Contributed Posts – Page 142 – The Big Words Blog Site

Safety Risks To Consider This Black Friday

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. Black Friday is now a critical date for retailers and some strange things happen during people’s pursuit of great deals on TVs, video games, sport goods, etc. Both business owners and proprietors must have strategies in place going into Black Friday. The following contributed post is entitled, Safety Risks To Consider This Black Friday.

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Black Friday is the most anticipated day in the year for millions of families. For those who are trying to make ends meet on a tight budget, black Friday is the occasion to buy items they couldn’t afford otherwise. It’s no surprise that most of the Black Friday purchases become Christmas gift. Whether it’s the game console for the family or a pair of warm and elegant winter boots, the commercial event can make people happy.

For businesses, small and big, preparing for Black Friday is essential to make the most of the event. There’s a lot to gain in spreading out your marketing campaign to make sure that your audience knows about your offers and your products. Plan a visible and engaging countdown on social media to get people excited. It’s also the perfect occasion to remind them of your opening hours, especially if they’re changing for the day. By replicating big companies’ discount, you can also replicate their success at your level. However, you need to be prepared for the safety risks that come with a busy Black Friday.

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You need additional security guards
It’s no novelty. Black Friday is a highly stressful event for buyers. Some queue in front of shop hours before they open in the hope they’ll be able to snatch bargain items while the stock still lasts. Your customers are likely to feel tired and on edge when they arrive in the store. Combined with potentially aggressive crowd behavior, you might have to intervene to stop people from fighting in the store. As a result, it’s a good idea to get a few security guards for the occasion. Indeed, guards not only provide a sense of security, which can be enough to reassure the crowd, but their presence acts as a preventive measure. Disagreements are less likely to escalate in a fight when there’s a security guard on site.

Accidents are more likely to happen
Black Friday is synonymous with chaos. You never know what might happen. Even if customers are well-behaved, accidents are prone to occur as a result of a large and hectic crowd. As a safety measure, it’s a good idea to equip your store with smoke and fire protection systems for your doors, windows and any other opening. Architectural experts, SG Specialties, warns businesses that fire can spread out surprisingly rapidly in a favorable environment. In a shop full of inflammable products, the absence of protection could cost your customers their lives.

You need to be able to address health complications
Black Friday shopping is like a health marathon. Some of your most vulnerable customers may fall ill in the process. High stress levels and the semi-claustrophobic feeling of a large crowd can lead to heart problems, fainting and any other health complication. In the event of a customer struggling, you need to be able to react on the spot. Training your staff to basic healthcare and services can be a game-changer. Ultimately, you want shoppers to feel safe at all times. Being able to help and reassure in case of a problem is crucial.

Black Friday is a commercial event like no other. It’s violently profitable and destructive at the same time. For businesses to make the most of the opportunity, they need to understand how to keep their customers safe in a chaotic situation. Needless to say, it’s a challenge for every store!

Answers To Your Most Pressing Questions About Careers In The Mining Industry

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. If you live in mining country or are willing to move to it, there are career options for you. If you’re a novice to the mining industry, what do you need to know about it to work in it? The following contributed post is entitled, Answers To Your Most Pressing Questions About Careers In The Mining Industry.

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With so much focus on emerging industries, we often forget about those that keep the regular economy ticking over. Software, robotics, AI, and digital marketing are all exciting innovations. Still, none of them would be possible if there weren’t people digging raw materials out of the ground, processing them, and shipping them around the world.

The mining industry isn’t a dead one. It is, in reality, very much alive, and more in-demand than ever before, owing to the mineral demands of the modern economy. Companies need coal, petroleum products, limestone, and rare earth minerals. The orders never cease, and as the economy evolves, new types of product are required.

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For those wanting to get into the mining industry, therefore, this is a great opportunity. Today, more than ever before, there are opportunities to be had and careers to be made in the sector. Plus the pay isn’t bad either once you achieve a position with responsibility.

So what do you need to know about getting into the mining industry? Here are some popular questions and helpful answers.

I Just Graduated. What Roles Can I Do In The Mining Industry?

Education is very different from actual work in the mining industry. While many people go into mining from an engineering background, the reality of the work is different from what the academics would have you believe.

One of the best routes into the industry is to get on a graduate training scheme. The idea here is to take promising graduates with the temperament to succeed and then build their skills on the job. The downside, of course, is that these programmes tend to be very competitive with lots of people applying for the opportunity.

The other route in is to file your CV with a recruitment agency and then use them to find entry-level roles in a mining operation. Ideally, if you’re a graduate, you want a role that positions you for management in the future.

What Qualifications Do I Need To Work On A Mining Site?

Mining is a dangerous and complicated activity. Before current regulations, many people died in mines every year. It was brutal.

Today, though, there is a range of requirements for anybody wanting to work in a mine which are pretty similar across western countries.

