste of time or money, it expands your mind, allowing you to make memories to last a lifetime and makes your existence feel worthwhile and interesting. But if you’re at a stage of your life where you want or need to focus on your career, it can be tricky to balance the two. So how about travelling for work, or even working while you travel? It allows you to see new places in the world and get all of the benefits of travelling for leisure, but with another dimension to it. Travel for your work can help you to build new connections and liaise with companies from different countries. Set up some meetings before you go, and use it as an opportunity to speak to potential clients face to face. Travel while you work can motivate and inspire you, if for example you create content in any capacity then doing so in new environments is going to spur on all kinds of new ideas. Don’t just overlook travel as something that’s purely a leisure activity, working alongside this can genuinely help you to level up in life, as well as in your career.
Level up your business If you’re currently running a home based business, maybe you could consider speaking to a commercial realtor moving into a new office space? From there you could start hiring your own staff members, and growing your venture to improve your profits. If you’re already running a medium sized business, consider how you could level it up. Could you open new departments, could you invest in new software or could you start selling globally to allow your business to take that next step? Consider where your business stands currently and where it can go, make plans for growth and work out what kinds of steps you’ll need to take to get there. From there you can do what you need to do to ensure you’re moving forward and not remaining stagnant. If you’re still stuck in the rat race and have been considering starting your own business venture, then levelling up could be as simple as taking the first steps to getting this done. Look into securing funding, run market research on your idea and find good stockists and suppliers that you could work with. There’s a lot to be done in the early stages and the first part can actually be the most difficult. So once you’ve done that it will hopefully be plain sailing from there. Whatever stage you’re currently at with your business, consider how you will reach the next one.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone As the saying goes, a comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. Staying well within the confines of your comfort zone simply won’t allow you to level up- if it scares you then it’s worth doing! Maybe you’ve always dreamed of becoming a better speaker- taking a public speaking course and getting up there and giving it a go could be so satisfying even though tackling your fear head on can be scary. One way to push yourself out of your comfort zone is to highlight areas where you feel weaker in life or career and then start building skills to fill in the gaps. It might involve making mistakes, it might involve getting things wrong and feeling nervous or awkward but these are all signs that you’re trying something new and will improve over time.
Have you considered what changes you’ll be making next year to put you on the right path to reaching your goals?
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Financial Literacy/Money. A key component of one’s financial health is insurance. In fact for many people, insurance is a vehicle for building wealth. As with anything money-related, there several factors to consider. The following contributed post is entitled, 7 Things To Consider When Looking For An Insurance Policy.
If you’re looking for a new insurance policy and don’t know where to start then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re looking to insure your car or you want to insure the belongings in your house, you need to be sure you’re doing as much research as possible when it comes to taking out a new policy. From setting yourself a budget to reading the terms and conditions, the more you do the better. With that in mind, here are 7 things to consider when looking for an insurance policy:
What Are You Insuring?
One of the first things you need to think about when it comes to looking for an insurance policy is what you’re actually going to be insuring. Whether you’re looking for travel insurance or you want to insure your new laptop, you need to know exactly what it is your policy is going to be covering. This means not only thinking about what you’re insuring on a whole but also thinking about the specifics. Do you want to cover accidental damage? Are you travelling long term? How old is the item you’re insuring? The more questions you ask the better.
Have You Done Your Research?
Another important thing to consider is whether or not you have done enough research. Insurance can be incredibly complicated and if you’re not doing your research properly, chances are you’re going to get caught out. From legitimate providers to the average cost per policy, the more clued up you are the better. For the ultimate guide to taking out insurance, you can visit this site here.
Have You Looked At Several Different Providers?
When it comes to choosing a provider, you need to ensure you have several different options to choose from. Whether you’re choosing a policy based on price or value for money, having a number of different options will make the process a lot easier.
If you’re struggling to find these options, you might want to consider using a price comparison site. Not only will they round up all of your choices in one handy report but they will also detail all the features of benefits of each policy side by side. For more information when it comes to using a price comparison site, you can visit this site here.
Do You Have A Budget?
Another important thing to consider is whether or not you have an overall budget. Although you can’t necessarily set the price of your insurance, you can choose your policy based on the amount you can afford to pay each month. In most cases, you may find that you pay a lower premium for less cover. For the best insurance rates, you can visit this site here.
Have You Read The Terms And Conditions?
