How to upcycle office furniture

eventTired of your old, lifeless, office furniture? Instead of emptying your wallet by purchasing new pieces of furniture, upcycle your old pieces and put the ‘spark’ back into the office.


All you need to get started is permission from your boss – unless you bought your own office furniture, in which case, work away!

Wheels of Fortune
Office chairs often have wheels to allow easy movement but these wheels can become less ‘productive’ over time, scuffing around the edges and becoming stiffer by the day. Tente UK has every possible wheel that you could wish for to upcycle your office swivel chair. Now you can glide across the room on your lunch break as though the office was your stage.

Soft Furniture
If you want to add a splash of colour to your soft office furniture, consider using appropriate fabric paint to liven things up. If you’re lucky enough to have cushions in your office, why not personalise these by adding some decorative items such as buttons or pockets to store USB pens and other smaller office supplies? The same type of thing can be done in the cafeteria with chairs and sofas.

Office Desk
Are you sick of your old plain office desk? Bring some life into the office by reinventing an old favourite. There are many ways to do this, the most common being replacing the top surface of the desk completely or by changing it up a bit. According to www.diynetwork.com fabric accents and a few coats of paint are all you need to create a brand new desk workspace with unexpected patterns and textures.

Expanded Bookshelf
If you have a large or small bookshelf in your office, or any other type of ‘shelf arrangement’ and need some extra space to hold office files and folders, consider adding additional shelving to the original bookcase. You could even transform objects into extra shelving for the office. For example, Bored Panda has taken an old ladder and displayed it horizontally across the wall to act as a bookshelf.

Chalkboard Reminders
Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with everyday work tasks which is why hanging up an old chalkboard will provide you with a place to jot down all your daily tasks, goals and other notes. You can frame the board with a colourful wooden frame to add a bit more life into it. You can also do this with a white board if chalk proves to be a little bit too messy in the office.

Lighting
You can always spruce up an old lampshade or make a completely new one from scratch. You can use beer bottles, for instance, and combine them together to create a rustic styled chandelier or get even more creative and start thinking about new ways in which you can create fancy new lampshades for your office. You could paper mache the base of the lamp using old comic book strips to give the room an edge and a more youthful appearance.

7 Things you need to know about starting a business in London

londonLondon has a population of over eight million residents, providing a bucket load of potential customers and consumers for business in and around the city. The UK is said to be the easiest area in Europe to set up and run a business, which is why so many savvy business owners have taken to the capital city of England. Here are seven things that you must know about starting a business in London:

1. Business Address Matters Continue reading “7 Things you need to know about starting a business in London”

The basics of building a business online

Let’s face it; thousands of business ideas can make money. These days, many entrepreneurs are turning to the Internet to make their fortunes. Online stores offer so many advantages over traditional retail ones. For example, overheads are lower than their bricks and mortar counterparts.

It’s also easier to target an international audience when you sell over the Internet. And let’s not forget that websites are ready to serve customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

Are you setting up an online business soon? If so, it’s crucial that you know the basics before you begin. Otherwise, your efforts to build the business could prove fruitless. Here is what you need to know:

tax-468440_640

Identify your target audience

The first thing you need to do is think about who you want to buy your products and services. All businesses have a target market, regardless of what they sell. If you target the wrong audience, you could end up wasting money and become broke in the process!

Let’s say that you want to sell smartphones, tablets and accessories online. Your target audience may be younger generations and professionals.

One easy way to identify your target audience is to look at what your competitors are doing. Who do they target and how do they do it?

Set up a decent website

If you’re starting an online business, you need a website. Anyone can set one up, it’s not a difficult task. But, what can sometimes prove challenging is doing so the right way. It’s important you don’t cut corners or make mistakes when setting up a website.

Your online home needs to look professional and be attractive to your target market. I recommend hiring a web designer to come up with a responsive, well-structured site. It needs to be one that is accessible to all audiences and easy to use.