The first thing to consider is vehicle licenses. There’s a good chance that you’ll need to drive a truck or digger at some point, so you’ll need the appropriate license for your particular country.

After that, the qualifications you need are mostly up to the employer. Some offer in-house health and safety training, while others will want to see that you’re certified to operate on a mining site. Those with bachelor’s degrees will be able to apply for work in roles that those without them cannot. Thus, a degree can be a stepping stone into a better position than you might be able to get otherwise.

Do I Need Any Health Checks?

Some mining companies insist that workers get a series of tests before allowing them to work on-site. The purpose of this is to ensure that the individual is fit for work. Some people can’t cope with the demands of the occupation.

If you plan on working for a coal mining company, then you will need a Coal Board Medical. This test assesses your overall state of health and is an essential requirement for people wanting to get into the coal mining industry.

Conditions in and around mines can be dusty, putting extra strain on the pulmonary system. People who want to work in the mining industry, therefore, often have to go through a series of spirometry or lung function tests. The idea here is to check that a person’s lungs are working correctly and that they can cope with the harsh environment of the mine without suffering severe consequences for their breathing.

Other companies may conduct a musculoskeletal test and fitness test to ensure a baseline level of fitness for those wanting to engage in heavy manual work. There’s also the usual audio screening (providing that you can follow instructions and hear warning sirens) and drug and alcohol tests.

How Can I Get My Foot In The Door?

For people looking to start a career in mining, this is a common question. Most employers want to see evidence of experience before offering a role. But to get experience, you need a job in the first place. It’s a tricky and annoying catch-22 situation.

The best way to proceed is to look for mining companies who need people with your skills, but who are currently struggling to fill job roles. You might see an advert for a job, for instance, that seems a little below your pay grade, but for which you have the skills and could perform well. Contact the mining company, tell them that you can help add value to their operations and show them your education. More likely than not, they can’t find the exact person that they need, and they want to fill the position quickly. That’s your chance. Appear professional at interview, and you’ll win their hearts and gain the role.

How Do I Learn To Drive Cranes And Trucks?

Operating heavy equipment is a large part of jobs in the mining industry. The vehicles are enormous because of the type of work that they must undertake, so they’re different from anything else that you might have driven in the past.

One of the best ways to make your CV stand out is to learn to drive one of these vehicles in advance of your application. Usually, you’ll need something called an HR-X licence (or equivalent depending on your country). This permits you to pilot vehicles of the type that you’d find on the typical mining site.

Having a license ahead of time is appealing to the majority of enterprises for two reasons. First, it shows that you’re proactive and committed to a career in the sector. And, second, the company doesn’t have to provide the money and training to enable you to perform the role. You can do it already.

A Business’ Guide To Preparing For Black Friday Now

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Black Friday has become a target sales date for many businesses. To make the most of Black Friday, businesses need to come up with distinct strategies. The following contributed post is entitled, A Business’ Guide To Preparing For Black Friday Now.

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It won’t be long until the chaos of black Friday descends upon us, and the best thing your business can do is prepare now. If you begin your preparations now, you can make the most of this time of year and make a killing. Below, you’ll find a few ways you can begin preparing now:

Listen To Your Audience On Social Media
Start by listening to your audience on social media. They will give you hints and tips on what sort of offers and deals you should run. One of the best things you can do as a business is listen to your audience!

Replicate Big Companies On A Smaller Scale
Take a look at big companies before you and make a note of how they have tackled black Friday. You can then replicate them on a much smaller scale. You should be able to experience at least a portion of their success!

Have A Countdown
Countdown to black Friday using your social pages so that people get excited along with you and plan the purchases they are going to make. Make it an exciting event for everybody!

Have A Mobile Strategy
As you’ll see from the infographic below, a large percentage of your audience will likely make purchases via mobile. Make sure you have a strong mobile strategy so that this is easy for them to do and that your mobile site is ready. If it isn’t, you will lose out.

credit to Skup

How Businesses Can Transform Their Marketing Strategies For The Better

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“If you want to make it in the modern business world, it’s all about marketing. You can’t expect your business to grow if you don’t market, so finding marketing schemes and campaigns are essential to keep your company afloat.”

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Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Arguably the most important part of your business is its marketing. In theory, effective marketing will lead to more sales. Your marketing formula may need to evolve over time. The following contributed post is entitled, How Businesses Can Transform Their Marketing Strategies For The Better.

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If you want to make it in the modern business world, it’s all about marketing. You can’t expect your business to grow if you don’t market, so finding marketing schemes and campaigns are essential to keep your company afloat.

There are many forms of marketing. You have traditional methods such as newspaper ads and TV spots. You have passive marketing, where you trust people to see your ads around town to build interest. You also have new marketing models: digital marketing, which is what the majority of businesses rely on now.

