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.

Making The Most Of The Weekend And Embracing The ‘Now Normal’

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. In the aftermath the Coronavirus/Covid-19 crisis/pandemic, many people have been forced to evolve in terms of leisure activities on the weekends. What kinds of things can we do under lockdown conditions and even as those conditions ease? The following contributed post is entitled, Making The Most Of The Weekend And Embracing The ‘Now Normal’.

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Don’t you find that the weekends just go too quickly at the moment? You blink and it seems you miss them if you are not careful. Another issue people are finding is that these days are all the same thanks to lockdown measures and finding it hard to differentiate between a weekday and a weekend, especially if you work from home. However, it is important to remember that the weekends are there to ensure that you get the rest and relaxation that you need to help you crack on with the next week ahead. Now more than ever it is important for you to try and gain some structure and new normal in your life, and making more of your weekends could be one of the best ways to do it to help you have the difference and separation between work and home life. They are also a great opportunity to do different things and really experience the world. Even if we are a little restricted at the moment.

So what can you do? It is easier than you think to start trying to make more of your weekends and trying to have that serration between weekday and weekend. Here are some of the ways you can continue to feel fabulous and make the most of your weekends.

Image source – pixabay – cco license

Do something to inspire you

Sometimes it is nice to do something that inspires you, and often things like going to a museum or an art gallery does exactly that. It gives you a chance to learn and expand your knowledge while also feeling inspired in different ways. Museums and galleries are penned with new social distance measure sin place so it can be a great way to get out and about and do something different. You might not be sure what is open, however a quick search online will highlight some of the local attractions you have close to you and enable you to buy an online ticket. Some places may have specific times etc. You may find that there are some great spots locally you didn’t know existed and it is a great time to support local businesses.

Exercise and feel good

Exercising is a great way to spend your weekend and while you won’t’ be doing it all day everyday, there are aspects of activity you can do during the weekend that not only give you all the benefits of exercise but can also give you a fun activity and thing to do. Hiking, walking, and running are all activities that can be enjoyed over the course of a weekend and right now are easily done without the need to head to a gym or a busier place.

Get lost in a film or show

When everything’s going a little crazy, one of the best things to do is get lost in a film or show. Switching on your TV or powering up your laptop can help to distract you from the chaos, allowing you to get immersed in a totally different plot or storyline. There are so many different films and shows to watch in today’s modern world, and countless ways to access them. You can sign up to one of the many online streaming services, or even explore IPTV channels to watch films and shows from around the globe. Grab some snacks and get comfortable on the sofa, switching down the lights to get the full cinema experience. You can even invest in a large projector screen so that you can watch your films and shows theater-style!

Catch up with friends and family

Maybe you want to socialise over the weekend and I don’t blame you. It is one of the only opportunities you get to enjoy a later night than usual without the follow up of having to get up super early for work or other commitments in your life. You could even combine it with watching a sporting event together or even having a bit of competition amongst friends. Maybe even bet on Kentucky Derby 2020 or try your hand at predicting the correct score. Catching up with friends and family is a great way to spend your weekend.

Cook up a storm

Not all of us get the time to cook up meals from scratch during the week so use the time you have on the weekend to your advantage and really cook something up. Cooking can actually be very therapeutic as well so you may find that it is a relaxing activity as well as fun one.

Enjoy a pamper session

Again during the week we often don’t get much time in the evenings to ourselves, so a weekend is the ideal time to reinvest some time into yourself. It could be that you enjoy a pamper evening where you put on a face mask, or even just enjoy a long soak in the bath with a good book.

Head out and help local restaurants

Finally, so many businesses had to close so now that they are open why not support them and head out for a meal or a coffee. These places are following government guidelines so are keeping tables at a distance and ensuring that you will feel safe in their environment. It will support them and also give you a sense of normality back into your life.

Let’s hope that this has given you some inspiration on how you can make the most of your weekends.

