Contributed Posts – Page 64 – The Big Words Blog Site

Building Your Own Computer From Scratch

A key focus of my blog is Technology. While many users purchase their computers from the store already assembled, some have the skills to build their units. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Your Own Computer From Scratch.

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If you have always wanted to build your own computer from scratch, you are certainly not alone. Many people are keen to do this, and there is a good reason why you might want to – after all, it is likely going to result in you having exactly the computer that you would hope to have in your possession, and that can be useful in a lot of situations. So what do you need to do in order to build your own computer? It’s actually easier than you might think. Here are some of the major steps you’ll need to follow.

The Motherboard

One of the most central parts that you will need to think about is the motherboard. This is the main circuit board that all of the other elements will be attached to or be peripherals for, so you need to make sure that it is the right choice. If you are particularly knowledgeable in circuitry, you might be able to create your own using the EDA software (such as the one we link here) and a soldering iron. Otherwise, it’s just a case of grabbing one that will suit your needs, taking on board whether it fits with your choice of CPU.

The CPU

Speaking of which, the CPU might often actually be your very first choice, as you need to make sure that the motherboard will fit in. Choosing a CPU is generally a simple case of knowing what your needs are going to be, and finding one that is sufficient. If you wanted to build the most powerful computer you could, you’d simply go for the most powerful CPU you can afford, but in reality that’s not always the goal. So make your choice, install it – and remember the CPU cooler as well, otherwise it may melt through continued usage.

RAM

RAM memory is the memory that your computer uses in order to be able to process basic tasks. Essentially, it temporarily stores data so that it can perform tasks – which means that, the more RAM you have, the quicker your machine will be able to perform those tasks. You should basically aim to install as much RAM as you can, and you will be limited here by how many RAM slots there are on your motherboard. However, you can generally hope to install a fair few GBs this way, which should be sufficient for everyone’s needs.

Power Supply

Next up is the power supply. This has a lot of cables and connectors, as well as a fan, and it can therefore look daunting at first, especially to the newbie. But with the right power supply in place, you are going to find that the whole machine works much more effectively, so it’s important that you are choosing the right one – and installing it correctly.

After that, it’s all about the other peripherals, such as a graphics card and sound card, should you want them. Of course, you’ll also need a hard drive as well, so make sure to choose an appropriate one.

Sure Signs You Are Leading Your Business Right

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you start a business, it’s either going to grow and sustain itself or it will fail. There are indicators though that it is or will thrive. The following contributed post is entitled, Sure Signs You Are Leading Your Business Right.

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Leadership is one of the most important aspects to running any business. If there is strong leadership, and it is effective, then the goals and aims of the company are that much more likely to succeed. Not only that, but the customers are going to be happier, products will fill the shelves more easily, and so many other benefits besides. So how can you know whether a business is being led right? Here are some of the very clear signs that you are leading your business in the right manner.

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Daily Goals To Long-Term Achievements

You need to have not only daily goals to follow, but also more long-term achievements which you can be happy with too. In fact, what you will find is that if you are properly focusing on one, the other will soon and swiftly follow. So it’s important that your daily goals are relevant and that you work hard towards them, while also ensuring that these are designed in such a way to lead to more long-term achievements. If you can do that, it’s a sure sign that you are leading your business in exactly the way you should for its future success.

Your Idols Would Be Proud

Most of us have one or two professional leaders whom we look up to, and whom we would like to be like. If you have someone in mind who fits this category, then you might want to think about what they would say of how you run your business. It is a good idea to carry out deeper research on them. For instance, see this link here for advice from Tim Cook. If you know for certain that they would be proud, then you are moving in the right direction. If not, or if there is any doubt, you might want to think about what you’ll need to change.

The Business Is Growing

For most entrepreneurs, growth is the be-all and end-all. As long as the business is getting bigger and you are able to upscale as much as you want to, this is a sure sign that you are getting all you need out of it, and this must be because you are leading it in the best way possible. If it is not growing, but instead seems to be staying still, then you might want to go back to the drawing board and see what might need to be done differently.