However, not everyone has gotten on board. There are some businesses and industries that neglect to market their business effectively. This itself could be a cause for lack of growth, so it might be time you start looking at better ways to spread awareness of your business.

Small Businesses

Often, small businesses cannot afford to engage in comprehensive marketing strategies to get the word out. But as a small business, they don’t need to yet.

Instead, they need to find a way to compete with similar businesses in their area, but with a lack of funds, they can’t make witty ad campaigns or sass customers on social media. Instead, perhaps its better to go back to traditional methods.

Local areas love businesses that engage with the community, so showing that your company cares about the goings-on in and around the town or city will put you in the good books. It could shift their loyalty from faceless multi-nationals to someone who knows their names and says hello every time they step into the store.

While money might be tight for your business, there are a lot of ways in which you can spend what limited budget you do have, wisely. Take a look at what’s popular in marketing right now, like videos for example. Having a video production company to create show-stopping content can be a great investment for your small business.

Healthcare Industry

Healthcare is something that everybody needs in their life. Whether it’s routine checkups or ongoing prescriptions, healthcare is a basic human need. It might be because of this, though, that the healthcare industry is not as forward-thinking than other sectors when it comes to marketing. There are some improvements, such as justifying how much marketing ROI to budget and plan for according to a patient lifetime value calculator, but outreach needs to innovate.

However, that’s not the case. There are different levels of healthcare, and they demand different approaches. Mental health marketing will differ from dental marketing, and vice versa, so it’s finding out how to best target your potential customers.

With a big focus on social media’s negative influence, mental health campaigns can be found on Instagram. In contrast, a dental marketing strategy could be used at the supermarket (where you buy dental supplies). This targets both patients where they are most likely to see it, which sounds like a win.

Marketing Firms

Who markets to the other marketers? It’s a strange one, as you’d expect many marketing firms would undertake their own marketing duties. However, with client campaigns to focus on, this isn’t always so easy.

The problem is that marketers can recognize when they’re being duped. Instead of following the same old routines, it’s better to look at new, more subtle ways to market your marketing firm. We’ve seen it through content marketing, and this has worked moderately well. But there could still be a better way.

Spreading Awareness

You cannot expect growth and recognition if you neglect to embrace the potential options to help you better market your product or business. Even if you stagnate, the world will continue to evolve, so follow it as best you can.

Carefully Extending A University Premises

Two of the focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship and General Education. Higher Education is big business in the United States. One of the biggest concerns of institutions of higher learning is expansion of their campuses. The following contributed post is entitled, Carefully Extending A University Premises.

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As a university faculty, the extreme increase in students applying to follow a course suggests a need for expansion. This can be an exciting prospect. That being said, carefully extending a university premises is often a multi-faceted project that can take some time, and may leave you feeling as though this process is extremely complex. Additionally, students are often fickle and can drop out for any time, or may even transfer to another institution should they feel their needs aren’t being met. This can be the case even if launching a range of excellent and prestigious degrees.

In order to best pursue this extension and to better manage your construction efforts, a careful plan needs to be in the works long before you begin. Additionally, ensuring that the least amount of harmful influence on your daily operation is considered can help you avoid alienating students, and prospective candidates alike. Additionally, a university budget can be a tight thing, meaning that cost-effective managing this process requires a little more forethought. With our advice, you are certain to carry this process out to the best of your ability:

Alternate Lecture Theatres

Finding alternate lecture theatures for your students can be an important first step. After all, it can be hard to lecture and study when large construction efforts are taking place. Additionally, consider the routes to said lecture halls. It might be that you need to subsidise extra coach or train fares to reach a different part of the city, or maybe you need to rent out an entirely new building for six months of the year. It is possible, but you have to manage people and resources carefully.

Reliable Construction Firms

Reliable construction firms, such as Stosius are known for their extremely accurate planning and impressive execution. When you can rely on a service to keep you on schedule, to stay thoroughly communicative of their needs and remain two steps ahead at all times, you can ensure that the practical planning of your own approach can be effectively considered, and this may save you and your faculty a great deal of stress. Additionally, being advised as to the best safety implements and usual requirements will help you curate that former plan of action.

Telegraphing In Advance

If your construction efforts mean that half of your science block is going to be out of action for that year, then it could be that telegraphing this in advance is essential. Students may not withdraw their applications as you may vital alternate arrangements, but letting them know about said work rather than lying in the brochure or somehow deflecting them away from said plans during the tour can be an honest and ethical way of going about things. Financial subsidies, additional investments and potentially the means to rework non-essential course practicalities can enable you to move through this time with care and attention. This makes a difference.

With this advice, you are certain to carefully extend your university premises well.

Beating Confidence Troubles When You’re The Boss

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. Three key focuses are Business/Entrepreneurship, Career Discussions and Professional Development and Skills. There are many ways to be the boss whether you’ve started your own business or you’re working in an organization. Being the boss can be a daunting task for many people but there are keys to mastering it. The following contributed post is entitled, Beating Confidence Troubles When You’re The Boss.