6 Situations Where Having a Lawyer Makes a World of Difference

Three focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship, Health/Wellness and Organizational and Management Discussions. In every facet of life, lawyers can make all the difference in the world as we often end up in binds that we did see coming. The following contributed post is entitled, 6 Situations Where Having a Lawyer Makes a World of Difference.

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The legal system in the United States is constructed to protect civil rights and uphold laws. As such, most people never have a need for a lawyer in their life. As long as they’re law-abiding citizens that don’t do anything crazy or out of the ordinary, they’ll typically be able to live a quiet and comfortable life without much stress involved.

Unfortunately, there are certainly going to times where you might need a lawyer to help you out. There are warning signs to look out for, such as when your business starts getting popular or if you feel like you’re on the brink of a divorce. These types of situations are made much easier if you have a lawyer at your side. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that having a lawyer present is like night and day. As an individual, you’re unlikely to have a good understanding of the legal system. As such, it’s best to give that job to the experts by hiring a lawyer.

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at six different situations where you might actually want a lawyer.

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1. Criminal charges

Whether it’s a DUI charge or possession of drugs, having a lawyer present during criminal charges can make a huge difference. Regardless of why the police have taken you into custody, having a lawyer will completely change the dynamic. Their first instinct will be to protect you and shield you from the authorities. They’ll then ask questions about the situation so they can personally get a better understanding of what your situation is like. From all of this information, your lawyer will devise a plan to help you get out of serious charges if possible and also lessen the impact it has on your criminal record.

2. Starting a business

While you can generally start a business without much help at all, having a lawyer at your back can help you take care of any legal requirements that you face. Even if you’re just a solo business owner, it’s a good idea for you to learn more about the law and how to navigate it. Lawyers that specialize in business law do exist, but if you’re passionate enough and have the drive to learn, then studying about business law, copyright law and other similar subjects will help a lot.

3. Immigration

Whether you’re moving to the United States or a different country, having an immigration lawyer will make things a lot smoother and easier to stomach. Immigration law can be incredibly complex and even seasoned lawyers have trouble dealing with similar cases. With a trained lawyer at your side, they’re far less likely to make mistakes, they can move around permits and regulations and they have plenty of experience.

4. Wills and trusts

Many families argue over wills and trusts. Things can get incredibly emotional and messy, so it’s always best to have a legal expert on your side to prevent any unnecessary conflict between you and your loved ones. These lawyers can also help you establish your will or trust as well. Ideally, it’ll involve meeting with your lawyer in person so you can communicate your options and learn more about the subject as well.

5. Disputes in the workplace

Many employees don’t actually know what rights they have in the workplace. In fact, some larger companies even abuse this with their employees. If you feel that you’ve been treated unfairly or that your business is causing a lot of distress to its employees, then a lawyer can actually help you seek justice. Whether it’s a workplace dispute or your boss being unreasonable and firing you for no reason, we highly suggest you speak to a legal expert to seek help.

6. Family matters

Family lawyers handle everything from custody battles to divorces. If you and your partner aren’t getting along anymore, then you may need to seek help from a trusted family lawyer if you want to deal with the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Divorce isn’t something that we enjoy thinking about, but it may be inevitable if you and your partner aren’t getting along and have too many disagreements. If there’s money, property or even children involved, then getting a lawyer on your side will help ensure the best outcome.

At the end of the day, nobody wants to hire a lawyer because it usually means you’ll be in for a tough legal battle. However, in the event that you ever do need a lawyer, we hope that this brief article has been helpful.

Why History Can Reshape And Politics

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and General Education. History is a core course in many curricula. It’s not always taken seriously, but it has the ability shape minds and the perceptions of whole populations of people. The following contributed post is entitled, Why History Can Reshape And Politics.

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History itself, written from the stories of towns, people and written into books, helps form new views and changes within communities and within people. We tend to separate history into oral and written. The first usually narrates the actions of invisible men, while the second tends to narrate the clichés of prominent men in order not to be forgotten. The muse of history is considered to be Klio, daughter of Zeus and Memorial. Its name comes from the ancient Greek verb close, which means I narrate or make something known. According to Nietzsche, from the birth of Christ, the zero point of history, history as the truth of human life was detached from its essential character, fell into a linear record of events regardless of the unfolding of life, but also of the future of man. Life began to degenerate, from the moment people stopped associating history with life and vital action. The famous German thinker is by no means against history, on the contrary he argues that historical knowledge is valuable, as long as we know how to use it, so that it serves life and offers outlets to promote its security.

