Jul 23, 2018
From Max Pixel
Choosing the right tools can help you to make your business more efficient and productive. Managing your employees is a big task, but by selecting software that works for you, you can make it a lot easier. There are several different aspects of employee management to consider, from scheduling and pay to create workflows. While you might find a tool that rolls all tasks into one, many people prefer to choose separate software that does each job exceptionally well. You can usually integrate different tools so that you can see all that you need to in one place, without having to keep switching between windows.
Manage Payroll
Payroll is one of the most important things to manage for your staff. You need to make sure that everyone gets paid on time and receives the correct amount, plus manage any benefits or taxes that might come out their pay. Ideally, you might have dedicated payroll staff, but some small businesses rely on an office manager of general administration employee to handle payroll. The right software can be helpful to anyone, whether the business is big or small. Payroll software should make it simple to pay everyone on time, and some tools, like Gusto, even feature benefits administration too. Being able to manage both pay and benefits at the same time is handy.
From The Blue Diamond Gallery
Ensure Policies and Procedures Are Followed
Every business has its own policies and procedures that they need their employees to follow. If you don’t, you should. Some of them might be based on government and industry regulations and standards. Others could be unique to your business and based on the standards that you want to set. Either way, policy management software makes it easier to implement and manage them. You can review and test your policies to ensure compliance across the board using more efficient methods. Keeping your written policies separate from your other documents helps you keep everything in order.
Schedule Shifts and Time Off
Making sure that you know who will be working and when is vital to your business. Whether you manage shift workers or you just need to know when people are going to be on vacation, you need to have the right tools to manage people. Scheduling software can help you to schedule everyone’s shifts without any clashes and make sure that all working hours are covered. You can use general HR software for managing vacation time and other time off, but scheduling software offers this function too. Choose a tool that allows access to employees so they can manage their own time.
From Pexels
Create Workflows
Managing everyone’s workflow gets trickier as your organization gets bigger. A tool like Kissflow can help you to automate everything so that you can keep everything organized. You can roll lots of tasks into one, with human resources, sales, finance and several other areas of your business all available to oversee in one place. Cloud-based software can make everything easier too.
Manage your employees and their time and money when you have the right software. The right tool can make a big difference.
Jul 23, 2018
Most people have homes that are connected to a plumbing system in the Western world. Homeowners get water delivered straight to their taps, and most people do not take the time to think about that in too much detail. However, if you ever find yourself wondering “how does that water get here,” you can use the information from this page to help set the record straight. There is always more to learn, and so those who feel enthusiastic about the subject should continue their research after leaving this page. Still, this article should provide you with a basic understanding of water systems and how the liquid goes from the clouds into your sink. Feel free to share this info with your friends or let your children read this post because they will find it fascinating.
Link
Water rains down on the mountains
The first part of the process has nothing to do with technology and does not require any form of human interaction. When temperatures reach suitable levels at sea, water evaporates and condenses to forms clouds. Take a look outside now. All those clouds you see in the sky are made from seawater. When the temperature changes again, the water vapor turns back into a liquid and rains down on the earth.
A significant amount of the rainwater lands on mountaintops, and it then flows into rivers. Reservoirs are used to store water and treat it before it goes into the plumbing system and comes out of the taps in your home. However, we’ll discuss that more in the next section. The critical thing to remember is that humans have no interaction until the water reaches a reservoir.
Link
We collect the water in reservoirs
Reservoirs are substantial human-made lakes where we store water and clean it before pushing it through the pipes to your kitchen or bathroom. These structures are maintained every day to ensure they are secure and incapable of flooding. There are sometimes issues in the reservoir system, but humans have become pretty competent when it comes to sorting them out. Indeed, there probably hasn’t been a time during your life when you turned the tap one, and water did not come out, right?
There are many reservoirs out there that store other liquids apart from water too. However, for the purpose of this post, we’re going to focus on the ones that run clean water to your taps. Some reservoirs will also have dams, solar waterfalls, and locks which is pretty cool. Thes ones with waterfalls can often generate energy!
The water undergoes specialist treatment
Before you can drink the water in the reservoir, it has to undergo lots of different treatments to ensure it is 100% safe and free from contaminants. Depending on where you live in the world; your local authority might add lots of chemicals to the water to ensure it does not pick up any bacteria as it moves through the plumbing system too. In many instances, companies and communities that own reservoirs will need to find a potassium permanganate supplier so they can get the best possible outcomes. That substance helps to decontaminate the liquid and the soil at the bottom of the lake.
You can learn more about water treatment in your area by searching online for more information. As mentioned a moment ago, different towns and cities deal with that issue in various ways. So, it would be impossible to determine which chemicals are used in your water in this post. However, most reservoirs use a form of chlorine amongst other things.