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Your People Look Up To You

It is not always easy to know exactly what your people think of you, but if you can get an honest opinion from a good percentage of them, then this is going to be really useful information and an insight into whether or not you are leading your business in the best possible way. The best way to find this out is with the use of an anonymous form, so people feel free to speak up about any grievances and be more honest with you. This is really useful data to have, so don’t shy away from it.

4 Top Ways You Can Become A Great Boss

Two focuses of my blog is Organizational/Management and Workplace Discussions. Once you get into management, you path is not complete. It takes a specific set of skills to be a great boss. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Top Ways You Can Become A Great Boss.

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When you are running a business it can be hard work and a lot of stress. One thing you have to be careful with is treating your employees like human beings, not machines. A lot of bosses and managers take the biscuit with their employees and show no consideration for their health and wellbeing. Being a great boss means looking after your employees and treating them with the respect they deserve. Take a look below for some tips on how to be a great boss.

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Be Approachable

Nobody wants to work for a boss who is horrible, defensive, and who doesn’t listen. This will cause your employees to find work elsewhere. Being a great boss consists of listening to your employees and treating them as individuals. If you are a nice boss then you are more likely to keep your workers for a long time as they will be happy coming to work. They will also be less likely to suffer mental health conditions associated with working.

If there are issues that arise in the workplace then your employees need to know that they can come and talk to you about it. They need to feel reassured that you have listened to them and heard them. Be an active listener, stop whatever it is you are doing, and encourage them to talk to you. If the problem happens to be something in the workplace then they need to know that you will do your very best to handle it.

Unfortunately, workplace bullying and harassment still happen and you need to have a zero-tolerance policy to this that everyone is aware of.

Offer Rewards

When an employee does something amazing you should reward them for it to show your appreciation. This not only gives the employee a boost in confidence and pride, but it will also give them the motivation to carry on. Rewards can be anything from a yearly bonus to extra days off throughout the year. You could even offer both for outstanding employees. It is whatever works best for your business. Something that is quite commonly offered on birthdays and holidays is a gift voucher of some sort, which might be something for you to look into.

Climbing The Ladder

In order to get ahead in the world of business and managing a team, it is well worth looking into applying for Six Sigma Certification Online. This is a leadership and management course and comes in varying colors, all the way from white to black.

As you are doing your training and furthering your own career and personal development you should offer the same to your employees. People do not want to be stuck in a dead-end job with no opportunities of climbing the career ladder. If this happens you will find that a lot of your employees leave after a certain time. They want to feel challenged and appreciated, so offer them promotions and training from time to time to further their development and job opportunities.

We hope you found this article helpful and it gives you some useful advice on how to be a great boss.

4 Organization Tips Your Small Business Needs

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key running a successful business is its organization and maintaining some semblance of order and logic. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Organization Tips Your Small Business Needs.

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If you’re wanting to ensure your business’s success, then it’s best to understand that organization is key. You want to be organized and stay organized in what you’re doing. There is something so refreshing about keeping organized anyways. Just having your workspace neat and tidy, knowing where everything is on your computer, and knowing where to find all those important files. In general, being organized will save you from dealing with massive amounts of stress. It’s also going to save you from taking time out of your day or even your teammate’s days from having to look for something. If you’re wanting to get your business to become far more organized then these tips can help you out!

Create a to-do list the day before

Whether you’re working alone or you have a whole team, this is going to help a lot. Going into work with a plan is going to make the day go by much more seamlessly. Plus, the to-do list is the universal language of business organization anyways. Try to get everyone on your team to create a to-do list every day and to follow along with that to-do list. Just jotting these things down whether it be improving your content, going to a meeting, or anything else should all be included. Even if you have the same tasks that you do every day, you can add some smaller, more unusual tasks to your to-do list as well.

Look into helpful software or other tools

Sometimes all it really takes for getting more organized can be as simple as getting the right tools. Nowadays, there is software out on the market that can do a number of things and that even includes getting a whole company to be more neat and organized. Technology has truly advanced and is making business-goers’ lives a little easier. One thing to look into could be equipment lifecycle management as this could help if your business is in the medical field. In general, using helpful management tools is not only more eco-friendly as you’re not using paper, but they can help out a lot as well with keeping the team organized.