Photo: Unsplash

The Mayor of Irvington NJ has learned all too well some incredible political lessons from both history and D. Bilal Beasley who taught him the possibility of change. So why do we learn so much from history and from books when these experiences have not directly affected us ourselves? Well, that is because that we do learn from other people’s mistakes and not always from our own, because of the effect it may have on us indirectly. This is seen throughout black history.

Philosophers argue that humans, unlike prehistoric animals, can not learn to forget, since their past experiences follow them every step of the way and often act as an obstacle to their subsequent evolution. To define the limits within which the oblivion of the past occurs, we must avoid making history the undertaker of the present, we must know exactly how great is the plastic power of an individual or a people, a power that helps him to transformed by incorporating the past and the foreign, replacing the lost, and reshaping from within the broken forms. In this way, the ahistorical and the historical are considered equally necessary for the “hygiene of life” of an individual, a people and a culture.

Undoubtedly, our age is superior in terms of knowledge of the past. Psychoanalysis itself has highlighted both individually and collectively the need to study the past, as it provides us with a measure of the speed and dynamics of our own movement. In the psychoanalytic process the subject is historicized, he writes his own history, he subscribes to the present conversing with his past in view of the future. If we think about it, culture is nothing more than transforming involuntary and instinctive action into possibility, after all. So yes we do learn from our history books, our choices and those around us, but the more we read, the more we immerse ourselves into possible change.

Preventing Security Risks In Your Business

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“Regardless of what type of business you run, it’s always a good idea to think of ways to improve your security so that you can avoid potential business risks.”

Buffer

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When you’re running a business, one of the things you want to do is make your operations as secure as possible. Ensuring your business’s security will likely ensure its profitability. The following contributed post is entitled, Preventing Security Risks In Your Business.

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Every now and then, you may decide to look at your security measures to see what you can do in order to improve it. For instance, you might feel like your doors are a little weak, you might be concerned about your office network or you might even find yourself hiring more security personnel.

Regardless of what type of business you run, it’s always a good idea to think of ways to improve your security so that you can avoid potential business risks. Unfortunately, not every business makes enough capital to warrant hiring a security service to help them out. With that said, you can still manage your own business security with relative ease as long as you approach it the right way.

A lot of people think that business security is something that requires a lot of time, effort and knowledge. However, the reality is that it’s more common sense than anything. Yes, there are certain aspects of business security that will require expertise and knowledge, but those situations are surprisingly few and far between. So without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can prevent potential security risks in your business.

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Have a proper security system that you maintain on a regular basis

One of the issues with outdated security systems is that they tend to get in the way. Perhaps you’re still using big and bulky CCTV cameras or maybe you’re using old locks on your doors that can easily be broken or picked. Your security system involves basically everything in your business from your locks and doors to your firewall and antivirus software. If you want to protect your business, you need to have a complete security system that is maintained on a regular basis to detect flaws and exploits.

When you start taking your security seriously, you’ll find that you often have to replace things to ensure that it’s functioning correctly and able to protect you against all kinds of threats. A good example of this would be with antivirus software. Since there are new viruses and threats being created every day, it’s important to update your software and systems to ensure it can detect these new viruses.

Partner with local services to get the most out of your security

You should always be looking for local services to work with when it comes to security. Not only are local services more affordable, but you also build relationships with them much more quickly. This means you’ll be offered a better service, affordable prices and immediate service since they’re physically close to you. This can also be a great way to look for niché security services.

For example, you can find an affordable locksmith to help with any master key issues you’re having, or you could hire local security personnel if you want to protect your store from thieves. These people will have a better understanding of the local market and they’ll also be able to respond at a moment’s notice since they’re local. This is perfect if you’re worried about someone breaking into your business at night and not having anyone to rush to stop the thieves in the middle of the night.