Link
The water flows through the plumbing system
Once the water is treated and safe to consume, it begins to flow into the plumbing system that connects your home to the reservoir via lots of pipework. With a bit of luck, the chemicals added to the mix will help to ensure the liquid that appears out of your taps is safe to drink. However, lots of people still like to use a water filtration device because the system is not perfect. If you invest in a decent water filter; you will soon notice the impurities when you check your filter after a few uses. Still, you shouldn’t become ill if you drink the water from your taps, and it is clean enough to ensure your family remains healthy.
You should not have a much better idea of how technology is used to turn water from the sea into a drinkable solution for your family home. The information on this page explains the basics, but there is always more to learn, and so you should feel free to search Google if you want more facts about each step of the process. It’s fascinating! See you next time!
Jul 20, 2018
By Emily Olsen
Sexism is a problem rooted in American culture and in the business culture that has developed around it. It has been a part of our DNA for a very long time, and it is something that we want to change as soon as we possibly can. Stories have come out from some of the big technology players such as Uber that have continued to highlight how sexual harassment continues to survive in our modern world and how some people are clearly just not worried enough about it.
Silicon Valley Needs To Step Up
It is amazing to see how much Silicon Valley pats itself on the back for being innovative and coming up with cutting-edge things before everyone else. They say that they are doing all of these wonderful things, but then some of the oldest problems that the country has ever faced continue to show up at the workplace of people in Silicon Valley.
A big part of the problem is the ratio of men to women who are hired to perform certain roles. The men who are hired are often highly qualified, but the truth is they get an upper hand by simple virtue of the fact that they are men. It is more likely that the person who is interviewing them for the job is also male and can relate better to the potential candidate for hire.
Sexual Harassment And Social Hiring
Sexual harassment is another thing that Silicon Valley and the rest of the country have been grappling with more lately as stories about Harvey Weinstein and others have drifted to the surface. It has meant that many people have had no choice but to hear more about these topics than they ever did in the past.
Those who are hiring for industry should try to realize that they can use social hiring as a tool in their battle to avoid issues with sexual harassment farther down the line. The truth is that those who are the most likely to harass are often kind enough to reveal themselves through their words and actions on social media. If you dig a little deeper into your potential hiring pool using a platform like FAMA to perform a social media background check you will often find warning signs that may help you avoid getting the wrong person for the job.
What Are The Warning Signs?
There are often warning signs everywhere when it comes to a person who may be a harasser. If they are someone who people say has harassed before, then you probably want to avoid them. At the same time, a person who clearly has a disregard for the thoughts and feelings of another is someone worth staying away from. Any signs of bullying should be noted right away as well. These are all common markers that indicate that a person may be prepared to do things that would not only reflect poorly on your company but might also make it more difficult for other employees to feel welcomed and comfortable at their place of work. These are all critically important issues to address right away. You can give yourself the edge you need by reviewing social media accounts of anyone and everyone that you are considering hiring for a job working for your company. It is not only something that you are allowed to do, but it is also something that you ought to do.
Jul 17, 2018
Image Source
When machinery breaks, it can sometimes cost companies thousands. Not only do you have to pay for repairs/replacements, it’s possible there may be downtime caused by certain machines breaking. Here’s how you can spend less on repairs and lower costs for your business.
Invest in good quality technology
Cheaper machinery is often built more cheaply and therefore wears out more quickly. If you want a machine that lasts, you often have to pay a premium price for it. This isn’t always the case – there are budget machines out there that are just as well made. The best way to judge a machine’s reliability is to read reviews online. There are commercial product review sites where you’ll find reviews on everything from industrial printers to commercial coffee machines.
Weigh up the value of insurance
In many cases, it’s possible to opt for a warranty or take out a separate equipment insurance scheme to keep your machinery protected. This could entitle you to free repairs if something breaks. Insurance is recommended for high-value machinery or equipment in which there’s a high risk of damage.
Learn to do your own repairs
There may be times when you can save money on repairs by fixing machines yourself. There are many sites that sell parts such as current sense resistors and you can always use tutorials on sites like Youtube to help you. Doing your own repairs may not always be feasible and you should carefully consider your own ability.
Keep machinery regularly serviced
Almost all machinery can benefit from being serviced – this can help you to spot faults early before they evolve into something costly. An air conditioning unit or a complex computer may require a professional in order to repair it, but there may be other appliances that can service yourself. Machinery may come with a handbook that teaches you how to check for faults – ensure that this is done regularly.
Encourage employees to record faults
If you’ve got employees working for you, encourage them to speak up whenever there’s a fault with a machine. Certain faults could go ignored and get worse – what may have once been cheap repairs could evolve into an expensive job. Each machine could have a handbook for recording faults or you could have a collective noticeboard or online forum for recording whenever there is a fault.