Once you have chosen the policy you want to take out, it’s important you’re reading the terms and conditions. In order to get a clear idea of the cover you’re going to receive, the more in-depth reading you do the better. Whilst it may take some time to sit through everything, you need to be sure you’re choosing the right policy before you sign the paperwork.
If you’re unsure and find you have a lot of questions, you might want to consider picking up the phone and speaking to an expert. Not only will they be able to advise you of the best possible policy to take out but they will also be able to talk you through each and every one of the benefits you will receive. Again, it might take some time but it will definitely be worth it.
Do You Need To Speak To An Expert First?
Finally, you need to think about whether or not you need to speak to an expert first. Whilst you can speak to the insurance providers directly, they’re going to be working on commission and at the end of the day, a sale will be the most important thing to them. If you want an unbiased opinion, speaking to an expert might be a better option.
Whether this means speaking to someone online or visiting your local advice beaurea, the more information you have the better your decision will be.
Are you looking for a new insurance policy? What do you need to consider before you choose the right policy for you? Did we miss anything off the list? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Technology. So much of our lives today are lived online. While the digital world has made our lives easier, it’s created some other complexities and caveats as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Online Resources And Why We Need Them.
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Let’s face it most of our lives are played out online when it comes to communication and gathering information. We look at Google to answer any question, we watch YouTube for entertainment and education, and also listen to podcasts in the car whilst we are driving around. Even the music is streamed these days and is not actually owned or downloaded. But why is this important? And are we at an advantage because of it? We may think the answer to this is yes. But there are many scenarios where the answer to that is questionable. So why do we rely on the Internet so much?
Ease If you look at history, and the reasons that we have evolved in many ways, you will think that we have made fantastic strides in technology and other areas. But curiosity aside, one of the main reasons that we are advancing all the time, it’s because it’s so much easier. We now pick up the phone or laptop (same thing) and do a quick search online to find their answers. This is, of course, much faster than the way in which we found our information previously. Books written by professionals can now be searched online, the latest online course review and even news articles, are now commonplace online. The only problem with this is that generally speaking, the information on the Internet can be incorrect. And even though websites such as Wikipedia can be amended by anybody, there are plenty of people looking at sites to check accuracy. The trick to using the Internet successfully is defined more than one resource And make sure that you find references to back up the information.
Sociable
Humans are sociable, that’s a fact. We rely on each other to get ahead in life. We have friends and family and work colleagues that always help us along the way. We are team players, which means that the Internet opens a whole world of communication with us. The great thing about this is that we have a support network at the touch of a button. We can make new friends quickly. And we can ask for opinions whilst we’re sat on our sofa, and gain feedback within minutes. Of course, this is also the downside, because as quickly as we can access people that support us and speak to family and friends with ease. We can also find those less supportive people and those who are only looking to upset others.
Recording There are many different social networking sites, photo sharing, and sites such as Pinterest, which we all love to use, we really enjoy record in our lives, and sharing that with other people again it’s because with sociable, and that’s a huge resource to us. We can also tie in our business endeavors with this, and use these as avenues of marketing as well, and many people do.
Whichever resources you use online, and for whatever purpose use them for, there is no denying that everybody is in the same boat. Where are using the Internet as a tool for day-to-day life, and it doesn’t look about to change any time soon.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health and Wellness. One of the biggest challenges we will all have is growing old into old age. The argument can be made that its genetics. The other argument is that it’s lifestyle and environment. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Stay Healthy Into Old Age.
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“My mother always used to say ‘The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana’” (Betty White)
Aging is something that affects us all and is something that we, unfortunately, cannot run away from. Of course, we are all getting older with every day that passes, but the aging process really starts to kick in as early as our 20’s, with signs of aging appearing in our skin, and the gradual loss of brain cells. By the age of 35, our muscles, bones, and some organs such as our lungs are showing signs of age, and when we hit our 40’s, our senses start to decline. That is a really sobering thought! It is important that we look after our bodies to keep them healthy and working well until we reach a great age. Obviously, there are simply some things that you can’t prevent, but you can take steps to reduce the impact, such as stem cell therapy for knees when they start to ache and slow the process down a little, and that is what we are going to look at in this article.