Furthermore, you can work with experts to ensure everyone you hire is suitable for the role. If you work with sensitive information and data, a security clearance attorney can ensure that your business is protected while also giving your existing employees the ability to continue their careers.

Train your staff to protect your business from various threats

Criminals tend to exploit your members of staff because they’re usually out of the loop when it comes to security concerns and protocols. In fact, one of the most common ways for a hacker to break into your systems is actually through social engineering. They could trick one of your employees into giving them a password or remote access to your computers. They’ll then cause havoc and make things difficult for your entire business.

Make sure you train your staff to avoid things like accidentally clicking on keyloggers, scam websites or falling victim to social engineering. The more well-trained your team is regarding security, the less likely they’ll be exploited.

Private security guard agency

A private security guard agency will keep you and your family safe. The best private security guard agencies will have a team of highly trained and experienced security guards who are able to provide you with the protection you need. They will also have a comprehensive security system in place so that you can be sure that your family is safe at all times.

When choosing a private security guard agency, it is important to choose one that is reputable and has a good track record. You should also make sure that the agency has a good customer service record so that you can be sure that they will be there for you if you ever need them.

If you are looking for a private security guard agency, then there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, you should make sure that the agency is reputable and has a good track record. You should also make sure that they have a good customer service record so that you can be sure that they will be there for you if you ever need them. Finally, you should make sure that the agency has a comprehensive security system in place so that you can be sure that your family is safe at all times.

Improving the security of your business is a major consideration that needs to be taken seriously. Protecting your business means less time spent worrying about data breaches or thieves breaking in. Those scenarios can cost your business a lot of money, ruining your chances of becoming a successful business and setting you back financially and also in terms of reputation.

This is why it’s vital that you prevent security risks in your business by taking the right countermeasures first. We hope that this article has given you some useful information to get started with your business security or to improve it drastically.

5 Key Principles For Business Organization

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational and Management Discussions. In order to keep your business running, it should have a level of organization and there are a few principles to keep in mind. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Key Principles For Business Organization.

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Running a business can be a challenge. However, when you’re someone that has always wanted to do their own thing, you are going to find that you really love it. And you won’t be alone. Some people are born entrepreneurs. And when that’s the case, you’re more than happy to put the work in to achieve the goals you set for yourself. Yet, what happens when you’re not so sure about what you can do to find success? Is it all about sales and growth, or is there more to it than that?

One of the things that you will find really helps you to get to where you want to be business-wise, is organization. When your business is organized, there’s little you can’t do! From creating the best products to boosting your bottom line, let’s take a look at the five business organization principles that can help you.

1. Have Systems

To start off with, you need systems. You know what sort of tasks you need to get done in your business, right? So, do you have set ways of doing them? If not, then it’s time for you to make a change and get organized here so processes can be streamlined.

2. Automate What You Can

From here, you’re then going to want to make sure that you automate what you can. Now, this isn’t always possible – but anything that ca be automated, should be. From stock checks to accounts payments, see what you can put in place to make things run smoothly.

3. Organize Your Assets

Next, you ‘re going to want to take a look at your assets. This may not be something that you immediately think about – but it matters. If you have no idea where anything is or how things are organized, it will be chaotic. Yet, when you bring in an organization system, using something such as asset labels, it’s going to help you to have a better grasp on what you have and where it is. This will then allow you to feel organized for success.

4. Define Roles

Another thing that you can do here, is to make sure that you’re looking at your staff and how they contribute to your business overall. If you want to be organized, it’s so important to look at how it’s run and how your processes work. Think about the roles and responsibilities of everyone in your business. If you want things to be efficient and successful, making sure that everyone is doing the best job is going to be a huge part of that.

5. Cut Out The Unnecessary

Finally, you are going to find that, no matter how organized you think you are, there will still be things that you do that are unnecessary. So this is the perfect time to sit down and take a look at the way you do things, the processes that you follow, and see what you can do to streamline them. There will always be steps that you do that are costing you money or taking up too much time. And this will then ultimately help you to be much more organized.

