Category: Tips and Tools

As more and more people are now working from home, the popularity and convenience of a home office has become more of a necessity than a dream. Whether you are working fulltime from home, or just a couple of days a week it is a good idea to dedicate some space to be created into a workspace. If you provide a distinction between your work life and homelife your productivity is likely to increase, as you will be able to focus on tasks more easily.

What should you include in your office and how can you create a home office when space is at a premium?

Assess available space

Most people don’t actually have a room spare to dedicate as an office. This means you need to be very creative with the amount of space available. Carefully look at every nook and cranny, alcove, available wallspace and even hallways to see where your office could be potentially situated. To make a distinction between work and home you could add an interesting wallpaper behind your desk.

If you have available funds it may be good to invest in expert design advice from Office Refurbishment services from OzoneInteriors they can help you maximise usage of your available space. There are really cleverly designed concealed desks that can be positioned in any room of the house, they have the benefit of being able to hide away work at the end of the day.

If you have a garden another potential area for an office would be to have a garden room built, you would need to consider the cost of heating and lighting, but you would benefit from no distractions. You would have a clear distinction between work and home. Many hairdressers and beauticians have used this option to have a home salon.

Lighting

One of the main considerations in designing your home office is lighting. Good lighting is essential, especially if you are utilising dark corners within your home. Natural lighting is the best solution, but if natural light is restricted you can purchase daylight replicating light sources. Position lighting so as not to cause glare by being too direct or cause eyestrain by being behind equipment.

Storage

It is important to remember that storage doesn’t have to spread out horizontally around your workspace, this is likely to cause clutter and infiltrate into your living space. Storage can be positioned vertically so that you use all available wallspace. Try to keep your storage solutions to a theme so that boxes, shelves and cupboards easily blend into surroundings and boxes can be stacked without the fear of toppling over.

Ensure your storage is plentiful, so that everything can be stored away at the end of the day. Certain businesses may require safe storage of documents due to data protection. Lockable filing cabinets especially designed for home offices would be perfect.

Finally, ensure your equipment such as computers can be easily placed and that power is accessible. Purchase an ergonomically designed chair to protect your posture and you’re ready to work!

Image: qimono

Trends come and go, and we all know this. But some trends remain and continue on to become actual icons of industry. There are numerous trends in the packaging industry, and having a good idea of what these trends are can contribute greatly to your company and brand’s growth. So, what’s in store for 2018? Here’s a list of the top trends in the packaging industry for this year.

Trend #1: Packaging will have an important role to play when it comes to the reduction of global product and food waste

There’s one trend amongst all the packaging market trends that continues to be a major force in the packaging industry, and a lot of companies and brands have already begun to follow it: sustainability in packaging. And since more brands are jumping on the bandwagon, it’s obvious that there will be some new innovations in packaging which will have a tremendous impact on the reduction of waste in the world. There are now innovations in the recycling of many different products, such as electronic parts and components, and many countries are leading the way in enforcing more sustainable packaging for consumers.

Trend #2: Brands available online will improve and enhance their packaging so as to give consumers a better online shopping experience

Online shopping has become the norm for many countries and cultures, and because of this, online companies experience a lot more competition from other brands. This is one major reason why online brands will focus more on better packaging for their products to attract customers. A lot more attention will be paid to how products look online, and how products in their packaging look once they are delivered to the customer.

Trend #3: Minimalism is in

Information overload in packaging is all too real; too often, consumers are overloaded and barraged with information about a particular product, and this leaves them confused – and as a result, the product remains on the shelf. More brands and companies are seeing the benefits of minimalism and simplicity in their product packaging, and there’s nothing companies would like to avoid more than leaving their customers confused rather than enlightened. Also, if there’s too much information on the packaging of the product, consumers tend to question its authenticity, its provenance, and even its effectiveness. There will be a better balance between what customers need to know and what customers may think is too much information.

Trend #4: Brands will be more conscious of contemporary or modern packaging to attract younger customers

It has been shown that younger customers are more attracted to a shop’s periphery rather than its centre, particularly for supermarkets. Brands are therefore aiming to attract younger customers with transparent packaging, easily recyclable packaging, and even packaging in unique and modern shapes.

Image: AlbanyColley

When you first head into business and start running your own startup, you may believe that finances are pretty simple. You spend a certain amount investing in your business, you make a profit from selling your products and services, and you reinvest. Simple, right? Well, you’d actually be surprised how many ins and outs you’ll find yourself dealing with as time goes on. Perhaps you offer goods on finance or invoice. Maybe you forgot to put your tax and national insurance contributions aside, as you’re so used to having an employer do this on your behalf. Believe it or not, there are various ways that being lax with your business’ finances can negatively affect you without necessarily dragging your company into debt. So, it’s time to get organised! Here are just a couple of reasons that you might want to be a little more organised with your business’ finances!

HMRC Visits

When most business owners hear the letters “HMRC”, they simply think of sorting their taxes out at the end of the tax year. However, nowadays, HMRC can visit your business on both an announced basis and an unannounced basis. They can quite literally just turn up, ask for your records and they can also speak to your staff. If this does happen, you can feel free to ask for proof of identity and the visitors will provide you with a letter explaining that their checks are entirely legal. Generally speaking, this occurrence may put on the guise of being a standard visit, but HMRC doesn’t waste their time visiting businesses out of the blue. If visitors do turn up as part of HMRC Visits, it’s because they believe that something is wrong or doesn’t add up. If you already have your finances and accounts in check, you’re unlikely to receive this visitors in the first place. It is essentially a tax investigation. Thus, it’s good to have all of your proof at hand just in case. Remember that even once the letter has been handed to you, you do have the right to refuse the visitors entry. However, they will want a reason and will try to establish why their entry is being refused if nothing is wrong. It’s better for your image and any further cases that you simply have your affairs in check and can receive visitors as and when they turn up.