One of the best things that you can do to keep yourself fit and healthy is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. It is thought that a Mediterranean influenced diet, rich in whole grains and nuts, heart-healthy fish, olive oil, and vibrant fresh vegetables and fruit is one of the healthiest diets that there are, keeping your heart healthy and blood pressure down. With 60% of both older men and women suffering from abnormal blood pressure, it is essential that you do what you can to reduce it. It also helps to keep your joints supple and working well.
Stay active
As you get older, exercise can often seem like the last thing that you want to do, particularly when everything starts aching a little more, and recovery from a workout takes a little longer. However, it is important to make time for it as often as possible – a recent study found that only 30 minutes of exercise a day reduces symptoms of arthritis by 47%, anxiety by 48%, dementia and Alzheimer’s by 50%, and diabetes by 58%. It also releases feel-good hormones such as endorphins, which lift your mood and make you feel happier. If an intense workout at the gym seems a little too much for you, a brisk walk in the sunshine or a few laps at the swimming pool are excellent forms of exercise and a little more gentle on the body. You can also incorporate more physical activity into your day to day life – taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the shops instead of driving, parking in a space further away from the grocery store and getting off the bus a stop earlier and spending an hour or two gardening or pottering around the house are all little things that can make a significant impact on your fitness levels.
Regular health check-ups
Many of us only visit the doctor when we notice that there is an issue, but quite often, this can be too late as the damage is already done. Make sure you visit your doctor at least once a year for an annual health exam to have your cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels and a physical check to keep an eye out for any problems that might be on the horizon, and at the first sign of anything not being quite right, get it checked. People of all ages should be aware of signs of cancer and diabetes, so educate yourself on the symptoms and get them checked if you are not sure. Not only should you be visiting your doctor regularly, but go to your dentist every six months to have a dental check and annual eyesight and hearing tests, as these can show signs of decline as you get older.
Elder proof your home
This one sounds a little patronizing but bare with us. Look around your home – the furniture with the sharp corners, perhaps the glass coffee table in the center of the room. There may be the odd wire trailing or a rug that you occasionally catch your foot on. It is not so bad when you are younger – if you do trip over, you are more likely to bounce back without too many injuries, but when you are older and perhaps a little clumsier, you are more prone to falls and when you do hurt yourself, it can be a lot more difficult to recover. Around a third of all people over 65 fall each year, and falls are the single largest cause of emergency hospital admissions amongst the elderly. Do not forget to check your smoke alarms and carbon dioxide monitors regularly as well.
Get plenty of sleep
Sleep is important for anyone of any age, but more so as you get older. It is recommended that you get around hours of sleep a night. Less than this puts you at a higher risk of depression, lack of attention span, clumsiness, memory problems, and various other issues. If you are struggling to drop off, speak to your doctor, but you can also practice good sleep hygiene: not watching TV or being on an electronic device too close to bedtime, a warm, milky drink, and a warm bath, and lavender pillow and bed sprays. Having a routine also helps – try to go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
Vitamin supplements and hydration
Like all of the points we have mentioned so far, this is pretty important for all ages but especially so as you get older. Older people frequently have deficiencies in Folate, vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and Calcium, all of which are essential for proper heart, bone, and general health. In an ideal world, we would get all the nutrients we need from our diet, but this can sometimes be challenging. Supplementing your healthy diet with a vitamin supplement is often a wise solution. In addition, with water making up over three-quarters of our body mass, keeping hydrated is very important. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, confusion, and a loss of appetite. Everyone’s needs are different, so talk to your doctor about the vitamin supplements that are right for you.
Train your brain
Whether it’s Sudoku or crosswords, brain-training games or puzzles, keeping your mind sharp plays a critical part in helping ward off memory loss as you get older. Although brain training games and the like aren’t a guaranteed panacea to memory loss, they are certainly worth doing.
Stay socially active
Remaining socially active is one of the most important things older people can do to keep healthy, both mentally and physically. It is harder as you get older, particularly once you hit retirement age and leave your job and do not have a reason to leave the house and see people every day. Being part of a community and doing things that you enjoy helps to give you meaning in your life. It helps you to avoid loneliness and isolation. Make it part of your routine to reach out to someone you know every day, whether that means popping to the shops with your neighbor, having a coffee with an old friend, or volunteering in a charity shop or as part of a local group.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If your business involves storing and shipping inventory, you must understand how to run your warehouse efficiently. Doing so will keep the productivity of your business consistent. The following contributed post is entitled, These Tips will Help you to Improve your Warehouse Efficiency.