Business Marketing: The Power of Video

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital world, there are a myriad of ways to market your business. A powerful tool for doing so is video. The following contributed post is entitled, Business Marketing: The Power of Video.

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Picture by Free-Photos from Pixabay – CC0 Licence

Video marketing is an essential component of most small and large companies’ marketing programs. Over the years, creating a video has become much more accessible to SMEs. Allowing them to make use of what is one of the most attractive content marketing techniques available.

With 75 million Americans watching videos online every day, videos maintain a profound influence in attracting and engaging customers. To find out more about how video marketing could benefit your business. Whether you own a startup that’s focusing on breaking even, or a long-established company, seeking to modernize your current marketing strategies. Below you can find a few reasons why videos are crucial.

Higher Ranking On Search Engines

Search engines like Google favor platforms online that host videos. Videos are respected as a valuable form of content by search engines. Providing the video created is appropriately optimized, it can work wonders for lifting the ranking of your, for example, company website. To optimize a video correctly, while uploading the video online, you must fill in the metadata and include relevant keywords.

Influences Purchasing Decisions

People are much more likely to purchase a product if there is a video demonstrating its use. It gives a customer’s buyers confidence as they can witness a product in action. According to Social Media Today, 90% of customers stated a video is fundamental in their decision-making journey, on whether to buy something. A video demonstration provides the viewer with a better understanding and appreciation of its functions and benefits.

If you have a smartphone or video recorder, you may be tempted to create your own video. However, it’s advised you source and partner with a Video Production Company that can curate quality and professional moving pictures for your business instead. Reason being, suppose you create a video that is inferior in quality, featured in bad lighting, or there’s a problem with script continuity. It shall tarnish a customer’s opinion of your company and the advertised product or service. Thus seeking an experienced video production company is crucial to eliminate this risk.

Easy To Digest

The public prefers watching videos because they’re easier to digest compared to written content. The accessibility and engaging qualities of video make it a popular medium for businesses to use and consumers to view.

It allows companies to present and inform users about their products adequately. And, better yet, customers are more likely to remember a video over stand-alone content and graphics.

Simple To Share

A business video can be distributed more or less anywhere online. A company website, a Youtube channel, a blog, and on most social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo.

With video, you can extend the reach of your business online and increase brand awareness. While you work to upload and distribute your video across the web, once your target audience sees it, (providing it’s relevant to them, informative, engaging, and entertaining), consumers are likely to share it!

To unlock the power of video as a useful marketing tool for business, companies need to seek a production team with experience creating compelling motion pictures for enterprises.

5 Things To Consider Before Renovating The Exterior Of Your Office

A key focus of my blog is Organizational and Management Discussions. There may come a time when you will either want to or need to renovate your office. There are a couple of things to consider before doing so. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Things To Consider Before Renovating The Exterior Of Your Office.

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Image by Pexels from Pixabay

If you’re thinking of renovating the exterior of your office but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re looking to completely switch things up or you need to make a few small changes, you need to be sure you’re doing all that you can to make the process run smoothly. Luckily, there are lots of questions you can ask yourself to ensure exactly that. From setting yourself a budget to deciding whether or not you need to hire contractors, the more questions you’re asking the better. With that in mind, here are 5 things to consider before renovating the exterior of your office:

How Much Will It Cost?

One of the first things you need to consider when it comes to renovating the exterior of your office is how much it’s going to cost, as you need to ensure you’re not spending more than you can afford. Although it may take some time, this means you need to think about the cost of each individual aspect of the renovation individually. Once you have the cost of everything roughly calculated, you can work out your overall cost. For tips and tricks when it comes to creating a home budget, you can visit this site here.

What Changes Need To Be Made?

Once you know how much you have to spend, it’s time to start thinking about the changes you’re going to make. Whether you’re getting rid of the overgrown trees or you’re redoing the pavement, you need to have a list of everything you want to do before you start your planning. If you’re looking for information when it comes to asphalt paving, you can visit this site here.