Respond to emails as soon as you open them up

There’s no doubt about it that one of the most dreadful parts of a workday would be replying back to emails. There’s something about emails that really pushes people into being a bit scattered brain as well. While emails aren’t fun to do, you’re far better off with responding to messages sooner rather than later. If you push them off to a later time then there is always the chance of forgetting. So the best course of action would be to respond as soon as you open up the email.

Consider automation

Automation has been making work go a lot easier for business owners. There are a variety of tasks that can be done thanks to automation. A great example would be apps such as Calendly which automate meeting schedules without the whole back-and-forth appointment. Some other great examples would be for marketers out there, as social media content can be scheduled with tools such as Hootsuite.

5 Ideas To Improve Your Content In 2022

Three focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship, Blogging/Writing and Video Content/Media Creation. Whether you are an author, a blogger, or a YouTube content creator, you always want to think about improving your content as it will lead to an ever expanding audience. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ideas To Improve Your Content In 2022.

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With plenty of competition, brands simply can’t afford to produce low-quality content. To remain relevant and competitive businesses need to be consistently improving their strategies. To make an impression with your content marketing, focus on these five areas.

1 . Figure out your goals

When you’re developing a content marketing strategy it’s important to determine your key goals. Common content marketing goals include improving lead generation, boosting customer retention and driving customer loyalty.
With a solid understanding of your content goals you can create the best content for that particular purpose. Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness or educate your audience, be clear on your content goals.

2. It’s all about storytelling

Looking for marketing tips for 2022? Well, great content marketing is all about telling stories, by using stories you can engage your audience and provoke an emotional response. Marketing stories can help you to appeal to the values of your audience, and forge a deeper connection. Stories come in many different forms whether it’s brand storytelling, stories about your products, or stories about your employees. There are so many benefits of storytelling including:

● Stories can help to build the trust of your audience.
● Helps you to create a memorable brand.
● Build a rapport with your audience.

3. Collect plenty of feedback

Improving your content relies on analytics and data, collecting feedback can help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. There are lots of different ways that you can collect audience feedback. Firstly, you can use surveys, pop-up forms or focus-groups. Using these tools you can ask customers how they feel about your content, and what you could improve. Software can also be useful, visitor analytics tools can provide plenty of helpful data, to help you improve your web content.

4. Provide extra value

To stand out in the crowd, you need to provide something extra special. Providing extra value helps you to build a memorable brand. There are lots of ways to add extra value with content, here are a few key ideas:

● Create an engaging podcast, exploring the key trends and news in your industry.
● Offer interactive content, providing an exciting experience for your audience.
● Produce educational content, helping your audience to learn new things.
● Collaborate with similar brands to produce unique social media posts.

5. Get content support

If you’re looking to revamp your content strategy there are plenty of support tools that you can use. Check out tools for content ideas, analytics, graphics, or content writing services. There are plenty of different types of software to streamline your content success. When you automate a few content tasks, you’ll save time and boost productivity levels. If you’re looking for a fantastic content support tool check out GlideSEM. If you’re stuck for content ideas, GlideSEM can produce content for you, including the appropriate keywords.

In five steps you’ll improve your content strategy for 2022. From storytelling to support tools there are lots of ways to take your campaign to the next level.

Keep Your Business’ IT Systems Working In These Ways

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. No matter what kind of business you’re running today, technology is likely playing a major role in your operations. As such, you must figure out how to keep it operating as efficiently as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, Keep Your Business’ IT Systems Working In These Ways.

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Any business needs to make sure that their IT systems are working as fully as possible at all times – otherwise it is going to be pretty much impossible to keep everything in full alignment across the enterprise. If you run a business and you are keen to try and make sure of this, then there are a lot of things that you might want to bear in mind along the way. Let’s take a look at some of these in particular, so you can ensure that your IT systems keep on working as fully as you would hope.

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Focus On Safety

One of the main things that you need to do is to focus on the safety and security of your systems as fully as you can. As long as they are safe and secure, all else is going to fall into place pretty much straight away, so that is definitely something that it is worth looking into if you are keen to make sure of this. That means having strong security systems in place, and doing whatever you can to preempt any issues that might crop up in this area. Do this well enough, and your systems should be in a much better place in no time.