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When all of your products go out on time and you have very happy customers, you may think that your company is efficient. That being said, it is amazing to see how sometimes a few little tweaks can improve things even more while also boosting your bottom line.
Revenue Effectiveness
You can’t improve something if you have never taken the time to analyse it. Think about it, is your flow of goods working as it should? Do you have an efficient chain? If so, this will impact the whole process. If you aren’t sure how to find out all of this information, then you need to go through your entire system to find out where your weak points are. This will help you to deal with them effectively and it will also help you to get the best result out of your operation too.
Layout
If you do not have a good warehouse layout then this could be really going against you. You may find that your staff are being slowed down and that they are not following the right procedures. If you want to get around this then you need to make sure that your staff are following the rules. If they aren’t then you need to find out why. Could they offer any input? Are they finding a particular aspect of their job difficult? If so then it could be time for you to make a change.
For a lot of businesses, there will probably be a certain time of the year where your products are more in-demand. You may find that you have a seasonal trend like Christmas or even New Year. If this is the case, then you need to have a system that will help you to forecast and predict the changes you need to make. If you don’t then you may find that your business falls behind and that your team are put under even more needless stress.
Track your Products
You can easily get end-to-end traceability for your products if you use tracking technology. When you have the right software, this will help you to find out where your deliveries are going, how long they will take to get there and even to see if they have arrived on time. Things like this can really help you to reduce labour costs and it will also reduce delays. If you work with a range of products then it may even be a good idea for you to invest in digital load cells, as they can help you to make sure that you are not over-shipping. Check out: https://www.eilersen.com/ to find out more.
Incentive Programs
If you operate a warehouse then there is a high chance that performance targets are really important to you. This is understandable, but you have to make sure that you take your time and that you also reward your team when they achieve their milestone. If you don’t’ then you won’t be encouraging your team to work as well as they could be and this is the last thing that you need.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Starting and maintaining a business is the hardest journey many people will embark upon. Regardless of the type of business, there are common challenges for business owners. The following contributed post is entitled, Common Problems Faced by Business Owners.
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In the end, it’s worth it. That’s what a lot of business owners say. The path to the top might be long, but ultimately, if it’s successful, then they can look back on the blood, sweat, and tears with something akin to fondness. Indeed, it’s these challenges that many business owners embrace; the graft is one of the primary reasons for starting a business. Still, that doesn’t make them any easier to navigate. Fortunately, it’s unusual for a problem to come from nowhere, and to be radically different from the problems experienced by other business owners. There are a bunch of common problems, and since they’re common, newbies to the game can read up on them before launching their own venture. Below, we take a look at some of the recurring issues, as well as offer advice on how they can be overcome.
Business owners tend to jump between a level of confidence that’s getting close to arrogance, and fearing that nothing will go right. If setting up a company was guaranteed to be successful, then wouldn’t everyone do it? Part of starting a business is understanding that there’s an element of risk involved. Indeed, that’s more or less the entire game. You can’t win big rewards if you’re not risking anything, right? So there will always be doubts about whether it’s going to work — nothing is guaranteed. However, you can calculate the risk that you’re taking by conducting as much research beforehand as possible. This will form part of the market research segment of your business plan development, which will tell you whether there’s a demand for what you’re going to offer to the public.
Finding Time and Space
You’ve got the idea for the business, but ideas only take you so far. It’s the actual sitting down and getting down to work component that’ll make the biggest difference. Since you’re a new venture, however, this could prove to be a challenge. When you have a regular job, you have a complete office and scheduled hours. When you’re doing your own thing, you don’t. As such, it’s recommended that you figure out where and when you’re going to work as soon as possible. You’ll find that it’s much easier to make progress when you’re able to work productively, which is something that having an office space — be it in the home, rented office, or a working space — and scheduled working hours will allow.
Financial Matters
You’re in business in order to ultimately make money, but that could take some time. To get things going, you’ll need to spend money first. Finding the funds to get your company off the ground and knowing how to budget will be two of the biggest challenges that you face in the early days. It’s sometimes recommended to take a money management course, or to outsource all of your company’s financial matters to a third-party company. There are a lot of companies that end up failing not because they didn’t offer good products or services, but because they ran into cash-flow problems from which they couldn’t recover.