What Do You Need To Buy?

After you have planned what you need to do, you need to think about the materials and tools you need to buy. If you’re on a strict budget, you may find that you’re able to hire some of these instead. For tips and tricks when it comes to hiring tools, you can visit this site here.

How Long Is It Going To Take?

Another important thing to consider is how long it’s going to take, as you need to ensure it’s not going to be interfering with your business.

Do You Need To Work With Contractors?

Finally, you need to decide whether or not you need to work with any contractors. They can be expensive, but it’s a great way to ensure the job is being done professionally. Not only that, but it also means you don’t have to take time away from work to make changes.

With lots of great questions to be asking yourself before you renovate the exterior of your office, you can be sure you’re as prepared as you can possibly be. What else do you need to consider? Did we miss anything off of the list? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

How Does Light Impact Productivity Levels?

Two key focuses of my blog are Organizational and Management Discussions and Technology. When you’re running an organization and are in management, a huge consideration is how to create the optimal workspace to get the most productivity out of your staff. It turns out that light has a lot to do with this. The following contributed post is entitled, How Does Light Impact Productivity Levels?

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Many business owners do not consider the lighting in their offices; they simply go for the cheapest solution they can find in order to keep their costs down. However, this could be costing you money, as poor lighting can have an extremely detrimental impact. In fact, did you know that 68 per cent of employees complain about the lighting situation in their office? With that being said, read on to discover more about the issue and why LED office lighting is a must.

Light and productivity in the office
First, let’s take a look at how lighting has an impact on productivity. It is believed that poor lighting accounts for a two per cent loss in productivity per year. This may not sound like a lot, but that is two per cent for each worker! Moreover, 24 per cent of office workers have stated that discomfort and eyestrain has caused a loss of work. When the lighting is poor, it puts unnecessary strain on the eyes, which is only made worse when workers spend all day looking at a computer screen. Their eyes become irritable and they experience discomfort, which means they cannot work as efficiently. Some people need to take themselves away from the environment so that their eyes go back to normal.

This is why you would be wise to consider investing in LED lighting for your offices. There are many benefits associated with going down this route. One of the main reasons they are ideal for the workplace is because they do not contain any toxic elements, and a lower amount of energy consumption is used as well. Not only does this ensure a better working environment, but also you don’t have to worry about your utility bills going up either. In fact, you are more likely to save, as these bulbs are much more energy-efficient. All in all, you will be shocked by how much of a difference LED office lighting can have on productivity levels.

Light and productivity in an industrial setting
Choosing lighting solutions with care is not only important when it comes to an office setting, but it makes a massive difference in warehouses and in a commercial setting as well. If you speak with experienced manufacturer engineering consultants, they will tell you that lighting plays a massive role when creating a manufacturing center for any client. Not only does it make a massive difference in terms of productivity, but it is imperative when it comes to safety as well.

If you do not have the correct lighting within an industrial setting, you could easily end up creating an environment whereby people cannot do their work properly. This presents massive dangers when using heavy machinery, which need to have the perfect setting. You cannot afford to cut corners or take any sort of risk.

So there you have it: an insight into lighting and the important role that it plays in any sort of commercial setting. This should never be ignored at any business!

An Introduction To Cladding

A key focus of my blog is Technology. Not everyone is familiar with cladding though it is a key aspect of constructing and optimizing buildings and building usage. The following contributed post is entitled, An Introduction To Cladding.

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Cladding does not form an integral part of the building, but covers it, shielding it from the elements and from heat loss. It also provides a range of other benefits, such as protecting the fabric of the building from damage, offering additional security and aesthetic appeal.

What Is Cladding?
It is first worth explaining the wider term that you’ll often see in the same context – the ‘building envelope’. Simply put, the building envelope encompasses all the elements that go to make up the physical separator between the internals of any building and the exterior. That might include the floor and roof, the walls and the doors, along with any roof lights or roof windows that might be fitted to the property in question. The building envelope is what helps to preserve a controlled interior environment that protects the building, its occupants and any activity that takes place within from what’s outside. That might primarily be the weather in the majority of cases, but could also include noise pollution. It is additionally expected to provide thermal insulation and control heat loss from the building, and even protect against fire, whether from spreading from in the building or from entering the building if the fire is outside its walls.