A copywriter can produce some marketing and sales content for your pages that packs a punch. You may also wish to consider providing downloadable product datasheets for your items too.

control-427510_1280

Meanwhile, you should consider using an SEO expert to make the site visible in search engines. There are also some optimization tips you can do yourself; here are some free SEO resources for you to try out. Be sure to find out what SEO companies can offer before you hire them, so that you know what to expect for your money.

Work with a mentor

If you’re new to online selling, you should seek guidance from a seasoned pro. Mistakes cost time and money, and they are worth avoiding – especially as a new startup.

A mentor can help you to achieve your long-term goals by helping to steer you in the right direction. Business coaches get used by some of the world’s leading brands, including online ones.

Engage with your audience

Last, but not least, it’s important that you listen to the feedback your customers give you. They are the people that help you to grow your business. You can use their feedback to tailor your products and services.

Feedback is also useful for identifying common problems so that you can resolve them. Good luck!

 

Can you make a full time income from investing?

Something a lot of people wonder, is whether they can afford to quit their 9-5 job in order to invest full time. They want to trade stocks and make investments, and they want to get rich from it. However, it takes a lot of work, and even then you might not make a full time income. Although, people have done it before. Let’s take a look at the things that will leave you more likely to make a full time income from investing:

You Need to Do it for the Right Reasons

First of all, if you want to make a full time income from investing then you need to be sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Doing it for the wrong reasons could end in disaster. People who make the most money from investing absolutely love it and have a passion for it! If you’re simply getting involved in investing because you don’t want a regular 9-5 job, you should probably reconsider. Making investments in still advised, but you probably shouldn’t try to make it your main career focus. It doesn’t always work for people.

Be Prepared to Treat it Like a Business

So, you love investing; you need to treat it like a business in order for it to work. When you’ve been doing it for a long time, you can afford to loosen the reigns a little bit and spend only a small amount of time on it per day. However, to start, you’ll need to treat it like your own little business venture.

Be Prepared to Take Risks

The problem with a lot of investors is that they don’t want to take any risks. They want to play it safe and still make a ton of money while not really doing anything. This probably isn’t going to happen! The richest, most satisfied investors all took a few risks to get to where they wanted to be. You don’t need to take any large risks straight away; you should get yourself used to investing first. Invest in the Morgan Silver Dollar, or something you’re really interested in and see how you feel. When you’re used to investing, you can then take some calculated risks and see if they pay off. What is life without taking a few risks?

investing

Speak to People Who Know What They’re Talking About

It always helps to speak to people who know what they’re talking about. Get as much information as you can from seasoned investors and you’ll be more likely to succeed.

Have a Diverse Portfolio

A diverse portfolio is a must if you want to get anywhere with your investments. Investing in one thing is a big risk in itself, so be sensible and find multiple channels to invest your money.

Play the Long Game

Be prepared to play the long game. You won’t get rich in a few months or even a few years. However, by following the rest of the tips in this guide, you could end up with a substantial return on your investments.

Good luck!

Photo credit: Pictures of Money

I started a business with kids: Lisa Roberts of Babyblooms

Babyblooms - Lisa Roberts PhotographTell us a little about your business

Babyblooms was the first company in the UK to offer bouquets of Baby Clothes as an alternative to fresh flowers, offering next day delivery within the UK and a worldwide delivery service. The website www.babyblooms.co.uk now includes Babyblooms own range of natural skincare for Mum and Baby as well as a wide selection of baby hampers and personalised gifts.

What was your job before starting your business?

I studied Business and Finance at university and initially worked as a financial advisor for a couple of years before switching to account management with a Telecoms Company. When my sons were born I worked for a while, part-time selling educational software before childcare costs became prohibitive and I worked a couple of evenings a week waitressing in a local Italian restaurant, leaving my days free for the boys and leaving the boys with my husband in the evenings. Whilst quite poorly paid, I had no childcare costs so had more money in pocket and essentially had two nights out a week!

How did you go from your old career to your new business?  Continue reading “I started a business with kids: Lisa Roberts of Babyblooms”

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close