Unexpected Costs
You can’t prevent yourself from making fundamental business errors that result in poor company finances. If you read up and understand the best practices, then you can safeguard your venture against cash-flow problems and other financial issues that can derail success. But some financial hits you just can’t see coming. For example, if your office is affected by a natural disaster, or you’re the victim of an elaborate break-in. There are some things you can do to protect yourself against them happening, but not all that much — sometimes, you’re just unlucky. What is in your control is how ready you are to absorb the hit. Look at getting commercial insurance from Krywolt, and you’ll have a level of coverage that’ll mean a natural disaster doesn’t have to mean disaster for your business. It’s all about preparing for the worst. You’ll hope it doesn’t happen, but at least you’ll know that you’ll be ready if it does.
Winning Customer Trust
There’s no shortage of companies out there, and, alas, not all of them are as upstanding or as noble as they should be. Additionally, you’ve got the fact that customers, for various reasons, generally prefer to give their custom to the businesses that they already know. If you’re going to win customers, then you need to win their trust. It won’t just be given. There are multiple ways you can do this. You can, first, deliver what you say you’ll deliver; there’s no value in promising the world if you can’t provide it. You’ll also want to have all the staples of a trustworthy company, including strong branding, a robust online presence, and so on.
Online Reviews
Online customer reviews are both a blessing and a curse. They have, overall, had a positive impact on the business world, since they’ve given a voice to customers that were previously voiceless. However, we all know that there’s a dark side to reviews. Customers can have ridiculous demands and, when they’re not met, take their anger out on a company by posting negative comments online. And this is a problem for companies, especially smaller ones, for whom reviews are mightily important. You can help protect yourself by actively managing your reviews. Whenever one is posted, whether it’s positive or negative, look at responding. It’ll show that you care about the customer experience.
Big Business Threats
They say that it has never been easier to start a business. But we’re also living in an age when big business is king. No matter what type of business you’re running, you’ll find that there is a much larger company offering the same services or products. It’s a David versus Goliath situation. It’s important to remember that your smaller stature can work to your advantage. Try as they might, huge corporations will never be able to offer the same level of boutique service and care that small, independent outfits can.
It’s not easy running a business. It can feel like you’re forever walking uphill, and it’s normal that it will get a little tiring from time to time. There’ll be times when it feels like you’re at the bottom of a pit. You’ll see a rope offering the way out, which is the equivalent of giving up on your business. Don’t take it! Life and work can’t be positive all the time. You’re going to go through tough periods. It’s the business owners who are able to carry on working hard even when times are tough that go on to become successful in the long term.
And Energy
Even when things are going well, it’s important that you’re protecting yourself against another common problem that business owners face: low energy levels. Take care to ensure that you’re looking after yourself and getting enough rest. It’s tempting to think that you’ll be doing right by your business by working twelve hour days, but this isn’t the case. If you’re working so much, then all you’re doing is draining your energy. You’ll find that the way you’re working isn’t sustainable. As such, have a cut off time each day, and force yourself to take a vacation every now and again. You’ll be able to achieve much more if you’ve got plenty of energy to spare.
Finding Staff
You may be able to start your business just by yourself. But eventually, there’ll come a point when you’re not able to run things alone. You’ll need to bring other people on board if you’re going to sufficiently grow. Alas, this is often more difficult than it sounds, and especially if you haven’t been involved in a hiring process before. Before going through the process for your company, it’s recommended that you look up the best hiring processes. Also, don’t forget to factor in your intuition — you’re going to be working closely with this person, so it’s important that you have good vibes.
Crowded Marketplace
You have to feel kind of sorry for a small business that brings an innovative product or service to the table. Within no time at all, there are a million and one imitators. If you’re finding any level of success, then you can rest assured that there will be others who want to get the same kind of business set up. You can’t prevent this from happening; all you can do is do the best for your company as possible. Quality will always stand out!
Changing Economy
Sometimes, a company can think they’re doing brilliant, wonderful things, and then in the space of a few months, everything has fallen apart. What happened? The economy shifted. Your success depends on you and your ideas, but never forget that it’s part of a broader system. And if that system isn’t doing as well as it used to, then your business is going to suffer. The best thing you can do is to assess the risk and put as many safety nets in place as possible.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business you’re running, you may have to manage warehouse storage space. If warehouses are a part of your business, it’s important to understand how to properly manage and use them. The following contributed post is entitled, Planning On Increasing The Load In Your Warehouse.