Cladding can be one important element of the building envelope. Whether incorporated into the original design of the building or added later as part of a refurbishment, rain shield composite panels involve applying an additional layer to the outside of the building. It’s not part of the structure in the same way as bricks and mortar or timber may be, but it’s a skin which helps to offer a further degree of weather resistance and thermal insulation. Cladding can also add to the aesthetic appearance of the building.

The Benefits Of Cladding
So having given a broad outline, what advantages does cladding offer to a building? Whether you are a business owner or a homeowner, you’ll know that there’s pressure on us all to reduce our energy consumption for environmental reasons. With energy prices rising all the time, we understand that’s to our benefit from a cost point of view too. The Carbon Trust’s research has shown that up to 60% of the energy used to heat a typical office is lost through the fabric of the building. Around 22% alone escapes through the roof and 9% through the walls. Cladding provides a degree of insulation that can prevent those losses, and therefore, reduce a business’ spend on the costs of heating its premises.

Wall cladding also plays an important role in preserving the fabric of the building. While it doesn’t strictly add to the structural integrity and therefore, the stability of the construction, it can prolong its lifespan in a number of ways. From directing rainwater away, so it does not infiltrate and damage the building’s structure to forming protection against the spread of fire, cladding can ensure your home or business premises need less maintenance on an ongoing basis and will survive longer than without it. By adding a level of soundproofing, it also protects privacy internally and reduces external noise pollution. And finally, it can be used to create an external façade that is more attractive or blends in better with its surroundings than that of the structure itself.

Making Sure Your Business Aligns With Your Morals

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When most people think about business, they think solely about making money and generating profit. A little-known secret is that if your business doesn’t align with your morals and personal mission, it will likely be hard to work in every day. The following contributed post is entitled, Making Sure Your Business Aligns With Your Morals.

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If you’re a business owner, and you want to be sure that the company you’re running is just as good as the morals you hold dear in your heart, it might be time to take a step back and look things over. After all, it’s easy to lose your way when you’re trying to be successful in the working world, and fitting yourself into the corporate machine can shave off any and all ethical practices you love to live by. However, it’s not impossible to turn things around, and make sure your company is more ethical, down to earth, and friendlier than ever.

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Always Hire Like Minds

During the interview process, be on the lookout for people who sound like you. People you know you can see a lot of good in, and people who sound like their hearts and minds are in the right place. Because this makes them a like mind.

A like mind is going to hold the same values as you do: open communication, collaboration, putting others first, etc. And because of this, they’re going to share the same morals, and promote them during their work. You’re going to have a much more productive working environment because of this, and it’s important to always encourage new and old hires alike to share in these qualities.

Stay Aware of Biases

Everyone has some bias they’re working through in their life, and often, it’s because of the way we’ve been raised. Some people may discriminate against someone based on a variety of factors, and in the workplace, both a person’s gender and their skin color are most commonly brought up as biased factors at tribunals.

So it’s important to examine your biases, especially the ones you’ve gained via your working experience. Once you have, you can really open up the floor to skilled workers from all over the world, regardless of who they are. Take an example from this piece on Christianity and Political Parties; always look for the good in people, and never be ruthless in trying to achieve success.

Get Stuck in Yourself

If you’re looking to keep your business in line with your morals as a person, it’s important to lead by example. Learn by doing, show your employees the ropes, and never let your team go out there alone. Make sure you’re at the helm of your operations, getting stuck into the work the same as everyone else, and try not to let anyone on your team feel less than.

When you create an environment of cohesion like this, you ensure you never come across as a hypocrite, especially in such an important and diverse situation. Not to mention, if you like to know that things have been done properly, you’ll always be there to oversee the directions your employees take!

Your business should align with your morals, and it’s easier to ensure this than you may think. Encourage your employees, look for similar people, and be a real leader.