Get A Consultant

You never quite know exactly what needs to happen in order for your systems to be kept in order, which is why it’s a good idea to have a professional who does know exactly what it is going to take. Such an individual or company will ensure that your IT systems are always doing what they need to and in the right manner, so this is something that you should definitely focus on getting as soon as possible. Some IT consulting is always going to help your systems to be in a much better state.

Be Proactive

Because you want to be right there to ensure that nothing goes wrong, it’s important that you are being as proactive as possible when it comes to your IT systems. This means that you have the right managed IT help that is going to watch for issues and make sure that they are dealt with either before they really happen, or as soon as possible after they do. This ensures the system is kept in the best possible shape at all times, and it’s something that you really won’t want to overlook if you can help it.

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Train Everyone

Everyone and anyone who uses the systems, even a small part of them, is going to need to have the proper training in order to ensure that their use of it is not damaging to it. So, make a point of training people up wherever you can. This includes when they are onboarded but also at regular intervals thereafter, and you should make sure that you keep on top of this as best as you can. It really will make a difference to how good your systems are in general, so it’s something to think about.

5 Tips For Maximizing Your Business Finances

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“Starting a business is hard work. You have to be dedicated and willing to invest in your company.”

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Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Running a business is not just about making the money. You also have to manage your cashflow and other aspects. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips For Maximizing Your Business Finances.

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Starting a business is hard work. You have to be dedicated and willing to invest in your company. It takes a lot of time, energy, and financial resources to get off the ground. It’s been reported that 20% of startups fail within the first year.

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For your company to succeed, you need to plan out your finances. How much money do you need? What type of business should you start? And how can you get more customers? The following tips will help maximize your business finances.

Constantly Review Expenses

The most important thing you can do with your company finances is keeping track of your expenses. One way to do this is to use a spreadsheet to list all of your costs in one place. This will allow you to see what’s coming in and what’s going out.

The more organized you are with your company, the easier it will be to make financial decisions. Plus, if someone else were handling your business finances, they could easily see where all the money is going.

By organizing your finances, you also have better control over them because you’re always looking at them.

Work with a CFO

A chief financial officer (CFO) is an expert in managing your company’s finances. They can help you set up budgets for your company, forecast your cash flow, and much more.

Think about it this way: You might be the best at designing clothes, but when it comes to accounting, you may not know the first thing about how to handle your business’ finances. A CFO will help take some of that burden off of you by providing advice on how to reinvest in your company.

The right fractional cfo will also invest in your company in a way that aligns with your long-term goals. They’ll offer sound investment advice, which is invaluable whether you’re new to running a business or have years of experience.

Reduce Debt

You also need to keep an eye on your debt. Debt can often hinder your ability to grow your company, so you must do what you can to reduce the amount of debt you have. If you need help reducing your debt, speak with a business finance expert or financial advisor who can help offer solutions for reducing your debts and work out a plan for managing them in the future.

It may even be worth looking into experts who can help you get some more cash for your business, assisting you with reducing your debts. For example, take a look at Grants Assist reviews to find out what they can do for you, and what kind of grants they can help you find. It might not amount to anything, but you’re never going to know until you try.

Look At Your Pricing Structure

One of the best ways to maximize your business finances is to look at your pricing structure. Pricing your products appropriately will not only help you make more money, but it’ll also show customers that they’re getting real value for their purchase.

Pricing structures are all about finding what works for your particular business. You want to charge enough that people will buy but not too much that they think they’re being taken advantage of.

Market research is vital when determining prices for new products and services. Find out how much other similar businesses are charging and set yours accordingly.

Invest In The Right Technology

Technology is a necessity for any business looking to succeed. It’s been reported that 96% of companies today require computer access to do their job.

Specifically, you should invest in technology to help you do your job better and faster, thus saving you money. For example, if you’re a business owner who deals with payroll, investing in payroll software will help automate many of your tasks and make your life easier.

What You Need To Know About Bitcoin And How It Can Help You Become More Financially Independent

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies are now the talk of the financial world. Some swear that they are the wave of the future, while others are not so convinced. If you’re going to get involved with in this area, there are somethings you should consider. The following contributed post is entitled, What You Need To Know About Bitcoin And How It Can Help You Become More Financially Independent.