Simplifying the End of the Tax Year

The end of the tax year is a stressful time in general for many business owners. Why? Because the self-assessment deadline always seems to approach out of the blue, despite being around the same time every year. If you don’t use an accountant and opt to complete your assessment yourself, you’re going to have to have access to a whole lot of documentation in order to work out all of the figures correctly. This is difficult enough in itself, never mind if you’re rummaging around piles of paperwork trying to find the right statements and pieces of proof of expenditure. Make life easier for yourself by saving all of your financial documents and receipts in monthly folders. Label them clearly so that you can find everything in good time. Also, try to start your returns sooner rather than later. This removes the stress of being rushed. Remember that if you submit your return even a day late, you’ll be subject to all sorts of fees, fines, and penalty charges, plus interest! Being organised with your finances will also mean that you have sufficient cash put aside ready to pay any tax bill or national insurance contributions that you may owe, which will mean that you don’t have to find large sums of money out of the blue to pay for your tax return.

As you can see, a little organisation can take you a long way (and save you a whole lot of stress down the line). So, it’s time to get your professional finances in check! Remember that you don’t have to be entirely alone in this organisation process, which can often be daunting. You may notice that as your business expands, it may be difficult to keep on top of your money matters at the same time as all of your other responsibilities. So consider taking on a receptionist to help with your filing and accountant to crunch the numbers. Just these two additional members of staff can make all of the difference. Even if you only take them on as freelance workers or on a part-time basis.

Image: Pixabay

There are numerous considerations that need to be made when you are looking for the right bank. It is important that you take the time to explore your options so that you can select the right one in particular. The more time you spend researching your banking options, the easier it will be to choose the right place.

In this article you will get some helpful tips for when you are trying to find a bank that will meet your needs. The last thing you want to do is rush into this kind of decision.

Find Out About the Fees Each Bank Charges

When you are gathering information on the various banks in your area, you should find out what kinds of fees each one charges. You will want to make a point of selecting a bank that won’t charge you a lot of unnecessary fees, as so many of them do these days. This is especially important if you don’t want to pay a monthly or yearly fee just to have a checking account. There are quite a few banks that offer free checking accounts, so you will need to keep that in mind.

Overdraft Fees

It’s also a good idea for you to find out what each bank’s policy is on overdraft fees, and how much they charge. You will find that most banks offer overdraft protection, but it can cost quite a bit. Some banks charge more than others for overdraft fees, so this is definitely something that you will need to look into before making a final decision.

Accessibility

You will want to think about just how accessible each bank that you look into is. While most banks do offer online services, there might not be a physical branch near you. If it’s important that you have a brick-and-mortar building that you can visit for your banking needs, you will need to make sure you choose the right one.

Use the Internet to Your Advantage

With the internet it is possible to gather all kinds of information on the best banks in America. Take as much time as you need to look through reviews written by customers of different banks before you choose one in particular. This information can be very valuable when you are trying make the best possible decision on a certain bank.

Technology

The technology that each bank uses is going to be something else to think about. Some banks use state-of-the-art technology while others use equipment that is more outdated. If you want a bank that offers a mobile app, for example, you will need to look for one that is in the tech loop.

Choosing the right bank is important for a number of reasons, so you will need to spend a decent amount of time looking into the options you have while considering your own needs. Each bank is very different in a lot of ways, so you don’t want to make a hasty decision.

Image: Nattanan

We’re a couple of weeks into the new year and (I hope!) back into work after that first week of intense goal setting, so let’s take a look at the trends to look out for this year.

The growth of social media communities and live video

Our use of technology has increased dramatically in recent years, but we still want to connect with human beings. Patience with businesses who did little but broadcast content on social media dropped significantly in 2017. At the same time, live video became quick, easy and accessible to anyone with a smartphone. These trends coming together in 2018 mean we can connect using technology but on a more human level than ever before.  Smart brands will be tapping into live video within online communities to build relationships. Then when those people meet for real, they already know one another.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence will increasingly be used to perform mundane, repetitive task that have been done by humans up until now. If that sounds daunting, then it needn’t be.  According to economic consultant Andrew Charlton, there’s no need to fear AI because it will make businesses more efficient and free up us humans to do more interesting work.

You can find examples of how you could tap into AI in your small business in this article on the Internet of Things.

A new generation is coming of age

There’s no doubt you’ve heard a lot about millennials over the last few years! Their buying habits, their work ethic and much more. In fact, the oldest millennials are now thirty-five and Generation Z (born from 1998) are starting to join the workforce, which means they have money to spend. Generation Z is the first one to have grown up with hand-held devices as the norm rather than a cool new gadget. How will they change the world? Only time will tell.

Sophisticated consumers

Today’s buyers are sophisticated consumers who already know all about your product’s features and benefits before they come to buy it. That means the buyer’s journey is no longer linear and businesses now need to meet their consumers where they are. Businesses need to be thinking in terms of developing communities (yes, communities again!) where there are a mix of buyers, experts and people who are just learning about what you do. The aim is to serve your community whether they are ready to buy or not.

Following on from this, businesses also need to think beyond selling benefits and features, and towards customer experience. Customers are looking for shared values and experiences, so think about using  storytelling and gathering your community together at events.

So there you have it, some business trends to look out for in 2018.

Image: nastya_gepp