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Do you own your own business? Maybe you’re a manager at a branch owned by someone else? Either way, there’s a good chance you feel unsure of yourself from time to time. You’ve got a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, and a lot of power in your hands, and it can be hard to manage the both of them at once!

Which is why it’s key to remember that being the boss doesn’t automatically mean you feel confident enough to be one! You’re allowed to doubt yourself, and feel awkward about the decisions you make; you’re only human, after all. But because of that, we’ve listed a few tips for you below, to make sure you start feeling a bit more secure in your role. You’re doing a lot of hard work, and you deserve to have the confidence to show for it.

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There’s Advice Out There

And it’s more accessible than you may realise! After all, we have the internet to thank for instant connectivity, and that means you can go in search of a business leadership podcast with little to no trouble at all.

When you’re a burgeoning business leader, in search of information that’s going to put the pep back in your step, listening to the words of corporate founders and various self made people might just be the key.

And advice for someone like you exists in quite a few forms. You might want to make it your mission to soak up as many different types of medium as you can find, just to be sure you’re getting as much influence and advice as possible. You never know where you’re going to find the one piece of advice that’ll change your life, but we do have a good place for you to start!

Manage Your Expectations

Of course, you’re going to need to manage your expectations. You’re going to need to stay down to earth with what you’re thinking of achieving, or what projects you know you’re going to be able to take on. It’s very unlikely that you’re going to be able to turn around an organisation in the next 3 to 6 months, so don’t put that kind of stress on your shoulders from the get go.

Instead, aim a little lower, for something you know you can achieve. Bringing more skills into the business? Check. Cutting down costs? Check. And on and on the list can go, creating a very workable step by step guide for you to follow. Now doesn’t that sound easier?

Focus Your Network

And finally, be sure to focus your network on people like you. Try to reach out and connect with fellow managers, or first time entrepreneurs, to remind yourself you’re not alone. Use sites like LinkedIn to make a search like this easier. It might be a small point, but it’s a very important one to remember!

As the boss, you don’t have to keep second guessing yourself. You can learn confidence!

Tips To Boost Your Office Appeal

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the keys to running a successful business or operation is optimizing your office space. The following contributed post is entitled, Tips To Boost Your Office Appeal.

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An office is a space that needs to promote and encourage work productivity. It’s somewhere that your staff are coming into and working in for several hours a day and where your clients come in to do business. Here are some tips to boost your office appeal for the benefit of your business.

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Use The Right Lighting

The lighting can really affect the appearance of the working environment. If you have harsh, white lighting, it’s likely to feel a little bit like a hospital and not at all like the welcoming atmosphere that it should have. So think about replacing the lighting to feel warmer and inviting. Natural light is also something to take advantage of, and that can help bring a lot more appeal to a space, regardless of how small it might be. Replace any windows with bigger ones and ideally go for floor to ceiling options that are going to let the light flood into the space.

Create More Open-Plan Spaces

Open-plan spaces can be a welcome feature in offices where there are a lot of workers. Keeping them in boxed areas can take a hit at employee productivity and how they feel about the overall space that they’re working in. If you can knock down a few walls or change the work desks to something more functional, then it’s definitely worth doing. Don’t forget though that there’s going to be some people who may not enjoy working in an open space so it’s good to have some private options in the form of offices. These can give certain employees the option to work in a quiet space when they need to.

Add A Bit Of Class To The Curb

Appearances are everything, and when it comes to your business, even the office curb needs to have some appeal. Look into commercial glass tinting that can give a little mystery to the outside of an office or business building. This glass tinting can also help with keeping these spaces cool and can protect your staff from harmful UV rays that might be penetrating through the glass and hitting staff directly.

Invest In Quality Furnishings

Quality is always going to better than something that’s more affordable. That shouldn’t always be the case, but if you want durable furniture and appliances that are likely to receive a lot of footfall, it’s good to invest in the very best. From the sofas that are available in your reception area to the work stations and electrical appliances that staff use on a daily basis. It all helps and goes towards boosting appeal.

Boosting office appeal is important, and something every business should be doing in order to show off their company. Look at the things that you can add to your space in order to make it a pleasant environment for your staff but also to make it a place that your clients will remember and enjoy coming back to. From quality furnishings to the lighting, everything matters to boosting your office appeal.

Five Stages Of Project Management

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.

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Here are the five stages of project management.

Initiation

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:

SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely
CLEAR – Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable

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:

● Quality deliverables
● Project Performance
● Effort and Cost tracking
● Project Objectives

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 4 Pillars Behind Your Confidence To Grow

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.

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#1. Planning is the indispensable compass

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.

How You Can Level Up in Life and Career in 2020

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.

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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?