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How would you like to be able to stop living paycheck to paycheck? How about not having to worry about the next bill that is due or the money for your child’s college tuition? Bitcoin can help with all of these things. This blog post will discuss what bitcoin is and how it can help you become more financially independent.

Photo by Crypto Crow from Pexels

1) What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that was established in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto. It can be used to buy things or send money without involving banks, credit card companies, and other third parties like PayPal (which takes fees).

The first thing you need to know about bitcoin is that there are no physical bitcoins. Bitcoins exist only as computer files; the entire currency consists of nothing more than unique numbers protected by digital encryption. You should also note that not all countries recognize bitcoin as legal tender. For example, it’s banned in Iceland because the government says its value has been too unstable for them to put trust in it! But people use it there anyway since they don’t have any rules against using cryptocurrencies at this time. Secondly, bitcoins are created through a process called “mining.” Miners use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical problems in order to verify and record bitcoin transactions into the blockchain (a digital ledger).

Bitcoins aren’t that different from regular currency when you think about it. Fiat money is also intangible and created through a central authority. The difference is that bitcoins have been explicitly designed for secure financial transactions. For example, each transaction is verified by miners who compete to solve these complex math problems; this creates an added layer of security against fraud or counterfeiting. In addition, bitcoins aren’t subject to inflation like regular currency since there will only ever be 21 million bitcoins mined. This makes them attractive as an investment option! Consider visiting Cyber Hornet for more information.

2) How It Can Help Your Finances

Bitcoin is decentralized, meaning a single organization or government does not control it. Decentralization means that bitcoin can help you become more financially independent since the fees are lower with this type of currency than when using credit cards and other forms.

You will also be able to send money anywhere in the world at any time without paying unreasonable wire transfer rates. This way, you have access 24 hours per day, seven days per week! You won’t need to wait for banks to open on weekends either, so transactions complete quickly.

And if your wallet gets stolen? Some countries even offer insurance against theft which makes getting into bitcoin incredibly easy! Combined, these things make it easier to become financially independent with crypto-currencies like Bitcoin.

In conclusion, Bitcoin is a digital currency that has been designed for secure financial transactions. It’s decentralized, meaning any one organization or government doesn’t control it, making it attractive to people who want to become more financially independent. Bitcoin can help you send money anywhere in the world at any time without paying unreasonable wire transfer rates!

Extra Health And Safety Precautions Businesses Need During The Winter Months

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business you’re running, it might be sensitive to changing weather conditions. The winter months likewise have put stresses on certain businesses over the years. The following contributed post is entitled, Extra Health And Safety Precautions Businesses Need During The Winter Months.

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Health and safety is always important for businesses, but there are extra challenges to deal with in the winter.

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The cold weather can make your employees feel tired and less productive, it can cause injuries from slipping on ice or snow, and it can present safety hazards that need special attention. Here are a few key things to consider as you prepare your business for winter:

Dress Properly For The Cold

Wearing appropriate clothes for the cold is one of the key things you can do to stay safe in the snow. Dressing in multiple layers is best; this allows people to adjust their clothes based on how they’re feeling (for example, taking off an extra coat if they start getting too warm.) Make sure that all exposed skin is covered by clothing or sunscreen; sunburn on ears and noses is especially common during winter.

Clear Ice And Snow

When it snows, salt or sand your sidewalks to provide a safe walking surface that won’t freeze over. You could also call in a snow removal company if the situation is particularly bad. This keeps people from slipping on an unseen patch of ice and injuring themselves. It also helps them avoid the temptation to walk in the street, where they’re more likely to be hit by a passing car or bus, so make sure you remind workers not to do this.

In addition to salt, calcium chloride spray can help keep sidewalks clear of ice for longer before it has a chance to re-freeze. This makes it safer for pedestrians and reduces the risk of damage if they need to shovel afterward.

Watch Out For Falling Icicles And Snow

Falling icicles and snow present a hazard that needs to be dealt with. Check rooftops regularly for accumulations of ice or snow, and consider getting someone up on the roof to remove anything that might fall down and hurt pedestrians or damage property.