Use analytics to predict faults
Many modern machines now have smart sensors that can monitor when a part is getting worn and warn you of this. You may even be able to get reports up that allow you to predict wear and tear yourself. These machines are likely to be investments that cost a lot more than your basic machine. Some companies are able to retrofit old machines with smart sensors – however this is still pioneering technology and it may work out just as affordable to buy a new machine with in-built smart analytics features.
Jul 12, 2018
With the development of information technology and web design, an increasing number of business owners are discovering ways of working smarter instead of harder. If you are setting up your first website, or would like to give your online shop front an overhaul, you can implement some software and plugins that will help you connect with your audience and get customers to buy from you without manually following up leads. Find out more below.
The Design and Language
Image via Wikimedia Commons
The first thing you need to make a decision about is the design and the programming language of the site. If you would like to keep things simple, you can get a WordPress platform site that is easy to customize. However, to add more custom features, you might want to opt for a programming language. Find out the difference between ui and ux design and their individual benefits to choose the right solution for your site.
The SEO Plugins
Your site’s visibility will depend on the search engine optimization features built into it. You can get various plugins and software that will boost the ranking of your site and automatically index your pages in search engines, but you will also have to update your social media sites and your blog to get visitor engagement.
User-Friendly Features
Your site is not only there to please the eye, but also must be functional. Your potential customers want to find what they are looking for, and don’t want to search for the buy button or worry about safety issues. You might want to test your website before launching, so you can see how easy it is to find out more about the ordering process, delivery, review the terms and conditions, contact your customer services, or arrange returns.
Sales Funnel Planning
It is also crucial to automate your sales process by creating a marketing sales process that is implemented in your website design. From contact forms to online chat and customer service, FAQ pages, popup banners, discount codes, autoresponders, to sales pages and landing pages, there are several ways you can encourage your visitors to check out your offers, return for more, and eventually become customers.
Testing and Measuring
Image via Pixnio
To make sure that your website delivers the best results and works hard for your business, you will need to track your visitors and conversions. Further, implement AB testing to find out which titles, headlines, keywords, graphics, and types of content result in more sales. Chances are that you will not get it right the first time, but if you monitor your customers’ behavior on your site, you can tailor the content to their needs.
Web design should not only be about appearance. It needs to be interactive, responsive, and suitable for the needs of your target market. Thanks to the latest website software inventions, you can now turn your pages into sales machines and automate your online marketing, so you can maximize your results with minimum effort while keeping your customers engaged.
Jun 29, 2018
Any business owner should know by now that cloud computing is a wise move. For one, it can help you work towards an all-important paperless office. And, that in turn stands to save you money in a major way. Not to mention that, when in the cloud, your files are much easier to manage no matter where you are.
So, you could say that turning to a company who offer IT Support packages complete with cloud computing is important. The moment you start using services like these, you’ll wonder what took you so long in the first place. You may even find some surprise benefits along the way. Jobs like delegation, for instance, could become easier than you ever thought possible. And, given this is something many managers struggle with, we think it’s worth some attention here.
Picture Credit
Despite the fact that delegation is essential for keeping your business running smoothly, it’s not an easy thing to master. In fact, many managers increase their own workload to save getting this wrong. But, overworking yourself is never the right way forward. Instead, consider the following three reasons cloud computing could have you covered here.
A person for the job
Part of the struggle with delegation is a lack of trust. When you pass a job onto someone else, you need to trust that they can do the best job possible. Tasks like these can, after all, have massive standing on your business reputation. And, many managers can’t bring themselves to trust anyone but themselves for the big jobs. But, cloud computing could solve this by giving you easy access to each person’s skills. All you need to do is set up a spreadsheet outlining each team member’s talents. Then, you can come to this at the start of each day and easily see who you can trust with what.
An easy way to share
Picture Credit
Another leading issue with delegation is that of time. In most cases, delegating tasks involves a meeting where you run through jobs one by one. Many managers figure it’d be quicker to just get on with things. Thus, they don’t delegate at all. But, cloud computing does away with that need for meetings and wasted time. Remember, this is the easiest way to share information with a team. All you need to do is upload a task sheet each morning. That way, you’ll be able to communicate with the whole team before you’ve even finished your morning coffee.
A checklist everyone can tick
Let us not forget that delegation is also a pain in the backside when it comes to chasing up jobs. Even once everyone knows what they’re doing, you may have to chase them to find out whether they’re finished or not. And, again, that can lead to a lot of wasted time. But, with the cloud in place, people can tick off or delete each task as they finish it. And, you can check this intermittently through the day without having to leave your office.
Recent Comments