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Warehouse expansions are rare, they usually only occur when a business wants to stay in a particular location. It’s also rare to have enough money to buy a new warehouse and build it right next to the existing one you already have. This is because you have to get planning permission, you must then buy the land, and then finally get to building the warehouse. But what if you don’t really need a whole new warehouse? When you simply need a little more space, then expansion on your bought and paid for land is the right decision. But how do you go about expanding a warehouse? What if you could do more than just expand in size but expand in capability? This is when you should start thinking vertically instead of horizontally.
‘Strong man’ pallets
Instead of buying more pallets for your storage needs, how about just strengthening your current racks? You can have racks strengthened with extra support so they can lift more. This can be done after pallet racking inspections which can determine how much more your current racks can hold and if they can be improved. You may need to install brand new racks that have been designed to do just that. But, it’s also a good idea to check to see if you are obeying the weight limits of your pallet racks currently. If one rack fails and collapses, it’s going to create a domino effect whereby the surrounding racks will also collapse. Therefore, if you’re looking to expand in storage weight and capacity, perform an inspection first.
Copy and paste?
Warehouses are incredibly straightforward and yet when you get into the nitty-gritty details, they are also very complex. If you’re looking to merely expand your current warehouse in the same shape, design and capability, then you may need to look at a ‘copy and paste’ expansion idea. This will mean that one wall is knocked down and your warehouse just gets elongated. But it’s not just about length, various doors and safety measures will have to be carried through into the new space. You may also want to expand a part of your warehouse where the most modern designs and features are in place. It’s common for warehouses to be updated and modernized but only in square blocks. So, decide carefully which part you wish to expand.
Heavy-duty machines
Pallet trucks have improved in design just like any other part of the warehouse. You may want to consider heavy-duty electric pallet trucks rather than those that are used by hand. It not only speeds up the work, but it means you can lift and transport more items across your warehouse with fewer risks. Be mindful that you are also training your staff to use these modern machines before implementing them en masse.
Warehouses can be expanded in size but first, look at how you could improve the functionality of the machines and equipment. Pallet racks are the bread and butter of any warehouse, they should be able to hold as much weight as possible.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you conceive the idea, it can be scary to actually put the rubber to the road and start your own business. Somewhere though you must find the confidence to start it. The following contributed post is entitled, Finding the Confidence to Start Your First Business.
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Most of us know or at least know of people that have started their own businesses. Some of these are small home-based businesses that just make a little pocket money to support a full-time income as an employee. Others are more substantial businesses that support a family and mean that their owners no longer need another income source. Some people make money with a company doing what they have spent their whole careers doing, just for themselves. Others have found ways to make money from their hobbies or from doing things that they love. Some people start one business, and that’s what they do until they retire. Others start multiple companies, selling them when they are worth it, moving on to the next great idea. There’s no one way to start a business, and you might know people that have tried all different things. And you might be jealous of all of them.
Starting a business is a risk. Giving up a career, a full-time income, the security of employment, and the safety of doing what you have always done is tough. You might watch jealously as your friends and colleagues go it alone, wishing that you had the confidence to do the same. Well, here are some tips to help you to find that confidence.
You know that you want to start a business, but what do you want to do? Having a vague idea is excellent, but the more you know about your business, the more confident you will feel when it comes to actually starting it. Make a business plan. Think about premises, suppliers, marketing, costs, and prices. Ask yourself if you could work at home, or if you’d need a workspace? Plan as much as possible, and try to identify any problems that you may have before they crop up.
Find the Right Help
You can, of course, do it all for yourself. But, things often work out better when we have help. You might want to take on an assistant or someone to handle admin. You might need someone to help with packaging and shipping or a social media manager. You can find detailed information here on managed IT support services, which can protect your business, as well as pushing it forward. Think about the help that you need to get your business off the ground and take your time to find the right people.
Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Sometimes, knowing what help you need is more about knowing what you are good at than what your business needs. If your background is in marketing, you might not need any help here (unless you hated it and are keen for a change) ask yourself what you are good at, take confidence from your experience, knowledge, and strengths, and know that help is available for the rest.
A big part of having the confidence to start is knowing that the risks are as small as possible. You might want to wait until your family is in a strong financial position or until you have saved enjoy to survive with a limited income. You could consider starting your business as a side hustle around your job. There are plenty of ways to start a business with limited risk.