Be Careful With Heating Devices

A safe workplace isn’t one where workers are uncomfortably cold; it’s one where they’re not too hot either. Things like space heaters, stoves, candles, etc., should never be used indoors without proper ventilation. This is particularly true if you have gas appliances (which should always be properly vented anyway.) If your employees use these sorts of devices, make sure they’re trained in their use and safety precautions.

Additionally, consider moving heaters and candles and such away from areas where people congregate (such as break rooms) to avoid accidental fires.

Check The Forecast

Check local weather forecasts regularly during winter months, particularly in advance of days when you know there may be precipitation. This will help you plan ahead and keep employees safe. If heavy snowfall or freezing rain is expected, make sure that your business is ready to handle it by clearing sidewalks and parking lots of ice and snow, and stocking up on de-icer spray (or sand/salt mixtures.)

It’s vital that you take these extra precautions during the winter months to keep yourself and your employees safe.

How To Keep Your Home Warm In The Winter

Two focuses of my blog are Home/Living Discussions and Home/Property Discussions. Keeping your home warm in the winter will impact both your personal health and your personal finances. Collectively, these will impact your piece of mind. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Keep Your Home Warm In The Winter.

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There is nothing worse than a cold house during the winter. Waking up, needing the toilet, and being afraid to get out of bed because of the biting cold. Those early morning get-ups, becoming tantamount to torture before you can drink that cup of coffee to warm you up. Trying to watch television the evening and seeing your breath in the air. None of these scenarios are particularly good for your health, and luckily there are some great ways you can avoid them. So, let’s take a look at a few now:

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Your Boiler
Clearly, one of the best ways to keep your home warm is to have a fully functional boiler. That means you need to have regular maintenance on it, and if it breaks down a lot, you need to invest in a new one. Regular maintenance is generally better to be performed before it gets cold, so late summer. This means that it is far less likely to break down when you need it the most. However, the good news is that you are able to get boiler rentals if your boiler does break down and it is the middle of winter. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to get an appointment for a boiler repair or a new installation over this busy period due to all the breakdowns. But a rental is a great way to tide you over should this occur.

Timer and Thermostat
If your boiler has a timer on it, it is a good idea to set the timer to come on at least thirty minutes before you wake u in the morning, so you do not have to suffer the deep chill of the morning. Another thing to bear in mind when it comes to your boiler is to set the temperature of the thermostat to somewhere between 18 °C and 23 °C. Any hotter is just a waste of energy and is actually too hot for an ambient temperature n your house.

Thick Curtains
Thick curtains do wonders for keeping the heat from being stolen by your windows. Keeping your curtains shut as much as you can on those dull days and evening is a must to retain as the heat in your home. Also, if it is sunny, then open those curtains and allow the window to convert that energy into heat energy. This can increase your home’s temperature without using your heating system, and therefore it can save you money.

Upgrade Your Windows
If you have single glazing you can upgrade to double glazing, or triple glazing. Triple glazing is so much more efficient at retaining heat than double glazing, which is again a lot more efficient than single glazing. The home loses so much heat through the window, as much as 30% can be lost this way. So it makes sense to upgrade if you can. If you do not have the funds at this time to replace all your windows, when it gets very cold, you could layer clingfilm to the windows, which can help prevent hat loss. No, it’s not that attractive and can be difficult to see through, but it may well keep those temperatures above freezing.

Insulate
Insulation is essential to retaining the heat. Your home loses so much heat through the ceiling, so you need to make sure that you have the right insulation. Look for items like layered rockwool loft insulation, so you can avoid losing excessive heat through the ceiling. Another way to sort out the loft is to convert it into a room. However, that just shifts the insulation into the roof. Consider cavity wall insulation, draft excluders, etc. All these things together can save you a fortune on your energy bill. It may be an idea to hire a professional to come and look at how best to insulate your home. If you have a lot of nooks and crannies where drafts can get in, it is probably wise to fill these will some form of poly filler too.

Radiators
If you have any large objects that are in the way of the radiators, it is time to move them. One of the main culprits in this respect is the sofa. Sometimes we are limited for space and plonk the sofa where it will fit. However, you may be spending hundreds of dollars to heat up the sofa while a minimal amount is heating the air. If you are struggling for space, perhaps you need to rethink the layout or invest in new furniture.